Harrogate businessman broke man’s jaw in unprovoked pub attack

A Harrogate businessman has narrowly avoided jail after breaking a man’s jaw with a single punch – apparently because the unsuspecting victim was wearing an orange hat.

Robert Darling, 27, who was unknown to the victim, sidled up to the man who was sat talking to friends outside a pub in Starbeck and struck him to the side of the face, knocking him to the ground.

Prosecutor Sam Roxborough told York Crown Court it was a split-second, “entirely unprovoked” attack for which there was still no explanation as there had been no animosity between the parties and they were strangers.

Tests in hospital showed that the victim had a broken jawbone. Doctors inserted bands into his jaw which meant the victim was unable to eat solid food.

The “bizarre” incident occurred outside the Prince of Wales pub in High Street at about 11.30pm on March 24 last year, just after Darling had been “play-fighting” with his mate.

“[The victim] was sat at a table outside the front of the Prince of Wales pub in Harrogate, speaking with friends,” said Mr Roxborough.

“As he was talking to his friends, the defendant punched him to the side of the face. That was entirely unprovoked and the (victim) did not see the punch coming as he was facing in the opposite direction.

“The impact knocked him off his seat and onto the floor. He felt immediate pain to the side of his face.”

After the man got back to his feet, Darling, from Killinghall, returned, shook his hand, hugged him and apologised, even offering him the chance “to punch him back”.

The victim, fearing further violence, promptly left the pub, reported the matter to police and gave them a description of his attacker.

An officer recognised Darling from CCTV footage of the attack as he had been involved in a “previous police incident”, although he had no previous convictions.

Darling, a self-employed electrician who ran his own business, was arrested and charged with wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm. He admitted the offence and appeared for sentence today.

Mr Roxborough said the victim took himself to hospital three days after the attack after his jaw began to swell and he was unable to open his mouth. Tests showed he had a fracture to the side of his jaw and he was referred for consultation with a facial-surgery team.

Defence barrister Ian Hudson said that Darling, a married father-of-two, could offer “no explanation” for the “very unusual” incident.

Judge Simon Hickey told the defendant:

“The pub is well-known in Harrogate. There were lots of people milling around and other people walking in the street.

“CCTV footage shows you in a white shirt play-fighting with another friend in a black shirt. You both seem to exchange some words… and then you turn and face your unfortunate victim who is simply wearing an orange hat and dressed differently to you.”

Mr Hickey said it was hard to fathom why Darling would “walk several paces” up to a man he had never met before and “inflict one heavy blow to his face which knocks him off his chair and his feet”.

Notwithstanding the fact that Darling was “extremely drunk”, the only feasible explanation for the attack was that the victim was “dressed differently to you” and was conspicuous by his orange hat, added the judge.

However, Mr Hickey said he had also noted glowing character references which spoke of Darling as a hard-working man whose behaviour that day was out of character. He had no previous convictions and was the main breadwinner for his family.

He said it had been a “close-run thing”, but he had decided to give Darling a chance to stay out of jail.

Darling, of Heather Court, received an eight-month prison sentence, but this was suspended for 18 months. He was told he would have to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and complete 15 rehabilitation-activity days, along with a 120-day alcohol-monitoring programme.

He was ordered to pay the victim £2,500 compensation.

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Glum Tories in Harrogate see blue wall crumble in Rishi Sunak’s backyard

There was much talk at the last general election about the collapse of Labour’s red wall in its northern heartlands.

Today’s York and North Yorkshire mayoral election was an opportunity to see if the Conservatives’ blue wall of control in England’s largest county was equally wobbly.

It had certainly been creaking: North Yorkshire Council’s Conservative rule is propped up by three independents and Labour’s Keir Mather overturned a large Conservative majority at last year’s Selby and Ainsty by-election.

But surely true blue North Yorkshire, home of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, would deliver some succour to the Tories after a bruising night of local election results?

Curiously, Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, was not at Harrogate Convention Centre to support Keane Duncan. His Liberal Democrat rival Tom Gordon, whose mother was re-elected for the Lib Dems in Knottingley and Ferrybridge on Wakefield Council, arrived later in the day to support Felicity Cunliffe-Lister.

Nevertheless activists for both parties turned out in force.

It soon became apparent this was a two-horse race. Ms Cunliffe-Lister said long before the result was declared she hoped to finish a “good third”, acknowledging her party’s lengthy selection process meant she entered the race too late.

Keane Duncan pictured after arriving for the count.

Politicians on all sides leaned towards a Labour victory when we probed but nobody seemed particularly confident. When Conservative Ben Houchen retained the Tees Valley mayoralty, it appeared a good omen and when the turnout was announced at a higher-than-expected 30% it further raised hopes because it suggested Tory voters had not stayed home after all.

Had Mr Duncan’s energetic campaign and machine gun fire of ambitious policy announcements done the trick?

Felicity Cunliffe-Lister

Ms Cunliffe-Lister, Green candidate Kevin Foster and Independents Keith Tordoff and Paul Haslam were happy to talk and mingle but as is often the case at election counts, the favourites were largely invisible. When we approached a local Labour activist for a comment on how it was going, we were hastily marched to a regional media person who was non-committal.

Mr Duncan eventually arrived, with North Yorkshire Council leader Carl Les not far behind. Mr Skaith, looking like he’d been dressed by the same tailor as Labour leader Keir Starmer, was barely seen until the declaration loomed.

Shortly before 2.30pm, an election official briefed the media ‘not to go for a long walk’ as the result was imminent. We were also warned that if it were close — which seemed a distinct possibility — a recount would be held.

The candidates disappeared into a room to be told the results and re-emerged poker faced. But there was a strong clue when a Green politician shook Mr Skaith’s hand.

Mr Skaith’s near 15,000 winning margin was wider than anyone we spoke to predicted. What was even more surprising was that he came within 3,500 votes of beating Mr Duncan in North Yorkshire before his predicted strong support in Labour-run York saw him home.

His supporters whooped while Mr Duncan graciously applauded and patiently gave interviews to a line of journalists.

Had his bold claims, including buying the Grand Hotel at Scarborough, blown up in his face? He claimed not, suggesting the ‘national picture’ was the main factor before insisting he would continue his role as the councillor in charge of highways at North Yorkshire Council. Back to answering questions on the Harrogate Station Gateway…

Two hours after the result, Mr Skaith had hotfooted it to Northallerton Football Club where he stood alongside Mr Starmer and Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves for one of those stage managed media calls in front of an over-excitable crowd of placard-waving supporters. It was a rather bizarre end to a remarkable day.

Mr Starmer hailed it a “victory in Tory heartlands”. A chunk had indeed been taken out of the blue wall. Will it come crashing down in long-term Tory seats Harrogate and Knaresborough, or Skipton and Ripon, at the next general election?

You can recapture all today’s action in our live blog here.

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Labour’s David Skaith pledges to ‘get basics right’ as mayor

Newly elected Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith, has pledged to “get the basics right” as the first mayor of the county.

The Labour Party candidate won the inaugural mayoral election with 66,761 votes.

Speaking after the result, Mr Skaith, who is originally from Harrogate, said he felt the region had not done the basics, such as building affordable homes and improving transport.

He added that doing so would help to retain people to live and work in the area.

Mr Skaith said:

“We have an opportunity to bring York and North Yorkshire together. North Yorkshire is not an area that we normally do well in, but people want change.

“We have not been doing the basics. That will be my priority. We have a lot of people who are leaving the area.”

Mr Skaith pledged to work with fellow metro mayors in West Yorkshire, but also towards the west in Greater Manchester and Liverpool to help improve issues such as transport.

The election was a disappointing day for the Conservatives in North Yorkshire as they lost the election by 14,794 votes.

Tory candidate, Keane Duncan, came second with 51,967 votes and Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, Liberal Democrat, finished third with 30,867.

Meanwhile, Green Party candidate, Kevin Foster, won 15,188 votes and Keith Tordoff, independent, finished fifth with 13,250 votes.

Harrogate independent, Paul Haslam, won 12,370 votes.

The turnout for the York and North Yorkshire mayoral election was 30%.

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As it happened: Labour’s David Skaith wins North Yorkshire mayoral election

Labour’s David Skaith was elected mayor of York and North Yorkshire at Harrogate Convention Centre today.

Mr Skaith will be paid £81,300-a-year to lead the new York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, overseeing an annual budget of £18 million. He will have new devolved powers from Westminster and will champion the largest geographical region of any mayor.

Here’s a look back at today’s election count at Harrogate Convention Centre.

2.41pm: Keane Duncan magnanimous in defeat

The Conservative candidate was well beaten but he applauded winner David Skaith and is giving interviews now to a long list of journalists.

We have grabbed a word with him and all the other candidates. Look out for extensive reaction and analysis on the Stray Ferret over the next few days.

2.34pm: Final vote

2.29pm: Clear win for Labour

David Skaith is giving his acceptance speech. The final result was drowned out but he beat Conservative Keane Duncan by about 15,000 votes.

2.24pm: LABOUR’S DAVID SKAITH WINS!

2.20pm: Candidates reappear

Poker faces all round but someone just shook David Skaith’s hand. Has he won? We are awaiting the announcement.

2.08pm: Candidates being told results

Returning officer Richard Flinton announces provisional results being shared with candidates and election agents. They have disappeared into a room.

The result should follow very soon, unless one of the candidates is granted a recount.

This is tense — nobody seems to be making any confident predictions but most people are leaning towards Labour’s David Skaith.

2.05pm: Result expected imminently

A media person has just told us ‘don’t go for any long walks’ as a result is due very soon.

2pm: David Skaith returns

The elusive Labour candidate is back in the building, looking understandably pensive.

1.49pm: Result within the hour?

A big screen here at Harrogate Convention Centre shows the counts at the four other locations, and all appear to have finished.

That could mean a result is not far away. We are hearing it could be as soon as half an hour. But there is also the possibility of a recount if it is close.

 

1.35pm: Will high turnout help Tories?

There is speculation that the higher than expected turnout could suit the Conservatives.

There were fears among Tories that many of their voters would stay at home but the 30% turnout has buoyed hopes that a good proportion did register their votes yesterday.

A 30% turnout may not seem that high but by comparison, the final North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner election, won by Conservative Zoe Metcalfe in 2021, attracted a 14% turnout.

Remember, the commissioner’s role will be taken over by the new mayor.

1.29pm: Nervous moments as result looms

There’s not much happening now. But the result can ony happen as fast as the slowest count. We understand one of the two Scarborough counts has finished but there are also counts in Northallerton and York.

We managed a word with Keane Duncan, who seems cheerful and agredd to pose for a photo but declined to comment until afterwards.

There is still no great certainty here, other than that it’s a two-horse race between the Conservatives and Labour, whose candidate David Skaith has not been seen since his brief appearance earlier.

1.05pm: Conservative candidate Keane Duncan arrives

Conservative candidate Keane Duncan has arrived, which means all six candidates have been spotted at Harrogate Convention Centre. He’s smiling and chatting with local Conservatives but these must be nervous moments.

Still no sign of Andrew Jones or Tom Gordon.

12.44pm: Labour still saying ‘too close to call’

About the only people not predicting a Labour victory here today are the Labour Party.

We just had a quick word with the regional media team who said they were very wary of predictions, and were still waiting for updates from the other counts taking place in York, Scarborough and Northallerton.

David Skaith has still not returned since his brief appearance earlier. The only other candidate who does not appear to be in the room here is Conservative Keane Duncan.

12.29pm: Ben Houchen wins – good omen for Tories?

Conservative Ben Houchen has just been declared the winner of the Tees Valley mayoral election. Some were predicting his defeat — is this a good sign for the Tories a few miles south in North Yorkshire?

12.02pm: Lib Dem candidate thinks she will finish third

It appears to be a straight fight between the Conservatives and Labour, with most people predicting a Labour win — but nobody appears to be doing so with any great certainty.

Lib Dem candidate Felicity Cunliffe-Lister says it looks like she may finish third. She adds:

“I was a little bit late entering the race than I would have liked. It just took a long time for the selection process so I didn’t hit the ground running,”

Ms Cunliffe-Lister says she is the only candidate to have been to all 17 hustings, and says she has enjoyed her foray into politics since being elected as Lib Dem councillor, a role she continues to fulfil.

ps the man in the previous post was Don Mackenzie, the former highways chief on North Yorkshire County Council.

11.48am: Count in full swing

Ballots are being counted. Quick question – who is the man standing with his back to the camera? Clue — he was a major figure in local politics until the 2022 local elections.

11.42am: 37 media outlets expected

There is a lot of media interest in the election of the county’s first mayor. Officials say 37 media outlets have been accredited. The media area is starting to fill up.

11.38am: David Skaith arrives

Labour candidate David Skaith has arrived at Harrogate Convention Centre. We asked for a photo, something the other four candidates here so far have obliged us with, but he politely declined, saying he was popping out and would be back.

11.34am: Tories and Lib Dems on opposite tables.

Elections are tribal: the Lib Dems are on the left table; the Conservatives are on the right. There isn’t much interaction between the two.

No sign yet of Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, or Tom Gordon, the Lib Dem who wants to succeed him. We understand Mr Gordon’s mother is standing for election in West Yorkshire and he is expected later.

11.26am: Turnout is 30%

Returning officer Richard Flinton announces the figure.

11.20am: Result could be declared early afternoon

The verification process, which was due to end at noon, is over and the word is the result could be declared early, at about 2pm, but election counts operate in a parallel universe full of rumours and nothing is confirmed.

We are told, however, the turnout figure is expected shortly. There’s a rumour (that word again) the figure is 30% at the Northallerton count, which isn’t too shabby for a mayoral election.

11.06am: Green candidate predicts Labour win

Kevin Foster, the Green Party candidate, is at Harrogate Convention Centre with his daughter (pictured above). Four of the six candidates appear to be here now, the exceptions being Conservative Keane Duncan and Labour’s David Skaith.

Mr Foster says he thinks Labour have done better here than expected and will win overall, although he suspects it will be close, with a margin of between one and five percent.

As for himself, he says he hopes to get between 5% and 10% of the vote. Candidates need 5% to get their £5.000 deposit back. He says the Greens are a small party that only received 220 donations in North Yorkshire last year.

10.52am: Strong turnout of Lib Dems at convention centre

There is a large turnout of local Lib Dem activists and councillors, Candidate Felicity Cunliffe-Lister is sporting a rosette.

10.43am: Independent candidate predicts Labour win

Bilton councillor Paul Haslam, who left the Conservatives to stand as an independent in the mayoral contest, says he gets the sense the voting has been “tribal” and he feels David Skaith will win overall.

10.27am: Rumours begin

The count has yet to begin but supporters at the verification process are seeing crosses on ballots and making claims. So NOTHING IS CONFIRMED but the whisper is the Liberal Democrats are doing well at this count, the Greens are doing poorly and Keith Tordoff is the leading independent.

Remember, the Harrogate count includes votes cast in the Harrogate and Knaresborough, Selby and Ainsty and part of the new Wetherby and Easingwold constituencies, so about two-and-a-half constituencies.

10.16am: First candidate arrives

Independent Keith Tordoff, looking dapper and sounding chipper, is the first candidate to arrive. He says he’s attended every hustings he’s been invited to — about 17 — and achieved a broad coalition of support from diverse groups including the Yorkshire Party, local mosques and Reform UK.

He says:

“Win, lose or draw I will wake up happy tomorrow because I am healthy and I love life.”

Mr Tordoff says he feels the mayor should be independent because a Labour mayor would favour Labour-controlled City of York council and a Conservative mayor would favour Tory-controlled North Yorkshire Council.

10.10am: 120 counters in Harrogate

There are 120 counters here at Harrogate Convention Centre. Counts are also taking place at Northallerton and Scarborough but the result will be declared here,

There were 668 polling stations across York and North Yorkshire yesterday, which were manned by 2,000 volunteers. The size of the electorate is 485,105 in North Yorkshire and 154,105 in York. The turnout still remains unknown.

9.39am: Verification process underway

Richard Flinton

Returning officer Richard Flinton, the chief executive of North Yorkshire Council, is expected to declare the result mid-afternoon. He has just taken to a plinth to announce the verification process is underway. The actual count is due to start at noon.

9.15am: Will Tory pain extend to North Yorkshire?

It’s been a bad night for the Conservatives, with losses in the Blackpool South by-election and in council elections. Will the pain extend to the traditional Tory heartlands of North Yorkshire in today’s mayoral vote? We will provide update throughout the day from Harrogate Convention Centre, where the winner is expected to be announced this afternoon.

Bomb disposal called after WWII bullet found near Harrogate

An area near Harrogate was yesterday cordoned off after a WWII bullet was found.

