16/04/2012 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

Welcome to Monday's Look North. Tonight. The moment they thought

would never come. Steel-making finally returns to Teesside after a

Titanic struggle. The big new study that hopes will lead to a cure for

Parkinson's disease. The man who trained a North Yorkshire horse

killed in the Grand National says it was a freak accident. And back

in business. A museum re-opens after the hole in the wall gang

stole �2 million worth of valuable antiques. In sport a remarkable

victory sees the Falcons live to fight another day, but it is D-Day

for Darlington, as the Quakers go down. What does the future hold

He says it was a Titanic struggle. But a struggle that brought a steel

plant back to life. The chief executive of SSI spoke as steel-

making finally returned to Teesside after a break of two years. The

blast furnace was relit in Redcar yesterday, and the first new steel

is due off the production line within the next 48-hours. So a

momentous weekend, and a significant week to come. Stuart

Whincup is live there for us now. This site is a sign of this area's

proud industrial past. They have been making iron and steel here in

Teesside for the last 170 years and once again, the blust furnace is

roorg. The smoke has been rising into the sky. We have been walking

round the plant and the vans and diggers have been whizzing round

the site. Sending a clear message that this plant that once faced

closure is very much back in business. The moment steel-making

returned to Teesside. Ladies and gentlemen, the blast furnace is now

on blast. The honours were performled by Wills Waterfield, the

son of the late union boss Geoff Waterfield, who fought to keep the

plant open. What was it like turning that on? Easier than I

thought. Easier than I thought. was all Geoff wanted, everything

that was, that he campaigned for. ABC Luily, we have been saying he

would have been bouncing today. Itst believed to have invested 1.6

billion in the site. Today is a big success, but we recognise that it

is just the first step. We still have a lot of work to do. We want

to build this business to be a sustainable one that will last for

generations and we are committed to do that. Many of the 1600 workers

who lost their jobs two years ago have been re-employed by SSI.

People like Michael Burke I wanted to come back for SSI, the North

East and get it going for the young people of the area. It is brilliant

for the people of the area. Initially the steel made here will

be shipped to Thailand where there is a demand in the car industry.

The first slabs are due off the production line on Wednesday

morning. I am joined by Paul Warren the khrairm of the multi-union here,

the man who replaced Geoff. What did it mean to you and the other

workers? Yesterday when it was lit, it meant, you know, all the

families who were working for u give us that security, that we

deserve. We fought hard for it. We never stopped believing. We knew it

would come back one day. It is, the business is going the thrive. The

wealth is going to thrive. never stopped believe something a

lot of people had doubts in the dark days, are you saying hand on

heart you never feared this day? can put my hand on on my heart a

and say I never stopped believing. I had a good man de-- beside me

that has passed away, Geoff Waterfield who made me believe that

it would come back, and we campaigned, we organised, and we

just made sure that we were never going to give in and Mr Wynn picked

it up. It was in the pipeline but he seen the enthusiasm., what the

workers co-offer. There is talk about the future, about investment

coming in, more job, this must be music to your ears. It is

marvellous. There will be some changes at the furnace that will

bring more jobs, it is fantastic news. Well, SSI has created 1700

jobs, as we heard another 100 are expected to follow in the months

ahead. This isn't just good news for Redcar and the plarpbgts it

will benefit many businesses in the Teesside economy as our business

correspondent reports. Unlikely as it may seem, but can teedger teen

worker Sharon is benefiting from the return of steel-making to

Teesside. Her company feeds the work force, provides security and

cleaning. She has done this nor more than 20 years and watched a

the furnace was mothballed. We were all at risk, it was a worry, it was

my husband and my son and they worked in the steelworks. It was a

worrying time. Now the uncertainty has gone, the trickle down effect

of SSI's presence can be felt. was a significant decrease to us as

a business, a lot of long-term serving staff, very loyal staff

lost their jobs during that period. With the restart we have managed to

either bring some of those individuals back, with experience

and also bring new people back into the business, to the tune of about

150 people. The finished steel that comes out of the plant will be

shipped from here, Tees port, another business looking to expand.

We have gone for a process of employing somewhere in the order of

40, 50 people, and also supporting round about 30, 40 other jobs who

are subcontractor, this has taken about 80, 90 people back in to

employment over the course of the last three months. SSI wants to

employ 1800 people. That means about another 5,000 in the supply

chain. A very big deal indeed for Teesside's economy. Well, after a

day of celebration the focus is on the future, the President of SSI

said his aim, his focus was to make this the most competitive to see

plant in the world. Something that could be the envy of all plants

every where he said that would guarantee the future for the next

generation. That was his wish. Now their ultimate goal is to develop a

cure, and that is why the biggest study yet into Parkinson's disease

has been launched. Hospitals across the north want Parkinson's's

patients to take part and 1.6 million is being pumped into the

research. Here it is estimated round 5,000 people suffer from

Parkinson's in the region. One in 20 is under the age of 40 and the

hope is 3,000 people will take part in this huge study. We went to meet

one woman who was diagnosed at the age of 35 and the leading scientist

behind this project. There is no cure. Not even a test for the

disease. And every hour someone in the UK is told they have

Parkinson's. Vicki Dillon from Hexham was told when she was just

35. I was devastated. I knew kind of what Parkinson's was but not

everything. I couldn't remember it meant you died or would be in a

wheelchair or what. I was floored. A neurological disorder

Parkinson's's is caused when the brain cells that control movement

stop working and die. The main symptoms are tremor, rigidity and

slowness of movement. It was every time I lift mid hand it would shake

a bit so if I was having a cup of tea it would just have a bit of a

tremor. I thought this is weird and holding my hand clenched. My leg

started as well. When it started I thought this is not good. She was

diagnosed by this man, Professor David Burn. His work has led to

this study of 3,000 people. For the first time, doctors will be able to

gather a huge amount of information about the disease. I was involved

in zuring the grant, round -- securing the grant, about �1.6

million. The study, the largest of its kind in the world has a grand

aim. It hopes to speed up the search for a cure for Parkinson's

disease and it will do this if it can track down the biomarker, the

small changes in the body that indicate the progression of the

disease. What we look for is a trait, a marker, if you like,

identify people with Parkinson's at an early stage, so if somebody went

along with Parkinson's disease, the doctor might have a available a

test. With her medication Vicki who has been chosen to carry the

Olympic torch in Carlisle is able to live -- live life to the full.

Today she welcomed news of the study in the hope se will be able

to enjoy her future. I don't think of myself sitting in a chair

shaking and not doing anything. There is a good chance it might

happen to me. I am not going to give up because I have Parkinson's

so somebody out there will find us a cure I am sure of it. Sharon is

with me now. How confident are the scientists this piece of research

might take them closer to finding a cure for what is a terrible

disease? It is. We saw Professor burn in the report there. He said

many patients dream of a cure. So to do the medics and scientists. It

is a step in the right direction but a very long way to finding a

cure. What they hope to find is to be able to, as he said, find a test,

and if you can be diagnosed with Parkinson's early you are

preserving the brain cells that would die off and you can look

after them and slow down the progression of the disease, so a

step in the right direction. Thank you for joining us. You can see

what others are saying about that story on our Facebook page. The

address is on the screen now. More news and the police officer jailed

as a result of a malicious prosecution is to receive

compensation of more than �800,000. A court has decided on the amount

after Cleveland Police admitted liability in the case of Sultan

Alam, Mr Alam was jailed in 1996 after being falsely accused of

handling stolen goods. He served nine months behind bars but was

cleared by the Court of Appeal. Earlier we asked him if the award

in any way put things right. No. It is not, and some people may find

that difficult to comprehend, but this was never about money, it was

about things that don't really come with a price tag, about right,

about justice, about the right of a individual to be treated as an

equal, and about honour. This is a consequence of that. This evening

Shawn White said the force wasn't a racist organisation and that the

compensation award draws a line under the affair. The man who

trained the North Yorkshire horse killed in the Grand National said

it was a freak accident. The gelding called According To Pete

suffered a broken shoulder after a fall at Becher's Brook and had to

be put down. His owners have said they will never enter another horse

in the race. It was meant to be a day of celebration. According To

Pete, first ride in the race. He has a ripe chance. But for the

owners of According To Pete the Grand National ended in tragedy and

upset. The 11-year-old steeplechase er suffered a broken shoulder when

it was brought down by another horse while jumping the Becher's

Brook for the second time. On His Own is down. According To Pete has

been brought down. According to the train er he was back at the stables.

He said there was no other option but to have the horse put down

they break bones like that, there is no, you know you can't mend them.

They have to be humanely destroyed and I didn't want to go and lose

Pete, but, I have to accept that we did, you know. He has been a dream

to have, you know, they can't take the memories from us, we wish we

still had him. We do. We do. Last month's Challenge Cup winner

Synchronised was badly injured in the race and had to be destroyed.

The deaths bring the number of houses in the past 50 years to 36

and once again there are questions about just how safe the race is.

They have done a lot at the course, and it was the, the jumps were good.

