A young Harrogate man died when his car left the A59 as he drove home after drinking heavily, an inquest has heard.

Samuel Ronald Gibson, known as Sam, was 24 when the fatal collision occurred in the early hours of March 13 last year.

His Peugeot 208 spun off the road, collided with a tree, lifted up and landed in a ditch close near Poppleton at around 3.30am, today’s inquest was told by a police investigator.

A toxicology report after his death found he had 201mg of alcohol in his blood, against the legal limit of 80mg.

A statement from his colleague and friend Sophie Rothwell was read at the inquest held at the Coroner’s Court in Northallerton this afternoon. She said:

“When Sam was sober, he knew drink driving was wrong. However, when he went out it was like there was no controlling or stopping him and it wasn’t possible to reason with him…

“I would describe [Sam] as an unsafe driver [even when sober]. He drove very fast, exceeding the speed limit and I didn’t feel safe as a passenger.”

The court heard a statement from Sam’s mother, Jennifer Perkins, who said he had “always had a strong work ethic”, beginning with a paper round in his teens. He later moved into hospitality, working at Revolucion de Cuba and then Sainsbury’s in Harrogate.

The former Rossett School student had been manager at the Cosy Club bar in York for three-and-a-half years before moving to the Ivy in early 2022.

After passing his driving test at 18, Sam lost his licence aged 20 when he was convicted of drink-driving. When he had his licence back, Ms Perkins said he was “always very careful and cautious about not driving when he knew he would be drinking”.

However, in the few months prior to his death, she said there had been a couple of occasions when he had driven home after drinking.

Friends also said Sam was known to drive after drinking. Some had tried to hide his car keys to prevent him doing so, and others had stopped socialising with him.

Read more:

• Rossett School pays tribute to ex-student Sam Gibson, 24
• Police plea to call out drink drivers amid increasing Harrogate district incidents

In statements, colleague Sophie Rothwell and her boyfriend Max Bradford said they had been out with Sam in York on the night he died.

They said he had drunk lager, prosecco, wine, beer and spirits between around 8pm on Saturday, March 12 and 1.30am the following day.

Ms Rothwell said:

“He was so drunk that, at one bar, he couldn’t stand up properly and kept falling down.”

Sam stayed out after his friends went home, and he went to a nearby food van for something to eat.

Sam’s car was discovered in a ditch by the A59 around 7am the next morning.

The inquest heard he had suffered a “catastrophic” brain and spinal cord injury, described by the doctor performing the post-mortem as “an entirely unsurvivable event” which would have killed him almost instantly.

Forensic collision investigator PC Richard Barker said Sam had been wearing a seatbelt but the airbags in the car had not deployed, showing signs that they had previously activated and not been properly repaired.

Although he could not say for certain how fast the car was travelling, PC Barker believed it was in excess of the maximum speed at which the car could navigate the bends of the road.

North Yorkshire coroner Jonathan Leach concluded Sam had died as a result of the collision, saying:

“It would appear that Sam was driving along the A59 at speed and, I suspect as a result of the alcohol he had drunk, his concentration and his ability to drive properly was impaired.

“I suspect he over-reacted, left the road and struck a tree, and died at the scene.”

‘Devastation’

In their statements, both Ms Rothwell and Mr Bradford described Sam as a reliable friend and a good colleague who was the “life and soul” of both his workplace and any party.

Ms Rothwell added:

“Sam was the most reliable friend you could have asked for. He was the person you could call at any time and losing him has left a massive hole in my heart.”

Ms Perkins’ statement said Sam was a “nice young man” who had looked after her when she lost her sight and had taken gifts to an elderly neighbour who had moved into a care home. She added:

“While Sam made bad judgements and mistakes in relation to driving, this is the kind of loving, caring person Sam was and how I wish for him to be remembered.”

She added:

“I can’t express in words just how much devastation losing Sam has left behind. The whole family are suffering as a result. I can’t believe he has gone.”

