02/05/2014 Look North (Yorkshire)

Good evening and welcome to Look North.

The grandfather of a four`year`old girl who died when the car she was

in was hit by a train on a level crossing near Doncaster says he

wants them outlawed. Emma Lifsey was travelling with her grandmother

when, dazzled by the sun, they went though a half`barrier and ended up

on the tracks of the Doncaster to Gainsborough line. Sarah Corker

reports. Emma's favourite teddy bear is at

the centre of the Lifsey family's memorial to the four`year`old.

Her grandfather makes frequent visits here, and hopes the tributes

can also act as a warning to others. It is a heightened sense of danger.

I do think it is a dangerous place. Emma's grandmother, Diane Jarrett,

was driving her home when her car crashed through the barriers and was

hit by a train. She suddenly saw the barrier. She says that she thought,

that's too late, that's too late. She didn't see the train. There was

this explosion and the car was ripped to bits. An investigation

into the accident here found that the glare of the sun that day could

have made it difficult for Diane Jarrett to see the warning lights

and the half`barriers, and that the lights themselves were less than

half as bright as they should have been. The accident has raised wider

questions about safety at crossings. Things could have been done that may

well have stopped this tragedy. Things can be done now to stop other

tragedies in the future. That has to be the focus of Network Rail. There

are 6,500 level crossings in the UK and, in the past five years, there

have been 44 deaths on those crossings. Network Rail say they

have invested more than ?100 million to make improvements. Despite this,

450 automatic half`barriers are still in place. I would like

half`barrier crossings to be outlawed, a thing of the past.

Proper, full barrier crossings. I think they have got to make them so

conspicuous that, whatever the weather conditions, if if it's down,

you know it's down. Do you think that will save lives? Yes, I think

it will. The 15`year`old boy accused of the

murder of Leeds teacher Ann Maguire has been told he could face trial in

November. The boy appeared on a video link to Leeds Crown Court this

morning. Meanwhile, more relatives of Ann saw for themselves this

afternoon the massive array of tributes to her which have built up

all week outside the school where she was killed. John Cundy reports.

A family in mourning. A group of Ann McGuire's relatives, thought to

include her two sisters, looked closely at the long line of floral

tributes and heartfelt poems posted outside the Corpus Christi College.

Local Labour MP Hilary Benn was also among visitors to the college this

afternoon, and there was the warmest of tributes to Ann from a former

head teacher at Corpus Christi. It is very clearly the case here

that the life of commitment of Ann McGuire is the story. The tragic end

her life has taken, the real story is a person that has lived for 41

years in the community and made a real difference, day in, day out.

Really cared about people. The 15`year`old boy arrested soon

after Ann's murder on Monday made his first appearance at Leeds Crown

Court this morning. Meanwhile, police have revealed they arrested a

second 15`year`old boy yesterday in connection with their investigation.

He was later released without charge.

Today, Ann McGuire's family saw and took comfort from the many tributes

to the much`loved teacher. They surveyed the scenes which have been

broadcast this week throughout the world.

South Yorkshire Police have described the actions of a young

woman who forced children into prostitution as "grotesque". Amanda

Spencer, from Sheffield, was just 16 when she began befriending

vulnerable young girls, enticing them with drugs and alcohol and then

effectively selling them for sex. Now 23, she's been found guilty of

16 charges relating to child prostitution, and cleared of eight.

The jury failed to reach verdicts on a further 14 charges. It beggars

belief, really, that a young female could actually, in effect, pimp

other young vulnerable females for so long for the benefit of money,

drugs and to curry favour with various people.

A murder investigation is underway this evening in Huddersfield. The

body of a man was found inside a flat on Ashenhurst Rise. A

48`year`old man was arrested in suspicion of murder.

Inquests into the deaths of five people who died in a fatal house

fire in Sheffield were opened this afternoon. Three children died in

the fire ` two brothers and their nine`week`old baby sister. Their

aunt and grandmother were also killed. A joint investigation by

South Yorkshire Police and South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

into what caused the fire on Wake Road is still ongoing.

One of the drivers involved in the crash between a mini`bus and a lorry

which killed a teenage girl on the M62 has pleaded not guilty to

causing her death by dangerous driving. The lorry driver, Kevin

Ollerhead, from St Helens, denied the charge when he appeared at court

today. Beth Jones, from South Elmsall, died in the mini`bus on the

motorway near Castleford as she and her friends were on their way to a

hen party. The mini`bus driver has not yet entered a plea.

In rugby league, Leeds took on Super League holders, Wigan, tonight.

There was a minute's silence before the game kicked`off to remember

Leeds teacher Ann Maguire. The Rhinos dominated throughout and it

finished 28`12 to Leeds, who go top of the league.

Finally tonight, an infant school in Sheffield has celebrated its 40th

anniversary this week. Pupils marked the celebrations by planting a

commemorative tree in the grounds and holding a special party. Almost

40 years before that, though, the school appeared on Look North, way

back in 1974, in a feature about children's books.

The bank holiday weekend does not look too bad, particularly tomorrow.

It will get warmer through the weekend, as well. Some spots our

already dying around freezing, so in some places it will get down below

freezing tonight. This high pressure is going to move off, and the

low`pressure replacing it will cause more unstable weather. It will be a

dry, clear night to night. I wouldn't be surprised if a few

places don't slip below freezing tonight. Tomorrow morning, had cold

to the day, but bright. As a go through the day, it will stay

largely drive. More cloud will bubble up from the West. The

pictures along the coast will be a little bit cooler, but 14 degrees

inland. Here is the summary. Good night.

the Outlook with Nick Miller. Neuer-macro don't worry, this is not

the repeat. It is live. This is the forecast you are more likely to see

in January than May, but this is a cold night for the time of year. We

have got some cloud coming into the West, stopping the temperature going

down too far. It may produce light rain later in the night, maybe a

rogue shower from patchy cloud in East Anglia. For most, dry, clear,

temperatures are on the way down and will end up lower than this in the

coldest rural spots by morning. -4 in rural Scotland in the coldest

moral spots in southern England, so gardeners take note, frost for some

of us are begins. What about the rest of the weekend? High pressure

is here as it begins. You may think, great, settled weather, it does

protect the south and east of the UK but Atlantique weather fronts coming

to the north and west, giving some rain at times. First, for tomorrow,

it is a fine start. Chilly, a lot of dry weather