:00:00. > :01:13.It was hailed as a massive infrastructure project, of national
:01:14. > :01:16.significance. A new renewable power station to be built in
:01:17. > :01:20.Northumberland ` bringing whth it hundreds of jobs, and hundrdds of
:01:21. > :01:23.millions of pounds of investment. Planning permission for the biomass
:01:24. > :01:26.plant was only granted last year. It would have been built on thd Blyth
:01:27. > :01:31.estuary which is already hole to other renewable energy scheles. But
:01:32. > :01:35.today the lights went out on the new power station, as Richard Thomas
:01:36. > :01:40.reports. Battle Ship Wharf on the Blxth
:01:41. > :01:43.Estury. This was to be the home of the North Blyth Biomass Powdr
:01:44. > :01:46.Station. But even before thd foundations have been dug, or a
:01:47. > :01:52.single brick laid, the comp`ny behind the project, have pulled the
:01:53. > :01:55.plug. The renewable energy developer, RES, says uncert`inty in
:01:56. > :02:00.the energy market has resulted in a key European investor pulling out,
:02:01. > :02:08.so they just can't fund the project. And they say it's because of the
:02:09. > :02:14.coalition's energy policies. The government have a different strategy
:02:15. > :02:20.and policies to support different generation technologies and biomass
:02:21. > :02:25.is only have been supporting for several years but they have changed
:02:26. > :02:28.their policy, and that conthnual change means we are unable to make
:02:29. > :02:30.the long term investment in this project.
:02:31. > :02:33.The power station would havd been a large development. And would have
:02:34. > :02:36.used imported sustainable wood to create the energy. The cost involved
:02:37. > :02:39.would have been ?250 million. It would have taken two and a half
:02:40. > :02:43.years to complete. Once operational the 100 megawatt power stathon would
:02:44. > :02:49.have been able to supply eldctricity to more than 170,000 households
:02:50. > :02:52.every year. For Blyth, it mdans the loss of hundreds of millions of
:02:53. > :02:55.pounds of investment in the Northumberland economy. As well as
:02:56. > :03:06.300 construction jobs and around 50 full time posts. But the local MP
:03:07. > :03:12.says isn't all bad news. A lot of the local people were opposdd to the
:03:13. > :03:16.power station in the first place, and on the other side of thd coin is
:03:17. > :03:24.the fact there would have bden 0 full`time jobs here, and 300 jobs in
:03:25. > :03:27.construction, so it is a mixed bag. Some will be happy and some unhappy.
:03:28. > :03:30.The region does already havd a number of biomass plants. Hdre on
:03:31. > :03:34.Teesside, at the Wilton complex this power station is one of the
:03:35. > :03:36.biggest. Only last year, Business Secretary Vince Cable was bding
:03:37. > :03:40.shown around, the Sembcorp facility very much held up as a succdss
:03:41. > :03:43.story. But now it's his govdrnment that's being blamed for this new
:03:44. > :03:47.power station failing beford it s even started.
:03:48. > :03:50.And Richard's here now, so government policy being citdd as one
:03:51. > :03:55.of the main reasons, what h`ve ministers had to say? Well, it's not
:03:56. > :03:58.Vince Cable's business department this falls under, but rather the
:03:59. > :04:01.department for energy and climate change. In a statement they said
:04:02. > :04:05.they were disappointed that RES have decided not to take this project
:04:06. > :04:09.forward, however they say it's very much a commercial decision for them.
:04:10. > :04:12.The government says the UK hs one of the world's most attractive places
:04:13. > :04:18.to invest in renewable energy, ranking second in the world for
:04:19. > :04:20.biomass. With regards to thd governments electricity market
:04:21. > :04:23.reforms, they say it'll delhver at least ?40 billion of investlent in
:04:24. > :04:28.renewables between now and 2020 providing enough power for ten
:04:29. > :04:34.million homes. But, for now, it looks as though Blyth won't be
:04:35. > :04:37.making a contribution. They've failed to charge me, now thdy're
:04:38. > :04:40.trying to blacken my character. The words of the former chairman of
:04:41. > :04:44.Cleveland Police Authority, after it was revealed he claimed ?123,00 in
:04:45. > :04:48.expenses in five years. Dave Mcluckie was one of ten people
:04:49. > :04:50.arrested as part of multi`mhllion pound corruption investigathon.
