59 care home residents and staff vaccinated in 45 minutes

Fifty-nine residents and staff at a charity-run Harrogate care home have received covid inoculations in just 45 minutes.

Disability Action Yorkshire’s Claro Road home, which has 20 residents, were given the Oxford vaccine. Three staff declined it.

Jackie Snape, chief executive of Disability Action Yorkshire, said there was a ‘party atmosphere’ during the session, adding:

“This is the first stage in getting back to some form of normality and I’m happy to say the light at the end of the tunnel has just got a little bit brighter.

“Many of our customers have been isolating for almost a year and it’s not been easy for them, their family and friends.”

The home, which cares for younger adults with physical disabilities, has only allowed window visits since November.

The jabs took place 10 days ago and the window visiting policy remains in place.

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Ms Snape said:

“Despite the vaccinations, we won’t be taking any undue and unnecessary risks.

“We will continue to follow guidelines and only begin to relax when we are told we can do, and ultimately feel safe to do so.”

Amanda Bloor, accountable officer at North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, told a press briefing today that just one care home in North Yorkshire and York had not had residents vaccinated. This was due to an ongoing outbreak, she added.

 

Six covid deaths at Killinghall nursing home

A Killinghall nursing home has confirmed it suffered six covid-related deaths in the final fortnight of January.

Westfield House Nursing Home remained almost covid-free until the new fast-acting strain struck around Christmas.

The outbreak had a devastating impact on residents and staff, culminating in the recent spate of deaths.

Many other care homes have also been badly affected by covid in recent weeks.

Tracey Holroyd, chairman of Warmest Welcome, which owns Westfield House and eight other homes, including The Crest Care Home in Harrogate, said:

“We have had six deaths that appeared to be related to covid since January 17.

“We now have just one resident who has to finish the remainder of their isolation period, which ends tomorrow.

‘Currently we don’t have any residents who are ill — or more ill than one would expect given that they already require 24-hour nursing care.

“The staff are all now back to work with the exception of the last two, who will be returning to work on February 5.”

Ms Holroyd said all residents and staff at Westfield able to have covid inoculations had now done so.

But the recent outbreak of the virus has meant delaying jabs for some people.

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‘Snow by dawn’ – Met Office warns of travel disruption

After one of the coldest Januarys of recent years in the Harrogate district, February is set to usher in more snow.

A Met Office weather warning for snow and ice is in force from 10pm tonight until 23.59pm tomorrow.

Snow is due to start falling in the Harrogate district at about 4am and is expected to last until afternoon, when it turns to rain.

The Met Office says the conditions are likely to lead to ‘difficult travelling conditions’.

The Stray Ferret will keep readers up to date with the latest weather and travel news tomorrow.

The covid vaccination sites in Harrogate and Ripon have already postponed morning appointments in anticipation of difficult travel conditions.

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Some schools have also warned parents their plans to open on time may be affected.

The temperature did not rise into double figures at all in Harrogate during January.

Judging by the two-week forecast, that may not change for the first half of February at least.

Send us your weather updates and images tomorrow to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Man charged with murder of 22-year-old Harrogate woman

A man has been charged with the murder of former Ashville College student Anna Reed.

Ms Reed, 22, was found strangled in her bed in a Swiss hotel in April 2019.

The Sunday Times reported last weekend that Marc Schatzle, a German traveller, has been accused of murder, fraud and theft.

It is believed Mr Schatzle met Ms Reed when she was travelling around the world as a 21st birthday present from her father, Clive, a Harrogate racehorse breeder.

They are thought to have been dating for several months.

A spokesman for the Swiss prosecutors office said:

“He is accused of intentional homicide, theft, fraud and drug offences.

“Covid permitting, he will go on trial later this year.”

A spokeswoman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said:

“Our consular staff are assisting the family of a British woman following her death in Switzerland, and are in contact with the Swiss and UK police.”

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Harrogate cub scout leader jailed for stalking

A former scout leader and rugby player from Harrogate who stalked a woman and sent her bloodstained letters has been jailed for over three years.

Ian Binns, 46, followed his ex-partner in the street, drove past her home “shouting and screaming”, bombarded her with phone calls and text messages, and posted her “begging” letters smeared with his own blood, York Crown Court heard.

On one occasion, the former Harrogate Pythons and Harrogate RUFC player doused himself in fuel — thought to be petrol — and tried to set himself alight in front of the petrified woman, said prosecutor Michael Bosomworth.

In another incident, he threw a bloodstained letter at her in the street.

Binns, who was once a cub leader in the 3rd Harrogate Scout Group, was “obsessed” with the woman and couldn’t accept the end of their on-off, six-year relationship, added Mr Bosomworth.

The victim, who was named in court, ultimately ended the relationship just before going on holiday in September last year because she had “had enough” of his obsessiveness and aggression towards her. Mr Bosomworth said:

“When she returned from holiday, he was waiting for her in his car at the end of the road.

“He walked towards her; she told him to go away. There was a physical altercation.”

