‘Lone wolf terrorist’ plotted to blow up RAF Menwith Hill, trial hears

A would-be “lone wolf terrorist” plotted to blow up part of a hospital and an RAF base near Harrogate, a court heard today.

Mohammad Farooq, 28, a clinical support worker, downloaded material from extremist Jihadi groups and online guides on how to make a bomb, then set his sights on RAF Menwith Hill and St James Hospital, a jury was told.

Prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford KC, prosecuting at Sheffield Crown Court, said that Farooq’s “Plan A” was to target the RAF and radar base and when that didn’t come off, he turned his attention to the hospital in Leeds where he worked at the time and was said to harbour a grudge against certain colleagues, namely nurses. 

Farooq’s initial plan was to target the US spy base at Menwith Hill but he also planned to blow up part of the hospital and go on a terrorist spree with a firearm, a homemade bomb and a kitchen knife, with the aim of “killing as many people as possible”.

Mr Sandiford said:

“By January 2023, we say that the defendant had become a self-radicalised lone-wolf terrorist who had made preparations to commit a murderous terrorist attack in Yorkshire.”

At about 5am on January 20, Farooq was arrested outside the Gledhow Wing of St James Hospital.

Mr Sandiford said:

“The defendant was in possession of a viable improvised explosive device assembled from a pressure cooker and containing 9.9 kilos of low explosive.

“He had with him, either on his person or in a bag from his car parked nearby, two knives, black tape and a blank-firing imitation firearm.

“The crown’s case is that he had gone to that hospital to commit a terrorist attack (and) seek his own martyrdom by detonating the explosive device and using bladed weapons to kill as many people as possible.

“The crown says it is likely he intended to use the imitation firearm to induce the police with (what would inevitably be) a response to such an incident to give him a martyrdom that he believed would bring him the seven blessings of the martyr and direct entry into Jannah, or Paradise.”

He said it was only “two pieces of good fortune” that averted a major terrorist atrocity and the potential loss of many lives. 

Mr Sandiford added:

“The defendant’s first plan of attack at St James Hospital was to send a bomb threat, that there was a bomb inside the hospital, with the intent of causing an evacuation while he was waiting in his car in his car park – waiting to detonate the improvised explosive device and then attack any survivors with the bladed weapons.

“He sent that bomb threat by text message when he was outside the hospital in his car. The first piece of good fortune is that the person he sent it to was another nurse at the hospital. 

“She was off duty at home, watching TV, and didn’t see or act upon the message for over an hour. And so, there is the defendant, sat outside waiting for an evacuation that did not occur.”

When people inside the hospital were finally evacuated, it was only a “part-evacuation”, with people being moved within the hospital, not into the car park where Farooq had been waiting.

Mr Sandiford said:

“When the evacuation happened, the defendant drove away.”

He returned to St James a short time later with a new plan of attack which was to carry the weapons including the homemade bomb into the Costa Coffee cafe inside the hospital wing, wait for a change of shift so that it would be full of nurses, “then detonate it, killing as many of them as possible”.

However, “luck intervened again” when a patient having a cigarette outside the entrance bumped into Farooq and “noticed that something appeared to be amiss with the defendant”.

Police were called to the scene and arrested the alleged terror plotter. He was said to be “co-operative and frank” with officers, telling them that the patient had “talked him down”.

Plan to bomb RAF Menwith Hill

The pressure-cooker bomb was made safe by a military bomb-disposal team as police began to run checks on Farooq’s movements prior to the alleged planned attack.

Analysis of his iPhone and his movements in his Seat Ibiza showed that he had also targeted RAF Menwith Hill. 

Mr Sandiford added:

“They found he had become self-radicalised by accessing extremist material and propaganda online containing material published by Islamic State and Al Qaeda.”

Farooq had viewed and downloaded extremist documents and videos on TikTok and lectures by radical preacher Anwar al-Awlaki, the Yemeni imam and leading Al Qaeda figure who was killed in an American drone strike in 2011.

He  also obtained bomb-making instructions from Inspire, a magazine published by Al Qaeda to “encourage lone-wolf terrorist attacks against the west”, particularly the US and UK.

Mr Sandiford said the bomb guide, said to be written by a man referred to as the “Al Qaeda Chef”, was clearly aimed at an “American audience”.

He added:

“The defendant identified RAF Menwith Hill, the US base in North Yorkshire, as a target for a terror attack.

“The reason for that was because RAF Menwith Hill had been designated as a target for lone-wolf terrorists by Islamic State because it was believed that the base had been used to co-ordinate drone strikes against terrorists in Syria and Iraq.”

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Using cell-site technology, police discovered that Farooq had made at least two visits to the RAF base between January 10 and the day of his arrest on January 20. 

Farooq, who appeared for the first day of his trial today, later admitted that he had the explosive device with him when he went to the air base but claimed he had just gone there “for a drive”. 

The internet history on his phone also showed he had been following guidance from another Al Qaeda publication called ‘Safety and Security Guidelines for Lone Wolf Mujahideen and small cells’.

The terror guide recommended that the would-be Mujahideen, or Jihadi solider, should have a ‘Plan A’ and a ‘Plan B’ when planning a terrorist atrocity.

He also “obtained instructions for the preparation and manufacture…of five deadly toxins as nerve agents”, namely Ricin, Sarin, VX, Tabun and Tetrodoxin. 

In addition to downloading bomb-making instructions, Farooq bought a blank-firing imitation firearm and carried out internet research on how to convert it into a weapon capable of firing live ammunition. 

Sheffield Crown Court.

Sheffield Crown Court.

On the ‘Open Source Jihad’ page of Al Qaeda’s terrorist magazine, there was a “map or plan” of RAF Menwith Hill, with an “arrow or flag pointing to Harrogate to the east”.

In the ‘Notes’ section of Farooq’s mobile phone, police found a series of notes in which the alleged would-be terrorist wrote that he “felt alone”.

The notes suggested that Farooq had a “very low sense of self-esteem”, said Mr Sandiford.

In the notes, Farooq said he had “a lot of demons” and was “tired, exhausted and mentally drained”.

He also wrote: 

“I’m hoping there’s a little light in the daily struggles I’m facing. To me, love is a (daily struggle) because I’ve never (found it)”. 

Mr Sandiford added:

“The crown says that the defendant certainly found a purpose (in life) in what he was planning to do in January of this year.”

He said that Farooq had downloaded an image of a lion with the caption ‘If you want to be strong, plan how to fight alone’, which Mr Sandiford said may have been a veiled reference to “the lone Mujahideen”.

Farooq, of Hetton Road, Roundhay, has already admitted possessing an explosive substance in suspicious circumstances, possessing an improvised explosive device and pyrotechnic fuses.

He has also pleaded guilty to possessing a document likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism and having an imitation firearm with criminal intent, namely a Gediz 9mm PAK semi-automatic pistol, and possession of the same imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

However, he denies plotting or engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts and the prosecution must prove intent to cause injury to people and property.  

The trial continues. 

Firefighters use breathing apparatus to tackle Knaresborough house blaze

Firefighters using breathing apparatus tackled a fire at a home in Knaresborough this afternoon.

Crews from Knaresborough, Harrogate and Wetherby were called to Park Grove at 4.17pm.

According to North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident log, fire started in a ceiling fan in the bathroom.

The report added firefighters used a hose reel and breathing apparatus to extinguish the fire.

Today’s incident log also said firefighters were called to an electrical fire in Marton-cum-Grafton, near Boroughbridge, this afternoon.

Crews from Harrogate and Knaresborough attended an industrial premises in the village at 2.15pm.

They responded to a report of a smell of smoke in an industrial premises. The fire suppression system had also activated.

