07/03/2012 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

They'd only been deployed to Afghanistan three weeks ago. Now

their deaths have taken the loss of British lives in the Afghan

conflict to more than 400. It showed them the money, townsfolk

showing their reaction to the changes in parking. We could damage

the jewel of the area. And here is the anonymous knitter? The row over

the Derby game rumbles on with both clubs in trouble, and the latest

from the swimming trials, with one of our youngsters are monks the

medals. They'd only been deployed to Afghanistan three weeks ago. Now

their deaths have taken the loss of British lives in the Afghan

conflict to more than 400. The terrible news that six British

soldiers have been killed in a single explosion in Afghanistan has

been keenly felt here in the North. Five of the men were from the

Yorkshire Regiment which recruits across Yorkshire and the North East.

And the other casualty was from the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment which

is based at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire. Peter Lugg is

there now. Behind me in the fading light you can probably just see the

flags above the headquarters, at half mast. This is the headquarters

of the army and today must have been one of the saddest days. This

figure of the 400 dead in Afghanistan is seen as highly

significant. The first Duke of Lancaster, was here, in

accommodation blocks tonight, they must be thousands of young men who

know what it is like to patrol in Afghanistan in one of these

armoured cars. They will know the dangers they face from these

devices. Nicola was recently on a menu though with the regiment.

over a week ago I was invited to Wiltshire to meet the soldiers of

the third Battalion at the Yorkshire Regiment as they made

their final preparations for Afghanistan, these men are due to

deploy in the next few weeks, but today they face the news that five

of their comrades are dead after their armoured vehicle was caught

in an explosion in the Helmand Province. The soldiers were

carrying out a patrol in a tank around Highway 1, the main arterial

routes, it is grim news for the soldiers back home. Just 12 days

ago they told me about their fears. As any person who says they are not

know this is a liar. Getting shot, stuff like that, every day is a

risk. I just had a friend to has lost his brother. It is not good to

hear of but you are doing your job. You have to get on with it. A 6th

soldier is also thought to have died in the blast, if confirmed it

will take the British death toll to 404. Our thoughts are with the

family and friends of these brave servicemen. This would be the

largest loss of life in a single instance its sights 2006. We owe

all of them an immense debt of gratitude and our thoughts are with

their family, friends and colleagues at this time.

underlines the Daily dangers faced in Afghanistan more than 10 years

after the campaign began. Yesterday an inquest took place into the

death of a soldier who died in a bomb blast last year, the coroner

said the cause was more sophisticated explosive devices

being used by the Caliban. The flank in Wiltshire was at half mast

and a candle was lit in memory of the six soldiers. Their families

We don't know yet whether any personnel from here were personally

involved but we know that many families around here know exactly

what it is like to live with the nightmare of a phone call from the

MoD and this is what some people in the nearest town, Richmond, had to

say to me earlier. It is shocking news. Now is the time to think

about the people in Afghanistan, the soldiers. To think about the

suffering going on. It is horrific, we should pull them out. I know we

are there to help, but we are losing too many of our young men.

was in the forces myself, you see it on the news all the time. About

getting kilts and it is not very nice. I was in Iraq for the second

Iraq war. When you see it happening, luckily we did not lose anybody,

but we know of regiments who did. It is awful. We know it that it has

now been recovered, and the names will be released in the next 24-48

hours. Three men have been arrested on

suspicion of murder after the body of a man was found in Newcastle

this morning. Police were called to Wingrove Avenue in Fenham just

before 5:30am following reports a man had been assaulted.

A service for PC David Rathband will be held in Newcastle on

Saturday, organised by his brother. The police officer, who was shot

and blinded by Raoul Moat, was found hanged at his home in Blyth

last week. The service will be held at St Nicholas Cathedral where the

memorial service organised by Northumbria Police will also take

place, on March the 19th. The latest big city council to fix

its budget is meeting tonight. And Newcastle City Council is planning

the biggest savings outlined so far - thirty million pounds in cuts to

services, and up to 360 job losses. Before the budget meeting, public

sector unions protested at the Civic Centre. Newcastle's budget

cuts for 2012/13 follow Sunderland's this afternoon: �28

million in cuts. Middlesbrough Council met last night and agreed

�14 million in savings. Last week, Gateshead signed off �22 million in

cuts. In Cumbria the county council has announced cuts of �20 million

and 100 job losses. All councils are implementing the Government's

spending review unveiled in 2010 which will see local authority

funding reduced by more than a quarter by 2015. Gerry Jackson

reports. Labour supporters protesting a Labour Budget. It will

probably cut �30 million from the spending plans. Who is to blame?

The funding cuts we have had from the government. If they were fair

we would have �20 million extra. There would be no need for cuts.

Labour says the cut in central government funding has been much

bigger than for places with far smaller deprivation problems. Step

forward last year's leader. We are still lobbying for a fairer basis

for the cuts. Newcastle quite rightly gets a significantly higher

level of support per head of the population than other wealthier

parts of the country. It is almost 18 months since the big spending

review, they think that this financial year could be where it

really begins to bite for the unions. The council says it will

protect frontline services, but even so it looks like 360 jobs will

go. This is the first year when Newcastle council may have to make

significant redundancies. Even though the government would like us

to think this is business that has usual, it is not acceptable.

Opposition councillors suggest savings in management, even funding

for union officials. Labour say the cuts are deeper and faster than

under Margaret Thatcher. The scale of the financial reductions, the

cuts which the government are making and the timescale are

unprecedented. The public finances were allowed to get into a terrible

state under the previous government. This is a pay-day we are all having

Five factories with workers with disabilities are to close with the

loss of 153 jobs. The Remploy factories are in Cleator Moor,

Spennymoor, Gateshead, Newcastle and Ashington. The Minister for

Disabled People, Maria Miller, said the Remploy board was proposing to

close the sites by the end of the year because they were unlikely to

achieve independent financial viability. The Sunderland factory

is also under consideration of closure.

Some good news for people struggling to get on the housing

ladder in the Lake District. Eleven new affordable homes are going to

be built on land in Keswick. There had been some opposition to the

proposal to build on land next to the graveyard at St John's Church.

But the Lake District National Park Authority approved the application

this morning. Eighty new affordable homes are needed in the town by

2016. We were concentrating on young families. 11 a three-bedroom

houses will be built, we have other things to get in place and other

funding. We must get approval from other organisations. The HCA, and

various other things, but it is very good news.

A Newcastle United fan who painted the words "St James" on the stadium

wall after the original sign was removed has been ordered to pay

costs to the club but says he doesn't regret doing it. Michael

Atkinson from Newbiggin Hall pleaded guilty to criminal damage

after his graffiti protest following the stadium's rebranding.

Adele Robinson was at Newcastle Magistrates court. This bucked his

actions, one of fans passionate stance against the Establishment.

The word since James graffiti it back onto the wall. That was nearly

three weeks ago, today he had to answer for it. I am glad it is all

over. To do you regret it? His it is son James's Park, it will always

be. I was very passionate, I knew thousands of people were behind me

who would do the same thing. He had drunk eight cans of lager before

heading to the stadium and was caught red-handed, covered in paint

in the act. He told police they would have done the same. The

magistrate told Mr Atkinson that his actions were fairly stupid and

whilst he would not be commenting on the renaming of the stadium, it

was clear that what Mr Atkinson did was a criminal act. The 29 year old

was sentenced to a discharge for six months, and ordered to pay �100

in costs. He has a lot of support, and many people are collecting for

his fine. They said they would collect and the rest would go to

the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation. you feel proud of him? Yes.

Atkinson has been banned from the stadium, and he says the ban is

much worse than the costs he has to pay.

You're watching Look North. Still to come, the townsfolk digging deep

to fight their council over parking charges. Plus, an intriguing yarn

from Saltburn-by-the-Sea. Who's knitting the sporting scarf that's

appeared on the pier? One or two wintry showers, some icy spells,

join me later for the full forecast. While many businesses are suffering

in these tough financial times, a village cooperative in West

Cumbria's going from strength to strength. Locals in Ennerdale

Bridge have taken over their village pub and now they're turning

their attention to an ambitious new shop, offices and visitor centre

hub. Our Cumbria reporter Alison Freeman went to find out more.

fox and hounds is thriving today - but just a year ago it was boarded

up. So villagers sprang into action, raising the sixty seven thousand

pounds they needed to reopen it just in eight days. The beer was

flowing again within a month and in eleven months it's turned over more

than a quarter of a million pounds. 216 people now have shares in our

local village pub. The vast majority of local people and from a

business perspective, it is an issue which makes a difference. We

have got 216 local people with a vested interest in keeping the pubs

open. There is no debate about where to go. The answer is always

the same. The like many businesses the pub in his first year has

failed to make a profit, but it has proven it is a viable business. So

much so that the village co- operative has decided to set its

sights on the next project. That is just 100 yards up the road where

this building could be turned into their local village shop. It is a

big venture in a small community. We need that kind of facility in

the village. Not just for the people in the village but for those

who visit. We are the first stop on the the coast-to-coast walk, it is

surprising the number of people who need a pair of dry socks. With some

grant funding, it could include an information centre and offices for

the partnership which looks after the valley. It is great to link the

village to be ballet, so people can explore the opportunities there,

then they can come to the valley. They are inseparable, they share

the same name so it is totally appropriate that they should

benefit from each other. The shop would be run like the pop, -- pub,

They'll make a million but kill the town'. That's the claim from

campaigners in Yarm after they launched legal proceedings in the

High Court against plans by Stockton Council to introduce pay

and display parking. Traders on Yarm's traditional cobbled High

Street claim the move will net �1.3 million pounds for the cash-

strapped council but Stockton says it'll simplify the system. Stuart

Whincup reports: Once voted the best High Street, full of

fashionable restaurants and boutiques, but the pretty exterior

hides a battle with the local council. Look at Stockton High

Street, they killed it. Then they try to tell us how to run our High

Street. It is not the right thing. There is a zone where people can

park for three and Stockton councils say the pay and display

would be a good thing for businesses, offering greater

flexibility. But traders on the High Street are not convinced. They

have raised to �2,000 to pay for their legal challenge. The a

general feeling is that it could only be a bad thing and we could

ruin the jewel of the Tees Valley. It would have a terrible effect,

people popping through for a couple of minutes, for a quarter of an

hour to go into a shop, we would lose that trade. Despite the

possibility of raising �1.3 million a year, the council say it is not

about making money. They say 4000 parking tickets were issued last

year to people who did not understand. They claim pay and

display will make things easier. When we asked if free parking was

an incentive, they said "know." they wanted easy parking, without

the risk of getting a ticket. spite the opposition and legal

challenges, the council is hoping to introduce the charges in the

I love it. Great cafes and great Sport, this Derby think is going

on? It's never going away. Three days since that explosive derby

match on Tyneside and now the Football Association has stirred

things up just a little bit more. Both clubs have been charged with

misconduct. It all surrounds this challenge by Sunderland's James

McClean on Newcastle's Danny Simpson, which led to a bit of a

free-for-all. The FA charge says the clubs failed to ensure their

players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and/or refrained

from provocative behaviour. They have until 4pm on Monday to respond.

And on tomorrow's programme we'll be hearing from Newcastle boss,

Alan Pardew, with Sunderland manager, Martin O'Neill, having

refuted the charge that his team deliberately set out to upset the

Magpies. So we certainly haven't heard the last of that one. Most of

last night's action was football- related, though, and it could prove

significant in the race for promotion. As you can see,

Middlesbrough have moved up a place to fourth in the Championship after

a hard-earned victory in front of just under 15,000 at the Riverside

last night. Here's Mark Tulip. If Middlesbrough could have turned a

handful of their draws into victories they would be one of the

favourites. Instead a playoff looks their likely reward, if they can

ride-out important wins. Barnsley were determined and it took them an

hour to bake through. Barry Robson's corner glanced home by Seb

Nynes. The visitors came close to denying the precious points, but

this clever chip punished Luke Steel's careless pass for 2-0. They

are up to fourth and looking good for a top-six finish. Carlisle made

heavy weather of beating Rochdale. This strike gave them a lead. The

visitors equalised ten minutes later, but soon after, there was

this shot to give a 2-1 win. The team's character and spirit coming

to the fore. It doesn't seem to happen for us, comfortable wins, so

we make it hard work. We concede and have to find another one and to

be fair, the performance sums us up. For long periods Hartlepool

threatened to dent Huddersfield's wishes. The visitors had chances of

their own, but it was the home side that took the lead late on and

despite the best efforts of Andy Monkhouse they missed out on an

equaliser. On to swimming, and the British Championships, which are

doubling as the Olympic trials, down at the new Aquatic Centre in

London. There was more success for the region last night and one or

two disappointments. A bronze medallist in Beijing four years ago,

Richmond's Jo Jackson has waged a seemingly constant battle with

illness and injury ever since. Earlier this week she took one of

the home places in the women's 400m freestyle. But the British record

holder over 200m, two lanes from the top here, could only finish

fourth over the shorter distance - enough for a place in the 4x200

relay team, but not good enough for a chance in the individual event.

Tonight, North East attention turns to the final of the women's 200m

butterfly. Hartlepool's Jemma Lowe was a fraction of a second outside

qualification for the 100m, but led home Stockon's Jess Dickons in last

night's second semi-final and was the second-fastest qualifier, with

a time inside the Olympic qualifying standard. And the region

picked up a medal in the shape of South Tyneside teenager, Josef

Craig. The 15 year-old Paralympic hopeful from Jarrow, who has

cerebral palsy, took bronze in the men's 100m freestyle, a fantastic

effort for a youngster who's shown tremendous courage to fight back

from serious illness. It's all hotting up. Now, staying on They're

calling it the knitted wonder of the North East Coast - an Olympic-

themed woolly scarf that stretches 50 metres out to sea along Saltburn

Pier. A sporting theme. Yes, the scarf appeared out of the blue,

created by anonymous knitters and locals swear it seems to grow a few

feet every night. Chris Storey's been trying to unravel the mystery.

It can be a chilly spot in early spring, but whoever they may be,

the phantom knitter of Saltburn Pier has been doing their level

best to warm things up.Their creation tied to the handrail now

stretches half way along between amusements at one end and bemused

anglers at the other.The theme is Olympian - a weightlifter knitted

here a canoeist purled over there and pretty well every other sport

you could think of. It's all a bit of fun and much appreciated by

those out for a stroll along the prom. It would take a lot of

knitting, a lot of people. They've all been sown together individually

when you look at them. Skiing. There's one up there, rifle

shooting with the targets. We think it's amazing. I think it's amazing.

Someone has come down here in the dark and they've actually sown it

on to the peer. -- pier Are you knitters? No. It would be nice to

get the full pier. The knitters' identity remains a mystery, but

their skill is indisputable. If recognised by the Olympics, a

recognised by the Olympics, a British gold would be assured.

love that. Fantastic. I would love to see it in detail. We don't want

it to be rained on, because it will stretch, Paul. Hopefully it will

miss the showers today, because it was a blustery day of sunny spells

and scattered showers. Tim caught this on a trip to Hadrian's Wall

country. Bright, white clouds, bright blue sky behind. Overnight

there will be a few shower clouds around. They'll put down the

dusting of snow over some of the hills and in between the clouds

cold enough for icy patches on the roads and pavements. Quite a

dramatic satellite picture today. Last night's cloud and rain cleared

away, to be followed by a rash of showers coming in on the cold

north-westerly wind. Some of them turned a bit wintery over the hills.

The trend continues through the evening. Although the showers are

more isolated through the night. Don't be surprised to see a dusting

on the hills. In between, as I say, the temperatures dip close to

freezing. Tomorrow, a bit of a chilly start. Dry and bright know.

Especially in the east. More cloud in the west. Thick enough for the

odd spot of rain. That will tend to transfer eastwards as we head

through the afternoon. Best chance of hanging on to the brightness in

North Yorkshire. Best of the temperatures too. Up to nine. A

breezy day, yes, but not as gusty as it was today. That's the picture

for tomorrow. That warm front brings all the cloud. We stay in

similar air for the next couple of days. A fair amount of cloud, but

by the weekend the high pressure builds and breaks up the cloud so

we should see sunshine over the course of the weekend. For Friday,

it's a largely cloudy picture. Temperatures, despite the cloud,

make it up to 13. Through the course of the weekend the cloud

should become that bit more broken, so 12 or 13, but stays cloudy. A

couple of degrees more where the sun comes out. We would love to see

your weather pictures. Please, keep them coming. We'll bring you news

on what has been chosen as our February picture of the month.

That's the way the weather's looking. And a final reminder of

tonight's main headline. Six soldiers have been killed after

their armoured vehicle was hit by an explosion in Afghanistan. Five

were serving with 3rd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. The other was