07/08/2013 North West Tonight

Tonight with Roger Johnson and Eleanor Moritz. Our top story: A new

twist in the police search for missing mother of three Rania

Alayed. The murder inquiry moves across the

Pennines. Also tonight: The Prime Minister pops into a local mosque

but is he doing enough for community cohesion?

They call it calamity corner. The accident black spot prompting calls

for more speed cameras. I just heard a bang at first and they came to the

door and the car and the garden were coming at me.

And he was wearing these before he hit the big time. So who's the

global icon from Liverpool who likes Rania Alayed disappeared from her

home in Manchester two months ago. The police believe the mother of

three has been murdered and they have charged two suspects. One of

them is her husband. But what they don't have is a body. Now they've

launched a fresh appeal for information. And their search for

clues has stretched into North Yorkshire. Our Chief Reporter, Dave

Guest, has the story. This is Rania Alayed, the missing mum who's now

believed to be a victim of murder. Some people do disappear for one

reason or another and we have done a lot of inquiries to establish that

she has not done that. The evidence that we have is that she is dead so

we are looking for a body. Rania had been living in this house in

Cheetham Hill before she vanished. Neighbours have described a quiet,

unassuming woman who hadn't lived here for long. Rania was last seen

around 7pm on June seventh. But she wasn't reported as missing until

second July. Two days later the police went public with the case and

announced they'd made some arrests. Today they made a fresh appeal for

information. They believe this camper van may have played a part in

her disappearance. We have had a camper van from the start of the

inquiry. We believe Rania may have been in that camper van when she was

taken up to the area that we are searching. The area they're

searching is miles from Manchester. The camper van was spotted in a

lay-by on the A19 near Thirsk on eighth June. As yet they don't know

exactly where the van was parked but it's a busy route and detectives are

sure someone will have seen it. Detectives believe this area will

prove to be crucial to their case. We believe that is the area where we

will find Rania. They also want to hear from anyone who saw Rania

anytime after 7pm on seventh June. Dave, you mentioned that arrests

have been made. Tell us more. Rania's husband and brother-in-law

have been charged with her murder. Other members of their family have

been questioned on suspicion of assisting an offender. They are on

police bail facing further inquiries. It is unusual but not

unheard of to have a murder inquiry without a body. Detectives are

confident it is a case of when they find the body, not if.

The Prime Ministers been visiting a mosque in Manchester this afternoon,

his first since the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby from Middleton.

Since the killing, there's been a backlash against Muslims in parts of

the country and some Muslims have criticised David Cameron for not

speaking out more strongly. Our political editor Arif Ansari is live

for us outside the Jamia Mosque in Manchester. Did you get a warm

welcome? Yes, the Prime Minister did. The killing of Lee Rigby

uncorked a range of emotions, deep sadness, anger and in some cases

violence. There was a feeling among some within the Muslim community

that while the Prime Minister and the Government rightly condemned the

killing, they were slightly more hesitant when it came to condemning

the backlash that happened against some parts of The Prime Minister

arrived soon after afternoon prayers.

The Muslim community. He met members of a community, many of whom feel

he's been too disengaged. The murder of Lee Rigby by Islamic radicals

stretched community relations. In Bolton one man had his car

vandalised outside a mosque. I wanted to know how much life has

returned to normal. It is better now. It has calmed down but we hope

and we pray. We prayed throughout the holy month of Ramadan to have

peace and mercy upon everyone and all mankind and the world. Rashid

Mogradia is involved with various Islamic charities and community

groups. He feels somewhat let down by the Prime Minister. The murder of

Lee Rigby, how much an impact that have on community relations? A huge

impact. Murder of that and profile was a tremendous blow to all

communities. And also because the words Muslim and Islam were used.

For us as a Muslim community that is a shocking act, heinous act, one

that was condemned by everybody. Have you been satisfied with the

response from the Government? have been happy with the response

from the local authorities and the police. I think that as much could

have been done can be done, in terms of the Prime Minister, his task

force and his policies, not just for this region but the whole of the UK.

So the man who appointed the first Muslim woman to Cabinet has been

trying to rebuild bridges. The Prime Minister will be hoping his visit to

one mosque resonates more widely. So a fairly warm welcome for the Prime

Minister here. Let's pick up with this Labour councillor, the former

Lord Mount of Manchester. This is your ward. How valuable and

important was this today? It is good to have them coming to the ward, but

the real issue is whether there is any substance here. That is why am

concerned. I do not see any substance. There were issues at

another mosque, and frankly he has done nothing on that front. Surely

the point is this is symbolic? People are criticising him for not

having condemned things enough and he is trying to respond to that by

symbolically coming to a mosque and showing support? I said that I

welcome to the Prime Minister coming to my ward, that is fine, but why

would have expected him much sooner and at the place that it happened.

-- I would. It was a major umbrella it organisation that had to come out

and say that they should have done more. It is not acceptable. Did you

feel the response from the Government was not good enough at

the time? Yes, I did. There were extreme elements wanting to hijack

the whole thing. The Government needs to be firm on both sides.

Nobody could have been in any doubt that the Prime Minister did not

support the attacks on mosques and parts of the country. I agree. They

think he should have come out. As far as my memory goes, he was asked

and he did not condemn. He should have been more forthright and more

should have been done. It is in everybody's interest if we all get

on with each other. This is where the future lies, if we have hope and

work together to make things better. There are extreme elements hijacking

this and making discord that we do not need and that is not the way

forward. Thank you. The Prime Minister said that part of the

solution is for mosques and the Muslim community to reach out to the

wider community, just to pick up on one point.

A man from Merseyside wanted by the Spanish authorities in connection

with the murder of a father of two has been arrested in North Wales.

Darren O'Flaherty, who's been on the international most-wanted listed for

three years, was arrested by armed police at a restaurant in Caernarfon

last night. The 39-year-old from Kirby is also suspected of two

attempted murders. A man who lived at a Rochdale house

which was destroyed by an explosion last week has been found dead in a

car. The 57-year-old escaped the fire but was found dead in Heywood

the next day. Police say there are no suspicious circumstances and are

still appealing for witnesses to the fire.

Patients on the Isle of Man who need pacemaker surgery can now have their

treatment on the island. In the past, they've had to travel to

Liverpool. They can now have the surgery and after-care locally,

thanks to improved facilities. It's known as calamity corner and

Gordon McConnell from Manchester has had no fewer than seven cars crash

into his house in the last few years. Despite road safety

improvements there was another accident on his road in Blackley

this week. Residents are now calling for a speed camera to be installed.

Stuart Pollitt reports. Clearing up what used to be their front garden.

A car crash has left bricks, rubble and red tape on their doorstep.

just heard a bang at first and I came to the door. My car and the

garden, it was all coming at me. My started shaking and they don't think

they stopped for about three hours. I was just an absolute wreck.

are not the only ones living here used to picking up the pieces of car

crashes. 50 yards away is Dave Reeve from another accident. And if you

don't -- And a few doors further down Gordon's mismatched wall shows

how many unwanted visitors have ended up on his driveway. They have

been knocked down several times. This one is the most recent. That

was last year. They have been through it so many times and it is

unbelievable. After dozens of incidents, residents certainly have

the evidence for a sustained campaign of improvements. The

council says it is listening and points to the fact they have

installed new pollard and a slow sign on the road. Residents say that

is not enough and they fear it will take a death before a speed camera

is in school. How do you get that to happen? Speed cameras are considered

as a last resort. They are put up if there have been consistently high

average fees -- speeds, and deaths or serious injuries in recent years.

But these residents are worried that unless drivers slow down, they may

not be so lucky next time. We are interested in your thoughts on that

one. Maybe there is a road near you that is similar.

A bigamist from Manchester who was caught out on Facebook could face

jail. Brian Frain told Tameside magistrates he'd assumed his brief

marriage to Anne-Marie Sim in 1999 had been annulled. But when she was

later looking for a divorce she found photos of a wedding to another

woman in 2009. He'll be sentenced next month.

Bahrain has expressed an interest in buying some Typhoon fighter jets.

The Government is in early stages of the talks and hopes that any deal

could secure new jobs in Lancashire. Motorists in South Cumbria facing

for mile tailbacks and severe delays because of roadworks are calling for

better planning. The Highways Agency is replacing the T-junction at the

A590 Greenodd with a roundabout and says the situation should improve

from next week. Did you know the city of Chester was

once completely powered by water? That was a hundred years ago, but it

looks like hydroelectric power could be back. The council and the

University of Chester are hoping to transform an old pumping station on

the River Dee. If the project gets the go ahead it would be used to

power part of the university, as our Environment Correspondent Judy

Hobson reports. This used to be Chester's

hydroelectric station. It was set up to power the city through the First

World War and continued producing electricity until 1948. But now

there are plans to bring it back to life. We are hoping to install

turbines into the former archers to generate power for the University

and the wider city. This is the sort of turbine which will be used,

although all you'll see is the ends poking out of the arches. If this

project gets the go-ahead, it would produce enough electricity to power

this building. It belongs to the university which is in partnership

with the council on the project. It believes the hydroelectric station

could help reduce its carbon emissions by around 12%. And they

recently won a grant of a million pounds towards funding it. More than

anything, for me, behaviour change and understanding that we can no

longer rely on fossil fuels is very important for the university to

start spreading that message as part of learning and dissemination. This

is an important project by which we can do that. Permission hasn't yet

been given for this project, and there are environmental concerns

surrounding the grade two listed building. The area around it is also

used to monitor salmon stocks. a real opportunity for the

community, local businesses and the council to come together and have a

really good project and bring this forward. If the project gets the

go-ahead, hydroelectric power could be back in two years. Judy joins us

now in the studio. This is a major project if it happens. Yes. There is

a bit of a way to go. The consultation process has just

started. All kinds of agencies will have to be approached. And it is

important for the people of Chester to know what they think. This

project is an area of special scientific interest, particularly

for salmon. It is one of four rivers in the country where salmon are

closely monitored. Their breeding and movements are monitored every

few months. That is vital to be kept going. Some will automatically flow

towards where the water is flowing fastest. So if you introduce these

turbines, they will flow that way, said the Environment Agency will

want to know what precautions are being taken to make sure that salmon

are said to another area so that they can still be counted. -- are

sent. All of this will have to be considered before the green light is

given. Fascinating. Still to come on North West Tonight:

Hunt hit the volley into the net. The stars of Shankly's Reds give

their verdict on a new novel about the Liverpool legend.

And he's still hitting all the right notes but who was wearing these

before hitting the big time? He said, will they fit you? I said I

don't know. He said take them. Have them.

Next to a real-life treasure hunt which has perplexed three

generations of a Derbyshire family for almost 70 years and it's finally

been solved. Back in 1945, the then 19-year-old Peter Harrison was about

to take over Treak Cliff Cavern in the Peak District when the retiring

miner gave him a tip-off about a rare find of a valuable mineral

known as Blue John. Beccy Meehan takes up the story.

They are miners these three. Miners, not of coal, not of industrial

metal, but of Blue John. Of what? You might say. Let Peter Harrison

point it out. Blue John is a semi-precious mineral prized for

ornaments. In 1945 Peter Harrison took over this Derbyshire mine from

John Royse who was retiring. "Peter," he said standing almost

where we're standing now, "Peter, I have found Blue John". I would like

you to help me get it out. Unfortunately he died before we

could get it out. He never dies oldest where it was. Almost 70 years

later, Peter's daughter now manages the mine and his 21-year-old

grandson is also following in his footsteps. I was told by my granddad

that if I stayed at Treak Cliff Cavern long enough we would

potentially find the vein that he ought to have found. And find he

did, hidden by the old miner decades before under bits of old carpet and

wood for safekeeping until he could pass on his secret. Turns out it was

here all along. It was under a ladder. They had been walking up to

a higher reach of the system to mind the stone and it is right underneath

it. I was absolutely amazed. We had looked for it for years and years.

This find was more than the conclusion to a family mystery. With

Blue John bowls going for up to �2000, it is good news for the

family business. It is nice to be in the same family finding the same

things. Once we actually find what the vein contains, we will have a

really big smile on our faces! Wonderful discovery. I think that

you had a paperweight made of Blue John, like me. Yes, I had a little

piece. Lovely. I am sure someone will send Richard one! You are here

to talk sport. Louis Suarez has upped the ante in his bid to leave

Liverpool. -- Luis Suarez. What deliverable make of this latest

statement? Their position hasn't changed. Liverpool insist he is not

for sale and if he is it'll take much more than the 40 million and

one pound bid from Arsenal. The footballers' union the PFA are

understood to be acting as mediators in the dispute. For his part, Suarez

says that he was promised he would be able to leave Anfield if the club

failed to get into the Champions League. He hasn't travelled with the

squad for a pre-season match in Norway because, we're told, of a

foot injury. Wigan Athletic are close to making

another signing after talks with the Sunderland winger James McClean. He

could join up with the rest of the squad in time for Sunday's Community

Shield at Wembley. A chance, says the clubs chairman, to bask in the

glory of winning last season's FA Cup. These were the scenes of course

when the Latics showed off the famous trophy to their supporters in

May. And ahead of the showpiece against the Premier League champions

Manchester United, Dave Whelan says, it'll be an occasion to enjoy

without pressure. This is a great day. We are playing for the

community Shield, which we would love to win, but you have to enjoy

the day. It is not the FA Cup final and it is not a league match. It is

a match we can celebrate in. And we are playing the great Manchester

United. A couple of our sides took notable

scalps in the Capitol One Cup last night. Accrington Stanley stunned

Middlesbrough, winning 2-1 at the Championship side. Piero Mingoia

with the winner for Stanley. And their fellow League Two side

Morecambe came away with a fantastic 1-0 victory at home to Wolves. What

about this for a strike? Ryan Williams with a cracker of a

free-kick, the only goal of the game.

Bill Shankly is of course one of the legendary names of British football.

There are countless biographies about the iconic Liverpool manager

and now there's a novel. It's called Red Or Dead and has been written by

the same author who wrote the fictional account of Brian Clough's

short time at Leeds United. Mark Edwardson has had a sneak preview.

Head of the author's appearance at Anfield, one by a player who has

made more than any other. He crossed to Hunt, and he turned and hit the

ball into the top of the net. I think probably flattered that

somebody has written a novel about it. Bill Shankly paved the way for

poorly performing Liverpool to dominate European football.

story of Bill Shankly is bigger than Liverpool and bigger than football,

dare I say it, and one for the whole country. Stephenson scores! Willie

Stevenson was instrumental in sending the Reds to Wembley in 1965

for their first cup final victory. He spent a week tackling 700 pages

of Red Or Dead. He has probably got 85% right, which is not bad. It is

almost as if he knew him. That is how good it is. The stories in the

book come from message boards. Walking round the ground and meeting

a young lad and giving him his Liverpool football club tie, his

badge. Those stories are inspiring. The Lovell about Brian Clough's 44

days at Leeds United was made into a film. -- the novel. So who should

play Shankly? I think Paul McGann. Someone who could work on his hair

and Scottish accent. Everybody knows the ending to this story. A

hard-nosed Scotsman lays the foundations for one of England's

most successful football teams. Makes you wonder who might be next.

What a character he was. He was a walking quote. He had banter with

Everton. He said if they were playing in his back garden, he would

draw the curtains. Very nice. Stick around, because we have a pair of

trousers for you. We have been teasing you about leather trousers.

One of you will probably have guessed who we were talking about

and if not that gives it away! During their early performances in

hamburg, the looked designed by Taylor helped to define the Beatles.

-- the looked designed by Taylor. Then Brian Eckstein changed the

look. One lucky man ended up with a pair of Paul McCartney's trousers.

These other trousers that Paul McCartney used to wear. It is

written in there, his name. Mike was in the Yorkshire Jazz band that

supported the Beatles on many occasions in Liverpool. He became

good friends with their manager. The -- they would look around.

trousers were hanging up and they said, take them. Have them. They

decided to get them into the suits that they had organised. From then

on, the Beatles started wearing smart suits. It was very hot in

leather gear anyway. We decided we did not want to look ridiculous. We

did not want to appear as a gang of idiots. Brian suggested that we just

were ordinary suits. A leather jacket owned by George Harrison

recently sold for �110,000. His custom-made boots, �60,000, and the

Beatles guitar �40,000. They are highly collectable. The greatest pop

band ever, the Beatles. There are fans all over the world and they

really do go to auction to get the choice pieces when they come up for

auction. Looking back at photographs, the unique style of the

trousers is clear to see. This was taken at the Cavern in XT one. You

can see creases that are indicative of the way the person might wear the

trousers. It is like a fingerprint, almost. Exactly the right inside leg

measurement and waist measurement. They went to a small independent

Taylor in Saint galls in hamburg and commissioned the trousers to be

made. -- Saint Paul's. The family hope that the trousers can go to a

museum so that everybody can enjoy the story that they have to tell.

I wonder if they still fit him. could not get one of my legs in!

They looked quite tight around the waist. Are they worth more if they

are not washed or would you get them cleaned? I have no knowledge! I do

cleaned? I have no knowledge! I do have some We talked about a greater

risk of showers through the afternoon compared to yesterday, but

if you look at this combined picture, there was rain in Scotland

and the South West but for us a couple of showers turned up very

fleetingly. This is the latest picture with nothing to shout about.

Once again we give it another go. Tomorrow there is a greater risk of

showers, particularly after lunchtime. There may be a shower

over the next couple of hours, but then the risk reduces. We are into a

dry, clear night with light winds. Cool in rural areas. Temperatures

overnight work 20 degrees recently, but very different tonight. Seven or

eight in rural areas. Towns and cities could be better, maybe up to

15. The air is cooler and you will notice that first thing tomorrow. It

is also a nice start to the day, dry and bright. Sunshine around, just

like first thing this morning. Like today, as the day progresses, cloud

cover builds again, and once you get past lunchtime, with cloud cover

building, showers might break out. The risk is greater than this

afternoon, so they could pop up everywhere. If you are lucky, you

will dodge them all over again. With light winds, temperatures could be

up to 24, which will be nice. But rain is waiting in the wings, moving

through the Isle of Man. As the sun goes down tomorrow, it could be

everywhere. Eventually it will pull away. Tomorrow should be dry and

fine but look out for the showers in the afternoon. You could wear the

leather trousers as Commissioner Mark you will never get them off.

always wanted a pair of leather trousers and thought I would look