13/04/2017 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

A North East MP says authorities had three chances to avoid

A number of relatives across the region have

discovered their loved ones' organs and tissues were stored

at South Tyneside Hospital for years without their knowledge.

But South Shields MP Emma Lewell Buck says three national

tissue audits over 20 years accidentally missed South Tyneside.

Here's our News Correspondent Mark Denten.

November, 1995 - a young man, Justin Smith, has been found

murdered close to the Gateshead side of the Tyne Bridge.

When he grew up, he was just a normal teenager.

No goody two-shoes by no means, you know.

He enjoyed a can of lager and that type of thing,

But he was a kind-hearted boy, you know.

Although a man was convicted of Justin's murder, his mother Trudy

is now going to the tragedy all over again.

She found out six weeks ago that Justin's brain and windpipe

were removed and kept at South Tyneside Hospital.

It's latest case to emerge from an audit of missing body tissue.

I just think the lies that we have been told are horrendous and I just

want now justice for my son and also for people to be aware

There's still got to be families out there that haven't even been told.

The South Shields MP says she's been told by senior managers

at South Tyneside Hospital that three previous national tissue

and organ audits have been carried out and did not include

There was any original inspection nationally after Alder Hey.

There was another inspection nationally in 2006 when the Human

And I understand there was another national audit in 2012,

and it was in 2014, under a routine Home Office inspection,

These national audits missed out South Tyneside Hospital every time.

Northumberland police say that this is a live

investigation with enquiries still very much active.

No one at South Tyneside Hospital has been available for comment,

but in a statement issued tonight, the Home Office said it wasn't made

aware until 2014 that samples were being held at the hospital

It then assisted the hospital to contact the police to discuss

Approval has been granted on a development which would see

Stockton Council borrowing ?17 million to build a hotel.

The new Hampton by Hilton Hotel would be close

The company will run it and pay the council back from any profits.

Built on a scrappy car-park, the council believes the hotel

And it's part of wider plans to regenerate the town centre.

But critics point to the empty Swallow Hotel,

They say it's become a physical symbol of failure and one

It's a massive amount of money and it's going to take us 35

If it was a really good deal, if it was a sound business case,

I'm sure that a business would be running along to do it.

We would have a queue of them if it was a huge opportunity.

But actually, I think this is a risk.

It's a risk with a pot of money that pays for schools,

it pays for the care for our elderly.

I think councillors shouldn't be risking public money.

Stockton Council says it's delighted a world-renowned company

It says industry experts say there is a real shortage

of hotels in the area, so it is needed.

I understand people's concerns, but this money is not coming

It's not coming out of the money that we spend

We can only spend it on projects like this.

But as the profits come through from this hotel,

which they will do, we believe they will do, that money

The deal with Hilton Hotel will, it says, make the council ?250,000

Building work will start here on site in the summer

and the hotel is due to open by the end of 2018.

It says the Hilton would have to be one of the worst performing hotels

in Teesside to not make a profit out of the deal.

A man's been sent to prison for causing the death by dangerous

Brandon Morris was a passenger in a Ford Focus which crashed

while being followed by police in Middlesbrough last month.

29-year-old Lee Harvey was sentenced to seven

A former priest has been jailed for 17 years

of sexually abusing a pupil at a Catholic boarding

Father Michael Higginbottom, who's 74 and from West Farm Road

in Newcastle, denied subjecting a teenage boy to repeated

sexual abuse while he was a teacher in Lancashire.

Now, it's a decision traders say is damaging their business.

Richmond in North Yorkshire has a two-hour limit on free

After that, drivers must move or risk being fined.

Now, businesses are calling on the county council

It's an historic town that bosts independent

But Heather Jones, who owns a dress shop

in Richmond, believes two hours is too short.

A time limit which she says is deterring shoppers.

They want time to look and, suddenly, they're

looking at their watches again and saying, "Oh, I'm really sorry,

So, I've got dresses left out and I've lost a sale.

And independent businesses cannot afford to lose sales.

Like in many towns and cities, parking here has

There's not many places, though, that still

But does that limit what people can and can't do?

There are a lot of lovely things here to see, but if

you've only got two hours, I don't think it really gives us

Especially visitors, you know, when the signs aren't clear.

I've spoken to a lot that have come out for the

day and had the day spoiled, really, by getting a ticket.

In a statement, North Yorkshire County Council said the two-hour

limit accommodates general requirements,

while generating a sufficient turnover of spaces.

Those wanting to make extended stays can park in

This town centre tattoo parlour says it's

We've spent a good couple of hours setting them at ease, going through

designs, and then they're off to their car, to move their car.

They are going to the big urban castles of the retail

For the record, to film our story took an hour and 52 minutes.

With no time for shopping, though, or a trip to the castle.

Phil Connell, BBC Look North, Richmond.

Earlier this week, we introduced you to Bandit here - a ferret.

He was walking Hadrian's Wall to help raise money for research

The mum of Bandit's owner, Charlie Hammerton, died

This was Charlie's way of dealing with the loss and helping others.

Mark McAlindon joined Charlie as he made it to the end

The last few days have been Bandit's big adventure.

The fundraising ferret walking the width of the

My idea was to do this as a way of grieving.

I wanted to get out in the countryside, get out

with my mate Bandit, my ferret, and just enjoy myself.

And I feel, well, why not do this as a fundraiser as well?

To help me through the grieving process.

So, that's kind of the way I look at it - this is me

Charlie Hammerton lost his mum to motor

neurone disease just a fortnight ago.

His hike across Hadrian's Wall has touched hearts.

It's remarkable to see people coming out of their

houses and shops to wave me on and wish me luck

It's been great seeing Bandit getting so many fans along the way.

The big skies and fresh winds of spring

have helped Charlie deal with his grief,

Alone on the open road, before finally

making it to the end in the Bowness on Solway.

We've completed everything that we wanted to do in a great time.

I've been on track every single day and

we've raised a lot of money as well, so it's been more than worth it.

Mark McAlindon, BBC Look North on the Solway Firth.

Good evening, there was a lot of cloud around today and there's

a lot of cloud around overnight, that cloud thick enough for some

In fact, the rain might become more widespread in the west

Not as cold as last night, though, with a lot more cloud

and that westerly breeze, temperatures no lower than about

It's a damp cloudy start from many tomorrow.

The rain will always be more intermittent in eastern areas,

more widespread further west and, eventually, later in the day,

we will start to see some dryer, brighter weather get into northern

areas, but that'll be a slow improvement late in the day.

Temperatures will struggle up to 12, perhaps 13 Celsius in one

or two spots, and again, a bit of a brisk

As we had through the Easter weekend, we keep the situation

with high pressure down to the south-west and low pressure

to the north-east keeping that north-westerly airflow.

A few weather fronts to the east coming round the high-pressure

as well, thickening up the cloud from time to time.

So, for Saturday, it looks as if we're in one of the phases

There will be some blue sky for many of us,

Temperatures only just into double figures though,

add in that north-westerly wind, which will be quite

strong and at times, it will feel quite cool.

Easter Sunday we're back into the cloudier skies

with outbreaks of rain, again, temperatures only just

I'll leave you with the summary for tomorrow - -

We will keep you updated. Now with the National Outlook, Tomasz

Schafernaker. Good