Residents living on a Leeds estate have been left in fear after two violent incidents within streets of each other in less than a week.
West Yorkshire Police cordoned off the bottom of The Rein where it meets Kentmere Approach in Seacroft this afternoon (Saturday, August 27) after a street fight broke out and a male was hospitalised with serious injuries. Just three days before, a man in his twenties was critically injured after being stabbed on Boggart Hill Drive, which is at the other end of The Rein.
Increased stop and search powers were put in place after the first stabbing and police presence in the area was increased after the first stabbing. However, some residents felt hopeless about the violence being stopped.
Read more: Two arrested after 'altercation' on stage as Bad Boy Chiller Crew 'cut off' at Leeds Festival
A mum who lives on The Rein was watching the police activity this afternoon with her two children. She told LeedsLive: "It's really scary to see this again this week. I know someone has been hurt and have heard lots of rumours but don't know what's gone on - we didn't hear anything.
"It's especially scary because I have kids and this happened just down from us. There's been a helicopter circling the area for at least an hour now."
Another female resident said: "It’s getting too close to home. They only put more police in place for 24 hours after the stabbing on Wednesday but I don’t really think that would help stop things like this even if they extended it.
"I’ve lived on this estate 27 years and it just goes from generation to generation with these groups of lads and there’s no stopping the knife crime - it never stops. They go up and down terrorising people on bikes too. They need a bike track or something locally to give them something to do.”
A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said this afternoon: "Police were called at 1.31pm this afternoon to Kentmere Avenue in Seacroft after reports of a fight between a group of males. One male has been taken to hospital with serious injuries.
"Several scenes are in place across the Seacroft area whilst officers investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to contact Police via the Live Chat options at www.westyorkshire.police.uk/contactus or 101 quoting log 857 of 27 August."
Several agitated residents were gathered around the cordon area on The Rein, but declined to comment.
One elderly man, who lives towards Kentmere Avenue, told LeedsLive:“I have no idea what has happened but it’s not surprising. This is Seacroft. I’ve grown up round here my whole life, it’s a council estate. It doesn’t bother me at all.”
Another mum living on the estate said: "We’ve heard someone has been stabbed which would mean two people have been stabbed round here this week. Police aren’t letting anyone down at the moment and there was a helicopter here for ages. It’s really scary for the families around here.”
After the Boggart Hill Drive stabbing on Wednesday, police said: "Increased stop and search powers have been put in place temporarily in the Seacroft area of Leeds to prevent serious violence and keep communities safe after a man was stabbed and seriously injured in an incident this morning.
"At 10:10am today, police were contacted by the ambulance service who were attending an address in Boggart Hill Drive where a man in his twenties had been stabbed.
He has been taken to hospital for emergency treatment and is in a critical condition. Two men have been arrested in connection with the incident."
A scene was in place at a property on Boggart Hill Drive on Wednesday while officers carried out enquiries. Some residents were more surprised earlier in the week to see a police scene outside their homes.
One resident who has lived in the area for 40 years told LeedsLive: "I was just heading to the bin and I heard shouting and bawling, then next thing I know it all erupted, this never happens around here, honestly never, there's occasionally some shouting but nothing like this. We keep ourselves to ourselves and stay out of it."
Another said he had 'never seen anything like this' and that the area 'isn't dangerous'.
Both Seacroft South and Seacroft North featured in the 10 most dangerous areas in Leeds with the highest incidences of crime for 2021.
Read next:
