Two arrests after vehicle keys stolen in Harrogate

Two men were arrested after vehicle keys were stolen from a home in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident, which happened between 2am and 2.30am on Saturday morning.

The suspects are believed to have entered the home between Ripon Road and Coppice Street and taken the keys.

The police have released the two men but are appealing for witnesses to “establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident”.

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Anyone with information about the incident should call 101, select option two and ask for PC 855.

For those who wish to remain anonymous they can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12200220750.

Police quiz Harrogate diners over covid rules

Police questioned Harrogate diners on the first day after lockdown yesterday to ensure they were complying with tier two restrictions.

North Yorkshire Police, working alongside staff at Harrogate Borough Council, approached customers in pubs and restaurants.

The Stray Ferret is aware of at least three restaurants in Harrogate that were the subject of inspections.

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William and Victoria restaurant on Cold Bath Road was among those to receive visits.

David Straker, the owner, told the Stray Ferret he welcomed the patrols:

“I think that they have got to do it and be seen to be doing it.

“I know there are some places locally who say they are going to bend the rules.

“This has been a tough year for everyone. If some places bend the rules then it is not a level playing field.”

The Fat Badger was also visited, and the Stray Ferret is aware of one other that did not wish to be identified.

https://twitter.com/simoncotton69/status/1334213225525678081

Superintendent Mike Walker, the coronavirus lead for North Yorkshire Police, has warned police will step up patrols and use number place recognition cameras to track people coming into the Harrogate district from tier three places, such as Leeds and Bradford.

He also said the police would work with local businesses to ensure they understand the regulations:

“There will be a visible police presence in our day and nighttime economy areas.

“It is our job to engage with the public and sometimes find out the purpose of their journey — especially if we see groups coming into the area.

“We will also work with local businesses to ensure that they understand the tier two regulations and make sure they are operating in a safe way.”

The Stray Ferret approached both North Yorkshire Police and Harrogate Borough Council for comment but did not receive a reply by the time of publication.

Harrogate Borough Council did, however, tweet that officers were in the district last night and will be out tonight and again tomorrow.

Last night, tonight and tomorrow night we will be out and about in the #Harrogate district offering advice and guidance to businesses to ensure customers have a safe and enjoyable visit. pic.twitter.com/B7tTwWaYuF

— Harrogate Borough Council (@Harrogatebc) December 3, 2020

Six arrests after spate of burglaries in Harrogate

Police have made six arrests after a spate of overnight burglaries in Harrogate.

Thieves broke into four homes in the Rossett, Oatlands, High Harrogate and Pannal Ash areas in the last week alone.

Homeowners reported that jewellery, cash and electronic devices had all been stolen.

North Yorkshire Police arrested six men aged in their 20s to their 50s. The police released them all under investigation.

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As a result of the burglaries the police have warned residents to be vigilant in the run up to Christmas.

Detective Sergeant Tom Barker, from Harrogate’s proactive team, said:

“It’s a common trend that during the lead up to Christmas we have a spate in burglaries.

“As a result, we have a dedicated team of officers out in the areas we know that are being targeted.”

The force has put out advice asking people to lock doors and windows, leave a light on when heading out and never leave valuables on show.

Ripon man tried to save kittens thrown from moving car

A Ripon man who tried to save kittens thrown from a moving car has spoken of the moment one of them died in his hands.

The council worker, who does not want to be named, was driving a recycling van at 2pm between Water Skellgate and Bondgate Green last Thursday.

He saw something in the road and then later saw, a couple of cars in front, a person on the driver’s side of a brown or gold car throw a kitten in the air.

Susan Lund, the man’s wife, recalled the moment to the Stray Ferret:

“He stopped the van and picked up the little kitten. It was still breathing but it soon died in his hands.

“The kitten’s face was all smashed in from the impact. My husband was very upset by all of this.

“I think it is beyong shocking and absolutely abhorrent. They were just tiny babies. The person who did this was evil.”

