26/03/2012 Look North (Yorkshire)

Good evening and welcome to Monday's Look North. Our top

stories tonight. Sharp criticism as the axe falls at

South Yorkshire's fire stations. All four of these stations will be

closed and replaced with just two, as officials approve cuts of more

than �11 million. Also tonight, walking away from

trouble. We'll bring you the story of the Leeds teenager who's

reformed her anti-social ways. And a proud day for Chesterfield as

they triumph at Wembley. And joined me later from York's

latest tourist attraction. It has something to do with chocolate!

Tastes good! And what a glorious start to the

working week. There is more of those blue skies to come in the

Welcome to the programme. South Yorkshire's Fire Authority has

today voted through controversial plans to close four fire stations

despite a warning from unions that lives will be lost. The authority

needs to save at least �11 million. They will build two new fire

stations but almost 150 firefighter posts will go. In a moment, we'll

talk to the Fire Brigades Union, which is considering industrial

action, but first Emma Glasbey has this.

Their fate was sealed today in a four-hour meeting. Four stations

will close to help South Yorkshire Fire Service save money. Government

cuts mean their budget is being reduced by at least �11 million

over the next four years. Fire stations at Mansfield Road, Darnall

and Mosborough in Sheffield are expected to close in around three

years' time. Royston could shut at the end of this year. There will be

replaced by two new stations at Burley and Sheffield Parkway. The

closure of this fire station, along with the other three, will mean the

loss of around 140 firefighters. The Fire Brigades Union said they

are appalled but the Fire Service say they will relieve their money-

saving plans have been approved. For the impact will not be

significant, and whilst there will be people living in areas where

they might get a slightly slower response, we have deliberately done

that in areas where but the response is traditionally a

significantly better than elsewhere in the county in the first place.

But the Fire Brigades Union says shutting these stations will mean

longer response times for people in deprived areas of Sheffield. They

are describing the closures as life-threatening. We have already

seen reductions in fire coverage and South Yorkshire and lives have

already been lost. We feel we are not listen to. With other

professionals and we do this job day-in, day-out, and we see the

trauma out there on the road. Her every time you reduce fire cover up,

it puts pressure on the others on the front line. So we are angry

about this and we have been let down, as has the public in South

Yorkshire. The union has called an emergency meeting for later this

week so they can decide what to do next. They say industrial action

could be their only option left if they want to carry on fighting

these closures. Mick Taylor, who works at the

Darnall fire station, which is due to close, joins us now. Mick, how

much of a shock to the teams working there is today's news?

has not been a real shock. We were expecting this all along. It is

just a disappointing decision, what has happened today. If we were

hoping other measures could have been taken to avoid the loss of 140

firefighter posts, especially at the front end. So is the more the

loss of fire fighting jobs rather than two big super stations and

four others closing? Yes. If I think it is just an excuse, the new

stations, to get rid of 140 firefighters. Once they have gone,

they cannot be replaced. We are now down to probably 700 operational

fire fighters and it is decreasing. When I joined, there were over

1,000 firefighters, so it is putting the public at risk. We have

half as many firefighters to serve the county. Where do you go from

here? Because you are going to ballot your members and talk about

industrial action. Is that a possibility? If yes. It is always a

possibility, industrial action, when things are not going to plan.

We were hoping other measures could have been made as we just sat on

�15 million reserves. We were hoping that could be an interim

measure and avoid these 140 posts going. And it is all at the sharp

end. It is not streamlining Stroud management and a brigade. If you

would hazard a guess at reaction from your members, do you think it

is more a possibility, some kind of industrial action, or Les? -- or

Les? Are well, it is natural wastage, so it is people retiring.

There is a strong possibility of balloting members and we will take

it from there. It depends on how the membership feels but I feel

that they will be really let down and disappointed. Thank you.

So that's the pictures in South Yorkshire. What's happening in

other parts of our region? In West Yorkshire, the service estimates

that it has to save �18 million over four years. It has already

saved �6 million. North Yorkshire Fire Service has to save �2.5

million over the same period. It has so far made savings of �700,000.

