07/09/2011

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:00:14. > :00:19.Good evening. Welcome to North West Tonight.

:00:19. > :00:24.Our top story: Eight years after her murder,

:00:24. > :00:29.Shafelia Ahmed's parents appear in court. Iftikhar and Farzana Ahmed

:00:29. > :00:35.deny all the allegations. All the investigations will be contested in

:00:35. > :00:38.court. Also tonight: no case to answer - a

:00:38. > :00:43.pensioner is told he will not be charged for killing an alleged

:00:43. > :00:48.attacker because he acted in self- defence. For most people it's a tad

:00:48. > :00:52.windy and a little rainy for most at the beach, but for this lot, the

:00:52. > :00:56.conditions are perfect. And teaching the boys a thing or

:00:56. > :01:00.two - Imogen's leading the way as the only girl in her class. I think

:01:00. > :01:10.she probably controls the boys. She'll probably have them playing

:01:10. > :01:10.

:01:10. > :01:13.with Barbies and all sorts, so we know she can hold her own!

:01:13. > :01:23.Also tonight, Tony's at a glitzy awards ceremony in the heart of

:01:23. > :01:24.

:01:24. > :01:32.Salford. Yes, it is glitzy. I can tell you, the dinner suits will be

:01:32. > :01:42.bulging at the seams because the big boys of rugby will be here to

:01:42. > :01:45.

:01:45. > :01:47.present the Lance Todd Trophy. Join me later on the red carpet.

:01:47. > :01:50.The parents of Shafelia Ahmed have appeared before magistrates at

:01:50. > :01:52.Runcorn in Cheshire charged with her murder. Iftikhar and Farzana

:01:52. > :01:55.Ahmed, from Warrington, were remanded in custody. There will be

:01:55. > :01:57.bail hearing at Manchester Crown Court on Friday. They were charged

:01:57. > :02:07.earlier today with killing their 17-year-old daughter on September

:02:07. > :02:10.

:02:10. > :02:20.11th, 2003. Andy Gill is outside their home in Warrington now.

:02:20. > :02:21.

:02:21. > :02:26.blinds are down at their home. You can see Mr Axe hmed's car. It was a

:02:26. > :02:31.very brief court appearance, five minutes, if that. By contrast, it's

:02:31. > :02:34.eight years since anybody last saw Shafelia alive.

:02:34. > :02:37.When Shafelia Ahmed went missing eight years ago, it was a teacher

:02:37. > :02:42.who reported her absence. In the months before that happened, she

:02:42. > :02:46.had been on a family trip to Pakistan, during which time she

:02:46. > :02:51.drank bleach. Cheshire Police searched wasteland near her home,

:02:51. > :02:57.be there was no sign of her until early 2004 when a body was found on

:02:58. > :03:03.the banks of the river Kent in Cumbria. A coroner ruled she had

:03:03. > :03:06.been unlawfully killed, probably by strangling or smothering. In a BBC

:03:06. > :03:09.interview at the time, her father denied any responsibility.

:03:09. > :03:14.REPORTER: Did you have any involvement in your daughter's

:03:15. > :03:17.death? None whatsoever. In fact, her paints have always denied any

:03:17. > :03:21.wrongdoing, once interrupting a press conference to assert their

:03:21. > :03:24.innocence. Last year, her parents were arrested on suspicion of

:03:24. > :03:30.murder in connection with the alleged honour killing of their

:03:30. > :03:33.daughter. Today they were brought to the Magistrates Court at Runcorn

:03:33. > :03:35.to face the single charge they murdered their daughter on

:03:35. > :03:43.September 11 2003. They made a five-minute appearance in court,

:03:43. > :03:50.speaking only to give their names, dates of birth and address. Mrs

:03:50. > :03:55.Ahmed spoke through an interpreter. Magistrates remanded the couple

:03:55. > :03:58.until Friday morning when they'll appear by a video link. Their

:03:58. > :04:03.solicitor continued to assert their innocence. They have been charged

:04:03. > :04:09.with allegations of murder concerning the death of their

:04:09. > :04:13.daughter Shafelia Ahmed. Both vehemently deny the allegations.

