BBC Local Live: Sheffield and South Yorkshire on Friday 22 April

Summary

Alton Towers admits safety breach over crash which injured Barnsley teenagers
Axe attack police officer 'recovering well' in hospital say colleagues in Sheffield
Former Darfield Co-op manager jailed for stealing £90,000 of stamps
Plans for new travellers' site at Swallownest rejected after residents' complaints
Updates on Friday 22 April 2016

Live Reporting

Kate Linderholm

MPs Ed Miliband and Rosie Winterton at Doncaster Business Conferencepublished at 13:49 British Summer Time 22 April 2016
Kevin Larkin
Doncaster Reporter, BBC Radio Sheffield
It's the second annual Doncaster Business Conference today. Local MPs Ed Miliband and Rosie Winterton are attending.
Image source, Doncaster Chamber of Commerce
It's hosted by the Doncaster Chamber of Commerce at the The Legacy Centre and has three main themes this year:
- Northern Powerhouse and devolution
- How the town is represented regionally, nationally and internationally
- Skills and aspirations
Prince tribute from Sheffield musician and producer Martyn Warepublished at 13:26 British Summer Time 22 April 2016
Toby Foster
Presenter, BBC Radio Sheffield
The founding member of two Sheffield bands - Heaven 17 and the Human League - has been paying tribute to Prince who died yesterday aged 57.
Image source, AFP
Quote Message
He was my favourite 80s artist. He was from the black community, he championed black music but was very popular with a white audience. He was influenced by all the soul greats but also he synthesised rock music into all this, plus the fashion, plus the business sense, what more do you want?
Martyn Ware
Martyn Ware told me why he was such an influential musician and songwriter:
Weather: Sunny spells but feeling coolerpublished at 13:08 British Summer Time 22 April 2016
Kay Crewdson
Weather presenter, BBC Look North
Another fine day with plenty of sunny spells, although it will feel rather cool compared to Thursday, especially in the breeze.
A dry end to the day with clear spells overnight allowing a frost to form.
Through the second half of the night, scattered wintry showers will spread from the north.
Bernie Clifton celebrates 80th birthday with BBC Radio Sheffield listenerspublished at 12:45 British Summer Time 22 April 2016
Kate Linderholm
BBC Local Live, Sheffield
Entertainer Bernie Clifton who recently appeared on the BBC One show The Voice has been celebrating turning 80 today.
He's been presented with a cake marking his years with the BBC on the children's show Crackerjack.
He's also been recording his Live-ish show, which goes out tomorrow, in the BBC Radio Sheffield's Open Centre, wearing a football shirt with the legend "Clifton 80".
Support for cycle safety campaign on tram tracks in Sheffieldpublished at 12:24 British Summer Time 22 April 2016
Cyclists in Sheffield have been vocal on Twitter today in support of the campaign to highlight the number of accidents on the city's tram tracks.
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Watch: Cycle campaigners highlight injuries on Sheffield tram trackspublished at 12:10 British Summer Time 22 April 2016
Tom Ingall
Journalist, BBC Look North
More than 200 cyclists have had accidents on Sheffield's tram tracks in the past two years.
That's according to campaign group Cycle Sheffield, which is calling for improvements to the network. It says some cyclists have suffered serious injuries.
Motorist fined £100 for brief stop near Doncaster Airportpublished at 11:49 British Summer Time 22 April 2016
Nick Wilson
BBC Radio Sheffield
A man from Sheffield is challenging the parking fine he got on a road next to Doncaster Airport.
Paul Armitage says he stopped for 38 seconds and was fined £100 - or £2.63 a second. He was shocked when the fine arrived in the post:
Quote Message
I stopped for 38 seconds to speak to my wife according to the photographic record. I think that's the most expensive phone call I've ever made to her in my life. I think it's scandalous. It's just a money-making exercise as far as I'm concerned.
Paul Armitage
A representative for Vehicle Control Services Ltd sent a statement disputing the length of the stay by nine seconds:
Quote Message
The driver of the vehicle in question was stationary at the time observed and remained so for the duration of the CCTV footage which was 47 seconds; there were two of the warning signs in close proximity to the stationary vehicle."
Sheffield cyclists call for improvements after hundreds of bike tram track accidentspublished at 11:39 British Summer Time 22 April 2016
Andy Kershaw
BBC Radio Sheffield News
