18/01/2012 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

Hello and welcome to Wednesday's Look North. Tonight: A survivor of

the Italian cruise ship disaster talks exclusively about his

horrifying experience. I found time to look back at the ship and the

final, thinking, what am I doing here?

A two week reprieve for Darlington FC after extraordinary scenes at

the club's stadium. They cannot liquidate the club now, we have the

money to keep going until the end of the month.

36 arrests as police across the North launch a major crackdown on

metal theft. How did Betty die? A new appeal for

information one year after a grandmother was found dead in a

Cumbrian quarry. And Happy Anniversary York - the

city celebrating 800 years of history.

In sport, we'll meet the man hoping to save the region's top rugby

union team from relegation. And following in the footsteps of

Jackie Milburn and Alan Shearer - the striker who's Newcastle

First tonight, a horrifying account of events on the Costa Concordia

cruise ship from a County Durham man who was on board when it ran

aground off the Italian coast. Singer Ian Fraser describes how

passengers screamed as the liner listed and its contents crashed

around them. Ian swam frantically to safety after he realised there

was no other option but to plunge into the bitterly cold water.

Tonight he's safely back at home in Esh Winning and is talking

exclusively to Look North. Our reporter Peter Harris is with him.

I am sure we are familiar with those dreadful scenes, but few of

us could imagine what it must actually have been like. One man

who can tell us is this one. You have just got back tonight, welcome

home. Descried for us, can you remember the moment the ship

actually struck the rocks? Yes, I can, it appeared sharply to

the right, much more exaggerated movement than usual. And then a

terrible juddering sound. It was clear something had gone wrong.

From then, 1.5 hour has passed. Then you find yourself standing on

the deck, thinking about jumping. Show us where you were when you

board. It was like stepping out Described the atmosphere. There

were about 40 people. There was a complete blackout, some people

screamed. There was water around our ankles now. Luckily the White

came back on and everyone said, go, now. If we do not go now, we might

not make it. So we jumped and we swam. He described that moment of

opportunity. You were then in the water. Yes, my

trainers were gone and I had my life jacket, thank goodness, and I

remember looking back over my shoulder, thinking, what am I doing

here. Two hours previously I was in the cabin, watching television,

enjoying myself. And then I was swimming away from the place I work,

the ship alive, trying to save my life.

People you know have lost their lives.

There is one crew member that I have found out passed away. And you

do not get over things like that, he is gone and it is dreadful.

We wish you well. A truly incredible story.

It's been a day of drama and extraordinary twists and turns in

the life of one of our oldest football clubs. The campaign to

save Darlington FC had until midday to come up with a rescue plan. As

the hour passed staff and players were told the end had come. But

minutes later Darlington supporters turned up at the stadium and

announced they'd raised �50,000 to help keep the club going. And that

has won them a fortnight's reprieve. Keith Akehurst watched events

unfold. A fan lays his scarf in remembrance

of the club he loves. The moment the administrator told players and

staff Darlington Football Club was no more.

We got taken into an office, and told that as of now, Darlington

Football Club ceased to exist. We were in shock. We were handed a

cheque for playing in the game against Barrow. We were all

devastated. Everyone was sad, and everyone associated with the club.

Then members of the supporters rescue could desperately not on the

locked Stadium doors. We have the �50,000 needed to keep

the club going till the end of the month. We just need a few moments

with them. At the last minute, the supporters' Trust has put them

�10,000. This was one of the first football

clubs formed. For the sake of five minutes, speak to us. A meeting was

held in a secret location, observed by the local newspaper editor.

row people, very upset, and people were phoning and asking about

finances, I saw tears in there. A be 13th hour is upon us, and I

have had discussions with the group. It is the club said. We're will be

out in two minutes. A we have enabled the club to play their

home-and-away games until the end of January.

The have got the outcome that everyone wanted. It was enough for

the fan to hastily retrieved his scarf.

