The reason York will be placed into tier two coronavirus restrictions from next week is due to the manner in which the government has selected the affected areas, a city MP has said.

Image source, Reuters/Lee Smith/File Photo

York and North Yorkshire will go into "high alert" restrictions from Wednesday 2 December as the latest England-wide lockdown ends, the government has announced.

Writing on social media, external, York Labour MP Rachael Maskell said: "Despite the incredible work of everyone in York, it has been placed in tier two.

"The government has selected large geographical areas, rather than study the local data and I await their rationale.

"I raised this with the Health Minister earlier this week and will do so again later today," she added.

Versatile utility back Jordan Turner joins Castleford Tigers from Huddersfield Giants on a one-year deal.

A man accused of killing a vulnerable woman buried her body in a caravan park, a court is told.

Despite Hull being put into tier three coronavirus restrictions from next week, the city's infection rate is "improving", the council leader has said.

Image source, PA Media

Hull and East Yorkshire are to be put into tier three "very high alert" coronavirus restrictions when the current England-wide lockdown ends next week, the government has confirmed.

Just 10 days ago, Hull had the highest national Covid-19 infection rate, with a peak of 785 cases per 100,000 people just 10 days ago, according to the city council.

However, with that figure dropping to 530 today, the leader of the authority has said people need to keep doing their bit, even if they're "tired of restrictions and changing advice".

Council leader Stephen Brady said: "Tier three is not where anyone wants to be but, with our infection rates still very high, it is what we expected and it’s the right place for Hull to be at this time.

"This is a very difficult time and we would all like it to be over. What the last few weeks have shown is that, if we can continue to do all we can to minimise spreading the virus, we can continue to bring the rate down and, hopefully, move towards an easing of restrictions."

Mr Brady added that people should think about what's best for the city over Christmas and warned against mixing households, despite the government allowing some limited mixing.

The news that York is to go into tier two coronavirus restrictions from next week comes despite the fact the city is "bucking the trend", according to the council leader.

Image source, Reuters/Phil Noble

York, and the whole of North Yorkshire, is to be put into "high alert" Covid restrictions when the current England-wide lockdown ends next week, the government has confirmed.

It comes despite the city having seen a "substantial" reduction in the number of Covid-19 cases and having one of the lowest rates of new cases in the Yorkshire and Humber region, the council says.

Keith Aspden, leader of City of York Council, says the authority is "disappointed" at the latest announcement.

"In recent weeks, York’s case numbers have bucked the trend thanks to the hard work of local residents and businesses in slowing the spread of coronavirus," he says.

“Despite the change in restrictions, we are continuing to lobby the government to move York into tier one restrictions, given the city’s success in driving the rate of infection down.

“In the meantime, I would urge everyone to follow the restrictions in place. We know this will be difficult...Please do continue in your efforts to slow the spread of the virus and shop local."

Local Democracy Reporting Service

The announcement that North Yorkshire will go into tier two coronavirus restrictions from next week is "good news" for coastal areas, the MP for Scarborough and Whitby has said.

Conservative MP for Scarborough and Whitby Robert Goodwill said the announcement that the county will go into "high alert" restrictions from Wednesday 2 December means people in his constituency will be "breathing a big sigh of relief".

"It is slightly more restriction than we previously had, but the good news is hotels and hospitality can open as long as they are serving food not just drink.

"If this had been two weeks ago I suspect we would have been in tier three and I think people have woken up to the risk.

“It is quite clear from the figures that people have understood the need to comply with the rules and our reward is to not be put into tier three," he added.

The Mayor of the Sheffield City Region, Dan Jarvis, says the county must not stay in tier three coronavirus restrictions "a moment longer" than than it has to.

Image source, UK Parliament

South Yorkshire is to be put into tier three "very high alert" coronavirus restrictions when the current England-wide lockdown ends next week, the government has confirmed.

Writing on social media, external, Mr Jarvis said: "We must not stay there a moment longer than we have to."

"We need better test and trace. Better, fairer support for our people and businesses. And above all a credible road map out," he added.

There is "light at the end of the tunnel" for people in Leeds as the city prepares to go into tier three - very high alert - coronavirus restrictions next week, the council leader has said.

The whole of West Yorkshire will go into tier three on Wednesday 2 December after the latest England-wide lockdown ends, the government has announced.

Reacting to the announcement, Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council, said local councils had not been involved in discussions about which tiers their areas would go into.

However, she said the authority had been working to ensure the city was prepared and that support was in place to "minimise impact on residents and businesses as much as possible".

She added: "I would also like to once again thank the people of Leeds for their patience, diligence and compassion over what has been an incredibly challenging time for the city.

"There is light at the end of the tunnel and if we continue to do all that we can to protect ourselves and each other, we can and will emerge from this crisis together."

James Vincent
Political Editor, BBC Look North

To nick someone else’s joke - we’ve been on the verge of tiers all day. Now we know...

Well, at least we thought we knew until the government’s postcode checking website, external crashed.

Those places in tier three - South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and the Humber region - will want information on how they can get out of it - and when.

Remember all the back and forwards we had when places were negotiating with the government on the last set of tiers? That’s changed too.

Locally, there will be no say on which tier places go into. The government is telling them.

There are tough times ahead for places in Tier 3.

In West Yorkshire, Bradford, Calderdale and Kirklees have had higher measures since the start of August.

They’ve tightened over time and now could possibly last until March...

With the news that West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and the Humber region will go into tier three "very high alert" coronavirus restrictions from next week, while York and North Yorkshire will go into tier two "high alert" restrictions, what does this mean for people living in those areas?

Here's an explanation:

Hull and East Yorkshire will be put into tier three "very high alert" coronavirus restrictions when the current England-wide lockdown ends next week, the government confirms.

More to follow...

York and North Yorkshire will be put into tier two "high alert" coronavirus restrictions when the current England-wide lockdown ends next week, the government confirms.

More to follow...

South Yorkshire will be put into tier three "very high alert" coronavirus restrictions when the current England-wide lockdown ends next week, the government confirms.

More to follow...

West Yorkshire will be put into tier three "very high alert" coronavirus restrictions when the current England-wide lockdown ends next week, the government confirms.

More to follow...

A teenager has been charged with the murder of a man who was stabbed to death in a fight in West Yorkshire.

Image source, West Yorkshire Police

Bradley Gledhill, 20, from Heckmondwike, died after a fight in Park Croft, Batley, on 21 June.

The 17-year-old male from Batley is charged with murder and two charges of attempted murder, police say.

He is due to appear before Leeds Magistrates' Court later this morning.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A project to repair Ripon Cathedral’s leaking roof has been awarded £240,000 in coronavirus support cash.

Image source, Lynne Cameron/PA Archive/PA Images

The great Gothic structure has been granted the money as part of the government’s £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund.

Ripon Cathedral – which dates back to 672AD – will be used the funds to replace damaged stonework in its 15th Century library.

The Dean of Ripon, the Very Rev John Dobson, said: “This grant helps enormously with our care of historic fabric, while also helping to safeguard heritage skills.”

Image source, Ripon Cathedral

On display inside the cathedral is a huge suspended net of about 10,000 angels (pictured above), made by more than 100 volunteers, which has been used to help raise the remainder of the cash needed for the £300,000 roof repairs and stonework.

The Wing and a Prayer exhibition has also raised money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance charity, external.

An RSPCA officer spent two hours picking more than 50 ticks from a tiny kitten found hiding under a tree stump in South Yorkshire.

Image source, RSPCA

The animal was discovered in the garden of a property off Doncaster Road, in Tickhill, on 21 November.

The RSPCA's Sara Jordan said: “The poor little kitten had been found in the remains of a tree that had been felled by the council.

“I suspect she’s been born as a stray and that all of the commotion around the tree scared away her mum.

"I’ve never seen a kitten so infested with ticks. They were clustered around her eyes, her mouth, around her ears and also between her toes."

Ms Jordan said: "I sat for two hours picking the ticks off of her.

"They’ve been feeding off her blood and I was concerned about her becoming anaemic.

"I must have removed around 50 already and I’m still finding them," she added.

Ms Jordan is now fostering the kitten, who she's called Ticky, and will monitor her and build up her weight and strength.

She said: "My parents have already fallen for her, so once she’s old enough it looks like she’ll be joining the family permanently.”

Police are appealing for witnesses after a man exposed himself to two separate victims at a West Yorkshire railway station.

Image source, Google

The man, thought to be in his 50s and dressed in all black, is reported to have exposed himself twice at Shipley's railway station on Wednesday, 11 November, between 07:15 and 07:45.

British Transport Police (BTP) say the suspect wore "a distinctive black beret."

After the incidents he's thought to have boarded a train from Shipley station heading to Bradford.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or who recognises the man is asked to contact BTP.

A West Yorkshire woman with multiple sclerosis (MS) is attempting to raise more than £45,000 to pay for treatment in Russia.

Trish Carrahar, from Keighley, had hoped to have the therapy on the NHS, but the programme has been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The mother-of-five hopes the HSCT treatment will help improve her debilitating illness.

HSCT, which stands for haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, is an intense chemotherapy treatment which aims to wipe out the immune system which is then built back up using a patient's stem cells.

Ms Carrahar, 38, who works as an NHS health visitor, was diagnosed in 2019 and has a progressive form of the disease, which means her symptoms will continue to get worse.

She said she hoped to have the treatment in the Russian hospital in January and was worried that any delay could result in her losing the ability to walk.

"It's my only chance and I just need to go now," she said.

BBC Weather

Today will see areas of fog and low cloud gradually dispersing to leave bright spells.

This evening will turn chilly with patchy fog re-forming. Winds will remain light: