:00:10. > :00:13.Good evening. Thank you for joining us. Welcome to Thursday's programme.
:00:13. > :00:19.Our headlines: bumper pensions for cop Humberside fire officers, as
:00:19. > :00:24.the rest of the service faces cuts. We'll have to get the priorities
:00:24. > :00:28.right. We pay our taxes for the service, not to line the pockets of
:00:29. > :00:34.senior officers. Relatives of lost fishermen offer a reward to find
:00:34. > :00:38.the statue made to honour them. disrespects the dead of the men who
:00:38. > :00:44.lost their lives trying to put fish on this nation's table. The men
:00:44. > :00:49.jailed for plotting to smuggle heroin hidden away in baby powder
:00:49. > :00:54.bottles. The new road markings driving motorists mad in east
:00:54. > :01:04.Yorkshire. 25 degrees this afternoon. Much cooler tomorrow.
:01:04. > :01:09.
:01:09. > :01:13.Good evening. One of the region's most senior fire officers is at the
:01:13. > :01:18.centre of a row over pension payouts. Humberside Fire Service
:01:18. > :01:21.has confirmed that Mark Rhodes is to retire, just weeks after a
:01:21. > :01:26.temporary promotion, which has dramatically increased his pension
:01:26. > :01:31.payout. Mr Rhodes is reported to be one of four officers in the force,
:01:31. > :01:38.who have been temporarily promoted for two months on greatly increased
:01:38. > :01:45.salaries. The union has called for an end to what it calls an
:01:45. > :01:49.indefensible practice. The controversial payouts come as the
:01:49. > :01:54.Fire Service is trying to save �7 million from the budget and has
:01:54. > :02:01.already cut 70 posts. Senior officer, Mark Rhodes was earning
:02:01. > :02:06.�60,000 a year, but eight weeks earlier he was given a temporary
:02:06. > :02:12.promotion on a salary of �108,000. At the end of it he announced his
:02:12. > :02:15.retirement, but under rules that will boost his payout by �29,000.
:02:15. > :02:20.Humberside Fire Service, with approval from the fire authority,
:02:20. > :02:26.has so far given the temporary promotions to four senior officers.
:02:26. > :02:32.Their combined pension packages are costing more than �1 million.
:02:32. > :02:36.one hand, senior fire officers say the budget needs to be produced and
:02:36. > :02:40.there's fear that fire engines might not arrive on time and then
:02:40. > :02:44.they are able to waste money like this. We pay our taxes to the Fire
:02:44. > :02:47.Service for that service, not to line the pockets of senior officers.
:02:47. > :02:57.No-one from the Fire Service or the fire authority would agree to an
:02:57. > :03:07.
:03:07. > :03:12.interview, but in a statement Now, this local controversy comes
:03:12. > :03:21.as public sector workers across the UK are being asked to accept big
:03:21. > :03:24.changes to their pension extremes schemes. -- pension schemes. We
:03:24. > :03:29.went to near the headquarters to ask people what they thought.
:03:29. > :03:34.should have been in the position of his promotion a lot longer. I don't
:03:34. > :03:38.think it's right, but it's not the most ridiculous things these days.
:03:38. > :03:44.Nothing surprises me now. implication is for other people
:03:44. > :03:50.that are drawing a meagre pension, I think there's a knock-on effect
:03:50. > :03:56.from it. Emma Boon is from the Taxpayers' Alliance and earlier she
:03:56. > :04:00.told me why she thinks it's unfair. It's an absolutely huge pension pot
:04:00. > :04:04.increase and I think that local taxpayers will rightly feel like
:04:04. > :04:09.he's managed to cheat the system. It's really unfair that he had the
:04:09. > :04:12.temporary promotion and by doing that job for a couple of months has
:04:12. > :04:17.managed to substantially increase the amount of money that taxpayers
:04:17. > :04:21.will pay into the pension. Especially at a time when the Fire
:04:21. > :04:25.Service is facing really tight budgets and pressure on budgets.
:04:25. > :04:28.All this comes out of taxpayers' pockets. They are very well
:04:28. > :04:32.respected. Do you think that taxpayers will have a problem with
:04:32. > :04:37.this, getting more before they retire? It's not just a bit more.
:04:37. > :04:41.It's quite a substantial increase that he's had to the pofplt no-one
:04:41. > :04:48.is saying that firemen -- pot. No- one is saying that firemen don't do
:04:48. > :04:52.a good job. They work hard and keep us safe and we respect tra that and
:04:52. > :04:55.we want to see them get a good pension, but there's a difference
:04:55. > :05:00.here between what is reasonable and what is a good pension. Also, what
:05:00. > :05:05.is so far removed from the reality of what most taxpayers to expect to
:05:05. > :05:08.get in their own pensions. It's pax payers who are paying and lots --
:05:08. > :05:12.taxpayers who are paying for this and lots of taxpayers won't have
:05:12. > :05:17.anything as generous, but they'll be expected to pay for his.
:05:17. > :05:22.Ordinary firefighters are unhappy for plans for them to increase
:05:22. > :05:25.contributions. Will this story get them sympathy or damage the cause?
:05:25. > :05:31.I think this is going to rub ordinary firefighters up the wrong
:05:31. > :05:34.way, just as much as it does the taxpayers and it won't do anything
:05:34. > :05:38.for the feeling around pensions at the moment, which is that there's a
:05:38. > :05:41.lot of anger. I think it's coming from both sides. What you have to
:05:42. > :05:45.remember is the changes that are proposed to public sector pensions
:05:45. > :05:50.as a whole are moderate changes and reasonable proposals that will make
:05:50. > :05:54.pensions more affordable going forward. Examples like this one,
:05:54. > :05:57.just anger taxpayers and they'll anger ordinary firefighters too,
:05:57. > :06:01.who are already cross about changes, because it feels like some people
:06:01. > :06:04.at the top are getting a really good deal and everyone else,
:06:04. > :06:10.taxpayers, who can't afford a great pension, are paying for it. Thank
:06:10. > :06:14.you. That's the story. We would like to
:06:14. > :06:23.know your thoughts. Are you surprised that the temporary
:06:23. > :06:33.promotions and the larger pensions are there? How should public sector
:06:33. > :06:43.
:06:43. > :06:46.pensions be funded? You can get in In one moment, the Tory councillor
:06:46. > :06:55.facing criticism for having this road outside his home resurfaced
:06:55. > :06:59.for free. It's been described as a crime that disrespects the dead.
:06:59. > :07:03.The theft of this statue commemorating lost fishermen, but
:07:03. > :07:08.now the families of two men who died at sea are offering a reward
:07:08. > :07:11.for the safe return. They say they've been left so devastated by
:07:11. > :07:19.its theft they are now offering �1500 in the hope that the thieves
:07:19. > :07:25.will return it. We'll just hope that we can get this back. Standing
:07:25. > :07:31.as a memorial to Hull's lost seamen it's no wonder those who lost
:07:31. > :07:36.family at see want the statue back. I'm amazed how they got to down.
:07:36. > :07:41.was ripped down on the pier on Sunday night. Now, Mike Waudby,
:07:41. > :07:48.Jill Long and Mike Swain are offering a reward for the statue's
:07:48. > :07:53.return. We understand the scrap value was between �18 -- around
:07:53. > :07:57.�1800. We want the statue back that was given to us by Iceland for the
:07:57. > :08:02.seafairers and I find it rather upsetting. This was the statue
:08:02. > :08:09.before it was stolen. It was a memorial for those who died at sea.
:08:09. > :08:12.Men like Tony Harrison, killed in trawler fire. His wife was left to
:08:12. > :08:19.bring up two young children. For her, the statue was a place to
:08:19. > :08:24.remember. We have got nothing else. To the memory of the fishing
:08:24. > :08:28.industry or the lost ones and all the MEP that never got lost, but
:08:28. > :08:35.worked in the fishing industry. And their children. This is our
:08:35. > :08:40.heritage. They've taken it away from us. Voyage was a gift from
:08:40. > :08:45.Iceland. The sister sculpture still stands on their shores. The theft
:08:45. > :08:51.of the statue in Hull has even made the news there. It has left the
:08:51. > :08:56.sculpture shocked. TRANSLATION: They had seen on CCTV that five men
:08:56. > :09:03.had taken it and carried it away. I don't understand how they would
:09:03. > :09:06.carry it as it weighs 350 kilos and stands four metres high.
:09:06. > :09:11.Icelanders often came to the rescue of Hull seamen, men like Morris
:09:11. > :09:17.Swaine who died in the triple trawler tragedy. His bother thinks
:09:17. > :09:19.the thieves had no idea how symbolic the statue was.
:09:19. > :09:23.disrespects the dead of the fishermen who lost their lives
:09:23. > :09:27.trying to put fish on this nation's table and for someone to think that
:09:27. > :09:34.it's just got a scrap value and to rip it down from this pier, where
:09:34. > :09:37.so many trawlers sailed out of Hull, in the past, it's disgusting really.
:09:37. > :09:46.All three are hoping that their reward will bring it back and give
:09:46. > :09:49.them a place to once again remember their loved ones. There has been a
:09:49. > :09:52.lot of interest talking to people this week on this story. If you
:09:52. > :10:00.have any information about this then you can get in touch with
:10:00. > :10:10.Crimestoppers. There is the number: You can get in touch with me, if
:10:10. > :10:16.
:10:16. > :10:19.More news now and veterans who say they were made ill as a result of
:10:19. > :10:22.nuclear weapons tests in the 1950's have won the latest stage in their
:10:22. > :10:26.battle for compensation. Three men from east Yorkshire and
:10:26. > :10:30.Lincolnshire are among those given the right by the Supreme Court to
:10:30. > :10:34.continue to seek damages from the MoD. The former servicemen claim
:10:34. > :10:40.that exposure to radiation has affected their health. Something
:10:40. > :10:44.that the MoD denies. Our clients are currently dying at a rate of
:10:44. > :10:48.about three-and-a-half on month, on average, which means by the time
:10:48. > :10:52.the court hears the case perhaps another 30 or 40 people at least
:10:52. > :10:58.will have died from among the claimant group. I would call today
:10:58. > :11:01.upon the Government to stop using technicalities to avoid their
:11:01. > :11:08.liabilities, to soldiers who gave their lives to this country and
:11:08. > :11:12.bring about a settlement for this matter at the very earliest time.
:11:12. > :11:18.52year-old man has been jailed for 13 years for a string of sexual
:11:18. > :11:24.assaults on children in west Norfolk. Gary Auker had denied 17
:11:24. > :11:28.assaults and one charge of attempted rape at Norwich Crown
:11:28. > :11:32.Court. They took place over a 15- year period from 1975. A new group
:11:32. > :11:38.has been set up to attract more visitors and businesses to Lincoln.
:11:38. > :11:42.It's been created after the closure of Visit Lincolnshire earlier this
:11:42. > :11:51.year. Two men have been jailed for a combined total of 20 years after
:11:51. > :11:57.taking part in a plan to smuggle heroin disguised as baby powder in
:11:57. > :12:05.the -- into the country. They admitted trying to smuggle in 28
:12:05. > :12:11.packages. Police believe they were part of a much bigger operation.
:12:11. > :12:19.How exactly about this drug get into the country? In sentencing the
:12:19. > :12:28.pair, the judge said that the plan was simple, but highly effectively.
:12:28. > :12:31.-- effective. They used the packages from Pakistan. They were
:12:31. > :12:36.intercepted and the powder was swapped for heroin. They were
:12:36. > :12:40.marked as return to sender and the return address was marked as Hull.
:12:40. > :12:45.Using this method meant that parcels weren't treated as imports
:12:45. > :12:49.so they avoided close inspection. How unusual is the case? The UK
:12:49. > :12:52.Border Agency said today that this return to sender method was the
:12:52. > :12:57.first time they had seen it with such significant quantities and
:12:57. > :13:01.they've now nipped it in the bud and they say that they hope today's
:13:02. > :13:06.sentencing would send out a clear message to anyone else involved.
:13:06. > :13:11.think the sentencing sent a clear message about the seriousness about
:13:11. > :13:14.people smuggling heroin into this country and the 20-year combined
:13:14. > :13:19.sentence demonstrates certainly what we feel and what the court
:13:19. > :13:22.feels about it. The court heard how the two men were not the
:13:22. > :13:27.masterminds behind the plot, but looked after the Hull end of the
:13:27. > :13:31.operation, so investigations into this scam will continue. It's
:13:31. > :13:34.feared that a centre set up to help young people with autism, to lead
:13:34. > :13:38.more independent lives could be under threat. Most of the
:13:38. > :13:47.accommodation at the site is still empty. Those behind it claim it's
:13:47. > :13:51.not -- it's because not enough people are being told about it.
