John Plummer, Author at The Stray Ferret

Fine people who flout covid travel rules, says North Yorkshire MP

A North Yorkshire MP has called on police to fine people who flout covid travel rules.

Kevin Hollinrake said many people in tier three areas had travelled to lower tiers because of the “greater freedoms”.

North Yorkshire moved from tier two to tier three today amid rising infection rates.

It is believed people in higher tier areas, such as Leeds, frequently travelled to the Harrogate district’s pubs and restaurants, which were still open until today.

Mr Hollinrake, the Conservative MP for Thirsk and Malton, said this movement of people had increased the spread of the virus.

He told the House of Commons yesterday:

“We would definitely want to move travel restrictions from guidance to being an offence.

“That would prevent a lot of the travel we are seeing, with many people moving from different parts of the country into our area, which is increasing infection rates.

“When the police have used their powers in terms of mixing within hospitality venues or households, that has been very effective, and the word has gone round quickly.

“It would have a similar effect if we started to fine people for travelling without good cause.”

Mr Hollinrake reiterated his call for the government to consider applying different tier restrictions to different districts in North Yorkshire. He said:

“North Yorkshire is a huge place: our districts are the size of counties in other parts of the country.

“Putting a huge county such as North Yorkshire into one tier masks huge differences in the infection rate among districts.

“Some districts have an infection rate that is two or three times that in other districts, so it is possible that some of our districts should be in a higher tier and some in a lower tier. We should consider that.”

Mr Hollinrake also called for grants to businesses forced to close to be increased.

Two people found dead in Pateley Bridge

The bodies of a man and a woman have been found at a property in Pateley Bridge.

North Yorkshire Police discovered the bodies at 1.30pm yesterday after being contacted by a concerned member of the public.

Officers entered the property at Blazefield and found the deceased man and woman, who were both in their 70s.

No further details, including names, are available yet.

A North Yorkshire Police statement said:

“Enquiries are being conducted and specially trained officers remain working at the scene, in order to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.”

Biggest daily covid increase in Harrogate district for 6 weeks

Another 53 people in the Harrogate district have tested positive for coronavirus — the largest daily increase for six weeks.

Today’s figure from Public Health England is the highest since November 16, when 69 infections were recorded.

The highest figure since the start of the pandemic remains 95 on November 9, shortly after the second lockdown began.

In another worrying development, the district’s R number has increased again from 1.1 to 1.2, which means every 10 people infected will pass the virus on to another 12.

Read more:

The seven-day rate of infection for the district has risen to 126 people per 100,000. It remains the lowest in North Yorkshire.

The county average is 189 and the England average is 387.

The news comes on the day North Yorkshire moved into tier three restrictions, forcing the closure of all pubs and restaurants, except for takeaways.

Weather warning issued for Harrogate district tonight

The Met Office has issued a weather warning for snow and ice in the Harrogate district from 6pm tonight until 2pm tomorrow.

A yellow warning is in place, which is less severe than amber and red warnings, but nevertheless has potential for disruption.

Temperatures are forecast to fall as low as minus three degrees centigrade, causing widespread frost.

Some wintry showers, including snow, are also forecast — but conditions are unlikely to be anywhere near as bad as they were on Boxing Day evening when the A59 at Blubberhouses and Kex Gill, and nearby roads, were treacherous.

The cold snap is expected to continue into 2021, with temperatures not set to rise above five degrees centigrade at all in the next fortnight.

However, no significant snow showers are forecast after tomorrow.

Do you recognise these people? Police issue plea for help

North Yorkshire Police has appealed for help identifying three people who may have information about the theft of scratch cards in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

The force issued a statement today saying it was investigating ‘several incidents’ of stolen scratch cards in October, November and December.

The incidents involved two men and a woman and occurred in stores in Harrogate, Knaresborough, York and Northallerton. The statement added:

“Officers are asking members of the public to get in touch if they recognise the people in the images as they believe they will have information that will help the investigation.”

Anyone with any information can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Lucy Tate or email lucy.tate@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Quote reference number 12200197512.

NHS insists Harrogate Nightingale ‘can take patients if required’

The NHS has insisted the Harrogate Nightingale hospital is able to take patients despite concerns it lacks the capacity to do so.

Many people are wondering why the building remains on standby at a time when the new mutant strain of covid has sent infections soaring and put tremendous strain on hospitals.

A record 53,000 people were confirmed to have covid yesterday and hospital admissions have surpassed the peak of the first wave.

The Health Service Journal even reported yesterday there were plans to transfer patients from overloaded London hospitals to Yorkshire.

But the Harrogate Nightingale, which was set up at the town’s convention centre at breakneck speed in spring for covid patients in Yorkshire and the Humber, has yet to treat a single person with coronavirus. It has been used for CT scans.

Ripon peer Lord Newby, the Liberal Democrats leader in the House of Lords, has said the Nightingale “simply does not have the staff available to allow it to operate safely”.

Conservative MP John Redwood has called for ministers to explain why they are not using the Nightingales.

The NHS has repeatedly declined to issue more than a brief statement in response to questions from the Stray Ferret about the Nightingale or requests for interviews.

It did so again yesterday when we asked if there were still plans to use the hospital, particularly in light of reports that the London Nightingale was being dismantled.

A spokesperson for the NHS in the north east and Yorkshire said:

“The Nightingale hospitals in the north east and Yorkshire has been running a clinical imaging service since June with more than 3,000 patients receiving a diagnostic test or CT scan, and can take patients if required.”

Tier review: Harrogate district set for tougher restrictions

The Harrogate district looks set to move to a higher tier, and possibly even tier four, following a flurry of developments this afternoon.

