After an horrific spate of fatal accidents involving motorcyclists, the Evening Press brought out a special edition.

The front page headline Too Many Tragedies, surrounded by crosses, highlighted the fact that 15 people had died in the accidents in the first half of the year, and examined ways to reduce the carnage. Later the emergency services held an unprecedented joint press conference on the same issue.

Lack of police resources, drugs and new ways to gather statistics were blamed for a shock 38 per cent jump in reported crime in York.

A strike by council workers over pay closed car parks, swimming pools, libraries and public toilets. York council's policy to freeze the number of car parking spaces in the city caused controversy.

A woman died in a tent in a car park off Leeman Road, York, near the National Railway Museum.

York City chairman John Batchelor said he wanted to build a new stadium at Clifton Moor - and was extremely rude about council planning officers.

A six-year-old York girl conceived with donor sperm won an historic High Court ruling allowing her to discover more about her biological father.

Oscar-winner Dame Judi Dench spoke of her pride at being made an Honorary Freeman of York.

A group of Russian schoolchildren were among 69 people killed after a passenger jet and a Boeing cargo plane collided over southern Germany.

The 17th Commonwealth Games were opened by the Queen in Manchester. And Dr Rowan Williams was the controversial choice to become the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury.