28/03/2012 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

Welcome to Look North. In the programme tonight: They are

losing their jobs but not their generosity. Alcan workers are done

Nateing �30,000 to local charities. It shows good things can come out

of a bad situation. Framed by his own colleagues and

sent to jail. Former Cleveland police officer, Sultan Alam, talks

about the impact on his life. always wanted to leave my mark on

the police service. Many people will say I have. But it is not the

mark I wanted to leave. This man owns this year's grand

national favourite. Find out why he's giving his horse awhich on the

day of the wig race. And running for gold, the couple entering the

London Marathon to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. They know

who to expect. I was overtaken by five people running in step! It was

a bit unfair! Middlesbrough and Carlisle enter the home straight in

the play-off places. But it was a bad night for Sunderland as Everton

ended their FA Cup dream for this We start with a remarkable story.

It comes courtesy of the 500 plus workers at the Alcan aluminium

plant in Northumberland. The plant begins its close-down tomorrow.

They'll all lose their jobs. Over the years, the workers have built

up their own social fund. It has reached �30,000. As our reporter

tells us, they've decided to give it all way away. It is the sort of

story we don't often get the chance to tell.. The news brought us this

and this and this. So let's cheer ourselves up with this and this and

this. Three charities, three cheques,

each for �10,000. The money's been saved over the years for things

like Christmas parties and when their jobs went, this lot decided

they'd like to help not themselves but others. You've restored faith

in human nature for a lot of people, you and your pals here. Frplt it

just goes to show out of a bad situation that some good things can

come. This is one of them. You're terrific. Thank you. Among those to

benefit, five-year-old Archie Anderson who has cerebral palsy.

He's off to the United States where surgeons will operate to improve

his mobility. You're going to America now? Yes. Are you looking

forward to is the it? No. Why not? The answer was supposed to be yes!

When we got a phone call we were overwhelmed. I was in floods of

tears. It was amazing. It means we've hit our target and we can go.

We can get the physiotherapy and everything Archie needs when he

comes back. I can't thank people enough. It is just sensational. It

makes such a huge difference. People can keep the money for

themselves. To give it to a local charity that's trying to save

children's lives every day, it is just a huge, huge gesture. These

are people, of course, who could do with that money themselves? This is

it. It is so much appreciated more so for that reason. For people in

this situation to be thinking of charities, it's something else in

itself. You just can't believe that's going to be something on

their mind when there are so many other things on their mind, whether

they can get other jobs etc. A lot of people worked here. Now it's

coming to an end it seemed the just thing to do. Pass it down to good

causes. Were you not tempted to keep it? No, never. There was a few

options but everybody seemed to agree this is the best thing. It

has put a real feel good factor across the place. And I think for

years to come, people will feel proud of what they've done. Do you

know what, you've put the biggest smile on my face I've had for aged.

The applause was for the Ben fisheries. They should have been a

-- applauding themselves. What a fabulous gesture.

He was a former police officer. He was sent to jail for a crime he

didn't commit. Sultan Alam was framed by his own colleagues at

Cleveland Police were and convicted of handling stolen goods. He was

later freed and after a 17-year fight was awarded 400,000 in kofrp

saigs. He's been talking to our reporter Stuart Whincup.

It destroyed pretty much every facet of my life. None of this

should have happened. It was deliberate. It was malicious.

Sultan Alam was the as the court heard stitched up by his own fellow

police officers. Jailed for a crime he didn't commit. His two young

daughters saw their father branded a criminal. They have suffered

things no children should have to go through really. That's probably

the most painful part of it. Parents can tolerate pain, but when

it comes to their children, it is on a whole different level.

case made headlines but he was eventually cleared of handling

stolen goods. After a 17-year legal fight he was awarded �400,000 in

composition. -- compensation. He'll find out how much he'll receive in

loss of earnings next month. I have no idea where my career would have

gone. Not knowing is very, very painful. Now, Sultan Alam's taking

legal action against the Police Federation. He says it abandoned

him just three weeks before his compensation hearing leaving him to

defend itself. The federation cannot comment because of the

ongoing investigation. But Alam says the way he was treated was

appalling. I can only describe it as victimisation. Each time I've

felt as if I'm not only fighting for my rights and for justice with

Cleveland police, I've also been fighting the Police Federation.

altogether of money, he says, will compensate him and his family for

the pain and suffering they've endured.

Parts of Tyneside and Teesside are in the top ten in a list of local

authorities with the biggest truancy problems. Almost 9% of

pupils in Newcastle and Middlesbrough are persist tently

absent from school making them the 5th and sixth worst areas in

England. Areas of North Yorkshire are now

officially in drought. The Environment Agency says the public

water supply should not be affected but it is concerned about the

levels of the River Derwent and its catchments in the Ryedale and

Scarborough districts. Staying in North Yorkshire, it is

not somewhere you'd expect to catch the Tour de France. Officials could

make a bid to stage the bike race in 2016. The hills, Dales and

scenic coastline would present an awesome challenge for the cyclists.

Officials from the committee are to be in Veited over to assess the bid.

We know how highly Yorkshire things of itself. But today's conference

at the Barbican in York was about sharing God's County with others.

Tourism is Yorkshire's biggest industry employing a quarter of a

million people and earning about �7 billion a year. Today, saw the

official launch of the county's promotional video which aims to

build on the 200 million plus annual visits already being made. A

five-year business plan aims to grow the Yorkshire brand worldwide.

But the big news was the county is bidding to bring home one of the

most prestigious events in the sporting calendar. For Tour de

France read Tour de Dales. Can you imagine the cyclists racing in

their tense and twenties through the North York Moors Nash mal park.

Leyburn, through the Dales. It doesn't get more stunning than that.

That iconic scenery of Yorkshire will go global. Tour organisers are

expected over in May to consider a possible route. But a final

decision on the 2016 tour isn't expected for a couple of years.

Catching up with a story we brought you on Tuesday's Look North. A

house in Ferryhill in County Durham which was up for auction with a

starting price for just �1 sold for �2,850. Standing next to the main

line of the east coast railway it has been standing empty for nearly

a decade. The winner bid bought the house for a family.

The pasty tax have been cut in half by Ladbrokes. George Osborne was

asked when he last bout a Greg's pasty. He couldn't remember. The

plan to fight charge on freshly made sievery products. Gregs say it

a tax on people who are already hard-pressed.

The man who's giving away the grand national favourite and an Easter

egg hunt with a difference. We meet The Artist who created these little

treasures. And a beautiful evening here on the

town moor in Newcastle and across the north-east and Cumbria. Will

this great weather hold? I'll be back with a forecast at the end of

the rest of tonight's news. As we heard at the top of the

programme, one of the Ben fisheries of today's generosity by the

workers of Alcan is the Freeman Hospital, the heart unit. It was

the charity of Graham Wylie. His two-year-old daughter Keira is a

patient there. Graham owns the favourite for next month's grand

national nal. He handed over ownership of the horse for the day

to raise � 2000. Some men spend a lifetime dreaming

of owning the grand national favourite. And former Sage owner

Graham Wylie is that lucky man. And, he's giving it away. The horse is

Prince de Beauchene. He's 8-1 favourite with the bookies. On

grand national day, he'll be owned by Newcastle Falcons owner Semore

Kurdi after a charity auction to raise thousands of pounds for the

children's heart unit fund. When the auction took place last year,

the prize on offer was merely the ownership of a horse for a day. It

was only when the two men met last week that Graham told see more he

was giving him the favourite for the grand Nash in a nal and if

Prince de Beauchene wins, it will be Semore's name not Graham's which

goes on the grand national role of honour. No, I'm not mad. I'm doing

it for the charity. My daughter was there, had three operations. What

can I do to say thank you. This is the best way, to raise as much

money as I can and using my horse is a great way of doing it. Good

luck to Semore and the charity. After the operation last December,

doctors at the Freeman told Graham his own jockey-sized stature might

be the key to Keira's future well- being. They said as long as she

stays pet eat then this may be her last operation. That's great news.

Great also paid tribute to the workers at Alcan for their

generosity in handing over �10,000 from their own social fund to help

the heart unit's cause. It is a very sad situation. Everyone

doesn't want to see people losing their jobs. But for them to make

such a gesture, given the circumstances they face, is

tremendous. What brave men. What generous gesture.

Poor diet et, not enough exercise and lack of respect sums up some

people's opinions of young people nowadays N York, she are trying to

tackle all these problems in vegetables. A scheme is turning

unused land in the heart of the city's estates into veg gardens.

Vandalised, unloved and eventually unused. This was a play area which

is now going back to the community as a garden. It is the first of

then which will appear in York in the next three years of the

All will be on estates like this. All will be looked after by the

people who live nearby. The kids are crucial.

I guess a stereotype is the children coming along in an evening

and will destroy it. By working with them, we make them feel it is

theirs. Building that ownership and hopefully they'll wanted to protect

it. The steel fence will become a living wall, branches instead of

bars. The green space is being turned into vegetable beds. The

best possible food for anyone prepared to grow it. For the moment,

there's enthusiastic support. like doing all the willow and stuff.

I'm really enjoying it. It's really fun. You get to take time off

school. I really enjoy doing the digging. The local secondary

school's providing the muddle. These are the kids who live here

and they'll be the ones who benefit. So will the school. It helps with

improvement in behaviour. Some of our children are not keen on being

stuck in class all day. It is not to get out and get hands on, get

involved in something physical. Not every child's academic they've

something to offer. It has been really beneficial. They are

planning for the long-term. Maybe life-long. Planting seeds and trees

that will bear many different What a good idea a? If most of us

were lucky to make it through 50 years of marriage, we might

celebrate by taking a cruise. Not for one couple. Chris and Charm

Robson have marked their milestone by entering a marathon.

A gentle jog out of their warm marks the start of their daily

routine. The couple vow and last year to run the London Marathon for

special reasons. It was Chris's idea. He has run the London

Marathon twice. He suggested it. The problem is getting a place.

Twyman inch to get one. From that moment on, that was the schedule.

This is what they will face. Tens of thousands of runners on the

streets of London. Chris and Charm are raising money for a charity.

People dress up as pantomime horses. I was overtaken last time by a

Centipede. Five people were running instep which I thought was unfair.

It is unlikely to be easy. Last week, I ran six miles. It made me

tired. I was going to say you would never catch my wife doing that. She

hasn't started training for her marathon yet.

The Wembley dream is over for another year.

He started arriving They started arriving early for what the

majority of a 43,000 crowd hoped would be one of those famous FA Cup

nights. The Sunderland team coach dropped the players off well before

kick-off, which is more than can be said of the Everton bus - held up

in traffic to the fury of boss David Moyes.

But roared on by nearly 7,000 visiting supporters in a proper

cup-tie atmosphere that only seemed to galvanise the visitors, who

seemed hell bent at booking a Wembley semi-final against

Merseyside neighbours Liverpool. And by the end, that's exactly what

they'd achieved leaving the Sunderland boss understandably

dejected. Everton dominated the first half

with first Sunderland's nemesis Tim Cahill and then Nikica Jelavic

bringing the best out of Simon Mignolet.

It was no surprise when Everton took the lead - a beautifully

worked goal finished by the dangerous Jelavic. A I thought we

were ready for the Game. From that viewpoint, it is hard to take. It

is such a big incentive. It was no surprise when Everton took the lead.

Keith This was about the closest the home

side came to a first-half equaliser. And it only got worse in the second

half with the Merseysiders going 2 up courtesy of an own goal from

substitute David Vaughan - who'd only been on the pitch for 4

minutes. The well-shackled Sessegonon did

manage to hit the post and and after Jelavic went close again,

Fraizer Campbell threatened a late consolation but it wasn't to be.

In truth Everton, dangerous in attack and solid in defence,

deserved their comfortable win. For Sunderland, there's a league trip

to Man City to look forward to or maybe not. Wembley will have to

wait for another year. We didn't perform well enough. That is

disappointing. To see me at my Spear just before the Game, the

noise level. It was a great evening. Again night for football and we

disappointed. There was better news for the Quorn Carlisle and

Middlesbrough. Boro drew at Ipswich. This was to prove a costly night

for Tony more break. There will be more concern about another Reine

injury. They will need better finishing than this to make sure of

the play-offs. Fortune was on their side, the visitors took the lead

after the hour mark. Let better have become -- last word. Carlisle

United beat MK Dons despite this penalty. Two late goals from

Sunderland came to the rescue. It took a penalty to seal all three

points. One of Durham's longest serving

players is on the move. Mark Davies has left. He entered Durham's

Academy in 19... For the past few seasons, he has been plagued by

injury. Could Nissan be heading into Formula One? Martin Brundle

was in Sunderland. Martin Brundle will compete in a Nissan powered

car. I don't know or with Nissan are heading into Formula One.

Insanity are already there with Red Bull. They could be enough front-

running car or for real one. That would be interesting. If you have

been on an Easter egg hunt, they would be hard boiled or chocolate.

Ceramic techniques are part of an Easter egg hunt.

Britain's biggest Easter egg hunt it is organised by the world of

Beatrix Potter. If you are lucky enough to find one, you not only

get to keep the egg, you could also win a prize. When it comes to

making them, where do you start? read the Bic, thoroughly. I find

phrases that I can relate to. then rolls out thickly and makes a

batch of 10 lengths. They are joined together. The writing is pit

round the join. They have to try. The each batch of eggs takes around

10 days to complete. This year, there are 110 next to celebrate

Peter Rabbit's 100 and tense first day. I have been making eggs for

five years. That is 500 eggs. hunt starts on fire -- Thursday 5th

April. Very nice they are, too. Hour

I am on the highest point in Newcastle. We have been enjoying

that extra hour off sunlight. Beautiful scenes and we have some

amazing weather pictures. This was the scene in Northumberland. The

green is the Northern Lights. This was another lucky photograph. She

or magnetic levels have returned to normal. Another warm sunny day

tomorrow. The top temperature today was 21 degrees. This evening and

overnight, the skies are clear and starry. The best time to see

Jupiter and Venus will be around nine. Temperatures by Don tomorrow

or will be around for Celsius. Tomorrow, the temperatures will hit

20 degrees Celsius again. The March average is nine Celsius. How long

can this last? The outlook tells us Friday brings more bright blue sky

and have a high temperatures, but by the time you get to Saturday, it

will get cooler. The temperatures are dipping. No significant