‘Snow by dawn’ – Met Office warns of travel disruption

After one of the coldest Januarys of recent years in the Harrogate district, February is set to usher in more snow.

A Met Office weather warning for snow and ice is in force from 10pm tonight until 23.59pm tomorrow.

Snow is due to start falling in the Harrogate district at about 4am and is expected to last until afternoon, when it turns to rain.

The Met Office says the conditions are likely to lead to ‘difficult travelling conditions’.

The Stray Ferret will keep readers up to date with the latest weather and travel news tomorrow.

The covid vaccination sites in Harrogate and Ripon have already postponed morning appointments in anticipation of difficult travel conditions.

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Some schools have also warned parents their plans to open on time may be affected.

The temperature did not rise into double figures at all in Harrogate during January.

Judging by the two-week forecast, that may not change for the first half of February at least.

Send us your weather updates and images tomorrow to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Man charged with murder of 22-year-old Harrogate woman

A man has been charged with the murder of former Ashville College student Anna Reed.

Ms Reed, 22, was found strangled in her bed in a Swiss hotel in April 2019.

The Sunday Times reported last weekend that Marc Schatzle, a German traveller, has been accused of murder, fraud and theft.

It is believed Mr Schatzle met Ms Reed when she was travelling around the world as a 21st birthday present from her father, Clive, a Harrogate racehorse breeder.

They are thought to have been dating for several months.

A spokesman for the Swiss prosecutors office said:

“He is accused of intentional homicide, theft, fraud and drug offences.

“Covid permitting, he will go on trial later this year.”

A spokeswoman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said:

“Our consular staff are assisting the family of a British woman following her death in Switzerland, and are in contact with the Swiss and UK police.”

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Car crashes into parked cars on Harrogate street

Police are appealing for witnesses after a car crashed into two parked vehicles in Harrogate and then drove off.

The incident happened at 7.25pm yesterday on Roseville Avenue.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement a light metallic blue hatchback turned right off Roseville Road onto Roseville Avenue.

The driver of the hatchback then crashed into the two parked cars, causing “significant damage” to one of them.

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The hatchback then drove off without stopping to exchange details and was last seen heading towards Granby Road, police said.

Police said the hatchback involved is likely to have damage to its front nearside.

Anyone with information can contact the police on 101, quoting reference 12210049523.

Harrogate delivery drivers in turf war with rival outsiders

Self-employed delivery drivers in Harrogate say tensions are rising with rival drivers coming into the area to make money during lockdown, despite the risk of spreading covid.

The Stray Ferret has spoken to four Harrogate delivery drivers about the issue. One said the situation has led to drivers coming to blows.

The local drivers say about 30 drivers from areas such as Leeds and Bradford are coming to Harrogate each day for work. They added this didn’t occur before lockdown.

Delivery drivers are able to travel during lockdown but the ones we spoke to in Harrogate said this posed covid risks, as well as threatening the earnings of locals.

The drivers are self-employed and work on apps to find takeaway deliveries near to them. Whoever responds first to the notifications on the app gets to deliver the order.

They are paid per job and Harrogate is regarded as a better location to make money than many larger nearby places.

The drivers have reported their grievances to Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire Police. Both told the Stray Ferret it wasn’t a matter for them.

‘Spreading the virus’

One local driver, Christian Mihailpo, said:

“I am afraid for Harrogate because they could be spreading the virus.

“I have spoken to some of the drivers and they have just said they don’t understand the issue. We can travel for our jobs but they shouldn’t be doing this in the lockdown.”

Another of the drivers, who wished to remain anonymous, said:

“I have health issues myself so it is a worry. We just want to work safely. I would say I’ve lost between 60-70 per cent of earnings because there’s not enough to cover everyone that is working here now.”

He added it was causing tension and a clear divide was emerging between local and outside drivers.

All the drivers said this issue has worsened during the current lockdown and that they were losing income because of it.

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Losing money

They added some of the drivers from outside Harrogate often call family or friends to work here.

Local driver Ali Mahyrt said:

“We aren’t happy about what is happening and we want to try and stop it. We are losing money but our health is impacted too.

“I understand they need to make money but they should take into account local people’s health.”

Victor Foca, who is also based locally, added:

“The regulations should mean they stay in their home city. The risk is when they go to houses to deliver food.”

WATCH: Harrogate vaccine team ‘deserve big round of applause’

Two Harrogate district residents who have recently been vaccinated have heaped praise on the team behind the local vaccination centre.

David Ridgway and David Hill got their coronavirus jabs at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate this month.

Both residents contacted the Stray Ferret with the hope that their experiences will encourage anyone who is apprehensive.

Mr Ridgway, who lives in Pateley Bridge with his wife, said over a video call (above):

“They deserve a big round of applause. For anybody who is maybe a little bit apprehensive about going, don’t worry at all.

“It’s a very easy and relaxed experience with plenty of happy, smiling faces.”

