INNOVATION in its confectionery products has helped Nestlé grow market share in the first half of the year, the business said.
The global business announced it had made sales of £33.8 billion, representing organic growth of 7.5 per cent, which Paul Bulcke, CEO, called “good progress” in a period characterised by political and economic instability, natural disasters and rising raw material prices.
Nestlé’s UK confectionery business increased market share from 15.5 per cent of the market in 2010 to 16.5 per cent, which Paul Grimwood, chairman and chief executive of Nestlé UK and Ireland, said was driven by innovation.
Aero, which is made in York and recently celebrated its 75th anniversary, was one of the strongest performers, the business said, launching three new products - Aero Biscuit, Aero Caramel and Aero Orange block – over the year. This follows the company’s £20 million investment in 2008 on a new Aero plant at its York factory to make Aero bars and Bubbles.
Product innovations have also been introduced in its Rowntree range, with new Sour Pastilles, Very Berry Jellies, and Jelly Aliens. Milky Bar and Rolo new sharing bags helped the brands achieve 13 per cent and 24 per cent growth respectively in the year to date.
Paul Grimwood said: “The first six months of 2011 was just as challenging as we expected, as household budgets across the country continue to be squeezed. However, we are pleased with the progress we have made as we continue to grow market share in nearly all of the categories we operate in. Our focus on driving innovation continues to pay off.”
Nespresso, which has its customer service centre in York, achieved double-digit organic growth, having continued to perform at a high level around the world despite intensified competition, the company said. The business has opened Nespresso boutiques in St Petersburg, Stockholm and Barcelona, and expects to exceed 250 boutiques by the end of the year.
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Friday, 5 August 2011
Friday, 29 July 2011
Antiques Roadshow comes to York
THEY came in hope; one clutching granny’s old painting that she joked was by Gainsborough, others with boot sale finds they believed must surely be long-lost Ming vases.
For most though, it was a chance to learn the history of treasured family heirlooms as the Antiques Roadshow set up stall in York for the first time since 2003.
Back then, items included a masonic collection of porcelain and glass valued at £18,000 as well as a book signed by Beatrix Potter which was worth £5,000.
Yesterday, some of Britain’s leading antiques and fine arts specialists were in a scorching Museum Gardens offering free advice and valuations to hundreds of visitors who had raided their attics hoping to find their own household treasures.
For many, of course, there was the agony and ecstasy of the ‘what’s it worth’ moment.
Pat Shaw, from Monk Fryston, had a pleasant surprise with her postcard from George Bernard Shaw. Her father was named after the great man and her grandfather, an avid fan, wrote to ask George if that would be alright.
“He sent this card back which said it was a ‘shocking outrage on a defenceless infant’. They valued it at £400 which came as a bit of a shock. I just never thought about it really. The card lives on a mantlepiece at the moment, but I think it will have to go somewhere more secure now.”
Among the highlights was Nestlé’s iconic marketing character, Mr York of York, Yorks, which expert Hilary Kay valued at £5,000, while Cynthia Snioch, of Ripon, struggled with her print of World Religions.
She knew nothing about it, and like everyone else had to queue four hours in the sun to find out.
But fans hoping to see Fiona Bruce were as disappointed as the punters who discovered their “Georgian” chair was only worth a fiver. The show’s host had to pull out at the last minute due to a family illness.
Few, if any, experienced a life- changing moment courtesy of the antique experts, but at least someone will be able to tell their granny once and for all that her painting is more likely to come from the town called Gainsborough, than the artist.
For most though, it was a chance to learn the history of treasured family heirlooms as the Antiques Roadshow set up stall in York for the first time since 2003.
Back then, items included a masonic collection of porcelain and glass valued at £18,000 as well as a book signed by Beatrix Potter which was worth £5,000.
Yesterday, some of Britain’s leading antiques and fine arts specialists were in a scorching Museum Gardens offering free advice and valuations to hundreds of visitors who had raided their attics hoping to find their own household treasures.
For many, of course, there was the agony and ecstasy of the ‘what’s it worth’ moment.
Pat Shaw, from Monk Fryston, had a pleasant surprise with her postcard from George Bernard Shaw. Her father was named after the great man and her grandfather, an avid fan, wrote to ask George if that would be alright.
“He sent this card back which said it was a ‘shocking outrage on a defenceless infant’. They valued it at £400 which came as a bit of a shock. I just never thought about it really. The card lives on a mantlepiece at the moment, but I think it will have to go somewhere more secure now.”
Among the highlights was Nestlé’s iconic marketing character, Mr York of York, Yorks, which expert Hilary Kay valued at £5,000, while Cynthia Snioch, of Ripon, struggled with her print of World Religions.
She knew nothing about it, and like everyone else had to queue four hours in the sun to find out.
But fans hoping to see Fiona Bruce were as disappointed as the punters who discovered their “Georgian” chair was only worth a fiver. The show’s host had to pull out at the last minute due to a family illness.
Few, if any, experienced a life- changing moment courtesy of the antique experts, but at least someone will be able to tell their granny once and for all that her painting is more likely to come from the town called Gainsborough, than the artist.
Wednesday, 27 July 2011
John Lewis eyes York site
YORK could be set to get a John Lewis store, as the company plans a major expansion across the country.
The retailer is in talks with a developer about a specific site on the city’s outskirts.
The firm wants to open ten “mini-stores” in cities where it has not been able to open full-sized stores. The new ones would be about half to two thirds the size of its regular branches.
In total, 3,000 extra jobs will be created as a result of the ten extra stores.
John Lewis declined to confirm or deny that it was examining a site in York, but The Press understands it has held talks with various parties about a number of sites, and is now in talks over a particular location.
The site is on the city’s outskirts, but The Press understands it is not at the new development accompanying the York Community Stadium project.
Andy Street, managing director for John Lewis, said: “There is a huge potential, and a clear demand from customers, for John Lewis to expand into more key locations in the UK.
“This new flexible approach to the size of our shops allows us to forge ahead with our growth plans to introduce John Lewis branches and our full-line assortment to cities and towns where we have long wanted to have a presence.”
Susie Cawood, head of York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce said the move would be a “fantastic boost for the city and an endorsement from an organisation that wants to do business here”.
She said: “It’s fantastic news. It’s very exciting. It’s a wonderful brand to have as a hook.”
But Adam Sinclair, owner of Mulberry Hall in Stonegate and chair of York Business Forum, said there was not a level playing field when it came to city-centre and out-of-town parking.
He said: “You have easy car access and free car parking outside York. Then you have an anti-car policy and expensive car parking (in the city centre) and a two-tier system which discriminates against people who are not from York.” John Lewis considers itself “under-represented” in Yorkshire, one source said, but the parent company John Lewis Partnership gained a foothold in York when its Waitrose arm opened in Foss Islands Road last year.
The scaled down stores will be about half to two-thirds the size of its normal shops, with shops averaging 65,000 to 100,000 sq ft.
John Lewis said they would offer shoppers the full range of homewares, fashion, toys and electrical goods because they would install computer terminals that could be used to order goods online.
The stores will also use television screens to broadcast catwalk shows and demonstrations of products that cannot be fitted into the store.
The retailer is in talks with a developer about a specific site on the city’s outskirts.
The firm wants to open ten “mini-stores” in cities where it has not been able to open full-sized stores. The new ones would be about half to two thirds the size of its regular branches.
In total, 3,000 extra jobs will be created as a result of the ten extra stores.
John Lewis declined to confirm or deny that it was examining a site in York, but The Press understands it has held talks with various parties about a number of sites, and is now in talks over a particular location.
The site is on the city’s outskirts, but The Press understands it is not at the new development accompanying the York Community Stadium project.
Andy Street, managing director for John Lewis, said: “There is a huge potential, and a clear demand from customers, for John Lewis to expand into more key locations in the UK.
“This new flexible approach to the size of our shops allows us to forge ahead with our growth plans to introduce John Lewis branches and our full-line assortment to cities and towns where we have long wanted to have a presence.”
Susie Cawood, head of York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce said the move would be a “fantastic boost for the city and an endorsement from an organisation that wants to do business here”.
She said: “It’s fantastic news. It’s very exciting. It’s a wonderful brand to have as a hook.”
But Adam Sinclair, owner of Mulberry Hall in Stonegate and chair of York Business Forum, said there was not a level playing field when it came to city-centre and out-of-town parking.
He said: “You have easy car access and free car parking outside York. Then you have an anti-car policy and expensive car parking (in the city centre) and a two-tier system which discriminates against people who are not from York.” John Lewis considers itself “under-represented” in Yorkshire, one source said, but the parent company John Lewis Partnership gained a foothold in York when its Waitrose arm opened in Foss Islands Road last year.
The scaled down stores will be about half to two-thirds the size of its normal shops, with shops averaging 65,000 to 100,000 sq ft.
John Lewis said they would offer shoppers the full range of homewares, fashion, toys and electrical goods because they would install computer terminals that could be used to order goods online.
The stores will also use television screens to broadcast catwalk shows and demonstrations of products that cannot be fitted into the store.
£19m upgrade plan for York Minster facilities
FACILITIES for staff and visitors at York Minster could be in line for an upgrade as part of a multi-million-pound conservation project.
Plans to improve accommodation for the historic cathedral’s team of workers and volunteers in its Chapter House Yard, as well as providing better public toilets, have been handed in to City of York Council.
The proposals are part of the £19 million York Minster Revealed scheme, which is aiming to safeguard the future of the building’s East Front and Great East Window, as well as providing new “learning and interpretation” facilities and enhancing access to the building.
The Dean and Chapter of York have said one aspect of the project is to ensure the Minster can be managed “more effectively”, leading to the accommodation and toilet facilities in Chapter House Yard, which have been described as “inadequate”, also coming under the microscope.
“The successful administration of the Minster relies on a large team of staff and volunteers,” said the agents for the scheme, Arrol & Snell Ltd, in a planning statement submitted to the council.
“However, the back-of-house facilities provided within the Chapter House Yard extension are cramped and inadequate. The toilet facilities for visitors are also grossly inadequate.
“The aim of the Chapter House Yard project is to improve the facilities provided for staff, volunteers and visitors. This will be done by improving the provision of public toilets and for services and storage. Access into and out of the Chapter House Yard building will also be greatly improved.”
The firm said that, if the application is approved by planners, temporary accommodation for staff and volunteers and alternative parking arrangements will be put in place nearby.
The scheme would provide improved facilities for the Minster Police, the cathedral’s vestment keepers and its cleaners and flower arrangers, as well as for visitors and worshippers.
A decision on the proposals is expected to be made in September.
Plans to improve accommodation for the historic cathedral’s team of workers and volunteers in its Chapter House Yard, as well as providing better public toilets, have been handed in to City of York Council.
The proposals are part of the £19 million York Minster Revealed scheme, which is aiming to safeguard the future of the building’s East Front and Great East Window, as well as providing new “learning and interpretation” facilities and enhancing access to the building.
The Dean and Chapter of York have said one aspect of the project is to ensure the Minster can be managed “more effectively”, leading to the accommodation and toilet facilities in Chapter House Yard, which have been described as “inadequate”, also coming under the microscope.
“The successful administration of the Minster relies on a large team of staff and volunteers,” said the agents for the scheme, Arrol & Snell Ltd, in a planning statement submitted to the council.
“However, the back-of-house facilities provided within the Chapter House Yard extension are cramped and inadequate. The toilet facilities for visitors are also grossly inadequate.
“The aim of the Chapter House Yard project is to improve the facilities provided for staff, volunteers and visitors. This will be done by improving the provision of public toilets and for services and storage. Access into and out of the Chapter House Yard building will also be greatly improved.”