Next tonight, a Yorkshire teenager who was heading towards a life of

crime has had her antisocial behaviour order revoked, something

which is exceptionally rare. Jodie Tansey, from Leeds, was just 13

when she began drinking and starting fights. Now she's reformed,

as Phil Bodmer reports. It is the scourge of communities

across the country. Young people hanging around on street corners,

behaving badly. It is this kind of anti-social activity 16-year-old

Jodie Tansey has turned her back on. Three years ago, she was given an

ASBO and subjected to a court order. I hung around with my friends and

caused trouble. And I intimidated other people. Shouting and swearing

at people. Fighting... Throwing stones... Being abusive. If they

seem to have a problem with what we were doing, then we had a problem

with them. Jodie says she and her friends would go to the woods at

weekends to get drunk on cheap lager and lime. I didn't think

anything of it. I just thought it was... Something to do. A way of

having fun. Were you drunk very often? Most weekends, yeah.

were drunk? Yes. The ASBO meant Jodie was effectively banned from

going near any of her local shops. Sometimes the security guards were

from Sainsbury's would come out and tell us to get away from the car

parks. The stigma of the ASBO was enough to make Jodie think she

needed to change her ways. With the help of a case worker, she slowly

began to regain her self-esteem. think it made her realise that she

needed to start making the right changes in her life that were

affecting her life at the time. She knew that people may be knew she

had the ASBO and people kind of judge her forehead. Unusually, the

ASBO has now been revoked, but Jodie says having it made her focus

on the future. I have matured and grown up a lot and start getting

into trouble. I just want to get on with my life. It is highly

exceptional for an ASBO to be taken away. I have discovered it is

highly exceptional from other offices, so this young lady has

done amazingly well to achieve this. Now studying at college with

ambitions to become a fitness instructor, Jodie is hoping by

telling her story, other young people in a similar situation can

learn from her experience and look forward to an altogether brighter

future. Coming up on tonight's Look North:

A home from home - the West Yorkshire families looking forward

to the opening of a �2 million hospice.

There's a new weapon in the fight against cable theft in South

Yorkshire. The RABIT, or Rapid Assessment BT Incident Tracker,

detects when a BT network cable has been cut or damaged and notifies

police. It's claimed trials of the technology have already forced

cable thieves to flee crime scenes empty-handed.

With just three days to go before Bradford West elects its next MP,

Nigel Farage of UKIP became the latest party leader to hit the

campaign trail. He handed out leaflets and canvassed support in

the city centre with the party's candidate, Sonja McNally. The by-

election has been called because of the resignation through ill health

of Labour's Marsha Singh. We have stood here before in general

elections, European elections and in local elections, so we are known

in Bradford, albeit we start from a fairly low base. But, hey, just

look what has happened to our vote in the last few months. It has gone

up and we have challenged the Lib Dems. We have a good, well-known

candidate who has had many votes in the past, so our prospects are good.

And there's a full list of candidates on our website at

bbc.co.uk/westyorkshire. The future of workshops where the

first ever stainless steel was produced have been secured. The

Portland Works, near Bramall Lane in Sheffield, is a Grade II listed

building and still used as a workspace for specialist trades.

The owner has agreed to sell it to hundreds of small investors in

what's thought to be one of the biggest community buy-outs of its

kind. We have worked here for two years or Moore, struggling to find

a way forward for the building. We felt there must be a way of doing

it and we created our business model. And then that looked like it

would work, but we just needed the money! And the money has come from

the public. It is just fantastic. Two Radio Leeds presenters who

pedalled 127 miles for Sport Relief have now raised more than �50,000.

Katherine Hannah and Adam Pope began their gruelling challenge in

Liverpool, and after ten painful days pedalling in Grace the Swan,

they finally returned to Leeds Granary Wharf on Friday, live on

Look North, to be greeted by hundreds of well-wishers. You

missed a good day there! It's taken years of fundraising,

but in a few months' time, a new children's hospice will open in

Huddersfield. It'll be run by the Forget Me Not Children's Hospice,

which cares for children with life- limiting illnesses. It's cost just

over �2.5 and has a therapy pool and a music room. It has been

designed and built to be a home from home, as Amanda Harper now

reports. Are you going to lift your head up?

Come on! I want to see a pretty face! Every day is a blessing for

eight-year-old Laila, who has cerebral palsy and epilepsy.

has probably had 10 bouts of Romania, liver failure, and has

sodium levels have been out when she is ill. -- 10 bouts of

pneumonia. She will be one of the first to come here to the Forget Me

Not Children's Hospice in Huddersfield, which is something

really special. Light and bright outside and in. It has cost �2.5

million to build and has everything a child could need, but most

importantly, it is about creating a home from home. The main focus here

will be planned respite care, so we have four bedrooms here where

children can come and stay for a few nights and even a couple of

weeks at a time, and it gives them and their families a break, because

one thing that is really challenging about having a child

with a life limiting condition is that parents turned to full-time

carers and it is our job to allow them to be parents again. And there

is plenty to do here. It has its own therapy pool and its own music

room. Around every corner, there's something different to keep young

minds occupied. This is the sensory room and it is packed with gadgets.

