“Absolutely Ridiculous” – Pulp fans hit out at resale sites
Some fans' dreams of meeting up for Pulp's 2023 reunion have been crushed by the price of tickets listed on resale sites.
Jarvis Cocker's band will play two shows in Sheffield next July, with fellow local star Richard Hawley supporting for their first gig in over a decade.
Tickets sold out within hours after they went on sale last month, but many are now appearing on resale sites for more than triple the original price. Original prices ranged from £49 to £90. One ticket was listed on Viagogo for £1,905.
Sheffield Wire contacted Viagogo, who have declined to comment.
Judi Borland has been a Pulp fan since discovering Different Class in the nineties, and said: "I think it's absolutely ridiculous. The money doesn't go to the band, it just lines the pockets of the ticket sellers."
Judi was caught out when Pulp last toured and played the Royal Albert Hall for Teenage Cancer Research. Her son booked tickets for her, but didn't realise he was paying over the odds for a resale ticket.
Judi said: "At the time I was thinking that it would be for charity. The tickets were £27.50 each and I ended up paying £154, and of course none of that extra money went to charity."
Gemma Green works as a teacher near Sheffield and tried to get tickets, but was busy teaching when they went on sale. She said "By the time I went onto the ticketing site they'd all gone.
"There was a lot of build up for it, I thought 'great, I'm finally going to see Pulp again and they're playing in Sheffield which is only 20 minutes away,' so it was a massive disappointment"
It's not just the tickets that became more expensive. One fan wrote on Facebook: "I got my hotel at the Utilita Arena for £74. The day the tickets went on sale the room price went up to £200. Rip off!"
During the current financial crisis, many fans will worry that local artists like Pulp won't be singing along with the 'common people' for much longer.
Despite the cost of some tickets, some are still holding out hope of attending in 2023 by getting tickets through fan-to-fan sales or sites such as Twickets, which only allows resale at face value.
Meadowhall expansion to “damage our city’s economy well into the future”
Meadowhall's £300m expansion has been approved by planners in Sheffield this week, despite objections from the Green Party.
Councillor Brian Holmshaw, the Green Party's representative on the planning and highways committee, voted against the expansion saying: "The 35,000 square metres of concrete, tarmac and brick of the Meadowhall extension represents a danger to Sheffield’s city centre, to our small businesses and to our environment.”
This comes after the council released a report on the development where it admitted Sheffield city centre was fragile.
It has predicted a two per cent impact on city centre trade, resulting in dozens of family-owned businesses, jobs lost, and more indirectly affected.
The council has yet to completely finish The Heart of the City II and The Moor scheme, which is substantially completed but still in its third phase.
There are plans for a fifth phase of The Moor scheme which is currently the subject of a planning application.
Rotherham City Council is also unhappy at the prospect of the new development as it fears it will further withdraw footfall from local areas and the city centre.
There are concerns surrounding Meadowhall's new leisure quarter threatening the Rotherham Forge Island development, which is currently in the second phase of building.
Cllr Holmshaw said: "Those of us around in the 1990s saw how damaging Meadowhall was to city centre trade then, a legacy that lives with us now. Why would we want to further damage our city’s economy well into the future?"
The development is going to include a gym, a bar, a car showroom and an expansion of the current VUE cinema.
Sheffield City Council and Meadowhall declined to comment on the development.
Price comparison site for dinosaur-related items launches just in time for Christmas
Parents searching for a toy T-Rex or a pair of Pterodactyl pyjamas, have been given a lifeline thanks to a Sheffield dad.
Looking for a bargain for Christmas is a regular occurrence for many households, and Mark Edlington's interest in dinosaurs could help people looking for anything dino-related this year.
Before his son was born, Mark noticed he was accumulating dinosaur toys, books, and clothes. Having had an idea for a price comparison website for a while, he opted for the prehistoric.
He said, "When I started to notice these dinosaurs absolutely everywhere, I realised it would be the perfect niche for my site.
