York Hospital says entire wards are filling up in the space of a day with Covid-19 patients.

It's not often you see an Igloo in Yorkshire, but one's appeared in a Sheffield park:

Image source, Chris Wright

Ben Wright, 6, (pictured ensconced in the igloo) constructed the snowy home in Wadsley village park, with a little bit of help from Dad Chris and his Army winter survival training.

Meanwhile, it seems that North Yorkshire's sprouted a snowy steam train:

Image source, Pete Egerton

Pete Egerton sculpted the ice engine in his garden in Knaresborough.

Let's hope it doesn't melt when the engine gets fired up...

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A Yorkshire police force responsible for an area featuring two national parks and one of the country’s top tourism destinations needs extra powers to help stop the spread of Covid-19, it's being claimed.

Image source, North Yorkshire Police

Supt Mike Walker, from North Yorkshire Police, said there continued to be "blatant breaches left, right and centre" of lockdown rules despite the situation facing the county and the city of York, where the seven-day infection rate has risen to 670 per 100,000 people.

At a meeting of the North Yorkshire and York Police and Crime Panel, Supt Walker highlighted how the city and the wider county had been surrounded by areas in higher tiers and he said there was evidence people had travelled into the area before infection rates soared.

He said: “When we come out of a national lockdown and go back into tiering, we will continue with that message: stay in your own tier. But it’s not helpful for the police that it’s only guidance.

"We want to persuade whoever it is - the Home Office, the Cabinet Office, public health, whoever is making the decisions over tiering - that it must be stronger to not allow people to travel from high infection rate areas to North Yorkshire and the city of York."

The teenagers are remanded in custody after a 20-year-old man died from shotgun wounds to his face and neck.

Police have launched a fresh appeal to catch the killer of a Leeds woman whose burned body was found on a railway embankment 25 years ago.

Image source, West Yorkshire Police

Deborah Wood, 20, was last seen alive on 4 January 1996 leaving Big Lil's Pub in Leeds at 17:00.

Her body was found 10 days later having been doused in petrol and set alight near Burley railway station.

Det Insp Paul Conroy urged anyone with information to "examine their conscience".

Mr Conroy said: "This crime may now be 25 years old, but time doesn't diminish our resolve to bring the person or persons responsible for this horrendous crime to justice.

"Deborah was given no dignity in death with her body being burned to the extent that she was only identified using dental records and DNA".

Police said the case remains under investigation and a forensic review is ongoing.

York is to become a national Covid vaccination hub, with people living up to 45 minutes away being offered the chance to get the jab there.

Image source, Reuters/Jason Cairnduff/File Photo

Extra temporary buildings are being put up at the vaccination site at the former Askham Bar Park & Ride site, with 8,000 extra appointments due to be made available during the first phase of the expansion.

Priority groups will be the first to be invited for their vaccinations at the centre, which is due to open on Monday.

Prof Mike Holmes told a City of York Council meeting: “We’ve been commissioned by the NHS to deliver a national vaccination centre.

“People will use the national booking website and will be invited to do so by the NHS.

"So, the NHS is going to be sending out letters to all people who live within a 45-minute travelling radius to Askham Bar to invite them to book into that system if they wish."

Port Vale sign forward Kurtis Guthrie from fellow League Two side on a deal until the end of the season.

Pritti Mistry
BBC News Online

The trial of a man accused of raping and murdering a Hull student has been halted for a second day after a juror was unable to get to court due to the freezing conditions.

Image source, Squire family

Pawel Relowicz, 26, denies raping and killing 21-year-old University of Hull student Libby Squire (pictured), from High Wycombe in Buckinghmashire, and dumping her body in a river in the early hours of 1 February 2019.

A judge at Sheffield Crown Court apologised to members of the jury who were present and told them the case could not proceed today because one of the jurors was "marooned on her estate".

Mrs Justice Lambert said efforts to send a car to pick up the juror had also been hampered by the pandemic restrictions.

"I'm really sorry about this. It's not been for want of trying," she said.

The case was postponed on Thursday because three jurors were unable to attend due to snow, which had hit large parts of northern England.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Front-line NHS workers in Kirklees are to be offered free parking in recognition of their “heroic efforts” during the coronavirus pandemic, it's been confirmed.

Image source, PA Media

Kirklees Council bosses say they've reached out to NHS and care providers to tell them they can park for free in municipal sites while they're on duty.

The arrangement is planned to run until March.

Senior councillor Peter McBride, who is also deputy leader of the council, said: “Front-line workers in Kirklees have more than enough to worry about at the moment.

"We don’t want parking to be an issue for them. They are out there saving lives and keeping our society going every single day. We want to recognise their heroic efforts."

According to its website, the council offers more than 7,000 parking spaces in 95 off-street locations as well as more than 1,200 on-street pay-and-display spaces.

