28/12/2011 Look North (Yorkshire)

Good Evening. There's been another massive mill fire in Bradford - the

second in four days. Firefighters have spent more than fourteen hours

at the scene. At one point it was feared nearby homes in Dudley Hill

could catch alight. Lighting up the night-time sky,

fire crews were called to the disused mill at four o'clock this

morning, they were met by a ferocious blaze. Nobody was injured,

but strong winds were fanning the flames. It was feared that the fire

would spread to nearby properties. We were worried about a nearby

factory, there was housing at the back. We have to wait residents up

in the early hours of the morning, and be prepared to evacuate. At its

peak, 70 firefighters were at the scene. Extra officers and

specialist equipment was needed. Tackling this blaze has been a

major headache for the fire fighters. There is the busy Asix 50

euros -- A65. There is still Joycean that has come down. --

steel girders. The firefighters will spend a second night here

dampening down the fire. It is the second mill fire in Bradford to

just four days. Investigations are now under way to discover what

caused by the fires. -- boat for the fires.

The last few years have seen a large number of mill fires across

the Bradford district - the high price of scrap metal is being

linked with many of those. With mills particularly at risk, the

fire service is now fighting back by identifying which properties

could next fall victim to metal theft.

Over the last three years West Yorkshire Fire Service have said

that 60 fires were started deliberately. Arsonists have been

stripping out a valuable metal. They will burn off the installation,

just leaving them the bare copper, they use that for scrap. The

burning off of the installation can cause fires to spread. In some

mills the copper is taken without burning, but when a fire started,

and get out of control, the results can be devastating. This mill in

Keighley suffered a blaze one year ago. Investigators say that it was

caused by a thieves looking for cabling. They come here, they fell

-- they fill themselves up, they don't get it weighed. We have a

better understanding about how they operate, we are working with police.

The best way of securing the Mills is to get business is back in, that

is now happening in Keighley, but hundreds of miles in West Yorkshire

are standing empty, and after a fire they are pulled down. The fire

service is tried to work out which ones could attract the thieves.

They are there looking for these buildings, they go in and find out

a bit about the building, we need to go and work with the owners to

make them secured. The theft has become a plague, and Yorkshire's

industrial heritage is not unbundle ball. -- is very vulnerable.

Police are appealing for witnesses, after a man in his fifties was

killed in an accident on the A1 this morning. It's believed the

motorist from Sunderland had stopped his car on the carriageway

and got out - when his vehicle was hit by an HGV. The driver of the

truck has been arrested. Police are asking anyone who saw either

vehicle to come forward. A man died last night after a fatal

accident on the A19 near Northallerton. It's thought the car

had stopped on the inside lane when it was hit by a van. A passenger

from the car, a 24-year-old man from the Stockton on Tees area, was

standing by the boot of the car and received fatal injuries in the

accident. A West Yorkshire church where two

of the Bronte sisters are buried has just three weeks to raise more

than �30,000 to repair its dilapidated roof.

Built in 1879, it has lasted almost 250 years. But now the Bronte

sisters final resting place needs repair. The wooden planks are

rotten, the paintings are stained and damaged by water, the building

has been targeted by thieves three times in just over a year. The

Church has been offered �100,000 for the repairs, but only if

Haworth Parish Church can raise �65,000 itself. Fund-raising has

gone on all year, but they are �30,000 short. We are looking at

other plants, we are pinky about taking a short-term loan. We have

to talk to funding agencies, and to the church, to see what the options

are. Emily and Charlotte Bronte are buried beneath the foundations, the

building get thousands of visitors every year. The repairs will

jeopardise his reputation and heritage. A it is very urgent.

it is very urgent. We have to take things away for safety. They were

getting rained. Despite what might seem an insurmountable target, the

church leaders here are optimistic that they will raised the money in

time. Let's hope they reach that target.

Let's hope they reach that target. Now the weather.

It is going to be windy today, it will continue to be windy this

evening. Gusts of up to 50 mph, particularly in North Yorkshire.

Tomorrow, not as windy as today, some showers as well. This evening,

a breezy end to the day, cloud moving into western parts, some

clearer spells over the East. That will bring some patchy rain.

Temperatures down to 3-4 degrees. Those wins will ease -- those winds

will ease the Rabin night. Thursday, an improvement as we move through

the day, a scattering of showers as we head towards the evening. A

brisk westerly breeze. Temperatures around the seven-a degrees. -- 7-8