THE general election count is currently underway at the Metrodome.

As the count takes place for the Barnsley Central and Barnsley East seats we will be reporting live.

Nationally, exit poll information predicts a sizeable Conservative majority, with the Labour Party losing many seats it won in 2017. 

Will any of the seats in Barnsley be among them? We will bring you the news as soon as it is available. 

AN appeal has been issued for the whereabouts of a mum-of-two who has not been seen in two days.

Natasha Clegg, 32, was last seen leaving her home in Barnsley at 8.30am on Tuesday.

It is believed she then boarded a train to Leeds and she has not been seen since.

Her family and South Yorkshire Police are growing increasingly concerned for her welfare and anyone with information should contact 101 quoting incident number is 415 of December 10.

A STREET in Honeywell has become the new top priority for police after a significant increase of antisocial behaviour in the last month.

Members of the North Area PACT meeting agreed that Aqueduct Street and the surrounding area should become the PACT priority of the month, after ongoing antisocial behaviour. The PACT meeting, chaired by PS Dave Baines, took place at the TARA office, Mansfield Road on Monday evening which covers the two Darton council wards as well as St Helen’s and Old Town.

Concerns have been raised after 12 incidents of antisocial behaviour were reported to police in the past four weeks, as well as an at risk vulnerable person. The members agreed it was ‘essential’ to prioritise their resources and responses to the Honeywell site, and prevent further incidents.

There will now be increased patrols of the area to survey the antisocial behaviour and monitor behaviour.

A NEW service has been launched by Barnsley Hospital to help families with premature babies.

The group, which runs once a month at Lundwood Family Centre, has been formed in response from parents whose babies were born at the hospital.

Nurse Rachel Thrumble said: “Parents often see their baby in an incubator attached to numerous wires and machinery which can create a barrier and impact on the ease and frequency that mum and dad can hold their baby.

“Our new group is a safe place where families can talk about those feelings and experiences alongside other families who have been through the same journey. We as professionals aim to encourage this and provide reassurance, information and emotional support if needed.”

The next meeting is on December 19 from 1pm until 3pm.

BARNSLEY Festive Feast, a free event promising a Christmas lunch to anyone who might feel lonely or isolated, will soon return for its third year. 

The event, organised by sisters Aoife Dyson and Tara Howard, sees dozens of people get together at Holy Rood Parish Hall, on George Street.

It is made possible by support from an array of local community groups and businesses, including mental health support group and Proud of Barnsley nominee Project 14, which has donated £500 to putting the event on.

Thomas Armitage from Project14 said: “We’re delighted to contribute and support Aoife and Tara.

“Having volunteered for the last couple of years I have seen first hand what an amazing impact this event has on some of the most vulnerable in our society. 

“I’m sure the lasses will put on another amazing event this year.”

Aoife, 32, of Park Road, Barnsley, said: “For the last two years we have partnered with Project 14 and this year we have received a significant contribution from them and without this we would have struggled to get the event up and running.

“There’s been an unbelievable amount of support from local businesses and we just want to say a massive thank you for making Christmas special for people in our community.”

Catering will be provided by Dodworth Deli and Cafe, and local musicians will perform through the day.

n The Barnsley Festive Feast will take place between 1pm and 4pm at Holy Rood Parish Hall on Saturday, December 21.

For more information or to book a place call 07845082668, or see Barnsley Festive Feast on Facebook 

PATIENTS in Barnsley have been left waiting for up to a month for an appointment to see a doctor, according to latest figures released by health bosses in the town.

According to official performance figures from the Barnsley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) for September, just 37 per cent of people in the town received an appointment on the day they rang and the same number had to wait for a week.

The two-week figure is 21 per cent, while six per cent were waiting for more than a month, leading to questions being raised about the number of available appointments at GP surgeries in Barnsley and worries over the use of part-time locums who are drafted in when required.

More than 40 per cent of people in Barnsley find it difficult to get through to their practice by phone, and 22 per cent described the experience of booking a GP appointment as poor, the report says.

Coun Phil Lofts, who represents the Old Town ward, said: “I recently wrote to my local GP surgery to follow up complaints from residents about not being able to get an appointment and when they did, having to wait for several weeks or return after two weeks to try again.

“I pointed out that many of these complainants are elderly and have paid into the NHS all their lives, since its inception. 

“I received a response from the senior partner pointing out that the practice was under-resourced and was reliant on too many short-term locums and therefore the practice could only make appointments for two weeks at a time.”

Health bosses in the town are looking at ways in which appointments can be freed up, including the commissioning of out-of-hours services and the My Best Life scheme, which is a partnership between the CCG and South Yorkshire Housing Association.

Having secured three years’ funding in 2017 from the CCG, which commissions the town’s health services, My Best Life has so far helped more than double its initial target of 600 appointments, and lightened the load on GP appointments by 17 per cent.

The service gets referrals from GPs, community nurses, social prescribing champions and pharmacies. 

Advisors then connect people with community groups, offer support with money management and welfare issues, and provide access to work and volunteer opportunities, as a way of alleviating symptoms which may not be medical but disproportionately affect a person’s health.

Every GP in Barnsley is now involved with the scheme, which will run until next year before another assessment is carried out to assess how much it’s required in the town.

Dan Jarvis, who is seeking re-election for the Barnsley Central seat, added: “I share the concerns of local residents in relation to a lack of GP appointments - it should be a fundamental right that patients are able to see their doctor within a reasonable period of time.

“I am taking practical steps to improve the situation and I have met with the chief operating officer of BHF and have raised concerns directly with the CCG.

“I’ll continue to work closely with the local community to increase the numbers of appointments available.

“The issue of a shortage of GPs is an issue across the country. The impact of almost a decade of central government austerity has led to a crisis in GP recruitment and retention, which is having the knock-on effect of increased waiting times in local surgeries.”

A Barnsley CCG spokesperson: “GP practices offer a range of appointments with different clinicians, some of whom may be locum GPs.