Just take a look at this! The louder I talk, the more it lights

up! It will cost more than �2 million a year to run a hospice, so

sustainable funding is essential as the work carries on for its young

visitors. We don't have any respite. Anywhere that Laila can go. So

we're just waiting for that day. Fantastic, isn't it? A big thank

you from the children. Money well spent.

Before 7pm, celebrating York's confectionary heritage. We get a

sneak preview inside York's newest No matter how many times you go,

there is something special about Wembley. So it was yesterday when

Chesterfield took on Swindon for the Johnstone's Paint trophy. The

whole day proved one of celebration for Chesterfield, and in truth, the

fans had a ball all day. It was quite foggy when we left

Chesterfield on Sunday morning. But you could see enough to get on the

coach! This make-up came in handy. The spirit still gets you going.

What is going to happen? We will win 2-0. 2-0. I ask these guys to

fill in my lottery tickets. Watch the tone here. Beautiful skill. The

cross comes over an own goal. 1-0 to Chesterfield. Relief.

Chesterfield have been outplayed for most of the season. How one

Earth did he miss that?! You normally only get two bites of the

cherry, but this time, no mistake at all. And a moment to celebrate

for the captain, Jack Lester. Chesterfield FC! A think the fans

had a fantastic day, you can share it with your families. And with the

tough season the fans have had, this will be a nice bonus. And for

you to live that trophy at Wembley... I will never forget

that! Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic! Unexpected! From the

blue line wide on the football ground to the spires of this old

town! Singh in Chesterfield! Blimey! That will do nicely! Well

done. Great success. Although Chesterfield were making

the headlines, it was also a good weekend for three of our bigger

teams chasing promotion - Sheffield Wednesday, Huddersfield and Leeds.

With a round-up of the rest of the action, here's Joe Inwood.

It was into the lion's den for Leeds as they try to put

humiliation behind them. It wasn't until the second half that things

really came to live. Some clever work here. They couldn't miss. This

penalty was saved. Three. Bringing Leeds in touching distance of the

play-offs. And victory for Barnsley, who started much the brighter and

was soon ahead, despite finishing the game with only 10 men, and they

managed to cling on. I am really pleased with not only the result,

but the reflection of the performance. You know, it is

getting back to the way we want to play the game. Doncaster could not

make it a clean sweep. Amazingly, their top scorer still did the

damage for Southampton. Typical! We sell our ability to Southampton and

he comes back to haunt us! Then a bit of history. This secured a win

over Charlton. And the 35th goal for this player of the season.

Sheffield Wednesday move to second in the league. That was after a

tight win over Leyton Orient. Finally, League Two, where Bradford

looked to be heading for defeat against Gillingham, until

controversial late from Jamie Hang Seng. Old offside by the linesman,

who was then overlord! It ended 2-2. And then to Rotherham, who are

still without a manager. This week it was a 3-0 defeat at Crawley.

Things now look like a long shot whoever plays next time.

The Leeds Rhinos have hit back at criticism that they were

unprofessional in the run-up to last night's heavy defeat to St

Helens because they'd dyed their hair red. It was a stunt designed

to raise money for Sport Relief. Coach Brian McDermott said the

accusation was bang out of order, and their hair colour had nothing

to do with the loss. And we've all this weekend's action

in the Super League Show with Tanya Arnold, Adrian Morley and Robbie

Hunter-Paul at 12.05am tonight. You change the colour of your hair

regularly! Let's move on! Some news on a couple of our

Olympic hopefuls now. Leeds boxer Nikki Adams won yet another gold,

this time at the Grand Prix in the Czech Republic. She beat the

Russian fighter Elena Saveleva in the final. She hopes to qualify for

London in May. And she must because she is going to get gold!

And Otley's Lizzie Armitstead won the Gent-Wevelgem road race with a

strong solo ride. It's the first time the event has been staged for

women. It was her second win of the year. The 23-year-old is focusing

on the Road Race for this summer's Games. I was told how to pronounce

that and I still made a mess of it! Sorry about that!

Addiction is not easy to kick. I am talking chocolate here. I cannot

walk past a piece and I know you can't either, Christa! Chunks

mysteriously disappear from the room. In York, they are preparing

for the opening of their newest attraction, Chocolate York's sweet

story. We have a sneak preview now from Cathy Killick. She started the

day as a size eight, by the way! I'm at the top of the Shambles, a

fantastic location for a new tourist attraction, and here it is.

It's called Chocolate: York's Sweet Story. It celebrates York's

incredible chocolate heritage. There's last-minute tweaking going

on, ready for the weekend's opening, but still plenty to see. Here's a

taste. There's something in chocolate

called Theo bromide. If you smell it but then don't eat it, it makes

you grumpy! So the first thing visitors here get to do is eat

chocolate, but only after some first top pasting tips. First of

all, with the eyes, and then whippersnapper. That is the crystal

formalisation. Then we have the smell. Lovely aromas. And then the

taste! Get it moving around your tongue, get those aromas moving.

All the aromas of chocolate, you immediately feel happy, contented

and relaxed! That is the way to taste chocolate. It is the only

visitor attraction where you can eat the exhibits. We have been

creating this for 25 years, so when our visitors walking on Saturday

morning, they will be indulged! There were three main sweet

factories in York. Terry's, Craven's, two of them. Everybody in

York knows somebody connected to chocolate production. And here is

one of them. Joe Horsley. Tens of thousands of people over many, many

generations going back to 1820 built the city's wealth on the back

of confectionery. And it is nice that the efforts of those people

are remembered. Now, I know this is the bit you have all been waiting

for! Getting down and dirty with the chocolate! This is the chief

chocolate here, Andrew Thwaite. have some pre- moulded, prefilled

chocolates fears. We put them in the chocolate and across here. The

idea is they are nice and rustic, because they are meant to represent

Terry's's All Gold truffles. And this is the correct temperature, so

you will get the correct gloss and shine. You can do about 3,000 an

hour! I could certainly eat them at that rate! And the beauty of this

place is that it understands the attraction intimate leave. What?! I

haven't tasted any! I've cleaned up a bit! Joining me

now is Barbara Gibson, who used to work for Terry's. Barbara, when I

was growing up in York I remember I could smell the chocolate from

Terry's going to school. It's sad it's closed now, but you must have

some good memories? Oh! Fond memories! I will always Room of my

time there. A what was your job? I was a hand Coverack, so I used to

work very hard. What is that? Covering rum truffles and marzipan

acorns. Doing it by hand with the liquid chocolate. Has it put you

off chocolate or will you eat it now? No! I love chocolate! Just as

well to be here now. That is amazing, isn't it? Also here is

Michael Constantine, the general manager of this place. How much

chocolate do you think you're going to get through? We have estimated

about two tonnes just in terms of the things we are making for people

to eat on their way around, but every time Andrew Thwaite makes an

Easter egg as you have been looking at, it is 22lb weight of chocolate

in that. We made 3,500 trough was last week. So everything we do uses

a lot of chocolate. -- 3,500 truffles. Will the surprise hold

out before it opens? Yes! We have a hot line so we get our chocolate

delivered by the ton. The first was delivered about three weeks ago. We

still have a ton left and we hope it will still be there when we get

to after Easter. I'm sure there will be lots of people looking

forward to Easter. And just in case you're wondering, yes, it is real,

apart from the cardboard at the bottom, and it has just had glitter

put on it! That is the kind of thing you will see if you come!

I am so hungry now! Thank you! Paul has something really interesting...

It is actually boring but he thinks it is interesting! We cannot wait!

Now, if you were in Bradford at the weekend, you can't have failed to

have noticed balloons, fireworks and lasers, all to mark the opening

of the new City Park. Thousands of people crowded into the city centre

and the six-acre site was filled with performers, musicians and lots

of water. Bradford Council hopes the new park will help boost the

city's economy. And now for the exciting bit! What

is your relationship with chocolate? There is an inverse

relationship between chocolate consumption and the weather. Nestle

used to pay the Met Office a fortune to have advanced forecasts

so the chocolate companies could scaled-down production. I thought

Three pictures which are beautiful! That his Scarborough yesterday

morning. They have had a fantastic day today, though. That is the

Yorkshire Dales. It doesn't happen often. That was the warmest part of

the county. And this one is worth looking out for. That is Jupiter,

Venus and the Moon, all in the same area. Can you see? Amazing! That is

brilliant. To send us your weather pictures. Let's have a quick look

at the rooftop camera with these light evenings out now. It has been

a beautiful evening here. Temperatures at about 18, 19

degrees with not a cloud in the sky. Let's have a look at the Yorkshire

Dales. Everywhere having a beautiful time of it. The coast, a

bit lower than that but it has not mattered, with strong sunshine, and

tomorrow, sunny and very warm with high pressure in charge and not a

cloud on the latest satellite sequence. So, it is fine and sunny

and we have about 10 minutes left of that sunshine. Then temperatures

will drop like the clappers! We could have a few temperatures down

to zero with a bit of mist and patchy fog in places by dawn. The

sun will rise in the morning at about 6:50am. These are your high

water times. Any mist and patchy fog boil rapidly disperse and then

it is a spot the cloud sort of day! Temperatures will be a degree

higher than we have had today with a light and variable breeze.

Recovering along the coast with something like 15 in Scarborough.

Inland, 20 degrees through much of North, West and South Yorkshire.