:00:00. > 3:59:596pm. It's goodbye from me and on BBC One, we join our teams where you
:00:00. > :00:00.are. Good evening. Welcome to NorthWest
:00:00. > :00:09.Tonight with Annabel Tiffin and Tony Livesey. Our top story: The first
:00:10. > :00:21.blast of winter ` New Brighton left under water after high tides break
:00:22. > :00:26.through the sea wall. That caused chaos in the shopping centre behind
:00:27. > :00:31.me but it was not alone. The water swept across the road and inundated
:00:32. > :00:34.the local lifeboat station. And New Brighton's not alone ` the storm
:00:35. > :00:38.brings damage and disruption right across the North West. Eno will be
:00:39. > :00:43.here with a full round up of the weather. Also in the programme:
:00:44. > :00:49.After Millie chokes to death, a coroner calls for changes in first
:00:50. > :00:53.aid training for all nurseries. The perils and plusses of fracking `
:00:54. > :00:58.we continue our look at the shale gas boom Stateside.
:00:59. > :01:15.And cricket down a mine? This umpire in Cumbria can't get his head round
:01:16. > :01:22.it. High winds and a tidal surge have
:01:23. > :01:29.caused havoc across the region. A major clean`up operation is underway
:01:30. > :01:34.in rural. Major damage has been done to restaurants, coffee shops and a
:01:35. > :01:44.supermarket. Car parks were submerged underwater. David Guest is
:01:45. > :01:49.there for us now. It was not only the shopping centre deluged, so was
:01:50. > :01:56.the lifeboat station. They are continuing to clean up tonight. Here
:01:57. > :02:00.you can see the wind is still very blustery and behind me, the blue
:02:01. > :02:06.lights of a police van because this area is still sealed off. You can
:02:07. > :02:13.see the marine point shopping complex, that was particularly badly
:02:14. > :02:18.affected by today's storm. The waters came quickly and
:02:19. > :02:25.relentlessly, swamping all. This was the scene at the Morrisons
:02:26. > :02:34.supermarket. The went to try and help customers to their cars. We
:02:35. > :02:41.were up to our knees. Elsewhere in the development, others were caught
:02:42. > :02:46.in the deluge. The sea was that high, backed by a significant
:02:47. > :02:54.breeze. Visualise that coming right over the sea wall. Even the lifeboat
:02:55. > :03:00.station was not immune. We went of to make sure the hang`up was all
:03:01. > :03:05.right and on the way back came word of children and parents stuck in the
:03:06. > :03:10.nursery opposite. Could not get out because the tide was still over the
:03:11. > :03:20.promenade. We took the boat and put the kids and parents on the boat.
:03:21. > :03:24.The road itself there was a rise in the tide and it was flowing
:03:25. > :03:28.significantly so vehicles were trying to get away and it was very
:03:29. > :03:35.challenging for them. This looks like a vessel in distress on the
:03:36. > :03:41.high seas. It is a work of art ripped from the sea front and tossed
:03:42. > :03:45.into the waves. This was the scene at the Fort perch car park. In New
:03:46. > :03:51.Brighton the storms brought damage but no one was hurt. Somebody could
:03:52. > :03:58.have been heard this afternoon. The Fire and rescue service tell us at
:03:59. > :04:04.12:20pm, they had to rescue a man who put himself on the sea wall
:04:05. > :04:08.Luckily he was brought to safety. Here that the lifeboat station they
:04:09. > :04:15.are still clearing up after what has been a very busy day. Ian, how
:04:16. > :04:22.unusual word the weather conditions? Very unusual. It is
:04:23. > :04:31.unfortunate we are on spring tide and also behind that was winds of 60
:04:32. > :04:39.knots. The results came right over and flooded our place as well.
