:00:00. > :00:00.Good evening, you're watching Wednesday's Look North
:00:00. > :00:09.On the programme tonight: Cruelty capital - why Yorkshire is a hot
:00:10. > :00:15.We hear how dogs and cats are being used as bait in this
:00:16. > :00:19.We'll find out what the RSPCA is doing to stop it.
:00:20. > :00:21.Also tonight: A Wetherby campaigner wins his five year legal battle
:00:22. > :00:32.to make bus drivers do more to accommodate wheelchair users.
:00:33. > :00:39.It was always designed to be a wheelchair space and while some
:00:40. > :00:41.people can use it when it does not needed for disabled people,
:00:42. > :00:43.ultimately, without it we cannot travel.
:00:44. > :00:46.A post mortem examination finds teenager Leonne Weeks died
:00:47. > :00:48.from multiple stab wounds in Dinnington.
:00:49. > :00:51.And why more children in Yorkshire are discovering the great outdoors
:00:52. > :00:59.as the number of forest school grows.
:01:00. > :01:06.The settled weather looks set to continue for the next few days but
:01:07. > :01:16.some hope for a brighter weekend. Join me later for the full forecast.
:01:17. > :01:18.Tonight - It's a barbaric and illegal sport which leaves
:01:19. > :01:21.its victims horrifically injured - but according to the RSCPA,
:01:22. > :01:23.dog fighting is still rife here in Yorkshire.
:01:24. > :01:26.Figures released exclusively to the BBC show there are more dog
:01:27. > :01:28.fights in West and South Yorkshire than almost anywhere
:01:29. > :01:31.Rescue centres say the dogs' injuries are heartbreaking -
:01:32. > :01:37.some have been used in fights, some have been stolen
:01:38. > :01:48.You may find some of the pictures in Ali Fortescue's report disturbing.
:01:49. > :01:49.Human entertainment at the expense of animals.
:01:50. > :01:52.The underground world of dog fighting is vicious and bloody,
:01:53. > :01:54.but believe it or not scenes like these are heartbreakingly
:01:55. > :02:04.Meet Brian, a dog lover who knows all too well the devastating effects
:02:05. > :02:11.He has actually got injuries, as you can see, to his face,
:02:12. > :02:15.around his neck, this is the place where the dog had attacked another
:02:16. > :02:22.Benji is not aggressive and that is why he would have been
:02:23. > :02:25.used as bait, to test other dog's fighting instincts without being
:02:26. > :02:29.We have seen several cases over the years and with dogfighting quite
:02:30. > :02:33.often it is done by individuals that are fighting them
:02:34. > :02:43.It makes me very sad to think people can treat any dog bad,
:02:44. > :02:46.but a dog that is as beautiful in temperaments as Benji it just...
:02:47. > :02:50.You cannot believe a person would do that.
:02:51. > :02:58.In North Yorkshire the RSPCA received 77 calls about fights
:02:59. > :03:03.In South Yorkshire the figure is much higher,
:03:04. > :03:08.In west Yorkshire there were over 300 calls in ten years.
:03:09. > :03:12.Both West and South Yorkshire are in the top five areas
:03:13. > :03:16.for the number of calls in the whole England.
:03:17. > :03:20.But it's not just dogs, it is thought these kittens found
:03:21. > :03:23.in Bradford last year were also used as bait.
:03:24. > :03:26.They are coloured in so people can bet on which one will die first.
:03:27. > :03:28.It was horrendous and it was thinking, like,
:03:29. > :03:32.those cats were probably minutes away from being ripped to shreds.
:03:33. > :03:39.Dogfights are illegal and you can get up to six months in jail
:03:40. > :03:42.for being involved in one, but the RSPCA says that is not
:03:43. > :03:44.enough to help animals like these from being harmed.
:03:45. > :03:46.Luckily, Smurf and Trek have now found a happy home.
:03:47. > :03:49.The Department for Rural Affairs say they share the public's
:03:50. > :03:53.regard for animal welfare, but at the moment this is a sport
:03:54. > :03:56.that's popularity is plain to see, its presence in Yorkshire's
:03:57. > :04:06.Mike Butcher, Special Operations Unit Chief Inspector from the RSPCA,
:04:07. > :04:25.Shocking story, how do we stop this? It is very underground and very
:04:26. > :04:31.murky and people involved in organised dogfighting are a member
:04:32. > :04:35.of the criminal class so they are very adept at keeping ahead of the
:04:36. > :04:40.law and it is a difficult world to penetrate and when we do get
:04:41. > :04:47.success, I've managed to break up the gang and sees the dogs and seize
:04:48. > :04:52.the property and paraphernalia they used, it hits them pretty hard but
:04:53. > :04:57.they go to court and the get six months maximum which the RSPCA and
:04:58. > :05:01.other charities say is far too low and we look for a higher sentence
:05:02. > :05:07.because it is nowhere near enough for this type of crime.
:05:08. > :05:14.You spoke of trying to break up the dogfight, what was that like?
:05:15. > :05:20.Ironically the first organised dogfight we work out and were at the
:05:21. > :05:25.right place at the right time was in west Yorkshire and we burst in and
:05:26. > :05:32.found 17 people fighting to dogs in the pits was blood everywhere, too
:05:33. > :05:37.appallingly injured dogs, one died straightaway. These people were
:05:38. > :05:43.members of the criminal fraternity so they kicked off. Luckily the
:05:44. > :05:47.police were there in force and they were all arrested and went to prison
:05:48. > :05:51.but it is a horror fixing when you first break it up.
:05:52. > :05:58.Looking at the picture is the Arcola fixer. Where do these fights take
:05:59. > :06:05.place? -- VR horror fixing is. Anywhere they think they are safe.
:06:06. > :06:12.Such as Barnes, isolated farms, industrial units, houses, one
:06:13. > :06:19.occasion was a children's bedroom in a city centre street. Anywhere they
:06:20. > :06:24.think they are safe. As I say, the successes are rare because this is
:06:25. > :06:28.not the sort of animal cruelty area there is loads all offenders, the
:06:29. > :06:32.actual dogfighting fraternity is quite small and they are tightly
:06:33. > :06:36.knit and organised and it makes it hard for us to catch them.
:06:37. > :06:42.Convictions are bullied because it is hard to catch them but what can
:06:43. > :06:45.people do to safeguard against it. -- convictions are law. The main
:06:46. > :06:54.thing is giving us information because the hall idea is to piece
:06:55. > :06:58.together the pieces of information we get from sources. We are pretty
:06:59. > :07:03.much helped by the police and other charities. The RSPCA takes the lead
:07:04. > :07:07.on this and it all comes to us eventually and the idea is to look
:07:08. > :07:11.at the jigsaw and get the last piece together and be in the right place
:07:12. > :07:16.at the right time, so information coming into ours is what we need.
:07:17. > :07:17.People should not approach these people, just let us in the police
:07:18. > :07:23.know about that. -- the police and Tonight - The story of one man's
:07:24. > :07:26.long battle to change the law Doug Paulley from Wetherby has won
:07:27. > :07:31.a victory in the Supreme court - five years after he was unable
:07:32. > :07:34.to board a bus because a woman refused to move her buggy
:07:35. > :07:36.from a priority wheelchair space. Now drivers will be requried to do
:07:37. > :07:39.more to prevent people But they won't have a legal right
:07:40. > :07:42.to physically move them, In a moment we'll speak
:07:43. > :07:50.to Doug's lawyer, about how ruling will be enforced,
:07:51. > :07:52.first Charlotte Leeming Leaving the Supreme Court to cheers
:07:53. > :07:57.and applause after a five-year legal battle, Doug Paulley's
:07:58. > :07:59.face says it all. A win for him and all disabled
:08:00. > :08:02.people wanting to catch the bus. His fight for the right
:08:03. > :08:05.to travel started in 2012. He could not get on a bus
:08:06. > :08:07.from Wetherby to Leeds because a mother with a pushchair
:08:08. > :08:09.would not move. He was left on the kerb-side feeling
:08:10. > :08:12.frustrated and humiliated, It is great that after five years of
:08:13. > :08:20.fighting and campaigning by so many people that we have got
:08:21. > :08:22.the ruling that says that disabled people
:08:23. > :08:23.do have the rights to catch a bus
:08:24. > :08:26.and the bus company must make all reasonable efforts
:08:27. > :08:31.to make that possible. The court decided that bus
:08:32. > :08:38.company First Group's policy requesting but not
:08:39. > :08:41.requiring able-bodied passengers to move
:08:42. > :08:43.is This disability group
:08:44. > :08:46.in Leeds welcomed Each person in this room has
:08:47. > :08:52.experienced what Douig went What I would want see
:08:53. > :08:56.is the wheelchair and the buggy So it should be my priority,
:08:57. > :09:12.but I stress only when it Doug has always insisted
:09:13. > :09:17.this case is not about wheelchairs against buggies,
:09:18. > :09:23.and the parents we spoke to today If his wheelchair is a priority
:09:24. > :09:29.I will move out or come out of the bus.
:09:30. > :09:32.A wheelchair is seen as a priority I would wait and let the disabled
:09:33. > :09:36.person go first because I always think, I always put them first
:09:37. > :09:39.before me and my son. Doug Paulley has made
:09:40. > :09:41.history today with this Although it may lead
:09:42. > :09:47.to a significant cultural change it is still
:09:48. > :09:52.a partial victory. Basically bus drivers are being told
:09:53. > :09:54.they must do more to force able-bodied passengers out
:09:55. > :09:56.of the wheelchair space, but they do not have the legal power
:09:57. > :09:59.to remove them, so it's still very much relies
:10:00. > :10:02.on the goodwill of passengers that could lead to some very difficult
:10:03. > :10:10.situations for drivers. Doug's lawyer Chris Fry
:10:11. > :10:29.joins us now from London. There is substantial progress made
:10:30. > :10:32.in this decision, we know what established the principle that
:10:33. > :10:37.disabled passengers have effective and enforceable rights for priority
:10:38. > :10:42.for the wheelchair space. For five years we have had to fight to
:10:43. > :10:47.establish this principle. We accept that but the people who will enforce
:10:48. > :10:50.it is the drivers, they will be the ones to make this judgment. Do you
:10:51. > :10:57.not think that is a bit too much pressure on them? Not at all.
:10:58. > :11:01.Drivers are routinely asked to engage in managing situations and
:11:02. > :11:06.buses. We heard evidence from bus drivers that they would throw some
:11:07. > :11:12.off for eating a cabal, they would throw somebody off a bus for smoking
:11:13. > :11:17.-- eating a cabal. They would throw them off for anti-social behaviour.
:11:18. > :11:23.So this says you should treat just as seriously someone refusing to
:11:24. > :11:28.move following a reasonable request from a driver, you should take just
:11:29. > :11:32.as seriously the rights of the wheelchair user to access the
:11:33. > :11:38.service in the same way you do those other policies. It does not even go
:11:39. > :11:44.as far as that. Doug did not ask for someone to be kicked off the boss,
:11:45. > :11:53.he asked for the policy to be changed so the driver moved people.
:11:54. > :11:58.How will this ruling change things? How quickly bus companies react is a
:11:59. > :12:04.matter for them but from a legal perspective, any passenger that now
:12:05. > :12:11.was refused access because of this request and retreat policy that was
:12:12. > :12:19.previously in place, can allow enforce their rights legally. If
:12:20. > :12:26.Doug tomorrow gets on the bus is refused getting on a bus because
:12:27. > :12:30.someone will not fall them buggy, he is entitled to damages. It is a
:12:31. > :12:36.matter for the bus companies but if they do not they will find it will
:12:37. > :12:40.be very expensive to sort it. At the end of the day it is not about the
:12:41. > :12:47.financial position, it is about what is morally right. Accessible
:12:48. > :12:52.transport is an important part of an inclusive society and what Doug has
:12:53. > :12:56.done is, not just for his benefit, but for the benefit of others simply
:12:57. > :13:00.trying to use public transport to get around.
:13:01. > :13:01.Thank you very much indeed for joining us.
:13:02. > :13:03.Later on Look North: The cost of loneliness -
:13:04. > :13:05.How Yorkshire's economy is affected by people feeling isolated
:13:06. > :13:19.The teenager whose body was found in an alleyway in Dinnington
:13:20. > :13:21.on Monday has been formally named as Leonne Weeks.
:13:22. > :13:23.A post mortem examination has concluded she died
:13:24. > :13:27.Her family have released a statement saying they are devastated
:13:28. > :13:29.at the loss of a beautiful daughter and sister.
