Sheffield estate branded ‘unsafe’ after coffee table flung from tower block and used condoms on ground

In one instance a coffee table was sent crashing to the ground in Upperthorpe last October, according to a worried member of the public who says anti-social behaviour in the neighbourhood is rife.

That resident, who asked not to be named, says streets and green spaces are often strewn with drug needles, used condoms and empty bottles and cans, while violence and the sound of shouts and screams have become part of life there.

But it is objects being thrown from high rise flats beside the Ponderosa, with no thought for the safety of those passing below, which he says is causing most alarm.

“It’s not safe to walk up and down the streets where the tower blocks are due to items being thrown on you,” he said.

“We also have to put up with screaming, shouting and violence, and then you have the gangs of up-and-coming future drug dealers as young as 12 or 13 walking around in gangs harassing people, smoking weed and selling drugs such as heroin and crack, yet we have zero police presence until things happen.”

He added that he believes there is too little support for people living in the tower blocks, and it often feels like the council ‘doesn’t care about our community’.

Debbie Moon, a city centre businesswoman who is a Green Party candidate for the ward of Walkley, which incorporates Upperthorpe, agreed that something needs to be done.

“Anti-social behaviour is a problem across Sheffield but things aren’t great in Upperthorpe and I would say it’s getting worse there,” she said.

“It’s terrible that you have needles being left on the ground, because there are lots of children in the area.

“It’s such a shame because the community as a whole is doing amazing things, especially at the Zest Centre, but they’re not always getting the resources they need and sometimes people feel they’re not being heard.”

Sergeant Ben Hanson, from South Yorkshire Police’s neighbourhood policing team for the area, said officers were working to address the concerns of people in the neighbourhood.

“We work closely with the local authority and other key agencies in the area as part of our Safer Neighbourhoods Service,” he said.

“We recognise that antisocial behaviour can negatively affect the quality of life experienced by communities, and we are committed to working together with our partner agencies to tackle their concerns, and make the communities we serve safe places to live and work.

“All incidents of antisocial behaviour reported to us are thoroughly investigated.

“We would encourage anyone with concerns to report these to us on 101. You can also find out more about how key issues within your community are being dealt with by signing up for SYP Alerts for free at www.sypalerts.co.uk.”

The Star has contacted Sheffield Council, which has not responded.