Police seize £100,000 cash in crackdown on Harrogate ‘county lines’ drug dealingPolice found £100,000 in cash as part of a week of action targeting county lines drug dealing around Harrogate.
The discovery was made at a property in Leeds, which was raided along with three others in the city and in Kirk Deighton, to disrupt links to Harrogate.
County lines crime sees organised gangs target vulnerable people, such as drug users, people with mental or physical disabilities, sex workers, or single mothers. They are often victims of ‘cuckooing’, where the gangs take over their homes and use them as a base for dealing drugs across county borders.
North Yorkshire Police tackles the issue under its Operation Expedite unit and, as part of a National Crime Agency initiative, carried out a “week of intensification” at the beginning of March.
As well as the cash recovered, it saw three people arrested for offences relating to drug dealing and handling criminal property. All three – two men aged 19 and 41, and a woman aged 26 – have since been released under investigation.
A 32-year-old who attended a police interview voluntarily was released with a warning for possession of cannabis.
Detective Chief Inspector Andy Simpson, who coordinated the week of activity in North Yorkshire, said:
“County lines drug dealing is a major priority for North Yorkshire Police, so much so that we have teams who are focused full-time on disrupting drug dealing activity.
“Although last week’s activity is part of a national week of intensification, it is indicative of the activity going on across North Yorkshire all of the time.
“The fact that we have safeguarded 70 people in one week shows our commitment to protect vulnerable people who have been or are at risk of being exploited by dealers.
“I would urge anyone with information about drug dealing in their community to call us on 101; we treat every piece of information as important.”
To report information anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
Any young person worried about being targeted by county lines gangs can call Childline in confidence on 0800 1111.
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Cost of Harrogate to Leeds rail season ticket rises to almost £2,000The cost of an annual season target from Harrogate to Leeds has risen to almost £2,000 following the latest rail price increase.
Yesterday’s 5.9% hike was part of the largest annual fares rise in Britain since 2012.
It means Harrogate commuters must now pay £1,928 for an annual season ticket to Leeds — an increase of £107.
The news prompted Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough, to call for a fare freeze.
Mr Gordon said the annual season ticket price for Harrogate commuters was forecast to be £2,206 by 2027 despite reduced services compared to pre-pandemic timetables. He added:
“It is outrageous to hike rail fares in the middle of a cost of living crisis. This Conservative government is completely out of touch.
“Ministers cannot keep turning a blind eye to these problems, especially given people are paying more for less on our rail network with fewer trains running or even on time.”
Tom Gordon at Knaresborough station
He added:
“I am calling for a fair deal for people in Harrogate and Knaresborough with an immediate fare freeze to help families struggling under the cost of living crisis this government created.”
“We should be making green forms of transport cheaper, yet this Conservative government is determined to make rail more expensive than ever before.”
The Stray Ferret asked Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, if he wished to respond to Mr Gordon’s comments but he did not reply.]
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Harrogate, Leeds and Sheffield tipped for best economic growth in YorkshireHarrogate, Leeds and Sheffield have been named as the three places forecast to experience the region’s highest economic growth over the next two years.
The EY Regional Economic Forecast, compiled by accounting firm Ernst & Young, says Leeds’ economy is expected to grow by 2.1% per year on average over the course of 2024 to 2026.
Harrogate and Sheffield are predicted to have the joint-second fastest-growing economies across Yorkshire and the Humber over the same period, with both projected to see annual average growth of 1.9%. Hull fares worst, with forecasted growth of 1.2%.
The region’s overall forecasted average annual growth of 1.7% is the joint lowest in the UK — and well below London’s predicted 2.6%.
Stephen Church, Ernst & Young’s north market leader, said:
“The north is home to many of the UK’s most dynamic and innovative businesses and, while the next 12 months will be economically challenging, there are areas across the region where we can expect to see encouraging growth over the next few years.”
But Mr Church added “too many places are still expected to trail behind” and that regions “need their own clear strategies for growth, which reflect each region’s own strengths and unique attributes”.
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By 2026, Harrogate’s local economy is expected to be £0.2 billion larger than in 2022. The real estate activities and professional, scientific and technical sectors are expected to record the biggest absolute increases in growth over this period.
As well as expecting some of the fastest economic growth in the region from 2024 to 2026, Harrogate and Sheffield are also forecast to see their employment growth match the national growth rate over the same period, with annual average growth of 1.3% in both places.
The regional average is 1.1%.
Ernst & Young, one of the big four accounting firms, uses economic data to model future performance for the forecast.
