15/02/2014 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

That's it for now we'll be back at 6pm. Stay with us on BBC One. It's

time for Good afternoon. A memorial service

is taking place this lunchtime for four track workers killed in the

Tebay Rail accident in Cumbria ten years ago today. They died when a

Runaway trailer crashed into them while they were working on the West

coast mainline at Tebay. It led to a campaign for new safety equipment. A

simple windswept Memorial records the names of four men who died doing

their jobs. Crushed to death by a runaway trolley careering out of

control along the main railway line one morning in February 2004. Those

who saw what happened will never forget it. Just saw a black object

come whizzing past us and then run right over the lads stop no

warnings. If you hadn't stepped away, you would have been killed

to? Yes, they would have been more fatalities. An investigation into

the accident highlighted various shortcomings that led to tragedy.

Network Rail said today that a secondary protection system which

sounds an alarm to warm crews of a runaway approaching will be in place

across the country by June. Four adults and three children have

escaped injury after a suspicious house fire in Stockton last night.

The police say a "flammable liquid" was thrown at the property on

Kingston Road around nine o'clock. Two men were seen running away

shortly afterwards. There are new calls for extra funds

and powers to be handed to our councils. The thinktank IPPR

believes the fortunes of northern communities could be revived if

money currently spent in Whitehall on transport, housing and skills was

handed over to councils currently enduring big cuts. It also believes

city mayors for areas like Tyne and Wear and Teesside could help.

It could make a huge difference. Having stronger local government and

stronger local leaders can mean you are able to get a fair share of

resources, public money, helping the economic investment. At the moment

that is skewed towards London and the devolved nations.

And Sunday Politics will be talking to the new leader of a combined

group of North East councils about the future funding for local

authorities tomorrow on BBC One at 11am.

Football and no Premier League this weekend as it's the FA Cup and

Sunderland are one of the 16 teams still in it. They're currently

playing Southampton at home having kicked off 20 minutes ago. And

currently the score is 0`0. Commentary of that match over on BBC

Newcastle. Elsewhere it's 12th plays 13th in

the Championship as Middlesbrough travel to Watford.

In League Two Carlisle are also away, at Crawley. Hartlepool play

Newport and York have made the long journey to Plymouth.

In the Conference Premier Gateshead entertain Woking.

In Scotland, Berwick are at home to Elgin.

Let's have the weather forecast now. Good afternoon. Wet and windy

weather will continue this afternoon. Some showers will merge

into longer spells of rain. It will start to clear later on.

Temperatures up to a high of seven Celsius will stop overnight, showers

dying out. Tomorrow morning we could see a touch of Frost.

And that's all for now. Goodbye. Good afternoon. It looks as though

we could be heading towards a sunny Sunday, something I assure we will

all be grateful.