A man has been arrested after a disturbance in Ripon city centre this afternoon.
North Yorkshire Police officers were called to Market Square just after 1pm following reports of a man acting aggressively.
An eye witness, who did not wish to be named, told the Stray Ferret two police vans appeared quickly after an altercation.
A police statement said:
“A man in his 30s has been arrested in connection with the incident and on suspicion of assaulting an emergency services worker. Investigations are ongoing.”
Anyone with information can contact the police, quoting reference number 12220191661.
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Boy, 16, caught with 110 wraps of heroin and cocaine in Harrogate’s Library Gardens
A man from Bradford has been jailed for 30 months after pleading guilty to supplying Class A drugs in Harrogate’s Library Gardens.
Shaoib Shafiq, 20, and a 16-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons, were stopped on September 26, 2020, after reports of drug dealing.
The 16-year-old had 110 wraps of heroin and crack cocaine hidden in his underwear and Shafiq had a Nokia burner-style mobile phone with a pre-pay SIM card that was used as the drugs line.
The pair were sentenced at York Crown Court on Wednesday.
Shafiq was jailed for 30 months and the boy was handed a community order, unpaid work and a rehabilitation requirement.
Shafiq and the teenager travelled to Harrogate from Bradford together and were in regular contact several days before their arrest.
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PC Chris Dyson said:
Teenage boys arrested after Mercedes stolen in Harrogate“Drug dealing has a hugely damaging effect on communities and destroys lives.
“These two individuals thought they could come into North Yorkshire and deal Class A drugs, but we showed them different.
“We work hard to target those who insist on bringing misery to communities and we will not stop making sure those who commit this type of crime are brought to the courts.”
Two 16-year-old boys have been arrested after a Mercedes was stolen from a home in Harrogate.
The black Mercedes G Class, registration YK71 NKZ, was taken from Harcourt Drive in the early hours of Friday, October 21.
The two boys arrested in relation to the incident have since been released on conditional bail while police continue their enquiries.
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:
“Offers are appealing for anyone who has information about the incident, or the stolen car, or who saw anything suspicious in the area at the time, to contact police.”
To report information, call 101, press one and use reference 12220187200.
Alternatively, report information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
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Harrogate cyclists urged to be vigilant after spate of bike thefts
North Yorkshire Police has appealed to cyclists in Harrogate to be vigilant after a spate of bike thefts.
The force said in a statement it had made “four arrests of individuals in connection with burglaries across the local area” in the last few days.
It added:
“A number of bikes have been returned to their owners but we still have several which have not yet been claimed so if your bike has been stolen in the last few weeks, please get in touch by calling 101.”
The statement said thieves were targeting garden sheds. Some bikes weren’t locked while in other incidents the locks had been forced.
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Police issued the following advice to cyclists:
- Double lock it: Using two locks slows thieves down and makes your bike less of a target. Use two quality locks, at least one of which is a D-lock. Thieves are less likely to carry multiple tools, so use two different types of lock if possible.
- Lock the lot: Lock the frame and both wheels to a secure cycle stand.
- Secure it: Secure your bike as close to the stand as possible to give any thieves little or no room to manoeuvre.
- Take removable parts with you.
- Park securely: Lock your bike at recognised secure cycle parking. It should be well lit and covered by CCTV.
- Register it: Register your frame number for free on a cycle database such as BikeRegister. The frame number is usually found underneath the bike between the pedals or where the back wheel slots in. If your bike is ever stolen and recovered by the police, it can be traced back to you.
- Mark it: Get your bike security marked. It’s a highly effective, visible deterrent to bike thieves. They know that if they are caught with a registered bike, the owner can be traced and they will be arrested. BikeRegister provide a list of police bike marking events. You can also mark your bike with SmartWater.
- Remember safety begins at home: Take the same care to lock your bike securely at home as you would on the street.
- Check ownership: Ask for proof of ownership and check the bike frame number on a cycle database such as Bike Checker at BikeRegister.
- Act fast: If your bike has been stolen, contact police as soon as possible by calling 101 or use the online reporting tool. Provide your frame number, cycle database number, a photo and any other details and make sure you update the status on the cycle database where you registered it.
Man charged after Harrogate stabbing
A man has been charged following a stabbing in Harrogate on Friday night, police have confirmed.
North Yorkshire Police was called to Bower Street shortly after 8pm after being alerted to an argument.
A police statement last night said:
“A man suffered a stab wound in the altercation, he was taken to hospital and is recovering well.
“A 23-year-old man from Harrogate was arrested and charged with assault on a person occasioning actual bodily harm, possessing an offensive weapon in a public place and wounding with intent.”
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- Body found in River Nidd at Bilton has been identified
Body found in River Nidd at Bilton has been identified
The body of a man found in the River Nidd yesterday has been identified, police said this evening.
Police, ambulance and firefighters were called to Nidd Viaduct in Bilton just before 8am yesterday.
The viaduct bridge was closed while the body was recovered.
Tonight’s update by North Yorkshire Police said:
“The man has now been identified and his next of kin have been informed.
“Investigations are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of his death.”
No further details, including the man’s name or suspected cause of death, have been revealed.
He was described yesterday as a white man who was believed to be in his 40s.
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Lack of custody cells ‘hitting police responses’
The absence of police custody facilities in parts of North Yorkshire is taking teams of officers out of action for up to four hours at a time while they drive detainees around, a meeting has heard.
