04/07/2011 North West Tonight

Good evening. Welcome to NorthWest Tonight with Gordon Burns and

Ranvir Singh. Our top story: Investigations are under way after

two teenage boys die in separate tragedies. More on both of those

stories in a moment. Also in tonight's programme: A vision of

the future - Lancashire Cricket Club's multi-million pound

regeneration plan gets the final legal go-ahead. Our destiny is to

host international cricket for a long time and to have a successful

Lancashire County Cricket Club playing in a wonderful stadium.

Join us as a new car runs off the production line.

And time-out from the chaos of the concourse. Manchester's rail

passengers enter a different world. But what are the listening to?

Richard is at Old Trafford where they are celebrating news about

court decision. At yes, the Court of Appeal has decided that

Lancashire's multi-million read -- redevelopment can go ahead. It has

been controversial and I shall have reaction to -- reaction for you

later on. First tonight, two families have

been left grieving for their teenage sons in two separate

tragedies in the region. Dale Fleckner, who was 16, died last

night on a railway line near his home in Wirral. His Merseyside head

teacher's described it as "a tragic waste of potential and talent". The

teenager was electrocuted on a railway line trying to retrieve a

football. Here's our Merseyside reporter, Andy Gill. Tonight, a

family and a community united in grief.

The number of tributes to Dale Fleckner is growing all the time.

Only a few days ago, he was dressed up for his end-of-year school prom.

His family say everyone loved him. It has torn us apart. We're

absolutely distraught. He was perfect. He was the perfect good

boy but with the perfect amount of mischievousness. And they want his

death to serve as a warning about railway danger. No matter how many

times you ball goes over, do not Transit in the first place. Dale

was killed when he went to retrieve a ball from the railway next to the

sports area locals call The Cage. It is thought he touched the live

electric rail. Police say the fence has been raised in the past because

people were worried about children getting on the line. But Dale's

family say brackets on the fence posts can be used as a ladder. Dale

was one of five siblings who went to the same school. We are

profoundly shocked. He was a wonderful young man, very popular.

He had an exciting future ahead of him. He had achieved his

mathematics GCSE and was looking forward to a clutch of results this

summer. The police investigation into his death is continuing. Andy

Gill, BBC NorthWest Tonight, Rock Ferry.

Sadly, Dale's family are not alone in mourning the death of a son. 13

year-old Dylan Ramsay died after going for a swim with friends

yesterday afternoon. It happened at Hilltop Lane Quarry in Whittle-le-

Woods. He has been described as funny, special and a talented

athlete. His parents say he was loved by all. The 13-year-old from

Lancashire got into difficulties in the water yesterday afternoon, as

Kate Simms reports. Saying goodbye to their son at the

spot where he died. An afternoon with friends that ended so

tragically. He was such a strong- minded little boy. Not so little.

He is going to be missed so much. Attempts were made to resuscitate

Dylan. He was pronounced dead at the scene. It is fun to kids. This

is not fun. This is one of several quarry weeks around Whittle-le-

Woods. It is surrounded by fences, but one local councillor told me it

is impossible to secure sites like this and always has been. This is

used quite a lot and has been for many years. It is a large area and

there are so many different points have access. You will never stop

kids getting in. Today, tributes were left to Dylan, who was a pupil

at Parklands High School in Chorley. He was such a lovely lad. He was

going to grow into such a lovely man. So many dreams...

Police in Blackpool are hunting for a man who tried to kidnap a two-

year-old girl. It happened last Thursday evening

at a house on Erdington Road. A man went into the back garden of where

he slashed a trampoline with a knife and then tried to abduct the

little girl. The chemical company Ineos has been

fined �12,000 after a worker was injured at their Runcorn factory.

The 58-year-old lost a finger after his gloved right hand got caught in

machinery last September. The Health and Safety Executive say the

company ignored basic safety guidelines when they told him he

had to wear gloves to operate the machine.

The Manchester United and England player Rio Ferdinand began a

privacy action in the High Court today. But the public start of the

three-day case was immediately delayed by private legal argument

over the extent to which it can take place in open court. Ferdinand

is suing MGN Ltd over a kiss-and- tell article that appeared in the

Sunday Mirror in April 2010. It began with a surprise ruling by

a district judge sitting in Salford. It turned the legal system on its

head and caused the police to claim they were now powerless to enforce

bail conditions which limit the movements of suspects. It's all to

do with the amount of time police have to question those subjects.

