Harrogate gran in tears after being wrongly accused of stealing in Sainsbury’s

A Harrogate grandma was left in tears after a Sainsbury’s shop worker accused her of stealing an item she had already paid for.

Pam Forster has shopped at Sainsbury’s on Wetherby Road in Harrogate for more than 20 years but said she won’t be going back after her experience on February 27.

Ms Forster was leaving the store when the security barriers started beeping and a shop worker asked to see her receipt. But because she had used the self-checkout machines and chosen not to get a receipt, she didn’t have one — she had bought a pair of wellies and some food and didn’t expect to have to return any items.

Because Ms Forster didn’t have a receipt, the member of staff asked her to accompany her to the till so they could print a receipt. The shop worker then looked through Ms Forster’s bags, matching items with items listed on the receipt.

During this, she said a packet of salmon had not been paid for but Ms Forster insisted it had. The shop worker left Ms Forster to speak to a colleague and later returned to say “you really should get a receipt next time, sweetheart” and walked away.

Ms Forster’s receipt

The Harrogate office manager was left “mortified and very upset”, adding she didn’t know if she was free to leave at this stage because she was left standing near a till.

‘Humiliating experience’

Ms Forster eventually left and “cried the whole way home”. She knew she hadn’t stolen anything and, after checking, found the salmon was indeed listed on the receipt.

Ms Forster said:

“She just walked away and left me, I was mortified. All she needed to say was ‘sorry love, you were right I just missed it on the receipt’ but instead she just left me standing there. It really wasn’t a good experience.

“I imagine she was embarrassed that she’d missed it on the receipt but if she’d just apologised I’d have drawn a line under it. Instead I was left feeling humiliated.”

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Ms Forster said she previously visited the shop every week and that “98% of her wardrobe is from Sainsbury’s” because it’s so easy to get it all from one place.

She called the customer care line the same day and managed to speak to a phone operator, who said someone would be in touch. Her daughter also tried to contact the retailer but no one responded.

Since the Stray Ferret contacted Sainsbury’s about the incident, the supermarket has been in touch with Ms Forster to offer a £15 gift card as a gesture of goodwill. Ms Forster said she rejected it because she won’t be going back.

A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said:

“We are in touch with Ms Forster to apologise and reassure her that we’re investigating this experience.”

Police find 16 wraps of class A drugs in vehicle heading to Harrogate

Police found 16 wraps of what is believed to be class A drugs when they stopped a vehicle heading to Harrogate from West Yorkshire.

Officers also found three mobile phones and £350 of cash.

The driver, a 30-year-old man from West Yorkshire, was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a class A-drug but later released while enquiries continue.

North Yorkshire Police revealed the details today in an update on a ‘week of intensification’ into tackling county lines drugs, which refers to organised criminal groups moving and supplying drugs, usually from cities into smaller towns and rural areas.

A police officer ready to conduct a warrant

An operation support unit officer ready to conduct a warrant.

Harrogate’s affluent population is often targeted by dealers in Bradford and Leeds.

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The force said it has arrested 17 people and safeguarded vulnerable people during the week of targeted action, which was part of a national campaign from March 7 to 13.

Police also executed warrants at addresses linked to drugs and carried out several safeguarding visits to help prevent ‘cuckooing’ taking place.

This is when county lines dealers take over the home of a vulnerable person for a short time while they carry out their activities before returning to their town or city.

Police sniffer dogs search for drugs

Police sniffer dogs search for drugs.

Detective Chief Inspector Lorraine Crossman-Smith, who coordinated the week of activity in North Yorkshire, said:

“Whilst we work all year to take drugs off the streets of North Yorkshire this week of intensification has brought some substantial results. By disrupting supply lines and taking those involved out of circulation we can make North Yorkshire’s communities safer.

“We can only do this with the support and information that we get from residents so I would urge anyone with information about drug dealing in their community to call us on 101, we treat every piece of information as important.”

Highways boss ‘confident’ Harrogate park and ride can still be funded

North Yorkshire County Council officials are still confident that a park and ride in Harrogate can be funded despite cuts to government funding.

A park and ride scheme is among the measures proposed by the county council as part of a series of transport initiatives to reduce traffic and ease congestion.

Two locations in Pannal on the 36 bus route were identified as possible sites.

On Tuesday, county council officials warned that it was “unlikely” that the authority would receive all of its £116 million bus improvement bid from government – which would help to fund the scheme.

But Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for highways, told a Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee that he was still confident that there would be enough funding for a park and ride scheme.

He said:

“The various interventions following the Harrogate Congestion Study and the Harrogate Transport Improvement Programme are every much prioritised in our bus services improvement plan.

“Even if we get reduced funding, which is likely, I am confident that there will be money there for the various interventions that we want to make in Harrogate including a pilot for park and ride.”

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The news comes as the county council bid for £116 million worth of funding to improve bus services in North Yorkshire.

The county council unveiled its Bus Service Improvement Plan in October with proposals for more bus lanes, cash support for existing and new services and a simpler ticketing system.

But, the government wrote to councils in January highlighting how its £3 billion budget to “transform” bus services had more than halved to £1.4 billion.

Hope that electric buses bid will be successful

Separately, the county council has also bid for £8 million of government cash to make all of Harrogate Bus Company’s fleet electric.

If successful, the company’s parent firm Transdev would contribute £11.5 million towards the costs of buying 39 zero-emission buses.

Cllr Mackenzie told the area constituency committee that he remained confident of being successful in receiving the funding.

He said:

“I remain fairly confident about that [the bid]. We ought to hear something about that by the end of this month, that was originally the deadline given to us.”

Harrogate pub landlord on why he’s standing for the new council

As the landlord of the Shepherd’s Dog pub on Otley Road, Michael Schofield has been the eyes and ears of Harlow Hill for the past nine years.

He believes his unique place in the community will help give the area a stronger voice on the new North Yorkshire Council. Mr Schofield will be standing in the newly created Harlow Hill & St Georges ward for the Liberal Democrats in May’s local elections.

Newly elected councillors will sit on North Yorkshire County Council until it is replaced by the new unitary authority in April 2023.

Both Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council are currently dominated by Conservative councillors but Mr Schofield said their legacy in Harrogate had not been positive.

He said the two councils have been a “shambles” on issues like housing and transport.

Harlow Hill 

Mr Schofield was a member of the LibDems since the days of the alliance with the SDP but quit when Nick Clegg “sold young people down the river” only to rejoin in recent years.

He runs the Shepherd’s Dog with his wife Donna and has lived in Harlow Hill, on-and-off, since 1982. His daughter Mollie, 16, goes to Rossett High School and Harry, 12, goes to Harrogate Grammar School.

The Liberal Democrats emailed local members asking if anyone would like to stand in the upcoming elections and he said it wasn’t a difficult decision to put himself forward.

“I’ve wanted to do it for years. I thought, ‘do you know what? I’ve had enough of the ineptitude of the council’. With all the issues we have around Harlow Hill and St George’s, it’s time for a strong voice.”

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Pub chatter

The council’s Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which lays out where development can take place in the district until 2035, says around 4,000 new homes could be built in the area that surrounds Harlow Hill.

Some residents believe the sheer volume of housing being built is changing the west of Harrogate for the worse.

Mr Schofield said many locals are frustrated that houses are being built without the infrastructure, such as roads and schools, to support them. The council’s West of Harrogate Parameters Plan aims to address this.

There is also the ongoing debate around the Otley Road cycle path, which Mr Schofield said was a good idea, poorly executed.

He said:

“The big issue at the moment is the West of Harrogate Parameters Plan, and the infrastructure around that. There is also the cycle lane and how farcical that’s been put together.

“People are also concerned about traffic and schools. Where are the secondary school places going to come from?

“No, I’m sorry, we’ve had more than our fair share over the last four or five years. We’ve had more than enough housing. There’s no need for all this building at this end of Harrogate.”

Community spirit

During the first lockdown in 2020, Mr Schofield and his wife opened a fruit and veg shop two doors down from the pub.

He said the experience reminded him of the importance of community. He said residents wanted a councillor that lives locally and speaks up on issues that matter to them.

“People would come and talk in the shop. It was lovely to see people mixing that don’t normally mix. Nothing is stronger than a good community and Harlow Hill is a special community close to my heart.”

Mr Schofield said if he’s elected he will still be found behind the bar pulling pints.

And if he can deal with difficult customers in the pub, he says going head-to-head with opposition councillors won’t be a problem.

“We’re all soapbox politicians in the pub, but we can no longer have politicians hiding away, we need someone approachable.

“It’s a cross section in the pub. People from every party comes in here. We do talk politics, but we never fall out.”

The elections will take place on May 5. Candidates must submit nomination forms by April 5.

