A 59-year-old man has died following a collision on the A61 between Ripley and South Stainley last weekend.
North Yorkshire Police said the crash happened at 5.20pm on Saturday, August 26.
Three cars were involved in the collision, including a dark coloured Suzuki Bandit Motorcycle, a dark coloured Land Rover Discovery and a white Ford Transit Van.
The rider of the motorcycle, a 59-year-old man, died.
Police said the man’s family have been informed and are receiving support from specially trained officers.
The driver of the Land Rover Discovery and the Ford Transit both stopped at the scene to assist officers with their enquiries.
Officers believe that the motorcyclist was travelling with a group of unknown motorcycles immediately before the collision and he was at the rear of the group.
The road was closed for several hours to allow officers to conduct investigation work at the scene of the collision.
In a statement, North Yorkshire Police said:
“We’re appealing for information and witnesses following a fatal collision on the A61 over the weekend.
“We’re now appealing to anyone who may have seen the collision or who may have any dashcam footage of the collision or the vehicles prior to the incident, to come forward.
“Anyone with any information or footage is urged to preserve the footage and contact us on 101 quoting reference 12230161248.
“Alternatively, you can email ross.moralee@northyorkshire.police.uk.”
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- Police release CCTV image after £250 theft in Harrogate
- Police issue CCTV image after assault in Harrogate shopping centre
Police have issued a CCTV image of a man they wish to speak to following a theft in Harrogate.
The incident happened at Sainsbury’s on Leeds Road on Saturday, July 22 at midnight.
The victim’s bank card was used to draw £250 without their permission.
A North Yorkshire Police statement added:
“Officers are now asking members of the public to get in touch if they recognise the person in the image as they believe they will have information that will help the investigation.
“Anyone with any information is asked to email IET@northyorkshire.police.uk or call North Yorkshire Police on 101.
“If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
“Please quote the reference number 12230129543 when passing on information.”
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- Police criticised over delays to Ripon Town Hall move
- North Yorkshire Police urged to say sorry over LGBT+ ‘witch hunt’
Police issue CCTV image after assault in Harrogate shopping centre
North Yorkshire Police has today issued a CCTV image of a person that they want to speak to following an assault in Harrogate.
The incident, which occurred in the Victoria Shopping Centre, happened on Wednesday 21 June 2023 at approximately 12.30pm.
The suspects spat at one of the victims and removed the second victim’s glasses and then stamped on them.
Officers have now appealed to the public to get in touch if they recognise the person in the CCTV image.
A police statement added:
“Officers are now asking members of the public to get in touch if they recognise the person in the image as they believe they will have information that will help the investigation.
“Anyone with any information is asked to email Georgia.Ladly@northyorkshire.police.uk or call North Yorkshire Police on 101, and ask for Georgia Lady.
“If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Please quote reference number 12230114298 when passing on information.”
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- Police criticised over delays to Ripon Town Hall move
- North Yorkshire Police urged to say sorry over LGBT+ ‘witch hunt’
Police criticised over delays to Ripon Town Hall move
North Yorkshire Police has been accused of a “flagrant breach of trust” by a councillor because its planned move into Ripon Town Hall has still not happened.
In February, the office for North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe issued a press release to say that a £91,000 refurbishment of space in the town hall was already underway to give officers more of a presence in the city centre.
But six months later none of the works have actually taken place, which has led Cllr Andrew Williams to describe the original press release as “complete and utter bunkum” in an interview with the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Cllr Williams, who is leader of Ripon City Council and also represents the Conservatives and Independents group on North Yorkshire Council, criticised North Yorkshire Police and the crime commissioner for not delivering on their pledge.
Cllr Williams said:
“I’d like to see North Yorkshire Police honour their commitment and have an opportunity for residents to speak to officers in the city.
“I’m sick of procrastination and prevarication and now is the time for action.
“It’s a fragrant breach of trust with the public that she has issued this instruction but it’s not been delivered.”
Since the covid pandemic, Ripon has suffered from a series of anti-social behaviour problems and councillors were hopeful the move to create a public consultation room, an office and a break out room for officers, will help tackle crime in the city.
This would become an additional site to Ripon’s main Police and Fire Station based at Stonebridgegate.
