POPULAR TV show Come Dine With Me is making a return to Barnsley and is searching for people to take part.

The show will be filmed over four days from April 28 to May 2, with four strangers taking turns hosting the perfect dinner party before the winner gets £1,000.

Click here for more details.

TWO people riding a motorbike sustained life-threatening injuries after a collision in Barnsley.

The pair, on a black Pulse XF125, collided with a white Toyota Corolla on the A628 Collier Road at the junction with Engine Lane at around 7.50pm on Saturday.

The man riding the motorbike suffered life-threatening injuries, as did a 35-year-old woman who was a pillion passenger on the bike. Both are from the Pontefract area and remain in hospital.

The man driving the Toyota was not injured.

Call South Yorkshire Police with any information on 101 quoting incident number 996 of April 11.

POLICE have appealed for information after two petrol station robberies in Barnsley.

The first incident took place at around 10.15pm on Friday 3 April, when it is reported that a man with his face covered entered a garage in Barnsley Road, Wath.

He threatened staff with what is believed to be a hammer and fled the scene with a quantity of money and cigarettes.

Another robbery was reported to police at 9.15pm on April 7 at Cathill Services in Doncaster Road, Darfield.

A man with his face covered carrying what is believed to be a hammer and a knife threatened staff. He stole money and cigarettes.

Nobody was injured during any of the incidents but staff were left shaken.

Detectives are following a number of lines of enquiry and believe the incidents to be linked.They would like to speak to witnesses or anyone with information about any of the robberies.

Please call 101 quoting incident number 1023 of April 3 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

BARNSLEY boss Lee Johnson praised his young side's character in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Chesterfield.

In what was dubbed as a "cup final" in the run-up to the crucial clash, sixth-placed Chesterfield took the lead through Jay O'Shea in the 26th minute before Sam Winnall's well-taken effort after the hour mark earned the home side a deserved point.

Although the Reds' play-off hopes now look very slim with four games to go, their seven-point deficit could still be pegged back if they win at relegation-threatened Notts County tomorrow evening.

Their remaining games against outside play-off hopefuls Peterborough and Bradford follow, before Rochdale visit Oakwell in the final game of the League One campaign on May 3.

Johnson, whose side are now without a win in six, said: "People will forgive as long as you're failing bold and trying to do things. They came out second half and gave it a right go.

"They showed a bit of character there, considering it's a young group. We pegged a very good side back to the edge of their 18-yard box for the majority of the second half."

CHANGES to some of the town's bus services have been announced.

Among the changes being introduced are increases in daytime running times on the X20 Barnsley-Doncaster service, as well as some redistribution of and increased running time on peak hour journeys.

As a result of the changes to the X20 there will be minor retiming of some afternoon journeys on the X19 Barnsley-Robin Hood Airport service.

Running time on the 22X Barnsley-Rotherham will be increased to improve punctuality, although departure times from Rotherham, and frequency, will remain unchanged.

Revised timetables on the 57, 59, and 59A Barnsley-Royston­-Wakefield services will see increased running times all day Monday-Saturday.

The current ten-minute frequency will be maintained through the use of an extra vehicle, plus additional peak hour journeys to and from Wakefield will be added.

The morning journey of service 444 Staincross-Darton College will also be retimed with increased running time to improve punctuality due to worsening traffic congestion.

Minor revisions to the Monday-Friday timetable will be made in peak times on services 93/95 Barnsley-Woolley Grange-Kexbrough to improve punctuality.

Revised timetables will be introduced on 222 Barnsley-Doncaster as well as the 226 Barnsley-Thurnscoe to maintain coordination with other services, while the Sunday evening timetable on service 228 Rotherham-Wath will be brought in line with Monday to Saturday evenings.

Paul Lynch, managing director of Stagecoach Yorkshire, said: "We're always looking to improve and enhance our services further and hope these latest changes will help us continue to do so."

The changes will come into effect from April 25.

A MAN who admitted producing cannabis worth £16,350 will be sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court today.

Craig Elbourne, 30, cultivated ten plants in an upstairs bedroom, Barnsley Magistrates' Court was told.

Jayne Ormrod, prosecuting, said Elbourne had never grown cannabis before. She said he found out how to do it on the internet.

A GROUP won £300 in a town centre treasure hunt today organised by Tyke Racing.

Obscure images of town centre locations were posted to both the go-kart firm and We Are Barnsley's Facebook pages from 10am, creating a two-hour frenzy of people searching for the treasure's location.

Monk Bretton's Danielle Wood, 25, tracked down the clues and came across fellow treasure hunters Robyn Hargreaves, 18, Michelle Richardson, 34, and her ten-year-old daughter Chantelle along the way.

The trio, from Hoyland, then joined forces with Danielle, pledging to split the money in two if they found the treasure's location.

Michelle said: "We had been shopping in the town centre but Robyn had noticed the posts on Facebook during the week, advertising what was going on. We missed out on the treasure hunt before Christmas so tried again.

"We kept an eye on the pages in the morning and just followed the clues. We're so happy we've won - I think we're going to save our share of the money and have a bank holiday treat in May."

Danielle added: "I'd heard about it and as I was on my way home from Leeds, I decided to walk through the town centre. The three girls asked me if I was the person from Tyke Racing and then we decided to join forces.

"My partner, Paul, has his 27th birthday soon so I'll be able to put the money towards something nice!"

BARNSLEY have to face Saturday's crucial Chesterfield clash like a "cup final", according to head coach Lee Johnson.

After a nightmare Easter bank holiday period, where they lost to fifth-placed Sheffield United and lowly Colchester, they're now seven points adrift going into the match against the team who occupy the final play-off place.

"It was a disappointing Easter weekend for us," Johnson said. "In the big picture, it was probably two games too far. We had a punch on the nose against Sheffield United and we went to Colchester hoping to bounce back.

"I thought we did. I'll stand by the players because I thought for 60-70 minutes we were okay and verging on half-decent. But we drained physically and mentally.

"You have to fight to the death, of course we'll do that. We've done it already and got six wins on the spin. It happens in football. This will be a big one, of course.

"It's a case of this is our first cup final, if you like. We have to make sure we play better than we did against Sheffield United."

THE public have been asked to help track down a man wanted for repeatedly breaching a restraining order and failing to answer bail.

Oliver Michael Hargreaves is from Rawcliffe Bridge near Goole but also has connections in the Barnsley area.

Officers would also like to speak to the 25-year-old in connection with other offences committed in West Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

Police have carried out extensive enquiries to locate Mr Hargreaves but he remains at large.

He is described as white, 6ft 3in tall, of medium build with brown hair.

Anyone who can help locate Mr Hargreaves should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for York Serious Crime Team.

Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

POLICE in Barnsley are appealing for anyone to come forward who may have witnessed a motorcycle collision.

At 4.20pm on April 8, officers received reports that a green Kawasaki had been involved in a collision with a black Ford Focus.

The crash happened on Barnsley Road in Cudworth.

The rider of the motorcycle, a 43-year-old Barnsley man, was taken to hospital with suspected head injuries.

Officers would like anyone who witnessed the incident to call 101, quoting incident number 622 of April 8.

A PET owner has urged others to be wary - after her five-year-old cat was poisoned.

Anna Austin rescued Charley when she was a six-month-old kitten but the beloved family pet had to be put to sleep on Tuesday.

The 36-year-old, of St Helen's Way, Monk Bretton, said: "She was in my neighbour's garden in a bad way, so we took her to the vets and found out she had been poisoned when blood tests came back.

"The kids are so upset. It's not nice and we have no idea why anyone would do such a thing."

It's the second reported animal killing in a week, following the death of Tilly, Michelle Steeple's seven-year-old horse which was allegedly stabbed.

Contact 0300 123 8018 if you have any information.

A WOMAN has suffered life-threatening injuries following a collision in the early hours of this morning (Thursday).

A Citreon C3 left the northbound carriageway between junction 36 and 37 of the A1 just after 3.30am and collided with the embankment.

The passenger in the car, a 27-year-old woman, suffered life-threatening injuries as a result.

The driver, a 38-year-old man, suffered minor injuries.

Officers would like to speak to anyone who witnessed the collision. Call South Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 100 of April 9.

ASDA has recalled some of its dummies due to a possible risk of choking.

Packs of Little Angels 2 Newborn Soothers 0+ Months are being recalled from stores "as a precaution", and should be returned for a refund or disposed of, the retailer said.

The £2.25 dummy is being withdrawn from shops after a customer complained on Facebook that the teat had come away from the casing of one of the products.

In a notice to customers, the supermarket said: "These affected dummies are sold in twin packs, the shield is clear and the plug on the front has a number of different designs.

"We have had one customer complaint that the teat has broken away and detached from the hard casing, so we have taken the precaution of taking the product off sale and recalling from customers due to the possible risk of choking.

"The care and safety of our customers is our top priority, which is why we are recalling the product even though there has been only one complaint and we are yet to conduct our investigation.

"We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused."

IRRESPONSIBLE dog owners are causing an increasing health hazard, according to fed-up residents.

Hoyland locals regularly complain about the problem but their concern has been mounting over the past few months.

