Mother of three-year-old fears swapping trained nurses for carers may cost her daughter her life.

BBC Radio Leeds

A housing helpline in Bradford received more than 8,000 calls from people who were either homeless, or believed they faced the threat of homelessness, during the pandemic.

Image source, Getty Images/Nathan Stirk

The calls were made to Housing Options, a Bradford Council-run service.

The numbers are revealed in a new report about the wider impact of Covid-19 and lockdown on people living in poverty, and how officials are trying to tackle it.

It says: “The impact of, and response to, the pandemic has created a new poverty landscape.

“The pandemic has deepened existing inequalities, highlighted emerging ones such as digital exclusion and a debt crisis, and resulted in a wide range of strategies and policies being renewed and redeveloped.”

Bradford’s “Everyone’s In” programme was launched at the start of the pandemic to provide temporary housing for the homeless.

It helped 435 people to get off the streets, and 283 to move to more permanent housing.

Other measures to reduce poverty in Bradford during the pandemic included providing 3,000 laptops for home learning and 23,000 children who receive free school meals getting access to free sporting activities.

The scheme created by Essex Police is now being rolled out to other forces.

A hotspot for underage drinking and alcohol-related crime is to be the focus of a new campaign to cut out booze-fuelled problems.

Image source, UGC

North Yorkshire Police are planning a mix of education and enforcement to help cut bad behaviour across Richmondshire - with Richmond Falls one of the key areas.

The area sees large groups of young people congregate and during the first coronavirus lockdown in 2020 a group of about 100 people gathered for a party (pictured above).

The campaign will be delivered through a Community Alcohol Partnership (CAP) which will see police working with retailers, schools, neighbourhood groups, Trading Standards, local authorities and other emergency and health services.

PCSO Helenor Gwatkin, who is leading the launch for North Yorkshire Police, said residents had told the police the impact of booze-fuelled bad behaviour had on their community.

She added: “We’ve listened to what they’ve said and we’re launching an initiative that will address these concerns head-on. It’ll also help keep young people safe and healthy."

The CAP will also focus on Richmond town centre, and will also work with residents and schools in neighbouring Colburn and Catterick Garrison.

BBC Weather

This morning, areas of mist will clear early to reveal sunny spells. It will continue mostly fine and dry into the afternoon, some areas of cloud will develop in places.

This evening there will be late spells of sunshine. It will remain mostly clear and calm through the night. A few areas of mist will develop towards dawn.

A man arrested and handcuffed by police was able to escape from custody when a woman opened the rear door of the car he was being held in.

Image source, West Yorkshire Police

West Yorkshire Police believe the woman pictured may have information on how the man, detained after officers were called to a fight on Briggate in Leeds, was able to flee the vehicle.

The man was again detained by officers nearby, following the incident in the early hours of 6 August.

He has since been charged with escaping lawful custody.

As Boston United prepare for the FA Cup this weekend, superfan Prof Jonathan Van-Tam talks selfies, vaccinating his heroes, and turning his house into a Pilgrims shrine.

Police say the farm discovered in Boston was capable of producing drugs worth millions of pounds.

A motorcyclist has died following a collision between his bike and a car on the A64 near Malton, say police.

Image source, Google

The biker, who North Yorkshire Police say was in his 70s, was riding his purple BMW eastbound when it collided with a white Ford EcoSport travelling in the same direction.

Emergency services attended the incident, which happened at 14:20 on Wednesday, but the motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene.

A female pillion passenger on the bike was taken to hospital. Her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collision is under way.

The incident has also been referred to the police watchdog as a police training exercise was taking place in the area at the time.

Giles McNeill, ex-leader of West Lindsey council, faces allegations of theft, fraud and forgery.

The Yorkshire Wildlife Park tiger has undergone a "knock-down" so an X-ray could be carried out.

A man is in a critical condition after the car he was travelling in crashed into a house and demolished the living room.

Image source, Google

The 20-year-old was in a Ford Fiesta when it left Thornton Lane in High Marishes, near Malton, smashed through a fence and into the home at 03:25 today.

North Yorkshire Police say the owners of the property were in bed at the time but were able to get to safety and alert the emergency services.

The driver, a 19-year-old man from the Driffield area of East Yorkshire, was arrested and has been released under investigation.

Police believe the car travelled from around York and have appealed for anyone who may have seen it prior to the crash to get in touch with them.

Natalie Glanvill
Reporter BBC Radio Humberside

Healthcare workers are receiving abuse from patients about things they simply have no control over, according to a new report out today.

