:00:00. > :00:07.Hello, welcome to Look North. Coming up tonight: The hunt for Megan
:00:08. > :00:12.Roberts. Police warn she probably went into the River Ouse while under
:00:13. > :00:15.the influence of drink. More council savings. But is taking away
:00:16. > :00:22.children's play equipment to save ?25,000 justified? He's promised us
:00:23. > :00:25.a rose garden. Sir John Hall reveals the details of his living legacy,
:00:26. > :00:29.the biggest of its kind in Europe. And no more heavy going. The plans
:00:30. > :00:33.for all`weather tracks that could pit two of our race courses against
:00:34. > :00:37.each other. In sport, we look back at last
:00:38. > :00:40.night's football action, And why this incident at Carrow Road means
:00:41. > :00:41.Newcastle will be without their top scorer for this weekend's Tyne`Wear
:00:42. > :00:58.derby! Her family and friends are
:00:59. > :01:01.desperately hoping the police are wrong. But the search for missing
:01:02. > :01:12.student Megan Roberts is becoming more and more focussed on the River
:01:13. > :01:22.Ouse in the centre of York. 20`year`old Megan has been missing
:01:23. > :01:27.for six days now. Police divers continued their search of the
:01:28. > :01:33.swollen River Ouse this morning. Megan, an art student who is 20 was
:01:34. > :01:38.last seen in your on the last hours of Thursday morning. She was filmed
:01:39. > :01:43.a CCTV cameras moments after leaving a city centre bar. The footage shows
:01:44. > :01:48.her walking towards a river with friends and police say the footage
:01:49. > :01:54.shows she appears to be drunk. Megan has not been seen since. That was
:01:55. > :02:00.probable line of enquiry being pursued by the police is that Megan
:02:01. > :02:05.affected by alcohol, has entered the river. We will not be any position
:02:06. > :02:13.to confirm this until Megan is found.
:02:14. > :02:18.In the press there was growing speculation over her recent activity
:02:19. > :02:27.in social media sites. On Twitter, she had spoken of a creepy guy who
:02:28. > :02:32.had been stocking them. Police said there was no evidence of criminal
:02:33. > :02:38.activity and no connection to the disappearance five years ago of a
:02:39. > :02:45.Yorkshire. Today her mother Joan said that she has written to
:02:46. > :02:50.Megan's mother to offer support. All the emotions she is going through
:02:51. > :02:56.our normal but as a mum who has been there, I thought I would try to get
:02:57. > :03:00.in touch and I try to do this with other families in my situation. It
:03:01. > :03:08.is amazing how many people get in touch with me. On your, volunteers
:03:09. > :03:15.from a missing Persons Charity have been on the streets today. Searching
:03:16. > :03:22.the river and the city will continue with increasing number of officers
:03:23. > :03:25.involved in the investigation. Police investigating alleged sexual
:03:26. > :03:28.abuse of teenage girls and young women on Tyneside have made a
:03:29. > :03:31.further four arrests after raids in Newcastle and South Tyneside. It
:03:32. > :03:37.takes the number of people arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to rape
:03:38. > :03:41.to 25 ` that's 23 men and two women. A nursery worker has described her
:03:42. > :03:44.horror at learning that a toddler she'd been looking after had been
:03:45. > :03:46.strangled in an accident on a playground slide. Sophie Redhead
:03:47. > :03:53.denies the manslaughter by gross negligence of three`year`old Lydia
:03:54. > :04:01.Bishop at the York College nursery. John Cundy reports from Leeds Crown
:04:02. > :04:10.Court. Lydia died tragically on her first full day at the nursery on
:04:11. > :04:13.September 17 2012. She had been under the supervision of a part`time
:04:14. > :04:21.assistant who was sitting on a bench in the playground after a lunch
:04:22. > :04:26.break. The accused dad her eyes and cried when she recalled how she had
:04:27. > :04:32.run to the slide and seen something quite there. It turned out to be her
:04:33. > :04:35.trousers. The little girl had been strangled by rope adding from the
:04:36. > :04:44.slide. She carried her into them nursery building. The court has
:04:45. > :04:48.heard that the ropes were not always removed from the slide after playing
:04:49. > :05:00.in the children should not have been allowed unsupervised. Sophie Redhead
:05:01. > :05:13.said she had not seen Lydia what pastor that they. The jury were told
:05:14. > :05:17.that York college nursery had enjoyed good inspection reports
:05:18. > :05:24.centred was opened in 2007. As well as the charge of gross negligence,
:05:25. > :05:34.Sophie Redhead denies the failure of taking reasonable care of Lydia.
