Cash-strapped councils across Yorkshire are being urged to justify why they are spending millions of pounds of taxpayers money on the Tour de Yorkshire, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Image source, Getty Images

It is understood the towns and cities hosting start and finish lines for the four-day race which took place last weekend spent up to £250,000, while North Yorkshire County Council has spent £180,000 on the race for the last two years.

Councillor Eric Broadbent, leader of North Yorkshire County Council's Labour group, said while it was clear a large proportion of the county's investment had been used to bring the race route to a "pristine standard", other roads had been left "looking like a meteor had hit them".

Council leaders say they have a duty to the businesses to promote Yorkshire as a popular place for people to visit.

Hambleton District Council's leader, Councillor Mark Robson, said the authority's £25,000 outlay on items such as safety barriers had brought clear dividends to the local economy, with lengthy queues outside a wide variety of shops.

Here are some of the top stories from East Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire today:

• Wildlife 'threat' of new housing rules
• 'Check before you travel' - Rail firm's strike warning
• Two held over assault and criminal damage
• 'Oyez, Oyez, Oyez' - Meet Britain's best town crier
• Career high for Kyle Edmund

A plan over how Barrow-upon-Humber should be developed over the next 10-15 years has been approved by North Lincolnshire Council.

The plan comes after a consultation with residents and means the parish council can now work on a full Neighbourhood Plan, which could include setting out where new homes are built or which areas of open space should be protected.

It can also set out what local facilities will be needed in future.

Paul Hudson
Weather presenter, BBC Look North

Let's take a look at what the weather will look like over the next few days:

The leading Labour group on North East Lincolnshire Council has been told it should "step aside" after last week's local council elections.

Image source, Martin Vickers MP

Labour were left with a one seat majority on the council and the Conservative MP for Cleethorpes, Martin Vickers, external, said the leader of the authority should step-down.

Mr Vickers said the Labour group had "let people down."

The Labour group has not yet responded to Mr Vickers' comments.

A former teacher at a boarding school in Grimsby has been banned from teaching for life.

Kevin Cooper, 47, had an inappropriate relationship with a girl at the school, a misconduct panel found, external in April.

Mr Cooper joined St James' School, as a teacher and housemaster, in 2009 and was suspended in 2016 after developing a relationship with the girl.

The panel found, external the relationship to be sexually motivated.

The education secretary has backed the panel's ruling and agreed to impose the teaching ban on Mr Cooper.

Hull has been scorching today and was the hottest place in Yorkshire with temperatures hitting 26C (79F), not quite as high as the 28C (82F) reached in parts of the UK over the Bank Holiday weekend but still very warm.

Image source, bbc

The Met Office's Charlie Powell said temperatures in the high 20s were "the exception rather than the rule" for the UK as a whole.

An exhibition by internationally-acclaimed artist Grayson Perry is to be held at the 20-21 Visual Arts Centre, external in Scunthope.

Grayson Perry's (pictured) The Vanity of Small Differences will be on display in Scunthorpe from July for two months.

The series of tapestries by the Turner Prize winning artist show the story of a life, from rags to riches.

"Backward and draconian" is how a train company's new policy forcing cyclists to reserve spaces for bikes on services 24 hours before travelling has been branded.

Cyclists won't be able to bring bikes on to TransPennine Express routes after 20 May unless they have pre-booked.

The company says it will reduce overcrowding on trains, but commuters said the changes remove flexibility.

Councillor Martyn Bolt, from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, said the transport committee would be lobbying to get the decision reversed.

New housing rules could "threaten" nature reserves, wildlife organisations in Yorkshire have warned.

The organisations, including the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, external, fear government proposals could mean nature reserves lose protection against inappropriate housing developments.

The government says the country needs to build more houses but that doesn't mean the rules protecting nature will be watered down.

Conservationists say they want to see the laws for sensitive habitats tightened.

The town crier, Michael Wood (pictured left), from the East Riding of Yorkshire has been crowned as the best in Britain for the fifth time.

Image source, East Riding of Yorkshire Council

He was awarded the title by The Loyal Company of Town Criers , external(LCTC) following the championships held over the weekend.

The event saw competitors battle it out in Ely, Cambridgeshire.

Entrants have to perform their "home cry" during which they shout the praises of the areas they represent.

Competitors included twenty of Britain’s top professional criers.

Students are being employed by a college to help them become used to the world of work.

University Technical College, in Hull, said it was employing students to work in the library and IT centre.

The students are paid and the work hours are arranged to ensure they don't miss out on their studies.

Rail operator Northern is warning passengers to check before they travel later this week as members of the RMT union are expected to go on strike.

The industrial action on Wednesday will be part of an ongoing dispute over driver-only-operated trains.

Northern says it expects to operate about 65% of its normal weekday timetable.

Here are the main stories from across East Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire this lunchtime:

• A motorcyclist and passenger suffer serious and life-changing injuries following a collision in Hull
• Hull Paragon station is named as one of Britain's most unpopular railway stations in a survey of passengers
• A series of roadshows have been organised urging more people to become foster carers

Two men in their 20s have been arrested on suspicion of assault and criminal damage in Bridlington over the weekend.

They're also being questioned in connection with a second incident, again involving assault criminal damage.

Both incidents took place on Sunday, Humberside Police said.

BBC News Travel

If you are travelling by train tonight there are problems between Cleethorpes and Ulceby.

Northern, external say there is a fault with the signalling system which could lead to cancellations and delays.

Replacement transport has been requested for some evening services between Cleethorpes and Barton-on-Humber.

Hull Paragon station has been named as one of Britain's most unpopular railway stations in a survey of passengers.

You've been getting in touch with us, external with your views:

A series of roadshows have been organised to try and urge more people to become foster carers.

Image source, Think

North Lincolnshire Council, external said the shows, in Scunthorpe and Brigg, will give people the chance to learn more about what fostering involves.

People will also be able to speak to current foster carers.

A motorcyclist and passenger suffered serious and life-changing injuries following a collision in Hull on Monday.

Police said a Kawasaki 1100 collided with a Saab on Cleveland Street at about 16:50.

The driver of the car was not injured.

BBC Weather Watchers

Not a cloud in the sky! Here's some pictures from our BBC Weather Watchers.

Image source, Bensmatt55

Image source, Anne Howard Webb

Image source, geoteach

If you've got some photos you'd like to share then you can sign up to be one of our BBC Weather Watchers here.