I've travelled home after 9pm both nights so far this week, and the gate has been locked on both occasions. However, the ticket office was also closed and the two side gates on the up platform were both open allowing passengers to enter or exit as they pleased.
Why therefore, can't the gate on platform 2 be left open to save passengers the slog up and over the bridge and all the (much discussed on this forum) associated problems this brings?
Is this another example of Southern NOT thinking about "thinking like a passenger"!