Beach cafe bitterness

Tommy Russell, 68, and his wife Pat, lived in Meeching Road and owned the popular foreshore cafe for more than 40 years.

Newhaven Port and Properties (NPP), the company which owns the sandy beach, closed it last year following safety fears over the concrete sea wall.

Mr Russell, who now lives in Southampton, said the first he heard about it was on the television news when he was just two days away from signing another five-year lease.

'I have been down here for over 40 years,' he said.

'It has always been a family concern. We have seen most of the locals grow up. We have got to know everybody.'

Mr Russell originally leased the land from British Rail.

Ownership has since passed through the hands of several companies over the years.

At the end of last summer he was negotiating with NPP to sign another five-year lease but said the company did not tell him the beach was going to close.

He said: 'I was supposed to sign on the Friday but I didn't go because I had to go to the doctor.

'I arranged with my solicitor to sign on the Monday and then later on the Friday I looked on the television and they were saying the beach was going to close.'

On hearing this Mr Russell decided not to renew the lease and last week started to demolish the buildings which, he said, were built by his uncle.

'In my lease it said when I left the area it had to be left as found so obviously I was finishing. I had had enough. I was determined I was not going to do any more. I have not been well and it was making me ill.

'It cost me over 5,000 to pull it all down. I just wanted to get away.

'They destroyed it, me, and they destroyed my family.'

But Captain Franois Jean from NPP said the shareholders of NPP were annoyed that local people saw the beach as a community concern.

He said: 'Our tenant decided a few months ago to stop his activity, due to sickness and his intention is to be retired.

'Ten days ago he demolished the caf without the authorisation of NPP. We have no comments about it.

'The land belongs to NPP and we are seeking new activities. We are also in contact with the town council about it.

'I would like to remind everyone that NPP is a private registered UK company, not only owned by French.

'The British shareholders, as the French, will appreciate being able to undertake their activities as a normal UK private company; they are annoyed by this perpetual focus of the local community on the company business.

'And as NPP is not a public body, we are not answerable to anyone.'