Visitors to East Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire must remember Covid-19 rules remain in place even during the bank holiday period, Humberside Police has warned.

Image source, Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

The "unexpected warm weather" means people undoubtedly getting out and about more - but people must still remain vigilant and stick to Covid safety rules, the force says.

Darren Downs, from Humberside Police, says: "As we head into the Easter bank holiday it’s still important we all remain vigilant to do everything we can to prevent the spread of the virus.

“While restrictions have eased, adhering to guidelines to prevent the virus spreading must remain a top priority."

A group of up to six people - or two households - can now meet in a public place or garden under government restrictions as long as they are social distancing.

But Humberside Police says people are still being asked, where possible, to stay home and stay local.

The force says foot patrols and police resources will be increased over the bank holiday weekend to help keep everyone safe and enforcement will be a "last resort" but will be used if necessary.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Some North Yorkshire GPs have vaccinated all their top-priority patients and are now being given permission to use spare doses on under-50-year-olds, a chief nurse has said.

Image source, Reuters/Andrew Couldridge

Sue Peckitt, chief nursing officer at NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said the county’s vaccination programme was going “exceptionally well” with some surgeries reaching all eligible patients in the top nine priority groups two weeks earlier than expected.

She added while bookings for all other adults aged under 50 were not yet open, some would soon be called up for last-minute appointments using doses which would otherwise go to waste.

“Many of our primary care networks are asking if they can move into the lower age cohorts and we are telling them to try not to unless it would mean vaccine wastage,” Mrs Peckitt told a meeting of the North Yorkshire Outbreak Management Advisory Board.

“We do know some of them have exhausted all of their eligible cohorts, so you might start to hear some challenge coming back that some individuals below the age of 50 are starting to get pulled forward.”

As of Friday, more than 404,000 people in North Yorkshire had received their first dose of a Covid vaccine, with almost 40,000 people having received their second.

Mrs Peckitt said while take-up of the vaccine in North Yorkshire has been high, there were still some residents who were reluctant to come forward.

She said: “We are working with them to try understand why they would not want to access the vaccine.”

Clinically vulnerable people are no longer being told to stay home as much as Covid rules are eased.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

All of Sheffield’s council-run recycling centres will open seven days a week from tomorrow in a bid to tackle traffic tailbacks and an increase in fly-tipping, it's been confirmed.

The city's five household waste recycling centres will open from 09:30 to 17:30, seven days a week, from today, the council says.

Every day over the long bank holiday - Good Friday to Bank Holiday Monday – Blackstock Road (pictured) and Beighton tips will open until 20:00.

And on Saturday and Sunday, just for this weekend, the old waste transfer station at Tinsley Park Road will be open between 09:30 and 17:30 for people to bring bags of small household rubbish or garden waste.

Buses were forced to divert their services earlier this week when huge queues of traffic formed to use the tip on Blackstock Road.

Meanwhile, a councillor recently disclosed that Sheffield had some of the shortest recycling centre opening hours among major cities, adding his ward had become “the dumping ground of south Sheffield”.

BBC Radio Bradford

A blind cat called Carrots has been awarded a national award for the support he provides at a Marie Curie Hospice in Bradford.

Image source, Blue Cross

The long-haired ginger and white tom cat arrived at Bradford Cat Watch Rescue with multiple injuries and his eyes couldn't be saved.

He started visiting the Maudley Street Hospice in Bradford when his new owner, Katie Lloyd, was diagnosed with a brain tumour three years ago.

Ms Lloyd, who works with Bradford Cat Watch Rescue, says: "Right from the moment he arrived with us, he was very calm. He let us do his treatments.

"Most cats would put up a bit of a fight, but he was like, 'yeah, yeah, whatever.' As time went on, I realised he was really intuitive."

Carrots, who's thought to be the UK's first blind therapy cat, has now been awarded the Blue Cross medal - awarded to "hero pets" - for his work with Marie Curie hospices.

Ms Lloyd says: "He usually has a ward round that the nurses have ascertained before we get there, because obviously some people really, really love cats, and some people aren't so keen."

Police are appealing for information after receiving reports about a knife-wielding teenager threatening another teenager near a school in York.

