02/11/2011 North West Tonight

Good evening. Welcome to NorthWest Tonight with Roger Johnson and

Ranvir Singh. Our top story. Blamed for causing two earth

tremors, the controversial gas drilling plant in Lancashire. We'll

speak to the man in charge of the drilling operation on the Fylde

coast. Also tonight. Sending in the big ships, now a

dredger may be used to harvest Lytham's cockles to stop fishermen

risking their lives. Sailing home for the last time, the

crew of HMS Liverpool heading back for long overdue reunion. You join

me right outside the Bastille, France's most infamous prison.

And a modern spin on old stories. How a hit children's TV show is

A controversial method of drilling for gas has been blamed for causing

two earth tremors on the Fylde Coast earlier this year. Opponents

of the process, known as fracking, say it's dangerous, while the

company behind it claims it offers a new supply of energy. So with gas

prices at an all time high, should environmental concerns outweigh the

benefits to the local economy in Lancashire? Our reporter Peter

Marshall has been assessing today's developments and joins us from one

of the test drilling sites at Hesketh Bank, near Southport.

There are two very clear sides to this story, on one side, fracking

is seen as the future, saying it could create 2500 jobs in

Lancashire alone, and meet our gas needs for half a century. And the

other side, the opponents say it is dangerous, it can cause air and

water pollution. And in certain circumstances we are told it can

even lead to were -- as tremors so protesters are far from happy.

Today, anti-fracking protesters shook things up, taking this

footage as they occupied Cuadrilla's site near Hesketh Bank.

It is such a damaging, destructive project to the local ecosystems

here, we have got to stop it. the protesters first arrive this

morning, security assumed it was a shift change, but they were rushed

and by protesters managed to get up on to the rake. Three have come

down voluntarily and two allay -- remain, now it is a waiting game.

To date's report, said it is highly probable that fracking, or blasted

water into shale to released -- release Natural Gas, caused the

tremors in May. Specialists commissioned by Cuadrilla say the

tremors are near the drill site were the result of an unusual

combination of geology, they had hit a pre-existing and brittle

stressed fault. Fracking operations like these have been cut --

conducted more than 1 million times without tremors, so we knew it was

unusual from the beginning of the study. What's the people living

near the site think? People are messing with nature, if they start

doing this, it might affect here, it might flood here. Up to here, I

thought the whole thing had been blown out of proportion, it sounded

like it could be a good thing to have. Cuadrilla will say it's will

introduce an early warning system. When it detects magnitude tremors

of 1.7, fracking. And pressure will be released. It is not in our

interests to have these kind of events, it is time consuming so we

are trying to put everything in place to make sure nothing like

this can happen again. Protesters say the report does not inspire

confidence and adds to the environmental fears about high drop

-- hydraulic fracturing. The two remaining protesters have

now come down and they are being questioned on suspicion of

aggravated trespass. The big question is when will fracking

resume because of the earth tremors earlier this year, it was suspended.

Drilling is continuing at the wells, but the fracking process could be

continuing within 30 to 60 days. I put it to the chief executive of

Cuadrilla, but Mark Miller, but if this early detective system is so

effective, why have they not been using it in the first place? We are

the second case in 60 years that have had any kind of seismic

activity of that level associated with the operations we are doing,

we only pumps for two hours, and there was one other case other than

ours back in the 1970s that resembled this. It was not

something out there that was on anyone's radar. Do you think the

local community will think, that since you are coming into the

landscape and changed it, you should have taken every measure

possible to protect them and the community around you? Again, I

think we have done that and demonstrated that. To back up,

these were very small events, there has been no property damage or any

damage of any sort. We immediately suspended operations and carried

out this study, so we are adding something to our process of which

was not available to us before. have these activists climbing on to

your site today, somebody from the Wild Wild if -- World Wildlife Fund

say that these finding a worrying and add to people's concerns. Are

you worried Europe target for green groups? We have been very open for

the general public and the media to come to the site, and look at our

operations. Attaching themselves to the rig does not achieve anything,

it puts everyone at risk. There is a better way to put your point

across. If you are planning on hundreds more of these wells across

Clive Bishop, the potential for hitting more problems in the future,

is high, is it not? -- are planning on hundreds more of these wells

across Lancashire. The ability that we have now with the traffic light

system, we can go in and see things 10 times or 100 times smaller in

terms of seismic events than what we saw on these two small events

back in spring. So we have added something saying, no matter what we

come in contact with, we have the ability to stop immediately when we

are pumping and move on and let the pumping stage be aborted.

The Government today waded into the controversy over Lancashire's

cockle beds. They said they will close them if necessary. The

Fisheries minister Richard Benyon told Northwest Tonight that illegal

and reckless fishing off the Lancashire coast had to be stopped

before there was a major loss of life. And we can reveal there's now

a plan to bring in dredgers to harvest the remaining cockles over

the next few days. Fisheries officers think this drastic

solution is the only way to end what's become a chaotic and

dangerous daily enterprise. Sarah Mulkerrins reports.

Have you got the Patching gear? Tying up loose ends, another hard

day's work done. For these fishermen, it could be one of their

last on this estuary -- Estuary. The by-laws may need to be reviewed,

we might need to close this fishery early, which would be a real shame

for those who fish there illegitimately. But we have to take

decisions that put him at -- human life at the priority. The room or

the here this morning was that there will be a suction dredging

here on Monday morning, that dredger would come in and Hoover

the seafloor, wiping out the Cockle stock and in effect, putting the

fishermen out of business here. The fisheries website appeared to back

up the rumour later on in the day. They are Sea King tender for

dredging in the area, which has angered local fishermen. Why should

a few dredgers be allowed to take all of the catch when the men have

got to mortgages to pay for? I do not understand it. Stephen has been

fishing for 12 years and is struggling to see the rationale

behind closing this area. We are all wondering out what we are going

to do, how will we are going to support our families, how are we

going to make a living? If there is no answer. For the fishermen now,

it remains a waiting game. In other news from around the north

west this evening, two Manchester colleges have been accused by the

Home Office of abusing the immigration system. The Lords

Higher Education College, based in Ashton-under-Lyne, and the Lords

College UK, based in Salford, were identified as helping foreign

students evade immigration rules. They've have had their licences to

teach non-EU students revoked. The inquest into the death of a

woman in the Grayrigg train crash has heard that a third of all the

points inspected following the derailment were found to have loose

bolts. The jury was told that engineers were surprised by how

many problems they found and that changes have since been made to

many components. 84-year-old Margaret Masson died in the crash

four years ago. BBC Radio Merseyside presenter

Roger Phillips has been honoured with an industry Lifetime

Achievement Award at the Radio Festival in Salford. It was

presented at a ceremony last night. Roger joined the station in the

1970s. Sophie Jackson has been a pupil at

her local Cheshire primary school for two years. Her parents say

going to class helps the six-year- old, who was born unable to swallow,

to feel like a normal little girl. But seven weeks ago, they claim she

was told at the school gate she could no longer attend for health

and safety reasons. They are begging the head teacher and

council to let her back. Abbie Jones reports.

The pictures on the wall make it seem like a classroom, but Sophie

Jackson is the only people. Eight, and then we need to take away...

Excluded from school, she now has just three hours of council

provided tuition at home per week. She is missing her friends terribly.

She has been through a lot, the only part of soapy that works

perfectly is her brain. And school and education are taking that away

from her. Do you miss school, Sophie? What do you miss?

friends. Until seven weeks ago, this is the school Sophie had been

attending. She had been coming here for the last two years, but one day

out of the boot her parents say the head teacher told her she could not

going. Peover Superior EC Primary School refused to discuss with us

that -- reasons why, but Sophie's parents say they were suddenly told

the school did not have a risk assessment in place for her or a

medicine policy even though she has a been a people there for so long.

we were told all the procedures were in place and we have believed

what they told us. This is just a lack of communication. Cheshire

East Council said today it is talking to Sophie's parents and the

school, and working hard to resolve the situation as quickly as

possible. Four Sophie, that cannot come soon enough. What is your

biggest wish? To go to school. hope you've all had an event as

Hallowe'en, nice and peaceful, additive fun, but we have a story

of a prank which went too far and resulted in a pensioner getting a

broken leg after a group of youths threw a cranky -- concrete paving

stones at him. 79-year-old Bernard O'Donnell, from Baguley in

Manchester, had gone out to confront the teenage boys who were

throwing eggs at his house. It started with the youth's

throwing eggs, and it ended with this concrete flagstones being held

at 79 year-old Bernard O'Donnell, resulting in a serious leg injury

and a hospital visit. As I approached them, I noticed one boy

had a broken flagstone looking like he was going to throw it at Gurkha.

He saw me, I did not speak to anybody, and he threw it at me and

it hit me in the leg and I was in intense pain, I it collapsed

immediately. Bernard O'Donnell is a retired deputy head teacher, and he

served his National Service in Malaya. He says he is defiant and

will stand up thuggery. Parents who fell in their responsibilities are

doing terrible harm, because not only will their own children be

brought up incorrectly and not have good value, so will their

grandchildren and great- grandchildren, and where will it

stop? Police echoed his thoughts and had this message for parents

who did not know what their children were up two. If they start

engaging in setting up fireworks, - - setting off fireworks, throwing

eggs or whatever in public areas, windows getting smashed, people

getting injured, it can escalate into something serious.

This evening, five useds were being questioned about the incident.

We had he recovers soon.. One year ago tonight, dozens of

families in Salford were without a roof over their heads. A huge gas

blast had devastated their housing estate in Irlam. Amazingly the

woman whose home was at the centre of it all survived. In fact, she

now lives just round the corner. But just why it happened still

remains a mystery as our Chief Reporter Dave Guest, explains.

2nd November, 2010, homes lie in ruins, lives are put on hold.

remember waking up to a loud bang, rubble everywhere. I saw Marie, she

was sat on a chair outside what used to be her house, covered in

blood, all of her hair was burnt, it sat on a chair she did not know

where she was. Three Burns's home was at the centre of the blast. She

put a pan on the hob to make porridge and then this. This was

absolutely wiped out. All the window frames had come in. All the

ceiling was right the way round, because the roof went up in the air.

It came down with a big bang. homes were flattened out right, up

to 200 others affected. Rob Burt and his family were out of their

home for five months while it was repaired and said it was different

-- difficult coming home. The whole house felt different, strange.

showed us round what was left of his home man -- after the blast.

Today, he says it is not just his home that has been improved since

the blast. There is a lot more community, we are friendly help

with the neighbours, we can knock on people's doors. Barry Burns, the

woman whose home at once stood here, now lives close by although she did

not want to be interviewed today. As to what caused all this, told

months on the house and safety addictive say their investigation

is still continuing, and they are not been forthcoming -- the Health

and Safety Executive say their investigation is continuing.

Richard's here with the sport and you've just got back from chatting

to the Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez. Seven defeats in

a row in the Premier League. How was he?

Upbeat as always. Quietly determined and trying to find

answers to this run of defeats. But he still found time to have an

exclusive chat with me outside his normal press duties later in the

week. He says he's extremely confident that the Latics won't be

relegated. They're bottom at the moment with just five points. And

with four out of the last five matches against other teams towards

the bottom of the table I began by asking him how important the next

few weeks could be. It is a massive period, because we

are in and run of results which are bad, and that is the truth, we

don't want to get away from that. Goes for goal himself, and scores!

That have lapped it up. You are always up beat, what are you like

and you go home after its defeat? am very bad company, that is the

truth. It is difficult until I get the answers. We all have to support

each other, and we faced adversity together. That allows us to work to

the next day a lot easier. difficult is it to steel yourself

for another what looks like it is going to be a relegation battle?

are not thinking that far away. We are not thinking in that way at all.

It has been a very demanding one for us, October. Difficult in terms

of injuries and suspensions, all we want now is to get the next

positive result. I feel the talent in the squad is the strongest squad

we have had in the last three years. Your chairman, Dave Whelan, has

said that even if Wigan went down, he would not sack you because of

the respect he has for you. Do you ever think about if the worst

happened, what he would do? No, no. I would never consider that that

will happen. You want your team to pass the ball, but when you are in

a difficult period like this, is there a temptation to change that?

Never, never. We have to get better Never, never. We have to get better

Never, never. We have to get better in what we do. I don't think styles

in what we do. I don't think styles guarantee results. Do you remain

confident the team will stay up? Without a doubt.

Both Manchester clubs are in Champions League action tonight.

United can go a long way to securing qualification for the

knockout stages with victory over Romanian side Otelul Galati at Old

Trafford but they'll be without Tom Cleverley who has an ankle injury.

City face a tougher task to qualify from their group, they could do

with a win at Villarreal. Roberto Mancini's men are third in Group A

behind Bayern Munich and Napoli. Burnley lost at home to Leicester

City last night. Ross Wallace got the only goal in a disappointing

night. They are now down to 17th in the championship. Tonight,

Blackpool at Leeds. Superleague, and Wigan Warriors

have signed the former Hull FC Prop, Epalahame Lauaki, on an initial

three year contract. The Tongan International scored five tries in

54 appearances for Hull. His signing takes Wigan's complement of

overseas players back to four. He looks like the sort of man that

if he says it is Tuesday, it stays Tuesday!

How many times did you have to practise his name?

Maybe seven or eight! Identikit was right. I hope he's

not watching. This week we're bringing you a

special series on HMS Liverpool, the Merseyside-made warship

returning from her final mission in Libya before being decommissioned

next year. Many of the crew have been away from home for seven

months, not knowing when they'd next see their loved ones. Nina

Warhurst spent five days with them in the Mediterranean and got a

small taste of how unpredictable life at sea can be.

These teams have spent much of the last seven months investigating

suspicious boats and ships off the coast of Libya. But when I met them,

the war was over and the 270 crew were expected to return home. But

then, not for the first time, came disappointing news. Today HMS

Liverpool was supposed to be on her way to Malta's ready to begin the

journey home. But since the death of Colonel Gaddafi, Maitre's plans

have changed and she finds herself back here, around 10 miles off the

coast of Libya. So, as Allied ships sail home, HMS Liverpool sailed

back. The extension came as no surprise to the crew who had first

expected to return home in August. Siobhan has not he seen her fiance

since he proposed by audience -- five months ago. Can't plan

anything until we know all we are doing. We can't do anything! You

live day-by-day. Do you drive -- does a drive you mad? I am used to

it, but yes. John also uppermost in Malta 3 months ago. -- John also

proposed. In a Jacuzzi, me, naked, she could not say no! The only

problem was I could not give her a date when I was back. It is hard

trying to settle down, when you have not got that, it is hard.

in the less, for some on board HMS Liverpool, there are some reminders

of home. Mathew Street, Penny Lane, strawberry fields. Michael shares a

room with more than 40 other sailors, and has a routine to

combat homesickness. Sit down, relax, have a talk with one of the

lads, they are always there for you. You can have a word with one of

your fellow Liverpudlians, they will give you stick but it is just

the thing to deal with -- it is just the thing to deal with. Next

week, Michael will be back with his mum and Siobhan and John will be

able to start making wedding plans as HMS Liverpool returns to British

waters for the final time. Tomorrow, we will look back on the

history which stretches over three decades of the HMS Liverpool.

I love John's confidence, that is the way to propose!

If you have got young children, you will recognise this.

Think back to your school days and maybe you thought history was

boring. Now, thanks to Terry Deary's best-selling books, it's

horrible. The books became a hit TV series. And all this week you can

see Horrible Histories on stage in Manchester. Stuart Flinders reports.

And report the brain out through the nostrils. History, but not

probably as you knew it at school. The ruthless Romans and awful

Egyptians, the stage version of Horrible Histories at Manchester's

opera house. Every city we have been to has been sold out. School

shows during the days, evenings, it is deafening. If you were a pirate,

what would you pinch? At sea there are no motors or mobile phones.

books are factually correct but add a little spice for these children

in Heywood near Rochdale. And some new words! Misspr... Our teachers

do not tell us all the funnier jokes and rhymes. The kids were

saying some of the lessons were boring and you should take a leaf

out of Horrible Histories. They would not be boring, but they tell

them a few extra things that bring it to life. It is nearly 20 years

since these first appeared, so a whole generation has been brought

up on the Horrible Histories. Some of them inspired even to continue

their her study of history to university. How history is

visualised on the screen. These are the graduate of what you might call

the school of Horrible Histories, now studying at Lancaster

University. The lessons we did in school, they were not too

interesting but this is a way of keeping interest sustained when the

lessons themselves were lacking in content. I guess you could say they

inspired an interest. The stage version runs until Saturday.

The brain is useless padding for the Scott! Whatever you say, fairer,

you know best. I love Horrible Histories. Children get really, at

my kids love it, they come out with things, I think, where you know

that from? I learned that the Inca people

dipped their washing in a you're in. It has not been a bad day to day,

we anticipated a little bit more rain than we got, so most places

has been dry. Tomorrow, it will be a bit of a mixed up night, --

tonight it will be a mixed up at night. We had some breaks in the

cloud cover through the morning this morning, then the cloud came

back through the afternoon. In terms of temperatures, most places

got to 14 degrees. Tomorrow, temperatures will still be fairly

good, but it is a mixed a picture. We are starting to see outbreaks of

light rain, that is the story until midnight tonight. That is light and

patchy, we cannot really tell where it will turn up. After midnight, it

gets its act together and as you head towards the heavy early hours,

some of the bursts of rain will be pretty happy. -- pretty heavy. An

exceptionally mild night. Tomorrow, if you are up very early the rain

will be a round, but it clears quite quickly through the morning.

Behind it, fingers crossed, and reasonable improvement. By the time

you get to 10am, the rain has gone and the cloud cover will try to

break up so every now and then you will get half an hour of sunshine.

Them the cloud comes back, one or two showers through the afternoon.

A huge portion of the day is dry and usable. Still fairly blustery,

temperatures are good. The outlook, Friday once again could be fairly

And no mention of anything about toilet!

Do you watch it with all the other 12 year-olds?

From the back, we cannot tell the difference between you and your