A person was taken to hospital today after a two-vehicle collision on the A59 at Blubberhouses.

Harrogate firefighters responded to the incident at 3.13pm this afternoon.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident log said one person was trapped in their vehicle.

It added:

“Crews made both vehicles safe and removed the door of one vehicle to allow paramedics access to the trapped casualty.

“Crews assisted in extricating the casualty, who was suffering head injuries, before handing them into the care of ambulance crews to be transported to hospital.”

The incident led to delays on the main route between Harrogate and Skipton.

Read more:

• Five-vehicle collision blocks A59 at Blubberhouses
• Work on £69m Kex Gill realignment delayed until January

A Ripon cabbie has said new rules governing local taxi drivers will be a “disaster” for drivers and people relying on the service in rural areas.

North Yorkshire County Council is next week expected to introduce a single hackney carriage and private hire licensing policy from the spring.

The existing seven district councils, including Harrogate, currently have their own hackney carriage and private hire licensing policies.

But their looming abolition on April 1 prompted councillors to run a consultation between October 25 and January 16 on a new policy that would harmonise the rules across North Yorkshire.

Fifty-two per cent of respondents disagreed with the key proposal of introducing a single zone for North Yorkshire, which would allow cabbies to operate across the county rather than only in their districts. However, the idea still looks set to go ahead.

Richard Fieldman, who owns Ripon firm A1 Cars and runs a Facebook group that includes 52 taxi drivers in Ripon and Harrogate, said:

“Making it one zone will mean that at peak times drivers will target hotspots, such as Harrogate on a Saturday night, and leave rural areas with no taxis. It’s common sense that people will drive to maximise their earning potential.

“It will be a disaster for us and a disaster for people who live in quieter areas because they won’t be able to get a taxi at busy times.

“The same policy has been tried in other areas and it just leads to some streets being swamped with taxis so it’s bad for other road users as well.”

Mr Fieldman also criticised the council’s proposal to end the current restrictions on the number of hackney carriages — even though 45% of consultees opposed this. The Harrogate district limit is currently 148.

He said this would encourage private hire taxi drivers to switch to hackney carriages to avoid their £132 a year operator’s licence, which would “flood the limited space there is already”.

Read more:

• New taxi fares for North Yorkshire revealed
• Teachers’ strike: Closures across the Harrogate district

Mr Fieldman also hit out at draft new rules that would mean hackney carriage licence holders have to get three MOTs a year on cars that are more than seven years old. Currently vehicles up between five and nine-years-old have to have two MOTs a year.

A council spokesman said the new policy incorporated Department for Transport’s taxi and private hire vehicle best practice guidance and allowed the market to determine the level of supply.

He added:

“Despite a fear from the trade of ‘hotspot’ areas, evidence from other authorities that have followed a similar approach has indicated that any negative impacts tend to level out over time.”

Cllr Carl Les

The Conservative leader of North Yorkshire County Council, Cllr Carl Les, said:

“The hackney carriage and private hire licensing policy for North Yorkshire plays an integral part in demonstrating the new council’s commitment to ensuring that the public is provided with safe and accessible hackney carriages and private hire vehicles.

“As a single local authority for North Yorkshire, it also ensures hackney carriage and private hire licence holders and taxi operators across the county are treated equally.

If approved by the county council’s executive next week, the new policy will be adopted from April 1, along with a single set of licensing fees for both hackney carriage and private hire vehicles and a maximum set of fares for hackney carriages.

Tributes have been paid to former Ripon councillor and mayor Bernard Bateman, who died last week.

Mr Bateman represented Ripon North for the Conservatives on North Yorkshire County Council until 2017 after first being elected in 1999 as a Liberal Democrat.

He stood for the Liberal Democrats in Skipton and Ripon in the 2001 general election, coming second to the Conservative David Curry.

He was also the Conservative member for Wathvale ward on Harrogate Borough Council until last year and is a former mayor of both Harrogate and Ripon.

Councillors observed a minute’s silence at a meeting in Harrogate yesterday evening.

