08/02/2012 North West Tonight

Good evening. Welcome to North West Tonight.

Our top story: "Tragic" and "beyond comprehension" - an inquest hears

how a father killed his baby son, then himself so they could be

together. A Serious Case Review into Oliver

McBride's death is ongoing. She needed protection - a landmark

court ruling says a suicidal young woman should have been detained and

that the mistake must not be repeated. What we have achieved is

something that's worthwhile and I know if Melanie was here, she would

be so pleased. Gambling on gaming - the online

industry that is booming on the Isle of Man.

There is a new BBC drama coming to Preston and it is not on the buses!

Not quite leaving the past behind - the folk stars heading north for

"Tragic" and "beyond comprehension" - the words of a coroner today

after hearing that a father smothered his baby before taking

his own life. Ollie McBride's mother broke down in court as she

heard how her former partner killed her five month old son. A Serious

Case Review into whether Lancashire County Council could have done more

to protect him continues. A loving immablg of a father and

son who -- image of a father and son. Who could have known that Paul

McBride would have suffocated his baby before hanging himself. His

ex-partner had already raised the alarm because baby Ollie was late

being returned to her. Today she wept as the court heard how she had

taken out a court order against Paul McBride and it was on the back

of that order he had written one of two suicide notes, outlining his

desperate plans so that he and his son could be together. The Coroner

said he was satisfied that baby Ollie had been unlawfully killed

when she was suffocated by his own father. He was also satisfied that

Paul McBride had deliberately taken his own life. He added, "This is a

tragic and dreadful situation, turbulent relationships happen a

lot but rarely end in the death of a child in the hands of one who is

supposed to be protecting that child." The family's thoughts have

been known to police and social Today, the Coroner said that

whatever the background, this was a tragic and dreadful case and Paul

McBride's actions were beyond comprehension.

The parents of a young woman who took her own life have won a

landmark ruling after a six-year legal battle claiming an NHS Trust

had failed to protect her. Melanie Rabone killed herself whilst on two

days of home leave from a psychiatric unit in Stockport. The

Supreme Court has ruled that the hospital failed in its duty of care

and that in future, voluntary psychiatric patients need to be

protected on the same basis as those who have been sectioned.

Melanie Rabone was 24 and had tried to commit suicide several times in

2005. She was admitted to a specialist unit in Stockport. But

her parents say they allowed her home too soon and she then

succeeded in ending her life. Today, judges at the Supreme Court agreed

the authorities had failed her. Trust owed Melanie the operational

duty to take reasonable steps to protect her from the reasonable

prospect of suicide. She asked to go home for a couple of days and

during that time, she hanged herself. Her parents argued she

should not have been allowed home. They welcomed today's judgment.

is relief but it is tinged with sadness that it doesn't help

Melanie. What we have achieved is worthwhile. If Melanie was here,

she would be so pleased. The judges today said mental health patients

who have agreed to treatment should be given the same protection

against self-harm as those who have been detained. What today has

achieved is changing the law. It means that non-detained patients

are now protected in the same way that detained patients were under

the Human Rights Act. Although the unit which treated Melanie is based

here at Stepping Hill Hospital, it is not part of the main hospital

complex and is managed by a separate Trust, the Pennine Care

NHS Trust. In a statement today, they said it was clear that

Melanie's treatment had not been managed in the way it should have

been. The Trust has apologised to her family and paid some

compensation. The Trust said it also acknowledged today's judgment.

Some other stories. A Lancashire MP has accused the Prime Minister of

failing to do enough to rescue BAE's bid for a contract to build

Eurofighter jets for the Indian air force. The Indian government said

it planned to buy the less expensive fighter jets from France

putting jobs at risk in Warton and Samlesbury. Mark Kendrick said

David Cameron could do more to help. This is a major blow to

manufacturing in this country. Other European leaders can go and

help their companies get major contracts. Why is this weak Prime

Minister not doing that and why haven't we got this contract with

the Indian government? Eurofighter is not out of the contest and we

need to re-engage as hard as we can to make sure we get the best deal

for all those workers in Britain who make Eurofighter, instead of

shouting I think this is something that ought to unite parties in this

House, getting behind our great defence producers. Airbus has been

ordered to check all A380 superjumbo planes in service after

cracks were found in wing components. The wings for the

planes are made at the firm's site in Broughton. Airbus says it has

started implementing a temporary fix to the problem and a permanent

fix will be rolled out shortly. Police investigating an attack on

17-year-old Daniel Stringer in Hyde have made a second arrest. A 17-

year-old boy has been questioned by detectives along with a 21-year-old

man who was arrested on Monday. Police say they are treating the

attack as a hate crime. Nearly 600 children from Alma Park

Primary School in Manchester joined thousands of pupils across the

world for a record attempt this lunch time. They were aiming to get

the most people singing and signing a song at the same time. I feel

mean talking over them! The charity Sign Health is behind

the attempt and they were expecting 150,000 children to take part.

Manchester, it is fantastic. We have lots of schools for deaf

children in Manchester. I hope it's as successful as this has been.

They sounded good. No-one has fired the starting gun

but the race to be Liverpool's first Elected Mayor is gathering

pace. The current council leader wants the job. The opposition

Liberal Democrats will choose their man or indeed woman next month.

They may be up against a candidate who is opposed to the whole idea of

an Elected Mayor. Let's join Andy Gill who is at Liverpool Town Hall.

This row over Labour's decision not to have a referendum on whether

Liverpool should have a Mayor or not, a lot of party politics in

this. I think if you take the party politics out, there is still real

anger over the fact that Liverpool people have not been given a chance

whether to have a Mayor or not so somebody could stand in the mayoral

elections in May who thinks the elections should not be happening.

Being top of the tree could be fun in future. More power and more

money to spend than being jus t -- just the boring old leader of the

council. One former councillor says that is not on. The question is not

about the 130 million, it is why did you ignore the people of this

city? Why didn't you go out to referendum? Is he right? Do the

Liverpool voter care about not being consulted? The ordinary

people deserve a say in it as well. You should always ask the people

first. It will be good for Liverpool to have a Mayor. Labour's

Joe Anderson is the man who did the deal with the Lib/Con Coalition to

get the Elected Mayor more clout and more cash. It is a bit futile

to say that we are anti-Mayor. What that means is we will send this �1

billion worth of investment back to central government and not take

these opportunities to create jobs, grow businesses, build more schools

and houses. Of course, there is no guarantee that Joe Anderson would

be elected. The Lib Dems are considering four possible

candidates - former Capital of Culture boss Phil Redmond may want

the job. Former BBC man Liam Fogarty definitely does. And

celebrity hairdresser Herbert Howe says he will stand, too.

Nominations close on April 4th. So how do you get to be Elected

Mayor of Liverpool? You don't have to be a politician, or a former TV

person. You need a nominator and a seconder. You need the support of

20 other people who are on the electoral roll and there are some

rules on how long you may have lived in Liverpool. One more thing

- you need a �500 deposit. Other than that, the field is yours!

Could be a few people throwing their hats in the ring.

That leads us on to our next story. There's been a global banking

collapse and the possibility of a double-dip recession but the Isle

of Man's economy is heading in a different direction. Kelly Foran

has been looking at one industry responsible for pumping more than

�100 million into the island's economy.

Ever placed a bet at the click of a finger orphan Sied your chances at

online bingo or poker? Well, it is likely the website is based on the

Isle of Man. -- or fancied your chances at online bingo or poker?

The Isle of Man came out head and shoulders above the alternatives

and that is based on the quality of our legislation, our regulation,

the technical infrastructure, the banking facilities and so on. It

was an ideal fit for our global business. Big pulls are the low

corporation tax and the latest technology. When people put the

Isle of Man under a microscope, it has so much going for it.

island was the first place to launch 3G networks on your mobile

and trialled 4G recently for faster download speeds and better signals.

You can play interactively on the move and the response time of the

new system is much faster. It is about five times faster. There is

could download Frozen Planet in a matter of minutes. Online gambling

is big business here opens up hundreds of jobs and bringing in

hundreds of millions of pounds to the economy. It is still going.

Regardless of where these companies are, people have more access to

gambling particularly with the increase in online gambling. That's

brought it into the home. Still to come: Battling back, the

boss of Sale Sharks tells us how a routine operation turned into a

serious medical condition. # My father... #

And pilgrims progress, a group from Stockport who are tipped for a

For many, it is a normal part of the daily routine. A trip to the

bus station. But on April 6th, the bus station in Preston will be a

focal point of a very different kind. The BBC is planning to stage

a major religious drama based on the Good Friday story at the bus

station itself. Stuart Flinders reports on the big event that will

launch Preston Guild. There has always been drama here.

