Summary

  • Updates on Wednesday 23 March 2016

  • News, sport, weather and travel updates will resume at 08:00 on Thursday

  1. Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00 GMT 23 March 2016

    Live updates for Leeds and West Yorkshire have finished for the day.

    I'll be back from 08:00 on Thursday with the latest news, sport, weather and travel updates from across the county.

    If you spot something happening in your area, you can always get in touch with me by email.

  2. West Yorkshire's weather: Cloudy with clear spells developingpublished at 17:51 GMT 23 March 2016

    Paul Hudson
    Weather presenter, BBC Look North

    This evening will be rather cloudy with some clear spells developing later.

    Weather graph

    Minimum temperature overnight of about 4C (39F).

    We'll see a dry bright start to the day tomorrow, clouding over with patchy outbreaks of rain spreading from the west through the day.

  3. Shakespeare in West Yorkshirepublished at 17:41 GMT 23 March 2016

    All this week, BBC Yorkshire's looking at Shakespeare's connections with our neck of the woods.

    In Shakespeare’s time, all parts were played by male actors. But eventually, and sensationally, female actors established themselves as Shakespearean stars of the stage. 

    Below is an example in Huddersfield of a woman playing Hamlet.

    This benefit performance is for a married couple – Mr and Mrs Nunn, who appear in two extracts from Shakespeare.

    Poster
  4. Challenge cup: Castleford Lock lane to face Halifaxpublished at 17:30 GMT 23 March 2016

    BBC West Yorkshire Sport

    The draw for the fifth round of the Challenge Cup was made last night.

    Wakefield have been drawn at home to Sheffield Eagles, while our only remaining amateur side, Lock Lane, will go to Halifax.

    It was not quite the draw that Lock Lane coach Martin Rowse had been hoping for.

    Quote Message

    We wanted someone a bit more local to spark up a lot of interest in the town. We'll go there and give it our best shot, make no mistake about that! Our guys are up for it and we'll make a good a good shot of it - the result will look after itself."

    Martin Rowse, Coach, Lock Lane

  5. Listen: 'He's a real coup for us' - Paul Anderson on Ryan Brierleypublished at 17:20 GMT 23 March 2016

    James Deighton
    BBC West Yorkshire Sport

    Huddersfield Giants have signed half-back Ryan Brierley from Championship side Leigh Centurions on a four-and-a-half-year contract.

    The 24-year-old won back-to-back Championship titles with Leigh after joining them from Castleford in 2012 and scored 133 tries in 125 games

    Giants coach Paul Anderson has told me having Brierley on side is a real coup.

  6. Latest headlines: Two jailed for Clement Desmier murder and Ferrybridge C power station ceases productionpublished at 17:10 GMT 23 March 2016

    The top stories in Leeds and West Yorkshire today include:

  7. Listen: Colne Valley MP warns of 'radicalisation of family members' in West Yorkshirepublished at 17:01 GMT 23 March 2016

    The Colne Valley Conservative MP, Jason McCartney, has warned the Home Secretary over concerns growing in West Yorkshire about the "radicalisation of family members".

    His comments come after it emerged that a Huddersfield family fear a suicide bomber responsible for an attack in Iraq is their missing son, Mohammed Rizwan Awan.

    In response, Theresa May didn't refer to this case specifically, saying instead that the government is working on several fronts to address the issue.

  8. Clement Desmier stab murder pair given life sentencespublished at 16:39 GMT 23 March 2016

    Two men have been given life sentences for murdering a pensioner in a brutal stabbing attack in Bradford.

    Nathan Jefferson and David LawlerImage source, West Yorkshire Police

    Clement "Butch" Desmier, 68, was repeatedly stabbed with a knife and screwdriver at his home in August 2012.

    David Lawler (pictured right), 33, and 20-year-old Nathan Jefferson (left) - who turned 17 on the day of the killing - ransacked Mr Desmier's home as they hunted for cash.

    At Bradford Crown Court, Lawler was told he would serve at least 16 years, while Jefferson must serve 34 years.

  9. West Yorkshire in pictures: Ferrybridge C power station 'after the stop button's pressed'published at 16:15 GMT 23 March 2016

    Thanks to Roger Newbould for sending us this picture of Ferrybridge C power station near Knottingley at about 13:00 this afternoon. 

    As he puts it, it was "just as the big stop button was pressed".

    Ferrybridge CImage source, Roger Newbould

    The coal-fired power station has produced electricity for the last time today after 50 years of use.

    Its site close to the M62 and A1 has made the giant steaming cooling towers a well-known landmark.

  10. Leeds para-cycling world champion can 'improve' before Rio gamespublished at 16:04 GMT 23 March 2016

    Leeds-born world champion para-cyclist Kadeena Cox says she has more to learn in order to improve ahead of the Paralympics.

    Kadeena CoxImage source, swpix.com

    Cox, 25, won gold and set a new C4 500m time trial world record in the UCI Para-cycling Track Worlds on 17 March.

    "I'm not at the top of my game as I'm still really new to it so there's lots to learn. There is more I can do in cycling," she told BBC Radio Leeds.

  11. Latest headlines: Two men jailed for murder of Clement Desmier and Ferrybridge C power station ceases productionpublished at 15:43 GMT 23 March 2016

    The top stories in Leeds and West Yorkshire so far this afternoon include:

  12. Police release e-fit picture after Dewsbury abductionpublished at 14:55 GMT 23 March 2016

    Police have released an e-fit picture of a man they wish to speak to, external in relation to an abduction of a 17-year-old girl in Dewsbury.

    e-fitImage source, WYP

    The girl was approached on Huddersfield Road, Westtown in Dewsbury at about 22:30 on Sunday 21 February 2016. She was forced into a three door dark car and driven to Bradford and Halifax.

    The suspect is described as an Asian male in his 20s. He has dark brown eyes, dark curly hair and a beard.

    Anyone who has any information is asked to contact DC Michael Smith at Kirklees CID via 101.

  13. MCC v Yorkshire: Ian Bell hits half-century to help MCC to victorypublished at 14:36 GMT 23 March 2016

    BBC Sport

    Ian Bell found some form ahead of the new county season as his 66 helped the MCC to a four-wicket win over Yorkshire in the Champion County match.

    Ian BellImage source, Getty Images

    The new Warwickshire captain, who has said he wants his place back in England's Test side, struck 10 fours in his 134-ball innings as the MCC chased down a target of 256 in Abu Dhabi.

    Earlier, Yorkshire, who resumed on 239-7, were bowled out for 299.

  14. Keighley councillor suspended from Labour partypublished at 14:17 GMT 23 March 2016

    Larry Budd
    Political reporter, BBC Radio Leeds

    A councillor in West Yorkshire has been suspended by the Labour Party after making comments about so-called Islamic State online.

    Khadim Hussain is a councillor for Keighley Central and a former Lord Mayor of Bradford.

    The Labour Party has confirmed he's been suspended pending an investigation. 

    I've contacted Mr Hussain for comment, but have yet to receive a reply.

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  15. Ferrybridge C power station ceases productionpublished at 14:01 GMT 23 March 2016

    BBC Radio Leeds

    Ferrybridge C power station in West Yorkshire has ceased production today after 50 years of service.

    Ferrybridge

    The decision to close the loss-making plant was taken last May. It'll officially shut on 31 March before being decommissioned. 

    About 180 people work at the plant, along with an unspecified number of contractors.

  16. Tour de Yorkshire: Otley's Lizzie Armitstead aims for record £15,000 prizepublished at 13:24 GMT 23 March 2016

    BBC Sport

    Otley-born British world champion Lizzie Armitstead will race for the most lucrative prize in women's cycling at next month's Tour de Yorkshire.

    Lizzie ArmitsteadImage source, AP

    This year's winner will get £15,000 - more than the men's race. Last year's winner Louise Mahe received £1,000.

    The 135km ride from Otley to Doncaster takes place on Saturday 30 April, with the second stage of the men's three-day race starting later on the same course.

    It's Armitstead's first race as world champion in the UK and she says: "It's an absolute dream to be starting in my hometown."

  17. Latest headlines: Huddersfield family fear Iraq suicide bomber was their son and police appeal over Dewsbury teen's abductionpublished at 13:09 GMT 23 March 2016

    The top stories in Leeds and West Yorkshire so far this morning include:

  18. West Yorkshire's weather: Clouding over from the westpublished at 12:47 GMT 23 March 2016

    Owain Wyn Evans
    Weather presenter, BBC Look North

    It will gradually become cloudier from the west this afternoon and this could introduce a few patches of rain.

    Weather map

    Light to moderate westerly winds with a maximum temperature of about 10C (50F).