Bradford Telegraph

Food businesses receive hygiene ratings from zero to five after inspections covering food handling, premises conditions and food-safety management. A zero means urgent improvement is required, while ratings are snapshots of conditions on the inspection date. Higher-risk businesses are inspected more frequently, and low-rated outlets may face enforcement action, partial closure or full closure if food is unsafe. Ratings of zero to four are published after a three-to-five-week appeal period, and businesses can request a paid re-evaluation after making improvements.

Bradford College’s T Level students achieved a 96% pass rate, 3.4 percentage points above the national rate, while its Early Years and Health courses recorded 100% passes. Students, families, staff and employer partners celebrated at a Results Day breakfast, with Morgan Sindall highlighted for supporting industry placements. Students described gaining practical experience and progressing to university or further qualifications, while college leaders credited staff and partners for helping establish the programmes.

Poundland may be put up for sale by owner Gordon Brothers less than a year after its acquisition, following the closure of 200 stores. The chain still operates hundreds of outlets, including three in Bradford, but reported a £79 million pre-tax loss for the year to September 2024. The potential sale raises concerns for Poundland’s workforce and local stores, while the company’s history of rapid expansion and changing pricing strategy provides context for its current difficulties.

Households in Britain owe a record £4.55 billion to energy suppliers, more than triple the level before the energy crisis and up by over £750 million in a year. Average electricity and gas arrears have risen sharply, leaving more than one million electricity customers and nearly 926,000 gas customers in debt without repayment plans. The costs are spread across all households, adding about £145 annually to bills. The figures are linked to widespread fuel poverty and inefficient housing, with advocates calling for better-targeted insulation, solar panels and heat pumps. The government’s £15 billion Warm Homes Plan is welcomed, but its effectiveness will depend on reaching the least efficient homes and addressing similar problems in commercial properties such as care homes and schools.

Police are investigating the deaths of a 52-year-old woman found at a home in New Stead Rise, Keighley, and a 59-year-old man found at business premises on Tong Park Industrial Estate in Baildon. The two people were known to each other, but both deaths remain unexplained. Detectives are not currently seeking anyone else, while forensic examinations and witness inquiries continue.

Bradford's independent shops are adapting to changing consumer habits, with local food businesses, health-food stores, cafés and gyms benefiting from interest in wellbeing and locally sourced products. The district's City of Culture legacy and millions of pounds in cultural and heritage funding are intended to support venues, footfall and surrounding businesses, although their long-term impact remains uncertain. Readers are encouraged to support independents through regular purchases, reviews and bookings. The article also promotes practical supplement guidance, highlighting Naked Nutrition's single-ingredient collagen peptides while advising consumers to compare serving sizes, follow the NHS Eatwell Guide and consult health professionals when necessary.

Brighouse’s annual Jigsaw Festival will take place at St Martin’s Church from August 28 to 31, featuring up to 500 displayed puzzles and more than 1,950 new and pre-owned puzzles for viewing and purchase. Organised by church members and the wider community, the event has raised more than £176,000 for charity since 2012. This year’s beneficiaries include six local charitable and community organisations; admission costs £2 for adults, with accompanied children admitted free and a £1 puzzle-purchase voucher included.

Ed Sheeran was fined £666, plus £100 costs and a £266 victim surcharge, after Bradford Magistrates’ Court convicted him of keeping his Aston Martin DB5 without the required insurance while it was being restored. Sheeran said he believed the workshop’s insurance covered the car and that it had not been driven for years. The car is being converted by Aston Workshop to electric power, using a 60 kWh battery and a 328-horsepower motor, with an estimated 200-mile range and a conversion cost of £144,950 plus VAT. The reversible conversion is intended to preserve the classic Aston’s appearance while improving reliability and helping it comply with future emissions restrictions.

Barratt and David Wilson Homes is sponsoring Pontefract Rugby Union Football Club, with the funding helping cover the running costs of new floodlights. The upgraded facilities are intended to accommodate rising participation and the club’s men’s, women’s and junior teams, which train throughout the winter. The sponsorship supports the club’s role as a community hub, while the housebuilder has several developments under construction in Pontefract.

More than 500 Kirklees Council employees have joined a collective pay claim led by the GMB over alleged differences between the pay of refuse workers and predominantly female roles such as teaching assistants, catering staff and care workers. The union believes hundreds or thousands more workers may be eligible. Successful claimants could receive up to six years of back pay, with the total claims potentially worth millions of pounds.

A nationwide Operation CeCe crackdown by National Trading Standards and HM Revenue and Customs recovered more than 33 million illegal cigarettes and over 800kg of hand-rolling tobacco, worth nearly £24 million. Authorities have issued £3.5 million in penalties since stronger enforcement powers were introduced in 2023. Officials said illicit tobacco harms public health, undercuts legitimate retailers, deprives public services of around £1.7 billion annually and helps fund organized criminal networks. A separate Bradford operation seized approximately £300,000 of suspected illegal tobacco from four homes and two retail premises, with West Yorkshire Police and Bradford Council considering possible licence revocations.

Elizabeth Bonfield of Haworth has become the first woman from Yorkshire to lead a London livery company after being installed as Master of The Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers Alias Wire Workers. The ceremony at Mansion House recognized her work supporting apprenticeships, industrial heritage and skilled trades. Calderdale Industrial Museum received the Charity Fund Special Award, while Lt. Maddie Cowley of HMS Anson received the Apprentice of the Year Award.

The Holme Lane pub on Tong Street, Bradford, has been shortlisted in the Telegraph & Argus Best Pub 2026 contest after winning the 2025 title. Run by Luke Buttrey and his father Michael, the pub has served the Holme Wood and Bierley communities since 1998 and offers entertainment including bingo, karaoke, discos, pool and darts. Luke says the family plans to continue running the pub while customers remain interested, and hopes his father will not retire.

The Broadway shopping centre emerged from plans announced in 1998 to regenerate a large section of Bradford city centre. Planning approval followed in 2003, Westfield acquired the project in 2004, and construction was delayed by difficulties securing tenants and the global financial crisis, leaving the site derided as “the hole in the ground.” Work resumed in January 2014, and the centre opened on 5 November 2015 with about 570,000 square feet of retail space, more than 70 stores, restaurants and cafés, and a multi-storey car park. Major retailers helped restore shopping activity and supported wider economic regeneration in Bradford.

Apprentice chef Joseph Scratcher, 23, admitted driving his BMW while over the legal alcohol limit near West Marton, close to Gargrave. Police recorded 46 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, compared with the legal limit of 35, after stopping him for driving at speed. Skipton Magistrates' Court banned him from driving for one year, fined him £120, and ordered him to pay a £48 surcharge and £85 in costs. Completing a drink-drive rehabilitation course could reduce the ban by one third.

Deloitte research indicates that British motorists considering electric vehicles remain concerned about driving range, charging times, public charging access, home-charging limitations and the upfront cost of EVs. Range anxiety affects 48% of surveyed consumers, while 43% cite charging times, 37% public charging access, 35% home charging and 45% initial cost. The article notes that improved batteries, expanding charging networks and lower running costs may encourage adoption, while promoting the smart #5 electric SUV’s claimed ability to charge from 10% to 80% in under 20 minutes under ideal conditions.

Czajka Care Group will host three summer fayres at Currergate Nursing Home in Steeton, Staveley Birkleas Nursing Home in Nab Wood, and Brookfield Care Home in Shipley. The family events will feature music, food, raffles, games and stalls, bringing residents, families, staff and local communities together. Managing Director Konrad Czajka said the fayres support residents’ social connections and showcase the group’s care communities.

York Business School emphasizes its rapid growth, strong regional partnerships, and focus on responsible leadership as reasons for supporting the York Press Business Awards. The school highlights collaborations with local businesses, opportunities for students such as internships and sustainable projects, and its commitment to community-oriented innovation and ethical practices. It reiterates its mission to foster future business leaders and deepen engagement with York’s business community.

The Lexus Ilkley Open will return from July 27 to August 1, featuring top British Tour players competing in singles events at Ilkley Lawn Tennis & Squash Club. Millie Skelton, who retired from last year’s final due to injury, is among several returning competitors. Multiple previous title winners and high-ranking players are included in the draw, with qualifying rounds early in the week and finals scheduled for August 1. Prize money is set for champions, runners-up, and semi-finalists, and the event will run alongside the Grade Three Ilkley Open offering additional divisions.

Settle ended their league losing streak with a 107‑run victory over Chorley, driven by a dominant 148 from Gautam Waghela and effective bowling from Harry Snowden and Will Davidson. Chorley were dismissed for 166. Settle’s second team also advanced to the Westmorland League Cup semi‑finals after a 22‑run win over Holme, supported by key contributions from Seb Woods, John Tarbox, and Shaun Airey.

HY Desserts Limited, operating on Great Horton Road in Bradford, entered creditors’ voluntary liquidation on July 8, with Tauseef Rashid of Qimzen Advisory appointed as liquidator following a shareholders’ resolution. The company, which ran an unlicensed restaurant and café, will have its assets sold and proceeds distributed to creditors under the formal CVL process before being dissolved and removed from the Companies House register.

Locked In Games York Limited will be voluntarily wound up after determining it could no longer meet its financial obligations. Records in the London Gazette confirm the decision, and Michael Howorth of Aurora Equity and Development Limited has been appointed liquidator to oversee the process. The business operated from Club Chambers on Museum Street in York.

Richard Whitehead, a 56‑year‑old from Hunsworth, lost more than 12 stone after joining a Slimming World group in Birstall. Guided by consultant Yvonne Carter, he changed his eating habits, stayed accountable through weekly meetings and gradually increased his activity to daily long walks. His transformation led to becoming a finalist in Slimming World’s 2026 Man of the Year competition, with the weight loss restoring his confidence and improving his daily life.

Angharad Evans, a breaststroke champion and World Championships silver medallist, credits Scotland and the University of Stirling with shaping her athletic career and aims to repay that support with medal-winning performances at the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Having grown up in England and studied in the US before moving to Stirling, she says Scotland has become central to her identity as an athlete. Confident in her form but managing nerves ahead of the competition, she believes podium finishes are possible with the backing of a supportive Scottish team and crowd.