22/10/2013 North West Tonight

Good evening. Welcome to North West Tonight with Annabel Tiffin and

Peter Marshall. Our top story.. The teenage bank robber handed in by

his own mum ` tonight, he's beginning a three`year sentence The

judge praises his mum for "remarkable public spirit." Tonight,

we speak to another parent who faced the same moral dilemma. It is

difficult but what you you do? To know that situation, you have to

report it. When Neil McArdle forgot to fit finalise his booking, he

decided to create a bomb scare. Find out what happened later.

Given just months to live with an aggressive brain tumour ` two years

on, we meet the Lancashire man who's defied the odds.

Fergie's Book of Revelations ` what he really thought about his star

players. And join me and the cost of a new

BBC drama set in 1976 in the aftermath of the IRA Manchester

bombing. The mother of a 15`year`old boy who

carried out an armed bank robbery in Liverpool was today commended by

police and a judge for handing her son in. The teenager, who can't be

named, was sentenced to more than three years in detention after

pleading guilty to armed robbery and possession of an imitation firearm.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that he was a boy "of impeccable character"

who acted through greed and whose family were "innocent casualties in

the drama." Naomi Cornwell is at the bank where it all began.

When the staff here at the Breck Road branch of Barclays were

terrified by a gun`wielding robber just over a month ago, neither they

nor the police suspected that the man responsible was in fact a

15`year`old boy. Nor that it would be his own mother who'd hand him in.

But as Liverpool Crown Court heard over and over again today, this was

an exceptional case. "However innocent you look now,

sitting there in your smart suit," Judge Clement Goldstone QC told the

boy today, "you did not look innocent when you held up the bank

staff at gunpoint and terrified them." For that, he wore a hood and

covered his face with a scarf. The 15`year`old was caught on CCTV as he

pointed the gun at two cashiers and a customer. The ?2,200 he stole was

later found in his bedroom wardrobe by his mother. After discovering the

gun, too, she took him to a police station and handed him in. An act

Judge Goldstone today commended describing it as a remarkable

display of public spirit. I cannot commend his family highly enough.

Having identified and realise he has committed that event, do have the

right morals to bring him to the police station, where he has

admitted the offence of robbery Detectives had had no clues as to

the robber's identity. His family's was the only evidence against him.

Neil Metcalfe knows how that feels. He called police after finding

bullets in his son's bedroom in Nelson in Lancashire. It led to a

three`year sentence for his son Paul, but Neil doesn't regret making

that call. It is difficult, but what do you do?

You either bring it to the police or do you let someone who owned the

gun, looking for it, so they come looking for the gun and someone will

get shot? Do you want that? You don't order any trouble, so it is a

no`win situation. You have to report it. At Liverpool Crown Court, the

15`year`old had pleaded guilty to bank robbery and possession of an

imitation firearm. Sentencing him to 39 months and two weeks in

detention, Judge Goldstone noted that the boy had done it out of

greed because his family was of limited means and he envied his

friends who had more than he had. Tonight, he's beginning a sentence

that won't see him returned to his family until he's at least 17 years

old. The judge acknowledged that this 15`year`old will be vulnerable

in custody and will be exposed to others of a more sophisticated

criminal nature inside. But he said it was important to show other boys

what the consequences of such actions could be. As for his mother,

the court heard she's angry and upset with her son but also feels a

strong sense of responsibility for taking him to police.

Thank you very much. Lots of you have been getting in

touch about this on our Facebook page. Mandy Donnelly says, "I would

do the same, even though it would break my heart, as I'm sure his

mother's heart is broken." Thank you for all of your Facebook

comments. If you want to joining discussion, you can do so on

Facebook. Next tonight ` two police officers

have been sacked after a man was unlawfully arrested and shot five

times with a Taser gun in Liverpool. The Independent Police Complaints

Commission upheld a complaint by Kyle McArdle, who was arrested for

urinating in an alley in 2009. Peter has more.

This is Kyle McArdle and he's had a four`year fight. In 2009, he was

caught urinating in an alleyway and placed in the back of a police van

where officers claimed he was violent. He was then tasered five

times. An officer also removed the Taser barbs from his chest, when

guidelines state that should be done by a medical professional in all but

exceptional circumstances. Mr McCardle lodged a complaint with

Merseyside Police. There is CCTV evidence in relation to this,

Council footage that shows in walking to the vehicle in a calm and

controlled manner. That is consistent with what he said all

along that he was calm and was expected to get a ticket for

urinating and then it all kicked off in the back of the vehicle and it

was alleged that he had been violent and had tried to attack a number of

police officers. Mr McArdle was unhappy that his complaints were not

taken seriously and appealed to the Independent Police Complaints

Commission. Then came an internal inquiry followed by a second appeal

to the IPCC. That appeal was upheld and has now resulted in the

dismissal of the two officers. We have upheld two appeals that Mr

McArdle broke through about his complaint. We felt that the force

should have been able to deal with these matters the first time he made

a complaint and without the need for the IPCC to get involved and have to

hear his appeal. It improves public confidence if the police are able to

sort things out quickly at local level, without the need for the IPCC

to get involved. Latest Home Office figures show that Taser use by

police across the North West rose in the three years between 2009 and

2011. In that time, Greater Manchester Police deployed them

nearly 1,500 times. Lancashire, 566 times Merseyside, 370 times. In

Cumbria, the figure was 230. And in Cheshire, 155. The IPCC says it

recognises there is public concern over the increase and says they

should only be used as a last resort. Merseyside Police says its

absolutely committed to maintaining the highest professional standards

of its officers at all times. Thank you very much.

Other news from around the North West now and the jailed broadcaster

Stuart Hall is to be stripped of his OBE. Hall, from Wilmslow in

Cheshire, admitted 14 indecent assaults against girls aged from

nine to 17 between 1967 and 198 . In July, his 15`month sentence was

doubled by the Court of Appeal. A 28`year`old man's been arrested

after an ambulance worker was knocked unconscious by a patient.

The team were answering an emergency call on Blackfriars Road in Salford

early this morning. Last week, another paramedic was attacked in

Leyland in Lancashire. There are to be no prosecutions

after a six`month investigation into who was responsible for leaking the

Cumbria's Crime Commissioner's expenses claims for chauffeur`driven

cars. Richard Rhodes' office called in the police to investigate the

leak and a number of arrests were made. The Crown Prosecution service

has now ruled the leak was in the public interest. Mr Rhodes has since

repaid the money. It's been announced that the North

Liverpool Community Justice Centre is to close. The Government says the

centre in Kirkdale, which opened in 2005, is being underused. The

majority of the centre's work will be transferred to Sefton.

And plans to more than double the size of the Walney offshore wind

farm, off the Cumbrian coast, will be shown to residents this week A

Danish firm wants to add more than 200 new turbines, which would again

make it the largest wind farm of its kind in the world.

It should have been the happiest day of her life. But when Amy Williams

arrived at the venue for her wedding, the place was in turmoil `

there'd been a bomb scare. And the culprit who placed the hoax call? It

was her own husband`to`be. Today, it landed him in court. And, tonight,

he's beginning a 12`month prison sentence. Here's our Chief Reporter,

Dave Guest. Historic St George's Hall in

Liverpool is the picture perfect place for a wedding. Neil McArdle

and Amy Williams planned to wed here last April. But on the day before

their big day, McArdle realised he'd forgotten to complete the paperwork,

and the wedding couldn't go ahead. But instead of telling his bride

what he'd done, he hatched a bizarre plot to create a diversion. As his

fiancee was getting into her dress, he popped round the corner near

their home in Kirkby and phoned St George's Hall. He told a startled

operator, "This is not a hoax. There's a bomb in St George's Hall.

It'll go off in 45 minutes." When the bride arrived here, surrounded

by a family and friends, she found the place in chaos. McArdle hope

that in the chaos, the venue would have cancelled all weddings for the

day, buying him time to make alternative arrangements will stop

once the all clear was given, a member of staff ushered the party

into the building and then the truth was discovered. There was no wedding

booked in the name of McArdle. At Liverpool Crown Court, he admitted

what he'd done. His own barrister said, "If it wasn't so serious, the

facts of this case have all the makings of a comedy." He added his

client knew it was no laughing matter. The judge agreed, jailing

McArdle for 12 months. Meanwhile, his fiancee has stuck with McArdle,

despite everything. As yet, there has been no wedding.

Imagine waking up to the horror of your house falling apart around you.

Look at the pictures on the screen there. Well, that's what happened to

Jim Horan on the Isle of Man almost six years ago. The cause was a gas

explosion from a fractured mains pipe in the road outside. The

61`year`old suffered burns and multiple broken bones. Yet he's

never received any compensation but has spent years trying to establish

whether Manx Gas should be held accountable for the blast. Kelly

Foran reports. It is hard to believe four people escape from this.

The Horan family were asleep when an explosion tore through their house.

Jim, his two sons and a friend survived, but his home and all its

memories? Gone. I was widowed in 1986 and we lost all of the photos

of my wife, all of her jewellery. I had paintings my father had done. We

lost those. We cannot replace any of that. A report found that it was

caused by a fractured gas pipe in the road outside. But, six years on,

Jim still hasn't received compensation from the company who

own it, Manx Gas. I am just trying to get Manx Gas to do the honest

thing. They need to make good for the damage and suffering we have

had. This wall of the house was the only thing left standing. Jim and

his family rented a house for nearly two years while this one was

rebuilt. That cost covered by insurance but nothing for his

injuries. I'm in pain every day of some sort or another. It might be

little things, sometimes it is big things. I did not have that before

the explosion. A spokesperson for Manx Gas said, "It is inappropriate

for Manx Gas to comment while proceedings are before the Isle of

Man courts." My bedroom was on that corner... Looking back on the

devastation caused, Jim is, years later, hopeful that his long battle

will soon come to an end. Still to come on North West

Tonight... How to beat the bullies ` the Blackpool schoolchildren writing

their own lessons. And back in the spotlight ` Alex

Ferguson on his star players and some big decisions.

He was told his aggressive brain tumour would kill him within a few

months but, two years later, Jay Lynschehaun from Great Harwood in

Lancashire has just started a new job and a new chapter of life. The

27`year`old has defied the predictions of the experts by living

this long and has now set up a forum to support other young people with

brain cancer. Our Health Correspondent, Nina Warhurst, has

been to meet him. Most people would be pleased with a

swanky new job as a graphic designer. For Jay, it's all the more

special. Two years ago, doctors found a large tumour on his brain

and told him that, even with the best treatment, he could only expect

to live six months. But he is refusing to give in. Especially with

a new job to do. Did you think you would be here two years ago? No

especially not doing graphic design. I'm happy to be doing this.

Brilliant. Jay got the job after his boss saw the designs he'd created on

his website for a charity. He set it up in January to act as a support

forum for young people with brain cancer ` a cause he thinks doesn't

get enough publicity. What is it like when you hear from other young

people who have rain cancer or have just been diagnosed and they get in

touch with you? It is really nice. It is nice to see what they are

going through and it is nice that they have contacted me and it is

nice to help them. I like it. It is really good. The entire community

has got behind Jay's website and perhaps the proudest fundraiser is

his mum. How do you feel when you look at what he has achieved? I am

so incredibly proud. I do not believe where he has come from. He

is amazing. Absolutely amazing. Does the fact that he keep smiling impact

you and you find the strength to be positive? Absolutely. I cannot be

weak in front of him when he is Amazing.

weak in front of him when he is not sure about that but wants to

make it to March, when doctors say he could drive a car again. How

determined do you feel? Very. It is all I want to do, just beat cancer.

