Callow Drive murder: Life in tower blocks described as “a living hell”

Speaking out about his experience of living in one of the blocks on the city estate for just short of two years, one resident urged Sheffield Council and South Yorkshire Police to take action to tackle crime and make people feel safer.

The 43-year-old said the estate and the blocks are in urgent need of CCTV cameras, claiming crime is rife and people are desperate to move out of the flats.

His comments come the day after a 25-year-old man was shot dead in the Callow Drive area. Police activity has centered around the Newfield block since the gun attack.

It is believed that police are yet to make any arrests.

The concerned resident calling for action claims the communal areas are regularly full of rubbish, bins are set on fire and drug dealing is a daily occurrence.

He said people are afraid to leave their flats, and that muggings and knife crime are common.

“I moved here nearly two years ago because I was homeless and I cannot wait to move out. When I first moved in there was blood smeared on the walls in the first couple of days, I’ve witnessed people fighting with knives in the middle of the day, I’ve seen a robbery and drug deals.

“The area is so bad, you feel so unsafe here. It really affects your mental health. People have had enough and are harming themselves because it is so bad.”

He added: “CCTV cameras desperately need to be put in every lobby area and outside, people are getting away with too much.”

He said his sisters used to live in the blocks in the 80s but are now so concerned about crime they rarely visit.

“This used to be a great area, it is such a shame that it has come to this. People are desperate to move,” he said.

“There are needles lying around the place, people defecate in the communal areas, there are used condoms strewn about, it really is horrendous. It’s a living hell and something needs to be done.”