A mobile phone, bank card and a top belonging to missing Sophie Lambert have been found, police said today.

The possessions were discovered by a member of the public on Saturday morning near the river at Nidd Gorge, which is the focus of the search for the 22-year-old from Starbeck.

North Yorkshire Police revealed the news at a media call today, at which they said a 30-strong search party consisting of police, mountain and underwater rescues had been combing the 500-metres area around where the items were found in Bilton.

Sophie Lambert

They added helicopters and dogs had also been employed in the operation.

Inspector Graham Waller, the critical incident inspector based at Harrogate, said there had been “no positive sightings” of Sophie in the 72 hours since she disappeared.

Insp Graham Waller pictured at the police search scene today.

He added the search would widen and continue “as long as necessary” during daylight hours if Sophie is not found. He said:

“We are very concerned for Sophie’s welfare.

“It’s totally out of character for her to be away from home for this long.

“At the moment we don’t have any suggestion she has come to harm but we are keeping an open mind.”

Asked what people could do to help, and whether they should take part in search parties, Insp Waller urged people to “remain vigilant” and contact the police if they had any information but said he would “discourage” members of the public taking part in search parties because of the “difficult terrain” in Nidd Gorge.

In today’s update, police said Sophie was last seen at home by her family at 6.50pm on Friday night and then captured shortly afterwards on CCTV camera at 7.06pm.

She was wearing dark trousers, a black top with a white adidas logo and dark shoes with a white sole. She had her hair tied back and was carrying a bottle with a pink lid.

Read more:

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Two men have been jailed for their part in stealing newly-installed boilers and other equipment worth £143,000 from housing developments in the Harrogate district.

Shaun Andrew Finley, 34, of Goldthorpe, Barnsley, and Stephen William Case, 43, of Dunscroft, Doncaster, targeted boilers, furniture and other equipment belonging to building companies and contractors.

They struck at homes in Harrogate, Knaresborough, Killinghall, Kirk Hammerton and Dishforth.

Finley was jailed for five years and Case for four years and two months when they were sentenced at York Crown Court on Friday.

The court heard that between June 1 and December 15 in 2020 they targeted prestigious new build developments 22 times.

According to a North Yorkshire Police press release today, officers identified a pattern in the burglaries which involved the same method of breaking into the properties and removing the items.

The press release added:

“They specifically targeted houses that were ready for occupation. This caused considerable disruption and upset to the homebuyers and added cost and inconvenience to the developers.

“Through detailed analysis of CCTV and automatic number plater recognition data, the investigation team were able to place the vans and cars they were using – often driving in convoy – in and around the new build locations that they burgled.

“They also uncovered that Finley and Case were actively avoiding detection by registering, and insuring, their vehicles in the names of innocent members of the public. They also used cloned registration plates. This resulted in the arrest of two men who had nothing to do with the crimes, as well as numerous speeding tickets.”

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At the sentencing, Judge Sean Morris commended the work of detective sergeant Steve Peachman, the now retired detective sergeant Marcus Dawson, and analyst Libby Edison for the effective investigation which secured the convictions.

The Judge said they were “a credit to North Yorkshire Police and the people of North Yorkshire”.

DS Steve Peachman, from the force’s operation expedite unit, said:

“The outcome of our investigation shows that if you choose to embark on conspiracies with organised crime groups, you can expect lengthy custodial sentences.

“We proved that Finley and Case were principal participants in committing crime in North Yorkshire.

“They used a high degree of sophistication, but it was not enough to escape justice.”

A man died in a crash near Harewood Bridge that led to the closure of the A61 for more than 12 hours yesterday.

Police said today the man, who has not been named, was a taxi driver in his 40s.

He died at the scene of the crash, which occurred at about 1.20am yesterday morning on the A61 Harrogate Road at Dunkeswick. The road reopened at 3.20pm.

North Yorkshire Police is now appealing for witnesses to the collision, which involved a grey BMW and a black Peugeot taxi.

It said in a statement today:

“Sadly, the driver of the taxi, a man in his 40s died at the scene. His family have been informed and are receiving support form specially trained officers.

“The driver of the BMW, a man in his 20s remains in hospital.

“The stretch of road was closed until 3.20pm on Sunday afternoon to allow officers to investigate the scene.

Anyone who saw the collision or has dashcam footage is urged to dial 101, select option 2 and ask for Steve Hawkins.

Alternatively, you can email DC 55 Steve Hawkins on Steve.Hawkins@northyorkshire.police.uk

Quote reference number 12230111568 when passing information.

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Ripon Grammar School sixth former Samuel Cann is aiming to complete 100 holes of golf in a day for charity this week.

The teenage golf fan, who only started took up golf two years ago, estimates the five-and-a-half rounds will take about 16 hours to complete.

He therefore plans to tee-off at Ripon City Golf Club at 4am on Wednesday and finish by 8pm this Wednesday, June 21.

Sam, 18, who will raise money for Prostate Cancer UK, said:

“I am undertaking this challenge in support of friends and members at the golf club who are suffering or impacted by someone suffering from prostate cancer.

“Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with around 143 men diagnosed every day, and 1 in 8 men being diagnosed in their lifetime.”

The charity’s Big Golf Race, which has been running since 2020, challenges golfers to take on either 36, 72 or — new for 2023 — the ultra marathon 100 holes in a day.

Sam will be supported by other Ripon City Golf Club members who will join him for a round during the challenge, which he hopes will raise up to £500.

Sam, from Sharow, hopes to study aerospace engineering at the Manchester University after completing his A-levels.

There is a JustGiving page for the event, which you can find here.

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Great Ouseburn may be small but it showed yesterday it has some of the finest gardens in the Harrogate district.

Sixteen private gardens opened for the day as part of the village’s annual garden festival.

They included a wildflower meadow, quirky modern designs, cottage gardens and even one small courtyard garden that doesn’t get any sun for almost half the year.

The festival has grown to become about more than beautiful gardens: there were also concerts by the vocal ensemble Camerata Sonora in St Mary’s Church, a cookery demonstration, wine tasting, gardeners’ question time and displays of Morgan cars and alpacas on the village green.

With cricket on the playing fields and tea and cakes in the school, it made for a quintessentially English experience that even included a downpour, which fortunately did not take place until five minutes before the event was due to end.

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The festival, which raises money for village causes, was the latest of many midsummer open gardens events taking place across the district.

Knaresborough and Marton-cum-Grafton are holding events this weekend.

For further details, click here.

Here are some photos from Great Ouseburn yesterday.

North Yorkshire Police has released CCTV footage in the search for missing Harrogate woman Sophie Lambert, 22.

Sophie was reported missing from her home in Starbeck at 10.10pm on Friday having last been seen by her family at 7.20pm before she left the house.

CCTV footage taken on the night she disappeared shows she was wearing dark trousers, a black top with a white adidas logo and dark shoes with a white sole. She had her hair tied back and was carrying a bottle with a pink lid.

Concerns are growing for Sophie Lambert.

A police statement said:

“Concerns are growing for her welfare and North Yorkshire Police are currently making extensive house-to-house enquiries to help find her.

“Police searches have continued today in the Nidd Gorge area with assistance from search and rescue.”

Sophie is described as white, 5ft 3in with a slim build

She has a distinctive scar on her forehead which is likely to be noticeable.

The police statement added:

“If you have seen a woman matching Sophie’s description or photograph, please call North Yorkshire Police immediately on 999, quoting reference 12230110845.”

Read more:

• New photo of missing Sophie as concerns grow for Harrogate woman
• Police issue urgent appeal to find missing Harrogate woman

Ripon residents have rallied to support those affected by a fire that ravaged three terraced houses on Friday.

Six teams of firefighters were called to Magdalens Close at 7pm to deal with a blaze believed to have been caused by a gas leak.

The fire spread to two adjoining properties and although one woman was hospitalised nobody was seriously injured.

However, none of the homes is currently fit to live in and those affected have had to find alternative accommodation.

The fire has caused major damage.

The people of Ripon pledged all kinds of support over the weekend.

Alex Ryder, whose sister was in one of the side homes affected, started a gofundme page on Saturday to raise £3,000 for the families affected.

By last night it had raised more than £3,500 — thanks in no small part to an anonymous donation of £1,800.

Mr Ryder told the Stray Ferret:

“We have no idea who it was but we can’t thank them enough.”

Although Sophie’s home was not as badly fire damaged as the one in the middle, smoke and water has ruined all furniture, carpets and the majority of possessions. Mr Ryder said:

“The middle house and house on the left are definitely uninhabitable at the moment and there’s a question mark over my sister’s, they are awaiting advice from a structural engineer as to whether it is safe or if it needs knocking down and rebuilding,”

Firefighters tackling the blaze on Friday.

Sophie added:

“It’s been a horrific couple of days and we are still trying to process everything that’s going on.

“We can’t thank everyone enough for all the support and kind words. As soon as it started the neighbours on Magdalens Close were amazing and have been ever since, offering accommodation, food, water, anything we need.

“The gofundme page just shows how amazing everyone is and has been.”

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Nidderdale Showground will host a new charity fundraiser for Cure Parkinson’s later this month.

The event is being organised by Melanie Mawer, a retired grandmother of three and Nidderdale resident.

The fundraiser includes an obstacle course, food stalls, animal petting and Morris dancing.

The day will also include a series of races hosted by Nidderdale Fell & Trail, with routes through woodland and open moorland.

There’s promised to be a 10k trail run, a 2k kids run and a 3k Canicross. Canicross is an increasingly popular sport involving doing cross country running with dogs.

The fundraiser is aiming to raise money for Cure Parkinson’s, a charity looking to slow, stop or reverse the progression of Parkinson’s.

Melanie, the organiser, has had experience with the condition. Both her late father suffering from it, and her running partner being recently diagnosed.

While working as a nurse and a carer, she also saw her fair share of cases in the community.

She said:

“This is the first fundraiser I’ve organised in my life, and I didn’t think it was going to be this big!”

“I’m just hoping we can make some money for Cure Parkinson’s… I just didn’t realise that so much is done on computers, and there’s so much admin to look after! I’ve learnt a lot though!”

