16/02/2017 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

Finley's fight - the five year-old with a brain tumour finally meets

the American surgeon who could change his life.

A wealthy businessman accused of historic child sex abuse tells

Smoking during pregnancy - researchers in Newcastle offer

And we meet a poet offering a door-to-door service,

In sport, why a French international will be playing his rugby

And why English football's leading man in the middle

The American surgeon who pioneered a treatment to destroy brain tumours

has told a Teesside family the operation could

Five-year-old Finley Ingles travelled to Houston

after his family raised ?200,000 from well-wishers to pay for it.

Finley can suffer up to 15 seizures a day -

but his tumour is too deep to be operated on in this country.

Surgeons at Texas Children's Hospital say the laser ablation

treatment has improved the health of 80% of its patients.

Stuart Whincup sent this report from Texas.

It's home to America's biggest Children's Hospital.

Ground-breaking brain surgery is performed here,

and this is why Finley desperately need it.

He's laughing, but feels discomfort and is left confused.

The seizure happened as Finley's family were meeting the man

who pioneered the surgery that he'll undergo.

The treatment is called laser ablation surgery.

A tiny hole is made in the skull, the size of the tip of a pen.

And using MRI for guidence, a laser is directed where the tumour is,

When we are considering our skill at treating

this type of haematoma, even in open operations that

would incur lots of side effects, it's only about 50%,

Even away from the hospital in Houston, Finley's keen to show

I'm allowed to get in here because I'm a Dr.

For Finley's family, today's appointment did offer reassurance.

It filled us with positivity, really.

It filled us with a lot of confidence, knowing that he feels

the operation will be such a success.

Nothing can quite prepare you for your child to have surgery.

And with the best will in the world, for all the googling

and everything that we've done, actually meeting the man himself has

After the years of hospital appointments, tests and scans,

Finley is now just 24 hours away from the operation that

He'll be admitted to Texas Children's Hospital in the early

His family say this is Finley's last hope.

His last chance for a happy childhood, free from

And we'll have an update on Finley's progress in tomorrow's Look North.

A 15-year-old girl has pleaded not guilty to the murder

A wealthy businessman, accused of sexually abusing boys,

has told a court he's the victim of a police witch hunt.

75-year-old Colin Gregg, from Newcastle, was giving evidence

in his defence against nine counts of indecent assault.

It's alleged the offences were committed over a period

of almost 30 years, but today he told a jury,

Our correspondent, Peter Harris, reports.

Colin Gregg, the court has heard, has said the allegations are wicked

lies. Today, he spoke directly to the

jury. Under cross-examination, he was as,

is it your edition that each of these components is either mistaken

or lying? He replied that that was correct. He said that those making

false allegations are doing so against a thoroughly decent man. He

accepted that while he's a wealthy man, none of the complainant has

made a claim compensation, and said he couldn't get any reason why any

of them with choose to live. Colin Gregg told the jury, it's very

difficult, ... The jury has been told of Colin

Gregg's background. That he helped develop the family's bakery

business, is a former head teacher, and had driven forward the Yellow

Brick Road Charity appeal. He denies nine counts of indecent assault on

four boys. He was advised by his own badge start, it did yet any stage

assault any young boys? Colin Gregg replied no. The trial continues. --

he was asked by his own barrister. Now, for many smokers, kicking

the habit can be very difficult. But it's one of the best things

you can do for your health - and if you're pregnant, it's vital

for the wellbeing of your baby. Newcastle University researchers

have discovered pregnant women are almost twice as likely to quit

smoking if they're tested with a carbon monoxide monitor

at their first midwife appointment. Here's our health

reporter, Sharon Barbour. When Melanie fell pregnant with her

little girl, Faith, she had been a heavy smoker for years.

I started smoking at about 16. In skill, I smoked, I tried to impress

the boys, it was the fashion in those days. Then I smoked until I

was 40. Faith is her fifth child. She smoked

all through her four previous pregnancies, as you didn't know the

risks. I never ever thought, I just would

carry on like I did. My parents both smoked.

But something different happened with this pregnancy that changed

everything. There was a breath analysis, my

carbon monoxide was above a high-level. There was a red light

going off, and he demonstrated what it does to your baby wants you

smoke. And it is basically just strangling you, I do try to reach

for breath. And I'm thinking, that's frightening. That's the first time I

come alleged icon in my head, visualised what it was doing to the

little person in my side, you are basically constantly strangling that

child. It is as carbon monoxide test the

Newcastle University has found cutely helps pregnant mums to quit

smoking. What we found was that an interview

shown to make sure that all pregnant women were screened for carbon

monoxide in early pregnancy, and then put in touch to help stop

smoking if they were smokers helped to nearly double quit rates in

pregnancy. There's evidence that smoking weed is to lighter birth

weight, which leads to problems during pregnancy and birth and later

in life. The team studied 40,000 mothers

across the North East. Including 10,500 to smoke. The problem is

called BabyClear, and from on-site Melanie, it clearly works. There are

calls for the approach to be used more often across the country.

Sherrin joins me now. Surely now everybody knows smoking can't be

good for the baby, why has this worked so well?

We hear advice about things like this so often, it now many people to

note no longer listen to it. In this, the pregnant mother is taken

aside by the midwives and really explains what the smoking is doing

to the baby. So that has an impact, really, clearly, one explained. And,

of course, the carbon monoxide monitor.

The monitor has a big impact? They can test, they can see the

reading on the monitor. Melanie had a reading of 24, very high. She can

see that and then see the carbon monoxide gas, it is explained how

that can damage the baby. A smaller birth weight, potentially death for

the baby. And behavioural problems, they are at a higher risk later on

in life. Another great thing from Melanie was that she was able to

count the savings. She was working around 30 a day, at least ?10 a day

she was saving, she said, Hugh was really happy to be saving money and

not has smoked during pregnancy. A 15-year-old girl has pleaded not

guilty to the murder of seven-year-old Katie Rough

in York last month. Katie was found with serious

injuries in the Woodthorpe area of the city and died

later in hospital. The teenager made a 20-minute

appearance by video link Campaigners fighting to save beds

at a Northumberland cottage hospital have accused NHS bosses of failing

to consider alternatives The plan to permanently

shut the 12-bed ward at the Rothbury Community Hospital

has already sparked protest marches and a

4000-signature petition. But this afternoon NHS managers told

a consultation meeting Our political correspondent

Luke Walton joins us from Rothbury. Esprit is a geographically isolated,

and it also has a lot of older people. -- Rothbury is too

graphically isolated. It is said the facility used by vulnerable people

is so important. Campaigners gathered today to put that message

across to NHS managers. They are meeting behind me for the second

time to plot their next step in the campaign. The area's Clinical

Commissioning Group say the underuse of this award was not a efficient

use of scarce NHS resources. When we looked at the exhibiting

over the last few years, we see the beds are being used less and less.

There are nurses and staff around for beds that are empty. With the

pressures on the NHS, it doesn't make sense to have a resource that

is just not being used its full potential. When the halve look to

the options going forward, realistically, what we want to do is

use is building for the NHS and get more services there, but that won't

be, as far as we can see, overnight beds.

Whitney is hospital campaigner David Blackburn. Does it make sense to run

a ward that is hast empty at a time when NHS cash is so tight?

It make sense to the CCG. Because, obviously, financial resources are

strapped at the moment. But what you have to consider, as far as Rothbury

amenity hospitals concerned, is that these beds are required for the

local community. By Justin Rothbury, but the surrounding area. As you

said earlier, there are many vulnerable people. We have a

population of about 5000 here and Rothbury, of whom 4500 signed the

petition to save our beds. What would be the human impact of

the closure, and what you think is the alternative?

One of the major human impact of the closure is that families, loved ones

of people who are in acute beds and had to go to other hospitals have to

make that journey all the way over there. Sometimes without the

facility of... Do you think there's and

alternative? I did. The alternative is what we're

calling option six. In the CCG's documents, they had five options. Of

which one, in reality, is the only one they're going for.

You think these beds have a future? Absolutely. I am convinced of that.

That we need these beds in the local community for palliative care, and

of life care, respite and four post operative care. Anything that's

solution locally. Thank you. This consultation

continues into April. We have another public meeting tonight and

next month, and public feeling running very high.

The Princess Royal was in Newcastle today.

Princess Anne - who's the patron of the Citizens Advice Bureau -

met volunteers from the organisation, which recently

The city is currently celebrating the 800th

anniversary of the Mayoralty and the Freemen of Newcastle.

