Detectives are warning internet users to be on their guard against webcam blackmail after a recent spate of offences was reported across South Yorkshire.

Image source, Thinkstock

Four crimes have been recorded in recent weeks in Rotherham and Sheffield, where social media users were encouraged to undress and perform sexually explicit acts.

Once they had done so, offenders proceeded to blackmail the victims with a threat to publish the recordings they had made.

Image source, South Yorkshire police

DC Greg Dakin says these are serious cases that have caused the victims a great deal of upset:

Police in Leeds say they want to speak to this man after a woman in her 90s was burgled as she slept.

Image source, West Yorkshire Police

It happened on the night of 25 February on Featherbank Road in Horsforth.

As the elderly lady was sleeping, the burglar took a bank card and other items.

If you know the man, call West Yorkshire Police on 101.

Staff at Harrogate College are to be balloted over strike action.

The industrial action is over plans from the Hull College Group, which runs the facility, to cut hundreds of jobs.

Image source, Google

The group has begun a restructuring plan to deal with a £10m budget deficit.

Members of the University and College Union will vote over the next few weeks.

So, minus Harry the team trudges on, dragging the famous red sofa across Yorkshire for Sport Relief.

BBC Look North presenters Amy and Paul are now in Eckington as Harry rests his leg.

They started in Chesterfield at 09:00 this morning, they won't reach Harthill until 21:00 tonight.

Don't forget, they're doing this for a good cause:

Another injury on the Big 50 Sofa Challenge team..

Could today get any worse?

But at least Amy looks suitably guilty about it:

Oli Constable
BBC Yorkshire Live

A popular boxing and fitness club in Sheffield is under threat of closure due to redevelopment on the Manor.

De Hood Community Project wants a long term lease from Sheffield City Council so it can continue its work keeping troubled youths out of gangs, tackling obesity and providing a vital lifeline to one of the city's poorest communities.

A lorry driver who raped a woman in 1988 and committed a string of burglaries where underwear was stolen in the late 90s has been jailed for 10 years today.

Image source, North Yorkshire Police

Andrew Pennington, 53 of no fixed address in Crowle, admitted the crimes and said in police interviews “I’ve been expecting this one day”.

Police cold case teams used advances in DNA testing to track him down and he was arrested in November last year.

In 1988 he attacked a 27-year-old woman in York pushing her into a building and raping her before running off.

The investigation teams also linked him to three burglaries in Beverley in 1997 where he stole both women's and children’s underwear and other items.

His victim gave this statement after the sentencing: "I would like to thank everyone who has been involved with re-investigating my case and to encourage anyone who has suffered in the way that I did to come forward."

A 62-year-old woman was assaulted by armed robbers in her own home in Leeds yesterday.

Image source, Google

West Yorkshire Police say it happened on Norton Road in Roundhay at about 14:40 when the masked men forced their way into her house.

They were armed with a knife and the woman was left with minor injuries.

Officers say they want anyone with CCTV in the area to share their footage and say that a group of men was seen acting "suspiciously in a nearby street" shortly before the attack.

Andy Kershaw
BBC Radio Sheffield News

A £5m scheme aimed at tackling one the city's biggest bottlenecks along the A61 corridor has been approved by Sheffield Council.

Work to improve traffic flow and cut delays at the junction of London Road and Broadfield Road, near to Heeley bottom, will start next year.

Image source, Sheffield City Council

It was approved at the council's cabinet meeting this week but it has been criticised by cyclists for funnelling them into heavy traffic.

Modelling suggests it will make a two minute journey time improvement for car drivers and a 30 second improvement for buses heading into the city centre during peak times.

This news just in on Harry's condition:

We'll let you know if he'll be able to carry on at all with the challenge as soon as we hear from the team.

For now it seems only right we share the donation details with you:

Hull College Group is planning to axe 231 posts as part of a plan to reduce a £10m budget deficit.

Huddersfield Examiner

A teenager accused his girlfriend of being boring - then strangled her and pulled out her nose ring., external

Image source, Huddersfield Examiner

A large crack has appeared on a cliff path above a row of chalets on the Yorkshire coast.

It appeared after a retaining wall behind the row of chalets collapsed. Residents have been told not to enter while engineers work out what's happened.

The owner of a beachfront cafe told the BBC she believed the path could take "at least six months" to repair

In a statement, Scarborough Borough Council said: "We have contacted all affected chalet owners to make them aware of the situation and if anyone wants any of their possessions removing from their chalets, we will arrange to do this for them safely."

It's been revealed that tourism in Yorkshire is worth £8bn pounds to the region's economy.

Image source, Welcome To Yorkshire

That's according to a report out today which says that is a £1bn increase since 2011.

Tourism organisation Welcome to Yorkshire says its spending £5m promoting the North York Moors and is also promoting the county as a top-cycling holiday destination.

Sir Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome To Yorkshire says there is a lot to celebrate about the region:

The crack appeared in the path that leads to the historic Clock Cafe on Scarborough's South Cliff.

The men were duped into performing sexual acts in front of a webcam, which was secretly being recorded.

This puppy has been seized by police because the woman who bought it ignored a banning order preventing her from owning a dog for life.

Image source, North Yorkshire Police

The 27-year-old woman from Whitby had been given the life-time order after being found guilty of cruelty to dogs in 2012.

It was described as "one of the worse cases of suffering that an RSPCA officer had ever seen" which resulted in a dog being put to sleep.

The 14-week old puppy has now been placed in care and an investigation has been launched.

Police in Bradford say they are investing after receiving reports of a car hitting a group of people - However, they have found no injured people and the scene was deserted when they arrived.

Image source, Google

It's believed to have happened at 21:00 yesterday in Flockton Road, East Bowling when a silver hatchback hit the people and then drove off.

The witness said that one of the injured was taken away in a car, but when officers checked with local hospitals, no one had been admitted with matching injuries.

BBC Look North's Harry Gration has found it tough going this afternoon on the Big 50 Sofa Challenge.

Here is where the team will be this afternoon:

• West Handley at 14:30
• Eckington at 17:00
• Pushing on through Spinkhill at 18:00
• Woodall at 19:30
• Finishing late in Harthill at 20:15

Sonya Wheatley was struck off for confronting a woman who complained about her 'aggressive' behaviour.