Police and council officers are holding a drop-in session this afternoon to address concerns about crime and anti-social behaviour around Harrogate’s Mayfield Grove.

People on Mayfield Grove and nearby Mayfield Terrace, Strawberry Dale, Nydd Vale Road and Nydd Vale Terrace have long-term concerns about criminality in the area, which is just a short walk from the town centre.

North Yorkshire Police and Harrogate Borough Council issued a three-month closure order on 38 Mayfield Grove in March.

The authorities can apply to a court for a closure order on a premises if they have concerns about antisocial behaviour and criminal behaviour.

With the order expiring this month, a letter sent to homes in the area said today’s outdoor community engagement drop-in session would enable police and council representatives to talk to residents “regarding 38 Mayfield Grove, the closure notice and future steps”.

Read more:

• Mayfield Grove summit to be held on Tuesday
• Two in hospital after armed police incident in Bilton

It is being held from 4pm to 6pm on the green triangle of land between Mayfield Grove and Mayfield Terrace.

A summit involving police, council officers and residents’ representatives was held in March.

One resident, who asked not to be named, said the area had been quieter since the closure order but they remained concerned about problems merely shifting from house to house in the area.

They added:

“I’ve felt safer over the last few months but am now worried for my safety and the safety of my children.”

Paul Ivison, who is setting up a Mayfield Grove and Mayfield Terrace residents association, said the main issues included drug dealing, speeding cars, parking and dog fouling.

A man died at 38 Mayfield Grove in March. Another man is awaiting trial for murder.

Two people are being treated in hospital after an incident involving armed police on Woodfield Road in the Bilton area of Harrogate today.

Officers were called to Woodfield Road after being alerted to a disturbance in a council flat close to Woodfield Community Primary School before 7am.

Police put a cordon in place and a long stretch of the road was closed until a man was led away at about 10.10am.

North Yorkshire Police has now said a man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of affray.

Read more:

• Bilton shocked after four-hour armed police incident
• Man arrested after four-hour police incident in Bilton

It tweeted this afternoon:

“A man in his 30s has been arrested on suspicion of affray and has been taken to hospital for treatment.

“A woman was also taken to hospital with an injury to her hand.

“The cordon has now been lifted and the road has reopened.”

People in Bilton have spoken of their shock after the suburb became the scene of a four-hour armed police incident this morning.

Officers were called to Woodfield Road after being alerted to a disturbance in a council flat close to Woodfield Community Primary School.

A large stretch of the road was closed amid reports of a man behaving erratically in a first-floor window.

Crowds gathered to watch about half a dozen armed police officers, protected by a shield, stand in a garden outside the flat. An ambulance was also on hand.

Police were seen talking to the man, who was leaning out of the window.

A nearby resident on Woodfield Road, who asked not to be named, said they became aware of the commotion at about 6.30am and police arrived after it got louder. She said:

“There were loads of police. It was a worrying incident.”

Read more:

• Police pledge to crack down on fast and noisy cars in Harrogate
• Police search for missing woman who may be in Harrogate

A workman in the area told the Stray Ferret he arrived in the area at 7.30am and was shocked to see about eight police vehicles and an ambulance.

“There was a guy throwing stuff from a window and shouting, and a lot of police cars moving about. It was shocking.”

A police cordon was erected as more and more people began to gather on the street to watch the drama unfold.

North Yorkshire Police issued a short statement saying a police negotiator was at the scene and the public were not thought to be at risk.

Eventually, at about 10.10am, a man was escorted by police into a van and the road reopened, bringing a tense and dramatic morning to a conclusion.

A man is led away by police on Woodfield Road.

Armed police outside the flat.

Police officer stands next to the cordon at Woodfield Road this morning.

Woodfield Road was closed by police.

A local resident has called for an investigation into a Harrogate car wash after a court found the owner guilty of modern slavery offences.

Harrogate Hand Carwash and Valeting’s sole director is Defrim Paci, who was found guilty this week of committing modern slavery crimes against workers at a car wash in Carlisle.

The court heard how several staff worked long hours for little pay and were denied breaks when it was busy.

