Local Democracy Reporting Service

A council boss is on paid leave while an investigation's held into a party she held during Covid restrictions.

Image source, Kate Josephs

Sheffield City Council's chief executive Kate Josephs went on annual leave last week after admitting and apologising for hosting a drinks gathering in her former role as director general of the government’s Covid Taskforce.

When asked if she was back at work in her £190,000 role, Sheffield Council said she was now on "paid leave".

A cross-party committee has been established to decide whether to take no further action, give an informal warning or to investigate further.

Council leader Terry Fox said: "I want to reassure everyone that business continues as usual for the council, and we remain focused on delivering for Sheffield."

Ms Josephs released a statement and apologised about the party just minutes before a national newspaper published the story.

She had repeatedly denied she'd been involved in any Downing Street parties.

Her statement said she had gathered with colleagues that were at work that day but it was later revealed an email was sent to 40 guests.

A cyclist hit by a lorry in Northallerton has died, police say.

Image source, Google

The lorry and cyclist collided at the roundabout connecting Brompton Road and Quaker Lane just before 15:00 on Saturday.

The cyclist, a local man in his 40s who was riding a dark-coloured bike, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Officers said the lorry involved was a Scania HGV.

Anyone who saw what happened, or with relevant dashcam footage, is asked to contact police.

Scunthorpe sign Mansfield forward Tyrese Sinclair on loan until the end of the season.

Richard Madden
BBC Radio Humberside

A project to revamp the Albert Avenue Pools will see an extra £1.4m to improve an outdoor lido and allow it to accommodate competitive swimming.

Image source, Hull City Council

The investment, which now totals around £6m, will see the heated lido reopen after it was closed 30 years ago as well as the construction of a large gym and fitness studio, the refurbishment and redecoration of the whole building and the replacement of all the mechanical and electrical systems, along with new heating and ventilation systems.

Image source, Hull City Council

Councillor Daren Hale, leader of Hull City Council, said: "After already planning to bring back the city’s only lido in over 30 years, we’ve today gone a step further to ensure the facility is the best in the region.

"These additions will mean sports clubs will be able to hold events such as water polo matches, something that hasn’t been possible before."

Work on site will begin at the end of this month, with the centre expected to reopen to the public in summer 2023.

A play area in the Rotherham suburb where the comedy duo grew up could be named in their honour.

BBC Radio Humberside

High Street retailer New Look has confirmed its Grimsby town centre store will be closing but says the decision was forced on them.

Image source, Google

The branch, based in the Freshney Place Shopping Centre, will cease trading later this month and BBC Radio Humberside has been told its because the landlord has decided to "exit the lease early".

A spokesperson for New Look said: "Regrettably the New Look store in Freshney Place will be closing in January.

"It was not our decision to close the store, we are focusing on supporting our store colleagues and where possible finding alternative roles for them within the business."

The BBC has contacted Freshney Place Shopping Centre for comment.

BBC Radio York

A North Yorkshire farmer has said he has a backlog of around 4,000 pigs which should have been slaughtered weeks ago.

Richard Lister, who farms near Boroughbridge said: "It's a lot of extra pigs to feed, feed is at an all-time high in terms of price, that's having a huge impact on our cash flow. All pig farmers are requiring a friendly bank manager at the moment."

A labour shortage at abattoirs and the pandemic have been blamed for the problems.

In October, the National Farmers' Union warned pig farmers are facing a "human disaster" due to the staffing shortage.

Farmers are already having to destroy healthy pigs due to a backlog on farms, the union said.

It is estimated that at least 10,000 pigs in Yorkshire have already been culled - and farmers say the cost of keeping those which remain is "crippling."

Last year, some farmers claimed the problem was the biggest crisis to hit the industry since the 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak.

The government says it has brought in a range of measures to help the industry, including 800 temporary visas for European pork butchers.

The arrested man was also uninsured and disqualified from the road when he was stopped, say police.

The Pulp Fiction actor is spotted in the city centre as he reprises his role of super-spy Nick Fury.

A pedestrian was left injured in a suspected hit-and-run incident outside a Ripon supermarket, police said.

Image source, Google

A man in his 40s was taken to hospital after being injured by a white van outside Morrisons in Littlethorpe, at about 18:40 on Saturday, according to North Yorkshire Police.

The incident followed an alleged theft at the store, officers said.

A spokesperson for the force said: "The van did not stop at the scene and so we are appealing for information to help identify the vehicle and its occupants."

Anyone who saw the collision, or who has any dashcam footage from the area at the time, is asked to contact police.

BBC Radio Leeds

Film star Samuel L Jackson was spotted filming scenes for his latest blockbuster in Leeds this weekend.

Image source, Milner Creative

Scenes for Disney's Marvel Studios show Secret Invasion are being shot in West Yorkshire.

Leeds city centre streets were closed to allow filming to take place.

Image source, Milner Creative

The star was spotted filming scenes and visiting restaurants.

Some very expensive looking props were spotted parked too.

Special sets have been built for further scenes to be shot at The Piece Hall in Halifax.

A man who is believed to have threatened to kill his victim after grabbing them around the throat is being hunted by police in Lincolnshire.

Image source, West Yorkshire Police

The man is said to have threatened to stab the shocked victim outside the Co-op on Monks Road in Lincoln, just after 22:00 on 22 December last year, police said.

Lincolnshire Police believe the man pictured has information about the incident.

The suspect is described as white, about 5ft 7in and aged in his late teens or early twenties.

He was wearing a dark tracksuit, a dark hat, and carrying multiple sports/gym bags.

Anyone who recognises the man in the CCTV image is asked to contact police.

Bradford City sign Portsmouth goalkeeper Alex Bass on loan until the end of the season.

Police are urging witnesses to come forward after a man died when the car he was travelling in left the road in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire.

Image source, Google

A silver Hyundai travelling on Whitehall Road towards the M62 roundabout at Chain Bar left the road and ended up in a field at about 05:00 on Saturday, according to West Yorkshire Police.

Four men who suffered minor injuries in the incident were arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, officers said.

Police believe another man in the car left the crash scene before officers arrived.

Anyone who saw the incident, or how the vehicle was being driven before to the collision, is asked to contact police.

BBC Weather

This morning will see a few mist and fog patches lift to leave a dry and cloudy day with occasional sunny spells.

Tonight will see variable cloud with occasional clear spells and some mist and fog patches developing:

Football clubs across Lincolnshire are to hold a minute's applause in memory of Ted Vines.

Ant, the runaway marsupial, was caught in a trap in Bourne, Lincolnshire, but has escaped again.

Escaped marsupial Ant leaves behind friend Dec when he escapes from a petting farm in Lincolnshire.

Doctor Who and Broadchurch actor Jodie Whittaker investigates her family history. On her dad’s side, she looks into a romantic story she has been told about how her beloved grandmother Greta came to be given the middle name Verdun - also the name of a First World War battle fought shortly before Greta was born. The truth Jodie uncovers about Greta’s eldest brother’s sacrifice in that war is far more poignant than the family myth. On her mum’s side, Jodie gets to the bottom of how her great-great-grandfather worked his way up from child labourer in a Yorkshire coal mine to mine owner, and how his sons kept the family’s mines open during the biggest miners’ strikes of the 1920s.

What happened to the babies born to black American soldiers and white British women during World War Two?