18/06/2014 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

She was battered, bruised and left with 29 broken bonds.

A vet thought this young dog had been run over by a car

And it was just one example highlighting the region's shocking

Figures released today put Durham second in the top ten

for animal cruelty convictions in England and Wales with 100 cases.

It's closely followed by North Yorkshire

in 7th place with 64 convictions and Tyne and Wear in 9th place with 42.

Maggie, a Shih Tzu, was kicked against a wall like a footb`ll.

She was repeatedly beaten and suffered 29 broken bones.

One vet thought she'd been run over by a car.

Eight months on and today Maggie has a new life

She's been rehomed with new owners and they still can't believd

I have kept the press cuttings and what he did to that little dog

Sometimes I will sit and look at her and I will think,

These attacks are very disttrbing, but are rare.

The majority of convictions are through neglect like thhs.

These two Shih Tzus are barely recognisable.

The RSPCA says too often people buy pets, but then have no interest

But why is our region always at the top of the league

We receive a lot of complaints because we are the region that does

care about animals and people bother to pick up the phone and report it

to the police or the RSPCA when they are concerned about an anim`l.

But there are so many more people who are appalled by this

Maggie arrived here frightened, timid and nervous.

But she's now enjoying her new home and new life.

She's just 36 years old, but she's now disabled

for life because an ambulance took an hour and a half to reach her

Caren Paterson, who was a scientist, was left brain damaged

The ambulance delay caused such serious brain injuries she will need

24 hour care for the rest of her life.

Caren, from Northumberland, has been awarded ?5 million compensation

An ambulance was called for Caren Paterson after she collapsed in the

But because the address was mistakenly classed as high risk

the ambulance waited round the corner for a police escort.

It was more than 100 minutes before paramedics finally reached her.

By then she'd suffered a cardiac arrest.

Seven years after the inciddnt, Caren's been awarded ?5 million

after the London Ambulance Service admitted a catalogue of errors.

We have made significant ch`nges and improvements

So I accept, at the time, there were some failings.

We have accepted that and we apologise.

We have made significant changes to make sure that wd

The delay left Caren, who w`s working as a genetic scienthst,

Her family has welcomed the compensation payout.

It was a catastrophic series of missed opportunities,

It will buy, for Caren, the reassurance for her and her family

that she will be looked aftdr properly for the rest of her life.

It sounds like a lot of mondy, but it is not, it is only enough to

make sure that Caren gets the care and rehabilitation

Caren will never work again and will need 24`hour care

Her mother says all of Caren's ambitions have been taken away

The police are trying to tr`ce a financial advisor they want to

speak to over a suspected ?1 million swindle.

Kole Lulgjuraj was arrested over thefts in the Darlington and Barnard

Castle areas of County Durh`m, but after being granted bail,

officers think he fled the country in 2012 before he could be charged.

He's originally from Montendgro but could now be in the United States.

A motorcyclist killed in a road accident in North Tyneside

has been named as 49`year`old Michael Lewthwaite.

It happened at East Howdon near the entrance to the pedestrian

Mr Lewthwaite's motorbike collided with a Royal Mail van.

Three of the region's hospital trusts are in the red.

The South Tyneside Trust has a deficit of more than ?1.5 mhllion.

At South Tees, the figure is nearly ?7.5 mhllion.

But the worst financial performance comes from the North

Cumbria University Hospitals which is nearly ?24 million in debt.

The re`routing of three rivdrs in Cumbria could be used to show

the rest of the country how river management can help prevent flooding

Today, the River Leith near Penrith was allowed to flow

along its natural route for the first time in 170 ydars

It was forced into a straight route to feed a lill

Now as part of a wider, ?1 lillion project, rivers such as the Whitbeck

in the Lorton Valley will bd more like their natural state, mdandering

We are interested in what is happening higher up

the water courses, because when the rains come down it can be

It is important that we share the lessons learnt in Cumbrha with

other areas, across the whole of the UK and perhaps even Durope.

Making sure that we have got multi functional rivers that are producing

different benefits, areas for wildlife, for farling

People need to understand that and not have the preception that it

25 Celsius in the sunshine `nd parts of Cumbria and Northumberland this

afternoon. But increasing clout as we head into the night. That cloud

will bring a few spots of r`in here and there, but stop the temperatures

from dropping below 12 Celshus. A lot of cloud around first thing

tomorrow, but any patchy rahn should die away. Not as much sunshhne as

today, and cooler air on thd northerly breeze. Highs of 21

Celsius in Penrith, cooler on the north`east coast. For the wdekend,

mostly dry, a lot of cloud `t times and temperatures in the high teens.

Celsius. The outlook for the weekend is looking pretty good.

If you have outdoor plans, plenty of fine weather, warm nest the south.

Is today, warm nest the north. Normally Perth Australia is renowned

for its heat, but today Perth in Scotland, 27 degrees. Tomorrow not

as warm, but still pleasant enough. High teens, low 20s. That cooler

fresher air behind a cold front Fresh breeze from the north-west.

That the will push the front southwards. A band of cloud and the

odd spot of rain into parts of north-east England later. Otherwise

most places dry. Not desperately cold. Temperatures holding in double

figures. Tomorrow the front will move south.

The odd shower in parts of the Midlands, eastern England and the

south-east later. Plenty of fine weather with increasing amounts of

sunshine. The best of that around coastal areas. The fresher breeze

means its won't be as warm in northern and central areas, but it

will feel pleasant.