05/08/2013 Look North (Yorkshire)

fostering organisation encouraging people to foster to avoid losing

Housing Benefit. Before King open a no doubt I wouldn't consider foster

care is simply to Perma bedroom tax. Or to avoid the bedroom tax. And the

motorists putting lives at risk on the M62 by ignoring signs and

driving in the wrong lane. And this allowed -- the seller rave

club for toddlers in Yorkshire. It has been a cloudy day in

Yorkshire. A lot have seen a fair bit of rain. Join me for the

Good evening and welcome to Monday's Look North. On the programme

tonight: Council tenants with spare rooms have seen their income reduced

by at least �13 a week under government reforms. Now one

organisation has sent a leaflet to homeowners, suggesting they take on

a youngster in need so they can keep their full rent payments. One

recipient of the leaflet has called it abhorrent. Heidi Tomlinson has

this exclusive report. This is the second route which I use

as a study. Under rules introduced in April, Housing benefit is caught

if tenants have spare rooms. Carroll has two bedrooms in this high --

high-rise flat. She has to pay next �35 per month and is currently in

arrears. Carroll has received a range of advice telling her to find

work for taking a larger. On this flyer from fostering organisation it

says, avoid the bedroom tax, become a foster carer. That I find

absolutely abhorrent. I just could not even contemplate that. I

wouldn't consider foster care simply to pay my bedroom tax. Or to avoid

the bedroom tax. Parallel parents are responsible for the leaflet. It

is being distributed to households in Leeds. The flyer is being

described as tactless marketing by another foster organisation. But

parallel parents say this is just one recruitment strategy, a way of

encouraging people to become foster parents. The British Association for

adoption and fostering added that a carer will only be approved if they

provide a child focused service. If financial game was the sole

motivation, the applicant would not be approved. -- gain. Carol thinks

it could draw in on suitable foster carers. Perhaps people who are

desperate not to be removed from their homes, not to be evicted, they

might well be the wrong sort of people. But with 9000 more foster

carers needed in the UK, it seems agencies are looking for new ways to

deal with the recruitment crisis. You've been in touch with your

the Fostering Network, which calls itself the voice of foster care.

Isn't this using children as commodities, attracting people to

fostering who are not motivated by wanting to help a child but a desire

to make money? Fostering services in Yorkshire and Humberside are looking

for 800 people this year alone to become foster parents. That puts a

massive strain on the service. say it is a recruitment strategy,

but it is an insensitive one, isn't it? Fostering services have two

trial a variety of different methods. This company will learn

from this exercise to realise that it has in this instance created a

lot of negative responses, but also it has gained local coverage in the

media. Is this the right way of going about it? Fostering services,

P blue enquire about fostering services, there is a rigorous

process which can take six to eight months. -- people who enquire about

fostering services. Will a lot of money be spent on sorting people out

who are not appropriate in this circumstance? The Fostering Network

does recommend the fostering -- to fostering services that they target

the recruitment campaigns. So it is really important to go for the

people that have the skills and qualities needed.

Thank you very much. A primary school teacher has

admitted 23 sex offences against children in York. Richard Oldham,

who's 31, had taught at several schools in the city. His offences

date back a number of years. Oldham will be sentenced next month. John

Cundy joins us now from Leeds Crown. What we know about Richard Oldham?

We know that he taught at at least three different primary schools in

York. We cannot identify them for legal reasons. He is now aged 31 but

he is living in Devon, yet he had been offending in York as late as

last year. Old arrived in court today under a cloud in more ways

than one. -- Oldham. He then spent all morning talking to his lawyers

before appearing in court this afternoon to admit to 23 offences.

Can you tell us how serious these offences are? There were three cases

of voyeurism. He filmed children committing what were called Private

Acts for his pleasure. There were 13 charges of making indecent images or

videos of children. He admitted possessing 2076 indecent images of

children. He also admitted six serious sexual assault involving two

boys. What did the judge say to him? The recorder at Leeds told him that

when he returned for a sentencing he would face almost certain jail. He

will be on the sex offenders register. He has granted him bail.

As Oldham left court this afternoon, he was trying to avoid reporters and

the cameras. Until he returns here on September 16 for a sentencing, he

remains under an eight hour nightly curfew and will not be allowed any

unsupervised connection with children at all.

Later on Look North: A semi-precious stone rediscovered after seven

decades - it's not the plot of a Hollywood movie, but a mystery

The Highways Agency and Police say drivers are putting lives at risk,

by failing to use the hard shoulder correctly on a stretch of the M62 in

West Yorkshire. The new managed-motorway scheme is designed

to reduce congestion, allowing drivers to use the hard shoulder at

peak times. But now there's a warning that some motorists are

treating it as a regular lane. Here's Ian White.

As another section of the new the M62 managed motorway went live in

west Yorkshire today, an appeal from the police to heed the road signs.

The idea is simple. At peak times, the hard shoulder is open to traffic

to ease congestion. The rest of the time it is closed to traffic. Police

say some motorists are breaking the law by using the hard shoulder when

they shouldn't, to jump queues. know that we will get people who

will gamble with it and they will say, even though the warning is

there, it is a little bit of a short cut. I will save myself a few

seconds. Let me tell those people that they will not save themselves

any time. They will get caught out. The police are going to catch them.

With cameras trained on all parts of the motorway, catching offenders is

easier for the police. The new system is confusing for motorists.

There is a little bit of ignorance. People need to educate themselves.

We have had these cameras for years but what is new is the environment

in which we are using them. We are trying to get drivers to become

acquainted with the system. Motoring organisations say drivers need to be

made more aware -- need to be more aware of what is going on around

them. We have often said there is a case for greater education. Maybe it

should be linked. It is also a symptom of the sort of congestion

that we are increasingly seeing on our motorways. Motorists who ignore

the signs and drive on the hard shoulder risk colliding with

vehicles. Offenders will be fined �60 and get three points on their

licence. Police say, you have been warned.

Some other news from around the Look North region now. In Sheffield,

demolition work has finally begun on the grade two listed Edwardian Wing

of Jessop Hospital. Campaigners had hoped the empty building could be

saved. The site will be cleared to make way for a new �81 million

building, which will house Sheffield University's engineering department.

The number of crimes in rural areas of Yorkshire has dropped, but

thieves still take over �3 million a year from the Yorkshire countryside.

Quad bikes are top on the thieves' wish list in Yorkshire, while tools

and agricultural machinery are also targeted. Statistics from the rural

insurer NFU Mutual show the majority of rural crime is planned rather

than opportunist. A multi-million pound upgrade of

York's power supply is underway. Northern Powergrid is investing �7

on maintenance work on underground power cables. It's part of a

programme of improvements which will see �10 billion spent over five

years to upgrade Yorkshire's water, Experts are warning that the world

famous Selby Abbey organ will be unplayable in five years' time

unless urgent restoration work is carried out. It's a specialist job

that will cost hundreds of thousands of pounds, but the Abbey has a plan

to raise the money involving the former organist to the Pope. Cathy

Killick has the story. Stand-in Selby Abbey when the

organist playing and you can feel the reverberations through your

feet. It is a magnificent sand. The organ is one of the best in the

world but it could fall silent in the next five years unless it is

overhauled. The only reason it is this good now is because of the

exceptional skill of the organist. He is having to work around a lot of

problems. The organist pulling a stop out would expect to pull it out

and make a sound. I can go up to the top keyboard and I can put a stop

here. Try this one. Is working? No. Let's try another one. Yes. But we

have no base. Around half �1 million is needed to restore the organ. It

is a lot of money. There are around 300,000 in the kitty. The abbey has

a cunning plan to raise the rest. The Abbey's hopes lie with this man.

