1) A SUSPECTED robber and burglar who escaped court has been captured by police. Russell Frankland, 40, escaped from security staff at Scarborough Magistrates’ Court at 4.45pm on Thursday, where he had been charged with robbery and burglary and was due to be remanded in custody to appear before York Crown Court. He was arrested in Rochdale on Monday night following a short chase by officers from North Yorkshire Police’s Operation Hawk team who travelled to the area, and he is now in police custody.

 

2) CANCER awareness sessions would be made available to all schools in England under a Labour Government, it has been announced. The Teenage Cancer Trust, which runs the awareness programme, said shadow health secretary Andy Burnham had pledged his support after meeting the charity and Jane Sutton, mother of fundraiser Stephen Sutton. Stephen, 19, raised more than £5 million for charity, including the Teenage Cancer Trust, while fighting bowel cancer. He died in May. Research by the charity has found that more than a third of young people with cancer are diagnosed through accident and emergency, while about half of youngsters with the disease go to their GP three or more times with cancer symptoms before they are referred for tests. In the academic year 2013/14, sessions were held in 515 UK schools, reaching 116,000 students.

 

3) FORGET Santa’s list, it appears keeping your place on friends’ Christmas card lists is a tough task in York as research reveals two thirds of people in the city regularly strike names off. A poll, conducted by Oxfam, has found the average York resident bumps up to five people off their list every year. The survey revealed 64 per cent of people from York said they often strike people off their list, with a key reason being because they do not receive a card from that person. However it’s not all bad news, as the survey shows Christmas cards remain a meaningful part of the festive season for people of all ages with nine out of ten York residents sending Christmas cards this year. Of the York residents surveyed for Oxfam, 76 per cent still have a good old fashioned Christmas card list, with the average person set to send out 26 cards in total. The research comes as Oxfam is reporting an unexpected 23 per cent rise in its charity Christmas card sales this year.

 

4) FIVE charity workers will embark on a sponsored swim in York tomorrow. The group will swim for an hour at Yearsley Pool on December 11, to raise money for Cruse Bereavement Care, which provides support to those who have suffered a loss. Anyone interested in sponsoring the volunteers can email fundraisingcruseyork@gmail.com

 

5) THIEVES stole fuel from a tank on a farm in Camblesforth sometime between November 25 and December 6. The thieves smashed the lock off the tank to steal the fuel. Anyone with information should phone North Yorkshire Police on 101.

 

6) A DINNER has raised more than £20,000 to help tackle a rare genetic disorder.  Thea’s Trust Sportsman’s Dinner at the Crown Hotel, in Harrogate, on November 28 was organised by Richard Paterson and his wife, Samantha, following the death of their youngest daughter who suffered from MPS 1 Hurler Syndrome.