North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe has rejected claims that proposed changes to Harrogate’s night time fire service will increase the risk to lives.

Ms Metcalfe is consulting on a three-year plan for fire services in the county in the face of severe financial pressure.

One of the proposals is to reduce the number of fire engines operating overnight at Harrogate and Scarborough fire stations from two to one.

This has been criticised by firefighters and trade unions, who fear it could cost lives.

But in her first interview with the Stray Ferret since she was elected commissioner in November, Ms Metcalfe said she disagreed with this assessment:

“From everything I’ve seen I’m confident that won’t happen. This is a genuine consultation. I would really urge everyone to engage with it.”

Ms Metcalfe’s Risk and Resource Model 2022 to 2025 Consultation, published in May, sets out how the fire service will deploy its resources over the next three years. It puts the emphasis on fire prevention, especially during the day when most fires occur.

Firefighters tackling a recent blaze in West Tanfield.

Harrogate and Scarborough currently both have an emergency fire engine and a tactical response fire engine operating 24 hours a day.

The model proposes both stations have two emergency response vehicles during the day but only one at night. They would lose their tactical response engines altogether.

Ms Metcalfe was accompanied at the interview by Dave Winspear, who is part of the senior management team at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Mr Winspear, who is based in Ripon, said the changes would enhance the current fire service model across the county, adding:

“During the times when we know we are busiest we are providing additional resource into those two towns by bringing in a different type of fire engine.

“It improves the ability to respond to a wide range of incidents.

“We are looking to remove a fire engine in the evening when we are quiet but based on the fact that we have robust arrangements in around the Harrogate and Scarborough area from other fire stations that can respond into that area.”

He added the tactical response engine, which will be lost, had “limited response capability” compared to emergency fire engines.

Harrogate fire station

Harrogate currently employs 40 firefighters across four watches and five could be affected by the changes. Mr Winspear said they would be offered the chance to be redeployed.

Government cuts £8m a year

The new model for fire services is being drawn up against a bleak financial backdrop.

The government recently axed North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s capital grant, worth about £8m a year.

It means the service could have to borrow up to £31 million over the next five years. Steve Howley, Fire Brigades Union North Yorkshire brigade secretary, has said the service would be left struggling to buy basics.

Ms Metcalfe described the decision to cut the capital grant as “very unfair” at the time it was announced and this week told us she was “working hard for additional funding” to ensure the service didn’t end up in the position outlined by the union.

Zoe Metcalfe

Delays answering 101 and 999 calls

Ms Metcalfe, who was born in Ripon, went to school in Harrogate and now lives in Aldborough, also said she was working to reduce delays in answering 101 and 999 calls in the police control room.

Home Office figures last month showed that North Yorkshire police took on average 30 seconds to answer 999 calls — the third worst performance in the country. The calls should be answered within 10 seconds.

“Over the last couple of years there has been a huge increase in the volume of calls, especially 999 and they come first.”

The commissioner’s office has pledged £140,000 to address the issue. When will people noticed a difference?

The force control room should currently employ 146 full-time equivalent employees across communications and dispatch when it is fully staffed.

Read more:

• Fire Brigades Union ‘seriously concerned’ over cuts to Harrogate service
• Harrogate firefighter brands plans to rely on one fire engine ‘farcical’

There are currently 141. With the commissioner’s additional investment, there will be a revised target of 161.

Ms Metcalfe said a third of calls to police involved mental health issues and it was important to understand the data better and work with other organisations to tackle the issues.

She said her background as a Conservative councillor on Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council meant she was familiar with many of the agencies involved in mental health.

Asked whether she, as a senior Conservative politician, shared Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones’ lack of confidence in Prime Minister Boris Johnson, she said:

“I will leave that to MPs in the parliamentary party.”

You can find out more about the proposed changes and take part in the consultation here.

Harry Gration was loved  by many people in the Harrogate district and across Yorkshire. He touched many lives – last year he worked with us at the Stray Ferret in a competition to find Harry’s Heroes.

In the course of a few weeks he met the finalists and made podcasts with them – talking to them about what inspired them to work for others.  It was what Harry liked doing best — meeting people from all walks of life.

Tamsin O’Brien the director of the Stray Ferret worked with Harry at the BBC when he was presenting Look North.  Today she said:

“Harry was a one-off. He was fun and simply got on with everyone. A naturally gifted communicator.

“I worked with Harry in my previous career at the BBC and it was joy to work again with him last year on Harry’s Heroes. It’s hard to take in the news that he’s no longer with us.

“I speak on behalf of all of us at the Stray Ferret by sending Helen and his family all our love and thoughts at this time. There was only one Harry Gration.”

Susie Little from Covid Co-operation Harrogate, who was one of the nominated heroes, posted a picture on Facebook of herself with Harry and this message :

Susie Little with Harry last year for Harry’s Heroes

Harry Gration lived in York but was a regular visitor to the district.

He was a season ticket holder at Harrogate Town which posted this message:

Recently Harry spoke at a Harrogate Brigantes fundraising event. Today a statement was issued from the club’s Les Ellington:

“We are shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of Harry Gration MBE, who was guest speaker and auctioneer at our charity dinner only on 17 June, helping us to raise over £5000 for our Ukraine appeal.

Our thoughts are with his family, friends and former colleagues at the BBC. Rest in peace Harry and thank you from all of us.”

Do you have memories of meeting Harry Gration? Do send them to us and we will publish them in the coming few days. contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

A 40-year-old man has been charged with two counts of attempted murder in Beckwithshaw.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is also charged with assaulting an emergency worker.

It follows an incident at a house on the main B6161 Otley Road, very close to the local primary school, at about 8.20am on Monday.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement today:

“We are continuing to appeal to anyone who may have been dropping off children at the school, or commuters passing by, to check their vehicle dashcam and report any footage that may have captured any part of the incident prior to the attendance of the emergency services.”

Anyone with information can contact the police on 101, press 2 and ask to speak to the major investigation team.

Quote reference number 12220105995 when passing on any information.

Read more:

• Woman arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in Harrogate
• Harrogate murder trial hears that body was found in a rug

A woman in her 40s has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in Bilton.

A man in his 40s has also been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.

It follows an incident at a house in Byland Road last night when a woman was seriously injured by what police believe to be a “bladed article”.

A North Yorkshire Police statement this evening said:

“It has also been established this was an isolated incident and it is believed there is no further risk to the wider public.”

The scene on Byland Road this morning.

Detective Chief Inspector Jonathan Sygrove, a senior investigation officer, said:

“We hope this goes some way to reassure the residents of Bylands Road and the surrounding areas.”

Police were called to Byland Road at about 5pm yesterday. Forensic officers also attended the scene.

The woman is the second person in the Harrogate area to be arrested on suspicion of attempted murder today.

This morning a 40-year-old man was arrested for the attempted murder of an 11-year-old child and a 10-year-old child, following an incident in Beckwithshaw on Monday.

Police urged anyone with information on the Bilton incident to call 101, or if you wish to remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers instead on 0800 555 111.

Quote reference 12220108308 when providing any information.

---

Read more:

• Man arrested for attempted murder of two children in Beckwithshaw
• Harrogate firefighters issue smoke alarm warning after house fire

---

 

People are being urged to take measures to avoid covid after the rate of infection tripled in the Harrogate district this month.

The covid rate had been decreasing across North Yorkshire since the end of March. But the trend has reversed in recent weeks due to a more transmissible variant of Omicron.

At the end of May, the district’s rate of infection was 55 people per 100,000. It is now 172.

Dr Victoria Turner, public health consultant at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“Cases of covid are once again rising across the UK, including in North Yorkshire.

“The latest increase is being driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of Omicron, which has also caused high rates in other countries across the world.

“There is evidence that BA.4 and BA.5 are more transmissible than previous variants, and there is limited protection from infection with previous variants against BA.4 and BA.5.”

Dr Turner said getting vaccinated, meeting outdoors or in well-ventilated areas indoors, wearing face coverings in enclosed spaces, and good hand and respiratory hygiene would reduce the risk of transmission.

Read more:

• Online meetings during covid saved council £4m
• Harrogate council charge police over £110,000 for CCTV since 2016

She also advised people with covid symptoms to try to stay at home for five days following the day of their positive result.

Free covid testing is no longer available for most people, but tests can be bought from pharmacies. Dr Turner said:

“It is still best to try to avoid covid infection wherever possible, or minimise the number of times you have it.

“Even if you do not develop severe symptoms from the initial infection you are still at risk of developing long covid, which can be debilitating.

“You are also at increased risk from cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks and strokes in the days and weeks following covid infection.”

Sue Peckitt, NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group chief nurse and director of nursing and quality, added:

“There are still a significant number of people in our hospitals who have covid and it’s a stark reminder that coronavirus hasn’t gone away. This virus is still causing some people to become very unwell.”

A 40-year-old man has been arrested for the attempted murder of an 11-year-old child and a 10-year-old child, following an incident in Beckwithshaw on Monday.

The man has also been arrested for an assault on an emergency worker.

A 13-year-old child also sustained minor injuries during the incident.

North Yorkshire Police said this morning the man has been released from hospital and is now in police custody for questioning by officers from the major investigation team.

Detective Inspector Steve Menzies, senior investigating officer, said:

“The incident took place around 8:10am both inside and outside a property in Beckwithshaw which is situated on the main road, the B6161 Otley Road, and is very close to the local primary school.

“I reiterate that this incident is not connected to the school, however I am appealing to anyone who may have been dropping off children at the school, or commuters passing by, to check their vehicle dashcam and report any footage that may have captured any part of the incident prior to the attendance of the emergency services”.

The police appealed to anyone with information to contact them by calling 101, then pressing option two and asking to speak to the major investigation team.

Quote reference number 12220105995 when passing on any information.

Read more:

• Forensic experts at serious police incident in Bilton
• Harrogate council charge police over £110,000 for CCTV since 2016

Harrogate fire station has urged people to ensure they have working smoke alarms after attending a fire this morning.

Fire ripped through the roof of a bungalow but fortunately nobody was hurt because the alarm sounded.

The incident took place at 2am in York and the aerial ladder from Harrogate was required to help firefighters from York and Huntington tackle the flames.

An investigation is underway.

Harrogate fire station said the blaze, at a time when most people are sleeping, served as a warning to everyone to check their smoke alarms.

It said in a Facebook post:

“In the early hours of today, we were at a house fire. Luckily the occupants had working smoke alarms and got out safely.

“Please make sure yours work if you have them and if not you can contact you local fire station to see about getting some fitted.”

Smoke alarms are free. You can book for them to be installed here.

Read more:

• Harrogate firefighters rescue dogs from hot car
• Leon set to confirm Harrogate opening date for early July

Harrogate firefighters rescued two dogs yesterday when they got stuck in a car on one of the hottest days of the year.

The car self-locked when the owner went into the boot and was unable to get back into the vehicle shortly after 11am.

With the temperature rising, and the dogs still in the back of the car, the owner summoned help.

The fire crew was called to the incident at Harlow Carr Gardens, Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Fore and Rescue Service’s incident log says:

“Crews cooled the vehicle with one hose reel jet, then released the dogs using a glass punch and gave water to them.”

Read more:

• Fire destroys BMW on A1 near Boroughbridge
• Ripon firefighters save pony stuck in mud

• No update from police following blade incident in Beckwithshaw
• Family of murdered Harrogate policeman seeks permanent memorial

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has written to Home Secretary Priti Patel about speeding up measures to evict Travellers who break the law.

The Conservative MP said the recent encampment at Hay-a-Park in Knaresborough produced “disorder and anti-social behaviour completely off the scale compared to that associated with previous traveller encampments in our area”.

Mr Jones said his comments were based on reports received from residents, police and landowner Harrogate Borough Council.

Writing on his Community News website, he said:

“Vandalism of property, damage to cars, late night motorbike and quad bike racing through residential estates, break-ins at barns, use of pavements and open space as a toilet were just some of the unpleasantness residents nearby reported and had to put up with.”

Mr Jones added that some Travellers had “took the openness and generosity of spirit which is the hallmark of our communities and simply abused it” and further action was needed to “protect the rights and property of residents against future incursions of this nature”.

Eviction currently takes place three days after notice is served.

“I have written to the Home Secretary asking her to look at ways in which enforcement can be brought forward on the advice of the police where law-breaking occurs from the activities of a travelling community.

“I have also written to our local Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Zoe Metcalfe, asking her to look at the policing of this encampment and to see if any improvements could be made with the benefit of this experience.

“Finally, I have asked the council to look at how it can secure public land more effectively and more anticipate the movements of travelling communities and provide appropriate sites to be used as layovers for them.”

Read more:

• Andrew Jones MP calls on Prime Minister for rail improvements
• Andrew Jones MP to vote against Boris Johnson tonight

Mr Jones described the Traveller encampment as “a darker episode for many” amid recent celebrations, such as Knaresborough Bed Race and the Queen’s platinum jubilee.

“I want to make sure that local people and travelling communities can enjoy their everyday lives in peace.

“It is a shame when the minority act in a way that risks labelling the majority and that is what my actions are seeking to avoid.”