Almost 100 calls were made about animals getting entangled in discarded litter in Lincolnshire last year, according to figures released by the RSPCA.

Image source, RSPCA

The animal welfare charity has released these images of a fox caught in a pastry wrapper and a gannet entangled in plastic, to highlight the dangers to wildlife caused by abandoned rubbish.

PPE being used during the coronavirus pandemic then thrown away has made the issue worse, the organisation said.

Across the whole of the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire region 361 calls about litter-affected animals were made to the RSPCA in the 12-month period, the charity confirmed.

It's now urging people to help protect animals by picking up any litter they see lying around as well as ensuring they "take their litter home with them or disposing of it properly and responsibly."

Image source, RSPCA

Head of the RSPCA’s wildlife department, Adam Grogan, said: "Litter is one of the biggest hazards our wildlife faces today and the pandemic has just added to the problem, with many disposable masks just being discarded on the ground.

"These are a new danger to animals and we’ve been called out to rescue animals like ducks and gulls caught up in the masks’ elastic straps.

"That’s why we’re calling on the public to get involved in the Great British Spring Clean, external to help remove litter that may endanger animals.”

BBC Weather

This morning, a band of persistent rain will push in, turning heavy in places, with some wintry conditions.

A cold afternoon with sunny spells to follow.

This evening will be windy with a few rain showers, wintry over higher ground:

Sgt Pete Andrews, from Lincolnshire Police, says officers often "bottle up" the pressure of the job.

A newborn lamb in West Yorkshire who was left paralysed by an infection is able to walk again thanks to a modified dog wheelchair.

Six-day-old Steven lost the use of his back legs shortly after he was born on a rescue farm in Oakworth.

Owner Janet-Alison Arkwright acquired the canine contraption and adjusted it to fit the ailing creature's tiny body.

Since being kitted out, Steven now "scoots around all over" with the other animals, she said.

"The only thing he can't do is - because he's got little wheels on - he can't go in the field."

Mrs Arkwright, 44, whose farm is home to a variety of rescue animals, said Steven had become "best friends" with Lilly, an old foster dog.

"Lilly took it upon herself to protect Steven, who follows wherever she goes. They've become really good friends on the yard."

She said it wasn't clear whether Steven would regain the use of his legs, but he was "getting stronger on his front" and "managing to lift his back end up even when he isn't in his wheels".

"We're hopeful that one day maybe he'll walk again, because he wasn't born that way," she added.

BBC Radio Bradford

A friendship scheme aimed at connecting people with learning disabilities and those on the autism spectrum in Bradford's South Asian communities has been launched.

Image source, Hum Tum

Hum Tum is a friendship project set up to help people with similar experiences make friends and find others with shared interests.

Organisers say the project is unique, with opportunities that take into account cultural and religious needs of members.

Until April, the group is running activities online, including cooking demonstrations and quizzes.

Project development worker Sonia Sandhu says: "A charity found there were lots of options for daytime activities, but quite low engagement from people from South Asian backgrounds.

"I am from a South Asian background myself, so it's about finding activities that are culturally sensitive.

"When we can meet up in person, we might have events that are going to restaurants that don't serve alcohol, celebrating cultural festivals as well."

Schools re-opening and increased testing have been pinpointed as the reasons for Barnsley having the highest new Covid-19 infection rate in England.

Image source, Reuters

A total of 483 new cases were recorded in the week to 18 March - an increase of 33% on the previous week.

That meant the town's rate was 195 cases per 100,000 people. The national average is 56.

Director of public health Julia Burrows said more positive cases were being seen in younger adults and children.

Despite the rise, infection rates in older, more at-risk groups had dropped, she added.

Ms Burrows said: "Like many industrial areas, we have warehouses, factories and workplace settings where it isn't possible for people to work from home so there is much more exposure."

Barnsley's Labour MP Dan Jarvis said it was "deeply concerning" that it had the highest infection rate but it was important to see them in a "wider context" of more testing.

He added: "These spikes have overwhelmingly been among younger people, who, as we know, are much less likely to become seriously ill from Covid."

Meanwhile, Ms Burrows said: "The roadmap out of this is the vaccinations and there has been real enthusiasm in Barnsley for the jab.

"This, in turn, is having a huge impact on the number of hospitalisations and deaths," she added.

Over 110,000 homes in Hull are better protected from flooding after defences on the Humber estuary were completed, the Environment Agency has said.

The £42m scheme runs for more than four miles from St Andrew's Quay to Victoria Dock Village, with parts of the defences incorporating glass screens to allow views of the estuary.

Hull is one of the lowest lying cities in the UK. It was last hit by tidal flooding in 2013 when a storm surge flooded 264 homes in the city.

The Environment Agency said water levels on the Humber could rise by more than three feet in the next 100 years.

Oliver Harmer, from the agency, said: "The sea level's rising, climate is changing. It's schemes like this which are so important to the future of Hull and the whole of the Humber estuary.

"The foundations are now in place to raise the walls, to increase the standard of protection should sea levels rise further."

Work began on the project in 2016 and it is part of a larger £300m flood prevention scheme to protect Hull and the surrounding area.

Police in Lincolnshire are appealing for witnesses to come forward after a knife attack in the street left a man needing hospital treatment.

Image source, Google

The assault happened in the Grantley Street/Launder Terrace area of Grantham between 18:30 and 19:00 on Tuesday, according to police.

A man suffered "injuries consistent with a knife wound" and was taken to hospital where his condition is not thought to be life-threatening, officers add.

Anyone who saw the incident, or who has CCTV or dash camera footage from the area at around the time of the attack, is being asked to contact Lincolnshire Police.

Almost 10,000 people have signed an online petition to keep Sheffield's John Lewis, external store open after the firm announced its closure.

On Wednesday, John Lewis Partnership confirmed eight of its shops were to close, saying certain locations could not sustain a large store.

Organisers of the online petition said the shop's closure would be "a huge setback" for the city.

The Sheffield store was first established as Cole Brothers in 1847.

John Lewis said the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the acceleration of the switch to online shopping were to blame for the closure decision.

Making the announcement, Sharon White, chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, said the company was "acutely aware" of its long history in Sheffield.

"However, the pandemic has had an irreversible impact on retail and we must make difficult decisions to ensure the Partnership is sustainable in the future," she added.

On the petition page opposing the Sheffield store's closure, organisers said: "This is a huge setback for Sheffield's development to become a major city centre."

Richie Cottingham, from East Yorkshire, wants a new voice for his speech aid so he can "sound like family and friends".

At the start of last year, West Yorkshire drummer Jim McDermott had just finished a recording session with members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and was looking forward to year packed full of touring with the likes of Kylie, Del Amitri and Simple Minds. Then the pandemic arrived...

Image source, Jim McDermott

Mr McDermott, from Haworth, says: "It was a shock to the system. Usually my touring calendar is quite busy, recordings are quite busy, so I thought I was going to do something to help the community out."

Despite a lack of experience, Mr McDermott found work at Ashfield Care Home, in Skipton, North Yorkshire, and for the past 12 months has worked as a relief domestic assistant.

Image source, Jim McDermott

He says: "I walked through that door last year not having any experience at all of working in a care home, never mind in the middle of a global pandemic.

"It's just humbling to see the way everyone mucked in and got on with things.

"I've played all over the world - Wembley Stadium, Broadway - but walking in here and helping out with the staff and the residents has just been one of the best moments of my life.

"What I've seen in this past year, on a human scale, is just unbelievable. These people are superstars in here."

BBC Radio Leeds

Health professionals in Leeds are stressing the importance of continuing to have coronavirus vaccines during Ramadan.

Image source, Reuters

The 30-day holy period, when Muslims will fast from dawn until sunset, is likely to start on 12 April.

However, there are concerns some people will see having the coronavirus vaccine as breaking the fast.

Tonight, a Facebook Live session is due to take place, organised by Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group, with health professionals answering concerns.

Qari Asim MBE, an Imam in Leeds, says: "The majority of the Muslim scholars have said that taking the vaccine while fasting during the month of Ramadan will not invalidate your fast.

"The injection is obviously a liquid going into one's body, and that's why people have legitimate concerns about whether that's going to invalidate their fast.

"Even those scholars who are of the view that taking the vaccine invalidates the fast are saying that you should not miss your appointment when you're called to take the vaccine, but just make up the fast at a later date."

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A spending package of almost £900m has been approved by Sheffield City Region Mayor Dan Jarvis to help South Yorkshire recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Following an agreement with the Treasury, the mayor will borrow £500m against what it receives in gainshare funding. The total figure when combined with other pots totals £860m.

Mayor Jarvis (pictured) said this was "devolution in action" and that more power was now in the hands of leaders in South Yorkshire rather than "Westminster calling the shots".

The plans, which were first announced nearly two weeks ago, were signed off by council leaders including Sheffield Council leader Bob Johnson and Doncaster mayor Ros Jones.

About £300m is planned for investment in places, transport and infrastructure and another £200m of borrowed money will be invested in jobs and skills from 2022.

These pots of borrowed money will be called the South Yorkshire Renewal Fund and will fund infrastructure projects.

The mayor said he and local leaders were "rewriting the rule book" to meet the "seismic economic challenge" posed by Covid-19.

He added: "Our plan sends a message of ambition and confidence: that South Yorkshire’s best days lie ahead of us, and we’re making our region an even better place to live, work and invest."

A car fire which caused a major blaze at a recycling centre in Lincolnshire is believed to be linked to a robbery, police have said.

Image source, Google

A burnt-out vehicle was found by officers on Summergangs Lane in Gainsborough shortly after cash was stolen from a Gulf petrol station on Lea Road at about 07:30 yesterday.

Flames had spread to a nearby recycling plant, creating a plume of smoke.

Several fire crews attended and people were warned to close windows and doors.

The blaze was only extinguished after it had caused "severe fire damage to one car, one telegraph pole and recycled waste", Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service said.

Lincolnshire Police said nobody was injured in the robbery and the force is appealing for witnesses and anyone with dash camera footage to get in touch.

Stalkers are adapting their tactics and increasingly exploiting digital technology to keep track of their victims during coronavirus lockdowns, police have warned.

Insp Clare Crossan (pictured below), from the North Yorkshire Police anti-stalking unit, said video doorbells and smart speakers were being exploited, and "perpetrators can be quite inventive with how they stalk their victims".

She added: "It's not the image you might have of someone following you down the street. It's ascertaining where people are online, where they're checking into.

"It's a very worrying trend, even things like our cars now have devices in which give away our GPS location."

Insp Crossan said people have to be "very mindful" of settings on digital devices and make sure we "give thought to what information about us is going out into the wider world."

The Suzy Lamplugh Trust - set up to support victims of stalking following the 1986 disappearance of estate agent Suzy Lamplugh - said it had received nearly 20,000 calls in the past 12 months.

It blamed a "substantial rise" in cyber-stalking for fueling the rise and people being unable to vary their routines due to restrictions on movement.

The trust said calls to its National Stalking Helpline were up by almost 10% since March 2020.

BBC Radio Bradford

Temporary pavement extensions are set to be installed across the Bradford district, to provide more space for social distancing.

Image source, Google

The plan includes wooden decking being built on parking bays, giving pedestrians more room as coronavirus restrictions are relaxed in April.

It follows similar measures taken on North Parade in Bradford City Centre (pictured) last year.

The widening work is due to be rolled out in Ilkley, Shipley, Saltaire, Keighley, Bingley and Bradford city centre.

The manager of Bradford Business Improvement District, Jonny Noble, said: "Once we see things begin to reopen from 12 April, we really need everyone to get out and safely support their local high streets.

"This initiative will help people to do this safely."

BBC Weather

Today will be cloudy and breezy with a few sunny spells and some occasional showers.

But Lincolnshire is expected to enjoy a few more of the sunny spells than Yorkshire.

Tonight will continue windy across the whole region and there'll be a mix of cloudy and clear spells with the chance of a shower:

A man was left seriously injured after being stabbed during a fight in Huddersfield, police say.

Image source, Google

Officers were called to reports of the fight in Catherine Road at about 16:45 on Tuesday afternoon and found the 26-year-old man.

He was taken to hospital for treatment and his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, according to West Yorkshire Police.

Police say the attack was "targeted" and are appealing for anyone who may have seen suspicious activity in the area at about the time of the attack to get in touch.

Patrols have been increased in the area to offer reassurance to local residents, the force said.

Restrictions on movement and a rise in cyber-stalking fuel a surge of calls to a national helpline.

The closure of the John Lewis store in Sheffield is "sad news", according to the man responsible for developing the city centre.

John Lewis stores in Sheffield and York are two of eight across the UK due to close as the company "rebalances its store estate to reflect how customers want to shop", the firm says.

A total of 299 jobs at the Sheffield city centre site and 209 jobs at the York site are under threat, with the company launching a consultation with those workers affected.

Following the announcement, Nalin Seneviratne, Sheffield Council's director of city centre development said: "As Cole Brothers in 1847, then as John Lewis, it has been a retail landmark in our city for decades."

However, in a statement, Mr Senevirante described Sheffield as a "resilient city" and said plans were still in place "for a city centre which competes on a global stage".

"Our Heart of the City plans will deliver between 5,500 and 7,000 jobs, create social spaces, homes, deliver restaurants and workspaces," he added.

“There is a lot to look forward to in Sheffield and we're already working towards building a world-class, sustainable city centre, which drives our economy and can continue to thrive long into the future."