05/02/2014 North West Tonight

rise. That is all from

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

Stuart Flinders. Ten years on from the Morecambe Bay

disaster, we hear from the families of those who died. I still think

about him. When he was around I didn't realise how much he meant to

me. But since the tragedy, has enough

been done to protect foreign workers?

Also tonight, outrage from the Hillsborough families as police

lawyers say they will argue some fans were drunk on the day.

I'm at Preston North end where Nottingham Forest are the visitors.

I will have the build`up for you later in the programme.

And to paraphrase Lord Kitchener, Hyndburn Heritage needs you. Find

out why later. Ten years ago tonight, the world

became truly aware of the lethal dangers of Morecambe Bay's notorious

tides. 23 Chinese workers were drowned whilst harvesting cockles,

led to their deaths by a ruthless illegal gang master. In the last

decade there's been new legislation to tackle the problem. But some warn

foreign workers are still exploited and put in danger. First, in the

last of his special reports on the tragedy, Peter Marshall hears from

victims' families about the lasting impact it's had on their lives.

The ten years that have passed since so many lost their lives in

Morecambe Bay have done nothing to diminish the pain of those who lost

their loved ones, like this mother from Fujian province in eastern

China, who lost her son. Now in their 70s, his parents say they

depended on Cao Chao Kun, who was just 35 when he drowned, bringing

twin sorrows ` the pain of loss and hardship. It would be much better if

he were still here, they say. The burden is on us. We live a caveman

life. We don't even have money for electricity.

The victim's son, 16`year`old Cao Xian Yong, only needs to look around

for reminders that thousands of migrants have been much luckier than

his own father. Their wealth literally towers over the small

property he shares with his mother and sister. Migrating is their main

hope of bettering their lives. I haven't known the love of a father,

and life has been tough, he says, adding that he plans to go abroad

too. The tragedy touched souls in a way

that's hard to forget. Identifying and returning the dead to their

families was a task of immense complexity for British police, who

travelled to China to meet every family personally. All the I have

dealt with, I have dealt with many homicide cases and you remember

things from each one that this was overwhelming because of the number

of people involved and it is sad, they were there to work to send

money back to their families. The families have very little, so you

can never forget that. Lin Mei Qin still mourns her husband Lin You

Xing, who died a world away. He was 38. She has never remarried. She

works hard. I still think about him, she says. When he was around I

didn't realise how much he meant to me. When he died it was such a loss.

Her husband's death meant their hunt for a better life never

materialised. Charitable donations from Britain have helped victims'

families repay debts to human traffickers who moved their loved

ones to Morecambe. But a decade on, survival remains a struggle.

Sometimes I think if he hadn't died I would live a better life, she

says. I have to work hard. I think it is just my fate. In the past we

still owed people money, so I have to work to pay it back.

The financial need that drove so many to untimely deaths in Morecambe

Bay remains. A decade on, at the graveside of one victim, another

generation is preparing to head off in search of a better life.

So, ten years on, what has changed to make things safer? Fishing

permits are restricted. In 2004 nearly 2000 were issued. Now 12 are

available. They cost ?500 and you have to take a safety course. There

are plans for a new Fisheries Order to tighten regulation further still

in the bay. And we now have the Gangmasters Licencing Authority set

up to protect workers from exploitation. Since 2007 it's

revoked 200 gangmaster licences and brought 70 prosecutions. Earlier

this evening I spoke to the head of the Gangmasters Licencing Authority,

Paul Broadbent. I started by asking him how

effective his authority has been. I think we have made a lot of

difference since our inception after the tragic events on Morecambe Bay.

We have had a number of arrests and convictions and a lot of people who

wouldn't have been found out to be illegal gang masters now have

convictions for that crime. There have been prosecutions but only 70

in the eight years, so where is the deterrent for criminal gang

masters? There is a number of deterrent. The majority of licensed

gang masters want to comply with the regulation, which is fantastic, but

unfortunately there is a small criminal element who just want to

commit crime and break laws because it makes them money. They would be

put off by a mere 70 prosecutions. We cannot arrest our way out of this

problem. But it would send a signal to them that they can't get away

with it. The most recent prosecution ended up with seven years in prison

but what we are working towards with the police and the authorities is to

prevent exploitation in the first place to get the public to know the

signs of exploitation, give us that information and we will act on it.

It's what you do enough to involve `` to avoid a similar custody with

workers exposed to similar danger? It is a good start and we are

gaining a better be told. An eight`year`old organisation starting

from scratch takes a while to get moving but sharing intelligence with

police we are identifying and disrupting more organised crime

groups than ever before. Families of the Liverpool fans who

died in the Hillsborough disaster have reacted angrily to news that

lawyers for senior police officers intend to raise the issue of blood

alcohol levels at the new inquests into the 96 deaths. It emerged at a

pre`inquest hearing in London today. Suggestions that drunken fans were

to blame have long angered the relatives of those who died. The

original Taylor report and the Hillsborough Independent Panel

report of 2012 ruled out alcohol as a contributory factor. Our

Merseyside reporter, Andy Gill, has been in London for the hearing.

Earlier I asked him why this issue was so contentious. In the immediate

aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster there were suggestions that

drunken fans had forced open a gate and that had caused the crash. There

was an infamous comment by Lady Thatcher's former press secretary

Bernard Ingham about a tank top mob. The Taylor report blamed a failure

of police control, not fans, and the independent panel in 2012 said

alcohol was not an issue when it came to the causes of the disaster.

How did the issue of fans drinking get raised today? Until now lawyers

for the inquest said there was no need for any evidence about alcohol

but it has emerged the lawyer representing 22 families has taken

on an independent expert in case they need to rebut any evidence

about alcohol that may come up. It was confirmed by lawyers

representing the match commanders that this is an issue they intend to

explore in the new inquest which is due to open at the end of March The

QC representing other former police officers said they want to look at

whether drinking by spectators, not necessarily the deceased, may have

played a part in what happened. How have families reacted? At the

hearing today there were shouts of disgrace when it was raised. I spoke

to a relative who was angry that said that at least if it is explored

in the new inquest, it may finally get that to bed. I think it is

disgusting that even now in 201 these people are still arguing that

alcohol was the cause of the disaster when it has been clearly

stated that it was not. What does the coroner say? He has said written

evidence about blood alcohol may be at missable. It does not say if that

means alcohol of the deceased or spectators or both.

A man has lodged a formal complaint against Greater Manchester Police,

claiming he was wrongly arrested at the anti`fracking camp at Barton

Moss in Salford. A video filmed by the protester shows a police officer

allegedly accusing him of drink driving to the protest site. The

video goes on to show the man being arrested and charged with failing to

provide a breath sample. Greater Manchester Police say the

Professional Standards Branch are investigating.

Greater Manchester Police have released footage of an arsonist

inadvertently setting fire to himself. The man, who was captured

on CCTV, tried to set fire to a van on Ashworth Street in Falinge, but

was surprised when the flames quickly spread up his arm. He is

seen running away down the street before police say he got into a

waiting Nissan Micra. The fire from the van spread to a nearby family

home, but nobody was hurt. A photograph of Garwick Bay in Laxey

has been chosen as the focal point of the Isle of Man's bid for UNESCO

biosphere status. The status recognises areas with outstanding

natural landscapes. If the bid is successful, the Isle of Man would

become the first nation in its entirety to become a biosphere

reserve. The jury in the trial of Coronation

Street actor William Roache has spent the afternoon considering its

verdicts on the sexual abuse charges against him. The 81`year`old is

accused of two counts of rape and four indecent assaults in the 1 60s

and 1970s. The jury began its deliberations late this morning

after a three`week trial. Our chief reporter Dave Guest was in court.

They have been here for more than three weeks and heard from more than

20 witnesses and it is now down to the eight women and four men of the

jury to decide the outcome of this case. They will have to decide who

they believe and who they don't They have five women who claim they

were sexually assaulted I William Roache when they were teenagers in

the 1960s. They also have Mr Roach who says they have made it all up

and he doesn't even know them. The judge has spent the past few days

summing up what the jury have heard during the course of this trial and

today he told them they would have to weigh up the evidence and decide

which evidence is truthful and which is not. The judge has said during

his summing up that emotion must play no part in the decision`making

process and he reiterated that today. You must approach all this

with a cool head and make a dispassionate assessment of the

evidence. The jury began their deliberations at 11:20am and went

home around 4:15pm. William Roache has also gone home with his family

but they will be back here tomorrow as the jury continues its

discussions. Still to come on North West Tonight:

The Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher speaks for the first

time about his battle with a career`threatening illness.

And what have the Empire State Building, the Ewbank carpet cleaner

and a snooker table got in common? Find out later in the programme

It's been described as the most advanced aircraft ever built by

British engineers. The Taranis stealth jet has been developed here

in the North West, at BAE Systems in Warton, to be flown without a pilot

on board. Unlike other unmanned aircraft or drones developed by the

company, it's capable of more than surveillance and, controversially,

can carry out air strikes. Today the company released the footage of its

first test flight. It's named after the Celtic god of thunder, but until

now the development of this unmanned jet has been quiet. This is the

first time the world has seen Taranis take to the sky. Unlike

surveillance zones, it is designed for combat so it can carry out what

were described as pushes and strikes while remaining undetected. BAE

Systems won't reveal where the test flight takes place. Rumour has it if

you thought of a country down under, you would be close. Staff here at

Wharton were waiting with it a breath. The joke is that all the

managers clapped when it takes off but the engineers clap when it

lands. That was true for this first flight. It is a combat aircraft that

is survivable in environments which unmanned vehicles aren't. Bob

Fraser's job involves sitting at a desk in an office where he flew the

plane. Sitting in front of a bank of computers, you aren't feeling the

dynamics of the situation but you have a set of controls that are

similar to a pilot's controls, to those in a manned aeroplane. It is

about direction in the same way The project has cost ?185 million so

far, funded by the Ministry of Defence. It could be years before

the technology is used in battle but the RAF says this represents an

important milestone. It is very futuristic looking. I

think it looks like something out of Star Wars.

Let's have a look at sport now, and there's a big FA Cup game at Preston

North End tonight, where Nottingham Forest are the visitors. Richard is

there for us. How confident will North End be of going through?

I think they have a chance, it will be difficult. Nottingham Forest 13

matches unbeaten going into this match, trying to get promotion to

the Premier League, managed by Billy Davies, but I think they showed in

the first original tie at Forest that finished nil`nil that they can

compete at this level. Let's move on to Fleetwood town. Unfortunately

there Wembley dream is hanging by a thread after last night's

controversial 3`1 home defeat to Chesterfield in the first leg of the

Johnson Paint Trophy semifinal. That is quite a mouthful. Two disallowed

goals, this one was offside. Chesterfield struck back twice, Sam

Morsy getting the second. Jon Parkin thought his back heel was good, but

after a delay, it too was ruled offside. This David Ball header has

given the Cod Army something to cling on to for the second leg.

Let's hope they can do it. Manchester United's Darren Fletcher

has been talking for the first time in detail about his struggle back to

fitness after a serious long`term bowel condition. He has been living

with ulcerative colitis for many years. Today he helped to launch

United For Colitis, a fund`raising initiative to help fight the

condition. There is what he had to say.

A battling an athletic midfielder, Darren Fletcher has had to fight his

biggest battle off the pitch. A struggle that has been long,

frustrating and at times painful. There is hundreds of thousands of

people dealing with it every day in the UK. Knowing the impact it has on

their lives, it is emotional but it is good to talk about it and I feel

such a relief for doing that. The Scottish international has been

coping with his condition for almost three years and has had serious

setbacks when he has tried to return to action. He made a comeback at the

start of last season, before having to have surgery and missing the rest

of the campaign. It made this moment all the more significant. A big

personal moment here for Darren Fletcher. A cheer from the fans at

the announcement of his name. Villa Park in December and his first

appearance for almost a year. I was fortunate to find out that playing

football wasn't making me ill so I was able to come through that and be

back playing, and it is something I am really enjoying. Fletcher isn't

the only top sportsman to have suffered from the troublesome bowel

condition. The list includes Olympic legend Sir Steve Redgrave and former

England would be union captain Lewis Moody. For me it meant drugs and the

diet and figuring out a way of controlling it. Though more we can

talk about it, it relieves pressure. And just like Moody, Darren Fletcher

is a man who simply refused to be beaten.

Let's move back to this match and test the mood in the Preston North

end dressing room. They are joined by Craig Davies. Thank you for

joining us. Is this the sort of game against Forest that the rest of the

lads can go into without any fear and enjoy it? Yes, they have done

the hard part I going to the city ground so hopefully they can beat

them here tonight. Do you think there is some added incentive

because it could have been Fulham in the next round but it will be

Sheffield United? Yeah, 100%, but if they can get a good result tonight

there is no reason why they can t go one. I am disappointed I can't play

but it would be good for the boys as long as it doesn't disrupt artform.

`` artform. Can it help if you get a good result tonight, Sheffield

United, you can get past them and you may have a big team in the next

round. Does it help build you up or the season? Sometimes it can kill

your form for the season. Last year we can got to the final and then

they went downhill. We just hope it doesn't disrupt our league form but

I am sure all the boys are up for it tonight so hopefully they can get a

good result. Are you enjoying your time here? I have only been here a

couple of days but so far so good. Thank you, Craig. Craig Davies, on

loan from Bolton Wanderers. Let s move on to rugby league. St Helens

have announced that their match against Hull FC will be a tribute to

the late Steve Prescott. Steve was given the MBE for his charity

fundraising and sadly died in November after a long battle with

cancer. The fixture at Langtree Park on Friday 21st will mark the start

of an annual trophy which will be awarded to the team with the highest

aggregate score over the two Super League matches. He was a great man.

Don't forget this game is on BBC radio Lancashire. Full commentary.

Now back to you. Thank you, Richard. Good to see

Craig Davies back. You haven't got a clue what I'm talking about. No but

I will believe you. Now, what links the Empire State Building, the

Ewbank carpet cleaner, and the Riley snooker table? You didn't know, did

you? I am saying it like I did. Well, obviously it's Accrington A

new museum's opened in the town to celebrate all things Accy, but it

may have become the victim of its own success. Half of our viewers

will not have a clue what a Ewbank is. Hyndburn Heritage Centre in

Accrington has a bright future. It's just opened its second museum in the

town. But it's desperately short of volunteers. Accrington's Arndale, a

very modern venue with an eye on the past. Hyndburn Heritage Centre ` so

successful it's opened a second venue here. We have some interesting

things in the museum. We have the war exhibition and the industry

display, and here we have an old school desk, which many a bomb will

have sat on. The Accrington Pals from the Great War remembered, and

to paraphrase Lord Kitchener, Hyndburn Heritage needs you! We need

volunteers. We have been that successful since we opened this but

we need staff to put the time meant to keep it open. Accrington's

exports are world renowned. Its famous Nori bricks support Blackpool

Tower and the Empire State Building. There are Ewbank cleaners and EJ

Riley snooker tables. Howard and Bullough looms clattered in mills

across the globe. You are willing to donate? Today some of the firm's

past was presented to the museum. I found it in an old tool box. It is

no good to me now but I thought they may want it. The hunt for volunteers

is on. Alan Dodd joined up in January. I am learning of other

staff and of people who come in I love it. The shopping centre reports

more visitors since the heritage centre arrived. But Hyndburn

Heritage's ambitions don't stop here. They are trying to raise

?250,000 to move to a unit that is ten times the size of this one.

The Empire State building, must be a lot of Accrington bricks. I wonder

if the new unit will be made from Accrington bricks. It is good a

museum is doing so well when so many are closing. Nina has the weather.

It has been a terribly wet day today, miserable with 20 of rain and

winds in excess of 50 miles an hour. The Isle of Man saw the strongest

winds, elsewhere has felt worse than that. There is more rain to come so

for tomorrow we start off on a decent note and this area of low

pressure swings in from the south with some rain tomorrow night, and

into Saturday another area of low pressure brings wet and windy

conditions into Saturday and plenty of showers for the weekend. Tonight

rain has east. There are some showers continuing to float through,

still quite windy but by dawn showers these away leaving clearer

skies in Cheshire and we may see temperatures close to freezing.

Plenty of cloud and some rain by dawn but the picture continues to

improve tomorrow, so we should start off mostly dry once we get rid of

those showers. The winds become lighter, we could see bright spells

breaking through. It looks like a decent day on paper and tell that

frontal system moves in from the south. We should see highs of eight,

possibly nine Celsius before the clouds build on that rain works

itself in tomorrow night, so wet and windy tomorrow and falling as snow

in some spots and for the weekend we will see a few more showers. The

temperatures are still warm, though, aren't they? We haven't had a frost

yet. It is warm but windy. Did you know what a Ewbank was? It was like

a Hoover, you put the dust in one end and squirt it out the other You

learn something every day. Goodbye. NICK CLEGG: Are you in,

or are you out? That's the real question at stake at

the European elections on May 2 nd. even though that would wreck

the recovery and destroy jobs. The Conservatives are now

openly flirting with exit, and the Labour Party, well, they

just don't have the courage they wouldn't lift a finger

to help keep Britain in the EU