A SCHOOL teacher in Harrogate set himself on fire because he was stressed about his pupils’ exam results, an inquest has heard.

David Charlesworth, 43, set himself on fire in the car park of Rossett School in Harrogate - where he was a popular science teacher - in the early hours of May 11 last year.

An inquest at Harrogate Magistrates’ Court today heard he managed to return home and ring for an ambulance but died the next day.

Police found burned clothes, a fuel canister, a rucksack and notes at the school.

The inquest heard Mr Charlesworth seemed to become more stressed around exam time and had been ignored by therapists despite four reminders from his GP.

The court heard about a note Mr Charlesworth had written, reading: “I’m massively disappointed in the coursework marks this year for my groups.”

His wife, Jennifer, also a science teacher, told the court that he had taken coursework on their holiday to mark.

She said: “He was vulnerable. He told me that he felt very responsible for it all.

“He felt under pressure to make sure the children got the grades and that the pressure was only his.

“And that wasn’t comfortable with him.”

Dr Allan Gilbert, a counsellor who saw David in 2009 and 2010, told the inquest: “Dave told me he was stressed at school. It was stress that he created himself. He had very high standards.

“It was his own perception that he wasn’t as good as he had been, that he couldn’t cope, that he couldn’t do it.

“We discussed the possibility that teaching wasn’t for him, but he felt nervous about this because he had a young family to support.”

His GP, Dr Alan Cunningtham, said he “may have benefited” from cognitive behavioural therapy in April.

But the inquest was told that despite chasing up the appointment four times, he was never seen by the therapists.

Deputy North Yorkshire Coroner Geoff Fell said: “There seems to have been a lot of inputs, but no outcomes. That’s a lot of exchanges for nothing to happen.”

The hearing continues.

A FEMALE driver walked away from this smash on Keighley Road, Ogden, after her Toyota Yaris crashed through a wall.

She was taken to hospital but is believed to have only suffered minor injuries including a suspected broken collar bone in the crash which happened at around 2.10pm yesterday.

A driver of a Ford Transit van, in his 40s, was shaken up but walked away with no injuries after the smash.

It is believed on of the vehicles was exiting from Syke Lane on to Keighley Road when the cars collided sending the Yaris across the road and through a wall.

Keighley Road remained open despite some minor debris on the highway.

TWENTY shop staff in Calderdale have lost their jobs following the sale of fashion retailer Peacocks.

Stores in Woolshops, Halifax, and King Street, Brighouse, are included in 224 closures announced by administrators KPMG.

The business has been bought by Edinburgh Woollen Mill but it is only retaining 388 stores, 57 concessions three distribution centres and the head office in Wales.

The deal protects 6,000 jobs.

“Unfortunately, the stores not included in the sale have ceased trading with immediate effect resulting in 3,100 redundancies,” said KPMG.

“Like many other retailers, Peacocks suffered from a decline in consumer spending due to the tough economic conditions.

“This, combined with a surplus of stores and unsustainable capital structure, led to the business becoming financially unviable.

“But, the chain’s strong brand presence and loyal customer following meant that Peacocks attracted a great deal of interest.”

Eleven jobs in Halifax have been lost and nine in Brighouse.

Peacocks went into administration last month having failed to restructure part of its £750 million debt.

The fallout from the crisis also affected women’s only retailer Bonmarche which was part of the Peacocks Group.

Shops at Cheapside, Halifax, and King Street, Brighouse, were among 160 stores axed after the Bonmarche sale to an affiliate of Sun European Partners.

A 24-hour gymnasium looks set to become a key feature of Halifax’s Broad Street Plaza.

Pure Gym has been given approval to put up signs and logos.

The company was set up in 2009 and has more than 30 outlets throughout the country including London, Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester.

Each gym contains the latest equipment including cardio vascular and body core platforms, weights, treadmills, indoor cycles, rowing machines and steppers.

It is two years since work began on the £50 million Broad Street Plaza and it is expected to open in June.

The biggest attraction will be the Vue multi-screen cinema. There is also a 100-bed Premier Inn hotel and restaurant, a 400-space multi-storey car park and a variety of eateries, including Frankie & Benny’s, Pizza Express, Nando’s and J. D. Wetherspoon’s.

NHS Calderdale is setting up a health centre on the site to replace the nearby Laura Mitchell Clinic and Calderdale Council is taking space for a customer services office to replace the facilities at Northgate House.

A ten pin bowling alley had been planned but the operators withdrew last year.

The developers, Gregory Projects, estimate that 220 people will eventually work in the various businesses at the plaza which could be worth about £8 million to the local economy.

Michay Matthews, the manager of Marketing Halifax, said: “It will be a fantastic boost for the town’s night life and should substantially increase the footfall at that end of the town.”

A BUILDER has been ordered to pay more than £1,100 to a customer whose conservatory was flooded after he fitted the doors the wrong way round.

Helen Crowther has spoken of her relief after a judge at Halifax County Court awarded her damages from Gary Ingham.

But the 60-year-old, who suffered a brain accident in 2008, said the stress of the case had taken an enormous toll.

She said: “It has been 16 months of pure hell. I feel vindicated but it has taken a lot out of my health.”

Mrs Crowther, of Sowerby Bridge, bought the conservatory from Dream Conservatories and paid Mr Ingham around £1,900 to build it.

Soon after it was complete she got up after a night of heavy rain to find it flooded.

When she contacted Mr Ingham he said he did not know how it happened, but he replaced the damaged part of the floor and reimbursed her for the laminate.

But after another rainy night, it flooded again.

It was later found the two UPVC doors were the wrong way round so their water vents faced inwards instead of out .

Mr Ingham, of Gary Ingham Joinery and Building, of Bairstow Lane, Sowerby Bridge ,said the doors were delivered ready fitted and blamed the error on manufacturer K2.

