Roadworks on the A658 Harrogate Road have diverted a large volume of traffic through two Harrogate district villages.

Five days of roadworks began today between Gravelly Hill Lane and Hall Green Lane on the busy Harrogate Road.

It is causing delays for vehicles travelling in both directions. But it has also brought problems to locals because traffic is being diverted along Crag Lane, The Sleights and Gravelly Hill Lane through North Rigton and Huby while work takes place.

Villagers have expressed concerns about the speed and volume of traffic passing through the villages as well as the effectiveness of the diversion signs.

One makeshift cardboard sign (see below) appeared in Huby this morning to help drivers navigate the diversion.

Work is being carried out to resurface the Harrogate Road.

A spokeswoman for North Yorkshire County Council said it wasn’t aware of any issues. She said:

“Works on the A658 are taking place from October 31 to November 4. The closure runs from 9.30am to 3.30pm daily. A signed diversion is in place.”

Police searching for missing Harrogate woman Judith Holliday have found a body near the railway at North Rigton.

Although formal identification has not yet taken place, the 73-year-old’s family have been informed and are being supported.

Due to the location of the body, British Transport Police is leading the investigation and will establish circumstances surrounding the death.

Rail and road closures have been in place following the report, which was made just after 12.20pm today.

Police say one lane of the A658 at North Rigton has now reopened, however officers remain at the scene.

Ms Holliday left her care home on Harcourt Road in Harrogate at 10.32am two weeks ago today on Saturday, August 27. She was then captured on CCTV at Harrogate bus station and later in Library Gardens at 10.43am.

Read more:

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• Police use drone in search for missing Harrogate woman Judith

It is believed she then caught a bus out of Harrogate and then flagged down a member of the public and asked for a lift to North Rigton, where the last confirmed sighting took place.

Police used a drone to search for Ms Holliday in large open areas around North Rigton and Lindley Wood Reservoir.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret last week, her niece Lucinda Edwards appealed for her safe return and praised the response of the community.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:

“We thank everyone who has supported the missing person inquiry.

“Our thoughts are with Judith’s family.”

Rail 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.”

Police used a drone today in the search for missing Harrogate woman Judith Holliday.

The drone was flown in large open areas around North Rigton and Lindley Wood Reservoir as the search entered its 10th day.

Judith, 73, left her care home on Harcourt Road in Harrogate at 10.32am on Saturday, August 27. She was then captured on CCTV at Harrogate bus station and later in Library Gardens at 10.43am.

It’s believed she then caught a bus out of Harrogate and then flagged down a member of the public and asked for a lift to North Rigton, where the last confirmed sighting took place.

North Yorkshire Police is now asking anyone who was in North Rigton between 1.30pm and 3pm on August 27 to check any dashcam or camera footage to see if it captured Judith.

Police searching for Judith Holliday at Almscliffe Crag.

She was last seen wearing a distinctive blue jacket and is described as being of thin build, approximately 5ft in height, and having medium length grey hair.

North Yorkshire Police critical incident inspector Phoebe Southall said:

“Please continue to support our search by checking dashcam and video footage and remaining vigilant.

“Please also check any outbuildings or sheltered areas.

“Any immediate sightings of Judith should be reported to 999.

“If you have any dashcam or video footage of Judith or information that could assist the investigation then please call us on 101. “

Quote reference number 12220153505 when providing information.

Read more:

• ‘Help us get Judith home’; plea from family of missing Harrogate woman
• Search for missing Harrogate woman focuses on North Rigton

Lucinda Edwards, Judith’s niece, thanked people for their support:

“We’re so grateful for the level of support our community has shown in our mission to locate Judith.

“Judith and anyone living with an illness like hers deserves to have this level of support and awareness to keep them safe.”

Judith has dementia and requires medication, however she often presents fit and well.

The search for missing Harrogate woman Judith Holliday is once again focusing on North Rigton after a possible sighting on a bus to Ripon was ruled out.

Judith, 73, was last seen on Saturday, August 27, when she left her care home in Harrogate and walked to the bus station and Library Gardens.

A further sighting the same day in North Rigton has been confirmed by North Yorkshire Police.

Another sighting was reported on September 1 by a passenger on a bus to Ripon but this was ruled out today.

Judith Holliday

Judith’s family had been anxiously awaiting CCTV footage from the Harrogate Bus Company to confirm whether or not it was her.

Lucinda Edwards, Judith’s niece, appealed to the company on social media over the weekend to speed up the process of checking the CCTV images.

Lucinda told the Stray Ferret it was frustrating to have to wait until after the weekend for the footage to be assessed.

Ms Edwards, a charity fundraiser from Harrogate, said:

“There’s a vulnerable woman out there. I just feel let down that it’s taken days and days to check the footage.

“We are not looking for a stuffed bunny that’s been lost on a bus, we are looking for a 73-year-old lady and it’s not good enough.”

