:00:00. > :00:08.One, it's time for the news where you are.
:00:09. > :00:13.Good evening. Internationally renowned concert
:00:14. > :00:16.pianist John Briggs is beginning an eight`year jail term tonight for
:00:17. > :00:19.indecent assaults on young boys. In Bradford a judge said Briggs, who's
:00:20. > :00:22.65, had remorselessly abused two boys at private piano lessons at his
:00:23. > :00:25.home and three sea cadets from Keighley. Today one of his victim's
:00:26. > :00:32.spoke exclusively to our crime correspondent John Cundy.
:00:33. > :00:36.John Briggs described as a gifted, successful pianist, and man of
:00:37. > :00:40.considerable standing in the community. Awarded the MBE by the
:00:41. > :00:46.Queen 11 years ago for his support of sea cadets. His abuse of young
:00:47. > :00:52.boys was hidden for years. As well as a renowned concert pianist he was
:00:53. > :00:57.a colourful figure. His publicity stunts involved playing on the edge
:00:58. > :01:01.of the Grand Canyon, or on top of the submarine and the Humber. All
:01:02. > :01:06.the time he was keeping his systematic sex offences hidden. His
:01:07. > :01:11.five victims were between ten and 15. One agreed to be identified and
:01:12. > :01:15.interviewed by look North outside court this afternoon.
:01:16. > :01:22.I am just glad it is all over, 22 years. I am completely and utterly
:01:23. > :01:29.ecstatic at the sentence he got. During his trial he had admitted to
:01:30. > :01:34.the court he had gay tendencies, but he denied the charges claiming they
:01:35. > :01:38.were a vicious campaign against him. It took the jury here at Bradford
:01:39. > :01:43.Crown Court less than five hours to conflict Jon Briggs of nine indecent
:01:44. > :01:47.assaults on the five boys, fungal boys who were said to have respected
:01:48. > :01:54.and almost worshipped him. `` vulnerable boys. He was beginning an
:01:55. > :01:57.eight`year jail sentence for his 25 years of grooming and abuse of boys
:01:58. > :02:00.who trusted him. The group considering plans that
:02:01. > :02:04.could see Calderdale Royal Hospital lose its accident and emergency unit
:02:05. > :02:07.has been defending the proposals. Services have been under review for
:02:08. > :02:10.the last few months and now it's emerged the preferred option is to
:02:11. > :02:14.close the A in Halifax with patients going to Huddersfield
:02:15. > :02:20.instead. We'll have more on the political row this has caused in a
:02:21. > :02:27.moment, first here's Phil Bodmer. Two hospitals, to accident and
:02:28. > :02:30.emergency units, in two towns apart. But now one of those casualty
:02:31. > :02:37.departments faces the possibility of closure. Michael Marsden from
:02:38. > :02:40.Sowerby Bridge was rushed to accident and emergency at Royal
:02:41. > :02:44.Calderdale hospital after experiencing a series of heart
:02:45. > :02:47.attacks. The main problem would be if Alice acts was opposed and I had
:02:48. > :02:53.to go to Huddersfield, the chances are I would be dead before I got
:02:54. > :02:59.there `` if Halifax was closed. Please leave them alone. At present
:03:00. > :03:04.Calderdale loyal hospital serves a population of just over 200,000.
:03:05. > :03:11.Meanwhile Huddersfield Royal covers 420,000 people. Tonight the group
:03:12. > :03:17.carrying out the review defended the proposals.
:03:18. > :03:20.There is good evidence that towns that start drawing together a key
:03:21. > :03:25.services in one place delivers better outcomes for patients. What
:03:26. > :03:29.this also is about, and really importantly, is this is about
:03:30. > :03:35.enhancing, improving, locality delivered services.
:03:36. > :03:39.People we spoke to Halifax and Huddersfield were unsure about
:03:40. > :03:45.changes. My daughter is having a baby, if anything happens you have
:03:46. > :03:49.got to have those facilities. People are coming from Todmorden side, it
:03:50. > :03:55.is very far to go. It is not just shutting, it is visiting. Health
:03:56. > :03:58.bosses say the review is about changing needs and delivering better
:03:59. > :04:05.value for patients, but at what cost to local communities?
:04:06. > :04:08.James Vincent has been following the political reaction after these plans
:04:09. > :04:14.were announced. There is no consensus here.
