Police are appealing for information after a teenage girl was assaulted by a group of teenagers in Bilton on Sunday.

The incident happened at 5.50pm on the iron bridge behind Woodfield Primary School.

The girl was approached by a group of six or seven youths believed to be about 13 or 14 years old. One of the boys pushed her over, which resulted in bruising.

They were wearing dark hooded jackets and black joggers.

Read More:

• Police appeal after CCTV camera damaged in Ripon
• Increased police patrols after vandalism at Stonefall park

North Yorkshire Police is asking for help to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for PC 822 Cleary. The reference number is 12210092122

You can also email jonathan.cleary@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

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

A woman near Harrogate and a man in Ripon were caught almost three times over the drink-drive limit during an Easter weekend roads blitz by North Yorkshire Police.

Elsewhere in the district, a motorbike passenger had to be airlifted to hospital with serious injuries after coming off a bike in Pateley Bridge.

North Yorkshire Police released details of the incidents yesterday after stepping-up its presence on the roads over the four-day weekend.

Units were deployed to popular tourist areas, including the Dales, for the operation, codenamed Op Boundary.

It was prompted by the easing of some lockdown restrictions, sunny weather and the long weekend.

Eighty traffic offence reports were issued for offences including using mobile phones while driving, speeding and ignoring red lights.

A speed check over the weekend.

Eight vehicles were seized for having no licence or insurance.

Read more:

• Nine county lines arrests in four days in Harrogate.
• Doncaster man jailed for 11 years after a spate of ATM thefts including one in Starbeck.

Traffic Sergeant Pete Stringer, who led Op Boundary, said:

“We’ve dealt with some serious road offences over the last few days and Op Boundary allowed us to focus on reducing collisions in key areas and keeping the roads as safe as possible.

“But it also meant our units were strategically deployed so they could tackle other offences, such as theft and burglary, which involve the use of our road network.

“North Yorkshire’s roads aren’t racetracks and anyone who uses them illegally will be dealt with as robustly as possible. This is just the start of this intensive and hard-hitting campaign and we’ll continue this approach throughout the summer.”

Four days of police action targeting county lines drug dealing in Harrogate has resulted in nine arrests.

As well as the arrests, cocaine and heroin to an estimated street value of £2,600 was recovered. Eight mobile phones, one large hunting knife, £500 cash and other drugs were also retrieved.

In one incident, two men were arrested after being found with 26 bags of suspected MDMA, also known as ecstasy, and cocaine in a pizza box. The 18 and 28 year old have been released while under investigation.

According to a press release by North Yorkshire Police, four county lines operations took place on four days in February and March.

North Yorkshire Police worked alongside the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit to make the arrests.

Funding was given by the Home Office and the National County Lines Coordination Centre.

The operations also revealed a new county line impacting Harrogate.

A total of 76 welfare visits were made to vulnerable people considered to be at risk of county lines exploitation. They were told how to spot the signs of county lines activity as many don’t recognises themselves as victims.

During one operation, officers arrested four teenage boys from Leeds, one aged 16 and three aged 17, who were believed to be staying with a vulnerable person in Harrogate in a practice known as cuckooing.

This is where drug dealers stay in the homes of vulnerable people while selling drugs.

One of the boys was charged with possessing heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply and is awaiting trial. The other three remain on police bail while the investigation continues.

Another man, a 30-year-old from Southampton, was arrested in Harrogate. Officers found 11 wraps of suspected cocaine. He was also released under investigation.

Detective Sergeant Marcus Dawson of Harrogate-based Operation Expedite said:

“The safeguarding of vulnerable people continues to be a key focus of our work and these nationally funded days of action are very welcome, providing a boost to our existing proactive work, and allowing us to protect more people and disrupt more drug dealers.

“They also give us an opportunity the gather more intelligence about drug dealing. Members of the public can also help us protect vulnerable people by calling in information.”

Click here for help if you’re a parent or care and believe a child you care for is involved in drugs and drug dealing.

Read more:

• Police appeal for witnesses after a CCTV camera is damaged in Ripon.
• Doncaster man jailed for 11 years after numerous ATM thefts including one in Starbeck.

Spot the signs of cuckooing and exploitation

• Increased callers at a property
• Different accents at a property
• Increased antisocial behaviour at a property
• Not seeing the resident for long periods of time
• Unfamiliar vehicles at the property

Spot the signs that a young person may be exploited by drug dealers

• Persistently going missing from school or home and/or being found out-of-area;
• Unexplained money, clothes, or mobile phones
• Excessive receipt of texts/phone calls
• Relationships with controlling or older individuals or groups
• Suspicion of physical assault or unexplained injuries
• Carrying weapons
• Significant decline in school results
• Gang association or isolation from peers or social networks
• Self-harm or significant changes in emotional well-being

North Yorkshire Police appealed today for witnesses after a CCTV camera on Bondgate in Ripon was damaged.

Police said the incident occurred at about 9pm on Sunday, February 21.

They issued a rather grainy CCTV image of a person wearing a mask who they hope to speak to about the incident.

Anyone who recognises the person, or has any information, is asked to call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option two and ask for PC Sarah Hargreaves.

Or email the officer at sarah.hargreaves1995@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

To remain anonymous contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 and quote police reference number 12210064248.

Read more:

• Police searching for the van driver who failed to stop after timber feel off his vehicle into the windscreen of another. 
• A man from Killinghall has been jailed after driving at a police car twice. 

A Doncaster man has been jailed for 11 years after targeting nine cash machines across Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire including Starbeck.

George Tunney has been sentenced today at York Crown Court on charges of conspiracy to cause explosions and to burgle. As well as theft and handling stolen goods following the offences committed in January and March 2020.

Just a few months after being released from prison, Tunney began his first spate of burglaries in January 2020 in the Doncaster and Hull area.

In a second spate in March that year an ATM at the Co-op in Starbeck was targeted alongside The Post Office in Shepshed, Leicestershire and the Jet garage in Adwick near Doncaster. One of these crimes saw Tunney steal over £35,000 in cash.

In between January and March the 24-year-old targeted a further three cash machines in Grantham, Mansfield and Nether Poppleton.

His numerous offences caused in excess of £60,000 worth of damage to a number of businesses,

A few days after the second spate of attacks Tunney was found along the River Ouse near the York Designer Outlet after fleeing from the North Yorkshire Police officers.

Tunney pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to 11 years in prison, plus banned from driving for eight years.

Read more:

• A man from Killinghall has been jailed after he drove at a police car twice.
• Local fire crews attended a bench on fire near the Pinewoods over the weekend, the cause is thought to be deliberate.

North Yorkshire Police Detective Superintendent, Fran Naughton, said:

“The sentence given to Tunney today is a clear demonstration that this type of crime will not be tolerated.

“Not only did Tunney and his associates endanger many lives through the dangerous use of explosives, some of which were deployed at fuel forecourts, they caused well in excess of £60,000 damage to a number of businesses.

“These businesses provide essential local services to their communities and many were out of use for extended periods of time whilst repairs were made.”

A young driver had a “real scare” last night when a piece of timber reportedly fell off a van and smashed into her car’s windscreen.

The incident happened on Studley Road near the River Laver Holiday Park last night at around 9.45pm. The 22-year-old driver of the Fiat 500 suffered a minor head injury.

North Yorkshire Police is now looking for the driver of the van, who failed to stop after the crash and continued to drive towards Ripon city centre.

Read more:

• Increased police patrols after vandalism at Stonefall park
• Twitter backlash against police social media changes

Police have also described the vehicle they are looking for as a dropside van with a white cab and silver sides.

Officers found this timber the smash.

David Minto, the police officer who attended the incident, tweeted the following last night:

“A real scare for this driver tonight in Ripon. Her windscreen was struck by a piece of timber that wasn’t secured/loaded correctly by another driver.

“Unfortunately the offending vehicle didn’t stop after the RTC. Driver has sustained a minor head injury.”

Anyone with information has been urged to call 101 and quote reference 12210089276.

Police are appealing for information about a 56-year-old missing man who it is thought could be in the Ripon area.

Ian Kowalczyk was last seen near his home in Stanningley, near Pudsey, just before 10am on Friday.

Mr Kowalczyk has links to North Stainley and it is thought he could have travelled there.

West Yorkshire Police described him as white, 5ft 11ins tall, slim build, with short brown hair that is starting to go grey.

He was last seen wearing a padded camouflage coat, blue jeans, and brown Sketchers trainers.

The man was driving a silver Kia Ceed, registration RJ12 HNK.

Ian Kowalczyk’s car

In an update released yesterday, Michael Herbert, of Leeds District CID said:

“Ian has been missing for five days now and we remain very concerned for his welfare and urgently need to find him.

“His family believe he could have travelled to the village of North Stainley where he has past connections. We would like to hear from anyone who may have seen him in that area or the silver Kia Ceed he is driving.

“We have no information to confirm that he is there and would still like to hear from anyone who has seen him or his car anywhere else since he went missing.”

Anyone with information can call Leeds District CID on 101 and quote reference number 2069 of March 26. Or use this online live chat.

Read more:

• Cunning Harrogate motorists are now using coded birdwatching terminology to warns others of police speeding vans.
• Ripon supermarket worker jailed for inappropriate videos of children.

