15/07/2011 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

Good evening. A family of travellers who conned up to

�1million from vulnerable pensioners have been jailed. Five

members of the Price family, whose last address was a caravan site in

Lincolnshire, overcharged elderly victims in North Yorkshire and

Cumbria for roofing and gardening jobs. Richard Thomas has the story.

Thirsk in North Yorkshire, a picturesque market town. For many,

a place to retire and enjoy a quiet life. For one family Thirsk had a

different attraction, its wealthy elderly population, seen as a rich

pickings for the Price's. Over a four-year period this was a place

where many people fell victim to the Price's rooffing and gardening

scam. �52,000 from one woman alone. They basically cold-called old

people and tell them they roof is damaged, and work needs to be done.

Here is the action, filmed as part of the investigation. David Price

Senior is sawing furs, this earned him a �300, not a bad price, except

he dumps the branches in the trees rather than taking away. Here he is

again, clearing away shrubs. This cost the homeowner �200. There were

dozens more. When he told me how much it was, I told him I was

shocked, not as much as this. I had been conned. When he started

shouting, by God I was frightened. He kept shouting, he wanted more

money. North Yorkshire Police's investigation was called Operation

Violet, it is one of their biggest investigations. They took hundreds

of statements. They would change their name, they would change their

business names. They would wear hats, and flat caps to change their

appearance. The true scale of this con will never be uncovered. It is

thought the number of victims could be in the hundreds. Too many to

question about what was done. Even when the Price family had been

sentenced, there are plenty of more unscrupulous tradesmen to fill

BT has announced it's to create up to 280 new jobs at its new complex

in South Shields. BT is expanding its flagship ten and a half million

pounds complex at Harton Staithes. The company will begin recruiting

for the call centre jobs later this month and expects to have the new

staff in place by November. The news was welcomed by Ian Malcolm,

leader of South Tyneside Council. We desperately needed jobs, we said

all along by developing a partnership with BT it will act as

a catalyst to bring new employment to South Shields, and help

regenerate the North Bank. The Great North Museum in Newcastle

is hosting the largest ever UK exhibition of ancient Egyptian

artifacts on loan from the British Museum. The "Pharaoh:the king of

Egypt exhibition" contain priceless objects which span over three

millenia of ancient Egyptian history. Its made up of one hundred

and thirty objects from tiny sculptures to giant tomb guardians.

I think it is really important for the people of the north-east to see

the national collections. They come from the British Museum, they

belong to Britain. Just having this fantastic partnership with the

British Museum is letting us show them to local people, it is a great

a thrill. Rothbury's traditional Music

Festival starts today. It runs until Sunday. And the Duke and

Duchess of Northumberland will be attending tomorrow for the launch

of a CD of the late Northumbrian of a CD of the late Northumbrian

piper Tom Matthews' music. Let's take a look at the weather.

Cooler, outbreaks of showers. Plenty of rain tonight. It is going

to be a warm night, minimun temperatures of 14 Celsius. First

thing tomorrow the the rain will be with us again, it will disburse as

we go through the day. The weekend we go through the day. The weekend

is going to be on the wet side. That's all from our shorter than