Members of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel have asked commissioner Zoe Metcalfe to provide a report amid concerns over the length of time it takes officers across the north of North Yorkshire to travel with those arrested to custody suites in Harrogate and Scarborough, due to the closure of cells in Richmond and Northallerton.
Custody suites are areas within police stations where people are taken when they are arrested.
The issue has been repeatedly raised as a concern by community leaders, particularly following outbreaks of antisocial behaviour as pandemic lockdown restrictions were eased.
Councillors had claimed the distances involved in arresting people is serving as a deterrent to functional policing in parts of the county.
Panel member Martin Walker, a former judge, told Ms Metcalfe he had received various reports that police officers were “not arresting people that perhaps they should” because of the length of time it was taking to travel to custody suites. He added:
“I can’t see there’s any other reason for doing it than saving money.”
The meeting heard the Northallerton custody suite had been closed since the town’s police station moved into the police and fire service’s headquarters at the former Rural Payments Agency offices.
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Conservative councillor Peter Wilkinson said the commissioner at the time, Julia Mulligan, had promised a report into the effectiveness of the closure and gave reassurances that Darlington and Northallerton police stations would be used for custody when required.
He said it had since emerged that the force was using Harrogate’s custody facilities, which took up to four hours’ of officers time. Cllr Wilkinson said:
“This is having a detrimental effect on response times in Hambleton.”
£15m savings
In response, Ms Metcalfe said when the decision to close Northallerton’s custody suite was made in 2017 the force estimated the average cost of building custody facilities was £15m.
She said she would monitor and review the situation with the chief constable, but the demand for custody facilities in the Northallerton area, similarly to Ripon, did not support a custody suite.
Mrs Metcalfe said the force had instead invested heavily in creating “voluntary interview suites” across the county.
She said a government inspection of the force’s custody system earlier had raised no concerns about the transporting of detainees to custody suites. Ms Metcalfe said:
Man on the run from police has Harrogate connections“I do hope this provides members with some assurance that these arrangements have been based on extensive assessments and the recent inspection.”
“The public quite rightly expect the police to maximise its assets to use public money effectively.
“Offenders are only brought into custody when it is a necessity and proportionate to do so.”
A wanted man who didn’t turn up in court to face attempted robbery charges has Harrogate connections, police said today.
Keith David Whitehead, 45, failed to appear at York Crown Court on Friday last week.
He was accused of attempting to rob a man in Scarborough in October last year. The court issued a bench warrant for his arrest.
He has also been recalled to prison for displaying poor behaviour, including harassment, which is in breach of his licence conditions.
North Yorkshire Police today appealed for help locating Whitehead.
A police statement today said:
“Police enquiries are ongoing in North Yorkshire where it is known Whitehead has connections in Scarborough and Harrogate.”
Keith Whitehead
Whitehead is described as white, short grey hair, 5ft 8in tall, with a slim build.
Anyone with information is urged to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 1, and speak to the force control room, quoting reference number 12220163507.
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North Yorkshire has third highest speeding offence rate, research reveals
A survey of all police forces in England and Wales has revealed motorists in North Yorkshire are the third likeliest to record speeding offences.
The average number of speeding offences in the county is 4.54 per 1,000 residents, according to the research.
Only Lincolnshire, where the rate is 5.43 offences per 1,000 residents, and South Wales, where the figure is 5.23, are above it in the league table of 43 police force areas in England and Wales.
At the other end of the scale, Durham has the fewest speeding offences committed on average each year, with just 0.95 per 1,000 people.
Price comparison website Forbes Advisor compiled the latest speeding offence data from data.police.uk spanning 2010 to 2020 across each police force area in England and Wales to establish an annual average of speeding offences made.
This was cross referenced with population data from ONS to find the areas with the most speeding offences per 1,000 residents.
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North Yorkshire was found to have an average of 3,774 speed limit offences per year from a population of 831,600.
Kevin Pratt, from Forbes Advisor, said:
“Get caught speeding and, if convicted, you’ll get points on your licence, and these will likely stick for four years.
“Rack up a total of 12 or more and you could be banned from driving. On top of that, you’ll need to declare your points when applying for or renewing your car insurance, with an increase of around 5% on the cards because you’re now perceived to be a riskier prospect.”
North Yorkshire Police today announced a two-week blitz on speeding motorists.
The constabulary said in a statement traffic officers will be targeting excess and inappropriate speed on county roads “over the next couple of weeks”. It added:
“Twenty-four-hour enforcement activity will take place across the county, with an aim of catching those who put other road users in danger.”
Today marks the start of a three-week nationwide speed enforcement operation, led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, which represents British chief police officers.
The initiative, which includes National Safe Speed Day on October 19, highlights the risks of speeding and encourages motorists to slow down.
Between January 1 and December 31 last year, there were 85,610 speed violations captured by safety camera vans and safety camera bikes in North Yorkshire.
Expect to see more police speed vans over the next two weeks. Photo by Martin Dawes
The last speed enforcement campaign in January this year resulted in almost 5,200 speeding violations during that month alone.
Traffic Constable Ali Hoyle said:
“These figures show just how much of an issue speeding is here for us in North Yorkshire and this is not a huge surprise as we have a vast road network across the county including hundreds of miles of rural roads.
“The reason why we do these types of deployments is because we are trying to prevent serious collisions on our roads and make them as safe as they can possibly be.
“There are so many dangers associated with excessive speeding, not least because it’s a major cause of fatal road traffic collisions. By slowing down and making sure you drive to the conditions of the road, you have more time to react to other drivers and hazards.