Ex-guest house owner from Harrogate, 73, jailed for three-and-a-half years

An Albanian drug gang who ran a half-a-million-pound skunk-cannabis factory in quiet residential streets in Harrogate have been jailed for a combined 22 years.

Their “facilitator” was 73-year-old former guest-house owner Yoko Banks, who rented out her properties for “industrial” cannabis production “in the expectation of significant” profit”, Leeds Crown Court heard.

The disgraced businesswoman, who owns a string of “highly marketable” properties in some of Harrogate’s most desirable areas, is now starting a three-and-a-half-year jail sentence.

She and the six Albanian gangsters appeared for sentence on Friday after they each admitted playing a part in the audacious drugs plot worth at least half a million pounds.

Prosecutor Martin Bosomworth said the “professional”, London-based gang had invested tens of thousands into the three cannabis factories at Banks’s properties on Alexandra Road, Woodlands Road and Somerset Road near Harrogate town centre.

The brazen criminals had even dug a trench outside the three-storey Edwardian villa on Alexandra Road through which they fed electricity cables to the house to power the “highly sophisticated” cultivation system and bypass the electricity grid.

On one occasion, neighbours in the affluent street spotted the gang digging the ditch underneath a pavement and up the driveway. When they asked them what they were doing, they were told they were laying cables “for a fast-fibre broadband connection”.

The gang’s audacious plot finally unravelled when police were called to the five-bedroom villa at about 8.30pm on September 26 last year after reports of a “disturbance” in the street involving what appeared to be two rival gangs vying for the mega-money cannabis farm.

Crossbow found in house

Officers found 283 plants in the four growing rooms inside the mock-Tudor house, which was fitted with CCTV cameras. Chillingly, police also found “large” crossbow and arrows next to the front door. The plants had a potential yield of up to 21 kilos.

Mr Bosomworth said the “organised” gang had operated the lighting, electrical and “security” systems remotely through broadband technology and were even able to watch a “live feed” of the drugs bust over the internet.

There were other large grows at two of Banks’s other properties which had the “capability of producing industrial amounts” of the highly potent skunk.

She had rented the properties to the Albanians through an “unidentified individual who goes by the name of Francesco”, who sub-let the houses to the gang’s ringleader Visar Sellaj, 33, in the spring or summer of 2020.

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Sellaj, Kujtim Brahaj, 50, Indrit Brahaj, 27, Bledar Elezaj, 36, Andi Kokaj, 23, and 31-year-old Erblin Elezaj, an illegal immigrant, admitted various charges relating to the production and supply of cannabis but only at the Alexandra Road property.

Banks, of Scargill Road, admitted three counts of being concerned in the supply of cannabis.

Cannabis worth £300,000 found in van

Mr Bosomworth said that just before the “disturbance” on September 26, two unidentified men turned up at the property in a Citroen van and forced the door open. They left the property “carrying bundles of vegetation to the van”. He added:

“An Audi was (then) seen to arrive in the street from which five males exited – these being the Albanian defendants.

“They chased the Citroen through the street, but the van made off.”

Following the run-in with what appeared to be a rival gang, and realising they’d been rumbled, the six Albanians went into the property and “made a hasty clearance of such mature cannabis plants as they could find”.

They loaded the plants into a rented Transit van which was then driven, along with the Audi, back down south.
Police found the remaining 283 plants in the growing rooms and a “large, loaded crossbow” next to the front door.

The Transit van and the Audi were “trapped” on the M1 by police in Hertfordshire and were finally stopped on the M25 just after midnight.

Police found 30kg of “saleable”, harvested cannabis plants inside the van worth about £300,000.

Inside the £26,000 Audi SQ5, which belonged to Sellaj, police found £3,675 cash and an 18-carat-gold Rolex watch worth £28,000.

‘Industrial’ operation

The court heard that on September 22, four days before the drugs bust, Sellaj — who had a “large amount of money” in his bank account — booked a four-star B&B at the historic Arden House on the quiet, tree-lined Franklin Road.

As well as the 283 plants at the Alexandra Road factory, there were also 143 “root balls” from previous harvests and 6kg of cannabis flower buds. The “industrial” operation would have yielded between 11kg and 33 kilos worth up to £330,000.

A total of 59 cannabis plants, worth up to £83,000, were found at Banks’ Somerset Road property and 86 plants, with a “bulk value” of up to £62,000, were discovered at the house on Woodlands Road.

The total potential yield of the 395 plants was 45 kilos, with a combined value of up to £456,000. This was in addition to the 30 kilos found in the vans and did not include previous harvests.

Although Banks was not involved in the cultivation, she had played a “facilitating” or advisory role in the plot. She was in “regular communication” with ‘Francesco’ and Sellaj through Whatsapp messages and constantly “pressing to be paid by them”.

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 the three properties and was also receiving “high” deposits.

‘Supplementing her pension’

Benjamin Whittingham, for Banks, said she had let out the properties to “supplement” her weekly pension due to financial pressures.

Indrit Brahaj, of Whitings Road, Barnet; Kokaj, of no fixed address; Sellaj, of Newnham Road, London; and Erblin Elezaj, of no fixed abode, all admitted being concerned in the production of cannabis and possessing a Class B drug with intent to supply.

Kujtim Brahaj, of Wellington Road, Enfield, and Bledar Elezaj, of no fixed address, each admitted being concerned in the production of cannabis.

Defence counsel for the Albanian men said they had each been working in construction or “odd jobs” in the south.

Importing crime to Harrogate

Judge Tom Bayliss QC said the “organised crime group” had “cynically chosen to import a criminal enterprise to Harrogate.”

Sellaj, who had been “directing operations”, was for six years and nine months.

Erblin Elizaj was jailed for five years and two months and Indrit Brahaj was jailed for four years and four months. Kujtim Brahaj and Bledar Elezaj were each jailed for three years for their lesser roles.

Jailing Banks for three-and-a-half years, Mr Bayliss told her:

“You have in your time been a successful businesswoman.

“You were, at the time, in some financial difficulties (which) may explain why you were – a woman in your seventies, a widow with a number of health problems – prepared to get involved with a gang from London.

“You knew that by doing that you were bringing drugs and criminality to Harrogate, a town where you have lived and worked for many years.”

Andi Kokaj, the last remaining defendant to be sentenced, will learn his fate on Monday, August 16.

Muddy footpath in Nidd Gorge transformed

A muddy footpath in Nidd Gorge has been transformed thanks to Bilton Conservation Group.

12 volunteers from the group spent 77 hours this week laying the 45-metre footpath, which is close to Tennyson Avenue, using 13 tonnes of limestone ballast. 

It was funded through a £1,000 grant from Bilton Conservative county councillor Paul Haslam’s Locality Budget. 

The main ‘Millennium Path’ was laid by the group in 2015 and was extended towards Tennyson Avenue in 2016.

The group had attempted a lightweight boardwalk solution three times, only to find it damaged by vandals.

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Keith Wilkinson MBE from Bilton Conservation Group praised Warren Considine for masterminding the project.

He said:

 “The 45-metre extension created on Monday made good a very muddy natural surface which had become dangerous to walk in.”

Cllr Paul Haslam added:

“I use my Locality Budget to focus on things that improve the environment for as many people as possible.”

Harrogate Town rearranges first game after coronavirus outbreak

Harrogate Town have rearranged their first game after a coronavirus outbreak in the squad.

The club will now play Leyton Orient away on Tuesday, August 24 with kick-off at 7.45pm.

Away tickets will be available to purchase from the ticket office at the Breyer Group Stadium

It comes a week after Harrogate Town said “a number of individuals” were unable to play or train due to a positive test or contact with someone who has had one.

At this time it is currently unclear when Town will play the postponed Crawley Town game.

However, the club were forced to bow out of the Carabao Cup because they were unable to rearrange the Rochdale game before the second round.

A spokesperson for the club said previously:

“It means a number of individuals are unable to play or train due to either a positive test or the requirement to self-isolate in line with government and English Football League guidance.

“The club will continue to work with covid protocols as set out by the EFL to ensure the safety of our players and staff.”

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Olympic champion Adam Peaty heads to Harrogate to inspire swimmers

Double Olympic champion Adam Peaty and soon-to-be Strictly Come Dancing contestant Adam Peaty is set to inspire the next generation of swimmers in Harrogate.

Adam Peaty, who is the most successful British swimmer in more than a century, is bringing a Race Clinic to Ashville College on Monday, August 23.

The sell-out £219 per ticket event, which is being staged in the college’s Sports Centre, is one of ten taking place across the UK, and the only one in Yorkshire.

Swimmers between 8 and 17-years-old can take part. It comes just weeks after one of the biggest names in world ballet Wayne Sleep also visited the school for the Yorkshire Ballet Seminar.

The swim clinic features three different stations. The first will focus on the breaststroke and will be led by Adam Peaty and Edward Baxter, a British swimming champion and record holder.

Adam Peaty’s gym coach Robert Norman will lead the second session which will dive into injury prevention.

Station three, led by Tim Shuttleworth, will give an insight into how to gain the mental edge necessary to compete successfully.

After the practical training sessions of each swim clinic, Adam will share lessons, wins, losses, and biggest learning experiences with the course participants.

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Duncan Archer, Head of Swimming, Athletics and Sports Development at Ashville, said:

“Adam is a national hero, one of our greatest ever Olympians, and an inspiration for young swimmers keen to emulate his success in the pool.

“A few short weeks ago, he was in the Olympic pool, in Tokyo, and soon he’ll be in our pool!”

Anna Rakusen-Guy, Ashville’s Events and Lettings Manager, said:

“We are absolutely delighted that Adam and his team have chosen Ashville for one of their ten race clinics, and the only one in Yorkshire.

“Our sports facility, which includes a heated 30m swimming pool, are used by a variety of different sports clubs and individuals throughout the year.

“Over the years, they have been home to a number of different sport camps, including the Andrew Flintoff Cricket Academy, the Louis Smith Gymnastics Academy, plus others coaching rugby, netball and hockey.”

Birdwatcher chuffed to spot ‘very rare’ white bird in Harrogate

An amateur birdwatcher has spotted what he believes is a rare white bird on the Stray in Harrogate.

David Johnson was walking with his dog and children when the bird caught his eye yesterday afternoon near Kwik Fit.

At first he thought it was a scrap of paper or a pigeon but was very happy to find something a little less common.

He thought that it could be white jackdaw but after asking a few questions he now believes that it could be a leucistic crow.

When Mr Johnson posted picture on a local Facebook group, one person replied to say there was a leucistic crow on the Stray around a decade ago nicknamed ‘Snowy’.

Birds with leucism are similar to those with albinism but they will have normally coloured eyes, legs, feet and bills.

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Mr Johnson told the Stray Ferret that he was chuffed:

“I posted something on a Facebook group. A few people came back to me with some information. They said it could be a leucistic crow.

“It it nice to see, it is really unusual. I walk around the Oval and Stray most days and I have not seen it before.

“The kids seem interested but maybe they weren’t as keen as me. I am really chuffed, we were lucky to spot it and Harrogate is lucky to have it.

“I have been telling lots of people, I am sure I have already bored my neighbours with it! It’s certainly the rarest bird I have ever seen.”

Covid ‘pings’ forces Bilton Cricket Club to cancel charity fundraiser

Bilton Cricket Club’s charity fundraiser on Sunday has been cancelled after members of staff were forced to self-isolate after being ‘pinged’ by the NHS track and trace app.

The club had planned a family fun day with hot food, an ice cream van, children’s games, a bouncy castle and local businesses with stalls to raise money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Organiser Matt Thomas said the news was “devastating” but he will attempt to arrange a new date either later this year or in 2022.

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He said:

“We can not operate the club properly and safely over the weekend and the fundraiser event for Sunday has had to be cancelled, which is devastating.

“We have sought advice from the Harrogate Borough Council and NYCC and our proposed actions are confirmed.

“I’m really sorry to everybody that the charity event can not go ahead. I will work with the club and everyone who was coming to have stalls and support the running of the day, to get an alternative date proposed, be that this year if possible, or next.

“Thanks to everyone for the support shown for this event, and as above, we will put this on, on a future date.”

Protesters clash with employees at Harrogate animal testing lab

Protesters have clashed with employees at an animal testing labratory in Harrogate this morning.

A group of around 10 to 20 people who are opposed to animal testing will be stationed at the entrance of Labcorp Drug Development just off Otley Road all day.

They held banners with “animal killers work here”, “animals are not ours to experiment on” and “end animal testing”.

Labcorp defends animal research as necessary to help save human lives. It uses the data it gathers from animals to develop treatments for cancer, heat disease, multiple sclerosis and more.

Jane Rose, who attended the demonstration, told the Stray Ferret:

“We just come together for the animals. We just want to publicise that this company thinks it’s okay to test in animals in 2021.

“Labcorp is a massive company based in the USA and we are tiny. But so what? We still have to speak for the animals.

“I just feel sick whenever I see a white van because I worry that is another load of puppies going to be tested on. It’s just wrong.”

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A short walk away on Otley Road many will recognise 80-year-old Annabel Holt, who has been protesting for the last two decades.

She encourages people to beep as they drive past to show support. Ms Holt told the Stray Ferret:

“I was brought up fox hunting, I was married to somebody who never stopped shooting. I used to kill creatures.

“But I perceived the physical brilliance of all creatures. I think this is horrendous right here in Harrogate.”

The Stray Ferret approached Labcorp for a response to the protester’s concerns. A spokesperson said:

“Labcorp Drug Development takes very seriously our ethical and regulatory responsibilities to treat research animals with the greatest care and respect.

“In addition to being the right thing to do, the proper care of research animals is fundamental to sound scientific research and the ability to develop life-saving and life-enhancing new medicines.

“New drugs must be tested in animals before human clinical trials to ensure the safety of patients and volunteers and there are clear links between excellent animal welfare and medical breakthroughs.”

Prize-winning vegetables and cakes to be sold in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens

Visitors to Harrogate’s Valley Gardens on Sunday will be able to view and buy produce grown in allotments across the Harrogate district.

The Harrogate and District Allotment Federation is holding its 60th annual allotment show in the Sun Pavilion from 11am until 4pm.

Stalls displaying produce will also be open on the nearby Sun Colonnade. Entrance to all areas is free.

Harrogate district mayor Trevor Chapman will formally open what will be the federation’s 60th show at noon.

The federation, which brings together members of 16 allotment sites in Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough, was due to celebrate its diamond jubilee show last year until covid forced its cancellation.

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Vegetables, plants and cakes will be judged and sold and any outstanding items donated to Resurrected Bites, the Harrogate and Knaresborough community organisation that gives food that would have been thrown out to the needy.

The event will also include a miniature bug hotel, a raffle and stalls by Harrogate Civic Society and The Woodland Trust as well as craft and coffee stalls. Musicians will play in the bandstand between 2pm and 3.30pm.

Profits from this year’s event will be donated to Ripon Museum Trust, which owns the Workhouse Museum, Prison and Police Museum and Courthouse Museum in Ripon.

Transport leader expects Harrogate’s Beech Grove road closure to be made permanent

A public consultation on the controversial Beech Grove Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme in Harrogate closes on Saturday.

The sudden decision to close the road to through traffic in February provoked anger, with some cars cutting across the Stray to avoid the newly-installed bollards.

North Yorkshire County Council initially said the move would be reviewed after six months but later extended the trial to 18 months until August 2022. But the consultation ends this weekend.

Don Mackenzie, the executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, told the Stray Ferret the intervention had successfully freed up road space for cyclists and pedestrians and there was a good chance of it becoming permanent.

Beech Grove will link up with the upcoming Otley Road cycle route, work on which is due to begin on September 6.

Cllr Mackenzie said:

“Its been successful. There’s been views in both directions but most residents have accepted it as a positive.

“I see it continuing after 18 months. It’s a part of town where we are making changes to sustainable travel. I can see the Low Traffic Neighbourhood remaining in place formally.”

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Kevin Douglas, of Harrogate District Cycle Action, said early teething problems, such as motorists driving on the Stray, had been overcome and the scheme was now working well.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“We think it’s been a good thing. It’s working well.

“The problem is they haven’t done the Otley Road cycle route yet.

“We need to keep the Low Traffic Neighbourhood. It’s a key link into town.

“There’s been a noticeable number of cyclists and pedestrians using it. That’s a good reason to keep it and it will only improve.”

‘Just pushes traffic elsewhere’

The Conservative government has set aside funding for active travel schemes that aim to reduce car usage. Over the past couple of years, many other Low Traffic Neighbourhood have cropped up across the country.

Harrogate resident Anna McIntee, co-founder of the group Harrogate Residents Association, launched a petition calling on North Yorkshire County Council to scrap the scheme. It has over 400 signatures.

She told the Stray Ferret she believed all the scheme had achieved was to push traffic elsewhere in the town.

She said:

“The general feedback from speaking to residents is that access is a lot harder for them, especially the elderly who rely on their vehicles but also delivery vehicles and emergency services.

“The traffic has been pushed onto Victoria Road which is narrower and double parked, which is dangerous, as well as the surrounding roads, two of which have schools. This is causing more standing traffic and congestion leading to an increase CO2 emissions.

“There is no denying Harrogate is congested and we all need to work together to reduce our carbon emissions by easing congestion but blocking off random roads isn’t necessarily the solution.”

If you have a view about the Beech Grove and would like to contribute to the consultation, email North Yorkshire County Council here: area6.boroughbridge@northyorks.gov.uk

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning, I hope you’re good this morning. It is Leah here with you today. The roads have been a little quieter this week in terms of traffic but numerous roadworks are adding time to people’s journeys.

This blog, brought to you by the HACS Group, brings you live travel updates until 9am.

Please give me a call on 01423 276197 or join our Facebook group ‘Harrogate district traffic and travel’ to give any updates.

9am – Full Update 

That is it from me this morning, I will be back with you on Monday morning with regular updates from 06.30. Have a lovely weekend.

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

8.45am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

8.15am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

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8am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Traffic is building in these areas:

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Trains

Buses

7:45am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

7:30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

7:15am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

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7am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

6.45am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

6.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses