'Don't give up on us' - plea for future of troubled Page Hall after spate of violence
“Page Hall is a safe place most of the time - but when something happens and a fight does break out, it gets out of hand, quickly”
Police used emergency stop-and-search powers to stamp out the risk of escalating violence in Sheffield’s Page Hall.
For 22 hours starting on Tuesday night (August 4), officers in the district had a carte-blanche right to search any car or person for weapons.
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It came after three people were injured in two linked, large-scale, and violent incidents.
The first was on Monday, when groups carrying wooden bats fought in Willoughby Street, injuring a woman.
Then, two men were rushed to hospital on Tuesday afternoon after being reportedly attacked with metal bars on Owler Lane, shortly after a collision involving a silver Volkswagen Passat and a pedestrian.
As a result, South Yorkshire Police announced on August 4 it had rolled out a ‘Section 60’ order in the Page Hall area and surrounding streets.
It was due to remain in place until 7.40pm on Wednesday in a bid to prevent any further violence arising out of the two incidents.
On Wednesday afternoon, police cars circled residential streets in the troubled neighbourhood to enforce calm.
Local councillor Mustafa Ahmed has thanked officers for the patrols - but said enforcement alone will not solve Page Hall’s problems.
“I live here - Page Hall is a safe place most of the time,” said the councillor.
“There are large gatherings of people, but that doesn’t mean it is unsafe.
“But when something happens and a fight does break out, it gets out of hand, quickly.
“There are large families living in houses, and social media means everyone finds out and comes out all at once.
“And then all of Sheffield holds a negative opinion of Page Hall as a violent place.
“I thank the police for patrolling the area today to restore calm, but what happens when the patrols end?
“We need education, co-ordination, and to not give up on this area.”
![Ward councillor for Burngreave, Mustafa Ahmed [Green Party], who took his post in the May Local Elections, says the "sky high rate of crime in Page Hall must come to an end."](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2026/05/20/13/21/20260520_124355.jpeg?crop=3:2,smart&trim=&width=640&quality=65)
Violence in Page Hall
At around 10.15pm on Monday, a fight involving a large group of people, some armed with wooden bats, broke out on Willoughby Street.
A woman suffered minor injuries, and a 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault. He was later released on bail.
The incident on Tuesday centred around a crash involving a car and a pedestrian on Owler Lane, close to the Jet petrol station, at around 4.30pm.
Photos show a damaged silver Volkswagen Passat left by the side of the road inside an extensive police cordon.
A South Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “...the occupants got out of the car and assaulted a man with metal bars. It is also reported that a large group of people gathered at the same time.
“Officers attended and the group dispersed. Two men received serious injuries and were transported to hospital.
“Enquiries are ongoing to locate and arrest the people involved.”
Stop and search
As a result of these fights, SYP announced a Section 60 order under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 at 8.40pm on Tuesday night.
While the order was active, officers could search anyone inside a designated boundary - roughly outlined by Barnsley Road, Owler Lane, Holywell Road and parts of the Wensley Estate - to check for weapons.
At 3pm on Wednesday, a spokesperson said the force had carried out “dozens” of stop-searches, resulting in one arrest on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon following a vehicle search.
‘A significant challenge’
It comes just weeks after a court case shone a spotlight on Page Hall’s troubles, stating police have difficulty in the area because of regular, large-scale disorder.
On June 2, 2025, some 200 people were involved in ruckus with sticks, poles and garden tools after a fight broke out at the Golden Gainz Gym, on Upwell Street.
At the sentencing for several of the men involved, a South Yorkshire Police officer, Sergeant Tracy Spratt, described how one of the greatest challenges Page Hall poses is over large groups of Roma-Slovakian residents regularly gather on street corners.
These gatherings too easily escalate into anti-social behaviour, and then violence.
Should a fight break out, scores of others are alerted through social media who then arrive and make the disorder worse.
She also shared how terraced two-three bed homes in Page Hall are commonly, shockingly overcrowded, with up to 15 family members living under one roof, and several houses in a row can occupied by relatives.