24/03/2014 Look North (Yorkshire)

chilly old week, George. Rais thank you. That's all from the

I am so sorry to start the week with some sad news. One of York's rivers

appears to have claimed yet another young victim. Ben Clarkson was found

near the River Foss three wdeks after he went missing during a night

out. News of a second death withhn a

month comes on the eve of York's first ever river safety sumlit. Its

been organised by North Yorkshire's Police Commissioner to try to stop

more accidents. In a moment we'll ask Ben Clarkson's girlfriend what

she thinks is the way forward, but first Danny Carpenter has this.

The search for Ben Clarkson began the day the search for Megan ended.

For family and friends, weeks of anxious waiting ended by thd worst

possible news. Two more young lives claimed by the rivers of York.

Tomorrow organisations from student unions to door staff will bd coming

together to try and find waxs of making life safer. This is `n

opportunity for everybody whth some responsibility to get around a table

and discuss what more might be done. We have seen too tragic acchdents in

a relatively short period of time and it is a good moment in time to

sit together and discuss whdther there was more we can do. There had

been calls for more fencing but as the loss of Ben Clarkson shows,

that, in itself, is not an `nswer. He had been out for the evening with

friends but he left here alone and did not get his jacket from the

cloakroom. He set off for home, about a 20 minute walk. He would

have had to cross the river here. He could have gone that way but it

seems he chose to follow thd river bank. It is fenced the whold way.

York by night is busy and vhbrant. Students, tourists and locals out on

the town, having a good timd. Nights out which twice in just a fdw weeks

have ended in tragedy. Rachdl Peatfield, then's girlfriend joins

us now. Our condolences. Th`nk you for coming in so soon after losing

them. How are you and the f`mily coping? It is a really diffhcult

time for us all. It has been a horrible three weeks and it has come

to the worst possible lending. We are struggling, all of us are

finding it really difficult but I am lucky that I am so close to Ben s

family and I have a brilliant family myself and good friends and I have a

very good support network that is keeping me going. A lot of people

will watch this and that yot are so brave to speak publicly so soon

after discovering he has didd. Why are you doing this? So people

realise that it can happen to them. A common perception is that it will

not happen to me and it happens to other people. I was naive enough to

think that. It can happen to anybody and if people see somebody who has

been through it and the fact I have been so young and suffered such a

tragic loss might make people great feel for what they have got and make

people more aware of the dangers out there. We have heard from the chief

executive of York Council that they would be delighted to welcole you.

What would you like to be involved in? I would like to be a spokesman

for young people to make thdm aware of the dangers that are out there,

especially with the rivers. They have claimed so many lives. Is that

necessary and could it be prevented? This is the question, could this

death have been prevented and other deaths have been prevented? I think

it is important that young people are aware of the dangers. When you

start the night out doing jtst think about which bar you are going to but

think about what `` how you will get home and what the dangers are you

will encounter. It is too e`sy to think you might be or spiked and you

might recover from them but if you fall in the river chances are very

slim that you will survive. What would you like to see happen? I

would like to see education being a good starting point. I was from the

University myself and I went there for three years and I startdd nights

out in the student union bars. Signs in there and around town to remind

tourists because we have a lot of stag and hen parties, because they

come from somewhere where they are not used to the rivers than it could

be a danger to them. Tell us what's Ben was like. He was the most

kindest, gentlest, loving m`n you could ever imagine. He had ` big

passion for music and animals and he was so caring and gentle, hd had so

many friends and nobody had a bad word to say about him. He w`s

lovely. He had a very speci`l girlfriend does well with a lot of

courage. Thank you for being with courage. Thank you for being with

us. Our reporter Danny Carpenter is in

York tonight with Councillor Linsay Cunningham`Cross who's the cabinet

member responsible for crimd and stronger communities.

We are here on the river bank. It is a popular footpath and the popular

cycleway. We are just 100 y`rds from the bars and clubs where Megan

Roberts was last seen alive. With me is councillor Lindsay Cunningham

cross. How satisfied are yot that this is a safe environment? I am

satisfied that the city is `s safe as it can be however there `re risks

and dangers in any city that you go to. The rivers by their verx nature

are dangerous places and obviously there is always more we can do to

make them as safe as we possibly can. You are attending the summit on

the health of the council and what will you be looking at? We will be

looking at the issues around the river and the other issues that will

make people more vulnerable to incidents and things around the

river. We will be looking at all the different options on the table and

we do not rule anything in `nd out and we will see what we can do to

make those rivers safer. It is not just the rivers, it is the state of

the people when they get to the rivers. York is heavily depdndent on

the night`time economy and ht is a busy part of life in the city so

what can be done to make sure people come away from that having had a

good time but safe. The most important thing we can do is to

educate people and talk abott the different risks and dangers that are

posed in relation to the night`time economy. The council has bedn

undertaking a review in the last six months about all the aspects of the

night`time economy such as pubs and clubs that may pose risks and

dangers and we will bring all of those recommendations forward in due

course. We have been doing the work over a long period of time `nd we

want to bring all the options to the table. Thank you very much. It's

maybe small consolation to the fine # friends and family of Ben and

Megan but it seems that somdthing positive may come out of thhs.

Later on Look North: Shedding new light on the Tour De France.

We look behind the scenes at a spectacular event featuring in the

cultural festival. A 20 mile protest walk has taken

place today between Todmorddn and Huddersfield over plans to

re`organise A departments in Calderdale and Kirklees.

Campaigners say the distancd is how far they may have to travel if they

need urgent treatment. Our political Editor Len Tingle has been walking

with them. We are setting off from here and going to Hebden Brhdge In

Todmorden at 7:30am a small group of protesters gathered together to walk

towards where they played the nearest hospital A departlent will

be if proposed reforms go ahead It is 20 miles away in Huddersfield.

First stop Ebdon Bridge. No one here is fooled by these proposals. The

protesters believe the neardr existing casualties Departmdnt will

shut or be severely downgraded to save money. That is something that

the NHS denies, saying what is proposed is planned reorganhsation

to improve the overall A provision and no decisions have yet bden made.

Areas as big as Huddersfield at Halifax need their own A

departments and we need to lake sure we protect them. According to the

local Conservative MP this larch is political and premature. Thd

opposition are clearly saying that the A in Halifax is going to close

and if you look at the proposals that is not the case. My concern is

this `` that this is turned into a battle about the A is when there

is so much more in the pro `` proposals. Amanda joined thdm in

sour brood bitch. He has had for kidney `` Saurabh Reber H. H do not

think I would be alive. This distance is ridiculous. By the time

the drug testers have walked `` completed what they will have

travelled 20 miles but they say there is a long way to go as far as

this campaign is concerned. They eventually reached the Royal

Infirmary in Huddersfield ehght hours later. No casualty will ever

walk all of that way but it highlights just how far it hs.

Comedian Jimmy Tarbuck will not be prosecuted over allegations of child

sex abuse. The entertainer and quiz show host,

who's 74, was arrested last year. He was questioned about an alldged

assault on a young boy in H`rrogate in the 1970s. North Yorkshire Police

presented evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service, which has

decided not to proceed with the case.

The UK Independence Party is holding its main conference in South

Yorkshire in September. Up to 2 000 party members will gather at

Doncaster Racecourse over two days. UKIP said the event would khck`start

its general election campaign and it had chosen a traditional Labour area

to prove it wasn't only a threat to the Conservatives. The racecourse

was chosen because of its r`il and motorway links.

There's been a protest in Worksop against plans which could sde the

closure of the town's Magistrates' Court.

The changes would mean the lajority of cases being transferred to

Mansfield, and only being hdard in Worksop if other courts are busy.

The Courts and Tribunal Service says the facilities there are no longer

up to standard. A six week consultation will now take place.

There are many cases that shmply do not go ahead and also the transfer

of road traffic casework from `` to Mansfield and family work to

Mansfield is resulting in a huge backlog and it makes more sdnse in

the longer run to have more courts available for those cases to be

heard rather than everybody traipsing up and down the county. It

is a false economy. An investigation is underwax this

morning after a 17`year`old suffered serious head injuries during an

attack in Leeds. He's now in a critical condhtion in

hospital. Police are searchhng for two teenagers seen running down

Harehills Lane around the thme of the assault yesterday afternoon

Police investigating the murder of a Leeds man whose body was fotnd in

woods in Chapel Allerton have arrested a 31`year`old man. The man,

from Leeds, was arrested in Bolton last night on suspicion of the

murder of Colin Pierre, who was found dead in woods by

schoolchildren nearly two wdeks ago. Four other people were arrested on

suspicion of assisting an offender. Now to the future of Leeds Tnited.

The Football League has blocked a bid by Italian businessman Lassimo

Cellino to take over the cltb Cellino to take over the cltb

following his conviction for a tax offence.

The club's current owners GFH Capital said this afternoon that

they will continue to support the club. But with monthly lossds of

over ?1 million, how long c`n they continue to do so? Ian Bucknell

reports. It looks like being the start of a

new era. A multimillionaire Italian businessman watching Leeds Tnited

and hoping to become their new owner and the man to lead them back to the

Premier league. Last week an Italian court found him guilty of not paying

import tax on a luxury yacht. Today the football league said th`t

disqualified him from becomhng the owner of Leeds United. They said

Massimo Cellino has been convicted of an offence involving acts that

would be considered dishonest. With the club losing around ?1 mhllion a

month new investment is needed as soon as possible. The trouble is the

club could look more attractive in Administration than it does in

debt. It gets rid of a load of skeletons and makes it a much easier

acquisition but GFH Capital stay to publicly they will not allow the

club to go into administrathon so we get back to the old chestnut, is

someone prepared to buy the club in its present condition? For the fans

Administration would be the latest disaster in a decade of

disappointments and uncertahnty They do not intend to see their club

go under. We will not let the club die, none of us. We have bedn here

for generations and gone. On the pitch leads beat Millwall at the

weekend to end a run of six matches without a win. The manager was at

one point sacked by Massimo Cellino and he was reinstated and it looked

as though they could work together but not now. With uncertainty it is

not easy. It is what I spokd about on Friday. We have got uncertainty

here. It is not easy as far as we are concerned and it has bedn going

on now for an awful long tile. The managing director of Leeds Tnited

David Hay said that if the Lassimo Cellino deal fell through the club

would not go into administr`tion. Now that promise has to be kept and

the search for a saviour for the club starts again.

Our sports reporter Tanya Arnold joins us now. What is the rdaction

from Massimo Cellino? We ard getting through the transcript from a long

interview he has done with our colleagues and he talks abott being

exhausted by the whole procdss. It is the only thing that gets me is

that I know I am not a dishonest person. How can I fail to go against

someone who does not trust le? He did not answer the question about

appealing directly but talks about the perception of him. He t`lks

about the football league and says about the football league and says

they tried all the way to s`y no, not because they think therd is a

right answer but just to protect themselves from the decision. A

quite emotional Massimo Cellino but he did not answer directly the

question about whether he would question about whether he would

appeal and if he does he has 14 days to logic. It is all a mess so what

happens next? If he does not buy it then they need a buyer, thex have

massive debts and we think Lassimo Cellino has putting upwards of 6

million to bankroll the club. There is a group of local businessmen

involved who we expect to m`ke a statement in the next 24 or 48 hours

but if they are to talk to GFH Capital there will need to be

somebody in between them because there is a lot of bad blood between

them and the current group running the club but, to put it badly ``

mildly, they need buyer, Chhle know has been bankrolling it `` Lassimo

Cellino has been bankrolling it so they need a buyer sooner rather than

later but at the moment it hs a bit of a mess. Let us look at m`tters on

the pitch and some of our whnners from the weekend, and a reflection

on celebrations at Bramall Lane here's Shamir Masri.

Doncaster Rovers moved further away from the Championship releg`tion

zone with a derby victory over Sheffield Wednesday, although Leon

Best could have put the Owls ahead. Chris Brown's tap in for Donny

turned out to be the only goal of the game. It means that Rovdrs are

now eight points clear of the bottom three. Rotherham are edging closer

to securing their play`off spot in league one after a 1`0 win `t

Peterborough. Kieran Agard's 18th of the season from the penalty spot

means the Millers now unbeaten in 13 matches.

At Bramall Lane Sheffield United were marking their 125th

anniversary. Celebrations wdre held to mark the milestone including the

parade of dozens of ex`playdrs. Unfortunately United couldn't extend

their unbeaten run against league leaders Wolves who beat the Blades

beat them 2`0. And York fans will be relishing the

running to the end of the sdason. This Michael Coulson strike gave the

Minstermen a 1`0 win at Portsmouth. The result sees them climb hn to the

league two play`off places. Catch tonight's edition of Late Khck Off

at 11.20pm for all of the action and reaction from the weekend.

Rugby league now and two months after going into administration the

future of the Bradford Bulls remains in the balance.

A consortium including formdr player Abi Ekoku is the preferred bidder.

But the deal has been delaydd as the administrator and rugby league

authorities wait for proof of funding. If the sale falls through,

other interested parties include the Koukash family and Bradford City.

And join me for all the highlights from the weekend's matches, The

Super League Show is on tonhght at 11.50pm.

In boxing Sheffield's Kid G`lahad will set his sights on yet `nother

belt after adding the Europdan title to his collection on Saturd`y night.

The 24`year`old who boxes at a weight of just under nine stones put

on a boxing masterclass in Sheffield to beat Spain's champion. The

commanding points win comes 20 years since fellow Ingle fighter `nd

Yemeni Prince Nazeem won his European belt at the very s`me

venue. They now are hoping to unify his British and European titles with

the Commonwealth belt in a few weeks' time.

I'm prepared. You come to fhght You come, you are in there tonight to

try and beat me and I have to be at my best. He is back fighting in

eight weeks' time, hopefullx for the Commonwealth title, hopefully in

Sheffield, so that will be the British Commonwealth and European

titles tied up, just like Jtnior Witter did, gone the proper route

and these are good titles to have. It is lovely to see you both back

safe and sound and many congratulations.

100 days of art and culture kicks off this week with the start of the

Yorkshire Festival to welcole the Tour de France. One of the

highlights of the festival will be a spectacular event called thd Ghost

Peloton. It'll involve dancdrs, cyclists and lights. Cathy Killick's

been given exclusive access to see the early stages.

This piece first of all goes from the back and you put your arm

through. With its conjugated arrangement of straps, battdry packs

and bulbs, this wedding suit takes a bit of getting into. It has been

specially developed to light up the human body. Once the house lights

are dimmed you start to get the effect. It is the first timd these

dancers have warned them so they are working out what movements look

best. It is a little bit he`vy and all the weight is in the back. You

have to be aware of how you are standing but otherwise it w`s OK.

You only have lights in certain parts of your body so you h`ve to

make sure that everyone can see what you are moving so it may be slow or

bigger movement. It is not just dancers wearing the suits, cyclists

will as well, making a spectacle to celebrate the Tour de Francd and the

movements will be filmed in super slow motion. It creates light trails

that add a completely new dimensional.

It will be amazing, absolutdly amazing. The photographic aspect of

it is something that until H saw it myself I did not realise thdre was a

whole other world there and that is very interesting when you look at

the motion capture side of ht. Multiply the participants and this

is the sort of vision you gdt, this was a similar events and agdd in

Salford, imagine it in Leeds, with bikes. It will take eight wdeks to

turn these experimental beghnnings into a show. The dates for xour

diary other 16th and 17th of May. That looks amazing. The onlx thing

missing from that is a tanddm lit up, that would be nice.

Now then, we couldn't let today go by without thanking you all so much

for your support during our Tandem Tour de Yorkshire.

It was an amazing week! Messages on Facebook and Twhtter,

people by the roadside, but most of all your donations. The tot`l's been

growing daily and we can now reveal you have donated a total of

?125,866! Thank you. These are just some of

the letters you have sent us and there is even one for me in there.

We are gobsmacked and so gr`teful. And your cheques are still coming

in! Thankyou. Here's our fond look back at one heck of a journdy.

Five, three, four `` five, four three, two, one... Go! This was the

start. It was only an inkling of what was to come.

We got a wonderful welcome `t many towns. But Tubbs sounds lovdly,

doesn't it? But it was not! At this point Amy was singing songs from the

shows, one hill more! Then she started to dance.

But we made and we did not stop once.

Haven't you got long arms? The loneliness of the long`distance

tandem riders. And only me for company. But the

stunning scenery kept us gohng. What a welcome we got here, very

emotional. Paul Hudson joined the tour.

How are you? Still alive? Do you want mouth`to`mouth?

At how was the tears began. It all became just too much.

I have never felt anything like that.

It must have been an easy one. The crowds spurred us on.

We made it, 250 miles and one thing is important, isn't it, Amy?

We did not push once! I am missing that bike. Comd on you

are a little bit! Not in the fighters. A highlight

that we missed out was the dxtra two miles we did around Keighlex

compliments of Paul Hudson. I thought you would like thd scenic

route! I bet you set where the weekend.

It is lovely to have you back in one piece. I did worry at one stage Let

me show you the pictures th`t came in over the weekend.

it is clear and last night we had `6.3 which was older than anything

we had during the winter period Today we have had 10 degrees but the

rain is moving in with just the chance of a touch of down `` ground

frost. These are the times of sunrise and high water. The coast

will be dry tomorrow with a lot of cloud first thing and it will

brighten later. There are cloudy outbreaks of rain and drizzle with

hill fog in there as well. Where it brightens up further ease there may

be some sharp showers. For ` day out the coast is the place to bd. Look

at the top temperatures. It is never overly warm. We had sixes and sevens

across the Pennines and it will be a dreary and grey and damp dax to

come. Wednesday will be brighter verse by cloud will increasd and

showers broke out later in the east. On Thursday showers at first,

brighter later. The risk of patchy outbreaks of rain on Friday and that

is the forecast. There is hardly any wind thhs week.

It is rather mild but last week .. That is rather unfortunate!

You know that picture you couldn't identify, it was from Keighley!

That was a long route! Good night.