Ripon’s Jack Laugher selected for the Olympics

Ripon diver Jack Laugher has today been named in the Great Britain diving team for the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Laugher, who made history at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games by becoming the first ever Olympic champion in diving for Great Britain, is one of 12 people selected.

Other leading names include Tom Daley, who hopes to win his first Olympic gold medal.

Laugher will defend his Olympic crown in the men’s 3m synchro event. He will also target a second Olympic medal in the individual 3m springboard event, after taking silver in that competition five years ago.

Laugher, who represents City of Leeds, will be joined in the synchro by Rio 2016 bronze medallist Daniel Goodfellow, with Edinburgh’s James Heatly the other pick in the 3m individual.

British Swimming described today’s squad as “phenomenally strong”.

Alexei Evangulov, British Diving performance director, said:

“This has been the longest Olympic cycle ever, however the hardest part of it was the last year – our team exceeded all my expectation in terms of coping with all the challenges we experienced during the pandemic.

“There were a lot; pool closures, isolation, quarantine, uncertainness, competitions postponements, you name it. Our divers not only managed to secure their physical and technical shape in this situation, but also significantly improved their diving quality.”

The Olympics are due to take place in Japan from July 23 to August 8.

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Missing Harrogate teenager Lucy Morris found safe in Surrey

Missing Harrogate teenager Lucy Morris has been found safe and well in Woking town centre, police said this morning.

North Yorkshire Police issued an appeal for information on the whereabouts of Lucy, 17, on Sunday.

It said she was believed to be in Leeds but this morning it said she had been located yesterday evening by Surrey Police.

A statement by North Yorkshire Police added:

“We thank everyone who has supported the appeal. We are very grateful for your help.”

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Harrogate councillor’s third bid for four-bed farmhouse set for approval

A Harrogate councillor will this week make a third attempt to win final approval to build a new countryside home after her previous plans were refused over size concerns.

Margaret Atkinson, a Conservative who represents the Fountains and Ripley ward on Harrogate Borough Council, was granted outline permission for a four-bedroom farmhouse opposite her existing home in Kirkby Malzeard in 2019.

But she has since made two failed attempts to secure a final go-ahead.

Her plans were previously refused because officers said she could not justify why the property needed to be so big.

However, cllr Atkinson has now submitted a scaled-back application, which has been recommended for approval at a meeting on Thursday.

A report to the meeting said the property – which is classed as a farm workers dwelling – had been reduced in size by around 75.5 square metres.

It said:

“The proposed dwelling provides for four-bedroom accommodation as per the previous application but the overall floorspace has been reduced from 276 sq m to 199.5 sq m.

“The revised proposal provides a dwelling that is considered to be of a scale and level of accommodation commensurate with that of an agricultural workers dwelling.”

The report added while the farmhouse was still larger than government’s nationally described space standards, which recommended up to 124 sq m, this was only guidance and the size was justified by the amount of space needed for farm work.

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As well as four bedrooms, cllr Atkinson’s plans also include a living room, dining room, kitchen, sunroom, office, storage space and two-bay carport.

Other reasons for refusal previously given by officers were a negative impact on the surrounding countryside and that the farmhouse would not have been affordable to any future owners because of its size.

The scale and layout of a proposed garden area was also a concern, as well as a lack of “suitable planting species and mix”.

However, the report to Thursday’s meeting said these areas had now been addressed in the new application. It said:

“The overall layout and design of the proposed property is considered to be in keeping with the local area and would not have a detrimental impact on the character and appearance of the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

“The proposed landscaping scheme sets out a clear delineation of the domestic curtilage from the wider landscape and the proposed planting  provides opportunities for biodiversity net gain and a suitable level of screening.”

Kirkby Malzeard, Laverton and Dallowgill Parish Council did not support or object to the latest application, but did ask for reassurances over highway safety, future development on the site and the impact on the countryside.

Missing Lucy: appeal for information about Harrogate teen continues

Police in two counties are still appealing for information on the whereabouts of missing Harrogate teenager Lucy Morris.

North Yorkshire Police issued an appeal on Sunday night, saying Lucy, 17, had not been seen by her family since May 15 and there had been no text messages or social media contact from her since May 22.

The plea led to comments on the force’s Facebook account from people claiming to be friends of Lucy, and even Lucy herself, saying they knew of her whereabouts and that she was fine.

But North Yorkshire Police said this morning:

“The appeal from the weekend is still relevant. There’s nothing further to add at this time.

“As soon as we have an update or a further appeal, it will be released straight away.”

Lucy is described as white, 5ft 3in tall, blue eyes, slim build and she has shoulder-length blonde hair. She has a tattoo on her left hand, which says ‘blessed’.

North Yorkshire Police urged Lucy to “get in touch with the police immediately and let your family know you are safe” and said anyone with information could call 101, select option 1, and speak to the force control room, quoting reference number 12210122535.

Lucy is believed to have gone to Leeds to stay with a friend and North Yorkshire Police said West Yorkshire Police was helping with the missing person investigation.

A West Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said:

“We will support North Yorkshire as much as we can to help locate Lucy.”

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Urgent police appeal to find missing Harrogate teenager

North Yorkshire Police tonight issued an urgent plea for help to find missing Harrogate teenager Lucy Morris.

Lucy, 17, has not been seen  by her family in Harrogate since May 15 when it was believed she was heading to Leeds to stay with a friend.

A police statement said:

“Worryingly, there have been no text messages or social media contact from her since May 22, which is out of character and further raises concerns about her safety.

“Lucy, if you see or hear about this appeal, please get in touch with the police immediately and let your family know you are safe.”

Lucy is described as white, 5ft 3in tall, blue eyes, slim build and she has shoulder-length blonde hair. She has a tattoo on her left hand which says ‘blessed’.

It is not known what clothes she had on when she went missing.

West Yorkshire Police is also assisting the missing person investigation in the Leeds area.

Anyone with information is asked to call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 1, and speak to the force control room, quoting reference number 12210122535.

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Hundreds attend free war graves tours at Harrogate’s Stonefall cemetery

Tours were held throughout the day at Stonefall cemetery in Harrogate yesterday as part of the first war graves week, which was organised by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Stonefall, which has more than 1,000 graves, is one of the largest war grave sites in northern England and one of only five directly maintained by the commission. About two-thirds of the dead are Canadian.

The cemetery was created in 1914 but most burials are airmen who died during the Second World War when bomber command bases were established in Yorkshire.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, Lieutenant colonel Simon Farebrother, commanding officer of the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, Harrogate mayor Trevor Chapman and Johanna Ropner, the Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire were among those attending the tours.

They heard the stories of some of the dead, including Isikeli Komaisavai, 24, believed to be the only Fijian who flew with the British Royal Air Force and two 17-year-old Canadians who lost their lives.

War graves week gave those unable to travel to burial sites in Flanders and Normandy because of covid the opportunity to discover the war heritage on their doorsteps.

It is hoped it will become an annual event.

The commission, which is funded by governments in six Commonwealth countries, maintains more than 12,500 war grave sites in virtually every town and city in the UK.

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To coincide with the week, it launched a postcode search function to enable people to search online for more than 4,000 war dead. It is available here.

Claire Horton, director general of the commission, said:

“By simply entering your postcode on our website you can take the first step towards making a new connection.

“We want people to share the stories they find and download a tribute for the men and women from their communities and display it in their window for War Graves Week.”

Ms Ropner said:

“I would encourage everyone to find out more about the men and women commemorated by CWGC here at Stonefall and indeed around the world.”

Harrogate residents: ‘Act before someone is killed’

Residents near one of the main house-building sites in Harrogate have called for urgent road safety action after a lorry and car collided.

About 600 homes are due to be built near Kingsley Drive and Kingsley Road.

Kingsley Ward Action Group, which campaigns to protect green spaces in the area, is angry because it claims safety fears are being ignored.

A video showing last week’s collision, which led to the car being written off, prompted the group to write to highways authority North Yorkshire County Council.

The email said:

“We have repeatedly stated that Kingsley Road is not suitable for this type of heavy construction traffic.

“Only luck prevented this being even worse and watching the video should make you grateful you don’t have to risk living on this road.”

The council’s response, seen by the Stray Ferret, says extra traffic is “unavoidable” when developments are being built.

The council added it would “ensure that the concerns of Kingsley Ward Action Group are made known to the housing developers that are currently using hauliers for the movement of bulk materials” but the lack of specific measures has angered the group.

It replied:

“Your response to our grave concerns backed up with hard video proof does not fill us with confidence that you are in fact acting in our interests at all.

“There is a clear danger here.

“From the response we have had to this near tragic incident it is clear only a multiple fatality will actually have any impact on the current truck activity.”

John Hansard, a member of the group, told the Stray Ferret it wanted the council to enforce a 20mph speed limit for site traffic and take tough action against lorries with uncovered loads.

Emily Mellalieu, development management team leader at the council, told the Stray Ferret:

“We are conscious of the disruption to residents that inevitably accompanies large-scale residential development such as that in the Kingsley/Bogs Lane area.

“We are liaising with housing developers in the Kingsley Farm area about the impact of their operations and complaints received from residents, councillors and action groups.

“At all times, we place the highest priority on road safety.

“Concerns raised recently have been forwarded to the developers for their attention and we will continue to work with the developers to ensure operations are undertaken as efficiently and safely as possible.

“The developer was required as part of the planning process to produce a construction management plan to mitigate the impact of its operations.”

Two more Harrogate schools report strangers harassing children

Parents are being urged to be vigilant after two more schools in the Harrogate district reported recent incidents of children being harassed on the way home.

Police revealed yesterday that an 11-year-old girl was sexually assaulted while walking home from school at the junction of King’s Road and Chatsworth Grove in Harrogate on Tuesday.

The girl, whose school has not been revealed, was upset and shaken by the incident.

It has since emerged that a man in his early 20s chased year seven pupils on their way home from Harrogate High School last night.

The pupils, who were walking on Skipton Road, hid and the man ran past.

Lucy Greenwood, head of school at Harrogate High School, wrote to parents last night alerting them to the news. Her message said:

“It is worth reminding your children to be extra vigilant and to make their way directly home.

“We have reported the incident to the police and we will be making all students in school aware and to remind them to be extra vigilant on their way home.”

A school spokeswoman told the Stray Ferret the incident happened shortly after 2.25pm.

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Willow Tree Community Primary School has also reported two incidents to police that occurred late last week.

One involved a man dressed in black following people home and another involved a black Jeep driving backwards and forwards past a small group of pupils travelling to and from school.

Helen Davey, headteacher of Willow Tree Community Primary School, wrote to parents:

“I have been in touch with the police today to get further information about their response to this.

“They  have asked that anyone who is concerned that they have seen something suspicious should ring 101.

“Although they are able to have officers in the area, anything of concern should be reported so they can build a picture of what is happening.”

Ms Davey told the Stray Ferret the incidents took place in a ginnel near Saint Andrew’s Road at the back of the school.

“It’s a shock and a bit of a wake-up call.”

She added she did not know if there was any link between all the reported incidents.

Police advice

North Yorkshire Police has not issued any further updates and did not say whether it believed the incidents were linked.

Sergeant Alex Sellars from the Harrogate Neighbourhood Policing Team said yesterday that “incidents of this nature are rare in North Yorkshire”.

Sergeant Sellars added:

“There are some very simple steps that we can all take to help us feel safer when we’re walking home, such as walking in a group or with a friend, letting someone know what route you’ll be taking, when you are leaving somewhere and when you expect to be home and walk along main routes and well-lit areas.

“Please be assured that we take reports of this nature very seriously and our officers are committed to ensuring public safety.”

Girl, 11, sexually assaulted walking home from school on busy Harrogate street

Police are appealing for witnesses after an 11-year-old girl was sexually assaulted on Harrogate’s King’s Road on Tuesday.

The victim, an 11-year-old girl, was making her way home from school at about 3.15pm.

As she approached the junction with Chatsworth Grove, a man approached from behind and placed one hand on her hip and another hand on her waist and made a sexually inappropriate comment to her.

The girl ran away and arrived home upset and shaken.

It occurred just a day after a woman died suddenly in a similar location on King’s Road.

North Yorkshire Police described the girl’s attacker as white, in his 40s, around 5ft 8 with dark, greying hair that was short on one side but longer on the other.

He also has a distinctive mole above his right eyebrow.

He was wearing a red jumper, khaki coloured trousers and black Nike trainers with white laces. The girl said he had a rough Yorkshire accent.

‘Disturbing but rare incident’

Speaking about the incident, Sergeant Alex Sellars, from the Harrogate Neighbourhood Policing Team said;

“This is a disturbing incident which has understandably left the victim very shaken and upset.

“She has been incredibly brave when speaking to police and has been able to give us a detailed description of the man who approached her. Officers will be conducting further enquiries in the area, but we would appreciate the public’s assistance in helping us to identifying this man.

“With the incident taking place at the end of the school day, the area would have been busy with parents and children making their way home. If you were passing on the school run, please can you take a moment to recall your journey, or check your car dash-cams – did you see a man in the area who fits the description? If so, please do get in touch with us.”

Sergeant Sellars added incidents like this were “rare in North Yorkshire”, adding:

“Please be assured that we take reports of this nature very seriously and our officers are committed to ensuring public safety.”

Police said in a statement they were keen to speak to anyone who was in the area of Kings Road and Chatsworth Grove at 3.15pm who may have witnessed the incident, or anyone who recognises the description of the man.

Anyone with information can dial 101, select option 2 and speak to the force control room quoting reference 12210125274.

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Sing it loud! Knaresborough choir returns tomorrow night

A Knaresborough community choir will sing live for the first time this year tomorrow night after making last minute arrangements to beat new lockdown rules.

Numerous choirs in the Harrogate district were looking forward to meeting face-to-face again after restrictions eased on May 17.

But government guidance changed at the last minute to say amateur choirs in England could only gather in groups of up to six people indoors.

Knot Another Choir in Knaresborough, which has up to 80 singers in normal times performing pop songs from the 1960s onwards, was faced with having to cancel its return to the town’s Trinity Church Hall after months of Zoom singing.

But after some frantic calls around the district, Julie Bradbury-Sharp, a trustee of the choir and its events coordinator, managed to secure the use of a marquee at Harrogate Railway Athletic FC‘s ground, which is classed as outdoors and therefore able to accommodate the group.

Craig Lees, Knot Another Choir

Craig Lees, Knot Another Choir’s musical director.

Ms Bradbury-Sharp said:

“When I discovered the rules had changed I wanted to cry. I felt so upset, not only for myself but for members as well.

“It’s uplifting to sing in a choir. Not being able to do so has mental health implications — some people who come live on their own and love singing in the choir.

“I’m just over the moon that we are back.”

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Ms Bradbury-Sharp alerted Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones to the plight of choirs.

Mr Jones raised the issue in a parliamentary debate about covid yesterday, urging the government to resume as soon as possible “indoor gatherings for groups such as community choirs, and other events that bring people together”.

The first song on Knot Another Choir’s list for tomorrow night is Simply the Best by Tina Turner. Ms Bradbury-Sharp said:

“It’s a rousing song to let everybody know we are back!”