It happened between 17:45 and 18:15 on Wednesday 24 March at the rear of St Peters School in Clifton and involved two male teenagers involved in a "verbal altercation", police say.

During this, one of the males appeared to have a knife and was using it to threaten the other male, according to North Yorkshire Police.

An 18-year-old male has since been arrested over the incident and has been released on bail pending further inquires, the force adds.

Officers are appealing for people's help in establishing the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

In particular, they say they want to know who started the "altercation" and the circumstances surrounding it.

A photo of a mum kissing her newly born baby surrounded by PPE during lockdown, which features in a national exhibition, has been gifted to the hospital in Lincoln where she gave birth.

Image source, Harris Family

First Kiss, showing Ali Harris kissing newborn Indy, was among 100 images chosen by a panel including the Duchess of Cambridge showing life in lockdown.

Mrs Harris said the gift of the photo was to "thank" Lincoln County Hospital.

"It felt so emotional, the impact of everything," she said.

Mrs Harris, who runs a family photography business near Lincoln, said: "Much of it was thanks to the hospital. We actually wanted to video the birth, because we'd videoed the birth of our second son, and they said no we can't, but we can take photos.

"If they hadn't have actually said that to us, we wouldn't have had the photos we did, so we felt like it all came together to create that moment."

Two copies of the photo, taken by husband Leigh and chosen for an online National Portrait Gallery exhibition entitled Hold Still, was presented to the hospital last week.

"I just thanked them for basically helping to bring our little boy into the world," said Mrs Harris.

The first pictures showing a large fire involving tonnes of scrap metal at a site in Sheffield have been released by the fire service:

Image source, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

Crews were called to Carlisle Street at about 13:00 to reports of a blaze involving scrap metal.

The latest images by South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service show firefighters tackling the blaze:

Image source, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

There are six crews currently in attendance, the fire service said.

Nobody is thought to have been injured.

People are being asked to avoid the area and local residents have been told to close their windows and doors.

Image source, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

A "significant" operation to prevent road fatalities in North Yorkshire over the bank holiday weekend is being planned, police have said.

The force says the Easter weekend presents a "perfect storm" for serious collisions, with a "huge" surge in traffic expected due to fair weather, the long weekend and the easing of coronavirus restrictions, the North Yorkshire force says.

Meanwhile, with many bikers and drivers not having used their vehicles much during the past year due to the coronavirus lockdown, their skills may be rusty, officers add.

As a result, motorists will see a "strong police presence" on the county's roads, with extra traffic units being deployed in key areas.

As well as traffic offences, police will also be on the lookout for breaches of Covid regulations such as the "rule of six" and the call to "stay local".

Traffic Sgt Peter Stringer, leading the operation, says: "Our message to motorists is simple – we’re not here to ruin anyone’s enjoyment of North Yorkshire and its fantastic roads.

"But we are here to keep people alive and enforce the law, and that’s exactly what we’ll be doing this bank holiday weekend and throughout the summer.”

About 40 firefighters are tackling a large scrap metal blaze in Sheffield this afternoon.

Crews were called to reports of a blaze on Carlisle Street at about 13:00, with six fire engines being sent to the site.

There is currently a "large amount of smoke" in the area, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said.

Local residents are being asked to keep their doors and windows closed.

There are no reports of any injuries, the fire service added.

Cancer charity MacMillan has given £60,000 to a West Yorkshire-based pilot project which aims to improve people's health and state of mind before they start cancer treatment.

Image source, MacMillan

Prehab is a personalised programme to improve health and mindset - such as helping improve physical activity or cutting down on smoking and drinking - before treatment like chemotherapy.

Kath Cunningham (pictured), 63, says she was "devastated" when she was diagnosed with lung cancer in July last year.

However, she says the NHS's pilot "prehab" project - run by Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust and funded by MacMillan Cancer Support - was much needed in her case.

She says: "When I was first diagnosed with cancer, I cried every day. I felt my body was not my own. The prehab programme was just the boost I needed.

"Afterwards I felt physically stronger as I was much more active than before. It had a massive effect on my quality of life."

