:00:00. > :00:00.Hello and welcome to Friday's Look North. Tonight: A former police
:00:07. > :00:11.authority chief is cleared of witness intimidation. This has been
:00:12. > :00:16.a particularly horrendous year for me and my family. I'm glad it's
:00:17. > :00:21.over. Shop till you drop. We join the last
:00:22. > :00:26.minute festive rush in the North's stores. Meanwhile the great getaway
:00:27. > :00:30.is underway ` why Christmas at home isn't for everyone.
:00:31. > :00:35.And thinking inside the box ` the art gallery with standing room only!
:00:36. > :00:51.In sport, can the Black Cats catch out
:00:52. > :00:54.And boxing clever ` the fighter aiming to become the region's first
:00:55. > :01:00.World Champion in the ring for a quarter of a century!
:01:01. > :01:04.First tonight, the former chief of a North East police authority has been
:01:05. > :01:06.cleared of intimidating a witness. Dave McLuckie, who was chairman of
:01:07. > :01:10.Cleveland Police Authority, was accused of visiting the witness'
:01:11. > :01:14.home and saying "You don't know what I can do." The witness had spoken to
:01:15. > :01:15.detectives as part of Operation Sacristy, a long`running
:01:16. > :01:23.investigation into corruption. Damian O'Neil reports. Dave McLuckie
:01:24. > :01:27.walked free after a three day trial in which the court heard that he
:01:28. > :01:31.intimidated Peter Blyth, a witness involved in Operation Sacristy. The
:01:32. > :01:34.jury found him not guilty of witness intimidation, and of an alternative
:01:35. > :01:41.charge of attempting to intimidate a witness. I'm delighted the jury came
:01:42. > :01:45.to the decision they did. I want to thank them all. This has been a
:01:46. > :01:53.particularly horrendous year for me and my family. I'm glad it's over. I
:01:54. > :02:00.want to go home, have a night out with my family and have a good
:02:01. > :02:04.Christmas. Earlier this year, Mr McLuckie was jailed for eight months
:02:05. > :02:08.for persuading a friend to accept speeding points on his driving
:02:09. > :02:11.licence. Dave McLuckie is hugely relieved he'll be spending Christmas
:02:12. > :02:15.at home with his family, but for him the New Year also brings with it a
:02:16. > :02:18.return to the ongoing investigation into corruption at Cleveland Police
:02:19. > :02:29.Authority at a time when he was the chairman.
:02:30. > :02:33.A Cumbrian man who was a director of a haulage firm has been jailed for
:02:34. > :02:36.two years after admitting tachograph fraud. 42`year`old William Ross of
:02:37. > :02:40.Wigton was a director of Ross International Haulage Ltd. He was
:02:41. > :02:44.banned from driving for 18 months and disqualified from being a
:02:45. > :02:47.company director for five years. 16 other employees were also sentenced
:02:48. > :02:49.at Carlisle Crown Court today for conspiracy to falsify tachograph
:02:50. > :02:52.records after a three year investigation by Cumbria Police and
:02:53. > :02:59.the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency.
:03:00. > :03:02.Four used`car salesmen from Middlesbrough have been given
:03:03. > :03:07.community service orders for fraudulently applying for loans for
:03:08. > :03:09.customers. The four ` who all work at Acklam Car Centre ` made
:03:10. > :03:14.applications to finance companies on behalf of car buyers. But to ensure
:03:15. > :03:17.the loans were given, they would inflate the value of vehicles by
:03:18. > :03:21.claiming the cars had done fewer miles than shown on the clock, or
:03:22. > :03:24.that they were newer models than in reality. All four stood to gain
:03:25. > :03:29.commission from subsequently selling the cars.
:03:30. > :03:32.Police say they're concerned for the welfare of a 13`year`old girl
:03:33. > :03:35.missing from her home in Sunderland since Monday afternoon. Nadia
:03:36. > :03:40.Wright, also known as Nadia Creighton, was last seen in the
:03:41. > :03:44.Castletown area of Sunderland. She said she was going to see a friend.
:03:45. > :03:47.She was wearing black leggings, brown knee`high boots, a grey vest
:03:48. > :03:57.top and a multi`coloured scarf. Police are urging anyone who knows
:03:58. > :04:00.where she is to get in touch. It's the final countdown. Just four
:04:01. > :04:05.shopping days to Christmas left and the festive frenzy on the North's
:04:06. > :04:08.high streets is in full swing. Traders are hoping for a big
:04:09. > :04:11.pre`Christmas boost. 7.5 million people have already visited one of
:04:12. > :04:15.our biggest shopping centres ` Eldon Square in Newcastle ` in the run up
:04:16. > :04:18.to Christmas. Online sales have grown to just under 12% of all
:04:19. > :04:29.retail spending, but it seems shoppers here are still heading out
:04:30. > :04:33.to the stores in huge numbers. Stephanie is live for us tonight at
:04:34. > :04:47.Eldon Square. Steph, has it been chocca? The big Christmas shop is
:04:48. > :04:59.underway! It's the last weekend. It's going to get even busier. Here,
:05:00. > :05:12.in the last six weeks, 7.5 million people have visited. These are the
:05:13. > :05:27.must`have gifts. The latest Xbox. The latest Furbie as well! But with
:05:28. > :05:31.a big squeeze on incomes are shoppers saying bah humbug or not?
:05:32. > :05:35.Within budget. Definitely within budget. I tend to indulge the people
:05:36. > :05:39.I know. I enjoy giving. I haven't spent as much as normal. We agreed a
:05:40. > :05:48.certain budget and we've stuck to it. I save all year round so I like
:05:49. > :05:53.to buy presents. Definitely over. I've just moved house so I said I
:05:54. > :05:57.wouldn't... But I always go over. I can't resist! Everything looks so
:05:58. > :06:08.good, I couldn't help myself. Some things caught my eye and I thought
:06:09. > :06:11.why not! Well traders will of course be hoping these last few days before
:06:12. > :06:25.Christmas will provide a much needed boost to their takings in what's
:06:26. > :06:35.been another challenging year. Online sales have grown. Some of the
:06:36. > :06:41.big stores are really pushing their websites. This is what the manager
:06:42. > :06:45.of Eldon Square had to say. There's very little difference in numbers.
:06:46. > :06:49.We're very marginally down against last year in terms of the total
:06:50. > :06:52.numbers. A lot of people are looking online but also coming in and
:06:53. > :06:55.shopping. There's a lot of click`and`collect. People are
:06:56. > :06:59.looking online, making sure they can get what they want and then coming
:07:00. > :07:08.in to get the rest of their shopping. For us it's a win`win
:07:09. > :07:11.situation. So with competition from big name retailers and online, are
:07:12. > :07:17.shops who rely on passing trade feeling the winter chill? We've been
:07:18. > :07:25.speaking to an independent retailer who says it's been a really tough
:07:26. > :07:34.year. Business this year has been difficult. People are a look more
:07:35. > :07:38.careful about their spending. We also have competition from online
:07:39. > :08:02.retailers. It's been difficult. We've had to work hard. In Cumbria,
:08:03. > :08:05.an independent butcher's say it's been very busy.Well the North's food
:08:06. > :08:09.retailers are also gearing up for their busiest weekend. Graham Moss
:08:10. > :08:16.went food shopping in Penrith in Cumbria. Meet the stars of the show.
:08:17. > :08:19.These turkeys are waiting for a Christmas home. We love our food,
:08:20. > :08:23.particularly at this time of year. But what about those in the business
:08:24. > :08:27.of providing it? We're in the thick of it. Busy time of year. We produce
:08:28. > :08:30.an awful lot of what we sell. If we're not busy up front, we're
:08:31. > :08:33.beavering away in the background! It's going pretty well! Next
:08:34. > :08:37.Wednesday is coming around pretty fast... So how are the preparations
:08:38. > :08:41.going? They're underway. The turkey's ordered and to be collected
:08:42. > :08:44.later. But I've got other priorities ` a 35th wedding anniversary on the
:08:45. > :08:54.horizon, so I've got friends and family coming over for that too!
:08:55. > :09:00.Food is important to me as you can probably tell by my stature!
:09:01. > :09:11.Christmas wouldn't be the same without the turkey and the stuffing.
:09:12. > :09:16.I prefer beef. I'm sorry! Turkey? Definitely. And some nice wine will
:09:17. > :09:22.be a centrepiece for our family! Turkey's still the big thing. But it
:09:23. > :09:28.does change. Customers are ordering smaller turkeys or turkey crowns.
:09:29. > :09:41.They're popular. You never quite know when the customer will come.
:09:42. > :09:45.But they always do! And so, with the weekend still to come, it seems that
:09:46. > :10:03.things are set to get even busier in the coming days. So Steph, it seems
:10:04. > :10:06.very busy down there and as we've heard some people are obviously
:10:07. > :10:09.throwing caution to the wind and going on a spending spree. But
:10:10. > :10:21.others have got different ideas about Christmas, haven't they? At
:10:22. > :10:24.Christmas it's all about having fun! Tens of thousands of people here in
:10:25. > :10:27.the North are heading to warmer climes for the holiday period. In
:10:28. > :10:30.fact they're expecting around 100,000 people departing from ` and
:10:31. > :10:34.arriving at ` Newcastle Airport between now and the start of 2014.
:10:35. > :10:38.Amy Lee has this report. It's the most wonderful time of the year `
:10:39. > :10:41.especially if you're just about to jet away for the holidays! This is
:10:42. > :10:46.Newcastle Airport at the start of the great Christmas getaway. It's an
:10:47. > :10:51.extremely busy time. We expect to see 100,000 passengers coming and
:10:52. > :10:59.going. 800 to 900 flights arriving and departing. Tenerife, Dubai and
:11:00. > :11:02.Spain are some of the most popular routes ` the warmer temperatures and
:11:03. > :11:08.sunny skies may well have something to do with that! What was it about
:11:09. > :11:14.Tenerife that made you want to leave the lovely North East for
:11:15. > :11:17.Christmas!? It's lovely! Christmas isn't just about people who want to
:11:18. > :11:21.escape to warmer, sunnier climates. It's also about people heading back
:11:22. > :11:29.here to the North East to visit family and friends. This month marks
:11:30. > :11:35.the start of the skiing season, too. The Swiss Alps is a favourite
:11:36. > :11:41.destination. We're skiing in Geneva. We're going back home to Geneva.
:11:42. > :11:47.We've lived there for 40 years. I've just been over visiting my mum...
:11:48. > :11:50.And watching Newcastle play! The number of passengers is expected to
:11:51. > :11:54.stay higher than usual right through to New Year's Day ` meaning there's
:11:55. > :11:55.still some time to go before staff here can enjoy their own Christmas
:11:56. > :12:11.getaway! Now, when you think of day`to`day
:12:12. > :12:14.police work what springs to mind? Tackling car crime perhaps, drug
:12:15. > :12:18.raids, or the patrolling of city streets at night? Well there are
:12:19. > :12:21.some unsung heroes who work on more remote beats, helping wildlife, and
:12:22. > :12:26.tackling dangerous criminals deep in the countryside. One of them is PC
:12:27. > :12:29.John Wilbor, who's based at Richmond in North Yorkshire. John's just won
:12:30. > :12:36.the World Wildlife Fund's "Enforcer of the Year" award. Our reporter
:12:37. > :12:39.Phil Chapman joined him on patrol. The Enforcer sounds like a character
:12:40. > :12:43.from an 80s American cop show but you can forget the streets of New
:12:44. > :12:46.York. For many people in remote parts of North Yorkshire this
:12:47. > :12:52.wildlife enforcer is their hero ` fighting rural crime. If it wasn't
:12:53. > :12:57.for him the place wouldn't be safe. There would be poachers. I wouldn't
:12:58. > :13:01.want to approach them. They could do anything. We'd like more enforcers
:13:02. > :13:07.but there's a budget. He's good at what he does. John is modest about
:13:08. > :13:13.the work he does. He's more likely to thank his network of volunteers,
:13:14. > :13:16.who act as his eyes and ears. I work closely with the community. We set
:13:17. > :13:27.up an initiative called Border Watch. It's a pro`active watch
:13:28. > :13:33.scheme during the night. We patrol the area. After seeing him work
:13:34. > :13:37.tirelessly for years, people who work with John have been queuing up
:13:38. > :13:44.to congratulate him. John works seven nights a week and covers
:13:45. > :13:48.hundreds of miles. It's excellent. I'm pleased he's won the award. John
:13:49. > :13:57.is such a dedicated police officer. The work he's done... He brings
:13:58. > :13:59.everybody on board. John has managed to mobilise the community through
:14:00. > :14:10.Border Watch. They help themselves against the invasion of criminals.
:14:11. > :14:13.This team`work between the police and the public has paid off many
:14:14. > :14:18.times. These brazen, day`time poachers were caught flushing out
:14:19. > :14:21.hares with dogs. Using the 2004 Hunting Wild Mammals Act, John's
:14:22. > :14:28.surveillance resulted in convictions. But things can get
:14:29. > :14:30.worse at night. The partnership has caught people 'lamping' ` a method
:14:31. > :14:34.of hunting nocturnal animals using high`powered lights. We took a
:14:35. > :14:41.vantage point near this location and watched it take place. We were able
:14:42. > :14:44.to pinpoint where they were. They were interviewed, reported for the
:14:45. > :14:54.offence and later attended court to be convicted. After all his hard
:14:55. > :14:59.work, John's now hoping for a quiet and uneventful Christmas... If
:15:00. > :15:02.that's at all possible. While rural crime continues, he can never really
:15:03. > :15:13.rest in his efforts to keep wildlife safe in North Yorkshire.
:15:14. > :15:16.They're 1970s chart`toppers and one of the North's most celebrated
:15:17. > :15:19.groups. Lindisfarne split ten years ago ` and that brought an end to
:15:20. > :15:25.their legendary Christmas concerts at Newcastle's City Hall. But now
:15:26. > :15:29.there's a new line`up and tonight they return for the first of three
:15:30. > :15:43.sell`out shows. It promises to be a nostalgic night. As Andrew Hartley
:15:44. > :15:47.reports. He swore he'd never do it again. But here he is just hours
:15:48. > :15:51.from his first Christmas Show with Lindisfarne at Newcastle City Hall
:15:52. > :16:00.in 23 years. Ray Jackson, one of the original band members, back in
:16:01. > :16:15.business with a new line`up. It's a bit scary. We've planned it for
:16:16. > :16:19.ages. It's a big show. The expectations are heavy to bear! The
:16:20. > :16:22.Lindisfarne Christmas concerts at Newcastle's City Hall ` one raucous
:16:23. > :16:25.rock`show ` were a Tyneside institution, repeated more than 130
:16:26. > :16:43.times over 17 years until the early 90s. We used to bring in 2,200
:16:44. > :16:53.people per night. It was special. Great atmosphere. One of the
:16:54. > :17:00.highlights of coming home was going to see them. A real tradition.
:17:01. > :17:03.Tonight they'll be doing it like they did in 1976. It's the first of
:17:04. > :17:06.three sold`out shows. Unabashed nostalgia and one big boisterous
:17:07. > :17:09.party. This band's not just for Christmas. Ray Jackson's Lindisfarne
:17:10. > :17:13.plan further gigs throughout 2014, and it would be a safe bet that
:17:14. > :17:31.they'll be back at the City Hall next Christmas to do it all again.
:17:32. > :17:34.Beautiful things come in small packages. But an art gallery in a
:17:35. > :17:37.phone box? Hexham in Northumberland is claiming a unique experience,
:17:38. > :17:41.with just that, and it created quite stir today with a champagne and
:17:42. > :17:45.celeb opening. The Forge Art Gallery in Allendale decided it was the best
:17:46. > :17:48.way to show off local talent in the town centre without massive
:17:49. > :17:51.overheads. I had a quick look around after the big opening. This is
:17:52. > :17:56.something novel. This is the Red Box Art Gallery in the centre of Hexham.
:17:57. > :18:03.It is actually an art gallery! You can see it's compact and tasteful! I
:18:04. > :18:10.feel fully informed. Not only does it have a cleaner and a curator...
:18:11. > :18:12.It has a celebrity to launch it! Robson Green, why have you got
:18:13. > :18:17.behind this perfectly formed art gallery? It's definitely a first for
:18:18. > :18:25.me ` opening the smallest art gallery in Hexham... The North...
