North Yorkshire Police has cordoned off a road in the centre of Harrogate.
Petergate, which is a narrow route at the back of James Street, was sealed off at lunchtime. The little-used highway contains industrial bins used by businesses.
Two police officers were stationed alongside one cordon at the junction of Petergate and Market Place.
A police officer at the cordon just off Cambridge Street.
Two others were stood at separate cordons further along Petergate and just off Cambridge Street. None would reveal what had taken place.
The Stray Ferret has contacted North Yorkshire Police for further information but has not yet had a response.
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Death of Harrogate man in his 30s not being treated as suspicious
North Yorkshire Police said today it was not treating the death of a Harrogate man in his 30s as suspicious.
Police put up a cordon after they were called by the ambulance service to a flat on East Parade last Thursday evening.
A nearby resident contacted the Stray Ferret today to say other people in the flat were evacuated and put up in hotels while crime scene investigators carried out work.
The person wanted to know why there had been so subsequent police information informing nearby residents about the incident and offering reassurance.
Police said in response to a request for information today:
“At the time of reporting, his death was treated as unexplained, therefore a cordon was put in place to protect the scene while officers carried out a full examination of the property where the death occurred.
“Following a post mortem examination, officers do not believe that there are any suspicious circumstances that led to the man’s death.
“A report will be prepared for the coroner to inform a future inquest into the man’s death.”
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Police ‘looking into’ Harrogate stabbing claims
Police have said they are ‘looking into’ claims that a stabbing took place in Harrogate on Friday night.
The Stray Ferret received a message on Saturday morning saying a police cordon had been installed on Bower Street on Friday night.
We received subsequent messages, including one from a senior Harrogate businessman saying he was told by police at the scene that a stabbing had taken place.
We emailed North Yorkshire Police about the incident on Saturday morning but did not receive a reply. Following a subsequent email this afternoon, police said they were ‘looking into’ the matter.
The businessman, who asked not to be named, expressed concerns about the impact of persistent anti-social behaviour on residents and shops in the area. He said:
“It gets worse every single day, culminating in a stabbing last Friday.
“I walk past there everyday and know many of the residents around the area. Every day there is street drinking, drug taking, and verbal and physical abuse.
“There was a council residents’ consultation back in the summer, but nothing has been done. When the police are called, they simply say ‘report the incident’ but nothing results from that.
“What more than a stabbing will it take the council/police to do about something that everyone in the town knows is a dangerous anti-social issue?”
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Bower Street was one of the areas mentioned at a Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce meeting last week, where police officers gave an overview of policing in the area.
A delegate said one business had already been forced to close on the street because of persistent anti-social behaviour and asked whether the police could do anything to prevent people “milling around”.
One Arch
Chief Inspector Alex Langley admitted there was little they could do in trouble spots such as Bower Street and outside McDonald’s.
He added Bower Street was close to many agencies offering support to people, and therefore attracted issues.
The nearby One Arch tunnel into the town centre is an area earmarked for improvements under the Harrogate Station Gateway scheme.
Police cordon off Jennyfields house after serious incident
There has been a heavy police presence today at a house in Jennyfields after a serious incident.
North Yorkshire Police arrived at Norwood Grove at about 10am this morning and were still there when the Stray Ferret attended the scene at 2.30pm this afternoon after being alerted by a concerned resident.
Two police cars and a crime scene investigation van were in attendance and a house had been cordoned off.
We contacted the police for further details but had not received a reply by the time of publication.
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Tim Walls, a resident on nearby Hartwith Drive, said:
“We left the house to go to the dentist at around 10am. As we were leaving two big police vans came onto the road.
“When we got back they were still here. I walked over to Norwood Grove and noticed police there with a police cordon at the house next to the ginnel.
“Later I also saw some police officers searching the waste bin in the park behind my house. They were there for around 30 minutes.”
As soon as we receive a reply we will update this story.