Read more:

• Fell rescuers assist in search for missing Harrogate woman
• ‘Help us get Judith home’ plea from family of missing Harrogate woman

A spokesman for the Harrogate Bus Company said:

“We are co-operating fully with the police investigation, as we have done throughout, including provision of CCTV footage.”

Pub sighting

Lucinda, who has been back in North Rigton today searching, said Judith was spotted at the Square and Compass pub in the village early in the afternoon on the day of her disappearance.

She appealed to anyone who may have seen her, or who may have offered her a lift, to come forward.

Relatives spent the weekend giving out flyers in Otley, Ilkley, North Rigton and Wetherby.

In addition, hundreds of posters have gone up across the Harrogate district appealing for information.

Posters have gone up across the district.

Judith is described as being of thin build, approximately 5ft in height with medium length grey hair.

She has a condition which presents like vascular dementia, meaning she can get a bit confused, but often comes across as being as sharp as a tack.

Lucinda said:

“The kindness of people helping us to find her has been astonishing.”

North Yorkshire Police said anyone with any information that could assist with the search should call 101 and quote reference number 12220153505.

Any immediate sightings should be reported via 999.

Police called in Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association (UWFRA) yesterday to help search for missing Judith Holliday from Harrogate.

Judith, who is 73, was last seen on Saturday, August 27, when she left her care home in Harrogate and walked to the bus station and Library Gardens.

After a further sighting the same day in North Rigton was confirmed by North Yorkshire Police on Friday, UWFRA was called yesterday to assist.

Posting on social media, UWFRA said:

“The team was tasked to search boundaries and features as much as possible within a 2km radius of her last known position and to aid NYP in search some of their predefined areas.

“All defined areas were completed as best as possible by 6.30pm, sadly without success, and the team stood down.”

There have been no further confirmed sightings of Judith since the Saturday she went missing, though her family told the Stray Ferret there had been suspected sightings reported throughout the week.

They urged the public to be vigilant for any sign of her this weekend when out and about.

Her niece Lucinda said Judith loved picnics in the countryside, with favourite spots including Fewston and Swinsty reservoirs and Almscliffe Crag.

Anyone who thinks they may have seen Judith is asked to call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and quote reference number 12220153505.

Any immediate sightings should be reported via 999.

Read more:

• ‘Help us get Judith home’ – plea from family of missing Harrogate woman
• Harrogate woman missing for six days as police remain ‘extremely concerned’

A week on from the last confirmed sighting of missing Harrogate woman Judith Holliday, her family says they hope this weekend will bring the right result in their quest to get her home.

Judith, 73, was last seen on Saturday, August 27, when police believe she got a bus from Harrogate before flagging down a lift to North Rigton.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret, her niece Lucinda Edwards said she wanted people to understand Judith as a person and to help ensure she was brought back to her family.

Judith grew up in Harrogate, attending the former Belmont Birklands school. Lucinda said she loves visiting Bettys, as well as going out into the countryside, to places like Fewston and Swinsty reservoirs, for picnics and birdwatching.

She said:

“Judith has a condition which presents like vascular dementia.

“She has fluctuating capacity – she can get a bit confused, but often, she will come across as being as sharp as a tack.

“She can point out family homes from years ago in the villages around here, but her short-term memory is much more of a problem.

“When she gets tired, she gets more confused.”

Judith left the care home where she lives around 10.30am on Saturday, saying she was going to visit Lucinda, who lives nearby. However, she never arrived.

She was seen on CCTV heading from Harcourt Road towards the town centre, as well as at the bus station and in Library Gardens.

The latest sighting on the way to North Rigton was confirmed by police yesterday, after another report was received by someone who thought they saw in Wetherby last weekend.

Lucinda said:

“We’ve had potential sightings at Crimple, in the Saints area, Wetherby, North Rigton, other villages towards West Yorkshire – all on separate days.

“She can’t be everywhere, so we have to verify all of these to be sure they were her. That’s why CCTV is so important.

“We don’t want people to stop looking and reporting possible sightings, but we need evidence. We need to work smartly.”

Community response

The response from the community to Judith’s disappearance has been encouraging to her family. Many people have shared social media posts about her, while local businesses have put up posters to raise awareness.

Posters are also available to take from Jarfull, Porters and Sligsby’s coffee shop in central Harrogate, as the family hope they can cover a wider area with help from the public. Lucinda said:

“We’ve had amazing help. Harrogate is full of really good people and really nice business owners.

“I’m blessed with really good family and friends who know we’re going through a really hard time and are rallying.”

Read more:

• Harrogate woman missing for six days as police remain ‘extremely concerned’
• Reported sighting of missing Harrogate woman in Wetherby

With Judith having been missing a week now, her family is asking people to be vigilant for her when out and about this weekend, and to check CCTV, doorbell cameras and dash cams from across the whole area since the time Judith was last seen.

