Ofsted inspectors have praised the measures put in place to improve education at a village primary school near Harrogate.

Beckwithshaw Primary School was rated ‘inadequate’ after an inspection in December 2021.

Last year, Victoria Kirkman became interim executive headteacher of the school, along with its federated partner primary schools, Ripley Endowed C of E – which had also been rated inadequate in late 2021 – and Kettlesing Felliscliffe, which was rated ‘good’.

An interim executive board (IEB) was appointed to oversee the schools’ progress under its new leadership.

Inspectors returned to Beckwithshaw for a monitoring visit in January this year and published their report last night. While there is no new rating for the school, Ofsted wrote to interim executive headteacher Victoria Kirkman about their findings.

The report said:

“Since joining the school, you have taken swift and effective action to make improvements. You have a strong understanding of the benefits and challenges facing small schools.

“You have put clear, decisive plans in place, which set out ambitious and realistic targets for future improvement. One parent commented, ‘It certainly feels that there is a more robust leadership team in place, underpinned by the IEB and the new headteachers.’

“You have rightly prioritised the development of the curriculum and staff professional development. However, you are also acutely aware of the importance of supporting staff well-being and workload. This has ensured that staff are positive about changes that are being made.

“The atmosphere in the school is purposeful, happy and focused.”

The letter, which has also been sent to the IEB, North Yorkshire County Council and the Department for Education, praises the school’s focus on improving pupils’ reading skills.

Inspector Andrea Batley found teachers “quickly identify and give extra support” to pupils who are struggling with reading. They use the school’s approach to phonics consistently and recognise the need to adapt lessons to support all pupils.

‘Warm, caring and welcoming’

Ms Batley said Ms Kirkman has made a strong curriculum her priority across areas including personal, social, health and economic education. The inspector said changes to the curriculum were still “in the early stages” and continuing work was needed to deliver more improvements.

She wrote:

“Much has been done to improve the early years provision in the school. You have worked with staff and with local authority support to create an environment that is warm, caring and welcoming.

“Staff recognise the importance of developing children’s communication skills. They support children to use newly taught vocabulary well.

“However, it is not always clear what the intended learning is across the classroom, both indoors and outdoors. This means that some pupils are not sufficiently engaged and interested with learning.

“Leaders know that this is an area that needs more development in the future.”

Ms Kirkman has welcomed the inspector’s findings, which followed a similar monitoring visit to Ripley Primary School in December.

While Beckwithshaw remains ‘inadequate’, in line with its previous inspection, she said its recent monitoring visit was reassuring that the school is going in the right direction. She said:

“We are delighted with the outcome of the recent Ofsted monitoring visit at Beckwithshaw which recognises the significant and rapid school transformation since the previous inspection. This, coupled with the success of the Ripley monitoring visit in November, evidences that these previously ‘Inadequate’ schools are now moving forward positively.

“This is due to the hard work of all stakeholders in working together to ensure future success of the school and the life chances of children in the federation. We now continue focus on the next  visit and continue our relentless drive for further school improvement.”

Read more:

• Ripley school praised for ‘swift and effective action’ to address inadequate rating
• Primary schools near Harrogate face uncertain future after academy plans fall through

Along with her work at Beckwithshaw, Ripley and Kettlesing Felliscliffe, Ms Kirkman is executive headteacher at Birstwith Primary School and Admiral Long Primary School in Burnt Yates, both rated ‘good’.

Last year, the three federated primary schools were preparing to join Elevate multi-academy trust, as part of an Ofsted requirement after Ripley and Beckwithshaw were rated ‘inadequate’.

However, those plans fell through when Elevate pulled out shortly before the planned conversion date of November 1.

Addressing this in the latest letter, inspector Ms Batley said:

“The IEB is very clear about their desire to bring about future stability in leadership. They know the school well and provide both challenge to leaders, and scrutiny of improvement plans. They are working closely with the local authority to identify how recent improvements can be sustained in the future.

“As a sponsoring academy trust has not been identified it is vital that ways to ensure long-term stability in leadership are identified and pursued with urgency.”

Harrogate fast food venue Leon is to close — just nine months after opening.

The Mediterranean-inspired drive-thru and restaurant opened on Wetherby Road at the end of June.

There were concerns that having a drive-thru close to the junction of Wetherby Road and Hookstone Drive would cause traffic problems.

