Drug-driving mum escapes jail after 80mph police chase round Harrogate

A drug-driving mother-of-three has been spared jail after leading police on a high speed car chase around Harrogate.

Jasmine Wilson, 26, reached speeds of up to 88mph on icy roads in her Vauxhall Astra — at some stages on the wrong side of the road — during the chase on January 3.

Wilson, from Pateley Bridge, sped faster after police put on their blue lights and accelerated to 82mph on the wrong side of the road in a National Speed Limit area, said prosecutor Brooke Morrison.

She then swung the vehicle around a sharp bend at 60mph and at Whipley Bank once again crossed over onto the wrong side of the road, driving at 70mph before tearing through a 50mph zone at 84mph, York Crown Court heard.

Wilson, who was three times over the limit for cannabis and had a male passenger in the car, then overtook another vehicle on a right-hand bend “at some speed”, said Ms Morrison.

She then shot straight over crossroads at 48mph without stopping and reached peak speeds of 88mph as she took another right-hand bend on the wrong side of the road, where she lost control of the Astra, which came to a halt in a field.

The chase lasted around 13 minutes, said Ms Morrison.

Smoking cannabis

Wilson, of High Crest, was taken to hospital by ambulance along with her male passenger, both of whom were relatively unscathed. She was also uninsured to drive the car, which belonged to her partner.

Wilson told police she had been smoking cannabis earlier in the day and that was why she didn’t stop.

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She admitted drug-driving, dangerous driving and having no insurance and appeared for sentence yesterday.

The court heard that Wilson had a clean record until the police chase, which began at about 9.50pm when police were informed by witnesses of what they thought was a drink-driver travelling around the Harrogate area.

Temitayo Dasaolu, mitigating, said Wilson’s actions “made sense to her” at the time because she had been smoking cannabis and didn’t want to get caught.

Responsibilities as a mother

Judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, said the offences were so serious that only a custodial sentence could be justified, but that he could suspend the inevitable jail term because Wilson had caring responsibilities as a young mother.

He said Wilson had “put all that at risk” by her actions which risked the lives of police officers and other road-users.

He added that Wilson was “one of the few people” convicted of such crimes who would walk free, but only because of her lack of previous convictions and responsibilities as a mother.

Wilson was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence and a 40-day rehabilitation programme. She was banned from driving for 12 months.

Eco-house to be built in two days at Harrogate climate festival

An eco-friendly house is set to be built in just two days at this year’s Harrogate District Climate Action Festival.

The home will be one of the main features at the festival, which will be held at Harrogate College next month.

Pure Haus, a Leeds-based company that builds eco-friendly homes, said the home will demonstrate passive house principles, which means it requires very little energy and results in near zero carbon homes.

The design and construction principles include high insulation, airtightness and high performance windows.

Kevin Pratt, director of the company, said designing and building such houses helps to reduce carbon emissions and reach climate targets.

He added he hoped the ‘show pod’, which will be brought in on a crane lorry and put together in two or three days, would give an insight into how homes can be built on eco-friendly principles.

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The festival, which takes place from October 1 until October 21, is being coordinated by the Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition.

It will include a range of guest speakers, including Professor Andy Shepherd, who is professor of earth observation at the University of Leeds, and Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones.

No booking is required and attendance is free.

Danny Wild, principal of Harrogate College, said:

“We are proud to be hosting the launch day for this festival as its aims align perfectly with the college’s commitment to sustainability and a greener future.”

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning to you on and happy Friday, it’s Leah with you today bringing you all the latest traffic and travel news.

Ring me on 01423 276197, if it is safe, or get in touch on social media.

Let’s help everyone have a better journey by letting me know so I can add it to the blog, brought to you by the HACS Group.

9am – Full Update 

That is it from me this morning. I will be back with you on Monday morning with regular updates of the traffic and travel in the district. Have a lovely weekend.

Roads

The roads are starting to get busier this morning, keep an eye on the blog to see how it goes today.

Traffic is building in these areas:

Road closures:

Temporary lights

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are starting to get busier this morning, keep an eye on the blog to see how it goes today.

Traffic is building in these areas:

Road closures:

Temporary lights

Trains

Buses

 

8am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are starting to get busier this morning, keep an eye on the blog to see how it goes today.

Traffic is building in these areas:

Road closures:

Temporary lights

Trains

Buses

 

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning with schools still away for the summer holiday. But, keep an eye on the blog to see how it goes today.

Road closures:

Temporary lights

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning with schools still away for the summer holiday. But, keep an eye on the blog to see how it goes today.

Road closures:

Temporary lights

Trains

Buses

 

6.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning with schools still away for the summer holiday. But, keep an eye on the blog to see how it goes today.

Road closures:

Temporary lights

Trains

Buses

 

‘Why is it taking so long?’: Harrogate residents anger over ongoing TV blackout

Harrogate district residents are becoming increasingly angry about the amount of time it is taking to restore their TV and radio signals.

