Local Democracy Reporting Service

This year's annual Seamer Horse Fair, an event which has its origins in the 14th Century, has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, it's been confirmed.

The fair, which was due to take place on 15 July, won't now go ahead due to the ongoing restrictions placed on large events due to Covid-19, Scarborough Council says.

The annual horse fair was due to be held on council-owned land off the B1261 between Seamer and Crossgates.

Scarborough Council says it's been working with police, the county council and the RSPCA to engage with the travelling community to ensure they are fully aware of the cancellation well in advance, to ensure they do not make journeys to the area.

In a joint statement, the partner organisations said: “The cancellation is in line with current government restrictions on large events, where crucial social distancing measures that need to remain in place for the foreseeable future would be seriously compromised if the event went ahead.

“It is important that all communities play their part in helping to prevent the spread of coronavirus."

A number of other high profile horse fairs throughout the country, including Appleby and Wickham, have already been cancelled.

The origin of the Seamer fair dates back to a Royal Charter issued in November 1382 by Richard II.

An app to monitor where people have been and who they've come into contact with is needed before schools are allowed to reopen, the Director of Public Health in Sheffield has said.

Image source, Getty Images

Greg Fell says contact tracing needs to be up and running before primary school children are allowed back to their classrooms at the start of next month.

A new NHS tracing app has been developed where people can quickly trace recent contacts of anyone with the virus and is being tested on the Isle of Wight.

This helps slow the spread of infectious outbreaks because when someone gets coronavirus, everyone they have been in prolonged contact with will be tracked down and potentially asked to self-isolate.

Mr Fell said: "I think we need to have the test and trace system working before we start to fundamentally reopen society because to not do so gives the virus an unchecked opportunity to spread.

"That will lead us back to a place we've been before and nobody wants to go back there."

A man missing from home in Leeds since Sunday has been found.

Koady Smith, 20, went missing when he left his home in Harehills to go to a local shop.

West Yorkshire Police say he's now been found safe and well.

Twenty seven males have been arrested in connection with alleged online child sexual exploitation in Bradford.

Image source, Getty Images

The males, aged between 16 and 57, were arrested by police investigating claims a number of people had been contacting children over the internet and were in possession of indecent images of children.

More than 60 devices were seized for further investigation and safeguarding measures put in place for 26 children, according to West Yorkshire Police.

All 27 were questioned and released under investigation or bailed while further inquiries take place.

Det Ch Insp Alan Weekes said: “In the current climate where children are spending more time at home, we urge parents to regularly monitor their children’s devices and report any concerns."

South Yorkshire Police say violent crime has fallen, largely due to people staying indoors.

The family of a man missing from his Leeds home since Sunday have told police they're becoming "increasingly concerned" for his welfare.

Image source, West Yorkshire Police

Koady Smith (pictured), 20, was last seen at about 20:00 when he left his home in Harehills to go to a local shop.

He's described as 6ft 1in tall, of medium build, with brown hair shaved at the back and sides.

When last seen he was wearing jeans, a white long-sleeved top, a black and grey jacket, and black and white trainers.

Det Insp Richard Holmes,said: “It's out of character for Koady to go missing like this and his family are very concerned and urgently want to hear he's ok."

Anyone who sees Mr Smith or who has information which could help to find him is asked to contact police.

Five more household waste recycling centres are due to open in North Yorkshire today.

Image source, Google

The centres at Malton, Northallerton, Ripon, Tadcaster and Wombleton, near Pickering, which closed in late March due to the coronavirus outbreak, will have social distancing measures in place.

North Yorkshire County Council says people should only use the centres "if absolutely necessary and waste materials cannot be stored safely at home."

Four men believed to be involved in a county lines drug operation have been arrested in Scarborough, police say.

Image source, Getty Images

On Sunday an 18-year-old man from the West Midlands was arrested at a residential address in Alma Square, on suspicion of being involved in the supply of class A drugs.

Two more men, a 19-year-old man from Birmingham and a 48-year-old man from Scarborough, were also arrested at a property on Victoria Road, on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs with intent to supply.

Yesterday officers arrested a 36-year-old Scarborough man in connection with the investigation on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.

All four have been released on bail.

County lines is the term given to a form of organised crime in which drug dealers from urban areas exploit vulnerable people and force them to deal drugs in smaller towns and cities.

Huddersfield Giants twins Louis and Innes Senior sign new contracts to keep them with the Super League club until 2021.

Ankle tags which monitor alcohol consumption will be fitted to around 2,000 offenders after a two-year trial across Lincolnshire and parts of Yorkshire.

The "sobriety tags" monitor sweat levels of the wearer every 30 minutes to see whether they have drunk alcohol.

New legislation enabling courts to order people to wear the tags has come into force across England and Wales.

Official estimates suggest two in every five violent offences are committed by people who are drunk.

Under the scheme, courts will be able to hand out an "alcohol abstinence order", requiring the offender to abstain from alcohol for up to four months and wear the electronic tag.