The firm said that, if the application is approved by planners, temporary accommodation for staff and volunteers and alternative parking arrangements will be put in place nearby.
The scheme would provide improved facilities for the Minster Police, the cathedral’s vestment keepers and its cleaners and flower arrangers, as well as for visitors and worshippers.
A decision on the proposals is expected to be made in September.
Monday, 25 July 2011
Body found in River Ouse search after York man jumps in
Updated: A young man from York jumped into the River Ouse from a waterfront balcony and drowned.
Police say “a moment of misplaced exuberance” cost the 21-year-old his life yesterday morning.
Witnesses said they saw the man struggle in the water briefly before disappearing from view at about 6.35am.
Underwater search teams from West Yorkshire Police were at the scene for most of the day. A police spokesman confirmed that a body was recovered from the river in the afternoon, but said it was too early to formally identify the person.
It is understood the man had just finished work at a nearby bar and had jumped into the water from a walkway near the City Screen cinema and Revolution Vodka Bar, off Coney Street. Revolution remained closed throughout the day on Sunday.
Police said a man, who was part of a group of friends with the jumper, dived in in a desperate rescue attempt.
However, after getting into difficulties himself, he managed to pull himself out to safety.
Police confirmed the man’s death was not being treated as suspicious.
His family has been informed, but are understood to be out of the country at the moment.
The tragedy comes after three men were arrested after jumping into the river in the centre of York a week earlier.
Police and fire crews, including York’s rescue boat, were called to the same stretch of river by the Pitcher & Piano bar, off Coney Street early last Saturday evening. All three men, who are in their 20s, had got out of the river by the time emergency services arrived.
Inspector Mark Henderson, of the York City Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “York has been a very sombre place today knowing that a young man with everything to live for has paid the ultimate price for a moment of misplaced exuberance.
“It is a tragedy that his parents, family and friends will struggle to come to terms with. I personally do not wish to take away from their heartbreak and grief at this terrible time, however people need to wake up to the fact that rivers in general are extremely dangerous, and the Ouse itself is a particularly treacherous stretch of water.”
He said: “To avoid further tragic outcomes like this one, I urge people to take much greater care and respect the very real dangers that rivers pose.”
David Wade, 29, a freelance photographer from York, said he was close to the Park Inn Hotel when he saw the police diver in the water signal to colleagues at about 5pm yesterday before police officers moved people away from the area.
“I saw the divers and saw the police had cordoned off the area,” he said. He believed they had just found the body.
Police say “a moment of misplaced exuberance” cost the 21-year-old his life yesterday morning.
Witnesses said they saw the man struggle in the water briefly before disappearing from view at about 6.35am.
Underwater search teams from West Yorkshire Police were at the scene for most of the day. A police spokesman confirmed that a body was recovered from the river in the afternoon, but said it was too early to formally identify the person.
It is understood the man had just finished work at a nearby bar and had jumped into the water from a walkway near the City Screen cinema and Revolution Vodka Bar, off Coney Street. Revolution remained closed throughout the day on Sunday.
Police said a man, who was part of a group of friends with the jumper, dived in in a desperate rescue attempt.
However, after getting into difficulties himself, he managed to pull himself out to safety.
Police confirmed the man’s death was not being treated as suspicious.
His family has been informed, but are understood to be out of the country at the moment.
The tragedy comes after three men were arrested after jumping into the river in the centre of York a week earlier.
Police and fire crews, including York’s rescue boat, were called to the same stretch of river by the Pitcher & Piano bar, off Coney Street early last Saturday evening. All three men, who are in their 20s, had got out of the river by the time emergency services arrived.
Inspector Mark Henderson, of the York City Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “York has been a very sombre place today knowing that a young man with everything to live for has paid the ultimate price for a moment of misplaced exuberance.
“It is a tragedy that his parents, family and friends will struggle to come to terms with. I personally do not wish to take away from their heartbreak and grief at this terrible time, however people need to wake up to the fact that rivers in general are extremely dangerous, and the Ouse itself is a particularly treacherous stretch of water.”
He said: “To avoid further tragic outcomes like this one, I urge people to take much greater care and respect the very real dangers that rivers pose.”
David Wade, 29, a freelance photographer from York, said he was close to the Park Inn Hotel when he saw the police diver in the water signal to colleagues at about 5pm yesterday before police officers moved people away from the area.
“I saw the divers and saw the police had cordoned off the area,” he said. He believed they had just found the body.
Wednesday, 6 July 2011
Acomb planker, 14, "could have caused untold grief"
A BOY could have died an “horrendous” death as he lay down on the East Coast main railway line near York, magistrates have said.
Kathryn Reeves, prosecuting, told York Youth Court that a train thundered past on one track as the 14-year-old boy lay across a second line near Hob Moor.
The boy was taking part in the “planking” craze in which people lie flat in bizarre or dangerous places, and told magistrates he no longer regarded his actions as a joke. He was given a four-month referral order.
Francesca Horsfield, sitting with two magistrates, issued a stark warning against playing on railway lines, as thousands of children prepare to break up for the summer holidays.
She told the boy, from Acomb: “It could have caused untold grief not only to your family, but to others as well, such as the train driver who would have had the horrific experience of watching you being killed in a horrendous manner.
“You committed what can only be described as an act of total stupidity. It wasn’t brave at all.”
The bench gave the teenager a four-month referral order and ordered him to pay £85 prosecution costs after he admitted trespassing on the railway. He cannot be identified for legal reasons.
Ms Horsfield told him: “Your moment of fame is costing you dearly.”
The boy was prosecuted after The Press highlighted the dangers of “planking” by publishing the photo, which a friend had taken of him, on our front page.
Within hours, an anonymous caller identified him to police and he was arrested. Ms Reeves told the court: “This was done as a joke, but the consequences could have been fatal.”
The boy, who represented himself, told magistrates about his actions.
He said: “You don’t realise what you’re doing until you’ve done it.
“It’s not funny when you look at it again.”
He had told police he did it because he had nothing to do and wanted to have a picture of himself doing “something dangerous”.
His father said he was “appalled” by his son’s actions and claimed the people behind an online “planking” page were more concerned about the number of hits it got than their “duty to the public”. Both he and his son believed the “planking” craze was dying down.
Planking has previously been linked to the death of a man who fell from a balcony in Australia.
Kathryn Reeves, prosecuting, told York Youth Court that a train thundered past on one track as the 14-year-old boy lay across a second line near Hob Moor.
The boy was taking part in the “planking” craze in which people lie flat in bizarre or dangerous places, and told magistrates he no longer regarded his actions as a joke. He was given a four-month referral order.
Francesca Horsfield, sitting with two magistrates, issued a stark warning against playing on railway lines, as thousands of children prepare to break up for the summer holidays.
She told the boy, from Acomb: “It could have caused untold grief not only to your family, but to others as well, such as the train driver who would have had the horrific experience of watching you being killed in a horrendous manner.
“You committed what can only be described as an act of total stupidity. It wasn’t brave at all.”
The bench gave the teenager a four-month referral order and ordered him to pay £85 prosecution costs after he admitted trespassing on the railway. He cannot be identified for legal reasons.
Ms Horsfield told him: “Your moment of fame is costing you dearly.”
The boy was prosecuted after The Press highlighted the dangers of “planking” by publishing the photo, which a friend had taken of him, on our front page.
Within hours, an anonymous caller identified him to police and he was arrested. Ms Reeves told the court: “This was done as a joke, but the consequences could have been fatal.”
The boy, who represented himself, told magistrates about his actions.
He said: “You don’t realise what you’re doing until you’ve done it.
“It’s not funny when you look at it again.”
He had told police he did it because he had nothing to do and wanted to have a picture of himself doing “something dangerous”.
His father said he was “appalled” by his son’s actions and claimed the people behind an online “planking” page were more concerned about the number of hits it got than their “duty to the public”. Both he and his son believed the “planking” craze was dying down.
Planking has previously been linked to the death of a man who fell from a balcony in Australia.
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
Monday, 16 May 2011
Narrow escape for driver on Wigginton Road level crossing
THIS driver had a lucky escape after becoming trapped on a York level crossing moments before a high-speed train sped past only feet from the vehicle.
The near-miss at the crossing in Wigginton Road near the Nestlé factory was captured on camera by Press reader Dave Welbeck.
Mr Welbeck said he believed the motorist stopped at the flashing light, but may not have realised he was on the wrong side of the barrier until it was too late.
The Wigginton Road crossing featured in The Press last year after the barrier came down on the roof of a lorry which had not stopped at the flashing lights.
Clifton councillors said it may now be time for Network Rail to assess safety at the site.
Mr Welbeck, of Heworth, who runs a haulage company in York, was heading in the direction of York city centre when he witnessed the incident.
He said: “I don’t know whether he didn’t see the lights or wasn’t concentrating.
“He went through, realised what had happened, obviously stopped and reversed but of course the barrier had come down.” He said he did not think the driver had done anything wrong. “I only saw an amber light on the level crossing then the barrier came down. The problem is clearly theirs and not the driver’s. There’s a problem at the site.”
In 2006 the crossing was highlighted as one of the worst in Yorkshire for drivers risking their lives by dodging the lights and driving over the tracks, although it is not known if this was the cause of Thursday night’s incident.
Clifton ward Councillor, Ken King, said when the lights were on amber, drivers must stop.
However, he said: “It’s no good them (the barriers) coming down when the lights are on amber. Maybe that’s something they should look at. There’s some safety issue there and it needs looking at.”
Fellow Clifton councillor David Scott said: “There’s a change of speed limit and there’s a bend and there’s Nestlé coming up in your sightline. Maybe it’s just too many distractions.”
It is understood the barrier gives drivers a maximum of 15 seconds from the lights beginning to flash amber, to the barriers coming down.
The incident comes as Network Rail is looking at ways of reducing the number of level crossings throughout the UK.
A Network Rail spokesman said the incident served as a “stark warning and reminder to all drivers they must observe the safety warnings at level crossings”. The company said it was aware some drivers were entering the “yellow box” before their exit was clear – risking becoming trapped if the barriers are activated. It also said the crossing, along with all others in the UK, were regularly safety checked by Network Rail and ORR, the independent rail regulator.
Vicki Smith, community safety manager for Network Rail, said: “Any misuse of level crossings is incredibly dangerous. “I hope this picture helps to remind people to use crossings safely. I understand that waiting can be frustrating, but warnings including lights and barriers are there to protect the public from an incredibly busy rail network. We urge people to obey the warnings and not risk their lives or cause costly delays to the network.”
The near-miss at the crossing in Wigginton Road near the Nestlé factory was captured on camera by Press reader Dave Welbeck.
Mr Welbeck said he believed the motorist stopped at the flashing light, but may not have realised he was on the wrong side of the barrier until it was too late.
The Wigginton Road crossing featured in The Press last year after the barrier came down on the roof of a lorry which had not stopped at the flashing lights.
Clifton councillors said it may now be time for Network Rail to assess safety at the site.
Mr Welbeck, of Heworth, who runs a haulage company in York, was heading in the direction of York city centre when he witnessed the incident.
He said: “I don’t know whether he didn’t see the lights or wasn’t concentrating.
“He went through, realised what had happened, obviously stopped and reversed but of course the barrier had come down.” He said he did not think the driver had done anything wrong. “I only saw an amber light on the level crossing then the barrier came down. The problem is clearly theirs and not the driver’s. There’s a problem at the site.”
In 2006 the crossing was highlighted as one of the worst in Yorkshire for drivers risking their lives by dodging the lights and driving over the tracks, although it is not known if this was the cause of Thursday night’s incident.
Clifton ward Councillor, Ken King, said when the lights were on amber, drivers must stop.
However, he said: “It’s no good them (the barriers) coming down when the lights are on amber. Maybe that’s something they should look at. There’s some safety issue there and it needs looking at.”
Fellow Clifton councillor David Scott said: “There’s a change of speed limit and there’s a bend and there’s Nestlé coming up in your sightline. Maybe it’s just too many distractions.”
It is understood the barrier gives drivers a maximum of 15 seconds from the lights beginning to flash amber, to the barriers coming down.
The incident comes as Network Rail is looking at ways of reducing the number of level crossings throughout the UK.
A Network Rail spokesman said the incident served as a “stark warning and reminder to all drivers they must observe the safety warnings at level crossings”. The company said it was aware some drivers were entering the “yellow box” before their exit was clear – risking becoming trapped if the barriers are activated. It also said the crossing, along with all others in the UK, were regularly safety checked by Network Rail and ORR, the independent rail regulator.
Vicki Smith, community safety manager for Network Rail, said: “Any misuse of level crossings is incredibly dangerous. “I hope this picture helps to remind people to use crossings safely. I understand that waiting can be frustrating, but warnings including lights and barriers are there to protect the public from an incredibly busy rail network. We urge people to obey the warnings and not risk their lives or cause costly delays to the network.”
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
Family of heart patient Emma Mallett, 13, fight to save Leeds heart unit
A YOUNG heart surgery patient who underwent a life-saving operation will today celebrate becoming a teenager – as the service that saved her hangs in the balance.
As Emma Mallett, a chorister at York Minster, turns 13, her father, Simon, has joined other parents to demand that the NHS scraps a plan to move children’s heart surgery services from Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) to Newcastle.
Mr Mallett said: “I know from personal experience how important it is to have a unit close to where you live,” he said.
“To have to travel to an unfamiliar city, miles away from home would only have added to the stress.
“It would also have been impossible for family members to have supported Emma during her surgery.”
Emma, a pupil at the Minster School, was diagnosed with a serious defect of the aorta at the age of six and was rushed to LGI the next day for life-saving surgery to correct the problem. “It was definitely life-threatening,” said Mr Mallett.
“If it hadn’t been picked up, she probably wouldn’t be around.”
He said: “Her surgery was just procedure and she was out a day later.
“But if it’s an emergency, you are going to be in that ward a long time.
“Children should be able to be treated, in life saving situations, in a hospital close to their home.”
Mr Mallett, a barrister and former Conservative parliamentary candidate for York, said: “A five or six-hour round trip for family members to visit, either before or after surgery, would have been impracticable.”
The NHS Safe and Sustainable review proposes a major overhaul of paediatric heart surgery services in the UK, with more surgeons, expertise and facilities concentrated in fewer centres.
However, three out of four of the proposals for our region would see surgery services moved from LGI to Newcastle.
The consultation has been organised by the Safe And Sustainable review, which has proposed moving children’s heart surgery services from Leeds to Newcastle, in a move it says will provide better quality standards. Two sessions will take place at Savile Hall, next to the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds, at 3pm and 6pm.
Professor Roger Boyle, national director for heart disease and stroke, who is on the review panel, and Professor Martin Elliott, of the British Congenital Cardiac Association, who is also a consultant paediatric cardiac surgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital, will both be present at the meetings.
A session for young people affected by heart illness to give their views on the future of surgery services in the region is due to take place at The Royal York Hotel, on Saturday, May 14 from 11am to 1pm.
As Emma Mallett, a chorister at York Minster, turns 13, her father, Simon, has joined other parents to demand that the NHS scraps a plan to move children’s heart surgery services from Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) to Newcastle.
Mr Mallett said: “I know from personal experience how important it is to have a unit close to where you live,” he said.
“To have to travel to an unfamiliar city, miles away from home would only have added to the stress.
“It would also have been impossible for family members to have supported Emma during her surgery.”
Emma, a pupil at the Minster School, was diagnosed with a serious defect of the aorta at the age of six and was rushed to LGI the next day for life-saving surgery to correct the problem. “It was definitely life-threatening,” said Mr Mallett.
“If it hadn’t been picked up, she probably wouldn’t be around.”
He said: “Her surgery was just procedure and she was out a day later.
“But if it’s an emergency, you are going to be in that ward a long time.
“Children should be able to be treated, in life saving situations, in a hospital close to their home.”
Mr Mallett, a barrister and former Conservative parliamentary candidate for York, said: “A five or six-hour round trip for family members to visit, either before or after surgery, would have been impracticable.”
The NHS Safe and Sustainable review proposes a major overhaul of paediatric heart surgery services in the UK, with more surgeons, expertise and facilities concentrated in fewer centres.
However, three out of four of the proposals for our region would see surgery services moved from LGI to Newcastle.
Seeking views over heart unit’s future
PUBLIC consultation meetings on the future of the region’s children’s heart unit at Leeds General Infirmary are to be held today. The consultation has been organised by the Safe And Sustainable review, which has proposed moving children’s heart surgery services from Leeds to Newcastle, in a move it says will provide better quality standards. Two sessions will take place at Savile Hall, next to the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds, at 3pm and 6pm.
Professor Roger Boyle, national director for heart disease and stroke, who is on the review panel, and Professor Martin Elliott, of the British Congenital Cardiac Association, who is also a consultant paediatric cardiac surgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital, will both be present at the meetings.
A session for young people affected by heart illness to give their views on the future of surgery services in the region is due to take place at The Royal York Hotel, on Saturday, May 14 from 11am to 1pm.
Friday, 29 April 2011
Thursday, 28 April 2011
Asbestos to be removed from 100 York homes (From York Press)
Asbestos to be removed from 100 York homes (From York Press): "Thursday, 28 April 2011
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Monday, 25 April 2011
Sunday, 24 April 2011
Saturday, 23 April 2011
Friday, 22 April 2011
Wednesday, 20 April 2011
Saturday, 16 April 2011
Friday, 15 April 2011
Jury out in Melsonby murder trial
THE jury in the trial of sub-postmaster Robin Garbutt has been told to consider whether he killed his wife and then hid the murder weapon in the “dead of night”.
The eight men and four women spent more than two-and-a-half hours deliberating yesterday afternoon before being sent home. Mr Justice Openshaw asked the jury to return at 10am on Monday to again consider its verdict.
Garbutt denies murdering his 40-year-old wife, Diana, in the living quarters of The Village Shop and Post Office, in Melsonby, near Richmond, on March 23 last year.
The judge told the jury they must consider all the evidence they had heard during the previous 17 days.
He said: “You must reach, if you can, a unanimous verdict – that is to say a verdict which you are all agreed on, one way or another.”
Earlier the judge summed up the evidence from the trial.
He told the jury: “He (prosecutor David Hatton QC) suggests that the bar was put on the wall by the defendant in the dead of night after he had murdered his wife.
“These are the serious issues which you will have to consider.”
The judge said he would decide when, if at all, a majority verdict would be acceptable.
He advised the jury to appoint a foreman to lead the examination of the evidence and to give the verdict.
The legal teams and Garbutt were called back into court about an hour after retiring when the jury submitted a question.
Members asked if they could have the statement to police of Melsonby resident Brian Hird, who had been called as a witness by the defence.
He told the court earlier in the trial he heard a woman’s voice call out “Robin” on the morning of the murder at about 6.45am.
He said Garbutt responded by saying “yes Di” or “yes dear”.
Prosecutors claim Garbutt beat his wife to death with an iron bar and then faked a robbery to cover up his crime.
The trial continues.
The eight men and four women spent more than two-and-a-half hours deliberating yesterday afternoon before being sent home. Mr Justice Openshaw asked the jury to return at 10am on Monday to again consider its verdict.
Garbutt denies murdering his 40-year-old wife, Diana, in the living quarters of The Village Shop and Post Office, in Melsonby, near Richmond, on March 23 last year.
The judge told the jury they must consider all the evidence they had heard during the previous 17 days.
He said: “You must reach, if you can, a unanimous verdict – that is to say a verdict which you are all agreed on, one way or another.”
Earlier the judge summed up the evidence from the trial.
He told the jury: “He (prosecutor David Hatton QC) suggests that the bar was put on the wall by the defendant in the dead of night after he had murdered his wife.
“These are the serious issues which you will have to consider.”
The judge said he would decide when, if at all, a majority verdict would be acceptable.
He advised the jury to appoint a foreman to lead the examination of the evidence and to give the verdict.
The legal teams and Garbutt were called back into court about an hour after retiring when the jury submitted a question.
Members asked if they could have the statement to police of Melsonby resident Brian Hird, who had been called as a witness by the defence.
He told the court earlier in the trial he heard a woman’s voice call out “Robin” on the morning of the murder at about 6.45am.
He said Garbutt responded by saying “yes Di” or “yes dear”.
Prosecutors claim Garbutt beat his wife to death with an iron bar and then faked a robbery to cover up his crime.
The trial continues.
Thursday, 14 April 2011
York success story ioko sold for £50 million
IOKO 365, the York business behind online video services for the likes of BBC iPlayer and Channel4 OD, has agreed to be bought for a net consideration of almost £50 million.
The £33 million-turnover ioko, which employs up to 250 people at York Science Park, said it is hoping to expand its international reach when it is bought by global company KIT Digital.
The business said the development of more video-enabled devices, such as the iPad and innovations in mobile, connected TV and set-top box technology, presented a major business opportunity for the two companies as broadcasters all over the world innovate to manage their content.
Allan Dunn, finance director of ioko, said nothing would change within the business but the deal would enable ioko to take up more opportunities internationally.
“There’s a continued demand for ioko’s services in all corners of the globe,” he said.
“We realised we were missing out on opportunities because we have not got the ability to go after all of them.”
He said the company would retain the name ioko and it would create further opportunities for staff.
“We have no intentions to change anything at all in the business. But it gives the staff a fantastic opportunity to work on a global basis and it’s been very positively received.”
Ioko was started at York Science Park in 1995 by David Griffiths and Mark Christie with £100,000 of private investment. It now employs about 380 people in offices in San Diego, London, York, Malaga and Sydney.
The acquisition values ioko at about £65.9 million in cash and shares, including deferred performance-based payments over two and a half years, although it will not pay so much up front because of about £17.2 million of cash and working capital expected to be included in ioko’s balance sheet.
KIT Digital, headquartered in Prague, employs 750 people in 25 offices around the world.
KIT also agreed to purchase Milan-based Polymedia in March and it said it expected the two acquisitions to boost its revenues in 2011 to £210 million, 98 per cent higher than in 2010.
The £33 million-turnover ioko, which employs up to 250 people at York Science Park, said it is hoping to expand its international reach when it is bought by global company KIT Digital.
The business said the development of more video-enabled devices, such as the iPad and innovations in mobile, connected TV and set-top box technology, presented a major business opportunity for the two companies as broadcasters all over the world innovate to manage their content.
Allan Dunn, finance director of ioko, said nothing would change within the business but the deal would enable ioko to take up more opportunities internationally.
“There’s a continued demand for ioko’s services in all corners of the globe,” he said.
“We realised we were missing out on opportunities because we have not got the ability to go after all of them.”
He said the company would retain the name ioko and it would create further opportunities for staff.
“We have no intentions to change anything at all in the business. But it gives the staff a fantastic opportunity to work on a global basis and it’s been very positively received.”
Ioko was started at York Science Park in 1995 by David Griffiths and Mark Christie with £100,000 of private investment. It now employs about 380 people in offices in San Diego, London, York, Malaga and Sydney.
