THE YORK BRIEF Monday, January 5, 2026

Morning, York!

Welcome to the first working Monday of 2026 - we hope you had a brilliant festive break. While the decorations are coming down and the resolutions are still holding strong, York's already buzzing with news. From groundbreaking green energy projects at the University to urgent appeals for a missing boy, rail chaos lasting a month, and someone taking romance back to basics with a handwritten note on Lendal Bridge. Plus, good news for pensioners with a 4.8% increase coming in April. Let's dive into what's happening in our city.

🌤️ WEATHER: Bundle up, York! Monday's forecast shows highs of 5°C and lows near 0°C, but it'll feel more like -4°C with the wind chill. Grey skies and a crisp bite in the air — perfect weather to stay indoors with a cuppa. Source: Met Office.

🚨 URGENT

🔍 Police searching for missing 11-year-old from Dringhouses - North Yorkshire Police urgently need your help finding Alfie, 11, last seen in Dringhouses at 10 pm Friday (January 3). He’s white, approximately 4ft 3in tall, slim build with brown short hair and brown eyes. May be wearing grey joggers, a black Ben Sherman coat, black trainers and carrying a yellow JD Sports bag. If you spot him, call 101 immediately — York Press | YorkMix.

📰 NEWS

🌍 University of York to tap geothermal energy 2.5 miles underground - Work has begun to extract naturally heated water from beneath the University of York’s Heslington campus to warm the entire university. The £35m government-funded Deep Geothermal Energy Project will drill two boreholes 2.5 miles (4km) below ground to reach water heated by the Earth’s core. Project leader Paul Bushnell says the “pretty much infinite” energy source will cut fossil fuel use by 78%, with completion due in 2027. The aquifer stretches from Manchester to Lincoln, opening up “wealth of possibilities” if proven successful - BBC QQ | AOL.com

"The source that we are looking at pretty much spreads over from Manchester to down towards Lincoln so if we can prove this [works] at the University of York it could open up a wealth of possibilities elsewhere."

🚆 Church Fenton Station closed for 32 days as major rail upgrades begin - Residents of Church Fenton face no trains until February 5 as the Transpennine Route Upgrade closes the Leeds-York main line. Locals Des and Bethan Clarke moved to the village specifically for its well-connected station. Network Rail is installing 70 new signals, laying 3km of track, and realigning platforms. The work affects over 200 daily commuters who normally take the 10-minute journey to York - BBC | Transpennine Route Upgrade

💰 State pension to rise by 4.8% from April - here’s the exact amount - Good news for York’s pensioners: the DWP has confirmed the new State Pension will rise to £241.30 per week from April 6, 2026 (up from £230.25). The 4.8% increase under the Triple Lock means an extra £11.05 weekly or £574.60 annually. The Basic State Pension rises to £176.45 per week. York Press | Leader Live.

Former Pensions Minister Steve Webb says: “With households continuing to face a high cost of living and further increases in bills such as Council Tax, these annual upratings are vital”

🎓 York St John crowned Yorkshire’s most ethical and sustainable university - Beating Leeds, Sheffield and the University of York, York St John landed 31st out of 147 institutions in the People & Planet University League. The rankings praised the uni for cutting carbon emissions (targeting 80% reduction by 2030), ditching fossil fuel industry recruitment ties, and creating wildlife-friendly campuses with ponds and dark sky-friendly lighting - The Tab.

🌉 Lendal Bridge to close for eight weeks from April - City of York Council’s £1.9m repair works will shut Lendal Bridge to vehicles for eight weeks starting after Easter holidays in April. Pedestrians can still cross, with cyclist access being worked on. The 150-year-old Victorian bridge needs urgent metalwork repairs and waterproofing to protect its load-bearing capacity - York Press | City of York Council

🍖 LNER worker sacked for serving binned sausage rolls to passengers - A York train worker has been dismissed after CCTV caught him retrieving sausage rolls from a bin and serving them to first-class passengers in May 2023. Peter Duffy claimed he’d “gone too far for the customer” when stocks ran out on an LNER service departing York. His unfair dismissal claim was rejected by a Newcastle tribunal - York Press | YorkMix.

🍫 M&S slammed for replacing Christmas food with Easter eggs - York shoppers are raising eyebrows as M&S stores across the UK - including York - start stocking Easter chocolates barely a week after Christmas. Social media erupted with complaints, calling it “madness” and “commercialism overtaking Christian values.” One shopper posted: “Replacing Xmas food with Easter food today in M&S!! Madness.” Easter falls on April 20 this year - York Press.

💷 Council paid out over £20k in pothole compensation - City of York Council has distributed more than £20,000 in pothole compensation over the past three years across 218 claims. The largest payout came in 2023/24 with £17,141 settled across 116 claims. Council spending on pothole repairs rose from £1.9m in 2022/23 to £2.6m in 2024/25 - York Press.

🏚️ 170 affordable homes planned for Northallerton - Keepmoat Homes and Beckwith Knowle Developments have submitted plans for 170 affordable homes on agricultural land off Darlington Road in Northallerton. All would be affordable housing - 119 for social rent and 51 for shared ownership, with one to four-bedroom properties. Planning application now with North Yorkshire Council - YorkMix.

🏛️ York architect firm wins major Exeter project approval - Award-winning York-based architects brown + company secured approval for a major housing development in Exeter. The project includes 399 student flats and 414 co-living studios across seven blocks on a previously derelict site. Director Rob Miller praised the “thoughtful architecture with comprehensive master-planning” - Yorkshire Post.

🏡 Period home in Fulford for sale at £850,000 - A “lovingly maintained” four-bedroom detached period home in St Oswald’s Road, Fulford, has hit the market. The property features three reception rooms, a kitchen-diner, and a “superb rear garden” with well-stocked flower beds enjoying “a high degree of privacy.” Ashtons Estate Agents recommend early viewing - York Press.

💕 Forget Tinder: romantic note appears on Lendal Bridge - Someone has pinned an A4 note to Lendal Bridge searching for their potential soul mate. Written in black capitals and protected in a plastic pocket, it reads: “To the lady on the bridge Christmas morning. I should have got your number. Please contact me” with a phone number below. The old-fashioned approach has captured hearts online, with commenters saying, “Awww I hope they find their lady” - YorkMix.

🚨 CRIME

🔨 Estate agent’s window smashed in early morning break-in - Price Independent Estate Agents in The Village, Heworth, had its front door window smashed at 4:45am Saturday (January 4). Owner Holly Price said every drawer and cupboard was rifled through. The shop only opened in September 2024. “This isn’t just about broken glass or repairs, it’s the emotional toll and anxiety,” she told reporters - York Press.

🚗 Disabled person’s car vandalised at Tesco car park - Police are hunting a vandal who scratched a light blue Kia Picanto “on all sides” while it was legitimately parked in a disabled bay at Tesco Extra, Askham Bar, between 2pm and 3pm on December 30. North Yorkshire Police urge anyone with information to contact PC1668 Henderson on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously - YorkMix.

🚆 TRANSPORT

🌉 Goole swing bridge fault disrupts York rail services - A fault with the swing bridge over the river at Goole blocked rail lines affecting Northern services, with trains cancelled or diverted via Selby. Rail replacement buses ran between Doncaster and Brough. Routes between Sheffield and Beverley, and Doncaster and Hull were affected until disruption ended Saturday afternoon - York Press | National Rail.

🏃 SPORT

🏉 York Knights tackle bullying in city schools - York Knights players are visiting schools across the city, delivering the “On The Same Team” anti-bullying programme. First-team stars including Scott Galeano, Jordan Lipp, Jack Martin, and new signing Paul Vaughan are speaking to pupils about inclusivity and standing up to discrimination. The York RLFC Foundation is on track to reach over 6,000 young people across 30+ locations - York Press.

⚽ York City’s Nico Lawrence departs after one appearance - Centre-back Nico Lawrence has left York City by mutual consent after just one appearance — 68 minutes in an FA Trophy match at Clitheroe. The Southampton academy graduate joined in November but never featured in league action - York Press.

🥋 York martial arts star targets Brazil after exceptional year - York’s Kate Hambleton is setting her sights on Brazil 2026 after winning medals at every major national karate event in 2025. The dual-discipline athlete (karate and taekwondo) juggles competition with veterinary studies at Nottingham University. She’s targeting the FISU World University Combat Championships and JKS World Karate Championships in Brazil this summer - York Press.

🎓 EDUCATION

📚 Pocklington special needs school celebrates ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted - Allerthorpe School in Pocklington received ‘Outstanding’ for behaviour and attitudes, and ‘Good’ in all other areas in its first-ever Ofsted inspection. The independent secondary school for children aged 11-16 with special educational needs opened in 2024. Inspectors praised its “ambitious” curriculum tailored to individual needs - York Press.

🎃 WHAT’S ON

📚 York Book Fair returns to the racecourse this Friday - The York Book Fair takes over the Knavesmire Suite at York Racecourse on Friday, January 10 (10:30 am - 4:30 pm) with 115 exhibitors displaying books, maps, and ephemera from all periods. Free shuttle bus runs from Memorial Gardens every 30 minutes, with unlimited free parking at the venue - York Press | The York Book Fair.

🎊 York Residents Festival returns at the end of January - Mark your calendars for Saturday 31 January and Sunday 1 February - York Residents Festival is back! Free entry to major attractions, including Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, free bus tours, river cruises, and behind-the-scenes theatre tours. Pre-booking for offers launches Friday, 9 January at midday. YorkCard holders get year-round discounts - York Press.

That’s your Monday briefed! The York Brief is here to keep you informed about what’s happening in our city. See a story we missed? Know something we should cover? We want to hear from you. York’s news is made by York’s people - and that includes you.

Got a story, tip, or local happening? Hit reply and let us know. Whether it’s something brilliant happening in your neighbourhood, a concern that needs attention, or just something you think fellow York residents should know about - we’re listening.

Here’s to a brilliant 2026, York. Stay warm out there.