This, of course, is a very visible symptom of a vital public institution overwhelmed by the population growth of York, the traffic situation, of course, being made worse by the lunatic anti-car policies of City of York Council pursued for many years no matter which colour rosette has been in power.

Application of common sense could alleviate much of the traffic issue. Unfortunately that is a commodity sadly lacking at City of York Council.

However, the overwhelmed nature of the hospital behind the doors is of much greater concern. A point I have made many times, including at the Local Plan hearings, is that despite thousands more houses destined to be built in York and surrounding areas, there is no proposal for a new hospital to be built. It’s madness.

Speaking to a resident this weekend I was horrified to learn that their very elderly father taken there in an ambulance then waited for five hours in the foyer on a trolley with doors opening and closing (at this time of year!) for the ‘privilege’ of getting fully inside to then wait in the corridor for a further four hours to get a cubicle to be attended to.

This is seemingly the norm?

Where is the investment in basic infrastructure to support the false, inflated population growth of York?

Whether it is healthcare, highways and transport, water and sewage, schools, police, council services, all will become ever more strained in the future.

Cllr Mark Warters, Osbaldwick & Derwent Ward

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What gobbledegook!

What gobbledegook Garry Taylor of City of York Council spouts, a typical sort of reply from a bureaucrat that has not got a clue.

Because of the traffic congestion he says we should use other or alternative means of getting to the District Hospital. I would be obliged if he could provide that ‘alternative’ to my partner when she goes for her chemotherapy appointment next week !!!!

I do not often agree with Laverack, but his solution to the problem is apt, and the right one, and smacks of common sense and logic……………something that City of York Council officials seem to lack.

Phill Thomas, Brecksfields, Skelton, York

What do you think?

Send your views to: letters@thepress.co.uk. Write no more than 250 words and please provide your full name, address and mobile number

​A by-election will be held in the Stakesby division in Whitby to elect a new councillor to Whitby Town Council.

​North Yorkshire Council said it had received “sufficient requests for an election” in the Stakesby Ward caused by Anne Brown’s resignation, according to the town clerk.

​The date of the byelection will be Thursday, April 2, and the official Notice of Election, the timetable, and the nomination pack will be available on North Yorkshire Council’s website on Thursday, February 26.

​However, Whitby Town Council has said it will not cover the cost of polling cards in the byelection.

​Holding the by-election is set to cost £4,000, and councillors were asked to decide whether the authority should also cover the cost of polling cards.

​At a meeting earlier this month, members “considered the costs associated with a potential by-election for Stakesby Ward, including estimated election costs of £4,000 and an additional discretionary cost of £1,800 for the issue of polling cards”.

​Following a discussion on whether the council would meet the polling card costs, a motion was put forward proposing that WTC would not pay for them, and the motion was approved.

After blowing a two-goal lead to draw against the Premier League’s bottom club Wolves, there will be no dodging the questions on whether Arsenal are mentally ready to end their 22-year wait to become champions.

For the first time really this season, the title race is not completely in the control of Mikel Arteta and his players.

If Manchester City – five points behind in second place – win all of their remaining 12 games, which includes a home meeting against Arsenal, they will finish first.

The same, though, can be said for the Gunners, who have 11 matches left – and they win the April encounter at Etihad Stadium.

But after dropping four crucial points in successive draws against Brentford and Wolves, they are in danger of being haunted by the ghost of past failures.

Three successive runners-up finishes, two of them to Pep Guardiola’s men, provide a constant reminder.

Former Arsenal forward Alan Smith admitted “that word bottle will be used quite a bit in the next few days”.

The scenario seemed a lot different when Piero Hincapie slotted home his first goal for the club in the 56th minute, adding to Bukayo Saka’s fifth-minute opener.

But the Gunners lacked the control and ruthlessness to finish off a Wolves side that had lost their nine previous meetings and are heading for the Championship.

The hosts showed remarkable spirit to fight back with Hugo Bueno’s 20-yard curler giving them hope. Then, in the fourth minute of added time, 19-year-old Tom Edozie – off the bench for his senior debut – pounced on a mix-up between Arsenal pair David Raya and Gabriel and his shot went in off Riccardo Calafiori for a dramatic, dreamy leveller.

Arsenal next face London derbies with Tottenham and Chelsea and they have worryingly started to wobble at a decisive stage in the season.

Arteta knows his side will come under fire and scrutiny.

“Any opinion you have to take it on the chin,” he said. “Any bullet, take it, because we didn’t perform at the level required.

“Anything anyone says can be right because we didn’t do what we had to do. The way to do it is on the pitch on Sunday [against Spurs].”

Wolves boss Rob Edwards said his side “knew there is a massive pressure” on Arsenal at the minute – and they capitalised on that.

The Gunners have not been performing at their best since the start of 2026 and won only two of their last seven league matches, with victories against Leeds and Sunderland.

Arteta added: “Certain basics we have to do, we did them so poorly, one after the other.

“It is better not to judge it. We are all too emotional about it. You have to take the hit because we deserve it. It is very easy with emotion to say things that can damage the team. Everyone wants to do their best.”

Only Crystal Palace and West Ham (both eight) have dropped more points from winning positions in the league in 2026 than Arsenal (seven) and the Gunners have now failed to win from a leading position in three of their last five league games.

This was also the first time in Premier League history that a side starting the day bottom of the table avoided defeat to the leaders, despite trailing by two or more goals.

“It feels like a pivotal moment, a vital one, maybe a turning point,” Smith added on Sky Sports.

“It’s in Manchester City‘s hands now. With their experience and Guardiola’s experience they will really fancy it now. They can almost feel the nerves of the Arsenal team watching that.

“Having been 2-0 up against the team rock bottom on nine points is just not good enough for the team hoping to win the title. It doesn’t bode well for Arsenal to be able to handle the pressure.”

Adrian Chamberlain broke into the house before stealing the car’s keys and driving it away while the owner’s mother was asleep upstairs in their home.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the 39-year-old was arrested shortly after the burglary on August 10, 2023, in Billingham.

Nicci Horton, prosecuting, said: “The victim was woken by the dog whining, went downstairs and noticed the door was ajar and the keys for the Audi and another vehicle were missing as well as a purse and bank cards.

“When she went outside, she noticed the Audi had gone.

“The police located the vehicle on August 16 in Thornaby, and it had been burned out.”

The court heard how police arrested the defendant for an unrelated incident the following day and recovered a mobile phone containing videos and photographs showing him trying to sell it.

Chamberlain, of Woodcock Close in Middlesbrough, initially denied the charges of burglary and theft of a vehicle but eventually pleaded guilty ahead of a trial.

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Chris Morrison, mitigating, urged the judge to pass a suspended sentence as his client was working on turning his life around and is now in a stable relationship.

He added: “I would submit that is a powerful influence away from the malign lifestyle and influences that were a feature of his life when these offences occurred.”

Judge Jonathan Carroll passed a 94-week sentence suspended for two years and ordered him to attend 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.

He said: “You made attempts to sell the car for profit, that failed so you just burned the car out causing a significant financial loss the victims.”

The family of an elderly Massachusetts couple is grieving after a tragic weekend accident on Cape Cod.

The high school sweethearts had been on a “normal” walk on Saturday before seemingly encountering trouble. Kathleen “Kit” Boucher, 71, died after being spotted half-submerged in the ice on Bee’s River. Two police officers also fell through the ice trying to rescue her, but managed to get to safety. Their dog had been spotted loose and wet on a nearby beach, officials said.

Her husband, Gerald “Jerry” Boucher, 72, remains missing.

Rescuers searched for Jerry over the weekend but stopped due to dangerous ice conditions. The search resumed Tuesday using divers, drones, and helicopters, with authorities hoping to continue Thursday or Friday, depending on the weather.

The couple’s daughters, Katy Boucher and Amy Lawson, said in a joint statement Tuesday to NBC Boston, “Our family is devastated by the tragic loss of our beloved parents, Kit and Jerry Boucher. We are deeply grateful for the heroic efforts of the first responders in Eastham. We are thankful for the outpouring of love, and appreciate the privacy and discretion the community is extending to our family during this unimaginably difficult time.”

“They walk all the beaches, all the time. They loved being on Cape Cod, they loved living here. This was their place,” said Dawn Varnum, who knew the Bouchers well, told the outlet,

Kit and Jerry celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last year, Lawson told the New Haven Register.

“They have been together since they were 15 and died together on Valentine’s Day,” Lawson said. “They were best friends throughout life. They were fiercely dedicated to family and friends, and made everyone they met feel loved and important.”

Boucher said her parents took their dog for a walk on Valentine’s Day, a daily routine for her mother, likely joined by her father due to the holiday.

“When I arrived at their home after hearing the news,” Boucher said about their disappearances, “I could see their Valentine cards and chocolates on the kitchen table. They were just going to do their normal thing. My sister keeps saying, ‘They died alive.’ ”

Massachusetts State Representative Steve Xiarhos also sent his condolences to the family, posting on Facebook, “We are absolutely heartbroken over the tragic loss of Kit Boucher and the ongoing search for her husband Jerry in Eastham,” sharing a photo of the couple.

Saqib Razzaq (Image: GMP)

SAQIB RAZZAQ, 48, is wanted on recall to prison

Nhial Tay (Image: GMP)

NHIAL TAY, 22, is wanted on recall to prison

Mohammed Karbhari (Image: GMP)

MOHAMMED KARBHARI, 34, is wanted on recall to prison

Damian Cansell (Image: GMP)

DAMIAN CANSELL, 41, is wanted on recall to prison

Lois Williams (Image: GMP)

LOIS WILLIAMS, 31, is wanted on recall to prison

A police spokesperson said: “Anybody found harbouring any wanted person or helping them to evade justice will be arrested themselves and face possible court action and a criminal record.”

In the event of any sightings, please ring 999, while anyone with any information can leave a message on the police social media pages, or call independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey Catholic diocese this week agreed to a $180 million settlement to resolve allegations of clergy sexual abuse, a figure far exceeding agreements in some large dioceses but still dwarfed by other massive settlements.

