North Yorkshire Police has published images of two men they would like to speak to regarding the theft of 30 bottles of alcohol and some packets of crisps in two Ripon stores.
According to police, the men entered a local convenience store together on Elm Road. One man distracted staff at the till while the other stole eight bottles of gin and put them in a shopping bag.
Neither man made any attempt to pay before leaving.
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Shortly after on the same afternoon, at about 4.30pm, the same men went to a supermarket on Marshall Way.
Again, one man distracted staff while the other stuffed a pram full with 22 bottles of alcohol and some packets of crisps.
Both thefts happened on January 13.
Police have not named the stores but the locations suggest the incidents occurred in Costcutter and Booths.
North Yorkshire Police has released CCTV images in connection with its investigation and asked anyone who recognises the men pictured to get in touch.
Quote reference numbers 12210019882 and 12210035275 if you pass on information.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Sat nav failure sees Leeds man stuck in ‘god-forsaken’ RiponA Leeds man suffered an embarrassing sat nav failure when his car got stuck on a tiny footpath on the outskirts of Ripon.
The driver, who told his rescuers he was an ex-army man trying to cross the River Skell to get to work, was marooned for an hour.
He went down Borrage Green Lane, which turns into a narrow footpath that leads to a tiny footbridge.
Although the route is clearly unsuitable for vehicles, and barely wide enough to navigate in his Citroen, he soldiered on until he somehow managed to reach the bridge.
Finally accepting it was impossible to cross, he attempted to turn only for the back end of his vehicle to get wedged in the banking.
Luckily mum Jo Allenby, who was feeding her alpacas at the time of the incident early on Saturday morning, saw the mayhem and called a local farmer to help.
The farmer’s vehicle was too wide to get down the footpath so he drove a farm vehicle across the field and, with the help of another passer-by, was eventually able to release the vehicle.
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The sheepish driver then reversed to a slightly wider area, did a three-point turn and drove off without saying a word. Ms Allenby said:
“There was no ‘thank you’ or ‘sorry to bother you’, he was off. He was probably too embarrassed.
“When I first saw him I said, ‘what on earth are you doing?’. He said, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing. My sat nav took me down here. I’m never coming to this god-forsaken place again’.
“But anyone with half a brain cell could see it was a footpath. Nobody has ever gone down there in the 10 years I’ve had my animals in the field. I didn’t realise there were people as stupid as that.”
Ripon Spa Baths up for sale amid housing fears
Harrogate Borough Council has officially put 116-year-old Ripon Spa Baths up for sale despite fears it could be turned into housing.
The Grade II listed building has gone on the market in advance of a new £10.2 million Ripon Leisure Centre opening this year.
Commercial property agents Sanderson Weatherall has advertised the baths for an undisclosed price.
The sale document includes a quote from the council’s planning department saying the property could be suitable for “low density residential use” or “community uses”.
Read more:
- Civic Society backs NHS use for Ripon Spa Baths
- Ripon councillors unite to fight sale of city’s Spa Baths
Ripon City Council passed a motion this month to prevent Harrogate Borough Council selling the baths to a private developer for residential or other redevelopment.
The sale has angered city councillors, who say the borough council did not consult with them.
Ripon Civic Society also called on the borough council to consider how the building could be used to improve health provision in the city.
Harrogate Borough Council declined to comment when the Stray Ferret asked how much it hoped to raise from the sale.
A spokesman previously said:
“Ripon Spa Baths has served the community well over the years and is now being replaced by a modern, state-of-the-art pool at Ripon Leisure Centre, following significant investment by the borough council.
“This new six-lane 25-metre pool will offer 70 per cent more water space, extensive changing facilities, bicycle and car parking and complements the extensively improved leisure centre.
“The future sale, and redevelopment of the listed building, would allow this local asset to be redeveloped (subject to planning approval), retain key features and remain as a city landmark.”
History of Ripon Spa Baths
The original complex, located next to the Spa Gardens, has the distinction of being the last spa to open in England.
It also became the only spa granted a royal opening when Princess Henry of Battenberg carried out the ceremony in October 1905.
A reconfiguration of the building in 1936, saw the complex converted into the city’s first public swimming pool.
Ornate stained glass windows and other architectural features remain to this day.
Staycation bookings ‘piling in’ for Harrogate district campsitesBookings have surged at Harrogate district campsites since the government’s ‘roadmap’ announcement, raising hopes of a staycation summer.
After almost 12 months of opening and closing, the campsites welcomed the clarity provided on Monday about when they could welcome holidaymakers once again.
When restrictions were lifted last summer, there was a staycation boom locally, with several campsites saying there had been an influx of people wishing to holiday closer to home.
They now hope for a repeat this year.
Marie Laverick manager of Woodhouse Farm caravan park, said the phone “has been ringing off the hook” since the announcement. She said:
“The phone hasn’t stopped, so many people are either booking their pitch or rearranging dates for the new restrictions.
“We are gutted about Easter; we lost it last year too and we’ll lose the first May bank holiday but it looks good going forward. We had 50 bookings overnight!”
Phil Brierley director of York House Leisure, which owns four holiday parks in North Yorkshire including sites in Boroughbridge and Ripon, said it was important for the industry to continue to be supported by government.
He said:
“We are very happy that there’s a plan in place and there’s light at the end of the tunnel.
“It’s great news but it’s bittersweet because the parks industry was originally shut down in March so this year will be the second Easter in a row that we have missed. We have effectively experienced a year-long winter so there’s an awful lot of ground to make up.
“We have certainly seen an increase in enquiries at our parks since the announcement. We would hope as an industry to see continued aid from the government, such as 5% VAT, extended business rate relief and the furlough scheme.”
Woodhouse Farm Caravan Park. Photograph: Facebook
The roadmap allows caravan parks to open on April 12 but without any facilities such as toilet blocks. On May 17 the sites can fully reopen.
Similarly in Great Ouseburn, Burrows Park has seen an increase in bookings. Co-owner Richard Kay said:
“Assuming the government roadmap targets for easing covid measures are met we will have a full opening on May 17. We look forward to welcoming back all our regular site users and to a very busy summer. We hope that the weather is with us and all our guests enjoy their time!”
Read more:
- North Yorkshire Police say it is preparing for “influx” of visitors once lockdown is eased.
- Harrogate businesses react to covid roadmap.
Richard Flinton, chair of North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, said at the county’s weekly media briefing yesterday:
Ripon Workhouse Museum provides illuminating experience“We are optimistic in terms of what the future is for our hospitality sector. People can start booking and should enquire about refunds should they not be able to go ahead.
“This is a real opportunity for us. We do look forward to welcoming people back to our beautiful county.”
The Workhouse Museum in Ripon is providing another illuminating experience.
The Allhallowgate building is being lit up shortly after dark each evening with displays celebrating the city’s past.
The images are being projected onto the museum, which is currently closed due to lockdown.
Organised by Ripon Museum Trust, the idea follows the successful Christmas lighting display, which used the building as a backdrop.
Ripon’s proud history of community service is captured in a photographic display projected onto the Workhouse Museum shortly after dark.
Called Serving Our Community – Images from Ripon’s Past, the light show features historic photographs from the Ripon Re-Viewed collection.
It includes images of civic leaders, emergency services, voluntary groups and others who have provided community service in the city.
The message taken from the past applies to current times, making the point that ‘together we are stronger’.
Helen Thornton, director of Ripon Museum Trust said:
“We had some fantastic feedback from the community on our Christmas lighting display and we wanted to keep it running.
“After talking with Ripon Re-Viewed, we came up with the idea to display some brilliant historic photos of Ripon in days gone by,
“It’s a way to bring the community together through our shared past, at what is a difficult time for many. Hopefully the display will intrigue and inspire anyone passing by the museum.”
Designed and created by locally-based audio-visual and lighting specialists Fusion LX, the light show runs for two hours each evening.
Read more:
- Historic Ripon hotel is up for sale
- Ripon company continues relentless growth
- Ripon’s Community Diamond revealed
Mandy Whitehead, project lead at Ripon Re-Viewed, said:
“A big thank you to the Workhouse Museum and Fusion LX for the opportunity at this time to share some of the fabulous images from Ripon’s past, of local people serving our community.
“We hope it will give the local community an insight into life in Ripon across the years.”
The display can be viewed for two hours just after dark.
Ripon’s three museums are currently closed due to the national lockdown.
Full details of the museums’ reopening will be published online at riponmuseums.co.uk as soon as they are available.
Harrogate district vaccine boost as over 50s prepare for jab
The Harrogate district is to receive a vaccine boost this week, as inoculations are set to be rolled out to the over 50s.
A vaccination site in Knaresborough, which will be able to administer jabs to 1,000 people a week, is due to open in the town’s former Lidl on Saturday.
It means the district, which now has vaccination sites in Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough, is on track to achieve the government target of offering all over 50s the jab by April 15.
The Knaresborough site is run by Homecare Pharmacy Services, which is based in the town.
Amanda Bloor, accountable officer for North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said today it was likely other community pharmacies could start offering the vaccine in North Yorkshire as the rollout filters down to everyone over the age of 18 by the end of July.
Read more:
- Great Yorkshire Showground can give 1,800 vaccines in a day
- Covid vaccination site to open in Knaresborough
Speaking at a media briefing today. Ms Bloor said the Knaresborough site would administer 800 vaccines next week and had the capacity to give up to 1,000 jabs per week. She added:
Government to build 800 homes in Harrogate and Ripon“This is just part of the wider rollout across the country. I think it is likely other community pharmacies will start to come on stream.
“As of yesterday, North Yorkshire and York reached 249,000 first doses of the vaccines. So it’s significant progress and the teams are doing a fantastic job.
“We have moved further down the priority list, so we are working on the over 65s. There’s no need to contact your GP. You will be contacted directly.”
The government’s housing agency, Homes England, announced today it will build over 800 homes in Harrogate and Ripon after the previous developers pulled out.
Homes England said it has bought the 450-home Bluecoat Park site off Otley Road in Harrogate and the 390-home West Lane site in Ripon.
It said the two developments had stalled for various reasons, including the “associated enabling costs” and that their planning permissions were due to lapse imminently.
Homes England now has a major presence in the district: it is already working on a 1,300 scheme at Ripon Barracks and 200 homes at the former Police Training Centre site on Yew Tree Lane, Harrogate.
Bluecoat Park, Harrogate – 450 homes
In February 2016, Harrogate Borough Council granted planning permission to HTH Harrogate LLP to build the homes.
It followed an earlier refusal of permission on the grounds of road safety and traffic flow problems.
The site is off Otley Road, opposite Cardale Business Park and Harrogate Police Station.
The proposals included retail units, a new primary school and a village green.
However, the developer since put the site up for sale to potential developers.
With planning permission due to lapse, Homes England said the homes would not be built unless it stepped in. It plans to submit a new planning application later this year.
Read more:
- ‘Build affordable housing at Harlow Nurseries’
- Housing Investigation: land the size of 700 football pitches lost to new housing
West Lane, Ripon – 390 homes
In 2018, Harrogate Borough Council granted permission to Barratt Homes on appeal for the development.
It was previously rejected in 2017 for being a “substantial intrusion into the open countryside” and its impact on nearby Studley Royal and Fountains Abbey.
However, last summer Barratt Homes pulled out of the scheme.
The developer told The Stray Ferret that the decision was not related to the lockdown but in a year-end trading update, the company announced its revenue had fallen by 30% due to the coronavirus pandemic.
‘Fantastic news for Harrogate’
Both schemes are set to include 40% affordable housing, which Harrogate Borough Council asks developers to include in most developments.
Housing Minister Christopher Pincher said the acquisitions were “fantastic news” for the district.
“This is fantastic news for Harrogate and a realisation of this government’s mission to deliver quality, affordable homes, that are fit for future generations.”
Trevor Watson, director of economy and culture, Harrogate Borough Council, said:
Brexit and covid can’t halt Ripon company’s growth“We welcome Homes England’s involvement in seeking to bring forward and unlock these stalled sites.
“They are important in helping to deliver our strategic objective to provide new homes that meet the needs of the district.”
Despite covid and “mountains of paperwork” caused by Brexit, Ripon Engineering Supplies is set to celebrate its 40th anniversary with further expansion.
Established in 1981 by Richard Lawrence, the company supplies engineering products to the trade and public.
It employs 13 staff at its new Camp Hill Close premises and plans to add to that number – despite the huge recent challenges.
Mr Lawrence, the managing director, told the Stray Ferret:
“Brexit has had a bigger negative effect on the business than covid.
“We’re just hoping it’s teething problems, as the UK adjusts to being out of Europe.
“It’s not looking too promising at present – and I’m sure we’re not alone in facing these issues, including the frustration of dealing with mountains of time-consuming paperwork.”
China-made products subject to tariffs
Many products are manufactured in China and are subject to tariffs when they are transported through the channel ports.
Besides increasing costs, the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union is also causing delays.
Daniel Smith, the company’s sales and marketing manger, said:
“Some items that we were able to order and receive the next day are now held up for weeks at the docks.”
However, the company, which stocks over 50,000 items ranging from a 4 mm nut costing a penny to large welding equipment costing £5,000, remains focused on the future.
Storemen Zac Garrington (left) and Joel Francis are among the locally recruited staff.
Healthy year-on-year growth of between 10 to 12 percent means Ripon Engineering Supplies is now operating from its fifth location in the city.
Each move to larger premises has been prompted by increased demand.
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Mobile shop launched
As part of its strategic plan, the company has launched a mobile shop serving North Yorkshire.
Its one-stop shop on wheels takes essential components and tools to customers, including food factories, famers, engineers, mechanics and local government departments.
As well as providing a rapid response service, the covid-secure Mercedes Sprinter van reduces the need for people to visit the Camp Hill Close premises while social distancing requirements remain in place.
Mr Lawrence started as a sole trader with a second-hand Transit van and three children to feed, selling nuts, bolts, tools and a myriad of other products.
Two of those children, Mark and Sam, now work for the business and provide a ready-made route to succession for the day when Mr Lawrence and his wife and fellow director Paula, decide to take life a little easier.
Plans for new discovery walks at Ripon wetlands
A new scheme to encourage residents to explore the beauty and heritage in their local area is heading to Ripon.
North Yorkshire County Council is expanding ‘Discoveries on Your Doorstep’ after the success of its walks in Scarborough and Selby.
They range from castle the canal towpaths and give local residents a glimpse at areas they might otherwise overlook.
Wetland walks is the title of the new scheme, which is due to be launched soon at Ripon City Wetlands.
It will focus on nature rather than the heritage theme of the two existing options elsewhere in the county.
Read more:
- Ripon nature reserve gets £132,000 government boost
- Impromptu concert at Brimham Rocks highlights nature and arts
The county council has said it is trying to help areas which have been struggling with exercise since coronavirus struck.
A co-ordinator for the project, Josh Wood, said:
“Research suggests that for some people motivation for wanting to be outside and exercising was driven by discovering the local area, rather than wanting to be outdoors for health.
“Since the coronavirus pandemic struck, data suggests some communities are more affected than others by a lack of physical activity.
“So we think it is most appropriate to target the communities which have missed out most.”
“We want to leave people with fond memories of being outdoors while exercising and being active without that being the main reason for being outdoors.”
It is another boost for nature reserves near Ripon after the Nosterfield Nature Reserve won a £132,000 government grant to enhance wildlife.
Marshal at Harrogate UCI World Championships jailed for cocaine dealingA traffic marshal at the 2019 UCI Road World Championships in Harrogate has been jailed after she was caught selling cocaine and ketamine on the side.
Ripon woman Monique Shiels, 25, was marshalling at the world championships when police responded to a tip-off and caught her red-handed.
When confronted by officers, Shiels said: “Who was it who dobbed me in?”
Prosecutor Matthew Collins told York Crown Court:
“Information had been received by police…that this defendant was dealing drugs whilst working as a traffic marshal for (the) UCI Cycling World Championships in Harrogate.
“Police (turned up at) the location where she was reported to be and found her standing near her vehicle. Her first response to officers was, ‘Who was it who dobbed me in?’”.
Officers found £333 cash on Shiels, as well as a “quantity of orange tablets and some powdered substance” in a black bag she was carrying.
They searched her car – which she used for traffic marshalling during the event – and found digital weighing scales and a mobile phone with text messages sent between Shiels and her customers discussing deals and amounts.
The drugs stash found inside the vehicle included about 8g of cocaine and 10g of ketamine, but Mr Collins said this was just a snapshot of Shiels’s drug-dealing activities, which text messages proved had been going on “for some length of time”.
Selling drugs as crowds gathered
The court heard that Shiels had been selling drugs as crowds gathered for the 92nd UCI World Championships, whose elite competitors vying for the champion’s jersey included Denmark’s Mads Pedersen, time-trial world champion Rohan Dennis and Holland’s Annemiek van Vleuten.
Shiels was arrested on the fourth day of the week-long event.
Mr Collins said Shiels had only been charged in relation to the drugs found on her at the time, which judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, described as “bad prosecuting by the CPS”.
Shiels, of Water Skellgate, Ripon, was taken in for questioning following her arrest on September 25, 2019, but refused to answer police questions.She was charged with possessing cocaine, a Class A drug, and Class B ketamine, with intent to supply. She admitted both charges and appeared for sentence on Thursday.
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The court heard that Shiels had nine previous convictions for offences including violence, breaching court orders and possessing MDMA, an Ecstasy-type drug.
During conversations with the Probation Service following her arrest for the drug-supply offences in Harrogate, Shiels said she didn’t see anything wrong with dealing drugs.
Self-confessed drug user
Andrew Petterson, mitigating, said that Shiels, who worked as a sales adviser for a TV dealership, was a self-confessed drug user.
“Clearly, she is one of the misguided individuals in society that doesn’t see (drug-dealing) as a problem,” he added.
Judge Mr Morris told Shiels: “These courts hear stories of (drug-related) robberies and muggings and fights, burglaries, all to pay people like you…and that’s why you are going to prison.”
He said her offences were so serious and her previous breaches of community orders so many that anything other than an immediate prison sentence was out of the question.
Shiels was jailed for two years – a much-reduced sentence due to the delay in the case reaching the courts and the current covid pandemic that had affected living conditions in prisons.
The judge also ordered the confiscation of Shiels’s vehicle and made her pay a statutory surcharge.