The Environment Secretary has accused Sheffield City Council of "environmental vandalism" and intimidating the public over its tree-felling programme.

The tree-felling is part of the authority's £2bn Streets Ahead project, aimed at improving roads and footpaths in the city.

About 5,500 trees have been cut down since 2012.

More police have been present at felling sites in recent weeks, with protesters claiming it's a biased move against them, a claim the police deny.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove says the felling of street trees needs to stop immediately, and says the whole approach has been wrong from the start:

Sheffield City Council says Mr Gove's comments are "unsubstantiated".

It says more trees are being planted than cut down, and that the financial consequences of withdrawing from its contract with Amey would put the council in neglect of its legal duties.

The council, which is planting new trees after removing existing ones, insists the trees earmarked for felling are either "dangerous, dead, diseased, dying, damaging or discriminatory".

However, many of the trees classed by the council as "damaging" or "discriminatory" are healthy specimens which campaigners say should be saved.

Instead, they say amendments should be made to surrounding pavements and roads.

Sporting legends and journalists pay tribute to Dave Callaghan as his funeral takes place.

A man has life-threatening injuries after his car left the road in Barnsley this morning.

Image source, Google

Police say the 22 year-old's car hit a wall and a parked van on Highgate Lane in Goldthorpe in the early hours of today.

The environment secretary says Sheffield Council has committed "environmental vandalism".

The renowned broadcaster and naturalist, Sir David Attenborough, is in York today.

He's visiting the city to officially open the Yorkshire Museum's major new exhibition, Yorkshire's Jurassic World.

Curator, Sarah King, says the museum's sea dragons helped tempt Sir David to Yorkshire:

Witnesses to what police say was violent disorder on a large scale on a train in South Yorkshire are being asked to come forward.

Image source, British Transport Police

British Transport Police (BTP) say it happened on a train bound for Barnsley at about 12:15 on Saturday 17 March.

Officers say a number of Millwall football fans were on board the train which had set off from Sheffield.

When the service arrived at Chapeltown station, a number of Sheffield Wednesday fans also joined the train.

Between Chapeltown and Barnsley there were multiple reports of disorder between the two rival teams, according to BTP.

Anyone with information, or who saw what happened, is being asked to contact police.

Barnsley is now among the nation's top 20 locations for attracting overseas business cash, new figures show.

Image source, Google

The figures, in a national study by Ernst and Young, external, show the town is attracting more foreign direct investment than anywhere else in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Barnsley Council is working towards the objective of creating about 29,000 new jobs by 2033.

BBC Sport

AFC Fylde have signed midfielder Jake Lawlor on loan from fellow National League side Guiseley.

Image source, Luke Parkinson

The 26-year-old, who can also play at centre-half, will spend the rest of the season at Mill Farm.

The former Odeon cinema in Bradford is to get £4m of government money to transform it into 4,000-capacity music venue.

Image source, Tim Ronalds Architects

The landmark city centre building has been derelict since closing in 2000 and is set to be one of the biggest redevelopments of any building in the country.

The money has come as part of the Northern Cultural Regeneration Fund and is intended to be a legacy of the Great Exhibition of the North.

Last year, it was announced the NEC group would run the 1930s venue and has contributed £2m to the project, which is being led by Bradford Live and assisted by Bradford Council.

A £12m loan has already been made by Bradford Council.

The transformation scheme is expected to cost £20m in total to complete.

Tributes have been paid to a 20-year-old Leeds student who died after being hit by a private hire vehicle in the city last weekend.

Image source, West Yorkshire Police

Alice Walton, from Newark in Nottinghamshire, died on Monday after being hit by the car on Woodhouse Street at about 04:30 on Saturday morning.

She was a student of Theatre and Performance at Leeds University.

Professor Alice O'Grady said: "We have all been deeply affected by the loss of such a bright and talented young woman.

"Alice’s tutors describe her as a brilliant student – creative and bold in her approach to her subject and full of compassion when working with others.

"Her friends tell me she was loved by everyone who knew her."

This picture shows the damage done to a parked car in Ingleton in the Yorkshire Dales which inadvertently thwarted thieves attempting to steal a cash machine from the local Co-op.

Image source, Thomas Beresford/Sarah Louise Ellwood

North Yorkshire Police say the robbers successfully removed the machine from the Ingleton Co-op at about 04:40 this morning, only for it to become wedged under the wheels of a nearby car.

When police arrived at the scene they found an abandoned Ford Ranger, with a cash machine tied to it.

It's believed the cash machine had been dragged out of the store, before becoming wedged under the parked car.

A police spokesman says: "The vehicle and the cash machine have been recovered for forensic examination and enquiries are ongoing."

A man has been charged with obstruction of the highway during a protest over the felling of trees in Sheffield earlier this week.

The man was charged following the protest on Rivelin Valley Road on 20 March and is due to appear before Sheffield Magistrates on 24 April.

Meanwhile, a 47-year-old man arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated harassment has been bailed with conditions, police say.

AFC Fylde sign defender Jake Lawlor on loan from fellow National League side Guiseley for the rest of the season.

Oli Constable
BBC Yorkshire Live

Sport Relief is just around the corner, with millions of pounds raised for charities across Yorkshire.

One trampoline park near Meadowhall, Sheffield, is raising cash doing what it does best - jumping!

They're taking it in turns to bounce for 24 hours!

Rather you than me...

National League side Guiseley sign Bradford City winger Ellis Hudson on loan until the end of the season.

The leader of UKIP says the party will pay £175,000 in costs following a defamation case brought by Labour's three Rotherham MPs.

It concerned comments made by Yorkshire and Humber UKIP MEP Jane Collins, about the child sexual exploitation scandal.

Party leader Gerard Batten denies reports that the party is on the verge of bankruptcy:

Thieves struck at the Co-op, in Ingleton, in the early hours of the morning before fleeing empty-handed.

BBC News Travel

As the tweet says, eyes on the road...

Alina Jenkins
BBC Weather

Overcast and windy to begin with but there's the hope of some sunshine later.

Here's my full forecast for today and the weekend:

A man who raped a 17-year-old girl is on the run from police.

Image source, West Yorkshire Police

Imran Khaliq was found guilty at Bradford Crown Court last month of raping the girl in 2017.

The 38-year-old from Bradford failed to appear for the verdict, police have been trying to trace him and now want the public's help to find him.

Officers say that he also has links to the Manchester area.