The award-winning actress Sheridan Smith says she's struck up a friendship with one of the women who led the search for Shannon Matthews in Dewsbury Moor.  

Image source, PA

Julie Bushby stood side-by-side with Karen Matthews before police discovered Karen herself was behind a staged abduction in 2008. 

Sheridan plays Julie in a new BBC drama about the case which starts next week and the actress says she now counts Julie among her friends. 

Jim Addyman
BBC Local Live

Fans have already bought more than 500 bricks to be part of a tribute wall at Scarborough's new community stadium being built in the Weaponness area of the town, external.

The appeal was launched by Scarborough Athletic Football Club and the stadium developers to enable fans to give other fans an unusual gift or to remember loved ones. 

It ends at midnight and the club hopes by then they'll have sold 550 bricks.

Claire Renwick
BBC Local Live, Sheffield

Accommodation for asylum seekers, including some in Sheffield, have been branded "unfit for habitation" by an influential group of MPs. 

The Home Affairs Committee says it's heard evidence that asylum seekers are being placed in houses infested with mice, rats and bedbugs.

G4S, who run the accomodation, say these descriptions aren't representative.

Two men have been convicted of murdering a father-of-four in Bradford when a family feud turned violent.

Image source, West Yorkshire Police

Sarfraz Khan, 35, was stabbed to death and three men were seriously hurt when a row over a mop and bucket at the family ice cream business escalated.

Mohammed Nasar, 32, and Tariq Mahmood, 26, of Cecil Avenue, Great Horton, were found guilty at Bradford Crown Court.

Amjid Ali, 39, and Amir Ali, 19, also of Cecil Avenue, were cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter.

Jim Addyman
BBC Local Live

Ibi Ali, the former Army Captain from Selby, has finished an incredible challenge after running seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. 

Ibi finished the final marathon in Sydney at the weekend alongside RAF veteran Luke Wigman.. 

He was badly injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq nearly a decade ago and is trying to raise a million pounds to pay towards a new army rehabilitation centre:

A restaurant in Leeds which has been serving Greek food for more than 30 years has suddenly closed its doors.

Image source, Google

The Olive Tree in Chapel Allerton went into voluntary liquidation in October.

But its owner claims there's now a dispute over the rent and bailiffs have taken action at the property.

A 21-year-old man charged with murder has been remanded in custody by Leeds Magistrates Court after a man was shot in Harehills in the city last week. 

Keal Richards from Chapeltown is charged with the murder of 19-year-old Raheem Wilks.

Two other people have been released on bail.

Tom Ingall
Journalist, BBC Look North

The Right Reverend Philip North will be the next Bishop of Sheffield, Downing Street has announced.

The 50-year-old's currently the Bishop of Burnley, a role he's held since 2015.

His appointment's been welcomed by other church leaders in South Yorkshire, including the Bishop of Doncaster and the Dean of Sheffield.

Mark Ansell
BBC Look North reporter

Police say more than 2000 people took part in last night's anti-Trump protest outside Sheffield Town Hall, which was held in response to President Trump's controversial US travel ban. 

Donald Trump's sacked his acting Attorney General, after Sally Yates told her department not to defend his 90 day ban on visitors from seven Middle-eastern and African countries.

Jim Addyman
BBC Local Live

MPs are today beginning to debate the Bill that will give the Prime Minister the authority to trigger negotiations to leave the EU. 

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is backing the move, though some of his MPs will vote against, including a number of front-benchers who've resigned over the issue. 

Penistone and Stocksbridge MP, Angela Smith has signed up to an amendment and will abstain if the amendment fails:

Jim Addyman
BBC Local Live

Delivering babies can be a stressful business at the best of times but at least having all the right equipment to hand helps.

But how do you cope without the trappings of a modern hospital?

University of Bradford trainee midwife Claire Welford is about to find out. She's about to swap the maternity wards of West Yorkshire for a makeshift refugee camp in France. 

