STUDENTS organised a sponsored walk for Barnsley Hospice, in memory of a friend's mum.

The students, from Barnsley Sixth Form College, planned the fundraiser as part of their A level course.

The walk, from the college to the hospice, was held in memory of Emily Goldthorpe's mum, who was once at the hospice.

"I'm really proud of the compassion, commitment and teamwork the group showed to a fellow student," said Maria Sutton, a progress coach at the college.

In total, £182.30 was raised and donated to the hospice in person.

Student Robyn Ball said: "We did this for Emily. We're very proud and happy that we have been able to raise money for the hospice.

Emily added: "I was stunned that they had gone to the trouble of organising this - I really appreciate all they have done."

THE police have arrested two men on suspicion of producing cannabis with intent - after two special constables noticed the drug's distinctive smell.

Paul Carpenter and Iona Edwards were patrolling the Clough estate in Barnsley when they noticed the smell.

Coming from the block of flats, the pair knocked on every door until they tracked down where the smell was coming from.

After finding 700g of cannabis in a flat, two men were arrested, aged 32 and 52.

Sergeant Darren Taylor, from South Yorkshire Police’s anti-social behaviour team, said: "Not only did they initiate the arrests but they also led the interviews and seized the drugs."

A MAN who has done only eight hours of unpaid work since mid-January has been branded 'pathetic' by a judge.

Argas Hauberts, 21, had not been seen by his supervisor since early March, Charles McDermid, prosecuting for the Probation Service, told Barnsley Magistrates' Court.

He said Hauberts, of Princess Street, Barnsley, was given 180 hours of unpaid work for driving while banned and giving someone else's name to a police officer. Hauberts had been disqualified in June 2012.

Hauberts, who was not represented by a solicitor, said he had spent a month in Latvia following the death of his grandfather.

He said: "I should have told the Probation Service. I did not and I am really sorry. I realise how seriously driving while disqualified is considered by the court."

District Judge John Foster gave Hauberts until September 4 to get most of the unpaid work done and adjourned sentencing.

He said: "It's pathetic you have completed only about eight hours of unpaid work since January.

"I expect the work to be nearly completed when I see you again. I want you to understand the consequences if the circumstances are similar to today."

Hauberts admitted failing to comply with the terms of a community order.

CONCERNED residents fear Penistone's infrastructure will not be able to support the influx of people if plans for 165 new homes are approved.

Penistone's lack of school places, inadequate medical facilities and busy roads were cited as the main objections to the proposals off Hartcliff Road.

Loss of green space around the town was a worry, following a public consultation held by property company Persimmon Homes.

The proposed site has been marked to be considered for development under Barnsley Council's Local Development Framework, which will shape future planning policy in the borough, but it's not guaranteed to be built on.

John Malinowski, 50, has helped establish a group of about 40 worried residents, who will discuss proposals when a planning application, which is expected to be submitted next month, goes in.

"In the main, people are trying to be reasonable about what's happening to Penistone," he said. "We're not against development, but it needs to be sustainable.

"I haven't read anywhere where Barnsley Council has said it will improve the town's infrastructure."

Fellow resident Merna Hodgkiss said: "You might call me a NIMBY but how can Penistone cope with such an influx of residents?

"The bus companies have cut services, the doctors are full, so are the dentists, and the schools have not the vacancies to cope with such an increase."

Following last week's public consultation, Wayne Gradwell, managing director of Persimmon Homes, said: “The site off Hartcliff Road has been identified as an appropriate location for future development, and as a responsible builder we wanted to be certain that any application we propose has been thoroughly considered by the local community it will serve."

THE new Experience Barnsley museum has school visits booked for the next 12 months, council leader Sir Steve Houghton has said.

He said the museum was a celebration of everything that was great about Barnsley, and that people were booked into to look at the archives for the foreseeable future.

"The fact that we've got bookings from schools for the next 12 months shows the level of interest in this project.

"There are lots of interesting things for everyone - we've had so many things donated we can't display them all."

Radio DJ Simon Hirst, author Milly Johnson, Egyptologist Dr Joann Fletcher and Dickie Bird were a few who joined Cllr Houghton at Thursday's official opening.

Cllr Joe Hayward is largely credited with the original idea of Experience Barnsley and said it was awesome to see his idea come to fruition.

"There's been a lot of people involved and sometimes it's been very hard," he said. "We've had setbacks and disappointment but at the end of the day this is it and I think Barnsley will enjoy every minute of it. It's awesome and I'm so proud."

Barnsley-born Dr Fletcher hailed the museum as 'phenomenal'.

"I just think the whole thing is absolutely amazing and I'm bursting with pride.

"I was asked to write an article for an Egyptian newspaper about women's rights in Ancient Egypt and I mentioned that Barnsley was opening a new museum and they printed it. So even Cairo knows about Experience Barnsley."

Simon Hirsty, who led the countdown to the opening, said: "Being able to see more and learn more about the place where I'm from is fantastic. It's going to bring back lots of memories for people."

TRIBUTES have poured in following the funeral of a 12-year-old boy.

Declan Hodgson, of Bellscroft, Wombwell, was born with congenital heart disease and died on June 13 following an operation at the children's heart unit in Leeds.

His funeral, at Ardsley crematorium, took place last Wednesday.

He had undergone surgery aged six months and also three years ago, the latter of which caused unseen complications resulting in his death, according to a statement issued by his family.

Declan had raised money for the heart unit with a number of 'wear it red' days at High View Primary, where he studied before moving up to Netherwood school. His family raised £500 in a charity bike ride last year.

Netherwood principal Toby Eastaugh said Declan was a popular and cheerful pupil who did well in his studies, made a positive contribution to the school, playing sports and keeping a high attendance record - despite his condition.

He said: "Declan made a positive start to secondary school life and readily embraced the opportunities that Netherwood offered.

"His departure has had a significant impact on fellow students, who are now considering ways in which he might be remembered in the longer term at Netherwood. Our thoughts are with his family at this time."

Many tributes were made by fellow pupils on social media site Facebook commenting on Declan's humour and popularity.

A FASHION show will take place tonight to raise money for a charity set up in memory of a little girl.

Ticket sales from the event will be donated to the Pippa Jones Little Treasure Trust.

Pippa was two when she was diagnosed with a brain tumour. She underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy but died on March 15, 2010 - a few days before her fourth birthday.

The trust was set up by her parents Louise and Andrew, of Haverdale Rise, Gawber, and supports children with cancer and their families.

Also at the event will be live music by Jay Mya, a raffle and refreshments.

The sale will be held today from 7.30pm to 9.30pm at the Alhambra Shopping Centre.

Tickets are available from Louise or from the 'Time For You' stall across from Next in the Alhambra, or you can contact Louise on 07766664508. 

BARNSLEY Council's partners involved in the £90million redevelopment of the town centre have asked for more time to find funding for the project.

They're involved in negotiations with international funding institutions, ranging from pension funds to banks, to get the investment needed for the long-awaited Barnsley markets project to finally go ahead.

Tony Baker, director of the 1249 Regeneration Partnership in charge of the scheme, said: "There's no question in my mind that Barnsley town centre will be redeveloped.

"However I cannot here and now tell you the timescale involved. The economy is starting to come out of recession and interest in the scheme is higher than ever."

It's understood the partnership could spend up to the end of the year trying to put together a deal which would see the bulldozers finally move in to start the transformation of the town centre.

If that financial backing cannot be found however it's highly likely the first phase of the scheme - the creation of a new market hall - will go ahead anyway.

That will be built off May Day Green on the site of the former County and then Barnsley Council offices. Council leader Sir Steve Houghton says he remains optimistic the funding will be found.

"I'm not saying we will get 100 per cent of the funding and investment we're looking for, and obviously whatever investment packages we're offered will have to be carefully considered.

"But I'm convinced the scheme will go ahead because of the quality of the development, because of the number of businesses already signed up to take units and because all the facts show this redevelopment will attract a lot of customers.

"It's a scheme that will work, that will be sustainable and that will transform the number of visitors to the town."

Cllr Houghton says currently 60 per cent of the disposable income of Barnsley people is spent outside of the borough.

The revised Marketplace Barnsley will create a new market hall, a new central retail core for the town anchored by a Debenhams department store, an Odeon seven-screen cinema, 35 retail and leisure units as well as car parking for shoppers.

IT may not have been a typical wedding song, but Gary and Tracy Richardson's choice certainly got their guests dancing in the aisles and it's become an internet sensation with over 450,000 hits.

Gary, 48, from Hoyland, tied the knot in unforgettable style with his bride Tracy, 37, in Blyth, Nottinghamshire. It has had more than 450,000 hits on YouTube. You can view it here.

Vicar Rev Kate Bottley declared the couple man and wife then stunned the traditional church congregation by breaking into a disco dance routine to 'Everybody Dance Now' by C+C Music Factory, before the 100-strong congregation joined in and strutted their stuff to 'Celebration' by Kool & The Gang.

Guests not in the know looked flabbergasted as those in on the stunt - 28 family and friends - started their routine.

"I really wanted a traditional wedding," Tracy said. "That was really important for us, to get married in a church, but we wanted to create something that our guests would remember.

"We wanted to show that church can be a joyous occasion. It can be uplifting."

THE council has said that the long-running roadworks on the A61 will be completed by the end of the summer school holidays.

Land ownership, Japanese knotweed, problematic underground pipes, cables and even bats have wreaked havoc for workers on the Wakefield Road/Burton Road quality bus corridor scheme.

Cllr Roy Miller said: "Because of the setbacks, it may have appeared that not much was happening on site, but I assure you that it was progressing. Everyone was working hard off the site, getting to the bottom of the issues.

"We were effectively held hostage and were required to carry out everything so that we could continue with our original aim.

"In a fortnight's time, the traffic will be moved to the opposite lane and tarmac will be laid. The works will be done by the end of the school holidays." 

We Are Barnsley were invited down to see the developments on the site on Wednesday morning. Are you happy it's nearing its end?

Here's our video, including an interview with Cllr Roy Miller.

PLANS have been announced to lure Chinese visitors to the town.

Creating a multicultural centre and student accommodation could be the first steps in attracting huge numbers of Chinese visitors to Barnsley, the president of the Chamber of Commerce has said.

Owen Gleadall said plans to turn the former TEC building and Gateway Plaza 2 into student accommodation and Wellington House into a cultural centre would be beneficial to the town economically and financially.

One of the first Chinese tourists to visit Barnsley, Mary Lui, is looking to bring potential investors from China to Barnsley to help get the developments underway.

She enjoyed a three-week holiday in Barnsley in May where she viewed the properties before taking information back to China. She will return to Barnsley next month.

Owen said: "I said to her we've got this huge town centre development plan on the drawing board but it's not been funded and whether it's something that investors might be interested in.

"When she got back to China she spoke to them about how they can be involved."

Owen said there are links with Barnsley College and Chinese students coming to Barnsley, but he was concerned there would be nowhere for them to live.

He said the aim was to get more links with China and the investors would be making a financial stake in the town.

"I think it would be fantastic. It seems to me that a lot of the economic development has slowed because of a lack of money.

"Do we have any real objection to it being Chinese money when we have got links to China anyway?"

Mary attended a meeting with Owen and other interested parties before she left and also met with Barnsley MP Dan Jarvis, who voiced his support.

THE leader of Barnsley Council says he hopes more Barnsley folk will be nominated for awards after his knighthood.

Sir Steve Houghton, leader of Barnsley Council since 1996, said he was privileged and proud to be awarded a knighthood for parliamentary and political services in the Queen's birthday honours list.

"For me it's as much recognition of all we're doing in Barnsley as it is anything I have achieved and it's fantastic for the town," said Cllr Houghton.

"The fact is there are a lot of people in Barnsley doing wonderful things and they don't get the recognition they deserve - usually because other people simply do not know.

"It would be nice if the publicity about my knighthood could also act as an impetus to encourage more people to nominate others.

"The town already has the Proud of Barnsley awards which are hopefully going to expand.

"I would like to see more people nominate their neighbours, colleagues, family and friends for national awards because I genuinely believe there are some very very special people in this borough."

POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a collision left a 44-year-old man with life-threatening injuries.

The collision occurred at approximately 5.30pm on July 2 on the A635 Doncaster Road, Barnsley, at the junction of the A6133, Cemetery Road and Junction Street.

It was reported that a brown Citroen Xsara Picasso was travelling along Doncaster Road towards Barnsley. On approaching the junction with Cemetery Road, it is believed that the controlled traffic lights were displaying green. As the driver approached the stop line, a pedestrian standing on the nearside of the road is believed to have stepped out into the path of the vehicle.

The pedestrian, a local man, was taken to Barnsley Hospital with multiple injuries. His condition is described as life-threatening.

Police are appealing to anyone who witnessed the collision to call South Yorkshire Police on 101 quoting incident number 872 of the 2 July 2013.

A VOLUNTEER at a charity shop decided to shave her head for a children's hospice - after a friend of her son died there.

Lorraine Dobson, 45, of Darfield, had her locks cut by by Tracey Barton at the Bluebell Wood charity shop, Wombwell, last Friday.

