A scammer pretending to be a police officer has targeted households in the Harrogate area.

Several residents in the town have reported calls from a ‘DC Mason Greenwood’ who claims to work for West Yorkshire Police or the Metropolitan Police.

He goes on to tell the residents that their nephew or grandson is in custody and has their bank cards as well as other stolen bank cards.

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North Yorkshire Police has recorded 12 incidents in the past week and is currently attempting to identify the caller.

Andy Fox, North Yorkshire Police financial abuse safeguarding officer, said:

“This is yet another example of a scam call designed to obtain full bank account details from an unsuspecting victim. You can protect yourself from scam calls by fitting a call blocker or speak to your phone provider as to what call blocking options they offer.”

The police have issued a warning today and said that they will never ask someone for their account details over the phone.

Mr Fox continued: “If you are in any doubt about who you are speaking to, terminate the call immediately and call 101 from a different phone.”

North Yorkshire Police is appealing for witnesses after three men were arrested for fighting in Harrogate town centre on Saturday evening.

The incident took place between Skipton Road and Regent Parade between 7.50pm and 8pm on Saturday, August 1.

All three men have been bailed pending further enquiries.

Police are now trying to establish the full details of what happened, and are asking witnesses and anyone with information to come forward.

Read more:

• Two cars were stolen from Westbourne venue, Harrogate – this is the second time in six weeks the street has been targeted.
• A family has expressed their heartbreak after their dogs were poisoned on a walk in Pateley Bridge, one later passed away. 

To give information to the police, call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option two and ask for Corrina Graham-Merrett. To remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Two cars were stolen from a driveway in Harrogate when thieves broke into the house and stole the keys.

The Audi Q7, registration YH66 MHR, has since been recovered, but the black Toyota Hilux, registration YF69 EYF, has still not been found.

The two-in-one burglary also saw a handbag containing a deep red Kate Spade purse and distinctive make-up bag taken from the home, on Westbourne Avenue. The handbag was found outside – minus the contents – following the theft, which took place on Tuesday, July 28 between 1am and 6am.

Police are now appealing for anyone with information to come forward. A spokesman said:

“Anyone who has any information about the stolen vehicles, who may have seen the vehicles driving in the area or who has information that could assist the investigation is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police.”

To contact police, call 101, select option two and ask for Liz Estensen, or email elizabeth.estensen@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk. Alternatively, to report information anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Quote North Yorkshire Police reference number 12200128831.

It is the second time in six weeks that a two-in-one burglary has been carried out in the same street. On June 20, a first-aid kit, a doctor’s bag and some handmade scrubs were taken from a home in Westbourne Avenue, and thieves took the keys for the BMW 220D on the driveway.

The car and most of the items were later recovered, but a personalised thermometer, child’s car seat, Ray-Ban sunglasses and a make-up bag were taken from the car.

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North Yorkshire Police is appealing for information after two pet dogs were poisoned in Pateley Bridge with the same combination of poisons used to kill local birds of prey.

The two dogs fell seriously ill while being walked in April. One did not survive.

Samples from the dog that died found four poisons, which combined together have been named locally as a Nidderdale cocktail.

The tests concluded that exposure to the poisons was the most likely cause of the dog’s death.

The Stray Ferret has previously reported an increase in bird poisonings in the Nidderdale area after six birds died due to suspected poisonings.

To encourage people to come forward with information, local businessman Keith Tordoff has offered a £5000 reward.

Police are appealing for information about animals being poisoned in the area.

Inspector Matt Hagen, head of North Yorkshire’s rural taskforce, said:

“The fact we have seen this same combination of chemicals, the Nidderdale cocktail as it is sometimes known, also cause the death of birds of prey in this same location would indicate that the poisons have been deliberately left in a place where they could be found by wildlife and unfortunately in this case, domestic pets.

“Pesticide abuse of any kind will not be tolerated and we are doing everything we can to try and find those responsible.”

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• North Yorkshire Police has asked dog walkers to take more responsibility after an increase of attacks on livestock.
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The test results and local intelligence led North Yorkshire Police to search several properties in the area. However, none provided any clear evidence about how the poisons reached the two dogs.

The poisons are chloralose, bendiocarb, isofenphos and carbofuran. Chloralose is licensed for use in England in low concentrations but the other three are all banned.

Police have warned that none of these chemicals should be used in an environment where domestic animals or wildlife could come into contact with them. A person misusing pesticides could be charged with a variety of offences.

Mark Thomas, head of investigations at the RSPB, said:

“Carbofuran is one of the most commonly abused substances in the poisoning of birds of prey. It is a highly toxic, banned substance putting wildlife, pets and people at risk.

“This is not the first time harmful substances have been found left out in the open and sadly it unlikely to be the last. This reckless and irresponsible behaviour, which had led to the death of a beloved family pet, cannot be allowed to continue.”

To help the police call 101, quoting reference: 12200068444 or if to remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

North Yorkshire Police issued far more coronavirus fines than expected to young Asian men, according to an independent report published today.

The local police commissioner commented that it was a “concerning” development but said the force recognised the issue quickly.

Julia Mulligan said the force “found no evidence of bias” and that they all appear to have been issued “fairly and appropriately”.

“However, I remain very concerned that the sheer scale of fines issued to young Asian males is unfair and likely to be biased. This requires further work to understand. We must all do everything within our power to root out discrimination of any kind.”

Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people made up 5.2% of the North Yorkshire population at the last census but account for 19.75% of the fines. The report suggested that the focus on the restriction of movement may have resulted in unconscious bias against those who did not fit the local profile.

