A DEAD cat was dumped near a Barnsley primary school last week.

An image of the poor cat - which had been put in a black bin bag - was posted on We Are Barnsley's Facebook page on Thursday.

Jayne Hulme, who alerted our readers, contacted the RSPCA and Barnsley Council having found it on fields near Carlton Primary School.

A council spokesperson confirmed the cat had been removed from the field.

VIDEO footage of a man defecating on a pavement near an unauthorised gypsy camp has emerged.

The shocking footage - filmed by a tenant on Carlton Industrial Estate - showed the man behind a lamp post.

Travellers have been on and off the site for the past 18 months, leaving behind "copious amounts of rubbish".

Barnsley Council has proposed a permanent traveller site that would run from the nearby field to the west of Fish Dam roundabout up to Woodmoor Street.

The council says it must provide authorised sites to give it more authority to move people on when they set up unauthorised camps.

The most recent encampment moved on after a case at Barnsley Magistrates' Court and the area has been cleared by the council.

Coun Roy Miller, cabinet spokesperson, said:

"The site is proposed in the consultation draft of the Local Plan. Therefore this proposal is at a very early stage.

"This proposal is for a permanent site. Permanent sites are needed across the borough to minimise instances of unauthorised encampments."

CHANNEL 4 has been slammed by an "outraged" Goldthorpe group for portraying the village in a negative light.

Britain's Benefit Tenants aired last Monday night and featured Andrew Dyke, 42, and the issues he faces with tenants and from landlords.

There was one instance where a resident was shooting rats in his kitchen with an air rifle and it also showed Andrew and employees of his company clearing up a former cannabis factory.

Hundreds of used needles were also removed from one property and there were regular shots of boarded-up terraced houses.

Charlotte Johnson, 30, from the Goldthorpe Development Group, was initially unhappy at how the programme portrayed Goldthorpe.

She said: "I was outraged with the programme and the light it showed Goldthorpe in.

"Rubbish is the main problem and we need more people to start taking pride in the area."

A meeting has been organised between concerned residents and the council to see what more can be done.

Sir Steve Houghton, leader of Barnsley Council, added: "The issues raised in the TV programme are ones we’re already aware of and dealing with.

"We’re working hard on the regeneration of Goldthorpe by helping to bring empty properties back into use, bringing houses up to decent homes standards, installing CCTV, creating a new school and new extra care housing for older people.

"We welcome the opportunity to talk to local people about the work we’re doing there."

A FORMER nightclub in Barnsley town centre will be turned into a children's play area.

Citrus Rooms, on Eastgate, has stood empty for several years, but it will be given a new lease of life having obtained planning permission.

The plans, submitted by Nicholas Hadfield, of Bainton Drive, Barnsley, said it would provide families with a 'superior entertainment venue', with the opportunity to enjoy the adventure of play together in a 'relaxed family-orientated atmosphere'.

POPULAR Barnsley actress Katherine Kelly will appear in the fourth series of the hit show Mr Selfridge.

The former Coronation Street star, who plays socialite Lady Mae Loxley, is missing from the current series after giving birth to daughter Orla in March last year.

Kate Lewis, executive producer for ITV Studios, said: "We’re delighted to be embarking on production of the fourth series of Mr Selfridge and thrilled to be welcoming back Katherine Kelly along with introducing some talented new faces."

BARNSLEY'S kids came home with a big medal haul as more than 1,000 youngsters took part in the South Yorkshire Sainsbury’s School Games.

European and Commonwealth swimming medallist Joe Roebuck, from Rotherham, was on hand to open the annual day-long event at the English Institute of Sport (EIS) in Sheffield.

At an Olympic-style ceremony, pupils took part in an athletes’ parade before watching a musical performance by Chris Badger from Aston Academy and dance displays by Horizon Community College.

Schools from Barnsley, Rotherham, Doncaster and Sheffield competed in eight sports across 22 different competitions.

Barnsley's schools came away with nine medals in total - two gold, two silver and five bronze.

Simon Pugh, development manager at South Yorkshire Sport, which organised the event, said: "Not only does it showcase the huge amount of sporting talent we have in this region, but it also provides opportunities for young people to develop teamwork and leadership skills through volunteering and cultural activities."

A BARNSLEY man has made the international news after he discovered a mystery million pounds in his bank account.

Kieran McKeefery logged into his online bank account and noticed a whopping £1,245,000 deposit.

The 21-year-old then phoned NatWest who looked into the transaction, but it wasn't until ten days later that the money was taken back - leaving Kieran with £204 interest.

