:00:00. > :00:15.A landmark case at Newcastle Crown Court last month ruled that evidence
:00:16. > :00:19.from so-called paedophile hunters can be used to gain a conviction.
:00:20. > :00:23.Some say the activities of these groups jeopardise police work
:00:24. > :00:25.and that it's vigilantism, but it's getting results
:00:26. > :00:29.In this exclusive report, Andrew Hartley's been to meet
:00:30. > :00:32.members of one of the country's leading paedophile hunter
:00:33. > :00:38.Don't start turning on the tears with me...
:00:39. > :00:43.Because if there was a real child to meet you here tonight,
:00:44. > :00:48.Darren Heywood from Stockton had thought he was meeting
:00:49. > :00:54.For 16 days, he had been grooming her and another girl
:00:55. > :01:00.But he'd really been talking to this man.
:01:01. > :01:03.What we're doing is making a difference.
:01:04. > :01:10.Joe Jones is a full-time activist with Guardians of the North.
:01:11. > :01:14.Joe claims his crew of undercover volunteers has caught more than 80
:01:15. > :01:18.would-be sex offenders in the year since the group was set up.
:01:19. > :01:21.We've got people serving prison sentences.
:01:22. > :01:29.Carly, not her real name, is also a member.
:01:30. > :01:34.We've agreed to hide her identity because of fears for her safety.
:01:35. > :01:38.Today she's agreed to show me how they operate on Facebook.
:01:39. > :01:51.Within minutes, Carly has five adults chatting online.
:01:52. > :01:56.Oh, they're nice clothes that you've got on.
:01:57. > :02:02.Children will think that this person is just being nice and friendly.
:02:03. > :02:08.Some people say what you're doing is entrapment.
:02:09. > :02:11.It's not because we give them every opportunity
:02:12. > :02:16.Are you, as some people allege, vigilantes?
:02:17. > :02:20.No, because a vigilante takes the law into their own hands
:02:21. > :02:23.whereas we gather the evidence, and everything that we gather
:02:24. > :02:30.Many of those caught by Guardians of the North end up here,
:02:31. > :02:33.Newcastle Crown Court, and are jailed.
:02:34. > :02:37.So you'd think the police would appreciate their work.
:02:38. > :02:42.The body that represents the country's top police officers
:02:43. > :02:46.says the activities of groups such as Guardians of the North can put
:02:47. > :02:50.And in a statement, Northumbria Police urged members
:02:51. > :02:56.of the public not to take the law into their own hands.
:02:57. > :02:58.Meanwhile, at Durham Crown Court, it's time for Darren
:02:59. > :03:05.There too is Jo, who's hoping Heywood will go to prison.
:03:06. > :03:08.Heywood admits a charge of inciting a child to sexual activity and he's
:03:09. > :03:15.We're glad this man's off the streets.
:03:16. > :03:22.Child abuse has dominated the headlines in recent years,
:03:23. > :03:25.and many now believe there's a need for urgent action.
:03:26. > :03:29.Guardians of the North says it's simply acting on that demand.
:03:30. > :03:36.Police have named a man found dead in Newcastle.
:03:37. > :03:39.21-year-old Paul Brettwood was discovered by officers
:03:40. > :03:42.called out to Joan Street in Benwell early yesterday.
:03:43. > :03:50.A 29-year-old man who was arrested has since been released.
:03:51. > :03:52.The Mayor of Copeland, the West Cumbrian district once
:03:53. > :03:54.dubbed the fattest in England, says the council is doing
:03:55. > :03:58.In 2014, more than three quarters of those who lived
:03:59. > :04:02.Although that figure has dropped, the borough's now signed up
:04:03. > :04:04.to a programme to improve fitness and wellbeing.
:04:05. > :04:11.Whitehaven, the main town in Copeland, enjoys
:04:12. > :04:18.But in 2014, it's idyllic facade hid an embarassing secret.
:04:19. > :04:22.Too many people here were overweight or obese.
:04:23. > :04:24.For mayor of Copeland Mike Starkie, tackling poor
:04:25. > :04:29.We are getting out into the primary schools and talking
:04:30. > :04:37.I think just by highlighting the issue and making people aware
:04:38. > :04:41.of some of the things that caused the issue and some of the things
:04:42. > :04:44.that can possibly solve it, will go a long way to improving matters.
:04:45. > :04:48.It's easy to eat on the move here, convenience is everywhere.
:04:49. > :04:53.These people think that plays a part in poor diet.
:04:54. > :04:56.People my age have all the time in the world but the young ones
:04:57. > :05:03.There are a lot of restaurants in Whitehaven.
:05:04. > :05:09.But for Mike Starkie, it's not about intervening in the market,
:05:10. > :05:12.but encouraging people to make their own decisions.
:05:13. > :05:18.You cannot make choices for people and the reality is the types
:05:19. > :05:21.of foods that are sold in these fast food outlets, you can go
:05:22. > :05:24.into the supermarkets and buy those foods much cheaper out
:05:25. > :05:31.Copeland Council says leisure activities are now
:05:32. > :05:42.It believes it can encourage a leaner, fitter future.
:05:43. > :05:46.An ?8 million scheme to transform Middlesbrough's 128-year-old town
:05:47. > :05:51.The council-led project involves creating a top-class entertainment
:05:52. > :05:55.venue as well as revealing some of the building's hidden secrets.
:05:56. > :06:03.It's been home to some of the world's best musicians,
:06:04. > :06:09.from Elgar to Rachmaninov, from Bowie to Oasis.
:06:10. > :06:16.But now, Middlesbrough's town hall is being transformed.
:06:17. > :06:26.There'll be new bars, coffee shops and restaurants.
:06:27. > :06:28.Improvements that it's claimed will make this the jewel
:06:29. > :06:32.This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something
:06:33. > :06:34.to a building of this importance to the town.
:06:35. > :06:39.It's the biggest music venue in the area.
:06:40. > :06:43.It's got nearly 130 years of history of gigs,
:06:44. > :06:46.fantastic comedy shows, live music, classical music,
:06:47. > :06:54.The building's past, hidden from public view,
:06:55. > :06:57.will also be restored, including the old court room
:06:58. > :07:04.and the police station along with its cells.
:07:05. > :07:08.Complete with the original graffiti scrawled on the doors.
:07:09. > :07:13.Some people have seen it on behind-the scenes-tours in the past.
:07:14. > :07:15.But they'll only have seen it as storage space
:07:16. > :07:20.Now we're going to open it up cfully for the public to appreciate
:07:21. > :07:26.the heritage of Middlesbrough Town Hall.
:07:27. > :07:31.It's hoped the transformed town hall will reopen next April.
:07:32. > :07:36.Stuart Whincup, BBC Look North, Middlesbrough.
:07:37. > :07:39.Four more plaques honouring local heroes from Tyneside have been
:07:40. > :07:43.unveiled in a burgeoning Walk of Fame along the quayside.
:07:44. > :07:46.And today, most of the latest nominations for hero status
:07:47. > :07:49.were on hand to see their names revealed in bronze.
:07:50. > :07:56.Time was you lived, you died and, if you'd been especially memorable,
:07:57. > :08:00.they might put up a plaque to remind people of who you were.
:08:01. > :08:04.Now here, if you fit the bill, they'll create a plaque, as they did
:08:05. > :08:13.For the last four years, Gateshead and Newcastle have set
:08:14. > :08:17.these bronze plaques into pavements around the Tyne Riverside.
:08:18. > :08:20.Today, the actor Tim Healey, broadcaster Mike Neville,
:08:21. > :08:25.former AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson and historian John Grundy
:08:26. > :08:30.I'm very lucky because this is just my hobby.
:08:31. > :08:33.If you find a hobby that you get paid for,
:08:34. > :08:41.Across the river, practically under the Tyne Bridge, one symbol
:08:42. > :08:50.I never expected to be remembered, really.
:08:51. > :08:57.And just yards further on, Brian Johnson couldn't make it
:08:58. > :09:04.We're obviously really proud and Dad's really proud and thrilled.
:09:05. > :09:07.We're just really happy we could come and be here today.
:09:08. > :09:11.Back to the Newcastle side and a fitting end to our circuit
:09:12. > :09:12.with the man who knows every inch of it.
:09:13. > :09:16.This area and this place is the heart of the city,
:09:17. > :09:19.and the city's right in my heart as well.
:09:20. > :09:23.It's a place of immense historical significance and tremendous beauty.
:09:24. > :09:28.I really do feel so lucky to be a permanent part of it now.
:09:29. > :09:35.Gerry Jackson, BBC Look North, Tyneside.
:09:36. > :09:37.OK, time for the weather now and it's been
:09:38. > :09:38.a gorgeous day today, Paul.
:09:39. > :09:55.There is a lot of cloud building up, maybe they can offer the odd spot
:09:56. > :10:04.here in there. Amada night and the last few nights. Tomorrow, a few
:10:05. > :10:10.bright spells around but more cloud around and that cloud will bring
:10:11. > :10:12.showery outbreaks of rain as we head towards and through the afternoon.
:10:13. > :10:15.Some of those showers could be on Some of those showers could be on
:10:16. > :10:25.the heavy side, maybe even a rumble of thunder. There is more rain to
:10:26. > :10:28.come tomorrow night. The temperatures 11 Celsius.
:10:29. > :10:36.Temperatures picking up on the North Yorkshire coast but mist and low
:10:37. > :10:41.cloud developing. There will be some rain to come tomorrow night. It
:10:42. > :10:43.should clear away as we head through the course of Saturday so most
:10:44. > :10:48.places drying up the time. More rain places drying up the time. More rain
:10:49. > :10:53.on Saturday night in the Sunday without mixture of sunshine and
:10:54. > :10:59.showers. After the overnight rain on Friday night, Saturday dries up the
:11:00. > :11:00.many places, temperatures in the mid teens, a brisk south-westerly wind,
:11:01. > :11:02.and sunshine and showers on Sunday. We want to see the economy
:11:03. > :11:09.work for everybody, not Now the weather.
:11:10. > :11:38., yes a humid dead. We have had photographs of the
:11:39. > :11:44.Now, humid air is coming in hyped. This cloud will be spreading
:11:45. > :11:45.northwards bringing rain and showers. More cloud will