06/02/2012 North West Tonight

Good evening. Welcome to North West Tonight with Ranvir Singh and Tony

Livesey. Our top story: Changes at the top - new board

members are imposed on the region's most beleaguered heath Trusts - but

the man who runs it stays. We'll be asking what today's

announcements means for the staff and patients of the Morecambe Bay

NHS Trust. Also tonight:

All change to proposed cuts in special needs - the Salford leader

orders a review of plans to reduce support for deaf children and the

elderly disabled in the city. No sign of Lord Sugar - but

apprentices are making a comeback and giving hope to the longterm

unemployed. Boardwalk Empire - we meet the

family who loved Blackpool's North Pier so much they bought it.

And the Diamond Queen - we remember when the newly crowned Elizabeth

visited the North West and we hear And of course we've got all the

sport with Richard. Yes we'll hear from Steven Gerrard

on Luis Suarez who could be back for Liverpool tonight, Wayne Rooney

on David de Gea and after all the games that bit the dust because of

the bad weather, are artificial pitches the future?

And we've had loads of emails on your memories of the Queen, which

we'll read at the end of the programme.

They've been given warning after warning, chance after chance to

turn things around but tonight the people who run the troubled trust

with hospitals in Lancaster and South Cumbria have been told they

alone cannot be trusted to make things better. Monitor - one of the

NHS regulators - has announced that they are appointing new people to

the trust's board - the chief executive though keeps his job.

Tonight the hospital trust has apologised to anyone who has

suffered as a result of their recent failings. Our health

correspondent Laura Yates is here now.

Make no mistake, this is the latest in a long line of stories about

this trust and is hugely significant. It is effectively

saying, we do not trust you to run this hospital alone. You need help

and now. They are putting in place an interim chair to oversee the

board. This is Sir David Henshall, former chair of NHS north-west. He

will join the trust along with a number of others to work alongside

cheap Dat -- chief executive Tony Halsall, who has refused to step

down. This now looks at the trust is in special measures. It is a

welcome and extreme over what -- intervention. For months now, this

trust has been under close scrutiny. First, its maternity services were

investigated and told to improve by many different bodies following an

inquest into the death of an infant. Then it's an -- its appointments

system. 19,000 appointments Mr because of a faulty computer. Most

recently, accident and emergency services, too few nurses on duty.

Now it says monitor, at the trust board must be strengthened. Here is

what patients we have spoken to think. I had my head down here are

a little while ago. I had a pacemaker and I have no complaints.

I have no complaints with the appointment system. In December, my

husband came to accident and emergency and she was treated OK,

shall I say, but I was not totally happy how you were sent home.

hospital trust has told us to night that they welcomed the appointments.

They say they have been working hard to improve over the last few

months that have to night apologised to anyone who has

suffered as a result of their recent failings.

Salford Council is to postpone controversial plans to reduce

support services for deaf children and close day centres for the

elderly. The council leader says its because he's been listening to

those who criticised the changes. His political opponents insist he

had more selfish motive for backtracking. Our Chief Reporter,

Dave Guest has the story. Cutting support for deaf children

and closing day centres for elderly people, proposals that were never

likely to be crowd-pleasers. A suggestion to reduce the number of

support teachers were youngsters that he AMOS From to 3,000 people

to sign up protest petition. They would struggle with work at school

because they did not have that back-up support. Plans to close

three day centres for the elder because an outcry. -- it was

somewhere be met friends and it is hard to make friends. Now the

leader of Salford Council has announced a rethink. In regard to

these issues, I think it would be a nice idea to bring parents and as

well as members to go through the issue at to see if we can move

forward with a series of recommendations as to how to move

the money most effectively. In respect of day centres, and have

asked officers to Galway and have a look at how we can best use those

buildings. For now, there will be no change for the teaching

provision for deaf children and the day centres that was that at --

that where sentenced have won a reprieve. The leader says he has

listened to people, but his opponents have think -- think he

has another motive. The Lib Dems say it is because he is running for

mayor this spring. It will not be for the well-being of people

concerned, it will be to protect his own back. In the run-up to May,

I have the responsibility of still continuing to help run the city.

Are they going to say this about every single decision I make from

now until May? Meanwhile, service users at the centre of all this

will have to wait to see what the long-term future holds.

And we will be looking at this issue over the next couple of

weeks.We'd like to hear from you if you have a child with a disability

whose support is under threat or has been reduced because of budget

cuts. Send your details to us here at [email protected].

Police say they hunting a gang of teenagers who attacked a bus in

Salford, smashing a window and terrifying passengers. A missile

was thrown through the window and the bus was left stranded as one of

the youths pressed the bus's emergency stop button.

The publishers of the Farmers' Guardian - which is produced in

Preston - have sold the title as part of a �10 million deal. 57

people are employed at the paper and its sister title the Dairy

Farmer. The new owners - Briefing Media - say they intend to invest

in the titles. A witness in the Rhys Jones murder

inquiry has been given �80,000 in compensation after his identity was

revealed by Merseyside Police. The man gave information to the police

following the 11-year-old's murder in August 2007, on the basis he

would not be identified. But his name was passed to solicitors

acting for the gang who stood trial over the killing.

Ten workers have been taken to hospital after a chemical spillage

at the Royal Seaforth Container Base on Merseyside. Three

ambulances were called to the docks at about twenty past two this

afternoon when people began feeling ill after inhaling chemical fumes.

None of the casualties is thought to be seriously affected.

With youth unemployment at record levels, it was hoped the

Apprenticeship scheme would provide real job opportunities to those who

need it most. But is it failing 16 to 24 year olds? The majority of

placements end up with over 25s. So is public money well spent? Or

should it be directed elsewhere? Here's our economics correspondent

Jayne Barrett. Darren is used to driving something

else. But for today, it is something a little bigger. After

two years out of work he finally got an apprenticeship here at this

training academy. How is it going? Great. I would like to progress

into other things, not just driving. Apprenticeships are not new, but

there is a renewed interest in them. 25% of employers offer

apprenticeships here, the national average is 17%. Two-thirds of

apprenticeships I filled by the over 20 fives. Stop arts get full

funding for Darren's training because he is under 25, but that

drops significantly for the over 20 fives. Even with the cash incentive,

they still prefer older trainees. The work ethic is not quite there.

That is something that we need to train them to get them to

understand. Here at this, they took on apprenticeships it --

apprenticeships into their sixties. Why should Government money be

spent on this age group? shouldn't it? I have had a very

successful career. Jaguar to contact more than 1000 last year,

the Cork and Manchester 11 under. The Government can only hope that

the scheme will start to have more of an impact on those who need it

most. At a time when pubs are closing

hand over fist, when the economy is showing precious few signs of any

serious growth, you might conclude the last few years have been a bad

time to run a brewery. Well, think again. The Lancaster Brewery

started life as a tiny micro brewery just seven years ago. Today

it's officially opened a brand new, expanded operation. And its beers

are being enjoyed by drinkers around the world. Peter Marshall

reports. Theirs is a different view on what

most would say have been tough economic times. Is there no

recession? We have not really seen it. Three friends launched at the

Manchester -- Lancaster a brewery in 2005. It was then cast as a

micro-brewery. Now, in a new custom-built premises, they will

rue 35,000 pints of Castile every week. How has it thrive to when the

pub and drink sector has suffered? * up blaming other people. Stop

blaming the Government. Stop blaming the smoking ban. Found the

Lord that we have one, can you imagine going back to that? There

are too many excuses. The plan now is to kick -- is not to kickback

and dressed, what they are hoping to do is double the amount they are

currently producing. They have just signed a deal to export have a

million bottles of beer for to the United States. The cast brand is

already drunk in 42 United States, as well as Fen Road -- Finland,

Denmark, Sweden and Lithuania. is one thing to go into a pub down

the road and see a beer, to think it is several miles -- several

thousand miles away and people are enjoying it, it is a great credit

to the team. From Mike origins, it is now classed as a regional brewer.

Six s in it strained economic times. Still to come: 23 G or not three g,

will be looked at the question of artificial pictures.

And the romantic tale behind the restoration of one of Blackpool's

main attractions. One couple's love story turns full circle.

Sport now. A huge match tonight. There are a lot of column inches

about the match tonight. Yes. The Uruguayan is up for

selection after his two-match ban. You would expect him to feature,

even though manager Kenny Dalglish has refused to say one way or

another. If and when he does, Steven Gerrard says it will be a

big boost. He has been missed, so the lads are looking forward to

welcoming him back. Hopefully he can help us put on to achieve the

things that we set out to achieve. I'm sure you will.

It is very foggy and Anfield tonight. There is no word weather

of the kick-off will be in doubt. Definitely worth checking the

latest news. We will have full commentary if it goes ahead.

Liverpool fans can start looking forward to Manchester to knighted

at the weekend. United fans will still be talking about the game

last night. What a game it was. Three all. On a

sour note, of Rio Ferdinand was booed by its sections of the home

crowd. John Terry is being tried for allegedly abusing his brother.

Those two dropped points now mean that Manchester City and a couple

clear at the top. 10 minutes after half-time, United looked dead and

buried. It was a sense of, let us get out of here. At full-time, the

men looked back on and never-say- die come back, which keeps their

title challenge very much alive and kicking. You need character to win

leagues. Most players in their it deserve everything beget. After

having one penalty shout waved away, they were then awarded to. Both

were converted by Wayne Rainey. The rest then it made it that pressure

tell. A. They hung on to, thanks to a couple be excellent saves. I have

seen him training. I think you would be one of the best. With

Leeds United to chasing city at the top after a good loser breezed past

Fulham in snowstorm conditions. They scored three without reply. A

comprehensive win and the only real Holloway rejected the offer for

Matt Phillips before he scored twice against Cardiff on Saturday.

Kevin Phillips scored an equaliser. The Seasiders are now in fourth

place. Burnley are still in touch with the play-off places after a

brilliant goal from Jay Rodriguez made it 1-1 against Peterborough.

There was not a single lead one or two game that beat the bad weather.

The reduced fixtures or let -- fixture list has added weight to

calls for artificial pitches. Widnes Vikings have become one of

the first team so to install a synthetic pitch. Stuart has gone to

weight up the arguments. -- to weigh up the arguments.

Some clubs experimented with plastic pitches before they were

banned. Now artificial pitches are back on the agenda.

Friday was Widnes' big night but it only went ahead because a big

investment in a new 3G i-pitch. It cost �500,000. We feel's Richie

Mathers said it cost him the skin on his knees. He tweeted his

picture and called the picture atrocious. There were a couple of

grazed knees and elbows. The conditions were not ideally suited

to playing the sport that we play. Not only was Friday paused --

Friday's match able to go ahead, but two further games and training

sessions took place on the pitch at the weekend. It will be in use

every day this week. That is attractive to a club like a kitten

-- Accrington Stanley, who are keen to install an artificial pitch.

have to look at the commercial benefits. If it helps Accrington

stay in the Football League and progress it has to be worth looking

at. We consider ourselves pioneers it, in that sense. -- pioneers, in

that sense. This is the best grass pitch on the day, every day of the

year. Traditionalists say that rugby

league should be played on real grass. But more may take a look at

artificial pitches if the weather continues this way.

You can see an in-depth report on efforts to cope with the winter

weather and artificial pitches on Late Kick Off tonight. Immediately

after that is the Superleague Show. It features action from all five

north-west clubs, including the return of Widnes to Super League

and Salford's first game in their new stadium. He was on to his agent

straight away. Why is the show not Salford and Widnes both lost at the

weekend, as did... Saints fought back against the London Broncos to

come out on top by 34-24. Last season's Grand Final runners-up ran

in five tries to overpower the Broncos.

Thank you, Richard. Peter Sedgwick loves the North Pier

at Blackpool. It has so many happy memories for him and his family

that, when it came up for sale, what did he do? He bought it.

Now his family is promising to restore the Victorian pier to its

original splendour. She is the grand old lady of

Blackpool - the town's oldest and longest pier, built three decades

before the tower and stretching elegantly a third of a mile into

the Irish Sea. In the early years, hundreds of thousands strolled the

decks. It was seen as an upper- class then you where ladies and

gentlemen could walk on water without getting seasick. -- and

upper class venue. Now there are new owners on the block. Meet the

Sedgwicks - a family committed to restoring the pier to its former

glory. For Father Peter, the purchase was a simple fulfilment of

a promise made 40 years ago. proposed to my wife on this pier.

We always used to come on the pier, and we love it, you know, it has

been something special to us. I said, I will buy you this pier

wounded. So the opportunity came along and, fate, I don't know.

The family will now have to pump millions of pounds into the pier

for it to survive into the 21st century. That includes a facelift

for the theatre and a brand new tram. We want to make North Pier

the place to come and the place to be, and we need to do a lot of

engineering work on her. We have the experts to do it. I would

always like to think that, in time, people will turn round and say,

when the Sedgwicks got hold of the pier, the really turned it round.

That would be a nice thing, maybe put it on my grave. What are you on

about, grave? You're going off the end of the pier! That is what they

It is such a romantic story, isn't it? There is more on those plans on

tonight's Inside Out at 7:30pm. I do not know whether the cranky as

well make an appearance. They were good. Bucks fizz were there as well.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex and in Lancaster's -- Lancashire as

part of a to have -- a two-day visit to celebrate the Queen's

Diamond Jubilee. To mark the occasion, British Pathe have made

pictures available of royal visits to the north-west. Kate Simms

reports on royal tours past and present.

A fitting a cape -- location for today's royal visit. The Earl of

Wessex was in blackbirds are officially open the time's new you

saw, much to the delight of these youngsters. It is great to have

been come to Blackburn. Having someone like that opening it for us,

that is pretty exciting. The Prince looked relaxed despite the

attention, but he is following the well-trodden path laid by his

mother. Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh leave Bolton

Town Hall. 1954 and the Queen visits Bolton and Bury. Her Majesty

then acknowledges the crowd's greeting. Before taking a tour of

the lilac cotton mill at Shaw. In 1957, it was the turn of Wallasey

and Chester. The Queen presented a military colours and went on to

open the County Hall. She was given a silver cigarette box, a gift from

the council. She returned with the Duke of Edinburgh and Earl Louis

Mountbatten to launch the Oriana or at Barrow ship run. In 1961 the

crowds turned out in Manchester as the Queen opened the new law courts

at Crown Square in Manchester. Down the road in modern-day

Chadderton, they were celebrating the Queen again today on this, her

accession Day. She has carried out her high sense of duty with great

big name -- dignity, stead fast resolve... And back in Blackburn,

it seems the royal visit has generated new royal fervour. It was

an honour. It is warming up to be a diamond

gear. Almost as good as your Brian Cox

impression! Whatever you feel about the snow,

it doesn't half make the region look absolutely beautiful. Look at

this shot. The Hall of the north- west looks absolutely stunning. I

am showing you these images to but are you up because we keep the same

theme this week. It will be mostly dry, fairly cloudy, but it will be

very, very cold. The temperatures rose nicely today with a bit of

sunshine. Most places are dry overnight. Snow could freeze

overnight tonight, so why is could be a problem over the tops of the

Pennines. For most of us, it is another dry night. The temperatures

are the big story again. The best place to be is the Isle of Man,

surrounded by all that water, staying a little less cold than

everyone else. Even along the coast it will be down below zero. You

will notice a little fog and mist. I think that will be around through

the rush-hour tomorrow but I do not think it will linger through the

day. The best of the sunshine will be in parts of Cumbria and

Lancashire. By late morning, the cloud has started to roll back in.

The afternoon looks fairly grey. If you have had the time -- a

temperature of minus seven-over night it will take some time to

recover. The best you can expect is four or five Celsius.

Let's talk about the Queen, we asked for your memories. Rita says,

when I was eight years old I was in hospital and my classmates wrote

letters telling me that the King had died. I still have them and the

contents are now a bit of history. Karen says, my daughter and I saw

the Queen. We saw all of the police motorbikes. She waved to my

daughter. Mike says that when he was given an

MBE, the Queen asked if it was a difficult job. She said, town-

planning and Liverpool must be a difficult task. I bit my tongue and

gave a glib response. I really wanted to say, to something right,

madam. We must just mentioned something