Ripon murderer died of natural causes, report finds

A Ripon man serving a life sentence for murder died in prison last year of skin cancer, a report from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has revealed. 

John Hutchinson, then 57, was jailed in 2007 for the murder of father-of-six Sean Webster, of Kirkby Malzeard, in February 2006. The pair, who were good friends, had had an argument at The Unicorn pub in Ripon before going back to Hutchinson’s home in Cavendish Terrace. 

It was there that he shot Webster, 41, using a “dumdum” bullet, a prohibited type of projectile designed to fragment upon impact. 

Hutchinson pleaded not guilty to murder, claiming that the .22 rifle – which had been stolen five years earlier and that he had bought “from the back of a Land Rover” – had gone off by accident as he tried to put it in a bag to give to Webster. 

But the jury at his Leeds Crown Court trial heard that after the shooting he left his home and went to a pub for the afternoon. 

Hutchinson was sentenced to life imprisonment. In a statement released at the time, his family said: 

“We are pleased with the verdict. To lose Sean under these circumstances has been absolutely devastating for the whole family. 

“The taking of a life so young, especially one who was the father of six, a fiancé, a son and a brother was totally unnecessary.” 

Hutchinson was serving his sentence at HMP Lancaster Farms when he fell ill in 2022. He was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in the summer and transferred to the healthcare unit at HMP Preston in the autumn. 

In November 2022, the prison applied for Hutchinson’s early release on compassionate grounds, but the Public Protection Casework Section (PPCS) of HM Prison and Probation Service turned it down as they were not satisfied that Hutchinson no longer posed a risk to the public. 

Hutchinson died on December 22, aged 73. At an inquest held on September 22, 2023, the coroner concluded that he died from natural causes.

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Cyclists brand scaled-back Harrogate gateway plans a ‘huge disappointment’

Cycling campaigners have described North Yorkshire Council’s scaled-back plans for Harrogate’s station gateway as a “huge disappointment”. 

The plans originally envisioned a radical transformation of the town centre’s main thoroughfare, with traffic on Station Parade reduced to one lane to allow for cycle lanes, as well as the part-pedestrianisation of James Street and a cycle-friendly Dutch-style roundabout at the junction of Station Bridge and East Parade. 

But a legal challenge by Hornbeam Park Developments put a stop to the scheme, and those elements have now been dropped. 

The revised scheme may now only include a redeveloped One Arch and Station Square, better traffic signals, a bus lane on lower Station Parade, new paving for pedestrians and cycling parking at Harrogate railway station. 

A computer visualisation of part of the Harrogate Station Gateway scheme, with large red x's over elements that have been scrapped.

Several of the scheme’s major elements have been scrapped.

In a statement, Harrogate District Cycle Action (HDCA) said: 

“From a cycling point of view, most of the worthwhile elements have been stripped out of the scheme. 

“If cycle parking had been proposed on its own, we would have supported it. If cycle parking is all that’s left of what was an ambitious scheme which would also have enabled people to reach the station by bike in safety and comfort, it will inevitably be a huge disappointment.” 

The Harrogate scheme is one of three in North Yorkshire – the others are in Skipton and Selby – that are being developed with £42 million from the government’s Transforming Cities Fund (TCF). 

The TCF is a £2.45 billion capital grant fund aimed at driving up productivity through investments in public and sustainable transport infrastructure in England. 

HDCA was also critical of some of the elements of the scheme which will remain, such as the coordination of traffic lights, which it said would only benefit motorists. 

It said: 

“Driving is, by definition, unsustainable transport, and in our view TCF money should not be spent on this. 

“Five sets of lights are coordinated along West Park/Parliament Street. What is the effect for pedestrians? Extremely long wait times.  

“To see the long wait times at the prestige town centre location outside Bettys is shameful. We can expect the same thing on Station Parade.” 

A computer visualisation of part of the Harrogate Station Gateway scheme, with a large red x over the Dutch-style roundabout, which has been scrapped.

The proposal for a Dutch-style roundabout at the junction of Station Bridge and East Parade has been scrapped.

HDCA member Malcolm Margolis, who was awarded the British Empire Medal in 2019 for services to cycling in Harrogate, said the gutting of the station gateway scheme meant it now fell far short of its original aims. 

He said: 

“The main way that Station Gateway could have made Harrogate a better place to live was by reducing the dominance of motor vehicles – and the noise, danger and pollution that they cause – in the town centre, by reducing Station Parade to one lane. 

“It seems that is now not going to happen, so TCF will not have a transformative effect on Harrogate, whatever the final details. 

“The most disappointing aspect of all is that it is proposed to spend sustainable transport funding to prioritise cars.” 

The council must now undertake more public consultation, publish updated Traffic Regulation Orders and submit a new business case to West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which won the initial funding. It expects this process to take another five months. 

If the business case is approved next summer, work on the scheme could begin by autumn 2024, but that will not leave much time for its construction. 

The Department for Transport has previously insisted that all projects must be built before March 2025.

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Business Breakfast: Reed Boardall awarded Silver by MOD

Excellence deserves to be recognised and celebrated. The 2024 Stray Ferret Business Awards is the event to put your business, people or great initiative in the spotlight!

Make the most of your efforts by reading our top 10 tips for writing your submission for success.

Entries close on January 19, 2024.

Reed Boardall, the cold storage food distributor based at Boroughbridge, has been given a Silver award by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for being an armed forces-friendly organisation.

The company currently has more than 20 veterans and regular and reservist serving personnel among its 800 employees, and a further eight are soon to join.

The Silver award, which must be nominated by a third party, was given to the company in recognition of its pledge to advocate support to defence and the armed forces community, and for aligning its values with the Armed Forces Covenant. The company signed up to the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme last year, and achieved a Bronze Award in November 2022.

Reed Boardall operates an in-house driver academy, which is popular among defence personnel seeking a new career as an HGV driver. It has also adapted its employment policies to accommodate the training and deployment needs of those still serving, where possible.

The company has also built links with the prison services to increase the employment of ex-offenders, and is partnering with organisations such as Career Transition Partnership (CTP), Army Families Federation, the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Prison Service and People Plus, as well as charities Veterans into Logistics and Clean Slate Solutions.

Reed Boardall was presented with the Silver award at a special event hosted by Jo Ropner, the Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, and attended by senior military representatives.

Marcus Boardall, chief executive of Reed Boardall, said:

“This Silver award is another fantastic achievement for the team. It is a real accolade to be nominated for such a prestigious award from the MOD by CTP and some of the charities with which we work, and is a further demonstration of how much we value services personnel and our commitment to supporting military families.

“We hope that more businesses put initiatives in place to welcome those embarking on a new career, whether they are veterans, services personnel or ex-offenders, and we are already working towards the ERS Gold award.”

Workers unaware of zero-hours rights, poll finds

More than three in every five workers in Yorkshire and the Humber (61%) are unaware of the rights of people on zero-hours contracts, a new survey from Acas has found.

A zero-hours contract is usually where an employer does not have to give any minimum working hours and a worker does not have to take any work offered.

The employment status of a zero-hours worker can vary depending on the exact nature of the working arrangement.

Acas chief executive Susan Clews said:

“Acas has advice in this area and a new law next year aims to give zero-hours contracts workers the right to request more predictability around their working pattern.

“We are currently consulting on a new Code of Practice to help businesses and workers in Yorkshire and the Humber understand the new law and provide good practice around requests for a predictable working pattern.”

Acas advice is that someone on a zero-hours contract could be legally classed as an employee or a worker; their employment status will determine their legal rights.

People on zero-hours contracts are always entitled to the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage, paid holiday, rest breaks, pay slips, and protection from discrimination.

Employers must grant all relevant statutory employment rights to people who work under these arrangements.

Acas – the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service – is a publicly-funded body that works for better employment relations.

It is currently consulting on its new draft statutory Code of Practice on handling requests for a predictable working pattern. The consultation closes on January 17, 2024.

The Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Act is expected to come into force in autumn 2024.

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Free bus vouchers offered as biodiesel mix-up causes travel chaos

Bus passengers across the Harrogate district were made late for school and work today, after dozens of cancellations were caused when vehicles were filled up with the wrong type of fuel. 

At least 56 services were scrapped on six routes, leading to one of the worst days for disruption so far this year for The Harrogate Bus Company. 

The company’s website stated there were numerous cancellations of the 36 service between Ripon and Leeds via Harrogate, the 1, 1A, 1B and 1D between Harrogate and Knaresborough, and the 3 from Harrogate to Jennyfield. 

This morning, it also tweeted that the S2 school bus from Bilton to Rossett School was being delayed by up to 30 minutes due to what the Harrogate Bus Company said was “a vehicle-related issue”. 

After receiving reports from readers, the Stray Ferret asked The Harrogate Bus Company about the disruptions. Operations director Vitto Pizzuti said:

“We apologise to our customers for the issues on some of our routes today. Since summer 2023, all our diesel buses have been running on a blend of biodiesel, leading to reduced emissions: the proportion of biodiesel in the fuel blend is normally higher in summer, and lower in winter.

“Unfortunately, it seems our fuel supplier delivered a higher bio blend to our depot last week, which meant that some of our buses were unable to run in the low temperatures over the weekend and this morning. Our supplier, Argent, is currently investigating what happened and has assured us that any necessary lessons will be learned.” 

He said the company’s engineers were working through the affected vehicles and normal levels of service were expected to resume by tomorrow (Tuesday, December 5).  

He added: 

“In the meantime, our advice to customers is to check before travelling on the free Transdev Go app and if your service is cancelled today, please let us know and we will send you a voucher for a free trip next time.” 

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New electricity sub-station to be built at Crescent Gardens in Harrogate

Work has started on the construction of a new twin electricity sub-station next to the old council offices in Harrogate‘s Crescent Gardens. 

The existing sub-station is located in the basement of the council building, but this will be removed and replaced with a more modern version at ground level. 

The council building was bought in 2020 by Harrogate-based property developer Impala Estates for £4 million, and the company has planning permission to turn it into offices, a roof garden restaurant and gym, and to create a two-storey extension. 

A spokesperson for Northern Powergrid, which is responsible for electricity supply in the region, told the Stray Ferret: 

“We’re relocating the sub-station for three reasons. The old one in the basement of the old council building was not particularly accessible, but the new one at ground level will be. 

“It will also be more secure from the elements, as its old location underground made it more susceptible to flooding. 

“And more modern equipment will help make this section of the network stronger, improving security of supply for more than 230 properties in the immediate area.” 

The spokesperson estimated the project could take between 12 and 18 months in total and said the work represented a £275,000 investment by the power company. 

They added: 

“The transition from shutting down the old sub-station to energising the new one is usually seamless, but if any interruption to supply is required for safety reasons, we will let local residents and businesses know.”

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Business Breakfast: Harrogate Town announce hydration tie-up

Excellence deserves to be recognised and celebrated. The 2024 Stray Ferret Business Awards is the event to put your business, people or great initiative in the spotlight!

Make the most of your efforts by reading our top 10 tips for writing your submission for success.

Entries close on January 19, 2024.

Harrogate Town AFC have announced a new sponsorship deal with sports drink brand Cellnutrition Sport.

The Sunderland-based company will be the official hydration partner of the club, providing its HYDRATE 78 and HYDRATE 78 Night products to the entire first-team squad for the 2023/24 season.

Both products, which are included in the company’s Cellular Fitness protocol, are designed to aid fast recovery from exertion, sustain focus, eradicate cramps, help deeper sleep, prolong stamina and enhance brain hydration.

