15/05/2014 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

Good evening. The inquest into the deaths of three men, who were trying

to kayak down the River Tyne, was told today all three were

"relatively inexperienced" at the sport. Two brothers and their cousin

died as they tried to paddle through heavy flood water last Sunday. Their

bodies were recovered the next day. The inquest was opened and adjourned

for a full hearing at a later date. Here's our Chief Reporter, Chris

Stewart. Three days after the emergency services pulled the bodies

of the men from the water and now the formal enquiry into their deaths

begins. Brothers Darren and Mark Thorpe were aged 41 and 39 and were

phoned South Shields. They'd gone on the trip with their cousin Gavin

Bradley, 36, also from South Shields. He is pictured here. The

police say the men had planned to paddle from Hexham to Wylam along

water is swollen by heavy rain. They were found on a stretch of the River

Tyne between Corbridge and Riding Mill. The coroner 's court here in

North Shields heard all three men had only recently taken up the

sport. The British Canoe union says more than 1 million people take to

the water in canoes and kayaks in this country every year. While it

may seem inevitable that this hearing will eventually find that

the men died as the result of an accident, that's not the sole

purpose of the inquest. The coroner will want to examine all the

evidence to see if there is something there that might present

similar tragedies in the future. The full hearing is scheduled for July.

Joan Lawrence, the mother of missing York chef, Claudia Lawrence, has

spoken of the emotional turmoil she's been thrown into by this

week's developments. Police investigating the case have been

continuing their forensic examinations at two houses in York

and North Shields. Both properties are linked to 59`year`old Michael

Snelling, who was arrested on Tuesday and released on police bail

last night. Cathy Killick reports. The house in then grow in York

remains the focus of police activity in searches today. Three days after

the arrest of a 59`year`old man on suspicion of murder. He has been

released on conditional bail. The house is half a mile from Claudia

Lawrence's. The 35`year`old chef disappeared without trace in March

2009. Her family have campaigned tirelessly for the last five years

to keep Claudia's disappearance in the public eye, hoping for a

breakthrough in the case. This morning, her mother Jones said it

has all taken an emotional toll. This is the first time there has

been an arrest in five years. This has come totally out of the blue. I

had absolutely no warning, not even an inkling that this was going to

happen. It was like shell`shocked. When the police walked in and

informed me quite early in the morning that this was going to take

place and they did informally before it went out to the media. I just

couldn't believe it. While the rest may feel like a break though it is

worth stressing that no one has been charged and Mrs Lawrence is wary of

people jumping to conclusions. I just need to sit and think about it,

say my prayers and get through the day. At the bottom of all this, I am

concerned about this person because this person might be totally

innocent. I am concerned about, both my daughter and my ``. Meanwhile,

And the search goes on for 19`year`old student Luke Pearce, who

went missing at the weekend after a night out in Durham.

Luke hasn't been seen since the early hours of Sunday morning, when

he left his friends after visiting "Jimmy Allen's" nightclub. He was

last seen heading in the direction of Maiden Castle.

For the first time since the original left South Tyneside as a

gift for the Pope in the Eighth Century, a copy of a bible written

by Bede in his Monkwearmouth`Jarrow Monastery can be seen in our region.

The only full`sized replica of Codex Amiatinus is being unveiled at

Bede's World in Jarrow this Sunday. Julie Smith's been to have a look.

The work and word of the need for the first time back home with this

replica. He'd created the original Codex in 692 as a president for the

Pope in Italy. 2060 pages show up calligraphy and binding from the

period. It was a book used for celebration and once believed to be

lost. You think of this is a replica it is a good chance for all that

want to study medieval time. And calligraphy. They can come here and

learn so it is a great event. The original was housed at a monastery

in Italy for 1000 years. It is a place now twinned with South

Shields. We are working together to promote cultural links. And to try

and encourage tourism to the two areas. This is said to be one of the

biggest bucks in the world and each page measures 70 centimetres by 52.

It is twice the size of the Lindisfarne Gospels. It is the core

of what we are about. Having it here give his as but extra gravitas. We

are thrilled. The bug will be unveiled to the public this Sunday.

And it's well worth a visit, if you can get along. That's all from me.

Time, now, to look ahead to the weekend weather with Paul Mooney.

A decent day today here in the North. Temperatures up to 18

Celsius. Tonight it stays dry with broken spells cloud. Temperatures

shouldn't drop below eight or nine degrees. Tomorrow looks like another

decent day. Any early mist will lift and clear. We will see Sunny spells

developing through the latter part of the morning and the early part of

the afternoon. Temperatures through the afternoon in the mid teens. In

the east we should easily be today's figures. 21 in Sunderland easily

achievable. As we had through the weekend the high`pressure hangs on.

Temperatures still nudge into the low 20s. As tomorrow's

prospect for the weekend, which shows we keep it fine, dry and warm.

And we can leave you with the national picture.

More warm weather on the way, today almost felt like June across the

country. Temperatures did hover around 22 degrees, the average for

June.