Woman in 70s seriously injured after Harrogate collision

A woman in her 70s has been seriously injured after a collision in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police has appealed for information and dash cam footage of the incident which happened on North Park Road.

The woman, who was a pedestrian, was treated by paramedics and has been taken to hospital after being struck by a grey BMW 3-Series.

Police have also appealed for CCTV footage showing the grey BMW 3-Series in the moments before the collision, which was reported just before 4.10pm today.

A large section of North Park Road is currently closed to allow police to investigate.

Road closures are at junctions with Queen’s Parade, York Place, Harcourt Drive and other adjoining roads. 

Officers said the roads are likely to stay closed for some time and police are advising motorists to use alternative routes.

A North Yorkshire Police statement said:

“Anyone who witnessed the incident, or has footage of the collision or the moments leading up to it, should email Traffic Sergeant Jon Moss at Jon.Moss@northyorkshire.police.uk or call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and ask for Jon Moss.

“Please quote reference NYP13112023-0349 when sharing information.”

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Northern pledges to target persistent fare dodgers on its services

Northern has pledged to crackdown on persistent fare dodgers on its services.

The rail company, which operates services through Harrogate and Knaresborough to Leeds and York, issued the warning and promised to prosecute those who dodge fares for historic cases.

The move comes as the firm set up its digital fraud investigations team in 2021 amid a surge in digital tickets after the covid pandemic.

Around 70% of tickets on Northerns services are bought online.

Mark Powles, commercial and customer director at Northern, said: 

“Fare evasion hasn’t been as simple as people just not buying a ticket for quite some time.

“There are people who try to outsmart the system through a complex process of fraudulent refund requests, delay repay claims and a process known as ‘short faring’.

“What those people might not realise is that, as with any electronic transaction, our systems are able to identify suspicious activity and bring it to the attention of our specialist investigators.”

The company said it investigated 108,681 reports of attempted fare evasion in the 2022-23 financial year.

It attended 301 court sittings during the same period, helping to secure 14,072 convictions.

Northern said the prosecutions help to recoup £2.9 million in lost revenue for the taxpayer.

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Police release CCTV image after fight in Harrogate McDonald’s

Police have released a CCTV image of a man they would like to speak to after a fight in McDonald’s in Harrogate.

The incident happened on Sunday, October 15, and involved multiple people fighting in the fast food outlet on Cambridge Road at 4.30am.

North Yorkshire Police has arrested two men, aged 19 and 31, in connection with the incident.

Now, officers have released a CCTV image of a man they wish to speak to as part of their investigation.

A police statement added:

“Officers are asking members of the public to get in touch if they recognise the person in the images as they believe they will have information that will help the investigation.

“Anyone with any information is asked to email benjamin.ambler2@northyorkshire.police.uk

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

“Please quote reference number 12230195734 when passing on information.”

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Man in 90s dies after Harrogate collision

A man who was seriously injured after a collision between Harrogate and Killinghall has died.

The man, who was in his 90s, had just got off the bus when he was struck by a Ford Fiesta travelling northbound on Monday night (November 6).

He was left in a serious condition in hospital.

The incident took place on the A61, on the bridge close to the junction with Knox Mill Lane, at 5.50pm. A 36 bus stop is situated on the bridge.

This evening, North Yorkshire Police confirmed that the man has died.

A force statement said:

“His family have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.”

Officers have also appealed for witnesses and dash cam footage to help with the investigation into the collision.

Police added:

“Officers are continuing their enquiries and are renewing the appeal for information or dash cam footage.

“Anyone who could help the investigation is asked to email MCIT@northyorkshire.police.uk or phone 101, quoting reference number 12230211344.”

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Police release CCTV image after serious assault in Harrogate

Police have issued a CCTV image of a man they wish to speak to after a serious assault in Harrogate which left one man with a fractured skull.

The incident happened on Montpellier Hill at around 11.40pm on Monday, October 23.

Two men were assaulted after being kicked in the head and stamped on.

The assault left one of the victims with a fractured skull and requiring long term medical treatment.

Two men in their twenties have been arrested in connection with this incident. Both have been released on police bail while enquiries continue.

A North Yorkshire Police statement added:

“Officers are requested the assistance of the public to identify the man in the image, as they believe he may have important information which would assist their investigation.

“Anyone who recognises the man, or who witnessed the incident is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101 and speak to the Force Control Room. Please quote reference 12230201814.

“Crimestoppers can be contact anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

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‘Lone wolf terrorist’ plotted to blow up RAF Menwith Hill, trial hears

A would-be “lone wolf terrorist” plotted to blow up part of a hospital and an RAF base near Harrogate, a court heard today.

Mohammad Farooq, 28, a clinical support worker, downloaded material from extremist Jihadi groups and online guides on how to make a bomb, then set his sights on RAF Menwith Hill and St James Hospital, a jury was told.

Prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford KC, prosecuting at Sheffield Crown Court, said that Farooq’s “Plan A” was to target the RAF and radar base and when that didn’t come off, he turned his attention to the hospital in Leeds where he worked at the time and was said to harbour a grudge against certain colleagues, namely nurses. 

Farooq’s initial plan was to target the US spy base at Menwith Hill but he also planned to blow up part of the hospital and go on a terrorist spree with a firearm, a homemade bomb and a kitchen knife, with the aim of “killing as many people as possible”.

Mr Sandiford said:

“By January 2023, we say that the defendant had become a self-radicalised lone-wolf terrorist who had made preparations to commit a murderous terrorist attack in Yorkshire.”

At about 5am on January 20, Farooq was arrested outside the Gledhow Wing of St James Hospital.

Mr Sandiford said:

“The defendant was in possession of a viable improvised explosive device assembled from a pressure cooker and containing 9.9 kilos of low explosive.

“He had with him, either on his person or in a bag from his car parked nearby, two knives, black tape and a blank-firing imitation firearm.

“The crown’s case is that he had gone to that hospital to commit a terrorist attack (and) seek his own martyrdom by detonating the explosive device and using bladed weapons to kill as many people as possible.

“The crown says it is likely he intended to use the imitation firearm to induce the police with (what would inevitably be) a response to such an incident to give him a martyrdom that he believed would bring him the seven blessings of the martyr and direct entry into Jannah, or Paradise.”

He said it was only “two pieces of good fortune” that averted a major terrorist atrocity and the potential loss of many lives. 

Mr Sandiford added:

“The defendant’s first plan of attack at St James Hospital was to send a bomb threat, that there was a bomb inside the hospital, with the intent of causing an evacuation while he was waiting in his car in his car park – waiting to detonate the improvised explosive device and then attack any survivors with the bladed weapons.

“He sent that bomb threat by text message when he was outside the hospital in his car. The first piece of good fortune is that the person he sent it to was another nurse at the hospital. 

“She was off duty at home, watching TV, and didn’t see or act upon the message for over an hour. And so, there is the defendant, sat outside waiting for an evacuation that did not occur.”

When people inside the hospital were finally evacuated, it was only a “part-evacuation”, with people being moved within the hospital, not into the car park where Farooq had been waiting.

Mr Sandiford said:

“When the evacuation happened, the defendant drove away.”

He returned to St James a short time later with a new plan of attack which was to carry the weapons including the homemade bomb into the Costa Coffee cafe inside the hospital wing, wait for a change of shift so that it would be full of nurses, “then detonate it, killing as many of them as possible”.

However, “luck intervened again” when a patient having a cigarette outside the entrance bumped into Farooq and “noticed that something appeared to be amiss with the defendant”.

Police were called to the scene and arrested the alleged terror plotter. He was said to be “co-operative and frank” with officers, telling them that the patient had “talked him down”.

Plan to bomb RAF Menwith Hill

The pressure-cooker bomb was made safe by a military bomb-disposal team as police began to run checks on Farooq’s movements prior to the alleged planned attack.

Analysis of his iPhone and his movements in his Seat Ibiza showed that he had also targeted RAF Menwith Hill. 

Mr Sandiford added:

“They found he had become self-radicalised by accessing extremist material and propaganda online containing material published by Islamic State and Al Qaeda.”

Farooq had viewed and downloaded extremist documents and videos on TikTok and lectures by radical preacher Anwar al-Awlaki, the Yemeni imam and leading Al Qaeda figure who was killed in an American drone strike in 2011.

He  also obtained bomb-making instructions from Inspire, a magazine published by Al Qaeda to “encourage lone-wolf terrorist attacks against the west”, particularly the US and UK.

Mr Sandiford said the bomb guide, said to be written by a man referred to as the “Al Qaeda Chef”, was clearly aimed at an “American audience”.

He added:

“The defendant identified RAF Menwith Hill, the US base in North Yorkshire, as a target for a terror attack.

“The reason for that was because RAF Menwith Hill had been designated as a target for lone-wolf terrorists by Islamic State because it was believed that the base had been used to co-ordinate drone strikes against terrorists in Syria and Iraq.”

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Using cell-site technology, police discovered that Farooq had made at least two visits to the RAF base between January 10 and the day of his arrest on January 20. 

Farooq, who appeared for the first day of his trial today, later admitted that he had the explosive device with him when he went to the air base but claimed he had just gone there “for a drive”. 

The internet history on his phone also showed he had been following guidance from another Al Qaeda publication called ‘Safety and Security Guidelines for Lone Wolf Mujahideen and small cells’.

The terror guide recommended that the would-be Mujahideen, or Jihadi solider, should have a ‘Plan A’ and a ‘Plan B’ when planning a terrorist atrocity.