:05:35. > :05:37.It's claimed that more than 13,000 construction jobs could be created
:05:38. > :05:43.in the North East over the next five years. The Construction Industry
:05:44. > :05:46.Training Board's annual report says the jobs would be created if its
:05:47. > :05:50.predictions of growth in private house building and other projects
:05:51. > :05:53.are correct. New plans to revitalise the centre of Hartlepool and
:05:54. > :05:56.surrounding areas have been presented to the town. It's hoped
:05:57. > :05:59.the new vision, as it's being called, will create more jobs and
:06:00. > :06:02.more leisure facilities. There are eight key areas that the council
:06:03. > :06:06.want to encourage investment in ` including the Jackson Landings site
:06:07. > :06:12.and the Marina. The leader of the council says he's confident the
:06:13. > :06:16.plans will come to fruition. I would not put my heart and soul
:06:17. > :06:24.into something if I did not believe it was achievable and the interest
:06:25. > :06:28.that we will generate today will happen.
:06:29. > :06:32.It doesn't sound like much of a saving. But Carlisle City Council is
:06:33. > :06:36.removing slides and swings from some of its play parks because it says it
:06:37. > :06:39.can't afford to maintain them. The Council will save ?25,000 by
:06:40. > :06:42.removing the equipment from 21 play areas. But it's also investing cash
:06:43. > :06:50.in 13 others. Alison Freeman reports.
:06:51. > :06:54.Having fun close to home. These few items of play equipment in Belah are
:06:55. > :06:59.a focal point for the community. But soon they're being removed. The
:07:00. > :07:04.council says budget cuts mean it can't afford to bring the aging kit
:07:05. > :07:08.up to standard. The first thing children should have
:07:09. > :07:14.is a safe place to play. The government talk about levels of
:07:15. > :07:20.obesity and crime in local areas but at the same time they want to save
:07:21. > :07:24.peanuts. The National Health Service are spending millions on child
:07:25. > :07:28.obesity. Carlisle City Council says it's not shutting the 21 playgrounds
:07:29. > :07:31.across the city from which its equipment is being removed ` In fact
:07:32. > :07:34.it says they're still very much open for 'imaginitive play'. The council
:07:35. > :07:39.says every Carlisle child will still have a playpark within 500 metres of
:07:40. > :07:44.home. I am not happy having to do this and I blame anybody I blame the
:07:45. > :07:51.government. They are hammering local authorities by cutting funds. We
:07:52. > :07:58.could spread the jam thinly but by doing so we would make the play
:07:59. > :08:11.areas and safe. I do not believe that the priorities of Carlisle
:08:12. > :08:15.should be this way. And ?60,000 is being spent on improving those that
:08:16. > :08:25.remain. But these parents think a saving of ?25,000 is not enough to
:08:26. > :08:29.justify losing their park. The North East has missed out on a
:08:30. > :08:33.share of ?100 million in government funding. The money was on offer to
:08:34. > :08:36.invest in roads and buildings in enterprise zones. Despite both
:08:37. > :08:39.putting in bids, the North East's two local enterprise partnerships
:08:40. > :08:44.were unsuccessful. Both say they're disappointed. Labour MPs in Wearside
:08:45. > :08:48.and Teesside have also criticised the decision. But the government
:08:49. > :08:59.says the North East has had other help in the past.
:09:00. > :09:03.It already has been successful and ?58 million, more than half of what
:09:04. > :09:08.I'm talking about today and the rest of the country, has gone into the
:09:09. > :09:14.north`east. It is an area we want to grow with huge potential and a
:09:15. > :09:18.highly skilled and educated workforce and that is why we have
:09:19. > :09:21.already invested that money. Still to come, we can reveal the
:09:22. > :09:25.route of the Commonwealth Games baton when it comes to the region.
:09:26. > :09:31.And the town that's stuck with its Christmas tree, because the council
:09:32. > :09:36.didn't take it down quickly enough. And as winter showers become more
:09:37. > :09:45.isolated, join me shortly for a full weather story.
:09:46. > :09:49.It will, he says, be his lasting legacy, a gift to the people of the
:09:50. > :09:51.North East. Sir John Hall, the man who built Gateshead's Metrocentre,
:09:52. > :09:54.wants to create Europe's biggest rose garden, with over 10,000
:09:55. > :09:58.flowers, a cafe and cookery school at Wynyard Hall Hotel. Building work
:09:59. > :10:01.on the ?4 million project has just started and it's hoped the
:10:02. > :10:08.attraction could be finished in 18 months. Stuart Whincup's been to
:10:09. > :10:18.meet Sir John. I am 81 in a month's time and I am
:10:19. > :10:23.coming to the end of my days. I would like to leave another legacy
:10:24. > :10:31.and that will be the rose garden and the the people of the north`east,
:10:32. > :10:41.here we are. The man who created the's Metrocentre wants to create
:10:42. > :10:44.your's biggest rose garden. I have never really had time to do my
:10:45. > :10:50.garden because I have been working on building the business. That left
:10:51. > :10:59.little time for looking after the garden and no I have the opportunity
:11:00. > :11:03.to do my own rose garden. There will be a catch and a marquee here and a
:11:04. > :11:11.visitor centre and a cafe and a cooking school. This is the old
:11:12. > :11:16.walled garden and this is the main part of the scheme, the rose garden.
:11:17. > :11:21.The roses will be spread out. Everybody loves Gardens. It will be
:11:22. > :11:27.something that people will come from far and wide to see. From minor's
:11:28. > :11:33.son to millionaire property developer, Sir John's story has been
:11:34. > :11:38.well rehearsed. He hopes the rose garden is a lasting legacy. When you
:11:39. > :11:52.come from the working class you do not have many visions. Ambitions. It
:11:53. > :11:58.is nice to enjoy this with other people and I have my burial plot
:11:59. > :12:02.picked out outside so the family will not get rid of me in years to
:12:03. > :12:10.come. I have been lucky but I have made it happen.
:12:11. > :12:14.There was no racing at Newcastle today ` thanks to the miserable
:12:15. > :12:18.weather. But that problem could soon be a thing of the past. The course
:12:19. > :12:22.is due to submit plans to dig up some of the turf and replace it with
:12:23. > :12:25.an all weather surface. Catterick in North Yorkshire has revealed similar
:12:26. > :12:30.plans, meaning the two courses could be in direct competition. Peter
:12:31. > :12:34.Harris reports. In the middle of winter it doesn't
:12:35. > :12:37.feel like the sport of kings. Now, though, racing in the North is
:12:38. > :12:40.braced for change. Out would go the traditional turf, in comes all
:12:41. > :12:47.weather tracks, floodlights and big money.
:12:48. > :12:51.Trainers in Scotland and the north`east and on the Yorkshire
:12:52. > :13:02.would jump at this chance and it gives a great opportunity for prize
:13:03. > :13:06.money. Hopefully Newcastle will have an all`weather track and we could
:13:07. > :13:12.have that on Good Friday in 2015 2016.
:13:13. > :13:15.Change that might not suit all ` although the historic Northumberland
:13:16. > :13:17.Plate could still be run on the surviving turf. There is a catch,
:13:18. > :13:20.for Newcastle, because neighbouring Catterick in North Yorkshire has a
:13:21. > :13:25.similar all`weather plan for the flat. And while many in racing like
:13:26. > :13:35.the idea they fear two courses in one region will be a problem. You
:13:36. > :13:42.must question if it is viable but I think we definitely need one and we
:13:43. > :13:47.probably need a track and have done for ten years. It would be great for
:13:48. > :13:55.the sport and would help owners train and staff from being laid off
:13:56. > :14:05.in winter. It is not difficult to see the certainties all`weather
:14:06. > :14:08.racing would provide. In other words, are there enough races to go
:14:09. > :14:17.round? The punters at least seem keen. I am absolutely certain that
:14:18. > :14:26.in the north there is a need for an all`weather track and my preference
:14:27. > :14:34.would be for Catterick. I think it is a good idea and we are lacking in
:14:35. > :14:38.the North so the Nero that we have this, the better. It's possible that
:14:39. > :14:41.Newcastle and Catterick could end up in cut`throat competition on
:14:42. > :15:01.all`weather, and if they are, the going for both could still be tough.
:15:02. > :15:04.How long is the transfer window, ? Newcastle United are finalising a
:15:05. > :15:08.deal with Dutch striker Luuk de Jong, who's been at St James's to
:15:09. > :15:10.complete an initial loan move from German club Borussia
:15:11. > :15:12.Moenchengladbach. The Magpies are targeting midfielder Clement Grenier
:15:13. > :15:16.as a replacement for Yohan Cabaye, unveiled in the last hour as a Paris
:15:17. > :15:19.St Germain player. But transfers haven't been the only talking points
:15:20. > :15:22.on Tyneside. Last night's goalless draw at
:15:23. > :15:28.Norwich was a game Newcastle should have won even without the ?20
:15:29. > :15:31.million man Cabaye. But what was more costly than two dropped points
:15:32. > :15:34.was the red card for star striker Loic Remy ` sent off with Bradley
:15:35. > :15:38.Johnson ` for some handbags. It means Remy will be wearing his glad
:15:39. > :15:43.rags instead of leading the line in Saturday's Tyne`Wear derby. He
:15:44. > :15:51.should be ashamed of his reaction because it did not get it and it was
:15:52. > :15:56.unsightly and it upset at all `` assault. But there was no sign of a
:15:57. > :15:59.bad reaction to Cabaye's departure as Pardew's players did everything
:16:00. > :16:03.but score, especially in the first half. Loic Remy was the tormentor in
:16:04. > :16:06.chief. And, if he wasn't rattling the woodwork, Hatem Ben Arfa, back
:16:07. > :16:10.in the starting line`up was either being foiled by the Norwich keeper
:16:11. > :16:13.or his own over`eagerness to score. The cross`bar count was one apiece
:16:14. > :16:16.in the second half with Remy and Norwich's Gary Hooper both going
:16:17. > :16:19.close. Afterwards Pardew told how he's said goodbye to Cabaye.
:16:20. > :16:32.I had breakfast with him and wished all the best as our own ordered to
:16:33. > :16:38.`` I were on our dead as well. I dream move for him.
:16:39. > :16:42.Middlesbrough could only manage a point in a goalless draw with Wigan
:16:43. > :16:45.last night. Curtis Main had Boro's best chance, but somehow lifted his
:16:46. > :16:48.shot over the bar, before an outstanding save from on`loan keeper
:16:49. > :16:51.Shay Given stopped Wigan claiming all three points. A bad night for
:16:52. > :16:55.defender Rhys Williams who could be ruled out of a second successive
:16:56. > :16:58.World Cup after an Achilles injury. Better news for Carlisle United in
:16:59. > :17:04.League One whose 3`0 win over MK Dons moved them four points above
:17:05. > :17:08.the relegation zone. Goals from Lee Miller and Brad Potts gave the Blues
:17:09. > :17:11.a two`goal lead at half`time and David Amoo rounded off a much needed
:17:12. > :17:14.victory at Brunton Park. Luke James put Hartlepool ahead at Kingsmeadow
:17:15. > :17:22.but they saw their lead evaporate as AFC Wimbledon came back to win 2`1.
:17:23. > :17:35.Defeat too for York City who went down 2`0 to League Two leaders
:17:36. > :17:39.Chesterfield. I always say the first 20 games to
:17:40. > :17:45.go and know there are 22 games to go. Now we start to win the game and
:17:46. > :17:49.I want to make sure that we do it from the first minutes and we do not
:17:50. > :17:52.give anything away and we play at the level we have been playing these
:17:53. > :17:58.difficult games in the last few weeks. After their cup heroics
:17:59. > :18:02.Sunderland must focus on trying to stay in the Premier League. Boss Gus
:18:03. > :18:05.Poyet says rumours in a Stoke newspaper linking Lee Cattermole and
:18:06. > :18:08.Stephen Fletcher with a move to Mark Hughes side is an attempt to
:18:09. > :18:12.unsettle his players ahead of tonight's clash with Stoke. He says
:18:13. > :18:16.it's time for the talking to stop and the performing to take over.
:18:17. > :18:19.Sunderland's Fifth Round FA Cup tie with Southampton, meanwhile, will
:18:20. > :18:26.take place on Saturday 15th February, with a 12.45pm kick`off
:18:27. > :18:29.time. And England's women retained the Ashes with victory in the first
:18:30. > :18:32.T20 match in Hobart. Yorkshire spinner Danni Hazell from
:18:33. > :18:43.Durham claimed the wicket of Elyse Villani as they went on to win by
:18:44. > :18:46.nine wickets. The Olympic Torch Relay was a huge
:18:47. > :18:50.success travelling the length and breadth of the land ahead of the
:18:51. > :18:54.London Games including a number of stops in our region. Today the route
:18:55. > :18:57.of the Queens Baton relay in England was announced ahead of this summer's
:18:58. > :19:00.Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The baton will come to Newcastle and
:19:01. > :19:04.Gateshead on July 13th visiting the Angel of the North and the Quayside
:19:05. > :19:11.before travelling to Alnwick for an overnight stay at the Castle on its
:19:12. > :19:14.way to Scotland. A few minutes ago I spoke to Olympic and Commonwealth
:19:15. > :19:20.gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes and asked her if it could replicate the
:19:21. > :19:27.experience of 2012. I do think that by the time it comes
:19:28. > :19:38.to Newcastle, everybody will have that message and support Team
:19:39. > :19:43.England and we are very proud of this and when we break down into
:19:44. > :19:46.these nations in the Commonwealth games we want people to realise that
:19:47. > :19:55.England are a force to be reckoned with. This is not really where it is
:19:56. > :19:59.handed to different people on a route, it is an event that will
:20:00. > :20:05.bring people together to celebrate sport at its best. Do you think that
:20:06. > :20:13.because we're so close to Glasgow, though might be a knock`on effect
:20:14. > :20:17.this region? Yes, I think so. Everyone will have those memories of
:20:18. > :20:25.what it was like around the time of the Games. The Commonwealth games is
:20:26. > :20:29.the only other multisport event. As England, one of the largest nations,
:20:30. > :20:33.we will have a fantastic team to represent England in Glasgow and we
:20:34. > :20:42.want everyone to support them and I think Newcastle will do this.
