17/12/2013 North West Tonight

Welcome to Northwest tonight. The top story: Also tonight, I Christmas

crackdown on taxis in Burnley. More than half of those inspected are

taken off the road. We are in Liverpool where they are about to

start building a new supercar for ?95,000. Manchester City fans launch

an application to turn up the volume. Bobble to Bethlehem, the

Liverpool company lighting up the home of Christmas.

A coroner has today been asking whether better staffing levels at a

mental health unit in Cumbria might have prevented the death of an

elderly patient. 84`year`old David Mole died after a fall on the Ramsey

Unit in Barrow`in`Furness last year. That's the unit that was criticised

by the Care Quality Commission last month for having "horrendous"

staffing levels that impacted on patient safety.

Our Chief Reporter Dave Guest is in Barrow and joins us now. Tell us

more about David Mole and what happened to him. He was a former

nuclear industry worker who'd enjoyed an active life until the

onset of what appeared to be dementia. He'd been undergoing

assessment at the Ramsey Unit here in Barrow when he fell last July

breaking his femur. It was operated on but he died several days later

from brochio pneumonia. No member of staff witnessed him falling. But Mr

Mole had a history of falls and the coroner Ian Smith has today been

asking whether, had there been more staff available to supervise him

might that last fall have been avoided. Because staffing has been

an issue at the Ramsey Unit hasn't it? In November the CQC published a

damning report about staffing levels at the unit. It's based in the

grounds of Furness General but it's operated by the Cunbria Partnership

Trust. The CQC visited in October this year and found a dispirited

staff who described staffing levels there as horrendous. There were

preventable falls because staff didn't have enough time to look

after patients properly, they were so stretched. That was the situation

this year, but what about back in July last year when Mr Mole was

there? Well, we had two conflicting stories from two nurses at today's

inquest. Lindsey Brown said back then staffing levels were fine and

only got worse much later. She then things got worse later on. The

coroner pointed out the staffing levels were exactly the same. She

said they'd had more challenging patients when the CQC visited. But

her colleague, Amanda Becket, told a different story. She said in July

2012 there were a lot of demanding patients, particularly on night

shift. That's why she hasn't completed a risk assessment form for

Mr Mole as she should have done because he had a history of falls.

She and a number of others said even if that form had been filled in it

might not have prevented the fall. The coroner will give his

conclusions tomorrow. It's been announced that a fracking site `

which was linked to two earth tremors near Blackpool in 2011 ` is

to close. Preese Hall in Weeton is the only place in the country to

have ever actually been fracked Meanwhile, a new government report

looking into the effects of shale gas production was published today.

It admits there could be some adverse impacts on communities.

Here's our environment correspondent Judy Hobson. Thank you. In October,

the Prime Minister, David Cameron, said he wanted Blackpool to be the

shale gas capital of Europe. Today a report, produced for the Government

by engineering firm Amec, looked at the potential effects of fracking to

the community and the environment. It estimates that at its peak the

shale gas industry could create between 16,000 and 32,000 jobs

across the UK. Opponents of fracking have always said too few jobs would

go to local people. But the Government says there could be good

news for local communities who would receive 1% of any revenue from a

fracking site. It's thought it could be worth up to ?4.8m for places like

Singelton and Elswick on the Fylde coast. The government has also

claimed there will be tougher regulations. We need to make sure

that it is extracted responsibly, that it is safe for the environment,

and that is why we are putting in a very strong regulatory framework,

which we have made absolutely clear to the developers is how they should

do it, as safely as possible. But there are concerns. This new report

estimates there could be between 14 and 51 lorries travelling to and

from a fracking site every day for up to three years, raising questions

about traffic congestion, pollution and noise. It's thought nine million

cubic metres of water may be needed for fracking every year ` that's the

equivalent of 400,000 swimming pools which could put pressure on our

current water resources. Here in the Northwest we have vast renewable

resources. We have wind power, solar power, tidal power, we could also

have wave power. We think fracking for shale gas is a risk we don't

need to take, there are much better options through renewable energy.

Meanwhile the energy company Caudrilla has announced it's pulling

out of its Presse Hall site in Weeton near Blackpool. The site was

test`fracked in 2011, causing two earth tremors. The company says it

is still looking at other possible sites in the area. Some breaking

news, two girls have been injured in a collision with a van near Oldham.

