11/07/2011 North West Tonight

Good evening. Welcome to NorthWest Tonight with Gordon Burns and

Ranvir Singh. Our top story: Relatives wait anxiously as

Southern Cross looks to offload a hundred care homes across the North

West. Should Dahomey broken up and the staff disbursed, the

alternative available is almost non-existent. Who will take over

the care of thousands of elderly people across the region? Also

tonight: While Liverpool Erika said -- are considering building a new

stadium even though that is more expensive than refurbishing the

current one. Fighting back - the pioneering

brain surgery that saved the life of a budding boxer. And the

controversial superstar from the NBA who could soon be whipping up a

Thousands of residents and staff are facing an uncertain future

following the news that the UK's largest care home provider is

closing down. Southern Cross looks after more

than 30,000 people across the country. It has a hundred homes in

this region. It says residents will be OK - but it's still a worrying

time for them and their relatives as our chief reporter, Dave Guest,

explains. Victor's wife Allana is cared for at a Southern Cross home

in Southport. Allana has Alziemers and Victor says the care she's

received at the home has been first class. That's why news of the

demise of Southern Cross is such a worry to him. Should the Home be

broken up in any way and the staff disbursed, the alternative

available is almost non-existent. - - dispersed.

Southern Cross was the biggest name in care homes. Today it announced

it was a name destined to join others that have fallen victim to

tough economic times. The company had struggled to pay the landlords

who own its 750 homes across the UK. The Warrington North MP Helen Jones

has a couple of Southern Cross homes on her patch, and she's

concerned. My counsel, like all councils, has to find out which of

these homes is likely to be taking over and run by other landlords and

which will not. They also have to ensure that the quality of care is

maintained. Hopefully news will come out in the next few weeks and

months as homes find new providers. In the interim, those homes will

stay open and running? That is our understanding. We are not aware of

any closures in the north-west the fact remains that these... Well a

short while ago I spoke to Lizzie Feltoe from Age UK and I asked her

if the people affected should now feel reassured.

There is still many residents must feel distressed and upset.

Many of them are from were born frail. Can you assure us that their

concerns will be put first here? That is what we are calling on

local authorities to do. The primary responsibility must be to

make sure that those care homes that need to close have the

residents moved with a minimum of fuss and stress. We know these are

very vulnerable older people and that moving can be stressful for

them. Do they have any legal rights in this situation? We have been

campaigning to raise aware of the fact that people in care homes have

no security of tenure. The legal case is that people who are funded

by the local authority are the responsibility of the local

authority and it is for the social services department to ensure that

those people are moved into good alternative accommodation or better

accommodation. The people who are funded by their own money, they

have very few legal rights in this case. If they are fortunate enough

to have family and friends to help them find another home, they are in

a better position than most. Monitor is the new regulator for

health and social care. Have they got the powers that are necessary

to ensure the financial valid but - - viability of care homes? Not yet,

but we are calling for them to take on that responsibility. We think it

is shocking that a chain of care homes as large as Southern Cross

can be allowed to fail in this way. It must not happen in the future.

Thank you. The man who runs Liverpool Football Club has told

the BBC he's as frustrated as fans and other locals over the future of

Anfield. Ian Ayre was speaking after the

club said refurbishing the stadium was increasingly unlikely. Building

a new ground appears the only remaining option, even though it's

more expensive. In a moment, I'll look at the long history of

Liverpool's expansion plans and why the club needs a bigger stadium.

First let's join our Merseyside Reporter, Andy Gill, who's at

Anfield. Andy, why have Liverpool spoken out now? A couple of reasons,

I think. Firstly, last week the council gave the club an extension

on the part of Stanley Park they would need if they build a new

stadium. The new American owners have been in place for nine months.

I think they want to be seen as different from the old American

honours. They want to try to keep the fans as up-to-date as possible

about what is happening. The problem for fans and people who

live round here is that the clubber saying that they have found it hard

to move forward and there is still no firm date on when the

redevelopment or, more likely, the new stadium is going to be built.

Liverpool want to redevelop their old home but difficulties in

getting ownership of houses it'd need to demolish and possible

environmental concerns over the height of new stands mean that

option's now unlikely. Back to Plan A - building a brand new stadium in

neighbouring Stanley Park. The boss says he shares fans' and residents'

frustration at the delay. frustration is only going to go

away with the right solution. We could promise all kinds of things.

The Football Club, unfortunately, did that in the past and then let

people down. It would be foolish and wrong for anyone to promise

something until we get absolute clarity on being able to deliver it.

But building a new stadium costs a lot more than revamping your old

one. And Liverpool are already talking to leading brands about

naming rights. One fans' group say losing the Anfield name is OK so

long as they get the right partner. We accept that the current economic

climate and the cost of building new stadia means that we may not be

able to fund future The club already puts millions of pounds

into local projects, but now many in Anfield want a quick decision to

regenerate the surrounding area which is visibly withering.

club says it won't be forced into making a decision not in its long-

term interests. If these guys do it, good. They're all going mad over it.

It is sad, isn't it? The clock is still ticking and

these latest developments suggested could be clicking -- taking for

some time yet. -- Discussions over where Liverpool play their football

have lasted almost a decade. Back in 2002, the idea of

relocating just a few hundred yards over to Stanley Park was first

floated. But these plans fell through four years later. In 2007,

George Gillett and Tom Hicks took over. The Americans were quick to

get a new �400million plan for Stanley Park approved. But then

came the credit crunch and the money failed to materialise. In

April 2010, they put the club up for sale. Last year new owner John

Henry was given 6 months by the City Council to make a decision.

And today the strongest hint yet that a new stadium away from

Anfield is the future. And it's all about adding room for corporate

hospitality, and here's why it is so important. They are important

simply because they generate a maximum amount of revenue. For a

round about 10% of the capacity, you are generating somewhere in the

region of 50% of the revenue. They do that by utilising premium-end

boxes to generate much more than they can from people like you and I

sitting on our seats. So more room for big companies means more long-

term revenue. Last year, 23 percent of Liverpool's income came from

ticket revenue and corporate hospitality - �42.9 million.

Compare this with rivals Manchester United and Old Trafford, which can

hold around 30,000 more spectators than Anfield. Their match=day

revenue last year was just over �100 million pounds, 35% of their

total income. And, with Liverpool now trailing United's 19 league

titles, every penny counts. A baby has drowned in the swimming

pool of a private gym in Salford Quays. The 20-month-old little girl

was with her parents at Esporta at the Lowry Outlet mall. The child

was taken to hospital but died a short time later yesterday

afternoon. There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances

but police are investigating. On the Isle of Man, parts of

Douglas town centre remain closed after a serious incident this

morning. A 22-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted

murder after a man was found with serious injuries on Athol Street.

There is no access to buildings on Athol Street or Barrack Street,

meaning many office workers were unable to get into work.

Families are finally moving back into their homes two years after a

200-tonne crane smashed into an apartment block in Liverpool. The

incident in 2009 left crane driver Iain Gillham paralysed and dozens

of people homeless. Last week, two construction companies appeared in

court charged with health and safety failures.

The News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks has pulled

out of a planned appearance at a Lancashire school this week. Brooks

- who's on the board of governors at Fulwood academy in Preston - was

due to attend a prize-giving. She said the media interest in her

appearance might spoil the evening for the students.

17-year-old Luke Molnar thought he was going on the trip of a

lifetime: a conservation holiday in the Pacific paradise of Fiji. But

it ended in tragedy when he was electrocuted on a metal washing

line in 2006. Luke's parents, from Stretford in Manchester, have spent

the past five years gathering evidence about their son's death.

Today two men went on trial in Fiji. Rachel Foley reports. From

paragliding in Turkey to scuba diving in the Pacific, Luke Molnar

lived life to the full. It's an approach he summarised in a short

piece of writing which his mother always keeps close by. "I doubt we

will last forever. We were never meant to. That is why there is

evolution. But I pray that I did the best I can with the time I have

been given." This is one of the last photos of Luke, taken during a

conservation trip to Fiji. A few weeks later, he was dead,

electrocuted on a metal washing line placed near power cables.

year, you advance his age accordingly, but he is still stuck

at 17. Luke had been staying at a camp run by Coral Cay Expeditions

on the Fijian island of Tokoriki. An inquest in the UK has already

found he was unlawfully killed. Today the two men who wired up the

camp - Kitione Rokosuka and Suren Chand - were in court in Fiji,

facing manslaughter charges. have not seen any pictures of them,

we have just heard about them. One was an electrician who was

basically qualified. He was a qualified electrician. The other

was his supervisor. All we know is that he has admitted to setting up

the line. Luke's parents have spent the five years since his death

trying to piece together what happened... Because they are in a

different time zone, you are not the best part of the night. You

have two or three-hour sleep if you're lucky. The trial's scheduled

to last all week. Rachel Foley, BBC North West Tonight, Stretford.

Surgeons at Alder Hey Children's Hospital have carried out the

second operation of its kind to save the life of a 13-year-old boy.

When Lee McMillan - a school boxing champion - was taken to hospital

with the brain infection encephalitis he didn't respond to

treatment. Doctors feared he was going to die. They told his family

the only way to save him was to operate, but that the procedure was

very rare and risky. Our health correspondent, Laura Yates, reports.

Looking at Lee now, it's hard to imagine how dangerously ill he was

just weeks ago. Doctors feared he would die. At best, they said he

was unlikely to walk or talk again. I could not believe it was

happening from a boy who came home from school on Friday with a

headache to a coma on the Wednesday to being faced with nearly dying.

Doctors diagnosed Lee - a schools boxing champion - with encephalitis,

a swelling of the brain. It's rare but usually treatable with

aggressive antiviral drugs. This is the worst case I have ever seen.

Despite all the right treatments, he was getting worse and we thought

he was going to die.. So Dr Kneen asked her husband for help. He

researches brain infections. They decided the only option was to

operate. But the surgery, as far as they knew, had only been done once

before. It was rare and extremely risky. To be put in that position

and looking at him lying on that bed and deciding what to do with

him was the hardest thing any parent could ever do. Lee, though,

has amazed his doctors and his family with his recovery. I haven't

had a headache in ages now. I used to get them all the time, painful

ones on there. He should be able to go home at the end of the week,

desperate to get back into the boxing ring as soon as he can.

That is an amazing story. What a fighter! Still to come in North

West Tonight: From the Lakes to the links - the Cumbrian golfer hitting

his finest form at 40 and heading to the Open.

And find out why the American sports star who could be wearing

this vest will be moving from Los Angeles to Cheshire.

Now, it's not everyone's cup of tea, but live performance art is often a

crowd-puller because it's a bit 'different'. And now there's an

exhibition of live installations as part of the Manchester

International Festival. 11 Rooms' at Manchester Art Gallery is a

display by 11 different artists, each in its own space. Eno Eruotor

has been for a look round. 11 amazing rooms designed by Ian turn

-- 11 internationally renowned artists. You get very diverse work

from five continents. Each of them has created a set of instructions

for performers so that when you, as a visitor, into the room, something

happens - an exchange of an encounter. You can encounter are

real war veterans stood in a corner, a lot of nudity, and a man reading

in bed. Each piece asks you to do something, to look at something or

to hear something or to move around the space quite quickly. I am now

going to be part of the revolving door. Let's see what happens.

by prior to the can and American artists. It is a revolving door

made up of eight people. You either get out of the way or you get

trapped in the corner. You become part of the art work. This is hard

work. Another room, another performance, another performer,

defying gravity. As you can see, there is just space underneath her.

Your favourite run? We enjoyed the revolving door because it was fun

and we got to run round being chased by people. You have to duck

down to get to it. It is very claustrophobic. The guy is lying in

bed and reading what appears to be a history book. It feels very

intimate and awkward. If you want to be part of a human

sculpture -- if you want to see the human sculpture you can do so until

17th July. And you can catch all the latest news and reviews live

from Festival Village in Albert Square with Sam Walker and Chris

Holliday tonight at 10pm. Well, we have some huge sporting

names in this region but we might be about to get another one...

Possibly the biggest ever. Well he's six foot seven so it's a

good bet he'll be one of the biggest ever. Ron Artest is one of

the most famous sportsmen across the pond even if a lot of people

watching here have never heard of him. He plays basketball for the

Los Angeles Lakers and he's possibly coming to play here.

I have just looked him up on the Internet and he is a wraparound a

comedian as well. Yes, he might soon be playing for Cheshire Jets-

a bit like Wayne Rooney or Steven Gerrard playing for a village team.

Exactly. The reason Artest might be able to make it to play in the

British Basketball League is that owners and players in America are

at loggerheads and they may not even start the season. So what

hoops are the Jets going through to get their man? Here's Richard Askam.

If you do not know much about Ron yet, you probably soon will. It is

akin to David Beckham going to Los Angeles. He is very much a huge

personality. A personality who is one of the top players and earners

in the NBA. His last contract was worth $33 million. He is also a

television star and singer. Often controversial, this was an infamous

brawl early in his career, he is used to making headlines in the

biggest arenas. So why consider the Cheshire Jets? It all started with

that wheat. We picked up at wheat to say he was interested in coming

to the UK. We engaged with him in the last week, he confirmed that he

is looking to come to the Jets. We have had several phone calls and e-

mails with him over the weekend. due initially think it might be a

wind-up? Yes, I think we did. well as having friends who have

played for them, Ron wants to get into television over here and the

Jets have promised to help him. This is assured that the Jets have

had made. What is beyond question is his talent. He is one of the

greatest players already. The fans will see up close what it is like

to see an absolute superstar. superstar that they say could be

signed up as early as next week. Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish

says he expects both Steven Gerrard and Pepe Reina to be fit for the

start of the season. Both players are missing the club's tour of

China as they recover from groin and hernia operations respectively.

Adrian Morley has come up -- and from that he will not retire. He

has last -- missed the last two my games after concussion. He could be

back for next week's trip to Harlequins.

The Open begins on Thursday and among the world's greatest golfers

at Royal St George will be a player from one of the game's more

tranquil backwaters. When Simon Edwards steps up to the first tee

at precisely 10.37, it won't just be Rory McIlroy and the rest he's

worried about. There's the little matter of stage fright too.

One big hitter is swapping the Lakes for blinks. -- for the links.

The Open circus will not be entirely unknown to this man. He

has qualified this year and is pitching for a better result than

last year. St Andrews is the home of golf. You do not understand the

scale of it, how big an event it is with the media coverage and the

greatest players in the world. This year I will be a little better

prepared. Simon has won over 200 events. With

the jump to Royal St Georges and sandwich, he admits he has a

mountain to climb. It is like stepping out at Goodison Park at

Old Trafford. When these guys play golf week-in week-out they are the

best players in the world. With the best will in the world, I am a club

professional from Windermere. does have a secret weapon in his

back. He will be the only player of this weekend doing the rounds with

his kids. Their names are etched on his golf balls. It is one of the

things I have done ever since they have been born. Oliver is mad for

golf, he really enjoys it. That is something that I like to do and it

reminds me of my priorities in life, because my family is the number one

priority. It definitely helps. My son has all his -- has his name

on all of my balls. His name is Dunlop! I think we should move on.

It is time for the weather. We have Good evening. The stargazers

amongst you will be pleased to hear that we have officially a first

birthday. It is the first birthday of the planet Neptune. By the end

of today, Neptune will have travelled exactly once around the

Sun since it was discovered 165 years ago. It is a bit of a

slowcoach, really. It is a good night for star-gazing tonight

because we have the clear skies at the morning. -- at the moment. It

will be a dry night with clear spells. Perhaps a little more cloud

reaching the coast later in the night. Tomorrow morning, lots of

sunshine to get us going. The clouds will be bubbling up and we

will see a few showers developing as the day wears on. If you do

catch one of the showers, particularly towards the evening,

they could be a little heavier. Temperatures will be up to around

21 Celsius. It will be mostly dry this week. We are in between

weather systems, as all lot of dry and bright weather to come. I will

not mention the weekend! Now, if you came home and

discovered an attempted break-in, you'd usually be a little worried.

But, when Sally Arnold got back to her place in Cumbria and did just

that, she didn't get in a flap at all. That's because her first

reaction to finding this huge imprint on her bedroom window,

complete with eyes, beak and feathers, was one of concern for

the welfare of the owl. Yes, she looked around but couldn't find it

so assumed it must have flown off with a terrible headache. The RSPB

says the silhouette was left by the tawny owl's "powder down" - a

substance protecting growing feathers. The RSPB says birds often