:00:00. > :00:00.A disabled couple terrified by a night-time intruder..
:00:00. > :00:00.Now a court makes special arrangements for them
:00:00. > :00:15.This woman pocketed nearly ?50,000 in a holiday scam - her victims say
:00:16. > :00:18.they've been badly let down by the justice system.
:00:19. > :00:29.How music therapy's helping elderly people with dementia.
:00:30. > :00:36.We try out the 12 sided ?1 coin which went into circulation today.
:00:37. > :00:39.Brought back to life 20 years ago - how England's last working
:00:40. > :00:42.slate mine became one of the Lake District's big
:00:43. > :00:44.In sport - new plans for English cricket,
:00:45. > :00:47.but will the North East be a part of it?
:00:48. > :00:49.And the Powerchair footballers, hoping to bring the World Cup
:00:50. > :01:08.It was a terrifying experience for disabled couple
:01:09. > :01:13.One night last November, a drunken man broke into their home
:01:14. > :01:16.in Chester-le-Street while they slept.
:01:17. > :01:18.When they woke, they found Michael Lee Gray asleep
:01:19. > :01:24.Gray later pleaded guilty to criminal damage but the couple's
:01:25. > :01:26.disabilities meant they couldn't travel to court
:01:27. > :01:31.But thanks to new technology - the court came to them.
:01:32. > :01:35.Here's our News Correspondent Mark Denten.
:01:36. > :01:37.Marie's nearly blind, Tom has cancer.
:01:38. > :01:46.In anyone's book they are a vulnerable couple -
:01:47. > :01:49.but this man Michael Lee Gray broke into their home in Chester Le Street
:01:50. > :01:52.He was drunk - and then eventually fell asleep
:01:53. > :01:56.When they woke up they found him there...but in the front room
:01:57. > :02:03.there was something else waiting for them.
:02:04. > :02:13.He was sick here and he had wet himself there. You must've felt your
:02:14. > :02:15.home had been desecrated. Yes. We have had a lovely life here. We
:02:16. > :02:35.don't want to change it. The couple's disability meant it was
:02:36. > :02:39.impossible for them to travel to Durham Crown Court. So, the court
:02:40. > :02:41.came to them. A temporary video link was installed
:02:42. > :02:43.in the couple s home, so they could watch Gray
:02:44. > :02:55.being sentenced in court, I didn't believe they could do that
:02:56. > :03:03.sort of thing. It was great. The fact we could share it. And the
:03:04. > :03:03.judge was speaking to us and asking things.
:03:04. > :03:06.In a statement His Honour Judge Christopher Prince told Look North
:03:07. > :03:09."Following a conviction or a guilty plea it is common for victims
:03:10. > :03:11.to provide a statement telling the court of the physical
:03:12. > :03:13.and psychological effect an offence has had on them."
:03:14. > :03:16."Victims are entitled and often do attend sentence hearings to read
:03:17. > :03:20."In this case Mr and Mrs Dawson were unable to come to court -
:03:21. > :03:32.It was really traumatic. It was good for them to see that justice was
:03:33. > :03:34.done, to get closure. Mark Denten, BBC Look North,
:03:35. > :03:44.Chester-le-Street. A jury has retired to consider
:03:45. > :03:47.its verdict in the case of a North Yorkshire care home
:03:48. > :03:50.accused of failing to protect Red Lodge - a retirement
:03:51. > :03:53.home in York - is owned by the Joseph Rowntree Housing
:03:54. > :03:55.Trust. The case follows the death
:03:56. > :03:58.of an elderly resident in 2011 - who committed suicide by jumping
:03:59. > :04:05.from an upstairs window. A Northumberland middle school,
:04:06. > :04:07.threatened with closure, Last month we reported how
:04:08. > :04:11.parents were fighting to save Belford Middle School,
:04:12. > :04:14.after Church of England governors said falling pupil numbers
:04:15. > :04:17.would make it "unsustainable" after September this year.Now
:04:18. > :04:20.the governors have written a letter telling parents they'll investigate
:04:21. > :04:23.other options - but still warn that recruiting staff will be
:04:24. > :04:29."particularly difficult". Northumbria Police has criticised
:04:30. > :04:33.plans for 3,000 people to float down the River Tyne
:04:34. > :04:36.on inflatables while drinking beer. The event's been publicised
:04:37. > :04:42.on social media and is planned for July 1st -
:04:43. > :04:45.ending at the Quayside. Organisers claim it's
:04:46. > :04:47.based on a Finnish event. The police say the Tyne
:04:48. > :04:49.has a strong current, they're concerned about safety
:04:50. > :04:51.and they will speak Victims of a holiday scam run
:04:52. > :05:01.by a South Shields woman say they've been let down by the justice system
:05:02. > :05:04.after she escaped with a two year suspended prison sentence
:05:05. > :05:07.because she had a baby. Ashleigh Turbitt pocketed nearly
:05:08. > :05:10.?50,000 from families with the promise of cheap
:05:11. > :05:13.holidays to Disneyland. Sharuna Sagar has been to meet
:05:14. > :05:15.one angry grandmother It's been a difficult few
:05:16. > :05:24.years for Hilda Clayton. She's nursed both her ill
:05:25. > :05:26.parents till their deaths and then she nearly lost one
:05:27. > :05:34.of her grandchildren. Me grandson was in
:05:35. > :05:49.Freeman's hospital. He had a heart operation. We decided
:05:50. > :05:56.to book a holiday. He couldn't get on a flight for his whole condition.
:05:57. > :05:57.People were trying to celebrate and before they knew it, there were 17
:05:58. > :05:59.going. And so a dream trip to Disney Land
:06:00. > :06:02.in Paris was booked. And everything was perfect right up
:06:03. > :06:14.until the night before The children were packed and ready
:06:15. > :06:21.to go and had their money in their purses. We had an early morning, so
:06:22. > :06:22.we had an early night. And then we just found out it wasn't happening,
:06:23. > :06:26.they would absolutely devastated. It turned out that nothing had been
:06:27. > :06:28.booked and the whole The woman behind it was
:06:29. > :06:40.Ashleigh Turbitt from South Shields. She looked like a genuine person to
:06:41. > :06:44.me, she was with her husband and children on day trips that they had
:06:45. > :06:45.booked and she seemed like a lovely person to me. I had no inkling
:06:46. > :06:51.whatsoever. And Turbitt admitted pocketing
:06:52. > :06:54.?46,000 of their money but she was spared jail
:06:55. > :07:05.because the judge didn't It's not about the money, I have
:07:06. > :07:09.forgotten about that now. I feel more angry that she is getting away
:07:10. > :07:13.with it. People have been sent to jail for less than what she has
:07:14. > :07:18.done. Was the judge thinking about our children? I don't think so. She
:07:19. > :07:25.is getting away with this scot-free. What she has done is wrong.
:07:26. > :07:27.The Governor of Durham Prison has rejected criticism
:07:28. > :07:29.of the way the jail treats mentally ill prisoners.
:07:30. > :07:31.The Prison Independent Monitoring Board's annual inspection said
:07:32. > :07:33.the issue of mentally ill patients waiting for treatment had been
:07:34. > :07:36."brushed under the carpet" but the Governor says he's managing
:07:37. > :07:41.It's about the delays in transfers from the prison, from the prison
:07:42. > :07:45.We have always had to manage that process but the care that the men
:07:46. > :07:48.receive from the mental health team in the prison is of
:07:49. > :08:00.York Minster has confirmed that the bells WILL ring
:08:01. > :08:06.The original team of thirty volunteers were sacked last October
:08:07. > :08:12.Since then the bells have only been rung a handful
:08:13. > :08:16.of times by volunteers from across Yorkshire.
:08:17. > :08:18.Staying safe when sleeping rough is a challenge people
:08:19. > :08:22.After being attacked when sleeping in a park one night,
:08:23. > :08:25.a former homeless man from Wearside has spoken of the very unusual
:08:26. > :08:31.He told us about his experience as part of a series of films this
:08:32. > :08:33.week about young people in Sunderland - online
:08:34. > :08:46.This is a film made by Paul Brown for our Facebook page.
:08:47. > :10:27.I have slept in random places but this is the most random one...
:10:28. > :10:32.As part of this project, tomorrow we'll be live on Facebook
:10:33. > :10:34.from Sunderland with a group of young people to discuss their
:10:35. > :10:38.You can watch by heading to our Facebook page straight
:10:39. > :10:40.after our lunch time bulletin at 1.45pm.
:10:41. > :10:42.Wildlife experts are on board the DFDS ferry King Seaways
:10:43. > :10:44.on the lookout for whales, porpoises and dolphins.
:10:45. > :10:47.Survey teams from the charity Orca will be joining passengers
:10:48. > :10:49.travelling from North Shields to the Netherlands as part
:10:50. > :10:51.of their annual survey to keep track of marine mammals.
:10:52. > :10:55.The campaign's being backed by TV wildlife presenter
:10:56. > :11:03.They have regular sightings of harbour porpoises,
:11:04. > :11:07.of white-beaked dolphins, of minke whales.
:11:08. > :11:10.I mean, obviously it's not guaranteed, but if you're lucky
:11:11. > :11:12.you're going to see some of those creatures.
:11:13. > :11:15.I think people do think of whales in particular as an exotic animal
:11:16. > :11:21.and yet you regularly see them around our coastline.
:11:22. > :11:24.Elderly residents living with dementia are being given music
:11:25. > :11:26.therapy by a care worker with a difference.
:11:27. > :11:27.Samantha Holden is Activities Co-ordinator at Reuben Manor
:11:28. > :11:33.in Stockton, but she also happens to be a successful singer,
:11:34. > :11:39.specialising in retro and wartime songs.
:11:40. > :11:41.The benefits of her sessions are proving so successful,
:11:42. > :11:43.the company behind the care home is hiring dedicated
:11:44. > :11:51.Music Therapists. Phil Chapman has more.
:11:52. > :12:02.# But I know we'll meet again some sunny day.
:12:03. > :12:05.Just a few lines of a nostalgic song can transport residents back in time
:12:06. > :12:13.which can in turn have a huge positive impact on their lives now.
:12:14. > :12:20.You see them light up and it is like a mini miracle.
:12:21. > :12:29.One day somebody can't remember who they are or where
:12:30. > :12:32.they are and you play a song that they remember, and they
:12:33. > :12:36.It is such a wonderful experience to see and why
:12:37. > :12:40.Brings back memories of when I was a schoolgirl during the war.
:12:41. > :12:42.I was at the Middlesbrough high school and these
:12:43. > :12:48.It is marvellous and a wonderful thing to be doing and I'm sure
:12:49. > :13:13.Now this power of music to spark feelings and
:13:14. > :13:19.Now this power of music to spark feelings and memories will be
:13:20. > :13:23.The hope is to spread this out right across the homes and we will be
:13:24. > :13:25.getting it throughout North Yorkshire and the homes
:13:26. > :13:29.will be taking this on and we are all going to have our own music
:13:30. > :13:31.therapists we can have on hand which is wonderful news.
:13:32. > :13:33.You're watching Tuesday's Look North.
:13:34. > :13:35.Still to come, tonight's sport news with Jeff Brown.
:13:36. > :13:37.Also, we visit the Honister slate mine in Cumbria -
:13:38. > :13:45.20 years after it was brought back to life.