More than three weeks have passed since the Bilsdale transmitter near Helmsley caught fire, causing about 500,000 homes in the north-east, including many in the Harrogate district, to lose their TV and radio signal.

Although some channels have returned for some, others are still staring at a black screen.

Frustration is growing at the apparent lack of progress and several people have contacted the Stray Ferret to express their anger.

Terry Sherwood, from Harrogate, is among those still without a TV signal. He said:

“I try twice a day to retune, but I’ve heard from nobody. It’s very boring as my brother has covid and I had to isolate last week. I live on my own in a bedsit and it’s had a big effect on me.

“It’s been frustrating and extremely boring. I resorted to re-reading the few books I had as I couldn’t go to library.”

Some people told the Stray Ferret they were disappointed at not receiving any communication directly from Arqiva, the telecommunications company that manages the mast, or Freeview. They were instead waiting for updates online.

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Another district resident, Siobhan Mckenna, said elderly neighbours had come to her for help after first thinking their TVs were broken.

‘Surely a temporary signal could have been provided?’

Some of Ms Mckenna’s channels have returned but these are all BBC and radio. She said:

“I work in a school and I work until 7.30pm so I don’t really watch TV, apart from the news. I really look forward to catching up on certain shows in the summer and now we are back and people are asking ‘did you see this, did you see that?’ I feel out of the loop.

“I also have to keep retuning due to the fact it will freeze during a programme and I refuse to pay the £30 to £50 that others have paid to change their aerial direction.

“I would like to ask the companies, that in this day and age why has it taken so long? Surely a temporary signal could have been provided.”

Arqiva’s latest update on its website six days ago said:

“We continue to work through the process to enable access to the Bilsdale site to build the temporary mast. There is no specific new detail to share at this point but we are continuing to work round the clock to find a way forward.

“Meanwhile, this week has seen the successful restoration of some Freeview television services for those who receive signals from the smaller relay sites in the following areas:

The Stray Ferret asked Arqiva for a further update but did not receive a response.

New signs will ‘make people think twice’ about parking on Stray, says council

New signs on Oatlands Drive in Harrogate will “make people think twice about parking” on the Stray, according to Harrogate Borough Council.

Cyclists have long been frustrated by vehicles parking on the Stray and blocking the cycle lane along the busy road.

It often happens when activities, such as football, take place on the Stray at weekends.

The signs that appeared this week warn that parking on Stray land is an offence and could lead to a £100 fine or the vehicle being removed.

Oatlands Drive

Cars parked on Oatlands Drive.

A council spokeswoman said:

“We continue to work with the county council to try and find a more permanent solution to the parking situation on Oatlands Drive in Harrogate.

“Until this time we have installed signage to advice people, that by parking on the Stray, they are breaching the Stray Act.

“A breach of the act allows the borough council — as custodians of the Stray — to issue a £100 fine to anyone caught parking on the Stray, or to have their vehicle towed away.

“We hope that the signage will make people think twice about parking on Oatlands Drive and allow cyclists to use the cycle path as intended.”

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Bid to fell huge 100-year-old Harrogate weeping willow

A 100-year-old weeping willow tree in a garden close to Harrogate town centre could be felled.

The tree, which is in the front driveway of a house on Belford Place, towering over the street, is subject to a tree preservation order.

The home owner has applied to have the tree, which is close to St Peter’s Church of England Primary School, cut down.

A report by arboricultural consultants JAC Limited on behalf of the tree owner says there are “genuine concerns over the condition and risk of the tree in question, due to its close proximity to a school and now
heavily pedestrianised thoroughfare of Belford Place”. It adds:

“The tree is extremely large for its restricted location, and is now considered to be out of
equilibrium with its surroundings and cannot be safely retained in its current form.”

A sonic assessment of the tree found it was “generally decayed” at the base, the report adds.

It recommends it should be removed and an “appropriate tree be planted in its place”.

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Harrogate Borough Council has previously rejected an application to cut down the weeping willow.

The council will now send its own expert to assess the tree before making a decision.

Harrogate Civic Society has said it would like to see “a less drastic solution”.

Henry Pankhurst, a member of the society, told the Stray Ferret:

“We are obviously reluctant to lose trees of such amenity value.

“The sonic test shows only a minor portion of the trunk thickness to be good wood and a large area beginning to decay with the remainder in poorer condition.

“However, we would not like to take this as a definite conclusion that the willow tree should be felled if some other less drastic solution would allow it to survive safely for a reasonable while longer.

“We shall watch for an opinion from the council arboriculturist which would help us to come to a more precise view.”

The Stray Ferret reached out to the homeowner but has yet to receive a reply.

Former Harrogate Advertiser editor set to be given freedom of the borough

The former editor of the Harrogate Advertiser looks set to be made an honorary freeman of the borough.

Harrogate Borough Council will next week consider giving the title, which was last given in in 2012, to Jean MacQuarrie.

The accolade recognises people of distinction and “in the opinion of the council rendered eminent services to the district”.

The last time the council bestowed the freedom of the borough was in 2012 when former chairman and chief executive of Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate, Jonathan Wild, was given the title.

There were calls this summer for Harrogate district resident Gareth Southgate, the England manager, to receive it.

Ms MacQuarrie retired this year after 41 years in local journalism. She was appointed editor of the Harrogate Advertiser in 1988.

She was also involved in local organisations, including Yorkshire Agricultural Society, Harrogate Theatre and the Army Foundation College.

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In a report due before the council’s general purposes committee next week, the authority said Ms MacQuarrie “worked hard to promote and support the town and district during her 33 years as editor”.

If approved, an extraordinary council meeting will be called to confer the title on Ms MacQuarrie.

She will be invited to the meeting to sign the Roll of Honorary Freemen following the council’s approval.

 

Harrogate district to resettle three more Afghan families

The leader of Harrogate Borough Council has said Afghan refugees are “settling in well” in the district and that three more families are on the way.

The district has so far welcomed four families under a government scheme targeted at Afghans who worked for the UK military and are fleeing the country because they are under serious threat from the Taliban.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, council leader Richard Cooper said: 

“Four families have arrived under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), one in Knaresborough and three in Harrogate. They are settling in well.

“We have been asked to accommodate three more families under ARAP. ”

British troops left Afghanistan over the weekend, bringing an end to the UK’s 20-year military involvement in the country, which is now under the control of the Taliban.

Taliban leaders have pledged not to allow Afghanistan to become a base for terrorists who could threaten the West.

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But questions are already being asked about how they will govern the country, and what this will mean for women, human rights, and political freedoms.

There are also questions over what will happen to Afghans who are eligible to come to the UK but have been left behind in the evacuation programme.

Speaking on Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he couldn’t give a “definitive” figure for how many of those remained in the country.

Government pledge to resettle 20,000 refugees

Under another scheme for refugees, the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), the government has pledged to take in up to 20,000 refugees over the coming years, with a focus on women and children, as well as religious and other minorities.

The scheme is still being developed and local councils which have pledged their support are now awaiting information on how they can help.

Cllr Cooper previously said Harrogate would take in “more than our quota” of refugees who are “in need of and deserve our assistance”.

He has now added: 

“The details of the long-term Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme have not been released by the government.

“When they are, we will work with North Yorkshire County Council and Migration Yorkshire on the programme.”

Harrogate Air Cadets enjoy ‘unforgettable’ glider flights

After a long time grounded due to covid, Harrogate air cadets have finally been able to take to the sky and enjoy their first flights in a glider.

Along with other cadets from York and Church Fenton, the cadets set off at 5am one morning recently to RAF Syerston near Newark.

Morning weather conditions meant the flights were initially cancelled and the cadets were offered a tour of the hanger instead. However, once the skies brightened in the afternoon the cadets could finally do what they came for.

Ten cadets took part in the exercise and for nine of them it was their first cadet flight.

Flying alongside an instructor over Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, the cadets were able to take control of the Viking glider for about 20 minutes.

All 10 cadets present enjoyed two trips each.

Harrogate air cadets

A Viking glider in action

There are 40,000 air cadets aged 12 to 20 in the UK. The 58 (Harrogate) Squadron is based at Strawberry Dale in Harrogate.

Sponsored by the Royal Air Force, recruits receive hands-on experience of activities and courses that challenge and develop skills.

Corporals George Sharratt and Adam Mir ,of 58 (Harrogate) Squadron, said in a statement:

“After waiting over a year to go flying, being able to take control of the glider on our first flight, was one of those moments we will never forget.

“But it would not be possible without both the help from RAF Syerston’s ground and air crew and from two of the volunteers from the Wing who organised the trip, got up at 5am and transported us back and forth over 200 miles.”

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John Plummer appointed Editor of the Stray Ferret

John Plummer is to take over the reins as Editor of the Stray Ferret.

John succeeds Tamsin O’Brien, who is to become Managing Editor and have a more strategic role.

John began his career as a journalist on local newspapers in his native Fens.

He later moved to London where he worked for, amongst others, The Times and Third Sector, which covers the UK voluntary sector.

In September last year he was appointed Deputy Editor of the Stray Ferret, where he worked alongside fellow Deputy Editor Vicky Carr, who is currently on maternity leave.

John has one daughter and has lived in Killinghall for about 10 years.

The Stray Ferret has seen a rapid growth in readership — last month we had more than 736,000 page views covering every aspect of news in the district.

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Tamsin said:

“John has been a very capable Deputy Editor and I am delighted to promote him to Editor.

“He has brought a wealth of journalism experience to the team and I am sure that under his leadership the Stray Ferret will continue to grow its readership and not be afraid to cover all the important stories in the district.

“It’s the right time for me to take a more strategic role across the whole business”

Have you got a story for the Stray Ferret news team or think there is an issue we need to investigate? Please get in touch on contact@thestrayferret.co.uk