A 19-year-old male from Harrogate appeared in court on Saturday less than 24 hours after being arrested on suspicion of possessing crack cocaine with intent to supply.

North Yorkshire Police’s Operation Expedite team, which tackles county lines drug crime, arrested the man on Cheltenham Mount, Harrogate on Friday morning.

Officers chased the male on foot after suspecting a drug deal was taking place.

A quantity of suspected crack cocaine was seized by officers.

The 19-year-old was charged with possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply and remanded in custody.

On Saturday morning, he appeared at York Magistrates’ Court (sitting in Leeds). The case has been sent for trial on November 9.

Read more:

• A suspected stabbing left a man with a punctured lung but the attacker was spared from prison. 
• The police said the stabbing on Harcourt Drive, Harrogate, is “not suspicious”. 

The police said typical signs of cuckooing – drug dealers taking over a vulnerable person’s home to sell and store drugs – are:

• Increased callers and cars at the property
• Increased antisocial behaviour at a property
• Not seeing the resident for long periods of time

Signs that a young person may be being exploited, include:

• Frequently going missing from school or home
• Unexplained money, clothes, or mobile phones
• Carrying weapons
• Significant decline in school results / performance
• Significant changes in emotional well-being

If anyone has any information, they can call North Yorkshire Police on 101. To remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

North Yorkshire County Council has organised several events and launched a new app as part of Libraries Week, which began today.

The app enables library members to view their account, search the library catalogue and reserve and renew books, as well as download e-books and e-audio books.

The week, which promotes libraries, also includes online events and activities.

Despite library closures due to Covid, about 3,000 people joined the library service over lockdown and there was a big increase in the number of e-books and e-audio books borrowed.

In the Harrogate district, the community library in Bilton and the main Harrogate library are offering virtual story tellings on Facebook this week.

Four authors and the poet, Andy Croft, are holding virtual events for North Yorkshire residents.

To find the event schedule, click here.

Bilton and Woodfield Community Library is among the libraries taking part.

Harrogate library is also holding a superhero competition for families. Craft packs can be collected from the library by families and once completed their superhero will go on display in the library.

Read more:

• The home library service offered comfort and a pass time for those isolating through lockdown. 
• The proceeds from Summerbridge author’s first book will be donated to Yorkshire charity. 

Greg White, the county council’s executive member for libraries, said:

“Nowadays, many customers expect services to be available easily on their phone. This app aims to meet those expectations.

“You’ll be able to find a local library, check its opening hours and check whether a book you’re looking for is there.”

Libraries are open to the public but each one has a limited capacity to ensure social distancing.

As well as wearing a mask, visitors are asked to limit their visit to 20 minutes.

After 40 years in Masham’s market place, a women’s clothing store has closed its doors for good after failing to find a buyer.

Through The Looking Glass, which was known for its womenswear and window displays, closed last week.

Owner Linda Burrows, said Through The Looking Glass had been a Masham institution for decades.

But she added potential buyers had lost interest since the coronavirus pandemic.

Ms Burrows took over the business in May 2007 and had hoped to sell prior to retirement.

But after closing the shop for three months during lockdown, the remaining stock was sold at discounted rates.

She said:

“Just before Christmas I decided to retire, I was quite confident I could sell it as a business. People did show interest but as Covid kicked in no-one was interested.

“I was really living the dream. As a child I always wanted to own a dress shop. It was also a calling place for people to bob in for a chat.”

Many customers have told Ms Burrows they will miss visiting the shop.

Ms Burrows plans to enjoy retirement with her husband and family.

She added:

“It is very sad it has closed because Masham and Through The Looking Glass went together.”

Read more:

• Pateley Bridge shop owners have a positive outlook following lockdown. 
• New clothing shop opens in Knaresborough this month. 

She suspects more shops will go online or be forced to close following the pandemic. She added:

“It’s the not knowing. Anyone thinking of starting something up new doesn’t know how things are going to be going forward.”

Knaresborough Chamber of Trade is finding new ways to bring the Christmas spirit into the town following the cancellation of the Christmas market.

The chamber has said it will be subsidising the price businesses pay for Christmas trees. Each year shops and businesses have trees mounted onto their buildings to light up the town.

This year the Chamber is putting forward £500 to cover some of the costs each shop pays for the trees. Members will get their trees at less than the cost price to help after a particularly difficult year.

Following the cancellation of the Christmas market by North Yorkshire County Council the chamber is in talks with other community groups about the options for its annual Christmas tree festival.

President of the chamber, Steve Teggin, said:

“The Chamber continues to work with the business community to provide help and assistance on the changing regulations. We are working to improve confidence to businesses, residents and visitors alike in the coming months to minimise the impact on trading conditions in the town.”

The chamber is still proudly promoting its #shoplocal #staysafe message as more new businesses open in the town and the Wednesday market continues to bring in new visitors.

The Christmas tree festival is one of the community events the chamber is hoping to support to encourage Christmas spirit within a year like none the town has experienced before. Credit: Charlotte Gale Photography

Read more:

• Harrogate BID is in charges of the town’s Christmas lights this year and promises they will be brighter and better. 
• Ripon City Council is set to spend £65,000 on the city’s Christmas lights and decorations. 

It is also looking ahead to next year to plans for a business improvement district (BID) project to launch.

Mr Teggin added:

“This will benefit Knaresborough for years to come. Although this will not be operational until 2021 there is already some great support for the project and some interesting ideas to support Knaresborough well into the future.”

A new shop is opening on Knaresborough’s high street this month.

The Clothing Store of Knaresborough will open on October 24 at 58 High Street.

Its owner says the store will “cater for everyone” by offering clothing in sizes eight to 32.

Coronavirus forced high streets to close down, but since shops have reopened a number of businesses have opened up for the first time in the town.

Owner Rebecca Lombardi said:

“I’ve been selling online for quite a while and I really liked the town and the people so it seemed right.

“Obviously it looks like the scariest time to launch something but it’s really important people do things like this because the high streets are impacted otherwise. I am confident enough the online side will cover costs and the shop will be additional.”

Read more:

• A further consultation will take place to discuss the controversial plot of Knaresborough’s new leisure centre.
• With numerous new shops opening in the town, Knaresborough is experiencing a business boost. 

Rebecca is hoping to work with other small businesses in the area, offering those without shop facilities to put their products in hers.

She added:

“I am offering small businesses the option to put their stock in my store too: so far I have two jewellery brands, including one from Yorkshire.”

“I think small businesses can be stronger as one.”

A charity offering counselling and befriending services in Harrogate has said it has seen an increase in demand – and is boosting its services in response.

Mind in Harrogate has raised concerns over the impact of tighter covid restriction on people’s health.

As well as returning clients, the charity has received more calls from the public seeking advice and counselling. Common anxieties the charity is seeing include how the pandemic will affect people’s health, the impact on jobs and personal finances, and loneliness and isolation.

In response, new services including a befriending initiative and out-of-hours mental health service have begun in recent months.

Its telephone and online counselling sessions are continuing but, now, face to face counselling can take place too.

Tina Chamberlain, chief executive officer of Mind in the Harrogate district, said:

“I think it is becoming obvious that this pandemic will be around for a long time and the changes to people’s lives will mean people will need more support than ever.

“We have now started offering the counselling service face to face, as well as via Zoom and telephone, and we are getting an increasing number of calls from people needing this service.

“With winter coming, it all seems a bit bleak. For many of our service users loneliness and isolation are major factors in their mental state and so it is a worry.”

Read more:

• Another Harrogate charity reports an increase in counselling requests. 
• A Ripon-based dementia charity has warned on the impact of a second lockdown on its patients.

On Monday, the charity will begin to offer its befriending service. It will match volunteer befrienders with people who would benefit from community-based support, such as help with shopping and social meetings. 

Tina added:

“Loneliness and isolation are a big factor in mental health and many people lack the confidence to make the social connections they need so the service is a way of facilitating that. We have had many people registering for the service.

“We are looking to offer this across the district  as we know that rural isolation and lack of access to services means that people in, for example, Pateley Bridge, Masham and Boroughbridge struggle to get the support they need.”

An out-of-hours support service has also been launched, enabling people to visit the Acorn Centre on weekend evenings until 11.30pm. It offers emotional support as well as signposting and referrals to other services for people experiencing mental distress.

The service can be accessed by calling 01423 647216 or emailing ooh@mindinharrogate.org.uk.

A local care organisation has started an initiative to support staff who have endured months of hard work and pressure during the pandemic.

Harrogate Neighbours’ Care for Carers scheme will provide regular wellbeing workshops and other support to its care staff.

The initiative aims to address any anxieties or mental health issues brought about by the pandemic.

The group works with elderly people in Harrogate, offering fresh meals and social interaction while trying to keep them in their own homes.

As winter sets in, there are concerns that groups like Harrogate Neighbours will have more pressure on services.

JK Change Work, a local therapeutic coaching company, will provide the workshops. It says the sessions will offer support and emotional coaching, improve wellbeing resilience and teach people how to deal with ongoing challenges.

Sue Cawthray, chief executive of Harrogate Neighbours said:

“With restrictions and guidelines changing almost daily, care staff across the country are feeling the pressure and often find it hard to cope day to day. It’s more important than ever that we support and look after their mental and physical wellbeing.

“We also have plans to reach out to the wider care community in Yorkshire to care for all carers who are sacrificing so much in these uncertain times.”

The first session was held last week. Staff were in bubbled in groups of six for a happiness and laughter session.

Read more:

• Harrogate Neighbours is praised for its response to coronavirus with an award.
• Only seven weeks remain to reach the target for a community woodland between Harrogate and Knaresborough.

The chairman of Harrogate Town has warned the club faces financial difficulties as fans continue to be banned from grounds.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said current Covid restrictions could last for six months.

For football clubs like Harrogate Town, this means having to face up to the prospect of empty stadiums for the foreseeable future.

This presents a big financial challenge for Town chairman Irving Weaver.

Mr Weaver said the uncertainty meant Town and other clubs faced a “cliff edge scenario”.

He said:

“When crowds mean 30% of revenue that’s a black hole. The furlough scheme was a big help but in the next six months we are looking at a problem that all clubs need help with.

“The subsidy grant we received was really helpful and the income from our games on TV wasn’t budgeted for so these two things have got us on our way. Our streaming figures are growing too, which we also didn’t budget for. All of this has helped make up for a loss of crowds.”

The club has has raised its concerns about the impact of playing without fans for a further six months.

The club’s recent promotion to the English Football League was its second in three seasons. But fans have only been able to celebrate the club’s recent successes at home or socially distanced in pubs, and missed out on a trip to Wembley.

With no idea when fans will next be able to attend, Mr Weaver is concerned some may not return.

He added:

“We need to grow our fans, especially if we want to attract players who want a big crowd.

“We are probably worrying more than most, but missing all this excitement is a big loss for fans. I think the solid fans will stay but we also want new people, which becomes difficult when they can’t experience the roar of a crowd at a match.”

Read more:

• The Chairman describes this time as “cliff edge” as clubs prepare for another six months without fans.
• The club is heading to Wembley .. again

Mr Weaver assured fans that these tough times will be overcome. He said:

“I want to say that ‘we are still kicking and we really want you to come back!’

“We will keep going and keep the atmosphere. We want to maintain our desire to succeed”

Harrogate High School has become the latest school in the district to report a positive case of coronavirus.

It is the eighth local school the Stray Ferret has reported as having a positive result since pupils went back this month.

In a letter to parents yesterday, Harrogate High School said a “small number” of students were identified as being within close contact of the infected pupil,

They have been sent home to self-isolate for 14 days.

In the letter, the headteacher Ms Charlotte Clarke said:

“We have been advised by Public Health England that there has been a confirmed case of Covid within the school.

“The small number of children who have been in close contact with the individual have been informed that their child must stay at home for 14 days.”

Read more:

• Yesterday, Rossett School confirmed a case of coronavirus.
• Harrogate Hospital has said it is preparing for winter by setting aside 100 beds for covid patients. 

The school declined to provide any further information.

Yesterday, a further 19 cases of Covid were reported in the district, which was the highest daily increase in three weeks.

The letter contains advice from Public Health England saying if a child develops symptoms of Covid, they should remain at home for at least 10 days.

The president of the Rotary Club of Knaresborough will skydive next month to raise funds for the organisation.

Helen Westmancoat is an experienced skydiver, having completed 43 tandem jumps since 2011.

She will make her latest leap from an aircraft on October 9 at Hibaldstow in North Lincolnshire.

The rotary club’s fundraising efforts have been hampered this year due to Covid, which has forced some events to be cancelled.

It is hoped the skydive will generate funds to enable the club to continue to support the local community.

Ms Westmancoat said:

“It is a difficult time for everyone, Rotarians have an important role to play. Financial support has been given to both Harrogate Foodbank and Resurrected Bites.

“The club has been involved in setting up and operating Knaresborough Connectors. Disposable face masks have been donated to community groups.

“For the time being the club will continue to meet online and respond to the challenges that the pandemic has created.”

Read more:

• Knaresborough Rotary gets a new president. 
• An ice cream shop in Knaresborough used its sweet treats to raise money for local charity Frank’s Fund. 

Since becoming president, Ms Westmancoat has set out to encourage new members such as women and younger people.

To support her jump, click here.