One of the largest pension schemes in the UK could take over Hull communications company KCOM in a deal worth more than £500m.

Image source, Geograph/Neil Theasby

The company, which provides broadband and telephone services in the Hull area, could be bought by Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) for £504m.

Shareholders would get 97p per share if the offer, recommended by the KCOM board, goes ahead.

Hull is well known for its distinctive KCOM telephone boxes which are cream rather than red.

The mother of a soldier who killed himself has said she "cannot come to any logical conclusion" as to why he would take his own life.

Image source, Google

Highlander Alistair McLeish, 18, from Selkirk, was a member of the 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

He was found hanged at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire on 3 July.

The inquest was told he seemed a "happy, normal guy" and was held up as an example to his colleagues.

In a statement read out, his mother Karen McLeish said her son had long held aspirations to join the Army and follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, both of whom had served.

Maj Frederick Macnair described Highlander McLeish as a "big character" and said he had singled him out to colleagues because of his exemplary behaviour.

Making a ruling of suicide, coroner Rob Turnbull, said: "Whether he had been ruminating on things is not known, but there is no apparent motive for this tragic incident."

The proposed merger between Sainsbury's and Leeds-based Asda has been blocked by the UK's competition watchdog.

Image source, Alamy

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it should not go ahead because it would raise prices for consumers.

The CMA said it wanted to "protect the millions of people who shop at Sainsbury's and Asda every week".

Sainsbury's said it would not appeal against the decision.

Stuart Bingham says he needs to press the "restart button" following a nerve-jangling final-frame win over Graeme Dott.

BBC Weather

Cloud will become rather extensive this morning as showers spread their way north.

Many of the showers will diminsh gradually through this evening leaving tonight with a fair amount of dry weather:

BBC News Travel

If you're making a journey on the rails in Yorkshire this morning, most services appear to be running to time.

For all the latest live updates from the county's main railway stations, click on the links below:

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

A man is wanted by police after an attack in Hull last night.

Image source, Humberside Police

Police are asking for the public's help to find James Austin, 26, in connection with an alleged serious assault.

Officers say this photograph is the only one they have of him and point out he no longer has a beard, but still has his moustache.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts is being asked to contact the Humberside force.

A man's been charged in connection with an incident in which a 34-year-old man suffered a stab wound to the head in Sheffield.

Police say it happened in the Nether Edge area on 18 April at about 14:35.

Bassan Khan, 19, of South View Road, has since been charged with section 18 wounding with intent, possession of a bladed article and criminal damage in connection to the incident.

He's also been charged with possession of a Class A controlled drug.

He's due before Sheffield Magistrates' Court this morning.

Officers say last Thursday’s incident is one of a series of four in the Nether Edge area being investigated.

At about 23.10 on Monday 22 April, two men aged 18 and 26, suffered stab wounds during an altercation on Abbeydale Road.

The third incident happened on Tuesday 23 April at 02:50, when shots were fired at a house on Edgedale Road causing damage to a window.

Shortly after police received reports the windows of a property in South View Road had been smashed.

Anyone with information about any of the incidents is being asked to contact the South Yorkshire Force.

A 16-year-old boy accused of making a bomb to "kill many people" has told a court the device was fake and he had made it to show off to his friends.

Image source, PA

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of making the shrapnel-filled CO2 bomb in June 2018.

Giving evidence at Leeds Crown Court, he said he made a "prop" bomb at his grandfather's home in Bradford with some canisters from a paintballing gun.

He denies five terrorism-related offences.

The boy said the prop bomb "would look like a CO2 bomb but it was, like, an imitation."

When his barrister, Ali Naseem Bajwa QC, asked why he did this, he replied: "Just to show off to my mates."

The boy denies one count of making an explosive substance with intent, one count of making an explosive substance and three counts of possession of a document likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

The trial continues.

Mark Allen is beaten 10-7 by China's Zhou Yuelong, becoming the third seed to lose in the first round of the World Championship.

A member of a team trying to set a new speed record in a tuk-tuk in North Yorkshire says he's already closing in on the record during his training.

Image source, Matt Everard

Matt Everard, from Essex, pictured above test driving at Southend seafront today, is to take on the challenge at Elvington Airfield near York next month.

The current record for the three-wheeled vehicle is 68mph and Matt says he got his tuk-tuk up to 60mph at the weekend.

Image source, Matt Everard

Matt says he spent five months and thousands of pounds restoring his vehicle to be able to attempt to set a record in the decades-old rickshaw

He says: "I first bought the vehicle after a boozy night online, so thought I might as well put it to good use".

Four men have been arrested in Hull after police seized 100 wraps of suspected class A drugs, as well as cash and mobile phones.

Humberside Police seized two men on suspicion of possessing a class A drug with intent to supply and two men for allegedly being concerned in the supply of controlled drugs.

The men have been released on bail while the wraps, found at a property near Spring Bank, are being tested to work out exactly what they are.

Councils affect services such as housing and schools so why are people apathetic about electing them?

Police are investigating an incident where a man approached two girls and asked them "to play a game" while they were playing on a field in Elland.

Image source, Google

The suspect, who had a dog with him, walked up to the girls on the Recreation Ground, Stainland Road, at about 15:15 on 23 April.

The girls were frightened and ran away.

The man is described as white, aged in his late teens, of skinny build and had dark hair.

He was wearing a black t-shirt and cream chinos.

His dog was brown and ginger coloured and was on a pink lead.

CCTV footage has been released by police after a man's neck was slashed in a knife attack in Barnsley.

Image source, SOUTH YORKSHIRE POLICE

The victim had reportedly split up a fight between his friends and another group of men on 16 February.

The man was standing in a queue for a taxi on Market Hill at about 03:30 when he was attacked with a Stanley knife.

He was treated for wounds to his neck.

Police are keen to identify the two men in the footage:

Newly-published images show how Hull's maritime treasures could be displayed if a new heritage project gets the go-ahead.

Image source, Hull City Council

Hull City Council is asking for public feedback on the newly-published designs for the maritime heritage project, which include a deep-sea trawler suspended in a dry dock.

The Arctic Corsair would be restored if Hull succeeds in securing £13.6m of National Lottery Heritage Fund funding.

The project would also create a new maritime route guiding visitors from Queen Victoria Square to the River Hull.

Image source, Hull City Council

The plans go on display at Hull’s Trinity Market on Thursday, with work earmarked to begin as early as 2020 before opening to the public in 2022.

There are long delays of up to an hour on the M62 eastbound after a caravan overturned.

Image source, WEST YORKSHIRE POLICE

All lanes are now open following the incident, but traffic tailbacks are expected.

Officers and a recovery truck are at the scene.

A woman from Bradford has been hailed for her "life-changing" tattoos for women who have scars following a mastectomy.

Lucy Thompson has been helping people "feel whole again" following treatment from cancers:

BBC News Travel

A North Yorkshire road has reopened after a crash earlier today which left three people needing hospital treatment.

The B6161 was closed between Beckwithshaw and Leathley with motorists asked to use alternative routes this afternoon.

North Yorkshire Police say the road is now fully reopened and thanked members of the public for their patience.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Three roads in different Sheffield neighbourhoods are to be made safer in a bid to protect pedestrians.

Image source, Google

• Langsett Road in Hillsborough will have the central area mid-crossing removed and a single crossing across the tram will be created
• Carter Knowle Road will be improved as part of the council's overall aim to get more people walking, focusing on minor adaptations
• Leighton Road in Gleadless will be narrowed with speed cushions to slow traffic as a result of three accidents in the last five years

The work is scheduled for May and June and is estimated to cost about £106,000, funded from the Local Transport Plan.