The Met Office has issued a weather warning for freezing fog across the district tonight as temperatures plummet.
The yellow warning is from 2am -11am Saturday morning with overnight temperatures of -2 degrees celsius.
The weather conditions could lead to travel delays and cancellations and slower journey times.
The met’s advice for people who need to travel by road in the fog is:
- Avoid travel if possible
- Drive very slowly with dipped headlights, full-beam lights reflect off the fog causing a ‘white wall’ effect
- Keep an eye on your speed, fog can give the illusion of moving in slow motion
- Use fog lights, but remember to turn them off when the visibility improves
- Don’t hang on the tail lights of the car in front, rear lights can give a false sense of security
- Watch out for freezing fog which is made of water droplets that freeze on contact with objects such as the pavement, road, car, etc. It can quickly form a layer of ice.
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Harrogate Town to open Hall of Fame
Harrogate Town are to open a Hall of Fame recognising people who have made outstanding contributions to the club in its 108-year history.
The Hall of Fame will be located in multiple locations in Harrogate: the new supporters bar at the EnviroVent Stadium on Wetherby Road, the club shop on Commercial Street, the Exercise.co.uk executive lounge at the ground and the Cedar Court Hotel.
A Hall of Fame committee, chaired by supporter Bernard Higgins and consisting of supporters and club officials, has been meeting monthly since June.
The first 11 inductees were selected from an extensive list compiled by club historian Phil Harrison.
Their names will be announced between January 23 and February 2 and an official launch event attended by chairman Irving Weaver and manager Simon Weaver at the Cedar Court Hotel on February 9.
The launch event will be held at the Cedar Court Hotel.
Following the event, details will be revealed on how supporters can help to shape the Hall of Fame and select the 12th and final inductee of the 2022/23 season.
Inaugural Hall of Fame members, along with family of those who have died, will be invited back to the EnviroVent Stadium over the course of the 2022/23 season, where their contributions to the club will be celebrated.
Each season, two more individuals will be inducted to the Hall of Fame.
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Harrogate Mojo applies to extend opening hours until 6.30am
Mojo in Harrogate has applied to extend its opening hours until 6.30am in the morning.
Voodoo Doll Limited, which trades as Mojo, has submitted the licensing request to Harrogate Borough Council for the Parliament Street bar.
It includes amending the permitted sale of alcohol hours from 11am until 4am to 11am to 6am each day of the week.
The proposal would also see the permitted hours for regulated live music, which is currently 11am until 4.30am, changed to 11am to 6am the following morning Monday to Sunday.
The opening hours would be 11am until 6.30am.
Anyone wishing to comment on the application can email licensing@harrogate.gov.uk by February 3.
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It comes shortly after nearby Viper Rooms, which had opening hours until 4.30am, closed last month.
In a statement given to the Stray Ferret by landlord North Yorkshire County Council last month, authority officials said the former club unit had already attracted “significant interest from potential tenants”.
Man jailed for racial harassment and carrying weapon in HarrogateA notorious Harrogate criminal has been jailed yet again, this time for racially aggravated threatening behaviour and carrying a Stanley knife in the town centre.
Graham McMillan, 38, was found shirtless and drinking beer in the middle of the road after police were called out to reports of an incident at Chico’s takeaway in Commercial Street.
York Crown Court heard that McMillan was swearing and shouting racial slurs, even when police warned him about his behaviour.
Prosecutor Brooke Morrison said that when officers searched McMillan, they found a Stanley knife in his jeans pocket.
He was arrested and charged with racially aggravated harassment or threatening behaviour and carrying a bladed article.
He appeared for sentence today via a video link from Wealstun Prison as he was already in custody serving a 42-week prison sentence imposed in September last year for carrying a hammer and swearing at people in the town centre.
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That offence occurred on August 28, just four days after McMillan was arrested for the new offences.
Ms Morrison said the racially aggravated incident occurred on August 24 – the same day that McMillan had been given a two-month suspended prison sentence for possessing heroin and cocaine.
Police were initially called out to the Asda supermarket on Bower Road following reports that McMillan had tried to steal a crate of beer.
This incident did not result in any criminal charges, but later that same day, just before midnight, police received a further report that McMillan was at Chico’s takeaway and was refusing to leave.
Ms Morrison said:
“When police arrived, they found him in the middle of the street, topless, drinking from a bottle of beer.”
She said McMillan was “swearing abuse” and shouting out deeply offensive racial slurs aimed at staff at the takeaway.
When police warned him about his behaviour, McMillan drunkenly replied:
“I don’t give a fxxx – do me for racism.”
McMillan – formerly of Harlow Moor Drive, Harrogate, but currently of no fixed address – had 31 previous convictions for 56 offences including threatening and racially aggravated behaviour, carrying a blade, possessing an offensive weapon in public and “many” road-traffic matters and breaches of court orders.
Defence barrister Jennifer Coldham said McMillan had mental-health issues. He intended to return to Harrogate upon his release from the inevitable jail sentence.
Judge Simon Hickey said it was clear that McMillan committed offences “under the influence of drink and drugs”.
McMillan was handed a six-month jail sentence, of which he will serve half behind bars before being released on prison licence.
More than 700 complaints against North Yorkshire Police officers in a yearMore than 700 complaints were made against North Yorkshire Police officers in a year, the force has revealed.
The 740 complaints from members of the public were made against 352 individual officers between April 2021 and April 2022.
The statistic has been released by North Yorkshire Police as part of its response to national news stories about David Carrick. The Met Police officer had several allegations made against him over a period of 20 years, but did not face any charges or misconduct proceedings at work.
This week, he admitted 49 charges of sexual abuse, including rape, beginning as early as 2003. He was only arrested in October 2021.
The Met has since said more than 1,600 allegations against more than 1,000 officers and staff were being reviewed as a result of Carrick’s case.
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:
“North Yorkshire Police takes all misconduct allegations extremely seriously and are very aware of the serious damage caused to trust in the police service by recent events in the Metropolitan Police.
“The force has taken a number of measures to improve its already robust vetting process to root out those people who are not fit to serve.
“North Yorkshire Police is one of the few forces that handle complaints independently through the Police Fire and Crime Commissioner’s office to provide an additional level of scrutiny.”
Of the 740 complaints made against North Yorkshire Police officers, the force said there could be several relating to a single incident.
Those complaints did not amount to the same thing as misconduct, it said: some could be about an officer failing to keep a victim of crime updated on progress in their case, for example.
The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Police how many of the complaints were matters of misconduct, or how many related to allegations of sexual offences, abuse, coercive control or other related offences.
We also asked how many complaints were investigated and how many resulted in disciplinary action being taken against the officer, but we had not received a response by the time of publication.
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The force publishes details of gross misconduct hearings on its website. Those cases reveal that, during the same period (April 2021 to April 2022), five police constables, one sergeant and two detective constables were found to have behaved in ways amounting to gross misconduct.
Three of those cases involved inappropriate relationships with victims of crime or other people known to the police. One followed a conviction for possession of indecent images of children.
North Yorkshire Police has been part of a pilot scheme checking all vetted staff against the police national database (PND) every month, aiming to ensure any complaints and contact made with other forces would be noticed by North Yorkshire’s professional standards department.
A recent report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary Fire and Rescue Service highlighted North Yorkshire Police’s efforts in vetting, misconduct and misogyny. It recommended all forces should make use of the PND to check their own officers and staff – and this week, it was announced all forces in England and Wales will begin doing so.
The spokesperson added:
Valley Gardens visitors urged not to feed ducks“The vast majority of our officers and staff are honest, hardworking and act with integrity. But we are not complacent and know that there will be a number within our force who are not.
“When misconduct is found, we will take action. We encourage anyone who has any concerns about an officer or staff member they have come into contact with, to please report it to us.”
Visitors to Harrogate’s Valley Gardens are being encouraged not to feed the ducks because of the risk of attracting rats.
Harrogate Borough Council recently installed a notice warning people of the risks associated with leftover food on the ground.
It said this could cause issues with rodents and overfed ducks.
However, the council stressed it had no plans to close the gardens, as occurred at Quarry Moor playground in Ripon 18 months ago when the number of rats caused a public health concern.
A council spokesperson said:
“We understand visitors to Valley Gardens in Harrogate enjoy feeding the ducks. However, doing so can attract rats that may feed on the food that is left, and also result in the ducks being overfed.
“Therefore, we would urge people not to feed the ducks.
“We have absolutely no intention whatsoever to close Valley Gardens.”
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‘Serious concerns’ over North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue finances, say inspectors
Inspectors have raised “serious concerns” over North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s finances and its ability to respond to fires and other risks.
Inspectors from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services undertook an inspection of the service in spring 2022 for its effectiveness and efficiency.
The report, released today, rates the service as requiring improvement for its effectiveness at keeping people safe.
Meanwhile, the service was rated as inadequate for its efficiency in keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks.
It was also graded as inadequate for how it looked after its staff.
‘Serious concerns’
In his report, Roy Wilsher, His Majesty’s Inspector of Fire Services, said he had concerns over the sustainability of the service’s financial plans and its ability to respond to fire and other risks.
Mr Wilsher said the service’s use of resources was inadequate due to the “fragility of its budget”.
He added that he had concern over whether the organisation had the ability to get the right staff with the right skills due to a “lack of robust workforce planning”.
However, Mr Wilsher said the service was good at preventing fires and other risks and had piloted public safety officers at the time of inspection.
He said:
“Since its last inspection, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s performance has deteriorated in most areas.
“Although the service is good at preventing fires and other risks, I have concerns about its ability to respond to them. We have also highlighted serious concerns about how sustainable its financial plans are for managing these risks in an affordable way.
“It needs to make sure collaboration activities, such as those with police are effective and provide value for money. It currently shares some business services with North Yorkshire Police and the office of the police, fire and crime commissioner, but there is little evidence to show its benefits to the service.
“Our inspection also found the service to be inadequate in how it looks after its people. The service needs to improve how it promotes the right values and culture, as well as how it maintains and develops staff performance.
“In view of these findings, we have been in regular contact with the newly appointed chief fire officer and will be revisiting the service to monitor its progress.”
Fire service ‘very disappointed’
In response, Jonathan Dyson, chief fire officer at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, said he was disappointed with the outcome of the report.
He said:
“While this is a very disappointing outcome, it is not a reflection of the hard work and dedication that our staff show, every day, to keeping our communities safe, and feeling safe. The inspectors have said that we are good at preventing fires and other risks and responding to major and multi-agency incidents.
“Much of what the Inspectors have focused on relates to service-level policies and practices.
“We do need to acknowledge that the Inspection came at a time of significant change for our service. We were just coming out of covid and transitioning to a new chief fire officer.”
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Mr Dyson added that the service was “absolutely committed” to improving over the next two years as part of an improvement plan and service transformation.
Meanwhile, Zoe Metcalfe, Conservative North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said:
Ice swimmers bring medals back to Harrogate district“I welcome regular inspections from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), because the reports are an independent and rigorous assessment which I can use to ensure our Fire and Rescue Service becomes an Outstanding Service. I am confident that NYFRS will become an exemplary Service and we are already on our journey to achieve that, I am committed to our success.
“It is extremely important for the public to understand that North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service keeps people safe as noted in the report where the Service is recognised as being good at preventing fires and other emergencies and good in its response to major and multi-agency incidents.
“Although major areas for improvement have been identified, the report recognises the great work being done by firefighters and staff to keep our communities safe. And I want to pay tribute to our courageous and dedicated fire personnel, who have my full support as they go about their vital work – as well as playing their part in improving our Service.”
A group of ice swimmers from across the Harrogate district has come back with top results from the world championships.
Millie Bell, 23, won bronze medals in each of her three events at the World Ice Swimming Championships in the French Alps.
She took part in the 250m, 100m and 50m swims in the 18-24 age group, coming third in each.
She said:
“I wasn’t expecting to get anything. The girls in my age group were pretty fast and experienced.
“I had gone back to the hotel room after one of the races and my friend called me to say I had to come back because I was meant to be on the podium!”
Millie said she had been supported in the competition by her employer, Vp plc in Harrogate. She is now back in training for marathon open water swims in the summer.
Meanwhile, Jacqui Hargrave, 51, came sixth and eighth in her events, which she said she was thrilled with.
She told the Stray Ferret:
“It was absolutely amazing. It was a faster pace than I could ever have imagined.
“I went in having never done this before, expecting not to do anything. To come out with that result was more than I could have hoped for.”
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Both Millie and Jacqui said the water was not as cold as they had thought it might be, measuring around 3.7C across the four days of competition.
Millie said:
“It definitely helped mentally knowing that I can swim in colder conditions. It was the perfect temperature for me – which is bonkers!”
Their fellow Harrogate district ice swimmers, Jonty Warneken and Emily Smailes, also performed well.
Jonty came fifth overall in the 100m freestyle para competition, winning his age category, and third overall in the 50m freestyle para category.
Emily, meanwhile, joined Jonty, Jacqui and Lara Fawcett in the Frozen Roses 50m relay, coming fourth against competition that included a four-time Olympian.
Team GB set 32 new age group world records during the championships, more than any other country taking part.
Jacqui said the experience of being in the team at the championships had given her a sense of achievement, even if she never returns.
She added:
Union predicts some Harrogate district schools will close due to strike“I’m going to do the GB trials next year, then we’ll see if I try for the world championships again.
“It’s getting so much more popular that the level to be able to compete is getting higher. I will give it everything I’ve got, but it might be too high for me.
“If it becomes a Winter Olympic sport, the level will be so much higher again.
“Being able to do it once is such an accomplishment. I’ve ticked a box and been able to do something not many people have done.”