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The couple believe that they were just six to eight weeks old and were tabby type kittens.

Animal rights group PETA has heard about the incident and offered a £2,000 reward to find those responsible.

Elisa Allen, PETA director, said:

“A person capable of deliberately causing a helpless animal this kind of suffering demonstrates a deeply worrying psychological state and must be found.

“Someone in the area must have seen something or know something about the cruel individual(s) who committed this callous act.”

Anyone who saw the incident have been urged to call the police on 101 and quote reference number 12200204632.

Kittens thrown from moving vehicle in Ripon

Police are investigating reports that two kittens were thrown from a moving vehicle to their deaths in Ripon.

Police say the incident happened at around 2pm last Thursday between Water Skellgate and Bondgate Green.

Witnesses described the vehicle as brown or gold in colour. It was driving eastbound from Ripon towards the A61 bypass.

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Anyone who saw the incident have been urged to call 101 and quote reference number 12200204632.

Reports on social media suggest that the kittens were alive when they were thrown from the vehicle and later died from their injuries.

Man jailed for raping woman as she slept in Knaresborough

A man has been jailed for raping a woman in Knaresborough as she slept after a night out.

Dariush Behdarvandi-Aidi, 33, was convicted of the rape in Knaresborough in December 2017 and another rape in Leeds in April 2017.

Behdarvandi-Aidi, from Pocklington, was sentenced today to six years and 10 months at Leeds Crown Court.

When Behdarvandi-Aidi raped the Knaresborough woman, she woke and pushed him away.

She then called the police while he was still in the house. Officers attended immediately and arrested the man.

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A month later another woman reported to the police that her friend had been sexually assaulted and raped by Behdarvandi-Aidi in Leeds.

Like the Knaresborough case, the woman was sleeping after a night out. When she woke she had no memory of what had happened.

Detective constable Emma Dawson, who investigated the case, said:

“I am pleased that justice has been delivered for both victims today. No prison sentence can make up for the distress and suffering they have endured.

“But I hope they can both take some comfort from the fact that Behdarvandi-Aidi is now behind bars for his crimes.”

If you have been the victim of a sexual offence recently or many years ago then call North Yorkshire Police on 101. Or 999 if you are in danger.

The Bridge House Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Bishopthorpe, York is available for those who may not want to speak to the police on 0330 223 0362.

Cannabis driver disqualified after skidding into skid risk sign

A drug driver who skidded into a skid risk road sign has been handed a year-long driving ban.

Harry Franklin Waudby, 20, of Wetherby, lost control of his car and crashed in front of a police vehicle in Tockwith in June.

The officers just happened to be passing when they saw the crash and stopped to help.

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Nobody was seriously hurt in the incident but Waudby tested positive for cannabis.

At a hearing at Harrogate Magistrates’ Court, he pleaded guilty to drug driving .

As well as the 12 month driving disqualification, the magistrates fined Waudby £233 and told him to pay £85 in court costs.

Speaking after the sentencing, traffic constable Michael Rowan said:

“As traffic officers we frequently deal with drug drivers and it’s an incredibly selfish and dangerous offence. Anyone who does it is a hazard to themselves as well as innocent road users, and we endeavour to catch as many as possible.”

Bull shot dead at Pannal Golf Club

A bull, which escaped from a farm over the weekend, was shot dead yesterday after it roamed on to Pannal Golf Club and became aggressive.

Some players felt the animal’s presence uncomfortably close before the police turned up at about 11am.

The Stray Ferret spoke to a golfer, who asked to be referred to as Shed, who had to play a shot a mere 30 yards from the bull. He said:

“We saw how the bull had been racing around the course. There were marks all over. Then we got to the 12th and we saw the bull in the woods. I needed to play a shot from quite close and it was starting to scratch at the ground in agitation. I still managed to hit the ball and it was quite a good shot.”

The bull’s owner, who had been keeping a close eye on the animal from a quad bike, told police it had pre-existing health conditions.