Read more in Friday's Barnsley Chronicle.

THE body of a Barnsley soldier who was killed fighting Islamic State militants in Syria has been returned home.

Kosta Scurfield, 25, from Royston, was the first Briton to be killed fighting the terror group. He passed away on March 2 while fighting alongside Kurdish forces.

His body was handed over to his father, Chris, in a ceremony on the Syria-Irag border. Hundreds turned out to pay their respects before Kosta's body was flown home.

The ex-Royal Marine, who was an expert in battlefield medicine, is believed to have travelled to the war-torn country in December.

Mark Campbell, a pro-Kurdish rights campaigner, posted on his Facebook page: "It is the duty of every Kurd and friends of the Kurdish struggle in Syria to show their respect to this fallen hero.

"Frustrated by the lack of UK action and support for the Kurds’ heroic battle against ISIS, he put his own life on the line for his own personal principles. Time to welcome him home."

Hundreds of members from the Kurdish community lined the streets in Manchester when Kosta's body returned.

CCTV images have been released after a man dragged a woman into a town centre car park and sexually assaulted her after a night out.

Police are appealing to the public to help identify the man in the images from the early hours of Sunday morning.

It's believed he may hold vital information that could assist the investigation.

At around 5am, a 30-year-old woman was walking along Eldon Street heading out of town after a night out with friends.

A man approached her as she walked past the bus stop outside Halifax bank and continued to walk with her. It's believed he sexually assaulted the woman in a disused car park off Eldon Street, and then fled the scene onto Pitt Street.

Detective Sergeant Andy Knowles said: "Officers are currently reviewing CCTV footage, however it is apparent the town centre was still very busy around the time of the attack.

"We would like to speak to anybody who can identify the man in the images, or who believes they were in the area at the time or may have witnessed something that may assist, to please contact police.

"The woman is receiving the appropriate care and support from specialised officers and I would urge anyone with any information to please come forward as it could prove vital to the investigation."

If you can help, please contact South Yorkshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting incident number 231 of March 22.

JABO Ibehre's first goal for Barnsley secured a point to extend the Reds' unbeaten run to eight matches against high-flying Preston.

Over 12,000 fans made the trip to Oakwell to see two of League One's in-form sides go head-to-head, but it was the visitors who struck first when Joe Garner grabbed his 20th of the season before half-time.

Debutant Cameron Stewart, a loan signing from Ipswich, could have levelled things up for Barnsley but the 23-year-old winger failed to convert Declan John's cross.

But Ibehre, another loanee, headed home Mason Holgate's pinpoint ball in with ten minutes remaining to earn the Reds a well-deserved point.

Despite the hard-fought draw, Lee Johnson's side slipped out of the top six following Peterborough's 1-0 victory over Chesterfield.

He said: "I'm disappointed not to get a win but when you're 1-0 down to a good side like Preston you're happy with a point.

"It's not ideal to slip out of the play-offs but you've got to stick in there. Don't forget where we've come from - if you're falling from second place then it's a disaster but we're still with a shout."

A BAN on so-called 'spy cars' under a raft of new parking rules comes into effect in April.

The changes have been approved by government to stop overzealous parking enforcement.

Under the new laws motorists will be allowed a ten-minute grace period by traffic wardens, which means they can avoid being fined if a parking ticket runs out.

The use of CCTV 'spy cars' - which take a photograph of a parking offence before a fine is then issued through the post - will also be banned, except in no-parking areas around schools and bus stops.

But Coun Roy Miller said: "Firstly it's not a 'spy car', it's a camera car. I want to make that clear.

"Most councils, like us, use these camera cars sensibly after requests from the public to deal with illegal and irresponsible parking that causes danger to other road users.

"The vehicle is intended to act as a deterrent to illegal parking, and is liveried in the most conspicuous manner to attract attention from motorists." 

Once the new rules take effect, Barnsley's will continue to operate - but only in no-parking areas around schools, bus stops and bus lanes.

Other new guidance to protect drivers includes the right to challenge parking restrictions, such as charges and yellow lines, and tougher rules against 'heavy-handed' bailiffs.

THE power of social media has struck again - this cute little pug has been returned to its owner after a simple post on Facebook!

Daisy, the cute puppy, was found by the Harper family in Monk Bretton on Saturday.

The sought-after dog was 'nearly knocked over' before the Harpers took her in and posted an image on We Are Barnsley's Facebook page.

After the post was shared over 200 times, the dog's owner, Rebecca Sida, was contacted when a reader had seen her missing post on the 'Items For Sale In Barnsley' page.

The Harpers then contacted Rebecca - and little Daisy was then back with her thankful owner!

People following the post were overjoyed to hear of Daisy's return, saying it was a good example of social media being 'at its best'.

A GRIEVING husband has died - just one day after his wife of almost 50 years passed away.

Billy Ward, 70, suffered a heart attack at home in Lundwood after struggling to come to terms with the loss of Linda, 66, who had died from a blood clot.

The couple's joint funeral was held at Ardsley on Thursday.

Billy and Linda leave behind sons Gavin, 46, and 42-year-old Simon.

"They lived all their lives together and died together," Simon said. "Dad was devastated - he kept saying he wanted to go with her. He died of a broken heart."

A BARNSLEY care home has been rated as inadequate by inspectors.

Deangate Care Home, in Mapplewell, was visited unannounced by inspectors who found it was failing to provide safe, effective, caring and responsive care.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) - who have not taken formal enforcement action - have now told the home to take action.

The report read: "The service was not safe. Staffing arrangements were insufficient and did not ensure that people were safe from harm.

"Staff locked some people in their rooms without consent to prevent them from being harmed by others.

"Incidents of abuse were not always referred to appropriate authorities and acted upon accordingly which meant people were exposed to further risk of

harm.

"Although some people gave positive comments about staff and how they were cared for, this was not consistent.

"We saw instances where people’s privacy and dignity was not maintained."

A BARNSLEY MP has slammed the government's latest budget for failing to deliver for the town.

As new figures show unemployment is increasing across the area, Michael Dugher, MP for Barnsley East, criticised George Osborne.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer spoke about things getting better, an evenly spread recovery, and job creation in Wednesday's budget announcement.

However, figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that there was a worrying increase in unemployment, particularly amongst young people, between January and February of this year.

The number of young people claiming JSA went up from 1,000 to 1,105 in Barnsley - an increase of 10.5 per cent.

Mr Dugher said: "This is another bad budget for Barnsley. David Cameron and George Osborne have made it clear that they only stand up for a privileged few, not hard-working families.

"We need a better plan and a Labour budget which puts working families first. We’ll raise the minimum wage to £8 an hour, cut taxes for working people with a lower 10p starting rate of tax and reduce business rates for small firms."

A NEW market day has been announced for Barnsley town centre.

Current traders reported that their customers were asking why there was no open market on a Monday, so bosses have now given the green light for it to happen.

The first one - on April 13 - will have items for sale including everything from clothing to baked goods.

A spokesperson said: "We asked the traders if they felt there was enough custom. Sure enough we've now got an almost full new Monday market with just six stalls left to allocate.

"This new market will help ensure Barnsley continues to be renowned as one of the best market towns in England."

PARENTS of children affected by vaccines stored in a faulty fridge at a Barnsley GP surgery are preparing to sue the practice.

More than 500 children will have to be revaccinated after the effectiveness of the medication stored in the fridge at Brierley Medical Practice from 2009 to 2014 may have been compromised.

Several parents in the area have already contacted lawyers but it's thought hundreds of others may come forward.

Andrew Harrison, head of medical negligence at Raleys, said: "Despite reassurances from the authorities that the children have not been harmed by the vaccinations that they did receive, parents are obviously and rightly concerned.

"The unfortunate fact is that these children now all face having to go through the painful process again - and they know what to expect from it."

A MARTIAL arts expert has been fined after he turned on a fines enforcement officer.

Marek Samborski, 45, put Don Golec in a headlock and picked up a decorative knife from a shelf in the living room, said Chantel Lowery-Green, prosecuting.

Barnsley Magistrates' Court heard that Mr Golec was left shaken because Samborski's mood changed 'unexpectedly and dramatically'.

Mrs Lowrey-Green added: "Mr Golec said he had heard horror stories from workmates but had never been subjected to such a scary incident.

"One minute Mr Golec was talking reasonably to Mr Samborski and the next Mr Golek was in a headlock and was threatened with a knife."

Samborski, originally from Poland, was ordered to do 120 hours of unpaid work and to pay £150 in compensation to Mr Golec. He was ordered to pay £300 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.

STEPHANIE Hirst has backed a campaign launched to try and save the town centre's only record store.

Struggling Debut Records has pulled out of next month's Record Store Day - an event which would have allowed its owner, Stuart Sheard, to buy in exclusive records not normally available.

He announced the news on Facebook, saying: "I've found it very difficult these past few months. Christmas was a big let down and I've been struggling ever since - I just can't get the funds together for this one day."

He said without his loyal regulars, he would have closed months ago.

But help is at hand. Local bands are planning a special record to raise funds for the store, and DJ Stephanie Hirst has backed the campaign to save it.

She said: "So many people are getting record players for Christmas now. We need record shops - the last thing I want is to see this place go."

Stuart said Record Store Day had been a huge success last year but slower trade since has meant he hasn't got the buying power to repeat it this year.

"I'm still going to celebrate record store day in my own way, I just can't afford the vinyls that come with it," the 31-year-old added.

On the day - April 18 - he will be offering discounted vinyl and live music from local bands.

A CLOUD of toxic smog over South Yorkshire has prompted a health warning for people with asthma and heart problems.

DEFRA has warned that the polluted air - which is currently sitting over the area - could cause fatal asthma attacks and have advised the elderly and those with problems to be cautious.

Many parts of the region are currently listed as having a 'high' air pollution warning.

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."

THE sister of a local hero who was killed fighting Islamic State terrorists in Syria has set up a fundraising page in his memory.

Kosta Scurfield, a former Royston High School pupil, was killed in combat fighting earlier this month in the Hasaka region of northern Syria.

The 25-year-old was fighting as a volunteer with the Lions of Rojava.

The page, set up by Georgianna Scurfield, is raising money for a charity which helps people in areas of war, disaster and poverty.

Over £2,000 has been raised so far.

She said: "Kosta died fighting for every human being's right to live freely and safely in their own country.

"We have started this page to commemorate his work and continue a positive contribution in his name."

Click here for more information.

A RETIRED firefighter is gearing up for a 1,100-mile charity walk from Land's End to John O'Groats.

Gary Williamson, a firefighter for more than 30 years, is hoping to raise £10,000 to split equally between The Fire Fighters Charity and Cancer Research.

The 58-year-old said: "My hope is that by giving up my time, I can encourage others to consider these two important charities and make a contribution to assist the dedicated individuals working on all our behalf."

Gary's planning to walk the 1,100 miles in four stages, setting off on Friday.

Stewart Nicholson, of South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, added: "This is a great undertaking, something that Gary was passionate about while he was a firefighter, both walking and raising money for the charity.

"We are grateful that Gary has decided to take on this huge task even though he has been retired for six years, it just goes to show that he is still part of the fire service community and we offer him all our support."

A BARNSLEY man has been found not guilty of rape following a court case.

Jason Lee Bush, 35, of Thornley Avenue, Dodworth, stood before Sheffield Crown Court accused of four counts of rape and attempted rape of a teenage girl.

Mr Bush maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings.

He was cleared by a jury on all four counts following a week-long trial.

GOLDTHORPE appeared on a Channel 4 programme this week.

Britain's Benefit Tenants followed Andrew Dyke, who manages around 1,000 tenants in the once-thriving mining hotspot where almost a third of residents are now unemployed.

As council housing numbers shrink, more people are renting privately. The three-part series met the specialist letting agents trying to keep private landlords and benefit tenants happy.

Click here to watch the programme.

NINE out of ten bus passengers in Barnsley are satisfied with the town's local services, according to a new survey.

The Barnsley Customer Satisfaction Report showed that 99 per cent of customers intend to continue using Stagecoach buses and 95 per cent would recommend the operator to a friend.

Overall 83 per cent of people were satisfied or very satisfied with their local buses, 81 per cent with the frequency and areas served and 78 per cent with Stagecoach's ticket range.

Paul Lynch, managing director of Stagecoach Yorkshire, said: "The results are very pleasing and show we're going in the right direction.

"What our customers think is extremely important to us and the feedback gained through surveys such as this one is used to shape our services for the future."

THREE London men have been arrested in connection to a number of alleged frauds which targeted the elderly in Barnsley.

The trio, who are 19, 21 and 23, have been bailed while enquiries continue into the so-called 'courier fraud'.

In every case, the victims received telephone calls from men purporting to be police officers, who were investigating theft and fraud from their bank account.

The victims were then told to contact their bank but, unbeknown to them, the offender stayed on the line so when they called their ‘bank’ they were still speaking to the conman.

They were then asked to withdraw money from their account so that a detective could come and collect it.

Further to guidance issued by police last month, they're now aware of at least 15 reported incidents across the region.

Police continue to appeal for information. Please call police on 101 quoting incident number 529 of February 26.

Alternatively, you can report crime anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

AN event has been planned for green-fingered residents in Barnsley.

The event, part of the 'Let's Grow' initiative, is being delivered jointly by Voluntary Action Barnsley and the council.

It all kicks off at 10am on March 25 at the Carers Garden, behind the Metrodome,. It's for anyone interested in getting more out of their garden or community green space.

There will also be a chance for members of the public to get information and advice from the specialists on the day.

Everyone who attends is being encouraged to bring pictures of their plots to discuss on the day.

Contact Dan Wildsmith on 07810 875537 for more information.

POLICE have dismissed reports that a gun-wielding man was in Barnsley town centre last night.

Speculation has been rife on social media that a man was seen with a firearm inside the town's interchange.

However, police quashed the rumours and said there is "no truth" in the reports.

A spokesperson said: "We received a call at 5.55pm on Tuesday evening and officers responded. 

"The man in question was found and posed no threat to the public. No firearm was found."

A WOMAN has been sentenced for manslaughter following a five-year investigation.

June Buttle, from Doncaster, appeared at Sheffield Crown Court last week and admitted killing her partner, Thomas Groome, in January 2010.

She also entered guilty pleas to conspiracy to prevent a burial and fraud against the 53-year-old's estate, whose body has never been found.

Mr Groome, a regular visitor to Barnsley, spent Christmas with his sister in Kendray but was last seen on New Year's Day 2010 as he left his son's home in Thorne, Doncaster.

His family reported him missing and a murder investigation was launched in 2012. Buttle, first arrested on suspicion of murder in March 2013, was charged the following year.

The case was set to go to trial but Buttle, 56, admitted her involvement in Mr Groome's death and her guilty plea to manslaughter was accepted.

She was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Detective Superintendent Lisa Ray, the senior investigating officer in the case, said: "My thoughts are with the family of Mr Groome, and while there will still be untold grief for them because of Buttle’s actions, I hope they do feel some sense of justice has been served knowing that she has been sentenced for her crimes."

ASYLUM seekers and refugees escaping violence in their own countries could be moved to Barnsley.

Church Action Poverty (CAP), a Christian charity, is spearheading a campaign to get the town recognised as a 'City of Sanctuary'.

The charity has been in touch with individuals and organisations about pledging their support and has called a meeting next month to launch the project.

Mike Cameron, of CAP, said: "Barnsley's always been good when people from other countries have come here.

"People will be reminded of the Polish people, Romanian people and others who have come here in years gone by and always found a home here in Barnsley.

"Immigration and people fleeing from authority has been regular throughout the years and people have made them welcome."

The meeting, at Barnsley Town Hall on April 15, will be held from 10am to 1pm.

THE Reds missed the chance to leapfrog South Yorkshire rivals Sheffield United having been held to a goalless draw by Leyton Orient last night.

Barnsley, whose six-match winning run came to an end, still occupy the final play-off place thanks to Preston's 2-0 win over seventh-placed Peterborough.

Goalkeeper Adam Davies was in fine form and kept the struggling League One hosts at bay, while Conor Hourihane's 20-yard free kick was the closest Lee Johnson's side came to breaking the deadlock.

Substitute Milan Lalkovic was sent off late on for a two-footed tackle on Nathan Clarke, but honours were even as referee Gavin Ward brought an end to the match.

Lee Johnson, whose side remain unbeaten in seven and have conceded just once during that spell, said: "I'm pleased. I know you probably shouldn't say you're pleased with a point but I knew it'd be tough, so I have to say in the grand scheme of things it's a decent point."

Next up is a tasty clash at Oakwell against second-placed Preston on Saturday, before another big one at table-topping Bristol City.

THE Reds travel to relegation-threatened Leyton Orient tonight in search of their seventh consecutive win.

Barnsley's first season in League One has been a topsy-turvy one, with large patches of inconsistency now being rectified with a run which has seen them climb the table over the last month.

The timely purple patch - which has seen wins over Crewe, Scunthorpe, Gillingham, Coventry, Walsall and Oldham - has been a stark contrast since their last defeat.

That fixture, a 5-1 reverse at Crawley, came in the days after Danny Wilson's sacking. The defeat - the Reds' final loss in a three-game losing streak - signalled the end of Barnsley's woeful form.

An 18-point haul in a hugely successful four-week period has seen Lee Johnson's side move from two points off the drop zone to the hallowed top six.

With ten games remaining there's now a feel-good factor and, although the automatic promotion places are out of reach, Barnsley are the league's in-form side and look good for a top six finish.