Claire is heading to Dunkirk to help rebuild a women's centre which has been burned down and is hoping to help with births on the site:

The Yorkshire and Humber MEP Jane Collins (pictured) is due to find out today how much she must pay in damages for libelling three South Yorkshire MPs.

The UKIP politician falsely claimed that Sir Kevin Barron, John Healey and Sarah Champion knew about child abuse in Rotherham but did nothing about it.

A High Court judge is expected to rule that she must pay hundreds of thousands of pounds.

BBC Sport

The Football League transfer window closes at 23:00 and some of our local sides are hoping to add to their squads. 

Leeds United are set to complete a loan move with a view to a permanent deal for 20-year-old Villareal winger, Alfonso Pedraza (pictured in yellow).

Image source, Getty Images

The Super Whites have also been linked with West Ham United striker, Ashley Fletcher. 

Bradford City hope to add three more players - it's believed that Carlisle United striker Charlie Wyke (pictured) is one on the names on manager Stuart McCall's wanted list.

Huddersfield Town head coach David Wagner said last week he was almost certain that the club had done all their business with the recent signing of striker Collin Quaner.  

Jim Addyman
BBC Local Live

Accommodation for asylum seekers, including some in Sheffield, has been branded as "disgraceful" by an influential group of MPs. 

The Home Affairs Committee says it heard evidence that asylum seekers were being placed in accommodation that was "unfit for habitation" with some houses infested with mice, rats and bedbugs. 

G4S, who run the accomodation said these descriptions aren't representative. 

However, John Grayson, from the South Yorkshire Migration and Asylum Action Group says some of the conditions aren't acceptable:

Jim Addyman
BBC Local Live

The director of Bradford's new Sunbridge Wells development, Graham Hall, says it's already a big success. 

The network of Victorian tunnels cost £2m to transform into bars, restaurants and shops. 

It's been open for almost two months and Graham's pleased with how it's all going:

Jim Addyman
BBC Local Live

Officials in North Yorkshire are expected to agree today to put council tax up by a total of just under 4%. 

County councillors are meeting in Northallerton later and if they vote to increase the charge, it'll cost the average household an extra £45 a year. 

It's expected that 2% of that will go directly to cover adult social care.

Jim Addyman
BBC Local Live

The build-up starts today for this year's Comic Relief. 

Since the last Red Nose Day, more than £1.5m has been given to groups in Yorkshire.

One group that's benefited is Sporting Memories, based in Topcliffe, near Thirsk, who help people with dementia, depression and loneliness. 

Downton Abbey actress, Dame Penelope Wilton - who is originally from Scarborough - is a supporter of the group:

Jim Addyman
BBC Local Live

Protests have been held in cities across the UK against President Trump's travel restrictions.

More than 1.5m people have now signed a petition urging the government to cancel a planned state visit to the UK later this year by President Trump. 

Hundreds of people attended a demonstration in St Helen's Square in York last night:    

Jim Addyman
BBC Local Live

A new campaign to tackle loneliness has been set up in the name of the murdered Batley and Spen MP, Jo Cox (pictured below).

Image source, PA

Her colleagues are hoping the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness, external will help keep her legacy alive. 

The idea was initially devised by the murdered MP in partnership with Conservative MP, Seema Kennedy.

The campaign aims to highlight the growing crisis of loneliness and find ways to overcome it. 

It has the support of Jo's sister, Kim Leadbeater. She says they both felt lonely when Jo left home for university:

Jim Addyman
BBC Local Live

A South Yorkshire MP has voiced his sympathy with Labour colleagues who have resigned over the triggering of Article 50, which will allow the UK to leave the European Union.

The Commons will today begin debating the process after the government was ordered by the Supreme Court to give Parliament a say on the matter. 

This will trigger a two-year timetable for departure.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn backs the move, although some of his MPs will vote against, including a number of front-benchers who've resigned over the issue. 

Barnsley MP, Dan Jarvis is sympathetic to the situation: