29/08/2012 North West Tonight

Good evening. Welcome to North West Tonight. Our top story: �50,000 on

offer from Greater Manchester Police if you can help them catch

the two fugitives they say launched a fatal gun and grenade attack.

anonymous phonecall is all it takes. We'll pay �50,000 for that

information if it leads to the arrest of Cregan and Wilkinson.

follow the huge police operation looking for the pair. Also in the

programme: The family from Lancashire gunned down in Pakistan:

two years on, relatives call on David Cameron for justice. With the

Paralympic Opening Ceremony just hours away, we take a look at the

North West's medal hopefuls. And all shook up over the good book, as

Elvis's bible goes up for auction �50,000 could be yours for making

just one phone call. The catch is: you need to know the whereabouts of

two of Britain's most wanted fugitives. Greater Manchester

Police put the cash on the table, literally, today as they continued

their search for Dale Cregan and Anthony Wilkinson. The pair are

wanted in connection with gun and grenade attacks which left one man

dead. Our Chief Reporter, Dave Guest has more. Dale Cregan and

Anthony Wilkinson are fugitives with a bounty on their heads. And

this is the bounty - �50,000 for information which leads to their

atest. The police put the cash on show today in the hope of tempting

someone to speak out. You don't have to come to the police station

or court. Just information leading to their arrest. One anonymous

phone call to Crimestoppers, that's all it takes and we'll pi �50,000

for that information if it leads to the arrest of Cregan and Wilkinson.

The police believe this is Cregan and Wilkinson, launching a gun and

grenade attack in a house on Droylsden on August 10th. Earlier a

similar attack left David Short dead outside his home. Mr Short's

son Mark was shot dead in May. Detectives want to talk to Cregan

about that as well. The search for them now involves hundreds of

police officers, including some from other forces. There's been a

series of raids and other high- profile police activity in the

Clayton and Droylsden areas, but as yet no sign of the pair. We believe

they are hiding somewhere, either in Greater Manchester or somewhere

close by. Therefore, we were asking people, in Greater Manchester, do

you know who is holding them? Do you know who is hiding them? Do you

know who is helping them stay out of sight? Of course it is far from

usual for police to literally put reward money on the table in this

way but this is a far from usual case. They are stressing that if

anyone has information but they are afraid, well they can give that

information anonymously to Crimestoppers. One anonymous phone

call which leads to the arrests of Cregan and Wilkinson, and the money

is yours. A A suspected armed robber who went

on the run from a Manchester Airport has been arrested in

hospital. Anthony Morrison had into the airport on 6th July but fled

from police who were there to arrest him in connection with a

robbery. He was Griffin to North Mnch General Hospital after being

shot in the chest. A bike that fim Hinds, a gold medal winning cyclist,

had his bike stolen from his house in south Manchester.

He won gold alongside Jason Kenny and Sir Chris Hoy.

Multi-million pound refurbishment plans for a pier on the Isle of Man

won't go ahead for five years. Development plans for the Queen's

Pier in Ramsey intrpbt considered in the Government's Capital

Programme. They say it isn't a high enough priority.

Police in Crewe are appealing for information after they found some

cannabis plants. We'll tell but that in a minute, before that we'll

talk about the relatives of a Lancashire family who were killed

in Pakistan more than two years ago. Tania Yousaf and her parents

Mohammed and Parvlaz, from Nelson in Lancashire, were shot dead by an

armed gang in Gujarat two years ago. It's emerged today that Prime

Minister David Cameron has taken a personal interest in the case. He

has written to Pendle MP, Andrew Stephenson, who raised concerns

about the delay in tracking down the killers. Mohammed Yousaf, his

wife Parvlaz and his daughter were shot dead as they visited the grave

of a relative in Pakistan. More than two years on, their family and

friends welcome David Cameron's intervention but they are not

convinced it'll help bring the killers, who are still on the run,

to justice When we really needed him, there was nobody there.

Now they are paying that they're hoping that they can do something,

but after so long, is it possible for them to do something? It was

the death of another woman, Furkaz Begum last year, that called for

the Prime Minister to intervene. In a letter he said the minister

responsible for Pakistan, met the Pakistani High Commissioner on 5th

July and raised this issue. The High Commissioner reported that the

authorities in Pakistan were working on a simple letter process

of dealing with these kinds of cases. To the disappointment to the

family he adds, "This is a matter for the Pakistani authorities and

we cannot interfere in the legal processes of another country." The

letter was sent to Pendle MP, Andrew Stephenson.

It is very important we have political pressure from the top and

a British Prime Minister is saying to the Pakistani officials - this

is a very concerning case, there are four murders of British

citizens here and both these cases need looking into seriously.

family is devastated. They appreciate the fact they are trying

to help, but is it false hope? The Pendle MP will raise the case with

the Prime Minister again next week, in a meeting that's hoped will keep

up the pressure on the British Government to do more. Thieves have

sunk low, Des kaithing graves in a East Lancashire cemetery to steal

slabs. Police describe the crime as

"despicable. It seems nowhere is sacred in the

search for stone. 12 family vaults at Haggate Burial Stkpwround had

layers of York stone paving slabs stripped from them. -- burial

ground. As you can see, this is what a normal grave should look

like, covered in pebbles. This is what has happened. This grave has

been desecrated where the flag stones have been removed and this

is the can't people have left it. In it's an be a shrout disgrace.

This has been no spur of the moment crime. The thieves have walked

through the graveyard, ignoring any of those with modern concrete slabs

on top of them and zeroing in only on the stone they can sell.

Reputable stone dealers like this reclammation yard in Preston, say

stone theft is a growing problem. In the last 20 years the price of

York stone has quadrupleed. At �150 a metre a backstreet dealer will

probably pay �25 a metre. A couple of metres you have �50. Four metres

you have �100. People are going to steal it. They abide by the

industry's salvo code, not buying stone from anyone if there is the

slightest suspicion of it being stolen and taking registration

numbers of vehicles used but thieves will search out

disreputable dealers, little thought for the thurt they cause.

To be honest, I'm quite appalled that anybody would do a thing like

this to a grave. To me it's a very sacred place and also, you have to

imagine what the families are feeling, when they come and see

that a grave like this has been desecrated in this way.

Police have appealed for anyone with information to contact them.

Police in Crewe are appealing for information after they found 10

large cannabis plants growing in woodland in Oakhanger. Officers had

to fight their way through six foot high bracken to get to the plants.

They say someone must have been visiting the site regularly to tend

to them. More than 30 families in Cumbria have been warned it could

be months before they can return to their homes after freak flooding.

Residents at Dalton-in-Furness had to be moved out after sewage flowed

into their homes following an inch and half of rain in less than an

hour. It's three weeks since Steven Conway had to watch a torrent of

rain water and sewage flow into his home. That was where the fridge was.

This is where we had a tail and chairs. Most of Steven's

possessions down stairs were ruined after the freak flooding. An inch

of rain in 15 minutes. He and his mother are now living in temporary

accommodation. We tried to stop the flow of the water but tpwaufs

rising that quickly and coming in that hard, we couldn't stop it. We

gave up in the end. Things were floating around. Steven believes it

could be Christmas before he and his mother could return to their

home. He is not the only one affected. About 40 people have come

to a meeting here at the Drill Hall this afternoon, to get answers as

to how the flooding happened. just not on.

Residents heard how a storm pumping station had to be switched off for

safety, but leaving it on, wouldn't have stopped the flooding. The

water highways and electricity agencies all sent people along to

the meeting, but no-one could say it wouldn't happen again. Everybody

just wants to bounce off facts and figures but not actually say - we

are going to solve it now. living with my son and family

fortunately, because otherwise I would have to go into rented

accommodation which I don't want to do. He didn't say anything that

would reassure you, for a kick off. He just said things we already knew.

I think today's meeting was a chance to help people going through

the grieving process to what has gone on with their lives. Perhaps

we can plan for the future. Steven is able to get into his home now,

he just can't live there. Still to come:

The great American drive-in comes to Manchester, all in the name of

art. # Shuffle to the left

# Shuffle to the right... # And all shook up over the good book as

Elvis's Bible goes up for sale in Stockport. How much does your local

councillor get paid? Well, the answer is quite different amounts

depending where you live. New figures compiled by the Taxpayers'

Alliance show Manchester City Councillors are the second-best

paid in England, behind Birmingham. But we also have the lowest paid.

Well our political editor Arif Ansari is outside Manchester Town

Hall. A lot of people would think councillors don't get paid anything.

Explain how it works? Well they do. If they do their job properly,

there is a lot of work to be done representing local people and

setting policy here at the Town Hall. The way it works is that each

council has its own independent panel. They come up with a salary,

effectively, and then councillors vote on whether they want to accept

that salary or not, which is called the basic allowance. As you can see

from the figures that have been compiled by the tax payers'

alliance, there is a big disparity between some of them. Manchester

City Council by far the most generous, the second-biggest in

England after Birmingham. More than �16,000. Second in the region as a

comparison is Wigan and if you compare Manchester to Liverpool,

our second-largest City, you can see Liverpool is on just �10,000.

The Taxpayers' Alliance say they are not just worried about

Manchester but other councils, too. The tax payers' Amor lieance have

found in the north-west there are wild disparities in the allowances

that councillors claim. At transferred councillors there claim

just over �6,000 whereas at Thameside it is over �11,000. Tax

payers will be shocked about the wild disparity that members can

claim between two very similar boroughs of Greater Manchester.

Manchester City Council have declined to be interviewed but they

have given us a statement in which they say, "Allowances in Manchester

are set by an independent panel to reflect the responsibilities

councillors have, and are comparable with those of other

major cities. Unlike some authorities our allowances have

stayed the same for the past three years in line with a council-wide

pay freeze." What is interesting to to compare Manchester to South

Ribble. Now that is not just the lowest in the rejornings it's the

lowest in the country at �1,500. -- lowest in the region. This, they

say partly it is to give council tax payers good value for money.

You can take a bit of satisfaction that you are doing it for the best

motives, the best will in the world, you are doing it because you want

to and the money is a secondary thing. I wouldn't like them to be

out of pocket. But the danger, of course, is that poorer people

perhaps can't become councillors. You are right. We have to be aware

of that and we have to be mindful that people who want to serve the

community don't be out of pocket. So problems for councils at the top

and bottom of the scale, partly because of course they set their

own salaries and allowances, although you have to admit that

idea does have some appeal. Thank you very much. If you have

withdrawal frts Olympics, fear not, the Paralympics are here. -- from

the Olympics. This evening the opening ceremony

of the Paralympics gets under way and with the British team targeting

a record medal haul, there's likely to be plenty to celebrate in the

region over the 11 days of competition. The President of the

International Paralympic Committee, who's from Bolton, says that for

many reasons these are the most highly anticipated Games ever.

by jing four years ago the Paralympic mo. Came of age. -- in

Beijing., the Paralympic movement came of age. Then people think -

the gims are coming home where, they started over 60 years ago. --

Games. We have dozens of competitors from the North West but

perhaps the best-known is cyclist Sarah Storey. She's already won a

staggering 18 Paralympic medals. 16 in swimming before she moved on to

cycling and will be one to watch again in London. Sarah's husband

Barney will be looking for gold of his own, partnering Stockport's

Anthony Kappes in the tandem cycling. There could be plenty of

glory for the North West in the velodrome. One of the hopefuls is

Chester's Rick Waddon. We've had all the years of funding from UK

Sport. We have been to Athens and Beijing and produced but the home

public have only seen it on the TV. Now it is a chance to put it on the

stage and say - this is where the money is going and what we have

done with it. On the athletics track, Blackpool's Shelley Woods

has her sights set on gold in four events, including the marathon. In

the pool Stockport's Matt Walker, who's already won 11 Paralympic

medals, is favourite to win the 50m Freestyle. Another Beijing success

story Heather Frederiksen has a good chance in five events. Sailor

Nikki Birrell was the first competitor selected for the GB team

and has a great chance. There are plenty of North West

representatives in team sports as well. Dave Clarke, who's scored

just the 106 goals in his international career, is in five-a-

side football. And Jon Pollock is one of the stars of wheelchair

And then there's Lora Turnham, one of the other stars of Paralympics

GB cycling. We've been following her progress on North West Tonight

for the last couple of years. Lora will be joined in London by her

brother, Roy, who's competing in the blind football and, as Stuart

Pollitt's been finding out, they're part of one very sporty family.

There won't be a prouder parent at the Paralympics than Sue Turnham.

These are some of the posters that we had made. She's preparing to

cheer two of her children, as they fulfil an ambition she was unable

to, 28 years ago. I was offered to train with the GB Athletics Squad,

but at the time, family commitments wouldn't really allow me, so I had

to let it go. But they're kind of living my - my dream, if you like.

Sue and her three children are blind due to a condition called

receipt op thi. Her husband, Anthony is partially-sighted but

that hasn't stopped any of them excelling at sport. -- Retinopait,

kwhr,. A career that could see Laura win as many as four medals

and her brother Roy will be attempting to dribble his way to

gold as part of the blind football team. Their older brother has

represented his country at cricket and football. Practically river

room in their home is full of trophies and medals they have

gathered. This cabinet has bowls, cricket, football. I bet they'll be

able it find room for a couple of more medals in the next few weeks.

I hope people will, well the disabled, especially young people,

will look at what we have achieved as a family and think - I can do

that. And if you are after evidence of the joy that sport can bring,

look no further than this family. All the very best of luck to Lora

and our Paralympic athletes. Football now, and Everton's new �6

million striker, Kevin Mirallas, is expected to make his debut in

tonight's League Cup tie against spectacular curling shot from

MynerFigger-Rower helped Wigan to a 4-1 victory at Nottingham Forest.

Burnley went through on penalties when their game against Plymouth

finished 1-1 after extra time. Preston pulled off a bit of a

giant-killing, beating Championship side Crystal Palace 4-1. Some bad

news for Liverpool today with the news that Lucas Leiva will be out

for up to three months. The midfielder suffered a thigh injury

during the first few minutes of Sunday's 2-2 draw with Manchester

City. He'd only recently recovered from a knee problem which kept him

out of the side for most of last season. Now while Manchester City

are understood to be interested in buying Arsenal's flying winger Theo

Walcott, Manchester United are being offered someone who's

considerably quicker. Olympic legend Usain Bolt was at Old

Trafford on Sunday watching United's 3-2 win against Fulham. An

avid United fan, the Jamaican superstar told the crowd he wanted

Sir Alex Ferguson to sign him up. And today he revealed he'd asked

the manager to try him out. I told him that I really need a trial. He

said, "If you are serious you should come around and see training

sometimes, spend a couple of days in training with the boys, and

we'll see how it would work." He was congratulating me, telling me

what I had done and that he was proud of me. Finally,

congratulations to Paul Ince's son, Tom. The Blackpool winger has been

named in the England under-21 squad for the first time. Tom's scored

four goals in the last three games, helping his side to top spot in the

Championship. He is pretty quick as well. It is in the genes.

I would like to see him run down the field, I really would. You

would love to know what Fergie said it Usain. Can he do it on a windy

winter's night in Rochdale? That's the question.

Now, they were once as much of an American icon as baseball, hotdogs

and the Statue of Liberty and now people in Manchester will get their

chance it experience a drive-in, with a difference. It is part of

what is called the bane done normal diviss Festival, which isn't about

settles and toasters. It is opening tonight in Hume -- Abandon normal

devices. Big flashy cars, rolling in to big

movie theatres. This is how they did it in America. And this is how

we're doing it in Manchester. It's not your typical drive-. In I'm sat

in a wrecked car. Right in front of me, those huge containers make the

cinema screen. In fact this is a Film Festival and art installation

all in one. It's by two American artists who are deeply concerned by

car culture and well into recycling. These aren't vintage cars from the

1950s, like the clagsic era of the drive-in. These cars are five, 10,

15 years on and they are in the junk yard.

There could be other discoveries here, too. Each of these cars tells

a particular story. There are actual objects that belonged to the

folks who drove these cars before them. We've left all of them so

people can come in and discover them as they move from car-to-car.

And with many unusual, independent short films like these on show,

organisers of the Abandon Normal Devices Festival, are trying to

create something a bit different for the community. So the focus is

about making a really unusual environment to show film and music

in and it's general rating a bit of work for people around the area. We

have a local scrap yard who have supplied this. So 25 scrapped cars

a 40 foot outdoor screen, lots of films and live music. The Empire

Drive-in is on at Kew Park until fri.

The only drive-in I have been to has two golden arches, or is that a

drive manufacture through. Elvis Presley was worship bid

millions, but away from the stage and TV cameras, the king of rock

'n' roll was deply religious. Now his personal copy of the Bible is

being auctioned in Stockport. The BBC has been given the opportunity

to leaf through what is a unique piece of memorabilia.

# There sings my soul... # Elvis Presley's Bible is on sale in

Stockport Yes, while Elvis was a rocking and

rolling and shaking, he was also reading, writing and underlining in

this bible which goes under the hammer next week. They came to us

via a big Elvis collector based in the UK. What makes this

particularly special is the annotations throughout the bible.

There have been bibles previously which have come up for auction

which Elvis owned or had given to people. But this one he owned for

20 years. While Elvis's name is embossed on the cover, it is what

is inside that is revealing. Given to him by his aupblt and uncle just

after he moved into Graceland, he's made notes throughout and marked

particular passages. He has picked out passages from Job. A machine

who knows his troubles. Know now that God hath over-thrown me and

hath compassed me with his net, I behold I cry out of wrong but I

heard not... Maybe he was having a bad day. Now while he appears to

have his majority of reading to the New Testament, at the back he has

added a saying n of his own. judge a man by one we can...

this is his thoughts? I think perhaps it is his thoughts, when he

has been reading threw the Bible. He has pulled a few passages from

the Bible and thought of this himself. Not all the items in this

auction are quite as holy. There is also a chance to bid for a pair of

his underpants. Somewhat disturbingly, they've not even been

watched. Oh, dear. Before the days of washing machines.

From the Queen of rock 'n' roll to the -- king of rock 'n' roll to the

the -- king of rock 'n' roll to the Queen of weather forecasting.

It is probably looking OK outside your window. I don't know how it

dares after what it has thrown to us today. We lines of showers

through the region in the afternoon and they have been incredibly heavy,

lots of localised flding. We had hail on the ground to make part of

the region look like they had snow. It really has been difficult.

Thunderstorms rumbled for hours. I have not seen a day like this for

sometime. The latest picture doesn't look too bad but one or two

showers will continue to work in the wings as they move towards us.

Even though that picture didn't look too bad we are under a Met

Office yellow warning.S in place until around 9.00pm. This is what

our computer wants to do with the forecast through the night. There

will be a couple of showers every now and then. They may merge for a

longer spell. Through towards the early hours of the morning it,

feels cooler than fresher than recently. I think temperatures will

be around 10 to 12 rather than 13, 14 and 15 and tomorrow night into

single figures for parts, so it'll be fairly chilly. Into tomorrow not

a bad day. There will be showers around. They'll move away quickly

as the morning goes on. Then it is a combination of patchy cloud and

sunny spells. A pretty afternoon. But with a northerly breeze your

temperatures will be noting to write home Brecently we have been

spoiled. Tomorrow back to normal with 17 at the very best. You'll