First-team manager Simon Weaver said:

“We are thrilled to partner with Cellnutrition Sport, a company that shares our commitment to excellence. Hydration is essential for athletes of all levels, and the Cellular Fitness protocol provides the best hydration solution on the market.

“We are confident that this partnership will help our players perform at their best and recover quickly after games.”

Town trialled the Cellular Fitness protocol for a period of three months at the end of last season.

Ben Rome, first-team strength and conditioning coach said:

“We had an issue with three of our first-team athletes becoming susceptible to cramping in the latter stages of games.

“The three players started to use HYDRATE 78 before, during and after training and matches, along with taking HYDRATE 78 night on an evening before bed.

“The results we saw was an instant improvement in all player’s hydration testing scores, along with a reported improvement in both sleep quality and muscle soreness.

“The three players were able to complete all remaining fixtures without reporting any problems with muscle cramping; one player even scored a crucial equaliser in the 98th minute of a game.”

Spa declared best in region

Rudding Park in Harrogate is celebrating after being named Best Spa in the North East at the annual Good Spa Guide Awards in London.

Rudding Park was a runner-up in this category last year, and this time beat stiff competition from six other finalists across Yorkshire and the North East.

Sarah Johnson, head of Rudding Park Spa, said:

“We are thrilled to have won this award, particularly against such strong competition. We always strive to offer guests the very best experience and are looking forward to launching some new spa experience in the new year.”

Rudding Park Spa has expanded in recent years with £9.5 million of investment and now has a roof-top spa and garden, hydrotherapy pool, spa bath, oxygen pod, garden cabin sauna and cabana.

In September, the estate announced it would invest between £30 million and £40 million to build a brand-new five-star country club.

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Landmark Ripon clock finally repaired after months of standstill

The Victoria Clock Tower in Ripon is now correct more than twice a day, having finally been repaired by North Yorkshire Council.

The landmark clock at the junction of North Street, Palace Road and Princess Road has been plagued by problems in recent years, sometimes running too fast, sometimes too slow, and most recently not at all.

While most people passed by without giving it a second thought, for others it was a source of concern.

Local resident Bernard White reported the problem to North Yorkshire Council in August, and followed it up at the beginning of November. He told the Stray Ferret:

“The clock’s been out of commission as much as it’s been in commission for the last three or four years. This time, it had been broken for about four or five months.

“I wrote to the council to ask for an update and they told me it was a faulty pendulum. They came this week and repaired it and it seems to be working fine now.”

The Victoria Clock Tower was commissioned to mark Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897 and in the following June it was officially unveiled to a huge crowd at a civic ceremony. The Grade II listed building passed into council ownership in 1974.

Mr White added:

“The clock’s a feature in itself – the only other clock I know of in Ripon is at the town hall. It was built as a clock, and it should go as a clock, so it’s wonderful to have it back in working order.”

As we reported earlier in the year, the clock was due to be repaired in in March. It is unclear whether it was but had since developed another fault, or whether it never was fixed, perhaps due to the handover of responsibility for its running from Harrogate Borough Council to North Yorkshire Council on April 1.

The Stray Ferret has contacted North Yorkshire Council for comment.

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Yorkshire Water’s £1m pay-out to charities branded ‘pathetic’

News of Yorkshire Water’s record £1 million payout to environmental charities to atone for polluting Hookstone Beck in Harrogate has met with mixed reactions, with one local politician branding it “pathetic”. 

As we reported yesterday, the utility company polluted Hookstone Beck in 2016 with an unauthorised sewage discharge, killing fish and breaching its environmental permit. 

Following an investigation, it offered the Environment Agency an Enforcement Undertaking to pay £500,000 to Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and £500,000 to Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust. The Agency accepted the undertaking, making it the largest civil sanction it has ever accepted. 

Yorkshire Water has also completed a £1.85 million sewer network upgrade in the area as part of the enforcement terms. 

