THE YORK BRIEF - WEEKEND WRAP UP ⏰ February 21-22, 2026

Good Sunday morning, York. We usually land in your inbox on Saturday with The Weekend Wrap-Up - but this weekend had too much going on to leave half of it on the cutting room floor. So here we are, Sunday edition, catching you up on everything that mattered across the city these past two days. From Jorvik's spectacular finale to a dominant derby win at the LNER, it's been a proper York weekend. Grab a brew - let's get into it.

🔪 CRIME & SAFETY

⚖️ Fraudster who fled to Thailand jailed after decade-long DBS scam; A York Crown Court judge has sentenced a man to 14 months in prison for running a fake recruitment service that conned vulnerable jobseekers out of fees for fraudulent DBS checks. Ashton Kevin Fredrick Saunders, 37, operated NJP Recruitment Ltd, posting fake job ads, conducting bogus phone interviews and charging victims £70–100 for DBS checks that legitimate services would carry out for £21.50. Nearly £18,000 was laundered through accounts between November 2014 and February 2016.

"This was a cruel and calculated scam that preyed on unsuspecting job seekers. Many of the victims were simply trying to find honest work so they could support themselves and their families, yet they were met with lies, false promises and financial loss. The emotional impact on these individuals who had their hopes raised and then shattered cannot be overstated. We are pleased that justice has been served, and we hope this sentencing sends a clear message that exploiting people’s trust in this way will not be tolerated.”

🏛️ POLITICS & COUNCIL

🗑️ Fly-tipping war of words: Lib Dems propose £52K for community skips - Labour says no; York's fly-tipping problem has sparked a sharp political row, with the Liberal Democrats calling for £52,000 to fund community skips across the city - a proposal voted down by Labour at the recent budget. The Lib Dems say the green bin charge and new tip booking requirements are driving residents to dump rubbish illegally, pointing to 2,807 fly-tipping incidents in the nine months to February 2026, already approaching the 2,954 reported across the whole of 2024/25.

🎾 Padel courts plan rejected after neighbours warn of 'gunshot-like' noise; Plans to build four padel courts at York Sports Club on Shipton Road have been refused by City of York Council after neighbours raised concerns about noise from rackets they described as sounding like gunshots. The application proposed floodlit courts operating seven days a week, which planning officers ruled would cause an unacceptable noise impact on nearby residents and risk damage to protected trees.

🏺 HERITAGE & CULTURE

⚔️ Thousands fill the streets for Jorvik Viking Festival's spectacular climax; Europe's largest Viking festival came to a thunderous close on Saturday afternoon as hundreds of warriors marched through York city centre before staging the grand finale Battle for York at the Eye of York. The procession set off toward Coppergate at 2:15pm, drawing thousands of spectators onto the pavements despite the February chill. The 2026 Jorvik Viking Festival — which ran from 16 to 22 February - attracted more than 6,000 participants and brought the Viking age back to life across the city with combat demonstrations, living history camps, and guided tours.

✡️ Clifford's Tower memorial to be redesigned following Jewish community concerns; The proposed memorial space at Clifford's Tower - marking the 1190 massacre of York's Jewish community - is being redesigned following concerns raised by the York Liberal Jewish Community. Planning permission was granted in December 2025, but the memorial's design is now under review ahead of final approval. Proposed changes include relocating the memorial closer to the entrance, expanding the standing space to accommodate 40 people, adding provision for traditional stone-laying, and potentially incorporating a Peace Garden element.

📚 EDUCATION & COMMUNITY

🤖 York St John professor to explore AI revolution in landmark lecture; Professor Andrew McNamara, Visiting Professor of AI in Design at York St John University, will deliver his inaugural lecture on Tuesday 25 February (6–7pm, De Grey Lecture Theatre). Titled "From Pixels, Prompts to AI & Beyond: Will the Revolution be Generated?", the talk draws on McNamara's 35+ years in visual effects, including work on Thor: Love and Thunder and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. He currently serves as Cinesite's global Generative AI lead. The free public event will be followed by a drinks reception from 7–7:45 pm. (York St John University)

“As the world changes, AI and machine learning are becoming part of society, and we’re seeing a massive shift within art and design and related disciplines. This lecture will examine what it truly means for creativity when machines can generate, and whether the revolution unfolding before us will indeed be generated.” 

🎓 Semester two at York: a whole different vibe; For students at the University of York, the second semester carries a noticeably different feel. The frantic early nerves of semester one - when the city was new, the campus was a maze and friendships were still forming -have given way to something more settled and purposeful. First-years are gaining confidence, second-years are managing competing priorities, and final-year students are savouring what remains of university life before graduation.

🚮 CITY LIFE

♻️ York tip going 'click before you tip' from March - book your slot now; From Monday 2 March, residents visiting Hazel Court Household Waste Recycling Centre on James Street will need to book a timeslot in advance. City of York Council's new 'Click Before You Tip' system comes in response to years of complaints about gridlock on surrounding streets and disruption to nearby businesses, with 13 local firms signing an open letter to the council about the impact. All visitors must pre-book online at york.gov.uk/HazelCourtHWRC/book from Monday 23 February onwards, with slots available up to two weeks ahead. Those without internet access can call 01904 551551. The Strensall and Towthorpe tips, and the walk-in recycling area at Hazel Court, are unaffected.

🅿️ Clifton gift shop says bus stop works cost her trade; Jo Kraemer, owner of the Birdies Perch card and gift shop on Clifton Green, says her business has been hit by a parking suspension linked to bus stop improvement works. City of York Council temporarily suspended parking spaces outside the shop - which she shares with eight other businesses - while the works were carried out. Works that were due to finish on February 18 overran, though the council confirmed they were completed on Friday February 20.

💷 MONEY & CONSUMER

💳 £100 contactless limit scrapped from 19 March — fraud fears mount; The £100 cap on contactless payments will be abolished from 19 March 2026, after the Financial Conduct Authority confirmed it will allow individual - banks to set their own limits - or remove them entirely. The change was welcomed by retailers but has prompted warnings from consumer groups and fraud experts, who point out that contactless fraud doubled following the previous rise to £100 in 2021. Critics worry that higher limits increase the risk of bigger losses from stolen cards and impulse spending. Banks are expected to introduce their own controls, but variation across providers is likely to cause early confusion.

💰 A million workers may be missing HMRC tax refunds of up to £3,000; HMRC is running a campaign to alert workers to unclaimed tax refunds, with an estimated one million people failing to claim money they are owed each year. Common reasons include mileage claims for business travel, professional subscription fees, work tools or equipment, errors in statutory sick pay, and miscalculated holiday pay. Refunds can be claimed across multiple tax years, meaning some workers could recover up to £3,000 in total. The claims process is available via the HMRC personal tax account online. (York Press)

📺 CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT

⭐ BGT series 19 premieres with Stacey Solomon and KSI joining the panel; Britain's Got Talent returned to ITV on Saturday night with its 19th series. Stacey Solomon, who stepped in as guest judge during auditions in October 2025 when Simon Cowell missed filming following a fall, has been confirmed for this series. KSI joins full-time, replacing Bruno Tonioli. The audition shows filmed last autumn are now airing on Saturday nights through the spring. (York Press)

🚗 WHAT'S ON

🏎️ Speed Show returns to Elvington this weekend; Speed Show is back at Elvington Airfield on Saturday 28 February and Sunday 1 March. The two-day event features 100-metre drag races with 50+ vehicles, monster trucks, jet cars, supercars and stunt acts. Monster truck rides are on offer, plus heated marquee displays and food traders. Tickets are £8 per person, with under-16s getting in free. Parking is also free.

⚽ SPORT

🩹 York City injury boost ahead of Halifax — then a 4-1 derby win; The weekend began with good news from manager Stuart Maynard, who confirmed winger Alex Newby had been cleared to return after a chest scare, with Malachi Fagan-Walcott and Joe Felix also edging closer to fitness. Then came the main event: York City put in a commanding performance to beat FC Halifax Town 4-1 at the LNER Community Stadium on Saturday, in front of 7,714 fans.

🏉 York Knights make history at Headingley — but fall to 46-14 defeat against Leeds Rhinos; York Knights made history on Friday night by playing their first ever away Super League game, a Betfred Super League Round 2 clash at AMT Headingley against Leeds Rhinos. It was a baptism of fire: Leeds ran in eight tries, with Maika Sivo marking his long-awaited club debut after a year-long ACL injury with a brace. York's points came from tries by Jack Vaughan, Tyme Thompson, and Bayley Galeano in a 46-14 defeat. The Knights can take heart from their opening-day win over Hull KR - a loss at Headingley is no disgrace, and this is a learning season.