Harrogate bus passenger worried by lack of face masks

A Harrogate bus passenger has complained to the bus company after finding that more than half of people on board were not wearing face masks.

Chris Hill had just paid his fare on Monday when he realised that only two people out of five on the bus were wearing face masks.

It has been the law to wear face mask on public transport since June but there are some exceptions to the rule.

When Mr Hill questioned the driver he said that drivers do not have to enforce any rules or question anyone.

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Unhappy with that response, he took his complaint to the parent company of the Harrogate Bus Company Transdev and the Stray Ferret. He said:

“I think that if you drive around with a sign saying the buses are clean and safe then you have to enforce this. It’s not a problem on trains.

“When someone gets on the bus they should be able to prove that they have an exemption. If not the driver should refuse entry.

“If the bus driver cannot enforce the rules then they should make that clear to other passengers who may feel at risk. It’s difficult but more can be done.”

Frank Stanisauskis, the general manager of The Harrogate Bus Company, said:

“Since the rules came into place in June we’ve taken several steps to make sure all our customers know that, unless they are exempt, they need to wear a face covering.

“That includes giving away free face coverings, selling our own reusable ones in our bus station shop, adding notices visible when customers board and alongside every row of seats on the bus, as well as including information about face coverings to our audio announcements on board.

“Because the Government has allowed some broad exemptions to the face covering rules, many of which relate to disabilities or difficulties which are not visible, we do still expect to see customers on board who aren’t wearing one.

Buses are clean and safe – reported as ‘the safest places on earth’ by leading scientists, and backed up by national and international studies into covid-19. We can reassure any customer, that when they are on board our buses we’ve taken every precaution to ensure their safety and that of our driving and cleaning teams.”

Man jailed for murder of Harrogate woman

A Bradford man has been jailed for 16 years for the murder of a Harrogate woman.

Dale Tarbox was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court today for the murder of Susan Howells, who was a close friend.

A police investigation started in August 2019 when Susan, who was 51, was reported missing.

North Yorkshire Police passed the case onto West Yorkshire Police after its enquiries suggested she had been in the Bradford area at the time.

Dale Tarbox.

The police elevated the missing persons investigation into a murder investigation after officers failed to find her.

Officers arrested Tarbox in September 2019 in Doncaster and charged with the murder of Susan at his home address in Bradford.

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Police enquiries led officers to a caravan park when Tarbox was living. A few days later the police found human remains.

Further investigations led to the arrest of Keith Wadsworth, who was convicted of assisting an offender in preventing lawful burial.

Tarbox, 40, of Independent Street in Little Horton, was jailed for 16 years for Susan’s murder and given two years to run concurrently in preventing her lawful burial.

He refused to attend court to hear the sentence.

Keith Wadsworth.

Keith Wadsworth, 61, from Doncaster, was sentenced to three years and seven months for assisting an offender in preventing a lawful burial. He pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.

Speaking after sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Vanessa Rolfe, said:

“I hope today’s outcome provides some closure for Susan’s family, knowing that the man who murdered her has been given a significant prison sentence.

“Susan regarded Tarbox as a close friend and someone she could trust, but he showed no regard for her – taking her life in a cold and callous way and then teaming up with Wadsworth to try and dispose of her body.

“He is clearly a dangerous individual and the people of West Yorkshire should feel safer knowing he will be behind bars for many years.”

Harrogate church opens doors to homeless people

A church in Harrogate is preparing to open its doors to homeless people, with its lower hall soon becoming a day service for the foreseeable future.

The Wesley Centre will be the site for the Harrogate Homeless Project’s (HHP) Springboard service, which is currently in the adjoining Wesley Chapel House in a much smaller room.

It provides food, shower facilities, a laundry service and support for homeless people and is open from 10am to 2pm every week day

With social distancing making it more difficult to use the current small space, HHP will take over the lower hall of the Wesley Centre.

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To accommodate the move and keep the upper floor available for church services, the Wesley Centre will install new toilets and refurbish the kitchen.

The National Lottery’s Coronavirus Community Support will give the church £37,500 for those works.

Pippa French, the manager at the Wesley Centre, said:

“Coronavirus meant the closure of our building and many of our usual groups haven’t yet returned.

“Meanwhile, the Harrogate Homeless Project next door were unable to maintain their services at a safe distance because they didn’t have the space.

“Wesley Chapel was responsible for the founding of the Project nearly 30 years ago, so it’s fantastic that it can step in once again when there is a need.

Wesley Centre events will continue in the Chapel space upstairs, which will be available for hire in early 2021.

Liz Hancock, CEO, Harrogate Homeless Project said:

“Our day centre premises at Springboard had become difficult to run.

“The numbers attending were growing and the space was not sufficient to provide the care and activities we wanted to.

“Now coronavirus restrictions have made things even more problematic.

“The lower hall at Wesley Centre will be ideal for us and matches and surpasses everything we were looking for.”

HHP is now busy planning its move into the lower hall at the Wesley Centre and hopes that the project can move in early next year.

Harrogate BID manager to stand down

Simon Kent, who had been acting as interim manager since April, is to step down when a new manager is found.

Mr Kent, former director of the Harrogate Convention Centre, has brought some stability to the Harrogate BID during a difficult year.

In April the BID’s chairman and three directors resigned saying there was too much council influence and secrecy on the board.

The Council Leader, Richard Cooper then resigned his position on the board in June. No reason was given for his departure. He was replaced by Trevor Watson, HBC’s director of economy and culture.

Much of this year has been taken up with helping town centre businesses, particularly retail, survive the pandemic.

Sara Ferguson the acting chair of the BID paid tribute to Mr Kent. She said:

“We have been extremely lucky to have had Simon Kent as our Interim BID Manager. He has been a tower of strength, and from day one got on with the job in hand. I’m delighted to say he’s agreed to stay with us until his successor has been found.”

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The meeting this afternoon will introduce 5 new board members and elect a chair and deputy chair. Ms Ferguson who took over as acting chair in April said:

“My reason for standing in the first place was because I’m passionate about Harrogate. And being the owner of two town centre businesses I have a vested interest in the ongoing success of Harrogate.

“I’ll admit the last 12 months has certainly had its ups and downs. However, we have weathered these storms and I’m very pleased and proud of what we achieved this year. Words have become actions and we are delivering the aims of our businesses plan.

“Our sights are now fixed on the coming 12, 24 and 36 months. Our job has only just begun, and we still have a lot more to do”.

The new BID board consists of:

Harrogate district set to get first covid vaccine injections next week

The first covid vaccines in North Yorkshire will be injected at seven sites across the county next week, it was revealed today.

Amanda Bloor, accountable officer at North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, gave the news everyone has been waiting to hear at a weekly media briefing of North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which represents all the organisations in the county responding to the pandemic.

Ms Bloor said the sites had been identified but did not reveal where they are.

She said the CCG, which buys medical services for the county, will provide further details when they are finalised.

Ms Bloor described the programme as a “logistical challenge”, but added that it was “fantastic news” that patients were starting to get the vaccine across the country.

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Planning for the vaccination programme is taking place on a regional level, including East Yorkshire, Hull and North Lincolnshire.

People included in the highest priority category, including those aged over 80 and front line NHS staff, will be the first to be offered the jab.

Ms Bloor said she anticipated that more sites will offer the vaccine in the coming weeks.

She said:

“We are currently in final planning for seven sites across North Yorkshire and York to people in North Yorkshire and York from next week.

“I do anticipate that more sites will come on stream in the following weeks and into the New Year.”

It comes as the first coronavirus vaccines were dispatched to 50 hospitals in the UK as the country embarks on the biggest vaccination programme in British history.

Each hospital received a batch of 975 doses. Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust, which runs St James’s University Hospital, is the closest to offer the vaccine to Harrogate.

Sylvia Harris, an 80-year-old NHS healthcare worker who joined the trust when she was 26, was the first to receive the jab in the city yesterday.

Harrogate care home resident enjoys first window pint

A Harrogate care home resident has been able to enjoy a pint with his son for the first time in months.

Colin Jameslund, who moved into The Manor House, Harrogate earlier this year, saw his son Phillip through a window this weekend.

The pair have always bonded over a drink and Colin knows his ale, having previously worked as a sales director at John Smith’s Brewery.

It has been a tough few months for the pair but Colin is optimistic about the future. He told the Stray Ferret today:

“My son lives in Chester but visits as often as he can. It was good to have a pint with him, we both had some Black Sheep beer.

“It’s not nice when I have to stay away from my family so being able to see them through a window means an awful lot to me.

“I do really feel for those who haven’t been able to have any visitors. I feel lucky here, the staff have been wonderful.”

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Colin is in a high priority group for the new coronavirus vaccine but says he is happy to wait his turn.

Caryn Ferguson, the client liaison manager at The Manor House, told the Stray Ferret:

“It is really nice to see something so positive happening in the care home. It has been a tough time for everyone.”

The care home is trying to lift spirits this Christmas by putting up decorations and will even have pupils from Brackenfield School round to sing carols outside the building this Friday.

Thousands of new trees could be planted in Harrogate

Thousands of new trees could be planted in the Harrogate district after the government earmarked £3.7m for the new White Rose Forest.

The White Rose Forest is one of 10 community forests being created in England. It will span north and west Yorkshire.

The funding will enable 218 hectares of trees to be planted — but specific details on how much of the new tree coverage will fall within our district are yet to be announced.

The White Rose Forest will consist of pockets of woodland rather than huge expanses and is part of the government’s commitment to increase UK tree planting to 30,000 hectares a year by 2025.

A Harrogate Borough Council report in September identified 17.2 acres of council-owned land that could potentially be used to plant trees for the White Rose Forest.

It consisted of 14 hectares of land on either side of the Bilton to Ripley cycleway and 3.2 hectares of land next to Conyngham Hall in Knaresborough.

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The average woodland cover in Europe is about 36%. In the UK the average is 12%. In the Harrogate district and the Yorkshire Dales the figure is 8%.

Landowners within the White Rose Forest area have been invited to apply for grants, incentives and support to create woodlands on their land.

The first White Rose Forest trees were planted in the Harrogate district last year in Nidderdale by the Rotary Club of Harrogate, Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Ashville College.

NHS worker becomes first to receive covid vaccine in Leeds

An 80-year-old NHS healthcare worker has become the first person to be administered a coronavirus vaccine at the closest hospital to the Harrogate district to receive the vaccine.

Sylvia Harris, who joined Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust when she was 26, received the jab this lunchtime at St James’s University Hospital just outside the city centre.

There is still no news on when people in the Harrogate district will be offered the vaccine.

Ms Harris, a ward housekeeper who is currently shielding at home, said:

“I miss all the people I work with. I’m so glad I’ve got it done.”

Fifty hospitals across the country have embarked on the biggest vaccination programme in British history. Each hospital received a batch of 975 doses.

On Saturday the NHS announced that a small number of GP practices will begin giving vaccines from December 14th.

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Margaret Keenan, a 90-year-old grandmother, was the first person in the country to receive the jab at University Hospital Coventry this morning.

This lunchtime Sylvia Harris, 80-yr-old ward housekeeper, was the first of our colleagues to be vaccinated. Sylvia was 26 when she first joined LTHT. Currently shielding at home, she said; “I miss all the people I work with. I’m so glad I’ve got it done.” #CovidVaccine pic.twitter.com/I3pR6qjllA

— Leeds Teaching Hospitals (@LeedsHospitals) December 8, 2020

North Yorkshire still awaits the green light to offer appointments.

The Stray Ferret contacted Yorkshire Health Network, which represents 17 GP practices in Harrogate, and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to ask if any residents in the district had been offered the vaccine, but has yet to receive a reply.

An update is expected at a press briefing tomorrow of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, a partnership of emergency agencies.

Harrogate and District Community Action is set to offer drivers to transport people to vaccination appointments.

Two arrests after vehicle keys stolen in Harrogate

Two men were arrested after vehicle keys were stolen from a home in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident, which happened between 2am and 2.30am on Saturday morning.

The suspects are believed to have entered the home between Ripon Road and Coppice Street and taken the keys.

The police have released the two men but are appealing for witnesses to “establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident”.

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Anyone with information about the incident should call 101, select option two and ask for PC 855.

For those who wish to remain anonymous they can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12200220750.

No action taken against Harrogate district venues in tier checks

The police and council have taken no formal action against any of the 100 or so pubs and restaurants they visited over the weekend to check they were complying with tier two restrictions.

However, Harrogate Borough Council has said it will continue to follow-up any complaints about non-compliance.

Council staff accompanied officers from North Yorkshire Police on spot checks at venues on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, amid fears some might not be enforcing restrictions.

A spokesman for the council said today:

“Most businesses understood the new rules. We have given those who haven’t further information to ensure customers have a safe and enjoyable visit.

“We also want to ensure all businesses are operating on a level playing field and no-one is gaining an unfair advantage by breaking the current rules.

“We are pleased to say all businesses have been very willing to make any necessary adjustments.”

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Latest coronavirus numbers

The Harrogate district recorded a further 21 coronavirus cases today, taking the total number up to 3,725.

Harrogate District Hospital has not recorded any further coronavirus deaths. The total remains at 104.

The seven-day infection rate for the district is now 93 cases per 100,000 people. This is for the seven days to December 4.