Local Democracy Reporting Service

More than £14,500 has been raised through a crowdfunding campaign for a new cafe set to be run by ex-prisoners.

Image source, LDRS

The Italian deli and food shop, called The Larder Club, will offer training and employment for women formerly in jail at HMP Askham Grange and could open in York city centre early in the new year.

A crowdfunding campaign launched by former charity worker, Laura Gallery, to help establish the project aimed to raise £8,000 to get the initiative off the ground.

Laura (pictured), said: “I feel passionately about empowering women to change their lives for the better and I decided to do something about it."

She said she has been “overwhelmed” by support for the project.

Work has now begun to fit out the cafe in the former York Cocoa House on Blake Street.

Firefighters have rescued a swan from an empty water sewage tank in Rotherham.

Image source, RSPCA

Crews, along with members of the RSPCA, spent two hours saving the male bird after it became stuck at the plant on Retford Road yesterday morning.

The bird, which after the ordeal was described as "in need of a good wash," is now recovering at RSPCA Stapely.

Image source, RSPCA

Deborah Banks of RSPCA Stapeley Grange said: "We are not sure how long it had been there but it was badly covered in sewage and may have ingested some.

"It doesn't seem to be injured and may have mistaken the tank for a body of open water."

Have you seen Corey Nixon?

Police have concerns for the welfare of the 25-year-old, who went missing on 18 December in east Hull.

Image source, HUMBERSIDE POLICE

He hasn’t been missing before and the disappearance is "out of character", said police.

He does have a mobile phone but it has been turned off since last night.

Mr Nixon is 5ft 8in, medium build with medium length hair and stubble.

He was last seen wearing black clothing.

The baby boy died two days after being airlifted to hospital with head injuries.

Food vouchers are being offered to hundreds of people affected by a gas outage in North Yorkshire.

Image source, PA Media

Abut 1,400 properties living in the Barlby and Osgodby areas, near Selby, have been without gas since last night.

Northern Gas Networks say its engineers are in the process of visiting every affected property to turn off the gas before repairing the issue.

In the meantime food vouchers are being offered to villagers together with heaters and hotplates, while shower facilities have been made available at Selby Leisure Centre, in Scott Road, Selby.

Two men have appeared in court charged with the murder of a man who was stabbed to death outside a Beeston supermarket.

Image source, WEST YORKSHIRE POLICE

Keith Harrower (pictured), also known as Joshua French, 40, died in hospital after being attacked outside the Premier supermarket, Dewsbury Road, on 12 December.

Omar Ishaq, 33, of Low Lane, Horsforth, and Kearon Barker, 30, of Cardinal Crescent, Beeston, appeared at Leeds Crown Court this morning.

They have both been remanded in custody to appear at the same court on 21 January.

Former Everton and Manchester City midfielder Jack Rodwell is training with Sheffield United, says boss Chris Wilder.

A driver who killed a man in a hit-and-run crash in Bradford has been jailed for 15 months.

Image source, WEST YORKSHIRE POLICE

Conor Stott-Webster (above), 25, hit 30-year-old motorcyclist John Naylor on Cottingley Road before colliding with another car and fleeing the scene.

Mr Naylor (pictured below) was left fatally injured after the crash on 3 October 2018.

Stott-Webster admitted causing death by careless driving, dangerous driving and driving while uninsured, at a previous Bradford Crown Court hearing.

Image source, Family photo

Four pygmy goats were killed in October at Graves Park Animal Farm in Sheffield.

Construction of a 198-acre solar farm in North Yorkshire, described by developers as "the UK’s most advanced solar farm", has been completed.

Image source, Gridserve

The farm, near Easingwold, is home to 90,000 solar panels capable of tracking the light from sunrise to sunset.

It is one of two being built in Yorkshire for Warrington Borough Council, with power generated at the Easingwold site due to be sold on the open market.

A second site near Bilton, in East Yorkshire, will supply all the council's electricity needs in a move it says will cut bills by up to £2m a year.

Toddington Harper, the chief executive of Gridserve, which built the farm, says it's a big step towards the UK's target of zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Mr Harper says: "The panels are called bi-facial which means they generate energy on both sides and so produce more energy.

"They are also on trackers, which means they follow the sun east to west and so generate a lot more energy throughout the day."

BBC Sport

Sheffield Wednesday have issued a claim against the English Football League for allegedly "acting unlawfully" by charging the club over the sale of their ground to owner Dejphon Chansiri.

Image source, Getty Images

The Owls sold Hillsborough for about £60m, helping them post a pre-tax profit of £2.5m in 2017-18.

The sale led to charges for trying to avoid breaking spending rules.

Wednesday say, external they regret that "the EFL refused to agree a sensible procedure for dealing with the dispute".

