BBC Radio York

Hospitality and tourism businesses in York and North Yorkshire say the summer season has been "phenomenal".

They say the county has seen a big increase in visitor numbers this year as people choose to holiday in places such as Scarborough and Whitby, rather than travel abroad.

Image source, Scarborough North Bay Railway

Steve Johnson, the manager of the Scarborough North Bay Railway (pictured), told BBC Radio York they were about 20% up in July and August compared to 2019, with between 1,500 and 1,600 visitors a day, when they only have capacity for about 1,800.

Jonathan Bourgoyne, who co-owns a hotel in York which opened last October, said it's been "phenomenal" and they have been "far, far busier than they ever anticipated and September is looking just as good."

Helen Massey, who operates holiday cottages at Runswick Bay, agrees. She says they've been running at "full throttle."

Earlier this year Scarborough's council leader Steve Siddons said he was hoping for a "bumper" summer season for the North Yorkshire coast's crucial tourism industry, as it recovers from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Boston United claim defender Andy Butler has left the club for a coaching role at Peterborough in an alleged "breach of contract".

Warrington Wolves will sign Hull Kingston Rovers centre Greg Minikin at the end of the 2021 Super League season.

Police are appealing for witnesses after three motorbikes were seen been ridden the wrong way along the M1 near Sheffield.

South Yorkshire Police said three motorbikes, each carrying a passenger, were spotted travelling the wrong way between J34 at Meadowhall and J35 at about 15:30 on 31 August.

Insp Jason Booth said: "These riders have not only put their own lives at risk, but also the lives of other road users.

"Their actions were incredibly dangerous, and I would urge anyone who can help us identify the riders to make contact with us as soon as possible."

The first motorcycle is a dark colour and had a green fuel container attached. The rider is described as wearing a green helmet with a grey tracksuit top and dark tracksuit bottoms. The passenger on the bike is described as wearing a black North Face gilet.

The second motorcycle is grey with the number plate removed from the rear. The rider is described as wearing no helmet, a black balaclava and black tracksuit. The passenger is described as wearing a balaclava, green jumper and navy tracksuit bottoms.

The third motorcycle is black with lime green wheels. The rider is described as wearing a white and red helmet, dark hooded jumper and black tracksuit bottoms. The passenger is described as wearing a balaclava, a dark padded jacket and grey Adidas tracksuit bottoms.

The UK's Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, will be honoured by the University of Lincoln today.

Image source, PA Media

Prof Van-Tam, who is from Boston, will be awarded a Doctor of Science by the university in recognition of his contribution to public health.

He has played a vital role in the government's response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

A photographer who has spent 50 years documenting the life of a fishing community is looking to fund a book featuring some of his work.

Image source, Alec Gill

Alec Gill, 75, has been taking pictures of Hull's Hessle Road area since he first trained his camera lens on the city's St. Andrews fish dock in 1971.

He describes himself as "tourist in his own town" and an "unwitting" chronicler of the local fishing industry's decline, which he has recorded in 6,630 images of the area and its people over the decades.

The photographer, who was born in Hull's Old Town, had several spells of work in the shipping and forwarding industry in the 1960s but did not like office life and often took to travelling and taking photographs.

Image source, Alec Gill

The book will use offset lithography printing to reproduce high-quality images and is due to be published in Spring 2022.

The Alec Gill's Hessle Road archive campaign is to be launched on Tuesday.

BBC Weather

It will be cloudy to start with the odd spell of rain. It will become drier through the morning, with sunny spells developing during the afternoon. However, the odd shower may linger.

Tonight, there may be some patchy cloud around to start, but cloud will tend to clear away with plenty of clear spells developing by the early hours. A few patches of mist or fog are likely.

Nothing of significance has been found during the latest search for clues to the suspected murder of Claudia Lawrence, police have confirmed.

Image source, PA Media

The 35-year-old chef has not been seen since she failed to turn up for work at the University of York in March 2009.

Police began a search of Sand Hutton gravel pits, about eight miles (13km) outside the city, on 24 August.

North Yorkshire Police said some items, with no obvious link to Ms Lawrence, were being assessed.

Leading the inquiry, Det Supt Wayne Fox said "nothing of obvious significance" was located during searches of part of the wooded area and in the smaller of the two lakes at the site.