:04:13. > :04:17.This was the reaction of their neighbours in Warrington? It's a

:04:17. > :04:23.bit of a surprise today. I don't know why they just decided now to

:04:23. > :04:27.arrest them again. This afternoon, the couple were taken away by a

:04:27. > :04:31.prison van until their next court appearance.

:04:31. > :04:35.The couple made no entry of a plea today. It's too early in the legal

:04:35. > :04:39.process for that to happen, nor was there any application for bail, but

:04:39. > :04:43.the family's solicitor, who you saw in that report just now, he has

:04:43. > :04:47.said the couple will apply for bail. The earliest opportunity they'll do

:04:47. > :04:50.that is on Friday morning at Manchester Crown Court. Whether he

:04:51. > :04:54.will apply for bail then remains to be seen. From Warrington, back to

:04:54. > :04:56.you. Thank you very much.

:04:56. > :05:00.Six weeks ago, 72-year-old Cecil Coley was locking up his family's

:05:00. > :05:03.florist's shop in Old Trafford when he was confronted by a gang of

:05:03. > :05:06.armed men. What happened next left Mr Coley with serious injuries and

:05:06. > :05:08.one of the suspected robbers dead. Today the pensioner was told he

:05:08. > :05:11.won't be charged with murder after stabbing 30-year-old Gary Mullings

:05:11. > :05:20.to death. The Crown Prosecution Service says it's satisfied he was

:05:20. > :05:24.acting in self-defence. Naomi Cornwell reports.

:05:24. > :05:27.Today the florist's shop on Shrewsbury Street was closed. It

:05:27. > :05:31.was here in late July that 72-year- old Cecil Coley was confronted by

:05:31. > :05:36.four men armed with guns and a knife. The men forced their way in

:05:36. > :05:39.as Mr Coley and a friend were locking up. In the scuffle that

:05:39. > :05:41.followed a shot was fired from a blank firing pistol. Mr Coley also

:05:41. > :05:47.suffered serious injuries to his face, his friend was knocked

:05:47. > :05:54.unconscious and two of the suspected robbers were stabbed. One

:05:54. > :05:57.of them, 30-year-old Gary Mullings, died from his injuries. All the

:05:57. > :06:03.evidence indicates that when he took hold of a knife that was on

:06:03. > :06:08.the shop counter and struck out, he was acting in a way that was

:06:08. > :06:11.instinctively necessary to protect himself whilst fearing for his life.

:06:11. > :06:13.Mr Coley had been arrested and questioned on suspicion of murder,

:06:13. > :06:16.but today the Crown Prosecution Service announced that no charges

:06:16. > :06:20.would be brought against the pensioner for Gary Mulling's death

:06:20. > :06:26.or for the stabbing of another of the suspected robbers. It is cheer

:06:26. > :06:30.from the evidence I have seen that Mr Coley was acting in reasonable

:06:30. > :06:36.self-defence and used a degree of force that he reasonably believed

:06:36. > :06:39.was necessary to stab Gary Mullings and injure another of the intruders.

:06:39. > :06:42.In Old Trafford this afternoon one neighbour said the whole community

:06:42. > :06:47.would be relieved. It's a relief for him, his family and the rest of

:06:47. > :06:49.the community and his neighbours as well, who, at the end of the day

:06:49. > :06:58.couldn't believe what happened. Three men have been charged with

:06:58. > :07:03.robbery and are due in court next month. Pakistan International

:07:03. > :07:06.airways say they have found nothing suspicious aboard a Manchester-

:07:06. > :07:10.bound plane that was diverted earlier this afternoon after a bomb

:07:10. > :07:13.threat. It has now left the Turkish airport to continue its flight. A

:07:13. > :07:18.spokesman for Manchester Airport says the threat now looks like it

:07:18. > :07:22.was a hoax. Publicist Max Clifford says his new

:07:22. > :07:25.client, Rebecca Leighton, the nurse who was accused of causing the

:07:25. > :07:32.deaths of patients at Stepping Hill Hospital, wants to get her life

:07:32. > :07:35.back to normal as soon as possible. She was arrested after saline drips

:07:35. > :07:38.were tampered with. She was released on Friday when the Crown

:07:38. > :07:43.Prosecution Service said there was not enough evidence to convict her.

