A retired senior judge has warned the power of attorney system lacks safeguards, saying he would never sign one himself.

The enduring or lasting power of attorney is a legal document, which allows someone to make your financial decisions when you can no longer do so.

The warning, by Denzil Lush, follows the case of North Yorkshire Dunkirk and Normandy veteran, Frank Willet, who was exploited by his neighbour Colin Blake.

Image source, Leslie Willett

Frank's daughter, Lesley, lived 300 miles away from her father who, suffering from dementia and in his early 80s, made Blake his attorney, giving him responsibility for his financial affairs.

Lesley believed Frank's assets were safe.

But just weeks after the papers were signed, Colin Blake had begun taking out large sums of money.

Image source, North Yorkshire Police

In February 2003, Blake withdrew nearly £9,000 from Mr Willett's account in a single transaction. As he had power of attorney, the bank didn't contact Lesley.

Blake drew out more money, using the sums to pay his own bills.

He also registered the enduring power of attorney (EPA) with the Court of Protection, which allowed him to sell Frank's house, a two-bedroom bungalow in North Yorkshire.

The police pursued Blake to France.

Last month he pleaded guilty to theft and was sentenced to four-and-a-half years.

BBC Sport

A quarter of a decade ago, the top league in England changed from being Division One to the Premier League.

Now the BBC is letting you relive the birth of one of the greatest leagues in the world with a live text stream.

No spoilers please, Sheffield United fans...

Doncaster Magistrates Court has 'closed' two flats in Doncaster town centre because of anti-social behaviour.

Image source, South Yorkshire Police

The flats, at Firbeck House on St James Street, have been given the closure order for three months.

It means that only the occupant, their relatives and council and NHS staff are allowed to enter or visit the property.

Sheffield city council have been successful in getting an injuction that will stop protesters taking direct action to prevent trees in Sheffield from being cut down.

Speaking outside Sheffield Town Hall, councillor Bryan Lodge said court action had been a last resort:

Joanita Musisi
Reporter, BBC Radio York

Knaresborough is today honouring one of its most famous sons.

It's 300 years since the birth of John Metcalf, who was known as as Blind Jack.

He was one of the north's most prominent road builders in the 1700s.

I've been to see how the town has paid tribute to him:

Halifax MP Holly Lynch has hailed the bravery of Bernard Kenny - the man who was awarded the George medal for trying to stop the murder of MP Jo Cox.

Mr. Kenny died yesterday morning at the age of 79, he was suffering from cancer.

He was stabbed as he intervened when Thomas Mair attacked Mrs Cox in Birstall, West Yorkshire in 2016.

Holly Lynch - who was a friend of Jo Cox - says Bernard Kenny leaves behind a great legacy:

Witnesses are being sought after a woman was assaulted at a Jess Glynne concert in Scarborough.

The incident took place at the open air theatre on Friday 11 August.

A woman was grabbed by the hair and assaulted while waiting in the queue for the toilet with her friends just before 22:00. The suspect was then removed from the venue by security.

Police want to speak to anyone who may have witnessed the attack.

A man from Bedale, North Yorkshire, has been jailed for 15 months for possessing indecent images of children.

Craig Scott Murfitt, 30, of Benkhill Drive, was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court after pleading guilty to two charges of possessing indecent images and one of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

He was also issued with an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Murfitt had previously been given a nine-month suspended sentence in 2016 for similar offences and was issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The images were discovered during a routine visit by public protection officers as part of monitoring under the SHPO, when his mobile phone and tablet were seized.

A man's been arrested after two other men were found with stab wounds in Leeds overnight.

Image source, Google

It's the thought they'd been attacked at Gledhow Terrace in the Harehills area of the city shortly after 00:30 by a group of men in two cars.

A 22-year-old man and a 23-year old were taken to hospital, but their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

Leeds United have agreed to share the money raised through ticket sales for their Carabao Cup with Newport County, despite the match being switched to Elland Road.

Image source, Getty Images

Newport had been drawn as the home side for the match, but requested the move due to refurbishments taking place at their Rodney Parade ground.

The capacity of Leeds' Elland Road is significantly larger, at 37,890, but the Championship side say they will honour the agreement to share 45% of the gate as normal.

A man's been rescued from a cave in North Yorkshire, after sustaining serious head and chest injuries.

An air ambulance was required at the main chamber of Gaping Gill near Ingleborough (pictured) in the Dales yesterday morning.

Cavers on site assisted paramedics to carry him to the helicopter on a spinal board.

The Partition of British India had a lasting impact on one women who now lives in Bradford.

A businessman from Sheffield says he wonders how much unemployed people want to work, after he gets numerous of 'no-shows' to job interviews.

Nick Murphy, who runs HS Direct, says some of his staff can earn £5000 per month.

Some of the jobs, which are sales-driven roles, carry a base wage of £15,000 per year, with commission added on top.

This is what he says:

Fans going to Barnsley's match against Nottingham Forest in the Championship tonight (19:45 kick off) are being advised to allow extra time for their journey as a result of an ongoing road closure near Oakwell.

Image source, Getty Images

A burst pipe on Pontefract Road over the weekend has been fixed, external, but damage to the road surface is taking longer to repair.

The club has issued this information for those wishing to park at the ground tonight:

• Access to East Stand car park is closed via Beavor Court.
• Access to the East Stand car park is restricted ahead of tonight's game with Nottingham Forest.
• Entry to the club car park today will be via the South Stand Gate, due to road closures restricting access to Beavor Court.
• Those parking in the East Stand car park will not be able to exit via Beavor Court.
• When exiting the ground via the South Stand car park, there will be no left turn on to Pontefract Road.

The statue, which is 9ft 8in (3m) high, will remain on the North York Moors at Castleton for five years.

Sheffield Tree Action Group who oppose what they see as the unnecessary felling of thousands of mature and healthy street trees in the city say the fight goes on despite a court ruling.

An injunction handed down today means people can't lawfully take direct action to prevent trees in Sheffield being cut down.

Image source, PA

Protestors had been stood underneath trees to prevent council contractors carrying out felling work.

The group had previously said the council had acted in an undemocratic way and had refused to listen to alternative options to felling.

The injunction won't come into force until 23:59 hours on 22 August 2017, pending any appeal, and remain in place until 25 July 2018.

There are plans to turn Harrogate's historic Turkish Baths into an "holistic spa and wellness centre".

Image source, Harrogate Borough Council

They also plan to launch their own range of beauty products.

The baths are owned by Harrogate District Council.

It says the plans would make a significant contribution to their aim of finding £5m of new income by 2020.

People living on an estate in Rotherham are being told to lock their windows and doors after a number of burglaries have taken place across the last week.

Image source, Google

Six burglaries happened between Monday 7 August and Saturday 12 August on Victoria Street, Robert Street and Winfred Street in Masbrough.

In each case, burglars gained entry through unlocked windows and back doors. Items such as jewellery, watches, handbags, bankcards and cash were taken.

The jury at the trial of a seventeen-year-old accused of killing a teenager in Leeds has retired to consider the evidence.

Image source, West Yorkshire Police

Irfan Wahid (pictured), was sixteen when he was attacked in Harehills in February.

He died from a single stab wound to the chest. The defendant denies murder and manslaughter.

Make sure you log this stat ahead of your next pub quiz.

On this day in 1992, Sheffield United's Brian Deane scored the first goal of a brand new exciting era.

The Premier League is 25 years old today and it was Deane - who also went on to play for Leeds United - who bagged the first goal in the competition's history.

Now a quarter of a century on, it's still a moment in his career the ex-England international is happy to reminisce about: