Police ‘extremely worried’ for Ripon man missing for nine days

North Yorkshire Police has tonight renewed its appeal for information following the disappearance of a man from Ripon.

Gavin Dhont, 45, was last seen in the city on Tuesday, December 6, and officers said they are extremely worried for his welfare.

Gavin enjoys walks in areas including the Hell Wath, Studley Roger, Studley Royal Park and along the river Ure. He also enjoys visiting Ripon Wetlands.

Police are asking residents and business owners in these areas, and along Princess Road and Lead Lane, to check any video doorbells which may hold footage of Gavin.

Gavin also has connections to Scarborough and may have travelled there.

Gavin Dhont

Another photo of Gavin

A number of enquiries have been carried out since Gavin was last seen and officers are currently working to establish if a potential sighting of him on Tuesday can be confirmed.

Gavin’s Dad, Luc, said:

“Gavin — if you see or hear this appeal please contact someone. Either call myself or another family member or friend or call the police. We all want to know you are OK and bring you home safely. We are all very worried about you.”

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Inspector Julie Earnshaw, said:

‘We are extremely worried for Gavin’s welfare, especially as the weather has been so cold over recent days.

“We have released another photograph of Gavin in the hope it will help people remember whether they have seen him and if you have, please contact police with information.”

Gavin is described as of thin build with short dark brown hair.

Anyone who has seen him since he went missing or who believes they know his whereabouts is urged to contact North Yorkshire Police as a matter of urgency on 101, or call 999 in an emergency and quote either his name or reference 12220219012.

Police said Gavin’s family has thanked everyone who has assisted with the search, including those who have shared the appeal on social media.

Ripon teacher died after accidental fall in Italian Dolomites, coroner rules

A Ripon teacher died after an accidental fall in the Italian Dolomites, a coroner has ruled.

Louise Atkinson, 55, of North Stainley, was trekking with her partner in the Tires Valley, Bolzano, in northern Italy, when she fell to her death on July 24 this year.

An inquest today heard that Ms Atkinson and John Dickinson, who had both been to the area four years prior, were heading on a more difficult route after their original path had changed due to a new restaurant development.

In a statement given to the court, which was read by coroner Catherine Cundy, Mr Dickinson said the pair took a different path “hoping to find a route we were familiar with”.

He said:

“It became difficult and we stopped and decided to return to the cafe.”

The inquest heard Ms Atkinson was about 20 feet behind Mr Dickinson.

After deciding to turn back, Mr Dickinson then heard her lose her step and slip off the cliff.

He said:

“I turned around and called her name. I could not reach her and she slipped off the cliff edge.”

The inquest heard Ms Atkinson rolled about 35 metres down the mountain. 

Two young walkers alerted the Italian emergency services and a mountain rescue helicopter was called out to the scene.

The commander of the mountain service said in a statement to the coroner that “serious injuries to her body” led to Ms Atkinson’s death.

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He added Mr Dickinson had “tried in vain” to save her following the fall.

A post-mortem carried out by Elzer Tjio, of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, concluded the cause of death was a traumatic brain injury.

Ms Cundy concluded that Ms Atkinson’s death was an accident likely to have been caused by her losing her footing on the route.

She said:

“I am satisfied that on balance it is more likely than not that she fell in the circumstances that I have described.”

‘An amazing teacher’

Following her death, tributes were paid to Ms Atkinson, who was a teacher at Roecliffe Church of England School near Boroughbridge and St Wilfrid’s Catholic School in Ripon.

One person posted:

“Heartbreaking news. This is so sad. She taught both our sons at Roecliffe. She was an amazing teacher and a lovely kind lady. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and pupils.”

Another said:

“Such sad news. My son loved her as a teacher and came home every Friday full of stories of what she taught him that day. Condolences to all her family and friends. RIP.”

Police urge drivers to ‘put their phones away’ after Ripon Snapchat death

North Yorkshire Police has said the “entirely avoidable” death of a Ripon man caused by an Amazon delivery driver on Snapchat shouold serve as a warning to motorists not to use their phones.

Daniaal Iqbal, 23, was jailed for three-and-a-half years at York Crown Court yesterday after being found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving.

He was running out of fuel and texting on Snapchat when he killed biker Peter Rushforth, 56, on on Kirkby Road near Ripon in September 2019.

Iqbal, of Toller Lane, Bradford, was on the second day of his new Amazon delivery job,

Speaking about the sentence handed to Iqbal, Detective Sergeant Kirsten Aldridge of North Yorkshire Police’s major collision investigation team, said;

“From the seconds after the collision which killed Mr Rushforth, Iqbal denied any responsibility for the collision – categorically stating he was not using his phone. However, our experienced digital forensic investigators found unquestionable evidence to challenge Daniaal Iqbal’s claims.

“This is yet another fatal collision caused by a driver who refused to listen to the warnings about the risk of using a mobile while driving and chose to blatantly disregard the law. Very sadly it’s Peter Rushforth who has paid the price for Daniaal Iqbal’s poor decision-making. To lose someone in a traffic collision is devastating. But to know that it was entirely avoidable and was caused by someone who believed sending a message was more important than their safety is galling.