Judith did not have bank cards or a bus pass with her, or access to a car, but could have been carrying a limited amount of cash.

Lucinda emphasised that Judith could be moving from place to place, even back towards Harrogate. She asked the community to keep looking wherever they were, even if it was not near previous sightings.

She added:

“If you see someone that looks out of place, or asks for help, to use a toilet or for food and drink or shelter, or even transport, perhaps a lift, please report it.

“For all we do a lot to help as a family, Judith has lived a life and travelled, and I don’t know how resourceful she might be in this situation.”

North Yorkshire Police said anyone with any information that could assist with the search should call 101 and quote reference number 12220153505.

Any immediate sightings should be reported via 999.

A 73-year-old woman from Harrogate has been missing for six days as police remain “extremely concerned” for her welfare.

Judith Holliday was reported missing after last being seen on Saturday (August 27) in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police continue to search for Judith and have urged people to remain vigilant and report any sightings of her.

She is described as white, thin build, approximately 5ft in height, with medium-length grey bobbed hair. She was last seen wearing dark-coloured trousers and a blue jacket.

She may still be wearing the distinctive coat.

Police say they now have a new last confirmed sighting of Judith, on Saturday, August 27 in North Rigton.

Officers said it’s believed that Judith left Harrogate by bus, then flagged down a member of the public and asked for a lift to the village.

Judith also has links to Wetherby and sightings have been reported in Wetherby, Knaresborough, Otley and Ilkley.

Read more:

• Reported sighting of missing Harrogate woman in Wetherby
• Police growing ‘increasingly concerned’ for missing Harrogate woman

Louise Pegg, North Yorkshire Police Critical Incident Inspector, said:

“We are extremely concerned for the welfare of Judith as she has now been missing for nearly a week.

“Judith requires medication and has dementia but often presents fit and well.

“Judith’s family are doing everything they can to help locate Judith and officers are supporting them as we continue to try and locater her.

“If required, the searches will continue across the weekend. I would urge any members of the public who are out and about today and this weekend to remain vigilant and report any immediate sightings of Judith to 999.”

Anyone with any information that could assist with the search should call 101 and quote ref number 12220153505.

Any immediate sightings should be reported to 999.

Schools inspector Ofsted has praised North Rigton Church of England Primary School following a recent visit, giving it a ‘good’ rating.

The school has been a part of life in North Rigton, as well as nearby villages such as Huby and Weeton, since 1851 and was rated ‘good’ in 2015.

It became an academy in 2016 and is part of a fellowship with All Saints CE Primary School in Kirkby Overblow. The school is part of Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust.

Inspectors said pupils “are polite, well-mannered and respectful” and were supported by teachers “who are clear about what they want pupils to know”.

‘Proud of the school’

Inspectors said the 100 pupils at North Rigton are “very proud” of attending the school, enjoy playing with friends and have “great confidence and trust” in staff.

One pupil told an inspector that staff are “exceptionally understanding, support them and always want the best for pupils.”

The report added:

“Pupils are kind and respect each other. They understand that people should be treated equally. When learning is challenging, they persevere and enjoy helping each other to succeed. Pupils strive to achieve rewards such as yellow and white ribbons for good work and contributing to school life.”

Read more:

• New Ofsted report finds ‘extremely happy’ children at Kirkby Malzeard Pre-School
• Ofsted praises ‘small school with big ambitions’ in Nidderdale

Skillful teaching

The report said reading is “at the heart” of the curriculum at the school with staff also teaching phonics well. It said overall, books are well matched to pupils’ ability.

It adds that teachers are clear about what they want pupils to know and they check and assess their levels “skillfully”.

It said there is a “strong culture” of safeguarding with vigilant staff who know how to keep children safe.

On things to improve, it said the school has gone through “flux” in leadership and staffing this year which has left some leaders having their workload increased. It said leaders should take steps to ease the burden on staff.

‘Very pleased with the outcome’

Headteacher Amber Andrews said:

“Everybody at North Rigton CE Primary School is very pleased with the outcome of our recent Ofsted inspection and the judgement that our small village school continues to be ‘good’. We would like to thank all our pupils for demonstrating to the inspectors what a warm and welcoming place our school is and our parents and carers for their continuing support.

“We also thank all our staff for their hard work, our Governors for their dedication and Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust for their commitment to keeping small village schools at the very heart of their community.”

A log burning stove is believed to have caused a fire at a former dairy building in the Harrogate district.

Firefighters from Harrogate and Knaresborough were called to the building at North Rigton at 4.45pm yesterday.

Harrogate fire station said in a social media post last night:

“Crews extinguished the fire using breathing apparatus, hose reel jets, thermal imaging camera, Harrogate’s aerial ladder platform and Tadcaster’s Water Bowser.

“Fire was believed to be caused by a log burning stove.”

More pictures from the scene taken by Harrogate firefighters

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