Vicky Carr, Author at The Stray Ferret

High speeds and alcohol contributed to young Harrogate man’s fatal crash, inquest hears

A young Harrogate man died when his car left the A59 as he drove home after drinking heavily, an inquest has heard.

Samuel Ronald Gibson, known as Sam, was 24 when the fatal collision occurred in the early hours of March 13 last year.

His Peugeot 208 spun off the road, collided with a tree, lifted up and landed in a ditch close near Poppleton at around 3.30am, today’s inquest was told by a police investigator.

A toxicology report after his death found he had 201mg of alcohol in his blood, against the legal limit of 80mg.

A statement from his colleague and friend Sophie Rothwell was read at the inquest held at the Coroner’s Court in Northallerton this afternoon. She said:

“When Sam was sober, he knew drink driving was wrong. However, when he went out it was like there was no controlling or stopping him and it wasn’t possible to reason with him…

“I would describe [Sam] as an unsafe driver [even when sober]. He drove very fast, exceeding the speed limit and I didn’t feel safe as a passenger.”

The court heard a statement from Sam’s mother, Jennifer Perkins, who said he had “always had a strong work ethic”, beginning with a paper round in his teens. He later moved into hospitality, working at Revolucion de Cuba and then Sainsbury’s in Harrogate.

The former Rossett School student had been manager at the Cosy Club bar in York for three-and-a-half years before moving to the Ivy in early 2022.

After passing his driving test at 18, Sam lost his licence aged 20 when he was convicted of drink-driving. When he had his licence back, Ms Perkins said he was “always very careful and cautious about not driving when he knew he would be drinking”.

However, in the few months prior to his death, she said there had been a couple of occasions when he had driven home after drinking.

Friends also said Sam was known to drive after drinking. Some had tried to hide his car keys to prevent him doing so, and others had stopped socialising with him.

In statements, colleague Sophie Rothwell and her boyfriend Max Bradford said they had been out with Sam in York on the night he died.

They said he had drunk lager, prosecco, wine, beer and spirits between around 8pm on Saturday, March 12 and 1.30am the following day.

Ms Rothwell said:

“He was so drunk that, at one bar, he couldn’t stand up properly and kept falling down.”

Sam stayed out after his friends went home, and he went to a nearby food van for something to eat.

Sam’s car was discovered in a ditch by the A59 around 7am the next morning.

The inquest heard he had suffered a “catastrophic” brain and spinal cord injury, described by the doctor performing the post-mortem as “an entirely unsurvivable event” which would have killed him almost instantly.

Forensic collision investigator PC Richard Barker said Sam had been wearing a seatbelt but the airbags in the car had not deployed, showing signs that they had previously activated and not been properly repaired.

Although he could not say for certain how fast the car was travelling, PC Barker believed it was in excess of the maximum speed at which the car could navigate the bends of the road.

North Yorkshire coroner Jonathan Leach concluded Sam had died as a result of the collision, saying:

“It would appear that Sam was driving along the A59 at speed and, I suspect as a result of the alcohol he had drunk, his concentration and his ability to drive properly was impaired.

“I suspect he over-reacted, left the road and struck a tree, and died at the scene.”

‘Devastation’

In their statements, both Ms Rothwell and Mr Bradford described Sam as a reliable friend and a good colleague who was the “life and soul” of both his workplace and any party.

Ms Rothwell added:

“Sam was the most reliable friend you could have asked for. He was the person you could call at any time and losing him has left a massive hole in my heart.”

Ms Perkins’ statement said Sam was a “nice young man” who had looked after her when she lost her sight and had taken gifts to an elderly neighbour who had moved into a care home. She added:

“While Sam made bad judgements and mistakes in relation to driving, this is the kind of loving, caring person Sam was and how I wish for him to be remembered.”

She added:

“I can’t express in words just how much devastation losing Sam has left behind. The whole family are suffering as a result. I can’t believe he has gone.”

New name and coat of arms for Knaresborough hotel

A long-standing Knaresborough hotel is set to be renamed as part of a revamp by its new owners.

The Dower House on Bond End will become The Knaresborough Inn, in line with other premises in The Inn Collection Group‘s portfolio.

The chain is currently carrying out a refurbishment to turn the building into a “pub with rooms”, and has even been given its own coat of arms to fit in with its stablemates.

