Calendar Yorkshire News

New figures reveal that more than 50 per cent of children across our region can't swim.

Safety experts warn thousands of primary school pupils will break up for half term today unable to be safe in and around water.

• Education
• Yorkshire
• Lincolnshire

There is wake up call for schools and parents after figures revealed more than half of children across our region can't swim.

Safety experts say thousands of primary school pupils will break up for half term next week unable to be safe in and around water.

The warning comes after the the largest investigation into school swimming ever carried out, as David Hirst reports.

• UK
• Yorkshire
• Lincolnshire

Schools say their biggest barrier to offering swimming lessons is their budget. It comes as a report reveals Yorkshire is one of the worst counties for the number of swimming lessons offered in schools.

"Swimming is one of the easiest, safest forms of exercise for children of all abilities, and school swimming is the single most effective way of teaching children how to be safe in and around water.

"Yet swimming is one of the few areas of a child's statutory education that is all too often left unmeasured, unchecked or, for 1.1m children, unfulfilled.

"The additional £150m of ring-fenced investment by Government for PE and sport this September can provide a real lifeline for school swimming. I believe that schools have a rare opportunity to seize the moment."

• UK
• swimming
• Yorkshire

There are fears children's lives are at risk because of their poor swimming skills.

A report out today says just over half of primary age children in Yorkshire can swim one length of a pool. The county has the lowest rates of schools which offer swimming lessons.

In total over 1.1 million primary school children in the UK are unable to swim, according to a report released today by the Amateur Swimming Association, who surveyed 3,501 primary schools.

Yorkshire has the lowest rate of schools which offer swimming lessons.

• UK
• swimming
• Yorkshire

The Calendar region has some of the cleanest and best beaches in the world.

Keep Britain Tidy has announced the winners of the 2013 Blue Flag Awards. In total, six beaches have gained the Blue Flag Award in the region.

They are Central beaches in Mablethorpe, Skegness and Sutton on Sea, Cleethorpes North Promenade, Scarborough North Bay and Whitby.

These beaches have been rewarded for their fantastic facilities, cleanliness and, in the case of the Blue Flag awards, meeting the highest international standard of water quality.

• UK
• Yorkshire
• Lincolnshire

There is concern about the rising number of people over 60 in the region seeking help over fuel poverty

The debt charity StepChange says two fifths of those getting in touch are struggling to pay their bils and are spending more than 10% of their income on energy costs.

Not only are those who are seeking help from the charity aged 60 and over spending a higher proportion of their income on energy bills, they also owe more on gas and electricity bills than younger age groups.

Gas arrears:

• The charity’s clients aged 60 and over owed an overage of £684 on their gas bills, compared to £455 for clients overall
• The amount owed by the charity’s clients aged 60 and over on their gas bills has risen dramatically since 2009, when it was only £381

Electricity arrears:

• The charity’s clients aged 60 and over owed an overage of £568 on their electricity bills, compared to £488 for clients overall
• The amount owed by the charity’s clients aged 60 and over on their electricity bills has risen since 2009, when it was £431

• UK
• Yorkshire
• Lincolnshire

Our region's gardeners have something to celebrate today after winning a clutch of medals from the gardening world's most prestigious show, the Chelsea Flower Show.

The University of Sheffield's themed "sustainability garden" secured gold, while in Lincoln, social networking was the key to their success. Gaynor Barnes reports.

• UK
• Chelsea Flower Show
• Welcome to Yorkshire

Finishing touches are being made to a new exhibition which shows off the 2000 year history of one of our region's most famous buildings. It is contained in a series of a chambers underneath York Minster.

The displays show off the archaeological remnants of buildings that used to stand on the site and use the latest technology to show how that has transformed into the famous building that stands there today. Our reporter James Webster has been for a preview.

• UK
• Yorkshire
• York Minster

Dozens of drivers have been stopped by police in the East Riding after they were spotted using their mobile phones.

In total, 34 people were stopped by officers between Monday and Saturday last week as part of a campaign aimed at raising awareness of mobile phone misuse.

"I have looked at the individual collisions and spoken to the attending officers - it has been the case that there are a large number of collisions contributable to mobile phone use. This is not necessarily persons using the phone to call someone, but texting, use of the internet and social media. All these seem to involve the driver looking down at their phone and becoming engrossed. "

In December last year at York Crown Court a woman given a four year jail term for "tweeting" her friend whilst driving. She collided with a car and killed a passenger.

• UK
• mobile phones
• Yorkshire