Gary Allen's conviction for the murders of two women brings a 20-year quest for justice to an end.

The two guilty verdicts in the trial of Gary Allen, charged with murdering two women over two decades apart, follows a seven-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court.

Image source, Google

Allen, 47, was charged with strangling Samantha Class, 29, whose body was found by three schoolchildren on the banks of the Humber Estuary in 1997.

He was tried and cleared of her murder in 2000 but the acquittal was quashed last year after he was charged with murdering Alena Grlakova, 38, in 2018.

Jurors at Sheffield Crown Court have convicted him of both killings.

Prosecutors said Ms Class had been stamped on, strangled with a ligature and run over by a car before being dragged to the water on the night of 25 October 1997. Her body was discovered the following day.

Ms Grlakova's body was found in a stream in Rotherham in April 2019, four months after she was reported missing.

Both women were sex workers at the time of their deaths, and jurors heard Allen had spoken of his "hatred" of prostitutes, whom he branded "scum".

Just weeks after he was acquitted of murdering Ms Class in February 2000, Allen assaulted two sex workers in separate attacks in Plymouth, for which he was convicted and jailed, the jury at Sheffield Crown Court had been told.

After more than 20 years, Gary Allen has finally faced justice for the murder of Samantha Class.

A man has been found guilty at Sheffield Crown Court of murdering two women 21 years apart.

Image source, Humberside Police/South Yorkshire Police

Gary Allen, 47, had denied strangling Samantha Class (left), 29, in Hull in 1997 and Alena Grlakova (right), 38, in South Yorkshire in 2018.

Ms Grlakova vanished on Boxing Day in 2018 and her body was found in a stream in Rotherham on 8 April 2019.

Ms Class's body was found by three schoolchildren walking on the foreshore in North Ferriby, East Yorkshire, on 26 October 1997.

During his trial, jurors were told Allen, of no fixed address, was acquitted of Ms Class's murder in February 2000, but "significantly more evidence" had since emerged.

A man has been found guilty at Sheffield Crown Court of the murders of two women 21 years apart.

Image source, Humberside Police

Gary Allen, 47, denied strangling Samantha Class, 29, in Hull in 1997 and Alena Grlakova, 38, in Rotherham in 2018.

More to follow...

A man who died after getting into difficulty at a West Yorkshire reservoir earlier this week was from Blackpool, police have confirmed.

A major search was started at Ponden Reservoir near Haworth at about 17:50 on Tuesday after the man went missing.

West Yorkshire Police said the body of the 27-year-old man was recovered just before 22:00.

The force said they had been alerted by the ambulance service and searches were carried out by the police, fire service, the police helicopter and specialist police divers to try and locate the man.

The Great Yorkshire Show is to go ahead this year despite the delay to the ending of Covid restrictions.

Image source, PA Media

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said restrictions would stay for four more weeks until 19 July.

A spokesperson for the famous show, which will take place in Harrogate on 13-16 July, said some additional restrictions might be put in place.

In March, show organisers the Yorkshire Agricultural Society (YAS) said the 2021 event, the 162nd in its history, would go ahead "subject to restrictions being lifted as set out by the government".

On Monday, Boris Johnson said rules around social distancing and face coverings, along with limits on the number of people who can meet indoors,would remain in place until 19 July.

Following that announcement, YAS has said it was working alongside North Yorkshire's public health team to "deliver a Covid-safe show".

Richard Webb, corporate director for health and adult services at North Yorkshire County Council, said the authority and Harrogate Borough Council continued to "actively engage with the show organisers".

"We are still seeking assurances around steps they need to take to ensure the event runs safely against the backdrop of increasing Covid-19 transmission rates and the Prime Minister's recent announcement of the delay in the lifting of the road map," he added.

A serious collision has closed the A1 in Lincolnshire northbound, according to Highways England, external.

The road is currently closed between the A607 and the A52, near Grantham.

Emergency services including Lincolnshire Police are at the scene.

Normal traffic conditions are not expected again until this afternoon some time after 14:45, Highways England said, external.

A diversion is in place on the A52 through Grantham to rejoin the A1 further north.

Road users are advised to expect disruption and to allow extra journey time.

A man's been charged with a total of six motoring offences following a police chase from Harrogate to Leeds.

Image source, PA Media

The 33-year-old man from Boston Spa, Wetherby, failed to stop for officers in Harrogate town centre shortly before 17:00 on Monday 14 June, according to North Yorkshire Police.

The incident led to a pursuit all the way to Sheepscar in Leeds, where the man was arrested.

He is due to appear in court next month, officers confirmed.

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Tonight, it is expected to become dry with clear spells becoming increasingly widespread during the early hours:

The UK's first infrastructure bank set up to channel billions of pounds into big projects and help tackle climate change is being launched in Leeds.

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Chancellor Rishi Sunak is to open the new financial institution later.

In the March Budget, Mr Sunak said the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB) would support regional economic growth and help to get rid of the north-south divide.

UKIB is to invest in infrastructure projects in sectors such as clean energy and transport.

It will help to finance projects in every region and nation of the UK, said the government.

The bank is to get an initial £12bn of capital and £10bn of government guarantees and hopes to unlock more than £40bn of private investment.

Sir Roger Marsh, chair of Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, said putting the institution in Leeds would be "a real catalyst for change and a major driver of our post-pandemic recovery".

Once opened UKIB would be able to issue loans, equity, or guarantees to private projects.

It intends to increase its lending over time and will allow local authorities to borrow money later in the summer, the government added.

Jonny Bairstow smashes 112 as Yorkshire beat Worcestershire, while there are also T20 Blast wins for Kent and Birmingham Bears.

First transmitted in 1974, Magnus Magnusson talks to Sir Mortimer Wheeler about his excavation at Stanwick St John in Yorkshire during the Festival of Britain celebrations in 1951. It was there that Wheeler uncovered the Iron Age stronghold of the Brigantes, a tribe of Celts.

First transmitted in 1974, Magnus Magnusson talks to Sir Mortimer Wheeler about Brigantes in northern Britain at the time of the Roman conquest. The Brigantes, a tribe of Celts, attempted to stave off the approaching Roman army at Stanwick St John in Yorkshire.

Sir Mortimer also relates the story of Venutius, king of the Brigantes and his wife Cartimandua.

Hull KR captain Shaun Kenny-Dowall signs a one-year contract extension with the Super League club.

Delaying the easing of Covid restrictions because of the impact of the Delta variant was the right thing to do, Sheffield's director of public health has said.

On Monday, Boris Johnson said delaying the planned lifting of restrictions would give the NHS "a few more crucial weeks" to get people vaccinated.

The prime minister announced that the final stage of easing lockdown restrictions in England would be delayed from 21 June to 19 July.

Greg Fell, Sheffield's director of public health, said: "Delta is spreading much more quickly than the original Alpha virus and would appear to be slightly more harmful - that's not definitive yet, but it would appear to be.

"Importantly the vaccines still work.

"But we got to an unanticipated bend in the road and it probably doesn't make sense to accelerate into that, it makes sense to go a bit slower, for a period."

Morecambe sign midfielder Callum Jones on a season-long loan deal from newly-promoted Championship side Hull City.

The device was found at the marshland end of Cleethorpes beach, with police clearing the area.

Jacob Tomlinson
BBC Yorkshire

A Leeds mum had to hold back "happy tears" after finding a heart-warming note left by a stranger on her car.

Image source, Genevieve Spark

Genevieve Spark was driving to the Matalan store in Halton with her nine-week-old baby boy who cried through the entire journey.

The tot's tears left Ms Spark and her three-year-old son, who was also in the car, feeling "distressed" when they got to the shop.

When the family returned their vehicle, Ms Spark saw a note pushed into the car's handle and thought "Oh god, what is this?"

Instead of bad news, the note read "You have beautiful children! Thanks for making me smile today from my car. From one mum to another - you are doing a fab job!! Sarah x"

Ms Spark posted a picture of the note on city social media group Leedsplace saying it made her day and asking for the mystery writer to get in touch.

She hoped the post would be seen by Sarah so she could thank her personally and, after being shared thousands of times, the note writer was found.

Sarah Mason left the message for Ms Spark and told the BBC: "I just wanted to make a mum feel better, we all need that one person in our lives sometimes."

The pair are now in contact.

Michael Lambert stabbed Andrew McGuire in the neck during the attack in Lincoln in October 2020.