A man has been charged with starting a fire at the Brighton Centre, yards from where homeless people were staying inside a temporary winter night shelter.
The 48-year-old suspected firestarter appeared at Brighton Magistrates’s Court on 18 December following the incident last weekend (16 December).
A Brighton and Hove City Council statement said: “The incident outside the Brighton Centre was dealt with swiftly and professionally by staff both from the night shelter and the main building of the Brighton Centre.
“There was no danger to anyone in the building at the time although everyone was evacuated as a precaution. There was no damage to the building. We can’t comment further at this time as the matter is part of on an ongoing court case.”
The council opened the temporary shelter last week in response to a petition and it can sleep up to 30 homeless people.
The fire was started at the back of the Centre, in Russell Road, using tissue paper to set alight wooden crates.
Ian Drummond was remanded in custody by District Judge Tessa Szagun to appear at Lewes Crown Court on 15 January 2018.