One woman in Lilac Crescent stuck signs on her fence protesting about dog muck on a grassed area just outside her front gate.

Janet Fullelove, of Barber Street, has now added her voice to the complaints. 

She said: "I have reported it to Barnsley Council but nothing seems to get done. We are dog owners ourselvesbut when we go out every morning with them we pick up their waste and put it in nappy bags."

Barnsley Council offers advice about the problem of dog fouling on its website and has an online complaint form. It says at its worst, dog mess can lead to blindness in children due to an infection called toxocara canis.

The advice says it is an offence for a person in charge of a dog not to clean up immediately after their dog fouls any designated land.

The council added: "We do patrols in known hot spots but formal action can only be taken if an offence is witnessed.

"Offenders can be issued with a £50 fixed penalty notice or may be prosecuted in the magistrates' court."

A MOTORCYCLIST has been hit by a car in Cudworth.

Emergency services were called at 3.40pm today (April 8) following reports of a collision on Barnsley Road, Cudworth, between a motorbike and a car.

The road is closed between St Mary's Road and Snydale Road.

The injuries to the motorcyclist are being assessed by paramedics.

The air ambulance is also on the scene.

A BARNSLEY road has been closed in part due to a serious motorbike accident.

Barnsley Road in Cudworth has been shut off and emergency services are at the scene.

We'll update this when more information comes in.

A BRUTAL gangland kneecapping has led Scottish police to a house in Barnsley.

Officers from across the border were camped at a bungalow on Strafford Walk, Dodworth, all last week.

Neighbours have been told by detectives carrying out door-to-door enquiries that the man who was living there had been the victim of a "horrendous crime" in Glasgow on March 13.

The victim, who has not been named, was left fighting for his life after the attack but a few days later was said to be 'stable'. He has been under police guard at a hospital in Glasgow.

DCI Gary Boyd said: "Enquires so far have revealed that an address in Barnsley may be of significance in light of these enquiries which are ongoing at present."

South Yorkshire Police is assisting Police Scotland with their enquiries in Barnsley.

A DRINK driver who had £5,000 worth of drugs in his car's boot has been given a suspended jail term.

George McKenzie, 52, was arrested after being seen 'driving erratically' on Cemetery Road, Barnsley, near midnight on October 10.

Police discovered he was a street dealer breaking down quantities of drugs and selling them on.

The Kendray man had m-cat worth between £1,970 and £3,940, depending on how it was sold, as well as 3,500 diazepam tablets and 26.8g of cannabis.

Sheffield Crown Court heard he had been convicted of 28 previous offences, including supplying cannabis in January 2010.

He was given a 12-month jail term suspended for 18 months, supervision for a year and a three-month night-time curfew.

AIR pollution in South Yorkshire has prompted a health warning for people with asthma and heart problems.

DEFRA has warned that the polluted air - which will sit over the area on Friday - could cause fatal asthma attacks and has advised the elderly and those with problems to be cautious.

A spokesperson said: "Adults and children with lung or heart problems should reduce strenuous physical exertion, particularly outdoors, and particularly if they experience symptoms.

"Anyone experiencing discomfort such as sore eyes, coughs or a sore throat should consider reducing activity, particularly outdoors.

"People with asthma may find they need to use their reliever inhaler more often."

A BARNSLEY Hospital employee has raised over £2,500 for its Tiny Hearts Appeal.

Rachel Reeves, who works in admin at the hospital, raised the money by holding a charity night at Wombwell Cricket Club in March.

Her decision to support the appeal came after she had personal experience with the special care baby unit when her son Kayden-Jay was born ten weeks early.

Kayden, who spent 11 weeks of his life on the unit, weighed a tiny 2lb 4oz when he was born and was in a critical condition.

Rachel said: "Nothing can compare to the treatment and care our son received whilst on the unit.

"The way Kayden was treated whilst on the unit and after being discharged was excellent. The staff were fantastic with our family."

TOWN centre shoppers can enjoy tastes from around the world at the continental market until Saturday.

With Caribbean curries, patties and jerk chicken, authentic Spanish paella, BBQ German wurst and meats and great British cheeses, there’s something tasty for everyone.

Other stalls include Peruvian crafts and knitwear, sweets and doughnuts and continental throws and bedding.

AN investigation has been launched after a fire had to be tackled by five crews over the bank holiday weekend.

The Friday morning blaze broke out at TK Lynskey Excavations Ltd, on Common Lane, Wath Upon Dearne.

At its height five crews of firefighters tackled the flames.

A DRUG addict has been jailed for almost a year for burgling a pub.

Paul Blackshaw, 34, of Worsbrough Road, Blacker Hill, was seen removing putty from a window frame at The Clothier's Arms in Elsecar, Barnsley Magistrates' Court was told.

Jayne Ormrod, prosecuting, said the people who run the pub live elsewhere when it is not open. She said it was not known if anything was stolen but a torch was found at the scene.

Later, Blackshaw broke into a shop about 20 yards from the pub and stole three loaves of bread, milk, a newspaper and a magazine.

Julian Brook, defending, added: "Mr Blackshaw is tired of taking drugs. He has a lot of problems and needs a lot of help to deal with them."

Blackshaw was convicted of the burglary and theft after not turning up for a trial. He admitted breaching the terms of a suspended prison sentence.

He was ordered to pay an £80 victim surcharge when he is released from jail,.

GENEROUS Dickie Bird has forked out £135,000 for a new balcony at Headingley.

The 81-year-old, who has been installed as Yorkshire County Cricket Club's president for a second term, agreed to pay for the balcony before it was built.

Work has now started and the players could be using the balcony for the first time for the match against Warwickshire on April 26.

Dickie believes the new balcony - to be named in his honour - will be a major addition to the facilities at Headingley.

He said: "The amount was announced at a meeting of the members who voted 96 per cent in favour of me serving a second term as president.

"When the members were told how much I was paying for the balcony, well I swear some of them looked like they were going to collapse with shock.

"Yes it's a lot of money but the balcony is well worth it."

A MISERABLE bank holiday weekend saw the Reds suffer back-to-back defeats for the first time in two months.

Having recorded five wins and three draws in his first eight games in charge, Lee Johnson's side went into Saturday's South Yorkshire derby against Sheffield United in confident mood.

Over 17,000 fans flocked to a sun-drenched Oakwell to watch the match, but it was Steven Davies who put the visitors ahead just before half time with a fine header.

The game was put to bed midway through the second half when Jason Holt's 20-yard effort doubled United's lead to consolidate their play-off place.

A trip to relegation-threatened Colchester was next up on Easter Monday and the Reds looked good going into the final 30 minutes, leading through George Waring's 40th-minute goal.

But the game was then turned on its head, with Gavin Massey, Jacob Murphy and George Moncur all finding the back of the net to leave Barnsley seven points adrift off the League One's top six.

Johnson said: "It is disappointing, of course, as we have been on a good run and everybody has whipped up into a frenzy.

"It was almost like a balloon had just been popped. Players started looking they'd had two games in two days, mentally rather than physically. We've given ourselves a lot to do now."

Next up for Barnsley is a crucial match at home to sixth-placed Chesterfield on Saturday.

DOG owners have been warned to keep their pets on leads while around livestock in a bid to reduce the risk of animals being injured or attacked.

As lambing season continues, officers have received calls from local farmers expressing concerns about dogs worrying their livestock.

Dog owners could be liable for prosecution if they fail to control their pet.

PC Chris Parker said: "Dogs who worry or chase livestock may be acting on their natural instinct, but the health risks this poses to animals is staggering.

"Pregnant animals can miscarry or go into early labour, which is incredibly distressing for both the animal and the farmer.

"Even if the dog doesn't attack or injure the livestock, the presence of a dog can be enough to send animals into shock. Sadly, many animals have to be euthanised after a dog attack.

"Don't run the risk of prosecution and keep your dogs on a lead while around livestock."

THE town's only dedicated service for victims of sex attacks has been saved from closure thanks to a £500,000 grant.

Barnsley Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre, based in The Core on County Way, has been handed the award by the Big Lottery Fund.

Lynne Casserley, who heads up BSARCS, said it would help the centre sustain the service it offers to both men and women in the town.

Part of the money awarded will also be used to extend face-to-face services for victims in Barnsley.

She said: "This funding is so needed at a time when the problem of sexual abuse and rape is increasing .

"The number of people who have contacted us in the past year has increased 20 per cent."

A JOINT investigation has started after a horse died from a stab wound in what has been described as a "deliberate" attack.

Seven-year-old Tilly, owned by Michelle Steeples, was kept in fields near Broad Carr Road, Hoyland.

But on March 29 a passing walker noticed the mare "suffering greatly" having sustained a stab wound to the abdomen.

RSPCA inspector John Lawson said: "The police called us about this horse on Sunday morning after a dog walker discovered her and called them.

"When I arrived the owner was already there, and had called a vet to the scene.

"The poor horse, a very sweet small grey mare, was suffering greatly and was put to sleep on humane grounds.

"From local enquiries it seems whatever happened to her happened between 2.30am and the dog walker finding her at 6.40am.