Lorraine's son Sam, 13, attends Greenacre special needs school in Kingstone after a bout of meningitis when he was 10 weeks old left him with epilepsy and autism.

Five of his friends at the school have died and Lorraine, who has been a volunteer at the shop since August, said the latest death greatly upset him.

"In March, he came home from school and said one of his friends had died and she had treatment at Bluebell Wood," Lorraine said.

"It was Comic Relief night and Jessie J was having her head shaved so I though I could do it too. My son feels better knowing I've raised some money for the place his friends have visited."

Friday's event has raised about £370 for the hospice and Lorraine said she may even keep the hairstyle.

She said: "It feels very cold but very liberating at the same time. I was a bit scared before but I didn't expect it to feel quite as good as it does."

NOT many volunteers manage to pull in £24,000 for their chosen cause, but Roy Marsden has done just that.

Roy, 74, of Ardsley, is a member of the Ardsley Welfare Bowling Club and has spent many hours completing funding applications to help build the club's future.

In all, he has put in 11 successful applications over the last four years - netting about £24,000.

The money is being used in various ways such as buying trees and gardening equipment like strimmers and a lawnmower, and towards creating a pavilion.

Funding has come from bodies such as the Coalfields Regeneration Trust.

Local councillor and market trader Wayne Johnson went to the club to see the improvements and was bowled over.

"Roy has spent hours bringing the club up to an impeccable standard," Wayne said. "The funding he has secured, along with other members of the Friends of Ardsley Park, have helped make the club a wonderful resource for the people of Ardsley."

A NUMBER of roads in Barnsley town centre will be closed temporarily on Thursday July 18 to allow 120 troops from the Yorkshire Regiment to hold a Freedom Parade.

Motorists should also note that some town centre car parking locations will be unavailable.

The 3rd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment (Duke of Wellington’s) will be accompanied by a military band of 30 musicians and a nine-strong colour party.

The parade is scheduled to form up at 10.45am at Churchfield car park and roads along the parade route will close on a rolling basis between 9.30am and 1pm.

Temporary road closures will take place at Sackville Street, Churchfield, Westgate, St Mary's Place, Sadler Gate, St Mary's Gate, Church Lane, Church Street, Eastgate, Royal Street, Hanson Street, Regent Street, County Way, Midland Street, Eldon Street, Kendray Street, Queen Street, May Day Green, Cheapside, New Street, Wellington Street, Wortley Street, Lower Castlereagh Street, Blucher Street, Pitt Street, Peel Square, Peel Street, Peel Parade, Market Hill and Shambles Street.

On-street parking bays along the parade route, together with those on Regent Street, Eldon Street and Market Hill, will be unavailable from 9.30am and will reopen by 2pm.

Motorists should also note that Churchfield off-street car park will be closed to the public between Wednesday evening, 17th, and 2pm on Thursday 18 July.

ABOUT 200 bikers raised more than £3,500 for a girl with a terminal brain tumour.

They rode from Sherburn-in-Elmet to Wombwell to raise money for Darcy's Days, a charity for five-year-old Darcy Burke, of Beech Court, Darfield, to have new experiences this summer.

Darcy herself was harnessed to the front of a motorbike for a short ride up Hough Lane to Wombwell Main Cricket Club where there were bands and a bouncy castle.

One of the bikers, Dan Hockey, said the conditions weren't ideal but it was all for a good cause. He said: "Hundreds of bikes turned out on the morning which was amazing, as the conditions weren't great for motorcycling, with fast winds and rain.

"But they adopted our motto for the day of 'we ain't made of sugar are we?' and braved the rain and winds."

Darcy was diagnosed with pontine glioma - a rare brain stem tumour - in April after experiencing headaches for several months.

In May she began radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments to extend her life expectancy from nine to 15 months.

In the meantime, parents Joanne Willis, of Beech Court, Darfield and Dave Burke, of Aldham House Lane, Wombwell have dedicated themselves to raising as much money as possible to give Darcy a wonderful summer.

A WORLD champion in martial arts is helping Barnsley people feel healthier and stronger - as well as training them to succeed in top competitions.

Mick Crossland owns the non-profit making organisation The Combat Academy in Wombwell, and has helped the borough's young fighters. His efforts have been noticed and he's been nominated in the Proud of Barnsley awards.

Sheryll Hamshaw, who nominated Mick in the Sporting Achievement category, said: "Mick is an outstanding member of our community. As a family we have known him for a few years now and our relationship began when he started training our son Zak in kickboxing.

"As well as now training myself and my husband, Mick has become a family friend and we have also become friends with his family."

Zak, 13, now regards The Combat Academy as a second home and Mick as an "inspirational and motivational figure" in his life. Zak's parents say his confidence has grown in leaps and bounds and he has now qualified to fight in the ICO World Kickboxing Championships in October.

A TEENAGER who suffers from a rare condition has been given a new lease of life after being bullied for years. 

Zara, from Thurnscoe, is only 16 but suffers from a rare genetic condition which has left her skin loose and wrinkly, making her look much older.

She inherited the condition, called cutis laxa, from her mum Tracey Gibson, who, at 43, already looks like a pensioner.

Zara showed the first signs of the condition as a youngster, developing excess skin around her jawline, and by the age of 12 was regularly being mistaken for a fully-grown woman or even her 17-year-old sister Chloe's mother.

The teenager flew to America for plastic surgery to improve her confidence after being teased about her looks for years.

A surgeon offered to give her a facelift and nose augmentation for free after hearing about her condition, and the results were shown in a Channel 5 television programme aired on Thursday night.

Zara said: "The bullying was at its worst between the ages of eight and ten. Kids used to call me 'monkey' and 'granny'. I was even beaten up just because of how I looked. It got so bad I even stopped going to school for a while.

"I lived in fear of being asked how old I was. I was even mistaken for a teacher in school on a couple of occasions, which was just mortifying."

After hearing about her case, expert Dr Abhimanyu Garg asked to carry out tests on Tracey and Zara.

He found they were suffering from acute cutis laxa, a rare disease which affects only 30 people in Britain and can cause heart and lung problems.

Zara said the treatment has worked and she has now started a relationship with new boyfriend Ricky Andrews, 22.

She said of the surgery: "When I saw myself in the mirror when all the bandages came off, it was a mixture of surprise and happiness. I used to hate my nose, but now I love it. I feel much more confident and happier in general.

"Before I had the surgery, I was picked on for looking different, now I look the same as other girls my age."

Zara is now keen to go to college and would one day like to open her own beauty salon.

A DISABLED single mother with a rare heart condition says she feels lost after her blue parking badge was revoked by Barnsley Council.

Jill Bland, 40, of North Street, Darfield, suffers from rare genetic disorder postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), meaning she has an abnormally high heart rate when standing up, walking and eating certain foods and loses consciousness.

This is because her blood is not effectively pumped around her body - stopping the flow of blood to the brain.

Despite suffering from the condition all her life, little is known about it and she was only diagnosed three years ago, after which she was recommended a disabled blue parking badge by her GP.

But responsibility for assessing eligibility for blue badges has since passed to the council and Jill said she was 'not considered disabled enough' by council assessors.

She said: "I couldn't believe what I was hearing - how disabled do you have to be? This is not a condition you can measure without heart and blood monitoring equipment and these people are not medically qualified to make that decision.

"I look normal because I do my best to live as active a life as I can and really push myself to avoid using a wheelchair because, where muscles are concerned, if you don't use it you lose it.

"I get I can touch my toes and reach above my head but my disablity means I can't walk for much more than five or ten minutes before I'm down.

"That's a problem when I have regular check-ups at Hallamshire Hospital and have to pick my kids up from school."

A council spokesman said: "Jill is the only known POTs sufferer in Barnsley and one of only 3,000 in the UK but believes her own experience in battling to get diagnosed suggests there are many more."

TRIBUTES have poured in following the funeral of a 12-year-old boy.

Declan Hodgson, of Bellscroft, Wombwell, was born with congenital heart disease and died on June 13 following an operation at the children's heart unit in Leeds.

His funeral, at Ardsley crematorium, took place last Wednesday.

He had undergone surgery aged six months and also three years ago, the latter of which caused unseen complications resulting in his death, according to a statement issued by his family.

Declan had raised money for the heart unit with a number of 'wear it red' days at High View Primary, where he studied before moving up to Netherwood school. His family raised £500 in a charity bike ride last year.

Netherwood principal Toby Eastaugh said Declan was a popular and cheerful pupil who did well in his studies, made a positive contribution to the school, playing sports and keeping a high attendance record - despite his condition.

He said: "Declan made a positive start to secondary school life and readily embraced the opportunities that Netherwood offered.

"His departure has had a significant impact on fellow students, who are now considering ways in which he might be remembered in the longer term at Netherwood. Our thoughts are with his family at this time."

Many tributes were made by fellow pupils on social media site Facebook commenting on Declan's humour and popularity.

MORE than 800 pupils are set to take part in the summer finals of the 2013 South Yorkshire School Games.

The high-profile school sports event will take place at Horizon Community College and Shaw Lane Sports Club on July 3.

Schools from across Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield will be competing in a number of different sports including cricket, golf, tag rugby and tennis.

Youngsters will be competing for hundreds of medals and the event will be supported by staff and volunteers from across South Yorkshire.

Nick Bowen, chair of South Yorkshire School Games and Principal at Horizon Community College, said: "The games are a fantastic way for pupils across South Yorkshire to take part in competitive sport, showcase their talents, but also learn important values like teamwork.

"We’re extremely proud to be hosting the event in Barnsley for the first time and it should be a great day for all schools involved."

REALITY TV star Joey Essex will open a new youth club being launched at a town centre bar next month.

The Only Way Is Essex favourite will appear at Che Bar, Peel Street, on July 16.

Joey has been lined up for the opening night of the bar's new monthly youth night #YOLO, aimed at children aged 13-17. The name was suggested by a youngster and means 'you only live once'.

Kirsty Taylor, who is sales manager at the bar, said the idea behind #YOLO is to provide kids with somewhere safe to meet and socialise.

"We've been in touch with local schools and youth clubs and they're all involved," she said.

"The idea is to provide somewhere for the kids to socialise safely and responsibly and the police are onside with it because there aren't many places for kids to go to anymore."

BARNSLEY East MP Michael Dugher has called for the introduction of a lower 10p starting tax rate to tackle the deepening cost of living crisis.

Figures released by the ONS show the rate of consumer price index inflation has risen this month, from 2.4 per cent in April to 2.7 per cent in May.

Mr Dugher said: "The rising cost of living is a real worry for the people of Barnsley.

"Prices are rising much faster than wages and people's budgets are being stretched.

"The government should act now and introduce a lower 10p starting rate to help relieve some of the pressure placed on families facing soaring energy bills and rising prices."

A GRIMETHORPE primary school which has rapidly improved children's reading, writing and maths skills has been rated 'good' by Ofsted.

The education watchdog visited the Ladywood Primary School last month and said major strides have been made since 2011 - when the key areas were well below average.

"Throughout the school, pupils are making good progress and this year an increasing proportion are making more than expected progress," the report stated.

Ofsted also found the quality of teaching has improved and pupils are benefiting from more outstanding teaching.

Pupils' behaviour and safety is outstanding and leadership and management of the school is also good, inspectors added.

'Good' is Ofsted's second best rating in terms of school inspections.

Chairman of governors, Chris Sykes, congratulated everyone involved at the school.

He said: "The headteacher, Miss Grainger and the senior leadership team have successfully developed the school to be welcoming, friendly and a secure environment in which our children can thrive socially, emotionally and academically.

Grimethorpe should be proud of Ladywood."

A BARNSLEY construction company which created the timber frame for the cycling track at the London Olympics has expanded into bigger premises.

Constructional Timber designs, manufactures and installs engineered timber frames, beams and other fixtures for prestigious projects across the UK and abroad.

The 84,000 square feet facility, based at Carlton Industrial Estate, will mean an increase in production capacity and could take turnover from £3.5million to more than £5million.

Growth is being aided by experts from business support organisation Enterprising Barnsley.

Three news jobs have been created at the company in the last year taking the total workforce to 26.

"As well as being a much larger facility, unlike our previous site it's all under cover which means the weather will no longer be a problem for us," co-director Martin Daws said.

"It will give us the potential and scope for development that we've wanted for a while and we're extremely excited about the future of the business."

The company won the contract to supply the support structure for the London 2012 velodrome after completing similar projects in Manchester, Southampton, Newport and Taiwan. The frame comprised 356 identical timber trusses made to the blueprint created by Ron Webb, the velodrome's designer.

Constructional Timber was set up in 1979 in a small unit in Penistone and later moved to Carlton.

A MAN has been charged with nine arson offences after a series of fires were reported.

The 22-year-old struck in the Wath-upon-Dearne area in the early hours of June 28 and the police are appealing for witnesses.

The man, thought to be from the area, is charged with nine counts of arson with intent to endanger life and is remanded in custody.

The alleged offences were reported in the Winfield Road, Stump Cross Road and Saville Road areas and involved wheelie bin fires next to vehicles and houses. Nobody was injured but extensive damage was caused to property.

Anyone with information about the alleged arson offences should call South Yorkshire Police on 101 quoting incident number 61 of Friday 28 June, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

THERE are more empty and derelict houses in Barnsley than almost anywhere in the country - and now the council is getting £815,600 from the government to tackle the problem.

Communities minister Don Foster announced that towns across England will benefit from a cash injection to help bring back into use empty and derelict homes and commercial properties.

The money will be spent on 22 empty homes in the borough and the council has been awarded £335,000 plus an additional £480,687 after the town was identified as having an acute number of empty houses.

The funding will be spent on refurbishment where empty properties have led to problems such as squatting, rat infestation and falling house prices, driving remaining residents away.

Council leader Sir Steve Houghton said the money would be used on properties in the Dearne area which are owned privately.

"We're working with landlords to improve some of these houses to bring them back into use and will also put a management scheme in place to make sure that when we have spent the money, the houses are looked after."

BARNSLEY manager David Flitcroft has expressed his relief at securing some of last season's star performers on longer deals.

"I was worried at times that we wouldn't get them all signed up," the 39-year-old said. "I'm absolutely delighted that it's now happened."

Last week saw out-of-contract Tomasz Cywka, Bobby Hassell, Martin Cranie and Luke Steele sign their deals after the club brought in Dale Jennings, Chris O'Grady and Christian Dibble.

Now in Spain on pre-season training, Flitcroft's happy with the club's recruitment drive and has said they have gone away with no pressure to sign anyone.

"We've got the footballs out and the quality on show is fantastic," he added.

A MONTH-LONG campaign of action on cars left for sale on council-owned land has just ended - and some 60 notices have been issued.

The campaign, which was carried out by the council throughout June, follows reports from residents across the borough and local ward councillors.

There's been a history of complaints regarding cars parked up for sale and left unattended, as the sites they choose to occupy are often far from ideal.

Cars often block the line of site for other road users and some are left on footpaths, preventing safe pedestrian access.

There's also the unwanted effect of drivers slowing down to look at the details of these cars - a potential hazard for road users and pedestrians.

"We will continue to monitor this issue and take action where required," said Cllr Roy Miller. "Owners selling cars in this way should expect prompt action by the council’s enforcement team."

A MAN saddled with gambling debts failed in his suicide attempt but caused £30,000 of damage to a house, Barnsley Magistrates' Court was told.

Andrew Hart, 42, decided to hang himself and took a rope into a bedroom of a half-built home at Bank Street, Worsbrough Common.

He drank seven cans of Stella, took some pills and had a small amount of cocaine to give himself courage, said Gerard Casey, defending.

But Hart was in such a state that he could not put his head in the noose.

Hart, a window fitter, decided to collect bits of a plastic pipe, set them on fire and inhale the fumes, the court heard.

"The house set ablaze as well," said Mr Casey. "It seems the heat was too intense for someone who was willing to die - Mr Hart jumped out the window of the house and broke his ankle.

"Mr Hart had debt caused by gambling problems. He is attending Gamblers' Anonymous and is getting medical help.

"He is well known to Glenn Freeman, a builder who owned the house, and had done work for him in the past."

Mr Casey added that it will be unlikely that Hart will be jailed as he did not commit a 'blatant and crude' offence.

Jessica Southcote-Want, prosecuting, said a witness spoke to Hart before his suicide attempt. The witness said Hart looked 'weary and sad'.

Hart turned up later on the witness's doorstep with his hands covered in blood and collapsed.

Miss Southcote-Want added: "Mr Hart had got into debt and tried to commit suicide."

Hart, of Hall Farm Drive, Thurnscoe, admitted arson. He will be sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on July 18 and was granted unconditional bail.

A MAN attacked his pregnant girlfriend when she was celebrating her 20th birthday, Barnsley Magistrates' Court was told.

Nicholas Kemp, 21, of St Michael's Avenue pushed Jordan Conway in the stomach, bit her on the lip and headbutted her, said Jayne Ormrod, prosecuting.

She said Miss Conway, who was 11 weeks into her pregnancy, was kept in hospital overnight but suffered no lasting injury. Mrs Ormrod said the pregnancy was going normally.

"Miss Conway describes Mr Kemp has a binge drinker and had tried to control her," Mrs Ormrod said. "Mr Kemp had six cans of lager on the night of the assault but did not think he was drunk.

"He was later shown a picture of Miss Conway's injuries and asked how they were caused."

It was told that Kemp went with Miss Conway to hospital and was adamant the police should be involved. He waited at the hospital to be arrested.

Kemp, who admitted assault, was given a 16-week jail sentence, suspended for a year. He was banned from contacting Miss Conway for two years and ordered to pay her £100 in compensation.

He was ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work, to pay costs of £85 and an £80 victim surcharge.

BARNSLEY have completed the signing of goalkeeper Christian Dibble.

The 19-year-old, formerly of Bury, has put pen to paper on an initial one-year contract with the option of a further year.

"I'm obviously very pleased," the teenager said. "I'm here to get better, develop and get fitter. I'm going to get stronger and it can only help that I’m training with better players and coaches who will get the best out of me."

Set to be Barnsley's third choice goalkeeper behind Luke Steele and Ben Alnwick, Dibble, the son of Andy, a former Manchester City and Wales 'keeper, is a direct replacement for Lukas Lidakevicius, who left the Reds after turning down a new contract.

"He's got good pedigree as well as good size," said David Flitcroft. "There's a lot of work to do but we think we can make him better, fitter, leaner and more athletic."

SHE may well be little but a nine-year-old's big voice wowed at a talent competition.

Lizzie-Beth Woodland made it through to the final of a Barnsley talent competition and was the youngest person performing at the Lamproom.

She was picked as a wildcard for the Lamproom's Got Talent show and wowed the audience singing Paramore's The Only Exception.

The youngster said she was excited about her performance and is used to performing in front of people.

She goes for singing lessons and her singing teacher puts on shows at Goldthorpe Working Men's Club for singers to perform.

Lizzie-Beth, a pupil at Royston St John's, also performs songs by Ellie Goulding, Ed Sheeran and Adele.

"People come up to me and say you've got a fantastic voice for your age," she said.

But Lizzie-Beth's musical talents do not stop there as she is also learning to play the bass guitar. Her older sister Katie, 16, plays the drums, although she says there are no plans on starting a band.

WORSBROUGH's much-loved after school activities for children have been revived, following their closure due to council cutbacks.

The out of hours sessions in Worsbrough Library ended in April and two staff were made redundant after the council axed the service to encourage "a more diverse range of community groups" to the library.

The after school sessions were attended by more than 20 children, aged eight to 16.

Now, after much red tape and meetings, Worsbrough councillors have taken over and paid £9,000 from their ward budget of £20,000 to restart them. The two staff will also stay, having become self-employed. One, Alison Andrews, had worked at Worsbrough Library for 11 years.

She said: "I like working with the children and in the library and the out of hours activities are a good service for the library to have.

"It's important for the kids to have somewhere to go with people they know. They couldn't wait to come back."

Children regularly attend the Worsbrough sessions from schools as far afield as Ardsley and Penistone. Activities include homework, computer skills, crafts and reading and writing.

The service runs from 3.30pm to 5.30pm on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and on Saturday mornings.

Children will now pay 50p to attend a session which will help towards costs. The charge includes a drink and a biscuit.

A COUNCILLOR has said his constituents have waited long enough for the work on the regeneration of Goldthorpe to begin.

Cllr Ralph Sixsmith's previous post was as chairman of Renaissance Market Towns, who were the first to discuss potential changes with residents.

After more consulting and hold-ups, the project is finally starting to gather pace.

The masterplan was drawn up with the help of Renaissance Market Towns back in 2005 but the consultation period has lasted until just recently. 

Now all of the 107 properties in the targeted area, including those on Main Street, have been acquired by compulsory purchase order and all of the homes will have been knocked down by the end of next month.

All that needs to be tied up now are the bits of land included within the proposed site, which will contain a replacement Goldthorpe Primary School, and is a big part of the overall plan to regenerate the whole town centre.

Part of the problem has been finding out who some of the land actually belonged to but talks are underway with Lord Halifax, who also owns land in Hickleton, and other private land owners to resolve that issue.

"All the houses will be demolished by the end of July," said Cllr Sixsmith. "Then it will be a case of 'watch this space' for what funding we can get as a match, who we can get involved and what we can get involved with," he said.

"We have been consulted to death for four or five years and had all sorts of different focus groups looking at the complete infrastructure, the housing, the clean and green, the safe routes to work and the general infrastructure of Goldthorpe as it stands now.

"The people of Goldthorpe shouldn't have had this for this many years. The government pulled the monies from Yorkshire Forward, who in turn funded Renaissance Market Town so that's where the money went."

The removal of the homes will also allow for more social housing.

"We have pulled quite a bit of money in and we're still looking for funding under housing renewal. We're working with Keepmoat to do a lot of the clean and green on house insulation and new boilers," Cllr Sixsmith added.