Stabbing in Harrogate - 17-year-old boy released on police bail after attack

A man was taken to hospital with a stab wound to the chest after the incident on Monday, which happened at around 11am near the benches outside The Hydro on Jennyfield Drive.

‘Harrogate remains a safe place to live’ is the message being stressed by Harrogate police, following the stabbing.

In a statement, Inspector Penny Taylor urged residents to stop speculating and raising “unnecessary alarm” on social media after the man was stabbed outside The Hydro, and two teenage boys were attacked at Valley Gardens in a separate and unrelated incident on April 13.

A number of readers have told the Harrogate Advertiser how they feel unsettled and disturbed by the crimes, with one commenting this week that they were told to “be careful” by their wife when they left the house to go to Valley Gardens - something they said they thought they would never hear in Harrogate.

But Inspector Taylor has reassured residents that police are working with local authority partners to “deal with young people who are at risk of getting involved in crime.”

She said: “There have been two serious assaults in Harrogate over the last few weeks, and I recognise that these have alarmed some people.

“The two incidents are unrelated, and we’ve made arrests in connection with both offences. I’d ask people not to speculate or raise unnecessary alarm on social media, and allow the investigations to take their course.

“It’s important to remember that Harrogate is, and remains, a really safe place to live and work. Incidents like these are, thankfully, very rare in our town.

“I can reassure residents that we’re working hard, with our local authority partners, to deal with young people who are at risk of getting involved in crime. Neighbourhood policing officers have been sending letters and carrying out home visits to speak to some parents face-to-face. In addition, we’ve increased police patrols across the town, and have been using powers such as dispersal orders to deal with any issues before they escalate.

“Although the incident on Monday took place near the Hydro, it is not connected to recent anti-social behaviour in the area, which we continue to work hard to tackle.”

Harrogate District Community Safety Group has also issued a statement to reassure residents. A spokesperson for the group said: “Harrogate - and the wider district - remains a very safe place to live, work and visit.

“The statistics are quite clear showing that crime levels are very low compared to neighbouring areas and that they have fallen overall since the beginning of the year.”