A MAN has been charged and arrested over an armed raid on a North Yorkshire antiques business.
Four men threatened staff at Montpellier Antiques in Montpellier Mews, Harrogate, with an axe and a machete before making off with jewellery from the raids.
A 24-year-old man from Manchester was arrested in Manchester on Monday in connection with the robbery on March 16. He has been charged with robbery and possessing an offensive weapon.
Bird scarers stolen
FARMERS across the Selby area have reported the theft of bird scarers from their fields.
Five separate reports have been received from farmers in Colton, near Tadcaster, Barlby, Wheldrake, Rhyther and North Duffield.
Anyone with information should phone North Yorkshire Police on 101, and farmers can register their property at immobilise.com
Dangerous sign removed
FIREFIGHTERS removed a metal sign which was hanging dangerously above the footpath in Clifford Street, York, during strong winds yesterday afternoon.
Scarecrow Festival date
THE annual Haxby and Wigginton Methodist Church’s Scarecrow Festival will be held on May 2, 3 and 4.
Last year more than 150 scarecrows were seen by thousands of visitors and organisers hope for similar numbers next month, for the festival’s ninth year.
The festival supports Phambili Nge Themba in South Africa and eight local charities.
Moors fire
FIREFIGHTERS spent three hours tackling a moors blaze in North Yorkshire yesterday.
Crews were called to Ugthorpe, near Whitby, where the fire spread to 10m by 200m.
They fought the flames at 12.30pm before remaining at the scene to damp down and check for hotspots.
Ahoy there, it’s Easter
YORK Baptist Church is set to be transformed into a pirate ship for the Easter holidays.
The church’s Easter holiday Bible club is staging a great treasure hunt for primary school children.
A team of volunteers will be working on Easter Monday to prepare the church for the club, which runs from next Tuesday until Friday and will feature songs, sketches, Bible stories as well as activities, crafts and quizzes.
The set will remain up for a family night on Friday, April 10, and a parents come too service on Sunday, April 12, before the church returns to its usual Victorian interior.
For more information, phone John Green on 07597 562953 or email john@yorkbaptist.org.uk
Hospice staff to hold 30th anniversary ceilidh event
STAFF at St Leonard’s Hospice in York, are practising their steps for a celebration ceilidh next month.
The event is being held at Huntington Working Men’s Club to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the hospice, and will feature music by the Phoenix Ceilidh Band.
Niki Turnbull, fundraiser at St Leonard’s, said: “Our ceilidh is a fun way of marking the 30th anniversary of the hospice with a great band and some energetic dancing. So come and join us and enjoy yourself in a good cause.”
The event starts at 7.30pm, tickets cost £10 and include a pie-and-peas supper and can be bought by phoning 01904 777777 or at the website stleonardshospice.org.uk
Emergency department shortlisted for national award
THE emergency department at Harrogate District Hospital has been shortlisted for a national award aimed at recognising quality of care and patient experience.
Harrogate is one of six trusts competing for the CHKS annual Top Hospitals programme awards 2015, following an analysis of 28 measures, such as waiting times for treatment.
The trusts have been invited to submit a detailed entry using a questionnaire, which is then considered by a panel of expert judges. The judges will then visit three shortlisted trusts and decide on a winner, which will be announced at an awards ceremony in London on May 19.
Dr Vicky Holloway, consultant in emergency medicine and clinical lead for Harrogate’s emergency department, said: “We were really pleased to be recognised in this way. The fact that they have based this nomination on data regarding both performance and patient care is a testament to the hard work that all our staff put in every day to ensure the good clinical care and comfort of all our patients.
“It’s a great morale boost for our department after all the recent pressures that have been faced throughout the NHS.”
Community groups urged to apply for police cash
COMMUNITY groups in North Yorkshire have been urged to apply for funding from police.
The Police Property Fund auctions off property that has been seized by North Yorkshire Police under criminal investigations or recovered from burglaries and not claimed, with proceeds used to support local voluntary and charitable projects.
The latest round of applications is now open, and local groups can apply for funding until April 10, with the applications judged by Chief Constable Dave Jones and Julia Mulligan, the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire.
Groups who want to apply for funding must meet certain criteria, and should apply using the North Yorkshire Police application form at northyorkshire.police.uk/ppfa
Hop to Hall and follow bunny’s Easter egg trail
THE Easter Bunny dropped in at a stately home near York to launch a Bank Holiday egg trail.
The Cadbury Easter egg trail returns to Beningbrough Hall, near York, over the four-day break.
Families can solve the clues and claim a chocolate prize, decorate an egg and meet the Easter Bunny.
Explorers will search for hidden crowns among the portraits of the royal family.
The trail continues into the gardens with a host of brand new royal eggheads to meet and anagrams to unscramble. It’s been designed to suit all ages of the family and can be enjoyed whatever the British weather brings, said Liz Silkstone, events coordinator.
She said: “The Easter weekend is such a popular time full of families making the most of the time off together.
“This year’s challenge has been created building on the royal portraits we currently have on loan.
“Of course there’s no age restriction so we find lots of big kids like to join in too….to earn their own chocolate prize.”
For further details, phone the hall on 01904 472027.
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