BBC Local Live: York and North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire singer-songwriter Alistair Griffin is due to perform at the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend.

BBCCopyright: BBC

Alistair, from Castleton near Whitby, is no stranger to major sporting events as his song The Road was chosen as the offical song for the 2014 Tour de France Grand Depart, which took place in Yorkshire.

He's also been commissioned in the past by Leeds Rhinos to pay tribute to one of their biggest stars of recent years, Jamie Peacock.

The race is due to take place on Sunday at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit, known as one of the most challenging race tracks in the world, mainly due to its fast, hilly and twisty nature.

The number 830 bus doesn't sound like the route to paradise, does it? But if you want a slow and winding journey through some of the our most stunning scenery, this is the bus for you.

The service runs from Richmond to Ingleton, taking in river valleys, ancient meadows, agricultural pastures, ancient mining villages and the 19th century Ribbleshead Viaduct.

Also known as the Northern Dalesman, the 830 has a reputation as possibly the most picturesque bus journey in the country - and now BBC4 viewers will be able to find out why.

The entire 40-mile journey was filmed as part of the BBC4 Goes Slow series, which has previously featured canal journeys and sled rides. 

All Aboard The Country Bus will be shown on BBC Four at 20:00 on Monday 29 August.

Magnus Temple, chief executive of production company The Garden, explains why they chose to film the Northern Dalesman:

York City's latest signing, goalkeeper Kyle Letheren, has gone straight into the matchday squad for tomorrow's fixture against Woking at Bootham Crescent.

Letheren joined City from Blackpool after his contract there was terminated by mutual consent.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

He joins the club to bolster their goalkeeping options following Scott Flinders' FA ban for racial abuse. 

Letheren made eight appearances for the Seasiders last season after joining on a two-year deal following his release by Scottish Premier League side Dundee.

The 28-year-old has previously played for Newport County, Kilmarnock, Plymouth and Barnsley.

North Yorkshire's sci-fi and fantasy fans are gearing up for a weekend of meeting their heroes at York Unleashed, which is due to take place at York Racecourse on Sunday 28 August. 

The event, which debuted last year as York Comic-Con, will have guests such as Sylvester McCoy, who played the seventh Doctor Who on TV.

Sophie Aldred, who played his companion Ace, is also expected to attend.

BBCCopyright: BBC

Other guests confirmed include Star Wars actor Jeremy Bulloch, who played bounty hunter Boba Fett, and fellow Star Wars star Femi Taylor.

There will also be talks and book signings by acclaimed authors N. Gosney, Nathan Robinson,  A.S. Chambers and Simon Coates.

The top stories from our York newsroom this lunchtime include:

• Police are appealing for information after a man was threatened with a gun and a machete-style knife during an attempted burglary near Skipton
• A heavily pregnant woman who went missing in North Yorkshire has been found safe and well
• A trial advertising board ban will go ahead in parts of York in the new year after decision makers in the city approved the move last night 

We should continue to see plenty of fine, dry weather this afternoon with broken cloud but also some good spells of sunshine. 

It'll feel pleasantly warm in the sun with gentle to moderate westerly winds and highs of about 20C (68F). 

BBCCopyright: BBC

An attempted burglary in Gargrave, which saw a man threatened with a machete-type knife and handgun, was a "very frightening ordeal", police say. 

Two armed men fled empty-handed after demanding cash and jewellery from the man, who's in his 30s, at a property on Skipton Road at about 21:50 yesterday evening.

Police are now asking for anyone who may have witnessed anything suspicious in the area around that time to get in touch. 

One suspect is described as of Asian appearance, in his mid-20s with a young face, short dark hair and a moustache, about 5ft 11ins tall, of medium build and wearing dark clothing. 

The second suspect wore a balaclava and is described as 5ft 11ins tall and of medium build.

A man's been threatened by two men wielding a machete-type knife and a small handgun during an attempted burglary in Gargrave. 

The incident took place at about 21:50 yesterday evening when the two men called at a property on Skipton Road and demanded cash and jewellery.

The pair threatened a man in his 30s with the weapons before fleeing empty-handed.

The victim was left uninjured but shaken in what police are describing was a "targeted" attack. 

Bringing York's drainage system up to scratch could cost hundreds of thousands of pounds, it's being claimed. 

The warning comes after the findings of a new report published yesterday which blames a severe lack of maintenance over many years for the flash flooding in the city in June. 

Almost half the gullies investigated were blocked with debris, the report says.

Lib Dem councillor Andrew Waller, in charge of environmental issues at City of York Council, has given his reaction to the report to BBC Radio York:

Missing York woman Nathalie Goodall has been found safe and well, police say.

Nathalie, who is heavily pregnant, had last been seen at about 20:30 yesterday evening after she left York Hospital on Wigginton Road.

An ambitious new TV drama about the young Queen Victoria starts this weekend - and a lot of it was filmed right here in North Yorkshire. 

Writer Daisy Goodwin has rooted Victoria - starring Jenna Coleman (pictured), Rufus Sewell and Tom Hughes - firmly in fact by basing it on the queen's actual diaries.

The series follows her early life, from her accession to the throne at the age of 18 to her marriage to Prince Albert. 

Buckingham Palace was re-created at the new Church Fenton Studios, and stately homes such as Newby Hall, Castle Howard and Allerton Castle were also used as period locations 

Sally Joynson, chief executive at Screen Yorkshire, explains why North Yorkshire was so attractive to the programme's producers:

Waste from a North Yorkshire ice cream factory is being turned into gas to provide energy for the National Grid.

Sugar and fat left by the manufacturing process is changed into biomethane by micro organisms in an anaerobic digester.

The factory in Leeming Bar produces own-label products for supermarkets and confectionery companies.

Police say "extensive enquiries" are being carried out in and around York in a bid to find a heavily pregnant woman who's gone missing.

North Yorkshire PoliceCopyright: North Yorkshire Police

Nathalie Goodall, who's 40, was last seen at about 20:30 yesterday evening after she left York Hospital on Wigginton Road.

She could be acting strangely, police says.

Nathalie's described as white, 5ft 4ins tall, with dark brown hair. She was last seen wearing a white t-shirt with a black pinafore dress.

Insp David Hunter has made a direct appeal to Nathalie: "If you see or hear this appeal yourself, please get in touch the police or your family straight away to put worried minds at ease – we need to know you are safe and well."

We've just finished celebrating the exploits of North Yorkshire's athletes at the Rio Olympics, but it appears that otherwise the City of York is not too good at sport.

A new report suggests only Blackpool is worse than York when it comes to being a sporting city. 

York is ranked 48 out of 49 cities in the survey which considered factors such as value for money, sporting history and venues. 

The report's author, Doctor Thomas Curran from the University of Bath, explains how the ranking was calculated:

It's the final day of the Scarborough Cricket Festival today and North Marine Road continues to play host to Yorkshire's County Championship match against Nottinghamshire.

The match has been a little topsy-turvy so far with Yorkshire struggling in their first innings until they were rescued by Andrew Hodd and Azeem Rafiq who shared a seventh wicket partnership of 132.

The Tykes' first innings total of 282 seemed even better when they skittled out Notts for just 94.

A second innings century from Gary Ballance (pictured) then allowed Yorkshire to set an imposing target of 452 to win.

BBCCopyright: BBC

Yorkshire go into the final day's play needing another seven wickets as Nottinghamshire resume on 61 for 3.

You can follow their progress on the BBC Cricket website. Play gets under way at 11:00.

Where can you get street performers and music alongside a pizza, paella or artisan burger this bank holiday weekend? 

The answer is Harrogate's Valley Gardens - the venue for the UK's first National Street Food and Family Fun Festival.

I've been along for a sneak preview this morning:

A government scheme offering 30 hours of childcare a week to working parents of three- and four-year-olds in England is to be piloted in York next month. 

However, parents who claim the extra free childcare from September will be asked to pay charges to help make up for a funding shortfall, nurseries have warned.

BBCCopyright: BBC

But the Pre-school Learning Alliance says providers may refuse to offer the care because it could cost them money. 

The government says it's set to spend a record amount on childcare.

A pensioner who's been missing from his home in Leeds since Tuesday could be in North Yorkshire, police say.

West Yorkshire PoliceCopyright: West Yorkshire Police

Ian Collinson, 73, was last seen waiting for a bus in High Street, Micklefield, at about 09:30 on Tuesday morning.

Mr Collinson is known to travel on buses to neighbouring villages such as Garforth and South Milford and into Leeds city centre, but he also sometimes walks into North Yorkshire.

He's described as white, about 5ft 7ins tall, slim, with short white hair. He wears glasses and uses a walking stick and was wearing blue jeans.