A man who appealed for Yorkshire voices to replace his American-sounding speech aid has spoken with his new accent.

Richie Cottingham, who has cerebral palsy, asked people to come forward to add their voices to his computer.

More than 35 people recorded their voices for the 26-year-old, who lives near Howden, East Yorkshire, with three chosen accents being blended together.

Speaking in his new accent, he said he had cried when he first used the voice, adding: "Now I am a Yorkshireman".

Mr Cottingham launched his appeal earlier this year, hoping to find men in their early-20s with a subtle East Yorkshire accent.

He said he wanted to have his own voice after his speech aid "sounded American". He said: "A generic voice is not my identity."

Using his new accent, he added: "It feels awesome and I love it."

Dispersal powers granted to police in York may be used in an effort to prevent anti-social behaviour in parts of the city this weekend, the North Yorkshire force says.

Image source, Google

Areas including the Knavesmire, Millennium Bridge and Earswick are covered by the powers which allow officers to require people and groups to move on.

It coincides with the final day of term for students in their final year of school, North Yorkshire Police say.

Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Lee Pointon said: "We understand people will want to relax and celebrate this weekend - and as long as they do that in safe, considerate and legal way, there are no issues whatsoever with that.

"Residents also want to enjoy their weekend without being affected by crime and anti-social behaviour.

"So the solution is dispersal powers, which give us the power to disperse groups and individuals from an area as a last resort."

The dispersal powers are in place today and Saturday from midday until 02:00.

PA Media

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has confirmed the HS2 rail project will go all the way to Leeds after fears over mounting costs had prompted speculation over the full scheme going ahead.

Image source, Siemens/PA

Work on phase one of the high-speed rail project from London to Birmingham is ongoing while phase 2a is set to run from Birmingham to Crewe and 2b includes linking Birmingham and Leeds.

However after a government-commissioned review warned the final bill could reach £106bn there were concerns the connection to Leeds could be scrapped.

But speaking at an online event for the Policy Exchange think tank on Thursday, Mr Shapps said it will be finished in full.

He said: "We are going to complete HS2 and include HS2 on the eastern leg to Leeds.

"And the only question that we have is how to better integrate that with plans which were developed a very long way since HS2 was first dreamt up all those decades ago and that pertains to the Northern Powerhouse Rail."

Former MP George Galloway has announced he will be standing in the forthcoming Batley and Spen by-election.

Image source, PA Media

Mr Galloway, who was expelled from Labour in 2003, said he is standing as a candidate for his Workers Party of Britain in the poll on July 1.

The by-election was triggered after the previous MP Tracy Brabin had to stand down when she was elected as West Yorkshire's mayor.

Labour has selected Kim Leadbeater, sister of Jo Cox, who represented the seat before her murder by a right-wing extremist, as the party's candidate.

The Conservatives have selected Ryan Stephenson, a Leeds councillor, as their candidate.

The Yorkshire Party have selected local engineer Corey Robinson to contest the seat.

BBC Weather

For those in Yorkshire it will be staying mostly dry today, but overcast skies will lead to a dull day overall.

Tonight will remain largely dry with the cloud lingering throughout.

Meanwhile in Lincolnshire clouds will move in from the west during the day but there will be sunny spells too and the slight chance of a shower later.

This evening, there is still the slight chance of a shower but it should remain dry with a mix of clear and cloudy spells.

A man has been charged with murdering a woman who was stabbed to death at a house.

Image source, South Yorkshire Police

Agita Geslere (pictured above) was found seriously injured in Brierfield Close, Barnsley, just after 00:30 BST on Tuesday and was taken to hospital where she later died.

A post-mortem examination revealed the 61-year-old had died as a result of multiple stab wounds, South Yorkshire Police said.

Renars Geslers, 31, of Hoyle Mill Road in Barnsley, has been remanded into custody.

He is due to appear before the town's magistrates later.

Lancashire take full control on the first day against Yorkshire after bowling the visitors out for 159.

Patients' tempers are "flaring" as appointment restrictions ease, the NHS in North Yorkshire says.

One of the notes features an image of York Minster, while another was issued by a Hull bank in 1772.

Watford sign centre-back Mattie Pollock from Grimsby Town on a five-year contract for an initial fee of £250,000.

Plans to hoist a supercar into a Skegness nightclub go awry when the crane due to lift it breaks down.

A teenager has pleaded not guilty at Lincoln Crown Court to murdering the 12-year-old last December.

BBC Radio Leeds

The leader of Leeds City Council says people should soon start seeing the benefits of months of disruptive roadworks in the city centre.

Drivers and businesses have been complaining about long queues and diversions, particularly at weekends.

Community nurse Kate Ward told BBC Radio Leeds: “The traffic this weekend was something else. On Saturday, I was an hour late for my first visit, but it had a knock-on effect for the rest of the shift.”

Some of the work is part of a plan to make it easier for cyclists and pedestrians to get around.

Major disruption has also been caused by the replacement of the Regent Street flyover, external.