And BBC Tees will have the latest reaction to that story tomorrow

morning from six with Alastair Brownlee, who'll be talking to

Commuters left stranded or facing long delays as trains are cancelled.

Householders left with no phone lines. And churches facing huge

bills to replace the lead on their roofs. Those are the consequences

of metal theft, the fastest growing crime in our region. Last year,

Cleveland Police investigated 2,349 cases of metal theft. Durham Police

dealt with 3,627 and Northumbria a whopping 4,864 cases. That's a

total of more than 10,800. But the police are fighting back. This

morning, they shut down ten scrapyards as they carried out

their biggest combined operation, also arresting suspects at their

After months of planning, they set off in convoy. Within minutes of

arriving, the first arrests were made. The you are under arrest on

suspicion of money-laundering which occurred in the East of England in

2,000 and it. Metal theft has become a profitable

business carried out by both small time criminals and organised gangs.

It affect communities at all levels whether you have had led stolen

from your porch or you are a big engineering company on a service

provider for communications. police believe that this yard has

been making thousands of pounds every week from selling on stolen

metal Brotton by criminals. This could be anything from cables from

rail, phone that works, stolen from churches. More recently, the arts

have seen metal stolen from war memorials. The owner of the yard

was arrested and officers later carried out a search of his home in

North Yorkshire. Today's raids were designed to send out a warning.

Those making money from metal theft would now be targeted and their

Whatever's been going on here, today wasn't business as usual.

Another scrapyard, this one in Gateshead, and the arrests timed to

coincide with the rest of those around the region. All of them

targeting people involved in yards where police believe stolen metal

has found a buyer. There were 5,000 cases of metal

theft in this area alone last year. This is the police response. As

well as his yard, five others are also being raided as well as eight

private homes. It's reckoned metal theft costs the nation up to �1

billion a year. This is still a largely self-regulated industry

with voluntary codes of practice. The police say that just hasn't

worked. The scrap metal industry is not as people might think. This

industry, and this theft, has now been infiltrated by organised

criminality. Is his big business and as a consequence we need a

significant police response. This is copper Telecoms cable, highly

attractive to thieves. Some will go to extraordinary lengths to get at

it. It is not uncommon for people to put up road signs, traffic signs,

and traffic lights, and steel in plain sight, when people think it

is a legitimate operation. Northumbria's area alone today's

operation involved 250 police, trading standards, and other

officers. Across the Northeast, 36 arrests were made on this one

morning. If these yards continue to take stolen metal, we will continue

to target them. Unemployment has risen again in the North East. The

number of people without a job now stands at 153,000, or 12% of the

workforce. That's a rise of 11,000 on the previous quarter, and the

highest rate of any region in the country since 1995, when

unemployment in London outstripped the North East. Meanwhile in

Cumbria, where the figures are collated differently, 16,400 people,

or 6.% of the workforce, were without a job in the year to June

2011, a slight fall on the previous year.

Unions representing staff at troubled hospitals in Carlisle and

Whitehaven have launched a scathing attack on the trust which runs them

accusing bosses of mismanagement, and demanding they resign. A

statement signed by a number of organisations says the North

Cumbria University NHS Hospitals Trust is trying to force through

grossly irresponsible cuts. But managers have hit back, saying

patient safety is at the heart of everything they do.

<this is the latest stage in an This is latest stage of an

increasingly bitter war of words between management and unions. Late

last year, trust managers angrily denied claims by the Royal College

of Nursing that patient care was at risk. But today a range of

operations have lined up to condemn the Trust in the strongest language.

We have been working with the Trust on behalf of our members, and this

is all of the unions to sound that press release today, to get

assurance that the issues that are causing our members' concern are

going to be addressed. The Trust have given us assurances but those

were just empty words, it would appear.

