30/03/2017 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

Hello, and welcome to Thursday's Look North.

A "sophisticated, predatory paedophile".

The son of the founder of the Greggs bakers chain is jailed

A care home is fined ?50,000 after an elderly

resident jumped to her death from an upstairs window.

Jeremy Corbyn visits the region and says Labour is trying to rebuild

support in the north, following its Copeland

Why this grave has fallen foul of a council's rule book.

And can a ?30 million Snow Centre like this

transform Middlesbrough and bring millions of pounds into the town?

In sport, the Premier League footballer turned holiday

hero, as details emerge of a boat crash drama.

And, from record-breakers to heart-breakers.

Why is the Carlisle promotion dream threatening

But tonight, Colin Gregg, whose family set up the Newcastle

bakery chain Greggs, is starting a 13-and-a-half year

prison term for a string of sex attacks on boys.

Today a judge told the former head teacher he'd hidden behind

a cloak of respectability, and showed not a pang

Peter Harris joins us live from Newcastle Crown Court where

It is worth reiterating the words you used at the top of the programme

tonight, Colin Gregg is a sophisticated predatory paedophile,

he abused those boys often in his own home, they trusted him, and he

abused that trust. He had left court when he was found

guilty showing no remorse. Today, Colin Gregg was

back to be sentenced. He evaded the waiting cameras

but he could not evade justice. Some of Colin Gregg's

victims were in court. The judge said Gregg had

led a life of wealth. He had been a teacher and a head

teacher but he had used that cloak of respectability to hide behind

in order to abuse boys. He said he had shown no remorse

and not a pang of conscience. In fact he had shown nothing

but contempt for the boys And now as men when they had made

complaints against him. The court heard from

one of those victims. He said, I hope I never hear

the name Colin Gregg again. I feel saddened but mostly angered

that Gregg has been unable I hope he will reflect

on this in prison. And prison is quite

a fall from grace. administrator of the yellow

Brick Road fund set up to better His status from the 1960s onwards

was an aggravating feature. It had been the cover for abusing

boys down the decades. One boy said he had such respect

for Colin Gregg he could not take in what had happened,

and as an 11-year-old Tonight, Colin Gregg is starting

13-and-a-half years in jail He will be in his 80s when he comes

out of prison and will be a registered sex offender

for the rest of his days. One of the most striking things

today I thought was that Colin Gregg did not show a flicker of reaction

or emotion, less still remorse. The police said tonight this case shows

it is never too late for victims of abuse to come forward.

Thank you, Peter. A North Yorkshire care home has been

fined ?50,000 following the death of one of its residents who jumped

from an upstairs window. Dora Strickland, who was 90,

took her own life at the Red Lodge The owners of the home,

the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust, were found guilty of failing

to adequately assess This trial at York Crown Court has

lasted almost two weeks. During that time, we have heard how

Dora Strickland had failed to settle at Red Lodge,

a care home on the Just weeks before she died

after jumping from a second-floor window, she had told staff

at the home she was depressed While the owners of the home,

the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust, were acquitted of putting residents'

lives at risk, they were today fined ?50,000 for failing to adequately

assess the risks that residents Outside the court, they said lessons

had now been learned, and restrictors had now been fitted

to windows at the home. Since 2011, we have implemented

a robust risk assessment relating to windows in our care homes,

and will learn any lessons from this case to ensure we put residents

and their safety and well-being We want to reassure our residents

and families in all our care homes they are safe and will continue

to receive high-quality care. As well as fining the trust ?50,000,

the judge also ordered them He did acknowledge, though,

that this was a first conviction for the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust,

and he also acknowledged the acts of good they do both here in York,

and across the country, Mrs Strickland's family

meanwhile have welcomed that lessons have been learned,

and believe that if things had been done differently,

their mother's suicide The Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn

says his party is trying to rebuild support in the north

following its defeat Mr Corbyn was in Northumberland

today pushing for votes in next But, with Labour facing problems

even in its northern heartland, the Conservatives

are scenting blood. Here's our political

editor Richard Moss. Anywhere with cranes as a backdrop

should always feel like safe ground And Blyth does still

have a Labour MP. But of course Copeland doesn't,

and Labour council seats even here in Northumberland could be

under pressure in next So, do recent setbacks and poor

polling make Mr Corbyn downbeat? Of course I am sad at the results

of the by-election. I have recognised that

unfortunately the Labour support quite a lot in the years partly

because of demographic changes. It is not getting better,

it is depressing. We are campaigning

and turning it around. We want there to be

a Labour Government in this country that will deliver for all the people

and all the regions. We want a future where we properly

fund our public services, not the levels of inequality this Government

is bringing to this country. But there are those looking to leap

on Labour's lacklustre performance. The Conservatives took Copeland

of course now feel confident they can take other northern

strongholds from Mr Corbyn too. We have many Labour MPs who

campaigned against the majority of their constituents in the

referendum, who showed precious little side they are recognising the

goals that has opened between many Labour MPs and the people who used

to vote for them. That conservation of factors, the right candidates,

the right leader, the problems regionally and nationally with a

failing leadership presents a big opportunity for change.

Jeremy Corbyn also met entrepreneurs who link building site to the web.

And the elections in May and in Durham and here, Cumbria, and

Tyneside and Teesside will test whether Labour's Northern

connections remain strong. Its failure to win in Copeland means

this time Labour may be looking more nervously at results from the

north-east and Cumbria come May the 4th.

We will hear from the rest of the political parties between now and

May the 4th. It was a request for a sidecar

by a dad who wanted to take his Mark Hartley's son Jamie has been

given just months to live. Sharon Barbour's been to meet

the family in Blyth to hear how their request for a little help

went viral, and has turned into something of a festival

at Blyth Beach this weekend, with more than 1,000

bikers expected. When Jamie Hartley had

a massive seizure last month, his family were told he may now only

have months to live. Instead of having a year-and-a-half

left with my son in order to plan trips and fun times,

then all of a sudden it Um, and to try and make it

the best couple of months You're on camera,

you can show off now. Jamie has always loved motorbikes

and his dad wanted them I put out to 30 members,

my friends, that's all it was, asking them if anybody could lend me

a sidecar just so we could do a last The idea was just me,

a couple of friends and a sidecar. But the post went viral and before

I knew it there was thousands and thousands of hits and ended up

being several hundred thousand hits. Jamie and his brother were both

diagnosed with Juvenile Huntington's His brother Kyle now

lives in a care home. But Jamie could die any day,

and the bike ride is about creating It's amazing that these people

all came out to help. The family hopes the event to mark

Jamie's last ride at Blyth Beach Something tells me Jamie will be

spoilt Robinson -- rotten this weekend.

One of County Durham's finest stately homes,

which was sold by the council at a knockdown price,

has fallen into serious disrepair after the conman who bought

Despite its dilapidated condition, Grade 2-listed Windlestone Hall,

near Bishop Auckland, is back on the market.

And now it's more than treble the price the council sold it for.

This exclusive report from BBC Inside Out's Chris Jackson.

Last year, William Davenport was locked up for six years

after fraudulently buying the home of Sir Anthony Eden at Windlestone

Since then, the home has fallen into serious disrepair.

The whole roof was all brand-new lead which has gone,

And it's just totally left open to the elements.

They haven't even put a plastic sheet over it.

This is directly underneath where they took the lead from the roof.

You can see where all the water has come through the roof, it has taken

It is something we've always been proud of,

now we have nothing, nothing to be proud of.

The council sold it six years ago for a knock-down price

It's now back on the market for more than ?800,000.

The best thing for this building now is to find a new owner,

someone with real vision who can see the potential, and is willing

to spend several decades sorting it out because this

A Durham County Council spokesman said it sold the hall in good faith

and will work with future owners to safeguard its future.

Chris Jackson, BBC Look North, Windlestone, County Durham.

And you can see more on that story on Inside Out at 7.30 tomorrow

Now, the grave of a loved one is a special place and many families

find comfort in leaving personal items in the cemetery

But one woman has told Look North of her shock to discover

Stockton Council had placed what looked like a parking ticket

on her mother's headstone, informing her that the garden

Sarah visits her mum's grave in Thornaby Cemetery

as often as she can, especially on Mother's Day.

But when she took flowers on Sunday, she was shocked to find what looked

like a parking ticket on the headstone.

We just came over on Mother's Day with the girls and grandson. This

was attached, stuck on the side of the grave. It looked like a parking

ticket. I was quite upset and shocked they had done it.

It did really upset me. They shouldn't have done it, there are

other ways to contact me. I am on the electoral roll. To go to the

measure of putting it on the side of a grey stone is disrespectful.

The council says the notice was issued because a kerb stone

from her mother's grave is encroaching onto

I don't want to cause any upset for other relatives, that is not my

issue. I don't be too upset anybody. It looks really nice. But if there

is any issue, it can be resolved but not by sticking something like that

on the side. Stockton Council released a

statement saying, we have been trying to contact Miss Handley since

October but we understand some people wish to personalise a grave,

and we asked them to do so showing consideration for neighbouring

graves. We would only attach a letter to a grey stone when all

other efforts to contact someone have failed.

This is a very special place for Sarah and her family. She has been

in touch with the council today to discuss how the issue can be

resolved. A new TV station for Teesside

started broadcasting tonight. Made In Teesside is the sister

channel of an existing operation in Tyne and Wear,

and one of a host of local The Billingham-based station,

which can be viewed on cable or Freeview, is part-funded

by the BBC but also attracts local Our business correspondent

Ian Reeve reports. This is your top news

stories across the region. Gearing up to going live, this

is a new TV station for Teesside. A sister one to Tyne and Wear,

and run by the same company. The sort of stories we are looking

for, for Made In Teesside from a news point of view,

is anything the community Anything from the local bin

collection not being It will include all of your serious

crimes, we will be going to court. There is a raft of local TV

stations around the country. Content like this is

part-funded by the BBC. A market with competition that can

be tough to sell into. If you get viewer loyalty,

then you attract the advertisers. The Lowdown which is the nightly

magazine show five nights a week where we take a look around

Teesside. Things to do, activities

to get involved with. You'll normally find me

on the Tees Barrage screaming, going down the boats,

jumping off a building because Made In Teesside has launched

tonight, but that's not Carlisle, Scarborough and York

all have impending launches. Ian Reeve, BBC Look North,

Billingham, Teesside. Let us hope my boss hasn't got any

ideas, jumping off buildings! A Scottish businessman who's hoping

to run Middlesbrough's ?30 million Snow Centre says it'll transform

the town, create hundreds of jobs and bring millions

of pounds into the area. Jamie Smith, who already runs

two big snow and ice centres in Scotland,

says Middlehaven could Councillors will decide

on the plans tomorrow. Stuart Whincup's been north

of the border to meet the man supporting one of Teesside's

biggest leisure developments. This is one of Europe's most

successful Snow Centres. Now, the man behind it has

big plans for Teesside. In terms of pulling in 350 jobs,

I think they will make those If anything, I think

their estimates are conservative. Jamie Smith runs Snow Factory

in Braehead, he also runs the world's largest indoor

ice climbing venue. He is now hoping to

become the operator There is literally not a month goes

by without me being approached by somebody about a potential

new ice climbing facility Most of them are poorly founded

and not really well thought-out. This proposal came very detailed,

the whole design team came up. Castleford and Yorkshire is not

where you would automatically think If they have made it work there,

there is absolutely no doubt they can make it work

at the Middlehaven site. For generations, this land was used

for shipbuilding on the Clyde. But this site was transformed

and the Snow Centre now brings in thousands of visitors

to the area every week. It can shine a spotlight

on the area. People can spend half their day

at the snow centre, then spend time within Renfrewshire contributing

to the local economy. This is how Middlesbrough's

Snow Centre would look. Now we can show you

what would be inside. At 168 metres, this main slope

is around the same size as the one There will be an ice bar,

an ice climbing wall like this one. Around the ski slopes

there will be bars and cafes. Few here believed a ?30 million

Snow Centre would ever be built There is always going to be

naysayers and doubters. But they have done their homework,

the site is fantastic, and you have got a really affluent

population very close Plans for Middlesbrough's

own ?30 million Snow Centre are expected to be approved

by councillors tomorrow. Stuart Whincup, BBC

Look North, in Braehead. Now, time is running out

for you to apply for this year's Great North Challenge where we put

four novices through their paces to complete the famous

half-marathon later this year. We've been overwhelmed

with applications, We need to hear from

you by Sunday night. Last year's Great North Challenge

saw Mandy, Carey, Matty and Stu make the journey from total novice

to successfully completing the Great North Run, and they did it

all in a matter of months. It is fair to say they

surprised even themselves. Well, this year, we're

doing it all again. So we are looking for four shiny

new non-runners who feel they are willing to

commit to the challenge. You must be happy to take

part in filmed reports marking your progress,

and be confident you will give If you want to be considered,

please email this address. We don't want your life story,

just a few lines about why you want to be part of this year's

Great North Challenge. I think we already have some great

entrance, we are looking forward to hearing the sum or by Sunday.

I have started running but I am not committing.

