02/02/2012 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

Hello and welcome to Thursday's Look North. In the headlines

tonight: The Good Samaritan mowed down by a

driver escaping the scene of an accident. His killer is jailed for

seven years. Shake-up in the North East

Ambulance Service. Changes to 999 call-outs across the region. There

are winners and losers. Great Expectations as Darlington

fans move to take over the running of the football club.

Our mutual friend Colin Briggs follows in the footsteps of Charles

Dickens on Tyneside. And a tale of two critters - these

prickly customers forgot to hibernate, and now there's a cold

snap coming! In sport, we look back at a good

night on the football pitch for our top three, including a first

Premier League goal for this man, and a second in four days for the

A driver has been jailed for knocking down and killing a man who

had stopped to help at the scene of an accident. Michael Ritson had his

family in the car when he went to the aid of a motor cyclist, but

Steven Black drove into him, killing him. Blackwood's jailed for

seven years today. Killed after trying to help.

Michael Ritson, a father of three, had gone to the aid of an injured

biker. A split second decision that was to have devastating

consequences. Michael Ritson had pulled over here, on the bypass,

after witnessing a crash between a car and a motorcycle. He stood in

front of the car, believing that the driver, Steven Black, was

attempting to flee the scene. But he drove straight at him. He hit

the windscreen, it was thrown on the roof of the car and onto the

road. He suffered head injuries and died in hospital two days later.

Steven Black, who had his daughter in the car with him, pleaded guilty

to causing death by dangerous driving. His defence was that he

had not intended to leave the scene of the accident. End a recording of

the call played to the court, Black was heard to tell the operator "I

have got some idiot tried to getting". The actions of Steven

Blackwood callous and it reckless. They have had a massive impact on

the family of Michael Ritson. It has been devastating for his wife,

three children and parents. The children were in the car when this

tragedy occurred. Michael Ritson's widow, Tracey, told the court of

her overwhelming grief. She said, "I have lost my best friend. I

cannot describe the pain I feel." Steven was sentenced to prison for

seven years. Changes in the running of the North

East Ambulance Service have been announced. The service says it has

had to do this because it could not guarantee that none 99 call-outs

would get to patients in time. But critics say the plans could put

lives at risk. The North East Ambulance Service

response to emergencies from the Scottish borders, to North

Yorkshire and West of the Pennines. It serves over 2.5 million people.

But now it is planning major changes. The changes include

expanding its urgent care category of ambulance. These do not have

paramedics on board, but that would leave paramedic ambulances to

concentrate on emergencies. What we aim to achieve this they focus on

making sure that where it is a transport arrangement with clinical

supervision, those patients are treated by our urgent care team,

and leaving our paramedics more free and able to respond to more

life-threatening conditions. ambulance service is changing its

map as to what services are offered to wear. Some places will gain a

double croute paramedic ambulance, but others will lose one of theirs.

The service says there will be no redundancies, and says the changes

will not jeopardise the health of patients. But the MP of Berwick

says the plant may put lives at risk. People from -- people feel

very strongly of this. They know the value of ambulance services.

They do not want a situation where if one ambulance is 50 miles away,

they have got to find another one. The union Unison it says the move

damages the ambulance service and will leave staff and patients

missing out. If you look at this planet, there is a need for

services in that area for patience and staff. There will be a

reduction of qualified staff. the service is under pressure. The

number of 999 calls has doubled in the last 10 years, and the service

needs to find savings of �200 million. It is hoped the changes

will come in by the end of the year. It's a new dawn for Darlington. The

fans have stepped in to run the club which was facing extinction

just a week ago. There are successful clubs across Europe

which are run by their fans - from AFC Wimbledon to the mighty

Barcelona. Darlington is not expecing to win the Champions

League just yet, but the manager is now viewing the future with

cautious optimism. Keith Akehurst has all the latest developments.

Darlington players train on the outskirts of Durham city today.