:13:51. > :13:55.Learning to look after yourself can be daunting for any teenager, but
:13:55. > :14:05.even more so for young people with disabilities like 19-year-old
:14:05. > :14:08.Andrew, who has autism. Since he's been coming to the supported living
:14:08. > :14:12.centre he's made real progress. the year he's been here for us to
:14:12. > :14:16.be looking and saying this is attainable, him living as
:14:16. > :14:20.independently as possible, compared to where we were when we started I
:14:20. > :14:24.would say it would be a dream that would never happen. The improvement
:14:24. > :14:29.that we have had in the last year, I would say that is definitely
:14:29. > :14:36.attendable. The complex is the brainchild of Pam Nicholson, whose
:14:36. > :14:41.own son has autism. She fears a lack of referrals could put the
:14:41. > :14:44.centre's future in jeopardy. It's frustrating that the facility is
:14:44. > :14:47.here and it's registered with the Care Quality Commission and the
:14:47. > :14:51.staff are trained and it needs to be used. The loss of the service
:14:51. > :14:57.would be a blow for young people like Jamie, who were given one-to-
:14:57. > :15:04.one support. We are growing lots of different fruit and vegetables and
:15:04. > :15:09.that sort of thing. We are actually growing our own strawberries on the
:15:09. > :15:15.side nets. The local authority has refused to go into detail about why
:15:15. > :15:19.so few referrals are being made to Cascade. Senior managers here at
:15:20. > :15:23.East Riding council insist that adult social care staff will
:15:23. > :15:28.signpost individuals to the most appropriate service for their needs.
:15:28. > :15:38.They say that these needs will always take priority over the
:15:38. > :15:40.
:15:40. > :15:44.business requirements of any provider. Thank you for watching.
:15:44. > :15:49.Still ahead - the woolly racetrack made in Lincolnshire for the 2012
:15:49. > :15:59.Games in London. The white lines that are causing confusion for
:15:59. > :16:03.drivers in east Yorkshire. If you have a picture you're proud of,
:16:03. > :16:13.send it in and we'll show it on the programme. Tonight is different.
:16:13. > :16:14.
:16:14. > :16:19.This is kt fort Henry Lake, a few miles from Stamford. It was taken
:16:19. > :16:24.miles from Stamford. It was taken by Malcolm Snell. Your crystal ball
:16:24. > :16:29.was working after last night? I'll give it another rub, Peter, see if
:16:29. > :16:39.we can get more nice weather. Don't think I'm getting drawn into that.
:16:39. > :16:40.
:16:40. > :16:43.You're on your own, mate! It's been a fabulous day today. Tomorrow,
:16:43. > :16:49.perhaps six or seven degrees cooler, with a lot more cloud around. It
:16:49. > :16:52.looks like it will pull in a light to moderate north-eastern which
:16:52. > :16:56.will pull cloud in from the North Sea, but the weekend is looking
:16:56. > :16:59.fine and pleasantly warm. In the short term, it's very nice out
:16:59. > :17:03.there. We have clouds pushing down from the north. Could be thick
:17:03. > :17:08.enough to produce the odd shower, but still some sunny spells in
:17:08. > :17:13.places, but the trend will be overnight for the cloud to increase.
:17:13. > :17:22.Could produce a little drizzle in places and we'll see temperatures
:17:22. > :17:32.down to 12C. The sun will rise in the morning at 5.11. Setting at
:17:32. > :17:32.
:17:32. > :17:35.9.04ment -- 9.04. It may be grey and cloudy tomorrow morning, but
:17:35. > :17:40.dry up through the morning and I'm thinking into the afternoon the
:17:40. > :17:47.skies will brighten and there should be some sunny spells. Always
:17:47. > :17:52.so variable. The breeze will be light to moderate, so chilly along
:17:52. > :18:02.the coast. 16 in Bridlington and perhaps only 15 in Skegness, but
:18:02. > :18:15.
:18:15. > :18:20.inland we'll see 19. The weekend I know I need danger money working
:18:20. > :18:26.with you! I wasn't grey until I started working with you. It's only
:18:26. > :18:30.over the last 15 years. What happened to the Grecian2,000?
:18:30. > :18:36.councillor has insisted he's done nothing wrong after criticism that
:18:36. > :18:39.he got his driveway resurfaced for free. Charles Bayrah sits on the
:18:39. > :18:44.East Riding planning committee. Earlier he asked contractors
:18:44. > :18:49.preparing a road outside his home to lay the leftover material on his
:18:49. > :18:56.drive. It comes two weeks after contractors ripped up tarmac that
:18:56. > :19:01.they had laid outside the home of the Beverley MP, Graham Stuart.
:19:01. > :19:08.Newly resurfaced but hasn't cost the owner a penny. The owner is
:19:08. > :19:11.East Riding councillor, Charles Bayram. I asked them what happened
:19:11. > :19:18.to the surface. They said if they can find anywhere suitable then
:19:18. > :19:22.they late it out. I said use my drive, if you wish. He says this
:19:22. > :19:26.tarmac was going to waste. It could not have been used for anything
:19:26. > :19:32.else and if anything, he's done the company a favour, by allowing them
:19:32. > :19:36.to put it here. He is adamant he has done nothing wrong. I don't
:19:36. > :19:44.agree with it. Why should he have it? We could have had our drives
:19:44. > :19:49.done. I think if it's on offer good luck to him. It comes just a few
:19:49. > :19:53.weeks after leftover tarmac laid outside Graham Stuart's home had to
:19:53. > :19:57.be ripped up. Everybody out there is getting their drive done and
:19:57. > :20:02.it's rather a coincidence that two Tory politicians have had it done
:20:02. > :20:07.at the same time. In my eyes it's just arrogance. Today, the
:20:07. > :20:10.councillor seems surprised there had been such a response to his
:20:10. > :20:15.free resurfacing. What would you say to the people in your village
:20:15. > :20:20.who say well, I can't get my drive tarmaced for free, why should he?
:20:20. > :20:25.They have the same opportunity as I have. They can have their track or
:20:26. > :20:29.drive or whatever done with any surplus material that a contractor
:20:29. > :20:34.has finished with. It's no different whatsoever. Would you do
:20:34. > :20:40.it again? Yes. You won't be removing the tarmac that's been
:20:40. > :20:42.laid? No, I shall not be removing it, no. It will stay there. East
:20:42. > :20:48.Riding council says the matter has been referred to the standards
:20:48. > :20:54.committee. Caroline is at the council's headquarters tonight.
:20:54. > :20:59.Caroline, has he done anything wrong? We have spoken to a number
:20:59. > :21:02.of tarmac companies this evening, who say that they often run a
:21:02. > :21:05.surplus at the end of the working day so they don't run the risk of
:21:05. > :21:09.running out and they tell us this is common practice, that that
:21:09. > :21:13.surplus will often be offered as a favour, as they put it, to local
:21:13. > :21:18.farmers, so they don't have to get rid of this stuff. The council tell
:21:18. > :21:22.us this evening that this could not have been used to Philpott holes.
:21:22. > :21:26.That involves planning and it involves road works and also
:21:26. > :21:30.involves certain types of tarmac. I could bore you with the science of
:21:30. > :21:34.it all, but I won't. Basically, they are saying that it couldn't
:21:34. > :21:36.have been used elsewhere. Whether or not he's done wrong as a
:21:36. > :21:43.councillor, that's for the standards committee to decide.
:21:43. > :21:49.Thank you. Thank you for all the messages on our story last night,
:21:49. > :21:53.about east Yorkshire's only natural birthing unit being closed. The
:21:53. > :21:56.Royal College of Midwives says shutting the centre is cuts to
:21:56. > :22:01.front-line services. The man in charge says he doesn't expect it to
:22:01. > :22:07.re-open for at least six months. Jenny Handly is one of those who
:22:07. > :22:17.got in touch and he was -- she was due to give birth in eight weeks'
:22:17. > :22:42.
:22:42. > :22:52.Sue from Hull says: This from Nicky says: Thank you very much for all
:22:52. > :22:56.of those. In Lincolnshire, Bernice Wilson has hit back at the
:22:56. > :23:01.authorities who have charged her with taking drugs. She could now
:23:01. > :23:08.face a two-year ban. She has criticised the test procedures and
:23:08. > :23:12.again protested her innocence. New road markings on a road near
:23:12. > :23:18.Beverley are causing some confusion for drivers. The broken white lines
:23:18. > :23:23.were painted by the local council in an effort to slow down the
:23:23. > :23:29.traffic. Many motorists using the road haven't got a clue what the
:23:29. > :23:34.markings actually mean. Driving along this country road has become
:23:34. > :23:38.a bit of a confusing experience for this. A broken white line has
:23:38. > :23:43.appeared on both sides of the road. It's larger than a cycle path, but
:23:43. > :23:47.much too small for a car and definitely a truck. Locals have
:23:47. > :23:52.been getting out their copy of the highway code trying to find a
:23:52. > :23:56.reference to this. They are still left very confused. We have all had
:23:56. > :24:01.good arguments as to what they're for. First thing I said when I saw
:24:01. > :24:07.it was it's going to cause confusion and probably accidents.
:24:07. > :24:10.It's confused me. Oh, yes, it has. My daughter rides horses and nobody
:24:11. > :24:15.seems to know where they are there. I haven't heard one that knows.
:24:15. > :24:18.It's not the first time new road markings have caused a stir. In
:24:18. > :24:24.Lincoln a double yellow line was painted around one of the city's
:24:24. > :24:29.round abouts to stop people parking on it. And cycle paths have also
:24:29. > :24:34.left cyclists in Grimsby wondering where to turn. In this case, East
:24:34. > :24:44.Riding council says it introduced the markings because there has been
:24:44. > :24:52.
:24:52. > :25:02.eleven serious accidents on this Residents say it's unclear and
:25:02. > :25:03.
:25:03. > :25:09.would like a written explanation of how exactly they should use it. 200
:25:09. > :25:14.metres of racing track has unveiled in Spalding. Dozens of groups from
:25:14. > :25:24.Lincolnshire have been involved in the plan. It might even be shown at
:25:24. > :25:32.
:25:32. > :25:36.the Olympic Park next year. On your marks... Get set... Go. It's the
:25:37. > :25:42.longest, brighter wooliest racetrack you may have ever seen.
:25:42. > :25:48.It's been knitted in every corner of the Lincolnshire county. We have
:25:48. > :25:52.worked with a secure unit, the Brownies, old people, young people,
:25:52. > :25:55.all sorts. Every age group and every ability. In less than six
:25:55. > :26:02.months, with the help of community groups and schools across
:26:02. > :26:05.Lincolnshire, they've managed to knit a distance of 200 metres.
:26:05. > :26:10.Because of the visual impact the official plim pick committee have
:26:10. > :26:14.expressed an interest to put it on display -- Olypmic committee have
:26:14. > :26:18.expressed an interest to put it on displace. We have the bunting to
:26:18. > :26:22.celebrate. This is French knitting and that's been really good to get
:26:22. > :26:25.younger ones involved. After the excitement of the display next year,
:26:25. > :26:35.the idea is to break it up and distribute it to those who might
:26:35. > :26:36.
:26:36. > :26:40.need a little extra wool. You'll only get a lizard if you're lucky.
:26:40. > :26:44.The main national and regional headlines: new revelations in the
:26:44. > :26:47.phone hacking scandal. Police tell Sarah Payne's mother she was a
:26:47. > :26:52.target. Criticism over pension payouts to senior Humberside fire
:26:52. > :26:56.officers. The union has called it an indefensible practice. Cloudy
:26:56. > :27:06.tomorrow with drizzle. Brighter later with sunshine. Top
:27:06. > :27:12.
:27:12. > :27:17.temperatures around 19. Responses on the subject of pensions. "I am a
:27:17. > :27:22.serving firefighter of 20 years and Mr Ods' increase is more than my
:27:22. > :27:25.annual salary. Disgusted doesn't come close." This one says, "I
:27:25. > :27:31.believe public sector pensions are at a reasonable standard. Forces
:27:31. > :27:35.should receive greater amounts as they risk their lives." And this is
:27:36. > :27:40.a fireman here, "Looking at more paying more into my pension to