But they failed to materialise and staff were informed yesterday the site will close on April 2.

A source, who asked not to be named, said:

“It is purely down to low sales to my knowledge, it has never been as busy as you would expect a new restaurant to be.”

About 20 staff, most of whom are part-time, are affected by the news. The source added:

“There was some discussion about other job roles in the EG group, which owns Leon, but it wasn’t clear exactly what would happen.”

Leon’s closure will prompt speculation about the future of the site.

EG Group had considered opening a Starbucks on the site and may be tempted to revive those plans.

EG Group is the UK’s largest operator of KFC, Greggs and Starbucks franchises.

It has transformed the derelict former dentist site and installed electric vehicle charging points. There is a large car parking area.

The Stray Ferret has approached Leon for comment.

Read more:

• Harrogate’s Leon drive-thru to open on Friday
• Arson at Harrogate’s Kimberley Hotel: police appeal for witnesses

The organisers of the Knaresborough tractor run have revealed that this year’s event has raised £23,340 so far.

It means Knaresborough Young Farmers, which started the event in memory of former member Mike Spink, have now raised £107,840 over the years for Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Almost 400 tractors took part in the 25-mile route on Sunday, which started at Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground.

The convoy passed through Ripley, Knaresborough, Staveley, Burton Leonard, Markington, Bishop Thornton and Glasshouses before stopping in Pateley Bridge for lunch.

It then continued to Bewerley, Dacre, Darley, Birstwith and Hampsthwaite before finishing in Knaresborough.

A statement on the event’s Facebook page said:

“Big thank you to all those who attended yesterday.

“Thank you to our sponsors, marshals and anyone who helped on the day, without you we couldn’t have reached this total.

It is still possible to donate here.

Read more:

• Scammers fail to spoil another successful Knaresborough tractor run
• Start your engines: it’s time for Knaresborough tractor run

Local children face waits of up to two years after being referred by a doctor for autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments, a meeting has heard.

North Yorkshire’s scrutiny of health committee heard there were 377 children currently waiting for an autism spectrum disorder assessment, of which 27 had been waiting more than 12 months.

Councillors were told a further 400 children had been waiting for a ADHD assessment, 76 of which have been waiting for more than a year.

The figures from Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust follow it revealing three months ago that the number of children in contact with its Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in York had jumped by more than 40 per cent over the previous two years.

A Healthwatch report into the service showed young people are facing delays, lost paperwork and other issues when trying to get support.

Brian Cranna, care group director at the health trust, told the scrutiny committee meeting at County Hall in Northallerton the last 12 months had seen 9,000 referrals into CAMHS across North Yorkshire and York.

Read more:

• Government ‘refuses to consider’ compensating North Yorkshire for scrapped care pilot
• County council plans programme to tackle children being ‘enticed’ to vape

He said while 5,000 children were active referrals or currently receiving interventions, the service was facing challenges over assessing developmental disorders.

Mr Canna said the length of wait depended on which part of North Yorkshire a child lived in, adding It could be up to two years for an assessment.

Community mental health teams

The meeting heard the trust had created mental health teams working in schools to prevent the need to access specialist services, and referrals to them were being seen within four weeks.

He added while people could expect to be seen by community mental health teams within eight weeks of routine referral, the majority of children and young people were being seen within 28 days.

Mr Canna underlined 86% of children referred to the crisis team were being seen within four hours.

However, the meeting heard the delays were being exacerbated by a struggle to recruit staff, ranging from consultant psychiatrists and psychologists to administrative staff.

He said raised public expectations of the service had increased the pressure on staff.

He added: 

“People expect a better level of care. They expect a level of support that’s tailored to their individual needs and that increases the demand on the services.”

Mr Canna said staffing pressures varied across the county. 

He said Harrogate had a range of healthcare providers who people living there could work for instead, while it had proved difficult to attract people to move to Scarborough.

Nevertheless, he said the trust was examining what it could do to attract people into the area and following some success recruiting staff for its eating disorders team the trust was hopeful that “this positive trajectory” would continue.

He said: 

“Maintaining staff wellbeing in a pressured environment is a significant challenge for us and a challenge we are responding to.”

The family of a 16-year-old Harrogate schoolboy who died in a homeless hostel say they have been “deprived of answers” after an inquest into his death concluded.

Benjamin Nelson-Roux, a former student at St Aidan’s Church of England High School, died in Harrogate on April 8, 2020.

He was found dead at a Harrogate Borough Council-run homeless hostel on Robert Street where he had been living since February that year.

A coroner concluded yesterday that the 16-year-old’s death was “unascertained”. A full post-mortem was not carried out due to the covid pandemic.

In a statement outside the coroner’s office in Northallerton, Kate Roux, Ben’s mother, said it had deprived the family of answers.

She said:

“We will never know the medical cause of Ben’s death, because no invasive post-mortem was carried out.

“The coroner’s service has deprived us of the opportunity for answers.

“We do know that he lived in fear, pain and self-loathing for the last year of his life. Although we begged for help, no meaningful support or even basic safeguarding was put in place.

“We know that this is still happening to children and families in the UK and at the time of giving evidence no significant changes have been made to practices or provision by the agencies involved.”

Read more:

• Harrogate schoolboy, 16, death in homeless hostel ‘unascertained’, coroner concludes
• High speeds and alcohol contributed to young Harrogate man’s fatal crash, inquest hears

Ben was placed in the hostel on Robert Street in February 2020 until alternative accommodation was found.

However, the inquest heard concerns from social workers and other agencies that the hostel was not suitable for him due to him being at risk of exploitation.

Following his conclusion at a hearing in Northallerton, Jon Heath, senior coroner for North Yorkshire, issued a prevention of future deaths report.

Mr Heath said he would to write to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to raise concern over the lack of under-18s facilities for drug misuse.

He also intended to write to North Yorkshire County Council to raise concern over why alternative accommodation was not sought outside of the county.

In response to the outcome of the inquest, Stuart Parsons, the county council’s corporate director of children and young people’s services, said:

“Our heartfelt sympathies remain with Ben’s family, and his loss has been extremely distressing for everyone involved in this tragic case.

“Ben received coordinated support involving children’s services, police, housing, a youth justice drug and substance misuse worker, and health and mental health professionals, involving a psychologist and a professor in forensic psychiatry.  

“Ben received support with his drug use prior to and during his time in the hostel. The coroner noted that social workers highlighted drugs misuse support as a priority need for Ben and that he developed a strong, open relationship with the substance misuse officer. 

“The coroner found that the accommodation did not contribute to Ben’s death. It was recognised that the hostel was a temporary last resort after a county wide search failed to find anything more suitable. By that point, Covid restrictions meant that the potential for other accommodation was removed. Alternative accommodation had been provided to Ben, but this was not successful. 

“Ben was never in the care of North Yorkshire County Council. The coroner found that his social worker correctly decided through regular contact with Ben that he had capacity and at 16 years old was able to refuse to come into local authority care. The coroner concluded that the county council was not avoiding him being in their care and, in fact, would have welcomed it.

“Social workers had involved the correct parties in supporting Ben, all of whom voluntarily attended meetings along with Ben’s parents. His social worker was seeing Ben much more often than would have been the case under statutory child protection and many other agencies were involved.

“The social worker’s aim was to try to restore relationships so that Ben could return home, as it was accepted this was the best place for him to be. 

“In this type of inquest, the court can reflect on instances where there may have been missed opportunities to act that may have prevented a death. The coroner did not find that any instances in this case on the part of any of the agencies involved.

“The North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children’s Partnership undertook a ‘learning review’ and recommendations were made to services, considering the views of Ben’s family. 

“Once received, we will respond to the coroner’s report in accordance with Regulations 29.”

Trevor Watson, Harrogate Borough Council’s director of economy, environment and housing, said: 

“Although only knowing and working with Ben Nelson-Roux for a short time, we were deeply saddened by his untimely death and would once again like to offer our most sincere condolences to his family.

“Hostel accommodation was provided to Ben as a last resort to prevent him from street homelessness. During this time Ben received extensive support from multiple agencies.

“In his conclusion, the coroner found that, on the balance of probabilities, it could not be concluded that the accommodation had contributed to Ben’s death. This was only intended to be a short term, interim placement whilst a room in specialist young person supported accommodation became available. Unfortunately, this was subject to delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.

“In the next few days, we expect to receive a report from the coroner which we will carefully consider and respond to.”

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. The third in our series of networking events in association with The Coach and Horses in Harrogate is a lunch event on March 30 from 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.

