30/12/2011 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

Good evening. The future of Darlington Football Club remains

unclear tonight as fans and players await a further statement from club

officials. Some fear the side could go into administration for the

third time in nine years. Keith Akehurst has the latest.

Storm clouds are gathering again over Darlington Football Club.

Rumours abound that the Blue Square Premier League Club could go into

administration. A three-line statement on the club's website

says owner Raj Singh is meeting advisors and there will be a

further statement next week. The players, though, have apparently

been using social media to vent We've been through the same

situation before. We thought it might have been different with Raj.

But the lack of communication has really bothered a lot of us this

time. Even amongst the turmoil, fans have

been buying tickets for Sunday's game against Gateshead. Here we go

again. There is just no stability. It is at times like this that you

feel sorry for the people involved in the club. If Mr Singh does bring

in administrators, it will be the third time it has happened to the

Quakers in less than a decade. No one would be interviewed from the

club on camera. All they would do was come from what was on their

website. Nothing further would be said until next week.

A man's died in a crash on the A1 motorway in Northumberland this

afternoon. Two cars were involved in the accident on the northbound

carriageway near the Swarland turnoff. An 80-year-old man was

pronounced dead at the scene. A prison officer who was stabbed by

an inmate and left with life- threatening injuries is to meet the

Prisons Minister. Along with two colleagues at Durham's Frankland

Prison, Craig Wylde was attacked with a broken bottle by convicted

killer Kevan Thakrar. Last month, Newcastle Crown Court heard Thakrar

was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and that he'd

lashed out because he feared he was about to be attacked. He was

cleared of two charges of attempted murder. Mr Wylde's family are now

calling for Thakrar to be retried. A West Cumbrian man who went

missing three weeks ago has been found safe and well. John Walker,

who's 60 and from Whitehaven, was found last night in Middlesbrough.

A grandmother from Washington is getting used to being able to walk

again after having both her legs amputated. Vivienne Bell nearly

died when she contracted meningitis for the second time. But now she's

out of her wheelchair and even managed a bit of dancing this

Christmas. Joanne Carter reports. Vivienne lost most of her fingers

as well as her legs when meningitis struck three years ago. She was a

hairdresser. Her husband, a professional chef, is now her carer.

It has been a tough emotional rollercoaster for all her family.

So getting her prosthetic limbs signifies a giant step towards a

better quality of life. delighted. I really am. I just

thought I would never be able to manage it when I was so poorly. Now

that I am using my legs every day, it is like getting a new lease of

life. Vivienne has survived meningitis

twice. Once in 1983 and then again in 2008. The second time around, it

left her fighting for her life in a drug induced coma for nine weeks.

My legs were amputated from just below the knee. The problem was my

skin was so fine and, unfortunately, it has taken so long to heal.

She misses her high heels and has given away most of her shoes. But

this Christmas, she was able to manage a little dance on a night

out with friends. Something she never thought she would be able to

do. Joanne Carter. BBC Look North, Washington.

There is a busy football programme over the New Year weekend. It

starts tonight as Carlisle travel to Huddersfield in League One,

while in the Premier League, Newcastle take on Liverpool at

Anfield, hoping a �35 million transfer deal does not come back to

haunt them. 11 months after his shock record

transfer to Liverpool, the shadow of Andy Carroll still looms over

Tyneside despite his hometown club's surprisingly good start to

the season. The England striker has not found it easy to settle into

the Liverpool first team but his old boss says there are good

reasons for that. He has not really had a run in that Liverpool side.

Like all strikers, he probably needs a run. He is a great lad and

a great player. Injuries to defenders Titus Bramble

and Phil Bardsley along with Kieran Richardson missing training all

week through illness have hampered new boss Martin O'Neill's

preparations for Sunday's home game with leaders Manchester City. A

daunting task. They seemed to be a work in progress some time ago, now

they are the real deal. The number of points they have accumulated

from the games they have played is excellent.

Third placed Championship club Middlesbrough will hand a fitness

test to injured striker Marvin Emnes before chasing a 5th

consecutive win at home to Peterborough tomorrow.

The Boro boss already has half an eye on the January transfer window.

I think if we can add in the striking department, that will help.

We have really only got two at the moment. We have to buy the right

players for the right positions. Hartlepool, who're at Sheffield

United tomorrow led by the newly re-appointed Neale Cooper, will

honour the club's record goalscorer Ken Johnson, who died this week, at

Monday's home game with Scunthorpe. Mark Tulip, BBC Look North.

A Newcastle pub has been named among the top ten in Britain. The

Free Trade Inn, overlooking the River Tyne at Byker, has been named

in the book The Search For The Perfect Pub as a genuine Geordie

Institution. It praised its friendly atmosphere, quality beer

and decent music. A great to place to go, especially

when it's a bit chilly outside! Here's Trai with the weather

Here's Trai with the weather forecast.

2011 was a second mildest year on record. Still at looking mild.

Cloudy and damp tomorrow. It will turn up chillier after that.

Tonight, it is dark and damp. The rain is digging its time to move

into the North Sea. Temperatures of three to seven Celsius. Any

brightness will be in the north East Coast. Cumbria always in the

firing line for any rain coming in from the West. Tomorrow evening, it

looks like most of us will see the end of the rain. It will be cloudy,

not too cold. For New Year's Day, that is when they get the cold air

coming in. Just a few showers in Cumbria. A quick summary. Getting

chilly but bright as we see in the new year. A similar picture for

Cumbria. That's how it looks so far this