A group of youths have been terrorising a local area and have forced one bar to shut
Teenagers wreaked havoc with fireworks(Image: Provided)
A bar has made the tough decision to close its doors on Bonfire Night due to safety concerns, following a series of firework-related incidents caused by a group of youths. The Bear, on London Road, Sheffield, was targeted over the weekend by a group of children who hid in nearby Mount Pleasant Park before launching rockets at people, vehicles, and even police vans.
The owner of The Bear, Matt Beety, spoke of three separate incidents that have led him to make the decision to close on bonfire night for the sake of safety. “We had a DJ night on Friday with people sitting on the decking outside,” he explained.
“Three or four kids fired rockets directly at us. It was pretty scary. It was not nice at all. It’s really disappointing.”
Following the attack, Matt called the police for help.
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On Saturday afternoon, the same group of children began targeting his customers once more.
“They don’t really care and they have no fear,” he said.
The situation escalated further on Sunday night when a staff member was forced to call the police again due to continued firework attacks, reports Yorkshire Live.
“It’s ridiculous,” they said. “They were just firing directly at the police van. They have no fear. It’s pretty brazen.”
Matt said the teenagers are “not bothered” about the danger they are causing and the impact it’s having on his business. “They do not care people might get hurt,” he added. “They have got no consideration whatsoever. It’s disgusting.”
He has made the difficult decision to close the bar on Bonfire Night as he doesn’t feel he can protect his customers. “This is my business and my home. I am losing a day’s business because I don’t think it’s safe,” he said.
Teenagers wreaked havoc with fireworks in Sheffield(Image: Provided)
QashQai Kitchen, a Persian restaurant over the road, saw the commotion on Sunday. The owner said: “It was ridiculous on Sunday. They were just shooting at people. There were 10 or 12 teenagers, they were literally just shooting at the people walking past. They were shooting at cars and buses.
“I was sat in the car and I didn’t feel safe enough to take any pictures or videos. They would meet in Mount Pleasant Park, run out and shoot at everything, and then run back into the park and away from the police.”
One resident said the teenagers targeted him and his eight-year-old daughter while out for a walk.
Cllr Ibby Ullah for Nether Edge and Sharrow said: “I can’t imagine how frightening that must have been for them. This kind of behaviour has to stop before someone gets seriously hurt.”
He added: “I want to raise awareness and send a clear message to the small number of people causing this trouble: stop this mindless, antisocial behaviour. It’s not cool. It’s dangerous.”
A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said they attended several reports in the area but were unable to find any of the suspects. No injuries or damage was reported as a result of the attacks.
They told Cllr Ullah they are conducting additional patrols through the ‘Dark Nights’ period, including Bonfire Night.