COURT officials threatened City of York Council with an injunction to stop the popular ice rink being sited in the Eye of York, The Press can reveal today.

The Ice Factor rink is currently being constructed for the fifth year running in the Eye, against a spectacular backdrop of Clifford’s Tower, the Castle Museum and York Crown Court.

But it emerged earlier this week that organisers are looking at alternative locations for next year, such as the Museum Gardens, after being told by the council they could not return to the Eye next year because of objections from HM Courts Service.

The Press has now discovered that the council’s stance is a compromise reached following the threat of an injunction by court officials.

Council leader Andrew Waller said: “I am sorry that it has come to this situation as the council and the operator of the rink had put forward suggestions to improve the situation.

“I think that going head-on and trying to take the courts on in their own field would have been expensive and unlikely to convince another judge in another court.”

He revealed he had visited the Honorary Recorder of York to see first-hand the concerns that the courts had about the rink, and he appreciated the difficulties they faced running a modern legal system in a listed building. He said that strenuous efforts would be made to find an alternative location.

Coun Steve Galloway, executive member for city strategy, said the agreement with the operators of Ice Factor expired after this year’s event, and the Crown Court had indicated that it was not happy for the event to continue to be staged at the Eye of York in future years. “They cited potential disturbance and distractions,” he said.

“They are concerned this could be an issue for the victims of crime that were attending the court proceedings.”

A spokesman for Her Majesty’s Courts Service said it had had discussions with the council but could not go into details.

“Unfortunately, the operation of the ice rink in its current location is incompatible with the operation of the Crown Court, which is very close by,” “he said.

“We are therefore pleased that York City Council has accepted that Eye of York will not be the venue for the ice rink after this coming season and, to avoid disruption to the serious criminal trials which take place in the court, that it has been agreed that no music will be played or loudspeakers used before 5pm on days that the court is sitting.”