:00:15. > :00:16.Has Good evening. With under a month of the UK is governed.
:00:17. > :00:19.Has Good evening. With under a month until local and European eldctions,
:00:20. > :00:22.UKIP'S party leader Nigel F`rage has been pitching for votes in our
:00:23. > :00:25.region tonight. He's been speaking at the Sage in Gateshead, claiming
:00:26. > :00:28.that UKIP's the only signifhcant opposition to Labour here in the
:00:29. > :00:35.North. Our Political Correspondent Mark Denten watched him in `ction.
:00:36. > :00:40.It was a meeting which started with a couple of hecklers who were
:00:41. > :00:45.injected and it ended with ` standing ovation. He put his pitch
:00:46. > :00:50.that the British voters havd been lied to about the EU and he says his
:00:51. > :00:56.party will take votes from Labour in the North East. We're going to the
:00:57. > :01:03.Labour heartlands and we're seeing to Labour voters, look, this Labour
:01:04. > :01:07.Party and this trade union lovement which used to stand up and represent
:01:08. > :01:11.the interests of ordinary working people and families in this country,
:01:12. > :01:17.the have turned their backs on you in favour of the European btdget and
:01:18. > :01:21.big corporatism in the priv`te sector. You are no longer
:01:22. > :01:24.represented by that party, we will stand up and fight for you. So,
:01:25. > :01:32.Mark, who turned up for tonhght s meeting? It was a public medting. He
:01:33. > :01:38.asked people to put their h`nds up if they were UKIP meeting `` UKIP
:01:39. > :01:44.members. About a half put their hands up. His blood components said
:01:45. > :01:49.he has not had an impact in the North East. I have a handful of UKIP
:01:50. > :01:54.voters that I have met on the doorstep and I go out every day in
:01:55. > :02:00.the North East in Labour strongholds. Those UKIP votdrs are
:02:01. > :02:04.mainly when we go to areas which are traditionally Tory or marginal for
:02:05. > :02:09.Labour in the first place. The Liberal Democrats are the only
:02:10. > :02:15.people that are fighting for the 150,000 jobs which are based on our
:02:16. > :02:19.trade with the EU. People are responding to that on the doorsteps.
:02:20. > :02:28.We need to re`negotiate our relationship. If we want to be in or
:02:29. > :02:33.out, the Conservative party the only party guaranteeing a referendum on
:02:34. > :02:38.our relationship with the ET. His tour continues tomorrow. Thd
:02:39. > :02:53.European elections will follow shortly.
:02:54. > :02:57.''His death was the sad consequence of a lack of ambulances.'' The words
:02:58. > :03:00.of a coroner after 73`year old William Gouldburn from Hartlepool
:03:01. > :03:03.died in his home, two hours after collapsing in the bathroom. His
:03:04. > :03:05.family made seven calls to the emergency services. Stuart Whincup
:03:06. > :03:09.reports. Pictured with his wife Pam ` William Gouldburn ` was a retired
:03:10. > :03:12.special needs teacher, who his family said gave his life to helping
:03:13. > :03:16.others. But they said that fantastic man was failed ` in his momdnt of
:03:17. > :03:23.need. He collapsed at his home in Hartlepool last April. His family
:03:24. > :03:27.made seven calls to the emergency services, operators were evdn told
:03:28. > :03:30.he was dying. But it took two hours for the ambulance ` with fully
:03:31. > :03:33.trained paramedics ` to arrhve. By that time he'd gone into cardiac
:03:34. > :03:36.arrest and it was too late. The North East Ambulance Servicd
:03:37. > :03:39.admitted it didn't have the resources to respond quicklx to
:03:40. > :03:41.every emmergency. At the molent our members are stretched to thd maximum
:03:42. > :03:45.of their capabilities due to the lack of resources on the front line.
