04/12/2013 Look North (Yorkshire)

Good evening and welcome to Wednesday's Look North. Tonight: A

man is arrested for shooting an unarmed police officer. She suffers

serious injuries after responding to a routine call in Leeds. The gun is

found just over a mile away. A female officer has sustained serious

injuries to her face, her neck and her right hand. We'll be live at the

scene of the shooting in Hyde Park. Also tonight: Roads to be closed

around Yorkshire's tallest building ` Bridgewater Place ` as high winds

are forecast. Trains are already being cancelled. We'll have the

travel latest. We're joined in the studio by one of

the best mountain bikers in the world ` Sheffield's Steve Peat.

And some wild weather on the way tomorrow. A Met Office early warning

for widespread, severe gales. Join me for the latest.

Welcome to the programme. Tonight, this man ` James Leslie ` is in

custody after a policewoman was shot in Leeds. She survived but suffered

serious injuries. Here's what happened. At ten past three this

morning, two police officers answered a routine call to a

domestic disturbance in Headingley. At around 4am they knocked on a

door. Imagine the terror of what happened next. They were confronted

by a man with a sawn`off shotgun. They tried to placate him. As he

raised his gun, the policewoman instinctively lifted her right hand

but he fired ` injuring her face, neck and hand. She hit the panic

button on her walkie talkie. Soon armed police were on the streets.

Six hours later, just after 10am, a man was arrested here around a mile

away. Ian White is in Headingley tonight. There is still a big police

presence here. Headingley as famous for Yorkshire cricket. It is a

popular place for students. But residents got a surprise this

morning. They saw armed police. This is the gun used to shoot a police

officer. The incident in the early hours of this morning sparked a

major police armed operation. Teams of police, and scientific support

officers, have spent the morning looking for evidence. It all began

when two police officers were called to a mane disturbance after 3am. ``

minor disturbance. They were confronted by a man holding a sawn

off shotgun. I heard a couple of shots. It was like fireworks. I

thought it was fireworks. But then the police came round and they told

us what had happened. The policewoman 's male colleague was

not injured. The police officer has sustained injuries to her face, her

neck and her right hand. How condition is not life`threatening.

There was a major response from police units. Police took the

unusual step of releasing the name and photo of the person they were

looking for. 37`year`old James Leslie. The public were warned that

he was dangerous. At ten past ten, the focus switched from Cardigan

Road to another area of Headingley. The suspect has now been arrested. A

firearm has been recovered. The sawn off shotgun could be seen lying on

the road near a primary school. It was very close. People from there

could be walking nearby. Police say they are not looking for anyone else

in connection with the shooting. James Leslie remains in custody. The

job officer's condition is described as properly. `` injured officer's

condition. The officers involved in this incident have been described as

brave. This was a unprovoked incident. There is no longer any

threat to members of the public. That is the very latest. Well the

Police Federation say that today's shooting shows the dangers faced by

officers every single day they're on duty. The officers have gone to what

is commonly known as a routine call. I have my own views on that... There

is no such thing as a routine call when it comes to policing, as today

has proven. What happened in the early hours of this morning

highlights the extreme dangers that our officers face on a daily basis.

We're joined now by West Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Mark

Burns`Williamson. Two policewomen were murdered last year in

Manchester on a routine call ` how worried are you about the safety of

front line police officers on routine calls? I want to echo the

comments of the Chief Constable. My thoughts are with the injured

officer. I want to pay tribute to the dedication and bravery shown.

With regards to safety, police officers clearly have a difficult

and dangerous job to do. It is my belief that there is a lot of

support for police officers. But we have specially armed forces. The

drive to the scene quickly. `` arrived at the scene. Should more

front`line officers be armed? We are investigating this in terms of

training. But I do not believe that we should move to routinely arming

police officers. The police service themselves do not support routine

arming. Lots of police officers have been shot in the past. Absolutely.

There have been tragic incidents in the past. The recent tragic

shootings of the police officers in greater Manchester. The

professionalism and bravery of our police officers is brought into

stark reality when things like this happen. It is important not to knee

jerk response. `` in response. I do not think routinely arming police

officers as the correct response. `` is the correct response. Should the

public be worried? Is gun crime on the increase? The police reacted

very quickly today. They were on the scene within minutes. The public

have cooperated very well. There is a lot of police visibility in the

area tonight. I'm sure that will be the case for the next few days. Gun

crime happens. We need to make sure that the police work with lots of

other agencies and act as quick as we can to detect and find out where

these crimes are being happened. We make it a priority to bring people

to justice. Later on Look North: A mother's

fight for justice. Another of Tyrone Clarke's killers bids to move to an

open prison without seeing a parole board.

In other news, the funeral took place today of one of the four

people who died in a house fire in North Derbyshire. 27`year`old Claire

James died when her house at North Wingfield caught fire last month.

Today's service came only days after hundreds of people held a walk to

raise money for her funeral and for her seven`year`old daughter who

survived. The funerals of Josie Leighton and her sons Tyler and

Jordan ` who also died in the fire ` will be held on Friday.

The Transport Minister Baroness Kramer was in South Yorkshire today

to announce a ?38 million bus transit route, connecting Sheffield

and Rotherham. A link road under the M1 at the congested Tinsley

roundabout is going to be built as well as a new fleet of buses. The

service is due to open for passengers in the Autumn of 2015.

This improves the quality of the service. All along that route there

are many employment opportunities. Many major employers. This has

helped link employment with areas of regeneration. It opens up new job

opportunities. We're increasingly looking at infrastructure, and

saying that if we make these kind of improvements then we can open up

economic growth and open up job opportunities.

43 people have been arrested in a major police operation in North

Yorkshire. Officers have recovered stolen goods, as well as seizing

money and drugs including heroin and cannabis. Operation Hawk, as it's

known, is designed to send a stark warning ` that criminal activity

will not be tolerated and police will pursue anyone intent on

breaking the law. Phil Bodmer spent the day with officers in York and

Scarborough. An early morning call for the unsuspecting occupants of an

address in York. A team in police raid a house in Clifton, on the

lookout for stolen goods. We have a systematic search of the address

undergoing at the moment. As it stands, we've recovered some items.

We'll have further inquiries later on in the day. This highly visible

police activity ` co`ordinated from a central control room in York `

involves hundreds of officers, special constables and PSOs from all

areas of North Yorkshire. ` PCSOs. Its aim is to make offenders fear

the consequences of committing crime. Police say today's actions

send out a clear message to criminals travelling into North

Yorkshire. If they do come, with the intention of committing illicit

activities, they'll be met by a very hostile reception. In Scarborough,

traffic officers were out patrolling rural roads. They're favoured by

many criminals as a way of avoiding the main trunk routes. We've got

some intelligence that there's a vehicle nearby, connected to drugs.

It might not stop for us, as it has a boot full of drugs. Since July,

Operation Hawk has seen more than ?2 million of property seized. ?750,000

worth of drugs has also been taken off the streets. Back at the address

in York, three people are taken in for questioning. They've been

arrested. They'll be interviewed and questioned. This evening, North

Yorkshire Police say more than 40 people have been arrested so far

today. They expect more to follow overnight.

Roads around Bridgewater Place in Leeds will be closed to traffic

tomorrow because high winds are expected. The decision to shut

routes around Yorkshire's tallest buildings comes after a coroner

yesterday called for the measure following the death of a pedestrian.

Our reporter Spencer Stokes has the latest. There are motorways nearby.

The tight network of roads near the bottom of the tower gets extremely

busy during the rush hour. Tomorrow morning, the routes will be closed.

Water Lane and Neville Street will be closed. Those are likely to stay

in place till the afternoon. This comes after the death of a

pedestrian who died when a lorry blue onto him in 2011. `` blew onto

him. A coroner has said That road should be closed after the Wednesday

top of about 45 mph. `` after winds get up to speeds of 45mph. Trains

We'll also be affected. `` Trains will also be affected. Services

between York and Newcastle will not be running after 640. North

Yorkshire Police are telling people to stay away from there. Waves could

be particularly high. The winds are expected to be strongest in the

morning but they will die down in the afternoon. And of course, Paul

will be here later on with the latest on those warnings about

severe weather tomorrow. He'll also have the forecast for the next few

days. A Leeds mother is fighting a ruling

which could allow another one of her son's killers to move to an open

prison without seeing a parole board. A judgement ` known as the

Guittard review ` allows murderers to switch jails on the agreement of

the Secretary of State, with no opportunity for the victim's family

to attend a parole hearing. Tyrone Clarke was stabbed to death by a

gang in Beeston. One of his killers has already used this ruling to move

to an open prison and now another hopes to do the same. Emma Glasbey

reports. Tyrone Clarke ` 16 years old and on holiday with his family.

Three weeks later he was chased by a gang in Beeston, beaten with

baseball bats and stabbed to death. Four men were convicted of murdering

Tyrone and given life sentences. But in 2012, one of them was moved to an

open prison. Using a decision made in the High Court ` called the

Guittard Ruling ` he was able to avoid a parole board and the

transfer was agreed by the Secretary of State instead. Tyrone's mother

says that meant she was denied the opportunity to attend a hearing and

feel part of the process. Now she's been told that another of her son's

killers hopes to use the same ruling. I was devastated. I'd never

heard of the ruling at all. I didn't know what to do at first. I had a

breakdown. I think it's very unfair, because I think every prisoner has

to go to a parole board. Lorraine has been an active campaigner in the

years since Tyrone was murdered. Now her MP is writing to the Prisons

Minister to see if they can challenge the Guittard Ruling. I've

just sent my second letter today, asking what we can do in parliament

to try and overturn the judgement. It is a High Court ruling but I

wonder if there are any mechanisms in place in parliament so that we

can actually make it fairer for the victims and their families ` not

just the prisoners. Next year will mark a decade since Tyrone was

killed. His family say the fight for justice goes on. This evening, the

Ministry of Justice have told us that in a minority of cases

prisoners can be transferred to open conditions following an assessment

process that does not include the parole board. They say victims are

central to this process and their personal statements will always be

read to help inform the final decision.

Sport now, and there's already been a big step forward in Sheffield

Wednesday's search for a new manager today. The Wednesday chairman Milan

Mandaric has told us he's got a short list of four or five

candidates. And one of the names on it ` you guessed it ` is Neil

Warnock! Warnock has been out of football management since he left

Leeds United back in April, concentrating since then on his

media interests. But the Wednesday chairman says he wants someone who

"understands English football", which would make Warnock a front

runner. Interviews will take place over the coming days, but no

appointment is expected before Wednesday's next match which is at

home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

So Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley are without managers at the moment,

but they're not without hope after shock wins in the Championship last

night. Barnsley won their first away game of the season while Wednesday

defied the odds to beat the team at the top of the table. Ian Bucknell

reports. Sheffield Wednesday fans must have feared the worst when

Anthony Knockaert tip`toed his way through their team's defence to put

league leaders Leicester City in front. But soon after, on`loan

Connor Wickham made something of nothing when he controlled an

up`and`under then smashed the ball in at the far post. With barely a

quarter of the game played, Wickham was at it again. Not much on in the

packed penalty box? Not a problem! Wednesday had a long time to hold on

to their 2`1 lead, but they did ` largely thanks to goalkeeper Damien

Martinez. Barnsley also bounced back after sacking their manager at the

weekend. They had keeper Jack Butland and the woodwork to thank

for keeping Brighton at bay. A goal to savour now from Paddy McCourt. He

twists and turns his way past six defenders before squeezing his shot

into the goal. In the second half, former Chelsea player Jacob Mellis

showed real quality ` starting off a move and then finishing it off

himself to double Barnsley's lead. When Brighton pulled one back

minutes later it could have knocked Barnsley off their stride. But it

didn't and they held on for a precious win. Caretaker boss Micky

Mellon is set to stay in charge for one more match at least. The cloud

to the silver lining is that Wednesday and Barnsley remain the

bottom two teams. There's work to be done, but at least the job has been

started. Two stunning goals coming up now. First of all, Ollie

Norwood's stunning long`range strike to win the game for Huddersfield at

Bolton. You could be forgiven for thinking Norwood had sewn up shot of

the season, but think again. David Cotterill here with a bullet of his

own to equalise for Doncaster at Birmingham. A good night's work for

all of our Championship teams. Now, what do you get when you

combine two wheels, a rough downhill track and pure Yorkshire grit? One

of the best`known mountain bikers in the world of course. Sheffield's

Steve Peat has won a host of international titles in a career

that's spanned 20 years ` and he's still going strong. Well a new film

aptly named 'Won't Back Down ` The Steve Peat Story' is due to get its

world premiere in his home city on Saturday. We'll be talking to Steve

in a moment, but first here's a taste of the film.

You're mad on a bike! That is what people say. You're throwing yourself

down a hill! Was this a hobby that turned into a career? I suppose so.

I got a mountain bike and went along to a race one day. I won the first

race. I from there. `` I progressed from there. Do you ever get

frightened? Definitely. Take us through what goes through your mind.

This is a really fast section. You are just trying to go as fast as

possible. I do a lot of practice runs. I need to know where my

breaking point. What is the best track you have ever been on? In

Scotland. Fort William. It is a really tough course. Tell us about

the film. I'm quite nervous about it. When I won the World

Championships in 2009, they were going to make a story about me. But

we missed the date. We went back through historical footage. So it is

no more of a life story. `` is it now more of a life story. Have you

ever thought it is time to retire? I have had plenty of injuries but I

enjoyed what I do. It is easy for me to focus on the next race. Look at

that! Who gave you that footage? What keeps you going? The fun. I

really enjoyed racing. `` enjoy racing. I have done it for a long

time and I really enjoyed it. `` enjoy it. Thank you.

Fantastic stuff. Now for the weather. Here are some of your

photos. Keep them coming. There is a Met office warning in

place. `` Met Office. We are expecting 60 to 70 miles per hour

winds. The peak winds will be from mid`morning till the afternoon. The

Environment Agency have also put a warning in place because we are

expecting a tidal such. `` surge. A quiet day on Friday. Much less wind.

It has been a lovely day today. Temperatures of around seven

Celsius. It is dry and clear this evening but clouds are increasingly

tough. Patchy rain. These are late evening temperatures. The sun rises

in the morning at 8am. Patchy rain first thing in the morning. The

weather front gets its act together and the rain comes down. If you went

to the showers. `` A few wintery winds. Temperatures will follow me

through the afternoon. `` fall away. A slight dusting of snow perhaps.

The weekend is looking settled albeit mostly cloudy. Goodbye for

now.