05/07/2011 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

Hello and welcome to Tuesday's Look North. Tonight:

A family's anger after learning there will be no criminal charges

following the death of their son. He was loved to delay. I just hope

it does not happen to anybody else. I would hate to think that anybody

else had to go through what we have gone through.

The school bus stowaway. How a man, desperate to reach the UK, hid

under this coach for 60 terrifying miles.

We're with a wartime hero as he celebrates his 90th birthday.

And why a wedding cake made especially for William and Kate has

a new owner in Cumbria. In sport - Magpies manager talks

frankly about this summer's transfers.

Putting in the hard yards - it's back to training for Hartlepool and

He'd just returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. But a few

hours later, he was in a Teesside hospital fighting for his life.

Sadly, 22-year-old David Grout did not survive after he was attacked

outside a pub in Eston. Today, at an inquest into his death, the

coroner said he suffered a fractured skull and brain injuries

when his head hit the pavement. And tonight his family say they're

angry that no-one will face criminal charges following the

attack. Stuart Whincup was at the inquest and joins us now. Stuart.

This was always going to be a difficult day for his family. They

had to listen to detailed accounts of his last moments and share a

court room with the man who is accused of causing his death. He

says he was acting in self-defence. Solider David Grout was excited

about seeing his wife and young son Harley. He was celebrating his

homecoming with family and friends in Eston when he left the group to

call Kerry. A few seconds later he was attacked. He never recovered

from his injuries. It has been really hard, especially now my son

is getting older. My it front room has a tribute to him and my son

looks at it and says he misses his daddy. When he sees someone in an

army uniform he runs up to them thinking he is Daddy. Witnesses say

David was having an argument with another man outside a pub. The

inquest heard that he was punched and then fell backwards. As he lay

in the street, the other man ran off. One passer-by said that he was

amazed that despite so many people being outside, no one else came to

his aid. And this is the man who assaulted David. Paul Gibson told

the inquest he acted in self defence, believing the soldier was

going to attack him. There was no CCTV images, witness statments were

inconclusive. The Crown Prosecution Service said there was no realistic

chance of bringing criminal charges. Had they said why he died... I

would had been able to put it to rest, but I still it is not over

yet. I just hope it does not happen to anybody else. I would hate to

think that anybody else has to go through what we have had to go

through. David's family say in one moment they lost a loving son,

husband and father. And still they say don't know why. The family said

after the inquest and after they heard this line about self-defence

-- self-defence, they still do not know why he felt in danger or why

he felt he needed to defend himself. The coroner had told the family

that its focus would be very narrow. It was not about attributing blame,

it was simply about deciding the cause of David's death. A separate

inquest - into the death of a bomb disposal expert from Middlesbrough

who was killed in Afghanistan - has heard he "always strived to achieve

the highest standards." 34-year-old Sergeant Major Charlie Wood died

instantly in a blast on December the 28th last year. He was leading

the clearance of a route through an area of the Helmand river valley.

The inquest, in Trowbridge in Wiltshire, was told his death was

the first British fatality after Christmas.

The centre of a County Durham village has been cordoned off for

several hours this afternoon following the discovery of a

suspicious package. It's thought it was found at a bookmakers in

Annfield Plain. Bomb disposal experts from Catterick were called

to the scene. For the latest, let's join our reporter Damian O'Neil

who's live on the phone from Annfield Plain now. Damian, what

can you tell us? It is a small village in a remote

location. Each of the roads have been cordoned off. When we arrived,

we could see police at the end of the road past the cordon. Large

crowds of local -- of onlookers work at all of the cordons. They

are still searching the whole area. The main action did centre on this

bookmakers just off the roundabout in the middle of the area here. The

police have told me recently that they carried out a controlled

explosion on the device. On further inspection, it was not a bomb but a

hoax. They are treating it as a crime scene. It is an ongoing

investigation. The bomb disposal truck and a few police vehicles are

still near the bridge make us -- bookmakers. A stowaway tied himself

to the axle of a coach carrying a party of schoolchildren from

Darlington in a desperate attempt to reach the UK. The youngsters

were travelling home after a school trip to France. After leaving the

Channel Tunnel, they heard shouting and banging from beneath the bus.

It turned out to be a man who'd clung on for 60 terrifying miles.

Peter Harris reports. It is a long way from Paris to London,

especially when you're clinging to the bottom of a coach. It was

roughly 60 miles outside of Folkestone that we became aware of

a banging noise. It was a repetitive banging noise. It took

us a while to figure out what it was. If you stand underneath the

bus here, you get an indication of what this story has been through.

