10/02/2014 Inside Out North East and Cumbria

In the next half an hour, have the citizen bloggers of Whitby uncovered

a horrible truth or published a damning slur? He was a paedophile.

He was well`known to local people and the police. He was protected

because of his status as a very wealthy and influential businessman,

a mayor and a very successful and local councillor.

Can a forgotten symbol of the north`east's industrial past be

turned into a 21st century attraction?

It is going to be a promenade. It is going to be a peer. Certainly, I

have crazy ideas. It is a climbing frame. Stories from the heart of the

north`east and Cumbria, this is Inside Out.

It began as a what's on guide for a pretty North Yorkshire town, but it

ended up creating a stink. It has become a libellous rag or a fearless

exposy of corruption depending on who you talk to. We put Real Whitby

under the microscope. It is famous for its harbour, tea

shops, tourism. Whitby was until the citizen journalists of Real Whitby

online blog. It features what's on notices, taking politicians to task

and lists of lurid allegations. News blogs can be accused of indullening

cranks and conspiracy theories, but they can ask questions and uncover

truths. What about Real Whitby? We are going to put some of its claims

to the test. First, a planning row. An exploration and development

company, focussed on becoming one of the world's post important producer

of potash. Landowner stood to make millions

from mineral rights if serious and its subsidiary York Potash got the

go`ahead. Around the same time, he will he will Elton John was

headlining in Scarborough. The planning committee would decide if

the mine could go ahead. Real Whitby had a concern about h tickets. I

discovered the chairman had free theatre tickets? Is there anything

wrong with that? It doesn't look right. A company that wants to build

a mine, I don't think they should be giving tickets to elected members.

We asked the company for an interview about the tickets. Serious

wrote saying no, but added Tim was given the tickets as a thank you for

signing mineral rights agreements with Serious Minerals Company York

Potash. It wasn't just the Elton John tickets that concerned Real

Whitby. One of his land purchases was next door to the proposed mine

site and he bought that over a year before the proposed mine head site

was announced. I thought it was strange. Real Whitby complained last

March. Tim Lawn told the National Park he had a mineral company,

something he hadn't mentioned for five months. Soon after, he

resigned. A police investigation found he may have breached the law

by failing to register the company as an interest, but he had no

criminal intent. We the wanted to put questions to Tim Lawn about the

particulars k tickets, the land, the mineral company. That's our second

interview refusalment he wrote that he disclosed everything to the

council. He was open about leasing his mineral rights to York Potash.

So we asked the National Park for an interview. They said no.

Refusal number three. Their statement said Tim Lawn did not

participate in the potash decisions. His land interests were clear. The

authority would continue to deal with the application with

independence and objectivity. Was Real Whitby right to raise its

concerns? Yes. What they said checked out. They were right at

least to ask questions. It is a pity we couldn't persuade anyone to talk

to us about them. Real Whitby moved on to local

councillors claims for telephone and broadband allowances. Those who sit

on North Yorkshire County Council and a local council. I looked

throughout the county council and there is 72 county councillors and

37 were also claiming IT or broadband expenses from their local

councils as well as the county council. Is there anything wrong in

that? Yes. It is just morally wrong. They should only claim it from one

source. Are we talking a lot of money? ?500 from IT, broadband and

the figures a at the local authorities differ it can be ?180 to

?400 or more. It was accepted that double payments had been made. A few

councillors stopped claiming. One made arrangements to repay. Most

continued taking the money. The county council and most of the local

councils continued the payments because they said it was an

allowance, not a repayment of expenses. Private Eye took up the

case. The public may think if you a being paid twice for the same thing,

you shouldn't. There is a difference dwen whether you are legally

entitled or morally and I think Real Whitby were within their rights to

raise that. We asked North Yorkshire County

Council for an interview. Refusal number four. Their statement said

the basic allowance was a contribution to the out of pocket

costs to councillors who work hard. The Standards Committee found no

case to answer. Claims for much smaller amounts of money attracted

microscopic inspection. Real Whitby alleged that county councillor, a

form police councillor, had double attended mileage. If true, he

appeared to be defying Einstein's theory of relativity. We checked. He

claimed from North Yorkshire Police authority for travelling to a

meeting at stone Cross. At the same time he claimed from North Yorkshire

county for attending a meeting at county hall. That meant he was

travelling to the second meeting while simultaneously attending the

first and whilst returning from the second. At some point, he may have

passed himself on the road! In total, claims for 661 miles. We

contacted countor Les and got our fifth interview refusal. He said he

referred himself to the council's Standards Committee and the police.