A union official has predicted some Harrogate district schools will close because of the impending teachers’ strike
Members of the National Education Union plan to strike on February 1 and stage further walk-outs in February and March.
Gary McVeigh-Kaye, branch secretary of NEU North Yorkshire, said all primary and secondary schools across Harrogate would be impacted by strike action. He said:
“It is likely that there will be a mixture of full and partial school closures. Furthermore, plans are being made to hold picket lines at schools across the area, though these have not been confirmed yet.”
Mr McVeigh-Kaye said teachers in North Yorkshire were “in the grip of a cost-of-living crisis” caused by a below inflation pay offer, school funding and a shortage of teachers. He added:
“Hardworking teachers have had enough and are now taking the only course of action open to them and withdraw their labour.”
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The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire County Council, the local education authority, what impact it expected the strike to have on schools, who is responsible for making decisions on school closures and what measures it was putting in place to cope.
It replied in a statement:
“Information about school staff’s union membership is not retained by North Yorkshire County Council, or schools, in line with national rules on data governance, although we expect to be provided with headline data from the union on overall numbers. It is a personal decision for those members whether they participate in the strike action.
“Individual schools will co-ordinate the impact of any strike action, but we will support them with general guidance on mitigating the impact on pupils where possible, alongside the Department for Education’s own guidance.
“Headteachers will also be provided with advice from their professional associations in managing strike action within the protocols for employers when responding to strikes.”
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has said she plans to meet union leaders this week to try to avert the strike.
Department for Education guidance says headteachers are expected to take “all reasonable steps” to keep schools open for as many pupils as possible during a strike,
The shortlists for the first ever Stray Ferret Business Awards have been revealed this morning.
They feature some of the leading businesses from across the Harrogate district, as well as the up-and-coming stars of the future.
All the entries were put before the independent panel of judges, each leaders in their field: Marcus Boardall, CEO of Reed Boardall, Black Sheep Brewery CEO Charlene Lyons, Cloud Nine founder and CEO Martin Rae, and James Farrar, COO of York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership.
Tamsin O’Brien, director of the Stray Ferret, said:
“We had well over 100 entries and the judges had a full day of discussion as they worked through each category. There was some heated debate and they had to take some difficult decisions to whittle the entries down and select our finalists.
“For its inaugural year, we were thrilled that the awards attracted such strong entries. I’d like to thank the judges for giving us their time and being so thorough in their deliberations.
“We’re all looking forward to the big night where the winners will be unveiled.”
The businesses and individuals face a nervous wait until the Stray Ferret Business Awards, sponsored by Prosperis, on Thursday, March 9. In a spectacular night at Pavilions of Harrogate, the winners will be announced, with each category sponsored by a leading local firm.
Tickets are on sale now for the event, with the early bird price of £85 plus VAT per ticket available until February 9. Tables of 10 are £765 plus VAT.
To book your tickets, click here.
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The finalists are:
Best Digital Marketing Campaign sponsored by Next Chapter:
Coach Gym
Ogden of Harrogate
Mumbler
Best Employee Development sponsored by Jones Myers:
Continued Care
Grantley Hall
Howard Conrad
Best Independent Retailer sponsored by York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub:
Cocoa Joe’s
Fodder
TravelGate
Watermark Gallery
Whittams Hire
Business Growth Award sponsored by Raworths Solicitors:
Bamber & Brown
Evolve Psychology Services
Harlow Consulting Services
IDR Law
The Soundproofing Store
TMR Foods
Digital Innovation sponsored by ASE Computer Services:
Re-Macs
Strive Group
Dynamic Leader sponsored by Succession Wealth:
Sarah Jones, Full Circle
Danny Wild, Harrogate College
Andrew Meehan, Harrogate Family Law
Alastair Taylor, NYnet
Ian Baker, The Soundproofing Store
Suzanna Prout, Xenonex
Inclusivity Award sponsored by Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors:
Artizan Café and Creative Space
Horticap
Rising Star Under 30 sponsored by Thompsons Chartered Accountants:
Tiffany Snowden, Blue Willow Heritage
Joe Andrew, Cocoa Joes
Laura Mounsey, Harrogate Family Law
James Owen Thomas, JOT’s Gallery
Sustainable Business sponsored by York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub:
EnviroVent
Full Circle Funerals
JOT’s Gallery
NEOM Organics
Number Thirteen
Resurrected Bites
Source Climate Change Coffee
Unsung Hero sponsored by Big Bamboo:
Chris Ashby, Harrogate BID
Jago Wallace, Himalyan Garden
Kayti Mewis, Mumbler