In a statement the club said: "We have sought to engage with the EFL in order to agree a sensible procedure to resolve the dispute arising from the fact that the club relied upon representations from the EFL in relation to the sale transaction which is the subject of the charges."

An EFL spokesperson said it would be inappropriate to comment further on the case at this stage.

A paralysed man from Leeds who lost a right-to-die case is to bring a High Court challenge over the law on assisted dying today.

Paul Lamb, who lost a right-to-die case in the Supreme Court in 2014, will ask a judge in London to consider allowing a fresh challenge to go ahead at a hearing later.

The 63-year-old former builder argues that the current law, which bans assisted suicide under threat of up to 14 years' imprisonment, breaches his human rights.

Mr Lamb was severely injured in a car accident in 1990 and has no function below his neck, apart from limited movement in his right arm.

He needs round-the-clock care.

His lawyers will argue the law is also discriminatory because an able-bodied person can end their lives if they wish but those with severe disabilities cannot.

Rough sleepers in Wakefield say the death of a homeless man in the town has left them worried for their safety.

Ryan, an 18-year-old who found himself homeless after leaving care, says cold nights make him worry he could "end up like that lad dying".

The homeless man, who was known to his friends as Elephant, died in the city centre in November.

The homeless community in the town have been talking about the impact that's had on them and what it's like to be on the streets at Christmas:

BBC Sport

Yorkshire have re-signed South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj as an overseas player for the opening two County Championship fixtures in 2020.

Image source, Getty Images

The 29-year-old joined the White Rose on a short-term deal last term and later extended his time at the club.

He previously had a brief spell with rivals Lancashire during 2018, playing three times in the Championship.

"I'm very grateful to be given the opportunity to come back and play for Yorkshire again," he said.

Maharaj took 38 wickets in five Championship appearances in 2019, at an average of just 18.92, a total only exceeded by paceman Duanne Olivier.

He is set face Gloucestershire and Essex for Yorkshire next April before returning to South Africa, after which the club will sign another overseas player for the rest of the season.

A boy arrested in connection with the murder of a Doncaster man has been released on police bail.

Image source, PA Wire

Jerry Appicella, 51, whose body was found inside a property on Craganour Place on Sunday night, died from head injuries.

Police believe Mr Appicella was the victim of a "targeted attack" and had been involved in an altercation on 3 December with a group of males and females in an alleyway leading to Hickleton Street in Denaby Main.

Inquiries suggest he then walked home where his body was found at the weekend.

Officers say a boy arrested on Wednesday in connection with Mr Apicella's death been released on bail, pending further inquiries.

Three girls arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of murdering Mr Appicella have also been released under investigation.

BBC Weather

It's a wet and cloudy start to the day but it should clear up for a time as the morning goes on.

However, by late afternoon that rain will be back again and there's yet more rain expected overnight.

Temperatures today will get up to about 12C in places:

More than 1,000 homes in North Yorkshire are currently without gas.

Image source, PA Media

Northern Gas Networks (NGN) says up to 1,400 properties in the villages of Barlby and Osgodby, near Selby, are experiencing problems with their supply.

Homes and businesses have been without supplies overnight and customers are being advised to turn their gas off at the meter.

Because of this problem Barlby Community Primary School will be closed today.

Steve Pigott, from NGN, says: "Our engineers were called to the Barlby and Osgodby areas, at 17:30 on Wednesday evening, following reports of a loss of supply to a number of properties.

"We are working hard to restore gas supplies to customers as quickly and as safely as possible."

The company says heaters and hotplates are available for those who need them.

BBC News Travel

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

However:

• The 08:23 service from York to Blackpool North has been cancelled
• The 08:31 service from York to Glasgow Central is running about seven minutes late
• The 08:34 service from York to Edinburgh is running about 11 minutes late
• The 08:38 service from Doncaster to Cleethorpes has been delayed
• The 08:41 service from Wakefield Westgate to Leeds is running about 30 minutes late
• The 08:42 service from Leeds to Newcastle has been cancelled

For all the latest live updates from our 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 former Jet2 IT contractor with a grudge has been jailed for a cyber-attack on the company.

Image source, West Yorkshire Police

Scott Burns, 27, of Queen Street in Morley, Leeds, was jailed for 10 months for his actions, which cost the company £165,000. The attack shut down Jet2's computer network for 12 hours in January 2018.

Burns wanted revenge for the firm's treatment of him following an incident at a 2017 "Benidorm roadshow", Leeds Crown Court heard.

The court heard only fast-thinking by one employee at the Leeds-based airline stopped Burns' actions being a "complete disaster" for Jet2.

Burns pleaded guilty to eight counts under the Computer Misuse Act at a previous hearing.

Sheffield Wednesday issue a claim against the EFL for "acting unlawfully" by charging the club over the sale of Hillsborough.