A 13-year-old girl has suffered serious head injuries after being thrown from a horse believed to have been spooked by a speeding driver, police say.

Image source, Google

The girl was riding her horse along Joan Croft Lane in Doncaster at about 17:00 on Tuesday when a car is believed to have passed at speed, causing the horse to bolt, according to South Yorkshire Police.

The teenager fell from the horse and was taken to Sheffield Children's Hospital with serious head injuries, police said.

The car involved is thought to have been a white Seat Leon with dark tinted windows and dark wheels, officers added.

A spokesperson for the South Yorkshire force said: "We're keen to speak to the driver of the car and anyone who witnessed the incident or who has CCTV footage.

"Garages who have had similar cars in for damage repair are also urged to get in touch."

Five flood warnings, external - meaning immediate action should be taken as flooding is expected - remain in place in Yorkshire.

Image source, Environment Agency

The warnings are for:

• Groundwater flooding in Barrow upon Humber, external
• Low lying properties in the Upper Hull catchment, external
• River Derwent at Buttercrambe Mill, external
• River Hull at Hull Bridge and Beverley, external
• Roam Drain and River Hull at Hempholme, external

There are also 10 flood alerts - meaning flooding is possible, be prepared - currently in place on Yorkshire's rivers.

The Environment Agency says it is "closely monitoring the situation".

Image source, Met Office

Meanwhile a yellow "be aware" warning for snow and ice across parts of Yorkshire, external, issued by the Met Office, is in place until 11:00 today.

The Met office says: "icy patches and snow showers will cause further travel disruption."

Work to transform the area around one of Leeds's most famous buildings has been approved.

Image source, Leeds City Council

The Grade I listed Corn Exchange is known for its striking oval shape and prominent position in the city centre.

It's hoped the proposed renovations will address "excess street clutter" and "very little in the way of greenery" in the surrounding area.

A pedestrianisation scheme and safe cycling routes were among the measures approved by Leeds City Council.

The authority's executive board has formally approved the initial work, which also includes tree planting and pedestrian crossing points.

Construction, part of the £270m Connecting Leeds, external scheme, is due to start in May.

Councillor Lisa Mulherin, cabinet member for sustainable development, said she was "delighted" the initial revamp had been approved.

"I am looking forward to seeing the transformation of this historic gateway into our city centre," she said.

"The Corn Exchange is... widely recognised as one of the most beautiful buildings in our city."

BBC Weather

Today will be another cold day with south-easterly winds. It will be a dry day with plenty of sunshine and occasional cloud.

Tonight will be another cold night with south-easterly winds continuing, leading to a risk of ice and frost:

A decision on a £150m expansion plan for Leeds Bradford Airport is expected to be made today.

Image source, Press handout

Plans to demolish the terminal and build a new one have been recommended for approval.

The terminal currently deals with about four million passengers annually but the airport hopes to increase numbers to seven million over 10 years.

Earlier this week an open letter signed by 114 people said plans to increase the airport's size and passenger numbers were "fundamentally wrong".

Labour MPs from four out of five Leeds constituencies - Hilary Benn, Alex Sobel, Richard Burgon, Fabian Hamilton - and Bradford East MP Imran Hussain signed the letter.

They tell the 13 councillors who will make the decision: "Expansion would mean health-damaging increases in noise, traffic and air pollution for thousands of people in our local communities."

In July 2020, a group of climate scientists said the expanded airport's greenhouse gas emissions would be higher than those allowed for the whole of Leeds in 10 years' time.

Chief executive Hywel Rees has previously said the proposal was about meeting expected demand "in a more efficient way, with a smaller environmental footprint" and to help the airport better support the region's economic growth.

Leeds City Council is due to make a final decision today.

A former security officer has appeared in court accused of burgling cash and documents from the United Arab Emirates' London embassy and orchestrating a £3m blackmail plot for the return of the sensitive items.

Image source, Google

Lee Hurford, 48, is accused of stealing cash in pounds sterling, dollars, the euro and Saudi currencies from the Belgravia building between September 14 and 15 2018 while employed there as a close protection officer.

He was allegedly assisted by his co-defendant, 50-year-old Dean Manister, who was head of security at the building at the time.

Hurford is further accused of stealing paperwork, documents, receipts and an identity card.

