All men's rugby league below Super League plus women's and community clubs are asked to halt pre-season plans by the RFL.

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Ministers have been urged to help reinstate the Hull-Zeebrugge passenger ferry as part of the "levelling up agenda" for the north of England.

The axing of the ferry service by P&O Ferries last month came under fire from peers at question time in the Lords.

But transport minister Baroness Vere of Norbiton said it was a commercial matter for the ferry operator.

Lady Vere said although the local impact was "very regrettable", she was satisfied the UK's "national freight resilience has not been compromised", with other routes available.

Liberal Democrat Lord Newby said as the government was spending billions on running "almost entirely empty" trains during the pandemic, they should press P&O to keep the route open.

Lady Vere said although the loss of the route was regrettable, with passenger traffic currently "severely constrained" it wouldn't be in the public interest to maintain "empty capacity at public expense".

Tory Baroness McIntosh of Pickering urged ministers to do all they could to reinstate the service and use spare capacity at Hull to ease the freight "bottleneck" at Dover.

Lady Vere said there were currently 19 routes from the east coast of England across the North Sea "so there are plenty of freight routes already in existence".

She said passenger use of the ferry service had been declining since 2014 and the ships were "ageing and economically obsolete".

Liberal Democrat Lord Wallace of Saltaire said tourism and food exports were fundamental to Yorkshire's economy.

He suggested the government's commitment to the "levelling-up agenda" required ministers to keep such links going.

Lady Vere said there were freight and passenger services already operating from the east coast to the EU which would support Yorkshire and the North.

Firms and owners work out how to survive another loss of trade as the new national lockdown begins.

Parents in Yorkshire say they are worried about balancing work and educating their children once again.

An award-winning wildlife park in South Yorkshire is to temporarily close due to the latest coronavirus lockdown, it's been confirmed.

Image source, Oli Constable/BBC

About 750,000 people visit the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, in Branton near Doncaster, every year, bosses say.

The park features some of the world's most endangered species including Amur leopards, Amur tigers and the only polar bears in England.

John Minion, the park's CEO, says: "It is sad to shut the gates again, but everyone needs to pull together in these difficult times.

'We would like to thank all our visitors for their support of Yorkshire Wildlife Park and hope to reopen as soon as it is safe to do so."

Concussion protocols need a "strong" look-over, says former Leeds Rhinos back-rower Stevie Ward, after head injury issues force him to retire.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Police have issued fines worth more than £3,000 after raiding a house party in Scarborough.

Image source, LDRS

North Yorkshire officers issued 16 fines, totalling £3,200, after breaking up the event on Saturday 2 January when the area was subject to tier three - very high alert - Covid restrictions.

There were also a number of under-18s at the party, but they were not fined, according to Supt Mike Walker (pictured).

Supt Walker was speaking at a meeting of North Yorkshire’s Local Resilience Forum on Tuesday.

He added: “We have found a lot of [indoor gatherings] across the county and in particular over in Scarborough where we have issued most of the tickets.”

He said the police would enforce the new lockdown regulations when the powers came into law.

“I'd like to remind those members of the public who think they don’t have to follow the rules that you are the ones we are giving the tickets to. We will continue to issue fixed penalty notices,” he said.

Businesses in retail, hospitality and leisure will receive new grants to help them keep afloat until Spring as the new coronavirus lockdown takes effect, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has confirmed.

Image source, Reuters/John Sibley

The grants will be worth up to £9,000 per property and the help is in addition to business rates relief and the furlough scheme which has been extended until the end of April, the Treasury says.

Separately, £594m will be made available to affected firms outside these sectors, Mr Sunak said.

This money will be made available by local authorities and follows yesterday's announcement by Boris Johnson of the new lockdown which takes place with immediate effect.

Mr Sunak said the new support would "help businesses to get through the months ahead - and crucially it will help sustain jobs, so workers can be ready to return when they are able to reopen".

However, Alichia Kwapisz, who runs a retail business in Barnsley, says the grant she got in the previous lockdown didn't stretch very far.

"We got £1,334 which only covers my rent on one of the shops. It doesn't give me any income.

"I've got a house to pay for, van hire, vehicles that need paying for as part of the business. I've got invoices that are due.

"I've got customers not paying their balances and they can't pay their balance because they can't get their products."

A man's appeared in court following an attack in South Yorkshire which left a milkman needing 26 stitches to injuries to his hand.

Image source, Google

The milkman was attacked on Canal Street in Barnsley on 30 December 2020 before having his van stolen, according to South Yorkshire Police.

A 30-year-old man from Barnsley appeared at Sheffield Magistrates' Court on Monday charged with robbery and possession of a bladed article.

He has been remanded in custody and is due to appear before Sheffield Magistrates' Court again on Friday 29 January.

Former Leeds Rhinos captain Stevie Ward announces his retirement at the age of 27 because of the long-term effects of concussion.

The coronavirus pandemic will continue to worsen for a period even though England has entered another full lockdown, according to the chair of the Yorkshire regional council of the British Medical Association.

Image source, PA Media

Following the order to "stay home" issued by the government last night, North Yorkshire GP Dr Brian McGregor said the situation will "get worse" before it gets better.

He told BBC Radio York: "Any lockdown takes a couple of weeks to actually have an impact and it will also rely on people following the rules and regulations we've tried to put in place."

England's lockdown rules, external will be reviewed again on 15 February, the government has said.

Bradford's recently launched new BBC radio station is now being broadcast on DAB, it's been announced.

BBC Radio Bradford, which launched last month with presenter Sanchez Payne (pictured) as one of its new presenters, was initially available online and on medium wave.

The brand new station is planned to continue broadcasting in Bradford on DAB, online and medium wave until March.

BBC Radio Bradford provides sport, news, information and more for the city, Chris Burns, head of BBC audio and digital, said at its launch.

The station is "a celebration of the city with its welcoming people and richly diverse culture", Ms Burns added.

A Covid-19 vaccination strategy must be given priority during the new lockdown, according to one Hull MP.

Image source, PA Media

New coronavirus restrictions, meaning people should stay at home and only go out for essential reasons, took effect after an announcement by Prime Minister Boris Johnson last night.

Emma Hardy, Labour MP for Hull West and Hessle, says: "We'll go into lockdown, we will save lives, it will stop the virus spreading.

"But when we ease off we're going to end up bouncing back and forth through lockdowns. That's no way for a country to live and no way for our economy to live.

Ms Hardy added: "We need an answer - and the only long-term answer is vaccination."

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Staff at York Hospital say they've had had to create extra capacity to cope with the number of people who have been injured due to slipping on ice in recent days.

Image source, Google

About 40 patients requiring have been referred for specialist treatment for broken bones, they say.

The hospital, which is currently treating about 94 patients with Covid-19, urged people to stay at home and avoid unnecessary journeys.

A Met Office yellow "be aware" warning for ice, external remains in force for the area.

A spokesperson for the hospital said the accident and emergency department had been "extremely busy" over the past few days.

"There has been an increase in people attending A&E with injuries related to slips and falls due to the current icy weather.

"The emergency department has currently referred around 40 patients requiring specialist treatment for broken bones and related injuries and extra capacity has been created to care for these patients."

Primary routes, including many of the city's main roads, had been gritted six times and footpath routes had been gritted three times since 1 January, according to City of York Council.

The authority urged people to consider the weather before leaving home.

Regional leaders said the new lockdown would be tough but it was needed to halt the virus.

A new coronavirus lockdown is "devastating" but the only possible course of action, the Mayor of the Sheffield City Region has said following the order to "stay indoors" issued last night by the government.

Image source, UK Parliament

Following the announcement by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Dan Jarvis said: “It’s devastating for families and businesses to start the New Year with tighter restrictions.

"But this is the only way we will save lives and prevent our NHS and hospitals from being overwhelmed.

“I understand how weary and frustrated many people will be, but the lockdown in March reduced the spread of the virus, and if we all follow the rules, this one will as well," he added.

Mr Jarvis, who's also the Labour MP for Barnsley Central, accused the Prime Minister of taking "too long to take this decision".

He said Boris Johnson now needed to "urgently set out how the government plans to contain the new variant of the virus until a vaccine can be fully rolled out".

Former Buckingham Palace caterer Adamo Canto attempted to sell some items on eBay, a court hears.

Staff at a gym in York say they've been left "heartbroken and exhausted" following last night's announcement of a new coronavirus lockdown.

Image source, PA Media

The new restrictions, meaning people will have to stay at home and only go out for essential reasons, began with immediate effect after an announcement by Prime Minister Boris Johnson last night.

Reacting to the news, Frankii Newberry, a trainer at Dominus Crossfit gym, said: "We are beyond heartbroken. We're exhausted, we’re drained and extremely concerned."

Ms Newbury said the business had only recently moved and having to close now was an “absolute blow”, adding its owners would fight "tooth and nail to make sure the gym comes out the other side".

Reflecting on the possible impact on the mental health of gym users, she added: "As coaches, we saw the fall-out of what happened to people's mental health back in March.

"I absolutely respect the risk to physical health is enormous, but also there is the risk to mental health."

A suspected "cannabis factory" was found at the scene of a major fire in a disused building in Bradford at the weekend, police have confirmed.

Image source, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

At least 30 nearby residents had to leave their homes for a time as a result of the blaze which began in the early hours of Sunday.

At its peak, over 50 firefighters tackled the flames at the four-storey building in the Eastbrook area of the city.

Police were called to the blaze and to "suspicious activity" at the building.

Two men, aged 28 and 32, who were present at the scene, were arrested on suspicion of production of cannabis, officers say.

An investigation into the cause of the blaze is continuing, according to West Yorkshire Police.

The new coronavirus lockdown will pose "great challenges" for many people in North Yorkshire, the Conservative MP for Scarborough and Whitby has said.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the new lockdown last night, starting with immediate effect, meaning people must now stay at home except for a few permitted reasons.

Robert Goodwill MP says: "We wouldn't make these decisions unless it was absolutely necessary to control the disease and keep the level of hospital admissions at a rate they can cope with, while at the same time rolling out the vaccination programme.

"That means that at least in this lockdown we can see an end to it as we get the most vulnerable people vaccinated hopefully by the end of February.

"It is going to have great challenges for those people who can't work from home and who have to arrange childcare," he added.