Harrogate sex offender jailed for grooming underage girl on Snapchat

A Harrogate sex offender who groomed an underage teen girl on Snapchat has been jailed for over three years.

Stefan Antonio Slack, 27, contacted the girl on the social media site and tried to entice her into meeting him for sex.

The Harrogate man was on a court order at the time designed to limit his contact with children following previous similar offences, York Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Mike Greenhalgh said the new offences occurred in October 2018 when Slack was aged 24.

After adding the 15-year-old girl on Snapchat, he began sending sexually charged messages. In one message he asked to meet the girl and her friend for “group sexual activity”.

He then asked to meet her on a specific day for sex. The message read:

“Meet me Tuesday. Just me and you and maybe (the other named girl) if she’s game.”

Slack then told the girl in gratuitous sexual detail what he wanted to do to her. She duly blocked him on Snapchat and took a screenshot of the messages.

Her mother reported the matter to the police. Slack was arrested and brought in for questioning.

Previous conviction

He told officers he knew that the girl was under-age but “sought to excuse his behaviour, saying he was heavily in drink (at the time) and couldn’t recall sending the messages”, although he admitted it must have been him, added Mr Greenhalgh.

Slack, of Avenue Street, Starbeck, was charged with inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and breaching a sexual-harm prevention order by deliberately contacting an under-age girl. He admitted both offences and appeared for sentence today.

The court heard that Slack received a suspended prison sentence in 2012 for a “very-similar” offence involving an 11-year-old girl. Slack was 17 at the time of that offence.

Abbi Whelan, for Slack, said her client was immature but had “very much turned his life around” since the offences in 2018.

Recorder Dafydd Enoch QC said Slack had “developed an unhealthy interest in minors”.

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He told Slack he had failed to take heed of the “warning shot” when he received the suspended sentence and sexual harm order.

“That order should have left you with no illusions that you would face prison if you were to commit these (kinds of) offences again.

“Once again…you allowed yourself to be tempted into communicating with (an under-age) girl. You took complete advantage of that situation.

Mr Enoch said Slack’s behaviour was “totally unacceptable” and amounted to “extremely serious conduct which could lead to much worse scenarios”.

As well as the three-and-a-half year jail sentence, he was subject to a new, five-year sexual harm prevention order for the protection of children and will remain on the sex-offenders’ register for an indefinite period.

Harrogate firefighters rescue baby squirrel from toilet

Firefighters were called to a house in Harrogate late last night to rescue a baby squirrel from a toilet.

A concerned resident called North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue last night to ask for help with an animal stuck in the bathroom.

When the firefighters arrived just before 10pm yesterday, they found a baby squirrel struggling in the toilet bowl. It is not known how it got there.

After what may well have been a bit of a struggle, they managed to fish out the little rodent.

Despite a tough evening for the squirrel, the firefighters released it unharmed back into the garden.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said:

“A crew from Harrogate responded to a report of an animal stuck in a bathroom.

“On arrival they found a baby squirrel in the toilet bowl, it was released unharmed back into the garden.”

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Delayed Otley Road cycle path set to begin in August

Work on the delayed Otley Road cycle path is set to finally begin in August. The first phase could be completed before Christmas, according to North Yorkshire County Council.

£3.2m was set aside to build the route in 2018 but the plans have been beset by delays that have frustrated Harrogate’s cycling community.

There are three phases to the construction of the route.

The first phase of the cycle path will connect Harlow Moor Road to Arthur’s Avenue close to Harrogate Grammar School .  This work could not start due to utility works on the Harlow Moor Road and Otley Road junction, which were completed last week.

The second phase of the cycle route will link Arthurs Avenue to Beech Grove. This phase meant a consultation over the use of Stray land.

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.

The Stray Ferret asked the Duchy of Lancaster, which owns the Stray, if they have accepted the offer but we did not receive a response at the time of publication.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, told the Stray Ferret:

“I don’t know whether the Duchy of Lancaster has accepted the exchange of land. But assuming that has happened, we’re all set to start. Work on the first phase should begin in August and should be completed within a few months”.

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The third phase will link Cardale Park on Harlow Hill to the route.

Rene Dziabas, chair of Harlow & Pannal Ash Residents Association (HAPARA) called on NYCC to communicate with residents and businesses affected by the works.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“The start date of August broadly accords with what we have already been told. Given that this first phase of the Otley Road cycle path will be disruptive, we hope that NYCC will actively pursue a policy of communicating with all residents and businesses affected on what can be expected. So far this project has not been well communicated to those most affected.”

Explainer: What is the West Harrogate Parameters Plan?

Harrogate Borough Council is drawing up a plan for what infrastructure, such as schools, roads and doctor’s surgeries, are needed in the west of Harrogate where as many as 4,000 new homes could be built by 2035.

Harlow Hill, Rossett, and Pannal Ash are already some of the most popular residential areas in Harrogate and the stretch of Otley Road from Cardale Park to Beckwithshaw is set to be transformed.

Some of the biggest allocated developments in the Local Plan yet to be built include 776 homes on Windmill Farm, 750 homes near Lady Lane, and 550 homes on Bluecoat Wood.

Developments in the Local Plan are highlighted. Credit: HAPARA

During the Local Plan process, residents raised concerns about the impact of the housing on schools, roads, sustainable transport and green spaces.

This led the government’s planning inspector to request HBC create a so-called ‘West Harrogate Parameters Plan” to assess transport and infrastructure needs.

A coalition of resident groups, including Harlow & Pannal Ash Residents Association (HAPARA) and Pannal & Burn Bridge Parish Council, produced a document of its own last year which lays out what it thinks needs to be done regarding infrastructure in the area.

What is the Parameters Plan?

It’s being coordinated by HBC working with North Yorkshire County Council, other infrastructure providers, and the site promoters to identify the infrastructure requirements for the area and how they will be delivered.

This includes new schools, local shops, sports facilities, green space and parks, roads and sustainable transport options. It will also identify how it will be delivered and who will pay for it.

HBC says the plan will allow a more joined-up approach to infrastructure rather than assessment on a site-by-site basis.

What is the current status of the plan?

Work started on the Parameters Plan last year. It has involved engagement with ward members, local parish councils and other local community groups, as well as promoters of other nearby sites.

This has included sharing and inviting comments on an early draft of the plan, as well as holding joint workshops and individual meetings. Further meetings are scheduled.

An independent design review has also been undertaken which the council hopes means that quality design is “at the heart” of the plan. Following this, the site promoters have jointly commissioned design expertise to carry out more detailed work, which is currently underway.

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When will it be published?

HBC said there is no hard deadline for the creation of the Parameters Plan as its priority is “getting the content right.”

Further work is being carried out to incorporate the recommendations from the design review as well as ongoing work with infrastructure providers to finalise necessary requirements.

Residents’ groups had expected the plan to ready before the end of 2020. The council said it now expects the plan to finalised by the autumn. It will then be rubber-stamped by HBC’s cabinet member for planning Cllr Tim Myatt.

Once the Parameters Plan is agreed, how will it work in practice and how will it be implemented?

The plan will provide a framework that will guide the development of site masterplans which are submitted to the council when developers apply for planning permission.

It will also be a material consideration in the determination of relevant future planning applications, meaning councillors can use it to help them make a decision on a particular development.

The council will use legal agreements called section 106’s to secure funding for the infrastructure needed and to mitigate any impacts from the development.

Big thumbs-up for Harrogate district’s new wild look

Our story yesterday about the Harrogate district being left to grow wild to improve biodiversity and attract bees, birds and insects provoked a huge amount of interest.

Harrogate Borough Council has left large swathes of green spaces untouched by mowers and strimmers.

Even the neat and orderly Stray has a different look to previous years.

It’s a thorny subject for the district, which prides itself on its well tended, floral appearance.

Almost 100 people commented on our Facebook page, and the vast majority gave the new approach the thumbs-up.

One person praised the wildflower “anarchy” on display.

“I love it! Wild flowers are never untidy – just a bit anarchic!!”

‘The wilder the better’

Another reader called Harrogate Borough Council “brave” for taking the new approach.

“The wilder the better for wildflowers, insects and other wildlife. Well done Harrogate Borough Council for taking such a brave approach and not bowing to the ‘tidy brigade’. Currently it’s only a tiny percentage of our green space but it’s a start!”

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Someone on our Twitter page said other parts of Harrogate were also looking better:

“It’s great – not just on The Stray but also in other places like along Wetherby Road near Woodlands. Looks great with the buttercups in flower.”

However, there were some dissenting voices. Several people accused the council of not cutting the grass to save money.

Another accused it of “hypocrisy” due to the scale of housebuilding in the district.

The Stray Ferret reported last year that green spaces the size of over 700 football pitches will be lost to housing.

“The crocuses and planted up flower beds also attract many bees and many insects but oh wait, the council are selling the horticulture nurseries on Harlow for yet more housing. 

“Total double standards but they they’ll cut maintenance costs and make money from developers.”

How wild is your neighbourhood? Send us pics and give us your views. Email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

Harrogate’s ‘rewilding’: untidy or biodiversity boon?

Harrogate district residents may have noticed the town is looking different this year — as swathes of green spaces, including on the Stray, have been left alone by mowers and strimmers so nature can grow free.

‘Rewilding’ is one of the words of the moment, with councils across the country hoping to improve biodiversity and attract bees, birds and insects.

The new look in Harrogate has been welcomed by many, who see it as a sign that Harrogate Borough Council, which manages our parks and green spaces, is serious about improving biodiversity.

But others who cherish Harrogate’s long reputation for organised and elegant planting, believe it makes the town look untidy.

In the eye of the beholder

Shan Oakes from the Harrogate & District Green Party told the Stray Ferret that prim and proper Victorian-style floral displays can look old-fashioned.

In recent history, wildflower meadows have slipped into a dramatic decline as the species-rich grasslands are ploughed up for housing, farming and roads.

She said wildflowers will encourage pollinating bees as well as insects which can good food for birds.

“It’s excellent the council is thinking seriously about this from nature’s point of view.

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It doesn’t have to be a mess.”

“One or two people might think it looks untidy and not respectful. But isn’t it more respectful to be kinder to nature?

“If bees go, we all go.”

‘Very unattractive’

Alison Freeman lives near the Stray but said rewilding makes the town look “untidy and unsightly”

She said she fears broken glass and bottles lurking in the undergrowth which she believes poses a safety risk.

“It’s very unattractive and it has the potential to be dangerous. Beer bottles could get dumped in the long grass.I t’s unusable and I can’t walk on it.

She criticised Harrogate Borough Council’s approach to grass cutting this year.

“Don’t they care about the town? They are driving Harrogate down.

“The whole verge by the West Park Stray looks like the council hasn’t bothered to look after it.

“Bees are important, we are not anti-bee. But I haven’t seen any bees on the buttercups by the Stray”.

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Judy D’Arcy Thompson from the Stray Defence Association took a more balanced approach to the issue.

She called rewilding “a very emotive subject with passions running high both for and against the wilding”.

She added:

“Our Stray is arguably Harrogate’s most important environmental asset and of tremendous benefit to the whole area. Throughout the past difficult months during the pandemic it has been an amazing green sanctuary for everyone to use.

“It is essential to strike a balance between the need for safeguarding and enhancing its ecological role alongside its open and free use by people.”

Great news for wildlife

As well as letting some areas grow free, Harrogate Borough Council recently planted 5,500 wildflower plugs on two areas of the Stray near Leeds Road and York Place. They were helped volunteers from Bilton Conservation Group.

A council spokesman said the new biodiversity areas will provide habitats and green corridors for some of the 1,500 species of insect pollinators across the district.

He added:

“Residents and visitors may have started to notice that some areas of the Harrogate district are being left to grow and not mown. 

“This is great news for wildlife as the longer grass and wildflowers will provide food and homes for pollinating insects, as well as supporting our aim of reducing our carbon footprint.

“As well as leaving specific areas to grow and encourage biodiversity, we have also planted – with the help of volunteers – more than 5,000 wildflower plugs on specific areas of the Stray in Harrogate.

“We’ll be keeping an eye on how things progress and will be providing regular updates on social media channels.”

Harrogate gay men welcome chance to donate blood

Two gay men from Harrogate have welcomed the opportunity to donate blood from next week, as rules relax across the UK.

Under the previous rules, men who have sex with men had to abstain from sex for three months in order to donate.

But from June 14, gay men will be able to donate if they have had the same sexual partner for the last three months or if they have not had sex with a new partner.

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CJ Allison, who is in his early 50s and from Harrogate, was a regular donor before he accepted that he was a gay man. He told the Stray Ferret:

“I have donated more than 30 pints of blood in my lifetime but had to stop when I came out in my late 40s.

“There were so many changes at that time so I just accepted it. But on reflection it is a very clear form of discrimination, it does not seem right.

“This is a welcome change but it needs to go further. I can donate now but my partner who has two other partners cannot.”

Jamie Carter, who is in his 20s and works as a hairdresser in Harrogate, also told the Stray Ferret:

“I have always thought that the rule is disgusting, it is so backwards. I just want to help people, it’s always baffled me.

“When my best friend had leukemia I had the right blood type and was in the position to donate blood but could not because I am gay.

“It’s a step in the right direction but we do not have complete equality just yet.”

Harrogate park and ride scheme still being considered

Feasibility work will be conducted this summer on plans to build a park and ride bus service for Harrogate.

A park and ride scheme was proposed in January 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.

Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, said at the time the scheme “could happen fairly quickly” depending on developments.

But there has been no news since as other proposed transport initiatives, such as the £7.9m Station Gateway project, have dominated the headlines.

This prompted a reader who supports the creation of a park and ride service to contact the Stray Ferret asking what had happened to the idea.

In response to requests for an update, Cllr Mackenzie told the Stray Ferret:

“All of the proposals in the Harrogate Transport Improvement Programme are in the feasibility stage and further work will be commissioned this summer.

“Nevertheless, a park and ride remains one of the measures we are considering to reduce traffic and ease congestion in and around Harrogate.

“The development of park and ride proposals would require more detailed modelling, testing of options and public consultation.

“We need to develop these plans along with other Harrogate Transport Improvement Programme priorities such as cycling and walking, bus priority and junction improvements.”

Cllr Mackenzie added council officers “are continuing to consider both the A61 and A59 to assess ways of improving provision for pedestrians and cyclists, provide bus priority and also seek to tackle some of the most problematic junctions”.

He said:

“By turning our attention to active travel models we hope to reduce congestion and improve the network without the need for additional, costly construction.”

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Police pledge to crack down on fast and noisy cars in Harrogate

Police have pledged to take a zero tolerance approach to fast and noisy drivers in Harrogate town centre this summer.

Harrogate often attracts drivers, sometimes in modified vehicles, racing around the main roads, particularly during summer.

North Yorkshire Police said today it has already handed out three traffic offence reports and one more serious section 59 warning for antisocial driving behaviour, which could lead to the car being seized.

It pledged in a statement to keep up the pressure during the summer months on “the irresponsible behaviour of some drivers which is not only unsafe but also highly disruptive”.

Operation Chrome, which began last summer last year, has restarted and will see increased police patrols in hot spots, more speed cameras across town, vehicle stops and detailed CCTV reviews.

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Superintendent Steve Thomas said:

“As the weather improves we see a surge in the number of vehicles driving antisocially around the town centre.

“Residents and visitors should not have to fear for their safety or have their days blighted by this excessive noise.

“We are taking a zero tolerance approach to this dangerous behaviour.

“Rest assured if you receive a warning and continue driving irresponsibly, we will be watching and your vehicle will be seized.”

Have you noticed more fast and noisy cars on your street? Tell us your experience contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

No deaths but Harrogate district covid rate continue to rise

The Harrogate district’s coronavirus rate of infection has continued to increase — but there have been no covid-related deaths for almost two months now.

The district recorded a further seven coronavirus cases, according to today’s figures by NHS England

The seven-day average rate of infection is now to 29 per 100,000 in population. The North Yorkshire average is 23 and the England average is 44.

Harrogate’s rate is the second highest of the seven North Yorkshire districts behind Selby.

The last covid-related death at Harrogate District Hospital was on April 11.

There have been 109,175 first vaccine doses and 83,547 second doses in the Harrogate district.

From tomorrow, all those who are 25-years-old and over will be invited to book a vaccine.

It comes as the UK health regulator has also given the go-ahead for the Pfizer/BioNtech jab to be used on 12 to 15 years old.

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