Masham Cricket Club has said it is “extremely disappointed” by Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s response to allegations that it is institutionally racist.

The allegations were made in August 2020 by Azeem Rafiq, who was an off-spin bowler for Yorkshire and became the club’s youngest ever Twenty20 format captain in 2012.

Yorkshire, which has many members and supporters in the Harrogate district, has faced fierce criticism after it insisted no disciplinary action would be taken against former players, employees or executives following an investigation.

Mark Ellis, chairman of Masham Cricket Club, said the response from Yorkshire “felt like double standards”.

He said grassroot clubs encouraged inclusivity and fostered communities, but felt like the county’s actions “sent mixed messages”.

Mr Ellis said:

“What I see here is that Yorkshire County Cricket are the most senior club in the county and there just seems to be double standards.

“What message does that send to grassroots cricket?

“I accept there has been some kind of apology, but it feels as though they are being forced to do that.”

In a tweet this morning, Masham Cricket Club said the response from the club to the allegations had left it “angry”.

It said:

“As a Yorkshire grassroots cricket club, [we are] extremely disappointed and angry that our county club is not taking the right actions over this matter and therefore the only conclusion that can be drawn is that they are institutional racist.”

As a Yorkshire grassroots Cricket Club, extremely disappointed and angry that our county club is not taking the right actions over this matter and therefore the only conclusion that can be drawn is that they are institutional racist. https://t.co/hrLUhpsH9a

— Masham Cricket Club (@MashamCricket) November 2, 2021

On September 10, Yorkshire released a summary statement of the panel’s investigation into the allegations and apologised to Rafiq.

But the club faced criticism, including by Jo Stevens, Shadow Secretary for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for releasing the statement in the midst of the cancellation of England’s final test match against India.

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The club later cited legal reasons for not releasing the full report.

However, yesterday, ESPNCricinfo reported that the investigation panel found at least one player used the P-word when talking to Rafiq.

‘Banter’ between players

The investigation cleared the player of any wrongdoing after the report said it was perceived as friendly, good-natured “banter” between the two players.

Following the publication of the summary report, Rafiq has continued to campaign against racism and taken to social media to criticise Yorkshire’s response.

The Stray Ferret has approached Yorkshire County Cricket Club for comment.

In response to the allegations, Roger Hutton, chairman of Yorkshire, said in a statement in September:

“There is no question that Azeem Rafiq, during his first spell as a player at YCCC, was the victim of racial harassment. He was also subsequently the victim of bullying.

“On behalf of all at YCCC, I wish to extend my sincere, profound and unreserved apologies to Azeem and to his family.”

Harrogate Town FC and Black Sheep Brewery in Masham have collaborated to launch a new beer.

Called Yellow Black Army, the launch is part of the brewery’s official sponsorship of the club.

The beer, which is a session IPA, will be available to buy online and from the club’s shop on Commercial Street from Monday.

Simon Weaver, manager of Harrogate Town, said:

“I’m sure our fans will be delighted to be able to drink our very own, official beer.

“Just like our club, Black Sheep does things its own way and has created a unique sense of identity in the process. We can’t wait to see our fans’ response to Yellow Black Army, and give them another chance to enjoy how far our club has come in recent years.”

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Charlene Lyons, chief executive of Black Sheep Brewery said:

“We’ve been working really hard behind-the-scenes to create a beer that perfectly encapsulates the essence of Harrogate Town AFC, and we think fans will absolutely love the final result.

“Given the club’s recent promotion to the Football League for the first time in its history, we felt it was only right to celebrate Harrogate Town’s success in true Black Sheep fashion – with its very own, official beer.

“Our deal with Harrogate Town is the first time Black Sheep has sponsored a football club.”

The sponsorship deal is for two years with an option to extend. It’s the first time the company has sponsored a football club.

Hand-knitted poppies have been put up around Ripon as part of Remembrance Day commemorations.

Around 75,000 poppies, most of which have been knitted, have been placed around the city by an army of volunteers from Ripon Community Poppy Project.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue also helped to place the poppies in hard to reach locations.

Cllr Stuart Martin, who helps to ensure the display survives by providing support towards fundraising from his localities budget, has spoken to people from Cheshire and Lockerbie, who were visiting specifically to view the display.

