19/02/2014 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

Good evening. The television actor Clive Mantle has told a court how a

large part of his ear was bitten off during an attack in a Newcastle

hotel. Two men from Hamilton in Scotland have denied a charge of

wounding with intent at the city's Crown Court. Mr. Mantle told the

court the attack was like "two hyenas bringing down an old water

buffalo". Jonathan Swingler reports. The trial has heard how Clive Mantle

was staying at a hotel on the 24th of March last year. The 56`year`old

actor best known as the surgeon in the BBC medical drama Holby city was

appearing in the Theatre Royal. He heard shouting in the corridor

outside at 4:30am. Then, the actor had his ear bitten off in a series

of events. He asked to meant to be quiet. This afternoon, the actor

denied losing his temper and said that it didn't say shut up. The jury

heard how Clive Mantle felt he was treated as sport, a figure of fun.

Said he pushed past the pair saying, right, I am getting security. He

described being attacked and pulled to the ground and being punched by

two very drunk people. He said he tried to keep his head as still as

possible as his ear was being bitten. It was suggested he ran at

the defendant. Absolutely not, said the actor, saying it was like two

hyenas bringing down water buffalo. Both men deny wounding with intent.

The trial continues. Parents in a North Yorkshire town

are demanding answers after it emerged that the entire governing

body of one of the county's largest secondary schools has resigned. So

far none of the governors at Richmond School and Sixth Form have

explained why they stepped down. Our reporter Luke Walton joins me now.

How unusual is this kind of mass resignation? It is very unusual and

more unusual is that none of the governors involved have so far

issued a statement as to why they decided to step down. We have had a

statement from the council, no word either from the head teacher, we

have tried to speak to him and also to the governing body all day but

perhaps because it is half term, we have not so far made contact. The

council saved the reasons behind the resignation are confidential but no

safeguarding issues are involved. In other words, that is no risk to

pupils. But it doesn't reassure all parents. Para`macro we are concerned

for our daughter's education. For the management of the school to be

so dysfunctional, we don't know what it is, we don't know why it has

happened and we are very worried, as are many other parents and we have

seen this on social media recently where parents are speculating as to

what has gone on. so, very concerned parents but the council insist the

education of pupils will not be affected? yes, and this is the

second full school. `` successful school. Ofsted said it was a good

school and they mentioned its strong leadership. So, has anything changed

in the last 12 months? I understand there has been a difference of

opinion between the headteacher and the governing body. One of the local

councillors representing Richmond said there is still a need for

answers. It is very rare for an entire governing body to leave. I

need to understand why they have gone, from their point of view, from

the school's point of view and from the education authority what brought

us to this situation so that we can actually make sure nothing like this

happens again and we can guarantee that the school flourishes. I

understand next week, the school and council will be writing a joint

letter to the parents, interest in the day`to`day running of the school

will not be affected by these events. We are also told an interim

executive board will take over the governorship in the meantime but

there will be some new governors appointed eventually.

Unemployment has fallen in the North East, according to the latest

figures. The number of jobless people is down by 3,000 to 130,000.

That's an unemployment rate of ten per cent, which remains the highest

in the country. The number of people claiming job seekers allowance in

Cumbria rose between December and January. There are now 6,642

claimants ` that's a rise of 279. The County Council says it reflects

the end of seasonal Christmas jobs. But 250 new jobs are being created

at a Hartlepool shipyard. Engineers are being taken on by Heerema

Fabrication Group to work on the Cygnus North Sea project ` providing

gas to one and a half million homes. A flood`damaged bridge in Loftus in

East Cleveland has left a small community cut off from the rest of

their town. Residents on Gaskell Lane relied on the bridge to get in

and out of their street, but violent flooding five months ago has meant

it's no longer safe to use, and there's no prospect of it being

repaired. The bridge, it's been discovered, belongs to one of the

residents here. They can't afford to reinstate it, but then neither can

Redcar and Cleveland council so, for the people living here, escape looks

a long way off. Because the council had resurfaced it and repaired it in

the past, we assumed it was their responsibility. But they are now

saying one resident owns that bridge, which we were totally

unaware of and the time. And so they are backing off and saying it is not

their responsibility. It's predicted that Newcastle will

become one of the UK's first super`connected cities within 18

months. Launched today, Go Digital Newcastle will see 97% of the city

given access to superfast fibre broadband by Summer 2015. It's

predicted the ?10 million scheme will boost the city's economy by

around ?150 million. That is all from me tonight. The National

weather is coming up. First, here is the weather for our region.

weather is coming up. First, here is the It looks like I update tomorrow

but overnight rain tonight and showers first thing. It will be

breezy as well. Strong winds from the south`west, picking up tonight

and staying strong through the morning, pushing in bands of rain

first thing and into the afternoon. Through the afternoon parts of the

region will see some sunshine. In the North Yorkshire coast, we'll see

the highest temperatures. The inland areas, in the low 50s in Fahrenheit

but tempered by bees brisk breezes from the South West. It stays breezy

tomorrow and through Friday and Saturday. Showers expected and

blogger spots of rain as well. Particularly in the West. Now, a

reminder of the forecast for tomorrow.

reminder of the forecast for Friday, a fine day. For the weekend,

here is the BBC National weather. We have got rain and wind in the

forecast, but the good news is that it is not severe. Over the next 24

hours, some of us will get rain and the winds will be strengthening Not

stormy at this stage. This is the satellite picture, you can see the

low pressure in the North Atlantic shunting weather fronts in our

direction. It has been raining heavily in parts of western

Scotland. Tonight, the rain will be splashing its way across the UK The

wind will be freshening as well particularly across western areas.

Very breezy in land. Most of the rainfall will be across western

parts of Scotland, maybe the hills of Wales, into the south-west. The

further east you are, the least amount of rain will fall. A very

mild night, seven, eight or nine degrees. After a cloudy and wet

start tomorrow, the wind will blow away the clouds and the rain. For

most of us, Thursday afternoon will be bright,