“I hope the sentence handed to Daniaal Iqbal makes those drivers who may take that chance and use their mobile behind the wheel just stop and think for a moment. When you’re driving, please put your phone away – another person’s life could depend on it.”

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Amazon driver on Snapchat jailed for causing death of Ripon biker

An Amazon delivery driver who caused the death of a motorcyclist by dangerous driving in Ripon has been jailed.

Daniaal Iqbal, 23, was running out of fuel and texting on Snapchat when he knocked over and killed Peter Rushforth on Kirkby Road near Ripon in September 2019.

Iqbal, of Toller Lane, Bradford, denied driving dangerously, but was found guilty by a jury on August 15 this year.

He appeared before York Crown Court this afternoon where he was sentenced to three and a half years in prison.

Second day of new job

Iqbal, who was on only the second day of his new Amazon delivery job, was also allegedly using a navigational app on his mobile phone when the collision occurred.

He was driving around a sweeping bend on Kirkby Road when he collided with Mr Rushforth’s Suzuki travelling in the opposite direction, the court was told.

Mr Rushforth, 56, was on the correct side of the road as he came around the bend, but Iqbal’s white Transit van was on the wrong side. The side of the van struck Mr Rushforth’s helmet, part of which broke off.

Mr Rushforth and his motorbike then slid along the road towards the grass verge, crashing into a stone wall. He then collided with some tree branches before falling to the ground. Other motorists went to his aid, but he suffered fatal injuries and was certified dead at the scene.

York Crown Court

York Crown Court.

The court heard that about 15 minutes before the collision on September 21, Iqbal exchanged five text messages with an Amazon colleague about needing to refuel and arranging to meet up at the Morrisons petrol station in Ripon because he didn’t have a company fuel card.

He then made a delivery in Ripon and was travelling on Kirkby Lane, towards the town, when the crash occurred at about 6.30pm.

Mr Rushforth and his bike were thrown from the road into a nearby wall and then into a tree, the court was told.

Police were called out and Iqbal, who was described as looking “completely shocked”, remained at the scene.

Phone records showed that minutes before the collision, he had carried out a search on the Apple Maps navigation app to get directions to the fuel station.

At 6.30pm, around the time of the crash, records showed that the camera and Snapchat apps on Iqbal’s phone had been activated as he approached the collision site.

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A forensic officer said his investigation suggested that Iqbal had sent a Snapchat message to a friend at about the time the delivery van came round the bend into the path of Mr Rushforth’s motorbike.

The court heard that Iqbal was “distracted” for 32 seconds in the time that the crash happened.

‘Devastated’ and ‘remorseful’

Katherine Robinson, prosecuting, told the court this afternoon that Iqbal’s use of his phone had caused a “substantial risk of danger”.

However, Felicia Davy, mitigating, said the 23-year-old had never been before the courts before and was a “low risk” of future offending.

Ms Davy said the defendant was “devastated” and “remorseful” and that the case had been delayed for three years.

She said:

“In the three years since this offence, he has used his time as positively as possible.

“He is not somebody who has no regard or lack of appreciation of the impact on the deceased’s family.”

Iqbal did “everything appropriate” to help following the crash and has since suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, the defence added.

Judge Simon Hickey sentenced the 23-year-old to three and a half years in prison.

Judge Hickey said while he accepted that Iqbal was a “decent young man” and was “spoken of highly”, he was distracted for too long and caused the death of an “innocent man”.

Iqbal was also disqualified from driving for 45 months.

He will serve half of his sentence before being released on licence.

Police ‘increasingly concerned’ for Ripon man missing since Sunday

North Yorkshire Police has issued an appeal for information about a Ripon man who has been missing since Sunday.

Gavin Dhont, 45, was last seen in the Ripon area on Sunday night. He is described as having a thin build and short dark brown hair.

Police said in a statement today they “are becoming increasingly concerned for his safety”. They added:

“If you’ve seen him or have any information about where he is, please call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 1 to speak to the force control room and quote reference 12220219012.

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Ripon jobs in jeopardy as fashion retailer goes into administration

Jobs are at risk on Ripon’s high street today after fashion retailer M&Co fell into administration for the second time in two years.

A notice on the door of the store on Fishergate says Gavin Park, Adele MacLeod and Rob Harding of Teneo Restructuring Limited were appointed joint administrators on Friday and are managing ‘the affairs, business and property  of the company’.

A buyer is being urgently sought for the Scottish retail chain, which employs almost 2,000 staff in more than 170 UK shops.

The Ripon store remained open today but staff were unable to comment on the news or confirm how many people are employed there. In the meantime a time-limited flash sale has been launched.

