Pop-up shop offer proves a hit with Knaresborough businesses

A pop-up shop on Knaresborough High Street has proved so popular it has been booked up for the rest of the year.

The owners of Sid Horner and Son decided to offer their former premises as a pop-up for a week at a time to help boost the town’s independent businesses.

After offering the shop at £250 a week including all bills, the company was inundated with interest and, within two days, had filled the calendar until 2024.

Owner Natalie Horner told the Stray Ferret:

“Knaresborough is thriving at the moment, with less than a handful of empty units and lots of new businesses opening.

“We know lots of people want to open a shop in Knaresborough and so want this to be an opportunity for independent businesses to test the water before signing in to big leases.

“We think it will be a great addition to the high street as well as a fantastic opportunity for businesses to trial opening a shop, and hopefully some will go on to open full time in town.”

Mrs Horner said the people who had signed up would be offering a range of products including homeware, clothing, stationery, swimwear, and eco and sustainability items.

The shop, which was previously used by Sid Horner and Sons before becoming a chiropodist’s treatment room, is currently undergoing renovations, including colourful paintwork outside,

The first pop-up is expected to open in mid-September.

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Knaresborough traders set to escalate electric vehicle parking row

Traders in Knaresborough look set to escalate their battle with North Yorkshire Council over electric vehicle parking.

Last night’s Knaresborough and District Chamber meeting discussed the possibility of legal action because of concerns about the legitimacy of the consultation as well as the impact on businesses.

It also heard a petition calling for change had passed the 500-signature threshold, which means it will be discussed by the council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee.

The Liberal Democrat-controlled committee is an advisory body to the council so it cannot change laws but it can put pressure on the council’s Conservative leadership.

Ten electric vehicle charging bays were installed in Chapel Street Car Park shortly before Christmas last year.

Hairdresser Kelly Teggin told the meeting businesses were fed-up at the sight of seeing most of the bays empty while petrol and diesel cars struggled to park, particularly at weekends and on Wednesday market day.

Her petition, which has been displayed by several businesses in town, calls for some of the bays to be made available to all vehicles until demand for electric vehicle charging catches up with supply.

Kelly Teggin and Steve Teggin at the launch of the petition.

Ms Teggin said:

“These bays are still not being used. They are still empty and the town is suffering. Everyone is absolutely fuming. Businesses have had enough and are talking about legal action.

“Something needs to be done now, not in six months time.”

Councillor Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough West, agreed the situation was inadequate and supported calls for a meeting between local business and residents and council to resolve matters.

Cllr Walker added he understood the council had signed a seven-year contract with a company to provide electric vehicle charging bays in North Yorkshire and was reluctant to change anything through fear of being in breach of contract.

He also said he had also been told there was no date yet for activating the eight electric vehicle charging bays at Conyngham Hall.

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Those bays remain coned off to all vehicles, meaning most of Knaresborough’s 18 electric vehicle charging bays are frequently empty.

This is costing the council parking revenue and driving away shoppers in a notoriously difficult town for parking, said Ms Teggin.

Chamber members said they had been unable to ascertain from the council whether petrol or diesel cars would receive parking tickets for parking in the empty electric vehicle charging bays or even whether electric vehicles that weren’t charging were entitled to park there.

There are no signs in the car park explaining the situation.

Some members even floated the idea of leaving their cars in the charging bays as a test case to see if they received a ticket.

Ms Teggin said:

“The whole idea of this is to stop pollution yet people are driving round and round Knaresborough to park and then leaving. It’s insane.”

Five traffic lights stolen at roadworks in Knaresborough

Five sets of traffic lights have been stolen from one of the busiest junctions in Knaresborough.

The lights were taken from the junction of York Place and King James Road, close to King James’s School.

Northern Gas Networks is carrying out roadworks at the junction. Work is due to end on Friday next week.

The theft of the lights was not reported to police until at least 14 hours after it happened.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said:

“The theft of five temporary traffic lights in Knaresborough was reported at 2.38pm on Monday.

“It happened on King James Road and York Place between 11am on Sunday, July 30 and midnight.”

The Stray Ferret asked how much the lights were worth. The spokesperson replied “thousands of pounds”.

Councillor Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough West on North Yorkshire Council, said the theft was both unusual and unwelcome. He added:

“It has caused disruption, delays and additional costs to the works.

“I am working with officers on how repeat occurrences can be prevented and a reduction in the town’s vandalism and anti-social behaviour.”

Anyone with information can contact the police by dialling 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The police reference number is NYP-31072023-0313.

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Man rescued from public toilets in Knaresborough

A man had to be rescued today when he got stuck in public toilets in Knaresborough.

Firefighters were called to the toilets at York Place car park at 4.46pm this afternoon.

The circumstances surrounding the incident are not known.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident report gave only brief details. It said:

“A crew from Knaresborough released a male, unharmed, from a public toilet block, using a door enforcer.”

The public toilets at York Place are operated by North Yorkshire Council.

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Knaresborough firefighters had responded to a fire at the Tiger Inn at Coneythorpe early this morning.

Today’s persistent rain also saw firefighters respond to several flooding incidents in North Yorkshire.

One came from a home on Harlow Oval in Harrogate at 2.37pm. The incident report said:

“An officer responded to reports of flooding in the garden, approaching the doorstep. This posed no threat to the property, and no action was taken.”

 

Overheating ice machine caused fire in village pub near Knaresborough

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue has said a fire at a village pub near Knaresborough this morning was caused by an overheating ice machine.

The Tiger Inn at Coneythorpe looks set to be closed for several weeks after suffering what was its second fire in three years.

Firefighters were summoned at 5.45am this morning.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said in a statement:

“A number of crews attended and found a fire which had started in the kitchen and spread to the bar, toilets and a cloak room.

“Crews used breathing apparatus, four hose reel jets, positive pressure ventilation fans and thermal imaging cameras.

“Everyone was out of the property on the arrival of crews, one person was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation but did not require hospital treatment. The cause of the fire is believed to be an overheating ice machine.”

In a Facebook post, the Tiger Inn said that, while most of the pub building was fine, the kitchen was “not quite as fortunate”.

It added:

“We cannot thank the fire service and paramedics enough for their swift response and incredibly professional manner with which they dealt with the situation.

“The majority of the pub is also fine but the kitchen was not quite as fortunate. In light of this The Tiger will not be open for the next few weeks.”

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In November 2020, fire crews from Harrogate, Knaresborough and Acomb spent six hours battling a blaze at the pub.

The pub underwent 11 months of refurbishment before it reopened in October the following year.

 

Business Breakfast: Knaresborough business meeting to give town projects update

A Knaresborough business meeting is set to give an update on a number of projects in the town.

Knaresborough and District Chamber will meet tomorrow (August 2) at The Mitre pub at 7pm.

The meeting will include a chance for networking and new businesses to introduce themselves.

It will also include updates on electric vehicle parking spaces, Feva window competition and the Christmas market.

For more information on how to attend the event, visit the chamber website here.

Harrogate hairdresser shortlisted for regional award

A Harrogate hairdresser has been named as a finalist at a regional awards ceremony.

Joseph Ferraro of Joseph Ferraro Hair has been shortlisted for the North Eastern Hairdresser of the Year title at HJ’s British Hairdressing Awards.

The ceremony, which will be held at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in London in November, aims to celebrate the creative and technical skills of stylists from across the United Kingdom.

Mr Ferraro is one of just six finalists, each shortlisted having submitted four photographic images demonstrating the breadth of his hairdressing expertise.

He said:

“Our industry is full of such talented creatives, so to be shortlisted alongside names I admire so much feels very special.

“I’m incredibly proud of my collection and hope the judges will see the passion and time that has gone into creating it.”

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Local Remembrance Sunday parades under threat after police withdraw traffic help

This year’s Remembrance Sunday parade in Knaresborough may not go ahead after police told organisers they could no longer provide traffic management.

David Houlgate, vice-chair of Knaresborough Royal British Legion, said the charity had been “rocked to the core” by the news.

A letter from the assistant chief constable of North Yorkshire Police told the legion it would no longer provide traffic management because the force needed to ensure it focused resources on tackling crime.

Mr Houlgate said:

“This immediately puts this year’s Remembrance Day parade’s at risk of being cancelled and future ones not happening too.”

It is unclear whether this will jeopardise other local Remembrance Sunday parades or other events which require police traffic management.

Remembrance Day Harrogate 2021

Will Harrogate’s Remembrance Sunday commemorations also be affected?

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Police to clarify the situation. It said it was working on a statement about traffic management which would be forwarded on.

Mr Houlgate said:

“We were not expecting this and it is a major blow for the town.  There is of course a cost to providing our own traffic management provision so this decision by North Yorkshire Police almost certainly means there will be no Remembrance Day Parade in Knaresborough as things currently stand.

“And it is not just Knaresborough, it appears that North Yorkshire Police have made this decision right across the county.  We are devastated.”

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Mr Houlgate added:

“We are a charity and we are focused on raising funds to provide lifelong support to serving and ex-serving personnel and their families.  So even though every year we also lead the nation in commemorating and honouring those who have served and sacrificed, we cannot justify spending funds on traffic management.”

Remembrance Sunday commemorations in Knaresborough begin with a service at St John’s Church followed by the parade, which lasts about 20 minutes, to the war memorial in the Castle Yard.”

Mr Houlgate said:

“Apart from the covid lockdown this will be the first time in living memory the Remembrance Day parade will not happen here in Knaresborough unless there is a change of heart by North Yorkshire Police, which seems unlikely, or something else turns up.”

Knaresborough man jailed for strangling former partner

A man who strangled and terrorised his former partner has been jailed for nearly two years.

Craig Moorey, 31, from Knaresborough, strangled the victim to the point where she was struggling to breathe, York Crown Court heard.

He handed himself in following the drunken attack – albeit only because he knew the named victim had called police – but after being quizzed about the assault he went back to her home and started banging on her windows, threatening to smash them in.

Prosecutor Andrew Finlay said the assault occurred during an argument at the victim’s home in Harrogate on October 16 last year.

The victim said he only stopped when she pushed him away. Moorey claimed he pushed her away and said he “briefly” strangled her after she threatened to stab him.

The prosecution accepted that the victim had threatened to stab him but did so while being subjected to vile verbal abuse from Moorey. It was also set against a background of violence and domestic abuse she had suffered at his hands.

Mr Finlay said that in the moments before the attack, the victim had asked Moorey to leave after returning home to find empty beer cans strewn around the room. 

Moorey refused and aimed abuse at her. The argument spilled into the kitchen where he strangled her. 

Mr Finlay added:

“The defendant grabbed her by the neck with both hands and grabbed her clothing.

“She pushed him away before phoning police.”

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Moorey left the house and handed himself in a few days later but refused to answer police questions. 

He was released under investigation but on November 9, while on a bail condition to stay away from the victim, he returned to her home and asked to be let in.

The victim, realising he was drunk, refused, but Moorey returned later that night and flew into a rage after looking inside the house to find she was with her former partner.

Mr Finlay said:

“The defendant was angered by this and banged and punched the windows while threatening to smash them and shouting at her former partner.”

The victim said she was afraid that Moorey would smash the windows because “he had done so before”.

She called police again, told Moorey she had done so, and he left. He was brought in for questioning and again refused to answer police questions.

Drink problem

Moorey, of Main Street, Scotton, was charged with offences including intentional strangulation, assault and threatening to damage property. He denied the allegations but ultimately admitted strangulation and threatening to damage property on the day of trial.

The allegations he denied were either dropped by the prosecution or allowed to lie on court file. 

He appeared for sentence via video link on Friday (July 28) after being remanded in custody. 

Mr Finlay said the former couple’s relationship ended a few years ago after the victim had suffered a catalogue of domestic abuse.

Moorey, a father-of-two, had nine previous offences on his record including damaging the victim’s property, sending offensive communications and breaching a restraining order. There had been previous violence against the victim.

Moorey’s defence counsel said that his client, a ground worker, had already spent about six months on custodial remand.

Judge Simon Hickey noted previous violence against the victim and that Moorey appeared to have a drink problem.

He added: 

“This lady has spoken a number of times (in the past) of finding you in drink and cans of alcohol littered around the premises. That is your problem, I’m afraid, Mr Moorey. Drink is your downfall.”

Moorey was given a 22-month jail sentence and handed a 10-year restraining order to keep him away from the victim.

Free autism-friendly craft workshop with Nidderdale artist at care home

A care home in Knaresborough will welcome children through its doors for a special event this summer.

The Manor House will run an autism-friendly community craft session with a special guest host – Nidderdale artist James Owen Thomas.

Activities coordinator Katie Pickering, who has organised the session with colleague Joanne Doherty, said she was inspired by her daughter being diagnosed with autism.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“We’ve known for years there’s been different things about her but because she’s masked it so well, it was quite a shock when we started talking about autism.

“I think socially, she’s struggled the most, and finding something which she can join in is hard. I’m struggling to find any groups that are for her age, but she’s very artistic and loves arts and crafts, so that’s where the idea came from.

“It was great that James Owen Thomas wanted to join in.

“My colleague and I were talking and saying we must have residents here who have had autism all their lives, and they don’t know and their family have no idea.

“I think it’s nice to start raising awareness of autism in seniors.”

The Manor House, on Hambleton Grove, has been running a parent and baby group every month for more than a year.

It has also introduced family sessions during the holidays, and will run two themed events this summer.

A Harry Potter craft morning for children aged five and over takes place on Monday, August 7, from 11am to noon. Children aged up to give can attend a story and activity session at the same time on Monday, August 14, themed around classic children’s book The Tiger Who Came to Tea.

A craft session at The Manor HouseA craft session at The Manor House

The autism-friendly event, which takes place on Tuesday, August 22 at 2.30pm, is the only one to require booking, as places are limited to keep the atmosphere calm and welcoming.

A chill-out room will also be available for anyone who needs a break.

Katie said she hoped the free events would be an affordable option for families looking for things to do over the summer – and would bring benefits to the residents too.

She added:

“They just get so much joy from spending time with the younger generation. Jo and I have done so much research into inter-generational care and it brings so much joy.

“Even just talking to them, not doing anything, just observing the babies makes them so happy. Through the craft and being creative too, it’s a really nice atmosphere.”

To book a place for the autism-friendly session, call Manor House on 01423 797555.

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Knaresborough takeaway owner ordered to repay £55,000 after tax fraud conviction

A Knaresborough takeaway owner has been ordered to repay £55,000 after being convicted of tax fraud. 

Razaul Karim, 50, appeared for a financial-confiscation hearing at York Crown Court yesterday (Thursday, July 27) when judge Simon Hickey ordered him to pay back all the money to the public purse. 

Karim, of Lunan Terrace, Leeds, was given three months to pay £55,003 or face a nine-month prison sentence if he defaulted.

In September last year, the takeaway boss was given a two-year suspended prison sentence after he admitted four counts of fraudulent evasion of VAT. The offences spanned more than three years, between March 2017 and April 2020.

He was caught following an investigation into his tax affairs relating to his business, the Paragon Indian takeaway on High Street.

Prosecutor Timothy Jacobs said the business had operated for many years and that between 2013 and 2015 it was VAT-registered.

However, at some point in 2015, Karim deregistered the business from VAT after claiming that the business was under the income threshold for paying the value-added tax.

An investigation into the business was launched, which was aided by records from two well-known delivery firms which provided services for the takeaway. The records, from August 2019, suggested that the takeaway’s turnover was way over the threshold at which companies should pay VAT.

Investigators looked into the business’s takings for the years from March 2017 and found that the turnover exceeded the VAT threshold in delivered food alone, let alone purchases made in the shop.

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They found that the business’s turnover was just under £130,000, well over the £85,000 threshold. The total amount of unpaid tax was over £51,700.

Police brought Karim in for questioning in May 2021 when he ashamedly tried to blame his accountant for the tax irregularities, but later owned up to the fraud.

However, sentencing judge Mr Hickey said that because of Karim’s hitherto clean record and otherwise “exemplary” character, he would not be sending him to jail.

He said Karim’s fraud was “out of character” and committed possibly because he was going through financially hard times. 

He said that Karim was a hard-working man who had responsibilities as a father and that at the time of the offences he was “probably” struggling to pay his bills and employees.

Mr Karim’s wife Kalpana Begum Karim, 46, with whom he ran the business, had been charged with the same offences but denied the allegations. The prosecution dropped all charges against her.