22/02/2012 Look North (East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire)

Good evening and welcome to BBC Look North. The headlines tonight

A deal is struck for Lincolnshire's first privately built and run

police station. There will be some job losses as a

result of this contract, that is inevitable.

A burial mix up - now there's official confirmation of the

identity of the body in Christopher Alder's grave.

The councillor punished for insults on Twitter claims his official

letters are now being censored. A vision for Lincolnshire's markets

- hopes they'll become the home for new business.

And to lead or not to lead? The debate over dogs running free in

our parks. Spring temperatures end-February

across much of our region tomorrow, It's been described as a

revolutionary deal that will transform policing in Lincolnshire.

A �200 million contract has been signed between Lincolnshire Police

and the world's biggest security company - G4S. Hundreds of back-

office staff will transfer to G4S, and the company will build and run

a massive new police station. While chief officers say millions of

pounds will be saved, unions fear immediate job losses. Phil Connell

It has been described as the most radical change in policing for more

than a century. It is police stations here in Lincolnshire that

will see the first changes. The deal signed today will see the

private security firm G4S work in partnership with Lincolnshire

police. As part of a deal, they will build a privately run custody

suite and police station in Lincoln. They will also take charge of 540

of the force's civilian workers. There are no guarantees of job

security, though. Unfortunately there will be job losses as a

result of this contract, that is inevitable.

They move will see changes for the force's so-called backroom staff,

people like Pat Clifford, who works on reception at headquarters.

Here in the control room, though, it is these backroom workers on

whom frontline policing often relies. Tonight there are concerns

that by privatising these jobs standards across Lincolnshire could

begin to fall. I think the biggest concern is that both parties have

not done their homework and it will be an almighty upheaval to start

with. We have been promised a soft landing - let's hope that happens.

I did like to think of it as evolutionary rather than

revolutionary, but it is revolutionary too many people.

can you guarantee that standards will be maintained? G4S can do the

job for us, they can do it differently from the way we have

done it, more cheaply, what choice is there? G4S will be paid 200

million for a service that presently costs 228 million. The

changes in savings should not be noticed by the public, do it says.

It would concern me, it would be the thin end of the wedge. If that

is backroom jobs, I would have thought it would be a good idea.

The privatisation of these services will take two years to implement. A

dangerous experiment, or an essential modernisation? Other

forces will be watching closely. The contract signed today between

Lincolnshire police and G4S is the biggest for any British police

force. The contract signed today between Lincolnshire Police and G4S

is the biggest for any British police force. The contract is also

the first of its kind to privatise such a large range of police work.

Anne-Marie Tasker looks at the record of the world's biggest

security firm. Who are? -- who are G4S? The

Who are? -- who are G4S? The company is the largest employer

listed on the London Stock Exchange, with more than 600,000 employees

working at 125 different locations. In 2010, its turnover was more than

�7 billion, and operating profit was more than 400 million. G4S,

previously known as Group 4 was not without problems previously working

within the justice system. In 1993, a prisoner died while being

transported to a remand prison near Hull. In 1997 the company was

criticised for transferring prisoners between vans at a petrol

station. In 2001, a prisoner escaped after an accident involving

a security van, one of a list of escapes after it took

responsibility for prisoner escorts. But G4S is not the only company to

take over custody services. Reliance also has more than 4020

custody officers. The think-tank, policy exchange, says the

Lincolnshire deal is the most Lincolnshire deal is the most

ambitious yet by far. The benefit to Lincolnshire is that

there is a saving up front which they can plug into their budgets. I

think it will be interesting to see over the next ten years how this

plays out. I think the jury is still out on whether it will be a

success, and I think a lot of chief constables will be looking on to

see how well company might perform. If around 10 other police forces

are said to be interested in following Lincolnshire's lead, so

this could be the first of many deals.

Earlier I spoke to the Government's policing minister, Nick Herbert,

and I asked him if the deal was the future of policing.

This will save the police forced �28 million, which will help

protect police officer numbers, which will mean 90 % -- 97 % of

police officers will be on the front line, it will deliver a new

police station and deliver the backroom functions more efficiently.

