Late sports village has dates proposed

Scarborough Athletic fans will be delighted with the news that the construction of the Weaponess Sports Village is proposed to start at the end of next year.

The Sports Village will consist of a stadium for Scarborough Athletic as well as a national standard swimming pool.

Following the liquidation of Scarborough FC in 2007 and demolition of the old stadium, McCains Stadium, the town’s football fans have missed out on having a home team play in the seaside town.

The Shed, also known as The Cow Shed

Since Scarborough Athletic formed in in the same year, they’ve had to stadium share with Bridlington Town, leaving Boro fans no option but to travel to watch their team play.

The scheduled starting date of the sports village was August 2012, but due to money issues the construction was pushed back.

But following the final dialogue meeting with all the bidders for the sports village back on February 25, plans have been laid for the football stadium to be completed by the end of 2014.

Councillor Thomas Fox of the Scarborough Borough Council is anticipating “construction of the Leisure Village in early 2014 with completion of the football ground during Quarter 4 2014.

“We are excited to the prospect of not only senior football returning to Scarborough with the prospect that the facilities will help realise the realistic ambitions of a well-run team.”

For some Scarborough fans it’s all too little too late. Matthew Holloway, a fitness instructor and lifelong Scarborough FC fan said: “It just won’t happen, Scarborough football is dead and council won’t lift a finger to help.

“Building was scheduled to start in 2012, I believe it’s now 2013 and still nothing”

Other Scarborough fans still believe that the football team will return to the town very soon and “will be celebrating the day the first game Scarborough play there.”

Jack Fewster, a fellow Scarborough FC fan who is studying Sports Business Management at Sheffield Hallam, said: “The town needs a football team and Scarborough Athletic is the most senior team.”

Mr Fewster, 19, accepts that construction is currently behind schedule but believes “the day Scarborough Athletic get back, the club can finally prosper and regain its objective of being a community club.”

The Scarborough Athletic board are fully behind the project and have been quoted saying that they will “ensure that Scarborough Athletic Football Club returns to the Borough of Scarborough in facilities that benefit the wider sporting community.”

Update on jewellers robbery

Two men have appeared in court today suspected on the robbery of Bond Jewellers in Huntriss Row.

The robbery occurred on Saturday afternoon and robbed the store of three Rolex watches and a Diafuego watch to the value to £14,000.

Leon Gareth Littlechild, 39, of Rowan Close, appeared at Scarborough Magistrates’ Court in custody.

It is alleged that the defendant robbed the store of three Rolex watches and a Diafuego watch to the value to £14,000.

He also faced an allegation of possessing an offensive weapon, namely a crowbar, in a public place.

Following the incident on Saturday, two men were apprehended by police and taken into custody.

Littlchild was charged and another man, aged 42, was questioned and released without further action.

The suspect was tracked though town by police with the help of CCTV cameras.

He was arrested just 16 minutes after the initial 999 call was received. Property has been recovered by the police, including a number of watches.

Arrests made after Jewellers robbery.

Two men have been arrested by the police in connection to the robbery of Bond Jewellers in Huntriss Row.

The incident took place on Saturday afternoon, no one was hurt.

Chief inspector Mark Khan, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “The police responded to this incident and two males were arrested.

“The investigation is still ongoing and we are gathering information and evidence.”

He explained that the robbery was not armed in the sense of suspects using a gun or knife.

However, he said: “An implement was used to smash a display cabinet, but it was not used to attack anybody.”

If you can help police with this investigation please call 101.

Local busker is jailed for three years.

The town’s regular busker ‘Billy the Busker’ has been sentenced by crown court last week after being described as a ‘prolific offender’.

William ‘Billy’ Farrell, 63, has 54 convictions for 105 offences, committed since 1963, was sentenced by a jury at York Crown Court of breaking into the basement of a Scarborough house and assault with intent to resist his apprehension by the householder.

The incident goes back to April 17 of last year when Farrell was confronted by householder Anthony Gibbon after he heard noises coming from the basement of his Queen Street home.

Mr Gibbon investigated to find that Farrell was inside the cellar, piling up bags of hand tools and other items ready for removal, and challenged him.

Attempts by Mr Gibbon to the intruder at the scene failed, only resulting in a bout of pushing and scuffling, but Farrell was recognised by neighbours and witnesses alerted by the commotion as “Billy the Busker”.

Passing sentence, the Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashurst, told Farrell that he was “not persuaded that he was a harmless eccentric, but remained a prolific offender”.