Bishop Joseph Williams of the Diocese of Camden, covering southern New Jersey and its Philadelphia suburbs, announced the settlement Tuesday in a letter.

“For the survivors of South Jersey, this day is long overdue and represents a milestone in their journey toward restored justice and the healing and recognition they have long sought and deserve,” Williams said.

Mark Crawford, state director of the Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests, said in a phone interview Wednesday that the settlement was long overdue but he was glad the ordeal was coming to an end. He praised the bishop for listening to survivors and for pledging transparency, contrasting him with his predecessor, who fought a legal battle over a state investigation into alleged clergy abuse.

“This settlement and this bishop have acted very differently,” Crawford said. “I hope it sends a message that this is possible, that this is right.”

Greg Gianforcaro, one of the attorneys representing victims suing the diocese, credited survivors’ persistence in reaching the agreement. The diocese has said there about 300 survivors of abuse raising claims.

“It’s been an extremely long and arduous battle,” he said in a phone interview.

It’s the latest agreement in a scandal set off more than two decades ago when the scale of the abuse and the church’s effort to hide it came to light in Boston. The New Jersey settlement agreement is more than the roughly $80 million settlements in Boston and Philadelphia, though settlements in California ranged much higher. In 2024, the Los Angeles Archdiocese agreed to an $880 million payment.

The Camden settlement comes less than a year after the diocese withdrew its objection to the state of New Jersey’s grand jury investigation into decades of alleged sexual abuse of children by religious. The state Supreme Court has since ruled the state’s investigation could move ahead.

The Camden diocese, like others nationwide, filed for bankruptcy amid a torrent of lawsuits after the statute of limitations was relaxed.

In 2022, the diocese agreed to pay $87.5 million to settle allegations involving clergy sex abuse against some 300 accusers, one of the largest cash settlements involving the Catholic church in the U.S. The latest settlement announcement includes these funds, according to victims’ attorneys.

The diocese of Camden covers six southern New Jersey counties outside Philadelphia. The agreement must still be approved by a bankruptcy court.

Drones being flown into North Korea by civilians are harming inter-Korean relations, a South Korean minister has said. 

Chung Dong-young claimed three civilians had sent drones to the secretive state on four occasions since Lee Jae Myung became South Korea‘s president last June.

The suspects flew the aircraft between September 2025 and January this year, according to Mr Chung, as police and the military investigate.

The unification minister said drones crashed two times in the North, in line with claims made by Pyongyang.

On two other attempts, the drones returned to Paju, a border settlement in South Korea, after flying over Kaesong, a city in North Korea, Mr Chung said on Wednesday.

Authorities in the South were investigating the three civilians on suspicion of violating the aviation safety act and breaching criminal law by benefiting the enemy, he continued.

Some officials at South Korea’s military intelligence agency and the national intelligence service were also under investigation for alleged involvement with the trio, Mr Chung added.

“We express official regret to the North,” he said, and stated the government was taking the drone incursion incidents very seriously.

South Korea’s government plans to strengthen penalties for sending drones to the North, Mr Chung said, including up to a one-year jail term or a 10 million won (£5,100) fine.

Pyongyang hits out

North Korea has reacted angrily over the activity, saying last month that drones from South Korea entered its airspace, after another intrusion in September.

Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, urged Seoul to investigate the incident, warning provocations could result in “terrible situations”.

Mr Chung also expressed regret over South Korea sending 18 drones to North Korea under the alleged direction of ousted president Yoon Suk Yeol.

“It was an extremely dangerous incident aimed to induce an attack against South Korea by sending 18 drones on 11 occasions, to sensitive areas in North Korea including the airspace over the Workers’ Party office,” he said.

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Yoon was jailed on some charges in January, he is still facing others

Alleged covert drone operation

South Korean prosecutors have indicted Yoon, who declared a short-lived martial law in December 2024, before he was ousted in April 2025, on charges that include aiding an enemy state.

They accused him and his military commanders of ordering a covert drone operation into the North to raise tensions and justify his martial law decree.

Yoon denies wrongdoing.

A verdict is expected on Thursday as to whether his martial law declaration amounted to an insurrection.

This weekend some parts of the UK may experience their first burst of spring ‘warmth’, with temperatures of 15 or 16C possible in a few spots. However, it doesn’t mean that sunshine and dry weather is back.

Rain will still feature across the UK during the weekend despite south-westerly winds dragging in milder conditions.

The Met Office have said that there is no sign of prolonged dry weather until the middle of March at the very least, with our weather remaining very “changeable”.

Despite this, the blocked weather pattern that has been the reason for all our problems so far this year has finally changed. It means that low pressure systems will sit in different areas and also progress across the UK more than they have done. The result will be a different distribution of rainfall across the country, with some western hills likely to experience the wetter conditions.

There should also be a few more drier and brighter days, but with rivers still very high and the ground saturated in large parts of the country any further rain could still bring the risk of more flooding.

After the unusually dry conditions through a large part of 2025, and the resulting drought in a number of areas, the turn around to flood has been fairly rapid.