They were given the go-ahead to start a community interest club,

but what does this mean? Keep centres of activity for unemployed

young people, a creche, a theatre. You can encompass all of this in a

community club. It becomes a football club it comes to the

community. It means the club can survive without an individual

playing a part. The fate of Darlington Football Club is now in

the hands of the managers and players.

They are looking to model themselves on Spanish teams like

Real Madrid and Barcelona. They expect to offer what they call

"bitesize chunks" that are affordable for ordinary supporters.

But a reported �500,000 is needed before the end of the season. Craig

Liddle's optimism is laced with caution. I think it sounds good,

but we are not getting too carried away. The last few weeks have been

aimed roller-coaster. Until it is all done, we will not get carried

away. Advice is being sought from Supporters Direct, an independent

body that helps communities run their own sports clubs. We have got

AFC Wimbledon it back and the Football League, we have got Exeter

City End League One, we also have Wrexham have recently taken over by

the fans. You only have to look to Germany where many clubs are owned

by the fans to show it can be a successful model. The for Bob Crow

believe they have achieved their aim of stopping the club going bust.

Now, they will meet in this hotel tonight to plan the future.

If you were given the choice between a small wind farm on your

doorstep or a large one, which one would you go for? The people in

Northumberland want the large one because the development could kick-

start a large leisure complex, which promises to create 800 jobs.

They have had the scars of opencast the years, they have had foot-and-

mouth burial site, so the last thing the people would want is a

wind farm. But what did that when farm brought with it a golf Carles,

Holiday Village, hotel, even an Olympic-sized swimming-pool? It is

called the blue sky project. It is definitely blue sky, and we have

been working on this for over 10 years. It has been a hard slog, but

we have committed developers on board who are putting money into

the planning and developing of the project. It is growing. We are very

pleased with the way things have gone. The key to that development

is a wind farm off 13 up turbines proposed by a company, because it

would build all the roads and put in all the services, which the

developers would like before this dark spending money. Jobs could

follow. But another company, which wants to build four turbines, could

get planning permission first. are keen that the local authority

make a decision on the adjacent wind farm with the information

available, including the planning application we have submitted. It

does not mean that both can't move forward. The County Council says it

will not prejudge the schemes, and that all applications are judged on

their own it merits. People living in one of the

remotest valleys in the Lake District are facing another two

months without electricity. 11 properties in the tiny community of

Wasdale have been cut off since Christmas Eve. A section of cable

at the bottom of Wastwater needs replacing and Electricity North

West says it won't be fixed until Easter.

According to new figures, more than 11 people die every day from

smoking-related diseases in the North East. The statistics, from

anti-smoking agency Fresh, show that nearly one in five deaths in

adults over 35 is due to smoking. That's more than 4,200 people in

the North East every year. A World War Two glider is being restored at

the regimental museum in Carlisle Castle. It is thought the glider

was used to carry Border Regiment troops into Sicily.

Damien has been to meet the man who has tried put it back together.

Nearly 14,000 gliders were built during World War Two, and carried

troops into battle. Made from metal and plywood, and covered in fabric,

in the post war years the box they were shipped in it was worth more

than the glider itself. This lump of steel was discovered in a field.

After the war, when the timber was rationed, this thing came up packed

in five huge crates, bearing in mind there had a wingspan of 84

feet. The farmers used to buy these things, and through the glider in

the field and use the timber around the farm because it was rash and.

This is a side of the glider. The entrance was here. This was the

wheel, and this was the win support. -- the wing to support. And apply a

wood. Very brave indeed! During the war, this space here would have

been occupied by 15 men, or four men and a Jeep. Flying through the

air, being shot that bite the Germans with no protection at all.

-- with no protection. You're watching Look North. Still

to come: A Dickens of a tale from Colin Briggs, and Dawn has all the

goals from last night's football. Plus: Is it too late to hibernate?

This hedgehog needs to wrap up warm Very cold temperatures. I will be

back with all the details. Next Tuesday is the two hundredth

anniversary of the birth of one of our greatest novelists, Charles

Dickens. The BBC has already mark the bicentenary with a new TV

adaptations. This autumn, the Tyne Theatre in Newcastle will present a

lavish stage production of his ghost stories. Dickens had strong

links with the North, as Colin The one-man show - a stand-up

comedians sell-out arenas, thousands come to see them. But an

author? One man, alone on stage, one man, just reading extracts from

his books. That is what Dickens did, and he packed them in.

