After going missing for over a year, a local man who used to work in IT near Leeds has been found sleeping rough in Lapland
Nial Atkin went missing in mid-May 2020 from the Huddersfield area, having previously worked close to Leeds in a role with computers.
Until recently, it was believed by both his family and police that he may have travelled to Scotland following a breakdown.
However, it turns out the beleaguered Brit had managed to make it over 2,000 miles away from home - ending up in Lapland, of all places.
Jerry Ahlqvist found Nial in a confused state and offered him a bed and a shower / Image: Facebook
Last Friday, July 9, he was found by a man living in Kiruna, Sweden, who offered the rough sleeper a shower and a clean bed out of concern for his welfare.
Jerry Ahlqvist then took to Facebook to appeal for help to reunite the mysterious homeless Brit with his family, noting that the man was "acting a bit strange" and seemed "confused".
He said ‘I brought him home and cleaned him, gave him some food and new clothes, and a clean bed to sleep in.
‘He is kind of hard to communicate with, he gets lost in his thoughts, takes a long time to answer questions and he just stares into nothing.
An image of Nial issued by West Yorkshire Policein May 2020 (Image: West Yorkshire Police)
‘He has told me some information about himself but he ends every sentence with ‘sort of’ so the information can also be incorrect.’
The post also mentioned Nial's name and that he used to work in an IT role near Leeds and that he was raised in West Yorkshire.
Later, Jerry also set up a Go Fund Me to help pay for flights to get Nial back home to England
It took Jerry some time to locate Nial's family, but finally, he managed to get in touch with his mum who was blown away to receive the message.
Nial disappeared from Huddersfield before being found in Lapland last week (Image: Facebook)
He then put a new post out which read: "UPDATE! We have found his mother and I have spoken with her on the phone."
"Everything will be sorted out.
"The thing is that Nial is in a psychotic state and he does not know what he wants or what’s best for him. But we will figure this out.
"His mother knows and understands because she has a psychiatric education and I know and understand because I have myself gone through treatment for schizophrenia and have suffered psychosis myself so I saw the signs from across the streets."
He added: "Everything will be okay and we will try to get the proper treatment for him!
"THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT! We did it!"
Leeds
Leeds City Council confirms plans to repair historic Lower Kirkgate with work set to begin this month
Leeds City Council has confirmed that work to stabilise buildings on Lower Kirkgate is set to begin later this month, with repairs expected to take around 20 weeks to complete.
Back in 2024, Lower Kirkgate in Leeds city centre was closed following the partial collapse of a building, leaving one of the city's oldest streets inaccessible.
Since then, the street has remained closed while plans were developed to address the structural issues affecting the buildings.
Now, almost two years after the initial incident, the council has confirmed that a contractor has been appointed to carry out the work.
The buildings are privately owned, but Leeds City Council says it will step in to carry out the stabilisation work to prevent further deterioration and protect the historic properties.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “We are pleased that, following months of careful planning and preparation, we are now in a position to begin stabilising these privately owned buildings.
“A contract has been awarded for the work, which is scheduled to get under way later this month and is expected to take around 20 weeks to complete.
“It should be stressed that the situation on Lower Kirkgate is not of the council's making, with the owners of the buildings allowing their condition to deteriorate over many years and then failing to take the necessary steps to address the resultant structural issues.
“By stepping in and carrying out this work itself, the council will be able to arrest the deterioration of important heritage assets on one of Leeds’s oldest streets. As always, we thank the local community for their continued patience and support.”
Further details about the work, including when the street may be able to reopen, have not yet been confirmed.
Canadian rock legends Nickelback announce Leeds gig on huge world arena tour
Clementine Hall
Nickelback announce world arena tour in support of their new album - and they're coming to Leeds.
The Canadian rockers will be bringing their biggest hits as well brand-new music to arenas around the world.
Formed in Hanna, Alberta, the band made up of Chad Kroeger, Ryan Peake, Mike Kroeger and Daniel Adair, have sold nearly 65 million albums worldwide.
Best known for rock anthems including Rockstar, Photograph and How You Remind Me, Nickelback have built up a huge global following over the course of their career.
The upcoming tour will see the band celebrate their new album, Everything Under The Sun, and they'll be kicking off the UK leg of the tour right here in Leeds at the First Direct Bank Arena.
The tour follows their record-setting Get Rollin' world tour, and will once again take them to venues across North America, Europe, and Australia.
The group have sold nearly 65 million albums worldwide, and achieved billions of streams across digital platforms.
Their new album will be released at the end of the month on Friday 30 October, so you'll have plenty of time to get to know their new tracks before they come to Leeds on Saturday 22 May 2027.
They'll be supported on the tour by Don Broco, an English four-piece featuring Rob Damiani, Simon Delaney, Tom Doyle and Matt Donnelly. Known for their genre-defying sound and dynamic approach to modern rock.
Nickelback 2027 UK Tour Dates in full
22 May - Leeds First Direct Bank Arena
24 May - London The O2
28 May - Birmingham Utility Arena
1 June - Glasgow Ovo Hydro
2 June - Manchester Co-op Live
Tickets for Nickelback at the Leeds First Direct Arena go on sale next Friday 16 October and you can get yours HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
13th July 2021 
