A former Lord Mayor of Leeds has been jailed for 32 months after admitting eight child sex offences.

Neil Taggart, of Marlowe Court, Garforth, admitted making and distributing indecent photographs of children.

The judge said Taggart's once-high reputation in the community lay "in the gutter".

As well as being Lord Mayor of Leeds in 2003, Taggart also served as chairman of West Yorkshire Police Authority.

He also served as a Leeds Labour councillor for more than 30 years before being deselected by the party in October 2013.

The 65-year-old was sacked from the Labour Party after he was suspended in October when the party became aware of the allegations he was facing.

Adam Pinder-Smith
BBC Local Live, Yorkshire

A music academy in Rotherham is to close at the end of July after 25 years due to lack of funding.

Image source, Google

The Get Sorted Academy has offered music lessons and musical activities for a quarter of a century.

But trustees have decided that the site on Westgate can't continue as operations are "increasingly difficult".

All activities and lessons will continue until the end of the month, they say.

The "complex" project to run trams on existing train tracks is overdue and over budget, the National Audit Office says.

Here's a stark warning against storing petrol at home...

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue have released this dramatic CCTV footage of an exploding shed in West Yorkshire:

The shed was completely destroyed when a small amount of petrol, stored in appropriate containers and garden machinery, leaked.

It's believed the petrol vapours were ignited by a faulty fluorescent light fitting causing the explosion.

The remaining fuel was ignited, causing a rapid fire which quickly engulfed the remains of the shed.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service is advising people to take proper precautions when storing petrol at home for garden machinery.

Shahid Hussain
BBC Local Live, Yorkshire

Would you go on a date with someone who has HIV? What about stopping in the street to give someone first aid - Would HIV make you change you mind?

Apparently, loads of us still don't understand the virus and, according to the Terrence Higgins Trust, external, nearly a third of people in Yorkshire and the Humber region would be uncomfortable giving first aid to someone living with HIV on effective treatment.

The charity is now warning that out-of-date beliefs about HIV transmission are fuelling stigma and discrimination, which prevents people coming forward for testing.

Mick Mason, regional manager for the trust, says: "It is saddening to see that, in 2017, people in Yorkshire and the Humber are still being treated differently because of their HIV status."

Joey Steele, who was diagnosed three years ago, says there are still plenty of myths about the illness:

BBC Sport

The second day of Yorkshire's County Championship match against Somerset is now under way at Scarborough.

Yesterday the ground there really did look a picture:

Image source, PA

Yorkshire are batting and looking to add to their overnight total of 42/3, after earlier bowling the visitors out for 268.

Liam Plunkett starred with the ball on the opening day, taking 4-73.

You can listen to ball-by-ball coverage of the match right here.

Huddersfield Giants full-back Jake Mamo is ruled out for the rest of the season after having surgery on a foot injury.

Toby Foster
Presenter, BBC Radio Sheffield

It's not every day a guest comes into BBC Sheffield brandishing a sword, but that's exactly what happened when Barnsley's Crystal Waterhouse popped in earlier.

This weekend she's off to Moscow to compete in the Russian military sport known as Dzhigtovka.

No, I'd never heard of it either....

Crystal explained to me who how's it pronounced and what it's all about:

An report into flooding in Tadcaster in December 2015 says flood defences need urgent improvements.

Image source, Joe Giddens/PA

Dozens of homes and businesses were flooded as a result of Storm Eva, with the town's bridge partially collapsing and a temporary one having to be installed.

The report, by North Yorkshire County Council and its partners, says the current protection offered by the town's flood defences is low and there's a risk flooding could happen again.

The report says everyone will need to work together to get additional funding to secure any work.

It also praises the work of Tadcaster Flood Action Group which it says were instrumental in improving resilience and awareness since 2015.

The Environment Agency is putting together a funding bid for an improved flood defence scheme.

The police watchdog has begun an independent investigation into whether former South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Shaun Wright lied to MPs in parliament over the Rotherham child abuse scandal.

Image source, Getty Images

The complaint relates to evidence Mr Wright gave at a hearing in 2014, while he was still the PCC, where he gave evidence under oath about his knowledge of allegations of widespread child sexual abuse in Rotherham.

It's specifically alleged that he denied having knowledge of child sexual exploitation in the town during his time as Rotherham Council's cabinet member for children's services between 2005 and 2010.

The investigation is specifically focused on whether the evidence given was in any way misleading, according to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

Have you seen Damien Munroe? The 37-year-old, from Barnsley, is wanted after failing to appear at court and a warrant has now been issued for his arrest.

Image source, South Yorkshire Police

He has been known to also wear glasses.

Any information on his whereabouts can be passed onto South Yorkshire Police by calling 101.

Here's the latest from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service about the fire in Bradford we mentioned earlier.

It broke out on Hall Lane, Broomfields, close to the city centre, with about 70 firefighters tackling the blaze at its height:

Elly Fiorentini
BBC Local Live, Yorkshire

Firefighters in North Yorkshire have criticised the services new Tactical Response Vehicles, with the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) saying a series of failings have left the public and fire crews at risk.

Image source, North Yorkshire Fire Brigades Union

They say one broke down last week when on route to an emergency in Harrogate.

The FBU says other incidents include on board water pumps failing, the vehicles’ breaks failing to work and the vehicle "snaking" across the road while responding to emergencies.

The FBU says vehicles were introduced in January by North Yorkshire Fire Service as cheaper, "reliable replacements" to standard fully-equipped fire engines.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service says it's commissioned an independent report that's confirmed the vehicles are safe, legal and roadworthy

Tom Ingall
BBC Look North

It started out at a cost of £15m but after two and a half years of delays, the total cost of the tram-train project to improve transport links between Sheffield and Rotherham is now set to reach £75m.

Here's why:

Sheffield South East MP Clive Betts wants to see the work get finished as quickly as possible:

Jhangir Ahmed
Presenter, BBC Radio Leeds

What do you think about electric cars? And how would you feel if you were picked up in an electric taxi? Some cities already have some but there are plans to encourage more across Yorkshire.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority has secured £1.9m of funding to support an increase in low emission electric taxis by increasing charging points. I've been trying one of the electric cars out.

Adam Pinder-Smith
BBC Local Live, Yorkshire

An update for you on the eastbound side of the M62 heading into West Yorkshire.

There are still three of the four lanes closed on that carriageway between J21 and J22 after a lorry jack-knifed on that stretch at around 0700 this morning.

According to the Highways Agency, traffic is getting past the scene but there are delays with reports of an additional hour and a half being added to journeys.

Image source, Highways Agency

The latest estimates are that it will be around midday before the motorway is fully open and delays cleared.

Elly Fiorentini
BBC Local Live, Yorkshire

Plans to build almost 10,000 homes in Scarborough, Whitby and Filey over the next 15 years have been officially approved.

The Local Plan sets out where development can take place and has taken years of designing and consultation.

Scarborough Borough Councillor Joe Plant is in charge of Planning and Transformation at the authority, he says adopting this plan means the whole borough of Scarborough can move forward with confidence.

Charlotte Rose
BBC Radio Sheffield Political Reporter

Sheffield Heeley MP, Louise Haigh has been appointed to Labour's front bench as Jeremy Corbyn's new Shadow Policing Minister.

The former special constable, has campaigned on issues around Hillsborough and Orgreave since being appointed to the House of Commons in the general election of May 2015.

Image source, Louise Haigh

Miss Haigh has said she's "delighted" to be asked to serve in the role and will "fight hard" to ensure that the police have the resources and powers they need.

She also says she sees online extremism and cyber security as a priority.

Yorkshire Post

Mark Johnston's stable star Permian , externalis on course to chase Group One honours in Saturday’s historic Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.

York’s Dante Stakes winner returned to winning ways at Royal Ascot last month after disappointing in the Epsom Derby.

Image source, Yorkshire Post

Elly Fiorentini
BBC Local Live, Yorkshire

Two spoonbills have arrived at the RSPB site at Fairburn Ings.

It's really special because the birds were extinct in the UK until 2010.

Take a look a this film from the RSPB.