Detectives searching for missing toddler Ben Needham on the Greek island of Kos have found pieces of fabric on land close to where the toddler was last seen. Ben, from Sheffield, was 21-months old when he went missing during a family holiday in July 1991. A fresh excavation of farmland began on Monday, following new evidence.
Sheffield United’s Chris Basham will begin his three match suspension when Bristol Rovers visit Bramall Lane following his red card against Scunthorpe at the weekend. Blades manager, Chris Wilder, confirmed the club will not appeal against the red card for Basham’s second-half challenge on Neal Bishop. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
Sheffield’s new University Technical College (UTC) has opened on the Olympic Legacy Park and students have begun moving into after a two week induction. The £10m development is the second UTC in Sheffield. It will provide specialist study for 14 to 19-year-old students in technical skills for healthcare, sports sciences and computing, as well as offering traditional academic qualifications.
Project Nova is an initative of ex-Forces charity Walking With The Wounded to support former military personnel who have entered police custody. First launched in East Anglia in 2014, it is delivered in partnership with RFEA, the Forces Employment Charity (RFEA). Project Nova reports that veterans engaged with the programme have a re-offending rate within a year of just 4 per cent, compared to 46 per cent of adults released from prison as a whole.
A loophole in the law has allowed over seven hundred Sheffield taxi drivers to operate with licences issued by councils hundreds of miles away. Over four hundred of the licences were issued in Rossendale, Lancashire. The news has sparked concerns over safety and welfare. Sheffield Live! reporter Simon Thake spoke with taxi driver and GMB Sheffield union representative, Ibrar Hussain.
Sheffield’s Moor Market played host to all things classic and quirky with a new vintage pop-up market. The monthly event, a collaboration between the Moor Market and Sheffield Antiques Quarter, featured around 40 stalls of retro, vintage, arts, crafts, and antiques.The idea is part of a Moor Market plan for a year round events calendar to complement the regular shopping offer. Sheffield Live! reporter Simon Thake spoke to stall owners and marketeers.
The Sheffield branch of Momentum were in buoyant mood as they made their way to Liverpool to celebrate Jeremy Corbyn’s expected victory in the Labour leadership contest. Corbyn has since been returned as Labour leader after comfortably beating challenger Owen Smith. Corbyn won 61.8 per cent of the vote, a larger majority than last year and vowed to bring the party back together. Sheffield Live! reporter Simon Thake spoke with members of Sheffield Momentum.
The local TV channel for Sheffield marked its second anniversary with an invitation to get involved. Sheffield Live! TV launched in September 2014, providing a diverse programme schedule, from politics to poetry, and working alongside Sheffield Live! community radio and the SheffieldLive.org website. The channel operates on a not-for-profit basis and is open to volunteers, community reporters, and independent producers. Presenter and reporter Simon Thake spoke to Steve Buckley, Chair of Sheffield Live!
Pianist Bill Skipworth performed a fundraising concert at Sheffield Cathedral to raise money for the Sheffield branch of the Royal Society for the Blind. The performance was particularly poignant as Bill himself has suffered significant sight loss in the last six months. Despite the challenges he was keen to go ahead with the event to raise money for a cause close to his heart. Sheffield Live! reporter Simon Thake spoke to Bill at the rehearsals.
Sheffield Wednesday newcomer Adam Reach has spoken about settling in at Hillsborough after his multi-million pound transfer earlier this summer. Reach was Carlos Carvahal’s final summer signing and cost an initial £5 million pounds from Middlesborough. He spent the majority of last season on loan to Preston. Shamaan Freeman-Powell reports for Sheffield Live!