Sheffield terror raids: Shock as man arrested on 'quiet road which held friendly street parties'

Shocked residents have described Meersbrook as a 'quiet neighbourhood with friendly street parties' after a terror raid this morning.
Shirebrook RoadShirebrook Road
Shirebrook Road

Neighbours woke to loud bangs at around 5.30am as police raided a property on Shirebrook Road as part of a series of terror raids in Sheffield and Chesterfield.

A 41-year-old man was arrested at the property as well as a 36-year-old man and a 22-year-old man from their home address in Burngreave.

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A 31-year-old man was arrested from his home in Chesterfield. All four have been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences.

One resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said she was woken by the bang and admitted that the situation was frightening.

The arrests were intelligence led and pre planned as part of an ongoing investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing North East.

Police said the loud bangs were officers entering the property and reassured residents that there were no injuries as this was 'part of the method of entry to gain access'.

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However, residents have described their terror and shock at being woken by the loud bangs early this morning and said Meersbrook was usually a quiet, friendly area.

"I heard a bang and I wondered what it was. I just work at the petrol station down the road and everyone around here is friendly and quiet and there's a nice mix of different cultures.

"It's quite frightening really, I have lived here for two and a half years and I moved here from Manor where it was quite a rough area."

Neighbour, Benny Skaonga lives across the road with his wife and two daughters, 20 and 12, and described the neighbourhood usually as 'friendly and quiet'.

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"We heard this huge noise at about 5.30 and I thought maybe it was a car backfiring but then I looked out the window and I saw all the police around here.

"There were armed police around and, as the day has gone on, there have been loads of police cars around the area.

"It was incredibly scary. I asked one of the police officers what was going on and he told me that everything was under control.

"It's the first time that anything like this has ever happened around here and to see so many police around, you do wonder what is happening. It's not knowing that's the worst part.

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"It's a quiet, friendly neighbourhood and we have been here six years. To have this happening on the same road where we have street parties is terrifying."

Dr Michael James has lived in his house on Shirebrook Road for the past 25 years and said he has never seen anything like this in the area before.

He said: "I thought it was a clap of thunder which is very unusual but then my wife told me it was an explosion. She got up and looked out the window and saw armed police.

"At first I didn't think it was sinister so I wasn't concerned but then it became so and it is extremely frightening. But, unfortunately, this is the world we live in. I wish it wasn't true.

An additional address is now being searched in Stocksbridge, Sheffield in connection with these arrests