"We would like anyone with any specific information to contact us on 0300 123 8018."

RESIDENTS have been told their properties may not have running water due to a burst pipe.

Yorkshire Water are investigating the problem which is causing low pressure and reduced supplies in the S73 area of Barnsley.

Yorkshire Water no water or low pressures due to a burst pipe in S73 area.

Engineers are on site at Woodlands View, Wombwell.

A NUMBER of bus fare increases will come into place from April 12.

Stagecoach announced that the prices of some saver tickets are to rise by an average of two per cent, reflecting rising costs.

Most single fares will increase by 10p with returns going up by 20p.

The Barnsley dayrider increases by 10p while the cost of a dayrider plus freezes for the eighth year in a row. The weekly megarider and megarider plus both increase by 50p.

The change to fares, which follow an annual review, is broadly in line with increasing staff costs resulting from growth in the economy.

Paul Lynch, managing director of Stagecoach Yorkshire, said: "We have done our best to hold down prices for our customers. We still have the lowest bus fares of any major bus operator in Britain.

"In 2015, Stagecoach will also spend £3.7 million on almost 30 new buses in Barnsley and the Dearne Valley."

A TEENAGER ran riot during more than four hours of trouble in and outside Barnsley Interchange.

The 17-year-old's campaign of abuse at the transport hub escalated when he walked down Midland Street and smashed the windscreen of a police car.

Jayne Ormrod, prosecuting, said the youngster was part of a group of young people. She said the trouble began when the group was stood at the interchange entrance and was causing an obstruction to people trying to leave.

Mrs Ormrod said: "Later, security staff formed a cordon to stop the young man entering Spar. A number of his group goaded him into attacking the cordon.

"After his arrest, he also said legal highs had clouded his judgement."

The teen admitted threatening behaviour and criminal damage. He will be sentenced on April 7 and was granted conditional bail.

MORE than 5,000 new jobs are to be created in Barnsley after plans for a business park near the M1 were approved.

A report which set out the business case for the creation of the 'strategic business park' on the M1 junction 36 was given the green light on Monday.

This will allow work to take place on the key highway connections along the Dearne Valley Parkway.

It could be worth as much as £3 billion to the Barnsley economy.

A council spokesperson said: "It will provide businesses with the right infrastructure they need to thrive and is essential in helping to attract and retain new and existing businesses.

"This in turn will create a more competitive private sector employment base. There will be a significant impact on the number and proportion of private sector jobs in Barnsley.

"In total the sites are estimated to bring forward 2,497 jobs by 2024 and 4,744 jobs by the end of 2033. In addition, due to the scale of the scheme, it will further develop a minimum of 110 construction jobs."

Following a procurement exercise, highways work will begin during October.

THIS is the first image of what the proposed £100,000 bronze statue of ex-Barnsley player Tommy Taylor will look like.

It's been designed by Graham Ibbeson and portrays Taylor - who died aged 26 in the 1958 Munich air disaster - heading the ball.

"I wanted to do something different than the usual footballer sculpture," Graham said. "Too often they're simply either men just stood or perhaps in ball-kicking pose.

"I decided by creating three figures that are all in one the sculpture would flow more and give a better impression of how he could rise above defenders."

Ex-Red Tommy was one of eight Manchester United footballers, the so-called 'Busby Babes', who were killed in the crash 57 years ago.

A BARNSLEY dad has been handed a four-year jail term - after he shook his crying son and caused a severe brain injury.

Michael Mills, 24, was drinking strong lager when he was interrupted by the four-month-old's crying as he played Call of Duty.

The boy, now two, has been left blind with cerebral palsy, epilepsy and severe learning difficulties and will need permanent care for the rest of his life.

Mills, of Rotherham Road, Cundy Cross, was found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm on the child after a three-week trial.

A PROTEST group campaigning for free train travel for pensioners turned out in force to mark their first anniversary.

The so-called Freedom Riders celebrated 12 months of campaigning on Tuesday by holding another protest at Barnsley Interchange.

The 100-strong group made their way through the transport hub, rallied at the front of the bus station and then marched through town.

Do they have your backing?

A BARNSLEY couple celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary last week.

Victor Kitchen, 86, originally from Royston, and Margaret, 89, from Staincross, met at a dance.

They married in 1950 after regularly walking more than two-and-a-half miles to see each other. They have lived on East Pinfold, Royston, since 1961 and went on to have four children, eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

They were planning to celebrate their anniversary in Blackpool - the couple's favourite place - but have had to postpone their regular visits due to a bout of poor health.

Instead, they marked the day with a quiet celebration.