A community book swap is to be removed after arsonists twice torched its contents.
Books were removed yesterday after a fire left ashes in two book swap cupboards on Buller Road on Sunday evening.
Another attack three weeks ago saw burned books and graffiti found at the Busy Bee Bookswap and Ladybird Bookswap.
Happy Mountain Community, a Facebook page set up by active residents in the Coombe Road area, established the book swaps during the covid lockdown.
Residents have been asked not to leave any books while the Happy Mountain Community considers a different setting for the book swaps.
A community notice posted on the cupboards says: “As this is not an isolated incident we have to now accept there are a few people in the community who are not only willing to damage and destroy a free community resource but also who are either unaware or do not care that setting fire to books and wood in close proximity to houses could put people in real danger.”
Steph Brown, a member of Happy Mountain Community, said: “One interesting thing I thought about when it was happening was who do you contact about this sort of thing and how?
“It seems that you can report it online but it’s not really an emergency. How do we hold people like this responsible?”
“It’s not clear how people go about reporting vandalism.
“This is part of a wider problem in our community. Our area has been neglected in so many ways.
“There is sadness and anger in our community and it is coming out through these younger people who are bored, isolated and have no one who will hold them responsible. We need support.”
Local resident, Richard Harris said: “This is so sad. When I walked past it last week, I thought, ‘Isn’t it wonderful we can have this in our area without it being vandalised.’”
Ms Brown said that the idea of padlocking the book swap cupboards would be taken to the next meeting but that she is worried it could aggravate the vandals.
Sussex Police were contacted for comment.
