Two Leeds firms working together to help supply temporary NHS Nightingale hospitals with equipment during the coronavirus pandemic have been praised for their efforts.

Image source, Leeds City Council

Herida Healthcare and Perry Uniform have pulled resources together to make specialist mattresses and covers to supply the new emergency hospitals being created around the country, including in Harrogate, as part of the fight against coronavirus.

Perry Uniform usually manufactures school uniforms but, with the help of Herida Healthcare, which has supplied the firm with patterns and fabric, it has now made 500 covers in three days, according to Leeds City Council.

Image source, Leeds City Council

Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council, said: “The collaboration is a perfect example of how well Leeds comes together as a city in hard times, and how adaptable our businesses are."

Bernard Bunting, managing director of Perry Uniform, said: “In this national emergency, when approached by Herida we immediately saw a good opportunity to collaborate in supporting the amazing NHS.

"The Perry team were hugely proud to be able to play a small part in this national effort," he added.

The M1 northbound in part of South Yorkshire has been closed after a body was found in the road, police say.

Image source, South Yorkshire Police

The motorway has been shut from junction 30 to 31 for Aston, Rotherham since the early hours of this morning.

Emergency services were called at about 03:20 to reports of a body being on the northbound carriageway, according to police.

A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said: "Extensive inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances. The investigation is in its early stages."

The road is expected to remain closed until this afternoon, officers say.

A 99-year-old Army veteran who's originally from West Yorkshire has now raised more than £4m to help the NHS in the fight against coronavirus.

Image source, HANNAH INGRAM-MOORE

Tom Moore, who was born in Keighley, aims to complete 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden by Thursday, walking with the aid of a frame.

He originally hoped to raise £1,000 for NHS Charities Together to thank "magnificent" staff after recent treatment for a broken hip and cancer.

By 18:00 yesterday he'd raised £2m, but overnight that figure has soared by more than £2m.

The funds raised are going up very quickly so it's hard to chart accurately, but at 09:15 on Wednesday morning, the total raised by Mr Moore stood at £4.8m.

He said: "I do laps each day, so that eventually I'll get to 100, then after that I shall continue and do some more."

NHS Charities Together, which will benefit from the funds, said it was "truly inspired and humbled" by Mr Moore's efforts.

People in Hull are being advised to avoid a city centre road this morning due to a burst water main.

Image source, Ashley Cooper/Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images

Police say it's on the road between Air street and Clough road.

A diversion is in place down Sculcoates lane.

Officers say all the relevant agencies are currently on scene dealing with the situation.

There's no information at the moment as to when the road is likely to reopen.

Police in West Yorkshire say they're concerned for the welfare of a 15-year-old girl missing from the Dewsbury area.

Image source, West Yorkshire Police

Irfa Ali (pictured), from Ravensthorpe, was reported missing overnight.

She is described as slim, 5ft 6ins tall, with brown eyes and long black hair.

Anyone who sees her is asked to contact police.

BBC Weather

After a cool start, today will be dry and sunny with light winds.

After a fine evening, tonight should remain dry with mainly clear skies and gentle winds:

The brother of a House of Lords member has been declared unfit to plead over historical child sex offences he faces alongside the former Labour peer.

Image source, UK Parliament

The charges against Lord Ahmed of Rotherham and two of his brothers, Mohamed Farouq and Mohammed Tariq, date back to the late 1960s and early 1970s. All three were due to face a trial in the summer.

Mr Farouq would not be able to follow details from "truly ages and ages and ages ago", Sheffield Crown Court heard.

Judge Jeremy Richardson QC told the court he had reached the "unhesitating conclusion" that Mr Farouq, 68, of Worrygoose Lane, Rotherham, would not be able to instruct lawyers.

Lord Nazir Ahmed (pictured), 61, of East Bawtry Road, Rotherham, denies all the charges against him.

He is due to stand trial on 13 July but the date may be reviewed because of the coronavirus pandemic, Judge Richardson said.

