:00:10. > :00:14.Good evening. Welcome to today's Look North. Our top story tonight:
:00:14. > :00:20.pictured for the first time, Richard Smith he stabbed his wife
:00:20. > :00:27.Claire, his sons Ben and Aaron and then killed himself. New clues help
:00:27. > :00:31.establish when he carried out his crime. Ben's Advent calendar was
:00:31. > :00:34.not opened on the Saturday so we believe something happened
:00:34. > :00:41.overnight on Friday. We will have the latest on the police
:00:41. > :00:44.investigation in just a moment. Also tonight, I am live here at
:00:44. > :00:47.Trinity Walk Shopping Centre in Wakefield where there is a stark
:00:47. > :00:56.message. Despite the fact that the new facility is open for Christmas
:00:56. > :01:03.shopping, budgets are tight and for some people, virtually non-existent.
:01:03. > :01:09.Mike Childs says to me, mummy, I want to go but I cannot take him. -
:01:09. > :01:14.- my child. I love my daughter to bits and I don't see any way around
:01:14. > :01:18.it unless things change. And the Sheffield film-makers who
:01:18. > :01:22.are performing strongly and are back in the spotlight tonight.
:01:22. > :01:32.Another windy night to come with dales in places. The very latest
:01:32. > :01:36.
:01:36. > :01:38.coming up shortly. -- with gales in Good evening. First tonight, it has
:01:39. > :01:43.been revealed that two young brothers and their mother murdered
:01:43. > :01:47.in their home in West Yorkshire had each been stabbed once. Police
:01:47. > :01:52.today reveal further details of the horrific scene which confronted
:01:52. > :01:56.them when they broke into a house in Pudsey near Leeds at the weekend.
:01:56. > :02:02.Clair Smith and her son's Ben who was nine years old and Aaron was 13
:02:02. > :02:08.months old are believed to have been murdered by the boy's father
:02:08. > :02:12.Richard. The motive remains a mystery.
:02:12. > :02:19.The tragic family, their lives ended just a fortnight before
:02:19. > :02:24.Christmas. Toddler Aaron aged 30 months, brother Ben who was nine
:02:24. > :02:28.and rather Clair who was 36. They had all been stabbed once and Ben
:02:28. > :02:36.suffocated. On the left, 37-year- old Richard Smith who died from
:02:36. > :02:39.smoke inhalation. it is believed of three murders and a suicide. The
:02:39. > :02:45.house revealed today after police barriers where it removed. Police
:02:45. > :02:49.have been called are worried relatives on Sunday afternoon, they
:02:49. > :02:54.broke in to find it ought four bodies laid out on a double bed in
:02:54. > :02:59.the main bedroom. Signs of staining on the window from a slow-burning
:02:59. > :03:02.fire. Last Friday, the family had had an apparently happy social at
:03:02. > :03:05.their local cricket club before something terrible went wrong.
:03:05. > :03:11.Detectives believe it was in the following hours last Friday night
:03:11. > :03:16.when this tragedy unfolded. The sad clue, nine-year-old Ben's Advent
:03:16. > :03:19.calendar had not been opened last Saturday morning. I do not want to
:03:19. > :03:24.go into motive or anything like that. That will be the thrust of
:03:24. > :03:30.the ongoing investigation over the next two months. What the state of
:03:30. > :03:35.mind of Richard, Clair and anybody us will be something we will try to
:03:35. > :03:41.investigate. For me to guess now would be early on. -- for me to
:03:41. > :03:45.guess now would be wrong. Clair's parents said that she was
:03:45. > :03:48.an exact -- exceptional person, loving and caring to everyone. Her
:03:48. > :03:53.children were her life and everything centred around her
:03:53. > :03:56.family and home. She was our daughter and our best pal. We
:03:56. > :04:01.cannot imagine what caused this tragedy.
:04:01. > :04:08.Weeks before, one had raised money with Pudsey and his love for
:04:08. > :04:14.football was plain to see -- Ben had raised money. It is believed
:04:14. > :04:21.that they died at the hands of the boys' father Richard Smith who then
:04:21. > :04:26.committed suicide, it is believed. I am joined in the studio by our
:04:26. > :04:31.reporter. You asked last night, why? We are now no nearer to the
:04:31. > :04:34.answers. Where does the police investigation go from here? In the
:04:34. > :04:38.short term, they will have to decide how long they need to keep
:04:38. > :04:43.the bodies for examination. Then an inquest can be opened and adjourned
:04:43. > :04:48.to allow funerals to take place. The main inquest will be many
:04:48. > :04:53.months ahead. A long police investigation still will go on to
:04:53. > :04:56.decide how it happened, when it happened and if you like, sadly, in
:04:56. > :05:01.what order. There are many questions to be asked. Eventually,
:05:01. > :05:11.a coroner will decide wide. This family was described to you by many
:05:11. > :05:11.
:05:11. > :05:15.neighbours, are -- as a loving happy family. Ben's school have
:05:15. > :05:20.been playing tribute to him tonight. A few minutes ago, we received a
:05:20. > :05:24.statement from the head teacher of his primary school in Pudsey. She
:05:24. > :05:29.said, our whole school community is in shock. We are deeply saddened by
:05:29. > :05:34.the tragic news. Ben was a wonderful bright pupil who
:05:34. > :05:39.thoroughly enjoyed school. He loved to help and was a really popular
:05:39. > :05:42.boy, not just with his friends but across the whole school. For the
:05:43. > :05:48.Community, this has been a dreadful experience. It really is,
:05:48. > :05:52.especially when you see that photograph. Thank you.
:05:52. > :05:56.Family budgets in Yorkshire are amongst the tightest in England.
:05:56. > :06:00.That is according to new figures released today. Inflation has
:06:00. > :06:04.dropped slightly but figures obtained by Look North show that
:06:04. > :06:07.wages in the region have failed to keep pace with the cost of living.
:06:07. > :06:11.The research by the Office for National Statistics also shows that
:06:11. > :06:17.women in Yorkshire far the worst paid in the whole of the country.
:06:17. > :06:23.In the first of a three-part series on the economy, our reporter is at
:06:23. > :06:27.the Trinity Walk Shopping Centre in Wakefield and can tell us more.
:06:28. > :06:31.Thank you. 12 days also till Christmas, this virtually brand new
:06:32. > :06:35.facility, they are hoping that thousands of Christmas shoppers
:06:35. > :06:41.will come here and spend lots of money. But there is a question we
:06:41. > :06:44.are asking tonight, how much money have we got this Christmas? Today's
:06:45. > :06:53.figure shows that pay in Yorkshire has failed to keep up with
:06:53. > :06:59.inflation. The average weekly wage or employees is �360, down 0.4% in
:06:59. > :07:03.England and as a whole, the decrease is 0.1%. Women in
:07:03. > :07:09.Yorkshire are the worst paid in England, their average weekly wage
:07:09. > :07:19.is �283, down 0.1% on last year. Meanwhile, the average weekly pay
:07:19. > :07:20.
:07:20. > :07:24.for men in Yorkshire have is �433, damp 0.5% -- down 0.5%. Those
:07:25. > :07:30.figures are worrying. We have been to Barnsley to see how one family
:07:30. > :07:37.is coping with the prospect of Christmas.
:07:37. > :07:41.They are nice. For this mother, putting food on the table as they
:07:41. > :07:48.struggle. We have to consider whether it is something we really
:07:48. > :07:52.need, biscuits and things are a luxury item. You have got to think
:07:52. > :07:58.about long-term. You have got a week's shopping here and a budget
:07:58. > :08:04.to do it on. From May, sweets and chocolate do not happen. It is a
:08:04. > :08:09.strict regime for hat and her three-year-old. -- for her and her
:08:09. > :08:15.three-year-old. You cannot have a toy. She shops around and tries to
:08:15. > :08:20.get the best deals, it still the sums do not add up. Apart there
:08:20. > :08:27.does agency work packing boxes, bringing in an average of �126 per
:08:27. > :08:36.week. Various benefits take the family's total income to �272. From
:08:36. > :08:41.that they have to cover rent, bills, and repaying debts. That leaves
:08:41. > :08:46.just �42 a week to cover everything else. Having to sacrifice a lot of
:08:46. > :08:49.things just to be able to keep up with the cost of living. Sometimes,
:08:49. > :08:55.I can't even do that. Even something as simple as getting the
:08:55. > :09:05.bus is a strain. The return journey to the shops costs �3.40. This trip
:09:05. > :09:11.has just cost at 8% of our weekly budget. It adds up. It could go on
:09:11. > :09:17.things you need. It is tough on how, how partner and her daughter.
:09:17. > :09:21.sees things on television and she says, I want to go. I can't take up.
:09:21. > :09:28.We do not have enough to direct. I have got to keep her warm and
:09:28. > :09:32.enclose. I love my daughter to bits. I do not see any way around it
:09:32. > :09:37.unless things change. She arrives home to yet more bills. A final
:09:37. > :09:43.demand from a doorstep lender, a loan taken out in desperation.
:09:43. > :09:49.want to go out and work to support us all, like my partner does. But
:09:49. > :09:54.there is not enough help for me to do that. So I am sad at home. I am
:09:54. > :10:00.thinking and stressing and getting depressed about how we can make
:10:00. > :10:06.things any better. If nobody was willing to meet in the middle, we
:10:06. > :10:15.cannot do that. When you have cut out all of life's luxuries and
:10:15. > :10:19.still cannot make ends meet, what else is left to cut?
:10:19. > :10:25.I think you will agree that it is a very honest assessment of what
:10:25. > :10:30.Christmas will be like fog Jasmine and Craig and their daughter. Are
:10:30. > :10:34.you dreading Christmas? Yes, in a way. The wages are not enough for
:10:34. > :10:40.what we want. We are trying to put food on a table and we have got the
:10:40. > :10:47.little one to try and get Christmas presents for. We have bills, it is
:10:47. > :10:53.not meeting anything. We saw you in the film shopping. Obviously, it is
:10:53. > :10:58.very emotional for youth. It is. Times are hard. I cannot get a job.
:10:58. > :11:01.I would like to see more help retard care costs so that I can go
:11:01. > :11:05.back to work and contribute and help a little bit more. It is hard.
:11:05. > :11:10.We are not getting the help that we need. The news that inflation is
:11:10. > :11:16.not quite as bad this not as it was last month means very little to
:11:16. > :11:22.you? Very, very little. It is dust... The percentages are not
:11:22. > :11:30.high enough. It is not helping anyone. Can I get one thing
:11:30. > :11:36.straight, you are desperate to find a full-time job, on to be? I am. I
:11:36. > :11:42.am in employment at the moment but it is only one or two days a week.
:11:42. > :11:46.We have got a little one, it is hard. Can I bring you in, Neil
:11:46. > :11:51.Liversedge. You have had a look at the financial situation that
:11:51. > :11:55.Jasmine and Craig are in. What practical advice can you give them?
:11:55. > :11:59.Its it is very difficult to come up with a magical solutions. Between
:11:59. > :12:03.them, to be fair, they are doing as much as they can reasonably do. The
:12:03. > :12:09.problem is not of their making. It is a capitalisation of the
:12:09. > :12:13.workforce and a tendency to farm jobs at two agencies rather than
:12:13. > :12:17.employing people directly. People are short of hours. I have been
:12:17. > :12:22.lucky to have a 35 hour or sometimes more working week. Now we
:12:22. > :12:28.are seeing people getting 14 hours, 21 hours, and they do not know from
:12:28. > :12:32.one week till the next what the hours or days will be. That limits
:12:32. > :12:36.their ability to go out and get another job. There is a stark
:12:36. > :12:39.message that Jasmine and Craig must accept. You do not accept people
:12:39. > :12:43.knocking on your door and offering the money. Absolutely. We are
:12:43. > :12:47.seeing more and more predatory lending. If this is always a
:12:47. > :12:51.symptom of a recession when times are hard. Rather than people doing
:12:51. > :12:54.what you would think which is being a bit more relaxed and helping
:12:54. > :12:57.people along, the predatory lenders are the opposite way. They
:12:57. > :13:01.exploited and use it to fill their pockets at the expense of other
:13:01. > :13:05.people. If you get the doorstep lenders coming along with what
:13:05. > :13:10.sounds like easy terms, tell them where to go because in the long
:13:10. > :13:17.term they will make your life miserable. Back solid advice, it is
:13:17. > :13:26.a bit after the horse has bolted, but how do you react to that now?