The report added:

“Due to low oxygen levels in the room where the fire took place – the server room – fire crews used breathing apparatus and a thermal camera to investigate.

“They found that a small electrical fire had occurred, but this had been extinguished by the installed fire suppression system.”

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Starbeck library celebrates £6,000 refurbishment of children’s area

Starbeck Community Library celebrated a £6,000 refurbishment of the children’s section on Saturday.

The building faced closure in 2017 when North Yorkshire County Council withdrew funding from smaller libraries.

Thanks to the support of volunteers, it has continued to operate but needed to find new revenue streams to upgrade facilities.

This year the library secured a £6,000 grant from the National Lottery Community Fund’s Awards for All programme. Starbeck Post Office boosted the total by £500.

The income enabled Starbeck-based Amara Jane Furnishing to refurbish the children’s area.

The refurbished children’s area.

Tina Harper, a volunteer who looks after the children’s area, said local people had indicated the “faded and jaded” area was most in need of improvement.

The funding has paid for a new rug, sofa and shelving and enabled the section to be brightened up.

Julia Moseley, one of the volunteers that helped save the library when it faced closure, cut a ribbon to mark the refurbishment at Saturday’s celebration.

You can find out more about the library here.

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It’s time to meet this year’s Stray Ferret Business Award judges!

Once again there is representation from some big hitters across the Harrogate district. The judges have been chosen for their wealth of experience in driving growth in a variety of sectors.

Each judge kindly gives their free time to participate in the process. Any judge with a conflict of interest in a particular category will step away for the duration of those discussions.

Last year’s judging panel is a tough act to follow so let’s see who has taken over the mantle.

Sarah Barry, Chief Executive Officer at Harrogate Town AFC

Sarah began her career in advertising at the Yorkshire Post and Harrogate Advertiser series before joining Harrogate’s first local radio station, Stray FM – which was the start of a varied management career in commercial radio before finally becoming the Managing Director of multi-award winning Stray FM – one of the UK’s most successful commercial radio stations of its size.

In September 2021, Sarah joined Harrogate Town AFC as CEO and in June 2023, Sarah was recognised at the Football Business Awards as the SkyBet League Two CEO of the year, as voted for by fellow SkyBet League Two CEO’s.

James Rycroft, Managing Director of VIDA Healthcare

James Rycroft formed Vida Healthcare in 2010 in order to offer exceptional care for people living with dementia. Over the years he has designed, developed and now operates 300 beds and employs over 500 staff.

All Vida’s homes have been rated as Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission which is a direct result of James’ passion for quality care and quality environments.

Niall Gunn, CEO of Prosperis

Niall is an executive in retail financial services, wealth management and employee benefits with over 40 years’ experience in various executive roles with more recent focus on management. Niall operates at board level with UK regulatory approved designations, possessing excellent broad-based problem solving, communication and stakeholder management skills to ensure delivery and high effectiveness.

Experienced in developing strategies, functions and frameworks, transformational change and developing/managing existing teams.

He is the former Chairman of the Yorkshire Life & Pensions Society for an unprecedented three terms.

Heather Parry, Former managing director of Harrogate’s Yorkshire Events Centre

Heather Parry is an events professional who has spent the last 30 years building successful businesses on the Great Yorkshire Showground, including Pavilions of Harrogate, Yorkshire Event Centre, Fodder and the Harrogate Caravan Park.

Committed to good people management, communication, pushing boundaries for success and having a happy culture.

Once the deadline for entries has passed, the judges will assess each entry in the same format and without any material that goes against the terms and conditions.

The judges score the entry according to the criteria of each category. The judges will then meet to discuss their scores and make a final decision during a single day of judging. The judging process is final and all decisions are final.

It’s free and easy to enter. We will profile the great work of all the finalists, so we would encourage you to put forward your business today.

You can see a full list of award categories on our Awards page. Entries close January 19.

Green Party selects candidate to stand for North Yorkshire mayor

The Green Party has selected North Yorkshire councillor Kevin Foster as its candidate for Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

Mr Foster currently represents the Hipswell and Colburn division on North Yorkshire Council.

Before being elected a councillor, he worked in the civil service for 30 years.

The mayor will oversee a significant budget for York and North Yorkshire covering areas such as transport, education and housing.

The role will also take on the powers of police and crime commissioner. An election is expected to be held for the position in May 2024.

Following his selection, Mr Foster said:

“Your mayor cannot wave a magic wand and solve every problem but they can stand up and fight for the issues that matter in this region.  In the reserve forces I learned to work with and on behalf of others and I will use this knowledge and experience to do my best for people in this area.  

“Being mayor will be my one and only job and I will devote myself to it, representing residents and businesses to the best of my ability.”

The Conservatives Party has selected North Yorkshire councillor Keane Duncan as its candidate for the position. Cllr Duncan is also the executive councillor for highways on the authority.

Meanwhile, Pateley Bridge businessman Keith Tordoff has announced he will stand as an independent candidate for mayor.

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Call to close Harrogate’s army college after Parliament reveals cost

A campaign group has called for the closure of Harrogate‘s Army Foundation College after Parliament revealed how much it costs to run.

A question by Labour shadow justice minister Alex Cunningham discovered the annual running cost of the college, which provides basic training for 16 and 17-year-old junior recruits, is £85.5 million.

A separate question by SNP defence spokesperson Martin Docherty revealed it costs £133,000 for each trainee that completes the college’s 49-week junior entry course.

The questions were asked by the MPs on behalf of the campaign group Child Rights International Network.

Jim Wyke, coordinator for national security policy at CRIN, said the figures confirmed its suspicion that it costs more to train a 16-year-old at the college on Penny Pot Lane than it does to put an adult through the same process.

Mr Wyke said younger army recruits took longer to train (16 months vs. six months for the infantry) and were more likely to drop out (33% vs. 23%).

He also said the annual running cost of an average secondary school was £5 million, whereas the Harrogate army college costs £85.5m — 17 times more.

Mr Wyke said:

“The Army Foundation College is an incredibly expensive institution to run with an appalling track record on welfare and drop-out rates.

“It’s educational offerings fall well short of those available at a civilian college, while costing 17 times as much to run and with a record on sexual violence that would see any civilian college shut down.”

The college entrance on Penny Pot Lane.

A British Army spokesperson said:

“The Army Foundation College Harrogate trains over 900 junior soldiers annually and has exceeded 85% retention for the short course and is on track to exceed previous retention for the long course in February 2024.

“The full annual cost of the college delivers an excellent product at great value, with Ofsted rating all elements of provision such as facilities, infrastructure and resources as ‘outstanding’.

AFC Harrogate is a national employer, therefore it is disingenuous to compare it to a civilian college or secondary school.

“AFC Harrogate has very strong safeguarding mechanisms to ensure junior soldiers have the right support. The army is committed to stamping out all forms of inappropriate behaviour and has a zero-tolerance policy on sexual offences; personnel convicted of a sexual offence will be dismissed.”

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Boy, 16, arrested after teenager beaten-up at Hornbeam Park

A boy has been arrested after a youth was beaten-up at Hornbeam Park in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police today appealed for witnesses to the attack, which happened at Hornbeam Park railway bridge at about 3pm on Monday 23 October.

According to police, a victim in his mid-teens was assaulted by two suspects.

A force statement added:

“He was punched a number of times and needed medical treatment.

“One boy, aged 16 from the Harrogate area, was arrested in connection with the assault. He has been released on bail while enquiries continue.”

Anyone with information can email Ruby.Rutter@northyorkshire.police.uk or dial 101 and ask for PC511 Rutter.

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

The incident number is 12230201575.

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Fresh plan submitted to convert Harrogate strip club into flats

Plans have been submitted to convert the former Kings Club in Harrogate into 14 apartments.