:04:15. > :04:20.Is there ever, especially when it comes to the NHS and saving money? A
:04:21. > :04:24.few miles up and over the M62 do is Huddersfield Royal infirmary. It
:04:25. > :04:26.might not belong in a car but try telling the people in Halifax that
:04:27. > :04:31.to have heard their accident and emergency I'd be closing. This part
:04:32. > :04:35.of West Yorkshire has seen a restructure in its maternity
:04:36. > :04:41.services, it looks like accident and emergency will be next. MPs have
:04:42. > :04:43.been having their say. We are barely a year away from the general
:04:44. > :04:49.election and they will be wanting to show their constituents know exactly
:04:50. > :04:54.where they stand on this issue. It is about saving money, not about
:04:55. > :04:58.saving lives. It is all about finances and we need to fight that,
:04:59. > :05:02.we need to keep accident and emergency in Calderdale Royal
:05:03. > :05:08.Hospital. If Linda had done as I had done and
:05:09. > :05:18.gone in, a shift in accident and emergency, she would realise what
:05:19. > :05:21.happens currently is unsustainable. The NHS said this decision will not
:05:22. > :05:25.be made for a little while, but it is clear up one of these centres
:05:26. > :05:32.make lies. MIB Halifax, Huddersfield, both of them may be
:05:33. > :05:36.down graded and patients may have to rely on another centre, potentially
:05:37. > :05:38.in Leeds. The NHS will be asking opinion in the summer, expect strong
:05:39. > :05:42.views. A man from Rotherham's been found
:05:43. > :05:45.guilty of murdering a father of three who disturbed him during a
:05:46. > :05:48.burglary in Hoyland. 49`year`old Dean Armitage woke after hearing
:05:49. > :05:52.noises outside his home last summer. He was hit over the head, punched
:05:53. > :05:54.and kicked by David Sindall. Sindall will be sentenced tomorrow at
:05:55. > :05:57.Sheffield Crown Court. Three more of Yorkshire's councils
:05:58. > :06:00.have set their budgets. Wakefield Council voted to cut 1,400
:06:01. > :06:06.jobs and increase council tax by nearly 2% to save ?61 million. Leeds
:06:07. > :06:11.councillors have also approved a similar rise in council tax and
:06:12. > :06:14.savings that put 200 jobs at risk. People in Rotherham also face a rate
:06:15. > :06:19.rise of 1.9% with the council saying only essential services can be
:06:20. > :06:24.protected. More than 5,000 fans turned out to
:06:25. > :06:28.watch Doncaster reserves tonight. The reason? One Direction's Louis
:06:29. > :06:37.Tomlinson was in the squad. He came off the bench against Rotherham
:06:38. > :06:42.reserves, the final score was 0`0. They would turn out in thousands to
:06:43. > :06:53.see you play. Sunny intervals, the rain courtesy
:06:54. > :06:57.of this included front. This feature is interesting on Friday, a good
:06:58. > :07:03.bring rain and hail snow. By now it is clear, rain spreading from the
:07:04. > :07:12.West after midnight. So very wet weather especially in the West. The
:07:13. > :07:16.rain first then quickly clearing. A bright day, sunny spells. A few
:07:17. > :07:25.scattered showers. Fine weather once the rain has cleared. A lot of
:07:26. > :07:28.uncertainty for Friday, there is a risk of some rain and hail snow,
:07:29. > :07:32.back to sunshine and showers on Saturday. That is it from us. Here
:07:33. > :07:39.is a summary for tomorrow. the weekend. And now we have the
:07:40. > :07:43.national forecast. Good evening. We know it has been a
:07:44. > :07:50.wet winter but it has also been mild and across England and Wales,
:07:51. > :07:55.lacking in snow. The last day of the season which we measure on Friday,
:07:56. > :08:00.might provide a bit of it. Friday's weather is coming from the small
:08:01. > :08:05.area of low pressure. These tiny low-pressure systems are difficult
:08:06. > :08:10.to track and a subtle change in position could have a big impact.
:08:11. > :08:13.Tonight we have more straightforward, a weather front
:08:14. > :08:17.spreading out rakes of rain across most areas. Turning windy as well.
:08:18. > :08:21.The rain will be heavy but will move through quickly because of the
:08:22. > :08:25.strength of the wind and it will be a mild night for most. The rain is
:08:26. > :08:28.lingering across Scotland and eastern England for the morning It
:08:29. > :08:29.will continue to be pushed into