25/08/2011 North West Tonight

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

Dianne Oxbury. Our top story: The legacy of the looting - Police put

on show hundreds of items stolen in the riots. It is really upsetting.

Everybody in here, we treat this as our home. Now the huge task of

trying to track down the rightful owners. The Hillsborough papers -

Nick Clegg says the Government won't block the release of Cabinet

documents from the time of the tragedy.

A hole in one's story - the disablity benefits claimant, jailed

after being caught playing golf. Reasons to be cheerful, the mother

and daughter celebrating success in the GCSEs. I was aiming for a B-

grade, I did not expect an A grade. That is brilliant. And making a

rare appearance - the marsh harriers who've returned to

Cheshire. And we're live in the centre of

Manchester as a giant banner reveals just how much people love

the city. The Co-op was going to put a big Isle of Man Chester

Barnard down the side of the CIS Building but they have had a few

problems. They have other problems, too. Today they described trading

conditions as the worst in 40 years. More later.

Police say the value of goods, stolen by looters during the riots

in Manchester and Salford is likely to run into millions of pounds.

2,000 items have been recovered by detectives so far.

But they say that's just a fraction of the total number of things taken.

And more stolen goods are being seized every day, as more arrests

are made. Eleanor Moritz reports. The number of things stolen by the

looters is overwhelming. So is the potential value. TVs, alcohol and

designer clothes put on display by police in Salford today. But they

say it's a tiny proportion of what was taken. Most of this stuff has

been recovered directly as a result of arresting people, searching

their houses and recovering it from their homes. That will continue.

The jeans bear the Diesel brand, probably taken from this store, a

high-end and high-profile target of the riots. We showed the footage of

those jeans recovered by the police to the store manager today.

whole shop floor was a mess. There would jeans all over the place.

They lifted most of the stock that was laid out. It is really

upsetting because everybody in here, we treat this as our Rhone home.

Like other businesses, they will come the efforts being made by

police to return the goods stolen. If it is in saleable condition, it

will be greatly received a stop and you have had some stock back? Yes.

110 pairs of Denham were recovered. -- pairs of jeans. Altogether they

had nearly 500 pairs stolen. The shop finally had its windows

reglazed today. Like other businesses, they welcome efforts

being made by the police to return stolen goods to the businesses from

which they were taken. Alongside the designer labels are those

things which might be slightly less obvious targets for looters. Police

say they expect stolen goods to be recovered for months to come. So

far 310 people have been arrested in Manchester and Salford.

Detectives are watching internet sites and other ways the looters

may use to sell these things on. It's what Hillsborough campaigners

have been pushing for - the release of all documents relating to the

1989 disaster. And today the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, told

BBC North West Tonight that's what he wants too. An independent panel

is currently sifting through the relevant papers. But people who've

signed a petition demanding Cabinet papers are published sooner are

likely to be disappointed. From Liverpool, our political editor,

Arif Ansari. For families, friends and campaigners, the events of 1989

still hold unanswered questions. An independent panel chaired by the

Amglican Bishop of Liverpool is considering which documents should

be released. Now the Government appears to be saying they all

should. Do you hope that the independent panel agrees to the

publication of every document that they are considering? Yes. Hour

clear understanding is that is exactly what will happen. We need

the full publication of all the evidence but let's first make sure

that the information goes to the families and they can read and

absorb it before the rest of us. More than 130,000 people have now

signed a petition demanding the immediate publication of Cabinet

documents. The Government is fighting that, saying the panel

should decide. Some are disappointed, others see it as

progress. It is fantastic news for the families. I think, without me

trying to be political, this is a humanitarian issue, at least common

sense has prevailed. So what's changed? It looks like people who

signed the peririon are going to have to wait. THe independent panel

will decide on the Cabinet papers when they report next year. But

this is the first time the Government has said it hopes they

publish everything. The Moors murderer, Ian Brady, will

be questioned by police after allegedly assaulting a nurse at

Ashworth High Security Hospital in Merseyside. Brady, who has been

held at the hospital for the last 25 years, is accused of using a jug

to threaten the nurse. Brady and his partner, Myra Hindley, were

responsible for the murder of five children and teenagers in the 1960s.

