Local Democracy Reporting Service

Chairs which had been screwed to the floor at York Crematorium to make sure mourners kept to social distancing guidelines due to the coronavirus pandemic have now been unfastened, it's been confirmed.

Image source, Google

Funeral director Martin Rowley raised concerns about grieving family members being able to hug each other during services after an incident in Milton Keynes when a son was told to move away from his mother during his father’s funeral because of social distancing.

Mr Rowley asked City of York Council to urgently review its arrangement, which saw chairs screwed to the floor at York Crematorium to prevent them from being moved.

He said this year has been one of the worst times to lose a loved one and that most venues now allow family groups to sit together.

City of York Council said the arrangements at the crematorium had been reviewed in light of the incident in Milton Keynes.

A spokesperson said: “Following a review and in consideration of public health advice, chairs will placed unsecured in the social-distanced format."

In response, Mr Rowley said: “I’m glad the council has reviewed its position and will now allow those families the right to comfort each other at the service.”

Sharon Stoltz says she is "waiting like everyone else" to hear what will happen in the city of York.

Yorkshire Water is applying for a fence to be built to prevent rubbish going into a nearby stream.

A crumbling community arts centre in Bradford is about to be given a new "warm and dry" lease of life when work to transform it begins next month.

Image source, South Square

South Square in Thornton is made up of a dozen Grade II-listed workers' cottages dating from 1832.

It currently houses a local history archive, three galleries, 14 artist studios, community and workshop spaces and a vegetarian cafe bar.

Earlier this year it was handed over by Bradford Council to the charity, which currently runs the centre on a 99-year lease.

The centre was saved by a community campaign and has since been awarded almost £1m, mostly from lottery grants, for a refurbishment as well as new projects and traineeships.

Image source, South Square

Yvonne Carmichael from South Square said: "The money means we can undertake a three-year heritage activity programme working with local people, schools and care homes.

"We'll also be able to renovate, which means we'll have a dry and warm building at the end of it."

The centre has continued projects throughout the coronavirus lockdown, including garden gigs with care homes, Zoom workshops for people shielding, family activity kits and interviewing former residents of the workers cottages.

Planned changes to the government's approach to tackling the coronavirus pandemic are making things "difficult and confusing" and affecting people's mental health, York's health boss says.

Image source, Reuters/Phil Noble

A tiered system of measures for England is expected to be announced within days in an effort to stall rising infection rates.

York's director of public health, Sharon Stoltz, says she had understood that York would be going on the government's coronavirus "watch list" this week, but now believes there will be an announcement "sometime on Monday."

She says: "Not knowing what's happening makes things incredibly difficult. I spent much of yesterday with the leaders of the council trying to work out what messages we're going to be able to give to residents of York on Monday.

"We've had to prepare three different media statements, because we don't know which one we're going to use."

She added: "It makes it incredibly difficult for people in York, who I think are becoming increasingly confused about what they're allowed and not allowed to do. It compounds the impact on people's mental well being."

The death of a British backpacker in Malaysia remains a mystery six years on, an inquest has heard.

Image source, Family handout/Blackstock

Gareth Huntley, 33, from Leeds, disappeared on Tioman Island on 27 May 2014. His body was found on 4 June.

At a hearing in Wakefield, West Yorkshire coroner Jane Alam said decomposition meant the cause of his death was not clear.

In a narrative conclusion, she said a third-party could not be ruled out but "no positive findings" supported this.

The inquest heard Mr Huntley was working as a volunteer for the Juara Tutle project when set off on a walk to a local waterfall.

When he did not return, extensive searches were launched and his remains were eventually found a short distance from a police command post.

"How Gareth came by his death remains unknown," Ms Alam said.

Mr Huntley's family said the "mysterious circumstances" surrounding his death had compounded their pain.

A car was set on fire and bricks and fireworks thrown at police in an incident in Castleford last month, police have revealed.

Image source, Google

Officers were called to reports of a memorial being held at The Green on the evening of Friday 25 September, with over 500 people in attendance.

A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police says: "On arrival,bricks and fireworks were thrown at police and into the crowd. A car was set on fire and damage was caused to the village green."

A 19-year old was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence and has since been bailed while an investigation takes place, the force says.

