20/02/2014 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

forces and protestors. That is all from BBC News. It is goodbye

Welcome to Thursday's Look North. In tonight's headlines: A major

development in the Nikki Allan murder case. Police make an arrest.

We'll have the latest. Campaigners lose their battle to stop cuts in

maternity and children's services at a North Yorks hospital. Pothole

promise. A council leader makes an ambitious pledge to rid his county

of every dreaded hole in the road. We have whittled it down this year

considerably and we are content that we will eliminate potholes by the

end of June. And we're live at Shildon's railway museum to see the

mighty steam engines that have brought thousands flocking to the

town. In sport, the man who led his side to three Wembley appearances in

a row has left his job. And ten days before Sunderland's grand day out in

the capital we take a trip back in time to their last major Cup final.

Police have arrested a 43`year`old man on suspicion of the murder of a

seven year old girl more than 21 years ago. Nikki Allan was found

dead in the Wear Garth area of Sunderland in 1992. Since then her

mother has fought a long battle to keep the investigation alive and a

renewed appeal was made on the BBC's Crimewatch programme in September.

Sharuna Sagar reports. The Nikki Allan murder is a case

which has never gone away for Northumbria Police. The

circumstances of her death appalled officers and the public alike. A

seven` year`old girl, playing near her home in the Wear Garth area of

Sunderland, found dead in the then derelict Old Exchange building. It

has been redeveloped into a vagrant but back then it was used by

vagrants and drug addicts. Police want to speak to anybody who was

around here in those days to help them with the case. There was an

arrest and trial but the defendant was cleared. The investigation has

continued over the decades but for her mother, the impact is still raw.

I have lost that much weight, I am on drugs from the doctor. I still

have that strength to carry on. Crimewatch stepped in to give a

further impotence to the efforts of the crime team. It was hoped a

reconstruction of events might jog a memory, to provide the vital snippet

of information. This evening, as a man arrested on suspicion of murder

is bailed pending enquiries, the fresh call for witnesses is as

important as ever. A controversial plan that would see big changes to

how children's and maternity services are provided at the

Friarage Hospital in Northallerton IS to go ahead. Under the proposals

published today all sick children who need overnight care and mothers

having high risk births would have to go elsewhere. Doctors say it's

the only way to provide sustainable care ` while campaigners believe it

could threaten patient safety. Jamie Coulson reports. In the peaceful

Yorkshire Dales village, there is anger brewing. These mothers have

relied on the Friarage Hospital in the past and are upset about plans

to seek children's and maternity services scaled back stop I had my

third child, the cord was around his neck and he was blue. If we had to

have gone to James Cook, the chances are he would not be here. It is a

long way to the Friarage anyway and to know you might have to go

further, it is a scary situation. Today, NHS managers confirmed that

they want a maternity unit run by midwives, not doctors. High risk

births would go elsewhere. There will be an end to overnight

children's care, although an assessment unit would run from 10am

until 10pm. The plans have led to protests but

doctors leaders say current services are not sustainable with too few

patients to support the doctors needed to provide said care. Here,

many people fear what they see as the loss of some services at their

local hospital. They got it wrong. They were not prepared to listen to

anything other than their own solution. Their solution came

forward two years ago and has not been changed. They have not done the

legwork necessary to find alternatives. The hospital serves

120,000 people, but, under the changes, high risk births and very

sick children would have to go to Middlesbrough, Darlington,

Harrogate, or, York. Evidence tells us children should be looked after

in big units, when they are poorly, with well`trained staff who do

amazing stuff every day. When people think that the Friarage is a

world`class service, you are saying it is not? I think it has been, but

other services have improved and increase standards. People would be

better off going elsewhere? Yes. They hope to implement the changes

by October, but campaigners say they will fight on.

A man accused of biting off a large part of a television actor's ear

says he apologised to police for his behaviour. Philip McGilvray said he

lost count how much he'd drunk and could not recall the details of the

incident involving Clive Mantle. The jury heard interviews recorded

following the incident. Philip McGilvray and Alan French, from

Scotland, deny wounding with intent. The trial continues. Hartlepool

building firm Yuill Homes has gone into administration. The house

builder, which was originally established in 1927, employs more

than 50 staff. It's currently working on a single development in

Brierton Lane and owns a number of other sites for future building. The

company will continue to trade while efforts are made to try and find a

buyer. Thousands of them have been plaguing Northumberland's drivers

for years. Damaging cars and causing disruption. But today the leader of

the County Council pledged that each and every pothole on the county's

roads will be filled by the end of June. It's an ambitious goal ` some

say unachievable. But, as Richard Moss reports, he insists it can be

done. Suspension`wrecking, tyre` bursting, anger`inducing. Potholes

are part and parcel of driving in Northumberland. But if you believe

the leader of the County Council, not for much longer. He says they'll

all be gone by the end of June. When we got to the administration we have

35,000 potholes. We whittled it down to just over 12000 and believe over

the next 18 weeks, by adding the additional money from the insurance

fund, we can eliminate them by that time. The council says it can make

that pledge because it has invested in kit like this jet patcher which

can fill holes quickly. And because it's putting a further ?600,000 in

to the roads budget. We have seen potholes repaired only for the rain

and frost to get in and they reappear later. The council said

repairs like this should last years, rather than weeks. But some are

deeply sceptical. They say Northumberland's roads need ?100

million of radical surgery, not a quick fix. As the Conservative group

on the council, we could not believe when he came out with those words

the other day. What it does portray is the lack of understanding of the

need for long`term investment in our roads, just sticking a few potholed

plasters will not fix the problem. To think the problems can be fixed

by June is cloud cuckoo land. Will you have a day of celebration when

you fill in the last one? We will introduce a meter on the web page

and people will see the numbers drop. I am sure they will put a

smiley face at the bottom when they are done. And the challenge to

achieve that smiley face ` fill the small matter of 100 holes a day for

the next four months. God luck to them.

`` good luck. It was five years ago today that Sir

Bobby Robson opened the clinical drug trials centre paid for by his

foundation at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care in Newcastle. Sadly,

Sir Bobby died of melanoma just over six months later but the drugs

developed at the Freeman Hospital centre are now treating thousands of

patients every year. Adrian Pitches reports. Two days after his 76th

birthday, Sir Bobby Robson celebrated the opening of the

clinical trials centre named after him in the company of the great and

good of English football. Look what we have at the reception desk. His

oncologist can point to five years of success since that day. We have

put 3000 new patients onto studies, which is thousands of patient visits

across the trials. We have had a lot of new trials open and we have new

drugs where we have done research and they are licensed and given to

patients as standard treatments. Theresa was diagnosed with terminal

pancreatic cancer a year and a half ago but her drug trial has halted

the cancer and she cannot praise the trials centre and its staff too

highly. There is no fear at all coming to the unit. You could not be

treated any better than if you are members of your own family. `` if

they are. The cancer is still in the pancreas, it has not spread. It is

not in my bones. They pulled out all the stops. That is amazing. But the

bulk of the work at the cancer care centre is treatment by radio therapy

and chemotherapy. This newly installed machine can dramatically

reduce the number of radiation treatments by intelligent targeting

of tumours. We have just gone clinical with the first of two new

machines and each has cost around ?3 million. It is going to be able to

deliver radiotherapy more accurately, quicker, so that there

are patients who come for seven and a half weeks of radiotherapy, when

we start with this service in the next few months, they will be

treated with five treatments rather than 37. The Northern Centre for

Cancer care now treats 5000 new patients a year from across the

North East and Cumbria will stop with state`of`the`art facilities

that are arguably the best in the UK, it is no exaggeration to say we

are fortunate to have the centre in the region.

Plenty more to come in tonight's programme. It's just over a week to

go until Sunderland fans are Wembley bound. A trip down memory lane

coming up. Stopping the brain drain. A scheme to keep Cumbria's young

talent in the county. It has been a mild stay, but what does the rest of

the week have installed? I will have the details in the weather forecast.

It is known as the brain drain with talented youngsters leaving the

region for jobs in London, but a new scheme aims to entice the best young

brains to consider a career in the county. The Dream Placement

programme has been created by the leadership of the performance with

16 to 18`year`olds being put through a rigorous process to be selected. A

step into the world of international industry. The Dream Placement scheme

has been set up to show teenagers what it's like to work at a high

level in some of Cumbria's top businesses. Iggesund paperboard mill

in West Cumbria selected two young students from the county to shadow

senior managers in every department on the Mill floor through to board

meetings. I would like to be up at the top. I want to tell people what

to do, I want to be in charge, I'd like that position. Has this giving

you a flavour of that? Definitely. I have seen how the managers work here

and I like it. Iggesund is one of Europe's leading manufacturers in

its field, but it can still find it hard to get the brightest local

talent through the doors. Is it hard to keep people? I would say so,

definitely. The brightest students want to go to the best universities

and it is difficult to get them back. But, schemes like this are

opening their eyes to think maybe there are more opportunities here.

