Two drug dealers who bragged they were making so much money they would soon need a “counting machine” have been jailed for a combined four years.

Notorious thug Sirus Alexander, 21, and Robert Varela, 26, immersed themselves in the “dark world” of the Harrogate narcotics trade in which money and hard drugs were so easy to come by that they treated four-figure profits as “minor” financial gains, York Crown Court heard.

They were finally caught thanks to eagle-eyed security staff and Harrogate Borough Council’s CCTV operators who spotted them engaging in a shady transaction in a red Audi with two “unknown men” behind an Early Learning Centre in the town centre, said prosecutor Michael Cahill.

Alexander and Varela scuttled off to a nearby Travelodge where they stashed over 60 wraps of heroin and cocaine in their room.

Police turned up at the hotel just after midnight, but Alexander and Varela had vanished.

A search of the room revealed a major cocaine and heroin stash worth about £2,575 — as well as a machete and digital weighing scales.

At about 4am the following morning, police received another call from CCTV operators who spotted the pair going into Asda in the town centre.

Officers swooped on the supermarket and arrested the two men. Varela was found with a large hunting knife in his jacket and about £300 cash. Alexander threw his mobile phone underneath a car just before his arrest.

Varela, formerly of Harrogate but lately of Bradford, and Alexander, from Elland, each admitted two counts of supplying a Class A drug with intent to supply. Varela also admitted carrying a blade.

£1,200 for cocaine a ‘minor’ amount

They appeared for sentence on Tuesday but only Varela was in the dock. Alexander appeared via video link from Hull Prison where he is currently serving a 10-year jail sentence for robbery and wounding following a stabbing incident in Harrogate just two months after he was arrested for the drug offences.

Mr Cahill said that security guards at the Early Learning Centre spotted the pair and the two unidentified men on the afternoon of April 23, 2019 in what was patently a drug transaction.

Alexander’s phone showed he had been dealing since 2017. It appeared that Varela had only been dealing in the days before his arrest.

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In one of the messages on their phones, they bragged that £1,200 – the “going rate” for an ounce of cocaine” – was a “minor” amount and that “we can smash this thing and that 46 (drug wraps) went in one hour”.

In another exchange, they boasted that they were “making so much money we are (going to) need a counting machine”.

Laced drink with bleach

Both men had previous convictions but it was Alexander whose criminal record was the most “worrying”.

He had previous convictions for violence, possessing a knife, racially aggravated harassment and vehicle theft, and one for administering poison in 2016, when he laced someone’s drink with bleach.

By far the most serious of his 26 previous offences was the incident in June 2019 when he robbed three men at knifepoint in Harrogate town centre while wearing a skull mask.

Alexander stabbed two of the victims in the thigh with a carving knife after ambushing them in Harrogate town centre. He told the “terrified” men they were “going to die” and ordered them to empty their pockets.

Alexander, who was a heavy cocaine user and fan of violent video games, was jailed for 10 years and nine months in February 2020 after he admitted two counts of robbery and two of wounding with intent.

The victims had been making their way home from a night out when Alexander pounced near the Asda store on the corner of Mayfield Grove and Strawberry Dale.

He took some cash, tobacco and a rucksack containing items including a mobile phone after slashing out with the large kitchen knife. The victims suffered “gaping” wounds and deep psychological harm.

Branded with hot knife

Harry Crowson, for Alexander, said his client still had another three years to serve of the 10-year jail sentence for the robberies.

He said that Alexander, who had spent his entire childhood in care, had been exploited by county lines drug bosses following a traumatic upbringing.

Christopher Haddock, for Varela, said his client had started dealing to feed his “expensive” drug habit and pay off debts to his suppliers.

He said that in October last year, Varela was hospitalised after his drug overlords “branded” him with a hot knife. Varela refused to disclose the identity of these men.

Judge Simon Hickey told the defendants:

“You know dealing in Class A drugs on our streets brings misery, degradation and death. You were both effectively street dealers in the middle of Harrogate.”

Alexander, of The Grove, Idle, was jailed for two years. He will serve half of that sentence behind bars, consecutive to the jail term he is already serving.

Varela, of Huddersfield Road, Elland, was jailed for two years and three months.

There are reports of a major accident near Huby this morning on the A658 Harrogate Road.

The crash happened close to the Leathley Farm Shop and Cafe around 8am this morning with delays from Poole in Wharfedale to Huby.

It is unclear at this time how many vehicles were involved at this time. We have asked North Yorkshire Police for a response.

The Stray Ferret has changed the way it offers Traffic and Travel alerts.

We will now notify you instantly through app notifications and flash tweets when there is an urgent alert. This could include heavy traffic, dangerous weather and long delays or cancellations of public transport.

The alerts are sponsored by The HACS Group.

Opposition Harrogate councillors have said they will push for the creation of a town council before the authority is scrapped.

Harrogate Borough Council is set to be scrapped in April 2023 to make way for a single county-wide authority as North Yorkshire’s two-tier system is abolished.

However, along with Scarborough, Harrogate has no town council and will be left with no lower-tier authority.

Council officials are due to “strongly recommend” that the new North Yorkshire Council triggers a governance review of the area.

But Cllr Philip Broadband, Liberal Democrat councillor for Starbeck, said the opposition party wants a town council created.

He said:

“That is something that we will be pushing for. We will be looking at ways for getting this thing done.”

Conservative leader of the council, Cllr Richard Cooper, said previously that a town council for Harrogate was “inevitable”.

He told a Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce meeting last month that a ballot could be carried out to decide whether to set up a town council.

Cllr Cooper said:

“Some people think there should be a ballot on whether to have a town council. That’s something that happens quite a lot.”

Town council review ‘could be started now’

The creation of a town council will require a community governance review, which would have to be taken on by either the county council or the upcoming North Yorkshire Council.

Cllr Carl Les, Conservative leader of North Yorkshire County Council, told the Stray Ferret that a review could be carried out now.

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• Could Harrogate be the home of the new North Yorkshire Council?
• Harrogate can be economic driver for North Yorkshire after devolution, says council chief
• Ballot could decide whether to set up Harrogate town council

However, the borough council has decided to write to the upcoming North Yorkshire Council instead.

He said:

“It [a governance review] could be started now.

“It would require a poll of residents and if they decide that they do want it then it would be carried out.”

The Stray Ferret asked Harrogate Borough Council whether it had considered to request a community governance review from the county council, but did not received a response by the time of publication.

What would a town council do?

Town and parish councils run services such as community centres and play areas, as well as maintaining bus shelters. Councillors are elected to serve on them.

The councils can also charge a precept as part of council tax bills to fund the services provided.

Under its plans for a new county-wide council, North Yorkshire County Council promised further powers for towns and parishes in a move it describes as ‘double devolution’.

It would see the councils able to run services and take on additional responsibilities.

The number of Harrogate district councillors is set to be slashed in half in what has been described as a “step back for local representation”.

In May’s elections, 21 councillors for the district will be chosen to serve on the new North Yorkshire Council – far fewer than the 42 currently on Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council, which will both be scrapped in April 2023.

The arrangements, recently announced as part of draft legislation, have been criticised by Harrogate’s Liberal Democrats who have raised concerns that residents’ voices will be diluted.

Councillor Pat Marsh, leader of the opposition party on Harrogate Borough Council, said:

“We see the significant reduction in councillors as a step back in terms of local representation on the new North Yorkshire Council.

“This change is being forced on us and Liberal Democrats were not in support of the proposed warding arrangements, and in fact submitted an alternative proposal to central government which they did not support.”

Make things simpler

Overall, the new North Yorkshire Council will have a total of 90 councillor seats – 18 more than the existing county council.

It has been argued that the arrangements will make things simpler for residents who under the current two-tier system can have two different councillors, each with different responsibilities over services from bin collections to highways.

The new North Yorkshire Council will be made of 89 new divisions and councillors will serve for one year as county councillors before transferring to the new authority in April 2023.

After this, the next elections will then take place in 2027.

Read more:

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The new divisions have been set out by government in a draft Structural Changes Order which MPs are expected to approve by March.

Harrogate Borough Council previously chose not to submit its own warding proposals last September when its Conservative leader councillor Richard Cooper said he would be “content” with what has now been proposed.

But Cllr Marsh said she believed the areas that councillors will represent will be “too large”. She also said although her party had opposed reorganisation, it was now pushing for greater powers to be handed to area committees and parish and town councils.

This includes powers being granted to a potential Harrogate Town Council – an idea which the Conservatives have also supported.

Councillor Marsh said:

“The Liberal Democrats have not been in support of this massive change in local government representation, particularly in the middle of a global pandemic.

“As the champions of localism and the moving of decision making closer to residents, we do support the increase in powers for the new area committees and the potential for town and parish councils to be able to deliver services and manage local assets if they so choose.”

One of Britain’s leading pianists will perform in Harrogate next month.

