Not guilty to theft charges

A TEENAGE supermarket worker was sent for trial by a judge and jury when she appeared in court at Harrogate yesterday accused of 13 theft offences involving a total of almost £650.

Michelle Jones, 18, of Ralph Garth, Tockwith, near York, pleaded not guilty to all the charges involving alleged theft from the Costcutters supermarket in the village during a two-month period last summer. She was bailed to appear at York Crown Court on March 4.

DRUGS DANGERS: A drugs awareness event will be held in Richmond School hall next Tuesday, from 7pm to 9pm. The session, which is open to the public, has been organised by the Hambleton and Richmondshire Drug and Alcohol Reference Group.

JEWELLERY RAID: Burglars stole a woman's jewellery collection from a house in Heworth, York. The raid occurred between 8pm on Friday and 3am on Saturday.

GALLERY CLOSURE: Harrogate's Mercer Art Gallery will be closed from Monday until Saturday, March 9 to allow for a new lighting system to be installed. The gallery will reopen with an exhibition of sculptures by artist Lucy Casson.

CO-OP ALTERATIONS: The Co-op store in Harrogate town centre has been granted approval to extend the main shop front windows and re-site the ground floor entrance and exits in Station Parade, Albert Street and Raglan Street. Permission has also been granted for a first floor conservatory, forming an extension to a planned cafe-restaurant area.

BIG POOL: A swimming pool planned for a house in Swindon Lane, Kirkby Overblow, near Harrogate, has been refused by planners because it would be too big.

RADIO EXTENDS: Stray FM, the independent radio station in Harrogate, has been given planning permission to create studios and offices, along with the installation of a satellite dish, at premises on the Hornbeam Park business estate, off Hookstone Road, Harrogate.