A Harrogate woman found a sick pigeon on James Street and instead of walking by decided to rescue it and nuture it back to health.

Hayley Norman, who works for local charity Carers’ Resource, was moved when she saw a rather sad looking young bird on James Street.

At first she decided to leave the bird with the assumption that its parents would come back to care for it.

Three days and plenty of rain later Hayley decided to go back and see if the pigeon was still there. It was and looking in a worse state.

Armed with a shoe box Hayley managed to scoop up the young pigeon, who she has named James after the street where she found it, and took it home.

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With days of hand feeding and keeping James warm, Hayley managed to find him a professional in Pickering to help eventually release it. She told the Stray Ferret:

“I rang a vet for some advice. They said that I could bring it in and they would put it to sleep. That’s not what I wanted to do so I decided to take on its care myself. When I rescued it I am sure some people thought I looked crazy. Normally I would just walk past but I couldn’t this time.”

Would Hayley do it again? Absolutely. It might not be for everyone but there are plenty of groups online dedicated to pigeon rescue.

The RSPB’s advice tells people that it is rarely possible to catch injured birds and warns that careless handling may cause further injury.

A total of 1,035 homes in the Harrogate district have been empty for six months or more.

The Stray Ferret obtained the figure from Harrogate Borough Council using the Freedom of Information Act.

The list shows the postcode of each home and when, according to council tax records, it became empty.

The data reveals 444 of the homes became empty in the last 12 months.

A total of 222 are in Band A, the lowest council tax bracket. Sixteen are in Band G, which is the highest.

Harrogate Liberal Democrat county councillor Geoff Webber said it was “obscene” to have over 1,000 properties empty when there has been homelessness in the district.

He also said HBC’s social housing waiting list currently stood at 1,523.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“I am very disappointed that Harrogate Borough Council, who are responsible for housing, has about 1,500 families on their housing waiting list when there are over 1,000 private properties are standing empty.

“Some of these properties, of course, will be unoccupied for a good reason, but it does seem obscene that pre-Covid we had people sleeping on the streets and currently have families in hostels and bed and breakfast accommodation when so many private properties are standing empty.”

The number of empty homes in the district is rising. According to government figures, there were 828 in November 2019.

Harrogate Borough Council has powers to encourage owners of empty properties to bring them back into use.

The council charges owners of properties that have been empty for two years or more a premium on their council tax. For example, for a property that has been empty between two and five years the council charges a 100% premium. This increases to 200% when a home has been empty for over five years.

The council can also take enforcement action against landlords, including compulsory purchase orders, enforced sales, and empty dwelling management orders.

A HBC council spokesman said:

“We work with property owners within the district to encourage and assist them to bring empty properties back into use as much-needed homes.

“Where this fails and homes remains empty we do not hesitate to take enforcement action including compulsory purchases.”

Read more:

• A new era for social housing in Harrogate?

• Harrogate house sales fall by 50%, but ‘manic’ market now rebounding

According to national campaign group Action on Empty Homes, there are over 216,000 empty homes across the UK.

The group lobbies the government to give councils greater powers to put empty homes back into use.

When we showed the figures for the Harrogate district to Chris Bailey, campaign manager at Action On Empty Homes, he said homes were being “wasted”.

“This is despite the desirability of Harrogate and despite the increasing problems of housing need and homelessness amidst a wider national housing crisis, which coronavirus and its economic fallout can only worsen.”

The number of coronavirus cases in the Harrogate district since the started of the pandemic passed 1,200 today.

Pubic Health England figures from today show a daily increase of 34 cases in the district.

It takes the total number to 1,230.

Daily figures from across North Yorkshire show an increase of 137. NHS data shows the weekly case rate county-wide stands at 97 per 100,000 population.

Read more:

• Care home visits in district may be allowed after October
• Harrogate care home adopts door tech to save lives

However, no deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital since September 29.

Hospital bosses have prepared for a second wave of coronavirus this winter by setting aside up to 100 beds for infected patients.

County council bosses have also restricted visits to care homes throughout October in an effort to protect residents.

However, officials have now set up a working group to come up with solutions to allow visitors into care homes to see loved ones.

A new £2 million spa and well-being centre in Harrogate has been completed after a six-month delay because of the coronavirus crisis.

The zen garden and sun terrace at The Harrogate Spa have now been finished, at a cost of £20,000.

They are the final pieces of the development, which officially opened in July without the planned outside area. Situated adjacent to the Doubletree by Hilton Majestic Hotel on Ripon Road, the spa offers an indoor pool and treatment rooms as well as a gym, studio and cafe.

Andy Barnsdale, The Doubletree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel & Spa General Manager with one of the new water features.

Lynn Roach, The Harrogate Spa director, said:

“We were just a week away from our official opening when the government announced the closure of our industry, which put the brakes on us finishing our two outside areas.

“I’m delighted to say we have now completed our work and they are a superb addition to The Harrogate Spa.

“The zen garden will become a place of tranquillity for those enjoying our facilities and experiencing one of our fantastic holistic treatments.

“We are the only spa facility in Harrogate town centre, and have now written our own chapter in the town’s ongoing spa heritage story.”

A care home in Harrogate has adopted new technology in the fight to save lives from coronavirus this winter.

Vida Grange, which is a specialist dementia home in Pannal, has installed alcohol gel-secreting door pads to limit the spread of coronavirus among staff and residents.

The pads are designed to kill germs on doors, which can help to protect people from coronavirus. They could be particularly useful in care homes, where many residents struggle to remember the importance of hand hygiene.

Yorkshire company Surfaceskins, which created the pads last year, has seen a global spike in interest in the pads. But this is the first home in the Harrogate district to introduce them.

Adam Walker, Surfaceskins inventor, with James Rycroft, the managing director of Vida Healthcare, at Vida Grange in Pannal today. They are seen holding the pads.

At an event today at Vida Grange to mark the deal, James Rycroft, the managing director of Vida Healthcare, which owns Vida Grange, described the pads as a “welcome addition to our armoury”, He added:

“Sometimes people forget to use the alcohol gel but you can’t escape the Surfaceskins.

“The coronavirus pandemic took the world by surprise so we are trying to do all we can to protect our residents and staff.”

Read more:

• Care home visits in district may be allowed after October
• Harrogate hospital prepares for winter with 100 coronavirus beds

Mr Rycroft said new technologies and strict procedures were helping to protect residents.

Some staff at the care home have tested positive for coronavirus in recent weeks but, so far, none have passed the virus on.

Adam Walker, one of the inventors of Surfaceskins and a Harrogate resident, said:

“This product does not clean your hands but it is designed to keep itself sterile. We still need people to use gel dispensers and wash their hands. However, if you do that and use a dirty door you could still infect yourself. The Surfaceskin helps clean hands stay clean. It is a vital missing link.”

Mr Walker added the product was not a knee-jerk reaction to coronavirus. He said he came up with the idea about 10 years ago.

Two charities, based in Harrogate, have combined efforts to bring plans back on track for a new shop to open on Oxford Street.

Artizan International was struggling to meet its planned opening date of October 13 after Covid impacted its funding.

The charity offers local craft sessions for disabled people but the pandemic put its mission on.

The organisation also works with groups in Peru and Ecuador to design and produce fabrics used to make crafts for the charity to sell. Funding from these crafts allows the charity to continue supporting those struggling with poverty abroad.

But the lockdown in South America halted the supply chain, leaving the charity without the merchandise to sell in order to support those relying on them.

This prompted Harrogate Scrubbers to step in.

During the height of the pandemic the volunteers provided over 3,000 sets of scrubs for local health facilities and were just as keen to step in to help Artizan International sew some of the crafts.

Susie Hart, chief executive and founder of Artizan International, said:

“Our goal has been to empower and support differently abled people to provide them with the same opportunities in life, and in developing countries an income and employment so they can support their own families.

“The recent amazing donation of the premises on Oxford Street was a dream come true as it provided us with premises to showcase their work and increase the revenue we can generate for them.

“We are so grateful to the people who have come forward to help.”

The charity was overwhelmed by the support it received following its social media plea for volunteers.

Claire Strachan, a member of Harrogate Scrubbers, said:

“We have a group of over 850 volunteers who were an unstoppable team, with many feeling lost when the appeal came to an end. Asking the group to support the charity has given some group members that sense of purpose back and it is so inspiring to see the enthusiasm return.”

Artizan International has long-term plans for the shop. It hopes to open a cafe and provide employment for people with hearing difficulties.

It plans to continue support those with different abilities here and abroad, providing them with skills and a way to earn an income.

Harrogate Cat Rescue is urging owners to neuter their pets following a surge in the number of kittens.

Celia Dakin currently has 30 kittens at the organisation she runs from home in Harrogate. This is about double the norm, partly due to lockdown.

All of the animals must be vet checked and neutered before they can be adopted.

Ms Dakin said owners should do the responsible thing before allowing their cats outside to roam.

She said:

“I have more kittens in foster now than I had when I was working for a national charity, which is down to people not neutering their cats and of course the pause on the trap-neuter-return programme.”

The trap-neuter-return programme, which charities operate, prevents colonies of cats reproducing. The programme was stopped during lockdown, which has contributed to an increase in kitten litters.

Ms Dakin said owners needed to take responsibility for ensuring their cats were safe.

She added:

“I can’t stress how crucial it is. It may only cost an owner as much as a meal out. Each cat has its own needs and owners need to be aware of them. It is your responsibility as an owner.”

Cats often have several litters a year, as their pregnancies only last for nine weeks. Celia said that cats are controlled by their hormones, particularly males who will often fight for females.

Ms Dakin’s rescue centre offers all cats and kittens another chance.

She said she often saw social media posts by cat owners showing pictures of their unexpected kittens. They were often then given away, sometimes without vet check or neutering.

Read more:

• Harrogate cat rescue thrives over lockdown, rehoming 19 cats in three months.
• Puppy scammers target Harrogate mum trying to buy a puppy to train to help her disabled daughter. 

Ms Dakin hoped her rescue centre and social media posts would promote the message of neutering.

She said cats were treated as second-class to dogs.

“You wouldn’t have the same problem with dogs because they are much more protected but for cats there’s limited protection.”

A 19-year-old male from Harrogate appeared in court on Saturday less than 24 hours after being arrested on suspicion of possessing crack cocaine with intent to supply.

North Yorkshire Police’s Operation Expedite team, which tackles county lines drug crime, arrested the man on Cheltenham Mount, Harrogate on Friday morning.

Officers chased the male on foot after suspecting a drug deal was taking place.

A quantity of suspected crack cocaine was seized by officers.

The 19-year-old was charged with possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply and remanded in custody.

On Saturday morning, he appeared at York Magistrates’ Court (sitting in Leeds). The case has been sent for trial on November 9.

Read more:

• A suspected stabbing left a man with a punctured lung but the attacker was spared from prison. 
• The police said the stabbing on Harcourt Drive, Harrogate, is “not suspicious”. 

The police said typical signs of cuckooing – drug dealers taking over a vulnerable person’s home to sell and store drugs – are:

• Increased callers and cars at the property
• Increased antisocial behaviour at a property
• Not seeing the resident for long periods of time

Signs that a young person may be being exploited, include:

• Frequently going missing from school or home
• Unexplained money, clothes, or mobile phones
• Carrying weapons
• Significant decline in school results / performance
• Significant changes in emotional well-being

If anyone has any information, they can call North Yorkshire Police on 101. To remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

A further 35 coronavirus cases have been reported in the Harrogate district in the last 24 hours.

Latest Public Health England figures released today show the total number of cases in the district since the start of the pandemic has increased to 1,196.

Across North Yorkshire as a whole, 115 daily cases were also confirmed today.

Read More: 

• Harrogate hospital prepares for winter with 100 coronavirus beds
• Harrogate Mind increases services as demand for support grows

The weekly case rate county-wide stands at 88.7 per 100,000 people, according to the public body NHS Digital.

It comes as an IT error left 15,841 cases between September 25 and October 2 unreported across the UK.

The technical issue meant daily figures were higher than first reported. In Harrogate, 67 cases were confirmed on Sunday after the error was fixed.

Public Health England said those who tested positive had been informed. But those who had come into close contact with them were not.

A notice on the PHE coronavirus statistics page added:

“This means the total reported over the coming days will include some additional cases from the period between September 24 and October 1.”

Have you had experience of track and trace? Have you been contacted through the app or experienced delays related to the computer errors this weekend? We would like to hear from you. Contact us on Facebook or e-mail contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

North Yorkshire County Council has organised several events and launched a new app as part of Libraries Week, which began today.

The app enables library members to view their account, search the library catalogue and reserve and renew books, as well as download e-books and e-audio books.

The week, which promotes libraries, also includes online events and activities.

Despite library closures due to Covid, about 3,000 people joined the library service over lockdown and there was a big increase in the number of e-books and e-audio books borrowed.

In the Harrogate district, the community library in Bilton and the main Harrogate library are offering virtual story tellings on Facebook this week.

Four authors and the poet, Andy Croft, are holding virtual events for North Yorkshire residents.

To find the event schedule, click here.

Bilton and Woodfield Community Library is among the libraries taking part.

Harrogate library is also holding a superhero competition for families. Craft packs can be collected from the library by families and once completed their superhero will go on display in the library.

Read more:

• The home library service offered comfort and a pass time for those isolating through lockdown. 
• The proceeds from Summerbridge author’s first book will be donated to Yorkshire charity. 

Greg White, the county council’s executive member for libraries, said:

“Nowadays, many customers expect services to be available easily on their phone. This app aims to meet those expectations.

“You’ll be able to find a local library, check its opening hours and check whether a book you’re looking for is there.”

Libraries are open to the public but each one has a limited capacity to ensure social distancing.

As well as wearing a mask, visitors are asked to limit their visit to 20 minutes.