:13:30. > :13:32.We can get the very latest on the story from Tom Ingall.
:13:33. > :13:34.Tom - there have been a number of developments
:13:35. > :13:43.Indeed. Not least of those is the fact Leonne Weeks has now been
:13:44. > :13:50.formally identified. Her body was found in an alleyway in Dinnington
:13:51. > :13:54.on Monday and the postmortem concluded she was killed from
:13:55. > :13:59.multiple stab wounds. You can infer from that the police got a very
:14:00. > :14:02.difficult job working through this investigation. Now she has been
:14:03. > :14:10.formally identified a number tributes have appeared, notably from
:14:11. > :14:15.her family who says she will be dearly missed. We also spoke to the
:14:16. > :14:19.principle of her high school who own the move to the school in the last
:14:20. > :14:24.month and her previous school she had to deal with the loss of five
:14:25. > :14:27.young people in a car accident and now she is helping the students cope
:14:28. > :14:32.with the loss of Leonne Weeks. Leonne was a lovely,
:14:33. > :14:34.lively girl, some people who knew her knew the other side
:14:35. > :14:39.to her, that she had an effervescent one of the things that is probably
:14:40. > :14:44.most significant about her is she was a truly loyal friend and truly
:14:45. > :14:47.loyal to her family. She was months away
:14:48. > :14:50.from doing her GCSEs so it is unbelievable we have lost
:14:51. > :14:53.a student on the edge of what is going to be the rest
:14:54. > :15:01.of their lives. There was a second arrest today,
:15:02. > :15:05.Tom? That's right. We have been reporting the arrest of an
:15:06. > :15:09.18-year-old man on suspicion of murder. Police have had extra time
:15:10. > :15:14.from the course to question him but to date there was news of a second
:15:15. > :15:18.arrest late last night of a 26-year-old local woman who was
:15:19. > :15:19.arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. Thank you.
:15:20. > :15:22.Yorkshire Bank is to close 39 branches, 18 of them in our region.
:15:23. > :15:25.All branches will shut by the end of the year.
:15:26. > :15:29.The bank says the closures come because of an increase
:15:30. > :15:43.Nearly one third of all the branches will shut their doors.
:15:44. > :15:46.A tribunal that found a former Leeds heart surgeon guilty of misconduct
:15:47. > :15:48.has now ruled that it does affect his fitness to practice.
:15:49. > :15:51.Nihal Weerasena - seen here on the left -
:15:52. > :15:54.made various failings in the care of five children and one adult
:15:55. > :15:56.The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service will now decide
:15:57. > :16:09.An inquest into the death of a Castleford woman who died
:16:10. > :16:11.in Crete in 2010 has recorded a narrative verdict.
:16:12. > :16:13.That means only the circumstances of death have been noted,
:16:14. > :16:17.Chelsea Hyndman, who was 20, died from severe abdominal injuries
:16:18. > :16:20.Her boyfriend Luke Walker was later convicted
:16:21. > :16:22.of the Greek-equivalent of manslaughter,
:16:23. > :16:27.At today's inquest in Wakefield, the coroner said he couldn't rule
:16:28. > :16:29.differently to the Greek court, but stopped short of
:16:30. > :16:31.finding Chelsea's death was unlawful killing.
:16:32. > :16:42.In North Yorkshire, firefighters have been sent home
:16:43. > :16:44.because of a dispute over new style fire engines.
:16:45. > :16:49.Some firefighters are refusing to crew them.
:16:50. > :16:53.On Monday, two firefighters were sent home from Scarborough
:16:54. > :16:55.after refusing to operate the new TRV there.
:16:56. > :16:57.It resulted in other equipment being put out of action
:16:58. > :17:00.because there was no one left to operate it.
:17:01. > :17:10.This is the new tactical response vehicle now and service in the
:17:11. > :17:15.doctor. Scarborough is the first place in the country to have one and
:17:16. > :17:19.it is already the centre of controversy. The union says it
:17:20. > :17:24.should be staffed by four firefighters and North Yorkshire
:17:25. > :17:30.Fire Service only 13. When union members -- only want three.
:17:31. > :17:35.One of the firefighters who refuse to prove this vehicle was the only
:17:36. > :17:41.firefighter on shifts qualified to operate this aerial ladder platform.