The claims had been fully audited. He had been at the meetings, but

travel times weren't always recorded accurately. He repaid ?34.43 and

apologised for causing extra work. But is Real Whitby always right? It

claimed it carries other very serious unsubstanciated allegations

about individuals like other mainstream news organisations, we

would not repeat them here. You are reaching serious conclusions and it

is claimed that you are not backing these up with all the facts? the

these up with all thefacts? the facts? Le that's sheer nonsense. The

articles, all of the articles are highly particularised. Very, very

often the majority of the information on which the articles

are based is actually information that's in the public domain. We got

a couple of things wrong and I have had to correct those and apologise.

For those that you do accuse, do they have a right to reply? Very

often we have sent drafts to people and said we will publish an article

close to this. Nobody ever comes back and says, "Don't you publish

this. This is not true." I have never published anything I don't

feel comfortable with. Do you understand the risks? Probably as

well as I should understand them. Does that worry you? Yes. Does that

still make you feel it is worth doing? Yes, I believe, you know, the

information that we provide, it isn't provided by any local media

sources. We are amateur bloggers. We don't have legal training in the art

of being a journalist and we are learning as we go. It is a steep

learning curve. It is a steep learning curve and we are trying as

much as possible to approach it in a reasonable and measured way.

Bloggers are criticised for wasting time and money by bombaing public

bodies with questions. Are they an expensive nuisance? Local councils

are always moaning people don't vote enough. They don't take enough

interest, but when the blogs and websites take a close interest and

start scrutinising these people, they get uncomfortable and resorts

to legal threats and so forth to have it closed down.

If they get serious allegations wrong, shouldn't Real qhit bee be

subject to the `` Whitby subject to the law. Vegging their allegations

is costing tens of millions of pounds. We went back to her and said

please particularise what in particular are you suggesting that

we have said that is untrue because if it is untrue, naturally, we

retract. We apologise and we will publish a correction. We have never

had a reply. Then it was claimed the council had

tried to close Real Whitby down. At the time, the council said it had

not. This letter, sent earlier to Real Whitby's internet service

provider says the council requests you terminate Real Whitby's website

hosting service because it is in breach of your own terms and

conditions. Doesn't that mean shut it down?

We asked the council for an interview and got our sixth refusal.

Remember, these are public bodies refusing to speak. Its statement

said it was not trying to shut down Real Whitby, but remind its internet

provider that it was breaching its terms and conditions by publishing

abusive comments and said the website's content was self he have

evident and didn't need specific listing.

Recently Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles told councils to allow

filming of their meetings. Last November Real Whitby tobleg him at

his `` took him at his word and set about filming a parish council. He

has been encouraging the members of the public to go along to meetings,

to film them and tweet them and this is in the best interests of

democracy. The council didn't appreciate Mr Pickles guidance and

ordered them to stop filming. Are you saying the staut uts don't apply

here? The council was outraged and called

the police. It is believed six officers turned up!

It is a private club. They don't want any gate`crashers. The chairman

still appears to be camera shy. He said no to an interview.

Refusal number seven. The council issued no statement and simply

referred us to the National Association of Local Councils. Now,

one of Real Whitby's most serious allegations that former Scarborough

mayor, Peter Jaconelli, seen here with good friend Jimmy Savile was a

child abuser. Councillor, Jaconelli what sort of carry on is this for a

future Lord Mayor of Scarborough? He was a paedophile. He was well`known

to local people and the police for this and that he was protected

because of his status as a wealthy and influential businessman and

mayor and a successful and local councillor.

True? We contacted some of Real Whitby's witnesses. We began with

Trevor and caught up with him in Australia. He was 11 when he says

Jaconelli assaulted him in his van. Once you finish work on a

night`time, Peter used to take us home in his van. I wasn't the only

one. There was quite a few of us. Nobody wanted to sit in the front.

That is definitely. Everybody tried to get in the back. There was that

many somebody had to sit`in the front. When you sit`in the front,

Jaconelli's hands are wandering. One hand is on the wheel and the other

hand is playing with you. Or trying to. And it the didn't matter when

you told him to (BLEEP) off or leave it alone. He just laughed it off. It

was a joke. He just, it was just a joke to him. You knew it was going

to happen. Everybody is aware of it. It is going to happen. So there is a

feeling of trepidation and I can feel that. I can see his face. He

featured in his ice cream shop on Jim' ll Fix It. You are a nice girl.

It looks easy, doesn't it? He held the world oyster eating record.

Peter is going at it very well. Peter is going at it very fast. The

oysters are disappearing fast. After Real Whitby published, more alleged

victims of Jaconelli came forward. It was back in 1972 or 1973. I was

12 or 13, I was walking along the sea`front at Scarborough South Bay

and he called me over. He said, "You. You, you want a Saturday job?"

I went upstairs and sat down. He turned up a few minutes later. Sat

next to me. Put his hand on my inner thigh and said, "Let's see what we

can do now." Well, with that, I just got up and ran away. This man was 15

in 1968 when he claims Jaconelli propositioned him outside his ice

cream parlour. He came over and started talking to me and made

conversation and he asked me when I was going to go upstairs and show

him my (BLEEP). I told me parents and my father took me to the police

station, the next day or the day after. We gave a statement and after

I had told the police officer what had happened, he said that he

believed what I told him. He was aware of similar stories, but that

Peter Jaconelli, councillor Jaconelli was a town councillor, a

county councillor, I think, he ran a judo club. He was a businessman. And

he was a pillar of Scarborough's society and that was the end of it.

What did you make of it? To think that he would do that and know that

he could get away with it, it is just amazing. Peter Jaconelli died

in 1999. He is still listed as an honorary elder man of Scarborough.

This is a dead man who can't defend himself and you made one of the most

serious allegations possible and you want his alderman status removed.

Are you comfortable? Ever course, it is true that he can't defend

himself. Neither can he be punished. Neither can he go to jail. It is

very clear that there is reason enough to believe this is not a

fitting figure to carry the status of alderman.

We have spoken to five witnesses from the 13`year`old boy who was

assaulted in a gents loo to a 15`year`old who was grabbed from

behind whilst trying to collect cash. They are all credible. But we

have seen no compelling evidence of an organised cover`up or a

paedophile`ring operating in Scarborough as Real Whitby claims.

The Borough Council says it passed on allegations of abuse to North

Yorkshire Police. Why have none of his alleged victims been

interviewed? Refusal number eight. The police declined speak on camera.

In a statement they said the force and the independent police

complaints commission had reviewed its handling of Real Whitby's

claims. No further action was require. It will consider any

allegations raised in programme or elsewhere. So, still no reason why

the aligeed victims say `` alleged victims say they haven't been

interviewed. We also asked Peter Jaconelli's relatives to be

interviewed. Refusal number nine. In their statement, they said, there

wasn't one occasion where they heard complaints or been shown factual

evidence regarding the allegations. They would condemn improper or

criminal acts Peter Jaconelli may have committed, but judgement must

be based on clear and sound evidence. The Real Whitby postings

do not satisfy these criteria. That's Real Whitby. It is claimed,

it turned from a what's on, to a what's wrong in North Yorkshire.

Critics say it is a libellous rag and unfortunately none were prepared

to go on camera to say that. We have tested some of Real Whitby's

allegations and put forward evidence, it is up to you to decide

who is right. Gibside was built on the wealth

created by coal. It is a monument to our industrial past. Whilst we

cherish beautiful place, sometimes heritage that isn't quite so pretty

can be overlooked. Down from here on the banks of the Tyne, a vital but

gritty part of our coal mining history could yet become a popular

tourist attraction. The Gateshead Staithes is the

largest wooden structure in Europe, built to load coal onto boats. But

as mining in the region slowly declined, it was abandoned. But,

could there still be a future for the staithes? A few months ago I

visited the man who is desperate to preserve it. Martin Hulse from Tyne

and Wear's Building Preservation Trust was on tenterhooks as he was

nervously waiting to hear if he had secured the funding he needed. It is

not serve this will happen, is it? It is not certain at all. It is on

the Risk Register and my job is to get it off the register, but we need

money. We need investment. Martin can relax. He's secured

nearly ?1 million worth of funding and work begins this month. Now, I

will be looking at what the future holds here, but first, I want to

find out about the history. With the demise of the coal industry, Beamish

Museum is one of the few places you can still get a feel of the industry

that powered the nation. Why was the north`east so important to the coal

industry? Well, a number of reasons, but the primary ones are, we had

good quality coal. Close to the surface and most importantly, close

to water. So we were able to ominate because we could get the coal fairly

easily from the mine and on to water and thes it was shipped to various

ports, but mainly through London. London was the big market. So our

success was because we could ship it out? We could ship it out.

