:00:09. > :00:15.Good evening, welcome to North West Tonight. Our top story: The
:00:16. > :00:18.region's Air Ambulance Service grounds its fleet of helicopters
:00:19. > :00:24.after technical concerns. Also tonight, the serious failings at two
:00:25. > :00:28.GP practices which could have put patients at risk. Easy pickings,
:00:29. > :00:33.patients at risk. Easy pickings police arrested 12 people as they
:00:34. > :00:36.crack down on mobile phone thefts. And after the highs of football,
:00:37. > :00:40.And after the highs of football life on the other side of the
:00:41. > :00:48.camera. We help Fabrice Muamba with a career change. And overwhelmed, a
:00:49. > :00:53.Christmas star for cancer carer Christine 12 years to the day after
:00:54. > :01:09.it took her husband. Words cannot describe what this means. The North
:01:10. > :01:14.West Air Ambulance service has been temporarily suspended after a fault
:01:15. > :01:18.with a fuel gauge on one aircraft was detected. This led to the
:01:19. > :01:23.grounding of around a third of the UK's emergency helicopters.
:01:24. > :01:26.The aircraft accepted is the EC`135, the same model which crashed
:01:27. > :01:35.in Glasgow last month telling ten people. We can join our reporter
:01:36. > :01:41.live at Barton aerodrome. The aircraft behind me is one of
:01:42. > :01:48.three EC`135s which normally work for the North West Air Ambulance
:01:49. > :01:53.service. Bond Air Services described concerns over a fuel gauge on one of
:01:54. > :01:57.the Northwest `based aircraft yesterday. They said it was a
:01:58. > :02:03.precautionary measure, but it had a big impact on the work of the North
:02:04. > :02:08.West air ambulance. This is the helipad at Wythenshawe Hospital in
:02:09. > :02:13.Manchester and normally on any day of the week you would see a North
:02:14. > :02:17.West Air Ambulance dropping down here to take casualties into the
:02:18. > :02:24.emergency department, but not at the moment. The three Northwest air
:02:25. > :02:27.ambulances are currently grounded. Their operators, Bond aviation,
:02:28. > :02:34.yesterday discovered an indication defect. It was serious enough for
:02:35. > :02:38.them to feel they had to keep the aircraft on the ground and carry out
:02:39. > :02:46.investigations. North West Air Ambulance uses three EC`135s, the
:02:47. > :02:51.same as the aircraft that crashed in Glasgow earlier this month.
:02:52. > :02:55.Naturally enough they are being cautious about any technical
:02:56. > :02:59.glitches that arise. This is the crew room where medical teams would
:03:00. > :03:04.normally wait. It is empty at the moment. We can speak to the chief
:03:05. > :03:10.executive. This must be terrible news for you. It is very sad, but it
:03:11. > :03:17.is comforting to know that if there is a fault, it is being looked at.
:03:18. > :03:24.It has not undermined your confidence in this aircraft? Not at
:03:25. > :03:28.all, they are very high spec. Neighbouring air ambulance crews are
:03:29. > :03:32.covering the Northwest at present. We have been to Cheshire and with
:03:33. > :03:40.the rise in demand over the weekend it will be probably putting us under
:03:41. > :03:48.more pressure. Normally the air ambulance would be able to get to
:03:49. > :03:56.the region in ten minutes. Now they are coming in from other areas. That
:03:57. > :04:01.the Ambulance Service dispatches the aircraft and they prioritise calls.
:04:02. > :04:08.But some casualties may have to wait longer? Possibly, yes. The
:04:09. > :04:12.investigation into the fault is continuing. The company also said
:04:13. > :04:16.grounding the aircraft had been part of its commitment to ensuring the
:04:17. > :04:21.best levels of safety. They say they have been working very closely with
:04:22. > :04:26.helicopter manufacturers and as each helicopter is cleared it will go
:04:27. > :04:33.back into service. A number have been cleared today. Not here in the
:04:34. > :04:36.Northwest yet. But they are working as hard as they can to make sure
:04:37. > :04:40.they are back in the skies as quickly as possible. I spoke to
:04:41. > :04:49.Professor Graham Braithwaite, an aviation expert. It seems the
:04:50. > :04:55.operator has chosen to suspend operation of that aircraft, so it is
:04:56. > :04:58.not a grounding and it is not the regulator or the manufacturer
:04:59. > :05:06.saying, do not fly. They had an indicator problem and it is a
:05:07. > :05:09.precautionary response from an operator. How unusual is it for an
:05:10. > :05:15.operator to take these measures? It operator to take these measures? It
:05:16. > :05:21.is not a regular thing because the aircraft are incredibly reliable,
:05:22. > :05:25.but at the same time is it is not unusual. This operator suffered a
:05:26. > :05:29.fatal accident and in terrible circumstances and they want to be
:05:30. > :05:32.extremely cautious, so it is not unusual in that sense. How long do
:05:33. > :05:37.you think they will be grounded? unusual in that sense. How long do
:05:38. > :05:41.you think they will be grounded The suspension may end up being hours or
:05:42. > :05:48.not more than a day or two as they checked the aircraft. It may be that
:05:49. > :05:51.all they find is a problem that is unique to a particular aircraft and
:05:52. > :05:57.they can move on and inspect the fleet and get them up quickly. This
:05:58. > :06:04.is a particular type of aircraft that is often used for emergency
:06:05. > :06:09.services. Why is that? It is very popular because of its capability.
:06:10. > :06:15.It can get into tight spots which they need to in order to take people
:06:16. > :06:19.out of emergency situations. It can carry a lot of capability for the
:06:20. > :06:25.police and the ambulance and is very flexible and genuinely very
:06:26. > :06:32.reliable. Next tonight, dirty equipment, out of date vaccines and
:06:33. > :06:37.staff whose records have never been checked, just some of the serious
:06:38. > :06:40.problems found at two surgeries in the North West when inspectors went
:06:41. > :06:47.in to do spot checks. The GP practices in Rochdale and Sale could
:06:48. > :06:50.have left their patients open to infection. The Care Quality
:06:51. > :06:58.Commission has given them deadlines to make radical improvements.
:06:59. > :07:01.On a soggy day in Sale the news about the surgery is worse than the
:07:02. > :07:06.weather and to some it comes as no surprise. The doctors forget about
:07:07. > :07:17.everything they say they are going to do. They do not seem to be that
:07:18. > :07:20.interested. This surgery is one of two in the Northwest and ten in the
:07:21. > :07:24.country where major concerns have been raised about standards. The
:07:25. > :07:29.other one is in Rochdale were inspectors found staff had not been
:07:30. > :07:33.properly checked and their infection control system was poor, problems
:07:34. > :07:42.they told the BBC they are addressing. Norris Road it was
:07:43. > :07:49.worse. Emergency medicines and vaccines were out of date. There
:07:50. > :07:51.were rusty floors and confidential records were clearly on display.
:07:52. > :07:54.were rusty floors and confidential records were clearly on display I
:07:55. > :07:58.have been in to try and talk to the doctor who told me his priority is
:07:59. > :08:02.speaking to patients rather than speaking to us. He said he is
:08:03. > :08:06.confident the right changes have been put in place so the surgery
:08:07. > :08:12.will in future meet standards. But today doctors' groups fought back
:08:13. > :08:17.and they said we should be encouraged that the Care Quality
:08:18. > :08:23.Commission recognises the high standards of care provided by the
:08:24. > :08:29.vast majority of GPs. And in Sale patients were also backing their GP.
:08:30. > :08:36.He is superb and has done nothing but the right thing by me and my
:08:37. > :08:41.grand daughter. Despite the newspaper reports and the puddles,
:08:42. > :08:48.most patients were still more inclined to believe in their doctor
:08:49. > :08:53.rather than the headlines. Doctor Rob Barnett, a GP in Liverpool, who
:08:54. > :08:57.speaks for the British Medical Association, I guess you would echo
:08:58. > :09:01.what was said at the end, believe the doctor rather than the
:09:02. > :09:08.headlines. This is clearly sensationalism. We used to be
:09:09. > :09:15.inspected. These were 900 practice that they have targeted, so in some
:09:16. > :09:21.respects one is not surprised when it comes out with what it has come
:09:22. > :09:24.out with. Most places have been open to scrutiny for much longer. No, we
:09:25. > :09:30.to scrutiny for much longer. No we have had a problem with inspections
:09:31. > :09:34.in the last few years. With reorganisation in the NHS, practices
:09:35. > :09:42.have not been inspected. So have things slipped? In some cases things
:09:43. > :09:47.that would have been picked up earlier have not been picked up. We
:09:48. > :09:50.all have to make sure vaccines are in date, fridges are at the right
:09:51. > :09:55.temperature, but with the pressures we are and there with the increasing
:09:56. > :10:00.amount of work coming through and out of hospitals into the
:10:01. > :10:05.community, I can understand in some cases certain things slipping. Is
:10:06. > :10:11.there any excuse for a vaccines to be given if they are out of date?
:10:12. > :10:16.No, there is no excuse and I would find it hard that anyone would give
:10:17. > :10:20.an out of date that scene. There may be some in the fridge, but the first
:10:21. > :10:25.thing you look at when you get a vaccine is you check it is in date.
:10:26. > :10:29.Again the way the headline has been written is unfortunate. I am not
:10:30. > :10:32.sure the practice is unfortunate. I am not sure the practices knew they
:10:33. > :10:38.were going to be named and shamed. This is the Care Quality Commission
:10:39. > :10:42.that has told the story. If a practice is judged to be substandard
:10:43. > :10:48.and does not improve, what censorship should be taken?
:10:49. > :10:53.Ultimately the practice can be taken away and there are procedures to
:10:54. > :10:56.enable that to happen. But the vast majority want to provide a good
:10:57. > :11:03.service and if somebody says there is something deficient, we aim to
:11:04. > :11:09.put it right. If a patient pointed something out, most practices would
:11:10. > :11:13.be very receptive to that. We appreciate your time. Five people
:11:14. > :11:16.injured in a gas blast in Salford three years ago have secured a
:11:17. > :11:18.financial settlement to help with the costs of their recovery. 200
:11:19. > :11:22.the costs of their recovery. 20 homes were evacuated after the blast
:11:23. > :11:25.which happened at a house on Merlin Road in Irlam. Earlier this year gas
:11:26. > :11:28.fitter Paul Kay pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety
:11:29. > :11:32.guidelines. He was fined ?1000 after the work he had carried out led to
:11:33. > :11:36.the explosion. Drivers who use the new Mersey Gateway bridge will have
:11:37. > :11:39.to pay ?2 each way when it opens. Local residents will get 300 free
:11:40. > :11:43.journeys a year and discounts will also be available for other regular
:11:44. > :11:45.users. The link will connect Runcorn with Widnes and provide an
:11:46. > :11:56.alternative to the existing Silver Jubilee Bridge, which will also
:11:57. > :11:58.become a toll road in 2017. Two Tranmere Rovers players arrested
:11:59. > :12:02.over allegations of match fixing returned to the club for the first
:12:03. > :12:05.time today. Ian Goodison and Akpo Sodje met with Rovers officials the
:12:06. > :12:08.first meeting since being questioned at the weekend by police
:12:09. > :12:10.investigating the claims. And a violin which accompanied Frank
:12:11. > :12:13.Sinatra, Sammy Davis Junior and Dame Shirley Bassey has been donated to
:12:14. > :12:15.Manchester's Royal Northern College of Music. The instrument was made in
:12:16. > :12:18.1762 and is worth around ?120,0 0. 1762 and is worth around ?120,0 0.
:12:19. > :12:22.It was left to them by Christine Bradbury Sullivan, a graduate of the
:12:23. > :12:35.college, who died in October. It was her wish that it was used by a
:12:36. > :12:39.student following its restoration. Police searching for a missing
:12:40. > :12:44.Merseyside man have recovered a body from the Albert Dock. Officers have
:12:45. > :12:48.been looking for James Bennion since he went missing on Sunday morning.
:12:49. > :12:51.The 20`year`old postman vanished after a night out with friends in
:12:52. > :12:58.the Concert Square area of Liverpool. Merseyside police who
:12:59. > :13:02.have spent five days searching for James Bennion this afternoon
:13:03. > :13:08.recovered an as yet unidentified body from Albert Dock. James Bennion
:13:09. > :13:12.was on a night out with friends in Liverpool on Saturday evening. In
:13:13. > :13:16.the early hours of Sunday morning he was separated from his group leaving
:13:17. > :13:22.a bar and was due to meet them in a club later. He never arrived.
:13:23. > :13:26.20`year`old James Bennion was today described by friends as a quiet
:13:27. > :13:33.young man, dedicated to his job with the Royal Mail. He was a nice lad.
:13:34. > :13:40.You would never have arguments with him, he was quiet and he would keep
:13:41. > :13:46.himself to himself. Police say the body will now be formally
:13:47. > :13:56.identified. Still to come: After the highs of
:13:57. > :14:03.football, Fabrice Muamba learned the ropes on the other side of the
:14:04. > :14:10.camera. And Christine is a real Christmas star as she is thanked for
:14:11. > :14:15.her work with cancer patients. We have had a new recruit around the
:14:16. > :14:20.office, a man you may have heard of, footballer Fabrice Muamba. The
:14:21. > :14:25.former Bolton midfielder had to retire from the game after his heart
:14:26. > :14:30.stopped during a match. Now he is looking to the future and is
:14:31. > :14:34.studying for a qualification in sports journalism. He spent the past
:14:35. > :14:41.couple of weeks with our sports team here and he must be the most famous
:14:42. > :14:46.person we have ever had. This was effectively the end of his
:14:47. > :14:51.old life, Fabrice Muamba saying thank you and farewell to fans at
:14:52. > :14:54.the Reebok Stadium. He had to retire from the game after suffering a
:14:55. > :15:01.heart attack during a match in March, 2012. This is the start of
:15:02. > :15:07.his new life as a trainee sports journalist. He was at Bury football
:15:08. > :15:14.club today covering the appointment of their new manager. Things happen
:15:15. > :15:19.for a reason and I had the right people at the right time you went
:15:20. > :15:24.there and they did a good job on me and from then on I had to move on
:15:25. > :15:30.and I am grateful and I enjoy every single second I am here. You have
:15:31. > :15:36.got a lot to look forward to? A lot and I am looking forward to
:15:37. > :15:41.finishing this cause. He is spending a few weeks with our team to gather
:15:42. > :15:47.experience while taking that university course in sports
:15:48. > :15:50.journalism. And he's getting bizarre experiences like meeting the Harlem
:15:51. > :15:56.globetrotter is in the changing rooms at Everton's training ground.
:15:57. > :16:00.When you really want to be a player you have to put all your energy and
:16:01. > :16:05.your mentality and your focus on improving yourself to be a player.
:16:06. > :16:10.When you are a player you have to sustain that ability. To be a
:16:11. > :16:14.journalist I need to put the same attitude I had in football into
:16:15. > :16:22.journalism and hopefully that will help me to go forward. You were very
:16:23. > :16:27.keen on young players... Letting go of football has been difficult. It
:16:28. > :16:31.could have been a lot worse than this, so I have to accept the fact
:16:32. > :16:38.that football is no longer my number one priority. What I am doing now I
:16:39. > :16:43.enjoy because I can get behind`the`scenes, which is great. A
:16:44. > :16:49.man who arrived in England are refugee of Civil War is used to
:16:50. > :16:52.overcoming adversity and a bright future beckons.