A spokesperson for MacMillan says: "Many people are familiar with the term 'rehab', which is building the body back up after illness or treatment, but less well known is the process of Prehabilitation, or 'prehab'."

The charity has already given £129,000 to Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust for the pilot project, but because of its success, has pledged another £59,693 to continue it for another year.

A man has been stabbed and seriously injured and a woman has been assaulted and robbed during a "series of confrontations" in Rotherham, police have said.

The incidents happened at about 22:15 on Wednesday in Rotherham town centre.

Officers were called to a site near All Saint's Square after reports an 18-year-old man had been stabbed.

The man was taken to hospital where he remains in a "stable but critical" condition, according to South Yorkshire Police.

An 18-year-old woman was also found to have been assaulted and had items stolen from her, officers say. She did not require medical treatment.

No arrests have been made as yet in connection with these incidents, police say.

Det Insp Nina Jackson says: “Our inquiries so far suggest that this young man was injured during an attempted robbery.

"We believe there was a series of confrontations outside the transport interchange and McDonalds before the victim was injured in All Saints Square.

"Witnesses reported seeing around three men leaving the scene and inquiries to identify them are progressing quickly."

Anyone who saw what happened, or who has information about the assaults, is being asked to contact South Yorkshire Police.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

People in Lincolnshire are being warned by health bosses to avoid being tempted to go indoors with members of other households over the Easter weekend after Covid restrictions were slightly eased.

Image source, PA Media

Professor Derek Ward, director of public health at Lincolnshire County Council, says he's not overly worried about the bank holiday weekend "as long as people stick to the rules".

He says: "My key worry is people going round to somebody else’s house and who are in the garden keeping their social distance. Then, it being England and a bank holiday, the heavens open and everybody runs indoors and stays indoors.

"That is not allowed. That is a very high risk thing to do and that is something I would advise very strongly the people of Lincolnshire not to do."

Professor Ward urges people if that happens to run to their car, wait for it to stop raining and if it doesn’t, “I’m afraid you’ll just have to literally take a rain check on that.

“Avoid the temptation to go indoors with other people who aren’t in your family group because that’s where the risk shoots up.”

“As long as you stick by the rules, the risk of catching Covid is very low."

A full-time coronavirus testing site is to open in Malton on Friday, it's been confirmed.

Image source, Reuters/Carl Recine

The site will open at the Wentworth Street car park as part of the government’s UK-wide drive to increase testing.

The aim is to increase testing capacity for people experiencing symptoms and later to act as a collection point for lateral flow tests for those who qualify for them.

North Yorkshire’s director of public health, Louise Wallace, says: "We have worked hard throughout the pandemic to increase the level of testing across the county.

"We are pleased this new site will increase the capacity and convenience for residents and will help the county to drive down the infection rate further."

The site will be open between 08:00 and 20:00 seven days a week.

Initially, it will be for symptomatic testing only. Later, it may act as a collection point for lateral flow testing kits for those eligible.

Only people experiencing Covid-19 symptoms – a high temperature or a new, continuous cough or a loss or change to sense of smell or taste – should book a test.

Tests must be booked in advance on the NHS website, external or by calling 119.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Harrogate could be the first place in North Yorkshire to get a so-called "Cyclops" junction as part of a bid to improve pedestrian and cycling safety in the town, it's been confirmed.

Image source, Manchester City Council

The Dutch-style Cyclops - or Cycle Optimised Protected Signals - junctions work by separating cyclists from general traffic with the aim of improving everyone's safety.

The UK's first was built in Manchester last year (pictured) and now Harrogate could get its own as part of North Yorkshire County Council’s "active travel" schemes which are currently out for consultation.

Melissa Burnham, highways area manager, says the idea has been put forward for the Station Parade junction of Victoria Avenue which already has plans for new cycle lanes, a zebra crossing and "floating" bus stop.

She says: "It is not something we have ever installed in North Yorkshire before, but it is just an idea of what could be achieved.

"Essentially, the idea would be that any upgrade at this junction would have to incorporate all road users effectively and efficiently.

"But it would be subject to necessary traffic modelling to understand the impact from Station Parade," she says.

