07/11/2013 North West Tonight

which is going to hit the Philippines on our website. That

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

Annabel Tiffin. Our top story: Anger as a former Blackpool surgeon

convicted of killing a patient tries to become a doctor again. He is a

man who has harmed the lives of up to a dozen patients in quite a bad

way, and I don't see why he should be allowed to practice again at all.

Steven Walker's failings led to him being nicknamed Dr Death.

Also tonight: Another blow to glass production in St Helens, the home of

glass. Will it remain so? The Escort and the corrupt policeman

` he's jailed after taking money to frame this woman's ex`boyfriend

Guests are taken to safety as one of the Isle of Man's largest hotels

goes up in flames. And here's a famous face. Hi, folks,

Ken Dodd here. I'm making an exhibition of myself. Oh, no,

they've made an exhibition of me! Come and see it. You will be

tickled. There's anger and concern tonight

following the news that a Blackpool surgeon convicted of killing a

patient is applying to become a doctor again. Steven Walker, who

worked at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, became known as Dr Death

after he admitted the manslaughter of a 71`year`old woman. His

negligence also contributed to the Manslaughter of a 71 euros woman. ``

71`year`old woman. Joining us now from outside Blackpool Victoria

Hospital is our health correspondent Nina Warhurst. Nina, how have

relatives of those who died reacted to Mr Walker trying to get back into

the medical profession? I've been talking to the widow of a

man who was killed by the doctor. He said that he was 88 years old and

had hoped that after 18 years, this would all be over.

They called him Dr Death. A self`confessed killer who recklessly

operated beyond his limits, leaving four dead and others maimed. He

admitted the manslaughter of 71`year`old Dorothy McPhee.

Witnesses recall that he posed for photos with a sample of her liver as

she lost 36 pints of blood and lay dying. I don't think the medical

Council can take that whisk. Neil's mother Mabel died after a routine

bowel operation. He is appalled at the thought of Walker practising

medicine again. Yellow they just should not do it. It would be akin

to having an airline pilot who crashed a plane and was told he was

not able to fly again. This is a man who has harmed the lives of two

dozen patients in quite a bad way and I don't see why he should be

allowed to practice again at all. It was an anaesthetist who blew the

whistle after saying he witnessed 16 operations where there was

catastrophic blood loss. Steven Walker has asked for the right to

practice medicine again. The General medical Council, who give doctors

their licences, told us... I imagine the families will be

shocked by this and surprised that the doctor is able to apply in this

way but they are entitled to do so. The rules are here to determine

whether they are fit to practice. Determining whether he is fit to be

a doctor will not be easy but it is possible that within weeks Steven

Walker will be practising medicine again.

We have tried throughout the day to contact Steven Walker but have been

unsuccessful. His fitness to practice medicine hearing begins

next Wednesday and is expected to last for U days. `` two days.

A care home boss from Merseyside has been sentenced to 12 months in

prison, suspended for two years after being found guilty of wilfully

neglecting a pensioner with dementia. Belita Howell was the

manager of Mother Redcaps care home in Wallasey when 86`year`old Walter

Witcherley fell out of his bed and suffered a broken hip in April last

year. He died a month later. An 11`year`old girl from Greater

Manchester returned home from her mum's funeral to find burglars had

stolen a mobile phone containing irreplaceable photographs of her

mother. They broke into the house in Stalybridge while the child and her

mum's partner attended the funeral service. Police are asking anyone

with information to contact them. St Helens has led the way in glass

production for 200 years. But today staff at its last remaining producer

were told of more job losses. Pilkington's are about to cut 1 0

posts. The firm will end glass production at its Cowley Hill site.

The council said it's a devastating blow. Here's Jayne McCubbin.

Pilkington's chimneys still dominate the St Helens skyline. But the

town's glass heritage is a shadow of what it once was. Rockware, United

Glass, Ravenhead and Pilkington s once employed 25,000 people here.

Today just one name remains. 1, 00 staff. That figure about to be cut

again. The float glass process was pioneered here. It was copied around

the world. But today managers said the downturn had taken its toll

Since 2008, we've seen demand for glass in the UK fall by about 3 %.

We've seen prices fall. But all those together and we are losing

millions of pounds in this operation. They used to be three

float glass lines here in St Helens. In 2012 that went down to two. Next

year it will go down to one. This is a massively scaled back operation

and parts of the site where thousands of people used to work are

now up for sale. But managers say that doesn't mean the writing is on

the wall for those staff who remain. Staff today told me they hoped there

was a future ` even if it wasn't in glass production. How long have you

worked their? 34 years. I'm shocked, really shocked. Devastated. To staff

and the town ` a town built on glass ` it is huge blow. Employment in the

borough is going to be cut by a quarter as a result of this. They

told me 10%. Be information I've had is a quarter and that is a lot of

well`paid jobs being lost. Managers say the production lines won't be

scrapped, merely mothballed. The council says that in reality they

are unlikely to be brought into use. And just to mention that Jayne has

been celebrating today. She was named Specialist Writer of the Year

at last night's O2 North West Media Awards. The judges praised her

"intuitive questions, which bring specialist topics to life". Well

done! A corrupt police officer has been

jailed for four years after an escort girl paid him ?19,000 to

frame her ex`boyfriend. Manchester Crown Court was told that that

Daniel Withnell offered to place a gun and drugs in the man's car. It

also heard claims that other Greater Manchester Police officers were

willing to help him. Our reporter Stuart Flinders was in court and

earlier I asked him exactly what Withnell had agreed to do. Daniel

Withnell was a detective constable with Greater Manchester Police. He

since been kicked out of the force. He is from Bolton and about a year

ago he entered into an agreement with an escort called Claire

Smethurst. She paid him ?19,000 and, in return, he agreed to put a

shot gun and drugs inside the car of her ex`boyfriend. The following day

she had a change of heart and contacted him to tell him the deal

was off and eventually he returned the money. But she also contacted

another police officer and that set in motion a chain of events that led

to with now's events. In the meantime, Smethurst has received a

suspended sentence for perverting the course of justice. Why did he do

it? He was heavily in debt June two failed businesses and it changed

him. `` because of failed businesses. His father said he was

withdrawn and overwhelmed. But the idea he would have carried out this

plan of putting the gun in Sunbury's car and enlisting the help

of other police officers was, the judge said, fanciful. He Access did

that Daniel Withnell had no intention of carrying that out but

couldn't resist the money. Daniel Withnell's lawyer said to the judge

that he was concerned for his client's safety in prison. He said a

prison sentence would be an isolating, frightening and dangerous

experience but the judge rejected that mitigation when he sentenced

Daniel Withnell. He said that cases like this have a shattering effect

on the face of the general public in the police. But he said that it

might become putting for the public to note that it was other police

officers who brought Daniel Withnell to justice. He sentenced Daniel

Withnell to four years in prison, bearing in mind he had to all

charges facing him. There've been calls for a Lancashire

politician to resign after it was revealed he attended a party at

Downing Street while being wanted for questioning over a murder in

Pakistan. The Prime Minister says he's looking carefully into the case

of Abdul Aziz, a Conservative councillor on Pendle Borough

Council. Peter Marshall reports There was no answer this evening at

the Nelson home of counsel Abdul Aziz. He is not yet responded to our

phone calls. The Conservative councillor attended a party at

Downing Street last month after receiving an invitation to celebrate

the Muslim festival of Ede. But a Prime Minister's Questions

yesterday, David Cameron was told councillor Aziz was wanted for

questioning in Pakistan over a killing last year. After shaking

this man's hand and having photos taken with him, would the Prime

Minister now like to say that he think this gentleman should return

to Pakistan and face justice? I m looking carefully into this case and

I will write to the honourable gentleman. Councillor Aziz

represents award on Pendle Borough Council. Now the leader of the

council's Labour group has called on him to consider his position. His

innocence is a matter for the judicial system in Pakistan. He was

named on an arrest warrant. If he's innocent, I am asking him to

consider his position, not to bring the good name of the council in to

distribute. Resign his position and go out to clear his name. The

incident is alleged to have happened in the Gujarat district last year.

The warrant documents the alleged revenge killing of a man who was

shot and killed by a gang of armed men. Councillor Aziz has previously

strongly denied any involvement and says he was in Lancashire at the

time of the incident. He has made no further comment today.

A water park activity centre in Greater Manchester is to close.

Trafford Council will shut Trafford Watersports Centre in December to

save money. It's currently subsidised by ?200,000 a year. The

closure will save just over ?1 million.

More than 140 stolen bicycles have been recovered from just one address

in Rochdale. Police made the discovery when carrying out searches

in the area. Three people were arrested at the house on Surma

Close. It's now hoped the bikes can be returned to their owners.

A huge fire ripped through one of the biggest hotels on the Isle of

Man today, destroying the residential blocks. The Isle of Man

Fire and Rescue Service were called to the Mount Murray Hotel and

Country Club in Santon at about 10:30 to face a rapidly spreading

fire. Luckily, everybody inside was evacuated to safety and nobody was

seriously injured. Kelly Foran reports.

