27/03/2017 Look North (East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire)

The headlines tonight: The Lincolnshire fighter jets

preparing to patrol the skies, as tensions mount in Eastern Europe.

It's not in response to any specific threat.

It's rather a fundamental component of how Nato defends

Ukip representatives say they're still relevant -

despite their only MP leaving the party.

It should eventually feel warmer tomorrow will stop but what about

the rest of the week? Join me for the updated forecast.

It's one of the biggest deployments in Eastern Europe

Aircraft and personnel from Lincolnshire are being sent

to Romania to protect the airspace over Europe.

RAF fighters from Coningsby will work with forces

It's due to escalating tension between Russia and the West.

A build-up of tanks, first by Russia on its border,

then on the other side, in Poland, by the West.

An increase in tension which follows Russia's 2014 armed takeover

of the then Ukrainian state, the Crimea.

It's a move which this year has seen an increase in forces on both sides

of Europe's eastern border, and one which is about to include

jets and personnel from Lincolnshire's RAF Coningsby.

Today, 200 tonnes of equipment on its way to Romania,

from where up to six of the airbase's Typhoons

It's showing reassurance, but also a degree of deterrence.

Deterrence against aggression or the threat of aggression.

But also it shows our ability to demonstrate collective resolve.

There are about 200 tonnes leaving today by land going down to RAF

Wittering and then forward on to the ports.

Following that we will be supplying the Romanian

Following Russian incursions into European airspace in 2015,

last year the Ministry of Defence announced RAF Coningsby's Typhoons

would fly to Romania, to help patrol above it

and neighbouring countries once under Russian influence.

This month the UK also deployed 120 troops to the Baltic state Estonia

in one of the biggest British deployments to the area in decades.

But all of this military action has prompted criticism,

with some saying it's also inflaming Russia's own border fears.

The risk is if you get a high state of tension

across a common border area, then you can get mistakes.

The acronym for this is AIM - Accidents, Incidents and Mavericks -

where you might have patrols which accidentally stray

That can lead to major problems and this is the risk

And one which in some ways has to be avoided.

RAF Coningsby's role in setting up a British airbase away from home

for just four months will be a huge logistical exercise.

But those in charge also know that the real challenge is to ensure

that tensions on the border with Russia don't

Tonight I spoke to Ian Shields, a former RAF Group Captain

and now a lecturer in International Relations

I asked him what was the goal of this deployment.

It's all about showing that we mean what we say.

It's all about ultimately holding Western democratic values.

Is it the case that we must and we have to now stand up to Russia?

I don't think anything has really changed.

For all the talk about the Cold War being over or even some discussion

about a second Cold War, Russia has always been

part friend, part foe, and with a resurgent Russia,

yes, we absolutely need to stand up to her.

Does this mean giving support to Nato's defence and providing,

That is completely what this is about.

This is just what we are capable of, please respect us, let us lead

You say that, but this will raise questions.

Whether increasing our own security could -

and I ask you this - could antagonise Russia?

You try to build your own security by increasing

The person who you're concerned about sees this as a threat to them.

As long as we keep the diplomacy line open as well as

the demonstration of military capability, which we are doing here,

then I really don't see there's an issue.

Does it put the UK at risk, or more at risk?

If we didn't play our part in Nato, if we weren't robust

and forward leaning, then I think that would be a greater

Very interesting, thank you very much.

Grantham's accident and emergency department has opened

NHS bosses reduced opening times at the hospital last summer.

They say a lack of staff means they couldn't run it safely.

The department will now open at 8:00am and run

A motorcyclist is in a serious condition after a crash

It happened at Speedway Corner near Ruskington on Saturday evening -

A 29-year-old man from Grantham was airlifted to hospital in Nottingham.

School children in Yorkshire and the Humber missed the most

lesson-time in England last year, because of term-time holidays.

Official figures show that in the East Riding,

family holidays made up almost half of all missed lessons.

Almost a million pupils in England missed at least one day of school.

A leading member of Ukip in Lincolnshire insists the party

will bounce back "stronger than ever" following

Douglas Carswell, the MP for Clacton, has announced

It's the latest setback for Ukip, but Victoria Ayling,

who speaks on Tourism and Heritage for the party, insists Ukip

Katy Austin's report contains some flash photography.

2014 was a high point for Ukip in our area.

It won councillors and MEPs in the local and European elections.

But Ukip never gained an MP in East Yorkshire or Lincolnshire.

Now the party's only sitting MP in the country,

Douglas Carswell, has quit Ukip, syaing it's "job done".

I went into Ukip and made the switch to get us out of the European Union.

Theresa May means Brexit is in safe hands.

But Ukip nationally has had a year of turmoil.

And some councillors in our area have left the party.

This recent defector to the Conservatives says

the party faces a challenge over its very existence.

The moment that referendum was granted by David Cameron,

we were aware that a lot of the reasons to exist had been

But despite a loss of power at Westminster, the numbers say Ukip

does still have some power in East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

It has zero MPs, but it has four MEPs - two representing

Yorkshire and the Humber, two representing the East Midlands,

And 38 local councillors across the area.

I think you should watch this space, because we'll be back stronger

than ever, because somebody, or some organisation,

especially Ukip, have got to hold the government to account.

The government is backsliding on Brexit and cannot be trusted.

In December the Sleaford and North Hykeham by-election showed

They came second to the Conservatives.

Ukip may have played an important role in making last

The question now is how they convince their doubters that it

The deadline has now closed for people wanting to run

North East Lincolnshire Council is searching for someone to run it

Past organisers say it would be disappointing if no-one

The 35 sculptures that will make up Lincoln's Knight's Trail

Artists have been painting the knights, which commemorate

the 800th anniversary of the Battle of Lincoln.

It's hoped it'll boost the number of visitors to the city.

It's been announced when tickets for Radio One's Big Weekend

The free music event, which features Katy Perry,

is taking place at Burton Constable near Hull in May.

50,000 tickets are up for grabs from the 10th of April.

The only way onto the site will be via a shuttle bus,

What I'd say it's a 10-hour world-class music festival

If you compare that to the V Festival or Reading and Leeds,

which generally are about ?70-80 or more, I think it still represents

No one is making any money from this event.

The costs are just to cover the costs of getting

I still think it represents good value for money.

Let's get the forecast. Details from Paul.

Temperatures this week should be above average.

It's fairly changeable, but any rain amounts

Tomorrow, turning brighter, feeling warm.

This weather front might bring one or two sharp showers later

but the emphasis is on a good deal of dry weather.

The afternoon looks reasonable enough but showers may break

Top temperature really quite warm, South Lincolnshire

Quite cloudy, a little bit of patchy rain on Wednesday.

That's it from us tonight. We are back in the morning on BBC One. I'll

be back tomorrow night with Tuesday's look north on BBC One at

6:30pm. Join me than if you can. Goodbye.

showery on Saturday, dry and brighter on Sunday and if we go back

to the temperatures in the next couple days, you see those highs on

Thursday. He is John Hammond with the national

this cyclone Debbie crashes onto the Queensland coast with violent winds

and flooding rains, that will