Poppies will not be sold on streets of Brighton, say organisers

Poppies will be not sold on the streets of central Brighton this year due to a recruitment issue, poppy appeal organisers have said.

The Royal British Legion (RBL) said it had been unable to replace a long-serving appeal organiser for the city.

As a result, there is nobody to co-ordinate the campaign in central Brighton.

Poppies will still be available to purchase at a selection of supermarkets, shops and restaurants.

The annual poppy appeal, which launches on 26 October, raises funds to support the armed forces community in the UK.

The role of a regional poppy appeal organiser is to oversee the ordering and delivery of materials, money collection and "a lot of paperwork", the RBL's South East poppy appeal manager Graham Ferris said.

"Sadly, our long-serving and loyal poppy appeal organiser for central Brighton stepped down recently and we need a replacement," he told BBC Radio Sussex.

"To be perfectly honest, there won't be enough time to recruit somebody for that role for this year because it carries a lot of responsibility.

"But we will make sure that poppies will be available for anyone who wants them across the city centre."

Paper poppies will be available to purchase in supermarkets including Sainsburys, Tesco, Morrisons, and One Stop, as well as other high street establishments.

Last year, central Brighton raised about £10,000 through the poppy appeal.

Poppy collectors will still be active in some suburbs of Brighton, including Patcham and Woodingdean.

Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].