A 19 year old from Brighton was arrested last night after being caught green fingered selling salad to what the police described as ‘desperate individuals’ on a street corner in Hove.

Paul Hayes, of London Road, was detained at 11.30pm after an anonymous tip off from the general public led the police to Grand Avenue where they discovered Mr Hayes ‘serving up’ to a large queue of vegans and health conscious Hove mums. A subsequent search of the suspect’s car revealed courgettes, aubergines and traces of broccoli.

Brighton’s large vegan population combined with the recent shortage of salad as a result of poor weather on the continent, has driven individuals to seek alternatives ways of getting their vegetable fix. Sgt Mike Wilcox of Sussex Police said, ‘This is becoming a big problem now. We believe a large amount of salad has been smuggled into the country from South America. The problem is that this stuff is not normal salad it is super strength stuff that has been grown specifically to get vunerable salad lovers hooked. We advise anyone who is offered any sort of veg to decline and to contact Sussex Police immediately’.

A Brighton resident who asked not to be named said she had noticed a worrying trend since the shortage, ‘Only the other day I was walking through The Level and I spotted four separate groups of youngsters all taking turns on an iceberg. It’s disgusting, kids use that park. Something needs to be done, Only yesterday I saw one woman absolutely off her mash on courgette and it was only 2pm’ she said.

Mr Hayes has now been formally charged and will face magistrates at Lewes Crown Court in March.