17/02/2017 North West Tonight

Welcome to North West Tonight with Annabel Tiffin.

Liverpool offers free council tax if you help convict an owner

who doesn't clean up after their dog.

If you have evidence, would you shop a dog walker?

And if I saw somebody doing that, I certainly would do.

I have no problems with that whatsoever.

The same deal applies if you help convict a fly-tipper.

# Let me take you down because I'm going to Strawberry Fields.

A new role for The Beatles' iconic location, as a training centre

Young disabled people when they leave school do not

As Cracker the Fire Service dog retires, she puts new recruit

# Happy birthday to Dave, happy birthday to you!

And many happy returns, from a life on the streets.

Dave celebrates his birthday, days after starting a new job.

Liverpool's Mayor is offering people money off their council tax

if they help catch dog owners who don't clean up after their pets.

And Joe Anderson says those who shop fly-tippers

It's an idea that some people think is a winner.

But others say they'd think twice before shopping an offender.

Here's our chief reporter Dave Guest.

It's a dilemma any one of us could face.

What to do if we saw someone failing to clean up after their dog.

I'd be nervous about tackling people myself.

Some people can be very abusive, other people are understanding.

If you had evidence, would you shop a dog walker?

Certainly if I had a camera, certainly.

That's music to the ears of Liverpool's Mayor who's offering

an unusual incentive for people to become pooper-snoopers.

If we had evidence that helps support a prosecution

against somebody, then what I am saying is simply that the cost

of that fine will, for us, be used towards your council tax.

You could get money off your council tax?

Absolutely, a discount or free council tax.

Supposing someone had a spot when ?100 and you gave

We will make sure we use the maximum fine is available to us.

In other words, the reward will only equal the penalty

But it isn't only irresponsible dog owners who met Anderson

He wants to offer a similar reward scheme to citizens who of evidence

Councils collectively spend hundreds of millions of pounds cleaning up

So the Mayor's idea has been welcomed by a charity dedicated

We know it is very difficult to catch people who let their dogs

Potentially more eyes and ears on the ground providing evidence

the local authorities need to take people to court is a good thing.

We watch with interest to see how it develops.

In Liverpool, among those disposing of their waste responsibly,

there were still some qualms about the idea.

It's an idea, I'm not sure I would be comfortable

with snitching on someone so to speak.

The Liverpool Mayor remains undeterred, arguing this sort

of thing affects us all, and we all have a duty

50 years ago today, The Beatles released

John Lennon's inspiration for the song was the Salvation Army

orphanage of the same name close to his childhood home in Liverpool.

Strawberry Field closed as a children's home

But today, the Salvation Army revealed a plan to turn it

into a training hub for young disabled people, and

# let me take you down because I'm going to strawberry Fields #.

The red wrought iron gate wreathed in reams of graffiti is as far

as Beatles fans can get at Strawberry Field these days.

John Lennon, though, used to play in the grounds.

The rear perimeter wall, he used to climb over it

Of course he wasn't allowed to do that.

Strawberry Field was a family home to begin with, then

the Salvation Army took it over as an orphanage.

The modern building has been closed since 2005.

Now, the Salvation Army wants to raise ?8 million to turn it

into a new facility for people with learning disabilities, and

It looks a bit, you know, like, quite closed now.

But if we have a chance, we would like to go in.

It's a pretty good idea to open it up and let people come

in and see and learn about what was here before.

I think it's fantastic about what the Salvation Army is going to do.

The idea is the centre won't just benefit Beatles fans

but will help the people with learning difficulties.

They will work in the Heritage Centre, the cafe

It's not always easy for young disabled people to get work

The Salvation Army says on Merseyside only 7% of people over

16 with a disability are in paid employment.

These students at Sanfield Park School in Liverpool

hope the new training hub at Strawberry Field will help.

Young disabled people when they leave school

do not have many places to go, to work.

So they would be able to develop their skills they have learned.

disabled people don't have equal opportunities to get into work.

For disabled people, that would give them

The Salvation Army will pick up half of the ?8 million cost and hope

charities and the public will help with the rest.

Andy Gill, BBC North West Tonight, Liverpool

Police who've been looking for a missing Cheshire man

in Greece say they've found human remains.

who was 20 years old and from Sandbach, was on holiday

when he disappeared on the island of Crete in 2005.

Cheshire Police say their Greek counterparts are now examining

the remains found recently in the resort of Malia.

Police have interviewed a man in connection with a road rage

You may remember this CCTV footage from November

which shows how the driver of a pick-up truck became aggressive

Using a shovel, he then smashed the window of the vehicle,

The people in the cabin weren't seriously injured.

The Business Secretary says he's held constructive talks

with Peugeot executives about the future of 2,000

The French firm is in talks to buy the business from General Motors.

But Greg Clarke says they value the strength

of the Vauxhall brand, underpinned by its

This week, we've been talking devolution, so far focusing

on the Greater Manchester and Liverpool City region.

They've both been promised ?900 million of investment

and control over transport, skills and housing.

But what about the rest of the north-west?

Can devolution work in more rural areas which don't necessarily work

In her final part of the series on devolution,

Nina Warhurst reports now on where Cheshire, Cumbria

In its rolling hills there are still those dark mills.

The industrial spirit has run through these towns for centuries.

J Ormerod has manufactured in Rossendale since 1876.

And it now makes kitchens and bathrooms.

Its owner employs 400 people in Rossendale,

but gets frustrated that Lancashire doesn't work with a strong

enough unified voice when it comes to industry.

There isn't really an overarching strategy across the region,

and that, I think, is missing as a component that really

could push business on to the next level.

Do you think having a Mayor would make a big difference?

At the moment we are operating with one hand tied behind our backs.

It would give us a fighting chance of competing not only nationally

Go west, and things are differnet in Wyre.

Different pace, different demographic, and different

Their question is what is to be gained by change?

I've only been asking the two years now.

If somebody could come along and tell me what the benefits

are of a Combined Authority then I will look at it.

But when you say to somebody, what are the benefits?

And they say, well, we don't know.

Then, why should I go along with that?

There is an argument that says counties that don't have a large

urban centre but are made up of small towns and villages each

with their own identity will never be able to unify under one mayor.

Lancashire's been debating it for nearly three years.

Wyre's reluctance at one point looked like ending

But now they say they're close to reaching a deal with Government.

Last year, a deal for Cumbria was on the cards.

Their councils couldn't agree on whether they wanted a mayor.

And in Cheshire, they've been waiting to see if Warrington

On Monday, Warrington jumped on board.

But together they'll now have to win over Governmnet.

So it could be some time before Lancashire, Cheshire and Cumbria

start peeling away that power from Parliament.

One MP says Lancashire must move to a mayor or risk missing out.

I think one person who could bring everyone together and get

business behind them, who could go actually, frankly,

up against the Mayor of Manchester and the Mayor of Liverpool

to say why we need the investment in Lancashire rather than major

cities, would be a huge advantage to us and something I hope we see.

It's the people that live in these communties that matter,

Within six months, we should know whether political powers

Nina Warhurt, BBC North West Tonight.

we will continue to follow the devolution process as it moves

closer with those elections in may. The Isle Of Man won't be taking

in refugees from Syria, but it will give a nearly a million

pounds for relief 1,000 people signed a petition

calling for the island to house people who are fleeing

the Syrian conflict. The Manx Government considered

the idea, but now says it can't provide the level of support needed

by refugees. A man has been arrested on suspicion

of arson, following a fire Police were called to the blaze

at the Church Of Ascension in A 22-year-old man has been bailed

until the end of next month. The Bury singer Peter

Skellern has died aged 69. He announced in October

last year that he had an inoperable brain tumour,

and later that month fulfilled a lifelong dream to be ordained

in the Church Of England. Peter Skellern was best

known for You're A Lady, which was a hit on both sides

of the Atlantic in 1972. Still to come on

North West Tonight. a land war march in the super league

for the leigh centurions. -- landmark match.

Today, he's turned his life around and

Now, after a decade of dedicated service,

The labrador has been involved in some high-profile fires

She is now passing on her fire-fighting shoes

The letters, in case you are wondering, stand

for Emergency Rescue Investigations K9.

Here they are with their dog handler Mike Dewar.

that is what his name stands for. it is a clever name. cracker was

presumably a name if we have an instant started in

suspicious circumstances, the dogs will go in and quickly tell us

whether any liquid accident cases are present, which we can take as

evidence. erik is the black labrador, although

very young, he is very calm, relaxing there, but we noticed you

had little boots on cracker. that is not for heat?

as you can appreciate, these are aggressive scenes, nails and class

on the floor. their feet are as vulnerable as ours.

how do you choose the right dog? they are very well-behaved.

these are the boots. they are focused normally, they have high

drive, they need a certain amount of courage.

they have had a busy week and just want to go to sleep, now, you were

talking about the kind of work she has done and some of the cases she

has helped to solve, you mentioned that.

in one of our first instances, an arsonist tried to hide a petrol can

in brambles thinking no human investigator with the birth, but

unfortunately the them, we had our search dog and it was the thing

appears that secured a conviction. david pannick you ten years ago, how

would you say cracker has been? she has been fantastic, she has

fulfilled her contract with the fire service 100%, i couldn't be happier.

she is 11 years old now. she goes into retirement, but that

means she will stay living with you along with four others.

yes, we have a pride of britain winner, we have a full house at the

moment. a happy retirement. lucy she is

actually called but that is her stage name, thank you.

And it's a big night for Leigh Centurions as they take

on the seven-times Superleague champions Leeds Rhinos.

Yes, Richard Askam is at the Leigh Sports Village.

certainly a tricky job, you know you get a sense of just how much a match

means to a set of supporters, just chatting to a few of them outside,

they cannot wait for this. their first home game back in super league

since 2005, the players will be pumped up for this, so will the

fans. i've been excited about this for

ages, tonight. it will be amazing, we will do it

tonight. absolutely fantastic. i live in

spain and i have come from spain for this.

we have waited so long. the boys really do deserve it.

derek beaumont is the chairman and owner, many congratulations. what

does this mean to you, you must be extremely proud?

massively proud, it has been a long time coming and we have worked hard

for it for a long time, and it gives the people here something to be

proud of. absolutely, we will see the game

that secured promotion for you, what a moment that was, but how do you

think you will be able to compete here against these come -- against

these opponents? it will be a very tough challenge,

tonight is our opportunity to make our mark and put our stump -- our

stamp on it. you heard from some of the fans,

this is a rugby league town, what does this mean getting back into

super league competing with the very best in the sport?

the stadium we are in was built exactly for that purpose, we have a

fantastic stadium, great facilities, some fantastic businesses sponsoring

the club, and it is something we are immensely proud of. what we do on

the pitch is what it is all about, the product we sell. we have a good

coaching side. good luck tonight the thanks for

talking to us. The biggest game this weekend

is at the DW Stadium on Sunday where Wigan Warriors take

on Cronulla Sharks for As you probably know,

it's a competition that pits our champions against the best

team in Australia. And it's a title the Warriors

are desperate to win back. For Wigan Warriors under

Sean Wayne, there is a gap The current Super League

champions have also lifted the Challenge Cup in recent seasons,

but the World Club Challenge we know how much it means to the

club and to the town, a bit of success, so for as to win it will be

massive. More often than not,

Super League's best have come up St Helens were whitewashed by

South Sydney Rabbitos two years ago. With the Warriors

humbled by the Roosters, Time to turn the clock back

to the 1980s and 1990s when the Cherry and Whites regularly

turned over the Aussies. it still needs a massive amount to

the players and the club, the history of wigan, there have been a

few wins in this competition and if we can emulate that it would be

fantastic. And, before that, there

is a mouthwatering appetiser at the Halliwell Jones Stadium

Warrington wolves take A challenge both our sides will be

hoping to meet head on. i am really looking forward to it

personally, i can't wait, it is a different challenge for me.

it is a great opportunity for our players, and our club as a whole, to

represent super league. we don't get the chance to come up against the

australians very often in rugby league anymore.

A challenge both our sides will be hoping to meet head on.

a couple of cracking matches, we are being serenaded at the moment.

Salford Red Devils clinched their first win of the season

Huddersfield just couldn't stop him as he bounced off six defenders

But the Reds' Man Of The Match was definitely Gareth O'Brien,

Now, they're calling it the Zlat-trick.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his first hat-trick for Manchester United

as they beat St Etienne 3-0 at Old Trafford last night.

The first, a deflected free-kick, dribbled over the line.

The second, created by Marcus Rashford's blistering speed,

saw Zlatan milking the applause of united's delighted fans.

The third came from the spot after the 35-year old was awarded

So, after that first-leg victory, United looking good to qualify

for the last 16 of the Europa League.

On Sunday, Mourinho's men are in FA Cup fifth round action

Manchester City are away at Huddersfield tomorrow.

And in the lunchtime kick-off, Burnley are at home

Gabriel Jesus may be likely to miss the whole of the season, and

fortunately for him. Look out for the mascots in that

game. Normally they are youngsters, but Burnley have decided to reward

some of their long serving fans, fans aged between 69 and 85 years

old. Being rewarded for their loyalty. What a fantastic thing

Burnley have done there. I don't think they are wearing the full kit

but you never know. All of the best coverage on all of the rugby and

football on your BBC local radio stations. Full commentary on BBC

Radio Manchester. Back to you. I think you would like

to stay and listen to that singing, Richard, sounds lovely.

Great if all the Burnley mascots could come out in kit.

We don't normally do birthday requests on this

programme, but we're going to make an exception.

Happy birthday to David Simons from Chester.

In David's case, it's not just another year of life.

It's as if he's starting life all over again.

That's because, after years of sleeping rough,

David has overcome his addictions and is starting work.

His story has attracted worldwide interest,

They say every picture tells a story.

These are photos of the same man taken a year apart.

But it's not just the face and the clothes that have changed.

I left foster care when I was 16, put into it.

-- I left foster care when I was 16, put into a hostel.

I didn't really have the right start.

When I was a child I was quite naughty and it carried on my teens.

David, an alocholic, didn't fit in, and ended up on the streets.

A group of lads on a night out, drunk, calling you tramp,

David became a regular at this charity shop

They gave him coffee, friendship, celebrated his

We saw his mood change, just kept going down and down.

In the end, he said, I really need to do something, I'm going to die.

He was convinced he was going to die.

Together, they turned David's life around.

I was sick of being nothing, I suppose.

And the fact that the alcohol was killing the enemy,

-- And the fact that the alcohol was killing me.

How long have you been off the alcohol?

Looking the part, David went for a job at a garden

I did my first shift on Tuesday just gone.

Because now I can start leading a normal life

and being able to go to work, go home, live like everyone else does.

Many of us seeing people sleeping rough, people begging.

With money, they could be spending it on addictions.

The danger is if you give them cash, they could spend it on drugs.

Today, David celebrated his 32nd birthday.

It's early days, but he's determined not to return to his former life.

Well over three-quarters of a million have shared

I think there has been a lot of talk in the news

and in the media about homelessness, and it is always negative.

To find a positive thing to come out of it is something

Stuart Flinders, BBC North West Tonight, Chester.

We wish them luck in his new job, and a happy birthday.

A beautiful picture for you, our weather watchers always come up

trumps. The colours in the sky reflected in the water on the sand.

Keep them coming in. We love to share them. Things don't

change much over the next couple of days, a mild set up, the numbers

have steadily risen. Double figures at the weekend, 12 degrees.

However, our fair share of wet weather. It has started to move in.

This evening, this is what is creeping towards us. You might see a

little bit of rain. It will push across the region through the next

couple of hours. It may linger in places until midnight. In the early

hours it will clear away. Behind it we will see dry skies. Not

necessarily too many dry skies. These are the numbers for tonight.

Tomorrow morning, the best of the weather will be around first thing.

The more southern parts of the reason -- region you might catch a

glimpse. This line of rain is working its way

up spreading everywhere. It puts a dampener on your

afternoon. This caller may not see too much.

Temperatures up to 11, a similar picture for Sunday.

Join us again after the Ten O'Clock News.