29/04/2014 North West Tonight

at night. There is frost on the way. Thank you very much. Goodbye from

me. And Good evening. Welcome to NorthWest

Tonight with Roger Johnson and Annabel Tiffin.

Our top story. Calls for a government inquiry after

claims a Merseyside Hospital stopped a surgeon raising concerns about

patient safety. Alder Hey has denied any

mistreatment of whistle blowers. Also tonight. The huge search

underway in the Lake District for a Lancashire pensioner last seen

walking with his dog. Back on track. Sale's Danny Cipriani

talks about his troubled past and his longing to play for England once

more. Loud and proud. Lancashire boasts

the Army's first professional brass band. But is conducting it child's

play? I was scared at first, but when you

get the hang of it, it's quite nice. Senior members of staff at Alder Hey

Hospital gagged a surgeon when he tried to raise concerns about

patient safety. That's the claim from a group of doctors today

calling on the government to lead a judicial inquiry in to how the Trust

treats whistle`blowers. Shiban Ahmed has not fully returned

to work since he was suspended in 2009. Alder Hey denies he has in any

way been mistreated for whistle`blowing, and says their

staff are encouraged to raise their concerns. Here's our Health

Correspondent Nina Warhurst. It has been a centre of excellence

for generations. One that the North West is proud of. So reports earlier

this year staff at Hey buckling under pressure `` at Alder Hey

buckling under pressure came as a shock to many. But not this man. He

says his career was ruined when he tried to report shortcomings when he

worked as a surgeon in 2008 at Alder Hey. 48 hours after escalating

concerns, Shiban Ahmed found himself at the centre of allegations and

investigations. Senior members of staff said his mental health needed

to be looked at. He was suspended and ordered to have a site electric

assessment. `` a psychiatric assessment. That assessment found

that he was not unwell. But now the government is being asked for an

independent, judge led enquiry. He has been referred and just before a

psychiatric assessment when he was well, he has been excluded from a

profession that he trained many years to do and that he loved. It is

a great loss to the NHS that he is not working. Alder Hey said...

But this man worked at Alder Hey when Tim what `` when Shiban Ahmed

was suspended and said it discouraged others from coming

forward. People will shrug their shoulders and have a certain amount

of disbelief that this could go on. If I had not lived through it

myself, I would find it remarkable. The government has pledged an end to

the practice of gagging whistle`blowers. Well, Nina joins us

now. Nina, this surgeon has felt wronged for almost five years, what

will happen now? First of all it is important to

acknowledge that a lot of excellent care goes on at Alder Hey. But when

you make allegations about gagging and whistle`blowers, it has to go to

an independent enquiry. I asked the Department of Health what they think

about this. They said that NHS staff who have the courage and integrity

to speak out must be protected. They will decide in the next two weeks

whether Shiban Ahmed will get a judicial enquiry.

Thank you. Two men who escaped from a prison

van in Salford and the gang who helped them have been jailed for a

total of 103 years. 32`year`old Stevie McMullen and Ryan McDonald,

who's 20, were on their way to court last April when the van was

ambushed. McDonald was sentenced to 21 years and McMullen 25 years. Ten

men and three women helped the pair escape and stay on the run.

Today, we have seen significant sentences handed down by the court.

Sentences totalling over 100 years. It sends out a powerful message that

anyone who becomes involved in this type of crime will be dealt with

extremely harshly by the courts. A search is continuing tonight in a

Cumbrian estuary after a Preston man disappeared while out walking his

dog. 76`year`old John Alan was last seen at Ravenglass early yesterday.

Police fear he may have got into trouble trying to rescue his pet.

Peter Marshall reports. For the second day in a row search

teams have been scouring Ravenglass estuary for any sign of the missing

76`year`old. Emergency services were first alerted to John Allen's

disappearance at nine o'clock yesterday morning. Building workers

nearby had seen someone in the estuary. He was swimming through the

water and then they couldn't see him so they came down onto the beach to

try and see if they could find him and they couldn't see him. His dog

was howling in distress on the other side and that was the point they

decided to call the police. At the height of the subsequent

search, around 100 people were involved, rescue helicopters and

teams including divers in search boats.

For a small seaside village that only sees a few tourists a day to

have so many police cars and so many fire engines, it was quite chaotic.

Police say they do not believe Mr Alan would have deliberately gone

for a swim in the estuary. Rather they think he may have been trying

to help his dog out of the water. The dog made it to shore but there

still has been no sign of Mr Alan. Rescue workers are hoping that low

tide will help their search. We can see in all the gullies and all the

little hidden areas that you cannot see when the tide is in.

The search teams are battleing against strong currents. They say

they will do everything they can for as long as it takes.

14 breast care patients at a Lancashire hospital have been

recalled after problems with a machine used for taking biopsies.

The records of 117 patients at Ormskirk and District General

Hospital have been reviewed. Hospital bosses have apologised and

say the risk to patients is low. A leading child abuse lawyer is

calling for an independent inquiry into alleged abuse by Jimmy Savile

at a children's home in Manchester. Broome House in Didsbury is already

being investigated by Manchester City Council ` the local authority

which ran in. But solicitor Peter Garsden says there could be a

conflict of interest. Police in Greater Manchester have

released CCTV of the moment a cyclist was deliberately knocked

from his bike in Hyde. The victim suffered injuries to his back, leg

and arm in the crash, which happened on Saturday afternoon.

A mother has told the Hillsborough Inquests that her son would have

been alive today if she hadn't given him a Liverpool season ticket as a

birthday present. Keith McGrath died in the disaster in 1989.

His mother paid tribute to him on the final day family statements were

red to the jury sitting in Warrington. From the court, Stuart

Flinders reports. Keith McGrath was, according to his

mother, a walking encyclopaedia when it came to sport. A Liverpool season

ticket seemed to be an ideal present for his 17th birthday. But the

choice of gift has haunted his mother, Mary Corrigan, ever since.

All these years I have been seeing if we had not got him that ticket,

he would be home safe today. I note that is not true. But it is they are

at the back of my mind. Hers was one of six statements red

to the court today. In another, Brian Matthews' sisters described

him as a man of integrity, who should have been safe when he went

to that match on that fateful day. Peter Tootle had been to his first

match when he was just 18 months old. His family told the court his

first word was Liverpool. Ian Glover had ordered flowers for his mother,

Theresa's birthday. They arrived two days after his death at

Hillsborough. Handsome and funny, a loveable

rogue, that, the inquest was told, was Steven Robinson. And then there

was Peter Burkett, celebrating New Year 1989. His stepmother Anne, here

on the right, recalled how he kissed his girlfriend, telling her it would

be a special year. It was the year of Hillsborough, the year Peter died

along with one of his best friends. Today sees the end of the first

phase of the inquests, an opportunity for families to paint a

portrait of those they lost. Most of them are not used to public

speaking, and many of them were nervous. But all agreed on the

importance of revealing the individuals behind that figure of

96. People just refer to them as the 96. But now they are 96 faces, 96

personalities. The inquests have now been adjourned for three weeks. When

the jury returns it will begin to consider what went wrong at

Hillsborough and why 96 people died. Stuart Flinders, BBC North West

Tonight, Warrington. And we have heard all those 96

tributes. The death of a young father whose

body was found in a reservoir near Oldham two months ago is now being

treated as murder. Before he went missing from his home in Failsworth,

Craig Wilcox told friends he believed he was in danger.

His family say he was a very generous man and they're devastated

by his loss. It's a serene and tranquil spot just

outside Oldham. But Dovestone Reservoir is at the centre of a

murder mystery. Craig Wilcox's body was pulled from the water at

Dovestone two months ago. Today, the police confirmed his death is now

being treated as murder. As we progressed the investigation, the

more information we have found, the more concern we have had over the

death of Craig. We have done further tests to try and precisely define

the cause of death. Our concerns come from the fact that Craig had no

suicidal thoughts at all, no history of self harm, he was a

happy`go`lucky character. Craig Wilcox was a much loved son and

father. His dad described him as generous and said he had a great

sense of humour. Is there any reason to suggest that

Craig might have been fearful of someone? Yes, we have had some

information that would suggest that some lads were after him. As yet,

it's a mystery exactly what happened to Craig between January six, the

last time he was seen, and February 24, the day his body was pulled out

of the reservoir here. The police are keen to piece together exactly

where he went, who he met and how he came to be in the water. A lot of

people visit this site. People may have seen something suspicious. And

that something could just be the clue that helps the police solve

this mystery. Still to come tonight. I on the

prize. Danny Cipriani talks about his hopes of an England recall. It's

something I have always thought about.

And hitting the right note. The Army's first brass band plays for

its harshest critics. As you probably know, we are a

rapidly ageing population. But with so many of us living much longer,

how well equipped is the world around us to deal with the

particular needs of people as they get older?

Well, the city of Manchester has been named as Britain's first

age`friendly city by the World Health Organisation. It was given

the accolade after making small, but important changes to transport,

housing and social care. Graham Satchell reports.

Manchester. It's a vibrant city with a young population. Perhaps

surprisingly, it is the first age friendly city in the UK. You've got

to have eyes all over the place really. The only way you can get

across here is taking a chance. Tommy is 81 and in the centre of

town, he is struggling to cross the road. It's frightening. You take

your life in your hands. Very, very risky. Very, very risky. So as the

population ages, how do you adapt cities to make them age friendly?

Tommy took us to his part of Manchester, Withington. In the

butchers, a chair. That chair, if you have been walking about

shopping, it's nice to have a sit down. At the bus stop, side panels

have been pot in to protect against the rain. It was cold stood here, so

it's important to have these panels. But in the scheme of things, it

scratches the surface, really. It may not look much, but Manchester

has been listening to people like Tommy and making small changes to

transport, housing and social care, taking account of older people in

every policy decision they make. Manchester is leading the way in its

thinking, its planning for a world with more and more older people.

