The Stray Ferret has set new monthly records as it continues to reshape the face of local news in the Harrogate district.

Articles on our website attracted just over one million page views from 218,000 site users in July.

A further 574,000 page views were made by almost 4,500 people on the Stray Ferret app, which was launched at the end of last year.

The combined total of 1.6 million monthly page views is a new record, as is the number of people visiting the site.

Page views have more than doubled in the last year as increasing numbers of people tune in to our lively combination of rolling news, human interest stories and political analysis. Our social media engagement is also leading the way in the district.

Read more:

• Stray Ferret’s election coverage attracts record audience
• Five reasons why you should download the Stray Ferret app

Last month we ran live blogs at the Great Yorkshire Show and during the heatwave. We led on coverage of plans to reduce the number of fire engines in Harrogate at night time to one, reported on Harrogate-born England footballer Rachel Daly’s ascent to international superstar, showcased businesses such as the re-opened Coach and Horses pub in Harrogate, covered visits to the district by celebrities including Alan Carr and Helen Skelton, and provided live footage on our Facebook page of St Wilfrid’s Procession in Ripon.

We also published daily business news a well as traffic and travel bulletins, and provided unparalleled scrutiny of our local MPs, councils and courts.

Tamsin O’Brien, managing director of the Stray Ferret, said:

“The Stray Ferret has become an unmissable read for anyone interested in the Harrogate district.

“Thank you to all our readers in Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge, Masham and all points in between.

“We will continue to strive to bring the best daily news and hold those in power to account.”

You can download the Stray Ferret app by clicking on the banner below.

Thousands of you have downloaded our app and use it every day. 

For those of you who haven’t, here are the top five reasons people love it and how you can download it today. 

1. It’s easy to use

Clean and with simple interface, our app is accessible and intuitive. If you have trouble navigating a smaller mobile screen, then the app is perfect for you to access the news you want more easily. 

2. It’s more than just news

With vouchers, competitions, local history and great lifestyle features, it helps you to keep up to date with everything local. Our exclusive vouchers are especially great, so download now so you don’t miss out! 

3. Push notifications

We don’t use notifications for just anything, however when there is breaking news or a traffic and travel alert in the area, you will be alerted by the push notifications.

4. One-tap news

No need to browser search for us to find our website. Just tap the app and you have local news at your fingertips.

5. It’s free

We know local news needs to be seen by everyone, so our app, just like our website, is completely free. You won’t get pushed into any “in app purchases either” or find any gated content, it’s all the good stuff. 

If all that sounds as great as we think it is, you can download the app for IOS and Android here, or search “Stray Ferret” on your device’s app store.

The Stray Ferret has launched a free mobile app to make our news stories and content more accessible for regular readers.

You can find the Stray Ferret app in the Apple app store or on Google Play. Click on the box below to download it.

The app gives people who have Apple iPhones and iPads the option to get notifications of news stories from around the district – which has not previously been possible.

The move to create the Stray Ferret app shows a significant investment in the Stray Ferret which has seen a rapid growth in its readership and social media engagement since it launched in March 2020.

In October the Stray Ferret saw record figures with more than 900,000 page views and more than 170,000 users.

Commercially the website’s advertising space sold out for the first time this month as local businesses began to spend on marketing again after the uncertainty and disruption of the covid pandemic.

Tamsin O’Brien, director of the Stray Ferret said:

“We hope the app will mean readers find us easier to access and use us more frequently.  The decision to launch a Stray Ferret app was driven by the requests of our readers who have continually asked us to create one.

“The Stray Ferret has become the go-to online news service in the Harrogate district. We are delighted to launch this app and hope people download it and check it out regularly to get all the latest news and information in the district.”