Summary

  • Teenager's guilty plea over crash in Leeds which killed five

  • Plans to protect homes from flooding approved in Leeds

  • Uber 'disappointed' over York Council's licence renewal bid rejection...

  • ...While Uber licence suspension is finally lifted in Sheffield

  • Unemployment on the rise in Yorkshire and Humber

  • Sheffield MP scales back duties on doctor's orders

  • Comedian Peter Kay pulls out of major run of Leeds and Sheffield shows

  • Decision due over fate of Sheffield World War One memorial trees

  • Moto ponders next move after Doncaster council turns down service station plan

  • Live updates on Wednesday 13 December 2017

Live Reporting

Andrew Barton, Wendy Middleton and Nick Wilmshurst

  1. Warning sign plan for graves which break cemetery rules

    Bereaved families who break strict Leeds cemetery rules could find a council warning sign planted on their loved ones' plot.

    Graves

    Leeds City Council says it wants to control displays of flowers and ornaments on graves at the Garforth and Guiseley cemetery extensions, the new cemetery at Kippax, and the non-lawned area at Whinmoor Cemetery.

    A reminder letter "sympathetic to the loss of the bereaved family" should be sent before a sign is placed, a report for consideration by the council's Executive Board suggests.

    The idea is expected to be backed by councillors later, with members also due to agree to recruit two new rangers who'll work with voluntary groups across the city's cemeteries.

  2. Watch: Confidence-boosting lessons for Sheffield pupils

    Pupils at a school for children with autistic spectrum conditions and who have difficulties with social interactions have taken part in a class in South Yorkshire to help them learn how to travel by bus.

    The students, at Bents Green Specialist Secondary School, took part in a roleplay session where a "bus" was set up in their classroom.

    And then, as you'll see here, they were given the opportunity to try out what they'd learned on a bus parked just outside:

    During just one session, with repeated practice, the students were able to develop their confidence in speaking and required less verbal prompts from staff."

    Helen Philliskirk, Teacher, Bents Green Specialist Secondary School

  3. Yorkshire's Wednesday weather forecast

    Blustery showers are likely through the morning and these will turn more wintry through the afternoon, particularly over higher ground.

    Some further isolated and blustery wintry showers are expected overnight, mainly towards the Pennines:

    Weather graphic

  4. Woman threatened with baseball bat in Huddersfield robbery

    A woman in Huddersfield has been involved in a "frightening" attempted robbery during which she was threatened with a baseball bat.

    PaddockGoogle

    It happened on Monday afternoon in the car park of the Premier Discount Store in the Paddock area of the town.

    The woman, who's in her 40s, was pushed to the floor by two men, one of whom tried to take her handbag.

    The victim fought back but one of the would-be robbers then pulled out a baseball bat before a passer-by intervened and the men then ran off.

    Anyone with information about the incident is being asked to contact police.

    This has clearly been a frightening experience for the victim, who was thankfully unhurt."

    PC Tracy Boucher, West Yorkshire Police

  5. Fate of Sheffield memorial trees to be decided

    A decision's due to be made by Sheffield Council later on whether to spend £500,000 cutting down 41 memorial trees planted in 1919 to mark the part former pupils of a local school played in World War One.

    PlaquePA

    Campaigners say the trees, on Western Road in Crookes, should be saved as they're a "living memorial" to those who died.

    As part of the authority's £2bn Streets Ahead project, which Sheffield Council says is to improve roads and footpaths in the city, about 5,500 trees have been cut down since 2012.

    The authority insists those earmarked for felling are either "dangerous, dead, diseased, dying, damaging or discriminatory".

    However, campaigners claim many of the trees classed by the council as "damaging" or "discriminatory" are healthy specimens which should not be cut down.

  6. Check your rail journey this morning

    BBC News Travel

    If you're catching a train this morning, you'll be pleased to know everything seems to be running pretty much to time across Yorkshire at the moment.

    You can click on the links below to keep up-to-date with the live departure boards for:

  7. York Council refuses Uber licence renewal

    Uber has been banned in a third UK city after councillors in York rejected the firm's bid to renew its operating licence.

    pHONEepa

    Taxi drivers had complained of the city being "overwhelmed" with drivers using the ride-hailing app, which has already been banned in London and Sheffield.

    Concerns about a huge data breach also contributed to the decision, the City of York Council said.

    Uber's licence expires on Christmas Eve.

    The company says it's disappointed with the decision.

  8. Good morning: Join us for today's live coverage

    Hello and welcome to BBC Local Live in Yorkshire on Wednesday 13 December 2017.

    We'll be with you until 18:00 with all the latest news, travel, sport and weather updates from across Yorkshire.

    It's impossible to escape the freezing temperatures at the moment, so I thought I'd start with this BBC Weather Watcher picture of ducks enjoying a little ice skating. Hope it's not driving them, er, quackers...

    Ducks

    If you've taken any pictures you'd like to share with the rest of Yorkshire, you don't have to be a BBC Weather Watcher to see them published.

    You can just send them to us by clicking here.