Eastbourne's former Debenhams building used for 'drugs and underage sex' as police work to secure site

The dilapidated department store building has become a notorious meeting point for children in the past year .

Sussex Police said they are ‘working closely with partners’ and ‘have begun securing the site’.

A spokesperson for the force said: “This will continue until all parties involved are satisfied.

“Work is also being carried out to identify and protect the public from other hazards in the area to avoid a similar incident happening again.

“Public safety is of paramount importance [to] the police – if you have any concerns , report online or via 101.”

However, a concerned parent, who wishes to stay anonymous, said children are still using the building as a place to ‘take drugs and have underage sex’.

She said she reported this to police, but ‘nothing’s been done about it’.

It comes after a 12-year-old boy had to be airlifted to hospital after falling through the building’s roof in March.

In the days following the incident, videos of children continuing to explore the building emerged on social media. The boy’s father said it was ‘disgusting’ that the former department store still hadn’t been made secure.

He said: “When I saw him being carried out, I thought he was dead, to be honest. I thought he was gone.

“After seeing the condition my son was in and how lucky he was to get away with that - others might not be so lucky.”