Two PCSOs seriously injured after attack in Harrogate McDonald’s

Two police community support officers were left seriously injured following an attack in McDonald’s in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police is appealing for witnesses and mobile phone footage of the incident which took place at around 7pm on Friday evening on Cambridge Road.

Three girls, aged 13, 14 and 15-years-old, have been arrested in connection with the attack and remain in custody for questioning.

The officers attended the McDonald’s after reports that the girls had entered the restaurant despite being banned due to anti-social behaviour earlier in the evening.

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The group refused to leave when asked by officers and an altercation took place.

One of the PCSOs suffered a suspected broken nose and the other had tissue damage to the cheek. Both remain in hospital for treatment for their injuries.

Neighbourhood Delivery Inspector Phoebe Southall said:

“No one deserves to go to work and be assaulted, especially as they work to protect the public and keep our communities safe. It is not just ‘part of the job’ and we will investigate any incidents of violence towards our staff thoroughly.

“We would urge anyone who either witnessed the attack or has any information or mobile phone footage that may have captured something to please get in touch.”

Anyone with any information should contact police on 101 or investigationhubcounty@northyorkshire.police.uk and quote reference number 12220055279.

The sport ‘anyone can play’ that has exploded across the Harrogate district

A mashup of tennis and squash that originated in Mexico, padel has been described as one of the world’s fastest growing sports.

It is played between four players on reduced-size tennis courts. Competitors use paddle racquets and can bounce the ball off walls.

Since November 2020, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has been the national governing body for the sport when it was officially recognised as a discipline of tennis. This has opened the door for greater recognition, support and funding.

Admittedly, I had never even heard it until around a year ago and since then, it seems to have exploded across the Harrogate district.

Ahead of the curve

Harrogate Sports and Fitness Centre, on Hookstone Wood Road, was ahead of the curve, launching its first outdoor padel court in 2019, followed by a second glass-enclosed court in 2021 due to popular demand.

The only courts of their kind in the region, they saw people travel from Hull, Liverpool and Manchester to play.

 Padel tennis at Harrogate Sports and Fitness Centre.

The club’s manager James Gaston said:

“It has grown in popularity very quickly and we have approximately 250 padel players.

“It is popular because it is very easy to play compared to tennis and it is great fun as doubles and close together on the court.

“It’s a great game and everyone should try it.”

James Gaston outside Harrogate Sports and Fitness Centre.

Then in January Surge Padel, the largest indoor padel tennis centre in the UK with six courts, opened its doors at Hornbeam Park. The International Padel Federation is already considering it as the potential host of its European Championships.

Plans for eight new centres

CEO Stuart Perrin said it had already proved to be so successful in Harrogate, he was now planning to launch minimum of eight additional centres in the UK this year.

One of the padel courts at Surge.

Speaking about why he chose Harrogate to locate his first padel centre, he said:

“There are two reasons really.

“Firstly, I’m a local resident and know the local health and fitness market well. Operating in the town with success previously meant I had a path once trodden that could be replicated and improved on.

“Secondly, the demographics of Harrogate really lend themselves to those of racket sports, giving us a head start on the education piece, with padel being a relatively new sport to the UK.

“It has exceeded all expectations so far with no signs of stopping any time soon.”

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Mr Perrin said the club currently had more than 820 members, with half of those using it on a weekly basis.

He added:

“We anticipate this number to grow to north of 1,000 members by the end of June.

“I think it has been so popular as we have delivered the UK’s largest premium indoor padel tennis centre and we are unaffected by the weather.

“Being underpinned by a brand like Coach and associated with Adidas has also cemented us as the market leader within the sector very quickly.”

Surge at Hornbeam Park is the largest indoor padel tennis court in the UK.

Next month, two new padel tennis courts will launch at Ripon Tennis Centre following a successful crowdfunding campaign, which saw more than £30,500 raised in 28 days thanks to the support of residents and businesses.

Membership boost

The project was put forward to help boost the club’s membership in the wake of the pandemic and will see the new courts, plus canopies and flood lighting, built at the centre on Park Lane.

Additional funding has also been provided by Sport England alongside a loan from the LTA.

Carol Tetlow, the club’s honorary secretary, said:

“It’s all very exciting and we can’t wait to get playing.

“Fingers crossed, our courts should be up and ready for play by the end of April. There will be two courts, one with a roof, guaranteeing all year round play.

“Covid-19 took its toll on Ripon tennis club, like many other sporting venues, and we saw membership numbers drop by a fifth and also lost a lot of income.

“Our centre manager, Diane Hutchinson came up with the great idea of not simply trying to recoup our losses but seize this opportunity to expand the centre with a new venture – padel tennis.”

Ripon MP Julian Smith visiting the padel site at Ripon Tennis Centre, with Diane Hutchinson (left) and Carol Tetlow (right).

Ms Tetlow put the sport’s rapid growth and popularity down to it being easy to play and therefore accessible for all ages and abilities.

A game for everyone

She said:

“Even beginners can go on court and enjoy a game, unlike some sports where techniques have to be acquired and learned.

“The less mobile players who find it difficult to get around a tennis court can have challenging games.

“At the other end of the scale, highly experienced players can amaze spectators with their agility and skill.”

Ms Tatlow said the club had recently taken on a new coach, Christopher Stanford, who will coach padel, as well as tennis.

She added:

“We’ve had lots of enquiries as the word has spread and as a result of our crowdfunding campaign. Membership is growing again and I’m sure padel is one of the reasons for this.

“With the nearest courts in Harrogate and Middlesbrough, Ripon has to be the ideal place for more courts.”

‘Really social’

Stuart Jones, from Harrogate, has been playing padel for two years after picking up the sport while on holiday in Spain, which has more than 20,000 padel courts. Behind football it is the country’s second-most-popular sport.

He said:

“I really enjoy the competitive nature of the game, the fact it’s doubles and really social.

“I started to play at the courts at Harrogate Sports and Fitness Centre and now also play at Surge, where they also have coaching for adults, as well as juniors, which is perfect for me as my eldest son also enjoys the game.”

Here are ten facts you might not know about padel tennis, from the LTA:

Claims new Bilton woodland will spoil open space

A woman in Bilton says thousands of trees that are being planted in fields close to Nidd Gorge will spoil a wildlife meadow and treasured open space.

Harrogate Borough Council is currently planting the trees in Bilton Fields as well as at Upper Horse Shoe Fields in Knaresborough.

The planting is part of the government’s White Rose Forest initiative to create 10 community forests in England. Oak, hornbeam, hazel, alder, cherry, crab apple and other native trees will be planted.

Rowen Hardcastle, who owns a dog walking business in Bilton, was brought up in the Harrogate suburb and said she has spent over 40 years enjoying the fields. Her husband even proposed to her in the fields because he knew how much she liked spending time there.

Ms Hardcastle said she is in favour of more trees being planted in the district to improve the environment, but the location means it will spoil one of the few open spaces in the area. In the summer, it is a popular spot for games of football and family picnics.

She said:

“It’s not the trees at all, it’s the positioning. It was a beautiful wild flower meadow with kids running around it.

“But they’ve gone right across the kids’ playing pitch. Now they can’t have a kickabout without damaging the trees.”

A map of where the trees will go. Credit – HBC

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The new woodland will have footpaths and some open areas but Ms Hardcastle said many people, particularly women, like to walk in the open fields as they feel safe.

She believes the planting should have been done in a more sympathetic way that retained more open space.

“I’ve spoken to a lot of elderly ladies. They’ve walked around there for last 60 years because it’s safe, but future generations won’t have this vast open space.”

A council spokesperson said:

“The White Rose Forest is the community forest for North and West Yorkshire that works in partnership with local authorities, landowners, businesses and communities to plant more trees across the region, improve our natural environment, combat climate change, create jobs and provide happier and healthier places for us all to live, work in and enjoy.

“The scheme has been well received since it was first adopted by the council. And has been publicised widely in the local media – including on the Stray Ferret in both December 2020 and October 2021 – along with the council’s Residents’ News and on social media.

“The planting of the trees reflects what the Royal Forest of Knaresborough would have originally looked like and will complement the surrounding area, create open areas and natural footpaths through the existing fields.

“More than 40% of the site will remain as ‘open space’ and wildflower meadows will be established and managed to further encourage biodiversity, help address the climate situation and deliver carbon reduction initiatives throughout the Harrogate district.

“Funding for the White Rose Forest project has come from the government’s Trees for Climate Fund. The funding covers planting, establishment and management of the woodland for 15 years.”

Harrogate shop closes as sofa company enters administration

The Harrogate branch of Sofa Workshop has closed after the company entered administration yesterday.

The Parliament Street shop is no longer trading and the company’s website has been closed, after administrators PriceWaterhouse Cooper were appointed.

The administrators said one shop in London would remain open for up to 14 days to sell remaining stock. The company’s order book has been sold to Timothy Oulton United Kingdom Ltd, also owned by parent company Halo, so any outstanding orders will be fulfilled.

Toby Banfield, joint administrator and PwC partner, said:

“Unfortunately, given the sustained level of losses, the directors had no option but to appoint administrators to protect the creditors of the company. Sadly, this has resulted in 77 redundancies having to be made today. We will do all we can to support workers impacted by the administration.”

It has not been confirmed how many jobs have been lost at the Harrogate shop.

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Harrogate Triathlon competitor to wear specialist snorkel after cancer surgery

A man who underwent surgery for throat cancer is preparing to enter the Harrogate Triathlon — despite having a hole in his neck.

Richard Andrews was diagnosed with cancer  in July 2018 and underwent 30 sessions of radiotherapy. Despite being told there was just a 2% chance his cancer would return, it did in May 2019.

He then underwent a laryngectomy, which involved removing his larynx — the part of the throat that contains the vocal cords — and neck dissection in July 2019.

The operation took away three quarters of his thyroid and left him with a hole in his neck.

Richard maintains a positive outlook by setting himself huge athletic challenges, one of which is to compete in next month’s Harrogate Triathlon at Ashville College. He says finding something to focus on is “the only way to keep going”.

The most difficult part of the event will be the swim. Richard now has to breathe through the hole in his neck, rather than his nose or mouth, which means he will have to compete with a specialist snorkel fitted into the hole. This sends any water into his stomach.

He has also endured numerous training sessions learning to breathe through the 8mm tube.

Richard and friend John taking part in the 2021 Race to the Stones; a 100km trail.

Richard said:

“I have found the only way to keep going is to stay positive and push the boundaries, I have a wonderfully supportive family and have put my wife Ann through hell. I now have no sense of taste of smell and struggle to swallow solid food due to an anatomical anomaly with my food pipe.

“Also, people need to know that with throat cancer in particular you can still maintain a positive life, I am fitter now than I have ever been, yes I have bad moments but these are moments not days.”

Richard also suffers from extreme fatigue due to the loss of his thyroid and a lack of upper body strength. His neck dissection surgery meant the muscles in his neck were cut so simple tasks such as lifting his head when lying down require more strength.

Richard and John taking part in another running event in 2020.

The Harrogate Triathlon will be Richard’s third athletic event this year. The Hereford man has already competed in the Muddy Woody and the Cardiff half marathon.

Over the coming months he is also set to take on a half ironman which includes a 1.9km swim, a 90km bike ride and a 21km run.

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Richard said the support of those around him allows him to take on such events:

“The support from my family and friends is the reason I’m still alive.”

He gave special mentions to his wife Ann, children Josh, Gabby and Tom, specialist nurses Mim, Claire and Zoe, coaches Delia, Nicola, Darren, Nick and Jonty and good friend Jon.

For more on Richard’s journey, read his blog here.

Netflix movie being filmed in Harrogate today

A big budget Netflix movie featuring Bridgerton star Phoebe Dynevor is being filmed today at the former Harrogate Borough Council offices in Crescent Gardens.

Bank Of Dave will be a biopic of Dave Fishwick, a self-made businessman from Burnley in Lancashire.

James Bond actor Rory Kinnear will play Mr Fishwick, opposite Phoebe Dynevor, who is best known for her role as Daphne in the hit Netflix period drama.

Mr Fishwick became famous after he set up a community bank that was called The Bank of Dave by locals in Burnley. It lent money to businesses in the wake of the 2008 financial crash.

He subsequently became a TV personality, filming programmes about unscrupulous payday loan lenders.

Crescent Gardens has been empty since the council relocated to Knapping Mount in 2017.

Impala Estates, a property investment company in Harrogate, bought the building in January 2020 for £4m. But the last update on its website for the property was exactly one year ago.

