Police appeal for help finding fraudsters who conned woman, 80

Fraudsters pretending to be from a disability service stole three bank cards from a woman in her 80s in Summerbridge.

Police in Harrogate today issued a CCTV appeal to find the man and woman responsible.

The suspects took three bank cards and subsequently made fraudulent transactions in Ripon and Darlington.

The incident occurred on Hartwith Bank at around 4.45pm on October 14.

A North Yorkshire Police statement said:

“We are appealing for information which will help to identify the suspects, including anyone who recognises the person in the CCTV image, which is from TK Maxx in Darlington around an hour after the incident.

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Anyone with information can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Katie Bell.

You can also email katarina.bell@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 12200181553.

Police to challenge rule breakers on Harrogate district roads and beauty spots

North Yorkshire Police has said it will challenge lockdown rule breakers on the Harrogate district’s roads and beauty spots.

Superintendent Mike Walker, the force’s lead for coronavirus, today set out the countywide policing strategy for the third national lockdown.

He said police presence and visibility would increase to “reassure” people, and anyone caught breaking the rules would be challenged and possibly fined up to £200.

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Supt Walker said:

“Under these new regulations, if you are outside of your home without a reasonable excuse, or gathering indoors or outdoors with others, the police can take enforcement action against you and you can be fined up to £200.

“I would also stress that it is important to stay as close to home as possible. While exercise is permitted, this should be done in your local area, preferably from your doorstep.

“The new restrictions have been put in place to limit people’s movements in order to suppress the spread of a deadly virus. If you travel further than is essential, you are putting yourself and those communities you visit at risk of contracting this virus.

“Our health service is at a crucial point and as a nation we face a very serious situation, so it’s vital that we stick to the rules and stop the spread of the virus.”

 

Pateley Bridge police station to be sold

Pateley Bridge’s police station is to be sold for an estimated £142,000 to save money.

The building on King Street will be offloaded and officers relocated in an effort to save £19,000 per year.

Julia Mulligan, North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, made the decision to sell the station shortly before Christmas after agreement with the force’s chief constable.

In a decision report, the commissioner said police officers will move to Harrogate Borough Council’s offices across the road.

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The report added the sale could bring in £142,000 on top of the estimated savings.

Ms Mulligan said the money could be reinvested in frontline policing and the decision was part of a strategy to relocate officers alongside other public and third sector services.

She added:

“Pateley Bridge station is a large building and is relatively expensive to run.  

“Whilst local officers and staff are based there, the building is far too large for the size of team based there.  

“New mobile working technology means officers are spending less time in the station and more time in the community, which has also affected how often the current station is occupied. This will decrease further as new applications are added to the technology.”

The commissioner said in the report that the front counter service, which is currently at Nidderdale Plus office due to coronavirus, will remain open.

Police recover stolen jewellery and medals

A treasure trove of stolen jewellery and medals, including some from the First World War, have been recovered by police.

North Yorkshire Police today appealed for people who may have lost the items to come forward.

It is urging anyone who suffered a burglary between August and October this year to check these photos and get in touch if they believe any belong to them.

The items include some distinctive items including First World War medals, one inscribed with the name DVR.P.WRIGHT.R.A., spirit level cufflinks, engraved signet rings and cufflinks, cluster rings, necklaces and gold chains.

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The force believes the items could have been stolen during burglaries in North Yorkshire and other parts of the country, including West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Humberside, Sussex, Dorset, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, the West Midlands and Staffordshire.

Anyone wanting to get in touch with the police should contact David.Pegg@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk or call 01904 618691, select option 2 and ask for Dave Pegg.

Treacherous roads in Harrogate district after heavy snowfall

Heavy snowfall overnight has caused treacherous driving conditions on major roads in the Harrogate district this morning.

Many areas woke up to a blanket of snow and ice, causing severe problems, especially in rural areas.

The North Yorkshire Weather Updates social media page showed dire conditions in Boroughbridge, with heavy snow covering streets.

Video by Carly Gibson

The same page also reported large vehicles were struggling to get up the hill on the A59 at Kex Gill due to hazardous road conditions. However by 9am the road appeared to be clear.

North Yorkshire Police warned people to drive carefully due to conditions on the A61 between Ripon and Harrogate.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire County Council, which is the highways authority, on which days it had gritted the roads since Christmas Day and what its policy is on deciding when to use gritters,

We had not received a response by the time of publication but the council has tweeted this morning that its gritting crews are on call 24 hours a day from October to April and are treating roads.

A similar tweet was posted on Christmas Day but nothing on travel since despite snow and flooding causing problems in the district.

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The Met Office issued a yellow warning for snow and ice yesterday and warned that up to four inches of snow could fall over the Pennines and North York Moors.

The outlook in the district looks set to improve throughout today with light cloud throughout the afternoon into the evening.

However, temperatures are forecast to drop below zero again overnight.

£1,000 worth of jewellery stolen in Knaresborough

Police are appealing for information after £1,000 worth of jewellery was stolen from two homes in Knaresborough yesterday.

The burglaries took place at Hilton Lane and Park Row between 10.30am and 6pm.

North Yorkshire Police is appealing for information about any jewellery seen for sale on local social media sites or in shops. The items include a silver ring with gold love hearts and a Tiffany necklace with a silver heart attached.

