Teenager arrested after being reported missing and 11 other news snippets you may have missed

Police found the 15-year-old at a house in Kingsway North, Clifton, York overnight on Sunday into Monday. He was arrested and then cautioned and released with no further action.

Council debate dance application

COUNCILLORS will next week decide whether to allow drinking and dancing in York streets as late as 11pm through this summer’s Great Yorkshire Fringe comedy festival.

A licensing panel will meet a week today to debate an application made by the council itself for plays, films, live music, dancing and alcohol sales in the footstreets including Exhibition Square.

Objections from City of York Council’s licensing department and environmental health departments have already been withdrawn after new conditions were drawn up to make sure proper risk assessments were used, and noise does not become a public nuisance.

But Guildhall ward councillor Brian Watson has also objected to the plans, saying it would only make late night problems worse.

Nostalgia at vintage event

NOSTALGIA was the order of the day at a vintage event in York.

Stalls selling a range of clothes, accessories and homewares filled the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall on Sunday, as part of the York Does Vintage event.

About 1,300 people passed through the doors, with visitors given the chance to be turned into vintage starlets with the aid of rollers and rouge at the beauty parlour.

The annual event started in York in 2011 as part of the national Britain Does Vintage events.

The next will be held at Merchant Adventurers’ Hall in York on Sunday, May 10.

For more information, visit britaindoes vintage.co.uk

Rail pay deal hits buffers

TALKS are being held between Network Rail and unions after a four-year pay offer was rejected.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union and Transport Salaried Staffs Association said a proposed deal of zero per cent this year followed by rises in line with RPI inflation for the following three years was unacceptable.

The RMT is threatening an industrial action ballot, while the TSSA has accused Network Rail of giving big pay rises to executives.

TSSA leader Manuel Cortes said staff would be playing “catch-up” for years if they accepted a freeze.

Phil Hufton, NR’s managing director of network operations, said: “Nobody wants a strike or any other form of industrial action. The impact on the railway, on our 4.5 million daily passengers and thousands of projects aimed at improving the railway would be significant and our staff would be hit in their pockets.

“The RMT has indicated a willingness to get back around the table and we’re more than happy to take up that offer and see how we can work through our current disagreement and find a solution that makes sense for our people, the company and the railway.”

Confirmation service held

A CONFIRMATION service was held at All Saints Church, Sherburn-in-Elmet, when the Bishop of Selby, Rt Rev John Thomson, confirmed church members from various churches in the area.

The Bishop is seen with the confirmed members and members of the local clergy.

Parcels for neighbours

ROYAL Mail is launching a new service to allow people to nominate neighbours to receive parcels if they are not at home.

The move was developed by workers and managers in delivery offices.

Sue Whalley, chief operations officer at Royal Mail, said the service offered convenience to customers and helped postal workers deliver parcels and letters first time rather than having to take items back to the office.

Bob Gibson, of the Communication Workers Union, said: “Postal workers frequently have to visit several addresses to find a neighbour who is in and able to accept a parcel, which can be frustrating for our members and can lead to problems on some deliveries.”

Village hunt for giant Easter eggs

PLANS are under way for a giant Easter egg hunt in a York village.

The event in Rufforth on Saturday, will see egg-hunters explore the village in search of giant Easter eggs, made and decorated by residents.

There will be prizes for all ages and each participating child will receive a free chocolate egg.

There will also be a bouncy castle, tombola prizes, children’s games and a variety of free arts and craft activities from Easter egg drawings to bonnet making.

The hunt, organised by Rufforth Pre-School, will start at 11am from the village hall, finishing at 3pm. Hot and cold drinks will be served in the village hall along with sandwiches, cakes and scones.

Rufforth Pre-School is a charity run by parents, grandparents and volunteers, providing pre-school activities for two to five-year-olds.

For further information on the event, phone Ben Whiting, pre-school secretary, on 01904 737056 or Alison Hodgson, pre-school treasurer, on 01904 738050.

Teenagers try e-cigarettes

ONE in five teenagers has accessed e-cigarettes, a large-scale study has found.

Researchers at Liverpool John Moores University said 16% of these had never otherwise smoked, while they also found e-cigarettes were “strongly related” to drinking amongst teenagers.

The team surveyed more than 16,000 students aged 14 to 17 in the north-west of England and asked them about their alcohol and tobacco use. They found one in five answered yes to the question: “Have you ever bought or tried electronic cigarettes?”, with more males saying they had, and the figure rising if they lived in a deprived area. Of the teens that had used e-cigarettes, 16% had never smoked, 23% had tried smoking but did not like it, 36% were regular smokers, 12% only smoked when drinking, and 14% were ex-smokers.

Zero-hours contract fears

WORKERS on zero-hours contracts and irregular hours are afraid to speak out about their rights for fear of losing their job, a new report has revealed.

A study by Citizens Advice showed that people contacting a bureau for help are more likely to have fluctuating hours or shift patterns than a year ago.

A survey of more than 300 staff at 100 CAB offices in England and Wales showed that irregular hours were as much of an issue as zero-hours contracts, which have attracted political and union criticism over the past year.

Most staff surveyed said people with fluctuating work have problems with debt or childcare and face delays to benefits.

Seven out of 10 staff said they were aware of cases where someone’s hours or shifts worsened after they turned down work, or took holiday or sick leave.

Cycling tours offered

A SERIES of cycling tours around York launched this weekend. History On Wheels Cycling Tours provides guided tours with new city bikes. The two-hour tours are suitable for adult cyclists and will explore hidden parts of York that some walking and bus tours can not reach. Bikes, helmets and high visibility vests are supplied, go to yorkcyclingtours.com for more information.

NHS march draws many

CAMPAIGNERS for the NHS took part in a march in York at the weekend. Scores of people opposed to the privatisation of the health service met in King’s Square on Saturday, including members of York Green Party and other organisations.

The march was organised by Defend Our NHS York, and went from King’s Square to the coach stop in Memorial Gardens, before joining a larger march in Leeds, where almost 2,000 people gathered.

Flowers and crafts for Boys’ trip fund

A FLOWER festival and community craft event is being held at a York church this weekend, to help raise funds for a trip to Ghana which local youngsters are planning.

Members of the 1st Acomb Boys Brigade are hoping to travel to Begoro in Ghana in August.

They will take resources and equipment to the 1st Begoro Brigade, help the Hope Star foundation, which helps children into school by providing shoes, books and other items, and help to restock the community library set up in Begoro by the York Fanteakwa Ghana Link group.

The next fundraising event is this weekend at the Church of the Holy Redeemer in Boroughbridge Road.

People are invited to bring crafty creations to the church between 10am and noon on Saturday, to help decorate the church and grounds.

Then from 2pm to 5pm on Saturday and noon to 4pm on Sunday, there will be an Easter fun day for all ages, including homemade arts and crafts, cake stalls, Easter competitions, refreshments and more.