It is a great place to work and hopefully they will think that. 14

businesses initially agreed to take one student each. But the standard

was so high they took more and 33 won their week`long placement.

Youngsters went through a rigorous selection process. Robyn was chosen

by Wigton's Innovia films. She's seen how this world leader operates

at all levels. Yesterday I went to research and development, which took

my interest. I would like to make a discovery, which sounds heroic, but

that is my dream. It has just occurred to me now, without

realising, you take a fancy to a particular area. The point of the

scheme is to let people know there are good jobs to be had in industry

in West Cumbria and, if they choose to stay, they could be part of the

international market. There are massive opportunities with

international companies across West Cumbria and we do not shout loud

enough. The Dream Placement allows us to link future bright young

things with job opportunities and if they like it, they will stay, if not

they will go away. The key thing is to give them opportunity. The scheme

is now looking for more young people to take part next year. And Alison

joins me now. So what else are these businesses doing to make young

Cumbrians stay? This is a way of showing them they can get up high in

a company without studying for a degree first. Many firms offer the

chance to study while they work for them on a day release. This can save

students tens of thousands of pounds in fees, while still offering the

chance to progress. There is another dimension. It lets them see what

career they might like to follow and that difficult decision is important

when they think about spending thousands of pounds on costly

further education. The railway museum in Shildon has been packed

for half`term week. An exhibition of six mighty A4 Pacific class steam

locomotives has attracted over 60,000 people. As we reported on

Look North yesterday it has caused some fairly major traffic problems `

but as the week goes on it's been great news for the local economy.

Jonathan Swingler is there. It is an amazing sight. If you have

not been before you have until Sunday. This could be the last time

you see the six altogether. The traffic has been chock a block. I

spoke to people who had a long journey to get here. The museum

predicted 68,000 visitors over nine days. They went through that target

yesterday. Entry is free. A train enthusiasts from China landed at

Heathrow this morning. I did know it was a unique gathering. I thought it

was a once`in`a`lifetime opportunity. John is happy. He sold

his painting. A gentleman came from Ipswich for the exhibition and saw

it. His father drove the engine and wanted it for his collection. The

owners of this pub are amazed people are coming from all over with one

customer coming in from America. Somebody came from Los Angeles?

Yes, he flew in and out the next day, just to see the trains. Did he

come in here? He did, half an hour, we had to push it through and out

and we did. We generally have 100 people on Thursday, and at the

moment it is up to 300 people. It is fantastic. Visitor numbers today did

not disappoint with people queueing for 45 minutes to stand on the

footplate. It is fantastic there is a gathering and seeing the young

children, as well. It is great. Very unusual and probably the last time

they are together. They are here for another three days and staff can

expect to be busy. Joining me now is the manager, George. This could be

the last time we see them together? I do not think we will see it again

in our lifetime. Amazing in terms of visitor numbers, are you surprised?

They exceeded expectations. How many over the last few days? By the end

of the day over 70,000. We predicted 68,000 for the nine days and so we

have exceeded the target. The staff must be tired. Aching feet and sore

legs, but everybody enjoys it. You have until Sunday to visit. In terms

of the best time to come along, when is the best time? Come early, or

after 3pm, there is less traffic them. What happens to the trains?

They disperse. The American locomotives stay here and the mall

aren't goes back to York and operational locomotives go out to

earn a living `` Mallard. I like the dominion of Canada, that is my

favourite, because we painted it here. People can get lovely images.

Yes, it is a lovely night for photographing locomotives. Well

worth a visit and taking the children this weekend.

Even I can appreciate they are beautiful machines, and I am no

expert. I saw them on Sunday, very pleased I went.

The Sunderland head coach was an interested observer as Saturday's

opponents Arsenal lost the home leg of their Champions League tie

against holders Bayern Munich last night. Gus Poyet says if there are

any tired legs in the Arsenal camp at the Emirates this weekend, his

side will need to take advantage. Perhaps surprisingly, though, Poyet

thinks this toughest of away matches will be perfect preparation for next

Sunday's League Cup final at Wembley. It will be a massive test.

As well I think there is no better game to prepare for the final. The

stadium is similar. The trip is the same. The pitch is in `` is

incredibly big. There are similarities and it is good

preparation. It's 16 years since Sunderland were

last at Wembley ` 22 since they last appeared in a major Cup final. That

was in 1992, when a side that had underachieved in the Second

Division, that season met First Division Liverpool in an era just

before the launch of the cash`rich Premier League. Andrew Hartley looks

back at a day when Wembley turned red. There was no stopping

Sunderland. The town had just become a city. And the football club was

going to Wembley with a song. It was May 1992. # Ain't no stopping us

now! It was May, 1992. Wearside was beside itself with excitement. Pay

will score? I will, tonight. Sunderland, then a struggling team

in the second tier of English football, were in the FA Cup final.

The Wearsiders were rank outsiders. The opposition were one of the

giants of World football ` Liverpool. And it was a day when a

young Alan Hansen was to demonstrate the kind of skills that would make

him a legend in the world of punditry. I think Liverpool will be

too strong. The school will be 2`0 Liverpool. In midfield that day was

a 21`year`old North East lad called Brian Atkinson. When I look back, it

was probably the highlight of my career. I probably wish I was a

little bit older. Rather than think it was a normal thing. I could have

enjoyed it a little more. Sunderland had the best of a tight first half `

but striker John Byrne was unable to complete the fete of scoring in

every round of the FA Cup. And with that miss went Sunderland's best

hopes. The first half was a decent performance. Famous last words at

half`time, do not concede. The next 15 minutes and we can win the final.

We let it go after a couple of minutes and it became a tough task.

After that Liverpool bossed the game. Ian Rush sealed it. And as

Hansen predicted, Liverpool won 2`0. In one of soccer's great blunders,

the entire Sunderland team were handed winners' medals by mistake. I

flipped over the medal as looked at it. There it was, it said winners. I

said look at your medal. I think we have yours. Dino looked at his,

runners`up, he could not get his hand across quickly enough to swap

over! For a fraction of a second, we had the winners medals. Despite the

defeat, the team returned to a heroes' welcome on Wearside. Police

estimated at least quarter of a million were on the streets. One man

who's been no stranger to the `` there will be a feature of that

in the run`up. One man who's been no stranger to the new Wembley in

recent seasons is Ian Chandler. He's resigned as manager of Northern

League Whitley Bay after over ten years in charge, during which he led

the club to a record three consecutive FA Vase final victories.

He also won the competition as a player but that was at Villa Park.

When I was at the Castle this morning it was actually quite warm.

Incredibly mild, in 11 degrees today. That was on the

Northumberland coast. Tonight tomorrow will not be as mild. There

will be clear spells tonight 's and that will allow it to get colder

than last night. Perhaps down to two degrees. Still with brisk,

south`westerly winds. A chilly start to Friday. Bright in many spots. It

does not last. In the West, we expect showers, lovingly and on

strong breezes. The showers will be wintry over the tops of Wales. And

also `` tops of the hills. The temperature is going down after

today. Seven degrees, more like the average for this time of year. There

are showers in North Northumberland. Showers also in parts of Lake lands.

Here, it is the wind we will notice. `` land. Let's look at the big

picture. Pressure is staying low. That will set the scene for the

weekend. Strong breezes on Saturday. On Sunday, it turns wet

and generally from the West. A spell of heavy rain and strong winds. A

squeeze on the isobars. Breezy through Sunday and by Monday, it

will calm for the day. Another wet weather system in the West, ready to

sweep our way on Tuesday. No change in the general overall picture of

the weather. There should be brighter weather in the north`east,

at least. In Cumbria, we expect showers that will be heavy at times

on Saturday and widespread through Sunday. In the north`east, brighter

skies for a time on Saturday. Cloudy in the North in particular. On

Sunday, rain across the region, East and West. We expect it to be cloudy

into the start of Monday. The temperatures, with the warmer

Atlantic air, it is unstable. It brings rainfall. But back in two the

low 50s in Fahrenheit. Now, time for a look at tonight's

headlines. More than 20 people have been killed in Ukraine as gun

battles broke out between security forces and anti`government

protesters. A 43`year`old man has been arrested and bailed in

connection with the murder of seven`year`old Nikki Allan in

Sunderland more than 21 years ago. The late news is at 10:25pm. Good

night.