16/03/2012 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

Hello and welcome to Friday's Look North. Tonight.

The world's first pill for multiple sclerosis. Patients say it has

transformed their lives. I have never looked back. I am monitored

regularly by the hospital and I have not had the slightest concern.

Why traders around Newcastle United's Stadium fear the Olympic

Games could cost them dear. Three years on from the

disappearance of Claudia Lawrence, her father says it has been torture.

Will a rise in the cost of flying hold back economic recovery here in

the North? And, her boots are made for walking,

the full length of Hadrian's Wall at the age of 95!

In sport, it will be no walkover for Sunderland in their FA Cup

quarter-final against Everton. Fortunately, Martin O'Neill does

not believe in bogey grounds. And we meet the tennis mad family

who have all got their sights set It is the world's first pill to

treat people with multiple sclerosis and it was partly

developed here in the north. The pill, Fingolimod, has already been

used by 30,000 people around the world. It has shown it can reduce

relapses in MS patients. Doctors from the Royal Victoria Infirmary

in Newcastle were involved in its development. And now the pill has

been given the green light by NICE, the National Institute for Health

and Clinical excellence. Stephanie Lloyd has been to meet one woman

whose life has been transformed by Eileen Wilson was diagnosed with

multiple sclerosis 20 years ago when a sudden attack left her

temporarily paralysed and unable to see. For the past five to six years

she has been involved in trials taking the drug Fingolimod. Every

day it is then world's first pill to treat MS. I have never looked

back. I am monitored regularly by the hospital and I have not had the

slightest concern whatsoever since I have been on the drug. It is easy

to take, it is just one pill every day. I am terrified of needles and

the alternative would be to take itself injecting needles and I

could not face doing that. The alternative when this came along, I

just jumped at with both hands and said I wanted to try it out.

affects around 100,000 people in the UK with most diagnosed between

the ages of 20 and 40. Women are twice as likely to develop the

condition as men. Studies have shown the drug can reduce the tax

by more than 50 %. This is a major progress for us in multiple

sclerosis. If you go back 10 or 15 years, we had no treatments are

tall. For the last decade, we have had their peers but they have had

to be given by injection. To have a tablet that you can take once a day

is a big move forward. The new pill offers hope for thousands like

Eileen with the debilitating condition. But it is not for

everyone. It is only for those patients who have started on

injectable therapy but have not had a good response. I am thrilled it

will be available for other people. It is a horrible disease and a lot

of people have it that she would never know have it. It is not

something that you publicise. It will do so much good to so many

people. It is important to stress that

sadly this drug does not treat all forms of multiple sclerosis. It is

not a drug for everyone with his condition. Ms affects people

differently and symptoms might include problems with a balance,

vision, dizziness, stiffness. This new pill is only for people with

the most common type of MS. This is called a relapse in a multiple

sclerosis and it means that symptoms can appear and then fade

away. Patients describe this sort of condition as living on a knife-

edge. This new drug will be offered to patients who are already

receiving therapy is by injection and you're not doing very well. It

is not a drug for patients with a progressive disease or fixed

disability. Worldwide the drug is having a very good success. It is

proving to be an effective treatment and allowing people like

Eileen, who we saw in the report, to lead a good and fulfilling life.

Traders in Newcastle have expressed fears about the effect the Olympic

Games will have on their livelihoods. The city council's

planning to close roads around the Newcastle United stadium where

Olympic football matches will be held this summer. Some firms say it

will cost them money, but the council says the road closures of

vital on safety grounds. Damien O'Neill is outside stadium for us

Hello. St James' Park is hosting nine games between 26th July of

fourth August and there will be road closures as a result. The

closures are going to affect a number of businesses which operate

around the corner. They include retailers, florists, there is a

dentist. They have all said that they welcome the Olympics, but they

do fear about the impact this might have on their income. We will end

up losing business because the customers will come in to park

their cars and then going to Newcastle to do their shopping.

will make things difficult for the drivers, too. It really is going to

cause a lot of trouble. Perhaps more than we initially appreciated.

