A 16-year-old girl from Harrogate has been arrested following reports of multiple damaged cars in two streets in Harrogate.

Four vehicles and some sunflowers were damaged on St Andrew’s Avenue and Fairfax Avenue, between 2.15am and 2.40am on Sunday morning.

The girl has been released under investigation as the police continue their enquiries.

Detective Sergeant Alex Jackson said:

“A 16-year-old girl was arrested following reports of cars and sunflowers being damaged in Harrogate and has been released under investigation whilst enquiries are ongoing.

“Anyone with any information, CCTV or dash cam footage that can help our investigation should please come forward and speak to us.

“If there are any further victims who have had their cars damaged in the area recently, please report it to us if haven’t already done so.”

Anyone with information is being asked to call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and quote the crime reference number 12200165553.

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North Yorkshire Police are appealing for witnesses after a spate of house burglaries in the Harrogate area in recent days.

The incidents occurred on Beckwith Road, Grove Street, Hutton Gate, Chatsworth Place and St John’s Road from Tuesday to Friday.

Burglars entered the homes through insecure doors and took car keys, house keys, a wallet and a handbag, which were within easy reach,

A North Yorkshire Police statement said:

“We are requesting the public’s assistance to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incidents, including details about youths who have reportedly been going door-to-door trying for any insecure premises.

“If you have seen any suspicious vehicles or persons please contact the police.”

Police have urged people to keep their houses secure at night.

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Anyone with information can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Elizabeth Estensen . You can also email elizabethestensen@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

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

Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12200162246.

The son of the police officer who lead the investigation in to Dennis Nilsen is running this year’s London marathon for the Harrogate Police Treatment Centre.

Simon Jay is the son of DCI Peter Jay, who is currently being portrayed by actor Danny Mays on ITV’s drama Des.

The programme, whose last episode aired last night, follows the police investigation into the London serial killer which resulted in a life sentence for six counts of murder and two of attempted murder.

Simon speaks of his father as his “hero” and says seeing him on the screen is “strange”. Peter Jay died only a few months before the ITV researchers contacted him, and since then Simon has met them to offer his father’s files and information on the case.

After suffering with his own mental ill health, Simon works within that sector and closely with the Police Treatment Centres charity.

Simon said:

“It’s very strange – he’s always been my hero so it’s nice for everyone else to see him like that – it makes me very proud.

“It took five years to research – although it’s a drama it does tell the story as it would have happened. The only difference is that he wouldn’t have been scared of anything at the crime scene, but it’s to get the drama across.

“He was a little more assertive and would always take control, when Danny says, ‘He gets away with nothing’, that was Dad all over.

“I think he’d have been quite embarrassed by the show, but he would have liked that all the officers were highlighted rather than just him. To him it was just a job.”

Simon, with his mum Linda and dad Peter three months before he passed away.

Simon is running this year’s virtual marathon in aid of the Police Treatment Centres, including its service on Harlow Moor Road in harrogate. The charity treats around 4,000 police family patients each year from across the country, offering support for physical and psychological injuries.

He added:

“I was blown away by their dedication to police officers. They are so passionate and I knew they needed more support and I wanted to help.”

To support Simon, click here.

A spokesperson for the Police Treatment Centres said:

“We are delighted that Simon is taking part in the Virtual London Marathon in aid of The Police Treatment Centres. Simon has worked alongside us for some time now to facilitate a roll-out of the Thrive mental health app for our patients.

“As a charity, we rely heavily on donations. Whilst we had to close our residential facilities during the pandemic, we lost income. Fundraisers like Simon play a key role in raising the funds we need to ensure we are there for future generations of the police family.”

A police officer has alleged that he was bitten and spat at by a man claiming to have coronavirus in Harrogate.

The police attended a shop on Railway Road at around 5pm to reports that a 32-year-old man was being abusive and threatening towards customers and staff.

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When the police got there the suspect allegedly resisted arrest and said he had coronavirus.

