Mother and son fleeced elderly with vacuum servicing scam
A mother and son have been sent to jail today for fleecing mainly elderly people out of thousands of pounds for servicing their vacuum cleaners.
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Thomas
Scoffin, 31 from Park Avenue in Leeds was the sole director of Leeds-based
Excel Servicing was sentenced to seven years imprisonment.
His mother
Linda Scoffin, 61 from Hall Drive in Lincoln who helped him run the
business, was sentenced to three years.
The pair had falsely claimed to
represent the Dyson firm and then convinced people that their vacuum needed servicing, in some cases damaging a perfectly functioning model.
Customers were
often charged between £50 and £200 to service the cleaners, and charged £40 for
a new filter which were only worth between £2 and £5.
'Full investigation' into hit spectators at Scarborough bike races
The organisation which represents motorcycle sport in the UK says it will be carrying out a full investigation into yesterday's two accidents at Oliver's Mount.
ACUCopyright: ACU
Ten spectators and two motorcyclists were injured in two incidents at Oliver's Mount in Scarborough yesterday.
In both accidents two motorcyclists crashed into the crowds who were watching.
The Auto Cycle Union says yesterday's events are extremely rare.
They say they will fully investigate the circumstances of these incidents in conjunction with the circuit and organisers.
Leeds United: Are Championship leaders finally set for Premier League return?
As Leeds United's supporters celebrated at the traditional gathering place of The Old Peacock just a short walk from Elland Road, one of English football's institutions had taken another small step on the long road to recovery.
Rex FeaturesCopyright: Rex Features
A 3-2 win over Ipswich - a game almost designed to play on nerves frayed by 15 years of trauma - kept Leeds top of the Championship on goal difference going into Tuesday's game at third-placed Cardiff.
The revival under their latest manager, Thomas Christiansen, had brought 34,002 to the famous stadium, the highest of the season and a third successive league attendance in excess of 30,000.
Christiansen, the 44-year-old Danish-born former Spain international, had Leeds fans heading to Wikipedia for information when he succeeded Garry Monk.
He is the symbol of the relative calm that has suddenly descended on this part of Yorkshire after the years of madness that followed David O'Leary's sacking in June 2002.
Dog owners fined because pets were not microchipped
Mick Lunney
BBC Local Live, Sheffield
Five dog owners from Sheffield have been nipped in the pocket because their dogs were not microchipped.
PACopyright: PA
They were each fined at Sheffield Magistrates' Court for not ensuring their animals had microchips with up-to-date information about their pets, something that's legally required.
Owners can only be excused if they have a veterinary certificate stating this should not happen due to reasons relating to the animal’s health.
The maximum fine is £500 in each case.
Quote Message: We are pleased that the courts have taken a firm stance on microchipping of dogs. It is a pity that these dog owners chose not to microchip their pet despite the efforts of our staff” from Bryan Lodge Councillor
We are pleased that the courts have taken a firm stance on microchipping of dogs. It is a pity that these dog owners chose not to microchip their pet despite the efforts of our staff”
‘Harsh words’ from judge for benefits cheat caught out by holiday snaps
Live Reporting
Andrew Barton
All times stated are UK
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Latest PostCardiff City 3-1 Leeds United
By Dafydd Pritchard
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Read moreThat's all from Monday
Those are all the updates from Monday 25 September.
Want to get all the latest news, travel, sport and weather in Yorkshire on Tuesday 26 September 2017?
Click here.
Inquiry after crashes left 12 hurt
Four people remain in hospital after the two separate crashes in Scarborough on Sunday.
Read moreBenidorm TV star dies on holiday
Bobby Knutt had roles in the ITV comedy Benidorm as well as Emmerdale and Coronation Street.
Read moreDyson vacuum cleaner scam family jailed
The mother and son preyed on vulnerable people and charged vastly inflated prices for the work.
Read moreEssex v Yorkshire
Listen to BBC local radio commentary as Essex host Yorkshire in County Championship Division One.
Catch upAshes hopeful Westley injures thumb
Essex's Ashes hopeful Tom Westley has a precautionary X-ray on his right thumb on day one against Yorkshire.
Read moreOur five top stories today
That's all from us for today, we'll be back tomorrow from 06:30 with all the latest news, sport, weather and travel for Yorkshire.
Updates on breaking news will continue throughout the night, but before we go, let's look back at some of our top stories from today:
See you tomorrow.
Mother and son fleeced elderly with vacuum servicing scam
A mother and son have been sent to jail today for fleecing mainly elderly people out of thousands of pounds for servicing their vacuum cleaners.
Thomas Scoffin, 31 from Park Avenue in Leeds was the sole director of Leeds-based Excel Servicing was sentenced to seven years imprisonment.
His mother Linda Scoffin, 61 from Hall Drive in Lincoln who helped him run the business, was sentenced to three years.
The pair had falsely claimed to represent the Dyson firm and then convinced people that their vacuum needed servicing, in some cases damaging a perfectly functioning model.
Customers were often charged between £50 and £200 to service the cleaners, and charged £40 for a new filter which were only worth between £2 and £5.
'Full investigation' into hit spectators at Scarborough bike races
The organisation which represents motorcycle sport in the UK says it will be carrying out a full investigation into yesterday's two accidents at Oliver's Mount.
Ten spectators and two motorcyclists were injured in two incidents at Oliver's Mount in Scarborough yesterday.
In both accidents two motorcyclists crashed into the crowds who were watching.
The Auto Cycle Union says yesterday's events are extremely rare.
They say they will fully investigate the circumstances of these incidents in conjunction with the circuit and organisers.
Leeds United: Are Championship leaders finally set for Premier League return?
Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer
As Leeds United's supporters celebrated at the traditional gathering place of The Old Peacock just a short walk from Elland Road, one of English football's institutions had taken another small step on the long road to recovery.
A 3-2 win over Ipswich - a game almost designed to play on nerves frayed by 15 years of trauma - kept Leeds top of the Championship on goal difference going into Tuesday's game at third-placed Cardiff.
The revival under their latest manager, Thomas Christiansen, had brought 34,002 to the famous stadium, the highest of the season and a third successive league attendance in excess of 30,000.
Christiansen, the 44-year-old Danish-born former Spain international, had Leeds fans heading to Wikipedia for information when he succeeded Garry Monk.
He is the symbol of the relative calm that has suddenly descended on this part of Yorkshire after the years of madness that followed David O'Leary's sacking in June 2002.
Read more.
Travel update: Delays for London-bound rail users
BBC News Travel
A vehicle has struck a bridge in Chesterfield, which means if you're getting a train to London from Sheffield, you're going to be delayed:
Dog owners fined because pets were not microchipped
Mick Lunney
BBC Local Live, Sheffield
Five dog owners from Sheffield have been nipped in the pocket because their dogs were not microchipped.
They were each fined at Sheffield Magistrates' Court for not ensuring their animals had microchips with up-to-date information about their pets, something that's legally required.
Owners can only be excused if they have a veterinary certificate stating this should not happen due to reasons relating to the animal’s health.
The maximum fine is £500 in each case.
‘Harsh words’ from judge for benefits cheat caught out by holiday snaps
Yorkshire Evening Post
A benefits cheat convicted of swindling £80,934 after being caught out by her own holiday snaps has walked free of court with “harsh words” from a judge.
Listen: Bobby Knutt's reflections on Sheffield
Mick Lunney
BBC Local Live, Sheffield
At the age of 71, comedian and actor Bobby Knutt has died today.
He died in France where he was on holiday.
His roles in soap operas and pantomimes have been many and Knutty, as he was known, made his name on the club circuit as a comedian.
His wife, Donna Hartley-Wass, died suddenly in 2013 as she sunbathed in the couple's back garden in Barnsley.
In this recording, Bobby Knutt reflects on his home city of Sheffield and his popular panto roles:
Sir David Jason being guarded by security after 'credible threat' to TV legend is made
Yorkshire Post
Only Fools and Horses legend Sir David Jason is being 'guarded round the clock' by security after a 'credible threat' was made against him.