Sheffield bridge 'drug den ignored by council for over a year'

Needles are littered across the floor under the tram bridge between Park Square roundabout and Sheffield Parkway, adjacent to student flats on Blast Lane.

Rough sleeper campaigner Anthony Cunningham said Sheffield Council has been aware of the spot for over a year and the local authority initially said the land belongs to Stagecoach Supertram.

But transport bosses said they were only responsible for the 'maintenance' of the bridge and the area surrounding it was nothing to do with them.

"It's been a well known site for drug use for years," Sheffield Tent City founder Anthony Cunningham said.

"I've asked other people to report this now because I've emailed, phoned and nothing seems to be getting done. People regularly sleep here - the mattress under the bridge regularly moves around.

"The suggestion the land is private is rubbish. The council has cleaned up some areas that's been highlighted to be fair but this one hasn't been touched.

"It's worse in the grass verge next to the bridge. It's all overgrown and there's hundreds of needles in there.

Anthony said Sheffield should be looking at the introduction of 'drug rooms' - a monitored space for addicts to inject safely and needles can be disposed of safely.

"It's something that Manchester are seriously considering and we should consider it as well," he added.

Sheffield Council did not respond to a request to comment.