:04:40. > :04:46.People coming down and putting themselves in peril. They get too
:04:47. > :04:50.close and be an result is, fortunately there were no tragedies
:04:51. > :04:56.but it is so easy for that to happen. It would have been very
:04:57. > :05:04.awkward for us to go out to sea but we would have managed it. Will we
:05:05. > :05:08.see more flooding tonight? The tide is bigger tonight but the wind has
:05:09. > :05:14.backed off a bit. Hopefully it will not happen again. I would be annoyed
:05:15. > :05:21.if it does because we have only just finished cleaning up! Situation in
:05:22. > :05:27.New Brighton, a very difficult day today, a high tide tonight but
:05:28. > :05:31.because the wind has got a hope not to experience the problems they did
:05:32. > :05:38.this afternoon. The fire service will be on alert just in case
:05:39. > :05:42.anything should happen. The message is it is spectacular seeing the
:05:43. > :05:44.waves going over but don't put yourself in peril by going to see
:05:45. > :05:48.them. Well, it's not just New Brighton and
:05:49. > :05:51.Merseyside that have been affected. In Greater Manchester the winds
:05:52. > :05:53.brought trees down and have caused travel disruption. Parts of
:05:54. > :05:56.Lancashire have been affected by flooding, while Cheshire, Cumbria
:05:57. > :06:00.and the Isle of Man have all been left battered and bruised by the
:06:01. > :06:03.stormy weather. Across the north west, roads have been closed, trains
:06:04. > :06:08.cancelled or delayed and ferry services suspended. Our reporter
:06:09. > :06:18.Nazia Mogra reports on a wild day across the region.
:06:19. > :06:21.This shows how bad the flooding was today across the region. The winds
:06:22. > :06:25.reached 70 miles per hour at their height. And they battered every part
:06:26. > :06:30.of our region. From north to the south. In Greater Manchester the
:06:31. > :06:36.driver of this lorry lucky to be alive after a large tree fell on it
:06:37. > :06:40.in long`sight. Traffic on the Barton Bridge came to a standstill as this
:06:41. > :06:47.lorry overturned. And fire crews tried to secure part of the roof of
:06:48. > :06:50.the indoor ski centre Chill Factore. In Poynton in Cheshire, a tree falls
:06:51. > :06:56.on a car. The driver escapes without injury. In Saltney, water levels
:06:57. > :07:06.were being closely monitored on the River Dee. I live half a mile away
:07:07. > :07:09.and so quite concerned. I had never seen anything like this. In
:07:10. > :07:11.Lancashire a similar picture. The main concern here flooding.
:07:12. > :07:18.Blackpool promenade was closed as waves crashed over the sea wall In
:07:19. > :07:23.Preston near Leyland more flooding caused long tailbacks. And in
:07:24. > :07:33.Lytham, the life boat station flooded and it was hard to see where
:07:34. > :07:39.the sea started and the road ended. This has been a very unusual event
:07:40. > :07:43.for us in that it has been a combination of tidal surge,
:07:44. > :07:46.compounded by the terrible weather lashing the UK and Northwest since
:07:47. > :07:49.early this morning. In Cumbria roads flooded around Morecambe Bay as the
:07:50. > :07:52.gales added several feet to the height of the tide. And at
:07:53. > :07:57.Milnthorpe the tide gates were shut to protect the village before the
:07:58. > :08:01.tide came in. But some drivers and passengers had to be helped out of a
:08:02. > :08:04.stranded car by Cumbria Fire and Rescue. Arnside was also battered by
:08:05. > :08:08.the winds and water. In Walney the seafront flooded. And in Barrow the
:08:09. > :08:11.town's Christmas tree fell. On the Isle of Man there were a number of
:08:12. > :08:16.fallen trees across the island and police had to pull down a lamp post
:08:17. > :08:20.as it was unsafe. Across the north west, drivers and those on public
:08:21. > :08:24.transport faced huge delays. Many motorways closed and train services
:08:25. > :08:29.cancelled. These passengers at Manchester's Piccadilly Station like
:08:30. > :08:33.thousands facing chaos. Some flights from Manchester Airport have been
:08:34. > :08:38.delayed. And earlier, Mersey ferries and the Isle of Man steam packet's
:08:39. > :08:50.services were suspended. The advice tonight, check before you travel.
:08:51. > :08:56.Some of those pictures were spectacular. Just goes to show, you
:08:57. > :09:03.know it is coming but there is nothing you can do. A stormy day in
:09:04. > :09:08.all parts of the region. It is improving. We started off with 2
:09:09. > :09:14.flood alerts but we no longer have any flood warnings. Also we have
:09:15. > :09:29.some strong winds at high tide this afternoon. 77 mph around the Irish
:09:30. > :09:33.Sea coast. Having said that, we have lost the Amber weather warning for
:09:34. > :09:36.the wind but a different type of warning to tell you about at the end
:09:37. > :09:39.of the programme. A coroner has recommended changes in first aid
:09:40. > :09:42.training for all nursery staff, following the death of a
:09:43. > :09:46.nine`month`old baby in Stockport. Millie Thompson died after choking
:09:47. > :09:50.on her lunch last year. Today, a jury concluded that she died as a
:09:51. > :09:53.result of misadventure and that the outcome could not have been
:09:54. > :09:59.different. But Millie's parents are considering legal action against the
:10:00. > :10:01.nursery. Naomi Cornwell reports Millie Thompson was a normal,
:10:02. > :10:05.healthy nine`month`old when she arrived at Ramillies Hall Nursery in
:10:06. > :10:09.Cheadle Hulme last year. But the inquest at Oldham Magistrates Court
:10:10. > :10:12.heard that she began to choke and turn blue while being fed her lunch
:10:13. > :10:15.of shepherd's pie. Despite attempts by nursery staff and paramedics to
:10:16. > :10:21.save her, Millie was pronounced dead just over an hour later. Today, the
:10:22. > :10:24.inquest jury concluded that she d died as a result of misadventure.
:10:25. > :10:29.Millie had inhaled food which resulted in a complication that was
:10:30. > :10:32.both rare and difficult to diagnose. Given the circumstances, they said,
:10:33. > :10:41.we do not believe that the outcome for Millie could have been
:10:42. > :10:46.different. We will continue to miss her and think of her family every
:10:47. > :10:49.day. This has been devastating for everyone involved. The jury was told
:10:50. > :10:52.the nursery had several first aiders and complied with all regulations.
:10:53. > :10:55.But some staff knew general first aid for adults and children and
:10:56. > :10:58.hadn't received specialist training in paediatric techniques. The court
:10:59. > :11:02.also heard that the ambulance operator who took the 999 call had
:11:03. > :11:04.failed to grade it in the most serious category, but that this
:11:05. > :11:07.would have made no practical difference to how quickly the
:11:08. > :11:10.ambulance arrived. Outside court, Millie's parents criticised the
:11:11. > :11:20.quality of care given to their daughter. We believe a catalogue of
:11:21. > :11:25.errors led to a situation where it was too late to save our beloved
:11:26. > :11:28.daughter. The coroner John Pollard said he intends to write to the
:11:29. > :11:31.Secretaries of State for Education and Health, asking for all nursery
:11:32. > :11:34.staff to have specialist training in paediatric first aid. And to the
:11:35. > :11:37.Chief Executive of the North West Ambulance Service, asking for all
:11:38. > :11:42.emergency call handlers to be given extra training in how to deal with
:11:43. > :11:44.cases involving children. The ambulance service has said it's
:11:45. > :11:48.considering the coroner's recommendations. Millie's parents
:11:49. > :11:58.say they're now considering legal action against the nursery and the
:11:59. > :12:02.ambulance service. A man has been charged with murder
:12:03. > :12:07.on the Isle of Man. It follows the death of Neil Roberts, who was 0.
:12:08. > :12:09.He was found dead in a house in Castletown in the early hours of
:12:10. > :12:13.last Sunday. Four men have been arrested after
:12:14. > :12:15.the death of a man at a Greater Manchester nightclub. 30`year`old
:12:16. > :12:18.Nick Bonnie, from Stroud in Gloucestershire, died after taking a
:12:19. > :12:21.drug thought to be ecstasy at The Warehouse Project in September.