Bloodstained letters

Binns, of Woodfield Road, Harrogate, returned to the victim’s home in Harrogate the following day, on the pretext of collecting his belongings, and when she tried to close the door on him, he forced his way in, resulting in another “altercation”. Mr Bosomworth added:

“There then followed a series of (phone) calls and letters.”

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In the letters, Binns would “express his love” for the woman and wrote offensive things about another man with whom she had been in an on-off relationship, saying he “wanted him dead”.

In the stained letters, Binns told the victim, “I’m not worth anything. You know I can’t cope”.

Binns, a grandfather who worked as a self-employed electrical engineer, started bombarding her with Facebook messages and unanswered phone calls. He made 53 calls alone while she was on holiday. Mr Bosomworth said:

“When she (asked) him not to send her any more letters or contact her on Facebook…he took to putting notes through her letterbox.

“A number of (the letters) were bloodstained. The defendant was effectively threatening to kill himself.”

Followed in street

He said the rugby forward would follow the victim in the street — in some cases right up to her door.

In one incident, he cut his arm with a knife and grabbed her arm, trying to smear blood all over her. The victim cut her finger during the struggle. Mr Bosomworth said:

“He said, ‘My blood is on your hands.’

“In one incident in the street, (Binns) had a bottle of petrol or some kind of fuel.

“He drank some then poured it over his stomach and set it alight. She tried to put it out.

“He said, ‘What does it matter? It doesn’t matter anymore.’”

In a separate incident, Binns — whom the victim described as “reckless, irrational, dangerous and unstable” — walked up to her and pushed her to the ground. She suffered a scraped elbow.

She eventually reported Binns to police and he was duly arrested. He was charged with harassment, or stalking, which caused fear of violence.

He admitted the charge and appeared for sentence via video link on Thursday after being remanded in custody.

Hid in gardens

The court heard that the victim, who had ended the relationship once before, in 2017, only for it to be rekindled, had kept a typed diary of the harrowing events and the “self-pitying” letters sent to her. Mr Bosomworth said:

“He was threatening to harm himself or even to commit suicide and (was) making her feel she was responsible for that.

“The worrying feature is the repetitive nature of (the letters) and the number of times he is driving past her, following her and (he is) clearly, completely obsessed with her.”

The victim said she was still terrified and “hyper aware” when out in public despite Binns having been remanded in jail.

She said she used to “hide in people’s gardens so he couldn’t see me”, adding:

“He used to wait at the end of my street for me; he used to frighten me.

“He would get out of his van and shout at me. He was so angry.”

She said she was “very distressed” and had had “nightmares… about being chased, attacked, murdered”. She added:

“I’ve sadly come to terms with the fact that this is now my life; it will always be there.”

‘Outside normal behaviour’

Defence barrister Robert Mochrie said Binns had “certain” mental health issues and was taking tranquilizers at the time of the offences, but his stalking campaign was “so extreme that it is (outside) normal human behaviour”.

Recorder Alex Menary described Binns’ offending between September and December last year as “disturbing, inexplicable (and) extreme” for a man who had previously led a relatively blame-free life and volunteered for the Scouts.

He said the stalking campaign had had a “devastating” effect on the victim.

Binns was jailed for three years and four months and made subject to a lifetime restraining order, which bans him contacting the victim or going anywhere near her home.

Harrogate Gift Card enjoys record month

Harrogate Gift Card enjoyed its best-ever month in December, as 392 cards were bought with a combined value of £17,200.

The cards, which can be pre-loaded with any value up to £500, are redeemable at more than 90 town centre shops, restaurants, bars, cafes, businesses and attractions.

Participating businesses include Bettys, Crown Jewellers, Dizzy Duck, Harrogate Theatre, Yorkshire Farmers Meat Co, Rhodes Wood and Blamey’s Florists.

The initiative, which is free for businesses to sign up to, ensures that every £1 pre-loaded onto a card stays within the local economy.

Sara Ferguson, chair of Harrogate Business Improvement District, said many people regarded its card as an ideal Christmas present. She added:

“It was also particularly pleasing to note that a number of businesses and organisations bought cards as gifts for employees and clients.

“The biggest single transaction recoded at the beginning of the month was for 50 cards!

“The BID’s remit is to increase footfall, spend and dwell time within Harrogate town centre, and the Harrogate Gift Card is one such initiative helping us support our high street.

More information on the Harrogate Gift Card, which during lockdown can only be purchased online, is available here.

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Have you seen our Shop Local section? You can shop online and continue to support Harrogate businesses during lockdown. Click here to find out more.

Boroughbridge boys cure lockdown blues by litter-picking

Two boys from Boroughbridge have found a way to stay active during lockdown while helping their community by litter-picking.

Gregory Bishop, 11 and brother Christopher, nine, were undeterred after a village litter-pick was cancelled due to covid.

Fed up seeing rubbish in their neighbourhood, they kept asking to go out and clean up.

This week they went to a stretch of Bar Lane and collected eight bin bags worth of litter.

Their efforts have been praised by the parish council.

Dad Laurence Bishop said:

“We are proud of them. They take a lot of pride in the area and environment and are disgusted by the litter that some local businesses take no responsibility for.
“We are planning another litter-pick this weekend.”