:16:53. > :16:58.It has been great to have him around and he has such a beaming smile He
:16:59. > :17:03.is really enjoying it here. They have been throwing him in at
:17:04. > :17:07.the deep end. The sports team have given him the microphone at a couple
:17:08. > :17:15.of news conferences. But that is not the end because it
:17:16. > :17:20.was his television debut. So he went to the J.D. Stadium were leaked to
:17:21. > :17:30.bury were introducing their new manager today and here is his
:17:31. > :17:35.report. 122 games and led to come back as a manager this must be a
:17:36. > :17:41.dream country. With out a doubt. When I came here as a player, the
:17:42. > :17:45.fans took me on board and they saw there was an honesty and integrity
:17:46. > :17:49.to my game and there was a real fit between the player and the
:17:50. > :17:56.supporters, so I had consistent football and I had a good time as a
:17:57. > :18:02.player. Have you set a target that you will be happy with at the end of
:18:03. > :18:07.the season? There are certain performances I want to improve, I
:18:08. > :18:13.want to improve results, I want to improve the coaching staff. You have
:18:14. > :18:19.come into the club and you have assessed the players. What sort of
:18:20. > :18:25.player do you want to bring into the club? Physical attributes to get
:18:26. > :18:27.around the pitch, intelligent energy, respectful, disciplined his
:18:28. > :18:32.energy, respectful, disciplined, his lifestyle will be good and he will
:18:33. > :18:37.have to sacrifice everything for an opportunity to work with the group.
:18:38. > :18:44.Selfish, athletic, dynamic, all the things I believe in a football team
:18:45. > :18:51.starts with an individual. If we have to bring three players in, we
:18:52. > :19:00.have got to have 60 targets. There is going to be a lot of work over
:19:01. > :19:08.the next two weeks. I was doing a bit with him, some training...
:19:09. > :19:15.And you taught him how to ask the right questions? No, I was teaching
:19:16. > :19:20.him the autocue. But then I could not get out there and play in front
:19:21. > :19:25.of 70,000 people. He said what we did was nerve wracking.
:19:26. > :19:39.We are talking about the Europa League.
:19:40. > :19:54.The home side equalised just before half`time. Is a new smartphone on
:19:55. > :19:59.your Christmas list? If so, police are warning thieves could be out to
:20:00. > :20:04.spoil your festive season. In the last few years mobile phone thefts
:20:05. > :20:10.have written that have risen dramatically. Police arrested 17
:20:11. > :20:14.people in an operation to target mobile phone thieves. Let's go to
:20:15. > :20:20.our correspondent in Manchester city centre. This mobile phone stores
:20:21. > :20:24.stayed open late tonight for Christmas shoppers. So many of us
:20:25. > :20:29.give and receive expensive mobile phones as gifts that this time of
:20:30. > :20:34.year has become rich pickings for many thieves. Greater Manchester
:20:35. > :20:39.police are trying to ensure those thieves cannot ruin our Christmas.
:20:40. > :20:46.Over 200 police officers were involved in the raids this morning.
:20:47. > :20:51.In total 17 people were arrested across greater Manchester with
:20:52. > :20:59.police seizing 77 stolen mobile phones and ?60,000 in cash. They are
:21:00. > :21:03.desirable items, Christmas is coming and people ask for them at Christmas
:21:04. > :21:11.and the market is growing and access is growing. There have been almost
:21:12. > :21:16.6000 thefts in the last year and almost 72% of thefts were mobile
:21:17. > :21:23.phones. That has risen by 12% compared to three years ago. 83
:21:24. > :21:27.stolen were smartphones. The need for operations like this is rising
:21:28. > :21:34.as the value of mobile telephones increases. The technology involved
:21:35. > :21:38.makes them more expensive and so more desirable for the thief.
:21:39. > :21:44.Combining all of those people are being smarter in the way they
:21:45. > :21:51.protect their telephones. If you do not, your phone could end up on the
:21:52. > :21:55.other side of the world. 13 countries only have a pay`as`you`go
:21:56. > :22:01.contracts, so these items are a lot more lucrative and valuable over
:22:02. > :22:04.there. Today many shoppers in Manchester were taking the
:22:05. > :22:16.opportunity to register their mobiles, increasing their chances of
:22:17. > :22:21.recovering them if they are stolen. It is a lot to reorganise, all your
:22:22. > :22:28.contacts and businesses on your phone as well. You are most likely
:22:29. > :22:32.to have your phone stolen in a crowded place and that means busy
:22:33. > :22:37.shopping centres, concerts, Christmas markets or on a Christmas
:22:38. > :22:43.do in a crowded bar or restaurant. One officer said you would never
:22:44. > :22:48.walk around town with ?400 sticking out of your back pocket, so why do
:22:49. > :22:52.you do it with your mobile phone? The best advice is to keep it out of
:22:53. > :23:01.sight. That is a fair point. We all do it.
:23:02. > :23:05.It is when you leave them out on a table in a restaurant, just there,
:23:06. > :23:10.tempting people. Every evening this week we have been
:23:11. > :23:15.meeting our Christmas stars. Maybe you have been moved by some stories
:23:16. > :23:20.of people who go out of their way to help us. We have got a special one
:23:21. > :23:25.now. Christine Holt from Warrington is tonight was back Christmas`time.
:23:26. > :23:30.12 years ago today, her husband lost his battle with cancer. Elaine
:23:31. > :23:36.Dunkley has been along to the charity she set up in her husband's
:23:37. > :23:43.memory. I can remember the first day... The John Holt charity in
:23:44. > :23:48.Warrington provides friendship and support. 12 years ago Christine lost
:23:49. > :23:54.her husband John, a loss which made her determined to help others. When
:23:55. > :23:59.you are in that dire plays all you need is somebody to reach out a hand
:24:00. > :24:04.and say, hang on to me and I will help you through that stage. Because
:24:05. > :24:11.I had been a carer I knew where the gaps work and one of the gaps was
:24:12. > :24:16.support after hours. Every week there are art classes, therapy
:24:17. > :24:22.sessions and a chance to talk. The volunteers are wanted to say a big
:24:23. > :24:28.thank you to Christine. When I found out she was getting it, I jumped up
:24:29. > :24:35.and down. She is amazing, everything she does is to help people. She is
:24:36. > :24:41.absolutely wonderful, you can go to her any time and talk to her. She is
:24:42. > :24:51.here six days a week and she works really hard. She started it from
:24:52. > :24:55.nothing. We are here to give you the Christmas Star award for being
:24:56. > :25:05.wonderful and kind and caring and magnificent. Thank you. Words cannot
:25:06. > :25:09.describe what this means. It has made it worthwhile, all the
:25:10. > :25:21.struggles and all the fundraising that we do and the activities, it
:25:22. > :25:27.makes it all worthwhile. Every night these stories are genuinely moving.
:25:28. > :25:30.There are so many people who never normally get their moment of glory,
:25:31. > :25:37.but quite right. Well done, Christine.
:25:38. > :25:44.It has been very cloudy today and we have been sitting underneath this
:25:45. > :25:48.blanket of cloud all day and it has brought plenty of rain on and off
:25:49. > :25:53.all morning and the rain will continue for this evening. For the
:25:54. > :25:58.next few days it will remain very unsettled. We have two frontal
:25:59. > :26:04.systems bringing rain through. Another front brings in more rain on
:26:05. > :26:10.Saturday night and into Sunday and more rain comes in on Sunday. But it
:26:11. > :26:16.is not heavy rain, it is light, patchy rain in many cases. Tonight
:26:17. > :26:22.is a very mild night and we will see temperatures in double figures. Rain
:26:23. > :26:28.continues to come in from the west overnight and it will be heavy at
:26:29. > :26:35.times. In terms of temperatures, ten or 11 is a real possibility
:26:36. > :26:39.overnight. Not much different from this afternoon. Tomorrow we are in
:26:40. > :26:45.for another mild day, but the rain will continue to pour in. We are
:26:46. > :26:52.going to start off very gloomy once again. A dull, damp start and the
:26:53. > :26:56.rain comes in in the afternoon. It will be a bit breezy as well. Not
:26:57. > :27:01.much in the way of sunshine tomorrow. The temperatures are not
:27:02. > :27:07.different from what we see overnight. Tomorrow night we will
:27:08. > :27:14.lose the rain for a time and there will be clear skies. Temperatures
:27:15. > :27:18.down to three or four in Cheshire. But for the weekend despite the rain
:27:19. > :27:22.look at the temperatures, double figures and mild.
:27:23. > :27:28.We were saying why is it the nearer we get to Christmas the milder it
:27:29. > :27:39.gets? I know and it is not looking like it is going to be wild. A white
:27:40. > :27:41.Christmas? Very unlikely. Just wait until February and we will have
:27:42. > :27:48.snow. Probably in August!