Almost 100 rooms up in flames. Fire ripped though the four`star hotel in

minutes, It's thought about 50 hotel guests were inside at the time. I

was evacuated out of the swimming pool in just my swimming trunks and

a towel. The hotel were fantastic and provided me with foil blanket is

and somebody lend me some shoes You simply have to go with it. Emergency

services from the whole island came together to tackle the blaze, and

stopped it spreading to the rest of the hotel. I was here shortly before

11 o'clock and I would say we were working on the fire for in excess of

four hours. This was a significant fire. The local hospital and the

ambulance service were placed on alert for a major incident but

luckily they say there was only one casualty, who suffered minor

injuries. The people who live opposite looked on in horror. It

immediately went like an inferno. The whole roof was on fire within

minutes. I was coming through from the kitchen and saw the hotel on

fire! Very frightening. Everyone is a bit shocked because it happened so

quickly. The area has been cordoned off and fire crews will stay on the

scene this evening to make the building is secure. The emergency

services say it's too early to speculate how the fire was started

but an investigation will be launched.

A company set up to provide Lancashire County Council with

cheaper services was actually bumping up the cost. That's the

conclusion of a council review published this afternoon. It says

One Connect Ltd added 20% to the cost of a deal to provide emergency

alarm systems. The deal didn't go ahead but if it had, the review

concluded, the council would have been paying far more than it needed

to. Our chief reporter Dave Guest has more and joins us now. One

Connect was set up as a partnership between the council and BT by the

previous government. It suggested it should take over the running of

safety alarms that people have in their home. One Connect invited a

telecom company to quote for the job and then drew up a deal that it

wanted to put to the county council. But when Labour took control of the

council earlier this year, they were dubious about whether it was going

to provide good value for money and cancelled the deal before contract

was signed. And they started to look into it. What have they concluded?

They have concluded that One Connect would have added around 20% to the

overall cost that the original company had tendered for this job.

It would have meant ?1.4 million more for the council than it needed

to pay. The review says that is made up of mark`ups that were added by

One Connect to the original price. They say there was a lack of

transparency in the way One Connect conduct of its procurement processes

and they say that it failed to work in partnership with the council

This is just the latest concern raised about One Connect, isn't it?

Yes, and let's but this was an organisation established by the

Tories. Labour feel it was not a good idea and have been looking into

it. They highlighted the fact that One Connect's Chief Executive was

paid ?0.5 million in bonuses, which they said could be justified.

Lancashire police are now investigating what they described as

concerns relating to a number of financial irregularities. That may

well conclude nothing was awry. We'll have to wait and see and we

will keep you posted. Still to come on North West Tonight: The North

West's market towns battle to buck the economic downturn on the High

Street. And tickled pink ` Ken Dodd's

backstage moments captured in a new exhibition of photographs. It's a

great privilege. It's an honour I'll have to look at some other

words! Make`up containing sewage water

alcohol that can cause blindness and cigarettes filled with rat

droppings. Products none of us would choose to buy ` and certainly

wouldn't dream of knowingly giving to our loved ones. But these are all

counterfeit goods that have been seized by Trading Standards officers

in Warrington. And with Christmas fast approaching, they're warning

people not to gamble with their health by taking a chance on a fake

label or bargain. Abbie Jones reports.

In a warehouse somewhere in Warrington, the latest haul of

counterfeits join an ever growing pile. In here, everything from fake

bags and CDs to knock`off booze Over ?100,000 worth of goods. Some

people will say, does it matter if I spend ?5 on a cheap DVD? What harm

is it doing? But some products are very dangerous, aren't they? Yes, we

are finding more and more we are getting let Tronic items that are

fake. You are ending up curling plates that could overheat and burn

your skin. We have cigarettes that have rat droppings in them.

Warrington is one of many councils across the North West clamping down

on counterfeits in the run up to Christmas. But is the message really

getting across? If it was counterfeit clothing with a brand,

maybe I would buy that. You might be tented? I think I might. I wouldn't

buy counterfeit. It's the job of these undercover Trading Standards

officers to make sure the public's protected. They're often called by

police after raids and make spot checks on firms. We've protected

their identity. The worst case I've come across is a 13`year`old girl

whose parents ought her a set of GHDs from a market stall and welded

her head together and as a result, she ended up losing part of her

scalp. Counterfeits can also harm legitimate as this is, cause job

losses and fund organised crime Most of us love a bargain, but

Trading Standards say the real price of fake goods can be one nobody

should have to pay. You can't have failed to notice all

the "to let" signs on high streets across the North West. The recession

has taken its toll on retail. But our market towns seem to have bucked

the trend, according to delegates at a national conference in Cheshire.