Grön Kafe closes its Harrogate branch after two yearsScandinavian-inspired eatery Grön Kafe has announced that it has made the “difficult decision” to close its Harrogate branch after two years.
Launched by Masterchef finalist Matt Healy in December 2020, the café on Royal Parade has been shut for a number of weeks.
A sign on the door said it was closed due to electrical issues.
However, today the café announced on social media it would not be reopening.
The post says:
“Multiple factors outside of our control have made it increasingly more difficult to deliver the level of food and service that we expect from Grön and so sadly we are saying goodbye to this location for the foreseeable future.
“We have loved being a part of the wonderful community in Harrogate and it is with a heavy heart that we make this announcement. We wanted to say a huge thank you to our lovely friends and customers in Harrogate and we are sad to be saying goodbye.”
It goes on to remind customers that Grön can still be found at its flagship location in Oakwood, Leeds, as well as at Green Room in Leeds city centre.
Grön Kafe took over the site of Quantro restaurant on Royal Parade on December 4, 2020.
The café served up pescatarian, vegetarian and vegan-friendly dishes.
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It launched as the nation came out of full lockdown and the Harrogate district moved into tier two restrictions.
Mr Healey had opened a pop-up at the Cold Bath Clubhouse in June earlier that year.
Following the success of that trial, Grön Kafe then opened its own dedicated site on Royal Parade.
Luxury Harrogate food hall opens pop-up shop in LeedsHarrogate food hall Weetons has launched a Christmas pop-up shop in Leeds city centre.
The store, in shopping centre Victoria Leeds, is filled with Yorkshire produce from across the region, alongside Weetons’ own private label range, including coffee, chutneys and gin.
Situated in Victoria Gate, the Weetons team said the location was a natural partner, sharing “an ethos of providing luxury, high-quality produce”.
Rob Coutts, managing director at Weetons, said:
“We are pleased to announce that our Leeds city centre pop-up shop is now open. It showcases our extremely popular hampers and gifts range, perfect when looking for the ‘hard to buy for’.
“Whether you want to fill your own hamper, and have it packed by one of the team, pre-order a gift delivery, or just select a few of your favourite bits to take away on the day, we’ve got everything you need.”
Jo Coburn, senior general manager at Victoria Leeds, said:
“We are delighted to welcome one of Yorkshire’s most treasured brands, Weetons, to Victoria Leeds.
“The new pop-up store in Victoria Gate is a fantastic addition to our collection of premium brands and lands with perfect timing for all those gift ideas during the exciting Christmas season.”
The Weetons pop-up will be aopen until Christmas.
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Legendary chef Marco Pierre White on why Harrogate is one of his ‘spiritual homes’Legendary chef Marco Pierre White started his culinary career in Harrogate four decades ago.
Since then, Marco has gone on to lead the country’s restaurant scene and helped kick-start the careers of chefs including Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal.
Later this month he is returning to the town he calls one of his “spiritual homes” to host a three-day food festival.
He spoke to the Stray Ferret about learning the trade in Harrogate, favourite Yorkshire restaurants and… tripe.
‘First break in life’
Forty five years ago a young Marco Pierre White was instructed by his dad to go and search for work in Harrogate. This was because it was less than 10 miles away from his Leeds home and crammed with hotels.
So one morning in March 1978, sandwiches in hand, he caught the bus to the town, went to the St George Hotel, on Ripon Road, and knocked on the kitchen door.
He said:
“I was there for about a year. I didn’t learn much about cooking. That’s the truth. But what I did learn was how to use a knife well. I learned how to absorb pressure, I learned to be organised. I learned to work hard. Very hard.
“I also used to stand and watch the chef, Stefan Wilkinson, do the pass. He was the greatest at doing the pass that I ever saw. He gave me my first break in life for which I’m very grateful for.
“I learned a lot there, but not about food.”
Marco said his time at the Harrogate hotel was very important as it prepared him for his role at The Box Tree in Ilkley.
The famous Yorkshire restaurant opened in 1963 and was one of the first four restaurants in the UK to hold two Michelin stars.
Marco began working in the kitchen at the age of 17 in 1979, where he remained for two years.
He said:
“In those days it was one of only four restaurants in Britain to have two Michelin stars. A lot of people regarded it as the best restaurant in Britain at the time.”
‘Spiritual home’
While he hasn’t visited Yorkshire since 2019 as a result of the pandemic, he is looking forward to returning to Harrogate on October 28 for his three-day food festival.
He said:
“I always say Harrogate is one of my spiritual homes.”
And while he hasn’t dined out in the region for almost four years, he credits his favourite Yorkshire restaurant as the Cleveland Tontine, Northallerton.
He said:
“I’ve been there many, many times. My friend Eugene has left there and now he has got the Crathorne Arms, just outside Northallerton. He’s a very good chef and cooks food you want to eat.
“But when I was a boy, Harrogate had restaurants like the Drum and Monkey (which is still open today) and we had Oliver’s and Number Six. The first ever posh restaurant I took a girl to was Oliver’s in Harrogate. We both had beef wellington and a langoustine cocktail.”
Marco also recommends Simon Shaw’s tapas restaurant, El Gato Negro, in Leeds, where he plans to dine ahead of the food festival.
The Great White Food Festival
The Great White Food Festival will be held at the Harrogate Convention Centre and Royal Hall from October 28-30 and is expected to attract around 15,000 visitors.
Marco said:
“It’s basically a celebration of food and there will be lots of artisan producers who make things like salami, pork pies and black pudding.
“There will be produce like smoked salmon and haddock. In my opinion Alfred Enderby, from Grimsby, smokes the best smoked haddock in the world and they are coming.
“Redefine Meat are coming who make vegetarian steaks.
“Pierre Koffmann, Simon Shaw, Jean-Christophe Novelli and I will be doing masterclasses. There are a lot of chefs doing them.
“But it’s a celebration of Yorkshire really and all those individuals who contribute to it being wonderful.”
And his favourite Yorkshire dish?
“Tripe. Tripe is one of the most delicious things on earth. There used to be a tripe shop in Leeds Market. They used to hang it in all the butchers’ shops. People used to eat it cold with malt vinegar, black pepper and salt.”
- For more information about the Great White Food Festival and to book tickets, click here.
Harrogate commuters set for fewer ‘leaves on the line’ delays?Rail operator Northern is fitting new technology to its trains to combat leaves on the line, which can cause autumn frustration for commuters.
Leaves stick to damp rails and are compressed into a smooth, slippery layer, reducing the trains’ grip.
This can delay services so Northern is fitting what it describes as ‘leaf-busting’ technology to 16 of its 170 passenger trains operating between Leeds, Harrogate, and York.
Routes between Sheffield, Doncaster, Hull and Scarborough will also be upgraded. The locations were chosen because they are some of those most affected by leaves.
The technology – Water-Trak – creates rainy-day conditions on the rail surface by spraying a small amount of water from the train onto the track when a slippery rail is detected.
While this might appear counter-intuitive, researchers discovered that leaf-coated rails only become slippery when damp, and that trains stop safely in heavy rain.
Rob Cummings, seasonal improvement manager at Northern, said:
“This is the next step in finding a solution to tricky autumn conditions. One of the biggest risks to our performance during October and November is leaves on the line, but by helping to develop new innovative technology we aim to deliver the very best service for our passengers.”
Two of Northern’s Class 319s fitted with Water-Trak have been successfully operating in passenger service since late October 2021. The trials with Northern are being run thanks to funding from Network Rail’s performance innovation fund.
John Cooke, co-founder at Water-Trak, said:
“We are really excited to be working with Northern to show how Water-Trak can help to solve the age-old problem of leaves on the line.”
Teens admit zombie knife robbery on Harrogate’s StrayTwo teenagers carrying zombie knives robbed a youngster in broad daylight after he was told to empty his pockets or get “shanked”.
Dillan Bahia and Jamie Richardson, both 18, were loitering on the Stray when they spotted the 17-year-old victim sat on a bench “minding his own business” and waiting to set off for work, York Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Brooke Morrison said the victim, who is from Harrogate but cannot be named for legal reasons, noticed “three males repeatedly looking at him while looking at their phones”. She added:
“(The victim) got up and started to walk to work (and) the three males followed him.”
Richardson was shouting over at the victim to get his attention and when the youth turned around, they were stood right beside him.
Richardson then lifted his jacket to reveal a zombie knife in his waistband and told the petrified victim: “Empty your pockets or I’ll shank you.”
The victim, who thought it was a steak knife, was “very frightened” and handed over his phone, wallet and e-cigarette.
Richardson demanded the PIN number for his phone while a third robber, a youth from Sheffield who was named in court, searched the victim’s pockets.
Bahia then appeared behind Richardson as all three robbers surrounded the youngster, who was “shaking” with fear.
Richardson then punched the victim in the face, causing his nose to bleed and glasses to smash, before the robbers walked off with his belongings including an iPhone, bank and loyalty cards, and £5 in cash. The incident occurred near Knaresborough Road on the 200-acre parkland.
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The victim went to his workplace and told colleagues what had happened. The matter was reported to police who scanned CCTV footage of the area to identify the robbers, who were found in Harrogate town centre the following day.
They ran off in different directions through the town centre but were caught following a pursuit. They were hauled into Harrogate Police Station where Richardson handed over a zombie knife and sheath to officers.
Bahia was “physically obstructive and verbally aggressive” to police and pushed one officer into a wall.
Officers frisked him for weapons and found a large, red-and-black zombie knife in his waistband and a homemade cosh which he had also been carrying in the town centre. The cosh was a “glass ball in a sock”.
The third male, who can’t be named for legal reasons, was also found to be carrying a zombie knife – a blade with a serrated edge which has gained notoriety in recent years and is also known as a ‘zombie killer’ or ‘zombie slayer’ knife.
All three teenagers admitted robbery and possessing a bladed article in public. Bahia also admitted carrying an offensive weapon, namely the homemade cosh.
Always ‘looking over my shoulder’
In a statement read out in court, the victim said:
“I honestly thought I was going to be stabbed if I didn’t give them my property. I was working hard and saving for a new phone.”
He had suffered from anxiety ever since the incident which occurred at about 3pm on July 23.
He said he was now always “looking over my shoulder” for fear of a similar attack and no longer walked to work from the town centre, relying instead on others to take him. He added:
“I now think twice about where I walk and where I go, and I stay away from the Stray and wooded areas.
“I will never forget what happened to me.”
He said he had a nose bleed and bruising for several days after the attack and had to pay for a new pair of glasses.
The 17-year-old victim now avoids the Stray
Richardson and Bahia, both from Leeds, appeared for sentence today after being remanded in custody.
The court heard that Richardson, of Grange View, Chapeltown, had previous convictions for serious violence, public disorder and criminal damage.
Bahia, of Mexborough Avenue, Chapeltown, had one previous conviction for fraud which resulted in a three-month youth-referral order in June.
‘Difficult early life’
Defence barrister Andrew Stranex, for Richardson, said the teenager had had an “unsettled and difficult early life” and was remorseful for his actions.
Ismael Uddin, for Bahia, said his unemployed client was “less involved” in the robbery and didn’t produce a knife during the incident.
He said that Bahia and his two cohorts had gone to Harrogate “out of boredom” but there was “no specific reason” for them being there.
Judge Stephen Ashurst said the “fearsome” knife that Richardson had in the waistband of his trousers must have been a terrifying sight for the young victim. The judge added:
“He was outnumbered three-to-one.
“(The victim) was left very distressed by the incident and it took him a little while to compose himself and contact police.”
Richardson was sentenced to two years and four months in a young offenders’ institution for his “leading role” in the robbery. Bahia was sentenced to two years in a young offenders’ institution.
The teenager from Sheffield was given a 12-month referral order at the youth court earlier this month.
Harrogate’s Archie Gray signs scholarship with Leeds UnitedArchie Gray has signed a two-year scholarship with Leeds United.
The 16-year-old footballer is one of the club’s most highly-rated youngsters and joins nine other prospects in signing new deals.
The academy, which is based at Thorp Arch near Wetherby, offers players a variety of educational programmes including the BTEC diploma and A Levels that they can learn alongside developing their football skills.
Gray recently completed his GCSEs at St John Fisher Catholic High School in Harrogate.
The midfielder is yet to make his full debut for the club but has been named as an unused substitute in the Premier League.
On the final day of last season, he celebrated the club surviving relegation in the dressing room before going to sit his exams the next day.
Leeds United said:
“Everyone at the club wishes our new scholars well as they begin, or continue with, their Leeds United journey within our academy.”
Archie Gray (4th from right)
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Update: Main Harrogate road at North Rigton reopens following major incidentRail and road travel has been disrupted this afternoon between Leeds and Harrogate.
Police say one lane of the A658 at North Rigton has now reopened, however officers remain at the scene.
Traffic was diverted through North Rigton when the incident happened earlier today.
Police at the scene.
Officers advised motorists to use the A659/A61 or the B6161 as an alternative while emergency services attended.
Meanwhile, Northern Rail tweeted at 1pm that all train services between Harrogate and Leeds have been cancelled or delayed.
A statement on their website said:
“Due to the emergency services dealing with an incident between Harrogate and Leeds all lines are blocked.
“Trains running through these stations will be cancelled or delayed by up to 60 minutes. Disruption is expected until 7.30pm.”