Workers also reported rat and insect infestation sightings in their “very dirty” multi-occupancy accommodation after paying for transport from their native Romania.

Read more:

• Harrogate car wash owner found guilty of modern slavery
• North Yorkshire Police stop 60 motorists without seatbelt

The Harrogate car wash on Sykes Grove was not implicated in the hearing but a resident who lives near it, and requested anonymity, called for an investigation in light of the court verdict. They said:

“I really never suspected anything like this.

“They really have to do some sort of investigation now. If Paci has done this at one of his businesses then they all need to be looked into.”

We passed on the resident’s concerns to North Yorkshire Police and asked if officers would carry out an investigation. The force did not reply.

The Stray Ferret also spoke to one of the workers at Harrogate Hand Carwash & Valeting, who wanted to remain anonymous. They said:

“I have not been working here long but I think all the workers here are fine and have no complaints.

“Friends of mine brought me here. I have not heard anything about that court case.

“I think it is a good place to work, it pays well. Paci is here sometimes and gives us food and drink.”

Police are investigating a second sexual assault of a teenage girl on Harrogate’s King’s Road in less than a month.

North Yorkshire Police said today a 17-year-old was approached from behind by the man, who touched her bum and chest on the corner of King’s Road and Coppice Drive.

The incident happened at about 3.50pm on Monday.

The 17-year-old victim told police the man then walked back in the direction he had come from, towards the A61 junction.

Read more:

• Girl, 11, sexually assaulted walking home from school on busy Harrogate street
• Dramatic pictures show firefighters tackling Follifoot blaze

Police described the suspect as white, aged in his 20s, of thin build and with a long, clean shaven face. They also said he has long, light brown and slightly curly hair that was tied back.

Police believe he was wearing a red and grey backpack.

The victim and her family are being supported by police while enquiries continue.

Second attack in a month

An 11-year-old girl was sexually assaulted on the corner of Chatsworth Grove and King’s Road on May 25.

The young girl was walking home from school at around 3.15pm when the attack happened.

Harrogate High School and Willow Tree Community Primary School subsequently revealed they had alerted police to men harassing pupils.

Witnesses or anyone with information that could assist the latest investigation are urged to call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 1, and speak to the Force Control Room.

Quote reference number 12210139452 when providing details.

A charity worker who attempted to rob a Summerbridge convenience store armed with a knife and a hammer has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Munashe Chikomba, 23, was said to be “extremely polite” during the bungled robbery and didn’t appear to know what he was doing, York Crown Court heard.

Chikomba walked into Summerbridge Stores near Harrogate with his hood up, a Snood masking his face and carrying a 12-inch, rubber-handled hammer, a five-inch knife and a plastic bag, said prosecutor Jeremy Barton.

Store owner James Thornton was behind the till as Chikomba, who had driven from Leeds, walked up to the counter. There was a female customer in the shop when the incident occurred in the Dales village store at about 3.30pm on March 27.

Mr Barton said:

“As (Chikomba) got closer, (Mr Thornton) could see the defendant had a white plastic bag in his hand and a hammer

“The defendant was holding the hammer out in front of him…and said, ‘Open up (the till)!’”

Chikomba, who “appeared calm”, was holding a knife in his other hand and “kind of fumbled it a bit”.

Read more:

• North Yorkshire Police stop 60 motorists without seatbelt
• Harrogate car wash owner found guilty of modern slavery

The female customer feared he was about to lunge at Mr Thornton with the five-inch blade.

Mr Barton said:

“He again asked (Mr Thornton) to open (the till).”

The shopkeeper said he couldn’t open it and grabbed his phone to call police.

Chikomba, the son of an NHS worker, told Mr Thornton “not to do that”, but then lost his nerve and fled the scene.

Summerbridge stores

He drove off in a Vauxhall Corsa, which was later stopped by police on York Road. Officers found the hammer and the knife, as well as another blade inside the boot and a grey balaclava or Snood. 

Chikomba pointed at the balaclava and said, “That’s what I used”, then stopped himself when he realised he was incriminating himself. He was arrested and taken in for questioning, but remained silent. 

Shop owner ‘really shaken’

Mr Thornton, whose family had run the business in Summerbridge for over 20 years, said he was “really shaken” by the incident.

