:00:04. > :00:07.Good evening. Welcome to NorthWest Tonight with Ranvir Singh and Roger
:00:07. > :00:09.Johnson. Our top story.
:00:09. > :00:19.Preparing for the great Christmas getaway as thousands head for the
:00:19. > :00:21.
:00:21. > :00:25.roads, railways and skies. Most people just want to get away from
:00:25. > :00:28.the misery of everything going on around them. Where's busiest and
:00:28. > :00:30.which routes to avoid over the next couple of days. Also in the
:00:30. > :00:37.programme: Taking care of the troops - we go behind the scenes
:00:37. > :00:43.with the unsung heroes of Camp Bastion.
:00:43. > :00:46.And the BBC Sports personality of the Year award rolls out the red
:00:46. > :00:48.carpet treatment here in Salford. And don't cancel Christmas - the
:00:48. > :00:58.family feeling festive again after police track down their stolen
:00:58. > :00:59.
:00:59. > :01:02.presents. The North West's Christmas getaway
:01:02. > :01:04.began in earnest today. Liverpool Airport has more passengers than
:01:04. > :01:13.anticipated - while Manchester is bracing itself for 132,000 people
:01:13. > :01:16.between now and Boxing Day. 8,000 up on last year. More families are
:01:16. > :01:20.flying abroad than 12 months ago, while 18 million cars will be on
:01:20. > :01:23.the roads. Our Economics Correspondent Jayne Barrett is at
:01:23. > :01:33.the Highways Agency control centre where staff are anticipating a busy
:01:33. > :01:36.
:01:36. > :01:46.few days ahead. Very busy indeed but all good news
:01:46. > :01:46.
:01:46. > :01:55.here this evening. You can see those roads moving freely. The only
:01:56. > :02:00.jam his last-minute shoppers heading to the Trafford Centre.
:02:00. > :02:04.Colin Sykes has been at Manchester airport where they are expecting a
:02:04. > :02:11.very busy few days. It's a break from the economic
:02:11. > :02:19.gloom as families opt for a Christmas getaway. So do people
:02:19. > :02:24.have more money to spend? We do not. I like colder weather but I'm going
:02:24. > :02:30.to visit my father. Just getting away from the misery of everything
:02:30. > :02:33.going on around us. We came into Manchester from Crete last week
:02:33. > :02:41.added was already busy. For the whole festive season passenger
:02:41. > :02:48.numbers are up. By 40,000 at Manchester bring the totals to
:02:48. > :02:53.670,000 and 190 at Liverpool. Spain and the Canaries remain popular
:02:53. > :03:02.destinations but many families are going further afield to Singapore,
:03:02. > :03:06.Australia and New York. People decided to put off holidays in the
:03:06. > :03:10.last two years. Winter it was especially down. But I think this
:03:10. > :03:16.year people have decided that they want a holiday and will treat
:03:16. > :03:23.themselves at Christmas. I'm on my way to you. For those staying at
:03:23. > :03:28.home, the roads are starting to get congested. People are getting
:03:28. > :03:32.prepared for Christmas. Many have already finished work. So in the
:03:32. > :03:38.next couple of days we will see unprecedented traffic on the roads.
:03:38. > :03:44.On the trains, intercity services are expecting a busy few days.
:03:44. > :03:51.team have been buried busy helping customers. -- very busy. It does
:03:51. > :03:55.help with Christmas being at the weekend. Travelling has never been
:03:55. > :04:05.more expensive. But when it comes to visiting families, people seem
:04:05. > :04:07.
:04:07. > :04:13.prepared to dig deep for Christmas. Well with me now is the operations
:04:13. > :04:18.manager here at the Highways Agency. Just three incidents in the hall of
:04:18. > :04:24.the north-west right now. It is quite this evening, it could be the
:04:24. > :04:30.calm before the storm. We expect a increase in traffic volume from
:04:30. > :04:34.tomorrow. Any hot spots to avoid? Round the Trafford Centre it is
:04:34. > :04:40.building up there were people are doing last-minute shopping. And it
:04:40. > :04:47.will be the same on Boxing Day. Last year all these monitors were
:04:47. > :04:55.showing traffic backed up for the terrible weather. Last year was out
:04:55. > :05:04.of the ordinary. At this time last year we had a lot more incidents.
:05:04. > :05:14.The recession is causing a few problems. Tell us why? People have
:05:14. > :05:15.
:05:15. > :05:20.been running out if you're on the motorway -- running out of fuel.
:05:20. > :05:30.Our advice is to check that before you travel. And be careful going
:05:30. > :05:33.
:05:33. > :05:36.home. Have a good Jenny and enjoy your Christmas. -- journey.
:05:36. > :05:38.Next tonight - it was the biggest fire in Lancashire in 10 years.
:05:38. > :05:41.Today the firefighters who tackled last night's blaze at the Business
:05:41. > :05:44.park in Leyland said it may be several days before they can leave
:05:44. > :05:47.the site. It was so ferocious the nearby West Coast main line was
:05:47. > :05:51.closed for several hours. Today businesses have been left wondering
:05:51. > :05:57.when they'll be able to reopen. And the search for clues to the cause
:05:57. > :06:01.continues. Here's our Chief Reporter, Dave Guest.
:06:01. > :06:07.Seen from the ground this was a fire that seemed frightening enough.
:06:07. > :06:11.But from the air, the pool or some ferocity of the blaze could be
:06:11. > :06:17.appreciated. These pictures were taken by the Lancashire police
:06:17. > :06:21.helicopter. Thermal imaging shows the intensity on the ground. More
:06:21. > :06:26.than 100 firefighters battled to bring it under control. The job
:06:26. > :06:33.made more difficult by a warehouse packed full of tissue paper. There
:06:33. > :06:39.were other complications as well. We had some beer kegs exploding and
:06:39. > :06:43.some of them were flying across the railway line. The West Coast main
:06:43. > :06:48.line was closed for several hours. Even those smoke continued to
:06:48. > :06:53.billow across at this morning, services digit return to normal. At
:06:53. > :07:00.the business park itself, things were far from normal. Smouldering
:07:00. > :07:05.ruins where businesses had once thrived. This is an outside storage
:07:05. > :07:09.facility and for our customers, this means that we have to find
:07:09. > :07:13.alternative accommodation to enable the business to continue. In all
:07:13. > :07:18.five buildings were completely destroyed. The cost of the damage
:07:18. > :07:23.is likely to run into millions. Today the fire is under control but
:07:23. > :07:27.still not out. Firefighters believe they could be on site for several
:07:27. > :07:36.days yet. Then the work begins trying to establish exactly how the
:07:36. > :07:37.fire started. That could take considerably longer.
:07:37. > :07:40.Former Liverpool defender Alan Hansen has apologised after
:07:41. > :07:43.describing black players as "coloured" on Match of the Day.
:07:43. > :07:47.Hansen used the word last night while discussing recent racism rows
:07:47. > :07:51.involving Luis Suarez and John Terry. In a statement he said he
:07:51. > :07:53.unreservedly apologises for any offence caused.
:07:53. > :07:57.Manchester City's plans for a �100 million training complex close to
:07:57. > :07:59.the Etihad Stadium have been approved by the council. They've
:07:59. > :08:03.also rubber stamped the Co-Op's design for a 14 storey hotel, next
:08:03. > :08:08.to Victoria Station. But proposals for a new research centre and car
:08:08. > :08:11.park at Christie Hospital have been deferred.
:08:11. > :08:14.The Cheshire home of former Liverpool player Peter Crouch and
:08:14. > :08:16.his wife Abbey Clancy has been burgled. The couple, who it's
:08:16. > :08:20.believed were out at the time, reported the burglary at their
:08:20. > :08:23.address in Mottram St Andrew yesterday evening. The striker was
:08:23. > :08:29.also targeted by burglars in 2006 when he lived in nearby Alderley
:08:29. > :08:31.Edge. Now it's one of the biggest nights
:08:31. > :08:33.in the sporting and television calendars and tonight the next
:08:33. > :08:37.winner of the BBC Sports Personality of the year award will
:08:37. > :08:41.be announced in Salford Quays. Among the contenders are Mark
:08:41. > :08:44.Cavendish from the Isle of Man and Bolton's Amir Khan. Our reporter
:08:44. > :08:54.Richard Askam is waiting for them with baited breath on the red
:08:54. > :08:55.
:08:55. > :09:02.carpet. Richard, a big night. This is a really clamorous affair
:09:02. > :09:06.and the first one I have been too. This is the red carpet. Joe
:09:06. > :09:11.Calzaghe just walking past there. Guests have been having their
:09:11. > :09:21.photographs taken, Mark Cavendish a few moments ago. I had a word with
:09:21. > :09:27.Amir Khan on his way in it and he seems quite chipper. We are seeing
:09:27. > :09:33.a lot of famous names. We will try to have a chat with one of the
:09:33. > :09:43.former nominees from the north-west. That is Matthew Pinsent of course
:09:43. > :09:49.
:09:49. > :09:56.and so Steve Redgrave. Back to you. We have been having a special
:09:56. > :09:58.series this week. And when you hear about the conflict in Afghanistan,
:09:58. > :10:00.it's usually those risking their lives on the frontline. But there
:10:00. > :10:03.are thousands of other unsung heroes doing vital jobs behind the
:10:03. > :10:06.scenes, and many of them are from the North West. As part of our
:10:06. > :10:16.series on Camp Bastion - Britain's biggest base in Afghanistan - Naomi
:10:16. > :10:21.
:10:21. > :10:27.Cornwell's been meeting some of those who support the troops.
:10:27. > :10:31.Night time means nothing here. The darkness is never quiet. Around the
:10:31. > :10:36.clock the operation continues to send food and equipment to the men
:10:36. > :10:41.and women on the front line. This huge convoy of 40 vehicles are
:10:42. > :10:46.setting off to deliver supplies to the troops across Helmand. Camp
:10:46. > :10:50.Bastion exists to support the British control bases and
:10:50. > :10:55.checkpoints across southern Afghanistan. This work rarely hits
:10:55. > :11:00.the headlines but it has its risks. Many of those venturing out to
:11:00. > :11:10.deliver supplies of from the north- west. We take out anything from
:11:10. > :11:17.
:11:17. > :11:22.spark plugs to equipment to improve the water supply. That will improve
:11:22. > :11:28.their quality of life during the winter period. It all helps with
:11:28. > :11:33.morale. The move forward is assisted by us doing our job and
:11:33. > :11:37.getting the stuff about to the guys who are actually at the sharp end.
:11:38. > :11:45.With so many people living under canvas, maintaining security of the
:11:45. > :11:51.camp is vital. I am a protection handler. We mainly they patrolled
:11:51. > :11:57.the base at night for security reasons. The worst is through in
:11:57. > :12:01.Cork in the morning when it is freezing! These unmanned aerial
:12:01. > :12:06.vehicles are sent across the country to spy on potential enemies.
:12:06. > :12:11.It is a controversial tactic but one designed to prevent attacks
:12:11. > :12:15.against British soldiers out on the ground. It supports the lads on the
:12:15. > :12:18.ground immensely and is an important job. But the support
:12:19. > :12:27.services year are not all about logistics. Sometimes it is a
:12:27. > :12:33.friendly ear that is needed. At home Reverend Mike Newman is in
:12:33. > :12:37.Cheadle. Out here he works with the army. People would get lonely or
:12:37. > :12:42.have other problems and to us like back home we would have a chat and
:12:42. > :12:49.I would try to help them with life. They have to deal with death and
:12:49. > :12:53.serious injury. For many of those people they find that the Padraig
:12:53. > :12:57.here it is a great comfort to them. In the air and on the ground there
:12:57. > :13:02.are hundreds of people from the north-west supporting those on the
:13:03. > :13:06.frontline. Their work behind the scenes is crucial. Tomorrow,
:13:06. > :13:14.Christmas at Camp Bastion for the men and women thousands of miles
:13:14. > :13:21.from home. And their messages to the families left behind.
:13:21. > :13:31.We wish them a very happy Christmas. And you can see all of those
:13:31. > :13:31.
:13:32. > :13:34.reports from Afghanistan and on our Facebook page.
:13:34. > :13:36.Still to come on North West Tonight: Scrapping it out for top
:13:36. > :13:42.spot - United hit five, but Aguero's double keeps City in pole
:13:42. > :13:45.position. And the leading lights from the
:13:45. > :13:53.North West are among the contenders for BBC Sports Personality of the
:13:53. > :13:55.Year in Salford. Newfield Special School in Thornton
:13:55. > :14:01.on Merseyside does what many other schools cannot - it teaches
:14:01. > :14:06.children who have been permanently excluded elsewhere. They face a
:14:06. > :14:08.number of challenges from poverty, to learning difficulties to abuse.
:14:08. > :14:12.Each year those children go on an adventure weekend, possibly their
:14:12. > :14:15.only chance for a holiday. But the pot of money has run out for next
:14:16. > :14:23.year, so the pupils have started fundraising themselves.
:14:23. > :14:29.Our political editor Arif Ansari has been to meet them.
:14:29. > :14:33.Why not do a sponsored walk? They have a target and a special helper.
:14:33. > :14:40.Can this kangaroo will help them leap up a fund-raising Totaliser
:14:40. > :14:47.and get enough money to go on holiday? All people from our school
:14:47. > :14:52.had been on holiday and really enjoyed it. If we do not get people
:14:52. > :14:56.to sponsor us with money, we will not be able to go on it and we will
:14:56. > :15:01.be sad. To avoid that fate they have written to the Prime Minister
:15:01. > :15:07.asking for help. We would like to welcome you to join the walk.
:15:07. > :15:12.Alternatively, if you could organise a collection on our behalf
:15:12. > :15:17.in the House of Commons, we would very much appreciate it. David
:15:17. > :15:20.Cameron did not get his collecting tin out but he did reply.
:15:20. > :15:25.Unfortunately being the Prime Minister means I'm usually very
:15:25. > :15:32.busy and it is not widely I will be able to join you. They did make me
:15:32. > :15:36.smile when I read your letter. Best wishes. They say the specific grant
:15:36. > :15:42.for a residential weekend has run out and the need to raise around
:15:42. > :15:45.�3,000 themselves. So the teacher is going on a sponsored walk.
:15:45. > :15:52.not done understatement to say that it is life-changing for children
:15:52. > :15:56.like this. Some of the quietest ones suddenly become heroes in
:15:56. > :16:01.their own field. Life has already thrown a lot worse at these kids
:16:01. > :16:11.than a lost holiday, but they are determined to pull a rabbit out of
:16:11. > :16:25.
:16:25. > :16:35.the hat. Richard is on the red carpet with
:16:35. > :16:41.
:16:41. > :16:46.as tonight. The excitement is building. We have just seen it Rory
:16:47. > :16:53.McIlroy, one of the contenders, walk past. We have to be impartial,
:16:53. > :16:59.but we might be hoping for an north-west winner. Mark Candlish or
:17:00. > :17:02.Amir Khan. Let's take a look at both of them in action.
:17:02. > :17:11.Mark Cavendish has had the sort of year which has propelled him from a
:17:11. > :17:13.star of cycling, to one of the stars of world sport. He became the
:17:13. > :17:16.first British rider to win the green jersey at the Tour de France,
:17:16. > :17:20.handed out to the best sprinter. Cav has now won 20 tour stages in
:17:20. > :17:24.his career. And followed that by winning the world road race,
:17:24. > :17:32.Britain's first British male champion for 46 years. And the
:17:32. > :17:39.right to wear cycling's coveted Rainbow jersey.
:17:39. > :17:42.This is the biggest achievement. I'm going to wear it on behalf of
:17:43. > :17:46.Great Britain. Amir Khan's star is still very much
:17:46. > :17:48.on the rise. But by his standards it's been an up and down year. A
:17:48. > :17:51.masterclass in winning another wold title in July. Disappointment after
:17:51. > :17:57.controversial defeat and the loss of his titles earlier this month.
:17:57. > :18:03.Expect the Bolton man to bounce back.
:18:03. > :18:07.I am still looking for those big Super fights. I want to draw the
:18:07. > :18:09.point. I am a better fighter. And Lancashire's Jimmy Anderson and
:18:09. > :18:12.his England cricket team are strong contenders for team of the year.
:18:12. > :18:22.Jimmy helped England win the ashes in Australia and become the top
:18:22. > :18:24.
:18:24. > :18:29.test side in the world. And you can get a list of all 10
:18:29. > :18:37.contenders on the website for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year
:18:37. > :18:42.Award. We can chat now to our very own Beth Tweddle. You have been
:18:42. > :18:47.nominated for the ward before. How exciting is it when you're part of
:18:47. > :18:53.that list? It is a massive achievement. The first year I was
:18:53. > :18:58.nominated, no gymnast had ever been put forward onto the list. So it
:18:58. > :19:04.was a massive honour. To be in such company with such big sports stars
:19:04. > :19:09.is something you can't put into words. It is astounding to see the
:19:09. > :19:14.number of big names that have been walking past. It is a chance for
:19:14. > :19:20.athletes to catch up with fellow athletes. And half the time you're
:19:20. > :19:28.out of your sport skier and do not run denies each other! -- sports
:19:28. > :19:34.gear. And with the Olympics coming up, how are you feeling? Looking
:19:34. > :19:39.forward to the challenge. There is still a long training period ahead.
:19:39. > :19:49.The team will not actually be selected until the end of June.
:19:49. > :19:55.Soak until I have got that letter in my hand, it is a long way to go.
:19:55. > :19:57.Well let's bring you some of the sports news around today. Football
:19:57. > :19:59.now, and Luis Suarez's lawyer says the Liverpool player will appeal
:19:59. > :20:04.his eight-match ban for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice
:20:04. > :20:06.Evra. Last night the entire Liverpool team wore Luis Suarez T-
:20:06. > :20:15.shirts to show their support for the striker, who faces an eight-
:20:15. > :20:21.match ban and a �40,000 fine. The team said in a statement, we know
:20:21. > :20:27.he is not racist. Kenny Dalglish also expressed his support.
:20:27. > :20:31.We have said we will always support him and we will. Not just the
:20:31. > :20:34.people at the football club but the people who the football club means
:20:34. > :20:36.something to do. Blackburn Rovers fans who want
:20:36. > :20:39.Steve Kean sacked as manager say they'll be staging a protest
:20:39. > :20:42.outside the club's training ground tomorrow. They're stepping up their
:20:42. > :20:45.campaign because they claim the club has failed to hold "clear the
:20:45. > :20:49.air" talks with supporters. The Blackburn MP, Jack Straw, has added
:20:49. > :20:51.his voice to those calling for Steve Kean to stand down. But the
:20:51. > :20:59.League Managers' Association says the Rovers manager has been
:20:59. > :21:08.subjected to unacceptable aggression and abuse.
:21:08. > :21:11.Happier times for Roberto Mancini and Sir Alex Ferguson. Santa
:21:11. > :21:21.delivered a sackful of goals as City put three past Stoke, and
:21:21. > :21:24.
:21:24. > :21:31.United hit five at Fulham. Stuart Pollitt looks at last night's
:21:32. > :21:35.action. Whatever you can do, we can do too.
:21:35. > :21:37.Once again City and United traded goals and wins. Sergio Aguero
:21:37. > :21:41.scored twice, but Adam Johnson curled in the pick for City against
:21:41. > :21:45.Stoke. United romped to victory at Fulham. Three up by half time, they
:21:45. > :21:49.turned on the style after the break with this from Wayne Rooney. And a
:21:49. > :21:58.dash of brilliance from Dimitar Berbatov. But try as they might,
:21:58. > :22:03.it's their rivals who stay top. I said three days ago it was
:22:03. > :22:13.important to be at the top of the end of the season. Now it is good,
:22:13. > :22:13.
:22:13. > :22:23.but only because it is Christmas. Manchester City were top at
:22:23. > :22:25.
:22:25. > :22:30.Christmas in 1969. Is that kind of thing irrelevant? It does worry me
:22:30. > :22:37.a little bit. As long as we're there or thereabouts, going into
:22:37. > :22:41.January, that will do us. United traditionally have a strong finish
:22:41. > :22:43.at the end of the season. Elsewhere, Leon Osman headed
:22:43. > :22:47.Everton to victory over Swansea. All eyes were on Luis Suarez at
:22:47. > :22:51.Wigan. He won this penalty, but Ali Al Habsi saved Charlie Adam's spot
:22:51. > :22:54.kick. Despite decent chances for both sides, this one ended without
:22:54. > :23:04.any goals. Not a problem affecting either Manchester club at the
:23:04. > :23:04.
:23:05. > :23:12.moment. Ricky Hatton has just arrived. All
:23:12. > :23:22.I need to do now is find my way into this event. I would just
:23:22. > :23:35.
:23:35. > :23:37.mentioned you're names! I doubt it! Next, who wants to hear a magical
:23:37. > :23:40.Christmas tale, from Bolton? One family nearly had Christmas ruined
:23:40. > :23:44.by thieves who stole more than �200 worth of presents from the back of
:23:44. > :23:49.their car. They of course thought they were lost forever. But this
:23:49. > :23:52.Christmas tale has a happy ending. Thanks to the detective work of two
:23:52. > :23:56.binmen, two police officers and one toy shop sales assistant, they're
:23:56. > :24:04.now all wrapped and ready for Sunday morning. Nina Warhurst
:24:04. > :24:11.reports. Paige is busy guessing what's in
:24:11. > :24:14.this enormous collection of presents. They were very nearly
:24:14. > :24:16.lost forever. On Monday, her Dad left the presents in an unlocked
:24:17. > :24:25.car. When they'd disappeared in the morning, he saw no point in
:24:25. > :24:27.reporting it. It was like, thanks a lot, what am I going to do it now?
:24:27. > :24:31.Meanwhile, thieves had taken the presents from Great Lever and
:24:31. > :24:33.dumped them in a bin two miles away in Haliwell. When they were
:24:33. > :24:36.discovered the next morning by binmen, they had no clue about the
:24:36. > :24:45.owners, apart from a receipt from Toys R Us and knocking on doors in
:24:45. > :24:51.the local area didn't bring them any closer. That quick thinking
:24:51. > :24:54.officers refused to get up. They went back to the toy store where a
:24:54. > :25:04.member of staff remembered a customer complaining that he was
:25:04. > :25:04.
:25:04. > :25:14.having to replace stolen presents. They had taken note of his address
:25:14. > :25:14.
:25:14. > :25:19.as well. It has made Christmas present again. It is a bit magical.
:25:19. > :25:26.I'm so happy for the little girl, more than anything. So a merry
:25:26. > :25:28.Christmas to one and all. But there has been one tricky question. Paige
:25:29. > :25:38.is busy wondering, how come Father Christmas dropped the presents off
:25:39. > :25:39.
:25:39. > :25:45.with Dad so early? with Dad so early?
:25:45. > :25:55.Let's take a look at the weather. A lot of people looking for a white
:25:55. > :25:55.
:25:55. > :26:00.Christmas but it is not coming our way. As we head through the next 12
:26:00. > :26:05.to 24 hours, the colder air is coming in and there will be a drop
:26:05. > :26:13.in temperatures. But that is a temporary blip because by Saturday
:26:13. > :26:22.the warmer conditions return. Through the day to date we have had
:26:22. > :26:30.a lot of cloud cover around. First thing tomorrow morning we have the
:26:30. > :26:34.arrival of a band of rain. But today was all about the cloud cover.
:26:34. > :26:41.There will be no sunshine tomorrow because that cloud cover is
:26:41. > :26:47.building all the time to light. And then we have the next area of rain
:26:47. > :26:55.working its way in during the night. In terms of temperatures, staying
:26:55. > :27:05.up quite nicely. The rain moves in during tomorrow morning. So
:27:05. > :27:08.
:27:08. > :27:11.conditions far from ideal during the rush-hour. As the colder
:27:11. > :27:15.conditions coming, and daytime temperatures tomorrow at six or
:27:15. > :27:24.seven degrees Celsius at best. That seven degrees Celsius at best. That
:27:24. > :27:28.is more normal for the time of year. And we have another happy ending?
:27:28. > :27:33.Well the ring and that we showed you yesterday, it has been spotted