A salon has become the third business in quick succession to fall victim to criminals on Harrogate’s Cold Bath Road.

Sara Pugh Hairdressing put four mini Christmas trees in plant boxes outside the shop and decorated them with lights to spread seasonal goodwill.

But one tree has been stolen, another uprooted and the lights on all four vandalised.

Charlie Woolley, a stylist at the salon, said her friend alerted her to the damage when she noticed it on her way to work early on Sunday morning. Ms Woolley said:

“It’s just really bad and immoral. Sara does so much for charity and put so much effort into the Christmas display so it looks nice for children on their way to school.

“It’s so sad that people enjoy doing this.”

One tree was uprooted and another was stolen.

Fortunately the giant toy bear outside the shop, which is brought inside at night, was not harmed.

Last month Dangerfield & Keane, another salon just yards from Sara Pugh Hairdressing, had its Christmas lights vandalised for the first time in 14 years.

Days later two thieves smashed their way into  James Barber Tobacconist on the other side of the road closer to town and stole cigars and whiskey.

Read more:

• Burglary at Harrogate hairdressers this morning
• Thieves smash their way into Harrogate shop

Two thieves have smashed their way into an independent Harrogate shop and stolen cigars and whiskey.

The men, believed to be in their early 20s, used a stone to break a glass panel on the door of James Barber Tobacconist.

It is one of two shops on Cold Bath Road targeted by criminals already this month. In a separate incident last week, a man vandalised the Christmas lights outside hair salon Dangerfield & Keane.

Mr Barber has published CCTV footage of the break-in on his Instagram page in the hope it might lead to an arrest.

The incident happened in the early hours of November 1 and Mr Barber has decided to release the film now because the police investigation has yet to find the perpetrators.

The thieves also smashed a cabinet to get hold of the goods. One left when the alarm sounded.

Mr Barber estimated the crime had cost him £1,000 in repairs and loss of goods.

His Instagram post said:

“Until now these two are still out and about maybe looking for another opportunity to violate another business owner.

“Since it has been more than 10 days, we felt the need to warn all local businesses like us to be vigilant as we believe this can happen anytime. If anyone recognises these two please report it directly to the Harrogate police. Crime No.NYP-01112022-0012.”

Harrogate has the highest number of smokers in North Yorkshire, according to government figures.

Vaping company Vape Club analysed Public Health England data which revealed that 14.4% of adults living in the Harrogate district are smokers, above other districts in the county and the national figure of 13.9%.

One tobacconist in Harrogate told the Stray Ferret a trend towards different kinds of smoking could be behind the statistics – along with the coronavirus crisis.

James Barber has a shop on Cold Bath Road and told the Stray Ferret that his sales have doubled since lockdown. He said this is because smokers have not been able to travel abroad where they would usually buy cheaper cigarettes or rolling tobacco.

Mr Barber moved the shop to Harrogate from Otley last year and said there is a “phenomenal trade” in the town for expensive cigars.

He has also seen a rise in young men in their 20s who are becoming bored with vaping, and instead have moved on to smoking tobacco pipes. He said the pipe has been “reinvented” from the days of it being an old man’s pastime.

Read more:

• North Yorkshire retains seat at West Yorkshire health scrutiny board

• Community groups to carry out speed checks in district villages

The government introduced the indoor smoking ban in 2007, plain packaging for cigarettes in 2017, banned menthol cigarettes this year and has an ambition for the UK to be “smoke free” by 2030.

According to Public Health England, smoking is the leading cause of preventable illness and premature death in England, with about half of all lifelong smokers dying prematurely, losing on average around 10 years of life. In 2016 alone, there were around 78,000 deaths attributable to smoking, representing 16% of all deaths across the UK.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire County Council’s Living Well SmokeFree service said:

“When you quit smoking, it reduces your risk of illness, disability or death caused by cancer, heart or lung disease. It will protect the health of the people around you by reducing their exposure to secondhand smoke. It will also save you money – the average smoker saves £150 a month when they quit.”

But Mr Barber said some people in Harrogate are still smoking “because they don’t like being told what to do by the government”.

He added:

“I would never say smoking is good for you and I wouldn’t like my children to start smoking, so I can fully understand the government wanting everyone to stop smoking.

“But I don’t know where they will get the money to pay for tax. Smokers pay billions into the kitty. It’s gone a little bit over the top. We know it’s no good for us but it’s down to personal choice, at the end of the day.”