by Melissa Dams and Angel Ubando
Residents from Lansdowne Flats, Washington Road, were evacuated by armed police yesterday to Sharrow Community Forum due to a ‘suspicious package’.
The area was cordoned off with a 100m radius as a safety precaution, causing disruption on the roads and displacing locals including a resident nurse who needed to deliver home care.
Emergency services were seen along the road and surrounding the flats, with multiple fire trucks, police cars (including undercover vehicles), and later bomb disposal vehicles.
Alicia, a student residing in the area, said: “There were an unusual amount of emergency services.”
There was speculation about the incident, ranging from a possible hostage situation to a bomb threat or a gas leak.
Tom Macdougall, a local journalist, said: “It’s all uncertain, in similar situations locals have speculated but no one’s certain, heard everything from gas leak to bomb threat and hostage.”
A local resident criticising the lack of information, added: “It’s appalling, the tax we pay yet i’m not allowed to know what goes on in my own neighbourhood”
Evacuated residents at Sharrow Community Forum were left distressed with the lack of information
Roseann Rainey, 27, commented: “No one’s come to speak to us and no one’s checked on our well-being […] surprised there’s been absolutely no information given, and no one’s checked in”.
The centre has given the residents who were unable to find refuge elsewhere a singular room for the time being, while others went to family and friends.
College student, Muna Mohamed, 16, described the ordeal as “very rushed”, she said: ” They only gave me two minutes to come out, which stressed me out; it was a struggle.”
By 3.09 pm, a bomb disposal robot was seen on Croydon Street coming out of an emergency service van.
A Police Spokesperson said: ” A 56-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill and is in police custody.”
A statement from Sheffield South West NPT said: “Emergency services are in attendance and a 100m cordon has been put in place as a precaution. Members of the public are asked to avoid the area.”
