Andrew Barton
BBC Local Live, York

That's it for me today, but updates will continue throughout the afternoon.

Meanwhile, here are five things we've learned about our county so far today:

1. The boss of the trust which runs York Hospital has apologised "unreservedly" after a 92-year-old woman said she'd been handled like a "sack of potatoes" there
2. Plans to use shipping containers to transform part of a derelict area near the Coppergate and Piccadilly area in York have provisionally been approved 
3. A York MP has called on the NHS to make a drug which could save the lives of people living with rare brain tumours available on the NHS
4. A new gymnastics club set up in Selby is proving so popular it already has a waiting list with 800 youngsters on it
5. And a man's travelled all the way from Liverpool to Skipton in North Yorkshire pulling a homemade canal boat 

As the weather forecast for the weekend suggests a couple of dry days with sunny spells, I'll leave you with this idyllic BBC Weather Watcher pic.

Carefree Lee sent us this shot of Scarborough, which in itself seems to me to be a celebration of sunshine and blue skies:

Joanita Musisi
Reporter, BBC Radio York

Today I found out about an unusual set of correspondence from soldiers on World War One's front line - letters known as the "Chocolate Letters"

They were written in response to a gift in 1914 from the then Lord Mayor of York, John Bowes Morrell, after he organised a gift of chocolate to all soldiers from York.

Even men held captive as prisoners of war wrote to express their appreciation of the gift.

The chocolate was in tins with an inscription which read: "The Lord Mayor of York sends best wishes for a Happy Christmas and a bright New Year to all York men who are serving their King and Country."

A host of volunteers have signed up to help archive the letters at York's library. 

Archivist Laura Yeomans is in charge of them and told me about the project:

Andrew Barton
BBC Local Live, York

Lisa Winward, who started her career in the police as a Special Constable in 1993, has been appointed as the next Deputy Chief Constable for North Yorkshire.

Image source, North Yorkshire Police

She's due to take over from the current Deputy Chief Constable, Tim Madgwick, in spring 2017.

Her appointment to the role, by Ch Con Dave Jones, took place earlier this week following an assessment process.

BBC Radio York

The man in charge of York and Scarborough's Hospitals has issued a warning that with winter approaching there's limited ability to put on extra beds.

Extra pressures on Scarborough Hospital in 2015, led to it declaring "a major incident". 

Patrick Crowley, chief executive of York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, says the pressure at both hospitals makes it feel like "it's winter all year round":

David Ward
MatchDay Live, BBC Radio York

York City have signed forward Jake Charles from Barnsley on loan.

The 20-year-old will be at Bootham Crescent until the start of January.

The Wales Under-21 international spent time on loan with National League side Guiseley last season, but did not make an appearance.

He could make his debut for the Minstermen, who haven't won in their last 13 league games, at Bromley on Saturday.

Image source, Barnsley FC

Meanwhile, two more York City players have gone out on loan. 

Defenders, Josh Robinson and Ben Clappison, have both joined Boston United until the end of January.

Keeley Donovan
Weather presenter, BBC Look North

This afternoon will continue dry and cold with variable cloud and some bright or sunny spells.

There'll be a gentle northeasterly breeze and a maximum temperature of about 8C (48F).

BBC Radio York

The top stories from our York newsroom this lunchtime include:

• The boss of the trust which runs York Hospital has apologised "unreservedly" after a 92-year-old woman said she'd been handled like a "sack of potatoes" by staff there
• A "bold development" using 15 brightly-coloured shipping containers as a base for street food and new businesses is approved by City of York Council
• A York MP calls on the NHS to make a drug which could save the lives of people living with rare brain tumours available on the NHS

Andrew Barton
BBC Local Live, York

The boss of the trust which runs York Hospital has apologised "unreservedly" after a 92-year-old woman from Sherburn in Elmet told BBC Radio York she'd been left covered in bruises after staff at the hospital handled her like a "sack of potatoes".

Here's a little of what Yvonne, who's registered blind, had to say about her experience:

Patrick Crowley, chief executive of York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, has had this to say after hearing Yvonne's story:

Here's what sounds very much like a heartfelt plea from North Yorkshire Police's Neighbourhood Policing Team:

BBC Look North

Meet Ben Cummings...

