BBC Local Live: York and North Yorkshire

A woman and her pet dog were attacked by a dog which was off its lead near Northallerton last month, police have said.

The incident happened at Thornton-le-Moor near Northallerton on Wednesday 22 June.

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The victim and her four-year-old son were walking their dog when the alsatian-type dog attacked, biting the woman's hand when she tried to separate them.

Anyone with information is being asked to contact police who have also asked dog walkers in the area to make sure their animals are kept under control.

British Gas is to offer free electricity for eight hours at weekends to two million customers who have smart meters installed.

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Customers will be able to choose to use the free power either on Saturday or Sunday, between 09:00 and 17:00.

British Gas said consumers should see savings of about £60 a year.

But experts said it will not necessarily be the cheapest deal on the market, and advised people to shop around with other suppliers.

What did Donald Bell from Harrogate do to get awarded the Victoria Cross in World War One?

The reason is simple: this professional footballer's actions saved many soldiers' lives. 

It was an extraordinary act of bravery on the first day of the Battle of the Somme which is being commemorated today exactly 100 years on.

His story is told here by historian Lyndsay Powell, students from Harrogate Grammar - Donald's old school, and by Richard Bell, Donald's great nephew.

A shop manager has been threatened with a knife during a robbery in Scarborough. 

It happened yesterday morning at the e-cigarette shop on Newborough. 

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Two men forced the manager to empty the safe of a quantity of cash. 

One of them then punched the manager before the pair escaped with the contents of the safe and till takings.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact police.

Drivers are being warned of slow traffic on the A59 Skipton Road eastbound in Harrogate between New Park Roundabout and Empress Roundabout.

The top stories from our York newsroom this lunchtime include:

• Events are held across North Yorkshire to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Somme
• An investigation's started to find out what caused a major fire which destroyed a factory in Pocklington which saw North Yorkshire fire crews called in to help tackle the blaze
• Planned cuts to bus subsidies have been rolled back by councillors in York to retain support for key services  

The isolated showers we've had this morning will become more frequent this afternoon.

The showers may turn heavy and thundery with hail, but there will be some sunny spells too. Top temperatures 17C (63F).

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The showers will die out through the evening, giving us a dry night but staying windy.

Lows tonight of about 10C (50F).

People attending York's Battle of the Somme centenary commemoration earlier today heard one of the original whistles used in the battle being blown by a 21st century serving soldier.

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A hundred years ago, whistles were blown to signal the start of what would be the bloodiest day in the history of the British Army.

More than a million men were killed and wounded on all sides in the WW1 battle which was fought in northern France and lasted five months, with the British suffering almost 60,000 casualties on the first day alone.

Campaigners against the UK's decision to leave the EU in last week’s historic referendum are to make a stand in York tomorrow.

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More than 1,500 people have so far registered interest in the York Says Not To Brexit rally.

We're commemorating the tens of thousands of soldiers who died in the Battle of the Somme exactly 100 years ago today.

But why was the first day of the 141-day battle such a disaster?

Read the BBC's iWonder guide to find out.

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The latest headlines from our BBC Radio York newsroom: 

• Commemorations have taken place in Ripon and York to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Somme 
• Police in Scarborough are searching for two men who threatened a shop manager with a knife and stole cash from the safe
• Key council-funded bus services are to be protected by City of York council after residents objected to proposed cuts

There are a couple of problems on the roads in Harrogate at the moment.

Slow traffic's reported on the A59 Skipton Road eastbound between New Park Roundabout and Empress Roundabout.

Meanwhile, there's also congestion on the A661 Wetherby Road westbound between the Kestrel Roundabout and Woodlands Pub traffic lights.

A warning from City of York Council about problems at Foss Bank car park.

If you're looking for a parking space in the area, it might be a good idea to go elsewhere...

As the county remembers the sacrifices which were made 100 years ago today on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, we remember the North Yorkshire soldiers who never returned.

I've been to France to look for the final resting place of just one of those soldiers, Harrogate's Donald Bell. He was awarded the Victoria Cross.

A Swedish mum in York was told to "go back to her own country" in a racist attack.

Police are now appealing for the woman to get in touch with them after the incident.

Friends of the woman, who lives in York, contacted The Press newspaper to report what had happened. They told reporters the woman was with her two children when she was sworn at.

The incident, which took place on Saturday 25 June, has not been reported to the police.

Supt Adam Thomson said: "I am appealing to the woman who was abused to please contact us and report what happened.

"I am also appealing to anyone else who has any information that could help identify the perpetrators to contact us.

"This type of crime will not be tolerated in the City of York or anywhere else in our county and anyone who behaves in such a way will face the full force of the law.

"I also encourage anyone else who has been the victim of similar crimes, to please contact us. All reports of hate crime are taken extremely seriously and will be thoroughly investigated."

There are currently no problems on North Yorkshire's roads this morning.

There are also no delays out of York station, but if you're travelling through Leicestershire there are delays of up to 40 minutes between Leicester and Peterborough. 

There are also train delays between Leamington Spa, Stratford-Upon-Avon and Birmingham.