Cllr Martin said: 

“Those who made the sacrifice we remember gave us the freedom we have today. Without them, we would not be able to do the things we do and it is important to remember them.”

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This year, a Remembrance Sunday service will be held in the Spa Gardens, where Cllr Martin will also attend as county council chairman, followed by a further service at the Cathedral, where the second of Ripon’s two war memorials is situated.

Proposals have been submitted to expand a caravan park at Bishop Monkton, near Ripon, by 31 caravans.

The plan, submitted by ELG Planning on behalf of the site owners, would see the Church Farm Caravan Park on Knaresborough Road in the village expanded.

The proposals seek to change the use of land to the south of the site to make space for 31 static caravans.

It would also see an existing farm building demolished to make way for a two-storey reception building, small shop and manager accommodation.

Read more:

• Knaresborough caravan park extension plan withdrawn

• Ripon building owners apologise for “eyesore” as redevelopment plans progress

In documents submitted to Harrogate Borough Council, the developer said:

“As illustrated by the site layout, the proposed development layout represents an attractive form of development, which compliments the existing caravan park and respects the existing public right of way which runs through the site.”

The developer added that the aim of the proposal was to create a “a high-quality form of tourist accommodation that will complement the existing caravan park”.

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.

Harrogate District Hospital has recorded another death from a patient who tested positive for coronavirus.

According to NHS England figures, the hospital reported a death on October 28.

It takes the death toll from covid since March 2020 at the hospital to 194.

Latest figures show Harrogate hospital is treating 25 covid patients.

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The Harrogate district’s seven-day covid rate stands at 535 per 100,000 people. The North Yorkshire average is 492 and the England rate is 417.

A total of 130,637 people have received a first covid vaccine in the district and 122,108 have had a second dose.

Today, NHS bosses announced that those eligible for a booster vaccine would be able to attend walk-in clinics.

However, for those in the Harrogate district, the nearest walk-in centre is at Elland Road stadium in Leeds.

A £6 million bid for government funding for regeneration projects in Ripon, Masham and Skipton has been rejected.

Harrogate Borough Council and Craven District Council made the joint submission for “high-quality place-making, improved cultural and community assets, and improved sustainable connectivity” across the three areas.

However, the authorities were dealt a setback when the government announced during its budget last week that the bid had been unsuccessful.

A joint statement from the councils said: 

“We’re very disappointed to hear that the joint bid between Craven District Council and Harrogate Borough Council in the government’s Levelling Up Fund has been unsuccessful.

“The Levelling Up Fund is a competitive process and sadly only a small proportion of priority three areas – which we were identified as – received funding in round one.

“There also appears to be no areas in North Yorkshire that have received funding.”

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More than 100 bids around the UK have been awarded a combined total of £1.7 billion from the fund, with another £3.1 billion to be awarded after the next application window opens in 2022.

£187 million awarded in Yorkshire

In Yorkshire, around £187 million was secured by councils for 10 projects, including a major waterfront extension in Doncaster and a refurbishment of Halifax Swimming Pool.

The cash will be used to improve transport connections across west Leeds and to help convert a derelict site in Wakefield into a new museum and art gallery.

The funding is said to be targeted at areas in the greatest need and for investing in “infrastructure that improves everyday life across the UK, including regenerating town centres and high streets, upgrading local transport, and investing in cultural and heritage assets”.

The joint bid from Harrogate Borough Council and Craven District Council required an approval from Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith.

If approved, match funding from the private sector would have seen the total cost of the regeneration projects climb to £8.8 million.

The joint statement from the councils continued: 

“We are grateful to all the organisations who supported the bid, which would have delivered a wide range of regeneration projects across Skipton, Masham and Ripon.

“We still believe that there is a strong case for investment and we will continue to work with partners to try and bring these schemes forward in the future.”

People in Harrogate face a trip to Leeds for their nearest covid booster jab walk-in clinics.

NHS England has announced that, from today, hundreds of vaccination sites in England have started offering booster jabs without appointments for those eligible.

But according to the NHS England site, the nearest walk-in clinic for people in Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough is currently Elland Road stadium in Leeds.