The prominent town centre building is on the corner of Station Parade and Beulah Street, close to the bus station.

The strip club closed during the first covid lockdown in 2020 and never reopened.

The fresh plans come as North Yorkshire Council approved a proposal for 12 flats at the site in September.

After being empty for almost four years, planning documents state the owner hopes to undertake a major refurbishment to “bring it back to its former glory”.

Documents submitted to North Yorkshire Council said that its current adult entertainment use caused “frequent issues”, including complaints of drunken guests leaving late at night, noise, anti-social behaviour and damage to surrounding properties.

The applicant has looked to rent the first and second floors to new club operators, however, it said the post-covid demand for nightlife has deteriorated.

The 200-capacity venue was set out over two bar levels and included 25 strip booths as well as a large dancing stage with a pole.

The entrance to the club.

But the owner said if it was to remain as a nightclub it would need considerable investment to bring it up to an acceptable standard.

It concluded that converting the upper floors to a selection of “high-quality” two-bedroom apartments is the only viable economic use of the building. Access for residents would be on Beulah Street.

Kings Club was run by businessman Paul Kinsey, who also ran the Viper Rooms and Moko Lounge nightclubs in Harrogate, but all three are now closed.

In a submission to the council, architect James Robinson wrote: 

“The proposed conversion of the upper floors of 1 Oxford Street will have a significant net improvement to the surrounding area and economy over the existing strip club use.

“This is an important building, located in a very prominent town centre location, and its current use as adult entertainment is not fitting for the surrounding area. As mentioned the current use attracts anti-social behaviour, and the conversion to high quality flats is a much more appropriate and viable use for the building.”

North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.

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Bike track could replace pitch and putt course in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens

The pitch and putt course in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens.could be replaced with a bike track for young people.

North Yorkshire Council is conducting a survey on installing a pump track in place of the nine-hole course.

A pump track is a hard-surfaced circuit designed for bikes and scooters which uses the natural bumps and bends in the land to generate momentum.

The council said the track, which would take up 2,000 square metres. would provide an additional activity for children up the age of 10 years.

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The pitch and putt course costs £5.50 for adults and £3.50 for concessions and closes in winter.

If the pump track goes ahead, it would be the first of its kind in the Harrogate district.

The survey runs until November 30. The council has yet to give any details on what will happen then.

Pateley Bridge Town Council is also considering the installation of a pump track in the town, following a suggestion at September’s meeting. However, a decision has not been made yet.

Harrogate volunteer becomes Wensleydale Railway’s first female train driver

A Harrogate woman who has volunteered at Wensleydale Railway for eight years has become its first ever female train driver. 

Sue Threadgold first trained as a crossing keeper and then as a train guard.

She started her driver training last year and is now qualified to drive the railway’s class 142 and class 143 diesel multiple unit passenger trains, commonly known as Pacer trains. 

She said: 

“My goal when I joined was to become a train driver, so I am really happy to have fulfilled my ambition and I thank everyone at the railway who has helped me achieve this!” 

Photo of Harrogate woman Sue Threadgold, Wensleydale Railway's first female train driver, at the controls of a diesel Pacer train.

Sue at the controls of a diesel Pacer train.

The 22-mile-long Wensleydale Railway is a volunteer-led enterprise running heritage diesel services for 22 miles between Scruton and Leyburn via Leeming Bar, Bedale and Finghall Lane. It is also working to extend services from Leyburn to Redmire. 

The railway also holds seasonal events, such as Haunted Rail this Halloween on Saturday, October 28 and the special Bonfire Express service from Leyburn to Bedale for the Bedale Bonfire and Fireworks Display on Saturday, November 4. 

Sue added: 

“I would encourage more people to get involved in their local heritage railway. There are a wide variety of volunteer roles available, to suit all interests and abilities. It’s really rewarding to be part of a great team, helping to keep our history and heritage alive for the public to enjoy!” 

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