:00:04. > :00:07.Good evening and welcome to BBC Look North. The headlines:
:00:07. > :00:17.Power supplies under threat as attacks on substations triple in
:00:17. > :00:21.just a year. People are not only putting their lives at risk,
:00:21. > :00:24.dealing with very high-voltage when attacking the assets, but obviously
:00:24. > :00:27.endangering the lives of customers and employees.
:00:27. > :00:29.Claims that Lincolnshire's schools are being privatised by the back
:00:29. > :00:37.door. After snow ruined last year's
:00:37. > :00:43.Lincoln Christmas Market, traders hope for better business this year.
:00:43. > :00:46.I am live in Lincoln, where thousands are starting to arrive.
:00:46. > :00:49.And I ask the honourable gentleman, whose fault is this?
:00:49. > :00:59.How Grantham's most famous daughter is being immortalised by a
:00:59. > :01:03.
:01:03. > :01:06.Hollywood legend. And the latest This week we've been investigating
:01:06. > :01:10.the many problems caused when thieves steal metal to sell for
:01:10. > :01:13.scrap. It costs millions of pounds and tonight we reveal figures which
:01:13. > :01:16.show a dramatic increase in the number of thefts from electricity
:01:16. > :01:19.substations. Western Electric, which covers Lincolnshire, say that
:01:20. > :01:24.over the last three years there's been a threefold increase in the
:01:24. > :01:29.number of incidents. So what needs to be done to prevent this crime?
:01:29. > :01:36.In a moment we'll be hearing from the man who speaks on behalf of the
:01:36. > :01:39.scrap metal industry, but first Copper may not be a precious metal
:01:39. > :01:43.but it is in high demand, with people willing to risk serious
:01:43. > :01:46.injuries and even death to steal it. Attacks on electricity substations
:01:46. > :01:56.like this are on the rise as thieves risk everything to get hold
:01:56. > :02:00.of metal. Throughout the sub- station you will see copper
:02:00. > :02:04.earthing. There is a small example. This is a vital safety component
:02:04. > :02:09.for the operating of the sub- station, but also the safety of
:02:09. > :02:12.engineers and members of the public. Thieves target this, and reckless
:02:12. > :02:16.scrap-metal dealers will buy it. Now the metal's being marked with
:02:16. > :02:20.smart water. It's a clear solution used to mark valuables which shows
:02:20. > :02:29.up under UV light. It can be used to tag metal to show where it's
:02:29. > :02:33.come from. It only needs something very small. It is easy to detect
:02:33. > :02:36.under ultraviolet light, if the police were to stop somebody.
:02:36. > :02:40.In the Midlands area the problem has increased dramatically in the
:02:40. > :02:42.last couple of years. In 2009 there were around 360 attacks on the
:02:42. > :02:46.electricity supply chain, with thieves targeting copper cables and
:02:46. > :02:56.overhead power lines. In 2010 that figure had risen to 960 and this
:02:56. > :02:58.
:02:58. > :03:01.year so far there have already been more than 1,000.
:03:01. > :03:05.In part it's the rising price of the copper that attracts thieves,
:03:05. > :03:12.despite the dangers. When cables like these are stolen there is a
:03:12. > :03:16.knock-on impact on infrastructure. It also affects the telecoms
:03:16. > :03:19.industry and the industry networks. Reverend Matt Martinson left a life
:03:19. > :03:23.of crime to join the Church. He's backing an online petition calling
:03:23. > :03:31.for scrap dealers to stop cash payments but says people must be
:03:31. > :03:34.vigilant. Try to light up the dark areas of the Church, in the grounds
:03:34. > :03:38.and things, and be aware of your surroundings.
:03:38. > :03:42.Technology like this helps to mark stolen metal in the hope that it
:03:42. > :03:52.can't be sold on, but campaigners argue that a change in the law is
:03:52. > :03:52.
:03:53. > :03:56.needed to really get this problem under control.
:03:56. > :04:01.We have been keeping a tally of metal thefts in the area. Since
:04:01. > :04:04.Saturday, Lincolnshire Police have had 74 calls about theft and
:04:04. > :04:06.Humberside Police have had 20. Earlier, I spoke to Ian
:04:06. > :04:15.Hetherington who's from from the British Metal Recycling
:04:15. > :04:19.Asssociation. It not only damages the reputation of the metal
:04:19. > :04:24.recycling industry, but it is also damaging the infrastructure of it,
:04:24. > :04:28.in that we are obviously one of the largest victims of metal thefts.
:04:28. > :04:33.More than 1000 raids on electricity sub-stations this year, costing
:04:33. > :04:37.millions and putting lives in danger. And this is because your
:04:37. > :04:43.industry offers cash in hand to the thieves, and that is what everybody
:04:43. > :04:50.is saying. Well, firstly, we unreservedly condemn the theft of
:04:50. > :04:55.infrastructure. It damages communities, the opportunity for
:04:55. > :04:59.travellers to travel freely, and our members would never knowingly
:04:59. > :05:03.entertain the buying of stolen material. Why can't we stop cash-
:05:03. > :05:09.in-hand payments at scrapyards? Isn't it time your organisation did
:05:09. > :05:13.something about that? The issue is not cash in hand, or the means of
:05:13. > :05:19.payment. The issue is having a clear route of identification
:05:19. > :05:24.between the seller of the metal, the stolen material, in these terms,
:05:24. > :05:30.and the buyer. It does appear, though, that you police yourselves.
:05:30. > :05:35.Do you not need the government to do something, to push something on
:05:35. > :05:40.to you to get it sorted out? strongly dispute that. The scrap
:05:40. > :05:45.metal industry, the metal recycling industry is heavily regulated. We
:05:45. > :05:48.contend that much of that regulation is badly enforced and we
:05:48. > :05:52.must see the police and the Environment Agency and all the
:05:52. > :05:56.other regulating bodies, of which there are very many, actually begin
:05:56. > :06:02.to co-ordinate their activities and clampdown on the illegal operators
:06:02. > :06:05.who provide the outlet for this material. But those who run the
:06:05. > :06:10.scrapyards, when they are offered metal which is stolen from gardens,
:06:10. > :06:14.or whatever, they are not doing anything wrong? Absolutely, they
:06:14. > :06:19.are doing wrong. If they are knowingly receiving stolen material,
:06:20. > :06:24.there should be heavy penalties. We would support and we are urging the
:06:24. > :06:27.Government to tighten up the penalties. But if you were to ban
:06:28. > :06:32.cash-in-hand, it would stop. would not. It would have no impact
:06:32. > :06:38.at all. There are currently a large underbelly of illegal operators out
:06:38. > :06:41.there, working outside the existing framework of the law. If you banned
:06:41. > :06:47.cash tomorrow, all that would happen is that their business would
:06:47. > :06:51.enlarge and we would grow the underbelly. And at the disadvantage
:06:51. > :06:59.of those who are heavily regulated and who can form with the law in
:06:59. > :07:03.the current times. Thank you. The subject of metal thefts.
:07:03. > :07:06.We'd love to hear your views on this. What's the answer to this
:07:06. > :07:16.increasing problem of metal thefts? Is it as simple as stopping cash-
:07:16. > :07:33.
:07:33. > :07:36.In a moment, concern about how long disabled people in East Yorkshire
:07:36. > :07:39.are having to wait for benefit payments.
:07:39. > :07:42.More than half of Lincolnshire's schools will be academies by the
:07:42. > :07:45.start of the next school year. Academy status gives schools more
:07:45. > :07:53.direct control over budgets, staff and timetables, but opponents say
:07:53. > :07:56.it makes them less accountable. Tarah Welsh has been to one town
:07:56. > :08:00.where the issue has been so controversial that it's led to
:08:00. > :08:04.resignations. This site was taken over by
:08:04. > :08:10.Skegness Academy in 2010. Those running say it's turned a troubled
:08:10. > :08:14.school into a remarkable academy. Lincolnshire County Council has
:08:14. > :08:17.urged all of its schools to take up academy status. That would mean
:08:17. > :08:25.they're independent from the local authority and that's why some
:08:25. > :08:29.campaigners are against the move. It is literally hounding the
:08:29. > :08:34.ownership and management of running the schools over to unaccountable
:08:34. > :08:37.private businesses. I think parents are not aware, at the moment, that
:08:38. > :08:40.when a school goes to academy status, they lose that layer of
:08:40. > :08:43.local accountability. But the principal here says
:08:43. > :08:52.converting to academy means better behaviour, results and resources
:08:52. > :08:55.for pupils and the community. have got an Academy council that
:08:56. > :09:00.has local authority representatives on it. It has staff representatives
:09:00. > :09:03.on it that live in the local community. Because we are local
:09:03. > :09:06.people, we know what affects local kids.