He built himself a canal boat out of cardboard packaging - and then spent four years pulling it all the way from Liverpool to Skipton.

Why? "Because I can!"

It's a remarkable sight to see, take a look:

A drug which could save the lives of people living with rare and inoperable brain tumours would be "the best Christmas present", according to York Outer Conservative MP Julian Sturdy.

Mr Sturdy's now putting pressure on the NHS to approve the use of the Everolimus drug which has been approved throughout the EU, but still isn't available on the NHS despite families being told it would be by earlier this year.

If left untreated, most patients die from Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) within two years, but with this treatment, up to 95% go on to live long, healthy lives.

In a letter to NHS chief executive Simon Stevens, Mr Sturdy expresses concern about the "prioritisation process" and how it "disadvantages medicines for very rare diseases".

Andrew Barton
BBC Local Live, York

Just one Environment Agency flood warning, external remains in place in North Yorkshire now, after heavy rain earlier this week.

The warning, for the River Derwent at Derwent at Buttercrambe Mill, is due to continuing high river levels, according to the agency.

We'll bring you any more updates as we get them.

Dave Fletcher
BBC Yorkshire Sport

The fixtures for the 2017 County Championship season were released overnight, and Yorkshire will start the campaign at home to Hampshire on Friday 7 April. 

Headingley will also host its first day/night Championship fixture against Surrey from Monday 26 June.

Yorkshire's newly-appointed head coach Andrew Gale has told me he's excited at the prospect of the new season:

Harrogate Informer

North Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan has marked International Restorative Justice Week, by meeting victims of crime, to hear how they have benefited from meeting their offenders.  , external

Image source, Harrogate Informer

Andrew Barton
BBC Local Live, York

Plans to create a new hub for start-up businesses and street food sellers in York have provisionally been given the go-ahead. 

A new company called Spark:York wants to use shipping containers to transform part of a derelict area near the Coppergate and Piccadilly area.

Planning permission and funding will be needed, but director Tom McKenzie says they're hoping to start building in the spring and support local businesses: 

The containers are 40ft long and prospective businesses could rent all or part of them.

All of the containers have been donated free by a logistics company.

Andrew Barton
BBC Local Live, York

A nice bit of reverie from North Yorkshire Police: pictures of three police cars from 1931, 1952 and 1990. 

How many of these do you remember?

Andrew Barton
BBC Local Live, York

Improvements worth about £72m could be coming to York's roads following a council vote last night.

Officials in York backed plans to join the West Yorkshire Transport Fund, a decision which could unlock huge investment for the city's roads. 

Image source, Google

The fund has agreed in principal to finance upgrades to roundabouts on York's outer ring road and provide a crucial new access road to acres of brownfield land near York Railway Station.

In order to join, the council will have to make a financial contribution to the fund and a final decision on whether to sign up will be made next month.

Joanita Musisi
Reporter, BBC Radio York

Have you been inspired by the Olympics? It seems hundreds of youngsters in the Selby area have. 

Selby Swans Gymnastics Academy was only set up in May, but already more than 100 young people are going along to training sessions and there's a waiting list of almost 800 children.

I have trouble knowing the difference between a tumble and a vault, so I've been along to find out more.

I've snapped this pic of their impressively perfect poise - and I'll show you a film of their skills a little later:

Lucy Martin
Weather presenter, BBC Look North

It'll be a dry but fairly cloudy day with a few brighter intervals, particularly in the north. 

The top temperature today will be about 8C (46F).

Watch my full forecast here:

A "vital" witness to a disturbance in the centre of York last month is being asked to come forward, external.

Officers were called to the Judge's Lodgings Hotel (pictured) on Lendal at about 13:30 on Saturday 22 October after reports that about 20 people were fighting in the grounds of the hotel.

Image source, Google

A man with two or three young children, one with a pink rucksack, was sat outside the hotel just before the disturbance. 

The man went into the pub at the time of the incident, leaving the children in the hotel's outside seating area.

The man is now being asked to contact police as he could have important information which could help the investigation, officers say.