Separations and reunions. Missing buses. Journey's end. And lots of

pauses. Now the bus station is becoming a theatre. Preston has a

gold theatre at the Guildhall, but why stage a major dry in the back

yard at the bus station questioned her -- at the bus station? Think

medieval mystery play. Think Olympic opening ceremony. The

producers of the Preston Passion, the story of Christ's Crucifixion,

want to fill this area with 3500 people. Forget them, Father...

is inspired partly by the Manchester Passion, which took over

Albert Square. And Liverpool's reworking of the Nativity. And the

producers are looking for volunteers. People do not need to

perform and experience. They have to be able to followed movements,

which will be taught. It could be like being in a football stadium

showing a car or something. But in ways people will not have been seen

before. These pictures gives you an idea of the effect they are trying

to achieve. Fern Britton will narrate the story. Heather Small

and Tom Ellis, from television's Miranda, head the cast. It will be

shown on live television. It is the centrepiece of the religious

coverage and, hopefully, people coming to Preston will enjoy it,

but as well BBC One viewers. It is new, but fits perfectly into the

tradition of Preston Guild. Preston Guild is where a very strong part

of what happened in medieval times, which was when religion was

integral to at you want. -- to everyone. And one bonus. If you

come along, you will not have far to go for the bus home.

I was in the Manchester Passion, which was fantastic. To find out

how you can take part in the Preston Passion on Good Friday, go

to the Preston Guild 2012 official website. And if you fancy singing

in the event, BBC Radio Lancashire is inviting its listeners to join a

new Radio Lancashire choir. You do not need any singing experience,

just some enthusiasm. So we could take part? I cannot sink! -- sing.

Tune into Graham Liver's breakfast programme tomorrow at 7:50am to

find out more. And Tony has the sport. And a fantastic night for

Blackpool in the FA Cup? Holloway made several changes, but

the team still beat Sheffield Wednesday. Holloway's sought-after

young star, Matt Phillips, struck the first goal after just seven

minutes. Blackpool then had a wonderful curling shot, then

flipped as usual. Ludovic Sylvestre scored the third with a curler of

his own. What was that dance? I do not know.

And the team is pushing for promotion in the League? They are

now third in the championship after an impressive win at Cardiff last

Saturday and are hopeful for points playing Portsmouth at Bloomfield

Road. The Burnley chairman Barry Kilby

has revealed the reason behind his decision to step down at the end of

the season. He is fighting cancer. He will stay on as a director. But

after putting years at Turf Moor as the club's figurehead, he is

standing aside to tackle his illness. The Clarets have been

transformed under his leadership. They have went from a club in deep

trouble to one that made it to the Premier League for the first time

in their history. It has been such a part of my life for 13 years, so

it is not easy to let go of something that has been such a

strong influence. But it has to be done. I am proud that we are now an

established championship club, working the top two years of

English football. A wonderful man and we wish him all the best.

Rugby Union and Sale Sharks are still in talks with Salford City

Reds over a possible ground-share. But only at the right price. The

club has confirmed that negotiations will continue over the

coming weeks. On the pitch, after shipping out 22 players, but

bringing in the same number, the Sharks are still hoping for a top

four league finish. The Sharks are determined to pursue

on. -- push on. Starting with the home game against Worcester in the

Aviva Premiership on Friday. Mid- table at the moment, the Sharks

have a top four place in their sights. It is a key month after the

sharks. There are several games coming up, which could shape the

Premiership season. The man at the top has had his own problems to

deal with. Chief executive Steve Diamond is still recovering after a

health scare. I had an operation before Christmas, which culminated

in an infection. It led to me going to hospital for three weeks. I had

septicaemia, pneumonia, so the New Year's resolution of losing weight

was forced upon me. There has been big change at the club. 22 players

left last term. They included England International's Charlie

Hodgson and Ben Cohen. 22 came in, with Welsh back row Andy Powell and

South African Hendrie Fourie amongst them. The other big move

could be a ground-share with Salford City Reds. But it has to be

at the right price. I have to make the business viable, solvent and if

the deal is right, then we will consider it seriously. The moral is

when a team has momentum, you are better sidestepping them. Something

my cameraman will remember. LAUGHTER.

Was he all right? No. Just kidding. Some Boxing News. Tyson Fury has

vacated his British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles.

Negotiations with Liverpool's rising star David Price fell

through, which means that Fury has to give up his belt. There has

since been a bit of a war of words between the two camps. Fury's

promoter claims Price's team rejected �100,000 for the fight. In

turn, they have accused the Manchester boxer of running scared,

calling him Chicken Fury. It sounds like something I had for dinner

last night. Tyson is expected to announce his plans over the next

few days. Only one boxer could call another

that. It was not me. Thank you. The Radio 2 Folk Awards

are taking place outside London for the first time tonight. The

brightest stars of the growing folk scene are heading to the Lowry

Theatre. The awards are a complete sell out. Folk is now attracting

younger audiences and album sales are booming. They are up by 20% in

the last 12 months. Radio 2's Mike Harding is hosting. I asked him

what is it like being out of London and being home for tonight's show.

Fantastic. I live over there, so when I finish, I will be in bed ten

minutes after it finishes. That is not the true image of folk. I will

be talking it in it -- I will be talking rubbish all night. There is

a great folk seen in the North of England, stretching from Newcastle

to Mid Staffordshire. Great festivals, great musicians,

fantastic. Has there been a revolution in folk? It sort of went

down after the 60s and 70s. Folk is alternative music, from the bedrock

of human experience, which is why it will never be like pop music. It

has too much debt. It went down a little in the 80s, because punk was

taking over. -- it has too much depth. And we have some local bands.

Such as Pilgrim's Progress, who are tipped for an award.

A SINGING. It is freezing cold out here.

You are planning to arrive on a The canal has been frozen over. We

do not know whether the boys will make it. The boys are on the barge

right now. You must be so excited? We cannot believe our luck when we

find out we were nominated. And to be here five minutes up the road,

it is brilliant. You are a student in music, so you are playing

alongside. We need due to play a bit for us. Is that all right?

There are still people who, when you say folk music to them, they

will think of middle-aged men in beards. It is easy to label at the

one. You can label benefit scroungers at not everyone is like

that, so not bad for a fan of folk music has a beard, especially the

women. LAUGHTER.. Well, good night -- well,

good luck tonight. Mike was telling me his favourite

bit of the night will be waiting in the wings listening to the

Dubliners singing Dirty Old Town written by Ewan Maccoll. It will be

broadcast live on BBC Radio 2 this evening from 7:30pm. If you prefer,

you can watch the event on the BBC's red button.

And then saying the boys were coming in on a barge, but it is

The weather is going to get worse. Through tomorrow, you could see

some freezing rain, which could cause all sorts of problems. It is

worse than ordinary rain on cold surfaces. It is a story of two huts.

The first part of tonight, temperatures will fall away. But in

two Isle of Man and parts of Cumbria, towards the early hours of

the morning, the picture will change. Rain will push in, the Met

Office giving a weather warning of ice from midnight tonight. For

parts of Cumbria towards the early hours of tomorrow, ice could be a

problem. Temperatures better on the Isle of Man, but there could be

some slippery surfaces there. The rain wants to move down across the

region first thing tomorrow morning. Ice and parts first thing, moving

into Lancashire. As the rain falls, it will freeze immediately, and

could have a glaze over the top of the car. Normally, As is a problem

in the morning, but it could be a problem throughout tomorrow. It

could be absolutely prejudice, something we do not see often. But

it can make a lot of impact. -- absolutely treacherous. The

situation could change, and the warnings could increase as

situations get worse. Keep your eyes on the forecast later this

evening. The Times of sun rise are irrelevant. You will not see much

sunshine tomorrow. There will be lots of miserable weather. We will

have averages of one or two. The fund continues tomorrow night. We

have an early warning from the Met Office that through Thursday into

Friday morning there could be snow. The way it is looking, the snow

could be around the Pennines. The rain moves in, bumps into the cold

air, which is when the snow could fall. But it will not take much to

change the situation. That could move away from the Pennines and be

more widespread. Again, keep your eyes on the forecast. Now the

winter has arrived, it does not want to leave. That reminds me of

Tony. We were debating, not that we were not listening, that freezing

rain is snow? It is different. There are two different ways...