But Tom Gordon, parliamentary candidate for the Liberal Democrats, slammed the agreement. He said: 

“This is a pathetic pay-out for a firm which raked in over £500 million in profit last year. Conservative Ministers need to get tough on this polluting firm and fine them far more, as well as ban their insulting bonuses.

“It is a scandal that Yorkshire Water’s exec bonuses are more than double the amount offered for killing animals and destroying rivers in Harrogate.

“This reeks of a pathetic bribe, which Ministers have fallen for – hook, line and sinker.”

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Mr Gordon’s adversary, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, who is a colleague of the Ministers referred to by Mr Gordon, was more phlegmatic. He said:

“This is a significant sum in respect of an incident over seven years ago. These incidents should not happen and I am aware through my regular contact with Yorkshire Water on water-quality issues that substantial investment has been made since this event.

“The fact that such a large penalty has been paid by Yorkshire Water shows the seriousness with which the government takes pollution. I am pleased to see that the money is being spent locally – importantly on improvements to the River Nidd catchment and at Staveley Nature Reserve to support wildlife habitats.”

Photo of volunteers from Nidd Action Group sampling water quality in Oak Beck.

Volunteers from Nidd Action Group sampled water quality in rivers and becks across the district over the summer.

Meanwhile, Nidd Action Group (NAG), which was set up in Knaresborough in 2022 to stop sewage pollution and make local rivers safer, said it was disappointed the deal had taken seven years to strike, but hoped it would serve to change water companies’ behaviour. 

David Clayden, chairperson of Nidd Action Group, said: 

“NAG deplores the huge amount of sewage (treated and untreated) that continues to enter the river Nidd, often via becks that meander through parts of Harrogate and Knaresborough (2,000 spills and 12,000 hours in 2022, according to the latest data available). 

“NAG’s recent two citizen science surveys, in August and October, have confirmed continuing high levels of E. coli bacteria and phosphates in parts of the Nidd Catchment, including many becks.  

“One of our sampling points was on Hookstone Beck, and our surveys this year showed high concentrations of both forms of pollution, causing risk to human life and to the ecology in and around the becks, even after extensive work has been carried out.” 

“NAG is disappointed that resolution of these incidents has taken so long, but hopes that this ‘charitable donation’ acts as a meaningful deterrent to the neglect of our rivers and results in significant improvement of our becks for the healthy enjoyment of these formerly attractive local assets.  

“NAG looks forward to working with The Environment Agency and with Yorkshire Water to review the current evidence gathered by local citizen scientists and to ensure much needed improvements in the Nidd Catchment.”

Business Breakfast: Century-old nurseries rebrand for growth

Excellence deserves to be recognised and celebrated. The 2024 Stray Ferret Business Awards is the event to put your business, people or great initiative in the spotlight!

Make the most of your efforts by reading our top 10 tips for writing your submission for success.

Entries close on January 19, 2024.

One of the UK’s largest commercial horticultural nurseries, Johnsons of Whixley, has changed its name to Johnsons Nurseries following a company rebrand.

The third-generation family business achieved a record sales turnover of £18.8 million in its last financial year and hopes the rebrand will boost its plans for growth. Its website address has also changed, from nurserymen.co.uk to johnsonsnurseries.co.uk.

Graham Richardson, group managing director at Johnsons Nurseries, said:

“We have used the generic term ‘nurserymen’ as part of our branding for years, and it has been an accepted historical collective term that describes the profession and not a deliberate specific reflection on gender within the workforce.

“We are proud of the diversity of our workforce and the contributions that all of our employees make.

“However, we are acutely aware of this being perceived as outdated and intend to phase out the term over time as we introduce our new brand. This is also an opportunity for us to solidify our place in the market and ensure that the quality and reputation of Johnsons’ products are maintained for future generations of our workforce, customers and stakeholders.

“Our values remain the same as we aim to continue the legacy of professionalism and reputation that Mr Johnson and the Richardson family have built.”