The sheer volume and variety of products available made it perfect for the price comparison model I was looking at"
He was made temporarily redundant just over a year ago, and this helped to kickstart the development of the site.
He said "This Christmas seemed like a great target to set myself. It was far enough away that it would be possible, and yet still a big challenge to make it happen".
The eye catching site provides a catalogue of items including toys and games, books, Christmas items, home and garden, and clothing.
There are also facts, figures and information about dinosaurs on the site. Mark hopes it will draw people in for more than just the price comparison.
He said, "In the long run, I want it to have something for everyone. From school kids needing information for homework, hardcore dinosaur geeks looking for information about certain fossils, to parents and grandparents looking for inspiration for gifts".
He's also looking to expand beyond the web. Trained in animation and game design, he wants to put those skills to use.
He said, "I do have a pipe dream of creating a spin-off children's cartoon from it and maybe a computer game or two".
There is more information at dinosaurmadness.com.
Further train strikes set to hit Sheffield after negotiations “absolutely torpedoed” at the last minute
A rail union has announced that further train strikes are to take place over the Christmas period after the latest round of negotiations collapsed.
Gary Jackson, lead organiser for the RMT in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, has accused the government of jeopardising negotiations at the “11th hour”.
Workers had been offered up to an 8% pay rise but it was conditional on vast changes to working conditions, including the closure of all ticket offices and the introduction of a one driver only operation.
Train strikes are due to take place on the 13,14,16,17 December and then from 6pm on Christmas Eve to 6am on the 27 December.
The industrial action over the Christmas period will mainly impact engineering works as few trains run on Christmas and Boxing Day.
Andrew Haines, Network Rail chief executive, said: "The RMT has deliberately chosen to try and ruin Christmas for millions of passengers and businesses.
"They’re also intent on inflicting a monumental act of harm on an industry still desperate to recover from post-Covid challenges by sabotaging a vital £100m programme of rail upgrades planned for Christmas Day and Boxing Day."
Mr Jackson, 36, said: “Our members have been left with no other choice.
"We've not taken a day's industrial action since October. The government, train operating companies and Network Rail have had plenty of opportunities to do a deal for us and our members.
"What they've done in the 11th hour, certainly on the train operating companies, absolutely torpedoed the deal by throwing in the one driver only operation.”
One driver only operation is when there are no other workers on the train apart from the driver.
Mr Jackson added: “If there's any accidents, emergencies or accessibility issues, it's down to the driver.
"When drivers are going 125 miles per hour down the East Coast mainline, the last thing that they want to do is stop the train in the middle of nowhere and go and sort something out.”
However, not everyone agrees with the RMT planned strike action.
Small business owner, Scott Saynor, 26, said: “I understand the unions and the workers need much better pay. But I think disrupting the working people is going about it wrong the way.”
He added: “I experienced the tube strikes, I was in London working down there, and as a small business owner myself, it just ruined me.”
To keep up to date with the latest information about the train strikes check https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/
University of Sheffield secures £4m investment to develop cutting-edge technology
Phlux Technology, an off-shoot of the University, has received £4 million worth of funding from investors such as Octopus Ventures and Northern Gritstone to develop a revolutionary type of infrared sensor.
It's made of antimony- a silvery-white metal found in the Earth's crust- instead of the commonly-used silicon. That results in a product that is 10 times as sensitive and with 50% more range compared to any current sensor. In turn, far less of them are needed, making it cheaper and more efficient in new inventions like self-driving cars.
CEO of Phlux Technology Ben White said: "Our challenge was to drive down cost and make it accessible to the mass market. What we wanted to see was this to reach a price point where it can be enrolled on a mass scale into every car to really improve road safety. With this investment, I'd like to think that we're waving the flag for Northern universities and blazing a trail for people to follow."
Infrared sensors are all around us and we use them every day in our daily lives. How your TV remote connects to the TV, and how your PC transfers data to the internet.
