People have raised concerns over a "dangerous" public footpath that links Top Valley and Rise Park after it was taped off due to an attack. A large police presence remained in the cut-through joining Bestwood Park Drive and Top Valley Drive today (January 30).
Officers were called to the area at around 8pm on Sunday after an assault. Residents living nearby told Nottinghamshire Live they had seen a helicopter flying over during the evening.
Josephine Hart, who has lived off Top Valley Drive for 42 years, said she had never seen anything like it. "You think it's a nice area and then all of a sudden," she said. "It's normally a lovely area, there's a lot of nice people. It's not nice for the school."
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One elderly resident, who wished to remain anonymous, added: "I was washing the pots and getting ready for bed when I heard it." The cut-through runs past Park Vale Academy and Rise Park Primary and Nursery School, and regularly used by the public.
However, some neighbours believed it had the potential to be dangerous. "When you go up there it's pitch black - we've been telling the council for years," said Charlotte Scales, 39.
"It's literally pitch black - you can't see anything up there. It must be something serious for all the police to be there. It's a quiet area - we've been here eight years and not had any trouble at all. It's the first time anything like that has happened."
A 26-year-old woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "It's pitch black and there's no cameras. I haven't walked through there for a while but I used to every day. Considering there's no cameras and it's dark, it's the perfect place to commit a crime.
Her mum added: "It should have a camera, for young women to walk through there it's dangerous." Karen Hart, who works at Park Vale Academy, said: "It must be something bad - we don't know, the school doesn't know.
"It's very dark along that bit of the cut-through at night. I use my torch until I'm at the other end. It's been like it for years and will probably take something to happen to get lights put up." Cordons remain at the entrance to the path in Bestwood Park Drive and at the middle of the cut-through.
A spokesperson for Nottinghamshire Police said: "Officers are currently dealing with an incident of assault which happened in Top Valley Drive, Top Valley, at around 8pm yesterday. Police remain in the area while investigations continue."
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