:00:08. > :00:12.A gang of fake builders from Hartlepool who targeted elderly
:00:13. > :00:14.people, conning them out of thousands of pounds,
:00:15. > :00:20.another, an 87 year widow, was pushed to the ground
:00:21. > :00:30.In most cases, the gang took money without doing any work at all.
:00:31. > :00:32.Tonight, three of them are in prison
:00:33. > :00:40.Sunderland's suburbs, many elderly residents call this home.
:00:41. > :00:44.One criminal gang called it an opportunity.
:00:45. > :00:48.These men were part of it, they posed as builders
:00:49. > :00:54.pressurising vulnerable people into handing over
:00:55. > :00:55.thousands of pounds for work
:00:56. > :00:57.that wasn't needed and rarely carried out.
:00:58. > :01:00.Often using this red van they targeted pensioners,
:01:01. > :01:01.including a former miner from Ryhope.
:01:02. > :01:05.75-year-old George Metcalfe who, over a period of weeks, withdrew
:01:06. > :01:09.?30,000 from his bank account, his life savings were wiped out.
:01:10. > :01:14.And then the gang turned up here on Newlands
:01:15. > :01:16.Avenue in Sunderland to the home
:01:17. > :01:19.Joan was knocked over and fractured her head
:01:20. > :01:28.A neighbour phoned her that it was ten
:01:29. > :01:30.hours later so you can imagine she had lain
:01:31. > :01:31.in this little kitchen for
:01:32. > :01:34.ten hours screaming for help and it was only purely by chance
:01:35. > :01:46.-- a neighbour found her but it was ten hours later.
:01:47. > :01:48.She died three months later in hospital.
:01:49. > :01:50.Today, three members of the gang were sent to prison.
:01:51. > :01:53.Philip Orton for three years, nine months
:01:54. > :01:55.and Scott Greathead for two and a half years.
:01:56. > :01:58.The judge, Paul Sloan QC, said the three men in court
:01:59. > :02:00.today could not be held criminally responsible for Mrs Barnett's death.
:02:01. > :02:03.Another man, Levi Gales who was 44, was charged with her manslaughter
:02:04. > :02:06.A statement by one of Joan's neighbours was
:02:07. > :02:08.read out by a police officer outside court.
:02:09. > :02:11.After the incident in August 2014, we visited Joan in hospital
:02:12. > :02:13.who just seemed to have lost all interest in life.
:02:14. > :02:16.She was no longer the chatty, happy person I've come
:02:17. > :02:19.One member of the gang Michael Gales is still
:02:20. > :02:22.The judge adjourned his sentence until he is recaptured.
:02:23. > :02:27.Mark Denten, BBC Look North at Newcastle Crown Court.
:02:28. > :02:29.Meanwhile, County Durham Police are hunting three men,
:02:30. > :02:32.who attacked a pensioner and stole his life
:02:33. > :02:37.It happened in the village of Coronation, near Bishop Auckland,
:02:38. > :02:42.from where Alison Freeman sent this report.
:02:43. > :02:46.Well, police have described this as a terrifying and horrendous
:02:47. > :02:50.attack on an elderly man at his own home.
:02:51. > :02:53.Officers said they were called here to Coronation near Bishop Auckland
:02:54. > :02:57.just after half past eight on Saturday night.
:02:58. > :03:00.The 77-year-old victim had gone outside to his coal shed
:03:01. > :03:04.when he was tackled by three men wearing face coverings.
:03:05. > :03:07.They took his coal shovel from him, hit him
:03:08. > :03:09.over the head with it before dragging him inside the house,
:03:10. > :03:11.pinning him down and searching his belongings.
:03:12. > :03:15.They eventually fled with his life savings.
:03:16. > :03:18.Now, the victim did have to go to hospital
:03:19. > :03:21.where he was treated but fortunately his injuries weren't serious.
:03:22. > :03:23.Earlier today, we spoke to one of the victim's relatives who lives
:03:24. > :03:30.in this same street and he described how quickly it all happened.
:03:31. > :03:32.He just said he didn't know, he just said
:03:33. > :03:35.they were just over the wall and they were on top of them
:03:36. > :03:39.I mean, the man's 77 years old with three young lads
:03:40. > :03:41.on top of him, what chance has he got?
:03:42. > :03:44.He's got heart problems as well,
:03:45. > :03:51.They took down to hospital and he was there overnight.
:03:52. > :03:53.But shocking, you know, we don't expect it to happen around here.
:03:54. > :04:04.I used to know everyone who lived in every house
:04:05. > :04:08.Durham Police won't say exactly how much money was stolen,
:04:09. > :04:11.they will say it's a substantial amount and it was the man's
:04:12. > :04:13.life savings and they are warning people
:04:14. > :04:16.really not to keep large sums of cash in their own homes.
:04:17. > :04:18.Durham Police did however tell us what an impact this whole event
:04:19. > :04:23.Absolutely terrifying, he's alone in his own home,
:04:24. > :04:27.the place, the one place you're supposed to feel safe
:04:28. > :04:31.and comfortable in and this type of thing takes place.
:04:32. > :04:35.He's too old to really put up much of a fight, of course there's
:04:36. > :04:37.been three other people involved so it's an absolutely terrifying ideal
:04:38. > :04:40.and something which no one should have to go through.
:04:41. > :04:42.I've spoken to him every day since this has taken place
:04:43. > :04:45.several times and he's just devastated at the moment.
:04:46. > :04:47.He's just really struggling to come to terms with it.
:04:48. > :04:49.He's got a great family behind him though and
:04:50. > :04:54.Tonight, the police are saying they just want to hear from anyone
:04:55. > :04:56.who knows anything so they can catch the men responsible.
:04:57. > :05:03.This is Alison Freeman for BBC Look North, in County Durham.
:05:04. > :05:06.A woman has died following a crash involving a coach and a car,
:05:07. > :05:12.It happened just off the northbound side of the A19,
:05:13. > :05:17.The woman was taken to the James Cook hospital
:05:18. > :05:22.The driver of the coach, which was empty at the time,
:05:23. > :05:29.The police are warning there's no place to hide this week for any
:05:30. > :05:31.drivers tempted to use their mobile phones at the wheel.
:05:32. > :05:34.Unmarked police cars have been on the roads of County Durham,
:05:35. > :05:39.Teesside and North Yorkshire today looking for motorists
:05:40. > :05:45.In March, the penalty gets tougher, with offenders facing a ?200 fine
:05:46. > :05:52.and six penalty points on their licence.
:05:53. > :05:56.It was built in 1770 to produce flour for families in York.
:05:57. > :05:59.Now, nearly 250 years later, Yorkshire's only working windmill
:06:00. > :06:06.And the team of people who've restored it want to increase
:06:07. > :06:18.It was once one of hundreds of mills in Yorkshire.
:06:19. > :06:22.only one left that's working, found in the middle of Windmill Rise,
:06:23. > :06:28.Lots of orders this week so we'll have to do some milling.
:06:29. > :06:30.For a small team of volunteers, the windmill's become
:06:31. > :06:34.Before they arrived, it was derelict and neglect,
:06:35. > :06:38.though in 2012 it was restored to its former glory,
:06:39. > :06:42.thanks to ten years of hard voluntary work.
:06:43. > :06:45.There were times when we thought we're never going to get that work
:06:46. > :06:56.Yes, there was a real heart in mouth periods during that time.
:06:57. > :07:01.The mill now makes and sells around 30 bags of flour a week.
:07:02. > :07:03.To secure its long-term future though,
:07:04. > :07:06.an appeal has been made for more volunteers.
:07:07. > :07:08.a chance to learn skills that have been passed down over
:07:09. > :07:17.I mean, we've done the hard work by getting the mill restored but it
:07:18. > :07:20.makes it almost harder to keep it in the decent condition.
:07:21. > :07:22.It's one thing getting the money to do it in the
:07:23. > :07:25.first place but continuing with the income is important from our point
:07:26. > :07:27.of view and volunteers are key to that.
:07:28. > :07:30.We would still love anybody who's got the time and the physical energy
:07:31. > :07:33.because it is quite a physical job to come and get
:07:34. > :07:37.And take over from us old ones who are beginning to
:07:38. > :07:44.For anyone interested in volunteering, there are two
:07:45. > :07:46.open days at the mill this weekend.