Mr Tariq, 63, of Gerard Road, Rotherham, was also found unfit to plead. He and his older brother will face a so-called trial of the facts, with no verdicts of guilty or not guilty open to the jury.

A further hearing date is due to be set next month.

A 99-year-old Army veteran who's originally from West Yorkshire and who has joined the fundraising fight against coronavirus has raised more than £2m.

Image source, HANNAH INGRAM-MOORE

Tom Moore, who was born in Keighley, aims to complete 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden by Thursday, walking with the aid of a frame.

However, he has now said he will not stop and hopes to do another 100.

He originally hoped to raise £1,000 for NHS Charities Together to thank "magnificent" staff after recent treatment for a broken hip and cancer.

He then upped that figure to £500,000 - but has since smashed his target.

He said: "I do [laps] each day, so that eventually I'll get to 100, then after that I shall continue and do some more."

The support so far had been "absolutely fabulous".

Mr Moore said: "Let's all carry on and remember that things will get better."

A man from North Yorkshire has been accused of spitting at two ambulance workers and threatening to cough in their faces as he referenced coronavirus.

Image source, Google

Steven Roberts, from Skipton, is charged with two counts of assaulting an emergency worker.

He was inside an ambulance on Broughton Road when he was arrested on Sunday evening, police said.

The 18-year-old has been released on bail and due to appear at Skipton Magistrates' Court on 22 May.

Shire horses are being brought in to help a Yorkshire brewery deliver beer to people's homes, it's been announced.

Image source, Samuel Smith

The Samuel Smith brewery in Tadcaster has been using the horses to help make deliveries in and around the town to local pubs.

But now, it says it's going to extend this service to home deliveries in the town as well.

The shire horses live in stables next to the brewery, the company said, with them making deliveries throughout the week.

A nurse from Leeds and a plaster technician from Doncaster are among the latest number of NHS workers who have died after testing positive for coronavirus.

Image source, Google

Mother-of-five Josiane Zauma Ebonja Ekoli, known as Josie, died on Monday after working as a nurse for more than 30 years, most recently at Harrogate District Hospital (pictured above).

Her daughter paid tribute saying: "It meant everything to her to be a nurse, she's being doing it for as long as I remember - more than 30 years."

Jill Foster, chief nurse at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Josie was a much-valued agency nurse who has worked with the Trust for the past two years.

"She worked a range of shifts in a number of wards and departments."

She added she would be "sadly missed" by friends and colleagues and said the trust's thoughts were with her family and friends.

Meanwhile, Kevin Smith, a plaster technician at Doncaster Royal Infirmary died on Sunday following a "brief, but courageous, battle with Covid-19".

He worked at the hospital for more than 35 years and was "renowned for his warm personality, diligence and compassion", the trust said.

A Sheffield Paralympic hopeful is putting down the table tennis paddle to return to work as a junior doctor to help fight the coronavirus outbreak.

Image source, PA Media

Kim Daybell, who also studies at the University of Leeds, has put his Tokyo dreams on hold to return to help the front line of the NHS.

The junior doctor is working 13 hour shifts on a Covid-19 ward in North London.

He said: "What's really scary, I think, is how young a lot of the patients are that we're seeing.

"I'm thinking about my parents and never really seeing them as vulnerable people.

"But now, to be honest, if they came in they are people who we'd be classing as vulnerable."

Fire services in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire are asking people not to set off sky lanterns as they could cause huge fires.

Image source, PA Media

According to South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, people are being asked to buy the lanterns and then set them off in support of carers working during the coronavirus pandemic.

However, it's asking people not to do this as the lanterns could land and "cause a significant fire".

The emergency service said a better, safer way to show support at the moment is to "stay at home".

The message has been echoed by fire services in North and West Yorkshire - as well as in Lincolnshire, where releasing sky lanterns was recently banned on public land.

Three young people who were seen throwing rocks at buses used by key workers in Hull have been identified, police say.

Image source, Ben Gilligan

The two buses, which were carrying key workers to a hospital, were damaged at about 20:00 on Sunday.

Windows were smashed and paintwork was damaged, but nobody was injured in the incident.

Three "local youths" will be interviewed, police say.

Neighbourhood Community Police Insp Julian Hart said: "I want to thank the drivers involved and EYMS management for their support during this investigation and for continuing to make sure our key workers and NHS staff get to work to be able to keep us all safe."

Image source, Ben Gilligan

Just hours after reopening its West Yorkshire warehouse and online shopping website, clothing retailer Next says it's stopped taking orders because it can't deal with the demand.

Image source, Getty Images

The company said demand exceeded capacity by about 08:30 this morning and the website will be closed again until Wednesday.

The firm's South Elmsall distribution centre near Wakefield reopened this morning, with fewer staff taking a lower quota of orders.

It had been temporarily closed over fears not enough was being done to protect staff from coronavirus.

It asked volunteers to return to the complex near Wakefield, saying it's put in more measures to ensure social distancing.

Next usually employs 7,000 people across its eight distribution centres, including staff at the South Elmsall site.

People living on an East Yorkshire road have made their own bunting to decorate the street while the coronavirus lockdown continues.

This is what Pulcroft Road in Hessle looks like now:

One resident told the BBC: "The decorating was originally an idea for Easter, but has been turned it into a thank you for the NHS."

Witnesses are being asked to come forward after a 17-year-old boy died in a crash in Hull at the weekend.

Image source, Google

The boy was riding a blue and white off-road bike when he collided with a field entrance barrier on Castlehill Road in Bransholme just before 17:00 on Saturday, police say.

He suffered serious injuries and died at the scene, according to Humberside Police.

A number of witnesses have already spoken to officers, the force said, but it's asking others who might have seen the crash to come forward.

Four men from Leeds have been summonsed to court under new coronavirus legislation after a barbecue set fire to four hectares of Derbyshire moorland.

Image source, Derbyshire Fire And Rescue Service

Police said the men, who are in their 20s, were accused of meeting people outside of their household, and unnecessary travel.

Fire crews were called to the moorland just off the A628 on the Woodhead Pass at 20:00 BST on Friday.

Police said the men were traced after the fire.

Firefighter Calum Beckett tweeted that he has attended two moorland fires on Woodhead Pass on Friday evening.

He wrote: "Why can't people just listen to the advice they are given, stay indoors and not create unnecessary fires that me and my colleagues have to deal with."

A court date for the men has not yet been set.

A West Yorkshire warehouse distribution centre which was closed over fears not enough was being done to protect staff from coronavirus has reopened today.

Image source, Google

Clothing retailer Next has asked for volunteers to return to the complex in South Elmsall, near Wakefield, saying it's put in more measures to ensure social distancing.

The firm is allowed to stay open under current government guidelines, but was heavily criticised after saying its distribution centres would carry on running as "an essential service" the day after the UK was put into lockdown.

The company reversed its decision to stay open later that week.

South Elmsall Labour councillor Michelle Collins, who's been liaising with the company, says; "I wanted Next closed. I want all non-essential businesses closed, because I want coronavirus to stop.

"But if companies are going to open, the bare minimum we can expect is they keep their workers safe."

Police in North Yorkshire have thanked people in the county for staying at home during the Easter weekend as the coronavirus lockdown continues.

Image source, North Yorkshire Police

Writing on social media, external the force said: "We're really proud most of our roads, national parks, beaches, beauty spots, towns and the city of York were quiet over the weekend - a time of year when they'd usually be bustling with visitors."

Image source, North Yorkshire Police

It posted the picture above of the A64 near Malton, to illustrate just how quiet the roads were...

Image source, North Yorkshire Police

...as well as the one above of the M62 through the Selby district at junction 34.

The force said: "A special thanks to the people of North Yorkshire who are taking it so seriously - together we are helping to protect the NHS and save lives."