And this afternoon the Government announced it would be rushing

through changes to the law to sort things out. Our chief reporter,

David Guest, has the details. From the moment someone's arrested, the

clock starts ticking. Initially, they can be detained for

24 hours before a decision is made on whether to press charges.

Magistrates can extend that to a maximum of 96 hours in cases other

than those involving alleged terrorism. But traditionally the

police have paused the clock when they let the suspect out on bail

pending further inquiries. They have then restarted the clock when

they call the suspect back in for further questioning. That could be

weeks or even months later. But this man, District Judge Jonathan

Feinstein, says they shouldn't have been doing that. Sitting in Salford

recently, he ruled the time that a suspect had spent on police bail

should count towards the overall 96 hours. He was backed by the High

Court and turmoil ensued. ruling has created confusion for

people on bail. That causes concern to the police themselves. It puts a

huge shift in the interpretation of the rules on detention. It means

that currently suspects can't be bailed for more than four days

before being charged or released. Some say that is good because it

stops the police keeping people dangling for months before deciding

their fate. But even defence lawyers have their doubts. I do not

think it brings any clarity for people on bail. It does not bring

any clarity to my clients, certainly. It is very confusing at

present and it needs to be resolved. In short, it is all rather a mess.

That is why the Government this afternoon announced it would be

rushing through changes to the law later this week in an attempt to

reverse Judge Feinstein's ruling. Watch this space.

Three years ago, there were doubts that Jaguar Land-Rover would

survive the economic crisis. As the world tightened its belt, just to

wanted a big, expensive, gas- guzzling car?

But today as the first Evoque ran off the production line, ready to

be sold in 170 countries, the company's transformation couldn't

be more complete. Jayne Barrett was there.

That is what they call Job One - the very first customer ready car

off the production line. Please put your hands together for this

beautiful piece of machinery. 17,000 orders already in the bag.

The man behind the wheel, Jaguar's longest serving member of staff.

is a really big thing. Exciting? course. It is the future, isn't it?

It's meant to be one for the ladies. The car, that is. To have a broader

appeal to women than the Range Rover. It makes Range Rover

accessible to a lot of people who may be thought it was a bit too big

for them or did not want to try to park it around town. It's green,

too, their most fuel-efficient car to date. When Tata bought the

company, they had to pump �1 billion in to keep it afloat last

year they got that back, and more, in profits. It is a huge investment

in the local economy. Halewood's recruited 1500 since January and

today it's running at capacity. The transformation couldn't be more

complete. Jayne Barrett, BBC NorthWest Tonight.

Still to come in NorthWest Tonight: The highs and the lows - the

differing fortunes of the region's tennis stars at Wimbledon.

View from the saddle - the intrepid cyclist who fought off bullets and

bull elephants to complete the Tour d'Afrique.

On this date 30 years ago, Liverpool was subjected to the most

serious rioting witnessed in post- war Britain. The violence was

intense and sustained. It lasted for nine days.

Less than a week later there were riots in Moss Side in Manchester.

And in July there were further disturbances in another nine towns

and cities, including Preston and Blackburn. In a moment, we'll be

taking a closer look at what happened. But first our political

editor reminds us of what life was like in 1981.

April 1981 and there is rioting in Brixton in London. Two years into

her premiership, Margaret Thatcher appears to be off course. Where

there is discord, may we bring harmony. Where there is error, may

we bring truth. The economy was struggling badly.

The Lady's not for turning. Unemployment at continued to

increase. Nationally it was 10%, in Liverpool it was 20%. Among young

black people in talks that it was 60%. There was significant de

industrialisation and unemployment. I made a speech in the Commons

saying that there was a time bomb ticking away in the heart of the

city. There was some very heavy- handed policing as well. Similar

friction in certain parts of Manchester. There is no doubt that

policing in Moss Side and other parts of the city were racist --

was racist. Black people were stopped and often beaten up in

police stations. Ministers decided how to respond. I grew up in the

30s with an unemployed father. He did not riot, he got on his bike

and look for work. Our inner-cities are just a signpost of a journey of

despair. There will be no recovery without more resources. Even with

Michael Heseltine's support, Liverpool struggled for years to

erase the image of Reigate-torn streets. -- riot-torn. Ex-Hollyoaks

actress and BBC Radio Merseyside presenter Phina Oruche spent part

of her childhood in Toxteth and has now returned to live there. In the

first of her special reports, she looks back at what sparked the

riots and their impact. The violence was fuelled by

frustration and resentment. One man was killed, hundreds of people were

arrested, over 450 police officers were injured and many buildings

were destroyed. 30 years on, the memories are vivid. They were rough,

you know. It was like a war zone. It was not race riots, it was a

riot against the system, against the police's attitudes and how they

were operating in those days. There was no community policing then, I

can tell you. What do you think people were fighting for? Equality,

frustration at the authorities, the poverty, lack of any hopes or

chances. The general on the handed tactics of the police. You never

got a chance so you sold out. out? A play has been written by ex-

police officer Dave Potts. Many officers were injured. The force

never had a chance to take stock of what happened. Do you think the

police were racist? No, I do not think we were then. Society was

generally racist and police represent that society. There were

expectations have changed, but for some that change has been too slow.

Hello. Carmel and I would close teenage friends. A lot of people

had to move out because years ago they said they were going to

regenerate the street. There is not much of a community left. It was

strong here. Am I looking at it through rose-coloured glasses?

Everyone has moved out. As African and Karen bit -- Caribbean families

moved out, other communities moved in. Syeed is from Somalia. He has

hopes for Toxteth and says local schools have improved significantly.

This area is now my home. This area has white and black so that we can

face the future. Schools in the area may have improved, but this

part of Toxteth looks worse than after the riots. For the community

here, the pace of regeneration has been far too slow. Phina Oruche,

NorthWest Tonight, Liverpool. Tomorrow, she looks at how the

community has moved on and what has changed.

Now, with the news that cricket fans all across the north-west have

been waiting for, hears Richard Askham with the sport live from Old

Trafford. Lancashire described today as a day

of destiny. Yes, the �70 million redevelopment of this place has

finally been given the go-ahead. There will be new stands, a new

pavilion and new dressing rooms. Waggish argued that that is

essential if they are to remain as a first class test It has been a

long, drawn-out and extremely controversial process. Lancashire

were given permission for the plan to transform Old Trafford last year.

But then that decision was challenged by Derwent Holdings and

the Isle of Man billionaire Albert Gubay, who owns the retail park

round the corner. They argued that the plan, which will be partly

funded by the building of a new Tesco superstore, should have been

blocked. Some resident groups who live locally also wanted it to be

thrown out. So they will be extremely disappointed by today's

decision. The Court of Appeal judges ruled that the plan can go

ahead. The club has a future. Our destiny is to host international

cricket and to have a successful county cricket club playing in a

good stadium. All of that becomes reality with his decision. Today is

a day for celebration. The club insisted that without it they would

wither and die as a first-class venue and would no longer be

considered for big Test matches. The club aims to start rebuilding

in September, the end of the season, and have the new ground ready for

the start of the 2013 season and hopefully an Ashes Test here.

It was a mixed weekend for the north-west's brightest tennis

talent at Wimbledon. Stockport's Liam Broady lost the

final of the Boys' Singles in three sets to Australian Luke Saville.

But the Boys' Doubles event that Broady claimed at the All England

Club last year was won by an 18- year-old from Bolton. Stuart

Pollitt reports. Britain and Bolton has a Wimbledon

champion. George Morgan's the name. Today he's preparing for a minor

tournament in Ilkley. Yesterday it was Court No. 1. It feels

unbelievable, especially after losing the final last year. That

helped a lot and gave me experience going into the match today. We did

a lap of the court with the trophy at the end. It was unbelievably

full -- it was unbelievable. know realistically what is ahead of

him. It is tough but he has got to make that break through and get

into the top 600. The nation's been waiting 49 years for a Boys'

Singles winner. The last was Stanley Matthews Jnr, the son of

the Blackpool legend. And for a while it looked like Liam Broady

would end that wait. His Aussie opponent battled back to take the

title, but the Stockport teenager pushed him all the way. I know what

it feels like to lose in the finals now, even though it is the juniors.