A brilliant story. We wish him all the best.

It's an age`old problem that can ruin your school days ` bullying.

Whether it's intimidation on a social networking site or a more

traditional confrontation in the schoolyard, it can be a traumatic

experience. Today, more than 10 shoolchildren got together in

Lancashire to agree ways of tackling the problem. Stuart Flinders was

there. Welcome back. If I can get everyone to turn back to their

workbooks... Every one of these children has some

experience of bullying ` they've seen it or been the victim of it.

Maybe some of them have been the cause of it. So who better to look

to for ideas on how to tackle it? At a school in Blackpool, children from

all over the town are sharing ideas and solutions. We are thinking about

ideas to stop the bullying from happening. How do you do that? How

do you stop bullying? You can tell the teacher and they can sort it

out. The idea is to think of different ways of tackling bullying.

At the end of the day, these children will return to their

schools as antibody in `` anti`bullying ambassadors. Sasha and

Khanittha are graduates of an earlier course. They started calling

me names. It is very upsetting, isn't it? It makes you feel lonely

and hopeless. Is it about specific scenarios and training how you

tackle that? We have a scenario section, looking at different types

of bullying and the children can teach us. That is how it should be.

In small groups, the students consider ways to cope with different

types of bullying. Facebook. You can be anonymous. That is one of the

worst ones, where you can be anonymous and say anything. How do

you cope with that? You block and ignore it and report them.

On the wall a place to share thoughts and ideas... And new words?

What does that mean? I don't know if it is a word but it rhymes. It

doesn't rhyme with bullying! It does! Tomorrow, they'll be back in

their own schools with new ideas on confronting an old problem. Cue the

fireworks now. It's been one of the most

eagerly`awaited books of the year. What would Sir Alex Ferguson have to

say about Rooney, Beckham, Keane and his time at Manchester United? Well,

today, we found out he turned down the England job twice and his views

of the stars he managed when the book was released. Stuart Pollitt

reports. On the cover, he looks suitably

Godfather`like. But at 2pm this afternoon, the book was opened and

we discovered what Fergie thought about his friends, his foes, his

feuds... Criticism is reserved for David Beckham who, Sir Alex says,

thought he was bigger than the club, and chose to be famous. He fell in

love with Victoria. That changed everything. Being a football man, I

had to think of my control of the club, where we were going with that.

And Roy Keane, too, whose hardest part of his body was, apparently,

his savage tongue. I am strong enough to deal with important issues

like that. He overstepped his mark. Absolutely. His biggest setback

Nothing compared to losing to City, he says. Sir Alex reiterates Wayne

Rooney wanted to leave in the summer and wasn't fit enough but generally

gives the England striker an easier ride. He wasn't playing well enough.

That was my judgement. Now we see him in the form he is in, do you

think I would drop him as he is playing now? No way. And that may be

one reason why the official line here at Old Trafford is that United

are relaxed about this book launch ` it was cleared by the club. But they

were concerned enough to move today's press conference with David

Moyes from the traditional 2pm start to 1:30pm, so journalists didn't

have the chance to question Sir Alex's successor about the book s

contents. Alex Ferguson can do as he wishes. He is it's own man. Everyone

wants to hear what he has to say. And while the likes of Beckham might

not have enjoyed what Sir Alex had to say, the more important question

is what effect will this book have on the players and manager still at

United? And Stuart joins us now. So will

this book destabilise United at all? Let us be frank. What he writes

still matters. There are questions from Australia and Israel in

today's press conference. The timing is not medically helpful for David

Moyes, just as Sir Alex was beginning to give a press conference

in London, David Moyes had just finished one in Old Trafford. Sir

Alex Ferguson has picked his targets carefully. He has restricted most of

his criticism to those who are retired or familiar enemies. He has

picked his targets carefully. We knew there had been rows between him

and David Beckham was now we're getting the real story. He is

choosing his targets carefully. Why is he doing that? He is conscious of

the history of Old Trafford and when an old manager left, it caused

instability. Now he is another legendary manager, writing a book

just five minutes after he left so that is less than ideal. That is why

he tried to give Wayne Rooney and David Moyes a farewell crack of the

whip. The manager has to have authority, that is what Sir Alex

repeats throughout this book. For all of his headlines, he has not

done anything to dent David Moyes' authority. Thank you very much.

Now, anyone visiting Stockport Market recently may well have

stumbled across some of Britain s best actors filming a new BBC drama.

It's one of many locations in North West being used in the programme

that is set in the aftermath of the IRA Manchester bombing in 1996.

Elaine Dunkley has been along for a look.

The stalls of Stockport Market, transformed into the set of a new

BBC drama. To come back to Stockport in the rain at have something filmed

here, that is quite a thing. This writer grew up in Stockport. His

latest drama, From Here To There, starts with the devastation caused

by an IRA bombing in Manchester in 1996. They recreated the street at

the back of Marks Spencer 's. It brought back the drama of the day.

It is a tribute to how far the city has come on since then. As a

dramatist, it is an iconic moment. From Here To There is at times a

nostalgic not to the 90s. From Euro 96 to politics and the millennium

hangover. For some cast members it feels like a homecoming. After the

success of other series, Philip Glenister is enjoying life back in

the north`west. Manchester has been an important city in my career. I

did Clocking Off almost 13 years ago. It does feel like my adopted

town. For the market traders, it was business as usual, albeit with some

unusual customers. They could not believe the prices! I have been here

for 45 years and nothing like this has ever happened to me, so I'm

quite excited. Especially the fact that they are using my stall. From

Here To There will be screened on BBC One next year.

I go shopping there! How come I didn't meet Philip Glenister.

Time for some good weather, hopefully!

You haven't been listening! hopefully!

You haven't Good evening. I would like to bring you plenty of sunshine

but we had a dreadfully wet start today. Looking at tomorrow, and

umbrella day yet again. Plenty of rain to come tomorrow and it is not

just the rate that will be an issue. The wind will be very strong as

well, maybe 40 mph winds. Having said that, we are also going to see

the temperatures drop a tad over the next couple of days. Today, we saw

nearly 18 Celsius was up for Wednesday and Thursday, the

temperatures will drop as you can see. 13 or 14 Celsius. On Friday,

the tempters go up a notch, six teen or 17 Celsius but there is plenty

more rain to come on Friday. For tonight, the showers are less

organised than this morning but there is still plenty of rain

through this evening and overnight. Over the Isle of Man, we could see

some very squall E showers as well. You can see as we headed towards

storm, the showers gang up into longer spells of rain. A very windy

nights to come. We can see coastal bales in one or two spots. I don't

think you will be bothered about double figured temperatures in that

frame. Reischauer will be a bit of a miserable start. A wet start

tomorrow, not of service `` rush hour will be a miserable start. We

change the wind direction tomorrow. A westerly wind blowing that rain

in. There are some lingering showers in the afternoon. They are fewer and

further between. It looks like we could see some sunshine in places

through the afternoon. At the wind picks up tomorrow afternoon. No

showers but turning windy despite the sunshine. We could see 13 or 14

Celsius tomorrow. If you add in the wind chill, it is likely to feel

much cooler. For Friday, four Thursday, even. We could lose the

umbrellas on Thursday. Temperatures are not impressive but it should be

dry. Look at what is coming your way for Friday. Another band of very,

very heavy rain. That will stick with us through most of Friday.

Heading into Saturday, it is not quite as wet. Still some heavy

showers to come. The temperatures are fairly disappointing. 13 or 14

Celsius. Hang on to your umbrellas. That is the problem. If you have

that mix of wind and rain, you will have to hold onto your umbrellas was

up would you spend your hard earned money on Alex Ferguson's new book or

some new shoes? That is not fair! Can I have both?

Goodbye.