Amelia, who has quadriplegic cerebral palsy, is cycling a mile a day throughout February.

Workers at a York sweet factory have voted to strike in a row over pay, a union has said.

Image source, Google

The dispute is at the Valeo site, where Fox's Glacier Mints and Mint Humbugs are manufactured, among several other brands of confectionery.

The GMB union said it would meet its members at the York site to discuss strike dates and was seeking a "fair deal" from Valeo.

The firm, which was formed in 2010, has factories in Cleckheaton, Pontefract and York, as well as three in the North West.

The site, in Low Poppleton Lane, opened in 1996.

It became Valeo following a buy-out of Tangerine in 2018 (site pictured in 2015).

As well as sweets the firm also makes toffee, fudge and chocolate products.

The dispute with Valeo was over terms and conditions as staff had been offered a below-inflation pay rise, the GMB union said.

The site had about 200 workers of which about half were GMB members, it added.

The company has been approached by the BBC for a comment.

A total of 11 people have now been arrested over the incident in Hull's Whitefriargate on Monday.

As the wilder weather subsides and the sun shines over North Yorkshire, some of our BBC Weather Watchers appear to have captured a hint of spring in the air.

Image source, Weather Watchers/Jenna Jackson

Jenna Jackson was up early to catch this golden sunrise over Scarborough harbour (above).

Image source, Weather Watchers/High Lions

High Lions captured these windswept almost perpendicular Cumulonimbus clouds over Ampleforth.

Image source, Weather Watchers/Garry Gimmick

Meanwhile, Garry Gimmick reflected on the impact of a week of storms.

"It's good news the floods are receding in York, but the sheer force of the River Ouse water has brought this tree up by its roots and concrete base," he said.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Sheffield would have seen much more flooding over the past week without its multi-million pound defences, the city council has said.

Image source, Ben Birchall/PA Wire

Storms Eunice, Dudley and Franklin all hit the city over the weekend and at the start of this week – causing serious flooding in some parts and widespread travel disruption.

But Richard Eyre, head of the city centre management team and major events, said it could have been much worse.

He said: “Although we have seen some localised flooding, Sheffield’s flood defences such as the Lower Don Valley Scheme did their job preventing property flooding and impacts have been minor.

"Without these walls and the closures of our flood gates we would have seen much more flooding.

“Maintenance and localised improvements in areas such as the Lower River Loxley and Ecclesfield have prevented the scale of impacts seen in previous flood events and we have had good feedback from businesses and residents affected."

The authority has registered six flood schemes, valued at about £120m in total, on the government’s National Flood Investment Programme.

Of those, one has so far been built – new flood defences in the Lower Don Valley which cost around £20m.

The life of an academic described as one of the world's top linguists of the 20th Century has been commemorated with the unveiling of a special blue plaque in York.

Image source, York Civic Trust

Professor Stephen "Pit" Corder, who died in 1990, is said to have inspired generations of language teachers and researchers through his innovative work examining how people learn second languages.

Prof Corder's ideas became the framework which later linguists developed into new theories and approaches.

The unveiling of the plaque at Prof Corder's childhood home in York follows a campaign by linguistics students at York St John University for wider recognition of his life and work.

Grace Jagger, one of the students involved in the campaign, says Prof Corder was a "trailblazer", adding that it is "so exciting" the plaque remembering Prof Corder has finally been unveiled.

"Years have now passed since we first sat and talked about our project. It’s a lovely feeling to have succeeded as a group," she says.

Dr Duncan Marks, from York Civic Trust says: "Pit Corder might not be a 'household name' to most of us, but his professional achievement as a founding father of applied linguistics speaks for itself.

"As a city, we should be rightly proud," he adds.

Three flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and four flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible, remain in place for York following Storm Franklin.

Image source, Garry Hornby

All three flood warnings are for the River Ouse in York or the surrounding area, according to the Environment Agency (EA).

The flood alerts cover parts of the River Ouse, Derwent and Wharfe.

In York, the River Ouse (pictured), reached what's expected to be its flood-peak level, external at 4.58m on Tuesday, with a number of properties affected by flooding.

The level has continued to fall slowly, with a reading of 3.05m, external recorded by the EA at 11:00 on Friday.

The EA said: "The forecast is for no further rainfall for the next few days, and we expect levels to continue to fall slowly."

The money will be spent on social services and vulnerable children, North East Lincs Council says.

Dog owners have been encouraged by the National Trust to stick to footpaths and to keep their pets on a short lead on a West Yorkshire moor to protect wildlife and livestock this spring.

Image source, National Trust Images/Victoria Holland

From 1 March until 31 July, dog owners should keep their dogs on a short lead of up to 6ft 7ins long while on Marsden Moor, the National Trust says.

It says springtime is a crucial time for ground-nesting birds and livestock on the moor, especially after the devastating impact previous fires there have had on the habitats of these animals.

It is also a vital time for farmers, as sheep and cows return to the moors with their young in the spring and, if disturbed, there is a possibility of miscarriage, the trust adds.

Rosie Holdsworth, countryside manager for the National Trust, external, says: "Marsden Moor is a great place to bring your dog for a walk, with miles of footpaths to explore.

"However, it’s really important to keep dogs on a short lead and stick to paths to give your rare breeding birds the best chance.

"Birds may abandon their nests if a dog comes close, even if that dog doesn’t harm or chase the bird."

Local Democracy Reporting Service

York’s council leader has called on the government to invest in a long-term, Yorkshire-wide plan to protect communities from flooding.

Image source, LDRS

The city’s defences held up against Storm Franklin, but council leader Keith Aspden (pictured left), said it was "crucial" the government kept its promise to York by taking region-wide action to tackle the problem.

He said Environment Secretary George Eustice had not yet delivered on a promise for a Yorkshire-wide flooding summit made after visiting the city in February 2020.

Senior councillors in York have called for a review of funding levels for flood defence schemes to take into account the most recent weather patterns and projections.

The River Ouse peaked on Tuesday morning at 4.58m, but the Environment Agency’s earlier predictions said it could reach 5m, sparking fears of a repeat of the disastrous 2015 floods.

Councillor Aspden said: "For years we've continued to call on governments to deliver a long-term, region-wide plan to respond to flooding.

"Every single year we have to remind ministers of the commitments they've made to York."

A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesperson said: "This financial year, we have allocated more money to Yorkshire than any other region in the country."

Eleven people have been rescued overnight after a fire broke out at a block of flats in Sheffield.

Image source, SYFR

Firefighters were called at 03:30 on Friday to reports of a blaze in a stairwell at a three-storey block of flats on Brook Hill.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said crews spent more than two hours at the scene, using ladders to rescue some of those trapped.

An investigation has begun into the cause of the fire.

BBC Weather

A sunny start to the day with some patchy cloud.

In the late afternoon further cloud will start to build in from the west. Remaining dry throughout.

Cloud cover will continue throughout the night with widespread clear spells developing.

Wind will pick up with the south-westerly breeze until dawn:

One lane is closed on the A1(M) in North Yorkshire after an HGV caught fire in the early hours of Friday morning, police say.

Image source, Sgt Paul Cording

The blaze began shortly after 04:30.

The fire is now out, but a lane remains closed northbound between J50 for the A61 (Ripon) and J51 for the A684 (Leeming Bar /Bedale).

The lane will remain closed while the lorry is emptied and recovered, officers said.

A lawyer volunteered to help after hearing about Bob Johnson's plight.

The council votes against the proposals due to concerns about the loss of land for food production.

Viacheslav Semeniuk, who lives in Leeds, says his mother was left shaking for hours after a bomb attack.

Two dogs are recovering after having to be rescued from a hole they fell into in the Yorkshire Dales.

Image source, UWFRA

Rescuers were called out to Guise Cliff near Pateley Bridge on Wednesday after terrier Pippet and red fox Labrador Pidge fell down a hole while out for a walk with their owner.

The dogs were unable to climb out of the hole and their owner couldn't reach them so had to call for help.

Image source, UWFRA

Members of the Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association went to the scene and set up a rope system which allowed them to abseil down and rescue the pair of pooches.

Rescuers said: "Apart from being a little dirty, the dogs were unharmed and were able to carry on with their walk home."

Image source, UWFRA

Charles Heslett
BBC Radio Leeds

People in West Yorkshire have been giving their reaction after all remaining coronavirus restrictions in England were lifted today.

Image source, Getty Images

The change in the law means people who test positive for Covid-19 are no longer legally required to self-isolate, although they are still advised to do so.

BBC Radio Leeds has been to Keighley to gauge people's reaction there.

Paul James (pictured above, left), manager of The Cavendish Pub, says it's "excellent news".

"To be fair, I think everyone's the same. They've just had enough now, and now that the restrictions have been lifted, they're a lot happier," he says.

"You can see it in their faces, there are just smiles everywhere now - it's good."

But Carol Taylor (pictured above, centre), who runs The MagnifiScents shop in the town's Victorian Royal Arcade, says she thinks there's still a "fear factor".

Ms Taylor says: "I think because the restrictions are being lifted, and it's a blanket lift, there's an element of the public out there that are going to be more fearful of coming out."

Meanwhile, some people don't think it's going to make much difference.

Austin Catterill (pictured above, right) says: "I feel like people have returned to normal pretty much like, I'd say, for a month now or a couple of months."

Two shop workers in Hull city centre were injured in a "shocking" attack caught on CCTV, police say.

A main route across the Pennines is to be closed for at least a month because of multiple landslides brought on by recent storms.

Image source, Derbyshire County Council

The A57 Snake Pass crosses the Pennines from Sheffield to Manchester.

It was shut on Monday when inspectors found the road has slipped in three places in a mile-long section.

Derbyshire County Council says the ground is still moving, external and no repairs can be carried out until it's stabilised.

Robert Largan, MP for High Peak, says: "Clearly this will mean even worse traffic on the Woodhead Pass through Tintwistle and through the Hope Valley too.

"I am in constant contact with the highways authority to try and get this fixed and quickly and safely as possible."

A spokesperson for Derbyshire County Council said: "It's too early to say when the road will be able to reopen following any necessary repairs due to the unstable nature of the ground."

Councillor Kewal Singh Athwal added: "With the ground underneath the road surface expected to continue to move, in the interests of everyone’s safety we simply cannot allow traffic to use the road.

"It's not known how long it will take the ground to stabilise before thorough assessments can be carried out."