Leeds residents left with 'great big dirty ditch' after pavement disappears overnight in suspected theft
‘Now there's a great big dirty ditch outside my house and it's a huge tripping hazard’
Residents in a Leeds suburb have raised concerns after sections of pavement were removed from a street overnight - with reports it was stolen.
A resident contacted the Yorkshire Evening Post after a section of pavement outside their home on Trafford Grove disappeared.
Kay said they first noticed a patch of pavement missing outside a neighbouring house on August 31.
They then noticed a section outside their own home had disappeared overnight, between 1am and 5am on September 1.
“I thought it was odd because I didn't remember any work happening,” Kay said. “Then last night I couldn't sleep and so I noticed that this patch outside my house disappeared specifically sometime between 1am and 5am this morning.
“No workers, no works happening, just the pavement disappearing.”
Kay said they had first reported the matter to police before contacting the YEP. Leeds City Council said it is aware of the issue and is working to recover the stones.
They said the missing slabs had left a “great big dirty ditch” outside their home.
“Now there's a great big dirty ditch outside my house and it's a huge tripping hazard, not to mention filthy, and going to be a pain trying to put bins out or if I need to get anything delivered,” Kay added.
The YEP visited Trafford Grove on Thursday (September 3) and saw sections of paving missing, with rubble and exposed ground left along the edge of the pavement.
There, another resident, who did not want to be named, said they saw three men arrive in the early hours of the morning in a white Transit van.
The resident claimed the men were dressed in black and wearing balaclavas, and used crowbars to remove paving slabs.
Similar disappearances have been reported in the area in the past, including incidents on Seacroft Road, Seaforth Place, Broughton Avenue, Broughton Terrace and Strathmore Avenue in late 2024.
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “We are aware of this issue and we are working with the police and local community to identify those responsible and to recover the paving stones.
“We forensically mark flagstones across the city enabling them to be traced back to Leeds City Council and we are also in regular contact with local suppliers where these flags may be attempted to be sold.
“Residents should report any thefts or relevant information to the police.”
West Yorkshire Police added: “Police received a report of the theft of paving slabs from Trafford Grove, Harehills, overnight between 31 August and 1 September.
“If anyone has any information about this theft, they are asked to contact police via www.westyorkshire.police.uk/livechat or by calling 101, quoting crime reference 13260497044.
“More widely, we would urge anyone who sees any suspicious activity in their neighbourhood to contact us immediately and, where safe to do so, take down any vehicle details and suspect descriptions to assist us in identifying those responsible.”