Samuel Fortes raped, stamped on and repeatedly punched the 20-year-old woman in Leeds.

Welcome to Yorkshire chairman Ron McMillan has resigned, the tourism body has announced.

Mr McMillan will be replaced by current board member Keith Stewart.

The body has announced that it has appointed two independent businesses to undertake separate investigations into expenses and the culture, governance procedures and management of the organisation following the departure of chief executive Sir Gary Verity.

At the time of his resignation in March, it said Sir Gary resigned on health grounds but an investigation found he had "made errors of judgement regarding his expenses".

The investigation into expenses will be undertaken by forensic accountants BDO and external lawyers Clarion will look into culture, governance, procedures and management.

The results of the investigations will be made available to the public.

Interim chair Mr Stewart thanked Mr McMillan for his work.

He added: “Now the appropriate investigations are in place, he felt it was the right time to step down to allow the organisation to move forward, this was supported by the board. Welcome to Yorkshire is committed to making any changes which may be needed to help rebuild trust in the organisation, to support our team and continue to deliver world-class events in the region."

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A site bid by Scarborough Council to make a permanent home for an annual traveller's horse fair has been refused by councillors.

The Seamer Horse Fair has origins which date back to 1382.

Since 2010, the event has been held in a field off the B1261 between Seamer and Crossgates.

In 2018, 55 travellers set up their homes, which dropped from more than 250 in the previous year.

Resident Antony Ingham said he had a number of issues over the nine years, including people breaking into his property, excrement being thrown into his grounds and damage to his home.

Cllr David Jeffels said: "I think the three-year temporary use on the site has given the council some control that we can say to the travellers that if it is not well used they would not be allowed to use it in the future."

The planning committee voted unanimously to only grant permission for another three years.

Taryl Moxam caused the deaths of friends Adam Afsar and Jason Wilby in April 2018.

Yorkshire Post

A Victorian ring believed to be worth just £25 has now been valued at over £20,000 after a lock of Charlotte Bronte's hair was found inside it., external

Image source, YORKSHIRE POST

A "brutal" rapist whose attack was captured on his victim's FaceTime app has been jailed for life.

Image source, WEST YORKSHIRE POLICE

Samuel Fortes, 27, of Ironside Road, Sheffield, followed a 20-year-old woman under the footbridge near Grace Street, Leeds at about 03:40 on 23 June 2018.

When Fortes began his attack, the victim was on FaceTime speaking with her boyfriend.

He dragged her under the flyover, assaulted and then raped her.

Fortes hid in a bush before fleeing back to Sheffield.

Det Supt Jaz Khan said: "Fortes subjected this brave woman to a horrific ordeal and I want to praise her for her bravery in helping to bring her brutal attacker to justice.

"Despite being in fear for her life she bravely fought her attacker and her boyfriend had the foresight to screenshot the incident – this was a key piece of evidence."

The Press

A North Yorkshire power station appears to be completely destroyed in an explosion, in the latest trailer for the Fast & Furious franchise., external

Image source, YORK PRESS

A Sheffield school is appealing for businesses to help it install a barrier of plants and shrubs to improve air quality in the city.

Image source, Hunter's Bar Infant School

The 60m-long barrier has been designed by researchers from the University of Sheffield.

It will wrap around the playground at Hunter's Bar Infant School at the busy intersection of Sharrow Vale and Junction Road.

The school hopes the plant barrier will help filter air pollution and stop children from breathing in pollutants.

However, the school is now looking for volunteers to help carry out work ahead of its installation.

A Sheffield businesswoman has spoken out in a bid to remind young people they don't need to go to university to be successful.

Image source, PA

Lucy Arnold was speaking after an unnamed South Yorkshire school cancelled a lecture which she was to give when it emerged she was not a graduate.

Ms Arnold, who runs a leisurewear company, said she was asked by the school to attend but was then shocked when the invitation was pulled.

She said: "It made me question my own self-worth. Should I have gone to university? Do I have to go to university to be able to do these things in life?

"I know that going to university wasn't right for me. If that path isn't right for other youngsters, I don't think it should be pushed on to them."

A man who drove the wrong way up a sliproad on the M62, killing two men when their vehicles collided, has been jailed.

Image source, Google

Taryl Moxam, 23, from Barlborough, was driving in the wrong direction when he smashed into another vehicle on the exit slip at Chain Bar, Bradford on 3 April 2018.

Adam Afsar and Jason Wilby from Dewsbury were killed at the scene.

Bradford Crown Court heard how Moxam was sentenced to nine years and four months in jail.

Judge David Hatton QC said it was "a grotesque piece of driving".

Search teams scoured River Hull and found a giant doll that has been likened to Roald Dahl's BFG.

A major search operation for a body reported to have been seen in the River Hull ended with a giant "BFG" dummy being pulled out of the water.

Image source, HULL COASTGUARD RESCUE TEAM

Police said they had received reports of a body in the river, close to North Bridge in Hull, on Wednesday lunchtime.

A helicopter scoured the area for hours and an "object matching the casualty's description" was located, the Hull Coastguard Rescue Team said.

"On recovery it turned out to be a dummy," the coastguard said.

"All teams were stood down and returned to their respective stations."

Roger Dodds forced students to perform sex acts in return for grants in Sheffield in the 1970s.

Voters in part of North Yorkshire will have to bring identity documents to the polling station in next month's council elections as part of a trial scheme to combat potential voter fraud.

Image source, PA

Craven is one of 10 areas of England taking part in the pilot, with voters required to show either one piece of photo ID or two forms of non-photo ID.

The government says it's part of an ongoing process to ensure vote security, but a similar trial last year saw hundreds of people refused a ballot paper.

Tests are being carried out on two suspected piranhas found dead in a South Yorkshire fishing lake.

Image source, SWNS

The razor-toothed fish were found by local anglers at Martinwells Lake at Edlington, near Doncaster, a popular walking and fishing spot.

Experts said it was virtually impossible for piranhas to survive in cold English open water.

Doncaster Council, which owns the lake, said the fish may have been pets which had been dumped in the water.

A spokesman for the authority said the dead fish have been taken for examination.

An ex-council education boss from South Yorkshire who sexually assaulted seven teenage boys in his office has been jailed for seven years.

Image source, South Yorkshire Police

Roger Dodds, 83, forced young students to engage in sex acts in order to secure grant payments while working for Sheffield City Council between 1974 and 1980.

Sheffield Crown Court heard many of the victims felt “powerless” to stop Dodds for fear they would not get the funding.

Dodds, formerly of Cotswold Road, Sheffield, was jailed after admitting 14 counts of indecent assault.

He was previously jailed for 16 years in February 2017 for similar offences against five other individuals.

Judge Sarah Wright ordered that the sentences would run consecutively.

She said: “The impact of you offending on these men, their families and their loved ones has been devastating. Each has clearly suffered psychological harm and will continue to suffer throughout their lives as a result of what you did.

“You targeted and abused them at a time of their lives when they were just setting out on adulthood and at a time of great opportunity in their lives, but what you did has blighted that forever.

“You have left a trail of sadness and devastation in very many people’s lives.”

Police are searching for two men who fled the scene of a crash involving a minibus in Bradford.

Image source, Google

A blue Ford Focus and a Mercedes minibus collided on Upper Castle Street at about 15:30 on Thursday 11 April.

Two men who were in the Ford ran towards the nearby children's park.

No-one was injured in the incident.

PC Jon Moss said: "This could easily have been more serious as the impact between the vehicles was significant.

"I am appealing for anyone who witnessed the collision, or anyone with dash cam footage, to make contact with me."

Police officers are trying to find a missing 31-year-old man from Barnsley.

Image source, South Yorkshire Police

Kevin Parton, from Royston, was last seen at his mother's address in Cudworth in the early hours of Monday morning.

He was later caught on CCTV at 01:13 in Goldthorpe.

His family is growing "increasingly concerned" for his welfare, police say.

Mr Parton is described as being about 5ft 4ins with blonde hair.

Five-time snooker world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan will face amateur James Cahill in the first round of the World Championship at the Crucible in Sheffield.

Image source, Tai Chengzhe

Blackpool's Cahill, 23, came through three rounds of qualifying to become the first non-professional to appear in Sheffield.

His reward is a plum tie against the world number one.

The Sheffield-based tournament begins on Saturday, live across BBC TV, radio and online, with the winner collecting a record £500,000 in prize money.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A fleet of public hire bikes could soon be on the streets of Leeds as the city council looks for a company to run the sharing service.

Attempts to reach a partnership with Chinese company ofo failed at the 11th hour.

The authority says it is now speaking to a number of other companies to kick-start the scheme.

Bikes are rented with card payment and then left at the nearest "docking station" to the rider's destination.

Approval has now been given to formally tender the scheme and seek a company to run the service.