Warning: this story contains references to self-harm, suicide and mental illness. 

A Harrogate man has been given a hospital order with restrictions for the attempted murder of two children.

Following a nine-day trial in April 2023, George Edward Yates, 42, was found guilty of two counts of attempted murder following an incident in Beckwithshaw on June 20, 2022.

At the time the Judge adjourned sentencing so that Yates could undergo psychiatric assessments.

He was today sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court.

On sentencing, reports were presented back to the court which stated that at the time of the offence Yates was suffering from delusional thoughts before carrying out the knife attack on two children.

Because of his mental state at the time of the incident, the judge sentenced him to a hospital order with restrictions, meaning that should he ever released back into the community, he will be closely monitored by mental health professionals.

‘Placed knives around his house and in his car’

During the trial the court heard how Yates, commonly known by his middle name Ed, and previously of Beckwithshaw, had placed knives around his house and in his car.

He’d also prepared a homemade incendiary device which was capable of causing a fire.

At around 8am on the day of the incident, he attacked the two children with a large bread knife, severely cutting the throat of one child which resulted in life threatening injuries.

Police sealed off the area.

He then attempted to do the same to a younger child.

Hearing the screams of the younger children, a teenager ran to help them and tackled Yates, managing to wrestle the knife from him as he attempted to harm the youngest child.

Fortunately, all three children were able to run away from Yates.

Two decorators working at a house nearby were approached by the children and they protected them from Yates, who had chased after them following the attack.

Pre-recorded interviews of the children recounting the incident, which were conducted by specialist police officers, were played in the court.

The painters and decorators’ evidence was also read out to the court.

The two men described hearing the children’s screams and seeing them running towards them, one with blood pouring from a large open wound in their neck.

The court heard how the men rushed to provide first aid to the children, using one of their own hoodies to try to stem the flow of blood, while they called the emergency services.

The teenager had also suffered a minor hand injury from grabbing the knife away from Yates.

The decorators stated that as they were helping the children, Yates twice approached them, but they protected the children by shouting at Yates to keep back and go away.

Police were called to the scene and after making an initial check on the welfare of the children, they entered a nearby house and found Yates in the bathroom.

He had attempted to take his own life by cutting his own throat and wrists, and superficially stabbing himself in the chest. He’d also ingested liquid morphine, which he’d taken from his mother’s house days before the attack.

Yates was immediately arrested and taken to hospital for treatment to his self-inflicted wounds.

Following treatment, Yates assaulted a police officer who was on bed-watch duty at the hospital.

The most seriously injured child was taken separately to Leeds General Infirmary and underwent life-saving surgery.

‘Utterly horrific and disturbing crime’

Speaking after sentencing, senior investigating officer, detective chief inspector Steve Menzies of North Yorkshire Police’s major investigation team, said:

“This was an utterly horrific and disturbing crime, made all the worse by the young ages of the victims involved. To be attacked in such a violent manner, without any warning, is sickening, and sadly something the children will never forget. Whilst they have made remarkable physical recoveries, and shown immense bravery throughout the incident, the police investigation, and the trial, the emotional effects will be long-lasting.

“Since the attack they have all received support and care from specialist services, and I hope that with further support from professionals, their loved ones, and the sentencing that has been delivered by the courts today, they can put this horrendous incident behind them and move on to more positive times.”

He added:

“I’d like to pay tribute to the outstanding bravery of the teenager. They witnessed a horrific scene, yet tackled Yates and managed to grapple the knife from his hands. Thanks to that swift and decisive action, the younger children survived.

“I also have to commend the two workmen who cared for the children, called the emergency services, and protected them from Yates until police arrived at the scene. Their quick thinking meant that the children received prompt medical care, and also meant that Yates survived his self-inflicted injuries, so he could be dealt with and face justice today. I nominated them, and the older child for formal recognition and I am delighted that the judge formally commended them in her summing up.

“As for Yates, he carried out an appalling attack on two defenceless children, and after hearing the evidence, the jury found him guilty of the attempted murder of the two children. I’m just incredibly thankful that the children survived.