Windlestone Hall in County Durham is back on the market,

Durham County Council was criticised in an auditors' report

for selling the Grade II listed building in 2011 for ?241,000.

The council said at the time that, with the upkeep of the hall costing

?100,000 a year, the price was a good one.

It later emerged that potential buyer William Davenport had used

fake documents in his mortgage applications for the Hall.

He was jailed for six years for fraud.

Newcastle's Dance City has announced plans to open

Two new dance studios will be part of a wider vision

to create a cultural quarter in the city centre.

Funding's been secured to develop the Old Fire Station building,

which will house Dance City, along with a new site

Plans have also been approved for a 400-seater auditorium,

costing more than ?8 million, next to the Sunderland Empire.

An iconic, concrete communications tower in Durham, 150 feet tall,

is finally coming down, piece by piece.

Designed by the famous architect Ove Arup, the mast -

which used to tower over Durham's old Police Headquarters -

was built back in 1968, and it's long since been overtaken

But as Jim Knight reports, the Grade II listed structure isn't

As our old Look North pictures show, the County Police Communications

Tower was designed to be tall but slim, so it wouldn't block views

But now, the carefully sculpted and crafted sections of concrete -

so lovingly put together by Ove Arup's back in 1968 -

are slowly coming back to Earth, piece by careful piece.

It's costing nearly ?500,000 to deconstruct it and move it

from the site of the new Aykley Woods housing department.

Police say they had no choice, because it would have cost them lot

more in lost revenue to leave it where it is.

We're pleased to see the end of this particular project,

it's costing about ?500,000, which is a lot of money.

However, we do think it's good financial sense,

because had we left it in place, we would have lost more than that

We are fairly high up, where we stand.

And when you drive around the area, it does become a bit of a focal

point, you can see it from the motorways in the area.

And I do think some people are quite attached to it.

But of course, this is far from the end of the story for Durham's

In just a few months' time, they are going to start work

here to resurrect it alongside the new police headquarters.

Items belonging to some of the most famous names in music are going up

You could snap up John Lennon's sunglasses or a velvet jacket

Charlotte Leeming's had a sneak preview.

At Ryedale Auctioneers in Kirbymoorside, there's the usual

antiques and furniture you'd expect to find.

But in one corner of the room, there's a special collection

which will have music lovers absolutely drooling.

It's a rock and pop memorabilia treasure trove, with items from some

the most famous artists of the 60s and 70s.

Including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones,

So, amongst the album covers, there are some

Bit different, that spoon has been signed by John Lennon and Yoko.

Lennon's signature has pretty much faded all away,

But it's a bit different, and that's what people like.

Yeah, did they use that to make their pasta at night?

No prizes for guessing who these belong to.

John Lennon's, but there's bit of a story behind

The back story with those is that John lost his temper

on the phone to someone, a producer or an agent or somebody,

smashed them on the floor, and got thrown in the bin.

So they have had a bit of repair work and a few new parts,

And something that is just amazing is this picture here, behind us.

And a Rolling Stones fan is going to love

I think it's got to be one of my favourite lots of the sale.

A life-size picture, would look fantastic in a music bar

I've got 50 quid I could give even that, any good?

Put a couple of naughts on and we'd be there!

# I going way down south, way down south...#.

Anything connected to such giants of the music world remains hugely

Most items in this auction come from a private

One of the priciest will be a black jacket owned by John Lennon.

It's one of Ryedale's Auctioneers most exciting sales,

and could make that private collector a fair bit

Some great stuff there. Wasn't a fan at the time, love and now.

It's an! On to the sport.

Footballers aren't the only ones jetting off further afield. The

The Premier League's leading referee is quitting his job to become

Mark Clattenburg - from County Durham -

was unveiled on the Saudi FA's live Twitter page, where he introduced

himself by saying that Newcastle had the best team in England.

The 41-year-old Magpies fan, who's widely considered to be one

of the world's best referees, is expected to leave before the next

Last year, he officiated the finals of Euro 2016,

Clattenburg was in charge at the Emirates on Saturday

Newcastle Falcons have signed French international centre

The 30-year-old, who's won two European Champions Cups,

may find himself involved in another if a resurgent Falcons side can

Beating Northampton Saints at Kingston Park on Sunday

A host of impressive statistics accompany Maxime Mermoz,

who scored for Leicester last weekend,

35 Test caps, the winner of two Heineken Cups and French Top 14

finals with two clubs, including Toulon, where he played

A notable addition to the squad, in a deal that's been

I've been speaking with Maxime for maybe 18 months now.

And he was probably the forgotten guy at Toulon whilst he was there.

He was constantly voted by his colleagues as the best player,

but they weren't picking him because, for some unknown reason,

they were picking someone else in front of him.

Can play 12, can play 13 equally well.

And he's one of the few players that can genuinely do that.

And is an incredibly talented footballer.

Sunday's game against Northampton will see a return to home league

action for Tonga captain Nili Latu, who's been out for nearly

seven months with a potentially career-ending knee injury.

My MCL hasn't been there for the last eight seasons.

I done a bit of damage to it while I was paying in Japan.

But didn't really bother me playing, so I finally went on tour

with Tonga in the PNC, and finally it gave up and my

It was probably the hardest seven months in my rugby career,

but I'm glad I'm over that hurdle now, and just looking forward

For the first time in years, the Falcons and their fans are able

to look up the table, rather than nervously

And if they win here on Sunday, they could move

And having already won more the games this season

And having already won more league games this season

than during the whole of their previous campaign,

that's certainly the aim for Falcons' joint-top try scorer,

We want to be in the top six, that's what we're aiming for,

But it's a long way off yet, so we've got to take

But we know we are getting closer and we can do it.

It started as a hobby for Rowan McCabe -

knocking on people's doors and offering to write

Now, a year on, he's been given an Arts Council grant

to continue his work as Britain's only door-to-door poet.

David Sillito met him on his rounds in Gateshead and Stockton.

My name's Rowan and I'm a door to door poet.

So I knock on strangers' doors and write poems for them.

I joined him on his rounds, delivering poems in Stockton.

I answered the door and there he was stood on his little

I said I was busy, but he carried on anyway!

How do you become a door-to-door poet?

Well, first of all it was to do with boredom, really.

You're just bored and you started knocking on people's doors, saying,

I had this feeling that anyone could enjoy poetry.

I probably am a little bit, but it works.

The process always begins with a knock.

His mother was German and life wasn't easy when he was growing up.

That's my mum and a friend in D sseldorf.

We had a lot hostilities, or my mum did.

People would be spitting on her in the street and we had

This is the poem that's been written for him.

Speak - it is all about his habit of speaking out

I think it's probably one of the highlights of my life.

Like I was saying when we were there, it's moments just like that

you just think, best job in the world.

What could be better than that, you know?

that's nice. Fantastic, yes. Great job, must as

good as being a weatherman. Adenoma go on the doorstep, but

would make an exception. Not again today, but the wind made it feel

colder. This picture sums up the weather over the next few days.

Reasonably quiet whether for most of us. It will feel fairly cloudy at

times, but generally try and on the mild side. A lot of cloud around

this evening, especially in the west, patchy rain here and there.

Dying away through the night, Eastern areas drier with clearer

skies. The winds lighter than the last few nights, so temperatures

dropping lower. Outlying parts of Northumberland, may be called enough

for a touch of frost in places, temperatures down to around three

Celsius. Further west, temperatures up to seven. Tomorrow we start the

dre with sunshine, bit more cloud in the West End the east. Spots of rain

possible, but brightness through the day before the cloud built in from

the west, through the course of the afternoon. Temperatures will reach

10 Celsius at best, when is pretty light tomorrow, mostly from a

southerly direction. A ridge of high pressure tomorrow, getting shunted

out of the way. Pressure is saying to the east of us, to the North West

there will be weather front around. Fairly weak as they come into the

high-pressure. Sets us up for a cloudy picture into the weekend.

Tomorrow, best of the brightness in the east, temperatures into double

figures for many of us. Saturday, cloudy skies on the whole, patchy

rain in the west especially. A brisk, south-westerly breeze through

the first part of the weekend. Rain and Saturday nights, becoming more

widespread. Sunday should seek most places dry and cloudy, temperatures

are around 10 Celsius. Fairly quiet, all in all.

Thank you very much. That's enough for now, but we're back with a late

news and weather, aren't we? See you later, bye-bye.

Two challenges await you today, and our genre is Landscape.

The conditions are a wee bit challenging.