Police officer cleared of sexual assault in Harrogate

A police officer has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a woman at a cemetery in Harrogate.

Christopher Hudson, 32, a Harrogate police constable, was accused of assaulting the woman in a car park at Stonefall Cemetery on Wetherby Road.

However, following a trial at Leeds Crown Court, a jury today unanimously acquitted Mr Hudson of the allegation.

The prosecution had alleged that Mr Hudson had stroked the woman on the back of the neck and ear and “pulled her…towards him” before kissing her.

Prosecuting barrister Gerald Hendron alleged that Mr Hudson then took hold of her hand and placed it on an intimate part of his body despite her telling him “no” repeatedly.

He alleged that Mr Hudson then put his hand on the woman’s inner thigh and that she was “shocked and confused”.

Mr Hendron said the woman had sought help from a counsellor about stress which was brought on by the alleged incident in February 2021.

‘Inconsistencies’

However, defence barrister Rebecca Hadgett said there were “inconsistencies” in the woman’s account of events and that Mr Hudson “never touched her in the way she alleges”.

Mr Hudson, of Hollin Terrace, Huddersfield, was arrested in March 2021 when he denied sexually assaulting the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

He was suspended from his job pending the outcome of the trial.

Mr Hudson, who worked for West Yorkshire Police before joining the North Yorkshire force in 2020, walked free from the dock when the jury returned its verdict a short time after retiring to deliberate.

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North Yorkshire bus funding ‘cannot continue in perpetuity’, warns senior councillor

A senior county councillor has warned that funding designed to save under-threat bus services in North Yorkshire “cannot continue in perpetuity”.

The Department for Transport recently announced an extension of the £2 cap on bus fares plus £80 million worth of grants to routes at risk of being reduced or scrapped.

The move comes as the 24 services from Pateley Bridge to Harrogate was recently saved until April next year.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for transport at North Yorkshire County Council, said that extra government funding was welcome and the council would look to target it at services in need of support.

However, he added that the funding would not continue in perpetuity.

He said:

“News of the £2 bus fare cap extension and additional £80million support package is very welcome. These measures will be vital to the council’s ongoing efforts to protect bus services through this difficult period.

“Exact details of how much funding we will receive is expected shortly and we will ensure this is targeted at services in need of support.

“While this extra funding will act as a critical lifeline to at-risk services at a time when passengers numbers are down and costs are up, we know funding cannot continue in perpetuity.

“Passengers remain key to the long-term viability of services, and we must use the coming months to work with operators to promote services and invest in the marketing, ticketing and infrastructure needed to encourage more people to choose the bus.

“It is only by doing this that we will have a sustainable network of services, responsive to passenger needs and free from the uncertainty that comes with long-term reliance on taxpayer funding.”

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Cllr Duncan has previously warned that up to 79 services faced reduced frequency or ceasing altogether when central government funding comes to an end in March.

The comments come as the county council negotiated funding to secure the 24 bus route between Pateley Bridge and Harrogate until April next year.

Transdev, which operates the service, had initially planned to withdraw most services on the route.

‘Parents must accept responsibility for feeding their children’, says councillor

Parents must accept some responsibility for feeding their children nutritious meals, a council’s leadership has been told, amid concerns that a lack of nutrition is linked to poor behaviour and a rise in school exclusions.

North Yorkshire County Council’s deputy leader Cllr Gareth Dadd questioned what the authority was doing to promote parent responsibility as the meeting was told the council was working on a number of fronts to teach both pupils and other residents about providing wholesome meals.

At a meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s executive, Cllr Paul Haslam, who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge, said:

“I am quite convinced, anecdotally, that food is critical, and often children that are disruptive in class is a result of them not having breakfast.”

In response, executive members highlighted a range of of schemes promoted by the council, including breakfast clubs, school programmes, adult education initiatives and projects run by leisure services.

Cllr Dadd said:

“I hear a lot about breakfast clubs, I hear a lot about nutrition within the state provision in schools and the like. What work are we doing as a directorate to promote parent responsibility in terms of nutrition, in terms of feeding children with a balanced and controlled diet?

“Are we putting a similar amount of effort into that, because it seems to me, if I can make a slightly controversial statement, that the focus is always on the state, the council, everybody else to fulfil that obligation, when actually it’s a two-way street, is it not?”

Director of children’s services Stuart Carlton said he was certain of links between children’s behaviour and attainment at school and their security at home, whether that be food or family stability.

He added children were taught nutritional values at schools and the council oversaw the provision of healthy school meals and provided advice about packed lunches.

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The concerns follow a group of 150 headteachers last week urging Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to increase school breakfast funding by £18m at next month’s budget, saying pupils are disrupting lessons as hunger was getting worse.

The letter warned how the national school breakfast programme would only be available to a quarter of the 10,000 schools across England that experience high levels of disadvantage.

The warning came as the Local Government Association highlighted how 215,000 eligible children were not receiving free school meals.

A meeting of NYCC’s executive had heard the county had seen almost 2,000 suspensions from schools during this academic year so far, which represented a 29% increase on the previous year.

At the same time, following a drive to promote the take-up of free school meals by the council, the number of pupils receiving food had risen, but so had the number of children who were eligible.

A Department for Education spokesman said its breakfast programme was a lifeline to families.

He added: 

“We know this supports attainment, wellbeing and readiness to learn, which is why we’re investing up to £30m in the programme, to help up to 2,500 schools in the most disadvantaged areas.”

Man denies two counts of attempted murder in Beckwithshaw

A man will face trial accused of two counts of attempted murder following an incident in a village near Harrogate.

The man, in his 40s, appeared at Leeds Crown Court today when he pleaded not guilty to two counts of attempted murder. The alleged victims cannot be named for legal reasons.

The defendant, of Otley Road, Beckwithsaw, was arrested following an incident in the village on June 20 last year.

Mrs Justice Lambert adjourned the case for a trial at the same court on March 27. It’s expected to last five days.

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A Quarter of a Century: 25 Years of Myrings

This story is sponsored by Myrings Estate Agents 

This year marks a special anniversary for Myrings: 25 years in the property business!

Where have all those years gone? It’s hard to say, but as a company our plans, hopes and ambitions remain focused on the immediate future and the year ahead.

We are delighted to report (especially at the start of a new year) that Myrings has never been stronger. We are recognised as a leading player in several important and growing areas, including both the rental and the ‘Land & New Homes’ sectors.

Throughout 2023, we are expecting the Harrogate market to make a significant return in both residential sales and lettings after an inevitable blow during covid. Nevertheless, we will continue to invest heavily in our clients, infrastructure and working practices – ultimately offering all associates of Myrings an even better service.

Recently, we have integrated our sales and rental departments in order to optimise efficiency and create a seamless synergy between services. In addition, we understand the importance of an aesthetic and technical workspace, and, thus, redecorated and re-equipped our Harrogate offices – including updated state-of-the-art IT systems.

The universal birth of social media has coincided with our years in business and has inhabited itself as a fundamental part of our marketing strategies. Rising to the ever-changing developments of the online world, we adapted our marketing to the necessary and hugely advantageous nature of social media – and it’s only going from strength-to-strength. Interacting with the local community has become a vital cog in our marketing functions, and we have been lucky enough to sponsor the likes of Harrogate Town FC, Ripon Tennis Club, St Michael’s Hospice, Martin House, Henshaws and more.

Employee development remains one of our core values. Over the years, we have continually trained our staff and two new apprentices, supported them in their studies for professional qualifications and recruited several property professionals to strengthen our teams further.

Two men spared jail for attacking Harrogate neighbour with iron bar

Two middle-aged Harrogate men who took it in turns to beat a man with an iron bar have been spared jail.

Stuart Hall, 50, and David Winter, 49, set about the victim outside his house following a neighbours’ dispute that turned into terrifyingly ugly violence.

Prosecutor Richard Holland said it was the named victim who started the trouble when he came out of his home brandishing an iron bar and using the weapon to strike both Winter and Hall, who lived next door.

Mr Holland said that Hall and the victim “did not get on”.

The victim was aggrieved that Hall, who ran a repair garage, parked his cars outside his home and Hall complained about his neighbour feeding birds which had soiled his roof.

Matters came to a head on July 31 last year when Hall and Winter, who are close friends, returned from the pub.

The victim came running out of his house with an iron bar and struck them with it, but the two men wrestled the weapon from him and “responded with overwhelming force”, said Mr Holland.

They struck the victim with the metal bar and Winter punched him repeatedly after he was knocked to the ground.

Threats to kill

Neighbours recorded the violence which showed that Winter had “completely lost control”.

Hall was punching and striking the prone victim with the weapon as he crouched over him. The court heard Winter added expletives as he shouted:

“I’m going to kill you. Don’t you ever cross us again.”

Winter continued to punch the victim as he told him:

“You are going to die. People are going to kill you.”

He then kicked the victim repeatedly while he was lying helpless on the ground.

Witnesses said both men were hitting the victim with the iron bar at different points during the attack. Mr Holland said:

“They left him lying on the floor and he [then] staggered into his address.”

Neighbours called police who arrived to find the victim “covered in blood”.

He suffered bruising including to his cheekbone and near his eye and a 4cm cut to the back of his head which had to be glued shut. He also suffered a broken finger.

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Hall, of Larkfield Drive, and Winter, of Newby Crescent, admitted wounding. Winter also admitted making a threat to kill.

They appeared for sentence at York Crown Court yesterday, when the prosecution read out a statement from the victim who said he was now “really paranoid” and “always looking over my shoulder” when out in public.

He said the attack had affected his mental health.

Following their arrest, Hall and Winter, who are both working men with families, told police that the victim had come running out of his house brandishing the iron bar and shouting, “Come on then!”

Mr Holland said that Winter had played the “leading role” in the ensuing attack which was “prolonged and persistent”.

Robert Mochrie, representing both defendants, said they were both remorseful and neither man had been in trouble before.

‘Out of character’

Judge Simon Hickey told the two men:

“Both of you know at your age, 49 and 50, you shouldn’t be standing in a crown court dock in front of a crown court judge.”

He said although the victim had started the trouble, they had “attacked a man on the ground [with an] evil weapon”, adding:

“You could have killed him or left him with life-changing injuries.”

He criticised Winter for his “obscene remarks” to the victim and threats to kill, although acknowledged they were “completely out of character”.

He also noted that the two defendants had been injured themselves and one had been struck on the forehead with the iron bar.

Mr Hickey said that despite the seriousness of the violence, he could suspend the inevitable jail sentences in both their cases because they would lose their jobs and their homes if they were imprisoned and the impact on their families would be “devastating”.

Winter was given an 18-month suspended prison sentence and Hall received a nine-month suspended jail term. They were each ordered to carry out 100 hours’ unpaid work and pay £600 prosecution costs.

Opposition likens North Yorkshire Tory council’s style to Putin’s regime

The leaders of a council which has remained under Conservative stewardship for decades have dismissed proposed changes to its constitution.

A full meeting of North Yorkshire County Council, which has been run by Tories for all but eight of the last 50 years, saw the authority likened to the Russian parliament under Vladimir Putin as opposition members vented frustration over the level of control Conservatives exert over meetings.

The meeting heard while the Conservatives only attracted 41% of the votes at last May’s elections, the political group held 100% of the posts on its decision-making executive, control of all but one of its watchdog-style scrutiny committees, and was now looking to restrict the time opposition members could ask questions.

A proposal had been put forward to allow more time for questions, with its proponents saying it would allow them to better hold the ruling administration to account.

Leader of the opposition, Councillor Bryn Griffiths, told the meeting proposals for the county council’s successor unitary authority’s constitution contained clauses that would limit the quarterly question time for the authority’s leader to ten minutes and to five minutes to other executive members.

The Liberal Democrat group leader said democracy was effectively being “guillotined”, leaving sufficient time for only two or three questions to be answered, and no time for follow-up questions.

Coun Giffiths said the Tories’ concession to publish councillors’ questions and the council’s answers on its website was welcome, but it was “not an alternative to democratic questioning and scrutiny in the council chamber and in the public forum”.

Green group leader Councillor Andy Brown told the meeting elected members had a right to have their voice heard and that should not come at the gift of the ruling group.

He urged the Conservatives to give opposition members “the chance to ask sensible questions for a reasonable time”.

Coun Brown added:

“I know nobody here wants to establish a Soviet-style parliament, but if you’re not careful this resembles very much the kind of rule that exists in the Russian parliament at the moment to curb debate. If you vote for it all you will be doing is forcing the opposition to work more closely together.”

The meeting also heard opposition calls for more of the council’s scrutiny committees to be lead by councillors who are not in the administration’s party, but Conservatives rejected claims they were “marking their own homework” and argued they had an open transparent system of scrutiny that had worked well for many years.

A move to end notices of motion to full council being referred to the council’s executive without debate was also voted down by Conservatives, who argued the proposal would lead to inordinately long and unfocused meetings.

However, the meeting heard the proposed constitution would give about 90 minutes for councillors’ questions.

The authority’s deputy leader, Councillor Gareth Dadd, said the constitution would be reviewed in a year.

He said rather than having to wait for the quarterly full council meetings to ask questions, the proposed system would enable members to ask questions immediately and get a response from executive members within ten working days.

Coun Dadd said by publishing councillors’ questions and responses to them the unitary authority would operate “a more modern way of doing business”.

Both Coun Dadd and other executive members underlined that the council chamber was about debate and holding the executive to account, rather than raisng very parochial issues, and the constitution aimed to “protect the integrity of the council chamber”.

Harrogate’s Victoria Avenue could lose parking spaces under cycle plans

Harrogate’s Victoria Avenue could lose a number of parking spaces and its central refuges as part of plans to create a cycleway.

North Yorkshire County Council this week identified Victoria Avenue as its priority cycling scheme of three in the pipeline. The others are on the A59 Harrogate Road at Knaresborough, and in Richmond.

Victoria Avenue would see segregated cycle lanes 1.5 metres wide and buffer zones created on both sides of the avenue.

The West Park junction and kerb line would be remodelled to improve the crossing and new traffic lights installed. The pedestrian crossing would also be upgraded and pay and display meters would be removed or relocated.

A report to councillors says “some existing parking and central refuges” would be removed but doesn’t specify how many. When the Stray Ferret has asked the council for the number, a spokesperson said:

“The designs of the Victoria Avenue scheme are still to be finalised, so the reduction in parking spaces is yet to be confirmed.”

Victoria Avenue

The Victoria Avenue scheme, which is part of the council’s plans to encourage active travel, is budgeted to cost £1.57m and is likely to go ahead because funding is already secured.

The council has £492,000 from tranche two of the Department for Transport’s active travel fund remaining. This, along with £1.08 million the DfT has awarded in tranche four, will cover the cost.

The council has also been invited to bid for an additional £2.16 million and whether the schemes in Knaresborough and Richmond proceed will largely depend on this.

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Council leader refuses to rule out staff redundancies with North Yorkshire Council

North Yorkshire County Council leader Carl Les has refused to rule out future staff redundancies after the new council is created in April.

In just over a month, the county’s seven district councils and North Yorkshire County Council will be replaced by a new unitary authority called North Yorkshire Council to run services across the county, which will also be led by the Conservative Cllr Les.

A key argument for local government reorganisation was that it would save the taxpayer money but some district councils have faced criticism from the Taxpayers’ Alliance and union officials for offering outgoing chief executives six-figure redundancy packages.

Hambleton District Council and Selby District Council agreed packages worth £225,000 and £210,000 for its outgoing chief executives, Justin Ives and Janet Waggott, respectively.

At a full meeting of North Yorkshire County Council on Wednesday in Northallerton, Cllr Andy Brown, Green Party member for the Aire Valley division, asked Cllr Les if he could offer assurances that there would not be similar redundancy payments as a result of the move to the new authority.

In response, Cllr Les said:

“I can’t give an assurance that there won’t be further redundancies for posts with the new council because the council will always be looking for efficiencies.”

He added:

“I can assure that those redundancy processes will be fair both to employee and taxpayer.”

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The vast majority of staff working for the district councils and North Yorkshire County Council will transfer over to the North Yorkshire Council under TUPE terms on April 1.

David Houlgate, Harrogate branch secretary at local government union Unison, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service after today’s meeting that Unison does not expect there to be compulsory redundancies with the new council but there may be voluntary ones.

He added:

“We’d look at voluntary redundancies which may in some instances be mutually beneficial for our members and taxpayers but in reality the staffing issue in local government is around recruitment not over-staffing.”

Fare dodging falls on Northern trains after fines increase fivefold

Rail operator Northern has issued 10% fewer penalty fares in the first month since the government increased the fine to £100.

The government raised the penalty fare from £20 to £100 on January 23 amid concerns the figure was too low and was no longer an effective deterrent to fare evaders.

In the month since then Northern, which runs services passing through Harrogate and Knaresborough, has issued penalty fares to 3,831 people caught travelling without a valid ticket or ‘promise to pay’ notice, compared to 4,261 in the same period last year.

Northern, which provides 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations in northern England, revealed adult passengers accounted for 81% of the penalty fares issued, with under 18s making up the remaining 19%.

Mark Powles, commercial and customer director at Northern, said:

“A sudden 10% reduction in the number of penalty fares being issued would suggest the increase to £100 has been effective in terms of a deterrent. Of course, this is only the first month – but it is definitely a step in the right direction.

“Upwards of 95% of our customers do the right thing and buy a ticket before they travel – and having invested in the largest network of digital ticket infrastructure of any train operator in the country, Northern has made it easier than ever to buy a ticket via our app, website or one of more than 600 ticket machines across the network. There really is no excuse.”

Industry body, the Rail Delivery Group estimates that every year around £240 million is lost through fare evasion on British railways.

The £100 penalty fare forms part of The Railways (Penalty Fares) (Amendment) Regulations 2022. Penalty fares are reduced to £50 if paid within 21 days.

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