19/11/2013 North West Tonight

transformation of the NHS in England. That

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

and Roger Johnson. Grateful for the support. The family of murdered

Fusilier Lee Rigby join thousands to welcome his regiment home. Since

NATO first went in there are now 9000 young female school girls, that

shows we made a difference. We're live from the regiment's hometown of

Bury. Also in the programme: Rent boys, cocaine and the Co`op. Can

Manchester's ethical bank bounce back? Disaster at 130 mph, we hear

from the powerboat racer who survived that high`speed crash. The

perfect match. A teenager from Macclesfield becomes the world's

first stems donor. And later in the programme, join me and my little

friend, can you believe his mother does not love them? `` him. They

stood shoulder to shoulder on the streets of Rochdale and body today

bringing the two times to a standstill. `` Bury. Among them the

family of Lee Rigby who was murdered in London last May. They said they

were touched and grateful for the support. Our reporter watched the

troops come home. She joins me live from the regimental museum there. An

emotional occasion? It was. Hundreds of people came to see the 1st

Battalion as it paraded through the streets today in their uniforms

Back in the 1800s this is what a Fusilier would look like. This

museum is regulated to the regiments, to local history and

family history, they have been associated with this town since the

1800s. They have served in all these places, including Afghanistan which

is where the regiment today returned home from. Despite the cold

weather, it was the warmest of welcomes. Hundreds lined the streets

of Rochdale this morning to achieve on the first Fusiliers battle group.

It means a lot. We have got to look after our country. Where would we

be? We have to support the likes of the Fusiliers, it is our regiment.

The only way we know how. Here where family and friends of Lee Rigby who

had come to remember him. We had the tribute right for him and raised

money for his son. We have come down here today to pay tribute to his

battalion, it was his Battalion The streets here also came to a

standstill, for a second time. These troops have returned from

Afghanistan we are, despite their effort is, large parts of the

country are still in the direct of the Taliaban. With so many

casualties critics have questioned what the troops have achieved. There

are now 29,000 young female schoolgirls in education which shows

straightaway we have made a difference. You can see the

programme that has happened since we have been ideal. We find the father

of one of those soldiers in the crowd. I was chalking up, we should

all be proud of these boys, they have put themselves in harms way for

us, or we can do is support them. There is a guarantee of a job

interview for everyone who leaves the arms forces. `` Armed Forces. I

am joined now by a colonel who is the regimental secretary. We talked

about emotions, it must have been very emotional for you to see so

many people turn out today? Fantastic to see the turnout in both

towns and the response from the lads who were on parade, it was fantastic

and made the hard work really pay off. It is a bit of a shame that two

of the battalions are merging together so one effectively is

disappearing. It is, but they still have a future as one regiment. We

still have a lot to do. This is one of the most important recruiting

areas or the regiment, we proved that today with the families and the

soldiers, fantastic. There is still a lot to come into this museum. Now

back to you. Next tonight. Grieving families have been outraged by a

spate of thefts and vandalism from the graves of children and babies at

Fleetwood Cemetery in Lancashire. The families affected say those

involved can have little idea of the hearty ER causing. `` party they are

causing. `` heartache. Emma visits regularly to remember her son. He

was a beautiful baby boy. It is the only place I can visit him. He died

at five weeks. It is a little garden for him. This is how his grave

looked before it was stripped beer by the vandals who have targeted his

and neighbouring plots. They have really gone to town on all of the

other little baby's believes. They have absolutely wrecked the place,

it is disgusting. The police have increased patrols and say they are

determined to catch the culprits. I have been in touch with the families

to give them support and we need witnesses to bring people to

justice. This family returned to their child's believe to prepare it

for Christmas. It is not fair to let these few idiots when and leave it

there, it is heartbreaking for us to see it with nothing on. Once again,

the families have street in the graves as best they can. The hope is

that somewhere, somebody who has got a conscience will report to is

responsible for all of this and turned them in. `` report who is

responsible. Burtons biscuits has been sold to a Canadian pension fund

for ?300 million. The own three sites. The plan `` pension plan

which also owns lottery company Camelot will take over later this

month. Emergency services were cold to the market on Church Street this

morning where there had been a structure collapsed. The family of

this man who was murdered in Sri Lanka two years ago are hopeful the

intervention of Prince Charles will speed up justice. Both he and David

Cameron raised the matter. It is now walked a trial date will be set

later this week. My brother went to a country on holiday just like

anyone else. We hope there will now be trial bit `` trial date set which

is something we have been looking for over two years. Let us see if

the Sri Lankan authorities are as good as their word. Tabloid

headlines involving rent boys, crystal meth and could gain all set

within multi`million pound losses in the finance world. Who would have

thought this would be over the head of the Co`op banking group? Today,

more news on his past in Rochdale. Our reporter has been looking at the

story. Let's start first with Mr Flowers and what has emerged about

his links? One`time Methodist minister and chair of the Co`op

banking group is seen here handing over cash or drugs. He has since

apologised. The number of homes in Rochdale raided by social services

over allegations of ritual abuse by the parents. Later returned. The

head of the authority at the time defended those actions in this way.

