18/06/2014 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

New figures highlight the North s shocking record on animal cruelty.

?5 million compensation for a woman left brain`damaged after

A major expansion of the heart surgery unit at this

It's celebrating its 200th anniversary `

but what's our connection to this iconic London sporting venud?

And the Tour de Farce ` the irreverent comedy

about the huge French cycling event about to speed through the Dales.

Next season's football fixttres are out ` and it's a tough opendr

And Sunderland's sporting dhrector tells us exclusively how he

and head coach Gus Poyet ard on the same page when it coles to

with 29 broken bones. A vet thought this young dog had been run over by

a car, so severe were her injuries. And it was just one example

highlighting the region's shocking record on animal cruelty. Fhgures

released today put Durham sdcond in the top ten for animal cruelty

convictions in England and Wales, with 100 cases.

followed by North Yorkshire in seventh place with 64 convictions,

and Tyne and Wear in ninth place with 42. Stuart Whincup has the

Maggie was repeatedly kicked against the wall and beaten. Eight lonths on

and today she has a new lifd. She has been re`homed with new orders

and they still cannot leave the way she was treated. I still crx over

it. I have kept the press ctttings and what he did to that little dog

is beyond thinking about. Sometimes I will sit and look at her `nd I

will think, what you have gone through. These attacks are very

disturbing but are. But the majority of convictions or through ndglect

like this. These two shih`tzus are unrecognisable. But why is our

region always at the top of the week for animal cruelty? We recehve a lot

of complaints because they `re the region that does care about animals

and people bother to pick up the phone and report it to the police or

the RSPCA when they are concerned about an animal. But there `re so

many more people who are appalled by this. Maggie arrived your

frightened, timid and nervots, but she is now enjoying her new home and

new life. Now she is just gorgeous. She is lovely. And she's loved all

over. She is a spoiled little diva. She's just 36 years old, but she's

now disabled for life because of Caren Paterson, who was a scientist,

was left brain`damaged after she collapsed and was forced

to wait more than an hour and The delay caused such seriots brain

injuries that she will never work again and will need 24`hour care

for the rest of her life. Now Caren, from Northumberl`nd,

has been awarded ?5 million An ambulance was called for Caren

Paterson after she collapsed in the But because the address was

mistakenly classed as high`risk the ambulance waited round

the corner for a police escort. It was more than 100 minutes before

paramedics finally reached her. By then she'd suffered

a cardiac arrest. Seven years after the inciddnt,

Caren has been awarded ?5 mhllion pounds after the

London Ambulance Service adlitted This is seven years ago. We have

made significant changes and improvements in the last seven

years. So I accept, at the time there were some feelings. Wd have

accepted that and we apologhse. `` some failings. We have made

significant changes to make sure that we do not let patients down.

The delay left Caren, who w`s working as a genetic scienthst,

Her family has welcomed the compensation payout.

It was a catastrophic series of missed opportunities, the f`ilure of

the system. It will buy, for Caren, the reassurance for her and her

family that she will be looked after properly for the rest of her life.

It sounds like a lot of mondy, but it is not, it is only enough to make

sure that Caren gets the care and rehabilitation and security that she

needs. Caren will never work again

and will need 24`hour care Her mother says all of Caren's

ambitions have been taken away The police are trying to tr`ce

a financial advisor they want to speak to over

a suspected ?1 million swindle. Kole Lulgjuraj was arrested over

thefts in the Darlington and Barnard Castle areas of County

Durham, but after being granted bail officers think he fled the country

in 2012 before he could be charged. He's originally from Montendgro but

could now be in the United States. He knocked down

and killed a teenage girl Today it was claimed taxi driver

David Baillee should never have been granted a licence to drive

a taxi because of his shockhng And it emerged Sunderland Council

approved the application despite knowing Baillee had no less

than 29 convictions. But this evening

the council is still refusing to say exactly why it allowed Baillee

a licence in the first placd. Killed by an off`duty taxi

driver gripped by road rage. 40`year`old David Baillie

decided he had to overtake. He accelerated from a posithon

so close to the car in front of him he couldn't possibly have

seen what was ahead. Yesterday at

Newcastle Crown Court Baillde was jailed for seven years for causing

death by dangerous driving. But today the questions continued `

just how had a man with such a long list of convictions

for motoring offences been `llowed This is the agenda for last

September's meeting when thd council committee considered David

Baillee's taxi licence applhcation. What are the reasons that hd issued

the licence? That relates to an individual or the business `ffairs.

We are not allowed to see it and neither are you. We do know now that

the committee was aware of his shocking history of motoring

offences but decided to givd him the benefit of the doubt becausd as last

offence was some 13 years ago. We also know that he appeared hn person

to plead his case. We spoke to several members of the

committee that took the dechsion, none were willing to comment. But

wondered tell the court that it was now high time that the rules were

looked at again. The body that represents the region's taxh drivers

agrees. I think that someond with 20 convictions, all motoring offences,

I think that that person, in my opinion, has burnt his boats.

Confidence on who driving that taxi. It is devastating for the f`mily.

Everybody in the trade symp`thisers and it is really difficult for

everybody to come to terms with this. But we do need the legislation

tightening up. Sunderland City Council declined to

be interviewed but pointed out, as it did yesterday,

that the committee was following The Freeman Hospital in Newcastle

has unveiled plans for a major expansion of its heart surgdry unit

by building an extension to The plans for

the three`storey building, hncluding a 20`bed intensive`care unit

for child heart patients, come while the national review of children s

heart surgery, and expected closure of at least three children's heart

units, is still ongoing. Adrian Pitches is at the

Freeman Hospital now. It is a bald statement of intent,

but of course it is a national leader, a world leader in

cardiothoracic, particularlx in relation to children. It is two

years since the NHS decided they would launch a review of chhldren's

heart surgery, Safe and Sustainable Review. They said that Leeds,

Leicester and London would close. There was a furore about th`t. The

government announced it on review in 2012 and then in 2013 the Hhgh Court

quashed the closure of the weeds unit. The government ordered a rerun

of the whole heart surgery process. The reviews have in delayed. It is

still up in the air, meanwhhle the Freeman have announced a new centre.

We are part of the National Health Service, we are here in the

north`east, we are leading the way, and we are simply getting on with

the need to serve the communities of the United Kingdom and, in fact

beyond. We are hoping that to receive a planning approval, that

that will happen in Septembdr. As soon as that? Yes, indeed. We are

confident that by June next year the builders will be on`site by 201

this facility will be open. You are essentially saying, we're going

forward is come what may. This is an NHS Foundation Trust. Children's

cardiac services here in thd North East are international gold

standard. Why can we not just get on and deliver for the United Kingdom,

and that is what we are doing. 30 million, is that a challengd to

find? It can be. But the hospitals pay their way, they are successful

and we are developing the portfolio is further. Planning permission

might well be granted as soon as September with building work perhaps

happening in May next year. Three of the region's hospital

trusts are in the red. The South Tyneside Trust has

a deficit of more than ?1.5 million, at South Tees the figure is

nearly ?7.5 million, but thd worst financial performance comes from the

North Cumbria University Hospitals, The re`routing of three rivdrs

in Cumbria could be used to show the rest of the country how river

management can help prevent flooding Today the River Leith near Penrith

was allowed to flow along its natural route

for the first time in 170 ydars As Alison Freeman reports, ht's part

of a wider ?1 million project. The River Leith was forced

down a straight route almost two Today it was given the final helping

hand to follow an easier path across We're dropping a day until the point

in the channel, slowing the transition of water. It is less

likely to get accumulated around obstructions downstream, whhch

obviously can cause flooding. There are potential benefits for flooding

but that is not the primary driver for it. We are expecting to see more

fish and more insect. The ndxt stage is to fill in the man`made channel

and return it to farmland. But this is one of just three projects taking

place here in Cumbria. In The Lorton Valley

in west Cumbria, the largest project A 400`metre stretch of Whitbeck

follows a straight line to protect It will now meander

for 1,5000 metres instead. The River Cocker is fed by Whitbeck

and has caused serious flooding It will come out of the, gohng past

those trees, through the redds at the bottom and through the weed It

costs a lot to maintain thel and we're getting increased flood

events. The rivers have mord power to break out more easily. Wd can see

what can happen. If the rivdr broke out on its own it would be ` massive

loss of good farmland. The River Cocker is fed by Whitbeck

and has caused serious flooding We will be watching to see just what

the results are, how the process goes. We are interested in what is

happening higher up the watdr courses, because when the r`ins come

down it can be a pretty dralatic experience. It is important that we

share the lessons learnt in Cumbria with other areas, across thd whole

of the UK and perhaps even Durope. Making sure that we have got

multifunctional weathers th`t are producing different benefits, areas

for wildlife, for farming. People need to understand that are not

think it is someone else's problem. ?1 million is being spent on these

three projects, which should help And anything that helps prevent

flooding will always be welcome Alison Freeman, BBC Look North,

the Eden Valley. Still to come ` Dawn Thewlis

with Wednesday's sport. Plus,

a tour de force or a tour dd farce? The stage show with

a tongue`in`cheek look at the world's biggest cyclhng

event heading our way. And after a glorious day to day it

is another decent one tomorrow. Perhaps not just as warm. Join me

later for the full forecast. It's known around the world

as the home of cricket, but what's lesser known is that the fotnder of

Lord's cricket ground in London was Thomas Lord, a wine merchant,

founded the ground exactly 200 years ago, an event being proudly

remembered in his home town. It is arguably

the world's best cricket ground That it has its home in North London

is, though, thanks to a man He found the land, created

the ground and gave his namd to it. I think people feel proud that it

was a sign of the town that eventually made a name for himself.

Lord's birthplace is now a luseum in Thirsk.

Modestly`visited, his better known legacy will always be 250

It is the cricket ground. Lots of people who have played therd and

watched key matches remember it with a special feeling.

Part of the appeal for players is the knowledgdable

For the true spirit of the game I think you need to appreciatd true

cricket. But it's not just the players

who find Lord's a special place The writers love it too,

even confined to As soon as you go into the ground

you are enveloped by this great sense of tradition and history. And

yet a modernity that no othdr ground of any kind and any description in

the world, has. And how lucky for this part

of London that 200 years ago a Yorkshireman picked it

for his ground. A test match can see more than 10

million going The capital, and cricket,

have a lot to thank Thirsk for. Now,

no`one is safe from being l`ughed at in a new comedy production `bout Le

Tour de France coming to Yorkshire. "Tour de Farce" is a stage show

written and performed by amateur actors

in the small village of Reeth. It's a tongue`in`cheek look

at local opinion, good and bad, about the huge cycling event

about to speed through the Dales. Say what you like about Yorkshire

folk, at least they can laugh And the French, and farmers,

and lycra`clad cyclists, local councillors, just abott every

stereotype in the book has been unashamedly used in the production

of Tour de Farce to try and sum up the mood in the Dales

before the largest free sporting Where do you expect the reshdents

of the Reeth to park? When the Tour it comes to Rdeth

we just don't want any grief. It's a race

about to start right down in Leeds. We are a group of amateur

enthusiasts and the idea cale from, we are always looking for ndw

material, and one thing we `re not We have got lots of ideas

and we thought with the Tour de France being

the biggest sporting event hn the So we all got together,

sat around a table. We have lots of lines in

the actual show that we havd heard. And even people who haven't caught

the tour fever yet are gradtally I think the community are

really getting around it now. They were worried to begin with

because of the number of people in such a small place,

but now they are getting on board. I think this sort of production

it voices their fears and they can laugh at it

because a lot of what we ard saying on stage are conversations we have

heard other people have. Well, you will have to move

your sheep because we cannot have I think the best line I heard was

"we are going to buy in, batten down the hatches, and come out lhke

when it is all over like thd snow." And now the cast and crew are

planning to take the production on a mini tour of the Dales, including

the Dales Bike Cenre, right here at Time for sport

and more competitors from the region will be representing their country

at the Commonwealth Games. Yes, boxers Savannah Marshall from

Hartlepool, Sunderland's Warren Baister and Pat McCormack from

Birtley will all fight for Team Now, the World Cup may be

in full flow but domestic football fans have been looking forw`rd to

today, when they find out who their teams will be playing on thd first

day of next season and beyond. And Newcastle United couldn't have

a tougher start. For

the second year running Newcastle take on champions Manchester City

on the first day of the new campaign, although this timd it s at

St Jamess Park on the 16th @ugust. We have not really stretched

Man City in recent years, So it will be nice to get

a result against them They are obviously the champions,

they're coming off the back of the World Cup,

most of their squad, so that might Sunderland begin away

at last season's fellow strtgglers Their first home game though,

is against Man United under new Fans have to wait until Sattrday

20th December for the derby which takes place in Tyneside,

but with the city swamped whth shoppers it could give the police

some logistical problems. The return game at the Stadhum

of Light on 4th April. Middlesbrough open up

at home to Birmingham who s`ved their championship status

on the last day of the season. That's on 9th August,

and in League 2 relegated C`rlisle are at home to newly promotdd

Luton Town, who are back in the Hartlepool are away to Stevdnage who

were relegated from League 0 And York travel to another of League

1's relegated clubs, Berwick begin their season `t home

to Arbroath in Scottish League Two. All the dates are provision`l, of

course some will change oncd the TV companies choose their lhve

games. So Sunderland have West Brol and

Man United first up. The Black Cats' Sporting Director is

former Chelsea chief scout Lee Congerton, who joined

the club in March and whose dad He's looking forward to the 16th

August as the club continues to re`shape the squad with plaxers

boasting Premier League expdrience. In an exclusive interview, Jeff

Brown asked him if it was a tough A few people actually said to me,

"Lee, what are you doing?" But I had the feeling

for Sunderland. I looked at the games prior to

when Gus had arrived and obviously I did a lot of research

and I knew a few of the plaxers that were here, and I thought,

"they're in a false position". I always believed

they could stay up. I had other opportunities

in England to do this role, but Sunderland was the one club I

thought "oh, I fancy this". What is your role

and how does it fit in with Gus A big part of Gus's job is to make

the buyers feel better and improve them on a daily basis,

which I think he is fantasthc at. My job is to hover around all of the

areas of the football department, whether it be the academies,

sport science, performance `nalysis But we will never bring a player

to the football club that the coach or the manager doesn't want and Gus

is involved in that process. We speak on a daily basis,

we're sharing ideas about the lists, we have gone through the lists,

Gus came back with his observations and one or two

others and we are hopefully working to bring those players to

the football club as we spe`k. Three players have come

in already since the end of Are we looking at those sort

of numbers again? When you look

at the team ourselves I'm stre any fan could say we need a left back,

we probably need a centre h`lf, we probably need some midfield players,

we probably need to replace Fabio, So all of a sudden the numbdrs are

going up into double figures again. We do need more players but for me

it's not so much about the puantity, Of course the Champions League

teams are going to be improving The other teams around us

are going to be improving. We've just got to replace the likes

of Fabiola on a level footing. Given that, you know,

we haven't got vast amounts of money, we'll probably go to the

last day of the transfer window A first County Championship win

for Durham's cricketers has moved They beat fellow strugglers

Lancashire at Chester`le`Street John Hastings and Chris Rushworth

picked up the last two wickets to givd Durham

a much needed victory by 27 runs. Meanwhile, a big century from

Jonny Bairstow has given Yorkshire a commanding lead on day three

against Sussex, but this ond looks I don't know about most places but

where I have been today has been baking hot. Lots of sunshind and

some very high temperatures. Inland, not far behind. Despite these

sunshine the onshore breeze kept the temperature in areas down at 16

degrees. Here is a picture of setting up for this Friday.

Tomorrow, it will be a mostly dry day, with some sunshine arotnd. Not

as hot as today. Showers ard few and far between, and a dry picttre for a

while. The cloud spills in from the north through the night and into

tomorrow morning. It will bring some patchy and drizzly rain in places.

Temperatures will be typically 3 to 15 Celsius. A few spots of rain in

the morning, but that should die out. Some nice sunny spells

developed as we head into the afternoon. It will feel fresher in a

northerly breeze. Somewhere like Penrith will only see 19 Celsius. A

shade cooler along the North Sea coasts. The weather front moving

south with fresher air. High pressure stays to the west of the UK

as well. It keeps us mostly dry over the coming few days. Varying cloud

amounts, but because the brdeze has come down from a northerly direction

it is never going to be that one. Over the next few days in the West,

high teams as the sun comes out with that westerly breeze. A shade cooler

in the weekend and maybe a bit more cloud. Largely speaking, st`ying

dry. It is mostly dry with the odd rogue shower in the weekend. A bit

of cloud at times with tempdratures mid to high teams. Most importantly,

over the next few days, largely dry. That's it from Look North tonight.

We are back at 10:25pm. We will see you then, if you are out of the

garden by then. Goodbye. DRUMSTICKS TAP ONE`TWO`THREE`FOUR

Hello, Glastonbury.