Sheffield knife crime: Three stabbings in three days - readers share concern at spate of attacks

The Star’s readers have shared their shock and sadness following a string of three knife attacks in the city in just three days.

Police have had to respond to three stabbings in Sheffield city centre in as many days, starting with an attack on a 29-year-old man on Sunday (April 7).

The victim was wounded near to the tram stop on Park Grange Road, Arbourthorne, when he was approached by three unknown men and stabbed in the armpit. Three arrests have been made.

Around 12 hours later, at 6.45am on Monday morning, a 17-year-old boy was left with life threatening injuries when he was stabbed in the lower back in the underpass off St Mary’s Gate and London Road in an altercation with two unknown offenders. He reportedly remains in hospital in a critical condition.

Then, 36 hours after that, at 6.15pm on Tuesday (April 9), a 21-year-old man was stabbed on Staniforth Road, Darnall, in a fight involving a group of men. One arrest has been made.

The Star’s readers have shared their concerns.

“Every parent’s nightmare,” wrote reader Susan Elliott following the attack on St Mary’s Gate. “My thoughts go out to them and hope their boys make speedy recoveries.”

One woman wrote: “Omg my daughter walked under underpass less than 15 minutes before this happened on her way to uni. I’ve told her not to use it anymore but she said she doesn’t think there’s another way from her accommodation to uni. I’m worried sick now.”

Another woman shared how knife crime made her afraid as a parent, writing: “I fear for my boy. He’s only 11 but I daren’t give him any independence and freedom because of the what ifs.”

“It is awful but we can’t wrap them in bubble wrap,” replied Stephanie Marie Cannister. “They need to socialise, go to school, etc. As much as I hated it a few years ago my daughter still cycled everywhere, [went to] footie, boxing, cinema, etc.”

Another reader, Angela Powell, said how she disliked the underpasses connecting the city centre to Sharrow, writing: “For the few underpasses we have there should be cameras in them.” Many readers used The Star’s comments section on our Facebook page to call to tougher sentences for knife crime, for more stop and search powers for the police and immediate jail.

“Never mind tougher laws there needs to be more preventative work,” wrote one reader, Cherry Jordan, in response.

“Too many kids get thrown out of schools, shoved in PRUs [pupil referral units] and left uneducated and unsupervised where they are left to roam and then they get picked up by vile people that begin to criminally exploit the youth.

“There are no youth clubs and services like there once was, [and] less opportunities for the youth do not help. Some kids see no way out once they have been trapped.”

Sheffield’s main pupil referral unit, Sheffield Inclusion Centre, was recently awarded a ‘Good’ rating by Ofsted after years of work to shake off an ‘inadequate’ rating it received in 2010, and the centre runs several outreach programmes across the city for children at risk of being exploited by gangs. Inspectors praised the centre’s work to rebuild teenagers’ trust in adults.

Anyone with information ahout any of the stabbings should call South Yorkshire Police on 101.