25/02/2017 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

A former suspect in the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence

is starting a prison sentence, for his part in a drugs ring that

supplied huge amounts of cannabis to the North-East.

Neil Acourt, also known as Neil Stuart, was sentenced

Four other men, including two from Tyneside, were also jailed.

Neil Acourt was arrested in connection with the murder

of Stephen Lawrence at a bus stop in London in 1993.

He was described as the man at the top of the scheme which saw

van-loads of cannabis delivered to South Shields over

He was jailed for six years and three months for conspiracy

Four other men, including Paul Beavers from Backworth,

Tyne and Wear, and Daniel Thompson, from South Shields,

were given sentences of up to four years and nine months.

The judge, Recorder Paul Clements, told the men there are people

who can have a dramatically adverse reaction to smoking cannabis,

and at the very least it preys upon inadequate people

Acourt tried to portray himself in court as a minor player,

but was described as being at a very high level in the plot,

The scheme was busted when one of the defendants was stopped

here in South Shields with 100 kilos of cannabis in the back of his van.

Acourt's lawyer said he genuinely regrets his role

in the ?4 million conspiracy, but the judge

said the men had ensured that their efforts would have kept

the people of Newcastle area in spliffs for many a long day.

A health group is facing questions amid claims it was told to

under-report the scale of its deficit.

The Health Service Journal claims Northumberland Clinical

Commissioning Group was told by NHS England to state its deficit

as ?5 million instead of ?41 million.

The Royal College of Nursing has demanded answers.

A spokesman for the group said it's working with NHS

It says part of the deficit relates to historical issues.

Nissan's unveiled a new ?37 million press at its Sunderland plant.

It'll be used to make two-and-a-half million body panels a year.

It comes as the car maker celebrates the nine millionth vehicle to come

Visitors to Durham are being presented with some unique -

It's part of the Fire and Ice display which is back in the city

A trail of ice carvings illuminated with fire beacons has been placed

on streets and around the market square, depicting

This is the second year that we have had Fire and Ice. They have treated

some fabulous carvings this year. There are around ten sculptures on

the theme of myths and legends. the theme of myths and legends.

People can have a go themselves. Five year old Bradley Lowery,

who is suffering from neuroblastoma, was to lead the teams out at today's

game between Everton and Sunderland. Bradley, from Blackhall

in County Durham, was this week revealed to have another tumour,

this time at the base of his back. Well, sadly Bradley couldn't

inspire the Black Cats. They lost 2-0 at Everton and are two

points adrift at the bottom Also a bad day for Middlesbrough

who lost 1-0 to relegation rivals A first half goal from former

Sunderland player Patrick Van Boro do stay outside

of the relegation places though. Drama in the Football League

as Newcastle came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Bristol

City. to Portsmouth and Hartlepool's

problems deepened with a 2-1 And in Scotland, it ended

Berwick nil, Elgin 1. Here is the weather.

We will see outbreaks of rain overnight but they will start to

ease and by the early hours of tomorrow morning we were looking at

a largely dry picture. Quite cloudy. Quite a breezy start to the day

tomorrow. Dry and bright for parts of the north-east and parts of north

Yorkshire but in Cambria we will see some rain. Highs tomorrow of 11

Celsius. There's all the region's

political news, the Copeland by-election,

on Sunday Politics - Good evening. Starting with a quick

look at the satellite sequence from earlier. We started under a big

blanket of cloud but Scotland and Northern Ireland brightened up as

the day went off. Underneath the cloud in England and Wales, quite a

bit of rain at the moment, drifting southwards and East. It will

continue to do so. In the small hours the rain will become patchy,

and most will give way to the continent. There will be some

breaks, particularly to the East of Scotland, where there could be a

touch of frost. Next batch of rain into the western side of Scotland

first thing, moving east with a little snow over higher ground.

Another pulse of rain