Congleton was chosen as the venue for the gathering of representatives

from market towns across England. This from our Cheshire reporter

Mark Edwardson. Congleton's held a market since

1272. Cathy Morris is a town centre hairdresser. And she's got big plans

for Christmas. At the Christmas which on last year I saw all the

people outside in the streets. It was packed and I thought, let's do

something different, something bigger, and we are raising money to

bring an ice rink to Congleton. Today, more than 100 delegates

shared tips at the town Hall. Congleton Town Council says of its

223 units 199 are occupied ` a vacancy rate of almost 11%. That

compares with a national average of 15%. So what about similar towns

elsewhere in the North West? In Ulverston, 15 shops await tenants `

that's 8.9%.And in Chorley, 15 are vacant ` a rate of 4.5%. Congleton

Town Council says it's expecting the number of "to let" signs to fall in

the near future. We've got ambitious plans to improve the pavements, the

seating, the lighting, to make it a more attractive place. But that

takes a lot of money. I try and shop local because I've got my own

business so I try and shop local and support the local shops. I try not

to go out of town if I can help it. Everyone seems very polite, happy,

and there's good nightlife. Many of the region's large towns have

suffered badly during the recession. So, what can they learn from its

market towns? Councils and government should listen. People

should make decisions at the level where people care. Looking to the

future, one of the conference messages is, "embrace the internet `

don't fight it". Some sports news for you now, and

Wigan Athletic were aiming to go to the top of their group in the Europa

League this evening. They're playing away at the Russian side Rubin

Kazan, who made the quarterfinals last season. We're approaching the

end of the match but Wigan are still trailing from that early goal. They

are in stoppage time at the end of the game so it looks like Wigan are

heading for defeat. At the moment, they are trailing 1`0.

Burnley`born Jay Rodriguez has been called up to the full England squad

for the first time. The Southampton striker made his name with his

home`town club before he was sold by the clarets for ?7 million before

the start of last season. He is on the left of your screen. The

Lancastrian is in line to face Chile and Germany in friendly matches

later this month. Comedian Ken Dodd is one of

Liverpool's best`loved entertainers and tomorrow an exhibition of photos

celebrating his career will open in the city. The exhibition at the

Museum of Liverpool is the result of a friendship between Ken Dodd and

local photographer Steve Shakeshaft that spans half a century, as Beccy

Meehan reports. Still entertaining after 60 years `

and now the subject of a new exhibition of photos at the Museum

of Liverpool. It's a great privilege. It's an honour. I'll have

to look up some other words. It gives you rather a nice feeling In

the early 1960s, Stephen Shakeshaft was sent to photograph Ken Dodd for

the Liverpool Post Echo. A friendship developed between the two

men which has given Stephen unusually candid access to his

backstage life. It's an honest exhibition, an exhibition I want

people to look at and say it's about his real life. They know what Ken is

like. He tells jokes and is a funny man. But I want the exhibition to

show a different side of him. Ken is definitely a Liverpool person. He

lives in his parents' home in Knotty Ash. He has been loyal to Liverpool,

loves Liverpool. Everything about Ken Dodd is Liverpool. As as the

comedian prepares to celebrate his 86th birthday tomorrow, he's still

touring. I've got the best job in the world because I only see people

whose smile, who laughed. All these photographs are comedian trying to

do his job. The exhibition opens at the Museum of Liverpool tomorrow.

He's what they call an acorn. An icon, sorry. An acorn is not! `` is

a nut. It looks a little bit brighter

outside but it felt like summer today. We have some good spells of

sunshine. Temperatures just about in double figures in some places. Over

the next few days, more of the same. We keep the temperature is just

about in double figures but you will notice behind me in places over the

next 48 hours, we could get temperatures in single figures. Into

Monday, warmer air begins to flow back in from the south. Tonight

still one or two a showers floating in, particularly across the Isle of

Man and Cumbria. In between the showers there will be some clear

skies and where we keep the clear skies, it's going to be chilly and

we're likely to see temperatures possibly dropping over Cumbria

fairly close to freezing in rural areas. Tomorrow, more of the same `

a mixture of sunshine and heavy showers. West isn't going to be best

for tomorrow. That's where we are going to see the heaviest showers,

around the coast. Elsewhere, in between the showers, plenty of right

spells and lighter winds so if you see any sunshine, it will feel

warmer. Parts of Lancashire will feel warmer. Seven or eight Celsius.

Into Saturday, more of the same Sunshine and showers but things will

improve. Into Sunday, mostly dry and brighter conditions. This rain is

slowly edging in. It feels as if the rain may hold off from Sunday into

Monday so if you're going to any events for Remembrance Sunday, wrap

up warm because it's going to be cold. It will be bright and

hopefully during the day, mostly dry. The rain will hopefully come

from Sunday night into Monday. I have to sit down to say this! I

need to show you ` we've got some special hobbies on today. That was

sent in by Wendy. `` special poppies. We will give a contribution

to the Royal British Legion. I've got the traditional one! Wigan have

been beaten 1`0. Commiserations Good night.