“Perfect in every way”: South Yorkshire Police pay tribute to Police horse Hoober
South Yorkshire Police Mounted Unit has said a sad farewell to one of their Police horse last week. Hoober the police horse, was put down on Tuesday 30 November. This was after he was rushed to the Rainbow Hospital on Sunday 28 November for emergency surgery on a fatty tumour found on his small intestine. The 15-year-old horse joined the South Yorkshire Police team in September 2011. He provided them a decade of service. He was ridden by all the officers in the Mounted Unit, part of the force's Operational Support Unit. PC Lindsay Crew shared her fondest memories of Hoober. She said: “He could turn out to every occasion. It was because of his lovely manners. He could be used at the football, at protests, at ceremonial events and as mutual aid for other forces. “He was an absolute soldier and did his job perfectly, in fact he was perfect in every way. He wasn’t scared of anything and as well as bringing on other young horses he helped bring on inexperienced officers who joined the unit too.” On Twitter, PC Reed shared a video montage of PH Hoober. In the Tweet, he said: "There are not enough superlatives to describe this amazing guy. "He was our bravest horse, a genuine rock, and a lovely character." https://twitter.com/PC_Reed/status/1466705135476871180?s=20 Less than a year after he joined the police force, Hoober worked on the three legs of the Olympic torch relay and attended both the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. He was a veteran of Doncaster St Ledger meetings and spent a lot of time on mutual aid in the North East around Newcastle and Middlesbrough as well as many protests. “He was characterful, cheeky and very good with all the grooms and officers,” Lindsay said. At the stables in Ring Farm, Cudworth, Barnsley, Hoober was know as one of the more mischievous members of the team. Lindsay added: “He was definitely the escape artist of the stables “He was the Houdini of all horses and he could open any door.” Police Horse Hoober will missed by all at South Yorkshire Police and they thank him for his long and loyal service.
Supermarket’s ‘face coverings are a personal choice’ sign taken down after Twitter complaint
A Sheffield woman urged a local supermarket to remove the ‘wearing a face-covering is a personal choice’ sign outside of the store as it is now a fineable offence. Sainsbury’s Local on High Street took down the sign early this morning, but it remained up for three days after the new law was enforced. A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s responded after the tweet was noticed: “We’re updating signage across our stores in England to remind customers that they must wear a face covering unless they are exempt. “Our CEO wrote to customers earlier this week to explain we were acting in light of the new requirements for customers. Rolling out updated signage is part of this and stores have worked as quickly as possible.” Mask-wearing in England, in shops and on public transport, has become mandatory again for the first time since 30 November 2021. The recommendation to wear a mask is based on scientific advice that it will prevent infecting others by dispersing airborne particles more widely. Those who break the rules will receive a fixed penalty of £200 for the first offence. This drops to £100 if paid within 14 days. Titania Krimpas, 50, a shopper with a facial covering in Sainsbury’s Local said: "‘mask wearing is the best protection from spreading or getting the virus. “Face covering should be introduced to where people gather.” “Don’t wait for the government to make this happen. They always do it too little and too late,” she added.
