Pet lion in Sheffield, 60s/70s?

[trackrunner]

Seems Sheffield had more lions than Africa

[Rob Brenton]

There might have been more than one Lion in the South Yorkshire area. But I spoke to the old man who used to have it. He's 89 in a few months, he's called Dennis Higgs (Ex Bus Scrapyard Owner) and he lives in Barnsley. He bought it from a guy in Rochdale for £240 through the Exchange & Mart, the guy used to show it off, taking it into Pubs etc. but it was getting a bit too strong and he was becoming scared of it, so Dennis took it on. It was called Ben and lived till the age of 9, when it died after getting fur balls in it's stomach. He was the only one who could deal with it / control it, no one else would go near, not even the rest of his family. It was kept on a chain in his yard, but the police forced him to cage it. It mauled a couple of people in it's time, a woman who brought rags to the scrapyard and also had the VAT man pinned up the side of one of his buildings. It once had a go at Dennis so he pulled it's claws out. He also used to drive it around in his car, but the attention nearly caused a few crashes so he decided against it. He also had one or two confrontations with the police, and whenever they came he's get in the cage with Ben and threaten for them both to walk out to be arrested, the police usually went away.

 

---------- Post added 10-06-2018 at 22:07 ----------

 

It wasn't Shippey, he rented space in Dennis Higgs yard, the owenr of the Lion was Dennis Higgs.

 

---------- Post added 10-06-2018 at 22:08 ----------

 

The was a Lion at a scrapyard in Barnsley, the Lion was called Ben and it was owned by Dennis Higgs

 

---------- Post added 10-06-2018 at 22:08 ----------

 

Did you find anything out?