But getting the coal onto boats was no easy task. Vast wooden structures

called staithes, strong enough to hold trains laden with coal appeared

all over the North East. Stafford is one of the privileged few who

visited the staithes in Dunston while it was still working. So

really impressive the scale of these Staithes? Yes. How do they work? The

wagons were brought down to the Staithes and manoeuvred by hand with

hand brakes and so on. When the handbrake was down, they were

screeching and they opened the doors down into the hopper.

Staithes could handle vast amounts of coal at breath`taking speed. At

Dunston in one year alone, it shipped a record`breaking 5.5

million tonnes. When you see the staithes today, it's hard to imagine

the scale of what went on here. It wasn't just Dunston it was all over

the north`east. It was the closure of coal pits.

But the Dunston Staithes remains as an important reminder of our coal

mining heritage. It is hard to believe this is allowed to rot away.

With an impressive structure that lost its purpose, well what do you

do with it? In New York they've found an answer.

An old disused railway line has recently been transformed into an

attractive raised park and has become one of the city's most

visited tourist attractions. The line was originally used for

transporting goods in and out of The Big Apple, but as trucks began to

take over, its closure was inevitable. A group called Friends

of Highline fought for its preservation, and it was reinvented

as an urban park. A piece of heritage that would have otherwise

decayed and disappeared, has found a new purpose as a highly valued

public space. Can the same happen on Tyneside? For Martin, ten years of

campaigning has been worth it. How do you feel now you have got the

cash? When the phone call came through, I was just numb. Weeks of

nervous energy had just built up. You can never believe it until it

happens. So what's your first task? The first task is simple. The whole

structure is floating. This is petty arson. Youngsters have set fires at

the base of the Staithes. Can you fix it? Yes, it will look identical

to the original. We are in discussions about opening up the

cycle route from the city centre across this bridge. This is the

coast to coast route. You have an audience ready? That's it. 37,000

users a year come along this path. You will be able to cycle in. We

want to get people on top. That's the most important thing about the

project. How soon before people will be allowed on it though? The summer

2015 we will aim to get people on the structurement

`` structure. The staithes did see a brief revival

in 1 990, when some restoration work was done to make it part of the

Gateshead Garden Festival. But since then, it's only really been used as

a good vantage point by fishermen, and in 2003, fire destroyed a large

section. It was very nearly a tragic end for the staithes. Although fire

crews managed to bring the fire under control, it became unsafe and

it was closed to the public. Out of the ashes, comes a chance to

let the imagination run wild. On board are structural engineers,

architects and a professor of fine art. Today's trip is mainly to look

at the structure from this side of the river. Quite large sections of

the Dunston Staithes have been damaged by fire. And this is the

area I would like to concentrate on for my piece. Wolfgang is hoping

that an artwork here at the staithes will ignite new interest in the

structure and leave a lasting legacy. Through the installation of

the artwork, we hope to raise a debate or discussion about

sustainability. How to deal with difficult heritage. How to sustain

that. How to make it meaningful again. We need to survey the

condition of the tops of these piles and so we need to get some

dimensions so we can draw a plan of where they are and then we can think

about where one might anchor for a bring to go across. We are at the

beginning of our research so I can't really tell you what it will look

like. It is not so much important what it looks like, it is more what

it does. We hope that it really brings together the communities and

make the Staithes alive, you know. The artwork will be created by local

students and will be open to view in the summer of 2015. It will become

part of the story of the Staithes restoration, but what are the longer

term plans? It will be a promenade. It will be a pier. People will be

able to walk along and cycle and enjoy, but we have got to be more

innovative than that. You are open to ideas? I have crazy ideas. You

could install big solar panels and make power and make money. People

talk about the High Line in New York and that's the level of ambition you

have got to have. Really, we are open to ideas. You You really want

people involved in this? It is people in Newcastle, people across

the river there. We want to find out what they want to see happen. So

what do you think should happen to the Staithes? Now is your chance to

share your vision. Just go to my blog:

And that's it for another show. Next week, can a multi`millionaire

businessman foster a better way of looking after kids? I will see you

next Monday. Until then, from Gibside, good night.

Hello, I'm Ellie Crisell with your 90 second update. More flooding

Hello, I'm Ellie Crisell with your misery. Thousand of homes in

Berkshire and Surrey are now vulnerable as Thames river levels

reach record highs. 14 severe flood warnings are in place - meaning

lives are at risk. Full update at ten. Two men have been convicted of

helping triple killer Joanna Dennehy. Gary Stretch was found

guilty of one count of attempted murder. Leslie Leyton was convicted