:00:01. > :00:05.Hello and welcome to Look North. In the programme tonight: A
:00:05. > :00:14.heartbreaking plea for help from the parents of this man as he lies
:00:14. > :00:17.unconscious in an Australian hospital. He is my only child. It's
:00:17. > :00:20.my baby. Teachers and civil servants on the
:00:20. > :00:22.march, as they strike over changes to their pensions.$$NEWLINE A
:00:22. > :00:28.�40,000 fine for a housing association, after a pensioner dies
:00:29. > :00:33.from carbon monoxide poisoning. And a promise of thousands of jobs
:00:33. > :00:36.if a new mine is sunk somewhere along this coastline.
:00:36. > :00:39.In sport disappointment for the region's last hope at Wimbledon.
:00:39. > :00:49.And as Sunderland continue to spend in the transfer market we hear from
:00:49. > :00:56.
:00:56. > :00:59.The parents of 21-year-old Daniel Moore, originally from Teesside but
:00:59. > :01:02.now lying critically ill in a hospital bed in Sydney, Australia,
:01:02. > :01:08.have made an emotional appeal for help to find out what happened to
:01:08. > :01:13.him. As we reported earlier this week, Daniel from Marske near
:01:13. > :01:16.Saltburn moved to Australia two years ago to start a new life. He
:01:16. > :01:20.was found lying in a road in Sydney, with a fractured skull and broken
:01:20. > :01:23.ribs. He hasn't recovered consciousness. His parents, who've
:01:23. > :01:26.flown out to be at Daniel's bedside, have now held a press conference to
:01:26. > :01:32.make their appeal. Local police don't know if he was attacked or
:01:32. > :01:35.the victim of a hit-and-run. Damian O'Neil reports.
:01:35. > :01:38.It would be a terrible sight for any parents. Daniel Moore went to
:01:39. > :01:43.Australia for an adventure, but now his mother and father have had to
:01:43. > :01:46.fly to his bedside to be confronted by this cruel reality. The police
:01:46. > :01:50.appear to be no nearer finding out what happened to him, but they do
:01:50. > :01:53.want to speak to a taxi driver who was thought to have dropped him off
:01:54. > :02:03.on the night he was found. Now his parents have added their voices to
:02:03. > :02:09.the appeal for witnesses. It is every parent's worst nightmare. I
:02:09. > :02:18.can't even begin to tell you about how awful it is. It's a living
:02:18. > :02:26.nightmare. He is my only child. It's my baby. There are no words to
:02:26. > :02:34.describe it. I'd happily change places with him. To see him lying
:02:34. > :02:38.there now, and the boy that years, big, strong, happy, a joker, he has
:02:38. > :02:43.millions of friends, his popular and sporty. He just has everything
:02:43. > :02:47.to live for. Australia and Sydney in particular was the place that he
:02:47. > :02:52.wanted to start his new life. This was going to be his new home. Touch
:02:52. > :02:56.wood, fingers crossed, he will make a speedy recovery. Meanwhile Daniel
:02:56. > :03:01.continues to fight for his life, in the country that he hoped was to be
:03:01. > :03:03.a new start for him. Thousands of teachers and civil
:03:03. > :03:07.servants here joined today's one- day strike over public sector
:03:07. > :03:11.pensions. Four trade unions were involved, and members took part in
:03:11. > :03:16.a number of rallies around the region. Schools were worst hit, but
:03:16. > :03:25.some threats of disruption failed to materialise. Our Political
:03:25. > :03:30.Editor, Richard Moss, joins us now from Longbenton. Thank you. In
:03:30. > :03:33.these Government offices behind me it there is usually the largest
:03:33. > :03:38.concentration of public sector workers in Europe. But not today
:03:38. > :03:41.because many chose to join in the dispute and not go to work. There
:03:41. > :03:46.were 40,000 estimated public sector workers across the North joining
:03:46. > :03:49.the strike today. Teachers, court officials, driving instructors.