They are also vital to the success of self-driving cars. Infrared sensors are already used for automated lane keeping and emergency stopping. The new material is more efficient, operating in a similar way to how bats can fly in complete darkness. They use sounds, cars do the same with infrared light.
Thanks to the University of Sheffield and their breakthrough, we are one step closer to the realisation of fully functioning self-driving cars.
Universities in the North of England are finally having their world-class research globally recognised and it's certainly a huge win for Sheffield-based engineers.
Mr White said: "The investment is usually very concentrated in what's called the 'golden triangle', which is Cambridge, Oxford, and Imperial College London. It's great to see there's a belief now in the other universities around the country, that we can do this too and we can create world-class businesses from the world-class science that goes on here.''
If you enjoyed this then head over to the Sheffield Wire Page or my Twitter @luke_reevey for more!
Darren Moore eyeing up top two as Sheffield Wednesday travel to Exeter City
With Sheffield Wednesday unbeaten in their last eight games, Darren Moore's Owls are full of confidence ahead of a mammoth journey down to Exeter City this weekend.
Wednesday are loving League One life at the moment - 12 wins from 20 mean they're only one point off an automatic promotion spot.
If Ipswich slip-up in their early kick-off versus Peterborough United, the Owls could make them pay and push for those top two places.
Even with a positive and confident mood apparent in the Owls camp, Darren Moore wants to see even more from his players to dominate the division.
He said: "We are in a competitive industry and if you stand still, you get caught and we don't want that. We want to continue moving forward.
"Our minds must be fresh, we have to have the ability to come in and learn and develop and formulate a group that is winning football matches."
Moore will have the likes of Lee Gregory and Josh Windass to potentially pick from, the Owls manager confirming that they're back in training ahead of the away trip on Saturday.
Exeter City will not be underestimated. Gary Caldwell's Grecians are a surprise package this season - after promotion from League Two, they are sitting in 11th.
Their early season form - which saw Exeter convincingly win 7-0 away at Cheltenham - even saw Matt Taylor leave the club for Sheffield Wednesday's near neighbours Rotherham United.
Jon Beer, an Exeter City fan and co-host of My New Football club podcast, said: "Most City fans are happy with how this season is going and are just enjoying playing in League One. They are loving this young, exciting, free-flowing team."
Exeter have scored 32 League One goals in just 20 played, Sam Nombe and Jevani Brown forming a formidable partnership in attack.
Gary Caldwell doesn't fear the test of Sheffield Wednesday at the weekend, with Exeter excited to test themselves once more.
He said: "We have shown with Derby and Peterborough that on our day we are very capable. We can hurt even the better teams, the teams higher up in this league.
"No matter who we play, whether it was Morecambe on Friday or Sheffield Wednesday, the process is the same."
A cover has been put on the St James Park pitch as a precaution with around 1,500 Wednesday supporters making the trip down to Devon.
Two League One games have already been postponed with freezing temperatures forecast.
Kick-off is at 3pm tomorrow at the St James Park Stadium. Highlights will be shown on ITV4 at 10pm.
How close are we to a general strike?
Postal workers, ambulance staff and train drivers are just some of the workers who will be taking to the picket line almost daily throughout December.
As the country struggles to cope with the cost of living crisis and battles against a recession, one union after another have announced their intention to embark upon industrial action fighting for better pay.
As of today, there are only being three days this month when there will be no strike action.
We ask, how close are we to a general strike?
Why are there so many strikes taking place in December this year?
The cost of living crisis is a result of soaring inflation rates which have exceeded wages following the worldwide pandemic.
Shutdowns of factories to prevent the spread of Covid-19 have led to the disruption of supply chains across the globe and the Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to many international companies ceasing their operations in the Kremlin run country.
Workers are just one sector of the country who are feeling the brunt of the economic consequences.
On the picket line outside Sheffield West Delivery Post Office this morning. Ben, a representative for Communication Workers Union (CWU), said employees had been threatened with a change to working conditions and a pay rise offer of 2% which was not in line with inflation.
