Visits to hospitals in Sheffield have been suspended due to a rising number of coronavirus cases in the city, it's been confirmed.

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said it had taken the decision to put a ban on visiting "unless in exceptional circumstances" such as end of life or birth partners.

A spokesperson for the trust said: "It is with regret that due to increasing cases of Covid-19 in the community we have taken the difficult decision to once again limit the number of people coming into our hospitals to try and limit transmission of the virus to patients and our staff.

"We do appreciate how hard this is to not see your loved ones in person, but their safety has to be the priority."

The rules apply to the Northern General Hospital, Hallamshire Hospital, Weston Park Hospital, Jessop Wing and Charles Clifford Dental Hospital as well as community health buildings, including the Stroke Pathway Assessment and Rehabilitation Centre.

Eight sheep have been stolen from a farm in North Yorkshire.

Between 1 and 7 October, the Border Leicester lambs were stolen from a field near Stokesley.

Border Leicesters are said to be distinctive in appearance, with "large upright ears".

Image source, Getty Images

The stolen sheep all have the tattoo BLA45 on their left ear, while on the right ear they carry tattooed serial numbers prefixed with the letter ‘S’.

North Yorkshire police are investigating and urge anyone who may have any information to come forward.

The offences are said to have been committed against four girls between 2003 and 2009.

Fifteen men have been arrested and questioned as part of an investigation into allegations of historic child sexual exploitation in Rotherham.

Image source, National Crime Agency

The alleged offences, including rape, are said to have taken place between 2003 and 2009 against four girls.

Arrests, which relate to three separate investigations, were made in Rotherham, Sheffield, Doncaster, Conisbrough, Blackburn, Wakefield, and County Durham as part of the National Crime Agency's (NCA) Operation Stovewood.

All 15 men have been released while investigations continue.

Stovewood is the largest law enforcement investigation into non-familial child sexual abuse in the UK.

NCA regional head of investigations, Rob Burgess, said: "This latest operational activity means we have now questioned more than 190 people as part of Operation Stovewood."

The new Archbishop of York has been enthroned in a ceremony at York Minster.

Image source, PA Media

The Most Reverend Stephen Cottrell becomes the 98th archbishop, taking over from Dr John Sentamu as the second most senior Church of England cleric.

A limited number of people were allowed to attend the socially distanced service, which was streamed online.

Archbishop Cottrell said he was "delighted and humbled" to take up the role.

"I have begun my ministry at a time of huge hardship and challenge and at the moment Covid-19 is having a particularly devastating impact in the North," he said.

His enthronement took place on the Feast day of St Luke, Apostle and Evangelist. There were readings and prayers as well as music and singing by the Minster choir.

The archbishop took his oath of office on the York Gospels, a 1,000-year-old illustrated religious book which has been at the Minster since 1020.

A two-week lockdown would have a "significant impact" on the spread of coronavirus much quicker than the government's current restrictions, according to a Yorkshire health boss.

Image source, Reuters/Lee Smith/File Photo

The chair of the British Medical Association's regional council for Yorkshire, Dr Brian McGregor, says he believes the three-tier alert system introduced last week is too complicated.

Dr McGregor says: "It's another set of guidance, another set of rules and regulations introduced to try and simplify all the mixed messages they've had before.

"But unfortunately it just seems to be confusing things that little bit more.

"My worry is that people wouldn't comply with a full lockdown and you'd end up with civil unrest, but it would have a significant impact much more quickly than all these interim lockdowns."

A CCTV image has been released in the hunt for a man suspected of robbing a cyclist who had fallen from his electric bike in Leeds.

Image source, West Yorkshire Police

The victim came off his bike on King Edward Street at about 09:00 on 20 September.

A man then approached him, pushed him to the ground and rode off on the victim's bike towards Leeds Bus Station, according to West Yorkshire Police

The man officers want to speak to in connection with the incident is described as aged 25-20, white, 5ft 6ins tall, of slim build and with dark hair.

Anyone who recognises the man in the image, or who has information about the incident, is being asked to call police.

Arts groups and venues across Yorkshire have received government funding to cope with the impact of the pandemic.

Image source, Google

Harewood House stately home in Leeds received almost £700,000 and Sheffield music venue Corporation got £398,400.

The money is part of £1.57bn government handout designed to help arts organisations survive losses caused by the outbreak.

In East Yorkshire, the East Riding Theatre in Beverley was awarded £72,522.

Other recipients of funding include the Black Dyke brass band in Bradford, which was awarded £76,080, and the Tomorrow's Ghosts gothic and alternative festival in Whitby was given £55,000

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: "This is more vital funding to protect cultural gems across the country, save jobs and prepare the arts to bounce back."

How about this for a purr-fect story with a happy ending?

Image source, North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue

An eight-week-old kitten, which became "wedged" in a car engine, has been freed by North Yorkshire firefighters.

Image source, North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue

A crew in Easingwold used air bags and small tools to release him unharmed from under the bonnet yesterday afternoon.

Image source, North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue

The kitten is thought to be a stray, but writing on social media, external, the crew said it thought the young cat now had "a number of options for a new home".

Police in West Yorkshire are appealing to members of the public to report any sightings of a 12-year-old boy missing from Leeds.

Image source, West Yorkshire Police

Max Mapplebeck is thought to be wearing light grey tracksuit bottoms, a white Adidas jumper, a black body warmer and black Nike trainers.

He's missing from the Bramley area of Leeds.

Writing on social media, external the West Yorkshire force said it believes the young boy is in the Farnley/Lower Wortley area.

BBC Weather

After a cloudy start with patchy rain it'll become mostly dry, with brisk southerly winds.

Tonight will be cloudy and windy with showery rain:

A dancer from Leeds who appeared in the opening ceremony of the 2012 Paralympics Games in London has died at the age of 56.

Image source, PA Media

Dave Toole was watched by a TV audience of millions as he performed an aerial routine suspended high above the Olympic Stadium.

He was born without the use of his legs, which were amputated when he was 18 months old.

Alan Lane, artistic director of the Slung Low theatre company, described Mr Toole as an "extraordinary talent".

Mr Toole was a professional dancer for almost 30 years and toured the world in a number of productions.

He was appointed OBE in January for services to dance and disabled people.

As well as Slung Low, Mr Toole worked in Leeds with the StopGap Dance Company and DV8.

Breaking news, sport, weather and travel updates from across North, West, East and South Yorkshire.

Huddersfield Town sign Spanish midfielder Alex Vallejo on a one-year deal with the option of a further year.

Hull FC mark their KCOM return for the first time in seven months with a thumping 48-6 Super League victory over Castleford.

The Most Reverend Stephen Cottrell becomes the 98th archbishop, taking over from Dr John Sentamu.

Billy Sharp scores a late penalty to earn Sheffield United their first point of the season in a draw with Fulham.

How 20-year-old Eddie Parris from Chepstow became a pioneer when he won his only Wales cap in 1931.

Dave Toole's routine high above the Olympic Stadium has been described as "mighty and beautiful".

Dr John Wright looks ahead to the difficulties to come this winter, and considers how much has changed since March.