15/07/2014 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

The latest reaction after Richmond MP William Hague's

surprise announcement that he's standing down.

At risk ` young people on Tdesside are being groomed by older len.

Hotel workers and taxi drivdrs are asked to help stop it.

How a guy could convince her, they're preying on kids.

New measures to help tackle the factory odour that's bedn

Celebrating the father of the railways.

A new play to mark the 200th anniversary of George

In sport, Newcastle United `re closing in on another new shgning.

And, face`to`face with Laura Weightman ` we catch tp with

one of our best medal prospdcts for the Commonwealth Games.

He's been a North Yorkshire MP for a quarter of century and has built up

But tonight the people of Rhchmond have reacted with shock

and surprise to the news th`t William Hague is to step down

There's likely to be a fierce battle to succeed him

Phil Connell joins us live from Richmond.

Richmond is regarded as the safest Conservative seat in the cotntry.

William Hague has opinion the MP in this traditional Tory heartland for

25 years. Some here had even seen him as a future Prime Minister. His

decision to quit politics l`st night has taken many by surprise.

Especially amongst those enjoying a drink this afternoon here at the

town's Conservative Club. I would think he's been pushed a little bit.

Either that or he's got fed up with the way things have been gohng on.

My husband was out and when he came back I was like, have you sden the

news? Yeah, but he is only leaving as Foreign Secretary, I said not he

is stepping down as an MP, `s well. We were both really shocked. I

really was astounded. Didn't expect it. When things come out th`t

replacing middle`aged men, ` man like William, to class him `s

middle`aged is ridiculous, to me. According to many pundits at the age

of 53 William Hague was still in his political prime and one man who will

agree is the chairman of Richmond Conservatives. You were on `

conference call with Willial Hague last night, what was your rdaction

when he said he was leaving? It was a surprise. A huge disappointment

when William revealed what his intentions are going to be to all

the chairmen of the local branches, it was really a shock. You have said

he was proud of his Yorkshire roots, is that northernness somethhng that

the new Cabinet will miss? Certainly. William in many respects

can be looked upon as boots and braces of the North, sitting next to

the Prime Minister representing the North in everything that happens.

When the big cake of investlent comes he always seemed to gdt a

slice for the north`east and Yorkshire. He will be sorelx missed.

The safest seat in the country, how much interest has been therd? There

is going to be a great interest for the safest seat in the Consdrvative

Party. We know William Hagud intends to keep a house here with plans to

write more books. We look b`ck on his political career.

Half of you won't be here in 30 or 40 years' time!

They are the precocious images of the past, a 16`year`old conference

novelty who became an international statesman, just 12 years after that

youthful conference debut Whlliam Hague fought a by`election hn

Richmond north Yorkshire. Hd took the seat with a majority of just

over 2, 2,600, at 28 the yotngest MP in parliament. He has multiplied

that majority over nine timds. A Ministerial career under John Major

was followed after the big Labour victory, by leadership of the

Conservative Party but he rdsigned after a second Conservative defeat

in 2001. He became Shadow Foreign Secretary in 2005 and took on the

full role at the last electhon. He will stay in Cabinet as Leader of

the Commons until the electhon in May Arvizo that it's goodbyd. `` and

after that it's goodbye. It will be 20 years next year, it's ne`rly 20

years since I first joined the Cabinet and nearly 40 since I

started being a political activist and appearing at party confdrences

and so on. That is a full gdneration of being involved in politics. Today

William Hague's father, his early inspiration, paid tribute to him. 26

years by the time of the next election, he is out of it, only 53,

has a good life ahead of hil and he wants to write again. He has done a

couple biographies already. Probably finish up in the House of Lords

much against my advice. But whether he takes heed of dad or not, nearly

40 years after his political debut, William Hague's political c`reer has

ten months left, ten months that just happen to coincide with a

general election campaign. Thank you very much, Phil.

Let's go to Mark Denton now in the studio. William Hague to stdp down

at the general election. Who is likely to throw their hat into the

ring? No definite names but a lot of speculation to the delight of

political reporters everywhdre, of course. I have to say, a few local

names out of the running already. There was speculation James Wharton

might be one of them. He has a small majority but he was born and raised

in Stockton and says he is staying to fight the seat. What abott Anne

McIntosh, MP for Thirsk and mallen to, she says `` Malton, she says she

has no plans to stand in rich mored. Or this chap, John Stephenson. He

told me he is committed to Carlisle and that's where he will st`nd next

May. Not him either. Could the seat attract a big hitter from ottside

the area, maybe this chap, Boris Johnson? Currently mayor of London,

but rumoured to be looking for a seat, no word either way tonight.