:07:47. > :07:49.A chance to learn something new while preserving
:07:50. > :07:59.A report into severe flooding in York during Christmas 2015 has
:08:00. > :08:03.concluded the decision to open the Foss Barrier was the right one.
:08:04. > :08:08.More than 600 properties were flooded but a review
:08:09. > :08:12.panel found the action was the best option available.
:08:13. > :08:14.The report makes 85 recommendations for ways the city can better
:08:15. > :08:17.protect itself in future, including installing sirens
:08:18. > :08:25.Time now to get the weather prospects for the week ahead.
:08:26. > :08:38.It is cold. Colder still later in the week. Plenty of whether
:08:39. > :08:42.happening over the coming week and we start off with a cold night
:08:43. > :08:47.tonight. With some patchy frost and some patchy fog to watch out for as
:08:48. > :08:50.well. As we head to the middle part of the week, the winds start to
:08:51. > :08:55.freshen up, making it feel bitterly cold before things got acquired down
:08:56. > :08:59.again by the weekend. Overnight tonight, there will be some patchy
:09:00. > :09:04.frost and fork. Most of the fog patches which could to North
:09:05. > :09:08.Yorkshire, that is where they will be most likely. Further north and
:09:09. > :09:11.west, a bit more cloud coming in from the north-west. Listing
:09:12. > :09:16.recaptures a couple of degrees, keeping places frost free. --
:09:17. > :09:28.lifting temperatures. A toss of crotch under those clearing skies.
:09:29. > :09:31.-- a touch a frost. There will be Cindy is profiles after the frost
:09:32. > :09:38.has cleared, chilly, for five Celsius. Mulder north and west,
:09:39. > :09:44.damages up to eight Celsius along the Scottish Borders. As we head
:09:45. > :09:49.into tomorrow evening and tomorrow night, the odd spot of rain in the
:09:50. > :09:52.west. Some clear spells further east but I think that all be enough cloud
:09:53. > :09:58.and another of the southerly breeze to keep most places frost free as we
:09:59. > :10:00.head into Wednesday morning. When state itself, a breezy, cold field
:10:01. > :10:07.of things but the cloud will be broken. Some good sunny spells.
:10:08. > :10:13.Before the car comes from the west. Most places dry and generally up to
:10:14. > :10:17.six and seven do the afternoon. -- before the cloud comes from the
:10:18. > :10:21.west. The middle part of the week, the isobars on the chart tightening
:10:22. > :10:24.up, increasing, the wind strengthening and third Thursday we
:10:25. > :10:27.are dragging in a really cold south-easterly wind off the
:10:28. > :10:31.continent and it will feel cold in that wind. Friday, the Windstar so
:10:32. > :10:36.come back to a more southerly direction and things look to quieten
:10:37. > :10:41.down by the time we get to the weekend itself. The first day, a lot
:10:42. > :10:44.of dry weather to be had. That cold south-easterly wind, the
:10:45. > :10:51.temperatures will struggle. Some eastern areas struggle to add it up
:10:52. > :10:56.to freezing. Only three or four Celsius at best. Friday sees the
:10:57. > :11:00.temperatures recover slightly, a mostly dry picture, to up to five to
:11:01. > :11:00.seven Celsius. I will leave you for the
:11:01. > :11:03.For the weekend we will have dry weather with sunny spells and it
:11:04. > :11:13.will be a little bit milder. Good evening. We are continuing to
:11:14. > :11:21.see huge righty in the weather. Getting the detail right is proving
:11:22. > :11:26.to be a challenge. This was in Pembrokeshire and other parts of the
:11:27. > :11:32.UK were gloomy throughout the day. The fog is thickening up right now.
:11:33. > :11:40.Particularly pool on the M5 in south-west England. Very foggy
:11:41. > :11:45.across parts of the West Country. This fog is tending to spread its
:11:46. > :11:49.way further eastwards. Some fog as well across parts of Yorkshire.
:11:50. > :11:53.Northern Ireland and Scotland are mild but damn. This is how we will
:11:54. > :11:54.start the