After a process lasting eight months, the Liberal Democrats have finally named Tom Gordon as their candidate to wrestle Harrogate and Knaresborough off the Conservatives at the next general election.

Mr Gordon, who turns 29 today, is less than half the age of Andrew Jones, the current MP, but has already packed a lot into his short political career. He has stood twice for Parliament, led the Liberal Democrats on Wakefield Council and supported Judith Rogerson in her campaign to unseat Mr Jones at the last election in 2019.

But does he have the experience and nous to defeat a seasoned politician like Mr Jones, who will be going for his fifth success in a row? Mr Jones has achieved more than 50% of the vote at the last three elections, turning a constituency held by Liberal Democrat Phil Willis from 1997 to 2010 back into a safe Conservative seat.

With Paul Ko Ferrigno named as the Green Party candidate, and Labour yet to declare, there is the possibility of all the main parties selecting white men. Mr Gordon’s youth gives him some point of difference, which he acknowledges could be advantageous but he says the main reason people should vote for him is because he would stand for “fairness and equality” while Mr Jones, he claims, is a party stooge with a “record of shame”.

But what kind of candidate are local people getting — and how well does he know Harrogate and Knaresborough?

Mr Gordon, who is from Knottingley in West Yorkshire and is the Lib Dem leader on Wakefield Council, was chosen by party members ahead of Knaresborough campaigner Matt Walker.

Mr Jones was quick to express surprise, telling the Harrogate Advertiser (he does not speak to the Stray Ferret) he felt Mr Walker’s local roots made him a “shoo-in”.

Mr Gordon, who is moving to a flat in Harrogate next month, says it was a “lazy attack line” and points out Mr Jones is also originally from West Yorkshire having been born in Ilkley and educated in Bradford and Leeds.

Mr Gordon is keen to highlight his familiarity with Harrogate and Knaresborough, having helped Ms Rogerson in 2019, and at pains to explain he is only from “20 miles down the M1”. But he did not answer when asked to name the manager of Harrogate Town, although he talked enthusiastically about Knaresborough Bed Race.

From disengaged student to Lib Dem activist 

His introduction to politics began by chance as a student in 2014 when he was on a train to London and got talking to the woman opposite, who happened to be the Lib Dem peer Baroness Harris of Richmond.

“She gave me her business card and said ‘if there is anything I can ever do, just get in touch’. At that point it’s fair to say I was slightly disengaged with politics.”

He dropped her a line and ended up becoming a parliamentary intern at the House of Lords aged 20.

But his mother’s diagnosis with breast cancer, the day before he started a masters degree in 2016, was the key moment.

“My mum is a single parent and my little sister was five. I dropped down to part-time study to go home and help.

“Mum arranged to have chemo on Friday nights so she could be ill over the weekend because she couldn’t afford to live off statutory sick pay.

“Seeing mum work a minimum wage job, trying to cover the mortgage and bills, and trying to deal with fighting cancer was an eye-opener. When people have to schedule their chemo around work, that’s not the country I want to live in.”

Mr Gordon in Knaresborough

He says Labour politicians, utterly dominant in his area, had taken local people for granted, safe in the knowledge of re-election. By contrast he says the Lib Dems empower people by giving them the tools to build a better future.

He joined the party in 2017 and stood in Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford at the 2019 general election, finishing fourth behind Labour big beast Yvette Cooper with 6.5% of the vote. The Lib Dems polled 5.1% at the previous election. In 2021 he polled 3.3% in the Batley and Spen by-election to finish fourth behind Labour. George Galloway was third.

Harrogate and Knaresborough is his first serious chance of victory. The Lib Dems increased their share by 12% in 2019 to almost halve Mr Jones’s majority. Mr Gordon says it “was one of the few success stories we had on the night” and “put us in a place where we can think about winning” at the next election, which is likely to be next year.

Why does he think Mr Jones has been so successful?

“We are not under any illusion that as an area there are a lot of demographics in favour of the Conservative Party. But what we do know is there is a route to winning here. We have held the seat before under Phil Willis and feel we can do again.”

Read more:

• Lib Dems confirm Harrogate and Knaresborough candidate for next election
• Liberal Democrats win Masham and Fountains by-election

Mr Gordon cites NHS funding, apprenticeships and championing small- and medium-sized businesses as priorities. Brexit, he says, has “eaten up the oxygen in the room” and won’t feature prominently in campaigning.