Stephen Hough first performed at the Wesley Centre in 2006 and will return for a ninth time for an evening recital on March 3.

As well as being regarded as one of the pre-eminent pianists of his generation, Mr Hough has published 40 works, including four piano sonatas, and written a book.

In a programme that he will subsequently be giving at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, and then in Tallinn and Miami, he will play works by four composers.

The recital will open with the 1938 bagatelles by the now-neglected British composer Alan Rawsthorne, followed by Robert Schumann’s Kreisleriana.

After the interval Mr Hough will play his own partita before ending with a group of four Chopin favourites, ballade No 3, two nocturnes and the scherzo number 2.

Tickets cost £16 or £8 for people aged 16 and under and can be obtained in advance by emailing event organiser Andrew Hitchens at a.hitchen81@gmail.com.

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Harrogate Borough Council has insisted its housing company is performing well despite it not paying any dividends this year.

Bracewell Homes launched two years ago with the aims of turning the council a profit and intervening in Harrogate’s pricey property market to deliver much-needed rental and shared ownership homes at affordable prices.

Its developments are Horsa Way, Dishforth and The Willows on Whinney Lane in Harrogate.

It was set up with the backing of a £10 million loan from taxpayers and the council had budgeted to receive £267,000 in dividends this financial year.

However, the council has now said it won’t receive any of this money in a revelation which sparked questions over whether Bracewell Homes is underperforming.

Speaking at a meeting on Monday, Cllr Pat Marsh, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group, questioned if the dividend shortfall was being addressed as she said the company should be a benefit to the council and not a “drain” on its finances.

‘Extremely profitable’

But Paul Foster, head of finance at the council, responded to say the company was still “extremely profitable” and that it had continued to sell properties, although at a smaller percentage of shares than expected.

He said: 

“The company isn’t able to pay a dividend this year and the reason for that is a proportion of the shared home properties it has sold have been at shares of 25% and 30%.

“It would need to have sold shares of up to 50% for them to have enough cash to provide a dividend.

“In December, four or five properties were sold at a lower share than the company was forecasting and as a result there is less cash in the company.

“The company is not underperforming in particular. It is just not selling the larger shares which make it more cash rich.”

Read more:

• Council predicts loss-making Brierley Group will return to profit
• Harrogate’s Royal Baths: the council’s under-performing ‘trophy investment’
• Calls for greater action on hundreds of empty homes in Harrogate district

According to documents filed with Companies House, Bracewell Homes had £459,565 in the bank as of March 2021.

Mr Foster also told Monday’s meeting that the council does not only benefit from the company through dividends, but also through cash coming from other areas.

He said: 

“There are three elements that the council benefits from Bracewell Homes – there is a recharge of staff salaries, interest charges on the loan that the council made to the company, and a payment of a dividend if the company is able to.

“The first two continue and we are still making money out of the company in that regard.”

40 properties by 2024

Since it was set up Bracewell Homes has so far acquired 26 homes and sold 22, which means it is on target to meet its initial aim of delivering 40 properties by 2024.

But with house prices continuing to soar and around 1,700 households on the council’s housing waiting list, there have been calls for the company to set much higher ambitions.

Cllr Marsh previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the company should be aiming to deliver “hundreds” of homes to ensure low-income earners can afford to live in Harrogate where average house prices paid rose to £395,526 in 2021.

Cllr Marsh previously said: 

“Forty homes in three years will barely make a dent in the need for the 1,700 on the waiting list, some living in very difficult circumstances.

“We need Bracewell homes to set targets to achieve hundreds of houses per year otherwise this crisis will never come to an end.”

Thieves forced their way into a house in Killinghall on Sunday and stole jewellery and car keys.

Police confirmed today they were investigating a report of aggravated burglary in the village.

Aggravated burglary is used to describe a burglary in which it is believed some kind of weapon or violence was used.

A statement by North Yorkshire Police today said it was notified at 10.05pm and officers were at the scene at 10.13pm.

It added they immediately began searching the area assisted by the National Police Air Service, which provides helicopters to police forces in England and Wales.

Multiple social media posts on Sunday night questioned why a police helicopter was flying over Harrogate.

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The police statement added:

“A black Kia Sorento, which matched a description of a vehicle seen leaving the burgled property was located abandoned on a residential road, near to the Great Yorkshire Showground.”

Enquiries are ongoing. The statement said:

“Anyone with any information which could assist the investigation is asked to dial 101 and speak to force control room quoting reference 12220017438.”

Plans have been approved to expand a Harrogate district business park to create five new buildings in an effort to boost the local economy.

Springfield Farm, on Cold Cotes Road at Kettlesing Head, just off the A59, will expand to include a new warehouse and office space.

The site’s car park will also be extended and will include electric vehicle charging points.

Harrogate Borough Council approved the proposal last week.

Quarters Commercial Ltd, the developers behind the application, said the scheme will help to “enhance an already important commercial site”.

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As part of the plan, a 9,000 square foot warehouse will be built to provide additional storage space for Kirsty’s, a gluten-free food supplier, which is based at the site.

Masterplan for the Springfield Farm business park expansion.

Meanwhile, three buildings will be built to provide nine separate units for smaller businesses. A further building will also be provided to offer office space for companies.

The developers said in its planning statement:

“Springfield Farm presents a fantastic opportunity to sensitively expand the already established commercial centre and ensure its future success and ongoing contribution to Harrogate.

“This is an exciting chance to enhance an already important commercial site, preserving the character of the area, with a quality masterplan, and well designed buildings where businesses’ can thrive, within a sustainable environment.”

A proposal to open Harrogate’s first mosque has attracted 100 comments ahead of a decision by Harrogate Borough Council.

Residents have until Sunday, February 6 to have their say. So far 56 people have written in support while 40 people have written to object.

Planning applications rarely receive as many comments.

The objections highlight concerns about traffic, parking and the fact that the building is a non-designated heritage asset.

Households across Harrogate have reported receiving anonymous leaflets through their doors encouraging them to oppose the plans with a guide on how to word the objection.

Supporters dispute the concerns. They say there is enough parking nearby and that it would be good to see the building brought back into use.

Following a successful crowdfunding campaign, the Harrogate Islamic Association (HIA) revealed that it wants to convert the former Home Guard club into a place of worship.

The HIA was established in 2011 and has been looking for a permanent place to convert into a mosque for years. Other attempts to find a home have fallen through.

Read more:

• Harrogate Islamic Association hopes to see off anti-mosque campaign
• Harrogate’s first Mosque could open at former Home Guard club

Around 100 worshippers currently meet in the Quakers’ Friends Meeting House on Queen Parade.

Zahed Amanullah, from the HIA, told the Stray Ferret that they hope to run religious, community and charitable events at the building.

It would also support Syrian and Afghan refugees who have moved to the area. He added:

“We thought this is our best chance to have somewhere in the town centre. The location is fantastic.

“We recognise its historical value and we want to be mindful of that when we restore the building. We will retain its period features. We’re not going to put a minaret up or anything like that, it’s needed as a space. Nothing will be added.

“We see ourselves as part of the fabric of the town. We’re all in Harrogate because we love Harrogate. We have a very diverse community of Muslims from Asia, Africa and England, but the nearest mosque is more than 15 miles away.

“It’s a rare vacant spot where there are no facilities for the community and it will easily handle our weekly needs.”

Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, asked Boris Johnson whether the Sue Gray report will be published in full during a heated debate in Parliament today.

Mr Jones asked a question after the Prime Minister’s statement on the report this afternoon.

The report lists 16 gatherings over a 20-month period. Of those, four did not reach the threshold for the police to investigate.

Mr Jones — sitting next to former Prime Minister Theresa May — asked:

“The update that we have from Sue Gray is, as she says herself, extremely limited.

“So will (Boris Johnson) confirm that at the earliest opportunity he will have the report published in full?”

Mr Johnson did not commit to that request. He replied:

“What we will do is wait until the police have concluded their enquiries and then see what more we can publish. That is what we are going to do.”

Read more:

• MPs watch: Hedgehogs and Downing Street parties
• Could Harrogate be the home of the new North Yorkshire Council?
• Harrogate MP says ‘lawmakers can’t be lawbreakers’

The Stray Ferret asked all three Harrogate district MPs, which besides Mr Jones include Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith and Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams for their reaction to Sue Gray’s report and whether they would call on the PM to resign.

None replied by the time of publication.

You can read the report here. Ms Gray concluded:

“The whole of the country rose to the challenge. Ministers, special advisers and the Civil Service, of which I am proud to be a part, were a key and dedicated part of that national effort.

“However, as I have noted, a number of these gatherings should not have been allowed to take place or to develop in the way that they did.

“There is significant learning to be drawn from these events which must be addressed immediately across government.”

The PM said today he is making changes to how Downing Street and the Cabinet Office is run so they can get on with the job of government. He said:

“I get it and I will fix it.”