Sheffield car attack not terrorism-related, police confirm

Police have confirmed an attack in Sheffield, in which a 46-year-old man died when a car was driven into a crowd of people, was not terrorism-related.

South Yorkshire police launched a murder inquiry after arresting two men when a car collided with a group outside a property in Burngreave on Wednesday afternoon.

A 23-year-old man, who was arrested on suspicion of murder, and a 55-year-old man, arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, remain in custody.

Police were called to the scene at 2.06pm after reports of violence and disorder during what was reported to be a family party. As the call was under way, a car collided with a group of people, the police said.

A neighbour, Tarek Nayli, 49, told the PA Media news agency he came out of his home to see fighting in the street, a number of injured people and neighbours telling him there were others trapped under a car.

He said: “I heard a lot of sound, a lot of voices, a lot of shouting. When I came out, I found people all gathering around and people fighting. One guy had a lot of blood on his face.”

Nayli said the car involved was already there by the time he became aware of the incident and the police arrived two minutes after he did.

“I saw people fighting on that corner before the police came and the car was already there. The whole neighbourhood was out.”

He said: “They said there were people underneath the car and when the police came they managed to get them out. When the police came, they flipped the car over and they’ve taken two people out.”

Nayli said one injured man was already sitting beside the car and a woman was also clearly hurt.

Asked about the fighting, he said: “I didn’t see any weapons but there was a lot of hitting and one guy had a stick.”

Other neighbours said they believed the fighting had begun over a dispute between families, but the man who died had come to help and was not involved in the disorder.

Police said one man was pronounced dead at the scene while another person was taken to hospital, where they remained in a serious condition.

On Wednesday, the senior investigating officer, DCI Andrew Knowles, said: “We are now dealing with a murder investigation and understand the distress this will cause to those directly affected and the wider community.

“We have a large cordon in the area and are conducting CCTV and house-to-house inquiries. We’ll be patrolling throughout the night to offer reassurance and to speak to anyone who may hold information or feel concerned.”