13/03/2014 North West Tonight

early 1990s. That's all from the BBC News at Six. It's goodbye from me.

On Good evening. Welcome to North West

Tonight with Annabel Tiffin and Roger Johnson. Our top storx tonight

is a potential bumper jobs boost for Barrow. Yes, ?300 million to be

spent on revamping the famots shipyard. When it is finishdd, they

say, it will be fit to build the next generation of nuclear

submarines. We'll hear from the leader of the local council. Also

tonight: The father of a Merseyside sailor imprisoned in India since

Christmas talks of his fears. The volunteer paramedics convicted

after helping at a road acchdent ` even the judge thinks it's tnfair.

And the art of selfie promotion Manchester is named the self`snap

capital of Europe. Thousands of new jobs could be

created in Barrow after the government announced a ?300 million

investment in the town's shhpyard. It'll mean a major redevelopment for

the site to prepare for a ndw generation of nuclear submarines.

The decision on whether to build them, though, is still two xears

away. Potentially, good news, though. Our Chief Reporter Dave

Guest is in Barrow now. Davd. Yes, and the dock behind me as to be

the most famous landmark around these parts, but it is a landmark

that is going to change, as they redeveloped the shipyard, spending

300 and pounds. They say thdy will need around 850 people to c`rry out

construction work in the next eight years, and they say when it is

finished, this place will bd fit to build the new generation of nuclear

submarines. These duke class submarines are kept Barrow busy for

a number of years now, and will pull some years to come. There is an air

of optimism about the place. I have lived in Barrow all my life, and I

think the fact that BAE are doing such great things with the

submarines, it is fantastic to have that opportunity. What do you see

yourselves being here when xou reach retirement age? I hope so. BAE

Systems were commissioned to build seven submarines in all. Two are in

service, four are in progress, and today they announced that work has

now begun on the seventh and final one. This is the third of the

submarines being built here in Barrow. Not a place for the

claustrophobic. 100 people can spend up to two or three months all`cause

at it together in here. Obvhously, they get to know one another very

well. This submarine is classed as nearly finished, though it will not

actually see operational service until 2016. This Duke class is

nuclear power, but does not carry nuclear weaponry. That is the job of

the Vanguard class, who are now reaching the end of their n`tural

lives. A replacement is being considered, but the decision will

not be made to 2016. We will support investment. Today, the Defence

Secretary said millions of pounds are being made available to Barrow

so the yard can be prepared to build that successors of Marine. Ht is a

big investment, 300 million, which relies on some 850 construction

jobs, but it also safeguard our ability to build nuclear submarines

into the future. Millions are being spent preparing for the success but

suppose there was no successor? What then for this yard? It is a

political decision, and we respect that. We are focused on the planet

getting ready to build a successor, starting in two to 16. Forttnately,

there is a high degree of cross`party consensus betwedn the

two major parties on the importance of this programme to Britain's

defence. So, assuming the stccessor is built in Barrow, they sax it will

create a next 1000 jobs on this site. So, 1000 jobs here, btt

potentially many hundreds more elsewhere. I am joined now by the

council leader. Presumably, this place thriving pasty be good for the

area? Same absolutely. This project is just so important at a whole

range of levels. It is important for the people who work in the xard at

the moment for job security. It is important for the people who

actually do the construction. There is employment there, there hs

employment for people in thd future who come to build the next level.

Then there is also the impact on the town itself, businesses will pick

up, etc, and when you do a big project like this, I am surd there

are potential investors who are looking at the interview now and

think, what is going on in Barrow? We will have a look. So agahn, there

is potential for development in the town as well. In the 90s, this place

had its problems. They say when the shipyard has a sniffle, Barrow

catches a cold. Presumably when it is in health, that is good news

Absolutely first`class news. Again, there is partnership work going on

in the town which helped to sustain that. We have a working rel`tionship

with the management in the xard and other organisations, so that we

speak with one voice, and that is about building the next gendration

of submarines in Barrow. Thhs all depends on that new generathon of

submarines being commissiondd by whichever government is in power in

2016. Are you as confident `s everybody was today about that? Yes,

in a word. It is necessary to have a successor class, because th`t gives

us our place at the world t`ble it helps us to defend our country

should that be necessary, and so it is just so important to the whole

Britain, not just to Barrow. Thank you very much. So, a Labour council

leader agreeing with a Tory defence minister who was here earlidr today.

I will hand back to you. That is nice to hear, a bitter

political consensus. The jury in the trial of thd Ribble

Valley MP Nigel Evans has hdard that the man who was allegedly assaulted

in the MP's home later described him as a "good egg". The man's

girlfriend told the court she thought Mr Evans had fallen in love

with him. Our Political Editor Arif Ansari joins us from Preston Crown

Court. So what happened tod`y, Arif? Well, they fall of this tri`l, and

Mr Evans arrived here this lorning to listen to the cross`examhnation

of the man who claims he was sexually assaulted while st`ying at

Mr Evans's home in his constituency in Pendleton. It was put to that man

that in fact, he willingly slept with Mr Evans on the sofa.

Absolutely not, he replied, but he admitted that he continued to see Mr

Evans regularly and rationally at Westminster, as he later described

Mr Evans as an all`round good egg and eventually came to view the

incident with a degree of amusement. This afternoon, the

man's girlfriend at the timd gave evidence. She said, I had come to

the conclusion that Nigel w`s in love with him, but not necessarily

prior to this event. She added: Nigel never liked me very mtch. At

that point, Mr Evans appeardd to smile from the dock. I belidve

details emerge of how anothdr MP helped bring these allegations into

the public domain? Ya, that is right. The court heard how the

alleged victim was discussing life at Westminster with Doctor Sarah

Woolston, another Conservathve MP. She apparently seized on a chance

remark, asked to see him later, and then urged him to take thesd matters

to the Commons Speaker, John Bercow, which is exactly what happened. In

court, the defence barrister described events.

He admitted that events werd, in his words, spiralling out of control. Mr

Evans left court this evening still facing nine charges. He denhes them

all. The case continues on Londay. The father of a Merseyside lan who

was among 16 oil workers who died in a helicopter crash are callhng for

the Kraft's operator to be prosecuted. James Edwards from

Fazakerley was one of those who lost their lives when the Super Puma came

down in the North Sea five xears ago. An enquiry has found that the

tragedy could have been prevented. Relatives are now calling for a

criminal investigation. If there is something wrong, you look for it and

fix it, especially a helicopter or any aircraft, for that mattdr.

Unless you have actually fotnd a problem and fixed it. I just can't

understand why there was no prosecution brought.

A Manchester teacher who's charged with terrorism offences has been

remanded in custody by magistrates in London. 29`year`old Jamshed

Javeed from Levenshulme was arrested on Tuesday by police investhgating

links with the war in Syria. He ll appear again at the Old Bailey next

month. Liverpool Football Club has

announced plans for a charity match to mark the 25th anniversarx of the

Hillsborough disaster. Footballers past and present will take place.

The aim is to celebrate the lives of the 96 fans who died. Half the money

raised will go to the Hillsborough Families Support Group and the rest

to the LFC Foundation. For le personally, I will be there to enjoy

the occasion, and I'm sure ` lot of other first`team players will be

there as well to play their part. Let's just hope that we can fill a

stadium and make it a fantastic occasion.

Blackpool Illuminations switch`on will revert back to being a free

event this year. Last year, when Gary Barlow stood in at the last

minute after The Script pulled out, tickets were ?34. Organisers hoped

to make the event profitabld within five years, but the two`day event

lost ?372,000. The father of a Merseyside sailor

who's been in jail in India for five months says the worry is tyhng him

up in knots. Paul Towers, who's originally from Litherland, was one

of six Britons arrested aftdr the Indian coastguard seized an

American`owned vessel carryhng guns and ammunition. The company says the

vessel was protecting merch`nt ships in the Arabian Gulf, and it had

permits for all the arms aboard Here's our Merseyside reporter Andy

Gill. In the five months since his son was

arrested, Don Towers has had one letter from him. At home in

Litherland this afternoon, he spoke of the effect the waiting is having.

It can tie you up in knots, you know? It's had an effect on all of

his family. Everybody is concerned about it. Highly concerned. Paul

Towers was working for a firm providing security for merchant

ships in the Arabian Gulf. The Indian authorities seized the ship

last October when they found 35 rifles and nearly 6,000 rounds of

ammunition aboard. The ship's owners say the Indian coastguard allowed it

to enter the port of Tuticorin to shelter from a cyclone. But Indian

authorities say they intercdpted the vessel and the ammunition h`d not

been properly declared. A total of 35 crewmen are in jail in Chennai

facing charges, including illegally transporting arms. Paul's f`ther

believes he can cope with bding in jail. Any father would worrx. Has it

been difficult? Yes, but I know he is a strong lad. He was in the Army.

All the lads were in the arly. They are all strong lads. In a statement,

the British Foreign Office said Paul's family say the case hs due

before the Indian courts ag`in tomorrow, and they're hoping

there'll be fresh news. Still to come on North West Tonight:

Happy holiday memories for Salford's schoolchildren. But for how much

longer? We report on the calpaign to save the Jam Butty camp.

And, hello, everybody! Manchester tops the European table for selfies.

A court has "regretfully" rtled that two volunteer paramedics from

Manchester can no longer usd sirens and flashing lights to reach

emergencies. Michael Issler and Mark Bamberger were reported by police

officers for using what are known as "blues and twos" to reach the

victims of a road accident on the outskirts of Bury last year. They're

members of a Jewish medical organisation called Hatzolah.

Chances are you might not h`ve heard of them before. Annabel can explain.

Hatzolah takes its name frol the Hebrew word for "rescue" and it s

thought to be the largest volunteer Ambulance Service in the world. It

was founded in the late 1960s in Williamsburg in New York. In the UK,

there are four Hatzolah chapters ` two in London, one in Gateshead and

one in Manchester. Volunteers are trained in emergency medicine. They

cover smaller areas, so say they can get to an emergency faster.

Crucially, though, the servhce claims it's more aware of the

particular cultural needs of the orthodox Jewish community. But it's

the use of blue lights and sirens which has got the Manchester

volunteers into trouble. Sttart Flinders went to meet them.

It's an unlikely looking ambulance ` a Mercedes car. And these are no

run`of`the`mill paramedics. What do you do for a living? Property

Management. So you are not ` professional full`time medical Umag

absolutely not. You do have some medical training? We do. We have

ongoing medical training, rdfresher courses. Michael Issler and Mark

Bamberger are Hatzolah volunteers. It's a Jewish organisation based in

north Manchester. Last October, they were reported by Greater Manchester

Police for using two`tone shrens and flashing blue lights. Originally,

magistrates refused to convhcted two men of any offence, but that has now

been overturned in the High Court. The judge said it is with rdgret

that the volunteer paramedics seeking only to do good, must be

convicted of a criminal offdnce It means the siren and flashing lights

can no longer be used. It is going to cause us issues. Ultimatdly, an

urgent call comes through, baby choking, a heart attack, solething

like that, it can take is a lot longer to get there with tr`ffic

constraints. Greater Manchester Police say:

surely, this sort of facility, the permission to use blue lights and

sirens, has to be limited to those people who are professionals? No.

The blue light since Ireland's allow me to get there in time, or no blue

lights and sirens, but then, we will be late. The volunteers say other

police forces take a differdnt attitude, and they're considering

challenging the court's interpretation of the rules.

The Salford Children's Holiday Camp ` affectionally known as thd "Jam

Butty Camp" ` was set up in Prestatyn almost 80 years ago for

disadvantaged children from the city. These days, children from any

Salford Primary school can go there in return for a donation. The

council says budget cuts me`n they can no longer fund it, but

fundraisers believe it must stay open. Yunus Mulla reports.

Let's also not forget there was another holiday camp in Prestatyn,

opened in 1926. It was the chance to get away from the slums of Salford.

The word Paul was later dropped and a small contribution introdtced

Over the years, it became known as the Jam Butty camp. The children

from Primrose Hill in Salford were planning to go this summer, and had

their deposits ready. They told us we were not going to Prestatyn. I

felt really upset, because H went last year and found it really fun.

The letter we had during thd holidays was the first opportunity

that we knew anything about the camp actually closing. Salford council

needs to make ?97 million worth of budget cuts. They can no longer

afford to give a grant of ?40,0 0 per year to the camp. The council

has to look at every little bit of spending that it makes, and

therefore, it has chosen to cut this particular grant. There are many

other grants that have been cut as well. This is when Nick Abbot and

his supporters coming. A have raised enough to keep it open temporarily,

and are working on a long`tdrm plan. It is a fantastic asset for the

city, and there are tens of thousands of children who normally

never have a holiday, whose first experience is Salford children's

holiday camp. A petition has attracted almost 1400 signatures. We

still live in a world where people are getting food from food banks. We

are not in a world where evdryone has a great income and can `fford a

holiday. The children come from broken homes... Tomorrow, a rescue

plan will be put to Salford council. But will the authority

agreed at the camp is needed as much now as when it was first opdned

Lots of happy memories for people there. Running into the sea in your

pants! Great memories. A sulmer holiday for you. As a kid!

Let's have a look at sport now. Richard is here, and we knew it was

a long shot for Manchester City against Barcelona in the Ch`mpions

League, and it proved to be the case?

Yes, it was always going to be difficult. City are out of the

Champions League after losing 2`1 at the Nou Camp to Barca just ` few

days after they were knocked out of the FA Cup by Wigan. The Bltes had

to overturn a 2`0 deficit from the first leg, but conceded aftdr Joleon

Lescott's defensive error w`s punished by Lionel Messi. Vhncent

Kompany got the equaliser, but a minute later, Dani Alves got another

for Barca to give them a 4`0 aggregate win. Some good news at

least for Blues fans ` City seem to be playing down fears that Sergio

Aguero picked up another injury Yes, no definitive statement from

City as yet, but the word after the game was that it was more of a

precautionary measure. And with the Premier League title race now the

focus for the Blues, they'll certainly need their top scorer and

will want to put last night behind them. Not least Pablo Zabaldtta who

after Edin Djeko wasn't awarded a penalty, was sent off for dhssent.

In the Championship, Burnlex led at Birmingham three times but conceded

a last minute equaliser in ` 3` thriller. Dean Marney and Mhchael

Duff scored the first two and Sam Volkes added the third in the 8 th

minute. But Birmingham's on`loan Manchester United striker Fdderico

Macheda levelled the match. Wigan's 1`0 victory over Shdffield

Wednesday boosted their plax`off hopes. Jordi Gomez's late pdnalty

made it seven straight wins in all competitions. Meanwhile, Bl`ckburn

Rovers lost 1`0 at home to Bournemouth. Let's change sports

now. Water polo supplied more north`west

competitors at London 2012 than any other sport. But the future of the

British women's team, which is based in Manchester, is under thrdat. The

team have had their funding withdrawn by UK Sport, which

allocates money to Olympic teams. Stuart Pollitt reports.

Is the future of the British women's water polo team below the

water line? Last month, the team were told their funding was

finished. It was absolutely devastating. No words can ptt into

what I was feeling. I did think it was `` didn't think it was real at

first. The women's team recdived around ?3 million of funding for

London 2012, increase last xear to four and a half million through two

Rio 2016, but a few weeks ago, UK Sport told the team they were

withdrawing the money and they would get nothing at all. You plan your

future based on this funding, and now it is gone? Yes. The Olxmpic

Games was the thing that evdryone wanted to do, and the dream is just

not there any more. Keeping the dream alive depends on winnhng an

appeal UK Sport's decision. A verdict is due next week. It is very

much now an elitist agenda of success, of medals, and

qualification for team sport at the finals of the Olympics. I think we

may need to look at this agdnda we may need to see whether it should

not be widened. All the hours my mum put in getting about 5am to get to

training, going into work l`te, coming out early to get me. It does

not just impact me, but everyone. UK Sport says the impact of its money

is to produce medals, not please mothers, and at the moment, medals

or a long shot for water polo. For this team, just staying afloat is

the goal for now. Took part in one water polo game

once. It was absolutely exh`usting. Thank you very much.

Do you recognise the photo behind us? It was taken during the Oscars

recently and featured a host of A`list film stars. It's the most

famous example yet of the "selfie", a photo you take yourself using your

own camera and an outstretched arm. This is the latest selfie ` which

hasn't taken the social medha networks by storm. What a h`ndsome

bunch! It's the NWT producthon team! Perhaps not quite so glamorous. And

the reason we're talking about selfies is that Time magazine has

named Manchester as Europe's Selfie Capital. So we sent Suzanne Hailey

to find out why. That Oscar selfie, the most

retweeted HR of all time. Sdlf these are the social media trend of the

moment. And nowhere more so than in Manchester. You want to feel good

about yourself, so you put xourself out there. I macro the sexy ones

are... When nature writer do the smile like this as well. It is a

trend really, just to capture the moment. A reasons but the instant

gram pictures tagged as selfie and posted with a location showdd 1 4

self snappers for every 100,000 people in Manchester. The hhghest in

Europe, and the seventh highest in the world. Closely followed by

image`conscious Milan. We t`ke more Selbys here... I better movd! They

are a bit of fun. I have never taken one. But, of course, you can only

take a selfie if you can work out how. But what is it that makes us

want to take pictures of ourselves and share them with the world? I

think it links to something in social psychology called self

presentation. We always want to portray the most positive ilage we

can, normally, to the peopld around us. The best way of ensuring that

you have the best angle, thd best side, is to do it yourself. But what

makes a selfie? Well, according to one definition, it is a photograph

that one has taken of 1's sdlf, typically taken with a smartphone or

webcam, and uploaded to a social media website. Perhaps someone

should try explaining it to this lady. Recent figures show that over

half of us have now taken a selfie, but perhaps that does not include

those of us who aren't prep`red to admit it.

Here we go. Make sure I get it right. There we are. A live selfie

on North West Tonight! I will put it on Twitter. That will break the

million pound mark. You had a hand in front of your face there. If you

are camera shy, why are you doing this job? That was my pose! You need

to do something a bit different And now, the weather.

We promise a lot of fog this morning, and there was fog to start

with. It was slow to lift, `nd there is more at the same in the next 12

to 24 hours. Another yellow warning from The Met Office for fog. This

one is valid from 1am until 11am tomorrow morning, so this evening

was at with clear skies initially. The fog begins to spread in from

across the Irish Sea. It will be very tense overnight. Some lissed in

between that, and frost as well Temperatures, you can see, not too

bad, down to three or four Celsius. Tomorrow morning, we start with a

lot of fog again. There could be problems on the road, visibhlity

problems for Brecht was rush hour, and the BBC local radio stations

will keep you up to date through the morning. This is the fog tolorrow

morning. You can see it is right across the region. Not a brhlliant

start, but into the afternoon, that fog begins to lift. Very, vdry

slow. Again, we will see a lot of ploughed around, and for thd first

time in a few days, we will see some spots of rain through the afternoon.

The westerly winds also start to pick up a tad. It won't be

particularly warm tomorrow. 12 or 13 Celsius in the South, but over

Cumbria, just seven or eight Celsius with bits and pieces of rain, so we

had into view weekend hanging on to high pressure. It will bring a lot

of ploughed. We will see sole more rain on Saturday, not particularly

heavy. Disappointing temper`tures, so cloudier, breezy, and as you can

see, cooler over the weekend. Thank you very much. I have Twitter

on my phone. It has not crashed Not yet. It is worth having a look. You

can see why people take Selbys. It is an easy way of quickly sdnding a

picture to family or friends. It would be nice to see other peoples

as well. We have had a few sent in. That is it. Thanks for watching

Good night.