14/02/2014 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

to British coastlines, with winds of up to 80 mph. That's all from the

Hello. Welcome to Look North. In the programme tonight: The review of

child heart surgery. Look North is told of more delays,

and a charity claims lives are being put at risk.

Also tonight: pioneering research is launched in Newcastle to help

children with potentially`deadly brain tumours.

The power of nature ` hundreds of trees in just one forest are felled

by the storms. Sending out a signal ` defiant

campaigners put their town back on the motorway map, despite warnings

from the council. And on Valentine's Day, the

declaration of true love that's spreading from the Continent ` but

is it just an eyesore? In sport, Sunderland already have

one Cup final date at Wembley. Can they take a step closer to a second

this weekend? And can Gary Mills' in`form

Gateshead keep their push for promotion on track and make it ten

games unbeaten tomorrow? Scientists in Newcastle have been

given a share of ?4 million to carry out research into some of the

deadliest brain tumours. They are hoping to save more young lives and

their children from unnecessary drug treatments.

12`year`old Cameron Angus from Gosforth was diagnosed with a brain

tumour when he was just seven. He's now healthy and happy, but underwent

gruelling courses of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. I can remember I

used to get really frightened and get all tents, and dad was trying to

tell me to relax, but it was difficult. I felt tired and wanted

to fall asleep and not feel any pain. Scientists will study the

genetic and biochemical features of brain tumours in children like

Cameron. That information will then be used to tailor`make treatments,

which could mean lower doses of chemotherapy. Currently, only a

handful of children out of the 500 diagnosed every year receive the

more personalised treatment. Weigh the best analogy we can use is that

of trying to fix a car without being able to open the bonnet. But we can

do now is open the cancer cell and understand its inner workings and

understand the ways to stop the cancer cells. The team in this lab

say their research is vital to making sure children aggressive

brain tumours aren't giving unnecessary and potentially damage

treatment. Cameron's father, James, sat through

hours of chemotherapy with his son. He welcomes anything which could

potentially lower doses and increase the chance of a cure. We didn't know

just how toxic some of these therapies are. Cancer has a hangover

from that. His hearing was affected. He had to have a daily growth

hormone. This was a direct receipt `` result of the treatment. If you

can reduce it at all, it can only be a good thing.

It cost ?6 million and took nearly five years, but last year, a huge

review of child heart surgery units was pretty much thrown out by the

Health Secretary ` and a whole new review began. That was expected to

deliver its conclusions sometime this year. But Look North has been

told it'll be ANOTHER year before any final decisions are made.

Tonight, one national charity told us the ongoing indecision over the

future of the units ` including those in Newcastle and Leeds ` means

children's lives are being "put at risk." More on that shortly. First,

our health reporter, Sharon Barbour, has a reminder of the ups and downs

of the last five years. July, 2012. Cheers in Newcastle,

inconsolable in Leeds. The Government's review of children's

heart units had come down in the Freeman Hospital's favour. Surgery

in Yorkshire would end, Tyneside would be a new specialist paediatric

centre. But Newcastle's joy was shortlived. A protracted battle

followed ` still with no end in sight. In 2011, although agreed by

the clinicians that fewer larger specialist units would be safer and

more sustainable, the public consultation saw emotions run high

as campaigners fought for their own hospitals. July 2012 brought D`day `

it's announced the Freeman will be one of seven specialist children's

heart hospitals ` but Leeds loses out. A month later, and Leeds

challenges the decision. By October, the Government had

ordered a review of the review. In March last year, the Leeds

campaigners won a High Court battle claiming the original review was

flawed. And by June, the Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, had

announced the whole plan was off. Finally, in August, NHS England said

a fresh look at heart surgery could take at least a year to complete.

And so campaigners are left in limbo. 19 months after Newcastle

celebrated winning the survival fight, there is uncertainty and

anxiety. It'll be a long time yet before parents and staff know the

long`term future of children's heart surgery in our region.

Earlier, I spoke to Sharon Barbour and asked what sort of effect this

continued delay is having. I think part of the delay is about the sheer

size. There were originally looking at child surgery. It now includes

adult right through to end of life care. Also delays because of the

local government elections in May. This has become a political issue.

Some are unhappy about the time it is taking. Tonight, the charity told

us in a statement they were concerned about the safety in units

now, and they say they have concerns about the harm, indecision and an

absurdity of what it is having on children's at services across the

country. They urge the NHS England to address

these problems to ensure children being treated now receiving a

surface. What is the situation now? being treated now receiving a

investment. That is not the case where the Freeman is concerned.

There is concern about how much they are investing, and in expanding

their heart unit. I have and will always have every

confidence in the work that was done by the safe and sustainable process.

