Latest news with #Doncaster
BBC News
9 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Clean bill of health for inbred Yorkshire Wildlife Park lion cubs
Three lion cubs whose "shock" birth in captivity was the result of an incestuous mating between a mother and her son are all healthy, staff at a wildlife park have cubs, which are now nine weeks old, were born in April at Yorkshire Wildlife Park (YWP), near Doncaster, amid fears the inbreeding could cause genetic YWP staff said that following the cubs' two-month check up and vaccinations, they had a "clean bill of health".Bex Brown, head of carnivores at the wildlife park, said it was "such a delight to see a new generation of lions healthy and happy". The cubs' mother, Aysa, was rescued from war-torn Kyiv in March 2024 with her female cubs Emi and Santa, and male Teddi, who is now arrived at YWP after being moved 2,000 miles (3,219km) by road from a Polish holding was thought that Aysa became pregnant between two vasectomy procedures her son Teddi underwent towards the end of park has been criticised for the "against the odds" pregnancy, because inbreeding can lead to health defects and abnormalities. But a spokesperson said it was decided not to separate the lioness and her older cubs because they had spent nine months apart without sunlight or outside stimulation on their journey to Doncaster and there had been fears separating them again would have "compromised" Teddi. Staff at YWP said following the cubs' latest check-ups and vaccinations, their development was on track and they were hitting weight and growth milestones."We are so happy to share that the cubs are doing well," Ms Brown said."Their personalities are already coming through and the boys are definitely a bit more boisterous. "The female is a little more delicate and keener on coming over to see the keepers." Staff said the cubs needed "the best possible start at life" and, as the weather improved and the cubs grew, they were getting more time the new cubs would live alongside their older siblings, but for now could be seen on screen, a spokesperson Brown said: "We're working on gradually progressing them to the reserves, but first need to do some 'cub-proofing' to ensure they're safe."Hopefully, soon visitors will be able to see the cubs join their siblings and learn to socialise with the rest of the pride." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
BBC News
14 hours ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Man, 18, died in 100mph crash on M18 in car driven by brother
A teenager was killed in a motorway crash after a car driven by his brother spun out of control and hit a tree, an inquest has Mongan, 18, and his sibling John, 19, were travelling in an Audi when it collided with the central reservation of the M18 between Doncaster and Rotherham in the early hours of 7 September hearing at Doncaster Coroner's Court was told that the vehicle hit a mound of grass and was "launched" off the verge and into woodland, landing 42 metres Audi was travelling at around 100mph and both men were thrown from the car. Patrick died instantly while John remains in hospital and has undergone several brain surgeries. The brothers were from Cottenham in Cambridgeshire but had been at a pub in the Doncaster area before the inquest heard that John's condition remains serious and he has not been told of Patrick's Yorkshire Police forensic collision investigator Steven Gardner said trees struck by the car had been "snapped in half" by the force of the added: "The car was a complete and utter wreck. It was airborne for a long time through those trees." Mr Gardner said that the Audi approached a car in front of it in the fast lane as it was overtaking a brothers' car closed the gap between the two quickly, and as the slower car moved left after passing the HGV, the Audi swerved right to avoid hitting driver lost control when the car clipped the mound on the central said the manner of driving was the "sole causation" of the crash, although the hillock also posed a Driving Standards Agency (DVSA) is also investigating the Audi's MOT provider as the airbags, seat belt pretensioners and rollover bar were all defective despite the vehicle having a valid MOT certificate. Knotted seatbelts The seat belts had knots tied in them, and neither brother had been wearing one, the inquest was Gardner said he was "alarmed" the car had passed its MOT and, although the failed safety features did not contribute to the collision, he said they may have influenced the severity of the injuries the men was also given by PC Natalie Booler, who said the Mongans had been involved in an altercation with a group at The Mason's Arms less than an hour before the officer said the pair were "shouting things to the group, unprovoked" in the pub car park, left, then came back again and tried to pull one of the men into the blows were exchanged in an incident which was captured on CCTV, the brothers got back into the vehicle with John in the night, Patrick had been driving when they had made off from a petrol station without Booler said she could not say whether or not they had swapped places in the driver's seat after leaving the pub but before the Gardner said this would have been "highly unlikely" as the distance covered by the Audi in a matter of minutes would have been unreasonable if factoring in a stop. The brothers' sister described Patrick as "happy-go-lucky, cheerful and upbeat" and said he had been close to coroner Nicola Mundy said that she was satisfied John had been the driver at the time of the ordered a Prevention of Future Deaths report into the presence of the mound of earth on the central reservation, pointing out that a "similar scenario" would unfold if another driver struck it at a lower Mundy recorded a conclusion of death caused by chest injuries in a road traffic accident. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
The Sun
16 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Families on Universal Credit can apply for free £300 vouchers this month – check if you're eligible
THOUSANDS of households can apply for free vouchers from their local council this month. This is through the Government's Household Support Fund, which has given £742million to councils across the country to help struggling residents. 1 Local authorities can choose how they use the funds to help people in their area, and the latest to reveal its plans is City of Doncaster Council. It says it will be providing one-off payments worth up to £300 to residents on certain benefits. You'll be eligible if you receive: Housing benefit Local Council Tax Reduction Universal Credit which includes the housing element Means-tested free school meals. Families can get £100 vouchers towards the cost of food if they have one dependent child. Households with two dependent children will get £200, while families with three or more will get £300. City of Doncaster Council says it classes children as dependent if you receive Child Benefit for them. Other eligible households - including those without children - can get £100 towards the cost of energy bills. The council is also putting £150,000 into supporting local food banks and its hygiene bank. Hundreds of thousands have been set aside to support community hubs helping vulnerable households and people in crisis. 6 Easy Water-Saving Gadgets That Can Save You £100s How can you get the payment? If you've already received help from the Household Support Fund before and you still meet the criteria, you won't need to apply. Instead the payment should land in your bank account automatically. You will need to contact the council if your bank details have changed, though. If you were paid by cheque previously, you'll receive the payment by cheque again unless you contact the council and provide it with your bank details. You can contact the council to change your details by emailing householdsupportfund@ You'll need to provide your name, National Insurance Number, full address, bank sort code, account number and the name of the account holder. If the council can't verify that you're still eligible for the payment but you think you are, you will need to reapply. Households that haven't received a payment previously will need to submit an application. You can do that using the link here. Make sure you apply before the applications close in July. When will the payment be sent? Households with children will get their food vouchers on or around July 15. Those who are receiving help with their energy bills will get their vouchers much later. These will come through on or around December 15. Can you get help if you live outside Doncaster? Most likely, yes. Councils across the country have been given money through the Household Support Fund scheme. They can choose to distribute the money how they want so you should check what your local council is doing. However the aim is to help households cover essentials such as energy or water bills and food costs. Some councils have not yet revealed how they are planning to spend the money, but others have shared details on their websites. For example, households in Redcar & Cleveland can get support worth up to £230. Those in Leeds can get payments of up to £150. Councils have until March 31, 2026 to allocate their share of the fund to residents. If you're struggling with bills or on benefits, it's likely you'll be able to get support. You should contact your local council or check its website to see what it's offering and whether you might be eligible. You can find what council area you fall under by using the government's council locator tool - Some offer supermarket vouchers while others are sending direct cash payments. It's worth noting that any help you receive via the Household Support Fund won't affect your benefit payments.