He also argued it was always going to be a “provocative action” for the bosses of Royal Mail to suggest a "derisory" small pay offer.
In an open letter to their customers, CEO of Royal Mail Simon Thompson, urged the CWU to call off their “damaging” strikes.
He claimed they listen to their employees and their “terms, conditions and pensions will still be the best in the industry”.
Ben said: “There’s no point striking if it’s not going to cause any disruption. Nobody wants to cause any disruption anymore than we want to lose wages.
“The service user who should be pressuring the business to resolve this dispute that they started. For that to happen, it needs to happen when it is the most inconvenient.”
It’s not just postal workers that are unhappy.
The University and College Union (UCU) represents teaching staff, lecturers and academics.
This year they organised and supported a strike that saw 70,000 university staff taking industrial action for three days in November. This was also over pay, pensions and working conditions.
A Sheffield UCU source said that the strikes were a consequence of an economy that is run for financial gain rather than for the interests of workers.
He said: “Whilst we know that our employers have the money to offer us inflation matching pay rises, and we can see the decline in investment in staff costs in percentage times, the sector overall is heavily influenced by government funding and priorities.
“People experiencing the consequences of inflation are saying enough is enough.”
Not all workers would choose to take strike action.
Charlotte, an apprentice emergency medical technician for the ambulance service, said she understands the sentiments behind the strikes.
Ambulance workers are said to be struggling to make ends meet after their pay was not increased in line with inflation. Their walkout comes the day after members of the Royal College of Nursing staged their own strike.
Charlotte said: “I completely agree with it and understand why everyone wants to do it. But personally, I will come to work as normal, as will my crewmate.”
She explained that the results of the vote for the East of England were really close - between 48-49% in support of industrial action - but some of her colleagues complained they did not receive their ballot in time because of the Royal Mail strikes.
UNISON, the union for ambulance workers, have confirmed they are going to re-ballot all ten trusts of the ambulance service, after the most recent vote was just short of the threshold needed.
What is a general strike?
A general strike, which is classed as a political act, refers to when members of several unions across different sectors work together in tandem and refuse to work.
The last general strike in the UK took place in May 1926. Over a million workers refused to go to work in solidarity with the miners, who were protesting against a pay cut and an increase in their working hours. It lasted nine days but ultimately did not work.
Following her own Winter of Discontent in the 1970s, Margaret Thatcher banned secondary strikes, also known as “sympathy” strikes, under Section 224 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.
This prevents unions in other sectors from calling strike action in solidarity with one particular set of workers, line in 1926.
However, there are no laws against unions collaborating with action on the same day - or action being taken on multiple days close together.
What happened in 2011?
On the 30 November 2011, hundreds of thousands of public sector workers took strike action over an ongoing dispute over pensions.
It led to the closure of some schools and cancellations of hospital appointments and ended up being semi-successful, as negotiations moved forward.
The industrial action was exacerbated by concerns over a fall in living standards, much like we are seeing today with the cost of living crisis.
While it was not considered a general strike, the 2011 industrial action over pension had the most working days lost since 1992.
So will we have a general strike this winter?
A general strike has not explicitly been called for by the larger unions as of yet.
While the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has called on the government to do more this winter, including pressure to get pay increased to protect families from the “misery of a recession”, they have not come out in favour of a general strike.
Mick Lynch, the general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), has become a prominent voice in recent weeks in advocation for a general strike.
He predicts that “generalised” strike action could be seen as early as the beginning of next year.
In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme on Tuesday, he said the government was “coordinating an attack on working people” and that “it would be foolish of unions not to coordinate themselves in response to those attacks.”
If unions deem the almost collaborative strike action in December as beneficial to their progress in negotiations, the UK could possibly see discussions about generalised action early next year.
Warm and welcoming spaces are ready to cater for Sheffield communities this winter
Whether it be a free lunch, hot shower or charging facilities, there are many spaces in Sheffield to help cut down bills throughout this increasingly cold cost-of-living crisis.
The temperature in Sheffield will drop to -3° next week, leaving people with the tricky choice of whether or not to turn their heating on.
Thankfully, the number of welcome and warm spaces are growing, and are available to everyone, regardless of their means.
Louise Viner, manager of the Darnall Community Hub Galeed House, said: “How people feel about accessing these spaces is important.
“We’ve called it a welcome space because there was a slight fear that the publicity would suggest if you’re too poor to heat your house, then you come here.
"We don’t mind if someone can or can’t afford our free bread, it’s free and we’re giving it away."
Galeed House has an open space every second and fourth Tuesday of the month from 11am - 1pm, offering hot veggie soup, tea and coffee and bread donated from Roses Bakery.
It also caters for the Muslim community: there are male and female volunteers and separate rooms for those who choose not to mix with the opposite sex.
“Heading somewhere where you can relax for a bit and you don’t have to worry about the heat or electricity bills is really great,” Mrs Viner said.
Rotherham United have also set up a project to combat the cost of living crisis this winter.
Collaborating with Rotherham United Community Sports Trust, the ‘Every Miller Matters’ campaign has created a space at AESSEAL New York Stadium, where people can go to chill out, watch TV, charge their phones and stay warm.
Similarly, they said: “We would like to remind everyone that there is absolutely no shame whatsoever in reaching out for help. This is help that we want to offer people.”
Below is a list of warm and welcoming spaces around Sheffield, where all are welcome and help is encouraged.
As well, this link is updated with more and more spaces opening per week: https://www.vas.org.uk/sheffield-living-crisis-map-of-support/
Central
Central Library
Surrey St, Sheffield City Centre, Sheffield S1 1XZ
Monday - Thursday: 10am - 5pm
Weds: 10am - 8pm
Friday: 10am - 5pm
Saturday: 10am - 4pm
City of Sheffield Sanctuary
The Sanctuary, 37 - 39 Chapel Walk, Sheffield City Centre, S1 2PD
Monday to Thursday; 10am - 4pm
Ponds Forge International Sports Centre
Sheaf Street, S1 2BP
Opening Times: Monday- Friday 6:30 - 10pm, Sat-Sun 8am-10pm
North
Yes2Ventures Ltd
The Social, 24-26 Snig Hill, Sheffield S3 8NB
St Polycarp's
33 Wisewood Ln, Sheffield S6 4WA
Hillsborough
Hillsborough Leisure Centre
Beulah Rd, Sheffield S6 2AN
Mon - Fri 5:30am - 10pm
East
The Salvation Army Sheffield Citadel
12 Psalter Lane
Sheffield , South Yorkshire S11 8YN
Galeed House
75 Nidd Rd, Darnall, Sheffield S9 3BB
Tuesday 11am-1pm
Park Library
Duke Street, Sheffield, S2 5QP
Monday 1pm – 6pm
Wednesday 10am – 7.30pm
Friday 10 am – 5.30pm
The Peacock Inn
714 Stannington Road, S6 6AJ
Open 7 days a week from 12pm – 11pm
Stanwood Methodist Church
Stanwood Drive, S6 5HZ
Thursday 3.15 - 4.30pm
Forge Valley School
70 Wood Lane, Sheffield S6 5HG
Monday - Friday 5pm - late
Contact Dale Barrowclough 07476 913 141
South
Highfield Library and Family Centre
281 London Rd, Highfield, Sheffield S2 4NF
Monday 1230pm – 630pm
Tuesday and Wednesday 10am – 530pm
Friday 10am- 2pm
Sat 10am – 4pm
Greenhill Community Library
Monday - Friday 10am - 4pm
Sat 10am - 1230pm
Graves Health and Sports Centre
Bochum Pkwy, Jordanthorpe, Sheffield S8 8JR
Monday - Friday 6:30am-10pm
Sat-Sun 10am-10pm
Sheffield Foyer
Open from the 12th December.
Monday - Friday 1-4pm
2 Spring Lane, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S2 2J
St Mary's Community Hub
402b Handsworth Road, Sheffield S13 9BZ
Opens December 14th.
City Church Sheffield
Wilson Rd
Sheffield S11 8RN
Tuesday - Thursday 9am-4pm
Sunday 10am-1pm
The Beacon Methodist Church
89 Nethergreen Road 7EH
All Saints Church
Ringinglow Rd, Sheffield S11 7PP
Thursday 10am-12:30pm, Winter Activities Hub
Christ Church Central
The DQ Centre, Fitzwilliam St, Sheffield City Centre, Sheffield S1 4JR
St Gabriel’s C of E
Dobbin Hill, Greystones Rd, Sheffield S11 7JB
Friday 2-3pm ‘Cuppa and a Cake’
Bents Green Methodist Church
Junction, Ringinglow Rd, Knowle Ln, Sheffield S11 7PU
Wednesdays 11-3, warm and welcoming space for all
West
The Salvation Army
Salvation Army Duke Street S2 5QP
All Saints Church, Ecclesall
Ringinglow Road, S11 7PP
Pubs and clubs back growth of darts in Sheffield
Local darts in Sheffield is on a dramatic rise, according to local venues and groups involved in the sport.
Although focus may be on the World Championship in London, starting next week, those involved in Sheffield darts have drawn attention to success at the grassroots level.
The Bloomery in Broomhill is one of the many Sheffield pubs where darts can be played. They have said there has been a noticeable increase in interest in the game.
A spokesperson for the pub said: "Our dartboard is in constant use and we regularly have people come in to play or practice darts.
"I would say demand has dramatically increased in recent times."
Darts in Sheffield has a long tradition, and the local area has produced world champions in the past, such as John Lowe of Chesterfield and Dennis Priestley of Mexborough.
And at this year's World Championship, South Yorkshire will be represented by Doncaster's Beau Greaves, one of three women qualifiers.
Dave Smith, manager at the University Arms, agreed that Sheffield darts is on the rise. He said: "On a weekly basis, we get a decent amount of darts players coming in.
"Numbers have definitely increased, there's definitely more players coming through."
Aside from venues, local darts groups that organise matches have also grown, with more members.
Jack Quinn, president of the Sheffield University Darts Society, said: "We've created a great group and given everyone chances to play casual, competitive and tournament darts.
"It's been incredible to see our lads develop not only as players but gain confidence and make friends within our group."
The World Darts Championship starts on 15 December on Sky Sports, and will be available to watch in Sheffield pubs.
Sheffield MP brands NHS dentistry as being “in a scandalous state”
Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough MP Gill Furniss has claimed it is "nearly impossible" for her constituents to register with an NHS dentist.
Gill Furniss has written to Primary Care and Public Health minister Neil O'Brien to express her constituents' increasing frustration with NHS dentist waiting times.
In her letter, she said: "It is clear that it is nearly impossible to sign up with an NHS dentist at any practice in Sheffield or surrounding areas.
"Several of my constituents have called every dentist practice within reasonable travelling distance and been told none of them will accept them as NHS patients."
She added patients often would be turned away or given extremely long waiting times, but end up being offered appointments by the same practice immediately if they paid privately.
One constituent responded on Twitter, saying: "I've had to resort to paying privately for over a year and a half now and it's so costly that it makes quality of life difficult."
It follows a Healthwatch report last year that NHS patients in England were facing up to three years on a waiting list for dentist appointments.
It also revealed that many patients suffered repeatedly cancelled appointments, sometimes even during their treatments.
Some dentists however attribute the problem to their contracts, with one trainee dentist saying that they are only paid for the single most expensive item, rather than the full requirements of any procedure.
