17/12/2013 Look North (Yorkshire)

Hello ` welcome to Tuesday's Look North. Tonight ` it's cost motorists

one and a half million in fines, and some businesses claim they're facing

financial ruin ` but is it a price worth paying? We investigate the

fall`out from the controversial closure of one of York's main

thoroughfares. I absolutely livid. It has been a complete catastrophe.

My business has been here for 133 years.

Also tonight: Learning to live with a new hand. One year on, we catch up

with the Yorkshireman who underwent a revolutionary transplant. And

Danny Wilson's back at Barnsley, more than 15 years after he led the

club to Premier League glory. It is beginning to feel like Christmas.

Take a look at this. We will find out how this is come together later

in the programme. Join me for the forecast.

Good evening and welcome to the programme. Traders in York say the

decision to close Lendal Bridge to motorists during off peak hours is

having a serious impact on business, at their busiest time of the year.

The ban was introduced in September and since then ?1.5 million worth of

fines have been handed out to motorists. Meanwhile the Business

Secretary Vince Cable has waded into the row, claiming it is having a

major impact on the tourist industry and on business. However the council

believes the measure to reduce congestion in the city centre is

working well. Here's Harry with the story. If you want across to the

other side, it cost you. The fines role in for the council. The next

five weeks, even more. Revenue potential? ?1.5 million. That is

only one part of the story. The Liberal Democrats have waded in.

I was pleased that Vince cable could come on Saturday. He spoke to a lot

of businesses and reinforced our opinion as councillors that the

council should have consulted with businesses first. They should have

got the job done properly before risking trade and tourism at this

vital time. Many local businesses say this is a step too far. Take

this company. A prime site in the city centre. But history can mean

nothing sometimes. I am livid. A complete catastrophe for my

business. This closure has completely decimated the business. I

have gone through times when we would struggle with the recession. I

managed to get through that. I was having a fantastic six months since

April. All of a sudden, this closure, my business completely

collapses. Is that an isolated complaint, or does it have

substance? Frank's business is doing OK. But... It is causing a massive

problem. National companies are also seeing a downturn in business.

Beforehand everything look optimistic. Looking like we were on

the road to recovery. This is a setback. Those are the arguments. A

disaster for business. But far from it, say the council. This is a

trial. We want to make certain people can see what it means in

practice and then we will see what they have to say about it. In terms

of the oral health, the overall indicators look very good. ``

overall health. Car parking is up on last year and the footfall isn't

showing a 7% increase for the first fortnight in December. `` is

showing. Overall, we are doing well. Both sides, fundamentally opposed.

Perhaps bridges need to be built. It's now a year since medical

history was made in Leeds when the UK's first ever hand transplant was

carried out in the city. The former pub landlord Mark Carhill became the

first person to undergo the pioneering surgery last Christmas

when a donor became available. Well, we've been back to see Mark and find

out how he's getting on. Our Health Correspondent Jamie Coulson has the

story. That hand is doing absolutely fantastic. You can see that the fund

is working pretty good. Mark can now move his fingers and thumb and grip

simple object. A dramatic improvement from the first tentative

wiggle of his fingers after becoming the first person in the UK to have a

hand transplant. I would have to ask other people did take the tops of

bottles for me. Very little things. But each day I managed something

little, it is a big thing. His original hand became useless as a

result of gout. On December 27 last year he made UK medical history.

What made the operation even more unusual was the fact that he was not

already an amputee. His hand was removed by the surgeon immediately

before the replacement and was ready to attach. The team could then join

both together by connecting nerves, attendance, arteries and veins. ``

tendons. We have the proof of concept and we have learned an

enormous amount from the case. We have five patients with no hands,

who would be very valuable recipients. For Mark and the

family, a challenging 12 months. But no regrets. I have always said I am

really happy I have done it. As the days go on I see more and more

improvements and more and more realise that I'm glad I did it. To

begin with I thought, this might be a bit weird. But it is his. Really

good. The handle continue to improve and over the next year he will see

greater gains in dexterity, movement, and touch.

Amazing, just one year on. Later on Look North: Blown off her feet ` we

hear from the woman badly injured by strong winds outside Yorkshire's

tallest building. A father from Barnsley has been

convicted of the murder of his eleven`month`old son. Kadan Beaumont

had suffered a series of assaults during his short life. His father

Michael blamed the attack which led to Kadan's death two years ago on

the family dog, who he said had knocked the boy over. But a jury at

Sheffield Crown Court convicted Beaumont after a six week trial. He

faces a life sentence when he returns to court tomorrow. Our Crime

Correspondent John Cundy reports. The child died after a final violent

attack in the family home. At the hands of his father, Michael, he

suffered two skull fractures, bleeding to the eyes, on the brain,

multiple bruises to the head and face, in repeat attacks. 29`year`old

Michael lost his temper with the child and tried of `` to blame the

injuries on the family dog. He sent a message to the mother, at work at

the time. Paraphrasing, it read: the assaults on the child had been

regular and violent. The prosecutor said that he suffered a deliberate

serious head injury at just two months old. At seven weeks, he was

taken to the family doctor after coughing up light. One week later,

he was in hospital with a cauliflower ear. `` coughing up

blood. Two weeks before his collapse he suffered head injuries after

apparently falling out of his high chair. Helen Barnes, seen in the

black coat, never got medical help for her son after the attacks. It

shows the father up for what he really is. Kallis and cold`hearted.

We will never know why he chose to inflict these injuries. He showed no

emotion when found guilty by the jury. But the mother burst into

tears. She was first cleared of causing or allowing the death, but

then convicted of cruelty to the boy. Sentencing of Michael Beaumont

and Helen Barnes follows tomorrow morning.

In other news, a murder inquiry has begun after a man's body was found

in a field in Sheffield. The discovery on land on Birley Spa lane

was made at around 6:30am this morning by a member of the public.

Police believe the body is that of a man in his 30s. They are appealing

for anyone with information to come forward.

Police investigating the death of a woman killed by dogs in Leeds have

arrested a second man under the Dangerous Dogs Act. Emma Bennett,

who was pregnant with her fifth child ` died after being attacked at

her home in Osmondthorpe last week. Police today arrested a 29`year`old

man and seized three dogs, thought to be pitbulls, after raiding a

house in Gipton. A 33`year`old man arrested last week remains on police

bail. A man from Rotherham's been jailed

for life after admitting four counts of rape. Nicholas Totty, who's 26,

admitted attacking one woman in the Moorgate area of the town in

September. Less than two hours later he broke into a house and assaulted

a woman and a teenager, before going on to attack a fourth woman.

A woman whose skull was fractured after she was blown over next to

Yorkshire's tallest Goulding says she is considering legal action

against Leeds City Council. `` tallest building. She was swept off

her feet at the bottom of Bridgewater Place whilst on her

lunch break a fortnight ago. The area had been closed to traffic

because of high winds, but pedestrians were still allowed. With

a fractured skull and bruising to the brain, Janet is making a slow

recovery. A fortnight after being lifted off her feet by the wind, she

still has no memory of the incident. I vaguely remember getting to work,

working, but capture member what I was working on. I am told that I can

remember I went out to Tesco. `` but cannot remember what I was working

on. I was then blown over, but I have no recollection of that. All

vehicles had been banned from the area with wind in excess of 40 mph.

Janet thought she would be safe to leave her office at lunchtime. It is

not as if I work out in the sticks. I work in a busy, vibrant city. I

should be able to step outside the workplace and BS safe environment.

`` it should be a safe environment. It is not the first such like

accident. A lorry driver was previously killed and the coroner

suggested closing the area to all pedestrians. In a statement, the

local council said: Janet and her partner are now

consulting on legal action against Bridgewater Place and Leeds City

Council. It went very badly wrong. A couple of years ago with a young

man. And now again. Family times before they actually do something?

`` how many times? I hope they have everybody's safety at heart and

aren't looking at economic considerations. This is very

dangerous. Janet still does not know if she will suffer long`term effects

from the injuries but hopes that by the time she returns to work,

measures will be in place to improve the follows her to walk past

Bridgewater Place. Before 7pm: Danny Wilson returns to

Barnsley. Can he bring back the glory days? It has been 15 years

away. And are you feeling festive? If not, take a look at this. Is it

not amazing? We will take a tour in just a few minutes time.

