Knaresborough luxury car dealer faces 16 fraud charges

The owner of a car dealership in Knaresborough has appeared in court charged with 16 counts of fraud amounting to more than £1 million.

Andrew Mearns, 54, is alleged to have committed the offences at Gmund Cars in Knaresborough between August 2016 and March 2019.

Sixteen different victims were named in the charges, with the largest individual fraud said to be worth £220,000.

Mr Mearns, whose current address was given as Colwyn Place, Llandudno, appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court this morning to face the charges.

Wearing a white shirt and grey trousers, he spoke to confirm his name and address but did not enter pleas to the 16 counts of fraud by false representation.

Prosecutor Alison Whitely told the court the alleged offences took place over a “considerable period” while Mr Mearns owned and ran Gmund, a company dealing luxury cars.

Magistrates said the case was too serious for them to deal with and told Mr Mearns he would face trial at York Crown Court. His first appearance there was set for June 26.

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Headteachers unite to warn of vaping dangers to children in Harrogate district

Headteachers from across the Harrogate district have issued a joint letter to all parents warning of the dangers of vaping.

The unusual move by secondary school leaders was prompted by “an increase in the number of incidents in our local community”, the letter said.

The heads of Boroughbridge High, Harrogate College, Harrogate Grammar, Harrogate High, King James’s, Nidderdale High, Ripon Grammar, Rossett, Springwell, St Aidan’s and St John Fisher schools have all put their names to the letter, which says:

“We are aware that there have been reports of young people becoming unwell and needing medical attention after using vapes.

“Vapes can come in a variety of different forms, shapes, and sizes. Some common styles of vapes include ones which look like a thick pen or highlighter pen.

“These devices are usually very small and can be concealed on a person or blend in with school/college equipment, therefore they can be easily mistaken or missed.”

Respiratory problems

The letter warns that vaping from a young age may lead to respiratory problems in later life, and recent research shows children could be inhaling unsafe amounts of lead and nickel. There have been reports of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound in cannabis, being used in vaping, the letter said.

The headteachers also said young people could view vaping as a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes, but the nicotine is still addictive.

The letter points parents towards information from Ash, Kids Health, and West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, and says anyone with concerns can speak to their child’s school. It concludes:

“We are sure that you agree that the possession and use of vapes on any school/college premises is something that we simply cannot tolerate.

“Any student found in possession of a vape will be subject to a serious school/college sanction, including the risk of suspension. Please note that we will report possession of any illegal substances to the police.

“We hope that you welcome this letter in the spirit with which it is intended and that you share and understand our shared concerns about this potentially harmful issue.

“We want to be open about the risks involved and we encourage you to have a conversation with your child about this subject matter.”

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Ex-staff at failed Harrogate firm Amvoc set for liquidation payouts

Staff at failed Harrogate company Amvoc are likely to receive some payment following its collapse, administrators have said.

However, HMRC and unsecured creditors are unlikely to receive any money due to a lack of property.

The telemarketing company, which was based at Cardale Park, collapsed and was placed into administration in March this year.

Staff were left shocked on March 17 when they received a late night email from chief executive Damian Brockway saying “all our offices are closed with effect from tonight”. It went on to blame “covid debts”.

In a report published today, Gareth Lewis, Lewis Business Recovery and Insolvency, said the company would work to make a payment to staff as part of the administration process.

As part of the process, former employees are classed as “ordinary preferential creditors”.

However, HMRC, which is classed as a “secondary preferential creditor”, and unsecured credits are expected to receive no money.

Mr Lewis said:

“A dividend to ordinary preferential creditors appears achievable.

“However, it appears that there will be no property available to enable a distribution to secondary preferential or unsecured creditors.”

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The company owed £1.2 million to HMRC, which included unpaid VAT, unpaid employees PAYE and national insurance, student loan deductions and industry scheme deductions.

In an administrators’ statement of affairs last week, it was also revealed Amvoc owed £546,534.71 to former employees against assets of £302,802.63.

It also has £868,267 worth of unsecured creditors. Among them is Hemel Hempstead-based data marketing firm, Aura Media Group, which is owed £154,467.38.

Mr Lewis said administrators would now work to make a payment to preferential creditors.

High staff turnover and winding up petition

Mr Brockway set up Amvoc, the trading name of A Marketing Vocation Ltd, from a small office in Dacre in 2010. It sold telemarketing services, initially in the legal sector, and grew rapidly, moving first to Pateley Bridge and then to large offices at New York Mills near Summerbridge.

It opened a new head office on Cardale Park in Harrogate in 2015, a facility in Leeds in 2018 and an office in Manchester in 2022.  It also had plans to expand to London.

At the time of its collapse, Amvoc employed 230 staff.

Mr Lewis said in his report that in September 2017, the company entered into a company voluntary arrangement as a result of “cash flow difficulties” because of the loss of a major customer and “significant bad debt”.

