But, like any city, it has its problem areas.

Life in St James’s Street, near the seafront, has been compared to a Charles Dickens novel as the area finds itself beset by brazen shoplifters and drug dealers, thieves targeting tourists, shouting, violence and human faeces, according to people who work there.

Upon arriving, The Express saw two police community support officers outside the local Co-op branch speaking with a member of staff, before crossing the road and popping into Hunter Florist.

Back outside in the street, one of the officers said the vicinity is a “hotspot” for bad behaviour in Brighton and Sussex, and so they maintain a “high-visibility presence”.

They would not be drawn on what sort of incidents they have to deal with.

The duo had just spoken with Neil and Frank Stribbling-Rushton, 56 and 66. Neil has owned the shop for a decade after moving from south east London.

He said anti-social behaviour has become normalised.

“There’s quite a lot of kind of physical violence, especially with the shoplifting up the Co-op,” Neil said.

“We see it and sometimes between themselves on the street; they can have some real fisticuffs that spill out onto the road, and you kind of almost think you’re watching a movie sometimes, and it’s like, no, actually, this is just daily life on this street.”

“The poor Co-op opposite us is raided on a daily basis and it’s quite horrific sometimes what you actually see and kind of the violence that is played out,” the business owner added.

Locals still remember an “open brawl” from 2024.

Frank said: “It was a Saturday afternoon in Brighton. People were eating al fresco, and this was going on in front of them.

“It was something like gladiatorial.”

A man ran into the florist and asked if they could call an ambulance, he said.

People seem to shoplift not because they have got kids who need food, Neil thinks, but “just to feed themselves, because they can’t be bothered to actually shop”, or resell more expensive produce like meat to then “get their next fix”.

The couple say “herds” of people with substance abuse problems are housed in nearby hostels and bed and breakfasts and congregate on the street and “fire each other up”.

Frank said: “For some reason the council seem to locate them in one place which just doesn’t make sense, and is terrible for the local businesses and local residents who obviously want to help these people, but it just destroys daily life, doesn’t it?”

He expressed frustration at the local police station being only a couple of streets away, but the behaviour seen by the couple every day is allowed to continue.

Frank added: “It’s like civil society has just broken down, because there’s no law and order.”

“To have more police on the street would be amazing because just that sight does deter and also it helps to make other people feel safe,” Neil’s husband said.

“Well, even a police presence helps, but the cars just go up the road at 20-odd miles an hour and don’t stop for anything.”

He added: “You usually get the sound of seagulls, but now most days that’s drowned out by them shouting at each other.

“It’s like being at an asylum.

“They pee and defecate by that bin there in open sight of children.”

And sure enough, opposite the florist was said bin, and beside that a deposit of what seemed at the time to be definitely human poo. You, of course, cannot be conclusive without a DNA test.

Sam Morgan, 35, took over The Oak pub in March. He said: “I’ve seen people openly smoking crack out there in broad daylight.

“They’re not trying to hide it.”

He also told The Express that there was “clearly human s***” outside the front door of the flat he shares with his girlfriend.

“​​I have two dogs, so I know,” Mr Morgan added. “It’s pretty bad.”

The landlord occasionally has to tell problematic people to leave his pub.

“I’m quite liberal. I’m quite forgiving,” he said. “But I’m also a business owner.”

The Brightonian then recalled an incident whereby a man was urinating outside, seen clearly through the pub’s windows.

A member of staff exclaimed: “Oh my god, that guy has his d*** out.”

Shopkeeper Karpesh Patel, 60, said: “It’s an alcohol-infused street.

“They know the police won’t do anything about it.”

He added: “It’s normality around her; you’ve got to be on the ball.

“Every person will try to do you – you can’t take anybody lightly anymore.”

Fights are a regular thing, Mr Patel said, especially at night.

He added: “We would feel safe if there were any police present on the streets but there never is.

“We just have to keep going with life as it is.

“There’s no help for small shops around here, the independents.

“It’s always been a bad street with a reputation, but it’s getting worse now.”

Nickie Waters, 64, who is originally from London but has been in Brighton for 40 years, has worked in Neil’s shop for three years.

She said: “Brighton’s changed. It’s a lot different from how it was 30 years ago, for sure. It’s not safe to walk down this high street.

“It’s tough for visitors – the trouble has become normalised and you become slightly immune to it. It’s a terrible thing.”

Store owner Gary, 64, said: “A lot of it is a more social thing. It’s people that just need frickin’ help and it’s not provided for them anymore.

“There’s a lot of them just making it up though, I believe.  You find them screaming in the middle of the street and it probably brings some sort of attention to them that they wouldn’t normally get.

“There’s a lot of good people on the street who just want to get on, and the small minority ruin it for the other people.”

Another store owner said he had stopped putting as many items on display outside, lest they are nicked.

He showed The Express CCTV of several shoplifters, but did not hand over the footage as he wished to remain anonymous.

Inside the Co-op, an employee said shoplifting was “not as bad anymore”, and undercover security deters potential thieves.

He and other workers are advised to “keep clear” and do not pursue those who steal.

Occasionally some become very angry, with the situation going from “zero to 10” after being caught.

The man added that when they know someone is taking high-value items, staff position themselves around the store like a “police operation”, with the manager at the entrance as “the final point”.

James, 55, another business owner, said: “One thing is true – it is consistent. I’ve been here 20 years and it’s been the same.”

He added that it is just part of the nature of the area.

“It ebbs and flows… it seems to depend on whether Ringleader types hanging around,” James said. “It’s something I could do without.”

“There’s got to be a better way of earning a living,” Neil said. “Probably being a drug dealer would be easier.”

A spokesperson for Sussex Police said: “St James’s Street remains a priority for the Neighbourhood Policing Team in Brighton. We remain committed to making the city safer for residents, businesses, and visitors. By working with partner agencies and the local community, we will continue to reduce harm and deliver meaningful change across the area. As St James’s Street is identified as a Hotspot location, enhanced policing activity is in place.