Sheffield neighbourhood still 'great place to live' despite fears over shootings

Jim Steinke, Labour councillor for Nether Edge and Sharrow, made the comments after police confirmed two shootings took place in Nether Edge at 1am on Thursday morning. No one was injured but officers found damage to a house window and a car consistent with a firearms discharge.

Residents have reported another shooting on Abbeydale Road this morning, Friday July 24.

Police were first called to Machon Bank – the same street where a shooting took place on 8 May – before receiving another report of a shooting “moments later” on nearby Glen Road.

Cllr Steinke, who previously served as cabinet member for neighbourhoods and community safety, said: “I still stand by what I said about living in Nether Edge and Sharrow and in a way even more so after going through lockdown and seeing how the community has pulled together.

"The way Sharrow and Nether Edge has come together has just been really awe-inspiring. It makes me even more determined that things like this do not come between the community. As a community, we need to say we don’t want this to happen.”

Cllr Steinke did admit he was “naive” to think problems within the neighbourhood had gone away following police arrests and the shock of a family-of-six, including two children, being hospitalised after their home in Grange Crescent was deliberately set on fire.

He added: “I had hoped that that sobering moment would sober people up. There are just too many guns out there at the moment we need to recover.

"I understand the pressure in communities that you don’t inform but the problem is unless people provide intel the problem isn’t going to go away.”

Cllr Steinke said he hoped arrests would come following the latest incident – and made a direct appeal to parents of young people who may be involved in organised crime.

He said: “Maybe it’s the best thing for your children if you inform [...] it may avoid them going on a career path that’s short-lived.”