Wensley residents have been targeted by metal thieves in recent months, with a number of garden gates going missing.
One local resident told the Messenger how he had stopped one theft from taking place:
“I caught them carrying the gate down the street. The gates are heavy but with two people they were able to lift the gates right off the hinges. They ran off when I shouted at them. I had to stay with the gate until the police came in case they came back for it. This was in the middle of the day.”
Sheffield Homes admitted that the gates had a design flaw that allowed them to be lifted off by a determined thief. Residents who have reported their gates missing have had them replaced and Sheffield Homes have now secured the gates on the estate so they can no longer be lifted.
Police Community Support Officer(PCSO) Supervisor Shaun Davis, told the Messenger,
“Local PCSOs work closely with the TARA on these issues. It’s a problem not isolated to Wensley, there are one or two unscrupulous ‘scrap metal’ operators that are using criminal methods to ply their trade. We are actively patrolling and trying to raise awareness of the problem, together with taking a robust approach in stopping and checking anyone believed to be involved in scrapping, checking operators licences and working with scrap metal dealers. Anyone with metal gates would be advised to check how easily their gates can be removed”.
If you are a Sheffield Homes tenant living on Wensley and your gate is missing or still not secured, contact Sheffield Homes 273 5555.
Support Wensley TARA
Wensley TARA’s general meeting is on 12th April, 6.30pm at Wensley Community Centre. Just by attending, you can help the TARA to continue.