Yorkshire County Cricket club fire multiple members of back-room staff amid racism scandal
Yorkshire County Cricket club have sacked 16 members of staff today, including Director of Cricket Martin Moxon and First XI Coach Andrew Gale. A statement from YCCC issued earlier said: “We can confirm that Martyn Moxon, Director of Cricket, and Andrew Gale, First XI Coach, have left the Club today, in addition to all members of the coaching team. “The backroom medical team, external services provided by Pavilion Physiotherapy Clinic, has also left the Club. An interim medical team is also in the process of being appointed.” This is the latest development in the racism scandal that has hit the club, as former player Azeem Rafiq’s made explosive allegations of institutional racism against them. The former England U-19 Captain had accused multiple current and former Yorkshire players, including Gale, of using racial slurs towards him during his time at Yorkshire, which left him near suicide. Dan Whiting, cricket writer for the Middle Stump said: "The removal of 16 staff has sent shock waves through the game. The Telegraph have reported that some current players are feeling so strongly about it that they are threatening to leave amid crisis talks today. The fall out of this whole affair looks like it is far from over." In Rafiq’s recent testimony to the DCMS Parliamentary Select Committee, he gave harrowing details of alleged abuse at YCCC including being held down and force fed wine which is against his values as a Muslim. Rafiq has also alleged racism from high profile current and previous Yorkshire players including Gary Balance, Michael Vaughan and Tim Bresnan. The report Yorkshire released investigating Rafiq’s claims admitted he had been a victim of racial harassment and bullying but controversially stated no individual would face disciplinary action. Yorkshire’s report also dismissed use of racial slurs against Azeem Rafiq as “friendly banter.” The scandal has rocked the cricketing world over the last few weeks, prompting the England and Wales Cricket Board to commit to a wide-ranging action plan to tackle racism and promote inclusion last Friday. The plan focused on providing further education to those who work in cricket along with a review of dressing room culture, removing barriers in talent pathways and creating a welcoming environment to all within the game. Newly appointed Yorkshire Chair Lord Patel said today: “Significant change is required at Yorkshire County Cricket Club and we are committed to taking whatever action is necessary to regain trust. “We are hoping to announce a new Director of Cricket in the coming days. We have a huge rebuilding job to do but we are confident that this heralds a step forward towards a brighter future.”
I’m dreaming of a green Christmas
By Chloe O'Connor
A call for Christmas to be the most eco-friendly time of the year and offer people the chance to celebrate consciously in a bid to help save the planet.
From market stall owners to residents, people across Sheffield are fighting for a more environmentally and ethically sustainable festive period.
Whether it be shopping for pre-loved gifts, making your own decorations or getting creative with last year’s wrapping paper there is a call for a new approach to celebrating in a climate friendly manner.
Mary El Menyiy who co-runs Bazaar El Menyiy, in the city centre, with her husband, said: “I think we need to move more to recycling and eco-friendly products. All of ours come from Morocco and they’re sustainable from local co-operatives.”
The Sheffield Christmas market attracts thousands of people each year but many believe they should be more eco-friendly in a less damaging way.
Some are asking for radical action and follow in other countries’ footsteps to do their part in saving the planet.
https://soundcloud.com/user-163509873/christmas-markets-vox-pop?si=f5e9880a3d9c415380929a1f2df65f47
Leading figures across the world have called for people to be greener and lead a more environmentally friendly lifestyle in the hope to stop climate change, which leads to the question of the level of waste generated across UK households.
Mrs El Menyiy said: “Four years ago Morocco made bio-degradable bags, with a complete ban on plastic bags for the whole country. We use them now. It would be helpful for everybody if we could at least do that in this country it’s not a difficult thing but as far as the attraction as a trader we are in it to earn money.”
Just how much waste does the UK produce?
Each year the UK spends £25 billion on Christmas presents and £42 million of unwanted gifts are thrown out in landfill. This contributes greatly to the 365.1 million metric tons (approx.) of CO2 emitted by the UK every year.
According to Waste Data Flow, in 2019 England has only increased their recycling of waste from households by 4% since 2010. Neighbouring countries such as Northern Ireland has surpassed England over the last 10 years with an increase of 13%.
While the recycling rate for waste from households increased in all UK countries in 2019, England is starting to slowly fall behind. The recycling rate for England was 45.5%, compared with 50.6% in Northern Ireland, 44.9% in Scotland, and 56.4% in Wales.
Where does Sheffield stand?
Groups across South Yorkshire run events including the ‘Alternative Christmas Markets’ in a bid to make people more conscious of their spending decisions this year. The markets showcase crafters who use recycled and upcycled materials to create gifts in a way to help the planet.
A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Climate Alliance said: “We know that a lot of people have a strong emotional attachment to Christmas, which is why we don't want to be Scrooge and tell everyone to stop celebrating.
“Instead, we want people to switch to more sustainable habits such as buying less, wasting less and shopping second hand. We want to show that it is possible to have an eco-friendly Christmas and create some new Christmas traditions.
CREDIT: Maddy Winters / Against the Grain Photography
“We want to demonstrate that you can have a sustainable Christmas by buying less, buying recycled and upcycled gifts, and by making your own decor and gifts (or buying nothing, and focusing on spending quality time with loved ones instead). “We always aim to be as low waste as possible through using sustainable materials and being conscious of what we buy throughout the course of our project. It's important to be as sustainable as possible all year round so that we can carry on celebrating for a long time into the future.” https://youtu.be/m86rhPxTO2s So what can we do this year to lead a greener Christmas? Wrapping paper is not recyclable. Try an alternative such as newspaper, old parcel paper or upcycle old boxes and decorate delivery boxes with the children. If you can afford recyclable paper don’t forget look up techniques on wrapping presents without sticky tape. Decorate old wine glasses into snowmen and reindeers. Reuse last year’s Christmas cards as tags. Avoid buying boxes of chocolates, they have a lot of unnecessary packaging. Why not bake chocolates with the family? Visit the local charity shops for decorations. Charities such as ‘Friends of the Earth’ offer support and guidance from COVID-safe community celebrations to gifts that are good for the planet. These suggestions include renting trees and buying Christmas Bee Saver Kit. People are also following pages such as ‘Sustainably Lazy’ for ethical gift ideas for a conscious Christmas, linking pages to eco-friendly and organic produce companies.
Burglary surge in South East Sheffield
Last night, the police patrolled the areas of Beighton, Woodhouse, Richmond and Birley after a burglary surge. The increased police presence followed a press release yesterday morning urging residents in and around the Richmond area to check their home security. Detective Inspector Lee Corker said that there have been numerous burglaries over the past four weeks and has asked residents to be vigilant. He said: "Taking simple steps to secure your property can make life so much more difficult for burglars." The Detective Inspector advised residents to keep their doors and windows locked. "If you are going out then leave a light on so it appears you are at home and consider timer switches if you are going away. A house that appears occupied is far less appealing to a potential burglar than one that is empty," he added. If you see suspicious activity in or around your local area, contact the South Yorkshire Police on 0800 555 111 or 101. If there is a crime in progress or it's an emergency call 999.
1 in 50 people in Yorkshire and the Humber have long COVID
Long COVID affects 109,000 people in Yorkshire and the Humber, meaning that 1 in 50 people in the region suffer from the illness.
The figures, published yesterday by the Office for National Statistics, show the lasting effects on people who had COVID-19 at least 12 weeks previously.
Professor Helen Ward told an Imperial College Academic Health Science Centre (AHSC) online seminar there was "an implicit assumption that you either die or get better.
"We also need to measure long-term health impacts."
Symptoms of long COVID or post-COVID-19 syndrome, include fatigue, 'brain fog', and loss of smell.
Long COVID can also have long-term impacts on existing health inequalities.
Sana Habib, a medical student, conducted research into the impact of long COVID on Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic individuals.
She said: “There is a very big health inequality between Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic Individuals and the White British majority.
“With long COVID, those inequalities are going to broaden even more because of the fact that there’s no information out there."
The next month's long COVID data will be released 6 January 2022.
Sheffield housing association provides a safe haven for people in need
A housing association in Sheffield has been providing accommodation for homeless people and those fleeing abuse, violence or exploitation. Choice Housing Trust gives people in need supported housing around the city and provides each resident with a regular visiting support worker. Robert Mellors, founder of Choice Housing Trust, was homeless himself in the 1990s and now uses his knowledge to help others. Mr Mellors said: "We provide not just a roof over their heads, but also ongoing support to help them address the issues that may have lead to them becoming homeless. "This lays the foundation stones for them being able to move on into independent accommodation when they are ready for this transition and we help with this too." Residents claim Housing Benefit to cover rent and pay a small amount towards heating and electricity bills. However, the cost of providing support is not covered by Housing Benefit, and residents do not receive any funding from the government or charities. Accordingly, Choice Housing Trust relies on public donations and trading activities to pay Support Workers. The programme was set up in 2004 after Mr Mellors had spent four years working as a Homelessness Officer in various local authorities. He said: "I became more and more frustrated with the bureaucracy and politics within local authorities that prevented ideas [to help people] coming to fruition. "I decided to take the step of setting up my own housing association so that I could help those people who did not qualify for council housing and were unlikely to be accepted by most private landlords, as I felt that councils were not meeting this need." So far, the organisation has housed and supported over 600 people, and continues to provide accommodation to about 50 people a year. Recently, it developed specialist housing for victims of domestic violence who have mental health issues. The accommodation has a state of the art CCTV system and has an increased level of staff presence on site, in addition to the standard security Choice Housing Trust provides in all housing, such as steel reinforced doors and heavy duty locks. Mr Mellors hopes to offer further specialist accommodation for people who need a higher level of supervision or support, but says this would be dependant on the level of funding they can raise. "There’s a great many more people out there that need this help," he said. To help support Choice Housing Trust, you can donate to their crowdfunding page here.
Stagecoach extends bus strikes for another week
South Yorkshire Stagecoach have announced further strike action after their demands for an increased pay rise were not met. The original strikes were planned to last for one week from 28 November until 3 December. New plans have revealed that drivers will go back to work for one week, and then strike again from Saturday 11 December until 17 December. Phil Brown, regional officer for the Unite trade union in the North East, said: "My drivers don't want to be on strike, they want to be at work." He said he is very optimistic about trying to resolve the problem, but the only way this can happen is if there is a substantial salary increase. To his knowledge, members of the public have been supportive of the industrial action and agree that the bus drivers deserve a pay rise. Bus services that are still running as normal can be found on the Stagecoach website.
Covid-19: Sheffield responds positively to mask restrictions
The Government has once again told people in England to wear face coverings in shops and on public transport in the wake of the Omicron variant. The new requirement, which came into motion on Tuesday, seems to have gone down well in Sheffield, as our reporter asked people in the city what they think about the new rules. https://soundcloud.com/user-596407045/what-do-you-think-about-the-new-mask-rules?si=9b03896115d442b0bedc687f0bc4369f These rules are a precautionary measure, in place while more information about the new variant is gathered and examined, for example the effectiveness of vaccines against it and the transmissibility rate. However, masks aren't required in:
- Pubs
- Cafes
- Restaurants
“I cried for three days”: fraudsters left Chinese students traumatised
By Jessica Lionnel Chinese students are being targeted by scammers who are attempting to swindle them out of thousands of pounds. Last week South Yorkshire Police issued a stark warning about the increase in fraudulent calls, many of which have a sinister undertone. The con artists pretend to be from official Chinese organisations demanding money to be transferred or face being extradited. For some students, the warning came a little too late. One victim was told she was responsible for the death of two elderly women and was ordered to transfer £1,700. Alice and Jake*, two Chinese students studying at The University of Sheffield, tell Sheffield Wire their stories.
When I heard that two women had died because of me, I was really shocked - AliceAlice, 24, was woken by a call in February this year from someone claiming to be from The Chinese Embassy. He told her he had obtained her contact details after finding her bank card on an airport floor. She explained: “He said I was involved in a money washing case and as a result two elderly women had died. He was adamant the women paid for my investment, but they did not get their money back and they had committed suicide because of me.” The fraudster then told Alice there was a warrant out for her arrest and stressed it would only be cleared if she paid 10,000 Chinese Yuan (equivalent to £1,178) for bail. If she did not cooperate with them and pay, they threatened she would be extradited back to China. They also told her not to communicate this with friends and family and to buy a new phone and sim card to contact them only. “I felt really scared because it has never happened to me before. I didn’t do anything but I got involved in such a big case. When I heard that two women had died because of me, I was really shocked," Alice recalls. Three days after the call, Alice asked her parents for the money. Her father agreed to transfer it immediately. She called the number which had rang her back, but the number was not recognised. It was then she realised it was a scam, but the psychological damage had already been done. Alice revealed: “I didn’t go to class for three days. I didn’t talk to my friends for three days. I didn’t talk to my parents for three days. I cried for three days” Alice said she still receives calls from the number, but now ignores them.
I think the liars, the criminals, are smart because they didn’t give me the time to consider whether it was fraud - JakeOn October 18, Jake was about to go to his university class when he received a phone call saying he had a parcel in the Chinese Embassy. The convincing caller explained it was an important document and if he wanted further details, to speak to an officer in the embassy. After making the call, Jake was told he was a victim of a credit card theft but the police had caught the man who had stolen it. He said Jake was required to go back to China to assist in the investigation at his own cost. “It was then I realised this was a scam,” said Jake “Gradually I lost my patience so I hung up and blocked the number. “I think the liars, the criminals, are smart because they didn’t give me the time to consider whether it was fraud and they didn’t allow me to call the police to check. “It was scary but could have been potentially worse.” Fortunately, Jake and Alice didn’t have their money stolen. However, the psychological trauma of the phone calls has stayed with them.