He said he had never experienced anything like it in the 16 years since taking over the running of the shop from his parents and didn’t feel safe at work anymore. He was now “scared for my colleagues’ safety”.

Read more:

• Family tribute to ‘beloved’ Harrogate hotel murder-suicide victim
• Man fined following Oli McBurnie altercation in Knaresborough

He said although Chikomba “didn’t seem very confident in what he was doing”, he felt like he was in “direct danger”.

Chikomba, of Cardigan Road, Headingley, admitted attempted robbery, two counts of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place and one count of carrying a blade.

‘Wholly out of character’

Khadmin Al’Hassan, for Chikomba, said it was “very bizarre” for his “softly-spoken” client to commit such a terrifying act.

Mr Al’Hassan said:

“This was wholly out of character for this young man.

“He has been suffering from mental health issues for a significant period of time.”

He added, however, that Chikomba was over £1,000 in debt at the time, and it appeared this prompted him to act in a “wholly irrational” way, “although he didn’t even know whether (trying to steal from the shop) was going to resolve his issues”. 

He said Chikomba was in a “low, depressive” mood on the day in question and his problems stemmed from a traumatic childhood in his native Zimbabwe, where he was kidnapped for three weeks after his parents had fled the country.

He eventually joined his family in the UK and “since then he’s had various complications as a result of his distress (and) traumatic experience”.

Mr Al’Hassan said:

“He’s managed to live a fairly law-abiding life and he’s involved in charity work.

“He has helped other young people in his community.”

Chikomba, who has no previous convictions, had been “highly thought of” by his tutors who had provided character references for him.

He had a “very loving family”, a partner and had recently become a father for the first time. He was “extremely remorseful” for his actions.

Mr Al’Hassan said that Chikomba was in fact “extremely polite during this entire incident and then he left without further altercation”.

Jail sentence necessary

Judge Simon Hickey said that, notwithstanding Chikomba’s otherwise “impeccable character”, it had to be jail for a “knife and hammer-point attempted robbery on that Saturday afternoon…in a family-run store in the small North Yorkshire village of Summerbridge”.

He said Chikomba terrified Mr Thornton who “didn’t know what you were going to do”.

Mr Hickey added:

“You have done a great deal (of good) in the community.

“This is completely out of character.”

He said it was clear that Chikomba’s remorse was “genuine” and there was “little planning” before the raid, which was “miles away from your address in Headingley”.

The judge said Chikomba was a “very responsible and loving father”, but it appeared that his “moderate depressive disorder” and debts had led to him becoming “overwhelmed” on the day in question “and you decided to go and do something about it and that was to rob the store and clear your debts”. 

Chikomba will serve half of the 30-month jail sentence behind bars before being released on prison licence. 

North Yorkshire Police said today it had stopped more than 60 drivers and passengers during a seatbelt action week.

Three children were among those found to be not wearing a seatbelt, something officers described as “deeply concerning”.

It has been a legal requirement in the UK for people to wear seatbelts in cars for decades.

Failure to wear a seatbelt can lead to a £100 fine, which can rise to £500 if convicted in court.

Research shows drivers and passengers aged 17 to 34 are least likely to wear a seatbelt, but most likely to have a crash.

Their chances of dying are two times higher than if they’d worn one.

Sergeant Tim Wilson, who led the campaign, said:

“We enforce the law on seatbelt use every day of the year. But this week-long campaign lets us highlight the issue to people across the county and educate road users alongside the usual enforcement.

“It’s also been an excellent opportunity to work closely with parents and schools across the county.”

Read more:

• Police search for missing woman who may be in Harrogate
• Harrogate congestion at ‘breaking point’ even without Starbucks

Police said today they have fined one man and cautioned another following an incident in Knaresborough involving Sheffield United striker Oli McBurnie.

McBurnie was arrested last month after a viral video showed a confrontation between the 24-year-old professional footballer and a 21-year-old man on High Street in Knaresborough, towards Bond End.

The incident happened on Saturday, May 8, at about 8.20pm.

Read more:

• Family tribute to ‘beloved’ Harrogate hotel murder-suicide victim
• Premier League striker arrested after altercation in Knaresborough

North Yorkshire Police said today it had completed its investigation and was no longer appealing for information.

It said in a statement:

“Following an investigation, a man in his 20s has been cautioned for a public order offence, namely using threatening behaviour.

“A second man, also in his 20s, was issued with a penalty notice for a similar offence.

“Police are no longer appealing for information.”

People in the Harrogate district are being invited to apply to join a panel which scrutinises the business of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

The North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel meets six times a year and includes 10 councillors, as well as two independent members.

It scrutinises the role of Philip Allott, the current commissioner, who was elected to the position in May.

Applications are open to co-opt two independent members to the panel.

Read more:

• 77% women have been sexually harassed in a pub, says Harrogate-based survey
• Burglars jailed for 23 years after targeting Harrogate district homes

The members will serve four years on the panel and be entitled to an allowance of £1,741 a year, plus travel expenses.

Co-opted members are also entitled to Dependant Carers Allowance, which covers childcare costs or costs for care for elderly/disabled relatives, where arrangements have to be made to enable attendance at meetings.

Santokh Sidhu is an outgoing co-opted member who joined the panel when it was introduced in 2012 and has served two terms.

He said: 

“I would encourage anyone who is interested in the role and who thinks they may have the skills needed to apply.

“Don’t be put off by jargon, acronyms or fancy titles. It is so important to have independent members on the panel who do not have a political background, to complement and reflect back some of the wider views and experiences of those in our communities.”

Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, who chairs the panel, said:

“Following last month’s election, this is an especially exciting time to join the panel as it supports the new commissioner as relationships are developed and contributions made to the future direction of these vital services.

“The role of panel members is important and demanding. The co-opted members are an essential component of the panel. They bring a fresh perspective and add valuable experience to the panel.”

You can apply for the role on the panel at https://nypartnerships.org.uk/pcprecruit.

The closing date for applications is 5pm on 15 July 2021. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted in the week commencing 26 July and interviews will be held on 6 and 8 September.

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. See below for details on how to contribute.

Police speed clampdown is a joke

Boy racers are a daily occurrence

Prior to the recent crash on Mayfield Grove, we have for many years suffered from boy racers tearing up and down our road. Most seem to have removed the baffles from the exhaust.

Every day we have about six cars speeding up and down Mayfield Grove and going up Franklin Road. You can also hear them racing up King’s Road.

I will shortly be setting up a Mayfield Grove and Mayfield Terrace residents association with other neighbours who are concerned about the speeding cars, cars being damaged and drug dealing in the area.

Paul Ivison, Mayfield Grove, Harrogate

If anyone would like to join this association email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk and we will pass on your details to Mr Ivison.

Rewilding is great – but plastic flowers are awful

I was heartened by the positive responses to the rewilding of the Stray, which I certainly welcome.

Those who feel that the horticultural prestige of the town is threatened by borders of wild flowers would be far better focusing their ire on the proliferation of plastic garlands, which appear to be the latest ‘must-have’ outdoor decorations at bars and shops around the town.

Not only are they no match for the real thing in terms of attractiveness, they also produce yet more plastic pollution at a time of increasing environmental awareness.

Yes, hanging baskets and tubs take time and energy to maintain but are well worth the effort and I know which most visitors would prefer to see. For a town that’s been a Britain in Bloom gold medal winner, it’s a disappointing new trend.

Gillian Parkin, Harrogate

Great to see wildflowers on the Stray

Don’t let Harrogate become a dead town

I was shocked to find all parking both sides of James Street blocked with boxes full of plants.

Only three places were available for blue badge holders. Thankfully, I have a blue badge and parked. Ironically there were some signs saying SHOP LOCAL. Well, people would if they could park.

I know several who go to Northallerton now: easy parking and free in many places. The shops are having a bad time and have been for 14 months. Some have closed and gone.

Please don’t subject us to being a dead town. It’s so sad to see Harrogate’s style and variety taking a hard knock.

Christine Hill, Burton Leonard

Read more:

• Harrogate’s controversial James Street planters could go after June 21
• Big thumbs-up for Harrogate district’s new wild look