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Mr Hill, who lives in Harrogate, also told the Stray Ferret:

“Other than a sore arm for a couple of days I had no side effects other than mentally feeling ‘over the moon’!

“The whole process was brilliantly organised so much so I told our MP Andrew Jones it had made me feel proud to be British.

“I also rang my GP surgery telling them the same story and they were pleased to receive the call.”

Snow and ice warning for Harrogate district

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for snow and ice in the Harrogate district next week.

Weather forecasters predict the snow and ice will hit on Monday and continue until Wednesday.

There is also a yellow warning for ice in the north of the district, covering the likes of Ripon today and tomorrow.

The snow and ice warning is in place from 9pm on Monday until 11.45pm on Wednesday.

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Forecasters have said that snow, with a risk of widespread ice, is likely to push slowly northeast from late Monday.

If the snow and ice does hit on Monday evening then expect travel delays, rural communities being cut off and power cuts.

This latest weather warning for the district comes just over a week after flooding and two weeks after heavy snow.

A spokesperson for the Met Office said this morning:

“A band of rain, locally heavy in places, is likely to push slowly northeast across Wales and England late Monday.

“As this rain comes into contact with cold air in place, it is likely to readily turn to snow across parts of Wales, the Midlands, and later parts of northern England.

“1-4 cm of snow is quite likely away from coasts, with 5-10 cm possible above about 150 metres.”

Harrogate cub scout leader jailed for stalking

A former scout leader and rugby player from Harrogate who stalked a woman and sent her bloodstained letters has been jailed for over three years.

Ian Binns, 46, followed his ex-partner in the street, drove past her home “shouting and screaming”, bombarded her with phone calls and text messages, and posted her “begging” letters smeared with his own blood, York Crown Court heard.

On one occasion, the former Harrogate Pythons and Harrogate RUFC player doused himself in fuel — thought to be petrol — and tried to set himself alight in front of the petrified woman, said prosecutor Michael Bosomworth.

In another incident, he threw a bloodstained letter at her in the street.

Binns, who was once a cub leader in the 3rd Harrogate Scout Group, was “obsessed” with the woman and couldn’t accept the end of their on-off, six-year relationship, added Mr Bosomworth.

The victim, who was named in court, ultimately ended the relationship just before going on holiday in September last year because she had “had enough” of his obsessiveness and aggression towards her. Mr Bosomworth said:

“When she returned from holiday, he was waiting for her in his car at the end of the road.

“He walked towards her; she told him to go away. There was a physical altercation.”

Bloodstained letters

Binns, of Woodfield Road, Harrogate, returned to the victim’s home in Harrogate the following day, on the pretext of collecting his belongings, and when she tried to close the door on him, he forced his way in, resulting in another “altercation”. Mr Bosomworth added:

“There then followed a series of (phone) calls and letters.”

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In the letters, Binns would “express his love” for the woman and wrote offensive things about another man with whom she had been in an on-off relationship, saying he “wanted him dead”.

In the stained letters, Binns told the victim, “I’m not worth anything. You know I can’t cope”.

Binns, a grandfather who worked as a self-employed electrical engineer, started bombarding her with Facebook messages and unanswered phone calls. He made 53 calls alone while she was on holiday. Mr Bosomworth said:

“When she (asked) him not to send her any more letters or contact her on Facebook…he took to putting notes through her letterbox.

“A number of (the letters) were bloodstained. The defendant was effectively threatening to kill himself.”

Followed in street

He said the rugby forward would follow the victim in the street — in some cases right up to her door.

In one incident, he cut his arm with a knife and grabbed her arm, trying to smear blood all over her. The victim cut her finger during the struggle. Mr Bosomworth said:

“He said, ‘My blood is on your hands.’

“In one incident in the street, (Binns) had a bottle of petrol or some kind of fuel.

“He drank some then poured it over his stomach and set it alight. She tried to put it out.

“He said, ‘What does it matter? It doesn’t matter anymore.’”

In a separate incident, Binns — whom the victim described as “reckless, irrational, dangerous and unstable” — walked up to her and pushed her to the ground. She suffered a scraped elbow.

She eventually reported Binns to police and he was duly arrested. He was charged with harassment, or stalking, which caused fear of violence.

He admitted the charge and appeared for sentence via video link on Thursday after being remanded in custody.

Hid in gardens

The court heard that the victim, who had ended the relationship once before, in 2017, only for it to be rekindled, had kept a typed diary of the harrowing events and the “self-pitying” letters sent to her. Mr Bosomworth said:

“He was threatening to harm himself or even to commit suicide and (was) making her feel she was responsible for that.

“The worrying feature is the repetitive nature of (the letters) and the number of times he is driving past her, following her and (he is) clearly, completely obsessed with her.”

The victim said she was still terrified and “hyper aware” when out in public despite Binns having been remanded in jail.

She said she used to “hide in people’s gardens so he couldn’t see me”, adding:

“He used to wait at the end of my street for me; he used to frighten me.

“He would get out of his van and shout at me. He was so angry.”

She said she was “very distressed” and had had “nightmares… about being chased, attacked, murdered”. She added:

“I’ve sadly come to terms with the fact that this is now my life; it will always be there.”

‘Outside normal behaviour’

Defence barrister Robert Mochrie said Binns had “certain” mental health issues and was taking tranquilizers at the time of the offences, but his stalking campaign was “so extreme that it is (outside) normal human behaviour”.

Recorder Alex Menary described Binns’ offending between September and December last year as “disturbing, inexplicable (and) extreme” for a man who had previously led a relatively blame-free life and volunteered for the Scouts.

He said the stalking campaign had had a “devastating” effect on the victim.

Binns was jailed for three years and four months and made subject to a lifetime restraining order, which bans him contacting the victim or going anywhere near her home.

Harrogate Gift Card enjoys record month

Harrogate Gift Card enjoyed its best-ever month in December, as 392 cards were bought with a combined value of £17,200.

The cards, which can be pre-loaded with any value up to £500, are redeemable at more than 90 town centre shops, restaurants, bars, cafes, businesses and attractions.

Participating businesses include Bettys, Crown Jewellers, Dizzy Duck, Harrogate Theatre, Yorkshire Farmers Meat Co, Rhodes Wood and Blamey’s Florists.

The initiative, which is free for businesses to sign up to, ensures that every £1 pre-loaded onto a card stays within the local economy.

Sara Ferguson, chair of Harrogate Business Improvement District, said many people regarded its card as an ideal Christmas present. She added:

“It was also particularly pleasing to note that a number of businesses and organisations bought cards as gifts for employees and clients.

“The biggest single transaction recoded at the beginning of the month was for 50 cards!

“The BID’s remit is to increase footfall, spend and dwell time within Harrogate town centre, and the Harrogate Gift Card is one such initiative helping us support our high street.

More information on the Harrogate Gift Card, which during lockdown can only be purchased online, is available here.

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Have you seen our Shop Local section? You can shop online and continue to support Harrogate businesses during lockdown. Click here to find out more.

Police officer ‘very sorry’ after high speed crash with Harrogate women

A police officer has apologised after she drove through a red light at 50 miles per hour and crashed into a car with two elderly Harrogate women inside.

Bradford Crown Court heard the statement DC Quita Passmore prepared when questioned under caution by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The court previously heard how Patricia Bulmer and Janet Roberton sustained severe injuries as a result of the crash, including broken bones and a punctured lung.

DC Quita Passmore has been charged with two counts of dangerous driving. She has entered a plea of not guilty to both counts.

She was responding to reports on May 5, 2018 from her colleague PC Nicola Copley – who said she was in distress while trying to make an arrest in the Bilton area.

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The defendant made a three point turn, put on her blue lights and sirens and drove down Otley Road towards the centre of Harrogate.

DC Quita Passmore said in her statement, read out in court with a jury today:

“Despite my concern for [PC Nicola Copley] I limited my speed to 50 miles per hour and kept my road conditions under constant review.

“I was aware that I needed to give way for the red light. But I thought it was unlikely that anything would emerge as my colleague had passed through seconds before.

“As I went through the junction a red car emerged. My evasive action was not enough to avoid the collision.

“I am glad to hear that the two other people involved are making a recovery. I am very sorry this happened, it was never my intention.”

The court called in three witnesses today. PC Steve Kirkbright, driving trainer Kenneth Tate and IOPC officer Paul Whitaker provided evidence.

Steve Kirkbright, a forensic collision investigator with more than 30 years experience at North Yorkshire Police, told the court:

“I do not think that DC Quita Passmore braked heavily before the crash. I have watched the CCTV dozens of times.

“The brake lights do not appear on DC Quita Passmore’s car. Other vehicles in the CCTV slow down and you can see the light bloom.”

Kenneth Tate, a driving trainer at North Yorkshire Police who has taught DC Quita Passmore, also said:

“If I were approaching this junction with a red light I would slow down to a walking pace.

“It is only safe to go once I have got the ‘arena,’ which means that everyone has eyes on the police car around the junction.

“You have to make sure the junction is clear. That is how we always train.”

The trial continues.

Mountain bike stolen from Harrogate garage

Police are appealing for information after a mountain bike was stolen from a locked garage in Harrogate.

It happened just before 1am on Wednesday, January 27, when the lock was broken on a garage on Tewit Well Road.

The green and black mountain bike was stolen. A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:

“We are requesting the public’s assistance to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

“In particular, we are appealing for information about anyone who might have seen a green and black mountain bike in the area around this time.”

Anyone with information can call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option two and ask for Elizabeth Estensen, or email elizabeth.estensen@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

To report information anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12210042876.

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