:03:49. > :03:52.Many of them walked through Newcastle this lunchtime. The
:03:52. > :04:00.Government says they should pay more for their pensions and work
:04:00. > :04:07.longer and that is fair. Unions say it is nothing short of Pensions
:04:07. > :04:10.robbery. Our Political Correspondent Mark
:04:10. > :04:12.Denten reports from today's protest in Newcastle. On most Thursdays
:04:12. > :04:15.these people would be processing your benefits, working in our
:04:15. > :04:21.courts, teaching your children. Today of course they weren't. Today,
:04:21. > :04:25.whatever they normally do, these people were protesters. I work for
:04:26. > :04:29.JobCentre Plus in a JobCentre call- centre taking claims for benefits.
:04:30. > :04:34.Making me pay �60 per month to get half as much as I would have is
:04:35. > :04:38.totally unrealistic. I teach middle school science. I have never gone
:04:38. > :04:42.on strike before. I have ever thought that striking for more
:04:42. > :04:46.money is worth it and I have never disrupted education before. But
:04:46. > :04:50.this is worth it. This is the Government playing with our lives
:04:50. > :04:53.and the lives of our pupils, too. As they marched through the city
:04:53. > :04:55.they got the odd curious glance. An occasional ripple of applause. A
:04:55. > :05:01.curiosity for Thursday's shoppers. But some on this march say they're
:05:01. > :05:05.fighting for something vital - their future. Some of us are
:05:05. > :05:09.working for the regional development agency which has just
:05:09. > :05:17.been closed. It finishes in March next year so we are defending our
:05:17. > :05:22.jobs but also the fact that the Government are not taking the go-go
:05:22. > :05:27.-- negotiations seriously on the pensions. I would lose �100,000
:05:27. > :05:31.over time. The Government says this is premature, but negotiations are
:05:31. > :05:36.carrying on. Some supporters of these strikers so this is about
:05:36. > :05:40.more than money. Sue Mason retired as a teacher in Durham last year at
:05:40. > :05:47.58. But in her later years in the job she was plagued by illness. She
:05:47. > :05:51.says working longer would have killed her. I ended up with
:05:51. > :05:56.bronchitis, repeated bronchitis, which left me with pleurisy for
:05:56. > :06:01.months. Then I ended up with shingles. And eventually I had a
:06:01. > :06:05.cancer scare. So if I had to stay till 66, I really don't think I
:06:05. > :06:08.would be here. And as today's march wound up, ministers condemned the
:06:08. > :06:10.strike. Other unions plan their own strike ballots. The first
:06:10. > :06:18.significant clash between the coalition and unions might not be
:06:18. > :06:21.the last. Of course action hasn't been
:06:21. > :06:28.confined to Tyneside today. Around 200 people turned out in Carlisle
:06:28. > :06:30.for a rally in the city centre. Mark McAlindon reports.
:06:30. > :06:33.In Carlisle city centre today officials from the National Union
:06:33. > :06:43.of Teachers were telling striking colleagues what they reckon changes
:06:43. > :06:47.
:06:47. > :06:52.to the pension scheme will mean for them. �245,000. That is disgusting.
:06:52. > :06:54.Teaching is a vocation, but with that much money, it is shocking.
:06:54. > :06:57.Civil servants were there too. Staff from Government departments
:06:57. > :07:04.sporting their own flags and banners. And from them all, there
:07:04. > :07:07.was little doubting the anger. Despite what the Government says
:07:07. > :07:10.about these pensions of being affordable, that is a
:07:10. > :07:15.straightforward life. The calculations have been done and the
:07:15. > :07:22.concessions already made. We are outraged at the thought of having
:07:22. > :07:26.to pay for our hard-earned friends -- hard-earned pensions because of
:07:26. > :07:34.a crisis caused by bankers which the Government has refused to
:07:34. > :07:37.address seriously. On Teesside, there had been fears
:07:37. > :07:40.that operations at Teesport would be affected by today's action. In
:07:40. > :07:43.the event, that didn't happen. We can join our reporter Stuart
:07:43. > :07:47.Whincup in the BBC Tees newsroom now. Stuart, it was schools again
:07:47. > :07:51.that felt the impact where you are. That is right. 200 schools across
:07:52. > :07:56.Teesside, primary and secondary, were closed or partially closed
:07:56. > :08:00.today. The usual scenes of protests, because lines and demonstrations.
