The family of PC David Haigh, the Harrogate police officer murdered by Barry Prudom, has called for a permanent memorial to be erected.

Father-of-three PC Haigh was just 29 years old when he was shot by Prudom at Norwood Edge car park in Stainburn Forest.

PC Haigh’s widow, three sons and other family members hung a wreath at the site yesterday — 40 years to the day after he was slain.

They laid another wreath at Harrogate police station, where there is a plaque commemorating a fallen colleague.

But besides that plaque there is nothing to honour the officer who made the ultimate sacrifice and his family feels it is time that was put right.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret at yesterday’s wreath hanging, relatives said they were in discussions with the Police Memorial Trust, a charity that erects memorials to British police officers killed in the line of duty.

They hope something will be arranged for the site where he died, which is currently a car park owned by the Forestry Commission.

The memorial to PC David Haigh.

Annette Jakes, PC Haigh’s widow, returns to the site most years to pay her respects. She said:

“He was a hero. Yet there is nothing to remember him except the plaque in the police station.”

The fateful day

Ms Jukes was so overcome by grief at the news of her husband’s death that she had to be sedated for many days afterwards.

Recalling the fateful moment, she said she could see police officers through the glass door of the family home at the time on Elmwood Street:

“It was about 10am. There was the chief superintendent and the police doctor behind him.

“The chief superintendent said ‘I think you’d better sit down’. Then he told me my husband had been killed this morning. I don’t remember anything after that. I just hit the ground. I was injected for weeks. I never even saw the children.”

Eldest sons Carl and Michael, who were 11 and eight at the time, were sent home from Grove Road Community Primary School. They were waiting in a neighbour’s house when they overheard the news that their dad had been killed. Two weeks later they were back at school.

PC David Haigh

Youngest son Richard, who was just three at the time, said he was “unbelievably proud” of his dad.

He added it was a cruel twist of fate that the anniversary of PC Haigh’s death always fell around Father’s Day.

About a dozen family members, including grandchildren of PC Haigh, were at Norwood Edge yesterday to pay their respects.

It was a short and dignified occasion at the spot where it is thought PC Haigh died from a single gunshot wound.

Prudom went on the run and killed two more people before turning the gun on himself 17 days later after Britain’s biggest ever manhunt.

Now the family hopes a more lasting tribute will be erected in memory of the young Harrogate father who sacrificed his life serving others.

Read more:

• 40 years ago today: PC David Haigh was murdered in Beckwithshaw

Residents at a Harrogate care home where rodent droppings were found and rooms smelled of urine have been moved to other homes.

Mary Fisher House was rated inadequate and put into special measures in April by the Care Quality Commission, which regulates health and social care.

The CQC report in April, which was based on an inspection in February, found evidence of rodent droppings in the kitchen.

It said some bedrooms smelled of urine, described medicines practices as unsafe and said there were insufficient staff to safely support people.

The four-storey home on Cold Bath Road, which caters for up to 24 residents, relied heavily on agency staff who weren’t properly inducted, it added.

Read more:

• Rodent droppings found in kitchen of Harrogate care home
• Harrogate firefighter brands plans to rely on one fire engine ‘farcical’

Claire Harris-Winstanley, manager of the home on Cold Bath Road, confirmed it was closed when the Stray Ferret visited today. However, she said it was not clear yet whether the closure would be permanent and declined to comment further at this stage.

Rachel Bowes, North Yorkshire County Council’s assistant director for care and support, said in a statement today:

“We have taken swift action to find new accommodation for 12 residents of Mary Fisher House following a decision by the owner to close for refurbishment.

“This situation has arisen following a recent Care Quality Commission inspection of the home, which identified problems which needed attention.

“Since then we have been working alongside NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group with the home’s owner to try to secure improvements.”

“The owner has decided the best way forwards is to refurbish the premises and to do so without residents in place. As a consequence we are finding alternative accommodation for the 12 residents the county council has responsibility for.

“We understand the situation may be distressing for those involved and we are working diligently to ensure the process causes the minimum disruption to the residents involved. Our absolute priority is the welfare of those affected by this situation and we have been keeping residents, along with their relatives and representatives, fully informed of developments.”

Safety action

One woman, who had a relative at the £600-a-week home until recently, said she was given nine days to find alternative arrangements.

According to the CQC, the home is run by Svivekcaregroup Limited.

The Stray Ferret has tried to contact the provider but has yet to receive a response.

A CQC spokesperson, said:

 “The CQC carried out an inspection at Mary Fisher House in Harrogate in February 2022.

“As a result we have taken action to protect the safety and welfare of people living at the home.

“Our legal processes do not allow us to go into further detail at this time. All CQC’s action is open to appeal.”

No trains will run through Harrogate and Knaresborough for two days next week as thousands of workers go on strike.

Northern, which operates services through the two towns, has published its timetable for the industrial action on June 21, 23 and 25.

The RMT union has called the strike action over pay and conditions. It will see thousands of drivers, signal operators and guards walk out next week.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, no trains will run between York and Leeds on Tuesday, June 21, and Thursday, June 23.

However, Northern services are currently expected to run on Saturday, June 25 although the company has warned of disruption and urged people to seek alternative travel.

LNER will also be running no services to London Kings Cross from Harrogate on all three strike days.

Read more:

• Harrogate rail campaigner ‘optimistic’ early morning train could be reinstated
• No replacement buses for Harrogate district commuters during strike

The industrial action on the railways is expected to hit commuters, schools and major events.

The disruption will affect cricket fans travelling to Headingley as England take on New Zealand in the third Test of a three-game series on Thursday.

Trains are expected to run on non-strike days, however Northern warned that services could still be affected.

The company warned passengers earlier this week not to travel on any day between Tuesday and Sunday.

It said in a statement:

“There will be no replacement buses or alternative travel provided.

“On strike days there will be extremely limited availability of both train crew and signalling staff and as such we will not be able to operate services on most routes.

“Unfortunately, as we will not be able to position our fleet how we normally would, the significant impact of the strike will also be felt on non-strike days.

“Therefore, we regrettably advise customers not to travel on any day from Tuesday 21st through to Sunday 26th June.

“Where we are able to operate trains, services will be very limited, and trains will not start as early as normal and will finish much earlier than normal.”

Buses expect surge in demand

Meanwhile, Harrogate Bus Company has said it is expecting additional passengers next week due to the strike action.

Steve Ottley, general manager at the bus company, said:

“We are expecting additional customers to travel with us next week due to the rail disruption.

“Our advice is to plan ahead of travel, using our Transdev Go app to track your bus before making a journey. Our website and Twitter feed @harrogatebus will be updated across the day with any planned alterations to services.

“We will closely monitor demand and will provide additional capacity where possible with the resources we have available.”

The fastest new team prize for Knaresborough Bed Race was presented to a Harrogate running club today, after a mix-up saw the trophy incorrectly awarded to the wrong team.

The famous race returned to the town for the first time since 2019 last weekend and saw thousands of people line the streets for an entertaining and enjoyable day.

Fastest new team was a fiercely-competed category with three new teams (Early Bird Run Crew Harrogate, Nidd Valley Juniors and It’s A COP-Out) separated by just 20 seconds.

It’s a COP-Out were handed the trophy on Saturday, but after being made aware of the error they magnanimously handed the trophy back to the Knaresborough Lions, which organises the bed race, and it was duly presented to EBRC Harrogate this morning.

EBRC Harrogate, the fastest new team

The Lions said on Facebook:

“Things don’t always go to plan and unfortunately the fastest new team prize on Saturday was awarded to the wrong team.

“Thank you to It’s A COP-Out for being so magnanimous when told of the error, and thanks for EBRC Harrogate for being patient in receiving their prize.

“Amazing running by all new teams and we hopefully look forward to seeing you back in 2023.”

Knaresborough Lions PR officer Martin Brock even joined EBRC’s 6.30am Friday 5km run around Harrogate after handing over the trophy.

Read more:

• Crowds line streets of Knaresborough to cheer on Bed Race
• Aaron Bertenshaw’s family to fundraise at Knaresborough Bed Race

This article is sponsored by Kliniken.

Kliniken, Harrogate’s state-of-the-art day surgery clinic, is pioneering new stem cell treatment for a pain-free life.

The clinic has introduced a ground-breaking procedure that uses stem cells to help heal osteoarthritis in the knee to avoid painful knee replacement surgery.

Kliniken is owned and run by Mr Mallappa Kolar, the UK’s leading surgeon on stem cells, and his wife Karuna, and they are delighted to be bringing the life-changing procedure to Yorkshire.

Expertise and experience

Mr Kolar’s expertise in stem cell treatments has helped him pioneer the procedure in a UK-first, aiding patients with often crippling, painful osteoarthritis.

His understanding of how fat stem cells injected into the knee can help those suffering from arthritis has meant he can provide a solution to those in need.

The procedure gives people a chance to lead pain-free lives that seemed previously out of reach.

He said:

“I feel privileged to be able to use my knowledge on fat stem cells to be able to help patients that are unable to live as active and mobile a life as they would love to, due to their arthritis, as the pain prevents this.“

The treatment avoids painful knee surgery.

How it works

Kliniken, is the only location within the UK to offer this specific type of stem cell procedure.

The procedure itself focuses on utilising fat and dental stem cells to aid regeneration within the area affected, through the use of targeted injections at the problem regions and joints.

This can help those suffering on the spectrum of pain. This can range from a mild ache all the way up to those who may be due to have knee replacements using metal, which is a far more invasive form of surgery.

Unlike other procedures available, this pioneering stem cell injection treatment means the body is healing the body, and it does not involve any metal insertion into the patient’s body.

Benefits and results

For those suffering from osteoarthritis, knee pain or perhaps struggling to keep up with hobbies like running or golf due to knee issues then stem cell treatment could be the right thing.

Unfortunately, knee replacements cannot be reversed and most younger people who have to get a replacement are more likely to need a revision later in life which is a major undertaking.

Mr Kolar added:

“Having travelled and worked in the United States and Europe over the years, where this procedure is popular due to its evident success, I am very excited to bring its benefits and results home with me.”

Alan Cryer and Mr Mallappa Kolar talking through the process.

Pain free and happy

64-year-old businessman Alan Cryer from Harrogate suffered from excruciating pain in both his knees. He said:

“I was told by the hospital that I would need two knee replacements in order to deal with the pain. At this point I was having to crawl up the stairs. The impact the pain was having on my life was huge.

“I did not want to go on like this, but I did not want metal knees, so I began to research – but struggled to find any alternatives within the UK.

“As fate would have it, Mallappa was right here in the UK, and on my doorstep too! After the surgery I had no pain whatsoever – I could literally have walked out of the theatre had I been allowed.”

Roughly a week after surgery Mr Cryer went look for his crutches and ended up walking the whole way through his house without them. He added:

“After two weeks walking, I did a walk I’ve done before and knew I’d normally be in pain so took a walking stick – which I didn’t need. By week three I was walking down slopes without any pain at all.

“I am now so confident, and even help my grandson off the floor when he falls! I could not be more grateful for the life I can now lead, pain free and happy.”

Alan has subsequently booked and undergone the same procedure for his other knee and is recovering well.

Please call us on 01423 206388 or visit our website at kliniken.co.uk for more information.

North Yorkshire Police officers are paying their respects today to PC David Haigh, who was shot on duty 40 years ago by multiple murderer Barry Prudom.

PC Haigh, 29, was sent to arrest a petty criminal sleeping rough in woodland near Beckwithshaw on the morning of June 17, 1982,

Instead he found Barry Prudom, asleep in his car, and was murdered by a fatal shot on the side of the road.

An error in the police system meant PC Haigh wasn’t aware the petty criminal had been arrested the night before, retired PC Mike Clipston told the Yorkshire Post when he recalled the incident a decade ago:

“The person he had a warrant for, I had taken into the police station the night before. If he had known, David would never have gone.”

PC Haigh is now buried at Stonefall Cemetery.

David Haigh was the the first victim of Prudom, who over 17 days killed a further two people, including another officer Sergeant David Winter. He also attempted to kill dog handler PC Ken Oliver.

The search for Prudom became the biggest manhunt the country had seen at the time.

Read more:

• Councillors raise concern over Harrogate fire station cuts
• Runners unite to volunteer for community through new Harrogate group

Barry Prudom, ‘The Phantom in the Forest’

In the summer of 1982, Prudom avoided trial at Leeds Crown Court for violent assault with an iron bar and went on the run. He was found by PC David Haigh sleeping rough in a car near Norwood Edge, Beckwithshaw. He murdered the officer and drove off in a green Citroen.

After abandoning the car, he hitchhiked to Lincolnshire and broke into the home of Freda Jackson on June 20 and stole £4.50. By June 23 he’d made it to Nottinghamshire and shot both George Luckett, 52, and his wife Sylvia, 50, in the head after tying them up. Remarkably Sylvia survived and crawled to her neighbour’s house to raise the alarm.

By this point, Lincolnshire Police, Nottinghamshire Police and North Yorkshire Police had shared information and realised they were all after the same man.

Prudom was stopped on a routine check by dog handler PC Ken Oliver near Dalby Forest, eight miles from Scarborough. He shot PC Oliver in the face and the dog reacted giving the officer time to run for shelter. PC Oliver was hit seven times but none were fatal, the dog was also shot twice and survived.

Within hours a huge manhunt had commenced in the forest involving police marksmen, helicopters and 1,000 police officers on foot.

Prudom’s name was released to the media as the police’s prime suspect and a report came in of a suspicious man seen in Old Malton, North Yorkshire. Police Sergeant David Winter, 31, and PC Mick Wood went to the scene.

Sgt Winter was shot three times and died from his injuries, Prudom managed to escape capture once again.

Police put a cordon around the village of Malton believing Prudom was nearby, they told the media they were focused on Dalby Forest in the hope Prudom would believe it and resurface in the town.

He was found in a shelter he made using his survival training, near Malton’s Tennis Club just 300 yards from the police station that became the temporary headquarters co-ordinating the manhunt.

Police opened fire on the shelter but a port mortem revealed Prudom died from a self-inflicted shot to the head.

A motorcyclist is in hospital with serious injuries after a crash in the Harrogate district last night.

The collision, which occurred at the junction of the A61 Harrogate Road and Weeton Lane, involved a black Range Rover and a Yamaha motorcycle.

It occurred at about 7.30pm.

North Yorkshire Police is appealing for witnesses and information about the incident.

In a statement this morning it said:

“Unfortunately, the rider of the motorcycle suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries and was transferred to hospital where they remain in a stable condition.

“A stretch of Harrogate Road was closed for around two hours in both directions to allow for an initial investigation and vehicle recovery.”

Anyone with information or dashcam footage of the collision or the events leading up to the collision can email adam.smith@northyorkshire.police.uk, or contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Adam Smith.

Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12220103906.

Read more:

• Police seek to identify man after homophobic chanting in Harrogate
• New pothole machine could be coming to Harrogate district roads

Developers behind plans to convert a former Harrogate working men’s club into flats has appealed a council decision to refuse the proposal.

The National Reserve Club, on East Parade, formally closed in July following a unanimous resolution from its members last year. It was also known as ‘The Nash’.

The organisation had been registered as a working men’s club since July 11, 1913, when it was known as the Harrogate Battalion National Reserve of the West Riding of York Club.

ID Planning, which submitted a plan to convert the club into flats on behalf of Ashleigh and Caroline Wells, said in its application that the scheme would provide a viable use for the building.

However, Harrogate Borough Council rejected the plan in May this year.

The council said in its refusal that the owner had not been able to prove that it was no longer viable before submitting planning permission.

Read more:

• Bilton Working Men’s Club decides on new name
• Malcolm Neesam History: Harrogate’s thriving working men’s clubs
• Bid to convert Harrogate working men’s club into flats refused

Now, the developers have launched an appeal to the government’s Planning Inspectorate to challenge the decision.

It said in a statement to the planning inspector:

“Based on the assessment provided, it is considered that the reasons for refusal of the planning application given by Harrogate Borough Council are unfounded and the proposed development accords with all relevant local and national planning policy.”

A government planning inspector will make a decision on the appeal at a later date.

Demise of working men’s clubs

Working men’s clubs were once the heart of the community across the country but many have faced dwindling membership numbers with some forced to close.

The Nash never reopened after the first covid lockdown two years ago.

It had 28 members at the time and donated its remaining cash to charity.

However, other Harrogate clubs such as The Londesborough Club and Bilton WMC are still going strong.

Read Harrogate historian Malcolm Neesam’s history of the town’s working men’s clubs here.

A machine that can repair potholes and other road damage in minutes could be coming to the Harrogate district.

Highways engineers are trialing the JCB Pothole Pro, which is said to be able to repair a typical pothole more quickly than conventional methods.

The machine has different heads, which can plane off areas of road surface, chop out sections of carriageway and clear up debris when the repair is complete, providing options to deal with different types of repairs.

Because the processes are automated the risk of health problems caused by hand / arm vibration from using power tools is eliminated.

NYHighways, which is the arm’s-length company responsible for maintaining roads on behalf of North Yorkshire County Council, is evaluating the machine in the Hambleton district.

The Stray Ferret asked how much the machines cost, how many the council was thinking of buying and when it would make a decision.

A council spokesman said it had nothing further to add. However, the machines have been widely reported to cost £165,000 each.

Council leader Carl Les (left) watches the machine in operation.

Keane Duncan, the Conservative councillor for Norton who is also the executive member for highways, said in a statement:

“We are putting this machine to the test so we can evaluate how it works in real-world conditions and a decision will be made later on whether NYHighways should add it to their fleet.

“Whatever the outcome, road users can be confident we are always aiming to provide them with the best service possible.”

Ross Bullerwell, managing director of NYHighways, said in a statement:

“The JCB Pothole Pro system is just one innovation we are trialling, with many more planned over the next year in order to find solutions that are the right place, right time, and right price for the county’s roads.”

Read more:

• No replacement buses for Harrogate district commuters during strike
• Reservoir parking costs could cause ‘tremendous problems’ on nearby roads

A Harrogate firefighter has spoken out against proposals to cut the number of overnight fire engines in the town.

North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s Office held a roadshow in Harrogate town centre yesterday to discuss its new three-year plan for the county’s fire service.

Its proposals include reducing the number of fire engines stationed in Harrogate overnight from two to one.

The plans would also see the station lose its tactical response vehicle, which would be moved to an on-call station elsewhere in the county.

The Stray Ferret went along to yesterday’s roadshow, which was not attended by Zoe Metcalfe, the police, fire and crime commissioner.

We spoke to Harrogate resident and firefighter of 16 years, Steve Applewood, who described the plans as “ridiculous” and a matter of huge concern.

He said a large fire or a fire that puts lives at risk required two water pumps and therefore two fire engines.

Harrogate Fire Station on Skipton Road.

If only one was available at night, Harrogate firefighters would have to wait 10 minutes for a crew to arrive from Knaresborough, he added.

“A 10-minute wait at a house fire is a long time. It also doesn’t give your first breathing apparatus crew a back-up team so in 10 minutes they could have worn down their air supply but with the delay on the second unit there isn’t another crew to take over straight away.

“Or sometimes, tactically, we send two teams in two directions and we wouldn’t have that option straight away.”

Changes are ‘farcical’

Currently one emergency fire engine and a tactical response unit operate in Harrogate overnight, which Mr Appleword accepted did not guarantee two crews with breathing apparatus. But he said the driver of the tactical response unit could become another member of the breathing apparatus crew if necessary.

He said colleagues thought the proposed changes were “farcical” adding:

“I’m against most of them, I think it’s ridiculous they’re looking at cutting the cover in Harrogate by 50%. It’s a real concern for us, a 10-minute wait could be the difference between life and death.”

Read more:

• Councillors raise concern over Harrogate fire station cuts
• Ripon firefighters save pony stuck in mud

Currently, 10 crew members cover each shift in Harrogate and Mr Appleyard said the amount of new housing being built in the town  was an added factor to consider with any planned reduction in service.

Councillors and a firefighter’s union have raised their concerns in recent weeks.

Tom Thorp, deputy monitoring officer for the commissioner’s office, who spoke to people at yesterday’s event, told us:

“It’s been a mix [of opinions], people can see the sense in some of it and for others it’s a concern. For us it’s about explaining the proposals and getting people’s opinions.”

Staff from the commissioner’s office will be holding pop-up roadshows across the county over the next nine weeks, returning to Harrogate on July 19.

People are encouraged to complete a survey on the proposals and share their views.

Focus on preventing fires

Ms Metcalfe has previously said her proposals focus on preventing fires.

“The role of a fire and rescue service has changed and continues to change, with only 26% of our incidents last year relating to a fire emergency.

“We want to ensure we are addressing our current and future challenges and that we have the capacity to prevent and protect to stop incidents happening in the first place and prevent harm before it can take place, while also having the capacity to respond to emergencies when they do take place. We are confident these proposals would do that.

“Inevitably, there are some areas where the setup of the service would change but I’m confident the right people, right equipment and the right support would continue to be available to everyone.”