He helped the company pay its creditors claims in full with interest, which was completed on March 31, 2020. However, this coincided with the start of the covid pandemic.

Gareth Lewis and Amvoc

Gareth Lewis of Lewis Business Recovery and Insolvency.

Mr Lewis said the nature of Amvoc’s trade was such that it had “high fixed overheads”, a high staff turnover and that it was not equipped for the pandemic.

He said:

“It had a constant high turnover of employees, regularly having 20-30 employees leave and start each month.

“It was not equipped at the outset of the pandemic to facilitate working from home and also could not operate safely in the ‘call centre’ environment.”

In August 2020, despite the easing of restrictions, Amvoc’s offices were closed by Public Health England after 50 staff contracted coronavirus.

Meanwhile, many of the company’s customers held back on projects due to uncertainty of the pandemic. This led to the firm being unable to generate sales from telemarketing.

Between, April 1, 2020, and September 30, 2021, Amvoc reported a pre-tax operating loss of £1.7 million.

The following year, the company reported a pre-tax profit of £350,000. However, this was not enough to pay off debts.

Mr Lewis said:

“This was insufficient for the company to meet its debts as and when they fell due, most notably HM Revenue and Customs, who by this stage had increased pressure on the company.”

On March 13 this year, Mr Lewis attended Amvoc’s offices to discuss the company’s financial position.

He then contacted HMRC, who had indicated they would be passing a file to its solicitors to issue a winding up petition. This was formally issued on March 16.

The following day, a company director took the decision to inform staff that the company would no longer be trading.

Staff were told by Mr Brockway on March 17 that all Amvoc offices would be closed.

Amvoc’s clients included BP, Barclays, Virgin Media, Leeds Beckett University, and both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties.

Twenty-three former employees found work with Brighton-based One-Family, which was a former customer of Amvoc.

Meanwhile, Law firm Aticus said in the days after Amvoc’s collapse it had been contacted by 145 former employees.

The law firm said it was investigating the circumstances of the company’s collapse and concerns around how the redundancy process was managed, as well as whether ex-staff are eligible to claim for compensation. 

Tories maintain slim majority on North Yorkshire Council after by-election

The Conservatives have maintained their slender majority of two on North Yorkshire Council after a by-election yesterday.

Tony Randerson was elected to the Eastfield division in Scarborough with 499 votes — 46 per cent of the vote.

Liberal Democrat Erica Willett was second with 281 votes and Labour’s David Thompson polled 169 votes to finish third.

It means the Conservatives still hold 46 of the 90 seats on North Yorkshire Council.

The Liberal Democrats are the next largest party with 13 councillors, followed by Labour with 11 and the Independent group with nine.

The Greens have five councillors and there are four unaffiliated independents. There is also one Liberal Party councillor. Conservative candidate Eric Batts received 69 votes in fourth.

The Scarborough by-election was caused when Cllr Randerson resigned from the Labour Party after criticising the party’s direction and leadership under Sir Keir Starmer.

According to his Facebook page, he now represents the Social Justice Party but his affiliation on the ballot paper was left blank.

Richard Flinton, the returning officer for North Yorkshire Council, declared the result at the count in Scarborough.

Emergency services attend crash on Leeds Road in Harrogate

Police and firefighters are at the scene of a traffic accident on Leeds Road in Harrogate after a car crashed into railings.

The incident happened at about 10am at the roundabout where Leeds Road meets St George’s Road.

Debris from the vehicle was scattered on the road.

An eyewitness told the Stray Ferret there were two police officers and two fire crews attending at 10.30am today.

They added it did not appear anyone had been seriously injured.

We will update this story when more information is available.

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‘Staff issues’ forces Killinghall surgery to reduce hours

A village doctors’ surgery near Harrogate is to temporarily close on afternoons due to “staff issues”.

The Killinghall practice is one of three operated by Moss Healthcare Harrogate, which also has sites on King’s Road in Harrogate and in Jennyfields.

It announced on social media the practice on Ripon Road in Killinghall would be affected from next week. It said:

“Please can all patients note that due to staffing issues, from Tuesday 30 May we will be having to temporarily close our Killinghall branch site in the afternoon from 1pm onwards.

“During this time, if you need any assistance then please call: 01423 560261 or visit our King’s Road or Jennyfield Health Centre sites.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

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Hope for tourism boost as John Cleese heads to Comic-Con in Harrogate

One of Britain’s best-known comedy names will be in Harrogate next weekend as thousands of fans descend for the annual Comic-Con Yorkshire.

John Cleese is among the line-up of celebrities appearing at the Yorkshire Event Centre gathering, on Saturday, June 3 and Sunday, June 4.

The Monty Python and Fawlty Towers star will be joined by actors from Gremlins, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Netflix hit Wednesday – and the town’s tourism managers are hoping to capitalise on the event.

Destination Harrogate‘s events arm, Events Harrogate, is launching its Town Welcome programme of activity, alongside local businesses, designed to encourage people to explore outside the event.

