Railings have been installed on one of Harrogate’s worst streets for crime in a bid to prevent problems.

The railings, which cost £6,000, follow long-running concerns about anti-social behaviour on Bower Street.

Harrogate Borough Council and private owners of the properties affected each paid half of the sum.

North Yorkshire Police recently named Bower Street as one of Harrogate’s crime hotspots.

The street, on which Harrogate Homeless Project is based, often sees people loitering on the steps of the retail unit that was formerly occupied by donut shop Doe.

A Harrogate Borough Council press release this afternoon said “negotiations have taken longer than hoped” due to the land being privately owned.

The railings being installed today.

Councillor Richard Cooper, the Conservative leader of Harrogate Borough Council, said:

“All of us who live or work near this location know that it has been trouble for a long time. While the council has worked with the police on the issues, the land is privately owned and installing secure boundaries is the responsibility of the property owner.

“Nonetheless, the council and other partners recognise the impact that anti-social behaviour and criminal activity has on the quality of life of residents, businesses and the wider community.

“That is why we have agreed to help the property owners secure their boundaries and install these railings. I am grateful to the property owners for working with us on this and am pleased to say that said railings are now installed.

The council statement said it had been working with residents and partners to “tackle ongoing issues of anti-social behaviour in this area of Harrogate town centre”.

The measures regular police patrols and targeting individuals who cause harassment, alarm and distress, the release added. Now the railings have gone up.

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Cllr Cooper added:

“We know that securing this area will not immediately solve the anti-social and criminal behaviour problem at this location. Long-term dedicated support is the only way to do that. And we must recognise that the people who congregate in these areas often have complex physical and mental health needs.

“We need to continue to support agencies and schemes like Harrogate Homeless Project and Harrogate Street Aid that provide help to people in need.”

A man has been arrested on suspicion of supplying Class A drugs after officers came across a crashed car in Ripon.

Shortly after 3pm yesterday, North Yorkshire Police officers on patrol near Lark Lane in Ripon located a red VW Golf car that had been involved in a collision and was on its roof.

A police statement today said:

“One of the occupants made off from the scene. Following a search of the area, officers located a large quantity of suspected cannabis and cocaine.

“The other occupant, a 19-year-old local man, was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a Class A drug. He has since been released on bail while enquiries continue.”

Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting reference number 12230015627.

Police closed the road while the incident took place.

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A Harrogate police inspector has expressed concerns that the site of the former Kimberley Hotel is being used for drugs and crime.

The 70-bedroom hotel on King’s Road closed in December 2020 after more than 50 years.

Insp. Ed Rogerson, who works for North Yorkshire Police’s Harrogate outer area, said the former hotel had become a “problem area” when he gave an overview of local policing to Harrogate Borough Council’s overview and scrutiny committee this week.

He said the hotel was awaiting redevelopment, adding:

“This empty building has been a problem area. Although it’s boarded up people keep breaking in.

“It’s primarily young people but it’s also being used by adults. People have used the location for taking drugs.

“It’s a concern that these vulnerable people are mixing with adults in that location where there’s crime and anti-social behaviour.”

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Insp. Rogerson added officers were working with other organisations, including environmental health, “to ensure the owner and developer of that premises secure it properly”. He added:

“They’ve been reminded that if it doesn’t remain secure then enforcement action can be taken against them”.

The Kimberley Hotel in 2020.

The Kimberley Hotel opened in the 1960s when five townhouses dating back to the turn of the 20th century were converted.

It benefitted from the opening of what was then called the Harrogate Conference Centre in 1982, which is a short walk away.

Police in North Yorkshire have arrested 18 people in the first eight days of this year’s annual Christmas drink and drug-drive campaign.  

Ten of the 18 arrests made were for drink-driving and eight were for drug-driving. Fifteen of the arrests were of men and the other three were of women.  

Five arrests each were made the Harrogate district and York, three each in Richmond and Hambleton, and one each in Scarborough borough and Ryedale.  

The message from the York and North Yorkshire Road Safety partnership this year is “save a life and call it in.” Members of the public are being urged to call out anyone who is behind the wheel when under the influence of drink or drugs, by dialling 999.  

The force launched its annual Christmas drink-drug drive campaign on December 1 with the help of Mark Charnock, who plays Marlon Dingle in ITV’s Emmerdale. The actor participated in a mock road traffic collision to highlight the dangers of drink and drug driving to members of the public.  

The highest reading recorded over the eight days by North Yorkshire Police was over four times the legal limit. The driver, a 43-year-old woman from Richmondshire was arrested and taken into custody where she was breathalysed again and recorded a reading of 141 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms. The woman is due to appear in court on December 19..  

Superintendent Emma Aldred, head of specialist 0perations at North Yorkshire Police, said:

“These figures send out a clear message that we’re out across North Yorkshire trying to intercept people who choose to drive when under the influence of drink or drugs.  

“As we head into what is anticipated to be a busy weekend with the World Cup and many Christmas parties taking place, I would urge people to plan their night and think about how they are getting home.  

“If you’re out and become aware of someone who is about to drive and is under the influence of drink or drugs then call it in on 999. One call could be all it takes to save a life.“  

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Police are actively patrolling in marked and unmarked vehicles across the county, as well as conducting static checks on the side of the road. Officers are keen to remind the public that the hazards are not limited to driving straight after drinking alcohol or taking drugs, as substances can remain at dangerous levels in the bloodstream well into the morning after.

Prevention is also a key part of the campaign. Road safety officers are working with colleagues at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service to deliver ‘Survive the drive’ events. These hard-hitting talks aim to educate people about the risks and dangers that that are associated with drink and drug driving.  

North Yorkshire Police urge people with information about drink drivers to share it by dialling 101 and selecting option 1, or by dialling 999 if the crime is in the process of being committed.

Two men and a woman have been arrested after police stopped two cars and found dozens of bags of cocaine in the Harrogate area.

North Yorkshire Police said today two different vehicles were searched.

As well as suspected cocaine, a lock knife was also found in one of the cars and the driver was banned from driving.

A man in his 20s has been charged with possessing a blade and driving while disqualified. He was also arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class-A drugs.

A woman, also in her 20s was also arrested on suspicion of class-A drug offences.

A second man in the other vehicle, who is in his 20s, was also arrested on suspicion of possessing class-A drugs.

All were bailed following the drug arrests on Thursday to allow the substances to be inspected by a laboratory as part of police investigations.

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An Albanian drug conspirator involved in a half-a-million-pound cannabis racket in Harrogate has been made to pay back just £1 to the public purse and is apparently “nowhere to be found”.

Andi Kokaj, 23, was part of a London-based gang which conspired with former Harrogate guest-house owner Yoko Banks to set up three lucrative cannabis factories in affluent streets.

He was jailed for three years in August last year for being concerned in the production of cannabis.

At a financial confiscation hearing today at Leeds Crown Court, judge Tom Bayliss KC ruled that Kokaj would pay a nominal fee of £1 after the prosecution said he played a “minor” role in the criminal enterprise.

Prosecutor Michael Bosomworth said the gang had converted three of Banks’ properties on Alexandra Road, Woodlands Road and Somerset Road near Harrogate town centre into cannabis farms with potential yields of up to £456,000. The gang made an estimated £345,000 from the drug plot.

However, Kokaj, played a “lesser role” and was paid just £80 a day for his part in the conspiracy and so made a financial gain of £1,120, added Mr Bosomworth.

He said that Kokaj, from London but of no fixed address, had no assets.

Mr Bayliss KC duly made the nominal £1 order due to Kokaj’s limited financial means.

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Kokaj didn’t attend the confiscation hearing and the court heard he was “probably nowhere to be found”.

When he was sentenced last summer, he was told he would only have to serve half of the three-year sentence behind bars, less the time he had spent on remand, which means he is likely to have been released from jail.

Yoko Banks case adjourned again

Banks, 74, of Scargill Road, Harrogate, was also due to face financial confiscation today but her case was adjourned yet again for the service of financial documents setting out her complex web of assets and properties.

Earlier this year, the former B&B boss and property tycoon failed in her bid to have her conviction quashed after being convicted of three counts of being concerned in the production of cannabis.

Yoko Banks

The court heard the disgraced pensioner was the “facilitator” for the Albanian gang’s cannabis-cultivation enterprise.

Her six co-conspirators, Kokaj, Visar Sellaj, 33, Kujtim Brahaj, 50, Indrit Brahaj, 27, Bledar Elezaj, 36, and 31-year-old Erblin Elezaj, were jailed for a combined 22 years for various offences including drug supply and production of the highly potent skunk cannabis in August 2021.

Banks, who rented out her three properties to the gang to convert into cannabis farms, was jailed for three-and-a-half years and is due to be released from New Hall women’s prison in West Yorkshire on December 31, halfway through her sentence.

At a previous adjourned confiscation hearing, Mr Bosomworth said that Banks owned a string of “highly marketable” properties in some of Harrogate’s most desirable areas.

He added, however, that her “complicated accounts and property empire” were proving to be a major sticking point in the ongoing financial investigation.

On that occasion, Banks claimed she had no money because it had been frozen in her bank account. She said, however, that she had “a lot” of assets.

Ringleader made £438,000

Mr Bosomworth said that Sellaj, the gang’s ringleader, had made £438,000 from the cannabis-cultivation enterprise and that he had £76,000 in the bank which he could pay back into public coffers.

At a contested financial confiscation hearing in May, it was found that Indrit Brahaj had jointly benefited from the criminal enterprise to the tune of £133,328. In his case, a confiscation order of £24,082 was made.

Kujtim Brahaj was found to have benefited to the tune of £1,194. The judge made a nominal confiscation order of £1 in his case due to limited financial means.

The prosecution said that Banks rented out her properties to the “professional” drug gang for “industrial” cannabis production “in the expectation of significant profit”, though she had no part in the actual cultivation process.

Their mega-money plot finally unravelled when police were called to a five-bedroom villa owned by Banks in September 2020 after reports of a “disturbance” in the street involving what appeared to be two rival gangs vying for the cannabis farm.

Banks, who had previous convictions for health-and-safety offences through her work, was due to be paid at least £12,000 a month in rent for use of the three properties and was also receiving “high” deposits, said Mr Bosomworth.

Her final confiscation hearing was adjourned to January 6 next year to give her defence counsel time to provide evidence that some of the bank transfers to her account were “legitimate”.

Ringleader Sellaj’s financial confiscation proceedings were adjourned for a full-day hearing to determine the amount of cash available to him.

A man and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of possessing cocaine following a drugs raid by North Yorkshire Police.

Police used a warrant to enter a house in Ripon and seized a large quantity of powder, believed to be cocaine.

According to officers, a number of other items including scales, mobile phones and cash, were also seized during the operation in the south of the city on Friday.

A local man and woman, both in their 20s, were arrested on suspicion of possessing class-A drugs with intent to supply and taken into custody.

They were interviewed and have been released under investigation to allow further enquiries to be carried out, including forensic tests of the substances.

Inspector Penny Taylor said:

“Information from communities is vital to help us tackle drug offending, and I’d urge anyone who has information about drug activity to share it with us.

“All reports are taken seriously and could help us make a real difference in your community.”

Anyone with information about drug dealing in their community can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, and select option 1 to speak to the force control room.

You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 and the charity will share the information with North Yorkshire Police.

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An inquest into the death of 16-year-old Ben Nelson-Roux heard how he had multiple drugs in his system, including cocaine and diazepam, when he died.

Ben, a former student at St Aidan’s Church of England High School, died in Harrogate on April 8 2020.

His body was found by his mum, Kate, at Harrogate Borough Council-run homeless hostel Cavendish House. He had been living there since February of that year.

The hostel on Robert Street is intended for adults and has 9 bedsits.

