North Yorkshire Police has urged people not to support online child abuse activists and said it will not work with them.

The constabulary issued a statement today saying the number of online vigilante groups had increased in the county but they risked hampering prosecutions and often targeted innocent people.

Such groups often use a decoy victim – an adult pretending to be a child – to snare suspected child abusers.

They then live-stream or post videos on social media of them confronting suspects, often calling the police at this stage.

The statement said:

“We have specialist teams working hard around the clock to identify and bring offenders to justice and all too often these groups put the lives of innocent people in danger, interfere with our ongoing investigations and risk the course of fair justice.”

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Detective Inspector Paula Eccles, from North Yorkshire Police’s safeguarding team, said:

“The police service does not endorse online child abuse activist groups and we will not work with them.

“Unlike our highly-trained officers in the online abuse and exploitation team and the digital forensics unit, they operate without any procedures to keep people safe.

“Accused people can become vulnerable to self-harm and there are cases around the country of people dying by suicide because of the action of such groups.”

‘Cause cases to collapse’

Det Insp Eccles added some groups operated as a cover for crimes like blackmail and extortion and there was “no way of making sure that these groups act on reliable evidence”.

She added:

“The standard of evidence that is gathered is also often poor, there are issues with legal disclosure, and the way the groups share their evidence publicly online before it has been tested at court.

“Some evidential issues can even cause cases to collapse. This is completely unacceptable.”

Police nationally arrest more than 400 people for child sexual abuse and protect more than 500 children from harm each week.

North Yorkshire Police said its specialist teams “have the expertise and experience to carry out thorough, complex and intelligence-led investigations, as well as preparing evidence that can stand up to scrutiny by the Crown Prosecution Service”.

It urged anyone concerned about indecent images of children and sexual abuse to report it online via its website or by calling 101, or 999 if it’s an emergency.

A health watchdog has highlighted how residents’ health and wellbeing is being “severely affected” by the lack of access to NHS dentistry across North Yorkshire.

Healthwatch North Yorkshire said a study had revealed only two dental practices in the county with a 605,000 population offer NHS treatment to new adult patients, and those surgeries had “significant restrictions on who is allowed to register”.

The concerns have been raised just two months after the government announced the first reforms to the NHS dental contract in 16 years, so that NHS dentists will be paid more for treating more complex cases, such as people who need three fillings or more.

Under the changes dental therapists will also be able to accept patients for NHS treatments, providing fillings, sealants, preventative care for adults and children, which will free up dentists’ time for urgent and complex cases.

However, Healthwatch North Yorkshire said it remains very concerned over the lack of access to and availability of NHS dentists, which it says “has severely affected the health and wellbeing of people across North Yorkshire, from Scarborough to Selby, to Craven and Harrogate”.

In a report presented to North Yorkshire County Council’s Thirsk and Malton constituency committee on Friday, the watchdog said access to information regarding where you can register with an NHS dentist continues to be poor.

There are also concerns that “urgent problems are often not considered urgent enough, meaning people are living in pain”.

The report found the cost of private treatment is prohibitively expensive for those unable to access NHS dentistry, resulting in a large proportion of people not seeking treatment.

Meanwhile, waiting lists for NHS dentistry in the county can be as long as three years and have more than 1,000 people on them.

Read more:

• Investigation: ‘Shocking’ waits for NHS dentists in Harrogate district
• Watchdog report: Just one NHS dentist per 10,000 people in Harrogate district

The watchdog has found being unable to access an NHS dentist is having a detrimental impact on many people’s mental and physical health.

Healthwatch North Yorkshire has called for greater involvement of the public in NHS dentistry to ensure it meets the needs of the population.

Ashley Green, chief executive of the watchdog, said: 

“We feel it is now time to act – and to use the upcoming changes to NHS and social care reforms, specifically the emergence of integrated care systems to fuel this change.

“We hear on a weekly basis the struggles of people and families unable to be seen by an NHS dentist, but also the desire by NHS dentists to see and treat their patients more effectively.”

Zafran Majid, who runs Red Lea Dental Practice in Easingwold, said the NHS dentistry funding system needed to be overhauled.

Mr Majid said: 

“The majority of NHS dentists are doing an excellent job and trying to see as many patients as they possibly can. However, the najority of NHS dentists are overworked, and suffering a lot of stress and anxiety, tiredness and fatigue from their work.”

Cllr Michael Harrison, the county council’s executive member for health, said as long as the NHS dentistry system made it more worthwhile for dentists to work privately then they were likely to take that option.

He said: 

“Healthwatch North Yorkshire is shining a light on an area which is of great concern to both the council and residents as access to dentistry promotes good health and access to NHS dentistry ensures those unable to afford private care get the support they need.