I think the outcome was appropriate, it was well`managed, and it fell at

the last hurdle, really, to legal management. As things stand, I'm

very confident with this second view, they will recognise the

breadth and scope of the services here in Newcastle upon Tyne, and

we're getting on to secure everything in the public interest.

I think one of the reasons for that optimism is transplant. The first

review felt that transplant could not be moved. The second review said

that is the tail wagging the dog. You should not have transplants stop

the process, will be the deciding factor. Since looking into this

further, the current review is saying it would be difficult for

transplant to be moved from Newcastle. Any of the recipients

over the years would like to see transatlantic given due and proper

consideration. There are two excellent national centres. Great

Ormond Street in London and ourselves, and I believe they are

there for the long term. When will we know what will happen? It is no

longer about choosing one hospital. It is a plan of what services are

needed across England. They will be a three`month public consultation in

the summer. That was due in the spring, and then a model set out.

Then next year, the process of buying services and putting

everything in place. NHS England say they will not be rushed. An

excellent clinical outcome for every patient is the most important issue.

Think you very much. York College has been fined ?175,000

after the death of a three year`old girl at its nursery. Lydia Bishop

died after being caught in a rope on a slide in 2012. At Leeds Crown

Court, the College was found guilty of health and safety failings. It's

also been ordered to pay ?45,000 in costs.

North Yorkshire Police are asking witnesses who claim they were

sexually assaulted by a former Scarborough Mayor to contact them as

soon as possible. Peter Jaconelli ` seen here with his friend Jimmy

Savile ` was a prominent councillor and businessman in the town, up

until his death in 1999. Last Monday's BBC Inside Out programme

said it had spoken to five men who claimed they'd been sexually

assaulted or propositioned by Mr Jaconelli when they were boys. North

Yorkshire Police now say they want to hear from people who took part in

the programme. The weather's heading downhill again

today, with attention once again focused on the flood`hit South. But

just take a look at this ` trees, 50ft tall, brought down by 80mph

winds. 500 of them have been blown down in a forest in Upper Weardale,

with the worst of the damage happening this week when the last

storm blasted through. Here's our Correspondent, Mark Denten.

Felled by the sheer force of the wind last night. 50ft spruces

flattened. Upper Weardale, the Killhope Mining Museum last night,

bits of which had a narrow escape. Last night, we lost the timber edge

that is behind us now. There is a building there, the washer boys'

hut, where the men working on the site had taken shelter. A very large

tree fell and missed the building by about eight inches. What happened

here last night is just the latest part of the story. Since Christmas,

around 500 trees have been brought down by 80mph winds up here. A

five`year plan to carefully fell these trees has been accelerated by

nature. We had a management plan approved for five years of careful

management, but nobody anticipated the speed and volume of wind that

came down over the last few weeks, and clearly we have to rethink that

process. Just a skeleton staff working in the winter, ironically

some of them in tree felling. They have already had to evacuate the

site once this winter because of the severe winds. Have you ever seen

anything like this before? No. This has just punched a huge hole in our

operation. The museum here reopens on one April, with hopefully some

trees left. A Carlisle man ` who ran an illegal

butcher's business from a filthy garage ` has been given a suspended

jail sentence and fined ?20,000. Richard Ferguson, from Moorhouse

Road, pleaded guilty to nine breaches of food hygiene

regulations. Mouldy lamb and rodent droppings were found when

environmental health officers raided his garage last year. Today, at

Carlisle Crown Court, he was jailed for six months ` suspended for a

year. An MP has stepped into the row over

the future of a local maternity unit. The plans under consideration

would see the closure of North Tyneside Hospital's midwifery`led

maternity unit. Instead, expectant mothers would go to a new hospital

under construction near Cramlington ` or to Newcastle's Royal Victoria

Infirmary. Health bosses say the North Tyneside unit is under`used `

but the Labour MP for Tynemouth doesn't agree.

I think where maternity services are concerned, there are often

particular worries. Mothers want to have their babies locally, but they

also want to make sure they deliver them safely. I think these are

questions that my constituents will want to ask, as to whether they may

have to travel further to deliver their babies.

