:00:09. > :00:16.with Nina Warhurst and Stuart Flinders.
:00:16. > :00:19.Liverpool council is told to pay outs to hundreds of foster carers.
:00:19. > :00:25.We will be asking the council why they let down the people they should
:00:25. > :00:31.have been supporting. I will be explaining why Russian
:00:31. > :00:34.vodka is off the menu in Manchester 's gay village in protest at what
:00:34. > :00:40.they are describing as President Putin 's draconian anti-gay
:00:40. > :00:46.legislation. Jobs alive - the same work for the
:00:46. > :00:51.same firm for 50 years. And what wildlife can you spot in
:00:51. > :00:59.the urban jungle? And Ashes cricket returns to one of
:00:59. > :01:09.its most historic homes. Superb. Fantastic day. It is good to have
:01:09. > :01:12.
:01:12. > :01:15.Liverpool City Council has apologised to hundreds of families
:01:15. > :01:18.after an investigation found it failed to pay them enough to clothe
:01:18. > :01:21.and feed the children they were fostering. The authority had been
:01:21. > :01:27.underpaying allowances to more than 300 carers in the Merseyside area.
:01:27. > :01:30.In one case alone, the underpayment was more than �10,000.
:01:30. > :01:33.The council is now repaying the money, but there are fears other
:01:33. > :01:36.authorities could have made the same mistake. In a moment, we'll be
:01:36. > :01:41.speaking to Liverpool's councillor in charge of children's services,
:01:41. > :01:44.but first Naomi Cornwell on what went wrong.
:01:44. > :01:49.Yes, this affects 340 people who care for children in Liverpool,
:01:49. > :01:52.where the city council had been underpaying them for years. It was
:01:52. > :01:54.discovered after a woman who'd been looking after her nephew after a
:01:54. > :01:57.domestic violence incident complained because the council
:01:57. > :02:02.refused to consider him a "looked after child" so she missed out on
:02:02. > :02:06.the support available to foster carers. These allowances aren't pay
:02:06. > :02:11.as such, they're to clothe and feed the children and help carers buy any
:02:11. > :02:15.equipment they might need. Wendy Meehan is a foster mum in Wigan, so
:02:15. > :02:19.she wasn't affected by this, but she had to prepare to look after a baby
:02:19. > :02:27.with just 24 hours' notice, so knows just how important these allowances
:02:27. > :02:31.are. I don't think you should go into
:02:31. > :02:37.fast stream with it being about the money, it should be the child 's
:02:37. > :02:42.needs. It does help because you can buy equipment and they should be
:02:42. > :02:45.able to live like every other child. In Liverpool, the Local Government
:02:45. > :02:48.Ombudsman investigated and found the council was failing to pay the
:02:48. > :02:50.National Minimum Fostering Allowance set by the government each year, and
:02:50. > :02:55.failing to pay the Special Guardianship Allowance at the same
:02:55. > :03:02.rate - that's a separate benefit for carers.
:03:02. > :03:07.Both of those payments to those 340 people in the area need also to be
:03:07. > :03:09.reimbursed and the council, to its absolute credit, has agreed to pay
:03:09. > :03:13.those amounts and in fact has already made the payment to the
:03:13. > :03:15.individual. Yes, the woman who finally exposed
:03:15. > :03:19.this mistake has now received backdated allowances of over
:03:19. > :03:22.�10,000. But the Lib Dem opposition leader in Liverpool told me he's
:03:22. > :03:29.worried not about the money, but about signs that agencies aren't
:03:29. > :03:32.working together. The police asked a family to be the
:03:32. > :03:39.guardian for one of their relatives. Because it was the police that
:03:39. > :03:43.asked, the council refused to act. I think that is wrong. We know from
:03:43. > :03:48.the baby Peter Case and the case that was reported only yesterday
:03:48. > :03:51.that we badly need to get all of the agencies working together.
:03:51. > :03:54.The Local Government Ombudsman has now urged other authorities around
:03:54. > :03:59.the country to check that their foster carers aren't missing out
:03:59. > :04:02.too. Thanks, Naomi.
:04:02. > :04:07.Well, Councillor Jane Corbett is the Cabinet Member in charge of
:04:07. > :04:16.children's services and joins us now from our Merseyside studio. Thanks
:04:16. > :04:21.for joining us. Foster parents do something absolutely extraordinary.
:04:21. > :04:27.They were let down by the council but also it may never have come to
:04:27. > :04:37.light if not for the tenacity of one foster parent. Is that good enough?
:04:37. > :04:42.
:04:42. > :04:49.No, and I apologies wood apologise profusely. It is sad that the family
:04:49. > :04:54.have to -- had to go through that trauma. We have families, and teas,
:04:54. > :05:03.uncles and friends who look after children for specific reasons in
:05:03. > :05:07.specific circumstances and we should be giving them the right help.
:05:07. > :05:11.was a technical error originally but it took six months for them to get
:05:11. > :05:15.the justice they deserve. They will be wondering if there is a wider
:05:15. > :05:19.problem within children's services. That is why I organised an
:05:19. > :05:23.investigation straightaway and that will be finished soon. We need to
:05:23. > :05:28.get to the root of what was happening here, with families not
:05:28. > :05:35.getting listened to, children not getting listened to and respect not
:05:35. > :05:40.being given to the families. If you take on, whether it is your daughter
:05:40. > :05:44.'s child or your friend 's child and you give them the best chance they
:05:44. > :05:47.can be given then you should be given the financial support and
:05:47. > :05:53.respect, so I am concerned that this family had to go through all this
:05:53. > :05:57.before this came to light. People will be relieved that you recognise
:05:57. > :06:01.the issues and an investigation has been launched but we are talking
:06:01. > :06:05.about �10,000 for one family, potentially this could go into
:06:05. > :06:12.millions of back payments when councils are under a lot of
:06:12. > :06:17.financial pressure. Yes, and the minimum foster care allowance goes
:06:17. > :06:21.right back to 2006 but it became law in 2010 in terms of parity, so I
:06:21. > :06:26.want to look at this across the board because I want to make sure
:06:26. > :06:29.that our network families and our extended families, particularly in
:06:29. > :06:37.Liverpool when families are under pressure at the moment, are listened
:06:37. > :06:40.to. What you picked up earlier about people getting listened to, we
:06:40. > :06:48.should have picked this up a long time ago and reacted very quickly,
:06:48. > :06:51.so I am very sorry for that. Thank you to speaking to us.
:06:51. > :06:54.A 44-year-old man has appeared before Halton magistrates after a
:06:54. > :06:57.dog attack in Warrington. A Pomeranian dog was killed last month
:06:57. > :07:01.by a Staffordshire bull terrier. David Savage admitted being in
:07:01. > :07:09.charge of an out-of-control dog and will be sentenced in September. His
:07:09. > :07:11.co-accused, Susan Campbell, failed to appear.
:07:11. > :07:14.A police watchdog investigation is to be launched into the
:07:14. > :07:17.disappearance of a woman from her home in Manchester. 25-year-old
:07:17. > :07:19.Rania Alayed from Cheetham Hill hasn't been since June. The
:07:19. > :07:21.Independent Police Complaints Commission will investigate how
:07:21. > :07:29.previous domestic abuse claims were dealt with by Greater Manchester
:07:29. > :07:32.Police. Two people have since been charged with her murder.
:07:32. > :07:37.BAE Systems, which operates sites across the North West, has recorded
:07:37. > :07:42.a drop in profits. There's been an �18 million fall on last year. But
:07:42. > :07:45.the half year results also show an order backlog of over �40 billion.
:07:45. > :07:50.Last month, work began at the Cumbrian shipyard in Barrow on the
:07:50. > :07:53.sixth of a fleet of seven new submarines for the Royal Navy.
:07:53. > :07:57.Cutting edge radiotherapy treatment for cancer patients is going to be
:07:57. > :08:00.available in the North West. The Christie in Manchester is getting a
:08:00. > :08:07.share of �250 million for the proton beam therapy machine, which targets
:08:07. > :08:11.tumours more directly without damaging as much healthy tissue.
:08:11. > :08:15.It'll be offered to patients from 2018.
