North Yorkshire Police said today a recent crackdown on dangerous driving had achieved “strong results” after just two weeks.

Operation Boundary involves high numbers of traffic officers targeting accident hotspots on key routes.

It began over the Easter bank holiday weekend when police targeted the Dales and Craven.

So far 163 traffic offence reports have been issued for offences ranging from using handheld mobiles while driving, dangerous overtaking and speeding.

When police blitzed the Harrogate district on Tuesday last week, they arrested five people, seized two vehicles and set off on a car chase after a driver failed to stop.

Operation Boundary ‘will continue to run at various locations throughout the summer’, according to a police statement.

Read more:

• Firefighters called after Harrogate BBQ sets alight petrol can
• Criminals targeting motorhomes in North Yorkshire

Traffic sergeant Pete Stringer, who is leading the operation, said:

“The strong results we’ve seen over the past couple of weeks show how our roads are being used, and occasionally abused, as lockdown restrictions ease.

“We’re seeing much more traffic, particularly in scenic rural areas and a small minority of road users who seem to think the rules don’t apply to them.”

Police are warning motorhome and campervan owners in North Yorkshire to take extra precautions, after numerous reports of suspicious activity.

The force said today there had been a spate of incidents across the county involving cold callers approaching vehicle owners and asking to buy them – even though they are not for sale.

In each case, a man or two men knock on the door and ask the homeowner if they can buy the campervan or motorhome and look inside.

Most incidents have been in the Selby area but police fear it could be happening across North Yorkshire.

Read more:

• Slight increase in Harrogate district unemployment
• House prices in North Yorkshire increase by 22.8% in a decade

Inspector Clive Turner, of North Yorkshire Police’s rural task force, said:

“Please remember, you aren’t obliged to buy anything from or sell anything to doorstep callers.

“Rogue traders often try to take advantage of householders by using high-pressure sales techniques, or may even be looking for opportunities to steal vehicles or property.

“It’s clear that a group of people are deliberately visiting homes in North Yorkshire with campervans parked outside.

“We have been able to respond to reports of suspicious activity by increasing patrols and visiting homes to gather evidence and provide advice.”

Police also released the following advice to prevent the theft of motorhomes:

• Write your vehicle identification number in several hidden places within the camper van.
• Always lock all doors and windows every time you leave your campervan.
• Do not leave personal or valuable items on display inside the vehicle. Consider forensic and security marking your personal items.
• Fix lock nuts or wheel clamps to the wheels.
• Block in the campervan behind a locked gate, or with another vehicle parked in front of it.
• Fit a tracking device and an alarm, and switch this on every time you leave your campervan
• Call police on 101 to report suspicious people and vehicles appearing to take an interest in campervans or other high-value vehicles. If a crime is in progress, dial 999.

North Yorkshire Police is appealing for witnesses after a car was stolen in Harrogate this week.

The electric blue Volvo V40 estate was stolen from a driveway on Hutton Gate between 10pm on Monday and 2am on Tuesday this week.

A police statement said:

“In particular, we are appealing for information about the vehicle’s movements and whereabouts, and if any suspicious activity was noticed during this time period in the area. The vehicle is believed to have traveled towards Leeds.”

Anyone with information can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Kayleigh Corcoran, or email kayleigh.corcoran@northyorkshire.pnn.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 12210096907.

Read more:

• Police launch drink-drive campaign as pubs reopen
• Police and council to check Harrogate venues comply with outdoor rule

North Yorkshire Police has launched a drink-drive campaign today to coincide with pubs reopening.

The force is anticipating a surge in drink-driving now pubs are able to serve outdoors and is urging people thinking of going for a drink to use public transport or select a designated driver.

It is also encouraging people to report suspected drunk drivers.

In 2020, officers arrested 871 people for drink driving – an average of more than two a day.

There were 136 arrests in the first three months of this year, despite pubs being closed.

Police hope today’s new ‘be a hero, stay at zero’ campaign will encourage anyone driving to pubs to stick to soft drinks.

Roads policing sergeant Andrew Morton said:

“After months of being stuck at home, it is only natural that people will want to go out and celebrate the latest step in the roadmap to ease coronavirus restrictions.

“We’ll be out around the clock on the lookout for drink-driving so we urge people to enjoy their time in beer gardens safely. No drink is worth a fine, a ban, yours or even someone else’s life.”

Read more:

• Anti-social behaviour is beginning to frighten residents in Bilton.
• The appointment of the police commissioner’s chief officer has come under attack from a former head of the North Yorkshire Police Federation.

Anyone with information about drink or drug driving is asked by the police to call 101 or, if it’s happening now, call 999.