According to North Yorkshire Police, the farmer suggested the “most humane course of action was to put it down”.

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The police cleared the golf course and sent everyone to the club house before officers worked with a slaughterman to kill the bull.

A spokesperson for the force said the bull had pre-existing health conditions, adding:

“The animal was clearly distressed and was becoming aggressive towards members of the public. Officers were worried it could injure someone or cause a serious collision if it ran onto the main road nearby.”

Sharp increase in speeding tickets pre-lockdown

The number of speeding tickets in North Yorkshire increased significantly before lockdown due to “intensified efforts” by police.

North Yorkshire Police issued 13,424 fixed penalty notices for speeding in January and February this year, compared with 9,726 during the same months last year and 6,147 during the same months in 2018.

It means the police, who released the figures following a request made under the Freedom of Information Act, more than doubled the number of speeding tickets issued during the two-month period compared with 2018.

The number of fixed penalty notices fell from 5,836 in February to 3,624 in March when lockdown began and has remained down on last year’s comparative monthly figures. However, the roads have generally been quieter.

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A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said it was committed to tackling speeding and had been focusing particularly on towns and villages with a 30mph limit.

The spokesman said there had been some “awful driving and motorcycling” in spring on quieter roads during lockdown and it had launched “a significant operational response to tackle this”. The spokesman added:

“North Yorkshire Police has carried out several high-profile, county-wide roads policing operations in 2020 to address speeding in communities, on main routes and other dangerous road use.

“We saw speeds of more than 60mph in 30mph zones and more than 130mph on main roads during lockdown, when roads were quieter.

“The consequences of hitting a pedestrian or another vehicle at those speeds don’t bear thinking about, which is why we intensified our efforts to target irresponsible motorists.”

‘Horrific consequences’

The spokesman said police officers saw the “horrific consequences of excessive speed” when they attended incidents. He added:

“In the last few months, our officers have had to help people crushed by mangled vehicles, pick up body parts from the carriageway and witness people in their final moments of life. Then they’ve had to break the devastating news to the families left behind.”

Crime commissioner Julia Mulligan publishes expenses

Julia Mulligan, the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire, has published her first expenses since lockdown.

The latest data shows she claimed virtually no expenses from June to August, when lockdown caused many events to be cancelled.

Ms Mulligan’s highest claims are for a £373 two-night hotel stay and a £282 train ticket.

The two items are included in her May expenses, when her total monthly claims were £738.52, but relate to a pre-lockdown trip to London in early March.

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A spokesman for the Office of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner said the tickets were purchased on 6 March for a visit to London the following week.

The spokesman said the £373 for hotel accommodation was for two nights and the £282 for rail travel was the cost of a standard class open return to London from Skipton.

Budget hotel

Ms Mulligan said she spent three days in London where she gave evidence to the Home Affairs Committee about North Yorkshire’s progress on workforce diversity, met the family of a serious case of online grooming and represented victims of serious sexual offences at a national meeting seeking improvements in the criminal justice system. She added:

“Unfortunately, as with many meetings at Westminster, the details for Home Affairs Committee were not confirmed in time for us to book advance tickets so we had to pay full fare, standard class tickets.

“Similarly, the cost of two nights accommodation in Westminster, booking last minute, does not come cheap, notwithstanding my staying in a budget hotel.

“It is my job to stand up for North Yorkshire, for our dedicated police officers and for victims of crime – and the cost of these meetings is an investment worth making to ensure our voice is heard.”

Ms Mulligan was accused of ‘extravagant spending’ on hotels and train fares last year by transparency campaigner Gwen Swinburn for claiming nearly £1,000 in eight weeks on her credit card,

Ms Mulligan replied that she always tried to achieve best value.

Ms Mulligan holds her next monthly public accountability meeting online at 1pm on Tuesday next week.

It will focus on the fire and police services’ response to coronavirus. People can watch live and submit questions.

The details are here.