Firefighters were called to a car fire in the Aldi car park in Knaresborough yesterday.
A full-time crew from Harrogate was joined by on-call firefighters from Boroughbridge to deal with the incident.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service was alerted to the incident at 5.54pm.
It’s incident report gives no details other than to confirm the fact that firefighters attended.
The car was situated close to the store’s main entrance and eye-witness reports said the site at Swallowtail Way was evacuated.
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Council flattens bike track in woods near Harrogate
North Yorkshire Council has flattened an unofficial bike track created by off-road cyclists in woods near Harrogate.
Cyclists have ridden the makeshift route in Oak Beck Park, which runs alongside Oak Beck on land behind Aldi and Pets at Home, for years.
But the council has removed parts of it following complaints about “vandalism and unauthorised structures”.
Its actions have led to concerns of heavy-handedness towards young people pursuing their hobby.
Cyclists have used Oak Beck Park for years
Barrie Mason, the council’s assistant director for parks and grounds, said:
“We have acted in response to complaints from the public and local conservation groups about vandalism and unauthorised structures in Oak Beck Park over recent weeks.
“The structures have been built over and along footpaths, in areas of high footfall, putting other park users at risk.
“The building of these structures has damaged the surrounding park, including the digging out and removal of three large sleepers from a set of steps, large holes dug into the woodland embankment and across the woodland floor and trees cut down and damaged.”
Mr Mason added excavating large quantities of soil and rock, creating unstable structures and riding bikes over footpaths “is damaging to the local ecosystem and creates hazards and conflict with other park users”.
He added:
“There is an existing historical informal bike track, which is still in situ and has not been dismantled. The structures removed are only those that have been recently created.
“Our action is led solely by the desire to protect the environment and for the safety of everyone who uses the park.”
The council’s actions led to comments on social media saying bike trails and jumps had been “completely demolished”, ruining a healthy hobby among young people. One said:
“Then the council go on about kids up to no good. No wonder, there is nothing else to do. Don’t see anything wrong with them having a bike trail.”
Another added:
“They just want to ride their bikes and chill out.”
Oak Beck flows through the woods
Cllr Monika Slater, the Liberal Democrat councillor for Bilton Grange and New Park said “it was a real shame” to lose something that was “used regularly and enjoyed by many young people”.
She said she was talking to the council to try to find a solution, adding:
“I realise its unofficial, but it’s not doing harm and it has been there for a while.
“I want to keep dialogue open with the council to get something back in place, but that’s in it’s early stages.”
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Police seek man after electric bike stolen from Harrogate Aldi
Police have issued a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to after an electric bike was stolen outside a Harrogate supermarket.
The incident happened at Aldi on Old Beck Road at about 3.10pm on Saturday, April 15.
North Yorkshire Police said in a statement today:
“The bike had been left secure outside the store. A man entered B&Q next door, then rode the bike away.
“Officers are asking members of the public to get in touch if they recognise a man pictured on CCTV, as they believe he will have information that will help the investigation.”
A full length image of the wanted man.
Anyone with any information is asked to email joanne.fawectt@northyorkshire.police.uk or call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for PC 371 Joanne Fawcett.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Quote reference number 12230066912 when passing on information.
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Aldi names Harrogate as ‘priority location’ for new store
Aldi has included Harrogate on a list of 30 priority locations for new supermarkets.
The German giant wants to increase its number of UK stores from 990 to 1,200. It currently has supermarkets in Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough in the Harrogate district.
The company said in a press release today it “plans to invest more than £400 million in store development over the coming year” and published a list of 30 priority locations.
Harrogate and Scarborough were the only two North Yorkshire locations on the list.
Aldi already has a store on Oak Beck Road in Harrogate, close to the site where Tesco has planning permission to build a supermarket.
The company offers a finder’s fee for agents who recommend a site, which is either 1.5% of a freehold price or 10% of the first year’s rent for leasehold sites.
It is looking for freehold town-centre or edge-of-town sites that are around 1.5 acres and can accommodate a 20,000 sq foot store with about 100 parking spaces.
Giles Hurley, chief executive at Aldi UK, said:
“Demand for Aldi has never been higher here are still some towns and areas that either don’t have access to an Aldi or have capacity for additional stores.”
Harrogate was also included in a list of desired locations by Aldi last year.
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Drone shots reveal progression of new Knaresborough Road Lidl
Drone shots of the new Lidl on Knaresborough Road reveal work is progressing ahead of opening later this year.
They were sent to us by Stray Ferret reader Darren Leeming and show that the supermarket looks almost complete from the outside, with solar panels also installed on the roof.
It will be the first Lidl to open in Harrogate, following the branch in Knaresborough.
The multi-million-pound building includes a 1,263 square metre sales area, an in-store bakery, customer toilets and 94 parking spaces.
Credit: Darren Leeming
The new store will be open from 8am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday.
The German-owned company is currently on a recruitment drive for the new store. A Lidl spokesperson said:
“We are delighted to confirm that construction of our new Lidl store on Knaresborough Road, Harrogate, is well under way.
“The store is due to open this autumn and we are currently hiring for open vacancies, so would encourage anyone interested to visit our careers website.
“We look forward to sharing more information with the local community closer to the time.”
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Bystanders smash car window to rescue four dogs in Harrogate
Bystanders in Harrogate had to smash a car window today to free four dogs who were trapped for 40 minutes without even a window open.
Ruth Watson and her partner had been shopping at Aldi on Oak Beck Road at around midday when they spotted the labradors who were visibly distressed and barking in the sweltering heat, which has topped 38 degrees today.
Dogs in hot cars can suffer from potentially fatal heat stroke in as little as 15 minutes.
Ms Watson told the Stray Ferret she went inside B&Q, which is next door to the supermarket, to ask staff to broadcast a message on the tannoy to try and find the owner but there was no response.
A group had congregated around the car with people bringing buckets of water ready to cool them down.
She said:
“It is upsetting. I got a little upset but I was more angry than anything else.”
Quick thinking staff at the DIY store used a hammer to smash open the window and set the animals free.
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Fortunately, there were vets working at the nearby Pets At Home who were able to give the animals immediate medical attention. However, one of the dogs had to be carried away and Ms Watson said it looked in poor health.
The owner eventually came out to the car but Ms Watson said “He seemed oblivious like he’d done nothing wrong.”
She added:
“He’s not a responsible dog owner. Questions should be asked if he’s competent enough to have animals”.
Abi Linden was also shopping at the time and spotted the incident take place. She said what she saw was “appalling” and called on the police to take action against the owner.
She said:
“The sheer stupidity in leaving the dogs in this heat without even windows open. It made me so angry”.
A North Yorkshire Police officer was believed to have attended the scene. The Stray Ferret has asked NYP for comment on the incident. We have also asked the vets for an update on the dogs.