Car window smashed in Knaresborough by slingshot

A car window was smashed in Knaresborough last night by a person believed to be using a slingshot or catapult.

Police sent armed officers and a helicopter after receiving reports that a window had been smashed in a car driving along Chain Lane at about 7.25pm.

A North Yorkshire Police statement this morning said:

“Due to the serious nature of the report, specialist firearms officers and the police helicopter were deployed immediately.

“After reviewing dashcam footage, it is a believed a slingshot or catapult-type weapon was used to damage the car window. No one was injured.”

“Enquiries are ongoing to identify any suspects.”

The statement does not say whether anyone was injured in the attack.

Police have asked anyone who witnessed the incident to call them on 101, quoting reference 12220098605.

Brawl breaks out on Harrogate’s Skipton Road

A mass brawl broke out in Harrogate last night and spilled on to the main Skipton Road.

A large group of men started fighting outside Bilton Working Men’s Club at about  7pm.

At one point the skirmishes extended on to Skipton Road, which affected traffic.

Police turned up shortly afterwards.

Club treasurer Alan Huddart said the incident wasn’t anything to do with the club, adding:

“We had a funeral booking and I believe it related to that but nothing took place inside the club.”

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said:

“We were called to the incident last night just after 7pm following reports of a group of men causing a disturbance in the street.

“On arrival the group had dispersed, no allegations were made and no arrests have been made.”

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Harrogate police officer charged with sexual assault

A Harrogate police officer is to appear in court this week charged with sexual assault.

Joseph McCabe, of Kingsley Park Road, Starbeck, will appear at York Magistrates Court on Thursday.

He is accused of touching without consent at Scotch Corner Services, near Richmond, in August last year.

The 27-year-old officer is a serving North Yorkshire Police officer based at Harrogate police station.

He is currently suspended from duty.

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Police find missing Ripon man

Police have found a missing man from Ripon after appealing for information from the public to find him.

The man disappeared after being seen in Sainsbury’s in the city at around 2.30pm yesterday.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement saying officers had “concerns for his welfare and are trying to locate him”.

It appealed for information about his whereabouts but later said the man had been found safe.

We have subsequently updated this article by removing the man’s personal details.

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Boy, 8, rescued at Brimham Rocks

An eight-year-old boy has become the latest person to require rescuing at Brimham Rocks.

Seven members of Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association were called to the National Trust-owned site near Pateley Bridge when the boy got stuck at the top of a rock outcrop.

The association’s website says:

“He had managed to jump the gap to get onto the rock before realising that the jump back would be much harder.”

North Yorkshire Police summoned the rescuers at 11.30am on Monday and they managed to assist the boy to safety.

The volunteer-run association has attended several incidents at Brimham Rocks already this year.

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Woman dies following car crash in Harrogate district

A 92-year-old woman has died after being involved in a serious car crash in the Harrogate district at the weekend.

The crash happened just after 8pm on Saturday at the crossroads of Spring Road, Moor Lane and Wharf Lane in Netherby, which is near Harewood, on the fringes of the Harrogate district.

North Yorkshire Police said after the incident that the woman had sustained serious injuries and today confirmed she had died in hospital. It said:

“Sadly the 92-year-old woman who was a passenger has passed away in hospital. Her family have been informed, our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.

“We are continuing to appeal for information following this collision.”

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The collision involved a navy-coloured Jeep Cherokee and a Blue Volkswagen T-Cross.

The Jeep Cherokee was travelling down Moor Lane towards Spring Road and the Volkswagen was heading east to west on Spring Road.

Police are asking for anyone who witnessed the accident, saw the vehicles prior to the incident or have dash cam footage that may be relevant to contact them.

You can call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for 917 Jon Moss, of the major collision investigation team. Or email Jon.Moss@northyorkshire.police.uk.

The crime reference number is 12220091836.

Man arrested on suspected drug offence and assaulting police in Harrogate

A man has been arrested in Harrogate on suspicion of a drug offence and assaulting a police officer.

Officers from North Yorkshire Police arrested the man, who is in his 30s, after stopping a suspected drug deal in the town centre.

The man was charged with assaulting a police constable after allegedly kicking the officer during arrest.

He is expected to appear before magistrates court at a later date.

A North Yorkshire Police statement added:

“Officers on patrol saw the two men acting suspiciously and they were stopped.

“One of the men was detained after they found what is believed to be crack cocaine in his possession.

“He was arrested, taken into custody and later released under investigation so the substance can be sent off for laboratory analysis.

“He was also charged with assaulting an emergency services worker and is due to appear in court at a later date.”

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North Yorkshire Police among slowest in country responding to 999 calls

A government league table has revealed that North Yorkshire Police is the fourth slowest of 44 forces in the UK at responding to 999 calls.

The table, published by the Home Office today, shows North Yorkshire Police answered just 44% of 999 calls within the 10-second target in the last six months.

Police forces are required to answer 90% of emergency calls within 10 seconds.

The data, which covers from November 1, 2021, until April 30, 2022, shows that on average the force in North Yorkshire take 29.7 seconds to answer 999 calls.

A total of 43% of 999 calls are answered between 10 and 60 seconds.

Only Avon and Somerset police reached the 90% target, while Humberside Police was the worst with just 2% of calls answered on time.

Durham and South Yorkshire were the only other worse performing constabularies than North Yorkshire.

