It’s in this area a recent shooting took place, and everyone we met had heard about this incident. Getting directions to Earl Marshal View we made contact with Mrs Gribben who informed me we were too late.
“Oh yes, there was gangs of youths here everyday before. But now the police have clamped down and moved them on, you’re too late,” she repeated. “As these houses were originally made for older people, we have all been terrified by what had been going on every night.” Thanking Mrs Gribben, before she could again tell me we were too late, we returned to the car. We were still searching and headed in the direction of the Wensley Estate. It’s here reports of youth anti-social behaviour have led to curfews and the estate becoming a low-tolerance zone.
“They can arrest us for being in a group of more than two,” scowled a small girl who was playing hopscotch on the pavement with her friends.
Having informed them I was from the Burngreave Messenger and showing my identification, smaller children playing close by began to gather.
Looking around we saw very little sign of teenagers, as a large police Transit made an appearance somewhere close by.
Before leaving Wensley, we paid a visit to the local shop and enquired whether the proprietor was aware of the new police action taking place and how it all affected his business.
He admited there had been a lot of anti-social behaviour problems before, and also noted the drop in custom since the new police curfews were in place.
Travelling onto Scott Road, most of the youths that tend to gather in the surrounding area of Abbeyfield Road were stood outside the park gates. Football and cricket were taking place inside but those hanging about are those referred to as the hard to reach age group. I recognised those who left school in 2003, and now in this group I saw faces of this year’s school leavers. Like their predecessors, they have few places to go and not much else to do, other than hang off street corners.
“What crew are you?” I enquired of a large enough group stood by the entrance to the park.
“Tek, 9!” muttered a voice.
“So why you hanging about! Nothing to do?” I asked, expecting an answer that could range from the insightful, to the funny, or even the downright ridiculous, rude or even crude. A reminder that these were teenagers of 2004 meant the answer that followed, just about summed up the times.
“Maybe we just like hanging on the streets! Isn’t it?”
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