North Yorkshire Police want to speak to a man in relation to alleged homophobic chanting in Harrogate.
Police today issued a CCTV image of the man they want to talk to.
A statement said officers were investigating a possible hate crime. It added:
“The incident happened on King’s Road in Harrogate near Bambino’s takeaway around 11.45pm on 28 May 2022.
“A group of men were reported to be singing a homophobic chant.”
The statement urged anyone with information to email geeta.maharjan@northyorkshire.police.uk or call 101, select option 2 and ask for 0740.
Or, if you’d prefer to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 1222009231.
Police appeal after man in Harrogate damages car by climbing on it
North Yorkshire Police want help to identify a man seen climbing on top of a red car in Harrogate causing damage to its bodywork.
The incident took place on Skipton Road on Thursday, May 19 at around 11.35am when the man, who is described as skinny, aged 22 and with brown hair, managed to get on the car’s roof.
He was wearing a navy blue short-sleeved shirt, orange shorts and black trainers.
A second man was also at the scene and is described as skinny, around 20 years old and with blond hair.
He was wearing a red shirt, black Adidas trousers with white stripes down the sides, and white trainers.
If you recognise either man pictured in the CCTV or can provide any other information about the incident, email geeta.maharjan@northyorkshire.police.uk or call 101, press option two and ask for Geeta Maharjan.
Police release CCTV images after Harrogate burglary
North Yorkshire Police has released CCTV images of a man thought to have information about a burglary at a home in Harrogate.
The burglary took place on Fawcett Drive in Harrogate at about 2am on Friday, May 6.
A man is reported to have entered a property and removed a wallet and cash. No further details have been released.
Police are asking members of the public to get in touch if they recognise the man in the images as they believe he could have information that will help the investigation.
Further CCTV images released by police of the man they want to talk to.
You can call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for PC 950 Fitzsimons or email leah.fitzsimons@northyorkshire.police.uk.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
The crime reference number 12220076667.
Police identify man after Harrogate Asda CCTV appeal
Police have identified a man they wanted to speak to after money was removed from a cash machine at Asda in Harrogate.
North Yorkshire Police issued CCTV images of the man after £150 that was left on the cash machine from a previous transaction was taken.
Police were not aware of any attempt that had been made to return the cash to its owner.
The incident happened at Asda on Bower Street at 10.23am on Sunday, May 1.
In an update on May 27, police said they had identified the man and we have therefore removed the images of him from this post.
Harrogate hairdresser warns of window cleaner scam
A Harrogate hairdresser wants to raise awareness of a scam after two men claiming to be window cleaners stole her mobile phone.
Linzi Underwood had been working at Harrogate Hair Studio on St Mark’s Avenue for just two weeks when the incident occurred on Monday.
She was with a client just before midday when two men entered and waved around paperwork. She said one of them “came within half a metre of my face” and, unable to speak much English, just kept shouting “window cleaning, window cleaning”.
Within 30 seconds the pair had distracted Ms Underwood and her client enough to steal her phone and run away.
She described the experience as “intimidating”. She said her client just froze in the chair and with a man shouting in her face Ms Underwood felt powerless to do anything.
She said:
“I’m guessing they watched and waited for my colleague to leave because within two minutes they were in the shop.”
Ms Underwood’s phone contains all her bookings and client details so she is struggling to make new appointments.
She added:
“It would be great to have my phone back but I know that’s unlikely. Now I want to raise awareness. After posting on social media so many people commented saying a similar scam had happened near them.”
Ms Underwood reported the incident to police as soon as it happened and officers visited today to collect CCTV footage.
She said it is clear on CCTV the men make hand gestures in the mirror to indicate they had stolen something.
North Yorkshire Police has said the “investigation is ongoing”. It said it was aware another Harrogate business was targeted by the scammers on the same day.
A spokesperson said:
“Both incidents are under investigation. If anyone else believes they have also been targeted by the two men, please report it to North Yorkshire Police.
“We urge businesses to be alert to the tactic that uses distraction and intimidation to distract staff while the suspects steal their property.”
To report a crime head to www.northyorkshire.police.uk or call 101, if you are threatened, always call 999.
The reference number for this case is 12220061129.
Empty Ripon pub plagued with anti-social behaviour to be redevelopedThe Ship Inn, in the shadow of Ripon Cathedral, was once one of the city’s landmark pubs.
Since its closure, two years ago, the vacant site has been the location for a number of incidents of violence, anti-social behaviour and vandalism.
The area has planning permission for the creation of ten dwellings but in the meantime, the premises have been secured with metal shuttering on doors and windows, while a sign says that all internal valuables have been removed.
The former pub, is to be converted into five apartments and the 0.34 acre site will also include a detached house and four terraced houses.
Architects Watson Batty Properties LLP has submitted a planning application to Harrogate Borough Council, seeking ‘a changed location by 3m to the northwest of 4 terraced houses and revised fenestration featuring ivory sandblasted masonry walling with pewter split face feature banding.’
Once that application has been determined the site will be ready for its transformation from empty pub to residential use.
The site is close to Ripon Cathedral
Residents living on Bondgate and adjoining streets, who have witnessed gangs of youths causing trouble in the area, will hope the redevelopment of the site may help tackle the problem.
Government guidance on how new developments can reduce crime and create safer communities, says:
“Good design means a wide range of crimes from theft to terrorism are less likely to happen by making committing those crimes more difficult. It helps create safer places.”
Police issue CCTV pics of 6 people after Harrogate assault
*Update* – North Yorkshire Police has now identified the six individuals in the CCTV pictures and they are assisting officers with their investigation.
Police have issued CCTV images of six people – three men and three women, they would like to speak to following an assault in Harrogate.
The incident took place in the early hours of the morning on Sunday, February 13 at an unnamed bar on Cheltenham Parade.
A North Yorkshire Police press release tonight said:
“The incident involved a large group of people who were involved in an altercation, which resulted in a number of people in the bar being assaulted and receiving injuries.
“Despite enquiries with neighbouring police forces, the identity of the people captured in the CCTV images remains outstanding.
“Therefore, detectives from Harrogate criminal investigation department are asking members of the public to get in touch if they recognise the people in the images, as they believe they hold important information which will help the investigation.”
Police urged anyone who recognises the people in the images, or who has any information regarding the incident, to contact them by calling 101, selecting option 2 and asking to speak to Detective Constable 604 Naomi Harris.
You can also email naomi.harris@northyorkshire.police.uk.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Quote reference number 12220025651 when passing on information.
City council to make formal complaint about policing in RiponRipon councillors have voted unanimously to make a formal complaint against the city’s police amid fears that the force has lost public confidence.
Concerns about the failure to tackle and eradicate the recurring problems of criminal activity in Ripon, combined with a perceived lack of urgency in their response to 101 calls made by the public, were voiced by Independent and Conservative councillors alike.
In a further blow for residents worried about the lack of police resources to deal with violent and anti-social behaviour, members at last night’s Ripon City Council meeting were told that the provision of a custody suite at the Stonebridgegate site that police share with the city’s firefighters will not materialise.
The promised custody suite will not be added at that site that Ripon Police share with firefighters.
Former North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Philip Allott, pledged to fund the project and provide two additional cctv cameras, in a two-pronged plan to support enhanced policing in the city.
But Independent council leader Andrew Williams, said:
“The promises he made were nothing more than pie in the sky, there was no way in a million years that he was going to be able to pay for these facilities out of his community budget. The custody suite alone would have cost up to £7 million.”
Cllr Williams revealed that Zoe Metcalfe, who was elected commissioner in November following Mr Allott’s resignation – in the face of widespread condemnation of remarks he made in a radio interview about the Sarah Everard murder trial – had requested the council to submit a complaint to her about policing in Ripon.
He said:
“When I and three fellow councillors met with her last week, we had a frank discussion and after listening to our concerns, she asked the council to make a formal complaint, so that she can take the necessary official steps to address the matter.
“Resident are being asked to pay more for policing through their council tax and what they are receiving in Ripon at the moment is not fit for purpose.”
Cllr Mike Chambers, who is also cabinet member for housing and safer communities on Harrogate Borough Council, said:
“I have been pressing the commissioner for more warranted police officers on the beat in Ripon, because the PCSOs (police community support officers) have only limited powers to take action when an incident occurs.”
Cllr Pauline McHardy, an independent city and district councillor, added:
Bilton man cleans graffiti from mural bridge again“I spoke with a market stallholder who had their cash box stolen early last Thursday morning. They reported it straight away but the police didn’t send anybody to investigate the theft. This just isn’t good enough.”
A community-spirited Bilton man is determined to keep a mural looking its best after another attack by vandals.
Chris Knight was spurred into action today after the iron bridge, which connects Woodfield Drive and Claro Road, was defaced.
It is not the first time Mr Knight has cleaned the mural: he also cleaned the bridge when vandals painted a swastika and anti-Pakistani messages on it last year.
He told the Stray Ferret:
“Plenty of people were quite happy to see me cleaning the bridge today. It gives me quite the sense of achievement to do these things for the area.
“It did not take quite as long as last time, they must have used quite cheap paint. I am not one to wait around for other people to take action.
“The words of my old boss really stuck with me. There are three types of people — those who do things, those who watch people do things and those who wonder what happened.
“I have always wanted to be the type of person who can step-up.”
Emma Garness, the artist who created the mural, used special paint to protect it from graffiti, which enables Mr Knight to clean it without damaging the artwork.
The mural, which was designed to become a beacon of positivity in the area, was well received by local residents.
No.9: Persistent crime in RiponIn this article, which is part of a series on the 15 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2021, we look at the persistent problems on the streets of Ripon.
Stories about violent and anti-social behaviour in Ripon have featured regularly in the news this year.
Among the most disturbing, was our report in August about a terrifying ordeal for a young boy, who was held up by a man and a youth at knifepoint and robbed of this trainers, mobile phone and jewellery.
The thugs, who threatened to ‘shank’ his leg with the knife if he didn’t do as told, were soon arrested by the police and brought to justice.
In February, a Ripon retailer came to the aid of a man who was being set upon by two vicious thugs in broad daylight.
The retailer, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Stray Ferret the attack occurred when the victim remonstrated with youths who had thrown a snowball at him. He said:
“As I came out of the shop, the man was on the ground and one of the youths was kicking him in the head, while another was stamping on his face.
“I thought that they were going to kill him – I shouted at them and they ran off.”
Earlier that month, we reported on a three-hour spate of crime in Ripon on a Sunday evening that included a man carrying a machete, a robbery, thefts and gangs gathering.
The incidents, included a robbery in which a 23-year-old man suffered facial injuries after being attacked by two or three males, who stole his phone and watch.
Following the incidents, Inspector Alex Langley, head of neighbourhood policing for Ripon, tried to reassure people that the events were being taken seriously and that “we will be taking robust action against those responsible”.
Philip Allott, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner at the time, responded by saying he hoped an increased police presence in the city would send a message that “crime will not be tolerated”. He also urged more residents to “break silence” and report anything suspicious.
“Officers know who the perpetrators are, they have made arrests, they have got a grip on the situation, and I am confident of that.
“One of the problems we have in Ripon is sometimes a wall of silence by certain families and that makes it quite difficult to apprehend people.
“The police will still get those people. It just takes a bit longer.
But further violent and anti-social behaviour in August prompted police to step-up patrols and launch investigations into four separate incidents
At the time, detective superintendent Steve Thomas, of North Yorkshire Police, said:
“Following the success of local policing operations to reduce anti-social behaviour in Ripon over recent months these latest incidents are disappointing.
“We are determined that this small group of individuals are held to account for behaviour that harms the quality of life for everyone else.
“Local residents will see an increase in police presence over the coming days and we want to reassure you that we will do everything necessary to tackle this isolated problem.”
This is just a snapshot of some of the incidents that police in Ripon have had to tackle in 2021. They have also run, in conjunction with Operation Spectre, a national campaign to engage with schoolchildren in the city about the dangers of knife crime and taking drugs.
Sergeant Heidi Lewis, of the schools liaison team, said officers were there to build relationships with the children and answer any questions. She said:
“Education at an early stage is crucial to steer children away from falling into a criminal lifestyle and becoming exploited.
“Some young people think it’s safe to carry a knife in case they need it for self-defence – but this could not be further from the truth. Any knife in the hands of anyone can cost lives.”
The city will be hoping to make headlines for more positive reasons in 2022.