A large amount of food which was seized by police during a drugs raid in Sheffield has been donated to local foodbanks.

Image source, South Yorkshire Police

Officers carried out a warrant at an address in Darnall on Monday morning with almost 300 suspected cannabis plants being found.

A "significant" amount of dry food was also found in the property on Main Street, police say.

PC Liam Stewart said: “At lots of properties where we discover cannabis set-ups, there are also large amounts of store cupboard products, such as pasta, bread and tins of veg.

“This food is intended to keep the farmers at these premises fed while they cultivate and watch over the cannabis crop."

The force says it's been working with local foodbanks to give away the supplies, having done something similar with a gardening project earlier this year.

A man was arrested at the scene for drug-related offences, police added.

It follows a campaign by footballer Marcus Rashford and the defeat by MPs of a parliamentary motion.

A "large-scale" cannabis grow discovered in a disused barn in North Yorkshire has been dismantled by police.

Image source, North Yorkshire Police

The cannabis farm was found on Wednesday after local residents reported suspicious activity at the barn on farmland in Hunton, between Leyburn and Bedale, police say.

Officers found a "well-organised" hydroponics system, bypassed electricity meters and a quantity of cannabis plants in the early stages of cultivation, according to North Yorkshire Police.

Image source, North Yorkshire Police

Insp Mark Gee said: "We’re very grateful to the local community who reported their concerns and as a result we were able to act quickly and dismantle this operation.

"Often those involved in the actual cultivation and set-up on the ground can be vulnerable and may be exploited by organised crime groups, so putting a stop to these types of operations has a far wider reaching impact than simply stopping drugs from becoming available," he added.

Lifestyle Gym's Tahier Hussain Shah showed a "blatant disregard for legislation", a council says.

Two women have been injured in a collision involving a police vehicle in Leeds, according to the West Yorkshire force.

Image source, Google

It happened at about 21:45 last night when police officers in a marked Roads Policing Unit vehicle were involved a collision with a member of the public's car at the junction of Selby Road and Dunhill Rise.

The two women, aged 39 and 61, were taken to hospital for treatment for their injuries which are not considered to be life-threatening, police say.

The two police officers weren't injured in the collision.

A road closure and diversion remain in place while collision investigation work is carried out.

The Independent Officer for Police Conduct has also been notified, says West Yorkshire Police.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Sheffield’s health chief says it is “easy but wrong” to blame students for the wave of coronavirus infections in the city.

Image source, PA Media

Tier three restrictions will come into force on Saturday across South Yorkshire and Sheffield’s director of public health Greg Fell says there is no doubt the tough measures are needed.

Cases are falling in Sheffield – 10 days ago the city had 470 cases per 100,000 but that number is now 415.

But Mr Fell said the student population had masked an underlying problem in the city.

He told a meeting: “The trend over the past two weeks is downwards, which is good news.

“In South Yorkshire, the trend is going upwards in all parts apart from Sheffield. Sheffield is going downwards because new infections in 18 to 24 years are down.

“The demographics in Sheffield are skewered massively by the student population. That’s causing the overall rate in Sheffield to come down. This is in part good news but there are caveats.

“It’s easy but wrong to blame all of this on students. We opened universities and enabled young people to have further education.

“We focus a lot of attention on 18 to 25-year-olds and this was the cohort which was the highest because we welcomed tens of thousands of students back to Sheffield so the result was inevitable and has been seen in all the university towns."

Businesses in Yorkshire have been praised by footballer Marcus Rashford for offering free meals for children over the school holidays.

Image source, Gareth Fuller/PA Media

England and Manchester United star Rashford has been campaigning to end child hunger.

On Wednesday, MPs rejected a Labour motion to offer free school meals during holidays until Easter 2021.

On Twitter, Rashford has been sharing Yorkshire businesses that are offering free meals, including fish and chip shops, pubs and restaurants.

Pearsons Bar, in Hull, said it couldn't "stand idly by" while others struggle, so has offered packed lunches to people.

Mumtaz in Leeds said their offer of food "might literally be a life saver" for some and encouraged other businesses to do something similar:

The council said added pressures of social care due to the Covid crisis have added to the deficit.

Police are asking for help trying to find a missing 13-year-old girl from Leeds.

Image source, West Yorkshire Police

Precious Richmond Ford, who has been reported missing from Leeds, was last seen in Kentmere Avenue in the Seacroft area at about 18:30 on Wednesday.