Flash Sale at M&Co

Specialist fashion trade publication Drapers reported first on the Mc&Co news and quoted a spokesman from Teneo, who said:

“Like many retailers, the company has experienced a sharp rise in its input costs, which has coincided with a decline in consumer confidence leading to increased pressure on cash flows and trading losses.

“No immediate redundancies have been made and the joint administrators are exploring a potential sale of the business in an accelerated timeframe, during which time the company will continue to trade from its stores and website.”

Tough trading conditions exacerbated by covid lockdowns previously saw M&Co go into administration in August 2020, but the business was saved when it was bought by its Scottish owners the McGeoch family, in a deal that saw 47 stores close and more than 300 jobs lost.

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Fire at Fountains Abbey causes carols to be cancelled

An electrical fault caused a fire at Fountains Abbey near Ripon yesterday.

Ripon firefighters were called to the National Trust-owned property at 12.13pm after staff discovered there had been a small fire.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident log said staff on site had already summoned an electrician and firefighters isolated the electricity supply.

A spokeswoman for Fountains Abbey said:

“There was a small electrical fire in the abbey on Sunday morning.

“Ripon fire service were contacted immediately and on arrival, they confirmed the fire was out and had been contained.

“Due to the nature of the fire, as a precaution, we took the decision to cancel Carols by Candlelight – despite its name, the event does require electrical power for a sound system to amplify the service to visitors, and to ensure there is sufficient lighting the abbey for the safety of our visitors.

“We’re very grateful to the fire service for their quick response and support.”

The UNESCO World Heritage Site is is one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in England.

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Christmas market cruise heading to Ripon

Ripon Scenic Cruises is set to host its second Christmas market on the city’s canal.

Victoria Whitehead organised the first, which was held in 2018, and the second which is set to be held on December 17 and 18 from 11am to 3pm.

Richard Willis, father of Victoria, said:

“We’ve got the boat sat there, we’ve got the space why not put on a Christmas Market and cruise?”

So far Victoria and Richard estimate they have sold over 40 tickets for each day of the market and they hope to expand next year.

The firm will also be providing a ‘winter warmer cruise’ with mince pies and mulled wine at £8.50 a ticket.

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The cruise will travel down the Ripon canal and can hold up to 12 people.

The market is expecting at least five different stalls from local businesses and live music.

Tickets for the cruise can be bought on the day or at the Cathedral View Cafe at 2 Bedern Bank, Ripon HG4 1BS.

Photo of the Week: Fountains Abbey at night
This week’s photograph was taken by John Shepherd, capturing the moon shining over Fountains Abbey at the Christmas illumination night.

 

John Shepherd

 

Photo of the Week celebrates the Harrogate district. It could be anything from family life to capturing the district’s beauty. We are interested in amateur and professional photographs, in a landscape format.

Send your photographs to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk for a chance to be featured next week, we reserve the right to adjust and crop images to fit into our format.

Ripon Grammar named top northern secondary school again

Ripon Grammar School has been named Secondary School of the Year for academic performance in the north – for the tenth year running. 

The school claimed the top spot – again – in Parent Power, The Sunday Times Schools Guide 2023, published online today and in print on Sunday. 

Ripon Grammar School headmaster Jonathan Webb said:

“We were delighted with this year’s results, given the disruption our students faced to their education during the two years of intermittent lockdown. They coped superbly well with the blended demands of remote learning and face-to-face schooling.

“My congratulations go to the students who worked so well and the dedicated staff this school is so fortunate to have. 

“Our results at A-level actually strengthened on 2020’s and 2021’s results, while GCSE results were on a par with those years, despite the fact that grading was recalibrated nationally to a mid-point between 2019-21.  

Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate, at Thorpe Underwood, was named Independent Secondary School of the Year in the North for academic performance. 

The other northern winners in the ranking were: Prince Henry’s Grammar School, Otley (Comprehensive School of the Year); and Sheffield High School for Girls (Independent School of the Year). 

Nationally, schools in London and the south east outperformed the rest of the country. Wycombe High School in Buckinghamshire, St Peter’s Catholic School in Guildford and Francis Holland School in London were named Secondary School of the Year, Comprehensive School of the Year, and Independent School of the Year respectively. 

Henrietta Barnett School, a grammar school for girls in Hampstead, was named the overall top secondary school for academic performance, and St Paul’s Girls’ School took the equivalent title in the independent sector. 

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Godolphin and Latymer, Hammersmith was named International Baccalaureate School of the Year. 

The Sunday Times Parent Power guide has been published annually since 1993 and has a searchable online database of 1,600 schools across the UK. 

Helen Davies, editor of The Sunday Times Parent Power guide, said:

“These have been a challenging few years for teachers, pupils and their parents, and the success of many in our league table is testament to the stamina and support shown by all concerned. 

“It is also clear that more attention is being placed on well-being and mental health – from meditation rooms to counselling support, even therapy dogs – and schools are being proactive to bring about positive changes. 

“League tables are not the only criteria a parent can use when choosing a school, but they are a good starting point. We want to celebrate excellence. We want to champion schools that are doing wonderful work.”