‘We always deal with this’: Sheffield shop workers ‘unsurprised’ after city centre stabbing

A man, 30, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after another man, 20, was was knifed in a fight on Arundel Gate at around 11.30am yesterday.

The 20-year-old was helped by passers-by and treated by paramedics on nearby Norfolk Street before being taken to hospital.

South Yorkshire Police said witnesses reported seeing a knife and metal bar when violence flared.

Man stable in hospital with serious injury after stabbing in Sheffield city centre

A store assistant on Chapel Walk said: “We always deal with this. There is quite a lot of that stuff round here. There’s people shouting and things. So it’s just normal for us.

"It didn’t surprise us at all.

"The other day I saw those guys who were just arguing amongst themselves. I’ve definitely seen them before. I think we all feel alright to be honest.

"There’s not been a lot of this sort of thing around here.

"We didn’t even know it had happened until our driver rang and said “I can’t get up the road”. As long as we leave them alone we are OK.

"Summer wise we are alright but when it gets dark nights people don’t want to walk down here.

“A lot of them sit around here or further down. We’re more concerned about older people. A couple of years ago one guy bumped into a lady and she broke her hip.”

She said the police had been around a lot today . “They do tend to hang around here, we’ve seen them a lot more since the pandemic.”

A Big Issue vendor said; "It doesn’t bother me this place, I’ve been selling the Big Issue here for the past 15 years. I definitely don’t condone it – it’s out of order. I don’t know the details of it I get well looked after, all the shops know me I just know someone was stabbed and he is alive but in a bad way.

" I hope he’s alright. As long as the people who did it get caught and dealt with properly. I generally feel safe enough around here. It’s getting bad with the “spice-heads” but they stay away from me and I stay away from them.”

A bus driver taking a break on Norfolk Street said: “I’ve grown up here so I couldn’t really say much because I would feel a bit biased. I feel like its not good for kids and families and young people that are coming into Sheffield and they are hearing about stabbings.

"It’s rare that anything happens. It is bad for other people who are coming here to study and go to Uni- it probably puts them off.”

One shopkeeper who did not want to be named said: "You get your alcoholics in every city it’s not just Sheffield – some cities have it worse.

"It’s been like that for a long time now you get used to it. It doesn’t bother me. You’ve got all theses shops selling them cheap booze They even sell them cups to share it out.

“It’s a worldwide issue, mental health, no jobs. You’ve got a group of 30-40 year-olds not able to get a job so they get drunk.”