22/10/2013 Look North (Yorkshire)

pretty soggy. Thank you. That is all from the BBC. We

Welcome to Tuesday's Look North. Tonight: What a dump! Who'd want to

live near a rubbish heap like this? Fly`tippers blight a South Yorkshire

village. We hear from horrified local residents.

Also tonight: The death of a miner at Kellingley Colliery two years ago

leads to a ?300,000 fine. It will never be a laugh for a

life, will it? But it is a fine that has been imposed, that is their

punishment for Wildlife wonder ` the award`winning shot which means a

Scarborough photographer's now one of the best in the world.

What has gone on. And eventually the sunshine did come out here in

Harrogate this afternoon. I will be back later with your full forecast.

Tonight ` the fly`tipping branded a health hazard, as well as blight on

the landscape. Rotting food, household waste and soiled nappies

have been dumped alongside old settees in the former mining village

of Goldthorpe in South Yorkshire. Residents on Railway View say the

stench from fly`tipped waste is anti`social and is attracting vermin

to the area. Barnsley Council estimates it could take weeks to

clear and cost up to ?90,000. A filthy pile of rotting fly

infested household waste. This could the atypical council controlled

rubbish dump, but it's not. In fact, this stinking embankment is just a

few metres away from family homes and a school in a former Yorkshire

mining village. Despite the threat or five years in prison and

unlimited fines, that doesn't seem to have put people off using this

old railway cutting as an unofficial dumping ground for their household

waste. The problem, according to people living nearby, comes from fly

tipping. That is dumping waste illegally. People we spoke to were

nervous to appear on camera for fear of being targeted by fly tippers.

They believe it has become so bad, it now poses a risk to public

health. I get that in my garden. My cats bring rats in. People come

during the day and night and just throw it. If you complain, what is

the reaction? Name`calling. I blame the council and people. Black sacks,

dirty nappies, mattresses, anything. Barnsley council says it

is working to find a permanent solution to the problem. We are

looking at ?95,000 to clear this up. It is something we really are

relying on the public to tell us who is doing it, when it is happening,

see if we can get hold of who is responsible for this.

We have found dirty nappies, broken bottles, and even pieces of

household furniture. There is quite a strong smell, and there are lots

of flies everywhere. Not to mention the problem of rats.

Residents are calling for the cutting to be cleared and properly

fenced off. Their theory is that there is an increasing risk to

public health. In this case, the council's said it

will clear up the mess. In other cases it is not so clear cut. Tom

Pickering runs a waste disposal and specialist clearance company in

Sheffield. He joins us now. How familiar are scenes like this to

you? It is definitely the worst we have seen. ?95,000 is the estimate.

It has grown over a period of time. It could be months, it could be

longer. What about the risk to public health? Local residents say

there is a risk because their children in the area. Definitely,

there is a risk. Once starts rotting, it becomes biohazard waste,

which is a hazard and attracts rats and foxes. Of course there is broken

glass as well. For children playing in the area, that is a problem.

Definitely. Is this a problem that is increasing? Definitely, but not

on that scale. It should have been cleared up before it got to that

scale. Smaller fly tips are definitely more common. What sort of

scenes do you come across typically? You say this is exceptional, but it

is clearly on the increase. What can be done? The typical ones tend to be

broken furniture. A lot of it is people wanting to get rid of waste

cheaply. A paper trail is always needed, which covers the customer

and puts responsibility with the person taking the waste. Thank you

for coming in. We've had lots of comments of our

Facebook page. Amanda Turner makes the point:

Keep your comments coming. You can post a comment on our Facebook page

at BBC Look North Yorkshire or you can send us an email.

Also tonight, the family of a miner who died after a roof collapse at

Kellingley Colliery, say justice has been done. Gerry Gibson from

Sherburn in Elmet died in the accident two years ago. The UK Coal

Mining Company ` which is now in administration ` was today fined

?200,000, after admitting a number of serious safety failings. Emma

Glasbey was in court. Gerry Gibson was working underground

on the afternoon shift here at Kellingley in September 2011. The

roof suddenly collapsed and he was buried under 15 tonnes of rubble.

His death was described today as tragic and preventable. The widow

and son of Gerry Gibson. They came to court today to see the format UK

Coal Mining Company find for the safety failings that led to his

death. He was a week away from his 50th birthday. The roof at

Kellingley Colliery collapsed on him 800 metres underground, killing him

instantly. Miners used their bare hands to get to him with no thoughts

for their own safety. Just days before the accident, there had been

another roof collapse. It was in the same location. Today, administrators

for UK Coal were fined ?200,000. It will never be enough for a life,

will it, but it is a fine that has been imposed. It is this sentence,

that is their punishment. We heard about the effort that Jerry's

colleagues went through to get to him. That must have been emotional

to listen to. Yes, it is difficult to listen to, how the men struggled

with their bare hands to free him. But in that situation, you would not

do much else. There was another fine of ?50,000 for an explosion at

Headingley in November 2010. No one was injured, but the judge at Leeds

Crown Court said UK Coal had a poor record. Gerry Gibson's death was the

seventh fatal accident in five years that had led to UK Coal appearing in

court, and he was the third man to die as a result of a collapse.

Mining is a hazardous industry. But if the right proportions are taken,

risks are assessed wobbly, there is no reason why people should get

injured in mining. Gerry Gibson was an experienced and careful minor.

The court was told that if he had known the full details of the roof

collapse in Kellingley days earlier, he would never have been working in

that area, and his death could have been prevented.

The court heard today that because UK Coal is in administration the

fine could have an impact on fuel allowances for retired miners. This

is what the National Union of Miners had to say to me outside Leeds Crown

Court earlier. Concessionary fuel allowances have

been suspended for retired and we don't employees of UK Coal, so

ironically, the amount of money left to share out amongst creditors will

be reduced if this find is taken out of it. In effect, it is a sad

indictment that Brenda will be paying a fine that has been imposed

on the company that killed her husband.

Well, the National Union of Miners is fighting for the Government to

pay for the fuel allowances. Later on Look North: One to watch!

The Sheffield student taking the world by storm as a top

international trampolinist. More news from around Yorkshire now

and the 32`year`old woman, who was murdered in York on Sunday evening,

has now been formally identified as Nicole Waterhouse. Police inquiries

are continuing tonight. Ms Waterhouse worked for her father's

estate agent business in the city. Her body was discovered in an

apartment in Phoenix Boulevard. A second woman, 23`year`old Karen

Browne was also found injured. She's still critically ill in hospital. A

25`year`old man, arrested at a flat in the centre of York, is still

being questioned. The department store John Lewis has

announced it will be recruiting 300 new staff in York. Building work on

the new store at the Monks Cross development is already underway.

It's expected to open next Spring. The first 100 vacancies are being

recruited at the moment, with another 200 due to be advertised

next month. Cannabis plants worth ?89,000 have

been seized by police in South Yorkshire after "scratch and sniff"

cards replicating the smell of the drug were distributed to households

in the county. 15 arrests were made as a result of tip offs to the

charity Crimestoppers after the cards were handed out. The cards

contain a chemical which smells the same as cannabis plants when they

are growing, helping people to identify any farms near them.

A man in his 60s has been killed in a crash on the M1 in Leeds. The

accident involving a van and Chevrolet car happened this

lunchtime on the northbound carriageway at junction 42. A female

passenger in the car also suffered serious injuries. Police are

appealing for witnesses. Now, we hear a lot about the legacy

of the 2012 London Olympics. Well, for one man who now lives in

Sheffield, the games have given him a whole new life. Serge Ambomo came

to Britain as part of the Cameroon boxing team but refused to go home

as he feared he would not be safe. His attack has been relentless. A

good right hand. Serge Ambomo would go on to you lose his opening bout,

but his efforts in the UK went outside the UK boxing ring. Along

with four other members of the UK boxing team, he left the athletes

village and disappeared into London. More than a year later, he is in

Sheffield will stop his plea for asylum was accepted as officials

were persuaded he was at risk of persecution if he went home. He says

the Cameron government and Olympic coaches made threats against him and

the other boxers. He was sent to South Yorkshire while his asylum

case was considered, and was later introduced to the Sheffield boxing

centre. The code says the gym has taken him to his heart. Got to know

him, watched him train. He looks intimidating but he is one of the

funniest guys I have ever met. He is in the gym every day, training very

hard. Fellow boxers had a whip round so he

could apply for a British boxing license. If approved, he will have

his first professional fight in Sheffield next month. A chance to

start his career again, having already started a new life.

What a turnaround for him. I would not want to take him on!

It's a big day tomorrow for the Tour de France. They'll be announcing the

final details of the route, including exactly where the Grand

Depart will go in Yorkshire. The world's media is already gathering

in Paris to hear the news and Look North will be there too. In the

meantime, businesses are preparing for a bonanza. Cathy Killick reports

from Harrogate, a town all set to celebrate the arrival of the yellow

jersey in its own blooming style. The grey skies and autumnal tints of

October may dominate these gardens at the moment, but the garden has

already got next July in its size. They are planning yellow planting in

honour of the yellow jersey, and they want us all to join in and turn

Yorkshire yellow. Now is the time to plan. You need to plan ahead in a

garden. Look at your containers for next year. Perhaps window boxes and

planters around the house. We are actually doing some annual planting

said there will be met a planting instead of lawns. Here is some

inspiration for you. There are plenty of gold and choices in the

plant world. They are nicely at this hotel. Like all hotels in

Harrogate, they are gearing up for peak occupancy. Looking at all

hotels are already at 90%, despite top rate rises. But hoteliers they

want to put people off. It is about striking a balance. We're not making

a killing. Yes, make a while the sunshine is, but we are certainly

not hiking prices above what we normally do. So, what has Rugby got

to do with the tour? Not much, but the pitch has. In July, this will be

a campsite as the club takes advantage of relaxed planning laws

that will allow land along the route to take intense, caravans and

motorhomes. If we get the numbers we are expecting, it will be worth it.

We have got a lot of green areas around Harrogate. You can't use

those areas for camping. Our ground will be the closest one to the

centre of town. The tour is an extraordinary event. The French

aren't the only ones who can put on a show. Eight months to go,

Harrogate is getting ready to paint the town yellow.

Well, tomorrow we'll be live from Paris, and one of the villages on

the route which is already gearing up for the tour.

Before seven o'clock: Ticking away ` a celebration of Leeds' clockmaking

heritage as the Potts company timepieces go on display. And, one

of Yorkshire's best wildlife photographers is named as one of the

best in the world. A student from Sheffield is taking

the world by storm, making a name for herself as a top international

trampolinist. Bryony Page has just taken Gold at the World Cup in

Denmark beating off tough competition from Olympic gymnasts.

Her success came as a bit of a surprise as she wasn't expecting to

do so well. She's now training every day and hopes to make it into Team

GB for the next Olympics. Ian White's been to meet her.

Meet Bryony Page. 22 years old, a student at Sheffield University, and

now a gold medal winning trampoline is. She has just beaten the Olympic

champion at the World Cup competition in Denmark. I didn't

expect to win in Denmark. I finished my routine, I was pleased with how

it had gone, and I just sat down and watch the other competitors. I

didn't even think to look at the scoreboard until my friend finished,

and she said look at the scoreboard, you have overtaken the

Olympic champion. What is going on? It was a big deal for me. It has

been a remarkable achievement for Bryony, fitting in her training

around her biology studies. Her work here is complete contrast to what

she does in the gym. I chose biology as it is completely different to

trampolining. So I would have different aspects of my life. She

trains most days with coach Paul Greaves, and he knows she is

special. She can do a triple twisting double back somersault, and

is the first woman last year he was able to do it. She compete in an

international circuit where there are only five people in the `` five

women in the world who can do that skill. She hopes to compete in the

Olympics in Rio in 2016. Doesn't time fly when you're having

fun? The clock is ticking, and we only have a few minutes left to tell

you about our next story. Leeds was at the forefront of clock making in

the 19th century, and now a new exhibition has brought many of those

ancient timepieces back to the city. The elegant and intricate inner

workings of eight pots clock. Engineered more than a century ago,

and still keeping time. Now, 24 that were in a private collection of

backing Leeds. All they need is winding once a day. They are all

about quality. Look at the woodwork around the clock faces, the way the

panels are painted, the way the hands are made. Everything is about

quality. They are all on the civic buildings, on the churches. You

taken for granted, the chiming. I didn't this company made all the

clocks. Potts soon became the North's eminent clockmaker. The vast

majority of clocks in Yorkshire were made by the firm, and in West

Yorks, nearly every outside clock is a Potts. In Otley the marketplace

clock is a Potts. The giant hands tell the time for generations. You'd

realise just how big these clocks are when you get back down to ground

level. You can tell this is a Potts one because of the club on the end

of the hour hand. That was the company's trademark. Which makes

clock spotting a bit easier. This one ended up in South America. So,

Potts clocks ended up all over the world, but in Leeds they are

everywhere. Yes, even in schools. You can see it says Leeds. So this

was in a school? Yes, this came from the Royal Park School in Hyde Park.

It is about turn`of`the`century. It would have been in the main hall or

one of the main corridors. Potts put Leeds at the centre of British clock

making, but the firm closed in the 1960s. The clocks, though, keep

ticking, a daily reminder of one of Yorkshire's forgotten trades.

He's already known as one of Yorkshire's best wildlife

photographers but now Steve Race from Scarborough has been named as

one of the best in the world. At an awards ceremony, described as the

profession's equivalent to the Oscars, an image captured by Steve

was selected out of 46,000 entries from all over the world. Phil

Connell has been to meet him on the North York Moors.

For any wildlife photographer, it is the early bird who catches the one.

Steve Race often starts work at 5am, the best time of day to capture

his award`winning pictures. It is the hours of being outdoors in

a wild space and sitting for a while, quietly, and just seeing what

comes across your path. It is this unusual image of two gannets that

has brought his talent to the attention of the world. At an awards

night in London, the industry's equivalent of the Oscars, the

photograph was chosen out of 46,000 worldwide entries, with Steve Race

just one of six Britons to be commended. To get this true special

moment of them offering the flowers to each other, and for the necklace

to actually go around the neck of the bird, for me was exceptional. I

have had sheer silence because people look at it and think that is

truly special. To see these birds interacting through that image is

fantastic. Steve's interest in wildlife began at the age of ten. 36

years later, hundreds of special moments have now been captured on

his camera. It could be instant, or it could be spending a lot of time.

But when you capture that special image, you just know. You look at it

and think, that is the one. Steve's image is now part of a

touring expedition. He is already looking for that next magic moment.

They are really quite extraordinary. We've got some more intriguing

pictures next. A pair of unlikely friends trying to escape the

confines of their owner's kitchen, which has been watched more than

400,000 times on the internet. Dexter the cat, and his dog friend

Gizmo, were shut in the kitchen at owner Matt Hurst's home in Sheffield

every morning when he left for work. After finding them in the rest of

the house for three days running, he set up a camera to find out how they

were making their escape. Hey presto! How clever are they?

My grandma's cat used to be able to open the door handles by jumping up,

so they turned them all upside down. The weather has been a bit grotty,

but there are some beautiful autumnal colours out there. This is

autumn at Chatsworth house. These were all taken this afternoon.

It has been a particularly mild day today. Temperatures reached 17

degrees in places. Another mild night as well. Tomorrow, the rain

will turn more showery through the course of the day. Very unsettled

weather over the next few days. We had some decent spells of whether

through this afternoon, but there are still some showers out there.

Really quite wet night. Those showers will merge into a longer

spell of rain which will spread eastwards. Some very heavy, possibly

thundery downpours. But a mild night with temperatures staying in double

figures. The sun will rise at 7:48am. There

will be a fair amount of spray on the roads if you are out in the rush

hour tomorrow, and further spells of rainfall a time. We will see an

improvement to the day. Still the risk of a few showers to the

afternoon, but some pleasant spells of sunshine in between. Not as mild

as today but still a little above average at 14 or 15 degrees. As

promised, Thursday looks to be a decent day. Chilly overnight into

Thursday, and a decent day. Unsettled again overnight and into

Friday. At the moment, Saturday doesn't look too bad. One to watch.

That is all from us. Goodbye.