Police response
A spokesperson for the crime commissioner said following the decision to approve funding for the move into the town hall, the ground floor space originally offered by Harrogate Borough Council was changed by the new North Yorkshire Council, in conjunction with Ripon City Council.
Alternative space was then offered on the second floor which it said will need to be assessed for “public accessibility and operational use”.
The spokesperson said:
“Commissioner Zoë is committed to ensuring that the residents of Ripon are provided with consistent, visible policing, and it is understood that North Yorkshire Police are currently in the process of assessing a number of additional sites in the heart of the City to ensure the local policing team are accessible to the public.
Ms Metcalfe added:
“When elected as police, fire and crime commissioner I made a commitment to the people of North Yorkshire that I would strive to ensure that they would always be safe and feel safe, with efficient use of public resources being one of my five key priorities.”
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Fire station open day set to draw crowds in Harrogate
Harrogate Fire Station will welcome members of the public to its popular annual open day next weekend.
The Skipton Road site will open its doors on Sunday, September 3 from 10am until 3pm.
Visitors will be able to see a variety of fire engines, including some demonstrations and interaction, and speak to members of North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Children will have the chance to pretend to be a firefighter, as well as learning basic first aid from St John Ambulance.
North Yorkshire Police, Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue and the Red Cross will also be represented, along with some police vehicles on site too.
The open day is free, though there is a charge for some of the activities.
A bouncy castle, refreshments and a raffle will all be held, and donations can also be made to the Fire Fighters Charity.
Visitors get to know the emergency services at last year’s open day
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- Harrogate Fire Station installs swift nest boxes on drill tower
- Long-awaited £1.2m refurbishment of Ripon’s police and fire station confirmed
North Yorkshire Police urged to say sorry over LGBT+ ‘witch hunt’
The chief constable of North Yorkshire Police is being urged to apologise for her force’s past “witch-hunting of the LGBT+ community”.
The call comes in a letter to North Yorkshire’s top officer, Lisa Winward, from the veteran gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell.
In the letter, Mr Tatchell, who is director of the human rights organisation the Peter Tatchell Foundation, acknowledges North Yorkshire Police’s “current supportive policies towards the LGBT+ community”, calling them “excellent progress”.
But he adds:
“The North Yorkshire police force was very homophobic in past decades and went out of its way to target consenting, victimless behaviour that harmed no one. It wrecked the lives of many LGBT+ people.”
The foundation is spearheading the #ApologiseNow campaign, urging all chief constables to say sorry for what it calls their “past anti-LGBT+ witch-hunts”.
In his letter, Mr Tatchell describes behaviours he says were frequently exhibited by the police:
“In the decades before the full decriminalisation of homosexuality in 2003 in England and Wales, your officers went out of their way to target and arrest gay and bisexual men for consenting, victimless behaviour. They were often excessive, harsh, vindictive and cruel.
“There was a de facto policy of sometimes releasing the names, addresses and workplaces of arrested men to the media, which led to public humiliation, ostracism, evictions, sackings and even violent attacks.
“In some cases, gay bars, clubs and even private birthday parties were raided. Same-sex couples were arrested for kissing, cuddling and holding hands in the street. Heterosexual couples engaged in similar behaviour were not. This was malicious homophobic policing and it wrecked lives.
“Upon conviction, these men were often jailed and beaten in prison. Others were hit with huge fines. Many lost their jobs, homes and marriages. Some were bashed by homophobic mobs, driven to mental breakdowns and attempted or committed suicide.
“With the stigma of a criminal conviction for a homosexual offence, a lot of the victims of police shaming had great difficulty in getting jobs and housing. Their lives were ruined by the police targeting consensual acts that harmed nobody.”
Mr Tatchell added:
“I hope that a formal apology will be made to the LGBT+ community. It would help further improve LGBT+ trust and confidence in the police, which is what we all want.
“We do not expect an apology from the police for enforcing historic homophobic laws. What we are requesting is an apology for the often abusive and threatening way those laws were enforced – ways that would be deemed illegal and unacceptable today.
The Metropolitan Police has already apologised for its past behaviour, and backed it up with a new LGBT+ plan for London and the appointment of LGBT+ community liaison officers in every London borough. Similar apologies have also been made by the chief constables of Sussex and South Yorkshire, but West Midlands Police has said it will not apologise.
