Just a few days to go to BBC Children in Need day on Friday.

Last year more than £10m in grants came to Yorkshire as a result of the campaign.

In North Yorkshire, 19 groups benefitted from a total of more than £1m.

One of those charities is The Island in York, which provides a mentoring service to vulnerable and disabled young people.

Kaiden is one of the young people it's helped. As you'll see here, it's changed his life:

From today, private companies face stricter controls over when they carry out roadworks in North Yorkshire.

The county council has agreed plans to introduce a permit scheme aimed at reducing disruption and avoiding busy times of year.

Companies will also face penalties if they breach conditions or work without a permit.

Emergency services are at a house in Dewsbury where a man has been found dead and dangerous chemicals discovered.

Image source, Google

The 76-year-old man is believed to have died suddenly at a house on Jacksons Lane.

Specialist firefighters have been called in to deal with the chemicals alongside police and ambulance crews.

But officers say there isn't thought to be a wider threat to the public and detectives are now trying to find out how the man died.

A total of seven taxis have been ordered off the road following spot-checks in York.

Council and police officers say faults included defective tyres and lights, while one vehicle had a serious fuel leak.

In addition to the seven ordered off the road, a further seven vehicles were found to have other faults and the drivers were given three days to fix them.

Over 40 vehicles were stopped and checked during the operations on two recent Friday nights.

Could smoking be banned in children's play parks in Leeds?

Image source, PA

The city council has launched a public consultation about dog control orders - and alongside this it wants people's view on whether smoking in play parks should be stopped.

The authority says that by banning smoking in play parks children are far less likely to see someone smoking or have to breath their smoke.

The consultation runs until 15 December and you can click here to take part, external.

Police have made a fresh appeal to find a missing man from Doncaster who's been missing for over two weeks.

Image source, South Yorkshire Police

Searches of land and water are continuing for 54-year-old John Parker, who was last seen near his home in Balby on 28 October, external.

Officers are urging local residents to check their land and outbuildings to help in the search.

Ever fancied being a firefighter? Now's your chance as North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service says it's recruiting volunteer firefighters at Lofthouse fire station, near Harrogate.

Image source, PA

The fire service say it currently has six volunteers based at the station who use a Land Rover which doesn't carry water or breathing apparatus but can be sent to "very limited" incidents.

The service says that anyone wanting to help must be a maximum of 20 minutes away from Lofthouse fire station and would have to go through a number of tests and pass medical checks.

If you do fancy it, you can find out more here, external.

Paulette Edwards
Presenter, BBC Radio Sheffield

Claire Cooper is one of the one-in-3,800 people in the UK who suffers from a severe pain condition which doctors don't know a great deal about.

She was at a railway station on the outskirts of Sheffield with her young son when she fell and broke her wrist. As a result, she now suffers from what's known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, external, or CRPS.

It's cause remains unclear, nor, indeed, is it understood why it affects some people and not others.

Claire's explained to me how it affects her:

Mick Lunney
BBC Local Live, Sheffield

A South Yorkshire company is challenging the outcome of an industrial tribunal which sees it facing a £420,000 payout to staff.

Image source, Google

Kostal UK, an industrial electronics firm based in Goldthorpe, has been in dispute with Unite over what the union says is an unfair pay deal.

The original tribunal, held in February this year, found the company had been involved in making "unlawful inducements" to workers.

Now, the employment appeal tribunal in London is hearing the company's claim that the tribunal decision was unfair.

It's expected to hear evidence today and tomorrow.

It's that time of year again in York when you're bound to bump into people wearing caps and gowns - graduation season is under way this week.

York St John University students will be graduating in York Minster alongside an array of leading figures in the charity sector, conservation, business, sport and media who will be awarded honorary degrees.

Among those receiving a scroll will be children's campaigner, author, and TV presenter - most memorably for those of a certain age of children's programme Playschool - Baroness Floella Benjamin OBE.

She says she is dedicating her award to someone special:

Huddersfield Examiner

A thug has been jailed for assaulting his ex-girlfriend and one of her friends while already on bail for damaging her car., external

Image source, Huddersfield Examiner

BBC News Travel

A car fire has closed a busy section of road in Leeds this morning:

Image source, Gemma Grimes

Traffic is queuing on the section of the A647 which makes up part of the Leeds Outer Ring Road as emergency services deal with the fire.

Traffic around Pudsey is also at a standstill and traffic leaving the Owlcoates Shopping Centre is also affected.

BBC News Travel

Here's a tweet from First bus about a car fire in Leeds - but it will be affecting other traffic too, of course:

A 28-year-old man has appeared in court charged with the murder of a fellow prisoner at HMP Armley.

John Westland, 28, is charged with murdering Liam Deane, 22, at the prison.

Liam Deane was found dead in his cell on Sunday.

John Westland was further remanded in custody to appear at Leeds Crown Court on 16 November.

BBC Radio Sheffield breakfast show presenter Toby Foster is giving the station's Facebook followers a special tour around the studios.

It's to celebrate the station's 50th birthday, take a nosy around!

Sheffield Star

A lorry driver is on the run, external after a collision in Sheffield yesterday which saw emergency services called to Shepcote Lane, Tinsley, after the lorry overturned at about 18:50.

Image source, Sheffield Star

A retired West Yorkshire Police Chief Constable has lost a High Court fight with the county's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).

Image source, PA

Mark Gilmore complained West Yorkshire PCC Mark Burns-Williamson had unfairly failed to decide whether he had a "case to answer" after misconduct allegations were made.

Mr Gilmore claimed Mr Burns-Williamson acted unlawfully by failing to complete a disciplinary investigation and asked a judge to order Mr Burns-Williamson to "make a case-to-answer decision".

Dismissing Mr Gilmore's claim, Mr Justice Supperstone, who recently analysed rival arguments at a High Court hearing in London, said Mr Burns-Williamson was "under no obligation" to make such a move.

Hospitals in Leeds are employing a new method to try and get people home sooner after a stay - getting up and moving about.

Image source, Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust

They call it the Sit Up, Get Dressed, Keep Moving campaign and they say it encourages patients to get out of bed, wear their own clothes and stay mobile during their time in hospital.

The Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust claims the idea can support a faster recovery and enable patients to go home sooner.

Doctors say for every 10 days sitting in hospital it has the same effect as 10 years of muscle ageing and for older people this can mean the difference between going home or having to move into a care home:

A man's being hunted over an attack on an 82-year-old woman in central Barnsley.

Image source, Google

He struck yesterday on Wellington Street near a church, pushing the victim to the ground and stealing her purse.

A passer-by chased the attacker but stopped when he was threatened by the thief.

Anyone with information is being asked to contact police.

Oli Constable
BBC Yorkshire Live

You probably know that this week sees the BBC Children In Need appeal reach its climax.

A large number of charities benefit from the money you help to raise.

I've been along to one of them which makes a big difference to people's lives in South Yorkshire.

Its regional base is in Sheffield and it's called Changing Faces, external: