13/12/2013 North West Tonight

Good evening. Welcome to NorthWest Tonight with Annabel Tiffin and

Stuart Flinders. Our top story: The Government welcomes a fall in gang

related violence, but some community workers here say nothing's changed.

Two years after the riots is enough being done to break down gang

culture? Also tonight: A rough ride on high speed rail ` HS2 protestors

target George Osborne in Cheshire. The Prime Minister reveals a range

of road and rail projects for the north west. David Cameron joins us

live here in the studio. The Lancashire builder who's a real

Christmas Star for Sarah. And the Lancashire aerospace worker

giving his mates a lift. Soon he'll be competing against the strongest

men on the planet. It's crazy. It's my second year. I am still a bit

starstruck. A gang from Merseyside involved in

drugs, arson and firearms conspiracies has this afternoon been

sentenced to a total of nearly a 100 years in jail. The court heard that

in one gun attack a child narrowly avoided death. The sentences came as

new figures show a marked fall in the number of gang`related murders

in the North West. It follows the setting up of a Government programme

to tackle the problem in the wake of the 2011 riots. But some groups

working with young people say there's still a serious problem on

the streets. Andy Gill reports. A gunman fires at a house in St

Helens in a dispute between drugs gangs. You can see the flash of the

discharge. In the same case shots were fired at a caravan where two

children were sleeping. Both were unharmed. Today the gang leader

Eugene Price got 25 years. Total sentences were just under 98 years.

Things moved on, things moved to arson attacks against vehicles and

firearms being discharged at houses. But took it to another level

so we took our activities to another level as well. To bring the gang to

justice the Merseyside Police used an approach using all kinds of

agencies and authorities. It is an approach being launched after the

2011 riots. Today, the government said that scheme is working. After

the riots, the Government provided money to help police and other

organisations tackle gangs in five North West areas: Manchester,

Salford, Oldham, Liverpool and Knowsley. A report published by the

Home Office today says gang`related violence is now falling in those

areas. Before the project, there were four murders in the five North

West areas with a gang`problem. In the past year, there have been none.

The situation with knife attacks is more mixed. In Liverpool woundings

has remained unchanged ` 54 in 2010. And 54 in the past year. In

Manchester the picture's more positive. Woundings have gone down

from 59 to 40. But one man working with young people on estates in the

North West is sceptical. Categorically, nothing has changed.

There have been no new ideas, no new inch tips. New asking somebody who

lives on an estate, have I noticed a difference? The answer is no.

Today's report says anti`gang organisations are concerned about

uncertainty over funding next year. Police have confirmed that one of

the victims who died in a house fire in Bolton earlier this week had been

stabbed to death. The three people who died in the blaze were all from

the same family. Police have confirmed they're investigating a

murder and that they're not looking for anyone else. Mark Edwardson

reports. The fire on Albert Road West in the

Heaton area of Bolton started in the early hours of Monday morning.

Firefighters described the scene as amongst the worst they'd ever seen.

An Iranian couple Hassan and Mahnaz Rafie died, as well as Mrs Rafie's

mother. The couple's children have paid tribute to them saying, "our

parents would have been celebrating their 25 years of marriage through

which they worked through the greatest difficulties to build a

successful life from scratch.". Police have been investigating the

possibility that what happened here was murder followed by an act of

suicide. The details released today seem to support that. Mahnaz Rafie,

known to her neighbours as moaner, died from stab wounds, her husband

from smoke inhalation and burns Mrs from smoke inhalation and burns Mrs

Rafie's mother also died. It is believed the fire started after the

gas supply in the house had been tampered with.

The Dean of Lancaster Cathedral has been jailed for 12 months after

being convicted of three historical sexual offences.54`year old Canon

Stephen Shield had denied indecently assaulting a young man between 985

assaulting a young man between 1985 and 1992. The Crown Prosecution

Service said he had abused his position of trust.

Police in Merseyside have confirmed the body recovered from Albert Dock

yesterday is that of missing postman James Bennion. The 20`year old was

last seen early on Sunday after a night out. A postmortem examination

will be carried out to establish the cause of death.

A jury in the trial of the Isle of Man's Attorney General has been

discharged after failing to reach verdicts on two charges. Stephen

Harding denied perjury and acts against public justice at Douglas

Court House. The jury of five men and two women was sent home after

failing to reach unanimous verdicts. Councillors in Lancashire have

backed controversial plans for more than a thousand new homes in the

Ribble Valley. A committee voted last night to allow the scheme `

opposed by Clitheroe Town Council ` to go ahead. It's estimated the

development on the outskirts of the town will take more than 15 years to

complete. The Prime Minister and the

Chancellor have been in the North West ` both talking about transport.