A paedophile who collected numerous sex videos involving children and encouraged a girl to expose her breasts on the internet has been jailed for nearly two years.

Timothy Cheesbrough, 35, from Ripon, trawled the internet for inappropriate pictures of children as young as four, York Crown Court heard.

He downloaded videos of children being raped and sexually abused and depraved movie clips featuring “erotic” dancing by a young girl, said prosecutor Julian Jones.

Cheesbrough, a supermarket worker, visited numerous websites, including one in which he used video technology to encourage a girl, aged between 12 and 13, to expose herself.

He first came to the attention of police in September 2018 after they were tipped off about illegal online activity linked to his computer IP address, mobile phone number and associated Yahoo email accounts with female usernames.

Police searched his flat on September 27 2018. Cheesbrough was initially arrested on suspicion of the possession and distribution of indecent images.

He refused to answer police questions but forensic analysis of his internet devices, including an iPhone, desktop computer and hard drive, revealed a collection of more than 170 illegal child images.

These covered of all levels of seriousness including 61 Category A images and videos – the worst kind of such material.

Prosecutor Mr Jones said some of the Category A videos were “particularly disturbing” and included girls between four and 12 years old being raped by adult males.

In one of the recorded videos – from a website frequented by like-minded individuals – Cheesbrough, and possibly others, urged a girl in a school uniform to expose an intimate part of her body.

Mr Jones said:

“The female remains unidentified.”

Cheesbrough, of Kirkgate, had used PowerPoint software to record the live-streamed video, added Mr Jones.

Read more:

• A man from Killinghall who headbutted a police officer has avoided jail.
• Police appeal for help following theft from Harrogate Co-op.

The Ripon man admitted three counts of making indecent images and one of causing or inciting an under-age girl to engage in sexual activity.

Temitayo Dasaolu, Cheesbrough’s defence, said her client had embarked on his nefarious online activities after becoming socially isolated because he was working night shifts at the supermarket.

She said:

“He accepts he fell into this offending out of curiosity.”

She added Cheesbrough had mental health problems and had been extremely distressed since his arrest in 2018. He had since sought professional help and had been planning to set up his own electrician’s business.

Judge Sean Morris told Cheesbrough:

“You have fallen into the trap that the courts see often: of becoming addicted to surfing the internet looking for pornography, which has descended into actively seeking out (indecent images of children).

“It’s bad enough looking at illegal images of children, but when an adult male goes online and takes part in the incitement of a child to engage in indecent behaviour, that I’m afraid is so serious that it can only be met by an immediate prison sentence.”

“That child will soon realise that images of her are out there. What that will do to her mental health, one can only speculate.

“It was deliberately sought out (and) it would appear that that was a website where others were also observing or encouraging (the girl), and the images were recorded.”

Cheesbrough was jailed for 21 months, of which he will serve half behind bars before being released on licence.

He was also given a sexual harm prevention order, which will last seven years and is designed primarily to curb his internet activities.

He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register, which forces him to notify the authorities about any change in his circumstances and whereabouts after he is released from prison.

North Yorkshire Police is appealing for help after a man stole alcohol and some Ariel detergent from a Harrogate Co-op.

The theft occurred on Friday at the Co-op service station on Ripon Road.

According to police, a number of bottles of alcohol and the detergent were taken.

Officers are appealing for information to identify the man in the CCTV images who they believe holds information that could help with their enquiries.

The police are asking anyone who recognises the man or has information on his whereabouts to get in touch.

You can call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option two and ask for PC Ben Clarke.

Alternatively, email 000721@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk. The crime reference number is 12210085638.

Read more:

• Killinghall man has been spared from jail after head butting a police officer. 
• North Yorkshire fire crews called to two deliberate fires in Knaresborough within half an hour. 

Residents on Mayfield Grove in Harrogate will meet police, councillors and politicians next week to discuss concerns about crime and anti-social behaviour.

North Yorkshire Police and Harrogate Borough Council issued a closure order for a house on the street this week after a man died.

The two organisations said they had carried a joint investigation following concerns about activity at a multi-occupancy address.

Read more:

• Police name Harrogate murder victim and charge suspect
• Cannabis farm ‘under the noses’ of Ripon residents

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, who is expected to attend Tuesday’s meeting, said:

“These are incredibly difficult and deep-seated issues.

“Many of those involved have long-standing homelessness, mental health and addiction problems and both the government and the council have dedicated a lot of cash and resource to these issues.”

Harrogate neighbourhood policing inspector Nicola Colbourne said:

“We’re continuing to work closely with residents, Harrogate Borough Council’s community safety partnership, elected representatives and others to ensure any concerns of Harrogate residents are listened to and the community remains a very safe place to live and work.”

A council spokesman said it was a private meeting.