The 48-year-old, of Rawdon, Leeds, appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday where he denied two counts of theft, one count of burglary and one count of conspiracy to blackmail.

Manister, of Colchester, Essex, denied one count of aiding and abetting burglary, one count of handling stolen goods and one charge of conspiracy to blackmail.

The men were released on bail and are due to stand trial on 4 April 2022.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A group of 11 people who travelled from Manchester to Whitby to see the town's abbey have been fined for breaking coronavirus rules.

Image source, PA Media

North Yorkshire Police said those on the 240-mile (386km) round trip were among 169 people they fined for lockdown breaches in the past week.

Other incidents included pubs which opened for people to "watch rugby or play pool".

Supt Mike Walker said 71 fines were for illegal indoor gatherings.

North Yorkshire's Local Resilience Forum heard the majority of fines were handed out in Scarborough, with 76 issued, while 37 were issued in York and 21 in Craven.

A man from Wakefield who raped a child after discussing abuse with fellow predators online has been jailed for 10 years.

Image source, NCA

Lewis Tupper, 25, was caught after being traced to a chat room used by paedophiles.

When arrested, he told National Crime Agency (NCA) officers: "I'll hold my hands up, I've done it, I know it's wrong".

Tupper, of Snapethorpe Road, was also put on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Graham Ellis, from the NCA, said Tupper had "escalated from discussing his sexual interest in children with other predators" before committing rape.

Mr Ellis said he welcomed Tupper's sentence, describing him as "a dangerous individual".

Tupper admitted rape of a child under 13, taking and distributing indecent videos of children and facilitating the commission of a child sex offence.

At Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday, he was given a 10-year sentence for rape with a five-year period on extended licence.

He was given concurrent sentences totalling six years on the remaining counts and given a sexual harm prevention order without time limit.

A new mass Covid vaccination centre opened in Hull today.

It's hoped up to 1,000 vaccines will be given by a team of 30 vaccinators each day at the centre at Hull City Hall.

The chief executive of City Health Care Partnership, Andrew Burnell, said: "It's taken a lot of hard work to achieve.

"The team working on it have done a fantastic job of getting it ready in a very short space of time."

This film put together by BBC Radio Humberside shows the transformation taking place.

More than 600 plants have been seized at a "large-scale cannabis factory" in Dewsbury, police say.

Image source, West Yorkshire Police

A total of 602 cannabis plants were found in eight rooms spread across four floors of a property in Daisy Hill, according to West Yorkshire Police.

The site which has since been dismantled, is the ninth to be raided and closed in Dewsbury in the last eight weeks, police said.

Insp Lee Baragwanath said: “While a full calculation of the value of the cannabis seized is yet to be completed, it will clearly be a six figure sum given the number of plants officers found."

Three women have been sexually assaulted in separate attacks in Leeds, which are believed to be linked, within the space of 72 hours, say police.

Image source, PA Media

The attacks in Little London, Headingley and Woodhouse, were carried out between Wednesday and Friday last week and each involved a similarly described male, according to West Yorkshire Police.

Police say a 29-year-old woman was grabbed from behind on Grosvenor Hill, Woodhouse and sexually assaulted at about 17:00 on 3 February.

In a second attack on 4 February, a 19-year-old woman was sexually assaulted at a bus stop in Otley Road, Headingley at about 17:10.

In the third attack on 5 February, a 30-year-old woman was grabbed from behind and subjected to a sexual assault on Lovell Park Road near Little London at about 19:00.

Det Insp Michael Herbert, said: “We are linking these incidents based on the locations, circumstances and suspect descriptions and are carrying out extensive inquiries to identify the person responsible."

The attacker is described as black or mixed race, aged between 14 and 18, about 5ft 7ins tall, slim, with afro style hair.

The suspect was wearing a dark blue tracksuit in the attack on Wednesday, "sports clothing" in the assault on Thursday and black thick-rimmed glasses, a grey hooded top and black tracksuit bottoms in the attack on Friday, officers said.

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

The family of a 20-year-old man from South Yorkshire, who died from a shotgun wound to his face and neck, have urged people to stay safe while paying their respects ahead of his funeral tomorrow, police say.

Image source, South Yorkshire Police

Lewis Williams was fatally shot in Wath Road, Mexborough, on 11 January.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions only the 30 people invited by Lewis’ family will be able to attend inside the church.

Lewis’ family have asked that people are mindful of the restrictions and current social distancing guidelines, according to South Yorkshire Police.

The family said: “We know Lewis was loved by many and that a number of people would like to come and pay their respects.

“We want people to say their final goodbye responsibly, for their safety and the safety of the local community.

"So we want to remind anyone attending to observe social distancing guidelines, to keep everyone safe."

Six people, aged between 15 and 21, have already been charged with murder and appeared in court in Doncaster and Sheffield. They are due to stand trial in September.

Ruth Benson, who has offered her life savings as a reward, says her children are "heartbroken".

Singer/songwriter Yungblud said he is "heartbroken" after the I Love You Will U Marry Me graffiti - which inspired him to write a song of the same name - was removed from a bridge on an estate in Sheffield.

The graffiti was painted on a bridge between blocks at Park Hill flats in 2001 by Jason Lowe as he proposed to his then girlfriend Clare Middleton.

The couple didn't marry, instead splitting up three months later.

Mr Lowe's story inspired Yungblud, real name Dominic Harrison, from Doncaster to write a song of the same name about the act.

Posting on Twitter, Yungblud said he was "heartbroken" after reading the BBC's story on the removal of the graffiti.

Image source, PA Media on behalf of So TV

However, the graffiti - which can be seen across the city - has now been removed from the building by developers Urban Splash.

It said the graffiti was removed for "essential repair work" and a replacement would be installed.

Health chiefs hope to administer up to 1,000 jabs a day at the concert venue in the centre of Hull.

CCTV footage has been released after a group of youths threw a road sign at a man before kicking and punching him and hitting him on the head with a piece of worktop in a sustained attack in Hull, police say.

A man in his 60s was walking down Walton Street on Friday 29 January at about 19:00 when the assault took place, according to Humberside Police.

A spokesperson for the force said: "The youths followed him along Walton Street and then threw a road sign at him, the victim turned around to challenge the youths and was set upon.

"CCTV footage shows the victim being pulled to the floor kicked and punched several times and then hit over the head by a worktop sample he had been carrying at the time of the attack.

"Thankfully a member of the public intervened and the group of youths ran away in the direction of Anlaby Road and Walton Street skate park."

The victim sustained a large cut to his head and was extremely shaken by the incident, officers said.

Anyone who can identify those involved, or who saw or knows anything about the incident, is asked to contact police.

A 22-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a man who was shot in a South Yorkshire street.

Image source, South Yorkshire Police

Lewis Williams, 20, died from a shotgun wound to his face and neck sustained in Wath Road, Mexborough, on 11 January.

Six people, aged between 15 and 21, have already been charged with Mr Williams' murder and appeared in court in Doncaster and Sheffield.

They are due to stand trial in September.

A group of men exposed themselves to Year 7 school pupils during an online Zoom lesson, a parent has said.

Image source, Google

The broadcast with an author had been arranged for students at The Laurel Academy in Mexborough, South Yorkshire.

Jess Hughes, mother of two pupils, said the scene left her daughters "distraught", while she felt "sick to her stomach".

Ms Hughes said when the pupils clicked the link to the lesson they were confronted with "several foreign men" on different screens exposing themselves and saying crude things.

Police confirmed they had received reports of the incident and would be conducting an inquiry.

The Laurel Academy, formerly Mexborough Academy near Doncaster, said it could not comment because the link to the lesson was provided by an external company.

Richard Brooke, The Laurel's principal, sent a letter to parents saying: "We are aware of an issue with an online external event attended by some of our Year 7 students today. We are taking steps with the external provider."

A new mass Covid vaccination centre opening in Hull today offers a "glimmer of hope," according to a city health boss.

Image source, Google

It's hoped up to 1,000 vaccines will be given by a team of 30 vaccinators each day at the centre at Hull City Hall.

People in their 70s and care home and health workers living within a 45-minute drive will be among the first groups to be invited to go.

The chief executive of City Health Care Partnership, Andrew Burnell, said: "It is a big exciting day and has taken a lot of hard work to achieve.

"The team working on it have done a fantastic job of getting it ready in a very short space of time and I think that this does offer people a glimmer of hope."

Hull City captain Richie Smallwood is out for the rest of the season after picking up a knee injury in their loss to Burton.