27/03/2012 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

Look North. Tonight, 16 years for the taxi driver who kidnapped four

girls. David Bryant thought he'd never be caught but forensic

science would prove his undoing. David Bryant, I think, represents

every parent's wost nightmare. Fortunately, he's now behind bars.

"I was convinced I was going to die." A man, rescued from the sand

dunes, tells us how he feared for his life.

The rising costs of living in the countryside, an official

investigation hears first-hand about the soaring price of fuel.

A month's fuel for this house could cost more than the property itself.

We take a look around what could be the cheapest home in the country.

My day to day life involves mixing it with the some of the most famous

footballers in the world in a very sunny country. But today I'm back

in Middlesbrough. We talk to the Teesside girl who's making it big

in Spanish football. Ole! And there's a big night of

football on Wearside. Can Sunderland get a step closer to

reliving that FA Cup dream? We'll be live at the Stadium of Light

"Every parent's nightmare." That's how David Bryant has been described.

He preyed on young girls, snatched them from the streets and then

carried out sickening attacks on them. Two of his victims were

dumped 40 miles from their home. And he was convinced he was in the

clear. Well, thanks to the science of DNA, tonight he starts a 16-year

sentence for kidnap and sexual assault. In a moment, we'll look at

the background to the case. But first, from Newcastle Crown Court,

here's our Chief Reporter, Chris Stewart.

David Bryant has been in prison since he was arrested last summer,

but he believed he had escaped conviction. He refused to answer

detective's questions, and they say he used every legal trick in the

book to try and frustrate them put up eventually, the scientific

evidence meant he changed his plea to guilty. He did come to admit his

defences when he was interviewed by a probation officer. His eventual

arrest had caused him ascent of grievance, said Judge James Goss.

He thought he had got away with it. The judge added, however, you now

say you won remorse for and do apologise. Something to which I do

not attach a great deal of weight. Bryant they have -- David Bryant

also said he had been tempted to try again but had controlled his

edges. The judge said he could have sent him to prison for longer but

he had to appear to the guidelines in place when the commit --

offences were committed. The crimes committed by David

Bryant were so horrendous and so unusual they're still fresh in many

people's minds. Chris Stewart's been looking at the background to

the investigation and how the story The Northumbria police helicopter

was up over Newcastle's Western suburbs throughout the night.

May 1995, and a five-year-old girl has been snatched from the streets.

She had been found early the next morning, 40 miles away in

Darlington. She had been sexually assaulted. The story had made

national headlines and the police knew clearly that they were

searching for an extremely dangerous man. And then, four

months later, that man struck again. Again, a girl was driven away from

Newcastle, again, she was sexually assaulted. Again, she was dumped in

Darlington. This time, the victim was just four years old, and this

time, she did not turn up until the following afternoon. Even though

the police had DNA samples, the crimes went unsolved. Then in 2010,

called case detectives in Hampshire decided to create a damning -- re-

examine the kidnap and sexual assault of a five-year-old girl in

Gosport, in 1982, and the kidnap and sexual assault of a three-year-

old girl in Southampton the following year. DNA samples from

those crimes were noted -- loaded onto the national database and they

matched the DNA from the Newcastle crimes. Not only that, but newly

developed techniques meant scientists were able to match the

DNA profile to a profile already held on the national database. This

profile could only have come from a near relative of the man they were

looking for, a series of arrests were made, and the police did

Naumann hat -- have their man. This is an old police picture of the

suspect. Nowadays, he looks like this. David Bryant, a taxi driver

who was living with his goal the debt -- girlfriend in Cumbria. He

thought he would never be called. Is arrogant continued when he was

questioned by detectives. Tell us Among those who had been on his

trail back in 1995 was Steve thinks, it then a detective sergeant.

showed no remorse and was forever and used every legal trick in the

book to try and evade conviction. It will only when he was feted

irrefutable evidence that he pleaded guilty. I think he

represents every parent's nightmare. Fortunately, he is now behind it --

behind bars. How are the young women who went through this, how

are they? They have struggled throughout their lives, it was

quite a traumatic ordeal. Despite their young age, some of them have

had problems over the years. I would commend the way they have

conducted their lives throughout, and the way they have conducted

themselves over at the inquiry. What David Bryant did to these

communities has never been forgotten, and now he is in prison,

where he will be kept away from other inmates, the man who targeted

the vulnerable will now find he is ''I was trapped, choking on sand,

convinced I was going to die.'' The words today of a Northumberland man

who was stuck in a sand dune, with sand covering his head. Ron Martin

was digging a hole with his brother at Druridge Bay when he fell in.

More than 40 rescuers spent two hours digging him out. Now

recovering at home, he's been speaking to our reporter Stuart

Whincup about his ordeal. It just swallowed us, just took us

away. More sand came on top of us, then the voices disappeared. I was

just completely surrounded, buried alive, basically. I could feel the

sand filling my mouth and throat. My eyes, my eyes were just stand.

My ears, everything. I could not win court might fingertips on my

toes. -- wiggle my fingertips. I was crushed alive, gone, away,

nothing. From's head was buried under the sand. His brother and

best friend tried to pick him out. I found the top of his head, I

thought he was dead, I thought we were digging a dead body at, to be

honest. Your help us. You feel like you're digging forever. It is the

worst thing I have ever done -- you are helpless. One was given oxygen

when rescuers joined the rescue. It took two hours to free him.

cannot sleep, I cannot shut my eyes, because you just hear it coming

away. You could see the look in their eyes. It was scary. It is

just, the first day of sun, living near the beach. It was a disaster

after that, hell, a living hell. The Chancellor George Osborne was

asked when he'd last bought a Greggs pasty today, following the

firm's pledge to fight plans to charge VAT on freshly-baked savoury

products. Greggs say it's a tax on their customers, at a time when

their budgets are already hard- pressed. Mr Osborne was challenged

on the proposals at the Treasury select committee. When was the last

time you brought a pasty at Greggs? I can't remember the last time I

bought a pasty from Greggs. That kind of sums it up. When was the

last time... As you are putting up the price of hot pass these in

Greggs, if I'd buy capacity from Pat -- past these from Greggs, if I

buy a pasty from Greggs which is cooked hot but by that time I get

it in a bag and taken away it is cold, will it be applicable to VAT?

If it is cold when you buy it, it will not be! I don't think he has

ever tried one! The North East's car industry is

bringing another 130 jobs to Wearside. French company SNOP,

which supplies body parts to Nissan, is converting the old TRW factory

in Washington as its UK manufacturing base. The plant will

open in the autumn. A letter handwritten in 1933 by the

children's author Beatrix Potter has sold for less than expected at

auction. The 100 word note was written at Castle Cottage near

Ambleside. It's from Helen Heelis. Helen was her first name, Beatrix

was the middle name and Heelis her married name. It was expected to

fetch �1,500, but in the end raised just over �900.

A team from the Office of Fair Trading is in Northumberland this

evening to investigate the rising price of home heating oil in rural

areas. The price has quadrupled in the past decade from just 15 pence

per litre to an average of 60 pence a litre. This means a 2,500 litre

tank will cost �1,500 to fill. But rural householders have had enough.

Some are banding together to form co-operatives that force the fuel

companies to offer a lower price or the business from several hundred

homes will go elsewhere. In a moment we'll hear from one of our

MPs. But first, Adrian Pitches has been seeing how the fuel co-op

works. The fuel tank may be hidden away,

but the fuel prices are catching the headlights. Now homeowners are

clubbing together to drive down the cost. It is the chance for them to

get together and collectively by a very high-priced commodity, which

is boiled to heat their homes. have turned the table on the fuel

companies, you are asking for a lower price and because there is so

many of you, they are having to accede. Yes, reluctantly, I have to

admit, but yes they are. They are realising that local people in

rural put -- communities such as ours, they do not have the benefit

of gas, mains gas, they are the captive audience for the oil

suppliers. By grouping together, we are giving them a strong message

that we need to do something about it. The cost has gone through the

roof. Oil-price has quadrupled in 10 years, that is a lot has -- lot

of money. And the one making savings of four to five pence per

litre? It varies, 1p to 14 pence per litre, that is a mark -- lot of

money. Fuel companies beware, the consumers are flexing their muscles.

Northumberland MP Guy Opperman blames the heating fuel companies

for driving up prices and he's backing his constituents as they

flex their collective buying power. In relation to heating oil, there

are over 15 given suppliers, but 12 of them are controlled by one

company and who operate effectively as cartel. There is very little

choice. What is happening is local groups are coming together and

supporting the local, individual, independent companies, which we

think is a very good thing, and trying to drive down the price.