Attendees at Comic-Con will be able to pick up comic-style guides to Harrogate which will include details about places to visit, discounts to use with local businesses, and even a cosplay competition.

Cold Bath Brewing on King’s Road will be hosting an official after-party for Comic-Con, complete with give specially-brewed beers.

John McGivern, destination events manager for Destination Harrogate, said:

“We’re delighted that Harrogate has been chosen as the location for Comic-Con Yorkshire 2023 and look forward to welcoming this fun and dynamic, family-friendly event to our fantastic town.

“It’s testament to Harrogate’s position as a first class events destination that our patch was picked for Comic-Con Yorkshire.

“Our Town Welcome activity will encourage event attendees to make the most of their time here in North Yorkshire, and offers a great opportunity for our local business community to get on board with extending the Comic-Con party beyond the event itself. We’re really pleased that so many businesses are supporting the Town Welcome programme.”

If this year’s event is a success, Destination Harrogate is hoping Comic-Con organiser Monopoly Events will make it a regular feature in the events calendar.

Heather Parry, managing director of Yorkshire Event Centre, said:

“We are delighted to be hosting Comic-Con at the Yorkshire Event Centre for the first time and we know organisers chose our venue because of its potential for growth.

“Comic-Con will bring thousands of visitors into the area from across the UK which will not only benefit the charity we help fund, Yorkshire Agricultural Society, but also Harrogate and the local area. We are sure this is set to be a spectacular event.”

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Business Breakfast: Harrogate beauty brand records improved profits

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. Our next networking event is lunch at Manahatta, on June 29th at 12.30pm.

Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A Harrogate-based hair and beauty brand has recorded strong profit results for the last financial year.

CloudNine, which is based at Hornbeam Park, reported a turnover of £35 million and pre-tax profits of £8.6m – a 20% rise on 2021 – for the year ending December 2022.

The firm, which employs more than 60 staff at its headquarters in Harrogate, has credited its results to a combination of continued growth in the UK, significant growth in Australia and New Zealand and the strengthening of its online and in-store presence.

Martin Rae, chief executive of CloudNine, said: 

“This is a very pleasing set of results which cements our position as one of the world’s leading hair and beauty brands.

“We are very proud of everything we have achieved, with the ultimate aim of providing the tools to help people feel like the best version of themselves, which is what we are most passionate about.

“We are also very passionate about the environment. We launched the industry’s first hair iron recycling scheme, which has saved over 2,800kg of hair styling tools from landfill so far.”

Business networking event to be held in Boroughbridge

A networking event is set to be held for businesses in Boroughbridge.

Held at the Crown Hotel on Thursday, June 15, the session will focus on supporting local firms.

It will also include guest speakers Alison Laws, business relationships manager at York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub, and Alice Ingram, business engagement manager at West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.

The event will start at 5.30pm with refreshments and networking and will include a question and answer session.

For more information on the event, contact the Boroughbridge and District Chamber of Trade here.

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Man seriously injured after floor collapses at Harrogate home

A man was taken to hospital via air ambulance today after the floor collapsed at his home near Harrogate.

The man, who has not been named, suffered serious injuries in the fall at West End, Blubberhouses.

Firefighters from Harrogate and Skipton and an incident support unit from Ripon responded to a request for help at 11am.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident log said the man had fallen from the first floor to the ground floor due to the floor collapsing. It added:

“Crews created a safe working space to allow paramedics to access the casualty in order to assess his injuries prior to moving him.

“The male casualty was transported to hospital via air ambulance with serious injuries. Crews completed a handover with the occupant of the property and gave advice.”

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Harrogate and Ripon libraries host house history exhibition

Harrogate and Ripon libraries are hosting an exhibition which encourages people to discover the history of their past or present homes.

The House History exhibition was created by North Yorkshire Council’s county record office, which has resources dating back 700 years. It includes details of resources residents can use to investigate the history of their home.

The records can help to pinpoint changes in ownership, former occupants, how the land has been used and the history of the wider area.

The touring exhibition is currently on display at Harrogate Library until June 3. It will then be at Ripon Library from June 12 to 30.

Cllr Simon Myers, the council’s executive member for libraries, said:

“The exhibition proved very popular when it was on display in the record office at the end of last year, so we are delighted to be able to share it with library-goers.

“The touring exhibition includes a range of material from historic maps, architectural drawings and old photographs to historic property deeds and electoral registers.

“Every home has its own unique history so we hope you can use your own detective skills to embark on a fascinating and rewarding journey into your home’s history.”

The touring exhibition is not about exploring the history of a specific house but guiding people to learn about their own home. It can be a complex study and which of the record office’s resources will be relevant depends on the age and location of the house.

To delve into the history of your home, visitors can use the resources in the county record office search room at Northallerton. where they will have free access to online resources such as census records.

An online guide is available here.

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