A car accident is causing heavy disruption on Leeds Road in Harrogate this afternoon.

Officers from North Yorkshire Police are currently diverting traffic as only one lane remains open.

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Drivers are urged to avoid the area.

An eye witness told the Stray Ferret at 4pm this afternoon:

“Traffic is backed up all the way to and beyond the Prince of Wales roundabout and as far as the eye can see down Leeds Road.”

Leeds Road will be closed in the evenings for a month to allow for carriageway repairs.

The road will be closed from Princess Royal Way in Pannal to Beech Avenue in Harrogate from tonight until April 30 excluding bank holidays.

To minimise disruption the resurfacing work will be carried out between 6.30pm and 11.30pm.

An eight mile diversion will be in place for the duration of the repairs. Drivers will be sent on the A658 John Metcalf Way on then onto Wetherby Road and York Place.

North Yorkshire County Council is behind the plans and has warned that it may restrict vehicle access to people who live on the stretch of road.

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Pedestrians will be able to still use the pavements while works are ongoing.

It is possible that some adjustment to this start date or the duration of the works may be necessary.

This is part of a wider programme of carriageway repairs which started with the first phase in the Old Barber area of Bilton at the start of March. Leadhall Lane is also due for resurfacing work this year.

The Franklin Road area repairs also started just over a week ago and that it is due to finish in early April.

Police have arrested two suspected cocaine dealers after a chase in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police said officers on patrol followed a car on Leeds Road travelling towards Harrogate last night.

When the vehicle stopped the passenger ran off, discarding a large amount of suspected cocaine and a mobile phone.

Following a short chase on foot he was found to be in possession of £700.

The pair from Leeds, aged 28 and 44 were both arrested on suspicion of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply.

The driver was also arrested on suspicion of drug driving after a roadside drugs test showed a positive result.

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Both men have since been released while under investigation to allow for further enquiries.

Detective Sergeant Marcus Dawson, of Harrogate police’s Operation Expedite team, which deals with county lines drug dealers, said:

“We are sending a clear message to the drug peddling fraternity that despite lockdown, it’s business as usual when it comes to disrupting drug dealing and the misery it causes.

“We urge members of the public to keep on reporting suspicious activity to us, we are still here and still need you to report information to us.

“If you prefer not to talk to us, remember you can report information to Crimestoppers anonymously.”

The police urged people to report signs of drug dealing, including ‘cuckooing’ – where drug dealers take over a vulnerable person’s house.

The signs to look out for include an increase callers at a property, an increase in cars pulling up for short periods of time, different accents at a property and windows covered or curtains closed for long periods.

Anyone with information can call North Yorkshire Police on 101. If you wish to remain anonymous, you call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Roadworks in the Harrogate district are double what North Yorkshire County Council would expect for this time of year.

At the end of last week, there were 88 individual road and street works in progress. The council said coronavirus had delayed a “significant amount” of those works.

The council also pointed to a “greater number” of new developments in Harrogate when compared to previous years, which need utility works.

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Barrie Mason, the assistant director for highways in North Yorkshire, said:

“Not all of these works will have a traffic impact and many will be relatively minor works with little or no traffic impact. North Yorkshire County Council has continued with works throughout the covid-19 lockdown period taking all necessary safety measures to continue to deliver as close to a business as usual service as possible.”

Businesses said they were heartbroken after seeing roadworks on Leeds Road roundabout. It often means a reduced taking, something particularly painful after the coronavirus lockdown.

Local pressure led to reduced roadwork on Leeds Road but queues of traffic have been a common sight in the district in the past month.

Tony Colbeck, the owner of Country Butchers, voiced his frustration at the start of the works:

“It should have been done in the coronavirus lockdown when there weren’t as many cars. We found today that because it is quiet, people stay away. I don’t know what it is about Harrogate at the moment but they seem to be ripping up every road.”

Harrogate shop owners have voiced frustration over the Leeds Road roundabout works as cars queued all the way back to Marks & Spencer today.

The roadworks will be in place until September 1 to allow for cable overlay works by Northern Powergrid.

Two of the roundabout’s six exits on Langcliffe Avenue and Park Drive have been closed and traffic lights are in place on the others.

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That roundabout is a key route into the town centre and is also home to a variety of shops, including butchers and hairdressers.

They told The Stray Ferret they expect to be adversely affected, adding it was particularly painful after the coronavirus lockdown.

The traffic backs up to Marks & Spencer on Leeds Road.

Michaela and Ben Stothard, the brother and sister team behind Posh Paws, said it was heartbreaking to see the roadworks.

“We are a bit stuck really because nobody wants to come near the shop. We have just come out of the hardship of coronavirus to see this. If people can’t come to us we will deliver to them.”

The owner of Ake and Humphries.

Paul Auty, the owner of beer and wine specialists Ake and Humphris, will be trying to push a delivery service as well:

“This is now the third time in two years that this road has been dug up. Each time it happens it causes a lot of traffic and great inconvenience to the people around here. The last time we had two weeks of roadworks we lost 40% of business. It would have been better to close the doors.”

Tony Colbeck, the owner of Country Butchers, said it was “unbelievable” to see the roadworks again:

“It should have been done in the coronavirus lockdown when there weren’t as many cars. We found today that because it is quiet, people stay away. I don’t know what it is about Harrogate at the moment but they seem to be ripping up every road.”

The owner of Country Butchers.

Jasmine Pinchin, the manager at Harrogate Hair Studio, described the situation as a “nightmare.”

“We are only allowed a few people in at the moment anyway. So we are at half capacity working 9am to 10pm every day for half the money. Then we have this disruption which is making our timings run back.”

Melisa Burnham, highways area manager at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“Northern Powergrid is refurbishing and replacing the electricity network at this location. To reduce waiting times and queue lengths, a closure has been implemented at Langcliffe Avenue and Park Drive. The alternative would have been to temporarily signalise each approach to the roundabout.”

Six weeks of roadworks began this morning on the Leeds Road roundabout, leaving the area gridlocked throughout the day.

The works will be in place until August 28 to allow Northern Powergrid to carry out cable overlay works.

Two of the roundabout’s six exits on Langcliffe Avenue and Park Drive have been closed and traffic lights are in place on the others. This left many commuters stuck in traffic or having to take long diversions.

The roadworks are set to stay along Leeds Road for six weeks.

Similar works are taking place along Skipton Road over a 12-week period. Those works are in order for Northern Gas Networks to replace the old metal pipes running along the road. Richard White, business operations lead for Northern Gas Networks, said:

“This investment will ensure residents and businesses in Harrogate continue to receive a safe and reliable gas supply for decades to come.

“We appreciate that no one likes roadworks, but we will be doing everything possible to complete this work as quickly as possible, while maintaining safe working practices.”

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The works come following several quieter months on the roads as many people worked from home. Following the Prime Minister’s announcements suggesting that people can return to work, the next six weeks are likely to involve much longer commutes.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire County Council for a comment on the works, but had not received a response at the time of publication.

Police are appealing for witnesses after a car collided with a telecommunications box in Harrogate, causing significant damage.

A Mini Cooper Estate S collided with the green box near the junction with Tewit Well Avenue at 1.20am on Friday, June 26. The driver left the scene without reporting the incident.

A 19-year-old man has since been arrested and released under investigation while enquiries continue. A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said:

“We are requesting the public’s assistance to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident and also help to identify the driver of the vehicle at the time of the collision.”

Anyone with information should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for PC 587, or email matthew.bulmer@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

To report information anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12200107118.