“The waiting times in the report are a snapshot of one month’s figures and include appointments where people choose a few weeks ahead, as a follow-up for example.

“Where someone has a medical need for an appointment on the same day, they will be offered an appointment with their practice or on behalf of their practice with services like i-HEART Barnsley, who provide an average of 1,500 additional GP appointments for Barnsley patients each month.

“We would also encourage people to cancel their appointments if they don’t plan on attending. There are lots of ways to do it and it does make a big difference.”

AN APPEAL has been launched by South Yorkshire Police to find a man who has been missing for almost a month. 

Richard Dyson, 55, was last seen on November 17 on Sheffield Road, Hoyland heading towards Parkside Cottage. He was reported missing by his daughter on November 25 after he failed to get in contact with her as usual. 

Richard is described as 5ft 10 - 6ft tall with short grey hair and was last seen wearing a navy Kappa jacket with white stitching. 

Police today are conducting searches around Parkside Farm in Hoyland as enquiries continue.

Detective superintendent Mark James appealed directly to Richard and said: “Richard, if you read this or see this, please contact us. Your daughter is incredibly worried and needs to know you’re ok. You can speak to us in confidence by calling 101 or Crimestoppers. You can go to any police station or contact us online. Our priority is establishing that you are safe and to help reassure your daughter.”

The public are also urged to report any sightings of Richard by phoning 101 or Crimestoppers. 

A ROAD is currently blocked due to an overtuned lorry.

The A628 Woodhead near to Dunford Bridge is blocked due to high winds toppling the goods vehicle.

Police are currently on the scene.

Please allow extra time for your journey. 

A ZERO tolerance approach will be taken on criminals who choose to attack officers - after bosses admitted a recent rise in cases had been reported across Barnsley.

The warning comes after 32-year-old Kane Taylor, from Monk Bretton, was jailed for ten months for attacking two female PCs while they were on duty and 38-year-old Dean Watson, also of Monk Bretton, was sentenced a year in prison for spitting at two officers and threatening and racist behaviour.

Temporary Chief Superintendent Sarah Poolman told the Chronicle that since last November, there’s been an average of four related incidents per month - but the figure trebled to 12 in both September and October.

“They do fluctuate and one incident could involve several officers, but we’re hopeful that our work to prosecute the two recent offenders will result in figures stabilising,” she added.

“It is unacceptable but it’s important to add that we do not treat assaults on our officers any differently to how we would a member of the public being a victim.

“Often our job involves walking into confrontational situations, whether that’s an ongoing fight or a domestic, and we show up and use appropriate techniques.”

Taylor, who was witnessed driving a car ‘erratically’ on Lamb Lane in the village at about 2am on November 26, was stopped by two female officers.

At Barnsley Magistrates’ Court last week, prosecutors said that Taylor laid on top of an officer and forced his fingers into her eyes - while she lay on the floor - and struck her colleague across the face.

Taylor pleaded guilty to two counts of assault by beating of an emergency worker, taking a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent, driving without insurance, driving while disqualified and failing to provide a specimen of breath.

Watson was first arrested on May 5 on Cheapside, Barnsley town centre, after reports of threatening and racist behaviour.

He was arrested again in the town centre on October 5 while intoxicated and was taken to Barnsley Hospital, where he spat at two officers.

Upon release he will be subject to a criminal behaviour order (CBO) for three years, meaning he cannot enter the public space protection order (PSPO) area of Barnsley town centre, or sit or lie on the ground in any public place in the borough.

Temp Chf Supt Poolman ruled out the force moving away from its standard protocol of sometimes having two female officers in one patrol car.

She added: “Taylor’s case in particular was horrific - as soon as he was stopped he became aggressive, misogynistic and effectively thought that because he’d been stopped by two female PCs, he was strong enough to take them on.

“However, it’s entirely normal for the police to have two females patrolling and our teams are not formed on a gender basis, so we have no plans to alter this.

“Levels of experience and how officers work together is more important for a team’s make-up and I wouldn’t want to move away from that because of several horrendous incidents.”

An internal probe is expected to begin at South Yorkshire Police, which will see force bosses outline plans to reduce rising cases of attacks on its officers which rose by 13 per cent in 2018/19, according to official figures.

Assistant Chief Constable David Hartley added: “Our officers come to work every day and consistently demonstrate their commitment and dedication to serving their local communities and keeping people safe.

“No officer should face violence in the course of their duties and we’re doing all we can to prevent our officers being assaulted.

“We have absolutely zero tolerance for individuals who choose to be violent towards our officers and will work to bring individuals before the courts.”

‘TEETHING trouble’ with Barnsley Council’s new fly-tipping recording system has been blamed for incorrect information being sent to a national study.

The mix-up - which affected the annual document produced by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) - saw the council state that there had been 2,791 recorded cases on its land between April 2018 and March 2019.

That would have been a dramatic 25.5 per cent reduction, but service bosses have admitted that it isn’t a true reflection and instead revealed that cases have gone up by 2.8 per cent on the previous year’s figures to 3,482.

The cause was down to the new system - in which residents can pin a case on an online map - and staff changes, meaning some reports had not been moved over.

Dale Sparks, head of commercial support services for the council, said the local authority had contacted DEFRA to explain the mistake.

“We’ll be re-submitting the correct information,” Mr Sparks added. “Beforehand it was a case of people ringing up and us taking details of the incident, but the pin-on-the-map feature has come in so we expected an overall increase as it’s easy for residents to log what they’ve seen.

“Some cases were missed and had not been picked up, so effectively they were still treated as live, but it was a flaw in the 

system and we’re putting in extra control mechanisms for next year before the data is submitted to DEFRA.

“It was a case of teething trouble and this will be put right. We want to make fly-tipping socially unacceptable and we’re on the right track for that.

“There’s been an increase of 2.8 per cent but nationally it’s much higher and we’re putting our rise down to it being much easier to report.”