:13:26. > :13:34.Don't do it. Try and clear what you have got if you have got any debt.
:13:34. > :13:36.Do not lend anything off nobody. there a light at the end of the
:13:36. > :13:43.inflation -- light at the end of the tunnel with the inflation
:13:43. > :13:47.figures? CPI inflation, I have not been able to find anybody whose
:13:47. > :13:52.actual inflation rate mirrors that. I am sceptical. If you have a
:13:52. > :13:57.mother at home with children, they consume more fuel like old people.
:13:57. > :14:03.Domestic fuel costs have gone up. I think CPR I'd inflation for people
:14:03. > :14:06.like these, basically, it is a joke. The cost of living is rising very
:14:06. > :14:11.slightly more slowly than it was last month. Thank you very much
:14:12. > :14:19.indeed. That is the situation by some families. They are very, very
:14:19. > :14:26.tough Christmas indeed. Thank you. There will be more on
:14:26. > :14:29.this story on our late Look North. We will be asking why look -- why
:14:29. > :14:34.wages in Yorkshire have been among the lowest in the country.
:14:34. > :14:39.Still to come: coming to a small screen near you, the plans to bring
:14:39. > :14:44.a new commercial television stake in to at least one Yorkshire city.
:14:44. > :14:53.-- television station. More of today's news. It is 1000
:14:53. > :14:57.days since the Yorkshire -- not chef Claudia Laurence disappeared.
:14:57. > :15:07.Police say they have possibly significant news. It has been
:15:07. > :15:12.
:15:12. > :15:17.These are the last images of Claudia Lawrence. The police know
:15:17. > :15:22.she phoned her father that evening, but what happened next is a mystery.
:15:22. > :15:28.The chef failed to turn up for work the next day, sparking one of the
:15:28. > :15:35.biggest investigations ever by 0 Yorkshire Police. 1,000 days on,
:15:35. > :15:40.and a house remains empty. Today, they at officer heading the inquiry,
:15:40. > :15:45.said a new information had come to light. But more detailed work is
:15:45. > :15:49.required to clarify its significance. He said it had the
:15:49. > :15:55.potential to be a significant line of inquiry. For her friends and
:15:55. > :16:04.family, any progress is welcome, but they are wary of birth false
:16:04. > :16:09.leads. They lead is a lead. It has been a bit like a desert recently.
:16:09. > :16:15.That is up to them to work out and investigate as to whether it will
:16:15. > :16:25.lead anywhere or not. We hope it will, because it is 1,000 days now.
:16:25. > :16:26.
:16:26. > :16:30.It is rather a long time for any family and friends. There have been
:16:30. > :16:35.many new leads, but none so far have provided the breakthrough that
:16:35. > :16:43.so many have hoped for. A patchwork of information can eventually
:16:43. > :16:46.provide a picture, so the work continues.
:16:46. > :16:50.The Government has announced plans to close DVLA centres in Leeds and
:16:50. > :16:53.Sheffield with the loss of 73 posts. The offices, which deal with
:16:53. > :16:58.vehicle and driver licences, are expected to close by the end of
:16:58. > :17:00.2013. Unions have criticised the move. The Roads Minister says
:17:00. > :17:05.moving services to Swansea will mean more choice for people trying
:17:05. > :17:08.to get in touch with the DVLA. Doncaster Royal Infirmary has
:17:08. > :17:13.closed some of its wards to new patients following an outbreak of
:17:13. > :17:17.the winter vomiting virus. Symptoms of Norovirus include severe
:17:17. > :17:20.vomiting and diarrhoea. A number of wards have been closed to prevent
:17:20. > :17:25.it spreading. The hospital is advising people not to visit unless
:17:25. > :17:31.absolutely essential. A new non-emergency police hotline
:17:31. > :17:34.has been launched in North Yorkshire. 101 is designed to cut
:17:34. > :17:41.the number of 999 calls and can be used to report problems including
:17:41. > :17:45.anti-social behaviour and thefts and to make general enquiries. The
:17:46. > :17:48.number is already in use in South and West Yorkshire.
:17:49. > :17:52.Plans to improve sea defences to protect part of the North Yorkshire
:17:53. > :17:58.coastline have been approved. Scarborough Borough Council has
:17:58. > :18:05.decided a new sea wall around South Bay, and the Spa is the best option.
:18:05. > :18:08.It would cost around �20 million. A new local TV service for Leeds
:18:08. > :18:12.could take to the airwaves within two years, after the Government
:18:12. > :18:15.gave the scheme the go-ahead today. But organisations who want to set
:18:15. > :18:25.up similar channels for Sheffield and York have been told they will
:18:25. > :18:29.
:18:29. > :18:33.have to wait. One of what is thought to be four
:18:33. > :18:39.to defend groups already gearing up up answer today's invitation from
:18:39. > :18:45.the government to make their bids to run a TV station does the Leeds.
:18:45. > :18:50.People are interested in using their local community. We have to
:18:50. > :18:56.demonstrate our ability to deliver the news which is good quality and
:18:56. > :19:03.relevant. Since the 1960s, the BBC and ITV have provided a regional
:19:04. > :19:13.service, but that could cover five cities, and umpteen towns. ITV's
:19:13. > :19:17.Callender has similar coverage. It is handing over a �40 million lump
:19:17. > :19:20.sum of money to kick-start news and sports channels. That will be
:19:20. > :19:26.subsidised phone three years, then they will have to pay their way
:19:27. > :19:31.through commercials and sponsorship. If we la -- if we start to see
:19:31. > :19:37.local television stations that do not have a good reputation, there
:19:37. > :19:41.will not be much of an audience, and it will undermine the
:19:41. > :19:51.credibility of television news. I think it is very risky. Leeds is
:19:51. > :19:57.the only city in Yorkshire being asked to bed. -- bed. York and
:19:57. > :20:01.Sheffield are on a reserve list. Sheffield will get its own licence.
:20:01. > :20:08.The projections done for Sheffield meant there would be a small
:20:08. > :20:13.potential audience, and we have identified that it needs much more
:20:13. > :20:17.research in terms of transmission. Changing the law to allow local TV
:20:17. > :20:26.broadcasting will go to next year, with a view to launching its these
:20:26. > :20:30.first 20 city channels in 2014. Now let's have a look at some sport,
:20:30. > :20:32.and the weather has been pretty rough Down Under in Perth at the
:20:32. > :20:38.Sailing World Championships. But the storms haven't hampered
:20:38. > :20:45.Rotherham's Paul Goodison. He's had a much better day two in the Laser
:20:45. > :20:47.Competition. And despite feeling ill during his third and fourth
:20:47. > :20:51.races, Paul is now in second position overall, behind Aussie Tom
:20:51. > :20:54.Slingsby. The York Wheel is finally turning
:20:54. > :20:58.tonight after high winds and lengthy safety checks delayed its
:20:58. > :21:03.opening to the public. People started queueing from 2 o'clock
:21:03. > :21:12.this afternoon to be the first on the new attraction. Some had come
:21:12. > :21:17.into the city especially for the experience. It is my birthday today,
:21:17. > :21:21.so I thought it would be a great thing to do, and in November, I
:21:21. > :21:29.went on the wheel in Brighton, so I thought I would do this this
:21:29. > :21:34.afternoon. Now we live here, we want to go on the York Wheel again.
:21:34. > :21:38.We wanted to come on the first day. We have watched it go up, so it is
:21:38. > :21:40.nice to see everything from their. Hopes were soon dashed when
:21:40. > :21:50.expectant customers were turned away as maintenance checks hadn't
:21:50. > :21:55.been completed, but they didn't leave empty-handed. We have got a
:21:55. > :22:00.ticket. We can come back any time in six months and bring two more
:22:00. > :22:03.people. That is wonderful! We are so happy!
:22:03. > :22:09.Our reporter, Michelle Lyons, managed to wangle her way aboard to
:22:09. > :22:17.film these amazing views before the sun set this evening. And the Wheel
:22:17. > :22:20.finally opened to the public just a couple of hours ago.
:22:20. > :22:25.Now to the Sheffield film company that's become one the most
:22:25. > :22:30.distinctive on-screen brands in the country. Warp Films have won major
:22:30. > :22:33.accolades at the Baftas and the British Independent Film Awards.
:22:33. > :22:43.And tonight sees the showing of their latest mini TV series, This
:22:43. > :22:55.
:22:55. > :22:59.Films have become one of the most - - Warp Films have become one of the
:22:59. > :23:07.most respected film-makers in the country. They have said a
:23:07. > :23:13.distinctive brand of artistic vision. -- set up a distinctive
:23:13. > :23:19.brand. Titles like for Lyons, and submarine, whose soundtrack was
:23:19. > :23:29.written by the Arctic monkeys, and the to run us all have seen the
:23:29. > :23:34.
:23:34. > :23:41.films made in Yorkshire achieve global success. It can go and
:23:41. > :23:50.smashed it in America. These films go there, and people lap it up.
:23:50. > :23:55.These little films made in Yorkshire. We won it three at
:23:55. > :24:04.Sundance. It is still rolling out. We have got the Baftas to come, and
:24:04. > :24:12.other big awards. Internationally, people have responded very well.
:24:12. > :24:19.Another Warp Films hit - This Is England. The latest three parter
:24:19. > :24:29.being shown on Channel 4 tonight is being filmed in Sheffield. It is
:24:29. > :24:30.
:24:30. > :24:33.easy finding Eighties themes. You are away. Other new products
:24:34. > :24:43.include a film about the reform mission of the Manchester band, the
:24:44. > :24:45.
:24:45. > :24:47.Stone Roses, and possibly the first attempt ed take children from. --
:24:47. > :24:57.children Finally tonight, something to make
:24:57. > :25:00.
:25:00. > :25:05.This robin has taken up residence at Horsfield's Nursery in Silkstone
:25:05. > :25:08.near Barnsley. He moved in a few weeks ago, and has shown no sign of
:25:09. > :25:11.wanting to return to the great outdoors. While he isn't quite
:25:11. > :25:20.house-trained, he's clearly not bothered by browsing customers, and
:25:20. > :25:26.often perches on the plants to sing to them! He likes to hang out on
:25:26. > :25:32.this Christmas tree. We have got a little more trouble for him, and he
:25:32. > :25:42.pops into the shop. If you want to attract the robin, it is the balls,
:25:42. > :25:54.
:25:54. > :26:00.Let me show you two pictures. Mark was on his bike this morning. He
:26:00. > :26:08.said, it was only about three degrees, but what a lovely morning!
:26:08. > :26:14.The reservoirs are starting to fill up. There we are. That is never
:26:14. > :26:20.Holmfirth I think. Let us have a look at those compacts. You can
:26:20. > :26:26.tweet any, of course. The headline for tomorrow - very similar to the
:26:27. > :26:32.one we had to Dave. Cold, windy, with sunshine, and a few wintry
:26:32. > :26:40.showers. We have been talking all week about this potential winter
:26:40. > :26:46.storm. Confidence is growing that we will miss that. That is good
:26:46. > :26:53.news, but we will need to keep our eye on it. These white speckled
:26:53. > :26:59.clouds are wintry showers. Many places today have been dry, and
:26:59. > :27:04.will stay like that tonight. On the northern dells, there could be a
:27:04. > :27:11.covering of snow. But further south, but showers are few and far between.
:27:11. > :27:21.The main emphasis is the strength of the winds. Gales of 60 miles per
:27:21. > :27:21.
:27:22. > :27:27.hour possible. Two Celsius. The sun rise is that 8:17am. Those are your
:27:27. > :27:34.higher water times. Tomorrow - a cold and windy day with sunny
:27:34. > :27:40.spells and a few scattered showers, but look at the graphics. Not many