:00:10. > :00:15.Good evening. Welcome to Look North. Targeting the metal thieves, police
:00:15. > :00:20.in Sheffield Braid dozens of homes in a clampdown on the crime that
:00:20. > :00:24.blights every day life. Also, the last resort. How
:00:24. > :00:28.thousands of people in Yorkshire are paying sky-high interest on
:00:28. > :00:33.loans taken out from doorstep sellers.
:00:33. > :00:38.And it green and pleasant, but where are the trees? Why people are
:00:38. > :00:45.being urged to plant more trees in the Yorkshire Dales.
:00:45. > :00:55.The skies were clear earlier today but will be sunshine last? Join me
:00:55. > :00:56.
:00:56. > :01:01.later to find out. We start the programme with news
:01:01. > :01:04.that metal theft is a growing problem across Yorkshire and the
:01:04. > :01:09.disruption caused is increasingly affecting our daily lives. Now
:01:09. > :01:13.police are hitting back. They have mounted a series of raids
:01:13. > :01:17.on houses and lock-up us in South Yorkshire and arrested more than 20
:01:17. > :01:23.suspected thieves and are recovering thousands of pounds-
:01:23. > :01:30.worth of Stonham Aspal. -- stolen metal.
:01:30. > :01:36.A normally quiet street, suddenly busy with police. Outside the house,
:01:36. > :01:40.a tell-tale sign. The remains of a fire, used to remove copper from
:01:40. > :01:46.stone and cable. This is not the kind of thing you would get in your
:01:46. > :01:50.house. It is something from a factory. It is too big to have been
:01:50. > :01:56.in the house. We need to speak to them about where this has come from,
:01:56. > :02:00.why they have got this burnt side. It is a rest number 22 in this
:02:00. > :02:08.week-long operation. We are going to have to arrest you on suspicion
:02:08. > :02:13.of theft of this metal. Across town, there is an amazing discovery. A
:02:14. > :02:22.backyard scrapyard, metal of all crimes, almost certainly all stolen.
:02:22. > :02:27.What has been found here, stolen roadsides, beer kegs, cutting the
:02:27. > :02:34.air and over in the corner, a smelting pot, a basic foundry. And
:02:34. > :02:38.this is the end product -- product, aluminium. A I have never seen such
:02:38. > :02:42.a set-up. We work on metal theft day to day and I have never seen
:02:42. > :02:47.anyone with a home-made foundry like this. This is a decent fined
:02:47. > :02:53.for us. The owner says he can explain anything but he will have
:02:53. > :02:57.to do it at the police station. is not a victimless crime. It
:02:57. > :03:03.affects rail travel, street lights, electricity supply, broadband and
:03:03. > :03:09.all ends up as higher bills. It is off to address number three. I am
:03:09. > :03:17.here with a search warrant. metal this time, but they have
:03:17. > :03:22.still struck gold. 27 cannabis plants, around �20,000 worth.
:03:22. > :03:26.Criminals apparently diversified. That offers no protection. I want
:03:26. > :03:36.the criminals in Rotherham to note that we know who you are, we have
:03:36. > :03:39.
:03:39. > :03:43.Next tonight, there are warnings that 40,000 people living in
:03:43. > :03:46.Sheffield attract -- are trapped in poverty and are forced to borrow
:03:46. > :03:50.money at exorbitant rates of interest. These figures have been
:03:50. > :03:55.released by the Citybus by university. If you borrow �500 from
:03:55. > :03:59.a doorstep lender, you could pay another �500 in interest. That is
:03:59. > :04:04.compared with around �80 interest if you borrowed it from a credit
:04:04. > :04:08.union. Or just �50 interest from a bank loan.
:04:08. > :04:13.In a moment we will be talking to an economics expert who has
:04:13. > :04:19.investigated the issue. First, we have been to meet one woman who
:04:19. > :04:22.found herself trapped in debt. She was a struggling single mum
:04:23. > :04:26.when she borrowed money from door- to-door salesman in Sheffield. When
:04:26. > :04:32.it came to Christmas, the loans felt like something she could not
:04:33. > :04:39.refuse. Now, looking back, she wishes she had turned them away.
:04:39. > :04:42.is not just the money-lending and the amount that they charge, it is
:04:42. > :04:51.the fact that you have someone knocking on your door. It is not
:04:51. > :04:55.very nice. How were they would you? When I could afford to pay, they
:04:55. > :05:02.were fine. But if money was tight, they would be a little bit, you
:05:02. > :05:06.know, not intimidating, but they would badger you a bit. She borrows
:05:06. > :05:09.money from licensed doorstep salesmen. I have been speaking to
:05:09. > :05:13.some of the company's selling these loans and they say they are heavily
:05:13. > :05:18.regulated by the Office of Fair Trading. They told me they have a
:05:18. > :05:22.complaints procedure and strict lending criteria. They also say
:05:22. > :05:30.they are flexible when it comes to paying money back. That is very
:05:30. > :05:34.different from the illegal loan sharks. Sheffield credit unions.
:05:34. > :05:38.the Sheffield credit union office, loan sharks are something they know
:05:38. > :05:41.well. People often come in for help because they have run up debts with
:05:41. > :05:47.illegal lenders. And there they are worried about what could happen
:05:47. > :05:55.next. People are scared, they are waiting for them outside schools.
:05:55. > :05:59.With how the current climate is, they will turn to these people.
:05:59. > :06:03.Laura is now a qualified nurse and her career helped her get her
:06:03. > :06:10.finances back on track. She understands why many people across
:06:10. > :06:14.the city are still tempted to borrow money on their doorstep.
:06:14. > :06:21.It is a major problem. Let us talk to Professor Paul Mosley from
:06:21. > :06:25.Sheffield University has just -- who has just published a book. You
:06:25. > :06:29.are a director of the Sheffield credit union but central to your
:06:29. > :06:33.book has been the community development financial institutions.
:06:33. > :06:42.That is nothing to do with your credit union, it is important to
:06:42. > :06:46.make that clear. What are they and why are they so important? They are
:06:46. > :06:51.organisations which lend a almost entirely to the lowest income
:06:51. > :06:57.groups of up because of that, the risk of lending is higher and they
:06:57. > :07:02.have to charge higher interest rate spent the credit union, typically.
:07:02. > :07:08.Between 30 and 50%. That compares to the 24% charged by a credit
:07:08. > :07:13.union. And that is much less by a - - less than doorstep lenders.
:07:13. > :07:18.of your central points is that we should make more credit facilities
:07:18. > :07:21.available and publicise them? So that people do not go to the
:07:21. > :07:26.illegal or illicit loan sharks? Making more facilities available,
:07:26. > :07:31.certainly. But the most important problem is one of awareness. A lot
:07:31. > :07:34.of the people who are on low incomes and feel that they are
:07:34. > :07:42.forced into borrowing from a load trucks or doorstep lenders, in fact,
:07:42. > :07:48.they do not need to do that because simply by going to a credit union,
:07:48. > :07:55.they would pay far less and as a consequence have much less risk of
:07:55. > :08:00.being trapped in debt. The other thing we saw there was even with
:08:00. > :08:06.the licensed doorstep sellers, the costs are very high. They are
:08:06. > :08:16.enormous. They vary from city to city. In Sheffield, we found that
:08:16. > :08:19.
:08:19. > :08:24.they were typically around 250% up to 350% or up to 10 times charged
:08:24. > :08:30.by a credit union. These are huge amounts. Is there eight open pot of
:08:30. > :08:34.money with credit unions? We hear reports of queues outside of credit
:08:34. > :08:40.unions in areas like credit unions. Or two dozen people already in
:08:40. > :08:43.serious debt. Indeed, there is not an open pot by any means. The
:08:43. > :08:47.credit unions are very constrained as to what they can lend. On the
:08:47. > :08:53.other hand, if someone who is in serious financial difficulty will
:08:53. > :08:58.wait a month or so, then they will be able to pick up a loan and as a
:08:58. > :09:05.consequence of that, they will be able to avoid the trapped in a debt
:09:05. > :09:08.spiral. Thank you very much. We will have more on the story at
:09:08. > :09:13.10:25pm when I will be speaking to a Sheffield MP who is not
:09:13. > :09:17.complaining -- campaigning for tougher rules on legal money
:09:17. > :09:22.lenders. Later on this Look North: getting
:09:22. > :09:29.ready for the big freeze. How the gritters plan to keep our roads
:09:29. > :09:34.open if the arctic temperatures return this winter.
:09:34. > :09:39.Now in other news, the body of a volunteer soldier from Barnsley has
:09:39. > :09:42.been blown back to RAF Brize Norton. Private Matthew Thornton was in the
:09:42. > :09:46.Territorial Army and died last week while on patrol in Helmand province.
:09:46. > :09:50.He was serving with the 4th Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment.
:09:50. > :09:56.His family say he was a dedicated soldier and passionate about the
:09:56. > :09:59.job. The government has confirmed
:09:59. > :10:03.residents in four of our biggest cities will get the chance to vote
:10:03. > :10:08.next May on whether to have an elected mayor. People in Leeds,
:10:08. > :10:11.Sheffield, Bradford and Wakefield will all go to the polls. There had
:10:11. > :10:15.been suggestions that only Leeds would get a referendum but that is
:10:15. > :10:20.not the case. It will gauge public reaction.
:10:20. > :10:23.Teachers at a West Yorkshire school are striking for a third date in
:10:23. > :10:27.protest at proposals to turn it into an academy. Prince Henry's
:10:27. > :10:31.School in Otley says that the move would improve job security but
:10:31. > :10:35.teachers argue the change would affect their pay and conditions. It
:10:35. > :10:38.is the third of six days of plan strike action. The pupil will only
:10:39. > :10:42.be open to pupils in a year's 11 up to 13.
:10:42. > :10:46.A thousands of people across Yorkshire tomorrow will be helping
:10:46. > :10:51.to raise money for Children In Need. This week we have been showing you
:10:51. > :10:54.exactly where your money goes. Today we have been to meet a 11-
:10:54. > :10:57.year-old Yasser Bouarfa from Sheffield. He looks after his
:10:57. > :11:07.mother and two siblings. Once a fortnight and in the holidays, he
:11:07. > :11:12.
:11:12. > :11:22.goes to a group funded by Children He was showing him how to finish
:11:22. > :11:22.
:11:22. > :11:29.the castle... The castle is now finished. My name is Yasser Bouarfa.
:11:29. > :11:34.I am 11 years old and I help my mum because she has got problems and
:11:34. > :11:39.she gets stressed really easily. Not a lot of my friends know that I
:11:39. > :11:46.am a young terror because I do not think that they really care. --
:11:46. > :11:53.young carers. I have to help my mum for something like three or four
:11:53. > :12:03.hours a day. Once I have done my chores, I go to bed and I get two
:12:03. > :12:04.
:12:04. > :12:10.hours to do the stuff I like to do. He is not just my son, he is my
:12:10. > :12:16.friend. My life-saver, basically. Sometimes to be honest I feel
:12:16. > :12:24.guilty. He does not have his child would like other children. He did
:12:24. > :12:31.not have time to play and enjoy himself as a child. That is why I
:12:31. > :12:36.contacted the people and they put him in a young carers group. Hello!
:12:37. > :12:41.Every week, I cannot wait to go to the young carers group. I feel like
:12:41. > :12:51.I know people who are like me and they do the same stuff as me. It
:12:51. > :12:58.
:12:58. > :13:08.It has affected my childhood. I want to go to university and I want
:13:08. > :13:12.
:13:12. > :13:16.to be a pilot because they get lots The Highways Agency has been
:13:16. > :13:19.showing off the fleet of gritters that will be used to keep Yorkshire
:13:19. > :13:23.moving if we get bad weather this winter.
:13:23. > :13:33.I think some people have already forecast it. They were criticised
:13:33. > :13:39.
:13:39. > :13:44.This is the would head pass. It is dry and sunny and the conditions
:13:44. > :13:49.are good but a year ago it was very different. The sign said it all.
:13:49. > :13:55.The road was closed as Yorkshire endured its worst winter for many
:13:55. > :14:05.years. Temperatures fell as low as -19 degree said Sears. This park
:14:05. > :14:08.became cut off. The impact on the business was that we lost a lot of
:14:08. > :14:13.money. Richard has criticised the Highways Agency who said they did
:14:13. > :14:21.not do enough to keep the road open. I lived in Germany for I'm number
:14:21. > :14:26.of years and I lived in a snowy park. Everything seemed to move OK.
:14:26. > :14:29.At one of Yorkshire's busiest gritting depots, a Highways Agency
:14:29. > :14:33.were keen to demonstrate that they are ready for winter and they do
:14:33. > :14:39.not take decisions to close major roads lightly. We work with the
:14:39. > :14:44.police and emergency services. If, for health and safety reasons, we
:14:44. > :14:50.believe a closure is necessary then it will be closed. That is only a
:14:50. > :14:55.last resort. 37 gritters will patrol the trunk roads and 35,000
:14:55. > :14:58.tonnes of salt is ready to be spread of the bad weather comes.
:14:59. > :15:05.The Highways Agency reckon they'll be ready for winter but what about
:15:05. > :15:11.us? Is my own car fit for driving on the winter roads? What do you
:15:12. > :15:16.think? Let us looking your boot. You have your de-icer and your
:15:16. > :15:22.scraper and a first aid kit which is very good. There is a code for
:15:22. > :15:25.warmth. We also expect is for you to have a shovel and may be some
:15:26. > :15:30.bottled water and it may be some food in case you broke down on the
:15:30. > :15:34.side of the road so you could help yourself until rescue came along.
:15:34. > :15:40.don't believe there will not be a repeat of these scenes this winter
:15:40. > :15:44.but at least I am prepared for the worst.
:15:44. > :15:49.Some people are predicting a really harsh winter so I will ask a poll.
:15:49. > :15:56.He I am going to Australia so I do not care!
:15:56. > :15:59.I will be in the middle of it. Before 7.00pm:
:15:59. > :16:06.Why a bear is beating the bully. We meet the Yorkshire teenagers
:16:06. > :16:09.pitching their idea to Google after winning a business competition.
:16:09. > :16:19.And the sweet sound of charity, the young singers tuning up for
:16:19. > :16:26.
:16:26. > :16:31.Your favourite bit of the world? We are both passionate about the
:16:31. > :16:35.Dales and the North York Moors. I am more third dales and you are
:16:35. > :16:38.more the North York Moors. Think of the Yorkshire Dales and
:16:38. > :16:42.you probably imagine a beautiful rural scene, maybe with a few sheep
:16:42. > :16:45.and some dry stone walls to complete the picture.
:16:45. > :16:48.But does the scene contain any trees? The reason we ask is that an
:16:48. > :16:54.appeal's gone out to plant more trees in Yorkshire, because
:16:54. > :17:00.apparently we don't have nearly enough.
:17:00. > :17:06.We are high on the moors above a down on the M60 to. Hard at work
:17:07. > :17:10.are a view of fallen -- crew of volunteer tree planters. They meet
:17:10. > :17:14.every Saturday morning in the winter and leave a lasting legacy.
:17:14. > :17:21.The landscape was quite barren after industry throughout the 90
:17:21. > :17:26.per century. In the last 30 years we have planted a around 400,000
:17:26. > :17:32.trees in this ballet and it has made a difference to the landscape.
:17:32. > :17:36.The evidence is clear. 40 years ago these banks were bare. A
:17:36. > :17:42.partnership organisation wants to see this type of drugs formation
:17:42. > :17:49.all over Yorkshire. Does Yorkshire really need more trees? Take a look
:17:49. > :17:53.around me. This is North Yorkshire. The landowners here are being asked
:17:53. > :17:58.to spare a corner to give over to trees. That is because this is one
:17:58. > :18:03.of the most treeless areas in the whole of Europe. It is not that the
:18:03. > :18:10.trees cannot grow here. Centuries of overgrazing has left very little
:18:10. > :18:16.tree cover. It is only 2%. It compares with five per day % in
:18:16. > :18:21.Yorkshire as a whole and the European average is 30%. We need to
:18:21. > :18:30.think about doubling our tree cover. It helps with climate change and
:18:30. > :18:34.reduces the risk of flooding. It helps networks because species
:18:34. > :18:39.migrate due to climate change and may need those connections. We hope
:18:39. > :18:42.to put trees on to the land. I it is the land that is the crucial
:18:42. > :18:47.factor. The White Rose Forest has trees and volunteers available but
:18:47. > :18:56.they need somewhere to go. The land does not even changed ownership but
:18:56. > :18:58.it just gets planted in a way that is careful to enhance a special
:18:59. > :19:05.landscape. We are agreed but we are not sure
:19:05. > :19:12.if there are new trees needed. I quite like the wildness.