:12:22. > :12:26.Police have arrested three men aged 29 and one aged 30, all from the
:12:27. > :12:29.Gloucestershire area. A consultation ends today on a
:12:30. > :12:31.project which could see nuclear waste stored at an underground
:12:32. > :12:35.facility in Cumbria. Cumbria County Council voted against the plans in
:12:36. > :12:38.January, but the Government wants to start a new process excluding the
:12:39. > :12:43.County Council, leaving the smaller district councils to decide.
:12:44. > :12:47.Sefton Council has rejected plans by community groups to take over two
:12:48. > :12:50.libraries in Crosby and Aintree A separate plan to run Ainsdale
:12:51. > :12:53.library is still being considered. It means six of the borough's 1
:12:54. > :12:59.libraries will have closed this year.
:13:00. > :13:02.There's been fresh argument today over the controversial process of
:13:03. > :13:05.fracking for natural gas. Friends of the Earth claim the Chancellor's
:13:06. > :13:09.planned tax breaks to encourage the industry could be illegal. Well
:13:10. > :13:13.we've been looking into fracking all week and tonight we return to Ohio
:13:14. > :13:16.in the United States. In the second of his reports, Peter Marshall's
:13:17. > :13:27.been to the small town of Carrollton which is two years into the sort of
:13:28. > :13:32.gas boom we could well witness here. Glittering horizon or dark days
:13:33. > :13:45.ahead. Opinions on fracking are split. It is the subject of songs,
:13:46. > :13:49.everyone has a view. So watch the view of someone who is a next`door
:13:50. > :13:58.neighbour to the industry in Carroll County. Gary lives within a few
:13:59. > :14:06.hundred yards of a rig. He will not get royalties from the industry It
:14:07. > :14:11.is different. It is both good and bad. The noise is not good but
:14:12. > :14:15.several of my friends have owned companies here in town and are doing
:14:16. > :14:26.five bidders. They are hiring employees. It is good. So far.
:14:27. > :14:30.Sheriff Dale Williams has patrolled Carroll County four more years than
:14:31. > :14:38.he would care to remember, so how has the gas boom changed his job?
:14:39. > :14:43.There has been a lot of criminal activity `` has not been a lot of
:14:44. > :14:49.criminal activity. But a lot of traffic problems. Carroll County was
:14:50. > :15:00.hit by the recession before the gas boom. Some of these apartments, the
:15:01. > :15:11.average rent was probably 350, 400 a month. Now they are getting $ 500.
:15:12. > :15:21.This farmer has had no say when they put the well pad on some of his best
:15:22. > :15:26.land. I did get payment when they put the well pad in but as far as
:15:27. > :15:33.the total picture of the farming and that, I don't want to see any more.
:15:34. > :15:37.Which you have preferred not to hear about the gas industry? It might
:15:38. > :15:44.have been better off if we had not heard about it. All of the gas that
:15:45. > :15:49.comes out of the ground will end up here at this factory south of
:15:50. > :15:53.Carroll County but coming here causes disruption. Update you can
:15:54. > :16:01.see a swathe cut through the trees to make way for pipelines. It is not
:16:02. > :16:08.perfect but it is not evil either. We will not cut corners to make
:16:09. > :16:12.profits. We all live here, we breathe the same air and drink the
:16:13. > :16:18.same water. We will make sure everything is done right. In Carroll
:16:19. > :16:26.County fracking has helped some others through the day it arrived.
:16:27. > :16:30.Expect a similar split here. We and our series tomorrow with a final
:16:31. > :16:35.report on the businesses who have the license to drill here in the
:16:36. > :16:48.Northwest. We will ask who they are and what are their policies. Still
:16:49. > :16:52.to come on North West Tonight: And it is just not cricket but it is
:16:53. > :16:55.going underground. More than a hundred historic
:16:56. > :16:59.buildings across the North West are on the English Heritage at risk list
:17:00. > :17:02.and face an uncertain future. In a special programme tonight, Louise
:17:03. > :17:09.Minchin asks if it's too late to save them from ruin. One of the
:17:10. > :17:17.buildings the programme features is a derelict mill in Lancashire.
:17:18. > :17:23.This is Queen Street Mill textile museum, a living example of how to
:17:24. > :17:25.preserve the way we were but other mills and buildings remained
:17:26. > :17:31.derelict and empty and time is running out. Decisions on their
:17:32. > :17:36.future are being made by council is trying to balance books at times of
:17:37. > :17:40.huge financial cuts. This now means more than a third of conservation
:17:41. > :17:50.staff losing their jobs in the last seven years. This is one of the
:17:51. > :17:56.areas of problem that I mentioned. These two men are from English
:17:57. > :18:02.Heritage on at at risk site survey. The derelict mill built in 1868 is
:18:03. > :18:08.one of 100 key buildings in the region on the English Heritage at
:18:09. > :18:15.risk list. A site goes on how at risk list when it is under serious
:18:16. > :18:19.threat of neglect and decay. We have a conservation area which contains a
:18:20. > :18:23.vast number of empty industrial buildings and when they are empty,
:18:24. > :18:29.they are not maintained and when they are not maintained,
:18:30. > :18:33.deterioration sets in, costs can escalate and it can then become
:18:34. > :18:52.economically unattractive prospect for investors to take them over
:18:53. > :18:58.Manchester's Victoria baths will also feature in tonight 's
:18:59. > :19:00.programme. It is on at 7:30pm on BBC One.
:19:01. > :19:03.Details of this year's BBC Performing Arts Fund have been
:19:04. > :19:06.revealed, with the North West receiving more funding that any
:19:07. > :19:09.other region outside London. The money comes from phone voting
:19:10. > :19:12.revenue on BBC shows including The Voice and Strictly Come Dancing It
:19:13. > :19:15.provides a vital financial boost for community groups and theatres `
:19:16. > :19:24.including the M6 Youth Theatre in Rochdale. We have a lot of young
:19:25. > :19:29.people in this area who find it difficult to access things like this
:19:30. > :19:34.because they cannot afford to come. By getting funding we can provide
:19:35. > :19:40.groups for either a low or no cost to these young people. David Moyes
:19:41. > :19:45.has conceded his team has a long way to go if they are to get back in the
:19:46. > :19:50.race for the Premier League title. United are 12 points off the top
:19:51. > :19:59.after defeat to overturn last night. It is the first time Everton have
:20:00. > :20:07.one at Old Trafford in 21 years Liverpool font knowledge thanks to
:20:08. > :20:12.four from Luis Suarez. This was a tough defeat for David
:20:13. > :20:17.Moyes to take. Under him, Everton had never won at Old Trafford.
:20:18. > :20:23.Roberto Martinez with his new side managed it at the first time of
:20:24. > :20:30.asking. The blues fans their first win at United for more than two
:20:31. > :20:36.decades. And United's bass with problems to solve. We could not get
:20:37. > :20:42.the goal would be bits of luck to get us a goal in front or more. At
:20:43. > :20:47.Everton 's training ground it is clear expectations for the season
:20:48. > :20:52.are very high. We would be disappointed if we did not make it
:20:53. > :21:03.into the champions league spots That is how far we have come. Luis
:21:04. > :21:11.Suarez's had hat`trick against Norwich might be the best ever. The
:21:12. > :21:23.first was brilliant. The second one was great instinct but the third one
:21:24. > :21:29.was out of this world. He gets his hat`trick but to top it off in the
:21:30. > :21:37.free kick. Just for good measure, Suarez then setup Liverpool 's fifth
:21:38. > :21:41.in a 5`1 victory. The only black mark against Manchester city 's
:21:42. > :21:46.title has been their away form by last night they made winning on the
:21:47. > :21:49.road looks straightforward. They conceded two goals against West Brom
:21:50. > :21:57.but had already made the game safe with three of their own. Sergio
:21:58. > :22:04.Aguero and Yaya Toure enough for Pellegrini's blues.