He said: “The flaw wasn’t my fault. They were leaking because they were given to me wrong.”

The court heard Mr Ingham was experienced in fitting UPVC doors but had never installed that brand before.

He admitted he had not fully read the manual before starting work.

Frances Lawley, for Mrs Crowther, told the court the instructions set out first how to install the frames and then how to hang the doors later, suggesting they were not delivered fitted together.

K2 and Dream Conservatories both said the doors were separate from the frames when they were sent out.

Miss Lawley said: “It’s clear the doors have been incorrectly installed and a brief glance at the guide would have prevented the flood.”

She told the court a K2 engineer came to inspect the conservatory and he found a window had also been put in the wrong way round – a mistake Mr Ingham admitted.

Deputy District Judge Webster said she was satisfied Mr Ingham had swung the doors incorrectly.

She said: “Even if the door did come as part of the frame, a reasonably competent builder would have checked the vents were in the correct place.”

After the case, Mr Ingham still maintained the doors were sent out wrongly. He said: “I work really hard to keep my customers happy.

“This is just an unfortunate blemish I have to take on board and learn from – and that’s what I’ll do.”

AN EXPLOSION at a biscuit factory has left three people injured.

Emergency services were called to Fox’s Biscuits in Batley this morning after reports of a blast.

It reportedly involved a storage tanker in the yard of the Wellington Street factory.

Two of the three people injured were described as ‘walking wounded’ by a fire service spokesman.

The Health and Safety Executive has sent a team to the site to begin enquiries.

No-one from Fox’s Biscuits has been available to comment so far.

PARENTS of children with autism were given a helping hand on an innovative new course in Calderdale.

Six parents this week received certificates for completing a course where they were given top tips on techniques to help their children.

The Strengthening Families Strengthening Communities course, backed by the Race Equality Foundation, holds regular parenting courses but this was specifically targeting parents of children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD).

Trizia Wells, senior officer at the Parent Partnership Service, said: “It was really valuable, speaking to the parents who can give us their point of view on how children with ASD are sometimes different in the behaviour.

“It was invaluable having Vicky Butterfield, a behvaiour nurse from the Disabled Children’s Team.

“The parents came up with an ASD scenario and the programme could be adapted to suit.”

Children with ASD can struggle to recognise their feelings and the feelings of others.

For example, a common parenting technique might be placing a child in ‘time out’, to reflect on their actions, but for some children with ASD they enjoy being on their own and it wouldn’t matter to them that they were being excluded.

Trizia said: “A big focus of the programme was recognising the triggers that led up to behaviours.

“So if they were feeling like a ‘volcano boiling up’, recognising that and trying to help the children defuse their anger.”

One technique was to work with a number line, so if a child said they felt they were a number eight, the parent would explain they need to get down to a number four or five by doing something such as running around the house to get rid of their energy.

John Stansfield, 35, of Illingworth Gardens, said the course has helped with his son Samuel, four, who is thought to have mild ASD.

“It’s helped with his behaviour and we can understand it a bit better.”

Mr Stansfield said the course had helped them with techniques to get Samuel to bed – something he struggled with before.

“We’d put him to bed about 7pm but he wouldn’t go until any time between 10pm and 3am. He would be so hyper, he couldn’t shut down. I’d be up with him until 3am and then would have to get up at 7am to take the children to school.

“But now he’s going to bed at 7pm every night. He is in a routine and puts his PJs on and has quiet time, half an hour before bed.

“The course was unreal. It’s made a lot of difference – and the other parents had seen improvements too.”

The ASD course was a pilot programme which it is hoped will now be expanded to help other parents of children with ASD.

Each parent who completed the course was presented with a certificate this week at the Elsie Whiteley Innovation Centre in Halfiax by Lynn Powell, the family services area manager for the Upper Valley family support services.

OFFICERS have been called to a report of possible suspicious behaviour in Ogden

Police were called at about 9.30am this morning at outbuildings near Blind Lane in Ogden.

They found a man suffering from a possible medical condition.

It is understood he has now been taken to hospital for treatment.

A FORMER Calderdale police chief who headed an investigation into the troubled UK Border Agency (UKBA) has found hundreds of thousands of people were let into the UK without being checked against a Home Office watch list.

John Vine, who used to be divisional commander for Calderdale Police and is now the independent chief inspector of the agency, found confusion, poor record-keeping and ambiguous instructions were rife in the agency and border force staff were acting without ministerial approval.

He also discovered 500,000 Eurostar passengers boarded trains in France and arrived in the UK without being checked against the warnings index of suspected terrorists and those with adverse immigration histories.

And border security checks had been suspended regularly and applied inconsistently since at least 2007.

One scheme at London’s Heathrow let students from supposedly low-risk countries in, even when they did not have the necessary entry clearance in a move which was both “potentially discriminatory and unlawful”.

Home Secretary Theresa May has said the agency will be split into two following the report’s findings.

She said: “The Vine report reveals a border force that suspended important checks without permission; that spent millions on new technologies but chose not to use them; that was led by managers who did not communicate with staff; and that sent reports to ministers that were inaccurate, unbalanced and excluded key information,”

The border force “needs a whole new management culture”, Mrs May said.

From next month, “the UK border force will be split from UKBA and will become a separate operational command, with its own ethos of law enforcement, led by its own director general, and accountable directly to ministers”.

Conservatives want to save £160,000 a year by reducing the number of Calderdale councillors from 51 to 36.

They have included the idea in a spending plan which they will put to Calderdale Council’s budget meeting on Monday.

It will mean completely re-drawing electoral boundaries to reduce the number of wards from 17 to 12 by 2015.

The number of voters in each ward would rise from about 9,000 to 12,500.

The Conservatives say another £2.5 million a year could be saved by merging the council’s management and administrative services with two new councils which they would like to see formed in neighbouring Kirklees.

Conservative group leader Coun Stephen Baines (Northowram and Shelf) said cutting the number of councillors was something the public wanted

“People tell us that there are too many councillors and all 21 Conservatives have agreed the proposed reduction,” he said.

“Each ward would still have three councillors which will be enough to serve the extra constituents.”

Calderdale Council is expected to spend about £180 million in 2012/13.

Other proposals in the Conservative budget include putting a stop to regular pay rises for some council workers as their careers progress, which could save £600,000 and scrapping the £40,000 which it costs the authority to employ a full time Unison official.

The Conservatives want to reintroduce free Christmas trees in towns and villages and to scrap Lib-Lab plans to save £89,000 on Christmas lights.

They have also suggested introducing a voucher scheme that would give motorists free parking for an hour if they spend a minimum amount in local shops.

The council’s Liberal Democrat leader Janet Battye said she was surprised and to some degree distressed by some of the proposals.

“They have been tabled only days before the budget meeting giving little or no time for detailed analysis or public consideration.”

She said the number of councillors should be based on what they needed to do to adequately represent people and the work needed to fulfil council responsibilities, not simply on how many a neighbouring authority might have.

“And I am distressed to think that the Conservatives want to prevent hard working council staff progressing up their pay scale - the budget proposal contains more questions than answers,” said Coun Battye (Calder).

*Monday’s budget meeting at Halifax Town Hall is due to begin at 6pm.

The exhumation to determine the identity of the body lying in a grave at Hull’s Northern Cemetery has been completed.

Janet Alder, of Halifax, believed it did contain the remains of her brother, Christopher Alder.

But, his body was discovered at Hull Mortuary late last year - 11 years after his family believed he had been buried.

Tests have been carried out at the Medico Legal Centre, Sheffield, on the remains removed from Hull’s Northern Cemetery.

The results of the DNA tests are expected to be announced shortly. It is believed Grace Kamara, 77, was buried instead of Mr Alder.

The top soil of the grave containing the ashes of his niece Laura was first removed, overseen by her father Richard, and is being placed on Mr Alder’s new grave following his burial earlier this month.

A police investigation is continuing into the mix-up.

Miss Alder, 50, expressed disappointment at not being kept informed of developments. As executor of her brother’s body when he died she expected to be notified of the exhumation alongside his now, adult children.

“It is my plot and I have been sidestepped because I would have been asking questions,” she said.

A TREASURE trove of goodies from times gone opened for a day in Hebden Bridge.

A vintage fair at Holme Street Arts Centre was full of clothing and home-ware spanning the decades between the 1900s and the 1980s.

The event was organised by Lucy Conroy, who owns Hebden Bridge fashion boutique Lucy and the Caterpillar.

As well as around 20 stalls for visitors to browse, there were also home-made cakes and scones to try.

Firefighters from Halifax were called to a blaze in Keighley last night.

The fire broke out in a three-storey building on Beck Street at around 3.45am.

Ten pumps were called to the scene where a fork lift truck carrying gas canisters was also involved.

Specialist officers and a fire investigator also attended.

Police closed off New South Street both ways between the Worth Way and Oakworth Road junctions.

CALDERDALE singer Ed Sheeran scooped two awards at last night’s Brit Awards.

The musician, who spent his early years in Hebden Bridge, performed at the star studded event at London’s O2 Arena.

He won in the Best British Male Solo Artist and Best British Breakthrough Act categories.

Ed had topped the nominations when they were announced earlier this year - he lost out in the battle for best British Single and British Album of the Year awards.

The 21-year-old also performed at the event playing his song ‘Lego House’.

A Shelf woman was also up for a Brit with the Military Wives Choir.

Larraine Smith (nee Longden) is a member of the Plymouth choir which was up for best British single for Wherever You Are.

Larraine, married to Brandon Smith, a major in the Royal Artillery, now lives in Plymouth but has extended family in Shelf, where she lived from 17 to 21 and worked as a barmaid at the Shoulder of Mutton and Prince of Orange.

Unfortunately they lost out to One Direction’s ‘What Makes You Beautiful’.

HIGH winds, gusting up to 50mph are expected to hit West Yorkshire today.

Starting dry at first, rain will spread by midday but it is the high gusts which are causing concern - especially in high areas.

All parts will stay breezy and cloudy.

Wednesday morning’s rush hour traffic and travel news and today’s weather....

Traffic

No problems reported on the roads.

Trains

Some delays on the trains this morning. The 8.24am Blackpool North train is expected to be 15 minutes late and the 8.33am to Selby is expected five minutes late.

Weather

A grey and damp start to the day and it will stay that way into the afternoon. However temperatures will be a warmer 11C.

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Our normal comment rules apply. We will not tolerate any offensive posts and have the ability to ban users.

A BRIGHOUSE dentist is appearing before a professional conduct committee to answer several charges.

Dr Muzzafar Zaman, of The Fresh Smile Clinic, High Street, was summoned to appear by the General Dental Council.

Allegations involving 14 patients were put before the London hearing which is expected to conclude on Friday.

Against Patient A, relating to May 2009, it is said his advice was misleading, inappropriate and unprofessional.

The charge says he inaccurately made a series of assertions which included: The general state of her teeth was a matter of serious concern; if he didn’t do anything sghe would have false teeth forever; her face would sag and sink inwards; and bacteria were being unleashed into her blood stream.

Dr Zaman is also facing a series of claims he did not retain treatment records as required.

On his website Dr Zaman says he focuses on reassuring patients every step of the way while being treated.

The hearing’s findings are expected to be published following the decision of the committee.

FAMILIES are getting ready to toddle in memory of loved ones they have lost.

Lisa Butterfield, partner Steve Sparkes, Niamh Sparkes, Codie-Leigh Sparkes, Joshua Meacham and Megan Meachem are getting ready to join in the Overgate Hospice Teddy Toddle.

They will be joined by Louise Edmondson from Triangle and her son Harvey Potts, six, who are doing it in memory of Louise’s dad Derek Edmondson who had bowel cancer.

They have already raised more than £700 with a raffle in his memory.

On March 11 at 11.30am they will walk in memory of friend Katie Elvidge, nee Richardson, 30, from Sowerby Bridge lost her battle to bowel cancer just five days after her wedding in January 2011.

“Katie was the happiest girl in the world, getting married was what she had dreamt of as a little girl,” she said.

She was told she was too poorly to attend her wedding, but arrived wheelchair bound and at the end of the aisle. As she arrived Katie said “I want to walk”.

Lisa said: “With all the strength she had she walked down the aisle with her dad and uncle supporting her and became Mrs Katie Elvidge. The whole room applauded and cried as we all watched her have her dream.

“Later that day she couldn’t dance, so we did and we danced and sung to her.”

She was admitted to hospital, on December 30. The next day, after opening her cards in hospital with husband Nick at her side, she closed her eyes for the final time and died on January 3.

Lisa and Katie became friends in 1986. “I miss her terribly,” said Lisa.

“She came to Overgate as a day patient but loved it there. The one thing she asked before she died is that we continued to raise money for Overgate so that’s what we’re doing.”

On the same day, the Ogden Stomp is a longer three mile walk into the woodlands at Ogden.

Both the events are sponsored by IFT Independent Financial Advisers.

To register please contact the Hospice on 01422 387120 or email faye.henderson@overgatehospice.nhs.uk.

On the day it costs £5 for adults and £2 for children, in advance it is £3 for adults and £1 for children.

They thanked all those who donated raffle prizes.

A COMMUNITY group has been given the gahead to take over Luddenden Foot Civic Institute.

But it has still to produce a business plan to show how this can be done in a way which will make the building economically sustainable in the long term.

A management agreement must be in place by September, Calderdale Council Cabinet agreed.

The building, which dates from 1914, costs the council £5,600 a year to run and maintain but it is in poor condition.

It contains 39 rooms over three floors and architects estimate that it will cost £338,000 to fully restore.

If it was sold, it might raise £60,000 for the council.

The building in Station Road is to be leased to the Luddenden Foot Community Association at no cost for the next 25 years.

The hope is to expand the use of the institute to help raise money to fully restore it.

Proposals for transferring the building into community ownership have been under discussion for several years.

Last summer, the cabinet considered two bids but one group later withdrew leaving the association to submit a revised bid to take over the ownership and management of the building.

Councillor Pauline Nash (Lib Dem, Skircoat) who has cabinet responsibility for community services, said the community association had ambitious plans for using the institute and a robust plan was needed to maintain it.

Without that, there would be a risk of incurring significant costs.

A spokeswoman for the community association said members would prove they were capable of managing the centre.

“A 25-year lease will give us the opportunity to put our plans into action and bring pride back to the community,” she said.

l The association will hold a meeting for residents and interested parties at the institute on Saturday, February 25, at 11am.

A COUNCIL allotment site that growers were told might be unsafe is to remain open.

But anyone who wants to leave will be given preference when it comes to allocating plots on a proposed new allotment about a mile away.

Calderdale Council Cabinet has agreed to meet up to half of the costs involved in creating the new £100,000 garden at Bentley Road, off Sowerby New Road, Sowerby Bridge.

It is a sloping site immediately next to an informal sports pitch which will be retained.

The existing allotment at Milner Royd, Sowerby Bridge, has been under threat since tests showed a former riverside tip contained a wide range of contaminants.

Growers were told at one stage that it could be dangerous to eat too many root vegetables grown on the site.

But the latest advice from the council and the Health Protection Agency is that it can still be used, providing growers follow advice on managing the risks.

Chickens are to be banned but “in the main the risks are low.”

Environment spokesman Coun Barry Collins said the council had worked hard to establish the true scale of the problems at Milner Royd, to keep the allotment holders fully informed and to try to find a solution.

“We now have a way forward which will maintain Milner Royd and create space for more allotments in Sowerby Bridge.”

The chairman of Calderdale Leisure Gardeners Association, Rod Mellor, said the use of raised beds at Milner Royd would further reduce the risks on the site.

DOCTORS and nurses at Calderdale Royal Hospital have been urged to talk to patients about their end of life care.

For patients at the end of their lives, health professionals can make a decision not to perform CPR.

If appropriate, a DNACPR - do not attempt cardio-pulmonary rescuscitation - can be made when performing CPR on a patient would be considered traumatic and futile.

Hospital chiefs say it is good practice to inform patients and their relaitves such a decision has been made, while emphasising other treatments will be available.

A region-wide form to record a DNACPR decision, which is filled in and goes home with the patients, has been in use for a year.

But several audits have shown the decision was discussed with patients or relatives in only 36 per cent of cases at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust.

Now health professionals are being urged to have that conversation with patients and their families to improve end of life care.

Mary Kiely, consultant in palliative medicine, said: “Many patients know their outlook is poor bit it is a relief for them to know that when they die, they will be kept comfortable. The difficulty for doctors is that they are not used to having this conversation and death is seen as a failure. What I find works is to tell patients what care and help will be given as well as the fact that CPR is not helpful when someone dies.”

There have been instances where families have discovered the completed form only after discharge home, without any sensitive conversation.

Dr Kiely said this was unacceptable and added: “Doctors must have these conversations with patients or it can make a difficult situation much worse.

“If the relatives aren’t aware, they will panic at home, ring 999, and risk and inappropriate readmission to hospital. “Much still needs to be done to make sure patients are well-informed and that the care they receive at the end of their lives is the best it can be.”

The trust is developing ways to improve the proecess such an electronic discharge summary, a screensaver reminder and an educational DVD.

A TODDLER died after suffering severe internal burns when he drank poisonous plant food his mother was using to grow cannabis, a court heard today.

