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Live Reporting

Andrew Barton

All times stated are UK

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  1. Five things we learnt today in North Yorkshire

    Andrew Barton

    BBC Local Live, York

    Well that's about all we've got time for today - thanks for spending the last few hours in our company. We're back again with our Local Live service from 07:00 on Thursday.

    In the meantime, here are five things we've learnt in North Yorkshire today: 

    1. New flood defences housed in North Yorkshire will help prevent many communities from being flooded again, the Environment Agency says
    2. A rare film is being used to trace York soldiers who took part in the World War Two Burma campaign
    3. A 71-year-old man from York has travelled to New Zealand to meet a brother he never knew existed until recently
    4. A study into alcohol-related problems in York reckons the city centre isn't a family friendly place on a Saturday afternoon
    5. An abandoned pet rabbit from North Yorkshire has been shortlisted for a national award recognising examples of "miraculous survival"

    Speaking of survival, before their demise dinosaurs are believed to have inhabited the earth for about 175 million years, which is no mean feat. 

    It seems one of them has managed to cling to a spot on the east coast:

    Dino

    This unusual BBC Weather Watcher pic, of a model Pterodactyl on Whitby pier, was sent in by June Gothika.

  2. Rooftop burglary in Skipton sparks appeal

    Burglars broke into an outdoor clothing store in Skipton by clambering onto its roof before stealing cash and stock earlier this week.

    Thieves targeted the Tog 24 shop on High Street sometime between 17:00 on Sunday and 09:00 on Monday, gaining entry via the roof.

    Anyone with information about the theft, or who may have seen anything suspcious during that period, is being asked to contact North Yorkshire Police.

    Anybody who's been offered new-looking Tog 24 jackets is also being asked to get in touch.

  3. Decking the halls for Christmas at Castle Howard

    Joanita Musisi

    Reporter, BBC Radio York

    Christmas has begun early for me today. 

    I've been helping staff at Castle Howard, near Malton, decorate for Christmas - that's if your idea of helping is, er, standing and admiring.

    Here are a few pics I took: starting top left and heading clockwise you can see peacocks in the Garden Hall, followed by the tree in the Great Hall.

    The dolls' house is one that the Honorable Nicholas Howard used to play with as a young boy and the baubles to the right of that are hanging serenely in the music room.

    Castle Howard

    Now I'm feeling fully festive, I suppose all that's left is to shoot out and do my present buying!

  4. Listen: New flood barriers 'quicker and easier than sandbags'

    New flood defences now housed in North Yorkshire will help prevent many communities from being flooded again, the Environment Agency says.

    The village of Riccall, near Selby, is to be be one of seven key locations across the country which will be used as a hub to help deal with flooding. 

    Barriers and high volume pumps will be based at the Environment Agency's depot in the village. 

    Today, soldiers from Catterick have been given training in how to set up the flood defences.

    Capt Ollie Bambrick, one of the soldiers receiving the training, says the new barriers are much quicker and easier than building walls of sandbags:

    Video content

    Video caption: Captain Ollie Bambrick is one of the soldiers receiving the training.
  5. North Yorkshire's weather: Sunny spells, scattered showers

    Abbie Dewhurst

    Weather Presenter, BBC Look North

    This afternoon will see sunny spells and scattered blustery showers, perhaps wintry over hills. 

    Gusty winds and feeling much cooler with highs of about 11C (52F). 

    Weather graphic
  6. Your headlines this lunchtime

    The top stories from our York newsroom this lunchtime include:

  7. Garages and sheds demolished at site of Ripon sinkhole

    Andrew Barton

    BBC Local Live, York

    Work continues in Ripon today at the site of a huge sinkhole which appeared almost exactly a week ago and which swallowed two gardens and led to the evacuation of 12 homes.

    sinkhole

    Yesterday, contractors were on site at Magdalen's  Road dismantling sheds and garages to access the landslip area.  

    The sinkhole measures about 20m (66ft) by 10m (33ft). It is 9m (30ft) deep.  

  8. Harry and Amy go over the edge for Children in Need

    BBC Look North

    Here's a picture of BBC Look North presenter Amy Garcia hanging over the edge of a somewhat high building in the centre of Sheffield...

    Amy

    Why's she doing this? Well, she was probably asking that selfsame question at the moment this pic was taken a little earlier.

    She's been taking part in the third task of the "Big Five" challenge which she and fellow BBC Look North presenter Harry Gration are undertaking for BBC Children in Need.

    Earlier this week they took to the air for a little wingwalking and today the pair abseiled down the side of Sheffield Hallam University which is a whole 13 floors high.

  9. Listen: York man, 71, meets brother in New Zealand he never knew existed

    Andrew Barton

    BBC Local Live, York

    Most of us know who our family is, but there's one group of people for whom all or most family relationships are a complete mystery - people who've been adopted. 

    If you've no idea who your birth parents are, it can be very tough to find out who your other relations are.

    One York man, Jeremy Silversides, is currently on an expedition to New Zealand where, at the age of 71, he's due to meet the brother and sisters who, until recently, he never knew he had.

    Jeremy and his wife Maureen have been telling BBC Radio York's Jonathan Cowap their story:

    Video content

    Video caption: Jeremy Silversides is currently in New Zealand to meet brother he never knew he had.
  10. Fall in unemployment in Yorkshire

    The latest unemployment figures show a drop in the number of people out of work in our region.

    Job Centre

    The number of people without a job in Yorkshire and the Humber between July and September stood at 151,000 - that's down by 7,000 on the previous quarter, a fall of 5.6%.

    The national figure's also fallen - by 37,000 to 1.6 million. That's the lowest level for 11 years.

  11. Soldiers given lessons in how to battle flooding

    Soldiers from Catterick are being shown today how to use equipment which will be deployed in case of flooding in North Yorkshire and other parts of the country this winter.

    It comes on the day that Riccall, near Selby, is named as one of seven key locations across the country which will act as hubs to help combat flooding.

    North Yorkshire was one of the places hardest hit by devastating floods which hit the UK on Boxing Day last year.

    Below you can see staff from the Environment Agency this morning showing soldiers how to put up new mobile flood barriers at Riccall.

    Soldiers watching flood barriers being put up
    Flood barrier exercise
  12. Watch: Rare film reveals World War Two images of Burma campaign veterans

    Jonathan Cowap

    Presenter, BBC Radio York

    Two rare films are being searched frame by frame by York-based relatives of veterans of the Burma campaign in World War Two.

    The films were shown between 1944 and 1946 in York cinemas to an audience of wives, mothers and sweethearts of the men fighting in Burma.

    Now a website has been launched where relatives can search for their loved ones via photos and descriptions of the York soldiers.

    The man behind the project, Professor Steve Hawley, tells me he aims to trace relatives of as many York servicemen as possible.

    Take a look at this remarkable film and see if you recognise anyone:

    Video content

    Video caption: Films
  13. Listen: New flood barriers 'erected by 15 people in three hours'

    Georgey Spanswick

    Presenter, BBC Radio York

    More now on the preparations being made for flooding in North Yorkshire. 

    It's emerged today that a village near Selby is to be one of seven key locations across the country to help combat flooding

    The Environment Agency base at Riccall will house vital equipment, including high volume pumps and temporary flood barriers.

    Soldiers from Catterick are in the village today being trained how to use the new defences.

    I've been speaking to Neil Longden from the Environment Agency and he described to me the work involved in quickly putting the barriers together:

    Video content

    Video caption: Riccall one of seven key locations across the country to help combat flooding.
  14. Watch: Harsh Hudson hurts Harry in Strictly-style dance-off for Children in Need

    BBC Look North

    Forget 10 from Len, it's naff all from Paul...

    Tuesday saw BBC Look North presenters Harry Gration and Amy Garcia facing day two of their "Big Five" challenges for BBC Children in Need.

    The pair took to the dance floor in front of a crowded Victoria Gate shopping centre in Leeds.

    Amy was awarded a hefty 32 points, but Harry only scored 16 after weatherman Paul Hudson gave him a miserly zero points:

    Video content

    Video caption: Day two of Harry and Amy five challenges for BBC Children in Need

    Today's task is, wait for it, abseiling down the side of a tall building in Sheffield.

    Keep your eyes peeled here for details of that experience. And here's how to donate:

    Donation details
  15. Your views sought over future of The Stray in Harrogate

    Over the past few years, The Stray in Harrogate has been used for several big events such as the Tour de France and the Great Yorkshire Run.

    However, did you know that the number and type of such events being held there is limited by something called The Stray Act?

    Now, Harrogate Borough Council is asking for local residents' views on whether that Act should be amended to allow an increase in the variety, frequency and size of events permitted:

    View more on twitter
  16. Brave North Yorkshire bunny up for 'survivors' award

    Andrew Barton

    BBC Local Live, York

    An abandoned pet rabbit from North Yorkshire who was suffering from an old and severely infected head injury, has been shortlisted for a national award recognising examples of "miraculous survival".

    Hans, a five-year-old rabbit from Richmond, was left with a serious head injury after being targeted by either a dog or a fox. 

    Hans

    He was entered into the PDSA Pet Survivor Awards 2016 by his new owner, Gwen Butler, who runs a small animal charity. 

    Gwen says: "A local vet called us asking if we could take in an abandoned rabbit. He was really underweight, his teeth were in an awful state and this old head wound was horribly infected." 

    Trudi Pardoe, the vet who treated Hans says: “Hans' head wound was so severe, and he was in such poor condition, that euthanasia was a serious consideration".

    Voting for the PDSA Pet Survivor trophy ends on 4 December.

  17. Watch: Getting ready for winter - The York couple prepared for flooding

    Cara Thorpe

    BBC Radio York News

    About £1.5m has so far been given in grants and funding to people affected by the floods at Christmas last year in North Yorkshire, it's emerged.

    One couple who've benefited are Jackie Buttery and her husband David whose home in York has been flooded at least a dozen times, including in winter last year.

    They've used their grant to make their house as flood-proof as possible - tiling the entire ground floor, raising all the electrics and installing a custom made kitchen which can be removed in 20 minutes if flood water starts rise.

    They've shown me around their home:

    Video content

    Video caption: Meet the couple from York who are prepared for flooding.