But what about local issues — does he think nearly £50 million should be spent refurbishing Harrogate Convention Centre?

He says the long-term future of the convention centre needs to be secured but is less sure about the £11.2 million Harrogate Station Gateway scheme that has divided the town:

“There are strong views for and against it. I haven’t made up my mind yet.”

Pavement politics

Mr Gordon says his political heroes are mainly Americans, particularly Hillary Clinton, but also singles out former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron, explaining:

“Pavement politics and grassroots activism upwards is the best of the Lib Dems and Tim epitomises that.”

It’s a style he intends to copy:

“People should expect to see someone who will be on their doorsteps, who will be at community events and leading from the front and championing Harrogate and Knaresborough and demanding better than what we’ve got from the Tories. I am energetic and dynamic and very happy to roll up my sleeves and get stuck in.”

Mr Gordon’s varied professional career includes spells as an estate agent and in recruitment. He’s currently a part-time policy and external affairs officer for the Carers Trust charity and the office manager for Helen Morgan, the Lib Dem MP for North Shropshire — a role he will soon relinquish.

He also plans to stand down as a Wakefield councillor in May, having been elected at the age of 25.

Away from work, he has run several marathons for charity and enjoys swimming and badminton. He has a degree in biochemistry and a masters in public health.

He has certainly not been idle in his 20s. He says:

“I’m an ambitious person. I’m very driven. If I set my mind to something, I tend to achieve it.”

As for Mr Jones, the politicking has begun.

“I met him once briefly in passing at a media event. One of the things local people have said is that Andrew does like to turn up to have his photo taken where possible. They don’t tend to say much else.”

If elected, what difference would it make to local people?

“The key point will be that I’m not going to endlessly trudge through the lobbies as the government says, I’m going to be a strong voice for what local people want.

“He has a record of shame quite frankly, whether it be voting to let water companies get away with discharging sewage into rivers or voting for all sorts of horrendous policies this government has concocted over the last few years — he’s got one of the highest records of following that government whip.

“I will put the people of Harrogate and Knaresborough first — not the Tory Party.”

The first shots have been fired as the election countdown draws near.

A new chairman has been appointed ahead of the launch of North Yorkshire Council.

Cllr David Ireton, a self-employed butcher and farmer, was elected as the county council’s chair at the full council meeting this week. He has served as the interim chair following the death of his predecessor, Cllr Margaret Atkinson, in November last year.

The new council will launch on April 1, when it replaces Harrogate Borough Council, North Yorkshire County Council and the remaining district authorities.

Cllr Ireton, who represents Bentham & Ingleton, said:

“I was lucky enough to serve as deputy chair alongside Margaret and her passing came as a huge shock and with great sadness to everybody who had the pleasure of working with her over the years.

“I am honoured to be taking on this role as we launch the new council in April which will deliver many benefits. We now have just one set of councillors who will be accountable for all services, so it’s clear who represents each area.

“There’s also the prospect of a devolution deal in the coming year, which represents a huge opportunity to take on more decision-making powers. It is certainly a time of change for North Yorkshire and I’m proud to be part of it.”

Read more:

• Ex-ombudsman criticises North Yorkshire devolution consultation as biased ‘marketing exercise’
• Ripon hopeful of controlling its destiny under new council
• Kirkby Malzeard councillor Margaret Atkinson dies

Cllr Ireton was first elected to the county council in 1999 and has been a Craven district councillor since May 1998. He also sits on the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.

Meanwhile, Cllr Roberta Swiers, who represents Clayton, was appointed vice chair of the council.

Both will be in post until May this year.

A Harrogate man is taking on an epic cycling challenge in memory of his late aunt.

Simon Gregory is set to cycle from North-West Scotland to Winchester Cathedral to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support, which cared for his aunt, Rev Ruth Scott.

He aims to complete the 1,000km route in less than 48hours, in the hope of raising £25,000.

At the time of aunt’s death in 2019, Simon was just taking up cycling and he said the sport helped him deal with his grief.

In 2021, Simon completed a 280-mile cycle from his hometown in Yorkshire to University Hospital in Southampton, raising £14,000 for Macmillan, before planning his next challenge.

