Man denies wounding Harrogate pub landlord

A man will face trial at crown court after allegedly assaulting the landlord of a pub in Harrogate.

Christopher Roy Adamson, 30, of Woodfield Avenue, Harrogate, is alleged to have been at the Claro Beagle in Coppice Gate when the incident happened shortly after 10pm on April 9 last year.

Mr Adamson appeared at Harrogate Magistrates’ Court today to face a charge of wounding landlord Alan Hutchcraft, leaving him in need of hospital treatment for cuts to his head.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to that charge, as well as one of damaging Mr Hutchcraft’s glasses, said to be worth £485. Mr Adamson will now face a jury at York Crown Court.

He was given unconditional bail to make an initial appearance in York on Monday, July 3.

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Buy a pint of Crimple Valley and support Harrogate hospice

A Harrogate man with a lifelong career in beer is brewing up a project to support the hospice that cared for a relative in his final days.

Mark Noble has paired up with Bosun’s Brewery to create Crimple Valley IPA, which will be sold in aid of Saint Michael’s Hospice.

Mark’s father-in-law was cared for at the hospice, on Hornbeam Park, until he died two years ago. Mark said:

“It’s a fantastic place. They really cared for him. He went very peacefully and calmly in there. It was a very dignified end to his life.

“The hospice have chosen the pump clip and design — they’ve incorporated the viaduct across Crimple, which is one of the last things people there see.

“It’s a beautiful view and it has made a really nice design.

“We’ve chosen an IPA because they’re popular beers at the moment. It’s 4.2% so not too strong and palatable for most people.

“It’s a pale colour with fruity notes. The key thing is it’s brewed locally.”

The IPA will be officially launched tomorrow (Saturday, June 3) at Bosun’s beer festival at its tap room in Sandbeck Park, Wetherby.

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Mark, who spent his career working for large breweries before retiring briefly at Christmas, set up The Crafty Caskman in January and is working independently this year to sell beer into bars and restaurants on behalf of Bosun’s and several other local breweries.

He hopes to do the same with the Crimple Valley IPA and has already found it a spot on the pumps at the Shepherd’s Dog on Otley Road, Harrogate.

For every pint sold, 15p will be donated to Saint Michael’s Hospice, making each barrel worth £10 to the charity.

Mark said:

“The more we can sell, the better. It’s still early days, because it’s not officially launched until Saturday, but people are saying they’re interested in having it.

“Next week I’ll be out there promoting it to pubs, hotels and restaurants. I want to get it in as many places as possible, and I hope people will look for it when they’re out.

“The way they economy is, there’s less funding going towards charities, but everyone still finds the time to go and have a pint. If you have a pint of Crimple Valley, you’re doing something you enjoy and also contributing to a good cause.”

Any pubs, hotels or restaurants interested in buying Crimple Valley IPA to support the fundraising can email Mark Noble for more details.

Wanted: Field with boggy corner for new wildlife pond in Harrogate district

An environmental organisation is looking for land around the Harrogate district to create a wildlife pond.

Wildscapes community interest company is hoping a landowner with at least 150sq m – equivalent to around 10m by 15m – will come forward to host the project.

The creation of the pond would be funded by Natural England, which works with Wildscapes to improve biodiversity through habitat creation and conservation.

Jordan Porter, pond programme manager for Wildscapes, told the Stray Ferret:

“If someone comes forward with a site, we come and assess the site and meet the landowner.

“We look at the surrounding land usage and test the subsoil. They are natural ponds, not lined ponds, so we have to have quite a good clay content or very high water table in the area.

“If you have a field corner or a patch that’s always wet, that’s a good sign a pond would fill in that area. If it’s farmland, those are often the areas that are the least productive anyway.”

Wildscapes has already created around 250 wildlife ponds across South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire, and has begun working in North Yorkshire in the last two years.

The primary aim of the ponds is to encourage great crested newts, a protected species, to colonise.

Mr Porter said once the newts had moved into a pond, it was a good indication other species were thriving in the area.

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After a pond was created, Mr Porter said Wildscapes would maintain it for the next 25 years – though landowners are not obliged to have the pond for the full 25 years.

Fences can be installed, all funded through the scheme, to ensure nearby livestock could not access the area.

Funding for the ponds often comes from housing and other developments, through compensatory requirements when planning permission is granted.

Mr Porter said:

“Whoever is doing the development, the mitigation isn’t their main priority.

“The idea is this is given to us, as an arm of the Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust, and the money comes to us to use in target areas where those compensation payments came from.

“It goes back into local landowners through the creation of habitats, and we do offer one-off landowner incentives for signing up.

“If they stay in the scheme, there’s a 25-year monitoring and maintenance programme which we deliver.”

Anyone interested in taking part in the scheme can find out if their land is in the target area by using the government’s Magic Map.

Select ‘Land Based Schemes’, then ‘Other Schemes’, then ‘Great Crested Newts Strategic Opportunity Areas’ to see which parts of the Harrogate district are being considered for wildlife ponds.

Alternatively, call Wildscapes on 0114 303 5123 or email info@wildscapes.co.uk.

Village pub near Boroughbridge put up for sale

A village pub near Boroughbridge which was once well-known as a wedding venue and dining destination has been put up for sale.

The Crown Inn at Roecliffe has been listed by Christie & Co, with an alternative option for it to be let to “an experienced and credible operator”.

The pub, which has a function room seating 80 people as well as space for 80 covers in its restaurant and bar, is on the market for £875,000.

It includes five en-suite letting rooms as well as outside dining space and a car park, and the purchase would include “the majority” of its fixtures and fittings.

The description by Christie & Co says:

“The Crown Inn presents an excellent opportunity for an experienced operator to purchase a large, characterful hospitality property in an extremely desirable location. An established business which previously upheld a fantastic reputation.

“Historically, annual turnover was [circa] £1.2m (£25k per week net of VAT). In the hands of an experienced operator there is huge, tangible potential for The Crown Inn to re-establish itself as a bustling village pub, wedding/events venue and destination restaurant with rooms.”

The particulars say the owner’s preference is for it to be sold, but it could be rented for £60,000 per year on a 10- or 15-year agreement. A one-off payment of £15,000 would be required for the fixtures and fittings.

The Crown Inn has been closed for around a year, with the particulars saying this was down to “being underfunded and significantly impacted by the pandemic”.

Its lessee was Chris Hannon, who ran a number of pubs around the UK, and was last month reported by the Mirror to be facing bankruptcy after his previous company fell into liquidation in 2020.

The pub is understood to be owned currently by a number of villagers who bought the premises in 2018.

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Knaresborough mayor wants to ‘give back’ to new home

A new Mayor of Knaresborough has been elected at the annual meeting of the town council.

Cllr Hannah Gostlow, who has been a councillor since 2015, said she hoped to use her year for the benefit of a town which had made her welcome when she moved there.

She said:

“Since moving to Knaresborough 10 years ago, I have been in awe of this beautiful town and welcoming community.

“It is a place you want to give back to – so I am honoured to be given this opportunity and promise to work hard to champion our wonderful town as mayor.”

As well as sitting on Knaresborough Town Council, Cllr Gostlow represents Knaresborough East on North Yorkshire Council after being elected for the Liberal Democrats last year.

Her election as mayor was witnessed by mayors of neighbouring towns and representatives of community groups in Knaresborough at the annual meeting.

Cllr Gostlow’s chosen charities for the year will be Inspire Youth and Knaresborough Community Energy Limited. She added:

“The sense of community is so strong. We are spoilt by the number of events throughout the year, delivered with such creativity and enthusiasm, thriving independent businesses, schools, church communities, and there are so many amazing community groups, run and supported by dedicated individuals.

“So, when it came to choosing the charity to support, it was a very difficult decision.”

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Harrogate student among top achievers in national physics contest

A Harrogate teenager attended a national awards ceremony in a historic venue after achieving one of the highest scores in a prestigious physics competition.