Sneak Peek: New cocktail bar with a ‘cool vibe’ opens in Harrogate

A new cocktail bar that opens tomorrow on Parliament Street promises to bring something different to Harrogate nightlife.

Anyone familiar with Leeds nightlife may have heard of Roland’s and Domino Club; both are popular drinking spots that have grown a cult following.

The owners are promising to bring the same “chilled out, relaxed vibe” and premium drinks menu to their new venue in Harrogate, which is also called Roland’s.

The new bar has taken over the three-storey unit on the corner of Parliament Street, at the top of The Ginnel. The Ginnel is home to several much-loved bars including Montey’s, Major Tom’s Social and Foundry Project and Roland’s is hoping to capitalise on this.

The bar is kitted out with brown leather booths and seating for up to 60 people. It’s industrial finish with sanded wood and a huge iron chandelier gives it a trendy and cool feel.

Simon Vickery, general manager at Roland’s in Harrogate, said:

“The plan is to take Roland’s Leeds and mix in some aspects of Domino as well and bring it here. In Harrogate, there are a lot of chains which are all kind of similar and I think Roland’s will become a bit of a hub for people working in the hospitality industry.

“I know I’m biased, but I think it’s what a lot of people have been looking for without even realising. We’re hoping the quality of our product and the atmosphere we will create will mean people will spend their whole evening with us.”

Mr Vickery said people can expect a premium cocktail menu, an array of spirits and draft beer.

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Roland’s also has its own gin distillery, called Wolfe Bros. Gins will be stocked behind the bar alongside beers from Harrogate-based Cold Bath Brewery.

Roland’s originated in Leeds in 2014 and if the initial launch is a success it plans to extend into the upstairs, which will offer more seating and a potential events and live music space.

Mr Vickery said:

“Roland’s is very much an independent and we’re excited to be surrounded by so many others. Roland’s has been wanting to come to Harrogate for while but we just needed to find the right spot, and when this became available it was too good to let it go.”

Mr Vickery added there were still jobs available for full-time and part-time staff.

Harrogate district train station parking review a ‘lost opportunity’

A review into car parking at train stations across the Harrogate district has been criticised as a “lost opportunity”.

Transport officials at North Yorkshire County Council launched the review to look into where parking could be expanded in order to encourage the use of public transport and stop parked vehicles spilling over onto residential streets.

The findings were discussed at a meeting today when councillor Paul Haslam, who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge, said he was “disappointed” that residents were not asked where they believe investment is needed the most. He said:

“There doesn’t seem to have been any discussion with any user groups.

“I would have thought they might have been able to share some very important information – we need to know what our customers want.”

Cllr Haslam said while the review was “very measured,” it was a “lost opportunity” to also look into how access to train stations can be made easier for those travelling on foot or by bike.

He told today’s meeting of the Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee:

“I would have hoped this review could have looked at safe and secure storage for bikes, bus stop provision and other access in terms of cycle routes.

“Train stations are going to be what we will call transport transition hubs in the future and we have to facilitate these changes so people can get off their bike and onto a train, or out of their car and onto a bus.”

His comments were backed by councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, who added:

“We must look at other means of connecting people to railway stations and not simply in their cars.”

More parking at Pannal

The review highlights how new car parking will be built at Pannal train station as part of the ongoing housing development at the former Dunlopillo site.

Construction work has yet to start on the car park and it is unclear when this could begin.

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Cattal train station has also been identified for improved parking as part of a 3,000-home settlement which is planned for the area because of its railway links.

There are no plans to upgrade parking at train stations in Starbeck, Knaresborough or Weeton, as well Harrogate which a report said already has extra capacity at the Victoria multi-storey car park.

Another area which has been identified for potential improvements is Hornbeam Park train station where previous proposals to expand the car park were met with concerns that it could encourage more car journeys on the already congested Hookstone Road.

Traffic impact

Graham North, strategic support officer at the county council, told today’s meeting that extra car parking had been considered again, although it could have had a “significant” impact on traffic.

Mr North also set out some of the reasons why parking upgrades are needed at other train stations, but can not be achieved.

He said:

“The Harrogate line has had significant improvements in frequency including the recent improvements between York and Harrogate.

“We have also had modern rolling stock, station improvements and the introduction of the LNER services to and from London which are all potentially increasing demand for rail travel.

“The rail industry has looked at each station to identify any land available for car parking close to stations and whilst some land has been identified the cost to purchase, access to and from the sites and the poor business cases have meant that these were not developed further.”

