Man dies after being shot in Sheffield street

Police say the 23-year-old was either in or close to a black Mercedes when he was shot in the chest

Police on the scene in Daniel Hill (PA)

A 23-year-old man has died after he was shot in the street in Sheffield.

People living in the Upperthorpe area said the man was either in, or close to, a black Mercedes car he had been driving when he was shot in the chest on Saturday lunchtime.

He was taken to hospital as large numbers of police, including armed officers, arrived in the area.

Police confirmed that he died soon after.

Local residents said the man was a member of a family who live close to the scene of the shooting on Daniel Hill, between the Upperthorpe and Walkley areas of the city.

They said relatives had been gathering for a family celebration on Saturday when the man was shot. Many came out of the house to try to help him after hearing the incident, neighbours said.

After police officers established a cordon around the Mercedes on Daniel Hill, more relatives arrived in the street, clearly distraught.

A South Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: "A 23-year-old man has died following a reported shooting on Daniel Hill, Walkley, Sheffield, this afternoon.

The black Mercedes where the man was shot (PA)

"At around 1.35pm police were called to Daniel Hill following reports that a man had been shot.

"The 23-year-old man was taken to Northern General Hospital with a suspected gunshot wound. He died a short time later.

"Police are currently investigating the incident and anyone who was in the area at the time, or has information about the incident is urged to contact police on 101 quoting incident number 571 of 18 February."

On Saturday afternoon a section of Daniel Hill was sealed off either side of the Mercedes car, which had its front windows open and was parked by the side of the road.

Police guarding the north end of the cordon were carrying guns.

A large number of officers and forensic examiners were also at the southern end, near the commercial centre of Upperthorpe, where a number of shops and cafes are located.

There have been a spate of shootings in Sheffield in recent weeks, although all the previous incidents have been in the north of the city and none have been close to the Upperthorpe area.

People watching the police activity said they could not remember another shooting in the area.

One man said: "Upperthorpe has had its problems but it's been better recently. I've never heard of a shooting here. I'm shocked."

On Monday, a 25-year-old man was seriously injured when he was shot in the street in the Shiregreen area of Sheffield.

Earlier this month, a pensioner couple were shocked when shots were fired through their living room window in the Southey Green area of the city - an incident that police said was almost certainly a case of a gunman getting the wrong house.

These incidents followed two more in January which both involved shots being fired at houses in the same street in High Green, Sheffield.

PA