07/08/2013 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

programme tonight. Censorship, or protecting the public? Newcastle

council says it wants to ban payday loan companies from advertising on

billboards. Where is mother of three Rania

buried? Police say this camper van could hold the key.

The zero hours contract debate. Tourism businesses in the Lakes say

they're essential. And the Cumbrian char that's turning

Northumbrian. A new home for one of Britain's rarest fish as it

struggles to survive. In sport we hear from the Durham

cricketer hoping for a bash at the Aussies in his home Test match.

And we look back on a miserable night of Cup action for three of our

Tonight, payday loan firms under renewed attacks. This time one of

our councils is considering banning them from advertising hoardings. A

quick look online reveals many of the loan companies have

eyebrow-raising interest rates of over 300% per annum, and they've

been accused of exploiting desperate people. Newcastle City Council has

already blocked one of them, Wonga, Newcastle United's sponsor, from

computers in its libraries, and now it wants to go further. But as our

Political Correspondent Mark Denten reports, the loan firms say they're

being unfairly targeted. St James Park, Newcastle. The new

season starts in just a couple of weeks. A new start. Also on the shop

as well as the club badge will be the name of its new sponsor. Should

it and its competitors be able to promote themselves. Increasingly,

councils are saying now. Plymouth City Council has just announced it's

banning payday loan firms from advertising. Newcastle Council is

now considering following suit for billboards in the city. I do not

want payday loan companies to have advertising space in our city. It is

the wrong image and people should look to alternatives like credit

unions instead. The council is in the process of blocking loan company

sites in council owned buildings including libraries. They say Wonga

have already been blocked by an internet filter, but isn't that

censorship? We are not affecting what people do in their homes but we

are seeing in public buildings they should not be able to access payday

loan companies, because we are having to pay massive amounts of

support for people getting into difficulties because of these

companies. But this payday loan company in Newcastle says it's angry

at the councils moves. I am a capitalist. I think it is a bad idea

and businesses that are legal should be allowed to advertise. But with

loans of all shapes and sizes part of the local landscape already,

would people in the city really back an ad ban for payday loan firms.

agree with that. The people who apply for them can be vulnerable.

They are more likely to be enticed into these kinds of situations. I am

totally against it and I think the council are right. Wonga say they

don't consider themselves a payday loan company but they didn't want to

comment on any possible restrictions on their advertising.

A man who supplied a Class A drug to a York teenager who later died has

been jailed for six years and five months. Luke Carey, who's 25,

appeared before York Crown Court. He'd pleaded guilty at an earlier

hearing to giving 16-year-old Poppy Rodgers methylamphetamine. Poppy

died in April last year after taking the designer drug.

Police investigating the disappearance of a former Teesside

woman have extended their search to North Yorkshire. Mother-of-three

Rania Alayed vanished in early June. Two men have already been charged

with her murder. Now detectives searching an area near Thirsk are

asking for help in tracing a camper van, they believe to be linked to

her disappearance. It's on this stretch of the a 19

which is at the centre of this cross-border police investigation.

Detectives have established a white camper van travel this way around

the time of Rania Alayed's disappearance. It is thought to have

drooled over in a northbound lay-by. Police have already

contacted around the hundred and 50 drivers who were known to have been

using the road at around that time and they are now anxious to speak to

any early morning walkers or people on the Sunday morning that may have

noticed an area of disturbed ground or undergrowth. If people have any

evidence or information, people can be charged with this moral power. My

task is to coordinate the search and continue to look for Rania Alayed.

Two people have already been charged with the murder. Both men are from

the greater Manchester area. As far as solving the mess of this young

woman's whereabouts, police believe the answer to that lies somewhere

along this trunk road in North To businesses in the Lake District

said they are worried the government may rush through legislation over

controversial zero hours contracts. Hotels, restaurants and guesthouses

say they rely on the flexibility of the contracts to stay in business,

but critics say the contracts are fears and can lead to exploitation.

-- are unfair. It's the height of the tourist season, beds are booked

and hotels are fully staffed. Many of them with seasonal workers

like Victor, who are on Zero Hours contracts so there's no guarantee

about if and when they work. It is difficult because you need the money

and you need to work and be able to pay bills. You will not have the

money ready. Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, is reviewing the

use of contracts like Victor's. In the Lake District, the worry is that

review might rule out their use, making employing staff tricky.

big concern is that Vince Cable may be rushed into creating legislation

which does not encompass the variety of work patterns and work load in

different industries and communities around the country. It would be

extremely hard or even impossible to create a one size fits all

legislation package. He is convinced zero hours contracts can work for

the tourist industry if employers are responsible, but the Warriors

employees could be exploited which is why people need to be aware of

what they are entitled to. They are entitled to holidays and may be

entitled to statutory sick pay, but most employers, if you have a good

work-out in place you want to keep that worker. A decision from the

Business Secretary on the next stage of the review is expected in

September. The outcome will be keenly awaited by one of Cumbria's

biggest economies. The first phase of a �265 million

housing development began in Newcastle's west end today. The

15-year-long plan is for 1800 homes, a neighbourhood centre and

commercial facilities on the banks of the River Tyne in Scotswood. The

project's part of a larger scheme to regenerate parts of Newcastle and

Gateshead. A breast cancer drug which was

undergoing trials in Newcastle, will not be available on the NHS. The

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence says it has concerns

over the value and effectiveness of Perjeta, which is said to extend the

life expectancy of some advanced cases. Further research will be

carried out. It's a rare strain of a rare fish,

and it's found only in the waters of Ennerdale in the Lake District. But

the survival of the Ennerdale Arctic char, which is considered unique

because it spawns in streams, not still water, is under threat,

because the water it needs for its first stages of life is becoming too

acidic. So fish from Cumbria have now been brought to establish a new

population in Kielder Water in Northumberland to try to save a

creature which has been around since the ice age.

It's messing about with nature. Yes, but it's messing about to save a

little bit of nature. This bit. These are the fish at four months

old. Their parents came from Ennerdale. This particular group

only spawn in one feeder stream that comes into Annandale water, and that

particular stream had problems with water quality so we grow them here

and then gets overly difficult stage before we put them back into

Annandale water. Now, they don't look big enough to be even worth

saving. But they do grow. Into this! If you're thinking, that looks

like a nice meal, you not alone. Because ospreys now populate

Kielder, too. And if the char aren't careful, then this latest

conservation project will end up not alongside the osprey, but inside the

osprey. This is the trouble. Fish are getting predated Dawn and levels

not seen before, but I do not think the level of Osprey will affect this

population because they are a deepwater fish. At this point, it is

worth telling our fishing friends that if they catch any, to carefully

at them. The anglers will pay heed. The ospreys, though? The hope is

they'll stick to trout. Coming up next, our

longest-standing, or sitting, MP announces he's bowing out.

And we launch our summer series charting the rise and fall of our

seaside resorts, with a look at the days when a trip to the seaside

really was something special. I'll be here what a fool weather

forecast for the next few days including for the first three days

of test match. The long-standing MP for Berwick,

Sir Alan Beith has announced he'll step down at the next election after

42 years. The Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg led tributes to Sir Alan,

describing the former deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats as

passionately committed to his constituency. Alison Freeman

reports. He's the longest serving liberal

since Lloyd George. But in 2015, Sir Alan Beith will stand down as the MP

for Berwick-upon-Tweed. He made the announcement today - 40 years after

he first won the seat for the Lib Dems, by the narrow margin of just

57 votes. Ever since then the Conservatives have sought to take it

but he's remained popular with constituents. Often seen as mild

mannered, Sir Alan is a highly effective politician both locally

and at Westminster. He's long campaigned for improvements to the

A1 in his constituency and was deputy leader of the party for

almost a decade from 1993. Earlier in 1988 he made a failed bid for the

leadership, against Paddy Ashdown, then in 2008, he was knighted. Today

the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said it was little wonder that Sir

Alan commanded the attention of all parties when speaking, because of

his longevity as an MP. He said he greatly admired the 70-year-old's

passionate commitment to his constituency and to the North East.

A series of events to honour Sir Alan's 40 years in politics will be

held in Northumberland later this year.

Thanks to the return of the sun this summer, many people are enjoying a

visit to the seaside without the need for a fleece and an umbrella.

There was a time, not that long ago, when a trip to the coast was a

magical experience and, for many, it was the highlight of the year.

Resorts like Whitley Bay, Redcar and Scarborough would be heaving with

tourists and day-trippers. But then came the era of cheap air travel,

and foreign holidays took over. Throughout this month on Look North

we're looking at the health and history of our coastal resorts.

First, Peter Harris looks back at the glory days, when an English

Fantastic. Like going to heaven. To us it seems like all our birthdays

had come at once. For some, these were the days they had dreams of.

The site of the sea once a year and the results we once took for granted

were magical back then. Sometimes we used to just stand on the promenade

and look out to the sea. We'd run down, get wet and come back and die

off. Heaven. -- dry off. Scarborough had probably been the first and then

the railways brought the coast within reach of all. The Victorians

were convinced of the therapeutic value of CERN bathing water. -- sea

air. Initially, these places were just for posh people but later the

working classes came. There's nothing wrong with donkey rides.

What always amused me was there was a fish and chip shop, and the queues

for that place would be halfway down the street, but the locals had a

special hatch at the back where they could go and get served

straightaway. And then the Scots started coming. The Glasgow fair

fortnight it was called and every weekend for decades and the

colonised Whitley Bay. What I remembered was getting on a special

train from Glasgow bound to Whitley Bay. There is confusion over the

seats and over the fact that they will be stuck on this without so

much as a cup of tea for four hours. Thousands of people, completely fool

and people sleeping in tents and things like that. I remember having

a fantastic time. It was all about going and playing the penny

machines. I remember sitting on the beach. I remember my mum and dad

saying, here it comes, and then we all headed back up to the

guesthouse. It was just a great place and are very fond unhappy

memories. -- fawned and happy. It was an age when there was no other

choice, but for a week or two, they were the promised land. That was our

moment of the year. Happy days. I loved that shot of the

two older ladies paddling with their coats on. Next week, Peter will be

looking at the rise of the Costas, which left our beaches empty, and

Benidorm's full to bursting. You're bursting with excitement because the

Ashes is driving you nuts. Less than two days to go and Ashes fever is

starting to grip the region. Today both England and Australia were at

Durham's International cricket ground to have their first practice

sessions and check out the facilities. But, as has often been

the case with this fascinating Test series, controversy was never far

away. Mark Tulip reports. Firstly, let's hope the North-East

weather hasn't peaked too early. Here were the Aussies, still two

down in the series having been foiled by the Manchester rain,

bathing in the Chester-le-Street sunshine this morning. After lunch

it was even better when England held their practice session. But both

teams were followed all the way to the ground by another controversy.

This time, reports in the Australian media that an investigation was to

be held into whether some players were using silicone tape on their

bats to trick the Hotspot technology which can usually confirm whether a

batsman has actually hit the ball. The International Cricket Council

and players on both sides rubbished the claims. So what do the Aussies

think of a ground preparing to host its first Ashes Test? They have been

good. The nets were nice out the back and the dressing rooms and the

ground are and the ground are good, so it is nice to a different ground

and not such a big stadium to play a test match. Friday could be red

letter day for Gateshead-born seam bowler Graham Onions, a Durham

stalwart just shy of his 31st birthday. Bad luck and injury have

confined him to just nine Tests. If he makes this final 11 for this

match, it would surely top the lot. Definitely. 2009, I played my second

game here but to play against Australia on Friday in front of my

family would be amazing. It would be a dream come true. These are just

some of the Australian players standing between England and a

series victory. Even the England players would welcome five days of

weather like this come Friday. Now, as well as the current players,

you can always catch up with some of the biggest names from the past,

whenever Test match cricket is in town. So many of them, these days,

working in the media. And Katie Gornall is in Chester-le-Street with

a real superstar, right now. Katie. I'll introduce you just a minute but

you join me here and how's about this for a view? There is Durham's

ground, eagerly anticipating the start of the test just four days

away. Here to talk about it all is the hero from 2005, Freddie

Flintoff. England already the team they are coming into this but can

they win the team they are coming into this but can they when they see

these outbreaks? They want to win the series and when well. England

will be wanting to improve on the performances so this will be

fiercely contested an all outcomes are possible. They would absolutely

love to win the series outright. How does it compare to you when in 2005?

England are very strong although not playing to their full potential, and

it is different. You can only play against what is in front of you.

Engel and want to show they are a better side and probably better than

they have shown in the last few weeks. A bit of a road growing about

Silicon Cape being used to evade hotspot technology. -- tape. What

was your reaction? It sounds like a bit of nonsense. It is quite a slow

news week so we will take some pictures of them having a cigarette

and so on, but we should be focusing on what has been a great series so

far. A lot of excitement. We will let you go to prepay for a radio

show and you can hear more from him tonight on radio five live.

Well worth a listen. Away from the Ashes, but still with cricket, there

was disappointment for Durham last night. They missed the chance to

make T20 finals day for only the second time, after a heavy

quarterfinal defeat at Northants. Kyle Coetzer, who played for Durham

in their one-day Cup final win at Lord's in 2007, hit a rapid 44 to

put the home side on their way to a daunting 20-over total of 183 for

four. And despite an unbeaten half-century from Ben Stokes, which

included four sixes, Durham were never really in the hunt, under the

Northampton floodlights, falling 36 runs short on 147 for six.

On to football, and on BBC Radio Cumbria tonight you can follow

Carlisle's fortunes against Blackburn Rovers in the Capital One

League Cup. Let's hope they fare better than three of our teams, who

fell at first hurdle last night. If you're a Boro fan, it doesn't get

much worse than this. A crowd which dipped below 7000. A second

successive home defeat to start the season. And ten years after they won

this competition, an embarrassing Cup exit at the hands of Accrington

Stanley. If your manager Tony Mowbray, where on earth do you go

from here? It wasn't as if Boro didn't have enough chances to win by

a hatful. Official stats showed 31 attempts on goal, but this one, from

Lucas Jutkiewicz, was the only one that counted. Stanley, now managed

by former England striker James Beattie, had five attempts,

including this one - a header from Marcus Carver which was judged to

have crossed the line. When you waste opportunities like this, you

just know it's not going to be your night. And, sure enough, nine

minutes from time, Piero Mingoia smacked home Stanley's winner. Yes,

Accrington Stanley. A name, and a night, Boro won't forget in a hurry.

It's also two defeats in a row for Middlesbrough old boy Colin Cooper,

in his new role in charge of Hartlepool, though Pools were up

against Championship side Nottingham Forest, coincidentally, another of

Cooper's former clubs. One-up at the break, Forest's next two goals owed

much to their Sunderland connection - former Black Cat Greg Halford

heading in the second, and one-time Wearside favourite Andy Reid setting

up their third. Pool replied with their first of the season - a

consolation header from defender Neil Austin.

Over at Bootham Crescent, York City gave an early headstart to another

Championship team, Burnley, and never looked like catching up.

Manager Nigel Worthington was pleased with the effort, but saw the

Minstermen fade away towards the end as the Clarets strolled into round

two. Also last night, Newcastle played

out a 1-1 draw in their friendly with Rangers. This evening,

Sunderland were in Denmark to meet the Danish League leaders, FC

Mitilland. They are leading with a goal from Alan Johnson. Left out of

the side was Irish winger James McClean, who's understood to be on

the verge of joining FA Cup winners Wigan. The 24-year-old was an

instant hit under Martin O'Neill, but suffered a drastic dip in form

last season. Thank you. Have you contained

yourself now? Two more days to go. test match. The next few days has

sunshine and just a few showers. First thing tomorrow, bright skies

across parts of Yorkshire and there will be clear spells across much of

the Legion with temperatures dropping to around 10 Celsius. Not

quite as cool as it was last night with temperatures in the low 50s in

Fahrenheit. Just a bit clothier in Northumberland. We are expecting the

warmth of the day to build a scattering of showers, falling just

about anywhere. Warren in between the downpours at around 22 Celsius.

Light winds and bright skies with the few showers and several are in

Cumbria. Quite changeable through the day tomorrow. A mix of sunshine

and showers tomorrow and tomorrow evening, more general rainfall which

will bring a wet start to Friday. The rain clears first thing on

Friday so bright skies by the end of the afternoon and warm inland.

Through the start of the weekend, things will stay dry and settled but

cooler than of late. All change again on Sunday. Across the

north-east, bright skies by the end of Friday and cooler and just a bit

clothier on Saturday. He is the forecast for the cricket. On Friday,

we are expecting it to be a wet start but that clears by the time

the players take to the field with bright skies blue until tea-time.

Looking good for Saturday but on headlines. The new Governor of the

Bank of England, Mark Carney, says interest rates will remain at their

record low at least until unemployment falls to 7%.