A cautionary tale...

Don't reverse down the hard shoulder if you're stuck in traffic in West Yorkshire like this driver did:

Image source, West Yorkshire Police

And that's specially the case if a police officer also using the hard shoulder spots you, as happened on the M62 this morning.

Highways officer Martin Willis tweeted this picture, external and said: "This motorist thought it would be a good idea to use the hard shoulder to avoid queuing in traffic.

"Unlucky for the driver that I happened to be in the queuing traffic! Driver reported."

Tributes are being paid to funnyman and performer Sir Ken Dodd, who's died at the age of 90.

The Merseyside comedian gave legendary stage shows which often left audiences crying with laughter.

Sir Ken started out as a ventriloquist in northern clubs, and, by 1965, was starring at the London Palladium.

Fellow entertainer, Leeds-born Barry Cryer, says while that move was daunting for the comedian, he proved an instant hit:

The South Yorkshire Police force says it wants to reassure people that a full investigation is under way into malicious communications sent to addresses in Sheffield.

Image source, TELLMAMAUK

The force has received reports of three letters encouraging people to take part in "Punish a Muslim Day".

Similar letters are also reported to have been delivered in Bradford, Leicester, London, and Cardiff.

A national operation has been launched to investigate the letters, co-ordinated by Counter Terrorism officers.

South Yorkshire's Assistant Chief Constable Tim Forber said, external: "These communications are extremely distressing and we appreciate members of our communities will be very concerned.

"I can assure you that these documents are being taken extremely seriously and a thorough investigation into the circumstances is under way."

Control room operators were too busy to notice the system had not assigned a crew and appliance.

There've been quite a few accidents on the M62 this morning...

...And there's a lot of surface water around with the rain still falling.

Hopefully, though, things are slowly getting better:

The next phase of work in Sheffield City Council's city centre regeneration scheme has been unveiled.

Image source, Sheffield City Council

In addition to attracting premium retailers, the proposals - known as Heart of the City II - feature office and residential space, restaurants, cafes, a food hall and two new four or five-star hotels.

The council says the updated masterplan aims to retain more of the city's heritage, including the retention of the Pinstone Street frontages and the restoration of Leah's yard.

Image source, Sheffield City Council

It will also retain existing streets and see the John Lewis store remain in its existing location, which it has occupied since 1963.

The plans are due to go before the council's cabinet for approval next week.

It's a cloudy and wet day for Yorkshire today.

Watch my full forecast here:

University lecturers in York, Sheffield, Leeds and Bradford are gearing up for a full week of industrial action starting today.

A total of 14 more potential strike days have been sanctioned by the University and College Union.

The action is deigned to hit the exam period after talks to resolve a pensions dispute broke up without resolution.

Geoff Wall, who co-chairs the University and College Union in York, says many students have come out in support of their lecturers:

Universities UK said it was disappointed more action was planned.

Seems like it's been a busy weekend for West Yorkshire Police:

A consultation over plans to close energy firm E.On's call centre at Wath ends today.

The move could mean the loss of about 270 jobs.

Many of the employees at the centre live nearby at Manvers.

The Labour MP for Wentworth and Dearne, John Healey, says everything's being done to support the workers there:

Investigations are continuing after letters encouraging recipients to take part in "Punish a Muslim Day" were reportedly sent to addresses in Yorkshire and other parts of the country.

Image source, TELLMAMAUK

Images of the A4 notes, which contain a list of violent acts alongside a number of points for performing them, have been widely shared online.

They have prompted a chorus of condemnation, with campaigners and MPs describing them as "disturbing".

Counter-terrorism police are treating the letters as a possible hate crime.

Tell Mama UK, which monitors anti-Muslim activity, said it had received reports of people in Bradford, Sheffield, Leicester, London and Cardiff getting the letters.

BBC News Travel

These are recent pictures from the traffic cameras on the M621, near Gildersome, in West Yorkshire:

Image source, Highways England/Crown Copyright

An accident earlier this morning has closed the road eastbound between J27/A650/A62 (Gildersome) and J1 A6110 (Beeston/Farnley).

Image source, Highways England/Crown Copyright

Avoid the area if you can, otherwise follow the solid black square diversion symbols.

BBC News Travel

There's currently queueing traffic due to surface water and an accident on the M62 westbound near Huddersfield.

It's between J24 A629 (Ainley Top) and J23 A640/A643 (Huddersfield).

Traffic was held for a short period to move the vehicles to the side:

Two men are expected to appear in court later charged with attempted murder after a man was shot in Huddersfield.

A 24-year-old man suffered serious injuries in the incident at the Raja takeaway on Monday 5 March.

The two charged men, aged 22 and 24, are due to appear before Kirklees Magistrates' Court.

Things appear to be running reasonably smoothly on Yorkshire's rail routes at the moment.

However, the 07:53 Wakefield to London Kings Cross has been cancelled and Hull Trains is still running a reduced service.

You can keep up-to-date with the very latest from our main railway stations by clicking on the links below:

• York Station, external
• Leeds Station, external
• Sheffield Station, external
• Doncaster Station, external
• Wakefield Station, external
• Bradford Forster Square Station, external
• Bradford Interchange Station, external

Detectives are to appeal to parents and carers picking up their children from school in Sheffield for information about a fatal stabbing.

Image source, Family Photo

Jarvin Blake, 22, died in hospital after he was stabbed in Brackley Street, in Burngreave, at about 15:00 on Thursday.

He was attacked by a group of men who had got out of a car in nearby Catherine Street.

A 23-year-old man who was also attacked remains in a serious condition.

South Yorkshire Police believe Mr Blake was the victim of a "targeted attack".

BBC News Travel

The M621 eastbound is currently closed between M62 J27/A650/A62 (Gildersome) and J1 A6110 (Beeston/Farnley) due to an overturned vehicle.

The accident happened at about 04:00, with the road closing at 04:45.

There's now queuing traffic in the area.

There is a diversion: follow the solid black square symbol.

From the M62 J27 take the A62 northbound to the A6110, turning right to head to the M621 and re-join at J1.

BBC Weather

Plenty of cloud in general through this morning with showers and some longer spells of rain.

Further showers this afternoon, some of which will be lengthy:

A failure of technology in a fire control room led to a seven-minute delay despatching an engine to a restaurant blaze in North Yorkshire, it's emerged.

Image source, Marshall Hamilton

The Magpie Cafe, in Whitby, suffered extensive damage in the fire on 1 May 2017.

The restaurant's owners believe it was 20 to 25 minutes before a fire engine arrived at the cafe, which is less than a mile from the town's fire station.

North Yorkshire Fire said the delay was due to a "combination of issues".

An internal document, obtained by the BBC, explains computer software in the fire service's control room had failed and no crew was mobilised after the initial call.

The system then crashed because of the volume of calls coming in and operators were too busy to notice a crew had not been despatched.

It was seven minutes after the initial call that the fault was noticed.

There's been a lot of rain overnight in Yorkshire and it's still raining in some places.

Police have issued this warning for those about to set out: