Editor’s Pick of the Week: Vape shop crackdown, Harrogate sporting heroes and Knaresborough land train blues

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North Yorkshire Police described it as one of its biggest ever operations — a countywide crackdown on organised crime, particularly retail crime, which led to 36 arrests, including four in Ripon, on Wednesday.

Codenamed Super Tornado, it involved Home Office immigration officials, vape shop raids and one of the most imposing coppers ever seen. You wouldn’t want to mess with this guy, seen here arresting someone in York. Talk about the long arm of the law.

At 5 ft 6ins, Harrogate golfer John Parry doesn't cut quite the same figure, but he packs plenty of power off the tee.

Parry hit his second hole-in-one this season at the Open de Espana in Madrid last weekend. “I actually did hit a good shot,” he said somewhat understatedly afterwards.

The feat earned him a BMW iX3 worth about €90,000 and followed his hole-in-one at the Open at Royal Portrush in July. Parry has won €1,530,000 so far in what is easily his best season ever and is well placed to qualify in the Race to Dubai.

These are also heady times for Harrogate Town, who are playing in their fourth season in the English Football League. Manager Simon Weaver will take charge of his 700th match at Colchester United today — a remarkable achievement by someone who will probably only be fully appreciated when he’s gone. He spoke to us about some of his highs and lows ahead of today’s milestone.

Harrogate Theatre hosted a Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce event o monthly. The Victorian venue never fails to impress when you enter but it takes some upkeep. These are tough times financially for the theatre, but chief executive David Bown reminded business leaders of the value of arts to the town, pointing out that 2,500 paying punters attended events at the theatre and Harrogate Convention Centre last Saturday night, when ex-cricketer Freddie Flintoff was in town. Car parks, bars, restaurants and hotels all benefited.

These are also difficult times for those trying to get a Knaresborough land train off the ground. Funding bids to trial the idea have now fallen through with North Yorkshire Council and York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority. They only need about £2,000 to trial the idea — which is probably the equivalent of a first-class return family trip from York to Truro.

The train would bridge the steep gulf between Waterside and the town centre. A laudable, and possibly a profitable idea, although Waterside residents don’t seem that keen. Has the idea hit the buffers?