Black Dog
Central Defender
From The Times"What are the neighbours like?"
Yeah, great, salt of the earth!
Three-bed semi with garden . . . and armed police
Ali Mitib
Tuesday March 30 2021, 5.00pm, The Times
Police
Property
Logon or register to see this image
When prospective housebuyers press the “open map” feature on Rightmove, it shows two police officers holding guns outside the property
House hunters hoping to find their dream home discovered an unwelcome feature when they looked up a West Sussex property on Google Streetview.
The semi-detached house in Haywards Heath, which is listed on Rightmove for £375,000, features three bedrooms, a south-facing garden, a drive big enough for two cars — and, according to the Google service, two armed police officers posted outside.
The images could have been much worse. The picture was taken shortly after a crash between two vans on the lane outside in April 2019, which led to a mass brawl at the scene involving groups from both vehicles. One person had their arm broken, according to the BBC.
The aftermath of the mêlée was captured on Streetview. A few metres down the road, on which two police cars and a car from the dog unit are parked, a group of people can be seen standing with three officers outside an ambulance, with one woman sitting on the ground in pyjamas.
A white Ford Transit van with a crumpled bonnet and a dislodged headlight is parked around the corner and several neighbours can be seen watching the drama from their front gardens.
Three people, one of them a teenager, were sentenced at Hove crown court in December 2019 for their part in the brawl. Mark Brazil, 40, of Haywards Heath, admitted one charge of possession of an offensive weapon and was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and 100 hours of unpaid work. Sue Brazil, also 40, admitted possession of an article with a blade or point and was sentenced to a 12-month community order.
A 17-year-old youth who cannot be named for legal reasons was given a 12-month referral order after he admitted two charges of possession of an article with a blade or point.
The house, which was described in the Rightmove listing as an “attractive traditionally built semi-detached house of character”, was put on the market last Friday. It has two reception rooms, a fitted kitchen and a “delightful south-facing rear garden extending to about 96 feet in length”.