The guidelines came into force in 1987. I'd macro the year later he

weaves the council but not before a gross indecency event. He had just

four years banking experience. And so, today, the man who was

responsible for putting him in that job as chair of the Co`op bank has

resigned. Yes. Who would have thought we would have seen the

headlines we have in the last 4 hours. I asked if it was likely they

could bounce back. It is all about re`establishing trust in that brand.

People watch your feet, not your lips. It is about what you do, not

what you see. This is not fixed by an advertising campaign but by a

major change in the organisation. You will be root and branch review

of the whole organisation. What they need now is loyal customers and they

are out there. This man said the actions of one, even the chair man,

do not reflect the ethical nature of the Co`op bank who I am proud to

bank with. Next tonight. A judge has dual 30 members of the major

north`west drugs gang for a total of 35 years. Conspiracies to supply

cocaine and cannabis which would have been worth millions of pounds.

They weren't originally from Liverpool. Either is our Merseyside

reporter. Police video of the arrest of Peter Clark. The court heard he

was one of the leaders of cocaine and cannabis conspiracies worth

millions. His brother Stephen was also arrested. All that originally

from Liverpool. Police took pictures of the luxurious lifestyle they

enjoy it. Please recovered guns ammunition and knives. I have no

doubt there weapons enable the group to strike fear into other criminals.