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Harrogate park and ride could be built in Pannal

Two locations in Pannal have been identified as sites for a new Harrogate park and ride bus service.

A park and ride is among measures proposed by North Yorkshire County Council to reduce traffic and ease congestion around Harrogate.

Other schemes include a Killinghall bypass, new cycle paths and traffic calming in Bilton.

Land near Pannal Golf Club and land near Buttersyke Bar roundabout south of Pannal have been chosen as park and ride sites.

County councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said a key factor was the sites’ location on the 36 bus route that runs regularly between Leeds, Harrogate and Ripon. He said:

“One of the great costs of a park and ride is the shuttle bus, which would have to be contracted out.

“If you can tie it in with a scheduled service it would mean you could avoid this cost.”

Pannal is about three miles from Harrogate. Cllr Mackenzie said a more central location might not work as well because if motorists had to battle through town centre traffic to get to the park and ride they might not think the service was worth bothering with and park in town instead.

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Cllr Mackenzie said the park and ride idea “could happen fairly quickly” depending on developments.

It is one of the main projects in the council’s Harrogate transport improvement programme.

Perhaps the programme’s most ambitious and controversial proposal is for a Killinghall bypass.

Cllr Mackenzie said the likely route would be from the Old Spring Well pub on the A59 and then south and east of Killinghall to join the A61 at the roundabout in Ripley that goes to Pateley Bridge and Ripon.

It would not touch the western side, where the Nidderdale Greenway is located, he added.

Nazi swastikas sprayed on Harrogate homes and car

Nazi swastikas have been spray painted on two homes in Harrogate.

Police say the incidents caused “considerable distress” and are appealing for anyone with CCTV footage to come forward.

The damage occurred on Bilton Lane in Bilton and Trefoil Drive in Jennyfields between 8pm on Sunday and 11am on Monday.

Nazi Germany adopted the swastika flag in the 1930s.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement this morning a front door and a garage door were sprayed painted. It added:

“The victims cars were also damaged, one with a swastika, the other with a red line.

“This is an abhorrent image and one that has caused the victims considerable distress.

“Officers are requesting your help and are appealing to anyone who has any information, in particular anyone on the two roads that might have doorbell or household CCTV cameras, to contact the police.”

Anyone with information can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Jonathan Cleary. You can also email Jonathan.cleary@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12210038263 or 12210039205.

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Harrogate police officer’s ‘overwhelming pain’ after ankle fracture assault

A Harrogate police officer has described how he lay in “overwhelming pain” after being assaulted so badly he couldn’t work for six months.

Traffic Constable David Minto suffered fractures and extensive ligament damage to his lower leg when he was attacked by Harrogate man Shane Povey.

TC Minto was attending a report of antisocial behaviour when Povey became aggressive. A tussle followed, and he grappled TC Minto to the floor, twisting his leg. TC Minto said:

“As soon as I went down I knew straight away that my ankle was done in.

“The initial pain was overwhelming. The first 10 or 15 seconds, everything went dark. After a while, I managed to crawl from the road to the path.”

As he crawled to safety, other officers arrested Povey.

David Minto recovering in hospital.

TC Minto, who works in the roads policing group, was taken to hospital where he was treated for a complicated ankle fracture with extensive ligament damage, which had to be pinned.

‘You feel cheated’

He spent one-and-a-half months on crutches with his leg in plaster, then the same time again in a supportive leg brace. He said:

“It was frustrating to not being able to contribute at home, or even move around the house properly.

“I missed out on things I should have been doing with my son and with my family. It’s time that I can never get back. You feel a bit cheated.”

Povey, 38, of Dene Park, Harrogate, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison.

He was convicted of grievous bodily harm against TC Minto, and also the harassment of a woman and possessing a weapon, which accounted for a longer sentence. He received a 10-year restraining order for the harassment.

Shane Povey

The attack took place on 31 July 2019. TC Minto returned to work in January last year on restricted duties until April.

Assaults on police up 45 per cent

Official figures show that in the six months to the end of January 2020, North Yorkshire Police made 104 arrests following assaults against emergency services workers.

But in the same period to late January 2021, 150 arrests were made – an increase of 45%.

TC Minto said:

“It has a psychological impact on you as well as a physical one.

“But you’ve got to get back to work and get on with it. The support returning to work has been great.

“Ultimately, my passion is road safety. I come into work to keep people safe. You’re aware that you can go home having potentially saved someone’s life. Most people you deal with are decent people.

“But I think there is a mindset among some of the public that police officers have to take the risks, and that’s just part of the job.”

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North Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Lisa Winward said:

“The attack against TC Minto was deplorable, and although he has now returned to the frontline after a long period of recovery, the impact on him and his family as a result of this assault was immeasurable.

“I have been saddened to see such a shocking rise in assaults over the last year. TC Minto, along with all the officers and staff across North Yorkshire Police go to work each day to protect the public and to serve the communities of North Yorkshire, and any assault against them is unacceptable.”

North Yorkshire Police figures show that in the last month, 36 arrests have been made following assaults on emergency service personnel – an average of more than one a day.