:08:00. > :08:06.The biggest event was a protest march involving 300 people which
:08:07. > :08:09.took place this morning through the centre of Middlesbrough.
:08:09. > :08:12.Four separate unions, one common demand. They want the pension they
:08:12. > :08:19.were promised. Vicky Rushin has been a lecturer at Teesside
:08:19. > :08:25.University for the last 11 years. If I calculate how much I will lose
:08:25. > :08:31.in terms of my pension over 25 years, not only when I retire much
:08:31. > :08:34.later, based on these plans, but I will lose �325,000. Signs warned of
:08:34. > :08:41.a day of disruption in tax offices, job centres, courts and colleges.
:08:41. > :08:45.The public, they say, is on their side. I think there is support at
:08:45. > :08:48.the moment, yes. I don't know whether it will carry on after the
:08:48. > :08:57.summer break. On the streets there was support and solidarity. But not
:08:57. > :09:02.by everyone. It is interesting to see there are a lot of professional
:09:02. > :09:05.stirrers in here that have never done a day's work in their life.
:09:06. > :09:09.They have to do something because they are losing money. It is not
:09:09. > :09:19.fair with regards to what is happening with their pensions, but
:09:19. > :09:21.
:09:21. > :09:25.it is a difficult time for everybody. So support has not been
:09:25. > :09:30.universal, has it? The unions have made a big play of a poll which
:09:31. > :09:40.suggests that in the North people back to the strikes, but 40% of
:09:41. > :09:41.
:09:41. > :09:44.that opinion poll certainly didn't. Where does public opinion live.
:09:44. > :09:47.At this shower manufacturer in Newton Aycliffe there was no strike
:09:47. > :09:50.today and not much sympathy for the strikers. This firm's had a tough
:09:50. > :09:53.few months. Jobs have gone, profits have been squeezed. So what do
:09:53. > :09:56.managers here make of the strike? We don't have the luxury of being
:09:56. > :09:59.able to walk out when things don't suit us in the private sector. We
:09:59. > :10:02.have had to focus very hard on cost control, maximising business and
:10:02. > :10:06.there have been no pay rises in the private sector, certainly within
:10:06. > :10:09.our industry, for the last three years. So did today's protest march
:10:09. > :10:14.by over a thousand public sector workers in Newcastle have people's
:10:14. > :10:18.support? Well, it has impacted because I have two children that
:10:18. > :10:25.would normally be at school. They think it is good. I don't work so
:10:25. > :10:29.it is OK for me but it causes lots of problems for other people.
:10:29. > :10:34.don't agree with them. I think they want to live like the other half
:10:34. > :10:37.lives. People on a minimum wage and what not are getting half of what
:10:37. > :10:42.these teachers and what not forgetting. They only work six
:10:42. > :10:49.months of the year. I am totally against it. It is upsetting to have
:10:49. > :10:51.the kids of and losing out on education. Coalition supporters say
:10:51. > :10:54.these trade unionists have jumped the gun by striking while
:10:54. > :10:57.negotiations over their pensions are still ongoing. The Government
:10:57. > :11:02.is still in negotiation with the unions and they should to continue
:11:02. > :11:06.to negotiate before going on strike. We have to accept that we are
:11:06. > :11:10.living longer. In the 1950s she had 18 years of retirement but to date
:11:10. > :11:14.you could get 30. If we are going to afford pensions in the future we
:11:14. > :11:17.have to pay into them more and take them later. Unions involved in
:11:17. > :11:26.today's protests say they do have public support. The Government says
:11:26. > :11:29.Now as we've been saying, probably the greatest impact of today's
:11:29. > :11:33.strikes has been felt by schools and parents. Many have been forced
:11:33. > :11:36.to take time off work to look after children. We've heard of a few
:11:36. > :11:39.cases where parents have had to take their offspring to work with
:11:39. > :11:46.them. But at Brampton, in Cumbria, it seems the whole community banded
:11:46. > :11:49.together to help. Here's Mark McAlindon again.
