BBC Local Live: Sheffield and South Yorkshire

Showery rain during this evening will move eastwards, still wintry over hills, and quite windy. 

Becoming drier, less windy, cold and frosty later with some icy patches developing.

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If you live in Doncaster, there's a fascinating new history project that needs your help.

Doncaster 1914-18 is a four-year World War One centenary project, and it needs volunteers to help discover the role the people of the town, and Doncaster itself, played in the war.

I've been along to find out more about it and see some of the Great War artefacts that have been discovered as part of the project so far.

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BBCCopyright: BBC

Doncaster Council's chief executive Jo Miller has told Howie on BBC Radio Sheffield that contractors Suez will have a backlog of rubbish in Doncaster "cleared by Friday".

Jo Miller also said Suez would be called into a meeting with Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones, cabinet member Chris McGuinness and herself to explain what went wrong.

Earlier today, I went to Byron Avenue in Balby and saw the mess the backlog is causing.

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Quote Message: It's not good enough. I've never known anything like this and I won't know anything like it again." from Jo Miller Chief executive, Doncaster Council

It's not good enough. I've never known anything like this and I won't know anything like it again."

Teams of gritters will be on the primary routes from 21:00 tonight in Sheffield, the council says.

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Making friends and playing sport are important parts of growing up for most children. But for youngsters with autism, they can present a real challenge. 

The Stephen Harrison Snooker Academy in Sheffield has been helping dozens of children develop their confidence, social skills - and of course their sporting ability too.  

BBC Look North's Dave Edwards has been to the club to see what they do:

There'll be more on this story on Look North tonight at 18:30 on BBC One.

Junior doctors across England have been taking part in a 24-hour strike following a breakdown in negotiations for a new contract.

Some of the strikers in Sheffield have left picket lines to go to St Mark's Church in Broomhill to offer lifesaving skills classes to parents.

Doctor Amrita Jesura says the classes have had overwhelming support from the local community after the strikers set up a page to book sessions on Facebook.

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The top stories in Sheffield and South Yorkshire today include:

• About 200 junior doctors and their supporters attend a rally in Sheffield as part of a 24-hour strike
• Staff sickness is blamed for a lack of bin collections to take away Christmas rubbish in Doncaster
• Rotherham United manager Neil Redfearn refuses to be drawn on speculation linking the Millers with a move for Colchester foward George Moncur

Alton Towers has announced plans for a virtual reality ride - its first big new attraction since one of its rollercoasters crashed in June, seriously injuring five people including Barnsley teenager Leah Washington who had to have her legs amputated.

Passengers will wear virtual reality headsets on the Galactica ride which will open in April following two years of planning.

Visitor numbers have been down since last summer's accident, which Alton Towers blamed on "human error".

Merlin EntertainmentsCopyright: Merlin Entertainments

The Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has called the 24-hour strike by junior doctors in England a "wholly unnecessary dispute".

The walk-out - which stops short of removing emergency cover - has followed a breakdown in negotiations for a new contract, which the government says will improve services at weekends.

These are a couple of the doctors I've spoken to on the picket line outside the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield today.

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BBCCopyright: BBC

More on the trial at Sheffield Crown Court of five men and two women accused over the sexual abuse of children in Rotherham over a period of about 10 years.

The defendants on trial are:

Arshid Hussain, 40, of High Street, East Cowick, Goole, who faces 30 charges, including five counts of rape

Qurban Ali, 53, of Clough Road, Rotherham, who faces four charges, including rape and conspiracy to rape

Majid Bostan, 37, of Ledsham Road, Rotherham, who faces one charge of indecent assault

Sajid Bostan, 38, of Broom Avenue, Rotherham, who faces seven charges, including four counts of rape

Basharat Hussain, 39, of no fixed abode, who faces 15 charges including two counts of rape

Karen MacGregor, 58, of Barnsley Road, Wath, South Yorkshire, who faces four charges, including conspiracy to rape

Shelley Davies, 40, of Wainwright Road, Kimberworth Park, Rotherham, who faces three charges, including conspiracy to rape

A witness in a Rotherham child sexual exploitation trial has told Sheffield Crown Court that one of the seven defendants was paying a police officer for information.

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The woman, who cannot be named, said Basharat Hussain had "somebody in CID". 

She said he had paid for information about a safe house she had been due to be moved to and for details of "when he was going to get busted".

Mr Hussain, 39, of no fixed abode, denies a number of offences linked to alleged child abuse in Rotherham.  

The trial continues.

There's a row in Doncaster over Christmas bin collections which have still not been collected. 

Although Doncaster Council says black bins have been emptied, the authority says it's still catching up with the Christmas recycling.

Here's a photo I took earlier in Byron Avenue in Balby:

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Quote Message: It's dirty... The street is a total mess... Overflowing recycling is being blown around the street." from John Local resident

It's dirty... The street is a total mess... Overflowing recycling is being blown around the street."

Doncaster Council says due to factors beyond its control - mainly staff sickness - it's not been able to mobilise some additional crews.

Some local residents will have experienced delays in their planned collections, the authority admits, and it apologises for the inconvenience.

A South Yorkshire MP has challenged the government over its approach to China dumping cheap steel imports on the UK market. 

The practice has been blamed in part for plant closures in the UK.

Angela Smith, the Labour MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, says the government should tackle unfair trading practices. 

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In reply, the Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said he'd had a commitment that China intends to address its overproduction of steel - but  he added the problem was not only China, it's a "global problem".

I've been down to the picket line at Barnsley Hospital today.

Thousands of routine operations and other procedures have been cancelled by hospitals in England because of the first strike by junior doctors in 40 years. 

The doctors are providing emergency cover only during the 24-hour walkout in a dispute with the government about a new contract. 

The BMA has apologised for disruption to patients but says ministers have failed to listen to doctors' concerns.

Take a look at what one BMA representative told me today...

The Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has urged strikers to return to the negotiating table.

Thanks to Keith Bown for sending us this fantastic picture of winter sunshine at High Bradfield near Sheffield - a reminder that the sun can remember to shine sometimes!

Keith BownCopyright: Keith Bown

We like to feature the best pictures you've taken of South Yorkshire. Why not email your photographs to us?

The top stories in Sheffield and South Yorkshire today include:

• Around 200 striking junior doctors and their supporters are attending a rally in Sheffield's Weston Park this afternoon
• South Yorkshire MP Angela Smith has challenged the government over its approach to China dumping cheap steel imports on the UK market
• A local archaeology group has been given a £60,000 heritage lottery grant to discover lost Iron Age and Roman treasures and history

Around 200 striking junior doctors and their supporters are attending a rally in Sheffield's Weston Park this afternoon. 

It's part of a 24-hour strike across England in a dispute over planned changes to their pay and conditions.

The government is condemning today's strike by junior doctors in England as "unnecessary".

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As the 24-hour junior doctors' strike continues in South Yorkshire and across the country, here are scenes from Barnsley Hospital a little while ago.

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Police have released an e-fit image of a man they'd like to trace in connection with a robbery in Doncaster last month which saw a man's wallet and mobile phone being stolen.

South Yorkshire PoliceCopyright: South Yorkshire Police

The robbery took place at about 23:00 on Monday 28 December as the victim was walking along Bennetthorpe Road towards the racecourse roundabout. He was called over by a group of three men and was threatened by one of the men who was wielding a knife.

No one was injured during the incident. The main suspect is described as white with a spotty complexion, about 5ft 8ins, of medium build and aged between 18-23 years of age.