Local Democracy Reporting Service

Outdoor markets across Kirklees have begun re-opening with the easing of coronavirus restrictions.

Image source, Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images

Birstall Market reopened on Thursday and Batley Market is due to reopen today. Both are privately owned.

Council-run markets in Kirklees are due to re-open from the weekend, starting with Cleckheaton Farmers Market on Saturday and Dewsbury Market on Wednesday.

The remaining markets, which are considered to be indoor operations, are expected to get under way from 15 June, in line with government advice.

Kirklees Council says it is “working closely” with traders to make sure markets can open safely with the necessary social distancing and hygiene precautions in place.

It says it is taking "a phased approach" to opening its markets to allow for social distancing and, as such, not all traders will return in the first week.

In addition some traders will be located in different stalls.

Rob Walker, the council’s cabinet member for economy, said everything depends on the council, traders and visitors working together to ensure everyone involved can stay safe.

"It’s really important everyone follows the instructions on site and treats each other with respect," he said.

"Please be patient if you have to queue for longer than usual and limit what you touch to things you are intending to buy."

Crowds gathered in Hull to protest over the death in US police custody of George Floyd.

Six men have been arrested in connection with the shooting of a man in Huddersfield.

Rotherham chairman Tony Stewart believes there are 15 clubs in League One which will vote to end the season on Tuesday.

Capt Tom Moore says he is "overwhelmed by the incredible things that keep happening".

A man has been arrested following a police pursuit in Rotherham which ended in a crash leaving a woman needing hospital treatment.

Image source, Google

The driver of a silver Vauxhall Vectra failed to stop for officers just before midday yesterday.

He then drove the wrong way along Centenary Way before colliding with a red Peugeot 107, police say.

The driver of the Peugeot, a 73-year-old woman, was taken to hospital where she remains "for observation", South Yorkshire Police said.

The driver of the Vauxhall Vectra, a 27-year-old Rotherham man, was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and possession of controlled drugs.

Any witnesses to the crash, especially people with dash camera footage, are being asked to get in touch with police.

A major Leeds shopping centre is to reopen after closing during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.

Image source, Trinity Leeds

The operators of Trinity Leeds say they're aiming for a reopening date of 15 June, in accordance with government advice.

Some essential shops at the centre have remained open during the lockdown, but most of the centre and food venues were closed in March.

One-way systems, social distancing markers and hand sanitiser stations are being installed as a way to keep shoppers safe, the centre said.

Stores will have limits on how many people can go into shops and queuing systems are also being used, it added.

North Yorkshire County Council says it is spending around £1m a month on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) amid the coronaviurs pandemic.

Image source, Victoria Jones/PA Wire/PA Images

The authority's chief executive, Richard Flinton, said including the added expenditure, the total amount of "financial pain" the council is expecting this financial year will be around £65m.

He also warned that government funding of less than £30m to help deal with the pandemic won't be enough.

"We're spending around £250,000 a week on PPE, so you can imagine how costs rack up in other areas," he said.

"So it's the cost of trying to fight the virus on many fronts, but also the loss of income we're suffering."

Charity events set to be held across Yorkshire and the UK to raise millions of pounds for Cancer Research have been cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, it's been confirmed.

Image source, Cancer Research/Race For Life

All Race For Life events, which usually take place in September and October, have been cancelled due to ongoing restrictions on mass gatherings.

Organisers said the 400 events were being stopped for the first time since they first started in 1994.

Lisa Millett, Cancer Research UK spokesperson in North Yorkshire, said: “We remain tirelessly committed to making progress for people affected by cancer.

"But now more than ever, support from the public will be vital. We simply will not be able to continue funding our life-saving work without it.

"We hope the Race for Life event series will be back bigger and stronger than ever in 2021."

Two more men have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a shooting in Huddersfield last month.

The 34-year-old victim was shot outside the Woolpack apartments in Lockwood Road after midnight on Saturday 20 May.

He was treated in hospital for a shoulder injury, West Yorkshire Police said.

A 25-year-old and a 29-year-old were arrested earlier today and remain in police custody, officers say.

Four men aged 18, 19, 19 and 21 who were previously arrested as part of the investigation have been bailed, the force confirmed.

Police in North Yorkshire are receiving an "increasing amount" of abuse from speeding drivers, a senior officer has said.

Image source, Ben Birchall/PA Wire

Supt Paula Booth says: "We get an awful lot of abuse and a lot of my colleagues out on the roads get quite nasty comments.

"I think people get defensive and ask who are we to tell them not to speed, believing it's up to them to decide how to drive on the roads - a certain amount of arrogance.

"We're seeing speeds in excess of 70mph in 30mph speed limit areas and speeds of 135mph on our dual carriageways. It's just not acceptable," she added.

Supt Boooth says the force will be "enforcing rigorously" to stop people speeding on North Yorkshire's roads.

The organiser of a Black Lives Matter rally in Sheffield says he hopes the event will help educate people in the city.

Image source, PA Media

Abdullah Mohammed, 22, is the president of Sheffield Hallam Students' Union and organised the protest following the death of George Floyd in the US.

Protests began in the US after a video showed Mr Floyd, 46, being arrested on 25 May in Minneapolis and a white police officer continuing to kneel on his neck even after he pleaded that he could not breathe.

Mr Mohammed, who is from Burngreave, told the BBC: "I think Sheffield has a proud history of standing up to bigotry and racism especially as it's a City of Sanctuary, but we can't ignore the manifestation of systematic racism in the UK as well.

"We want to raise awareness but also, at the same time, we want people to take action, for example, by educating themselves or by becoming an ally," he added.

Protests over George Floyd's death were held in cities across the county, including York, Leeds and Bradford.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Plans for a memorial to honour people who have died with coronavirus in Barnsley have been put forward.

Image source, Rob Taylor/Geograph

Council leader Sir Steve Houghton said the town wanted to build a memorial to give people a way to "commemorate their loved one’s lives".

Other plans to be discussed by the authority include a virtual book of condolence and the introduction of the Mayor’s special award medals.

The council will also review the Freedom of the Borough scheme, and look to incorporate the recognition of the valuable contributions people have made to protecting and helping Barnsley’s communities.

Sir Steve said: "It’s crucial that we don’t forget how hard our borough is fighting against the virus and the sacrifices people are making."

A 17-year-old boy and 16-year-old girl are in custody after a video appeared on social media.

Police have warned against so-called paedophile hunter groups after they arrested a man on child sex abuse charges in Harrogate.

Image source, PA images

The 34-year-old was taken into custody on Sunday following a report made by what police described as an "online child abuse activist group" based in West Yorkshire, say police.

He was arrested on suspicion of inciting a child to perform a sexual act and indecent images of children offences and released on bail while inquiries continue.

North Yorkshire Police has appealed for people not to speculate or post anything online that could hamper the course of fair justice.

It also called on so-called paedophile hunting groups to "leave investigations to the police" and highlighted complications which can arise from groups getting involved in cases.

A spokesperson said: "The police service does not endorse online child abuse activist groups and we will not work with them - they operate without any procedures to keep people safe.

"Innocent family members can also feel threatened during confrontations and harassment, which is a terrible situation to have forced upon them."

Over 1,000 people from Sheffield are needed to take part in a trial for a potential coronavirus vaccine.

Image source, The University of Oxford

It's part of a national research trial looking at how well a potential vaccine could protect people against Covid-19.

The study focuses around a vaccine being developed by Oxford University, known as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19.

More than 1,000 healthy volunteers are needed from around Sheffield to take part in a year-long trial, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals says.

Many of the volunteers will need to work in front-line roles and to be at a higher risk of being exposed to the virus.

Dr Tom Darton, from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, said: "People taking part in the trial will be randomised to receive a single dose of either the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 or a licensed meningitis vaccine which will be used as a control for comparison.

"Participants will only be able to find out if they received the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine at the end of the trial."

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Huddersfield’s landmark Castle Hill is to be closed to vehicles at night, Kirklees Council has confirmed.

Image source, Stephen Craven/Geograph

The authority says it's also going to crackdown on anyone involved in anti-social behaviour or using barbecues at the much-loved site.

The move has been welcomed by campaigners who have called for the 4,000-year-old Iron Age hill fort in Almondbury to be safeguarded.

It follows fires on the hill and complaints of people driving noisy, souped-up cars on the site.

Andrew Cooper, Green councillor for Newsome, had previously suggested installing an automatic retractable bollard on the access road leading to the hill.

The council has now promised that "action is going to be taken".

Councillor Rob Walker, cabinet member for the environment, said discussions were taking place over how signs would communicate the closure.

He also revealed the authority was preparing to “step up enforcement” to deal with anyone using barbecues and Chinese lanterns at the site.

“We will do our best to stop anti-social and inappropriate behaviour on Castle Hill," he added.

"Stopping everybody going up there on foot is very difficult but we are going to restrict access for motor vehicles in the evenings."

It's hoped the work can be carried out "as soon as possible", Councillor Walker added.

Dr John Sentamu steps down next month after serving as the Archbishop of York for 15 years.

Hull’s three MPs have written to the chancellor asking for support for caravan manufacturers in the area in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Image source, Paul Faith/PA Media

The industry, which has major manufacturers based in Hull and East Yorkshire, has been struggling due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the MPs say.

Labour MPs Emma Hardy, Dame Diana Johnson and Karl Turner are calling on Rishi Sunak to take a "flexible, sector-specific approach" to ending the furlough scheme to allow firms to adapt and adjust.

Mr Turner, MP for Hull East, said: "Caravan manufacturing is at the very heart of our regional economy. Coronavirus has taken a terrible toll on people’s lives and livelihoods.

"This government must now ensure Hull’s post-pandemic economic recovery is not stopped in its tracks before it gets fully started.

"As a seasonal business, there is a very real threat that if support is not continued, we will see job losses later in the year," Mr Turner added.