'VILE HOOLIGANS'
Fatboy Slim forced to close his cafe after DJ’s business is targeted by vandals caught on CCTV trying to break in
Shocking snaps of the damage show the metal window protectors caved in and mangled
FATBOY Slim has been forced to close his cafe after it was targeted by vandals.
DJ Slim's beachfront business in Hove was ransacked when youths were caught on CCTV appearing to pick up paving slabs and lob them at the shutters.
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The gang of yobs caused thousand of pounds worth of damage to The Big Beach Café - forcing it to shut up shop on Friday, according to .
Shocking snaps of the damage show the metal window protectors caved in and mangled.
In another picture, shards of broken glass are scattered across the cafe's kitchen and near the front entrance.
The cafe said in an Instagram post: “Sorry we are unable to open our kitchen this morning as these three vile hooligans have caused ££££ of damage to our community business.
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“Please share and get in touch with their details so we can prosecute them and make them pay for their actions.”
The cafe and Sussex Police were contacted for comment.
The renowned DJ, 60, whose real name is Norman Cook, bought the cafe in 2013.
He took it over from from former model, businesswoman, animal rights activist and ex-wife of The Beatles' Paul McCartney, Heather Mills.
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The attempted break-in comes after the DJ was nearly hit by a drone as he performed of thousands of people on a Brighton beach.
Giles Dalby, 39, mixed up the controls of his device while trying to create a “cinematic” video of the gig.
He put it into sport mode — making it harder to avoid obstacles — and recording data showed he “ignored multiple warnings”, a court heard.
Dalby’s DJI Mavic mini drone narrowly missed the Right Here, Right Now star, as well as members of the 8,500-strong crowd on July 22, 2022.
It crashed into the stage on Brighton Beach where Fatboy was performing to mark the 20th anniversary of his 2002 free concert attended by 250,000 people.
A court heard footage from the drone showed the “near miss” with the DJ, which happened 15 minutes before the gig ended.
In court at the start of this year, Dalby, of Brighton, was fined £576, ordered to pay a £230 victim surcharge and costs of £85.
Over half of all vandalism cases ignored in 2023
BY Martina Bet
POLICE ignored more than half of all vandalism cases in England and Wales last year, figures show.
They did not bother to attend 129,302 reports of property destruction and other criminal damage in 2023.
The figure accounted for 53 per cent of all such cases.
Of 27 police forces, Greater Manchester was the worst performing, with officers failing to follow up in 81 per cent of cases. Avon & Somerset were nearly as bad, with a 79 per cent rate.
The Lib Dems — who compiled the data — called for a return to community policing.
Their Home Affairs spokesman, Alistair Carmichael, said: “Across the country thousands of people are seeing their homes and vehicles damaged by vandalism, only for those responsible to get away with it.
“To think an officer isn’t even showing up at the scene in most of these cases is outrageous.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Since 2010 our communities are safer, with a 74 per cent fall in criminal damage.
“We also have more police officers protecting the public as we delivered on our promise to recruit 20,000 additional police officers.”
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