Detectives investigating the death of a man in Sheffield last year have released these CCTV stills of a man they believe could hold important information in the hope he'll come forward:

Image source, South Yorkshire Police

Marcus Ramsay, 35, was stabbed in a "large-scale disturbance" at a house in Horninglow Road in the Firth Park area of the city on 8 August 2020 and died later in hospital.

Two 17-year-old boys, who can't be named for legal reasons, have since been charged with his murder.

Det Ch Insp Mark Oughton, leading the investigation, says: "As we continue to build up a full picture of exactly what happened in the lead-up to Mr Ramsay’s death, it is imperative we speak to everyone we can who was there that evening.

"To that end, we are releasing an image of one man who was there and captured on camera. We believe the information he holds could assist the ongoing investigation."

Anyone who recognises the man in the picture, or who has information about what happened, is being asked to contact South Yorkshire Police.

Police have discovered what is believed to be Lincolnshire's largest ever cannabis factory in Boston.

Image source, PA Media

Cannabis plants with an estimated street value of £6m were found in a 50,000 sq ft (4,650 sq m) industrial unit in the Fishtoft Road area.

Lincolnshire Police described the farm as "the largest scale cannabis grow the county has ever seen".

The force said three men, aged 20, 23, and 25, had been arrested and charged in connection with the discovery.

Officers uncovered the farm on Friday 26 March but have only just released details of the find.

The arrested men have all been remanded into custody, according to Lincolnshire Police.

The force has not said where the men are from or what charges they face.

BBC Radio Leeds

Two people from West Yorkshire have shown off their entries for the annual Shed of the Year competition for 2021.

Image source, Steve Prest

Steve Prest, from Saltaire, has converted his garden shed into both a gym and a pub (pictured).

He's entered his shed, which is mostly made of recycled materials, into the "cheap" category of the competition.

Mr Prest says: "It's good for a day-to-day basis. You can have a drink and then you can work out."

A neighbour convinced him to enter his shed for the competition, Mr Prest adds.

Meanwhile, Lynn Hoy, in Batley, has also kitted her shed out - in her case as a tiki bar.

She told BBC Radio Leeds: "I've got parrots in there, not a real one, lizards in there, my music in there.

"It's just a place to express your creativity without ruining the house."

Local Democracy Reporting Service

People thinking of travelling to the North Yorkshire coast over the Easter bank holiday weekend as coronavirus restrictions are eased are being urged to avoid busy places.

Scarborough Borough Council has said it is asking people looking to get out of the house now the "stay at home" order has ended to try and minimise their travel and to move on if they find themselves in a large crowd.

People planning to visit the North Yorkshire coast are also being asked to be respectful of local residents and other people during their visits.

A spokesman for the council said: "During this latest phase of easing of the coronavirus restrictions we are promoting the 'minimise travel' message to all audiences.

"We are asking potential visitors to respect our communities, the environment and other visitors when they visit, stick to the rule of six or two households and use facilities safely.

"We are also encouraging them to consider moving on to somewhere quieter should their chosen destination be busy when they arrive, to allow necessary space for social distancing."

The council says it's also planning to use its Covid marshals to ensure the rules are stuck to by residents, visitors and businesses.

The spokesman added: "While they have no enforcement powers, they are able to pass on any concerns they have to police colleagues."

Anyone over 16 in Hull can now get a free coronavirus test, even if they don't have symptoms, the city council has said.

Image source, EPA/Andy Rain

Until now only people with a higher risk of catching coronavirus have been eligible for tests in the city, but as Hull's Covid-19 testing programme has now been ramped-up.

The rapid-result tests are for people who do not have any symptoms of the virus and they can be done at home or at a community test centre.

They are used to pick up cases of Covid-19 in people who have the virus but do not get ill.

There are three test centres where people can book an appointment to take the test:

• Woodford Leisure Centre, Holderness Road
• Ennerdale Leisure Centre, Sutton Road
• Endeavour Learning Centre, Beverley Rd.

People can also collect tests from these locations and do them at home:

• The Wilson Centre
• Bransholme Health Centre
• Orchard Centre

Tim Fielding, deputy director of public health at Hull City Council, says: "I would urge anyone who would benefit from this kind of testing to either order a pack to collect or book an appointment for an assisted test now."