Minskip scarecrow weekend set to return

The annual scarecrow competition will be returning to the village of Minskip, near Boroughbridge, for the weekend of September 2 and 3.

The competition sees the village’s main street lined with scarecrows. This year’s theme is 100 Years of Walt Disney.

Debbie Hargreaves, one of the organisers, said:

“It’s absolutely wonderful how so many villagers have made scarecrows in the past and I expect the same this year. The competition has really caught the imagination of the village and the standard is incredibly high.

“It’s great fun and all proceeds from the competition go towards our lovely little church, which, like so many rural churches, is desperately in need of money.”

The competition will be judged by Radio York presenter Elly Fiorentini and the winners will be announced on the Sunday afternoon at 3pm in front of the church. There will be a barbecue, Pimm’s, tea and coffee, tombola and various stalls from noon to 4pm in the church garden on Sunday.

On Saturday, there will be refreshments for sale in the church garden.

Robert Beaumont, senior churchwarden of Minskip Church, said:

“I’d like to thank Debbie and the rest of my church council team for all their hard work, enthusiasm and imagination in creating this fantastic weekend. It will raise much-needed money for our lovely little church.”

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North Yorkshire Police urged to say sorry over LGBT+ ‘witch hunt’

The chief constable of North Yorkshire Police is being urged to apologise for her force’s past “witch-hunting of the LGBT+ community”. 

The call comes in a letter to North Yorkshire’s top officer, Lisa Winward, from the veteran gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell. 

In the letter, Mr Tatchell, who is director of the human rights organisation the Peter Tatchell Foundation, acknowledges North Yorkshire Police’s “current supportive policies towards the LGBT+ community”, calling them “excellent progress”.

But he adds: 

“The North Yorkshire police force was very homophobic in past decades and went out of its way to target consenting, victimless behaviour that harmed no one. It wrecked the lives of many LGBT+ people.” 

The foundation is spearheading the #ApologiseNow campaign, urging all chief constables to say sorry for what it calls their “past anti-LGBT+ witch-hunts”.

In his letter, Mr Tatchell describes behaviours he says were frequently exhibited by the police:

“In the decades before the full decriminalisation of homosexuality in 2003 in England and Wales, your officers went out of their way to target and arrest gay and bisexual men for consenting, victimless behaviour. They were often excessive, harsh, vindictive and cruel.

“There was a de facto policy of sometimes releasing the names, addresses and workplaces of arrested men to the media, which led to public humiliation, ostracism, evictions, sackings and even violent attacks.

“In some cases, gay bars, clubs and even private birthday parties were raided. Same-sex couples were arrested for kissing, cuddling and holding hands in the street. Heterosexual couples engaged in similar behaviour were not. This was malicious homophobic policing and it wrecked lives.

“Upon conviction, these men were often jailed and beaten in prison. Others were hit with huge fines. Many lost their jobs, homes and marriages. Some were bashed by homophobic mobs, driven to mental breakdowns and attempted or committed suicide.

“With the stigma of a criminal conviction for a homosexual offence, a lot of the victims of police shaming had great difficulty in getting jobs and housing. Their lives were ruined by the police targeting consensual acts that harmed nobody.”

Mr Tatchell added:  

“I hope that a formal apology will be made to the LGBT+ community. It would help further improve LGBT+ trust and confidence in the police, which is what we all want.

“We do not expect an apology from the police for enforcing historic homophobic laws. What we are requesting is an apology for the often abusive and threatening way those laws were enforced – ways that would be deemed illegal and unacceptable today.

The Metropolitan Police has already apologised for its past behaviour, and backed it up with a new LGBT+ plan for London and the appointment of LGBT+ community liaison officers in every London borough. Similar apologies have also been made by the chief constables of Sussex and South Yorkshire, but West Midlands Police has said it will not apologise.

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The Chief Constable of Northumbria, Vanessa Jardine, is the lead on LGBT+ policy among UK chief constables and has written to all chief constables supporting calls for them to say sorry. The appeal is also endorsed by the National Police LGBT+ Network, which is made up of serving LGBT+ officers.

Asked about the force’s response to Mr Tatchell’s letter, a North Yorkshire Police spokesperson told the Stray Ferret: 

“North Yorkshire Police has committed itself to an array of inclusion and diversity initiatives of late, and much of that has been publicised. 

 “In relation to the [Peter Tatchell Foundation’s] press release, we’re aware of what other forces have done and are keeping it under consideration.” 

In 2000, North Yorkshire Police was one of the first forces in the UK to establish a helpline for lesbian and gay officers and civilian staff.

More recently, its Equality Objectives 2020-24 document lays out several aims affecting the LGBT+ community, including: increasing awareness and reporting of hate crime and providing victims with appropriate support; improving the treatment of victims of crime, especially those with protected characteristics; and increasing the representation rates of LGBT+ employees in senior police roles. 

GALLERY: Duck race makes triumphant return to Boroughbridge

Boroughbridge Duck Race made a triumphant bank holiday return yesterday.

All 750 ducks were snapped up as people flocked to the River Ure for the fun.

The first duck race took place in 2019 but, due to covid, had not returned until this year.

Boroughbridge Lions organised the race to raise money for local causes.

Presentations took place afterwards at the Tap on the Tutt pub near the river.

Simon Wade, who owns the pub and was the force behind reviving the event, hopes the duck race will become an annual event.

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Here are some photos from the day taken by Pete Durkin.

Boroughbridge Lions volunteers prepare for the race.

 

Crowds line the bridge over the Boroughbridge to cheer on the ducks.

 

The ducks are released into the Ure.

 

Retrieving the ducks afterwards.

 

The event generated community spirit.

 

Lions members organised the event.

 

A late entry for the race.

 

The Tap on the Tutt was the focal point of duck race day.

Ripon and Boroughbridge firefighters called to factory blaze

Firefighters from Ripon and Boroughbridge were called to a fire in a factory yesterday.

An electrical fault in machinery used to make food stock caused the blaze, according to North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Crews were called to the factory at Hallikeld Close, Melmerby at 5.09pm.

The incident report added:

“Electrical wiring was destroyed, some fire damage to the room of origin occurred and smoke damage to the rest of the premises.

“Crews extinguished the fire using one hose reel and breathing apparatus.”

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North Yorkshire Police pledge bank holiday blitz on motorbikes

Motorcyclists in North Yorkshire will be targeted this bank holiday weekend as part of a police operation.

North Yorkshire Police will use a H2 Kawasaki Ninja unmarked motorbike equipped with cameras to gather evidence for prosecutions.

It will also deploy several marked and unmarked police bikes and cars and speed camera vans on key routes across the county.

The force said the “engagement and enforcement” was part of a National Police Chiefs’ Council operation on motorcycle safety this weekend.

It said the main priority was to reduce the number of road casualties.

Motorcyclists represent almost a quarter of fatal or serious injury collisions in the UK, despite making up three per cent of vehicles on the roads.

Many bikers take to the county’s vast road network for days out over the bank holiday.

Superintendent Alex Butterfield said:

“Everyone has the right to travel on the road safely. We believe that no one should be killed or seriously injured as a consequence of using our road network and we will continue to work together to prevent harm and make our communities safer.”

North Yorkshire released this video about the weekend campaign.

Firefighters battling stubble blaze in ‘ongoing’ incident

Firefighters on the edge of the Harrogate district are battling a stubble blaze which is being fanned by high winds this afternoon.

The fire, at Moor Monkton, extends across a 300-metre front in a field close to some pylons.

On arriving at the scene and seeing the scale of the problem, crews from Acomb, on the edge of York, requested assistance from two further fire engines. They are currently using hose reels and beaters to bring the fire under control.

The incident was logged at 4.52pm and at 5.20pm was described by North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue as “ongoing”.

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Knaresborough councillor ‘disgusted’ at council job ad with £82,000 salary

A councillor has criticised North Yorkshire Council for advertising a role with a salary of up to £82,000 at the same time as the authority attempts to plug a huge budget shortfall.

Cllr Matt Walker, who represents Knaresborough West for the Liberal Democrats, tweeted this morning about the council’s advert for a head of operations role in its waste collection team, which comes with a salary of between £73,755 and £82,065 plus a relocation package.

According to a report due before the council’s executive next week, the local authority is facing a budget shortfall of £30 million its first year and unless savings are found, £105 million will be need to be used from the council’s reserves over the next three years.

Cllr Walker tweeted:

“@northyorksc predicting a deficit of millions I’m disgusted that a job with this salary is been advertised. So much for savings.”

The new unitary council took over household bin collections from Harrogate Borough Council and waste disposal from North Yorkshire County Council when it was created in April.

The job advert said the successful applicant “will play a key role in bringing together and harmonising the council’s waste collection and street scene services across the county”.

Bin workers in the county who are part of the Unite union have been in a dispute over pay and have taken part in two four-day strikes in August with three more planned before the end of September.

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A Unite spokesperson previously said staff at a North Yorkshire depot were paid “some of the lowest rates in the country for doing a difficult and unpleasant job”.

In a follow up tweet about the job advertisement, Cllr Walker described the role as a “whole new level of bureaucracy”.

He added:

“We were sold the unitary on efficiencies and economies of scale. We don’t have enough waste collectors to collect our rubbish/recycling and a street cleaner is rarer than a unicorn.”

‘He’s chasing a headline’

Carl Les

In response, Cllr Carl Les, the Conservative leader of North Yorkshire Council, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:

“I’m disappointed with these remarks. Cllr Walker is clearly chasing a headline without understanding the issue. We will find efficiencies and savings in the new single council’s operation, and this is a good example.

“We are rationalising six previous posts, and are now recruiting one manager for the whole county. Far from knocking the service that colleagues work hard to deliver, Cllr Walker should be pleased  that there will be a single head ensuring that these vital and well-demanded functions will be managed to the best of our ability.”

Local Lib Dems call for investigation into ‘mass exodus’ of ambulance staff

Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats have called for an investigation after figures revealed a rise in staff vacancies at Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

Figures obtained by the party show the number of employees leaving the service annually had increased by 28.3% since 2019/20.

According to the data, in 2022/23 alone, 892 staff left the ambulance trust and its vacancy rate was 17% – the highest in the country.

By comparison, South Central Ambulance Service had the next highest with 16%.

Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough, called on the government to investigate the ‘mass exodus” of staff.

He added that a recruitment drive should be launched to retain, recruit and train paramedics and other ambulance service staff.

Mr Gordon said:

“This is deeply disturbing and there needs to be an investigation immediately.

“We are fortunate to have a great district hospital, and fantastic ambulance staff, but paramedics and our hospital are feeling the strain of years of Conservative neglect.”

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A spokesperson for Yorkshire Ambulance Service said the vacancy figure included vacancies for all service lines including emergency operations, non-emergency patient transport service and the NHS 111 urgent care service.

They added:

“While these figures look stark in isolation, it’s important to remember there is natural attrition in every organisation and many reasons why people choose to change jobs.  Yorkshire Ambulance Service is committed to increasing its workforce, including the number of frontline clinical roles.

“The nature of our work is diverse and very much focused on providing high quality patient care, and we are committed to supporting colleagues in a positive workplace environment.”

Martin Flaherty, managing director of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, added:

“There is no doubt that recruitment and retention of all grades of frontline staff ranks foremost in the priorities of the boards of each of our member services so of course it is worrying to see an increase in those leaving the ambulance service. 

“However, it is important to note that the data that was requested includes all ambulance staff groups, not just paramedics, including wider clinical roles and also non-clinical such as 111 call handlers and administrative staff. 

“There is also natural attrition in every organisation and many reasons why people may choose to move on in their careers. This is not unique to the ambulance service, and indeed there are recruitment and retention issues across the wider health and social care arena.”

Boroughbridge duck race returns on Sunday

A charity duck race will take place over the bank holiday weekend in Boroughbridge.

The first duck race took place in 2019 but, due to covid, has not been able to return until this year.

Sunday’s race is organised by the charity Boroughbridge Lions to raise money for local causes. It will take place from the weir to the bridge on the River Ure.

A total of 1,000 plastic ducks will race for the top prize of £200 cash. The owners of the first 10 to finish will all receive cash prizes.

The race starts at 11am and the winners’ presentation will take place at the Tap on the Tutt at 1230pm.

In a Facebook post about the event, Boroughbridge Lions said:

“Your bathtime duck pal is supporting our local community, you can too for only two Yorkshire pounds.”

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Ducks are sold by the lions club at the Fox and Hounds, Grantham Arms, and the Tap on the Tutt pubs in Boroughbridge.

Purchases can be made on the day at lions stall at the Tap on the Tutt.

Organiser Simon Wade told the Stray Ferret he hoped the duck race would become an annual event that will “grow year by year”.

Mother’s tribute to son, 18, who died in Harrogate district crash

A mother has paid tribute to her 18-year-old son who died in a car crash on the edge of the Harrogate district.

James Gomersall died in a collision on the B6265 near Score Ray Lane, between Whixley and Thorpe Underwood, on June 24.

Mr Gomersall, who was from Green Hammerton, was the front passenger in a blue Ford Focus when it collided with a silver Volkswagen Touran. He died at the scene.

Police issued a statement today in which Mr Gomersall’s mother described him as “truly amazing” and a caring brother to his four siblings.

She said:

“James was truly amazing in everything he did, he shone like the sun! He was so helpful around the house and would do anything for friends and neighbours and never expected anything in return.

“He leaves three brothers and a sister, two of whom have severe learning difficulties. He had so much care in him and so much patience. He was an amazing big brother; the best you could get, and they miss him so much.

“He loved animals; turtles, fish, cats and especially his dogs which he used to walk for miles, they too are missing him, waiting at the door for him to come home.”

She added:

“James had just got his first proper job and I was so proud of him but unfortunately, he never got the chance to start. There are so many things that James will never be able to experience; my beautiful boy taken far too soon at only 18.

“He was his dad’s right-hand man and he was my best friend, being without him is very painful and a piece of us all has died with him. Our family are devastated, and our hearts are truly broken, we will never be the same again.

“He is a ray of light in the dark, he is the rainbows in the sky, he is the warmth from the sun, he is everything, he was our world and so much more. He was just a brilliant man all round. They say God only takes the best.”

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An inquest into Mr Gomersall’s death opened on July 12. It was adjourned for a full hearing at a later date.

North Yorkshire Police has reissued an appeal for any witnesses to the crash to come forward.

A force statement added:

“Police are urging anyone who saw the collision or either car involved prior to it to get in touch. They would also like to hear from anyone who may have relevant dashcam footage.

“Anyone with information is asked to email PC Julie Brown Julie.Brown@northyorkshire.police.uk or phone North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Julie Brown. 

“Please quote reference number 12230116638 when passing information.”