:11:49. > :11:51.Kids at the community centre in Brampton near Carlisle were
:11:51. > :11:55.delighted to be spending a day doing little that resembled formal
:11:55. > :11:57.education. But for their parents, this was a godsend - a community
:11:57. > :12:07.creche to help avoid the inconvenience of schools fully or
:12:07. > :12:10.partially shut. I think they have done a really good job, to be fair.
:12:10. > :12:15.With the teachers going on strike, I think everybody has muck in and
:12:15. > :12:19.help everybody out. As it helped to in particular? Yes, it has been a
:12:19. > :12:22.good day for me and my children because we would have been stuck in
:12:22. > :12:31.the house. This was the idea of local woman Janice Grieves, who
:12:31. > :12:38.says it shows a community coming together. One of the parents
:12:38. > :12:43.happened to be the disco runner. We chatted with him and we thought it
:12:43. > :12:47.would be easier people could bring in each other's children and I have
:12:47. > :12:49.a community centre and have a fun day. Something like 140 children
:12:49. > :12:51.were here today, an indication of the demand. None were condemning
:12:51. > :13:00.striking teachers, though. Organisers say that wasn't the
:13:00. > :13:07.point. We are not for it or against it. We are just a bunch of people
:13:07. > :13:10.trying to help each other out. We are all in an awkward situation.
:13:10. > :13:18.looked like fun but the parents might have to do it again because
:13:18. > :13:24.this was not a one-off, was it? Know. There are no new strike dates
:13:24. > :13:26.set but more disruption seems likely. Both sides will look at how
:13:26. > :13:31.much disruption was caused. Schools were closed but then Newcastle
:13:31. > :13:35.airport carried on as normal. They will be looking at where public
:13:35. > :13:45.sympathy lies as well, and the answers to those questions may
:13:45. > :13:47.
:13:47. > :13:50.contain the next steps of the dispute.
:13:50. > :13:53.A North East housing association has been fined, after a pensioner
:13:53. > :13:55.died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Gentoo Group was prosecuted by the
:13:55. > :13:58.Health and Safety Executive, after 80 year-old George Rutherford was
:13:58. > :14:01.found dead in his Penshaw home on Wearside, in 2007. At an inquest
:14:01. > :14:04.held later, a verdict of accidental death was recorded. The company
:14:04. > :14:06.pleaded guilty to a health and safety breach of failing to
:14:06. > :14:09.properly maintain solid fuel heating systems in the homes they
:14:09. > :14:12.rent. Stephanie Lloyd reports. It was in this house that pensioner
:14:12. > :14:17.George Rutherford died in his sleep. In May 2007, a gas engineer for
:14:17. > :14:22.Gentoo made a routine safety inspection of Mr Rutherford's fire.
:14:22. > :14:26.But a month later, Mr Rutherford was dead. He'd died from carbon
:14:26. > :14:31.monoxide poisoning. Inspectors revisited the house and found that
:14:32. > :14:35.the throat plate on the fire was blocked by ash and debris. Gentoo
:14:35. > :14:44.said it was their policy to remind tenants that solid fuel fires had
:14:44. > :14:47.to be swept once a month. inspection should have included the
:14:47. > :14:51.removal of the throat plate and actually cleaning it and making
:14:51. > :14:56.sure everything was clear. This was not possible because the fire was
:14:56. > :15:03.lit. The company should also, if the fire is lit, make arrangements
:15:03. > :15:06.to revisit as soon as possible, by appointment, so they can carry out
:15:06. > :15:09.any required maintenance. Although the judge accepted Gentoo isn't
:15:09. > :15:17.responsible for Mr Rutherford's death, he added that there was at
:15:18. > :15:24.the very least a not insignificant risk of death. Since his death, of
:15:24. > :15:29.the company having stalled carbon monoxide detectors in all houses
:15:29. > :15:37.with solid fire fuels. They have also introduced a twice yearly
:15:37. > :15:39.Jimmy -- chimney sweep. The judge said that this short fall was
:15:39. > :15:47.serious and significant, particularly with regard to the
:15:47. > :15:52.risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. They said this was not an isolated
:15:52. > :15:57.breach but a continuing systemic failure. Taking into account the
:15:58. > :16:05.company's good health and safety record, they were fined �40,000
:16:05. > :16:08.plus �25,000 of court costs. A dry ski slope has been closed
:16:08. > :16:10.after high levels of the Legionella bug were found. Silksworth ski
:16:10. > :16:14.centre has been temporarily shut by Sunderland Council after higher-
:16:14. > :16:16.than-normal levels of bacteria were discovered during routine tests.
:16:16. > :16:26.This included Legionella, which can lead to Legionnaires' disease, a
:16:26. > :16:30.
:16:30. > :16:32.potentially fatal form of pneumonia. Work has started on a scheme in
:16:32. > :16:36.North Yorkshire that could create thousands of jobs. Sirius Minerals
:16:36. > :16:39.has started to clear land near Whitby, in the hope of developing a
:16:39. > :16:42.new potash mine. Potash is used as a fertiliser. The company claims
:16:42. > :16:44.the mine could provide it for the next 50 years. Here's our Business
:16:44. > :16:50.Correspondent, Ian Reeve. This could be the start of
:16:50. > :16:57.something big. Something very big. It's a first step on the way to the
:16:57. > :17:01.possible sinking of the country's first potash mine for 45 years.
:17:01. > :17:06.What we are hoping is that we are allowed to do the work to define
:17:06. > :17:09.the Azores and the project. Then we can start having a conversation
:17:09. > :17:13.with the community about what we think this project will look like.
:17:13. > :17:16.Where it will be and what impact it will have, positive and negative.
:17:16. > :17:23.This site is near Whitby, although where the mine will be situated
:17:23. > :17:26.isn't yet known. The company has options for mineral extraction on
:17:26. > :17:29.more than 600 square kilometres between Whitby and Scarborough
:17:29. > :17:34.extending out under the sea. But if it wins planning permission it will
:17:34. > :17:38.employ 1000 people with thousands more in the supply chain. While the
:17:38. > :17:44.location has not yet been decided, there have been others given
:17:44. > :17:48.planning permission in the past. Incredibly, in the 1970s, there was
:17:48. > :17:51.permission to put in zinc mine here and another one was planned two
:17:51. > :17:57.miles away. Not everyone buys into the newest vision though. Sue
:17:57. > :18:00.Martin has run her caravan park on the coast since the 80s. With the
:18:00. > :18:05.prospect of 5000 possible jobs it probably is a good thing for the
:18:05. > :18:09.country but I think it needs to be balanced out against the fact that
:18:09. > :18:14.this is a National Park. It is a beautiful location. People come
:18:14. > :18:18.here to get away from industry, to enjoy everything that the National
:18:18. > :18:21.Park can give them. There are many hurdles to be surmounted before
:18:21. > :18:24.potash is mined as it is further up the coast at Boulby. Planning
:18:24. > :18:34.permissions to be won. Maybe even a public enquiry to be persuaded. But
:18:34. > :18:36.
:18:36. > :18:39.in the end, in five or six years' Taxi drivers in Penrith have been
:18:39. > :18:41.told that in future they'll be better informed about planned
:18:41. > :18:44.roadworks. Earlier this week drivers held a protest, bringing
:18:44. > :18:47.traffic to a standstill. Today drivers met representatives from
:18:47. > :18:53.the district and county council, to express their concerns about the
:18:53. > :19:01.road closures caused by supermarket developments. They said too many
:19:01. > :19:04.road closures were allowed at the same time, damaging their business.
:19:04. > :19:06.There's been a record number of entries for this year's Great
:19:06. > :19:09.Yorkshire Show in Harrogate. Nearly 13,000 entries have been received
:19:09. > :19:12.for next month's show in various competitive classes, from sheep
:19:12. > :19:21.shearing to cheese making. The previous record was in 2009, but
:19:21. > :19:24.this year that's been bettered by more than 500 entries.
:19:24. > :19:27.After the success of the first Kielder marathon in Northumberland,
:19:27. > :19:29.this year a shorter 10 kilometre race will also be taking place.
:19:29. > :19:33.Organiser and one-time Olympic medallist Steve Cram was at Hexham
:19:33. > :19:36.Mart today, announcing plans for October's Kielder Marathon weekend.
:19:36. > :19:40.But it all began with a challenge, when he swapped his running shoes
:19:40. > :19:44.for something a bit different, as Julie Smith reports.
:19:44. > :19:49.Just for today, Steve Cram has worked a new look. He's about to
:19:49. > :19:59.reveal why being able to run fast has its advantages. Meet Prince
:19:59. > :20:04.
:20:04. > :20:07.Charming. He's definately looking And Steve's the man for the job.
:20:07. > :20:14.His red rag bravery launching the new 10K run around Kielder's Bull
:20:14. > :20:21.Crag Peninsula. And now the challenge is on. It's to fellow
:20:21. > :20:26.runners to beat the bull and run the run. Really it is for somebody
:20:26. > :20:30.for whom a marathon is too much. We build the event last year as the
:20:30. > :20:33.most beautiful marathon and everybody agreed. We have had a lot
:20:33. > :20:38.of people entering that ran last year and a lot of new people taking
:20:38. > :20:40.part. We want to broaden things out. Last year 1000 runners took part.
:20:40. > :20:48.Almost 2000 have already signed up to this year's marathon weekend
:20:48. > :20:54.including a Run Bike Run relay and junior runs. The marathon is
:20:54. > :20:59.probably unique, certainly in the UK. It is a 25 mile perimeter at
:20:59. > :21:09.Kielder Water. It just made sense. And, as always, running the course
:21:09. > :21:11.
:21:11. > :21:17.may mean taking some time out if things get tough. Sorry! I have not
:21:17. > :21:24.seen you move so quickly in ages! Steve Cram is a Sunderland fan and
:21:24. > :21:27.he will be happy. Yes, they are splashing the cash again.
:21:27. > :21:30.Sunderland have signed another striker this afternoon. South
:21:30. > :21:36.Korean Ji Dong-Won from Chunnam Dragons has signed a three year
:21:36. > :21:42.contract for an undisclosed fee. And Craig Gardner has joined the
:21:42. > :21:45.club from Birmingham on the same terms. His signing comes as the
:21:45. > :21:47.Black Cats unveiled 18-year-old Connor Wickham who signed for �8
:21:47. > :21:50.million yesterday. The highly rated England under-21 international
:21:50. > :21:53.scored nine goals for Ipswich last year when he was named the Football
:21:53. > :21:57.League Young Player of the Year. Steve Bruce says it's a real coup
:21:57. > :22:02.to have beaten a number of other top sides to sign the teenager who
:22:02. > :22:05.spoke to the club's website. Once the fee was agreed and I met up
:22:05. > :22:11.with the manager, he basically told me everything about the club and
:22:11. > :22:14.their ambitions and it was sold. I think now everything is done and
:22:14. > :22:18.dusted so I can't wait to get started. I have always been
:22:18. > :22:22.confident in myself and my ability and I know what I can do and what I
:22:22. > :22:26.am capable of. Coming to a club like this, hopefully I can keep
:22:26. > :22:29.doing what I want to do. Former Middlesbrough Manager Gareth
:22:29. > :22:32.Southgate has returned to the town for the first time since his
:22:32. > :22:35.sacking in October 2009. The Boro's only captain to win a major trophy
:22:35. > :22:37.is planning to run the town's ten kilometre run in September. Now the
:22:37. > :22:40.Football Association's head of elite development, he believes his
:22:40. > :22:48.former club will do well under manager Tony Mowbray after
:22:48. > :22:53.finishing strongly at the end of last season. It is a very
:22:53. > :22:57.competitive division. There will be any number of teams that will
:22:57. > :23:02.expect to be in the play-offs or better in that league, probably 16
:23:02. > :23:08.or 18 teams. It is a case of who you can hang on to and who you can
:23:09. > :23:10.bring in. I am sure that Tony will do very well.
