THE YORK BRIEF ⏰ Tuesday, 6th January 2026

Good morning, York!

If you managed to get out the door this morning without slipping on your backside, consider yourself lucky. It's proper brass monkeys out there, and the city's dealing with everything from school closures to train chaos. It's not all doom and gloom – we've got a massive toy fair coming this weekend, the Ice Trail's returning next month, and the Grand Opera House is getting some much-needed upgrades. Right then, let's crack on with what's happening in our city today.

🌤️ WEATHER UPDATE

Right then, wrap up warm. We’re looking at highs of 4°C today with grey skies overhead, then plummeting to -4°C tonight. The Met Office has yellow warnings for snow and ice running until 11 am this morning, plus there’s an amber cold-health alert covering all of England through Friday. Yesterday’s dusting of snow made our city look proper magical – Clifford’s Tower and the Minster were stunning – but don’t be fooled. Roads are still icy as owt, so take it steady out there. MET Office

🌨️ SNOW & ICE CAUSING MAYHEM

❄️ Schools Forced to Shut Their Doors: Several schools across North Yorkshire called it a day on Monday as the snow came down. Filey Academy, Scarborough University Technical College, Woodlands Academy, Northstead Primary, and Scarborough Pupil Referral Service all closed their gates. Council gritting crews have been out all night doing their best, but here’s the thing – gritted roads need traffic to actually activate the salt and start melting ice. YorkPress

❄️ Daft Kids Warned Off Frozen Ponds; This one’s important, especially for parents. Youngsters have been spotted playing on frozen ponds across York, and authorities are properly worried. Temperatures have been below freezing for days, aye, but ice that looks solid can be dangerously thin. One wrong step and you’re through. Keep the little ones well away. York Mix

🚨 CRIME ROUND-UP

🔨 Two Women Arrested After Shambles Sweet Shop Smashed Up; What a mess. Two women in their 40s were arrested Monday after an early-hours raid on Shambles Sweet Shop left six windows smashed to bits and between 70 and 80 kilos of sweets nicked – that’s 11 to 12 stone of Pick ‘n’ Mix, for context. The story was covered by the Yorkshire Post, YorkMix, and the York Press.

🔍 Shambles Businesses Demand Better Security; This isn’t a one-off. YorkMix reports the Shambles has become a proper crime hotspot lately, with multiple break-ins hitting businesses along the historic street throughout 2025. Shambles Kitchen got done over in August when burglars smashed their way in (though found nowt to steal since they operate cashless). Last April, Shambles Tavern, Monk Bar Chocolatiers, and Caffé Nero in King’s Square were all targeted in one night.

👤 Police Hunting Wanted York Man – Don’t Approach; Raymond Harris, 42, is wanted for recall to prison after breaching the terms of his early release licence. He’s got connections to York, particularly around Clifton, and police have carried out multiple checks but can’t find him. Here’s the important bit: if you see him, dial 999 straight away. Don’t approach him yourself. North Yorkshire Police are running extensive enquiries across the city to track him down.

⚖️ Police Officer Facing Nightclub Assault Allegations; York Press reports a serving police constable has been accused of sexually assaulting women at a York nightclub. The case is working its way through the courts. We’ll bring you more as this develops.

🚂 TRANSPORT NIGHTMARE

🚫 East Coast Main Line in Total Chaos – “Do Not Travel” Warning; LNER slapped a “do not travel” warning on the entire East Coast Main Line after engineers discovered defective track between Peterborough and Stevenage. Combine that with heavy snowfall between Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and you’ve got complete chaos. Services between London King’s Cross, York, Leeds, Newcastle and Scotland were either cancelled or running hours late. If you’ve got a ticket dated Monday 5th January, good news – you can use it through today, Tuesday 6th. LNER’s accepting tickets on loads of other operators too: Avanti West Coast, TransPennine Express, Northern, East Midlands Railway, CrossCountry, and more. Just be warned – alternative services are absolutely rammed. York Mix

🎨 WHAT’S ON AROUND YORK

🧊 York Ice Trail Returns Next Month – It’s Free! Get February 7th and 8th in your diary right now. YO1 Radio reports York’s magical Ice Trail is back, transforming the city centre into a winter wonderland with dazzling ice sculptures running from 10:30am to 4pm both days. This year’s theme is “An Enchanted City” – think mythical creatures, curious characters, and enchanting designs carved entirely from ice. There’s a mysterious spell woven into the trail story, and visitors can try to figure out who cast it and why before the magic melts away.