Good for Manchester. We are all getting older,

apparently. Sport now, and Manchester City will

have to decide whether to accept a settlement with UEFA for breaching

financial fair play rules or to try to negotiate a less severe

punishment. City are one of around 20 clubs who've failed to keep

within strict rules on spending. The measures could range from fines, to

squad restrictions in the Champions League.

He was once regarded as the rising star of English Rugby Union. The

game's tough tackling pin`up boy. But a celebrity lifestyle and a

string of front page headlines threatened to undermine his talent.

Now Danny Cipriani is patiently rebuilding his career. He's been a

mainstay of Sale Sharks success this season. He's kept himself well out

of the limelight. And he's now on the verge of an England return.

Something I asked him earlier if he's now focussed on. It's something

that I've thought about. It's the reason why, if you're English and

you play rugby it's what you want to do. I had to do myself justice in

terms of putting myself in the best place in terms of putting my hand

up. It was a conscious effort at the end of last season to make sure I

did that. I've been pretty pleased with how it has gone. Just give us

an insight into what it's like as a young man, a successful young man,

the good`looking, wealthy... Talking about you! You do all the things

that other young guys do, but you find yourself on the front page of

the paper. It is difficult at times. People try and say you... I'm not

living my life differently too much to how I was before. It's just

making a conscious effort in terms of training and diet and things like

that. It takes a long time to get used to that, to making sure you

cool your own meals and things like that. You're not hell`raising any

more? No different to anyone else really. I guess I just have to carry

more responsibility in how I behave because it's part of growing up.

There's a time when you think to yourself it doesn't matter, why is

everyone talking aboutme and you just want to live your life and, if

anything, you do become a bit more rebellious. But I'm 26 now, or 25

now... I'll look it up! Stick with 25. I'm enjoying my rugby again.

This club has really helped me get back on track in that way. No one

can ever teach you how to be a role model and you just have to live your

life in a certain way and by being 25, I've learnt. The World Cup, you

are 25`ish, is this realistically your last chance now to burst into

the England frame with a view to the World Cup next year? For the World

Cup, it is a good time to start to try to get back into the squad. But

I do have two games left this year. Particularly this one on Saturday

against Leicester where, as a team, we want to pot a performance on for

the boys leaving because they've been playing at this club for five

or six years. After that, perhaps we can talk and discuss that and

hopefully my form has been consistent throughout the season to

warrant a place. Thank you for talking to us. No worries.

And you did look at out. He is 26. But who is not

films and dramas, has come to the north west to film its latest

production. It's the first time Disney has filmed a series outside

the US. Evermore will be broadcast around

the world on the Disney US channel. It's being produced by a local

company and its setting is Arley Hall in Cheshire. Judy Hobson

reports. For this peak only, Arley Hall has

become the setting of Disney's latest drama. It is the story of

Tara who has been brought over to Evermore.

Tara who has been brought over to Disney magic, we can do without. ``

with that. The Army now has its first brass

band. The Band of King's Division based in at the Weeton Barracks in

Lancashire had a mixture of woodwind, percussion and brass but

now it has been reformed as a brass band, the first in the country.

They only got together a few days ago, and already they've had to face

their fiercest critics ` their own children at the school next door.

Nazia Mogra reports. This is the first time the Army was

Mike brass band has played together in public and what better place

around the school next door? It was really, really, really loud and it

was funny. I liked the way they hit the drum. I felt like dancing. How

did it feel to be the conductor? I was scared at first, but once I got

the hang of it, it was quite nice stop to have your own band, it feels

good. These kids here know these musicians really well. They are

their parents. Henry's dad is leading the band.

It's nice to see them smiling. It's not often we get to see their dad

working. It was very emotional, to see the pride on your child's face.

It is a nice feeling. Children are the harshest critics. So what did

they'd score them out of ten? Nine. 1000. Seven. I must've got something

wrong, didn't get a ten. The band's next performance is in

Wales. I don't think anything will ever compared to playing in front of

their sons and daughters. How cool is that. You own children

are always the harshest critics. Will the sunshine continue?

Good evening. On the higher ground, beautiful sunshine. Everywhere else

blanketed in cloud. Mist and fog will be the next problem for us.

Some change for the end of the week. The mild air is being pushed out and

cooler conditions coming on Thursday and Friday. But it will settle down

again for the bank holiday weekend. If you have got the sunshine, and

West is their best, the more you hang onto that for the next hour or

so. But everywhere else is seeing cloud". `` cloud" encroach. The

temperatures look good again first thing in the morning. Seven or eight

degrees. Those are minimum temperatures. Tomorrow, visibility

will be up problem. Cloud cover will be sovereign. It will take some time

for it to go, and temperatures will start to rise. A few showers

breaking out. They will be slow moving because the wind is very

light. Some of them will be heavy with a rumble of thunder. But they

will not turn up every word. Temperatures are 16 or 17 degrees.

But it changes after that. A few people seeing on twitter,

Danny Chudley Ali has a good way of calculating his age. `` Cipriani.

Thank you for watching, good night.