Archive

  • Devastation

    STAND on the bridge where it all took place a year ago and the terrible disaster might never have happened. Squint your eyes and look across the track, which seems so narrow. It's hard to believe that the tragedy which struck Great Heck, on February 28

  • Warning over damages

    SOME rail crash survivors face another court ordeal if they are to pursue compensation claims against Gary Hart. A solicitor acting for claimants warned that court action is inevitable in some of the damages cases. Kevin Hughes, of York solicitors Pattinson

  • Time to reflect

    IT was a hug that said it all. Andy Hill and widow Mary Dunn tearfully embrace at the spot where their lives changed forever - a year ago today. They joined more than two dozen relatives and survivors at Great Heck to mark the exact moment - 6.15am -

  • Morley looks to end for live trade

    ANIMAL Welfare Minister Elliot Morley said this week that he wants an export trade in meat to replace live animal movements. His comments follow a meeting representatives from Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) who presented him with a petition calling

  • Glad he got out of farming

    TEN years ago, Richard Otterburn gave up farming to make ice cream - and he's glad he did. He says he was forced to pull out to avoid spiralling debt and overwork, problems he believes more and more farmers will face in coming years. "Looking back over

  • Spy-in-the-sky or just pie in the sky?

    AS a solution to the traffic congestion crippling Britain, it's nothing if not radical. Little black boxes a bit like a mobile phone computer chip in every car on the roads, an eye in the sky high above, watching where we all go - and a regular bill at

  • Shot down in lies...

    POLITICIANS like to lecture us journalists on our moral standards. That's the equivalent of Michael Barrymore criticising Pop Idol's Darius for being a shameless publicity seeker. Disreputable hacks twist the facts and occasionally make things up. Our

  • A tragic day one year on

    IT was a hauntingly moving moment. In the cold blackness of early morning, the survivors and the bereaved gathered at Great Heck, next to the East Coast Main Line. A few minutes after 6am, the quiet was broken by the sound of an approaching train. That

  • We scent a trick

    TONY Blair is trying to outfox us again. Yesterday, the Westminster press pack, scenting blood, were tearing into Transport Secretary Stephen Byers. So what does the Government do? Dangle the prospect of a hunting ban before the hounds, in order to send

  • Van-tastic way to get York's air clean

    POLLUTION-busting equipment which could save fuel and the environment is being tried out for the first time in York. The equipment is being used in six diesel vehicles by the City of York Council, a major player in the year-long Planet York initiative

  • Keep them local

    IN REGARD to complaints about our council, if we want this to be the lovely city it was years ago, let there be a rule that anyone who wants to be a councillor has to be born in Yorkshire only. It is always a pleasure to meet and talk to a councillor

  • Thanks to Ward 12

    I WISH to say a heart-felt thank you to the staff on Ward 12 at York District Hospital, where I had the pleasure, "for want of a better word", of a short stay after an operation. Thanks also to the National Health Service - thank the Lord for it, with

  • Duffield stunner as Proc bid falters

    YORK City have been rocked by the news striker Peter Duffield is out for the rest of the season. It has emerged that Duffield suffered a tiny stress fracture of his right leg in Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Luton Town. It is the same leg he has broken on

  • Ecstasy to agony

    LUCKLESS York City marksman Peter Duffield's exclusively tells Evening Press sports reporter TONY CURTIS he is determined to return.... PETER Duffield has vowed he'll be back stronger and fitter than ever after suffering his third leg break in 18 months

  • York police appeal to trace owners of 'stolen' jewellery

    POLICE who raided a house in York and recovered what they believe to be a haul of stolen jewellery have put out an appeal to trace its rightful owners. Officers recovered about 50 items of jewellery, including rings, watches and necklaces, when they executed

  • Cavaliers within fingertips of crown

    YORK RI Cavaliers 'A' virtually guaranteed winning the York Evening League Division One title when they drew with their nearest challengers University to remain four points clear at the top. University had a strong team but Cavaliers 'A' had Gawain Jones

  • Five-star Dion shines

    FIVE-GOAL Dion Quanborough helped fire Selby Olympia away from relegation trouble in the York Mitchell Sports Football League first division. Other goals by Ross Barker and Ben Olsson sealed a 7-4 win over Fulford, whose goals came from Chris Dempsey

  • 'Everybody loved' former Press man

    A YORK man who worked with distinction in the Evening Press photography department despite losing much of his sight in a Japanese prisoner-of-wWar camp has died, aged 88. Tributes have been paid to Raymond Richards, of Huntington, who had been suffering

  • 50 seek piece of the action

    VIKING terror returned to York when more than 50 wannabe invaders auditioned for a part in a gruesome new show. York Dungeon bosses are looking for two or three suitable characters to play the staring roles of Erik Bloodaxe and an equally convincing Erica

  • Going for glory at national finals

    There will be players from the York and Ryedale indoor bowls clubs in the ladies national championships finals at Nottingham next week, writes Ian Clough. York Indoor Bowls Club's Melanie Brooke, Brenda Love and Trish Stevens are in the triples. Betty

  • Acorn to launch five-star drive

    IT'S win or bust for York Acorn and their promotion hopes in the National Conference League division two. With just five games left fourth-placed Acorn need to win all their remaining fixtures to keep their dreams alive. However, three of those upcoming

  • Aircraft clue to car key chaos

    MOTORIST Joanne Berry was driven mad by her faulty car-locking system. The remote-controlled system on the Toyota Avensis kept playing up, forcing her to make a 28-mile round journey to her dealer on several occasions to get it re-set. The alternative

  • Farmer found dead under gate

    AN INVESTIGATION has been launched into the death of a man on his North Yorkshire farm. According to North Yorkshire Police Robert James Cass, 75, of Brotherton Farm, at Sutton-on-the-Forest, was found dead under a large metal farm gate last Friday by

  • Council boss to keep £34,000 pay hike

    A COUNCIL chief executive is to get a 34.5 per cent pay rise as planned - despite claims that the hike is "obscene" and was awarded undemocratically. Furious East Riding of Yorkshire Councillors yesterday attacked Darryl Stephenson's soaring salary which

  • Death counsellor 'withdrew £6,000 for widow'

    A BEREAVEMENT counsellor handled his elderly client's money despite a code that forbids him becoming involved in financial matters, a jury heard. Social worker Diana Beadle told York Crown Court that Peter Michael Powers, 50, was her main source of information

  • Ecstasy to agony

    LUCKLESS York City marksman Peter Duffield's exclusively tells Evening Press sports reporter TONY CURTIS he is determined to return.... PETER Duffield has vowed he'll be back stronger and fitter than ever after suffering his third leg break in 18 months

  • Teflon Tony Soprano backs his man

    WORDS can be tricky beasts. Here is a statement that might have another meaning altogether: "He has our full confidence." Tony Blair is speaking about Stephen Byers, the Transport Secretary. Imagine for a moment that you are Mr Byers. Do you feel a flood

  • City fans' chance to grill John Batchelor

    YORK City's prospective buyer John Batchelor has agreed to take part in an Internet question and answer session with the Evening Press. Batchelor and Sophie McGill, an executive member of the Supporters' Trust, can be questioned online by City fans next

  • Fresh start for victims of Selby Rail Disaster

    A WOMAN who helped counsel bereaved families and survivors of the Selby rail crash today said she hoped the first anniversary of the tragedy would mark a new beginning. Sue Nelson, of Railtrack, played a pivotal role in helping the families come to terms

  • Hundreds pay tribute at Abbey

    Hundreds of people visited Selby Abbey late this afternoon to pay tribute to those that died in the Great Heck disaster. The service was conducted by Selby Abbey vicar, the Reverend Keith Dukes, and the team rector of Great Snaith the Rev Cyril Roberts

  • 'All I could hear were the screams'

    GRAHAM Buckle was woken at 6.15am by a phone call. It was his control room. They told him to get to Great Heck as fast as he could. He was in his car within minutes. Racing through the snow towards the tiny village, the assistant divisional fire officer

  • £80m to spend on farmland

    FPD Savills reports that it currently has potential purchasers with £80m available, seeking to acquire farmland in the north of England. This is far more than last year. Further analysis reveals that 63pc of applicants are cash buyers with over half seeking

  • Survey shows where farming is heading

    THE vast majority of culled-out farmers will restock their farms, although many with fewer animals, the first comprehensive survey of farmers post-FMD has found. Only 6pc indicated they wanted to move out of farming. Many are looking at diversification

  • 'Worst is yet to come'

    "THE worst is yet to come," says an agricultural chaplain, one year on from foot and mouth crisis. Salvation Army agricultural chaplain Keith Ineson says that the worst is yet to come in terms of financial hardship for farmers trying to recover from the

  • Farmers wait and hope

    NEWS last night that a suspected case of foot and mouth disease had been discovered on a North Yorkshire farm sent shockwaves through Britain. Five months since the last confirmed case, we thought the nightmare was over. This spring promised a new beginning

  • Have your say

    THE thorny issue of York's Green Belt is up for debate. That is only right. Every resident has a stake in how our city develops, and the more people who can be involved in the planning process, the better. It is time we reassessed the role of the Green

  • Road tolls are just too unfair on motorists

    THE Labour Government has totally lost its roots - and its mind - by even contemplating a "toll tax" for driving on certain roads as a means of cutting down congestion. The motorist pays enough road tax as it is without this suggested think tank proposal

  • Mobile mast too risky

    IN reply to the letter from Rachel Taylor ('Who's got a mobile?', February 21), the objections we have in Fulford to BT's proposal to install a phone mast at Heslington Broadway are many and varied, not least the possible health risk. City of York Council

  • Wear the daffodil

    MARCH marks the start of Marie Curie Cancer Care's annual daffodil campaign in support of local services to people with cancer. Daffodils will be on display in shops throughout the area. I ask readers to give a donation and wear one of these symbols of

  • The class of 1967

    I AM organising a school reunion for the Malton Grammar School 1967 entry. I have found 55 former school friends who now live as far away as Australia, USA and Canada as well as in all corners of the UK. Most of us are linked via the Internet/email and

  • A proper debate

    DURING the debate about this year's City of York Council budget, there was a constant stream of news, prompted by Steve Galloway, on suggested savings. Any sensible organisation "thinks the unthinkable" during the budget process and then discards many

  • Help us prevent this 'urban vandalism'

    WE thank everyone who has signed our petition and supported our protest against City of York Council's proposals to build 27 houses on part of Oaken Grove playing field when the school closes this summer. Support has been phenomenal - about 1,500 signatures

  • Minster views...

    THE juniors at our school enjoyed a day at the Minster. When they saw that the Dean and Chapter were considering introducing entry fees they wrote their thoughts on the subject. I enclose three of their letters. S Groghegan, Terrington CE School, North

  • Why stop dredging?

    HAVING been born and brought up in York I am familiar with the flooding problems. My mother, who is over 90 and still lives in the city, has often told me of how the river was dredged until after the Second World War. Why was it was discontinued? Logic

  • Beware blackbirds

    SOON the birds will be nest-building as spring approaches. Blackbirds are particularly at risk because of their natural habit of diving low across roads. I urge motorists to drive carefully to avoid killing these lovely songsters. D James, Huntington

  • Cheese heist query

    REGARDING Crime Stoppers seeking the cheese heist thieves who stole £70 worth of cheese, have Wallace and Gromit been interviewed by the police? Mary Morrod, Heworth Village, York. Updated: 10:23 Wednesday, February 27, 2002

  • MP calls for axing of floods 'poll tax' plan

    YORK MP Hugh Bayley has called for controversial proposals to impose a "poll tax" on households which suffer flooding to be scrapped. Speaking in a Westminster debate, he dismissed the plans for areas which need new flood defences to pay for the work

  • Explosives car stolen

    POLICE have put out a warning after a car containing explosives was stolen in Bridlington. The blue Vauxhall Cavalier, registration H773SKU, was a Railtrack employee's vehicle and contained a number of detonators used in his work. Railtrack has said the

  • Pensioner mugged

    A PENSIONER was mugged by a youth on a pedal cycle as she walked home from a hospital appointment. The 85-year-old woman was walking along Furlongs Avenue, in Norton, at 3.30pm on Tuesday, when the incident happened. "She was walking along when a youth

  • Van-tastic way to get York's air clean

    POLLUTION-busting equipment which could save fuel and the environment is being tried out for the first time in York. The equipment is being used in six diesel vehicles by the City of York Council, a major player in the year-long Planet York initiative

