Police tell of ‘extensive difficulties’ at two Starbeck homes

Police told a court yesterday there had been “extensive difficulties” at two homes in Starbeck due to drugs and anti-social behaviour.

North Yorkshire Police and Harrogate Borough Council jointly applied to Leeds Magistrates Court for closure orders on 19 and 31 Avenue Grove, Starbeck.

The court granted three-month partial closure orders on the properties, let by landlord John Willis, which means only Mr Willis and one person at each property can enter the premises until midnight on October 12.

Mr Willis was in court for the hearing.

Simon Mallett, a barrister acting for North Yorkshire Police, told the court there had been “a considerable amount of disorder in Avenue Grove” and drugs had been found in the two properties.

He added:

“There have been extensive difficulties arising from people in the properties or visiting the properties.

“We have received a very considerable number of complaints from residents about anti-social behaviour and drug use emanating from both properties.”

The court heard that all the tenants had left the properties except the two men allowed to stay.

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Julia Stack, community safety and CCTV manager at Harrogate Borough Council, said in a statement afterwards:

“This outcome should act as a reminder that we will not tolerate this type of anti-social behaviour.

“I want to reassure local residents that we will continue to monitor the situation and take further action if necessary.

Inspector Nicola Colbourne of North Yorkshire Police said in a statement afterwards:

“This action once again demonstrates our commitment to ensuring Harrogate remains one of the safest towns to live in.”

North Yorkshire Police and Harrogate Borough Council successfully applied for a three-month closure order on 38 Mayfield Grove, Harrogate, another property let by Mr Willis, in March. This order expired last month.

18-carat gold ring stolen from Harrogate home

Police are investigating a burglary in which an 18-carat gold, sapphire, emerald and diamond ring along with World War Two medals were stolen from a Harrogate home.

North Yorkshire Police said the valuables, as well as a silver hip flask, a gold locket and silver fern earrings were taken from a house on Woodlands Drive on May 29 this year.

Almost two months on, it is now appealing to the public to come forward if they have been offered the ring for sale.

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Officers are also appealing for information on a man seen leaving the house.

A police statement said:

“Officers also want to trace a man seen leaving the house who is described as young, white, approximately 5ft 7in and wearing a high-visibility jacket with a grey hood.

“Anyone who has information about the ring or has any other information is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police by email 000740@northyorkshire.police.uk

“If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Please quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12210127985.”

Harrogate man jailed 15 years for child sex offences

Harrogate man Ricky Clench has been sentenced to 15 years in jail for child sex offences, including the rape of a child under 13.

Clench was sentenced following a series of offences starting in August 2017 until September 2018 when one of his victims came forward to the police.

At the time Clench was living in Northallerton.

On Tuesday he appeared at Teesside Crown Court and was found guilty of raping a child under 13, assaulting a child under 13 by penetration and of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Clench denied all offences throughout the police investigation and court hearings.

As well as the 15-year sentence he was issued with an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and was placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Detective Constable Jason Roper, of Northallerton CID, said:

“The significant sentence handed to Ricky Clench reflects the gravity of the offences he has committed. He is a predatory and manipulative paedophile who has shown no consideration for his victim throughout the investigation and the court proceedings.

“Thankfully he is now behind bars for a very long time and has been made subject to two lifetime protection orders, preventing him from inflicting harm on any other innocent victims.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the victim for their bravery and courage in coming forward to report such a harrowing experience, and also to their family for the support they have shown throughout the investigation.”

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Bogus roofers attempt to scam Harrogate’s elderly

Police today issued a warning about a spate of bogus roofers targeting elderly and vulnerable residents in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement it was investigating whether three Harrogate incidents were linked to other suspected scams in Wetherby and Middlesbrough.

It said:

“Typically, in cases like these, a bogus tradesperson will cold call a victim by turning up on their doorstep unannounced and offering to clean their guttering for a small sum.

“However, the trickster will claim to the victim that they have found extensive damage to their roof requiring immediate attention.

They may even show the victim rotten wood and felt, convincing the victim that it has come from their roof. In reality, the rotten wood and felt will have been brought in by the roofer as part of the elaborate deceit designed to con the victim into agreeing expensive and unnecessary roofing work that they don’t need.”

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Officers urged people not to accept work by cold callers or let themselves be pressured into agreeing to have work done.

They also asked people to to keep an eye on elderly or vulnerable family members, as fraudsters preyed on the most vulnerable.

If you want to report an incident involving a rogue tradespeople, use the Report It link or call North Yorkshire Police on 101 with reference number 12180015933.

Police have ‘public duty’ to tackle noisy cars, says commissioner

Police have a “public duty” to tackle noisy and speeding cars in Harrogate, says North Yorkshire’s police commissioner.

Philip Allott, who was elected North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner in May, told the Stray Ferret the force had received a record number of complaints about the issue.

He said in the past four weeks, more than 20 complaints had been made about speeding and noisy vehicles.

Mr Allott said there was a “public duty to sort the issue”, which had become more prominent as the country heads out of lockdown.

He told a recent commissioner public accountability meeting that police need to be seen to be “proactive” about the issue.

Mr Allott said:

“We’re leading into post lockdown, people are now hearing noises that perhaps they didn’t before and we need to balance the sensitivities of the communities that I represent with the rights and freedoms of others.

“I think as a force, North Yorkshire Police need to be shown to be proactive but also caring. If people are speeding then we need to demonstrate that we are holding them to account.”

Last month, the force said it would be taking a “zero tolerance” approach to noisy cars and “antisocial driving of high powered” vehicles in the town centre.

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Harrogate often attracts drivers, sometimes in modified vehicles, racing around the main roads, particularly during summer.

The police pledged in a statement last month to keep up the pressure during the summer months on “the irresponsible behaviour of some drivers which is not only unsafe but also highly disruptive”.

Operation Chrome will see increased police patrols in hot spots, more speed cameras across town, vehicle stops and detailed CCTV reviews.

Superintendent Steve Thomas said:

“Residents and visitors should not have to fear for their safety or have their days blighted by this excessive noise.

“We are taking a zero tolerance approach to this dangerous behaviour.”

Police ‘would not support’ blanket 20mph limit in parts of North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire Police has said it would not support a blanket 20mph limit policy in towns and villages in the Harrogate district and across the county, despite calls from campaigners.

North Yorkshire County Council is facing calls for another review of its road safety policy just days before councillors consider a series of nine recommendations to update its 20mph speed limit policy.

It comes as schools in the Harrogate district have called for 20mph to improve road safety for children.

Last September, Killinghall Primary School headteacher, Sarah Bassitt, urged the authority to take action before a child is killed or seriously injured on the 30mph stretch of main road outside its building.

Campaigners have claimed the county council, which undertook a 15-month inquiry into its 20mph zone policy, has ignored crucial evidence as well as the benefits of introducing the limit across all towns and villages.

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The authority’s transport scrutiny committee will examine proposals to make its policy more explicit in considering 20mph speed limits around schools, as well as extending the distance traditionally considered around schools in order to encourage greater use of active modes of transport.

Other key changes it will consider include the production of a list of high-risk collision areas using three years’ worth of data to examine whether an area would benefit from a 20mph speed limit.

However, a meeting of the council’s Thirsk and Malton constituency committee heard campaigners remained unhappy with the recommendations.

Campaigner Ian Conlon claimed the support of Philip Allott, the county’s police, fire and crime commissioner, “for default 20mph zones in all towns and villages”. 

He added children, elderly and vulnerable people were being “disproportionately excluded from public space” by allowing cars to travel at 30mph in towns and villages.

Mr Conlon said the council was not addressing the positive impacts of 20mph zones, such as people feeling safer and children playing outside.

He said: 

“It does not assess the evidence from other area that have developed 20mph speed limits. It is only looking backwards, at what North Yorkshire has done, rather than what it could do.”

Councillors heard North Yorkshire Police would not support a blanket 20mph limit and that they needed to be self-enforcing, either through driver behaviour or physical measures.

In addition, ahead of being elected in Mr Allott pledged he would only “support and implement 20mph in urban locations, where local authorities are prepared to support it”.

Mr Allott told the Stray Ferret that he would support local authorities judging 20mph zones on a “case by case basis”.

He said:

“It’s sensible that local authorities do not have their hands tied. Providing that a local authority supports it [a 20mph zone], I will support it.”

The council’s deputy leader and former highways boss Cllr Gareth Dadd told the meeting it “would be foolish to usurp the findings” of the inquiry,

Meanwhile, a member of the investigating team, Cllr Roberta Swiers, said although she had initially believed a blanket 20mph limit would be a good idea, the evidence had proved it was not “the safe answer”.

Police and council bid to close two Starbeck houses over crime

Police and council officers are attempting to close two more properties let by landlord John Willis.

North Yorkshire Police and Harrogate Borough Council have jointly applied to Leeds Magistrates Court for closure orders on 19 and 31 Avenue Grove, Starbeck.

The two organisations can apply to courts for closure orders if they have concerns about antisocial behaviour and criminal behaviour on premises.

The same authorities successfully applied for a three-month closure order on 38 Mayfield Grove, Harrogate, in March. This order expired last month.

All three properties are let by Mr Willis.

A joint statement today by the two authorities said:

“Following concerns about crime, drug use and anti-social behaviour at two multi-occupancy addresses – 19 and 31 Avenue Grove – Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire Police have applied for closure orders.

“Under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, a closure order prohibits access to a property for a specified period. Breach of an order is a criminal offence punishable with imprisonment and/or a fine.”

The application was due to be heard on Wednesday but the hearing was adjourned until July 14.

Until this date the two properties have been served with closure notices, which prohibit visitors.

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Dean Richardson, head of safer communities at Harrogate Borough Council, said:

“It is imperative that residents across the Harrogate district feel safe in their homes and community.

“If landlords fail to manage their properties properly, and there is sufficient evidence to support any reports, we will work with the police and partner agencies to explore all legislative options available and act accordingly.”

Inspector Nicola Colbourne of North Yorkshire Police said:

“This action once again demonstrates our commitment to ensuring Harrogate remains one of the safest towns to live in.

“By listening to residents and working with partners like Harrogate Borough Council, we can address concerns head-on while offering the appropriate support to any vulnerable people we encounter.”

Last month Constable Kelvin Troughton, of North Yorkshire Police, told the Stray Ferret there had been a “reduction of incidents” at 38 Mayfield Grove since the closure order was served.

 

 

Can you help locate dead Harrogate man’s next of kin?

Coroner’s officers in North Yorkshire are searching for the next of kin of a man who died recently in Harrogate.

Malcolm Miles, 70, was found dead at his home in Dene Park. It’s believed he lived in the Harrogate area for at least a few years.

North Yorkshire Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

Anyone who believes they are Mr Miles’ next of kin or has information that could assist the coroner, can email coroner@northyorkshire.police.uk

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Harrogate TV shop window smashed by bricks and boulders

Just a week after reopening due to a flood, a Harrogate shop has had its windows smashed by bricks and boulders.

The electrical goods store, Crampton & Moore, on Commercial Street is boarded up following the incident in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Store manager Chris Johnson said he received a call at 2.15am on Saturday to say the glass had be smashed.

He said North Yorkshire Police called within 15 minutes about the incident.

The window pane needs replacing but thanks to metal grills behind it, nothing was stolen.

Smashed window and Crampton and Moore

The extent of the damage at the electrical shop.

Mr Johnson said:

“The whole thing was caught on CCTV. Luckily they didn’t get anything so it’s just a case of waiting for the repair this week.”

The shop had only reopened on Monday last week after the eight-week flood closure.

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The shop remains open, with the damaged section closed off to customers.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement:

“A man in his 50s was promptly arrested on suspicion of attempted burglary following this incident. He’s been bailed while the investigation continues.”

Tools, oven and lawnmower found by police in back of Starbeck van

A lawnmower, an oven and power tools have been seized by police from the back of a van in Starbeck.

Road policing officers stopped the white Mercedes Sprinter van at 8.35pm on Friday.

According to a statement from North Yorkshire Police, the items “could not be accounted for” by the occupants of the van, who were from Leeds.

Police are now asking local residents to check if they’re missing any of the items.

Starbeck van loot

Two more of the items found in the van on Friday.

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Have you noticed anything missing or see something suspicious? You can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option1 and speak to the Force Control Room quoting reference number 12210146727.

Or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.