Anyone with information should call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and quote incident number 12230127884.
To pass on information anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
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Missing Harrogate boy, 12, found safe and well
Police have confirmed that a missing Harrogate boy has been found.
The 12-year-old went missing from his home in Harrogate on Wednesday (June 21).
North Yorkshire Police has since confirmed that the boy has been found safe and well.
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CCTV footage released in search for missing Sophie
North Yorkshire Police has released CCTV footage in the search for missing Harrogate woman Sophie Lambert, 22.
Sophie was reported missing from her home in Starbeck at 10.10pm on Friday having last been seen by her family at 7.20pm before she left the house.
CCTV footage taken on the night she disappeared shows she was wearing dark trousers, a black top with a white adidas logo and dark shoes with a white sole. She had her hair tied back and was carrying a bottle with a pink lid.
Concerns are growing for Sophie Lambert.
A police statement said:
“Concerns are growing for her welfare and North Yorkshire Police are currently making extensive house-to-house enquiries to help find her.
“Police searches have continued today in the Nidd Gorge area with assistance from search and rescue.”
Sophie is described as white, 5ft 3in with a slim build
She has a distinctive scar on her forehead which is likely to be noticeable.
The police statement added:
“If you have seen a woman matching Sophie’s description or photograph, please call North Yorkshire Police immediately on 999, quoting reference 12230110845.”
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Police issue CCTV images after man left unconscious in Harrogate
Police are appealing for help to trace two men in connection with an incident in Harrogate that left a man unconscious.
It happened at the Foundry Project in The Ginnel on March 11. The victim was taken to hospital for treatment before being discharged.
North Yorkshire Police has today issued three CCTV images of the two men officers would like to speak to, saying one had a “distinctive white hat”.
A spokesperson for the force said:
“Officers are appealing to anyone who can help identify the men in the image, including one who was wearing a distinctive white hat, as they believe they will have information that could assist the investigation.”
Anyone who can provide information should email stephen.mangham@northyorkshire.police.uk, or call 101, select option two and ask for PC 1604 Mangham.
To report information anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111, quoting reference 12230044921.
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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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Two children admit Knaresborough graffiti outbreak
Two children have admitted being responsible for an outbreak of graffiti in Knaresborough.
Graffiti appeared throughout the town early this month, including on Knaresborough House and on High Bond End and Boroughbridge Road.
A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said today:
“Following enquiries, those who were responsible for the graffiti — two children aged 14 and 15 — have been identified and have taken responsibility.
“They have agreed to a community resolution disposal and will be taking part in removing the graffiti and will be receiving an appropriate educational and restorative input to teach them about impact of graffiti on the community and local businesses.”
Community resolution disposals are usually issued to remorseful first-time offenders and do not constitute a criminal record.
Some of the recent graffiti
The clerk of Knaresborough Town Council told the Stray Ferret it had been “very concerned about the amount of graffiti” that had appeared recently.
The clerk said individual councillors had been trying to tackle the problem with the help of CCTV, adding:
“Knaresborough Town Council is currently asking for more CCTV coverage behind Knaresborough House.”
She added the mayor, Cllr Kathryn Davies recently organised a drop-in session with the police on Stockwell estate following reports of anti social behaviour in that area.
Graffiti at Knaresborough House
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Former Harrogate council charged county council for CCTV footage
Harrogate Borough Council charged North Yorkshire County Council £28,000 last year to view CCTV related to parking fines, according to a report.
The report, which will go before councillors on the new North Yorkshire Council tomorrow, outlines the financial performance of parking enforcement in the county.
It includes details of how much money the now-abolished North Yorkshire County Council spent on traffic management and on-street parking in 2022/23.
Harrogate Borough Council, which was also abolished last week, manned its own CCTV centre which had control over a network of 212 cameras across the district.
However, if another organisation wanted access to its video they had to pay an hourly fee. This included North Yorkshire County Council, which had responsibility for on-street parking in Harrogate.
The council also charged North Yorkshire Police to obtain footage to support prosecutions in court. This led to comments from some councillors and members of the public who felt public bodies should share footage free of charge.
Chris Aldred, Liberal Democrat councillor for High Harrogate and Kingsley, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the issue of who pays for the CCTV control centre in Harrogate has been “a bit of an historic running sore”.
He said:
“My understanding is that North Yorkshire County Council used to contribute to the CCTV provision across Harrogate district until a few years back, then they rather unceremoniously and at the last minute in one particular round of budget cutbacks, took the decision to pull out of an annual commitment to assist with their funding.
“It’s quite expensive to provide, not the actual kit, although that’s not cheap, but the officers who have to do the monitoring and then provide the footage for court — and they only pay for what they actually use.”
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But the debate over which council should pay for CCTV in Harrogate is now over with the introduction of the new unitary council that launched on April 1 and now owns the control centre.
North Yorkshire Council’s assistant chief executive for local engagement, Rachel Joyce, said:
“North Yorkshire County Council was previously charged to access open space cameras in the Harrogate district in order to assist its highways team with day-to-day operations such as traffic monitoring. This made best use of an extensive CCTV infrastructure.
“In the new council, we have the opportunity to look at our CCTV network across the county. Our aim is to maximise the existing CCTV infrastructures, explore opportunities for enhanced partnership working including how CCTV control rooms are funded.”
Police issue CCTV appeal to find man after Knaresborough assault
North Yorkshire Police is appealing for help to to identify a man captured on CCTV as part of an investigation into shoplifting and assault.
The force issued a statement this afternoon, which said:
“Officers would like to speak to him about a number of shop thefts in the Knaresborough area, including one at the One Stop shop on March 7 when a member of shop staff was also assaulted.
“They believe he may have information that could assist the investigation.”
Anyone who can help identify him is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, and pass information for incident number 12230042029.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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Harrogate district CCTV control room not manned due to staff shortages
A control room monitoring more than 200 CCTV cameras in the Harrogate district has not been manned at times over the last year due to staff shortages.
The control room, run by Harrogate Borough Council, oversees cameras operating 24 hours a day in Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough.
Control room staff are able to respond to police reports and track suspicious activity. Police can buy the footage to use as evidence in pursuing crimes.
Julia Stack, community safety and CCTV manager at the council, was asked by Councillor Victoria Oldham at a meeting of the council’s overview and scrutiny commission this week whether the room needed to be staffed.
Ms Stack replied the priority was to “man that service for 24 hours a day”, adding:
“I will be honest,. We have had some challenging issues in terms of recruitment within the last 12 months so there have been times when we have been unable to have the staff there but the cameras will be recording.”
Ms Stack added the team was now “almost at full complement of staff”.
Cllr Oldham, a Conservative who represents Washburn, replied:
“I’m aware of two incidents last week when it wasn’t manned and one of them could have been very embarrassing.”
Julia Stack speaking at the meeting
Ms Stack said the service worked closely with police but added:
“There’s always the risk we may be dealing with one location and there may be something happening in another one. That is down unfortunately to consistent funding cuts to the service.”
The long-term future of the service when Harrogate Borough Council is abolished at the end of this month and North Yorkshire Council takes over is unclear.
Scarborough and Northallerton also have CCTV control rooms in the county and Ms Stack the service overall was inconsistent and would be reviewed.
Cllr Windass speaking at the meeting
Councillor Robert Windass, a Conservative who represents Boroughbridge, said Boroughbridge had been “kicked out” of Harrogate Borough Council’s CCTV monitoring system years ago.
Cllr Windass said Boroughbridge Town Council now provided CCTV and, unlike Harrogate Borough Council, did not charge the police for accessing it. He said:
“If the police request footage for any crimes there is absolutely no charge because we consider it a valuable service we should provide and support to the police.”
Cllr Mike Chambers, the Conservative Cabinet member for housing and safer communities, replied:
“I agree it is a service that is valuable to the police. But we have a control room that has staff. If we don’t levy charges as many other departments within this council do then how do we pay for the staff?”
CCTV overlooking Harrogate’s Royal Hall
‘Limited resources’
After the meeting, the Stray Ferret asked Harrogate Borough Council about the control room staff situation and what will happen to the service when the council is abolished in four weeks.
A council spokesperson said:
Appeal to trace suspect after assault in Harrogate“Our CCTV control room is in Harrogate and has five operators and one CCTV and business crime operations officer, as well as a small pool of casual staff who work alongside full-time officers, who are responsible for surveillance of cameras covering Knaresborough, Harrogate, Ripon and council buildings.
“They also undertake reviews and produce evidence for the police and other third parties, operate a RadioLink service and support a business crime partnership.
“Like ourselves, North Yorkshire Police have limited resources and even if the control room report an incident to the police, there is no guarantee that they are always in a position to respond straight away. Therefore, we ensure cameras record 24-hours a day, 365 days a year so that our staff can aim to get the best evidence to assist with any incidents.
“Closures are kept to a minimum and shifts are extended with staff work overtime to ensure sufficient support for the CCTV control room.
“In recent months, we have seen a limited number of applicants to the roles available. And once appointed, each post is subject to police vetting which takes times to be thoroughly carried out, followed by a two-month training period.
“However, we can confirm that two new appointments have recently been made.
“From 1 April there will be no change to the service.”
Police are appealing for CCTV footage around the Granby Road area after a man was assaulted in Harrogate.
The victim was approached by an unknown man on Granby Road and assaulted, leaving him with minor injuries to his hand, wrist and ankle.
It happened on Monday, January 23, around 2.20pm.
Police describe the man they want to speak to as white, aged in his late 20s to early 30s, and around 6ft tall with dark, mid-length hair. He was wearing a red coat and carrying a dark rucksack.
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:
“We’re now requesting the public’s assistance to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
“In particular, our officers are keen to hear from any local residents that may have CCTV or doorbell cameras which may have caught the incident.”
Anyone with information that could help the investigation should email beth.long@northyorkshire.police.uk, or call 101, select option two, and ask for Beth Long.
To report information anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, quoting reference number 12230013525.
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