Hallamshire Post A vintage market is to boost the prestige of Abbeydale Road
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SATURDAY 27 DECEMBER 2014
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Monkey protest over Devonshire demolitions Indy shops in danger from plan for more flats By P G WODEHOUSE
Ten thousand people including Arctic Monkeys drummer, Matt Helders are trying to save a handful of independent shops from demolition in Devonshire Green.
Developers submitted an application to Sheffield City Council to replace vibrant independent shops, such as Rare and Racy, Syd and Mallory’s and the Natural Bed Company with cafes, restaurants and a three-storey high apartment block complete with a rooftop garden. Recent plans to bulldoze 162170 Devonshire Street created uproar in the local community who are now uniting to preserve the unique and quirky atmosphere of the Devonshire Quarter. “One of the main draws of Sheffield as a city is its independent traders and unique shopping districts - take this away and you’re losing Sheffield” writes an online commenter. More than ten thousand people signed an online petitioncreated by local poet Jonathan Butcher, opposing the idea. “The establishments threatened have long proven to be a hub of creativity and independent entrepreneurial talent, supporting both artists and creative endeavours” says Butcher, 36, who stocks his books in Rare and Racy - a second hand bookshop. Arctic Monkeys drummer, Matt Helders is also backing the campaign on Twitter saying: “You can’t let em knock down these shops! Classic, independent businesses in Sheffield.” Local grunge band, Dredge also joined the public outrage, calling councillors “bloodthirsty”, who “can’t get enough” on their website. The home-grown businesses threatened with closure are all part of the distinctive under-
ground scene of Sheffield, supporting local artists and ensuring interest in the area. Rare and Racy opened in 1969 and is one of the last hubs of unconventional art, old jazz and blues records and second hand books. Co-owner Alan Cape admits that he struggles with keeping his shop open. Although customers enjoy the atmosphere filled with incense and acid jazz music, they don’t purchase enough items to keep the business running. Investors, Primesite Ltd. argue that these businesses don’t generate enough profit for the city and the state of the old buildings is getting worse. In their statement they expressed plans to replace the buildings with contemporary design that “respect and enhance the existing historic vernacular of Devonshire Street”.
@matthelders ‘You can’t let em knock down these shops! Classic, independent businesses in sheffield.’
Sheffield Green Party leader Jillian Creasy criticised the development: “Losing the shops at the end of Devonshire Street will be the final nail in the coffin for small independent businesses in the area.” Hallam University student, Grace Oliver, 21, says there’s no need for more flats in the city centre, especially if it’s to the expense of her favourite book shop: “I absolutely adore the atmosphere in Rare and Racy. It is heart-breaking to see these wonderful shops slowly being eradicated from the final picture of Sheffield.” The deadline for the petition to be handed in to the Council is the 3rd of November.
A cause to tweet about @mikedolbear Sad to say it’s going on all over the UK. The high streets have gone @0musette0 That’s always the best ones which knock down first :( @tigersdave Ah, I wasn’t aware of that. Thanks Mr Helders. Now playing ‘If You Were There Beware’ @geekyclaire Why the need to demolish independent shops on Devonshire Green to make way for yet more flats?
Independent businesses to be pulled down in Devonshire Green to give way for new blocks of flats
‘Talking buses’ to help the blind
‘Your next stop is...’ By LEO TOLSTOY ‘Talking buses’ are planned to be introduced in Sheffield to help the blind with travelling. The equipment would announce bus stops on vehicles. “Drivers too often forget to inform blind bus users when they reach their destination, and that this has sometimes had serious repercussions for the passenger” said Cllr Cliff Woodcraft. The Royal Society of the Blind
in Sheffield welcomed the plans, emphasising the need for a more liveable environment for the blind and the partially blind in the city. The ‘Talking buses’ project would give them the freedom to travel independently without worrying. John Woods, 57, who is partially blind said: “It is a life saver idea. I’ve gone round and round on bus routes because nobody
told me that I’ve missed my stop. I prefer getting a lift by car now to avoid these situations” Councillors hope that this facility will encourage more drivers to choose buses over cars helping the environment and keeping the ‘green city’ title. Discussions with First Coach Bus and Stagecoach have already started and a competition is to be launched to invite students to come up with a low cost equipment solution.