Emergency services are at the scene and roads in the area have been

closed. The driver of a car which had a pedestrian this morning has

been arrested on suspicion of murder. Emergency services were

called after reports that a 52`year`old man had been knocked

down. He was pronounced dead by paramedics. Police believe the

driver knew the victim. Five people have been arrested and drugs with an

estimated street value of ?4m have been seized during a police raid on

a house in Merseyside. A 28`year`old man and four women were arrested on

suspicion of possession with intent to supply. A large quantity of brown

powder, believed to be heroin, was recovered from a bedroom. A

pre`Christmas crackdown on taxis in Burnley has seen more than half

those inspected taken off the road because of major faults. Police and

council officers say they found vehicles with faulty tyres, brakes,

suspension and lights. The industry insists the majority of taxis on the

town's roads are safe ` and problems are limited to a handful of poor

operators. Peter Marshall reports. It's taxi`testing time in Burnley `

and this Hackney carriage is found to have a serious fault with one of

its tyres. These spot check operations are carried out once a

month in the town. The latest results, from tests over two days,

saw a total of 45 vehicles inspected. 26 of those vehicles were

subsequently suspended having been found with two or more major faults.

I have been stopped about three times. This London`style cab has

passed all its spot checks. He's been a taxi driver for ten years `

and worries that good operators are being tarnished by the actions of a

small number of poor operators. It is my responsibility, check the

tyres, check the water, check the oil, car is clean, then I set off.

If the vehicle was not good I would not drive it. Checks are overseen by

both council officers and police. They say enforcement has to be

stringent as driver and passenger safety is paramount. And taxi

passengers appear to agree. People are putting their lives in their

hands, so it is like anything else, health and is a the. Industry

representatives accept that safety is paramount ` but fear drivers in

Burnley face stricter regulations than in other parts of the country.

We have always had stringent rules and we have always acted them, and

we expect high standards from everybody. The majority of taxis are

very safe and nobody should be panicking about using the service in

Burnley. Burnley council says the majority of drivers in the industry

provide a valuable and safe service to their communities. They say

people should treat them with the respect they deserve full. A police

car responding to an emergency call in Rochdale has overturned after

colliding with a BMW. No one has been seriously hurt. The BMW driver

has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving. The Isle of Man's

Attorney General will face a retrial ` after a jury failed to reach

verdicts on charges of perjury and acts against public justice. Stephen

Harding was suspended as the Manx Government's main legal adviser last

year. He denies both charges. No date for the retrial has been set.

The Bishop of Manchester has launched a campaign to remind people

of the true meaning of Christmas. He unveiled an advert which asks

whether presents and getting into debt should be more important than

Christ. It follows a church survey in which 51% of people said the

birth of Jesus was irrelevant to their Christmas.

Christmas starts with Christ and we are encouraging people, amongst

everything else they are doing, I can hear laughter in the background,

but actually, Jesus Christ is that the part of the story `` part of the

story and it will put everything else into perspective. It is

surprising. The North West is already an important centre for car

making. We have Vauxhall at Ellesmere Port and Jaguar Land Rover

at Halewood on Merseyside. And today a new car maker had its official

launch in Liverpool. But it won't a new car maker had its official

launch in Liverpool. But it won't be turning out tens of thousands of

vehicles a year. It'll make just 60 a year at first. And you'll need

deep pockets to buy one, as Andy Gill reports. This automotive

company in Liverpool. It looks like a single`seater racing car. But it

is allowed on the road. And they're going to assemble them at a factory

in Speke. Liverpool is a great place to do business. Firstly it is

synonymous with the automotive industry. What that means for us is

we can tap into suppliers based in and around this area. The Mono was

the Top Gear Stig's car of the year in 2011. The company's moved to from

Cheshire after getting help financial help from the Liverpool

mayor's investment fund. He was at today's launch. But he won't say how

much, as that's "commercially sensitive". This is high`tech level

of automotive industry. For them to choose Liverpool and work with

Liverpool is a great achievement for the city. The company wants to

recruit 60 skilled workers. It already has orders from a number of

countries. Who is going to buy one of these? The company reckons it

will be somebody that already has a Lamborghini or a Porsche. Somebody

who has ?95,000 plus VAT stuffed down the back of the sofa. But will

it be successful? A plan to build up to 100 cars a year, I would hope

that they are breaking even on a much lower volume basis, because the

classic way to go wrong is making more cars than you can sell. BAC

also wants to take on apprentices and aims to get most of its parts

from British suppliers. Andy Gill, BBC North West Tonight, Liverpool.