BBC News
20 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
The Doncaster cafe helping young people back into education
A cafe supporting young people back into education and employment has opened in Cafe has been set up by Future Pathways, which works with students with additional needs or who have left mainstream will serve the public as a regular cafe, but will also help students gain work experience and obtain qualifications in fields such as Pathways founder Lauren Meston said: "When going for the job interviews in workplaces, the customer service is a real important element, so we thought this is perfect - it covers all areas." The charity also runs a salon in Doncaster, Pathways Beauty Academy, which it opened in September well as undertaking work placements and specialist qualifications, students continue to study traditional subjects such as English and only attend the programme a few days a week as they continue with their schooling."I've worked with young people for over 20 years now, and I saw a real gap with young people that didn't get the advantage that other young people did," said Ms Meston."The amount of young people that we're helping has increased every year, and it just fills me with joy." Tommy, 15, said he had struggled to conform to his high school, and he was permanently excluded in Year 10."I think it was just the overcrowded environment, being in such a big classroom with 30 people, it's just overwhelming maybe, overstimulating for some people."It just didn't work with my brain."He had previously been expected to attain 1s in his GCSE exams (equivalent to an F or G under the old grading system).Since joining Future Pathways, he was now predicted 4s - the grade needed to pass."It's shorter lessons, more focused, smaller groups, and less people - so you get more one-to-one support and help," he said. Freya, 17, was a student with Future Pathways when she was in school, and returned to work with the charity after graduating from called it a "stepping stone" towards her goal of working with said that she "hated" going to school, and when she was in Year 7, a teacher told her she "probably wouldn't make it to the end of Year 11 or sit her GCSEs".However, she changed schools and started attending St Wilfrid's Academy in Doncaster, which suggested she should go to Future Pathways three days a went on to pass all her exams except for maths, which she said she had failed by a single said she hoped she could make a difference to the lives of other young people like her."I just want children to want to learn, even if that means they can't sit down in a classroom with a textbook in front of them and write things down all day long."I want them to feel like they've got someone they can rely on to help set them up for the future - which is what school should be about." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds or catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
The Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
WHSmith shutting beloved branch TODAY as brand to disappear off high street forever
WHSMITH is shutting a beloved branch today ahead of the brand disappearing off the high street forever. 1 It had been a long-standing part of Doncaster's high street, having opened when the Frenchgate was first built in 1968. Locals have branded the move as a "disgrace" as they prepare for the loss of the store. One upset shopper said: "There will be no point in visiting the Frenchgate soon." While another customer said: "So sad I've just walked past WHSmith and it's ceases trading today that's going to leave a big hole in the Frenchgate centre." And a third added: "Town might as well shut down hardly anywhere open so sad." post office which also operated within the store has also closed. It comes after WHSmith agreed to sell 500 shops in a £76million deal. Retail investor Modella Capital snapped up the portfolio, with the stores eventually set to rebranded as TGJones. Around 5,000 people are employed across the high street shops. WHSmith has over 580 travel stores across airports, hospitals, railway stations and motorway service areas which will continue to live on. Sainsbury's scraps in-store changing rooms leaving shoppers furious Last January, the stationer said it wanted to open 15 new shops in airports, railway stations and hospitals before the end of 2024. The brand has already shuttered up to eight stores popular high street locations, including Halstead in Essex, and Woolwich in London. A branch in Bedford, Bedfordshire will close on July 5. As for Doncaster locals, it will not be the first time they had to wave goodbye to a popular brand. Ann Summers in Doncaster city centre closed back in December and M&S will close a branch in Baxtergate will close this summer. TROUBLE ON THE HIGH STREET It comes amid a tricky period for the retail sector, with consumers having less cash in their wallet to spend at the tills. Hikes to National Insurance contributions, imposed in April, have also added to business costs. Poundland will close three stores across Filton Abbeywood, London and the Isle of Wight in the coming weeks. The brand has already shut up to 11 stores, and up to 200 could close as part of its rescue deal. Bidding for the business started last week. A source told The Sunday Times that Poundland would be priced at "effectively a pound". Gordon Brothers, the ex-owner of Laura Ashley, and Homebase owner Hilco are reported to be in a two way race to win the chain. A decision on who the preferred bidder is could be announced in the coming days. Polish retail giant Pepco said it expects the sale of Poundland to complete by September. Pepco previously said it was looking at"all strategic options" to separate Poundland from its brand. The Polish group said it might turn its focus to its more profitable businesses in Europe. New Look began ramping up its store closure programme prior top April's National Insurance hike. Approximately a quarter of the retailer's 364 stores are at risk when their leases expire. This equates to about 91 stores, with a significant impact on it's 8,000 strong workforce. The company has restructured its store estate twice in the past six years, reducing its portfolio from around 600 UK stores in 2018. RETAIL PAIN IN 2025 The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April. A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024. Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020."
