Blood-filled syringes strewn across historic Sheffield spot

Brian Thompson grew up in Pitsmoor and on a visit to his favourite childhood haunts was horrified to see what has become of the area at the entrance to the tunnel known as Fiery Jack.

The spot, at the junction of Spital Hill and Saville Street near the The Wicker Arches, was once the opening of a railway tunnel cut in 1847 to link Wicker Station with Bridgehouses.

Now it has become the haunt of addicts who buy drugs with money they collect from begging on city centre streets.

Mr Thompson said: "It’s a place I used to play as a child and I have never seen anything like it is now. It’s horrific when you see it close up."

Mr Thompson was shocked at the amount of used needles strewn across the area.

“It pains me, with all this Heart of the City Two stuff that's going off, it doesn't matter what improvements they make - if there’s people begging and off their heads on spice and things like that. The city centre and areas like this are not going to be places where people want to take their families.”

The beginning of the end for Fiery Jack came with the opening of the Midland and Victoria stations, prompting the closure of the Wicker station to passengers in 1870, although the tunnel remained open initially for the transportation of goods. Both the tunnel and the Wicker Station were closed after the Second World War. Tesco Extra now stands on that spot and although there have previously been discussions about making a modern feature of the tunnel, nothing has ever materialised.

A South Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “Our local neighbourhood team carry out regular proactive patrols in the Spital Hill area. If anyone has concerns about drug use or supply in this area then please contact 101.

"Anyone who finds disused syringes or drug paraphernalia should report it to the local authority so any waste can be disposed of safely.”

Sheffield Council did not comment when approached by The Star.