26/01/2017 Look East

Hello and welcome to the Look East late news.

In the programme tonight: Living with ME - how research in Norwich

could offer a real breakthrough and make the city an international

It is very exciting, it is a hope that they could be a treatment for

this devastating disorder. Voted through - the merger which has

tonight created the biggest district And another cold night on the way

but temperatures are on the rise. Join me later for all the details.

Norwich is set to become an international centre of research

Scientists here have told Look East today they are making real

breakthroughs in finding a treatment for the condition, which is also

It's thought 250,000 people across the country

And the latest research is being crowd-funded by ME

sufferers like Rosalind Amor from Bury St Edmunds.

Arriving at Rosalind's home, the first thing you notice is the sign

on the door. That is because Rosalind cannot tolerate too much

noise or too much light. Rosalind was diagnosed with ME at the age of

eight. She is now 25. Conversations have to be conducted in a whisper.

It's awful ball boys feeling tired. And we cant heavy. Rosalind's health

improved when she was 15. She could walk, stand and using a wheelchair

outdoors, but four years ago, Rosalind had a relapse and today she

cannot get out of bed, is fed by Chew and uses hand gestures to

communicate. You must get down about how you feel. I don't want to spend

my entire life in bed. Despite everything, Rosalind remains

positive. She writes a blog for the invest in research charity and helps

to raise money for them. Now that she can use an iPad and connect to

the rest of the world again, immediately she is back in touch,

part of the team and the fact she can contribute to the blog and

writing is what she loves to do. I want to be a journalist. I've wanted

to be a journalist since I was 17. Do you think that might come one

day? Rosalind loves the outdoors, but has not been in the garden for

years. She is following the developments in research closely but

is also realistic about what the future might hold.

In Norway they found that a drug normally used to treat cancer has

And those scientists have been in Norwich today to talk

about a trial of that same drug here.

They've been working closely with those at

Professor Simon Carding told me why what's been discovered

I think it is very exciting because for the first time we have

identified a possible treatment for this horrible disorder and it really

highlights that there is probably something really fundamentally wrong

with the immune system in these patients, which if that is held to

be true, gives insight into potential therapies and

interventions. What we are talking about is a cancer drug. That's

right. It was by accident this drug was identified. A doctor was

treating patients with lymphoma, some of which had ME, and he found

that the symptoms of ME improved and that led to trolls to consolidate

that finding. How does all this fit into what I know you have been

focusing on and that is looking at the gut is the origin of this

disease. It may be very difficult to appreciate, but the antibody therapy

is targeted at removing cells in the body that produce antibodies. The

trigger for producing these bad antibodies originate in the gut, so

by eliminating the source you can provide an effective therapy. We are

trying to identify what is the trigger. We would not be doing what

we are doing today if it were not for the money offered by patients

their selves so it is then that has allowed us to get to this point.

Where do you go from here? We are interested in developing trials and

we are looking at trying to replicate these really outstanding

results that the Norwegians have here in this region with patients

from the Norfolk and Suffolk region, so it is really exciting times for

ME research and we are building Norwich as a centre of excellence

for research. I know the last thing you want to do is offer falls hope,

but how optimistic should patients with ME the feeling right now?

Patients have a right to be optimistic. I have to be cautious

but I am also optimistic. Next tonight, we now officially

have the largest district council Waveney and Suffolk

coastal agreed to merge. The new authority will be called

East Suffolk Council. Our political correspondent

Andrew Sinclair was at tonight's meeting in Melton near Woodbridge

and we can join him now. They passed it by 33 votes to four.

We don't think any council has voluntarily voted before to merge

with another. Both authorities have been sharing staff and services for

the last ten years so merging completely was the natural next

step. And in merging they will save 1.3 million every year. It has taken

a ten year partnership to convince both councils to merge and tonight

's vote, the last in the process, was decisive. It means we will be

better able to continue to deliver quality services in the future.

Despite all the financial constraints local government has, we

will be in a better place to deliver those services and that is what it

is about. What does it mean for the residents? The councils say they

would notice very little difference as both councils have been sharing

services for many years. Just the name on the jackets will change.

What would happen if you did not do this? We might have to look to cut

services because of the finances that would not stack up, because as

a wave Nice District Council we are struggling to set by Z is --

budgets. I am of the opinion that the more local be better. Bad enough

getting them to do something in this town let alone adding a few more. I

think it is a good thing. The new council will stretch from Lowestoft

to Felixstowe with two headquarters at Lowestoft and Melton. The council

says there will be few job cuts but there will be up to 30 fewer

councillors, something which worries opposition parties. If the

councillors are reduced you will not have people who know what is going

on in their communities so how can you represent people properly? This

probably will not be the last merger. Other councils are thinking

of following suit as the pressure of local government finance growth. The

councils have voted and the plan goes to the Local Government

Secretary for final approval. He will almost certainly say yes and

when he does, or the final planning can take place and that the move

Suffolk council will be up and running with elections in May 2000

and 90. The Shadow Business Secretary

and Norwich South MP has said he will not vote against triggering

Article 50 next week. Clive Lewis represents

a constituency which returned He's said today that

he wants to take part but has not ruled out voting

against the final deal That is what the Supreme Court

decision is about, giving Parliament a say on that. I am going to do that

in the interest of Norwich and when it comes to the final vote, I will

make my decision based on what is in front of me.

Coming up now, the weather with Alex, but from the rest

Another very cold night across the region, some clear skies out there

so temperatures below freezing. By the end of the night, cloud coming

from the south so temperatures will recover but not before they get to

lows of minus two Celsius. Milder air working its way towards us. It

will still be a cold start to the day with a widespread frost and the

chance of icy patches out there. As this feature moves northwards, we

might get some light sleet or snow first thing. The middle part of the

day looks dry and bright, still quite cold but with the evening,

temperatures are expected to rise as we get more cloud and patchy rain

coming in. The National weather is coming up but the outlook is it

stays relatively mild for the weekend. Unsettled with some rain.

Fairly windy, weekend. It's swings and

roundabouts, higher temperatures but some rain as well.

Good evening. It's been dry so far this January but as it draws to a

close it looks like we will see some rain at last. It's been an

interesting today a bitterly cold in Norfolk, way we kept the grey cloud

all day and the grey cloud gave a dusting of snow in places. This is a

lovely picture sent in from Sutton Coldfield. Rob Wales and much of

Scotland it's been a beautiful day, lots of sunshine and temperatures,

13 degrees compared with -2 under the cloud in East Anglia.