Three teens on Harrogate Theatre roof plead guilty to causing £800 damage

Three teenagers have pleaded guilty to causing £800 worth of damage after climbing on to the roof of Harrogate Theatre.

Police arrested the youths on January 25 after being called to reports of young people on the roof at the 122-year-old theatre on Cheltenham Parade.

The three males, who are aged 14, 15 and 17 and can’t be named for legal reasons, were sentenced at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Friday. They all live in Harrogate.

They all admitted damaging scaffolding to the value of £300 and causing £500 damage to a Ford transit van belonging to nearby Scandinavian cafe Baltzersen’s.

The 15-year-old was referred to North Yorkshire youth offender panel for 12 months and ordered to pay £200 compensation.

The 17-year-old was referred to North Yorkshire youth offender panel for six months and ordered to pay £200 compensation.

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He also breached a 12-month conditional discharge order received in October for driving without insurance or due care and attention. No action was taken on this breach.

The 14-year-old received a six-month conditional discharge order and ordered to pay £200.

Harrogate firefighters and police attended the 4am incident on January 25.

The theatre is undergoing a £1 million refurbishment that is due to be completed this month. Scaffolding remains in place.

Three teens arrested after missiles thrown from Harrogate Theatre roof

Police have arrested three youths after reports that building materials were thrown off the roof of Harrogate Theatre.

The incident happened at around 4am this morning. A resident who lives nearby sent a video to the Stray Ferret of what appears to be broken tiles littering Cheltenham Parade.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue sent a crew from the Harrogate station to the scene. They managed to get the youths down from the six-storey building before leaving them with the police.

A £1 million refurbishment of the 120-year-old roof of the theatre is due to be completed in March. It is unclear whether this incident will affect the timescale.

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A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:

“Shortly before 4am Tuesday 25 January 2022, police were called to reports of young people on the roof of Harrogate Theatre on Cheltenham Parade, Harrogate.

“The group were believed to be throwing projectiles from the roof.

“Officers attended with colleagues from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue and the young people were brought safely to the ground.

“Three teenagers have been arrested in connection with this incident.”

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said:

“A crew from Harrogate were mobilised to assist police with searching a six-storey property following reports of youths on the roof possibly stealing roof materials.

“Crews set up the aerial ladder platform to be used as a lighting platform to assist with the search. The youths were left in the care of the police.”

Robbery, thefts and man with machete in three-hour Ripon crimewave

Police are investigating a three-hour spate of crimes in Ripon on Sunday that included a man carrying a machete, a robbery, thefts and gangs gathering.

The incidents, which occurred from 6.30pm until 9.30pm, are the latest in a series of crimes and anti-social behaviour blighting the city.

A 23-year-old man became the first victim at 6.30pm on King Street when he was robbed by two or three males who had his phone and watch stolen and suffered facial injuries.

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Then at about 8.30pm, North Yorkshire Police said four teenage boys and one teenage girl stole alcohol from McColl’s on Bondgate.

At 9.10pm a group of some 15 teenagers on Southgate reportedly shouted at local residents who asked them to move away from parked cars.

Just 20 minutes later, police received two reports about Bondgate.

The first was of a “male with a machete.” The second was of a man “threatened by another male with a knife.”

Throughout the rest of the evening police received “a number of other reports” of large groups of “youths” in various places around Ripon.

A police statement said:

“There were also a number of other reports of large groups of youths at various locations received throughout the evening which police responded to.”

Last month Ripon City Council called for more support from police amid concerns of rising crime.

Alex Langley, neighbourhood policing inspector, said:

“I’d like to reassure the local community that we are investigating all of these reports, which we are taking very seriously.

“I can assure people that we will be taking robust action against those responsible.

“Our extensive enquiries are ongoing.

“It includes officers trawling through CCTV footage and speaking to local businesses and we have also stepped up our patrols.”

Anyone with information about the investigation can call the police on 101 or send an email to lucymills@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

Please quote the following North Yorkshire Police reference numbers: