31/10/2013 Look North (Yorkshire)

the News of the World. That's all from the News at Six.

Good evening and welcome to Thursday's Look North. On the

programme tonight: A scheme to ease traffic congestion on the M1 in

Yorkshire starts earlier than planned, despite claims it's

dangerous. What I don't understand and many other people don't

understand, is why there is any need to use the hard shoulder outside of

peak times. It does not make sense and it is not safe. We'll hear from

the Highways Agency, who defend the decision. Also tonight, closing

after 60 years ` Sheffield's Remploy factory, which provided work for

people with disabilities, is one of the final three to shut up shop. And

Kirkstall Abbey in Leeds provides the perfect backdrop for a Halloween

film show. And these were the fairly cloudy

skies this afternoon. Breezy, too. I am back later with your full

forecast. I will try not to make it too scary.

Work on a scheme to allow traffic to use the hard shoulder of the M1 in

Yorkshire at all times is to start early, despite safety concerns.

Plans for the six mile stretch near Wakefield have been controversial,

with the police warning it will put lives at risk. Construction is now

due to get underway in less than a fortnight ` months earlier than

planned. The Highways Agency says it will be safe and follows a

successful scheme on the M62, which opened a month ago. Ian White has

the details. The M62 has gone high`tech. They are

now calling it a smart motor away. It has been running for exactly a

month. Highways Agency patrolman Steve Strong took me for a drive in

this morning's rush hour. There is a lot more technology than ever. The

Highways Agency is hailing the new system, which makes use of the hard

shoulder at busy times, a success. Motorists had next feelings. More

often than not it is set to 60 and they dropped to 40. There is nothing

wrong at all. No real logic. I think now it is not as congested like it

used to be. Motorists will soon see changes to the M1 as well.

Construction is being brought forward. It will begin in two weeks.

This is the busy interchange where the M62 meets the M1. It is reckoned

around 113,000 people `` vehicles use this road every day. But this

section and another near Sheffield to be built later, would effectively

lose their hard shoulder permanently, with them becoming a

full`time additional lane. That has prompted concerns from emergency

services and local MP. I don't understand why there is any need to

use the hard shoulder outside of peak times. It doesn't make sense

and it is not safe. The man in charge of the Highways Agency says

construction has not been brought forward to silence critics. We

involved all of the politicians. The health and safety executive. So that

we can demonstrate that the motorway and we provide tomorrow would be

safer than the one we have got today. The public will get to see

how the new M1 will look when plans go on display on the eighth and 9th

of November. Well, I'm joined now by Simon

Williams from the RAC. We saw that the M62 project. Those changes have

been running since September. Early data suggests it is working. Fewer

collisions, faster journeys, less congestion? That is a very good

scheme. It was based on the M 42 scheme. It proved extremely safe and

good at easing congestion. The situation with the new scheme on the

M1 is a very different beast. It is being called a smart model where but

we do not think it is a smart idea. The emergency refuge area is going

to be further apart. On the M62 they are between 500 metres and 1000

metres apart. That is a big difference. If you were to break

down in a live running lane, you would have nowhere to go to. The

Highways Agency would argue that if breakdowns do occur, that is where

this smart technology comes in. Clear instructions to keep people

safe? Yes, we are very aware of the technology. We have been making our

point very clear to the Highways Agency and the Government, that we

don't think the emergency refuge areas are close enough. The

technology is good. The CCTV coverage is not 100% as it is on the

act of traffic management or management motorway schemes. There

is room for improvement. People are right to be concerned. We asked

people what they thought about the hard shoulder. 82% of people said it

was important in a breakdown situation. The evidence from the M62

and other schemes show this is the right way to go, that accidents

average used since the 42 became a smart motorway? Motorways only

account for 4% of accidents. We should be making to look them safer

in a breakdown situation rather than more dangerous by having these

emergency refuge areas further apart. Thank you very much.

The parents of a pizza delivery driver who was murdered in Sheffield

have paid tribute to their son. Sri Lankan`born Thavisha Lakindu Peiris

was stabbed to death on his last ever shift on Sunday. Detectives

have spent the day searching a house near to where he died. Dan Johnson

joins us now from the police incident room. Dan, talk us through

today's developments. This is where officers are leading the hunt for

whoever killed Thavisha Peiris. Today we heard from his family, who

are still in Sri Lanka. We heard he was very much a family man and he

called home every day to speak to his mother, his father or his

brother. Today a statement from them in which they said he was one of the

most caring and loving sons a parent could have.

His parents and brother are due to travel to Sheffield in the next day

or two to support the appeal to find his killers. Tonight we have learned

that Domino's pizzas, his employers, are to fund the cost of the trip.

What has been the focus of the police investigation today? We have

seen a lot of activity from the police in Sheffield today,

particularly around the area were the stabbing occurred. We have seen

forensics officers and dog handlers searching properties around the

area. Officers do not want to say too much about what has drawn them

to the area. They say they are following different lines of

inquiry. They say they do need more intelligence. Anybody who saw my

granny thing out of the ordinary, they want to hear from anybody. ``

Annie thing out of the ordinary. We had a little bit of a technical

problem there. But we got the gist of that very important story. Later

on Look North, it's the night for superstitions. But is that the

reason why black cats are our least favourite moggy? More are left in

animal centres than any other type! West Yorkshire Police have been

asked to re`investigate the financial management of Kings

Science Academy in Bradford. It follows a critical Government report

about the school, which was visited by the Prime Minister after being

opened under the free school programme. It was asked to repay

almost ?77,000 after part of a grant wasn't used for its intended

purpose. The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau has referred the

case back to police. MPs have approved a bill which will

enable the Government to spend money on HS to. `` high speed rail link.

Evening and weekend parking charges will be introduced in Leeds before

Christmas. Motorists will have to pay ?2 at night and ?4 for a full

day on a Sunday from the 18th of November. The council says the

charges are set at a fair level. But they've been widely opposed by local

businesses, and were rejected by a public consultation.

Hundreds of soldiers based at Catterick Garrison in North

Yorkshire have been honoured at a ceremony. The troops ` from five

Medical Regiment ` have just returned from a six`month tour in

Helmand Province. They were presented with their operational

medals during a homecoming parade. Some staff at universities across

Yorkshire are on strike today, in a row over pay. Lecturers marched

through Sheffield this morning. Technicians, lab assistants and

admin staff are also involved. The universities Association say only 5%

of staff supported the action. They refused to discuss the gender pay

gap. You might imagine that universities would be liberal,

humane and mortar and employers. Absolutely the opposite is the case.

Yorkshire's final Remploy factory offering work to disabled people in

Sheffield has closed after more than 60 years. 90 people have lost their

jobs. Five years ago, there were nine Remploy factories in our

region, employing more than 420 disabled people. Then the closures

began. 370 jobs have been lost in total. Less than half of those made

redundant have found new jobs. We've been given exclusive access inside

the branch in Sheffield as they marked the end of an era. Here's

Mark Ansell. Christmas has come early and Remploy

in Sheffield. But for all the wrong reasons. Staff at the plant are

having to hold their festive party early. The Government is closing the

factories because it says the subsidy can be better spent

supporting disabled people into mainstream work. I think it is

disgusting. They should keep it open. It keeps people who are

disabled in employment. It gives them an environment to work in. I

will regret to see it go. I have worked for the company for 35 years.

I feel more so for a lot of people who have not got family and

basically come to work just for people to talk to.

Subsidised by the state since 1946, profit was not a motive for Remploy.

It was a way of giving a future to the thousands of servicemen and

servicewomen injured in the war. In Sheffield, while than 60 years of

history ends today. The last of nine factories in our region that at one

time employed 420 disabled people. Here they made school furniture. The

remaining stock is waiting to be sold off. Remploy has its own

recruitment branches to give advice to disabled people and how to get a

job. Its centre in Sheffield now has to take on board the workers from

its own factory. I am sure we will be able to support them in getting

another job, because they are already in work and they are very

committed workers. They have transferable skills and are very

employable. Trade unions are nowhere near as confident. They have fought

for years to keep the company open and are laying a wreath for the

human cost of losing the battle. A lot of employers will want a fit

person rather than disabled. It is a sad day for the workers in

Sheffield. How many of these disabled people will find new jobs?

Political editor Len Tingle is here. What has the Government had to say?

They point out that all they are doing is following a policy set up

in 2008 by the Labour government. At that stage there were nine Remploy

factories across Yorkshire. By the time the new government came in,

there were four. They say it is not about money. They say it is better

to spend the subsidy for each worker on getting them into mainstream

work. There is an ?8 million project out there that employs 200 personal

caseworkers across the country. Of the 1600 former Remploy workers on

that project, around a third have already got work. A third room

full`time employment. As far as the Government is concerned, it is a

positive policy and is working. These closures are controversial,

even among disability campaigners? It has been bitterly disputed. In

2010, the coalition government put together a review. It was led by the

then chief executive of the disability rights group. The report,

published last year, basically said it's better to close down the run ``

the Remploy factories. There are still many would say that maybe OK,

but for others, the protection, safety and comfort of a Remploy job,

is really the way forward for them. Not for all.

North Yorkshire has been named as the worst hit area in the country

when it comes to depression and stress among farmers. One charity

says the number of calls to its helpline has doubled this year. The

new research also shows farmers' wives are under extra pressure as

they try to balance household budgets. Phil Connell reports.

An idyllic place to live or bleak isolation? Here on the North York

Moors, a former's life can be very different to what most of us

imagine. In April of this year, snowdrifts 15 feet high broad

desperate scenes like this. For Rob, feeding his sheep and cattle in

the cold snap has meant an unexpected bill of ?15,000. It can

make the difference between profit and loss. If we are not profitable,

we struggle to feed the family. A lot of farmers are isolated. All

they have is their farm and the family on the farm. If they are

short of money, they are very proud people and they will bottle it up

and struggle with it. Across our region, farmers requesting help this

year has risen significantly. Calls to one helpline of increased by

100%. As a county, North Yorks as the biggest problems in the country.

A recent foodbank has opened in Malton. There are folk in the Dales

communities who are depending on that kind of food support for

themselves and their family. Although it looks lovely, there are

problems. Growing concerns are also being raised for the welfare of

farming wives, with many taking on more responsibility for the farm's

financial survival. You are protecting your husband from the

financial stress. You keep it to yourself because you do not want to

worry him, because very often he is out there worrying about his animals

and his crops. Charities believe the recent increase in calls from

farmers seeking help, could be the tip of the iceberg.

Before seven o'clock, we're trying to do you justice. Hundreds of you

responded to our request for shots of your pumpkins, so we'll be

showing them in a few minutes. And I will be live in Kirkstall

Abbey as Hallowe'en gets underway with the start of a Gothic film

Festival. He certainly frightens me! Some good

news from the world of athletics. Sheffield's Olympic Heptathlon

Champion Jessica Ennis`Hill is back in training after an injury`plagued

season. Jess has set herself a target ` to compete in the

pentathlon at the World Indoor Championships in Poland next March.

She won silver at the same event in Istanbul last year.

I am still having to take it week by week. I have just started jogging

again this week. Time creeps up on you so quickly. It is just seeing

out the next few weeks go and seeing if I have got enough time to get

ready. Now, what better subject for

Halloween than black cats? Are they a witch's evil partner or a lucky

charm? Well, apparently they're so unloved, a campaign has been

launched to make us like them more. The charity Cat's Protection says

they're the very last to be chosen for a new home, because cat lovers

prefer other colours. Kate Bradbrook has gone to their new centre in

Guildersome near Leeds to investigate.

These mischievous moggies at the new protection Centre all need new

homes. But despite it being Hallowe'en, Black Caps, it seems,

are not on many people's wish list. They take on average a week longer

to rehouse and other cats. People prefer a coloured cat. People do not

want black cats because they associate them with superstition.

This is Tom. He is about 12 months old. He is a stray and he was picked

up in a house in the Leeds area. Cats like Tom are finding it harder

than others to find new homes. Through history, Black Cats have

been known as the witch's site `` sidekick. Films like these have not

helped their cause. Their reputation may not be deserved. Black cats were

used in the days when sailors were going out to sea and their wives

were at home. They would have a black cat so the sailors would

return home. This new centre opens its doors to the public tomorrow. It

is already full to capacity. Around half of being cared for her either

black or black and white. I think Keely has had a hand in some

of this. We said no more cats this week. Kirkstall Abbey has been

transformed into one of Yorkshire's most haunted places tonight.

Hundreds of people have gathered at the ruined monastery to watch

Nosferatu, a silent horror movie from the 1920s. There's also plenty

of other spooky goings on to mark Halloween. Joe Inwood was lucky

enough to get an invite as well. It is a silent film, but it is not

silent here. The live soundtrack is going on behind me. More on that in

a moment. What other place would you want to be for Halloween, than

Kirkstall Abbey? It is the start of the Gothic film Festival. A unique

event taking place here across the weekend. Some real horror classics.

There are about 400 people currently watching, one of which we live

soundtrack. They jet `` dressed up for the occasion. It is such an

unusual setting, a Gothic setting. All the lights. It is fantastic.

Gritty, terrifying costume. What have you, as? Pretty spooky! My

girlfriend is always taking the Mickey out of me. This loft seemed

quite fitting. I am a raven. I have got no wings. Some people dressed up

and having fun. One of the men behind the festival is Tony

Earnshaw. For people who do not know what we are seeing, what are we

getting this weekend? Eight films running through from tonight until

Sunday. Everything from Boris Karloff, Christopher Lee, Vincent

Price, Nosferatu. Some hammer horror. Everything a Gothic film fan

needs. It is not quite a film festival. How would you describe it?

It is a unique event. The fight and the atmosphere is completely unique.

There is something about playing live music to a silent film in an

atmosphere and environment such as this, but attracts not just horror

film fans, but people who have never seen this kind of thing before.

We're talking about the man on the street trying something for the

first time. Nosferatu people may know. What is the other film? Night

of the Demon, 1957 British horror. Very scary. If you want to enjoy

Halloween, not just wandering around knocking on doors, but in a unique

way, this is the place to be. It should be a great night. He can

take that mask off now! Now let's get the weather. Where is Keely?

I'm on my way. I just needed to find the accelerator on this thing! Sorry

about that. I think I've got a splinter in my bottom. Thank you. I

feel windswept now. On with the weather now. If you are out trick or

treating, some fine conditions. The odd shower in the short`term. The

increased risk of some heavy showers through the evening. Probably not

until later on. They would be outbreaks of rain spreading from the

south`west. Some could be on the happy side. It will not be

particularly windy. `` on behalf of East side. Further systems putting

up from the South during the weekend. Saturday could be wet and

windy. So far today, quite pleasant. Some spells of sunshine.

Clumps of cloud to the north`west. Heavy showers. They will spill south

eastwards overnight drive for the second half of the night. `` drive.

Temperatures will slip back into single figures. In the countryside

it is possible we could get a touch of frost. The sun will rise in the

morning just after seven o'clock. Setting out 4:33pm. Tomorrow

morning, if you are out and about Airlie, it is a fine start. Cloud

sweeps in from the West. Outbreaks of rain pushed in, too. Some of them

could be heavy. A miserable affair tomorrow. Not particularly windy but

it will be fairly wet. Temperatures struggling. They will start off on a

cool note. I suspect some places, particularly over the Pennines, will

stay in single figures. After tomorrow's rain, it will clear away

into the North Sea. We are looking at a fine start to the day on

Saturday. Temperatures cooler than the last couple of nights. We could

get down to a couple of degrees in the countryside. It will be a fine

morning with sunny spells. Outbreaks of rain in the afternoon spreading

from the West. This weather system will be accompanied by strong winds.

That system clears away. A windy day on Sunday. Sunny spells and

scattered showers. In northerly breeze on Monday, feeling cooler.

Can you cast a spell to improve the situation? That suits you! I have

always known that look North viewers are a creative bonds. But we have

been bowled over by your pumpkin efforts. We have put lots of your

pictures on our Facebook page. Here is a taster of our favourites. Good

night. Planet Earth - it's unique.

It has life. To understand why, we're going to

build a planet...up there.