It gives me motivation. It would be great to come here in the junior

event and do well, but I think in the next 12 months he can do well

in the Seniors. It is not the biggest match he will ever play in

his life. What price a Morgan- Brodie match-up in the Men's

Singles in the years to come? Stuart Pollitt, BBC NorthWest

Tonight. Manchester City have completed the

signing of Arsenal's Gael Clichy. The French defender had a medical

today ahead of a deal reported to be worth �7 million.

The Bolton Wanderers manager Owen Coyle says he does expect more

changes to his squad before the start of the season. England

defender Gary Cahill returned to training despite increasing

speculation over his future, along with Wanderers new signing Darren

Pratley. The midfielder agreed a four-year deal at the Reebok

following his move from Swansea. The boss says he wants more new

faces. Pale Jennings could be on his way. What an impact he made

last season. Rover's have an eye -- have accepted an offer from Bayern

Munich. That is a future set out for 10.

The impact that is being felt at Old Trafford is from that decision

today. I will leave you with a quote from the Chief Executive. He

described it as one of the biggest days in the club's history. From

Old Trafford, back to you. You would think that someone who

had completed the London to Paris bike ride, climbed Kilimanjaro, run

the Paris half-marathon and height nearly 20 kilometres in Patagonia

with a broken leg had had enough debentures to last a lifetime. Not

Alice Morrison. When she stepped down from being a Chief Executive

last year she entered the Tour 'Afrique and roared 500 miles. She

was whipped, stoned, held at gunpoint but has survived all but

to tell us all about it. You look shocked listening to the list. You

were a high-flying Chief Executive, what on earth persuaded you to do

this? I love a challenge, and the thought of having four months to

cycle across one of the most exciting continents in the world

was irresistible. Did you anticipate that you would face

elephants and billets? No, I had no idea it would be quite adventure --

quite so adventurous. Something different happened in every country.

In Zambia, I heard there was an elephant ahead in the bush. I

stopped the bike because I was quite scared of them. I looked

across and about ten feet away was an elephant, charging out of the

dish with its ears flapping, trumpeting. I had to tum the bike

around and cycle. But the elephant did not catch me. It stopped.

According to your blog, you were beaten with cattle whips. That was

strange. Ethiopia is overpopulated at and people are really poor. It

is really primitive. When we were cycling through, hordes of children

used to come and throw stones at us. They had whips to her but cattle

with and they tried to beat us with them. Was it malicious? It was a

bit like when kids pull the legs of spiders. We looked a really odd. It

is not really an excuse. I was hit in the face with a rock. It was not

a good thing. At no point did you think, "this is not for me."?

do not think too far ahead. We could talk for rages, but sadly

we do not have that much time. Let us know what you do next.

It was a fantastic weekend of weather. He is the forecast. --

It was a gorgeous day to day with temperatures up to 25 Celsius. You

will notice the difference tomorrow. Temperatures just about reached 18

or 19 Celsius. Low pressure moves in once again. It will be wetter

and cooler for the rest of the week. The cloud increases through the

evening. The wind will increase. That will bring the rain in later

tomorrow. He has been tutting and sighing

here. It ought to be nice for the cricket. A little bit of a

conversation on a bus, or a busy pavement, and you wonder what the

story was all about. Passengers at Manchester's Piccadilly station or

getting a chance to find out, all in the name of art.

An award-winning novelist has created a son and Art Experience

based on overheard sentences as part of the Manchester

International Festival. -- created a sound and Art Experience.

Busy, crowded and a place we would normally associate with upheaval,

but now transformed into a platform for son Bart consumed through these

headphones. It is trying to capture that expedience we have of walking

past someone, hearing a phrase of their conversation and, without

meaning to, you find yourself in Venice -- inventing the rest of the

story. You would think they are listening to music, but they are

not. After two years of listening to people's private conversations

in stations, this woman has created a monologue performed by actors and

broadcaster through these headphones. All the people around

us look quite calm and happy but there will be all sorts of dramas

going on in their lives and there may be dramatic reasons the art

here. The Mill beat -- they may be going on holiday or to a funeral.

thought it was outstanding. It is fascinating because you can always

see somebody who fits what you're listening to. I thought what was