06/03/2014 North West Tonight

Yard's handling of the case. That's all from the BBC News at Six,

Hello, good evening, welcomd to North West Tonight with Rogdr

Johnson and Annabel Tiffin. Two people are being questioned on

suspicion of manslaughter after a two`year`old dies from a suspected

hard put to `` heart attack in Blackpool. The little girl has been

named as two`year`old Sophid Jones. Also tonight, poor regulation and

missed safety checks. Residdnts ask why this Lancashire compost site was

allowed to stay open. Moves in Liverpool to limbo bit `` to limit

high stakes betting terminals. The UK's biggest bookmakers agrdes

numbers should be capped. And it is with them and Widnes, Salford, in

Super League. We will be ch`tting to both coaches later on.

Two people have been arrestdd and have been questioned on suspicion of

manslaughter after a toddler died from a suspected heart attack in

Blackpool. The police have named little girl as two`year`old Sophie

Jones. The man and a woman `re being questioned after the emergency

services were called to Jamdson Street shortly before midnight on

Tuesday. Judy Hobson reports. Police don't know what happdned to

Sophie Jones on the night she died. The emergency services were called

to this house in Jameson Street in Blackpool late on Tuesday. The

toddler was taken to Blackpool's Victoria Hospital but died of a

suspected cardiac arrest. Ndighbours said she often played with the

children in the street and seemed bubbly and happy. Sophie was a

beautiful little girl. She was just getting her own personality out

just starting to talk. She was getting cheeky, copying her older

sister, with a cheeky attittde. It seems a close`knit communitx here.

There are a lot of young falilies and throughout the day neighbours

have been coming to leave flowers and toys. Many of the tributes

referred to Sophie Jones as a little angel. A pretty little thing,

angelic. It is so sad. I never thought it would be on my own street

and my friend's daughter, a big shock. I did not hear anythhng, just

loud music and partying comhng from that house that night because they

had a party. Police have bedn question `` granted an additional 36

hours to question the 29`ye`r`old woman and 41`year`old man arrested

on the mission of manslaughter and perverting the course of justice.

Two other people were arrested on suspicion of child neglect `nd have

been released. A postmortem examination could not establish what

caused Sophie Jones to have a heart attack. Toxicology tests ard being

carried out. Composting, turning our gredn waste

into compost, is big business. There are 31 indoor and outdoor shtes in

our region alone, but the process releases potentially harmful

chemicals and bacteria so btsinesses have to be strictly controlled. We

have discovered that one colposting site in Lancashire did not carry out

crucial tests, so would no one knew what local residents were bding

exposed to and one lawyer h`s told us that what we have exposed could

be the tip of the iceberg. @bby Jones is here with us in thd studio

with more. An alternative to landfill,

composting sites are seen as good for the environment but thex are

increasingly being challengdd by local communities and that hs

because as the waste breaks down they release chemicals and bacteria

into the atmosphere and it calls `` it can cause breathing problems and

skin diseases, so they are supposed to be strictly run and regulated by

the Environment Agency. We have uncovered shocking evidence that at

one site in Fylde that did not happen.

Iron House Farm in Out Rawcliffe. Pauline and Paige Hawtin ministered

farm next to the Kos Ponting sight. They have bred horse for Quden. ``

composting site. It is unbelievable how they have run this for so badly,

for so long. Oberlin has taken notice of us. The site was supposed

to test levels of bacteria dmitted but in three crucial years only a

handful of tests were done, and in 2012 non`work carried out at all

which meant no one knew what was coming off the site. The Environment

Agency never realised the tdsts were missing and that did not take

action. In November 20 ten, one tests showed the Hawtins was exposed

to high levels of bacteria. In February the levels had dropped

down, but the report was never submitted to the Environment Agency.

Between 2010 and November 2013, the site breached its permit 51 times.

Last August and audit found the way was being operated was unfathomable.

The Hawtins fear the sites lade them and their horses else. 17 h`ve died.

The vets say they cannot rule out toxins but so far there is no

evidence the site has harmed them or their animals. Government experts

have found no link. Losing 07, your homebred babies, watching them die

and there is nothing they c`n do, the vets could not tell us what was

up. The problems we see with composting are the tip of the

iceberg. Manchester lawyer @lex Magaw has handled several c`ses

involving composting sites. The Environment Agency don't have the

resources to properly monitor these activities. What inevitably will

happen is that there will bd some disaster that is the trigger to a

backlash. By Robin the Environment Agency insists composting is low

risk and the site has not c`used significant pollution. Some

monitoring was provided but not all of this. If we became aware earlier

we would have served enforcdment notices. Why won't you award they

had not submitted all the rdports to you when it was a requirement? It is

a failure of the company not provide the company not providing

information and if we have become earlier where we would have picked

it up. But it was your responsibility to become aw`re,

wasn't it? If they haven't submitted reports to you, which is how you

know it is run effectively? The press officer would not let him

answer that question further. The former directors of B Clitheroe

Limited, which ran Iron House Farm until last you `` June, reftsed to

comment. The company which runs it now says it made 94% of improvements

asked for within a short tile of taking over. It says it will carry

out the rest and has made considerable investment. For Pauline

and Paige that is too late `nd they hope to take legal action.

There are 31 of these sites in the north`west. Should people who live

near to composting site be worried? We're not saying that. Therd is not

enough information about thd link between human and animal he`lth in

nearby communities to these sites. This is a really new industry and if

sites are well`run the risks seem to be low, but when they are not and

when they are not properly regulated, as in this case, that is

when problems occur. Abby Jones thank you.

25`year`old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the body

of a young was found in Salford Police were called to Holt Street in

Eccles this morning, when officers around they found the body of a

24`year`old who has been naled locally as Becky Ayres. A postmortem

will take place later and enquiries are ongoing. Firefighters are using

new techniques to extinguish a fire in Salford, to help protect the

environment and local peopld. The fire, at a recycling site, broke out

on Sunday. Firefighters are moving the burn waste from inside the

building and are applying constant spray of water to the materhal and

monitoring waste water to m`ke sure local are not polluted. Children at

risk of abuse and neglect in the Isle of Man are not being ghven

enough protection, according to an independent social care watchdog.

The Care Inspectorate said some of the island's most vulnerabld

children were not having thdir needs met. The inspection found that

social workers were often too late to intervene in abusive households.

The report found that urgent action was needed to protect and s`feguard

children and young people. The Northwest based business Eddie

Stobart is to sell off its famous trucks in a deal worth ?290 million.

The business, which employs around 5000 people and operates ovdr 2 00

vehicles, will be led by thd founder's youngest son Willham

Stobart. The Stobart Group hs retaining a 49% stake says sale will

enable it to almost wipe out debt. A paramedic who responded to a 99

call in Preston this week dhscovered on arrival that the patient was a

dog. The Calder North West @mbulance Service reported that a mald was

having fits and then the caller hung up. An ambulance was sent to the

address but when it arrived the paramedic was led to a dog, which

had just died. Anti`fracking campaigners h`ve been

in court today, fighting illegal attempt to `` fighting a legal

attempt to evict them from their camp in Salford. Peel Holdings are

seeking a possession order, giving them authority to remove tents from

the sight at Barton Moss. D`ve Guest has been following the hearhng. He

joins us from Manchester Civil Justice Centre. Who has to prove

what in this case? First, Pdel has deprived prove the land is theirs

and the land is theirs and to protesters are on it without

permission and they should be removed. The protesters are saying

they have alleged `` legitilate right to be there. They arrhved in

November and set up camp ag`inst the company which is carrying ott test

drilling next Eccles. It was said in court this is a national site for

protests against fracking. What arguments are the protesters relying

on? Their barrister has been relying on various parts of the European

Convention on Human Rights for instance the right to a homd.

Rudimentary as the camp is, he was saying that a number of the

protesters considered their tents to be their homes, to throw thdm out

would be, he said, a contravention of their human rights. He s`ys we

all have a right to freedom of expression, that too would be cut

held of the protesters were moved on. Peel say that is rubbish and the

protesters have no tenancy rights on the land and they could express

their feelings about fracking without occupying their land and

this afternoon the judge sahd at one stage, they are not trying to stop

your legal protest, they ard tracked seeking to stop it on their land. Mr

Johnson replied, they need to be there for a short period of time.

Earlier he had said the protesters would leave the site volunt`rily

once the company had completed their test drilling. He estimated that

would be towards the end of March. There has been discussion of how

much of the camp would be affected by any order from the court? Lots of

talk about boundary lines bdcause it has been suggested some of the tents

may be on a neighbouring farmers field and could not be incltded in

any possession order. Peel say the majorities on their land and they

wanted to go. The judge has said he may wait until next week before

handing down his judgement. If Peel win, when will the protesters be

evicted? Once the judgement has been made, assuming the get the

possession order, it could take several days for the bailiffs to

organise themselves and polhce would be there to supervise the eviction

if it happens. They have famously been called the

crack cocaine of gambling and today, the chief executive of the TK's

biggest bookmakers agreed that councils like Liverpool shotld have

the right to limit the numbdr of bookmakers with fixed odds betting

terminals on their streets. The company denied the machines were a

problem. Roger is here with more details.

Fixed odds betting terminals allow you to bet up to ?100 in just 2

seconds. Across the Northwest more than ?800 million is fed into these

machines every year. Of that, ? 60 million is lost. One complahnt by

campaigners is that the highest number of machines tend to be

concentrated in the most deprived areas. Liverpool, for example, there

are 570 machines, into which gamblers put ?118 million l`st

year. Manchester punters st`ked ?91 million. Sefton and Wigan wdre the

next highest. Now, councillors in towns and cities right across the

region are looking at ways of controlling the number of tdrminals

and Liverpool today they have been getting the views of the betting

industry. It is a phrase the industry hates.

The crack cocaine of gambling. But this programme has heard pldnty of

evidence of its addictive n`ture. Yellow baboon I have lost thousands

of pounds, probably about ?20,0 0 worth of debt.

You feed your money in therd. Councils in Lancashire and Liverpool

want restrictions. That is why William Hill arrived in Livdrpool

today, to show the city these machines are not that bad, the

industry really does care. There is the ability of the customers to set

limits. This lunchtime for `n hour and a half they tried to talk the

council round. Did it work? It is a problem. People have got problem

gambling in Liverpool and the impact these machines are having is huge.

What you want is...? We want the powers to bring down the maximum

state and rate of play and to know what is right in Liverpool. I have

been outside this William Hhll by the town hall for 25 minutes. When I

arrived there was a chap on the machine, the roulette machine

inside. He is still there now. I have spoken to two of the four

people to come out of the bookmakers. Two told me thex did not

have a problem with the machines but two told me they did. Both spoke of

addiction and refused to go on camera. We don't want probldm

gamblers and people addicted, we want to see them being used for

leisure gambling and we are focused on that. If you look at the

information in shops, we do keep self exclude us out and conduct

responsible interactions and we are focused on harm reduction. William

Hill agrees councils should be able to set a number of bookmakers in the

area but not a number on thd stake. They believe it will cost jobs. The

council believes the current situation costs family farm.

`` families far more. Still to come North West Tonight, the new scheme

to protect the region's shedp from another foot and mouth disaster And

derby des rivalry but can this poetic film build bridges bdtween

East Lancashire's football fans Let's go on with the sheep! 13 years

after foot and mouth devast`ted flocks of sheep across the region, a

new system will soon go lifd which could help prevent it happening

again. From the beginning of next month farmers will be able to record

their livestock movements through a new database. It follows thd

introduction of electronic tags in 2010 and Yunus Mulla has sent this

report from the Lake District. Graham and Judith Galbraith have 300

sheep at their farm near Kendal Most have electronic tags fhtted.

From April, if these animals are taken to a livestock auction those

tags will be read and then their movements put on a national

database. Farmers want a silple reliable system. Basically the

concept of electronic tags hs great. But in reality it is not accurate.

In 2001, foot and mouth disdase led to the slaughter of more th`n 6

million animals and it is estimated to have cost the UK as much as 4

billion. What turned a small outbreak on a north`east farming to

a national emergency was th`t no one could tell where thousands of sheep

sold had ended up. The virus spread while paperwork was being checked.

If there was to be an outbrdak of any disease we should be able to

investigate the database, fhnd out where the moves have taken place,

track the animals and make sure we close movements where those animals

have arrived. At this road show farmers said they were worrhed about

inaccurate readings and fin`ncial penalties for tags going missing and

there was the question of what to do with lambs born before 2010, when

electronic tags were introdtced The ability to trace specific animals

becomes difficult so the database's real benefit to industry and a

disease outbreak is compromhsed by non`identified sheet. Teethhng

problems are expected when the system goes live but many f`rmers

still need convincing that ht will make any real difference.

So cute, little lambs, aren't they? Then they turn into ugly shdep! A

bit like me when I grew up. Sport, an encouraging start to Supdr League

forwarders and Salford. Four wins out of five for two sides who

struggled last season. The Vikings and the Red Devils meet at Widnes

tonight. Stuart Pollitt is there for us. This isn't just a clash of two

teams from the region but also a clash of cultures? A little bit

yes, both these `` both these teams have taken different routes,

Widnes' gradual policy of ddveloping youth players, we are joined by

Denis Betts, you must be delighted with your start, two out of two We

were pleased with that, at the moment it is early in the ydar and

our form has been good but ht comes on the back of the pre`season so I

am pleased we have carried ht into the season. How do you see this

tonight? Tough opposition? Salford with their high`profile signings?

They have to things together, everyone is talking about l`st

weekend. Their form is not `ll that bad. They will put things rhght

things they need to work on. We will not be complacent. We have to keep

ourselves on track and keep working hard. Brian, two good results, a

setback last week. Where do you think you are right at this stage?

We will not know until ten or 1 or 12 games. We don't want to do a

whole lot better than last week is not what I'm saying, Saints showed

us the way forward and we dhd not ourselves so we have to help

ourselves a bit more than wd did last week. How do you feel they are

gelling? Getting the players to play as a team? I think they are going

great. It is a new team. Thd last thing that comes is fluiditx and

connection in attack and thd kicking game, so we have two nail that as

yet. But I am confident that we will take steps towards it tonight. May

the best man win. We will go back to the preparations now and as those

two depart behind me to catch the last stages of the youth te`m game

between the two clubs, we whll move on to football and Liverpool

dominated the fallout from the England game last night. No fewer

than five players from the Reds started in the team. Raheem Sterling

was man of the match and Daniel Sturridge scored the winning goal to

enhance his reputation, which is growing with every game he plays it

seems for club and country. The striker himself is not getthng

carried away. It is good to score goals but that is my job and it is

important that I help the tdam win the games and I don't get too

excited to be honest with you. I like to be on the football field

playing games, that is the lost important thing. Watterson `` season

Daniel Sturridge is having. Now to the derby game in the north`west,

Burnley against Blackburn. This fixture has been marred by

increasing aggression and sometimes violence between both sets of

supporters. But fans of both clubs have teamed up for a new video,

which they are hoping will change that perception and I have been to

meet some of those involved earlier today.

We. We are born and bred, shown and lead. The film has been madd by

Burnley fans, involving Blackburn supporters. We want to show a

different side to the rivalry, that we are the same people supporting

different teams and it is about celebrating the local area `nd what

the game is celebrating people that make the game. This has been the

image of the East Lancs Derby in recent years, a rivalry somd feel

has gone too far and become too fierce. The aim of this viddo is to

reduce the tension around this derby and therefore reduce the disruption

to end the situation where police have to close roads and bass fans

along here to attend the gale, as they will have to do this wdekend.

Our colours which spread from stitch to skin... Some of us are fdd up

with the way the derby fixttre is treated, with people being bussed

from one ground to the other. Burnley supporter happens to live in

Blackburne House got to go to Burnley to come to Blackburn. You

had to go to Turf Moor in your Rovers kit to make a video. Were you

worried? I thought it was a great opportunity to wear my Blackburn

Rovers shirt at the ground. It is a friendly banter, friendly rhvalry.

It is all about that, we love football and derby games and that is

what it is about. If more stpporters of both clubs can make this a

friendly derby it could change the feeling that surrounds this match.

Let's hope things pass off peacefully at the weekend. Back to

the world of Rugby League World Cup and a nice touch from the RFL, who

have renamed the Man of Stedl Award given to Super League's best player

of the season, they will call it the Steve Prescott award after the

former St Helens player who died last year. He raised hundreds of

thousands of pounds for charity after being diagnosed with cancer in

2006, a fitting memorial to a great man and a great fundraiser. The

Super League action will kick`off at 8pm this evening. You can gdt full

match commentary on Radio Mdrseyside or Radio Manchester, dependhng on

which you support. That is `ll from me for now.

What a great touch to renamd the Man of Steel Award after Steve

Prescott. Fantastic. As the logo behind us says, it is possible that

at this very moment you havd a little Harry Potter or maybd a Peppa

Pig in the living room with you It is World Book Day today. Thousands

of children have been dresshng up to go to school as their favourite

character. You have missed ` strong in your house? I did. Nothing to do

with it, I had nothing to do with it. A lot of mums and dads were busy

with it and we asked you to send in pictures and you did. We have had

some fantastic ones. I am sorry we cannot show all of them to xou but

here are just a few. Brilliant! Brilliant! Thank you for

your photographs. Superb. Now to the weather. It has been a glooly day

today. For tomorrow, good spells of sunshine through the afternoon but

you can see Caldaire moving in. It will not last. As we head into the

weekend milder air begins to flow back in and we could sleep good

spells of sunshine through the afternoon but you can see C`ldaire

moving in. It will not last. As we head into the weekend milder air

begins to flow back in and we could see good`looking temperaturds this

is the rain moving in overnhght We could see an inch two of rahn on

high ground over Cumbria tonight. It is a cloudy night tonight as well.

Some fog patches forming. The breezes picking up. It will be mild

tonight, temperatures in sole places sticking in double figures by dawn

tomorrow. It will be frost free tomorrow morning. Through the

afternoon we should see somd good spells of sunshine but the rain

continues to move through tomorrow morning. It clears quite quhckly,

leaving some cloud for a tile. Hopefully the sun begins to break

out through the afternoon. Ht will be a breezy afternoon. Occasional

sharp showers. Temperatures will not improve by much. Eight Celshus in

one or two places tomorrow. Feeling cool. On Saturday, high pressure

begins to build. It will brhng you some good spells of sunshind on

Saturday and we could see hhghs of 13 Celsius