04/01/2012 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

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

We don't understand why he did it. The family of Michael Atherton

react after the Durham shootings. The disabled man who says he wasn't

allowed to board a bus in case his wheelchair blew up.

I'm not bothered if Darlington Football Club goes bust, says the

man who invested millions in the Quakers.

It's a record. The Nissan car plant reveals it made more than 480,000

vehicles last year. And how recycling our old Christmas

trees can help prevent flooding in our communities.

In sport, we will look ahead to Newcastle's clash with Manchester

United. Can the Magpies end a 10 year wait for a win over the Reds?

And we will meet Sunderland's super heroes, on the pitch, and off it as

well! We do not understand why he did

what he did. That was the reaction from the family of Michael Atherton

today, three days after the horrific events at Horden in County

Durham. Michael Atherton shot and killed his partner, Susan

McGoldrick, her sister Alison Turnbull and her niece Tanya

Turnbull, before taking his own life on New Year's Day. Family

members have spoken of their devastation and disbelief.

Meanwhile the Independent Police Complaints Commission said today it

was committed to fully examining the issues around the granting of

Mr Atherton's firearms licence and subsequent renewals. Our

correspondent is live for us at Horden now. You saw some pretty

heartfelt tributes from relatives today.

Tonight we can show you the house where these awful events took place.

This is a number nine Greenside Avenue and you can see the tributes.

There are many with moving messages attached. Inside, the police are

still working, and it is clear from talking with the neighbours just

how well liked the family were. We have heard from the family today.

We have heard from young Michael, a lad who has lost his mother and

father. He is only 17. He said he has lost the best mother in the

world and that he does not understand why his father would do

anything like that. Michael was speaking on behalf of his sister.

We know that she leapt from an upstairs room to escape the

shootings on Sunday night. Today we heard from the family of the mother

and daughter who died, Alison and Tangier. It was said that Alison

was a fantastic mother and that the family are destroyed by the loss.

Tanya was popular and gorgeous and was idolised, according to family

tribute. We have also heard from the family of Michael Atherton. His

parents were saying they could not understand why he would do

something like this. As well as the family to be his

come other people have been expressing grief as well, haven't

they? A lot of people have been on the

social Messaging site Facebook and there are many messages are on

there. Some of them are from the family. One just read that they

have had to take the chemist -- Christmas tree down. It is the

mundane things that that really hit home when people have a loss like

this so soon after Christmas. Today we have been in the town where

Alison and Tangier are from and people were talking about what good

people they were. There was one woman in a hairdresser's shop who

spoke about them. I cannot get my head around it. It is so close to

home and then to actually see the faces on the television was

heartbreaking. I just feel for the families. And the Independent

Police Complaints Commission has been talking about its involvement

today as well. This issue has been very big over

the last couple of days. They are saying they will review this whole

issue of firearms licensing. There is a question of whether Mr

Atherton should have had a firearms licence. We know that his licence

was taken away in 2008. My colleague was told that it was

confiscated for more than two months. Clearly it was then given

back to him. That had all been triggered after he had threatened

to harm himself. The Independent Police Complaints Commission is

looking into this. Tomorrow the inquest will be held into the four

people who have died. Behind me you can see that there is a tribute

there, including one were to just says, to my two lovely sisters, you

will never be forgotten. While we do not know what brought

about the events at Horden on New Year's Day, there's been a call

today for more help for men facing desperation in their lives. A young

widow from York has been speaking after her husband took his own life

leaving her to raise their three sons alone. 28-year-old Jo Mcdonagh

believes husband Chris had been suffering from depression for

several years before he hanged himself in 2009. We went to meet

her. It just did not seem real. I did

not know what to do. I knew as soon as I saw him that he had died. I

checked for a pulse and any signs of life but there was nothing.

describes the moment she discovered her husband had hanged himself.

Chris was just 30 years old and had everything to live for, a young

family and a doting wife. But in November 2006, at their lives were

turned upside down. Chris was forced to take eight months off

work after being seriously assaulted in the pub that he owned.

His wife says that was the start of his depression. He would not even

bother to get dressed. He did not want to see anybody. He never went

out. He was not himself and he was not the man that I fell in love

with. He became a recluse. mother-of-three says that her

husband refused to get help. After a turbulent couple of years, she

thought he had turned a corner, but in 2009 she received a text message

saying goodbye. I never thought he was going to do anything. I just

thought he was leaving and wanted to get away and I obviously wanted

to stop him so I came straight up to find that he had hung himself.

Over a five-year period, in Yorkshire, 488 men kill themselves

-- women killed themselves, compared to the 1674 men. I think

men do not talk about their feelings as much because society

does not expect us to. We are supposed to lock it up and keep it

to ourselves. If I could tell one person that they could get some

help them that is all I could wish for. Just to stop when family going

through what we have gone through would mean everything to me. -- one

family. A Carlisle man has appeared in

court, accused of rape, after a 22 year-old woman was found with head

injuries at Newcastle's Royal Station Hotel on New Year's Day.

Police received a call from the woman's husband, concerned she

hadn't returned home. Officers found her at the hotel. 34-year-old

David Roderick, of Borland Avenue in Carlisle, has been charged with

rape, assault and false imprisonment. He's been remanded in

custody to appear at Newcastle Crown Court in two weeks.

A canoeist from North Yorkshire has died after being rescued from a

river in Cumbria on New Year's Day. 41-year-old Catherine Stainsby,

from Swinton near Malton, had got into difficulties while on the

River Rawthey near Sedbergh. She was taken to hospital in Preston

but died yesterday. Disability groups say their fight

for better access on local buses is growing despite the death of a

leading campaigner. Last year Darlington woman Ann Dodsworth

claimed she was not allowed on Arriva buses because she used a

wheelchair. Arriva denied the claims but Anne planned to sue them.

Sadly she has since died. But Look North has learned that up to 11

other disabled people in Darlington are now taking legal action against

Arriva They include one man who says drivers banned him from buses

because they claimed his wheelchair would blow up. Here is our

political correspondent. She was an ordinary woman who

became a campaigner. Ann Dodsworth had MS but what really mattered to

her was independence. She claimed Arriva was not allowing her on

their buses. One driver was heard to say that

people like that should walk home, referring to me. If I could walk I

would. It really upsets me. I feel like a second-class citizen.

Arriva say they are sad to hear of Ann's death but they reiterate that

they comply with the Disability Discrimination Act. But 11 other

disabled people in Darlington are now also suing Arriva. Anthony

Wilson uses an electric wheelchair, something he says meant he too was

off the bus. They refused me access because they

claimed that my electric wheelchair would blow up and kill everybody if

there was an accident on the bus. They said your wheelchair would

blow up? Yes. They said if there was a crash than the batteries were

blown up and kill everybody on the bus. I was quite angry, very angry.

I tried to say that it would not because it was made up lead and the

bus driver told me to wait for another bus. The is is a series of

systemic issues. Poor treatment for a wheelchair users.

Arriva say they are running a campaign of disability awareness

refresher training for drivers this year as part of their annual driver

training programme but insist they do comply with current guidelines.

Still to come on Wednesday's Look North:

They braved Arctic conditions to keep our allies supplied during the

Second World War. But now a veteran of the campaign to get recognition

from the British government says he has given up hope. And I will have

all of the weather details shortly. He says he invested �37 million and

built a new stadium. But today former Darlington chairman George

Reynolds said 'he would not be bothered if the club folded. As

Darlington entered administration for the third time, some fans claim

it was his overly ambitious plans that prompted a decade of decline.

He used to be one of football's most colourful characters. The

former safe-cracker turned millionaire businessman famously

promised to take Darlington into the Premier League and built a new

�20 million stadium. But some claim it became a burden as fans

struggled to fill even one of the stands. They would not have even

had a football club if it had not been for me but I get blamed for

investing �37 million. How do you answer that? It is so ridiculous.

They say, you invested �37 million, and we would give you a good

slagging. His time in charge ended in 2003

when the club first went into administration. He has always

blamed the local council. The stadium he claims would have been a

success if it had let him build shops and restaurants around it.

I have a saying, and this is a good quote, a critic's life is a life

without cost for risk. The minute you put a cost or risk in, they

will run a mile from it. Reynolds claims he still has the

support of 97 % of Darlington fans. So after investing �37 million,

would he be sad to see the club go out of existence? It would not

bother me. You know, my new year's resolution is to make people

accountable. No one is ever made accountable. If it is open you get

flak and if it is close you get flak. What is the difference!?

The Sunderland carmaker Nissan has broken another production record in

its 25th anniversary year. Manufacturing hit more than 480,000

vehicles in 2011, compared to just over 420,000 the year before,

itself the first time any UK plant made more than 400,000 cars. Our

Business Correspondent reports. It may be, but in 2011 Nissan

really did buck the manufacturing trend. It was unremitting good news

that came out of the Sunderland plant, capped by a record year of

production more than 480,000 cars. A favourable exchange rate for

export and good management and workforce relationships have also

helped. We have worked very hard as a plant to make new products. We

have done very well in the markets, particularly in June. We also have

a very diverse customer base. the beginning, there was the desire

and the determination. The work they it -- workforce has changed so

much. The importance of the Qashqai

cannot be underestimated. It is amazingly popular. 1200 are made

every day and 80 % of them exported to over 90 countries. So what next

for this record-breaking planned? Given the philosophy of continual

improvement that promotes this place, you can be sure the record

will be brief -- beaten again. When you have done a good job you were

told you have done a good job but you can always do better. The

target is for 500,000 cars in 2012. You've probably taken your

Christmas tree down by now unless you're a traditionalist waiting for

12th night. In Cumbria the Environment Agency has found a good

use for unwanted trees, which it says helps prevent flooding. Alison

Freeman put the wellies on and went to find out more.

Not a bauble or piece of tinsel in sight. These Christmas trees from

Whinlatter Forest never made it into family homes but they've been

found another purpose. The Environment agency's been laying

them on river banks to protect the land and the creatures who live in

the water. The Christmas trees prevent erosion in the future. As

the river level rises, it takes the energy out of the water and stops

it eroding. This is about keeping the soil on the land. The silt is

also taken out of the river and this stops fish eggs being

smothered by it further down the river. The trees are held in place

on top of locally sourced spruce logs. A far more environmentally-

friendly alternative to other solutions which use metal cages.

This scheme at Chapel Bec near Bassenthwaite village is one of

around ten in the county. This is an example of where the

Christmas trees have done their job. They were used on the banks here in

2009. They have done their job. They have caught the silt and

helped to repair the river bank. is really good that a lot of

communities and some of the farmers are taking this on board and are

doing their own Engineering on the river banks.

The trees were donated by the Forestry Commission. But the rest

of us need to contact our local councils to find out how best to

get rid of our trees when we've finished with them.

They braved Arctic conditions to keep our allies supplied during the

Second World War. Many British merchant seamen and ships were lost

on the Russian convoys, flotillas of ships with vital supplies for

our allies who were stopping Hitler from unleashing his full military

might on us. Those who survived have never been rewarded by our

government, even though the Russians have decorated them. Now,

a veteran of the campaign for recognition has given up hope they

A British convoy under attack during the second world war. The

Germans trying to stop vital supplies to our Russian allies who

were preventing the full might of the Third Reich being unleashed on

the UK. Tens of thousands of planes, tanks and guns were transported by

the brave men of the Russian convoys. A lot of people were

frightened. I was frightened, there is no doubt about it.

Bob Robertson from South Shields was below decks as an engineer. He

sailed in three convoys and saw ships and men lost. And that's into

freezing seas where survival time was just a few minutes. In the

engine room on the ship it was like being in a dustbin and someone

hitting it with a hammer. The whole thing shock. That would frighten

you because you knew that if anyone was going to be lost it would be

the ones down below. It would be the engineer who was on watch at

the time. Those on deck had a chance of a jumping overboard.

has various medals including the Atlantic Star for his time on the

convoys to and from America. But, like his fellow merchant seamen

he's never been recognised for his efforts in the Arctic seas. Now 90,

he's given up all hope that they'll ever be rewarded. For the sake of

those few who are now pushing it, I would like to see them associated,

but as far as I am concerned, I really believe it is a lost cause

at the moment. Meanwhile, Bob holds the medals the Russians have given

him in thanks for his bravery. Time for sport now, and Jeff has

already in position for tonight's big game, Newcastle United against

Manchester United. A game both sides need to win, which even I

know can't happen! Newcastle's superb start to the

season is becoming a bit of a distant memory. It wasn't a

terribly happy Christmas and New Year for them. And they're looking

for their first home win since Bonfire Night, against a Manchester

United side who lost to the bottom club, Blackburn, at the weekend.

Newcastle's loss to Liverpool was less surprising than Sir Alex's

birthday mishap against struggling Blackburn at Old Trafford. But

there could be fireworks tonight as both United's try to bounce back

from wounding results. I fancy they might be fired up for it, as we are

when we are beaten by Liverpool. I think it will be a good game.