:07:43. > :07:48.All she said to me was, "Look, I have been poisoned by sections of

:07:48. > :07:53.the media. Hopefully, you can provide the antidote to get rid of

:07:53. > :07:56.all of that poison because mud sticks," and a lot of the things

:07:56. > :08:02.that have been written have been absolutely awful. She wants her

:08:02. > :08:05.life to get back to normal as soon as possible.

:08:05. > :08:07.Wards have been closed to visitors at two Wirral hospitals after an

:08:07. > :08:10.outbreak of the vomiting bug Norovirus. Restrictions have been

:08:10. > :08:12.imposed on some wards at Arrowe Park and on a rehabilitation ward

:08:12. > :08:14.at Clatterbridge Hospital. Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology

:08:14. > :08:17.has not been affected. Planners in the Lake District have

:08:17. > :08:24.turned down a proposal to build a mile-long zipwire at the Honister

:08:24. > :08:27.Slate mine. The owners of the mine near Keswick wanted to install the

:08:27. > :08:32.aerial slide, like this one in South Africa's Sun City, but they

:08:32. > :08:34.were told it would be noisy, and out of place in a national park.

:08:34. > :08:38.The village of Tideswell in Derbyshire is in the spotlight

:08:38. > :08:41.tonight as part of the BBC Village SOS series. It follows the fortune

:08:41. > :08:50.of villagers as they try and halt the decline of rural life and

:08:50. > :08:54.transform the local economy. Yunus Mulla has had a look. This was a

:08:54. > :08:59.betting shop. This one used to be a general store-cum-sweet shop,

:08:59. > :09:04.electrical store over here, and then a shop here - all gone now.

:09:04. > :09:07.What we're just left with is the village pub.

:09:07. > :09:11.Tideswell in Derbyshire is like many rural villages. These are

:09:11. > :09:15.tough times. Shop closures and the state of the economy have left

:09:15. > :09:25.businesses struggling. It is good news. Your village has been chosen

:09:25. > :09:28.

:09:28. > :09:34.CHEERING AND APPLAUSE The Village SOS series has an

:09:34. > :09:38.attempt to survive thanks to a new cookery school. The attempt is to

:09:38. > :09:43.make this a foody village. food? Food is great. We're all

:09:43. > :09:48.passionate about food. We all need food, and it brings all ages

:09:48. > :09:53.together. A consultant has been drifted in to help Team Tideswell.

:09:53. > :09:57.It's terrific to see that already the project seems to be having an

:09:57. > :10:03.impact. Over the 12 months, there are highs and lows and some doubt.

:10:03. > :10:08.I think we've got to bring a lot of people in - an awful lot of people

:10:08. > :10:13.in. Yeah. And I don't know whether a cookery school is going to bring

:10:13. > :10:17.that amount of people in. In the end, the villagers managed to

:10:17. > :10:23.create their very own food brand, but it will be many months yet

:10:23. > :10:27.before we know if it's all been a success.

:10:27. > :10:29.And you can see more on Tideswell's Village SOS project on BBC One at

:10:29. > :10:32.8.00pm tonight. If you're interested in getting more involved

:10:32. > :10:36.with your community, check out the website for tips on getting started.

:10:36. > :10:44.You can also find out how to tap into the new �5 million fund for

:10:44. > :10:46.the brightest ideas. Right away - well, after the

:10:46. > :10:49.programme. Still to come:

:10:49. > :10:59.Trophy time again for Wigan via Salford. What links the Warriors

:10:59. > :10:59.

:10:59. > :11:03.and their rivals at the City Reds. And life's a breeze on Wirral -

:11:03. > :11:07.perfect conditions for Europe's elite paracarters - what's that?