Seventeen fly-tippers’ vehicles were seized and crushed in the period but just seven prosecutions were achieved, although two more convictions occurred last week when 24-year-old James Upton was jailed for 22 weeks - the first time anyone’s been imprisoned in Barnsley for tipping-related offences - and his accomplice, 18-year-old Kieron Yates, was given a suspended prison term.

Little Houghton Parish Council’s Kevin Osborne, who has campaigned for stiffer punishments for fly-tippers, said: “I said when DEFRA released the figures that it was a remarkable achievement for Barnsley Council, but only if the figures were accurate.

“I’m pleased the council has taken the time to review and revise these figures. They didn’t seem quite right at first and the new data clearly shows fly-tipping continues to blight our borough.  

“Although I believe some things could be done differently, I support front-line council staff who are doing the very best they can to combat this environmental crime, especially as our council has had £100m of austerity cuts since 2010, the worst in the country.”

Fly-tipping in Barnsley can be reported online at barnsley.gov.uk/everybodythink and information on known offenders can be shared confidentially by emailing safer@barnsley.gov.uk for the council’s enforcement team to investigate.

CONGESTED streets around Barnsley Hospital could soon be a ‘thing of the past’ thanks to an ambitious plan to create a new park and ride facility near the M1, the Chronicle can reveal.

The hospital has identified suitable land at Capitol Park in Dodworth for the scheme, which has been fast-tracked due to ongoing issues with inconsiderate parking on clogged-up side streets around Gawber Road and Summer Lane.

It’s hoped the park and ride will mirror the success of Doncaster Royal Infirmary’s facility and alleviate hostility between hospital users and residents, who Coun Peter Fielding said have started painting their own yellow lines on streets.

“The hospital site only has capacity for parking for about half of its staff, and there is insufficient capacity to cope with patient and visitor parking demand,” Coun Fielding, who represents the Dodworth ward, told the Chronicle.

“The result of all this is congestion in the area. Local councillors have declared an air pollution emergency as residential streets within half a mile or more of the hospital being filled with parked cars and patients missing appointments.

“Consequently, I have had discussions with the hospital management to try and find a solution to these problems. I was encouraged to hear the desire of the hospital to remedy these parking problems to help staff, visitors, patients and residents.

“Staff are increasingly suffering verbal abuse and damage to their vehicles from irate residents. Residents are starting to paint their own yellow lines on streets, put up their own residents-only parking signs and protect street parking spaces with wheelie bins.

“It is becoming a very hostile situation that many hospital staff are finding unpleasant and residents find increasingly frustrating.

“The hospital would like to obtain a piece of land at Capitol Park to use as a park and ride service for both staff and patients and have set aside funding for the administration and operation of such a scheme.”

Summer Lane, Queen’s Avenue, Bingley Street, Brierfield Close, Victoria Crescent and Welbeck Street have all been identified as particular flare-up points where it’s alleged both hospital staff and visitors have abandoned their vehicles to avoid parking fees.

Coun Fielding added: “This is an ideal opportunity for Barnsley Council to partner with the hospital to help reduce congestion, air pollution and the parking misery around that area. 

“It would help to reduce air pollution around our schools and be a strong signal that declaring a climate emergency actually meant something.

“I congratulate Barnsley Hospital on their efforts to introduce this scheme and I call on Barnsley Council to show that they can invest in this sustainable transport solution with the same vigour and enthusiasm it puts into building roads on its parks.” 

Hospital bosses revealed that £250,000 has already been spent upgrading its car park barriers to improve traffic flow, while car share schemes have been encouraged.

However, they admitted that the current parking provision is simply not big enough, with approximately 3,800 staff - excluding visitors - battling over 1,200 spaces.

A hospital spokesperson said: “We recognise that this is a long-standing and difficult situation for our neighbours, staff, visitors and patients.

“We are continuing to invest where appropriate and we are working with the council to look at a number of options to try to improve the situation in as sustainable way as possible.

“As a hospital, we are committed to ensuring our environmental impact is as low as possible. We understand that the air quality in the areas around the hospital has been measured and is not cause for concern, but we continue to support cleaner air initiatives.”

THE M1 is currently congested due to an accident.

A multiple vehicle collision occured just before 8am between junction 37 and 36 southbound. 

Five vehicles were involved in the collision and Highways England have confirmed delays of up to 30 minutes.

Emergency services are currently on the scene.

Please allow extra time for your journey in both directions as people are rubber necking.

POLICE are seeking the owner of metalwork recovered from a stolen vehicle in Tankersley.

The abandoned Mitsubishi pickup was found at 3.20am last Monday on Maple Road by an officer on patrol.

A ‘significant quantity’ of manufactured metal castings, some believed to be from Italy and all bearing serial numbers, were found in the rear of the vehicle.

The vehicle was reported as stolen from an industrial compound in the Killamarsh area of Derbyshire the day before it was found, and is believed to have been stolen to move the load of metalwork.

It had been travelling along the A616 from the direction of Stocksbridge.

Officers are appealing for anyone who can provide proof of ownership to come forward.

Anyone with information is advised to call 101 quoting incident number 56 of December 2.

TRAFFIC: There are horses currently roaming Barnsley Road between Shafton and Brierley. Please drive with caution.

FAMILIES who have lost a baby during pregnancy or after birth have been invited to a Christmas Remembrance service.

The service, which will take place at Christ Church in Ardsley, is being hosted by Henry’s Hope, a baby loss charity which was founded in September by Bethany and Andy Pocock.

Bethany and Andy, of Newhill Road, Smithies, lost their son Henry in March 2017 following complications during his birth at a hospital in Surrey.

The charity supports parents and their families who have lost a child and run three sessions per month; one session for parents, one for parents who are expecting following a loss and a third for wider families who have experienced the death of a child.

Andy said: “This time of year can be difficult when you have lost a child. We are inviting people to come and remember your baby’s memory. Anyone who has lost a baby at any stage of pregnancy or after your baby was born is welcome to attend and friends, children and family are also welcome.

“There will be a chance to hear your baby’s name read out, light a candle and place a message on a Christmas tree. There will be light refreshments served following the service.”

The couple are also asking people who have decorative lanterns to lend them for the service in order to light up the path leading to the church.

For those who can help, send a message to the Henry’s Hope Facebook page.

The service will take place on December 13 at 7pm and doors will be open from 6.30pm.

AN appeal has been issued by police to locate a man who has been missing for more than three weeks.

Richard Dyson, 55, of Hoyland, was last seen at 7pm on November 16 when he went to visit his daughter.

After failing to visit her the next day, she reported him missing to police.

He is described as being between 5ft 10ins and 6ft tall.

A police spokesman said: “We are growing increasingly concerned for Richard. If you have seen or heard from him, please call us on 101 and quoting incident number is 459 of November 25.”

FIRE crews in Barnsley will no longer respond to automatic alarms in commercial businesses – after bosses revealed 97 per cent of related call-outs have been false alarms.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue automatically sends an engine to premises the moment an alarm is triggered but will only attend if it’s a confirmed blaze from January 6.

It will not apply to ‘sleeping risk’ premises like universities, hotels, hospitals, heritage sites or high-rise flats, with fire engines still being automatically deployed to alarms at those premises.

Crews have responded to 3,457 automatic alarms in the last three years across South Yorkshire, with just three per cent of those being recorded as a fire.

Area manager Andy Strelczenie said: “False alarms make up a massive proportion of the incidents firefighters are mobilised to.

“Crews wasted more than 1,000 hours investigating the cause of those false alarms, time which could have been better spent training, working in the community or being available to attend other, genuine incidents.

“While we will always attend incidents when our services are definitely required, our frequent attendance at false alarms disrupts training and increases road risk to firefighters rushing on blue lights to incidents which later turn out to be false alarms.

“It’s long been the responsibility of businesses to ensure their alarm systems are regularly checked and maintained properly and it’s important they do this before the change we’ve outlined comes into force.”

CHRISTMAS shoppers could be in with the chance of winning shopping vouchers when they donate a bag of clothes to Barnsley Hospice.

New Look on Cheapside, Barnsley has partnered with the Barnsley Hospice charity shop on Eldon Street to offer a 20 per cent discount voucher for shoppers who donate a full bag of unwanted clothing to the Eldon Street shop.

It’s all part of New Look’s national partnership with Hospice UK to encourage people to donate their pre-loved clothes so they don’t end up in landfill. 

Stephen Hatfield, retail manager at Barnsley Hospice, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with New Look on this fantastic initiative to inspire shoppers and encourage footfall at our Eldon Street shop. We are always on the look-out for

quality items, and all we ask is that you please make sure that the pieces you’d like to donate can be resold and loved again.”

Nigel Oddy, chief executive officer at New Look, said: “As a company, we really care about being kind to our people and to our planet, therefore we want to make it easy for our customers to recycle their unwanted clothes whilst helping to reduce the amount of clothing waste that ends up in landfill.

“New Look is very excited about this partnership with Hospice UK to encourage our customers to donate their once loved clothes to their local hospice shop.”

The promotion will run until January 13, excluding Christmas week when the charity shop will be closed from December 25-January 2.

A TOTAL of £1m will be invested to help protect Barnsley from future flooding as a direct response to last month’s widespread incidents which affected more than 150 homes.

The cash, which will repair damaged infrastructure such as sewer works and gullies ruptured by surging waters on November 7 when more than a month’s rain fell in a 24-hour period, will receive investment as soon as the spring.

WAB can reveal the £1m pot will be halved between the repair work and a plan to increase gullies’ cleaning rates as a result of councillors’ complaints about leaves and debris clogging up the drainage system.

This, it was announced at an overview and scrutiny meeting held at Barnsley Town Hall on Tuesday, affected surface water run-off and didn’t act as it should, subsequently choking roads with water.

However, Bulling Dike in Low Valley and the Dearne and Dove all overflowed, leading to calls for more dredging work to be carried out.

Cabinet spokesman Coun Chris Lamb said: “Due to the prudent financial position the council is in, £1m will be spent in the spring on Barnsley’s infrastructure.

“That includes both repair work and a higher frequency of cleaning for gullies, which I hope provides comfort to people.”

Other areas in line for work, apart from Darton, have been identified as Lundwood, Darfield, Bolton-upon-Dearne, Low Valley and Aldham Bridge.

Couns Gill Carr and Trevor Smith urged the council to work alongside the Environment Agency and Yorkshire Water to rid waterways such as the Dearne and Dove of its debris to free up the flow.

Coun Smith added: “Some areas have not been dredged for several years and it’s full of debris. Station Road at Low Valley is a particular blackspot for it but it’s frustrating for both residents and councillors as it just hasn’t been done.”

Wayne Atkins, principal engineer for drainage at the council, told the meeting that the local authority has already met with both agencies in order to act on the concerns.

“A full survey will be carried out at that location,” he added. “In the coming financial year, there is a substantial sum – on top of our existing budget – to deal with this.”

However, bosses warned that more flooding is a distinct possibility due to climate change and they admitted it was not possible to completely eradicate the threat.

Matt Gladstone, executive director for place, said: “There will be a significant debrief into the recent floods and lessons will be learned from it, just as they were in 2007.

“When you think back to recent months, there hasn’t been many weeks which haven’t been given a flood warning.

“Natural flood management, including more tree-planting which can help to hold back water, is something high on both Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency’s agendas and we’re looking at key sites where this can happen.

“We have to keep an eye on rainfall and the likelihood of flooding, while doing all we can to put measures in place to stop it, as this issue won’t go away.”

A POLICE constable from Barnsley who had ‘no hesitation in risking his own life to save others’ has been awarded a trophy for his 27 years of policing.

PC Nigel Finlay won the Crawford Roebuck award, which is a trophy in remembrance of PC Roebuck, who lost his life in a motorcycle accident in 1995.

PC Roebuck’s family donated the trophy and annually present it to the officer who is deemed to have made the greatest contribution to the district of Barnsley, in the eyes of their colleagues.

PC Nigel Finlay was nominated for the award by his colleagues for his dedication and commitment.

The officer has been injured while on duty on several occasions, including a serious car crash and a dog attack, but according to his colleagues, he has ‘bounced back with commendable enthusiasm’ being ‘fit and eager’ to serve another day.

PC Finlay, served with the Metropolitan Police for nine years before transferring to South Yorkshire Police in 2001, joining the response officers at Barnsley.

Superintendent Scott Green said: “You have served as a dedicated ambassador for front line policing for all of your service and undoubtedly inspired and influenced colleagues and changed lives of countless members of the community along the way.

“Your colleagues and supervisors hold you in the highest regards.”

Now in his final year of service, PC Finlay is part of the Town Centre Neighbourhood Team, where he draws upon his resilience and experience to tackle issues around drug use, homelessness and antisocial behaviour.

“We are not quite ready to say goodbye to PC Finlay just yet but thank him for his continued efforts to making Barnsley a better and safer place to live and work,” added Superintendent Green. 

A BARNSLEY barber has made his shop a safe haven for people to deposit knives and receive advice on knife crime.

Tony Batty has run his shop on Racecommon Road for 33 years, and so naturally has seen his fair share of blades, but he’s now making the shop a point for those with unwanted knives to drop them off anonymously.

Tony has signed up to the Barbers Against Blades ‘Fade the Blade’ campaign, which sees barbers become drop-off points as well as ad-hoc information services for people concerned about knife crime.

Tony’s shop now displays Barbers Against Blades branding, with customers able to make dedicated appointments where as well as a haircut, they can get confidential advice.

The knives are then handed over to police, or visiting PCSOs, to be destroyed.

“It makes those people who come in feel safer,” said Tony, 53, who has already had four knives dropped off at the shop.

“The number of knife attacks you hear about recently is unbelievable, so I want to do all I can to help.

“People can get in touch with me, and I’ll listen to them and talk to them about it. I don’t ask names, it’s all anonymous.

“The more people we can reach and spread the word, the better. It’s not just a short-term thing.”

The thinking behind the campaign, says its founder David White, is that barber shops are traditionally a safe and welcoming environment where barbers can get to know their clients personally.

“It’s gained momentum, and barbers such as Tony are doing a tremendous job,” he said.

“We want to make people like him ambassadors and get them to suggest ideas, and we can give them the funding.”

A CARE home’s heartwarming video of a staff singing Christmas carols with one of their residents has gone viral.

Saxondale Nursing Home, in Clarke Street, Barnsley, shared the video of resident Michael Benyo, 82, with several members of staff singing around the home’s Christmas tree, holding hands and smiling.

Since it was posted on their page just a week ago, the nursing home’s video has had 20,000 shares and 17,000 likes, with many people praising the ‘fantastic group of staff’ and saying that watching the video made them ‘tear up’.

And one of the most praising comments came from Michael’s daughter, Gillian Latham, who said Saxondale has helped to ‘change her dad’s life’.

Gillian shared the video with the Chronicle and said she wanted to show how ‘well cared for’ her dad, who has dementia, is.

“He only went there in May and his life has been completely transformed,” said Gillian, 54, of Honeywell.

“He was in a care home before and he was miserable, but since he came to Saxondale he has become his old self again.

“Every single time we come and see him he is smiling his head off and we haven’t seen him like that for years.”

Gillian said the reason she believes her dad has changed is because of the interaction and the care the staff at Saxondale give her dad.

“I think they are just amazing and the type of care they give is also amazing,” she said. “I work as a nurse myself and they are exceptional.

“When my dad first went into the home, he was so bad that we didn’t thank he was going to last a few weeks, but he improved so much. It sounds weird to say it but it’s almost like he doesn’t have dementia anymore, it’s 

really strange.

“It really is all down to the care home he’s in now. Our family has 100 per cent faith in the staff there.”

Care home manager at Saxondale, Lynsey Walker, took the video of Michael and the staff, as she believes that ‘capturing the good moments is very important’.

“Honestly, we can’t believe how well the video has done,” said Lynsey. “On the day I took the video I could hear singing and thought ‘wow’ and I suddenly thought of my dad as I lost him a while ago.

“Then I heard Michael singing and I thought that it would be great to get it on camera. Having a sing makes a big impact on residents and Michael really enjoys it.

“He wasn’t well at all when he came here and we could tell he was unhappy and his family was stressed and worried. After he settled in he has definitely improved.

“We care about our residents and I’m so glad Gillian and her family are happy and that they’ve seen a massive – and positive – change in him.”

SOUTH Yorkshire Police officers investigating a burglary in Barnsley earlier this year have released CCTV stills of three men they believe could hold vital information.

It is reported that on Tuesday, July 30, between the hours of 4pm and 6pm, three men gained entry into a house on West Street in Hoyland.

A number of items were stolen, including electronics and clothing.

One of the suspects is believed to have used two wheelie bins to remove the stolen goods from the property.

After extensive enquiries, police are asking for the public’s help to identify the men in the images.

Officers are keen to speak to them, as they believe they may hold information in connection to the incident.

Anyone who recognises them is asked to call 101 quoting incident number 946 of 30 July 2019.

ANGRY scenes at a park fenced off without warning this week saw skirmishes between campaigners and site security with foul-mouthed abuse, an allegation of assault and claims a protester was hit by an HGV.

Campaigners against plans to create a new traffic gyratory within Penny Pie Park at Pogmoor were told to ‘f**k off and get a life’ by security staff brought in after the entire park – including public footpaths – were fenced off unannounced on Tuesday.

One campaigner claims he was hit by the HGV, while a security worker from the firm Vistech was allegedly assaulted by a protester.

Concern was also raised by campaigners including a local councillor that children exiting the town’s biggest secondary school – Horizon Community College – have been put in ‘severe danger’ of being hit by passing vehicles by Barnsley Council’s decision to close the park.

The park had previously been used by hundreds of pupils as a thoroughfare and an overspill from the pavement, and the fencing now forces all pupils back onto the pavement.

Students at the 2,000-capacity school used the park as usual on Tuesday morning, but were blocked from doing so by fencing which had been erected around the site’s perimeter by the end of the school day.

The park will remain closed off for up to 18 months while the new road is contructed, causing needless danger to children according to campaigners. 

Coun Peter Fielding, who represents the Dodworth ward, said: “I have two grandchildren at the school and there’s a lot of worried people. 

“You can’t expect children, hundreds at a time, to walk inches away from passing HGVs and vehicles. It’s a recipe for disaster and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

“Why was no safe route created across the park? Why is the children’s play area fenced off when no work is going on in that area? Why has a public right of way from Grosvenor Walk been closed without any notice?

“The council simply must reopen part of the park in order to provide a safe walking route for the hundreds of children who need to get to Pogmoor.

“This episode has done untold damage to the council’s reputation in the local community and perhaps they will now consider consulting with the community and affected parties to redesign the way this project will be managed.”

One campaigner, Tom Heyes, is the Green Party’s candidate for Barnsley Central and video footage showed him being reversed into by the HGV on Wednesday, although no injuries were sustained.

Peter Giles, from Save Penny Pie Park, added: “It’s a shocking situation and there’s so much anger with not only the council but the security company, too, whose staff have told us to ‘f**k off and get a life’.

“We have every right to be on the pavement, on the roadside boundary of the fencing, so to be subjected to what we went through on Wednesday was unacceptable.”

Horizon’s executive principal, Nick Bowen, told the Chronicle that its pupils were released from school at ‘phased intervals’ to avoid a rush of children exiting the site.

“The park’s been closed and there’s a pavement for children to walk on if they need to get to Pogmoor,” he said.

A council spokesperson confirmed that a campaigner had lodged a report with the police about being struck by the HGV.

“We can confirm that this didn’t involve a Barnsley Council-owned vehicle,” they added. 

“We will investigate the matter and liaise with Vistech. 

“The area is temporarily inaccessible to the public for the duration of the works to ensure the safety of the public, including children and young people, while the construction work takes place. 

“This will also help us to carry out the works quickly and to minimise inconvenience to the public.”

IT’S BACK! Animal Crackers is returning for the fourth consecutive year and we need your help to make this year’s the best yet!

Not sure what Animal Crackers is? Here’s what we’re doing...

We want to collect food, toys and accessories for the animals that need them the most - and we’ll be splitting the donations between local animal charities who work tirelessly to provide care to our furry friends.

Our chosen charities this year are as follows:

• Barnsley and District Animal Welfare
• Barnsley RSPCA
• Royston Animal Welfare
• Barnsley Animal Rescue Charity
• RADAR Dog Rescue
• Willow Dog Rescue

We’ve teamed up with local businesses to act as drop-off points, where you can leave your donations for our furry friends.

All you have to do is take your donation into the drop off point and we’ll do the rest.

The drop-off points are as follows:

• Barnsley Chronicle Front Counter, 47 Church Street, S70 2AS
• Mapplewell and Staincross Village Hall, Darton Lane, S75 6AL
• Walkers Newsagents, High Street, Hoyland, S36 6BZ
• Andy’s News, Barnsley Road, Goldthorpe, S74 9AB
• Cookes Pet Supplies, Wakefield Road, Barnsley, S72 8JN
• Co-op, Barnsley Rd, Cudworth, Barnsley S72 8JJ
• Budgens, Pogmoor Road, S75 2EE
• Budgens, Barnsley Road, Dodworth, S75 3JR

We are after the following:

• Toys
• Leads
• Coats
• Collars
• Treats
• Food
• New Blankets
• New Throws
• New Beds

(Please note charities cannot accepts Duvets)

We’ve been running the campaign for the last three years and we’ve donated thousands of pounds worth of goodies. We want to beat what we collected last year and do even more this year.

Let’s show Barnsley’s animals how much we care!

We will be collecting donations until Friday December 20

DETECTIVES in Barnsley have released an e-fit of a man they want to identify, after two similar bogus official incidents occurred in the Darfield area of the town on Monday (December 2).

Between 1pm and 2pm, a man reportedly claiming to be from the water board, visited two homes on Edderthorpe Lane. Saying that he was carrying out emergency works, he then gained access to the properties by requesting to run the taps to check the water wasn’t discoloured.

While the first man was talking to residents in the kitchen, a second man is said to have entered the property and searched a downstairs bedroom. In one home, a quantity of cash was stolen.

Officers have been working with the victims to produce an e-fit of the bogus official.

He is said to be in his 30s, between 5ft 11 and 6ft tall and of a stocky build. He has short, mousy brown hair and was wearing a high-vis jacket. The residents said he spoke with a local accent.

Anyone who thinks they may know who the man is or anyone who has any information regarding the incident, is asked to call 101 quoting crime reference number 14/182382/19.

A MAN has been jailed after stealing more than £14,000 from vulnerable victims including a blind and deaf man.

Simon Legge, 38, of St Paul’s Parade, Ardsley, stole money from five victims between September 2015 and January 2018. 

The finance worker worked for Penderels Trust and managed the finances of individuals and adults who had issues which meant they could not have sole control over financial plans.

Legge siphoned the cash by illegally using payment cards and bank accounts. He used these to withdraw large amounts of cash and he set up illegally used bank accounts to transfer cash for himself from clients’ accounts.

Sheffield Crown Court was told how he had taken £14,290 in total. He pleaded guilty to five counts of theft by employee and was jailed for 14 months.

THIEVES who reportedly stole two public defibrillators have ‘achieved nothing’ other than putting people’s lives at risk, say those responsible for putting them in place.