Patrick Fleming, a year 12 student at Rossett School, achieved a ‘gold’ in the British Physics Olympiad senior challenge.

As a result, he was one of just five students from around 6,000 entrants to be invited to the annual awards ceremony at the Royal Society in London.

Patrick said:

“Visiting The Royal Society was really inspiring, especially looking around the many portraits of previous fellows and heads of the society since it was founded in 1660.

“It was also amazing to talk to other young physicists and receive such a prestigious award. “

Patrick is currently studying maths, physics, computer science and further maths at A level, and was joined in the competition by a number of other talented students.

The Olympiad, hosted by the University of Oxford, aims to encourage younger students to study physics and recognises excellence among them through a series of competitions.

The senior challenge saw students sit a one-hour paper designed to test their problem-solving abilities.

Rossett School physics teacher Stephanie Hunt said:

“Well done to all our students who took part in the Olympiad, and congratulations to Patrick for his exceptional achievement – we are incredibly proud of him.”

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UPDATE: Police find 500 cannabis plants in raid at village pub near Harrogate

Police uncovered a farm of 500 cannabis plants during a raid at a disused pub near Harrogate at the weekend.

Officers swooped on the Star and Garter pub at Kirkby Overblow on the morning of Sunday, May 28, where they discovered the “large cannabis production farm”.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said the plants were at various stages of growth, adding:

“Officers remained at the scene to recover the plants and drug production equipment and to allow crime scene investigators to examine the scene.

“The investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made at this time.”

Villagers told the Stray Ferret that police were on site for more than 24 hours after the raid and were removing large numbers of plants from the building.

The pub closed several years ago and was boarded up last year.

Police have raided the Star and Garter pub in Kirkby OverblowPolice were seen outside the Star and Garter pub from Sunday morning onwards.

Following the raid, North Yorkshire Police has urged people to report any suspicions of properties being used to grow cannabis.

As well as a strong, sweet smell of cannabis in the area, suspicious signs might include blacked out windows and blocked up vents, bright lights throughout the night, high levels of condensation on windows, noise from fans inside the building, and large amounts of rubbish including compost bags.

The police spokesperson added:

“We’re continuously tackling ‘cannabis farms’ – sophisticated set-ups in houses or other properties, used by organised crime gangs to produce several crops of cannabis over time.

“Cannabis production is extremely harmful to communities, and often used to fund criminal gangs involved in human trafficking, sexual exploitation and the distribution of other drugs including cocaine and heroin.

“Furthermore, the electricity supply may have been tampered with (to bypass the meter), creating a high risk of fire – which could spread to neighbouring properties.”

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Teachers back plans for specialist autism school in Harrogate

Schools across the Harrogate district have given their backing to plans for a specialist school for students with autism.

The proposal for the site of the former Woodfield Primary School will be discussed by North Yorkshire Council leaders today – and teachers are urging them to support it.

Samina O’Brien, special educational needs coordinator (Senco) and inclusion manager at Ripon Grammar School, said a specialist facility for students with autism across the Harrogate district was badly needed.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“We are getting so many more diagnoses of autism and a lot of these students can’t cope, to the point where they stop coming to school.

“When they come back, the school can’t change. The students can’t cope with the routine, the rigidity of the rules, and even when we make allowances they still struggle.”

Mrs O’Brien said schools did their best to help children with autism, but did not receive adequate funding to deliver the right support, such as one-to-one help or quieter rooms to work in.

She said Ripon Grammar School was not as badly affected by the situation as some schools because it was selective based on academic ability. However, she said many autistic students were highly academically able, but were unable to reach their full potential because they could not cope with the school environment.

When that was the case, specialist provision was often a significant distance away, she said, and students were not always able to make the journey.

There were private specialist schools students could attend, but cost was a barrier for most families. She added:

“There’s some stereotyping about the students in North Yorkshire, but the problems are the same wherever you are in the country. They don’t just change because you’ve crossed into an area that’s perceived as more wealthy or more rural.