He can jump. The only fault is there is too many horse, there is

40 and it is maybe 250 many. Malton today followers of racing

questioned if changing the Grand National would do any good. They

have made it as safe as they can. It was a very big field. 40 is a

lot of horse. I used to be a rider myself so I know horses do enjoy,

you know competing, but I think the Grand National in particular is

very very severe. At Aintree court officials have promised a review of

everything that happened in the race that cost According To Pete

his life. Durham University's Oriental Museum has reopened. It

closed following a burglary during I was two artefacts worth �1.8

million were stolen. The Ching Dynasty bowl and figurine have been

recovered. Open to the public again. Children from Byers Green Primary

look round Durham University's Oriental Museum. The building was

shut after thieves stole the 18th century Ching Dynasty porcelain

sculpture and jade bowl. They are worth almost �2 million. The police

found them concealed in Brandon, near Durham. Absolute delight I is

fair to say that the staff were dancing through the gal roifs the

museum. I was dancing in the street. The museum has one of the fiepest

collections of Chinese art and archaeology in Britain. The police

believe the pieces were probably stole on the order and feared they

had been taken out of the country. The bowl was carved out of a single

piece of jade. Beautifully decorated with a poem in the centre.

A lovely piece. We miss it like an old friend and we very much look

forward to having it returned and returned to the display so

thousands of people who visit the mew seems each year will have an

opportunity to enjoy it again. is where the thieves broke in. The

only place they could, in the outside wall of the gallery. Now

builders and decorators have been in and repaired it so you would

never know what happened here ten days ago. Security at the museum

has been tightened. Meanwhile, detectives continue to sech for two

men from the West Midlands. You are watching Look North. Still to come

Dawn will join me for Team Talk. And with some parts of the country

in drought condition, our water levels remain at a healthier level

and are set to be topped up again this week. Join me later for the

full forecast. The Conservatives have launched their manifesto for

May's local elections in Carlisle. They run the City Council with

support from the Liberal Democrats. But Labour only need to win three

seats to seize power. Here is our political reporter. A very British

battle bus trundles into town. The Conservatives are gearing up for a

tough campaign. Carlisle City council is in no overall control.

At present a Conservative Liberal Democrat alliance is running the

council. But Labour only need to win three seats to seize power. So

the pressure is on for this May's elections We accept it is a serious

fight and there is a possibility Labour will take control. We want

do the best for the city and the people who can do that are the

Conservatives. To entice voters this year's manifesto promises to

freeze council tax for the next two years, a funding reduction their

are bullish about being able to cope with. We have dealt with the

Government spending reduction of 20% so we have reduce the budget by

20%. That is without reducing or stopping services, what we are also

arguing as part of the payment we should reduce the number of

councillors. We feel 52 is too many and we are looking to reduce that

by about a third. That will reduce the amount of reputation that

people get. Will they be able to get a good deal? I think that if

you look at it it would mean three councillor, one on the County and

two on the city for every ward, if you ask the public, I think they

would feel that is enough representation. 17 wards in

Carlisle are up for election. It is a ballot that has the potential to

see all change at the City Council. And we will of course be bringing

you the other party launches as we go through the election campaign.

Now though, it is time for Team Talk. Starting with relegation for

one of our team, ifb tabl as it was the demise of Darlington is painful.

It really is. We don't know where they will be next season. If they

don't escape administration by the end of May they will drop two

division, bypassing the Conference North and going to the northern

Premier League. Which would be grim. They were so close to a stay of

execution on Saturday. They needed to beat Bath City to keep afloat

for another week. Looked good for most of the game. Bath are at the

bottom as well. The Quakers hadn't won in 17 games. They got a first

half lead. With seven minutes to go Bath pulled one back. And two

minutes from time, the goal that sent Darlington down. Agony for the

fan, the players and of course the manager. Them boys could have

walked away, like myself, they have stuck it out we have seen it

through. We have got the ending that we feared but prayed wouldn't

happen. I know we have to raise some more money. We have business

proposals to put together and for investment and I am hopeful and

confident we will raise the money needed. I will still be here next

season. I will go away. It is our club, our town. Supported for years.

Not going to stop. The result sums up the last six months. We are been

going down for a long time. All I wanted them to do is to make sure

we went down with a fight. We have done that. I ain't going to

criticise anybody. It is a hugely disappointing afternoon for the

club, but it was inevitable. you can see more on Darlington's

demise on Late Kick Off at 11.05 tonight on BBC One. A youngster who

was released by Darlington 12 months ago helped put Middlesbrough

on the promotion trail. Darlo maybe regretting that now but Boro got

their first win in nine games when it looked as if their chance had

gone. Tony McMahon hit the bar but Boro had to pick up three points.

Even after they are just outside the play off zone. But the gap is

closing, thanks to this fabulous pass from Barry Robson and a great

finish from the 19-year-old substitute. Three games left for

Boro. They are at home to Doncaster then Southampton at the Riverside

next weekend. A great win for Boro but the best result of the day was

in Scottish Division Three. Berwick Rangers beating Alloa 5-0 at

Shielfield Park. Sadly we don't have them or much else to show you

from the Stadium of Light. This youngster must have been saying why

have you brought me here? It was one of those game, a bit like the

last home match against Spurs. 0-0, apart from a few near misses not a

lot to shout about. Seb Larsson with the miss of the match late on,

that would have won it. Couldn't believe it. Wolves almost nicked it.

It is not only FA Cup semifinal referees who continue spot when the

ball is over the line. Mike Jones the official had a good look at

that one. The ball is outside the D. But he left Wolves take the corner.

He had two looks at it! The referee can explain that one! It is the

same in League One. It is. Carlisle have dropped out of the play off

zone just at the wrong time. I doesn't help they have lost Lee

Miller for the rest of the season. They are facing really tough run in

as well. They are. Top of the league Charlton were at Brunton

Park. Almost ruined the promotion party. Liam Noble, that effort

coming off the post. Charlton won it with the only goal of the game

to clinch a place back in the Championship. Ending Carlisle's

nine match unbeaten run. No joy at Hartlepool despite Pools scoring

their first goal in five games. Chesterfield had to win to avoid

relegation and they did. Pools have lost 11 home games this season. It

left the manager scratching his head. I thought, we did create more,

but just, and then when you go behind, there is a bit of pressure

on the boys, from me, I need strong characters who can react to that.

It is frustrating the chances we created. You saw the scratch of the

head. It was literally. Rugby Union finally. Relegation threatened

Newcastle hadn't won at Kingsholm for 14 years. Jimmy Gopperth kicked

19 of the Falcons 29 points as they moved to within 14 points of

relegation rivals Wasps. A late try from Mark Wilson sealed their first

victory on the road in 14 months in the league. Will the momentum be

enough to see them beat Saracens? Let us hope so. Lit go down to the

wire. Yet again. Time for the weather now. You may have noticed

the drought is sweeping the country the drought is sweeping the country

but doesn't seem to be affecting us. Think time we are the winners the

north south divide. Water levels are where they should be at this

time of the year and we have no real cause for concern at the

moment. But they are saying don't waste it, look after what we have

got. They will be coming to pinch our water won't they! Yes, the

fundamental difference is that southern parts of the country have

had a prolonged spell, two years almost where rainfall has been

consistently below average, that has been much different in the

north. We have had some spells of dry weather. Normally the rain

gauge would record 47.9 millimetres on average during March but last

month it didn't make a third of that. So we have had some dry

months, but broadly speaking water levels are still at a healthy level

here. You can see that from this shot. The waterline up to the lush

green vegetation on the shore. Also Malcolm was out and about and he

says there is plenty water off Wensleydale. There is more rain to

come as we head through the week. Very unsettled. Low pressure, we

will see rain at times and that process starts tonight, after a

mostly dry day, the cloud thickening, rain spreading in

through the evening and it spreads across the region overnight. It is

not a warm night. Some could turn to sleet or wet snow for a time.

Temperatures down were to three in a few spots. It is a wet and windy

end to the night, as well as heavy rain, those gusty winds making it

feel unpleasant if you are out and about through the night. Having

said that it shouldn't last too long. That overnight rain should be

clearing away eastwards and that leaves a mix of sunshine and

showers for tomorrow. Most places should see blue sky and sunshine,

probably near the North East coast seeing the more prolonged bright

spells. Anywhere could see a heavy one, maybe a few hailstones, maybe

a rumble of thunder. Best temperatures where we see the

bright spells and we get shelter from the wind, 11 C in the east.

What is making the weather so unsettled? It is this big low

pressure area. Never moves very far, stays there dominates the weather,

through the coming week, round it, winding band of cloud, outbreaks of

showery rain and the bull of course the week a cold easterly wind. So

after tomorrow's April showerer not a great deal of different for

Wednesday. Most of us will see showery rain. Temperatures

struggling, maybe a bit milder in the Westcarr liel there, 12C. There

is not a great deal of change for the end of the working week either.

Thursday and Friday showery affair, again a bit of brightness, probably

some of the best of the bright innocence the west but you could

see the odd heavy thundery shower. If you are interested in seeing how

other parts of the country are coping you can find out on the

weather website and we will keep you updated here. If the

southerners want some rain they can move north! Know apology, no

remorse, the man accused of Norway's summer camp massacre

admits killing 77 people but says he was acting in self-defence and

the first new steel is due off the production line in Redcar within