05/07/2011 North West Tonight

Good evening. Welcome to North West Tonight with Gordon Burns. And

Ranvir Singh. Our top story: Dream bathrooms remain a dream as a

northwest interiors company struggles and its workers go unpaid.

And we'll be hearing from one customer who has paid hundreds of

pounds for wardrobes still not built. Also:

A helping hand no more. As the public cuts are made, we look at

the people who will feel their effects most.

And that's my suit. We look into the story of a drycleaners and the

thousands of pounds of clothes no- Staff who worked for one of the

biggest names in interior design say they've been left in the dark

about what's happening to their jobs. Trafford-based HomeForm

announced last month that it was going into administration. Workers

say they haven't been paid for six weeks, but as yet haven't been

officially declared redundant. Customers, meantime, don't know

what's happening to orders for kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms

placed with the group's companies Moben, Dolphin and Sharps. Dave

Guest is with one of those customers now. This is the bedroom

that should have a Sharps fitted bedroom in it. It was a �3,000

order and this couple paid �800 deposit. No bedroom has

materialised. Shops are part of the group will announce they are going

into administration. It is not only customers who are worried, so, too,

are members of staff. Christine Davies is looking for a new job.

She worked in telesales for eight years. We were told, basically, get

your coats and Leeds. He will not be paid. We were expecting our

wages. There was no warning. Nobody is part of the Home Form Group. It

also owns Kitchens Direct, Dolphin bathrooms and Sharps Bedrooms. This

she the Act was part of the group was maximum marketing campaign.

Details of that campaign but only in favour to staff days before the

bombshell that the group was going into administration. The Sutton and,

Christine Davis joint colleagues venting their frustration. -- this

afternoon. We have got mortgages, or babies, things to pay out and we

have not had a penny. At this moment in time, the administrators

have not been officially appointed. And so they are, there is no

chances people will get the pay they are owed. Or indeed, getting

any redundancy payment. At the moment, they are in limbo.

process of appointing an administrator can take up to 12

days. During that time, the administrators will be looking

through the books and looking at which parts of the company can be

saved. Customers expecting kitchens and bathrooms will be equally

frustrated as they wait for news. Among the casualties, this

Manchester based agency. Homeform had signed a �12 million contract

with the agency in April. The loss of that has caused the agency to

cease trading, losing 11 jobs. The one possible hope in this is that

shops say they may be able to save this. Whether that is a comfort to

this man, I do not know. I am very worried. At the beginning of June,

they told me they had lots of orders that they could complete my

Since then, they have told me they cannot. By have requested my money

back four times and written to them, that it seems unlikely that I will

get my deposit back. My wife and I are and well. I do not know what

I'm going to do without getting the money back to get another fitted

wardrobe. There was no clear that there was any problem with the

company? Absolutely not. That will reveal any had five slots left at

the beginning of June and there would suit me and even though I

wanted sliding wardrobe doors. Thank you very much. That fitted

bedroom is very important to this couple because, as you can tell,

the Gentleman has sight problems and wanted his move the fitted

bedroom to get around more easily. It seems that will not happen for

Jobs at a Crewe rail plant have come under threat after managers

decided to review their UK operations. Train-maker Bombardier

cut 1,400 jobs at its Derby plant today after they lost out on a �1.4

billion contract to build carriages for the new Thameslink line. The

Crewe works, which employs 300 people, is unaffected by the

announcement, but the company says a wider review could mean potential

job losses in Crewe. Some better job news now. We've

heard a lot in recent years about call centre jobs here being lost

because companies find it cheaper to set up operations in India. Well,

now one company is reversing the trend. New Call Telecom is closing

its call centre in Mumbai and setting up near Burnley in

Lancashire because it makes For years, call-centre jobs have

flooded from the North West to India, attracted by cheap labour

and low property costs. But this company is moving the other way.

have seen real-estate prices increasing, we have seen inflation

rising quite heavily over there. Average salaries are increasing.

is relocating its customer-service centre to just outside Burnley. The

operation and Mumbai will close. One property unemployment costs

will be roughly the same, the company hopes to save money on

management fees, and accommodation and travel costs. It will hopes to

save money because on average, it says that British workers answer

customer calls quicker than their Indian counterparts. We were

surprised when it came up with the numbers. There was no hesitation.

On the streets of Burnley, mixed reviews on the town's ability to

compete with foreign-based call centres. Over there, you're paying

them about �1 a day. Over here, the minimum wage is �5 something.

say there are jobs, but people are having to work for less.

company's operation will initially employ 20 people. But with its

moves sparked others? There are half-a-dozen companies that have

moved back and there must be about another half a dozen who are

renewing the situation. Politically, it makes more sense to come back to

home, if you will. I think it will be good to support local jobs and

local people. The call centre will be up and running by August.

St Helens Council and the Five Boroughs mental health trust have

been heavily criticised after a man was found by family in a flat full

of cockroaches and flies. A joint investigation by the Health Service

Ombudsman and the Local Government Ombudsman revealed a failure to

monitor the man, who had schizophrenia, and respond to signs

he was at risk. He later died of bone cancer. The council and the

trust have accepted the findings of the investigation. The North West

MEP says he and his family felt intimidated by a demonstration

outside his home. The EDL has held a number of protests in Lancashire

recently. On Saturday, 35 people gathered outside Saj Karim's house.

The Stroke Association has had its funding heart by the NHS in

Manchester. They say that as many as 200 people in the city will be

left without the support and help the charity provides when someone

is recovering from a stroke. The NHS service had to look

carefully at the money they are investing in services, but are

improving them in other ways. It is a picture reflected around the

region. Our Health has this. It is very first -- frustrating the

fact that I have no... For Kevin, every day is frustrating. He has

lost the movement down the right side of his body. Helen is a

regular visitor. The charity she works for provides practical and

emotional support. Where would you be without the support of the

Stroke Association? I think there would be very depressed. One of the

biggest problems with any stroke survivor is that there is a

tendency to become isolated. Under this week, there were two people

doing Helen's jobs in Manchester. They worked 14 hours and saw 30

people a week. One has now judge -- 1 has now lost her job and Helen's

hours have been cut. A lot of them will be abandoned. Emissions will

be all over the place. Depression we have a massive effect. That can

have a bigger knock-on effect for the GPs. With big savings to find,

NHS Manchester faces the same dilemma as every other half a

authority in the North West. Finances come into it, that, we are

working together closely with health and social care to meet the

needs of these patients and their carers. That includes drawing up a

new patient handbook with advice and information. The stroke patient

I spoke to said that is no substitute. None whatsoever. You

cannot get help from a booklet. It will not give you advice. It is

just there. Most stroke survivors cannot get their head around a book.

For Kevin, the visits will continue for now but the charity knows it

can no longer help everyone. It is very worrying for people like

Kevin. The Stroke Association is not the only charity facing cuts.

Not all charities get NHS funding. The picture emerging is a rather

bleak one. Mind had its funding from the NHS and the council cut by

80% and have to get half their staff go. The Lesbian and Gay

foundation has closed many of their offices. St Catherine's Hospice

near Preston told us their local NHS trust is proposing to cut

around 60 fact -- �65,000 of their funding. Those are just a couple of

examples, but no doubt, plenty more A range of music events,

exhibitions and legal ceremonies have marked Tynwald Day on the Isle

of Man today. The national celebration centres around Tynwald

Hill, where the government gathered this morning to read out all recent

law changes and offer the public a chance to put forward their own

grievances. It would take a lot more than blanket rain and strong

winds to keep the crowds away from Tynwald Hill today. They were there

to be part of a ceremony which stretches back to the Viking

ancestors. Tynwald Hill behind me has been prepared of the last few

days for today. It is believed more than 1,000 years ago the first

leaders gathered here. Tynwald Hill is at the centre of things

political and culturally here on the island. As part of Today's

proceedings, the public are invited to put things forward as a petition

of deviance. Design features for a one item cannot be rectified. They

go through. It is now up to the end he each case it to look into the

issues once they have been presented. Today was also the end

of an Era or for the President. He is stepping down after 11 years at

the helm. It took me a long time. But it was time to move on. I have

made my decision and that is eight. 30 years ago this evening the

Toxteth district of Liverpool was facing a second night of fierce

rioting. The violence of 1981 and the response to it continues to

shape the character of the area. Unemployment and racism were at the

root of community anger. In a moment, Phina Orcuche presents a

personal view of the aftermath of the riots. First, Andy Gill looks

at what has changed in Liverpool over the past three decades. 30

years on and Toxteth is still extremely deprived. That's

Liverpool Council's own description. Unemployment in the Liverpool 8

ward is more than 37%. Well above the Liverpool average of 22% and

the national average of 12.5%. think it is a disgrace. It shames

the country. At the same time, we have to acknowledge the progress

that has been made. There have been improvements. A new Tesco has

created hundreds of new jobs. The biggest private investment here

since 1981. The then Government's response to the riots was led by

Michael, now Lord, Heseltine. Here on a recent visit to the restored

Garden Festival Site. He sees much to celebrate in how Liverpool's

doing now. That is what is different now. The place is alive

with people bursting with ideas. What I would say about the last 30

years is Lockwood you have done the then there and look forward with

confidence. But official figures show how far Toxteth itself still

lags behind. Two thirds of children live in poverty. In Liverpool as a

whole, it's just over one third. The national average is a fifth.

One councillor says there's a feeling nothing much has changed.

The community has been isolated. When you look at the conditions,

that will have a negative effect on anybody. People have not been able

to access jobs. There is still a lot of work to be done to change

the culture. Crime is falling in Toxteth as it is in the rest of

Liverpool, but less. In the second of her special

reports, Phina Oruche looks at what the future holds for the young

As our community was being torn apart, people had their own records

of events. The photographs are now part of an exhibition. It is the

first time these young people have seen the images. Even though I have

heard of it, why had not seen pictures. We want a better

community which is positive. It is vital that it happened. If the

mentality was still the same as back then, I do not think I would

not have got as much as I have got done. This woman has been

collecting the photographs and she is hoping the young people of

Toxteth will be able to shape their destiny. It is important for young

people today to be involved in how their community develops. They need

to develop responsibility for This community party was organised

by young people. They are involved in cleaning up and improving their

own neighbourhood. I could only say what they have done this year. They

are are converting brand new offices for local people to rent.

These were all brought in by young people. It makes me feel good. We

try to keep the area clean. We have changed and pushed forward. We want

to break the stereotype. When I started filming, I was not sure

what I would find. I did not know where all the people I used to know

well. I have seen young people from this project and a community of

volunteers show me that the heart of Liverpool 8 is still vibrant and

In tomorrow night's programme, Mossside born Coronation Street

Actor Chris Blissom reports 30 Picture the scene, the big day is

looming. You take your favourite dress or suit to the dry cleaners,

so it will look like new. You return to pick it up and it's

closed. The shop is locked. Nobody knows what's going on. It looks

like you may never get your best outfit back again. Now you know

what it's like to be a customer of The Laundry Shop in Manchester.

Jokes about being taken to the cleaners and being all washed up

are starting to wear a bit thin. One day the Laundry Shop was taking

in suits and dresses, the next it wasn't giving them back. It is

definitely closed. Inside, you can see a couple of hundreds of suits

and dresses up ready to go. On the floor among female you have urgent

messages from people desperate to get their clothes back. They say I

need to pick up my clothing. The shop on Oxford Street closed after

running into money problems. Scott Dawson can't get at the suit he

wore as best man. It was a gift from him and his wife as a thank

you. There are a few suits and dresses in there. It could be in

Scott's not alone. Desperate customers have set up a Facebook

site to coordinate their attempts to retrieve their belongings

including, in one case, �2,000 It is shocking. I can see them.

They are there. I do not think anybody knows what is happening.

Six weeks on and at last the bailiffs tell us they're hopeful

customers will get their clothes Less than two months ago he was

lifting the FA Cup for Manchester It is a great opportunity to start

off. Being in the conference is not with his club wants to be. But we

were to bring the club but back to It has been a dismal day. Top

temperature yesterday was 26 Celsius. Today, at the same time, a

dismal 16 Celsius. Feeling much cooler. A good 10 degrees cooler

than what we had yesterday. That has happened in the space of 24

hours. We have also had the cloud and rain. It was a wet start across

the Isle of Man. That has moved its way westwards. Most of it has now

moved away. It is a drier end to the day but the rain will pivot and

come back for seconds a cost parts of Cumbria and Lincolnshire as well.

You will see another band of shower and train moving in later on

tonight. Not much to differentiate with the temperatures down to about

11 degrees. He could be woken up by a rumble of thunder. Showers will

be heavy. Those may become fewer and further between later on in the

day that feeling quite dismal. Not much changing for the rest of the

Ship containers have been piled up on the quayside in Salford. But

they are no ordinary containers. As part of the Manchester

International Festival they have been turned into music boxes. They

are designed to appeal to the There have been building it full

weeks. In musical city, ship containers have never looked so

The music boxes are designed for the under-sevens. Tickets are free

but you have to book and choose to boxes to visit, depending on the

age of your child. You have completely different kinds of

artists, creating a unique environment for children to play

and participate. Does the grown-up concept translates to the people it

is aimed at? Meet our panel. The children are aged between six

months and four. First off to the What is it like? Nice. It is

squishy. Then it is off to the drum With feathers and bubbles. And the

verdict? Did you like the drums? Yes. They were amazing. Really good.

Did you think it was good? Yes. It was great. It was really different.

You did like it. What did you like? The music boxes will be at Salford

Did you get a sense does children You can follow the festival on a

liner. -- online. You'll be telling us about clouts tomorrow.

Have you ever heard of noctilucent clouds, well you have now. I will