He was a huge star in the 1960s. He was the Pope's organist and came to

Selby to play the organ. The Abbey has rediscovered the recordings he

made there and is releasing them on sandwich makes it different. That is

why people love it. It is wonderful. Now, unfortunately, it is

struggling. Pulling out the stops still sounds good. It should sound

better. In CD sales will ensure the organ regains its true voice. When

it does, stand back. It sounds fantastic. Otherwise it

would sound like me playing, the right notes in the wrong order.

Before seven o'clock, we're joined by the Leeds diver who's made quite

a splash at the first high diving competition at the World Aquatics

Championships. A 68-year search for deposits of a

rare stone in the Peak District, has finally come to an end. The lost

vein of Blue John stone was reported by a miner working underground near

Castleton in 1945, but he died before passing on the exact

location. Now the semi-precious metal - which is used to make

ornaments and jewellery - has been rediscovered. It's a relief for

Peter Harrison, who was given that tip-off as a young man. Danny

Carpenter has been to meet him. They are minors, these three. Miners

of Blue John. 50 years ago, this was how they got Blue John. And 50 years

ago, they were searching for a missing seem. A scene described to

Peter Harrison by the previous owner. He founded but died before he

could show where it was. For the next 70 years, it stayed hidden. And

if you are wondering how something so sought after could remain so

hidden for so long, there are two reasons. The first is, it's not

exactly accessible. And the second is, the man who made the original

discovery made absolutely sure that nobody else would be stealing his

find. John Rees had a ritual of hiding his veins, or hiding his work

at the end of the day. I couldn't sneak up on the middle of the night

and hack is a vein out and sell it in the village for ale. -- his vein

out. We did find a few iron bars, some wood and a carpet. And we found

bigger rocks on that concealing the vein. John is now mining the scene.

With luck, he will still be added. -- when it is his time to retire.

His brand is delighted. We had looked for it for years and years,

and then John stumbled across it under an old carpet and would. I was

amazed. Absolutely amazed. And it produces some very nice Blue John.

It is such good quality that Peter is hopeful it can be worked into the

coveted larger items, like goblets and vases, which themselves have not

been produced for many long years. Now, it all got under way again at

the weekend - the new football season has started. You can see all

the action on the BBC website. We're going to look at some of the talking

points and celebrate our three winning sides.

You have got to feel it for Wednesday. That was a blatant

penalty. It is obvious. Barton should possibly have had a yellow

card, possibly a read. Look for the referee is. He can see it. Why did

he not give a penalty? It seems a bit unfair. Dave Jones was a bit

cheesed off. He cannot miss that. And then to book him I just think is

absolutely crazy. Something has to be done. I don't know what league

they can send him down to, but he should not be refereeing at this

level. 34,000 at Elland Road. McCormack's

finish was pure class. Then into the last ten seconds and Luke Murphy

rounded off a great debut with this goal. Handball in the build-up?

Probably. The performance suggests money well spent. We are in the

results business. The performance was good and deserved a result.

Brighton played well. They are a good side. But our result is very

important. Chesterfield had a good away win. This goal came from

O'Shea. Look at the angle. Brilliant finish. He scored six goals last

season. Chesterfield's second goal was a beauty. Great save from their

goalkeeper. And then a fluent counterattack. The rest belongs to

Mark Richards. He scored 13 times last season. If he plays like this,

there could be a bag full frame as well. Another winner, York city.

Ryan Jarvis sending them to the top. A little overreaction. But

after last season, perhaps they deserve it.

In Super League, Huddersfield Giants dominated Salford. Lovely try. The

second try is even better. A reverse pass. Huddersfield Giants top of the

league. Can they stay there. --? And you can see all the weekends action

on tonight's Superleague Show at 11.20. And in the cricket, Yorkshire

were saved by the weather - their game with Warwickshire was drawn.

