Local Democracy Reporting Service

People in East Yorkshire will pay an extra £5 a month for their council services after councillors voted in favour of a hike of 3.99% in council tax.

Image source, LDRS

Jonathan Owen, leader of the ruling Conservative group, said the rise was due to financial pressures from Covid, the austerity of the previous decade, uncertainty around local authority funding and the rising cost of social care.

He said the hike would equate to an extra £5.17 a month for a Band D home, up £62.03 on the last financial year's bill to £1,616.79.

"We're a huge organisation, we provide over 600 services for more than 341,000 residents," he said.

"We're going to utilise the council tax increase to support adult social care which continues to be under pressure."

Liberal Democrat opposition leader David Nolan said the budget failed to address changes needed on local government financing, adding that council tax was an unfair way to raise funds.

Julia Lee donates signed items and scrap books to Huddersfield's Life with the Lionesses project.

A 5,000-year-old chalk sculpture of a "talismans drum" found in a grave of three children has been hailed as "one of the most significant" ancient discoveries in the UK.

Image source, The Trustees of the British Museum

It was unearthed near Burton Agnes in East Yorkshire in 2015 and will go on display at the British Museum from 17 February.

It is similar to three "Folkton drums", external found in North Yorkshire in 1889.

British Museum curator Neil Wilkin said: "This is a truly remarkable discovery, and is the most important piece of prehistoric art to be found in Britain in the last 100 years."

It was unearthed, along with the burial of three children, at a country estate - about 15 miles away from where the Folkton drums were discovered - in a routine excavation as part of a planning process and has since been the subject of extensive research.

A radiocarbon date from one of the child's bones has identified the burial to date between 3005BC and 2890BC.

BBC Weather

A widely dry and fine day, with plenty of winter sunshine. A few patches of cloud will drift in from the west at times during the afternoon and it will turn cloudier in places towards evening.

Tonight will have a dry start, with clear spells and just some patchy cloud. Thicker cloud will build in overnight, with a few patches of showery rain likely in places towards dawn.

Fire crews are tackling a blaze at a house in a Lincolnshire village.

Image source, Google

The fire began at a property in North Cockerington, near Louth, in the early hours of the morning.

There are no reports of any injuries, but Louth Road in the village has been closed, according to the Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue.

A number of fire crews from across the county are in attendance.

Daniel Barwell, who is a member of Doncaster Council, faces being extradited to the US.

An investigation is under way in West Yorkshire after fish began dying in the wake of barges.

The region's police and crime boss Jonathan Evison says most people are spiked through their drinks.

Hull midwife Paul Johnson tells a misconduct hearing he is "genuinely remorseful" for what he did.

Nicholas Hart, 33, was one of two soldiers to be found dead at the weekend.

Charlie Stevenson was cleared of murder at Lincoln Crown Court but found guilty of manslaughter.

Head coach Tony Smith says Hull KR will try to entertain in their bid to improve on 2021's Super League play-off performance.

Barnsley issue banning orders to 25 supporters for anti-social behaviour and public disorder at recent matches.

A man has been taken to hospital with injuries after he was hit over the head with a glass during a pub fight in Sheffield, police say.

Police were called at about 23:00 yesterday to reports of disorder at a pub on Robin Lane, Beighton.

The 23-year-old was taken to hospital with injuries "not believed to be life-threatening", officers said.

A 22-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

He remains in custody, South Yorkshire Police said.

Deputy West Yorkshire mayor Alison Lowe says the county's streets can be "mean and dangerous".

One farmer gathered at a protest in York says the industry is in the "worst place we've been".

Contractors at British Steel in Scunthorpe say they are paid below the nationally-agreed rate.

Simon Adderley says he will sell his part of Ingoldmells to those with "a real affinity" for nature.

An immunology expert from the University of Lincoln has said Boris Johnson’s plans to lift all remaining Covid restrictions in England - including the legal rule to self-isolate - at the end of the month, could lead to people being put at unnecessary risk by others.

Image source, PA Media

On Wednesday, the prime minister told MPs he expected the last domestic rules would end early providing the positive trends in the data continued.

However, Dr Colin Butter said although government advice to self-isolate was expected to remain in place, relying on individuals to follow the advise could prove “very challenging”.

“The problem with individual responsibility is that it works if it’s only you you are putting in danger," he said,

“But, of course, in this case the choice not to isolate if you have a communicable disease means you are making the choice to infect other people."

He said people could also come under increased pressure from employers to ignore the advice.

“The idea that you know you are infected with a virus that could infect someone else, and potentially kill them, and then go to work is insane,” he added.

Mr Butter said in his view it was a political decision, and although "this phase" of the pandemic appeared to be coming to an end in the UK and Europe "that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the pandemic".

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A home for children with special needs is to be opened in East Yorkshire.

Image source, LDRS

The converted house in Hutton Cranswick will accommodate up to six children with complex learning difficulties.

East Riding councillors were told the development would mean that fewer children requiring special support would be sent out of the area.

One local resident who objected to the proposal told the planning committee that the local roads had not been properly maintained and that the local parish council had not discussed the plan.

Officers told councillors they had followed all usual planning protocols in publicising the plans, including with site notices and by contacting the parish council, but they did not respond.

They added Watton Carrs Road, leading to the home, was lightly used and the plans were unlikely to lead to much more traffic because it would not have many visitors.

Committee chair councillor Sue Steel said some locals may have mistaken the plans as ones for a home for violent or troubled children but added its classification was specifically for children with special educational needs and disability (SEND).