That is what the OFT are going to Northumberland to see, how we are

doing it better than the rest of the country, and what they can

learn from us. And the Office of Fair Trading investigation into

remote communities finishes at the end of the month and will report

back later in the spring. You're watching Look North. Still

to come, we're live at the Stadium of Light ahead of Sunderland's FA

Cup quarter final replay. SPEAKS SPANISH. But today I am back

in Middlesbrough and there is no place like it. And we're talking

Spanish football but with a Teesside accent. We meet

Middlesbrough fan Kay Murray, who's landed her dream job as the face of

Real Madrid TV. And it is very hot, the weather, I

find out how hot and find out what A house for a quid? Incredible as

it might sound, that is the starting bid for a property being

sold at auction in County Durham tonight. Of course, 29 Church

Street, Ferryhill does have a few issues. But, if you can overlook

the lack of floors and ceilings, the vandalised kitchen and bathroom,

and the structural defects, it could be just the investment

opportunity you're looking for. Peter Lugg made an appointment with

the estate agent. Excellent rail links, close to open

country Heights, and a low, low starting price. Incredible that

bidding for 29 Church Street has started at just �1. Robinson, the

estate agents, they are behind all of the positive spin. They will

tell you that Ferry Hill is a traditional mining village with a

pub, school and local shop. But there are a few things their

catalogue does not mention. It does not say much about this lot in the

catalogue, but let me tell you about the inside. Floorboards

missing, ceiling down, kitchen trashed, Bartram trashed. Bit of a

project, really. But with a little work, the agents are convinced 29

is a real investment opportunity. There are a number of houses that

we have sold in this area, which have been on a similar condition

put up some of them have achieved in this condition as much as

�18,500. Some locals would prefer to see a bulldozer arrived and a

builder's van. You have just got to put a reserve on on �10,000, or

whether someone is willing to pay �10,000 for a squelch -- a shell,

it is just a square brick, basically. But Muriel at number 20

things all that is needed is a young couple with a bit of a dream.

Well, as I say, it will be a mess inside because it has been

vandalised while it has been empty, it has been empty a good while now.

These houses could be made nice? They can be made nice, yes. Either

way, you will have to be quick. The bidding is already underway at

Hardwick Hill. Now, if you're a young journalist

with a passion for football, what would be your dream job? Well, Kay

Murray from Middlesbrough is a television sports reporter and

presenter. She began her career with Boro TV on Teesside, and now

she's based at the magnificent Santiago Bernabeu Stadium and

recognised as the face of Real Madrid TV. We caught up with Kay on

one of her frequent visits back home and we've seen her in action

in Spain. I am one of the few people who has

had the privilege of seeing the Santiago Bernebau dressing room,

but this truly is the best one for me. Hello, and welcome to this

week's top goals, coming from the - - from the outskirts of Madrid. My

life today is extremely different to my life back here, and my time

at Middlesbrough TV, because with Real Madrid at being one of the

biggest clubs in the world, things can get very difficult. There's a

lot of pressure on you a lot of the time. Middlesbrough TV was one of

the best experiences of my working life. The most fun, in fact,

because it was a young team. It was really dynamic. We put all our

ideas together, and because of the banter which is natural here in

Teesside, it was just a fabulous learning ground and a relief on one

to be at. Some of the people I meet working for Real Madrid are

different are the people I meet here! One word to describe and Real

Madrid and one word to describe myself -- yourself. To describe

real Madrid? Huge. And so difficult. I always want to win, I am a

competitive person, it is part of me. You had to grow up very quickly,

you went to sporting natty young age, you were away from your mother,

it did that make you grow up quickly? Definitely. When you leave

your family when you're young, you have to grow up quickly. I speak

English with a Teesside accent, but when I speak Spanish, I have got a

Madrid accent. I still think that there should be more regional

accents on TV that there are. Sometimes I have been rounded off

because the work I do is to an international audience and you are

expected to it round your brows, off but I don't really want to do

it because I am relieved -- I am really proud, it is a warm and

friendly accent and it is one I am proud to have. Welcome to Real

Madrid television news. One of the funniest things is, nobody back in

Madrid has the clothes I can buy in Middlesbrough. I look quite unique.

You have got to look different in Spain, but people say, but is a

really nice dress, you are going to tell me you have got it from

Middlesbrough, haven't you? I am And our thanks to Real Madrid TV

for some of the pictures in that report. Fancy a transfer?

I can see the appeal! Jose Mourinho! Let's start with

Sunderland's FA Cup quarter-final replay at home to Everton. The

prize for the winner is a trip to the capital in the last four and

would be the latest stage in the club's stunning revival under

Martin O'Neill. Mark Tulip's at the Stadium of Light for us now.

Thank you, there is nothing to choose between these two clubs this

season, they are right next to each other in the top offer the Premier

League, and they drew the original Cup tie at Goodison Park 1-1.

Everton have won 11 of their last 16 meetings in all competitions,

but remember -- forget the omens, this is Wearside's Best Cup round

in years, and Sunderland fans can be forgiven for getting a little

bit misty eyed. Dream, dream, dream... It may be a

little premature ate for Sunderland fans to be dreaming of an FA Cup

fans -- final, but they will get to the semi-final if they get past

Everton. We have got to get past Everton and then we will start

dreaming of Wembley. Wembley has got to be kept for the big occasion,

the final. And it is too expensive, I cannot export -- afford to go to

the semi-final and the final, all end -- all the way to London, so I

am not going to the semi-final, I will keep the money for the final!

It would be great to win the final, it will be a hard game against

Everton and then won against Liverpool, but it is an a important

fan -- game because of 1973. cannot stop the players from

dreaming either. I have been dreaming forever. You grow up as a

kid, watching the Cup finals, thinking how great it would be to

be involved in it. We are only two games away from it. We have got to

get past Everton, that is a massive game. Let's go and give it

everything we have got, that is the message. Everton have every bit as

big an incentive as we have, a Liverpool and a game at Wembley.

That is a big enough incentive. Whenever I want you, or I have to

A big question, are you expecting a long night?

I have been thinking about this, and several recent matches between

Sunderland and Everton here at the Stadium of Light have ended in

draws. I think this might go all the way to extra-time and penalties.

I just hope I have remembered my keys!

Martin O'Neill can call and some reinforcements tonight?

Yes, I am expecting the return of Phil Barber, said -- there Barnsley

and -- said Larsson and Lee Cattermole. It will be a repeat of

1992 FA Cup final that Sunderland lost to Lee -- level. There is

fought radio commentary on BBC Newcastle and you can catch at the

reports on the late news. Meanwhile, earlier today,

Sunderland released their financial results for the year ending last

July. Ahead of UEFA implementing its new financial fair play rules,

the club reduced its overall loss by �12 million, to just under �8

million. Away from Wearside, what a

difference six weeks make, weather wise at least. These were the

scenes at Ipswich in Suffolk last month when play-off hopefuls

Middlesbrough saw their Championship match abandoned due to

a frozen pitch. They try again at Portman Road tonight. And in League

One 6th placed Carlisle, here in the yellow, continue their run of

tough fixtures at MK Dons, who are a place above them.

The Redcar Bears speedway team have signed experienced rider Carl

Wilkinson on loan from Scunthorpe as cover for captain Gary Havelock,

who spent a night in intensive care following a serious crash in which

he suffered multiple fractures. Havelock, in the blue helmet, is

being transferred from the James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough to a

hospital in Leeds to undergo an operation to deal with damage to

nerves and ligaments in his broken left shoulder.

Let's hope you get well soon. It has been another lovely day, but

while we are stuck in the studio, Paul is outside topping up his

suntan! It seemed a pity not make a most of

it. Plenty of you have been out and about making a most of it. Take a

lap -- take a look at these shots this afternoon, some brave souls

around in Sunderland actually took to the North Sea. Hazy sunshine

there this afternoon underneath a high pressure put up the sea

temperature is only about seven or eight degrees, and braver than me!

Although most contented themselves with a kickabout on the grass and

queuing up to keep that ice-cream man busy. It has been a beautiful

day right across the region, it has One. Even on the coasts, where

things were a bit cooler, we still made the mid- to high teens, not

bad at all for the tail end of March. This evening and overnight,

the sun is beginning to dip over the horizon and things will cool

down. Like last night, there is barely a cloud in the sky it right

across the north-east and Cumbria. Light winds which means the keep --

heat for radiate away from the grounds and the air temperatures

will drop. In the countryside, a few places could see a touch of

frost later in the night. Watch out for one or two mist patches forming.

Actually start again tomorrow, in the early mistiness will clear. --

a chilly start tomorrow. It will head up, temperature Wise, inland

areas seeing temperatures around 17 or 18. A bit cooler on the Cumbrian

coast. The north-east coast should see another hot day. Like the last

couple of days, barely a cloud in the skies, unbroken blue skies and

sunshine for most of us again tomorrow. Aziz said last night,

some high-pressure which has kept us bone dry recently stays in

charge over the next few days, but then it shift away westwards and

sit over Ireland. It will keep most of us tried but by the end of the

week it will feed in some slightly cooler north westerly wind. We will

see temperatures taking a dip. Most places will see afternoon

temperatures up in the mid- to high teens on Thursday and Friday. Clear

spells overnight, and most of this state bone dry, we might see the

odd spot of drizzle at the weekend but essentially no proper range to

talk about. If the garden is gasping for some water, it will

Finally, at the headlines. A report into last summer's rioting says it

could happen again if half-a- million forgotten families are not

given the support they need. And a paedophile describe as every