Police officers who arrested a man in a village near Ripon after a crash found that he was almost six times over the legal limit for alcohol.
North Yorkshire Police said today the man was so drunk he could barely speak and had to be physically held up.
Officers responded to reports of a two-car collision in Kirkby Malzeard at around 9.30pm on New Year’s Eve.
Nobody was injured but police said in a statement that one of the drivers was “clearly” under the influence of alcohol.
When tested, the unnamed man’s breath sample contained 208 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms so he was almost six times over.
A statement from the officer at the scene said:
“He appeared so intoxicated he could barely speak, never mind drive a vehicle, and had to be physically held up as he was unable to stand by himself.
“The man was arrested and upon arriving in police custody he provided a further positive evidential sample of breath before being charged for drink driving.
“Mercifully the collision was a minor one with no injuries but this has clearly been a very lucky escape for everyone involved.
“Despite the clear dangers of drink driving there are still individuals who continue to do so. Not only do they pose a danger to themselves, but they put the lives of many others at risk too. It is nothing short of stupidity.”
The man has been released on bail to appear at court later this month.
North Yorkshire Police has urged anyone who suspects someone of drink driving to call 999.
Tree blocks road in Ripon as strong winds hit Harrogate districtA main road in Ripon has been blocked this afternoon due to a fallen tree.
Strong winds have caused minor disruption across the Harrogate district this afternoon.
But Ripon appears to have born the brunt, with trees down on Kirkby Road and also Lark Lane, according to North Yorkshire Police.
Police are urging drivers to take extra care.
Strong winds were forecast today but the Met Office did not issue any weather warnings for the district.
https://twitter.com/NYorksPolice/status/1476224341591351299
No. 7: The bedsit murder at Harrogate’s ‘house from hell’
On a Friday night in March, Daniel Ainsley went to Asda in Harrogate, bought a set of kitchen knives, then dumped all but one in a bin outside the store.
He walked to 38 Mayfield Grove, where his friend Mark Wolsey had been letting him stay in his bedsit, and stabbed him 15 times.
Eight months later Ainsley, 24, was sentenced to 22 years in prison for murder.
The incident sparked revulsion for Ainsley and sympathy for Mr Wolsey, 48 — but it also triggered anger in a neighbourhood with long-standing crime concerns.
Daniel Ainsley (left) and Mark Wolsey
38 Mayfield Grove had been dubbed the house from hell as far back as 2005 when a court granted a three-month closure order after a crossbow was held at a resident’s head.
A Stray Ferret investigation this year revealed that between April 2008 and July 2021, North Yorkshire Police received 255 reports about 38 Mayfield Grove from the public.
People wanted to know why the police and Harrogate Borough Council had not done more to tackle activities at the house.
They were particularly incensed that the council had transferred £2,112 in 2017 and £5,424 in 2018 to John Willis Properties Ltd, the company that owns the house.
The council said the payments were “to help customers assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness to access private rented accommodation”. There is no suggestion of illegal activity by either party.
Locals said it beggared belief that the council had paid for homeless people to stay in a house that had been divided into six bedsits and where many tenants had multiple issues, such as drug and alcohol addictions and mental health problems, as well as backgrounds of homelessness and crime.
They said it was difficult to think of a more dangerous scenario than housing people with multiple needs together in a terraced home on a busy street, and this problem should have been identified and tackled.
Daniel Neill, who until recently lived on Nydd Vale Terrace, a street parallel to Mayfield Grove, said:
“The entire set-up is a recipe for trouble. It doesn’t take a genius to work it out. The worst thing you can do with addicts is put them alongside other addicts.”
The closure notice at 38 Mayfield Grove
After the murder, the police and the council applied for a court order to close 38 Mayfield Grove, which meant tenants had to find alternative accommodation.
On June 28, magistrates granted partial closure orders against two other properties let as bedsits by John Willis, at 19 and 31 Avenue Grove, Starbeck, due to crime concerns.
Mr Willis later told the Stray Ferret he let 10 properties in Harrogate and was passionate about helping disadvantaged people, unlike many other housing providers, and did everything he reasonably could to protect them. He said:
“Other landlords cherry pick the best tenants and sadly that leaves a disadvantaged group. Homeless hostels are full. I try to help them.”