The Pavilions of Harrogate has secured new high-end retail events for this year.

The venue, which is based at the Great Yorkshire Showground, has announced it is set to host the Sweaty Betty Sale, Joules Sale and the Boden Sale.

In the first quarter of the year Pavilions will host 150 events ranging from retail sales, to funerals, dinners and conferences.

The Sweaty Betty Sale starts at 1:30pm on Monday 20th March to Wednesday 22nd March, the Joules Sale will opens on Thursday 23rd to Saturday 25th March. The Boden Sale will be held on Wednesday 20th September and Thursday 21st September.

Heather Parry, managing director of Pavilions of Harrogate and the Yorkshire Event Centre, said: 

“Event organisers tell us they are impressed by the venues, our commitment to sustainability and the passion and dedication of our wonderful team. We are proud of our track record and continue to strive for excellence in all we do. 

“We are excited that 2023 will be our most successful year ever in both our venues.”

Raworths announces food bank as charity partner

Simon Morris, managing partner of Raworths and Dawn Cussons, manager of Harrogate District Foodbank. Credit: Raworths

A Harrogate law firm has chosen Harrogate District Foodbank has its charity partner for 2023.

Raworths staff will fundraise for the foodbank after voting for it to become the firm’s chosen charity.

Harrogate District Foodbank opened in 2013 and is funded by local churches, community groups and individuals, operating under the umbrella of national organisation, the Trussell Trust.

Simon Morris, managing partner at Raworths, said 

“People may not expect Harrogate to need a foodbank as it has a reputation as an affluent area, but the reality is, there are also areas which need extra support. 

“In fact, everyone is feeling the pinch and looking to rein in their spending which also impacts charities. We believe this charity’s services are invaluable, so we really want to support and help where we can.”

Dawn Cussons, manager of Harrogate District Foodbank, said 

“We’re delighted that Raworths chose us as their charity partner this year.

“We depend heavily on the generosity of our local community for donations, funds and, of course, our incredible volunteers whom we rely upon for everything from our warehouse and deliveries to signposting volunteers and welcomers.”

Read More:

• Stray Ferret Business Awards: The winners
• Business Breakfast: National firm acquires Harrogate accountants

The councillor in charge of transport in North Yorkshire was in Harrogate tonight to give business leaders an update on various schemes, including the £11.2 million Station Gateway..

Cllr Keane Duncan, the Conservative executive member for highways and transportation at North Yorkshire County Council attended Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce‘s monthly meeting.

He gave an update on the £11.2 million Harrogate Station Gateway after traffic orders were published last week, one of which was for the closure of part of James Street. Here’s how the evening went:

7.51pm: Cllr Duncan reaffirms his commitment to listen

In response to some more negative comments, Cllr Duncan says again he will listen to the area constituency committee. And with that he returns to his seat as the meeting draws to a close.

7.46pm: ‘I am prepared to change course’

Responding to claims that information supporting the scheme is flawed and the council has not listened to businesses, Cllr Duncan says:

“I think there is more support for this scheme than those who shout the loudest would have us believe.

“I am prepared to look at the evidence, make decisions and change course.”

7.40pm: ‘You’re riding roughshod over us’

A member of the audience gets a round of applause for saying the council is “riding roughshod” over local opinion and has “not taken on board any of our points”.

Cllr Duncan says he has inherited the scheme and will abide by what the Lib Dem-controlled committee agrees. His role, he says, is to bring matters to a conclusion, although he thinks overall the scheme is positive.

The questioner responds by calling the scheme a “joke”.

7.35: Harrogate congestion zone ruled out

It’s question time, and things could get lively. The first question asks whether Cllr Duncan has considered a congestion zone for Harrogate and he flatly rules it out.

7.31pm: Lib Dems will decide on fate of scheme

Cllr Duncan is a Conservative but he says he will abide by the decision of the Lib Dem-controlled Harrogate area constituency committee, which will meet to discuss the subject in May. He says:

“I will implement whatever decision is taken. It’s right that Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors have their say.”

Some Lib Dems feel they’ve been delivered a hospital pass because the area constituency committee is an advisory body and the Conservatives want to avoid making an unpopular decision.

Cllr Duncan has said previously that “with power comes responsibility” and the Lib Dems are being empowered as part of the new council’s commitment to “double devolution” whereby local decisions will be taken locally.

If the gateway goes ahead, Cllr Duncan says the council will “look to start construction in winter this year and finish in winter 2024”.

7.28pm: 40 parking spaces would be lost

Cllr Duncan says surveys show 500 to 600 parking spaces could be removed from Harrogate town centre without any significant impact but this scheme would only remove 40 spaces — 20 on James Street and 20 on Station Parade.

He makes four pledges:

1 To conduct a full review of car parking in Harrogate town centre.

2  To manage disruption, adding: “It cannot be denied there will be disruption. We will draw up a construction management plan.”

3 No compromise on quality of construction materials.

4 Traffic flows will be revisited and reassessed.

7.22pm: Gateway consultations ‘not a referendum’

The latest consultation responses revealed 46% were negative towards the project compared with 45% in favour and nine per cent were neutral.

Some businesses and residents have said this proves the scheme should be dropped but Cllr Duncan says “this was a consultation not a referendum” and opinion is “finely balanced”.

7.16pm: Station Gateway – water feature scrapped

He says the scheme will “encourage a shift from motorised vehicles to low carbon and sustainable transport” but adds the aim of the scheme is also regeneration, improvements to the public realm and to support businesses in Harrogate. He says:

“This is not just a transport scheme it is about redeveloping a key corridor of Harrogate town centre.”

He says the Station Square water feature has been removed from the scheme “due to practical and cost constraints”. It would have cost £500,00 he says.

But he adds there will be “no compromising” on high quality materials despite soaring building costs.

As for delays caused by road closures and reducing Station Parade to single lane, he says the “worst case scenario” is that an average 15-minute journey around Harrogate will take an extra 53 seconds if the gateway goes ahead.

7.12pm: ‘Hardline’ cyclists criticised

Cllr Duncan is now talking about active travel on Otley Road and Beech Grove. Regarding phase two of the Otley Road cycleway, which has been scrapped, he said:

“The feedback we were getting was negative even from the beneficiaries of the scheme. For me, that was strong, compelling evidence of why we should not proceed.”

He then takes a swipe at some cyclists.

“There is a hardline cycle lobby which in my view do not speak for everyday people in Harrogate.

“I see my role to listen to everybody and not just those who shout the loudest.”

7.10pm: Car is ‘key but not king’

Cllr Duncan says the “car is key but not king”.

Regarding electric vehicles, he says 3,000 new charging points are needed in North Yorkshire by 2030.

Regarding safety, he says the council has some particular concerns about children in Pannal Ash and Oatlands where 9,000 children travel to school.

As for the 20’s Plenty For Us, he says “I’m struggling to see that a one-size fits all intervention is best way forward” and targeted interventions are better but a review is pending.

7.08pm: Bus network ‘fragile’

Cllr Duncan is now talking about buses. He says at least a third of routes in the county are at risk of timetable changes or being removed all together.

He says recent £1.7m government support and £1.6m from the county council have provided services with a lifeline.

He says the £2 fare cap has increased passenger numbers but doesn’t give figures and says it remains a difficult time.

7.05pm: Council ‘not anti-car’

Cllr Duncan says the new North Yorkshire Council is not anti-car, adding:

“However it’s right that people are able to walk and cycle are able to do so safely and efficiently.”

6.52pm: ‘Renewed vision and focus on Harrogate’

Cllr Duncan (centre) at tonight’s meeting

Cllr Duncan starts by giving a speech before facing questions. He says the new North Yorkshire Council will provide a “renewed vision and focus on Harrogate”.

Read more:

• Council bids for £3m for cycling projects in Harrogate and Knaresborough
• Traffic order issued to close part of Harrogate’s James Street to vehicles

A 15-year-old boy was left shaken after being robbed by two men wearing balaclavas on the Stray in Harrogate.

Two men stole the boy’s beige tote bag containing spare clothes, a black North Face puffer jacket and wireless headphones.

North Yorkshire Police today issued an appeal for witnesses to the incident, which happened on Milton Way between 6.30pm and 8.30pm on Saturday.

It said in a statement:

“The boy did not suffer any injuries but was left very shaken by the incident.

“Witnesses or anyone who recalls suspicious behaviour in the area on Saturday evening are urged to come forward.”