He also “obtained instructions for the preparation and manufacture…of five deadly toxins as nerve agents”, namely Ricin, Sarin, VX, Tabun and Tetrodoxin. 

In addition to downloading bomb-making instructions, Farooq bought a blank-firing imitation firearm and carried out internet research on how to convert it into a weapon capable of firing live ammunition. 

Sheffield Crown Court.

Sheffield Crown Court.

On the ‘Open Source Jihad’ page of Al Qaeda’s terrorist magazine, there was a “map or plan” of RAF Menwith Hill, with an “arrow or flag pointing to Harrogate to the east”.

In the ‘Notes’ section of Farooq’s mobile phone, police found a series of notes in which the alleged would-be terrorist wrote that he “felt alone”.

The notes suggested that Farooq had a “very low sense of self-esteem”, said Mr Sandiford.

In the notes, Farooq said he had “a lot of demons” and was “tired, exhausted and mentally drained”.

He also wrote: 

“I’m hoping there’s a little light in the daily struggles I’m facing. To me, love is a (daily struggle) because I’ve never (found it)”. 

Mr Sandiford added:

“The crown says that the defendant certainly found a purpose (in life) in what he was planning to do in January of this year.”

He said that Farooq had downloaded an image of a lion with the caption ‘If you want to be strong, plan how to fight alone’, which Mr Sandiford said may have been a veiled reference to “the lone Mujahideen”.

Farooq, of Hetton Road, Roundhay, has already admitted possessing an explosive substance in suspicious circumstances, possessing an improvised explosive device and pyrotechnic fuses.

He has also pleaded guilty to possessing a document likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism and having an imitation firearm with criminal intent, namely a Gediz 9mm PAK semi-automatic pistol, and possession of the same imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

However, he denies plotting or engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts and the prosecution must prove intent to cause injury to people and property.  

The trial continues. 

Police continue investigation into Ilke Homes factory theft

Police are continuing an investigation into a break-in at Ilke Homes’ factory at Flaxby.

The modular housebuilder, which employed 1,150 staff, entered liquidation this month. Nearly all staff lost their jobs.

Thieves stole “a large amount of equipment” from the factory off the junction 47 of A1(M) on August 19 – just two days after it had been auctioned by administrators to realise the value of assets on behalf of creditors.

In a report, AlixPartners, which handled the administration, said it had filed an insurance claim over the incident.

It added that the suspects had cut through “several secured gates to enter with various vehicles” and refused to leave despite police attendance and “continued to breach the buildings on site”.

Administrators said they were forced to increase security at the site after the trespassers had left on August 20 after being served an eviction notice.

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This included an agreement with North Yorkshire Police for two officers to remain at the factory for additional support.

AlixPartners said a claim with the company’s insurance provider “remains ongoing” and an update will be given during the liquidation process.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Police whether any arrests had been made in connection with the break-in.

A statement from police said:

“The investigation is ongoing and the appeal for witnesses still stands.”

It comes as Ilke Homes, which was founded in 2018, was placed in liquidation this month owing £320 million in debts.

According to its report, AlixPartners estimated that HMRC, employees and unsecured credits are likely to receive no money.

Ripon man denies impersonating police officer to steal scooter

A Ripon man has denied impersonating a police officer to steal an electric scooter.

Harley Stacey, 18, appeared before Harrogate Magistrates Court this morning (October 27) and spoke only to confirm his name, address and enter a plea.

He denied a charge of impersonating a police constable with intent to deceive in Harrogate on March 18 this year.

Stacey also pleaded not guilty to dishonestly making a false representation as an officer to steal an electric scooter for himself on the same date.

In a statement at the time, North Yorkshire Police said the alleged incident happened in Bilton.

The 18-year-old, of Cedar Close in Ripon, was granted conditional bail ahead of his next hearing.

Magistrates set a trial date of January 16 and 17 at York Magistrates Court.

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Woman racially abused in Harrogate Tesco Express

Police have issued an appeal to find a woman who was racially abused at Tesco Express in Harrogate.

It happened at around 10am on Thursday, October 19, at the store on Cambridge Road.

Officers said a woman was reported as being racially abusive and aggressive towards an Asian woman, who is yet to come forward and report the incident.

The suspect is described as a white woman, about 5ft 6, with dark brown shoulder length hair.

A North Yorkshire Police statement added:

“Officers are appealing for information to help identify the victim of this abuse and to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

“Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should email Jacob.higgins@northyorkshire.police.uk

“You can also call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for PC Jacob Higgins.

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

Please quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12230198588.”

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Man arrested following Ripon burglary

A man has been arrested following a burglary in the Ripon area.

Matthew Segger, 35, from Darlington, was wanted in connection with an incident in August this year.

North Yorkshire Police had appealed for information about his whereabouts last week.

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