Criminals targeting motorhomes in North Yorkshire

Police are warning motorhome and campervan owners in North Yorkshire to take extra precautions, after numerous reports of suspicious activity.

The force said today there had been a spate of incidents across the county involving cold callers approaching vehicle owners and asking to buy them – even though they are not for sale.

In each case, a man or two men knock on the door and ask the homeowner if they can buy the campervan or motorhome and look inside.

Most incidents have been in the Selby area but police fear it could be happening across North Yorkshire.

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Inspector Clive Turner, of North Yorkshire Police’s rural task force, said:

“Please remember, you aren’t obliged to buy anything from or sell anything to doorstep callers.

“Rogue traders often try to take advantage of householders by using high-pressure sales techniques, or may even be looking for opportunities to steal vehicles or property.

“It’s clear that a group of people are deliberately visiting homes in North Yorkshire with campervans parked outside.

“We have been able to respond to reports of suspicious activity by increasing patrols and visiting homes to gather evidence and provide advice.”

Police also released the following advice to prevent the theft of motorhomes:

Coughed at and facing aggression – being a Harrogate traffic cop during covid

After a year of intense challenges, we spent a morning with the Harrogate traffic cops to learn about the year they’ve had and to get a glimpse of the job as we re-emerge from lockdown.

Whilst patrolling the town’s roads in an unmarked car with TC Tim Healey, he told the Stray Ferret that changing covid rules has meant catching offenders has been like “trying to catch water in a sieve instead of a bucket” and why he doesn’t mind being unpopular.

Covid challenges

The three covid lockdowns have presented multiple new challenges to the police and the government’s guidelines for travel have frequently been tested.

TC Healey said they’ve received many excuses for people on the road when they shouldn’t have been.

He said:

“Travelling for mental health reasons can be the first thing that someone throws at you.”

The officer said the government’s guidelines could have been clearer, which has resulted in people making up the rules to fit what they want to do.

He added that officers have been “pulled in many different directions” due to the changing rules.

“Sometimes it’s been like trying to catch water in a sieve instead of a bucket.”

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Covid has also meant police officers have had to deal with some unsavoury and potentially dangerous incidents in the line of duty.

In Ripon earlier this year, TC Healey stopped a car suspected of drink driving. The passenger wasn’t happy and decided to blow and cough in his face saying “coronavirus” over and over.

Another new phenomenon due to covid was neighbours reporting on other neighbours for suspected covid breaches, which TC Healey said he did not agree with.

Criminality

As the roads in Harrogate become busier as lockdown restrictions ease, we are out with TC Healey as part of Operation Boundary, a campaign to clamp down on criminality and traffic offences.

Whilst observing traffic on Skipton Road, TC Healey spotted a man using his mobile phone whilst driving a white van.

After being pulled over, the man was rude and aggressive to the officer and said, “Do you also want to know what my mum had for breakfast? Why so many questions?”

TC Healey said they regularly face hostility from the public for doing their job.

He added:

“They say you should be catching real criminals like rapists and sex offenders. Or they say have you got nothing better to do than pick on decent people going about their life?

“Were you bullied at school is another classic.

“But road policing is important and until you’ve dealt with a serious collision you look at what we do in different light.”

Criticism

NYP says Operation Boundary has been successful in targeting road offences across the county.

But the force recently received criticism from some residents in Harrogate for the speeds its police cars travel from Harrogate Police Station off Otley Road into the town during lockdown.

In February, a Harrogate police officer who drove through a red light in Harrogate at 50 miles per hour and then crashed into a car carrying two elderly women was found guilty of dangerous driving.

On the balance between driving fast through our urban areas and catching criminals, TC Healey said officers are trained to drive at high speeds as the extra few seconds can make all the difference.

He added:

“It’s not about going fast and flying around. You’re a professional and take your job seriously. You don’t want to put anybody’s life at risk.”

Spring into life

As our three hours in the police car draws to a close without much incident, a message comes through the radio that sees TC Healey’s expensive, high-powered vehicle spring into life.

The blue lights come on and its sirens ring out down Skipton Road as he attempts to catch a vehicle failing to stop reported by other officers near Ripon.

We approach the Little Wonder roundabout at a high speed and my adrenaline threatens to go into overdrive, but TC Healey’s colleagues radio to say the culprits have been apprehended.

The two men are arrested and held in custody on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle and the driver on suspicion of drug driving, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and failing to stop for police — which to TC Healey means a job well done, even if he wasn’t the one to catch them.

Volvo stolen from driveway in Harrogate

North Yorkshire Police is appealing for witnesses after a car was stolen in Harrogate this week.

The electric blue Volvo V40 estate was stolen from a driveway on Hutton Gate between 10pm on Monday and 2am on Tuesday this week.

A police statement said:

“In particular, we are appealing for information about the vehicle’s movements and whereabouts, and if any suspicious activity was noticed during this time period in the area. The vehicle is believed to have traveled towards Leeds.”

Anyone with information can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Kayleigh Corcoran, or email kayleigh.corcoran@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

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

Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12210096907.

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Is it a buzzard? A great tit? …Or a police speed van?

Cunning motorists in Harrogate have attempted to avoid a possible fine for posting the location of mobile police speeding vans on social media by using coded birdwatching terminology.

The Harrogate Road Watch group on Facebook has over 3,000 members who post up-to-date locations of North Yorkshire Police‘s mobile safety camera vans in an attempt to warn other motorists of their presence.

Earlier this month, news articles circulated online that said drivers who post updates on social media warning other road users of police “speed traps” could face fines of up to £1,000.

It said this is because there is a law that states it’s an offence to “wilfully obstruct a constable in the execution of his/her duty”.

This prompted members of the Harrogate group to get creative. Members have recently referred to the police speeding units as “great tits” with “beaks pointing towards the A1”.

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One member said:

“Greater spotted tit in Killinghall fluttering towards Ripley.”

Another said:

“Great tit on Harrogate bypass usual spot near Haggs Road turning Tuesday 1pm in Birdwatching van.”

One member warned of a bird of prey.

“1230. Buzzard nesting near Melmerby. Beak pointing at A1.”

North Yorkshire Police publishes details of every location mobile safety camera vehicles visit, when they attended and for how long. It also includes a breakdown of every offence recorded at each location and how each offence was dealt with.

A spokesman for NYP said he would not comment on how people use social media but said sharing information about where mobile speed cameras are does not present any issues for the force.

Harrogate police officers face social media restrictions

North Yorkshire Police is imposing restrictions on officers’ social media accounts that will prevent them posting directly to the public.

The move will have implications for the popular Twitter accounts of Harrogate traffic sergeant Paul Cording and Harrogate traffic constable David Minto, who between them have more than 20,000 followers.

Their tales of life on the road include live traffic updates from accident scenes and details of motoring offences.

But soon they will be unable to post directly to Twitter under their police names.

North Yorkshire Police is centralising its approach to social media by encouraging people to follow its official accounts, rather than those of individual officers.

Officers can still post under their names provided their messages go through official channels first.

Another spot by @NypAnpr and @TC174_NYP & my @NYorksRPG team stop this vehicle near #AllertonPark Driver tests positive for #Cocaine & is arrested. I assisted with bloods in custody & they will be sent to @RSSS_DianeFair for analysis #Fatal4 pic.twitter.com/4NxBO3hYGO

— Sgt Paul Cording BEM (@OscarRomeo1268) March 21, 2021

https://twitter.com/TC174_NYP/status/1372328691338985474

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson told the Stray Ferret:

“We are reducing our accounts to make it easier for our communities to find the latest updates from North Yorkshire Police and what is happening in their area, as well as enabling us to respond to the issues that matter to those communities more quickly and effectively.

“The changes are not banning anyone from social media. The many officers and staff who already post and share fantastic social media content will move to posting that content across our force wide and district accounts. Some have already started doing this.

“If they wish to they will be able to give their name so the public still know who is the voice behind the post as we know how much their personalities are valued by our communities.”

Sgt Cording told the Stray Ferret he was aware changes are coming but at this stage it was inappropriate for him to comment.

In an interview with the Stray Ferret last year, he said there were “some issues” within the force when he started tweeting in 2011 but increasingly the police had recognised the value of officers engaging directly with the public and showing a bit of personality.

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Police image of man wanted after Ripon theft

Police have issued a CCTV image of a man they would like to speak to following a theft from Sainsbury’s in Ripon Market Place.

A man entered the store and took about £500 of printer ink. It happened at about 4pm on March 1.

Officers believe the man in the image has information that could help the investigation and are asking anyone who recognises him to get in touch.

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Anyone with any information can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for PC 733 Mitchell or email Elliot.Mitchell@northyorkshire.police.uk.

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

Please quote reference number 12210069492 when passing on information.

Andrew Jones MP defends supporting crime bill

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has defended a crime bill that gives police new powers to deal with protests after it was criticised as a “fundamental attack” on freedom of speech.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill covers major government proposals on crime and justice, including changes to protests.

The bill passed its first hurdle this week after an overwhelming vote in favour by Conservative MPs.

All three Conservative MPs whose constituencies include the Harrogate district — Jones, Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith and Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams — supported it.

The protest measures drawn up by ministers and police chiefs will mean more conditions are imposed on static demonstrations, including start and finish times, noise limits and penalties for activists causing “serious annoyance”.

At a meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Committee today, Liberal Democrat councillor David Goode described the bill as a “a fundamental attack on our democratic rights”.

He said it would “significantly restrict” people’s rights to hold peaceful protests and asked Mr Jones why he voted for it.

Mr Jones responded:

“The underlying principle of freedom of speech and freedom to protest is absolutely unchanged.

“This is about making sure we can protest in a way which doesn’t stop people getting to work or a hospital appointment.

“It is possible to protest without impacting others so what we need to strike therefore is that balance and that is what the bill does.”

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The bill’s second reading was passed by 359 votes to 263 on Tuesday. It also contains dozens of new measures to increase sentences for child killers and other violent criminals, as well as tougher penalties for attacks on police officers and changes to sexual offences legislation.

The most controversial part, however, are the reforms on protests, which garnered extra interest after scenes of police officers restraining women attending a vigil in memory of Sarah Everard in London on Saturday.

At present, police need to prove protesters knew they had been told to move on before they can be said to have broken the law.

The bill proposes an offence of “intentionally or recklessly causing public nuisance”, which is designed to stop people occupying public spaces to make themselves both seen and heard.

The new laws would also give Home Secretary Priti Patel the authority to define “serious disruption to the life of the community” and “serious disruption to the activities of an organisation” — a concept opponents argue is not clear enough.

Speaking at a debate in the House of Commons this week, the Home Secretary defended the proposed changes to peaceful protests which she said are a “cornerstone of democracy”.

She said:

“This bill will give police the powers to take a more proactive approach in tackling dangerous and disruptive protests. The threshold at which the police can impose conditions on the use of noise at a protest is rightfully high.

“The majority of protesters will be able to continue to act, make noise as they do so now without police intervention.

“But we are changing it to allow the police to put conditions on noisy protests that cause significant disruption to those in the vicinity. As with all our proposals, the police response will still need to be proportionate.”

Man charged after police officer struck by car in Harrogate

A 30-year-old man has been charged with three offences after a police officer suffered a fractured kneecap in Harrogate on Tuesday.

The man has been charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified and use of a motor vehicle without third party insurance.

The incident happened at 3.20pm when officers approached a suspicious vehicle in Bewerley Road, Harrogate.

A male police officer underwent surgery and has remained in hospital since the incident.

A 35-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman who were also arrested have been released on conditional bail.

All three people are from Leeds. North Yorkshire Police has not revealed any names.

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North Yorks police commissioner candidate urges MPs to oppose police bill

The Liberal Democrat candidate for North Yorkshire police commissioner has called on the county’s MPs to vote against the government’s police bill.

James Barker, a City of York councillor who is standing for commissioner at the elections in May, described the legislation as “draconian”.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill includes measures for noise limits on protests, stronger powers for police to break up “unauthorised encampments” and longer sentences for serious crimes.

MPs will vote the legislation, which is at its second reading, tonight.

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Mr Barker said the right to protest was a “fundamental part” of democracy and called on MPs to oppose the bill.

He said:

“The bill contains some proposals that are worthy of support, such as maximum sentences for low-level assaults against emergency service workers being doubled to two years and community sentences for less serious crime to help address underlying problems in offenders’ lives, but the government has got it badly wrong in trying to stifle people’s freedom to protest.

“The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental part of any functioning democracy. 

“The police already have extensive powers in this area and I am concerned that what is being proposed in this bill will impact on people’s freedom of speech and right to protest. For this reason I am therefore calling on North Yorkshire’s MPs to oppose this bill.”

Voters in the Harrogate district will go to the polls on May 6 to elect a new police, fire and crime commissioner for North Yorkshire.

Julia Mulligan, who currently holds the role, will not be standing for re-election.

The main political parties have confirmed candidates as follows:

The deadline to register to vote in the May elections is April 19. You can register to vote here.

Police appeal after watches stolen from Kearby home

North Yorkshire Police has appealed for information after an unspecified number of watches were stolen from a house in Kearby, near Harrogate.

The incident happened between 7pm and 11.30pm on Saturday, March 13.

According to police, suspects entered a secure window and stole the watches from a bedroom.

Kearby is a small village in the south of the Harrogate district, near Kirkby Overblow.

Police hope the public can help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

They are particularly interested to hear from anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area at the time.

Anyone with information can call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option two and ask for Elizabeth Estensen. Or they can email the officer via elizabeth.estensen@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

To remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 and quote reference number 12210077196.

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