A suspected rogue door-to-door seller has received a dispersal order in court banning him from operating anywhere in North Yorkshire.

Police received complaints about a rise in aggressive and suspicious door-to-door traders calling at homes in the Ripon area uninvited.

During village patrols, two PCSOs found the man from Teesside, who has not been named, operating in Grewelthorpe.

According to a North Yorkshire Police statement, “a number of other things” concerned officers, “including his reason for being in the area”.

The man been issued with a dispersal notice covering all of North Yorkshire. He was also reported for summons regarding the certificate and is due to appear in court at a later date.

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A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said:

“Many legitimate organisations use doorstep sellers.

“But some criminals also use this tactic to catch victims off guard, get personal information or gain entry to people’s homes.

“Knowing how to respond could prevent you from becoming a victim, so we’re sharing the following information to help people make informed choices if someone knocks on their door.”

Police advice on dealing with doorstep callers

North Yorkshire Police issues the following guidelines:

• When answering the door, use a peephole or door chain if you have one. Never invite a stranger who calls unannounced into your home.
• If a caller is legitimate, they will be happy for your to check their identity. Ask for ID and call their company. To verify a police officer’s identity, you can call 101.
• Take your time to make decisions about buying – ask for contact details so you can get back to them when you’ve had a think. Research the price elsewhere.
• Never give out personal information and don’t feel bad about saying no and closing the door.
• If you have concerns about doorstep callers where you live or have been visited by someone you think may be bogus, please tell us using the ‘report it’ link on the North Yorkshire Police website or by calling the force on 101.
• If someone calls at your home, becomes aggressive and you fear for your safety, call 999 immediately.

A dog walker was taken to hospital with serious injuries after he was hit by a vehicle near Ripon.

The driver failed to leave any details and police are now trying to trace him.

The victim was walking his black Alsatian dog when a vehicle struck him and his dog.

The dog is believed to have been injured and ran off.

The incident happened at around 6pm on Sunday, September 11 on a country lane at Gate Bridge Road, which is between Grantley and Galphay.

The driver is described as a white man with short brown hair, a local accent, a short stubble beard and aged 30 to 40 years old.

He drove the victim to Harrogate District Hospital, left him outside and drove off without leaving any details.

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The victim, who is in his 30s, cannot recall the make of vehicle but remembers it was black.

He suffered serious injuries, which are not life-threatening. The dog has yet to be found.

North Yorkshire Police today urged anyone who has information, dashcam footage from surrounding roads at the time, or saw anything in the moments leading up to the incident is asked to email craig.taylor@northyorkshire.police.uk

You can also contact Traffic Constable Taylor on 101, select option 2 and ask for Craig Taylor.

Quote reference 12220163189 when sharing information.

A concerned son has complained to the chief executive of Morrisons after its in-store pharmacy in Ripon stopped delivering prescriptions.

Jonathan Parkin’s mother, who lives in sheltered accommodation in Ripon, received free deliveries from the pharmacy for several years.

But the service ceased this month — leaving Mr Parkin’s family rushing to find alternative arrangements before her medication ran out.

During a recent visit to his mother, she told him she was worried about her supply of tablets expiring in a day or two. He helped her call the pharmacy, which told them its delivery van was no longer in use and the service had ended.

Mr Parkin subsequently wrote to David Potts, chief executive of Bradford-based Morrisons. His letter, which was also sent to the Stray Ferret, says:

“My mother is obviously heavily dependant on her medications so to be told this delivery, which she had come to rely upon, and I’m sure many other elderly people have as well, had now been stopped was devastating and very worrying to her.”

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The letter also accused the company of not communicating the news adequately to customers, some of whom, like his mother, are vulnerable. He added:

“We will obviously now have to find an alternative pharmacy with a delivery service, which is a pity as my sisters and I always did our own family shopping as well as our mother’s when we took her prescription in and so will not now be shopping in Morrisons again due to this heartless, penny-pinching decision.”

Mr Parkin, who lives near Pateley Bridge, today told the Stray Ferret he was glad his family became aware of the situation before Monday, when the Queen’s funeral could have caused major problems getting hold of the various tablets his mother takes.

He added he had yet to receive a response to his letter from Morrisons.

The Stray Ferret has contacted Morrisons but has not had a response.

Floral designers have created a Cinderella-themed display for the Autumn Harrogate Flower Show, which starts tomorrow.

The three-day event takes place at Newby Hall, between Boroughbridge and Ripon.

Harrogate Flower Shows are staged twice a year, in April and September, by the North of England Horticultural Society.

The society announced the relocation of its autumn event to Newby Hall at the end of 2019.

The spring flower, which remains at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate, will next be staged on April 20-23.

The show at Newby will feature plant nurseries, a giant vegetable competition, live theatre and Britain’s biggest display of autumn blooms.

Visitors will also see arrangements from celebrity floral designer Jonathan Moseley and hear the story of Newby Hall’s rock garden.

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Tickets cost £23.50 for adults and £8 for children aged five to 15. Under fives enter for free. Admission includes access to Newby’s gardens and children’s adventure park.

Show director Nick Smith said:

“Last year we held the autumn show at Newby Hall for the first time, we were delighted that it was such a huge success.

“This autumn, with so many fantastic exhibitors and an enticing programme of events lined up, we are incredibly excited to welcome our visitors and exhibitors back for what promises to be a bigger, brighter and even better autumn show.”

Covid infections in the Harrogate district have fallen to their lowest level since June last year.

Latest figures show the district’s weekly infection rate per 100,000 people currently stands at 47. The last time it was below this level was 15 months ago.

The rate is also well below its record of 1,906 in January when the Omicron variant fuelled a huge wave of infections at the peak of winter.

Adults aged 50 and over

• People aged five to 49 with health conditions that put them at higher risk,
• Pregnant women
• Care home staff
• Front line health and social care workers
• Carers aged 16 to 49
• Household contacts of people with weakened immune systems

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In Harrogate, some walk-in appointments are available at the Great Yorkshire Showground’s Event Centre, although booking is advised via the NHS website or by calling 119.

North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is running covid vaccinations at the site everyday between 9am and 5pm until Friday.

The CCG said those eligible must be aged 80 and over, or work in health and social care, or were previously shielding.

Meanwhile, Harrogate District Hospital currently has 28 covid-positive patients, although only two of these are primarily receiving treatment for the virus.

The hospital last reported the death of a patient who tested within 28 days on 19 August, with its toll since the pandemic began standing at 274.

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

Ripon Business Improvement District is urging businesses who are looking for help or advice with navigating the ever-changing business cost market to get in touch.

Appointments with the BID’s cost-saving expert, Rishi Sood of Place Support Partnership (PSP) were originally planned for September 19, but have re-scheduled to October 20, following the Queen’s death.

BID manager Lilla Bathurst (pictured) said:

“Our aim is to deliver on issues that are important to our member businesses and cost saving in the current economic climate is considered high priority.

“In response to business needs, PSP were commissioned by Ripon BID to support local businesses through our Place Saving Programme focussing on business critical spend areas including energy, telecoms, merchant services and water.”

Appointments can be made via info@riponbid.co.uk or by calling call 01765 530 910.

The new units on Cambridge Street.

Project to bring Harrogate retail unit back into use complete

A project to bring a vacant Harrogate retail unit back into use has been completed.

The boarded-up shop on Cambridge Street was purchased by Broadland Properties in 2020 and the 25,000 sq ft former Topshop store has now been reconfigured into a mixed-use retail and leisure development.

It now includes Cosy Club, Sainsbury’s Local and Skipton Building Society.

Matt Harriman, associate direct at GV&Co which project managed the scheme, said:

“It’s great to see this scheme come to such a successful conclusion, with an impressive line-up of new retail and leisure tenants taking their place on this busy Harrogate high street.

“The unit had been vacant since 2017 and we managed the extensive enabling works to divide the property into separate units, with new services and several structural changes to suit the revised layouts, as well as external refurbishments over three phases. These included new windows, stone cleaning, and stonework repairs.

“Now fully let and brought back to life with Sainsbury’s, Cosy Club and Skipton Building Society all in place, we have thoroughly enjoyed working with a big project team that included engineers, GGP, architects, DLA, RGP building control specialists, Ball and Berry letting agent, Robinson Webster managing agent, Ryden, Brentwood Consulting Engineers, and contractor JP Wild for Broadland Properties.”

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Residents from across the Harrogate district have gathered to pay their respects to the late Queen today, and to welcome the new King.

Proclamations of the accession of King Charles III were made at the war memorial in Harrogate and at Ripon Town Hall at 4pm.

At the former, the Mayor of the Borough of Harrogate, Cllr Victoria Oldham, read the words of the proclamation to the gathered crowd. She said:

“In an age where modern methods of communication convey news around the globe in an instant, the proclamation is no longer how people learn for the first time that they have a new monarch.

“Today, however, is one of the first occasions when communities have an opportunity to come together and reflect on the moment in our nation’s history when the reign of our longest-serving monarch came to an end and our new sovereign succeeded.”

The ceremony included “inverting the mace” as a symbol that the crown had passed to a new sovereign.

Several hundred people stood in silence until she concluded by declaring “God save the King!”, echoed by the audience.

It was followed by three cheers for the new King.

Among the dignitaries taking part in the ceremony were the council chief executive Wallace Sampson and its leader, Cllr Richard Cooper. Those gathered included Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, as well as many local councillors.

All were dressed in black and wearing black armbands.

Deputy Lord Lieutenant Richard Compton, centre, with other dignitaries outside Ripon Town Hall

The Bishop of Ripon, the Rt Rev Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, was present for the city’s proclamation of the new King, along with its Mayor and Mayoress, Cllr Sid Hawke and his wife Linda.

The proclamation was read out by Richard Compton, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, at Ripon Town Hall.

The crowd then sang the national anthem before giving three cheers for King Charles III.

Read more:

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Meanwhile, this morning, hundreds of people gathered at Ripon Cathedralfor a special Sung Eucharist Service, at which prayers were said to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the accession of His Majesty King Charles III.

What was originally scheduled to be a civic service for the Mayor of Harrogate changed its focus following the Queen’s death on Thursday.

Cllr Oldham was in attendance along with the Mayor and Mayoress of Ripon, Councillor Sid Hawke and his wife Linda, as well as Ripon MP Julian Smith and the chair of North Yorkshire County Council, Cllr Margaret Atkinson.

The service was led by the Dean of Ripon, the Very Rev John Dobson. As chaplain to the Mayor of Harrogate, he was also in Harrogate this afternoon for the Proclamation of King Charles III.

Bells are ringing out once more across the Harrogate district today to formally proclaim King Charles III as the new sovereign.

This time it is a celebratory peal to mark the King’s ascension to the throne.

The Reverend Judith Clark, assistant curate on placement at St Peter’s, Harrogate, said:

“When the bells ring out today they will be unmuffled for the proclamation of King Charles III.”

After today, bells will then be muffled again until the day of the Queen’s funeral.

Churches remain open today for tributes, reflection and mourning.

Special services in commemoration of the Queen are also taking place across the district, including at St Peter’s Church, St John’s, Knaresborough, and Ripon Cathedral.

Flags across the Harrogate district have been raised back up to full mast, on the occasion of the proclamation of His Majesty King Charles III.

They will return to half mast tomorrow in observance of the period of mourning for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Residents are continuing to pay tribute to the Queen following her death on Thursday afternoon.

Flowers have been have been laid by mourners by the War Memorial in Harrogate, with some featuring heartfelt messages.

One family wrote:

“Flowers for HRH Queen Elizabeth in thanks for the love, protection and stability you gave our nation. Rest in peace.”

Churches remain open today for tributes, reflection and mourning.

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Special services in commemoration of the Queen are also taking place across the district, including at St Peter’s Church in Harrogate town centre and Ripon Cathedral.

The Rev Judith Clark, assistant curate on placement at St Peter’s, said:

“The church will remain open between 9.30am and 6.30pm during the official mourning period. People can come and write in the condolence book and light a candle and have a period of quiet prayer if they wish.”

Yesterday around 100 people signed the book of condolence at the church, which will hold a special prayer service today at 12pm.

Ripon Cathedral will hold a special Choral Evensong at 5.30pm with prayers.

Later today church bells will ring out once more to formally proclaim Charles as the new sovereign. This time it will be a celebratory peal and the bells will be unmuffled.

The links between the Queen and the Harrogate district stretch back decades, including a visit in 1952 before her coronation.

They include appearances at the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate to her trips to Ripon, including her 2004 visit for another important anniversary – 400 years since the granting of the city’s Royal Charter.

Reflecting on her visit on December 10, 1998, a spokesperson for Harrogate Theatre said:

“Harrogate Theatre fondly remembers her visit and the warmth she extended to our staff and members of the public. Our sincere condolences go out to the Royal Family.”

The Queen visits Harrogate Theatre in 1998. Photo: Harrogate Theatre.

The Queen touched the lives of all those who met her, including residents in the district. Many recalled those occasions just recently, when communities celebrated her platinum jubilee.

Janine Jennings, from Hampsthwaite, said:

“It was her Silver Jubilee 1977 and I was pulled out of the crowd to meet her and as I presented her the flowers, she asked if I had grown them myself. I said yes, but actually, my mum, Mrs Johnson and I borrowed them from the empty police house next to us. So I lied to the queen!

“This picture (below) appeared in the paper, my mum kept it framed in her bedroom. It was really very special to meet the Queen and I remember it clearly to this day and always will.”

Claire H Beresford-Robinson said:

“I was lucky to meet the Queen when she visited the Great Yorkshire Showground and our tent ‘Growing up in North Yorkshire’.

“I attended Woodlands School at the time. It was our moment to shine. The Queen looked at the work I was doing and said “splendid work”. I will never forget this moment.

“Our school was chosen to attend the same day the Queen was coming. I’ll never forget the fabulous feeling at age 11 to be told I was selected to meet the Queen.”

Claire H. Beresford-Robinson also sent the above photograph of the Queen looking at the work of Woodlands School pupils.

She said:

“This is me and my friends at Woodlands School with headteacher Mr Dunmore in the background.”

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Karen Wenham said:

“I remember when I was in my last year at Starbeck CP School and the Queen came to visit in 1977. We all went up to the Great Yorkshire Showground and I took a posy of flowers for her. It always sticks in my mind.

“A couple of years ago I was invited to go to the palace, as I am an ambassador for a charity, and Sophie Wessex was lovely and we chatted.

“We were told the Queen was in residence that night and not to be surprised if she came down with her corgis, as she likes to surprise people.”

Rick Vai sent the photo below of the Queen visiting Knaresborough, which sparked memories from other residents.

Karen Allan said:

“They passed along King James Road, fronting King James School. We were all lined up for her.”

Sarah Brown added:

“I remember this. I was one of those school children lined up outside King James School in Knaresborough.”