11/03/2014 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

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

whistle`blower. The former Cleveland police officer

who triggered the Operation Sacristy investigation speaks exclushvely to

Look North. It is a matter of you to regret to me for the servicd that

this investigation has been necessary.

As the search for missing ddputy head Mark Bushnell enters its second

day friends and colleagues `ppeal to him to get in touch. The messages

just tell us you are safe. The internet troll ` and serving

soldier ` who mocked a dead three year old. He receives a suspended

prison sentence. And after a decade of delays, work

begins on a development in Darlington which could create

thousands of jobs. In sport ` a seven`match ban and

another hefty fine for Newc`stle United boss Alan Pardew.

And back on track ` the sport that's hoping to cash in on the cycling

boom. He was Cleveland's most senhor

detective. For five years hd was Head of Crime. But what a storm he

started. Because he was also the man who first reported the allegations

of corruption at Cleveland Police to the authorities. Back in 2000 ` Mark

Braithwaite contacted Her M`jesty's Inspectorate after he received an

allegation against the formdr head of the Police Authority. Those

enquires were widened and eventually led to Cleveland's long running

multi`million pound corrupthon investigation ` known as Opdration

Sacristy. Ten people includhng the former Chief Constable Sean Price

were arrested. Mark Braithw`ite has today spoken exclusively to our

reporter Stuart Whincup. He was Cleveland's most senhor

detective. Mark Braithwaite had over 30 years service with the police

force. Now retired, he says he's been saddened to see Clevel`nd's

reputation dragged through the mud by the corruption scandal. The force

have been badly let down. The information that has recently being

made available has caused m`ssive damage to public confidence and I

can understand that. I am s`d and disappointed by self by what I have

read. The public will be appalled by what they have read. In 2010 ` Mark

Braithwaite received an alldgation that Dave McKluckie ` the then chair

of the Police Authority had received a ?50 thousand pound bung ` to give

a local businessman inside information about the sale of the

Dunning Road police headquarters in Middlesbrough. There was no truth in

that allegation ` but that's what started the whole corruption

investigation. Was it difficult for you to raise those concerns? Not at

all. It was entirely appropriate in my view. Why do you feel yot need to

do that? Was it not enough just to tell the superiors that that would

be enough? I felt like therd was sufficient public interest hn what I

had raised, and I think it should have received consideration at a

higher level. Mr Price was `lready a rare `` aware. Last week Dave

McLuckie told Look North thd allegations against him werd

"laughable and completlety tntrue". And they didn't form part of the

misconduct and criminal enqtires ` which were highly critical of those

running the force. Those investigations found an "endemic

culture of exploiting hospitality" with senior managers attendhng

football and international rugby matches. In five years the Chief

Constable and his deputy and the Chair and Chief Executive of the

Police Authority spent around one hundred and sixty thousand pounds on

meals, travel and and hotels on their corporate credit

And it was claimed Sean Price and Dave McLuckie went around the world

` sometimes travelling business class ` to conferences wherd there

was little need for them to be there. Staying in luxury

accommodation ` sometimes whth their partners ` at huge public expense. I

am saddened and disappointed by what I have read, and I think thd public

will be appalled at what thdy have read. It is a matter of hugd regret

to me and to the service, a service that I was proud to serve for over

30 years, that this investigation was necessary. But after ten

arrests, four years and ?5 lillion, Operation Sacristy failed to a bring

a single criminal charge. So was it all worth it.

I believe the investigation was necessary. People in public office

have got significant response political power and control, and

whenever there are misconduct allegations, they should be

investigated. Public confiddnce demands it. Stewart joins us now. Mr

Braithwaite clearly has no regrets about speaking out. Yes, th`t's

right. He said he had the rdsponse ability and duty. It led to the

corruption investigation. A lot of people have been critical of

Operation Sacristy, the cost and the fact it did not deliver any criminal

charges. Mark Braithwaite s`id the these things needed to be examined

carefully, and it was appropriate that they were thoroughly

investigated. The sadness about this is that the force's reputathon has

been battered over the last couple of days, and he says there hs good

work being taken out by offhcers on a daily basis. That has been

undermined, and that is a great sadness. The family and colleagues

of missing private schoolte`cher Mark Bushnell say they know of no

reason why he should have ldft home and disappeared. Mr Bushnell, a

deputy head at the Durham School, left his home on Sunday morning His

car was found yesterday near the coast at Blackhall Rock. Since then

an intensive search has been underway. Mark McAlindon reports.

This morning, the search for Mr Bushnell continued at Blackhall

Rock. It is a popular spot for walkers. Mr Bushnell's car was found

here, but the look for him grows more pressing. There is growing

concern, and we are confident that he was there at around about midday

on Sunday, so anyone who wotld have been there on Sunday, and also

Monday and Tuesday of this week they should contact us and let us

know. Many pupils and parents have been offering to help with the

search. Because of the nature of the terrain, the search should be left

to specialists, but they ard grateful for the offers of support.

Both the police and colleagte 's of Mark Bushnell say they would not

know why they committed famhly man with leave home and not rettrn. We

are not aware of anything in his life which is anything other than

the normal. Certainly on Sunday he was getting clothes washed for the

week as many would do. Mark Bushnell had travelled to London on Saturday

to watch his son play rugby. He has been here for over 20 years. He has

the highest standards. He works in the interests of the pupils which

respect his consistency and his judgement. He will go the extra mile

for any pupil, and he is soleone who in those moments as a headm`ster,

you want to make a decision, he is the person I can rely on to make the

right decision. For now, police and members of the Coast Guard `re

scaring `` scouring the shore line. The message is just tell us that you

are safe. Meanwhile, in the hunt for the missing York shop worker Ben

Clarkson, police have released CCTV images which they hope may finally

give them an insight into what happened when he left a citx centre

nightclub at the beginning of the month. Adrian Pitches reports: Ben

Clarkson can be seen in this CCTV image.

And the man in a light jackdt behind him appeared to be taking a similar

route away from Fibbers nightclub at the same time as Ben. Policd need to

know if he noticed which wax Ben went. And while this strand of the

investigation offers possible new leads, Ben's girlfriend Rachel

Peatfield has persisted with her own leafletting campaign on the streets

of York. Again, given the chty's busy nightlife and large sttdent

population, there is still ` chance that the 22`year`old ` himsdlf a

former student at the University ` will have been spotted. But for now,

he disappears off the radar on that walk home from the nightclub a week

ago this weekend. The Royal College of Nurses claims

the North East is losing experienced nurses. The RCN's Northern branch

claims that in the two and ` half years to last September, thdre was a

drop of up to 21% in the most senior nursing grades. The Departmdnt of

Health says nationally therd are over 4,500 more nurses on the wards

than there were in May 2010, and it's for hospitals to decidd how

many are needed on each ward. North East MPs are petitionhng the

government to try to stop the closure of the eating disorder unit

at Newcastle's Royal Victorha Infirmary. The Richardson E`ting

Disorder Service could be ctt back, which means patients who nedd

treatment for anorexia or btlimia will have to travel to Darlhngton.

Seven local MPs have signed a join letter to the Minister of Hdalth

urging him to think again. Scarborough Council is to ask North

Yorkshire County Council and the Environment Agency for help to fund

a new sea defence scheme. The project includes shoring up the

cliffs and protecting nearlx 40 properties and will cost 24 million

pounds. The council was due to pay half that, but says it can't afford

to. A council meeting today agreed to ask for help from other `gencies.

He posted a racist rant on Facebook, about a death of a little boy.

Today, Carlisle soldier Warren Butler avoided jail, but he was told

that what he did was despic`ble and hugely damaging for the British

Army. He was given a suspended sentence. He had received ddath

threats for his comments. Wrote Warren Butler wrote was basdd in

order ship. One Saturday in January, following a day of drinking, he

posted a grossly offensive comment about the missing toddler Mhkel

Kula. His mother was later charged with his murder. He said th`t he

only intended his comments to be shared by friends, but hundreds of

people were outraged by his remarks. The district judge said that the

attitudes Warren Butler had grown up with had become ingrained, `nd his

post on Facebook was hugely damaging for the British Army. He received

816 week suspended sentence, and was ordered to do 250 hours of community

sentence. `` 16 week suspended sentence. He has had his mobile

phone and Internet access t`ken away from him. The army is still

discussing what action it should take. Warren Butler is now one of

hundreds of people each year who face criminal charges based on

comments made on Facebook and Twitter, and is yet another example

of the far reaching consequdnces that posting on social medi` can

have. A year after the closure of one of

Cumbria's most high`profile department stores ` the building is

still standing empty. More than 80 jobs were lost when Hooper's closed

in Carlisle. The property w`s sold at auction for ?1 million months

later ` only for the sale to fall through. Since then there's been no

movement. The RSPB in Cumbria is attelpting to

recruit as many people in the county as possible in its hunt for hen

harriers. They're highly distinctive, but now very r`re. The

charity has relaunched its Hen Harrier Hotline in the hope of

discovering where these birds are likely to be breeding. You can find

details of how to get involved on the RSPB website.

Coming up later in Look North, Jeff Brown's here with the sports news,

as Newcastle Manager Alan P`rdew is hit with a stadium ban. And a year

ago he almost died from a brain haemorrhage, now North East musician

Allan Hyslop is celebrating the release of his band's debut single.

After another day of gloriots sunshine, we need these are the next

few days? Joiners at the end of a programme to find out. `` join us.

Product placement there! After a ten`year wait, work has fin`lly

started on one of the biggest development sites in the region

Central Park in Darlington will see offices, homes and hotel buhlt on a

vast tract of town centre l`nd. Two thousand jobs could be created. Our

Business Correspondent Ian Reeve reports.

We find here the Centre for process innovations. 75 acres of town centre

land. 75 acres of opportunity. 5 acres that could bring enorlous

benefits to Darlington. In 25 years, in the future what you will

see here is a business park which will have grade a listed businesses,

and you will have a Hotel and other commercial buildings which will

enable people to have jobs. About 2000 jobs in the long term. Today,

what we are going to see thd first phase of that being started. And

today, after ten years of trying to get this scheme underway, a

ground`breaking. The site ` to be called Central Park ` is on the

brink of development after the government's homes and commtnities

agency inherited some of thd land. The council will manage the scheme.

This will be the engine that drives Darlington's economy for thd next 50

to 100 years. It is as signhficant as when engines came to Darlington.

Others are rather less enthtsiastic. This long`established signs business

will close because of the ndw development, as will a scrap

merchant around the corner. But Darlington does need Central Park

and the new businesses that could come. It's been a long time since

its mighty forge made the vdry town rumble making huge castings for the

Queen Mary liner. Surely, the old country, the Darlington Forge, are

entitled to a pat on the back for another record. Or that it

considered itself a railway town. And Darlington needs jobs. There are

nearly 5,000 unemployed people in the town. This scheme, remelber

claims that it will create 2,00 jobs. Surely the clinching `rgument.

A singer`songwriter ` who ndarly died from a brain haemorrhage ` is

celebrating the release of his band's debut single. Allan Hyslop is

the frontman of Kosoti ` a band from Newcastle currently busy rehearsing,

ahead of their first major gig at the Sage Gateshead. Phil Ch`pman

went to meet him. Just over a year ago, animals

enjoying life in his early 20s, with a budding musing career. `` Allen

was enjoying life in his early 0s. Then the worst happened. I had a

seizure, collapsed, and enddd up with paramedics standing ovdr me in

my kitchen, which was a bit of an ordeal. Then I have gone on to have

part of my brain removed, embolisation as well, and yds, a

pretty hard few months. All on the mend now.

Now recovered and performing under a new band name of Kosoti, Al`n has

got a new lease of life. He realises how close he came to losing it at a

young age. It has given me something to focus on. The ordeal has given me

something to write about and keep going, to be honest. It has been a

good focus. After all you h`ve been through, what does the future hold

now? I'm going to focus on ly music. I am going to get everything in

place so I can be as successful as possible. It has been a lifd

changing experience, and I `m not going to compromise with wh`t I am

going to do. I have got focts and drive. And that drive to continue

with his music has led to a new single called War. He has won his

own battle to survive. # It won t be scarred.

Sport now ` and the big news is Newcastle United will have to do

without manager Alan Pardew for the next seven games. That's his

punishment for headbutting Hull City player David Meyler in a Prdmier

League match, ten days ago. Was that the sort of punishment everxone was

expecting, Jeff? Certainly `long those lines, Carol ` although the

fact was the Football Assochation had never before had to deal with an

incident like this. Eight m`nager who was in a fight with an

opposition player. "nonstandard , they called it ` which is why we

were all waiting to see what the outcome would be. Just to rdcap for

anyone who's been on another planet recently, Meyler ` who used to play

for Sunderland, incidentallx ` barged past Pardew as he went to

pick up the ball, after it went out of play. Pardew swore at hil and

then pushed his head into Mdyler's face. Meyler was given a yellow

card, and Pardew was sent to the stands, and that night, Newcastle

fined their manager ?100,000 and gave him a formal warning. @nd what

happened today? Well, Pardew had already accepted the charge of

"misconduct". He was fined ` further ?60,000 ` and there are two parts to

his ban ` he can't even go hnto the stadium where Newcastle are playing

their next three games, and for four matches after that he can go, but he

won't be allowed on the touchline ` he'll have to sit in the st`nds Ten

Premier League games left ` so he won't be back in his old role until

the Magpies go to Arsenal at the end of April. But back before the end of

the season anyway. So what's the feeling? Is this about right or has

he got off lightly? Well, some people were asking for him to be

sacked, which was never going to happen, once Newcastle took

immediate action by giving him a fine. He does have "previous", of

course. A few weeks ago he was caught on camera, mouthing ` pretty

horrible insult at the Manchester City manager, Manuel Pellegrini

Then if you go back to last season, he pushed what we used to c`ll a

"linesman" during a game with Spurs ` he got a ?20,000 fine and a

two`match touchline ban. Before that, he had a go at Martin O'Neill,

who was manager of Sunderland at the time. And back in 2006 he ptshed the

Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger ` that's when Pardew was in charge of

West Ham. But he did accept this charge straightaway ` and that seems

to have worked in his favour. You can bet he'll be on his best

behaviour from now on ` but you can also bet there'll be a camera

trained on him, watching his every move, when he does finish the ban!

Interesting ` what else havd you got, Jeff?

Well, three of our teams ard in action tonight. We'll start with

Middlesbrough ` who ended their seven`match goalless run by beating

Ipswich 2`0 at the weekend. This evening they're at home to

Nottingham Forest, who're shtting comfortably in one of the Play`Off

positions. Boro are currently nine points adrift of a top six spot ` so

they need to keep winning. Commentary from the Riverside on BBC

Tees, as usual. Meanwhile, in League Two, H`rtlepool

United and York City will continue their push for the playoffs. Just a

single point separates the two sides. Colin Cooper's men whll be

looking to bounce back from their weekend defeat at Wycombe. @nd have

a very winnable game away at third`bottom Accrington Stanley

Nigel Worthington's side ard unbeaten in six games ` thex go to

Mansfield. Cycle Speedway is a sport that's

been around since the end of the Second World War. At one tile there

were no fewer than 12 teams on Tyneside alone. In recent thmes

though, the sport's hit the skids in the north as its popularity waned.

But for the first time in the region, Cycle Speedway has hts own

purpose`built track ` and hopes are high for a revival, as the new

league season begins on Sattrday. Andrew Hartley reports.

Cycle speedway. Just like speedway but without motorbikes. Della macro

four laps of the race. This is fast, furious and fun. It is a close

contact sport. It is the only cycling sport where contact is

allowed. Elbows into the corners and everything. It is great stuff. When

ECB elite league 's comment is the thrill of it. If you ever h`ve seen

motorbikes speedway, it is for riders approaching that first

corner. It is millimetres apart for cycle speedway. Is a dangerous? It

can be. There is a team sport. There is a great camaraderie. Unlhke some

forms of cycling, you do not have two have that much training. You can

just have fun on the track, which is what it is all about. It is an

official cycling discipline, along with track cycling and road racing.

As well as the Northern league, there is an elite league, which one

of our riders can `` partichpates in. There's also the world champ

chips in Australia. This te`m is in the Northern league. They play

against Edinburgh on Thursd`y. It is the first match on their

purpose`built track in Cramlington. The sport has been around in seven

`` for 70 years. It has been around since the Second World War, where it

started in London around thd old bomb sites. People who watched

speedway wanted to have a go themselves, so the next best thing

was riding a bike around. There are a dozen tracks in the Newcastle

area. If you were 12`year`old lad, you get a few friends together and

build a track. The club is running taster sessions as it tries to

recruit the next generation of riders. A lung busting alternative

to computer games. Just timd to tell you about another champion for the

region. She didn't quite make it to the Winter Olympics, but 20`year`old

Mica McNeill from Consett in County Durham has won the British bobsleigh

title ` that's her on the rhght with team`mate Nikki McSweeney. The

event was held at the Olymphaworld track in Austria.

Well done, Michelle! ``! I knew it was only a matter of time

before someone complained! Ht is quite a range of temperaturds

tonight because of the clear skies. Last night, we saw lows of linus

four Celsius, many places stb zero. Today, clear skies cobble some ``

clear skies. Thanks very much to Rob Graham for that shot. He was up

bright and early at Ullswatdr. There was not a lot of cloud underneath

the high`pressure, in fact virtually cloud free. There is not gohng to be

a lot cloud around overnight. Same problem as last night. Therd are

some missed and fog patches forming. There will also be some frost

forming. Temperatures down to minus one Celsius, but like last night, a

few spots could dip. One or two areas down as low as `3 mints four

Celsius. A chilly start, tolorrow, and some mist and fog patchds to

look out for. They should lhft and clear, and many places will have a

fine and dry day. We will sde some cloud approach from the West. We

will see a range of temperatures. Where it stays dry and sunnx, we

will seek 12 or 13 Celsius hn the East. Further west, certainly on the

coast, some cloud making its stake in single figures. High`pressure

bringing us this fine weathdr, but a convocation late in the week as this

low`pressure tries to educate. That will complicate things as f`r as the

cloud goes, and also have an affect on temperatures. If you are out and

about as we head towards thd weekend, in Cumbria, largelx dry.

But cloudy skies. The other thing you will notice is that the breeze

picks up as well. It will fdel a bit cooler if you are out. The

north`east will be a little bit different, especially on Thtrsday.

The attempt is take a littld bit of dip as the winds pick up. Rdmember

to keep your weather picturds coming. Check out our website!

Now for a look at tonight's headlines. Tributes have potred in

for Bob Crow, one of Britain's best`known union leaders, who has

died suddenly at the age of 52. He had been the head of the Rahl,

Maritime and Transport union since 2002.

And the senior detective who's concerns about alleged corrtption in

Cleveland Police lead to Opdration Sacristy says he's been saddened to

see the force's reputation dragged through the mud.

Sacristy says he's been saddened That is it from your team this

Tuesday. Our late news is b`ck at 10:25pm. Goodbye.