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16
Oct
Police chase through Harrogate leaves questions unanswered
A dramatic police chase through the centre of Harrogate, and sights of ‘armed police’ at Valley Gardens, has left more questions than answers.
At around 1.45pm on Wednesday (October 14), ‘armed police’ were spotted in Valley Gardens, a source informed the Stray Ferret.
While no police were there when a reporter arrived, witnesses confirmed that helmeted police had parked on Harlow Moor Drive and entered the gardens through the gate next to the play area.
They showed us a photo, showing at least three police cars parked in the area, and reported that they ‘looked like armed police but hadn’t seen any guns’.
After asking police about the incident, the Stray Ferret was informed that no incident “at Valley Gardens or the surrounding area for all of today” could be found on the system.
A number of residents on a Harrogate Facebook page shared what they had seen, including some stating they’d seen “five police cars speeding down Montpellier” and “a huge chase going on”.
The Stray Ferret put these claims to the police, and after stating that incidents can be hard to find as they log between 600 and 800 a day, provided the following statement:
Officers attempted to stop a Volvo XC40 car on Hookstone Road in Harrogate at 1.26pm yesterday afternoon (October 14), the vehicle failed to stop and a pursuit commenced through Harrogate town centre.
The driver abandoned the car outside Harrogate Convention Centre, and the car was recovered. Enquiries are ongoing to locate the driver.
If you have any information that could assist our investigation, please contact us online in the first instance and quote reference 12260202334.
The Stray Ferret pressed for information on the purpose of the ‘armed police’ in Valley Gardens and were not given a statement. However, it's believed that there is a link between the police presence and the car chase.
We try to find answers for readers about serious incidents, and reports of armed police in Valley Gardens fall into this category. But on this occasion, the response leaves questions unanswered.
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