We welcome the Olympics to the area, but we are concerned because it

will affect patients getting in and getting a part and keeping

appointment times. It is fantastic and good for the area. I'm glad we

are getting something up here. But that shutting everything down will

be hard on the businesses who are already struggling. We have spoken

to Newcastle council and they acknowledge that there will be some

disruption to businesses, but they make the point that the Olympic

Games are not what they call and a regular fixture. They say they will

do everything they can to keep the disruption to a minimum. We have

been directed by the Olympic Security Executive to ensure that

the games are safe and that people who visit the city have a great

experience. There will be some inconvenience and some roads will

be close its -- closed. The City will make every opportunity in

order for businesses and residents to access their properties without

inconvenience. Did this mean people going to the Games will need be in

their seats three hours before kick-off? It just me is that the

area around the games will be secured. But they will have to beat

here early because there will be searches outside the stadium.

really big event coming to the city later this year. What we do not

know yet is who will actually be playing here. We should have those

"Every day I think, where it is she? What is she doing? It is

torture." The words of Peter Lawrence, speaking about his

daughter, Claudia, who disappeared three years ago this weekend. The

University of York chef was last seen in March 2009. But detectives

claim that they are just a small step away from working out what

happened to her. Claudia Lawrence's disappearance

prompted one of the biggest investigations North Yorkshire

police have ever conducted. The University of York chef was

reported missing in 2009 when she did not turn up for work. The

police now believe she was murdered. Her father described the last three

years as "sheer torture", but he says he clings on to the hope that

his beloved daughter is still alive. You keep thinking, where are you?

What has happened to you? When there is blue-sky like we had this

morning, I wonder if she is able to see it. It is all of that kind of

thing. It keeps churning round and round.

Last December, detectives said they were investigating a significant

new lead after a potentially crucial new witness came forward.

Inquiries into that information, North Yorkshire police say, are

still continuing. It has changed my life really because it has become

the focus of my life. I cannot go a day without thinking about her all

looking for her or doing something. I chat to her really. That sounds a

bit mad, but I do talk to her. It is a way of keeping in contact even

though I am not getting any replies. The police say that they are a

small step away from working out what happened to Claudia. But after

three years, Peter Lawrence says he does not believe they are any

The price of flying is about to rise again. Air passenger duty is

going up by eight per cent in April, the third increase in as many years.

North-east businesses say the charges now so high it is holding

back economic recovery. They want the Chancellor to scrap the rise in

next week's budget, and give our airports a tax break. This report

from our political editor, Richard Moss.

Passengers at Newcastle airport already pay a significant chunk of

tax for flying, but from next month they will pay even more. The

increase in duty will see the cost of each economy flight to Europe

rise by �1 to �12. The tax on a trip to the US will rise by �5 to

�65 per passenger. While travellers to Australia will see the duty

increase by �7 to �92 per person. Businesses are worried by the rise,

though, and say the tax is holding back for north-east economy. It is

ridiculous. The tax makes up most of the cost. I suppose that

everything has to be paid for at the end of the day, but we all want

cheaper flights. Businesses are worried by the rise, though, and

say that the tax is holding back the North East economy.

greatest concern is the burden that it places on airlines who could

come into the North East. They may put their flies in to other

locations rather than coming here and that will put our

competitiveness at serious risk in the future. The tax has raised

almost �3 billion a year. Newcastle Airport things it has a solution.

The tax could be raised at the busiest, most congested airports,

the London airports, and reduced at the regional airports. That would

stimulate growth and help to get new routes in. It would really be a

boost to the regional economy. Others believe a cut in the tax

would be short-sighted. It is a carbon tax and it is there to

discourage what is in fact a very high carbon emitting form of

transport. Although the medicine of a carbon tax is painful, the

illness of climate change will do far more damage to our national and

global economies. No doubt the Chancellor will be working on his

budget this weekend. For the moment, it seemed that their taxes are

really heading up. And Richard has more on that story and the rest of

the week's political news on Sunday Politics this weekend at 12 noon

here on BBC 1. You are watching it Look North.

Soldiers, who lost six of their comrades in Afghanistan last week,

marched through Warminster this morning. Hundreds of people pay

their respects to the troops from the third Battalion, the Yorkshire

Regiment. Five soldiers from the regiment were killed when a

roadside bomb destroyed their armoured vehicle. A sixth, Sergeant

Nigel Coupe, was from the First Battalion, the Duke of Lancaster's

Regiment. He was based at Catterick garrison in North Yorkshire, where

many soldiers are trained before going to Afghanistan. Nicola Rees

has been to Catterick to meet some of the young soldiers currently

undergoing their training. This is the first taste for new recruits of

life in the military. These recruits are just five weeks into

their training. Some of them behind be are its Jenga 17 years old.

Depending on the quality of their performance today, they could be

presented by their regimental berets. Receiving their berets is a

significant rite of passage. It is also the start of a tough journey

into the army. It is good fun. is a completely different life. It

is better. We know each other inside out. Many of these young men

will go on to join the Yorkshire regiments. Some are like Nathan

Berg are heading towards the battalion who lost five soldiers in

Afghanistan last week. It is quite a shock. By the end of the training

I will be ready to get out there. I am scared, but I have signed up for

this job. Stuff like that happens. Nathan Patterson were also joined

that Regiment. He, too, is also coming to terms with the reality of

the life in an army. It was a shock. We did not expect it to have been

that many people who passed away. It does make you more focused. I

think people will be still scared of going and what their family

thinks. If I go, I go. We do not know to what extent the lads have

watched the news in the past. We have not had any of the guys coming

in and saying that since the tragedy happened they want to leave.

They are not yet soldiers, but already they are learning to cope

with death. They will finish their basic training in a matter of

months and then they will join their battalions. Some could be

fighting in Afghanistan in less than a year.

If you are complaining about your aches and pains take a look at this

young lady. She is 95 years old and she is the

oldest person to attempt to walk the full length of Hadrian's Wall,

or 84 miles of it. Doris Hancock, a retired teacher from Cumbria, set

off from Wallsend today. She is planning to take it slowly, just

five miles a day, on and off, for the next six months. And it is all

to raise money for charity. Julie Smith watched her begin her long

journey. Nobody has been against it atoll. I very much doubted that to

begin with. They are enthusiastic. It is day one of an historic

journey. 84 Roman miles ahead for 95-year-old Doris. This all began

because she had an eye for a bargain. I found a book about the

wall about all of the roots. I was not looking for that, I had gone

into see what they had in the sale. When I read it, I thought I could

divided up and do it a bit at a time. She said, that she would

quite like to do it some time before she was too old. So I said,

you do know that it is 85 miles long? And she said yes, that is

fine I will do in little bits. it will be five miles a day, two

days a month, with family and friends. It could become quite a

big thing. He thinks we are mad! Of mad or not it is time to begin

walking the walk that will end in That is fantastic!

On to the sport, and the FA Cup takes top billing this weekend with

Sunderland kicking of their quarter-final at Everton around

lunchtime tomorrow. A bit of an early start, but there is a trip to

Wembley at stake because, of course, the semi-finals are held there now

as well as the final. I still don't think it is a good idea. And it is

a big test for the Black Cats, against a side who, over the past

few years, have certainly made them Everton have been giving Sunderland

the blues for the best part of the last three decades. Just the one

away win at Goodison in all that time, 11 Merseyside victories in

their last 15 meetings. So, a bogey team? Not according to the boss.

For me, personally, I am not a great believer in that kind of

thing. Of course, you look at the statistics after the game. We will

go and do our best and are best will have to be very strong because

Everton are in great form. these things can Burg -- work both

ways. You took over around about the same

time as Rob sticker in 1973? I did not take over in 1973! You arrived

at the club at the same time of Maybe this time it will be

Sunderland's turn to give Everton the blues.

Another team aiming for Wembley are York City. They take a slender 1-0

advantage into the second leg of their FA Trophy semi-final against

Luton tomorrow. The Hatters have two men sent off as they slipped to

a narrow defeat, including this red card for hand ball. Jamie Reed

scored the resulting penalty. If City can avoid defeat, the Minster

men will make their third appearance at Wembley in four

seasons. Alan Pardew is hoping his side have

got their last-minute defeat against Arsenal out of the system

by the time they take on Norwich on Sunday. Whatever the result, though,

is will be a special day for one of United's longest serving members of

staff. Newcastle looked good for a point

at the Emirates on Monday night before Vermaelen's goal at the

death. The manager is confident the result will not have taken the wind

out of their sails as they continue to push for Europe. We have come

out of with dignity intact and our confidence intact and we will take

that into Norwich. We have a healthy cushion at this stage in

the season between us and the teams below. But what we have got to

focus on is getting into Europe. We need to win four or five games to

do that. That will found a lot if we do not win on Sunday. Victory

would be a bonus for Newcastle tea- lady, Kath Cassidy. She has served

19 managers in her 40 years at the club, but has never watched a game.

That will change on Sunday when someone will serve her tea in the

director's box. She will find it strange because it is not really

what she is about. She comes in and what she's -- looks after the

manager and she tells us a story every week and it is usually funny.

She is such a sweet lady. I know that she suffers at home if we have

not won. In the championship, Middlesbrough

will be counting on their good away form when they take on Birmingham

at St Andrews. A below-par performance at the Riverside saw

Borough lose 2-0 to Leeds, under the watchful eye of City manager,

Chris Hughton full stop Tony Mowbray's side have been more

successful on the road, but they need three points to keep them in

at the top four and away from the chasing pack. In League One, Neale

Cooper's Hartlepool will hope to make the most of home advantage

against Oldham in the first of back-to- back home games at

Victoria Park. While a victory for Carlisle could see the Blues moved

back into sixth place, keeping their play-off hopes alive and

kicking. There is definitely relief. The squad is united in there. We

think we are capable of getting there into the lead. We are quietly

confident. It is a big weekend for Newcastle

Eagles who can take a step closer to winning their second trophy of

the season. They are up against Plymouth Raiders on Sunday in the

first leg of the BBL trophy. They beat Plymouth to lift the BBL Cup

in January, but were beaten by them earlier this month in the league.

The second and deciding leg will be at Sport Central next Friday. But

first, the Eagles play Leicester Riders at home in the championship

tonight. We have not been blessed with many tennis champions in this

country but that could change thanks to one family. All three

children in the family have devoted It is a long way it to Wimbledon,

but that is where these three want to be. And they are making the

sacrifices to do it. In a day I will have a lesson with Chris, an

hour-and-a-half of fitness and then three hours of tennis. When I am

away, I have to take all of my staff and be very organised. I have

played in their Rhoose, Lithuania, Denmark, Turkey, Croatia, Germany.

There is the inevitable sibling rivalry is back home on the

family's own accord. It can be a bit irritating. It is all right. I

like playing tennis with my sisters. The youngest two children are home-

school and they are coached. They put in very long days and that has

to count for a lot because we are not as competing in Britain but

around the world and there a lot of people who do not go to school

around the world and dedicate themselves to tennis. Above all,

they just love the game, but there is a purposeful star of I want to

It looked a bit windy there. But we have had a bit of spring-like

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 42 seconds

The rabbits knew where to come out, where the sun was shining today. It

will be a mixed weekend. The best of the weather will be on Sunday.

On Saturday we will start with a scattering of rain. We should be

fine and dry it later on. There should be some blue-sky for

Mother's Day. Thank you for this lovely blue sky. Other blossom is

out at the moment. Tonight, we have a band of rain which has been

bothering Cumbria and that will work its way south and east woods.

It will then go back into southern and eastern parts of the region.

For Sunday, all of that rain sinks towards the South East. It will be

a fine day. Tonight, we have rain to cope with, it should not cause

us too many problems. It will fizzle out as it comes southwards

in geese was through the night. There will be a band of cloud and

that will keep the temperatures higher. This band of rain is pretty

fickle and as we head into tomorrow morning, we wake up to dry weather

in the north, but that there will always lurk in the south. Tomorrow

afternoon, it might start to make its presence felt. It will stretch

of the north-eastern side of North Yorkshire. Top temperatures

tomorrow, you will really notice the difference in those. We had

around 13 in the North East, tomorrow we will be into single

figures. For Sunday, your barometers will change from rain to

fair. That means that Mother's Day is looking pretty good wherever you

are in the region. High is at 10 Celsius, showers will be most

likely in North Yorkshire. Elsewhere, looking good. A bit of

sunshine and blue sky and if you're taking your mother out, the flowers

and the blossoms are looking very Just before we go, news of a

special Look North debate on Monday night. Victoria Derbyshire will be