A woman near Harrogate and a man in Ripon were caught almost three times over the drink-drive limit during an Easter weekend roads blitz by North Yorkshire Police.

Elsewhere in the district, a motorbike passenger had to be airlifted to hospital with serious injuries after coming off a bike in Pateley Bridge.

North Yorkshire Police released details of the incidents yesterday after stepping-up its presence on the roads over the four-day weekend.

Units were deployed to popular tourist areas, including the Dales, for the operation, codenamed Op Boundary.

It was prompted by the easing of some lockdown restrictions, sunny weather and the long weekend.

Eighty traffic offence reports were issued for offences including using mobile phones while driving, speeding and ignoring red lights.

A speed check over the weekend.

Eight vehicles were seized for having no licence or insurance.

Read more:

• Nine county lines arrests in four days in Harrogate.
• Doncaster man jailed for 11 years after a spate of ATM thefts including one in Starbeck.

Traffic Sergeant Pete Stringer, who led Op Boundary, said:

“We’ve dealt with some serious road offences over the last few days and Op Boundary allowed us to focus on reducing collisions in key areas and keeping the roads as safe as possible.

“But it also meant our units were strategically deployed so they could tackle other offences, such as theft and burglary, which involve the use of our road network.

“North Yorkshire’s roads aren’t racetracks and anyone who uses them illegally will be dealt with as robustly as possible. This is just the start of this intensive and hard-hitting campaign and we’ll continue this approach throughout the summer.”

The police did not hand out any fines when people partied on the Stray last week, it was revealed today.

The easing of lockdown combined with good weather led to large gatherings.

Despite evidence many people broke social distancing rules, North Yorkshire Police told a press briefing today it did not issue any fines.

Under current rules, people can only gather in groups of six. But this was clearly being flouted on Harrogate’s Stray last week.

Police were seen interacting with people on the Stray but did not disperse the crowds.

Read more:

• Deja vu on the Stray, as party ends with litter
• NHS takes down Nightingale hospital in Harrogate

Since March 29, when lockdown restrictions eased, North Yorkshire Police has handed out 11 fines. Ten were for indoor gatherings in Scarborough.

Superintendent Mike Walker, coronavirus response lead at North Yorkshire Police, told today’s press briefing of North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum:

“No fines were handed out but I do have confidence in our officers and PSCOs that if fines were the proportionate response then they would have been issued.

“So outdoor gatherings are governed by the rule of six or two households. These can take place in public spaces or private gardens with social distancing rules in place.

“There are a number of exceptions that we have to take into consideration, including that two households may comfortably exceed six people and that linked households for care and support only count as one household.

“Clearly the continued ‘four Es’ approach is vital to help our officers and PSCOs determine whether there has been a breach in the regulations.

“But my message to the public as the weather gets better as we saw on the Stray that day, people either plan or spontaneously go to public outdoor spaces.

“If you do go to public outdoor spaces you need to make your assessment when you get there as to whether it is safe for you and your family to be there. So that’s the expectation as that is common sense.”

People gathering on the Stray last week.

Police officers engaged with those breaking social distancing rules on the Stray but were unable to disperse the crowds.

Some residents were left with a sense of deja vu, as the heavily littered scene was almost an exact replica of what happened on the Stray on various occasions last summer.

Four days of police action targeting county lines drug dealing in Harrogate has resulted in nine arrests.

As well as the arrests, cocaine and heroin to an estimated street value of £2,600 was recovered. Eight mobile phones, one large hunting knife, £500 cash and other drugs were also retrieved.

In one incident, two men were arrested after being found with 26 bags of suspected MDMA, also known as ecstasy, and cocaine in a pizza box. The 18 and 28 year old have been released while under investigation.

According to a press release by North Yorkshire Police, four county lines operations took place on four days in February and March.

North Yorkshire Police worked alongside the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit to make the arrests.

Funding was given by the Home Office and the National County Lines Coordination Centre.

The operations also revealed a new county line impacting Harrogate.

A total of 76 welfare visits were made to vulnerable people considered to be at risk of county lines exploitation. They were told how to spot the signs of county lines activity as many don’t recognises themselves as victims.

During one operation, officers arrested four teenage boys from Leeds, one aged 16 and three aged 17, who were believed to be staying with a vulnerable person in Harrogate in a practice known as cuckooing.

This is where drug dealers stay in the homes of vulnerable people while selling drugs.

One of the boys was charged with possessing heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply and is awaiting trial. The other three remain on police bail while the investigation continues.

Another man, a 30-year-old from Southampton, was arrested in Harrogate. Officers found 11 wraps of suspected cocaine. He was also released under investigation.

Detective Sergeant Marcus Dawson of Harrogate-based Operation Expedite said:

“The safeguarding of vulnerable people continues to be a key focus of our work and these nationally funded days of action are very welcome, providing a boost to our existing proactive work, and allowing us to protect more people and disrupt more drug dealers.

“They also give us an opportunity the gather more intelligence about drug dealing. Members of the public can also help us protect vulnerable people by calling in information.”

Click here for help if you’re a parent or care and believe a child you care for is involved in drugs and drug dealing.

Read more:

• Police appeal for witnesses after a CCTV camera is damaged in Ripon.
• Doncaster man jailed for 11 years after numerous ATM thefts including one in Starbeck.

Spot the signs of cuckooing and exploitation

• Increased callers at a property
• Different accents at a property
• Increased antisocial behaviour at a property
• Not seeing the resident for long periods of time
• Unfamiliar vehicles at the property

Spot the signs that a young person may be exploited by drug dealers

• Persistently going missing from school or home and/or being found out-of-area;
• Unexplained money, clothes, or mobile phones
• Excessive receipt of texts/phone calls
• Relationships with controlling or older individuals or groups
• Suspicion of physical assault or unexplained injuries
• Carrying weapons
• Significant decline in school results
• Gang association or isolation from peers or social networks
• Self-harm or significant changes in emotional well-being

North Yorkshire Police appealed today for witnesses after a CCTV camera on Bondgate in Ripon was damaged.

Police said the incident occurred at about 9pm on Sunday, February 21.

They issued a rather grainy CCTV image of a person wearing a mask who they hope to speak to about the incident.

Anyone who recognises the person, or has any information, is asked to call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option two and ask for PC Sarah Hargreaves.

Or email the officer at sarah.hargreaves1995@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

To remain anonymous contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 and quote police reference number 12210064248.

Read more:

• Police searching for the van driver who failed to stop after timber feel off his vehicle into the windscreen of another. 
• A man from Killinghall has been jailed after driving at a police car twice. 

A Doncaster man has been jailed for 11 years after targeting nine cash machines across Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire including Starbeck.

George Tunney has been sentenced today at York Crown Court on charges of conspiracy to cause explosions and to burgle. As well as theft and handling stolen goods following the offences committed in January and March 2020.

Just a few months after being released from prison, Tunney began his first spate of burglaries in January 2020 in the Doncaster and Hull area.

In a second spate in March that year an ATM at the Co-op in Starbeck was targeted alongside The Post Office in Shepshed, Leicestershire and the Jet garage in Adwick near Doncaster. One of these crimes saw Tunney steal over £35,000 in cash.

In between January and March the 24-year-old targeted a further three cash machines in Grantham, Mansfield and Nether Poppleton.

His numerous offences caused in excess of £60,000 worth of damage to a number of businesses,

A few days after the second spate of attacks Tunney was found along the River Ouse near the York Designer Outlet after fleeing from the North Yorkshire Police officers.

Tunney pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to 11 years in prison, plus banned from driving for eight years.

Read more:

• A man from Killinghall has been jailed after he drove at a police car twice.
• Local fire crews attended a bench on fire near the Pinewoods over the weekend, the cause is thought to be deliberate.

North Yorkshire Police Detective Superintendent, Fran Naughton, said:

“The sentence given to Tunney today is a clear demonstration that this type of crime will not be tolerated.

“Not only did Tunney and his associates endanger many lives through the dangerous use of explosives, some of which were deployed at fuel forecourts, they caused well in excess of £60,000 damage to a number of businesses.

“These businesses provide essential local services to their communities and many were out of use for extended periods of time whilst repairs were made.”

Police are appealing for information following an incident which closed the A1 southbound near Knaresborough.

North Yorkshire Police closed the road between junctions 47 and 48 earlier this morning.

Officers said the incident involved a single vehicle and have appealed for anyone who saw a Black VW estate car with hazard lights on which was on the southbound carriageway.

Read more:

• Residents against A1 service station vow to fight on

• ‘There is a need’ for A1 service station near Kirby Hill, inquiry told

A police statement said:

“The road closed shortly after 6.25am due to an incident involving a single vehicle.

“Officers are appealing for anyone who saw a  Black VW estate car with hazard lights on and was stationary, on the southbound carriageway between 5am and 6.30am, to come forward. 

“Officers also request that anyone with any dashcam footage from the area at that time gets in touch.

“Dial 101, press 2 and ask for Traffic Constable 174 David Minto. Alternatively you can email David.minto@northyorkshire.police.uk

“Please use reference number 12210091937 when passing on any information.”

The A1 southbound between junctions 47 and 48 has now been reopened.