07/05/2014 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

building society. That's all from the BBC News at Six, so it's goodbye

Hello, and welcome to Wednesday's from

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

tonight: Death on the railway. A man dies after his car is struck

by a train on a level crossing. Too sick to shoot? Police request a

health check for your firearms certificate. But it's not

compulsory. I believe if a gun licence holder or

applicant doesn't want to fill this application in, they have something

to hide. Sold by a Lord ` but bought by

commoners? Could Blencathra become the people's peak?

And where there's muck, there's brass. Who's making the money from

all these marathons? And in sport, Sunderland could

fulfil the final part of Gus Poyet's miracle tonight. The comeback kings

only need a point against West Brom to ensure Premier League safety

tonight ` we'll be LIVE at the Stadium of Light.

A 77`year`old man's died after his car was hit on a level crossing in

North Yorkshire today. It happened at Scampston near Pickering. The

train was a Trans`Pennine express travelling from Scarborough to

Liverpool. The crossing was on private land where a farm track

crossed the railway line. Phil Bodmer reports from the scene.

The buckled wreckage of a Suzuki car, in which a 77`year`old man was

killed this morning. The driver died after a trans`Pennine express train

travelling from Scarborough to Yorke struck the vehicle, slicing it

into. It was just after 9:15am. Police were called to the scene is

where the ambulance and fire brigade. All of these people are

working together now to find out exactly what happened in this tragic

accident, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family. A level

crossing on a farm track requires users to telephone for permission to

cross. It is not known whether the phone was used on this occasion.

This is the unmanned level crossing with the collision took place. The

force of the impact with the train struck the car pretty much split the

body of the car into, and the train has travelled a further 200 yards

before coming to rest further down the track. No one on board was

injured. The train driver was treated for shock at the scene.

People were quickly alerted to the incident and ran to help. Witham

there wasn't awful lot of ambulances, fire engines,

helicopters, but it wasn't chaotic, because it was clear what happened.

It was traumatic if nothing else. The line was reopened at around two

o'clock this afternoon as the car was taken away on a recovery vehicle

for further analysis. Police have not yet named the victim, and is a

joint investigations into the cause of the crash are continuing with

help from the rail accident investigation on it.

Durham Police say a "significant" number of people with legally`held

guns were not honest about their mental health when they applied for

their firearms licences. And if officers had known the truth, the

applicants might not have been allowed to have weapons. Durham

Police is running a pilot scheme to encourage people to voluntarily hand

over their health details. But those affected by shooting tragedies say

there should be stricter, compulsory checks on those who want firearms

licences. Our news correspondent, Peter Harris, reports.

A history of domestic violence and a cabinet full of guns. Michael

Atherton killed himself in three relatives. The police now say

tighter checks on the mental health of those keeping guns suggest some

should never have had them in the first place, and went candid. A

pilot scheme in Durham meant a gun licence applications and voluntary

agreed to greater cross checks on them at `` medical history. In four

months, 353 people applied for licences, but with the extra

scrutiny, 41 dropped out and let their licenses labs. we have a bit

of concern, because we want to have an open and candid relationship with

people applying for firearms, and for the most majority of those

people, this is the relationship. One of the learnings from the

tragedy of 2012 when Durham Police did a full review of licensing, they

said we could do things better and we need to be more risk focus in our

business. Bye`mac this is the medical questionnaire which appears

to have deterred some form of gun licence holders from reapplying. It

asks directly if you have had issues with suicide or thoughts or alcohol

abuse. This is voluntary, though, and people think it should be

something you should fill in. I think it is a surprise to most

people but it is not already incorporated as a standard piece of

information the police should have access to when considering such an

important public safety issue. I think in the future, this or

something like this would be a good idea. A view echoed by Dunmore

campaigners, like Bobby, who is family members were killed by the

gunmen. Is a gun licence holder or applicant does much of this

application in, I believe they have something to hide, and maybe they do

suffer from depression or do know they have a mental problem. In my

eyes, they should be made to fill this forming. Ironically, these new

checks would not have necessarily stopped Michael Atherton having

legal guns, but the need to stop crimes like he's mean the issue of

gun control is never far away. And Peter Harris joins me now.

