Freerunner champ in asbo threat
A WORLD-CHAMPION freerunner claims he could be forced to quit the sport after being threatened with an anti-social behaviour order.
Tim Shieff had been using railings at Littleover Community School to practise his sport, which involves performing acrobatic moves on buildings and street furniture.
The 21-year-old, whose skills have seen him appear on TV and in feature films, trains every week, sometimes using the school or other buildings in Littleover, where he lives.
But he was shocked to get a letter from the local community safety officer which said: "Recently there has been a number of incidents of anti-social behaviour involving freerunning reported in the Littleover area, which caused alarm and distress in the local community.
"If there are further incidents of this note, then action will be taken."
Tim said: "The letter says people have been alarmed and distressed but nobody has ever seen us so I don't understand how that can be the case.
"We're not harming anyone by training there and threatening me with an Asbo is completely over-the-top."
Tim trains with two freerunning friends, and admits he's been in the grounds of Littleover Community School, but says he never causes any harm.
He said: "There aren't any provisions in Derby for freerunners to train in, which is why we use locations such as schools to practise.
"The same grounds are sometimes used by kids who play football on the pitches when it is shut and this is really no different."
Mr Shieff, who won the Barclaycard World Freerun Championships last year, fears his career could be left in tatters if he cannot train.
"Over the last few years, freerunning has become a lot more popular and I'm a world-champion in the sport – but if I can't train then I won't be able to carry on doing it."
The sport of freerunning – or parkour – involves athletes performing gymnastic moves in everyday surroundings, such as on buildings or in car parks.
Tim was crowned the world champion in the sport after competing against 26 freerunners from 18 different countries in last year's London finals.
Since then, he has appeared on a number of television chat shows, trained athletes in the US and been hired as an extra in the next Harry Potter film.
Tim, of Field Rise, Littleover, said he had been using sections of Littleover Community School, in Pastures Hill, as a training ground during the past five years.
In that time, scores of youngsters have started training with him – an interest he believes will disappear if they cannot practise.
The school's headteacher, David Nichols, said staff had contacted Derbyshire police several times to report the activity.
He said youngsters freerunning on the school grounds, including on its roofs, had caused hundreds of pounds of damage – a claim Mr Shieff denied.
Mr Nichols said: "There are a number of factors in this – first of all, they are trespassing. Just because the building is council-owned does not mean they can do what they want here.
"Then there is the damage that has been caused to the school buildings, which includes fences being broken and skylights smashed.
"But it is also very dangerous – children play football and tennis at the school at weekends, which we allow, and they see what these freerunners are doing and try it themselves.
"Somebody could be seriously injured and we worry that we might come back to the school and find somebody dead on the playground."
Sergeant Katie Andrews, from Littleover Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: "We want to work with Mr Shieff to try to engage young people in the area in activities but at the same time keep them safe.
"We'll do anything we can to help him maintain his status as world champion. We are talking with the headteacher of another school in the area to see if it would be possible for him to use their facilities for practice sessions."
20 Comments
View all
by Jacquie Shieff, Derby
Monday, March 08 2010, 3:30PM
“Chris, the facts are, Tim himself has NOT caused any damage. He is being unfairly blamed. He should not have received this threat.”
by Voltaire, man who knows everything
Monday, March 08 2010, 3:11PM
“He needs to get a job and a girlfriend.. preferably in that order”
by Rob, Derby
Monday, March 08 2010, 2:58PM
“Okay, so people want to get children off the streets for hanging around and causing trouble, fair enough right?
But what's worse, a brutal beating, a mugging, a rape and maybe murder? Or a hundred pound downer for a local school, funded by the council!
Seriously. I myself have met freerunners and traceurs from all over Britain, who come down to derby to train. Why? Because now, Derby is one of the most significant cities related to the sport. So why not embrace this fact!
Freerunning not only gets kids, and adults to exercise, but it lets them imagine and think for themselves. It's not about flashy flips and such, it's about using the environment around you to the best of your ability. It also helps you mentally, as it offers you the idea and realization that an obstacles can be overcame, with the correct mentality and and attitude.
