TEACHERS and other staff could be made redundant to help pay for Barnsley's new schools. Penistone Grammar has a deficit of more than £500,000, partly due to its contribution to the new Advanced Learning Centre which is under construction.

SHAMED law firm Raleys is preparing to refund thousands of former miners who had money deducted from compensation claims — but only if they write to request it. Letters offering 'conciliatory payments' will be sent in relation to 22,000 claims handled by the firm — potentially costing more than £6m.

ALMOST 20,000 people packed into the town centre to see X-Factor stars Lucie Jones and Miss Frank at the Christmas lights switch on. Lucie and Britain's Got Talent finalists Stavros Flatley pressed the button on Wednesday with Mayor Coun John Parkinson and his wife Linda. A spectacular fireworks display decorated the sky with different colours.

YOUNG Aaron Stannage is going to have to be 'wheely' good to pull off this world record-breaking stunt. The 14-year-old is attempting to cycle eight miles balancing on one wheel to seal his place in the Guinness Book of Records.

IT'S the little things in life that make you smile. . . And these teeny builders 'working' on the Dickie Bird statue certainly do. Darfield snapper Mark Dobson took the pictures early on Sunday - as part of a world-wide internet project called 'little builders' world tour 2009'.

HOLGATE school and the Shell Petrol Station on Dodworth Road will be demolished to make way for a £35 million school under plans approved by the council this week. The 2,200-pupil Advanced Learning Centre which will replace Holgate and Kingstone schools was given outline planning permission on Tuesday.