:00:00. > :00:13.Hello and welcome to Inside Out. Tonight, we investigate by
:00:14. > :00:19.Manchester's area is just as harmful today as it was in the 1950s smog,
:00:20. > :00:23.even though it looks cleaner. It's making it very, very difficult to
:00:24. > :00:28.breathe. A restrictive feeling around the chest is very noticeable
:00:29. > :00:31.now. We report on the local residents fighting back against
:00:32. > :00:36.people who are damaging the world-famous Lake District
:00:37. > :00:41.landscape. We live in this beautiful area, and we shouldn't allow a small
:00:42. > :00:47.number of people to damage it just because it's fun for them. And we
:00:48. > :00:52.discover how Sir Lenny Henry wants to make a film about Britain's first
:00:53. > :00:56.black policeman, who was born in Cumbria 200 years ago. I've never
:00:57. > :01:07.seen anything like this before. It's amazing. It makes me want to keep a
:01:08. > :01:13.journal. It is estimated that every year 3500
:01:14. > :01:18.people in the north-west die early as a result of exposure to harmful
:01:19. > :01:23.emissions. Greater Manchester is now one of the most polluted regions in
:01:24. > :01:24.Europe. The levels are so high that they're illegal. Judy Hobson
:01:25. > :01:29.investigates. Monday morning in
:01:30. > :01:41.greater Manchester. High pressure will stay with us as
:01:42. > :01:42.we head through the next few days. Conditions when change. It's dry,
:01:43. > :01:51.clear and cold. It's a still, cold day -
:01:52. > :01:54.perfect weather for pollution. You can even see it
:01:55. > :01:56.sitting across the city. Every year, the city breaches legal
:01:57. > :01:59.levels for pollution set by Europe, You can't feel it. -- you can't
:02:00. > :02:09.breathe. In greater Manchester alone,
:02:10. > :02:15.it is thought 1,500 people die prematurely every year
:02:16. > :02:19.as a result of pollution. We now know diesel engines
:02:20. > :02:32.are the most toxic. In the 1950s, Manchester smog
:02:33. > :02:34.was so thick it sometimes Today the air looks cleaner,
:02:35. > :02:43.but it's just as harmful. The city centre air affects people
:02:44. > :02:56.like Dave Lawson, who has Presumably you can feel it now quiz
:02:57. > :03:02.so especially on junctions like this when you have buses, taxis, vans.
:03:03. > :03:06.You can feel it very, very heavy, oppressive as. It's making it very
:03:07. > :03:11.difficult to breathe. That restrictive feeling around the chest
:03:12. > :03:17.is very noticeable now. So as soon as that bus comes near you, you can
:03:18. > :03:20.feel a? Not just the heat reverberating off it, but also the
:03:21. > :03:23.chemicals coming out of it. You can really notice it. Yeah, very much
:03:24. > :03:25.so. Children are especially
:03:26. > :03:27.vulnerable to pollution. Last year, 64,000 people
:03:28. > :03:29.were admitted to hospital in greater Manchester
:03:30. > :03:31.with respiratory problems. And of those, 14,000 of them
:03:32. > :03:35.were children under the age of four. It's worrying news for the thousands
:03:36. > :03:39.of children in the region who go Their school is by one
:03:40. > :03:55.of the busiest roads in the city. It makes my breathing a bit faster.
:03:56. > :03:59.And I just feel a little feeling in my throat, it's a bit breezy which
:04:00. > :04:08.makes me start coughing because my throat is tickling. When I'm running
:04:09. > :04:13.about, it kind of like... It's like when you're laughing, and then you
:04:14. > :04:16.can't breathe. You get cramps, and your stomach knots up. You can't
:04:17. > :04:20.really breathe properly and it's not really nice.
:04:21. > :04:23.So what exactly is coming from our vehicles and affecting our health?
:04:24. > :04:27.Nitrogen dioxide is an invisible gas which can irritate our lungs.
:04:28. > :04:30.The most recent data shows greater Manchester has been in breach
:04:31. > :04:34.of its legal limits for nitrogen dioxide every year since 2011.
:04:35. > :04:37.But there's another major health problem, and mainly comes
:04:38. > :04:44.They emit tiny particles known as Pm2.5s.
:04:45. > :04:48.While the nose traps some air pollution, these tiny particles
:04:49. > :04:50.are so small that they can slip through and become lodged
:04:51. > :04:57.They're associated with heart disease, lung cancer and stroke.
:04:58. > :05:01.But scientists here in the north-west recently made another
:05:02. > :05:07.more worrying discovery after analysing cells.
:05:08. > :05:14.We analysed brains from Manchester and Mexico City, and from pollution
:05:15. > :05:20.particles in abundance in the front of the brain.
:05:21. > :05:23.The exact source of the particles is yet known, but Professor Maher it
:05:24. > :05:26.shows there could be a link between pollution and
:05:27. > :05:45.Varies a strong subjective -- it is suggested that particles getting to
:05:46. > :05:51.bring through the olfactory bulb. I wanted to know more
:05:52. > :05:54.about the level of pollution. I'm in Whitworth Park in Manchester,
:05:55. > :05:57.and this is a monitor which measures It should measure what I'm breathing
:05:58. > :06:01.in with every step that I take. There are no safe levels
:06:02. > :06:05.of particulate matter, but here in the park
:06:06. > :06:09.were relatively low. Just a few metres away
:06:10. > :06:12.is Oxford Road - one Immediately, the levels
:06:13. > :06:21.become dangerously high. The tiny particles I'm now breathing
:06:22. > :06:23.in could be having a serious But what this monitor does show
:06:24. > :06:28.is that by walking even a few metres away from the traffic,
:06:29. > :06:43.you can dramatically Even in a space as small as this,
:06:44. > :06:48.you feel the difference? Absolutely. Straightaway, the air feels cleaner,
:06:49. > :06:53.less heavy. Dave Lawson says even in the city, a small green space can
:06:54. > :06:57.make a difference. Cities are getting bigger and more congested.
:06:58. > :07:09.They're always expanding. That means more traffic, more cars and, for me,
:07:10. > :07:10.more problems. And local councils have been told they have to cut
:07:11. > :07:13.levels of air pollution. I've decided to head to Switzerland,
:07:14. > :07:18.where they have managed to bring Zurich is Switzerland's
:07:19. > :07:24.largest city, and a similar Here, shoppers, businesses
:07:25. > :07:28.and tourists are welcome. Parking places are
:07:29. > :07:30.scarce and expensive. It's a deliberate policy
:07:31. > :07:34.to cut air pollution. This square used to be full
:07:35. > :07:38.of parking places for cars. Now cars are banned and it's helped
:07:39. > :07:54.cut emissions dramatically It is the result of careful town
:07:55. > :07:56.planning. Here, trams and buses interconnect.
:07:57. > :08:02.No one lives forever than 500 metres from a tram or bus stop.
:08:03. > :08:11.We have created an alternative to car traffic, which is heavily
:08:12. > :08:15.developed, good extended public transport system. That is the basis
:08:16. > :08:23.of it all, and it has been a long process. It has been going on since
:08:24. > :08:28.the 1980s. Second, if you ask what have you done, it's not just you,
:08:29. > :08:31.the City Council or the municipality, but it's you, the
:08:32. > :08:37.people. Because the people really want it. We don't say car drivers,
:08:38. > :08:40.you must leave your cars at home, or Laura Bassett is that if you take
:08:41. > :08:48.your clock. No, if you want to take your car, you can. The
:08:49. > :08:49.infrastructure is there. We so there is another option, and that option
:08:50. > :08:51.is really good. And 50% of city centre
:08:52. > :09:00.residents don't own a car. You have to pay a lot for parking. I
:09:01. > :09:05.like to go with my bicycle and by train. I always take the public
:09:06. > :09:09.traffic. Always. Back in greater Manchester,
:09:10. > :09:12.and you can see the locals are making changes all designed
:09:13. > :09:14.to persuade us to leave But so far pollution levels
:09:15. > :09:20.remain stubbornly high. While the evidence against vehicles,
:09:21. > :09:22.especially diesels, Anything you can do to reduce your
:09:23. > :09:43.exposure has to be a good thing. If you walk away from the traffic,
:09:44. > :09:45.because the particle concentration declines,
:09:46. > :09:51.walk on the downhill side. Because the traffic is working hard
:09:52. > :09:53.on the upside. Take the back streets, walk through the park.
:09:54. > :09:56.Avoiding pollution hotspots is a way of life for people like Dave Lawson.
:09:57. > :10:02.Miles out of the city, and he says he can breathe more easily.
:10:03. > :10:07.The lack of pollution releases the tightness in my lungs.
:10:08. > :10:18.Now it is a natural occurrence from exercise.
:10:19. > :10:21.The government has been taken to the High Court over its failure
:10:22. > :10:24.It has until next month to come up with a plan.
:10:25. > :10:27.But to make a difference, policies have to be bold,
:10:28. > :10:38.or the vulnerable will continue to suffer.
:10:39. > :10:47.For most people, the Lake District is a beauty spot that we to enjoy
:10:48. > :10:51.and cherish. But there is one group of people whose visits have been
:10:52. > :10:56.scarring the local residents and even scaring local residents.
:10:57. > :10:59.Jacey Normand joined Cumbria Police and local residents as they fought
:11:00. > :11:03.back against the illegal off-roaders.
:11:04. > :11:06.The Lake District - visited by 17 million people a year.
:11:07. > :11:43.So many organisations, agencies and local people
:11:44. > :11:50.This isn't your average get-together at the village hall.
:11:51. > :11:54.We're here to address the issue of illegal off-roading in the area.
:11:55. > :11:57.But everyone here, police and pensioners,
:11:58. > :11:59.have the same goal - to try and catch the people
:12:00. > :12:03.who they say are wrecking parts of the Lakes.
:12:04. > :12:11.Registration numbers, descriptions of people in terms
:12:12. > :12:14.of what they are wearing, that will help us ID them if we need
:12:15. > :12:18.One of the aims of the National Park is it's for the enjoyment
:12:19. > :12:22.of everyone, whether you're on foot, on a motorbike or you're in a 4x4.
:12:23. > :12:25.The problem is not everyone is sticking to the green lanes -
:12:26. > :12:34.they're the legal routes motorbike and off-road vehicles can use.
:12:35. > :12:37.Diana, who is acting as a spotter today's operation, showed me an area
:12:38. > :12:44.In fact, the path should not be here and these gouges
:12:45. > :12:47.they fill with water, they push soil and the rocks down.
:12:48. > :12:49.It destroys the vegetation and it never goes again.
:12:50. > :12:52.And wherever there is a stream, the motorbikes go through
:12:53. > :12:56.the stream, back and forth, widening the mud zone
:12:57. > :13:08.and making a tremendous mess so walkers cannot walk freely.
:13:09. > :13:10.It must be heartbreaking, seeing the landscape being damaged?
:13:11. > :13:12.Yes, it is, because the Lake District is for everybody.
:13:13. > :13:18.But I do believe the people who come here should treat it as we do,
:13:19. > :13:21.as residents, which is with the respect it deserves as we want
:13:22. > :13:28.With everyone in position, it's now a matter of watching and waiting.
:13:29. > :13:31.But there is a more sinister, more worrying side for locals here.
:13:32. > :13:34.A number of people are too scared to be interviewed by me today
:13:35. > :13:37.for fear of reprisals, and I've heard a story of one
:13:38. > :13:45.person who was beaten up when he challenged some off-roaders.
:13:46. > :13:49.Prosecutions for off-roading last year, there were about 16.
:13:50. > :13:52.Most of those were fixed penalty tickets, some got cautioned.
:13:53. > :13:53.If you they get caught using their vehicles
:13:54. > :13:55.in similar circumstances, not just around here,
:13:56. > :13:59.but anywhere else in the country, and they run the risk of having that
:14:00. > :14:02.vehicle seized and potentially crushed.
:14:03. > :14:03.So why are you not prosecuting more people?
:14:04. > :14:06.Prosecution is often difficult, which is why we are doing this
:14:07. > :14:13.operation where we can have the eyes and ears of the local
:14:14. > :14:15.community to help us gather sufficient evidence
:14:16. > :14:24.It's just getting the evidence that they are off-road.
:14:25. > :14:26.It's a site of special scientific interest.
:14:27. > :14:32.It's been described as one of the best examples in the country
:14:33. > :14:37.It might look like a remote wilderness, that your every movement
:14:38. > :14:47.This damage here is being done by only just over
:14:48. > :14:51.Like other residents, Eddie photographs the illegal
:14:52. > :14:55.And he has another trick up his sleeve.
:14:56. > :14:57.So how do you know how many people have been
:14:58. > :15:04.Well, we put automatic vehicle recorders out,
:15:05. > :15:07.and they tell us exactly what has been happening, what type
:15:08. > :15:09.of vehicle, what time, how many there were.
:15:10. > :15:14.I can't tell you very much about what they look like,
:15:15. > :15:17.as we really want to keep on gathering this information
:15:18. > :15:19.throughout the wider area, and some people would perhaps
:15:20. > :15:34.The motor vehicles' wheels rip out the roots of the vegetation.
:15:35. > :15:36.A few weeks later, another group comes through.
:15:37. > :15:38.The process continues and gets worse and it never gets
:15:39. > :15:49.There used to be a prohibition signs saying no motorvehicles,
:15:50. > :15:58.but as you can see it's been vandalised.
:15:59. > :16:02.Today everyone here is on their guard, waiting to pounce
:16:03. > :16:06.if they find any vehicles driving or riding illegally.
:16:07. > :16:10.But I've been out with a group of people who are on the
:16:11. > :16:19.It's a little bit of an adventure, and life is about adventure.
:16:20. > :16:28.We're having a look at the maps now, mainly to ensure that we are going
:16:29. > :16:34.They say, "One life, live it" on every Land Rover, don't they?
:16:35. > :16:44.With an introduction like that, it was time to try it for myself.
:16:45. > :16:47.It's the views and getting out to see them is the biggest thing
:16:48. > :16:51.We can get a lot further than a walker can, and we can cover
:16:52. > :16:53.more distant and see more things in one-day.
:16:54. > :16:55.And how do you ensure you are respecting
:16:56. > :16:59.Because there is going to be some impact, is in there?
:17:00. > :17:02.Basically, by doing small groups of four and keeping speeds down.
:17:03. > :17:05.If we come across any obstructions, we clear it and help out.
:17:06. > :17:09.And how do you feel about the people who do it and do not adhere to those
:17:10. > :17:22.It's very responsible and spoils it for everyone.
:17:23. > :17:25.Steve, who has ridden the green lanes for many
:17:26. > :17:27.years and that the legal routes in the Lakes,
:17:28. > :17:30.We spend a lot of our time and energy ensuring that
:17:31. > :17:35.where we go is entirely legal, so on the occasions when people just
:17:36. > :17:37.just ignore that and go where they please,
:17:38. > :17:46.And this isn't a problem just confined to the Lake District.
:17:47. > :17:58.It's upsetting when you come up and see your land roven to bits
:17:59. > :18:02.with people who have just gone off road and on whatever they wanted to.
:18:03. > :18:04.Illegally off-roading is costing Chris, who farms near Alston,
:18:05. > :18:15.There is a lot more damage further over the fell
:18:16. > :18:19.They have tractors to pull them out the tractors have merely just
:18:20. > :18:23.So they've made quite a mess over that side of the fell.
:18:24. > :18:41.So it is us that gets it in the neck when the sheep are on the main road.
:18:42. > :18:44.Today our group hasn't struck lucky and they haven't caught anyone.
:18:45. > :18:47.But they hope by putting on a high profile operation like this,
:18:48. > :18:53.Four by four drivers and motorbikes who abuse this beautiful
:18:54. > :19:07.I want to make sure everyone is well aware that we will be running more
:19:08. > :19:11.of these operations. We are determined to stop the destruction
:19:12. > :19:17.to our countryside. Don't go off piste, stay to the legal path and
:19:18. > :19:21.roots. Simple as. We live in this beautiful area and we shouldn't
:19:22. > :19:26.allow a small number of people to damage it by driving motor vehicles
:19:27. > :19:35.around on it just because it's fun for them.
:19:36. > :19:43.If I was to say to you that Cumbria was a pioneer of multicultural
:19:44. > :19:48.integration, you might think I was having a laugh. But comedian said
:19:49. > :19:54.Lenny Henry knows it's no joke. Britain's first black policeman was
:19:55. > :19:57.born in Carlisle 200 years ago. Historical novelist Philippa Gregory
:19:58. > :20:00.has been championing the life of John Kent, and that has been
:20:01. > :20:03.inspiring Sir Lenny Henry to bring his life to the silver screen.
:20:04. > :20:06.History can throw up remarkable stories and, in all my years,
:20:07. > :20:15.I'm at Robert Ferguson Primary School in Cumbria, at the start
:20:16. > :20:22.The kids don't know it yet, but they're going to learn
:20:23. > :20:26.about an amazing person who made history here nearly 200 years ago.
:20:27. > :20:30.The first black police officer was from Carlisle,
:20:31. > :20:39.and he joined Carlisle Police Force on the 17th of August 1837.
:20:40. > :20:42.So what links a classroom full of kids and John Kent?
:20:43. > :20:56.John Kent was this country's first black policeman.
:20:57. > :20:59.Striding in the streets in a swallow tailed coat and a stout top hat,
:21:00. > :21:01.carrying and oaken staff, striking terror into
:21:02. > :21:09.And now he's inspired the interest of one of our top entertainers.
:21:10. > :21:13.This is my first day of official research. I'm trying to figure out
:21:14. > :21:15.how to be a historian. A lot has changed in nearly
:21:16. > :21:20.200 years, and rather than fear John Kent,
:21:21. > :21:24.the kids love the story. He must have been very brave
:21:25. > :21:29.to be the first ever one, because if there were loads of white
:21:30. > :21:33.ones and he was just the only black He was the first ever person to be
:21:34. > :21:37.a policeman in the UK. -- first ever black person to be a
:21:38. > :21:48.policeman in the UK. John Kent's role today isn't
:21:49. > :21:50.to keep law and order, That racism is a very bad thing
:21:51. > :21:57.and you should not be mean to people just because of the colour
:21:58. > :21:59.of their skin. I think it was fantastic,
:22:00. > :22:02.the way they've received it, and the way they've connected
:22:03. > :22:04.themselves with his story. Now, at this stage, I'm going
:22:05. > :22:12.to have to declare an interest. I'm fascinated by the history
:22:13. > :22:15.of the slave trade in England, 11 years ago, I made a programme
:22:16. > :22:24.that explored his roots. John was the son of a slave,
:22:25. > :22:27.Thomas Kent, who was brought into Whitehaven and
:22:28. > :22:35.freed in this country. And settled, married an
:22:36. > :22:38.Englishwoman... Back then, I revealed
:22:39. > :22:40.to the Bulman family that I imagine that's
:22:41. > :22:43.a bit of a surprise? I could not see how anyone could
:22:44. > :22:46.treat another human being like that. I find racism completely disgusting
:22:47. > :22:48.and always have done. And that explains why,
:22:49. > :22:52.because I have black blood My reaction was a surprise,
:22:53. > :22:58.being a white farmer, to find a black slave
:22:59. > :23:01.in the ancestry. All the feedback I've had
:23:02. > :23:04.in the past years has been positive. Everyone has said what
:23:05. > :23:11.a wonderful story it is. So I have a relative
:23:12. > :23:16.who was a policeman? I was quite surprised
:23:17. > :23:25.that he was a policeman, It seems strange that there
:23:26. > :23:31.was someone who was not Now you've grown up and had time
:23:32. > :23:35.to think about John Kent, Apparently he was quite well-loved
:23:36. > :23:41.and respected by the community, so I'm pleased that he was
:23:42. > :23:44.the first black policeman. But he was respected
:23:45. > :23:48.as well for the job he did. Anyone searching for clues
:23:49. > :23:51.about John Kent will come here, So when I received a message last
:23:52. > :23:57.year from Sir Lenny Henry wanting to know more about our hero,
:23:58. > :24:07.I suggested we meet here. Is that Kent there? Mr Brown, 20
:24:08. > :24:17.shillings. And Kent, 20 shilling. I've enlisted the help
:24:18. > :24:21.of Susan Dench, an expert We are interested in how someone
:24:22. > :24:25.like Kent interacted And we know that it says
:24:26. > :24:29.he was used as a bogeyman. If you didn't behave yourself,
:24:30. > :24:31.Black Kent will come on you. But in what other ways
:24:32. > :24:34.did he interact with He seems to have been a fairly
:24:35. > :24:38.well respected person. I'm fascinated by that,
:24:39. > :24:44.and I want to know more. Lenny wants to write a TV drama
:24:45. > :24:47.with John Kent at the centre of it, and asked me to help him
:24:48. > :24:50.with out the research. I've never seen anything
:24:51. > :24:53.like this before. It's the stories that count,
:24:54. > :24:59.because what's great about the Because if you're writing,
:25:00. > :25:03.I would imagine, it's If you can get a whiff
:25:04. > :25:13.of that, a flavour of that. John Kent's records are a treasure
:25:14. > :25:20.trove for Lenny's script. The things I have written
:25:21. > :25:24.are usually jokes. This is reading historical materials
:25:25. > :25:28.with a view to creating a film, and if it works it's going to
:25:29. > :25:31.be fantastic, and Carlisle is going to be right
:25:32. > :25:35.in the centre of it all. Lenny told me script
:25:36. > :25:37.development is going well, and he's looking to pitch it
:25:38. > :25:42.to broadcasters soon. And he isn't the only one creating
:25:43. > :25:46.some drama around the ex-bobby. These mechanical puppets will tour
:25:47. > :25:48.the country this year, helping to bring this
:25:49. > :25:54.extraordinary story to life. The uniform, and this
:25:55. > :26:01.fantastic stovepipe hat. Yeah, the stovepipe hat
:26:02. > :26:07.is concealing his sandwiches. I wanted to show that they did such
:26:08. > :26:11.a long shifts and they did not have any breaks, and they had to work
:26:12. > :26:14.through the night, and if you haven't got
:26:15. > :26:17.an official break, you have You speak of him with real
:26:18. > :26:27.affection? He went on as the son work,
:26:28. > :26:32.firstly as a pavent beater, a paver, and I think people noticed him
:26:33. > :26:35.because he was working hard Eventually here he is,
:26:36. > :26:39.Britain's first black policeman. I think that is a lovely
:26:40. > :26:41.and an unexpected story John Kent was dismissed from
:26:42. > :26:46.the police in 1844 for drunkenness - He died aged 86, and is buried
:26:47. > :26:55.here at the Cumbria Cemetery This is a standard metal detector
:26:56. > :27:06.and it's designed to pick up The grave's be forgotten -
:27:07. > :27:15.until today. Most graves have a metal number
:27:16. > :27:23.marking the end of the plot. And that means that the cemetery
:27:24. > :27:29.records, Mike can work out where our policeman
:27:30. > :27:33.was laid to rest. The graves are at four foot centres,
:27:34. > :27:38.so I'm going to just do a simple measurement -
:27:39. > :27:40.one, two, three, four, - and mark the centrepoint of a
:27:41. > :27:43.grave - the grave of the late And for such a strong
:27:44. > :27:55.and elegant character in life, So, John Kent, the country's first
:27:56. > :28:02.black policeman who now, rightfully, is being celebrated
:28:03. > :28:08.in his home city. I really hope the interest
:28:09. > :28:11.in his story continues to grow. He's no longer living the history
:28:12. > :28:14.but, now he's living in the minds of Cumbria's brightest
:28:15. > :28:27.young people, too. I look forward to seeing that film.
:28:28. > :28:29.That's all from us for this week, but Inside Out is back in two weeks'
:28:30. > :29:06.time. Until then, goodbye. I'm Riz Lateef with
:29:07. > :29:09.your 90 second update. Questions over Vauxhall's future
:29:10. > :29:12.in Britain after it was sold Vauxhall employs 4,500
:29:13. > :29:16.people but its new owners