Lockdown fear needs to be restored, says senior police officer

Fear needs to be put back into the public to bring coronavirus rates down during lockdown, the police officer leading North Yorkshire’s response to covid said yesterday.

Superintendent Mike Walker said there was less compliance and fear among people under current restrictions compared with the first lockdown last year, which saw streets empty and more businesses close.

His comments came after North Yorkshire Police said it will come down harder on covid rule breakers. The force also revealed it had issued 107 fines in the first week of the third lockdown — more than double the amount in the first week of the first lockdown.

Superintendent Walker told a meeting of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel that the force has had to “put back that fear” into communities for them to understand the risk of flouting covid rules.

He said:

“Unfortunately, that fear needs to be put back into the public for them to understand there is a reason why this lockdown is here because of the rates, the excess deaths and the number of people going into hospital on a daily basis.

“Until we see the impact of the national lockdown, you will not see that curve flattening and going down again.

“It’s not ideal that we want to put fear into the communities, but they need to understand the risk that is associated to them.”

Superintendent Walker said the messaging was not scaremongering as the figures in the county are so high. Currently, the North Yorkshire seven-day covid rate is 380 people per 100,000.

He added it was “sad to see” a lack of compliance when North Yorkshire had some of the highest rates in all of Yorkshire.

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Of the 107 fixed penalty notices issued in North Yorkshire during the third lockdown, 57 were to people from outside the county and 50 were to those living in the county. Harrogate police issued 10 fines.

Superintendent Walker said on Wednesday (January 13) officers would “no longer waste time” reasoning with people who flout the rules and “have no regard for the safety of others”.

Meanwhile, Julia Mulligan, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said the rules of the lockdown were clear.

She said:

“The rules and regulations are already very clear but there is a significant minority who seem to think they don’t apply to them. 

“The message is simple – stay at home apart from for very specific reasons. Those reasons do not include taking a day trip to North Yorkshire from elsewhere, or travelling to a different part of North Yorkshire if you live here.

“Exercise should be taken close to your home, not close to other people’s homes far from yours in communities who are doing all they can to stop the spread.”

Man dies on Ripon building site

A man has died after an incident at a building site in Ripon.

North Yorkshire Police issued a brief statement this afternoon confirming the news. It said:

“Police were called to a report of an industrial incident in Ripon at about 10.30am on Wednesday.

“A man was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. Enquiries are ongoing jointly with the Health and Safety Executive.”

A member of the public contacted the Stray Ferret on Wednesday saying Harrogate Road in Ripon was closed and a large number of police, fire engines and ambulances were in attendance.

The police initially declined to reveal any information but today confirmed a man, who has not been named, had died.

No further details about the incident have been released.

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Fake police officer targets North Yorkshire with credit card scam

Scammers pretending to be police officers are targeting local residents for money.

North Yorkshire Police said today it had received reports from people who had been called by a man claiming to be a police officer.

The bogus officer told the people they called that one of their relatives was in police custody and that this person was in possession of their bank and credit cards.

The victims were then asked to immediately call their bank or the police on 911 to verify this was genuine, using the same phone and without waiting for a dial tone.

Fake officer names have included Detective Matthews, DI Stevens and DC Winston.

Six cases have been reported to the police and so far none have resulted in a loss of money.

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Police are urging people to hang up if they’re suspicious and to use a different line if they need to call the police or bank.

They added that officers and banks would never contact people to move or transfer money.

Last year North Yorkshire Police financial abuse safeguarding officer, Andy Fox, released the following statement about a similar scam:

“Everyone believes they won’t fall victim to a scammer but these individuals are experienced professionals who know every trick in the book to gain your trust.

“A police officer will never get in touch and advise you to move, transfer or pay money and neither will a bank or building society. If you receive a call out of the blue offering money or security advice, be very suspicious and do not give the caller any personal or account details.

The police have encouraged anyone caught out by this scam to report it to the force on 101.

North Yorkshire Police pledge to get tougher on covid rule breakers

North Yorkshire Police has today pledged to get tougher on people breaking lockdown rules and “no longer waste time” with covid rule breakers.

Superintendent Mike Walker, gold commander for the police response in the county to covid, said officers had dealt with cases of people coming from outside the county to beauty spots and others holding birthday parties.

He said while those flouting lockdown rules were in the minority, police would come down harder on those found breaking restrictions.

Superintendent Walker told a press briefing of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which is a partnership of emergency agencies:

“We will no longer waste time reasoning with people who do not have regard for the safety of others.

“This is not just down to the police, this is a matter of personal responsibility. Everyone should ask themselves ‘do I need to make this journey’. If the answer is no, then stay at home.”

Since the start of the new national lockdown, police have issued a total of 107 fixed penalty notices – more than double that in the first week of the lockdown in March when 46 were handed out.

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Of the amount handed out so far, 57 were to people outside North Yorkshire and 50 were to those living in the county.

Police issued 58 fines for people being outside with no reasonable excuse and 49 for indoor gatherings.

A total of 10 have so far been handed out by Harrogate police — all for being outside without good reason.

Yesterday, Mark Hewitt, chair of the National Police Chiefs Council, said he “made no apology” for the almost 45,000 fixed penalty notices for covid breaches with have been handed out nationally.

He said:

“It is very clear that we are now at the most dangerous stage of the pandemic.

“There is a real and present risk that our health service could be overwhelmed and people – our friends and family – could die needlessly from this virus.

“So, we must all play a part in stopping that from happening.”

Police appeal for help finding fraudsters who conned woman, 80

Fraudsters pretending to be from a disability service stole three bank cards from a woman in her 80s in Summerbridge.

Police in Harrogate today issued a CCTV appeal to find the man and woman responsible.

The suspects took three bank cards and subsequently made fraudulent transactions in Ripon and Darlington.

The incident occurred on Hartwith Bank at around 4.45pm on October 14.

A North Yorkshire Police statement said:

“We are appealing for information which will help to identify the suspects, including anyone who recognises the person in the CCTV image, which is from TK Maxx in Darlington around an hour after the incident.

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Anyone with information can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Katie Bell.

You can also email katarina.bell@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 12200181553.

Police arrest suspected cocaine dealers after chase in Harrogate

Police have arrested two suspected cocaine dealers after a chase in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police said officers on patrol followed a car on Leeds Road travelling towards Harrogate last night.

When the vehicle stopped the passenger ran off, discarding a large amount of suspected cocaine and a mobile phone.

Following a short chase on foot he was found to be in possession of £700.

The pair from Leeds, aged 28 and 44 were both arrested on suspicion of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply.

The driver was also arrested on suspicion of drug driving after a roadside drugs test showed a positive result.

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Both men have since been released while under investigation to allow for further enquiries.

Detective Sergeant Marcus Dawson, of Harrogate police’s Operation Expedite team, which deals with county lines drug dealers, said:

“We are sending a clear message to the drug peddling fraternity that despite lockdown, it’s business as usual when it comes to disrupting drug dealing and the misery it causes.

“We urge members of the public to keep on reporting suspicious activity to us, we are still here and still need you to report information to us.

“If you prefer not to talk to us, remember you can report information to Crimestoppers anonymously.”

The police urged people to report signs of drug dealing, including ‘cuckooing’ – where drug dealers take over a vulnerable person’s house.

The signs to look out for include an increase callers at a property, an increase in cars pulling up for short periods of time, different accents at a property and windows covered or curtains closed for long periods.

Anyone with information can call North Yorkshire Police on 101. If you wish to remain anonymous, you call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Just eight covid fines issued in Harrogate district last month

Just eight people have been fined by police in the last month for covid breaches in the Harrogate district.

Figures published last night by North Yorkshire Police revealed four fines were given to visitors to the district and four to local people for indoor gatherings between December 2 and January 5.

Other areas within the county were dealt with far more severely: a total of 362 and 308 fines were issued in the Scarborough district and York respectively over the same timeframe.

North Yorkshire issued 710 fines in total for covid breaches.

The highest number — 334 — were handed out for indoor gatherings. The second highest category was for local residents, who received 191 fines.

A total of 161 fines were given to visitors and nine were for outdoor gatherings.

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Yesterday Superintendent Mike Walker, gold commander for North Yorkshire Police’s response to covid, said people would notice a higher police presence during the third lockdown.

He added police would step up patrols and anyone found in breach of the rules faced fines of up to £200.

Chief Inspector Rachel Wood said:

“I cannot stress enough how serious our current situation is. As a nation we have moved into new national restrictions and we are being told to once again stay home to save lives and protect our health service.

“Our local patrol plans have been revised and we have increased our presence and visibility in our local communities. We will take enforcement action against those who are breaking the rules and putting the wider community at risk from this deadly virus.”

In September, the force said it had issued 1,151 fines for covid regulation breaches up to that point in the pandemic.

 

Police to challenge rule breakers on Harrogate district roads and beauty spots

North Yorkshire Police has said it will challenge lockdown rule breakers on the Harrogate district’s roads and beauty spots.

Superintendent Mike Walker, the force’s lead for coronavirus, today set out the countywide policing strategy for the third national lockdown.

He said police presence and visibility would increase to “reassure” people, and anyone caught breaking the rules would be challenged and possibly fined up to £200.

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Supt Walker said:

“Under these new regulations, if you are outside of your home without a reasonable excuse, or gathering indoors or outdoors with others, the police can take enforcement action against you and you can be fined up to £200.

“I would also stress that it is important to stay as close to home as possible. While exercise is permitted, this should be done in your local area, preferably from your doorstep.

“The new restrictions have been put in place to limit people’s movements in order to suppress the spread of a deadly virus. If you travel further than is essential, you are putting yourself and those communities you visit at risk of contracting this virus.

“Our health service is at a crucial point and as a nation we face a very serious situation, so it’s vital that we stick to the rules and stop the spread of the virus.”

 

Police name couple who died near Pateley Bridge

North Yorkshire Police has named the couple who died at their home near Pateley Bridge last week.

Frank and Anne Woods, aged 75 and 79, were found on December 30 after a concerned neighbour rang the police.

Police cordoned off the scene following the incident in Blazefield in the Nidderdale town.

However, officers have struggled to reach any next of kin and have appealed for help.

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Mr Woods was originally from the United States so may have relatives there.

North Yorkshire Police do no believe there to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths.

Anyone who can help identify next of kin should contact the police on 101 or +44 1904 618691 internationally, quoting reference number 12200247502.

Police appeal after man left with broken nose during assault in Ripon

North Yorkshire Police is appealing for information after a man suffered a fractured nose during an assault in Ripon last month.

Between 10pm and 10.30pm on December 23, the man was walking along Priest Lane.

He was approached by individuals, who assaulted him and made off in an unknown direction, leaving the victim with a broken nose and in need of hospital treatment.

Police are appealing for the public’s help to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

Officers are particularly interested in hearing from anyone who was in the Priest Lane area of Ripon at the time of the incident or who may have dashcam footage or CCTV.

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option two and ask for PC Lucy Mills or email lucy.mills@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

To remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 and quote reference number 12200244105.

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