The Humberside Group of Local Medical Committees, a body which represents GPs and their surgeries across the Humber region, has launched a new campaign to tackle the abuse.

It says doctors, nurses and receptionists have wasted time dealing with aggressive people when that time could have been better spent treating patients.

The research also found that many patients thought GP surgeries had been “almost closed” or working at reduced capacity during the past 18 months.

Dr Dan Roper, chair of NHS Hull Clinical Commissioning Group, says "Patients had to contact the surgery by telephone during covid that was because of an NHS directive, that was orders from above. Recently there's been a supply problem for blood bottles in the NHS and GPs were blamed for that by patients, it's absolutely not the GPs fault if there aren't any blood bottles."

"When things go wrong and people are upset and angry and frustrated they often take it out on people who aren't really responsible."

A report finds just two out of 181 commemorative signs in Leeds honour its notable black residents.

Care providers say sacking staff could lead to homes being unable to admit patients.

A new police operation is under way in York following a spate of burglaries.

Image source, North Yorkshire Police

Since the start of August 2021, more than 20 thefts have occurred in the Heworth, Clifton, Osbaldwick and Tang Hall areas.

North Yorkshire Police say in most cases the break-ins have happened after 20:00 with keys, bank cards and handbags being taken after thieves were able to get in through unlocked doors or open windows.

To combat the thefts, officers are running Operation Joypad, aimed a raising awareness among residents of safety measures to combat thieves.

PCSOs will also be carrying out extra patrols and checking doors and windows.

Insp Lee Pointon (pictured above) said: “It is a sad fact that opportunist thieves won’t hesitate to walk into your house and steal your laptop, phone, car keys and any other valuables they can get their hands on."

The annual German Christmas market in Leeds has been cancelled for a second year due to uncertainties over coronavirus.

Image source, Getty Images

The event, which draws tens of thousands of people to the city's Millenium Square, was initially cancelled due to the pandemic in 2020.

However, it was announced by the people behind the square that this year's event is off.

A spokesperson for Millenium Square said: "Our partners in Frankfurt have taken this difficult decision due to ongoing uncertainty around the pandemic throughout 2021.

"This has affected their ability to plan for this year's event.

"Whilst we know this is disappointing, alongside other partners in Leeds, we are currently planning a number of exciting alternative ways to celebrate the festive season which will animate Millennium Square and other spaces around the city centre."

BBC Radio Leeds

A woman from Halifax is calling for a change in the law to ensure people in care homes are not left isolated in the event of another lockdown.

Penny Hutchinson (pictured) is a member of the Rights for Residents campaign group and will hand in a petition to Downing Street this lunchtime.

She is classed as an Essential Care Giver (ECG) for her mother, who lives in a residential home.

Ms Hutchinson said: "Mum seems to have come alive now we can visit again and she's more chatty and smiling.

"We have many members who still see their loved ones through a window and some care homes are not allowing residents access to an Essential Care Giver."

The government guidance currently says an ECG should be able to visit a home, even if there is an outbreak of Covid-19. Penny wants that status to be protected by law.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Around 350 front-line staff at Harrogate District Hospital have not been fully vaccinated against Covid, it has been revealed.

Image source, Google

That figure represents just under 10% of the 3,598 patient-facing staff at the hospital and was revealed by Dr Jacqueline Andrews, executive medical director at the Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust.

She said the trust was urging all remaining staff to get doubled jabbed and that managers were speaking with those workers who may have concerns.

It's also emerged that across North Yorkshire around 430 care home workers have not been vaccinated.

Today is the deadline for care home staff to have their first jabs ahead of it becoming mandatory in November for people working in the sector to have been vaccinated.

Armed robbers stole Leeds United replica kits in a raid on a sports store in the city, police say.

Image source, PA Media

Two men, armed with a knife and screwdriver, began stealing kits and clothing at JD Sports at Seacroft Shopping Centre on Tuesday at 16:18.

West Yorkshire Police say the robbers were challenged by store staff and when a scuffle ensued members of the public tried to help the stricken workers.

The thieves ran to a grey Vauxhall Astra where a third suspect produced a machete. The trio then drove off onto Seacroft Crescent knocking down a sign in the car park on the way.

Most of the stolen items were recovered at the scene, added a police spokesperson.

Det Insp Richard Holmes said: “This was obviously a distressing experience for the staff who were confronted by these suspects who were armed with weapons.

“Despite this, they and members of the public felt able to intervene and challenge the robbers causing them to leave most if not all the items they were trying to steal."