:09:06. > :09:09.But when Mark Anderson and Colin Wright were governors at Skegness
:09:09. > :09:16.Junior School, when they discovered it would become an academy under
:09:16. > :09:20.the same trust as the secondary school, they resigned. Gut-
:09:20. > :09:25.wrenching, because I put so much effort into it. What could happen
:09:25. > :09:29.is communities not having a hold on community schools. The community
:09:29. > :09:33.has a big say. Look at this resource. This is a learning
:09:33. > :09:36.resource centre that will be open to the community after school hours.
:09:36. > :09:39.But here in Lincolnshire, 55% of secondary schools have already
:09:39. > :09:46.converted into academies. A much higher proportion than elsewhere in
:09:46. > :09:49.our region. In East Riding, there are five
:09:49. > :09:54.Academy's Art of 18 secondary schools. In Hull, there are three
:09:54. > :09:57.out of 14. In Lincolnshire, there are 32 academies, leaving just 20
:09:57. > :10:01.in local authority control and it is a transition the Government
:10:01. > :10:04.encourage. Lincolnshire schools have been doing very well for young
:10:04. > :10:08.people over the last few years that they can do even better and academy
:10:08. > :10:11.status gives them the freedom, flexibility and resources to raise
:10:11. > :10:17.standards for all children. And with such strong support from
:10:17. > :10:20.ministers, it's likely more of our schools will become autonomous.
:10:20. > :10:24.Young cancer patients from East Yorkshire had their first look at a
:10:24. > :10:27.new specialist cancer unit for teenagers today. The facility at
:10:27. > :10:31.Castle Hill Hospital in Hull will mean many young people will no
:10:31. > :10:35.longer have to travel to Leeds for treatment. It was built with money
:10:35. > :10:39.raised by the Teenage Cancer Trust. Police interviews have begun in the
:10:39. > :10:42.case of a former paratrooper whose body was found in a Hull mortuary
:10:42. > :10:46.more than ten years after his funeral. Christopher Alder died
:10:46. > :10:49.after being held in police custody in 1998. His family thought they'd
:10:49. > :10:52.buried him two years later, but a police investigation began after
:10:52. > :10:58.his body was discovered. South Yorkshire Police won't reveal who
:10:58. > :11:01.they've spoken to as part of their investigation.
:11:01. > :11:05.The funeral has taken place of Red Arrows pilot Sean Cunningham, who
:11:05. > :11:08.died in an accident last month at the display team's base in
:11:08. > :11:13.Lincolnshire. Flight Lieutenant Cunningham was ejected from his
:11:13. > :11:16.Hawk jet while on the ground at RAF Scampton. It was the Red Arrows'
:11:16. > :11:26.second fatality this year after the death of another pilot, Jon Egging,
:11:26. > :11:31.
:11:31. > :11:35.in August. Today's funeral service was held at Coventry Cathedral.
:11:35. > :11:41.Still ahead: How a Hollywood legend is
:11:41. > :11:45.immortalising Grantham's most famous daughter. And it has only
:11:45. > :11:55.been open a few hours, but thousands are turning up for the
:11:55. > :11:56.
:11:56. > :12:00.If you have a picture that you are proud of, ascended into us and we
:12:00. > :12:10.will show it at half-time on the programme one night. -- send it
:12:10. > :12:16.
:12:16. > :12:22.There is an interesting story about that. That cloud had no name until
:12:22. > :12:32.18 months ago when the cloud appreciation Society named it.
:12:32. > :12:33.