During pilot schemes those who wore the tags were alcohol free 97% of the time, the Ministry of Justice said.

It says it expects 2,300 tags to be fitted to offenders every year.

Crime, policing and justice minister Kit Malthouse said the new tagging system will not only punish offenders but "can help turn their lives around".

The measures will be rolled out this winter.

BBC Weather

It could be a damp start to the day for some with some patchy rain in places, but it should quickly clear to leave it largely dry and cloudy, with the possibility of some brighter spells later.

Tonight will be mild, dry and clear, with variable cloud and light winds:

A new bridge has opened in Mytholmroyd in what's being described as a "major milestone" in the town's £35m flood defence scheme.

Image source, Environment Agency

In 2015, hundreds of homes were flooded in the town, prompting the multimillion-pound plan to protect properties.

The new bridge, which is for motorists and pedestrians, will replace the current Caldene Bridge and the river below will be widened.

The Environment Agency says the old bridge constricted water flow which contributed to the Boxing Day floods in 2015 and is a "major milestone" in its work.

The £7m bridge is part of a bigger flood alleviation scheme which includes new defences and overflow channels.

Six days after the VE Day anniversary there was a jump in new Covid cases at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

The number of people travelling by rail in Hull is still much lower than usual despite an increase in services as the coronavirus lockdown is eased slightly.

Train firms had been operating reduced services during lockdown, but more frequent trains are now running in England.

Hull Paragon Interchange manager Dan Fox says some services have started up again, but the number of passengers remains "incredibly low".

He said: "It is a good thing, though. The advice from the government is still to only use public transport when absolutely necessary and to reserve the space available for those who need to use it.

"We seem to be seeing that reflected in the number of people actually using the service."

A pedestrian who was hit by a car in Halifax has suffered serious injuries, according to police.

Image source, Google

The man, in his 40s, was taken to hospital after he was struck by a black Ford Fiesta on Queens Road at about 11:00 on Sunday.

His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, police believe.

Officers say the driver stopped at the scene and is helping with their inquiries into the incident.

PC James Heslop said: “I'm appealing for anyone who witnessed the collision or who drove through the area at the time and has dash-cam footage to come forward.”

A woman and two teenage boys have been arrested after police carried out drug raids in North Yorkshire.

Image source, North Yorkshire Police

A quantity of what's believed to be a class B drug and cash were recovered during the operation in Selby, police say.

The arrests were made at two different addresses in the town on Friday.

A 19-year-old woman, a 15-year-old boy and a 16-year old boy were all arrested on suspicion of drug offences, according to the North Yorkshire force.

They've been released under investigation while inquiries continue.

Insp Martin Wedgwood said: “I believe our community is risking the health and the lives of the younger generation who take drugs, not knowing the true impact they can have.

"Youngsters are vulnerable because of their age and are easily encouraged, so this operation was designed to protect as well as to deter."

PA Media

A £35m scheme to protect freight routes, including the Hull-Zeebrugge route, has been announced by the government.

Image source, Getty Images

The funding will support the movement of goods such as food and medical supplies in and out of the country over the next nine weeks.

Sixteen of the most important routes which were previously at risk of closure due to a drop in demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic are eligible for support, the government said.

These include Hull-Zeebrugge, Dover-Calais, Cairnryan-Belfast and Poole-Bilbao.

The ferry firms who will receive funding are Brittany Ferries, DFDS, P&O Ferries, Seatruck and Stena.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: "By taking this action, we have helped protect the movement of goods and services in and out of the UK, safeguarding the flow of supplies across the Union."

Intensive care staff working hard at Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax have been sent gifts by a local rugby club.

Siddal Rugby Club ran a fundraiser to help staff "working long shifts" during the coronavirus pandemic.

Senior sister Joanne Walker said: "Everyone in ICU is overwhelmed with the generosity of Siddal Rugby Club for their wonderful donations given to the staff in ICU. We all really appreciate this and cannot thank them enough."

A man has suffered "life-changing" injuries after a bin lorry collided with a worker on a Sheffield road.

Image source, Google

The man was working as a refuse collector when he was "run over" as the lorry turned onto Alexandra Gardens from Lyndhurst Road in Nether Edge, police say

The 57-year-old was taken to hospital following the incident, which happened at about 10:30 on Friday.

Anyone who saw what happened is being asked to contact the South Yorkshire force.

Police are trying to find a driver who they believe could have witnessed a fatal crash in Brinsworth, Rotherham, last week.

Yousif Thabet, 21, died when the grey VW Golf he was driving flipped when it collided with a garden wall on Bawtry Road.

A 20-year-old passenger in the car remains in hospital in a stable condition after suffering serious injuries.

A Land Rover Freelander was nearby when the crash happened and its occupant could have seen what happened, police say.

Officers are appealing for the driver to come forward as part of their investigation.