:23:10. > :23:13.Disappointment for Cumbrian teenager Daneika Borthwick this
:23:13. > :23:16.afternoon at Junior Wimbledon. The 18 year old from Aspatria who was
:23:16. > :23:19.given a last-minute wild-card entry to the tournament was the last
:23:19. > :23:22.British player left in the girls' singles. After making it through to
:23:22. > :23:32.the third round she fought bravely against the number three seed but
:23:32. > :23:34.
:23:34. > :23:37.eventually lost 6-3, 6-2 to Russian Irina Khromacheva. It was another
:23:37. > :23:41.amazing experience again. Another match on the grass courts,
:23:41. > :23:45.especially caught taking. But it did not go the way I wanted, but
:23:45. > :23:49.never mind. It has been a good experience and the atmosphere has
:23:49. > :23:51.been amazing. I family came down to watch me play so that is really
:23:51. > :23:55.good. Finally congratulations to gymnast
:23:55. > :23:58.Joel Fitzpatrick. The 22-year-old from Stainton in County Durham has
:23:58. > :24:07.won two gold medals on the parallel bars and in the floor routine at
:24:07. > :24:17.the Special Olympics in Athens. the Special Olympics in Athens.
:24:17. > :24:18.
:24:18. > :24:23.Now the weather. It started off summary but then things changed.
:24:23. > :24:28.Yes, our cameraman was there to watch they hail as it rained down
:24:28. > :24:36.outside the studio. We thought our cars would all be dented. There was
:24:36. > :24:40.plenty of it. Among it, the thunder thumped and there were some spells
:24:40. > :24:44.of sunshine but the rain and hail were quite memorable this afternoon.
:24:44. > :24:47.There will be more of that to come in the near future. For the moment,
:24:47. > :24:51.let's see what we've got for the next couple of days. I think it
:24:51. > :24:57.will be a case for the sunshine struggling to come through the
:24:57. > :25:01.clouds, as it did in this photograph. Tomorrow we have that
:25:01. > :25:10.sunny start to the day, the best part of the day will be in the
:25:10. > :25:14.morning and then the cloud will pile in. This afternoon, at the
:25:15. > :25:18.showers show up with that lurid blue colouring. Luckily they are
:25:19. > :25:23.not the way out this evening. They will be gone and we will be into a
:25:23. > :25:29.drier night with clear skies, with some cold this in the air.
:25:29. > :25:33.Temperatures well down to single figures for most of us. It will be
:25:33. > :25:38.much cooler than it has been. As we woke up to Friday morning, we have
:25:38. > :25:42.the best of the sunshine through the early parts of the day. Then
:25:42. > :25:46.the cloud starts to pile up from the South West. Most of us will
:25:46. > :25:49.stay dry on the western side but in the North East it is a case of more
:25:49. > :25:54.showers. Tomorrow they will be lighter, fewer and further between,
:25:54. > :26:01.and much less likely to have thunder and Hale in them. Top
:26:01. > :26:06.temperatures tomorrow, quite cold and fresh. In more central areas we
:26:06. > :26:10.get into the high teens, maybe 20 in parts of Yorkshire. Then the
:26:10. > :26:14.weekend and Saturday and Sunday we have lovely high pressure in charge,
:26:14. > :26:18.settling things down and keeping everything dry for the most part.
:26:18. > :26:22.On Saturday the sunshine will struggle with that cloud and it may
:26:22. > :26:26.be later on Sunday when we get proper brightness coming. We may
:26:26. > :26:31.have to be patient. Tomorrow we have a scattering of showers for
:26:31. > :26:35.the North East and a wee cup of the weekend shows that Saturday and
:26:35. > :26:40.Sunday show an improvement in temperatures. -- a recap of the
:26:40. > :26:46.weekend. As far as high temperatures go, it is not very
:26:46. > :26:49.sunny. It will be cloudy. Now for a last look at tonight's
:26:49. > :26:50.headlines. Thousands of public sector workers from our region have
:26:50. > :26:54.joined in a national strike over pensions.
:26:54. > :26:59.And the mother of a Teesside man critically ill and left for dead in