The 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games are under way, with a number of West Yorkshire athletes competing, including Halifax wheelchair racer Hannah Cockcroft.

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The opening ceremony has taken place, with 539 events across 22 sports now starting.

"Hurricane Hannah" Cockcroft, the five-time Paralympic champion, said she had made the most of the extra training time due to last year's postponement because of the Covid pandemic.

She said: "I actually really enjoyed that part of the process, just going back to thinking, which parts of the sport do I enjoy?

"I thought there are no competitions to aim for, no times to beat, I'm just going to have fun.

"I think that really gave me some passion back, to get in this year and really want to do well."

Patients who attend Hull Royal Infirmary's Accident and Emergency department with routine or non-urgent problems could be sent to other treatment centres, a hospital trust says.

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Demand at the hospital's A&E continues to escalate, with about 400 patients attending each day, according to Hull University Teaching Hospitals Trust.

Waiting times in the department are longer than normal, it adds.

Dr Makani Purva, chief medical officer for the trust, says: "The whole of the health system across East Yorkshire is under significant pressure right now.

"This is likely to be due to a combination of more patients seeking help for problems they didn’t feel able to during the height of the Covid pandemic, rising Covid-19 infection rates in the local area, and our hospitals attempting to catch up on waiting lists and planned surgery which were also postponed during the pandemic."

As a result of current pressures, hospital staff could refer people with a routine problem to Story Street Primary Care Centre or other nearby urgent treatment centres, including those in Bransholme, Beverley, Goole or Bridlington, the trust says.

It tweeted the latest information along with the hashtag #HelpUsToHelpYou

A caravan fire in which a toddler died was "well-established" and needed "aggressive firefighting" to put it out, Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue has said.

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Emergency crews were called to the static caravan on fire at Sealands in Ingoldmells at about 22:30 last night.

A two-year-old girl died in the fire, while her mother and three siblings managed to escape the blaze and have since been released from hospital.

Matt King, divisional commander for east division at Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: "Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the family at this time.

"Our fire investigation team will be working with CSI colleagues from Lincolnshire Police to complete a full investigation into the cause of the fire."

He added: "All firefighters have been offered welfare support and once investigations are complete local fire crews and our community fire safety team will be on hand to talk to people in the area and address any fire safety concerns at what will be an upsetting time."

The River Wharfe in part of West Yorkshire has been named the country's worst polluted bathing spot.

The stretch of the river in Ilkley has bacteria levels 20 times higher than is considered safe, according to the Environment Agency (EA).

The popular bathing spot became the first in England to become a designated bathing site last year, meaning pollution will be monitored.

Becky Malby, from the Ilkley Clean River Group, said: "About a third of the year, the Ashlands sewage plant at Ilkley discharges raw sewage into the river, and downstream of that children paddle and swim.

"At least we have the EA, Ofwat, Yorkshire Water and ourselves in the same room now and we are hoping we are going to have a route to a solution to the problem by the end of the year."

Yorkshire Water has said it is "committed to improving water quality by reducing discharges from sewer overflow points" on the River Wharfe.

About 50 people had to leave their homes at a caravan park in Lincolnshire and stay in emergency accommodation overnight following a fire in which a two-year-old girl died, police have said.

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The emergency services were called to Sealands caravan park at Ingoldmells at about 22:30 on Monday, where a caravan was ablaze.

A woman and three of her children managed to escape, but a fourth, a two-year-old girl, died, Lincolnshire Police have confirmed.

Several people living in caravans in the immediate area of the blaze were asked to leave and had to use emergency accommodation set up at the nearby Laver Leisure site.

A force spokesperson has described the death of the girl as "devastating".

An investigation team will remain on scene at the caravan park throughout the day while the initial stages of an investigation into the blaze are carried out, police say.

Anyone with information about what happened is being asked to contact the Lincolnshire force.

The death of child in a fire at a caravan site in Lincolnshire is "devastating for all involved", police have said.

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Emergency crews were called to reports of a caravan ablaze at Sealands Caravan Park in Ingoldmells at about 22:30 last night.

A woman and three of her children managed to escape the blaze safely, but a two-year-old girl died.

Det Insp Jo Fortune, from Lincolnshire Police, said: "We are in the very early stages of our investigations and the circumstances which led to the fire are not yet clear. We will be working closely with specialist teams to understand what happened.

"We would like to appeal to anyone who was there last night and has not yet spoken to police to come forward, and for anyone with video footage to please share that with officers to add to our intelligence of the incident.

"This is particularly harrowing, with a family losing a child, and we’d ask that people remember those victims and not share footage online.”

Anyone who saw what happened, or who has footage of the fire, is being asked to contact Lincolnshire Police.

A two-year-old girl has died in a fire at a caravan park in Lincolnshire, police have confirmed.

Image source, Google

Emergency services were called to Sealands caravan park at Ingoldmells at about 22:30 on Monday, where a caravan was ablaze.

A woman and three of her children managed to escape, but a fourth, a little girl, died, Lincolnshire Police have said.

The woman and three children received medical attention at hospital and have since been released.

More to follow.

A two-year-old child has died in a fire at a caravan site in Ingoldmells, police have said.

More to follow.

Several people staying at a caravan park on the Lincolnshire coast had to be moved to emergency accommodation overnight after a fire broke out.

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Fire crews were called to Sealands in Ingoldmells on Monday night and several caravans near the scene were evacuated.

Police officers remained at the scene on Tuesday morning.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with a shooting in South Yorkshire last week.

Police were called to Bentley Road in Doncaster at about 23:55 on Wednesday 18 August following reports a man had been seriously injured.On arrival, officers discovered a 24-year-old man with injuries consistent with a firearms discharge. He was taken to hospital where he remains.

A 25-year-old man from Rotherham was arrested on Monday on suspicion of attempted murder and remains in custody, according to South Yorkshire Police.

Anyone with information about the incident, or who saw what happened, is being asked to contact police.

An incident in which a man fell from a hotel window in Bridlington is not being treated as suspicious, police have confirmed.

Officers were called to reports of the man falling from a second floor window at The Hilderthorpe Hotel, on Hilderthorpe Road, at about 04:50 on Saturday.

He was taken to hospital where he remains in a critical condition.

Humberside Police say: "We have conducted an initial investigation and there are not thought to be any suspicious circumstances relating to the incident."

Anyone with information, or who may have witnessed the incident, is being urged to contact police.

Two car drivers and three pedestrians were taken to hospital following a crash in Lincoln which saw one vehicle leave the road and hit spectators at a car meet in Lincoln, police say.

The cars crashed on Whisby Road in front of a crowd of spectators at about 22:00 on Saturday.

Four people remain in hospital today, three with serious injuries and one person in a critical condition, according to Lincolnshire Police.

Meanwhile, one other person who was treated in hospital for their injuries as a result of the crash has since been discharged.

Insp Jason Baxter said he was "not in a position to comment on the exact circumstances" surrounding the incident and he confirmed that no police officers were at the event before the crash took place.

It was "too early to say exactly what happened" but the force was looking at mobile phone and dashcam footage and other evidence, he said.

He urged anyone organising a car meet to contact police beforehand so they could work together.

There was nothing illegal in getting together to look at cars in a group, Insp Baxter said.

However, if any anti-social behaviour or driving offences took place then police would "deal robustly" with that, he added.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Plans have been submitted to replace a Sheffield park pavilion four years after the original was destroyed in an arson attack.

Image source, Local Democracy Reporting Service

The pavilion at Bolehills Recreation Ground in Crookes was badly damaged in 2017, with park users ever since calling for a replacement to be built.

Sheffield City Council said funding issues had caused problems and promised a new space for bowlers, community groups and park users.

In July, councillor Tim Huggan criticised the lengthy delay, saying: “Local people will quite rightly be cross with the council for once again failing to provide the promised pavilion in a reasonable time.”

Now, a planning application has been submitted by consultants Castle Owen on behalf of the council, with work scheduled to begin in 2022.

Police have released this image of a man they want to speak to in connection with three ram-raids in Rotherham:

Image source, South Yorkshire Police

A black Jeep was reportedly used to target two supermarkets and a retail park unit in quick succession during the early hours of 20 July.

Men were seen leaving the vehicle at Parkgate Retail Park, a supermarket in Claypit Lane in Rawmarsh and another store in Hill Top Lane.

A large quantity of cigarettes and alcohol was stolen during the raids, South Yorkshire Police say.

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

BBC Weather

Today will start mostly cloudy or overcast with the odd spell of light rain or drizzle.

In the afternoon, it will continue largely cloudy, but a few brighter spells may develop between the cloud.

This evening a few brighter spells are possible but overnight will continue mostly cloudy or overcast.

A few mist or fog patches are also possible.

The English cricket season moves on from The Hundred to this week's four T20 Blast quarter-finals.

David Taylor assaulted girls at a school near Grantham for children with special educational needs.

Work has started on a project to transform a brutalist West Yorkshire office block which has stood empty for 25 years.

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High Point in Bradford is the former headquarters of the Huddersfield and Bradford Building Society and was built in the 1970s.

The building on Providence Street was considered to be a beacon of modernity when it was first built, however it has deteriorated while standing empty.

It is an example of brutalist architecture, which was a movement characterised by exposed concrete in geometric patterns.

The £11m redevelopment will see the tower block converted into 87 one and two-bedroom apartments and aims to be complete next year.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Visiting restrictions at Grimsby hospital have been extended due to the number of Covid patients, it's been confirmed.

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People will only be able to visit patients at the town's Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in exceptional circumstances under the rules.

The suspension was introduced on Friday, and hospital bosses made the decision to extend it today.

They say the visiting "pause" will help protect staff, patients and visitors from coronavirus.

Grimsby hospital currently has 32 patients, with six of the eight beds in ICU occupied.

Visitors will only be allowed in when a patient is at the end of their life, is suffering from admission-related anxiety or has communication difficulties, learning difficulties or dementia.

No changes have been made to visiting at the family services building for maternity and children’s service, which remains open as usual.

A statement from Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Trust says: "We’ve taken this decision due to an increase in the number of positive coronavirus patients being cared for, and to minimise the risk of spreading the virus within the hospital. Thank you for your understanding.”

Appointments and operations will continue unless patients are contacted by the hospital, the trust adds.

Tracy Gee
BBC Radio Leeds

A Leeds musician has been talking about his experiences of racism as a new campaign to tackle it starts in West Yorkshire.

“If someone wants to be racist or judge me, that’s on them. I don’t want to have those same ignorant emotions within me," said rap artist Graft.

The 22-year-old, whose real name is Jovanni Sterling, has spoken to BBC Radio Leeds as almost 500 organisations, including sports clubs and councils, sign-up to the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership's Root Out Racism campaign, external.

Graft said people's actions, however small, can hurt: "I was walking on the street and it might have been cold. I’d have my hood up.

"Two white elderly people crossed the road, just because I had my hood up. But little did they know I’m a very polite, respectable and loving young man.”

Graft has Jamaican heritage and said he was highly influenced by his Caribbean roots.

He said some of his music also addressed the issue of racism: "I just focus on what makes me feel good - and what makes me feel good is love."