17/03/2017 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

Welcome to Friday's Look North. so it's goodbye from me

Tonight: "It's time you grew up." - the message from a judge,

as he sentenced a six foot six man who drove a car while standing up.

A family tragedy - the crash that killed

an elderly driver's wife and his grand-daughter.

an elderly driver's wife and his granddaughter.

A new screening centre for bowel cancer is opened on Tyneside.

It'll test millions of patients for the disease.

And life-changing limbs - the Newcastle medical students

who've set up a project in Bangladesh,

giving amputees legs made from drainpipes.

In sport: Whether you're top of the Championship or bottom

of the Premier League, the pressure's mounting!

It's a must-win for Moyes and co against Burnley.

And after Aitor Karanka's departure, can caretaker boss Steve Agnew

mastermind Boro's fightback against Mourinho's Man United?

He was spotted driving an open-top car on a busy road, while standing

But when six foot six Adam Elliott was stopped by police,

he claimed he was just too tall for the vehicle - and said

Today a court was told Elliott was "a buffoon" who'd put

Now he's been given a suspended prison sentence and some simple

Peter Harris was at Newcastle Crown Court,

There is something failed -- faintly ridiculous about this story. The

message from the police tonight though is that what he did was

dangerous and therefore it is anything but funny.

He's either standing up, or he's sitting on the back

of the seat of the soft top convertible and trying

Another driver on Gateshead's Felling Bypass was so concerned,

dangerous driver Adam Elliott was at court to be sentenced.

Despite pleading guilty, this was how he explained himself

I wasn't standing up in the car, that didn't happen. But I was too

tall for the car, and obviously that caused a distraction to other road

users, and it's wrong, isn't it? The judge said that

was total nonsense. Even in the words of Elliott's

oboist, this was an act of complete buffoonery. The judge said it was

something a driver might try in the middle of a farmer's field, not in

the middle of a dual carriageway. It's very unusual, this, the fact

that he's too tall to drive -- he's being picked on because he's too

tall. It's a decision that he deliberately made.

Elliott was less keen to speak to the media afterwards -

sprinting from the court where he'd been given a nine-month prison

sentence, suspended for 18 months and disqualified for two years.

About time, the judge said, for the giant bad driver to grow up.

He does have a long list of previous convictions, he's been locked up

before. He's been done 13 times for being -- driving while banned. The

judge told him today, any more and he will be locked up again.

An inquest has heard an elderly driver may have been suffering

from fatigue moments before a crash that killed his wife

Hayley Murdoch, who was 29, and Sheila Dixon, who was 71,

died at the scene on the A595 near Carlisle in February last year.

Hayley's three-year-old son also suffered serious injuries.

Mark McAlindon was at the inquest in Cockermouth, and has

Jonah Dixon was driving his wife Sheila, granddaughter Hayley

and great-grandson Logan home to Carlisle from a day

Four miles west of Carlisle though, at Newby Cross, Jonah's car drifted

across the carriageway and into the path of a Transit van.

Today, an inquest found that Hayley Murdoch died

from serious head injuries, Sheila Dixon from multiple injuries.

It's an incident that's had a profound impact

Hayley's then three-year-old son Logan also suffered serious

injuries, while Jonah Dixon now relies on a wheelchair.

The van driver said he saw Mr Dixon's Kia on the wrong

side of the road several hundred yards away.

He said it was a split-second decision to veer to his right

to try to avoid the car, but the collision followed.

PC Craig Irving, a crash investigator, told the hearing

it was impossible to say what exactly had caused the crash.

But, he said, fatigue and momentary distraction may have

affected Jonah Dixon, who has no recollection of events.

"We continue to support both Jonah and Logan in their recovery.

"We are a close family, and now the inquest is over

"we will support each other in trying to move our lives forward."

Coroner Kally Cheema concluded that both women died as a result

A 14-year-old boy has been arrested, after reports that

a teenager was stabbed inside a supermarket in Newcastle.

The 15-year-old boy was taken to hospital with serious but not

life-threatening injuries, after the incident in the Aldi

store on Edgefield Avenue in Fawdon last night.

Northumbria Police said they believed the teenagers

They are appealing for two men who intervened during

An investigation is under way after the body of a puppy

was found in Newcastle, wrapped in a bin bag

The dog was found in woods behind Mead Walk, in the Walker area.

It's thought the animal was dead before the bag was set alight.

The dog is believed to be a male shih tzu crossbreed,

and had a microchip which gave no information other

Police and the RSPCA are appealing for anyone with any

It's one of the most common forms of cancer -

but if it's caught in time, there's a good chance

When bowel cancer is spotted early, more than 90% of people can be

successfully treated, compared with fewer than 10%

Today a new cancer-screening centre was opened at Gateshead Hospital

by football legend Bob Moncur - who was treated there

Here's our health reporter Sharon Barbour.

Every year in England, thousands die from bowel cancer -

because their disease isn't spotted early enough.

But things have really moved on, much of it due to bowel cancer

screening. This new hub will look after more than a million people --

patients. The person opening the centre today certainly believes his

life was saved through that early detection. The former Newcastle,

Sunderland and Scotland football captain will never forget how cancer

claimed the life of his rival England captain Bobby Moore. I

remembered this article and I thought, that is Bobby Moore,

captain of England, doing a Scotsman a favour. So I went to the doctor

and found out I had lung cancer as well. So I have him to thank for

still being here. His message to other is don't ignore symptoms or

the chance for early detection. I tell people of my era that when you

get these tests, you have to be mad not to do it. 50,000 letters are now

posted from the centre every week to those over 60, letters and screening

packs which give millions the chance to be diagnosed and treated before

it is too late. If you are picked up before you develop symptoms, you

have got a much better outcome. Whereas if you waited until symptoms

developed, the outcome is not as good. We would therefore encourage

people to get the test done and sent it back in the post. For Carol,

sending a little sample saved her life. I don't feel ill, and I think

if it wasn't for the test, I probably would have waited until I

felt ill before I went to the doctor. It would have been too late

then. But don't wait for the screening pack if you do have any

symptoms, such as blood in your stools, a change in bowel movements

or weight loss. Two trainee doctors

from Newcastle are back home, after setting up the first clinic

of its kind in Bangladesh. The project, to help amputees,

involves making plastic legs There are thought to be at least

40 million amputees throughout Matt Walton and Zaamin Hussain kept

a video diary of their mission, Matt and Zaamin set up their clinic

for amputees at a hospital run by a British charity

in the north of Bangladesh. One of their patients had to be

carried in by his father. Shiblu is a 16-year-old boy

that was born without a leg. He was a very small boy,

and this is because he hasn't had the stimulation from being able

to walk around. HE REPLIES IN HIS OWN

LANGUAGE The trainee doctors saw dozens

of patients during their trip. Being an amputee in that kind

of environment is extremely difficult, and a lot of the people

have very hard lives. We're just scraping

the surface of this problem. Overall, in the entire country,

there are thousands and thousands of people who are in need

of a service like this. Back on Tyneside, the pair raised

thousands of pounds to pay Five months later, the moment

they'd worked so hard for. Now we're manufacturing these limbs,

it brings a huge amount It is a massive thing for us to be

able to deliver to people, and will make an enormous difference

to their lives. And you can see more on that story

on Monday night's Inside Out, Tens of thousands of people

from European Union countries have come to our region to work -

and have now settled here. But with Britain on the verge

of beginning the official process of leaving the EU,

their right to stay here has not So how do they feel,

as Brexit moves ever closer? David Macmillan has

been finding out. Krysztof Wieckiewiczk

grew up near Poznam. He lives in Darlington and works

in Eaglescliffe, and he's training We're rowing from Poland from my

home town, straight to London. Which takes approximately for us

between 25 and 28 days. Despite the government's refusal

to guarantee EU citizens' right to stay in the UK,

Krysztof sees his 1,600-mile journey from Poland to England

strictly as a one-way trip. I don't feel any pressure

at the moment, nobody told me I have to take my stuff and

come back to Poland. But while Krysztof seems relaxed

about his future in the Tees Valley, there's deep concern amongst

Middlesbrough's Romanian community. Shop owner Ionut says

people are already saving, Now is the problem for me,

for my family, because I put And the people now is

a little distressed. For me, it is a problem

because my pocket now goes down, because the people are not coming

in the shop. There's economic concerns

at this Polish cafe too - owner Margaret says Brexit

is already having an impact. Prices, they really,

really increased since this People feel - not only immigrants

but British people also - a little bit unsure and less

comfortable, because of the money. Krystof Wieckiewiczk's

house is in Darlington, but these rowing machines

will feel like his home for But he hopes the message

of friendship and equality he's trying to promote

through his gruelling adventure England will be not part

of the EU any more. And you can catch all the week's

political news on Sunday Politics, this Sunday morning at 11 o'clock

here on BBC One. Students on Teesside have been

encouraged to vote in the upcoming election for the first mayor

of the so-called Tees Valley. The Minister for the Constitution,

Chris Skidmore, urged students at Middlesbrough College to register

to vote in the May election, and to become involved

in the canvassing process. Our business correspondent

Ian Reeve reports. A government minister,

trying to get young students in Middlesbrough engaged

in the process of electing a mayor An important role,

sitting astride five local authorities, and charged

with bringing high-quality We want to get as many people to

vote in those elections as possible, so I've come here today to try and

ensure that I can promote people's engagement regardless of what party

they vote for, but actually coming out to vote is really important to

decide on their local future. And the students seemed convinced -

even one who, by dint of nationality, won't be

eligible to vote. If you fight a candidate you like,

you can still promote them even if you can't vote for them. -- if you

find. You can get involved with campaigns as well, people are still

taking volunteers to knock on doors, past out leaflets or call on people

in the area. So much for students. Business has a different

take on the new mayor. This Teesside car parts company

is creating 30 new jobs, taking its workforce

to more than 300. But the boss here still has gaps

in his workforce; skills shortages that he would like a new mayor

to address at a very early stage. We need to get a little bit more

structure around it so that we make sure that schools are delivering,

not just to us as their customers but to their pupils as their

customers. And get some reality about the fact that in businesses

like this, we need more nongraduates than we need graduates. But we need

them with a specific skill level. There's a little under seven weeks

to go, for the candidates for a Tees Valley elected mayor

to try and convince voters of the rightness

of their manifestoes. May 4th will see whether the

minister helped to stir up interest. A couple from Sunderland

with three autistic sons have created a charity to campaign

for all football clubs to have It started when Kate

and Pete Shippey's eldest son Nathan struggled to watch matches

at the Stadium of Light. Sunderland was the first club

in the country to open one - and now Middlesbrough

has followed suit. Joanne Carter has been

to find out more. Nathan's mum and dad are on a

mission to create sensory rooms at all sports grounds in the UK and

around the world. 18 months ago Sunderland opened one of the Stadium

of Light. It's named after the eldest of their three sons. All are

autistic, all of football mad and all can now watch the beautiful game

in a safe space. The overstimulation, the noisy speakers,

the people around you shouting, and when the game kicks off, the roar of

the crowds... People shouting our players. A very unpredictable

environment. And can't handle it, it's too much. They've set up a

charity to spread the word, and the football world seems to be

listening. Middlesbrough is the latest club to take up their idea.

Five clubs are doing it now, it's tremendous what they're doing now.

And it's fantastic, the room they've built here. I'm hoping in the coming

years, many fans will be able to come and enjoy the game, open a door

that was previously shut to them. It's different to what they've got

at Sunderland, it doesn't overlook the pitch, but it gives the same

environment which is good. It has enough space for 12 guests, and

anybody wanting to use it needs to contact the club. Great idea! And

brings us nicely onto the sport. A big weekend for football.

Middlesbrough have appointed former Leeds legend Joe Jordan as assistant

to caretaker boss Steve Agnew, following the departure

Boro' of course dropped into the relegation zone last week,

and it couldn't be a tougher start for the new man who's up

against Jose Mourinho's Man United at the Riverside on Sunday.

Enter the caretaker. But is he stop gap or saviour?

It's obvious we need to score a goal.

I see myself as being a creative coach, and slowly but surely I know

that I am capable of drip feeding ideas into the group that will pay

dividends. In an interview in today's Times

newspaper, chairman Steve Gibson expressed complete faith

in his stand-in. But does Steve Agnew want

the job permamently? All I want to do is prepare the team

for Sunday. I know it's an obvious answer, but that is as much as is on

my mind at that moment in time. -- this moment in time. If all goes

well, he's got these 11 games to show he can do the job in the long

term. It's about changing perceptions, isn't it?

In the same interview, Gibson also revealed

Karanka wasn't sacked - he "sacrificed himself" for the sake

of a team seemingly in freefall since the start of the year.

Agnew, who was in temporary charge a year ago for a game

against Charlton, wasted no time in reshaping his backroom team -

reports say three backroom staff are on their way out.

He's worked at the highest level, with Harry Redknapp for a long, long

time, and I've kept in touch with him. Joe is somebody who I trust,

and he will have a big impact with the players.

Well, Aitor Karanka's departure means five of the Premier League's

bottom six clubs have now changed their manager or head coach

But David Moyes knows the pressure will be cranked up another notch

if the Black Cats don't see off Burnley tomorrow, at

When you're in desperate need of points to stay in touch

with the rest of the relegation pack, a visit from the only team yet

to win a Premier League away game is a mixed blessing.

So will the Sunderland boss try to play it cool tomorrow -

or tell his players EXACTLY what's at stake?

Sometimes you have to say yes, it's a really important game. But there

are other games to come as well. Every game's important, and getting

three points in this we will be a real boost. But the supporters here

are used to it, and so are many of the players. They've used their

experience in the past; lets hope they can do it again.

Injuries have blighted Sunderland's season.

So the news that German midfielder Jan Kirchoff will be out

for at least a month - having been on the brink

of a comeback - really shouldn't come as a shock.

Certainly not as big a surprise as Jermain Defoe's recall

What Moyes would really love is for some of the striker's

team-mates to shoulder the burden of scoring the goals

Earlier in the season we couldn't get other people to score goals. At

Crystal Palace, we did that day, but no, we need to find other ways of

getting goals from other departments. It's a boost to

Jermaine as well, because we need his goals, we need more goals. So

hopefully it will give the whole club a lift. The supporters love him

here, so I'm sure they will give him a good clap before the game.

Newcastle United will be without Ciaran Clark

and DeAndre Yedlin for the game against Birmingham City

at St Andrew's tomorrow, but Paul Dummett will feature.

And they might be pleased to be back on their travels!

After three good results on the road, Newcastle's home defeat

to Fulham last weekend was particularly disappointing

The Magpies are still top of the Championship on goal

difference, but Brighton are level on points and Huddersfield

So last weekend's defeat might not have been such a bad thing,

if it stops complacency from creeping in.

When you do so well against Brighton and Huddersfield town and then you

go against reading and you do well, it is maybe a wake-up call to make

sure that everybody is on their toes. The key is confidence. We know

that every game until the end will be very difficult, and we have to be

sure that we don't play with an overconfidence in any game.

In League Two, after stopping the rot against Luton midweek,

Carlisle need three points away at Mansfield to try to close

BBC Radio Cumbria will have commentary of that one,

and you can listen to a resurgent Hartlepool take on Wycombe

And two of our teams have a great chance of making it

York City have a one-goal advantage going into the second leg

of the FA Trophy semifinal against National League leaders

Lincoln, but it'll be a tough trip to Sincil Bank.

And South Shields are also a goal up against Coleshill Town,

for the sell-out second leg of the FA Vase semifinal

Let's hope it's a good weekend for them both.

Britain's biggest cycle race is returning to the North East

in September, following the success of its last visit two years ago.

The Tour of Britain, which will also go to Cumbria, is

expected to have its usual start in Scotland, while stage two

sees the peleton ride from Kielder to Blyth,

with much of the route focused on the Northumberland National Park.

Premiership rugby club Newcastle Falcons has

a new partnership with Newcastle University.

The three-year collaboration will create placement

opportunities for students, as well as allowing

the University's rugby teams to play at Kingston Park.

In return, the Falcons will have use of the University's expert medical

It's a great opportunity, the way the sport's moving, to tap into the

tremendous resource and talent, and being able to understand further the

sports science, that Newcastle University are involved in, and

their sports and science programme are of huge benefit going forward to

what we could do with our athletes. We would hope to attract elite

sportsmen who are looking for that combination of a great sports career

but also a strong academic career. And they have a perfect here, they

come to work for a world leading club and a fantastic university.

From the sport to the weather. Bit damp in the north-east, even damper

the Northwest. Very wet, very windy in parts of

Cumbria especially. Take a look at today's weather picture. The

Yorkshire coast there earlier in the day, further north though these

Northumberland lambs looked like they are enjoying a bit of sunshine,

some brief brighter spells. As we had through the rest of the weekend

it is more of the same in that there will be further rain. The worst will

be in the West. It will always tend to be a bit drier and brighter at

times in the east, and the wind will come and go at times. It will pick

up later in the weekend. Tonight we've got a lot of cloud around,

still some heavy rain as well, and through the night gradually the rain

will start to Peter that, in many places will end the night on a

drying out. The East will see the lowest temperatures, down to about

five Celsius. Temperatures under these cloudier skies, sticking at

about eight or nine further west. So that takes us into tomorrow, and

it's a mostly dry stored. They'll be decent bright spells in the morning

in the east, but again the cloud will turn to spill in as we go

through the day, and there will be rain at times during the afternoon.

But it will be nowhere near as heavy or extensive as today, and again it

is used in areas that hang on to the best of the drier weather even a

thick clouds over during the afternoon. Temperatures up on

today's figures, peaking at around about 12 Celsius tomorrow, and the

wind still coming in from the west or south-west, but nowhere near as

strong or dusty as today. So that's tomorrow; as we had through the

weekend, the same old weather front wriggles its way in from the

Atlantic, bringing spells of wet and windy weather at times before it

finally clears away to the south as we head into the new week -- working

week, and then we are into a westerly feed of sunshine and

scattered showers as we head through Monday and Tuesday. Cooler as well

as we had through the next week. In the meantime, rain in the west The

Times tomorrow, generally drier further east but a fair amount of

cloud especially in the afternoon. Yes, breezy, but nowhere near as

gusty as today. Sunday, more rain at times, again Western areas bearing

the brunt, but I think eastern areas will see rain at times. Temperatures

up the shade again, but the West to south-westerly winds strong and

dusty again on Sunday. Then we're back to sunshine and showers as we

head into next week. I was just going to say, when is the

sun coming back! Maybe next week. That's it, have a great weekend.

We'll see you on Monday. Goodbye. It was the most beautiful view

I've ever been through. For one second, I was swimming on my

back, and I was looking to the sky. I was swimming across

the Aegean Sea. I was a refugee,

going from Syria to Germany. This is my life, my career!

I did not frame him.