Whoop-de-doo, some damage as has been cause. But as far as i'm concerned, it's 1-0 to the freerunning community, and it always will be, as if they train sensibly, nothing bad can come out of it.”
by Nick Lange, Derby, Littleover
Monday, March 08 2010, 2:20PM
“Unfortunately i can understand the points on both sides (even if the people against this are being very condenscending about this and assume they are dealing with children)
I believe the damage to property has been over exagerated, i cant see how a 12 stone person can damage a roof which has been designed to withstand the weight of a fully grown adult (Health and Safety Restrictions) has damage to it, and if so surely this is a fault with the inherrent design. There was also skylights mentioned which correct me if im wrong but could mean one of two things, 1st is a light actually pointing at the sky (which would serve no purpose other than to waste electricity) or a "glass roof window" which im sure if was damaged you would find a crumpled timothy on the floor underneath, they allow football but surely the risk is the same (Or have there been no incidents of a football on the roof), wooden fences i have no argument for though on my last visit to littleover school (to snowboard when the recent snow hit) i dont think i saw a wooden fence, apart from those connecting the the golf course next to it which have been damaged for years (think back 7 years when a friend of mine used to use a gap in the fence to walk accross the golf course and than home). However any damage caused shouldnt of happened, So how do we resolve the problem.
The council have repeatedly denied permission to have a park built solely for this purpose on the grounds that it will be too expensive (A rough estimate of 3 sets of scaffolding and a few boards etc... would ammounted to £1000, a drop in the ocean compared to the recreational budgets.
In conclusion, I understand Tims frustrations with Derby City Council, and i too share them with him, and until they provide a permanent facility to train with, i beleive he should carry on as he does now (it is public property)
P.S. Mayor Chord, regarding the first comment posted 06/03/10 at 09:23. This is totally inappropriate and downright disrespectful to the younger population of this city, i am 23 years old and even i can see that you are a bitter old man who often uses the "Back in my day" expressio. as i used to be a "Pasty faced floppy haired teenager" and send "Text replies on a mobile please in 'laaak nuffing' speak init' i find these comments offensive, and the older generation wonders why young people such as the skaters of Derby have no respect for people like you.”
by Lamar Nicholson, Littleover
Monday, March 08 2010, 1:26PM
“This accusation to a world champion is absurd. People say that somewhere specific should be created for us to do this sport but I myself went to the council and requested for a year to have somewhere built. Every single time they denied me and then there we was left with only what we had. It's a shame that when something new is created the community tries to broke it down rather than support it.”
by Chris, Derby
Monday, March 08 2010, 12:42PM
“Damage to property is the problem, sky lights, roof slates and wooden fences cannot support the weight of a full grown human being. Major Cord is correct with his comment on Skateboarding, this is similar in that damage IS being caused to public property in both cases.
Jacquie Shieff, if you read the head teacher's comments you will see that school property IS being damaged, as you say the activity moves from ground level, upwards as the skills develop, upwards means running over fragile roofs and sky lights where damage is innevitable.
It should be posible to modify Skate Board parks to accomodate Free-running as well as Skateboarding. Whatever it is clear that specialised venues are needed if this sport is to be encouraged.”
by DerbyBorn, Derby
Saturday, March 06 2010, 1:36PM
“Majorchord is getting a bit confused and linking Freerunning to Skateboarding.
I have watched in admiration when some freerunners performed in the Hilton Garden opposite the Council House - but when they started swinging on the hanging basket posts I realised they are treating things in a manner that was not anticipated - little regard to the stresses that items such as posts, copings, roofs, railings, facias can cope with. Why not use the skills in national athletics / gymnastics competitions?”
by Stephen, Derby
Saturday, March 06 2010, 1:31PM
“Pssst! Don't tell Lucy Care.......She'll name a road after him.”
by Major Chord, Littleover
Saturday, March 06 2010, 1:15PM
“Sorry Jacqui , notwithstanding the undoubted skills Tim has, there is no disputing the damage caused to the expensive carved limestone masonery at Cathedral Green. The same has happened in Old Market Square in Nottingham. No-one has the unfettered right to damage publicly funded property, we must all take responsibility no matter what age or need for recreation!
It is the underside of the boards that cause the problem.”
by Kuli, Derby
Saturday, March 06 2010, 12:07PM
“Tim is a fantastic role model to young people and should be encouraged in the activity he does. He has excelled in a sport he loves and we should be proud of him.Ii would be hard pushed to believe he has caused any damage to the property .”