:00:10. > :00:17.Good evening. Welcome to North West Tonight with Annabel Tiffin ` and
:00:18. > :00:21.Roger Johnson. Our top story. Police treat a fatal house fire in Bolton `
:00:22. > :00:24.in which three people died ` as suspicious. We don't know what the
:00:25. > :00:27.cause was but three people have tragically lost their lives. It s
:00:28. > :00:31.believed the family came from Iran. We'll have the latest live. Also
:00:32. > :00:34.tonight: An increase in violence in the early hours leads Blackpool to
:00:35. > :00:37.consider an alcohol ban after 3am. Local footballers are questioned
:00:38. > :00:41.over claims they asked for bribes to deliberately get booked or sent`off.
:00:42. > :00:44.How continuing kindness to a long`departed stranger has made
:00:45. > :00:47.George one of our Christmas stars of 2013.
:00:48. > :00:50.And on the road to recovery. Why Conrad the otter's making headlines
:00:51. > :01:18.after being run over. Good it has been lovely but very tiring.
:01:19. > :01:21.We feed him every four hours. At house fire which killed three people
:01:22. > :01:25.in Bolton is being treated as suspicious. The victims are believed
:01:26. > :01:33.to be members of an Iranian family living on Albert Road. Two of them
:01:34. > :01:40.have been named. It is not the other fatality was the elderly mother The
:01:41. > :01:44.interior of the house was completely gutted, one fire officer told us it
:01:45. > :01:52.was the worst he had ever seen. Our reporter has been there all day
:01:53. > :01:58.Tell us the reaction there. There has been a huge amount of shock and
:01:59. > :02:07.upset on this road, as I'm sure you can imagine. Friends and neighbours
:02:08. > :02:12.have been telling us the victims, 49 and 48, were incredibly well liked,
:02:13. > :02:20.this was an incredibly well knit family. One of their sons has told a
:02:21. > :02:22.national newspaper he was totally devastated and his parents were
:02:23. > :02:26.loving people who provided everything. The news of what
:02:27. > :02:31.happened on this street has hit many very hard. Three lives lost, one an
:02:32. > :02:40.elderly woman. Neighbours say the couple lived here were retired with
:02:41. > :02:44.grown`up children. I have known them for 25 years. Good family friend. We
:02:45. > :02:51.are very close. When I found out on the news, I thought, it cannot be
:02:52. > :02:56.them. That cannot be right. What has happened? I had only seen her last
:02:57. > :03:03.week. Lovely family, caring for their children, ideal neighbours to
:03:04. > :03:10.have, lovely family. CPR being done on the garden, and subsequently went
:03:11. > :03:15.to hospital and I have learnt they died. It is believed the fire
:03:16. > :03:19.started in the kitchen. The ferocity of the blaze is clear to see. The
:03:20. > :03:27.police do not yet know the cause and asked treating it `` are treating it
:03:28. > :03:31.as suspicious. They are being treated as witnesses, nobody is
:03:32. > :03:34.being treated as a suspect, but if there is anybody out there who feels
:03:35. > :03:37.they might have information that could assist the investigation, I
:03:38. > :03:41.would appeal for them to come forward and contact us. The police
:03:42. > :03:46.say a woman was taken to hospital with burns but died shortly after
:03:47. > :03:49.arriving. It was only when the flames were put out that they
:03:50. > :03:53.discovered two more bodies. They were found in the kitchen. The blaze
:03:54. > :04:01.was so severe that neighbours had to evacuate their home as well. It was
:04:02. > :04:06.as serious as you can find in a house fire. It was fully developed
:04:07. > :04:14.and extended to most of the house. The firefighters did a magnificent
:04:15. > :04:20.job. How and why the fire started is the main question they want to
:04:21. > :04:26.answer. Because of the damage, they may take days to do so. The bodies
:04:27. > :04:31.of two of the victims are still inside this house this evening. The
:04:32. > :04:34.police say that they are desperate for anyone with information who saw
:04:35. > :04:55.heard any thing about this buyer to contact them. `` this fire. Tributes
:04:56. > :05:04.have been paid two other who was found in a house in Bolton. A man is
:05:05. > :05:07.being questioned by police. A teenager who killed a man with a
:05:08. > :05:10.single punch before going to a friend's house to play computer
:05:11. > :05:14.games has been jailed for life. Eden Lomax ` who's 17 ` punched Simon
:05:15. > :05:18.Mitchell in Victoria Square in June. He was the third stranger to be
:05:19. > :05:25.punched by Lomax in a week. He'll serve a minimum of ten years. A
:05:26. > :05:29.review has been launched into the Rochdale grooming scandal. Nine men
:05:30. > :05:32.were found guilty of abusing five girls in the town but police believe
:05:33. > :05:39.there might have been up to 50 victims. The enquiry will begin in
:05:40. > :05:44.the New Year and will be cheered by the Stockport Labour MP. Four
:05:45. > :05:47.Lancashire police officers have been sacked for organising a car`buying
:05:48. > :05:50.scam. They were found guilty of gross professional misconduct after
:05:51. > :05:53.an internal investigation. They are said to have been involved in
:05:54. > :05:57.ordering vehicles as unmarked police cars ` which they were later able to
:05:58. > :06:05.buy for themselves at a reduced cost. Blackpool's reputation as a
:06:06. > :06:08.resort where you can drink alcohol at virtually any time of the day may
:06:09. > :06:11.be about to change. Lancashire Police say they're fed up dealing
:06:12. > :06:14.with violence and anti`social behaviour in the early hours of the
:06:15. > :06:18.morning. And Blackpool is now considering becoming the first town
:06:19. > :06:24.in the country to ban the sale of alcohol after 3am. Many local pubs
:06:25. > :06:29.and clubs are opposed to the plan. It's 1:45 in the morning and the
:06:30. > :06:36.party's barely begun in Blackpool. Why did you come here? For the
:06:37. > :06:40.girls. And the opening times. Good night out with the boys. Just before
:06:41. > :06:44.Christmas. But for some the night won't end quite as they'd planned.
:06:45. > :06:47.This type of thing has prompted some in Blackpool to call for drinking
:06:48. > :06:50.hours to be cut back. Blackpool could become the first council in
:06:51. > :06:54.the country to introduce an Early Morning Restriction Order ` or EMRO
:06:55. > :07:06.` which would stop the sale of alcohol after 3am. It is never after
:07:07. > :07:11.3am, `` it is now after 3am and the police say there has been a steady
:07:12. > :07:14.rise in violence in this part of Blackpool. That is why they say
:07:15. > :07:19.there is a need for this legislation. Not surprisingly, those
:07:20. > :07:26.who rely on the late, late trade are opposed to the idea. People come
:07:27. > :07:32.here on holiday and they expect like every other resort, to have a
:07:33. > :07:38.holiday. Surely if you are open until 3am, that must be time to make
:07:39. > :07:45.a living? In the old days the bar shut at 10:30am, `` 10:30pm. Now the
:07:46. > :07:57.bars are open until 4am so people carry on later, why would you pay to
:07:58. > :08:05.go into a club? Peter was keen to show me the majority come to enjoy a
:08:06. > :08:08.fun, trouble`free time. It is a fun place to come out. But moments later
:08:09. > :08:10.we filmed this. One study recently suggested dealing with
:08:11. > :08:15.alcohol`related crimes cost more than ?38 million a year. The bill
:08:16. > :08:18.for the Health service was put at more than ?14 million. Councillors
:08:19. > :08:22.were due to spend this week discussing the EMRO plan. This
:08:23. > :08:35.afternoon they decided to put it off until the New Year.
:08:36. > :08:43.Why was that put off? Lawyers said they had not been given enough
:08:44. > :08:48.notice and needed more time. They've been given until the end of January.
:08:49. > :08:52.This is a hot topic. Only recently, there were reports of which
:08:53. > :08:58.suggested in Manchester and longer drinking hours had not affected it
:08:59. > :09:01.in any way. Speaking of violence, some viewers might have noticed a
:09:02. > :09:05.shot which apparently showed a police officer hitting a man in the
:09:06. > :09:08.head. Lancashire police have used those images and said they are now
:09:09. > :09:15.investigating the circumstances of just what happened. And we've had a
:09:16. > :09:18.varied response from viewers commenting on this story. Michelle
:09:19. > :09:21.Porter said on Twitter that she thinks it's a good idea. People need
:09:22. > :09:25.more education about drinking ` not more time. Jill Quinn e`mailed with
:09:26. > :09:29.an apologetic criticism of Blackpool. She says it needs
:09:30. > :09:32.cleaning up to get more people to visit again. But Sharon Rogers on
:09:33. > :09:35.Facebook it will hit visitor numbers. And says next they'll be
:09:36. > :09:40.trying to save electricity by turning off the Illuminations.
:09:41. > :09:56.One late week we got... He says this has put the door staff under great
:09:57. > :10:00.strain. Relatives of Fusilier Lee Rigby listened in court today ` as
:10:01. > :10:03.one of the men accused of his murder said he loved Al`Qaeda and did not
:10:04. > :10:06.regret killing the soldier. Michael Adebolajo began giving evidence in
:10:07. > :10:10.his defence today ` saying he wanted to be treated as a soldier involved
:10:11. > :10:15.in a military conflict. Just before we came on air, the BBC's reporter
:10:16. > :10:21.said it was the first time that the relatives had been able to see him.
:10:22. > :10:26.They were in court, high security part of the Old Bailey, and it was
:10:27. > :10:33.the first time the family had been able to see him. On previous days
:10:34. > :10:37.there had been a screen so the defendant could not see the family,
:10:38. > :10:43.but as he was in the witness box he was clearly visible. He said this
:10:44. > :10:47.case, what he had done was much bigger than him and his family, and
:10:48. > :10:57.much bigger than the Rigby and his family. `` Lee Rigby. He said he had
:10:58. > :11:01.no animosity and acted in the way he had because he was a soldier of God,
:11:02. > :11:08.he effectively had no other choice than to do what he did. He admitted
:11:09. > :11:16.carrying out the killing. What is the defence? His defence is that he
:11:17. > :11:21.is in his own mind, a soldier under the command of his God, and if he is
:11:22. > :11:27.a soldier he cannot be found guilty of murder on the battlefield. He
:11:28. > :11:31.said he understands some people might not recognise this because
:11:32. > :11:38.they do not wear fatigues or train in the Brecon Beacons, but they are
:11:39. > :11:43.still soldiers, he does not take his definitions from the United Nations.
:11:44. > :11:50.In his mind, what happened was a justifiable military mission. The QC
:11:51. > :11:56.prosecuting came back to this point towards the end and said, you took
:11:57. > :12:02.the law into your own hands. That is what you did. The defendant replied,
:12:03. > :12:04.that is not true. He wrapped up his evidence today. The defence case
:12:05. > :12:22.will continue tomorrow. Police have questioned for Northwest
:12:23. > :12:27.players amid allegations that he took money to get booked or sent
:12:28. > :12:31.off. The most high profile was DJ Campbell. This undercover video
:12:32. > :12:33.filmed by the Sun on Sunday appears to show claims of spot`fixing in
:12:34. > :12:39.football. Six people have been questioned over
:12:40. > :12:42.the allegations ` the most high profile being Blackburn's DJ
:12:43. > :12:52.Campbell ` a former Blackpool striker who joined Rovers in the
:12:53. > :12:55.summer. There is no word on camera from Blackburn Rovers but they
:12:56. > :12:58.issued a statement where they say they can confirm DJ Campbell has
:12:59. > :13:04.been arrested, the club will be making no further comment on what is
:13:05. > :13:09.now an ongoing legal matter. It goes down to the supporters. How can they
:13:10. > :13:21.look at certain players? Are they tackling, taking that yellow card
