Mansfield Group: Fire at Sheffield car pound used by police may have destroyed evidence in criminal cases

A suspected arson attack at a Sheffield car pound may have destroyed crucial evidence in criminal investigations.

More than 50 vehicles were destroyed in a blaze on Tuesday night (July 18) when an unknown offender attacked the Mansfield Group Rescue Repair Recovery centre on Parkway Drive. At least 10 fire engines were called to tackle the blaze and scores of vehicles were reduced to torched-out shells.

The depot is one of a number used by South Yorkshire Police to store vehicles seized in criminal investigations - meaning the fire may have destroyed potentially crucial evidence. It is used by a number of organisations, including Sheffield City Council.

South Yorkshire Poice is yet to arrest anyone over the fire.

The force yet to publish how many, if any, of the vehicles destroyed in the blaze were kept there as part of ongoing or previous police investigations.

Beyond criminal cases, cars held by SYP could also belong to victims of crime waiting to receive them back after they were stolen. Potentially, vehicles could also have been seized from people under investigation who would have later been found innocent and had their car returned to them.

In a statement, a spokeswoman for South Yorkshire Police said: “It is believed that the fire was started deliberately and an investigation is underway into the arson. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact us online or by calling 101 quoting incident number 1039 of July 18, 2023.”