“Finally, I’d like to thank my fellow investigators, and the prosecution team, who worked meticulously and tirelessly on this case to bring about today’s result. This has been a traumatic, disturbing, and highly emotional incident for everyone involved, and I’m grateful to my colleagues for their professionalism and pure determination to ensure justice was served for the three children.”

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North Yorkshire Police has issued CCTV images of two men they want to speak to after alcohol was stolen from a Ripon supermarket.

In a statement yesterday, police said two men stole over £500 worth of champagne and spirits from the Sainsbury’s at Ripon Market Place.

The incident took place on Wednesday February 7 at 5:35pm.

The statement added:

“Please get in touch if you recognise either of the people in the images as we believe they may have information that could help the investigation.”

Any information should be emailed to  Fiona.Wilding@northyorkshire.police.uk or dial 101, select option 2 and ask for Fiona Wilding. Quote reference number 12240023658.

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

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North Yorkshire Police has issued an urgent appeal to find a man who has been missing from the Harrogate area for nearly two weeks.

The constabulary said in a statement this afternoon Cao Xuan Tuan, 25, has not been seen since  Thursday, February 29.

The statement added:

“Cao is Asian, with short straight black hair, brown eyes and around 5 foot 6” tall.

“We’re growing increasingly concerned for Cao’s welfare and are asking for anyone who may have seen him, or knows where he is, to contact us immediately.

“Cao, if you are reading this, please get in touch with someone, we just want to know that you are safe.”

Officers urged anyone who has seen Cao, or have information that could help, to urgently call 101 or, if you know his immediate whereabouts, 999.

Quote reference number 12240041667.

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Government inspectors have today hailed significant improvements over the last year at North Yorkshire Police.

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services questioned the force’s ability to keep people safe and reduce crime in a highly critical report a year ago following an inspection in October 2022. It also criticised the speed of handling 101 and 999 calls.

But a new HMICFRS report, published today, found the constabulary was good in five areas of policing and adequate in four. Last year it was told it required improvement in four areas.

Michelle Skeer, HM Inspector of Constabulary, said in the Police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy report:

“I am pleased with the performance of North Yorkshire Police in keeping people safe, reducing crime and giving victims an effective service.

“I have been impressed with the force’s response to the findings of our last inspection in 2022. The force has worked quickly to improve the policing service it provides to the communities of North Yorkshire.

“Because of this, it has made progress in all the areas of improvement identified in our last inspection.”

Key findings

The inspection graded 10 areas of policing either outstanding, good, adequate, requires improvement or inadequate. Unlike last year, North Yorkshire Police was not assessed to be inadequate or requires improvement in any areas.

It received good assessments for preventing crime, recording data about crime, police powers and public treatment, protecting vulnerable people and managing offenders.

It was graded adequate for investigating crime, responding to the public, developing a positive workplace and leadership and force management.

Inspectors also check the effectiveness of services to victims but do not make a graded judgment for this.

They hailed “significant investment in the force’s control room” after last year’s report revealed only 41.9 percent of 999 calls were answered within 10 seconds.

Ms Skeer said:

“The force has also improved how quickly it arrives at emergency and priority incidents. It should continue to focus on making improvements in these areas.”

The force’s investigations were found to be mostly effective but the number of crimes solved is low.

Ms Skeer concluded:

“Chief officers have made well thought out changes and investments to make sure the force has the resources to meet the public’s demands. The force’s leadership and management have significantly improved its services to the public.

“There are still areas in which North Yorkshire Police must do better. However, I am optimistic that the force’s leadership and management will continue to build on the improvements that we have seen during this inspection.”

‘Transformative year’

Speaking about the latest report acting chief constable Elliot Foskett (pictured above) said it had been a “transformative year for policing in North Yorkshire”.

He said the force had “fully embraced” last year’s feedback, adding:

“We put in place our improvement plan, which was challenging and tough for everyone in the force. We told you that the leadership team had a grip on the issues and that we would manage the plan tightly. We moved at a pace and have delivered on all fronts.

“We have worked hard over the past 12 months to bring the force to a level where the Inspectorate told us that the change has been phenomenal.”

ACC Foskett said a significant investment in the force control room had seen the average answer time for 999 calls fall from 16.2 seconds in January 2023 to 10.2 seconds in January 2024. He added:

“We are one of the safest counties in England and this inspection report shows that we are also now one of the best forces in England.

“The public of North Yorkshire and York deserve a police force they can trust and have confidence in. Policing has moved on and we needed to rebuild our foundations – they are now in place.”

Commissioner hails ‘phenomenal progress’

Zoe Metcalfe

Zoe Metcalfe, the North Yorkshire police, fire and crime commissioner, said she was “beyond disappointed” after last year’s report was published and pledged to hold the chief constable “robustly to account”.

Today Ms Metcalfe, whose role will be subsumed by the new mayoral combined office for York and North Yorkshire in May, hailed the “phenomenal progress that the force has made in such a short space of time”.

She added:

“I am pleased to see a much-improved increase in the performance of customer contact and the reduction in waiting times for both 999 and 101. Call answering times has been high on the public’s list of priorities and my own. I have invested £2.4m in the force control room, however, the force still needs to improve on how they record the information and the actions they take following the call.

“The report also recognises that North Yorkshire Police is good at recording crime and highlights areas where improvements need to be made. It is imperative to victims that when they report a crime it is recorded correctly and dealt with appropriately and I will be looking for improvements in this area immediately.

“The progress North Yorkshire Police have made over the past 12 months, and to have their cause of concern lifted is great news.

“This is a good report and lays the foundations for North Yorkshire Police to become an “outstanding” force, which is what I expect them to achieve at the next inspection.

“On the March 25 at 2pm I will be holding an online public meeting with North Yorkshire Police to look at this report in detail and to hear their plan of action to tackle the areas for improvement identified in the report.”

The meeting will be held here.

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North Yorkshire Police has urged motorists to stop abusing the lollipop man at Richard Taylor Church of England Primary School in Harrogate.

The lollipop man helps children cross the busy Bilton Lane outside the school.

But following a visit yesterday, police said in a statement:

“We have had reports of anti-social driving with drivers being abusive towards, and failing to adhere to the lollipop man outside Richard Taylor primary school.

“The school crossing patrol is there to ensure the safety of children crossing the road and failure to adhere to a stop sign outside of a school could result in penalty points and a fine.”

During their visit to Bilton, police speed cameras detected 15 vehicles travelling in excess of the 20 mph limit during a 30-minute check at school arriving time.

The statement added:

“We will be back in the area and continue enforcing to help tackle the issue.”

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The number of firefighters stationed in Harrogate will be cut by four in April.

The move, which will save £210,000, is part of plans to reduce the number of nighttime fire engines based in the town from two to one.

The Stray Ferret broke the news in 2022 that Zoe Metcalfe, the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner planned to shed frontline firefighting jobs as part of her Risk and Resource Model, which sets out how fire resources will be deployed.

The proposals were later adopted despite widespread safety concerns but they have yet to be implemented.

A report that will be debated by councillors on Thursday  (January 11) about setting the police and fire service precepts for the next financial year gives a brief update.

It says Harrogate will have four fewer firefighters from April this year. Scarborough is due to lose four firefighters next year, saving another £215,000. Another seven firefighters, described as ‘operational staffing reserve’, will also go in April next year, saving £375,000.

The report, which comes after Ms Metcalfe hinted council taxpayers may have to pay more for police and fire services this year,  warns “finances continue to be exceptional tight”.

The Stray Ferret asked Ms Metcalfe’s office how many firefighters will remain at Harrogate after the changes take effect and whether those affected had been offered alternative roles.

A spokesperson said:

“The proposals in the precept report are in line with the consultation and decisions made in relation to the Risk and Resource Model in September 2022.

“The report to which your questions refer will be discussed at the police, fire and crime panel meeting on Thursday, January 11 and it would not be appropriate for us to provide any further information at this time.”

The North Yorkshire Police Fire and Crime Panel, which is a joint committee of North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council, scrutinises the performance of the commissioner.

