13/12/2011 North West Tonight

Good evening. Welcome to North-West Tonight with Roger Johnson.

And Ranvir Singh. Our top story: The winners and losers as families

struggle to make ends meet in the run-up to Christmas. Personally I

believe it's got to get worse before it gets better.

In the first of a special series, we find out how inflation is

affecting families in Blackpool. Also tonight:.

The youths who attacked this pensioner with a concrete slab

boast on Facebook about getting away with it, prompting anger in

the Commons. The miracle baby born to a

Merseyside mum after doctors warned a pregnancy could kill her.

And counting down to curtain up - we meet the panto stars putting the

finishing touches to a home-grown Beauty and the Beast. It takes over

your life, actually, because you Thousands of families are at risk

of eviction from their homes this Christmas because they can't afford

to pay the rent. A new report from two charities today also says many

children are being brought up on snacks, while other families wear

their coats indoors because they can't afford the heating. But it

wasn't all bad news today. Inflation figures show that the

cost of living here in the north- west is coming down. Our economics

correspondent Jayne Barrett is out at one of Manchester's Christmas

markets now where those falling prices will certainly be welcomed.

Absolutely. I mean, at last a little bit of economic news worth

cheering - a small drop in inflation, but at least it's going

in the right direction. There's a problem, though, and that problem

is that average earnings here in the north-west are going in the

same direction as well - down - for the fourth year running. It doesn't

affect everybody. These guys have just told me they're going to be

spending more this Christmas, but for others, it means tough

decisions about how they're going to be able to afford to make ends

166. The Blackpool's Empire Bingo - all eyes are on the numbers. The

biggest today - inflation is down, from 5.2%, in September, a three-

year high, fallen to 4.8%, good news for some. Where's the camera?

Ahh! Those whose income hasn't really changed in the downturn, but

for those whose income has fallen... These aren't winners. They're

unlikely to feel the benefit of prices that have Marge snally

dropped. Kevin Roberts is an entertainer in the resorts hotels.

His �12,000-a-year salary hasn't changed in five years. The cost of

living is going up. The wage isn't going down. When do you see things

picking up? I don't know. Personally I believe it's got to

get worse before it gets better. I don't think we're at rock bottom

yet, to be honest. His partner, Robert King, is a Blackpool tram

driver. His job came to an end with the end of the summer season. With

it, his income was slashed. income from �20 a week - it goes to

�67 a week in winter. How do you cope? I can't. I can't. You can't

keep an eye on the inflation numbers without taking into account

another number, average earnings. In the north-west it's down 0.2%

this year, but there are some big variations. In Chester, it's down

11.4%. There's some good news in some areas - in Wirral West,

average earnings are up 18%. But back in Blackpool, it remains at

the bottom of the table with the lowest average earnings in the

country. 5101, last page. �5! fall in inflation is a small win

for those whose household income is still declining.

Well, if you want to know what 2012 has in store, think of this week as

crystal ball week - all right, it's a snow globe, but you get what I

mean because this week is an important week for economic

indicators. Today it's inflation. Tomorrow, unemployment statistics

are out. We're going to be looking at what that means for the youth of

the north-west. The day after that the important retail sale

statistics out. What does all of this mean? How does it feed into

High Street sales? We'll be chatting to a professor in

Warrington with some really interesting scientific formulas for

you to calculate how much you should spend on your Christmas

gifts this year. Join us this week. Back to you.

Sounds great. A pensioner who was hit by a

concrete block thrown by one of a group of teenagers has called for

harsher sentences for his attackers. The man's home was targetted by the

gang on Halloween. Today, it emerged that one of them

has been gloating about not being sent to jail for the attack on

Facebook. It's led to calls in Parliament for him to reappear in

court. Rachel Foley reports. Bernard O'Donnell needs both his

stick and this rail to get up and down the stairs of his home, since

he was hit with a concrete block in October. When the stone hit me, it

bent my leg back. Now it really is excruciatingly painful.

Hallowe'en a group of teens started throwing eggs at Bernard

O'Donnell's house. When he stepped outside to investigate, one threw

this concrete slab at him. Yesterday, some of the gang that

targeted his house appeared before Manchester magistrates. One of them,

18-year-old Ryan Girdlestone, was ordered to do community service,

given a curfew and told to wear a tag monitoring his movements for

four months. After his court appearance, he laughed about his

sentence on Facebook, posting "jus got off court wiv a 4 months tag

hahahaha.". If they were supposed to be punishing these youths and if

the punishment doesn't work, why bother giving the punishment in the

first place? Clearly this did not work.

Girdlestone's Facebook comments led to questions from Bernard

O'Donnell's MP in the Commons today. What actions does the Justice

Secretary intend to take against offenders who receive a community

sentence instead of prison who then use the social media to boast they

have got away with it, I am thinking of particular of comments

posted on Facebook by Ryan Girdlestone.

Girdlestone reportedly regrets making the Facebook comments, which

he says he made because he was so relieved at not being sent to jail.

Some news just coming in - armed police are surrounding a house in

Preston where a man, who is thought to have access to guns, is refusing

to give himself up. The area around the property in a sheltered housing

complex on Kingsfold Drive in Penwortham has been cordoned off.

Police were called after members of the public became concerned about

the man's behaviour. It's not thought that he has anyone else in

the house with him. We'll have more on this story in our late bulletin

A vicar has admitted conducting 31 sham marriages at two churches in

Rochdale, Greater Manchester. A vicar has admitted conducting 31

sham marriages in Greater Manchester. The Reverend Canon Dr

John Magumba carried out the ceremonies to enable illegal

immigrants to remain in the UK. The 58-year-old father of six also

admitted theft after failing to declare income from weddings and

funerals. He will be sentenced next month. $WHITE

A new painting thought to be by the elusive artist Banksy has appeared

on a wall in Liverpool. The artwork which shows a biplane

leaving a trail of smoke appeared in a car park just off Tithbebarn

Street. Although it's not yet been officially been confirmed as a

Banksy painting, the artist has posted pictures of it on his

website. I'm not from Liverpool but I have seen his writing on the wall.

If it is from Liverpool, I am glad he's come back. I am not sure about

the loop-de-loop, but it's quite nice. Banksy keeps coming here, so

we must be doing something right. Alison Kirk always dreamed of

becoming a mum. But she's suffered severe kidney problems since the

age of three, and doctors told her she'd probably never have children.

But now Alison, from Wallasey in Wirral, has a new baby daughter,

Gracie Mae. She's one of only a handful of women on dialysis in the

world who've had a successful pregnancy. Andy Gill reports

Alison Kirk and daughter Gracie Mae at hospital. She was born

prematurely, but the fact she's here at all is a minor miracle.

have just always wanted to be a mum, and now he's here it's the best

thing ever. Alison's had kidney disease since she was three.

Doctors said getting pregnant could put her life in danger. She had to

go through dialysis six days a week during her pregnancy. It was proper

scary thinking you could lose your girlfriend, you could lose your

daughter. To be honest, it was terrifying. Between 2002 and 2008

only 90 women on dialysis across the world got pregnant. Many lost

their babies. Alison herself lost a son six months ago which makes

Gracie Mae more special. I knew the risks that I could lose another

child, but I wanted to go through with it because if I didn't, I'd

never know. She was also at risk of having severe bleeding during the

pregnancy, a problem separate from her kidney disease. Doctors from

the Women's and the Royal Liverpool Hospitals worked together. To take

it through to its end and, you know, to see her with her baby after all

- and particularly after all she'd been through, even before she

became pregnant, you just think, that's what we're here for. Alison

had a kidney transplant when she was 12, but her body rejected it.

She's now back on the transplant So restful!

We wish them both well, of course. Both health in the future.

The sight of solar panels on office buildings and homes has become

common in the last couple of years. That's partly because the

Government subsidised them with grants. Thousands of jobs in the

industry could now go because of cuts.

Protesters outside Chancellor George Osborne's office today said

fewer people will invest because it will be harder to recoup their

costs. This Cheshire-based company

specialises in making and installing solar panels. Its

business has blossomed over the last couple of years. Now we have

over 70-plus employees. Of course, installing these things doesn't

come cheap - and �10,000 for the average house. However, once

they're up and running, you can earn money from them. Up until now,

the Government has paid householders just over 43p for

every kilowatt of electricity they generate. It's known as the feed-in

tariff or FIT. For the average house, it's amounted to around

�1,200 a year, but as of today, that figure has come down to just

21 per kilowatt. Solar panel companies say changes to the rules

will also make it more difficult for people to qualify for these

payments in future, even at the lower rate. They fear that could

cause a fall in demand that could devastate their industry. We're

39,000 people in this industry today, and we suspect there will

probably be less than 4,000 this time next year. Save our solar!

It's a message they took to the doorstep of the Chancellor George

Osborne today with a demonstration outside his constituency offices.

The Government says it accepts the changes will present challenges for

some firms, but it points out set- up costs have fallen. FIT payments

had to be lowered accordingly to maintain the scheme's viability.

Still to come: A campaign to honour a forgotten

wartime hero gathers some big-name support.

And who dares wins - we meet Cumbria's own Blue Peter presenter

preparing to battle the elements for charity. After an impressive

performance at the last Olympics,400 metre runner Andrew

Steele was looking forward to a bright future. But the last four

years haven't gone to plan. Andrew from Manchester has suffered a

series of setbacks which have left him short of form and money. In the

latest of his series with our Olympians, Steve Parry has been

talking to Andrew about the harsh world of top level sport.

# So you're looking for a miracle # To make something happen #

This is a very good run indeed from Andrew Steele who goes into the

lead. The last Olympics were supposed to

be the start of a successful career for Andrew Steele. I was very much

thinking, that's just the steppingstone, the start to better

things in the future. Instead, he's barely raced since - a hernia, a

groin injury, then worst of all, a debilitating illness which

destroyed a year's worth of training. I got diagnosed right at

the start of the season. That basically has hampered me right

through to the height of this year's season as well. Have you got

a lot of support in order to get you across these tough times?

Unfortunately, no. It's - as we know, the nature of sport is very

brutal. It's cut-throat really. UK Sport has stood by me for a number

of year, but now I am left ten months before the Games - I have

had all of my support taken away. I am just trying to find a way to

live. He wants to highlight the darker side of top-level sport.

People have this strange image of athletes in their heads of - oh,

yeah, they're fine. It's glamorous. You travel the world. You train

somewhere warm, then you compete, and all the cameras are flashing.

The reality is not that. I am just here in rainy Manchester grinding

out the training and barely getting by. How much do you think it

actually costs? I broke it down including training camps and travel

to competitions and so on, I'm looking at around �16,000-�18,000

per year. Luck may have given up on Andrew in the past few years, but

he's not giving up. It has been four years since I have been able

to get a full winter's training, and with all of my trials and

tribulations, I was still up in the top six or seven of the country.

That's the goal. Let's get a medal He has a lot of mental strength.

Darren Fletcher is to taken Ince -- extended break from this team due

to medical reason is. He has been suffering from a

chronic inflammatory bowel condition. Steward, do we know what

this illnesses? Yes, it is very similar to Crohn's disease. It

affects one in every 1,000 people. Symptoms can be diarrhea, fever,

severe abdominal pain, so it is not hard to understand why top-level

sports men would struggle with this. How long will he be out for?

We do not know. He is taking an extended break, but this is an

illness which is not like a twisted ankle, where he takes three weeks

off. It could be a substantial length of time. Manchester United

says he has been putting this often trying to continue for the sake of

his career, but the matter has to be dealt with now. We do not know

when he will be bad. The title race is getting exciting.

Manchester City suffered their first Premier League defeat of the

season at Stamford Bridge a lank black -- last night. The city had a

second-minute lead, but then Chelsea levelled. Frank Lampard

struck a late penalty. Roberto Mancini's side stayed two points

clear at a top. It has been described as one of the

most daring and courageous and operations in the war. Operation

Frankton attempted to paddle canoes into Bordeaux harbour to destroy

German she eats. It has emerged that one of those

men was a milkman from Stockport. James Conway was selected for the

mission that must have seemed impossible. A campaign has now been

started to make sure he is never forgotten.

1942, Britain could be on the brink of losing the war. 12 Marine

commandos were taken to the west coast of France to take their way -

- make their way down the Gironde estuary. Their aim is to take down

German ships in the Bordeaux harbour. James Conway, a milkman

from Stockport, was one of the 10 who died. He was tortured and

executed by the gestapo. Winston Churchill said their mission for

the -- brought the end of the war forward by six and months.

His Edgeley home has been knocked down, but campaigners say he

deserves a permanent monument. Everywhere should have someone of

his calibre to look up to. If the young people of Stockport could

display the sort of courage and dedication that he did, it would be

a marvellous things. His name is among hundreds in Stockport's war

memorial hall. The council is an agreement that a more fitting

tribute is needed. I am a lad from Stockport myself, and you think

that someone could be that brave, we should remember that in

Stockport. And another famous former marine who is writing a book

on the he rose has lent his support. It is important that a nation like

ours has a sense of its history and pride, and that is one of the most

remarkable and courageous raids of the Second World War. Pupils from

schools and colleges will be invited to design his memorial, and

to think about the sacrifice of the man who left his milk round in

Stockport and was -- in Stockport 70 years ago.

Incredible story. From one remarkable story to

another one. Someone who has kayaked along the Amazon, she has

walked a high wire along Battersea Power Station for charity. Now

Helen Skelton from Cumbria is attempting to become the first

person to use a bicycle to get to the South Pole.

It is for Sport Relief, and she begins the raid on New Year's Day,

facing winds and blizzards and temperatures as low as -50. It is

going to be tough. We asked her how she was the wing.

-- feeling for. It is going to be an exciting

adventure. Very few people have been to the South Pole. But because

this is so alien, I have got to think about what is involved, and

they want to cry. We remember you canoeing on the

Amazon, which was a similar endurance challenge. But it was

different, with the weather and temperatures. That was about the

endurance, and I had to cover a certain amount of miles per day.

This is the same, I have to cover a certain distance and a certain time,

but there is also the elements to consider. There could be wind of up

to 100 miles an hour. If I make a mistake and get tired, I could get

frostbite and lose a finger. Loads of people saw you, you had

blisters last time. It was agony. How did your mother feel about it?

I only tell them little bits. My dad is really chilled out, and they

probably say things than in my back. -- behind my back. My mum and dad

know why I do it. I have met so many people from Sport Relief who

are facing worse things than I am. Tell us a bit about the project in

Blackpool. It is all about people who need help. One of the girls I

met was not going to school like she should be, she was drinking,

and she got involved with the Sport Relief project. She is now doing

exams, she is going out on the streets and chatting to other young

people saying, do not sit on a street corner and drink cider until

you fall asleep, come down to the project and do some crafts and

charity work. Let's do other things. I have been lucky, the projects I

have visited, I've been able to see them change in front of my eyes.

She is good, isn't she? She is doing it all for charity.

She is very brave. We're going to try to link up with

her in the middle of January from the South Pole.

Fingers crossed! If that has inspired you to get

involved in Sport Relief, why not log-on and signed up. It is in

March next year. There are 12 days to Christmas.

Can't wait! The panto season is well and truly

here. Oh no, it's not!

For one group, it could not come soon enough.

They have been gearing up for 11 months, ready to put on a show,

Beauty And The Beast. In the first of the series, Elaine Dunkley has

been finding out what it takes to add a little magic to the festive

season. Custard pie throwing can only mean

one thing, but for one group of volunteers it is punter season all-

year-round. Paul Brownsell and Glynn Adams, also known as

Wythenshawe's answer to the Chuckle brothers have been working all year.

Sometimes you think that is funny, but nothing. But other things, they

seemed very trivial, but they go mad for it. Like pulling a face.

You have to adapt on the stage. The group has been going for a

living years, and they perform to thousands of children at the

Wythenshawe Forum. Very different from the small church hall it

started. We were so close to them, and we miss that in a way. People

are further away now. It was great. The applause in the room was

deafening. They probably thought we were better than we were! This area

was once described as broken Britain, but this group want to

show there is a strong sense of community. While juggling jobs and

family life, the team put in hours of rehearsal every week. It is

rewarding seeing the children having such a good time, but your

family and friends come and you have a laugh and you feel like a

celebrity, and people tell you they have seen you on stage. It is not

just on stage that the cast are feeling the pressure. The budget

for the performances tight, and most of the work is done by

volunteers. Hazel has hand made dozens of costumes, and is still

nowhere near finished. There is Material everywhere, all over the

house. It takes over your life. You meet, and sleep pantomime. We will

join the pantomime team tomorrow to find out how they came together at

to help had cast member dealing with devastating news.

Do you want to do you seen? -- you part?

People pull me aside and shopping centres and say, you're the evil

witch, but I've never been a map pantomime!

The weather map, it's behind you! It has been a difficult day, with

high winds and high waves on the sea. We're not out of the woods yet,

in terms of the wind. You can see on the map, we have an amber

triangle, this is for parts of Cumbria. Snow will continue to fall,

but for most of us it has not bothered many of us. Many places

have been dry, but in Cumbria 10 centimetres is possible on the

hills. You will notice gale-force winds on the map as well. We could

see winds of 70 miles an hour. Most of us will see wind of 50 mph. With

the been largely dry tonight, and clear whether, be could be down to

one Celsius. If the ground is damp, and the roads remain untreated, we

will have AC surfaces. -- AC icy. Tomorrow the winds will still be

gusty, with good spells of sunshine. Ignore the wintry showers, which

will not trouble us. For most places it will be dry. A shower of

rain or sleet from time to time, and parts of Cumbria could have a

wintry shower from time to time. Winds are not quite as strong as

today, but the temperatures are not great. The best we can expect is

five or six. It will feel colder than that.

Oh no, it won't! We should have a pantomime.

I will not be an ugly Sister! Before we go, can we say well done

to Altrincham Synchronised Ice Skating team. They have just

competed in the world championships, and the Adolf team won gold, the