Calls for CCTV to be installed on streets of Sheffield's troubled Page Hall estate

Damien Callaghan and his family have lived in Page Hall for 20 years and say there’s a growing problem with crime and public disturbances.

South Yorkshire Police turned a disused house into a police base during the pandemic to make officers more accessible to the local community.

Mr Callaghan told a council meeting: “South Yorkshire Police put a police team in the area and we just want to aid them with their investigations into the crimes that are going on.

“We feel that CCTV cameras would be able to single out individuals. Tension is growing because people seem to think it is a group of people, rather than individuals, doing the crime and it’s because nobody knows who is doing it.

“If we put CCTV cameras in then individuals will get singled out, get dealt with and hopefully it will go back to how it was.”

Coun Paul Wood, Cabinet member for community safety, said the council was working on new plans which included CCTV.

“We’re going to be trialling two areas very shortly with that. CCTV is no good if it’s not monitored, if you want to really make it effective it’s got to have linked up monitoring with the police or the council.

“For the first time we’re doing two trials to see what effect it has and if that’s successful, that will form a tool within the community safety plans that could be deployed into any area of the city.

“It would probably be done through the new local area committees which would consult whether there was the demand from residents.

“The whole idea of the local area committees is to let people like yourself have representation and gather support for those types of projects.

“So it is on our agenda and it will hopefully form part of the ongoing plans of the community safety development across the city.”