They managed to arrest a man from Bradford on suspicion of racially-aggravated abuse. He remains in police custody for questioning.

After a 12 hour shift, the last thing I expect is my colleague to have to visit A&E after a suspect bit him & spat in officers faces during arrest in #Harrogate The individual is now in custody for numerous offences & thankfully my colleague is safely home #ProtectTheProtectors pic.twitter.com/IrAQCN52ef

— Sgt Paul Cording BEM (@OscarRomeo1268) September 10, 2020

In the arrest one of the officers was spat at and suffered a bite to the hand. He needed to attend A&E for medical treatment.

North Yorkshire Police said the officers adhered to coronavirus safety measures throughout the incident and appealed for witnesses to come forward.

Anyone with information has been urged to contact the force on 101 and quote reference number 12200158787.

Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555111.

Police are appealing got information after a number of cars were damaged along St John’s Road in Harrogate around 11.30pm on Tuesday.

Three youths – one girl and two boys – dressed in dark clothing are believed to have been involved.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said:

“We are requesting the public’s assistance to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

“In particular, we are appealing for any witnesses who saw the damage take place or for any CCTV or doorbell-camera footage which may have captured something relevant.”

Anyone with information should call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Jessica Deacy – 1568.

To remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. The reference number is 12200157107.

Read more:

• Police are appealing for information after a man was assaulted during the day on Sunday. 
• The police made over 160 drug arrests in Harrogate between January and July this year. 

A total of 166 drug arrests were made in the Harrogate district between January and July this year.  North Yorkshire police said it is committed to continue its drive to tackle the issues caused by county lines drugs.

The arrests include all drug offences, other than drug driving. Across the whole of North Yorkshire there were 808 arrests and the Harrogate district ranked the third highest area for arrests.

County lines is a serious issue for the police in Harrogate – which now has one of three dedicated teams in the county.

This form of organised crime sees drug dealers from more urban areas exploit vulnerable people, including children, and force them to deal drugs in smaller towns and cities.

Acting Superintendent Andrew Colbourne of Harrogate, said:

“The exploitation of young people and vulnerable adults, and the levels of violence associated with county lines makes it a foremost priority for North Yorkshire Police and its partners.

“Proactive policing also plays a big part in the number of drug arrests. We have dedicated teams across North Yorkshire Police – including Harrogate –  that target the supply of drugs and work alongside partners to protect vulnerable people on a daily basis. Information from members of the public is also vital.

The Stray Ferret has previously reported on police raids in an attempt to combat drug crime. In March we reported on parent’s concerns about how easy it was for their children to get access to drugs.  

Superintendent Colbourne, added:

“Enforcement activity has not stopped as a result of the coronavirus pandemic – indeed, over the last few months, we have executed a number of warrants to tackle suspected drugs offences.”

Read more:

• What is county lines and what are the warning signs for parents?
• Lockdown blamed for the increase in recreational drug use in Harrogate.

The police said the public can offer vital information that results in arrests. Any suspicions involving exploitation or drug dealing should be reported to the police or Crimestoppers.

North Yorkshire Police is urging for vigilance following an increase in burglaries on new home development sites across the district.

During the past 24 hours, two incidents have been reported. One at a new site one in Langthorpe, near Boroughbridge, and the second in Penny Pot Gardens in Harrogate.

Boilers are the main item to be stolen. The perpetrators are cutting the gas and water pipes before removing the boilers, meaning some of the homes are left flooded.

Other targeted locations in the district include Knaresborough and Ripon. Furnishings valued at £70,000 were stolen from two show houses at a site in Knaresborough. In Ripon, a dumper truck was stolen from a site in the nearby village of Markington.

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The police are asking local residents to keep an eye out and report any suspicious activity.

It has also asked if any CCTV overlooking any of the targeted sites is checked for activity such as large vans driving around the sites.

Information can be reported using the 101 number, dial 1 and pass the information onto the Force Control Room.

The police made 20 arrests over a single weekend on roads around Harrogate, Knaresborough and Skipton as part of a campaign to tackle drink driving.

The highest reading of the weekend was 144ug/100ml – over four times the legal limit – by a women from the Knaresborough area driving in York.

Operation Attention follows a summertime peak in drink driving. The efforts by the police are to put on a “show of force” to deter drink or drug drivers and catch offenders.

A total of 23 arrests were made between August 14 to 17. Out of those arrests, 10 were found to be over the legal alcohol limit – 35ug per 100ml of breath.

Other offences included speeding, with one driver caught driving at 80mph within a 30mph zone.

Traffic Sergeant Andy Morton from the Road Policing Group said:

“The results send a clear message that if people choose to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs and break the law, there are consequences to your actions and officers will catch you. We are here to protect the public’s safety on the roads of North Yorkshire and by catching these people. The local community can be confident that these drivers will pay the price by being given lengthy bans, significant fines and even prison sentences.”

Read more:

• One man has died and another is injured after a serious incident in Harrogate town centre on Sunday night. 
• A man from Boroughbridge has been jailed after taking indecent images of a three year-old girl. 

Last weekend’s operation involved specialist road policing officers, special constables and local policing teams and more than 50 drivers were stopped.

The operation has ran from July 13 to August 16, a total of 171 people have been arrested for drink and drug drive offences across North Yorkshire.

A woman who lives near Thruscross Reservoir has found more than 30 pellet wounds in her cat.

Clare Brandstrom found her one-year-old cat Elvis in the garage on Wednesday morning in a bad state.

She believed that an animal had attacked him so took the cat to the vets. The vet examined him and found pellets all over his body.

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They managed to remove around 10 pellets near the surface of his skin but did not remove the ones which were more embedded.

The vets are hopeful that Elvis will manage to survive with the pellets in his body provided that the wounds do not get infected.

It is not the first time that Mrs Brandstrom has found her cat with gunshot wounds. Her other cat Jarlie also lost an eye a few years ago.

Mrs Brandstrom told the Stray Ferret that she has reported this latest incident to the police and added:

“It is really alarming. I thought at first that animals had done this to Elvis. When we found out that he had been shot we realised we were right. The person responsible is an animal. Elvis is such a gentle cat, he would never hurt anything. He is still purring now and it breaks my heart.”

Heather Eastham worked on Elvis at Crab Lane Vets in Harrogate and told the Stray Ferret:

“There is no way that anybody could mistake this young cat for any other animal. We believe that this was a malicious attack. It is just disgusting to see. This is definitely one of the worst cases we have dealt with. I have never seen this many pellets in an owned cat before.”

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police has appealed for anyone with information that could identify the culprit to call them on 101 with reference 12200139610.

Police are warning Knaresborough residents to stay vigilant after a series of suspicious incidents, including three men approaching houses in the Aspin Avenue area last night.

The men were reported to be trying car doors and approaching houses around 12.30am. There have been no reports of thefts or burglaries.

Earlier in the evening, police received reports of a residential home on Manor Road being entered between 8.30pm and 9pm. It is unclear if anything was taken.

The combination of incidents has led police to warn residents in surrounding areas to take further precautions to ensure the safety of their valuables.

The police are warning residents to ensure their houses and valuables are secure.

North Yorkshire Police has offered advice to improve home safety:

• Keep all valuables, including car keys, out of sight and away from windows or letterboxes.
• Look at windows and their access points. Be aware of nearby bins and furniture that could be used to reach windows.
• Make sure there is a clear view at the front of your property. Burglars don’t want to be seen or heard and if they’re likely to be spotted they may move on.

Read more:

• Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with burglaries in Harrogate and Knaresborough. 
• Harrogate police has warned residents of a rise in fraudulent door to door sellers.

Local police have also ask residents to check any CCTV that they have of these areas overnight. Anything suspicious should be reported to police on 101, quoting the reference number 12200134639.