Big games are on the horizon, though. After Tuesday's trip there's a tasty clash at Oakwell against second-placed Preston, before another big one at table-topping Bristol City. It doesn't get much easier, with a crucial South Yorkshire derby against Sheffield United a week later.

April's a busy month, with five games coming thick and fast in a tiring 14-day period.

"The initial remit when I joined Barnsley was to keep the club up," Lee Johnson said. "The second criteria was to have a push for the play-offs and we're doing that but it's very tight.

"We must continue in our pursuit of excellence and we need to keep this run going to give ourselves a chance.

"An average run from here on in won't get us in the play-offs - a decent one might and a very good one will."

Remaining fixtures:

March 17 - Leyton Orient (A)

March 21 - Preston (H)

March 28 - Bristol City (A)

April 4 - Sheffield United (H)

April 6 - Colchester (A)

April 11 - Chesterfield (H)

April 14 - Notts County (A)

April 18 - Peterborough (H)

April 25 - Bradford (A)

May 3 - Rochdale (H)

A RING said to be of 'high value' has been stolen from a town centre jewellery store.

Police received a report of a theft at Browns Family Jewellers on Peel Street at about 3.15pm on Thursday.

Two men allegedly entered the shop and asked to look at rings. An assistant obliged and it's alleged they then stole one before leaving the store.

The men ran off past the Post Office and in the direction of Morrisons.

Anyone with information is asked to call South Yorkshire Police on 101 quoting incident number 590 of March 12.

LITTER droppers who give false details will be punished more severely, the council has warned.

The messages comes after the authority was given one full day of court time each month to deal with people who haven’t paid their litter fines in full.

Some 61 people were due to attend court on March 6 to answer charges of littering in the town centre, and three of these also faced charges of giving false details.

The 58 who gave correct details were given fines of £35, with court costs of £120 and a victim surcharge of £20, totalling £175 each.

However, the three who had given false details to the officers when they received their on-the-spot fine for littering were punished much more severely.

They received fines of £400, costs of £120 and a £40 victim surcharge (£20 for each offence) totalling £560 each.

Haralds Gindra, 59, Tamara Maximova, 26, and Marek Ziolkowski, 23, were all caught dropping cigarette ends.

Each litterer was investigated by council officers working in partnership with 3GS, the company who are contracted to provide environmental enforcement in the town centre area.

Coun Roy Miller, cabinet spokesperson for place, said: "The work done by 3GS in the town centre area since May 2014 has helped with this considerably.

"Some people still think they can avoid paying a fine by giving false details, but they should think twice - these cases are fully investigated and where possible prosecutions will be brought for giving false details as well as the offence of littering.

"The fines of £560 each for those who gave false details should be a deterrent to other who think they can get away with it.

"The answer is simple - don’t drop litter, put it in a bin, or keep it with you until you find one."

A CAMPAIGN has been launched to highlight cervical cancer screening following the death of a young Barnsley mum.

Jemma Taylor-Cutts, who was diagnosed in 2012, died on New Year's Day at the age of 27.

A social media campaign launched by her friends and family raised £53,000 for alternative treatment, and now MP Dan Jarvis is encouraging other eligible women to be screened.

Jemma's husband Chris Cutts welcomed the campaign and called for the screening age to be lowered.

He said: "If a woman has any inkling there's a problem they need to get screened and checked out. I do think the screening age should be lowered.

One of the reasons they don't want to lower it is because they don't want to worry people at a young age but I don't see that as a fit reason."

The latest available figures requested by Mr Jarvis show there were 16 newly diagnosed cases of cervical cancer in Barnsley in 2012, up from 12 in 2011.

Mr Jarvis added: "I have been contacted by constituents who are very concerned about the number of young women being diagnosed with cervical cancer in Barnsley.

"I will continue to raise this issue on a national level, but we must also make sure that women here in Barnsley know just how important it is to attend these lifesaving tests.

"My message to women in Barnsley is if you're not sure when you last had a smear test, or if you're eligible for cervical screening, please contact your local GP."

AN anti-racism meeting will take place in the town tonight.

Organised by Barnsley Trades Council, it takes place at the Civic at 7pm.

BTUC secretary Brian Steele said: "Our council has always argued that racism divides workers and leaves us weaker.

"In a time of austerity workers cannot afford to let ourselves start arguing and blaming each other.

"I’m proud that we have brought together a distinguished panel to speak on this issue."

Speakers include Graham Kyte, John Grayson and Michael Short.