TV star Nick Knowles hails jailing of Harrogate hospital bike thieves

TV presenter Nick Knowles has hailed the news that thieves have been jailed for stealing bicycles belonging to NHS staff at Harrogate District Hospital.

Mr Knowles, who stars in DIY SOS, offered to buy a new bike for Naresh Gnanasekaran, a doctor at the hospital whose bike was stolen during the first wave of covid in April last year.

Halfords eventually agreed to give Dr Gnanasekaran a new electric bike for free.

Last week John Roddy, 24, from Headingley, Leeds and his partner-in-crime, who could be named for legal reasons, were jailed for stealing bikes worth almost £7,000 from 11 NHS workers in Harrogate and Leeds.

The court heard Roddy had battled drug addiction.

Most of the thefts occurred outside Harrogate District Hospital when staff were having to deal with huge workloads due to the pandemic, said prosecutor Chris Moran.

Mr Moran said one NHS worker in Harrogate had been so “damaged” by the theft of her £400 bike she no longer cycled to work.

Michael Smith, a consultant at the hospital, tagged Mr Knowles in a tweet that contained a link to the Stray Ferret article about the two men being jailed.

Mr Knowles replied that he was glad the men were caught and thankful to the NHS for their efforts over the last 18 months.

I do
Glad your guy got his bike replaced
Glad they were caught
Sad what drugs do to peoples lives and judgement
Thanks to all your colleagues for all you e done over the last 18 months

— Nick Knowles (@MrNickKnowles) June 25, 2021

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Stray Views: Stop this Wetherby Road traffic madness!

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. See below for details on how to contribute.

Wetherby Road recycling queue is dangerous

Again today, I found that travelling south on Wetherby Road, beyond Hookstone, was compromised by cars queuing to access the waste site.
Vehicles queuing on a main arterial road is dangerous, to say the least. The volume of traffic along that road means that any obstruction creates long tailbacks very quickly.
Reduced access to the waste site through reduced spaces for cars within the site, and an intimidating audit now being taken of each driver before they are allowed to drop their waste, has exacerbated the queuing problem.
This congestion is cause for concern, as frustrated drivers are moving into the middle of the road to avoid the queue, which is endangering drivers coming into Harrogate, not to mention the increased pollution being generated in an already highly polluted area.

Nick Bentley, Knaresborough

Council pay rises would be a joke

Your piece on Harrogate Borough Council pay rises is an insult to the people who live in the town.

Harrogate Borough Council is the worst council for spending money on its ‘vanity project’ council buildings. It is a joke.

The council ignores important issues that its council tax payers have. The people sitting in their ivory tower don’t deserve anything.

Susan Mitchell, Harrogate

Stop these proposed changes to Harrogate

My husband and I enjoy the articles from the Stray Ferret: they are accurate, to the point, and echo the views of people like myself who have lived most of my life within a five-to-seven mile radius of Harrogate town centre.

We have, nevertheless, travelled abroad many times during our 52 years of married life living in close proximity to this lovely town. Some of the proposed changes to the town are just not appropriate – if only Councillor Mackenzie would listen to the views of residents of Harrogate and its outskirts. Surely, the government cannot allow them to go ahead?

Pat Perry, Kirkby Overblow

The great rewilding debate: grass-cutting or cost-cutting?

I love the long and lovely wild verges – they don’t need to be cut at all, except at junctions to let drivers exit side roads safely.

Helen Barclay, Harrogate

Do you really believe that this is anything to do with being eco friendly? It’s about cost-cutting.

The grass verges where l live are prime dumping ground for dog excrement. The verges are unsightly and the result looks like we live in a dump.

Jen Dent, Harrogate

I love the council’s efforts to allow biodiversity to gain ground on the Stray! Keep it up!

Ann Broderick, Harrogate

Deliberately planting colourful wildflowers brings the Stray to life. Looks fabulous.

Leaving roadside verges uncut and scruffy is just another lazy wheeze to short-change council taxpayers.

If you park your car next to them you get wet trying to get into your car in the morning. Several residents on Coppice Drive have taken the obvious action.

Tim Emmott, Harrogate

Wild verges looks amazing, nature always needs more help these days.

Perhaps a few wildflower seeds added will give it a lift for those who think it is just a scruffy look.

Encouraging wildlife in the centre of town is is very uplifting.

Jen Mackay, Harrogate

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Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

 

Harrogate porter’s hands feature on new NHS coronavirus pin

A porter at Harrogate District Hospital has had his hands honoured as part of a new NHS pin to thank staff for their efforts during the pandemic.

Faisal Yousaf, known as Faz, is one of just six people who have taken part in the project to support NHS charities.

TMB Art Metal has developed an initial run of 5,000 of the special fundraising pins. A total of £10 from the sale of each £25 pin will go to NHS Charities Together.

The pins, which are cast in metal from a 1939 Spitfire that flew in the Battle of Britain, are available exclusively by clicking or tapping here.

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Colleagues of Faisal put him forward for the project. He was on the frontline in the emergency department and the admissions unit taking patients to and from the intensive care unit.

He works all around the hospital transporting patients, blood supply and equipment, as well collecting items from nearby villages and Leeds.

Faisal said:

“I feel overwhelmed to be a part of this project. I’ve been here for around two years, and to me, my colleagues are not colleagues but friends and family.

“I was seeing first-hand the doctors and nurses who’d been in full PPE for 12, 13 hours coming out of intensive care, their expressions, body language and the scars the equipment made.

“Then in the days and weeks that followed it became a really proud achievement to have all my colleagues around me and to be a part of that team.”

Sammy Lambert, business development, charity and volunteer manager said:

“I am delighted that we are involved in such a monumental project. Faz is an incredible colleague and a real asset to #teamHDFT.

“All of our colleagues across the trust are so grateful to be part of such a lovely initiative to thank the NHS.

“I see first-hand the difference the monies raised through donations from projects such as this can make – thank you.”

Gallery: sun shines on Harrogate food and drink festival

Harrogate’s food and drink festival returned to the Stray today to become the town’s first major event since the coronavirus pandemic.

The event dodged the bad weather of the last week, as the sun shone on the Oatlands Drive part of the Stray that hosted the event.

The festival will be open again tomorrow to offer people the chance to enjoy international cuisine, independent bars, artisan stalls, live music and a fun fair.

The organisers have once again partnered with the mental health charity Mind, with the Harrogate district team stationed on the exit.

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Mike Gibbs, chair of Harrogate district Mind, told the Stray Ferret:

“It’s fantastic. We are so grateful to the event organisers who have helped over the years to raise money for Mind.

“Like other charities we are having a tough time with coronavirus. Events like this are going to help save lives.”

Amy Griffin, who is working on the Doe Harrogate stall, told the Stray Ferret:

“It feels amazing, Harrogate is such a great place to be. It feels a bit more normal doesn’t it? Everyone is here.

“We’ve got party rings, rainbows, Victoria sponge cake, the crowd favourite Biscoff and plenty more.”

Adele Wrightson, on the Fire and Dough stall, told the Stray Ferret:

“This is the first time we have been down here, we are from Northumberland. It’s great weather so lovely to have it outdoors.

“It’s odd to have so many people in one place. This is the biggest event we have done in recent times, they have gradually been getting more busy over the summer.”

If you miss the Stray event, it will be back at Ripley Castle on August 28 to 30.

More pictures:

Wetherby Road expected to reopen on Tuesday

Wetherby Road in Harrogate is expected to reopen on Tuesday after a water pipe burst yesterday.

The part closure of such a busy road caused long delays yesterday as drivers sought alternative routes. This looks set to continue all weekend and Monday.

Wetherby Road remains closed from Masham Close to the junction with Hookstone Road.

Yorkshire Water has confirmed that its engineers have now fixed the broken pipe.

North Yorkshire County Council previously said the aim was to reopen the road this weekend.

However, that has been pushed back. The road has suffered “significant damage” so workers need more time to fix it.

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It’s unclear at this time whether Wetherby Road will be open for the morning commute on Tuesday at this time.

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said:

“The burst pipe on Wetherby Road has now been repaired. It caused significant damage to the road surface in the area and our teams will be working throughout the weekend to reinstate the road and reduce disruption to a minimum.”

An eyewitness told the Stray Ferret:

“They were working on it on Friday morning and they said they might have to close the road, I think they left it as late as they could.

“But it was the worst timing really, on a Friday afternoon.”

Wetherby Road in Harrogate closed in both directions

Wetherby Road in Harrogate has been closed in both directions just as the evening rush hour begins, due to a broken water pipe.

Heavy traffic is already starting to build up around the area.

The busy commuter route could be closed for more than a day between Masham Close and the junction with Hookstone Road, according to North Yorkshire County Council.

The council said on Yorkshire Water‘s engineers “were on scene and aim to reinstate the road over the weekend”. It apologised for any inconvenience.

Wetherby Road in #Harrogate is closed in both directions from Masham Close to the junction with Hookstone Road.

This is due to a collapsed @YorkshireWater pipe.

Their engineers are on scene & aim to reinstate the road over the weekend.

Apologies for any inconvenience. pic.twitter.com/3LzLPmoFeI

— North Yorkshire Council (@northyorksc) June 25, 2021

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said:

“Due to a burst water pipe, we’ve had to close Wetherby Road from Masham Close to the junction with Hookstone Road.

“Our contractors are on with fixing the pipe and assessing the work that needs to be done to get the road open safely again. We’re sorry about any disruption this causes.”

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Police take man into custody after rooftop standoff in Harrogate

Police have taken a man into custody after a two-hour rooftop standoff in Harrogate this afternoon.

The incident forced police to close off Belmont Road and nearby Belmont Close and Cold Bath Road while a negotiator talked the man down.

Residents reported a heavy prescence from the emergency services just before 1pm. There were multiple fire engines, police cars and ambulances in the area.

It was around 3pm when officers handcuffed the suspect and took him away in a police van. All three roads are now open again.

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A police spokesperson said:

“The incident in Belmont Road has now been brought to a safe conclusion and the roads have reopened.

“Thank you for your patience and understanding. The man has been taken into police custody.”

An eyewitness on Cold Bath Road told the Stray Ferret:

“I came to pick up my child from school and saw lots of police cars, a few fire engines and ambulances.

“Just then I saw a man being taken into the back of a police van in handcuffs. He was up on the roof.

“So the incident seems to be over now and Cold Bath Road is open to traffic, nice and busy again.”

The incident in pictures:

Harrogate Hospital Radio wins three-year fight for FM licence

Harrogate Hospital Radio is preparing to go on to the FM airwaves after earning a licence on its third attempt in three years.

It will be a major step for the station when it starts to broadcast for the first time on 95.3FM from 9am on September 1.

The charity radio station, which has been keeping hospital staff and patients entertained since October 1977, has had a long journey to get to this point.

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Mark Oldfield, Harrogate Hospital Radio’s chairman, was knocked back by regulator Ofcom twice, but took the loss of Stray FM as a reason to take up the fight again.

He started a petition to drum up support, which was signed by nearly 400 people, and said:

“I can’t begin to tell you what this means to Harrogate Hospital Radio. An awful lot of hard work has gone into our submission.

“I’d like to thank MP Andrew Jones and Harrogate Hospital Radio NHS Trust chair Angela Schofield, and its chief executive, Steve Russell, for their support.

“Early this year, I was invited to resubmit my application and, finally, at the end of May, I got a call from Ofcom to inform me my application had been successful.

Harrogate District Hospital now has 300 FM radios so even more patients will be able to listen to Harrogate Hospital Radio.

The chairman hopes that it will become the dedicated radio station for not only the hospital, but the surrounding area as well.

Live: Harrogate traffic and travel

Good morning and welcome back, it’s Leah with you this morning with updates every 15 minutes on the road and rail links.

Temporary traffic lights, train delays and traffic hotspots are all included in our blogs, brought to you by The HACS Group.

If you are experiencing delays, and it is safe to do so, please let us know or social media or call 01423 276197.

9am – Full Update

That is it from me today, Suzannah will be back with you on Monday morning from 06:30 with updates every 15 minutes. Have a lovely weekend.

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough centres this morning, keep checking back for today’s traffic hotpots.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

A charity cycle ride covering 50 miles of North Yorkshire will cause numerous road closures in Nidderdale on Today.

The race, called On Yer Bike, will snake from Kettlewell to Pool-in-Wharfedale and will mean rolling road closures throughout the day.

Trains

Buses

8.45am – Full Update

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough centres this morning, keep checking back for today’s traffic hotpots.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

A charity cycle ride covering 50 miles of North Yorkshire will cause numerous road closures in Nidderdale on Today.

The race, called On Yer Bike, will snake from Kettlewell to Pool-in-Wharfedale and will mean rolling road closures throughout the day.

Trains

Buses

 

8.30am – Full Update

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough centres this morning, keep checking back for today’s traffic hotpots.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

A charity cycle ride covering 50 miles of North Yorkshire will cause numerous road closures in Nidderdale on Today.

The race, called On Yer Bike, will snake from Kettlewell to Pool-in-Wharfedale and will mean rolling road closures throughout the day.

Trains

Buses

 

8.15am – Full Update

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough centres this morning, keep checking back for today’s traffic hotpots.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

A charity cycle ride covering 50 miles of North Yorkshire will cause numerous road closures in Nidderdale on Today.

The race, called On Yer Bike, will snake from Kettlewell to Pool-in-Wharfedale and will mean rolling road closures throughout the day.

Trains

Buses

 

8am – Full Update

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough centres this morning, keep checking back for today’s traffic hotpots.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

A charity cycle ride covering 50 miles of North Yorkshire will cause numerous road closures in Nidderdale on Today.

The race, called On Yer Bike, will snake from Kettlewell to Pool-in-Wharfedale and will mean rolling road closures throughout the day.

Trains

Buses

 

7.45am – Full Update

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough centres this morning, keep checking back for today’s traffic hotpots.

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

A charity cycle ride covering 50 miles of North Yorkshire will cause numerous road closures in Nidderdale on Today.

The race, called On Yer Bike, will snake from Kettlewell to Pool-in-Wharfedale and will mean rolling road closures throughout the day.

Trains

Buses

 

7.30am – Full Update

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough centres this morning, keep checking back for today’s traffic hotpots.

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

A charity cycle ride covering 50 miles of North Yorkshire will cause numerous road closures in Nidderdale on Today.

The race, called On Yer Bike, will snake from Kettlewell to Pool-in-Wharfedale and will mean rolling road closures throughout the day.

Trains

Buses

 

7.15am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, keep checking back for today’s traffic hotpots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

A charity cycle ride covering 50 miles of North Yorkshire will cause numerous road closures in Nidderdale on Today.

The race, called On Yer Bike, will snake from Kettlewell to Pool-in-Wharfedale and will mean rolling road closures throughout the day.

Trains

Buses

 

7am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, keep checking back for today’s traffic hotpots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

A charity cycle ride covering 50 miles of North Yorkshire will cause numerous road closures in Nidderdale on Today.

The race, called On Yer Bike, will snake from Kettlewell to Pool-in-Wharfedale and will mean rolling road closures throughout the day.

Trains

Buses

 

6.45am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, keep checking back for today’s traffic hotpots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

A charity cycle ride covering 50 miles of North Yorkshire will cause numerous road closures in Nidderdale on Today.

The race, called On Yer Bike, will snake from Kettlewell to Pool-in-Wharfedale and will mean rolling road closures throughout the day.

Trains

Buses

 

6.30am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, keep checking back for today’s traffic hotpots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

A charity cycle ride covering 50 miles of North Yorkshire will cause numerous road closures in Nidderdale on Today.

The race, called On Yer Bike, will snake from Kettlewell to Pool-in-Wharfedale and will mean rolling road closures throughout the day.

Trains

Buses

 

Jennyfields assault: police arrest third man

North Yorkshire Police has arrested a third man in connection with a late night assault on two men in the Jennyfields area of Harrogate.

The 47-year-old from Harrogate was arrested yesterday evening and has since been released on bail.

Officers were called to the Grantley Drive area by the ambulance service at 11.20pm on Tuesday after two men were found with head injuries and cuts to their bodies.

Two other men were arrested on suspicion of wounding in the early hours of the following morning and have been released while under investigation.

A police helicopter was used to search the area to find the two men.

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