:04:51. > :04:59.Yesterday he, and all the others, were told they'd face no further
:05:00. > :05:04.action. Stuart Whincup reports. He says he was the victim of a
:05:05. > :05:07.witch`hunt. Labelled as corrupt his reputation has been destroydd by
:05:08. > :05:16.smear and innuendo. Now he's considering suing for his wrongful
:05:17. > :05:23.arrest. This has destroyed just about everyone who has been
:05:24. > :05:27.involved. It has ruined carders destroyed my 25 years in public
:05:28. > :05:30.life, all gone, completely wiped out. After four years and more than
:05:31. > :05:34.?4.5 million, Operation Sacristy's failure to bring a single charge
:05:35. > :05:43.brought much criticism. And questions over the credibilhty of
:05:44. > :05:49.the entire force. We are very nearly at the point at which Cleveland
:05:50. > :05:52.police would become untenable. Trust has been shaken over decades and
:05:53. > :05:55.this is not just one decade. Although there were no crimhnal
:05:56. > :05:58.charges, Cleveland Police today tried to show that Operation
:05:59. > :06:09.Sacristy hadn't been a wastd of time and waste of money. It has released
:06:10. > :06:14.hundreds of papers from the official investigation and on top of that,
:06:15. > :06:19.details of hundreds of contracts, some given away without the proper
:06:20. > :06:25.process, then there are the trips abroad than the internation`l travel
:06:26. > :06:29.and bonuses for senior managers On top of this, credit card details for
:06:30. > :06:31.all the people in top posithons Cleveland's former Chief Constable
:06:32. > :06:36.Sean Price spent nearly ?58,000 on his corperate credit card on hotels,
:06:37. > :06:39.travel and meals. The former Chief Executive of Cleveland Police
:06:40. > :06:44.Authority, Joe McCarthy spent nearly ?80,000 on his credit card over the
:06:45. > :06:47.same period. And the former chair of the
:06:48. > :06:59.Authority, Dave Mcluckie, claimed over ?123,000 on his expensds, again
:07:00. > :07:03.on hotels, travel and meals. If you are controlling a budget of
:07:04. > :07:09.300 million and a private company, those expenses would be double what
:07:10. > :07:11.hours were. Those expenses were legitimate expenses, claimed
:07:12. > :07:15.legitimately. Cleveland Polhce says the people investigated havd now
:07:16. > :07:22.left or been sacked and it's time to move on. It has been a long and
:07:23. > :07:27.torturous process and has c`st a shadow on the organisation `s a
:07:28. > :07:31.whole, but I am pleased the Crown Prosecution Service has comd to this
:07:32. > :07:34.conclusion. But with the foler head of the police authority considering
:07:35. > :07:36.suing for wrongful arrest, `nd the former Chief Constable now
:07:37. > :07:47.challenging his sacking, moving on is not going to be easy.
:07:48. > :07:53.The family of a County Durh`m woman who was found dead in the stairwell
:07:54. > :07:56.of an American hospital, have begun legal action for damages. Lxnne
:07:57. > :07:59.Spalding, who was originallx from Haswell, was found not far from her
:08:00. > :08:04.bed at San Francisco General Hospital last October, 17 d`ys after
:08:05. > :08:07.going missing. She was 57. Lawyers for her two American`born children
:08:08. > :08:12.have filed a legal claim ag`inst the city, seeking unspecified d`mages.
:08:13. > :08:15.The claim alleges negligencd on the part of the hospital and thd city's
:08:16. > :08:18.Sheriff's Department. Eddie Stobart, the well known
:08:19. > :08:21.Cumbria`based trucking business has new owners, after a controlling
:08:22. > :08:26.stake was sold to private investors in a ?280 million deal. Stobart s
:08:27. > :08:35.will use the proceeds to pax off debts and invest in its gredn
:08:36. > :08:38.energy, and air and rail, interests. The firm transports woodchips to
:08:39. > :08:41.biomass fuel plants. It's not clear yet what impact there'll be on jobs
:08:42. > :08:44.in Cumbria. A house at Ripon in North Yorkshire,
:08:45. > :08:47.which was damaged when a sinkhole opened 25 feet wide, has bedn
:08:48. > :08:51.demolished. The owners had to be moved out, along with peopld in two
:08:52. > :08:53.other homes, when the hole `ppeared last month. Yesterday the
:08:54. > :08:56.100`year`old house was pulldd down. Other householders returned last
:08:57. > :09:01.week, but there's still concern about the possibility of more holes.
:09:02. > :09:04.The government has given thd go`ahead for seven North East
:09:05. > :09:08.councils to join together, to try to boost the region's economy. The new
:09:09. > :09:11.North East combined authority, which calls itself the LA seven, will
:09:12. > :09:16.start work in April, covering an area from Berwick to Barnard Castle.
:09:17. > :09:21.It won't replace the existing councils, but it will see them work
:09:22. > :09:25.more closely together. Our Political Editor Richard Moss is here now
:09:26. > :09:35.Richard, what will this new authority do? It will not elpty your
:09:36. > :09:42.bends or run your library, that will rest with the existing seven
:09:43. > :09:50.councils. What it will do is incorporate on the big stuff, which
:09:51. > :09:53.roads should be improved and so on. It does not mean a huge flow of
:09:54. > :09:59.money but they will be able to borrow money together. The
:10:00. > :10:02.government have said no extra powers of resources will to learn tnless
:10:03. > :10:05.they agree to join together. Isn't it just another layer of local
:10:06. > :10:08.bureaucracy? Remember, Tyne and Wear council was abolished and voters
:10:09. > :10:18.soundly rejected the idea of a regional assembly. Voters in 20 4
:10:19. > :10:23.solid as a white elephant and a waste of time. The people bdhind
:10:24. > :10:26.this saying it not matter and it is just an agreement for existhng
:10:27. > :10:31.councils to work together btt there will be questions about staffing and
:10:32. > :10:37.salaries and whether it will need offices headquarters. We do not know
:10:38. > :10:42.the answer is as yet but thdre's not a lot of money around so we cannot
:10:43. > :10:47.see them spending a huge amount The government has said that in the
:10:48. > :10:49.future they may be able to have a directly elected mayor voted for by
:10:50. > :10:52.people. What are the chances that seven different councils, all with
:10:53. > :11:02.their own agendas, will acttally agree on a single course of action?
:11:03. > :11:07.It is six middle`aged men and the women that are the leaders of these
:11:08. > :11:13.authorities and you would think they got on famously but there h`ve been
:11:14. > :11:16.problems. Sunderland Council almost torpedoed this because they thought
:11:17. > :11:26.the power would reside firmly in Newcastle. It will be cruci`l that
:11:27. > :11:31.they get this to work. They are all forming these combined authorities
:11:32. > :11:36.and it will be NVQ for investment with powers from the governlent
:11:37. > :11:39.Thank you. About 1500 shop and supermarket
:11:40. > :11:42.workers across the region wdre today given a bonus equivalent to eight
:11:43. > :11:45.weeks' salary. Staff at the John Lewis Partnership, a business owned
:11:46. > :11:53.by the employees, share in the annual profits, as our Business
:11:54. > :11:57.Correspondent, Ian Reeve, rdports. It's a countdown to a yearlx ritual.
:11:58. > :12:02.What percentage of the salaries of John Lewis workers will be paid to
:12:03. > :12:05.them as a bonus. The staff here at York's Waitrose are obviously
:12:06. > :12:15.pleased with that, even thotgh last year they got 17%. It's still a
:12:16. > :12:19.great perk to have. It is rdally good to be recognised for the hard
:12:20. > :12:24.work we put ten and the bonts is higher than the a lot of people were
:12:25. > :12:37.predicting. I was guessing 04 but it is 15. It makes a real diffdrence.
:12:38. > :12:43.This is the one time of year you can treat yourself and it can m`ke a
:12:44. > :12:50.difference. Something you could not otherwise afford. The pay`ott is
:12:51. > :12:59.possible because the John Ldwis partnership made profits of ?37
:13:00. > :13:02.million. This store that its bets. Since opening this has been a huge
:13:03. > :13:07.success. We are continuing to grow and have a good presence in the
:13:08. > :13:11.local area and the business is booming. Next year things whll be
:13:12. > :13:14.different. New rules mean that most staff, or partners as they're
:13:15. > :13:19.called, won't pay tax on thd bonus. A great perk will be even bdtter.
:13:20. > :13:28.Still to come tonight, creating a new end of the pier show. And
:13:29. > :13:33.success is sweet. The seaside ice`cream maker who's just scooped
:13:34. > :13:37.his second national award. Handing out an award for thd web as
:13:38. > :13:40.well, you can find out which picture has been chosen as the best of
:13:41. > :13:47.February's selection. It's been battered by storms, served
:13:48. > :13:52.as a second world war torpedo base and now it's due for a masshve
:13:53. > :13:55.face`lift. Roker pier in Sunderland was completed in 1903, but now it's
:13:56. > :14:01.about to close for a ?1.3 mhllion restoration. Eventually it's hoped
:14:02. > :14:11.the tunnel that runs beneath it will also be open to the public. Peter
:14:12. > :14:16.Harris has been for a look round. It was once hailed as a tritmph of
:14:17. > :14:26.engineering and underneath hts head and secrets. A tunnel where the
:14:27. > :14:33.names of the engineers' rel`tives were stamped for prosperity. It was
:14:34. > :14:39.vital at one point in powerhng the building work above. This whll need
:14:40. > :14:44.a lot of work before the public can be allowed in. It drops to `round
:14:45. > :14:50.five foot eight in height. This tunnel was originally built soul it
:14:51. > :14:54.could be reached in high se`s without the dangers of going over
:14:55. > :15:01.the top. It is still used for rescues. First, a major restoration
:15:02. > :15:07.above ground with the entird surface being replaced that the cost of more
:15:08. > :15:10.than ?1 million. There is a fair bit of work to be carried out bdcause
:15:11. > :15:19.she is suffering from the wdather conditions. We will do some pointing
:15:20. > :15:25.work. It is a fantastic strtcture and was built to safeguard the
:15:26. > :15:31.entrance to the river and still plays the role today. It once housed
:15:32. > :15:36.torpedoes to repel any invading wartime ships. One day the public
:15:37. > :15:43.might be able to emerge frol that tunnel onto the Lighthouse xear As
:15:44. > :15:49.you can see, there's plenty to do to get the less into working order The
:15:50. > :15:54.restored land tour guides bought sent to this day and the work means
:15:55. > :16:01.closure of the pure for now and not all anglers are happy with the
:16:02. > :16:07.council. ?75,000 on a gate! It is a disgrace. We have to make stre we
:16:08. > :16:13.safeguard the structure as ht is great two listed. Some of the plans
:16:14. > :16:18.depend on works being within the budget but much of it should be done
:16:19. > :16:22.by Christmas. A shop in Whitley Bay in north
:16:23. > :16:25.Tyneside has scooped the title of "Best strawberry ice`cream hn the
:16:26. > :16:29.UK." Luciano Di Maeo has bedn coming up with the recipes for his shop for
:16:30. > :16:39.the past 13 years, and it's the second year in a row he's won a top
:16:40. > :16:43.award. Alison Freeman reports. You can see at mixing nicelx! He's
:16:44. > :16:46.got the magic touch when it comes to ice`cream. Luciano di Maeo was named
:16:47. > :16:49.Champion of Champions by judges at The National Ice cream compdtition
:16:50. > :16:59.for his Strawberry flavoured ice`cream. Just a passion for ice
:17:00. > :17:06.cream. We even try other people s wherever Riegel. As long as you keep
:17:07. > :17:12.it fresh you will lock the flavour in. It's the second year Luciano's
:17:13. > :17:17.ice`cream has come top at the competition. Last year his vanilla
:17:18. > :17:28.flavour was voted the best hn the UK. We just want to keep thd ice
:17:29. > :17:31.cream as natural and good and bring it to the north`east.
:17:32. > :17:34.But he's not the first ice`cream maker in his family. His gr`ndfather
:17:35. > :17:39.came from southern Italy to make his fortune in the North East to make
:17:40. > :17:45.his fortune 100 years ago. @nd the tradition is being passed down from
:17:46. > :17:56.generation to generation. Ltciano run this shop in Whitley Bax for 13
:17:57. > :18:03.years. He deserves it because he spends a lot of hours and hd works
:18:04. > :18:09.with his heart and soul, and that makes us very proud because we know
:18:10. > :18:15.the business will carry on. He is always a step ahead and thinking of
:18:16. > :18:20.something different. You cannot come here and not try the best ice cream
:18:21. > :18:23.in the UK. Thank you very mtch. And with that, he can probably lake the
:18:24. > :18:39.best in the world. Enjoying that job far too mtch!
:18:40. > :18:47.What's your favourite flavotr? Mint chocolate chip. A friend of mine had
:18:48. > :18:48.Chianti ice cream. Let's do some football.
:18:49. > :18:51.A big problem for Middlesbrough Football Club in recent years is
:18:52. > :18:54.getting attendance figures tp. They're still pushing as hard as
:18:55. > :18:59.possible for people to get season cards. And one player has even been
:19:00. > :19:09.to supporters' homes. Jonathan Swingler has more.
:19:10. > :19:14.A major headache over the ydars has been dwindling attendance. For one
:19:15. > :19:23.day only, this defender took to bringing door bells to deliver
:19:24. > :19:31.season card renewal packs. The media circus was April. Rise. I thought it
:19:32. > :19:34.would be one man and a camera. The premiership years, there was no
:19:35. > :19:44.problem and everyone wanted to be there. What I really like is the
:19:45. > :19:51.ones that bring young kids `nd families. It was not always that
:19:52. > :19:56.way. The big news for supporters is that prices have been frozen again.
:19:57. > :20:03.The player also spent time chatting to some baroque smack to sole of the
:20:04. > :20:10.younger season`ticket players. It is one of the best experiences and I
:20:11. > :20:17.think he is really good plaxer. He is amazing. He is pleased whth the
:20:18. > :20:22.reception he has had on Teeside but just wants to see more people at
:20:23. > :20:27.matches. The club is going for a family club of the year award so to
:20:28. > :20:32.come here and see what they are doing and see what they are like, it
:20:33. > :20:36.is great. I am not from this area but I have felt very welcomdd by
:20:37. > :20:42.everyone and double back out and meet some people, it has bedn
:20:43. > :20:47.brilliant and I am grateful. Watching them play recently has not
:20:48. > :20:53.been easy for supporters with almost 12 frustrating hours of football
:20:54. > :21:01.going by without a goal. We scored goals and we went and peopld will
:21:02. > :21:04.come to support us. Fingers are being crossed for the forthcoming
:21:05. > :21:05.match against Ipswich at thd weekend.
:21:06. > :21:08.Rugby League Championship shde Workington Town have agreed a
:21:09. > :21:12.development partnership with Super League champions Wigan Warrhors The
:21:13. > :21:15.deal will mean Town are loaned players under the dual registration
:21:16. > :21:17.scheme, tightening a relationship that has already seen three Wigan
:21:18. > :21:21.youngsters temporarily joinhng the West Cumbrians this season.
:21:22. > :21:24.Finally, disappointment for County Durham's undefeated light
:21:25. > :21:27.welterweight boxer Bradley Saunders. Saunders, here on the right, had
:21:28. > :21:30.been due to fight Ireland's former British and European champion Paul
:21:31. > :21:35.McClosky on the undercard of the Stuart Hall world title defdnce in
:21:36. > :21:39.Newcastle at the end of the month. But a knee injury has forced
:21:40. > :21:48.McClosky to pull out. A new opponent is now being sought. Sorry, a
:21:49. > :21:51.shortage of pictures there! Now it's almost time for the we`ther
:21:52. > :21:52.prospects. But first, Hannah, important business on the c`lendar
:21:53. > :22:02.front. It hardly seems possible but we are
:22:03. > :22:06.into the second month of our competition and it is time to reveal
:22:07. > :22:09.the winner of our February weather picture competition. This thme
:22:10. > :22:11.around we've been to Berwick upon Tweed and we've handed the
:22:12. > :22:13.responsibility to the youngdr generation at England's most
:22:14. > :22:29.northerly school. Paul Moondy reports.
:22:30. > :22:35.Well come to bury said Mary is. `` pierBerwick St Mary's..
:22:36. > :22:43.From the displays on the cl`ssroom walls they look like an artx bunch
:22:44. > :22:50.so let's meet the guest judges. My name is Scott and I am nine years
:22:51. > :22:55.old. My name is Amy, I am ehght years old and I like reading. I am
:22:56. > :23:01.nine years old and I love to play football. I am eight years old and I
:23:02. > :23:07.have a pet hamster. My name is Kieran and I love playing cricket.
:23:08. > :23:13.And to the task in hand with the headteacher lending a hand. After
:23:14. > :23:16.what seemed like a doll February new weather pictures gave the children
:23:17. > :23:21.plenty to discuss and with February being a month of long nights and
:23:22. > :23:27.short days perhaps it is no surprise that the final short list contained
:23:28. > :23:34.two night`time shots. The fhrst runner`up came from David Rhodes. I
:23:35. > :23:40.think it looks like a big bdt rainbow and it looks like an unhappy
:23:41. > :23:47.face because of the cloudy skies. The other runner`up was Andx Gray's
:23:48. > :23:56.Northern light shot. It looks like one of those logos in movies at the
:23:57. > :24:01.very start or the very end, it appears with the picture and then
:24:02. > :24:09.the writing comes on the bottom It is a beautiful picture. And the
:24:10. > :24:17.February when was a unanimots choice with Michael Connor's Tyneshde
:24:18. > :24:21.picture taking the honours. It looks like a painting when I fall that all
:24:22. > :24:27.that and looks really nice `nd symmetrical. It has an amazhng
:24:28. > :24:35.picture. Well done, Michael Thank you very much and I whll
:24:36. > :24:39.repeat the well done to Michael His image will appear on the February
:24:40. > :24:45.page on next year's calendar, out in October.
:24:46. > :24:49.The seasoning it will be brhght and breezy and very wet tonight.
:24:50. > :24:56.Instability in the atmosphere has given us some beautiful clotds. We
:24:57. > :25:02.can see some lenticular clotds, snapped by viewers across the
:25:03. > :25:13.region. Can we look at the photos? This was not a UFO but the scene
:25:14. > :25:20.this afternoon. Thank you vdry much indeed to the foot refers whth those
:25:21. > :25:26.clouds often blamed for false UFO sightings around the world.
:25:27. > :25:33.The seasoning, we are expecting it to continue to be cloudy with heavy
:25:34. > :25:38.spells of rain in the West `nd a weather warning in place for heavy
:25:39. > :25:42.and persistent rain. It is listy as well tonight and mild with
:25:43. > :25:48.temperatures nor lower than between eight and 10 Celsius. A yellow
:25:49. > :25:53.warning on the map for West Cumbria with heavy rain lasting into the
:25:54. > :25:57.morning rush hour but slowlx the rain will start to clear and through
:25:58. > :26:05.tomorrow morning it becomes bright and still breezy. Westerly through
:26:06. > :26:11.the day and where you are sheltered a pleasant afternoon in shaping up.
:26:12. > :26:18.Temperatures today rose to `round 11 Celsius and less days for tomorrow.
:26:19. > :26:29.A few degrees above the average for this time of year. One or two
:26:30. > :26:34.showers and the afternoon `` into the afternoon. Bright skies across
:26:35. > :26:40.Cumbria with a Reg of high pressure. Looking at the big picture, the high
:26:41. > :26:46.pressure moves in and low pressure takes its place from Friday
:26:47. > :26:52.afternoon on words, so Saturday and Sunday looking much cloudier with
:26:53. > :26:57.possibly spells of rain in the West. Let's look at the detail ovdr the
:26:58. > :27:05.weekend. Temperatures staying reasonably mild despite the lack of
:27:06. > :27:11.sunshine. Some bright spells and we are the sunshine breaks through
:27:12. > :27:14.pleasantly springlike. Feelhng very nice on Sunday.
:27:15. > :27:19.Thanks, Hannah, now for a l`st look at tonight's headlines. 21 xears
:27:20. > :27:21.after Stephen Lawrence was lurdered, the Home Secretary has annotnced a
:27:22. > :27:24.public inquiry into undercover policing, in response to a damning
:27:25. > :27:27.review of Scotland Yard's h`ndling of the case.
:27:28. > :27:30.And the developers of a planned biomass power station near Blyth in
:27:31. > :27:40.Northumberland have scrapped the project. That's all for now. You can
:27:41. > :27:43.join us later tonight, goodbye.