:18:26. > :18:28.The UK... The World? Art, wherever it's display, is there to inspire
:18:29. > :18:36.people. It crosses barriers ` cultural, economic and racial. Come
:18:37. > :18:42.here and you'll get a smile on your face! It's there to cheer you up! My
:18:43. > :18:45.favourite bit about going to an art gallery is sitting down with a nice
:18:46. > :18:48.cappuccino. You're going to have to bring a flask here! Yes, it's not
:18:49. > :18:56.like observing Monet's Water Lilies in Paris. But it has its own
:18:57. > :19:03.character. It's a great way for local and international artists to
:19:04. > :19:07.display their work. It's great to learn things ` not only about an
:19:08. > :19:12.area but also about ourselves. This has got to be one of your more
:19:13. > :19:15.unusual jobs!? I know! I've been asked to open many things, but never
:19:16. > :19:44.the smallest art gallery in the world! Thank you! That was worth it
:19:45. > :19:47.for me! You're dumped! Time now for the sport. Whatever
:19:48. > :19:50.happens this weekend, Sunderland will be bottom of the Premier League
:19:51. > :19:54.at Christmas, and only one team ` West Bromwich Albion ` has managed
:19:55. > :19:58.to stay in the top flight from that position. But if the Black Cats beat
:19:59. > :20:01.Norwich tomorrow they'll at least stay in touch with the teams above
:20:02. > :20:04.them. And after their League Cup victory over Chelsea on Tuesday you
:20:05. > :20:07.wouldn't bet against them. The dramatic extra`time victory over
:20:08. > :20:10.Chelsea in the cup could be the turning point of Sunderland's
:20:11. > :20:13.season. Gus Poyet hopes it will inspire a win against Norwich `
:20:14. > :20:16.three points they really need to stand a chance of avoiding
:20:17. > :20:21.relegation. When you play extra`time against a top team, if you lose it
:20:22. > :20:27.could take you two weeks to recover. You're devastated and tired. But if
:20:28. > :20:35.you win... Mentally the players will be stronger. We want to take that
:20:36. > :20:39.into the next game. There will be no excuses. It's been a roller`coaster
:20:40. > :20:44.ride for Poyet, so is the new manager enjoying the experience? I'm
:20:45. > :20:53.privileged. I'm manager of a Premier League club. It doesn't get better.
:20:54. > :20:57.I'm trying to enjoy it. But when we lose I'm not a good person to be
:20:58. > :21:01.around! Sunderland have a packed festive schedule with league and cup
:21:02. > :21:04.fixtures coming fast. As long as Poyet's in the game, he'll never
:21:05. > :21:11.understand why there's no winter break. The rest of the world are on
:21:12. > :21:22.holiday. We have to play 250,000 games in a month`and`a`half. Nobody
:21:23. > :21:28.will convince me. It's not normal. But we're here. We love it. We'll
:21:29. > :21:31.try our best. For the second week in a row,
:21:32. > :21:34.tomorrow's game for Newcastle United sees manager Alan Pardew come up
:21:35. > :21:40.against one of his former clubs. Last week it was Southampton, where
:21:41. > :21:43.he was team boss. This time the festive reunion is with the side who
:21:44. > :21:52.gave him his break into league football. Christmas is a time for
:21:53. > :21:55.celebration. Party hats. Jumpers. And for renewing old acquaintances.
:21:56. > :22:00.Crystal Palace gave Alan Pardew his first big break back in 1987. He
:22:01. > :22:03.enjoyed four good years there. No surprise, then, that he's looking
:22:04. > :22:10.forward to the trip back to Selhurst Park. It means a little bit more to
:22:11. > :22:15.me because of the connection. I had fantastic times there. It's a great
:22:16. > :22:19.club. I'm so pleased they've picked up under my old pal Tony Pulis. Good
:22:20. > :22:28.choice by them. He's got the ball rolling. But we're playing really
:22:29. > :22:32.well at the moment. So well, they're up to sixth in the table. The
:22:33. > :22:37.dilemma is that could eventually land them with the same workload
:22:38. > :22:43.problems as last year. I think the authorities should get together and
:22:44. > :22:47.look at it. The demands of the Premier League are much greater than
:22:48. > :22:53.the others. The impact is something we're wary of. I'll say that now.
:22:54. > :22:59.But we're chasing a European spot and that's what we want to do.
:23:00. > :23:02.BBC Newcastle will have full radio commentary on both those Premier
:23:03. > :23:06.League games. And your local BBC stations will also keep you up to
:23:07. > :23:08.date with the rest of the weekend fixtures. In the Championship,
:23:09. > :23:12.Middlesbrough ` with just one win in their last seven matches ` go to
:23:13. > :23:15.Millwall. Carlisle travel to Walsall in League One. In League Two,
:23:16. > :23:19.Hartlepool take on Burton ` who're occupying one of the play`off places
:23:20. > :23:23.` while York are at home to Oxford. And in Scottish League Two, Berwick
:23:24. > :23:27.are away to Queen's Park. He's described himself as "a bit of
:23:28. > :23:31.a tearaway" when he was a youngster. That was before his dad took him to
:23:32. > :23:34.the local boxing club in Darlington. Now, 25 years later, former roofer
:23:35. > :23:37.Stuart Hall is on the brink of becoming the region's first World
:23:38. > :23:47.boxing champion since Glenn McCrory in 1989. Mark Tulip looks ahead. If
:23:48. > :23:50.taking up boxing as a kid changed his life then imagine what becoming
:23:51. > :23:54.a World Champion might do. Here's Stuart Hall, now 33, on his way to
:23:55. > :23:58.victory against Sergio Perales at Doncaster's Keepmoat Stadium back in
:23:59. > :24:01.May. This is a much more gentle work out near his hometown of Darlington.
:24:02. > :24:05.Victory over Vusi Malinga in Leeds on Saturday night would see Hall win
:24:06. > :24:13.the vacant IBF bantamweight title and make his own piece of sporting
:24:14. > :24:17.history. I'm aware of that. I'd be the second North East World
:24:18. > :24:22.Champion. Glenn McCrory has carried the baton for so long. I'll take it
:24:23. > :24:25.off his shoulders. Hopefully it will encourage great boxers to come out
:24:26. > :24:29.in the North East and follow in my footsteps. Hall has lost only two
:24:30. > :24:32.fights since turning pro five years ago. He was glued to last Sunday's
:24:33. > :24:36.Sports Personality of the Year awards because he's fighting at the
:24:37. > :24:41.same venue ` the Leeds Arena. It looks fantastic. I watched it the
:24:42. > :24:48.other night. It was a great feeling to know I'll be walking in there and
:24:49. > :24:52.then walking out with the IBF belt. A few people will be coming down
:24:53. > :24:58.from Darlington. It's a long`ish trip just before Christmas so I want
:24:59. > :25:02.to thank them all. It's going to be great on the night. If he is crowned
:25:03. > :25:05.Britain's latest World Boxing Champion, will the ex`roofer still
:25:06. > :25:11.keep his feet firmly on the ground? Yeah! I'm going to win but I'll
:25:12. > :25:15.still be the same. I won't change for anyone. I'll always be grounded.
:25:16. > :25:20.I love my friends, my family and people I associate with. Nothing's
:25:21. > :25:24.going to change. If Stuart can pull it off in Leeds and can become World
:25:25. > :25:29.Champion, we'll be able to stop using all of that grainy footage of
:25:30. > :25:30.Glenn McCrory ` nearly 25 years ago! From Darlington, England, Stuart
:25:31. > :26:04.Hall! Now for the weather. Lovely view
:26:05. > :26:15.here. Thanks for the photo. Tonight we're back with the winds. Heavy
:26:16. > :26:27.rain too. It will stay fairly mild. A risk of localised flooding. It
:26:28. > :26:37.will be accompanied by winds. After midnight it's clearer skies. It
:26:38. > :26:46.stays fairly windy. Gusts of 60 or 70 miles per hour. Five or six
:26:47. > :26:59.Celsius. A windy start for many. Possibly showers. Hail and thunder
:27:00. > :27:07.in places. Temperatures might make double figures. It will feel colder.
:27:08. > :27:14.Low pressure in charge of the weather. Lots of lines on the chart!
:27:15. > :27:35.Especially on Monday. Thank you. If you aren't around
:27:36. > :27:41.later, we hope you have a great Christmas! I'll be in the pub
:27:42. > :27:46.tonight... All the best everyone!