North Yorkshire Police has released a CCTV image of a man it wants to speak to following a burglary at Ripon Rugby Club.

The clubhouse was broken into at 10.47pm on December 18 and bottles of alcohol were stolen from the bar.

Officers today appealed to the public to get in touch if they recognise the man pictured or know where he can be found.

A statement from police added:

“Anyone with any information is asked to email paul.griffiths@northyorkshire.police.uk or call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Paul Griffiths.

“If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

“Please quote reference number 12220223467 when passing on information.”

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• ‘Deeply alarming’: Harrogate council uses CCTV from Chinese Communist Party controlled firm
• Harrogate council charge police over £110,000 for CCTV since 2016

A leading civil liberties group has said it is ‘deeply alarming’ that Harrogate Borough Council uses CCTV cameras supplied by a company controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, and with links to the Uyghur ‘genocide’ in Xinjiang.

HIKVision CCTV cameras have already been banned in the United States over security concerns.

But a report from Big Brother Watch this year revealed almost three-quarters of local authorities use CCTV manufactured by the company, as do many NHS trusts, police forces and schools.

The council has 212 CCTV cameras in total across the district. They are in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon town centres as well as at leisure centres such as the Hydro and Ripon’s new Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre.

The Stray Ferret sent a freedom of information request to the council asking how many of these cameras were made by HIKVision and was told the number is 86.

HIKVision cameras come at the cheaper end of the market, making them a popular choice for cash-strapped local authorities but critics say they come with other, more sinister, costs.

As well as being used in Uyghur detention camps, software flaws have connected the CCTV cameras back to servers in China leading to fears about spying by the repressive state.

A CCTV camera — one of 212 in the district — overlooking the Royal Hall.

Detention camps

The Uyghurs are a predominantly Muslim ethnic group in north west China who face persecution and oppression by the ruling Chinese Communist Party.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have published reports that accused China of crimes against humanity. A UK-based independent tribunal last year ruled Beijing was guilty of genocide.

The BBC has captured evidence of HIKVision CCTV cameras being used to monitor the Uyghur population in the Xinjiang region, as well as in so-called ‘detention camps’ where it’s estimated over a million Uyghurs have been locked up.

Last year, MPs on the foreign affairs committee published a report that said cameras made by Hikvision “have been deployed throughout Xinjiang, and provide the primary camera technology used in the internment camps”.

Madeleine Stone, legal and policy officer at civil liberties group Big Brother Watch said:

“It is deeply alarming that Harrogate Borough Council is purchasing and using Hikvision cameras to monitor members of the public.

“Taxpayers’ money should not be funding a company so closely linked to the Uyghur genocide in Xinjiang. Chinese state-owned CCTV companies have no place in the UK and the government should act now to ban them.”

China has denied all allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang. 

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Security concerns

As well as the ethical question marks around HIKVision cameras, there are also fears that the cameras could compromise security and be used for spying.

Whilst there is no direct evidence of HIKVision providing data gathered from CCTV cameras to the Chinese state, there was an instance in Italy last year where hundreds of HIKVision cameras suddenly started connecting to a server in China.

The incident in Italy was rare but Big Brother Watch has also reported other “security holes” in one of the company’s main remote viewing software tools that could connect directly to servers in the country.

A CCTV camera on Cambridge Street – one of 212 in the district.

Chris Aldred, Liberal Democrat councillor for Fairfax and chair of the council’s overview and scrutiny commission, said the security implications were potentially “very worrying” for the district. He said:

“It would be very worrying if our cameras in Harrogate district suddenly started transmitting their images anywhere else, not just China.

“I know from my own personal CCTV training within the security Industry that there are, quite rightly, very strict regulations as to who can view CCTV images and for what purpose, even the police have to apply for permission and follow strict guidelines.”

The council publishes an annual report about its use of CCTV but it does not mention who manufactures the cameras.

Cllr Aldred added:

“What is happening in the Uyghur detention camps is truly appalling and it is disappointing that Harrogate Borough Council has ultimately bought our cameras from the same company whose technology is undoubtedly aiding what is happening there”.

Cllr Aldred said he will ask the council if it has concerns about HIKVision, and if it has plans to remove the cameras.

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said:

“HIKVision CCTV cameras are used extensively by local authorities across the UK, as they are known for capturing high-quality footage that can prove invaluable when a crime is committed.

“Like all other organisations that use CCTV, we follow a code of practice, comply with the Data Protection Act, and our system is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office.

“We await further guidance from central government on any future use of HIKVision cameras.”

The Stray Ferret approached HIKVision for comment but we did not receive a response.

North Yorkshire Police has released CCTV images of two men they want to speak to after an unprovoked assault in Ripon.

The incident happened near Booths supermarket, Marshall Way, between 4am and 4.30am on Sunday, July 3.

A man in his 30s suffered serious facial injuries and required hospital treatment following the assault.

Officers said the two men pictured in the CCTV are believed to have been part of a larger group which was present when the assault happened.

A police statement added:

“Officers are asking members of the public to get in touch if they recognise either man.

“Anyone with any information is urged to email Sam.Clarke2@northyorkshire.police.uk or call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for PC Sam Clarke.

“If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Please quote reference number 12220116042 when passing on information.”

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The team behind a major search operation for a missing dog in Harrogate have said they will not stop looking for the beloved pet.

Emily Watson’s white bichon frise, Molly, was spooked by another dog and ran away in Nidd Gorge on June 23.

Her last sighting was near the viaduct on the Bilton/Ripley cycle path.

Ms Watson has faced online abuse due to the length of the search, with people saying she should not continue.

However, she has vowed that she will “never give up” and has thanked the community for their continued support.

The search also faced a setback this week when a camera set up to attempt to track Molly was vandalised.

Jen Bell, who has been part of the team helping Ms Watson, told the Stray Ferret:

“We are working behind the scenes with professionals whose time, expertise and equipment are provided on a voluntary basis.

“One of the cameras on loan to us was vandalised recently and the SD card was thrown or dropped further along the road.

“A member of the public found the SD card but we found that the perpetrator(s) had tampered with it, meaning that we have lost 24 hours of footage.

“Consequently, this has hindered our search for Molly. We are however a strong team supporting Emily, and we endeavour to continue our work with the professionals in finding Molly.”

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Ms Watson has put out regular appeals on Facebook to help find the missing dog and a group called Missing Molly has also been set up.

Posters, banners and flyers have also been displayed and given out in the area.

In an outpouring of support, the community has been out in force searching for Molly, who was wearing a purple harness when she went missing.

Volunteers have also come forward with thermal drones, a dog tracking team and thermal cameras.

Many have continued the search into nightfall.

Residents have also checked their smart doorbells and CCTV cameras for sightings.

Ms Watson is now asking residents in the surrounding villages of Harrogate to keep their eyes peeled.

She said:

“I will carry on for as long as is needed in the search for Molly.”

Harrogate Borough Council has charged North Yorkshire Police over £110,000 to check and supply its CCTV footage since 2016, the Stray Ferret can reveal.

The council has a network of 212 CCTV cameras across the district to help prevent and detect crime. It has a manned control room that operates 24/7.

But it does not supply footage to the police for free and last month the Stray Ferret reported it asks the force to pay a fee of £57 per hour for the service.

We submitted a freedom of information request to the council that asked how much it has charged North Yorkshire Police in total since 2016.

The answer revealed a total bill of £114,005, which amounts to about £20,000 a year on average. The sum fell noticeably during covid lockdowns in 2021/22.

The annual breakdown is below:

• 2016/17 £23,410
• 2017/18 £19,598
• 2018/19 £20,251
• 2019/20 £18,992
• 2020/21 £13,400
• 2021/22  £18,354

Crime prevention

Ripon has been plagued by well-documented anti-social behaviour and crime in recent years.

The council operates 10 CCTV cameras in the city but Andrew Williams, the leader of Ripon City Council and the North Yorkshire county councillor for Ripon Minster and Moorside, said the charge deters police from following up crime reports.

He said:

“It is ironic that Harrogate Borough Council’s homes and safer communities team appears more interested in making commercial charges to the police, rather than working in partnership with them to help in the detection and arrest of criminals.”

Cllr Andrew Williams

Cllr Williams calculated that the £18,354 charge for the last financial year worked out at less than one hour of CCTV footage a day.

He suggested this means NYP is being selective in which footage it requests and could be missing out on catching criminals.

He added:

“When considering the size of the Harrogate district and the number of CCTV cameras installed across it, that indicates that police, with pressure on their budgets, are having to be selective in their purchasing of footage and only calling on the services of the HBC CCTV monitoring team for the most serious incidents that they are investigating.”

“At a public meeting in Ripon last month, police admitted that nobody had been arrested for the vandal attacks, in part because they could not pinpoint the exact time of each incident and would have to go through hours of footage, which would not necessarily provide the quality of footage required to identify an individual or individuals.”

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‘Shameful’ charges

Business owner Andrew Hart, who owns the Red Box post offices in Bilton and Starbeck, has previously raised concerns about anti-social behaviour in both areas.

Mr Hart has two private CCTV cameras in his post offices. He said he supplies any footage to the police for free if they ask for it and called the council’s decision to charge “shameful”.

The council currently operates one CCTV camera in Starbeck.

Andrew Hart

He said:

“We are often needing to refer back to our two CCTV systems on both police and private request. It is something we do out of a sense of duty to both the community and in our joint responsibility to fight anti-social behaviour.

“Yes, it takes time and costs us money but we all have to do our bit, surely. I think it is shameful that any council should charge our grossly overstretched police for this service.”

Council’s response

A council spokesperson said:

“CCTV across the Harrogate district, which is owned and managed by Harrogate Borough Council, has ongoing infrastructure and running costs.

“As well as the costs to maintain the service, there are also costs associated with a CCTV control room, staffing and the on-going safe storage of footage.

“Should anyone wish to obtain a copy of any footage, this would require an appropriate individual reviewing it first, followed by providing the footage securely along with a witness statement. All while adhering to the Data Protection Act 1998.

“Therefore, any third-party that wishes to view and use any CCTV footage – such as an insurance company, enforcement agency or the police – is charged to do so.”

North Yorkshire Police declined to comment.

North Yorkshire Police want to speak to a man in relation to alleged homophobic chanting in Harrogate.

Police today issued a CCTV image of the man they want to talk to.

A statement said officers were investigating a possible hate crime. It added:

“The incident happened on King’s Road in Harrogate near Bambino’s takeaway around 11.45pm on 28 May 2022.

“A group of men were reported to be singing a homophobic chant.”

The statement urged anyone with information to email geeta.maharjan@northyorkshire.police.uk or call 101, select option 2 and ask for 0740.

Or, if you’d prefer to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 1222009231.

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North Yorkshire Police want help to identify a man seen climbing on top of a red car in Harrogate causing damage to its bodywork.

The incident took place on Skipton Road on Thursday, May 19 at around 11.35am when the man, who is described as skinny, aged 22 and with brown hair, managed to get on the car’s roof.

He was wearing a navy blue short-sleeved shirt, orange shorts and black trainers.

A second man was also at the scene and is described as skinny, around 20 years old and with blond hair.

He was wearing a red shirt, black Adidas trousers with white stripes down the sides, and white trainers.

If you recognise either man pictured in the CCTV or can provide any other information about the incident, email geeta.maharjan@northyorkshire.police.uk or call 101, press option two and ask for Geeta Maharjan.

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North Yorkshire Police has released CCTV images of a man thought to have information about a burglary at a home in Harrogate.

The burglary took place on Fawcett Drive in Harrogate at about 2am on Friday, May 6.

A man is reported to have entered a property and removed a wallet and cash. No further details have been released.

Police are asking members of the public to get in touch if they recognise the man in the images as they believe he could have information that will help the investigation.

Further CCTV images released by police of the man they want to talk to.

You can call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for PC 950 Fitzsimons or email leah.fitzsimons@northyorkshire.police.uk.

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

The crime reference number 12220076667.

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Police have identified a man they wanted to speak to after money was removed from a cash machine at Asda in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police issued CCTV images of the man after £150 that was left on the cash machine from a previous transaction was taken.

Police were not aware of any attempt that had been made to return the cash to its owner.

The incident happened at Asda on Bower Street at 10.23am on Sunday, May 1.

In an update on May 27, police said they had identified the man and we have therefore removed the images of him from this post.

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