02/11/2011 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

Welcome to Wednesday's Look North. Tonight, another cable theft on the

Metro brings calls for a change in the law, in a bid to beat the

thieves. The teenager who could get his first chance to walk thanks to

revolutionary treatment. Hand over your winter fuel allowance to the

young; the message to pensioners that has caused outrage and press

tosts as plans are unvaimed for 600 new home on the doorstep of a

nature reserve. The Spartans go marching on and we are storm I Ade

head with a new series of Sportskids. Catch this young lad if

First tonight, the call for a tightening of the law to make it

harder for thieves to sell stolen cable. It follows the latest

incident on the Tyne and Wear Metro in this morning's rush hour which

brought trains to a stand-still. Thieves ripped out copper cables as

-- at a sub-station causing delays. The Metro operators Nexus say it is

the 1th metal theft so far this year, with the total cost now

approaching 300,000. They want changes in the regulations that

cover the trade of scrap metal to prevent further incidents.

Meanwhile, four men have been arrested, in connection with

today's theft P our reporter joins us live now from south Gosforth

metro station. Good evening. The Metro is running freely this

evening and the rush hour seems to have gone off as normal. It was a

very different story this morning. The line was closed between here at

south goes forth and Benton. Huge problems all round, and the people

that we spoke to earlier in the day pointed out just exactly what it

meant for them to be delayed. thieves who ripped out the cable

this morning stood to make perhaps �100 or so against a genuine risk

of being killed by electrical burns. They caused chaos for people trying

to get into work. It is wrong, because it is, well, stopping

everyone from getting to work and I mean the delays were awful. Some

people were coming for a coffee sa and said they were delayed an hour.

I get the Metro to work and it is annoying. You are delayed for 40

minutes. It has happened to me before, where I have got on and had

to wait at the station for an hour for the next one. Northumbria

Police say metal theft is a serious problem and they are increasing

patrols along the line.. We do understand it causes severe

disruption for the public, particularly in the case of this

morning where the system had to be suspended in the rush hour. There

are talks about introducing a licensing system, so that anyone

who tries to sell scrap will have to provide identification such as a

passport. One dealer from Sunderland says it is a good idea

and it could make a real difference We hope it will. Just to calm the

problems down. But if you are a legal scrapyard there isn't any

problem and if you get identification it is to keep

everything legal. Everyone is pushing forward ward and saying if

I don't know the man, if he hasn't got identification I don't want it.

The trust in anything there was gone. Nexus agrees it is time the

law was changed. We are as fed up as the passengers. Another day of

disruption on part of the system. It is an excellent idea to license

scrap yards we, have been pushing Government to consider changes in

the law to do that. At the end of the day we stop a lot of attacks on

the system through close working with the police and security, but

some get through and we see the kind of disruption we had today. If

we are going to stamp out the problem we need changes in the law.

So Damian, four arrests in connection with this incident. What

more have Northumbria Police told us? What we have heard, is that

four men aged 23, 24, 30 and 49 are in custody currently helping the

police with their inquiries, they have pointed out the office --

officers from the Northumbria Police metro unit are carrying out

additional patrol tons key areas of the Metro which have been suant to

cable thefts. The police are stressing the point, which you

might think shouldn't have to be made, which is that ripping out

live cables from the Metro is a potentially lethal activity and the

criminals doing this are taking their lives into their own hands

for the sake of perhaps �100 or so. Now it could be his first chance to

walk. 13-year-old Tom Arnett has used a wheelchair all his life but

a medical procedure is offering new hope. The treatment is expensive

and so far he has been refused NHS funding so family and friends have

launched a campaign to raise money for the operation. This is the

moment when Tom comes alive. On his trike, for just a few minutes every

day. The cerebral palsy is left behind. And the sheer joy Tom gets

from physical movement is there for all to see. He is really enjoying

that isn't he. He likes his bike. Aside from his wheelchair this is

the only mobility he has. There is chance that Tom could become even

more mobile. A new operation available could help him to walk.

They take a tiny piece of bone out of the spine and they find the

nerves to send the message to muscles to tighten. They cut them

and it allows us to get physio, so he will get a better stance and

hopefully able to walk independently. Tom's dad is in the

army. A front line infantryman in Afghanistan. They keep in touch, by

e-mail. The news from home isn't good. The family's request for

funding for Tom's op has been turned down by the local Primary

Care Trust. The PCT claim there's is very little clinical evidence to

support selective dor sal treatment and NICE is in inconclusive as the

procedure is still evolving. The one centre capable of carrying out

the treatment in Bristol says Tom is a suitable candidate. But his

age means they must act quickly. gives him a chance to walk, he is

somebody's son and it would make his quality of life massively

improved and we know that, and that is why it is hard that we can't get

any funding. We know it is hard, but we are trying to move on with

the fundraising and raise the profile and hopefully raise the

25,000 that we need. The cerebral palsy charity Scope says studies

have shown that SDR treatment can reduce spasticity and improve

walking in children who were largely immobile before treatment.

Now if you have a story that you think we should tell get in touch.

All the details are on the screen More of the day ees news and the

inquest into the doth after woman in the Grayrigg train crash has

heard a third of all points inspected following the derailment

were found to have loose bolts. The jury were told that railway

engineers were surprised by how many problems they found and

changes have since been made to designs that dated back to the '30s.

84-year-old Margaret Masson was killed when the pend line know left

the track in 2007. The Government is considering offering financial

help to immediate the costs of the criminal investigation into

misconduct at Cleveland Police. As Look North revealed concerns have

ran raised the investigation could run into millions and bankrupt

Cleveland Police authority. Chief Constable Sean Price and Derek

Bonnard were arrested as part of the investigation in August and

remain suspended. Both deny any wrong doing. Today, the Stockton

South MP James Wharton met Teresa May to ask for Government help to

meet the costs of the criminal investigation. This is costing

local police force a lot of money. It is about �600,000. It is running

at �100,000 a month. I am trying to make the case for central

Government support so the cost doesn't fall of local people.

Ranger has been charged following a disturbanceout side a pub in

Newcastle. He is due before magistrates later this month

charged with two counts of common assault and two of assault

occasioning actual bodily harm. A man was injured on August 27th in

the groat market. Now, if you are entitled to the winter fuel

allowance, how would you feel about donating it so that youth projects

benefit from the money instead? The Fuel Our Youth organisation wants

people who can do without it to give the allowance of between �100

and �300 to young people to offer them a better start in life. Some

think it is an outrageous and insulting idea. Enjoying the

outdoors. After 50 years working, John and his friends believe they

have earned their retirement. But would they be willing to donate

anywhere winter fuel payments to those considered more needy? No, I

don't think I could allow myself to give my winter allowance away, like.

Not at my age. We need all the heat we can get. Yes, we have paid in

and so why should we have to give something way we have earned? I

think more should be done towards finding jobs for the younger

generation, that is the best idea. Get them working. They all agree

more needs to be done to help young people. The jobs situation they say

is dire. But having paid into the pot all their life, the Monday they

say should come from others. the bonuss that go to the bankers

and the increases in directors of over 50%, they would be, the young

people would be better off if they give those who donated them to the

younger people. The charity Fuel Our Youth says its campaign is

aimed at those who don't need the allowance. Instead the money could

go towards boosting the prospects of the younger generation. And the

support for that idea. The winter fuel allowance is vital for many,

many people and there is no expectation that they would give,

but the idea for this fund came to us from someone who said, I get

this money, I don't need it, it is a universal allowance and I know

people are suffering and I can help other people. Further support can

be found among those braving a brisk walk in Saltburn this

afternoon. They agree with the principle, but with energy prices

continuing to rise, they say the winter fuel allowance is much-

needed. I can understand why they are saying this that, the young

should get it, but... I think the old people, the old people need it.

If you would like to comment on that story, you can. Just log on to

our Facebook site. And of course we will have regular news and updates

about the programme, and welike your views on all our stories.

Plans to build 600 homes on the doorstep of Newcastle's most

important nature reserve have been greeted with disbelief. Gosforth

Park nature reserve is home to the only city red squirrels in England

but Newcastle City Council has earmarked the land for housing.

Gosforth Park nature reserve has many supporters. This was just a

fraction who turned out on a week day morning to express their anger

and sorrow, at plans to build hundreds of homes round this island

of woodland wildlife. It is home to many protected species. Badger,

otters. The last urban population of red squirrels in England there

is a large population of roe deer and kphoon species as well. It is

the most important wildlife site. It is important for everyone in

Newcastle. You can jump on a bus in Newcastle and be here in ten

minutes. What other city can you do that in? For me it is simple.

Cities need green spaces and you can't build over them all. It is,

it can't exist as an island. It has to have this space round it. Pets,

dog, cats especially, if only one household in ten on this estate has

one cat, that is 60 cats and all the breeding birds in here. I think

the gloves are off and developers sense opportunity in many area, we

are going to see wildlife threatened in many areas but it

will be small scale in most places. This one is on a different scale

entirely. Newcastle City Council has designated land round the city

for 1,000 new homes. The plans are out to consultation for another

three weeks. What is being discussed is a number of properties

in a very large field that I think stretches a significant distance

across the north of the city. There will be a buffer element to that,

so even if the site did go forward and it is not certain that will

necessarily happen, and even after a fult assessment, I don't think we

would be talking about necessarily having homes right next door to

what is our Crown Jewels. If the site is so valuable, its supports

say it should be left as a home for wildlife and not become a huge

housing estate for people. Now, work is nearing completion on what

is set to become the latest public art attraction in the region.

Northumberlandia is a huge sculpture of a woman's body, cut

into the earth at an opencast coal mine. At a quarter of a mile long

she will be the largest replica of a human body ever seen on the

planet. The sculpture hasn't cost the public a penny. The bill is

being met by the land owner and the coal company P -- company. The

demand for energy is enormous and as winter approach, it grows.

Renewable energy sources, like wind, sun and even tide are undoubtedly

taking over. But for now, we as a nation couldn't survive without

coal. Coal, such has the from the shoten opencast mine,s or surface

mine as they are called near Cramlington. It the largest

operation surface coal mine in England. It has a total coal

reserve of 5.5 million tonnes and we have currently mined since we

started operations, about two-and- a-half years ago about two million

tonnes of coal, so there is 3.5 million tonnes to to mind here.

earth doesn't give up her riches easily. Blasting allowed here only

at certain times so it doesn't annoy people nearby breaks up the

earth but coal isn't the only product from the site. There are

other rewards. We have got fire clay which lies below the coal

seams and there are stockpiles which go off to make a beige

coloured brick, which is used in the refactory industry to line

kilns and is used in house building and the other product we have to

dig through hard seams of sandstone so we have small quantities of

sandstone which we mine which are used in building restoration.

and stone by products of the mine. But here, there is another by

product, the huge female form of Northumberlandia, sculpted into the

earthworks. At the outset of this project some were sceptical saying

the company had come up with this scheme purely as a means of getting

planning permission for the open cast site. I don't think it was the

overwhelming issue, it helped but it's a whole package of things to

be considered on whether or not to grant planning permission. It was

part of the planning process. It wasn't a cynical way of doing a

smoke screen to get planning permission. It is an open project.

The developers have now largely silenced the cynics with their

determination to protect this ground breaking work of art, which

may well be destined to become an icon of the future. We felt it was

a great opportunity that couldn't really be missed. Something like

this couldn't be constructed without the opportunity of having

material from the open cast mine, and we felt it was just a great

thing we could do that would be a gateway to Northumberland, and

something which would be a legacy for the future. Some 400 metres in

length and up to 34 metres high Northumberlandia will be the

centrepiece of a new public park due to open next year. Wow.

Impressive. Tomorrow we meet the artist and hear what locals have to

say about Northumberlandia. It is time for sport and well, bad injury

news for Sunderland. Yes, Steve browse told us the keeper will be

out for several months following his injury against Aston Villa.

Here it is. He got a whack on the nose. He as a broken nose and

fractures eye socket. Elsewhere Middlesbrough got their promotion

campaign back on track with a 3-1 victory at Doncaster. The win was

only their second in the last eight games. And it lifts the side up to

third. Boro had gone behind to an opening goal which tugged at the

heart strings of everyone at the stadium. A night of raw emotion in

South Yorkshire, Doncaster captain Billy Sharp taking to the field

three days after the death of his two day old baby son. After the

minute's applause, a game of football, just the way the striker

wanted it and aided by new signing El-Hadji Diouf Sharp scored the

opening goal. A remarkable effort and a tribute to Louie Jacob for

which he didn't get booked. How bad can I get? When a baby dies.