:19:12. > :19:15.I have heard you are a wild thing! Apparently it is a good idea, so
:19:15. > :19:18.what do we know? Four teenagers from Keighley are
:19:18. > :19:22.heading to New York this weekend to pitch an anti-bullying device
:19:22. > :19:28.they've invented to the internet giant Google. The girls created
:19:28. > :19:36.Bully Bear as part of a business competition. It involves a high-
:19:36. > :19:39.tech Ted Heath. Have you ever been bullied? Yes.
:19:39. > :19:44.Have you ever wanted to talk to someone other than a parent orate
:19:44. > :19:50.teacher? The Bear meets at the children of a primary school and he
:19:50. > :19:54.is about to cross the Atlantic. These girls created the bare during
:19:54. > :19:59.a project at their school. It is designed so that children who are
:19:59. > :20:05.being bullied can go to a quiet corner and tell the bare all about
:20:05. > :20:09.it. There is a video camera behind its eyes and its arms give hugs.
:20:09. > :20:17.The idea is that it is easier for children to tell her bare rather
:20:17. > :20:20.than parents or a teacher. Adults can listen to the footage. I was
:20:20. > :20:22.bullied him primary school and I didn't want to tell my parents or a
:20:22. > :20:26.teacher. Wither Or from knowing what people go through and the herd
:20:26. > :20:30.and the upset that you feel that you just want to talk to someone so
:20:30. > :20:35.we thought that maybe a bear that everyone loves would help. I like
:20:35. > :20:39.the way that when you press its little pause, it kind of looks at
:20:39. > :20:45.you and it can see you and it records your voice so your teachers
:20:45. > :20:48.can look at it and sort out your problems. The girls won the
:20:48. > :20:53.national competition earlier this year and the prize was a trip to
:20:53. > :21:00.New York. They leave on Saturday and may have been invited to pitch
:21:00. > :21:04.at the Google offices. It is hard to think that we will be there.
:21:04. > :21:10.will actually be presenting to Google. Nobody ever get this
:21:10. > :21:17.opportunity is so fast to be doing it is out of this world. The four
:21:17. > :21:21.girls, two teachers and one there will make their pitch next week.
:21:21. > :21:23.Well done to those girls. There's concern for the future of
:21:23. > :21:26.one of Yorkshire's most successful non-league football clubs.
:21:26. > :21:29.Wakefield FC missed out on promotion to The Conference in 2001.
:21:29. > :21:33.And under their previous name of Emley FC, they once gave West Ham
:21:33. > :21:36.United a scare in the FA Cup. But now, Wakefield are playing in front
:21:36. > :21:46.of barely 100 fans and cash flow problems are threatening the club's
:21:46. > :21:46.
:21:46. > :21:51.existence. If we stayed as we were at this moment of time and we did
:21:51. > :21:55.not have an introduction of any fresh blood, whether it's an him
:21:55. > :22:01.been -- whether it's an individual or a lot of supporters through the
:22:01. > :22:03.gate then I think there is a grave danger that the club may not
:22:03. > :22:06.continue. Well, there's just 24 hours to go
:22:06. > :22:13.until Children In Need and four school choirs in West Yorkshire are
:22:13. > :22:23.warming up for a very special performance in Pudsey town centre.
:22:23. > :22:24.
:22:24. > :22:27.What is Plan C doing there? -- what is Pudsey doing there? They're part
:22:27. > :22:29.of the Children in Need national choir and will sing along with
:22:29. > :22:36.other groups from across the country live on television tomorrow
:22:36. > :22:43.night. Amy Garcia has been to their rehearsal. This lot are coming
:22:43. > :22:48.together for the first time to practise for a thing a long. 2000
:22:48. > :22:51.pupils and only one rehearsal. Good luck. They will need it because
:22:51. > :22:56.they are performing at the same time as 15 other choirs from across
:22:56. > :23:05.the country. Up to 3,000 schoolchildren will sing the same
:23:05. > :23:15.song at the same time on live TV. your word perfect? Could start.
:23:15. > :23:16.
:23:16. > :23:24.you know to perfect? Fabulous! you do all the actions? No! Better
:23:24. > :23:29.practise them. How are you feeling about tomorrow night? Really
:23:29. > :23:35.excited. A Jew but excited. Really excited. In it is great that we are
:23:35. > :23:45.doing our part for Children In Need. It feels really good. It is done.
:23:45. > :23:45.
:23:45. > :23:50.bit nervous but quite excited as well. In 24 hours they will be
:23:50. > :23:56.performing alongside 14 other choirs across the country. They are
:23:56. > :24:00.doing really well. I think they will do Yorkshire proud. Pickets
:24:00. > :24:03.are absolutely fantastic. They are responsive and they have learnt all
:24:03. > :24:11.the notes and they are enthusiastic and I could not ask for better.
:24:11. > :24:18.They have been wonderful. Bravo! Don't like to close. Next up at the
:24:18. > :24:21.town centre for the singalong tomorrow night.
:24:21. > :24:24.And tomorrow night Amy and Keeley Donovan will be live at Pudsey
:24:24. > :24:26.Leisure Centre for Look North at 6.30pm and for our special Children
:24:26. > :24:30.in Need programme from 7.30pm. If you've been fundraising and
:24:30. > :24:37.would like to bring your cheques along, get in touch. The number and
:24:38. > :24:40.email address to contact us are on your screen now.
:24:40. > :24:46.A couple from Yeadon have won nearly two million pounds on the
:24:46. > :24:50.lottery, but have no plans to move house or quit work. Married for 40
:24:50. > :24:52.years, Steve and Gwen Poole say they were happy before the win, and
:24:52. > :24:55.her first purchase will be a new vacuum cleaner! The driving
:24:55. > :25:05.instructor and dental nurse will share the money with their four
:25:05. > :25:07.
:25:07. > :25:12.sons. It is a dream come true. It is the only way to describe it. You
:25:12. > :25:16.keep thinking of things that you can do in the future. I am starting
:25:16. > :25:24.to believe it. I asked if I could have a new Hoover because my Hoover
:25:24. > :25:31.has been driving me nuts! I think it is a good idea but I think the
:25:31. > :25:34.first thing that I would buy a would not be a new Hoover!
:25:34. > :25:41.If I do my wife a Hove after winning that I think she would
:25:41. > :25:51.throw it straight back at my head. Three pictures that came in over
:25:51. > :26:05.
:26:05. > :26:10.. We keep the mild air for the next 24 hours. There will be some sunny
:26:10. > :26:14.breaks but once again it is mild and breezy. The weather fronts come
:26:14. > :26:19.in from the West but they are being pushed back by the high pressure
:26:19. > :26:23.which is very persistent across Europe. It was beautiful this
:26:23. > :26:27.afternoon. 13 degrees. We are starting to see cloud encroaching
:26:27. > :26:32.from the West. The cloud will continue to thicken and there will
:26:32. > :26:37.be some patchy rain. It will be especially over the Pennines and
:26:37. > :26:47.perhaps further north. To the east it will be generally dry and frost-
:26:47. > :26:48.
:26:49. > :26:57.free tonight. The sun will rise in the morning. These are your high
:26:57. > :27:03.water times. Tomorrow there will be variable and large amounts of cloud.
:27:03. > :27:13.With a fresh South Park to south- westerly wind it though break-up
:27:13. > :27:14.
:27:14. > :27:21.and be quite cloudy at time but -- sunny breaks are expected. If it
:27:21. > :27:25.brightens up there maybe temperatures getting up to 14
:27:25. > :27:29.degrees. We will be back to square one at the weekend. The extensive
:27:29. > :27:33.cloud will redevelop but on the whole there will be a good deal of
:27:33. > :27:38.dry weather to come. Not too bad for Children In Need.