And there's more on that story on Sunday Politics here on BBC One, at

11 o'clock on Sunday morning. Defiant campaigners ` hoping to put

their North Yorkshire town back on the map ` have today re`erected

their own makeshift road`sign on the A1 ` despite warnings from the local

council. Business owners in Masham say they've been hit by falling

visitor numbers since official brown tourist signs on the A1 were removed

when the road was widened in 2009. The DIY sign has already been

removed once because Harrogate Council said it breached Highways

Agency rules. But today, campaigners put it back up, hoping to use a

"sign`amnesty" on the run`up to the Tour De France this summer. Phil

Chapman reports. Defying the authorities to attract

more visitors, but it is no wonder the people of Masham want to show

the whole world how to get there. They have not one but two fence

breweries. Since they lost their official signs an A1, businesses say

takings are down, and they want to make sure they smack is on the map,

especially as the Tour de France gets near. We wanted an amendment

for the Tour de France, and we are hoping we will get it. Campaign is

realised their DIY sign is not ideal, and want to raise the ?32,000

for an official sign. We have set up a crowd funding site. You were to

get donations coming in at visitmasham.com. We are asking local

businesses to donate to the costs of a room for one night. We understand

if the sign is dangerous, it cannot be placed. We have asked the plan is

if that is their view to look at the sign and perhaps we can discuss

that. As the planning authority has already said the sign is visually

intrusive, it is out of keeping with its rural surroundings, and says

even the Tour de France planning amnesty will not cover the sign

because of its position next to the A1.

Ironically, the row over the sign is bringing attention to Masham. It is

not the publicity they want, but they hope the next sign will be

erected to be the official one permanently.

Valentine's Day might put some people in a romantic mood. But some

people have been expressing their love in a rather unusual way. More

and more padlocks have been appearing on one of our local

bridges. Jonathan Swingler reports. # This love is unbreakable.

# It's unmistakable. #.

Padlocks have appeared on bridges all over the world in recent years.

They are seen as a symbol of love. Some say it is inspired by an

Italian book written in the 1990s. Others say b.i.d. Goes back further.

You will find hundreds in our region. What do people think? Is the

pressure on? It could be. We might come back here later on and put one

on. We will have a coffee first and then come by and put one on. Is

makes people happy to put something up, fair enough. To use it as a

romantic gesture? Yes. We might buy one and put it on on our way back.

Fantastic. Other people are going to the padlock idea. I'm off to make a

present for him. It's a T`shirt. He loves T`shirts. He's an arborist, so

he likes chainsaws, so I will get one that says, you never forget your

first... And a picture of a chainsaw. LAUGHS. This bridge is

grade one listed, leaving some people angry about what they see as

an eyesore developing. Some businesses could do well out of this

development. We picked up some sales this morning. Some people put their

names, the date engraved on the back of it. My cameramen and I had an

idea. The problem is, some people have made comments about it making a

mess of a historical bridge. We will take us down. `` take owls down.

I've never heard of that. It is all the rage in Paris. A huge tourist

attraction. A new one for me. Time for the sport.

There's just one of our clubs left in the FA Cup ` and a lunchtime

kick`off at the Stadium of Light could see Sunderland become the

first team to claim a place in the quarter finals. They're up against a

Southampton side who they've got to know pretty well ` as Jim Knight

reports. There can't be too many secrets

between this lot ` not when they're about to play each other for the

fourth time this season. The good news for Sunderland is that in two

Premier League meetings and a Capital One Cup tie with the Saints,

the Black Cats are unbeaten. But with Wednesday's trip to Manchester

City having been blown off course by the storms, the Head Coach is now

worrying about a late`season fixture pile`up. So would he rather lose

tomorrow than add a replay into the mix? Yes. Yes. I want to have my

next three months done and dusted. When we take a decision on a

player, we know who we are playing in the next two weeks. Right now, we

don't. Because of that postponement, Poyet is set to play a stronger side

than he might have done. Emanuele Giaccherini is likely to start,

along with new signing Nacho Scocco. He is playing tomorrow, yes. We need

to help him and make him play as much as we can. We need to make sure

he gets used to the pace of the game. I do it is the perfect game

for him, because we need a quick passing style of football, which

will be new for him. Looking forward to seeing him play up to 60 minutes.

There will be full coverage of the match. You can listen to the radio.

Hartl Paul's game is at Newport. You can hear action from the Yorks game

at Plymouth. Scottish league manager of the month is hoping to keep hopes

alive. Newcastle not in action this

weekend, of course ` an unhappy Alan Pardew cancelling the players day

off after their fifth successive home defeat on Wednesday. If you

want to see some winning football on Tyneside, you might want to go along

to the International Stadium tomorrow, where Conference Gateshead

are looking to extend their nine`game unbeaten run and maintain

their place in the playoff zone. This is a team brimming with

confidence ` you can tell as much just by watching training. Gateshead

are fourth in the league, and there's a real sense of excitement

ahead of this weekend's game against an inconsistent Woking side. We are

confident. We are run the home patch. We know teams come here to

make it difficult. Teams might not like coming here because of the wind

and rain, but we know how to play football here. The pitches in good

condition, and we're for points. After Newcastle's result, they may

be watching a small, they would be get to good to get a few more

points. We have to watch their style of play. A team which couldn't find

a win for love nor money at the beginning of the season now hasn't

lost in the league since December ` thanks largely to former York City

boss Gary Mills, who's turned the club's fortunes around. Get the

players to believe in themselves. There is no point getting players on

if they are not good enough. I have good players. It is the same new

joys of players that were here, but it is just the mindset. We want to

win and do well, and if they believe they can, it took a couple of weeks,

but they have grown into that. They are enjoying football. Former

Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Utd striker Jack Lester has been

persuaded to come out of retirement and help the club push for promotion

` which would be a huge achievement for Mills and Co. It would mean a

lot to me. It would mean a lot with everyone connected with Gateshead. I

know how difficult it is. I think if we can get Gateshead out it would be

big achievement. We're not getting carried away. We know there is hard

work to, but we think that hard work will get somewhere. Let's hope so.

There are season openers for two of our rugby league teams on Sunday.

Whitehaven start away at Keighley, and Wokington are at home to

Doncaster in the Championship. In rugby union, there's a tough

assignment for the Premiership's second`bottom club Newcastle Falcons

tomorrow. They travel to director of rugby Dean Richards' former club,

Harlequins. Watching from the sidelines will be new signing Lee

Smith, who can play either at full`back or on the wing, and is

switching rugby codes once again from league to union, having

previously played for Wakefield Wildcats, Leeds Rhinos and London

Wasps. I think after two or three weeks of

training with the boys, and getting up to speed with their calls, where

the patterns are, it is more important that I get through all

that before putting a deadline on when I turn up.

Now, as we've already mentioned, it IS Valentine's Day ` the one day of

the year when it's almost compulsory to show your more romantic side.

What might surprise you, though, is to hear that Cupid's arrow has

rarely been fired more readily than in the fair city of Carlisle.

Yes, Carlisle has just topped the Royal Mail's official league table

of love. With a rose clenched firmly between his teeth, Mark McAlindon

has been to investigate. "To Mark, love always from all your

thousands of admirers." Valentine's Day has clearly worked for me, but

apparently Carlisle is the most romantic city in the country. Let's

go and find out if that is true. I have no idea. No, not really. I hope

I get one later on, but not this morning so far. The two of you are

arm`in`arm. Is that a measure of your enduring Love? Of course. Every

day is Valentine's Day. Did you get a card from him this morning? Blue

Mac No. Don't need it. I don't need a card now. Can you give us a little

kiss, then? Lovely. Thank you. Have a great day. It's my wife's birthday

tomorrow, so I never give her a Valentine's Day card. I have to get

a birthday card for tomorrow. Is this from you, dog? Found out who

the card is from. It's not what I expected, but it is certainly more

than I deserve. Thanks, dog. If you got the card from the dog, how did

he sign it? How many did you get? Less than one. My wife has been

busy. I got chocolates. There will be a card waiting when I get home.

Time for a look at the weekend weather now. And tonight, it's

coming all the way from London, with Alex Deacon.

The weather is likely still out there this evening. If you are after

fine weather, I can point you towards Sunday, but they will be

last ray showers tomorrow. But Sunday, the weather is showing signs

of calming down. Most of seeing sunshine. Sunshine in short supply

today. Big area of cloud swamping the UK. It has been providing rain

as well. Heavy bursts of rain have been steadily working their way.

Plenty of showers. It is those showers that will continue to come

in through the night. Those showers a bit wintry as well over the hills.

We will continue to see snow. Treacherous conditions with snowfall

and not pleasant wherever you are. If you were driving, there are a lot

of panels and surface water. It is a blustery night as well, with the

winds, clouds and rain. Temperatures only a few degrees above freezing.

Saturday morning will feel chilly. Lots of cloud around. Showers

continued to pile their way in. They could be on the heavy side. West

Cumbria, they will be snow on the heels. Signs for the afternoon and

into the evening, we was the show was dying down. For some, we see

some sunshine at the end of the day. A brisk wind blowing. Temperatures

up to seven degrees. A low pressure system bringing pretty wild

conditions across the UK. That ebb away during the night. There is a

tiny ridge of high pressure that promises a fine day for Sunday.

Still a bit of wind, especially early. The north`east, lots of

sunshine to come. Still some sunny spells next week, with the return of

some rain. The rain next week should not be as intense, and the winds

will not be as lively. Across Cumbria, Pledge of sunshine to start

the day on Sunday. We might just see those clouds picking up a little bit

through the afternoon. There are claims that there are more

delays in the decision`making process about child heart surgery.

See you next week.