In response to the data, Lindsey Butterfield, North Yorkshire Police’s lead for contact management, said:

“Whilst there are a number of factors which impact on the speed at which 999 calls are answered, we recognise that we are not staffed to meet our current elevated levels of demand and we are investing in a number of measures to make improvements and get calls answered quicker.

“This includes putting in place enhanced recruitment plans for more staff within our force control room. We expect to have recruited 10% above our establishment by September 2022. The additional 10% allows for the levels of staff turnover that we experience.

“We have also established a pool of reserve staff to deal with administrative tasks on behalf of the call takers in the force control room. The additional costs for these interim arrangements have been funded by North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

“The dedicated team of staff who handle our calls within our force control room work incredibly hard, in a very challenging environment. We will be recruiting for our next intake very shortly so if you or someone you know is interested in joining the team, please keep an eye on the jobs section of our website or register your interest via our vacancies page.”

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The Home Office figures are the first time that performance for answering 999 calls from each police force has been published.

Priti Patel, Home Secretary, said:

“Calling 999 can literally be a matter of life and death. The public deserve to know that their local police force will be at the end of the phone, ready to leap into action at seconds’ notice to protect them from harm.

“Fundamentally, publishing this data is about driving up standards in our incredible emergency services even further, so that the public can have every confidence in the police’s ability to save lives and keep our streets safe.

“We can now see where forces are excelling and where vital improvements need to be made and I thank the police for their commitment to ensuring we maintain the best emergency services in the world.”

Woman, 92, in critical condition after Harrogate district crash

A 92-year-old woman is in a critical condition in hospital following a serious crash in Netherby.

The collision happened at the crossroads of Spring Road, Moor Lane and Wharf Lane in the village, which is near Harewood, at 8pm on Saturday evening (May 28).

North Yorkshire Police said the crash involved a navy-coloured Jeep Cherokee and a Blue Volkswagen T-Cross.

The Jeep Cherokee was travelling down Moor Lane towards Spring Road and the Volkswagen was heading east to west on Spring Road.

A police statement added:

“Sadly, a 92-year-old woman passenger, sustained severe injuries and currently remains in hospital in a critical condition. The driver of one of the vehicles was also injured.

“Police are asking for witnesses to the collision and any members of the public who sighted either vehicle prior to the collision to come forward.

“Anyone with dash camera footage that was in the area at the time of the incident is asked to review their footage and pass this to police to assist the investigation.

“If you can help, please call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for, 917, Jon Moss, of the Major Collision Investigation Team. Alternatively, you can contact him via email on: Jon.Moss@northyorkshire.police.uk Please quote reference:12220091836.”

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Nazi symbol outside Harrogate home leads to police visit

A Harrogate man’s efforts to commemorate the sinking of a ship in the Second World War led to a social media outcry and a visit from police.

He put up a German naval flag for “less than six hours” on Friday afternoon to remember those who lost their lives in the sinking of the Bismarck on May 27, 1941.

However, the flag includes a swastika symbol, which was spotted by a passer-by who posted a photograph on Twitter that evening.

The home owner – who we are not naming because police said they are concerned about putting him at risk – said he was taken aback by the reaction.

“It’s what’s called a kriegsmarine flag. It’s not the first time it has flown – I’ve flown it twice a year, to mark the sinking of the Bismarck and the Battle of the River Plate [the first naval battle of the Second World War].

“I spoke to my neighbours and they know it’s not a racist or anti-Jewish or pro-Nazi thing. It’s just a commemoration.”

‘Naval tradition’

The man said he regularly displays flags to mark significant days in the calendar and has been doing so for almost three years.

He often puts a sign in his window explaining the significance of that day’s flag, which he said also did on Friday. It outlined the loss of the battleship along with 2,200 sailors, as well as more than 100 captured by the British Navy.

The homeowner said:

“They died for their country as much as our naval crew did for ours. It’s a naval tradition to respect your foe as well as your own men.

“My father was in the Navy and my uncle was in the air force. I’m more of a pacifist – I wouldn’t ever do anything to offend anyone.”

He said the photograph was not close enough to show the information about the Bismarck so, when it was shared on social media, it lacked the context of his explanation.

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After being posted on Twitter, the photograph was shared in local Facebook groups, attracting dozens of responses. One called the owner “vermin” while others described flying the flag as “inexcusable”, “disgusting” and “sickening”.

A handful of responses on social media identified the flag and made reference to the anniversary of the sinking of the Bismarck, as well as pointing out it was adjacent to a British naval flag and one displaying poppies.

The homeowner added:

“I did try and get a modern kriegsmarine flag but the only one that was available was a Second World War one.”

‘Repercussions’

He took down the flag on Friday evening but, on Sunday, had a visit from North Yorkshire Police officers who had been contacted by members of the public who had seen the photo.

“They were very nice – they were more concerned about whether there would be repercussions for me.

“I told them I will try and find a modern Kriegsmarine flag for next time, or I’ll put a piece of white fabric over the middle.”

We have not identified the man or given the location of his house because police said they are concerned about potential risk to the resident.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said:

“Police visited an address in Harrogate after concerns were reported by a member of the public about a flag in a garden. On arrival, the flag in question wasn’t on display.

“An officer talked to the resident, who confirmed he flies many different flags throughout the year and it was a naval flag flown alongside other flags to commemorate a battle.

“No further action was necessary as no crime had been committed.”