Summary

  • News, sport, weather and travel will resume at 08:00 on Tuesday

  • Live updates on Monday 26 September

  1. Merlin 'to blame' for Alton Towers crashpublished at 19:29 British Summer Time 26 September 2016

    A court is told Alton Towers operator Merlin was at fault for a crash on the Smiler rollercoaster ride as footage of the accident is released for the first time.

    Read More
  2. Five things we learnt todaypublished at 18:00 British Summer Time 26 September 2016

    Katie Galbraith
    Local Live, BBC Sheffield

    • Police investigating the disappearance of Ben Needham from Sheffield are digging up farmland in Greece
    Ben Needham search team in Kos
    • The force of the Alton Towers collision, in which two people from Barnsley were seriously injured, was the equivalent of a family car crashing at 90mph  
    Phil Mackie BBC reporter at Alton Towers court case
    Virgin TrainsImage source, PA
    Cut up Labour Party membership cardImage source, Mark Townsend
    • Breakfast presenter Toby Foster was in a boy band in the eighties and they're reforming for a special Children In Need gig
    Toby Foster in the eighties
  3. Weather: Some bursts of heavy rain laterpublished at 17:52 British Summer Time 26 September 2016

    Paul Hudson
    Weather presenter, BBC Look North

    Cloudy this evening with some bursts of heavy rain at first. 

    Remaining rather cloudy overnight but staying mostly dry until later when outbreaks of rain or drizzle and hill fog are expected to develop.  

    Weather graphic
  4. New face at the helm in Sheffield secondary schoolpublished at 17:50 British Summer Time 26 September 2016

    Sheffield Star

    A new headteacher has been welcomed to one of Sheffield’s larger schools, external, following the retirement of her predecessor. 

    Claire TaskerImage source, Sheffield Star
  5. CCTV of Smiler crash releasedpublished at 17:49 British Summer Time 26 September 2016

    The Health and Safety Executive has released CCTV footage of the Alton Towers Smiler ride crash.

    Read More
  6. Laser shone at aircraft flying over Doncasterpublished at 17:46 British Summer Time 26 September 2016

    Sheffield Star

    A warning has been issued about laser pens , externalafter one was shone at an aircraft flying over Doncaster.

    Doncaster Robin Hood AirportImage source, Google
  7. Your pictures: Baby spiders in Barnsleypublished at 17:45 British Summer Time 26 September 2016

    Thanks to David Hudson who has sent in this great picture of some baby spiders in Barnsley.

    They're going to keep their mum busy for a while!

    Don't forget to get in touch if you have any pictures or stories that you'd like to share with us.

    Baby spiders in BarnsleyImage source, David Hudson
  8. Watch: New arrivals in Sheffieldpublished at 17:37 British Summer Time 26 September 2016

    Rony Robinson
    Presenter, BBC Radio Sheffield

    A new exhibition of photos of people who have travelled from across the globe to make Sheffield their home has opened at Weston Park Museum this weekend. 

    Arrivals: Making Sheffield Home features over 70 images taken by photographer Jeremy Abrahams. 

    Andy Kershaw from BBC Radio Sheffield went to have a look at the exhibition....   

  9. Sex abuse case police lose interview tapespublished at 17:29 British Summer Time 26 September 2016

    BBC Look North reporter Mark Ansell has been at Sheffield Crown Court this afternoon where 8 men deny 16 charges in connection with the sexual abuse of three girls in Rotherham between 1999 and 2003. 

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post

    The case continues.

  10. University in China spaceflight dealpublished at 17:25 British Summer Time 26 September 2016

    Sheffield Star

    Sheffield University vice chancellor, Sir Keith Burnett, with Prof Guang Meng, vice-principal of Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight TechnologyImage source, Sheffield Star

    Sheffield University has signed a pioneering deal to work on rockets, external for China’s multi-billion pound space programme.

  11. Watch: Doncaster Darts sensationpublished at 17:21 British Summer Time 26 September 2016

    BBC Sport

    Meet 12-year-old Beau Greaves from Doncaster who is being tipped as a future Darts World number One by professional darts players.

    She's been down at the inaugral Champion League of Darts in Cardiff this weekend.

    Phil Taylor overpowered world number one Michael van Gerwen for the second time in two days to win the event in Wales.

    Michael is a big fan of this young lady........

