THE Diary has learned that York's very own Royal has come under fire, for allegedly spending thousands of taxpayers' money chartering a private jet.

A national newspaper claims Prince Andrew chartered a jet to make a 400-mile trip back from Edinburgh to London after opening a Microsoft conference.

It was, rather churlishly, pointed out that he could have made the trip for a mere £25 if he had travelled by train.

The Duke of York said the sum was justified to dodge a planned British Airways strike, but went ahead with the flight even though the strike was called off.

If he had booked in advance, a Super Apex train ticket would have cost £25.

But then perhaps the prince, like many of the rest us, has had some bad experiences with public transport recently.

Indeed, he may have read in The Press on Tuesday how, even on GNER trains, the satisfaction with services has fallen, according to a customer survey - though the York-based company was still ahead of the average in terms of overall satisfaction.

On the other hand, it is just possible the prince is not too much of an expert on the vagaries of public transport.

Have a Heart for sad City

IT seems that Clayton Donaldson's imminent departure for Scottish side Hibernian has upset more than just York City and their supporters.

The Diary was amused to get a press release from supporters of Hibernian's rivals Hearts. City were stunned this week when it emerged the 20-goal hitman could leave KitKat Crescent for nothing, under a little-known FIFA loophole.

The York Hearts Supporters Club, which has about 25 members, said they were shocked to learn of Donaldson's impending move.

With tongue firmly in cheek, a spokesman said: "It is patently a step down in his career. He has joined a mediocre outfit with little regard for flair or finesse, and it's difficult to see how he can achieve success at a footballing backwater such as Easter Road."

Following Billy McEwan's comments in The Press yesterday about his Hibs counterpart John Collins, we wonder whether the York Hearts supporters might soon be receiving a few applications from the Bootham Crescent area.