Readers’ Letters: Harrogate partygoers ‘use my doorway as a toilet’

Readers’ Letters is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. 

This reader writes about the noise pollution and disruptive behaviour they have experienced since living on Parliament Street in Harrogate. The Stray Ferret has anonymised the reader’s details for security purposes.

I have owned a property at the bottom of Parliament Street for several years, although I only returned to live there full-time last March.

Whilst it’s great living in town, I could never have anticipated the level of noise pollution from the bars and adults celebrating until the early hours.

Shouting and screaming goes on most evenings – not ending until 4 or 5am. This was only made worse after North Yorkshire Council granted Mojo a license to remain open until 6am last year.

On some occasions it can sound very aggressive, and there have been times I felt so concerned that I reported it to the police.

I have also reported it to the council's environmental department, but I’ve received very little support. I have even spoken directly to the owners of these bars – yet there has been no improvement.

On top of all this, it’s not unusual to find that partygoers have used our doorway as a toilet. They discard food there and we often find vomit on our doorstep. Occasionally, we have even had to clear up blood after fights.

My question is: what are the local authorities doing about it?

Anonymous, Harrogate

The land train is a ‘noisy, smelly addition’ to the Valley Gardens

This letter comes after a land train operated in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens throughout the May half-term. However, it’s future in the town is uncertain, as we reported this week.

Do we really need a 'train' trundling through the Valley Gardens?

A Sunday afternoon walk was spoiled by this noisy, smelly addition to what should be a peaceful place to enjoy. Plus, it only had two passengers…

It was interesting to see more children enjoying the adventure playground than the fair.

Is this another entertainment Harrogate doesn't need?

Patricia Chapman, Harrogate

Operation Tornado should ‘become the norm’

This letter comes after North Yorkshire Police this week introduced a day of action, called Operation Tornado, to Harrogate. It saw 50 officers deployed across the town and resulted in a series of arrests.

At last, a chief constable who has introduced proactive policing. As a former Met Police officer, it should become the norm.

When the police decided to leave the streets and effectively become a fire service – attending only after the event – the criminals were given free reign to commit crime at their leisure.

Operation Tornado saw 50 officers descend on the streets of Harrogate and people were arrested for various offences – some serious.

This is a tactic we performed in London when I was an officer there and we had great success.

We, of course, went a lot further and had 20 officers on foot and two area cars patrolling the streets 24/7 just in Chelsea.

Some crime did happen, but as we were on the streets all the time we were available to make arrests.

I'd like to understand whether a reward system for informing police of obvious criminals would be of benefit now the police are not walking the streets 24/7. It could stop criminals committing crime on a first or continuing basis.

It may be in the short, medium and long-term a way of saving lots of angst and money, which would otherwise be caused by the crimes committed.

David Cooper, Topcliffe

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

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