    Beau Greaves
  12. Alton Towers collision sentencing finished for the daypublished at 17:18 British Summer Time 26 September 2016

    Phil Mackie
    Midlands correspondent, BBC News

    The hearing at Stafford Crown Court has finished for the day and will continue at 10:30 tomorrow.  

  13. Alton Towers crash: Judge wants breakdown of turnoverpublished at 17:11 British Summer Time 26 September 2016

    The court hearing the Alton Towers crash case is talking about the size of the fine depending on the size of the company.

    The Judge has seen that in 2015, Merlin Entertainments reported a turnover of £385m, compared with their turnover to August of this year of more than £300m - meaning an effective loss of £2.3m year on year. 

    Judge Michael Chambers QC wants month-by-month breakdown of turnover to determine the impact. He also called for clarification on bonuses awarded to directors. 

    money in piggy bankImage source, PA
  14. Alton Towers crash: Operators dispute claim of 'very high culpability'published at 17:02 British Summer Time 26 September 2016

    Emma Thomas
    Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

    Barrister Simon Antrobus has disputed the Health and Safety Executive's claim of "very high culpability", instead urging the Judge to view it as "medium to high". 

    There was no structured system in place, but there were measures in place such as CCTV and the ride log had been completed, the court heard. 

    The log correctly identified a fifth train had been added to the ride.

  15. Rotherham MP backed by Corbyn after calls to stand downpublished at 16:53 British Summer Time 26 September 2016

    BBC Radio Sheffield

    The Labour MP for Rotherham has been backed by Leader Jeremy Corbyn - after it emerged she hit her husband in an altercation during their marriage break up. 

    Sarah Champion, who has a domestic violence brief ,says both she and her former husband were cautioned by Derbyshire Police in 2007 after the bust-up at their home in Chapel-en-le-Frith. 

    Brian Hitchcock from the charity and campaign group Men's Aid says she should step down.

    But the MP says she's had huge support from women who've suffered domestic abuse. 

  16. Alton Towers: Three million rides on Smiler before accidentpublished at 16:35 British Summer Time 26 September 2016

    Phil Mackie
    Midlands correspondent, BBC News

    The chances of the crash on 2 June 2015 were highly unlikely the court has heard.

    It was told the Smiler ride was operated three million times before this accident.

    While safety measures had been in place, these have been increased since the crash, barrister Simon Antrobus said. 

  17. Watch: Tea-dancer George celebrating his 100th birthday in Sheffieldpublished at 16:05 British Summer Time 26 September 2016

    BBC Radio Sheffield

    The BBC 1 show "Strictly Come Dancing" returned over the weekend.

    Model Daisy Lowe topped the leader board whilst politician Ed Balls was at the bottom.

    To mark the occasion BBC Radio Sheffield's Mid-morning show has been out to one of the local tea-dances at Meadowhall shopping centre.

    That's where we met tea-dancer George Pearson who is a sprightly 100-years-old and was celebrating his birthday today.

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  18. Students move into Sheffield's second University Technical Collegepublished at 15:52 British Summer Time 26 September 2016

    Gina Bolton
    BBC Radio Sheffield

    Sport and the science that goes with it are getting a boost in Sheffield as students move into the city's second University Technical College, external

    The £10m  building is officially called the 'UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park campus'. 

    It'll specialise in training 14 to19-year-olds in healthcare, sports science and the computing sectors.  

    We've been for a quick look round....

  19. Alton Towers accept there should have been formal procedurespublished at 15:38 British Summer Time 26 September 2016

    In mitigation, barrister Simon Antrobus, representing Merlin Entertainments, told the court that the ride was properly designed and independently assessed.

    He said there were a number of safety measures in place including CCTV, although there were blind spots.

    He said the firm had assumed engineers attending a fault would be able to confirm the presence of another carriage by going trackside, but accepted it shouldn't have been left to an assumption.

    Instead there should have been a formal procedure. 

  20. Alton Towers crash: Merlin 'The most reputable operator in this field'published at 15:33 British Summer Time 26 September 2016

    Phil Mackie
    Midlands correspondent, BBC News

    Merlin Entertainments is currently defending its character saying it is regarded as "the most reputable operator in this field".

    Barrister Simon Antrobus says it is a "good organisation. It made a serious failing, but otherwise is of good character".

    He added: "The company has got the message, knows what it did wrong and is putting things right."

    Two previous Health and Safety breaches in 10 years (2007 and 2012), including one where a worker fell from a ride at Legoland, were described by him as "not very relevant" to this case. 

    Alton TowersImage source, PA