🧸 Nearly 300 Stalls at Massive Toy Fair This Saturday; The Northern Toy Fair rolls into York Sport Arena at the University this Saturday, 11th January, with nearly 300 stalls packed with new and vintage treasures. Whether you’re hunting for rare Action Man figures, model railways, Star Wars memorabilia, or just browsing with the kids, this is the place. Runs 10:30 am-4 pm. Cash is recommended for entry, though some stallholders take cards. Get there early for the best picks. YO1 News

🎭 Grand Opera House Planning Extra Seats & Better Views; York’s much-loved Grand Opera House has submitted plans for improvements, including additional seating and enhanced sightlines so more people can enjoy shows without craning their necks, according to both YorkMix and York Press. The theatre remains a cornerstone of York’s cultural scene, and these upgrades should make the experience even better for audiences.

🍺 Acomb Pub Wants to Add Outdoor Bar; A pub in the York suburb of Acomb has applied to the City of York Council for permission to open an outdoor bar area, YorkMix and York Press both report. If approved, it’ll give locals more al fresco drinking options when the weather’s decent. The application is under consideration.

💼 JOBS & OPPORTUNITIES

🎖️ Armed Forces Gap Year – Could This Be For You? Young people in York considering their next steps might want to look into the Armed Forces Gap Year scheme. It’s a proper opportunity to experience military life, gain skills, build confidence, and earn money – all without committing to a full career. Details: GOV.UK

📻 YO1 Radio Gets New Boss; Nick Hancock has been appointed Managing Director of our local radio station, YO1. Nick brings fresh leadership to the station that keeps York connected with news, music, and community info.

🏢 Council on Big Recruitment Drive; North Yorkshire Council is launching a major recruitment campaign to fill positions across multiple departments. If you’re job hunting, keep an eye on their vacancies page – there’ll be roles going in everything from admin to highways to social services.

🏗️ Faster Internet Coming to Haxby; Openreach has started work rolling out new high-speed broadband infrastructure in Haxby. Residents who’ve been stuck with sluggish connections should see proper improvements once the network’s up and running.

🏛️ POLITICS

🌎 York Central MP Urges Government to Condemn US Action in Venezuela; York Central MP Rachael Maskell has urged the UK government to “strongly condemn” the United States following its military strike on Venezuela and arrest of President Nicolás Maduro. The US announced on Saturday that military personnel had seized Maduro and his wife, and that America would “run” Venezuela until a proper transition could take place. The action has drawn international criticism, with concerns it sets a dangerous precedent for other world leaders. Ms Maskell said failing to uphold international law sends a dangerous message to Russia over Ukraine and China over Taiwan.

🏥 HEALTH WARNING

⏰ Long Waits at York & Scarborough Hospitals; Both York and Scarborough hospital trusts are warning of significant delays in A&E departments right now. They’re absolutely swamped. If it’s not a genuine emergency, please use NHS 111 first or contact your GP. Only head to A&E if you really need urgent medical attention. The staff are doing their best, but they’re under massive pressure.

👥 COMMUNITY

💔 York Says Goodbye to Foster Mum Karen Wortley; The York community is mourning Karen Wortley, 59, a dedicated foster mum who devoted her life to caring for vulnerable children. Friends and family remember Karen for her warmth, her huge heart, and her unwavering commitment to giving kids a safe, loving home when they needed it most. She made a real difference to so many young lives in our city. Rest in peace, Karen.

🏠 PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT

🏘️ Architects Get Green Light for Exeter Homes; Planning permission has been granted for a residential development project in Exeter overseen by York-based architectural firm Brown & Company. The firm continues to expand its portfolio across the region.

🏥 Teresa Fenech Joins Health Board York Press reports the Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board has welcomed Teresa Fenech to a key leadership position. The ICB coordinates health services across our region.

“We are building a new organisation in a rapidly changing world – one that must be agile, inclusive and relentlessly focused on improving the health outcomes of our population and ensuring that health services provide high quality and value.”

⚽ SPORT

🤝 Royal Oak & Moorside Battle to Thrilling 5-5 Draw; What a match. Moors League action saw Royal Oak and Moorside share the spoils in a ten-goal thriller that kept spectators on the edge of their seats. Both sides showed proper attacking intent, and neither could be separated when the final whistle blew.

🎺 York RI Golden Rail Band on National Telly; Local brass band York RI Golden Rail Band featured on a More4 series, bringing some York talent to national audiences. The band’s been a fixture of the city’s musical scene for years, and it’s brilliant to see them getting wider recognition.

🛣️ ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE

🕳️ Residents Demand Pothole Policy Changes; A badly rutted and crumbling York road has sparked fresh calls for the council to overhaul its pothole repair policies. Residents are fed up with deteriorating road surfaces and want faster response times when problems are reported. The current system just isn’t cutting it, and locals reckon the council needs to be more proactive before roads become dangerous.

📊 THAT’S YOUR LOT FOR TODAY

So there you have it – another busy day in York. Stay safe on those icy roads, check before you travel by train, and if you spot Raymond Harris, remember: 999, don’t approach. The weather should start improving by the end of the week, but until then, keep those layers on and watch your step.

Stay warm, stay safe, and we’ll see you tomorrow with more from around our city.