Almost 300 snowflakes have been switched on at Sheffield Children's Hospital as it hopes to raise almost £340,000 to help sick children.

Image source, Dean Atkins

The Christmas lights normally cover the hospital building at Weston Park, but for the first time will also be seen on the city's high street, at a shopping centre and at a manufacturing centre.

The snowflakes are sponsored by local businesses, with money going towards an appeal to transform the cancer and leukaemia ward at the hospital.

Extinction Rebellion recently protested over the oil giant's links with the Science Museum Group.

The founder of a children's cancer charity stole £345,000 over six years by paying its money into his own bank accounts, a court has heard.

Image source, GEOGRAPH/PHIL CHAMPION

Colin Nesbitt, 58, set up the Bradford-based Little Heroes Cancer Trust in 2008 after his grandson was diagnosed with a rare cancer in 2007.

Prosecutors told Bradford Crown Court Mr Nesbitt "used the charity's money as he pleased" between 2009 and 2015.

Mr Nesbitt, of Kent Road, Bingley, denies five fraud charges.

The trial continues.

Police are urgently trying to find a missing woman last seen in Halifax yesterday.

Image source, West Yorkshire Police

Gillian Sherwood, 53, was last seen at her home on Higgin Lane but police think she may have travelled into the town centre today with a suitcase, West Yorkshire Police said.

Officers say the appeal to find her is "urgent" as they are particularly concerned for her welfare.

She described as white, around 5ft 4ins tall with blue eyes and shoulder length blonde hair.

She is also thought to be wearing a padded grey puffer jacket with fur hood.

A female wallaby which was injured so severely in an attack in Berkshire that vets thought she had died has found a new home at a wildlife park in Yorkshire.

Image source, Getty Images

The animal (similar to the one pictured above), called Wildling after the Game of Thrones character due to her timid nature, was shot and had rocks thrown at her head in Windsor.

But thanks to special veterinary help, she's been reintroduced to other wallabies at a wildlife park near Doncaster in South Yorkshire.

Greg Clifton, from Yorkshire Wildlife Park, said: "We actually thought she was dead. She was filmed by some thugs in a park in Windsor and they were catapulting stones at her head."

Mr Clifton said: "She's still very, very nervous after everything she's been through. She's gone through hell.

"She's now with our group of 28 wallabies and getting on really, really well. She's made a full recovery, but she'll always have the mental scars."

The UK does have wild wallabies and although not native most have been released or have escaped from private owners.

A 12-year-old boy, who was reported missing last week, has been found "safe and well", police say.

Jamie O'Sullivan, who had been missing from the Swallownest area since Wednesday, has now been found at an address in Ridgeway.

Two people have been arrested in connection with his disappearance, police added.

The first of Northern's fleet of 102 Pacer trains have been taken off the rail network, the operator has said.

Image source, Northern

The outdated trains, many of which have been running for 35 years, were due to be taken out of use by 2020.

But, with just a few weeks of the year left, only three trains have been retired.

The much-maligned trains will continue to be retired and then scrapped over the coming months, with "a handful" remaining.

Northern, which covers the North West, North East, Midlands and Yorkshire, has said 101 brand new trains will join their fleet as part of a £600m investment.

A group in an East Yorkshire coastal town are trying to revitalise Withernsea and want the next prime minister to visit the seaside resort.

The Withernsea Pier and Promenade Association are trying to raise funds to build a pier in the hope it will attract more visitors to the area.

They say the town, which is about 18 miles from Hull, has been left behind and want the people in the resort "to be heard" by the next government:

Five new rail services using brand new Azuma trains between Harrogate and London are being unveiled by York-based LNER today.

The extra services will start on 15 December, increasing the number of direct trains between Harrogate and King's Cross from one to six each day.

LNER is currently replacing its existing trains with the new Azuma, with the full fleet expected to be replaced by June.

The increased service from Harrogate is being launched with a special VIP trip between the North Yorkshire town and Leeds this afternoon.

LNER managing director David Horne said Harrogate was "an incredibly important destination" for the company.

"We're delighted to be creating significantly more opportunities for business travellers, tourists and international visitors to make Harrogate an even more attractive and accessible destination...The new Azuma fleet will transform the journey experience," he added.

Specialist teams have travelled hundreds of miles to join a community search for a missing 81-year-old great grandfather from West Yorkshire.

Image source, Family Handout

Volunteers using search dogs have travelled from Kent and Wales to hunt for Colin Vasey who left his home in Dewsbury more than two weeks ago.