The campaign group CycleSheffield has received 280 reports of accidents on tram tracks in the city since it set up www.tramcrash.co.u, external k, external in January 2015 to allow cyclists to report incidents they've been involved in.
Image source, Cycle Sheffield
The group says 228 of these accidents have occurred in the past two years, a rate of over nine per month, with many resulting in serious injuries.
Cyclist Lucie Oates, who had an accident, said:
Quote Message
As I turned right at the end of Dykes Hall Lane my front wheel went into tram line and I flew off and landed on my knees and hands. I have a bruised bone in my left knee and am still receiving physiotherapy for it eight months later and I damaged my index finger. I used my bike to commute to and from work and can no longer do it. The thought of going anywhere near the tram lines is really scary to me."
Lucie Oates
Smiler crash: Operator says 'we have sought to support those injured'published at 11:24 British Summer Time 22 April 2016
A statement has been released by the operator of the Smiler ride at Alton Towers after it pleaded guilty to an office under the Health and Safety Act.
Image source, West Midlands Ambulance Service
Five people, two of them from Barnsley, were seriously injured when their carriage collided with another one at the amusement park in June last year.
The park's owner Merlin Attractions Operations Limited says:
Quote Message
From the outset, the company has accepted responsibility for what happened in June last year and it has cooperated fully with the Health & Safety Executive in its investigation. We have sought to provide help and support to all those injured in the accident and will continue to do so."
Smiler Crash: Victims recovery will be 'a lifelong process'published at 11:07 British Summer Time 22 April 2016
The owners of Alton Towers have been told they face a large fine after admitting safety breaches on the Smiler rollercoaster ride.
Joe Pugh and Leah Washington, both from Barnsley, were among five people seriously injured when the Smiler ride crashed on June 2015.
Leah was one of two women who needed a leg amputation.
Image source, Facebook
A statement's been released by the solicitors Stewarts Law who represent the most seriously injured:
Quote Message
Today is not seen as a victory; the families are not motivated by retribution, but inevitably this guilty plea will be a milestone along the way to psychological rehabilitation. Regrettably the physical recovery will be a lifelong process."
Statement from Stewarts Law
Latest headlines: Alton Towers admits Smiler ride breaches and Sheffield musician pays tribute to Princepublished at 10:49 British Summer Time 22 April 2016
Everard Davy
BBC Radio Sheffield News
The top stories for Sheffield and South Yorkshire include:
- Alton Towers operator Merlin admits health and safety failure over rollercoaster crash last year which seriously injured five people, two of them from Barnsley
- Sheffield musician Martyn Ware - of the Human League and Heaven 17 - says Prince was his favourite artist from the 80s in tribute to singer who died yesterday
- There's a big business conference, external going on in Doncaster
'Very large fine' warning over Alton Towers safety breachpublished at 10:43 British Summer Time 22 April 2016
Everard Davy
BBC Radio Sheffield News
Alton Towers operator Merlin has pleaded guilty to a charge of breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act over the Smiler rollercoaster crash in June last year which left five people seriously injured, two of them from Barnsley.
Image source, West MIdlands Ambulance Service
The Health and Safety Executive said it was a mechanically sound ride but there weren't sufficient safeguards in place when there was a static train on the ride.
The computer correctly showed there was a static empty train on the ride, staff didn't see it and overrode the computer.
The case will go for sentencing at a later date. District Judge Jack McGarva warned the company "may be ordered to pay a very large fine".
Alton Towers owners plead guilty to health and safety breaches on Smiler ridepublished at 10:24 British Summer Time 22 April 2016
Kate Linderholm
BBC Local Live, Sheffield
The owners of Alton Towers have pleaded guilty today to health and safey breaches over the accident last year that left two people from Barnsley seriously injured.
The Health and Safety Executive is prosecuting Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd in relation to the incident on the Smiler ride on 2 June last year.
Teenagers Leah Washington and Joe Pugh (pictured), both from Barnsley, were two of the five people who were seriously injured when the rollercoaster crashed at the theme park.
Image source, Facebook/Other
Alton Towers re-opened the "Smiler" in March, nine months after the crash.
Image source, PA
Alton Towers admits ride safety breachespublished at 10:18 British Summer Time 22 April 2016
Breaking
Alton Towers operator admits health and safety failure over rollercoaster crash which seriously injured five people, including two from Barnsley.
More soon...
Conisbrough crash victim's aunt to raise money at London Marathonpublished at 10:05 British Summer Time 22 April 2016
Nick Wilson
BBC Radio Sheffield
A relative of one of the five teenagers who died in a car crash in Conisbrough 18 months ago is raising money by running the London Marathon this weekend.
Image source, South Yorkshire Police
Katey Bickerstaffe, from Wheatley in Doncaster, is auntie to Megan Storey (pictured), who was 15 when she died.
Katey is raising money for the Blake Cairns Foundation, which has been set up to support families of teenage road crash victims. She says it's been a difficult time for all of the families involved:
Quote Message
It's been hard, Megan used to stop with us most weeks overnight. She was in the same school year as my son so they grew up with each other. You have good days and bad days, but it's just a case of doing things in their memory and remembering the good times we had."
Katey Bickerstaffe
Plans for travellers' site in Swallownest thrown outpublished at 09:39 British Summer Time 22 April 2016
Nick Wilson
BBC Radio Sheffield
Plans for a travellers' site in Swallownest have been rejected, external.
Image source, Google
Rotherham Council says the proposed site next to the A57 Chesterfield Road would generate too much traffic.
Around 500 people had complained about the plans for the site near the proposed £37m Gulliver's Resort.
Watch: Cycle campaigners in Sheffield highlight risks of tram trackspublished at 09:18 British Summer Time 22 April 2016
Andy Kershaw
BBC Radio Sheffield News
There's a new campaign to encourage cyclists to report accidents on Sheffield's tram tracks.
Cycle Sheffield says 300 cyclists have had accidents on the tram tracks since they started monitoring them and 228 of those have been in the past two years.
Media caption,
Sheffield Cyclists highlight accidents on tram tracks in Sheffield
Sheffield musician Martyn Ware pays tribute to Princepublished at 09:00 British Summer Time 22 April 2016
Dan Green
BBC Radio Sheffield
A founding member of two significant electronic bands to come out of Sheffield - the Human League and Heaven 17 - has paid tribute to Prince this morning on BBC Radio Sheffield.
Image source, AFP
Martyn Ware says the superstar, who has died at the age of 57, embodied everything he loved about the 80s:
Quote Message
If he was only a guitarist this would be a tragedy, not only that he was the most fantastic songwriter. He had a fantastic pop sensibility. I was lucky enough to see him several times in his career. It's just come as an enormous shock."
Martyn Ware, Musician and record producer
Latest headlines: Doncaster Airport parking charge challenge and cyclists say tram tracks in Sheffield need to be saferpublished at 08:49 British Summer Time 22 April 2016
Everard Davy
BBC Radio Sheffield News
The top stories in Sheffield and South Yorkshire include:
- A man from Sheffield is challenging the parking charge he got on a road next to Doncaster Airport
- There's a new campaign to encourage cyclists in Sheffield, external to report any accidents they have on the tram tracks
- Two Rotherham veterans of World War II will be honoured today with the Legion D'Honneur medal
Police officer injured in horrific axe attack in Sheffield 'recovering well'published at 08:22 British Summer Time 22 April 2016
A message has been put out by colleagues of PC Lisa Bates who suffered a fractured skull, broken leg and severe hand injuries when she tackled a man armed with an axe in Gleadless Valley last week.
Here's the message from her colleagues on B Rota at Woodseats:
Quote Message
We have been very moved by the support from the community, not only in Gleadless but across the city and we are very grateful for all the cards, flowers and donations that have been sent to our friend Lisa who is currently recovering well in hospital. As a team we will always be thankful for the brave actions of Simon Ellis, who helped save Lisa's life."
Message from Lisa's colleagues on B Rota at Woodseats
Nathan Sumner, 35, of Plowright Close, Sheffield, appeared at the city's magistrates court on 15 April charged with attempting to murder PC Bates and 12 other offences.
He was remanded in custody to appear at Sheffield Crown Court on 13 May.