He said he’d taken many tenants from the council and partner agencies, such as Harrogate Homeless Project on Bower Street, close to Mayfield Grove, during his 31 years as a landlord.
Besides the closure orders, the police and council organised a residents’ summit and a community engagement drop-in session to discuss 38 Mayfield Grove and to reassure people that ‘the Harrogate district remains a safe place to live and any anti-social behaviour is taken very seriously’.
Police and council staff at the community engagement drop-in session.
But residents said the flurry of activity since the murder contrasted sharply with years of inertia that allowed crime to scar the neighbourhood and blight residents’ lives and called for action to prevent a repeat.
The police and council issued a joint statement after Ainslie’s conviction saying they had responded to and dealt with issues at Mayfield Grove “quickly and effectively”, and adding that criminals “will be held to account for their actions”.
Residents, however, continue to be concerned, particularly after a flurry of police activity on the street near the end of the year.
Police release CCTV image following assault at Harrogate barPolice have released a CCTV image of a man they would like to speak to following an assault in Harrogate.
Officers said the incident happened at Manahatta bar, which is situated on the Ginnel, off Parliament Street, between 11.30pm on December 3 and 12.59am on December 4.
It involved the suspect punching the victim a number of times to the face while in the bar.
A North Yorkshire Police statement said:
“Police are asking members of the public to get in touch if they recognise the male in the image as they believe he will have information that will help the investigation.
“Anyone with any information is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for PC Dryden or email leon.dryden@northyorkshire.police.uk
“If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
“Please quote North Yorkshire Police reference number 12210254998.”
Police are appealing for witnesses after a man was punched and kicked on a street in Harrogate.
The man was attacked on Hornbeam Park Avenue, at Hornbeam Park, after arguing with another male between 3.15pm and 3.30pm on Saturday, 18 December.
Police today released a description of the suspected attacker. They say he is aged 19 to 23, about 6ft to 6ft 2 and has short brown hair.
He was wearing gym wear, a fitted red T-shirt, and black shorts. He was driving a grey Vauxhall hatchback.
Police also want to speak to a male who was seen recording the incident from a red Ford Fiesta or a Vauxhall Corsa. They say he appeared to be in company with the suspect.
A North Yorkshire Police statement today said:
“There were no serious injuries however the victim was left feeling extremely shaken following the incident.
“No arrests have been made at this time as the suspect is currently unknown.
“Police are requesting the public’s assistance to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.”
Anyone who witnessed the incident or who has information can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for PC 200 Deacon. You can also email adam.deacon2@northyorkshire.police.uk
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12210263414
Man seriously injured after being hit by car in HarrogateA man in his seventies was seriously injured yesterday after being hit by a car on Station Parade in Harrogate.
Police closed the road for several hours to investigate after the man was hit by a beige coloured Renault Scenic outside Waitrose.
He was taken to hospital, and police said today his injuries were serious but not life threatening.
North Yorkshire Police is now appealing for anyone who saw the incident to come forward with information.
A police statement said:
“At just before 9am yesterday, a beige coloured Renault Scenic collided with a pedestrian outside Waitrose on Station Parade in Harrogate.
“Police and ambulance crews attended the scene and initially treated the pedestrian, a man in his seventies, before he was taken to hospital.
“Officers need to establish the circumstances surrounding the collision and are appealing to anyone who witnessed the collision or who stopped to assist to contact them. Information can be provided by calling 101, selecting option 2 and asking for TC 428 Bainbridge or by emailing emma.bainbridge@northyorkshire.police.uk.
Quote NYP reference 12210268520.
In this article, which is part of a series on the 15 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2021, we look at the persistent problems on the streets of Ripon.
Stories about violent and anti-social behaviour in Ripon have featured regularly in the news this year.
Among the most disturbing, was our report in August about a terrifying ordeal for a young boy, who was held up by a man and a youth at knifepoint and robbed of this trainers, mobile phone and jewellery.
The thugs, who threatened to ‘shank’ his leg with the knife if he didn’t do as told, were soon arrested by the police and brought to justice.
In February, a Ripon retailer came to the aid of a man who was being set upon by two vicious thugs in broad daylight.
The retailer, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Stray Ferret the attack occurred when the victim remonstrated with youths who had thrown a snowball at him. He said:
“As I came out of the shop, the man was on the ground and one of the youths was kicking him in the head, while another was stamping on his face.
“I thought that they were going to kill him – I shouted at them and they ran off.”
Earlier that month, we reported on a three-hour spate of crime in Ripon on a Sunday evening that included a man carrying a machete, a robbery, thefts and gangs gathering.
The incidents, included a robbery in which a 23-year-old man suffered facial injuries after being attacked by two or three males, who stole his phone and watch.
Following the incidents, Inspector Alex Langley, head of neighbourhood policing for Ripon, tried to reassure people that the events were being taken seriously and that “we will be taking robust action against those responsible”.
Philip Allott, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner at the time, responded by saying he hoped an increased police presence in the city would send a message that “crime will not be tolerated”. He also urged more residents to “break silence” and report anything suspicious.
“Officers know who the perpetrators are, they have made arrests, they have got a grip on the situation, and I am confident of that.
“One of the problems we have in Ripon is sometimes a wall of silence by certain families and that makes it quite difficult to apprehend people.
“The police will still get those people. It just takes a bit longer.
But further violent and anti-social behaviour in August prompted police to step-up patrols and launch investigations into four separate incidents
At the time, detective superintendent Steve Thomas, of North Yorkshire Police, said:
“Following the success of local policing operations to reduce anti-social behaviour in Ripon over recent months these latest incidents are disappointing.
“We are determined that this small group of individuals are held to account for behaviour that harms the quality of life for everyone else.
“Local residents will see an increase in police presence over the coming days and we want to reassure you that we will do everything necessary to tackle this isolated problem.”
This is just a snapshot of some of the incidents that police in Ripon have had to tackle in 2021. They have also run, in conjunction with Operation Spectre, a national campaign to engage with schoolchildren in the city about the dangers of knife crime and taking drugs.
Sergeant Heidi Lewis, of the schools liaison team, said officers were there to build relationships with the children and answer any questions. She said:
“Education at an early stage is crucial to steer children away from falling into a criminal lifestyle and becoming exploited.
“Some young people think it’s safe to carry a knife in case they need it for self-defence – but this could not be further from the truth. Any knife in the hands of anyone can cost lives.”
The city will be hoping to make headlines for more positive reasons in 2022.
Car ploughs into Masham Bridge and almost ends up in riverA Masham man was lucky to escape unscathed after he crashed his car into Masham Bridge and almost ended up in the River Ure.
North Yorkshire Police said it happened at around 7.30am on Wednesday morning and the driver was a local man in his early 30s.
A police spokesman said the man “was very lucky to escape without any injuries”.
The car was recovered at around 9.00am and damage to the bridge was reported to the county council highways department.
Photos of the aftermath were shared with the Stray Ferret by Masham resident Jason Drew.
It appears a tree was the only thing stopping the car from entering the river.
Police respond to gun reports near Dishforth to find long-lens camera
North Yorkshire Police sent armed police to a motorway bridge near Dishforth to discover that men reportedly carrying a gun were just taking pictures with a long-lens camera.
A driver called the police to tell them they had spotted one of three men on the A1(M) flyover take out what they described as a “long-barrelled gun” on Tuesday.
An operational support unit and firearns officers attended and sent up a drone, which took the above picture.
Officers soon discovered that the men were there with a camera to take picture of trucks and then left the men to their hobby.
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:
Thieves steal wrapped Christmas presents from Harrogate home“The three men did intend to shoot something but fortunately it was only photgraphs.
“Their hobby was truck-spotting and the ‘long-barrel gun’ was actually a long-lens camera which they used to take shots of passing wagons. After checking all was well, we left them to it.
“The member of the public was absolutely right to report their suspicions. Always better to be safe than sorry.”
Thieves have stolen wrapped presents from a Harrogate home just days before Christmas.
Police are appealing for witnesses following the burglary on East Parade, which took place yesterday between 2pm and 5.30pm when the residents were at work.
As well as the presents, several other high-value items were stolen and police believe they may have been carried away in a duvet cover, which was also missing.
A police statement added:
“We are appealing for information about any sightings of someone in the immediate vicinity carrying these items, items possibly concealed within a bedsheet or any relevant CCTV.”
Anyone with information on the incident should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Katie Jacobs. You can also email katie.jacobs@northyorkshire.police.uk