:13:22. > :13:30.for good reasons? Also in the video was a player sharing the news that
:13:31. > :13:35.he had been booked for cash. Oldham have since suspended the
:13:36. > :13:40.21`year`old. The manager says he has considered his future. It got me
:13:41. > :13:48.thinking, you question why you are in it. We don't know what happened
:13:49. > :13:53.for him to be in that room. I really feel like we have stepped back from
:13:54. > :14:03.that, and as the manager, it is my job to rally the troops. At the
:14:04. > :14:06.centre of the claims is Sam Sodje. He claims he punched in Oldham
:14:07. > :14:14.player to get a red card for ?70,000. He also claimed his brother
:14:15. > :14:19.would be prepared to be paid to be booked. Another team`mate is also
:14:20. > :14:23.said to be one of those arrested. Tranmere said they are aware of the
:14:24. > :14:28.allegations but will make no further comment. The Professional
:14:29. > :14:37.Footballers' Association says these demonstrate the issues faced by
:14:38. > :14:41.football. Scientists from the University of Salford Art developing
:14:42. > :14:47.a revolutionary technique which they hope could help people affected by
:14:48. > :14:54.dementia. Records memories and brings them to life using 3`D
:14:55. > :14:57.technology. It was launched and is `` as a leading charity said
:14:58. > :15:08.research into dementia was decades behind cancer. It is a horrible
:15:09. > :15:19.illness. It tears your life apart. For three years, this woman has
:15:20. > :15:23.watched his memory deteriorate, and eventually he will not recognise her
:15:24. > :15:28.at all. Eventually it will take me away from him because he will not
:15:29. > :15:37.know who I am full of that is heartbreaking. `` who I am. As world
:15:38. > :15:42.leaders gather in London to discuss what is being described as an
:15:43. > :15:48.underfunded global crisis, at the University of Salford the launching
:15:49. > :15:51.Europe's biggest Institute. They are working on triggering important
:15:52. > :15:54.memories by filming an intimate moment in time and playing it back
:15:55. > :16:05.in full 3`D. They hope it will trigger that. Perhaps later on when
:16:06. > :16:10.you're wondering who a person is, you could actually step back in
:16:11. > :16:19.time, and walk around them, and walk around you and them. Revisit your
:16:20. > :16:25.past in a very powerful way. It will be a few years before couples like
:16:26. > :16:36.this will see the benefits. One day, special memories like this will
:16:37. > :16:44.be captured and revisited. Such a sad time for people. The care that
:16:45. > :16:50.you want to give. It leads us on to the next item. You may remember a
:16:51. > :16:53.few weeks ago we asked for nominations for the BBC North West
:16:54. > :16:57.Tonight Star Awards ` for those people in our local community who go
:16:58. > :17:00.the extra mile to show kindness and generosity of spirit to others. Well
:17:01. > :17:09.we've had lots of nominations and have been heartened by them all And
:17:10. > :17:11.today we meet George ` whose kindness stretched half way around
:17:12. > :17:22.the world. David Saville explains. George Hardman tends the grave of a
:17:23. > :17:25.woman he never knew. Josephine Middleton died in 1948, a patient at
:17:26. > :17:37.the Calderstones Mental Hospital near Whalley in Lancashire. A lady
:17:38. > :17:43.came over a year and a half ago to try and find her relative. Sadly,
:17:44. > :17:47.all the headstones of been removed and nobody could help her. I
:17:48. > :17:56.contacted George and he came down here with his measuring tapes, what
:17:57. > :17:59.to the exact inch and found the exact site of the grave. Since then
:18:00. > :18:03.he's marked out a proper grave with new plants and a plaque ` and it's
:18:04. > :18:10.this dedication that led to his nomination for a star. What are you
:18:11. > :18:16.doing? George, on behalf of the BBC television Northwest, they would
:18:17. > :18:20.like to present you with this award, this famous Star award for all the
:18:21. > :18:28.good work you've for Josephine who has laid here and been forgotten
:18:29. > :18:33.about. Get a hold of that trophy. You are a star. That is brilliant.
