07/02/2017 Look North (Yorkshire)

The main news from around Yorkshire today...

Hundreds of former coking plant workers are to sue British Steele

- claiming they were exposed to harmful diseases.

A dying trade, the last mole catcher in Calderdale

Hello, thanks for joining us this lunchtime.

A High court action is to be taken by lawyers on behalf of hundreds

of former steel workers- including more than 60

from Sheffield and Scunthorpe, who it's claimed were exposed

to harmful, often fatal diseases in British Steel coking plants

Our Correspondent John Cundy has been speaking to one

widow from Killamarsh, who lost her husband to lung cancer

after he'd worked for 12 years at coking plants in South Yorkshire.

Terry Jones worked on the oven tops of cooking plants near Rotherham. He

died from lung cancer aged 54. His widow Marie is adamant Terry's

illness stemmed from his time on the coking plants. It is like you know

you are going to die but you do not know when you're going to die. He

took to his bed for the first couple of years, just depressed. Lawyer

David Johnson is representing 325 former Coke of workers like Terry

Jones from around the country, allegedly exposed to harmful dust

and fumes for decades. I met Terry two years ago, while he was with us

in this very house. I met a number of other claimants, as well. Some of

them are very poorly and they are on oxygen. I have met a number of

individuals who have passed away. My life has completely changed now. You

get married and you plan what you are going to do and everything.

That's gone. It stopped dead instantly. One minute we were fine

and next when not working and my husband is dying. It is a big shock.

Marie Jones now walks alone the dog she used to share with her beloved

Terry. Court action on behalf of families like hers may begin next

year. A man from Scarborough

who was caught using speed camera jamming device on his car has been

given a suspended prison sentence. Ben Kitto had the laser device

fitted beneath the number plate. He was filmed on the A64

in North Yorkshire in June. The 41-year-old, seen

here in the grey suit, pleaded guilty to speeding

and attempting to pervert the course He was given a two-month jail term,

suspended for 12 months, and ordered to pay ?2,200

in fines and costs. He was given five points

on his licence but was not Organisers of a drop-in centre

in Armley which supports refugees and asylum seekers say

it could close due Meeting Point, which is run

by volunteers, provides food, clothing, food parcels and English

classes for hundreds of adults If funding isn't secured soon

organisers say they'll be forced If I stay, maybe I will lose my life

because they said they will kill me. If I go back my life

is going to be in danger. I did not want to go

to where they called to go to the Different faces but

with a similar story. These asylum seekers

and refugees have been forced to flee their countries,

families and friends For them, this drop-in centre

in Armley in Leeds is a lifeline. It is just like, yes,

our relatives, this is our home. When I came here I didn't know

anybody and I was really lonely. These past six, seven years I have

been coming here, so many people have come here and I have found

so many people, so many friends. Meeting Point provides food, clothes

and advice for people in need, If we don't secure

funding in the next few months, we're going

to have to seriously And maybe even close the doors,

which would be a travesty. About 150 people use

the centre every week. Last year nearly 3,000 hot meals

were served and 2,000 food It needs ?60,000 each

year to keep going. When the funds run

out, organisers say without donations

the centre will close. Now it's not a job your careers

teacher is likely to mention, but Calderdale's last mole catcher

is hoping to put his Albert Morton has spent half

a century catching moles and is looking for an apprentice

before he retires. He's in high demand and has

hundreds of customers This is a picture of a French

mole catcher, 1821... But like the great mole catchers

that went before him, He's looking for a bright young

apprentice to teach his tricks. It's one of those old country craft

trades that I don't want to die out. And when I finish I want to show

somebody how to do it. Albert says every village

used to have a mole catcher, but now he's the only

one left in Calderdale. Because it's so

time-consuming, most pest controllers won't help

with this dying trade. I put these traps in yesterday

and I've caught it. With the condition of the fur it

must have been caught Albert has more than 300 customers,

ranging from farmers He uses traps because he thinks

it's the most humane It's so quick it doesn't realise,

nothing, it's gone. If there was any suffering, cruelty,

anything, I wouldn't do it. Moles create an elaborate network

of underground tunnels, but the soil they push to the surface not only

causes mess but can also contaminate With the wet winter weather

comes a lot of work Moisture brings worms to the top

of the soil and where the It's always busy but this year

it's gone manic. But now I'm near my sell

by date, it's time to be I'd much prefer to get

somebody and teach And carrying on is just

what Albert is struggling with. His hope that someday soon

he will be able to hang up his trowel and leave it

all to the next generation. Now, it's York's turn to shine

tonight in Our Dancing Town - the programme which attempted to get

the whole of Yorkshire Choreographer Steve Elias

got butchers, bakers, shepherds, builders, even rugby

players together to dance and it all ends with a special

one-off performance in York You can see more on BBC2

at seven o'clock tonight. Now the weather. Is the beast from

the east on the way? Absolutely. Getting cold and we will really

start to feel it Thursday, Friday and into the weekend. It has been

great, already brighter skies around and show a spreading from the West.

The coast is likely to stay with a lot of clout. In the next few days

we will have the influence from the East, meaning it is going to cool

down and returned overnight frost but there could be some showers as

well. The thickest of the cloud will always remain further east. Brighter

skies from the West spreading into Central parts with one or two

showers in the West. Not especially cold but it will feel chilly

underneath that cloud in the East at seven or 8 degrees the hive. Through

this evening the cloud will come up again and the rain that affected us

last night is set to return. Should pester us in the next 24 hours and

gradually spread west once again. Fairly light and patchy and bringing

a cooler temperature to around three degrees. Low cloud, outbreaks of

rain and drizzle and some snow flurries tomorrow, gradually

fizzling out through the day and if anything the cloud will lift but it

should stay cloudy and it will be cooler with temperatures at around

four degrees. Join us tonight if you Oh, my goodness me,

I don't like the look of that. The Robshaws are going back in

time again... Feel a little bit

overwhelmed at the moment. How people did this every day,

I don't know. Calf's head. Leave the teeth

out of it, won't you? It's incredible, the changes that

have occurred in just 50 years.