  • Busride make connection

    BUSRIDE, from Halifax, are the first out-of-town winners of a round one heat in the Fibbers/Evening Press Battle of the Bands 2002. Last night, they secured the Secret Panel vote - worth 20 per cent - as well as the highest percentage of audience votes

  • Cross Trophy starting times

    YORK Union of Golf Clubs are staging Cross Trophy events at Forest of Galtres and Easingwold this Sunday. Players should note that a trolley ban is in effect at both courses. The starting times at both courses are: Cross Trophy No 7 at Forest of Galtres

  • Emma's grand national

    EMMA MacAlister-Hall was the star performer for Nestl Rowntree AC in the English National Cross Country Championships at Bristol. The St Olave's School student came 14th in the Under 13 girls section, clocking 14 minutes 4 seconds and helped lift her

  • N Yorks bases 'attractive'

    THE U.S. would want to use North Yorkshire radar bases for the controversial "Son of Star Wars" project, senior Ministry of Defence officials have said. The admission ends months of debate over whether RAF Fylingdales and Menwith Hill would be involved

  • Cooper gains first success

    TEENAGER Jimmy Cooper has gained his first victory for All Saints' Amateur Boxing Club. Cooper, 14, who lost on his debut at the end of last year, out-boxed and out-thought James Martin from Doncaster Plantworks ABC in a three-round 51kg contest at Scunthorpe

  • Vote on hunting ban to go ahead

    THE Government today risked the fury of countryside groups by announcing a vote to ban hunting with dogs will take place before Easter. Leader of the House Robin Cook said an "indicative" vote would be held in the Commons and the Lords. Farmers, hunters

  • York defeat trophy holders to reach semis

    YORK and District Indoor Bowls Club's Yetton Trophy team crushed last year's winners Boston 89-69 to move into the semi-finals of a competition York won two years ago. York led 20-19 after five ends, then 40-36 after ten. Five ends later it stood at 60

  • Flood victim has insurance bill cut

    WIDOWED flood victim Judith Meyler, whose insurance premium shot through the roof because of flooding, has been told her bill has been cut. Insurance giant Norwich Union has re-assessed its demands on the 58-year-old Norton woman after meeting with Ryedale

  • They come from a land Down Under

    CAN you tell what it is yet? For those not familiar with Antipodean culture the pieces of wood pictured are didgeridoos. Picture framer Antony Bentley has started stocking them at his shop in Piercy End, Kirkbymoorside, and they have been selling like

  • City fans' chance to grill John Batchelor

    YORK City's prospective buyer John Batchelor has agreed to take part in an Internet question and answer session with the Evening Press. Batchelor and Sophie McGill, an executive member of the Supporters' Trust, can be questioned online by City fans next

  • Sales get going again

    YORK Livestock Centre was buzzing again today as cattle went on sale for the first time in just over a year. More than 250 farmers headed for the sale ring at the centre in Murton, York, as partner and auctioneer at the sale, James Stephenson, welcomed

  • Beeb channels resources into new TV vision

    THE Beeb's brand-new digital arts, culture and politics channel BBC4 will be launched this Saturday with the slogan "everybody needs a place to think". If its opening night schedule is anything to go by, there should be plenty to think about. The line-up

  • Duffield stunner as Proc bid falters

    YORK City have been rocked by the news striker Peter Duffield is out for the rest of the season. It has emerged that Duffield suffered a tiny stress fracture of his right leg in Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Luton Town. It is the same leg he has broken on

  • Green belter

    EVERGREEN kings of swing are poised to re-launch major golf at Fulford Golf Club. The lucrative European Seniors Tour, which boasts the likes of former Open champion Tony Jacklin and attracts global television coverage, wants to add the renowned York

  • Hidden Bounty set to reward Malton owner

    =Doncaster starts a two-day race meeting tomorrow, but top northern trainer Mary Reveley is casting her net further afield. She sends a bunch of fancied horses to Newbury. These include Hidden Bounty in the Johnny Haine Memorial 'Hands and Heels' Conditional

  • Hold your breath for Hawnby

    AFTER five clear months, the spectre of another FMD flare-up sent shivers down the agricultural spine on Tuesday with the announcement that two sentinel sheep had been slaughtered at Hawnby. Sentinel animals are those which are used in the early stages