Johnsons was founded in 1921 by war veteran Eric Johnson and then purchased by John Richardson in 1964. It now employs 140 people, including 11 family members, at its 150-acre nurseries east of Knaresborough, in the Vale of York.

Industry ‘Oscar’ for car dealership

A Boroughbridge used car dealership has picked up a prestigious accolade at the 2023 Car Dealer Magazine Used Car Awards, which are often described as the Oscars of the motor trade.

Alexanders Prestige, based in Roecliffe, won the Days To Turn trophy, which was awarded by assessors looking for an efficient and well-run sales operation, with cars leaving dealers’ forecourts soon after they arrive. The quick turnaround of a dealer’s stock indicates high levels of pre-sale preparation, fair pricing and good levels of customer care.

James Baggott, editor-in-chief of Car Dealer Magazine, said:

‘‘In judging the Days To Turn award, we collaborated with Auto Trader to find the dealers who are selling their cars the fastest.

‘‘Their data team looked at nearly 13,500 dealers to help us identify the best – with those nominated then subjected to our own rigorous checks and mystery shopping.

‘‘Alexanders Prestige absolutely aced the mystery shopping round, and its online feedback showed countless customers had received similarly impressive levels of service and communication. This is a well-deserved win for the team.’’

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Rossett sixth form back on site in 2024, says trust head

The sixth form at Rossett School in Harrogate will be fully operational from its own on-site facilities from September 2024, the Stray Ferret can reveal. 

It was reported earlier this year that the sixth forms at Rossett and Harrogate Grammar School were to merge, but this was not the case, according to Richard Sheriff, chief executive of the Red Kite Learning Trust, which both schools belong to. 

Mr Sheriff told the Stray Ferret: 

“A merger was never on the cards. It was always about a partnership – both schools choosing to work together in the interests of the young people they serve.” 

Over the last year, Rossett School’s Year 13 students – upper-sixth formers – have carried on being taught at Rossett.

But Year 12 students – lower-sixth formers – have been taught at Harrogate Grammar School, because a dip in pupil numbers at Rossett meant there were not enough pupils for the courses. 

Mr Sheriff said: 

“From September 2024, we’ll have a larger group of students, so we’ll be offering more courses at Rossett for both Year 12 and Year 13 students. 

“Rossett and the Grammar School may not both offer all courses, but students at one school may be able to do a course at the other school if it’s not offered at their own. For example, we don’t offer A level PE at Harrogate Grammar School, but we do at Rossett. 

“Sharing resources like this allows us to offer a broader curriculum across the two schools. 

“The collaboration between the two schools is fantastic. We all have the same values, the same mission, in our DNA. We’re all just trying to do things together for the benefit of the community.” 

In recent years, the school roll at Rossett has shrunk from around to 1,500 to about 1,000. But Mr Sheriff said the decline in numbers had been halted and was being reversed. He said: 

“We really expect numbers in Rossett’s sixth form to grow as the school grows. Rossett went through a difficult period, but we expect them to rise again.  

“We’ve got a great new head in Tim Milburn, a new executive board, and trust is coming back among parents and in the wider community. 

“Housing is going up all over the town, and we want those children to have a really good choice of schools. They can’t all go to Harrogate Grammar School.” 

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Rossett School is benefiting financially from the presence of Red Kite Learning Trust’s offices and facilities within its grounds.

The Trust was previously located at Harrogate Grammar School, but there was little free space at the school. In contrast, Rossett’s diminished roll meant it had underused buildings, so the Trust decamped there and pays to use its buildings, giving the school a new revenue stream. 

Through its training arm, Red Kite Education, the Red Kite Learning Trust is one of the largest teacher training providers in the country, with more than 160 trainee teachers.

From its base at Rossett School, it offers national professional qualifications for headteachers, executive leaders and middle leaders, early career framework support for teachers in their first two years of teaching, and training and support for business managers and teaching assistants. 

As many as 800 adults at 150 different schools are in some kind of training through Red Kite.