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‘Over the moon’ as sale completes on planned Harrogate mosque

A new mosque will be created in central Harrogate after the sale of the former Home Guard club completed today.

Harrogate Islamic Association has collected the keys for its new Tower Street premises after raising the £500,000 needed to buy the now-dilapidated building.

However, the hard work is not over: the group will continue to raise funds throughout Ramadan, which started today, to fund the renovations needed to bring the property back into use.

Zahed Amanullah, a member of the association, told the Stray Ferret:

“We are just over the moon — we’re so excited.

“Other communities in Yorkshire are looking this way and are really impressed with what they have seen.

“It’s a great example of how to establish a community within a wider society that is really harmonious and supportive.”

Mr Amanullah said Friday prayers for members of the association had been celebratory, with many having moved to Harrogate a decade or more ago and been searching for a place for a mosque ever since.

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Harrogate Borough Council granted planning permission in March for changes to the building to create a place of worship.

HIA then began a crowdfunding campaign to raise £200,000, alongside loans, to complete the purchase and to carry out repairs. Mr Amanullah said the first priority was to repair the roof and ensure the building was water-tight before any further work was carried out.

Zahed Amanullah of Harrogate Islamic Association

Then, he hopes some space can be refurbished and opened later this year while the remainder of the building is renovated. He added:

“There are some real architectural surprises in there – we’re looking forward to having a good look around. We had just one or two walks through the building in total darkness so far!

“We’ve had people offering in-kind support. That alone is hugely helpful — we’ve got tradesmen and women offering their services.

“We’ll be using an architect, and we’ll be working with Harrogate Civic Society on our plans.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming people into the building. We will have some sort of public open house when it’s safe to do so.”

Men charged with theft from Harrogate and Ripon tips

Three men have appeared in court charged with stealing items from household waste recycling centres in Harrogate and Ripon.

North Yorkshire County Council operates the sites at Penny Pot Lane in Harrogate and Dallamires Lane in Ripon.

Lewis Boocock, 23, of Pioneer House, Dewsbury, is alleged to have stolen six laptops from Dallamires Lane and two TVs and two laptops from Penny Pot Lane on March 20 last year.

Mitchell Boocock, 22, of Common Road, Batley is charged with the theft of numerous electrical items from Penny Pot Lane on March 29 last year.

Luke Boocock, 21, of Leeds Road, Ossett, is alleged to have stolen electrical items from the sites at Penny Pot Lane and Dallamires Lane on March 21 and March 29 last year.

The cases, which were heard at Harrogate Magistrates Court yesterday, have been remitted to Lancashire Magistrates Court on April 22.

The three men were granted unconditional bail.

Shop will close tomorrow after 25 years in Harrogate

A longstanding fixture on Harrogate’s high street will close for good tomorrow.

Orvis, which sells outdoor clothes, fly-fishing gear, dog accessories and walking items, has been trading in town for about 25 years,

It opened on Parliament Street in the 1990s before moving to its current five-storey unit on West Park.

But the American owners have decided to move the business mainly online

The company, which has a closing down sale, employs around eight people who have now all found jobs elsewhere.

On its penultimate day today, there was an overwhelming sense of sadness at the site of the last few garments hanging on racks.

There were also items of store furniture and plastic shoe blocks scattered around for sale for just a few pounds.

The store’s stock is depleted now after a month of major discounts.

Staff were sad to see the store go and hoped another retailer would take on the building.

The future of the unit remains unknown. The Stray Ferret has contacted the retail agent, Stapleton Waterhouse, but has yet to receive a reply.

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Orvis has 18 shops in the UK and all but one, at Stockbridge near Reading, will close. The company will instead focus on online sales, particularly fly-fishing equipment.

Orvis was founded in Vermont in 1856 by Charles F Orvis.

The upstairs rooms are now completely bare.

Traffic and Travel Alert: North Park Road temporary lights to be in place until Monday

Motorists should expect delays on North Park Road in Harrogate as temporary traffic lights will be in place over the weekend.

The lights, which are in place at the junction with Harcourt Drive, have been put in place as telecommunications company CityFibre carries out work on the street.

It means drivers using North Park Road to get into and out of the town centre should expect delays.

The temporary lights will be in place until April 4, according to North Yorkshire County Council.

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.