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I'm a man, with a wife and two young daughters. We reported the incident to the police, and then to Chief Inspector Jackie Hardy of South Yorkshire Police at the PACT meetings, and we were promised that the matter would be investigated. We were told that the police officer in attendance may have had more work that took priority, which we could possibly understand. What we couldn't was the fact that no follow up was made, and we had to chase them to find out what was happening. We experienced two serious incidents, one with the large group of men, and the other with one man and his knife. Both times no arrests were made, and we were not given explanations as to why this was the case. Inspector Peter Norman even told us that in the case of the knife incident, if he had been in attendance, the offender would have had his door put through, been dragged out of bed and been arrested. Great, if that had of happened, but it didn't. We are still waiting for the reasons why it didn't. If it still sounds dodgy to you, I still have all the correspondences between Rosie Winterton MP, South Yorkshire Police and myself, you are welcome to copies if you want? On the point of local officials letting us down, yes they damned well have. They knew there were tensions, and people were having their quality of life suffer, but they sat back and let it happen. They knew that private landlords were exploiting the system, and they sat back and let it happen. They knew the police were not addressing serious issues adaquetely, and they sat back and let it happen. We have tried to get our MP engaged with our community group, but she still hasn't graced us with her presence (Rosie Winterton). The council and MP's all knew what we were experiencing in Hexthorpe, but they didn't care enough to do anything, and they are offering short term solutions now they've been embarrassed into action.

Are you suggesting we are trying to exploit Page Hall and Eastwood? Just to be clear here.

So you are saying if people want to have a rational debate on immigration, they are automatically racist? I don't get that logic at all. That is all we are asking for. The opportunity to have our say on matters that affect our community, and the high levels of immigration into our community is one of those matters. Why shouldn't those who are concerned be allowed to be involved in constructive debate? ---------- Post added 22-06-2014 at 12:46 ---------- I agree Kevo. I don't get upset easily, but some of the experiences our residents have had to endure beggars belief and it was really distressing knowing that people are being expected to live like that through no fault of their own. I've been threatened with knifes and by big gangs of men myself, all for asking them to keep the noise down. It happened once on this last Christmas Eve/Christmas day in the early hours, to me and my family. We were all woken by loud shouting and bickering. I asked them to keep it down as they had woken my kids. I was then told that they would kill me, my family and anyone else who spoke to them. My kids heard it all and they were terrified to the point we ended up going to my in-laws out of the village. On the one day that good will is supposed to prevail, we ended up bleary eyed and wondering what state the house would be in when we got home. The police came, and didn't take the matter seriously, and gave the men a warning, then left. We hear experiences like this on a daily basis, and this is why we want resolutions, not short term fixes or empty promises. Our council and police say they don't have the budget, our government refuse to engage in dialogue, what the hell are we supposed to do, sit back and pretend it's all a nasty dream?? As for the talk to them, involve them part that's been thrown at me here. I want to put that part to bed for once and for all. We have tried communicating, we really have. At every step of the way, everything we have done, we have tried to communicate. We have invited them to our PACT meetings, and despite all the excuses I've heard here, they chose not to come. Yes, they may have felt there was going to be anger directed at them, but it isn't unwarranted, and once we got past that, we could have started useful dialogue with them. We made the move, and we were ignored. The same is true when we try to be friendly with the adults in their community, they don't want to know. We have tried. It makes me sick when people constantly make excuses for people who do not want to engage with the rest of the community to try and resolve issues that we are all experiencing. I don't doubt that there are Roma people who are sick of all the crap too, but if they won't engage what are we supposed to do. We have tried and we continue to try, but every step of the way our attempts are falling on deaf ears. Why is it that when residents of the communities voice their concerns, and demand changes, they are automatically seen to be the ones at fault? That seems to be the trend here, and I want no part in that anymore. I've stated what we want, why we are marching and what our aims are. If you don't agree, that's fine, but I'm not going to keep defending our cause by going over the same things again.

We aren't aiming this protest at the Roma, we are aiming it squarely at the police, councils and the government. We want immigration to be debated properly, and for our voices to be heard. We want action on the rubbish we are being expected to put up with. We are also aiming squarely at rogue landlords who are buying houses dirt cheap and then converting them into houses of multiple occupation and not ensuring their tenants behave.

Boyfriday, we aren't going to agree, so there's no point going round the bushes with you. I've tried to explain why we are choosing to do what we want to do. We have tried to get the Roma involved, but yet you are still trying to claim we aren't doing enough, despite what I've said. That's fine, as it is our right to protest, it is your right to disagree. I'm sorry if anything I have posted has caused you offense, that wasn't my intention. I'm not going to continue this with you, because it isn't achieving anything. As I've stated, we feel like this is the only avenue we have left, and we will be taking it. We refuse to lie down anymore and just be expected to deal with the problems we are facing.

And for the record, again, we are not organising this march to protest about others in our community as you put it, we are marching for the reasons I've already gone through with you here in this thread. You are choosing to ignore what I've said, and are placing your own perception on what our aims are, which is wholly wrong. I really do understand your concerns, and we share those concerns, we do not want the march to turn in to far right Roma bashing, and if we got even a whiff that the far right were trying to hijack our protest, it would be cancelled immediately. ---------- Post added 21-06-2014 at 18:53 ---------- Thanks Ann, I hope they listen and changes are made too, but the only promises we have been made last for three or four weeks. I can't see resolution to the problems until the government stops ignoring us and positive action is taken to improve the situation. By positive, I mean action that doesn't seclude any part of our community. Be it Romas, our pensioners who are scared to go out at night, children who can't play in the parks etc. etc.

We do know yes but thanks for the heads up anyway much appreciated:) We have made an appointment with the council to discuss our plans, and we will be working in full cooperation with both South Yorkshire Police and Doncaster Council.If we feel that at any stage the peaceful attitude we want to promote have been compromised, we will be cancelling the march. We are fully aware the loons will be waiting, on both sides of the coin, and we will not let them compromise our plans. ---------- Post added 21-06-2014 at 18:06 ---------- It is our democratic right to protest, and we feel that this action is all that is left to us to take. As discussed, we have bent over backwards ourselves to try and resolve the issues, but we are being ignored by those in power. Boyfriday, I would like to invite you to come and stay here, for a couple of days, and see whether your attitude holds water. I sincerely hope it would, but I don't think it would realistically. You may not agree with our plans, and that's fine, I'm not expecting you to join in. But please don't tell us what we should and shouldn't be doing, especially when you are not experiencing what we are. It just doesn't sit well.

And as I said, we are trying to talk. I get your concerns, but in this instance they are not valid.

I should also say this. We here in Hexthorpe know the problems we are facing are not unique to Hexthorpe. We know Page Hall and Eastwood are experiencing the same problems as us. After the news went national, we were getting calls and emails from all over the country, offering support and sharing their experiences. Of these we had a few nutters, but we gave them short thrift. I myself took many of the calls, and one thing was said time and time again, we are sick of being ignored and expected to put up with the problems. We need action not empty promises. We believe that taking protest action is the only means left to us that will force the government to take our issues seriously. We've tried all the other avenues open to us and failed. From what I've heard, Page Hall and Eastwood have too. We are fed up of being ignored, and we want action. Not short term action, we want long term solutions. We want representatives from other communities to unite in our our efforts to gain resolutions. If a protest march means that people sit up and listen to our problems, and do something, then that is what we will do. Even if nothing comes of it, at least we can say we tried everything we could. We've tried the communications, and been met with a stonewall. We've tried leading by example and been ignored. It's time now for the politicians to realise this problem isn't going to blow over and we will not be ignored any more! ---------- Post added 21-06-2014 at 11:39 ---------- Even if I wanted to Millie, I couldn't. Because the house prices have dropped so much, we couldn't sell ours for enough to be able to buy another elsewhere, unless we bought a shed somewhere I've lived here for over 30 years, and Hexthorpe has always had it's fair share of problems, but never on this scale. All we want is for our kids to enjoy the village and grow up being able to feel that they can make a home here if they want when they are older. We want to be able to live in peace and not have to put up with all the problems on the scale that we are now. When it boils down to it, it really is that simple.

Me too. It's not just the schools though. Doctors surgeries are having to spend large amounts on Locums and new employees to try and meet the demand. Our council is spending a fortune trying to get to grips with all the fly-tipping. They've brought in industrial bins and had to do daily bin emptying to try and get it under control, but people are still throwing rubbish onto the streets and in the alleys. In weather like this, the rubbish soon festers, and the smell is horrible. We've also got increased police patrols in the area for 4 weeks (2 weeks left now), at a massive cost. They only patrol till 12am though, so most of the anti social behaviour is not being dealt with. Especially on the weekends when the police are stretched in town with the pubs and clubs. All the actions that have been taken come at a monetary cost, and it's everyone who pays taxes that are being burdened with it. Those who want to move out of Hexthorpe can't because the house prices have dropped that much that they would lose a massive amount of money. We pay more for our insurances, as Hexthorpe is now seen as a deprived area and one which is high risk for the insurers. Our council tax bills will no doubt go up as the council tries to claw back some of the costs. Whichever way we go, we are royally screwed! And people wonder why we want to protest? Really?

Boyfriday, we have tried everything you've mentioned here in Hexthorpe. We are met with hostility on some occasion, and ignorance on others. You keep suggesting what we should do, most of which we have tried. How about you preach to the Roma who refuse to accept the olive branch. Seriously, we can only do our part, we can't force them to get involved or to want to become integrated into the community. If they don't want to, then what's the solution?

As stated BoyFriday, we have tried engaging with the Roma community, on numerous occasions. There seems to be a hardcore of the Roma community who do not want to engage, or to integrate within our community. We will continue trying but all the while things are just getting worse.

We tried. We asked that representatives from the Roma community could attend our last PACT meeting, so we could engage in dialogue, and take positive steps forward. The police and council tried too. No-one came.

We aren't marching just because of the anti social problems. We are marching because Our kids can't get into the local school, they are having to double it's size. In our village 11 tons of waste is being removed from our streets a week (a massive amount when you consider the size of our village). When residents have tried to engage with the Roma engaged in anti social behaviour they have been intimidated with threats of violence. We can't get doctors appointments because they are stretched. Our police and council are not consistantly enforcing the laws, and prosecuting those who consistently break the law. Not just the Romas who break the law, there are others who seem to be getting away with stuff they shouldn't be. Local residents cannot get private housing, as many landlords are turning houses into houses of multiple occupation. This isn't an exhaustive list of why we are marching. Unchecked Immigration is a definite contributory factor in some of the points I have raised, and it needs addressing. This march isn't something we've botched a plan for in minutes. We've looked at the positives and negatives, and we see this as the only way left to us to make those in power sit up and listen to our concerns. We have tried contacting the politicians and inviting them to engage with our community, we've begged the police and council to assist, and all we hear are political soundbites and empty promises.

It's attitudes like that which only serve to ensure that the problems communities face are not resolved. We are not organising a racist march, we are trying to bring the issues our community and others like ours are having to put up with to the attention of those in power who can do something about it. We have a diverse ethnic population in Hexthorpe, and we have all come together to work at trying to get resolution to the problems. Race is not the issue, unchecked immigration is. The two are not the same, on any level. Why is it that when people bring up issues such as immigration, they are automatically deemed to be racist by people like yourself. That is a weak argument and one which many of our community are fed up of hearing. It's a cheap shot, and anyone with an ounce of sense can see straight through it. The march is for all who wish to take part, and we want positive action. ---------- Post added 21-06-2014 at 09:25 ---------- On another note, we are having a Picnic in the Park today from 1pm onwards, at our local public park. It's hoped that the event will ease the tensions a bit that we are all under. We are having some sports games for the kids and are all taking picnics. More details and a map can be found here: https://www.hexthorpematters.co.uk/picnic-park/ If anyone would like to come along and join in, the more the merrier:) This is another positive action we are taking, to try and get our community back on track.

Thanks again, I've emailed back. It would be great if all the communities that are affected could show a united front. We are sick of being ignored and expected to just put up with it.

Its worse when the householder uses their garden as a rubbish dump. We have quite a few houses like that where I live, and the stench is horrible, especially when the weather is warm.

Brilliant, thank you. I hear you on becoming too much. Most of those I grew up with in Hexthorpe have moved out now, it's a crying shame when people are forced out of their own homes because of all the trouble. ---------- Post added 20-06-2014 at 14:55 ---------- If anyone has any contacts in Eastwood, could you pass on our details to them too, it would be very much appreciated. Thanks again. ---------- Post added 20-06-2014 at 16:00 ---------- I've just got a PM from Toby, I can't reply as there is a 5 post requirement on replying to PM's. If you go to our website Toby, my mobile number is on there :-)

Thanks , very much appreciated

Hi there, I'm a member of Hexthorpe Matters, a community group that is trying to improve our village. We have lots of social problems in the village a lot of them stemming from a large influx of Roma immigrants. We are seeing anti social behaviour, fly tipping, intimidation and also violence on the increase and we want to put pressure on the government and local authorities to do something about the issues we are facing. We know Hexthorpe isn't unique in the problems we are facing, and that's why I'm writing this here. Basically, we are planning action over the next couple of months, and we would like to get in touch with you guys at Sheffield that are facing the same problems. We are organising a protest march, and would like to have representatives from Sheffield (Page Hall), and Rotherham (Eastwood) present for the after march rally. If you know someone who could be a representative for your area, please could you pass on this message. I can be contacted by email at this address "admin at hexthorpematters dot co dot uk" If you google Hexthorpe Matters, you'll find our site and more info on who we are and what our aims are. Thanks, Stu