:13:46. > :13:49.And some good old-fashioned Cumbrian rain. It won't stay dry east of the
:13:50. > :13:56.Pennines either. More later. So have you got your hands
:13:57. > :13:59.on the new ?1 coin yet? It went into circulation this
:14:00. > :14:02.morning when it was available in two places in our region -
:14:03. > :14:04.a bank in Newcastle Jonathan Swingler's taken
:14:05. > :14:07.the new 12-sided coin onto the streets to see what people
:14:08. > :14:11.make of it and to try it out They've only been open for less
:14:12. > :14:21.than an hour and they have given out 1000 coins so far and we are limited
:14:22. > :14:23.to five each. I've come into town to get a pound
:14:24. > :14:26.coin for my little boy. Today's his birthday,
:14:27. > :14:29.so I thought it would be a nice keepsake for him to have,
:14:30. > :14:31.when it's obviously just Work has been going on to
:14:32. > :14:37.ensuring they are accepted We have spent four or five
:14:38. > :14:40.months developing the new coin slot and then
:14:41. > :14:43.going round of the 224 ticket machines across the Metro system
:14:44. > :14:45.to ensure everyone We then tried a council
:14:46. > :14:49.parking meter in Newcastle. So, this is our first test, is it
:14:50. > :14:52.going to work? They actually look pretty all right.
:14:53. > :14:58.They're all right? I don't think, just nice
:14:59. > :15:02.and shiny, what can I say? They're like the threepenny bits
:15:03. > :15:04.except they've got the You'll have to get rid
:15:05. > :15:08.of your other ones I know, I've got
:15:09. > :15:11.quite a few as well. Yeah, well, the old ones,
:15:12. > :15:16.there's that many dud ones Fake ones?
:15:17. > :15:22.Yeah. Right, snack time,
:15:23. > :15:24.is it going to work? I want a chocolate
:15:25. > :15:26.bar, shove that in... Right, second attempt,
:15:27. > :15:35.let's keep going. Sometimes happens, doesn't it?
:15:36. > :15:36.No. I'll try a different
:15:37. > :15:41.one, I've got a few. I'm not panicking, I'm hungry but
:15:42. > :15:46.I'm not panicking. So, I wanted a chocolate bar and
:15:47. > :15:48.it's definitely not working. The Royal Mint says it's the most
:15:49. > :15:55.secure coin in the world because it will be very
:15:56. > :16:03.difficult to forge. The new pound coin that helps you on
:16:04. > :16:08.a diet as well! England's last working slate mine -
:16:09. > :16:11.in the heart of the Lake District - is celebrating 20 years
:16:12. > :16:13.of production since it was Honister Slate Mine is now
:16:14. > :16:16.a big tourist attraction, and is famed for its Via Ferrata -
:16:17. > :16:20.a reinforced path that runs up the side of the fell
:16:21. > :16:22.and allows climbers access Now the owners say they're working
:16:23. > :16:38.on plans to bring new jobs and even They have been digging slate from
:16:39. > :16:43.this mind since Roman times. Huge caverns have been carved out by
:16:44. > :16:51.hand. Getting on site can be a challenge. This is really hard work.
:16:52. > :16:59.It is very low because they would never stand up straight, always
:17:00. > :17:04.pushing a bogey. I bet there are millions been a long here pushing
:17:05. > :17:11.the boat keys out. Absolutely fantastic. Inside, it is silent and
:17:12. > :17:18.also to behold. We're right under Fleetwood Pike at the moment. This
:17:19. > :17:24.goes on for seven or eight miles. All talk out by hand. Amazing. I
:17:25. > :17:30.know the work in drilling and suchlike. Mechanisation, but to do
:17:31. > :17:35.it by hand, I can't even imagine. It can play mind games with you if you
:17:36. > :17:40.in there too long. Now you can stand up straight. Joe's family took over
:17:41. > :17:43.the mind when it was little more than a tin shed and today it
:17:44. > :17:52.produces 100 tonnes of roofing slate. It is a five-year
:17:53. > :17:58.apprenticeship. From start to finish, really. Today, Hollister is
:17:59. > :18:07.about tourism and some remember what it was like 20 years ago. She used
:18:08. > :18:15.to be able to park free if you bought a coaster. This is totally
:18:16. > :18:19.different. It is modernised, more facilities. We were here on year
:18:20. > :18:26.one. It was all quite rudimentary bend. When you came up to the mind,
:18:27. > :18:31.you could help yourself to the and Coffey, you didn't have to pay for
:18:32. > :18:37.it. You may Girona! Joe's brother Mark was tragically killed in a
:18:38. > :18:44.helicopter crash at the time when he was planning consent for a zip wire.
