Police have issued CCTV to identify two men involved in a theft from a van in Starbeck.
The incident happened at around 2pm on July 5, 2023, close to Papa Johns Pizza on the junction of Stonefall Avenue and Knaresborough Road.
Items were taken from a van belonging to a telecommunications engineer, who was working at height.
North Yorkshire Police have appealed for help in identifying two men who were involved in the incident.
A force statement said:
“The first man is a white male, 16-20-years-old, 5ft 8 inches tall with short ginger hair. He was wearing dark blue jeans and a black jumper.
“The second man is white, around 30-years-old, around 6ft tall and was wearing a black jumper and jeans.
“If you recognise the men in the images below, please get in contact.”
Anyone with information that could assist the investigation can email joseph.havercroft@northyorkshire.police.uk.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Quote North Yorkshire Police reference number 12230124365.
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Business Breakfast: Ripley butchers wins regional business award
A Ripley butchers has won a regional business award.
Castle Meats of Ripley, which was formerly Hutchinsons Butchers, won best butcher category at the Yorkshire Retail Business Awards 2023.
The ceremony, which is part of the England Business Awards, was held at the Queens Hotel in Leeds.
Brian Robinson, who is now in his fourth year trading at Ripley, was voted by the public of Yorkshire and now qualifies to enter the national finals.
He said:
“It was a team effort, my wife Tracy and son Aaron work as hard at trying to give that extra bit of customer service.”
Harrogate company becomes first to join hospital charity scheme
A Harrogate company has become the first business to join a Friends of Harrogate Hospital fundraising initiative.
The scheme invites local firms to donate £1,000 and become an “enterprise friend” with the charity.

(left to right) Greg Tunesi, Friend; Rachel Tranter, EnviroVent; John Fox, Chair of the Friends and Andy Makin, Managing Director of EnviroVent.
EnviroVent, which is based at West Business Park, has become the first company to join the initiative.
Andy Makin, managing director at EnviroVent, said:
“Hospitals are at the centre of our communities, there for when we need them most.
“For this reason, EnviroVent are delighted to support Friends of Harrogate Hospital as their first Enterprise Friend and congratulate John Fox and his fellow trustees on creating this initiative and look forward to joining other Enterprise Friends in supporting for many years to come.”
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Wrexham apologise to Harrogate Town after failed Luke Armstrong transfer
Wrexham FC has apologised to Harrogate Town and Luke Armstrong after a planned transfer of the striker fell through.
The English Football League rejected a a deadline day deal between the clubs for Armstrong, 27, after it said the Welsh side failed to submit paperwork on time.
This morning, Wrexham confirmed that it would not challenge the decision after considering lodging an appeal.
In a statement, the League Two side apologised to both Armstrong and Harrogate Town after it was “unable to complete the transfer by the deadline”.
It said:
“Having reviewed the additional information received from the EFL and considered this in the context of the submission of the documents for the transfer of Luke Armstrong from Harrogate Town, the club have determined there is no reasonable chance of success if we were to appeal the EFL’s decision to reject the transfer.
“Now this decision has been made, we wish to apologise to Luke as we were unable to complete the transfer by the deadline and Harrogate Town, who we are sure will be as disappointed as we are that the transfer will not now be completed in this window.
“The club will be reviewing the circumstances and processes that have led to this outcome with all the relevant parties.”
The sum for the 27-year-old was not disclosed but it was believed to have been in the region of £450,000, which would have been the most Harrogate have ever received for a player.
Armstrong has scored 31 goals in 106 appearances for Harrogate.
Wrexham have been on the lookout for a replacement for star striker Paul Mullin after he suffered a collapsed lung and four broken ribs during the club’s USA pre-season tour.
Read more:
- Harrogate Town want £500,000 for Luke Armstrong, Carlisle manager claims
- Luke Armstrong returns to Harrogate after transfer rejected
Harrogate NHS dentist to move to ‘membership only’ patient scheme
A Harrogate dentist has announced it will only see patients on a membership only basis from December.
Chatsworth House Dental Clinic, which is based on King’s Road, announced it will move to a monthly payment scheme once its NHS contract comes to an end.
The move comes as concern has been raised about the lack of access to NHS dentistry within the Harrogate district.
In a letter to patients seen by the Stray Ferret, Chatsworth House said it made the decision to “reduce appointment waiting times” and “improve prevention of dental disease and decay”.
It said:
“After careful consideration, we have decided that from 1st December 2023 we will be seeing patients on a membership basis only.
“We know this decision will allow us to spend more time with you, reduce appointment waiting times, improve prevention of dental disease and decay, and offer you a greater choice in the variety of treatments we are able to deliver in a much more relaxed environment.”
Read more:
- Investigation: ‘Shocking’ waits for NHS dentists in Harrogate district
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The letter adds that patients will be offered a membership plan of £21.45 per month – or 70p per day.
The practice had previously proposed plans to refer NHS patients to Starbeck Dental Centre in August 2020, but later dropped the proposal.
The Stray Ferret approached the clinic for comment on its plan, but had not received a response by the time of publication.
NHS dentist fears
It comes as politicians have raised concern over the lack of access to NHS dentistry in Harrogate and Knaresborough.
Daisy Cooper, MP for St Albans and Liberal Democrat health spokesperson, raised the issue in the House of Commons in February.
She said only half of children in North Yorkshire managed to see an NHS dentist last year, adding:
“In Harrogate if you are lucky enough to find an NHS dentist taking on any new patients you face a two-and-a-half year wait to see them. This is a shocking state of affairs.”
Meanwhile, Conservative Cllr Andrew Lee, chair of North Yorkshire Council’s health scrutiny panel, wrote to the government’s health and social committee in February with evidence over “extremely problematic” access to dentists.
A review of NHS dentistry published in August 2021 found that there was just one NHS dentist practice per 10,000 people in the Harrogate district.
Cllr Lee said:
Council draws up North Yorkshire Combined Authority branding“Radical reform is absolutely needed. The solution lies in the management of dental services. Recruitment and retention remain difficult, and dentists themselves are frustrated with the service they can provide.
“The problem does not lie with recruiting dentists, the problem lies with a broken and dysfunctional dental contract with severe underfunding. Dentists themselves cannot rectify this and it is creating by default a two-tier system whereby those that can afford to go private do so and others struggle to access any kind of care.”
Council officials have drawn up logos and designs for the new York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority.
The combined authority, which will be headed by an elected mayor, is scheduled to be launched in November this year.
It will include councillors from North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council and make decisions on matters such as economic development and transport.
Officials have drawn up brand designs for the new council at a cost of £5,000.
The designs, which were developed in-house, include colours from each of the authorities including North Yorkshire Council, City of York Council, York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership and the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.
A spokesperson for the council said that the designs were drawn up “in order to minimise spend and utilise existing assets as much as possible”.
They added:
“The branding was developed taking into account all of the partners existing logos and colour palettes, including for the LEP’s Growth Hub and Invest in York and North Yorkshire brands.
“This was in order to minimise spend and utilise existing assets as much as possible. An iterative process, working through a number of concepts led to the brand that was approved by the joint committee.”
The branding is expected to be included on social media, the authority website, posters and staff lanyards.
What is a combined authority?
A combined authority is a body set up for two or more councils to make joint decisions.
In this case, North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council would come together to make decisions on matters such as economic development and transport.
It will be a separate body to North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council.
The closest example of this is West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which recently has led on the £11.9 million Harrogate Station Gateway scheme, as well as similar schemes in Skipton and Selby.
The combined authority would be headed by a mayor who is directly elected by the public.
An election for the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire is set to be held in May 2024.
Read more:
- Council approves additional £1m to set up North Yorkshire combined authority
- Explained: What is North Yorkshire’s combined authority?
Business Breakfast: Women in business networking group returns to Harrogate
A networking group aimed at business women in Harrogate is set to return this month.
Harrogate Ladies Who Latte was launched in February and has so far signed up 100 members.
Now, the group is set to return with a meeting at the Lilypad restaurant, King’s Road, at 9.30am on September 13.
The group is free to attend and is open to all women in employment or running their own business.
Business consultant Sarah Shaw, who founded Ladies Who Latte with Carol Beeley, said:
“We’ve had an incredible response so far, and it’s wonderful to hear some of the fantastic outcomes from connections made in the group.
“We can’t wait to get going again and would love to see new faces alongside our current members.”
For more information on the meeting, visit the Ladies Who Latte website here.
Rudding Park partners with Harrogate lighting company
Rudding Park has announced a partnership with a Harrogate-based lighting company ahead of the Christmas period.
The hotel and spa has partnered with Lights4fun to help enhance the estate with festive lighting and illuminations.
The company will set up a “Follow the Christmas Stars” experience, which will allow guests to discover stars adorning the trees and glistening golden rings during the night time.
Nicola Cook, head of marketing at Rudding Park, said;
“We always strive to enhance our guest experience, so this year we are delighted to be collaborating with our friends at Lights4Fun whose talented creative team are helping illuminate a series of outdoor spaces to inspire magical and unforgettable moments.”
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Man jailed for raping women from Harrogate and Leeds
A man has been jailed for 14 years and nine months for raping women from Harrogate and Leeds.
The man, who was from south-east Leeds, also engaged in controlling and coercive behaviour with both victims.
The 30-year-old was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Monday after he pleaded guilty to the four offences on August 2.
The offences occurred several years ago, with extensive enquiries taking place to secure justice for the victims, whose identities are protected by law.
North Yorkshire Police and West Yorkshire Police conducted the investigation jointly.
Detective constable Nicky Wareham, from Harrogate CID, who led the investigation for the offences that happened in North Yorkshire, said:
Police name victims of fatal A61 crash near Ripon“This case shows that convictions of this kind are achievable, and I encourage anyone to report sexual violence and controlling and coercive behaviour to the police and our partner agencies.
“Professional support and care are readily available. We are here to help you.”
The victims of a fatal crash on the A61 near Ripon have been named by police.
Daria Bartienieva, 35, her son, Ihor Bartienieva, aged 6, and Daria’s step-daughter, Anastasiia Bartienieva, 15, died after a three-vehicle crash that involved a double decker bus on Ripon Road near South Stainley at 2.20pm on Sunday (September 3).
It was the second fatal collision on the road between Ripon and Harrogate on consecutive weekends.
A North Yorkshire Police statement this afternoon added:
“All three were from Ukraine and living in Ripon, North Yorkshire, at the time of the collision.
“Our thoughts are with their family members in the UK and Ukraine at this time.”
Holy Trinity Church in Ripon was open this afternoon for people to say prayers and light candles for the victims of the crash.
The church said in a post online:
“A space has been created where people can sit quietly, light a candle and write in a condolence book.
“There will be someone available to pray with you if you would like this.
“If you do come please keep quiet at this sensitive time.”
Read more:
- Two children and woman killed in collision between Ripon and Harrogate
- Candles to be lit in Ripon for children and mother killed in crash
Wrexham FC considers appealing Harrogate striker transfer refusal
Wrexham FC is considering appealing an English Football League decision to reject the transfer of Harrogate Town striker Luke Armstrong.
Armstrong, 27, was due to join the League Two side as part of a deadline day deal on Friday (September 1).
The sum has not been disclosed but it was believed to have been in the region of £450,000, which would have been the most Harrogate have ever received for a player.
Town issued a press release announcing the deal but it later emerged the EFL had declined to approve the transfer because it said Wrexham had failed to submit paperwork on time.
The Welsh side has now said in a statement yesterday that it has requested “relevant information regarding a potential appeal against the decision”.
It said:
“Further to Saturday’s statement on the rejection of Luke Armstrong’s transfer registration, Wrexham AFC can confirm the club is still actively collating all the relevant information regarding a potential appeal against the decision.
“Late this afternoon we requested key information from the EFL, which we are informed we should receive tomorrow (Tuesday) morning.”
Armstrong has scored 31 goals in 106 appearances for Harrogate.
Wrexham have been on the lookout for a replacement for star striker Paul Mullin after he suffered a collapsed lung and four broken ribs during the club’s USA pre-season tour.
Read more:
- Harrogate Town want £500,000 for Luke Armstrong, Carlisle manager claims
- Luke Armstrong returns to Harrogate after transfer rejected
Business Breakfast: Harrogate accounting firm rebrands
A Harrogate accounting and advisory firm has rebranded.
Saffery Champness, which has offices on North Park Road, will now be renamed Saffery.
The firm, which has 10 offices across the UK and Ireland, said the rebrand would help the company to grow.
Jonathan Davis, head of the Yorkshire practice at Saffery, said:
“This is a hugely exciting time for the firm and our team here in Yorkshire. Our new brand provides a platform for success and will help us to continue our trajectory of growth in the region. It follows a period of consistent growth in our client base and the development of our team.”
Growth hub to host business support session in Harrogate
York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub will host a free business support session in Harrogate this week.
The session will be held at Harrogate Co-Lab on King’s Road from 10am until 4pm on Wednesday, September 6.
The event will offer one-to-one consultations for businesses, expert advice and help with resources and programmes.
John Hartley from Forsta Projects in Harrogate said:
“The drop-in sessions, and the Co-Lab workspace, help to bring the local business community together and it provides immediate access to a range of sources of support.
“Our goal was to make new connections and we’ve achieved that – we’ve met some great people.”
For more information on how to register for the event, visit the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub website here.
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