Pardew has managed two draws against the champions in his time

in charge on Tyneside, but Newcastle have won just one of

their last eight league games while Man United are the only team not to

have lost away from home this season and Wayne Rooney is expected

to return to action after being dropped for disciplinary reasons

against Blackburn I am not surprised there will be a few for

this game. I expect to see a few of the more famous names. Ed is very

important when you play a team like Manchester United that you do not

open the team up too much and we will become -- concentrating on

keeping ourselves in the game. If the keeper cells in the game you

have a chance -- have a chance of winning. They'll be hoping top

scorer Demba Ba can weave some more magic before he leaves for the

African Cup of Nations but where goals will come from in his absence

remains to be seen. And while rumours abound that Andy Carroll

could return on loan the boss is keeping his January transfer

targets a closely guarded secret. will apologise now for saying not

very much in this window. We will keep our cards close to our chest.

And, this evening, Newcastle will be wearing shirts with the name of

their new kit sponsor. Northern Rock, their old shirt sponsors,

have just been taken over by Virgin Money. So perhaps it's no surprise

that, just over an hour ago, it was announced the Virgin Money name

will be on the Newcastle strip for the rest of the season, and for the

next two seasons after that. last night's action now and

Sunderland closed the gap on Newcastle to six points after a

terrific 4-1 victory at Wigan, which lifted them to tenth in the

Premier League table. Wigan, of course, the team whose last minute

winner at the Stadium of Light in November cost Steve Bruce his job.

Plenty of fictional heroes in the crowd at the DW Stadium. Even they

must be pinching themselves at a fairytale start to 2012. A change

of manager often has an immediate effect but few can have predicted

that Sunderland would have taken more points from Martin O'Neill's

first six games in charge than in the 14 matches under Steve Bruce

this season. Just 48 hours after that famous win over the leaders

Man City, there were fears tired legs would prove a greater hurdle

than struggling Wigan on a stormy night. In truth the home side

started well and could so easily have taken the lead hitting the

post twice. Is O'Neill getting the rub of the green or do you make

your own luck? I think there are one or two games back there were

you see that Sunderland had a brief -- wee bit of fortune. That is

where Steve did not get it. Whatever the protests leading to

the decision to award this free- kick on the stroke of half-time,

there was nothing borderline about Craig Gardner's swerving shot. In

the second half, young Northern Irish winger James McClean showed

persistence and cool to double the lead. I took a gamble and I was

just praying. Thankfully it happened. Then after Hugo Rodallega

had given the visitors a few nervy minutes, Nicklas Bendtner set up

strike partner Stephane Sessegnon for rejuvenated Sunderland's third.

Perhaps the fourth was a little harsh on a Wigan side full of neat,

passing football but vulnerable to the counter-attack. Another belter

from David Vaughan, though, one of nine different goal scorers under

O'Neill perhaps the most significant stat of them all.

So, a great result for Sunderland. Let's hope Newcastle can match that

tonight. Full commentary on BBC Newcastle as we'll have the goals

on the late news at 10:25 and full highlights on Match of the Day

after that. Can I come in now? It is freezing!

We have had to put lots of change in his pocket so he would not blow

away! This weather system, this weather

front, it is coming in and the winds will pick up and the cold

fund will sink down in the North West. That translates to a blanket.

-- cold front. It will be a very wet day and there is more rain to

come for the night. They met at this warning for the rain in the

West. -- Met Office. The winner will be picking up through the

night. 60 or 70 mph gusts. -- the wind will be picking up. The winds

could pick up to 70 miles per hour through the Pennines. It will be

blustery on the Cumbrian coast. The rain will become drier over the

course of the night and temperatures will get down to two

or three Celsius. A few icy patches to walk -- watch out for for

tomorrow morning. Most places will be drier and brighter by the after

noon tomorrow. Do not expected to feel warm. A ghastly -- gusty

north-westerly wind will be blowing. The north-westerly wind will take

the edge off of things. Into tomorrow night, a ridge of high

pressure gives us a dry and clear night with a touch of frost. It

stars of dry and bright on Friday but the next front comes in from

the West. -- start off drive. Things will begin to acquire it

down. A bit of a wild start to the day tomorrow. -- things will begin

to quite down. Saturday will be a bit more quiet with temperatures

Time now for a final look at tonight's headlines. Before we go

tonight, a reminder that there's a special edition of Inside Out on

BBC One tonight to mark the 175th birthday of the Theatre Royal in

Newcastle. The programme features stars of stage - both past and

present. Among them, the actor Kevin Whately - who reveals his