There's likely to be lots of interest in the seat becausd of the

size of the majority. Absolttely thumping majority. I am surd other

parties will say the seat is winnable but the fact is it's the

safest parliamentary seat anywhere. For opposition parties overturning a

big majority can be like moving a mountain and William Hague has a

bigger mountain and all thrde leaders, let's take a look. Here is

Ed Miliband's majority. And Nick Clegg. And then the Prime Mhnister

in his Oxfordshire seat, a lajority there of under 22,000. Leadhng them

all, William Hague, a Mount Everest of majorities, over 23,000, a heck

of a steep climb for the other parties.

Those other parties are sayhng that William Hague's departure could

leave the region short`changed? He has been a northern voice of the

Cabinet table. MP Nick Brown says his departure is significant for the

region and thinks the new C`binet has widened a north`south dhvide.

It's moved further away frol the English regions, from slan, Wales

and Northern Ireland, and `` Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

and into the home Counties, this is an intensive reshuffle and H would

have thought the Prime Minister would want to reach out to those

parts of the UK where the Conservative Party isn't

traditionally strong. He has done nothing of the sort. No news yet on

other appointments from the north. As more names come out it looks as

if Scarborough and Whitby MP Robert Goodwill has kept his job at the

department for transport, more news at Ten.

Thank you. Newcastle is to keep a clinic

for people with eating disorders. There were fears that the Rhchardson

Clinic ` at the Royal Victoria Infirmary ` would close, me`ning

patients would have to travdl as far But now NHS England has agrded to

fund 20 beds in the North E`st, Police searching for a missing

County Durham man have found a body. 22`year`old Dean Robson was last

seen on Sunday night when he left a friend's house

in Moorside saying he was going to A body's now been discovered

in a wooded area at the end No formal ID has taken placd, though

Mr Robson's family have been told. Children as young

as 11 have been groomed and sexually That's the claim from one charity,

after a major campaign was launched today to tackle child sexual

exploitation in the area. Late night workers in hotels,

taxis and takeaways across Teesside are being urged to report any abuse

they see. It's to raise awareness, taxis, bed

and breakfast, hotels, if they see something, they say something. We

need to be aware of concerns so we can protect children and brhng

perpetrators to justice. Well, the charity Barnardos says

its currently supporting 154 children across Teesside who've been

sexually exploited. Some families say the sickening

abuse their children has suffered Stuart Whincup has

this special report. Cruising the streets, targeting

their prey. They look for young vulnerable children, feeding them

with drink and drugs. The groomers offer friendship and love bdfore

exploiting and sexually abusing their victims. You have got

paedophiles and perverts living and hiding and blending in, and living

amongst us all. This woman's daughter was sexually abused by this

man. He was sentenced to eight years in prison. The taxi driver was more

than twice her age when he had sex with the teenager in a lay`by. I

couldn't believe it to begin, I thought how a guy could befriend my

daughter, convince her that he was in love with her? He was a

32`year`old and she was likd 13 at the time. They're preying on kids.

The cases are not rare. The charity Barnardo's says it's seen a number

of victims groomed and sexu`lly abused increase by a third. The

children are young. Across Teesside over the last year we have supported

around 154 young people and that includes boys and girls and has been

in some cases as young as 10 but often around the age of 13 tpwards.

High`profile arrests and prosecutions have encouraged more

victims to speak out. Last xear three men were sentenced to a total

of 16 years in prison for grooming children. Now a new campaign is

being launched on Teesside to stop sexual exploitation. The actual

abuse takes place hidden from public view, in flats, homes and hotels.

But the authorities say even under the cover of darkness the w`rning

signs can still be seen with older men booking hotel rooms with young

girls, with them taking latd night taxi journeys and buying cigarettes

and alcohol. Now they want the late night businesses to report their

concerns. This isn't just a Middlesbrough problem. This abuse is

taking place in every town `nd city. Problems elsewhere in the country

quite evidently, the authorhties haven't listened and done anything

about it. That's absolutely not the case here on Teesside. Agencies are

listening and are committed to tackling the problem. This woman now

sleeps behind her front door because she's frightened someone will again

hurt her daughter. It destroys your life. It's not the child's life

it's everybody else in the family, everybody that's involved. They see

the effects it has. There's a lot more kids out there who havdn't been

brave enough to come forward. The grooming of young children has been

a silent crime that prefers darkness. Now late night workers are

being asked to shine a light on the abuse and no longer stay silent

An independent odour consultant wil now carry out unannounced vhsits to

a factory in Cumbria as part of measures to tackle

The move comes four years after 88 families from the town

started legal action against Omegga Proteins which owns the

Today, it was announced an out of court settlement had been

reached, with many of the details remaining secret

Alison Freeman joins us from our Carlisle studio.

Some relief then for the residents. Indeed this case has been rtmbling

on for the last four years. The pong has been plaguing the peopld for

decades. 88 families wanted to get an injunction to stop the w`y the

plant was being run from catsing a public nuisance. They wanted to get

damages for enduring that slell The out of court settlement is

confidential. We won't know if any compensation has been paid. But the

action the plant owners havd agreed to take to tackle the smell has been

revealed. That includes the appointment of an independent odour

consultant to make unannounced visits, odour testing and the

creation of a covered odour`controlled area for lorries

carrying raw materials. Tod`y in Penrith people told us how they had

been affected by the smell `nd what they thought of the plans. Lakes you

feel sick, physically sick. Awful smell. We are in the middle and you

can see tourists and they'rd looking about and a few people have

commented as they've been w`lking past, what is that disgusting smell?

You can't say we have this smell all the time, we don't but when it's

there it's unpleasant. If they can minimise or improve the ` that will

be better. The council regulates the site, what has it had to sax? It has

stressed it wasn't involved in the civil action. The claimants allege

there were not the correct permits in place or the odour control

between 2010 and 2013. The company has not answered those allegations

but the council says they dhd have the correct permits. The people of

Penrith will be just be hophng this will put an end to the smell. Thank

you. A major clean`up operation has begun

on Redcar beach today after pressure The Friends of Redcar says

its long fight to get old btilding rubble and debris removed

after the installation of ndw sea Now

the Environment Agency has `greed to For many this scene has been spoiled

by rubble and debris which has emerged at the back of the beach.

After a ten`month campaign to get the beach cleared of concrete, metal

and debris, The Friends of red car are pleased the clean`up has begun.

The building material we sed here is from the coastal defences btilt and

finished back in August 2013. They did a brilliant job of the defences,

we are happy with that. Howdver they didn't clean up properly

afterwards and as you can sde, everywhere on the beach there is

huge deposits of building m`terials, broken masonry, bricks, rubble. Even

buried bags of building sand, a building fence, all kinds of

material that shouldn't be there. There's lots of local respect for

the campaigners' fight to clear it. We have a fantastic beach in Redcar

and we want it to be even bdtter. It's a great place for families and

I want to pay tribute to Thd Friends of Redcar who have come in `ll kinds

of weather to pick up the lhtter and rubble and have run a fantastic

campaign to get the Environlent Agency and others to come b`ck and

clean up some of this rubbld and make this a great place to bring

your family. The Environment Agency said it's carried out a number of

sweeps of Redcar beach to thdy up debris following the completion of

the flood defences. The work is part of a bigger operation ahead of the

hobble education to ensure the beach is as clean as possible `` `head of

the clean`up operation. They're one step closer to getting

the beach they feel they deserve here.

Later in the programme we speak to more Commonwealth medal

And we're behind the scenes of a new play celebrating

A play by the daughter of one of the country's most feted writers

And just like her father, Alan Plater who died four ydars

ago, Janet Plater's writing is grounded in the North.

Her latest work Stephenson 200 focuses on one of the most

For tonight's Look North Report our arts reporter Sharuna S`gar has

been talking to Janet about her interest in George Stephenson and

The father of the railways, George Stephenson is the inspiration behind

Janet Plater's new play. Shd explores the George the man and his

relationship with his son Robert who also went on to achieve gre`t

indeed. `` greatness. This hs where the Stephensons came to set up the

company to make locomotives. My dad would have been fascinated. He would

have loved to have a look around. Her dad was the late writer Alan

Plater. His love of the reghon lives on through his daughter. System your

wrierting similar to that of `` is your writing similar to that of your

father's? I am an apprenticd writer and of course he was a mastdr and

very experienced writer. I wouldn't compare myself in that way. But

people do say that there ard similarities sometimes in some of my

writing, certainly members of the family have signs said therd is

something that is an echo of him. Janet's latest work is to cdlebrate

the 200th anniversary of George Stephenson's first locomotive.

Bleucher. Final rehearsals for the community production are under way

at George Stephenson School in killing worth. `` Killingworth. I

have been fascinated with Gdorge for a long time, reading about him. He's

often portrayed as an austere engineer, a Victorian gentldman And

he is quite a character, an ordinary Geordie bloke and my dad wotld have

loved to write about him, I am amazed he didn't. Many of the scenes

are set in the Stephenson f`mily home. George Stephenson devdloped

Bleucher while he was living here at this cottage in West Moor. This is

also where he inspired young Robert, his son, to follow in his f`ther's

footsteps. As we now know, Robert went on to be known as the greatest

engineer of the 1th century. `` 19th century. Obviously there is a

comparison to be drawn, between a `` did you draw parallels? Not really.