:17:42. > :17:45.That meant this vehicle was put out of action and the nearest aerial
:17:46. > :17:50.ladder platform was 25 minutes away and would have become problem --
:17:51. > :17:55.Bridlington. The union says the vehicles are not adequately staffed
:17:56. > :18:00.and dangerous. On Monday we had a situation created by the Chief Fire
:18:01. > :18:05.officer which meant people and public in Scarborough were down to
:18:06. > :18:08.one fire engine and did not have any high-rise rescue capability. When
:18:09. > :18:13.our members were at work prepared to ride them with sufficient numbers.
:18:14. > :18:19.We are at the point that staff are unwilling to ride them then they are
:18:20. > :18:24.in breach of contract. We will continue to send them home without
:18:25. > :18:28.pay until they agree to write them. So you will send them home? If the
:18:29. > :18:33.refused to ride the vehicle there is no other work for them to do. The
:18:34. > :18:39.other five injured was fully staffed so it is not as if that is another
:18:40. > :18:44.vehicle for them to use soap until the fourth of the contract that is
:18:45. > :18:50.the case. The new arrangements will be introduced in other pounds in the
:18:51. > :18:51.coming weeks, while the dispute shows no signs of being resolved in
:18:52. > :18:52.the near future. Loneliness could be costing
:18:53. > :18:54.the Yorkshire economy New research says social
:18:55. > :18:57.isolation has a huge impact I'm going to give it back to you now
:18:58. > :19:05.because going to let Computer club is one of the most
:19:06. > :19:09.popular mornings at this sheltered It means a busy couple of hours
:19:10. > :19:15.for Glenn, who helps out here. Last year he moved back to Yorkshire
:19:16. > :19:19.into sheltered accommodation It feels a bit daunting,
:19:20. > :19:24.actually, because you don't I felt very much outside
:19:25. > :19:28.of the community because it's a very insular community
:19:29. > :19:30.in a lot of respects. I mean, groups like this are trying
:19:31. > :19:33.to break those walls down Research out today says loneliness
:19:34. > :19:39.has a big impact on our economy. The Centre for Economic
:19:40. > :19:42.and Business Research estimates that social isolation could be costing
:19:43. > :19:48.?2 billion every year in Yorkshire. That's because when we feel lonely,
:19:49. > :19:51.it can affect our health, our well-being and even how
:19:52. > :19:56.long we live. You're twice as likely to die
:19:57. > :19:59.prematurely if you're lonely It increases your dementia,
:20:00. > :20:05.hypertension, it's twice as bad as being obese,
:20:06. > :20:09.it's similar to smoking. This women's group in Bradford has
:20:10. > :20:14.been set up in response Now these ladies meet up every week
:20:15. > :20:22.to plan events where the local For some of them it's
:20:23. > :20:28.been life changing. Even though I am a chatty person,
:20:29. > :20:38.you know, I kind of got stuck in a rut kind of thing and now I'm
:20:39. > :20:41.just like this group's This research had already caught
:20:42. > :20:46.the eye of the murdered MP Jo Cox. It was an issue she was passionate
:20:47. > :20:48.about and a loneliness commission in her name is to be launched
:20:49. > :20:53.in Parliament later this month. And it hasn't been the best of weeks
:20:54. > :21:01.for Barnsley, has it? After watching star
:21:02. > :21:02.striker Sam Winnall leave for Sheffield Wednesday,
:21:03. > :21:05.the Reds were dumped out of the FA Barnsley managed a second half
:21:06. > :21:09.equaliser from Angus MacDonald. With the score still level at 1-1,
:21:10. > :21:12.into extra time they went. And it was Blackpool who snatched
:21:13. > :21:19.the 2-1 win in the very last minute, to set up a fourth round tie
:21:20. > :21:30.with Blackburn Rovers. According to Sheffield Council
:21:31. > :21:33.the city has the most trees of any city in Europe, so it's not
:21:34. > :21:35.surprising the number Sheffield Hallam has even introduced
:21:36. > :21:39.a forest school module to it's I've been to Eccleshall
:21:40. > :21:51.Woods to find out more. If you go down to the wood today
:21:52. > :21:57.you're in for a big surprise. Children from the school in a
:21:58. > :21:59.mission to get muddy and explore. This is forest school, a
:22:00. > :22:04.Scandinavian ethos encouraging children to leave the classroom in
:22:05. > :22:07.all weathers to from nature and encourages independence and grows
:22:08. > :22:14.confidence. The build dens, they commit potions
:22:15. > :22:18.and mud pies do climbing, lots of physical activity. And when they get
:22:19. > :22:24.more experience they can use tools to make things. What did you spot
:22:25. > :22:29.this morning? A birds and some hedgehogs. Pine cones. We spotted a
:22:30. > :22:36.worm. After all that's popping it is snapped time and that means building
:22:37. > :22:42.a fire. Did anyone bring any fire? Not me. I'm hoping that -- this
:22:43. > :22:47.dragon's breath will jump into the air and make a fire! It's coming.
:22:48. > :22:55.What are the rules of sitting near the fire? No touching. What is your
:22:56. > :23:02.favourite part of forest school? When you have hot chocolate. Is
:23:03. > :23:07.there any left for me? Yeah. So where is the evidence all this
:23:08. > :23:11.actually works? A survey conducted found 90% of children said they
:23:12. > :23:16.enjoyed outdoor learning more and teachers agreed and said they found
:23:17. > :23:19.children were more engaged in classes and 85% said it has a
:23:20. > :23:27.positive impact on the children's behaviour. In Sheffield the number
:23:28. > :23:31.of schools like this is on the rise and Sheffield Hallam University and
:23:32. > :23:34.the first to offer forest school qualification alongside early
:23:35. > :23:40.childhood studies. The students I work with who will do this work and
:23:41. > :23:44.lecture theatres and seminar rooms and were not getting outside and I
:23:45. > :23:47.wanted them to have that passion for the outdoors because they are the
:23:48. > :23:51.future in terms of working with our children.
:23:52. > :23:56.After a busy morning the explorers will certainly sleep well tonight.
:23:57. > :24:04.Who wants to play hide and seek? Yes!
:24:05. > :24:10.That's what I call playtime. What have you got for us? More of
:24:11. > :24:17.the same. Settled weather. Winter seems to have missed us for the time
:24:18. > :24:23.being. Where have a at the pictures you have sent in. That a beautiful
:24:24. > :24:31.one. Thanks for that, Gary. The second picture is of a gloomy
:24:32. > :24:37.looking beach on the North Yorkshire coast. Send us your pictures at the
:24:38. > :24:43.e-mail address. The headline for tomorrow, similar today and the same
:24:44. > :24:49.for the day after. High pressure in charge and it will not move. Subtle
:24:50. > :24:54.changes over the weekend. By Sunday summer brakes feel coming in from
:24:55. > :24:59.the south-west so Sunday should be brighter. It remains a fine into
:25:00. > :25:04.early next week. You can see the extent of the cloud on the satellite
:25:05. > :25:08.picture. Some glimmers of brightness across the Yorkshire Dales but
:25:09. > :25:14.essentially cloudy and more of the same overnight. The odd spot of
:25:15. > :25:22.drizzle, mysterious and places but essentially dry, cloudy and frost
:25:23. > :25:28.free. The sun rises in the morning at
:25:29. > :25:35.around eight to 12. They're on the high water climbs. Some mysterious
:25:36. > :25:43.first thing in places and the odd spot of rain, otherwise dry. -- some
:25:44. > :25:50.mist frosting. Essentially that cloud will remain right across
:25:51. > :25:56.Yorkshire and into the Midlands. Even light and variable breeze. Not
:25:57. > :26:02.feeling too bad, temperatures if anything above average. Generally
:26:03. > :26:07.eight Celsius. Looking into the further outlook, Thursday into
:26:08. > :26:11.Friday is dry and rather cloudy, Saturday is dry and cloudy but by
:26:12. > :26:16.Saturday afternoon we may get some brakes and if all goes to plan
:26:17. > :26:22.Sunday could be dry and bright and we may see some blue sky with some
:26:23. > :26:25.sunshine. That is the exciting forecast tonight!
:26:26. > :26:56.That is it from us. Enjoy the rest of the evening. Goodbye.
:26:57. > :27:00.Hello. I hope you're well. I really do.