North Yorkshire Police has admitted it did not get its response to a large gathering and drug use on the Stray last month “100% right”.

It comes as hundreds of people gathered on the Stray last month where police found canisters of laughing gas and empty takeaway boxes and beer bottles in what was described as a “festival atmosphere”.

Now, Steve Thomas, detective superintendent at North Yorkshire Police and commander for Harrogate, has said the force did not “get to grips” on the gathering quickly enough.

He apologised to councillors on a Harrogate Borough Council scrutiny committee for the initial response but added the force will now respond earlier to such incidents.

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He said:

“I’m really sorry that we were not able to get to grips with it in time for it not to affect the people that reported it to us.

“I was working on the evening that it happened and as soon as we were aware, we deployed through the force control room additional resources.

“Unfortunately, once you get a gathering of that size, it is a question of trying to engage as best as possible and trying to encourage them to remove litter in a sensible way.

“It was quite difficult and I’m not saying that we got that entirely right but we certainly learned from it.

“What we did from that point onwards is increase our patrol strategy to make sure that we were earlier to engage with the groups rather than letting it get either too big or too much alcohol consumed.”

Since the incident, police have sought to educate on the use of laughing gas and issued a warning after finding an “awful lot” of canisters.

Steve Thomas, detective superintendent at North Yorkshire Police (middle right), answered questions from Harrogate Borough Council’s scrutiny committee.

Speaking about the dangers of inhaling the gas, Sergeant Heidi Lewis, children & young people engagement officer, said:

“People may believe that because this gas is widely available and easily purchased, that it is harmless. However, inhaling this gas can lead to unconsciousness and ultimately suffocation, as the body is essentially starved of oxygen.

So when you know the risks irresponsible use of this gas poses, it’s not so much of a laugh is it?”

Early morning rant alert. Part 1 of 2 #Harrogate #Stray #Sunshine pic.twitter.com/nDyqaC9eF3

— Sgt Paul Cording BEM (@OscarRomeo1268) June 25, 2020

Following the gathering, volunteers and council staff cleaned up the Stray with one describing it as the “biggest mess in six years”.

It comes as North Yorkshire Police still tops forces across the country for the most coronavirus fines handed out since March.

The force handed out a total of 1,171 fines to people breaching coronavirus regulations up to June 22 with the majority of the fines issued to people visiting the county’s beauty spots.

Officers said most visitors had come from West Yorkshire to the county.

Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper said Harrogate can “thrive again” following lockdown. However, he warned that some jobs and businesses in Harrogate will not survive.

Speaking alongside HBC chief executive Wallace Sampson last night at the first-ever virtual Harrogate District Chamber Meeting, he said “hard questions” need to be asked around the future of Harrogate retail.

He said he shopped online for the first time during lockdown and questioned if many shoppers who enjoyed the convenience of online shopping will ever return to the high street.

Cllr Cooper gave a vote of confidence in Harrogate International Centre and said the council is in discussions with the NHS about its future.

He said:

“We’re pleased to do our bit for national effort but we have to ask, we’re going to need the ability to hold large scale conferences to support the local economy.”

Wallace Sampson said the role of Harrogate town centre will change forever due to the lockdown.

Like Cllr Cooper, he said the conference centre will be crucial to how the town recovers but suggested it’s started to fall behind its competition.

He said “without a doubt” HBC needs to invest in the buildings to keep up with state-of-the-art conference facilities being built in other towns and cities. He said an investment case will be brought before HBC later this summer.

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Mr Sampson also praised HBC for its work supporting businesses during the lockdown. He mentioned various initiatives the council has undertaken including business rates holidays and a rent holiday for its commercial tenants.

He said:

“Without the rapid action of the council and a real can-do attitude from our staff, it is quite possible that many businesses wouldn’t have got through this difficult period.”

Both Mr Sampson and Cllr Cooper also praised the work of Harrogate BID during the lockdown.

Cllr Cooper said “the BID has had its problems but now some of the problems have gone away,” perhaps referring to the resignations of four of the BID’s board earlier this year.

Wallace Sampson and Richard Cooper at last night’s virtual meeting.

Mr Cooper and Mr Sampson answered four questions from Chamber members with two based around transport.

One person asked if Harrogate town centre should be pedestrianised, adding “Harrogate could be stunning – but isn’t”.

Cllr Cooper said:

“Yes, we have problems, but every time I visit my parents in Huddersfield I realise just what an amazing place we live.

“Regarding pedestrianisation, I’m on record as I’m saying I favour, as a trial period, to block off James Street, Albert Street and Princes Square.

“It’s funny, people who don’t want pedestrianisation shout very loudly. But I go and ask people and nearly everybody says they want it.

“If you do want pedestrianisation – you need to say so.”

Friends of the Mercer Art Gallery in Harrogate have launched an online exhibition focussing specifically on art works created through lockdown.

The exhibition, which opens on August 1, is open to all artists and creative people. The artwork will be displayed in 6 different categories including painting and drawing, ceramics and sculpture and an additional category for students.

The final date for submissions is 5pm on July 25th.  Organisers of the event will then choose the best pieces to be included in the exhibition.

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• Harrogate Theatre relieved as government arts funding announced
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Submission from ceramic artists Eric Moss.

Deputy Chair of the Friends of the Mercer Project, Catherine Wright, told The Stray Ferret:

“It is funny where inspiration can come from, especially during these tough times. This exhibition is a great opportunity to share your work and show a bit of positivity during this dark time.”

Donations from the sale of artworks will go towards supporting Wellspring Therapy and Training in Starbeck and Henshaws.

For more information on how to enter visit https://www.friendsofthemercerartgallery.co.uk. 

Saint Michaels Hospice has seen a huge number of donations since opening its temporary drop off point in Harrogate this weekend.

This comes as 6 of its charity shops across the district reopened on Saturday, including 4 in Harrogate as well as its Knaresborough and Ripon branches.

In order to ensure that all donations are quarantined for 72 hours, customers are being asked to donate their items to the drop off point on Hookstone Wood Road rather than at the individual shop.

Read more:

• Charity shops reopen across the district 
• Saint Michaels Hospice helping is “hear to help.” 

Since Saturday the charity has seen huge numbers of donations.

Chief Executive of Saint Michaels Hospice, Tony Collins, said:

“We are delighted that we are able to begin opening the doors of our wonderful shops…we are thankful that so many local people have been keeping their donations safe at home for us. In order to manage the required quarantine of goods to the highest possible of standards; we have centralised the receipt of donations for the safety of everyone.”

Since Saturday, the charity has seen an overwhelming amount of donations and expects to see many more in the coming weeks. The Saint Michaels Hospice Donation Drop Off Point is open Monday to Friday 10am-4pm.

No deaths of patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital for 16 consecutive days, according to the latest NHS figures.

It means the death toll at the hospital remains at 80.

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Nationally, 15 more patients have died in hospitals across the country after testing positive for coronavirus. Of that number, three were reported in the North East and Yorkshire.

NHS England said the patients were aged between 42 and 93 years old and all had known underlying health conditions.

It takes the number of total deaths in England’s hospitals up to 28,904.

LNER has resumed its direct train service from Harrogate to London.

From today, the operator will run six trains in each direction from Monday to Friday as demand rises due to the easing of lockdown restrictions.

Services on the weekend will remain limited.

Passengers must make reservations ahead of travelling and will be allocated a socially distanced seat. LNER also recommend that they wear face coverings in stations and trains.

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Onboard ventilation systems will provide a “continuous supply of fresh air” with the air cycled every six minutes on every train.

The company said extra cleaning is taking place both on stations and onboard trains, with teams using disinfectant and long-lasting virucidal fog.

There was “relief” at Harrogate Theatre as the government announced a £1.5bn rescue package for the arts, but the long-term picture for the venue remains bleak.

Announced late on Sunday evening, prime minister Boris Johnson said the money will help venues “stay afloat and support their staff whilst their doors remain closed and curtains remain down.”

David Bown, chief executive of Harrogate Theatre told the Stray Ferret he welcomed the announcement as it “had been a long time coming” but said they are awaiting further details on how much money might be available to them.

He said:

“It feels as though it’s good news but the devil will be in the detail.”

The government will offer £1.15 billion for cultural organisations which will be made up of £270 million of repayable finance and £880 million in grants, with applications opening later this month.

Mr Bown said the theatre is losing £1 million every three months and an injection of funds could help them become financially stable in the short-term.

In recent days pressure built on social media for the government to rescue the arts sector through the hashtag #SaveTheArts, with several actors making appeals, including Harrogate Theatre patron Reece Dinsdale.

Mr Bown said:

“We’ve all enjoyed Netflix over the last three months but it all starts here. Those actors have to train in theatres. There will be a matrix of consequences for some time to come.”

Read more:

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• Sponsor a seat to save Harrogate theatre from closure

Harrogate Theatre relies on a busy Christmas panto season to help fund it throughout the year which Mr Bown said they may have to cancel due to social distancing guidelines. He said this could have consequences well into 2021.

He added:

“The problem we’ve got is social distancing. We are the antithesis of that. We invite people to come in and share our confined space. That is the opposite of what we’re being instructed to do at the moment.”

Mr Bown also estimated Harrogate Theatre brings in around £25m a year to Harrogate’s local economy which is leaving a “huge hole” the longer it remains closed.

A video was published over the weekend about why Harrogate Theatre is important to the community, which you can watch below.

The West Park Stray has started to turn green again after months of mud. The sight of green shoots will be welcome for many who have missed the space.

Harrogate Borough Council started reseeding work just over a week ago and the results are already starting to show.

The work is set to be complete by September. The council’s leader promised that it will be back “better than ever.”

The grass is starting to show.

West Park Stray remains closed off with orange netting around the site. It allows for the seeds to germinate and also for the footpath repairs.

Read more:

• Why the Stray repairs contract was given under ‘urgent circumstances’
• When local contractors questioned the decision to bring in Glendale
• How much will it cost to repair West Park Stray?

Overall, the council believes that the works will cost £129,971, broken down into:

• £38,105 for repairs to grassed areas of West Park Stray
• £65,385 for pavement, footpaths, Heras fencing, bedding and verge repairs, reinstatement of bins and benches plus any additional council work
• £20,156 to fix longstanding drainage issues
• £6,325 project management and delivery costs

The Stray in late April.

Most of West Park Stray is turning green.

Yorkshire 2019, the organisers of the UCI World Cycling Championships, has agreed to pay £35,500 to help restore the Stray.

The council’s decision to outsource to Glendale Services was met with fierce criticism from local contractors who said they were “disgusted” they weren’t invited to tender.

It awarded the contract to the Lancashire-based contractors under “urgent circumstances” seven months after the UCI.

On Saturday Bruno Marks, a member of Cappuccino Cycling Club in Harrogate, attempted to ‘Everest’, cycling up and down Park Rash in Kettlewell forty times.

‘Everesting’ is a cycling term that involves choosing a steep hill and cycling up and down it until reaching 29,029ft – the equivalent height of Mount Everest.

Bruno began his challenge at 4:30am on Saturday morning and completed the challenge at 8pm that evening, climbing a total of 30,942ft. He decided to raise money for Cancer Research UK the night before the challenge.

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He told The Stray Ferret:

“The day started great at 4.30 am, with a fantastic sunrise on my first lap to lift the spirits, but by 6am an hour long downpour had started!  It made it pretty tough having to descend very slowly and carefully and getting very cold in the process.  But the legs felt strong and I completed 40 laps with 30,942 ft of ascent at around 8pm.”

Bruno climbed a total of 30,942 ft in very bad weather.

Bruno has raised £3,448 so far for Cancer Research UK. To donate to Bruno’s challenge visit – https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/bruno-park-rash-everesting 

Posh Paws, a pet supply shop on Leeds Road in Harrogate says it’s lost money during lockdown as people turned to online shopping instead.

Despite the increase in people buying puppies during lockdown, the owners said many of their customers have turned to online retailers for supplies as they don’t want to leave the house.

Brother and sister and joint owners, Michaela and Ben Stothard, told The Stray Ferret that people have been too scared to visit the shop due to coronavirus. Michaela said:

“A lot of people have ordered online because they don’t want to leave the house and that has affected us the most. A lot of people have asked us why we aren’t online but we don’t work like that. Me and my brother have been doing this for years now and we focus everything on our customers and their dogs.”

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• Shops out of Harrogate town centre feel “left out” 

Posh paws have been open throughout lockdown.

Unlike shopping online, Michaela and Ben have been providing a hands-on service throughout lockdown which has involved a home delivery service as well as taking dog leads to customer’s houses to try on their pets.

Michaela said:

“We are always there on hand to answer questions, whether that be on the end of the phone or on messenger. I think the hard things is letting people know that we are here and able to help in anyway.”

Posh Paws has all precautionary measures in place including screens, hand sanitiser and markers in order to keep their staff and customers safe.