Det Insp Sarah Degnan says: "All assaults on emergency workers are totally and utterly unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

"I would like to appeal to anyone who was at this gathering to come forward with information. We are particularly keen to speak to people who has video footage of the disorder."

BBC Weather Watchers

If you were up to see the sunrise this morning, you might have been in for a treat.

In Scarborough, our BBC Weather Watcher Beverley Senturk captured these swimmers enjoying an early-morning dip in the sea.

Image source, Beverley Senturk/Weather Watchers

In Leeds, Jennypop's photo of a golden canal in the city centre caught our eye.

Image source, Jennypop/Weather Watchers

Mike Ashworth snapped this in Otley just before the sun broke through the trees.

Image source, Mike Ashworth/Weather Watchers

Finally, a well-timed shot of the sky in Sykehouse makes for a calming picture.

Image source, Eskholme Hillbilly/Weather Watchers

BBC Weather

Outbreaks of rain this morning should clear to be followed by sunny spells and scattered showers through this afternoon.

Feeling chilly, with a brisk northwesterly wind.

Clear spells and a scattering of showers are expected to continue through this evening and overnight:

England batsmen Ollie Pope and Rory Burns switch teams for The Hundred next summer, as the first batch of men's and women's players are confirmed.

A child rapist convicted in the Rotherham street grooming scandal has been moved to an open prison without his victim being informed.

Taxi driver Ashgar Bostan was jailed in 2018 after being convicted of two counts of rape.

Elizabeth - not her real name - said moving her attacker to an open prison had left her "absolutely petrified".

Bostan was jailed for nine years after being convicted of raping Elizabeth twice at a flat in Rotherham, when she was about 14 or 15 years old.

The Ministry of Justice has apologised and said it was investigating the matter.

How an insult-laden track by a 16-year-old British MC became a sweet TikTok sensation.

Ash Handley gets a hat-trick as Hull FC are beaten by Challenge Cup finalists Leeds Rhinos in Super League.

Ex-Wakefield forward Keegan Hirst, the first British player to come out as gay while playing rugby league, retires aged 32.

Krisnan Inu's hat-trick helps Challenge Cup finalists Salford record their fourth win in a row, beating in-form Huddersfield.

Gareth Huntley's family say not knowing the cause of his death has made losing him even harder.

'Elizabeth' says she was left feeling 'physically sick' after learning her attacker had been moved.

The decision to move taxi driver Ashgar Bostan to an open prison leaves his victim "petrified".

The mother of a nine-year-old boy from West Yorkshire with cerebral palsy who was targeted by trolls during a charity walk says she hopes a new law would "put an end" to online abuse.

Zach Eagling, from Liversedge, near Dewsbury, also has epilepsy and was inspired by Captain Tom Moore to complete 130 laps of his garden without his walking frame in June, to raise money for the Epilepsy Society.

He and his mum, Claire Keer, are campaigning for online abusers to be prosecuted under "Zach's Law" after they were sent "traumatic and shocking" messages which contained strobing imagery that triggers seizures when his mother posted his fundraising efforts on social media.

The pair addressed representatives from the Law Commission, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the Epilepsy Society, experts and MP Dame Cheryl Gillan at a meeting yesterday.

Ms Keer told them the online abuse was "absolutely revolting" and had caused emotional distress.

She said they wanted "to put an end to this" and for trolls to be "held accountable for their actions" by, including Zach's Law, in the proposed Online Harms Bill.

The government has said it would introduce new laws to protect people online and it was due to publish final plans on its proposals later in the year.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a convoy of up to 50 off-road motorbikes was driven "dangerously" through streets in Sheffield last weekend.

The riders are reported to have driven their vehicles through a number of streets, including Dyche Lane, Norton Avenue, Bochum Parkway, Ecclesall Road, and West Street, before heading towards Sheffield Parkway.

The convoy, including off-road bikes, all-terrain vehicles and quads, was seen on Sunday 4 October between 11:30 and 17:00.

Sgt Matt Duffy said: “We would like to hear from those who witnessed a group of riders pass through our city on Sunday.

“The group are reported to have been driving dangerously and anti-social driving will not be tolerated in South Yorkshire.

“We would like to hear from anyone who has information that can help us identify those involved.”