The suspects are described as about 6ft tall, muscular builds, dark clothing including black puffer jackets with furry hoods. Both were wearing balaclavas.

Milton Way on the Stray leads to Leeds Road.

They ran off towards the Tewit Well area of Leeds Road.

Anyone that assist the investigation can email elizabeth.parry@northyorkshire.police.uk or call 101, select option 2, and ask for Elizabeth Parry.

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

Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12230044608.

Police have issued an appeal for a Harrogate man who is wanted for breaching a court order for animal cruelty.

Robbie Nelson, 24, of Woodfield View, was given a community order last year after neglecting two dogs at a house on High Street in the town.

The case was brought by the animal welfare charity the RSPCA, which revealed that the animals were living in a flat covered in faeces and with carpets soaked in urine.

Nelson was banned from keeping animals for five years and handed a community order to undertake rehabilitation activity following a court hearing in July 2022.

Read more:

• Harrogate man banned from keeping animals for five years
• Malnourished dogs found in Harrogate flat covered in faeces and urine

North Yorkshire Police has now issued an appeal for information on his whereabouts after the 24-year-old failed to comply with the order.

He was due to attend Harrogate Magistrates’ Court on March 3, 2023, but he failed to appear resulting in a warrant for his arrest.

The conditions in the flat in Harrogate. Picture: RSPCA.

Enquiries are ongoing to find Nelson, including multiple address checks and contact with the Department for Work and Pensions and the Job Centre.

A police statement added:

“If anyone knows where he is or have information that could help us to find him, please make a report via the North Yorkshire Police website or call 101, select option 1, and speak to the Force Control Room.

“If you’d prefer to remain anonymous, please contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Please quote reference number 122300039283 when providing details.”

A corner has concluded that the death of a 16-year-old Harrogate schoolboy in an adult homeless hostel was “unascertained”.

Benjamin Nelson-Roux, a student at St Aidan’s Church of England High School, died in Harrogate on April 8, 2020.

His body was found by his mum, Kate, at Harrogate Borough Council-run homeless hostel Cavendish House on Robert Street. He had been living there since February of that year.

The hostel was intended for adults and has nine bedsits.

A wide-ranging 12-day inquest was held into Ben’s death and concluded this morning at North Yorkshire Coroner’s Office in Northallerton.

The hearing explored the decision by North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council to place Ben in an adult homeless hostel, given his age, vulnerability, and what was known about his lifestyle at the time.

Death ‘unascertained’

Jon Heath, senior coroner for North Yorkshire, concluded Ben’s death was “unascertained”, but noted that “multiple drugs” had been found in his body.

Mr Heath said there was no evidence of any third party involvement.

Read more:

• Hearing begins into death of Harrogate schoolboy Benjamin Nelson-Roux, 16
• High speeds and alcohol contributed to young Harrogate man’s fatal crash, inquest hears

He added that the accommodation provided to the 16-year-old was “unsuitable”, but it could not be determined whether this contributed to his death.

The inquest heard that the hostel had no security on April 7 and April 8 due to a contract issue.

However, Mr Heath said it could not be determined whether any other accommodation would have prevented his death.

The inquest, which was held last year, heard how Ben’s body was found by his mother Kate after she forced entry into his room at around 4pm.

She carried out CPR until a paramedic arrived. However, he was certified dead at 4.50pm.

A toxicology report found several drugs in his bloody, including diazepam, ecstasy and cocaine.

Dr Carl Gray, consultant pathologist at Harrogate District Hospital, said he was unable to undertake a full post-mortem on Ben’s body as it took place during the first covid lockdown.

He told the inquest:

“The cause of death cannot be certain as there was no internal dissections due to the pandemic. Multiple drugs were present but were low and the effects were debatable.”

Ben was placed in the hostel on Robert Street in February 2020 until alternative accommodation was found.

The inquest heard concerns from social workers and other agencies that the hostel was not suitable due to the 16-year-old being at risk of exploitation from county lines drugs dealers.

The hearing at Northallerton also heard that Ben had struggled with drug misuse for several years.

Prevention of future deaths

Following his conclusions, Mr Heath told the court that he intended to issue a prevention of future deaths report.

Mr Heath said he would to write to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to raise concern over the lack of under-18s facilities for drug misuse.

He also intended to write to North Yorkshire County Council to raise concern over why alternative accommodation was not considered outside of the county.