Other sites listed for Harrogate are in Bradford, Wakefield and Halifax, the latter of which has five.

The nearest site listed for people in Masham is in Teesside, 44 miles away.

Those eligible must have had their second vaccine six months ago and be aged over 50 or have an underlying medical condition.

Care home staff and residents, and frontline health and social care workers can also get the booster vaccine.

The walk-in centres will also offer first covid vaccines for 12 to 15-year-olds.

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Dr Nikki Kanani, GP and deputy lead for the NHS covid vaccination programme, said: 

“NHS staff are making it as easy as possible for people to get their top-up vaccination, and from today people can now go online, find their nearest site and go and get their booster without delay.

“The booster is not just a nice to have – it is really important protection ahead of what we know will be a challenging winter. So if you are eligible, please do check the site finder and go get your jab”.

Local bookings available

Those eligible for a booster can still book appointments at vaccination sites in the district.

The Homecare Pharmacy site in Knaresborough is currently offering vaccinations by appointment. Last week, the centre at Chain Lane Community Hub welcomed its first 12 to 15-year-olds to be offered a vaccine.

The Great Yorkshire Showground vaccination site will reopen in December for two weeks in an effort to tackle demand for booster jabs.

To book an appointment, visit the NHS England website.

Plans to convert a former Hampsthwaite doctors’ surgery into a house have been rejected.

Dr Bannatyne and Partners, which was based at Winksey Cottage, High Street, in the village closed in March.

The surgery was part of Church Avenue Medical Group and shut down after practitioners felt the cottage was no longer a viable place for a medical practice.

Mozaffar Mari, a developer who bought the property, submitted plans to Harrogate Borough Council to convert the building into a house.

However, the borough council has refused the proposal on the grounds that Mr Mari had not demonstrated that the site had been empty for more than three months.

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In a decision notice, the council said:

“It has not been demonstrated that the building has been vacant for a continuous period of at least three months immediately prior to the date of the application for prior approval.”

The developer said in an application to the council that the building had been previously used as a house before becoming a surgery and could be “readily converted back” into a home.

Every month the Stray Ferret tries to find out what our local MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.

In October, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced his Autumn budget and MPs were criticised for rejecting an amendment to stop raw sewage being pumped into rivers.

All of our district MPs were urged by North Yorkshire Police to report personal security concerns following the murder of David Amess MP in his constituency.

We asked our three Conservative MPs, Harrogate & Knaresborough’s Andrew Jones, Skipton and Ripon’s Julian Smith, and Selby and Ainsty’s Nigel Adams if they would like to highlight anything in particular that they have been doing this month, but, as usual, we did not receive a response from any of them.

Here is what we know after analysing their online presence.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here is what we found on Mr Jones:

• Mr Jones did not post any news on his website in October.
• On October 20, Mr Jones voted against a House of Lords amendment to put a legal duty on water companies and prevent them discharging waste into rivers and seas.
• Mr Jones spoke six times in the House of Commons in October.
• Two of those contributions were on the environment, including congratulating Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition for hosting its first climate action festival ahead of COP26.
• On October 14, following the resignation of Philip Allott as North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Mr Jones posted onto his Conservative-run site that Mr Allott had “done the right thing”. He also paid tribute to David Amess.
• Mr Jones’ Twitter account is for ‘retweets only’.

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Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

In Skipton and Ripon, here is what we found on Mr Smith:

• Mr Smith updated his website three times in September. He posted about Bilsdale transmitter and visiting Grassington hub.
• He tweeted 12 times last month. Among his social media posts were tweets paying tribute to David Amess MP. He also paid tribute to James Brokenshire MP, who died on October 8.
• Mr Smith was the only one of our district MPs to call for Philip Allott to resign. On October 11, he tweeted that Mr Allott “should go”.
• Mr Smith voted against the House of Lords amendment on river sewage.
• Mr Smith posted four times on his Facebook page.
• He spoke once in the House of Commons this month. On October 26, Mr Smith made a spoken contribution on Northern Ireland.

Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural Harrogate.