:20:43. > :20:45.Christmas is a fading memory for most of us. Long after December's
:20:46. > :20:48.festivities finished, residents in Cramlington are still stuck with the
:20:49. > :20:52.council's Christmas tree. And it looks like it won't be going away
:20:53. > :20:59.for a while yet, after an unexpected visitor set up home there.
:21:00. > :21:07.Most people take them down by the 6th of January but Cramlington Town
:21:08. > :21:14.Council is stuck with this after one of these moved on. It is a blackbird
:21:15. > :21:23.and it has laid its eggs earlier. We checked what the procedure would be
:21:24. > :21:31.and we need to leave the tree narrow so she can hatch eggs. The blackbird
:21:32. > :21:37.seem to have gone to ground but why are such a common bird protected?
:21:38. > :21:44.All birds are protected when they are nesting. We must protect them.
:21:45. > :21:56.The unexpected visitor has delighted locals. Fear enough. I was wondering
:21:57. > :22:04.why it was still up. I would not say it is bad luck. If it has eggs and
:22:05. > :22:10.those eggs will hatch, leave them there until they do hatch. And to
:22:11. > :22:16.all the checks have flown the nest, people can be reminded that
:22:17. > :22:24.Christmas is coming, in 11 months's time.
:22:25. > :22:39.It was a cold day today. Here are some shivers down your spine. Some
:22:40. > :22:46.grey skies today and not everybody seemed to be that bothered by the
:22:47. > :22:52.weather. There were some hardy fishermen braving the elements
:22:53. > :22:57.there. There were some showers around earlier but have become much
:22:58. > :23:01.more isolated as we saw earlier. There is ice forming on the roads
:23:02. > :23:06.and pavements following the recent showers of the last few days. There
:23:07. > :23:10.will be on to showers around in and eastern areas tonight but many
:23:11. > :23:16.places will have some dry weather with clear spells, especially west
:23:17. > :23:23.of the Pennines. Temperatures could easily go down to minus one or even
:23:24. > :23:26.`2 minus three Celsius. The main risk to watch out for tonight our
:23:27. > :23:32.icy stretches on roads and pavements. Tomorrow morning it will
:23:33. > :23:36.be a dry start in the East with one or two showers East of the Pennines
:23:37. > :23:41.which will become more widespread later in the day. Western areas will
:23:42. > :23:46.get the driest weather the model but it will never be worn with an
:23:47. > :23:52.easterly or so beastly wend. Temperatures will be four degrees
:23:53. > :23:59.are five Celsius. As we head to the end of the week, we have another Met
:24:00. > :24:03.office warning for snow on Friday. As this weather front tries to work
:24:04. > :24:11.its way end on Friday, it could produce snow, especially on higher
:24:12. > :24:17.ground. By the weekend, we are getting into a windy spell. Some
:24:18. > :24:26.heavy rain on Friday and at the weekend with some heavy snow from
:24:27. > :24:39.the west and then showers with Dusty when is's. Showers less widespread
:24:40. > :24:49.through shattered the `` Saturday. Temperatures in single figures.
:24:50. > :24:52.And now a last look at tonight's headlines. The Governor of the Bank
:24:53. > :24:55.of England meets Scotland's First Minister to discuss weather an
:24:56. > :24:58.independent Scotland can keep the pound. Here, police in York say the
:24:59. > :25:01.most likely explanation for the disappearance of student Megan
:25:02. > :25:02.Roberts is that she entered the River Ouse "while affected by
:25:03. > :25:10.alcohol." Goodbye.