The inquest into Ben’s death is expected to last twelve days and began this morning at the North Yorkshire Coroner’s Office in Northallerton.

Ben, who left St Aidan’s in 2019, was a known drug user and two days before he died was deemed by NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to be ‘at significant risk of death’.

He was also recognised by authorities as a victim of child criminal exploitation from county lines drug dealers.

The inquest into Ben’s death will explore the decision by the North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council to place Ben in an adult homeless hostel, given his age, vulnerability, and what was known about his lifestyle at the time.

Toxicology report

The inquest heard how cannabis, tablets and white powder were found in Ben’s room when he died.

Two days before his death Ben attended accident and emergency at Harrogate District Hospital where he said he had ingested a number of diazepam tablets as well as crack cocaine.

Dr Stephen Morley, toxicologist, told the inquest that blood and urine reports identified MDMA and cocaine as well as the painkillers diazepam and buprenorphine.  Mirtazapine and temazepam, used to treat depression and insomnia, were also found.

However, Dr Morley said all the drugs were found in “relatively low” concentrations.

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Dr Carl Gray, consultant pathologist at Harrogate District Hospital, said he was unable to undertake a full post-mortem on Ben’s body as it took place during the first covid lockdown.

He said:

“The cause of death cannot be certain as there was no internal dissections due to the pandemic. Multiple drugs were present but were low and the effects were debatable.”

Dr Gray added:

“My opinion on the balance of probability is that the most likely cause of death was multiple drug abuse and cocaine toxicity”.

Died alone

North Yorkshire Police detective sergeant Dominic Holroyd said police studied CCTV of Ben’s last movements in the hostel.

He said the footage ruled out anyone else being involved as Ben was the only person seen entering or leaving his room.

DS Holroyd added that following Ben’s death, police had made two arrests on suspicion of supplying him with the drugs but the investigation was dropped due to lack of evidence.

He also said there was no evidence that anyone at the hostel supplied him with the drugs.

The inquest continues.

The Harrogate district is still the place in North Yorkshire with the highest number of cannabis farms, data from North Yorkshire Police has revealed.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request showed that between 2016 and 2021, nine major farms with more than 25 plants were discovered in the Harrogate district.

That was almost double the amount found in the Selby district, which was the next highest with five.

This marked a continuation of a trend highlighted two years when an FOI request from the Stray Ferret found that the Harrogate district also had the highest number of cannabis farms then.

Between 2017 and 2020, officers made 22 arrests of people involved with cannabis farms in North Yorkshire.

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Countywide issue

In total over the five-year period between 2016 and 2021, Police recorded 25 crimes relating to cannabis farms across North Yorkshire.

Only two crimes were recorded in 2016/17 and there were three each in 2018/19 and 2019/20.

However, there were nine in 2017/18 and eight in 2020/21.

On average, 323 plants were seized from farms. The largest number recorded was 2,797.

Since the available data ended in 2021, North Yorkshire Police has continued to deal with the issue of large-scale cannabis production in the Harrogate area.

Earlier this year, seven people were jailed for a combined 22 years after Police discovered £450,000-worth of cannabis spread across farms at three properties.

In February, two men were stopped on the A1(M) with 14 kilos of cannabis in their car. They were jailed for two years.

North Yorkshire Police was approached for comment about the latest statistics and why the Harrogate district is so popular with cannabis growers but did not respond.

North Yorkshire Police has pledged to take “swift and decisive action” against anyone who assaults an officer after shocking pictures emerged.

A police officer suffered head injuries when he was called to reports of a disturbance in York on Sunday night.

A 17-year-old was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker and possessing a Class B drug.

Police said in a statement that a full investigation is underway, and the teenager remained in custody.

Chris Brumfitt, Chief Inspector of York and Selby, said:

“An attack on a police officer or an emergency worker is an attack on our family, and we take this extremely seriously.

“Officers and emergency service workers are trying to protect the public and do not come to work to be assaulted.

“Anyone who assaults an officer in York or North Yorkshire should expect swift and decisive action.”

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