Andrew Barton
BBC Local Live, York

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

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

1. The exact route of the next year's Tour de Yorkshire has been revealed - riders will race through North Yorkshire on each of the three days
2. A decision has been made to close part of the city walls in York for the next few days because of the possibility of subsidence
3. Huge flocks of pied wagtails have begun assembling above York’s annual Christmas market   
4. We've found out the answer to why barn owls are being spotted sitting on roads in North Yorkshire 
5. And a York woman has paid tribute to celebrities who died in 2016 in the form of angel decorations to hang on her Christmas tree

As the weather forecast for the weekend mentions plenty of bright and sunny spells, I thought I'd finish with this blue skied BBC Weather Watcher pic.

It was sent in by PjsYorky looking across to the Vale of York from the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds above Norton this morning.

Andrew Barton
BBC Local Live, York

A cheese made by a North Yorkshire dairy has been named among the best in the world.

Thirsk-based Shepherds Purse Cheeses won a Super Gold at the World Cheese Awards, external

The firm beat off competition from several French and Swiss varieties. 

Image source, Shepherds Purse

Forgive the pun, but the firm actually did start out as a 'cottage cheese' industry!

Joanita Musisi
Reporter, BBC Radio York

This year's guest of honour at the Harrogate hospital Christmas light switch on was less talkative than guests of honour in previous years.

But he didn't make an ass of himself and was full of 'mule-tide' greetings.

Jeremy Buxton
BBC Radio York

York City Knights finally has a new owner. 

The rugby league club's future has been uncertain since earlier this year.

A statement from the club confirms sports management consultant Jon Flatman has taken over ownership from John Guildford. 

The club's been up for sale, after Mr Guildford initially said in July it would close, he then agreed to keep it going until the end of the season.

I've been talking to coach James Ford and he gave me his reaction to Jon Flatman taking control:

A section of York's city walls is closed because of safety concerns, the authority says.

Andrew Barton
BBC Local Live, York

A York restaurant destroyed by the Christmas floods last year is preparing to re-open.

It's taken 11 months for the Loch Fyne to be done up. 

Liz Williams is the chain's director. She says the place was "like a bomb hit it and ovens were floating around the building".

Andrew Barton
BBC Local Live, York

A York woman has paid tribute to celebrities who died in 2016 in the form of angel decorations to hang on her Christmas tree.

As well as adding angel wings to stars including David Bowie, Prince and Victoria Wood, she also added them to the EU and a Toblerone.

The 36-year-old from York, who wishes to remain anonymous, said, "I wanted to pay tribute and I wanted to cheer everybody up - 2016 has been a difficult year.

Here it is, what do you think?

Image source, PA/@L3GSV/Twitter

Nathan Turvey
BBC Radio York News

Police have confirmed an empty mortar shell was removed from a garden in Malton yesterday. 

The Army bomb disposal team was called out last night after workman came across it in York Road.

Residents were told at the time to stay inside their homes. 

Image source, Brian Abbott

Brian Abbott, who runs the veterinary practice, Baker, McVeigh and Abbott Equine Vets, said: “We’re doing some digging in the garden and we found what looked like two mortar bombs.    

“One was obviously empty, just a casing. The other it was difficult to tell. We didn’t want to get too close.”

Experts at Eden Camp history museum have told Mr Abbott they believe the area was used for training by the Home Guard and think the bullets and casings found, were old practice rounds.

BBC Radio York

A decision has been made to close part of the city walls in York for the next few days because of safety concerns. 

Engineers at the City of York Council are concerned about the possibility of subsidence on the section between Fishergate Postern Tower and Fishergate Bar which dates from 1315.

Image source, Google

York's city walls were first built in Roman times and have been added to ever since, though there were moves to have them demolished in the 19th Century.

They extend for 2.5 miles, enclosing a total area of 263 acres.    

Andrew Barton
BBC Local Live, York

I've got an update on the news that hundreds of Pied Wagtails are roosting in trees on York's Parliament Street at the moment.

Huge flocks of them are assembling at dusk each day above York’s annual Christmas market.  

Image source, Robert Fuller Gallery

Wildlife artist Robert Fuller who lives in Thixendale, sent this pic in and said: "The wagtails are drawn to the city centre by the warmth of the busy market and lights in Parliament Street." 

Robert will be at the Christmas market exhibiting some of his paintings on Monday and says if you approach him, he'll happily point out the pied wagtail roost to you.

Andrew Barton
BBC Local Live, York

Details of the exact route of next year's Tour de Yorkshire have been announced - Stage One ends in Scarborough and Stage Two starts in Tadcaster.

Stage Three is 194.5km long and moves into West Yorkshire, but flits in and out of North Yorkshire.

Riders start at Bradford City Park before heading into Saltaire. The action then moves to Burley-in-Wharfedale, passes Bolton Abbey and on to Skipton.

After that it's up Haworth’s main street and a climb at Leeming, before they face the Côte de Shibden Wall. 

Riders then ride into Penistone in South Yorkshire, before embarking on a 22km finishing circuit that features four climbs at Deepcar, Wigtwizzle, Ewden Height and Midhopestones, before the race reaches its climax at Fox Valley in Sheffield.

Here's the full route for the three days:

Andrew Barton
BBC Local Live, York

The exact route of the next year's Tour de Yorkshire has been revealed and North Yorkshire plays host to the riders for each of the three days of the race.

Stage One ends in Scarborough and on day two, Saturday 29 April, riders cycle 122.5km from Tadcaster to Harrogate.

The race starts on Tadcaster Bridge - which will be newly reopened following flood damage last Boxing Day - then takes the riders through Knaresborough.

The first big climb comes on the Côte de Lofthouse, before a descent into Masham and on to Ripon skirting Fountains Abbey, before a fast approach to Harrogate, finishing on Parliament Street, just as it did on the opening stage of the 2014 Tour de France.

Here's the full route of day two:

The exact route of the next year's Tour de Yorkshire has been revealed - riders will race through North Yorkshire on each of the three days.

Stage One on Friday 28 April covers 173km from Bridlington to Scarborough.

The race takes the peloton from the coast through the Yorkshire Wolds, starting outside the Bridlington Spa and heading into Pocklington for the first sprint.

The climb up the Côtes de Garrowby Hill and Goathland will get the legs pumping before the race hits the coastline again at Whitby.

The route continues on to Robin Hood’s Bay for the third and final climb and then it’s full steam into Scarborough for the finish along North Bay.

Here's the full route of Stage One:

Two million people lined the route this year, and 11 million watched it on TV.    

Joanita Musisi
Reporter, BBC Radio York

Later this morning we find out the full route of the Tour de Yorkshire.

Tadcaster is one of the town's hosting the race which is where I've been this morning.

I've just chatted to a very excited Tadcaster business owner, John Stainthorpe. He's meeting the men he calls "cycling royalty" later today.

The A1036 Tadcaster Road in York is blocked and there's stationary traffic in both directions near the Grove junction because of an accident involving a lorry and a cyclist. 

There's congestion southbound to the Cherry Lane junction and northbound to the A64 York Bypass junction.  

Image source, Google

Andrew Barton
BBC Local Live, York

If you've been in York's Parliament Street at dusk recently you might have noticed an abundance of tweeting in the trees.

Huge flocks of pied wagtails have begun assembling above York’s annual Christmas market. The black and white birds arrive at this time every year and roost overnight in the branches of the London plane trees.

Look at this great pic below, they look like Christmas decorations hanging in the trees.

Image source, Robert Fuller Gallery

Wildlife artist Robert Fuller who lives in Thixendale, sent this pic in and said the wagtails are drawn to the city centre by the warmth of the busy market and lights in Parliament Street.

Robert says: "Pied Wagtails weigh an average of just 21g and can lose up to 20% of their body weight overnight.

"These communal roosts mean they can huddle together to keep warm."

What a great sight!

BBC Weather

It'll be a mostly dry day across North Yorkshire, with variable cloud and some sunny intervals through the morning. 

For the afternoon things will get a bit cloudier and some showery rain is expected to spread to coastal areas from the North Sea. Feeling a little chilly too.  

YorkMix

Not everyone knew his name, but he was one of York’s most familiar faces., external

Pete Toulson sold Big Issue North outside Marks & Spencer on Parliament Street, and had a smile and a kind word for everyone. 

Sadly Pete died on Monday and now York is rallying round a crowdfunding campaign to ensure he's given the funeral he deserves.

Image source, YorkMix

Andrew Barton
BBC Local Live, York

A vast piece of art, ‘The Story of Bay – Footprints through Time’, believed to be one of the longest public mosaic artworks in the UK, has been installed on the sea wall at Robin Hood’s Bay. 

The artwork, made up of 50 mosaic panels, covers a 125m stretch of wall next to a path visitors follow to reach the village. 

Image source, North York Moors National Park Authority.

This is the largest commission undertaken by Ruth Wilkinson (pictured) who spent 15 months designing and creating the panels using 300,000 tiles known as "tesserae." 

Ideas for the mosaic's themes came from villagers, local artists and historians. They include notable points in the history of the village, such as the shipwrecks, the heyday of smuggling and the development of the railway.

Image source, North York Moors National Park Authority.

One panel includes plastic Minions donated by pupils at nearby Fylingdales Primary School, an old nappy pin provided by a lady who visited Robin Hood’s Bay as a toddler and a heart-shaped stone, collected on the beach and etched on one surface with a couple’s initials.  

Andrew Barton
BBC Local Live, York

Plant your feet on your pedals and lace up your lycra, because the route of next year's Tour de Yorkshire will be revealed this morning. 

We already know Scarborough, Harrogate and Tadcaster will be playing a big part in the cycle race, but we'll find out if they're hosting a start or finish today. We'll also find out which roads, towns and villages the race will head along and which hills it'll go up and down.

Two million people lined the route this year, and 11 million watched it on TV.

Janet Deacon from Scarborough's tourism team says there's a real buzz about bringing the race back to the town in 2017. She says even the local donkeys are dressed up to welcome the racers: