Two people have been arrested after a police pursuit near Harrogate.

Officers said they received a call at 2.15am this morning to reports of a quad bike which was travelling at close proximity with a car. The quad had two people on, who were riding without helmets.

North Yorkshire Police deployed a stinger unit to Harewood bridge, which deflated the tyres of the quad and vehicle.

The car was stopped in Harewood and the two occupants, a 20-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman, were arrested on suspicion of burglary offences.

The quad continued traveling along the A61 towards Leeds and a West Yorkshire Police unit was also successful at stinging the quad’s tyres. A short time later the quad, which is suspected stolen, was found abandoned by officers and recovered.

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The two people who were arrested remain in custody. Police said enquires are continuing to identify the outstanding suspects and the owner of the quad.

Chief Inspector Alex Langley from North Yorkshire Police said:

“I would like to thank the eagle-eyed member of the public for reporting this information to us.

“If something looks not quite right, then it probably isn’t, especially in the early hours of the morning.

“We take all reports of rural crime extremely seriously and will endeavour to deploy police recourses to the area immediately.”

A section of one of the main roads in Ripon closed this afternoon due to a crash.

Bondgate Green was blocked between Farmison & Co and the Ripon bypass after a black Toyota car collided with a tree.

No other vehicles were involved.

North Yorkshire Police said the incident happened at about 11.50am.

A spokesperson added:

“A black Toyota Yaris car ended up crashing into a tree. The driver was taken to hospital by ambulance for treatment. Her dog was also checked over by a vet.

“The driver reported a small dark car, possibly a Fiat, had caused her to take evasive action. The driver did not stop as they headed to Ripon city centre. They are urged to contact the police as soon as possible to assist the investigation.

“There was only limited traffic disruption while the ambulance was in attendance. The car was recovered at 1.10pm.

“If you are the driver of the small dark car, you possibly witnessed the incident or have dash-cam footage, please email Adam.Deacon2@northyorkshire.police.uk quoting reference number 12230175042.”

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A motorcycle has been stolen from one of Harrogate’s busiest shopping streets.

North Yorkshire Police has appealed for information about the theft, which occurred on James Street between 6pm on August 26 and 12.15am on August 27.

The 22-reg black and orange KTM 125 Duke was taken and then found abandoned on Byron Walk Mews at about 6am on 27 August.

Police urged anyone with information to email katie.bell@northyorkshire.police.uk or dial 101, select option 2, and ask for Katie Bell.

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

Quote reference number 12230161540.

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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. 

People enjoying the sunny weather in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens today were shocked to stumble across a wandering cow.

Lucy Emma Renshaw-Martin was one of many dog walkers going about their morning routine at about 8.30am when she saw the beast.

It was casually ambling around the central section, appearing to head in the direction of the Magnesia Well Tea Room.

The cow heads towards the tea room.

Lucy managed to photograph the cow from distance and later got a more close-up image when she was safely behind the barriers on Valley Road.

She told the Stray Ferret she had no idea how the cow, which appears to be a Holstein or Friesian, ended up in the 17-acre gardens, which are not particularly close to any fields.

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She said:

“The police were there but just herding it around from what I saw.

“It’s not every day you see a cow on your morning dog walk.”

Do you know more about the cow and how it ended up in Valley Gardens? If so email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Police were dispatched to help. 

Motorcyclists in North Yorkshire will be targeted this bank holiday weekend as part of a police operation.

North Yorkshire Police will use a H2 Kawasaki Ninja unmarked motorbike equipped with cameras to gather evidence for prosecutions.

It will also deploy several marked and unmarked police bikes and cars and speed camera vans on key routes across the county.

The force said the “engagement and enforcement” was part of a National Police Chiefs’ Council operation on motorcycle safety this weekend.

It said the main priority was to reduce the number of road casualties.

Motorcyclists represent almost a quarter of fatal or serious injury collisions in the UK, despite making up three per cent of vehicles on the roads.

Many bikers take to the county’s vast road network for days out over the bank holiday.

Superintendent Alex Butterfield said:

“Everyone has the right to travel on the road safely. We believe that no one should be killed or seriously injured as a consequence of using our road network and we will continue to work together to prevent harm and make our communities safer.”

North Yorkshire released this video about the weekend campaign.

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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Police have warned people in Ripon to beware of shoddy builders turning up on their doorsteps offering to carry out work.

A Ripon police post on the North Yorkshire Community Messaging website on Saturday said it and trading standards had received a number of reports recently of poor workmanship.

It said:

“Would-be builders have turned up on spec at people’s homes offering to replace guttering, point chimneys, repair roofing etc.

“Work carried out has been found to be sub-standard and shoddy but has been charged at a premium rate.”

Police urged people to be cautious of employing unknown door-to-door tradesmen.

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A man high on cocaine rammed his car into a police vehicle, ripping off its registration plate, during a death-defying chase through Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon.

Craig Harper, 34, reversed his Vauxhall Astra into the police car, causing the two vehicles to become “wedged” together, York Crown Court heard.

He then stepped on the accelerator, moving the car back and forth, which caused the front of the police vehicle to lift up and its registration plate to fly off.

Prosecutor Beatrice Allsop said that Harper — who was 16 times over the specified limit for cocaine — was on bail at the time and banned from driving, having been arrested and charged with dangerous and drug-driving following a previous police chase on New Year’s Eve 2022.

That first chase occurred in the early hours of December 31 when two traffic officers on the A59 Harrogate Road in Knaresborough were radioed by a colleague telling them that a man in a VW Golf had failed to stop for officers in Harrogate.

They drove to the location in Bogs Lane and saw the Volkswagen driving towards them with its light off. Three males were inside the car which sped towards the A59 towards Knaresborough.

Harper went along Bogs Lane.

Harper took a roundabout on the A61 the wrong way then headed towards Ripley, South Stainley and Ripon.

Ms Allsop said the conditions were so wet there were “large areas of standing water” on the road. Harper lost control on one of these pools of water and veered across the centre white lines before careering off the road and “rebounding” back into the carriageway.

Undeterred, he stepped on the gas again, heading towards Ripon at speeds of up to 75mph while cutting corners, driving on the wrong side of the road, speeding round blind bends and at one stage narrowly avoiding an oncoming vehicle.

He then revved up to about 80mph in a restricted speed zone and overtook a line of cars near a bend as he bombed down the A61 and into Ripon.

He sped down Harrogate Road, a 30mph zone, at double the speed limit and into Ripon town centre, shooting through red lights and going the wrong way around a roundabout. He then sped down a one-way street near Ripon Cathedral, shot through red lights again and went down another one-way street in the wrong direction.

He then turned into North Street and sped out of the town and through a village where police tried to box him in.

Harper’s vehicle was brought to a stop next to a grass verge. Officers ran over to the vehicle, but Harper put up a struggle as they tried to restrain him.

He was arrested and taken into custody where a drug-drive test revealed he had a “shockingly high” 800mcg of cocaine per litre of blood, the specified limit being 50mcg.

Ms Allsop said the chase, through towns and villages including Masham, lasted over 20 minutes.

Back causing ‘mayhem’

Harper admitted dangerous and drug driving and was bailed and given an interim motoring ban, but on May 2 he was back out on the roads in a different car but causing the same “mayhem”.

Ms Allsop said two patrol officers in an unmarked police car in Leeds spotted him driving a Vauxhall Astra.

They followed the vehicle after Harper, who had a male passenger, turned onto Lady Pit Lane and then into St Francis Close, where he stopped the car and reversed “at speed” towards the police vehicle. The Astra collided with the front offside of the police car, causing it to “jolt and shake”.

Ms Allsop added:

“The Astra became wedged onto the front of the police vehicle.

“Officers shouted at him, telling him to turn the engine off. They could tell he was under the influence of (substances) as his eyes were glazed and vacant.

“He was trying to free the (Astra) from the police vehicle by going forward and into reverse. At one point, (the Astra) lifted the front end of the police vehicle.

“He managed to free the car by driving forward at speed, causing the wheels to spin. Part of the police registration plate flew off.”

Once free from the police vehicle, Harper turned right into a cul-de-sac and came to a dead end. He put the car into reverse again as officers caught up with him and rammed the Astra into the police vehicle.

The Astra again collided with the front offside of the police car. The officer got out of the vehicle and ran to the driver’s side of the Astra.

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Harper tried to escape but police smashed the driver’s window with a baton, opened the door and tried to drag him out, but the engine was still running and he was still trying to drive away.

They finally took him to ground after using reasonable force and cuffed Harper who refused a roadside breath test. He was taken into custody at a police station in Leeds and again refused to have a toxicology test.

Harper, of Holbeck Close, was charged with dangerous driving, causing over £1,600 of damage to the police vehicle, driving while disqualified and failing to provide a specimen for analysis. He admitted this second set of offences and appeared for sentence via video link yesterday after being remanded in custody.

61 previous convictions

The court heard he had 61 previous convictions for over 100 offences including driving while over the limit for drink and drugs, driving while disqualified and aggravated vehicle-taking. At the time of his latest offences, he was on a community order for assaulting an emergency worker.

Defence barrister Matthew Stewart said the father-of-three started abusing drugs after losing his job and was now on benefits.

Judge Simon Hickey told Harper he had caused “mayhem” on the county’s roads and described his criminal record as “shocking”.

Harper was jailed for two years and two months and slapped with a five-year driving ban.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue has been in action twice in our area today, once for a road traffic accident and once to rescue an injured women.

At just after 8am, crews from Ripon and Harrogate were called to a two-car road collision on Studley Road in Ripon.

One car had driven into the back of the other, and one of the drivers, who were both women aged about 20, was treated by fire crew for shock before an ambulance arrived at the scene.

Later in the day, at 2.46pm, police asked Harrogate fire crew to gain entry to a locked premises on Stanhope Drive, off Knaresborough Road in Harrogate, as they had concerns for the occupant.

Firefighters broke into the building using a lock-extractor and found that the occupant had fallen and suffered a broken arm.

The fire crew administered oxygen therapy and left the unnamed 64-year-old woman in the care of the police, awaiting an ambulance.

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