A North Yorkshire MP has joined calls for a new public body in charge of rail services to be based in York.

The Department for Transport announced in May the new Great British Railways body will be created to own the rail infrastructure, set timetables and prices, sell tickets in England and manage rail infrastructure.

City of York Council boss Keith Aspden has written to the government asking for the new Great British Railways headquarters to be based at York Central.

MP for Thirsk and Malton, Kevin Hollinrake (pictured), raised the issue with the Transport Secretary in Parliament yesterday.

Mr Hollinrake said: "Given York's historic connections and its strategic location does my right honourable friend think it would make the perfect location for a new headquarters for Great British Rail?"

Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps replied: "It's a stunning location and I commend it to everybody in this house and beyond.

"And I think he's right that York could provide a very attractive location for Great British Railways, but that's a matter someway down the line yet."

There are around 5,000 rail jobs based in York already – representing about 10% of the national rail industry.

Train operators based in York include LNER, Northern Railway and Grand Central.

Hull's KCOM stadium is to be renamed the MKM Stadium after a new five-year sponsorship deal was signed with MKM Building Supplies.

Image source, PA Media

MKM founder David Kilburn said: “MKM are proud to have been associated with our local stadium ever since it opened in 2002 and we are delighted to take what we feel is this natural next step in our partnership."

The 25,500-capacity venue, which is home to Hull City and Hull FC, has been known as the KCOM since it opened in 2002.

KCOM is to continue its association with Hull City, saying it will be "joint sponsors of a range of community programmes".

A mountain biker's been rescued in a three hour operation in a forest in North Yorkshire.

Image source, Scarborough and Ryedale Mountain Rescue

The male cyclist sustained a hip injury in a fall at Worry Gill, in Dalby Forest in the North York Moors National Park yesterday, according to the Scarborough and Ryedale Mountain Rescue Team.

He was treated at the remote scene by the Yorkshire Ambulance Service and then "taken by stretcher to a drivable track and into an ambulance," rescuers said.

Image source, Scarborough and Ryedale Mountain Rescue

A spokesperson for Scarborough and Ryedale Mountain Rescue praised the actions of the man's riding partner, saying: "Thank you to his riding partner for initial treatment, making the emergency call and marking the trail to warn other riders of the incident."

The organisation also thanked a rider who stopped by the track to guide the team in and other riders who stopped to offer assistance.

Twelve team members were deployed for three hours, it said.

A £5,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest of a man wanted in connection with the fatal stabbing of Corey Dobbe.

Image source, Family photo

Mr Dobbe, 23, (pictured above) was found wounded on Harleston Close, Hull, on the night of 13 June and died a short time later.

Charity Crimestoppers has issued the reward in a bid to locate Moise Djuku (pictured below) who Humberside Police want to speak to.

The force say they believe he is in the Hull area.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Image source, Humberside Police

Three people previously arrested in connection with the incident have been released under investigation.

A motorcyclist has died after crashing on the A63 in Hull.

Image source, PA Media

Humberside Police say the white bike crashed off the eastbound carriageway of the road at about 21:30 on Thursday and collided with a sign post.

The force is appealing for any witnesses or anyone who may have dashcam footage of the bike prior to the collision to come forward.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

City of Lincoln Council leaders have approved plans to close some public toilets in a bid to save £82,000 a year, despite concerns from local residents and businesses.

Members of the executive committee said it was “not a decision we want to make,” but blamed the authority’s “dire” finances instead.

Council leader Ric Metcalfe said: “I hope people don’t think that somehow the council doesn’t realise how important the toilets are, we are keeping most of our toilets open.”

The authority will close the Victorian urinals at The Lawn, on Union Road and at Newport Arch, while facilities at Lucy Tower will open for special events only. South Park will also remain closed except for events.

Westgate car park’s toilets will also be “mothballed” with access only to disabled people or via radar key, and during special events such as the Christmas Market or Steampunk Festival.

The council said there will be suitable alternatives, including the bus station facilities, and those on Tentercroft Street, Castle Square, Hartsholme Country Park and Boultham.

Sincil Street’s ladies toilet will be replaced with a new “modern, unisex” facility within the plans to refurbish the Cornhill Market.

A Leeds man who painted colourful designs on broadband cabinets and electricity boxes said Openreach has started to repaint them green again.

Image source, Andy McVeigh

Andy McVeigh, who is known locally as the 'Burley Banksy', said he had lost count of the number of paintings he's done around the city's streets.

"I've obviously got it wrong but I thought I had permission", he said.

An Openreach statement said: "We have a simple permissions process which allows us to consider these requests".

Mr McVeigh said he started painting on street furniture to cover up graffiti several years ago.

"I don't damage the boxes, I leave the locks free and their reference number and I don't paint anything offensive", he said.

Openreach, which operates the UK's digital networks, said it had been in touch with "the Burley Bansky to talk this through and we're keen to continue that conversation".

The company wanted to "find a solution that works for everyone", it said.

Do you recognise this man? Police want to speak to him in connection with an attack on a couple in a taxi queue at York railway station.

Image source, British Transport Police

The incident happened just before 23:00 on 22 May when a man and woman at the taxi rank outside the station were approached by two men who said they were getting in the same taxi as them, according to British Transport Police (BTP).

Following an argument one of the men punched the male victim in the head which also hit the female victim in the face, BTP said.

Image source, British Transport Police

Officers say the two men then ran away from the station.

Anyone who recognises the man in the images is asked to contact BTP.

A man's been arrested on suspicion of possessing explosive substances after the bomb squad were called and people evacuated from homes in a Lincolnshire village, police say.

Image source, Google

A controlled explosion was carried out on the unknown substance found by officers at a house in Queensway in Sturton by Stow near Lincoln on Wednesday.

Residents had to leave their homes and part of the B1241 was closed off while the explosion took place in a field, according to Lincolnshire Police.

The man, 30, is also being held on suspicion of handling stolen goods, police said.

The arrest follows earlier searches of the same property on Tuesday when officers first discovered "chemical substances".

Those substances were also destroyed by bomb disposal experts.

Two men aged 40 and 50 were arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods.

The Lincolnshire force said it was during further searches that another substance was discovered which led to the third arrest.

Police said tests were being carried out to determine what the substances were, but there was no risk to the public.

BBC Weather

Today, it will be cloudy with showers continuing through much of the day.

The showers may merge into longer spells of rain and persist during the afternoon. A cool, breezy day.

This evening, showers or outbreaks of rain will persist for a time before it begins to ease in the night. It will continue cloudy tonight, with just a few showers lingering in places:

Work has started on a £400m pipeline to pump water from northern England to drier areas in the south and east of the country.

The first stage of the pipeline will run through Lincolnshire, with plans to eventually build a 310-mile (500km) network across the Anglian Water area.

The firm's CEO Peter Simpson said the pipeline scheme was "absolutely vital".

He said without the network, the east of England would face a "water deficit" of 30 million litres a day by 2025.

"This region is already water scarce, we're already struggling for water," Mr Simpson said.

"What we've got to do is to make the best use of water by redistributing - which is this pipeline from the North down to the South East - and interconnecting."

He said the south east of England was "the driest part of the country", with a third less rainfall than anywhere else in the UK, and was also one of the fastest growing areas, with over 175,000 new homes to be built there in the next five years.

Costel Tablan suffered three broken ribs after hanging on to his van for four streets.

Organisers say the event has been postponed until next year due to concerns over Covid restrictions.

A housing organisation in Leeds has been awarded government funding for an exhibition showcasing the contribution of the Windrush Generation to business in the city.

The Empire Windrush moored at Tilbury Docks in Essex on 22 June 1948 bringing passengers from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and other Caribbean countries.

More people came to Britain in the years that followed and it is estimated that about 500,000 people living in the UK are part of the Windrush Generation between 1948 and 1971.

The project in Chapeltown will feature a photographic display illustrating the growth of businesses and their positive impact on the diverse communities they serve.

Cedric Boston, from Unity Homes and Enterprise, said: "It's important because it's good for community cohesion, sharing people's life stories and giving us a better understanding of each other."

Meanwhile, a service was held and a commemorative flag flown at City Hall in Bradford and municipal building across Kirklees to mark the Windrush Day on Monday.

A man's been airlifted to hospital after being found in a "critical condition" in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, police say.

Image source, Google

The man in his 30's was found with serious injuries at a property in King Street, at about 00:20 on Wednesday, according to Lincolnshire Police.

It's not known how the man came to be injured, police said.

Det Insp Andy Wright-Lakin said: "At this stage it is unclear how this man sustained his injuries and we are keeping an open mind.

"We'd like to hear from anyone who was in the area between Tuesday 22 June and overnight into Wednesday."

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

An appeal for witnesses has been launched after a 14-year-old girl and her mother were assaulted in Rotherham.

Image source, Google

A man attacked the girl on East Bawtry Road, at around 17:00 pm on Sunday 13 June, according to South Yorkshire Police.

She suffered minor injuries to her face and body in the incident, police said.

The girl’s mother was also attacked by the same man after rushing to the aid of her daughter, officers added.

A 34-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault, in connection to this incident and remains on bail, police confirmed.

A spokesperson for the force said: "Numerous members of the public and drivers were in the area at the time.

"We are appealing for anyone who saw what happened, was travelling along the road or has dash cam footage to get in touch."

A woman's car has been damaged after stones were dropped on it from a bridge, cracking the windscreen.

Shona Nelson's car was damaged on the Lincoln bypass near Cherry Willingham on Tuesday night.

"I panicked and I screamed, because it just came from nowhere," she said.

Ms Nelson was taken to hospital, but was later discharged.

She said she was now wary of driving along the bypass, but was determined not to let the attack curtail her driving.

Lincolnshire councillor Richard Davies, who has responsibility for the county's highways, said he was glad Ms Nelson was not injured and added that the authority would take action.

"Certainly we'll work with partner agencies to see if there is anything we can do, but really this needs the full weight of the law to come down on them."

Lincolnshire Police have not confirmed if the attack is being investigated.

Hull KR have two further Super League fixtures postponed after a Covid-19 outbreak sees another eight players test positive.

Pritti Mistry
BBC News

A woman who was assaulted by convicted killer Gary Allen (pictured) says she can start to move on with her life.

Image source, Humberside Police

Gary Allen, 47, was jailed for a minimum of 37 years at Sheffield Crown Court yesterday for strangling Samantha Class, 29, in Hull in 1997 and Alena Grlakova, 38, in Rotherham in December 2018.

He was tried and cleared of Ms Class's murder in February 2000 but the acquittal was quashed last year after he was charged with killing Ms Grlakova.

Just weeks after he was acquitted of murdering Ms Class, Allen assaulted two sex workers in separate attacks in Plymouth, for which he was convicted and jailed.

One of his surviving victims, who wishes to remain anonymous, told me she became "very emotional" as she watched, via video link, the judge passing sentence on her attacker.

"I watched it and oh my God I'm absolutely buzzing and relieved," she said.

"I finally can feel safe and try and put this behind me.

"So very pleased with the result."

Image source, Humberside Police and South Yorkshire Police