How will it work?

Harrogate Fire Station

Currently, Harrogate Fire Station on Skipton Road has one fire engine which can respond to all callouts and one smaller tactical response vehicle. Both operate around the clock.

The tactical response vehicle will be replaced by a larger fire engine but it will only be crewed during the day.

Ms Metcalfe’s Risk and Resource Model said more fires occur during daytime, and having two fire engines at Harrogate would provide better daytime protection at key times.

But the second Harrogate appliance won’t be staffed between 10pm and 9am, meaning greater dependence on on-call firefighters in Knaresborough when a second fire engine is required at major incidents.

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Police in Harrogate have urged people to be wary of cold callers turning up on doorsteps offering garden maintenance work.

In a statement today, North Yorkshire Police said it was aware of individuals and groups targeting elderly residents in the area.

It added some could be “pushy and threatening” or “charge inflated prices or pretend to find more and more jobs that need doing on a property”.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said:

“We’re aware of Harrogate households in different areas of the town being approached for landscaping and gardening work. We’re working proactively to address this.

“As part of this work, we want residents to be aware of the risks and to know what to do if someone turns up at their door offering services like gardening work, building maintenance or selling goods.

“We’d advise people to be wary – legitimate gardening and maintenance businesses usually work through recommendations and don’t need to knock on doors to get business.”

Unsolicited calling, or cold calling, is when people are approached by someone offering a service despite not requesting it.

Although cold calling is not an offence, North Yorkshire Police said it frequently investigated frauds, thefts and burglaries that happened as a result of doorstep calls.

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The spokesman added:

“Always give yourself plenty of time to make decisions about who you employ and ask friends, family and neighbours for recommendations.

“And don’t feel bad about saying ‘no’. Normal businesses understand that people want to shop around and won’t try to pressure you into a decision on the spot. If they do, that’s a massive red flag.

“Sadly, elderly people are particularly at risk. So if you have older parents, relatives or friends, please share this message with them and check they know how to stay safe if cold callers knock on their door.”

Police urge anyone suspicious about cold callers to dial 101.

Tim Forber says it will be the honour of his 27-year career if he becomes the most senior police officer in York and North Yorkshire.

The current deputy chief constable of South Yorkshire Police will present himself for the first time to councillors on the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel next week in Northallerton.

Mr Forber is set to replace the outgoing chief constable Lisa Winward who is officially retiring in March but ended her role before Christmas.

He has been chosen as the preferred candidate for the £154,000 position by Tory crime commissioner Zoe Metcalfe.

This is despite advice from councillors that the appointment should be delayed until after elections in May when her brief will become the new mayor’s responsibility.

Ahead of the meeting, Mr Forber has submitted a personal statement that outlines his background and motivations for applying for the top job at North Yorkshire Police.

Cross-party councillors on the panel will quiz him about the role and make a recommendation on his appointment.

Born and bred in St Helens, policing runs in the family as his father served as an officer for 36 years before retiring in 2000.

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He studied for a law degree before joining London’s Metropolitan Police Service in 1996.

In 1997, he won a Royal Humane Society award after he rescued a woman from drowning in freezing waters in the River Thames.

During his time at the Met, he worked as a detective and was commended for helping to bring to justice a criminal gang who committed high value antique burglaries against elderly vulnerable victims across the country.

In 2005, he first came to Yorkshire when he joined West Yorkshire Police on the force’s homicide and major inquiry team.

Five years later he moved to Greater Manchester Police where he was was chief superintendent.

In 2016 he returned to Yorkshire as the assistant chief constable at South Yorkshire Police and helped oversee a turnaround where it’s now one of the highest rated forces in the country.

He is married to a serving detective constable in West Yorkshire Police and has a daughter and two sons.

Mr Forber said:

“I am passionate about policing, and it is all I have ever known in terms of my professional career. I believe that North Yorkshire Police has the potential to be truly outstanding.”

North Yorkshire Police has said a missing Harrogate teenager has been found.

A police statement today said the girl, who was reported missing this morning, was found “safe and well”.

We have updated this article to anonymise the details of the girl.

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