A MAN has embarked on an epic journey of sobriety cos he's 'avin a year wi art beer'!

Like a lot of people, Wayne Wall enjoys a pint but after turning 42 last month he's decided not to touch a drop of booze until he turns 43.

The security worker admits going 365 days without any alcohol may not appear to be a difficult task but he's hoping people will feel enough sympathy to dip in their pockets and help him raise cash for Cancer Research UK.

He said: "They say that 42 is the answer to life, the universe and everything, so I figured as I turned 42 at the end of November I would spend my 42nd year without any alcohol and see if the answer was out there and not at the bottom of a pint pot.

"So from two minutes before midnight on the eve of my birthday and ending on my 43rd birthday, I'm not going to touch a drop of alcohol."

To make the sacrifice all that sweeter Wayne has joined up with the cancer charity and under the guise of the 'Dryathlon' he's hoping to raise as much as possible for the good cause.

"I already have more than £400 in sponsors from my work colleagues, family and friends," said Wayne.

"I know it's not tightrope walking across the Grand Canyon or going down Niagara Falls in a barrel or running a marathon, but it's a year of being sober and that in itself, in this current climate, can be just as hairy."

Click here for more information.

A BARNSLEY man has been banned from keeping pigs for 10 years.

Melvyn Priestley, of Ballfield Avenue, Kexborough, pleaded guilty to eight charges under animal welfare legislation.

He was sentenced on December 12 at Barnsley Magistrates' Court and told to serve a 12-month community order with the requirement to undertake 150 hours of unpaid work.

He was also given a disqualification order from owning, keeping, dealing, or participating in keeping pigs for a term of 10 years.

In addition, he was ordered to pay full prosecution costs of £1290.16 and victim surcharge of £60.

The court heard that on a routine visit in June 2013, Barnsley Council’s animal health officer Derek Green discovered three pigs at Ballfields Allotments, Kexborough, that appeared to have been left unattended for several weeks.

An inner wall had collapsed and living in their own slurry had left the pigs with severe skin burn.

The pigs were removed and examined by a vet who required the animals to be taken to a place of safety in order for their skin to heal.

Magistrates were also informed that Mr Priestley had previously been convicted by the council for similar charges in 2009.

District Judge Foster stated it was clear that the defendant did not have the capacity to care for the pigs and had been warned about this issue four years ago, which was used as evidence in the prosecution case.

He said that Mr Priestley should have known of the responsibilities that go with keeping animals and that this was a serious matter - the pigs had suffered as they were not kept properly.

Cllr Miller, cabinet spokesperson for development, environment and culture, said: "The hard work of our officers was instrumental in making sure this individual was brought to court for his crime.

"Barnsley Council’s animal health officers are committed to ensuring people keeping any animals do so responsibly, and action will be taken against those who fail to do so."

BARNSLEY'S secondary schools have been named the second worst in the country by an Ofsted report.

The education watchdog has claimed that more than three-quarters of school pupils are in schools rated 'inadequate' and 'requiring improvement'. 

Only 22 per cent of pupils are in schools rated 'good' or 'better', with only the Isle of Wight faring worse. 

However, the council have disputed the report saying the figures are already out of date - despite it only being published several weeks ago.

A spokesman said: "Since this data was produced, Ofsted has judged another of our secondary schools to be good overall."

"This reinforces the improvements seen in Barnsley in GCSE results in 2013 that were at a faster rate than that seen nationally and regionally in the proportion of students attaining five good GCSE passes, including English and mathematics."

He added that there was a 'shared understanding' between the council and schools of the challenges facing them in tackilng under performing students.

A SCORNED woman tried to scupper her ex's foreign holiday with his new partner.

Bitter Katy Higgins, 29, made efforts to cancel her ex-boyfriend's passport in revenge for him leaving her for a younger woman, Barnsley Magistrates' Court was told.

David Godfrey, prosecuting, said Higgins got a passport cancellation form from a Post Office branch.

He said: "She filled in the form purporting to be her ex-boyfriend. She signed his name at the bottom.

"The former boyfriend ended up £245 out of pocket because he had to go to the Passport Office in Liverpool at short notice to buy a replacement passport."

John Jones, defending, said Higgins, of Butcher Street, Thurnscoe, was having a difficult pregnancy when she split up with the victim.

He said: "This case falls under the category of 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'.

"Miss Higgins's boyfriend's decision to start a relationship with a younger woman did not go down well.

"The pregnancy was difficult. She was visiting hospital every two days. She was distressed.

"Within a few hours of forging the lost passport form, she contacted the ex-boyfriend and told him what she had done. She did not realise she would cause him so many problems."

Higgins admitted making a false instrument under the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act. She was ordered to pay £125 towards the cost of her ex-boyfriend's new passport, a £60 victim surcharge and £35 in costs.

Higgins also admitted driving otherwise in accordance with a licence and having no insurance. She was fined £145.

OVER 1,500 people have joined a Facebook page questioning the safety of a town centre road which has become notorious for accidents.

The 'Let's Make Racecommon Road Safe' page has hundreds of posts from residents and has stirred up a frenzy on the social networking site throughout the month.

The latest flurry of activity comes fresh from news on We Are Barnsley that a seven-year-old boy was knocked over by a car and airlifted to hospital after suffering serious injuries.

Others have bemoaned motorists parking on double yellow lines and blocking pavements on the area near Kwik-Fit.

Shelley Love, a driving instructor who started the group, said: "After three serious accidents in 12 months, enough is enough."

Having grew up around the area and now living on nearby St Edward's Avenue, Shelley is determined for measures to be put in place to eradicate the road's ongoing problems.

"I've always lived around here and even my dad's car was crashed into and wrote off when it was parked up," she added.

"It's the speed issue which is most concerning. It's inevitable that people will park on the road as it's near to the town centre but making it a 20mph zone would reduce accidents.

"I'd like Barnsley Council to enforce fines on illegally parked drivers and have more of a presence in the area.

"People speed to beat the traffic lights and having a camera on top would deter people from driving aggressively.

"The group wants to raise awareness, so if that's by putting posters up or making banners, every little helps."

Dan Jarvis, MP for Barnsley Central, said: "I am regularly on Racecommon Road and share the concerns of local residents about the impact of the traffic there.

"It shouldn’t be a case of taking your life in your hands when crossing a road. We must do all we can to ensure that local people - especially children, the elderly and vulnerable - can navigate the street without risk of injury.

"I believe there needs to be a thorough investigation into measures which could be introduced to improve safety - particularly for pedestrians and cyclists.

"I will be working with local councillors to ensure that this issue is looked at in careful detail by Barnsley Council."

A council spokesman said: "Our highways people will be speaking with the police in the new year as part of the annual road safety assessment of the road."

The page can be found by clicking here.

THE Reds play Leeds this weekend and new boss Danny Wilson says he couldn't start with a better game.

The Reds return to competitive action at Elland Road on Saturday with Wilson set for his first game in charge in his second spell at Oakwell.

The 53-year-old, who played for Barnsley before guiding them to the Premier League, is confident the quality is there to avoid relegation.

"There’s not a great deal wrong if I'm being quite honest," he said.

"The games this season have been close. The odd mistake they've made has cost them games.

"The odd chance they've not put away has cost them games too, so we’ve to shift that mental approach sideways and make it more positive.

"It's a terrific challenge because we've got a lot of tough games coming up and there's no better game than a derby to get started.

"To win that one would be the stuff dreams are made of."

Chris O'Grady is set to return this weekend having recovered from a calf injury, but influential midfielder Paddy McCourt is a major doubt with a hamstring injury.

BUSINESSES opposite Barnsley Central Library say they will be sad to see it go but hope its demolition will give the promised boost to the economy of Shambles Street.

Barnsley Council says the library will be replaced temporarily at Wellington House, and will eventually have a new home when the town centre is redeveloped in the coming years.

Plans of what the temporary library will look like were published on the council's website last week.

Consultation on the plans is underway but more than 6,000 people have already signed a petition calling for the library to stay where it is.

Robert Eaton, of the Russell Eaton salon, said Barnsley is in urgent need of redevelopment and believes the short-term disruption will be worth it for the long-term benefit of the town.

"I see why people who use the library are so opposed to it. It's well-used and I can see their point.

"But if you look at Leeds and the affect of the development that's gone on there, it has had a huge impact.

"Barnsley is in need of regeneration probably more than anywhere else."

Stan Bulmer, of Stan Plus Stan Photography, says the demolition of the abandoned shop units opposite his studio 'can't come soon enough'.

"About 60 per cent of our customers come from outside Barnsley. We're bringing people into the town and this street is the main entrance.

"Those shops have been a bit of an eyesore."

Laura Beaumont, of Nutopia Hair and Beauty, said: "It's sad the library has to go, but hopefully it will attract a bit more interest in this end of the town."

But Andrew Bostwick, of insurance broker Bostwick and Sayers, would rather see the area redeveloped for retail rather than a college.

"From a business point of view I don't think a sixth form college will do anything to 'bring us into the town centre'. I'd rather have seen it developed for retail.

"I'd rather the library stay. We do get customers coming in to us who've been to the library."

A council spokesman said the proposed college building would match the quality of environment and resources of the new secondary schools across Barnsley.

The spokesman said the college and the long-term plans for an all-new library would enhance the town centre, but timing is critical.

He added: "If the college doesn’t move quickly on the Shambles Street site then the town centre is likely to lose out on millions of pounds of investment.

"All comments gathered will help the council to further understand what people have to say about the implications the move will have on them."

ABOUT 30 coping stones worth £6,000 have been stolen from a playground wall.

The stones, which are made from Yorkshire stone and thought to be worth about £200 each, have been taken from the top of a wall which runs alongside the Wakefield Road play area in Smithies.

Five trees planted along the roadside leading up to New Lodge have also been 'torn down by mindless vandals', according to local councillors.

Councillors David Leech, Jenny Platts and Sarah Tattersall encouraged anyone who may have seen something to report it to the police.

Cllr Tattersall said: "It's a really busy road, you would think someone would have seen something.

"It's not youngsters who have done this, these stones would be too heavy for them."

Five trees planted last November along Wakefield Road towards New Lodge Post Office have also been torn down.

Cllr Platts said it would cost about £500 to replace the trees, which she said could have been spent on other things.

They urged anyone who sees people damaging the trees or the wall to contact police on 101.

SOUTH Yorkshire Police are appealing to the public for any information they have on an alleged sex offender. 

The offences are said to have happened in South and West Yorkshire over the summer.

Shaswar Said, 33, is around 5ft 8 inches tall, of medium build with short dark hair.

He is also known by the names of Said Shasway and Mohammed Said. 

Anyone with any information should contact the Police on 111, quoting incident number 448.

They can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A DETERMINED Barnsley man is all set to hand out much-needed supplies to the town's homeless this evening.

Adie Flute, 40, of Old School Court, Barugh Green, read about The Rucksack Project several weeks ago and decided to help out in his hometown.

Founded in 2009 by Mathew White in Bristol, the scheme has flourished giving the less fortunate help through the harsh winter months.

A Facebook page set up by Adie has attracted over 250 people willing to get involved and the packs are ready to be handed out to those in need.

One man's determination has culminated in supplies being handed in by caring residents at drop-off points at the Digital Media Centre on County Way and at Barnsley FC's Community Sports & Education Trust building.

A further donation from retailer JD Sports has given warm clothing to the project.

"The response to the original article on We Are Barnsley and the Facebook event has been great," Adie said. "Now it's about putting that initial success into action.

"Given we're lucky to have relatively low numbers of homeless in the town, the packs will also help those who have fallen on hard times."

CHRISTMAS could be ruined for sick and underprivileged children after a break-in at The Well Wish Society in Wombwell.

The High Street shop has been raising money and bought presents for ill and underprivileged children as part of its Christmas Wish Campaign.

But a break-in through the roof in the early hours of last Monday morning has devastated their plans.

The shop's safe was smashed open and about £2,000 was taken from fifteen charity boxes that were kept inside.

Electrical goods and clothing were also stolen, as was food being collected for the family of a three-year-old cancer sufferer.

It's a bitter blow for the charity which has been saving up since the start of November.

Chairman Phil Robinson-Jones said: "We would guess that between £1,700-£2,000 has been taken from the safe.

"To steal presents and money that's intended for children with cancer and their families is the lowest of the low. I don't think you can get much worse than that.

"It's pretty much wiped out our Christmas Wish Campaign and we're going to need a lot of help to get it back on track."

Music players that were stolen were for teenagers in Chancet Wood in Sheffield, which provides disabled youngsters with respite care.

Shop manager Vasco Yonchev says the charity will now try to rally around to make up for their losses.

He said: "We're going to have to double our efforts this year to finish the work we have started. We need to try and stay positive and be as effective as we can in the time we have left."

There was another break-in at Gabby's Florist two doors down from The Well Wish Society. Again, charity boxes were emptied and, bizarrely, a piece of cake was cut and taken too.

Anyone with information should call the police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting incident number 230 of December 9, 2013.

THE police have released two CCTV images after an assault in Barnsley Interchange.

The assault, which took place on Saturday, October 12, is thought to have been an unprovoked one.

A 47-year-old man and his partner had travelled by train from Leeds to Barnsley, arriving at 10.25pm, when they walked over the footbridge.

The man was then rugby tackled to the ground in what's thought to have been an unprovoked attack by a stranger.

The victim got to his feet and travelled down the escalators towards the exit doors onto Market Street, when he was punched in the face by an unknown man.

He suffered minor injuries and attended hospital.

The men in the CCTV images, or anyone who knows who they are, should call South Yorkshire Police quoting incident number 1059 of October 14, 2013.

A TEN-YEAR-OLD boy has done things a little differently this Christmas and has collected items for the town's homeless.

Harrison Tasker, of St Michael's School in Wombwell, is passionate about helping others and has already taken part in a shoebox appeal which made their way to serving soldiers.

This Christmas he's been collecting for users of the Barnsley Churches Drop-In Project (BCDP).

His mum Heather Tasker, of Westmoor Close, Goldthorpe, said: "With the generosity of kind friends and my son's massive efforts, they've got boxes of food, toiletries and one containing gloves, hats and scarves.

"It was all Harrison's idea. He's going to BCDP on December 23 to help serve food. I'm extremely proud of him.

"I'd like to thank everyone who's been kind enough to donate and help my son."

We Are Barnsley know you'll be busy during the festive period, so we've compiled one of our survival guides!

If you're planning on venturing out over the Christmas and New Year period, here's the essential information you'll need.

Travel

Train services will end early on Christmas Eve, with times varying between services. There will be no trains running on Christmas or Boxing Day. From the 27th services will return as normal.

Up to and including December 23, all Stagecoach bus services will operate as normal.

On Christmas Eve, a Saturday service will operate until around 7pm.

No buses will run on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day.

A Saturday service will operate on December 27, 28 and 30, with an additional journey on service 6 at 5.45am from Barnsley on December 27 and 30.

On December 29, a normal Sunday service will operate.

On New Year’s Eve, a Saturday service will run until 7pm before Stagecoach’s operation gets back to normal on January 2.

Taxi marshals will also provide a reassuring presence for customers of Barnsley's night-time economy over Christmas.

Stationed at hackney carriage ranks at New Street (adjacent to Chicago Rock) and Midland Street, the marshals will help people visiting town centre pubs, bars and restaurants get home safely at the end of the evening.

Marshals will be on duty on the evenings of Friday, December 20, Sunday 22, Boxing Day, Saturday 28, and New Year’s Eve.

Supermarkets

Asda, Old Mill Lane

Fri 20th Dec - 24 hours

Sat 21st Dec - Closes at 11pm

Sun 22nd Dec - 10am - 4pm

Mon 23rd Dec - Opens at Midnight

Christmas Eve - Closes at 7pm

Christmas Day - Closed

Boxing Day - 9am - 6pm

Fri 27th Dec - Opens at 8am

Sat 28th Dec - Closes at 10pm

Sun 29th Dec - 10am - 4pm

Mon 30th Dec - Opens at 8am

New Year's Eve - Closes at 7pm

New Year's Day - 10am - 4pm

Thu 2nd Jan - Opens at 8am

Fri 3rd Jan - 24 hours

Tesco, Wombwell Lane

Tesco will close at 7pm on Christmas Eve and won't re-open until 9am on Boxing Day, when it will close at 6pm. 

It will be open 24 hours from the 27th until it closes on New Year's Eve at 7pm. It will be open between 9am and 6pm on New Year's Day.

Its 24-hour service will resume from midnight on January 2. 

Morrisons

The store will be open 7am while 5pm Christmas Eve and will be closed on Christmas Day.

It will open at a later time of 11am on Boxing Day and close again at 5pm.

On the 27th and the 28th it will open from 8am-8pm. It will close two hours early on New Year's Eve at 6pm.

It will re-open 11am while 5pm New Year's Day. Normal opening times then resume. 

Pharmacies

Pharmacy opening hours in Barnsley over Christmas and New Year

Asda Pharmacy, Asda, Old Mill Lane: Christmas Day, closed; Boxing Day, 9am-6pm; New Year's Day, 10am-4pm.

Boots, Cheapside: Christmas Day, closed; Boxing Day, 10am-4pm, New Year's Day, closed.

Lloyds Pharmacy, Barnsley Interchange, Christmas Day, 10am-noon; Boxing Day, 8.30am-8pm; New Year's Day, 8.30am-8pm.

Doctors

GP practices are open 'as normal' on their normal working days but will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

Patients ringing their surgery will be either directly put through or given an alternative number to ring to access the out of hours provider.

Dentists

Dentists will open 12:30pm while 5pm on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, and will open 11am while 2pm Christmas Day.

They will open 12:30pm while 5pm on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

For out of hours emergency treatment, contact the Dearne Valley Dental Emergency Service on 0845 155 0845.

Events

For a full list of Christmas events, click here.

Bins

Residents are reminded that with Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day falling on Wednesday and Thursday, there will be a few changes to waste, recycling and cardboard collections.

People who are taking part in the first phase of the redesigned recycling scheme as detailed in a blue leaflet delivered through participating residents’ doors have changes to their service as follows.

Grey bins

Normal collection date: Wednesday, December 25

Actual collection date: Monday, December 23

Normal collection date: Wednesday, January 1

Actual collection date: Monday, December 30

Normal collection date: Thursday, December 26

Actual collection date: Saturday, December 28

Blue bins, white sacks

Normal collection date: Wednesday, December 25

Actual collection date: Saturday, December 21

Normal collection date: Thursday, December 26

Actual collection date: Monday, December 23

Green bins

Normal collection date: Wednesday, December 25

Actual collection date: Wednesday, December 18

Normal collection date: Thursday, December 26

Actual collection date: Thursday, December 19

People who are still receiving the regular recycling service as detailed in their green leaflet are advised of the following alterations over the same period.

Grey bins

Normal collection date: Wednesday, January 1

Actual collection date: Monday, December 30

Normal collection date: Wednesday, December 25

Actual collection date: Monday, December 23

Normal collection date: Thursday, December 26

Actual collection date: Saturday, December 28

Blue and brown bins

Normal collection date: Wednesday, December 25

Actual collection date: Saturday, December 21

Normal collection date: Wednesday, January 1

Actual collection date: Saturday, January 4

Normal collection date: Thursday, December 26

Actual collection date: Monday, December 23

Finally, have a great Christmas!

NEARLY 9,000 meals have been collected for families in need after three collections at a Tesco store.

The latest drive saw 3,475 meals donated by shoppers - including a 30 per cent top up by the supermarket chain - to go to the local food bank in Wath in time for Christmas.

MP John Healey supported the collection again by paying a visit to the store to help volunteers.

This was Tesco’s third Neighbourhood Food Collection in partnership with food banks charity The Trussell Trust and food redistribution charity FareShare.

During the weekend of November 29 December 1, customers were given a special shopping list and asked to pick up an extra item of food to donate at the end of their shop, such as long-life milk, cereal, tinned food and tea and coffee.

The last collection in June saw 3,835 meals collected at the store, and around 1,500 were donated during the first collection in December 2012.

John said: "The number of people relying on food banks has tripled over the last 12 months and 500,000 people in Britain are thought to now depend on emergency food aid.

"The people of Wath have been as generous as ever and their donations will go straight to families in need in the local area, who might otherwise have gone hungry this Christmas."

PLAYERS from Barnsley Football Club have brought some festive cheer to children at Barnsley Hospital.

The club's first team squad, which included 24 players, visited the hospital's children's ward on Tuesday to hand out presents and pose for photos.

One player even dressed up as Santa and a number of patients and staff were given photo opportunities with their favourite players.

Some of the squad also paid a visit to the special care baby unit - where premature or sick babies are looked after - to speak to parents and staff.

A spokesman for Barnsley Hospital said: "It was fantastic to have the players pay a visit - the kids loved it and so did the parents!

"We're really grateful to the club and all the players for the presents they gave and for showing such an interest in our patients and staff."

Martin Cranie, captain at Barnsley, said: "The lads wanted to show their appreciation for all the hard work staff and nurses carry out at the hospital.

"It's never easy spending time in hospital, let alone at this time of year, so it's good for the lads to give something back to those who might have to be away from their families at Christmas time."

KIND-HEARTED folk on We Are Barnsley have been out in force this week.

After being sent a request on Tuesday, we asked: 'Had a message last night from a lady who now lives abroad. Her elderly parents still live in Barnsley and she's asked if there are any companies who deliver Christmas meals. Does anyone know of any?'

The response was unbelievable, with over 100 comments from those offering their services. It wasn't companies, either - it was the town's caring individuals.

One kind reader said: "Where do they live? I'm cooking for lots of people and would love to invite them over to mine.

"To be honest two more won't hurt, it's good to meet new people. We have crackers as well!"

That was just the start. We were inundated with messages from others who were also willing to help out in whatever way they could.

People from Hemingfield, Elsecar, Wombwell, Dodworth, Monk Bretton, Carlton, Royston, Darfield, Athersley, Shafton, Cudworth and even Sheffield all told us they were interested.

This came in a week of quite negative stories and the readers were thoroughly impressed with the town's kindness.

Paul Cooper said: "This is why people in Barnsley are the best in the country."

Nick Hyde added: "Reading this has made my day. Barnsley folk are the best people ever, I don't care what anyone says!"

Judith Halkerston, group editor of Script Media which runs the wearebarnsley.com website, said: "It was lovely to see how people responded to this - within a very short time, there were dozens of offers to deliver lunch on Christmas Day and even people inviting the couple to their homes.

"It goes to show that community spirit and generosity is alive and well and that the town has a lot to be proud of. It's certainly given my festive spirit a real boost!"

SOUTH Yorkshire Police hope social media can help them deal with the difficulties of 'Mad Friday'.

After the huge success of last year’s 'Twitterthon', Crime Commissioner Shaun Wright has expressed his full support for the initiative.

The event, named ‘Merry Tweetmas’, will run from 12pm on Friday, December 20.

It will see incidents reported across the region using the hashtag #SYtweetmas which will appear on the police's Twitter feed.

He said: "It's a great way to promote the hard work of the police officers across South Yorkshire on Mad Friday.

"With a higher than average demand on their resources, each officer has to deliver above and beyond to keep an already stretched service running effectively."

It's hoped that the project will make residents more aware of the high demands that the police are under.

You can follow the live feed of the Twitterthon on Twitter and on the South Yorkshire Police website by clicking here.

TWO friends who were nearly twice the drink-drive limit and not wearing seatbelts died after the car in which they were travelling veered off a road, demolished a lamp post and smashed into a house, an inquest heard.

Soldier Josh Powell, 18, and pal Daniel Hancock, 25, had downed cans of lager and taken drugs before the horrific crash in May this year.

Sheffield Coroner's Court heard the pair, both from Grimethorpe, Barnsley, could have been speeding at up to 70mph on the 40mph stretch on Engine Lane, Shafton, and it was ‘more likely than not’ Daniel was driving at the time.

Collision investigator PC Adam Burgoyne said the silver Peugeot 306 lost control while negotiating a left-hand bend, but there was ‘no suggestion’ the car had clipped the kerb.

Instead, PC Burgoyne said the smash was probably caused by the driver attempting to slow down as the vehicle rounded the corner too fast, sending it spinning sideways towards the lamp post, then into local resident Carl Jackson’s garden.

None of the car’s seatbelts showed damage consistent with them having been worn.

The inquest heard Josh - on leave from his post as a trooper with the Light Dragoons - drank at The Three Horseshoes pub in Brierley, then went to Daniel’s house on Elizabeth Street for a ‘small get-together’ at about 2am.

In a statement read to the court, Josh’s half-brother Nathan Burnett, who was also at Daniel’s home, said: "I could tell he had been drinking and Daniel appeared to be happy.

"While we were in the kitchen Daniel said he had to go to the garage - he never said what for. Josh said he needed some cigarettes, and that he’d go too.

"I don’t know what transport they went in, but I presumed it was a car."

In a statement read to the court, Mr Jackson said he was woken by a ‘loud crash’ at around 3.10am on May 19, and jumped out of bed to find a car in his garden.

Post-mortem examinations found Daniel suffered a fatal brain injury and had traces of cannabis in his blood.

Josh suffered multiple injuries, including wounds to his chest and skull fractures, and had taken mephedrone.

Assistant deputy coroner Louise Slater concluded both men died as a result of a road traffic collision.

BARNSLEY Hospital's maternity services have been rated highly, according to a new survey.

Patients were asked questions about three areas of care - labour and birth, staff, and care in hospital after the birth as part of the 2013 Maternity Services Survey, run by the Care Quality Commission.

Responses were received from 142 patients. The hospital was then scored out of 10 for each question.

The results show that patients rate the hospital particularly highly on aspects such as being given skin to skin contact with their baby shortly after birth (9.5 out of 10), and having their partner involved as much as they wanted (9.3 out of 10).

Overall, the hospital scored 8.6 out of 10 in the ‘labour and birth’ category, 8.5 out of 10 for ‘staff’ and 8.1 out of 10 for ‘care in hospital after the birth’.

The results meant that Barnsley Hospital received the highest scores overall out of the hospitals in South Yorkshire that participated.

Sue Gibson, Head of Midwifery, said: "These are pleasing results that show that patients think highly of the services we provide here in Barnsley.

"We work extremely hard to ensure that patients are given the best experience possible in our maternity services, and this is reflected in the results."

What do you think to this? Have your say below.

SCORES of people who lost money when a restaurant shut down now have something to smile about as its new owners have vowed to honour lost deposits.

Manvers restaurant Bistro 63 has now re-opened under new tenants.

The restaurant, based at Onyx Business Park, closed in November with previous landlord Mark Perry claiming bankruptcy in the wake of mounting costs.

His exit confused customers who took to the restaurant's Facebook page for answers after finding the doors locked when they showed up.

The sudden closure meant people who had booked for Christmas Day had lost their initial £10 deposits.

There had been two sittings scheduled for the day with both almost selling out before it closed its doors last month.

A former chef at the restaurant, Rhys Blessed, has now taken over alongside business partner Chris Crane, and the duo are in possession of the book which recorded bookings.

They're attempting to contact everybody who had booked to dine there to offer them an alternative deal.

Rhys says if diners have made alternate arrangements for Christmas day then their deposit will be valid for another time during the festive period.

"Through working there I know that it had a lot of potential, we just have to win people's trust back now," said Rhys.

"The biggest booking we had was for ten people and they have re-booked in and added a few more to their table."

For more information, ring 01709 252070.

A BARNSLEY man has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering his 11-month-old son.

Michael Carl Beaumont, 29, was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on Wednesday morning.

A jury found Beaumont, of Chapel Street, Hoyland, guilty of murdering Kadan and was told to serve a minimum of 18 years.

The jury also found Kadan's mum, Helen Barnes, 28, guilty of neglect and she was sentenced to six months in prison suspended for 12 months.

Emergency services were called to the family home in Hoyland at 10am on September 28, 2011, following reports that the 11-month-old had been unwell.

The boy was taken to Barnsley Hospital and later transported to Sheffield Children’s Hospital, where he died.

During the trial, the court heard how Beaumont had claimed that his son had been knocked over by the family dog in order to disguise the horrific injuries that he had inflicted upon the 11-month-old.

A CYCLIST was seriously injured following a collision in Barnsley.

At around 5.35pm on Friday, December 6, the 34-year-old man was in collision with a black Ford Fiesta at the junction of Rotherham Road and Carlton Road, Smithies.

The cyclist, a man from Barnsley, was taken to hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the Fiesta was not injured.

Anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to contact South Yorkshire Police on 101 quoting incident number 879 of December 6 2013.

Alternatively, people can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

CONTROVERSIAL aerial rescue pumps introduced two years ago at a cost of £2million are to be scrapped.

The South Yorkshire Fire Authority have agreed that the pumps are to replaced by aerial and ground engines, costing them £300,000.

The move comes as part of the authority's plan up to 2017 to help reduce costs and save closing more stations and removing engines. 

Chairman Cllr Jim Andrews said the scrapping of the combined aerial rescue pumps would save money because fewer firefighters would be needed.

He added: "They have cost a lot of money but had also saved £121,000 per year in Barnsley alone. We'll take out 12 posts at each place they were at."

Members also agreed to cut the number of night-time staff in Barnsley, with only one crew working full-time overnight.

Cllr Andrews said he was 'grudgingly happy' with the plan.

Fire chiefs face the likelihood of a further £3million in cuts by 2017 based on the recent government spending review, on top of the £9million reduction in budget up to 2015.

These cuts have already led to the loss of five pumps last year and saw stations, including the one at Royston, close.

A BARNSLEY burglar who burgled a 77-year-old woman has had his jail term almost halved.

Adam Winter and an unknown accomplice broke into the pensioner's home while she was asleep in bed and stole valuables from her handbag.

Winter, 20, of Brookfield Terrace, Carlton, was jailed for three years at Sheffield Crown Court in August, after admitting burglary.

However, judges last week cut that to one year and eight months at London's Criminal Appeal Court, who said the original term was 'excessive'.

The court heard the victim's home, in Totley Close, Barnsley, was broken into in June and her purse, cash, bank cards and mobile phone were stolen from inside her handbag.

She was sleeping when the burglary took place and discovered her things were missing when she woke the next day.

Mr Justice Holroyde told the court the victim suffered great distress as a result of the break-in.

Winter's fingerprints were found at the scene, but he had confessed his guilt even before they were analysed and found to be a match.

He told police he and an accomplice, who was not caught, had broken into the house, with him holding open a window while his partner in crime sneaked inside and took the items.

The court heard Winter had two previous cautions for burglary and shoplifting, and convictions for handling stolen goods and possessing cannabis, but had never before been locked up.

Winter's lawyers argued his jail term was over the top, saying the crown court judge didn't take enough account of his youth, or give him enough credit for his early admission of guilt.

Mr Justice Holroyde, sitting with Lord Justice Jackson and Judge John Milford QC, said given it was his first taste of custody and he admitted his crime at the first opportunity, the sentence was 'too long'.

He added: "The conclusion we have reached, taking account of all the circumstances and having regard to the fact that this is the first custodial sentence upon a young offender, is that an appropriate sentence would have been 20 months."

A TODDLER diagnosed with cancer a week before her first birthday has been on a Christmas trip to Lapland.

Lily Atkinson, three, hit national headlines after she had 11 tumours removed from all over her body in 2011.

She underwent eight rounds of chemotherapy at Sheffield Children's Hospital to treat a primary tumour in her chest and ten tumours that had spread through her body and to her skull.

Last Christmas was the first she could enjoy at home with her family.

Now she has finished all her chemotherapy, her family are praying that the cancer has gone for good. Lily is having regular four-monthly check-ups.

Her mum Angela, 42, of Blacker Hill, said: "We were devastated when we found out about the illness - I felt numb. We weren't expecting it and when we discovered it was 11 tumours we were shocked. 

"When we had Lily's last check-up in October, one of the nurses asked if she would like to go on a day trip to Lapland, so we arranged for her to go with her dad."

A BARNSLEY man who evaded police before being caught and returned to jail will be sentenced on Friday.

Joe Haigh, 26, from Thurnscoe, is due to appear in court charged with conspiracy to handle stolen goods.

Haigh, who breached the conditions of his licence, had been on the run until he was spotted by local Police Community Support Officers and later tracked down by a police dog and his handler.

He will appear at Barnsley Magistrates' Court on Friday.

BARNSLEY Council have released details of their bin collections over the festive period. Here's what you need to know.

Residents are reminded that with Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day falling on Wednesday and Thursday, there will be a few changes to waste, recycling and cardboard collections.

People who are taking part in the first phase of the redesigned recycling scheme as detailed in a blue leaflet delivered through participating residents’ doors have changes to their service as follows.

Grey bins

Normal collection date: Wednesday, December 25

Actual collection date: Monday, December 23

Normal collection date: Wednesday, January 1

Actual collection date: Monday, December 30

Normal collection date: Thursday, December 26

Actual collection date: Saturday, December 28

Blue bins, white sacks

Normal collection date: Wednesday, December 25

Actual collection date: Saturday, December 21

Normal collection date: Thursday, December 26

Actual collection date: Monday, December 23

Green bins

Normal collection date: Wednesday, December 25

Actual collection date: Wednesday, December 18

Normal collection date: Thursday, December 26

Actual collection date: Thursday, December 19

People who are still receiving the regular recycling service as detailed in their green leaflet are advised of the following alterations over the same period.

Grey bins

Normal collection date: Wednesday, January 1

Actual collection date: Monday, December 30

Normal collection date: Wednesday, December 25

Actual collection date: Monday, December 23

Normal collection date: Thursday, December 26

Actual collection date: Saturday, December 28

Blue and brown bins

Normal collection date: Wednesday, December 25

Actual collection date: Saturday, December 21

Normal collection date: Wednesday, January 1

Actual collection date: Saturday, January 4

Normal collection date: Thursday, December 26

Actual collection date: Monday, December 23

A BARNSLEY father has been found guilty of murdering his baby.

Michael Carl Beaumont, of Chapel Street, Hoyland, was found guilty by a jury on December 17 following a six-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court.

During the trial, the court heard how Beaumont had claimed that his son, Kadan, had been knocked over by the family dog in order to disguise the horrific injuries that he had inflicted upon the 11-month-old.

Emergency services were called to the family home in Hoyland at 10am on September 28, 2011, following reports that Kadan had been unwell after being knocked over by the dog the day before.

Kadan was taken to Barnsley Hospital and later transported to Sheffield Children’s Hospital where he died.

Also standing trial was Kadan’s mother, Helen Barnes, 28, of Chapel Street, Hoyland. She was found guilty of neglect.

Evidence was shown in court that Barnes received a picture of Kadan’s injuries from Beaumont. The jury concluded that she wilfully neglected Kadan in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health.

The pair are due to be sentenced on December 18 at Sheffield Crown Court.

DCI Sean Middleton, who led the investigation, said: "This is a shocking case of violence from a parent, which sadly resulted in the death of an innocent young child.

"By blaming the family dog, Beaumont attempted to cover his horrific actions, but the evidence surrounding the cause of Kadan’s death, provided by expert pathologists, was overwhelming.

"Beaumont claimed that Kadan had been knocked over by the dog the day before, however, experts concluded that Kadan had died from head injuries that were likely to have been sustained only an hour before emergency services were called.

"This has been a particularly distressing case for all concerned and hopefully the end of this trial will bring some closure to the rest of Kadan’s family.

"I would like to thank the community of Hoyland for their help and support during this investigation."

THE Poppy Appeal in Penistone raised in excess of £12,200 - beating last year's collection by more than £800.

Donations made by the people of Penistone and surrounding areas raised a total of £12,268.

Last year's appeal made £11,430.50.

Organiser Maggie Carter said: "I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this year's collection - what a tremendous effort."

Volunteers sold poppies in Tesco and also stood on High Street in all weathers to help achieve the total.

NHS staff knitted and sold poppies, the women's section of the Royal British Legion prepared and distributed tins and boxes, and other volunteers carried out door-to-door collections.

Mayor of Penistone Jonathan Cutts launched the appeal at the end of October.

MP DAN Jarvis has slammed the government for slashing Barnsley College's budget by £500,000.

Jarvis, MP for Barnsley Central, has attacked the government for its surprise announcement of cuts to further education funding, which will have a direct impact on Barnsley College.

Last week the Department for Education announced a 17.5 per cent cut to the funding for 18-year-olds in full-time education.

Jarvis said: "The government is unleashing cuts which will directly affect the education of 150,000 18-year-olds.

"In Barnsley this means a staggering £500,000 cut in the budget for Barnsley College.

"Despite the UK suffering from a skills shortage in the global marketplace, David Cameron’s government are targeting the cuts at those studying for vocational qualifications.

"This is unbelievably short-sighted and will damage the prospects of a generation.

"This announcement has come totally out of the blue. There has been no consultation and no chance to discuss the potential impact on students."

MEMORIAL wreaths hung on the railings of a cemetery have been set alight by vandals, causing upset and outrage among residents.

The railings around the cemetery in Wombwell, on Summer Lane and Cemetery Road, are adorned with plaques paid for by family members.

At Christmas time mourners often place seasonal wreaths below or above the plaques as an additional tribute to loved ones.

However, heartless vandals set fire to a large number of the wreaths on Monday or Tuesday night of last week.

Police have been informed and a patrol of officers was put on around the cemetery Tuesday evening but yet more were set alight after officers left.

A number of residents have approached the Friends of Wombwell Cemetery society to express their anger and concern.

Chairman of the group Mike Bretton said: "We've been doing this for several years now and this has really come out of the blue for us.

"It must be people who have nothing better to do who are just stupid.

"The police had a slow patrol around on Tuesday but obviously they can't be a 24-hour guard for them."

The wreaths are mostly made of plastic and can be easily set alight. Further damage has been done as the melted plastic of the wreaths has dried and stuck to the railings and the pavement.

"They must burn quite well I suppose but it just looks a real mess at the moment," added Mike.

"We will be putting more up though because we won't have broken window syndrome take hold.

"We have people come to us upset about it and they can't quite believe it.

"We won't give up, though. Hopefully whoever is responsible is caught or they get bored of doing it."

Anybody who witnessed the vandalism should call the police on 101.

POPPY the puppy, who was born almost blind a year ago, can now see!

Nikki Wroe's family pet, who was born with severe cataracts, has gone from being a quiet and timid pooch into 'a bit of a tomboy' who loves chasing and chewing her toys.

The transformation is down to her having eye surgery costing £4,000, most of which was paid for by well wishers.

Poppy's family organised a sponsored dog walk and other fundraising events to help pay for the surgery and Nikki says they were overwhelmed by the kindness of people who donated money after reading about Poppy's plight.

Before the operation Poppy's mum Lola acted as her guide dog and if she ever get too far away Poppy used to sit down and cry for her help.

Now she is bounding around the family home in Falmouth Close, Monk Bretton and is, for the first time in her life, playing like a proper puppy should.

Since the surgery Nikki has set her alarm for every two hours at night because of the number of different eye drops Poppy needs to be given as her eyesight continues to improve.

She says it's all worthwhile when she sees the improvement in Poppy's quality of life.

"To be honest she's always been loved, but before she was very reliant upon us and always pretty quiet," said Nikki.

"Now it's like she's enjoying being a proper puppy for the first time. In fact she's a right little devil and we couldn't be happier."

A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD boy was airlifted to hospital after he was hit by a car on Racecommon Road.

The boy collided with a red Vauxhall Astra at around 1.40pm on Saturday afternoon.

The child, from Barnsley, suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital by air ambulance.

Witnesses should call 101, quoting incident number 624 of December 14.

A TEENAGE boy and a 21-year-old man have been sentenced for their parts in an attempted robbery in Barnsley.

Thomas Cash, of Daneshill Caravan Site in Retford, Nottinghamshire, was sentenced to five years in prison at Sheffield Crown Court on December 15.

A 16-year-old boy, also from Retford, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to assisting an offender and was given a 12-month referral order.

The South Yorkshire Police investigation began after a man saw a red VW Golf advertised for sale online. He spoke to the seller, 'Terry', on the phone and arranged to meet him in Darfield, Barnsley, on June 29.

He was driven there by his cousin, and while the pair were waiting to meet 'Terry' their car was rammed from behind by a maroon-coloured Vauxhall Omega.

Their car window was smashed and men wearing face coverings, armed with a machete and a handgun, demanded money.

The victim and his cousin got out of the vehicle and managed to escape, while the offenders got back in to the Vauxhall and drove off at speed.

The Vauxhall was later found in Carcroft, Doncaster. Thomas Cash and the 16-year-old boy were arrested and later charged.

Detective Sergeant Antony Coy said: "A dangerous offender has been put behind bars thanks to the South Yorkshire Police officers, who caught up with Thomas Cash and were able to secure enough evidence against him to lead to this conviction.

"This was an extremely violent robbery attempt, carried out in broad daylight when several members of the public witnessed it and would have been justifiably frightened by what they saw.

"This must also have been terrifying for the victim in this case, who had innocently attempted to buy a car after seeing an advert.

"What we have here is a total lack of respect for the law. This case sends out a strong message to would-be offenders that such criminality will not be tolerated by the police, or by the courts."

A NEW headteacher has been brought in to run a failing school after its former head stepped down.

Judith Hirst has been appointed as interim executive headteacher at The Edmunds Primary.

It follows the departure of former head Sharon Mapplebeck, who stepped down earlier this month after 11 years.

She left just days after the school received a damning report by Oftsed which saw it nosedive from 'good' in 2011 to 'inadequate' and requiring special measures.

Inspectors were critical of the achievement of pupils and the quality of teaching as well as the school's leadership and management.

They also said the behaviour and safety of pupils 'requires improvement'.

Barnsley Council's education spokesman, Tim Cheetham, has welcomed the appointment of a new head.

He said: "Judith is a local leader of education and also the substantive headteacher at Sandhill Primary School.

"We look forward to working in partnership with Judith and staff at The Edmunds to bring about rapid improvement to remove the school from its Ofsted category of special measures as soon as possible."

The report, published on November 29, said pupils' achievement is inadequate because too many are not making the progress they are capable of.

Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is also 'too low' in key stage one and two. Teaching was branded 'inadequate' with the report saying teachers do not have high enough expectation of what pupils can achieve.

It also blasted governors for not holding school leaders to account.