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The Chief Constable of Northumbria, Vanessa Jardine, is the lead on LGBT+ policy among UK chief constables and has written to all chief constables supporting calls for them to say sorry. The appeal is also endorsed by the National Police LGBT+ Network, which is made up of serving LGBT+ officers.
Asked about the force’s response to Mr Tatchell’s letter, a North Yorkshire Police spokesperson told the Stray Ferret:
“North Yorkshire Police has committed itself to an array of inclusion and diversity initiatives of late, and much of that has been publicised.
“In relation to the [Peter Tatchell Foundation’s] press release, we’re aware of what other forces have done and are keeping it under consideration.”
In 2000, North Yorkshire Police was one of the first forces in the UK to establish a helpline for lesbian and gay officers and civilian staff.
More recently, its Equality Objectives 2020-24 document lays out several aims affecting the LGBT+ community, including: increasing awareness and reporting of hate crime and providing victims with appropriate support; improving the treatment of victims of crime, especially those with protected characteristics; and increasing the representation rates of LGBT+ employees in senior police roles.
Dashcam appeal after runner injured in collision with car in HarrogateNorth Yorkshire Police is appealing for witnesses and information after a car collided with a runner in Harrogate.
The runner, who has not been named, suffered minor cuts and bruising.
The incident occurred on Knaresborough Road between the Prince of Wales roundabout and the Empress roundabout between 7.30am and 7:50am on Friday, August 25.
A police statement said:
“Police are now requesting the public’s assistance to help identify any possible witnesses, or anyone that may have dash cam footage of the collision.
“In particular, officers are appealing for information about the vehicle involved in the collision which is believed to be gold in colour.”
Anyone with information can email Joseph.Schramm@Northyorkshire.police.uk or dial 101, select option 2, and ask for Joseph Schramm.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Quote reference number 12230160877.
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Missing Harrogate man found ‘safe and well’
A man who went missing from a Harrogate care home has been found safe, North Yorkshire Police has said.
Police issued an urgent appeal for help find the man on Saturday when he went missing at 6.30am.
It asked people to report sightings.
But officers later said the man had been found “safe and well”.
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Hunt saboteurs disrupt start of shooting season near Pateley Bridge
Hunt saboteurs have disrupted shoots near Pateley Bridge at the start of the grouse shooting season.
Calder Valley Hunt Saboteurs ran a series of protests shortly after the ‘Glorious Twelfth’ — the date in August marking the beginning of the annual grouse shooting season.
The saboteurs targeted shoots on Heathfield Moor, Braithwaite Moor, Ramsgill Bents Moor and Stean Moor.
The group claimed on Facebook its protests led to “shooters sullenly trudging back to their vehicles” and cancelling their planned activities.
Hunt saboteurs protest in Nidderdale.
Mendip Hunt Saboteurs also took part in the protests. Both groups are part of the Hunt Saboteurs Association, which opposes the hunting of wildlife in Britain.
The saboteurs shared pictures on Facebook of the police arriving at the scene and claimed the police failed to “deter” them.
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- Grouse shooting in Nidderdale: barbaric or necessary?
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North Yorkshire Police’s community messaging website posted a message alerting people to the situation. It said:
“Anti-grouse shooting activists are operating in the area of Lofthouse and Ramsgill who are affecting local businesses and communities. Please report any issues of concern or suspicious vehicles to North Yorkshire Police on 101.”
Police responds to a protest.
The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Police for further details of the activists, including whether they were doing anything illegal.
A police spokesperson said:
“Local residents had reported unusual activity and unknown vehicles in the area, so a message was sent via community messenger to ensure local residents were aware of possible protest activity in the area and provide some reassurance.”
Burglars break into home in Burn Bridge
Burglars made off with a number of expensive items after breaking into a home in Burn Bridge.
Police in Harrogate today appealed for information about the crime, which took place at a house on Westminster Crescent.
A North Yorkshire Police statement said:
“Between 9:30am on Thursday 17 August and 3pm on Sunday 20 August somebody entered the property and stole a number of high-value items.”
The statement urged anyone who saw anything suspicious or has information about the incident to email Jonathan.Cleary@northyorkshire.police.uk or dial 101, select option 2, and ask for PC Jonathan Cleary.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12230156838.
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