While one ` David Cameron ` had some news about road and rail investment,

George Osborne was in his home patch, Cheshire, taking flak over

the HS2 rail link. We'll have more from Mr Cameron shortly. He's live

with us here in the studio, but first lets cross to Naomi Cornwell

who's been at that HS2 meeting in Macclesfield where Mr Osborne met

local politicians. There were protesters outside the meeting and a

lot of people unhappy that they could not put their views to the

Chancellor? Yes, Mr Osborne came here to meet parish councillors from

inside his constituency will start they represent areas which will be

affected by the HS2 route through Cheshire. There are also a number of

other local politicians here. Crucially, it was a closed meeting,

it was not open to members of the public. That has angered some.

Around 25 disgruntled constituents gathered outside for a protest with

banners. They say they do not feel that Mr Osborne is listening to

them. One protest the South Mr Osborne has refused to meet them

face`to`face. He says he does not hold constituency surgeries and they

should put questions in writing He should put questions in writing He

is not providing the service that we expect from a constituent MP and

really, we are at a quandary now, how to get to speak to our own MP on

our national concerns and local concerns about HS2. He said he will

answer specific questions about HS2 will impact on us but in writing if

we put them to him, and he will help out, but we would like to talk to

him face`to`face. We have not been able to put those claims to Mr

Osborne tonight because he managed to slip in and out of the meeting

without being spotted by anyone. to slip in and out of the meeting

without being spotted by anyone But without being spotted by anyone. But

the protesters say they will continue to get that meeting. Thank

you. For the Prime Minister it was a trip

to north Lancashire after the announcement of regional investment

for rail and road. We'll be speaking to Mr Cameron live in the studio in

a moment. First this report from our political editor Arif Ansari.

The Prime Minister wanted to see the M6 today. Really, he wanted us to

see him investing in the region's see him investing in the region s

roads. The long delayed plan is to build a link road from the port of

he shunted EN six. It will speed up journeys, support business and cost

124 million pounds. David Cameron arrived at one of the haulage firms

which should benefit. We can introduce new vehicles, better

equipment but we are still constrained by the confined is of

the road networks. Something like this is a real boon to ask, it

really makes a difference. He was flanked by two Lancashire MPs who

will need to keep voters on side. How well would you say the

government is doing at the moment? I cannot answer that! People like

working class people, they are not helping people like us. I think they

are doing OK. They took on the big debt, we have still got a big debt,

and if they do not do anything we will have to pay for it. I feel

there is still a north`south divide but I am extremely happy. I think we

are all struggling a little bit and finding it hard and we are not

getting a lot of support. Big infrastructure projects might be

important but they don't sway most voters.

Well, we're joined now by Mr Cameron. Thank you very much for

coming in. There were some mixed views there about what the

government is doing. Obviously, you have announced improvements to road

and rail today which will be welcomed by a lot of people but that

is quite long`term. For now, the Northwest is still struggling.

Unemployment is going up. What will you do for people? Actually,

recently, unemployment came down. There are 35,000 fewer people

claiming unemployment benefit today than there was a year ago. We are

making progress on jobs. 44,000 people in private sector employment

compared with three years ago. The economy is growing but I totally

agree with people quoted on your programme that we need to do more.

We need the whole country to be included. We need a recovery for

all, for North and South. That is where this transport schemes matter.

If you can connect up the country better, improve people's journeys to

work, that brings growth and jobs everywhere. We are spending half ?1

billion on rail electrification mostly in the North of England which

I think will make a big difference. Let's talk about HS2, because that

is one of the big infrastructure programmes coming our way. Today,

the transport committee said they would like the North face and South

faced to be joined together and done at the same time, do you agree with

that? It is something we can look at but it is a very good programme and

we have to build it in the most commercially workable way. It is

important for those people who are sceptical about HS2 to understand

that while it is a very big investment, we will be spending

three times as much in other road and rail schemes including in the

Northwest. I think HS2 will be an excellent thing for connecting up

the country. Do you think you are convincing a lot of people. There

were people unhappy that he would not meet them face`to`face. Always,

when you are building these big infrastructure projects, you get

opposition and it is difficult. When we built the first high`speed rail

line which linked London to the Channel Tunnel, there was a lot of

opposition. Now, everyone thinks it is a brilliant thing. It has

transformed the economy in Kent and it will do the same with HS2. You

will see jobs and investment and growth. It will really transform our

country. When it is finished it links eight of the ten biggest

cities in Britain. We will have to wait a lot longer for it and if you

did it at the same time, we would benefit earlier. The Northwest is

not having to wait. For HS2. We have to build it in the most commercially

attractive way, otherwise the costs will go up higher and people will

complain about that. We are only able to do any of these things,

whether it is HS2 ordinands and made today, we have only been able to do

that because we have looked after the nation's finances properly. We

have got the economy growing. We inherited a mess where it was not

possible to spend this money and we are now spending it wisely. Can I

ask you about fracking. It is something which affects this region

in a large way. The companies which will be doing the fracking, you have

offered them a reduction in the tax they will pay, how will it benefit

people in the Northwest? Will we see cheaper energy bills? If you look at

America that gas prices are half of hours and I want this cheap green

energy to be available for people in Britain. It will be good for

households and the economy. If a well starts, a fracking well starts,

they should be immediately a payment of ?100,000 to the local community

and then 1% of the revenues which could be tenderly on pounds for the

local community. A bit like HS2 I believe once the starts and once

these wells get under way, you will see as we have in America, local

support for fracking because you will see cheaper gas prices and

community benefits at the same time. When we did our series, even people

who are in favour of it, 70% of people have concerns that it is not

necessarily green, there would be water pollution and tremors, even

those who agree with it in principle have real concerns. We have to go

through those concerns one by one. We have to make sure there is a good

process for the environmental checks which we have in this country. You

cannot just dig a well. I think we can answer all of those. We need to

look in other countries, in America, where fracking is taking place, gas

prices are lower, households are benefiting and we have not seen many

of the problems which get written about. Politics is about taking

people with you. Just of high`speed rail can transform Arab colony north

and south, then fracking can help with gas prices `` which can

transform our economy. Are you concerned that with austerity cuts,

rising and planning, concerns over fracking, concerns of HS2, that you

could lose people up here? First of all, unemployment is lower in the

Northwest than it was at the election. If I can bring you up on

that point, we spoke to the employment Minister Esther McVey and

she said this region was a different picture to the rest of the country.

It is but I want to get the figure is right for your viewers. There are

8000 fewer unemployed people today than there were at the last

election. There are 44,000 more people in private sector jobs. There

are 35,000 fewer people claiming an employment benefit. If you say we

need to go further and faster here in the Northwest, I completely

agree. That is why I have announced these transport schemes here in the

Northwest. In terms of helping people with the household budget,

that is what this is about. I want people to have greater security and

stability in their lives. We are going to be exempt in the first

?10,000 that people learn from paying tax. That is a big help

combined with the freeze in the fuel duty and the other steps we are

taking. David Cameron, thank you for joining us.

Still to come on North West Tonight: He's one of the Premier League's

greatest ever goalies `what does he think of the current crop at the

region's big clubs? And muscling in on a world title `

could the strongest man on earth be from Lancashire?

Builders sometimes get a bad press with complaints if they don't turn

up on time, do a shoddy job or overcharge customers. But tonight's

Christmas star is a true gentleman of the trade who went the extra mile

for one of clients, as Dave Guest explains.

To say the past year has been tough for Sarah Melville is an

understatement. She was rushed into hospital last Christmas Day with

meningitis and her life was changed forever. By New Year's Day, they had

put her on a ventilator, she could not breathe for herself. In January

she had to have her lower legs amputated. I have lost part of my

left hand, my thumb, my right hand as well. It was clear there would

have to be major adaptations to the family home before Sarah could come

back. The meningitis Trust provided a lift for the front door and a

local council group provided work. But this builder decided to do far

more than he was being paid for He has built me a completely new

kitchen, flooring, carpet and he bought Sarah a new bath, a complete

suite with a door which opens out. None of this was part of the

contract? Not at all. I am a father myself and I thought how horrific it

would be for your child to go through what Sarah has had to go

through. Sarah only arrived home a week ago and her verdict on the

changes? It was brilliant. He did not have to do it. Bob tyre is our

latest Christmas star. Sarah, I know you are only just getting used to

your prosthetic legs but you wanted to hand it to him so there you go.

A heart`warming story, and we'll be bringing you more as Christmas

approaches. If you know anyone you think deserves a Christmas Star

contact us via email at [email protected] or drop us a line on

our Facebook page. Richard is here now with the sport

and some big news involving one of the north west's big names.

Yes, Robin Van Persie is the name and a four`week injury lay`off is

the news for the Manchester United striker. It's turning into one of

those seasons for the Dutchman who has already missed matches because

of toe and groin injuries. Now he'll miss up to eight more games after

hurting his groin again taking the corner that led to his side's goal

in the Champions League on Tuesday. Despite United's testing campaign so

far, Old Trafford legend Peter Schmeichel is urging the fans to

keep calm. He was at Manchester's Arndale Centre, along with the

Barclays Premier League trophy to give out free tickets as a thank you

to some dedicated fans. He was definitely in demand, as you can

imagine. But I did manage to sit down with him for a few minutes to

talk north west goalkeepers. Many would say the big Dane is the best

ever in the Premier League era. So how does he rate the men currently

between the sticks at our four top`flight clubs? The fact that no

one talks about him any more shows that he has progressed and settled

in. He performed to a level which kept Manchester United in the

Championship. The way that Liverpool wants to play, I am not sure how

good he is with his feet but he is an outstanding shot stopper, no

doubt about that. Are you surprised that Brendan Rodgers decided to

replace Pepe Reina? I have no idea what his motivation was for changing

that position but he has made that choice and he has got someone very

special and who has a fantastic start to his Liverpool career. A new

lease of life, a new manager, new everything. Sometimes that inspires

a player. With Tim, is it six or seven years he has been at Everton

now? Is vastly experienced and experiences the most important thing

in goalkeeping. I did not think Joe Hart should have been dropped. Do

you think he is better than Costel Pantilimon? Joe Hart is better. They

have really good goalkeepers in the Northwest. I could not pin him down

to who he thought was the absolute best.

The Uwe Rosler regime at Wigan Athletic started with a defeat last

night and their exit from Europe. Needing a win in Slovenia to keep

their Europa League campaign alive, The Latics made a great start when

Jordi Gomez scored from the spot. But hosts Maribor equalised straight

after a harsh red card for Chris McCann and they won the game thanks

to this fine goal from Jilliko Filipovitch.

What was Peter Schmeichel like? He was really pleasant. I do not know

if I should say surprisingly humble. One of the guys who was pictured

with him, was chosen to have his photo taken because he had a

Manchester United tattoo on his arm to raise money for charity but he is

eight Manchester City fan. Say he will have that forever? That is what

they told me. That is dedication to charity.

Now to a story that might make many of us feel rather inadequate. A

Lancashire aerospace worker is one of two men from the county who've

earned the right to challenge for the "World's Strongest Man" title.

Graham Hicks, whose day job is helping build the Eurofighter

Typhoon aircraft, has travelled the world in his quest to become one of

the strongest men on the planet. Peter Marshall has been to meet him.

He is five feet ten and weighs 21 stones. He can deadliest 400 kilos,

that is 60 stones. A design support engineer at BAE Systems in Warton

with the ambition to become one of the strongest men on the planet.

with the ambition to become one of the strongest men on the planet. But

it will not be. I do look quite out of place when I stand next to these

guys. At work here everyone thinks I'm big but I go there and everyone

thinks I am small. The 28`year`old from Morecambe will battle it out in

this year's world 's strongest man competition along with another local

lad, Mark Felix, a building worker from black urn. Does your strength

ever come in handy at work? I do not use my strength at work because

there are health unsafe restrictions to follow. You are not allowed to

pick up heavyweights? To media tool boxes are not heavy but we put them

on wheels to make sure no one gets hurt and that sort of procedure. He

hurt and that sort of procedure He trains four days a week and feels

his body by eating at least a kilo of chicken every day. I like it

because it is a challenge. There is always a challenge to get stronger

and better. The competition will be shown on Channel five over Christmas

and the New Year. A perfect Christmas pick me up.

I would have liked to see Peter Marshall do some arm wrestling with

him! I know someone who could probably beat him!

Is that a backhanded compliment or a compliment complement? !

Good evening. It will be very unsettled over the weekend. Saturday

will be particularly wet and windy. Sunday could be the better day of

the weekend. Here we have the two frontal systems which brought the

rain. There is this deep area of low pressure easing into tomorrow. It

will be gone by Sunday. We will see some more rain from Sunday night

into Monday. Tonight, the picture looks better. We will see the odd

rogue shower sneaking into the Cheshire gap. Temperatures in

Cheshire will drop close to freezing. I think we will see some

frost in one or two spots. Tomorrow morning we start off dry but it will

not last. We have a weather warning for wind. Very strong wind tomorrow.

If you look at the wind arrows tomorrow you can see they are

increasing as we head into the afternoon. The rain edges in

midday. The wind is really begin to pick up. We are likely to see gales

of 50, 60 or 70 mile an hour winds gusting through the Isle of Man,

gusting through the Isle of Man Cumbria and parts of Lancashire.

Cumbria and parts of Lancashire Plenty of heavy rain accompanying

that wind. A miserable afternoon. Ten or 11 selfless and the rain

eases away and hopefully, Sunday will be windy but hopefully drier.

`` ten or 11 selfless. I was not meaning to insult you Do

I was not meaning to insult you! Do you remember in the day of Geoff

capes when they did the telephone directory. If we had more notice me

end you could have gone in for that. It is easy! Have a good weekend

Goodbye.