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Anyone with information can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for PC Mark Nursey. You can also email mark.nursey@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Quote reference number 12200235413.

Five arrests after thieves hit Harrogate building sites

Police have arrested five people after thieves targeted building sites in the Harrogate district.

Officers travelled to South Yorkshire to make the arrests and seize property this morning after a string of thefts between March and November.

The thieves stole newly-installed boilers as well as machinery and tools.

In North Yorkshire alone, criminals struck at abound 40 housing developments when the homes were close to completion. A number of the developments were in the Harrogate district although precise details are not known.

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Detective Inspector Chris Stone, of North Yorkshire Police, said:

“These incidents clearly involved high-value, organised crime, and had a significant impact.

“Not only businesses within North Yorkshire, but house buyers due to move in to their new properties.

“Significant resources have been deployed into this investigation, leading to today’s arrests.

“We are actively pursuing further lines of enquiry, and will continue to robustly investigate these offences.”

The police arrested a man in his 40s from Doncaster and three men in their 30s from Barnsley on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary and transferring criminal property.

Officers also arrested a woman in her 20s from Barnsley on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary

All remain in custody at this time while the police conduct the investigation.

55 drivers arrested in Christmas drink and drug campaign

North Yorkshire Police has arrested more than 50 drivers already in its annual Christmas drink and drug driving campaign.

In an update published today, the force said it had arrested 55 people on suspicion of driving over the limit since the start of the month. Eight happened after collisions.

One man in his 20s from Scarborough has been arrested twice: once on December 8 and again yesterday morning on suspicion of drug driving.

He has been released under investigation while enquiries, including blood tests are completed.

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The total number of arrests is similar to last year at the same stage.

Police have warned that many more drivers are likely to be arrested before the campaign finishes at the end of the month.

Traffic sergeant Andy Morton said:

“Anyone who’s convicted of drink driving faces at least a 12-month driving ban, which would mean losing your licence for the whole of 2021, possibly longer.

“They also get large fines, a criminal record and can even go to jail in some circumstances.

“Worse still, they stand a far greater chance of fatally injuring an innocent person. The risk is real, it happens here in North Yorkshire and it’s utterly devastating for the families who are left behind.

“So our message this year is simple – 2020’s been a terrible year. Don’t make it even worse by drink driving.

“There’s a good chance you will be caught, and if you are over the limit you will be prosecuted – there are no second chances.”

Teens arrested after another weekend of disturbances in Ripon

Police in Ripon have arrested two teenagers and said they will step-up patrols after another weekend of anti-social behaviour.

One teen has been charged with being drunk and disorderly; the other remains “under investigation”, the police said.

The force said Ripon suffered ‘several incidents of anti-social behaviour’ over the weekend, including teenagers throwing objects in the road and walking in front of cars.

A statement on Ripon City Police’s Facebook page said teenagers were not only committing anti-social behaviour but also ignoring covid warnings. The statement added:

“They do not register the risk and have stated it’s their choice.”

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The statement urged parents in Ripon to ask their children about their whereabouts last weekend. It added:

“We have increased officer presence and are proactively patrolling areas whilst responding to calls but we can’t be everywhere.

“Parents have the biggest role to ensure that children are not causing trouble, committing crimes, not distressing our community or putting themselves at risk.”

Last weekend’s incidents were the latest in a series of anti-social incidents.

On the previous weekend vandals smashed windows at Ripon’s town hall and cathedral office.

North Yorkshire Police declined to comment on those incidents when approached by the Stray Ferret last week.

Man jailed for murder of Harrogate woman

A Bradford man has been jailed for 16 years for the murder of a Harrogate woman.

Dale Tarbox was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court today for the murder of Susan Howells, who was a close friend.

A police investigation started in August 2019 when Susan, who was 51, was reported missing.

North Yorkshire Police passed the case onto West Yorkshire Police after its enquiries suggested she had been in the Bradford area at the time.

Dale Tarbox.

The police elevated the missing persons investigation into a murder investigation after officers failed to find her.

Officers arrested Tarbox in September 2019 in Doncaster and charged with the murder of Susan at his home address in Bradford.

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Police enquiries led officers to a caravan park when Tarbox was living. A few days later the police found human remains.

Further investigations led to the arrest of Keith Wadsworth, who was convicted of assisting an offender in preventing lawful burial.

Tarbox, 40, of Independent Street in Little Horton, was jailed for 16 years for Susan’s murder and given two years to run concurrently in preventing her lawful burial.

He refused to attend court to hear the sentence.

Keith Wadsworth.

Keith Wadsworth, 61, from Doncaster, was sentenced to three years and seven months for assisting an offender in preventing a lawful burial. He pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.

Speaking after sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Vanessa Rolfe, said:

“I hope today’s outcome provides some closure for Susan’s family, knowing that the man who murdered her has been given a significant prison sentence.

“Susan regarded Tarbox as a close friend and someone she could trust, but he showed no regard for her – taking her life in a cold and callous way and then teaming up with Wadsworth to try and dispose of her body.

“He is clearly a dangerous individual and the people of West Yorkshire should feel safer knowing he will be behind bars for many years.”