Vandalism prompts closure of Ripon playground

Quarry Moor playground in Ripon has closed to the public after vandals damaged equipment and daubed graffiti.

Ripon City Council, which manages the site, said on social media it had taken the decision today “for safety reasons”.

It added:

“Unfortunately the site has been vandalised, we’ve been left with damaged equipment and really unpleasant graffiti written on site.

“We are seeking quotes for repair and will provide an update on when the repairs will be undertaken when we can.”

Signs have been put up announcing the closure.

The 24-acre Quarry Moor limestone grassland was donated by Alderman Thomas F Spence in 1945, and held in trust for the benefit of the people of Ripon.

It was designated a site of special scientific interest in 1986.

The playground previously closed for six months from September 2021 due to rats.

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Mystery surrounds Harrogate’s wave of smiling graffiti

A wave of graffiti featuring blue smiling faces has been popping up around Harrogate.

Readers of the Stray Ferret have got in touch to say they have spotted the faces at various locations in town, especially in west Harrogate and Harlow Hill.

They all feature a blue outline of a smiley face — but what the face means and who the artist is remains a mystery.

Planters and street signs are among the items to have been sprayed blue.

The planter above, which was installed on Lancaster Road last year as part of the new Beech Grove Low Traffic Neighbourhood, is among the objects that have been targeted.

Harrogate Business Improvement District employed a new street ranger this month to remove graffiti as part of his job keeping the streets clean.

If you know more about the graffiti, let us know at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

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Bilton man cleans graffiti from mural bridge again

A community-spirited Bilton man is determined to keep a mural looking its best after another attack by vandals.

Chris Knight was spurred into action today after the iron bridge, which connects Woodfield Drive and Claro Road, was defaced.

It is not the first time Mr Knight has cleaned the mural: he also cleaned the bridge when vandals painted a swastika and anti-Pakistani messages on it last year.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“Plenty of people were quite happy to see me cleaning the bridge today. It gives me quite the sense of achievement to do these things for the area.

“It did not take quite as long as last time, they must have used quite cheap paint. I am not one to wait around for other people to take action.

“The words of my old boss really stuck with me. There are three types of people — those who do things, those who watch people do things and those who wonder what happened.

“I have always wanted to be the type of person who can step-up.”

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Emma Garness, the artist who created the mural, used special paint to protect it from graffiti, which enables Mr Knight to clean it without damaging the artwork.

The mural, which was designed to become a beacon of positivity in the area, was well received by local residents.

Racist graffiti sprayed in Harrogate playground

Racist graffiti has been sprayed onto playground equipment in Harrogate.

Two instances of the graffiti were found in a play area in Panhandle Park, just behind Sherwood Drive in Hookstone Chase.

It was reported to North Yorkshire Police between Saturday, October 23, and Tuesday, October 26.

The graffiti has since been removed but required specialist attention to do so by Harrogate Borough Council.

Sergeant Alex Sellars, of Harrogate neighbourhood policing team, said:

“We take hate crime very seriously and it has no place in society. We would urge anyone who knows anything about these incidents to get in touch with us to assist with our investigation.”

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North Yorkshire Police added in a statement:

“Anyone with information is asked to report it on our website or call 101.

“You can also provide information anonymously via independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or through their website.

“Please quote 12210229225 when providing information.”

Calls for more police as anti-semitic graffiti remains in Knaresborough

Anti-semitic graffiti is still covering some of Knaresborough’s key monuments, amid calls for more police officers to patrol the streets.

The town’s 12th century castle and statues of Blind Jack and Mother Shipton on Market Place were defaced in an overnight attack on Saturday night.

Crude images and Nazi swastikas remain sprayed on the side of the castle and the bronze statues in the Market Place are still discoloured.

The castle graffiti is situated in full view of Knaresborough police station, which has cameras on top of the roof.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement today:

“We have launched an investigation in to the graffiti from the Castlegate area of Knaresborough. All lines of enquiry are currently been pursued.

“North Yorkshire Police takes all reports of hate crime seriously. Anyone who is the victim of a hate crime is encouraged to report the incident to police via 101.”

Harrogate Borough Council said in a statement today it was aware of the vandalism and was looking into the best way for it to be removed but gave no timeframe.

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Councillor Andrew Paraskos, cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said:

“It is incredibly disappointing that someone, or a group of individuals, have found it appropriate to deface the heritage of Knaresborough in this way and we will be doing what we can to identify those responsible.

“If any members of the public witnessed any of the damage being carried out, or if any businesses have their own CCTV in the area that has captured any relevant footage, I would encourage them to contact North Yorkshire Police as soon as possible.”

Steve Teggin, a local business owner and the chair of Knaresborough Chamber of Trade, said anti-social behaviour was becoming a serious concern for local businesses.