He said: "Someone could need a filling, and then also need a denture made. You would be paid for the denture but wouldn’t be paid for the filling as the denture comes in a high-cost bracket.
"Or you could have a patient who needs ten fillings but because it all technically comes under one filling; you’d only be paid for one rather than all of them."
This pushes dentists to become private as it makes more financial sense, even if it impacts the patients.
On a positive note though for South Yorkshire this year, the number of dentists in the region increased after consecutive years of falling numbers within the profession.
According to NHS data, there are now 62 more dentists across the county bringing the total to 885, meaning there are 1,554 patients per dentist.
Doncaster neighbourhood police officer in court in connection with two sexual assaults
A serving Doncaster police officer has appeared in court today in connection with two sexual assaults against two victims.
South Yorkshire Police said PC Liam Duncanson, who worked in a neighbourhood policing team, will be tried at Leeds Crown Court on 4 January 2023.
Reports of inappropriate behaviour were made after a social gathering in October 2021, where PC Duncanson was off-duty.
The force said allegations emerged after a report was made to the Counter Corruption Unit.
PC Duncanson was granted bail after the hearing, which took place on Wednesday 7 December.
South Yorkshire Police said an internal misconduct investigation has been launched, and he has been suspended from duties.
Superintendent Delphine Waring, head of South Yorkshire Police's Professional Standards Department, said: “The people of South Yorkshire rightly expect our officers and staff to uphold the highest standards, and I can assure you that when we become aware of anyone thought to be failing to meet these standards we will take appropriate action.”
Arrests made as police tackle violence against women in Sheffield
A crackdown on violence against women has led to 18 arrests for offences including domestic abuse, rape, assault and possession of indecent images.
On Wednesday, over 265 South Yorkshire Police officers were deployed across the city to tackle violence against women and girls in Operation Duxford.
The operation formed part of the annual global campaign 16 Days of Activism, which which runs from November 25 to December 10 and started at the inauguration of the Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991.
Operation leader DCI Eleanor Welsh said: “Our message is clear - violence against women and girls will not be tolerated - we will track down those who are wanted for offences against women and girls and bring them to justice.”
An additional 260 patrol hours were delivered in areas where the public have told SYP via the StreetSafe app that they avoid, due to feeling unsafe or intimidated.
Throughout the day patrols also carried out 18 visits to registered sex offenders, 64 safeguarding visits to vulnerable children and adults, and engaged with nine victims who have domestic violence prevention orders.
Premises checks were also made at a number of brothels and areas associated with sex workers to check conditions and provide support where needed and 11 engagement stalls were made in locations across the city where officers listened to people’s concerns.
DCI Welsh said: “I’d also like to reassure women that if they are a victim of a crime, we will listen. You will be taken seriously, we will do everything we can to support you and we will take appropriate action.”
One anonymous domestic abuse survivor said: “I am pleased that SYP are doing the vital work to protect women across the city. This provides security to women, such as myself, who at the time were too scared to speak.”
SYP has also been working alongside charities such as the Independent Domestic Abuse Advisory Service and Women’s Aid Sheffield to provide advice and support for victims who are vulnerable.
Chief executive of Women’s Aid, Farah Nazeer, said: “There is a role to play for everyone in helping to end domestic abuse, and raising awareness of the support available to help women living with abusive partners.”
As well as Operation Duxford, SYP deployed Operation Sentinel in Sheffield city centre.
This operation uses similar approaches being delivered elsewhere across the country to reduce vulnerability in the night time economy such as uniformed and plain clothes officers to carry out patrols to identify people who may be displaying predatory behaviour such as inappropriate touching.
DCI Welsh said: “We have had some really positive results through Operation Sentinel since it began earlier this year, the deployment was another success.”
The StreetSafe app allows the police and councils to know where to focus patrols, CCTV and additional lighting, so our community can be a safe and welcoming space for everyone. It’s completely anonymous. You can access the tool here: www.police.uk/pu/notices/streetsafe/street-safe