21/12/2011 North West Tonight

Good evening, welcome to North West Tonight. Our top story: Big victory

in the beautiful game or just a clash of cultures? The issue of

racism rears its head as Luis Suarez is banned for eight matches.

They have gone to make an example against discriminatory attitudes

and behaviour within our sport. will hear from both sides of the

argument as Liverpool stand by their man.

Also, a sad farewell to the grand mother robbed of her late husband's

ashes. We will make the NHS medics who have swapped the north-west for

Afghanistan to run the biggest from a hospital in the world.

And festive food for the less fortunate. The donations heading

for the dinner tables of the homeless and the elderly this

Christmas. First, more than two decades after

bananas were third and John Barnes in a Merseyside derby, the issue of

racism has once again flared up in football.

On the day that John Terry was charged with racial abuse,

Liverpool is considering whether to appeal against the eight-match ban

on Luis Suarez after the Football Association found him guilty of

misconduct for abusing Manchester United's betrays every. In a moment

we will hear from the chairman of the players' union, Clarke Carlisle.

What might have looked like another minor spat in the intense

atmosphere of a Liverpool, Manchester United match has taken

on major significance. I think this is a very interesting case. It

gives us an insight into the sort of things that have been going on

for some time. This is the first case we have seen in the UK which

has been prosecuted. But trees ever accused Luis Suarez of racially

abusing him during their match in October. The word was understood to

be "negrito", not always it would seem an offensive term in Luis

Suarez's home town of Uruguay. are talking semantics and cultural

values. How do you judge whether a word used in another language from

another mindset is descriptive or pejorative? It must have been a

very difficult decision. The FA panel would also have considered

that Luis Suarez is no novice when it comes to the sensibilities of

northern Europe. He had four seasons in Holland before moving to

Liverpool. This enough going on for him to be aware that is not

acceptable. It was said in a way when they were having an argument,

a disagreement, so I cannot see that as a defence. The Liverpool

have yet to decide whether they are It is fairly harsh. He does not

consider himself a racist. They could appeal it and hopefully he

will appeal as well. They have named him a racist, which he isn't.

This was always going to be a controversial ruling, but with

polarise opinions amongst neutrals and Liverpool standing by their man,

it is unlikely we will see a conclusion for some time yet.

A little earlier I spoke to the Preston defender Clarke Carlisle,

the chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association, and I

asked him if he felt the punishment was a little harsh. No, not at all.

I do not think the FA have gone to make an example of Luis Suarez

himself, but it is an example we want to take in this industry

against discriminatory behaviour within our sport. You can

understand why Liverpool think it is a little harsh event what he is

a post to head and in his own country it is not as offensive as

it is in this country. It is one player's word against another.

Liverpool brought forward the cultural differences as mitigating

circumstances, but I do not think that is an excuse. And ignorance of

our levels of our acceptability in England is not an excuse. If I go

to Dubai with my wife we do not open Leakeys because we will be

arrested and go to jail. It is about adapting to the society you

work and live in. You adapt to your behaviour to their levels of

acceptability and the laws of the game and the industry in which you

are playing. Given the high number of overseas playing here, whose

responsibility is it a major they know what they can and cannot do.

We as a union go into the clubs every year and make sure the

players are made aware of what is acceptable, their levels of

responsibility. The fact they are seen as role models and leaders

within their community, their actions should reflect that. I do

believe the onus is on us as a union to make sure that when

players come in from different cultures they are sat down and told

what is acceptable in England and what we deem acceptable within our

game. Clarke Carlisle, thank you. Later on Tony will be bringing as

more reaction and the rest of the day's sport.

The funeral has taken place of a grandmother who died after muggers

stole the handbag containing her husband's ashes. Scores of people

lined the streets of Shaw to pay respects to Nellie Geraghty who

died from her head injuries. The service paid tribute to a

vibrant, caring woman whose life was lost in such tragic

circumstances. Market Street in Shaw came to a

standstill in honour of Nellie Geraghty. Shopkeepers and shoppers

paying their respects. From the youngest to the oldest everybody a

shock. Everybody is showing their respect. I did not know her

personally, but I think what has happened is an absolute shame.

Nellie, 79, died from head injuries after being mugged on November 24th.

The handbag stolen contained the ashes of her late husband Frank who

died 17 years ago. Her which had always been to be laid to rest with

those ashes, but they have not been recovered. During the service her

daughter Christine spoke movingly. It was her devotion to dad. It was

her strength and her stubborn side that made her last movements in

Shaw so awful, but she is with my dad's now. The choice of music was

a clear sign that Nellie's family did not want the service to be

sombre, rather a celebration of a life well lived. So many people

loved her and I could have stood there for another two hours but

everything that could have been said. There had been messages of

condolence and support from across the country, thousands had offered

sympathy for the loss of a fine lady in such tragic circumstances.

A 37 year-old man and two boys remain on police bail in connection

with the incident. A sad story. Next, teenage gangster

Moses Matthias hoped he had escaped justice by fleeing the country

after shooting dead an arrival, but tonight he is beginning a life

sentence for killing Guiseppe Gregory.

Guiseppe Gregory was 16 when he was shot through the head in a car in

Greater Manchester. Two of his killers were jailed last year and

now the third is behind bars after spending two years on the run.

Moses Matthias was just 15 when he became a killer. He typified his

sadly some of the people who get seduced into this type of violence.

His victim, Guiseppe Gregory, was shot dead in a car outside his pub

in Stretford in 2009. Moses allied himself to a gang in Manchester. In

2007 aged just 14 he was shot in the leg during an into gang dispute.

The following year another boy was shot dead. In April 2009 a rival

gang member was released without charge. That man was at the Robin

Hood pub on May 10th. Moses Matthias and two others shot at a

car. Guiseppe Gregory was in the back seat and one of the bullets

killed him. Last year two men were convicted of the killing, but Moses

Matthias had fled overseas. The police put up giant posters of the

fugitive teenager who was eventually tracked down to Holland.

He admitted murder, but he said it had nothing to do with into gang

rivalry and had not been planned. The judge rejected his version of

events and ordered he be detained for a minimum of 18 years.

Afterwards, a police officer read a statement on behalf of Guiseppe

Gregory's mother Samantha. In this week leading up to Christmas I

would like to ask people to take a single moment to think about all

the families up and down this country who have lost a child

through violent crime. Now, at last, all of Guiseppe Gregory's killers

are behind bars. In a venue is, Cumbria's police

county as it aims to save more than �20 million. Barrow will be

replaced. Officers will move to buildings nearby it or share with

the fire service. The authority says it will save �119,000 in

running costs and will raise �2.8 million.

Police investigating the case of a baby boy found dead in a stream in

Lancashire have we appealed for information. The boy was discovered

in Kirkham in October. Despite interviewing 1000 people officers

have not managed to trace his mother, but they are not giving up.

It has been a huge investigation. We are still conducting the

investigation and we will not stop until we find out what has happened.

I would imagine the mother will be feeling very sad, very emotional,

in the run-up to Christmas. This would have been her little baby's

first Christmas. Robert land from Darwin is to appeal for a third

time against his conviction for murdering his wife Evelyn 12 years

ago. He lost his second appeal last week and his lawyers have confirmed

they will argue the trial was not balanced and he did not get a fair

chance to defend himself. The Isle of Man Post Office has

said that Christmas parcels are taking longer than usual to arrive.

The company said it is due to adverse weather conditions and

limited ferry crossings. Bass says staff are working hard to sort and

deliver all parcels as soon as they reach the island.

We are hearing there is a large fire in Lancashire. 15 fire engines

had been called to the blaze in Leyland. Annabel will have more on

that in our late bulletin after the 10 o'clock News.

Still to come: Hitting rock bottom, Blackburn's Steve keen stands on

the brink after defeat in last night's Derby.

Join me for a Christmas dinner with a difference. The food that would

have gone to landfill is now going Now to the latest of this week's

series of special reports on the men and women from this region

serving at Camp Bastion. We've already seen and heard from some of

those putting their lives on the line. Tonight Naomi Cornwell has

the story of the NHS staff who've travelled to Helmand to treat the

injured in the busiest trauma hospital in the world. As it's a

military hospital, we've been asked not to show the patients there.

It could be a ward at any hospital in the north-west, but this is

Helmand Afghanistan. The is is totally different to my day job

back home and this is the biggest trauma centre in the world. You do

not see the things at home that you see here. I have learned it

completely new things. It is not just British and American forces

they get help here, the hospital also help injured insurgents and

civilians. 50 members of the Territorial arm -- territorial unit

were released from their jobs while the Ministry of Defence pay their

salaries. They are a very special group of people. We work in this

high tempo and then the NHS come back to a local area or knee you

and reaps the benefit of this experience. They are dealing with

the most extreme injuries. Amputees, gunshot wounds, what you would

expect in a wars loomed. Also the children. That is something we

travel -- struggle with. Children have extremely severe injuries.

have just heard that two patients are being brought in by helicopter

with serious injuries. We have had pipe that we -- we have had five

patients in, for have been extremely unwell and one has been

less serious. Later that day, the Tannoy is broadcast a message, one

that everybody here dreads. It is the order to cut off all

communication with the outside world. It means that somebody has

been critically injured or killed and the hospital does not want the

news to leak out until it has been made contact with the family. Most

of those that are rife here do survive. It is the highest success

rate in the history of warfare. They have learnt here that giving

patients extra red blood cells and clotting products increases their

chances of survival. We have taken a lot of what we have learnt with

regard to blood products into a UK practice. Back home, the fallen I-

listed at the National Memorial arboretum. Inspiring the field

hospital's motto, keep the names off the wall. One of my nurses came

up to me and said that today we read a name off the wall and that

is what keeps us determined to do our best for any casualty. The cost

of this war for civilians and military has been incredibly high.

Thanks to medical advances he and the skills they bring back, the

work of these medics is saving and improving lives in Afghanistan and

here at home. Tomorrow we meet are the unsung heroes, supplying and

supporting the troops on the front line.

You can see more from Camp Bastion tomorrow and all of Naomi's reports

from Afghanistan are also going on our Facebook page. It is definitely

worth a look back because it is an unusual look back, beyond what we

usually see from the soldiers. It is interesting the. They made

about bringing the skills back to this country.

Back to our top story now - and the rest of the day's sport. Tony's at

the DW stadium in Wigan, where Liverpool, with or without Luis

Suarez, are the visitors. And Tony it's also a busy night for many of

our teams. Any idea of soirees might play? Not as yet, it is going

to be another nerve-jangling episode. Last night we saw

Blackburn Rovers boss Steve Kean and Bolton manager Owen Coyle

isolated on the touchline at Ewood Park as they fought for their own

survival. More on that in a moment. Tonight I'm at struggling Wigan as

they fight for their lives and visitors Liverpool begin the fight

to clear the name of Luis Suarez while contemplating losing the

Uruguayan for eight crucial games. Liverpool players have said they

are shocked and angered that he is guilty of racial abuse. So how will

they cope without him? With me from the fanzine Well Red is Gareth

Roberts. He should play tonight. He is one of the best players. He

should answer the FA by putting the ball in the back of the net. If he

is banned, who steps up? Whoever Kenny Dalglish wants to play. We

all trust Kenny in the months he has been at the club. My personal

opinion is Craig Bellamy can step in and do the job. You say you

trust Kenny but Kenny does not seem to trust Andy Carroll and you do

not either? Like-for-like player, Craig Bellamy is the man on form.

Free transfer at a cost us that nothing and he's been a man of the

match on Sunday. He has played well for us. Hopefully it will not come

to that. How damaging we did before the season to lose release whereas?

It would be famous for it. He is a top-class player. The Premiership

will miss him. What about the chances of going into the transfer

market and trying to replace them? Is there any money to be spent?

Regardless, weather earlier we soirees his band, we do still need

a new forward. I expecting an appeal? I'm expecting it to reduce

it the banner took a no matches. Back to last night's drama now. And

after Blackburn lost 2-1 to fellow strugglers Bolton Wanderers to go

bottom of the Premier League, the future of manager Steve Kean is

looking more insecure than ever. The defeat was Rovers' 11th of the

season and means they're going to be bottom over a decidely unhappy

Christmas at Ewood Park. Ian Haslam reports.

Blackburn fans have been protesting against Manager Steve Kean for most

of the season. Last night's defeat took the animosity to a new level.

He must go. He is completely out of his death for -- depth. In looks a

we will be relegated. Chants of, "Kean out!" had been

ringing out from the home support since before kick off, and got they

louder following Mark Davies' crucial early goal for Bolton.

Worse was to come for Rovers on the half hour, as Nigel Reo Coker

brilliantly doubled Wanderers' lead, to the relief of his Manager Owen

Coyle. Yakubu's goal in a much improved second half performance

was to prove a consolation While there's some cause for

optimism at Bolton, Blackburn's Premier League future, and that of

Steve Kean, is tonight looking increasingly uncertain. And you get

out of it by sticking together. The mood inside the camp is

disappointed when we do not win. terms of Steve Kean as a manager, I

think given the opportunity he will prove he is tough. I hope he has

given the time to do that. Blackburn bottom of the table at

Christmas and only one team in the history of the Premier League has

been able to escape relegation having been in that position on

Christmas Day. For Bolton Wanderers fans, Christmas has come ever an --

early. Best Christmas present ever. We were the best team. While there

is some cause for optimism at Bolton, Blackburn's Premiership

future and that of Steve Kean is looking increasingly uncertain.

It's a busy night at the top of the Premier League. Manchester City

will be renewing their race with Manchester United for the title.

Holders United are away at Fulham while City will hope to maintain

their lead over the Reds with three points at home to Stoke. And

following a training ground bust-up involving temperamental Italian

Mario Balotelli, manager Roberto Mancini says he's hoping for a

little better behaviour from the striker. If he wants to play better

football and have a good private life then he should have good

behaviour always, not some times, or one week here, today is not. I

think every top player has a good private life and good behaviour,

for think this is the way for him. As I said, busy Premier League

night tonight, you can hear full match commentary of this game,

Wigan v Liverpool on BBC Radio Merseyside from 8:00pm with updates

of Everton v Swansea. On BBC Radio Manchester there's full commentary

of City v Stoke and updates from United's trip to Fulham.

A huge night in the Premier League, as was last night, I have got the

best job in Britain! Don't you just love it, the ins and outs and the

stories developing, another episode of the soap opera will unfold

behind me. You did not even mention Carlos

Tevez! Our food bills continue to go up.

And yet we're still wasting thousands of tonnes of good food

every year. Sell-by dates and an obsession for pristine packaging

mean that food which is perfectly fine to eat ends up going to

landfill. But now a Manchester-based charity

is diverting huge quantities of would-be waste to those who need it

most this Christmas. Here's our Environment Correspondent Colin

Sykes. A lorry load of food arrives at

Manchester's main fruit and veg market. We have got some celery

that has been donated for the Christmas appeal. We have also got

some cheese and sausages. This food's been donated by farmers for

Christmas It'll provide 3,000 Christmas dinners. There is nothing

wrong with it. It is perfectly edible food. It is just surplus

stock. It cannot be got rid of by the sell-by date.

Volunteers will sort the food into smaller packs to give to charities

that don't always get a great press, like centres for people with

addiction problems and the homeless. About five years ago I got made

homeless because I was in a private accommodation and the landlord sold

the property and I could not find somewhere else. It was a charity

like this that helped me get back on my feet so why like giving

something back. The fresh food will be mixed with

supplies donated by supermarkets, some of it because the packaging is

damaged or the food is close to its sell-by date.

A quarter of food waste is still fit for human consumption but this

has been donated specially for Christmas. A we have got mince pies

and we have got Christmas Log and it is just to put a smile on

people's space who are having a bit of a hard time.

Over the next couple of days dozens of charities will receive the

necessary ingredients for a decent Christmas Day dinner.

Christmas Day dinner. Now let us take a look at the

weather. It is getting warmer. It is mild.

Tomorrow we will be almost the same. Unfortunately the weather will be

the same as well. Today we started off with a lot of drizzly rain. The

radar did not pick it up at as you went through the day the rain left

most of us and the cloud would not budge. It has been grey virtually

all the way through. But temperatures went up to 11 degrees.

That makes the difference. Through this evening and overnight it will

not be that different. You can see cloud cover all over. We will

continue to have drizzly rain and that could be persistent every now

and then. It is not a pretty picture. The saving grace has to be

the temperatures. In the more suddenly part of the region you

might get a break-in the clouds but for most of us temperatures will

stay as high as nine or even into double figures. Tomorrow is the

shortest day so the sun comes up so very late, it won't come up until

about 8:23am. Cloud cover will always be around and all that

drizzly rain will be around as well. It will be at its worst on the

highest level. I would not be surprised if anywhere saw a little

bit drifting by it and landing on your windscreen. It is very similar

to today. You will notice that towards the tail-end of the day

there maybe a few breaks in the cloud. It will not last for

anything more than about 20 minutes or so. The sun goes down at 3:51pm.

After that you can add a minute on to the day at each end. That will

start to make a difference as we head towards January. Not a great

one. Tomorrow night temperatures are really good once again but we

have a big band of rain that will work its way in. It moves into the

Isle of Man and then pushes everywhere as the night goes on.

First thing on Friday this is the weather front you will have. You

can see a change in the wind direction. It will be north-

westerly and cool things off a bit. When you get up on Saturday it

could field barely cool out and about. It will not last for long

and be the only night for the next couple of days that feels a bit

nippy. We will return to the south westerlies and the temperatures

will go up again. You know how annoying it is when

you lose something. Rings specifically!

What about when you lose something of sentimental value? Mersey Tunnel

staff are hoping to re-unite a motorist with their wedding ring. A

sharp-eyed toll officer at the Queensway tunnel spotted this ring

in the coin reject slot of one of the automatic toll payment machines

at Birkenhead. It's believed to have slipped from the owner's

finger as they paid to drive through to Liverppool. The ring has

an inscription that partly reads, "..until I die." and the name of a