In a statement by North Yorkshire Police, the force said the “live bullet” was found yesterday (May 2) on Law Lane, in Shaw Mills.

Police said a family, who were walking on a footpath, “stumbled” across the live bullet and another “not so obvious” metal object on the ground.

Officers were called at around 5.10pm.

The statement added:

“To be safe the area was briefly cordoned off and items safely disposed of by bomb disposal.”

No further information has been revealed.

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Harrogate primary school launches bike-lending scheme

A Harrogate primary school has launched a free bike-lending scheme.

Oatlands Infant School, which is part of the Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust, recently unveiled its ‘bike library’ to promote health and wellbeing.

The school said the scheme will mean pupils, staff and family members can borrow bikes for free.

Headteacher Christopher Harrison said:

“Children with active families and active teachers inevitably lead healthier lives.

“We are delighted to be able to give back to the wonderful community that we proudly serve, and we are excited to see the bikes in actions over the coming weeks!”

The school partnered with North Yorkshire Sport, Creating Active Schools and the Department for Education’s opening school facilities programme to bring the project to life.

The bike library includes four adult bikes and four children’s bikes, as well as helmets and alarmed locks, which have been provided The Electric Bike Shop on Leeds Road.

Mr Harrison added:

“We are also really thankful for the support from North Yorkshire Sport and the fabulously helpful team at The Electric Bike Shop.

“We recognise that many families cannot afford bikes, nor can they store them, so we hope that this gives our community an opportunity to experience adventure on two wheels.”

Families can borrow the bikes and equipment for up to a week at a time to commute to-and-from school, as well as for evening and weekend bike rides.

The school said families can also arrange longer bookings to take the bikes on holiday with them.

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Harrogate to get its first repair café

A repair café is to open in Harrogate.

The initiative, which is part of an international movement, promotes repairing items as an alternative to throwing things away.

People are encouraged to come along with broken items and get them fixed on the spot with the help of volunteer repairers.

There are over 2,500 repair cafés worldwide, with the closest ones currently in Leeds and Thirsk. The initiative was created by Dutch woman Martine Postma and the first repair café event took place in Amsterdam in 2009.

The Harrogate café is looking for residents with different skills to act as repair experts during the monthly meetings.

Organisers are seeking people who can repair clothing, textiles, electrical appliances, electronics, jewellery, and furniture, wooden objects.

Volunteers are also needed to act as hosts at the meetings; to serve as a contact point for visitors and repairers, as well as serving refreshments.

William Sanders, organiser of Harrogate Repair Café, said:

“Following the success of similar projects in Leeds, We’re excited to put Harrogate on the map of a huge and growing network of repair cafés.

“We’d love to stop things going to landfill, by helping the community to get things fixed, as well as giving volunteers the rewarding opportunity to meet like-minded people and share their skills.”

The Harrogate Repair Café group on Facebook was created last week and already has already amassed over 200 members. Mr Sanders said he was “very pleased” by the response.

Mr Sanders is an events organiser from Harrogate who began volunteering at the Leeds Repair Café.

He specialises in fixing electrical items and said the café often se people bring items such as clothes, coffee machines, hair straighteners and air fryers.

He added:

“I thought it would be something good for Harrogate. The town needs some more community based things and Harrogate has the right demographic. At the Leeds Repair Café we see a lot of older people or people with mobility issues with lots of things that need repairing.”

“At the moment my main focus is on looking for handy people to become volunteers. It is a great opportunity and gives people a chance to use their skills in a positive way. It is really fun and is such as rewarding process.”

An open meeting is being held for anyone interested in getting involved at the Friends Meeting House on Queen Parade in Harrogate at 3pm on Saturday, May 18, Mr Sanders said he hoped 20 to 30 people would attend.

The Harrogate Repair Café is also seeking sponsors to help donate towards expenses such as PAT tests and insurance.

Anyone interested in getting involved can contact the repair café at harrogaterepaircafe@gmail.com.

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Man arrested after making ‘threats to kill’ on Harrogate road

A man has been arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill on a Harrogate road last night (May 1).

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement today firearms officers were called to Woodfield Drive at about 7.40pm after receiving a concern for safety report.

In a statement, the force told the Stray Ferret the man, 40, was arrested on suspicion of “making threats to kill and possession an offensive weapon”.