Sharon Stolz, director of public health at City of York Council, told ITV News it was “inevitable” the city would face tougher restrictions in the coming days.

Any changes affecting York would also apply to the Harrogate district unless the government changes its policy of maintaining the same tier level across North Yorkshire.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock is due to announce the outcome of the latest tier review tomorrow afternoon.

North Yorkshire is in tier two but Ms Stolz said this was “no longer sufficient to contain the spread of the virus”.

She said although the city had not seen large outbreaks yet, the numbers were creeping up.

Her comments came on the day the R number for the Harrogate district rose above one for the first time in over a month.

Ms Stolz added:

“Without some additional restrictions coming in, my worry is that we will just see the virus spread and we will start to see large outbreaks.

“So I think it is inevitable there will be some announcement tomorrow of additional restrictions for York.”

Also today, Kevin Hollinrake, the Conservative MP for Thirsk and Malton said he still wanted a “super local approach” that would allow some parts of the county to stay in tier two but added:

“Regrettably, I think we can reasonably expect York and North Yorkshire to enter a higher tier in the next few days, my best guess being the early hours of New Year’s Day.

“In terms of which tier, it appears that infection rates are not dropping significantly in those areas currently under tier three restrictions.

“My view then, and I speak as the parent of a child taking their A levels this year, I would prefer a shorter, sharper, shock with wider closure of the economy together with extended financial support for businesses and with schools providing a full timetable on an online-only basis until the end of January.

“At that point, with vaccinations starting to have meaningful effect we should be through the worst of this desperately damaging crisis.”

Mr Hollinrake’s comments came after a call today with North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which represents groups fighting covid in the county.

The forum has called an urgent media briefing for tomorrow amid growing speculation of a change of tier.

Nellie turns 105 – is she Harrogate district’s oldest person?

A Killinghall care home resident celebrated her 105th birthday yesterday with a giant cake and more than 300 cards.

Nellie Prince, who was born during the First World War in 1915 and lived independently until the age of 103, now lives at Westfield House Care Home.

She is the home’s oldest resident, and her milestone has prompted debate about whether she is the oldest person in the Harrogate district.

Leah Dodd, the manager’s assistant at the home, came up with the idea of getting 105 cards for Nellie’s 105th birthday and approached the local primary school and community groups to make or send cards.

Her appeal caught the imagination and even appeared internationally, which led to more than 300 cards from places as far away as Canada and Malibu.

Leah, an expert cake maker, also made the huge cake for Nellie’s big day.

Nellie was born in Leeds but moved to New Zealand as a young child.

She returned to the UK when she was 14 and worked as a housekeeper until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 when she helped the war effort by making ammunition.

Nellie, who has never married, had various jobs after the war until she retired aged 60, which incredibly is 45 years ago.

Some of Nellie’s birthday cards.

Her earliest memory is of her and a friend, who were both poor eaters, being fed by her mum. The only way her mum could get them to eat was by saying, “one for Nellie, one for Stanley”.

Her secret of a long life? Good food and “no takeaway rubbish”!

Treacherous conditions on A59 near Harrogate

Reports are coming in of dire driving conditions on the A59 Skipton Road, just a few miles from Harrogate.

Heavy snow has fallen and some vehicles have had to be rescued. A lorry also got stuck.

With sub-zero temperatures forecast tonight, the outlook is unlikely to improve overnight. Indeed, the combination of ice and snow could make matters even worse.

The A59 tonight. Credit: North Yorkshire Weather Updates

The North Yorkshire Weather Updates social media pages have been showing numerous videos and photographs of hazardous conditions, particularly around Blubberhouses and Kex Gill.

Storm Bella brought widespread flooding to the district today also.

Be careful and let us know if you have got caught up in the travel chaos.

Homes in Masham and Pannal in peril as flooding strikes

Emergency teams have been summoned to a home that flooded in Pannal as the Harrogate district wakes up to the effects of Storm Bella.

Property, roads and farmland around the Harrogate district have felt the brunt of a night of strong winds and heavy rain and alerts remain in place.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said in a statement a crew responded to reports of flooding in a basement property in Pannal at 00.26am this morning.

The statement added water was pumped away from an electric switchboard and sandbags were requested from Harrogate Borough Council.

The emergency planning team at Harrogate Borough Council, which responds to serious incidents, tweeted at about 4am:

“Following a call from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue our team have deployed to Pannal to protect a property at imminent risk of flooding.”

No further details are available.

Flood warnings are in place on the rivers Nidd and Ure as well as at Swinney Beck in Masham.

Swinney Beck is a particular area of concern: the government’s flood informations service tweeted just before midnight that properties along Westholme Road in Masham were most at risk. It added:

“Please activate any property flood protection products you may have, such as flood barriers and air brick covers and stay away from fast moving water.”

The flood information service also issued a flood warning for the River Nidd at Low Laithe overnight

“The level of the River Nidd at Pateley Bridge is rising due to persistent rain through the night. Levels are forecast to reach 1.5 metres around 03:00 and will continue to rise until around 06:00 on Sunday morning when the peak at Pateley Bridge is expected to be below 2 metres.

“The B6165 is expected to flood at this level. We are monitoring the situation closely and will update this message on Sunday morning or as the situation changes.”

A flood warning is also in place for the upper River Nidd around Pateley Bridge, with the flood information service advising motorists to plan driving routes to avoid low lying roads near rivers.

Roecliffe caravan park, near the River Ure, is also subject to a flood warning, River levels are expected to rise until mid-afternoon and people are being warned to stay away from fast flowing water.

Nationally, 181 flood alerts and 105 flood warnings are in place.