“We’ve got a few students here who we know would be so much more suited to [a specialist school]. It would still be academic, but we would reduce the amount of stress the students went through.

“Our biggest concern is how unhappy some of those youngsters are. I think it would be so beneficial for all those students that are struggling.

“If this goes ahead, for some parents and more importantly the children, this will be what saves them and puts them back into mainstream where they should be and can thrive.”

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The proposal for the former Woodfield site is for a school catering for students aged between 11 and 19.  It would have capacity for around 80 children, who would not need to have a formal diagnosis of autism.

Rossett School is also in favour of the proposal. Newly-appointed headteacher Tim Milburn said:

“It is so pleasing to see significant investment being proposed for specialist provision in the area. This is such welcome news for children and families who have been seeking this support for a number of years.

“I will be really interested to hear how the investment will support children and families for whom mainstream education is the most appropriate setting.”

Liz Zoccolan, Senco and assistant headteacher at Harrogate Grammar School, added:

“Any increase in provision which will meet the needs of the growing number of students with education, health and care plans is to be welcomed in the area. This would further enable potentially vulnerable young people and their families timely access to specialist support if that is their choice.

“We would be keen to work alongside and collaborate with the proposed provision so that as many students as possible may benefit.”

If the plans are approved by NYC’s executive member for children and young people’s services and corporate directors today, a consultation could be launched in two weeks’ time, running until late July.

Knaresborough luxury car dealer faces 16 fraud charges

The owner of a car dealership in Knaresborough has appeared in court charged with 16 counts of fraud amounting to more than £1 million.

Andrew Mearns, 54, is alleged to have committed the offences at Gmund Cars in Knaresborough between August 2016 and March 2019.

Sixteen different victims were named in the charges, with the largest individual fraud said to be worth £220,000.

Mr Mearns, whose current address was given as Colwyn Place, Llandudno, appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court this morning to face the charges.

Wearing a white shirt and grey trousers, he spoke to confirm his name and address but did not enter pleas to the 16 counts of fraud by false representation.

Prosecutor Alison Whitely told the court the alleged offences took place over a “considerable period” while Mr Mearns owned and ran Gmund, a company dealing luxury cars.

Magistrates said the case was too serious for them to deal with and told Mr Mearns he would face trial at York Crown Court. His first appearance there was set for June 26.

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Headteachers unite to warn of vaping dangers to children in Harrogate district

Headteachers from across the Harrogate district have issued a joint letter to all parents warning of the dangers of vaping.

The unusual move by secondary school leaders was prompted by “an increase in the number of incidents in our local community”, the letter said.

The heads of Boroughbridge High, Harrogate College, Harrogate Grammar, Harrogate High, King James’s, Nidderdale High, Ripon Grammar, Rossett, Springwell, St Aidan’s and St John Fisher schools have all put their names to the letter, which says:

“We are aware that there have been reports of young people becoming unwell and needing medical attention after using vapes.

“Vapes can come in a variety of different forms, shapes, and sizes. Some common styles of vapes include ones which look like a thick pen or highlighter pen.

“These devices are usually very small and can be concealed on a person or blend in with school/college equipment, therefore they can be easily mistaken or missed.”

Respiratory problems

The letter warns that vaping from a young age may lead to respiratory problems in later life, and recent research shows children could be inhaling unsafe amounts of lead and nickel. There have been reports of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound in cannabis, being used in vaping, the letter said.

The headteachers also said young people could view vaping as a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes, but the nicotine is still addictive.

The letter points parents towards information from Ash, Kids Health, and West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, and says anyone with concerns can speak to their child’s school. It concludes:

“We are sure that you agree that the possession and use of vapes on any school/college premises is something that we simply cannot tolerate.

“Any student found in possession of a vape will be subject to a serious school/college sanction, including the risk of suspension. Please note that we will report possession of any illegal substances to the police.

“We hope that you welcome this letter in the spirit with which it is intended and that you share and understand our shared concerns about this potentially harmful issue.

“We want to be open about the risks involved and we encourage you to have a conversation with your child about this subject matter.”

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