'End this wall of silence' - Sheffield residents' group speaks out over vandals targeting buses

That’s according to the head of a residents group, who has spoken of her frustration over yobs lobbing bricks and stones at buses, disrupting services which have had to be diverted.

Yesterday was the fourth day running that buses in either Gleadless Valley or Jordanthorpe and Batemoor have been unable to serve their normal route due to the attacks, and Sally Dale, chairwoman of Gleadless Valley Tenants & Residents Association (TARA), has had enough.

“People are contacting us because they’re not happy. It’s affecting people’s lives, especially elderly and disabled people who rely on buses to get around,” she said.

“There are people for whom going out to town by bus to do a bit of shopping might be their only escape from their house, and this is stopping them enjoying that.

“This wall of silence has to stop because someone knows who’s doing it and they need to be found and made to face the consequences.”

Ms Dale explained she had become aware of buses coming under attack over the last two or three weeks, though there had been a short-lived spate of such vandalism earlier in the year.

She is glad police have said they are stepping up patrols in response to the attacks, the most recent of which happened yesterday evening on Blackstock Road.

She said she is worried that the actions of a tiny minority, who she believes possibly don’t even live in the area, are again damaging Gleadless Valley’s reputation.

“I don’t want to keep hearing that there’s not enough for kids to do,” she added.

“There are plenty of kids on the estate who supposedly don’t have anything to do yet aren’t getting into trouble.”