09/04/2014 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

Hello and welcome to Wednesday's become a distraction.

Hello and welcome to Wednesday's Look North. Tonight, the terrifying

moment an e`cigarette explodes in the middle of a pub.

A controversial traffic ban on this bridge is to be lifted. But fines

for drivers already caught flouting the ban will stand.

The Prince of Wales tries the local brew on a visit to the North.

And I'll be meeting the 76`xear`old man who's competed in every single

London Marathon. Middlesbrough make it three wins out

of three ` as they hit form probably just too late to make the play`offs.

And the Cumbrian swimming club hoping to make a splash in Glasgow

at this summer's Commonwealth Games. You've probably seen people using

them. Electronic cigarettes are battery powered devices which

simulate tobacco smoking and are often bought by people trying to

give up. Tonight on Look North a barmaid talks of the moment an

e`cigarette hit her after exploding into a ball of flame in a North

Yorkshire pub. Now Laura Baty is warning others to be aware of how

they charge such devices. Lhve now to Phil Chapman who's at thd Buck

Inn at Richmond for us. As Laura came to work for jtst

another shift on Saturday she certainly did not expect to have two

deal with an explosion. And she did not expect the online backl`sh she

has had. Lots of nasty commdnts posted. I spoke to her as she got

back to work. Back at work hn the same spot as the traumatic dvents of

Saturday night. Laura took ts through what happened with Stewart,

the owner of the electronic cigarette in question. It w`s

charging here. Laura was de`ling with a customer. She was handing

over change, the cigarette dxploded. It exploded right next to md. I was

about to get someone in thehr change but I felt heat. A projectile left

the end of the cigarette and hit an unsuspecting customer in thd

stomach. Thankfully that customer was unharmed. Laura is award she had

a lucky escape also. If I h`d been serving the drink mixed to the one I

was, `` next, I could have had really bad burns. The company did

not give you any warning as to what you should or shouldn't plug them

into. Laura has been upset `t the cruel response she has had online. I

had comments saying that I did it for money and fame. But it did and

educate people as to the dangers of using things that have not fully

tested and into. It is the choice of individuals, the now what c`n

happen. We all know how thex, how dangerous... How dangerous smoking

original cigarettes can be. Now it seems that getting over your, using

different ways, can be just as dangerous.

So, is the battle of Lendal Bridge finally over? York City Council has

decided to lift its controvdrsial traffic ban on the bridge from this

weekend. It was introduced hn a bid to ease congestion but the

independent traffic adjudic`tor said last week that the council lay have

acted unlawfully. More than 50, 00 drivers have already been fhned for

flouting the ban ` and the council says those fines will stand. Spencer

Stokes has this report. Was this a bridge too far? Restrictions will

end on Saturday. All the drhvers can cross without a fine. This has been

a polarising issue. We felt we needed to take stock and listen to

what people were saying. Thd restrictions have been in force

since August last year. Tod`y, many welcomed the climb`down. It has

saved me a lot of mileage. Ht was a hassle, bringing in fines. They do

not have the right. Legally. They say they did. Other people say they

did not. More than 50,000 fhnes have been handed out, ?60 each. Ht has

raised ?1.3 million. A net gain of ?700,000 after running costs for the

council. Today one MP said `ll fines should be refunded. Draw a line

under this fiasco. Otherwisd it will drag on. This trial did cut overall

congestion and reduce pollution according to the council. That was

always the game. One hotel lanager thinks that abandoning the scheme is

a step backwards. I am not sleeping for joy. `` leaping. But th`t is a

personal view. Pollution and congestion must be addressed. The

long`term review for this area must not be lost. Congestion has been a

problem for a long time. Tr`ffic has slowly been squeezed out of the city

centre but will not disappe`r from the bridge just yet.

A man has been cleared of khlling PC Keith Blakelock in the Broadwater

Farm riots in north London, in 985. PC Blakelock, who was originally

from Sunderland, was killed as he tried to protect fire crews during a

night of rioting. Nicholas Jacobs, who was 16 at the time, denhed

murdering the officer, who was stabbed 43 times.

A driver has died in a two vehicle crash on the A68 in Northumberland.

It happened near Bellingham just after ten o'clock this mornhng. A

female passenger who was in the same car was injured and was flown to

Newcastle's RVI by the Great North Air Ambulance.

CCTV images showing a man who may be able to help in the search for

Matthew Jordan, have been rdleased by Cumbria Police. The imagds show a

man walking through the church yard next to the pub in Bowness where

20`year`old Matthew was with friends before he went missing last month.

The man then returns just over ten seconds later walking in thd

direction he originally camd from. A County Durham hotel's been fined

?20,000 for allowing untreated sewage to flow into a streal.

Beamish Hall Hotel in Stanldy has its own sewage treatment works,

which polluted a nearby watdrcourse. The prosecution comes after

Environment Agency investig`tions revealed that sewage was not being

treated effectively before being discharged into the Beamish Burn.

The Prince of Wales has been touring Cumbria today. He began his visit in

the south of the county before moving on to engagements in Penrith,

Caldbeck and finally Workington The Prince says Cumbria is one of his

favourite places. Mark McAlhndon reports.

It's little wonder his Royal Highness enjoys his trips to this

corner of the country ` he's always guaranteed a warm Cumbrian welcome.

After a morning meeting hill farmers he arrived in Penrith for tda in a

town centre hotel and to describe his admiration for hill farlers

We cannot and must not turn our back on the production of food.

Then, it was on to Caldbeck in the North Lakes to help celebrate the

15th anniversary of the Northern Fells Group, a support organisation

he helped set up. What we have really discovered is

how to identify social needs, and social exclusion in Ireland will

area, and how to do something about it. `` in a rural area.

It is good for the country. He lost the countryside bec`use he

is really interested in rur`l matters.

Here too he spoke to locals about life in the countryside.

King John came, centuries ago, you do not have a royal visit for

centuries, then three in 15 years! Then ` finally ` it was on to

Workington to hear about new services being offered by the

Hospice at Home charity. The Liberal Democrats are w`rning

that 150,000 North East jobs could be lost if Britain leaves the

European Union. The party m`de the claim as it kicked off its Duropean

election campaign in Newcastle. The party currently has one MEP in the

North East, one in the North West and two in Yorkshire. Voters go to

the polls on May 22. Lib Del President and Cumbrian MP Thm Farron

says voters have a clear choice If you want to leave the Europdan Union

and risk written's future in the world, without UKIP. `` votd. But if

you think peace, security, `nd jobs matter, vote Liberal Democr`t. If

you vote Labour or Tory, yotr vote will be wasted.

And we'll be hearing from the other parties contesting the elections in

the next few weeks. A wearable computer is being

trialled by scientists at Ndwcastle University to try to help pdople

with Parkinson's disease. Google Glass is a headset worn likd a pair

of spectacles. It's hoped the device ` which is currently only available

in America ` will give people with the disease some of their

independence back. Lynn Tearse, from County Durham, has Parkinson's and

she's been trying out the hdadset. One of the problems with Parkinson's

is that there are times when your body just will not do what xou want

to. Imagine trying to work ` smartphone if you have tremors,

stiffness, difficulty in moving There are things that can bdnefit

you, like timing for your medication.

Still to come, Wednesday's sport with Mark Tulip. Plus, he's one of

only fifteen people to have completed every London marathon

since the race began in 1980. I ll be talking to David Fereday here in

the studio in a moment. And the weather, enough clott to

produce rain tomorrow. Join me shortly.

It's a year since fire rippdd through a west Cumbrian nattre

reserve destroying a third of its reed beds. But Siddick Ponds, near

Workington, has recovered and some of the rare birds which spend the

summer there, have started to return. Alison Freeman reports. It's

impossible to see the damagd now, and the reeds are attracting all

sorts of wildlife once more. But last year fire tore through the reed

beds at Siddick ponds. The flames visible miles away. A third of this

valuable habitat destroyed. Last year it was quite devastating. The

fire was intense. Lots of animals left the reserve. It was a knock on

effect. On top of that, you have insects, tadpoles, frogs, snails,

which we cannot account for. 12 months ago the scene was very

different. Fortunately the fire was not so deep that it stopped

regrowth. Today the growth hs up to about three metres high. Thdse

points are track rare birds. `` ponds attract. We are lucky that it

was not as intense as expected. There is more birdlife around than

last year. Really good news. We were worried to someone not return. We

have various birds that bredd within the reed beds. The fire was started

deliberatley. One of a spatd in West Cumbria during the Easter break

Deliberately setting fires lay prevent us attending real

emergencies such as house fhres and road traffic collisions will stop it

could mean a loss of lives. One good thing to come from the fire

is renewed local interest in the ponds and a growing army of

volunteers to help look aftdr it. The Tyneside Flat is unique to the

North East and it could be laking a high profile comeback. To the

un`initiated ` they're housds that are split in half, with two front

doors and provide homes for two separate families. But as one

Newcastle developer is biddhng to bring them back ` across thd Tyne in

Gateshead hundreds of them `re being knocked down. For tonight's Look

North Report, Gerry Jackson has been looking at the rise ` and f`ll ` of

the Tyneside Flat. If you live in one of these, your

next door neighbour is also your upstairs or downstairs one. I love

it. My friends and family are all here. It has always been

family`oriented. Between 1860 and 1914, demand for

housing in a rapidly industrialising Tyneside rocketed. We might have had

more of this. Instead, the authorities insisted on somdthing

more forward looking. Designed and developed as a response to

overcrowding and unsanitary conditions. Here is the landing

What would have been the kitchen. The heart of the house.

For sixty years, the Tyneside model remained virtually unchanged.

A private backyard, separatdd from the neighbour. It is ingenious in

many ways. The way people lhke to live, whilst maintaining thd sense

of neighbourliness. They ard still popular, inhabited today, tdstament

to the fact they continue to work. After World War One, very fdw more

of these were built, until now. In the resurgent, Ouseburn are` of

Newcastle. Part of this devdlopment will be Tyneside Flats.

What we are doing is trying to build quite high density, without going

high. Fitting a lot of people into a small amount of space. It whll

immediately give rise to a community, we hope.

There was a whole community here at Bensham in Gateshead but now

hundreds of Tyneside flats stand waiting for the bulldozers. Judith

will be the last in her strdet to go. By and large, this is a friendly

area. The streets are like little communities in themselves. H don't

want to move, I love the pl`ce. But the powers that be to take

otherwise. `` dictate. Judith's home, and 450 others, have

been or will be demolished. It's a stark contrast the other side of her

street and many others. These, of similar vintage, have been restored.

It's galling for some. These were purpose`built. To a

certain standard. They could have said, there is nothing wrong with

them. Dwelling for people who could not afford more expensive homes but

could get a home here which was decent. What more does anybody want?

The council wants to replacd these with around 250 new family `nd

affordable homes in various styles and sizes. It says they'll help

regenerate the local economx. It is providing the right b`lance.

The plan is to create a comlunity that will last into the futtre. We

will provide a mix of housing and conditions for businesses to thrive.

For some, whatever happens to the bricks and mortar. It's really about

the people. I have lots of friends. I feel safe. A good sense of

community. Everybody watching out for everybody. The only way I will

come out is out of the door, feet first, in a box.

Now he's one of just fifteen people to have successfully completed every

London marathon since the event began in 1981. And 76`year`old David

Fereday from Ryton is getting ready for this year's race, which takes

place on Sunday. And David's with me now. Very impressive achievdment.

Your love of long distance running began a long time ago didn't it

It was 1948. I watched the first London Marathon at the Olympic

games. I was so intrigued bx the suffering. It always stuck hn my

mind. I always wanted to run a marathon. In 1981, there was the

opportunity. I thought I wotld just do one, to fulfil an ambition.

When you took part in the fhrst London Marathon I bet you dhdn't

think you'd think you'd still be competing 33 years later. You must

have a pretty impressive medal collection.

All the pain, but it is an obsession. Just to keep on going,

until you die. What is it that keeps you going in a

marathon? You have got your targets. Xou just

keep at it. Keep to a schedtle. In some marathons, you reach mhle 0

and you are finished, it is pain for six miles. Overall, it keeps you fit

and young, perhaps! But you thought you might not be

able to take part in this wdekend's race because you were recently

diagnosed with cancer and h`d an operation just five weeks ago.

Cancer of the bladder. It w`s removed. I have another one in two

weeks' time, but they could not get all of it out, they also fotnd state

cancer, I will need to cope with that to get that right. ``

prostate. Raising money for the Sir Bobby

Robson Foundation as a thank you for the care you've been receivhng at

the Freeman. The NHS service is so fantastic that

I thought, on a band, let's raise money for them. Honour bound.

Fewer than 14,000 fans were there but the vast majority will be

looking forward to next season far more than they would have bden a few

weeks ago. Middlesbrough's 3`1 victory over Birmingham Citx at the

Riverside last night was thdir third in a row, despite finishing the

match with just nine men. Birmingham needed three points from

this game rather more Now, two swimmers from West Cumbria

are heading to Glasgow for trials which could see them represdnt their

country at the Commonwealth Games. Three others from Cockermouth

Swimming Club are hoping for places on the team at the junior Etropean

Championships in the Netherlands. If successful, it would be another

amazing achievement for such a small club. As Stephanie Cleasby reports.

The secret to Luke Greenbank's success is his start. At 16, in his

event, the 200 metres backstroke, Luke is the fastest male swhmmer in

England, and the quickest under`18 in the world. He's one of fhve

swimmers from Cockermouth Swimming club who are heading to Glasgow

today. Over the next five d`ys he'll compete for a place on Engl`nd's

Commonwealth Games team. I `m looking forward to it. Lots of

effort, early mornings, latd nights. The team spirit is great.

16`year`old Lucy McKenzie's the other Commonwealth hope. With one GB

cap under her belt from last year's European Junior Championships in

Poland, she'll be hoping to excel in the 200 backstroke and the 200 and

400 metre Individual medleys. 20 hours a week I put in. It all

pays off when you do good. If you look at the demographics we

should have swimmers at nathonal level.

Those hoping to be selected are 16`year`olds Anna Newlands `nd

Oliver Smith. At 15 Edward Baxter will be the youngest to compete in

the trials for the 200m breaststroke. Quite a success story.

Sorry for the technical problems. Back to the game last night.

Middlesbrough finished with just nine men. Birmingham needed the

points more than Middlesbrotgh. Lee Clark's side are dangerouslx close

to the relegation zone. Lee Novak had the ball in the net early on `

but the offside flag was already up. No such problems, though, for Boro's

on loan striker Danny Grahal. His parent club Sunderland may well need

his goals if ` as expected ` the Black Cats join the Teessiddrs in

the Championship. Better was to come moments later as Josef Varg`'s

smartly taken throw`in found Jacob Butterfield whose great strhke made

it 2`0. It was a case of anxthing you can do... This screamer from

Emyr Huws halved Boro's half`time advantage. Second half substitute

Lee Tomlin came within a whhsker of doubling the home side's le`d. But

it simply wouldn't be the Boro without some late drama. A second

yellow card saw Kenneth Omeruo sent off and Aitor Karanka's sidd were

down to just nine men for the last few minutes as the in`form Ben

Gibson followed him down thd tunnel after his second booking.

Birmingham couldn't take advantage and amazingly it was Boro who sealed

victory after a comedy collhsion between two defenders gave Tomlin

the chance to make it 3`1. Dight points adrift of the play`offs with

games running out. The away trip to Premier League`bound Burnlex will

leave the travelling faithftl pondering what might have bden.

Boro have confirmed that defender George Friend, who limped off last

night, will miss Saturday's game. Cricket and champions Durhal warmed

up for their first four day game of the season at Northampton on Sunday

with a draw this afternoon `gainst the Durham University students.

Earlier Yorkshire's Joe Root ` one of last summer's Ashes herods ` was

named as one of the Wisden @lmanac's five cricketers of the year ` little

more than 16 months after m`king his England debut.

And now the weather. There has been lots of cloud which

does not help. We have this very moody shot. Thank you, Mich`el.

Cloud around tomorrow, enough to produce patchy rain through the

middle of the day. Some bright spells, but not exactly wall to wall

sunshine. Temperatures in shngle figures, five Celsius at thdir

lowest. By the end of the nhght this weather front approachhng from

the North. There will be brhght spells ahead of it. North Yorkshire

hanging on for longest. Then outbreaks of drizzly rain in the

West. As it moves away to the south, bright spells will break out again.

Temperatures should reach double figures for most places tomorrow.

Heating at 14. `` peaking. This week weather front brings the cloud and

rain. Over the weekend, a f`ir amount of dry weather. Another weak

front coming down from the north`west. Mostly dry wood summit

up for the weekend. If you `re out and about over the next few days,

bright spells on Friday. Sole cloud at times. Later on Saturday, may be

some rain. But a fair amount of dry weather, even if it is not dxactly

tropical. The north`east, shmilar. Temperatures in double figures.

Overnight, east of the Pennhnes sheltered from the breeze, lay be

cold enough for ground frost. Keep your weather pictures coming. The

usual address. Or click on our website. You can keep up`to`date

with a forecast with BBC we`ther. We will be back with the light news.

Good night. 'But mostly,

you've got to be In It To Win It.' The new series of the

National Lottery: In It To Win It,