He said further action needed to be taken, including more police officers in the town:

“The chamber and traders are getting quite concerned. Ninety per cent of people visiting Knaresborough are great and contribute to the economy but there are some letting us down. There just isn’t enough police presence and people thing they can get away with stuff.

“We need more police on the streets.”

Bilton man cleans Nazi graffiti off mural bridge

A Bilton man spent two-and-a-half hours cleaning a bridge mural yesterday after vandals covered it in racist graffiti.

Chris Knight decided to act after noticing the Iron Bridge, which is on the edge of Bilton and crosses over towards Claro Road, had been defaced.

It’s not the first time that vandals have targeted the mural since it was painted. But this time around they had painted a swastika and anti-Pakistani messages.

Rather than waiting for others to sort out the problem, Mr Knight took on the challenge with a brush and cleaning solution.

Emma Garness, the artist who created the mural, used special paint to protect it from graffiti, which enabled Mr Knight to clean it without damaging the artwork.

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Mr Knight told the Stray Ferret:

“When something like this happens, people always ask for others to sort out the problem. I just think why can’t we step up?

“During the two-and-a-half hours it took to clean, around 50 people stopped to chat with me and were thankful of the job I was doing.

“This is the second time the bridge has been covered in graffiti since the mural was painted. It was much worse this time.

“If it happens again then I will be back to clean it up. Maybe next time we will be able to get a group together.”

The plot thickens! Passerby saw artist paint ‘Banksy’ in Scotton

As speculation mounts over a “Banksy” mural in Scotton, a passerby has claimed she saw the artist in the act.

The owners of the historic Guy Fawkes Arms found the piece on the pub’s wall earlier this week and are currently trying to find out whether it is a genuine work by the notorious street artist.

Guy Fawkes lived in Scotton. The mural, which bears a Banksy signature, shows Guy dropping covid passports into a burning Houses of Parliament.

Danielle and Adam Vear, who own the pub, were shocked to discover the design at around 3.30pm on Wednesday.

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While the Vears await news from the Pest Control website, which was set up to verify Banksy pieces, a witness has come forward.

Lucy Anne Morgan happened to be passing the pub on Wednesday and told the Stray Ferret:

“I was driving past the pub at around 3.30pm. I saw two men. One guy was finishing off the spray job and another, who was wearing a red hoodie, had a camera.

“They definitely looked a bit suspicious. I don’t know if Banksy would paint it in the middle of the day with a witness but it could be.”

Conspiracy theorists leave their mark in Harrogate

Coronavirus conspiracy theorists are leaving their mark in Harrogate, much to the frustration of those leading the response to the pandemic.

Vandals have scrawled ‘The Great Reset’ on hoardings surrounding buildings on Beulah Street.

‘The great reset’ is a phrase used by conspiracy theorists who believe a global elite started the pandemic to take control.

Google saw a spike in searches for the term when Joe Biden won the US election despite the baseless nature of the claims.

Conspiracy theorists adopted the idea from the World Economic Forum, which urged nations to cooperate on building back better and in a more sustainable way after covid.

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This is not the first time coronavirus conspiracy theories have struck locally.

Last week, North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which represents organisations in the county leading the fight against covid, condemned vandals who sprayed ‘LIES’ in red graffiti on ‘stay local’ signs and ripped them down.

A statement by the forum said those responsible “show contempt for people’s lives” and warned their actions would not be tolerated.

Louise Wallace, North Yorkshire’s director of public health, said:

“We would like to thank the majority of people who are sticking to the lockdown rules and respecting the measures we are putting in place to stop the spread.

“It’s very disappointing to hear such acts of vandalism are happening and that a minority of people aren’t taking seriously the great danger to life that the virus poses.”

Superintendent Mike Walker, North Yorkshire Police’s lead on the coronavirus response, said:

“I realise a minority of people may be feeling tired of seeing coronavirus messages, or feeling frustrated about being asked to stay at home.

“It’s not the way any of us would choose to live our life under normal circumstances.

“However, that does not give anyone the right to deface a sign which warns the wider community of the risk of catching a virus.”

Graffiti daubed on wall near Ripon Cathedral

Police have appealed for information after graffiti appeared on a wall opposite Ripon Cathedral.

The daubed lettering, targeting the Conservatives with an expletive, appeared over night on Minster Road in the heart of the city.

It is just metres from the historic Cathedral, on the opposite side of the road.

Graffiti on the wall along Mister Road, opposite Ripon Cathedral

The graffiti appeared in the shadow of Ripon Cathedral last night

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said:

“The graffiti was reported to police by a member of the public around 7am this morning. Officers are liaising with individuals at the cathedral about this. Anyone with information that could help police establish the full circumstances of the incident should call 101 quoting reference NYP–28082020-068.”

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