Manor murder: Everything we know about murder investigation after man is found dead in Sheffield park

Officers are still on watch at Manor Fields Park, off City Road, following the launch of a murder investigation today (May 12).

Here’s everything we know so far.

What is happening at Manor Fields Park in Sheffield?

Residents on City Road woke up this morning to find a large police presence around Manor Fields Park.

Officers were called to the scene at 5.06am after the body of a man was discovered.

By 7.30am, 11 squad cars and three police vans could be counted along City Road, at the entrance to the park between Park Grange Road and Cradock Road.

By 2pm, South Yorkshire Police confirmed it had launched a murder investigation over the death.

Unusually, in their statement at 2pm, police said they were still trying to identify the victim.

A spokesperson said: “A murder investigation has been launched after the body of a man was found this morning in a Sheffield park.

“At this time, a police cordon remains at the site. The whole park remains closed off, and people are asked to please avoid the area while officers continue their work. We appreciate your patience while the investigation work continues.

"Anyone with information which could assist with our enquiries, who may have seen or heard any suspicious activity around the park between last night (Wednesday 11 May) and this morning, or who may have CCTV footage which captured any helpful footage, is asked to call 101, quoting incident number 122 of 12 May.

"Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers via their website Crimestoppers-uk.org or 0800 555 111.”

Police tape closed off the entire park to pedestrians for more than nine hours, with the wider cordon only coming down at around 4pm, although the children’s playground remained closed off.

Crime scene investigators could still be seen at this time combing through bushes and patrolling footpaths further into the park.

Nearby residents knew little of what had happened. The police scene in the morning was a surprise to many residents, who told The Star they did not hear any sirens around 5am.

Some residents told The Star they had heard the incident was a stabbing, but this has not been confirmed.

One said he had woken at around 5am, having heard a screech of tyres. He said by the time he was up at 6.55am there was already police tape being put in place, adding that nothing had appeared wrong the previous night.

"All I heard was the foxes, round the back,” he said.

Another couple said they had woken up and looked out of the window to see a massive police presence.

The man added: “There was an incident there about 18 months ago when there was a shooting there. It is worrying to see that many police there when you first wake up. The first thing I said when I saw them was ‘not again’.

Back in August 2020, a man was arrested after armed police responded to reports of a man with a firearm in the park. It was also the scene of a fatal shooting in 2014, which saw three people jailed.

There is nothing to suggest today’s incident is related to firearms.