Mr Bateman served as chairman of the county council in 2013/14 and was granted honorary alderman status.

Director of Wolseley Hughes

Before entering local politics in North Yorkshire, Mr Bateman had a career in business and was a director of Wolseley Hughes Plc in Ripon.

He also helped create the World Plumbing Council, which has worked with the World Health Organisation to install safe water supplies and drainage systems in some of the world’s poorest countries.

Mr Bateman was awarded an MBE in 1989 for services to industry.

Cllr Mike Chambers, Harrogate Borough Council’s executive member for housing, said:

“It is with deepest sadness to hear of the passing of my friend and former colleague Bernard Bateman MBE.

“I have known Bernard for many years, serving together as both Harrogate borough and county councillors.

“Bernard was such as wonderful, larger-than-life, character and his passing is so very, very sad.

“On behalf of the borough council, and my colleagues, I would like to extend our most sincere condolences to Bernard’s wife, Linda, and family at this time.”

Read more:

• Harrogate council leader: ‘I will be leaving representative politics’
• Ripon Civic Society ‘strongly criticises’ location of proposed £6m cathedral building

Conservative councillor Sam Green won the Wathvale seat on Harrogate Borough Council in a by-election last year after Mr Bateman stepped down.

Mr Bateman with Cllr Sam Green. Pic credit: Cllr Sam Green

Cllr Green paid tribute to his “friend and political mentor.”

“Bernard wasn’t your typical politician, he was a genuine and sincere man and a people’s person who would go out of his way to help anyone.

“He immediately looked out for me and took me under his wing when I first became involved with the Skipton & Ripon Conservatives association some years ago.

“Looking back now, I can see he consciously but subtly did so much to encourage and help me grow as a person and to support my political ambitions, introducing me to so many people during his mayoral year and even asking me to do a reading at his mayoral concert in front of hundreds of people – something I had never done before and undoubtedly furthered my confidence with public speaking.

“I have so many fond memories of my time with Bernard, not least our trip to Wrexham in the mayoral car to support Harrogate Town away. I was then ultimately honoured to have been elected to Bernard’s Wathvale seat following his resignation and would not be where I am today without his help and friendship.”

Teachers at schools across the Harrogate district will not be in the classrooms tomorrow in the first of a series of days of industrial action.

The strike has been called by the National Education Union (NEU) in a dispute over pay and conditions.

The union argues a 5% pay rise in 2022 was insufficient to combat the impact of inflation at 10%, leaving many teachers effectively facing a pay cut.

It argues low pay has been a significant factor in many teachers choosing to leave the profession, and has deterred others from joining it. The result, the NEU says, is more pressure on those who remain, particularly since the pandemic.

The union’s points were supported yesterday by Harrogate Grammar School headteacer Neil Renton, who appeared on BBC News to discuss the situation.

He said he was “torn between [his] head and heart”, seeing the difficulties faced by teachers while also wanting to keep the school gates open for pupils.

The issues the NEU raised, he said, affected schools directly too: a recent advert for an English teacher at HGS attracted just one applicant. He added:

“If this continues and we are not able to work with government and ministers to create an education for the future I would, as an educator, want to take steps to make sure we make a much brighter education for our children.”

Read more:

• Why are Harrogate district teachers going on strike?
• Harrogate train passengers braced for further strikes next week

The following schools across the Harrogate district have confirmed some of their teachers will be on strike and released details of how they will operate tomorrow.

Harrogate Grammar School

The school said it is prioritising students taking exams this summer, and those identified as vulnerable.

Years 11 and 13 will be in school, along with children from other year groups who have been contacted individually.

Remote learning from home will be offered to years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12. Some live lessons will be led by teachers who are not on strike.

King James’s High School, Knaresborough

The school will be open to pupils in years 11, 12 and 13. Other year groups will be provided with online learning.

The school said it would liaise directly with parents of students with an EHCP about the possibility of provision in school.

Outwood Academy Ripon

The school will be open to year 11 and vulnerable students, while all other year groups learn from home.

Ripon Grammar School

Years 7 and 11 will be in school, but students are advised to bring additional work and reading material in case lessons cannot be taught by the subject teacher.

Students in years 8,9, 10 and 12 will learn from home, including some online lessons with teachers who are not on strike.

Year 13 students will be able to work in school if they wish, or revise and join live online lessons from home.

Any students with an EHCP, as well as boarders who can’t go home, can go into school as usual. There is also provision for students whose parents are critical workers.

Rossett School, Harrogate

The school is open to students in years 7, 11, 12 and 13.

Where usual subject teachers are on strike, younger students will have lessons covered by members of the school’s senior leadership team. Older students will carry out independent revision or private study in the sixth form centre.

Students in years 8,9 and 10 will have online lessons available to access from home.

St Aidan’s Church of England High School, Harrogate

Years 7 and 11 will be in school, with years 8, 9 and 10 asked to learn at home.

Sixth form students can work at home or use a supervised study area, if they tell the school they plan to do so.

Students in any year group with an EHCP can attend.

St John Fisher Catholic High School, Harrogate

Years 7 and 11 will be in school, with years 8, 9 and 10 asked to learn at home.

Sixth form students can work at home or use a supervised study area, if they tell the school they plan to do so.

Students in any year group with an EHCP can attend and will spend the day doing activities to develop their social skills, life skills and wellbeing. The school said there may not be sufficient staff available to have one-to-one provision for all students.

Details of how other secondary schools are affected will be posted as we get them.

The next strike date to affect the Harrogate district will be at the end of February.

Staff at the Harrogate branch of stationery store Paperchase face an uncertain future after the company went into administration today.

Sky News reported this morning Tesco was in advanced talks to buy Paperchase’s name and other intellectual property through a pre-pack administration but was unlikely to be interested in any stores — casting doubt over the workforce’s future.

Staff in Harrogate told the Stray Ferret they were unable to comment at this time when we called this morning.

Read more:

• Historic Harrogate hotel closes as staff face redundancy
• Harrogate head torn between ‘head and heart’ over teacher strike

People in parts of the Harrogate district are being urged to sign up for free security checks and upgrades to homes and farms.

Residents in the parishes of Allerton Mauleverer with Hopperton, Kirk Deighton, Kirk Hammerton, Leathley, Long Marston, North Deighton, Sicklinghall and Spofforth with Stockeld are eligible to apply.

They could receive new locks for vulnerable doors, windows, garages and sheds, and alarm systems for farms and small holdings. For homes with suitable WiFi coverage the scheme also includes a RING video doorbell.

Funding for the Protect Your Home was secured last year by the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner‘s office, which was awarded £719,590 from the Home Office’s Safer Streets Fund.

The scheme aims to prevent burglaries in over 1,000 homes and 90 farms along the borders of the Harrogate and Craven district but so far only 422 homes have received a security upgrade.

In the Harrogate district, the take-up has been as high as 46% of homes in North Deighton and as low as 3% in Sicklinghall.

Read more:

• Harrogate’s former Kimberley Hotel being used for drugs and crime, say police
• Harrogate district police inspector reveals local crime hotspots

Now crime commissioner Zoe Metcalfe and local councillors are encouraging more people to sign up.

Ms Metcalfe said:

“My office have done really well to secure this funding from the Home Office on behalf of these communities and so it’s really important that the money is used to improve the security of as many homes and farms as possible.

“The more people who sign up in a community the more resilient to burglary that area becomes, and we’ve seen this demonstrated in Cononley when a burglar was captured on seven video door bells, many funded through this scheme.”

The last chance to apply is August this year.

Superintendent Teresa Lam, senior operational commander for Harrogate and Craven, said:

“I would encourage any eligible occupants to become involved in this fantastic initiative to help protect their properties”.

Teachers in state schools in the Harrogate district will strike tomorrow.