Officers from the firearms support unit were alerted to the scene and “safely carried out the arrest”.

The statement added:

“The man was taken into custody for questioning.

“Reassurance patrols are taking place in the neighbourhood as the investigation continues.

“Anyone with information or footage of the incident is urged to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 4, and speak to the Force Control Room.

“Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or make an online report.”

Quote reference 12240076217 when passing on information.

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Find out how your child can join the Cundall family at a school open morning

This story is sponsored by Cundall Manor School. 

Ensuring your child thrives in an environment that fosters and uplifts them throughout their educational journey should be the standard when seeking a school.

Cundall Manor School prides itself on excelling in providing an environment that fosters a love of learning and enables each of its pupils to be the best version of themselves.

Prospective students and parents can experience what the Cundall community have deemed ‘the Cundall magic’ themselves, at an open morning on Friday May 10, 2024, from 9.30am onwards.

About Cundall

(Image: Cundall Manor School)

Cundall is a co-educational, independent school for boys and girls, between the ages of 2 and 16 years old. Situated in 28 acres of picturesque landscape between Ripon and Thirsk, it has been providing an education to children in the region and beyond for over half a century.

Cundall has established its reputation as an aspirational place that aims to create well-rounded individuals ready to embrace the opportunities that lie ahead.

A happy, safe, and stimulating environment 

(Image: Cundall Manor School)

The idyllic nursery environment and school offers a tailored, bespoke approach to education for each child, for them to flourish in the areas they love, and be supported in those they need additional help in. Small class sizes allow for individual attention.

While academic excellence is one of the cornerstones of Cundall, there’s also a great emphasis placed upon creating a ‘character curriculum’ – where academia and enrichment programmes are intertwined concepts, held in equal regard.

Pupils are presented with a vibrant school calendar of activities that broaden their horizons and enrich their experiences throughout their school life.

(Image: Cundall Manor School)

Alongside dynamic classroom teaching, pupils embark on thrilling day trips and excursions regularly, both locally and abroad such as the challenge of completing the Yorkshire Three Peaks and Ben Nevis, international exchange programmes with European schools and volunteering in Morocco for their end of year trip to mention just a few.

The Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award is also compulsory for students to undertake, as Cundall believes it directly complements its ethos of CODE – challenge, ownership, dialogue, and engagement. Many students are inspired to then go on and complete their Silver Awards before embarking on their GCSEs.

Sport is also a huge part of school life; with access to expansive grass sports pitches, Astro Turf , a swimming pool and tennis courts, Cundall has many teams that children can get involved with, at all levels of abilities. Teamwork is a key ethos of the school – children play, learn, develop and mature within a strong year group unit.

The open morning

(Image: Cundall Manor School)

To find out more about the holistic educational experience that Cundall offers its pupils from nursery through to senior school, parents are invited to attend the next open day, on Friday, May 10, from 9.30am.

A parent of a Cundall pupil commented:

“Cundall encourages children’s strengths to flourish, so that they thrive and excel in those areas'”

Find out more:

The next open day at Cundall Manor is Friday, May 10, 2024 from 9.30am onwards.

To find out more, visit the website, call 01423 360 200, or register your interest in attending the morning here. 

Northern Gas Networks apologises over ongoing Pannal roadworks

Northern Gas Networks has apologised after residents complained about ongoing roadworks in Pannal.

The company started utility repairs and maintenance work on the A61 Leeds Road near to the traffic lights at the junction with Follifoot Road two weeks ago.

The work includes temporary traffic lights in both directions on the A61 and on Station Road and Follifoot Road.

Residents and the local councillor, John Mann, said the work had led to long queues on Leeds Road in both directions, congestion and rat running, particularly during rush hour times.

The Stray Ferret took the concerns over the disruption to the company.

In response, Mark Mawhood, operations manager for Northern Gas Networks, said: 

“We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused during these essential works. However, it is vital we complete them in order to continue to maintain a safe and reliable gas supply to the residents of Pannal.”

Mr Mawhood added that the company expects the work to be completed by Sunday, May 12.

The move comes after Cllr Mann described the work as leaving residents feeling “hemmed in” and “isolated”.

He also pointed to ongoing work by Yorkshire Water on Spring Lane, which he said had caused a “near perfect storm” of roadworks.

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