13/09/2011 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

Welcome to Tuesday's Look North. In tonight's headlines: Victim of the

storm. Tributes paid to a volunteer ambulance driver killed by a tree

felled in gale force winds. One year on, the family of a former

Boro player who has locked-in syndrome say they still hope he'll

recover. Deadly duty. On patrol with a North Yorks soldier who has

one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. And cool running. The

man who decided he needed to make this year's Great North Run a bit

more difficult. In sport - more fallout from the departure of

Sunderland's record signing. But Newcastle are flying high. Fourth

in the Premier League after fighting hard for a goalless draw

in the capital. A lovely man who would do anything for anyone. Just

one of many tributes being made to a hospice volunteer killed by a

falling tree. George Brown, from High Etherley in County Durham,

died yesterday afternoon on the A688 between Staindrop and Barnard

Castle as the remnants of Hurricane Katia brought with it winds of more

than 70mph. He was driving to collect patients on behalf of

Butterwick Hospice in Bishop Auckland when the tree fell on his

ambulance. Stephanie Lloyd reports. The human cost of the storms that

battered the region. 68 year-old George Brown, a much-loved

volunteer driver for Butterwick Hospice died as he was driving in

the high winds. Killed on a journey he used to make every week. George

was lovely, he volunteered his time freely to us for more than 12 years

and inevitably, when these things happen, people reflect on their

memories of George and everyone says he would do everything for

anybody. He really enjoyed supporting the charity and driving

patients from their homes to the hospice. Staff at the hospice are

devastated by the tragic accident, all too upset to speak to us on

camera. This is where the accident happened, between Staindrop and

Barnard Castle. Flowers have been left. The ambulance was on its way

to an outreach hospice to collect patients when the tree fell on to

the minibus, killing George Brown. But Mr Brown was not travelling

alone. He had another volunteer sitting directly behind him. He is

being treated in hospital but his injuries were not thought to be

life threatening. George Brown leaves a wife, Mary, a son and a

daughter and three grandchildren. A man described by those who knew and

loved him as selfless and loyal. his retirement, the hospice really

became a volunteer job for him and he would do anything and he did not

only the driving but when we had the Christmas party, George was

Father Christmas. That is indicative of the man he was.

Nearly 400 homes were still without power this afternoon because of the

high winds. CE Electric says 265 homes were affected in

Northumberland and Durham. And almost 100 were without electricity

on Teesside and in North Yorkshire. But the company expects to have

most people reconnected by this evening and does not expect the

situation to get any worse. Although the wind is still high, we

are not expecting too many problems on the we are still seeing the

tail-end of some wind coming in. If customers are all supply after 7pm

tonight, give us a call and we will get somebody out to see you and get

you on to the supplier as quickly as possible. It must be a living

torture. One year ago, former Middlesbrough footballer Gary

Parkinson suffered a major stroke at 42 that left him with so-called

locked in syndrome. He's fully aware of what's happening around

him but can't move or speak. His family say he has made some

progress and have taken inspiration from other people who've managed to

make a full recovery from the condition. The doctors said to me,

this isn't looking good. Do you want and kept alive with the

machine? I said, yes, he will keep going. Sat by his bedside, Deborah

Parkinson told her husband he had to keep fighting. At that point and

I said this to Gary, his eyes were opened and I knew that he could

hear inside and there was something we could keep fighting for. Gary

was later diagnosed with locked-in syndrome. He communicates with his

family by moving his eyes up for yes and down for no. His former

club has staged benefit matches, charity events and tribute dinners.

His family have received thousands of goodwill messages from friends,

fans and former players. It has been brilliant, all of those clubs

have come together. Fans from every club. We cannot believe the support.

Most of the time, they were booing and shouting at players. But on the

club's say he was a legend. support, they say, has kept them

going. And the family say they take inspiration from people like Kate

Allatt, who has visited Gary after making a full recovery from locked-

in syndrome. If one person has made it through, there is no reason we

cannot. I have since found out that many people have come through and

their leading and good quality of life. Gary has moved his fingers

for the first time. Progress is slow. But as his family know,

people have been a full recovery from his condition. Our next report

contains extraordinary footage of one of the most dangerous jobs on

earth. The BBC has been given an exclusive opportunity to film bomb

disposal squads at work in Afghanistan. One member of the

squad is 29 year-old Adam Galloway from North Yorkshire. Cathy Killick

reports on the realities of a job that carries the risk of death and

injury every day. Last year they killed or wounded 8500 coalition

troops and 11,000 Afghans. IEDs, improvised explosive devices, are

the Taliban's chief weapon in Afghanistan. Captain Adam

Galloway's job is to destroy them before they destroy others. We know

that they know where we're likely to go. They know the place more

intimately. And it does work, it slows us down, it breaks morale. It

costs us money. It achieves all of those things that very little cost.

To them. This is the first time the MoD has allowed disposal to be

filmed. We are at Helmand Province, as suspected booby-trap and the

dog's reaction is the first sign that exposes our present. Searchers

sweep the ground and pinpoint wires and a battery. Then add and is

approached to defuse the bomb. don't see much made in setting

myself out. There is luck involved in everything. If I went around

thinking the next day would be my last, I would not be able to work.

There is a lot at stake. In North Yorkshire, his wife and daughter

love having him home. But his job carries a risk that he might

disappear from their lives. Fingertips into the like... We can

see the pressure plate. The job demands total focus. The exposed

wires must be cut. And then uses clippers that can be triggered from

a distance. We are expecting an explosion. That isn't the end of it.

And underneath the pressure plate. Directly underneath... We're good

to go. Firing! It is now safe to retrieve the bomb components and

explosives. It will be examined for clues but stemming the tide of

these bombs is proving difficult. Around 1000 or planted each month.

The five kilos of explosives are blown up and Adam poses with his

diffused bomb. It has taken for people four hours. One morning's

work and they're lucky to survive. You can see more of Captain

Galloway's story in The Bomb Squad tonight on BBC One at 10.35pm.

Another soldier from the bomb disposal team has been describing

how he managed not to miss the birth of his son, despite serving

in Afghanistan when his wife into labour. Armed with a fully topped-

up phone card, he managed to listen in on the momentous occasion.

Luckily, his 100 minutes of credit lasted just long enough for

Corporal Chris Ashton from York to hear the first cries of little

Alfie. Peter Lugg has been to see the family. Mobile phones have

played a significant part in the life of soldier Chris Ashton

recently. This is his wife, Laura, with his baby son, Alfie, born on

the 1st of September. On that day, when Laura went into labour at York

Hospital, Chris was 4,000 miles away serving with the Royal

Engineers in Afghanistan. When his son was born, Chris was performing

a vital role at Camp Bastion, part of a team searching for IEDs.

ringing every hour, just to see how she was progressing. And as a

quarter, it was 9:45pm. He started pushing and that was it. Luckily,

my friend had given me a phone card with 100 minutes. That was lucky, I

really needed them. And I got to hear the birth over the phone.

Knowing that he was on the other end of the phone was nice. Just to

imagine he was there. Even the way could not speak to him. We have a

picture showing Alfie with the phone! Yes! So that his dad could

see a few words. I wanted to say hello to my little man. The midwife

was really good. She let him have a conversation with me and I told him

I would be home soon. The army gave him paternity leave but it still

took him four days to get home. was supposed to be coming back in

September. Four days is better than four weeks. Soldiers are hopeless!

Yes! But we knew that from the beginning. It was nice to have him

back earlier. With Chris's older son, Jay, the whole family can now

look forward to spending some quality time together. Some fathers

will do anything to get out of being that delivery run! Best

wishes to them. Last Chance Saloon. That's how a police firearms

tactical advisor described the unlicensed Taser weapons used at

the end of the standoff with Raoul Moat. Giving evidence from behind a

screen, he told an inquest jury that the priority had always been

to keep the gunman alive. And the only viable option they had were

Tasers which hadn't been approved for use by police in the UK. Chris

Stewart reports. This is the Taser the officer was describing. Fired

from a shotgun, the X12 projectile delivers a powerful electrical

current. He said it was the big brother of the Tasers the police

normally use. The officer identified himself only as A10. He

said the Tasers were delivered here to Rothbury in Northumberland two

or three hours after the standoff had begun. He knew of the existence

of the Xrep, but had never seen it. During the standoff he was based at

force headquarter in Ponteland. It was very frantic and hectic, he

said. He said the decision had already been taken to use this as a

pre-emptive strike if Raoul Moat was about to take his life. The

inquest has heard how he had slid his gun from beneath his chin to

his temple and the log records that one officer deployed the X12, which

hit them and he then discharged his shot gone into his temple. At some

point as second taser was deployed. Moat had gone on the run after

shooting and injuring his girlfriend, shooting and killing

her new partner and shooting and blinding a policeman. The inquest

into his death is expected to take a further two-and-a-half weeks.

We're often hearing how tough it can be for young people in our

region looking for jobs. But in west Cumbria, the steel giant Tata

has just taken on its biggest intake of young apprentices for

over a decade. 20 teenagers have just started out on a three-and-a-

half year scheme with high hopes of a rewarding career. Steel has real

historic heritage here. The new apprentices are being offered a

modern route to long-term career. wanted this apprenticeship because

it offers all the qualifications that I want. For full-time

employment as a mechanical engineer. I was really happy when I found out.

I did not mind staying on a school but it is hands on him the

apprenticeship and I don't want just to be taught to, I wanted to

be hands-on. That is possible, say bosses, because the markets are

opening. We are moving into the nuclear market and you could

decommissioning. Defence, we have secured defence-related contracts

and we are starting to look at renewable energy. In its heyday,

around 10,000 people would have been employed here in the steel

industry in Workington. Why that has declined over the years, there

has been an improvement in the last 12 months and in that time, data

Steel has taken on around 100 new people and many have been young and

local. Without doubt there are good opportunities, our business is

growing quickly and it's really positive and there are good

opportunities for kids in this area. The political map of the North East

and Cumbria could be massively altered in changes proposed today.

Four of our MPs will go altogether. Others will end up representing new

areas as all the boundaries are redrawn. It's all about cutting the

size of Parliament. But it will lead to much bigger constituencies.

Richard Moss is in one of the communities affected. This is

Hexham, very picturesque and one of the biggest constituencies in

England. But it's about to get even better because it will be extended

further into Northumberland and into parts of Gateshead. As one of

the quirks of this process, it will also have to lose parts. At 20

minute drive down the road will become part of County Down and and

one and have farmers try from the town. Northumberland isn't the only

committee affected by this shake-up. The great cull of MPs will lead to

fewer seats in the North East and Cumbria by 2015. In all, the number

will drop from 35 to 31. Cumbria will lose one MP, Northumberland

another and one will also go in each of Tyneside and Teesside. And

some of the seats will become huge. Hexham will become the biggest in

England, spanning over 2,600 square kilometres. In Northumberland, it's

fairly rural and that means an order for us to design a seat which

contains the right number of constituents, that seat must be

much larger than any inner-city area but also other parts of the

country. But the changes will produce some pretty strange

bedfellows. One constituency will combine Whitehaven and Bowness-on-

Windermere. Another, Haltwhistle in Northumberland with Barnard Castle

in Durham. A third puts Rowlands Gill in Gateshead, with Rothbury in

Northumberland. And it doesn't stop there. I have come to Cramlington.

In the boundary changes, it isn't placed with anywhere else in

Northumberland and it will be the seat with large slices of Newcastle.

Anthony Charles has been duly elected... And the changes could

also lead to some surprises and casualties. Tony Blair used to pile

up huge Labour majorities in his Sedgefield seat, but its new

boundaries could make it a Tory target. While the Cumbrian

Conservative MP, Rory Stewart, faces a fight with Lib Dem

President and coalition partner, Tim Farron, for a new Kendal and

Penrith seat. These proposals are not set in stone, there will be a

consultation for 12 weeks. And the Conservative MP for Hexham says he

will object to some specific proposals for the spirit, even

though he supports the idea for a smaller house of Commons. MPs will

wonder if they have a job after the next election and if you are

wondering what this means to you, more details on my blog on the

website. Plenty more to come in tonight's Look North. Fridge

challenge. The man who's making his Great North Run even more difficult.

And the wind is dying down. But it is a slow process! It is time for

the sport. I will say this cautiously. Things going well for

Newcastle? Pretty good start. Newcastle United fans are pinching

themselves. A goalless draw at newly-promoted Queen's Park Rangers

last night has lifted the Magpies to fourth place in the Premier

League table. That's despite all the criticism at the club's failure

to make any transfer deadline day additions to their squad. Mark

Tulip reports. Further evidence before and after last night's

goalless draw in West London that Joey Barton still has a lot of time

for the Newcastle team-mates he left behind. Barton captained his

new club Queen's Park Rangers but in truth was subdued during a match

which saw the Magpies do just enough to rise to the dizzy heights

of fourth in the table. There wasn't much for another king of

Twitter to report. This was about the nearest Newcastle got to

scoring and the failure to recruit a top striker in the transfer

window may yet come back to haunt them. QPR didn't have enough

cutting edge in front of goal, either. But let's not be too

churlish. Defensively, United are looking pretty solid and an away

point against a club whose new owner splashed the cash in late

August isn't a bad result, especially when there are 16 clubs

below you. Ant and Dec looked on from the Loftus Road stands as Mr

Yellow Card, Chiek Tiote, clattered his former team-mate. But to keep

punching above their weight, United will need to play better and get

their shooting boots on. Talk of Champions League football may be a

little premature. More problems for Sunderland today. The Football

Association has charged full-back and Player of the Year Phil

Bardsley with violent conduct. That's after this challenge, when

he appeared to stamp on Chelsea's Spanish midfielder Juan Mata during

Saturday's game at the Stadium of Light. Bardsley now faces a three-

match ban. And the fallout has continued following the shock

departure of Sunderland's record signing, Asamoah Gyan, to a club in

the United Arab Emirates. Al-Ain have paid the Wearsiders a reported

�6 million loan fee. Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn said the deal

made financial sense given the clear desire of the player to leave

Wearside. But while Quinn has left the door open for Gyan to return,

for many, the saga is another sign of the times. The fans do not feel

if they can connect to the players because the players are mercenaries.

In the past you would have players who would stay for years. As they

did it as a kid. But now it's about money. And they are controlled by

agents. They're just a commodity and it is the agent's job to make

as much money as they possibly can. Elsewhere, Carlisle United are at

Tranmere tonight. Commentary on BBC Radio Cumbria. Cricket now, and

Yorkshire chairman Colin Graves has called his players a disgrace after

their County Championship relegation. He says the

performances have been unacceptable. Meanwhile, Durham are hanging on to

their faint hopes of winning the Division One title. They bowled

Worcestershire out for 288. They lead by 27 runs with all wickets

standing. Whitehaven rugby league club is looking for a new coach

following their season-ending playoff defeat at Doncaster. David

Seeds has resigned, explaining he needed a break after 18 years at

the West Cumbrian club as both player and coach. There are just

five days to go until the Great North Run and many taking part have

already got a few under their belt. I had eight of them and you have

one. When he beat be? So what do you do to stand out from the crowd?

For one Tyneside man, the answer is obvious. Do it with a fridge

strapped your back. Tony Morrison has run the famous route 15 times

and he was worried he wouldn't get enough sponsorship unless he did

something a bit different this year. Damian O'Neil reports. People in

funny costumes are a common sight on the Great North Run, but unless

you know different, no one has ever done it with a fridge on their back.

On the day itself, it'll be kitted out with a sound system so that

Tony can listen to music while he runs, but for today's training,

it's just the fridge. It will way in excess of 40 kilos. We will have

a car battery with 200 watt speakers. We are busy putting

together some good tunes on my iPod. So we can cheer up the ladders

along the way. We will make a bit of a noise! Do you expect to run

the whole thing? I do! I am not sure what the record is for a man

with the fridge. But by plan is to make people aware of the charity

that has a massive effect on local society. If people can donate, that

would be fabulous. It's a pretty daunting challenge that Tony has

ahead of him, but his trainer believes he has what it takes.

is one of the strongest, fittest men I have ever come across and he

has a strong mind, what is important, especially with caring

that fridge. He will need the strength of mind to get to the end.

But he is a very strong individual. He would just need to watch is the

work back! -- his lower back. hopes to raise over �2000 for South

Tyneside Football Trust this Sunday. If you see him during the run, he'd

appreciate your support. And you shouldn't have much trouble

spotting him... Absolutely mad! He says the door will be stuck shut so

people cannot look-in to see if he has any drink in there! We have

some interesting were the pictures. Jeff was quite surprised to see

this waterfall been blown up hell in Wensleydale! And a very odd

tumble picture in Darlington. The geese migrating. How long will this

last? Not much longer, the rest of the week will become gradually less

Tonight, low pressure so very lively at the moment. Tomorrow, we

will see the lines opening out. The wind will ease down on Wednesday.

Look at there's day, high pressure, early a breath of wind and plenty

of sunshine. Easily the best day of the week. Friday, the next round of

weather system tumbles in. Rain and stronger breezes. Thursday is that

Jim. The rain has been coming down past the border. Through the early

hours it will peter out to leave one or two little drizzle the

outbreaks. Overnight lows of around 11 degrees and still that lively

westerly breeze. Wednesday, the crowd and players but brightness

coming through early. The showers will not away and they will be

replaced in the afternoon everywhere with good strong

sunshine. Still some heat at this time of year and highs of 14 - 17

Celsius. Not to Chile. The rest of the week? There's still looks like

the best day all round. 16 Celsius but still feeling warm or with

those very light winds. Cumbria, it works at the same. Thursday is the

best before the showers and the breeze return on Friday. Easy to

remember. Time for a last look at tonight's headlines. Tributes have

been paid to a hospice ambulance driver killed by a falling tree

caused by high winds. George Brown from High Etherley in County Durham

died yesterday afternoon. And the cost of living rises again as