It means that schools will either close for the day or see classrooms disrupted if they decide to remain open.

The National Education Union, which is the largest teaching union in the country, is behind the industrial action that will affect schools in England and Wales.

Ninety percent of its 120,000 members voted to strike in a ballot.

It’s the latest strike to hit the UK this winter that has also seen nurses, rail workers, postal staff and paramedics join picket lines.

Why are teachers striking?

Most state school teachers in England and Wales had a 5% pay rise rise in 2022. But with inflation at over 10%, the NEU says this has resulted in a real-term pay cut for teachers.

The union also says teachers have lost 23% in real-terms pay since 2010, which it described as an “unsustainable situation”.

It believes low pay has led to thousands of teachers leaving the profession, including a third of those who have recently qualified.

Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, joint general secretaries of the NEU, said:

“The government must know there is going to have to be a correction on teacher pay. They must realise that school support staff need a pay rise.

“If they do not, then the consequences are clear for parents and children. The lack of dedicated maths teachers, for example, means that 1 in 8 pupils are having work set and assessed by people who are not qualified in the teaching of maths. Anyone who values education should support us in this dispute because that is what we are standing up for.”

Read more:

• Harrogate head torn between ‘head and heart’ over teacher strike
• Nurses and ambulance workers set to strike in Harrogate on same day

How will classrooms be affected?

A final decision on whether a school stays open is up the headteacher, although government guidance says they should take “all reasonable steps” to ensure they do not close.

Teachers are not required to tell the school if they intend to strike but headteachers can ask them in advance to help preparations.

For schools that remain open, other teachers may be asked to cover the classes of those taking industrial action. Classes may also be combined.

The government says if a school possible it should, where possible, provide online learning for children.

What does the government say and will the dispute be resolved?

If the union doesn’t reach an agreement over pay with the government, there are three more days of industrial action planned at schools in Yorkshire on the following dates:

Tuesday February 28
Wednesday March 15
Thursday March 16

But like similar disputes with health and rail unions, the government is so far holding firm against calls to increase teachers’ pay.

The secretary of state for education, Gillian Keegan, wrote in the Sunday Telegraph over the weekend she was “disappointed” that this week’s strike was going ahead but she wanted to continue “constructive discussions” on pay.

Ms Keegan says the government has provided an extra £2bn in school funding, which she believes meets union demands.

There are reports in the media that Ms Keegan will meet with union bosses today in an attempt to avert Wednesday’s strikes.

If the talks are unsuccessful, we will be seeing the highly unusual sight of picket lines outside schools in North Yorkshire this week.

The Stray Ferret Business Awards, sponsored by Prosperis, will be held on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate. Early bird tickets are available until February 9. The event will celebrate success and business excellence across the Harrogate district. It’s a night not to be missed! There’ll be a fabulous prize draw for all attending and Richard Flinton, the incoming Chief Executive of North Yorkshire Council, is guest speaker. 

Boroughbridge based Reed Boardall has been accredited with a Bronze award by the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.

The award recognises an employer that has supported defence personnel and inspired others to do the same. Reed Boardall has 23 veterans, serving personnel employed part-time and reservists in its team.

Over the last year, the company has formalised its support of former and serving defence personnel and built links with the prison services to increase the employment of ex-offenders.

It has partnered with organisations such as Career Transition Partnership (CTP), Army Families Federation, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), HM Prison Service and People Plus, as well as charities Veteran into Logistics and Clean Slate Solutions.

Daniel Delacoe-Eyre, a veteran who served for over 17 years in a number of regiments before joining Reed Boardall said:

“As a former soldier and officer myself, I understand only too well the concerns and even fear felt by service personnel as they contemplate leaving the armed forces. It’s vital that businesses do what they can to ensure there is a job for them when they return to civilian life and we have, therefore, embarked on a pro-active campaign to help them transition into a new career in the logistics sector.”

