28/02/2014 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

military activity in the area tonight. That is all from us,

Hello, welcome to Friday's Look North. In the programme tonight: The

man whose life was saved by amputating his leg, and attaching

part of it to his arm. An exclusive report on what could be

a world first by surgeons on Tyneside.

Also tonight, the homeowners who sold their properties believing they

could stay there for a knock`down rent, but then were hit with

eviction orders. Whatever happened to winter? It's

been the mildest one for years but some people are ruing the lack of

snow. And what a night if you were looking

North. The Aurora Borealis reward watchers with a brilliant display

across our region. The Wearside Exodus to the capital

is about to get underway but what will more than 30,000 Sunderland

fans witness at Wembley? Jubilation or just being left with thoughts of

what might have been. Surgeons at the Freeman Hospital in

Newcastle believe it could be a world first. In a risky 18`hour

operation, they've saved the life of a man threatened by cancer. The

surgery was so revolutionary it involved amputating one of his legs

and keeping part of it alive by attaching it to his arm. The

patient, Ian McGregor, from Sunderland, says he feels like he's

been living through an episode of Startrek. Our health reporter Sharon

Barbour has this exclusive report. Ian McGregor's possibly one of the

happiest men you could meet. He's happy to be alive and his wife's

happy he is too. I was thinking, what happens if I

don't get through the? You just say your goodbyes. One came through to

see him, once I had seen him. That face was there, goodness, I am back.

I felt more in love with him than I ever have.

He has survived as a result of some remarkable, pioneering surgery at

the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle. Surgeons had to remove a large

aggressive cancerous tumour at the top of his leg. But there was a

problem. The doctors needed to remove his leg and in fact a large

part of his body, and they were not sure how they were going to put him

back together again. But then they came up with an idea, and when they

don't believe has been tried before in the UK. It was a plan that would

mean an 18 hour operation. Ian had developed a large tumour on the top

of his plight. It had grown into his pelvis. To get access to it soon did

is needed to amputate his leg, but before they did this they carefully

removed his lower leg except for the bone, attached everything to lose

for arm, reconnecting the blood supply. After removing the leg and

the tumour, they then disconnected his calf from his arm and used that

to repair the large wound area. It is not easy for a surgeon to tell a

patient I haven't done this before, but I had to. And he knows very well

we hadn't done anything like this before. But we know that nobody

had. People keep saying, we will be taking the calf of, implanting it

into your right arm, keeping it alive, I thought it was amazing. It

is like Star Trek. The operation has run moved all his cancer. It's hoped

Ian, who now has his calf on his hip, is cured. Physically and

psychologically he is amazingly well. At the moment, and hopefully

it will remain so, he is tumour free.

Having made medical history Ian now has a prosthetic leg fitted. To say

he's grateful is an understatement. Amazing.

They thought it was the answer to their problems. People in financial

trouble sold their homes to property buyers who promised they could still

live there for a knock`down rent. But within a few years they found

themselves in a nightmare. It's alleged the property firms had

themselves arranged mortgages to buy them out then defaulted and the

tenants were hit with eviction orders when the banks tried to get

their money back. Our news correspondent Peter Harris reports.

Having hit financial trouble, Eric and his wife looked for a way out,

so when a company offered to buy them out and then rent their home

back to them, they jumped at it. We were offered ?105,000 full stop they

would pay off the existing mortgage, and any debts we had, and we would

get a lump sum. I thought selling the house to re`rent it would give

us financial footing by paying off the debts.

They lived here in Newcastle. His ex`wife still does. They say they

didn't know the company that bought it had a mortgage which defaulted.

Eric's ex`wife lives with the threat of repossession full stop next week

the Supreme Court will hear what could be a landmark case involving

people like Eric. The lawyers will essentially argue the banks lent the

money to the property buyers who took on the homes, allegedly not

checking properly they had the means to pay back, so the lawyers will

argue why should the banks be allowed to repossess the homes when

it was their irresponsible lending practices which caused a problem? We

will not be caught to hold the banks responsible and to say they have to

bear some of the risk, when they have given mortgages to people who

have self declared their income and haven't done a proper checks. We

want the courts to find the banks need to bear that risk, but the

people who have entered into the agreements.

Appoint the banks will be grisly contest. They have already won this

case in the law courts. It could be argued people who choose to settle

their homes and rent them back had lost ultimate control of their fate,

and must take the consequences. And that the banks loaned mortgages in

good faith. As for the tenants, if the test case is lost, potential

homelessness. Both me and my wife, ex`wife, we were together for 30

years. It caused a rift within the family, it makes us feel very angry.

Peter Harris is with me now. Peter, do we know how many people are

affected by this? Potentially thousands, with

different landlords around the country, according to David Gray

Solicitors which are representing tenants. You sell your house to an

Arnold, they say it is fine, they will rent it back, but what happens

if that Arnold has taken out a mortgage and a default, can the

bank, long and repossess the house? You going to say I had a deal that I

could stay as long as I paid the rent. That is what the Supreme Court

as to decide. If the banks win then tenants renting back homes they once

owned face being thrown out. Three teenagers suffered serious

injuries in a two`car crash in North Yorkshire. It happened near the MoD

ranges at Bellerby near Leyburn yesterday. Three 17`year`old boys

from the Masham and Bedale areas were in one car. Two are in a

critical condition, the other is said to be stable. The driver of the

other car suffered minor injuries. The number of arrests in Operation

Sanctuary, the investigation into the sexual exploitation of

vulnerable females, has now risen to 54. Northumbria Police have

identified approximately 80 vulnerable women and girls in the

Tyneside area. They've again urged the public to be vigilant and pass

on any information they think could help with enquiries.

MPs representing rural constituencies across our region are

calling for a more equal share of government funding. People living in

the countryside are likely to earn less, pay more in council tax and

get fewer local services. But the cost of delivering their services is

often higher because populations are spread over a large area. The Rural

Fair Share campaign wants a better deal for the countryside.

Quite astonishing. We do get ?200 of ?300 less than people in urban

areas, that are a lot closer to all the services and schools, shops and

everything else they need. We live in the countryside, it is the way we

have been brought up, it is where we need to live, so we do need looking

after as much as the people that live in urban areas.

And Sunday Politics will be speaking to Penrith and the Border MP Rory

Stewart about that at 11am this Sunday on BBC One.

Time for another story in our series World War One at Home, in

partnership with Imperial War Museums. Earlier this week we saw

remnants of a massive explosives factory complex on the

Cumbria`Scotland border. And there are traces of the Great War all

around us, if you know where to look. Gerry Jackson found some

century`old coastal architecture that you might never even have

noticed. Lost in undergrowth and practically

forgotten for generations but there was a time when this concrete

carbuncle was very important indeed. There is brick in here, it is a

right jumble of materials, and they are all trading at different rates.

`` eroding. It's called a sound mirror, in

effect a glorified 12 foot ear trumpet. It might look crude, but 20

years before radar, that was cutting detection technology. And this was

the front line in our defence against an attack. The mirrors, like

this one at Sunderland looked out to sea. Listening for these. German

Zeppelins began east coast bombing raids in 1915. A year later one bomb

killed 22 people on a Sunderland tram. And this was the one that

brought it home, they could come in and he us in our own backyard. It is

a huge part of what Sunderland is and how Sunderland was affected by

the First World War. The operation of these was top

secret but it was hoped an observer stationed here would get a few vital

extra minutes warning of a distant Zeppelin's approach, a warning he

could pass to nearby gun batteries. They are part of the whole of our

background, war memorials, all of these things are all together, they

are all part of a shared experience. And then itself tells you how we

defended our land. On the edge of a modern Redcar

housing estate sits another acoustic mirror. A local farmer used to pile

manure up against it. Now Bryan has become its neighbourly custodian. It

is just part of my everyday life. People come in cars, take

photographs, people knock on the door and ask about it. There are

certain things that yes, they have got to be.

Tucked behind Tynemouth's Grand Parade stands another sentinel on

guard not against threats from the air but from the sea. After

Hartlepool, Scarborough, and Whitby were bombarded by the German Navy in

1914, this six`storey tower was commissioned to help prevent any

repeat. It's now Nick's home. When I first saw it was the building

down the street that I thought was unusual. When I moved in and started

to find out more about it and peel some of the history, it is amazing.

There were no guns up here, but range finding telescopes that could

pinpoint a distant target and alert gun emplacements north and south. If

In the end it was never used in anger, but for the locals it would

have been reassuring, a statement of intent. It was genuinely about

defence, keeping foreigners out of our country, and therefore it makes

it even more important to retain the memories and the buildings such as

this. The Sunderland Sound Mirror is being

restored. Finally visitors to it will be welcomed. These relics of

the Great War might look incongruous today, but they are a reminder that

the whole nation had a part in this war and there are many today,

determined to preserve this heritage. It shows you what lengths

they went to do defend the coast and how important that risk was posed

and why they put them up. It is a good memorial to all the people who

took part in the war and shows them there was reason to fight and it was

expensive in money and people. And for more on the impact the war

had on where you live go to bbc.co.uk/ww1 and follow the links

to find more World War One At Home stories in our region. Not long to

go until the big match on Sunday. Thousands of people are preparing to

leave Sunderland for the Capital one Cup Final at Wembley. People are

looking forward to Sunday. We are all off to Wembley. We are making a

weekend of it. I am just getting my scar. What is the atmosphere I can

Sunderland? Brilliant, the whole city has lifted. The official shop

is relieved a much`needed delivery has turned up, even if it is from

Dave, a die`hard Man City supporter. These are not my friends, they are

my am happy for them. Absolutely buzzing. They are buying anything

and everything, replica, flax, everything. It is causing trouble

for some families. My daughter has got tickets, my wife and my youngest

daughter, her rating for Sunday, I will not be there. I will be getting

a bus at 5:30am from Durham. Things a bit tense in your house? You could

say that, you are not allowed to mention the word Wembley. It is not

often you get to where your team 's football could to school all day.

Joseph is in a difficult situation, his parents support Sunderland hit,

his loyalty is divided. I support both teams, my mum came up with the

idea of making a half and half. On Sunday who do you want to win?

Manchester City. Whatever happens people of all generations will

remember this match for years to come.

You are going down there as well? Yes. He will be inside, I will be

outside with the fans bringing you everything you need to know full

stop The waiting's almost over. Sunderland's first Wembley cup final

for 22 years is now just over 43 hours away. But can they really beat

Manchester City and bring silverware back to Wearside for the first time

since those heady days of 1973? Few neutrals give Sunderland much

hope of beating Manchester City in Sunday's Capital One Cup Final. But

for the Black Cats central defender Wes Brown, back from a two`match

suspension City are the perfect opposition. As a man who already has

two League Cup winners' medals with Manchester neighbours United he's up

for the challenge. It is a big pitch, we will have to

play our best one to get a result. I'm sure anything can happen, as

long as we work hard and do what the manager is one we have got a great

chance. Sunderland have had three managers

during their Cup run which began with a late comeback in late August

at home to MK Dons. After Paulo di Canio was sacked, Kevin Ball

presided over the match against another League One side Peterborough

before Gus Poyet took charge and guided them to wins against three

Premier League sides to reach Wembley. Sometimes when you get to

these opportunities you have got to take it, you don't know when it is

coming next. That is the biggest challenge for us. And if Sunderland

fans want a good omen here it is from your side's last encounter with

Man City. A Phil Bardsley strike giving the Black Cats their fourth

consecutive 1`0 home League win against them. Sunderland's final

could be pivotal in the Black Cats season. Win or lose a good

performance against Manchester City might just be the spring board for

success in the fight against relegation. Victory? Well legendary

status at the Stadium of Light awaits. If they do win, this man

will have to be on top form to keep out Man City's potent strike force.

Mannone turns 26 on Sunday. I said to my family I did want

anything until after the game, because I am expecting one big

present, hopefully. I will have the best present I have ever had in my

life. Well it's now time to welcome

listeners from BBC Newcastle's weeknight radio show Total Sport

where we can find presenter Simon Pryde trying to keep order with an

ex`Sunderland captain, twice a runner`up at Wembley and a former

Newcastle defender. Is the temperature rising, Simon?

You can hear the excitement in the callers voices. Tentative optimism,

probably is the order of the day. If few 1`0 predictions. Jon Anderson, a

quiet night this evening, he doesn't approve of the red`and`white

decorations. And former Sunderland captain, played into cup finals full

stop he will be summarising the match on Sunday full stop Nick

Barnes, our Sunderland, later `` commentator. Can they translate

their form to Wembley? They can. They will have to have that little

element of luck. Every team needs that in a couple final full stop as

Gus Poyet has said, no red cards, no sooner states, no own goals, no back

passes. If all the 11 natty names on Sunday play to their potential, yes,

they have got to have a chance. You have played into London and's last

two cup finals. `` Sunderland. Big underdogs in 92 against Liverpool

but you held your own, goalless at half`time, you lost 2`0 at the end.

That is what Sunderland have to do, make sure they are in the game at

half`time. It is important they stay in the game, have that belief, and

when the opportunities do, long it is important they take them. They

are not going to get many opportunities. It is important we

start the game right, we do not concede an early goal. How the

nerves? My nerves? Building up. I would imagine the players tomorrow

night will not be able to sleep. It would be interesting to see what the

starting 11 is going to be. We will have coverage on BBC

Newcastle, the commentary begins at TPM.

`` TPM. Plenty of league football going on

before then. Courtesy of the stoppage time

winner, there were no the ritzy at Hull but there is life in the season

yet. There were queries about whether we cared enough, the

celebration showed you how committed the players are. When you get beaten

sometimes it is difficult, especially with the points total we

have, it is an easy tank to put rounders. I don't think you can say

that if you are here every day and see the guys working. No worries we

will be fully committed. Hopefully get as many wins as we possibly can.

All the best action and reaction from the KC Stadium, Wembley and the

matches involving our Football League clubs in Monday's Teamtalk.

Full commentary on your local BBC radio stations.

It's the last day of winter. And it's been the mildest for years,

after we were warned it might have been the worst for years. So we

should all be glad about that. Not all, our Chief Reporter Chris

Stewart has been to meet one man who's a bit fed up that he's not up

to his neck in snowdrifts. A typical winter scene, not really,

this was Carlisle today, all very well, unless you have got a load of

snow shovels still to shift. And sledges full stop according to the

papers some people are experiencing snow. And on, it is us. Let's meet

the man who took a picture. Paul Kingston has been serving the

national press for 12 years now, and his hit rate goes up as the

temperature goes down. Met Office records show in County Durham three

winters ago there were 43 snowy days and it went down 2`12. The following

winter, 24, and `8. Last winter, 53, and `10. This winter, for snowy

days, and `4. These icicles were in Teesdale last year. This man is a

farmer in Weardale. But we have had some snow.

We have had some but we have got to go a lot higher up to find them, in

a high Pennines around Allston, top of Teesdale. And the Lake District

fells full stop the bit of a slog. And one on the front page of the

express this morning. That was one where Dell yesterday. `` Weardale.

Northumberland county council made an initial order for 36,000 tonnes

of salt, and expected to make repeat orders, they have still got there

first with sitting there. Still a couple of months to go where

we can get frost, so we will use some of that. We will have a decent

stockpile that we cover up, store and use next winter. There was

winter, what a scorcher. I am nervous about this business of

tempting fate. Well, Hannah's here now to tell us

if there's going to be a touch of spring in the air. But there was a

bigger talking point than the weather last night for people who

were outdoors, wasn't there? We were trans `` treated to a

fantastic light show. The Northern lights were fantastically displayed.

Let's have a look at some of your images.

If you go onto the Facebook page you will be able to see more of those

beautiful images, and you could possibly even download some. Will we

be able to see them tonight? Probably not. The solar storm is

subsiding, levels of activity are low. It will be the brightest on

Saturday, Sunday could be gloomy. This evening and overnight clear

skies. One of two showers. Stars in the sky for much of North Yorkshire

and the north`east are one or two showers over the fells could be

wintry. North Yorkshire, there will be some Mr building up. It is quite

cold, temperatures fall to freezing. Tomorrow, lots of sunshine to the

north`east and North Yorkshire, showery in the West. One of two

showers will move further east. For most parts it is a fine day with

some bright spells in Korea. Temperatures about the same as

today. It will feel quite pleasant. A few showers in North

Northumberland. Showers over the fells will be sleet or snow. Just

for higher levels. More rain splashes into the West Coast of

Cumbria tomorrow night. It will be more unsettled on Sunday. A ridge of

high pressure topples into after Saturday. Low`pressure displaces it

for Sunday, and into Monday and Tuesday. Spells of rain for Cumbria,

showers and some bright spells in the north`east. What does that mean

in detail. They and Monday? It could be gloomy on Sunday, right on Monday

full stop temperatures about six degrees. Very similar in Cumbria.

Likely to be cloudier and wetter on Sunday. What about the forecast for

the big game? Here it is our best guess for the football, the weather,

not the result, bright skies and it stays fine through the match. There

we have it. Lots of people interested in that, I

am getting full stop good luck to everybody travelling down to Wembley

this weekend full stop good night. And you can see