What is not to like about this? will also deliver job losses, G4S

warned of job losses in the move over, that is part of the deal.

what matters is that we have the best possible policing in

Lincolnshire, that we are protecting frontline policing

services, and I think the public are not concerned about the

backroom functions, they want them to be done as efficiently as

possible, and they want to make sure that police officers are used

for a frontline roles. That is what this will enable. Those people who

work in the backroom would be very concerned. Lincolnshire police have

gone down this route to save money. The chief constable has repeatedly

asked the Government for more resources. Have you not forced him

into this? Every chief constable of course once more resources, but we

have good deal with the deficit and save money. Every force is in that

position. This is an innovative policy that will protect at the

front line, police officers will be used for the job I think the public

want them to be used and, out there on the front line. Above all, I

think it will produce a better service with innovation which will

enable the police force to fight crime. I think it is an important

step forward. Final question Das if you work for Lincolnshire Police is

today a good day to celebrate, or what? I think it is a good

announcement for the people in Lincolnshire. It is about mine --

maximising the use of police officers to be kept on the front

line, making the back office functions efficient, delivering a

new police station a �28 million of savings that will protect police

officer numbers. Thank you very much in the aid.

-- indeed. We would like your thoughts on the story.

If it is claimed, as in Lancashire, billions of pounds could be saved

and frontline policing maintained. and frontline policing maintained.

If you want to get in touch with us, The first tweet of the evening is

in from the Chief Constable of Lincolnshire police. He says, the

alternative was more jobs lost, less to invest in improving the

service. We look forward to hearing from you.

In a moment All for a good cause - Hull's

wheelchair basketball team show their support for sport relief.

In the last hour, police have confirmed the body exhumed from a

grave in Hull last night is that of Grace Kamara. It had been in the

city's Northern Cemetery for more than a decade. Mrs Kamara, who was

77, had been buried by mistake in place of Christopher Alder, a 37-

year-old former paratrooper from Hull who died in police custody.

His body was found in a mortuary last November, prompting a major

police investigation and an outcry from his family. Vicky Johnson's

report contains flash photography from the start.

It was just before 6am this morning when a Hirst left the cemetery.

Flowers and a new coffin were arranged by the council to ensure

the body thought to be Grace Kamara's was transported with

dignity and respect. The exhibition over, dental records were the key

to confirming the identity of the remains. It is a recognised

international standard of identification we will be using in

this case. At five the TPN, the police confirmed Grace Kamara had

been buried by mistake in the grave of Christopher Alder. The 37-year-

old former paratrooper died in police custody in 1998, and his

funeral was held two years later. The next up was only discovered

last November, when Grace Kamara's family and friends carried --

gathered for her funeral and a body could not be found. The mistake has

proved devastating for the family. It has come hard to resolve.

We thought we had done what we could for her, and what has

happened, she is not with her uncle. We last night, or La's ashes were

put on Christopher's grave in a private ceremony. His body was

finally laid to rest two weeks ago. The tent over the grave will remain

in place until it is confirmed whether the remains of Grace Kamara

can be returned to what has been her final resting place of the last

12 years. Plans for two large power stations

in Yorkshire powered by straw and wood have been scrapped. Drax Power

station wanted to build new plants at Selby and possibly near Hull. A

third site at Immingham is still being discussed. Drax has blamed

low government subsidies. You can get more detail on this story in

Workers at four fashion shops in Hull and Scunthorpe are facing

redundancy after high-street chain Peacocks was only partially bought

out of administration. A deal was struck today to save more than 300

shops across the country. But the Scunthorpe store and three of the

four Hull sites will now close. A Conservative politician, who

became embroiled in a row over comments made on Twitter, claims

he's being censored by council bosses. John Fareham was suspended

by Hull City Council after he branded protesters as retards. In

his first interview since the controversy, Councillor Fareham has

told BBC Look North he believes his letters to constituents are being

vetted by officials. The city council denies the accusations. Our

Political Editor, Tim Iredale, has the story.

John Fareham has returned to political duties after being

suspended as a councillor following controversial comments he made on

the Internet. Now he is fighting a new battle, claiming that his post

is being vetted and censored by unelected officials at Hull City

Council. There has always been that option,

if someone finds a letter is being dodgy, they can ticket to a manager

and say ETA slanderous or something. At have a problem with every single

ETA being referred as a matter of course.

Don Ferrand is a former lord Mayor of Hull. Tensions were running high

last year as councillors said the last year as councillors said the

annual budget. Later he wrote on Twitter of...