The upcoming 1,000km ride, which Simon will complete in June, begins and ends at the locations where his aunt’s ashes are scattered and interred respectively.

Rev Scott was part of the BBC Radio 2 feature Pause for Thought, alongside Sir Terry Wogan and then Chris Evans.

Preparing for his challenge, Simon said:

“It’s to remember my aunty Ruth who battled T-cell lymphoma. She was an incredible lady who led the most remarkable of lives; as a circus clown, a midwife and then a priest.

“She touched thousands, maybe millions of lives in conflict resolution and as a broadcaster for 25 years on BBC Radio Two. She was an incredibly selfless lady who was my second mum. She was always there to support and guide me when I needed it.”

Simon hugs Ruth’s nurse, Mairead, after completing his previous fundraising challenge

As well as remembering his aunt, he also paid tributed to her nurse, Mairead:

“To think that somebody faced cancer without what Ruth had in her nurse, Mairead, just kept nagging at me. Mairead offered a huge amount of knowledge, support and understanding so we could deal with the situation much better.”

 Simon’s £25,000 target would cover 101 days of Macmillan nursing.

You can donate £5 by texting ‘RUTH48’ to 70550 or visit Simon’s Just Giving page. People can also donate £33 – which funds one Macmillan nursing hour – and have a loved one’s name included on the bike to join Simon on his journey.

Read More: 

• Harrogate cycling group: ‘We need delivery, not just bids’
• Government gives final go-ahead for £69m Kex Gill reroute to start

The Sawley Arms near Ripon has been granted planning permission for a café and shop to be added onto the site.

The plans, submitted by Leeds-based NJ-Architects, were approved by Harrogate Borough Council last week.

The building will be extended to create a village shop and coffee shop, and the current conservatory will be replaced with a new seating area.

The shop will include household essentials, as well as fresh morning goods and takeaway sandwiches.

The deli-style shop will feature ready-to-go food which can be reheated at home, and a coffee shop will also be added.

Read more:

• Sawley Arms granted midnight extension
• Storm Otto leaves Ripon building owners counting the cost

The plans will create new jobs roles for the local community.

Steve Harryman, project manager of The Sawley Arms, said:

“We wanted to expand the number of covers and create more space for our guests.

“The plans will increase the viability of the pub.”

The proposals have been under discussion for eight years and are finally coming to fruition. The pub said Sawley is “a delicate area for development, as it is part of an AONB”.

The completion date is not yet certain and “depends on builder availability”, Mr Harryman said.

The sketch outlines the hopes for the pub’s transformation

He added:

“This is a great opportunity to expand the pub’s offerings to the local community. Those in nearby accommodation will be able to pick something up from us for convenience.

“It is great the locals are supportive of the pub, so we would like to give something back.”

The Sawley Arms currently offers all-day dining, as well as on-site accommodation for guests.

A magician who once claimed to be lobbying to have magic recognised as a sport in the next Olympic Games has died aged 67. 

That episode – which turned out to be a very successful ruse to publicise a magic show in Knaresborough – was just one of many in Bob McBratney’s life, which was marked by kindness and humour. 

Born in 1955, Robert McBratney had a varied career, training as a chef and working at the Grand Hotel in Brighton, and later becoming an antiques dealer. At one point he took up sailing, fitting out racing yachts, and as bosun’s mate on the schooner Sir Winston Churchill, he crewed in the Tall Ships Race to America in 1976, sailing the first leg to the Canary Islands, before joining Master Builder for the second leg to Bermuda.  

Having conquered the sea, he then took to the air, learning to fly light aircraft and earning his private pilot’s licence. In the 1990s, he worked as general manager of Liverpool Festival Gardens and, of significance in his magical career, Mother Shipton’s Cave in Knaresborough, which was run by his brother Frank and, coincidentally, TV magician Paul Daniels. 

When the firm was sold on, Bob, then aged 46, was introduced to magic by a friend, magician Brian Knowles (also known as Brian Le Slie). Bob knew nothing about magic then, and would often say – years later – that he still knew nothing and was just waiting to be found out.

It wasn’t true, though – Bob worked hard, learned the ropes and, performing as Bob’s Your Uncle, became a popular children’s entertainer across Yorkshire and beyond.  

Early in his career, Bob joined the Harrogate Society of Magicians which, according to his good friend James Ward, transformed Bob’s life. Mr Ward said: 

“He, like me, had great help and encouragement from some wonderful magicians.

“Brian Knowles, George Fowler and Denys Hollis – all sadly no longer with us – were regularly on hand for help and advice, as was the late Mike Coyne, a variety hall performer and star of TV’s The Comedians. We both benefited enormously from their input.” 

Performing both for children and as a close-up magician for adults, Bob even put together a compilation of simple tricks for doctors to perform to younger patients, Child’s Play, which proved a sell-out success.  

Bob was resident magician at Lockwood’s restaurant in Ripon, a regular at Knaresborough’s annual FEVA Festival, and even ventured into the world of after-dinner speaking and became a great success on the Women’s Institute speaking circuit.  

In 2007, Bob became president of the Harrogate Society of Magicians and in 2008 he was elected to The Magic Circle. As President of the Harrogate society, he oversaw its 60th anniversary celebrations and arranged countless shows, dinners, society visits and fundraisers, often ferrying members around in his working car, which members fondly re-named the Bobmobile. 

Mr Ward said:  

“Bob always had time for others, and was one of the most selfless people I’ve known. He helped me enormously in my own magical career, finding me jobs, lending me props and teaching me the ropes. 

“We worked together several times over the years, and always had a blast. The last time we worked together was in 2018 when we entered ‘Ripon’s Got Talent’ as the Famulus Brothers, playing a Morecambe and Wise-style magic double act.

“We didn’t win, but – as always with Bob – we had a barrel-load of laughs.” 

Away from the magic, Bob was a tireless worker for local causes and community projects, including village fairs, Harrogate Scouts, the parish council and the church.  

Bob was diagnosed with mesothelioma – a kind of cancer – in 2019, but despite not expecting to see the year out, he didn’t give up. He threw himself into working for Mesothelioma Support Yorkshire, performing magic at its get-togethers, taking part in sponsored bike rides and ultimately becoming its ‘poster boy’, ever ready to be interviewed and publicise its work. 

He defied the odds, living longer than expected, largely thanks to the care of his wife, Joanne, son Henry and his care team. It was only in 2022, when he suffered a stroke, that he finally began to decline.

He died at St Michael’s Hospice in Harrogate on February 19. 

Mr Ward said:

“No one ever made me laugh as much as Bob – even after he was diagnosed.

“There were times when we were on the phone every day sharing our love of TV comedies and films, regularly recalling our favourite lines and insisting on reminding each other what they were.

“I’ve lost some very good friends in magic over the past 20 years, but none as close to me as Bob. I loved him dearly, and my world is an emptier place without him. Rest in peace, old friend.”

Read more:

• Obituary: John Abel, managing director of Harrogate International Hotel
• Obituary: Malcolm Neesam 1946-2022
• Obituary: Geoff Webbers life was dedicated to helping others

After being beset by delays and hiking in cost due to soaring inflation, the realignment of the A59 at Kex Gill is finally set to be built.

The project, which is North Yorkshire County Council’s most expensive and ambitious, will reroute a landslip-blighted road between Harrogate and Skipton.

For councillors and government officials, the route is a key east to west link.

As such, the money set aside – some £69 million – is justified and for ministers the deal they struck with the county council is seen as sensible financially.

Richard Holden, the roads minister in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government, echoed the sentiment on a visit to Kex Gill this week.

The site on Thursday morning had yet to have a spade hit the ground, but Mr Holden was confident that in two years’ time it would be a justified expense.

He said:

“It’s an important route here between Skipton and Harrogate on a local level. But, actually, it’s more significant for the north of England really.

“I grew up in east Lancashire, the A59 goes all the way through to York. It is a really important road. It’s one which we want to see thrive and it is an important tourist route as well during the summer.

“It’s also important for heavy goods vehicles.”

(Left to right) Cllr Carl Les, leader of county council, Richard Holden, minister for roads, and Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways.

Part of the reasoning behind the reroute is the number of landslips on the road.

According to council documents published in 2021, the cost to taxpayers for maintaining the road has been “increasing over the last ten-year period”.

Between October 2000 and May 2019, five landslides were recorded at the site and the retaining wall failed four times.