:08:15. > :08:19.Preston's Guild Hall is up for sale. The Council says it can no longer
:08:19. > :08:22.afford to run the building, which was built in the 1970s. It's been
:08:22. > :08:28.losing a million pounds a year. Now investors are being invited to
:08:28. > :08:32.sponsor, run or buy it. Drivers in Cumbria could soon pay
:08:32. > :08:35.less for their petrol and diesel. Ministers want to extend a rebate
:08:35. > :08:39.scheme to places where fuel prices are higher because of how much it
:08:39. > :08:43.costs to transport it there. Retailers in the area are being
:08:43. > :08:50.asked to send their pump prices to the government. It could mean prices
:08:50. > :08:53.are cut by five pence per litre. One in four women and one in six men
:08:53. > :08:57.will experience domestic abuse - a stark figure that means every one of
:08:57. > :09:00.us will know a victim. But it's a crime many victims refuse to talk
:09:00. > :09:04.about and today Greater Manchester Police launched a campaign to
:09:04. > :09:08.encourage others not directly involved to report it.
:09:08. > :09:12.Chief Constable Peter Fahy says it's one of the policing issues that
:09:12. > :09:22.keeps him awake at night, and we all have a responsibility to tackle it.
:09:22. > :09:30.Abbie Jones reports. He has punched me on the face and I
:09:30. > :09:34.have gone on the floor and I had to have an operation. Jo was abused by
:09:34. > :09:40.a man she loved but it was not until he kicked her in the stomach when
:09:40. > :09:45.she was pregnant that she felt able to go to the police. He threatened
:09:45. > :09:51.to kill my family if I was ever to report it. There were threats to
:09:51. > :09:58.kill my grandmother. When he went to prepare -- to prison previously it
:09:58. > :10:04.was my mum who reported that. Reporting by families, friends,
:10:04. > :10:13.neighbours who risk -- who suspect abuse is what the police want to
:10:13. > :10:17.encourage. After a conviction people say, we knew what went on but we
:10:17. > :10:23.didn't want to reported. It keeps me awake at night, knowing of the
:10:23. > :10:26.number of incidents we deal with. Four people were murdered by
:10:26. > :10:30.domestic violence in the year ending in June. In the year before eight
:10:30. > :10:38.people lost their lives. Police have been given powers to remove people
:10:38. > :10:42.from their homes to up to a month. In Manchester Clare's Law makes it
:10:42. > :10:46.possible to find out if a partner has a history of violence. Reporting
:10:46. > :10:49.domestic abuse can cause friction with victims who are not ready to
:10:49. > :10:59.help so people are being encouraged to ring helplines as well as the
:10:59. > :11:02.
:11:02. > :11:09.police. Jo now has a baby son and a new life. Reported if you respect it
:11:09. > :11:19.-- suspected because if you don't you could never see them again
:11:19. > :11:26.
:11:26. > :11:30.because they are dead. Bars in Manchester 's gay village
:11:30. > :11:34.are fusing to sell Russian vodka in protest to new laws which have led
:11:34. > :11:39.to the persecution of gay and lesbian people in the country.
:11:39. > :11:42.Manchester City Council has written to its twin city of Saint Petersburg
:11:43. > :11:49.expressing its concern about the situation there. Dave Guest is in
:11:49. > :11:55.the gay village now. Yes, on a warm summers evening such
:11:55. > :11:59.as this it is a popular spot. This is one of the most vibrant parts of
:11:59. > :12:02.Manchester's city centre but there is a sense of disquiet about what
:12:03. > :12:06.they are describing as Draconian laws introduced by President Putin
:12:06. > :12:12.in Russia which they say are leading to the persecution of gay and
:12:12. > :12:16.lesbian people. That is why they have decided to join this boycott
:12:16. > :12:23.against one of Russia's best-known exports.
:12:23. > :12:29.They have Russian vodka at this bar, just -- they are just not prepared
:12:29. > :12:36.to sell it to you at the moment. need to start taking action on
:12:36. > :12:43.putting pressure on our politicians. New laws in Russia restrict
:12:43. > :12:45.promotion of so-called nontraditional sexual identities.
:12:45. > :12:50.Some say it has led to the persecution of gay people in parts
:12:50. > :12:55.of Russia. In Manchester's gay village today there was support for
:12:55. > :13:00.the vodka boycott. Definitely something we should be seen to be
:13:00. > :13:05.standing together on. The government needs to say they are where of the
:13:05. > :13:09.situation and it needs to stop. Boycotting vodka is one approach.
:13:09. > :13:16.Today Manchester City Council tried another, writing a letter to the
:13:16. > :13:20.Governor of St Petersburg, Manchester's twin city, and
:13:20. > :13:26.expressed its concern. Whilst it did not directly see it wanted to end
:13:26. > :13:32.the twin arrangement, it said we will need to continue to monitor the
:13:32. > :13:38.situation in your city in the context of our ablation ship. -- our
:13:38. > :13:43.relationship. It outlines what we would expect in a reciprocal
:13:43. > :13:50.agreement. Is it really the Manchester to start interfering in
:13:50. > :13:54.Russia's policies? I don't think it is right to stand by when there is a
:13:54. > :13:58.declining situation. As the gay community we need to make sure that
:13:58. > :14:03.long-term we keep the fight going because it is an awareness campaign
:14:03. > :14:06.to support our brothers and sisters in Russia. Manchester says it is a
:14:07. > :14:10.city that celebrates diversity and it is not prepared to sit back and
:14:11. > :14:17.watch if it feels any minority group is being persecuted in any part of
:14:17. > :14:21.the world. So nobody is saying at this stage that they planned to end
:14:21. > :14:25.the twin arrangement with Saint Petersburg but there is certainly a
:14:25. > :14:28.feeling in Manchester that stand has to be taken against what has been
:14:28. > :14:37.happening in Russia and they need to let the Russian authorities know
:14:37. > :14:43.that they disapprove and they want things to change.
:14:43. > :14:48.Still to come, all set to kick off - are four League one club is looking
:14:48. > :14:54.ahead to the football season. On the lookout, as birds of a
:14:54. > :14:58.feather flock to Warrington. There was a time when the idea of a
:14:58. > :15:01.job for life was commonplace. But it's hardly the case in the modern
:15:01. > :15:04.era, where some workers swap jobs as often as they change cars.
:15:04. > :15:08.John Stamp from Merseyside has seen plenty of car changes, but only one
:15:08. > :15:15.job. He's worked at the same place for half a century. Eno Eruotor
:15:15. > :15:20.joined him on his last day. This has been his job day in and
:15:20. > :15:27.they are for the last 50 years. Car mechanic John Stamp has worked in
:15:27. > :15:37.the same role for the same firm fixing the same engines since 1963
:15:37. > :15:42.
:15:42. > :15:47.but now, at 66, he has made his last repair. I will miss work. I have two
:15:47. > :15:50.grandchildren and they go bowling in the afternoon so I can go with them.
:15:50. > :15:55.Beatlemania was just sweeping through England and John F. Kennedy
:15:55. > :16:03.and Martin Luther King were still alive when John first started out as
:16:03. > :16:07.an apprentice mechanic at Hatfield. They don't make them like John any
:16:07. > :16:14.more. To accumulate that knowledge doesn't happen because it is all and
:16:14. > :16:20.it try Nick. When John started you needed the knowledge in your head.
:16:20. > :16:25.-- it is all electronic. They had seat belts back then but they were
:16:25. > :16:33.not the law. We did not have heated seats, electric windows, you had to
:16:33. > :16:38.wind them. I have seen a lot of changes. And there is one person who
:16:38. > :16:41.is really excited about the changes to come. I am looking forward to
:16:41. > :16:50.having him at home because I miss him sometimes. Especially in
:16:50. > :16:55.winter, I do miss him. He has worked a long time. After half a century of
:16:55. > :17:05.fixing cars it is only fitting that his parting gift is a brand-new car.
:17:05. > :17:05.
:17:05. > :17:15.Shame it is not a Jaguar, though. He is a survivor, isn't he?
:17:15. > :17:22.
:17:22. > :17:29.He is, one hour. -- wow. Richard is at Old Trafford for us.