The firearms and other weapons could have been used at any time to

frighten rival organised crime groups. Police took surveillance of

this man putting cocaine into a car. Often the drugs seized where of very

high purity. They also traded in cannabis and moved drugs between

here and Northern Ireland. Some of the group had legitimate jobs so

they had alibis for moving drugs. There are drugs around the

Merseyside and greater Manchester media as well as further afield

These men were jailed for a total of 95 years. The two brothers got 6

and ten years each. The judge said the scale of this operation was

enormous. Peter Clark had a fine army record before he got involved

in drugs. That was a long fall from grace. The boss of greater

Manchester's metrolink has rejected calls to resign after disruption to

tram services this morning. There were freezing temperatures with ice

along the network. Ice breaking trams which were brought in

overnight could not prevent this line being suspended. Poverty is

causing as many problems for children now as it did 120 years

ago. 100 children in greater Manchester are currently living in

poverty. This X Factor singer helped the charity launch a new scheme to

support families in the worst affected areas. Finally you are not

alone and can let your voice be heard. Growing up, I had the lot of

friends, relatives, people who worked in my school, I saw a lot of

people suffering. Would come to school with a dozen things going on

back warm. We will have more in our late bulletin. Now moving on. At

speeds of more than 130 mph, the powerboat pilot had an

extraordinarily lucky is the earlier this month. It happened at the same

location in Coniston water where a similar crash killed Donald Campbell

45 years ago. Our reporter has the story. Coniston records week and

power boards pilot Keith Whittle had already broken the formula to world

record, but he was not satisfied. Conditions were perfect, I thought

it would be nice to push the record over 130 malls per hour to make it

harder for the next guy. But there was about to be very dramatic

conclusion. It was in at a perfect angle. Maybe approached the timing

gate at the other end and at that point away she goes. Oh, dear. There

we go. 1.5 flips. When it lifted on we knew it was serious and

expensive. You just go into survival mode, wait for the accident to

finish and then you have got to get out. In the way it was lucky because

it went in former `` stern first. Going in former could have been a

different story. 45 years ago Donald Campbell was killed instantly when

his boat crashed. The man who got the record just became a grandad and

he was pleased to still be alive. I am just happy we got the record

Astonishing, apparently he just had bruising. Good to hear. What is the

most generous thing you have done for a stranger? This 16`year`old may

just have saved someone's life as the youngest person ever to donate

bone marrow cells to someone completely unrelated. She did it

because someone in her family was affected. Despite not knowing be the

second, a she said she would do it all again. She is looking to answers

for the deep philosophical question, when does a cake, a cake? She has

become the youngest person ever to donate bone marrow cells to a

stranger after being matched on a donor register. She remembered a

family friend who had leukaemia and did not think twice about saying

yes. I did not think twice about going through with it. I wanted to

help someone so they did not have to go through all that pain. She said

the process was pain free. These days, in 90% of cases they simply

extract cells making it as easy as giving blood. She never told her

mother until she had said yes. How does it make you feel? Just so

proud, it is absolutely amazing Being the modest life`savers she is,

if she even forgot to tell her friends. She was just like, I am

doing it, I was like, what? Yes it she was in class and said she would

be donating sums themselves next week. She is looking forward for the

time when her recipients can get in touch. I would like to know if they

have been given more time, a life basically. Until then, act to the

equally heroic task of finishing A`levels. I spoke to someone who

runs a register for bone marrow donation. The usual delay until

someone comes up with the matches six years so this is unusual. The

old`fashioned bone marrow transplant which is from the bottom of your

back where we remove the bone marrow, that is only about 10% of

cases. For 90% of cases it is actually a needle in your arm from

which we take the stem cells out and then we put them in another arm It

takes about four hours but is really simple. And you are hoping Victoria

will encourage lots more people particularly young people, to come

forward now. Yes, it she is doing a great job already of telling them

how easy and simple it is and how painless it is. Thank you. No sport.

John W Hendry is apparently planning to give his own private jet to fly

Lewis Suarez back to Merseyside ahead of the Liverpool derby. He is

currently in Uruguay for his country's World Cup play`off against

Jordan. Not ideal conditions for cricket but Lancashire's preseason

training has started. Our reporter has been finding out about winter

life for county players. If you are lucky enough to play cricket for

England, this is how you spend your winters. But for county players

winters used to mean swapping your cricket helmet may be for our hard

hat and finding another job. For some, that meant shelf stacking

painting and decorating, or even journalism. The wages from county

cricket do not go far in meeting annual demands. In here it might be

freezing and training does not start for nine months but some is

underway. For this man it was very different 21 seasons ago. Literally

you would have four months off and they might come back overweight

There would be rushed to get in shape for the season. The standard

has gone up, professionalism in the game has driven standards up and

that is great for the sport in general. Can you see them winning a

fourth Ashes series? I think so they have so much strength. Where'd

you thinking this morning you wish you were in Australia? Yes, we

really want to be playing on grass, there is no better incentive than

the Ashes. They can spend the winter hoping to head to best really rather

than having to head down to the job centre. Rarely has such a small

animal caused such a fuss in our office. The cutest antelope you have

ever seen. Our producer is a sucker for one of these. His mother

rejected him at birth, he has been bottle`fed at Chester 's zoo. And

look to be sent to meet him. Time for tea and the zookeeper is being

mother. Currently he is on for feeds per day. Here is his big sister to

have a look. He is small, cute, and if that was not enough to have you

all siding, his mum does not love him! She is not a very good mum

When he was born she was not paying much attention to him. She was not

much better with his sister before. In the wild you would think they

would be vulnerable to Lyons. Yes, lines and pythons. They can hide in

the bush or they will run away, they run in a zigzag pattern. You might

think he would be great as a small pet but that is not allowed.

Definitely not. You would not have any zoo animal as a pet. We are here

for breeding and conservation. Eventually he will go on a normal

diet of shoots and fruits. If his sister Goodspeed she would ask for a

kiss! They are so gorgeous! `` if his sister could speak. We have had

about 55,000 hits on our Facebook page since boasting pictures

earlier. Now onto the weather. It is getting colder. He was beautiful, I

want to take him home! It was beautifully sunny today but how cold

was it? Once you've stepped out the front door and factor in the

wind`chill, it felt like zero and even below freezing in Rochdale

Freezing all afternoon. Tomorrow will be bitterly cold again. Rain or

wintry showers at times. Deals or severe gale force winds. Tonight,

frost forming. There will be wintry showers or even snow on high ground.

Elsewhere, plenty of rain and strong winds. Temperatures will fall close

to freezing. It is not the rain that is the main issue over the next 24

hours. It is the fact that rain is falling on frozen surfaces saw rain

will be causing ice to be an issue. A wet and windy start to tomorrow.

Rain will continue to pile in. Wintry showers through the

afternoon. Some bright spells. Feeling colder than the high of

eight Celsius tomorrow. Watch out for ice on the roads. We will all

have to be really careful in the morning? Yes! We are back with an

update at half past ten. Good night. Goodbye.