:22:05. > :22:08.Those of you who play cricket in the north of England will know that the
:22:09. > :22:11.game can't always be played in idyllic sunshine on long, warm
:22:12. > :22:14.afternoons. But one Cumbrian club today completed a long series of
:22:15. > :22:18.extreme cricketing escapades, by playing a match against a rival team
:22:19. > :22:22.deep inside a Lake District slate mine. Mark McAlindon went along to
:22:23. > :22:31.watch what's believed to be the world's first underground match
:22:32. > :22:44.On a stormy day in Cumbria, the best place to be playing cricket is deep
:22:45. > :22:51.in `` inside a mine. After we got flooded in 2012, we set about trying
:22:52. > :22:56.to raise money by playing cricket in the strangest place we could. We did
:22:57. > :23:12.well and we wanted a boost before Christmas to raise our profile so we
:23:13. > :23:16.thought a wild first, why not? Six overs we will just have to go for
:23:17. > :23:29.it. We can't see the ball very well so hopefully get a win.
:23:30. > :23:38.Stall walls of the local Cumbrian cricket leagues. Neither has played
:23:39. > :23:44.in circumstances like this. The competition is so keen that even
:23:45. > :24:01.here, no prisoners are taken. A bit of experience to say the least. I
:24:02. > :24:06.didn't see it hit my head. They refused to cave in to pressure and
:24:07. > :24:11.knocked the runs off although no one was left disappointed. It was really
:24:12. > :24:20.good fun, a bit disappointing but such is life. Hopefully raise a bit
:24:21. > :24:37.of money in the process. That umpire was out loud to before wicket. Do
:24:38. > :24:43.you know, it would not normally mean he was wearing that helmet but I am
:24:44. > :24:49.glad he was. We can see enough of the weather we have had today, let's
:24:50. > :24:54.see what is in the future. You may have noticed I am starting the
:24:55. > :24:59.forecast with a different weatherboard. A frosty weatherboard
:25:00. > :25:06.meaning things will change tonight. We have had very high winds today,
:25:07. > :25:12.up to 80 mph. That is Easington night. Nice beginning to form and
:25:13. > :25:19.because of that, we have a yellow weather warning from the Met office
:25:20. > :25:24.and that is for eyes. This lasts all the way until midday tomorrow.
:25:25. > :25:30.Wintry showers sneaking through the Cheshire gap tonight. Hill snow in
:25:31. > :25:34.places and further north across Cumbria and Lancashire, clearing
:25:35. > :25:40.skies and as they clear, frost forming. A chilly night here.
:25:41. > :25:47.Temperatures in towns and cities will fall below freezing and in all
:25:48. > :25:53.four areas we could see temperatures as low as `4 or minus five Celsius.
:25:54. > :25:58.Tomorrow, yes it will be less windy but it will be chilly. Bitterly cold
:25:59. > :26:04.may describe what we will see tomorrow. We start off with frost
:26:05. > :26:11.through the morning. The cloud bills in the afternoon with more showers
:26:12. > :26:16.speaking through the Cheshire gap. We are likely to see the showers
:26:17. > :26:22.practically anywhere. These are hit or miss showers. In between we may
:26:23. > :26:27.see snow on high ground. Temperatures tomorrow, very
:26:28. > :26:32.disappointing. Highs of three Celsius in parts of Lancashire.
:26:33. > :26:39.Tomorrow night we are likely to see a frost forming again. As we head
:26:40. > :26:44.into the weekend, an improvement. Plenty of cloud around but eight,
:26:45. > :26:49.nine or 10 Celsius. It will practically feel like summer and
:26:50. > :26:56.less windy as well. But generally, for the next 12`24 hours, the North
:26:57. > :27:20.East of England for the high tides tonight but here in the Northwest we
:27:21. > :27:24.be OK. Thank you. Glad you are back. It is very nice to have you back.
:27:25. > :27:33.Lots of people have been tweeting about it. I have just come back for
:27:34. > :27:44.a day but my day job is now on the one show. It is good to be back I
:27:45. > :27:48.will see you all at some point in the future. Good night.