A Harrogate mum said she was left in tears after she was refused entry to Rawcliffes school uniform shop for not wearing a mask.

Jude Humphrey, who is medically exempt from wearing a mask due to anxiety, claims she was told to stand outside the uniform shop despite masks no longer being a legal requirement .

Ms Humphrey had booked an appointment at the East Parade shop on a recent Saturday morning so she and her husband could take their daughter to buy her new uniform for next week’s return to school.

She said it was an “awful experience”:

“She said instantly ‘Where’s your mask?’ and then said ‘You either have one or you leave’ I explained I was medically exempt but it didn’t matter, she made me leave.

“I burst into tears outside, it was so disrespectful. My daughter had to keep coming out to show me the uniform.

“It left me feeling anxious and panicky, just a really awful experience.”

Ms Humphrey and her husband Keith said the most confusing part was that the shop worker herself wasn’t wearing a mask, insisting she was double-jabbed so didn’t need to.

Mr Humphrey questioned this once his wife had left the shop and the shop worker said she was insistent on masks to “protect her younger staff”.

Read more:

• Lib Dems ‘angry about loss of Harrogate funfair and Christmas market’
• Olympian Adam Peaty inspires young swimmers in Harrogate

Mr Humphrey said:

“I was so upset for Jude. We rushed through the whole experience, which was such a shame because it’s meant to be a memory getting your child’s first uniform.

“I just think it’s ridiculous, how can they insist on mask wearing but not wear one themselves?”

Rawcliffes Schoolwear declined to comment on the Humphreys’ claims when contacted by the Stray Ferret.

A note on its website requests customers to wear face masks.

A cycling group has welcomed new signs on the Oatlands Drive section of the Stray in Harrogate saying it is an offence to park on the land.

Cars frequently mount the kerb to park when activities take place on the Stray, blocking one of the cycle lanes — much to the fury of cyclists.

One side of Oatlands Drive has double yellow lines but the side where vehicles park does not.

Cars mounting the kerb and blocking the cycle lane on Oatlands Drive.

The issue became a particularly sore point this year when proposals to make Oatlands Drive one-way for traffic and improve the cycle lanes were rejected after protests by residents.

So the newly-installed signs, warning that parking on the Stray could lead to a fine or vehicles being removed, has been hailed as a “step forward” by Kevin Douglas, chairman of Harrogate District Cycle Action, which promotes cycling.

He said:

“The principle of putting signs up is a step forward.

“It’s something that we have been asking them to do for some time. People parking there is forcing cyclists into the middle of the road.

“We support any action which helps improve cycling.”

The Stray Ferret has approached Harrogate Borough Council, which erected the signs, for further details.

Read more:

• Ill feeling lingers after decision to scrap Oatlands cycling scheme
• Video highlights issue of motorists parking on Oatlands cycle lane

Roadworks are set to begin tomorrow morning on North Park Road, which is one of the main routes serving Harrogate town centre.

The works, which involve replacing street lights, are set to continue until Friday next week.

Stop and go boards will be used to control traffic along the street.

The works, carried out on behalf of North Yorkshire County Council, are likely to cause delays.

Further works are set to arrive further up the road on September 9.

A county council spokeswoman said:

“The work is part of a street lighting column replacement programme. It will be closed from Marlborough Road to Knaresborough Road.”

Read more:

• Night buses between Harrogate and Leeds set to return
• Hull company awarded £827,000 Otley Road cycle route contract

Keep an eye on the morning’s delays via our live traffic blog updated every 30 minutes.

A 23-year-old supermarket worker has been crowned Miss Harrogate Galaxy and is now ready to take on other beauty queens in the final of Miss Galaxy UK.

Victoria Hind, from Sharow, near Ripon, was crowned Miss Harrogate in her first pageant last month and will now compete in November’s final.

Ms Hind said she always wanted to compete in pageants but prior to lockdown didn’t think she had the confidence.

After suffering with anxiety for some years, she is hoping this competition will boost her confidence and teach her to “grab every opportunity that comes my way”.

Pageant life is a little different to Ms Hind’s day job at Sainsbury’s in Ripon.

The Miss Galaxy UK final at the Park Hall Hotel in Lancashire consists of four rounds; an interview round, an evening wear round, a fashion wear round and a swimwear round.

If she wins she will have the chance to travel to America to compete in the Miss Galaxy International final next summer.

Ms Hind said:

“I’m really excited, its something I’ve wanted to do for a while but I was too nervous.

“It’s not just a beauty pageant; it’s about girls supporting girls. This gives me a reason to step out my comfort zone.”

Read more:

• Harrogate mum who founded Mumbler celebrates website’s 10th birthday
• Harrogate-born musician to kick off London festival

Ms Hind has already made an appearance as Miss Harrogate Galaxy at Ripon Races and is looking forward to attending more events during her reign.

She also plans to use her platform to raise money for the charity Dogsforgood, which trains dogs to live as assistance dogs in people’s homes.

The charity helped find her step-dad, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, an assistance dog so she is determined to raise as much as she can.

People caught drug dealing in Harrogate venues face 18 month bans in a new list of sanctions that comes into force today.

Harrogate Pubwatch, which represents 38 licensed venues in town, has updated its list of ban tariffs.

The tariffs state how long people caught offending in one venue face being banned from all venues that take part in the scheme.

Members of Harrogate Pubwatch, which includes pubs such as Wetherspoon and Christies Bar as well as hotel bars such as The Crown and the Cedar Court Hotel, share information and photos of troublemakers on an app.

They then have a week to vote on what action to take, with the ban tariffs acting as a guide.

Acts of violence carry a 24-month ban, sexual harassment has a nine-month ban and possession of weapons carries a life ban. Eleven people currently have life bans.

Acts of violence against venue staff, which carries a 30-month ban, has been introduced as a new category following a recent increase in incidents.

Alan Huddart, vice-chair of Harrogate Pubwatch and treasurer of Bilton Working Men’s Club, said there had been four attacks on venue staff in town since pubs reopened after lockdown.

Mr Huddart said he wasn’t sure why staff were being attacked more but the app had proved effective in taking collaborative action to keep venues safe. He said:

“At the moment we have a total of 46 people banned. There have been as many as over 100 previously.

“You could argue that lockdown has been responsible for the number declining but increasing the profile of Harrogate Pubwatch has been effective.”

Harrogate Pubwatch holds quarterly meetings with police representatives.

Harrogate Business Improvement District contributed £2,000 towards the Harrogate Pubwatch app.

Read more:

• Harrogate Pubwatch relaunches to keep out town’s troublemakers
• Harrogate BID launches new town centre app to help businesses

A former British army sergeant major from Harrogate has spoken of his fears for the future of an Afghan family he has been trying to help leave Kabul.

Rob Smith taught locals boxing during a six-month tour of duty at Camp Souter military base in Kabul in 2010. Mr Smith is now head coach at H Hour Amateur Boxing Gym on Harrogate’s Skipton Road.

One Afghan man he coached called Omar died in a car accident last year, leaving a young wife and daughter, two sisters and parents.

Mr Smith says the family are at risk from the Taliban and he has been trying to get then out of Kabul. He said:

“I am very worried for them. I don’t know what to do now or tell the family, as there are no flights out of Kabul.”

Read more:

• Could former MoD homes in Ripon be used to help Afghans?
• Myth buster: Afghan refugees in the Harrogate district

Mr Smith has written letters of recommendation to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Home Secretary Priti Patel, former veterans minister Johnny Mercer and his successor Leo Docherty, and Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

He said only Mr Mercer and Mr Jones had replied expressing interest to help.

But with the paperwork incomplete before the British and American departure from Kabul, the situation is now desperate.

Mr Smith coaching in Afghanistan.

Mr Smith said:

“I realise the top tier are under immense pressure to deliver many things. Johnny Mercer and Andrew Jones MPs responded, but my request for help went in too late for assistance.

“No one thought the Taliban would be able to seize control of Afghanistan in such a short period of time, I’m sure evacuation plans for at risk people were in place but in slow time to ensure vetting and other checks took place.

“What many people forget is the percentage of Afghans that can’t read or write Dari/Pashtun, let alone read English and be expected to fill out forms.

“I am just gutted that my friends are not safe, I hope measures are being planned to assist the people at risk left in the country.”

A Hull-based engineering company has been awarded an £827,000 contract to construct the first phase of the Otley Road cycleway in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire County Council appointed PBS Construction for the project, which is known as the West Harrogate Scheme, with a start date earmarked for September 20.

The company has largely carried out projects in East Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire, but has previously repaired the Kirkby-Masham bridge in North Yorkshire at a cost of £229,500.

The firm is also a sponsor of Hull FC rugby league club.

According to government procurement documents, the contract is valued at £827,100 and is set to end in November this year.

Melisa Burnham, highways area manager at the county council, said:

“The bid process allows any interested companies to bid. All tenders are evaluated and in this case PBS Construction Ltd were the stand-out applicants.

“Work is scheduled to begin in September and we will be issuing an update shortly.”

Work will include widening Otley Road on the approach to Harlow Moor Road as well as the creation of a designated left turn lane on the western approach to Harlow Moor Road and designated right turn lane on the eastern approach.

Read more:

• More road changes around Beech Grove and Otley Road
• Transport leader expects Harrogate’s Beech Grove road closure to be made permanent

An off-road cycle route will also be created between Harlow Moor Road and Cold Bath Road as part of the contract.

Traffic light junctions will also be upgraded.

The county council previously confirmed to the Stray Ferret that the final two phases of the scheme would also be awarded via open tender.

Negotiations with the Duchy of Lancaster over the exchange of Stray land have caused delays.

Harrogate Borough Council agreed in March to designate a plot of land on Wetherby Road as Stray land in exchange for the loss of grass verges on Otley Road for the new cycle path.

Harrogate Borough Council has submitted plans to install 1,077 solar panels on the roofs of several buildings at Harrogate Convention Centre.

The council, which owns the centre, applied for planning permission last week. It’s unclear when the application will be heard or when construction could start.

According to planning documents, the scheme will be fully funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy‘s public sector decarbonisation scheme.

The scheme provides grants for public sector bodies to fund heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures.

The council has appointed French utility company Engie as contractor for the project.

Read more:

• Harrogate Hydro set for 420 solar panels on roof
• Harrogate cancer survivor walks 500 miles for charity in a month
• Business planning contract awarded for £47m Harrogate Convention Centre upgrade

How the solar panels will look at the top of the Harrogate Convention Centre.

It follows a similar planning application by the council to install 420 solar panels at the Hydro in Harrogate, which was also funded by the public sector decarbonisation scheme.

At the time the council said that it had “ambitious plans” to make sure its operations and buildings were clean, efficient and had a net zero carbon economy by 2038.

A Harrogate man with a love of all things spooky and historical is to launch what he believes to be the town’s first ghost walk.

Paul Forster, who has trained as a magician and actor, hopes to make the experience an unforgettable one with a mixture of storytelling and theatrics.

The plan started before the pandemic and Mr Forster had planned to launch the walk last October. But with coronavirus restrictions in place he decided to push it back another year.

Harrogate Ghost Walk will start on Halloween weekend. After the initial launch, the walk will take place on the first and last Friday of every month.

Read more:

• Ripon Ghost Walk returns for a spooky summer season
• Halloween ghost walks coming to Pateley Bridge

The one-hour route will start outside the Royal Pump Room Museum and take in The Alexandra pub, The Crown Hotel and The Harrogate Club.

Tickets are £6 for adults and £4 for children. Walks start at 8.30pm and can cater for 30 people.

Mr Forster told the Stray Ferret:

“It was a shame to not launch last year but I have spent the whole of the coronavirus pandemic researching and gathering as much information as I could.

“Harrogate has some great stories, some are hard to believe. I have got some surprises in there and I don’t want to give anything away but there are some scream factor moments too.”

One of his favourite stories is the time Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author behind the Sherlock Holmes novels, held a seance at The Harrogate Club.

North Yorkshire Police has said it will not “resort straight away” to criminal prosecution of travellers who set up illegal encampments.

Travellers have pitched up at Hay-a-Park in Knaresborough and on the playing field at Ashville College in Harrogate this month.

Asked today by a member of the public why officers did not use the Criminal Disorder Act 1984, which prohibits trespassing, deputy chief constable Phil Cain said the police always looked to resolve the matter at “the earliest opportunity”.

But he added the force had a “graduated response” to dealing with such incidents.

DCC Cain, speaking at a North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner public accountability meeting, said police had to balance the human rights of all those involved, particularly as the travelling community often has families with small children.

He said:

“The graduated response from North Yorkshire Police, as it is with other forces, is that we will not resort straight away to criminal prosecution. We will engage with the travelling community and the land owners as we have done on this occasion.

“We will seek to resolve the matter at the earliest opportunity using the least intrusive means possible. That includes graduating up through private land owners utilising powers in civil courts for unlicensed travellers settlements all the way through to the final element, which would be criminal prosecution.

“On this occasion, local officers have engaged with the travelling community and they have agreed to move on without the need for us to resort to criminal prosecution.”

Read more:

• Travellers set up camp at Harrogate’s Ashville College – and demand £5,000 to leave
• ‘Significant hurdles’ could delay moves to evict Ashville College travellers
• Travellers leave Ashville College without causing damage

“It’s not that we are not prepared to use these powers, it’s that there has to be a graduated response and we have to show that graduated response in order to show that we are complying with the Human Rights Act.”

Last week travellers set up camp on Ashville College’s rugby pitch and demanded £5,000 to leave, according to a college spokesperson.

However, after less than two days the travellers hitched up their caravans and moved on. The college said they left of their own accord.

Hay-a-Park rugby field in Knaresborough was sealed off by police and deemed to be a health hazard due to the amount of human excrement after travellers departed on August 10.

A police cordon sealing off Hay-a-Park rugby field after travellers left.