We think he sat on the axle. A bar of the axle is a gap of about two

feet. He then up covered himself with a rope and sat there for at

least 60 miles. At least. The coach had set off from Paris and then at

the Channel Tunnel the driver did security checks. After the 31 mile

shuttle journey they drove out of their tunnel and into London. Then

they heard the banging. They alerted the police and this doorway

was arrested in Lewisham. All the while the staff and driver tried to

calm the frightened children. sang a loss of songs. We sang

Always Look On the Bright Side of Life. Could you and when you are

singing? Not one we were singing. They were worried about his welfare

to. They were relieved to see him safely and tides and led away for

at -- by the police. It is horrible to think he was travelling all

those miles on that tiny area under the coach. That must be very

frightening. It shows how desperate A 32-year-old Northumberland man

has been arrested after an incident in which 40 properties were

evacuated and gas and electricity supplies cut off. The drama began

last night, following reports that a man was threatening to harm

himself and blow up a flat in Myrtle Street in Ashington.

Neighbouring properties were cleared. After more than three

hours, a man was brought out safely. Gas engineers spent today making

homes safe before reconnecting supplies.

North Yorkshire police have revealed their new speed camera

helped spot 75 motorists breaking the law on its first day of use.

The force says the highest speed detected last Friday was a car

travelling at 112 miles an hour, on the A64 near Malton.

British Transport Police say there's been an increase in anti-

social behaviour on trains in the region - and it blames people

trying to copy the drunken antics of the stars of the controversial

TV show Geordie Shore. Officers say they've noticed an influx of

parties on trains heading to Newcastle. Some of the city's clubs

refused to let the programme makers film on their property to protect

other customers. Some club owners say the show highlights the problem

of so-called "pre-loading" - where people get drunk before going out

on the town. I think how was probably as surprised as most

people buy some of the antics that were shown on TV. It showed

Newcastle as what it can be and the individuals a lot of the time were

drunk before they left home and I think that is the image that most

of this -- as in Newcastle are experiencing but hopefully that

will change. All this week on Look North we're

reporting on National Transplant Week. Last night we showed you the

first images of the new Institute of Transplantation, based at

Newcastle's Freeman hospital. It's hoped the unit will help the North

become a world-leader in organ transplants. Well, our health

reporter, Sharon Barbour, has been speaking to the man behind the idea.

She joins us now from the Freeman Hospital.

Yes I am joined here by a professor here at who is a key player in the

transplant unit. What you make of the new centre? It is very exciting.

At the same time, I am slightly apprehensive. We have done it

before but we have tried it something very new and occasionally

you hit on something that really works and we hope that is what we

appear. It will rely on lots of people to buy into it. I am looking

forward to the day it opens. As a transplant surgeon, I am sure you

have highs and lows. I wonder if you can run us through some of

those. Transplant is only about one-third of what we do day-to-day.

It takes up a lot of our time. Because patients are usually pretty

sick, they require lots of input at consultant level. When they do well,

especially if they do unexpectedly well, you feel really elated by

that. Sometimes you have lows where things do not go as well, but in

general, transplant is a very good, positive speciality. Let us have a

look at you at work. I think you are doing a liver transplant.

first scrub of the day has to be Can we start? The problem now is a

lot of the scans... There is a lot of action on the table. Something

is preventing me getting this right! It is a bit like a Meccano

set. We are now going to proceed to the operation. A pretty exciting

operation. How is the patient? is good. I have just seen him.

is transplant Week and there is a shortage of organs. Please tell us

what you think the key thing we can do is to improve the situation.

think people need to top to each other to know what people want.

Signed up to the organ Donor Register, it does help families

understand what the deceased ones. I do think people need to think

about live donation because of changing organ type and the

shortage is that we have. Thank you RFU are interested in becoming a

door, call the number on the screen. -- donor. Coming up - we meet the

maker of this cake specially made for Kate and William. Andy your

A war hero who was on board the HMS Kelly during the Battle of Norway

has celebrated his 90th birthday. Ralph Scorer was just a teenager

during World War II. He was almost sunk by the Germans. Children at St

Oswald's primary school sang Happy birthday to Ralph Scorer. He was

one of the youngest of the HMS Kelly crew when it was torpedoed

and rammed by a German U-boat in 1940. That day he won the lifelong

friendship of the captain, Lord Mountbatten.

We became very good friends. As soon as the boat left the

harbour, we could never understand when the boat was torpedoed. But we

all stayed behind. It took 90 hours to tow the boat to

shore. German aircraft were fought off all the way. The HMS Kelly was

met by a tearful crowd at one's home.

No more war. They are no good for anybody.

Lord Mountbatten kept in touch with Ralph Scorer until his death. Today

it was his great nephew Prince Charles who got in touch.

I was so pleased to hear you are We marched across a graver with 31

bodies inside. -- grave. The crew were all here. We all said goodbye.

An amazing story. The marriage of William and Kate grabbed at the

World's attention. It left many keen to get a hold of a memento

from the day. A woman in Cumbria has managed to do just that.

Alexandra Sharp paid hundreds of pounds in an online auction to own

a wedding cake especially made for the royal couple. You can buy

pretty much anything over the Internet and Alexandra Sharp has

managed to get herself a piece of royal history. She paid �500 for a

cake commissioned by William and Kate especially for their wedding

day. It is amazing. It is the first time

I have seen it out of the boxes. I just love it. To see it on display

is amazing. It is an amazing cake. I think it is quite a coup to get a

hold of her royal wedding cake intact.

The cake was made by the Welsh National Culinary Team. It was then

auctioned for the homeless charity, Centre Point, which Prince William

is the patron of. Today was the first viewing for the press only at

a hotel in Cumbria. I am having aid case made for it

and will display it for charities around Cumbria. Or wherever the

cake takes me. I have had some inquiries from all four of the

world. The response has been amazing.

There have been offers to buy the cake from as far away as America.

Do you think she will ever eat it? We had a special guest yesterday.

Yes, Alan Pardew was speaking frankly about Newcastle's transfer

activity this summer. He explained why Kevin and no one was sold and

why he thinks a jury barked and will still signed a new contract. -

- Kevin Nolan. -- Joey Barton. I would definitely have kept Kevin

for the next two keels but he did not have a contract he felt kept

him happy. -- two years. Another contract wrangle involves a

journey Barton. -- Joey.

Who is to say we cannot agree a contract? He needs to see success

on the pitch and if we can give that to him I think he will stay.

That could depend on the new signings are identified by the

chief scout. We put together videos and edited

them down and then watch them. I checked them out of there alive. --

thoroughly. But we will still have to manage and we are aware of that.

But they're great players who will do well for Oz. Graham Carter

watched them for two to years. We thought we had lost 1 to Liverpool.

But I am pretty confident that the three players will be a success.

The supporters will hope he is correct.

It was back to pre-season training for Hartlepool United. With Mick

Wadsworth in charge for another season they have kept their best

players and made impressive signings, including Newcastle

legend, Nobby Solano. What can you do about the price of

football? It is not the conventional way to

get supporters to buy tickets but never underestimate the power of

mass... The monkey. F has singing it does not persuade due, then

perhaps the signing of Nobby Solano well. -- Hangus the Monkey. The

arrival of the former Peruvian international should work on a few

fronts. It is a real coup for the club.

It puts down a marker that we want to do well and can attract a player

with his pedigree and background. His ability to cross and pass and

his dead-ball kicking have been a world class. A lot of those

qualities remain with him. At 36 years old, Nobby Solano knows

she will have to call upon all his ability and intelligence.

It is very difficult to run all over the pitch but my game is

always trying -- my game is about using my brain.

And with Colin Nish also signing from Hibernian, sights are set high.

I want to win the league but being realistic if we can just be better

than we wear our then that is progress.

Back to the story about that controlled explosion. A suspicious

package was found earlier today. We have just received at these

pictures from the scene. The package was discovered in Annfield

Plain. Police sealed off the A rare and bomb disposal experts were

called out. The police were called to the

newsagents and it was brought to the attention of staff that a note

had been left on the premises potentially identifying a

suspicious device. The property was then searched by police officers

and be found the device in a room. As a consequence we conducted an

immediate evacuation of premises in the vicinity. We then placed a

cordon to create a zone of safety. We will update you on that on the

We have had a three-night stays but today we are back to the normal

unsettled pictures. -- three nice days. The high pressure of the

weekend has been replaced by this Atlantic Wall pressure. Various

weather systems are being pushed our way. -- low pressure. Lots of

cloud overnight, quite heavy in eastern areas. Less rain further

west. A very mild night with the generally plenty of cloud and the

South easterly breeze keeping temperatures around about 13

Celsius. A wet start in the morning. The most persistent rain will be

confined to Northumberland before scattered showers arrived and the

heavier rain clears to ward Scotland. Things will feel fresher

by Wednesday evening in a south- westerly breeze. Sunshine in

between the showers. First day, still some showers around but

bright spells in between. You will be lucky to miss the show was

completely however, some are at risk of turning heavy and thundery.

Temperatures, typically, 17 Celsius. Not a great deal of change over the

weekend. Showers with glimpses of sunshine and temperatures typically

around 17, 18 Celsius. You will be wondering what happened to our

picture winner for June - details over the next few evenings. In the

meantime here is a contribution for July. Keep them coming. News of the

Thank you. The closing headlines - in the News of the world phone

hacking scandal detectives have contacted the parents of Horley

Wells and Jessica Chapman, the moderate schoolgirls. And how eight