A 24-hour strike by First Transpennine Express, which was due

to happen tomorrow, has been called off. Over 200 services were

affected in yesterday's industrial action. The drivers walked out in a

row over pay. �2 million worth of cocaine has

been discovered at Manchester Airport among a shipment of

vegetables. 65 kilos of the Class A drugs were found in the boxes which

had arrived from the Dominican Republic. Three men from Oldham

have been arrested and bailed. One of the region's biggest

employers is warning of a bleak future for our economy. The chief

executive of the Co-op says retailing conditions are the worst

he has seen in 40 years. The Co-op employs 6000 people in Manchester

alone. Stuart Flinders is in the city centre. How worried should

those employees be? This is the question. We were

hoping to show you a big banner on the side of the court building but

apparently it has been a bit too gusty and they have not been able

to do that. The message was partly an nod towards the riots of a

couple of weeks ago but also a statement of the Co-op's commitment

to the city and the region. There are big problems for the Co-op, too,

in an economy that they describe as the worst for 40 years.

Unfurling the I love Manchester banner turned out to be more

difficult than they'd thought. It was supposed to be draped down

the side of the giant CIS building early this afternoon. But then this

isn't the organisation's only tough assignment right now. In the first

six months of this year, underlying operating profits were down 10% to

�275.1 million. The group's Chief Executive says retailing conditions

are the worst he has seen in more than 40 years. The Co-op says it

loves Manchester, but should its staff be worried? It is not just

about a banner, it is about what we're doing for Manchester city

centre itself. We have new headquarters been built that will

house 3,500 people. The Co-op is trying to break into the

supermarket front rank, taking over the Somerfield chain. They've

teamed up with Thomas Cook to build their travel business. And they've

expanded banking by taking over the Britannia Building Society. It is

an important employer but because of the unique way they are funded

they have to be profitable. They have not made losses, they have

just come a little off of the peak they had in 2009. I think they have

a robust plan to build for the future. Tge banner's temporary. The

new headquarters, proof of a longer term commitment, opens in about a

year's time. When the new headquarters opens next year we are

told it will be the most environmentally friendly building

in the UK. I thought that was supposed to be the BBC's at Salford

Quays. We will not argue. They will have another go with the banner

tomorrow. Hopefully it will be less windy.

A benefit claimant who was meant to be in constant pain has been jailed

after secret filming revealed he was playing golf three to four

times a week. Petre Crowder was claiming Disability Allowance and

other benefits and fraudulently claimed more than �120,000. Yunus

Mulla reports. Petre Crowder was supposed to be in

constant pain and was a man who could not climb stairs or have a

bath on his own. This is what investigators discovered during

secret filming in March of last year at the �1,000 a year Hurlston

Hall Golf and Country Club in Lancashire, where he was a member.

No apparent discomfort and he could easily play for hours on an 18-hole

course. Today the former psychiatric nurse who retired

because of what he claimed was rheumatoid and osteoarthritis

arrived at court with a walking stick. At a previous hearing, Petre

Crowder admitted he had failed to declare the change in his

circumstances. Today the judge told him these were serious offences

because he had taken money from the state that he was not entitled to.

She said he knew what he was doing was wrong. At the Hurlston Hall

Golf and Country Club, he had entered 49 different competitions

and, between April 2009 and May 2010, swiped in 151 times. By

October 2010, he had claimed around �20,000 in disability allowance and

mobility and care payments. portrayed himself to be a very

poorly man. He stumbled and use a walking stick full-time. Clearly,

the video evidence showed us totally different. The 51 year-old

has repaid the amount he fraudulently claimed but he had

lost his good character and showed no integrity. Petre Crowder was

sentenced to six months in prison. Still to come in North West

Tonight: John Lennon's famous sleep-in protest gets a modern

twist in Liverpool.And life after injury for the former Manchester

City Captain Paul Lake. He's live in the studio.

30 years ago Jane Alty collected her O-level Maths results from

school. She scored a C. Not bad, but she always believed she could

do better. And today came her chance to prove it. Jane sat her

GCSE Maths paper this summer and went back to school this morning to

discover how she fared. She was joined by her daughter, Heather,

and a whole load of other teenagers who were picking up their results,

too, as our chief reporter, David Guest, explains.

GCSE results day at Our Lady's Catholic High in Fulwood. It's

always an emotional roller-coaster. Parents are sometimes on hand to

offer comfort or congratulations. But this mum and daughter were

equally nervous as they arrived because they were both collecting

results. Teenager Heather would discover how she'd feared in GCSE

modules and mum Jane would collect her GCSE Maths results. She had

studied with help from the school and an online programme called My

Maths. The last time I opened a maths result was a grade C. I am

hoping to achieve better than a C grade. I have an A grade. I did not

expect that. That is brilliant, absolutely fantastic. What about

you, Heather? I have got a grades. I got a distinction. I am pleased.

All day grades and B grades. They weren't the only once celebrating

here today. We were up to 51% for five GCSEs including English and

maths. We have worked harder on our teaching and learning and raising

standards overall and the pupils have responded really well to that.

Some people say that their GCSEs are much easier than the old or

Greg Mathis. What does someone with it is a ball think? The teaching is

different now. The pressure is now going to be on heather for next

year presumably? I hope she gets an A *. I would like to say well done

to my niece. If and I would like to add my

grotto -- my granddaughter in, who did exceptionally well.

Where's the best place to stage a protest?

From the comfort of your bed, of course. John Lennon taught us that

in 1969, and the spirit of the bed- in is alive and well in Liverpool

today. More than 100 turned out this afternoon to show their

support for the Surestart centre at Dovedale Primary which is

threatened with closure. Now, try to "imagine" who is supporting the

campaign. Naomi Cornwell reports. OK, it might not be the real John

Lennon but this is the real primary school that he attended. And today,

many Johns in the making sure the spirit of resistance. Be sure if --

the Sure Start centres here is one of many threatened by cuts, even

though it is used by hundreds of children parents. They get support

and they get to meet other parents. They are making friendships and

networks outside the centre, which is bought -- which is what it is

all about. The centre was opened less than a

year ago by Yoko oh no, and today she sent a message of support.

is very much in the spirit of me and John and our Rhone bed-in. --

are drawn... Outside there was a peaceful march

by parents worried about what they will do without the centre. It is

on our doorstep and we need it open. It is very important because,

financially, we cannot go out and get anything without paying for it.

The consultation on the proposed closure will begin in September and

parents will be able to give their point of view before the council

makes a final decision. Manchester City appear to have that

tougher draw the Manchester United in the Champions League. It is

City's first time in the competition. Manchester United have

Sir Alex Ferguson will be giving his reaction to that drop when he

speaks to the BBC for the first time in seven years tomorrow. He

has banned the BBC from his press conferences since 2004 but had that

change of heart after discussions with the Director General.

And he is very welcome to be interviewed on this programme any

time. From Barcelona to Blackburn, it's certainly been a road less

travelled for young midfielder Ruben Rochina. But, after scoring

his first goals for Rovers, could the Spaniard help Steve Kean's men

survive in the Premier League? Liam O'Donoghue reports on last night's

Carling Cup action. Bought from Barcelona's B team,

Ruben Rochina destroyed Sheffield Wednesday with two goals in the

opening four minutes. Rovers manager Steve Kean praised his

performance as exceptional. Kean's latest signing, David Goodwillie,

latest signing, David Goodwillie, acquired from slightly less

glamourous Dundee, hit the third as Rovers won for the first time this

season. Everton also enjoyed their first victory. Richard Cresswell

gave Sheffield United an early lead, but minutes later the same player

equalised when he deflected Jack Rodwell's shot into his own goal.

Victor Anichebe's first goal for 15 months put Everton ahead, and Mikel

Arteta made it three after good work from 17-year-old wunderkind

Ross Barkley, who has just been called into the England Under-21

squad. Macclesfield took a shock lead at

Bolton, but on his Wanderers debut, Turkish star Tuncay equalised with

a superb volley. He also set up the winner for Bulgarian Martin Petrov.

Liverpool won easily at Exeter, with goals from Luis Suarez, Maxi

Rodriguez and Andy Carroll. We constantly hear about the

astonishing amounts that Premier League footballers are played but

we rarely hear about those who have to retire because of injury. Paul

Kane has written a book about his incredible life. Let us talk about

this book. I want to clear up the title. One reviewer said it was a

terrace chant and another says it was a remark that a photographer

made. It is the photographer. I was made. It is the photographer. I was

having a picture taken and it was the 4th team picture and I was not

going to be involved in. I was going to be anywhere but on the

picture. I felt in my head, I am not really here. It fitted with the

book totally. This book is all about how you had it all in front

of you, you were captain of Manchester City, you were agape --

a great player. We have one of your goals to show you. Predicted to be

a captain of England and then, of a captain of England and then, of

course, tragedy struck. I don't know whether you can bear to watch

it but we have the final moments of your career. It was basically all

over then, though there were a few more years when you try to get back.

That is right. I struggled for two years to get fit. That injury

happened after eight minutes and I was told I had a sprained knee,

which sounds remarkable but that was what it supposedly was. I

battled to get fit and spent over a year in a rehabilitation centre in

Shropshire to get fit but it was not to be. The injury that you

endured and the operations, how many? 15 in total. In the end, Your

Career ended and you ended up depressed. How much -- how hard was

it for a manly man in a man's game to admit you were suffering a

mental illness. We would laugh and joke among the guys about the next

week's game. I paid lip-service to them, be sick with. In my head

under my heart I wanted to be anywhere else but there. One match-

days it was so hard that I never watched the games. I could not look

at the pitch any more. I had to watch on TV. That was how hard it

got. It would take me all morning to get out of bed, build up the

courage and concede a game. How did you come through in the end? Was

then a moment we you thought, I have to do something? I was found

by the police on a motorway bridge. I was not contemplating anything

serious but I was watching the world go by and the police came

along and said, are you OK, sir? It surprised me that they thought I

was compelled -- contemplating suicide. I went to see my doctor

and spent the next four or five and spent the next four or five

months in the Priory. It all worked out in the end because you became a

fully qualified physio. You're working at Manchester City, and

what are timed to be working there. Incredible.

We also hear you on BBC Radio Manchester. You have an infectious

personality there. On the strength of the weather

forecast I left my washing out. Was Do you know where you went to court

I have one in the wardrobe. Hang on to it. Let us look at what

is going to happen over the next two or three days. Low pressure is

circling around the UK at the moment. Luckily for us, we're going

to miss out on a lot of the heavy rain coming for Friday. Low

pressure eases away by Saturday. Finer conditions on Sunday. The

temperatures are very disappointing for the time of year. We may see

lower temperatures than this in many places. Tomorrow morning will

start off mostly dry and bright. Then heavy rain on the other side

of the Pennines begins to come in our direction by mid-afternoon.

Some showers at first then heavier spells of rain. This is what the

temperatures look like for the bank holiday weekend. Gordon, do you

know where you went to court is? I asked about the washing and she

never answered it. That is an excellent weather presenter.

Nobody would know better than you. Next, they are rarer than golden

eagles and will only breed in the finest of environments. A pair of

marsh harriers have returned to Cheshire to nest. They were first

spotted last year before taking their three chicks to Africa for

the winter. Now they're back and there are two new additions to the

family, as Nina Warhurst reports Hidden in these reeds, two little

chicks that make a big statement about Cheshire's natural

environment because their parents are very fussy about where they

breed their young. They will grow up to be marsh harriers like this.

In 100 years of tracking the county's wildlife, it is the only

The marsh harriers are vulnerable so the exact location of them has

had to be kept top secret. The Wildlife Trust is adjusting this

spot not just to attract more Harriers but all sorts of wildlife.

Look at this - last winter the trust simply dug a hole here.

Already these reeds are attracting dragonflies and frogs. It's the

kind of work being done across 8000 hectares in Cheshire, and the

harriers' decision to return is a sure sign it's paying off. Those

chicks that will go up in a few weeks' time will be back here in a

few years. That is our challenge - to create the space and the

habitats for them to nest where they wanted. To come back on?

exactly. -- to come back home? while we were there, another sign

of the vitality of Cheshire's wildlife. It is really exciting to

see a red kite. That is the first sighting in this part of Cheshire.

The Trust says it's about pulling together pieces of the jigsaw. The

more they adopt land like this, the more chicks like this will return

to call our region home. They are pretty. And remarkable to

see. And crypt -- congratulations on

your debut on north-west Tonight. Sitting down for half an hour is