Two community defibrillators devices crucial to improving chances of recovery for those suffering cardiac arrest sited at the town hall and Harris and Co accountants, on Huddersfield Road, have been reported stolen in what is suspected to have been a targeted series of thefts.

Nichola Hawden, of Harris and Co, started the campaign for the defibrillator outside her workplace after her father, Steve Croft, collapsed before a Barnsley match last year and had to be resuscitated on the pitch at Oakwell.

Nichola said: “I’m absolutely gutted. From personal circumstances, I know how important early access to a defibrillator is. It saved my dad’s life.”

She said the defibrillators are registered with a serial number that is traceable, and don’t work unless used correctly in the right circumstances.

“One thing we want to get across is that they’re useless to anyone that doesn’t need them,” she said.

“They only shock if they detect the right heart rhythm.

“They’re achieving nothing by stealing them.”

The firm funded the campaign alongside the Central Area Team, and it was installed in September.

Steve, from Royston, collapsed last September before Barnsley hosted Burton Albion, and was assisted by staff from both clubs before the Air Ambulance landed on the Oakwell pitch.

A volunteer at the time, he has since campaigned for more publicly accessible defibrillators.

“It’s not as if the equipment is worth anything to anybody, there’s no resale value and you can’t use them,” he said.

“If anybody needs it, they might’ve lost that chance to be given a second chance by some mindless person.

“I know how much work Nichola and her colleagues have put in. They don’t have to do it. It’s unfortunate this is how a small minority repay them.”

The thefts follow a similar disappearance in August of a defibrillator outside Tony’s Barber Shop, on Racecommon Road.

On that occasion, the equipment was returned to its cabinet the following month.

If you have any information about either theft contact police on 101, reference 14/182364/19 (town hall) or 14/182338/19 (Harris and Co).

TWO bus shelters have had to have their windows replaced for the fourth time after youths kicked the glass and shattered them.

The bus shelters on Pontefract Road and Brierley Road, Shafton, have been targeted by youths who have been seen by residents running and bouncing off the glass.

One resident contacted Parish Councillor Les Holt who had witnessed the behaviour and said that an elderly woman who was at the bus stop had been left petrified at their behaviour.

Les said: “This is the fourth time this year that the bus shelters have been damaged and it costs money to have the glass replaced. It’s expensive.

“Elderly people waiting for a bus have been left to get wet because they are not protected from the rain and they are scared because the youths don’t care.

“The resident who spoke to me said that he had tried to tell one youth off and speak to his parents to get him to pay for the damage, and he was met with the response ‘my dad will pay for it’. There is just no respect and it’s not on.

“Thankfully, the glass has been replaced but it’s a worry that there will be a repeat and it’s something we can’t afford to keep replacing.”

The matter was raised at the Shafton Parish Council meeting on Monday and a further complaint was made that in addition to the bus shelters, youths had been seen kicking the waste bins which have been bolted to the ground and they are on the verge of lifting, which parish councillors said would lead to rubbish being thrown on the floor.

One resident said: “The kids have no respect and parents or teachers can’t do anything to stop their behaviour.”

Chairman of Shafton Parish Council, Dave North, said that he had tried to contact Outwood Academy Shafton so the students could be told about the consequences of their behaviour but the school said it was ‘not their problem’ once students had left the premises.

A spokesperson for Outwood Academy Shafton said: “We are sorry and saddened to hear that this has happened. At Outwood we believe in working with and for the communities we serve, therefore we always try and ensure students are fully aware of their commitment to being respectful when out in the community.

“We take complaints from members of the community seriously and therefore we will be scheduling respect for the community in which we live into our assemblies and LIFE lessons.”

FRESH statistics show almost seven in ten people dealing the police non-emergency number in South Yorkshire get their call answered within two minutes, as controversy over performance of the force’s telephone lines continues.

The figure rises to 83 per cent when the deadline is extended to three minutes, though the county’s Police and Crime Commissioner Dr Alan Billings has insisted the objective is to improve on those results.

Questions continue over the way the Atlas Court call centre performs, with Rotherham Coun Stuart Sansome, vice chairman of the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel, the body which holds Dr Billings to account, arguing that callers who end their calls in frustration after waiting for an answer are not counted in those figures.

It has also emerged the ‘clock’ only starts after callers have heard taped messages, adding more than a minute for those holding the receiver.

Coun Sansome argued that while he could not challenge the accuracy of figures produced by South Yorkshire Police, the feedback he and council colleagues got from the public painted a different picture.

He said he had ‘no wish to challenge the legitimacy’ of the figures provided at a meeting of the panel, but added: “I feel they are false figures.”

That is because they do not include abandoned calls and he suggested a ‘call back’ system, used at busy times to allow callers to leave details for a return call later, should be extended to a 24 hour option.

“The only way to get trust and confidence back is to have a system which works without abandoning calls,” he said.

According to police, call abandonment rates are down by ten per cent recently.

Dr Billings told the meeting on an average day South Yorkshire Police take 2,383 telephone calls, with 759 on the 999 system, where the average wait for an answer is 13 seconds.

The average wait for the rest is eight minutes, but the bulk of calls are answered much more promptly.

Performance has been helped by the installation of a new £12m computerised call handling system, but Dr Billings conceded the real issue was demand from callers, with the force now trying to weed out unnecessary calls, by allowing contact through other electronic means and trying to educate the public around unsuitable calls to police, such as those who ring to query why take-away food has not been delivered.

“That doesn’t mean it is wholly satisfactory but it may be a lot better than some people think,” said Dr Billings.

More features are expected to be added to the 101 system in the New Year, allowing callers who know who they need to speak to the option of bypassing call handlers.

An internal review of the way Atlas Court operates is also in progress and should put forwards recommendations to improve efficiency.

Coun Sansome called for the Police and Crime Panel to be involved in the scrutiny of those proposals.

Colin Beeks, Head of Communications for South Yorkshire Police, said: “We can assure the public that if you call the police in a genuine emergency, your call will always be answered and prioritised. The average wait time for 999 calls is currently 13 seconds we are here for you around the clock, 365 days a year.

“Those who call us in a non-emergency will regrettably face a longer wait as we must direct our resources where they are needed most urgently.

“A review of Atlas Court, where 999 and 101 calls are handled, is currently underway. The findings will be considered, options for change will be put forward and then preferred options will be developed into a full business case in due course thereafter.

“In the meantime, we are trialling a number of different measures to optimise our resources and manage demand,” he said.

• Provided by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A COUPLE who design artificial limbs for children say that their charity keeps on growing, with items they make going to kids across the globe.

Adam and Katie Dengel, of Shepherd Way, Royston, started learning about artificial limbs after their son Tommy, now five, was born missing his right forearm due to amniotic band syndrome - a rare condition in which stray bands of tissue wrap around the limbs in the womb and cut off blood flow.

The pair set up the LimbBO Foundation UK in 2018, using the high-tech process known as 3D printing to make specially-adapted limbs and items for children with missing limbs. 

These items include adapted bikes, adapted drumsticks and more. The 3D limbs are customised for each child and different themes are added like Wonder Woman, Buzz Light Year, Paw Patrol, The Hulk, Captain America and more. 

The LimbBO Foundation collaborates with the company Team Unlimbited, a charity which created a basic design of a fully functioning assistive device which can be downloaded for free by anyone with a 3D printer.

Each piece is made using a 3D printer in Adam’s garage-turned-workshop and as the charity is now officially registered, Adam, 30, said it is going from strength to strength.

One of the main things Adam says he is proud of, is that he and Katie are now sending specially-adapted limbs to families all over the world.

“We have sent out more than 80 bike adaptations, six custom adaptations and more than 40 customised Team Unlimbited arms/hands across the world this year and we have also provided 14 limb-different children with brand new fully adapted bikes at a cost of between £150-£250 each but at zero cost to the families. These were all delivered free of charge by our sponsor Bapp for Bolts.

“We have sent them to Mexico, Miami, Holland, Germany and even South Africa,” said Adam. 

“The demand is growing and it’s so amazing as parents send across pictures of their children with their new limb or adapted bike. We’ve gone from working in our bedroom to coverting part of our house to a printing room. I love what we do and it’s great when we receive a photo from parents, we put them all in the printing room so you can see them when you look up from working. It really does make you smile. I’m so proud of where the charity is now. This started as a conversation on the sofa when we were watching telly, so to see where it is now is just amazing.”

As well as creating items, there’s an annual summer event the LimboBO Foundation holds, which aims to bring families and children with missing limbs together to chat, have fun and play together. This year’s event was held at Cannon Hall and saw around 35 kids attend.

“It was really great,” said Adam. “The farm supports us and we have a space which we have to ourselves. It was important for us to get the kids together and it makes a real difference to them too. 

“Some of the kids have anxiety so it’s important for them to meet someone else with a limb difference so they don’t feel as different. It’s also good for the siblings as they can meet other siblings of children who have a limb or limbs missing.”

Adam and Katie recently travelled to Florida to the Never Say Never Foundation limb difference pirate camp, where they presented six 3D arms to six American children.

The charity’s next event is a Christmas party, where more than 100 people will attend to celebrate and enjoy the festive season.

A STALL which takes donations for the homeless has arrived in Barnsley Market for the second year running. 

Help Us Help Them is a stall run by staff from the Barnsley Council Housing and Welfare team which aims to gather donations for homeless people for distribution throughout the year. 

The stall was held for the first time in the market last year and after its success, the team decided to run the stall again, and for longer this year. 

“Last year we held the stall for three days,” said housing options team leader, Rachael Todd. “We had such a great response last year that we decided to run the stall for longer to help get as many donations as possible.

“Any money donations will be given to Barnsley Churches Drop-in Project (BCDP) because they are in danger of closing so they are in need of all the donations they can get.”

As well as accepting clothing and food donations, the stall provides advice and information for people dealing with homelessness and those wanting to help. 

“We will be here to answer any questions and provide advice to anyone that needs it,” added Rachael. “With Christmas coming up and the cold weather drawing in, we want to make sure as many homeless people get as much help as possible.”

The stall will be situated at stall 20 in the ground floor of the indoor market. Any donations can be made to the stall or dropped off at The Civic on Eldon Street. 

The team will be accepting donations for

•  Cereal/ cereal bars 
•  Pot Noodles
•  Biscuits 
•  Bottled water 
•  Baby wipes
•  Deodorant and body spray
•  Sanitary products 
•  Toothbrush and toothpaste 
•  Hats, scarves and gloves
•  Thermal clothing 
•  Sleeping bags (new)

For a full list of items that can be donated visit the Barnsley Homeless Alliance website.

SMILES were brought to the Resus Unit at Barnsley Hospital when the team were presented with their Proud of Barnsley Award.

John Goodfellow helped to raise funds for the hospital after his wife – well-known bingo caller Dorothy Goodfellow – collapsed and died from a heart attack.

Dorothy was just 56 and her death left everyone who knew her devastated. After she died, John, 60, praised the unit for helping him and his family spend time with Dorothy before she died, and more than £4,000 was raised in the her memory, with staff at Dorothy’s work, Buzz Bingo, holding a collection. Money was also raised through donations at her funeral.

The Resus Unit was nominated for a Proud of Barnsley Award for the Hospital Hero, made it through to the final and won the award, but no one from the unit could make the ceremony due to them being so busy, so John and a few of his family members attended.

John collected the award on their behalf.  

John gave his praise to the unit. “They do a wonderful job and gave us those few precious moments with Dorothy which would never have had without them,” he said. 

“I can’t thank them enough.”

When presenting the award to staff at the hospital, the moment was captured by Channel 5 as the production team are currently filming for the third series of Casualty 24/7, set to air next year.