Sometimes getting out on the pitch is the best possible way of putting

your mind at ease and to score the goal he scored, it was like the

story had been written. For the boy himself a fantastic goal, and all

our thoughts are with him and his family. Sentiment aside promotion

hopefuls Middlesbrough hadn't come to make up the numbers. Barry

Robson showed they were anxious to at tone for that humbling at

Southampton and Boro were delighted to see this shot over the line A

Robson penalty completed the storing. They showed desire not to

lose two on the bounce and tonight, delighted for the points. Three

more points against Watford on Saturday would reignite the dreams

of automatic promotion. Elsewhere no manager and no FA Cup run for

Darlington, who lost their replay 3-0 at Hinkley last night. Buffet

mouse giant killers Blyth Spartans have booked a derby against

Gateshead later this month. The FA Cup has been good for non-league

Blyth Spartans over the year, their most recent heroics came to an end

nearly three years ago to playing Blackburn. That produced a profit

of �50,000. Last night's replay visitors were last glamorous.

Droylsden and Spartans were looking to beat a win to play gaitsd head.

-- Gateshead. The prize money is furthest from the minds of the

playing and coaching staff. We know everything it means to Blyth

Spartans and the supporter, the atmosphere was electric from the is

part. Gateshead is going to be a sell-out. I would hope so there are

talking about it being all ticket, and we will take that game as it

comes round, which won't be too long. You can't think of it before

going into the game.. It's a bonus to score. All the buys, you can't

single anyone out. The boys put 110% in. So, these are our fourth

FA Cup survivors. Carlisle will be away at Alfreton. Hartlepool

against Stevenage and that match against Gateshead. All those games

played a week on Saturday. It is the start of a new series of

Sportskids you. Might remember we asked you to tell us about young

people who were talented or great tryers at their chosen sport and

you did. Our first one is from Penrith in Cumbria and was more

than a match for our Sportskids reporter Katie. I am Matthew. I 578

nine and my sport is cycling. -- I am nine. He lives and breathes it.

Watches it on the telly. Does anything he can to do with it.

Loves it. Really loves it When he is not at school he is on his bike,

hoping one day to be just like his hero. I want to be like Mark

Cavendish, win the races and be the World Champion. For some reason he

has an ability to sprint, and I am not sure where it has come from. I

think with that, he kind of looks to Mark Cavendish a bit. He is

going to be the World Champion. He is the World Champion. He is the

fastest sprinter in the world and people say my nickname is kav.

Cav. He only started cycling properly last year but he has won

two national titles. Before the race I was like "Right, you are

going to try and win it." When I done the last race and I realised

that I had won, I was like "Yes." Did you turn to camera in

celebration? When I got over the line and down a bit of the road I

did no hands. But Matti faces stiff competition. I have beaten him a

couple of times which doesn't go down very well. But I've got to

cope with it now. So there is sibling riesmry going on? Very much

so. But I can guarantee he has never faced a challenge like this

Absolute perfection. What a fantastic finish. You could see

Katie was really trying. I think she is still going! It was the

wrong shoes holding her back. Paul, you are promising to aMiss Us

tonight. Both yes, it might amaze you to find this low dominating the

weather bringing mild conditions is the same weather system that a few

days ago was producing bucket loads of snow on the eastern sea board of

the States. It has picked up lots of warmth from the sea. We have

been far enough ahead of that system to have a decent day but the

cloud has built up and that signals a change. That thicker cloud will

start to bring us outbreaks of rain as we head through the later part

of the evening but overnight and into the early hours, the rain gets

its act together and by that time we will see heavy and persistent

rain, especially in the high ground of Cumbria, a mild night though,

temperatures stay in double figure, 12C typical. The winds remain a

brisk south to south-easterly overnight, into tomorrow, it is a

wet start for many, the rain won't last too long. Most place also have

dried up by midday. The clouds will break, we will see decent sunny

intervals before the cloud thickens up. That bricks rain into North

Yorkshire and Teesside, maybe parts of County Durham later in the day.

Maybe one or two showers on the Cumbrian coast, but very very mild,

warmer than the last couple of days. 17C possible tomorrow. That is 63

Fahrenheit. If you fancy an early fireworks display you could get

yourself along to Seaham. This was the scene last year. Thanks to

Karen and Gary for that shot. Tomorrow's events starts at five,

it runs to 8.00. The fireworks get set off at seven on the dot. That

wind might have pushed up in cloud for showers but don't let that put

you off. Over the next few days that is the hick -- picture for

tomorrow. By the weekend, we have lost that, things will cool down a

bit. This old weather front brings rain at times but I think we will

note a difference in the temperatures as things turn more

chilly as we head through Saturday and Sunday. We have news in sports