Rossett School pays tribute to ex-student Sam Gibson, 24

Rossett School has paid tribute to Harrogate man and former student Sam Gibson, who has died in a car crash.

Police officers responded to reports of a vehicle leaving the road on the A59 near Upper Poppleton, between the junctions of Newlands Lane and Hodgson Lane, at about 7am on Sunday.

They discovered Mr Gibson’s grey Peugeot 208 car, which had left the road and landed on its roof.

The 24-year-old was certified dead at the scene.

Rossett School described Mr Gibson as a popular student who was a regular in theatrical performances.

A school spokesperson said:

“Sam was a popular student in both the lower school and in the sixth form.  A leading light in the performing arts, he performed and supported other students in classic productions such as ‘Oliver!’ when he was here at Rossett.

“He will be remembered as someone who was a friend to many; a champion for those less fortunate than him and an active fundraiser for charity. The thoughts of the whole Rossett community are with Sam’s family at this difficult time.”

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Thieves steal money and CDs from Beckwithshaw church

A Beckwithshaw church is appealing for help after a thief stole money and a CD player.

St Michael and All Angels’ Church, on Otley Road in the village, said the church had been targeted twice in about three weeks.

In a Facebook post, the church said someone had tried and failed to prise the cash box from the wall on the last weekend in February.

However, they returned between 11.30am and 6pm yesterday to cut the padlock locking the box and steal what was inside — which the church believes was around £6.

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The church said in its post that the thief had “come prepared” the second time round.

It said:

“The thief has also taken the CD player with two small speakers from the area near to the choir stalls which we used for Sunday music when we don’t have an organist.”

The church added that it believed the CD player was stolen by someone with a large Sainsbury’s carrier bag.

The church was built in the late nineteenth century in the Gothic revival style. According to its website, the building is open from 10am to 4pm daily for private prayer.

Vandals smash shop and car windows and bus shelter in Starbeck

Vandals have smashed shop and car windows and a local bus shelter in Starbeck overnight.

Two windows at Pets Corner near the level crossing were shattered.

Windows were also destroyed on a bus shelter next to the shop and on several cars on nearby residential streets, including The Avenue and further down the High Street.

One employee at Pets Corner said that staff arrived at work this morning to find their workplace had been vandalised.

They added they were still in a state of disbelief that somebody had done it apparently for fun.

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North Yorkshire Police said in a statement:

“We’re investigating a spate of incidents of criminal damage in the Starbeck area overnight.

“Officers have received reports that five cars have had their windows smashed, and damage has been caused to the windows of two shops on High Street, overnight between 16 and 17 March 2022.

“Enquiries are ongoing today. Anyone with information about the incidents, or who might have relevant CCTV, is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting reference number 12220045092.”

Last week vandals pulled up 20 trees on Belmont Field.

The trees had previously been damaged so many times at the other end of the field that Starbeck in Bloom, the community group that aims to make Starbeck more attractive, decided to move them.

Val Young, a local resident, described it as “disgusting” and “absolutely diabolical”.

Three new restaurants and bars opening in Harrogate in next few days

Three new restaurants and bars are set to open in Harrogate town centre within the next few days.

Roland’s Bar, Samsons brasserie and The Giggling Squid restaurant are all set to add to Harrogate’s already-extensive hospitality scene.

Some locals may recognise Roland’s from its current venue in Leeds. The cocktail bar is owned by the same people, who also run the Domino Club in Leeds.

Based in the former Moss Bross shop on Parliament Street, it promises a “cool and relaxed” vibe.

Roland’s is open for bookings from tomorrow and is based on the top corner of the ginnel next door to All Bar One.

Samsons is a brasserie-style restaurant opening in the former Bistrot Pierre, above Sukhothai on Cheltenham Parade.

The kitchen team is headed up by executive chef Josh Whitehead, who is known for his work with the Harewood Food and Drink Project. He was also a semi-finalist on the TV programme MasterChef: The Professionals 2016.

The site — named after local philanthropist Samson Fox — will open on Monday.

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Giggling Squid will welcome its first customers in the unit next to Banyan on John Street on Monday.

This will be the Thai restaurant chain‘s first venture in Yorkshire.

The tapas restaurant will offer the opportunity to eat indoors, outdoors or at home through click and collect and delivery services.

Look out for sneak peeks of new venues in the coming days.