“Not being able to access an NHS dentist can be a real hardship for people. We are reliant on NHS England and NHS Improvement to support the provision of dentistry across the region, and while it’s a national issue it shows itself to be a bigger issue in certain parts of North Yorkshire.”

Two gritters powered by electricity are to join North Yorkshire’s winter fleet to save money and reduce carbon emissions.

The North Yorkshire County Council-owned company NY Highways has bought the gritters, which are supplied by Dorking-based Bucher Municipal.

According to the council, the vehicles have an anticipated fuel saving of up to 20 per cent compared to standard, diesel-powered gritters. It said in a media release:

“The gritting bodies which deploy the salt will run on an electric battery that can charge in just over 30 minutes. The battery will be able to do multiple runs before needing to be recharged.”

North Yorkshire has a 5,753-mile network of roads. The council’s winter gritting programme to maintain key routes lasts from October to April.

Cllr Keane Duncan

Cllr Keane Duncan, the council’s executive member for highways and transportation, said:

“The electric-bodied gritters are a first for the council’s winter service delivery.

“Innovation is high on our agenda and it is another way we are showing our commitment to achieving net carbon neutrality by 2030.

“The two gritters don’t have any hydraulics which mean there’s less chance of mechanical failure. This increased reliability is vital when we are against the clock trying to deliver the best winter service that we can.”

Picture shows: From left, Andrew Park and Chris Mitchell of Bucher Municipal, Nigel Smith, head of highway operations at North Yorkshire County Council, Rory Hanrahan and Craig Winter of NY Highways, and Mike Francis, operations manager at NY Highways.

Read more:

• Calls to grit more Harrogate district roads set to be rejected
• Harrogate hospital plans new £14m operating theatres

North Yorkshire’s transport chief said the next six months will be “sink or swim” for some bus routes amid a lack of funding from central government.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for transport at North Yorkshire County Council, said while £336,000 from government for bus services was “better than nothing”, it was a fraction of the £116 million previously asked for by the county council.

The Department for Transport awarded the council the funding to help with staff capacity in its enhanced partnerships team, which helps to draw up funding bids and works with operators.

The figure is significantly less than the £116 million bid made under the council’s Bus Services Improvement Plan earlier this year, which ministers turned down.

Cllr Duncan said the authority would continue to “face up to immense challenges” of maintaining bus services. He added that for some routes, it will prove to be “sink or swim”.

Cllr Duncan said:

“£336,000 is obviously better than nothing. But putting this into perspective, this is equivalent to less than 0.3% of our original £116 million Bus Services Improvement Plan bid.

“This is a pretty gutting state of affairs for the team who worked on our bid. I can’t hide that. Sadly, the fund was significantly oversubscribed and we were one of several authorities to miss out.

“The task now is to make the most of where we’re at. The enhanced partnership met earlier this month for the first time. This was a very positive meeting, with representatives of all of the county’s operators in attendance.

“We are facing up to immense challenges over the next six months, which will prove to be a sink or swim period for many routes.”

Read more:

• Harrogate park and ride ‘still possible’ despite £116m funding failure
• Harrogate park and ride plans could finally be revealed next year
• Government awards North Yorkshire £336,000 bus grant

Cllr Duncan added that the council would continue to look at improving bus services, despite having its multi-million pound funding bid rejected.

He said:

“It is only by the council and operators working closely together and sharing intelligence that we will be able to face up to these immediate challenges facing our network, protecting existing services as far as possible while making steps forward to improve the service provided to the public.”

Ahead of awarding the council staff capacity funding, the government said the grant would help it continue to work with bus companies.

In a letter to council officials, it said:

“We understand that this funding does not replace Bus Services Improvement Plan funding to spend on transforming your bus services.

“But we do hope it will help to support your ongoing work with operator partners, especially working through an enhance partnership or franchising arrangement, to deliver better bus services (whether they are commercial or tendered) and enable you to use local bus funding to best effect and attract future bus funding as it becomes available.”

Businesses in the Harrogate district could receive major tax cuts and fewer restrictions on building as part of a government announcement today.

Ministers revealed North Yorkshire County Council is one of 38 local authorities it is talking to about becoming investment zones.

The government has said the zones will “will drive growth and unlock housing across the UK by lowering taxes and liberalising planning frameworks”.

However, a union has warned they could lead to poorer public services and a race to the bottom on employment terms.

The government has written to local leaders in every part of England inviting them to begin discussions on setting up zones in their area. Conservative-controlled North Yorkshire County Council was today confirmed as one of 38 that are keen to be involved.

The government has said the zones will receive lower taxes and ‘radically streamlined’ planning rules.

Businesses will get 100% business rates relief on newly occupied and expanded premises, full stamp duty land tax relief on land bought for commercial or residential development and a zero rate for employer national insurance contributions on new employee earnings up to £50,270 per year.

To incentivise investment, there will be a 100% first year enhanced capital allowance relief for plant and machinery used within designated sites and accelerated enhanced structures and buildings allowance relief of 20% per year.

Kwasi Kwarteng

Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng said:

“That is an unprecedented set of tax incentives for businesses to invest, to build and to create jobs right across the country.

“If we really want to level up, we need to unleash the power of the private sector.”

‘Race to the bottom’

But the zones, which build on the government’s freeports initiative, was criticised by the North Yorkshire branch of Unison.

A spokesman for the union said:

“Our nervousness, which is probably shared by residents of North Yorkshire, is around a race to the bottom by deregulation.”

The spokesman said the zones set local authorities against each other and would be bad for public services, as well as ushering in a “lower standard of planning”.

He also warned it could lead to businesses in non-zone areas cutting wages and standards to compete. He added:

“I don’t blame local authorities for applying but what we need from government is a strategy that goes for a high skill, high wage economy rather than pitting one local authority against another.”

North Yorkshire County Council has been approached for comment.

Harrogate’s The Secret Bakery has expanded and launched a second branch in Knaresborough.

The shop and cafe, in Market Place, sells baked goods, including artisan bread, cakes and sandwiches, which are all made at the Knaresborough Road site.

The new outlet, which also serves drinks, including coffee, is being run by the bakery’s co-owner Jane Spencer, a former teacher from Keighley.

She said:

“This shop used to be The Reading Room and we used to deliver bread here from our shop in Harrogate. When they decided to close, we thought it was a great opportunity for us to open in Knaresborough

“A lot of our Harrogate customers come from Knaresborough, so it’s nice that we can be here.

“I would say our most popular product is our bread, particularly our sourdough. People come from all over to buy it. Our cakes and scones are also really popular.”

Jane Spencer (right), co-owner of The Secret Bakery, Knaresborough and Aime McNaught in the new shop and cafe.

Opening hours are currently under review, but the aim is to eventually open seven days a week, from 8am until around 4pm and from 10am on a Sunday.

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Mrs Spencer and her husband James bought The Secret Bakery in November 2020.

The business is continuing to grow, with work starting next week to develop the Harrogate site.

Mrs Spencer said:

“It will give us some more space in the back to make all the bread and cakes and everything.

“We are also going to be opening later from Thursday through to Sunday and offering things like bread and dips. We will also be serving alcohol.”

The cafe area at The Secret Bakery, Knaresborough.

Two Ridings Community Foundation has launched a fund aimed at helping communities in North Yorkshire as the cost of living crisis deepens.

The charity is set to open applications for the fund next month and has already received £210,000 worth of pledges towards it.

The fund will give grants to groups who provide practical, financial and emotional support to people struggling to manage bills, with their day-to-day existence and the emotional impact of constantly worrying about finance, debt and their loved ones’ wellbeing.

It comes as people across the Harrogate district have seen energy bills increase and inflation hike the prices of goods and services.

Two Ridings Community Foundation is one of 47 community foundations in the UK which co-ordinate local charitable giving. Its new initiative will help people in north and east Yorkshire.

James Lambert, founding donor of the crisis fund and high sheriff of North Yorkshire, urged others to donate to the fund.

He said:

“As a local businessman I urge everyone who can to donate to this crucial fund.

“As high sheriff I have seen the amazing work that local charities do and know that any money donated is used wisely and well, where it is most needed.”

Read more:

• Community invited to ‘fill up a parking space’ with food amid cost of living crisis
• Vulnerable people in Harrogate district having sleepless nights over rising bills

The fund will also ensure charities can cope with the impact of the cost of living on their own costs, so they can continue to offer support.

The fund will open for applications from North and East Yorkshire community organisations from early October 2022. Full details will be available on the Two Ridings website.

Second home owners in North Yorkshire look set to be the first in the country to pay double council tax.

It comes after an investigation into avoidance loopholes concluded there is potential for the charge to be avoided.

In an attempt to help improve access to housing for local people, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive will on Tuesday consider launching a 100% council tax premium on second homes and premises which have been left empty for a year or more from April 1, 2024.

The move follows last year’s North Yorkshire Rural Commission recommending a charge is levied on second homes and used to finance affordable housing, helping to reverse the ongoing exodus of young families from areas where house prices are many times above average wages.

Two months ago the authority’s leading members postponed a decision on the premium after numerous concerns were raised about whether it would encourage council tax avoidance, for instance by second home owners transferring properties transferring to business rates.

Some opposition councillors have claimed the premium will prove difficult to implement while people who have owned properties in the county for decades say the move will simply make second homes the preserve of the rich.

In a report to the executive, officers forecast more than £14 million a year could be raised from using the levy being introduced by the government in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill.

