Inquest opens into death of 29-year-old man in Harrogate

An inquest has opened into the death of a 29-year-old man in Harrogate.

Joseph Paul Aaron Morrison, of no fixed abode, died at Harrogate District Hospital on October 30, 2022.

Opening the inquest at Northallerton, Catherine Cundy, coroner for North Yorkshire, said Mr Morrison was “found unresponsive” at an address in Harrogate on the same date.

She said the provisional cause of death was drug related.

Mr Morrison was found with morphine and tramadol in his system.

Ms Cundy adjourned the inquest for a later date.

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Knaresborough to get new fish and chip shop

A new fish and chip shop is set to open in Knaresborough.

Fish-a-rama is expected to begin serving customers at around Easter on the site of a former Chinese takeaway on York Place.

Owner Aytach Sadik ran a fish and chip shop in London before moving to Harrogate 22 years ago.

Since then he was been involved with Chico’s and Bambino’s takeaways in Harrogate.

Mr Sadik said he had spent about £200,000 on the new family-run business, which he said will be a family business selling the best fish and chips around:

“We will only use fresh fish. The quality isn’t there with frozen fish. We will also serve grilled sea bass and bream on a barbecue.”

“Everything is brand new – from the electricity and gas to the fittings. We knocked it back to the bare walls.”

Fish-a-rama Fisharama Knaresborough chips

The family-run business is preparing to open.

Mr Sadik said the business intended to apply for planning permission to open an outdoor seating area with a retractable roof on the large forecourt outside.

In the meantime, customers will be able to take their orders and eat them at tables on the patio at the front.

Mr Sadik, who is 67, is coming out of retirement for the venture. He said:

“I did retire two years ago but it’s just not for me. How many days can you play golf?”

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Junior doctors set for 96-hour strike at Harrogate hospital

Harrogate District Hospital is braced for further disruption as junior doctors prepare for a 96-hour walk-out next month.

The British Medical Association announced members will strike from 7am on Tuesday, April 11, until 7am on Saturday, April 15.

Junior doctors are walking out in a dispute over pay and conditions.

Both the BMA and the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association are calling for a 26% pay increase, which they claim will “reverse the steep decline in pay faced by junior doctors since 2008/9”.

Junior doctors at Harrogate hospital formed a large picket line on Wetherby Road as part of a 72-hour walkout on March 13.

Dr Vivek Trivedi and Dr Robert Laurenson, co-chairs of the BMA junior doctor committee, said:

“It is with disappointment and great frustration that we must announce this new industrial action.

“The government has dragged its feet at every opportunity. It has not presented any credible offer and is refusing to accept that there is any case for pay restoration, describing our central ask as ‘unrealistic’ and ‘unreasonable’.

“Even yesterday they continued to add new unacceptable preconditions to talks instead of getting on and trying to find a resolution.”

A statement from Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said:

“We are working hard to ensure there is minimal disruption to patient care and that emergency services continue to operate as normal.

“We are currently developing our plans for the propose action and its impact on our services, patients or staff.

“Outpatients appointments and planned activity may be affected. Patients should continue to attend appointments as planned unless contacted to reschedule. We will be re-arranging any postponed appointments as a priority. We appreciate this situation is frustrating for patients affected and apologise for any inconvenience caused.

“Nobody should put off seeking urgent or emergency care during the strikes, and key services will continue to operate.”

You can read the full statement on the trust’s website here.

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Business Breakfast: Knaresborough pest control company appoints new chief

A Knaresborough pest control company has appointed a new chief executive.

Alex Ashmore has joined Pelsis Group, which is based on Grimbald Crag Close.

Mr Ashmore, who previously worked for Delphi Technologies, will be tasked with continuing the group’s development in the pest control industry.

Martin Schwab, managing partner at Pamplona, Pelsis’ parent company, said: 

“I am very pleased to welcome Alex to Pelsis. 

“His deep, hands-on experience within complex global businesses makes him the ideal choice to accelerate Pelsis’ growth and capture the significant opportunities ahead of us, as well as continue to drive consolidation within the industry following the acquisition of Brandenburg and Sanitrade last year.”

Mr Ashmore said:

“I am delighted to join the Pelsis team at this exciting time for the company.

“Pelsis is known for its leading role in driving quality and innovation in the pest control market, and I look forward to working with our customers, suppliers and colleagues to address the needs of the industry, and continue to drive sustained growth.”

Minister visits Harrogate plant nursery

A government minister has paid a visit to a Harrogate district plant nursery.

Johnsons of Whixley hosted Trudy Harrison MP, parliamentary under secretary of state in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, along with Nigel Adams, the Conservative MP for Selby and Ainsty and Lee Lyons, a Defra civil servant.

(From left) Graham Richardson and Jonathan Whittemore from Johnsons of Whixley with Trudy Harrison MP and Nigel Adams MP.

(From left) Graham Richardson and Jonathan Whittemore from Johnsons of Whixley with Trudy Harrison MP and Nigel Adams MP.

Ms Harrison and Mr Adams were welcomed by group managing director, Graham Richardson to discuss issues including commercial importing and rising costs due to inflation.

Mr Richardson said:

“It was an honour to host the minister and other key individuals to discuss the key horticultural challenges facing our sector, the importance of our sector was acknowledged, and the challenges that the ‘retreat from peat’ brings in terms of a practical growing media alternative (in sufficient volume) and the associated timings are better understood.”

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Beckwithshaw attempted murder accused told boy ‘this needs to happen’

Warning: this article contains information some people may find upsetting.

A man accused of slitting a boy’s throat told the youngster “this needs to happen” before cutting his neck, a trial has heard.

The man from Beckwithshaw tried to do the same to a young girl who was “hysterical” and had blood on her shirt and cuts on her fingers, a jury at Leeds Crown Court heard.

The accused, who is in his 40s, is charged with two counts of attempted murder. 

He appeared for the second day of his trial yesterday when jurors heard harrowing testimony from two workmen who found the children, one of whom had a gaping neck wound and the other bloodied fingers.

One of the workmen said the seriously injured boy’s neck wound was so wide “it was like a Cheshire- cat smile”.

His colleague said he initially thought it was a “Halloween prank” at first but he “quickly realised it wasn’t” when he saw the extent of the boy’s injury.

The witness said:

“His injuries were horrific, like a horror film.

“He had his throat cut open and I could see inside the cut. He had his hands across his throat. There was blood everywhere.

“He seemed in shock and really distraught. I couldn’t believe what was happening; it was struggling to register with me and I was also in shock.

“I was standing on the street. I was worried for my own safety.”

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The workman called to his colleague to get something to stem the child’s bleeding and he wrapped a hoodie around the boy’s neck.

The witness called an ambulance and told them:

“I thought it needed police as well as it slowly started to sink in what had happened.

“I was really worried about the situation and wanted the emergency services to get there as quickly as possible.”

He said the young girl who was also bleeding was “very distraught and upset”.

Alleged victims ‘really distraught’

Police arrived, followed shortly afterwards by an ambulance crew. The children were put in the ambulance and taken to hospital.

The witness’ colleague, who was also named in court, said he heard “what seemed like a kid’s scream or shout”.

He said he saw the young boy holding his neck to stem the flow of blood.

He added:

“The wound looked really bad.

“It was like a Cheshire-cat smile and went wide across his neck and I could see inside the wound. I ran to get my hoodie. I put the hoodie on the boy’s cut and he held it there around his neck. 

“He was a bit teary before I put the hoodie on his neck but that seemed to calm him down a bit.”

He said he saw a young girl “with blood on her…top”.

He added:

“She was crying her eyes out; she was really distraught.”

She told the witness that the man who had cut the boy’s throat had also “tried to get at her as well”.

He added:

“She was obviously really scared and she was hysterical.

“I reassured her that he wouldn’t hurt her as I was there to protect her. I put my arm around the girl…to reassure her that she was safe now.”

He added:

“I felt so annoyed and shocked.

“I couldn’t believe what was happening. The little girl was hysterical. I put my arm around her.”

He said the children seemed “petrified” and that the girl told him she heard the man say “this needs to happen” before launching the alleged attack.

He said that the street seemed eerily quiet at the time and that he and his colleague were the only ones who went to help.

‘Paranoia and drinking’

A female witness for the prosecution who knew the accused man said he had mental health problems including bouts of paranoia and that his drinking made this worse. 

Prosecuting barrister Robert Stevenson alleged that the accused slit the boy’s throat with a 10-inch serrated knife during the incident in June last year.

Neither of the children can be named for legal reasons. 

The trial continues. 

Ex-soldier to walk 104km in a day for homelessness charity

A former soldier has pledged to walk over 100km to raise funds for a local charity – without ever straying too far from home.  

James Bryceson, who lives in Norwood in the Washburn Valley, intends to walk around Fewston and Swinsty reservoirs – which lie just a mile away – 10 times in a row, in an epic 104km trek that he hopes will take just 20 hours. 

He is tackling the epic trek, which he has called The Reservoir Slog, to raise money for Harrogate Homeless Project, and has set £1,000 as his fundraising target. 

James, who spent 13 years in the Army, 10 of them in the Military Police, said: 

“I’d been out of the Army for a while and wanted to do something to get fit. I thought 100km in a day would be a good goal to set. 

“There couldn’t be a better charity to support. This is a local walk, and I’m hoping it will benefit people locally.” 

James, who now works as a recruitment consultant, has spent the last six months preparing for the walk by lifting weights and doing daily circuits of the reservoirs. 

He plans to set off on the round walk at 8am on Sunday, June 25 and keep the water on his right – heading clockwise – for the duration. He will be accompanied at various stages by family and friends, but is urging wellwishers to join him for as much or as little of the challenge as they like. He said: 

“You can come along for one lap, two laps or more. The night part will be hardest, as I’ll be quite tired by then. So if anyone can join me for that bit, that’d be great – they can keep me awake!” 

He is also looking for sponsorship, and is asking interested local businesses to get in touch. People wanting to support James’s trek for Harrogate Homeless Project can make a donation online via JustGiving, at The Reservoir Slog. 

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Knaresborough forest campaign secures 61 acres from development

A Knaresborough voluntary group has bought four plots of farmland totalling 61 acres to turn into a community green space and nature reserve.

Renaissance Knaresborough launched a fundraising campaign in December to acquire privately-owned land between Knaresborough and Starbeck.

The land between Beryl Burton Cycle Way and the A59 Harrogate Road is not currently accessible to the public and there were fears it could one day be used for development.

The campaign aimed to prevent that by reinstating part of the ancient Knaresborough forest, with the land owned by individual shareholders and open to the public for recreation and conservation.

The campaign received £160,000 of pledges from individuals and organisations and a £410,000 donation from the George A Moore Foundation in Leeds. George Moore, a successful businessman who died in 2016, was born and raised in Knaresborough.

An interest-free philanthropic loan by We Have The Power, an organisation set up by impact investor Julia Davies to empower community groups to improve local biodiversity and tackle the climate crisis, enabled a bid to be submitted to the land agents.

However, the campaigners now need to raise about £300,000 to pay back the loan. They hope to raise the sum within six months.

Liz Baxandall, chair of Renaissance Knaresborough, said:

“The combination of the loan, substantial donations and community pledges have enabled Renaissance Knaresborough to realise its dream of protecting the greenbelt and delivering such a wonderful legacy project.

“Julia’s last-minute loan enabled us to secure all the land, a goal we had thought was unrealisable.

“We are so very grateful for all the amazing support we are receiving to protect over 60 acres of beautiful greenbelt countryside between our towns.”

Knaresborough Forest

Campaigners celebrate the land purchase

The campaign is similar to the successful Long Lands Common initiative that raised £375,000 to buy 30 acres of land near Nidderdale Greenway.

Fears over green belt

Ms Baxandall said there were major concerns about the amount of building going on and the protection of green belt land.

Knaresborough Forest Park, she said, would “involve all ages working together to create a really special haven for nature and humans”, adding:

“We will pay off the philanthropic loan with the money people are pledging so please keep those pledges coming in.

“Pledges to buy community shares send a very clear message that Knaresborough Forest Park is hugely important to people. Over 900 people have already pledged. We cannot thank you all enough.”

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The fields were once the eastern end of the ancient Royal Forest of Knaresborough. The land adjoins Long Lands Common at one end and drops down towards the River Nidd at the other.

George Eglese, a director of Knaresborough Forest Park, said:

“The land is already home to many species of flora and fauna with magnificent old hedges, streams, wetlands, and grasslands.

“There are panoramic views, taking in the town, the castle and St. John’s, which provide a fantastic opportunity to tell tale of ancient Knaresborough and the forest.

“The community has come together and achieved something to be incredibly proud of, something that will be there for many generations to come.”

 

Two men arrested in Harrogate after car break-ins

Two men have been arrested after reports of cars being broken into in Harrogate.

The men, both from Bradford and aged in their 50s, were arrested in the early hours of this morning.

North Yorkshire Police acted after a resident in Bilton saw a man trying car door handles on their doorbell camera.

As a result, officers arrested two men on suspicion of vehicle interference and going equipped for theft.

Both are currently being questioned in custody.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a 34-year-old man was arrested and charged with theft from a vehicle following an incident on Yew Tree Lane on March 26.

He was due to appear before York Magistrates Court today.

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Harrogate chamber chief executive David Simister seriously ill in hospital

David Simister, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, is seriously ill in hospital.

The business organisation said on its website yesterday Mr Simister had suffered a “serious medical episode”.

It added:

“I am sure all our members, and friends in the wider business community of Harrogate will join us in wishing him and his family our thoughts and prayers for a positive outcome and want him to know that we will all be with him on his road to recovery.

“We are deeply saddened by the news and greatly miss David’s infectious enthusiasm and dedication.”

The message added the chamber’s management team led by president Sue Kramer and vice-presidents, Martin Mann, Sam Oakes and Jackie Snape would continue to support and represent chamber members.

Former journalist Mr Simister is well known in Harrogate. He co-founded the Harrogate communications firm Different PR and is a former councillor.

The Stray Ferret sends our best wishes to Mr Simister and hope for his speedy recovery.

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Harrogate’s planning committee approves sole council house in final act

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee last act yesterday was to approve a new council house in Huby.

The committee of councillors has met about once a month to decide on some of the largest and most controversial developments in the district.

But in its final meeting it was asked to approve a two-bedroom council home on the Kingsway estate in Huby.

When the council was formed in 1974 it owned 7,000 council houses across the Harrogate district but this has fallen to 3,800 since the Conservative government introduced the Right to Buy scheme in the 1980s.

There are currently 2,199 households registered on the waiting list for council homes.

The two-storey home in Huby will include solar panels and an air source heat pump to provide future residents with renewable energy.

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Harrogate Borough Council housing officer Emily Shephard told councillors the authority still owns 80% of council homes on the Huby estate, which is next to Weeton train station.

Objector Susan Durrant told councillors the site would increase traffic in Huby and the empty grassland should be used by the community instead. 

She said:

“The highway is very difficult in that area for parking. You can only park on one side of the road. It’s hazardous. All the vehicles coming and going would create mayhem.

“The land could be used as common land for a play area for children. Why at this point in the day has it been decided to build upon there?”

The plans were approved by eight votes to four.

North Yorkshire Council will create new planning committees based on parliamentary constituency areas.

This means that from April 1, the Harrogate Borough Council area will be split into new committees for Harrogate and Knaresborough, Selby and Ainsty and Ripon and Skipton.