Hampshire Constabulary has issued a summons to court to the owners of Sandown’s Ocean Hotel to face criminal charges after they neglected to make the building secure.
Phoenix Commercial Property Developments (PCPD) had a month to board up every access point and install a perimeter fence and CCTV around the hotel after the police force issued a Community Protection Notice (CPN) last month.
It followed a warning notice issued in May which was also ignored.
PCPD had, the force confirmed, ‘acknowledged receipt’ of the CPN but had until midnight last night (11th July) to comply with the notice or face criminal charges.
Inspecting the site this morning (Tuesday), Sergeant Ben Sharland, of the South Wight Neighbourhood Policing Team, confirmed nothing had been done and there was fresh damage to the building.
It is only the 2nd time a CPN has been issued against a business or company in the country, with the owners pushing the boundaries of what the legislation can do.
To enforce the CPN, Sergeant Sharland said it has to have a direct link to anti-social behaviour — something the force can ‘strongly evidence’.
He said:
“Not only are children accessing this building, but it is a starting point and they are then filtering out into the town. They can just stroll in, there is no barrier whatsoever to stop them getting access.”
Sergeant Sharland compared it to another derelict building further along the seafront, The Grand Hotel, whose owners have taken positive action to stop break-ins, making it secure, with CCTV and security, ‘rarely’ resulting in trespassers.
While the Isle of Wight Council is working to restore the building, Sergeant Sharland said they were supporting the authority, but felt they had to take action to make it safe.
He said:
“At least by trying to get the fencing back up, boarding and CCTV, we can stop people potentially getting in and quash the anti-social behaviour.
“It is just inviting them in. You have to put this in the mindset of a 13/14-year-old and when I was that age it would have just been a playground for me. I cannot blame them for going in there.”
The police have recently launched Operation Spider, dealing with the issues of anti-social behaviour; using traditional policing methods as well as new, looking at the causes of the anti-social behaviour.
Youth diversion is also in place for the whole of the Bay area, with the police working closely with partners to pull those children on the fringes of the problems away and divert them.
Sergeant Sharland said police presence has increased by 50% in the areas and they are robustly policing those 4-5 offenders committing crime on a daily basis.
By pulling away the children on the edges of the groups, Sharland said that the main offenders have no one to play up to.
The Isle of Wight Council is also taking action against PCPD but the company has appealed the notice. It is due to be heard at the Isle of Wight Magistrates’ Court on 3rd August.
5 Policepersons to an empty property for a photo shoot.
but if your burgled cant get 1 to turn up
Tesco Express was probably closed.
When you need the police they tell you they have not got an available officer in your area we will get one out to you when we can
By this time the crime has been committed so they will tell you we need evidence for a conviction
Same old story yet they keep asking for more money to improve the police force
I even put cctv on my property and collected the evidence but still as usual nothing done
While the police are doing something positive I don’t think a Sergeant should be publicly saying ‘I don’t blame kids for going in there’.
Trespass and damage is a criminal offence. While the owners are at fault for not securing the building, it is the trespass and damage activity that is the problem. If it is not this building it might be another one. The police should remember who the offenders are.
Police wouldn’t be able to do anything about trespass as it is a civil matter. They should be able to do something if there is damage done though
It’s a sign of the times that he can say that it is only to be expected that 13 to 14 year olds would naturally go there. A few decades ago kids weren’t so feral and parents had a bit more control over them. Where did it all go wrong? – with the anti disciplinarians who all scream abuse if a child is disciplined.
Is it necessary for the police to pose outside? Anyway, wouldn’t this be a civil matter and not a crime?
Presumably as there has been damage caused by offenders it is a police matter
They can do this but did nothing about the “NOT” arson at the old Ventnor Gaiety arcade though, funny that.
“Sergeant Sharland said police presence has increased by 50% in the areas and they are robustly policing those 4-5 offenders committing crime on a daily basis.”
How is someone able to commit a crime on a daily basis, and yet be robustly policed? Is it a joke or something?
The photoshoot suggest quite a light-hearted tone.
Give me and my crew £15 A hour will clean the place up and board it up.
If they did nothing they would be criticised, if they started rounding up the ususal suspects and issuing anti social behaviour orders and curfew orders they would be accused of draconian policing, This is the local team who are trying their level best within the restraints imposed on them to make the area a better place, give them a break and support them, its easy to be negative from your keyboard.
Sandown is sadly a Dump.
So is most of the rest of the island. And getting worse by the day.
Visiting some mainland towns recently I was surprised how run down and dirty with traffic fumes they seemed
We knock the island yes but there are plenty of towns much worse then ours and I visited Dorset a so called affluent place.
Sadly Sandown is becoming a Dump
The police turn up for a empty building but two days after for a man threatening people with an axe.
Good job Sergeant!!!
They only attend to trivial matters and probably pick and choose what to attend
By the look of the photo “were all going on a summer holiday”
Maybe an idea. Make it safe and hire it as a haunted hotel for stag parties, Halloween, etc. I wish my father was still alive. He would have bought it and do it up. It would be Uncle Gordon’s dream hotel.
Did they come over on a day trip for the photo op, surely there are not 5 police officers on the island, ours take over a month to turn up and look into abusive behaviour and have no interest whatsoever in shoplifting
The owners couldn’t give a monkeys about this waste of a summons. Petty cash to them. Anyway, residents don’t want the place boarded up, they want it developed into a smart and attractive scheme, of which our otherwise beautiful esplanade can finally be proud. The Council should start doing its job, and being a bit proactive for God’s sake !!!