The Conservative candidate for the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner elections has pledged to take a tougher stance on dog theft.

Philip Allott, who lives in Knaresborough, believes many frustrated dog owners feel some police forces treat the crime as low priority.

Mr Allott highlighted a survey showing dog thefts increased by 250% last year due to gangs cashing in on the demand for puppies during lockdown.

Sought-after breeds, such as French bulldogs, can sell for more than £5,000 and a litter can fetch £35,000.

If elected, Mr Allott would not be able to change operational police policy but he pledged to lobby those who can.

Last week he discussed dog thefts on a group call with Home Secretary Priti Patel, who said she would consider further action.

Voters will go to the polls on May 6 to elect a successor to Julia Mulligan.

The North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner election was delayed last year due to covid.

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Mr Allott told the Stray Ferret today:

“The rising prices of dogs have made them a target for criminals. Most would probably make more money stealing a dog than a wallet.

“Laws are now relatively robust with sentences up to five years but many criminals receive just a caution or a fine.

“PFCCs cannot change the law but we can make representations. I have already been on a call with the Home Secretary and I have also shared a survey on Twitter.”

The following candidates so far have announced they are standing for election as commissioner:

• Philip Allott, Conservative Party
• Alison Hume, Labour Party
• James Barker, Liberal Democrats
• Keith Tordoff, Independent

The final list of nominations will be published on April 9.

Upmarket clothes store Cordings has permanently closed its Harrogate shop.

Cordings, whose only other store is in London’s Piccadilly, opened in Westminster Arcade in 2015.

Part owned by rock star Eric Clapton, the company dates back to 1839.

Its elegant outdoor clothes, including tweed jackets and moleskin trousers, appeared well suited to Harrogate’s clientele.

But Hillary Becque, marketing director of Cordings, told the Stray Ferret today that covid had been the Harrogate shop’s “death knell”.

She said “four or five” staff had lost their jobs, adding:

“We’ve loved being in Harrogate. It’s a brilliant town, with a lot of vibrant independents, so it was a great fit for us.

“This was not a decision we made lightly. The staff and customers have been absolutely brilliant.

“We just need to consolidate now.”

Ms Becque said Cordings had been particularly hard hit because its online trading operated from within its shops, which have been closed. She said:

“I don’t think many stores have not been affected by the pandemic but it’s been particularly tough for smaller stores like ourselves.”

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The company behind a plan to build a Starbucks drive-thru on Wetherby Road is taking Harrogate Borough Council to appeal over its decision to reject the proposal.

Euro Garages Ltd, which manages petrol stations and fast food outlets across Europe, submitted plans to build a coffee shop on the former 1st Dental site.

The proposals included demolishing the existing building to make way for a drive-thru coffee shop with 19 car parking spaces. It would then be handed over to Starbucks to operate.

The borough council refused the application in December 2019 – the third time the plan has fallen short.

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Councillors rejected the proposal on grounds of air quality and traffic flow concerns along Wetherby Road. The authority also raised concerns over a loss of amenity to those living next to the Starbucks due to noise and light pollution.

In a council decision notice published at the time, the council said:

“The proposed highway alterations to facilitate a right turn into the site would lead to the loss of a traffic lane to the detriment of the flow of traffic along Wetherby Road which would lead to an increase in congestion together with highway safety concerns regarding those turning right into the site having to cross two lanes of oncoming traffic and the increase of vehicular traffic close to a traffic signal controlled junction that is already operating at capacity.”

Councillors threw out a similar proposal back in 2017. The government then dismissed an appeal against the decision the following year.

Now, Euro Garages has submitted another appeal to the government’s Planning Inspectorate.

The layout of the proposed Starbucks on Wetherby Road.

In its statement of case, the company said there was “no justification” for refusing the proposal on the grounds of a loss of a traffic lane.

It said:

“The proposal would not lead to the loss of a traffic lane and additional highways space would be created by the development which would see localised widening on Wetherby Road.

“The development would not result in a material detrimental impact on the flow of traffic along Wetherby Road as evidenced in the Transport Assessment Modelling.”

Cllr Pat Marsh, whose ward the development falls into, said the plan was “absolutely ludicrous” and wrong on traffic and health grounds.

She said the development would increase pollution as traffic backs up down Wetherby Road.

Cllr Marsh said:

“People cannot understand the absurdity of wanting to build a drive through on one of the busiest roads in Harrogate. It is the only air quality management area in Harrogate, it has a lot of traffic movements.”

She added that residents would also see an increase in noise and light pollution due to the Starbucks being built next to them.

“Can you imagine from 7am in the morning until 10pm at night cars coming in and out ordering coffee?

“How are those residents going to be able to have a reasonable amount of amenity? They are just not.”

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

A 23-year-old Harrogate man charged with murder has been named in court this morning.

Daniel Liam Ainsley, of no fixed abode, appeared at York Magistrates Court today, where he did not enter a plea.

Magistrates sent the case to Leeds Crown Court, where it is due to be heard on Wednesday morning.

Mark Wolsey died on Friday at a flat on Mayfield Grove after sustaining serious injuries.

The police released this picture of Mark Wolsey.

North Yorkshire Police said yesterday it had increased patrols in the area but told residents that it was a “contained incident” and that the public was not at risk.

Read more:

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The force has appealed for anyone with information to call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. The incident number is 12210072144.

North Yorkshire County Council’s trading standards department has been accused of not taking complaints about a Harrogate builder seriously.

Over a period of at least seven years, James Moss has set up and closed several new companies and has been ordered by the civil courts to pay tens of thousands to customers following multiple complaints of shoddy workmanship.

Yet trading standards, which has been aware of Moss since at least 2014, recently closed an investigation following a complaint due to a lack of evidence, which it said was “hampered” by the covid pandemic.

Trading Standards has the power to investigate cases that could ultimately result in a criminal record, fines, disqualification from acting as a director or even imprisonment.

People who have made complaints against Moss though to trading standards told the Stray Ferret that it could have acted against him years ago and spared a trail of misery for his customers.

2014: “Nothing happens”

Kev, who asked us not to use his surname, bought a fireplace from James Moss in Harrogate in 2014.

After the builder “made a mess of it”, the county court ordered Moss to repay some money back, which he has not received seven years later.

Kev said he complained to trading standards about Moss but was disheartened after the complaint went nowhere. He said “they didn’t seem to be bothered.”

Even though his dealings with Moss were many years ago, Kev said it was a stressful time for him and his wife who are still troubled by the experience today. 

He believes that if trading standards had taken tough action following his complaint in 2014, it could have prevented James Moss from trading by the courts.

“At the end of the day they have procedures, but nothing happens.”

2018: “Fobbed off”

In March 2018, four years on from Kev’s complaint, trading standards began an investigation into James Moss following a complaint from Karen Macgillivray-Fallis from Burton Leonard.

Ms Macgillivray-Fallis submitted her complaint after the builder left a garage conversion in such a state it had to be demolished.

But she has grown frustrated with the speed of their investigation into her case and says she felt “fobbed off” and “not taken seriously” by the department.

She said it took until September 2018 before she was even asked to submit a formal statement.

In October 2020 she received a letter from NYCC’s trading standards which said its investigation into Moss has been closed.

It had been exploring whether he had breached the Consumer Protection From Unfair Trading Regulation 2008 and the Fraud Act 2006 whilst working for Ms Macgillivray-Fallis.

The letter, which has been seen by the Stray Ferret, said it was closing the investigation due to a lack of evidence. It also blamed the covid crisis for hampering its inquiries, which Ms Macgillivray-Fallis said is not good enough.

She said:

“Using the pandemic as an excuse for inaction is a bit crass.”

“It’s just heartbreaking. I hate injustice.”

