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Prison manager jailed over relationship with inmate
A HIGH-FLYING prison manager from Barnsley has been jailed after getting into a relationship with an inmate and intimidating fellow colleagues into silence.
Suspicions grew around the conduct of custodial manager Lauren Miller, of May Close, Thurnscoe, when she was seen in a prisoner's cell at HMP Doncaster and spent long periods of time in there with him.
Rumours escalated further when the pair were regularly seen in the lift together and when...
Remember to take your photo ID to vote
RESIDENTS in Barnsley are being urged to remember their ID when they go to vote next Thursday.
Voters will need to show photo ID at polling stations before they can receive their ballot paper.
Accepted forms of ID include a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport; a drivers’ licence, including provisional; some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or disabled person’s pass; and the new free Voter Authority Certificate....
Hard work pays off for young achiever Luke
A BARNSLEY building material specialist has been recognised for his commitment to the industry.
Luke Hoyle, who’s based out at Carlton Manufacturing, has been named as one of the top 100 young achievers across the sector.
National trade body the Builders’ Merchants’ Federation (BMF) and Builders’ Merchants News (BMN), joined forces to identify the top 100 across the multi-billion pound building materials sector, and shine a light on the brightest stars of the future.
L
Man jailed for engaging in sexual activity with underage Barnsley girl
A MAN who engaged in sexual activity with an underage Barnsley girl and threatened to kill her if she told anyone has been jailed.
Mohammed Qasim, 38, of Sable Crest, Bradford, appeared before Sheffield Crown Court last week for sentencing after admitting to engaging in sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl in the back of a van.
Qasim, who told his victim he would buy her things if she kept quiet, was jailed...
Business park sold to tenant in multi-million pound deal
A BUSINESS park in Penistone has been sold in a multi-million-pound deal.
Over the past two years, Fairfield Business Park has been fully developed from being unoccupied into a thriving hub by family-run, Barnsley-based property and land specialists, Fairbank Investments Ltd.
The park has been bought by international packaging business Neal Brothers, for a seven-figure sum.
Located in the heart of Penistone, the historic former David Brown plant shut at the end of 2020 when...
Katie says it with flower after shop dream comes true
A FLORIST is thanking the community who helped her make the ‘pipe dream’ shop come true by giving out free bouquets.
Katie Jo Brown - who runs Bloemist Family Florist on High Street, Bolton-upon-Dearne, with her mother Jean Hackett - has been placing bouquets around the community since she opened the store in July.
The small gesture has been her way of giving back to a community that allowed her and her mother to open...
Police appeal over jewellery stolen in burglary
POLICE have launched an investigation following a reported burglary in Hoyland last month.
It’s reported that at around 10.58pm, on Sunday March 17, a property on Wood Walk had been broken into.
It is alleged that an Audi Q5 had been stolen along with sentimental pieces of distinctive jewellery.
An investigation has since been launched and the vehicle has since been recovered and returned to its owners.
Two men aged 19 and 21 were arrested...
Jake overcomes his unlucky break to help club
A YOUNG rugby league player isn’t letting an unlucky break stop him raising funds for his club.
Twelve-year-old Jake Hallas, who plays for Dodworth Miners’ Welfare, originally planned to take on a half marathon in February to help the rugby league team pay for new equipment.
However, Jake broke his wrist so was unable to complete the challenge.
Dad Paul said: “He originally set the challenge for February 25 but he broke...
Young table tennis players had a weekend they'll never forget
YOUNG Barnsley table tennis players had a weekend they’ll never forget when world-renowned stars from the sport visited the town to help them hone their skills.
Over the course of the weekend, Barnsley Table Tennis Club welcomed Swedish head coach Christian Björklund and Mark Mitchell from premier club St Neots in Cambridge to lead coaching sessions at Hope House Church on Blucher Street.
Both players have had experience at the highest levels...
Steelers’ star helps family’s fundraising journey for Oliver
THE family of a Gawber youngster who died of terminal cancer last year have received a match-worn Sheffield Steelers’ jersey to continue their fundraising journey in his memory.
Oliver Howe, eight, was first diagnosed with cancer in September 2020 and, despite everything, always had a smile on his face.
After ringing the cancer treatment bell in 2021, the disease devastatingly returned later that year and he died on February 1, 2023.
His parents, David and...
Residents ‘went into a chaotic and frightening scene’
FOUR selfless residents who fought to save the life of a young dad have been thanked by his brother.
The four members of the public have been commended by South Yorkshire Police for their bravery and compassion after desperately trying to help the 28-year-old who had been stabbed in a Barnsley street.
On August 9 2023, Daniel Micska was stabbed to death by cowardly Daniel Balazs who plunged a 12cm knife into his...
Barnsley farms could fuel thousands of homes
WIND and solar farms in Barnsley could fuel thousands of homes, new research suggests.
Estimates from the National Grid suggest the UK must double the amount of renewable electricity it produces over the next six years to replace energy phased out from fossil fuels.
Climate and energy charity Friends of the Earth has called on all political parties to pledge to lift restrictions on onshore wind farms.
The campaign group said the...
Pupils play their part in village history board
LOCAL councillors met with pupils of Gawber Primary School to unveil a new history board the school had made.
Members of the school council, with help from deputy headteacher Rachel Knox, the Gawber History Group and designer David Exley, designed the board that includes information about the school’s past, present and future.
This is the latest in a series of history boards in Gawber produced by the history group with ward alliance support....
New app aims to help youngsters facing surgery
A NEW app will help enhance children’s experiences of having surgery at Barnsley Hospital.
The Little Journey smart phone app will give local children a tour of the waiting room to the operating room - to help ease youngsters’ fears and concerns before they head to the Gawber Road site.
Dr Andy Leeson, who was a key driver in creating the app, said: “Children coming in to hospital for a procedure is a big deal...
Liver disease figures at all-time high
THE number of people admitted to Barnsley Hospital for liver disease has almost doubled in the last year, new figures have revealed.
Office for Health Improvement and Disparities figures show there were 435 hospital admissions for liver disease in 2022/23, up from 330 the year before.
It was also an increase from 265 hospital admissions in 2012/13.
All figures are rounded to the nearest five.
Excessive alcohol consumption is one of the main drivers of...
Town marks workers’ memorial day
BARNSLEY Trades Union Council will be marking Workers’ Memorial Day on Friday - with the town’s MPs on hand to deliver speeches on the day.
There will be a short memorial rally on the town hall steps at 12noon.
The event will be opened by Mayor of Barnsley Coun Mick Stowe, with local MPs Stephanie Peacock and Dan Jarvis attending making short speeches along with local trade unionists.
The speeches will be followed by the...
New homeless figures revealed
MORE than 360 young people contacted Barnsley Council last year after becoming homeless, new figures have revealed.
Councils are obligated to assess anyone who seeks homelessness support.
This means issuing a prevention duty, stopping them from becoming homeless if they are deemed to be at risk, or a relief duty, where the authority must help an already homeless applicant secure accommodation for at least six months.
Research from the charity Centrepoint and WPI Economics shows...
Hannah to celebrate graduation headlining at Tramlines
A BARNSLEY musician will be celebrating her graduation in an unusual way - by headlining Tramlines.
Hannah Rowe, from Penistone, is currently in her final year studying music at Leeds Conservatoire, and is set to graduate in just a few months’ time.
But while most of her classmates will be at the pub enjoying a well-earned pint, Hannah will be travelling to Sheffield to perform at the massive Tramlines festival on Friday July 26.
“I...
Josh has sights set on being Barnsley’s first F1 driver
A CUDWORTH karting prodigy has said he won’t let having autism hold him back - and he’s determined to become the first Formula One driver from Barnsley.
Josh Whittaker, 13, has always been into his cars - but his first time behind the wheel was only began two years ago.
But that hasn’t stopped him rising to the top, and he’s currently competing in the National Championships for the Global Karting Outdoor League.
His mum...
Children’s home gets go-ahead
PLANS to create a children’s home in Hoyland have been approved by Barnsley Council’s planning board - less than a year after the local authority originally rejected the plans.
A bid to turn a property on Primrose Way into a new children’s care home for two kids was submitted to the council last year.
They would be living in the proposed premises need additional support to live within the community due to a variety of...
Life by the river Dearne: Fashion and leisure in Barnsley
If you enjoy leisurely strolls along river embankments and listening to nature in all its hustle and bustle as you walk with the sun beaming down on you then making the most of those moments means spending as much time there as possible. This also hints that you may well be doing a lot of walking and certainly clocking in those desired miles and steps, so the proper footwear is a must.
Too often...
Review reveals slowdown in house-building in Barnsley
A SLOWDOWN in the house-building sector has been identified in Barnsley - despite council bosses insisting the blueprint for future development in the town is ‘still achieving its objectives’ following a review earlier into its effectiveness this year.
A total of 7,099 homes were built in the borough between April 2014 and April 2023, but ambitions to treble that figure by 2033 could fall short.
Figures from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities...
Charity has 10,000 more reasons to thank supermarket
ELDERLY patients at Barnsley Hospital will have their ward experiences improved thanks to a five-figure grant from a local supermarket.
The £10,000 donation, from the Morrisons Foundation, was celebrated by the Barnsley Hospital Charity this week as it will pay for new televisions, furniture, games and soft furnishings - all helping to create a family room for visitors.
Jane Mills, from the hospital, said: “We’re so pleased to have received such a generous grant from...
Enterprising kids work hard for school trip
PRIMARY school pupils have been raising money to fund an end-of-year trip to Whitby.
The year sixes at Gawber Primary School split into three groups where they created their own business names, logos and plans to raise money for the trip.
Over five weeks they worked hard in the school’s enterprise club, during playtimes and in their own time to make sure they had products ready to sell.
On March 19, parents and families were...
Toddler Elsie is mum’s ‘little miracle’
A MIRACLE toddler who was born at just 23 weeks - and weighed the same as a tin of beans - returned to Barnsley Hospital this week almost two years to the day since she was discharged.
Amy Dutton, 35, who lives off Summer Lane in the town centre, found out in 2021 that she was expecting identical twin girls.
Her first few appointments at the hospital went well but she admits that at the...
Knife-point robbery victim Pat won’t let the criminals win
THE elderly owner of a fish and chip shop who has given 44 years’ service to her community has vowed to not let criminals win the day - despite being held at knifepoint during a robbery last week.
Stoic Pat Hubery, who runs and lives above Dearne Road Fisheries in Bolton-upon-Dearne, was watching television on Friday night when she heard a noise.
Having gone to investigate, a robber burst through the door, brandishing a knife...
School praised for anti-bullying campaign
A MAPPLEWELL primary school have been praised for their anti-bullying campaign by a national organisation.
Wellgate Primary School began their journey to develop their anti-bullying provision in September.
This was through taking part in the Anti-Bullying Association’s ‘United Against Bullying Programme’ - and earlier this month they were awarded a gold status.
Only 11 per cent of the 259 schools nationally that took part were awarded gold.
The programme supported the scho
Decision date extended on supermarket bid
BARNSLEY Council’s planning board have extended their decision date on plans to build a new supermarket in Hoyland Common.
Lidl lodged its bid for a new store on Sheffield Road, off Birdwell roundabout, with a proposed new access off Cross Keys Lane before withdrawing the application before a planning meeting scheduled for December 2022.
However, the plans were re-submitted to Barnsley Council in June.
The main concerns raised around the development saw traffic generation on...
Firefighters hope to leave Grange Lane fire site later today
FIREFIGHTERS are making good progress at a blaze on Grange Lane which started yesterday teatime.
South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue have released photos of the fire at the recycling centre which at its height, had six fire engines and a high volume pump on the scene with the fire service advising nearby residents to keep windows and doors closed.
Earlier today, a fire spokesperson revealed that about 80 tonnes of used mattresses...
Buckingham Palace date for Amy
PRINCE Edward will be hosting a Barnsley woman who has won the gold Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Award at a celebration at Buckingham Palace’s gardens.
Amy Sutheran, 23, will be joining thousands of young people and their loved ones from across the UK for the awards celebration on May 10.
She is one of 9,000 to earn the award this year, which will be hosted by Prince Edward himself, as it marks his first celebration...
Homes plan for Methodist church site
PLANS to demolish Hoyland Methodist Church and replace it with seven new properties have been re-submitted to Barnsley Council.
The building, on Market Street, was closed recently due to a dwindling congregation at the church.
If the plans are approved, the church will be replaced by two detached house, two semi-detached properties and a townhouse.
A report said: “In recent years, Hoyland Methodist Church have experienced a diminishing congregation to a point where numbers made...
Selfless Hollie plans big toy appeal despite having juvenile arthritis
YOUNG Hollie Kyle hasn’t let her struggles with arthritis slow her down or stop her enjoying her childhood as she lives life to the full and has even made it onto national TV.
The 11-year-old from Monk Bretton suffers with juvenile arthritis, a joint condition that causes her pain and reduces her mobility.
While mostly associated with older people, arthritis can affect people of any age and in rare cases even children.
“From a young...
Can you help find missing Angelika?
UPDATE: Police have confirmed that Angelika has been found safe and well.
SOUTH Yorkshire Police are appealing for your help to find missing Barnsley woman Angelika.
Angelika, aged 51, was last seen today around 12pm in the Measborough Dike area of Barnsley.
She is described as a white woman, 5ft 6ins tall, of large build, with short blonde hair. Angelika is believed to be driving a silver/grey Suzuki Swift.
Officers are...
Major road remains closed as fire is tackled all night
GRANGE Lane remains closed today as firefighters continue to tackle a fire at the waste recycling site.
The fire broke out yesterday evening and South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue have been at the incident all night.
There are three fire engines and a high volume pump on the scene.
About 80 tonnes of used mattresses are on fire.
A fire service spokesman said: "The smoke from the fire has reduced considerably, but we still expect...
Bronia celebrates 21 years of fitness sessions
FOR 21 years Bronia Warden has been delivering tailored exercise sessions for the elderly.
She celebrated last week with a party at Shaw Lane’s Griffin Suite - and 130 people who’d taken part in the Healthy Bones fitness groups came to show their appreciation for Bronia’s hard work.
Many have been working with her for decades and through her work Bronia has built a loyal following.
She told the Chronicle: “I did general fitness stuff...
Discarded glass at fountains leaves youngster at A&E
A FURIOUS mother is asking the council why glass shards left across the water jets outside Barnsley Town Hall were not cleared up after her 11-year-old son suffered wounds as a result.
Nertil Meci was playing in the water feature with other children as young as two last Friday when the incident took place.
His mother, Amy Westwood, told the Chronicle: “His dad owns the restaurant Bistro Romano’s across the street.
“It was sunny weather...
Charity breakthrough for Bee Kind for Honey
A LOCAL voluntary group created after the untimely death of a child has received official charitable status which they hope will help fight the high rates of suicide locally.
Bee Kind for Honey was created by Gemma Cook after her daughter Honey took her own life during lockdown at only 15 years old.
Since then, Gemma has been making journals aimed for people aged 11 and over and supplying them free of charge to help...
‘Going Dutch’ no longer an option at Town End
BARNSLEY Council will ‘categorically not’ be looking into a plan to create a Dutch-style roundabout scheme at Town End after highways bosses claimed it was only ever a suggestion.
The roundabout plans were first mooted in Barnsley back in 2021 but there was no exact location for the scheme until February.
Town End roundabout had been chosen as the location for the scheme, with cabinet members signing off on £420,000 in funding at Wednesday’s meeting....
Council puts brake on taxi numbers despite ‘unmet demand’
BARNSLEY Council will not increase the limit on the number of Hackney taxis allowed in the town despite there being an ‘unmet demand’, a report has revealed.
Each year, the council undertakes a demand survey to accurately assess the availability of taxis in the town centre.
There are currently 67 Hackney taxis in Barnsley though the report states that despite there being a demand for more, the cap will not be raised.
A survey of...
Parents face more action over term-time holidays
SPIRALLING numbers of Barnsley children missing school - which has resulted in some parents being slapped with fines totalling £800 - will see more action being taken by education bosses to stop the trend after almost 3,000 were caught breaking the law in a year.
A flurry of cases have made their way through Barnsley Magistrates’ Court in recent weeks following proceedings brought about by the council’s education welfare service.
Unauthorised absence rates in the...
£17m signed off for road improvements
AROUND £17m will be spent on improving Barnsley’s road network over the next year after the council signed off on funding earlier this week.
The £12.8m highways programme includes an additional £2m for highways works on local B and C roads that connect small towns and villages across the borough, and a further £2.2m to be spent on Active Travel initiatives, funded through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement,
The majority of the cash will...
Work begins on controversial MU1 scheme
A CONTROVERSIAL scheme which will result in a new link road being constructed - set to pave the way for 1,500 homes to be built on former green belt land - has started.
MU1, which separates communities such as Barugh Green, Higham and Pogmoor, is the subject of plans to build 1,500 homes, a new primary school, warehouses for business use, a series of roads and two roundabouts which will connect both ends of the...
Bus service pulled as vandals strike again
STAGECOACH were forced to pull the 226 bus from Bolton-upon-Dearne at the weekend following antisocial behaviour - just months after the service was brought back.
In October 2022, Stagecoach suspended all services running into the Thurnscoe area after 5pm after missiles were launched at passing buses.
Following a six-month hiatus, the bus operator working alongside South Yorkshire Police brought back the service to Thurnscoe in a ‘trial period’ in May.
However, they said at the...
Queen Camilla makes Maundy memories for Barnsley preacher
A LOCAL preacher received a special gift from Queen Camilla at the Royal Maundy Service last month.
Rev Jean Daykin, from the United Benefice of Darton and Staincross, was in shock when she received an invite from the Lord Chamberlain’s Office at Buckingham Palace back in January.
Thanks to the nomination from Bishop Nick Baines at the Diocese of Leeds, and support from Bishop of Wakefield Tony Robinson, Rev Daykin got the opportunity to meet...
Mum heartbroken as thieves target grave
THE heartbroken mother of a youngster who died aged just eight has blasted thieves - after they cruelly stole an ornament from her grave last weekend.
The grave of Stacey Louise Ogley - who died in 1993 - was decorated with a unique stone pumpkin carriage that her brother Stephen bought as a Christmas present.
Yet last Saturday, when Stacey’s mother Wendy went to do some voluntary work at Carlton Cemetery, the ornament had gone...
Progress as Barnsley A&E wait times are slashed
SIGNIFICANT progress has been made to reduce A and E patients’ waits at Barnsley Hospital - after last month’s figures revealed turnaround times were the best since the pandemic struck.
The four-hour A and E standard - which had been set at 95 per cent - is one of the most high-profile indicators of performance and has dwindled in recent years, hitting a record low of 55 per cent in January.
Ministers outlined steps to...