A spokesperson for ICG said:

“Following the brand style being adopted for all sites belonging to The Inn Collection Group, a new coat of arms has been created for the inn with iconography relevant to the history of both the town and the building itself.

“Made up of a shield flanked by two griffins, acknowledging the links of the building to the Slingsby family, the design sees the left-hand side contain a recurring pattern that combines a historical emblem related to St. Robert of Knaresborough and the white rose of Yorkshire.

“The right-hand side of the shield features further reference to the builders of the original Dower House with a white chevron, and a leopard’s head taken from the Slingsby family crest.”

ICG acquired the Dower House in December 2021 and announced it would close its gym and spa last summer.

A planning application was submitted last year to extend the building and replace its leisure facilities and increase the total number of bedrooms to 57.

The hotel is currently closed while refurbishment work is carried out, with a planned completion and reopening date around the end of the summer this year.

ICG’s marketing manager Zoe Cooper said:

“We’re excited to confirm the new identity of The Knaresborough Inn as its reopening draws closer.

“We have embraced the history of the building and the site, as well as the wider area and we hope the new look will create a talking point that serves as a link to the past while the site embarks on an exciting future.”

The Inn Collection Group has also acquired Ripon Spa Hotel and the St George Hotel in Harrogate in the last two years.

The latter closed for refurbishment this week, with the loss of all of its 76 staff. The company said the work is expected to take 16 weeks.

Ripon Spa Hotel is due to reopen this spring.

Teachers’ strike: Closures across the Harrogate district

Teachers at schools across the Harrogate district will not be in the classrooms tomorrow in the first of a series of days of industrial action.

The strike has been called by the National Education Union (NEU) in a dispute over pay and conditions.

The union argues a 5% pay rise in 2022 was insufficient to combat the impact of inflation at 10%, leaving many teachers effectively facing a pay cut.

It argues low pay has been a significant factor in many teachers choosing to leave the profession, and has deterred others from joining it. The result, the NEU says, is more pressure on those who remain, particularly since the pandemic.

The union’s points were supported yesterday by Harrogate Grammar School headteacer Neil Renton, who appeared on BBC News to discuss the situation.

He said he was “torn between [his] head and heart”, seeing the difficulties faced by teachers while also wanting to keep the school gates open for pupils.

The issues the NEU raised, he said, affected schools directly too: a recent advert for an English teacher at HGS attracted just one applicant. He added:

“If this continues and we are not able to work with government and ministers to create an education for the future I would, as an educator, want to take steps to make sure we make a much brighter education for our children.”

The following schools across the Harrogate district have confirmed some of their teachers will be on strike and released details of how they will operate tomorrow.

Harrogate Grammar School

The school said it is prioritising students taking exams this summer, and those identified as vulnerable.

Years 11 and 13 will be in school, along with children from other year groups who have been contacted individually.

Remote learning from home will be offered to years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12. Some live lessons will be led by teachers who are not on strike.

King James’s High School, Knaresborough

The school will be open to pupils in years 11, 12 and 13. Other year groups will be provided with online learning.

The school said it would liaise directly with parents of students with an EHCP about the possibility of provision in school.

Outwood Academy Ripon

The school will be open to year 11 and vulnerable students, while all other year groups learn from home.

Ripon Grammar School

Years 7 and 11 will be in school, but students are advised to bring additional work and reading material in case lessons cannot be taught by the subject teacher.

Students in years 8,9, 10 and 12 will learn from home, including some online lessons with teachers who are not on strike.

Year 13 students will be able to work in school if they wish, or revise and join live online lessons from home.

Any students with an EHCP, as well as boarders who can’t go home, can go into school as usual. There is also provision for students whose parents are critical workers.

Rossett School, Harrogate

The school is open to students in years 7, 11, 12 and 13.

Where usual subject teachers are on strike, younger students will have lessons covered by members of the school’s senior leadership team. Older students will carry out independent revision or private study in the sixth form centre.

Students in years 8,9 and 10 will have online lessons available to access from home.

St Aidan’s Church of England High School, Harrogate

Years 7 and 11 will be in school, with years 8, 9 and 10 asked to learn at home.

Sixth form students can work at home or use a supervised study area, if they tell the school they plan to do so.

Students in any year group with an EHCP can attend.

St John Fisher Catholic High School, Harrogate

Years 7 and 11 will be in school, with years 8, 9 and 10 asked to learn at home.

Sixth form students can work at home or use a supervised study area, if they tell the school they plan to do so.

Students in any year group with an EHCP can attend and will spend the day doing activities to develop their social skills, life skills and wellbeing. The school said there may not be sufficient staff available to have one-to-one provision for all students.

Details of how other secondary schools are affected will be posted as we get them.

The next strike date to affect the Harrogate district will be at the end of February.

Refurbished church aims to meet needs of growing Killinghall community

A community building is set to reopen in Killinghall next weekend after a £248,000 refurbishment.

Killinghall Methodist Church has made the investment to help it meet the needs of the village’s growing community.

As well as providing a more modern space, it has reduced the building’s carbon footprint, as part of the Methodist aim to achieve net zero status.

Rev Ron Hicks from the church said:

“It’s becoming an eco-friendly church building. There’s air source heat pumps, and solar panels on the roof.

“Internally we have reconfigured the worship area, taken bits of the partitioning out and opened it up to be one big place for the community to use.”

The first chapel on the Ripon Road site was built in 1793, and its foundation stone still remains in the present building, which was built as a school in 1937. In 1973 the original chapel was demolished and the school room was refurbished, with an extension built around the same time.

The latest work has seen a new kitchen installed along with new windows, carpets, heating, insulation and a cycle rack. The building has also been redecorated.

Before and after photos inside Killinghall Methodist Church

It has been funded by Methodist Church sources, along with a grant of almost £100,000 from the FCC Communities Foundation, a not-for-profit business that awards grants through the Landfill Communities Fund.

Additional money was provided by the Benefact Trust and the Congregational and General Charitable Trust.

Rev Hicks said:

“Now, we’re into the next phase of the building’s life.

“It’s a really good congregation of all ages, from youngsters through to people in their 30s and 40s, right through to much older.

“Upgrading the facilities now is important because there are people coming in who are new to the village. We want a modern building that suits their needs.”

The church is also set to become home to a new community cafe run by Resurrected Bites.

The food waste organisation will open its third pay-as-you-feel cafe this spring, using food that would otherwise go to landfill to deliver a menu of breakfasts, lunches, cakes and drinks.

Founder Michelle Hayes said:

“We hope it will be the perfect opportunity for people to congregate and get to know other people from Killinghall.

“We are hoping to find someone to run a great toddler group on Thursday mornings as we are particularly concerned about loneliness for stay-at-home parents or carers. The café will also be a nice venue for people working from home to have their lunch and a chat with people.”

Resurrected Bites is seeking a cafe manager for the new venue. The paid role of eight hours a week involves an hour of prep on a Wednesday and seven hours leading the team on Thursdays.

Volunteers are also being recruited to help prepare, serve and clear away in the cafe each week.

For more information, email Heather Memmott at Resurrected Bites.

An official reopening of the church will be held on Saturday, February 4, from 1pm to 3pm, when the community will have the chance to look at the new facilities.

Keep Ukraine in your heart at Knaresborough Valentine’s Day fundraiser

A romantic event with a good cause at its heart is on offer in Knaresborough for Valentine’s Day.

A disco and supper will be held at Knaresborough Town Football Club to support Bob Frendt’s aid missions to Ukraine.

The Knaresborough resident is set to make his seventh trip to the country in March, taking much-needed medical supplies to support those fighting to protect their country from the Russian invasion.

Since his last visit in November, he has continued to collect vital equipment, including four mobility scooters, ready to transport in the spring.

He said:

“I’ve got so much to take out, I can’t fit it all in my lorry.

“Andway Medical did a stock take last week and invited me to go down and collect what they didn’t need. When I got there, I filled a van up. I’ve had to put it all in storage – I was given three months free at My Lock Up on York Road.

“I’ll have to leave the stuff that’s not essential because I can’t get it all in. I’ll have to take it the next time.”

While he is not short of equipment, Mr Frendt said he needs more funds to cover the costs of the trip.

It will be his seventh visit to the country since the Russian invasion last February, and each trip has cost him around £2,500 in fuel, ferries and insurance.

His next trip to Ukraine will be on March 22, returning in early April. He is then preparing to travel again in mid-May with the rest of the equipment.

The pensioner has used his own funds to cover some of the cost in the past, as well as getting support from local businesses, but needs to raise more money to ensure he can keep travelling to Ukraine as long as the war continues.

Now, he hopes romantic souls across the Harrogate district will support him at the Valentine’s Disco Dance on Friday, February 10 from 7pm.