It's in your blood? Perhaps. Stephenson 200 runs until S`turday.

Newcastle United and Dutch club Feyenoord are hoping to fin`lise a

deal to bring the Holland ftll`back Daryl Janmaat to St James's Park.

The 24`year`old's been on Txneside today

He would become the club's fifth summer signing

Meanwhile, Middlesbrough striker Lukas Jutkiewicz has joined Premier

British 1500m champion Laura Weightman from Alnwick is one

of our region's best medal prospects for this summer's Commonwealth Games

With just two weeks to go, the 23`year`old is

in great form and looking forward to challenging herself against some

We caught up with her this lorning at the Wentworth athletics track

From until 28th July when L`ura lines up for her 1500 metres heat

it's all about making sure she is in the best condition to give herself

the chance of stepping on to the medal podium. At the weekend she

achieved an impressive fourth place finish. It's the type of race that

you can't expect in the fin`l, it was important to get out thdre and

be competitive with some of the girls that I am going to be racing

at the Commonwealth and European Championships. I beat the Kdnyan

girl who has ran quick this year and is a fantastic athlete. In `

championship race anything can happen if you are in the right place

at the right time and fight for the line. I have had a strong whnter's

training and feel like I have a strong base behind me now and by the

time I get to both those championships I am going to be in

the best shape of the season and of my career. Laura's already `chieved

her dream of competing in the Olympics making the final in London

at the age of 21. There's more to come. She knocked two`and`a`half

seconds off her personal best in Paris a few weeks ago coming close

to breaking the four`minute mark. I think it's possible in the next year

or so, whether it happens this year I don't know. I will take

championship medals this ye`r. It will come in the next few ydars but

now the focus is the championships and getting medals. While hdr coach

will be trying to contain hhs nerves as he commentates on her race, her

proud family will be willing her on in the crowd. Very proud, yds. It's

a surreal feeling to think that you are sitting in the crowd and that's

your child out on the track running against the top in the world, best

in the world really. Yes, it is a good feeling. And while Laura is not

particularly superstitious there is one thing she won't take to the

track without. I always racd in a necklace my grandmother gavd me for

my birthday, and can't not race without it. All the best to her

The Aussies have used the training camp before. The last time hn the

run`up to London 2012. Also the Delly 2010 we were based here, as

well Dehli. I know Gateshead quite well. Had a competition aftdr Berlin

and had one of better throws here, as well. It means a fair bit to me

to be back here. It's a good vibe. And talking of Aussies,

despite a valiant effort from their Australian all`rounder

John Hastings Durham have lost their County Championship match against

Warwickshire inside three d`ys. Durham could only manage 113 second

time around. Now a real cuthe in the weather, so move aside therd, Paul,

please! Very good, yes. If xou believe the legend of St Swhthins,

if it rains today it will r`in for 40 years. She wasn't taking any

chances, sunhat and bucket `nd everything. Tomorrow won't be the

same as today. Although manx place also start dry there will bd rain

spreading in from the west through the day. It will brighten up later.

So a mixed bag tomorrow. This evening it's mostly drx. A fine

evening and clear spells. Bx the end of the night the cloud will start to

thicken up in the west. You can see the first signs of that rain heading

our way by tomorrow morning. Temperatures stay in double figures

through the night. Winds relain very light, as well. Tomorrow although it

starts off dry for many, sole decent bright spells in the east especially

through the morning. This cloud continues to thicken up and Brix

outbreaks of rain to `` and brings outbreaks to rain to many places.

Even though there will be stnny and sunny spells developing in the north

later, still scope for one or two sharp showers. Having said that

even with that shower cloud around the temperatures remain pretty warm.

It's mild temperatures over the neglects few days. The tempdratures

becoming higher `` over the next few days. Hot and humid with it, as

well. By the end of the week a risk of thundery rain up from thd south

associated with this weather system. After tomorrow we get that rain out

of the way. Most places are dry on Thursday. Temperatures again into

the low 20s in the sunshine. The outside chance of one or two sharp

showers developing. That's `n increasing risk into Friday. By that

time some places will be he`ding towards the mid`20s. As we head to

the weekend, that's the main risk of the thundery rain becoming lore

widespread and that merits `n early warning from The Met Office. Of

course we will keep you upd`ted how it's shaping up on your BBC local

radio station. That's the wdather. Thank you, Paul. When was that early

warning for? Saturday. Thank you. Finally, tonight's headlines: The

Prime Minister has unveiled the most significant reshuffle to thd Cabinet

since he came to power. The people of Richmond have reacted with shock

and surprise to the news th`t William Hague is to step down from

parliament at the next election We will have more on that in our

late news around about 10. 25pm For now, good night.