Our next guest likes nothing more than hurling himself from great

heights. You may remember that last week we showed you some amazing

footage of the World High Diving Championships in Barcelona. Matt

Cowen from Keighley was among the competitors jumping from 27 metres

up in the air. We'll speak to Matt in a moment. First, let's see him in

Unbelievable. 27 metres, that is the equivalent of six double-decker

buses. You're hitting the water at 70 mph. How does that feel?

depends how you land! If you land well on your feet, you feel the

impact through your whole body. These are some pictures of you

performing around the world. They only show part of it. The view is

incredible. From the top of that platform, when you are inside cities

or in a beautiful piece of countryside, the view that you get

is spectacular. You don't have much time for admiring the view. Let's

talk about the nerves. What goes through your mind and how do you

focus? Everybody has their own way of dealing with it. I get really

nervous and energy. My mind is going 1 million miles an hour. About two

minutes before the dive I am quite calm and blank. I am ready to go. I

just get on with it. When there are people down there to help with the

divers, they are there presumably... Have you got it wrong

spectacularly? Touchwood, no major injuries so far. I have been around

guys who are not themselves out or worse. The safety divers are

brilliant. Where train in Yorkshire? I train at the John Charles Centre.

We have only got ten metres there. I usually train the first half of the

dive and the second half, then stick them together at competition.

are you next? Boston.Lovely place. Enjoy it. Not Boston, Lincolnshire.

A toddler group with a difference has sprung up in West Yorkshire -

and it's a proving a massive hit. It's called Baby Rave, and it's a

little bit more energetic than the usual playgroups. The events are

ticket only and sell out every time. Anna Crossley's been finding out

more. As soon as you walk in, it is

clear. This is no ordinary toddler group. It is held in a nightclub

rather than a church hall. The babies are waving glow sticks, not

rattles. Baby Rave was set up by fake any because she was bored with

the usual baby groups. She wanted something a little bit livelier.

found the other classes good for the children. There were the same kind

of nursery rhymes you hear every single time. We do sing nursery

rhymes here. We'll also like to sing popular songs as well and dance at

the same time. It may only be just after two o'clock in the afternoon,

but this is the second sold-out Baby Rave of the day. By the looks of it,

not everybody can take the pace. The music isn't too loud to protect

delicate ears. There are plenty of other things to do as well as dance.

The first Baby Rave was in April. Each one since has been a sell-out.

Such is the demand, the event is now held in a large nightclub. We meet

friends and we have singing and dancing. It is something special. I

was taken today off work. He is running around, playing around,

having a dance in between. Slept her way through but that did not seem to

bother him. They love the music. you have a nice time? Yes.The next

event is taking place in September. Although they are proving so

popular, there is now talk of a It makes a change from head,

shoulders, knees and toes. Now the weather. I have got some lovely

pictures for you this evening. The first one we have got is from Ben

Harrison. He sent this picture of lightning in Rossington in Doncaster

on Friday night. The second picture is a double rainbow. This is from

Linda in North Derbyshire. The third has to be my favourite. Harry, there

he is, at the York 10K. 66 minutes. are going to see some bits and

pieces of rain but it promises to be drier and brighter tomorrow. We have

this high ridge of pressure. It will give us more settled conditions. We

are continuing to have some heavy rain. It will gradually dry up from

the West and skies were clear. Overnight it will feel fresher than

it has done. Temperatures down to 11 or 12 degrees. Perhaps a little bit

easier to get to sleep tonight. Tomorrow the sun will rise at

5:28am. Those are your high water times. Thanks to that high pressure

tomorrow, we are set for a much calmer and quieter day. Starting off

quite nicely. Good spells of sunshine along the coast. Cloud will

bubble up through the day. Perhaps the light shower the Pennines. But

generally the theme of dry and fine weather will continue. A bit warmer

tomorrow than it was today. Highs of around 20. As we go through the

outlook for the next couple of days, it looks like we will see some good

spells of sunshine. Highs of 19 degrees on Wednesday.