In January 2016, the road was closed for eight weeks and traffic diverted through Ilkley and Otley after heavy rain caused a landslide.

Meanwhile, an instability issue in May 2018 caused road closures for several months, which council officials said led to a “complex repair scheme” being carried out at a cost of £1.42 million.

Following numerous landslips and millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money spent on the A59, the county council decided in 2016 to do something about the problem.

How the new road will look

The reroute itself will see the existing road, which has blighted motorists for decades, returned back to moorland.

Richard Binks, head of major projects at the county council, explained that the scheme will be built in two phases.

The road to the west of Blubberhouses will be built first and include a climbing road at the junction near to Fewston reservoir car park.

The reroute of the A59 at Kex Gill which has been proposed by North Yorkshire County Council.

The second junction will be built at the bottom of what is now a single track road and will exit near to Kex Gill.

Mr Binks said the idea is to get the new road ready for traffic before moving cars from the existing A59 onto it.

He said:

“We want to build the new road first and then move traffic onto the new highway. Then we will focus on the old road to downgrade it and plant it up.”

Read more:

• Council warns of ‘high risks’ as Kex Gill cost soars to £69m
• Minister ‘open’ to inflation funding discussions for A59 Kex Gill
• Government gives final go-ahead for £69m Kex Gill reroute to start

Once the junctions are ready to be connected to the old road, temporary traffic lights will be put in place.

Meanwhile, as part of the realignment, new wetlands will be created near to one of the junctions and biodiversity will be returned to the moorland.

While it is unclear when the lights will be in place to connect the junctions, Mr Binks said it is expected the project will be nearing completion in summer 2025.

The council intends to enter into its contract with John Sisk & Son (Holdings) Ltd, which is an Irish civil engineering and construction company, in April to start the scheme.

Tackling inflation

One concern over the future of the scheme is the rate of inflation in the construction industry.

Mr Holden acknowledged that soaring costs were an issue, but remained confident that funding offered by the government was “sensible”.

The scheme has faced numerous delays and, following tender returns, the estimated cost of the scheme increased by £7.2 million to £68.8 million, which the council attributed to inflation affecting constructions costs.

The project will be funded by a £56.1 million grant from the Department for Transport, with the council covering the rest from its reserves.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways at the county council, told the Stray Ferret that the authority had put “built in” funding into the contract to cover inflation.

The council has set aside £11 million to be factored into the budget to cover any issues with ground conditions or bad weather.

Cllr Duncan said:

“We have built in inflation, we know that that is a risk and that is something that is built into the contract.

“It is something that we are now hoping will not be an issue for us looking ahead.”

All major projects come with risks and barriers which need to be overcome.

But county council officials will take brief comfort that they can now finally put spades in the ground on the multi-million pound scheme before before tackling those hurdles over the next two years.

Taking on your first headteacher role would be a daunting prospect for any aspiring leader.

Doing so at a time of significant change and challenge in the school’s history would cause many to think twice.

Not so Pete Saunders.

The geography teacher has stepped into the top job at Rossett School on the back of a difficult time: the departure of former head Helen Woodcock, a critical Ofsted report that failed to improve on its ‘requires improvement’ rating, and questions over discipline in the school.

Nevertheless, he is ambitious about the school’s future.

“We want it to be a place of excellence, a place your children come to and they experience excellence in everything they do. We definitely have the raw materials for that.”

Mr Saunders is an experienced assistant and deputy head. Having studied at Durham University, he trained and began his career in London, and has spent 10 of his 14 teaching years in senior leadership roles.

He moved to Harrogate five years ago, returning close to his roots: he is a former pupil of Ripon Grammar School, where his father was an assistant headteacher.

Mr Saunders has been acting head at Rossett since January and says there has already been rapid progress since Ofsted visited before Christmas.

“Last half term we achieved a lot. We put a lot of focus on behaviour and attitudes – getting the basics right. That’s an on-going thing, it doesn’t get solved straight away.

“It’s a minority of children and they do face significant challenges. We have to work with them – it’s not a quick fix. Rossett is a very inclusive school and tries to support children no matter what their start in life has been.

“It’s very important to establish high standards. What we have been doing is raising the bar of the expectations. That applies to all children, not just that group.

“It’s being proud of the school you come to, wearing your uniform with pride, those sorts of things.”

As well as concerns over discipline, inspectors identified shortfalls in leadership and management, which Mr Saunders says were rectified “the day after the inspection”.

Despite the headline-grabbing problems, he believes there is much to be proud of in the report, and at Rossett more generally.

He cites the strength of the curriculum and teaching, the support for students to reach their potential, whatever that is, and the strong links with the community, as among the school’s strengths.

His favourite moments are the end-of-term presentations, when students are rewarded for their achievements. Mr Saunders describes seeing them cheer for their classmates and celebrate each other as “heartwarming”.

Rossett has the unusual assets on site of a thriving community sports centre and a huge adult education centre welcoming thousands of students through its doors each year.

Both of those are performing well, growing their numbers again after the challenges of the pandemic.

Covid is also behind a lot of the problems cited by Ofsted, Mr Saunders says.

“Some of the behaviours that the minority are displaying have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Some of the children in years 7 and 8 didn’t get an end to their primary school and it’s a key time for socialising.

“We’re teaching social norms as well as teaching the curriculum of subjects. We’re looking at how to do that most effectively, not just assuming children know how to do it.

“Nationally, there has been a huge downturn in attendance at school, especially for disadvantaged students. The impact on some parents’ perceptions of the importance of attendance has been quite big.

“We’re working with families to ensure they know how important it is and what the gaps will do to their child’s progress.”

Read more:

• Rossett headteacher resigns amid major reorganisation
• Harrogate’s Rossett School still ‘requires improvement’, says Ofsted

As well as internal changes to address its challenges, Rossett is considering a fundamental shift: joining the Red Kite Learning Trust.

The multi-academy trust includes 13 schools from North and West Yorkshire. Harrogate Grammar School, Rossett Acre Primary School and Western Primary School – all within striking distance – are already part of the family.

Its chief executive, Richard Sheriff, is full of enthusiasm about the prospect of welcoming Rossett School into the fold. He says he will be working closely with the school over the coming months:

“We hope by working together, we can do more for young people.

“It’s not an exclusive club: it’s great to work with St John Fisher, Harrogate High and St Aidan’s too. It’s about Harrogate working as one.

“Harrogate is a community. There has been too much in the past about being divisive. That’s not the way we work in education. We work in the service of children.”

Pete Saunders, left, and Richard Sheriff

If it goes ahead, any move for Rossett to join Red Kite would not take effect until September – at the same time as a new permanent head should be beginning work.

While Mr Saunders has an eye on that opportunity, he says his priority is doing what is right by the school and its students.

“I’ve got a fantastic team of staff. Absolutely everyone has risen to the challenge. They want the best for the children here.”

He hopes those principles, determination and hard work will reassure current parents and those considering Rossett for their children in future.

“If I’m the head from September, we will not accept anything less than excellence. Parents can be confident I will not settle for anything that’s not as good as, or better than, other schools in this local area.

“We will take a real interest in your child and help them develop who they are.”

A police officer has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a woman at a cemetery in Harrogate.

Christopher Hudson, 32, a Harrogate police constable, was accused of assaulting the woman in a car park at Stonefall Cemetery on Wetherby Road.

However, following a trial at Leeds Crown Court, a jury today unanimously acquitted Mr Hudson of the allegation.

The prosecution had alleged that Mr Hudson had stroked the woman on the back of the neck and ear and “pulled her…towards him” before kissing her.

Prosecuting barrister Gerald Hendron alleged that Mr Hudson then took hold of her hand and placed it on an intimate part of his body despite her telling him “no” repeatedly.

He alleged that Mr Hudson then put his hand on the woman’s inner thigh and that she was “shocked and confused”.

Mr Hendron said the woman had sought help from a counsellor about stress which was brought on by the alleged incident in February 2021.

‘Inconsistencies’

However, defence barrister Rebecca Hadgett said there were “inconsistencies” in the woman’s account of events and that Mr Hudson “never touched her in the way she alleges”.

Mr Hudson, of Hollin Terrace, Huddersfield, was arrested in March 2021 when he denied sexually assaulting the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

He was suspended from his job pending the outcome of the trial.

Mr Hudson, who worked for West Yorkshire Police before joining the North Yorkshire force in 2020, walked free from the dock when the jury returned its verdict a short time after retiring to deliberate.

Read more:

• Two men spared jail for attacking Harrogate neighbour with iron bar
• Man denies two counts of attempted murder in Beckwithshaw

A senior county councillor has warned that funding designed to save under-threat bus services in North Yorkshire “cannot continue in perpetuity”.

The Department for Transport recently announced an extension of the £2 cap on bus fares plus £80 million worth of grants to routes at risk of being reduced or scrapped.

The move comes as the 24 services from Pateley Bridge to Harrogate was recently saved until April next year.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for transport at North Yorkshire County Council, said that extra government funding was welcome and the council would look to target it at services in need of support.

However, he added that the funding would not continue in perpetuity.

He said:

“News of the £2 bus fare cap extension and additional £80million support package is very welcome. These measures will be vital to the council’s ongoing efforts to protect bus services through this difficult period.

“Exact details of how much funding we will receive is expected shortly and we will ensure this is targeted at services in need of support.

“While this extra funding will act as a critical lifeline to at-risk services at a time when passengers numbers are down and costs are up, we know funding cannot continue in perpetuity.

“Passengers remain key to the long-term viability of services, and we must use the coming months to work with operators to promote services and invest in the marketing, ticketing and infrastructure needed to encourage more people to choose the bus.

“It is only by doing this that we will have a sustainable network of services, responsive to passenger needs and free from the uncertainty that comes with long-term reliance on taxpayer funding.”

Read more:

• Bilton bus services to merge under new route changes
• Public control of North Yorkshire bus network ‘not realistic’, says transport chief
• 24 bus from Pateley Bridge to Harrogate saved

Cllr Duncan has previously warned that up to 79 services faced reduced frequency or ceasing altogether when central government funding comes to an end in March.

The comments come as the county council negotiated funding to secure the 24 bus route between Pateley Bridge and Harrogate until April next year.

Transdev, which operates the service, had initially planned to withdraw most services on the route.

Parents must accept some responsibility for feeding their children nutritious meals, a council’s leadership has been told, amid concerns that a lack of nutrition is linked to poor behaviour and a rise in school exclusions.

North Yorkshire County Council’s deputy leader Cllr Gareth Dadd questioned what the authority was doing to promote parent responsibility as the meeting was told the council was working on a number of fronts to teach both pupils and other residents about providing wholesome meals.

At a meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s executive, Cllr Paul Haslam, who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge, said:

“I am quite convinced, anecdotally, that food is critical, and often children that are disruptive in class is a result of them not having breakfast.”

In response, executive members highlighted a range of of schemes promoted by the council, including breakfast clubs, school programmes, adult education initiatives and projects run by leisure services.

Cllr Dadd said:

“I hear a lot about breakfast clubs, I hear a lot about nutrition within the state provision in schools and the like. What work are we doing as a directorate to promote parent responsibility in terms of nutrition, in terms of feeding children with a balanced and controlled diet?

“Are we putting a similar amount of effort into that, because it seems to me, if I can make a slightly controversial statement, that the focus is always on the state, the council, everybody else to fulfil that obligation, when actually it’s a two-way street, is it not?”

Director of children’s services Stuart Carlton said he was certain of links between children’s behaviour and attainment at school and their security at home, whether that be food or family stability.

He added children were taught nutritional values at schools and the council oversaw the provision of healthy school meals and provided advice about packed lunches.

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The concerns follow a group of 150 headteachers last week urging Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to increase school breakfast funding by £18m at next month’s budget, saying pupils are disrupting lessons as hunger was getting worse.

The letter warned how the national school breakfast programme would only be available to a quarter of the 10,000 schools across England that experience high levels of disadvantage.

The warning came as the Local Government Association highlighted how 215,000 eligible children were not receiving free school meals.

A meeting of NYCC’s executive had heard the county had seen almost 2,000 suspensions from schools during this academic year so far, which represented a 29% increase on the previous year.

At the same time, following a drive to promote the take-up of free school meals by the council, the number of pupils receiving food had risen, but so had the number of children who were eligible.

A Department for Education spokesman said its breakfast programme was a lifeline to families.

He added: 

“We know this supports attainment, wellbeing and readiness to learn, which is why we’re investing up to £30m in the programme, to help up to 2,500 schools in the most disadvantaged areas.”