Looking forward to that. First of all, the mayor of Kirklees is

warning that more was be done to avoid further casualties ahead of

the two of the tour to Yorkshire. `` Tour De France. Martyn Bolt was a

close friend of a cyclist from Huddersfield who was critically

injured when he was knocked off his bike. John Radford has been in Leeds

General Infirmary for almost five months following the accident. His

family say it has torn their lives apart. So just how dangerous are our

roads? Amy has the details. Thank you. One of the aims of the race is

to leave a lasting legacy for safe cycling, but campaigners worry that

it could lead to more cycling deaths. 6000 cyclists have been

injured on our region's roads in recent years. The figures are

follows: as a safety campaign, John Radford

had himself tried to raise awareness about the dangers of cycling. Our

correspondent has this report. As he sets off for work, Martin knows the

roads could be dangerous. Even if you are the mayor of Kirklees and an

experienced cyclist. The road conditions, potholes, you are

constantly having to go into the flow of traffic. Sometimes drivers

just give you no consideration. That is something his friend discovered

to a terrible cost. They had been a ride together when they experienced

cyclist was struck by a car. The hospital staff told us that will

never be the same again is what he was when he left that morning. All

we can do is keep fingers crossed and hope you get some quality back

into his life. John was a prominent road safety campaign. After the

accident hundreds of cyclists gathered in support. Six months

afterwards, he remains in hospital. It is particularly difficult at this

time of year. As a family we want to enjoy Christmas. But when one person

is not there, for my mother in particular, that is really

difficult. I am looking forward to seeing him soon, like Christmas. I

hope you can come out before then. `` he. Not all accidents are as

devastating as Johns, but collisions are common. You can go on the

inside, or overhear. `` over here. There is a concern that things could

get worse. When the tour visits we will have a massive uptake and

cycling. But unless things change there may be more injuries purely

because of the greater number on the roads. The accident has not kept

Martin off his bike, but with John spending Christmas in hospital, it

is a reminder of how vulnerable cyclists can be.

Danny Wilson is the new manager of Barnsley, the club he guided to the

Premier League way back in 1997. Back then the fans used to chant

that it was "just like watching Brazil." Well, he faces a rather

tougher challenge this time around with the club bottom of the

Championship. Here's Tanya. Spot the difference. Danny Wilson back where

his managerial career started, 20 years ago. They say you should never

go back. Yet here you are? And maybe in hindsight, who knows? But I am

certainly excited about it. Where it all started from my perspective. It

is surreal, but exciting. Can't wait for Saturday. In his first spell he

took the club into the top flight for the first time in history. He

arrives again with the backing of the supporters. I am delighted. He

is a favourite of the supporters. Something the club needs. Some

passion back. Hopefully what happens in the 1986 `` to seven season ``

1996`1997 will happen again. We can stay up, hopefully. You cannot buy

those memories, they are fantastic. But football has moved on. At a

great pace. I have come back here, hopefully I can get enough results

to keep the team safe. That is the challenge, it is not easy. I don't

want to make you feel old, but how different a Danny Wilson do we have

this time around? Some more lines on the face! I was a Ricky manager when

I first came in. You need to learn quickly in this game. `` rookie

manager. I have been in management for 20 years. I hope the experience

can benefit the club. I have done lots of press conferences with

managers arriving at clubs. But you'd seemed genuinely excited and

Eddie. `` giddy. As I said, it is surreal. It seemed like only

yesterday, not so long ago that I was working there. It has gone so

quickly. To be back again, a dream come true. All the best. Thank you.

Now, are you fed up with reading too many depressing news stories?

Wouldn't it be nice to filter out the bad and just read about good

news? Well we would probably be out of a job but a new paper in Bradford

has decided to do just that. All 32 pages are filled with nothing but

positivity. Naz Hussain is the Editor of" The Bradfordian" and he

joins us now. Why do you think this will work. `` will work?

To redress the balance between good news and bad news. Not just locally,

but nationally. First of all, it is a breath of fresh air. Secondly,

judging by the response we received, from ordinary folk, business people,

members of the public, it has been absolutely overwhelming. There is a

demand for good news. The reason we have published good news only is to

redress that balance. Waking up in the morning, seeing a newspaper,

cover to cover, full of good news, it makes people feel good about

themselves. Beyond that, there is lots of good news out there. But

there's still a hole in middle of Bradford, had you cover that? That

annoys me. We cover negative stories in the same way as any negative

story... But you don't cover it now? We don't cover it `` we deal with

the issue by not covering it. Sometimes many stories will not make

the paper but will be on the website and a daily basis. We spoke to

locals. Here is what they said. They should print both. People should be

aware of the good stuff that happens. What is good news in

Bradford? There is none. It is getting worse, not better. There is

far too much negativity today in any paper. It would be nice to find good

things happening in our city. We get a lot of bad press. Mixed feelings.

We have had massive stories about the toddler who was found caught

dead for two years. That is a huge story, will you not lose your

audience by not publishing relevant stories? It is not about losing an

audience. Lots of newspapers cover those kind of stories. People know

where to buy them. We are serving those people who just want to hear

good news about their city. A good time of year for it. Good luck with

that. Thank you very much. Now, they may not be the Northern Lights, but

people have been travelling miles to see the Christmas Light Show at a

house just outside Thirsk. Eric Marshall has more than a thousand

lights strung up across his house and garden in Bagby, It takes him

more than three weeks to get them ready. And over the years they've

become a local attraction. We've sent Ian White along to see them.

Good evening. Hello, everybody! Look at this house. Amazing! Over 1000

lights. Why do you do it? Everybody comes to see it. I love it. All the

children coming in, it is great. It must cost a fortune? I do not look

at the bills! Does the local power dip when you turn these on? Yes,

they have had trouble down at Thirsk! Come down here, see mine. It

is just three miles away. And all for a good cause, raising money for

the local church. Jane, you are the long`suffering wife. He is mad, is

he not? Mad as a hat. The ladder fell one day when I was doing the

dinner, I thought he was hurt, but it was OK, he is still here. It

looks fantastic. We have a festive treat to say goodbye with. The

youngsters will sing jingle Bells. THEY SING JINGLE BELLS. Paul

Hudson's Christmas display of lights is spectacularly ordinary.

Can you imagine what the electricity bill is like? Here are some pictures

that came in. I don't think that was taken this morning, there is a full

moon today. Nevertheless, nice. This one, a beautiful sunrise. We have a

sermon in nice sunrises and sunsets. That was Bridlington this morning.

`` so many nice sunrises. I hope you enjoyed the sunshine

because it is going downhill. Rain will spread from the West. The

system following on Wednesday night will be very active. Perhaps the

risk of localised flooding. A strengthening southerly wind.

Thursday, broad, Westerly sunshine, local, wintry showers. You can see

that we are sandwiched between cloud to the north`west and increasing

cloud from the south. There is already a ground frost with

temperatures in the Vale of York down to one Celsius. The cloud will

continue to invade from the south. In from the West, perhaps some

patchy rain over the Pennines by the end of the night. The sun will rise

in the morning at 8:20am. Here are the high water times. Perhaps some

brightness towards the coast. But generally grey. Outbreaks of rain

spreading to the east through the morning. Dry periods in there, but

the rain never far away. Overcast, dull, damp day at times. There could

be wind of 50 mph by the end of the day. Top temperatures, eventually 10

Celsius, but it will feel chilly for much of Wednesday. Wednesday night,

some very heavy and prolonged rain to come. That is out of the way by

first light on Thursday morning. Lots of sunshine, some local, wintry

showers over the Pennines. Friday looks dry with sunny spells. At

another weather system will bring rain from the West and Friday night,

clear on Saturday morning, then returning to sunshine and showers on

Saturday afternoon. That is the forecast. Fairy lights in your

house? We have some, but I keep a limit on

them! Only joking! We will see you on Friday. I have

couple of days off. Goodbye.