:18:34. > :18:41.Thank you very much. Sandra McCardle even sent George a special message
:18:42. > :18:44.all the way from Australia. What a remarkable man you are. When I first
:18:45. > :18:49.met you I thought I had known you forever. You brought a happy end to
:18:50. > :18:58.an extraordinary story. I am humbled by it because I keep saying, I know
:18:59. > :19:02.loads of people who do good turns, and the reward is in themselves
:19:03. > :19:08.They get a warm glow out of it. It is the pleasure of helping somebody
:19:09. > :19:13.else is worth the best award. That is the best reward.
:19:14. > :19:24.That is a lovely story. Just one of many that we have got. If you know
:19:25. > :19:30.anyone you think deserves a Christmas star, it just contact us
:19:31. > :19:41.by e`mail or drop us a line on the Facebook page. Now the sport. Not a
:19:42. > :19:45.lot of festive cheer at Old Trafford. It is not business as
:19:46. > :19:48.usual. Some fans were already grumbling after the midweek defeat
:19:49. > :19:55.against Everton, they now have to come to terms with the reverse
:19:56. > :20:01.against Newcastle United. It is the first time they have lost successive
:20:02. > :20:05.games at home since 2002. Despite the side sitting ninth, the boss
:20:06. > :20:07.insists his team can still win the title. Manchester United's
:20:08. > :20:11.frustrating start to the season isn't yet the stuff of nightmares.
:20:12. > :20:21.But The Theatre of Dreams isn't the fortress of old. And some fans are
:20:22. > :20:26.getting twitchy. Worried. Let's see. You have to do what you have to do.
:20:27. > :20:29.We can make Europe. United lost at home for the second time in four
:20:30. > :20:34.days, Yohan Cabaye giving Newcastle their first League victory at Old
:20:35. > :20:42.Trafford since 1972. But speaking earlier today the manager says he
:20:43. > :20:46.isn't about to panic. I take complete responsibility for the
:20:47. > :20:49.results, and I would like them to be much better. I have got no doubt
:20:50. > :20:52.they will be. Liverpool are up to second after dispatching West Ham
:20:53. > :20:55.four ` one. Luis Suarez heading in his 14th of the season.
:20:56. > :21:00.The downside for the Reds, a hamstring injury to Steven Gerrard.
:21:01. > :21:04.There are fears it could keep him out for more than a month.
:21:05. > :21:08.Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini said he had no complaints
:21:09. > :21:12.after City shared a point at Southampton. Sergio Aguero gave City
:21:13. > :21:15.the lead with a typically smart finish before they were pegged back
:21:16. > :21:20.by a goal of the highest quality from Dani Osvaldo.
:21:21. > :21:26.Talking of quality, Everton's peformance at Arsenal was full of
:21:27. > :21:30.it. Few teams dominate possession at the Emirates. The Blues did for most
:21:31. > :21:33.of the first half. The Gunners came back at them in the second and
:21:34. > :21:38.opened the scoring through Mezut Ozil. But Roberto Martinez's men are
:21:39. > :21:40.playing with no fear at the moment, epitomized by 19`year`old Spaniard
:21:41. > :21:43.Gerard Delofeu, who came off the bench and did this. Martinez says
:21:44. > :21:47.extending the Barcelona youngster's loan deal into next season is not
:21:48. > :21:49.out of the question. Nor on this form is a top four finish for his
:21:50. > :21:59.side. This was a real big turning point in
:22:00. > :22:12.our aspirations, and the way we feel about ourselves.
:22:13. > :22:23.Everton are flying. The new manager of Wigan Athletic has been formally
:22:24. > :22:27.introduced. It is Uwe Rosler. He joins from Brentford where he
:22:28. > :22:34.enjoyed two successful seasons. When he was asked what attracted him to
:22:35. > :22:38.Wigan, you said... The club is in a good situation. Financially very
:22:39. > :22:48.stable. Stable leadership at the football club. Good way of
:22:49. > :22:59.communication. I am interested in that. Lots of factors excite me
:23:00. > :23:05.Macclesfield town have been handed a lucrative game in the third round.