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Craven was identified in the report as a particular problem, where 43% of fines were given to BAME individuals. A large number of those were Asian visitors from West Yorkshire, with 97% of fines given to people from outside the area.

North Yorkshire Deputy Chief Constable Phil Cain said in response to the report:

“I am pleased that the OPFCC found no evidence of discrimination, and that the FPNs issued by our officers were issued fairly and appropriately. The review found that the FPNs issued to local people are proportionate to our local demographics.

“However, it remains a cause for concern that there is disproportionality in the number of FPNs issued to BAME visitors to our force area.

“North Yorkshire Police shares the commitment of our Police Fire and Crime Commissioner to do everything within our power to root out discrimination of any kind, and I am committed to doing so.”

North Yorkshire Police says only “as a last resort” will officers issue £100 fines to people not wearing face masks in shops.

From tomorrow, it will become mandatory in shops to wear face masks or face coverings to help limit the spread of coronavirus.

NYP also urged the public not to call 999 to report people for not wearing a face mask. Instead, reports should be made online.

The Stray Ferret has published a list of local retailers selling face masks.

Superintendent Charlotte Bloxham, silver commander for the response to Covid-19, said:

“Since the new regulations were announced, we have been liaising with local retailers to explain how we will police these new regulations.

“Demand on our service is almost back to normal pre-coronavirus levels, so we have to prioritise where we deploy our officers.

“We will take a sensible approach to enforcement and hope people understand that we cannot attend every incident. To that end, please bear this in mind before reporting anyone for not wearing a face-covering.

“To help keep our phone lines free for urgent policing matters, we urge anyone who wishes to report a breach of the regulations, to do so via our online coronavirus reporting form which can be found on our website. Please only call if a situation escalates and your safety is threatened.”

Read more:

• Where can you buy a face mask in Harrogate?

• ‘Impossible’ to enforce face masks in Harrogate shops, says police federation

An Oxford University study found that face masks are effective in protecting the wearer from the virus as well as everyone around them.

Last week, the Stray Ferret spoke to Rob Bowles, chair of the North Yorkshire Police Federation who said issuing fines would be “impossible and impractical.”

Several retailers in Harrogate also said mandatory face coverings could put people off coming to the town.

Clare Nelson, manager at menswear shop Porters, said:

“I would feel uncomfortable telling customers to wear a face covering. If a big group of lads were to walk in without them I don’t think I would be able to tell them to wear one. It might put people off coming into the shop. I don’t think we would be able to enforce this.”

North Yorkshire Police has called for a Harrogate pub’s licence to be removed after it came under fire for breaching lockdown rules.

The Coach and Horses was told by Harrogate Borough Council that its licence was under review after people gathered outside the pub on West Park drinking which breached coronavirus guidelines.

The pub was issued a prohibition notice by the council on May 31 for “repeatedly breaking the rules”. Officials said around 75 customers were in the area drinking at one point.

People gathered outside the Coach and Horses back in May.

Now, police have called for the pub to be stripped of its licence in the interests of public safety.

Councillors on the borough council’s licensing committee will decide on the future of the pub’s licence on Wednesday.

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In a letter to the council’s licensing committee, Jackie Allen, police licensing officer, said the Coach and Horses did not comply with coronavirus regulations.

It said:

“It is believed that if the premises are allowed to retain a premise licence this will have an adverse effect on the local community…

“It is the view of North Yorkshire Police that the premises licence should be revoked and would respectfully direct members to Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 ‘it shall be the duty of each authority to which the section applies to do all it reasonably can to prevent crime and disorder in its area.’”

The force said it received 14 separate reports from members of the public between May 30 and June 2 over customers drinking from open containers outside. Police say this also breaches the pub’s licence.

North Yorkshire Police has urged dog owners to be more responsible after an increase in attacks on livestock.

The police issued the appeal after noticing an upturn in incidents in the Harrogate area over the last week.

More people are visiting the countryside as lockdown restrictions are eased, which has led to more dog attacks on sheep.

Inspector Matt Hagan, head of North Yorkshire’s rural taskforce, said:

“Owners need to stick to the countryside code and keep their dogs under control even if that means they have to stay on a lead. You are responsible for their behaviour so keep it under control. If your dog is involved in an incident please report it as a lot of the time the owner may see no-one and just head off but they do have a duty to report it.

“If you’re out and about and see anything please report it too because it’s difficult following these kinds of reports up, but if you report it at the time and it’s more likely we can do something.”

The police are asking dog owners to take responsibility for their dogs when out walking them in the countryside.

Read more:

• Suspected poisonings of birds of prey in Nidderdale have increased over lockdown. 
• Police are calling for Ripon parents to help them tackle anti-social behaviour in the city. 

One of the incidents reported to the police this month involved a husky which managed to run through a fence and chase sheep. Police officers were called to an incident on July 12 near Thruscross Reservoir, near Harrogate, by a farmer who reported a dog had attacked a lamb on his land.

The farmer accepted an apology from the dog’s owner and the police issued a community resolution. North Yorkshire’s rural police force are keen to highlight the financial and emotional impact these attacks can have on their livelihoods.

Police are appealing for witnesses to a serious assault in Ripon which left a man with a fractured skull, a bleed on the brain and loss of hearing.

The 21-year-old victim was attacked outside Gianni’s Pizzeria in Westgate between 1am and 1.25am on Saturday, July 11.

Police are keen to speak to a group of three men and a woman who, after the assault, were seen getting into a dark-coloured hatchback car. One of the men is believed to have been wearing a grey Armani jumper.

Anyone with information about the group, or the assault, should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option two and ask for Lynn Maguire, or email lynn.maguire@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

Alternatively, to report information anonymously, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, quoting North Yorkshire Police reference number 12200117545.

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