Paul Wilkinson has been praised for his "quick-thinking" actions.
Two young missing girls from Blackpool were able to safely return home thanks to the work of a "quick-thinking" train conductor on a service to York.
Conductor Paul Wilkinson - who has worked for Northern for nearly 16 years - was working onboard a service from Blackpool North to York one evening last week (22 March) when he sensed that "something wasn't quite right" with two of the passengers, reports The Manc.
After his instincts kicked-in, Paul approached the passengers - who where two teenage girls under the age of 16 - and was eventually able to ascertain that they had, in their words, "run away from home".
Paul then immediately alerted British Transport Police (BTP) to the situation.
BTP then intercepted the train at Leeds station after Paul's "quick-thinking" actions, before taking the girls into their duty of care, and reuniting them with their families.
Northern train conductor helps two young missing girls safely return home / Credit: Northern
Inspector Pete Wilcock from the British Transport Police praised Paul for being tuned-in to spotting the signs of children who are "vulnerable or at risk".
He explained: "As guardians of the railway, we are constantly working with and training rail staff on how to look beyond the obvious and spot the signs of children who are vulnerable or at risk. And we continue to work together, sharing intelligence and knowledge, to create a network of people who can understand, identify and help support and safeguard children.
"That's exactly what Paul did.
"Thanks to his quick thinking the girls were returned home once safeguarding checks had been completed."
This incident comes after Northern teamed up with charity Railway Children back in 2022, and began the process of training its 7,000-strong workforce in how to spot vulnerable people on the railway and have the confidence to intervene.
He's been praised for his "quick-thinking" actions / Credit: Northern
Paul urged people to "always trust your instincts" in these situations.
"I’ve worked on the railway for nearly 16 years and you meet hundreds if not thousands of customers every day, but through experience and training you can feel when something isn’t quite right, and you know that you need to call BTP," Paul admitted after the incident.
Northern's Regional Director Chris Jackson also said he "applauds" Paul's actions, adding that: "He responded as any one of our staff would do when getting the sense that something wasn’t quite right.
"I’m glad these young girls were found and returned home."
Featured Image - Northern
Leeds
Leeds Festival 2026 – drinks prices for beer, cider, wine, spirits and more
Leeds Festival 2026 is officially underway and we've rounded up drinks prices at the bars on the festival site.
While many of us will be sipping on warm cans of cider and boxes of wine at the camp sites, you can't take any of your own alcohol into the arena (where all the stages are) itself.
So you'll need to budget for drinks over the course of the weekend if you want to watch the headliners with a pint in hand.
And with headline performances from the likes of Fontaines D.C., Raye, Florence and the Machine and Dave, there's masses of amazing live music on the horizon at Leeds Festival 2026.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
We're already on site at Leeds Festival ready to bring you all the action and updates from this massive weekend - staring with, importantly, drinks prices.
So, let's get into it...
This year you're looking at paying around £7 of beer and £7.50 £7.50 for a pint of cider.
Different for this year, is you'll get 10% off if paying with a Paypal debit card which you can get for free - which we think is pretty class and well worth your time.
You can take your own empty water bottles in to refill at water stations around the festival site.
You're also allowed to bring in sealed water/soft drinks which are 500ml or less.
And if you're taking your own booze into the campsites, remember that there's no glass allowed, so you'll need to decant anything into plastic bottles.
Here are all your drinks prices for Leeds Festival 2026
Beer and cider
Budweiser - £7 (£6.30 with Paypal discount)
Corona Extra - £7.50 (£6.75 with Paypal discount)
Kopparberg Crisp Apple - £7.50 (£6.75 with Paypal discount)
Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime - £7.70 (£6.93 with Paypal discount)
Rose - 175ml £10 / btl £35 (£9/£31.5 with Paypal discount)
Italian sparkling - 200ml £10 (£9 with Paypal discount)
No and Low
Budweiser Zero - £5.80 (£5.22 with Paypal discount)
Water - £2.50 (£2.25 with Paypal discount)
And that should just about do you in terms of booze - as always, please drink responsibly and look after each other.
For all the other important information, you can consult our complete 2026 Leeds Festival guide down below.
Featured image - The Hoot Leeds
Leeds
Leeds Festival warning issued as police announce speed cameras and traffic restrictions
Clementine Hall
Leeds Fest is almost here, but festival-goers heading to Bramham Park by car have been warned to take extra care on the roads.
Driving to Leeds Festival has never been particularly easy, but West Yorkshire Police have issued a warning to those driving by car in an attempt to make it somewhat easier.
Ahead of Leeds Festival 2026, temporary traffic management measures will be in place from Wednesday 26 August until Monday 31 August.
The measures are designed to improve road safety, reduce congestion, and help ensure the safe movement of the tens of thousands of people expected to attend the event.
Speed camera enforcement vans will be operating throughout the festival period alongside clearways surrounding the festival site.
Police have warned that drivers caught breaking the temporary restrictions could face prosecution, so it's definitely worth keeping an eye out for the signage as you approach the festival.
Superintendent Dan Wood said: “Leeds Festival is one of the largest events in West Yorkshire and attracts a significant increase in traffic to the local road network.
"The temporary speed restrictions and clearways are being introduced to help keep everyone safe, including festival-goers, local residents and road users.
"We would ask all motorists to pay close attention to the temporary signage in place and allow extra time for their journeys. Speed enforcement will be carried out during the event, and we encourage drivers to comply with all restrictions for their own safety and that of others."
Festival attendees are also being urged to follow the event signage rather than relying solely on their sat nav. Dedicated routes will direct different categories of visitors to the correct locations, including:
Camping entrances
Day / Non-camping ticket parking areas
Drop-off and pick-up points
Staff and authorised vehicle access routes
Motorists who follow sat nav directions alone may be directed to unsuitable routes, causing unnecessary delays for themselves and other road users.
The Hoot -
30th March 2023 