His family praised public support but said there had been some "negativity" with hoax calls from people claiming to have seen Mr Vasey.

Granddaughter Emma Schofield said: "The positivity outweighs this by a huge amount and we are forever grateful for the response, help and support we have received so far."

Ms Schofield said volunteers with K9 Cadlaw, external - specialists in victim detection dog searches - were helping the effort and that teams had come from further afield as well as across Yorkshire.

Hundreds of people have also joined daily searches and more than 18,000 have signed up to a Facebook group, external to share information.

A woman has been arrested in connection with an ongoing investigation into the disappearance of a 12-year-old boy in South Yorkshire, police say.

Image source, South Yorkshire Police

Jamie O'Sullivan was last seen on Wednesday 27 November in the Haigh Moor Lane area of Swallownest, Rotherham.

Police say they believe people are "deliberately hindering officers’ efforts to find Jamie and make sure he is safe and well".

A 45-year-old woman from Sheffield has been arrested on suspicion of an offence under the Children Act and she remains in custody, South Yorkshire Police told the BBC.

Officers believe Jamie is staying with people known to him.

Police continue to search for him, saying until they have spoken to him directly they will keep treating him as a missing person.

CCTV footage of a man police want to speak to in connection with a serious sexual assault at the weekend has been released in the hope someone can identify him.

Image source, West Yorkshire Police

A 24-year-old woman was attacked in an alleyway off Woodhouse Lane, close to the junction with St Mark’s Avenue, at about 01:50 on Saturday.

The man fled the scene after he was disturbed by a passer-by who went to the victim’s aid.

The attacker is described as white, in his late 20s, of thin build, with short dark hair, and was wearing dark clothing and a baseball cap.

Police say the CCTV footage shows the suspect near the scene of the attack, walking at the junction of Woodhouse Lane and Clarendon Road, shortly before the incident.

The woman obscured in the footage is not the victim, police say:

Anyone who recognises the man is being asked to contact West Yorkshire Police.

Police are appealing for information after a man was assaulted in York last week.

North Yorkshire Police is investigating after one man grabbed another man by the throat on Gillygate at about 13:00 on 27 November.

The suspect was described as being about 65 years old, between 5ft 9ins and 5ft 10ins tall, of thin build, and was wearing a blue jacket and carrying an umbrella.

Officers are asking anyone with any information about what happened to get in touch.

Images of soldiers on the frontlines of World War One have been brought to life in a new way by a Leeds artist.

Image source, Leeds City Council

Several sepia-toned images have been remastered and made into "moving" 3D scenes by a group of curators.

They've picked out images of frontline soldiers, and of Leeds during the conflict, from Leeds Museums and Galleries' vast collection.

Image source, Leeds City Council

Among the collection were some virtually identical stereoscopic cards which, when inserted into a viewing device, give the illusion of seeing the scene in 3D.

Also included was a picture of members of 5th Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment:

Image source, Leeds City Council

The 3D images will now be displayed on screens in Leeds City Museum as part of a new exhibition.

A man who was being taken to hospital in an ambulance in Hull has been injured in a crash.

Image source, Google

The collision between the ambulance and a Toyota Yaris happened on Leads Road at about 07:10 on Monday morning.

The man in the back of the ambulance suffered minor injuries.

Anyone who saw what happened is being asked to get in touch with police.

People affected by severe flooding in Doncaster are set to face a difficult Christmas and new year, according to the people organising a fundraising appeal to help them.

Image source, PA Media

Almost £500,000 has already been raised by the South Yorkshire Community Foundation (SYCF) to help those affected by the flood.

Ruth Willis, from SYCF, said nearly 500 applications had so far been made for help - with money already being paid out.

Now there's a fresh appeal from the foundation for people not to "forget" about those hit by flooding.

Ms Willis said: "People really need your help. Our money is actually making a huge difference to people. Please don't forget about them".

A school in Bradford has become the latest to close following an outbreak of illness.

Image source, Google

Appleton Academy, an all-through primary and secondary school, did not open today because of an outbreak of the norovirus winter vomiting bug.

It will remain closed tomorrow so a deep clean can be carried out, the school says.

A number of schools in Yorkshire have been forced to shut over the past few weeks after outbreaks of norovirus and flu.

Public Health England said last week it expects such illnesses to circulate in schools at this time and good hand hygiene could help prevent norovirus spreading.

A 25-year-old is arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty offences and accused of damaging 12 cars.

More than a million coffee cups have been recycled in the first year of a Leeds scheme.

World number one Judd Trump pays tribute to Nigel Bond's performance after his third-round loss at the UK Championship.