A jury was told little Aaron Booth, two, hadn’t been fed since the day before and was “hungry and thirsty” when he got hold of the bottle while searching for something to drink.

His mother Lauren Booth, 24, found her son with brown lips and struggling to breathe on November 6, 2010, after he drank a 10ml dose of pH Up plant food.

She is on trial for child cruelty.

The court heard the tot suffered severe burns to his oesophagus and stomach, as well as damage to internal organs as a result of drinking potassium hydroxide.

An operation on November 17 found his windpipe had disintegrated, a condition which he couldn’t survive, and he died later that day.

Prosecutor Thomas Storey told Bradford Crown Court Aaron hadn’t eaten since the day before.

He said: “His mother failed to get up by noon and see to her son. He was hungry and thirsty when he got hold of the bottle in search of something to drink.”

He added: “This is a tragic case. The prosecution say that in the months leading up to his death, she failed to cater for his needs. She left within his reach a highly toxic substance which should never have been there where he could get his hands on it.

“It should not have been kept in a location of access by an adventurous and inquisitive child.”

Aaron’s father Mohammed Khan, who is separated from Booth, did not find out his son was at the hospital until a friend told him on November 14.

When Mr Khan arrived at Leeds General Infirmary, Mr Storey alleged: “She told him that she and her partner had been trying to make money by growing skunk in the house.

“She was almost seeming annoyed by the involvement of the police because they were going to have to find somewhere else to grow the skunk and was seemingly not bothered about her son.”

Mr Storey said when Booth’s laptop was seized, police found a book called “Cannabis Big Book of Buds” had been downloaded, plus Google searches for “how to use PH test for ganja”.

Booth, of Huddersfield, said Aaron went to sleep at 6pm the night before, waking at midnight for some food, before sleeping again.

She did not go to sleep until 6am and only got out of bed after midday on November 6 when she heard a bang and found Aaron lying next to her bed.

Tragic Aaron suffered burns to his oesophagus and stomach, as well as damage to internal organs such as his spleen.

An initial operation removed his stomach and oesophagus, and a tracheotomy was performed to help him breathe.

But his condition continued to deteriorate and on November 17 an operation found his windpipe had disintegrated.

Mr Storey said: “This condition was so bad that he could not survive. Medical staff withdrew treatment and sadly he died later on that night.”

The prosecutor described Aaron’s bedroom as “curiously empty” compared to the “clutter of other rooms in the house and considering this was a young child’s bedroom”.

Police searches of the house at 10pm on the night Aaron was admitted to hospital found the windows open in Aaron’s bedroom, despite the cold November evening, with blackout curtains at the window.

Mr Storey told the jury: “You can infer from this what you will.”

Booth was interviewed by social workers while Aaron was still in hospital. They noted she did not stop to see Aaron when she returned to the ward to be interviewed.

Mr Storey said a consultant paediatrician, responsible for child protection in Leeds, was struck by Booth’s demeanour and appearance.

“She was defensive and resistant to talking to him,” he said.

The 250ml bottle, which was labelled “causes burns, keep out of the reach of children”, was kept on a 74cm-high windowsill at the top of the stairs, Mr Storey said.

Post-mortem examinations showed that Aaron could have reached 96cm standing on flat feet and 105.5cm on his toes.

Mr Storey said: “It’s clear that Aaron would have been able to reach this.”

Booth denies wilfully ill-treating or neglecting her son between August 16 and November 18, 2010.

The trial continues.

THIS year’s leap year provides the perfect opportunity for women to pop the question to their other halves - and the Courier can carry the proposal on the front page!

The leap day, February 29, tradition where women can break with the norm and be the one who asks for the hand in marriage is nearly upon us - in just over a week’s time.

Any women in Calderdale plotting to take advantage of the four-yearly date can use the Courier’s own front page on the day for the Big Question.

Let us know if you’re interested by emailing newsdesk@halifaxcourier.co.uk.

l Another option for would-be brides to consider is a luxury prize giveaway at Holdsworth House.

The Courier has teamed up with the top Halifax hotel and restaurant which is offering to host the best proposal idea.

Women can win their bespoke proposal at Holdsworth House to the value of £200 or take up its ‘Audience with...’ Proposal Package where the question can be popped in their restaurant.

To enter the Holdsworth House prize, tell us in 50 words or less how you would propose at the hotel and the winning idea will appear in the Courier.

BUILDING a new library in Halifax could cost about £8 million - much less than the £12 million some people have been predicting, Calderdale Council Cabinet was told.

The council’s Lib-Lab coalition wants to replace the Central Library and Archive, at Northgate, with a new building at the bottom side of the Piece Hall.

Until now, they have avoided revealing the price tag because it might have influenced the public consultation process.

But the two questionnaires have now been scrapped and public consultation will not begin again until after the council elections in May.

It was against that background that the council’s economy and environment spokesman Coun Barry Collins finally revealed how much the new building might cost.

“It is likely to be in the region of £8 million, depending on exactly what it contains, but it will certainly not be £12 million,” he said.

Councillor Collins (Lab, Illingworth and Mixenden) was responding to string of questions about the council’s ill-fated consultation system.

He said a great deal had been learned about the way questionnaires had been put together and the council would look at the consultation process in great detail before it was relaunched.

Inspections have shown that as much as £6 million would have to be spent on the old library to bring it up to modern standards rather than demolishing it and nearby Northgate House to make way for retail development.

Liberal Democrat leader Janet Battye said Northgate House would eventually be closed but in the meantime the office block and library were being maintained “to basic health and safety standards.”

The cabinet was asked why designs for the new library were commissioned before users had been asked if they wanted a new library or the existing building to be restored.

Councillors were also asked about what would happen to the responses from the original questionnaires.

Councillor Battye (Calder) said she would provide details about the cost of the design work and the condition of the Square Chapel Spire which stands immediately next to the proposed library site. The responses would remain on file.

The council’s party group leaders will decide how the new consultation process is to be carried out.

It will begin in June and last for 12 weeks and will have “independent oversight.”

The cabinet will make a recommendation on the future of the library and archive to the council meeting on September 27.

A FREE guided walk above Todmoren has been organised for this weekend by Pennine Prospects.

The eight-mile walk from 11.30 am on Sunday will explore the high level reservoirs that helped feed the Rochdale Canal.

Walkers should meet the guide, David Humphries, at the Summit Quarry car park, just off A6033 Todmorden Road, behind the Summet public house and across the canal bridge.

Pennine Prospects is a South Pennines rural regeneration organisation and can be contacted via Anna.Marshall@pennineprospects.co.uk or 01422 847612.

DETECTIVES investigating the death of a teenager who fell from high-rise flats in Halifax have made a new appeal for information.

Officers say Christian Lee was seen to fall from a balcony at Jumples Court in Mixenden in the early hours of Saturday.

Police were called to the flats after a report of a noisy party on the 12th floor just after midnight. The occupier agreed to end the party and police remained as people left.

Christian, 18, climbed over the balcony as others were leaving and fell. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The matter has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission and West Yorkshire Police are continuing to investigate the teenager’s death.

Detective Chief Inspector Simon Atkinson, of West Yorkshire Police’s Homicide and Major Enquiry Team (HMET), said: “It is a terrible tragedy and our thoughts are with the family and friends of Christian.

“It is not clear why he climbed over the balcony and this is the focus of the investigation.

“If anyone has any information that may help the investigation, please contact HMET, reference Operation Pleatfield, on 101.”

A benefit cheat who claimed disability living allowance while working as a delivery driver has been given a suspended prison sentence.

John Carter, 57, started receiving the benefit in October 2007 on the grounds that he was virtually unable to walk and needed assistance with his daily needs.

But by April the following year he was working six days a week for a Halifax delivery firm handling packages weighing up to 15-and-a-half kilogrammes during three-hour shifts.

Carter, of Newlands Avenue, Sowerby Bridge, was initially questioned about his work in December 2009, but he denied being employed for the previous 20-month and earning £15,000.

Further investigation by the Department of Work and Pensions led to Carter being questioned again in October the following year and he finally admitted the offending.

Prosecutor Giles Bridge told Bradford Crown Court this morning that Carter had been overpaid just over £13,000 in disability living allowance and an additional £17,000 in income support.

Carter admitted charges of failing to notify the department of a change in his circumstances and Judge Peter Benson said he should be ashamed of his actions.

The court heard that Carter had already paid back £4000 to the DWP and he now faced a further confiscation hearing to recover the rest of the taxpayers’ money.

He may have to sell his home in order pay back the cash.

Lawyer Chris Haddock, for Carter, said he was deeply ashamed and disappointed with himself for behaving in this way.

Judge Benson said Carter had deliberately defrauded the public and the taxpayer by taking money that he was not entitled to.

“I’m told you are ashamed and you should be,” the judge told the defendant.

But the judge said he was prepared to suspend Carter’s eight-month jail term for two years and ordered him to do 200 hours unpaid work for the community.

The Proceeds of Crime hearing is due to take place in July and Judge Benson said he hoped the public would get back the money stolen from them.

A TRIO of vehicles have been involved in a smash near the Moorlands Inn pub in Illingworth.

A Ford Ka, Ford Fiesta and a HGV were all involved in the crash at 12.43pm.

None of the drivers have serious injuries and the cars have been moved so traffic can continue to flow.

On the M62 westbound between junction 23 and junction 22 a broken down vehicle between Huddersfield and Rishworth.

PARENTS have been left frustrated after finding out their children will have to sit exams in the school holidays.

Trinity Academy, Holmfield, changed its holiday programme so that the summer holiday would be reduced to four weeks with extra days at the spring and autumn half terms.

But this has meant exams fall in the spring bank holiday this May.

One parent, who asked not to be named, said: “When they changed to an academy they said we would not be allowed any time off at all in term time.

“But now they’ve told us there will be exams in the holiday - on the week of May 28.”

Letters were sent to parents last week warning that their child may be sitting the exams but they will still have to wait until March to find out for sure.

The mother, who has a 15-year-old son at the school said: “We booked our holiday last year but now we’ll have to not go or he’ll have to miss his exams.”

Another parent, who has a 13-year-old daughter at the academy said: “It’s a bit ridculous. If the school knows when the exams are in advance they should be changing the holidays to accommodate that.”

She said that she understands the school’s insistence on not taking holidays in term time but the holiday companies peak time price hike creates a problem.

“If the holiday companies were fairer there wouldn’t be such a hoo-ha,” she said.

Principal, Michael Gosling, said: “Our terms are designed to ensure that students get the very most from their time at the academy, for example the new academic year starts in June rather than September so that students are fully ready to learn on their return from the summer break.

“Unfortunately, this change always created the possibility that some of the May break would coincide with examination dates.

“Our website has shown information regarding exam dates for a number of months and and we have also written to parents.

“Although the examination dates do not coincide with the full holiday period, we recognise that some families may find this disruptive to their plans.

“We are working to ensure that our communication regarding examinations is given earlier and parents receive regular reminders.

“We are now advising parents of younger students of the examination periods from year 10 onwards.”

CHRIS Silcox is ready for the challenge of a lifetime – trekking across Peru in memory of a former work colleague.

Andy Lister died aged 36 after suffering a heart attack and now Chris will raise money for the British Heart Foundation in his memory.

The pair worked together at Swinton Insurance in Mixenden.

The challenge has inspired Chris into a huge lifestyle change. Before, he would go out every weekend drinking with friends; now he goes to the gym four times a week.

Chris had been told he was borderline diabetic but his new-found health regime has brought his condition under control and helped him lost four stone.

The trek is nine days of tough walking. To get ready, he will climb the Yorkshire Three Peaks on July 14 with mum Leslie Drummond, also from Siddal.

Chris will turn 30 in December, and Leslie reaches her 50th, so the pair decided to mark their landmark birthdays with a challenge.

“It’s definitely something I thought I’d like to do. A week before Andy died we were talking about doing something like this.

“My family has hereditary heart disease, so I’d always planned on doing something and losing the weight but never got round to it. Two months after Andy died I was training.”

”I like to challenge myself and I don’t like to do things that are easy and it isn’t easy for a guy like me to climb up a mountain but it’s going to be rewarding, especially because it’s not for me.

Chris is holding a poker night at Siddal Cricket Club at 8.30pm on March 30. Tickets are £20.

To sponsor him visit www.just giving.com/Christopher-Silcox or call Chris on 07769 270156.

POLICE are investigating a shooting in Bradford last night.

Police were called to Tyresal Lane just after 8pm to reports of a disturbance.

They stopped a vehicle with damage to its windscreen and found a 36-year-old man inside with shot gun injuries who was taken to hospital.

His condition is not believed to be life-threatening.

Officers say inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.

Anyone with information is being asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

STAFF are now pulling together to try to improve Elland CE Primary School, according to Ofsted inspectors.

Since October, the school has appointed a new deputy headteacher and two new teachers.

The governing body has a new chair, a new vice-chair person and two new parent governors.

“The school has made satisfactory progress in making improvements and the effectiveness of the school in improving pupils’ behaviour is good,” said inspector Steve Isherwood.

“The headteacher is leading the school in the right direction, staff are pulling together and are increasingly aware of their collective responsibility for improving the school.”

According to Mr Isherwood’s report much still needs to be done to tackle the legacy of underachievement and to accelerate pupils’ progress further.

But there are positive signs in pupils’ work and from school data that increasing numbers of pupils are making better progress than previously.

There is a tighter focus in lessons on what pupils need to know and do in order to progress.

“During the inspection, pupils behaved well in lessons and as they moved around the school.

There has been a significant reduction in the number of exclusions and attendance rates have improved.

CALDERDALE’s singing star Ed Sheeran is in the running for four awards at the Brits later tonight.

The singer/songwriter, 21, who spent his early years in Hebden Bridge, has been nominated for the most awards of any act - up for best male, best single for The A Team, best albumb for ‘+’ and breakthrough act.

Speaking at the Brit nominations announcement last month, Sheeran said: “This exact time last year, I was signing my record deal. So I think it’s been a good year.”

A Shelf woman is also up for Brit with the Military Wives Choir.

Larraine Smith (nee Longden) is a member of the Plymouth choir which is up for best British single for Wherever You Are.

Larraine, married to Brandon Smith, a major in the Royal Artillery, now lives in Plymouth but has extended family in Shelf, where she lived from 17 to 21 and worked as a barmaid at the Shoulder of Mutton and Prince of Orange.

* Ed Sheeran will also take to the stage to perform at the televised event at London’s O2 Arena this evening, which begins at 8pm on ITV.

Hundreds of supporters enjoyed a night of laughter and entertainment at FC Halifax Town’s annual sporting dinner.

Former Arsenal and England midfielder Paul Merson was among the star speakers at the dinner, at the Cedar Court Hotel, Bradford.

Merson, now a pundit for Sky Sports, gave a refreshing account of his life in professional football, with honest but humourous insights into life in the game.

He also wore an FC Halifax Town tie during Sky Sport’s Soccer Saturday show the following lunchtime.

The crowd were also entertained by former TV comedian Mick Millar, who rose to fame in ITV’s The Comedians, and compere John Helm, who ran the auction, raffle and fundraising on the night.

FC Halifax Town director Bobby Ham said he was delighted with how the evening went.

“The club’s fourth sporting dinner was another great success,” he said.

“Paul Merson and Mick Millar royally entertained our guests, with the evening being well received by all.

“Some people have already asked us if they can reserve tables for next year,” he said.

New sales and marketing executive Mark Brier said: “I’d heard how good it was last year and the work done by Pete Stajic, the board and Greg Stainton deserves huge credit.

“Many people commented on the quality of the event, from both an image and experience viewpoint and I’d also like to thank the team at Cedar Court.”

The next big events are the end of season presentation night in May and the club’s annual golf day in June.

For more information contact Mark on 07852 207622 or email markbrier@fchalifaxtown.com.

MEET Benji, the dog rescued all the way from Spain.

Angela and Martin Adshead, from Greetland, found the poor pup lying in the road while they were staying at their holiday home in Cortes de la Frontera.

With a chain around his neck and out in the blistering heat, they thought he was dead.

The couple had heard horrific stories about dogs being abandoned in the area, including one who had a plastic bottle tied to its tail who chewed its own tail off to get rid of the bottle.

Another was found with its jaw hanging off and two bullets in its face.

But when they went to move Benji so that he did not get run over, he got up. Distressed by the state he was in, the couple put him in their car and took him back to their house.

“He was in a right mess,” said Mrs Adshead. “He was suffering such malnutrition.

“He was starving and very scared.”

When they cut the chain off, the couple discovered a rope around his neck, growing under the skin.

“It must have been put on when he was a pup,” said Mrs Adshead. “It had started growing under his neck. It would have killed him.”

The couple contacted a charity who rescue abandoned dogs and took him there the next day.

After some food and a good night’s sleep, Mrs Adshead said Benji was a totally different dog.

They decided to look after him for the rest of their stay and by the end of their holiday they were determined to bring him home.

“After three weeks there was no way we were going to let him go,” said Mrs Adshead.

The charity helped have Benji fostered until he could be brought to Greetland and then travelled with him last week.

The couple say he is settling in brilliantly.

“He’s fabulous,” said Mrs Adshead. “He’s loving it here.

“When you rescue a dog, they know they have been rescued. You see something in this dog’s face that you don’t see in any other dog.”

Benji is the latest in a string of dogs that the couple have rescued but he is the first from outside the country.

To donate to the charity that helped bring Benji to England, email almajor@avired.com

The son of a former Calder Valley MP has died, aged 52.

Matthew Thompson, son of Sir Donald Thompson, died at his home in San Augustin, Majorca after a short fight with prostate cancer.

He died on Valentine’s Day with his wife Amanda, his two sons, Edward, 16 and Sam, 13, his mother Lady Patricia Thompson and his younger brother Giles at his bed side.

A professional yachtsman, Matthew moved abroad, first to France and then Germany in the 1980’s to work in ship building.

In April 1984, the Courier reported how Matthew was among three crew members rescued from a yacht by helicopter after problems with the engine left the vessel stranded in the sea around 160 miles from Land’s End.

Matthew later moved to Palma, Majorca where he met Amanda.

Matthew was a former rugby player at Old Brods, and was a member of Lightcliffe golf club. One of his closest friends, Richard Horner, went to Lightcliffe Church of England School with Matthew.

“I played rugby with Matthew at the Old Brods in our early 20s, and I’d known him all his life,” he said.

“He was a larger than life character, and, being rugby players, we always had a good time when we went out after a match,” he said.

Old Brods Chairman Richard Turner said Matthew was a popular figure at the club, despite living abroad.

“Matthew was a big part of this club from a very young age, one of the original ‘babes’, because of the work his father did at the club,” he said.

“He was a mighty player and the kind of man who’s character filled the room.

“Even though he spent a lot of time away from us he stayed in contact with the club at all times and even bought Brods shirts for his two sons to wear.”

Around 200 family and friends attended Matthew’s funeral last Friday in Palma.

Matthew’s father, Sir Donald, was the Calder Valley MP from 1983 to 1999. He died in 2005, aged 73.

In accordance with Matthew’s wishes, his ashes will be buried next to his father at Coley Church, and a service will be held in the near future.

There will also be a one minute silence at Old Brod’s match at home to Malton and Norton on Saturday.

THE council has agreed to begin licensing street traders in and around Brighouse town centre.

It should prevent unauthorised hawkers setting up stalls in unsuitable locations, Calderdale Council Cabinet was told.

Licences will be needed for pitches in Thornton Square and consent will be necessary for using Canal Street and the area next to the market. Stalls will be banned from all other streets.

Councillors have agreed to increase the number of trading areas in Halifax to include the Crown Street junction with Waterhouse Street.

Community services spokeswoman Coun Pauline Nash (Lib-Dem, Skircoat) said the licensing system would enable the council to better control hot food and other traders, prevent nuisance and disturbance, and help keep the area clean and free of litter. Issuing licences should also raise some income for the council and help meet administration costs.

MASKED knifemen held a terrified family hostage in their living room until they handed over the keys to their jewellery store.

The gang broke into the house in Sandbeds Road, Halifax, in the early hours.

The owner of Fahad Jewellers, off Queen’s Road, had fallen asleep on the settee.

He said: “My wife and our sons had gone to bed. Someone put a blanket over me. I woke up and couldn’t breathe. Someone was pushing down on my mouth and nose.

“I thought it was a dream and started trying to shout.”

Then he felt a knife put to his face and a horrifying whisper in his ear: “If you stay quiet, we’re not going to hurt you. If you shout, we will kill you.”

When he sat up, the man saw five or six men standing around his living room.

“Most of them had knives and one had what looked like a gun,” he said.

The gang asked him to hand over cash and the keys to his jewellery shop. When he did not, two of them went upstairs and brought his eldest son downstairs.

“They sat him next to me and asked him for the keys. He said he didn’t know, he is a student and doesn’t know anything about the shop.”

Then the gang brought down the man’s other son and his wife.

All four family members sat on the settee with the gang continuing their threats and demands for the keys and money.

When they threatened to take one of the sons to the shop, his mum told the gang that the keys were upstairs in her handbag.

After ransacking her bag, all but two of the thieves left the house. After around 10 minutes, the two left received a call, the owner presumes to say that the shop had been raided.

The pair then took the family’s mobile phones, their landline phones and the keys to their cars.

They told the four “not to do anything silly” before fleeing.

One of the sons had hidden his mobile under his bed and as soon as the family heard the men drive off, they called 999.

The gang had emptied their shop, taking all the stock they had.

The owner said: “It still hasn’t sunk in. It was like watching something in a film or on television. It didn’t seem real, like it wasn’t happening to me.

“At least no one was hurt. My first reaction was how lucky we are that we are all safe.”

The jewellers was raided twice in 2003 but the family said they have never experienced anything as terrifying as what happened on Friday.

Police are urging anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area such as unusual people or vehicles, to get in touch.

Three of the suspects are described as white and one as asian. All were in their early 20s and of medium build. All were wearing masks and dark clothing. One was 5ft 6ins tall, the others were 6ft tall.

Anyone with information about he break-in, which happened at 5am on Friday, should call Calderdale CID on 01422 337085 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

]]> 1.4267724 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:23:40 +0000 http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/morning_round_up_traffic_trains_and_weather_1_4267681

Good morning Courier readers!

Traffic

Traffic is slow on the M62 westbound from junction 28 Tingley to junction 27 Gildersome.

There is congestion on the M62 eastbound between junction 24 Ainley Top and junction 27 Gildersome.

No major problems reported on trains through Halifax this morning.

Have you spotted a traffic problem? Let us know by emailing newsdesk@halifaxcourier.co.uk or calling 01422 260208.

Weather

Generally dry, with some sunny intervals. Becoming breezy later today. Maximum temperature 13 °C.