Sheffield buses will ‘talk’ to help blind travellers
Parking plans postponed Long standing discussions of installing parking meters near Banner Cross shops might come to a compromised end. Plans for a pay and display parking scheme were drawn up in a petition by local traders, who say the restrictions would free up some parking space for customers and make shops more accessible. Local residents fear that the scheme would drive more traffic into their already busy streets. The council decision has been now postponed until the next financial year to allow more consultation. They promote a compromise between traders and residents by only installing meters between Psalter Lane and Huntingtower Road, where shop owners are affected the most.
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Vintage market adds to prestige
Traders’ voices
Christmas shoppers boost antique reputation of Abbeydale Road By THOMAS MANN
Homemade, organic and vintage goods awaited Christmas shoppers at the Sheffield Antiques Quarter’s Vintage Market this weekend. The market welcomed local business owners to promote locally produced goods and aiming to build up the vintage reputation of the area.
The vintage bazaar was held on December 3, Saturday all day in the Old Picture House, a 1920s cinema just off Abbeydale Road. Traders on over 70 stands were selling antique and refurbished furniture, colour-saturated kitchenware, knick-knacks, retro art, lamps, fashion and vintage wedding dresses. There were also handmade candles sold for charity, Christmas felt ornaments, environmentally-friendly produced handbags and upcy-
cled cutlery sculptures, all locally sourced. A pop-up café serving seasonal refreshments, live music and a 1920s fashion show made sure that shoppers got into the Christmas spirit while looking for individual gifts. The stalls, seeing hundreds of shoppers, were set up inside and outside of the grand Picture House. This year organisers opened the inner auditorium, recently
undergoing renovations, to the public, which created a unique, vintage-feel atmosphere. Organiser, Hendrika Stevens said: “I am very pleased with the turnout both in the Picture House and at the Antiques Quarter. We have been working very hard to revive the Abbeydale area and bring local, independent businesses together. ”
“It brings a lot of people together. There are a lot more little events in the Antique Quarter as well, it keeps business flowing.” Melissa Donohoe, 32
For more pictures go to our website www.hallamshirepost.co.uk
“I am an independent artist, but sales are varying here. It brings a lot of people in, but not a lot of people buy.” James Newton, 39
“Most people come to look around. It’s like a day out really.” Georgina Greyson, 14
“There are so many new shops and things going on it’s great. Our range of wedding dresses varies from the 1920s to the 1980s.” Lucy Palmer, 27
Recycled owl sculpture (left), Janette Holgate from Home Grown Crafting (top right), The Antiques Quarter (bottom right)
“It’s a lot better than last year because they opened it all up inside.” Jason Heppenstall, 46.
Secrets of a botanical obsession Competition between gardeners dates back centuries By JANE AUSTEN Not many townsfolk know that fifty years ago Whirlow was a botanist’s dream as a result of an obsessive competition. It lasted a hundred years between wealthy house owners of who could present the most peculiar plants in their gardens. The unofficial rivalry broke out when the early 20th century plant hunters introduced new types of plants, shrubs and flowers that arrived to England from all over the world, most often from the Far East. As it was fashionable, industrialist families indulged in their newly found passion of displaying the most wonderful species in their gardens. Edgar Allen, of the Sheffield Edgar Allen manufacturers and shipping merchants, owned Whirlow House, a small
estate with overly excessive grounds. His gardens were spacious, with fish swimming in two ornamental ponds and a natural spring flowing through a small grotto. Japanese and rock gardens were a must to be considered a serious gardener in the area. He also completed an orchid house and a tropical banana
house growing ripe fruits, where the air was always aromatic and moist. Edgar Allen took great pleasure in escorting his dinner guests to pick their own bananas for dessert. Many of his guests had never tasted fresh fruit of such perfection before. The area between Whirlow Bridge and Ecclesall Road
Whinfell House photographed in 1943
South was once a blooming wonderland, under the command of Samuel Doncaster, a well-known iron merchant and steel manufacturer, who’s favourite past time was garden design.
‘Edgar Allen took great pleasure in escorting his dinner guests to pick their own bananas for dessert’ His home, the imposing Whinfell House, was named after the yellow flowered shrubs growing all around the area. In the spring there were delightful daffodils, a rock garden and in the summer luxuriant herbaceous borders. Doncaster was a competitive and passionate gardener. Rare shrubs and trees were brought to plant in his gardens and a
series of rock pools were constructed with water flowing from one to the other. Bamboo and Japanese acers were grown to give form and autumn colour and flowering cherries, rhododendrons and stately conifers all added interest in this delightful garden. Unfortunately this luscious piece of nature is now long gone, as both Whirlow House and Whinfell were demolished to give way to a new modern estate of bungalows. The impressive gardens had become wilderness with green houses derelict, glasses broken and saplings growing through the windows. Losing their significance in the growing bustle of the city the grounds were turned into prime property land putting an end to a long lasting botanical competition in Whirlow.
Man jailed for four years denies having sex with Shetland pony A man accused of having sex with a pony has been found not guilty of sexual intercourse, but has been jailed for four years for ‘outraging public decency’, today. Alan Barnfield, 44, had been accused of having sex with a Shetland pony called Sky on the night of August 8, 2012, Sheffield Crown Court was told. Residents called the police
when they saw Barnfield acting suspiciously around the wooded area, near the stables at half past midnight. He was found ‘sweating profusely and smelled strongly of horses’ at Oak Tree Stables on Rakes Lane, Loversall, Doncaster, the court heard. Barnfield of Hexthorpe Lane, Doncaster, claims he went for a
walk near the stables, carrying a bottle of Lynx deodorant, a pink bottle and a leash with him. Police officers found animal porn on his mobile phone including one involving a woman and a horse. Barnfield admitted to possessing the images and videos but he denied all charges . The jury was convinced he
injured the pony through sexual assault, but ‘cannot be sure’ he had intercourse with Sky. He was found not guilty of bestiality, but was sent to prison for four years for outraging public decency. According to Sky’s owner, Ms Walton, the pony was left traumatised and would ‘shake and tremble’ and kick out at people
after the attack. Judge Peter Kelson QC said Sky had several injuries indicating she had been sexually assaulted. He added: “Sky was traumatised; she is a living creature who you caused great pain to. “There is no credit to you whatsoever. You lied through your teeth to the jury.”
Armed raider flees with betting shop cash A lone gunman robbed a betting shop in Bradway last Saturday – the second incident this year. The man entered the Coral shop on Bradway Road, Bradway around 5pm and demanded cash from the staff. He threatened staff holding what appeared to be a handgun before escaping with a quantity of cash. Nobody was injured in the incident and police are appealing for witnesses. The same bookmakers – near the Dore and Totley Golf Club - were held up in April by three robbers armed with a gun and hammer, who left with a ‘substantial amount of cash’. Daniel Hill, 20, a student, who used to work in the shop, said staff were left terrified after the incident. “There seems to be a pattern here. It must be horrid to keep working in a place like that. You would never expect something like this happening here,” he said. Witnesses should call South Yorkshire Police.
Rapist for sentencing
Endcliffe rapist, Jamie Seaton is to be sentenced after admitting to rape and two counts of assault by penetration at Sheffield Crown Court today. Seaton, 24, attacked an 18-yearold student in Endcliffe Park after a night out on May 10 this year. The sentence is to be expected on the 29 October.
Oak trees protected
Twenty mature oak trees lining Totley Lane Bridleway and gardens of private residences are protected by a Tree Preservation Order since July this year. Despite local objections, councillors confirmed that property owners now have to apply to the council to cut and pollard the oaks.
Rude goes up for sale
The Rude Shipyard on Abbeydale Road (pictured above) is now for sale after six years of business. The independent café, bookshop and exhibition space is a valuable addition to the Antiques Quarter of Sheffield. Inquire on 0113 238 2900, from Ernest Wilson.
Peak Echoes published
Writers in the Peak published a collection of 30 fictional short stories inspired by the Peak District. Peak Echoes features the works of 14 local writers and pictures by Chris Gilbert, a local photographer with the foreword written by The Duke of Devonshire. The project received a £9,200 grant from the Authority’s Sustainable Development Fund. Joyce Jane, manager of the group said: “Today is very emotional for me. We worked very hard on this book and hope to make an impact with it on the preservation of the Peak District.”
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Outdoors
Peaks reach peak on Google Virtual tour to attract more tourists to explore Park By JULES VERNE The Peak District has become the first UK national park to be virtually accessible online via Google Street View, sharing the beautiful landscapes and trails with people all around the globe. The Peak District was the first to become a national park in the UK 63 years ago. Now following its pioneering spirit, its trafficfree trails will be only a click
away for everybody to access worldwide. With this virtual experience the Peak District Authority is hoping to attract even more hikers, bikers and families who will want to have a first-hand experience of what they have seen online. The Monsal, Tissington and High Peak trails have been viewable online since early November with famous sights such as Curbar Edge, the Derwent Valley and
Stanage Edge, featured in Pride Prejudice soon to follow. Peak District National Park chief executive Jim Dixon wrote: “The national park covers an area of 555 square miles so it was impractical to film every inch for people to view. Instead we have selected some of the highlights. These are the trail areas where we offer ranger-led walks, family activities and cycle hire and bike maintenance, so there are lots of ways for people to enjoy and ex-
perience what the national park has to offer.” The filming took place in May and June, this year, by volunteer trekkers who captured 360 degree images with a Google Trekker camera designed to photograph public locations. With on-foot photographers even those areas could be reached that the Google Street View car can’t access. View online at www.google. co.uk/maps.
The Peak District is the first national park to be virtually accessible via Google Street View
Courts
Pensioner stabbed to death
Killer left woman dying to spend her pension on night out By ALEXANDRE DUMAS
A pensioner was found with a carving knife embedded fatally in her neck, a murder trial was told today. Doreen Walker, 75 was killed for her pension by her granddaughter’s friend.
She was stabbed in the heart and slashed 40 times on her face, arms and chest by Andrew Liam Naylor, 23, who spent her pension on a night out. Naylor was close friends with Mrs Walker’s granddaughter Keeley Sweeney, 17. He was a regular guest at her house in Birkwood Avenue, Cudworth, Barnsley and was planning to move with Ms Sweeney to Skegness, Simon Waley, prosecuting, told Sheffield crown court. “Keeley and her grandmother had a close relationship and she lived with her on and off for two years.” The morning before she died,
‘The story he gives in his defence is utterly ludicrous and can be rejected out of hand’
Mrs Walker withdrew her pension at the local store and left with £104 in cash. She mentioned to the store assistant that she had fallen out with Keeley. On 1 April, Naylor, was caught on CCTV entering Mrs Walker’s house at 9.30pm and leaving at 11.20pm.
Andrew Liam Naylor, 23 (left) denies murdering Doreen Walker, 75 (right) While in Mrs Walker’s house, Naylor texted his friends, arranging a night out in Barnsley, Mr Waley said. He punched her in the face and inflicted several deep stab wounds that penetrated her lungs, heart and spine. Naylor washed his bloody hands and burnt his clothes before paying for the night out with the stolen cash. Mrs Walker’s body was discovered by her son-in-law the next morning, lying on the living room floor, still dressed in her night gown. A large kitchen knife was still
embedded in her neck. She had a fractured nose ‘caused by a heavy blow to the face’, several deep cuts that ‘required severe force’ and defensive injuries on her arms and legs, Mr Waley said. “What the prosecution say is that between the defendant arriving and leaving, he killed Doreen Walker,” said Mr Waley. Naylor, of Junction Street, Barnsley, denies murder. Mr Waley told the jury that he claimed he killed Mrs Walker in self-defence. He told his friends that he had been in a fight to explain his
heavily blood soaked jeans. On their way to town, Naylor and Keeley burnt his clothes in an underpass before paying for a night out in a pub and treating his friends to a McDonald’s with the stolen cash. Naylor was arrested the next evening in Skegness. Mr Waley said: “The story he gives in his defence is utterly ludicrous and incredible and can be rejected by out of hand. “You can be satisfied that any mention of self-defence is nonsense.” The trial continues.
Academies
Inspectors praise ‘outstanding’ new academy
Staff and students exemplary
By ZELDA FITZGERALD
A Sheffield secondary school that recently switched to academy status has been rated outstanding in every category in their latest Ofsted report.
Silverdale, in Bents Green, impressed Ofsted inspectors with its exemplary staff and strong student body. Many students come from a multicultural background with different abilities but with expert help from the staff, gaps between students from disadvantaged backgrounds and their classmates are closed and dealt with rapidly. Results in Year 11 are well above the national average. Inspectors praised the substantial knowledge of teachers and outstanding quality of teaching, the high attendance levels and polite behaviour of students. The number of students applying from Silverdale to prestigious universities is also notably high compared to other schools in the city. The leading Sheffield school, which turned into an academy in January 2013, was rated outstanding in child safety, and preparing students for life in a multicultural, democratic society by promoting respect and tolerance,
and the importance of British traditions and values.
“These results don’t surprise me at all. Teachers here are very helpful and professional. My boy wants to be a neurosurgeon, because he enjoys studying here. I couldn’t be more grateful for all their hard work,” said Ghazala Ahmad, motherof-two, who attend Silverdale. Silverdale’s sixth form also
‘Gaps between students from disadvantaged backgrounds and their classmates are dealt with rapidly’
achieved outstanding results and their senior management and governors were congratulated on their leadership and clear vision how to better the school. Headteacher Roisin Paul told the Telegraph: “Everyone is thrilled with the outcome, especially as under the new Ofsted framework it has become even more difficult to achieve this. “The result reflects the unstinting hard work and dedication of our talented and highly skilled staff and a passionate and lively student body.”
Do academies need the freedom? While most schools in England are rated as good or outstanding by Ofsted – the independent education watchdog – one in four is just not good enough. Many schools need intensive support to improve and reach standards. The academies programme was designed under the Labour government to improve these failing schools, by bringing in new leadership to schools that weren’t performing well under local authority control. Labour left England with only 200 academies, but since the programme became effective in 2010, over 4,000 academies opened in the UK. In Sheffield alone over 50 primary and secondary schools converted. Academies are independent schools that receive direct funding from the government instead of the local council. They have more say in their finances, curriculum and length of term and school days, which allows them to teach more lessons. Financial freedom over pay and conditions of teachers means they can attract good teachers by paying more. However, many teachers object because national pay arrangements negotiated by unions no longer apply. Academies are subject to education watchdog Ofsted inspections and now there is priority given to schools deemed “outstanding” or “performing
well” who want to convert. Critics say that the lack of accountability in academies will fracture the entire educational system and give room for privatisation. Labour-style academies were funded by sponsors, local businesses, philanthropists and educational charities. They also had to contribute £2m to the cost of conversion. Later both of these criteria were scrapped by the coalition government and now underperforming schools can team up with better ones in the area to improve teaching standards. Converting seems to have its financial benefits as schools receive £25,000 towards conversion costs from the Department for Education. On top of per pupil funding, they can also gain access to money previously held back by the local authority to pay for services such as special needs support. Sheffield City Council councillors admit that the transition to academies was undoubtedly a pressure on the council budget. Council officers were working on the implications of if the council was unable to financially support academies in the future. “Every time a school became an academy the council lost money but they were still responsible for children’s educational outcomes even when they were at academies”, said Cllr Chris Weldon.
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Homeless man dies in police custody
High risk detainee isn’t provided appropriate medical care while in cell By AGATHA CHRISTIE
A Sheffield man who was found dead in police custody the morning he was due to appear in court, was an alcoholic drug addict, suffering from heart disease, an inquest investigating the circumstances of his death has heard, today. When Neil Budziszewski woke up on the morning of May 1, 2013, little did he know that a day later he would lay dead in a prison cell at Ecclesfield police station. If he would have known, he probably wouldn’t have gone on to allegedly steal a bottle of Carlsberg from McColl’s on Barnsley Road, Sheffield. When the shop assistant saw him with something sticking out from under his coat, he rang the police. Budziszewski was arrested drunk in the early afternoon by an officer who took him to Ecclesfield police station. At the station he refused to give his name. Officers had to transport him to Charge Office Bridge Street which has the facilities for fingerprint reading. They managed to identify him as Neil Budziszewski, a man of 42, who was born in Sheffield and who was single and out of work, without a known address.
‘I didn’t ask the detainee if he was taking medication or was seeing a doctor’
With the question of identity out of the way he was transported back to Ecclesfield for further questioning. “We kept looking in the back of our vehicle to make sure he was OK. He was very subdued. He told me about how he had lost his mother recently and how he had struggled with alcohol and drug dependency,” said PC Darren McKenna, arresting officer. During his interview at Ecclesfield, Budziszewski claimed he had post-traumatic disorder from fighting in the Falklands
Neil Budziszewski, 42, died unexpectedly in a police cell, while waiting for his next day trial war, despite having been too young at that time. Later, he voluntarily agreed to a drug test to win a bet with an officer. He was due to appear in front of Sheffield Magistrates’ Court the next morning. At 9.20am the next day, when a they came to take him to court, he was found dead. Paramedics were called. His trousers were cut open, breathing tubes inserted, his ribs were fractured in an attempt to revive him, but he was gone. His cold body was taken to the Medico Legal Centre in Sheffield for a post-mortem examination. A week later, on May 8, an inquest was opened to look into the circumstances of his tragic death.
Breach of police protocol
According to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE), officers have to fill out a charge form and complete a risk assessment form when processing a new detainee. But these forms weren’t filled out promptly on
Mother attacked with toddler in bed Man jailed for ‘appalling’ violence A father who beat his partner in front of their toddler was yesterday jailed for 16 months. Ben Knight, 30, beat his partner Anne-Marie Snelgrove, 43, in a jealous rage leaving her with a fractured nose and several bruises in her Doncaster home, Sheffield Crown Court heard yesterday. Mum-of-two Snelgrove was sleeping in her bed with their two-year-old son, when Knight, who has a history of violence, broke into the room and accused her of cheating in March 2011. He began pulling her hair, punching her in the face and kicking her while she was lying on the floor covered in blood. Snelgrove’s 15-year-old son, Milan who was sleeping in the room next door woke up to the argument and came to her rescue. He pulled drunken Knight of his mother and took the distressed toddler out of the room. Snelgrove, a health consult-
ant, suffered a broken nose and severe headaches in the attack. Knight who pleaded guilty to the assault said: “she needed a surgery anyways.” “I was so angry to see what they’d done. He shouldn’t have seen these things between his mum and dad,” Milan told the police. Mr Webster, defending described Knight as a “hard working chap, with significant qualifications who has a problem with alcohol”. Knight is currently under a restraining order and he can only contact his child through a family member. Recorder Coupland called the incident “appalling” and “without good reason.” He also added that the presence of the child made the offence even worse. Knight is to spend 16 months in jail and is meanwhile forbidden to contact Snelgrove.
the day of Budziszewski’s arrest, which is a breach of protocol. “We could not complete the charge form without identification, so I took the decision that it was more important to identify him than to complete the risk assessment form at that point in time,” Custody Sergeant Nigel Govier who retired in June 2014, told the inquest. The risk assessment form was filled out in Bridge Street. It stated that Budziszewski was an alcoholic, narcoleptic, with a history of drug abuse. It also included that he needed to be checked regularly, every 30 minutes, in his cell. However, another form filled out later at Ecclesfield didn’t include this information. According to PACE, a health professional should have been called for a detainee with dependence on drugs or alcohol, but this didn’t happen. “I did not ask the detainee if he was taking medication or was seeing a doctor at the time
“I was busy – it’s not like I was sitting in a seat waiting for something to happen,” said Govier.
‘If I had seen this initially the check regime would have been very different’
When leaving the station, Govier didn’t tell the next in charge Custody Sergeant Paul Telero about the drugs and alcohol. He didn’t mention the 30 minute rousing checks either, which are required by PACE when a medical professional wasn’t called to the detainee, the inquest heard.
Time of checks mixed up
“I got there at 6.20pm... We did a verbal handover as there wasn’t much to write down. “My instruction, in accordance with the paperwork that was behind the desk, was that the prisoner was on standard checks and had no issues. My task was to get him ready for court. There was
no medication prescribed. “There wasn’t a great deal of information on the sheet about the detainee in question and therefore not much for me to think anything of,” CS Telero told the inquest. When CS Telero left the station at 6.30am, he handed over to Custody Sergeant Justin Hart. At this point Budziszewski was still alive and sleeping in his cell. The inquest was told, that CCTV images show CS Telero allegedly saying to CS Hart: “He’s an alcoholic. Decent bloke, mind. Just a f**king alcoholic.” The last time Budziszewski was checked on at 8.55am, he was alive. But when the transportation arrived to take him to court at 9.20am, he was lying on his side and he had stopped breathing. “I basically said to the people coming to transport him ‘he’s fine’ “It was then that detention officer Rowland went to call him. “I then noticed another risk assessment form which had been placed out of order, which was different to the one I’d seen when I came onto the shift. I’d missed it at the time. “If I had seen this initially the check regime would have been very different. He should have been on 30 minute rousing checks according to the risk assessment form I’d just found. Generally, a health professional should have been in the building and should have been seeing the detainee regularly or at least been on standby. “I heard DO Rowland saying ‘Come on mate, we’ve got to go now’. She then said: “Sarge, have you got a minute?” “My initial thought was that there must have been an issue with the prisoner – they’re quite often quite hard to get to move. “When I got to the cell we opened it and saw him lying on the floor on his side. “My initial impression from my experience was that he was dead at this point,” said CS Hart. The inquest continues. To read the full article visit www.hallamshirepost.co.uk
Dore has a say now
Dore residents have more influence on planning decisions affecting the community after formally becoming a Neighbourhood Planning Forum, today. The application was approved and welcomed by the Sheffield City Council and The Peak District Planning Authority on October 16. The former Dore Village Society now has the right to create a ‘neighbourhood plan’ that allows the local community to contribute to key decisions made by authorities. Each plan will require a referendum before coming into force. “We believe it is important that local people are able to have their say in local planning. This neighbourhood forum will allow people living in Dore to capture ideas and ambitions for their community that will influence future decisions made in the Dore neighbourhood area,” said Cllr Leigh Bramall. Under the Localism Act 2011, the neighbourhood plan enables the community to plan positively for the area. “The society will take on the preservation of the village and the beautiful countryside surrounding it. There will be steps taken to educate the public,” said Lorna Baker, committee member of the Village Society.
Footballer in drunken brawl
A professional footballer is to serve a court sentence after getting into a drunken fight in Doncaster. Andrew Boyce, 25, who plays as a defender for Scunthorpe United, attacked a man with two of his friends following a dispute over a cab. The three chased the complainant down the street and punched him several times in the early morning of August 26. Boyce, from Doncaster, was sentenced to 6 months in jail suspended for 18 months, 150 hours of unpaid community work and £300 compensation to the complainant.
Youth gangs’ reign of ‘terror’ Police ‘failing to stop youth drinking on the streets’ By GEORGE SAND
Councillors and police have failed to curb gangs of youth drinking on the streets of Nether Edge and “terrorising” residents, a community meeting yesterday was told. Residents claim gang members have no respect for anybody or anything and a nucleus of teenagers “get a kick out of engaging in antisocial behaviour.” Anne Barr, a retired school teacher, who does a regular litter picking in the area, told the
meeting she had a rough encounter with a gang which had led her to move out of the area. “I had a very unpleasant experience with a gang of youth here. I went litter picking alone and I approached them jolly and asked them to give me a hand. “But they started throwing things at me from the roof and damaged my car. “I have been teaching for 27 years and I enjoy engaging with young people, but I had to leave due to the insurance on my car and my well-being”, she said. Ms Barr said a mentoring system could help to engage more with the youth in the area. She also said that some older role models could influence t h e core of the gangs
to behave. Charlie Khan, 53 is worried for his safety after his wife was attacked on the street at daytime. “People are living in this area with fear and the police make promises, but don’t keep them,” he told the meeting. Sheffield City Council now employs only part-time youth workers instead
‘People are living in this area with fear and the police make promises, but don’t keep them’
of a full-time youth worker, due to budget cuts and restructuring. Residents said the changes made a huge difference to the safety of the area. But police claim the number of issues related to anti-social behaviour was halved by officers in the past six months. Teenagers gathering and drinking in front of shops was still a problem, Inspector John
Mallows from South Yorkshire Police said. “What we see is a reducing in antisocial behaviour in the area. “What the section 30 enables us to do is to build a foundation and put individuals in front of the court. Nothing is perfect, still got a lot to do.” On the 20th October there will be a new Criminal Behaviour Order in place, which gives room to the police to focus on rehabilitation and help instead of locking people up. With this order the police can disperse of street drinkers and gangs for 48 hours from outside of shops. “The last thing we want to do is to criminalise youngsters from a young age”, explains Inspector Mallows. Locals are convinced, that having extra police presence in the area doesn’t solve the problem, but a full-time youth worker would, instead of the part-time team, who currently only work two nights a week in the area.