Tickets are £20 each, including a pie and pea supper. A raffle will be held on the night with prizes donated by many local businesses, including Slingsby gin, Woodlands car valeting, Fair Deal Motors and his beloved Manchester City Football Club.

The grand prize will be a romantic night for two at the four-star Newton House Hotel.

Tickets are available from Sherri Shirley and Prudams cafe on the High Street, and River and Rose florist and Supernews in the Market Place.

Alternatively, call Mr Frendt on 07836 514952.

Grants to fund shop front improvements in Harrogate

Businesses around Harrogate town centre could get money towards a spruce-up thanks to money from Harrogate Business Improvement District.

The organisation is offering match-funded grants of up to £750 for members looking to upgrade their frontages, as it aims to make the town centre welcoming and attractive.

Businesses could use the money to update paintwork and signage, or to improve their accessibility, as part of the 2023 scheme.

Harrogate BID manager Matthew Chapman said:

“Harrogate BID is delighted to continue its support to members’ paying businesses, helping them make improvements to their street frontages and the accessibility of their premises, thanks to these match-funded grants.

“We are constantly aspiring to make Harrogate a desirable place to do business, as well as an attractive place to visit. Our match-funded improvement grant supports our efforts to make Harrogate ‘safe, clean and welcoming’, as outlined in our business plan.

“As long as the work enhances a façade, or makes it more accessible for disabled customers, we will consider it. As there is a limited budget for the 2023 town centre improvements grant scheme, they will be awarded on a first come, first served basis.”

Last year, jewellery business Fattorinis received £750 towards the refurbishment of its Victorian canopy on Parliament Street, with the addition of a new facia board and signage.

The changes helped to raise the profile of the business after it changed hands last year. Others to benefit from the grant scheme included The Den, Cold Bath Brewing, Drum and Monkey, and the Coach and Horses.

Any business interested in applying for a grant should submit a request to Harrogate BID with a description of the work to be carried out or the equipment needed, along with quotations and an expected completion date.

Appeal to trace suspect after assault in Harrogate

Police are appealing for CCTV footage around the Granby Road area after a man was assaulted in Harrogate.

The victim was approached by an unknown man on Granby Road and assaulted, leaving him with minor injuries to his hand, wrist and ankle.

It happened on Monday, January 23, around 2.20pm.

Police describe the man they want to speak to as white, aged in his late 20s to early 30s, and around 6ft tall with dark, mid-length hair. He was wearing a red coat and carrying a dark rucksack.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:

“We’re now requesting the public’s assistance to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

“In particular, our officers are keen to hear from any local residents that may have CCTV or doorbell cameras which may have caught the incident.”

Anyone with information that could help the investigation should email beth.long@northyorkshire.police.uk, or call 101, select option two, and ask for Beth Long.

To report information anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, quoting reference number 12230013525.

Harrogate pre-school wins Ofsted praise for care and teaching

A pre-school in Harrogate has been praised by Ofsted for its “high expectations” and helping children to prepare for school.

Little Crickets, based at Harrogate Cricket Club on St George’s Road, maintained its ‘good’ rating in its latest report from inspector Clare Bligh.

She found children were given tasks to challenge them and help them learn, as well as building on their interests, and had opportunities to be active outdoors.

In a report published this week, she said:

“Parents are very happy with the pre-school. They report that they receive lots of information about their children’s learning and development. They are actively involved in contributing to children’s assessments.

“Key persons ensure that parents know about what their children are learning in the setting. Parents particularly enjoy the regular parent consultation meetings. They also appreciate that during the settling-in period, staff fully consider the needs of their families and the individual children.”

Visiting in December, the inspector found children were “happy and motivated to learn”, going into the “thoughtfully designed” pre-school with confidence.

Ms Bligh praised the support offered to children with English as an additional language. She found they were encouraged to use their home languages and staff translated their words to ensure they were understanding the tasks set for them.

She added:

“Staff feel very supported by the leaders. They have regular supervision sessions.

“Managers ensure they check the well-being of staff and are keen to identify any workload issues. Any issues are managed effectively.

“Staff report that they love their jobs and enjoy working in this caring and supportive pre-school.”

The report said in some cases, children were not given enough time to think about and give their answers before staff provided them. During large-group activities, not everyone was invited to join in, such as song time before lunch.