Helen Matthew, Cure Parkinson’s deputy CEO, added:

“Fundraising support is absolutely critical for the charity to enable us to achieve our goal. We aim to cure Parkinson’s and the only way we will do this is through the help of all our incredible supporters – it’s as simple as that!”

The event will be held on June 25, from 8:30 to mid-late afternoon. Melanie is also running a JustGiving Page alongside the event, which can be found at here.

Entry to the event is free with a small fee to compete in the races. Registration for the races is at 8:30am with the first race starting at 10. More information on the races and prebooking can be found here.

There is no need to prebook to attend the wider event or things on offer.

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In April, King Charles III appointed Harrogate artist Clare Granger as High Sheriff of North Yorkshire.

The high sheriff — a role which dates back over 1,000 years — represents the monarch in matters relating to law and order.

It may seem incongruous that an artist with a studio in High Birstwith is rubbing shoulders with barristers and judges on behalf of the king.

But Ms Granger is well qualified for the role: she studied law at Cambridge University and briefly worked as a lawyer before swapping legal briefs for paint brushes and forging a successful career as an artist, with annual shows in London.

Her son and daughter-in-law are barristers so “the law has never really left me”, as she puts it.

Art and law may appear unlikely bedfellows but Ms Granger brings a stamp of colour and style to the role.

Among her aims is to use the 12-month appointment to promote art as therapy for offenders. The role also involves representing the voluntary sector and emergency services, and she has revamped a Dragon’s Den-style contest run by Two Ridings Community Foundation by getting charities bidding for funding to submit photographs illustrating what they do. She says:

“Art is a therapeutic tool. It’s such a joyful thing to do. It makes people feel really happy.”

Ms Granger says she’s “more or less” retired from portraits and is focusing more on the use of colour in her art, which she works on from 9am to 5pm at her home studio. She says:

“I love colour. I’m enjoying the freedom of painting whatever I like and if someone likes it they buy it.”

But ironically, being high sheriff has left little time for painting.  The role comes with few essential engagements but Ms Granger has thrown herself so enthusiastically into the role, clocking up hundreds of miles each week to attend engagements in North Yorkshire, she has barely any time left.

The day before our interview, she visited the coroner’s office in Northallerton. After our early morning interview she was due to drive to Scarborough for a lunch and then participate in a 10 kilometre evening walk in York.

Tomorrow featured a community event in Birstwith, followed the day after by a visit to Yorkshire Air Ambulance in Nostell and the day after that she was due to attend a rewilding event in Sharow and another community event.

That took her to the weekend, where her engagements included the Harrogate Army Foundation College parade through Harrogate town centre, a golden wedding and a trip to an Open Studios art event.

With Mark Dowie, chief executive of RNLI

The size of North Yorkshire doesn’t make life easy.

Moreover, the role isn’t paid: she self-funds her trips and even hosted a big coronation garden party at her own expense in a marquee that had already been erected for her son’s wedding.

She doubts whether anyone could combine being high sheriff with a full-time job.

“You don’t have to take a year off to do it but it does compromise you.”

The high sheriff has no formal powers but the invitations have piled up. Why does she think this is?

“The value of saying ‘thank-you’ is huge. People appreciate someone coming and listening to their concerns. I don’t have any powers but I have conversations and can bring people together.”

Ms Granger is a big supporter of the police and is putting particular emphasis on supporting them as part of her role. She says:

“All of us expect the police to be there when push comes to shove yet we are constantly knocking them and if we are not careful nobody will want to do the job.”

With Lady Justice King in York when she accepted the role.

For all the robes of office and archaic traditions, Ms Granger brings a warmth that is often lacking to the legal world. Her name will join a long list of high sheriffs at York Crown Court.

But although she has a lot of respect for the legal profession, she doesn’t take long to respond when asked if she regrets giving it up to become an artist:

“Not one single jot! I love the fact that law is still in my life but I’m relieved not to have to do it myself. Perhaps I wasn’t a solicitor long enough to enjoy it but I think I’d find it boring.”

Read more:

• Birstwith artist Clare Granger becomes High Sheriff of North Yorkshire
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North Yorkshire Police has today issued a fresh photo of missing Harrogate woman Sophie Lambert, as concerns for her welfare grow.

Sophie, 22, was reported missing from her home in Starbeck at 10.10pm on Friday. She was last seen by her family at 7.20pm before she left the house.

Police issued an urgent appeal for help yesterday by asking anyone with information or possible sightings to get in touch. They said a search and rescue team was taking part in an extensive operation to find her in the Nidd Gorge area.

Police said today concerns were growing for Sophie’s welfare and issued a more recent photo and updated description.

Sophie Lambert

A statement said:

“Sophie is described as white, 5ft 3in, aged in her early 20s, slim build, with long dark brown hair that is possibly plaited or wavy.

“She has a distinctive scar on her forehead which is likely to be noticeable.

“It is unknown what clothing she has on, but her family said she tends to wear jogging bottoms and has dark green Adidas trainers with a white sole.

“If you have seen a woman matching Sophie’s description or photograph, please call North Yorkshire Police immediately on 999 quoting reference 12230110845.”

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