120 marathons in 120 days: Harrogate man set for Herculean challenge

A retired Harrogate police officer is set to take on the Herculean feat of completing 120 marathons in 120 days.

Graham Wilson, 54, intends to walk and run 26.5 miles a day every day for four months, starting in his hometown of Harrogate on Saturday.

The 120 marathons challenge, which is the equivalent of 3,180 miles, is back on track after a 15-month delay caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

His wife Marion and dog Tilly will support him from the sidelines for the next four months and will also join in at times.

After starting in Harrogate, Graham will complete three marathons in North Yorkshire before heading off in a van across 48 counties in England.

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He also plans to cover the marathon distance in parts of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and parts of the Republic of Ireland, if covid travel rules permit.

The last marathon will be in Harrogate on October 23. So far, Graham has raised more than £40,000 for 15 charities. He said:

“I’ve always been into long-distance hiking. Now that I’ve retired from the police I want to do something to raise money for charities which I’ve come across.

“This includes the British Heart Foundation, which I’ve got a personal connection to after my dad experienced a heart attack when he was just 39.

“He sadly later passed away from a cardiac arrest, and I’ve also lost grandparents to heart disease too.

“I know the devastating impact these conditions can have and how important the BHF’s research is in finding better treatments and preventions to save more lives.”

The marathon challenge will also support Macmillan Cancer Support, Tiny Life, Saint Michael’s Hospice, Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Living with CAH, Harrogate Homeless Project, Disability Sports Yorkshire, and numerous art groups.

You can donate here.

Mum’s shock at finding blood after Jennyfields attack

A woman who found blood on a walk with her daughter near a crime scene in the Jennyfields area of Harrogate today has spoken of her shock.

Two men suffered head injuries and cuts to their bodies following a disturbance in the Grantley Drive area late last night. The police helicopter was deployed and two other men were arrested on suspicion of wounding.

Police cordons remained in place this afternoon on the footpath opposite the Co-op store on Jennyfield Drive, with officers on site.

The Stray Ferret went to Jennyfields and spoke to a resident who requested anonymity. She said:

“It was quite a shock. When I went out earlier with my daughter they had cordoned off part of the path because there was blood.

“Then my daughter and I found blood on the path. So we put a chair there and told officers, who have cordoned it off.”

The circumstances surrounding last night’s incident remain unclear. The woman said:

“There was a lot of commotion. There was a guy outside at around 8pm who was screaming down his phone.

“It’s just sad if it is someone who has been badly hurt but I don’t know what happened.”

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Officers were called to Grantley Drive by the ambulance service at 11.20pm.

North Yorkshire Police arrested two men aged 51 and 44 at about 1am on suspicion of wounding.

The 51-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of possessing class A drugs.

A North Yorkshire Police statement this afternoon said both men remained in custody. It added:

“The victims were taken to hospital for treatment, their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

More pictures from the scene:

Police were called to the Grantley Drive area of Jennyfields last night.

Police on the footpath next to Jennyfield Drive and Bramham Drive. Officers were called to the Grantley Drive area last night.

Teens arrested in Harrogate after Kinder eggs stuffed with heroin found

Police in Harrogate have arrested two boys aged 15 and 16 after finding Kinder eggs stuffed with suspected heroin and crack cocaine.

Plain clothed officers from North Yorkshire Police‘s county lines drug dealing unit Operation Expedite noticed the boys acting suspiciously on Thursday.

The suspects ran away but were caught after a chase on foot.

A police statement today said when officers caught the boys they found two Kinder eggs stuffed with suspected heroin and crack cocaine wraps, as well as knuckle dusters.

Police believe the unnamed boys, who are both from West Yorkshire, are involved in bringing drugs from another county into Harrogate.

Police arrested the 16-year-old on suspicion of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply, possessing cannabis and possessing an offensive weapon.

The officers also arrested the 15-year-old on suspicion of supplying class A drugs.

They were released on conditional bail pending further enquiries.

County lines is where drug dealers from urban areas exploit vulnerable people, including children, and force them to deal drugs in smaller towns.

It takes its name from the mobile phone lines used by dealers to communicate between towns and advertise their drugs for sale.

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Champagne thief strikes in Harrogate supermarket

Police have appealed for information after champagne and spirits worth more than £800 were stolen from a supermarket in Harrogate.

The theft took place at Morrisons on Hookstone Road in Starbeck at about 10.30am on Thursday April 22.

Officers have released CCTV footage of two men they would like to speak to. They believe the men “hold information which would be of assistance to the investigation”.

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A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:

“While it’s recognised that the men in the images are wearing face masks, officers are appealing to anyone who may recognise them by their hair or clothing to get in touch.”

Anyone who has information can call the police on 101 and quote reference 12210103291.

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.

Two men flee after crashing car on Harrogate’s Mayfield Grove

Police were called late last night when a car crashed into a lamppost on Mayfield Grove in Harrogate and the driver and a passenger fled.

A resident woken by the commotion sent these images to the Stray Ferret and described hearing the driver and another man in the vehicle beg passers-by not to call the police before running off.

The driver had tried to reverse the car out of the hedge and grass verge after it hit the lamppost and spun out of control but were unable to do so.

The resident, who did not wish to be named, said he was in bed when he heard a loud bang followed by shouting. He added:

“I got up to have a look. A large crowd had gathered and I could hear voices saying ‘don’t call the police’. People were saying ‘why don’t you want us to call the police?’

“The two men then ran down the back roads and one deliberately smashed his phone on the floor. They both legged it.”

The resident said the police arrived 20 minutes later and removed the black VW Golf at about 12.30am this morning.

The lamppost was repaired by the morning.

The resident said Mayfield Grove was notorious for anti-social behaviour and cars with modified exhausts often drove along the road at excessive speeds.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said:

“Officers attended reports of a damage-only collision just after 11pm. The driver had left the vehicle, which was recovered by police and enquiries are ongoing.”

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Girl, 11, sexually assaulted walking home from school on busy Harrogate street

Police are appealing for witnesses after an 11-year-old girl was sexually assaulted on Harrogate’s King’s Road on Tuesday.

The victim, an 11-year-old girl, was making her way home from school at about 3.15pm.

As she approached the junction with Chatsworth Grove, a man approached from behind and placed one hand on her hip and another hand on her waist and made a sexually inappropriate comment to her.

The girl ran away and arrived home upset and shaken.

It occurred just a day after a woman died suddenly in a similar location on King’s Road.

North Yorkshire Police described the girl’s attacker as white, in his 40s, around 5ft 8 with dark, greying hair that was short on one side but longer on the other.

He also has a distinctive mole above his right eyebrow.

He was wearing a red jumper, khaki coloured trousers and black Nike trainers with white laces. The girl said he had a rough Yorkshire accent.

‘Disturbing but rare incident’

Speaking about the incident, Sergeant Alex Sellars, from the Harrogate Neighbourhood Policing Team said;

“This is a disturbing incident which has understandably left the victim very shaken and upset.

“She has been incredibly brave when speaking to police and has been able to give us a detailed description of the man who approached her. Officers will be conducting further enquiries in the area, but we would appreciate the public’s assistance in helping us to identifying this man.

“With the incident taking place at the end of the school day, the area would have been busy with parents and children making their way home. If you were passing on the school run, please can you take a moment to recall your journey, or check your car dash-cams – did you see a man in the area who fits the description? If so, please do get in touch with us.”

Sergeant Sellars added incidents like this were “rare in North Yorkshire”, adding:

“Please be assured that we take reports of this nature very seriously and our officers are committed to ensuring public safety.”

Police said in a statement they were keen to speak to anyone who was in the area of Kings Road and Chatsworth Grove at 3.15pm who may have witnessed the incident, or anyone who recognises the description of the man.

Anyone with information can dial 101, select option 2 and speak to the force control room quoting reference 12210125274.

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Police investigate sudden death of woman in Harrogate

Police are investigating the sudden death of a woman in a house on Kings Road, Harrogate.

The ambulance service alerted police to the incident at 9.15am yesterday.

A man in his 40s at the property was arrested on suspicion of supplying class A drug.

He has been released under investigation while enquiries continue.

There was a heavy police presence throughout yesterday at the home, which is on the opposite side of the road to Regal Fruiterers.

No further details have been released at this stage.

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Police outside the house where the woman died.

Man dies after falling out of canoe near Ripon

A man who fell out of a canoe in the River Ure near West Tanfield earlier today has died.

The police have also confirmed that there was a second man in the canoe, but he managed to get out of the water and is currently in hospital.

Residents nearby reported that a police helicopter and plane were circling the Nunwick area at around midday.

The police plane later located the body further down the river near Nunwick.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:

“Police received a report at 11.15am this morning that two canoeists had got into difficulty in the River Ure near West Tanfield.

“Officers immediately attended the location with colleagues from the fire, ambulance and rescue services.

“One man had got out of the water and was taken to hospital for treatment.

“Sadly, the body of another man was located by an NPAS police aircraft, in the river north-west of Nunwick.

“His family have been informed.”

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Three years for running over police officer in Harrogate

A man has been sent to prison for three years and two months after he ran over a police officer in Harrogate.

Llewellyn Mitcham, 30, was sentenced today at York Crown Court after pleading guilty to dangerous driving.

On March 16, police spotted a car on Bewerley Road in Harrogate that they believed belonged to a drug dealer.

They followed the car into a car park and then left their police vehicle to speak to the suspects.

Mitcham, of Harold Place in Leeds, drove off as the officers approached and hit PC Lister, throwing him into the air.

As a result of the impact, PC Lister suffered a severe fracture to his knee, which he is still recovering from two months later.

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The court heard how Mitcham left the car park and was spotted speeding away before police brought his vehicle to a stop and arrested him.

Mitcham pleaded guilty to causing serious injury whilst dangerous driving, driving without insurance and driving whilst disqualified.

North Yorkshire Police Detective Constable, Kirsty Smith, said:

“PC Lister has served as a North Yorkshire police officer for a number of years and on the day of the incident was carrying out proactive work to prevent drug dealers from surrounding counties entering the Harrogate area and committing crime.

“During this line of duty he was seriously injured following Llewellyn Mitcham’s actions trying to evade arrest. Mitcham gave no regard for PC Lister’s welfare and made good his escape where he was finally apprehended some 20 miles away following a police pursuit.

“When you suffer an injury like this although we may be able to heal physically, the trauma stays with you. As police officers we know our job comes with risk but Mitcham’s actions and the long-lasting impact of these should not be underestimated, a fact which has been clearly reflected in the sentencing.”

Julia Mulligan’s track record as Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner

Julia Mulligan formally began her role as North Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner in November 2012.

Representing the Conservatives, she was the first person to ever hold the newly-created position after beating the Labour Party candidate by 13,000 votes. She receives a salary of £74,400.

The former Craven district councillor was re-elected in 2016, and in 2018 the fire service was added to her brief when she became the North Yorkshire Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner.

She has, at times, been a controversial figure. She’s faced accusations of bullying and has been outspoken on social media.

As Ms Mulligan prepares to leave office after the upcoming election, we explore whether she has delivered on some of her key pledges from 2013, and look at how she has handled issues such as county lines drug dealing and the impact of austerity on the force.

What did she pledge?

Keep North Yorkshire the safest place in England: SUCCESSFUL

According to figures published in April 2020 by the Office for National Statistics, the county is still the lowest crime area in England and Wales, despite a 9% rise in recorded offences.

Ms Mulligan partly put the rise down to a change in the way the force records crimes but said she was “particularly concerned” about a rise in violent crime.

The figures show bicycle theft, vehicle offences and criminal damage are among the crimes that decreased since the previous year.

Continuously improving satisfaction levels and confidence in the police: FAILED

The government’s programme of austerity has meant cuts in funding for police forces across the country and North Yorkshire has been no exception.

Mrs Mulligan championed the rights of victims when she was first elected, but a 2019 study that she commissioned on attitudes towards NYP showed that public confidence was mixed.

It found that 48% of people feel the service is deteriorating, and 44% felt the force was getting worse at responding to crimes quickly.

Ms Mulligan called the results “worrying but not a surprise”.

“It has been clear to me for some time now that the public are concerned about the erosion of local policing services.”

A continued reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads: SUCCESSFUL

Ms Mulligan made reducing deaths and injuries on the roads one of her top priorities when she took office, and there has been a decline over the past decade.

In the year Ms Mulligan took office, 473 people were killed or seriously injured on the roads, which was reduced to 335 in 2019.

The office of the Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner sold the historic AJ1 vehicle registration plate and raised £190,000 to support road safety projects across North Yorkshire and York.

Controversies

Former police HQ at Newby Wiske Hall.

Ms Mulligan’s 2015 decision to sell the police headquarters at Newby Wiske and move to Northallerton was mired in controversy.

It resulted in a High Court challenge from residents of the village after the building was sold to a company that wanted to create a holiday centre for children with 550 guest beds. They said it would “ruin the tranquillity” of the area.

In 2018 she pushed to expand her role and take over the running of the fire service in the county replacing local councils. However, this was unpopular with North Yorkshire County Council, City of York Council and six of the seven district councils who all opposed it.

In October 2018 the North Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel upheld a complaint of bullying against Ms Mulligan. The panel decided that four people had been subjected to bullying behaviour by her during her time in office.

Ms Mulligan responded that she was “shocked and disappointed” and that if there was there a mechanism to appeal, “I would certainly do so”.

In 2019 she faced an inquiry after allegations she instructed a member of her staff to take down links to a convicted kidnapper from her personal Facebook page. She called the allegations “upsetting and untrue”.

Other issues

County lines drug dealing has become a major national issue during Ms Mulligan’s 9 years in office.

In 2019 a National Crime Agency report named Harrogate as an “area of concern” due to county lines drug-dealing in the town. It said Harrogate is the target of seven organised “lines” bringing in drugs.

In response to the report, Ms Mulligan said that government funding had so far failed to tackle the problem and that police couldn’t “arrest their way out of the problem”.

Pateley Bridge police station was sold earlier this year

Another major issue has been the closure of a third of North Yorkshire’s police stations.

Following a freedom of information request, the force revealed 12 staffed stations were closed in the county between February 2010 and February 2020 with Pateley Bridge the latest station to be closed and sold off.

After stations have closed Ms Mulligan has regularly cited cost savings and the ability to reinvest the money into frontline policing.

In February, the Stray Ferret requested an interview with Ms Mulligan to discuss her time in the role, which her office did not respond to.

Additional reporting by Rhys Talbot.