:12:33. > :12:38.The headline for the next 24 hours will be thrust and perhaps one or
:12:38. > :12:42.two icy patches tonight, but then tomorrow will be chilly but dry
:12:42. > :12:48.with some sunshine. Not looking too bad. This weather system might
:12:48. > :12:52.bring patchy rain tomorrow night. It has not been too bad today. The
:12:52. > :12:56.BIC chilly but bright. Quite a lot of cloud its dreaming up from the
:12:56. > :13:02.south. That could threaten parts of Norfolk with some patchy rain in
:13:02. > :13:06.the next couple of hours. It will soon move away, pulling the medium
:13:06. > :13:11.level crack -- cloud that has been with us. That means the skies will
:13:11. > :13:20.Collier and there will be a fairly widespread frost, with temperatures
:13:20. > :13:30.down to roundabout freezing. So the sun will rise in the morning at 750
:13:30. > :13:35.
:13:35. > :13:43.You may be scraping ice off your windscreen in the morning. It will
:13:43. > :13:48.be a lovely, crisps that. The sunshine will turn hazy. Bright at
:13:48. > :13:57.times, especially through the afternoon. It will stage right. The
:13:57. > :14:05.wind will freshen, so it will feel a little chilli. A further ahead,
:14:05. > :14:15.patchy rain on Friday night. Saturday is not looking back. More
:14:15. > :14:16.
:14:16. > :14:22.unsettled on Sunday with patchy Follow me on Twitter.
:14:22. > :14:30.We can hear more about asparagus, or whatever it is called!
:14:30. > :14:37.Asperatus! Linda says, we can still see Paul,
:14:37. > :14:40.can he moved out of Europe?! People in our area who have their
:14:40. > :14:44.disability living allowance stopped can face long delays before their
:14:44. > :14:49.case is heard by an appeals tribunal. Some people have had to
:14:49. > :14:55.wait over a year. The Tribunal Service say the deal with half a
:14:55. > :14:59.million cases a year. They admit there is a backlog.
:14:59. > :15:04.One Afghanistan war veteran, and one person with Chron's disease. An
:15:04. > :15:08.incurable disease of the Basle. They are very different people with
:15:08. > :15:14.very different disabilities, but both have suffered, or are
:15:14. > :15:18.suffering, the same consequences of lengthy delays to hear their
:15:18. > :15:27.appeals for disability living allowance. About nine months later,
:15:27. > :15:31.I got my appeal. The earliest date my appeal can be head is June 1st
:15:31. > :15:39.next year. It took Arona over a year to receive his allowance after
:15:39. > :15:46.an appeal. Louise claimed in June, was refused will have to wait until
:15:46. > :15:54.June next year. A lot of people have been in my position. There are
:15:54. > :16:01.plenty more out there. You are having to make sacrifices in
:16:01. > :16:06.between. How many more people will go through it? The weight is a
:16:06. > :16:13.familiar story at the Citizens Advice Bureau. The air is like a
:16:13. > :16:19.thorn all. There is lots of benefits claiming. There are
:16:19. > :16:26.perhaps incorrect decisions being made. There are too few venues, too
:16:26. > :16:36.few trained tribunal members to hear cases quickly. In a statement,
:16:36. > :16:41.
:16:41. > :16:44.the Department of Work and Pensions The government says it has been
:16:44. > :16:49.listening to concerns, and they are now reforming disability living
:16:49. > :16:55.allowance. I have already announced significant changes to the way we
:16:55. > :16:59.are approaching these reforms, particularly around the assessment
:16:59. > :17:03.criteria we are using. That is directly as a result of listening
:17:03. > :17:07.to disabled people and their organisations. In the meantime, the
:17:07. > :17:16.wheeze is having to live on significantly less money until her
:17:16. > :17:20.tribunal his head -- Louise. New Hull FC players had been
:17:20. > :17:27.talking about how they are settling into life in England. Wade McKinnon
:17:27. > :17:30.and Brett Seymour joined Aaron Heremaia in training today. They
:17:30. > :17:40.told Simon Clark that Hull had given them a great welcome.
:17:40. > :17:45.They come from mainland Down Under. Australians and a Kiwi. What are
:17:45. > :17:51.the main cultural differences when you leave the Antipodes behind for
:17:51. > :17:59.East Yorkshire? A theme is already emerging. Cold weather! Sunshine at
:17:59. > :18:04.home to the weather here! They have left fine weather and the splendid
:18:04. > :18:08.landmarks behind to pursue their futures in rugby in East Yorkshire.
:18:08. > :18:15.One of them will have more than most to remember Hull by. It will
:18:15. > :18:23.be exciting. We have got a baby due next year. It is another string to
:18:23. > :18:27.the Barra! It is all very exciting at the moment. These fans watching
:18:27. > :18:32.training today had their take on what the players need to settle.
:18:32. > :18:37.Mix with the people and you are laughing. Hull people are friendly,
:18:38. > :18:46.so they will take to them. If you snub them, they will not want to
:18:46. > :18:53.know you. Three years ago, Rachel Barton left elbow and to settle
:18:54. > :18:58.here. -- left Melbourne. The best way to settle his blend in, and try
:18:58. > :19:07.to see places they have hidden away. I think Hull is a great community
:19:07. > :19:11.with plenty to offer, but you have to go and find it. We have been
:19:11. > :19:16.driving on stopping and having lunch. We are enjoying it at the
:19:16. > :19:22.moment. All three of us have not seen snow, so we are hoping for
:19:22. > :19:27.some! Was never the weather, Hull FC fans trust they will settle into
:19:27. > :19:31.their rugby and help return the glory days to the club.
:19:31. > :19:37.It was cancelled last year, but this afternoon, Lincoln's Christmas
:19:37. > :19:43.Market opened, with local business is hoping to make up for last
:19:43. > :19:53.year's disappointment. Leanne is live at the market tonight. What
:19:53. > :19:58.can people expect? As you can imagine, there is hot
:19:58. > :20:01.food and wine available, home-made gifts, toys and jewellery. A third
:20:01. > :20:06.of the stalls you can see down there will be showcasing
:20:06. > :20:11.Lincolnshire products. We will have more on that tomorrow. Lots of it
:20:11. > :20:16.comes from across the UK and Europe. Lincoln has a very strong bond
:20:16. > :20:20.which its sister city, Neustadt an der Weinstrasse in Germany, where
:20:20. > :20:29.much of the wine that is sold here comes from. I have travelled to
:20:30. > :20:34.Germany to see it in production. With its beautiful countryside,
:20:34. > :20:39.historical buildings and Cathedral, it's easy to see why Neustadt an
:20:39. > :20:46.der Weinstrasse is twinned with Lincoln. The town also has a castle,
:20:46. > :20:52.but down below are 40 miles of thing out. That means plenty of
:20:52. > :20:56.wine. -- 40 miles of vineyards. P Anselman estate is one of the
:20:56. > :21:06.biggest producers in the region, producing 1.6 million bottles a
:21:06. > :21:08.
:21:08. > :21:13.year. The wine we are bottoming today is a cabernet sauvignon. We
:21:13. > :21:21.export our wines to more than 20 countries worldwide. Especially to
:21:21. > :21:29.the UK. And, of course, Gluvine, or mulled wine as we call it, is a
:21:29. > :21:35.huge seller at this time of year. Gluvine is very popular, especially
:21:35. > :21:43.in November and December. After a cold, winter day it is very nice to
:21:43. > :21:48.get warm again, and it is very special if you were in a typical
:21:48. > :21:53.German Christmas Market to drink it out sight. For the last 29 years,
:21:53. > :22:01.wine from the region has made the 15 hour journey to its twin town.
:22:01. > :22:05.Around 2000 bottles are sold at a Lincoln Christmas Market every year.
:22:05. > :22:15.Thousands of litres made a wasted journey last year after the event
:22:15. > :22:16.
:22:16. > :22:26.was cancelled because of the snow. We could not believe it. After some
:22:26. > :22:27.
:22:27. > :22:30.time, week saw the snow. After two days, we returned to Germany.
:22:30. > :22:33.the weather in England being unusually warm for this time of
:22:33. > :22:37.year, their arrival went to plan, and there is plenty of stocks for
:22:37. > :22:44.this year's Lincoln Christmas market.
:22:44. > :22:53.As we saw there, the snow last year. Traders will hope to make up for
:22:53. > :22:57.that this Shea. The well indeed. -- this year. John is from the council.
:22:58. > :23:03.How much money does the market bring in? We estimate about �10
:23:03. > :23:08.million into the local economy. People come and spend money in the
:23:08. > :23:14.city. And hopefully they will come back in the future. I am told this
:23:14. > :23:20.is the biggest to date. What is new? We have more stalls, about 260.
:23:20. > :23:26.We have children's craft, Street feta. Lincoln is delivering what it
:23:26. > :23:31.always does. Atmosphere. A great start to Christmas. How many people
:23:31. > :23:37.are expecting to come to the market? It is difficult to say, but
:23:37. > :23:46.we think about 200,000. That is a lot of people. Why should people go
:23:46. > :23:50.if they want more information? can look at the dedicated website.
:23:50. > :23:56.Once they get here, there is park and ride at a Lincolnshire
:23:56. > :24:01.Showground. The tourist centre has lots of information. Thank you very
:24:01. > :24:06.much. Let's hope the weather stays as good as it is tonight. It is
:24:06. > :24:12.feeling very festive here, and we will have more from here tomorrow.
:24:12. > :24:15.The thank you very much. She is one of Lincolnshire's most
:24:15. > :24:19.famous daughters. Last night, Leicester Square in London was
:24:19. > :24:22.packed for the premiere of a film about her life. It is called the
:24:22. > :24:32.Iron Lady and is the story of Margaret Thatcher. She is being
:24:32. > :24:33.
:24:33. > :24:37.played by Meryl Streep. What do they make of her life story in its
:24:37. > :24:43.Grantham? She was the first lady of politics,
:24:43. > :24:49.and earned the reputation not to be trifled with. All attempts to
:24:49. > :24:56.destroy democracy by terrorism... Margaret Thatcher was prime
:24:56. > :25:03.minister through political turmoil, and foreign conflict. Her career
:25:03. > :25:08.began here in Grantham. Her father was a shopkeeper. This is,
:25:08. > :25:11.admittedly, an elegant street in Grantham, but it was still some
:25:11. > :25:15.journey from here to Westminster. It was further still for the
:25:15. > :25:20.daughter of a greengrocer to make it all the way to Hollywood. Of
:25:20. > :25:28.course, it had to be a Tinseltown Ailey stare like Meryl Streep to
:25:28. > :25:33.pull off the part of the Iron Lady. -- Tinseltown a police death.
:25:33. > :25:41.wanted to in some way capture whatever it was that drew people to
:25:41. > :25:45.her. And whatever it was that made people have a special venom for her
:25:45. > :25:52.as a public figure. Do the people in Grantham know what it is all
:25:52. > :26:01.about? First woman to do something? Prime Minister. That's it. What she
:26:01. > :26:06.did was splendid. She did a lot for women. They put a statue or porter
:26:06. > :26:12.and someone not the head off. always did divide opinion. You can
:26:12. > :26:17.decide for yourself when the Iron Lady comes out next month.
:26:17. > :26:22.There we are. The first woman to do something! I love that.
:26:22. > :26:26.Let's have a recap of the headlines. The Governor of the Bank of England
:26:26. > :26:30.tells high-street banks to increase their reserves as concern grows
:26:30. > :26:34.about the eurozone. Attacks on electricity sub-stations
:26:34. > :26:39.triple as metal thieves threaten power supplies.
:26:39. > :26:49.A dry day tomorrow, although the clouds -- This Guy's will cloud
:26:49. > :26:49.
:26:49. > :26:53.Big response on the subject of the metal thefts after our report and
:26:54. > :27:01.interviews this week. Peters says, what that Gentleman has said is
:27:01. > :27:05.rubbish. That is our guest. I lived in West Hull and local youths would
:27:05. > :27:08.stretch lead from occupied and derelict houses, knowing that local
:27:08. > :27:12.scrap dealers give them ready cash to feed their drug habits. George
:27:12. > :27:17.said, it and it takes one of these idiots to get electrocuted, it
:27:17. > :27:25.might make them think twice. Gill says, signed who is by newt and
:27:25. > :27:34.give the thieves know where to take it, that is the answer -- Sark --