Peter, people applying for firearms licences are perfectly entitled to

refuse these extra checks, aren't they? Yes, they are. They already

have to declare any relevant medical history. But this scheme does is

move towards more crosschecking with GPs. About a third of those who have

applied in Durham in recent months have declined to enter these extra

medical questions. It doesn't imply they have done it anything wrong at

all. It is voluntary and they do not have to do it. Some have cited the

fee. Others have cited advice from shooting organisations. It is a

pilot. It is voluntary. It remains to be seen whether the Home Office

will seek to bring in these extra checks more widely across the

country. Thank you. They described it as a "day of

action". From early morning, police officers were targeting drink and

drug drivers, people speeding, and criminals using the road network in

Stockton. 12 people died on Cleveland's roads last year, and

officers from Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit said the

aim of this latest campaign was to make the roads safer. Stuart Whincup

reports. Rush hour, and officers were

stopping drivers on their way to work. Morning, sir. Just come to do

some roadside breath tests. Can I ask you to do a breath test? First,

drug and drink drivers were targeted. Blow into the device. Keep

going, keep going, keep going, stop. This traveller passed the test. The

aim of this operation is to improve road safety and reduce casualties

after 12 people died on Cleveland's roads last year. One death on the

roads of Cleveland or anywhere else is one too many for me. The impact

of a collision or a fatal collision is huge. The scenes of these

incidents are horrendous. Dozens of drivers were pulled over, questioned

and breathalysed. Those stopped had no complaints. I have no problem

with it at all. Anything that cuts down hazards on the roads is good

for me. It cracks down on the number of drunk drivers on the road after a

night out. You shouldn't be drinking and driving, therefore I think it's

a great idea. Officers were also looking for drivers with no

insurance, or wanted by the police. Cameras monitor thousands of cars

around the area. Police say drivers speeding is the most common cause

for accidents on the road. In a recent operation, 700 people were

caught in one week in the Cleveland and Durham areas. In the last year,

16,000 people have been caught by the police and given points and

penalties. Today's operation was about sending a clear message to

drivers who break the law. They were warned it could be their cars pulled

over next. 60% of North Yorkshire's street

lights could be switched off over the next two years, saving hundreds

of thousands of pounds. Lights in four areas of the county are already

turned off between midnight and 5.00 in the morning. Now the County

Council, which has to make savings of ?170 million, is looking to

extend the scheme to Richmondshire. Phil Connell reports.

They are in place to make our roads safer and to reduce levels of crime.

In some areas, though, councils believe streetlights, at certain

times, can be switched off, saving hundreds of thousands of pounds. In

North Yorkshire, the County Council has already restricted their use in

Harrogate, Scarborough, and Templeton. It now wants to extend

the scheme to Richmondshire, helping to make their savings target of ?170

million. The situation is that we have to make some significant

savings because of the public sector funding climate. In terms of street

lighting, this is just part of a whole host of decisions that the

County Council is having to put in in a very balanced and measured way.

Running North Yorkshire's streetlights costs ?1.7 million per

year. Switching off 60% of them between midnight and 5.00 would save

?400,000. It would also reduce the council's carbon emissions by 5%. In

Richmondshire, though, there are growing concerns. If there is any

situation where pubs are closed, that would be a worry. There are

more accidents. In places where lights have already been switched

off, the county Police Commissioner is monitoring them closely. So in

these areas, has there been a rise in accidents and crime? There are

two things that might affect that, so we need to have a good look at

that over a period of time. At this moment in time, the police have not

made any requests, for example, to switch the lights back on in the

areas in which they have currently been turned off. More areas of the

county could soon be targeted ` a four`year plan that could see a

large part of North Yorkshire fall into darkness.

You're watching Look North. Still to come: It's a marathon, not a sprint.

The rise and rise of endurance races. But are they safe and well

regulated? Join me later, where I will ask

whether Sunder land can complete the great escape.

And what will the weather be like for the next few days? I will be

here with a full forecast for the north`east and Cumbria.

They've got a mountain to climb. But a campaign's under way to persuade

thousands of ordinary people to club together and buy the Lake District

peak put up for sale by its aristocratic owner. Lord Lonsdale

placed Blencathra on the market with a price tag of ?1,750,000. But

locals who worry it will be snapped up by an absentee landlord have

decided to try to buy it themselves. Mark McAlindon reports.

The sale of Blencathra has certainly caught the imagination, but the man

in charge of carrying it out says there has already been huge

interest. We have had an awful lot of hits on the website. Something

like 3,500 over the last three or four days. The telephone has been

red`hot. It will be interesting to see whether that turns into real

interest in buying the mountain. But while any new owner would have to

abide by the strict laws protecting it, there are those who believe it

must stay in local hands for good. If it goes to anybody, whether it is

English or anybody else, and it is an individual, it will be a piece of

land in their portfolio. If it is for someone from abroad, they may

never come to walk the mountain. We keep being told about the big

society. This is our opportunity to build the big society. We want to

leave something for us and our children, and everybody else's

children, wherever they come from. After setting up a Facebook page to

gather support, more than 1,500 people had signed up. Absolutely

from all over the country. The guy that helped to set this up was from

Manchester. We have people from further down south, and up in

Scotland. We have something that everybody loves. Can you do it? We

can do it if we get given the chance and people continue to pledge money,

and if we are given the chance, then yes. A rough calculation shows that

if 10,000 people support the campaign, a payment of ?175 each

could buy Blencathra. John has told us that Lord Lonsdale would prefer

to sell to the community, even hinting he would be prepared to

allow extra time for the full amount to be raised.

Beautiful, Blencathra. For many runners, it used to be all

about the Great North Run. But in the last few years, a fitness boom

has seen an explosion in the number of races across the North ` from fun

runs to ultra marathons. And there's been a dizzying rise in obstacle

races and other gruelling assault`course style events,

attracting thousands of us across the region. For tonight's Look North

Report, Andrew Hartley asks ` are these events safe and properly

regulated, and who's making money from them?

Welcome to hell. Running is a bit of a new religion. We have fallen for

extreme running in a big way. I just love it. Races of up to 100 miles,

gruelling assault`style course events, trial events and trial

athletes. No pain, no gain. They are all designed to push you to the

limit. We are all much tougher than we think we are, but you don't know

until you test yourself. Now, for the first time in the north, the

EnduRun 24`hour race. There are a lot of people out there. A lot of

people come saying they want this sort of event. There is a massive

upturn in the last five years where adventure racing has become the new

marathon. It is just one of a number of similar events that have started

up in our region. Just thinking about the number of new events is

exhausting. For starters, new marathons ` a mere 26 miles ` some

on trails and hills. Ultra runs of more than 60 miles. Swim, bike, run

races. And a range of new tough obstacle course events attracting

thousands and designed to push competitors to the limit. In the

last few years, you have seen a move to a lot more mass participation

events. The Ultra is big news at the moment. You see rising uptake

figures, and you see a tightening at this exact point in time to get this

huge increase in people taking part in endurance events. This is at the

same time as rising obesity levels. The demand has created business

opportunities. This new company runs ten events alone, none of which

existed three years ago. We get people doing them who we really

wouldn't expect. We have people from Australia, the USA, huge numbers

from London. We do have the scenery and the locations to attract people

from all over the world. This firm has to do everything by the book.

But if there is money to be made, what happens when the less

experienced want a piece of the action? The start point was meant to

be here. It was chaos. Last summer, Karl was supposed to take part in

the Norse 10K, an extreme obstacle course on his doorstep in

Northumberland. With more than 400 ready to go, the race was cancelled.

It was shocking. It was organised chaos. There was no`one to tell you

what to do. There was no start or finish point. I still haven't got my

money back. I personally got all of my money back, but I do know some

people that did not receive their money back off it. When we put on a

event, I am confident it will run smoothly. There is the

infrastructure already in place here. If you are in the middle of a

farmer's field thinking about setting up something like this,

consider the implications of if things go wrong, they go terribly

wrong. Most runners in the Marathon of the North in Sunderland were sent

the wrong way, and failed to complete the full course. In 2008,

the Mountain Marathon in Cumbria was abandoned because of poor weather.

No such problems for this race. The organisers say keeping it small this

year was the key to getting it right. Running for 24 hours may not

be everyone's idea of a good time, but if the trend continues, races

like this are here for the long run. Tired, but good. It's done.

Put forward Dawn does her daily jog, we will get the sports news. It

has been a insurance event for Sunderland. Tonight is the night.

How many times have we said that in recent weeks? The Black Cats looked

certain to be heading for the Championship this time last month,

but after the most incredible run of results, the Black Cats could now

ensure Premier League safety with a win or a draw against West Brom at

the Stadium of Light. It has been quite a miraculous turnaround `

which is exactly what boss Gus Poyet was praying for.