“Toothless tiger”

In the time that Ms Macgillivray-Fallis made her initial complaint to trading standards in 2018, others, including Gill Lawrence, Vicky Cooke and Anna McIntyre have all won civil cases against James Moss.

Moss has also set up eight new companies and dissolved five of them.

Last month, Ms Macgillivray-Fallis won her own case against Moss in the Harrogate small claims court when he was ordered to pay almost £10,000. 

Despite the civil courts ruling against Moss time and again, we are not aware of trading standards taking any firm action against the builder.

We spoke to one person who was so defeated after a previous experience with trading standards that he didn’t bother making a complaint after being unsatisfied with the quality of James Moss’s work.

He called the department a “toothless tiger”.

“A strong track record”

James Moss has always maintained his building work has been of good quality and has disputed some of the court claims against him. He told the Stray Ferret in November last year that he has ceased trading as a builder.

In a statement released to the Stray Ferret, Matt O’Neill, assistant director of growth, planning and trading standards, said he would not comment on individual cases but defended the department’s track record.

He said:

“Our trading standards service is determined in its enforcement work, not only to protect the residents of North Yorkshire as consumers, but also to ensure a level playing field for the many legitimate businesses in the county.

“The service receives about 7,000 complaints from consumers each year. Officers assess these to determine which should be investigated. Following an investigation, enforcement may range from advice and guidance to prosecution and confiscation or forfeiture of assets following conviction.

“In deciding whether to prosecute, the service must first be satisfied that there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction. A decision to prosecute is not taken lightly. Prosecution is a serious step with considerable repercussions for those who face criminal charges.

“The service has a strong track record. For example, a joint operation with colleagues from other agencies last year saw the courts order offenders to give up £140,000 in proceeds from their crimes to compensate their victims.

“There are occasions when the standard of businesses’ work does not meet consumers’ expectations. This is not acceptable and consumers could take action in the civil courts for breach of contract. However, such conduct would not necessarily amount to a practice over which the trading standards service could take action.

“Equally, businesses sometimes fail. This is recognised in law, with provision for the management of bankruptcy and insolvency. A business failure alone will not amount to conduct about which the trading standards service could take action. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has a remit to investigate sole traders and companies that have acted illegally in relation to the formation or solvency of trading entities.”

Police have charged a 23-year-old man with murder after a Harrogate man was found dead on Friday night.

Mark Wolsey has been named as the victim, who paramedics pronounced as dead at 10pm on Mayfield Grove.

Mr Wolsey was found with serious injuries before he died and police said they detained the supect “very quickly.”

His family asked police to share the above photo of him and are being supported by specially-trained officers.

Police on Mayfield Grove on Saturday.

The suspect, who is also from Harrogate, remains in custody and will appear at York Magistrates Court on Monday.

North Yorkshire Police has increased patrols in the area but has told residents that it is a “contained incident” and that the public was not at risk.

The force has appealed for anyone with information to call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. The incident number is 12210072144.

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Detective Superintendent Fran Naughton, who is leading the investigation, said:

“Our investigation is well under way and we can confirm this was a contained incident.

“A man is now in police custody and we do not believe there is any wider risk to the public.

“However, many residents will be understandably anxious about what has happened. There will be a greater police presence in the area, which we hope residents will find reassuring, and officers will be working closely with the community.

“Our specially-trained officers are supporting the deceased man’s family at this difficult time.”

A Harrogate boxing and martial arts gym is fighting for its survival after months of enforced closure as a result of coronavirus.

H Hour Boxing and Kao Loi, based on Skipton Road, has seen its funding dry up over the last year as it continues to pay the bills without any income.

The gym has received some government funding but the owners claim that it often misses out because it is based in an expensive area.

Despite its ongoing closure the gym owners still have to pay £1,000 a month for rent plus utility bills on top. All the coaches are volunteers.

