Following a week of gunshot events, the head of police in Doncaster has pledged to protect the worried citizens of a tiny city estate, with many neighbours demanding an end to the gun violence.
Since last Monday, there have been two shooting occurrences on Clay Lane, and the police have been called four times.
The little estate between Wheatley and Edenthorpe is home to enraged homeowners who have issued a heartfelt plea for the violence to stop. They have called it “chaos” for the neighbourhood and asked the offenders to “think of the children.”
After additional gunfire on Wednesday evening, South Yorkshire Police were summoned to nearby Wilberforce Road after initially responding to a cry for help at Chalmers Drive on Monday afternoon.
“Investigations are ongoing regarding recent reported firearms incidents in Doncaster, which are being treated as targeted attacks,” stated Detective Chief Inspector Anthony Slater.
“Our officers have located two cars that we suspect were part of these crimes.
Furthermore, a 24-year-old woman was detained by police on Friday on suspicion of aiding criminals. Her release is awaiting additional investigation.
“In response to the disturbances last week, local officers patrolled the area more frequently to address any concerns residents may have and to ensure their safety.”
Four guys, one of whom was equipped with a shotgun, exited a car last Monday afternoon and fired rounds and tossed a bottle at a residence on Chalmers Drive, setting off a chain reaction of events.
A group of five males broke into a house on Wilberforce Road, which is close by, on Wednesday night and caused criminal damage. It is also believed that gunfire was fired at a vehicle on the same night.
An eyewitness on Friday night claimed seeing armed police in Wilberforce Road once more. On Saturday, the same witnesses reported seeing police there.
Shots were fired from one of the vehicles in the incident on Wednesday, according to a spokesperson for the South Yorkshire Police force. Two vehicles were found from the scene: a white Audi and what seemed to be a black Volkswagen.
Residents who are upset are pleading for a stop to the violence and have produced an emotional statement saying:
A Friends of Clay Lane representative posted an impassioned statement on social media, stating: “Unfortunately, the recent incidents aren’t helping us achieve our goals of improving the estate, uniting the community, and improving Clay Lane’s image.
“We aim to demonstrate that Clay Lane is a decent area with good intentions; we are not the police and do not have the authority to speak with or arrest anyone who is committing crimes or engaging in antisocial activity.
“We came together to paint the play park on Shackleton Road, and that’s almost exactly one year ago today that we formed.”
Since then, the estate has been featured in more than a dozen positive newspaper articles, locals from all over Doncaster have expressed their admiration for what we are doing, and the council, police, and numerous other organisations have all expressed their gratitude.
However, for every advancement we make in our estate, criminal activity and antisocial behaviour cause us to regress two steps.
Since there are more kids on this estate than adults, we have a special responsibility to serve as role models for them. We must promote moral behaviour, a strong sense of community, and a decrease in these occurrences.
“Please, please, consider the children, the chaos this brings to our neighbourhood, and the long-term effects this will have on our magnificent estate.”
There had been other significant events on the modest residential estate before this current wave of criminality.
Police investigated a gunshot and three-car collision on Chalmers Drive in June 2021, following gunfire that occurred in the vicinity only hours apart. The drivers had engaged in combat.
A man was detained and subsequently imprisoned in February 2022 for shooting a gun at a man’s face on Chalmers Drive.
After an altercation, Daniel Nica, 45, was arrested for firing airgun pellets at his victim, injuring her lip, chest, and back many times. She needed hospital treatment, and Nica was eventually given a three-year prison sentence.
Following a Doncaster police raid in Chalmers Drive in December 2022, a 42-year-old lady and an adolescent were taken into custody on drug-related offences.
The two ladies, ages 18 and 42, were taken into custody on suspicion of possessing Class A drugs with the intention of supplying them.
Scales, bags, and cash were found along with a quantity of Class A drugs. They took out a knuckle duster as well.