And I have joined the gym again. I have been twice. I won't tell you

when I joined! Football first. Carlisle United are in the running

to be named League Two's But on the pitch, after a club

record 15-match unbeaten run at the start of the season,

things have been Six defeats in the last seven

mean that promotion, which looked a certainty just

a couple of months ago, # Those were the days, my friend,

we thought they'd never end. # We'd sing and dance

forever and a day #. Until and since his departure

for League One Bradford in January, prolific young striker Charlie Wyke

couldn't stop scoring. This hat-trick helping the Cumbrians

stay top of the league. In fact, for the first half

of the season, the fans must have 23 games brought just the one

defeat, and a haul of 46 points. But since the turn of the year,

it's been a nightmare. Nine more defeats, and less

than a point a game. Compare these two league tables,

and it doesn't make comfortable reading for directors,

manager, players and fans alike. Keith Curle made an educated

gamble in the summer, They signed quality over quantity,

and tried to run with a squad of 21. At one stage in recent weeks

they have had eight out. They have also had a problem

they lost their top scorer 18 goals going out of

the team to Bradford. At the same time, a key midfielder

Jason Kennedy who scored 11 goals was also out injured for much

of the second half of the season. Confidence dips with

the injuries and with the loss They've conceded 13 since they last

scored which was away As gates have been falling,

fan disillusionment has been growing with muted protest more

against the board than the team but now the manager has come

in for criticism. My understanding of pressure

is probably having three kids, Putting a team together

to go and win a game In my mind I've got the best

job anybody can have. The cup-half-full brigade

will argue that there are still seven games to go,

and a play-off place There's also a new financial link

between the Edinburgh Woollen Mill The Edinburgh Woollen Mill

were moving their headquarters back in the city and there has been talk

for a while they want They are a long-term sponsor

of the club and have loaned them well over half a million,

maybe even closer to ?1 million. We are told that might lead

to a more structured United's owners aren't ruling out

that one day that could lead to a change at the very top

of the club, in regime That is the sort of noise

that the fans who are upset and disappointed at the moment

want to hear. It is about whether that is short,

medium or long-term. Right here, right now,

though, it's no goals So can they secure

a top-seven finish? We need to hope they can

find a way to score. And if they can do that,

they can rediscover their form. If they are involved in play-offs,

they might be a force again. It's not the sort of rehab

from a long-term knee injury any specialist would recommend,

but details have just emerged today of the young Sunderland striker

Duncan Watmore's involvement Watmore was holidaying in Barbados

last month when the fishing boat he was in was struck and broken

in two by a catamaran. The 23-year-old, who's hoping to be

fit in time for next season, helped pull three elderly passengers

from the water just as the boat sank and used his T-shirt as a tourniquet

for a woman's leg wound. Former Newcastle Falcons player Paul

van Zandvliet has been honoured by the Professional Rugby Players'

Association. The former prop, nicknamed Tank,

was part of the Falcons side which won the Premiership

title in 1998. He was diagnosed with

an inoperable brain tumour, and kidney and liver

cancer, in 2015. Paul will receive the Blyth Spirit

Award at a ceremony in May, to recognise his courage in battling

the disease while raising money A success story to start the

weather. The team from Jarrow, doing great things in these tests one

skills championship. They went to the national finals at Silverstone

and came second. There they are on the right in the grey uniforms. Just

missing out. They won a special award for their marketing and

promotions and sponsorship work. Well done, great effort. Weather

wise, a lot of cloud and rain. Further east, where we miss the

rain, we had sunshine and temperatures reached 18 Celsius.

Cooler further west under the thick cloud and rain. More rain to come in

the West and north this evening. Heaviest and most persistent for

Cumbria. Further east, lighter and more intermittent with clear spells

east of the Pennines. Another mild night, temperatures in double

figures, down to 10 Celsius. A cloudy start tomorrow, further

rain at times. That rain should fizzle out in most places in the

morning. The afternoon is a drier and brighter picture. Sunny spells

foremost, odd shower over Northumberland. A much improved

picture in the afternoon. Highs tomorrow of 16 Celsius. Quite windy

again. From a south-westerly direction. That is the front that

clears through tomorrow. Things become complicated the Saturday, the

1st of April. April showers will put in a timely appearance. A ridge of

high pressure builds in for the second part of the weekend.

Some showery rain for a time tomorrow. Most places brighten up.

Quite breezy again. Saturday, a mix of sunshine and April showers, some

heavy and thundery. Some sunny spells in between. The winds will be

lighter. Sunday, after a cold start, a fine

and dry day, sunny spells, light winds, highs of 14 Celsius.

Join us again after the Ten O'Clock News.

For full sets and more from the weekend,

where my guests will be the fantastic Holly Willoughby,

..Lulu... # We-e-e-e-e-e-e-ell...! #

..and the brilliant Kaiser Chiefs. SHE SNIGGERS