We have a number of stewards to work with people with learning

work with people with learning Dyfed but -- learning difficult

days in the community and another of those were in the gallery that

day. They do not expect to hear that

type of language from a counsellor. Your critics may argue that because

of the controversy you have caused you are fair game for scrutiny. How

do you respond to that? I think some of my critics may say that. I

can't talk about the actual issues I am untroubled for because the law

does not allow me to until the appeal, although there is an

argument about whether I was acting as a counsellor at that time or not.

In a statement, Hull City Council denies accusations that members'

letters are being vetted. It says there are strict rules to prevent

resources being used for political purposes, added that it is down to

the council's monitoring officer to ensure all rules are being adhered

But John Fareham is sticking to his guns and insists other councillors,

too, are monitored for being off- The time is 17 minutes to seven.

Still ahead tonight: Making Lincolnshire's markets the home of

start-up businesses. And the debate over dog leads - we ask whether

Keep your pictures coming in. Tonight's was taken by Keith Batty.

Keith Batty was amazed at the coastal erosion over the last year

at Tunstall near Withernsea. Thank you very much for that picture.

Another one tomorrow night. Is it going to be a heat wave in Skegness

tomorrow? You can get those little white legs

out! Let's have a look at the headline - I am fairly confident

that we will see temperatures in the exceptionally mild category,

and that means around 15 or 16 Celsius, but one or two spots,

perhaps Skegness, could be up to 17. Considering we had a minus 16 at

Holbeach on Saturday the 11th, that is a 33 Celsius different, which is

The air is coming in a warm track from the south of the Azores. Some

sunny breaks in the cloud are expected. There is a lot of cloud

on the satellite picture right now, and it has produced some patchy

rain at times. All parts should become dry apart from the odd spot

of drizzle. It is certainly going to be a mild night, with the that

sub-tropical air. The sun will rise in the morning, around about 7.04.

A lot of cloud around through Thursday. There will be some sunny

breaks, especially towards the coast of East Yorkshire. Eastern

parts of Lincolnshire will get the best temperatures. The average for

this time of year is around eight Celsius, so it is well up on the

average, with good old Skegness seeing 17 Celsius just about

possible. The Further Outlook, patchy rain on Friday, but the

Having had a few idle minutes this afternoon, I went to an Wikipedia,

and someone was asking if you still have a weather Centre built for you

as a child. The Government has recently been

discussing making it easier for anyone to set up a market stall,

and even the idea of a national market day every week. Now, in East

Lindsey it's hoped entrepreneurs can be persuaded that setting up a

stall is a good way of starting a business. A new plan is being

announced this evening designed to improve markets in Mablethorpe,

Horncastle, Spilsby and Louth - from where Simon Spark reports.

Despite the wet weather, market day in Louth stayed fairly busy this

morning, but with plenty of spaces for traders to fill. But for people

like Alan, who runs his stall as his main income, there was a sense

of unease. He knows East Lindsey Council plan to make changes to the

market, but he'll will have to wait until a meeting this evening before

he finds out what those changes are. There is a lot of uncertainty,

because this is our future. We are quite prepared to work with the

council to make things better for the market and encourage people,

but I personally myself feel that the council had decided what they

are going to do, and it is going to be a case of this is what will

happen, without any real consultation. New plans will affect

all four markets in the East Lindsey area which include

Horncastle, Louth, Mablethorpe and Spilsby. The council wants to make

them more popular and give new traders the chance to start up

businesses. But although some disagree with the way the council's

handled this, they do think change is needed. I think what we have got

to see is more traders and more people, more people coming shopping.

It will be interesting to see if they have taken on the findings of

the Mary Portas high-street report. The Portas review, completed in

December, suggested it should be made easier for anyone to set up a

market stall and even suggested a national market day. But there's no

indication these council changes are linked. But the council insists

these are positive steps, and hope it'll improve the experience for

Leanne Brown is in Louth where the council has unveiled its new vision

for the four markets in East Lindsey. Leanne, what are they

planning? Well, they basically want to change the way the markets are

run. At the moment, you can only have one are to traders selling the

same thing, so if you wanted to come on and sell handbags, if that

item is already on sale, you can't. So they mostly want to relax this

rule to encourage more be able to set up distils -- stalls. They hope

to encourage entrepreneurs who cannot afford to set up a shop like

the one behind me. They also want to change the way the stalls look

so they have a more uniform feel, and they want to put some money and

investment into advertising the market, and try different things

like bringing in live street entertainment as well. Leanne,

thank you. Back to our story last night about men not hugging their

sons. The debate started when Lord Prescott said he regretted that he

had never been able to hug his boys. Tat in Boston says "I have never

been hugged by my parents. I can't wait to have kids so I can give

them the love and affection I never Think you very much indeed for all

A dress rehearsal for the Olympic Torch Relay will pass through a

Lincolnshire town. The trial run will arrive in Stamford in April.

It'll allow organisers to check everything is ready for the

official relay in June. Sport Relief is just a month away,

and organisers say East Yorkshire is proving a popular place to take

part in the Sport Relief Mile. One team already hard in training are

the Hull Stingers wheelchair basketball team. Here's Linsey

Smith. What's in a race? Well, for Hull's

wheelchair basketball team, the Stingers, it's a chance to put

something back. By crossing the line on 25th March for Sport Relief,

they'll be earning much-needed funds for vulnerable people around

the UK. And the world. The money raised goes up to a lot of

charities, which is brilliant. I have been involved in this for many

years now, and it has changed my life. The Sport Relief will do

brilliant things as far as raising funds. Five years on and the

Stingers have gone from strength to strength. But spokes, sparks and

basketballs cost money, and the team knows the difference Sport

Relief can make. So come the Sport Relief mile, they'll be showing off

their tricks to the rest of the runners, when the competition won't

be about shooting hoops, but The Sport Relief Mile takes place

on Sunday 25th March. If you want to take part, go to

Scunthorpe United are back in the League One relegation zone. They

lost to Walsall last night when they went down 1-0 after this goal

Hull City bid to climb back into the play-off places when they meet

Brighton tonight. You'll be able to hear the match live on BBC Radio

Humberside as usual. Now, here's a question. Should dog owners be able

to let their pets off the lead so they can run freely through public

spaces? After complaints from some people, East Park in Hull is

considering banning loose dogs, and one expert told us dogs should

definitely be on a lead. Crispin Rolfe has the story.

Born free, but should they be allowed to run free? Kay and

Linda's dogs are well behaved, and come to Hull's East Park for a

daily dose of fun. Sometimes off the lead, and sometimes on it, like

when they come to the park's cafe for a sausage. But with complaints

about loose dogs growing, the council's considering a park ban of

leashless animals. It is the irresponsible few spore into for

the rest of the people. Dogs on leads? We don't wanted to come to

that. It is time that the council took responsibility and targeted

the people causing the problems it's not penalise the people that

are responsible. At the cafe, Margot allows as many as 35 dogs in

on a weekend - with their owners, of course. But she'd like to see

more control outside in the park. Obviously if we get dogs coming in

off Leeds, it can lead to them wandering into the kitchen, and

that could be a big problem for Oras. I actually think it is a good

idea, because they will chase something that runs and could

easily get themselves into difficulty, so we do need to have

everybody safe, including dogs on leads. Dogs, though, are already

excluded from children's play areas and some of our summertime beaches.

So the question is, is this going too far? If you look on the

internet nowadays, everything should be unleashed - children,

parents, politicians, even journalists. But our dogs having

too many restrictions put upon them. A code of conduct here reads,

wooden sticks can lead to serious injury. Choose a throw Toyah wisely.

Like dogs, codes of conduct abound. But the problem is not every owner

reads them. So although there are calls to legislate, dog owners

would prefer the council to let sleeping dogs lie.

Another one you might have a comment on. The text and e-mail

addresses are there: Let's get a recap of the national and regional

headlines, A Sunday Times journalist is among dozens of

civilians killed and wounded in the Syrian city of Homs. A deal is

struck for Lincolnshire's first privately built and run police

station. And tomorrow's weather: dry and cloudy with sunny breaks

developing. Very mild, top temperatures around 16 degrees

Response coming in on the subject of the contract between

Lincolnshire Police and G4 S. Lorraine says, I work for ligature

police, and this contract is a good thing. -- I work for Lincolnshire

police. And member of the civilian staff at Lincolnshire HQ says he

finds it very demeaning that they are called back-office staff. It is

also be worth noticing -- noting that the public will not to get a

better deal, they were better service that costs less. And this