27/10/2011 North West Tonight

Good evening. Welcome to North West Tonight. Our top story. A tragedy

waiting to happen. Cockle pickers are rescued for the second time

this week, this time they were in a boat bought on eBay. The five

Polish fishermen are safe now but we ask what can be done to stop

people risking their lives again. Face to face with the City Council.

The people of Liverpool protest over �50 million of budget cuts.

Our diabetes timebomb. More than 15,000 people diagnosed in the

north-west in a single year. The mystery of the missing paintings.

What happened to these works by Valette let. And we are on the red

carpet as Bollywood comes to Blackpool. Another day, another

near disaster off the coast of lith p as the scramble to harvest

cockles continues. The local lifeboat rescued five men last

night. It transpired they had bought their boat on eBay. Today,

there were more calls for tighter controls on the activitys of

cocklers and for better checks to ensure only experienced fishermen

venture out into the Ribble estuary. Our chief reporter has been

following the developments. Home safely back to shore for these

cocklers returning to Lytham this morning. These have become every

day scenes on the shoreline, as hundreds flock to harvest the

Ribble estuary's precious crop of cockles. But this has become almost

a daily scene too. The local lifeboat was called out yet again

last night when a group of cocklers got into difficulties. Tfrsn't the

most seaworthy vessel. They bought it on eBay. It sounds as if they

weren't familiar with the area and the conditions they would be using

it in. Five lads in a bolt bought on eBay a few days ago. Not

seaworthy. Went out there, even missed the cockle beds and what we

have been saying for weeks now, there is going to be a fatality.

The list of tragedies narrowly avoided has become too long to

recite. Among seasoned fishermen returning to shore there was

frustration at the exploits of the inexperienced. It is crazy. They

want to get it sorted out. There is too many people taking risks. It is

not regulated enough. There is regulation, to an extent. Any

harvesting cockles should have a permit. To get a permit you have to

provide the authorities with proof of your identity, and your home

address. You then are sent on a day's training course. You go on

the waiting list for a permit and it is long. If you applied today it

would be 2014 before you stood a chance of getting one. The problem

is, too many of the people heading out there don't have a permit.

Don't have any experience. And don't really have any clue of what

they are getting into. So, with the rules being breached, has the time

come to close the beds? I would certainly hope it won't come to

that, but as I say, the great majority of the people out there

are operating safely. They are earning a good living. Officers

from the council are due to meet with the Fisheries Minister next

week to call for tighter controls. There are obviously lots of

questions that need answering. We have been calling the Fisheries

Minister every day asking him to speak to us but he has not been

able to give us an interview. We will keep tryingful If you think

the cut are bad wait until next year na. Is the message from

Liverpool City Council. A council which has already been one of the

worst hit in the country. Right now, members of the public are getting

the chance to quiz councillors about how the cuts are going and

where they are heading to. With tough decision ahead the council

says it wants ideas. Our economics correspondent is at Liverpool Town

Hall for us, is this a genuine search for ideas or a PR stunt do

you think? It is about ideas but it is also about transparency, they

need people onboard. They need to explain the reasons be hien it. Not

everybody here is cynical about it. But inside 200 people are being

given the chance to grill council leaders about the cuts and where

they will fall in the future. A kind of Question Time if you like.

So let us just look at the scale of the task ahead. They have had to

make �91 million worth of cuts in this financial year. Next year,

another �50 million worth of cuts. The year after that, another �1

million worth, and the year after that, up to up to 2015 another �33

million. In total �193 million worth of cuts they will have to be

found in the next few years. The council leader told me that you

know, things are going to feel difficult as those decisions get

more difficult to make. Last year we are trimming the fat, this year

we are into muscle and real pain. We have said all along things from

the council's point of view will never be the sames in terms of how

we operate, we are looking at taking �50 million out of a small

amount of money we have to spend. It means we won't be able do some

of the the way we have done them before. Talk us through that.

Behind that �193 million that you mentioned are real service, real

people. Exactly. They believe that more people are going to feel the

impact of this, and they will feel the pain. More than they have

already. We caught up with some of them inside a few moments ago.

main concern is I'm a carer. We get 20 hours a week break, for my

swhorpbgs is 36, suffers from mental health and learning disables.

If they cut that, then he won't be going out with anyone,ly have no

social life at all. My concern is over my daughter going to daycentre.

To go on the transport and I want to know is it going to increase

each time because she won't have any money to live on. It is the

youth that needs the money. And needs the backing, they have to

have a future. If u you neglect them it will be at your peril.

what cuts might we expect in the coming years? Council tax frozen.

The Government likes it. Can they afford do that in future? Probably

not. This council has saved 22 libraries, can they afford to

protect them in future? Probably not. The weekly bin service, they

will have to look at that. They have closed three nursery, four

Sure Starts are under review so big changes in the coming years. Back

to you in Manchester. Thank you. A Facebook tribute page set up in

memory of a teenager from Wirral who died after slipping from a

railway station platform has been targeted by internet trolls.

Offensive messages were posted on a site dedicated to Georgia Varley

who died after Liverpool's James Street station on Saturday night. A

memorial to Georgia Varley, and friends paying their respects at

James Street station this afternoon. A beloved daughter and grandaughter.

And a much missed classmate. Looking at the number of notes that

have been left here it is clear that Georgia Varley was a very

popular girl indeed. This one for instance from a friend says words

cannot describe how much I miss you already. Another one says "Rest in

peace Georgia, a girl who never stopped smiling." And then there

are the many floral tributes including these from her family.

All of them expressing grief at the loss of Georgia and many more of

course from her friend and classmates. This one from Rachel

which says to Georgia, you are the best person I have met and I will

never forget you. These are in stark contrast to those left by so

call trollers on Facebook. Many of them too insensitive to repeat.

think there is a lot of envy sometimes about memorial Facebook

pages or websites because usually it is people saying this person was

wonderful, we really loved them and we are going to miss them. If you

are someone who has grown up unloved, unwant and ignored. That

really can strike a chord with you. You can feel a deep envy and anger

The number of messages show the trollers are in the minority.

Elsewhere in the news from round the north-west. The break way

football club FC United have won planning permission for a new

stadium in North Manchester. The 5,000 seater facility will be built

in Moston near Newton Heath. The club hopes to move there by next

September. The Preston MP Mark Hendricks says going ahead with job

losses at BAE Systems could force another recession. The future of 11

of the region's nigh clubs hangs in the balance as biggest the biggest

club operator goes into admission. It runned Liquid, Lava Ignite and

Love Social, three of which are in res on the. It says all of the

clubs will stay open wheen a buyer is sought. Virgin Trains are

planning to add thousands more seats to their trains. It is after

the Government extended their contract to operate on the West

Coast Main Line until December next year. New trains will be scheduled

and more carriages added to existing trains. Next, more than

1,000 homes in Wythenshawe are still without heating or ho water

after a burst water main flooded gas pines Sunday. Engineers have

drained 50,000 litres from the system and they have been giving

out electric heaters and hot plates but many residents are struggling

to cope. It is another breakfast under the quilt for the six McCabe

children huddled round a portable heart. Their mum has been

struggling to feed them with no gas and one small hot plate. The kids,

they don't understand, they are having takaways, McDonalds, chipy,

everything. Jam butties. A nightmare. Currently we have 17 in

that area. Down the road at the National Grid incident room they

are trying to recorrect Carrie and hundreds of other families. Over

200 have the gas back on but engineers have to check and gain

access to 1500 properties and pump out the water that has got in. That

is a mammoth job. This is the low point where the water from the

burst main has flowed down to, they pumped out 6,000 litres from the

main system from this house alone. But they have more to get. An uing

cup full of water can stop the gas supply going to that property. So

the time to remove that water is taking a lot longer than we would

have anticipated but we are working continually to pump that out now.

Waltzing Matilda say their investigation show the water main

burst at a point where a new gas main had been laid an inch away.

National Grid say nay will carry out their investigation but their

priority is getting customers reconnected. For Carrie that can't

come too soon. I can't wait. If you are overweight, over40, from an

ethnic minority or you have a family history of the illness you

are at greatest risk of diabetes. There has been a rise in the number

of people diagnosed in the north- west. In the past year more than

15,000 people have dn told they have the condition. It could put

further pressure on the NHS. Jonathon Trubshaw has had diabetes

for 15 years. He is being treated at the Royal Liverpool Hospital, a

centre leading the way in developing new types of care.

wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. It really does take over your life,

it does change what you can do and decide effects are serious. I am

grateful I have got on top of it. The pump is allowing me to put

those side effects to one side and concentrate on living rather than

worrying about it all the time. 15,000 people were diagnosed last

year, that takes the number of people in the north-west with

diabetes to round 350,000. The rise is mainly in cases of type 2

diabetes, which accounts for round 90% of all diagnoses. You look at

any of the risk factors which leads to mortality from cardiac diseases

to smoking, it is on the way down. Diabetes and obesity are on the way

up. It is spiralling out of control. It is very worrying. Patients and

families are ultimately suffering because of this disease, and I

think we, as professional, and the Government have to take it very

seriously now. Today a health check roadshow was held in Oldham to

raise awareness of the condition. It is a paper base questionnaire.

People who are overweight, over the age of 40, and have a large waist

measurement, plus family history as well are at risk. With the rise in

cases comes a rise in cost to the NHS. Doctors say prevention is the

only answer. And still to come: Friends of ours. The Bury band

Elbow back home for a gig at Manchester Cathedral. And glamour

on the golden mile, Blackpool gets a taste of Bollywood. I think I am

going to faint. She is so beautiful. I am so shocked how beautiful she

is. Hurs is -- hers is a story of struggle, strength and spirit.

Rachael Wakefield was ill from the age of 13. Her lungs failing she

spent much of her life on oxygen. 1 months ago she had a double lung

transplant, something she had waited so long for. At first all

was well but more recently she had been in and out of hospital.

Unfortunately, Rachel died last night with her family at her side.

But her legacy lives on. Because after hearing her story, thousands

of people signed up to the Organ Donor Register. Our health

correspondent look back on a remarkable young life. Brave,

determined and inspiring. Because of Rachel and all she did, said and

wrote about her illness. 20,000 people signed up to be organ donor,

the legacy she leaves difficult to put into words. Rachel was poorly

from the age of 13. Her lungs were badly damaged and slowly failing.

By the time she was 21 he was on the transplant list. I try and

think about it as I'm not wishing for someone to die, someone is

going to die. Why shouldn't something positive come out of a

tragedy? Just days later the hospital found a donor, and Rachel

was given new lungs. What was it like for you that moment when you

first woke up after having had that transplant? I was just thankful to

be alive, more than anything. Didn't believe it had happened at

first. It is just amazing. I can breathe. There is no struggle.

There is no effort. I can breathe and talk and walk at the same time.

Nice big strides if you can. Slowly she grew stronger. But then she

became poorly again, and was in and out of hospital as her lungs

struggled. Last night Rachel died, her family beside her, she was 23

years old. Her mum and dad today described her as a very special

person and a daughter to be proud of. She may only have been a young

woman nay said, but we believe her legacy will live on in the many

more people who will benefit from a transplant because of what she did.

So cruel isn't it what life can do. But our thoughts are of course with

her parents. Now, when The Lowry art centre started planning a new

exhibition by the Manchester impressionist Adolphe Valette

something stranged happened. A curator stumbled on an envelope of

paintings of no-one knew economisted. The trouble is they

cannot be found. Adolphe Valette is better known as LS Lowry's art

teacher. Some of the paintings showing Manchester a century ago

are on display at the Art Gallery but now the Frenchman has his own

exhibition at The Lowry. It is a chance to see works that aren't

normally on public display. But still, there is something missing.

Some of his work has vanished. When the exhibition's curator travelled

to America to view one of the paintings, the owner mysteriously

handed her an envelope. I found amazing photographs of paintings by

Valette, but quite extraordinary, most of these paintings have

disappeared. In 1912 Valette existed at the Walker Art Gallery

and exhibited a painting called Dover Street. This could be Dover

Street. They would have loved to have thoen the pictures but they

may be lost forever. There was a house fire at his house in or

before 1928. That house was in or near ard wick Green. Obviously a

lot of paintings pre192 were explained which could explain why

they have never turned up. reputation is on the up. There is

talk of a major exhibition in Paris, if you have one of the missing

picture, Cecilia would love to hear from you. -- pictures. Stunning

stuff there. Football and the Blackburn Rovers manager says his

team can get into the Carling Cup final after watching them battle

through to the last eight. Manchester City and Liverpool also

won through to the quarterfinals last night. Everton were knocked

out by Chelsea and for Rovers it was a much-needed victory. The side

got the better of Newcastle 4-3 in extra time thanks to a winner. He

was the world's biggest cinema star making the equivalent of �3 million

a year in his day. His funeral attracted 150,000 piem, that was

more than twice the population of warring to be. His carefully honed

image woufz a bumbling working class hero. Tonight a new

documentary about George Formby reveals he was far from being the

simple boy next door. The plot mace have been simple but the star

certainly wasn't. One of George's more unlikely fans is Frank Skinner.

He is in awe of his talent for the bangolele. Almost every fan plays

the ukulele, it is an interactive activity. George Formby was born in

Wigan into a show business family. His father was a huge music hall

star. But Formby junior's success was in the movies. He was a massive

film star. He made about 20 movies in between 1934 and 1946. He used

to get about �35 ,000 a film which is about 1.5 million quid so he was

big time. It was his wife and manager Beryl who sent his career

sky high. She insisted he dropped his father's clothes. Insisted he

wore evening suit. Insisted he put the ukulele in his act, so his act

was different from that of his father. From 1924 on wards, George

went up-and-up and up. Today the tunes remain as catchy as ever,

even who a modern twist. # What happened to that nasty man

# So pally with the tally van # Oh, oh, oh

# Bin Laden # You can see Frank Skinner on BBC

Four at 9.00. From a star of the big screen from yes ter year to a

modern day movie star. The red carpet was roll odd in blal for one

of Bollywood's bigger celebs Karena Kapoor who has appeared in more

than 40 films including the latest blockbuster Ra One. He was here to

unveil her new waxwork in Madame Tussauds. The report has some flash

photography in it. It is bigged at Bollywood's most ebg pensive movie.

Ra One hits smain screens this week. -- billed. Now one of the stars of

the movie has brought Bollywood to Karena Kapoor's last three films

are among the top five bl wood blockbusters of all time. We came

from Bradford all the way. We took the first train in the morning. We

have been here since 8.00. thought of being immortalised is

scary. But now there is two of me in this world, which is just

extremely humbling, and you know, such a big honour. When she agreed

to launch her figure we were over the moon. I was dancing round the

office. It's a great success for us. This exhibition is travelling round

the world. It goes to Bangkok, Shanghai and New York, so it is

going all over. The star missed the Toronto premier of her new film to

travel to Blackpool. The people are so warm here. It is like home away

from home. She is so beautiful. I am shocked how beautiful she is.

heart is beating so fast right now. I think I am going to faint. They

have a couple of months to recover before the waxwork sets off on a

world tour in January. It is all a bit racey. I think they melted down

Dave Guest's waxwork! Staying with show business and Elbow are at

Manchester Cathedral for a home coming gig. They are performing

alongside the Halle Youth Choir ahead of their concert they have

been visiting the places and people who inspired them, including the

Tem le Bar. When we won the Mercury, it didn't feel like we had won it

until we came here. There was a lot of peed we didn't know who heard

the news and when we came in with the award, we got a standing

ovation, and then it started to sink in I think what happened.

was Jo Whiley speaking to them. It is a worth a listen. There is a

theme going here. We have had holed wood star, Bollywood stars. Pop

wood star, Bollywood stars. Pop stars. Weather stars. Can't see the

connection. Yesterday we saw 6.8 hours of sunshine. Today, we saw

none at all. Don't you worry tomorrow, we are back on track and

I wouldn't be surprised if we saw six or seven all over again. In

between we do Valette rather chilli night in store. -- chilly. The rain

today has moved away, it is going up over the Pennines and you can

see it over the next couple of hour, and the region becomes almost dry.

As we get into the early hours of the morning, the map will start to

lighten in parts and that is where it will thin and break. This can

cause one or two problems because the temperature also start to fade

away. If you watch it it is not going to spread everywhere. It will

take time before the clear weather comes through and it won't be

bothering too many people. So three or four is the minimum temperature.

Five or six in towns and cities and maybe an eight or nine on the

coastal strip. There could be mist and fog tomorrow morning and that

breeze is light so it might linger for an hour. If you watch as the

sun comes up the cloud cover isn't there, and a few spots here and

there will start to thin and break. Look at this. This is almost wall-

to-wall sunshine. Yes you can imagine a bit of patchy cloud will

develop but for the most part it is a core bon copy of yesterday, which

was a nice day. With a light breeze temperatures will be the same as

day, 12 and 13 but the sunshine makes the difference. The outlook

for the next couple of days, through the weekend your

temperatures are mild. That is the positive thing to say. But the

weather itself is unsettled. But at the init looks like the rain comes

through in the overnight period. There is room for change. We need a

red carpet for you! We have been getting reaction on the come hers

story. Dennis saying don't forget the lifeboat which has been working

very hard. They all depend on donations so don't forget that.