The Yorkshire Party has named Chris Whitwood as its new leader.

Image source, The Yorkshire Party

Mr Whitwood, who has been interim leader since April 2019, will lead the party for two years after securing 84% of members' votes.

He said: "Under my leadership we will become the party of fairness and opportunity, and truly offer a better way for the people of Yorkshire.”

According to its website the Yorkshire Party was "set up to campaign on the idea of greater devolution for Yorkshire and its five million people".

A piece of suspected ordnance discovered on an East Yorkshire beach has been blown up by army bomb disposal experts.

Image source, HM Coastguard Hornsea

An area of beach near Mappleton was cordoned off yesterday after the item was discovered.

Hornsea Coastguard shared a video on Twitter showing how specialist officers from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal attended this morning to carry out controlled demolitions:

Mallard was taken out of the National Railway Museum in York to mark a new train service.

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of modern slavery offences, West Yorkshire Police say.

Image source, Google

Officers were called to an address on Malvern Road, by police in Knottingley, yesterday following reports of a dispute in a property.

The force said two women and a man who were at the property were taken into care .

A 38-year-old local man has been arrested on suspicion of exploitation and a 42-year-old man from Slough has been arrested on suspicion of facilitating the travel of another person with a view to exploitation.

Police investigating the death of a man who was pulled from the water in Scarborough have released a number of photographs of his belongings in an attempt to identify him.

Image source, North Yorkshire Police

Officers were called to South Bay beach just before 20:00 on Sunday after a member of the public spotted a man in the sea.

He was pulled from the water before being transferred to Scarborough District Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Image source, North Yorkshire Police

North Yorkshire Police said the man was not carrying any documentation or other means of identification and is appealing for help to establish who he is.

The force has issued a photo of a black rucksack, believed to belong to the man, which was found at the scene, and a striped jumper and distinctive keyring in the hope someone may recognise the items.

Image source, North Yorkshire Police

The man, who was wearing shorts when he was pulled from the water, is described as slim, between 25 and 30, with shoulder length brown hair, green and brown eyes and a well-groomed short brown beard.

His death is not thought to be suspicious.

Would-be burglars who attempted to break-in to a house in Barnsley are being hunted by police.

Three men wearing balaclavas were seen outside a house on Warren Lane on 10 July.

The occupant disturbed the men, one of whom is thought to have been carrying a knife, and they left the scene in a black Audi.

CCTV has been released of a man police want to speak to in connection with the incident.

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Local Democracy Reporting Service

Police say they are not currently investigating a leak of confidential documents from Scarborough Council.

Image source, Local Democracy Reporting Service

This comes as confidential documents showing the council would borrow £22m to fund a town centre regeneration scheme appeared online.

Last week, the authority’s legal director, Lisa Dixon, said North Yorkshire Police’s cybercrime unit had been brought in and the investigation was “in their hands” - with a number of documents handed over.

She told a meeting the council had concluded the leak of the documents could amount to misconduct in public office, a criminal offence which in the most serious cases can carry a punishment of life imprisonment.

But North Yorkshire Police say they have not launched a criminal investigation.

It's understood that police have been made aware of the potential offence but require more evidence from Scarborough Council before getting involved in an investigation.

The leak revealed the council would almost double its debt to fund a project which will see the former Argos building in Newborough demolished to make way for accommodation for students and trainee medics.

According to the leak, the developer would make more than double the profit of the council under the terms of the agreement.

There have been 3,400 government-funded trees planted in Leeds between 2010 and 2018, Forestry Commission data shows.

This works out at four new trees per 1,000 people.

Between 2010 and 2018 the government funded about 15 million trees in England. Figures for trees planted with private funds or by local councils are not included and the data only covers new trees, not replacements for any that were cut down.

Overall tree planting rates across the UK would need to more than double to combat rising temperatures and climate change, according to official figures.

Last year 13,400 hectares of new trees were planted across the UK, most of them in Scotland, but the Committee on Climate Change says this should rise to at least 30,000 hectares a year.

Campaign group The Woodland Trust said more trees were needed to provide summer shade, reduce air pollution, improve water quality and manage flooding.

The government said it had made it "much easier" to apply for planting grants.

Find out about tree planting across the UK here.

This story has been generated using Forestry Commission data, BBC analysis and some automation.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

People in Sheffield have been held against their will and trafficked into the city, according to one councillor.

Image source, LDRS

Nether Edge and Sharrow councillor Jim Steinke says some people have been forced into prostitution, while others have come voluntarily assuming they were going to work legitimately.

“We know of forced prostitution and there is concern that a very small amount of private rented accommodation may have provided a base for this,” he said.

“Some people were working in commercial areas that involve intensive labour, like packaging. There are also illegal areas like cannabis production, which is now often done on a scale that needs intensive labour."