A month ago, Sunderland looked down and out. A 5`1 defeat at Spurs had

left the Black Cats seven points adrift with the end of a season run

that included games against Man City, Chelsea, and United. Nothing

could save them except perhaps divine intervention. I think we need

something unique, a shock. We need a miracle. It seems someone up there

was listening. ROCK MUSIC.

# Are you hungry for a miracle? # Are you hungry for a miracle? #.

Sunderland fans haven't been the only ones doing the praying. At

Sunderland Minster, red and white mad Reverend Chris Howson is hoping

a modern`day miracle will be completed by tonight. Miracles

happen through people, don't they? People have given their all.

Larson's goal against Manchester United was like a dream come true.

Miracles happen through people, and the people have belief. They have to

believe in themselves. The supporters have belief again, and it

is infectious and encouraging. We are hoping for good things tonight.

Not just tonight, next season as well. Instead of totting around in

the bottom, I think we can do that next year. Very hopeful. You will

need more than a miracle for that. Come on! We could be right up the

top next year! HE LAUGHS.

Have some belief. Miracles do happen.

Lets hope he is right. You can't take anything for granted.

Sunderland still have a job to do. Never underestimate goal difference.

West Brom arrived here a short time ago, effectively save. If Sunder

land to get one point tonight, they can't be taken down either.

We need to concentrate on us. We will not change anything in the next

few games other than going there and playing and defending well and

making it difficult for them. There is only one way, to try to win it.

Yes, so no playing for a draw. With me is Chris Young from the

Sunderland Echo. Did you write them off yourself or did you see a return

to their former? I think everyone universally read them off. There

were drifting of safety with seven games to go. The situation was dire,

really. The inquests were already beginning into what went wrong. But

you put it down to? There has been a renewed determination amongst the

players. You have to give them credit for that. They refused to

raise the white flag. It has also been the incorporation of Whickham

into the starting 11. Can they do it tonight? I think they will do it

tonight. I think there is a determination amongst the players.

Thank you very much. And BBC Newcastle has commentary tonight

from the Stadium of Light with Nick Barnes and Gary Bennett. And you can

see all the match action on Match of the Day right after our Late

Bulletin here on BBC One at 10.35. Fingers crossed. As Mark said, we

will have live commentary. And in the cricket, I'm sure Carol, he will

be interested to know, that in the championship game, it ended in a

draw. Lovely. What did you do say to me? I will explain later. Let's get

the weather now. I have to admit, not one for cricket

scores. The weather is not good for football or cricket. Here is a

beautiful spring weather image to start us off this evening.

A great season, probably due to the weather. Our headlines tomorrow, it

is bright at first. It will feel pleasant, but showers work their way

in once again from the west later. They will tonight as well. Heavy for

a time and over the Cumbrian fells. By dawn, most places will be dry

with clear skies, allowing temperatures to fall as low as seven

Celsius. Brisk breezes from the west or south west over the next few days

to come. First thing tomorrow, A+ and started the day for most places.

One or two showers to the west. In the east, spells to the south and

north. To the north, things will take a turn for the worse

weather`wise. Climbing over increasingly in North Yorkshire with

showers possible later. 14 Celsius our high. A bit higher than today.

Crossing the Pennines, showers across much of the area. Some dry

spells as well, but where those showers form, they are likely to be

heavy. 11 or 12 Celsius per ` the Cumbrian coast. It is the low 50s in

Fahrenheit. Pressure is low over the next few days to come. Conflicts

weather systems work their way in from the west, and notice a squeeze

on the isobars. The white lines indicating breezes that could be

pretty noticeable, in a weather system crossing from the West on

Saturday is likely to bring a significant rainfall. Probably

trying out on Sunday, but still unsettled with the potential for a

few showers, and some of their once again could be heavy. It stays

breezy as well. Lots of white lines on the chart. In Cumbria over the

next couple of days, lots of rain to come. Heavy for a time on Friday.

Possibly thundery as well. Especially over the Cumbrian fells

and North Pennines, and in the north`east, possibly less heavy,

those showers, in places. It is still likely is still likely to be

changeable with spells of rain for much of the rest of this week to

come. That is the forecast. Trying to be positive. So to die ``

Saturday books great if you want to stay indoors. Good night for now.

'This is the story of Nick Clegg - a man entrusted by a nation

'to act upon the policies he proposed.