To try and build up its finances again the head coach, Rob Smith, has decided to do a skydive to try and raise £5,000 for the gym.

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Mr Smith, who used to work in the army and is also the chair at the British Boxing Board of Control for the central area, told the Stray Ferret:

“If we go down, then the Kao Loi side of the gym would also go down. We do not want that to happen.

“We have got some money left to see us into the next month but beyond that we need to be open again and get the revenue coming in.

“To try and bring some money in, I am going to do a skydive for my 50th birthday. I have asked for £5,000 but that’s a dream really.

“We need some money to keep going. We are fighting for survival. A lot of clubs have closed. We do not want to close, it’s a lifeline for so many.”

Police forensics officers entered a home in Harrogate this afternoon where a man is suspected to have been murdered.

A 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder in the street in Mayfield Grove just after 10pm last night.

A 48-year-old man was found with serious injuries inside a nearby flat and was certified dead at the scene by ambulance staff.

In an update at 1.14pm this afternoon, North Yorkshire Police said the suspect remained in custody and was being questioned by detectives.

There has been a heavy police presence on Mayfield Grove today. An officer has been posted at the door of the suspected crime scene and a procession of police vans have been coming and going. Shortly after midday a forensics team entered the flat.

The police update urged people not to be worried about the “noticeable police presence in and around the area”.

Read more:

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Detective Superintendent Fran Naughton, who is leading the investigation, said:

“Our investigation is well under way and we can confirm this was a contained incident.

“A man is now in police custody and we do not believe there is any wider risk to the public.

“However, many residents will be understandably anxious about what has happened. There will be a greater police presence in the area, which we hope residents will find reassuring, and officers will be working closely with the community.

“Our specially-trained officers are supporting the deceased man’s family at this difficult time.”

The police appealed to anyone who was in the Mayfield Grove area of Harrogate on Friday night who saw any suspicious activity to contact North Yorkshire Police by calling 101 and selecting option 1.

If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Please quote incident number 12210072144 when sharing information.

The leader of Harrogate Borough Council has said he has received just one complaint from residents in the Beech Grove area who oppose the road closure.

Cllr Richard Cooper, who is also the Harrogate central district councillor for North Yorkshire County Council,  was replying to that complaint.

The concerned resident, who requested anonymity, wrote to Cllr Cooper and Cllr Don Mackenzie to say that the road closure was a “fine mess” after drivers churned up grass verges.

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The closure is a six month trial and designed to encourage cycling by stopping through traffic and creating a Low Traffic Neighbourhood.

The road was closed with only a few days notice under an “experimental order” and initially led to cars driving over part of the Stray to avoid the closure.

However, since North Yorkshire County Council installed a sign on the Stray the problems have been reduced to those who struggle with three-point turns.

Cllr Richard Cooper.

Cllr Richard Cooper wrote in response today:

“I strongly support the low traffic neighbourhood scheme. I hope very much it becomes a permanent and growing feature of our roads in Harrogate.

“You are the only correspondent I have had from the area opposing the scheme.

“It seems very odd to me that on the one hand I get many, many complaints about drivers putting their foot down on Beech Grove when there are so many older people living there.

“Yet when we do something about it then there is a complaint.

“The problem with the chewed up verges isn’t created by the Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme.

“It is caused by the lazy and inconsiderate motorist who ignores the many road signs and is too poorly skilled at driving, or more likely couldn’t care less, to execute a fairly simple three point turn.”

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access at North Yorkshire County Council.

Cllr Don Mackenzie also replied to say that the county council could protect the grass verges from further damage:

“Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. It sounds like you are not a supporter of our Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme on Beech Grove.

“As you know, NYCC will be collecting views on this experimental order for the next six months.

“I have picked up a great deal of support for the scheme on social media in these early days.

“We have had to take steps to prevent inconsiderate drivers from attempting to bypass the closure.

“We can perhaps also consider means of preventing the sort of verge damage which your photo shows, if that occurs more often.”