Ms Bligh said this could be improved to ensure children were able to develop their thoughts and to take advantage of all learning opportunities.

Responding to the report, Little Crickets manager Rebecca Vass said:

“I am really proud of our staff team who as always go above and beyond to meet the individual needs of the children who attend Little Crickets and this is what Ofsted saw when they came to visit.”

Jen Baldry and Ben Priestley, co-chairs of the pre-school committee, added:

“The committee continue to be incredibly grateful to all the staff who consistently deliver a great learning environment and a genuine care for the children at Little Crickets.”

North Yorkshire has lowest IOPC complaints rate of all police forces

North Yorkshire Police has the lowest number of complaints against its staff and officers of any police force across the country.

The latest figures, for 2021-22, reveal 282 complaints were made to the Independent Office for Police Complaints (IOPC) about the force.

The second lowest figure for complaints was 372, made against Suffolk Police.

North Yorkshire also had the lowest number of complaints when taking into account the size of each force, with 90 complaints per 1,000 staff. Norfolk and Suffolk were next, with rates of 145 and 146 respectively.

The Metropolitan Police had the most complaints of all forces, with 7,216 during that year. However, it also has the highest number of staff, at almost 47,000, giving it a rate per 1,000 employees of 155.

The force with the highest rate of complaints per 1,000 employees was Cleveland, at 697.

Last week, the force revealed it had received 740 complaints about its officers and staff in 2021-22. Today’s statistics relate to complaints raised to the IOPC.

The numbers have been revealed as complaints against police are in the spotlight, following the case of Met Police officer David Carrick who admitted a series of sexual offences against women over a period of two decades in the force.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:

“The force has recently led a national pilot scheme that checks all vetted staff against the Police National Database (PND) every month.

“This process was implemented to ensure that any police contact outside of North Yorkshire is brought to the attention of our vetting unit and professional standards department. This covers both police officers and police staff.

“A recent report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary Fire and Rescue Service following an inspection of vetting, misconduct, and misogyny in the police service, highlighted the good work by North Yorkshire Police and recommended that all forces make routine use of the PND as a tool for revealing any unreported adverse information about police officers and staff. It was announced last week that all forces in England and Wales will be adopting this approach.

“The vast majority of our officers and staff are honest, hardworking and act with integrity. But we are not complacent and know that there will be a number within our force who are not. When misconduct is found, we will take action. We encourage anyone who has any concerns about an officer or staff member they have come into contact with, to please report it to us.”

Allegations

In the statistics, published by the IOPC, North Yorkshire Police also had the second lowest rate of allegations made against its employees, at 280, behind British Transport Police’s 208.

The IOPC said the number of allegations could be higher than the number of complaints because each complaint could contain more than one allegation. In North Yorkshire’s case, the total number of allegations against its 3,122 employees was 874, from 282 complaints.

Of those, 370 allegations were about the level of service provided by the police, and 260 were about the use of power, such as to make arrests or to carry out searches.

There were 160 allegations about individual conduct, such as being unprofessional or lacking impartiality.

Thirteen allegations were made about discriminatory behaviour and two complaints were about sexual misconduct.

However, North Yorkshire Police took the longest of all forces in England and Wales to finalise its complaints. On average, it took 190 days for each complaint, while the next highest were the Metropolitan Police at 157 days and West Midlands Police at 148 days.

The Local Policing Body (LPB) received 61 requests for reviews of the way complaints had been handled and it investigated 39% of these – the fifth highest rate of investigations of decisions by forces around the country.

It found, in 61% of cases, the action taken by the force was “not reasonable and proportionate” after a complaint.

Power cut hits shops and 4,000 homes in Harrogate

A power outage hit 4,246 households and forced shops to close in Harrogate this morning.

The outage affected homes around Otley Road and Leeds Road, as well as businesses in the Oatlands and Harlow Hill areas.

While Northern Powergrid said it only lasted for 10 minutes, customers reported problems for around half an hour from 10am onwards.

Both M&S Food and the Co-op in the Oatlands area had to ask customers to leave when their lights, fridges and automatic doors stopped working. Other shops in the area also closed during the outage.

Traffic lights and pedestrian crossings were also reported to have been affected by the power cut.

A spokesperson for Northern Powergrid said:

“Everything is completely back on now. We don’t know what caused it, but we have transferred customers onto a healthier part of the network and our engineers are investigating.”

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‘Devastation’

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Allegations

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