Marcus Boardall, chief executive of Reed Boardall, add:

“We are extremely proud not only to number so many defence personnel among our staff, but also for our efforts to have been recognised with a Bronze Award from the MOD. We will be working hard towards gaining our Silver award next year and even have our sights set on Gold.

“We believe it’s very important that people are given a second chance, whether that’s veterans embarking on a new career, or ex-offenders trying to secure employment and, as a responsible, people-focussed business, we are committed to doing all we can to support this. It’s extremely rewarding to see such talented people redeploying their skills and seizing the opportunity to become part of the Reed Boardall family.”

Read More:

• Business Breakfast: Knaresborough house developer appoints new director
• How Harrogate is following the town centre living trend

Ruth Hansom takes up residency at Swinton Estate 

Swinton Park in Masham has announced that Ruth Hansom will be taking up a six-month residency at Samuel’s Restaurant and launching her first signature menu in April.

Ruth originally from Darlington, trained at Westminster College, followed by a three year apprenticeship at the Ritz under John Williams.

Both a finalist in the Roux Scholarship and winner of a Caterer Acorn Award in 2022, Ruth has become a familiar face on the TV as a finalist on the Great British Menu and regular appearances on James Martin’s Saturday and Saturday Kitchen.

Ruth said

“Swinton is a fabulous environment, aligned very closely to my love of cooking with seasonal, local and regional produce. I’m particularly looking forward to developing a signature menu, encapsulating the flavours of produce from across the Swinton Estate”.

Iain Shelton, chief executive of Swinton Estate said :

“Ruth is an incredibly talented chef and we are looking forward to her developing a menu that demonstrates the amazing produce we have here and reflects the elegance and heritage of the Estate”

Chef Ruth Hansom

The staff of a landmark Harrogate hotel have been left awaiting confirmation of redundancy, as its new owners closed the business and shuttered its doors today. 

The Hotel St George is to be remodelled and reopened as a pub with rooms following a 16-week programme of works, but none of the hotel’s 76 current employees has been invited to remain in post. 

General manager Paul Donkin said the day marked the end of an era: 

“It’s very sad – there’s a lot of upset here today. I came into this job just as lockdown ended, and I had seven weeks to put together a team and get the hotel back up and running. We’ve spent two years building the business back up again, so to see it close is hard to take. It’s very emotional for those of us who have put such a lot into it.” 

The St George Hotel, opposite the Royal Hall on Ripon Road, was bought in February last year by The Inn Collection Group, a Newcastle-based company that also owns the Ripon Spa Hotel, Dean Court in York, and the Black Swan in Helmsley, among others.  

The Inn Collection Group is the hotel’s third owner in as many years. Its previous owner, Bespoke Hotels, acquired it from Specialist Leisure Group, which went into administration in May 2020. 

Mr Donkin said: 

“Why they want to make everyone redundant, only to have to find new staff when they reopen, I don’t know – it makes no sense to me. 

“But to give them their due, Inn Collection Group have followed all the proper procedures and have been very decent about it.” 

Mr Donkin said the blow of redundancy had been further softened for most of the hotel’s employees because he had managed to find them alternative employment. 

He said: 

“The day after I heard the hotel was to close, I emailed the general managers of all Harrogate’s hotels, and they’ve all been fantastic, sending me their vacancy lists and moving heaven and earth to find people jobs. Probably 95% of staff now have new jobs to go to. 

“I always said hospitality was the best job in the world, but in Harrogate it’s even better.” 

The St George Hotel grew out of the Chequers Inn and was renamed after George III’s gift of the Stray to the people of Harrogate in 1778. 

It was enlarged several times during the 19th century and renamed the St George shortly before the First World War. 

It was badly damaged by fire in 1927 and requisitioned by the Post Office and Air Ministry during the Second World War before re-opening as a hotel in 1952. It acquired a spa facility in 1985. 

Read more:

• 76 jobs at risk at Harrogate’s St George Hotel
• St George Hotel in Harrogate to close at end of month
• Ripon’s Spa Hotel aims to reopen next spring