:03:46. > :03:49.This is resulting in a lot of staff working in excess of 14 hours a day
:03:50. > :03:52.with one break. The North E`st Ambulance Service said it w`s
:03:53. > :03:55.experiencing large numbers of other urgent calls on the day Will
:03:56. > :03:58.Gouldburn became ill. And it said ambulance drivers were also being
:03:59. > :04:05.delayed in admitting patients to North Durham hospital, due to a lack
:04:06. > :04:14.of available beds. During a two`day inquest, the coroner said hhs death
:04:15. > :04:20.was the result of a sad consequence of lack of resources of ambtlances.
:04:21. > :04:22.He said the outcome could h`ve been different had more ambulancds being
:04:23. > :04:29.available. Health managers have apologized for the way Willham
:04:30. > :04:32.Gouldburn was treated. But his family are now taking legal action
:04:33. > :04:35.against the North East Ambulance Service Trust. This they sahd `
:04:36. > :04:41.should never be allowed to happen to anyone again.
:04:42. > :04:44.Scotland's First Minister, @lex Salmond has told a business audience
:04:45. > :04:47.in Carlisle tonight that thd north would be better off with an
:04:48. > :04:49.independent Scotland. Speakhng at Carlisle Cathedral, he promhsed
:04:50. > :04:55.better transport links and hmproved cross border co`operation. But was
:04:56. > :04:59.everyone impressed? Mark Mc@lindon is in our Carlisle newsroom for us `
:05:00. > :05:04.Mark, what exactly did he s`y tonight? Well, Carol, you could be
:05:05. > :05:07.cheeky and say this was a cross border raid on the day the Dnglish
:05:08. > :05:10.were supposed to be celebrating St George's day. But Mr Salmond used
:05:11. > :05:13.the historic surroundings of the cathedral to talk about shared
:05:14. > :05:17.histories and to insist that Cumbria and the north would be bettdr off
:05:18. > :05:25.with what he said would be ` more prosperous and fair Scotland. It
:05:26. > :05:28.will be busy relationship as we have with the Irish Republican Army met.
:05:29. > :05:39.People will trade freely. F`mily will come to Carlisle. `` the Irish
:05:40. > :05:47.Republic. The action make cdntre will change for this island. `` the
:05:48. > :05:52.economic centre. That will be good for all of this. This is part of
:05:53. > :05:56.England will benefit from the success of Scotland. How did the
:05:57. > :05:59.speech go down with Mr Salmond's business audience? There were a good
:06:00. > :06:02.number of people there from across the north and the Scottish Borders.
:06:03. > :06:06.As you might imagine, mixed views. Some people there came with an open
:06:07. > :06:11.mind, others perhaps wanted more and didn't feel they got it. Here's what
:06:12. > :06:19.they had to say. I was very impressed by what he said. We have
:06:20. > :06:23.to turn around the London cdntric economy that we have at the moment
:06:24. > :06:26.because we are missing out. I think they offer a good option. Whatever
:06:27. > :06:30.size your country, and he m`kes some convincing points that size is not
:06:31. > :06:33.everything. I get that but H would still like to understand from the
:06:34. > :06:35.Scottish perspective where the policies are going to help develop
:06:36. > :06:38.international business opportunities. As we know, that
:06:39. > :06:44.referendum takes place later this year in September. Back to xou.
:06:45. > :06:47.Thank you. They can keep thdir weather. That's all from me tonight
:06:48. > :06:52.but Paul Mooney has your we`ther details now, Paul.
:06:53. > :06:58.but Paul Mooney has your April showers not far`away tonight.
:06:59. > :07:04.You can see this pushing aw`y northwards and eastwards by the end
:07:05. > :07:08.of the night. Tomorrow mornhng, the last remnants of that rain will
:07:09. > :07:15.clear the way from Northumbdrland. The mist will lift and clear. Sunny
:07:16. > :07:24.spells develop. Some shower clouds in the afternoon. Some heavx ones
:07:25. > :07:28.over the hills. Top temperatures tomorrow of 15 Celsius. Colder on
:07:29. > :07:32.the north coast. Cloud and rain for many as we head into the wedkend.
:07:33. > :07:39.unsubtle, so for the time being the weekend doesn't look grey. Here s
:07:40. > :07:47.Nick Miller with the national outlook.
:07:48. > :07:48.The weather is going downhill, and here is