When fraudsters target them in this way, it can leave them really distressed - PoliceIn an official statement, South Yorkshire Police identified fraudsters are pretending to work for one of four organisations: The Chinese Embassy, Immigration or Customs Services, The Chinese Police, or The Royal Mail. Con artists threaten Chinese students who have just moved to the UK into giving them large sums of money and that they might have access to the students’ personal information, making their ability to deceive students into thinking they are from an official organization easier. A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police, said: “For the Chinese community in particular something like this can be really frightening for them. They have potentially come to a foreign country for the first time and they are away from home for the first time at university. “When fraudsters target them in this way, it can leave them really distressed and other times they’ve been really shocked and upset about what’s happened to them. The impact that their (the fraudsters) crimes have on these victims is literally leaving people in a really frightened and terrified state." When queried as to why Chinese students were being targeted, police explained they are not used to the level of scam calls that British residents are used to. The spokesperson added: “They may be more susceptible to taking that at first instance and unfortunately falling victim to this horrendous type of crime.”
A national problem?The problem is not just isolated to Sheffield: universities across the UK have alerted their Chinese students of the crime too. This should not come as a surprise, as Chinese undergraduates and postgraduates make up for the majority of international students in the UK. Approximately 140,000 were enrolled in 2019/2020. Warwick and Liverpool University have advised the students to not give out their personal information or money. The University of Sheffield said they were concerned about the emerging scam and added they were working with South Yorkshire Police to prevent it from happening again. Police have urged victims of the scam to contact Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or online at actionfraud.police.uk. But for victims Alice and Jake the emotional damage has already been done. *Their names have been changed to protect their identities.
Food stalls divide opinion among traders as Christmas Market makes pandemic return
The number of food stalls at Sheffield's Christmas market has divided opinion among traders, with some becoming frustrated at their dominance over more traditional offerings. Some traders told Sheffield Wire that they gave local people an opportunity to dive into diverse cultures through different types of food, but other owners thought the food stalls were getting far more attention than other shops at the market. One of the stall owners said: ''I definitely think there are too many food stalls at the market and it doesn't quite go with the Christmas theme. I think it takes a lot of people's attention.''
Fargate Christmas Market, Sheffield
Sheffield Children’s Hospital opens newly refurbished cancer ward
After a community fundraising effort, Sheffield Children’s Hospital has opened a newly refurbished £2.75m cancer and leukaemia ward. Ward 6 officially opened yesterday and was funded by community sources ranging from individual benefactors to the Bears of Sheffield trail. A spokesperson for the hospital said: “The new ward is bigger and brighter, with improved spaces for parents to stay with their children and a dedicated playroom at the heart of the ward for everyone to enjoy.” The new bedrooms have a view of Weston Park, brand new televisions and new furniture to help patients feel more at home.
Maya, a two-year-old leukaemia patient, has settled in well to her new surroundings on Ward 6. Her parents said: “The rooms are great; we love that they have en suite bathrooms and their own fridges which mean we don’t have to leave Maya. The TV is also a big hit – it helps Maya feel like she’s at home.” The new ward provides treatment for cancer and blood disorders from babies through to 19-year-olds across South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire. It also sees patients from across the country for chemotherapy operations and bone marrow transplants. Emily, a nurse on ward 6, said the new setup makes her work a lot more efficient. She said: “The new ward is a better setting for the children and their parents, and is more functional for colleagues. For example, the nursing station is right next to the drug store and each room has a hatch so we can collect samples in a more discreet way.” Sheffield’s Children Hospital have thanked the Children’s Hospital Charity and the wider community for helping fund this development.We have some amazing news – we’ve now moved on to the new Ward 6!
Patients, families and staff at Sheffield Children’s have now officially moved into our newly refurbished cancer and leukaemia ward (Ward 6)! pic.twitter.com/g8FNPlRGl6 — Sheffield Children's (@SheffChildrens) December 2, 2021