Still to come on North West Tonight: our cameraman pointed out that there

is no roof and it rains in England. I was just looking for ?95,000.

Still to come: Chants would be a fine thing. The app to teach City

fans to sing when they're winning. And Scousers on the way here to

Bethlehem. Join us for the start of an incredible adventure with the

Northwest team chosen to decorate the most famous Christmas tree in

the world in the place where it all began. 30 years ago plans were

announced to close a famous railway line. Campaigners launched a long,

hard fight to save it ` and were eventually successful. And now,

three decades on, passenger numbers are booming. Back in 1983 there were

just 90,000 journeys every year ` today it's well over a million.

Spencer Stokes reports. Two of the men who helped to save the settle to

Carlisle line. Reunited with the sign. British Rail formally

announced the closure of routes with framed notices at stations. This man

knew this was effectively a death sentence for the railway and he

joined an uphill battle. The first opt was, how can the proposed to

close such a magnificent line? Hats it was not used by many passengers,

services had been run down, there is no free, you could be the argument,

but it was very sad. The MP that have the final say was an arch

Thatcherite but also a railway lover. Michael Portillo agreed to

save the line and has since become a regular visitor. The economic close

`` Case for closure was weakened, there was a closing down sale and

vast numbers of people travelled. Some clever engineers discovered

they could do the job of risk `` repairing the structure is cheaper.

After a six`year battle it was thrown a lifeline by a sympathetic

minister. Since then, it has arrived and it is now due in Northern

rail's crown. The closure was the best thing that could happen for

this really, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. The stations are

fantastic, and hundreds of thousands of people use this line every single

year. Stunning pictures. We will have some sports news. Sport now and

Manchester City are at Leicester tonight in the Capital One Cup

quarter finals. City have rarely played better than they did when

they demolished Arsenal at the weekend, but does the atmosphere at

the Etihad Stadium live up to the quality on the pitch? A group of

City fans say the traditional club songs are dying out and they've

introduced a mobile phone app to teach them to new supporters. Stuart

Flinders reports. Liverpool's Kop in fine form. But is football losing

its voice? Who do you support? United. There does not seem to be

passionate fans, just flag waivers. What has changed? Commercialisation

of football. It is not as good. Standing. Is that what it is down

to? Standing? With Manchester City flying high, the Etihad Stadium is

the last place you'd expect the atmosphere to be a problem. But a

group of City fans have designed a phone app to teach new fans the old

songs. What are the great songs? songs. What are the great songs

From the 60s. When did you last hear them? You hear them away games and

in the pubs, but not at home games. Evil can familiarise themselves with

the words and join in? Hopefully. Maybe what it means to be a football

fan has changed. Gone are the days when it was active participation,

these days you don't even need to go to the match to call yourself a fan.

Maybe it is about buying into the brand. You can buy anything from

shirts to slippers in club shops these days, but is the terrace chant

an endangered species? Do you know any of the old songs? I have heard

of the Pablo Zabaleta one. How does that go? I'm not going to sing it.

What are the city songs? I don't know. You do really. You just want

to sing them. `` don't want to sing them. Lots to shout about former

city fans `` for city fans. Meanwhile in the FA Cup Oldham could

book themselves a trip to Liverpool if they can win at Mansfield tonight

in their second round replay. And Fleetwood go to fellow League Two

side Burton with the winner facing Bournemouth in the third round.

Rugby league now, and Wigan Warriors have confirmed the sale of second

row forward Harrison Hansen to the Salford Red Devils for an

undisclosed fee. The 28`year`old, who captained Samoa in this year's

World Cup, has spent his entire career with Wigan but was keen to

join the club where his father Shane once played. Christmas is the season

of goodwill and every night in the run up to the big day ` we've been

highlighting viewers whose extraordinary kindness make a real

difference to people's lives. Today our Christmas star is Wayne Jackson

` a football coach who dedicates all his spare time training youngsters

in Carnforth in Lancashire. Elaine Dunkley reports. Come rain or shine,

Wayne Jackson is on the football pitch. Seven years ago he set up

this football club is massive. Use the `` we used to play on the

street. This is better. You can give stuff back to the kids and I hope

people carry on in the future. The club has grown and now has 140

youngsters having a kickabout. All right, dad? I have a surprise for

you. This is an award for you from Northwest tonight. Thank you very

much. But of a surprise. I nominated him because he puts so much effort

in and he wants other people to see that. I am absolutely privileged, I

don't know what to say. Shock, really. It has been kept a secret I

believe. Speechless. It is all worth it when you see the smiles on the

faces at the end of the day. That is what it is all about. From buying

football kit to encouraging other people to be managers, that is what

he has been doing. He is always out the house, thinking about football,

getting the next sponsorship. He is a good coach. He puts a lot of

effort into the training sessions to make sure we all enjoy it. Well

done. OK ` so picture the scene You're in charge in the town where

the Christmas story first begins. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims

are on the way. You'd want to get your Christmas tree right. Right? So

who do you trust with the job of decorating it? A team from Liverpool

` naturally. Lets join Jayne McCubbin at the start of an amazing

adventure in the run up to Christmas with the boys taking the baubles to

Bethlehem. This is the story of five guys. One

tree. Not just any tree. This is the most famous and iconic tree in the

world. It's a story with everything from falafels... What do you

normally have for breakfast? Coco Pops! ..to dodgy wiring. 'You

wouldn't get away with this in the UK! To dinner with the Palestinian

Prime Minister. Babrook! The hits just keep on coming! But it's a

story which begins in Liverpool. A story which begins in this

warehouse in Wavetree. I had to buy this plaque this year because when

it gets all too much I can look over there and go that's what it's all

about. I have to keep reminding myself `

smile on, carry on, job done. Let's call this Christmas HQ. If you see

my name, and suet. I need to speak to you about the lull that you've

got this week ` it's about to be un`lullified. Ged, Nick and their

team of professional Christmas decorators are not suprisingly a bit

busy. But just about on top of things. Touchwood. Their clients are

many and varied. Some more famous than others. I can't drop names Oh,

go on, drop names ` it's only North West Tonight. Well, she's on X

Factor. Mrs O! But it's the great big Christmas baubles of this place,

that sees them going for the really big jobs. I said to my sales

director ` get me something that puts us on the map. Buckingham

Palace. If they said they were going to try to get Buckingham Palace they

would get it. The White House, we have a contact on how to get the

White House. We've always been after Elton John. We are working on it.

Work in progress. This year they have got the big one. Not just the

tree in Liverpool city centre, but the tree in the town where the

Christmas story first begins. Bethlehem. Bethlehem. Bethlehem.

Christmas story first begins. Bethlehem. Bethlehem. Bethlehem It

is the big one. That is where it all began. If it wasn't for that we

would not have a business. Join us tomorrow at the team set off on

their amazing adventure. We are going to see a lot more of

them. Some of the stories are fantastic. Definitely worth

watching. Now the weather. You have to sit on that read so far, I don't

understand what I'm doing here. I could have done the weather from

Bethlehem. I could have done it from there. From the top of the tree

Easily. As I'm here, I'm afraid I'm not going to bring you particularly

good weather. Had I done the weather from Bethlehem things may have been

different. Tomorrow is all change. It will be unsettled. Assuming you

can hang onto your umbrellas, it will be very wet I late afternoon.

Very windy also. We could seek deals of `` severe gales. Tonight is the

Cannes before the storm. Clear skies initially. Some frost and fog

forming initially but as we head towards dawn you can see the cloud

rolling in from the West. Behind it, the rain slowly dribbles in

bygone. The temperatures will be decent if Italy `` initially.

Tomorrow morning, the cloud will build, the rain will pour in from

across the Atlantic. I think it is just on and off but if you watch the

wind arrows, it will pick up over the Isle of Man. We can see strong

gusts of wind. The only positive thing is very mild temperatures. The

main event will be tomorrow evening. Look at this rain, the

green flashes are the heaviest of the rain, we could see some

localised flooding for a time. It will die away quite quickly.

Temperatures down to single figures but we will hire onto `` hang onto

some strong wind. It will be quiet on Thursday. Friday, I cannot

promise you what will happen but it looks as if more rain is on the way.

Oh dear. Chance of a white Christmas? I could have gone to

Bethlehem. Maybe next year they will take you. We will suggest it. Good

night. Thanks for watching.