06/03/2017 Inside Out North West

Hello and welcome to Inside Out. Tonight, we investigate by

Manchester's area is just as harmful today as it was in the 1950s smog,

even though it looks cleaner. It's making it very, very difficult to

breathe. A restrictive feeling around the chest is very noticeable

now. We report on the local residents fighting back against

people who are damaging the world-famous Lake District

landscape. We live in this beautiful area, and we shouldn't allow a small

number of people to damage it just because it's fun for them. And we

discover how Sir Lenny Henry wants to make a film about Britain's first

black policeman, who was born in Cumbria 200 years ago. I've never

seen anything like this before. It's amazing. It makes me want to keep a

journal. It is estimated that every year 3500

people in the north-west die early as a result of exposure to harmful

emissions. Greater Manchester is now one of the most polluted regions in

Europe. The levels are so high that they're illegal. Judy Hobson

investigates. Monday morning in

greater Manchester. High pressure will stay with us as

we head through the next few days. Conditions when change. It's dry,

clear and cold. It's a still, cold day -

perfect weather for pollution. You can even see it

sitting across the city. Every year, the city breaches legal

levels for pollution set by Europe, You can't feel it. -- you can't

breathe. In greater Manchester alone,

it is thought 1,500 people die prematurely every year

as a result of pollution. We now know diesel engines

are the most toxic. In the 1950s, Manchester smog

was so thick it sometimes Today the air looks cleaner,

but it's just as harmful. The city centre air affects people

like Dave Lawson, who has Presumably you can feel it now quiz

so especially on junctions like this when you have buses, taxis, vans.

You can feel it very, very heavy, oppressive as. It's making it very

difficult to breathe. That restrictive feeling around the chest

is very noticeable now. So as soon as that bus comes near you, you can

feel a? Not just the heat reverberating off it, but also the

chemicals coming out of it. You can really notice it. Yeah, very much

so. Children are especially

vulnerable to pollution. Last year, 64,000 people

were admitted to hospital in greater Manchester

with respiratory problems. And of those, 14,000 of them

were children under the age of four. It's worrying news for the thousands

of children in the region who go Their school is by one

of the busiest roads in the city. It makes my breathing a bit faster.

And I just feel a little feeling in my throat, it's a bit breezy which

makes me start coughing because my throat is tickling. When I'm running

about, it kind of like... It's like when you're laughing, and then you

can't breathe. You get cramps, and your stomach knots up. You can't

really breathe properly and it's not really nice.

So what exactly is coming from our vehicles and affecting our health?

Nitrogen dioxide is an invisible gas which can irritate our lungs.

The most recent data shows greater Manchester has been in breach

of its legal limits for nitrogen dioxide every year since 2011.

But there's another major health problem, and mainly comes

They emit tiny particles known as Pm2.5s.

While the nose traps some air pollution, these tiny particles

are so small that they can slip through and become lodged

They're associated with heart disease, lung cancer and stroke.

But scientists here in the north-west recently made another

more worrying discovery after analysing cells.

We analysed brains from Manchester and Mexico City, and from pollution

particles in abundance in the front of the brain.

The exact source of the particles is yet known, but Professor Maher it

shows there could be a link between pollution and

Varies a strong subjective -- it is suggested that particles getting to

bring through the olfactory bulb. I wanted to know more

about the level of pollution. I'm in Whitworth Park in Manchester,

and this is a monitor which measures It should measure what I'm breathing

in with every step that I take. There are no safe levels

of particulate matter, but here in the park

were relatively low. Just a few metres away

is Oxford Road - one Immediately, the levels

become dangerously high. The tiny particles I'm now breathing

in could be having a serious But what this monitor does show

is that by walking even a few metres away from the traffic,

you can dramatically Even in a space as small as this,

you feel the difference? Absolutely. Straightaway, the air feels cleaner,

less heavy. Dave Lawson says even in the city, a small green space can

make a difference. Cities are getting bigger and more congested.

They're always expanding. That means more traffic, more cars and, for me,

more problems. And local councils have been told they have to cut

levels of air pollution. I've decided to head to Switzerland,

where they have managed to bring Zurich is Switzerland's

largest city, and a similar Here, shoppers, businesses

and tourists are welcome. Parking places are

scarce and expensive. It's a deliberate policy

to cut air pollution. This square used to be full

of parking places for cars. Now cars are banned and it's helped

cut emissions dramatically It is the result of careful town

planning. Here, trams and buses interconnect.

No one lives forever than 500 metres from a tram or bus stop.

We have created an alternative to car traffic, which is heavily

developed, good extended public transport system. That is the basis

of it all, and it has been a long process. It has been going on since

the 1980s. Second, if you ask what have you done, it's not just you,

the City Council or the municipality, but it's you, the

people. Because the people really want it. We don't say car drivers,

you must leave your cars at home, or Laura Bassett is that if you take

your clock. No, if you want to take your car, you can. The

infrastructure is there. We so there is another option, and that option

is really good. And 50% of city centre

residents don't own a car. You have to pay a lot for parking. I

like to go with my bicycle and by train. I always take the public

traffic. Always. Back in greater Manchester,

and you can see the locals are making changes all designed

to persuade us to leave But so far pollution levels

remain stubbornly high. While the evidence against vehicles,

especially diesels, Anything you can do to reduce your

exposure has to be a good thing. If you walk away from the traffic,

because the particle concentration declines,

walk on the downhill side. Because the traffic is working hard

on the upside. Take the back streets, walk through the park.

Avoiding pollution hotspots is a way of life for people like Dave Lawson.

Miles out of the city, and he says he can breathe more easily.

The lack of pollution releases the tightness in my lungs.

Now it is a natural occurrence from exercise.

The government has been taken to the High Court over its failure

It has until next month to come up with a plan.

But to make a difference, policies have to be bold,

or the vulnerable will continue to suffer.

For most people, the Lake District is a beauty spot that we to enjoy

and cherish. But there is one group of people whose visits have been

scarring the local residents and even scaring local residents.

Jacey Normand joined Cumbria Police and local residents as they fought

back against the illegal off-roaders.

The Lake District - visited by 17 million people a year.

So many organisations, agencies and local people

This isn't your average get-together at the village hall.

We're here to address the issue of illegal off-roading in the area.

But everyone here, police and pensioners,

have the same goal - to try and catch the people

who they say are wrecking parts of the Lakes.

Registration numbers, descriptions of people in terms

of what they are wearing, that will help us ID them if we need

One of the aims of the National Park is it's for the enjoyment

of everyone, whether you're on foot, on a motorbike or you're in a 4x4.

The problem is not everyone is sticking to the green lanes -

they're the legal routes motorbike and off-road vehicles can use.

Diana, who is acting as a spotter today's operation, showed me an area

In fact, the path should not be here and these gouges

they fill with water, they push soil and the rocks down.

It destroys the vegetation and it never goes again.

And wherever there is a stream, the motorbikes go through

the stream, back and forth, widening the mud zone

and making a tremendous mess so walkers cannot walk freely.

It must be heartbreaking, seeing the landscape being damaged?

Yes, it is, because the Lake District is for everybody.

But I do believe the people who come here should treat it as we do,

as residents, which is with the respect it deserves as we want

With everyone in position, it's now a matter of watching and waiting.

But there is a more sinister, more worrying side for locals here.

A number of people are too scared to be interviewed by me today

for fear of reprisals, and I've heard a story of one

person who was beaten up when he challenged some off-roaders.

Prosecutions for off-roading last year, there were about 16.

Most of those were fixed penalty tickets, some got cautioned.

If you they get caught using their vehicles

in similar circumstances, not just around here,

but anywhere else in the country, and they run the risk of having that

vehicle seized and potentially crushed.

So why are you not prosecuting more people?

Prosecution is often difficult, which is why we are doing this

operation where we can have the eyes and ears of the local

community to help us gather sufficient evidence

It's just getting the evidence that they are off-road.

It's a site of special scientific interest.

It's been described as one of the best examples in the country

It might look like a remote wilderness, that your every movement

This damage here is being done by only just over

Like other residents, Eddie photographs the illegal

And he has another trick up his sleeve.

So how do you know how many people have been

Well, we put automatic vehicle recorders out,

and they tell us exactly what has been happening, what type

of vehicle, what time, how many there were.

I can't tell you very much about what they look like,

as we really want to keep on gathering this information

throughout the wider area, and some people would perhaps

The motor vehicles' wheels rip out the roots of the vegetation.

A few weeks later, another group comes through.

The process continues and gets worse and it never gets

There used to be a prohibition signs saying no motorvehicles,

but as you can see it's been vandalised.

Today everyone here is on their guard, waiting to pounce

if they find any vehicles driving or riding illegally.

But I've been out with a group of people who are on the

It's a little bit of an adventure, and life is about adventure.

We're having a look at the maps now, mainly to ensure that we are going

They say, "One life, live it" on every Land Rover, don't they?

With an introduction like that, it was time to try it for myself.

It's the views and getting out to see them is the biggest thing

We can get a lot further than a walker can, and we can cover

more distant and see more things in one-day.

And how do you ensure you are respecting

Because there is going to be some impact, is in there?

Basically, by doing small groups of four and keeping speeds down.

If we come across any obstructions, we clear it and help out.

And how do you feel about the people who do it and do not adhere to those

It's very responsible and spoils it for everyone.

Steve, who has ridden the green lanes for many

years and that the legal routes in the Lakes,

We spend a lot of our time and energy ensuring that

where we go is entirely legal, so on the occasions when people just

just ignore that and go where they please,

And this isn't a problem just confined to the Lake District.

It's upsetting when you come up and see your land roven to bits

with people who have just gone off road and on whatever they wanted to.

Illegally off-roading is costing Chris, who farms near Alston,

There is a lot more damage further over the fell

They have tractors to pull them out the tractors have merely just

So they've made quite a mess over that side of the fell.

So it is us that gets it in the neck when the sheep are on the main road.

Today our group hasn't struck lucky and they haven't caught anyone.

But they hope by putting on a high profile operation like this,

Four by four drivers and motorbikes who abuse this beautiful

I want to make sure everyone is well aware that we will be running more

of these operations. We are determined to stop the destruction

to our countryside. Don't go off piste, stay to the legal path and

roots. Simple as. We live in this beautiful area and we shouldn't

allow a small number of people to damage it by driving motor vehicles

around on it just because it's fun for them.

If I was to say to you that Cumbria was a pioneer of multicultural

integration, you might think I was having a laugh. But comedian said

Lenny Henry knows it's no joke. Britain's first black policeman was

born in Carlisle 200 years ago. Historical novelist Philippa Gregory

has been championing the life of John Kent, and that has been

inspiring Sir Lenny Henry to bring his life to the silver screen.

History can throw up remarkable stories and, in all my years,

I'm at Robert Ferguson Primary School in Cumbria, at the start

The kids don't know it yet, but they're going to learn

about an amazing person who made history here nearly 200 years ago.

The first black police officer was from Carlisle,

and he joined Carlisle Police Force on the 17th of August 1837.

So what links a classroom full of kids and John Kent?

John Kent was this country's first black policeman.

Striding in the streets in a swallow tailed coat and a stout top hat,

carrying and oaken staff, striking terror into

And now he's inspired the interest of one of our top entertainers.

This is my first day of official research. I'm trying to figure out

how to be a historian. A lot has changed in nearly

200 years, and rather than fear John Kent,

the kids love the story. He must have been very brave

to be the first ever one, because if there were loads of white

ones and he was just the only black He was the first ever person to be

a policeman in the UK. -- first ever black person to be a

policeman in the UK. John Kent's role today isn't

to keep law and order, That racism is a very bad thing

and you should not be mean to people just because of the colour

of their skin. I think it was fantastic,

the way they've received it, and the way they've connected

themselves with his story. Now, at this stage, I'm going

to have to declare an interest. I'm fascinated by the history

of the slave trade in England, 11 years ago, I made a programme

that explored his roots. John was the son of a slave,

Thomas Kent, who was brought into Whitehaven and

freed in this country. And settled, married an

Englishwoman... Back then, I revealed

to the Bulman family that I imagine that's

a bit of a surprise? I could not see how anyone could

treat another human being like that. I find racism completely disgusting

and always have done. And that explains why,

because I have black blood My reaction was a surprise,

being a white farmer, to find a black slave

in the ancestry. All the feedback I've had

in the past years has been positive. Everyone has said what

a wonderful story it is. So I have a relative

who was a policeman? I was quite surprised

that he was a policeman, It seems strange that there

was someone who was not Now you've grown up and had time

to think about John Kent, Apparently he was quite well-loved

and respected by the community, so I'm pleased that he was

the first black policeman. But he was respected

as well for the job he did. Anyone searching for clues

about John Kent will come here, So when I received a message last

year from Sir Lenny Henry wanting to know more about our hero,

I suggested we meet here. Is that Kent there? Mr Brown, 20

shillings. And Kent, 20 shilling. I've enlisted the help

of Susan Dench, an expert We are interested in how someone

like Kent interacted And we know that it says

he was used as a bogeyman. If you didn't behave yourself,

Black Kent will come on you. But in what other ways

did he interact with He seems to have been a fairly

well respected person. I'm fascinated by that,

and I want to know more. Lenny wants to write a TV drama

with John Kent at the centre of it, and asked me to help him

with out the research. I've never seen anything

like this before. It's the stories that count,

because what's great about the Because if you're writing,

I would imagine, it's If you can get a whiff

of that, a flavour of that. John Kent's records are a treasure

trove for Lenny's script. The things I have written

are usually jokes. This is reading historical materials

with a view to creating a film, and if it works it's going to

be fantastic, and Carlisle is going to be right

in the centre of it all. Lenny told me script

development is going well, and he's looking to pitch it

to broadcasters soon. And he isn't the only one creating

some drama around the ex-bobby. These mechanical puppets will tour

the country this year, helping to bring this

extraordinary story to life. The uniform, and this

fantastic stovepipe hat. Yeah, the stovepipe hat

is concealing his sandwiches. I wanted to show that they did such

a long shifts and they did not have any breaks, and they had to work

through the night, and if you haven't got

an official break, you have You speak of him with real

affection? He went on as the son work,

firstly as a pavent beater, a paver, and I think people noticed him

because he was working hard Eventually here he is,

Britain's first black policeman. I think that is a lovely

and an unexpected story John Kent was dismissed from

the police in 1844 for drunkenness - He died aged 86, and is buried

here at the Cumbria Cemetery This is a standard metal detector

and it's designed to pick up The grave's be forgotten -

until today. Most graves have a metal number

marking the end of the plot. And that means that the cemetery

records, Mike can work out where our policeman

was laid to rest. The graves are at four foot centres,

so I'm going to just do a simple measurement -

one, two, three, four, - and mark the centrepoint of a

grave - the grave of the late And for such a strong

and elegant character in life, So, John Kent, the country's first

black policeman who now, rightfully, is being celebrated

in his home city. I really hope the interest

in his story continues to grow. He's no longer living the history

but, now he's living in the minds of Cumbria's brightest

young people, too. I look forward to seeing that film.

That's all from us for this week, but Inside Out is back in two weeks'

time. Until then, goodbye. I'm Riz Lateef with

your 90 second update. Questions over Vauxhall's future

in Britain after it was sold Vauxhall employs 4,500

people but its new owners