:11:07. > :11:10.Find out later. Making the leap from education to

:11:10. > :11:17.the working world can be a challenging time for anyone but for

:11:17. > :11:20.people with Autism its even harder. Statistics show that although the

:11:20. > :11:23.majority want to work - the majority aren't sucesful. In the

:11:24. > :11:26.latest in our series on autism, Kate Simms has been been speaking

:11:26. > :11:34.to two adults with autism, with very different experiences of

:11:34. > :11:41.finding employment. Tom and Jack both have autism. Both want to be

:11:41. > :11:49.independent adults. Both want to work, but only one does. I do all

:11:49. > :11:53.the admin work. I am involved with this entire floor. We have member

:11:53. > :11:59.services and the Chief Executive. Do you enjoy it It's busy. I enjoy

:11:59. > :12:03.it. Jack said being employed was his biggest fear, but found work

:12:03. > :12:08.after taking part in the council's scheme. His colleagues say it has

:12:08. > :12:12.been a learning process for all the team, but well worth it. He's very

:12:12. > :12:16.bubbly. It takes him quite awhile to learn something, but once he

:12:16. > :12:22.does, he gets quite precise about that job, and he likes to make that

:12:22. > :12:26.job his own, really. But Jack's story is not the norm. Only 15% of

:12:26. > :12:32.adults with autism are in full-time employment. A third are without a

:12:33. > :12:37.job or benefits. That's despite 61% saying they want to work. Tom is

:12:38. > :12:43.part of that group. I would like to have a job because it feels like I

:12:43. > :12:47.would have a bit of independence, and to fill my day, because it's

:12:47. > :12:53.not really good when you're stuck at home watching the TV or playing

:12:53. > :12:58.on your computer games, and I really want to work. Tom finds the

:12:58. > :13:02.Jobcentre a frightening place - application forming, then there is

:13:02. > :13:10.the interview. Like, I can't maintain eye contact, like - I

:13:10. > :13:15.can't look at them directly, and I tend to slur my words. Tom is now

:13:16. > :13:20.being supported in his search by a job coach who works for a charity.

:13:20. > :13:24.Given the opportunity to be able to show that he's really hardworking,

:13:24. > :13:27.he can follow instructions really well, and he's intelligent. He's

:13:27. > :13:37.really bright, and he has got the ability to work. Tom just wants a

:13:37. > :13:41.chance. I could work like a day for them and show that I am actually

:13:41. > :13:46.hardworking, and I will be an asset to their company.

:13:47. > :13:51.Yeah, bye. Meanwhile, back in Preston, Jack is thinking about the

:13:51. > :13:54.future. I am interested in working in the IT department. I have

:13:54. > :14:01.various different interests. I'm just interested in just working my

:14:01. > :14:04.way up the scale. Earlier we spoke to Peter Sackett

:14:04. > :14:09.from the Bren Project in Chester which helps people with learning

:14:09. > :14:11.disabilities find supported work placements. And we asked him what

:14:11. > :14:15.attitudes were like amongst employers to people with autism.

:14:15. > :14:19.Most people are willing to give people a chance. The difficulty I

:14:19. > :14:24.think is just a lack of awareness on the part of employers about the

:14:24. > :14:29.needs of people with disabilities, but also about it their abilities

:14:29. > :14:32.as well. It's just a lack of awareness, really. We saw from that

:14:32. > :14:35.film Jack's worth to the company that described him as valued and

:14:35. > :14:40.bubbly, though it took him a little time to learn things. He was

:14:40. > :14:44.meticulous and precise, and he made the job his own, but in these tough

:14:44. > :14:47.economic times, are companies going to be prepared to invest time in

:14:47. > :14:51.people like Jack and others? think lots of organisations are

:14:51. > :14:55.under pressure at the moment. A few years ago everyone had a little bit

:14:55. > :14:58.of capacity and found they could give some extra time maybe to

:14:58. > :15:02.supporting people, whereas maybe that's not the case now. People are

:15:02. > :15:05.losing their jobs. There's extra stresses on employers, and there is

:15:05. > :15:11.generally fear that if you take on someone with a learning disability,

:15:11. > :15:13.they will be a burden rather than an asset really, and they'll take

:15:13. > :15:17.staff time, so you'll lose productivity or sales. That's not

:15:17. > :15:20.the case. What is the case? You obviously are there to support

:15:20. > :15:24.these people in work. What would you say to employers what the

:15:24. > :15:29.benefits are? The benefits can be many. People with autism, their

:15:29. > :15:33.attention to detail can be amazing, their reliability, their time

:15:33. > :15:36.keeping, their focus - all of which makes them a perfect employee. It's

:15:36. > :15:41.just about giving them the opportunity and the chance to

:15:41. > :15:45.experience the workplace, you know? At our project, what we do is we'll

:15:46. > :15:51.help people to find a place, and we'll then support them one to one

:15:51. > :15:55.with a job coach. That way they can learn the job. The employer gets to

:15:55. > :15:59.learn about them. So if there is an employer watching this now who is

:15:59. > :16:03.tempted, therefore, to give someone a chance, what do they do about it?

:16:03. > :16:06.How should they go about it? There are organisations like ours

:16:06. > :16:11.throughout the county. I don't know that everyone provides the level of

:16:11. > :16:14.support we do. I don't know quite how they are in terms of access,

:16:14. > :16:18.whether places are oversubscribed or whether organisations have

:16:18. > :16:22.capacity, but to speak to the National Autistic Society and to

:16:22. > :16:25.get in touch with charities like ours to see if there are any

:16:25. > :16:30.opportunities. But they're under no obligation, are they, to do that?

:16:30. > :16:33.Would you like to see that change? I think it's very difficult - no,

:16:33. > :16:39.they're not under any obligation. When employers work with us, they

:16:39. > :16:44.offer a placement. What we say to the beneficiary at the start of the

:16:44. > :16:48.placement that we can't guarantee any long-term employment, but all I

:16:48. > :16:54.would say is for employers to give people a chance to see what they

:16:54. > :16:57.can do. If you are a company interested in

:16:57. > :17:07.employing someone with a learning disability, the website address is

:17:07. > :17:09.

:17:09. > :17:14.www.brenproject.org.uk. Let's take a look at sport. Tony is the man of

:17:14. > :17:17.the moment. It's a big night out for a very special man of the match.

:17:17. > :17:23.Tony has all the glitz and glamour there, although without your tight.

:17:23. > :17:31.Yeah, I haven't got a dicky on but everyone else has I am afraid.

:17:31. > :17:38.Yes, the stars are arriving at the Lowri Hotel to present the Lance

:17:38. > :17:42.Todd Trophy. More on the trophy and more on the

:17:42. > :17:49.man in just a moment. Let's start off with a round-up of the day's

:17:49. > :17:52.other news. Sale Sharks winger Mark Cueto is a doubt for England's

:17:52. > :17:55.opening Rugby Union World Cup match against Argentina in Dunedin on

:17:55. > :17:58.Saturday. Cueto has been struggling with a back problem since he was

:17:58. > :18:01.forced off early in England's warm- up game against Ireland last month.

:18:01. > :18:04.Let's turn to cricket now. A great effort from the lower order

:18:04. > :18:06.has ensured a good first day for Lancashire's cricketers in their

:18:06. > :18:09.crucial County Championship match at home to Hampshire in Liverpool.

:18:09. > :18:13.An unbeaten 76 from skipper Glenn Chapple helped them recover from

:18:13. > :18:23.125 for 5 to 337 for 7 when bad light stopped play. A victory would

:18:23. > :18:35.

:18:36. > :18:41.take Lancs' title hopes into the final round of games. It's the

:18:41. > :18:45.European Championships. Paracarting means being tugged along at 50mph

:18:45. > :18:48.on a kite. It wasn't for me, but we went along to investigate.

:18:48. > :18:55.They're used to harnessing the power of the wind in this part of

:18:55. > :19:02.the world, and this week the turbines have got company.

:19:02. > :19:06.# I've got to get away # Dodging other racers at speeds of

:19:06. > :19:10.up to 50mph, this is Europe's best men and women dealing with the best

:19:10. > :19:12.the north-west climate can throw at them. How much are you enjoying

:19:12. > :19:18.your holiday in England? Not so much.

:19:18. > :19:24.LAUGHTER I love these conditions. For me,

:19:24. > :19:29.the hard part is when I like it the most. When the sun is shining, it

:19:29. > :19:32.is so beautiful, but in the rain, it is also nice.

:19:32. > :19:36.LAUGHTER We have wet clothes, but that

:19:36. > :19:44.doesn't matter. We have 74 registered pilots from all over

:19:44. > :19:48.Europe, from as far away as Germany, Holland, Scotland, Ireland, England,

:19:48. > :19:52.Switzerland and Spain. Homegrown talent comes in the form of Tommy.

:19:52. > :19:55.You live a mile away. Does home advantage account for anything? It

:19:56. > :20:01.does because there are a few little places where you can get more speed

:20:01. > :20:07.on the bank. We'll just keep them to ourselves. Enfor dare-devil

:20:07. > :20:11.sportsmen, there comes a time when conditions are too fierce to

:20:11. > :20:16.continue. They have only managed one race before the heavens opened

:20:16. > :20:25.up again. They have all packed up for lunch. If the sun continues,

:20:25. > :20:31.they'll be back out on the beach for the rest of the week.

:20:31. > :20:34.I don't know. He thinks he's John Noakes!

:20:34. > :20:37.Back to the big night here. The Lance Todd memorial trophy has been

:20:37. > :20:41.awarded to the Challenge Cup man of the match since 1946. This year's

:20:42. > :20:44.winner, Wigan's Jeff Lima joins a list of legends. But the story

:20:44. > :20:47.behind the trophy itself is fascinating and joining me now is

:20:47. > :20:51.Salford Reds Chief Executive Dave Tarry to explain his club's links.

:20:51. > :20:56.Salford are inexplicably linked with this trophy. What are those

:20:56. > :21:00.Lings? The club supported the dinner since its inception, and

:21:00. > :21:04.Lance Todd was a famous coach at Salford in 1928 and worked with the

:21:04. > :21:07.club for 12 years bringing every honour available to the game

:21:07. > :21:10.including the Challenge Cup, so it has been a very long association.

:21:10. > :21:14.How hardly regarded within the game is this trophy? What do the players

:21:14. > :21:19.think about it? We like to think it's probably the most prized

:21:19. > :21:22.individual trophy that a player can win, you know? It - from the Man of

:21:22. > :21:27.the Match at Wembley I don't think you get anything bigger than that

:21:28. > :21:35.in our game. We can have a look at Jeff Lima now. He's won it in two

:21:35. > :21:39.great tries for the Wigan challenge. What do you make of him? A very

:21:39. > :21:42.good player, and he played very well on the day and certainly with

:21:42. > :21:51.the result the way it went, I thought he was outstanding. What

:21:51. > :21:54.kind of a guy is Jeff Lima for Rugby League, a character? He's a

:21:54. > :21:59.larger-than-life character. In the main the lads who demand that sort

:21:59. > :22:05.of position are. He's a big lad, as you'll see. He has a bit of

:22:05. > :22:14.presence around him.Ing See from the banners around this exception

:22:14. > :22:18.area, there are some big names that have won this trophy. All legends.

:22:18. > :22:22.A lot of people have come here tonight to pay homage to those

:22:22. > :22:26.people and the history behind the trophy, a mark of respect for that

:22:26. > :22:28.category of player. Hope you have a good night. Thank you very much.

:22:28. > :22:31.That's the Chief Executive of the Salford Reds.

:22:31. > :22:34.Finally from me tonight, the opening to one of the Isle of Man's

:22:34. > :22:44.biggest ever sporting events is to be broadcast live on the internet

:22:44. > :22:54.

:22:54. > :22:58.There we are. That's pretty much all from me at the hotel of the

:22:58. > :23:03.stars. I once shared a bowl of peanuts with West Life in the floor

:23:03. > :23:07.below me. I think the boys behind me are on something stronger - lots

:23:07. > :23:13.of meat on the menu tonight. Thank you. I am sure you can try to

:23:13. > :23:17.muscle your way into a meal, if you can. Better than peanuts. The wind

:23:17. > :23:26.must have blown itself out and the rain must have rained itself out.

:23:26. > :23:29.The rain is still around. Through the day today the showers weren't

:23:30. > :23:34.as widespread through the afternoon, but it's worth noting we still do

:23:34. > :23:41.have a flood warning, and one flood alert in force for rivers in

:23:41. > :23:45.Cumbria. Here is the Environment Agency number because in parts,

:23:45. > :23:47.showers will keep coming through the night tonight. I am afraid

:23:47. > :23:51.they're going to add to the problems we have already. Through

:23:51. > :23:56.the night, the showers died out in some parts of the north-west. Here

:23:56. > :24:01.is our latest picture. If I move out of the way, you can see they're

:24:01. > :24:05.starting to take hold. The Manchester skyline very grey and

:24:05. > :24:09.wet now. That line of showers works its way through the region over the

:24:09. > :24:12.next couple of hours. Over the high grounds, those will be heavy and

:24:13. > :24:16.prolonged. By the time you get to midnight, you'll start to see a

:24:16. > :24:20.back edge, and drier weather comess in towards the early hours of the

:24:20. > :24:24.morning. It will not be dry everywhere, but some places will

:24:24. > :24:29.get a few hours of dry weather. That is welcome. The rain through

:24:29. > :24:33.the day, it has been up to 40mph in gusts, so not quite as strong as

:24:33. > :24:37.yesterday, but it has been fairly blowy. It continues to be gusty

:24:37. > :24:42.through the night tonight, but it's easing down tomorrow. Overnight

:24:42. > :24:45.tonight, your temperatures 10-12C. Now, tomorrow, still one or two

:24:45. > :24:48.showers if you're up very, very early, but then a portion of the

:24:48. > :24:51.morning will be dry, and actually, there will be some breaks in the

:24:51. > :24:55.cloud cover, so from time to time, you'll see a glimpse of sunshine

:24:55. > :24:59.developing here and there. A change in wind direction is important for

:24:59. > :25:03.us tomorrow. It's coming from the south, so the showers won't be as

:25:03. > :25:08.widespread. You can see through the afternoon, another little line is

:25:08. > :25:14.working its way through. For most of the region you'll have quite a

:25:14. > :25:19.few hours of dryness. It's no-where near as gusty and blustery as today.

:25:19. > :25:27.The next line of rain is waiting in the wings for this time tomorrow.

:25:27. > :25:36.Your daytime temperatures tomorrow Midmy I think we should just make

:25:36. > :25:38.your screen smaller... So we can't see! Exactly. Next,

:25:38. > :25:42.hundreds of youngsters will be experiencing their first day at

:25:42. > :25:45.school this week. But not many will be going in to a class quite like

:25:45. > :25:49.the one Imogen Williams is joining. She is the only new entrant in her

:25:49. > :25:56.year at a tiny church school in the north Lancashire village of Melling.

:25:57. > :26:00.Peter Marshall has gone along to Breakfast time at the Williams home,

:26:00. > :26:04.and little Imogen is excited about starting school. The four-year-old

:26:04. > :26:08.is the only youngster in her school's new reception year, so she

:26:08. > :26:13.knows what she'd like... More girls! It's a brisk walk through

:26:13. > :26:19.the village to Meling St Will Friday School.

:26:19. > :26:23.Because it's so small, classes have various age groups in them. The

:26:23. > :26:27.infant class is Imogen and three older boys, but who is in charge?

:26:27. > :26:36.Actually, I think she probably controls the boys. She's had them

:26:36. > :26:41.playing with Barbies and all sorts, so we know she can hold her own.

:26:41. > :26:51.The whole school has just 23 pupils. With house prices high in the area,

:26:51. > :26:56.young families with children are We put a lot of thought in where to

:26:56. > :27:01.send her to, to send her to a school that's slightly bigger, but

:27:01. > :27:07.we decide we have such a lovely school right on our doorstep that

:27:07. > :27:12.it's a privilege. It's your turn now!

:27:12. > :27:20.It may be small, and it may be full of boys, but Imogen appears to be

:27:20. > :27:24.loving life in her little village She's not going to be upstaged, is

:27:24. > :27:29.she? You know what? She'll be Prime Minister, won't she? She's in

:27:30. > :27:32.charge of everyone already. Those three boys will be her advisors, I