The acquisition values ioko at about £65.9 million in cash and shares, including deferred performance-based payments over two and a half years, although it will not pay so much up front because of about £17.2 million of cash and working capital expected to be included in ioko’s balance sheet.
KIT Digital, headquartered in Prague, employs 750 people in 25 offices around the world.
KIT also agreed to purchase Milan-based Polymedia in March and it said it expected the two acquisitions to boost its revenues in 2011 to £210 million, 98 per cent higher than in 2010.
Michelle Howe, 50, survives six brain operations
A SUPERMARKET worker from York says she is lucky to be alive, after she needed six life-threatening brain operations in 11 months.
Michelle Howe, 50, of Rawcliffe, was diagnosed with a brain tumour at York’s Nuffield Hospital after returning home from a holiday in Turkey suffering from severe headaches.
Doctors removed a two-inch tumour from Michelle’s brain, but she suffered a number of complications after the operation and had to undergo a further five gruelling operations.
One of Michelle’s doctors said he hopes to use her as a medical case study, as it is so rare to have the string of complications she suffered.
A final procedure to remove and replace a four square inch part of her skull was successfully carried out three weeks ago.
Michelle, the personnel manager at Morrison’s in Foss Islands Road, said: “What has happened is unlucky, but I feel extremely lucky I am still here.
“I am so thankful to my husband and all of my friends who have been so supportive.
“Being in hospital made me realise that there is always someone worse off than yourself.
“It has been life changing in respect of the priorities I now have in my life.”
After being diagnosed with a large benign brain tumour in York, the tumour was removed by specialist doctors in Hull Royal Infirmary in May 2010.
But Michelle had to be rushed into surgery again when a blood clot was discovered.
She then suffered an epileptic fit and doctors found fluid on her brain resulting in two further procedures.
To treat Michelle, doctors removed a section of her skull and then replaced it with a bone substitute imported from Italy.
She is now recovering from her operations at the home she shares with husband Mark, 48, in Rawcliffe Croft.
She said: “All the time I have been in Hull Hospital they have been so patient and supportive.
“They are so good at treating people as individuals particularly on Ward 4 and Ward 40. I would like to express my gratitude to Mr O’Reilly my neurosurgeon and to my employers.”
Michelle Howe, 50, of Rawcliffe, was diagnosed with a brain tumour at York’s Nuffield Hospital after returning home from a holiday in Turkey suffering from severe headaches.
Doctors removed a two-inch tumour from Michelle’s brain, but she suffered a number of complications after the operation and had to undergo a further five gruelling operations.
One of Michelle’s doctors said he hopes to use her as a medical case study, as it is so rare to have the string of complications she suffered.
A final procedure to remove and replace a four square inch part of her skull was successfully carried out three weeks ago.
Michelle, the personnel manager at Morrison’s in Foss Islands Road, said: “What has happened is unlucky, but I feel extremely lucky I am still here.
“I am so thankful to my husband and all of my friends who have been so supportive.
“Being in hospital made me realise that there is always someone worse off than yourself.
“It has been life changing in respect of the priorities I now have in my life.”
After being diagnosed with a large benign brain tumour in York, the tumour was removed by specialist doctors in Hull Royal Infirmary in May 2010.
But Michelle had to be rushed into surgery again when a blood clot was discovered.
She then suffered an epileptic fit and doctors found fluid on her brain resulting in two further procedures.
To treat Michelle, doctors removed a section of her skull and then replaced it with a bone substitute imported from Italy.
She is now recovering from her operations at the home she shares with husband Mark, 48, in Rawcliffe Croft.
She said: “All the time I have been in Hull Hospital they have been so patient and supportive.
“They are so good at treating people as individuals particularly on Ward 4 and Ward 40. I would like to express my gratitude to Mr O’Reilly my neurosurgeon and to my employers.”
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
Biker killed in tractor crash near York
A BIKER has been killed in a crash with a tractor near York today.
The 41-year-old Selby man, who has not yet been named by police, was riding a grey Suzuki bike when he was in collision with a tractor at Greengales Lane, Elvington, at about 11.05am.
Traffic Constable Yvonne Taylor, of North Yorkshire Police’s Road Policing Group, said the biker had been travelling with another motorcycle before the accident, and was pronounced dead at the scene, outside Raker Lakes.
The driver of the tractor, a 60-year-old local man, was uninjured.
The road was closed in both directions until 3.10pm, to allow police to investigate.
The 41-year-old Selby man, who has not yet been named by police, was riding a grey Suzuki bike when he was in collision with a tractor at Greengales Lane, Elvington, at about 11.05am.
Traffic Constable Yvonne Taylor, of North Yorkshire Police’s Road Policing Group, said the biker had been travelling with another motorcycle before the accident, and was pronounced dead at the scene, outside Raker Lakes.
The driver of the tractor, a 60-year-old local man, was uninjured.
The road was closed in both directions until 3.10pm, to allow police to investigate.
Saturday, 9 April 2011
Monday, 4 April 2011
River victim Paul Rogerson fell off bridge parapet
A TRAINEE accountant was balancing on the parapet of Ouse Bridge when he fell in the river, an inquest has heard.
Paul Alan Rogerson, 26, of Arthur Street, York, had been on a night out when he jumped on to Ouse Bridge and began to walk along it. But the Aviva worker lost his footing and fell into the river, an inquest heard.
Police tried to throw ropes in to Mr Rogerson but he struggled to stay afloat and went beneath the surface several minutes later.
His body was found hours afterwards, the court heard.
Coroner Donald Coverdale said: “He was out on a night out and had consumed a quantity of alcohol when he was seen to jump on to the Ouse Bridge wall at Kings Staith. He was seen to attempt to walk along the wall but lost his footing and fell into the Ouse.” A post-mortem examination found that Mr Rogerson had drowned.
Mr Rogerson, who was a single man originally from Morecambe, was identified by his mother Karen, the court heard. He had moved to York in 2008.
Colleagues say he moved to the unit pricing team last year. The tragedy happened at about 2am on March 26 when witnesses saw Mr Rogerson slip from the bridge into the river. The fall sparked a search involving a police helicopter from West Yorkshire, an underwater diving team and fire service rescue boats.
In a joint statement, his colleagues at Aviva said: “Paul was a well-liked, fun-loving guy. His infectious personality touched everyone he met.
“He was a much-respected colleague and friend to so many in the unit pricing team. He will be sorely missed.”
He leaves parents, Alan and Karen, brothers David and Daniel and sister Nikita.
Paul Alan Rogerson, 26, of Arthur Street, York, had been on a night out when he jumped on to Ouse Bridge and began to walk along it. But the Aviva worker lost his footing and fell into the river, an inquest heard.
Police tried to throw ropes in to Mr Rogerson but he struggled to stay afloat and went beneath the surface several minutes later.
His body was found hours afterwards, the court heard.
Coroner Donald Coverdale said: “He was out on a night out and had consumed a quantity of alcohol when he was seen to jump on to the Ouse Bridge wall at Kings Staith. He was seen to attempt to walk along the wall but lost his footing and fell into the Ouse.” A post-mortem examination found that Mr Rogerson had drowned.
Mr Rogerson, who was a single man originally from Morecambe, was identified by his mother Karen, the court heard. He had moved to York in 2008.
Colleagues say he moved to the unit pricing team last year. The tragedy happened at about 2am on March 26 when witnesses saw Mr Rogerson slip from the bridge into the river. The fall sparked a search involving a police helicopter from West Yorkshire, an underwater diving team and fire service rescue boats.
In a joint statement, his colleagues at Aviva said: “Paul was a well-liked, fun-loving guy. His infectious personality touched everyone he met.
“He was a much-respected colleague and friend to so many in the unit pricing team. He will be sorely missed.”
He leaves parents, Alan and Karen, brothers David and Daniel and sister Nikita.
Sunday, 3 April 2011
Friday, 1 April 2011
Strong winds bring disruption to York roads and train services
SUDDEN strong winds have hit the region this afternoon bringing down trees and causing disruption.
Beckfield Lane in York is currently closed at its junction with Boroughbridge Road as council workmen remove a tree which has fallen across the road.
Police say a tree which was brought down in Shipton Road this morning has now been cleared.
A car was also slightly damaged in the Clifton area after a road sign blew free from road works.
Meanwhile train services between York and Darlington are currently experiencing delays of up to an hour due to overhead wire problems and objects on the track.
Beckfield Lane in York is currently closed at its junction with Boroughbridge Road as council workmen remove a tree which has fallen across the road.
Police say a tree which was brought down in Shipton Road this morning has now been cleared.
A car was also slightly damaged in the Clifton area after a road sign blew free from road works.
Meanwhile train services between York and Darlington are currently experiencing delays of up to an hour due to overhead wire problems and objects on the track.
Thursday, 31 March 2011
Operation Lion sees ten of York's ‘most wanted’ arrested
TEN of York’s “most wanted” have been arrested as the police continue their city-wide crackdown on crime.
Operation Lion targets known criminals operating in and around York city centre, and has seen police make 36 arrests since it began on March 14, including ten over the weekend.
On Saturday, six people were arrested on suspicion of offences including theft, handling stolen goods, drug offences and violent disorder.
Assistant chief constable Tim Madgwick vowed the fight against crime would continue.
He said: “There will be no let-up. We will continue to target people who are offending on a regular basis and they will be left in no doubt that we are watching them and are determined to divert them away from a life of crime.”
Following the arrests, a 19-year-old man who was stopped on Constantine Avenue was charged with aggravated vehicle taking, driving without insurance and two counts of theft from a shop. He appeared before York Magistrates’ on Monday and was remanded on bail, but was arrested again later that day and charged with breaching his bail conditions.
A 15-year-old is due before York Youth Court next Tuesday after he allegedly swapped price tags at T K Maxx in the city centre, while a 17-year-old was arrested in Melrosegate in connection with a theft from Jorvik Service Station, on Lawrence Street.
Officers also arrested a 30-year-old man at Robinson Court, following a break-in at Falsgrave Crescent. He was charged with burglary and attempted burglary.
Officers also conducted a warrant at an address in Cromer Street and arrested a 25-year-old man, on suspicion of violent disorder after he allegedly forced his way into a house on Burlington Avenue the previous night and assaulted the occupant.
He has been released on police bail as inquiries continue.
Four more people were arrested on Sunday, including a 39-year-old man, charged with breaching bail conditions, handling stolen goods and possession of Class B drugs; a 20-year-old man on suspicion of assault; and a 41-year-old man on Gale Lane on suspicion of theft and affray.
A 24-year-old man was arrested later that day on suspicion of affray, assault and theft, after an incident at Hawkshead Close at about 4pm. He was later charged with all three offences.
Operation Lion targets known criminals operating in and around York city centre, and has seen police make 36 arrests since it began on March 14, including ten over the weekend.
On Saturday, six people were arrested on suspicion of offences including theft, handling stolen goods, drug offences and violent disorder.
Assistant chief constable Tim Madgwick vowed the fight against crime would continue.
He said: “There will be no let-up. We will continue to target people who are offending on a regular basis and they will be left in no doubt that we are watching them and are determined to divert them away from a life of crime.”
Following the arrests, a 19-year-old man who was stopped on Constantine Avenue was charged with aggravated vehicle taking, driving without insurance and two counts of theft from a shop. He appeared before York Magistrates’ on Monday and was remanded on bail, but was arrested again later that day and charged with breaching his bail conditions.
A 15-year-old is due before York Youth Court next Tuesday after he allegedly swapped price tags at T K Maxx in the city centre, while a 17-year-old was arrested in Melrosegate in connection with a theft from Jorvik Service Station, on Lawrence Street.
Officers also arrested a 30-year-old man at Robinson Court, following a break-in at Falsgrave Crescent. He was charged with burglary and attempted burglary.
Officers also conducted a warrant at an address in Cromer Street and arrested a 25-year-old man, on suspicion of violent disorder after he allegedly forced his way into a house on Burlington Avenue the previous night and assaulted the occupant.
He has been released on police bail as inquiries continue.
Four more people were arrested on Sunday, including a 39-year-old man, charged with breaching bail conditions, handling stolen goods and possession of Class B drugs; a 20-year-old man on suspicion of assault; and a 41-year-old man on Gale Lane on suspicion of theft and affray.
A 24-year-old man was arrested later that day on suspicion of affray, assault and theft, after an incident at Hawkshead Close at about 4pm. He was later charged with all three offences.
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
4x4 ploughs into bungalow in Wheatfield Lane, Haxby as householder sleeps in bed
TWO bungalows were damaged when a 4x4 left the road and smashed into the buildings in a York village.
Howard Fisher was in bed in a bedroom at the back of his home in Wheatfield Lane, Haxby, when a black BMW X5 ploughed into his living room. The vehicle then crashed into the side of the unoccupied bungalow next door.
"It sounded like a clap of thunder to me. I said ‘what on earth was that?’ We were shocked when we saw what had happened"
The incident happened at about 4am on Saturday.
Mr Fisher, who shares the bungalow with his wife, Mary, said he was unhurt and the couple were looking for somewhere else to stay.
Mary and Bill Clasper, who live across the road from Mr Fisher’s house, were asleep at the back of their bungalow when they were woken by a loud noise.
Mrs Clasper said: “It sounded like a clap of thunder to me. I said ‘what on earth was that’?
“We were shocked when we saw what had happened. You don’t expect that sort of thing down here.”
Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: “I heard all this banging, then I looked out and saw a couple of fire engines, an ambulance and police cars.”
PC Martin Hayes, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “Two people have been arrested and are in custody at York police station.
“Thankfully for the occupant, the front room was not the bedroom. The noise from the impact must have been tremendous.”
PC Hayes said the occupant of the house was not injured, but were very shocked and shaken, and the two people in the BMW suffered only minor injuries.
A police spokesman said a 46-year-old local woman had been arrested for driving while over the legal limit, and a 19-year-old man had also been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving.
Both have since been released on bail pending further inquiries.
Fire crews from York, Huntington and Tadcaster were sent to the scene, and a heavy rescue unit was also brought in from Tadcaster to attend to the property.
Workers were called into shore up the roof of the bungalow.
Howard Fisher was in bed in a bedroom at the back of his home in Wheatfield Lane, Haxby, when a black BMW X5 ploughed into his living room. The vehicle then crashed into the side of the unoccupied bungalow next door.
"It sounded like a clap of thunder to me. I said ‘what on earth was that?’ We were shocked when we saw what had happened"
The incident happened at about 4am on Saturday.
Mr Fisher, who shares the bungalow with his wife, Mary, said he was unhurt and the couple were looking for somewhere else to stay.
Mary and Bill Clasper, who live across the road from Mr Fisher’s house, were asleep at the back of their bungalow when they were woken by a loud noise.
Mrs Clasper said: “It sounded like a clap of thunder to me. I said ‘what on earth was that’?
“We were shocked when we saw what had happened. You don’t expect that sort of thing down here.”
Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: “I heard all this banging, then I looked out and saw a couple of fire engines, an ambulance and police cars.”
PC Martin Hayes, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “Two people have been arrested and are in custody at York police station.
“Thankfully for the occupant, the front room was not the bedroom. The noise from the impact must have been tremendous.”
PC Hayes said the occupant of the house was not injured, but were very shocked and shaken, and the two people in the BMW suffered only minor injuries.
A police spokesman said a 46-year-old local woman had been arrested for driving while over the legal limit, and a 19-year-old man had also been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving.
Both have since been released on bail pending further inquiries.
Fire crews from York, Huntington and Tadcaster were sent to the scene, and a heavy rescue unit was also brought in from Tadcaster to attend to the property.
Workers were called into shore up the roof of the bungalow.
Monday, 28 March 2011
York rugby player Billy Cakaunitabua jailed for glassing
A RUGBY star has been jailed after he glassed a pilot in a moment of “madness” in a bar in York city centre.
Billy Cakaunitabua, high-scoring winger for York RUFC, attacked John Oratis on a night out, leaving him scarred for life, York Crown Court heard.
Cakaunitabua, who served with the British Army in Northern Ireland and Bosnia before becoming a part-time prison officer, is now beginning a nine-month jail sentence.
Richard Walters, prosecuting, said Cakaunitabua suddenly and without warning hit 32-year-old Mr Oratis in the face early on December 11, after the pair had been talking amicably for some time near the bar of Vudu Lounge in Swinegate and after the pilot had bought him a drink.
The attack left Mr Oratis permanently scarred. He needed 30 stitches in wounds to his face and head, including one near his eye, and it took three hospital visits to finish the treatment.
He was off work for three weeks and suffered from so much pain he could not put on flying goggles or sleep properly.
Nicholas Barker, mitigating, said Cakaunitabua had lost his mother a few weeks before the attack and had drunk more than twice his normal amount.
Mr Barker told the Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashurst: “You have before you a very impressive man who has given a lot to society. The defendant must be judged for those one or two seconds of madness.”
The judge told Cakaunitabua: “For reasons we simply do not know, you lost your self-control and your temper.”
He said about the pilot: “He is very lucky that the injury didn’t extend into his eye. I accept you have a very deep sense of shame. You have spoilt your exemplary character.”
Cakaunitabua, of Del Pyke, The Groves, pleaded guilty to wounding. The winger has played for York RUFC for nine years. He is likely to be released from prison before the start of the 2011/12 season.
Mr Walters said Mr Oratis had been out with friends in the Clifton area before going to the city centre. He was queuing for drinks in Vudu Lounge, as was Cakaunitabua. The two started talking and having a laugh and a joke.
Although he arrived after the winger, Mr Oratis was served first, so he bought a drink for Cakaunitabua. They continued to talk until Cakaunitabua lashed out.
The rugby player later told police he had had ten pints, three sambucas and a coke.
Mr Barker said Cakaunitabua was a “shamed man” who did not know why he had acted in the way he had. He had served five years in the Army including in Northern Ireland and Bosnia before settling in Britain. For four years, he had been unable to afford the trip back to his native Fiji.
Then his mother died and rugby club members held a whip-round to pay the air fare so he could attend her funeral.
Billy Cakaunitabua, high-scoring winger for York RUFC, attacked John Oratis on a night out, leaving him scarred for life, York Crown Court heard.
Cakaunitabua, who served with the British Army in Northern Ireland and Bosnia before becoming a part-time prison officer, is now beginning a nine-month jail sentence.
Richard Walters, prosecuting, said Cakaunitabua suddenly and without warning hit 32-year-old Mr Oratis in the face early on December 11, after the pair had been talking amicably for some time near the bar of Vudu Lounge in Swinegate and after the pilot had bought him a drink.
The attack left Mr Oratis permanently scarred. He needed 30 stitches in wounds to his face and head, including one near his eye, and it took three hospital visits to finish the treatment.
He was off work for three weeks and suffered from so much pain he could not put on flying goggles or sleep properly.
Nicholas Barker, mitigating, said Cakaunitabua had lost his mother a few weeks before the attack and had drunk more than twice his normal amount.
Mr Barker told the Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashurst: “You have before you a very impressive man who has given a lot to society. The defendant must be judged for those one or two seconds of madness.”
The judge told Cakaunitabua: “For reasons we simply do not know, you lost your self-control and your temper.”
He said about the pilot: “He is very lucky that the injury didn’t extend into his eye. I accept you have a very deep sense of shame. You have spoilt your exemplary character.”
Cakaunitabua, of Del Pyke, The Groves, pleaded guilty to wounding. The winger has played for York RUFC for nine years. He is likely to be released from prison before the start of the 2011/12 season.
Mr Walters said Mr Oratis had been out with friends in the Clifton area before going to the city centre. He was queuing for drinks in Vudu Lounge, as was Cakaunitabua. The two started talking and having a laugh and a joke.
Although he arrived after the winger, Mr Oratis was served first, so he bought a drink for Cakaunitabua. They continued to talk until Cakaunitabua lashed out.
The rugby player later told police he had had ten pints, three sambucas and a coke.
Mr Barker said Cakaunitabua was a “shamed man” who did not know why he had acted in the way he had. He had served five years in the Army including in Northern Ireland and Bosnia before settling in Britain. For four years, he had been unable to afford the trip back to his native Fiji.
Then his mother died and rugby club members held a whip-round to pay the air fare so he could attend her funeral.
Boy, seven, hit by bus in Pavement, York
A SEVEN-year-old boy was taken to hospital after being hit by a bus in York.
Paramedics and police were called to the incident, outside Marks & Spencers in Pavement, just after 2pm on Saturday.
A spokeswoman for Yorkshire Ambulance said the Life Cycle, a rapid response vehicle and an ambulance, were sent to the scene and the boy was transported to York Hospital.
A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said the boy had not been injured, but was taken to hospital as a precaution.
The police spokesman also said the bus driver was spoken to by officers at the scene, but was not arrested.
Paramedics and police were called to the incident, outside Marks & Spencers in Pavement, just after 2pm on Saturday.
A spokeswoman for Yorkshire Ambulance said the Life Cycle, a rapid response vehicle and an ambulance, were sent to the scene and the boy was transported to York Hospital.
A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said the boy had not been injured, but was taken to hospital as a precaution.
The police spokesman also said the bus driver was spoken to by officers at the scene, but was not arrested.
River death man named as Paul Rogerson
POLICE divers have recovered the body of a 26-year-old man from the River Ouse.
The man has been named by North Yorkshire Police as Paul Alan Rogerson, from Morecambe in Lancashire.
Emergency service crews had searched the river following reports of a man falling from a bridge into the water in the early hours of Saturday.
North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue were contacted by North Yorkshire Police to search the river at about 2am on Saturday, after the 26-year-old man apparently fell from the Ouse Bridge.
A spokesman for the police said the man was seen slipping off the bridge into the water, but he was not found during initial searches.
The West Yorkshire Police helicopter also assisted in the searches, before the body was found at about 9.45am and recovered just after 10.30am.
• On Friday, members of the public reported seeing several men swimming from one side of the Ouse to the other, close to Ouse Bridge.
A police spokesman said: “Swimming in any stretch of open water is both reckless and foolish, as it is impossible to tell the temperature of the water and this will inevitably catch you out.”
It is not suggested that Mr Rogerson was part of this group.
The man has been named by North Yorkshire Police as Paul Alan Rogerson, from Morecambe in Lancashire.
Emergency service crews had searched the river following reports of a man falling from a bridge into the water in the early hours of Saturday.
North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue were contacted by North Yorkshire Police to search the river at about 2am on Saturday, after the 26-year-old man apparently fell from the Ouse Bridge.
A spokesman for the police said the man was seen slipping off the bridge into the water, but he was not found during initial searches.
The West Yorkshire Police helicopter also assisted in the searches, before the body was found at about 9.45am and recovered just after 10.30am.
• On Friday, members of the public reported seeing several men swimming from one side of the Ouse to the other, close to Ouse Bridge.
A police spokesman said: “Swimming in any stretch of open water is both reckless and foolish, as it is impossible to tell the temperature of the water and this will inevitably catch you out.”
It is not suggested that Mr Rogerson was part of this group.
Police van crashes in Barbican Road, York
A police van has been involved in a crash in York city centre.
The accident occurred at the junction of Barbican Road and Paragon Street on the inner ring road at 10.20am today.
It involved a Citroen van, owned by North Yorkshire Police, and a grey Mercedes B180.
The police van was badly damaged but nobody is believed to have been hurt. The scene has now been cleared.
The accident occurred at the junction of Barbican Road and Paragon Street on the inner ring road at 10.20am today.
It involved a Citroen van, owned by North Yorkshire Police, and a grey Mercedes B180.
The police van was badly damaged but nobody is believed to have been hurt. The scene has now been cleared.
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
Neighbour tells court of horrific scene in Diana Garbutt’s bedroom
Updated: A POSTMASTER accused of bludgeoning his wife to death wept in court as a neighbour described the scene in the couple’s bedroom after being called to help.
Pauline Dye told Teesside Crown Court how Robin Garbutt had ran next door to get her. She went with him into the house he shared with his wife, Diana, and found her face down in bed.
She said Mrs Garbutt’s hair was matted with blood, there was blood between her fingers and her face was buried in a blood-soaked pillow.
Garbutt, 45, formerly of Huby and York, is alleged to have hit Diana, 40, who grew up in Eggborough, on the head with a metal bar between 2.30am and 4.30am on March 23 last year.
He has denied murdering his wife, and told police he was held up at gunpoint by an intruder at the post office and shop in Melsonby, near Richmond.
Mrs Dye described what she saw when she was called over to the Garbutts’ house.
Under questioning from David Hatton QC, prosecuting, she said: “There was blood on the pillow. I could see blood in her hair. I couldn’t see her face at all. I touched her on her leg. Her leg was slightly warm. Robin said she was warm. We didn’t know what to do.”
Mrs Dye said the emergency services had instructed Garbutt by telephone to turn over his wife’s body in order to take her pulse. He was unable to find her pulse.
She said Mrs Garbutt’s chest had turned blue. “I was feeling her right hand. She felt coldish.”
Michael Whitaker, a paramedic, told the court there was no “electrical activity” in her heart and her arm was “solid” with rigor mortis.
He said: “I assumed that the lady had been deceased for quite some time.” He told Jamie Hill QC, defending, that he could not say how long she had been dead for.
Earlier yesterday, customers told the jury how they went into the shop on the morning of Mrs Garbutt’s death prior to the alarm being raised. Dorothy Cole said Garbutt had seemed “his usual self and he seemed relaxed” when she visited the shop.
When she returned home shortly after 8.40am, she had heard sirens from emergency services rushing past her home. Another customer, Angela Wood, said Garbutt had seemed tired.
The trial continues.
Pauline Dye told Teesside Crown Court how Robin Garbutt had ran next door to get her. She went with him into the house he shared with his wife, Diana, and found her face down in bed.
She said Mrs Garbutt’s hair was matted with blood, there was blood between her fingers and her face was buried in a blood-soaked pillow.
Garbutt, 45, formerly of Huby and York, is alleged to have hit Diana, 40, who grew up in Eggborough, on the head with a metal bar between 2.30am and 4.30am on March 23 last year.
He has denied murdering his wife, and told police he was held up at gunpoint by an intruder at the post office and shop in Melsonby, near Richmond.
Mrs Dye described what she saw when she was called over to the Garbutts’ house.
Under questioning from David Hatton QC, prosecuting, she said: “There was blood on the pillow. I could see blood in her hair. I couldn’t see her face at all. I touched her on her leg. Her leg was slightly warm. Robin said she was warm. We didn’t know what to do.”
Mrs Dye said the emergency services had instructed Garbutt by telephone to turn over his wife’s body in order to take her pulse. He was unable to find her pulse.
She said Mrs Garbutt’s chest had turned blue. “I was feeling her right hand. She felt coldish.”
Michael Whitaker, a paramedic, told the court there was no “electrical activity” in her heart and her arm was “solid” with rigor mortis.
He said: “I assumed that the lady had been deceased for quite some time.” He told Jamie Hill QC, defending, that he could not say how long she had been dead for.
Earlier yesterday, customers told the jury how they went into the shop on the morning of Mrs Garbutt’s death prior to the alarm being raised. Dorothy Cole said Garbutt had seemed “his usual self and he seemed relaxed” when she visited the shop.
When she returned home shortly after 8.40am, she had heard sirens from emergency services rushing past her home. Another customer, Angela Wood, said Garbutt had seemed tired.
The trial continues.
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
York World Heritage Site bid fails
The city of York will not be included in a list of sites recommended for World Heritage Site status, it has been announced.
Archaeologists and council officials presented the York's case to peers and MPs in London late in 2010.
But the city will not be put forward to Unesco - the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.
Officials behind the bid said they were disappointed.
An initial bid was made in June 2010, with the fine detail of the application was being presented in November.
A bid last summer was made to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport as the first step of a process that could have taken several years.
'Amazing story'
Had the application been successful, the city would have joined Fountains Abbey near Ripon and Saltaire near Bradford as World Heritage sites in Yorkshire.
Janet Hopton, who chaired the World Heritage for York Steering Group, said: "I'm obviously very disappointed that York's bid to be included on the UK's new Tentative List of potential nominations for World Heritage status has been unsuccessful.
"We all know that York is a city with world-renowned heritage, culture, architecture and archaeology, and today's announcement will not change that.
"I would like to thank residents, partners and our ambassadors for all their support.
"The work that we have done for the bid will not be wasted, but will help us better explain the amazing story of the history beneath our feet."
Archaeologists and council officials presented the York's case to peers and MPs in London late in 2010.
But the city will not be put forward to Unesco - the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.
Officials behind the bid said they were disappointed.
An initial bid was made in June 2010, with the fine detail of the application was being presented in November.
A bid last summer was made to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport as the first step of a process that could have taken several years.
'Amazing story'
Had the application been successful, the city would have joined Fountains Abbey near Ripon and Saltaire near Bradford as World Heritage sites in Yorkshire.
Janet Hopton, who chaired the World Heritage for York Steering Group, said: "I'm obviously very disappointed that York's bid to be included on the UK's new Tentative List of potential nominations for World Heritage status has been unsuccessful.
"We all know that York is a city with world-renowned heritage, culture, architecture and archaeology, and today's announcement will not change that.
"I would like to thank residents, partners and our ambassadors for all their support.
"The work that we have done for the bid will not be wasted, but will help us better explain the amazing story of the history beneath our feet."
Monday, 21 March 2011
Boy seriously injured in collision with motorbike at Stamford Bridge
Updated: A 13-YEAR-OLD York cyclist suffred serious injuries and was airlifted to hospital after he was in collision with a motorbike.
The boy was with two friends on the A166 in Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon when the accident happened.
Yorkshire Air Ambulance airlifted him to Leeds General Infirmary where he was said to be in a “serious, but stable” condition. The crash closed the A166 for hours.
The boy, who has not been named but is from York, is believed to have been crossing the busy road on a bike when the accident happened.
A police spokesman said his injuries were not thought to be life threatening.
The 35-year-old male rider of the motorcycle, who is from Driffield, was thrown from his machine.
He was taken to York Hospital with minor injuries, a police spokesman said.
The road was closed following the crash at 12.45pm on Saturday while police examined the scene, which was about 200 metres from the Three Cups pub.
Traffic was diverted through Dunnington, Kexby and High Catton. Speaking at the scene, Sergeant Neil Campbell said: “It’s obviously a traumatic incident for the youths who were with him at the time to witness and for the parents of the boy who was injured.”
A passer-by who witnessed the collision said he and his wife had waited with the children immediately after the incident.
Traffic Constable Martin Usher, from North Yorkshire road policing group, said: “Thankfully, although serious injuries were sustained, they are not likely to prove fatal.
“I know that the area was busy at the time and would ask that anyone in the area at time who may have seen the motorcycle or group of pedal cycles prior to the collision to come forward as I need to speak to them as soon as possible.”
The boy was with two friends on the A166 in Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon when the accident happened.
Yorkshire Air Ambulance airlifted him to Leeds General Infirmary where he was said to be in a “serious, but stable” condition. The crash closed the A166 for hours.
The boy, who has not been named but is from York, is believed to have been crossing the busy road on a bike when the accident happened.
A police spokesman said his injuries were not thought to be life threatening.
The 35-year-old male rider of the motorcycle, who is from Driffield, was thrown from his machine.
He was taken to York Hospital with minor injuries, a police spokesman said.
The road was closed following the crash at 12.45pm on Saturday while police examined the scene, which was about 200 metres from the Three Cups pub.
Traffic was diverted through Dunnington, Kexby and High Catton. Speaking at the scene, Sergeant Neil Campbell said: “It’s obviously a traumatic incident for the youths who were with him at the time to witness and for the parents of the boy who was injured.”
A passer-by who witnessed the collision said he and his wife had waited with the children immediately after the incident.
Traffic Constable Martin Usher, from North Yorkshire road policing group, said: “Thankfully, although serious injuries were sustained, they are not likely to prove fatal.
“I know that the area was busy at the time and would ask that anyone in the area at time who may have seen the motorcycle or group of pedal cycles prior to the collision to come forward as I need to speak to them as soon as possible.”
Friday, 18 March 2011
‘We may have quizzed Claudia Lawrence’s killer’
THE detective leading the hunt for missing York chef Claudia Lawrence thinks police may have already interviewed her killer.
Detective Superintendent Ray Galloway said Claudia’s disappearance, two years ago today, haunted him every day and vowed never to give up trying to crack the case.
He said the suspected murder investigation had been “incredibly tough and complex” and would stay with him for the rest of his life.
Det Supt Galloway said there was no doubt in his mind that Claudia, who was 35 when she vanished, had been murdered, saying: “There is no proof of life of Claudia.”
He said: “It would be the best present if Claudia were to walk through the door, but I think that is highly unlikely.
“The investigation haunts me. I think about Claudia and the investigation day in, day out – from a professional and personal perspective, it is something that will live with me.
“It haunts me that we have not been able to find Claudia’s killer and I won’t rest until it is resolved.
“I have worked closely with Claudia’s family and the greater community because until Claudia’s killer is brought to justice, there is a danger and we want to resolve that.”
Det Supt Galloway said a lot of people had been interviewed in connection with the inquiry and some would never be eliminated from it.
He said: “There is a real possibility we have interviewed her killer”.
But he also said vital pieces of information were still needed to “significantly help the ongoing investigation”.
“Somebody, somewhere knows something,” he said.
“My key appeal is the fact that, in my experience, anybody involved in the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence will have most certainly spoken about it to somebody. I would appeal to that person to get in touch with us to allow us to make significant progress in this investigation.”
Claudia was last seen walking from the university to her Heworth home on March 18, 2009. She did not turn up for work the next day, sparking a massive police search.
She did not have her passport, spare clothes or bank cards with her when she disappeared; only her mobile phone and the small rucksack she used to carry her chef’s whites to work.
As her family and friends marked the second anniversary of her disappearance today, Det Supt Galloway urged anybody with information to realise the agony it has caused, and to search their conscience.
He said: “Claudia’s disappearance has caused untold heartache to everyone who knew and loved her and our thoughts are with them on this, the second anniversary of her disappearance,” he said.
“We have not given up on this case, nor will we.”
For anybody withholding information, he said: “Nothing could be simpler than to put an end to all this pain for the Lawrence family and the pressure and guilt that you must be feeling.
“Just make that call. That’s all it would take.”
He said there were still gaps to fill in Claudia’s life, in which she kept secrets from her family and friends. He said that while her social life was primarily based around her local pub, the Nag’s Head in Heworth, and friends and colleagues from her previous job at the Monkbar Hotel, there were elements she still hid from those close to her.
“We are not disheartened,” said Det Supt Galloway. “It is an incredibly tough challenge, but a challenge we can handle. However, we do need help. We have a not-quite comprehensive view of Claudia – we need people to help us complete that.”
Police are still particularly keen to determine whether Claudia went missing on March 18 or the early hours of the next day.
Anyone with information can phone 0845 6060247, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Public praised for support
DETECTIVE Superintendent Ray Galloway praised the public for their continued support in the hunt for missing York chef Claudia Lawrence.
He said: “I am amazed by the fact that the public interest and support is undiminished.
“If you saw my mailbox on a daily basis or the letters I receive every single day, without exception, you would be amazed.”
He said contacts had included psychics or mediums offering opinions on the case, while others offered potential leads which had been investigated. But there had yet to be a significant lead.
Det Supt Galloway said police had received thousands of calls and officers had investigated possible sightings in London and connections in Corfu and Ireland, all which had proved fruitless.
There are now no dedicated officers in the hunt for Claudia, but he said he had officers at his disposal to investigate any leads. There were 100 officers dedicated to the search at its height, and the investigation has now cost more than £750,000.
Inquiry is defended
POLICE have defended their decision to extensively investigate Claudia’s love life in the face of criticism from her mother.
Joan Lawrence said on ITV’s Daybreak show this week there had been mistakes in the investigation, particularly surrounding inquiries into Claudia’s “complex and mysterious” relationships and her past boyfriends.
But Det Supt Ray Galloway said external investigators brought in at the request of the force had stood by North Yorkshire Police’s analysis of her love life. “In fact, they said we should concentrate on it more,” he said.
He said in at least 80 per cent of female homicides, the victim knew or had had a relationship with the killer, and he believed Claudia would have recognised her attacker.
He said he was not surprised by Crimestoppers’ recent decision to remove the £10,000 reward, and praised it for its long-standing support.
Detective Superintendent Ray Galloway said Claudia’s disappearance, two years ago today, haunted him every day and vowed never to give up trying to crack the case.
He said the suspected murder investigation had been “incredibly tough and complex” and would stay with him for the rest of his life.
Det Supt Galloway said there was no doubt in his mind that Claudia, who was 35 when she vanished, had been murdered, saying: “There is no proof of life of Claudia.”
He said: “It would be the best present if Claudia were to walk through the door, but I think that is highly unlikely.
“The investigation haunts me. I think about Claudia and the investigation day in, day out – from a professional and personal perspective, it is something that will live with me.
“It haunts me that we have not been able to find Claudia’s killer and I won’t rest until it is resolved.
“I have worked closely with Claudia’s family and the greater community because until Claudia’s killer is brought to justice, there is a danger and we want to resolve that.”
Det Supt Galloway said a lot of people had been interviewed in connection with the inquiry and some would never be eliminated from it.
He said: “There is a real possibility we have interviewed her killer”.
But he also said vital pieces of information were still needed to “significantly help the ongoing investigation”.
“Somebody, somewhere knows something,” he said.
“My key appeal is the fact that, in my experience, anybody involved in the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence will have most certainly spoken about it to somebody. I would appeal to that person to get in touch with us to allow us to make significant progress in this investigation.”
Claudia was last seen walking from the university to her Heworth home on March 18, 2009. She did not turn up for work the next day, sparking a massive police search.
She did not have her passport, spare clothes or bank cards with her when she disappeared; only her mobile phone and the small rucksack she used to carry her chef’s whites to work.
As her family and friends marked the second anniversary of her disappearance today, Det Supt Galloway urged anybody with information to realise the agony it has caused, and to search their conscience.
He said: “Claudia’s disappearance has caused untold heartache to everyone who knew and loved her and our thoughts are with them on this, the second anniversary of her disappearance,” he said.
“We have not given up on this case, nor will we.”
For anybody withholding information, he said: “Nothing could be simpler than to put an end to all this pain for the Lawrence family and the pressure and guilt that you must be feeling.
“Just make that call. That’s all it would take.”
He said there were still gaps to fill in Claudia’s life, in which she kept secrets from her family and friends. He said that while her social life was primarily based around her local pub, the Nag’s Head in Heworth, and friends and colleagues from her previous job at the Monkbar Hotel, there were elements she still hid from those close to her.
“We are not disheartened,” said Det Supt Galloway. “It is an incredibly tough challenge, but a challenge we can handle. However, we do need help. We have a not-quite comprehensive view of Claudia – we need people to help us complete that.”
Police are still particularly keen to determine whether Claudia went missing on March 18 or the early hours of the next day.
Anyone with information can phone 0845 6060247, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Public praised for support
DETECTIVE Superintendent Ray Galloway praised the public for their continued support in the hunt for missing York chef Claudia Lawrence.
He said: “I am amazed by the fact that the public interest and support is undiminished.
“If you saw my mailbox on a daily basis or the letters I receive every single day, without exception, you would be amazed.”
He said contacts had included psychics or mediums offering opinions on the case, while others offered potential leads which had been investigated. But there had yet to be a significant lead.
Det Supt Galloway said police had received thousands of calls and officers had investigated possible sightings in London and connections in Corfu and Ireland, all which had proved fruitless.
There are now no dedicated officers in the hunt for Claudia, but he said he had officers at his disposal to investigate any leads. There were 100 officers dedicated to the search at its height, and the investigation has now cost more than £750,000.
Inquiry is defended
POLICE have defended their decision to extensively investigate Claudia’s love life in the face of criticism from her mother.
Joan Lawrence said on ITV’s Daybreak show this week there had been mistakes in the investigation, particularly surrounding inquiries into Claudia’s “complex and mysterious” relationships and her past boyfriends.
But Det Supt Ray Galloway said external investigators brought in at the request of the force had stood by North Yorkshire Police’s analysis of her love life. “In fact, they said we should concentrate on it more,” he said.
He said in at least 80 per cent of female homicides, the victim knew or had had a relationship with the killer, and he believed Claudia would have recognised her attacker.
He said he was not surprised by Crimestoppers’ recent decision to remove the £10,000 reward, and praised it for its long-standing support.
Thursday, 17 March 2011
Film star Robert Redford drops in for drink at Ferry Boat Inn at Thorganby
DRINKERS at a pub near York could be forgiven for thinking they had had one too many – when they saw Hollywood star Robert Redford walk in.
The legendary actor, producer and director, star of Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, called in for a drink at the Ferry Boat Inn at Thorganby, during a visit to Britain to announce plans to launch his Sundance Festival in London next spring.
Customers from the local allotment society who were having a night out at the pub broke off from their vegetable discussions to approach him, check it really was Robert Redford and ask for his autograph, which the Oscar-winner happily agreed to give.
Landlady Olive Rogers, who has been the licensee at the pub since 1948, said Redford, star of classic films like All The President’s Men, Out Of Africa and The Sting, had been taken there by some friends of his in the village, who he was visiting.
But Olive pointed out she had not given the actor any special VIP treatment during his visit to her pub.
“I treated him like any other customer,” she said, adding that he had said he would like to come back there again one day. “He was very nice,” she said.
If the actor wanted to know what the very best of British pubs have to offer, he could hardly have picked a better one, as the Ferry Boat was named the best pub in Yorkshire last year by the Campaign For Real Ale, having previously won the best outdoor area title in The Press Pub Awards 2009/10. The family-run free house stands on the banks of the River Derwent with a vast beer garden that slopes down to the waterfront.
Redford, who played Sundance in the western Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, has revealed that a four-day festival, based on the Sundance Film Festival which he runs in the United States, will be staged at the O2 in London next April.
North Yorkshire films Robert Redford might have starred in
• A Selby Swing Bridge Too Far
• The Great Haxby
• The Last Castle Howard
• The White Horse Whisperer
• A River (Derwent) Runs Through It
• All The Chief Constable’s Men
The legendary actor, producer and director, star of Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, called in for a drink at the Ferry Boat Inn at Thorganby, during a visit to Britain to announce plans to launch his Sundance Festival in London next spring.
Customers from the local allotment society who were having a night out at the pub broke off from their vegetable discussions to approach him, check it really was Robert Redford and ask for his autograph, which the Oscar-winner happily agreed to give.
Landlady Olive Rogers, who has been the licensee at the pub since 1948, said Redford, star of classic films like All The President’s Men, Out Of Africa and The Sting, had been taken there by some friends of his in the village, who he was visiting.
But Olive pointed out she had not given the actor any special VIP treatment during his visit to her pub.
“I treated him like any other customer,” she said, adding that he had said he would like to come back there again one day. “He was very nice,” she said.
If the actor wanted to know what the very best of British pubs have to offer, he could hardly have picked a better one, as the Ferry Boat was named the best pub in Yorkshire last year by the Campaign For Real Ale, having previously won the best outdoor area title in The Press Pub Awards 2009/10. The family-run free house stands on the banks of the River Derwent with a vast beer garden that slopes down to the waterfront.
Redford, who played Sundance in the western Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, has revealed that a four-day festival, based on the Sundance Film Festival which he runs in the United States, will be staged at the O2 in London next April.
North Yorkshire films Robert Redford might have starred in
• A Selby Swing Bridge Too Far
• The Great Haxby
• The Last Castle Howard
• The White Horse Whisperer
• A River (Derwent) Runs Through It
• All The Chief Constable’s Men
Hundreds at York Minster to mourn former Barnitts chairman Ian Thompson
HUNDREDS of mourners gathered in York Minster as family, friends and former colleagues said their final farewells to Ian Thompson, the former chairman of Barnitts.
It was standing room only at the morning service yesterday as more than 500 people gathered to pay their respects to one of York’s most prominent businessmen. Mr Thompson, who was 70, died suddenly in Majorca while on holiday at the second home he had bought as he started his retirement.
A silent and sombre congregation rose as one at 11am as the flower-adorned coffin was brought into the Minster, followed by more than 30 members of Mr Thompson’s family.
The service was conducted by The Rev Canon Glyn Webster, who said: “We have lost a truly wonderful man.”
Addressing Mr Thompson’s widow, Maureen, children Jane, Paul and Sally, sister, Pat, and his nine grandchildren, Canon Webster told them: “This is a difficult day – it is far too difficult to contemplate a life without Ian.
“He was a much-loved man, husband, father, relative and friend.”
He told the family to take comfort in the hundreds of people that had attended the service to pay their respects, saying: “That speaks more than any adequate words I can say today.”
The service heard how Mr Thompson had begun working at the Barnitts store at the age of 15 and worked his way up to the role of chairman – a position he cherished.
Canon Webster said he had often visited the store, and Barnitts was as much a loved York institution as York Minster itself and other city landmarks such as Bettys and Browns.
He said: “I commend Ian to his place in God’s care and keeping until the day you are reunited with him. Until then may he rest in peace with Christ.”
Both Barnitts stores, in Colliergate and Acomb, were closed all day as a mark of respect and to allow employees to attend the service.
Ian’s son Paul said his father had enjoyed relaxing in the warmer weather and enjoyed playing golf.
Paul had become managing director almost two years ago, but his father had still been involved with the business, taking a particular interest in the website.
It was standing room only at the morning service yesterday as more than 500 people gathered to pay their respects to one of York’s most prominent businessmen. Mr Thompson, who was 70, died suddenly in Majorca while on holiday at the second home he had bought as he started his retirement.
A silent and sombre congregation rose as one at 11am as the flower-adorned coffin was brought into the Minster, followed by more than 30 members of Mr Thompson’s family.
The service was conducted by The Rev Canon Glyn Webster, who said: “We have lost a truly wonderful man.”
Addressing Mr Thompson’s widow, Maureen, children Jane, Paul and Sally, sister, Pat, and his nine grandchildren, Canon Webster told them: “This is a difficult day – it is far too difficult to contemplate a life without Ian.
“He was a much-loved man, husband, father, relative and friend.”
He told the family to take comfort in the hundreds of people that had attended the service to pay their respects, saying: “That speaks more than any adequate words I can say today.”
The service heard how Mr Thompson had begun working at the Barnitts store at the age of 15 and worked his way up to the role of chairman – a position he cherished.
Canon Webster said he had often visited the store, and Barnitts was as much a loved York institution as York Minster itself and other city landmarks such as Bettys and Browns.
He said: “I commend Ian to his place in God’s care and keeping until the day you are reunited with him. Until then may he rest in peace with Christ.”
Both Barnitts stores, in Colliergate and Acomb, were closed all day as a mark of respect and to allow employees to attend the service.
Ian’s son Paul said his father had enjoyed relaxing in the warmer weather and enjoyed playing golf.
Paul had become managing director almost two years ago, but his father had still been involved with the business, taking a particular interest in the website.
University of York in student data breach on website
An investigation has begun at the University of York after personal data of 148 students was published.
Information including the students' mobile phone numbers, addresses and A-level results was made available.
The information could be accessed on a student inquiry page on the university's website.
In a statement, the university said it had "taken immediate action to rectify this problem" and had apologised to all those students affected.
Legal action
Following the breach of data last week, the university said a review of its security systems was under way.
The statement, signed by Registrar Dr David Duncan, said: "We are also investigating all procedures and management systems and will undertake a thorough review of our data security arrangements.
"The Information Commissioner has been informed.
"I would like to apologise to everyone who has been affected by this breach."
Tim Ngwena, president of the university's student union, said: "Obviously students are quite concerned because you trust the information that you provide, when you apply to any institution, to be held safely much like anyone would expect when applying for any job."
If found to have violated the 1998 Data Protection Act, the university could face a fine or legal action.
Information including the students' mobile phone numbers, addresses and A-level results was made available.
The information could be accessed on a student inquiry page on the university's website.
In a statement, the university said it had "taken immediate action to rectify this problem" and had apologised to all those students affected.
Legal action
Following the breach of data last week, the university said a review of its security systems was under way.
The statement, signed by Registrar Dr David Duncan, said: "We are also investigating all procedures and management systems and will undertake a thorough review of our data security arrangements.
"The Information Commissioner has been informed.
"I would like to apologise to everyone who has been affected by this breach."
Tim Ngwena, president of the university's student union, said: "Obviously students are quite concerned because you trust the information that you provide, when you apply to any institution, to be held safely much like anyone would expect when applying for any job."
If found to have violated the 1998 Data Protection Act, the university could face a fine or legal action.
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
Police searching for missing York man find body in river
POLICE divers searching for a missing York man have found a body in the Ouse.
Divers searching the river discovered the body, which has not yet been formally identified, near Skeldergate Bridge at 11.45am today.
Lee Calam, 35, of Queen Victoria Street in South Bank, was last seen in Bishophill over a week ago.
He had missed a number of appointments since he was last seen on March 8.
A spokesman from North Yorkshire Police said: “Police investigating the disappearance of York man, Lee Calam, recovered a body from the River Ouse near to Skeldergate Bridge at 11.45am today. Searches of the river were carried out by officers from the Underwater Search Unit from West Yorkshire Police.
“Formal identification has yet to take place and it is too early to release any further information.”
Divers searching the river discovered the body, which has not yet been formally identified, near Skeldergate Bridge at 11.45am today.
Lee Calam, 35, of Queen Victoria Street in South Bank, was last seen in Bishophill over a week ago.
He had missed a number of appointments since he was last seen on March 8.
A spokesman from North Yorkshire Police said: “Police investigating the disappearance of York man, Lee Calam, recovered a body from the River Ouse near to Skeldergate Bridge at 11.45am today. Searches of the river were carried out by officers from the Underwater Search Unit from West Yorkshire Police.
“Formal identification has yet to take place and it is too early to release any further information.”
Harrogate fire service on 12-hour stand-by for Japan
Firefighters from North Yorkshire have been put on 12-hour standby to help with the rescue effort following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said its role would be to either provide clean water or to clear flood water from towns and villages.
Volunteers from Harrogate have been checking equipment in preparation.
Mal Austwick from the fire service said it was used to seeing devastation but "not on the scale they have in Japan."
Mr Austwick said the Japanese government had not yet requested their assistance but it was likely their help would be needed beyond the initial rescue stage.
He said: "Our firefighters that have volunteered have seen a lot of things over recent years where they've actually gone to other counties within England to support flooding victims, such as the Cumbria incident, and the Buncefield incident.
"We're really looking forward to seeing what assistance we can provide to the Japanese people."
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said its role would be to either provide clean water or to clear flood water from towns and villages.
Volunteers from Harrogate have been checking equipment in preparation.
Mal Austwick from the fire service said it was used to seeing devastation but "not on the scale they have in Japan."
Mr Austwick said the Japanese government had not yet requested their assistance but it was likely their help would be needed beyond the initial rescue stage.
He said: "Our firefighters that have volunteered have seen a lot of things over recent years where they've actually gone to other counties within England to support flooding victims, such as the Cumbria incident, and the Buncefield incident.
"We're really looking forward to seeing what assistance we can provide to the Japanese people."
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
Expensive birds stolen from North Yorkshire farm
More than 40 high value birds have been stolen from a North Yorkshire farm.
Police said the breeds, stolen from a farm in Sutton Under Whitestonecliffe near Thirsk, were worth a total of several thousands of pounds.
They include breeding pairs of bufflehead ducks, red-breast geese, scaup and hen birds including pochard.
Pc Jon Grainger said: "I believe whoever carried out these thefts has knowledge of wildfowl as they targeted the more expensive breeds."
The birds were stolen in two burglaries.
Twenty-seven were stolen in the first theft, which happened between 1400 GMT on 6 March and 1400 GMT on 7 March.
A further 21 birds were stolen in the second theft between 1900 GMT on 12 March and 0730 GMT on 13 March.
Witnesses or anyone with information should contact North Yorkshire Police.
Police said the breeds, stolen from a farm in Sutton Under Whitestonecliffe near Thirsk, were worth a total of several thousands of pounds.
They include breeding pairs of bufflehead ducks, red-breast geese, scaup and hen birds including pochard.
Pc Jon Grainger said: "I believe whoever carried out these thefts has knowledge of wildfowl as they targeted the more expensive breeds."
The birds were stolen in two burglaries.
Twenty-seven were stolen in the first theft, which happened between 1400 GMT on 6 March and 1400 GMT on 7 March.
A further 21 birds were stolen in the second theft between 1900 GMT on 12 March and 0730 GMT on 13 March.
Witnesses or anyone with information should contact North Yorkshire Police.
Police search for missing York man
POLICE are searching for a York man who has not been seen for a nearly a week.
Lee Calam, 35, of Queen Victoria Street, has been missing since Tuesday March 8 when he is understood to have been seen at 8pm in the Bishophill area.
Officers are concerned for Mr Calam’s wellbeing as he has health issues and his disappearance is out of character.
Acting Inspector Richard Ogden said: “I am urging Lee to make contact with the police as soon as possible so that we can confirm he is safe and well.
“I also need to speak to anyone who has seen Lee since Tuesday 8 March or knows where he is now.
“I am concerned about Lee as this behaviour is out of character. He has also missed a number of appointments in the last week.”
Police said he is white, approximately 5ft 7ins tall with a slim build and brown hair.
When Lee was last seen he was wearing a black fleece with a white logo on the left breast, blue jeans and dark trainers.
If you have any information that could help with this enquiry please contact Acting Inspector Ogden at York Police Station on 0845 60 60 24 7 quoting reference number 12110038974 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Lee Calam, 35, of Queen Victoria Street, has been missing since Tuesday March 8 when he is understood to have been seen at 8pm in the Bishophill area.
Officers are concerned for Mr Calam’s wellbeing as he has health issues and his disappearance is out of character.
Acting Inspector Richard Ogden said: “I am urging Lee to make contact with the police as soon as possible so that we can confirm he is safe and well.
“I also need to speak to anyone who has seen Lee since Tuesday 8 March or knows where he is now.
“I am concerned about Lee as this behaviour is out of character. He has also missed a number of appointments in the last week.”
Police said he is white, approximately 5ft 7ins tall with a slim build and brown hair.
When Lee was last seen he was wearing a black fleece with a white logo on the left breast, blue jeans and dark trainers.
If you have any information that could help with this enquiry please contact Acting Inspector Ogden at York Police Station on 0845 60 60 24 7 quoting reference number 12110038974 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
York motorcylist in fatal horsebox collision named
A York motorcyclist who died following a collision with a horsebox has been named.
Simon Parker, 37, from Bolton Percy, died following the collision on the A1079 in Market Weighton on Saturday.
Mr Parker had been riding a silver Suzuki SB1000 SK3 motorcycle towards York when he was in collision with the light blue Ford Cargo horsebox driven by a 59-year-old East Yorkshire woman.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, Humberside Police said.
The fire and ambulance service and a doctor attended the scene and the road was closed for arounf four hours until about 2130hrs to allow the scene to be examined and the vehicles to be recovered.
Anyone who may have seen either vehicle prior to the collision or who may have witnessed the collision itself, which happened at around 5.30pm, is asked to contact the traffic department at Driffield on 0845 60 60 222 referring to log 569 of March 12 2011
Simon Parker, 37, from Bolton Percy, died following the collision on the A1079 in Market Weighton on Saturday.
Mr Parker had been riding a silver Suzuki SB1000 SK3 motorcycle towards York when he was in collision with the light blue Ford Cargo horsebox driven by a 59-year-old East Yorkshire woman.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, Humberside Police said.
The fire and ambulance service and a doctor attended the scene and the road was closed for arounf four hours until about 2130hrs to allow the scene to be examined and the vehicles to be recovered.
Anyone who may have seen either vehicle prior to the collision or who may have witnessed the collision itself, which happened at around 5.30pm, is asked to contact the traffic department at Driffield on 0845 60 60 222 referring to log 569 of March 12 2011
York motorcylist in fatal horsebox collision named
A York motorcyclist who died following a collision with a horsebox has been named.
Simon Parker, 37, from Bolton Percy, died following the collision on the A1079 in Market Weighton on Saturday.
Mr Parker had been riding a silver Suzuki SB1000 SK3 motorcycle towards York when he was in collision with the light blue Ford Cargo horsebox driven by a 59-year-old East Yorkshire woman.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, Humberside Police said.
The fire and ambulance service and a doctor attended the scene and the road was closed for arounf four hours until about 2130hrs to allow the scene to be examined and the vehicles to be recovered.
Anyone who may have seen either vehicle prior to the collision or who may have witnessed the collision itself, which happened at around 5.30pm, is asked to contact the traffic department at Driffield on 0845 60 60 222 referring to log 569 of March 12 2011
Simon Parker, 37, from Bolton Percy, died following the collision on the A1079 in Market Weighton on Saturday.
Mr Parker had been riding a silver Suzuki SB1000 SK3 motorcycle towards York when he was in collision with the light blue Ford Cargo horsebox driven by a 59-year-old East Yorkshire woman.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, Humberside Police said.
The fire and ambulance service and a doctor attended the scene and the road was closed for arounf four hours until about 2130hrs to allow the scene to be examined and the vehicles to be recovered.
Anyone who may have seen either vehicle prior to the collision or who may have witnessed the collision itself, which happened at around 5.30pm, is asked to contact the traffic department at Driffield on 0845 60 60 222 referring to log 569 of March 12 2011
Thursday, 10 March 2011
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