:18:45. > :18:51.The consent was refused but he is going to try again. I will try
:18:52. > :18:58.again. I'm very excited. I don't normally get excited. June might be
:18:59. > :19:02.keeping his powder dry for the moment but it won't be too long
:19:03. > :19:05.before we hear what plans he has in mind.
:19:06. > :19:12.That gives me an idea for an Easter activity with the kids! Yes.
:19:13. > :19:15.Not great news for the region's cricket fans - at least,
:19:16. > :19:18.The English Cricket Board has announced plans
:19:19. > :19:20.for a new competition, with eight CITY-based
:19:21. > :19:21.teams, in addition to the traditional COUNTIES.
:19:22. > :19:23.No names or venues have been revealed -
:19:24. > :19:26.but given Durham's recent financial problems, it's unlikely there'll be
:19:27. > :19:34.36 games are planned over a 38-day period in mid-summer.
:19:35. > :19:37.It won't clash with the counties' own T20 Blast competition -
:19:38. > :19:40.but the new teams WILL be able to pick those players
:19:41. > :19:44.who might otherwise have been appearing for their counties.
:19:45. > :19:47.It'll be a 50-over tournament, hoping to attract the sort of TV
:19:48. > :19:50.audiences who follow the Indian Premier League.
:19:51. > :19:52.No-one from Durham was available for comment today -
:19:53. > :20:01.By doing things differently, by building the teams, we can be
:20:02. > :20:04.relevant to a whole new audience and bring this very diverse,
:20:05. > :20:10.multicultural Britain into our stadium in the future in a way that
:20:11. > :20:15.perhaps we haven't been successful at doing.
:20:16. > :20:18.So cricket will never be the same again -
:20:19. > :20:20.but Yorkshire looks to have secured its future
:20:21. > :20:23.The club announced today it's finally reached a funding agreement
:20:24. > :20:26.with Leeds City Council over the redevelopment of Headingley.
:20:27. > :20:28.The council has brokered an investment of ?35 million
:20:29. > :20:30.towards work on the stand the cricket club shares
:20:31. > :20:37.On to football, and Middlesbrough have appointed former
:20:38. > :20:40.skipper Jonathan Woodgate as their new first team coach.
:20:41. > :20:42.The 37-year-old centre-back retired from the game last summer,
:20:43. > :20:44.shortly after Boro won promotion to the Premier League.
:20:45. > :20:47.Born on Teesside, Woodgate is - according to head coach Steve Agnew:
:20:48. > :20:55."a fantastic character, who knows the club inside and out."
:20:56. > :20:58.The Powerchair Football World Cup takes place in the USA this summer
:20:59. > :21:01.and two players from our region are hoping to help England bring
:21:02. > :21:05.Sam Smith from Wylam and Edward Common from Hexham
:21:06. > :21:07.in Northumberland have long been key players for Percy Hedley
:21:08. > :21:09.Foundation's successful Northern Thunder team.
:21:10. > :21:11.But now they're out to win the sport's top prize -
:21:12. > :21:21.Sam and Edward both have muscular dystrophy but their shared love
:21:22. > :21:23.of football has seen them win numerous domestic cups and league
:21:24. > :21:30.We last caught up with them in 2013 but now England beckons.
:21:31. > :21:32.For Sam, it's the chance to represent his country
:21:33. > :21:38.for the first time and fulfil an ambition at the age of just 17.
:21:39. > :21:41.I remember just sitting in the classroom and we
:21:42. > :21:43.were discussing, like, things we want to do
:21:44. > :21:46.when we are older and people were saying, like, be an astronaut,
:21:47. > :21:50.And I said, I want to play powerchair football for England.
:21:51. > :21:56.So, I mean, I've been playing for around five years now and two
:21:57. > :21:59.years at the highest level, so I feel like it's time
:22:00. > :22:04.for the next step and to play and represent my country.
:22:05. > :22:07.At 22, Edward is a World Cup veteran, having taken part in two
:22:08. > :22:09.previous tournaments in Japan and France, where England
:22:10. > :22:13.So, this time we want to go one better.
:22:14. > :22:16.Hopefully, we will finish top of the group, to avoid America
:22:17. > :22:21.and Japan from the other groups and hopefully get to the final
:22:22. > :22:23.and then we'll probably be against America.
:22:24. > :22:30.Representing England is a huge achievement for the players,
:22:31. > :22:33.of course, and for the families, it makes the years of
:22:34. > :22:36.commitment worthwhile, not to mention emotional.
:22:37. > :22:38.Couldn't believe it, we knew it was that weekend,
:22:39. > :22:41.that we'd find out one way or the other, and I was really
:22:42. > :22:47.anxious all morning but when he rang, it just made me cry.
:22:48. > :22:54.My dad was in the room with me because we had to have a little
:22:55. > :22:55.one-to-one meeting and afterwards, he started crying.
:22:56. > :22:58.But, yeah, it was, I think he was very proud.
:22:59. > :23:00.I couldn't really have done it without them taking me
:23:01. > :23:02.to a national weekends every, six times a year,
:23:03. > :23:13.So, I can't really thank them enough.
:23:14. > :23:20.And just before we leave sport, I'm sad to say North East football
:23:21. > :23:23.The lovely Kath Cassidy - Newcastle United's
:23:24. > :23:25.wonderful tea lady - has died at the age of 90.
:23:26. > :23:28.For more than 50 years Kath kept the media -
:23:29. > :23:30.and the managers - fed and watered in the press
:23:31. > :23:34.She came into the studio here a couple of years
:23:35. > :23:38.Always smiling - whatever the score -
:23:39. > :23:52.A real backbone. Time for the weather. You have a slimy character
:23:53. > :24:02.coming up? Definitely something fishy going on... It is just getting
:24:03. > :24:34.otter and otter and otter... Some cracking springtime shops
:24:35. > :24:39.there. I hope that didn't put you off your tea-time fish fingers! A
:24:40. > :24:46.lot of cloud around tonight. Maybe some heavy bursts early on this
:24:47. > :24:56.evening. It never quite dries up completely. A lot of cloud and a
:24:57. > :25:01.light southerly breeze. Tomorrow, a fairly cloudy picture through the
:25:02. > :25:10.day. Some rain around in the West. That spreads through the day. Some
:25:11. > :25:15.will be east of the Pennines. More intermittent further east. Cumbria
:25:16. > :25:24.will bear the brunt of persistent and heavy rain. Reasonably mild.
:25:25. > :25:28.Afternoon temperatures in the region of 14 Celsius, 57 Fahrenheit. Still
:25:29. > :25:32.a messy weather chart heading through the middle of the week.
:25:33. > :25:38.These weather fronts produce all that cloud and rain. As we head
:25:39. > :25:42.towards the weekend, that front will clear the way eastwards and allow
:25:43. > :25:50.something a bit fresher and brighter but maybe a bit cooler, as we head
:25:51. > :25:54.through into Saturday and Sunday. In the meantime, cloud to content with
:25:55. > :25:59.tomorrow and again on Thursday. The rain on Thursday will be more
:26:00. > :26:12.widespread in the West. Heavier bursts there. Temperatures creeping
:26:13. > :26:18.up. Towards the end of the week, some patchy rain around. It will
:26:19. > :26:21.brighten up and Saturday looks like a day of sunny spells and scattered
:26:22. > :26:29.showers. Some showers could be heavy. It will turn fresher, so
:26:30. > :26:40.temperatures dipping into the weekend. Typically around 13 degrees
:26:41. > :26:45.on Saturday. The weather is slowly settling down. We'll keep you
:26:46. > :26:54.up-to-date with the latest forecast on your local radio station and
:26:55. > :26:59.online. The result was the old-fashioned BBC weather website.
:27:00. > :27:07.Websites are old-fashioned now? Dear me. That is all from us this
:27:08. > :27:14.evening. Don't forget the late news. Goodbye.