She is described as being about 5ft 4ins tall and of medium build.

She was last seen wearing trainers, black cycling shorts and a black jacket, West Yorkshire Police say.

She has links to South Yorkshire and may have travelled there, officers add.

Do you recognise this man? Peter Whitley, 37, from Beeston, is wanted by police on suspicion of burglary.

Image source, West Yorkshire Police

Despite "extensive inquiries" police in West Yorkshire say they've been unable to find him.

Anyone who sees him, or who has information which could assist in tracing him, is being asked to contact police.

Doncaster Council will provide children with free meals over the school holidays, mayor Ros Jones has said.

Image source, PA Media

MPs were asked to vote on a motion on Wednesday offering free school meals during holidays until Easter 2021.

The motion was backed by footballer Marcus Rashford, who is leading a campaign on child hunger, and he urged MPs to "unite" and stop being influenced by "political affiliation".

On Wednesday evening, MPs rejected the Labour motion by 322 votes to 261.

Today the mayor said it was "not party politics, but the right thing to do".

She added Doncaster Council will provide a £15 food voucher for "hard-hit" families.

These will be administered by individual schools and paid for the local authority, with more than 11,000 children being eligible for the vouchers, the council added.

A rare 12th Century coin discovered in North Yorkshire is expected to fetch up to £15,000 when it goes under the hammer next month.

Image source, Dix Noonan Webb

The silver penny, which was issued in York by Baron Eustace Fitzjohn, was found by metal detectorist Rob Brown, from Leeds, in August.

Auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb say the coin is one of only 20 surviving examples with this design and is estimated to fetch between £10,000 and £15,000.

Baron Eustace Fitzjohn was the Lord of Malton and Knaresborough and served under King Henry I before supporting the Empress Matilda in a 20-year civil war against her cousin Stephen, a period known as The Anarchy.

Image source, Dix Noonan Webb

Nigel Mills, expert in artefacts and antiquities at Dix Noonan Webb, said: “Baron Eustace Fitzjohn was a Justician of the North and became a great monastic patron.

"He was, to some extent, the Baron Alan Sugar of his day, coming from a humble background but achieving great wealth and prominence.

"As it was a period of civil war, Baron Fitzjohn had the authority to have coins struck in York which were primarily for local use.”

The coin will be put up for auction on 3 November.

With South Yorkshire set to be moved into the highest tier of the coronavirus alert level - tier three - at the weekend, what will the new restrictions be?

Tier three restrictions mean that from 00:01 tomorrow morning:

• People will not be allowed to meet socially with anybody who is not part of your household, or support bubble, indoors
• People cannot meet in private or pub gardens, but can meet in parks, beaches, countryside or forests, as long as they are not in a group of more than six
• Pubs and bars must close unless they are serving "substantial" meals. Alcohol can only be served as part of a meal
• People are being advised not to travel into or out of tier three areas, other than for work, education, youth services or because of caring responsibilities

Extra measures for tier three areas can also be introduced, following discussions between central and local government.

The restrictions will be reviewed again within a maximum of 28 days, according to the government.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Social distancing measures in Harrogate and Knaresborough will remain in place for another three months – with some traffic cones being replaced with planters, it's been confirmed.

Image source, Reuters/Toby Melville/File Photo

Parking suspensions and road closures introduced in the towns to give priority to pedestrians will be extended until 31 January, according to North Yorkshire County Council.

Traffic cones along James Street and Albert Street in Harrogate will also be replaced with “much more attractive” planters, the council said.

It comes after a planned trial to pedestrianise James Street was delayed after complaints from the town’s business sector.

North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council had hoped to test out the idea this year – but have now pushed it back to 2021.

The authorities said they had listened to feedback from businesses and will keep the current measures under review.

Parking spaces between Princes Square and West Park on the A61 in Harrogate will also be reopened under the recently announced changes.

Greg Eden scores a hat-trick of tries against his former side as Castleford seal victory against Hull KR in Super League.

South Yorkshire business owners say strict restrictions will bring further financial hardship.

The 2020 Super League Grand Final will be played at Hull's KCOM Stadium on Friday, 27 November, with Old Trafford unavailable.

Stoke City defender Nathan Collins has the red card he was given in the 2-2 draw with Barnsley rescinded.

A glass-fronted restaurant and holiday lets will be built on a site beneath Scarborough Castle.

The annual event will allow people to control the laser light show above Leeds with their smartphone.