COMMUNITY FEATURE: Unique plan to use parkour to tackle youth nuisance in south Sheffield

'There is nothing for us to do around here.'

It is an age old claim often made by youths as a way of explaining away why they have done something that they probably shouldn't have.

And nobody has heard it more than councillor Bob Pullin.

Coun Bob Pullin with Lorian Biet and Pawel van der Steen at Greenhill Park. Picture: Glenn Ashley.

For more than 20 years he sat as a youth magistrate in Sheffield and has presided over hundreds upon hundreds of cases involving the city's disaffected youth.

But in coun Pullin, these rebellious youngsters now have an unlikely ally.

For 18 months ago he decided he had heard enough excuses about teenage boredom and decided to do something about it.

He was elected as a Liberal Democrat councillor for Beauchief and Greenhill last May. And now he is on a personal mission to make sure that the young people in his constituency - covering areas including Jordanthorpe, Batemoor, Lowedges, Beauchief and Greenhill - always have something safe and fun to do, so there can be no excuse for nuisance behaviour.

He said: “Not many people get into politics at the age of 74 so you'd better have a good reason.

“Mine is to tackle youth nuisance. When young people say they have nothing to do they often have a point.

“We quite rightly organise lunches for elderly people, and play sessions for mother and toddlers, but young people, particularly teenagers, also need to be served.”

It was one particular case when sitting as a magistrate that made him take action.

He said: “A 15-year-old boy had started smoking cannabis. He then got recruited by the drug dealers, got mugged and didn't have the money for the dealers so they beat him up.