Six former British soldiers, including three from Yorkshire, have started their return to the UK, more than four years after they were jailed in India on weapons charges.

The so-called Chennai Six, who had been guards on a ship to combat piracy in the Indian Ocean, won an appeal against their convictions last week.

They were jailed in October 2013 after being charged with smuggling weapons and ammunition.

Nicholas Simpson (pictured top right), from Catterick, Ray Tindall (bottom right), from Hull, and Paul Towers (middle top), from Pocklington, are expected to be among those arriving in the UK on Thursday.

Two people have been arrested on suspicion of murdering South Yorkshire pensioner Tommy Ward.

Image source, South Yorkshire Police

Mr Ward was found badly beaten at his home in Salisbury Road, Maltby, on 1 October 2015.

About £30,000 was thought to have been stolen.

He died from his injuries in hospital on 23 February 2016.

A man and a woman, both aged 29, have been arrested on suspicion of robbery and murder.

BBC News Travel

This could cause some delays in Leeds city centre this morning:

A village primary school in North Yorkshire looks set to close after 250 years of educating children.

Image source, Google

Burnt Yates Church of England Primary near Harrogate was hoping to merge with a neighbouring school in Ripley.

But governors have raised a number of concerns about the financial sustainability of an amalgamated school on two sites - and have decided not to go ahead with a consultation on those plans.

Burnt Yates was in special measures last year after being rated inadequate by Ofsted inspectors.

Earlier this morning we told you about a power cut in Sheffield which is causing problems for shops on Fargate.

It looks like five shops have had to close:

This Sunday the Yorkshire International Football Association (Yifa) will stage open trials for the chance to represent the county in world football.

Image source, Getty Images/BBC

Yorkshire's aim is to compete in a tier of teams that have not been given membership of Fifa.

Tibet, Darfur, Greenland, Kiribati, Zanzibar, South Ossetia and Abkhazia are among possible future fixtures.

But Ellan Vannin - the Isle of Man's notional national team - will provide the opposition for Yorkshire's debut with a match set for late January.

A clean air strategy has been published by Sheffield City Council to address the "public health crisis" surrounding air quality.

Image source, Getty Images

In the published document, external officials estimate there are about 500 early deaths a year caused by poor air pollution.

The city council is to conduct a feasibility study to determine whether Sheffield requires a "Clean Air Zone" - which could result in drivers in certain vehicles being charged if they want to enter that area.

The council says it has no intention of charging private car users.

There will also be the introduction of anti-idling zones by drivers near schools and people will be encouraged to walk and cycle more.

Yorkshire Post

A 15-year-old girl has been left devastated after rock star Liam Gallagher gave her his tambourine at his Leeds concert - only for a man to snatch it from her hands., external

Image source, Yorkshire Post

There's a power cut in Sheffield this morning causing problems for shops on Fargate.

A cable problem caused the power to go off at about 08:00 this morning.

The Northern Powergrid website says that the unplanned power cut will be restored at about 11:00:

Image source, Northern Powergrid

A murder investigation has started after a man who was injured outside a nightclub in Bingley died.

Image source, Google

James Etherington, 24, from Bingley was left with serious injuries outside the Bijou nightclub, in Chapel Lane on 25 November.

Four men aged 31, 30, 28 and 23 were arrested in connection with the incident.

The 31-year-old and 30-year-old were released under investigation and the 23-year-old bailed. The 28-year-old was released without charge.

Det Ch Inspector, Ian Scott said: “We are particularly keen to speak to anyone who took footage on their mobile phones to come forward.”

Bingley Town Council has cancelled a meeting scheduled for today "out of respect for James's family and in consideration of their privacy."

A Sheffield mum who tracked down the thief who stole her son's watch has been nicknamed by her friends as "Rambo".

Amanda Marsh, who lives in Wadsley Bridge, confronted the thief after recognising him from CCTV footage:

Plans for a new mental health hospital for York have moved a step closer.

The plans for a 72-bed unit off Haxby Road are due to be discussed by councillors next week.

The city's been without a permanent in-patient facility since Bootham Park (pictured) closed suddenly in 2015 when the health regulator said it was "unfit for purpose."

Plans show the hospital will cater for adults with mental health problems including dementia, but there'll be no mother and baby unit or in-patient beds for young people.

Conservatives in one part of West Yorkshire say they won't cancel a party they've booked at the National Coal Mining museum at Wakefield, despite strong opposition.

The Dewsbury County Conservative Association will hold its annual dinner at the former Caphouse Colliery, now the National Coal Mining Museum.

It would be two days after the anniversary of the return to work at the end of the Miners’ Strike in 1985 which critics have labelled as politically insensitive.

Chris Kitchen from the National Union of Mineworkers says it shows very poor taste:

More than 700 children in Yorkshire will be homeless on Christmas day.

That's according to a new report by the charity Shelter, which says it is the highest number they've seen in a decade.

Officials say the country is still at the mercy of a worsening housing crisis.

Kate Wallis is from Shelter and says no child should have to spend Christmas without a permanent place to stay:

The Light Cinema in Sheffield city centre was evacuated last night after firefighters responded to a fire alarm going off.

The complex was emptied as firefighters investigated an alarm at the Debenhams store next to the cinema.

The Fire Service this morning said the incident involved a burned out electrical transformer.

Teachers have gone on strike at a primary school in Sheffield.

The dispute's taking place at Westways Primary in Crookes, over what's been described as "excessive workload and scrutiny" imposed by the school's new executive headteacher.

Image source, Google

It's the first of four days of planned strike action by members of the National Education Union (NEU).

They say executive headteacher, Sam Fearnehough, who was brought in at the end of the last academic year to improve standards following a series of poor Ofsted reports has made changes without consulting staff.

Teachers say this has led to a drop in moral and teachers being off sick.

In a statement from the school, Sam Fearnehough says the school has "required Improvement" twice since 2014.

The headteacher says the majority of staff "do not support strike action," and adds he and the governors "are saddened the NEU has chosen to continue to induce its members to strike, rather than meet to talk."

Research by BBC Radio York has revealed North Yorkshire has lost more than two dozen banks in the last year.

Figures show that 27 branches in the county have either closed, or are due to shut very soon.

There are now no banks at all in Kirkbymoorside and two more are set to go from Ripon.

Steven Craggs is a businessman in Ripon and says local banks are needed now more than ever before:

People celebrating Christmas nights out in Leeds this month are being warned to take care near the river.

The Royal Life Saving Society UK has launched a new video, warning of the dangers of being drunk near water.

Twenty six people have drowned in Leeds in the last five years, four of them with alcohol or drugs in their system.

Rail passengers on Northern services in West Yorkshire will get spot fines from today, if they board without a ticket.

From now on, there'll be £20 fines on the Airedale and Wharfedale lines.

Northern says they're needed because a minority of passengers are travelling without a ticket.

Here's Look North's Lisa Gallagher with the weather forecast: