Chemical scare at Park Hill left one man and four police officers in hospital

A police cordon was put in place last night amid a chemical scare at Sheffield’s Park Hill flats.
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Emergency services were deployed to the flats, off Duke Street, yesterday evening and said a man in his 30s was found seriously injured and was given CPR in a battle to revive him.

Police officers forced entry to the man’s flat and a number “started suffering ill effects from an unknown chemical”.

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Firefighters in specialist protective clothing were brought in to try to establish the cause of the reaction suffered by police officers, who all needed medical attention.

Emergency services were deployed to Park Hill flats in Sheffield last nightEmergency services were deployed to Park Hill flats in Sheffield last night
Emergency services were deployed to Park Hill flats in Sheffield last night

Members of the public were urged to avoid the scene.

South Yorkshire Police said after an examination of the flat where the officers fell ill “no traces of harmful substances were found”.

Further searches will be carried out today.

The injured man treated at the scene was taken to the Northern General Hospital, where he remains in a serious condition.

South Yorkshire Police said: “We have been informed that South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service personnel at the scene at Park Hill flats in Sheffield have completed all their tests and have declared there is no longer any risk of contamination as no traces of harmful substances were found.

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“Police officers are now collapsing the scene to just the property involved and will be re-entering the property to continue enquiries as to what happened.

“Only four police officers and the patient suffered any ill effects from the incident. All the officers are recovering while the man remains in a serious condition in hospital.

“We wish to thank all the Yorkshire Ambulance Service and South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service personnel who attended for their diligent work, as well as all members of the public for their patience. You will still see some officers at the scene conducting enquiries for now.”

Last night eye witnesses described seeing an air ambulance land and around 20 emergency service vehicles.

They claimed to have seen people being stripped to their underwear in the street and sprayed down by firefighters.