:17:29. > :17:35.Did the game live up to the billing? You have to say yes and no. Most of
:17:35. > :17:41.these fans had hoped to see James Anderson take a host of wickets and
:17:41. > :17:45.a dominant England in the field. It hasn't happened. It has been
:17:45. > :17:53.Australia's day. We will see Michael Clarke now. He moved himself up the
:17:53. > :17:58.order, made a century, 125 not out as part of a huge total for the
:17:58. > :18:07.Aussies of 303-3. England have to come back tomorrow and be up against
:18:07. > :18:13.it and make some kind of impact. get the impression that anybody who
:18:13. > :18:19.was lucky enough to get a ticket was determined to enjoy it. It has been
:18:19. > :18:24.a long time, 2005 the last time we saw an Ashes test at old Trafford.
:18:25. > :18:28.We have had the silly costumes, one or two people still cheering on the
:18:28. > :18:35.way out. People have been determined to enjoy themselves, make the most
:18:35. > :18:38.of it even though it has been Australia's day.
:18:38. > :18:46.It was pretty much sold out and the rest of the Test matches pretty much
:18:46. > :18:51.sold out so it is good to have test cricket back in the north West.
:18:51. > :18:59.lot of good following from all over the country. Brilliant day, kids
:18:59. > :19:03.enjoyed it. Didn't we? Yeah, brilliant.
:19:03. > :19:07.The new Football League season is just a couple of days away now. And
:19:07. > :19:14.tonight we're taking a look at our four sides in League One who for
:19:14. > :19:20.different reasons will be hoping things could click this time round.
:19:20. > :19:27.Last season was one to run another clue Garrigues and -- for clue --
:19:27. > :19:31.for Crewe Alexander. They won the Saint Johnstone 's paint Trophy. The
:19:31. > :19:36.manager appears to have strengthened wisely since then. Oldham athletic
:19:36. > :19:42.enjoyed cup moments in the spotlight, staying in the division
:19:42. > :19:52.was the cry or TiVo and after keeping them up Lee Johnston has
:19:52. > :19:52.
:19:53. > :19:58.totally refashioned his squad. -- was the priority and after.
:19:58. > :20:04.should we not say that we can get promotion? We are in the division
:20:04. > :20:11.and we want to win it. Tranmere Rovers spent a large part of last
:20:11. > :20:19.season at the top end of the table. They fell away to finish 11th. In
:20:19. > :20:21.Ronnie Moore they have a manager who knows the division inside out.
:20:21. > :20:27.Preston are understandably amongst the promotion favourites, in no
:20:27. > :20:34.small part down to Batman, Kevin Davies.
:20:34. > :20:40.-- to that man. We have high expectations, the players and the
:20:40. > :20:44.staff, there is a good feeling that we can do something good this year.
:20:44. > :20:52.North end have a tough start with promotion favourites Wolves the
:20:52. > :21:02.visitors on Saturday. There is excitement around the place. I think
:21:02. > :21:02.
:21:02. > :21:08.people can't wait for it to happen. What a signing Kevin Davies was for
:21:08. > :21:10.Preston. Let's hope tomorrow it is the same weather but a slightly
:21:11. > :21:17.different outcome. Let's hope James Anderson in particular can do the
:21:17. > :21:25.business. It does seem early to be talking
:21:25. > :21:29.about the football season. Trafford Council has approved an
:21:29. > :21:33.application by Manchester United supporters trust to protect Old
:21:33. > :21:37.Trafford stadium. The ground is designated an asset of community
:21:37. > :21:43.value, meaning fans or other locals could try to prevent it being sold
:21:43. > :21:45.or bid for it themselves if the club tried to sell it. The club says it
:21:45. > :21:48.has some concerns about the decision.
:21:48. > :21:52.Chester Zoo's released the first pictures of two rare northern
:21:52. > :21:55.cheetah cubs that were born eight weeks ago - helping to save the
:21:55. > :21:59.species from extinction. Over the last 100 years the wild population
:21:59. > :22:09.has plunged by 90 per cent and it's feared there may be as few as 250
:22:09. > :22:10.
:22:10. > :22:14.northern cheetahs left. The pair have been kept away from the public
:22:14. > :22:17.while they bonded to mother, KT, and underwent a full health check.
:22:17. > :22:26.If you know where to look there is plenty of wildlife to be found under
:22:26. > :22:29.our noses. Coming up on BBC One, look at the
:22:29. > :22:36.amount of wildlife living in the towns and cities of our region. He
:22:36. > :22:39.has been to Warrington to investigate the plight of the Swift.
:22:39. > :22:45.High in the north-west sky, spectacular visitors have arrived
:22:45. > :22:49.for the summer from Africa. These swifts set up home on a council
:22:49. > :22:55.estate in Warrington, with good reason. These houses provide them
:22:55. > :23:04.with what they want, nest sites, and the houses are old enough for there
:23:04. > :23:10.to be holes in the roofs. They just go in behind the roof space, not
:23:10. > :23:15.causing any problems. Brian knows more about swifts than anyone in
:23:15. > :23:21.Warrington. He has been surveying the birds for a quarter of a century
:23:21. > :23:27.and has found a disturbing trend. The population has declined severely
:23:27. > :23:37.in the last 20, 25 years, the bubbly by around 50%. The houses have got
:23:37. > :23:41.to an age when people are wanting to put on new roofs. They are using
:23:41. > :23:47.UPVC, which completely cuts off the nesting sites and the birds can't
:23:47. > :23:52.get into the roofs to breed so they have lost their breeding site.
:23:53. > :24:00.is hope for the Warrington swifts. A new development in town has included
:24:00. > :24:05.a specially designed Swift tower which will hopefully provide home
:24:05. > :24:11.for up to 20 nesting pairs in times for -- in time for next year's
:24:11. > :24:16.breeding season. I once found a fox outside my house
:24:16. > :24:25.in the early hours of the morning. I have never seen one in the flesh.
:24:25. > :24:31.We have some pretty chubby pigeons round our way. That is a special BBC
:24:31. > :24:38.One programmes straight after our bulletin.
:24:38. > :24:48.It is part of the BBC's summer of wildlife. Go to this address to find
:24:48. > :24:52.
:24:52. > :24:58.at Old Trafford and it is Australian weather today. Temperatures on the
:24:58. > :25:08.Isle of Man have struggled, 18 degrees. In Manchester, up to 28
:25:08. > :25:11.degrees. Many places have got a huge amount of sunshine to end the day. A
:25:11. > :25:18.bit of patchy cloud but it is all about the sunshine. If you are
:25:18. > :25:22.heading to old Trafford tomorrow your picture is similar. Not quite
:25:22. > :25:26.as hot or completely dry. I don't think that will spoil the day for
:25:26. > :25:33.many people. This is how we look right now. A lot of sunshine
:25:33. > :25:37.around, for most places it will be too warm. We have a line of whether
:25:37. > :25:46.making its way in from the Isle of Man, running up the Irish Sea and
:25:46. > :25:53.clipping the coast. The rain will not cool you down at all. For most
:25:53. > :26:01.of us it will be dry with light winds. Temperatures in 11 to 18 and
:26:01. > :26:06.19 degrees. The numbers on the map are minimums for the towns and
:26:06. > :26:10.cities so it will be a bit of a struggle tonight. In the morning you
:26:10. > :26:16.might have quite a lot of cloud along with the rain but it will thin
:26:17. > :26:22.and break relatively quickly. If you watch the timeline, once you get
:26:22. > :26:27.past lunchtime, that is when you start to see the peak temperatures.
:26:27. > :26:32.I will not be surprised if from around two o'clock you start to see
:26:32. > :26:37.them drift in and they could drift absolutely anywhere. If you get one
:26:37. > :26:42.it is a disappointment but it shouldn't ruin your day. You could
:26:42. > :26:47.have a hefty downpour from time to time. Not expecting massive rumbles
:26:47. > :26:52.of thunder but they get lively by the end of the day. I would not be
:26:52. > :26:58.surprised if the Isle of Man saw temperatures of 18 or 19 at the best
:26:58. > :27:08.but we could see 23 hey and there, a perfect English summer day. -- here
:27:08. > :27:13.
:27:13. > :27:17.good summer? I think it has been a great summer.
:27:17. > :27:27.I'm not speaking officially but it feels like that. We are only on the
:27:27. > :27:28.
:27:28. > :27:34.1st of August. It feels like A summer.