Luke Ridley whose car had no near-side front brake was aware of its dangerous state, a court hears.

An extended route for high-tech new Azuma trains running through Yorkshire has been launched today, with a couple of old friends making the journey.

Image source, Danny Lawson/PA Wire/PA Media

The Hitachi-built Azumas will now travel to Edinburgh via York, extending the current Leeds, Hull and London route.

Image source, Danny Lawson/PA Wire/PA Media

As part of their launch, the famous locomotives Mallard and Flying Scotsman joined them at different parts of the journey.

No government-funded trees have been planted in Hull between 2010 and 2018, Forestry Commission data shows.

Hull was among about a third of English districts that did not get any government-funded trees. Almost all of these were urban areas and the government has promised to spend £10m planting trees in towns and cities.

Between 2010 and 2018 the government funded about 15 million trees in England. Figures for trees planted with private funds or by local councils are not included and the data only covers new trees, not replacements for any that were cut down.

Overall tree planting rates across the UK would need to more than double to combat rising temperatures and climate change, according to official figures.

Last year 13,400 hectares of new trees were planted across the UK, most of them in Scotland, but the Committee on Climate Change says this should rise to at least 30,000 hectares a year.

Campaign group The Woodland Trust said more trees were needed to provide summer shade, reduce air pollution, improve water quality and manage flooding.

The government said it had made it "much easier" to apply for planting grants.

Find out about tree planting across the UK here.

This story has been generated using Forestry Commission data, BBC analysis and some automation.

A 24-year-old man from from North Yorkshire who admitted causing the death of two of his passengers has been jailed for 11 years and six months.

Image source, North Yorkshire Police

Luke Ridley, 24, of Topcliffe Road, Sowerby, was racing another vehicle when his car crashed on the A61 near Thirsk in March 2018.

His 17-year-old passengers George Turner and Mason Pearson (pictured) were both killed.

William Corser, 19, of St Mary's Walk, Thirsk, who was driving the car Ridley was racing was also jailed.

Ridley, who'd only held a licence for two days at the time of the crash, also admitted five counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Teesside Crown Court heard he lost control of his car while "racing and showing off" on the A61 between Carlton Miniott and Busby Stoop.

His VW Bora slid onto the wrong side of the road, hitting a Ford Focus carrying a family travelling in the opposite direction.

His two other passengers suffered serious injuries as did three members of the family travelling in the car he hit.

The prosecution told the court he'd been "racing competitively" with 19-year-old William Corser, driving at a speed of up to 80mph, trying to see who could get to the McDonald’s at Leeming Bar first.

Corser admitted one count of dangerous driving. He was sentenced to 18 months.

Police in Driffield are appealing for information after an old copy of Monopoly was stolen.

it's unclear if anyone will "go to jail" after the incident which took place in the last few days:

A man who was reported missing from York on Monday has been found "safe and well", police say.

North Yorkshire Police have thanked the public for their help in sharing an appeal to find Jimmy Hebbron.

Police have confirmed that a body found in Normanton yesterday is that of missing 15-year-old Elliot Burton.

Image source, West Yorkshire Police

Elliot, from Wakefield, was last seen on Harewood Road in Eastmoor at about 09:30 on Thursday.

Officers were called to a Boundary Lane, Normanton, yesterday after a member of the public saw the body of a male in water.

Police say there are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances and a file has been passed to the coroner.

The man was forced to go to the toilet in woods and live in a windowless trailer.

Police are appealing for help to find a man who is wanted in connection with an assault.

Image source, North Yorkshire Police

Dyran Neil Sullivan, 29, from Whitby, is wanted by North Yorkshire Police over an incident of actual bodily harm and for breach of a court order.

Officers say they've carried out numerous enquiries to locate him without success.

They believe he may have connections in the Manchester area.

The North Yorkshire force wants anyone who has seen him or knows where he is to get in touch.

The world's fastest steam locomotive, Mallard, has been at York station today for the first time in 30 years.

On 3 July 1938 the Doncaster-built 4468 Mallard broke the world speed record by reaching 126mph - a record that still stands.

The locomotive now spends most of its time at the National Railway Museum in York.

But it was back on the rails to celebrate the launch of a new high speed train, the Azuma, which will carry passengers between London, York and Scotland next month.

Azuma has already been in operation between Leeds, Hull and London, but operators London North Eastern Railway will extend this to Edinburgh.

Today sees the first of a number of workshops teaching primary school children how to stay safe around dogs.

Image source, Google

It's at Hedon library with a further eight similar sessions taking place at other libraries across East Yorkshire.

The sessions are being run by the Dogs Trust, Maria Kyle from the charity, said: "No one can make a snap judgement based on how a dog looks.

"We do have to recognise it's not just up to humans whether a dog is interacted with, it's up to a dog as well."