Boy, 16, 'fighting for his life' after shooting

A 16-year-old boy is in a "life-threatening" condition after being shot on a street in Sheffield, police have said.

South Yorkshire Police said officers were called to the London Road area at about 17:15 GMT on Monday, with the boy taken to hospital to be treated for an injury "consistent with a gun shot".

The road has been closed from the junction of Sitwell Place to the Crowther Place turn-off to allow for investigation work to be carried out.

Det Ch Insp Emma Knight, senior investigating officer, said: "This is a terrible incident that has left a boy fighting for his life and I know those in our community will be deeply concerned.

"I want to assure residents that a dedicated team of officers and staff are working tirelessly to understand the circumstances that led to this attack and to trace those responsible."

The force said extra patrols would be in place in the area over the coming days.

Meanwhile, business owners on London Road have spoken of their shock, with a number of premises forced to close while forensic investigations continue.

Dari Saleh, who owns Marmaris Turkish restaurant, said: "We work here all day and evening and then something like this, we're scared, our customers, our business, you don't feel safe."

Mr Saleh, whose restaurant has been open since 2017, said he was concerned about the impact on his business.

"People care more about their safety, if you hear something like this, people won't come."

Abdurrhman Gurner, owner of Bodrum Barber on London Road, said: "It feels a bit scary thinking every day that the city is getting worse.

"As a business owner we think is business going to go down, are people worried about coming down here?"

Reacting to the shooting, Abtisam Mohamed, Labour MP for Sheffield Central, said she was "deeply shocked and saddened".

"My thoughts are with him, his family and all those affected as they face what must be an unimaginably difficult time," he said.

"I urge anyone with information to contact South Yorkshire Police and help bring clarity to this incident."

The MP said violence on the streets would not be accepted and added: "Every young person in Sheffield should be safe and confident in their community."

Speaking late on Monday night, police said they expected local disruption on the road network to stretch into Tuesday while investigations continued.

Det Ch Insp Knight added: "We need you to work with us and provide any information you have. This is not acceptable on our streets, so we must work together to stop it.

"If you see officers in the area and have information or concerns, please do speak to them."