Call for police and council to ‘toughen up’ over South Elmsall shootings and supermarket fire

South Elmsall and South Kirkby councillor Steve Tulley spoke after a weekend which saw three ‘targeted’ shootings and a fire at a supermarket.

The Labour councillor called for custodial sentences and the use of criminal behaviour orders to deter young offenders who are blighting his community.

Coun Tulley told a full council meeting how he had seen videos posted on social media of young people boasting about their involvement in the fire at South Elmsall’s Asda store.

He said: “In my part of the world firearms have been discharged three times in a weekend and youths have set fire to our local supermarket, which is pure arson whichever way you look at it.

“I think the time has come to start looking at toughening up with criminal behaviour orders.

“I have seen a video this morning of young people who have set fire to our Asda openly bragging – it’s a badge of honour.

“There were staff working in that building.

“The whole building could have gone up and we could have been looking at having fatalities on our hands.”

Two months ago, senior police chiefs and Alison Lowe, West Yorkshire deputy major for police and crime were told by South Kirkby residents how they felt ‘ruled by fear’.

Coun Tulley added: “Families from my part of the world are creating havoc.

“They are being shipped in because they have been kicked out of other areas because they didn’t know how to behave there.

“I think it is high time that as a council, as an authority, we have got to look at this situation.

“The last thing I need, in a town like mine, is for Asda to decide to up stumps and go because it is not worth staying for a mindless minority who think they can get away with it.

“There is only one punishment and that is a custodial sentence.”

In response, Maureen Cummings, the council’s cabinet member for communities, poverty and health, said : “I have seen the videos and it is quite appalling. The police have been keeping me informed on what has happened. I don’t know what the answer is.”

Speaking after the meeting, Coun Tulley said: “I have lived in South Elmsall all my life.

“I was born here and never, in the 66 years I have been here, known a situation where a firearm has been discharged. Now we have had three in a weekend

“This is not Chicago. It is a little mining town that has got its fair share of problems and its fair share of issues but we have always been able to work together and find a common cause.

“That bothers me. There are people who really care about this community and we have got to do something urgently.”

Detectives are continuing to investigate three incidents in which shots were fired at properties on Langthwaite Lane, Trueman Way and Wesley Street.

Detective Chief Inspector Stacey Atkinson, of the West Yorkshire Police’s Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said: “We understand that any use of firearms will cause concern in the wider community.

“It cannot be understated how seriously we treat incidents of this nature and specialist officers from the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team are conducting extensive enquiries to identify those responsible.”

A man has since been charged with firearms offences in connection with incidents at Trueman Way and Wesley Street on January 21.

He has been remanded in custody to appear at Leeds Magistrates Court today (Thursday).

On Sunday, January 21, firefighters were called to the Asda store on Barnsley Road.

West Yorkshire Fire Service said recycling pallets were on fire first and the flames then spread to the bakery in the single storey store. The incident is also being investigated.

In November, residents told a public meeting in South Kirkby how the community had become overrun by teen gangs carrying knives, county lines drug dealing, anti-social behaviour and petty crime.

At the meeting, South Kirkby mayor Lynne Whitehouse read out a list of residents’ concerns.

She said: “Anti-social behaviour in general. Off-road biking, speeding cars, theft from shops, theft from houses.

“Car thefts from houses, a lack of police presence on streets – people have been saying this for quite a while.

“Throwing missiles at cars and buses. Prevalence of drugs in the community, people openly dealing on the streets, increased arson by youngsters, teens not in school due to exclusion allowed to roam the streets.

“It is the way society has become. There is a lack of respect for anyone and anything.

“Teens carrying knives – we have had incidents where this has happened.

“It is becoming a no-go area around here.

“It is the whole of this area and we know who it is.

“There is under-age selling of vapes and alcohol in the local convenience stores.

“There is grooming of young people for county lines purposes.

“This is why the rates are falling elsewhere in big cities. They are coming in here as they know we are a deprived area.

“We are ruled by fear at the moment because nobody dare say anything.

“Nobody has got any recourse to get any action done about it.

“We know who the people are and there has been no action taken on several occasions.

“The councillors have been having to deal with it because the police have not been able to come out.”

Insp Glenn Costello, who leads the neighbourhood police team for South Kirkby and South Elmsall and Hemsworth, said at the time that there had been a recent increase in the number of officers working in the area.

He added: “There are issues in society that cannot solely be tackled by the police.

“You are talking about social deprivation, poor education, poor welfare, poor health, poor job prospects – you name it.

“Unfortunately they are not all just police issues.”