Sussex Police slash night marshal safety scheme
Getty ImagesA police scheme aiming to keep people safe on a night out has been cut in three Sussex towns.
Sussex Police said night safety marshals would no longer be on patrol in Eastbourne, Crawley and Worthing due to a significant reduction in Home Office funding.
The service would continue to operate at a reduced capacity in Brighton, said Ch Insp Jim Loader.
A Home Office spokesperson said the government had increased police funding by nearly £2bn, including an increase of £20.5m for Sussex Police this year.
Run by a Brighton-based firm, the night marshal teams are trained to respond to issues in town centres at night.
They were introduced to Eastbourne in 2024 following successful schemes in Brighton and Crawley.
At the time, Insp Sarah Taylor, from Eastbourne's Neighbourhood Policing Team, said the marshals would support police work "to protect vulnerable people and catch offenders".
Loader says officers will "continue to provide a proactive, visible presence" in the towns affected.
"Keeping people safe in the night-time economy remains a key focus for Sussex Police and we will closely monitor these changes to ensure we are using the available funding as effectively as possible."
The Home Office said it was "putting more officers on the streets and in communities".
"By February 2026, we had delivered more than 3,000 additional police officers and PCSOs into neighbourhood roles - restoring the visible, responsive neighbourhood policing people expect," a Home Office spokesperson said.