In rural south Harrogate, here is what we found on Mr Adams:

• Mr Adams tweeted six times in October.
• On Twitter, he paid tribute to both James Brokenshire MP and David Amess MP.
• He posted once on his website on October 26 about road works being carried out on the A1 and A64.
• On October 5, the Stray Ferret reported that a former arms tycoon who donated £33,800 to Mr Adams was back under media scrutiny after the leak of the Pandora Papers.
• Mr Adams did not post anything on his social media or website about Philip Allott’s resignation of police commissioner.
• Mr Adams voted against the House of Lords amendment on river sewage.
• He did not make any spoken contributions in the House of Commons in October.

Following the resignation of Philip Allott, voters will head to the polls again in November to elect a new North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

Political parties have been announcing their candidates for polling day.

An election will be held on November 25. Voters have until November 9 to register to vote.

Here are the candidates announced to contest the commissioner position.

Conservative candidate for North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Zoe Metcalfe.

Zoe Metcalfe, Conservative

Harrogate and North Yorkshire councillor, Zoe Metcalfe, will be standing for the Conservative party.

Ms Metcalfe said she “will focus on improving safety for women and girls across North Yorkshire, supporting victims of crime and tackling serious and organised crime”.

She said:

“I am delighted to be selected as the Conservative Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner candidate for North Yorkshire.

“I am passionate about making our communities and societies safe, especially for women and girls, on the streets and at home, day and night.

“People living and working across North Yorkshire want to feel safe and have full confidence in their police and fire services.

“I can assure people I will stop at nothing to ensure both services are the best they can possibly be for the benefit of everyone across the county.”

Read more:

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Emma Scott-Spivey, Labour candidate for North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

Emma Scott-Spivey, Labour

23-year-old Emma Scott-Spivey, who was born and went to school in Harrogate, will contest the role for Labour.

Ms Scott-Spivey said she would prioritise tackling violence against women and girls, as well as county lines drugs gangs and crackdown on crime against the elderly, if elected as commissioner.

She said:

“The police are facing unprecedented challenges – not just from savage cuts to funding but also due to a breakdown in trust. That trust must be rebuilt and the damage done by Phillip Allott must be repaired.

“People in North Yorkshire need a commissioner who recognises their concerns and works to address them. One who puts local people above party politics.

“And our police and fire services must have a commissioner who they can trust, who understands the sacrifices they make every day and the pressures the face. They need a commissioner who will fight to make sure they have the resources they need to keep us safe.”

James Barker, Liberal Democrat candidate for North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

James Barker, Liberal Democrats

City of York councillor, James Barker, has put himself forward for the commissioner’s office.

Mr Barker, who served in the military for 24 years, also stood for the role in May.

At the last election, he told the Stray Ferret that he wanted to “explore why” more officers were not on the frontline and pledged to tackle anti-social behaviour in Ripon.

Mr Barker said:

“We are England’s largest county but not everyone is truly represented. How often do you see a copper?

“I want to explore reasons why we cannot get more coppers on the streets. I want to try and release more to the frontline.”

Keith Tordoff, who will be standing as an independent candidate for North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

Keith Tordoff, Independent

Keith Tordoff, the former Pateley Bridge businessman, has decided to stand again for the commissioner’s office.

Mr Tordoff said the commissioner’s role needed to be “somebody who is not affiliated to a political party”.

He added that he would also tackle anti-social behaviour and make police officers more visible in communities.

He said:

“It needs strong leadership and it needs somebody with experience.

“I have got police experience and business experience.”

Dr Hannah Barham-Brown the Women’s Equality Party candidate.

Dr Hannah Barham-Brown, Women’s Equality Party

Dr Hannah Barham-Brown has said that if she is elected her first step would be to launch an independent inquiry into misogyny and sexism in North Yorkshire Police.

Mandu Reid, leader of the Women’s Equality Party, has said that ending gender-based violence “must be at the heart of this election”.

Dr Barham-Brown is well-known for her campaigning work on both women’s and disabled people’s rights. She said:

“Women and girls in North Yorkshire deserve to live their lives free from the fear and the threat of violence, and that is why I am contesting this election.

“We were let down by Philip Allott as our PFCC who proved he didn’t understand the importance of ending violence against women and girls with his disgraceful, victim blaming comments.

“But our community did not accept that and now it’s time to finish the job.”