An appeal for witnesses has been launched following the death of a pedestrian after being hit by a car in Doncaster, say police.

Image source, Google

Emergency services were called to Carr House Road just before 18:00 on Monday after a 65-year-old man was hit by a red Peugeot 207, according to South Yorkshire Police.

The man suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

The driver of the Peugeot remained at the scene and has helped officers with their inquiries, officers added.

Anyone who saw the incident, especially motorists with dash camera footage, is asked to contact police.

People in West Yorkshire are being urged not to take their cars out on to the roads today due to dangerous weather conditions.

Image source, PC Hussain

Writing on social media, external, West Yorkshire Police said: "Please stay at home today. The roads are still very bad."

John Bradfield, one of the force's senior officers, external, said: "I’m surprised how many cars are on the roads and how many people are trying to move cars off or on to ice.

"There is a pandemic, national lockdown and roads are dangerous."

He added: "Unless exemptions apply, protect yourself and others. Stay home."

A man's been arrested following two incidents in Hull where women have been grabbed as they've walked alone, police say.

Image source, Google

In the most recent incident on Wednesday night, a woman was walking along the Holwell Road underpass when a man grabbed at her and tried to drag her into undergrowth, according to Humberside Police.

The woman got away from the man and ran to safety, police said.

The incident last night follows a similar attack on Sunday 10 January, where a woman was followed by a man on a track in Noddle Hill towards Enstone Garth, officers added.

A spokesperson for Humberside Police said: "These two incidents are being taken extremely seriously and while a man has been arrested in connection with the investigation, we will be increasing police patrols in the area."

Det Ch Insp Peter Thorp, said: “I do not want to alarm people in this area of Bransholme, but I want to make sure people are aware that this has happened.

“I would offer a level of caution to residents to take every measure to stay safe as always."

Anyone with information about either of the incidents is asked to contact police.

Two teenagers have been charged with murdering a man shot dead in a street in Mexborough.

Image source, South Yorkshire Police

Lewis Williams, 20, died after he suffered a shotgun wound to his face and neck during an attack in Wath Road on Monday.

South Yorkshire Police said two boys, aged 16 and 17, have been charged with murder and are due to appear at Doncaster Magistrates' Court today.

Four other people have been arrested in connection with Mr William's death.

The teenagers, who cannot be named due to their age, have also been charged with possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, and criminal damage.

The 16-year-old has also been charged with assault.

A man, 20, arrested on suspicion of murder has been released on bail pending further inquiries.

Two others, aged 22 and 32, also arrested on suspicion of murder remain in police custody.

A 20-year-old man arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender has been released on bail pending further inquiries.

BBC Weather

After a cold start, a mix of sun and clouds is expected through most of the day.

Clouds and winds will increase in the evening with rain developing overnight and some snow likely on higher ground:

PA Media

Weather and travel warnings remain in place for icy conditions, external across Yorkshire after the widespread snowfall of recent days.

Image source, Met Office

The Met Office has a yellow warning concerning ice in place for all of the county.

It warns that with falls of rain, sleet and snow dying out, there is a risk of icy surfaces and "difficult" travel conditions.

The office has told people to beware of the chance of injuries from slipping while walking on icy surfaces, as well as "some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths".

Temperatures were as low as -6C early this morning in parts of Yorkshire with yellow warnings set to last through most of Friday.

It comes after "hazardous" conditions on Thursday caused problems for the ambulance service in Yorkshire, which struggled to keep up with the high demand, while Covid vaccinations were also affected.

Mark Millins, of Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said the bad weather was having a "severe impact" on its operations and urged people to "take extra care" when out walking or driving.

The deepest snow on Thursday was in Bingley, West Yorkshire, which recorded 11cm.

Becky Mitchell, meteorologist at the Met Office, said: "Saturday is the next day we could potentially see some snow."

Hundreds of schools in Yorkshire are closed again today due to yesterday's heavy snowfall across the region.

Image source, Bradford City Council

Bradford City Council has published a list of more than 160 school closures this morning on its website.

You can see the full list here., external

In Leeds more than 100 schools are closed. Click this link to see the full list., external

Meanwhile, Sheffield City Council says more than 30 of its schools will be closed and some will open later than usual.

You can see a full list here, external on the council's social media account.

A yellow "be aware" weather warning for ice has been issued by the Met Office, external for large parts of Yorkshire.

Dozens cancel Covid jabs and poor road conditions have a "severe impact" on Yorkshire's ambulances.

Hundreds are seen as snow covers Hyde Park in Leeds despite coronavirus rules on mass gatherings.

Cardiff City loan Northern Ireland international winger Gavin Whyte to Hull City for the remainder of the season

Heavy snow has hit the north of England with a yellow Met Office warning for snow and ice.