Hove man guilty of burning homeless person's bedding outside Poundland in Worthing

According to Sussex Police, Daniel Robinson, 30, appeared at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (December 19) and pleaded guilty to a charge of arson.
This related to an incident on Sunday, when a homeless person’s bedding had been set fire to outside the former Poundland store in Montague Street, Worthing.

At the time, a police spokesman said no crime was identified – but the spokesman has since clarified that their response was based on information available at the time.

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In the latest statement released by police, officers received a report of the fire at 6.53pm.
Prevention Inspector Allan Lowe said: “This fire was significant and without the early attendance of the fire service, the fire could have spread quickly.
“Using CCTV cameras from various sources, we were able to quickly establish the fire had been deliberately started and identify Robinson as the suspect. We will continue to prioritise offences that cause the greatest harm to victims and communities.”
Robinson from Seafield Road, Hove, was arrested by officers on Tuesday after officers spotted him wearing the same clothes as he did in the CCTV footage.
He was given an eight-week custodial sentence, and told to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £115.

This is the second time in recent months that such an incident has happened in Worthing; click here to read about it.
Inspector Lowe said: “We will not tolerate this anti-social behaviour and our officers will continue to patrol the town centre over the festive period.
“No one knows their neighbourhoods better than residents themselves, so please get in touch if something seems suspicious or out of place.”
Members of the public can report information online or by calling 101.