The venue was the city's premise it -- premier music hall. I don't know

about bringing the house down, he needed brought it -- burned it down

when he started a fire. A woman screamed but Dickens kept his cool.

He said it, please, please, sit down. We will fix it. She sat down

and they all applauded him. He stood with his hands in his pockets

and said that he was so frightened that if he turned his back, they

would all flee. When he played Newcastle, Dickens

stayed here at the Royal Station Hotel.

He liked his entourage to stay with him. If he had a big group of

people, they could not or stay at his friends' houses, but he did

tend to stay with in a hotel where he could have a bit of privacy, and

he had the opportunity to learn his words and to practise and to

He was an inveterate wanderer, always looking for stories. A

stroll to the quayside reveal details -- telephone and

traumatised by the loss of two sons at sea and moved by tales of

unidentified bodies being plucked from the river.

He said that in any body found a body in the River Tyne and did not

have any identification, the body would be pulled out and the person

would get a guinea. Dickens's her the story and he

liked it and used it as a basis for one of his stories, our Mutual

Friend. In the town, pubs like the old

George provided rich pickings. This tale involves the artist and Ralph

Headley forced up wrath was walking down the row off Headley.

A stranger stopped him and said stop, let them fight on. They are

British boys fighting in a British fashion. If you stop them, they

will go away and fight again. If you let them fight, they will end

up being pals afterwards. The pair exchanged cards. It was

not until he got home that he realised that the stranger was in

fact the country's best-selling author. Dickens never missed a

chance to add to his gallery of characters. They rang true because

they were largely taken from real life. Polished, modified, slyly,

but real people with real quirks and real personalities.

As Dickens completed his last tour of the region, so the theatre was

finished off. He never made it back here, but if he had, the draw would

have been irresistible. And what a Just fascinating. Colin's died, Pat

Lowery, will be leading a series of There's just 176 days to go until

the Olympics. But will the 2012 London Gazeley a sporting legacy

for young people in the North? The likes of Steve Cram, Alison

Curbishley and Sally Gunnell hope so. They launched the Olympic

challenge for children in Newcastle this morning, culminating in the

country's biggest ever school sports event at this summer.

It is not about the winning. Thankfully! Unit there. -- you

missed there. It is not to do for a professional

player. But it is all good fun. Referee! I will make the next one.

Today is about taking part, and that is one of the things we are

trying to show the kids. We are kicking -- keeping them active.

7,000 children have signed up for the Schools 500 Challenge, which

involve competing in all sorts of sports at every level.

We have tried to use the Olympics to enhance all areas of learning,

not just through sports participation. We are also trying

to use the Olympics to provide a true legacy for the children in

Newcastle's cause. I really do like football. I am

excited about it. It has been really fun and everything.

Did you shoot a hoop? Know. But I did try. It gives children a chance

to go and get fit and have fun instead of being stuck in a

classroom all day. It is cool. I like the Olympics and I watch it

every year. And who knows, rubbing shoulders

with the likes of Sally Gunnell And it is time for sport now. A

good night last night for all three of our clubs.

Yes, seven points from a possible nine for our top three. For

Sunderland and Newcastle it meant a jump up the Premier League table -

and the Magpies are back in the defeats and without a number of

first team regulars, the pressure was on to bounce back at Ewood Park.

Often an unsung hero, Ryan Taylor stepped up to the plate once again,

firing in a long-range shot that deflected in off Scott Dann to give

United the lead. Blackburn had their chances, but a questionable

penalty decision saw Tim Krul more than equal to David Dunn's effort

from the spot and the subsequent return. Blackburn's hopes of

getting anything from the game ended when Newcastle's often

maligned winger Gabriel Obertan, on as a substitute, kept his composure

to see off Rovers with a clinical finish in stoppage time, scoring

his first Premier League goal and taking United up to fifth in the

It was a big goal for him, because our fans, for them, he needs to

grow. For them, the goal will have helped. We need to stay there, and

we can. There's no reason we can't eighth after ending Norwich's six

match unbeaten run in style. After scoring a peach of a goal in the FA

Cup at the weekend, Frazier Campbell fired in the opener on his

first start for the Black Cats in 17 months. Sunderland, who've

discovered a new-found confidence under Martin O'Neill, then conjured

up a magnificent second, Campbell this time turning provider for the

impressive Stephane Sessegnon to head home. After the interval

another quick break from Sunderland ensured it would be a long trip

home for the travelling Norwich fans when Phil Bardsley's cross

went in off Daniel Ayala's knee to make it three. Wayne Bridge got his

debut eight minutes from the end, but it was another night to

It is great for him. He is obviously tired at the end of the

game. If anybody deserves some luck along the way, it is him.

Middlesbrough's injury list is getting longer. They'll be without

striker Scott McDonald for up to two months after he limped off with

a knee injury in last night's draw at Leicester. But not before the

Aussie hitman got Boro back on by surprise here. But 10 minutes

later, they were back in the game, Scott McDonald knocking in the

corner from a yard out. A half-time row with the referee saw Pearce and

sent to the stands. But there could be no disagreement over the second

goal, a superbly taken free-kick. But just as borage -- Barry Robson

did at the weekend, he returned to You might have heard me and the

beginning there say that they were our top three Premier clubs. There

are only two. Now the weather. We are expecting

80 forecast, which is bad news for these guys. The mild weather has

fooled many hedgehogs and they have decided not to hibernate.

A severe cold snap has been predicted, but because it has been

one of the mildest winters on record, hedgehogs have not been

hibernating. So with the big freeze setting in and areas of

Northumberland already covered in snow, a Charles like Daisy just

don't have the body fat to survive. The hedgehogs to come here receive

food, shelter and a warm bed. They also get a brand new social circle.

Carol is the find of the rescue Trust, and she has this advice for

anybody who finds an unexpected guest.

If you see what looks like a very small hedgehog, the best thing to

do is bring it in, weighed on some scales, and it is less than 500

grams, it needs help. So there you have it. Where there's

It seems like a good idea to hibernate for the whole of winter.

I think I could do it! Are you going to give us the worst

in the forecast now? Yes, we are. A real thrust on the way tonight.

It was the coldest day of the It has been much colder than

January or December. This is how cold it was first thing this

morning. The coldest spot was minus nine degrees. Cumbria is the very

cold us, but North Yorkshire and the North East are also sub-zero

first thing today. It is another cold night and day to come. This is

the picture for this evening. Clear for much of North Yorkshire and the

North East. A bit cloudy at times, but everywhere the map is blue with

cold. The temperatures by dawn will be around minus five in countryside

spots. Sub-zero, though, even in towns and cities. We are going to

be scraping the car windscreens. The best of tomorrow's sunshine is

likely to be in North Yorkshire and the North East. A bit cloudier in

the West. The West has had the best of the week's weather so far. It

will not tomorrow. It will be brightest in the east. Top

temperatures, though, low, at around minus two Celsius. A bit

higher in the West. Light winds everywhere tomorrow. Mostly they

will blow from the south or south- west. A bitter end to Friday. It is

frosty at first and clear overnight. But the weather is set to change

from Saturday onwards. The Met Office has already issued a yellow

weather warning for Saturday. We are expecting a wintry mix of snow,

sleet and rain fall across not Yorkshire, the north-east and

Cumbria. That will come in from the West through Saturday lunchtime,

and it could cause some tricky conditions for the region's roads.

The Met Office warns of up to five centimetres of snow. Sunday, though,

is likely to be brighter. By the end of the day, it could be less

smelly. If you are going somewhere in the morning, the conditions

could be tricky. By the end of the day, it will be bright and a tiny

bit milder. If you are out with the cameras, this is the address to