:23:06. > :23:10.Other highlights from the drop see Rochdale playing Leeds, Blackburn
:23:11. > :23:17.playing Manchester City and Bolton playing Blackpool. The games will be
:23:18. > :23:22.played over the weekend of the fourth and 5th of January. Some
:23:23. > :23:28.cracking games. I think back burner V Manchester City standout. ``
:23:29. > :23:38.Blackburn Rovers against Manchester City is the standout. It seems not
:23:39. > :23:41.the only animals who have nine lives full of this baby otter had a very
:23:42. > :23:59.close shave when he ran under a car in the Lake District. This is an
:24:00. > :24:04.otter who likes luxury. Conrad insists on sleeping on the main bed.
:24:05. > :24:08.He is fit and healthy, a contrast to what he looked like three weeks ago.
:24:09. > :24:14.He was quite thin, stunned, disorientated. Sarah has nursed him
:24:15. > :24:25.back to help with some help from her boyfriend. He has been fantastic, he
:24:26. > :24:36.has got up and fed him at night Kris needs to put up with more than
:24:37. > :24:39.just otters in the house. We have West African crocodiles in the
:24:40. > :24:47.kitchen, that came in for a display, we have a rescue hedgehog and a
:24:48. > :24:53.rescue dog. He just put up with me. I can see you. Tonight, Sarah is
:24:54. > :24:59.taking Conrad to a sanctuary on the Isle of Skye. I feel sad because I
:25:00. > :25:06.know I will miss him. I feel happy that he will be rehabilitated and Ed
:25:07. > :25:10.up `` end up in the wild. I am relieved that I will be able to
:25:11. > :25:13.sleep again and get my life back to normal. Sarah will see him again,
:25:14. > :25:31.bringing him back to set him free. He is very cute. I get scared when I
:25:32. > :25:33.see a hamster. I bet that can be dangerous. I want one of those.
:25:34. > :25:39.see a hamster. I bet that can be dangerous. The weather is looking
:25:40. > :25:47.good. It was very unsettled last week. This weekend we saw the high
:25:48. > :25:52.building. We will keep this settled mild condition for the week ahead.
:25:53. > :25:59.We will see lighter winds. Temperatures were in double figures.
:26:00. > :26:06.Some sunshine is the prospect for Wednesday. Pieces of rain for
:26:07. > :26:16.Thursday and Friday. Tonight it will be back into double figures. Lots of
:26:17. > :26:20.cloud around. It will be breezy Some bits and pieces of rain not
:26:21. > :26:28.really amounting to match but because of the crowd cover `` cloud
:26:29. > :26:39.cover it will be a nice night. Tomorrow, there will be more cloud
:26:40. > :26:45.and it will be breezy. Elsewhere, plenty of cloud around. There will
:26:46. > :26:49.be some bright spells but also we will see the cloud thickening up
:26:50. > :26:53.from time to time to bring you occasional bits and pieces of rain.
:26:54. > :27:00.Another mild day. Temperatures in double figures. 11 Celsius in the
:27:01. > :27:03.Isle of Man and 10 Celsius inland. As we head into Wednesday and
:27:04. > :27:07.Thursday, the high`pressure continues to build. We have a
:27:08. > :27:13.frontal system pushing in from the west bringing in pieces of rain On
:27:14. > :27:21.Thursday the temperatures will be double figures. Goodbye. We have got
:27:22. > :27:28.a tree up now. You are very pleased about that. Yes. Some people have
:27:29. > :27:34.been asking how to nominate somebody for a Northwest tonight start. Send
:27:35. > :27:38.us an e`mail, tell a story. The e`mail is coming up at the end of
:27:39. > :27:41.the programme. Goodbye. I will be back at 10:30pm. Until then, good
:27:42. > :27:43.night. I will bring you some weather.