This joint statement is uncompromising stuff and offers

little ground for agreement. It says the planned cuts of �15

million ark, in its own words, grossly irresponsible. It says that

morale among staff is at an all- time low. It goes on to say that

managers and board members you should consider their positions

accordingly. But the Chief Executive will not

accept these allegations. A BR the principal provider of hospital

services in this area and we provide good-quality services as I

have said, that has been validated. If I was a patient in North Cumbria,

and I have been a patient at this hospital on two occasions, I would

be concerned about these statements. This is an important year for the

Trust. They can only achieve foundation status that they are

taken over by another trust. For that to happen they must balance

their books. Acrimonious with the Still to come, why a father once a

children's heart unit to stay up -- to stay in the north.

I will be back with the weather later.

It is a year since the body of a missing grand mother was found in a

quarry near Longtown in Cumbria. Police say they still don't know

how Betty Brown from Edinburgh died and are appealing for help.

Elizabeth Brown have known as Betty, had been missing for eight months.

The 56 year-old was from Edinburgh. When her body was found 90 miles

away at a disused quarry in Cumbria, questions were raised. A year on,

many of those questions have not been answered. Her body was found

in thick undergrowth but the mystery as to how she ended up here

and how she died still remains. Police say they have ruled out

suicide because of the thick wooded location in which she was found.

She says she had injuries to her ribs which suggest an attack but

there are no other signs of assault. Frustrating that we haven't got to

the bottom of what happened. We have exhausted all the inquiries we

can do at the moment. We are appealing for anyone out there with

information that will help us get the answers for the family. They

are craving for these answers as to what happened to their mother,

sister, a mad wooded area. Betty had family who lived nearby a

incorrectness and would often get the bus to a stop near to where she

was found to visit them. Betty had no visit planned at the time of her

disappearance. Police say although they have no strong Leeds, the

He is a multi-millionaire but the most important thing to Graham

Wylie and his wife, Andrea, is the health of their daughter, K re-.

She is recovering after heart surgery. The surgery was carried

out at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital. It's child heart unit is still

under threat as a result of their review. Graham told us about his

daughter pass mark heart problems and why he wants the unit to stay

here. -- daughter's. She is two better showing her dead

what is what on his ipad. Her dad is one of the richest men in the

country and like his daughter, Graham Wylie knows a thing or two

about computers. His daughters -- his daughter is no ordinary little

girl. She is recovering from latest heart surgery. She was a blue baby.

At any point, she can turn blow. Her heart wasn't working properly.

We were cautious that we had a child with -- without a fully

functioning heart. Her heart problems were detected before she

was born. When my wife found out she was pregnant, we found out she

was having twins. At the 20 week scan, twin number-one was fine but

when the cheque to member to, there was silence. Her sister thrived

when she was born but Kay re-went for a life-saving surgery. -- Ciara.

They have to do the surgery to make her heart the right way round.

month, she underwent another operation. They effectively re

plumbed her heart and she is fine now. Her life was saved by the

surgeons at the Freeman Hospital. The surgery unit is under threat in

a review. Graham is hoping it will be saved. The terrible time was

when she collapsed. She was at hospital when it happened. If we

hadn't have been there, she wouldn't have survived. There was

the most anxious time. I will do everything I can to raise money to

help the hospital sustain the great work they do.

She is beautiful. It is a big year for York. It is

celebrating the 800th a year of the city charter. The Queen is to pay a

visit in April when she will distribute the Maundy money from

York Minster. Here in your kit in 12 -- 1212, the

foundations were laid. King John signed a charter and in hit -- it

he said the people could rule the city. For the last 800 years, 0 --

York has proved adept at managing its own affairs. With 7 million

visitors a year, you can understand why they are celebrating 22 1/2

with a whole year of events. The highlight will be the school -- the

Queen's visit. She will be created at the Royal entrance to York.

is exciting. It is not every day you get to meet the monarch. I met

her briefly in 2000 when she visited the city. I would get more

time to meet her this time. Another event which was causing excitement

was rehearsals for the Festival of rivers in July. A flotilla of

hundreds of birds were sail along the River Ouse and York choirs will

come together to perform a specially commissioned work. We are

looking for choirs to get involved. If you are a York-based choir,

signed up for this because it is going to be the most amazing event.

Back in 1212, at York found his voice for the first time. They want

to make it clear that their voices will be heard again in this special

year. That is your university city, isn't

It is. Now for the sport. We kick-off with

rugby, the region's only professional rugby club were

showing off Alan Tait's replacement. Newcastle Falcons of rock bottom of

the table, nine points adrift from the rest.

As the resistant code, he helps them with the quarter-finals.

Having jetted in from warmer climes, he needed an overcoat on a

supposedly milder day. Does he have the Midas touch? Half a season to

go. A big hill to climb. I am confident that we can improve. Nine

points clear at the bottom of the table, if teams around us win, we

will not go up. It is unfortunate. The important thing to focus on is

to do things that we can control and that is improve. He has a

three-year spell with London Irish. They understand the wider benefits

of avoiding relegation. It is important that there is a footprint

around the whole country, particularly in the North East.

They have a proud rugby tradition and it is important that Newcastle

Falcons showed some improvement in a short space of time. Whether that

is enough, we will have to wait and see.

Good luck to them. On to football and Newcastle

United's new No. 9 is hoping to fall in the footsteps of Jackie

Milburn and Alan Shearer. The striker completed his transfer to

United from the German club, Freiburg. He was at the Magpies

training ground to agree the move before flying out to the Africa Cup

of Nations where he joined his new club mate in the Senegal squad.

TRANSLATION: I would like to say hello to the supporters. It is a

transfer that I am excited about. It is a club that I wanted to join.

If I had some opportunity to steep -- speak with Demba Ba in the

summer. I have had little opportunity to discuss with him

since because this materialised quickly yesterday. I am looking

forward to showing what you can do. -- what I can do. In Sunderland,

Ryan Noble is on his way out. He has gone out on loan to Derby

County for the second time. He was briefly at Pride Park two years ago

when his loan spell was cut short by injury.

Middlesbrough have sold their tickets for the cup-tie at the

Stadium of Light on Sunday week. They could be entitled to 7000 but

allegation was set to 3000. Boro fans we minute seated area three

years ago. Boro have been offered more tickets than they were for

that game. You mentioned earlier that we don't

know whether to put the heating up It is very cold at the start of the

week that it has been mild today. It gets colder tomorrow. It is

milder at the weekend. For tomorrow, we have sunshine and showers. It

will be brighter in the east. Overnight tonight, star-gazing

whether in the North East. Some clear spells in Cumbria. One or two

isolated towers blowing in on a strengthening westerly wind. Rough

seas around the region but we to avoid a frost in those places.

Temperatures down to four Celsius. Generally frost-free first thing

tomorrow. Sunny spells in the east but showers blown in on a north-

westerly wind. There will be showers hanging on for North

Yorkshire. Through the afternoon, they become more widespread. A

flurry of white on the map behind me. Those showers could be wintery

over the tops of the hills. They will be wintery and sleet and snow

for the Cumbrian fells, the Pennines and the North York Moors.

They could be some slippery roads with ice forming. The Met Office

have wished -- issued a weather warning for those icy roads. Top

temperature tomorrow, 5-seven Celsius. A cold afield to Thursday.

Shell was across the much of the region. It gets better towards the

rest of the week. Cloudier generally but the temperatures rise.

A change in the wind direction to a mild, south-westerly by Friday.

Saturday you was good, especially further north. It gets milder for

most places. We will notice the strength of the wind. Will be

breezy over the weekend. We have low-pressure so those wins staying

strong over the weekend. If you tune in to BBC2 tonight, face more

action with Professor Brian Cox on Finally, tonight's headlines. An

upward has reached a 17 year high. The unemployment rate in the North