"People are desperate": Fed up Doncaster villagers blast police after 50 break ins and car thefts

People living in Bentley and Scawthorpe say the area has been victim to an ongoing crime wave, with dozens of homes and vehicles targeted.

One resident, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, said: “In the last week, around 50 have been done and yet the police are doing nothing.

“Our van got taken – we’re just desperate for the police to actually do something now.

“The crimes have been happening every night for the past eight days from 9pm.”

A spokesman for South Yorkshire Police confirmed the recent crime wave.

Inspector Sebastian Dent from the Doncaster North Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “We have seen a positive reduction in crime in the Bentley ward across the last 12-month period, however, in the past couple of weeks, there has been a small increase in theft offences in the area, mainly involving thefts from motor vehicles.

"There has also been a slight increase in criminal damage which is believed to have been caused young people who are frequenting the area.

“We are aware of the impact these crimes have on the local community and I want to reassure people in Bentley that we are delivering activity to tackle these issues. CCTV enquiries are ongoing and a number of witnesses have come forward which will hopefully lead to arrests.

“I continue to urge the community who have concerns about crime in the local area to reach out to my team and share this information with us. Information from the public is really important in helping us build up a full picture of the offending taking place and allows us to deliver targeted enforcement action.”

Anyone with information about any of the incidents can contact South Yorkshire Police on 101, or 999 in an emergency.

Alternatively, if you prefer, you can report information in confidence to independent charity Crime Stoppers through their dedicated UK call reporting centre on 0800 555 111.