Taxi driver Ramzan Zaman said: “It’s driving the public away from the city centre. We are in difficult times, picking up disabled people to take them home, because they can’t find their way around town.”

The council has now announced changes to some of the flyover work, to help reduce traffic jams at weekends.

Council leader James Lewis said he understood the work was disruptive.

He added that there was no choice but to do a lot of the construction at the same time as government money came with a caveat that the work had to be finished by a certain date.

Passengers have boarded the first plane to leave Doncaster Sheffield airport for a green list country after Covid restrictions on travel were eased.

The flight to Faro in Portugal departed from the South Yorkshire airport at 08:15 on Thursday.

Portugal is one of the countries on the green list, meaning people won't need to isolate when they get back.

The Davies family from York (pictured), said they were looking for "sun, relaxing by the pool and getting away from it all".

Mum Helen said: "We actually booked it a couple of months ago, so we couldn't quite believe it when Portugal was on the green list - that was really lucky"

On England's traffic light list, foreign countries are classed as green, amber or red - with different rules for quarantine and Covid tests in place for each.

Government guidance is that you should not holiday in red or amber countries.

The deputy vice-chancellor at the University of Sheffield has been called on to resign after a review recommended closing the institution's renowned archaeology school.

Image source, PA Media

More than 16,000 people signed a petition opposing its closure and academics across the UK have called for it to be saved.

The university say some teaching will remain, but within other departments.

Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield, archaeology professor Umberto Albarella said: "It worries me about the future of the university.

"I mean the pro vice chancellor has driven this process, I think she should really consider her position."

The Council for British Archaeology said any kind of closure would be "devastating".

It added: "The university has a very high profile in the archaeological and academic world and has made huge contributions to the country's higher education profile."

A University of Sheffield spokesperson said they were "committed to retaining areas of strength in archaeology teaching and research".

They added: "The university’s Executive Board is recommending that key areas of strength are aligned to other university departments, with enhanced investment for excellence. "

There'll be a final decision on the proposal on 12 July.

Gary Allen is accused of murdering two women, Samantha Class and Alena Grlakova, 21 years apart.

An appeal has been launched for stories and memorabilia ahead of the 100th anniversary of an airship disaster which killed 44 people.

Image source, D Howlett/Historic England

The R.38/ZR-2 exploded mid-flight in front of onlookers in Hull on 24 August 1921, before crashing into the River Humber, killing most of the crew.

The airship, called the "Titanic of the skies", was on a test flight before being handed over to the US Navy.

Historic England wants to create an online archive about the disaster.

The 695ft long airship was based at Howden, East Yorkshire, to complete its test flights.

It was due to fly to Pulham in Norfolk ahead of a final handover to the US, but it had to return due to bad weather. Last checks on its steering caused the light structure of the airship to break apart.

In total, 44 of the 49 British-American crew died in the resulting catastrophe.

Antony Firth, director of heritage consultancy firm Fjordr which is leading the project, said: "We know a range of objects were made from the wreckage including candlesticks and ashtrays. I can't wait to see what people come forward with."

A Hull MP is calling on the government to offer more support to distant-fleet fishing in the UK.

Image source, UK Fisheries

It comes after Hull-based super trawler the Kirkella faces being tied up in the city for a year, due to a lack of a fishing deal between the UK and Norway.

The Kirkella has been moored in Hull since December 2020. The vessel catches cod and haddock in sub-Arctic waters, but Brexit has left it without a fishing agreement.

Hull West and Hessle, MP Emma Hardy, says she intends to raise the issue of support in Parliament later.

She says: "I don't know all the details of the offer the UK government made, but obviously whatever it was it wasn't seen as acceptable to the Norwegian government.

"So surely they could work something out even as a temporary measure and if that fails then I want to see the fishing industry still supported here in the UK."

The government says its priority is to agree a balanced deal for the UK fishing industry.

PA Media

The Batley and Spen by-election will be held on 1 July, it has been confirmed.

It was triggered after the previous MP Tracy Brabin had to stand down when she was elected as West Yorkshire's mayor.

Labour has selected Kim Leadbeater, sister of Jo Cox, who represented the seat before her murder by a right-wing extremist, as the party's candidate.

The Conservatives have selected Ryan Stephenson, a Leeds councillor, as their candidate.

Corey Robinson will represent the Yorkshire Party, who came third in the recent West Yorkshire mayoral election, in the ballot.

Ms Brabin held Batley and Spen for Labour with a reduced majority in the general election of 2019 - down to 3,525 from 8,961 in 2017.

The Conservative Party's candidate came second.

The by-election will be seen as a test for Labour after it lost the Hartlepool by-election to the Conservatives on 6 May.

Nine people were found in an uninsured and unroadworthy car during a police traffic stop.

The passengers and driver were crammed into a five-seater Skoda Octavia near Malton in North Yorkshire earlier this month.

Despite two doors not opening on the hatchback, there were five passengers on the back seat and two women in the boot.

Police footage showed people crawling out of the car which officers said would have cause "utter carnage" should it have crashed.