Read more:

• Harrogate district second home owners face extra council tax charge
• Second homes council tax premium plan gets mixed reception
• 793 Harrogate district second-home owners face double council tax charge

Research has shown Richmondshire could generate about £1.8 million through the premium, while the Craven, Harrogate and Ryedale areas could each provide about £1.5 million in extra revenue. Hambleton could provide £1 million and the Selby district a further £260,000.

Addressing the concerns over tax avoidance loopholes, the report states that because council tax rates for second homes mirror those of main residences there may be issues with the classification of properties and the application of a second homes premium “may prompt owners to reclassify properties for genuine reasons”.

The report highlights that properties only need to be available to let for more than 20 weeks in a year to be classed under business rates and that the only detail needed to support such a claim is evidence of an advertisement for let for the property.

From April second homeowners must also prove the property was let for short at least 70 days.

The report states the council would use “mechanisms available” to clamp down on couples who own second homes and falsely claim they are living separately and warns of financial penalties if bogus information is provided.

Officers added while the proportion of second homes in Wales paying the 100 per cent premium had fallen by up to nine per cent since being introduced there in 2017, it is unclear whether the downward trend has been caused by avoidance loopholes or by bringing second homes back into use as housing.

Ahead of the debate, the authority’s Green Party group coordinator, Cllr Andy Brown, who represents Aire Valley, said areas faced “being hollowed out of permanent residents” and there was a strong case for raising the council tax not just on second home owners, but “anyone who rents a property out using short term online letting companies”.

He added it would take skill to design a local property tax to impact on rarely used second homes rather than North Yorkshire’s expansive tourism industry.

This story is sponsored by Myrings.

Harrogate’s Leading Family Estate Agent Myrings has partnered with Martin House Children’s Hospice to support families with its new charity boards initiative.

Martin House provides hospice care for children and young people with life-limiting illnesses free of charge across North, West and East Yorkshire.

To support Martin House, Myrings will donate £10 for every “for sale” or “to let” board in Harrogate and the surrounding villages.

The new charity initiative is starting now so residents will start to see the new Martin House boards popping up soon and it will continue for the foreseeable future.

Gemma Myring, co-founder and director at Myrings, told the Stray Ferret:

“Martin House is a big part of Harrogate and has touched so many lives.

“We simply cannot praise the staff and volunteers enough. The hospice provides selfless dedication and love to those who need it most.

“It has been one of the guiding principles at Myrings from the day we opened our doors to ‘put something back’ into our hometown where we all live and work.

“Myrings has been in the property business for more than 20 years. It’s a long time but not close to the 35 years Martin House has faithfully served our community.”

Myrings has adapted many times over the years, investing heavily into the website and software.

However, the estate agents believes that a welcoming, dedicated and individual service is greatly valued by Yorkshire people so has recently remodelled its offices to allow for a more personal and private client experience.

Please look out for the new Myrings and Martin House boards over the coming months – and call in to see the team for a chat and a coffee soon.

North Yorkshire Police are better at dealing with stalking cases than they were a year ago, according to the force’s head of safeguarding.

However, Detective Superintendent Fiona Wynne was concerned that the size of the team currently dealing with the issue was “impacting investigations of stalking”.

The team is currently made up of one detective and two stalking support officers.

North Yorkshire Police said 2.3 million people experience stalking in the UK in a calendar year. The average case lasts for 15 months.

Det Supt Wynne made the assessment while reviewing the force’s 2022 stalking audit at the monthly accountability meeting chaired by Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe.

Ms Metcalfe secured £100,000 from the government for the force to carry out the review.

Compared to the 2021, there were “positive increases seen in almost all areas” of how stalking complaints were dealt with in the force control room.

Call handlers were reported to be better at identifying incidents of stalking and knowing how to respond to complainants.

Issues remained, though, with how stalking was logged on the police’s computer systems.

The lack of specialist detectives also meant some low- and medium-level cases could not be dealt with by the stalking team.

Read more

• Knaresborough stalker jailed for 14 months
• Gay man says Harrogate police take women victims of stalking more seriously

Zoë Metcalfe, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

“Additional suppressed demand”

North Yorkshire Police predicted that the number of stalking cases would continue to increase.

Part of this was expected to be to victims coming forward detailing historical stalking incidents.

Det Supt Wynne said:

“14% of those [stalking and stalking-related] offences [in 2021] were… historical offences, non-recent offences of stalking. That basically means that there is an additional suppressed demand which we may see unfolding as the years go on.”

Det Supt Wynne also pointed to the fact that more stalking was now being done using digital technology.

Stalkers were also reportedly using digital devices more often. This included using wireless connections to listen into people’s smart speakers and baby monitors.

The force is working with the personal safety charity the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, which provides help and advice on stalking.