:00:00. > :00:00.three times faster than wages. That is all from BBC News at Six. It
:00:00. > :00:00.Good evening and happy new year. Welcome to North West Tonight with
:00:07. > :00:10.Annabel Tiffin and Roger Johnson. In our first full programme of 014,
:00:11. > :00:14.the region's coastline is on flood alert tonight. From Cheshire to
:00:15. > :00:17.Cumbria, the emergency services are warning people to stay clear of the
:00:18. > :00:24.sea, with storm`force winds and waves bringing a risk of flooding in
:00:25. > :00:27.many areas. We'll be getting the latest on that
:00:28. > :00:32.story from the Environment Agency in a minute. Also in the programme:
:00:33. > :00:38.Looking for Rania ` the family of a missing Manchester woman visit the
:00:39. > :00:41.place they think she may be buried. Claims that Ian Brady may be
:00:42. > :00:45.suffering from dementia. The family of one of his victims makes another
:00:46. > :00:49.plea for closure. This little girl sent out a message
:00:50. > :00:51.in a bottle more than 20 years ago. What happened then? Find out later
:00:52. > :01:06.in the show. People living along the North West
:01:07. > :01:09.coastline are tonight being warned that a period of "exceptional
:01:10. > :01:10.weather" is about to hit. The Environment Agency has issued 24
:01:11. > :01:13.Environment Agency has issued 2 flood warnings along the coast in
:01:14. > :01:19.Cumbria, Lancashire, Merseyside and Cheshire, and the number is
:01:20. > :01:26.continually rising. Storm`force winds of
:01:27. > :01:30.since over 70 miles an hour are expected to hit, combined with
:01:31. > :01:33.exceptionally high tides and large waves. That's causing concern in
:01:34. > :01:35.many coastal communities. One area bracing itself is Blackpool. Our
:01:36. > :01:43.environment correspondent Judy Hobson is there. We can see the wind
:01:44. > :01:50.is picking up. Are they worried? Yes, the winds already picking up
:01:51. > :01:53.here in Blackpool. The emergency services are asking people to stay
:01:54. > :01:56.away from the coast, not just here, but all along the north`west coast.
:01:57. > :02:01.The storms could be that strong. They could literally sweep you at
:02:02. > :02:05.your feet. As I say, it is the whole of the coast, because storm`force
:02:06. > :02:09.gales are expected tonight into tomorrow, coupled with heavy rain.
:02:10. > :02:15.That will make big waves, and tomorrow, we have the high tide
:02:16. > :02:20.around midday. Currently there are 24 flood warnings and 22 flood
:02:21. > :02:24.alerts. That is a high number. One of the areas of major concern is
:02:25. > :02:29.Liverpool, the Wirral and Chester, because there could be high winds
:02:30. > :02:33.there tomorrow with a high tide around 12:15pm, so that could cause
:02:34. > :02:38.some problems. I am joined there by Andy Brown from the Environment
:02:39. > :02:41.Agency. As I say, it is all over the north`west coast, but any areas in
:02:42. > :02:45.particular that you are concerned about? As you say, there are a
:02:46. > :02:49.number of places that made potentially be at greater risk.
:02:50. > :02:53.Chester, the DS jury, the Wirral, and parts of Cumbria and here in
:02:54. > :02:55.Lancashire. I think my message would be for people across the region,
:02:56. > :02:55.Lancashire. I think my message would be for people across the region if
:02:56. > :02:59.be for people across the region, if you live and work near the coast or
:03:00. > :03:03.on the estuary is tomorrow, be aware of the conditions and think about
:03:04. > :03:06.what is happening, make sure all you make the right decisions. Then come
:03:07. > :03:10.and look at the big waves. Resist your curiosity and sit back and
:03:11. > :03:14.think twice before you do anything like that, or drive through
:03:15. > :03:17.floodwaters, for example. Recently, we have seen a number of examples of
:03:18. > :03:20.people losing their lives in bad weather, and we don't want that to
:03:21. > :03:24.happen tomorrow. I urge people to keep a watch on local media for what
:03:25. > :03:29.is happening, perhaps check our website for evolving stories as
:03:30. > :03:32.things progress. There has been a criticism that the emergency
:03:33. > :03:36.services haven't been that prepared, especially just before Christmas.
:03:37. > :03:40.You think you are more prepared this time? I think we're actually
:03:41. > :03:43.prepared. We're predicting this for quite a few days, and across the
:03:44. > :03:46.region, we are taught with the police, Fire Services and local
:03:47. > :03:49.authorities for a number of days, predicting what will happen, so
:03:50. > :03:53.everybody can plan and prepare to ensure we are ready for tomorrow.
:03:54. > :03:57.Like you very much. The bad weather will continue for it you days, and
:03:58. > :04:02.we will have more on that at the end of the programme. Thank you very
:04:03. > :04:05.much. They're treating it as a murder
:04:06. > :04:08.inquiry even though, as yet, they have no body. And today, detectives
:04:09. > :04:12.investigating the disappearance of a mother of three from Manchester said
:04:13. > :04:15.that may be because the remains were moved from their original resting
:04:16. > :04:19.place. Rania Alayed hasn't been seen since last June. The police believe
:04:20. > :04:22.that's because she's dead. Today, detectives were over in North
:04:23. > :04:26.Yorkshire with Rania's relatives looking for further clues. Our Chief
:04:27. > :04:34.Reporter Dave Guest is here with more on that story.
:04:35. > :04:38.This is Rania Alayed. She was last seen near her home in Cheetham Hill,
:04:39. > :04:41.Manchester on June 7th last year. But she wasn't reported missing
:04:42. > :04:44.until almost a month later on July 2nd. Within days, the police
:04:45. > :04:49.announced they were treating this as a murder case. In August they made a
:04:50. > :04:52.renewed appeal for information ` in particular, for any sightings of
:04:53. > :04:56.this white camper van. It had been spotted in North Yorkshire the day
:04:57. > :05:01.after Rania was last seen. Detectives say it may have been used
:05:02. > :05:03.to take her to a lay`by on the A19 near Thirsk. They searched
:05:04. > :05:12.surrounding fields but found nothing. Today they said that might
:05:13. > :05:16.be because her body had been moved. Flowers for a lost soul. Rania
:05:17. > :05:21.Alayed's uncle today visited the place where police had searched in
:05:22. > :05:25.vain to find the body of his niece. Ali Aydi had been invited here as
:05:26. > :05:29.part of a police briefing to update the family on developments in the
:05:30. > :05:33.search for the 25`year`old mother of three. Extensive searching of this
:05:34. > :05:37.area last year failed to find any trace of her. Today, detectives said
:05:38. > :05:47.that could be because the body had been moved before they even started
:05:48. > :05:52.searching. We believe a body was brought here, and the question we
:05:53. > :05:55.must ask is, has she been moved to someone may have returned afterwards
:05:56. > :05:59.and move there, and that is one of the appeal point I would like to
:06:00. > :06:03.push out. If anybody might have seen her in one of these fields, one
:06:04. > :06:09.anything suspicious that was out of the ordinary, we would like to hear
:06:10. > :06:12.from them from this point onwards. The message from detectives today
:06:13. > :06:19.was, we will not rest until we find there. We have a history of looking
:06:20. > :06:23.for dead people from long time. It when rest. It will always be there.
:06:24. > :06:31.Rania's parents live in Lebanon. Today Mr Aydi said in a statement:
:06:32. > :06:39.Meanwhile, Rania's husband and brother`in`law were charged with her
:06:40. > :06:42.murder last year. A third man has been charged with perverting the
:06:43. > :06:45.course of justice. They'll all make further court appearances later this
:06:46. > :06:48.year. Thank you very much.
:06:49. > :06:51.A postmortem examination carried out on the body of a teenager who
:06:52. > :06:54.disappeared after a night out in Manchester has found that he died
:06:55. > :06:59.from injuries consistent with a fall. 17`year`old Adam pick`up had
:07:00. > :07:03.been to the Fab Cafe on Portland Street with friends. He left on his
:07:04. > :07:07.own in the early hours of Saturday morning. His body was found in a
:07:08. > :07:11.secluded area near Deansgate Station on Monday.
:07:12. > :07:15.A date for the re`trial of the Manx Government's most senior lawyer for
:07:16. > :07:17.charges of perjury has been set for next month. 52`year`old Attorney
:07:18. > :07:23.General Stephen Harding is also accused of acts against public
:07:24. > :07:26.justice and was suspended in 2012. The jury in his first trial, which
:07:27. > :07:31.ended last month, was discharged after failing to reach unanimous
:07:32. > :07:35.verdicts. The baker Warburtons says it could
:07:36. > :07:37.create 60 new jobs in Burnley by expanding its operations. The
:07:38. > :07:41.company employs 250 people at its site on Billington Road. It wants to
:07:42. > :07:46.invest ?20 million building a second plant to make wraps and sandwich
:07:47. > :07:49.thins. If plans are approved, construction work could start next
:07:50. > :07:52.month. Commuters in Greater Manchester are
:07:53. > :07:57.facing fare increases of 4.2% on Metrolink. Transport for Greater
:07:58. > :08:00.Manchester, which oversees the services, says it will help fund the
:08:01. > :08:06.?1.5 billion expansion of the network and cover operating costs.
:08:07. > :08:17.But these passengers weren't impressed. If it was a really good
:08:18. > :08:21.fair, it would probably encourage people to use the trams. Now, it is
:08:22. > :08:26.still a good rate, but that bit more expensive. I don't know why has to
:08:27. > :08:30.go up. I don't understand that. It is not good news, because my salary
:08:31. > :08:33.has certainly not one of 4.2%. The family of murdered 12`year`old
:08:34. > :08:36.Keith Bennett have appealed again to Moors Murderer Ian Brady to reveal
:08:37. > :08:39.where his victim's body is buried after claims Brady has early
:08:40. > :08:42.dementia. A national newspaper is reporting that the 76`year`old may
:08:43. > :08:45.be suffering from the disease. Keith's mother, Winnie Johnson, died
:08:46. > :08:49.a year and a half ago without knowing her son's resting place
:08:50. > :08:51.Abbie Jones reports. Ian Brady was convicted almost 50
:08:52. > :08:54.Ian Brady was convicted almost 0 years ago of the murder of Keith
:08:55. > :08:58.Bennett. But he's steadfastly refused to reveal the whereabouts of
:08:59. > :09:02.the 12`year`old's body. Now there are fears Brady soon could be unable
:09:03. > :09:07.to give up his secret after reports he has early dementia. The claims
:09:08. > :09:11.are said to have come from this woman, Jackie Powell, Brady's mental
:09:12. > :09:13.health advocate. The solicitor for Keith Bennett's family says they're
:09:14. > :09:22.cynical but concerned about any possible illness. If Ian Brady is
:09:23. > :09:26.suffering from some form of dementia, Alzheimer's, then of
:09:27. > :09:28.course, he may lose his memory altogether, and it may well be that
:09:29. > :09:34.if he doesn't disclose that information immediately, Keith may
:09:35. > :09:38.never be found. I would appeal even at this very late stage for Ian
:09:39. > :09:43.Brady to show some remorse, and put the family out of their agony so
:09:44. > :09:46.that he cannot last be found. Ashworth High Security Psychiatric
:09:47. > :09:50.Hospital in the rubble, where Brady is on hunger strike, has refused to
:09:51. > :09:55.comment. Radio was seen again for the first time in decades last year
:09:56. > :09:56.at the tribunal, to be moved to a normal prison. Keith Bennett's
:09:57. > :09:59.mother Winnie Johnson died in 2 12 mother Winnie Johnson died in 2 12
:10:00. > :10:03.without knowing where her son is buried. With Brady in his 70s, new
:10:04. > :10:15.suggestions of dementia mean time is running out. A group of football
:10:16. > :10:18.fans from wholesale a feared for their lives when the coach they were
:10:19. > :10:20.travelling on was attacked by a large gang in Liverpool. The
:10:21. > :10:23.incident happened after the Liverpool`Hull City match at Anfield
:10:24. > :10:25.yesterday. A passenger and driver were injured. Elaine Dunkley
:10:26. > :10:28.reports. Nearly every window was smashed as
:10:29. > :10:35.passengers were hit by bricks and broken glass. On board this coach,
:10:36. > :10:41.Hull City fans who had been to see their team play Liverpool at
:10:42. > :10:46.Anfield. Some were children. Pretty frightening, particularly when Harry
:10:47. > :10:49.Levin `year`old sat next to the window. We put them into the middle
:10:50. > :10:52.of the gangway of the boss, and it was getting bricks thrown at it
:10:53. > :10:55.right and centre. Not just small bricks, but concrete, boulders,
:10:56. > :10:59.everything. The coach was the last in a convoy to leave Anfield and had
:11:00. > :11:05.travelled nearly two miles away to the Norris Green area. The coach was
:11:06. > :11:09.stuck in traffic along is busy main road when it was attacked by a gang
:11:10. > :11:12.of up to 20. Police are now examining CCTV to find out who was
:11:13. > :11:18.responsible. Most of the passengers escaped with minor injuries, but it
:11:19. > :11:21.could have been far worse. Four guys got off the bus, trying to tell and
:11:22. > :11:26.to stop. As they got off the were attacked, and they even had knives
:11:27. > :11:32.pulled on them. One of the guys came out with his hands up saying, calm
:11:33. > :11:37.down, stop it, and this guy through a rock bigger than a football, and
:11:38. > :11:43.literally threw it straight at his head from two yards at way. He
:11:44. > :11:46.ducked, and it had to shoulder. The ambulance staff saw this at the
:11:47. > :11:49.scene. Merseyside Police said this attack had nothing to do with
:11:50. > :11:52.Liverpool football fans, but it was working with both clubs and the
:11:53. > :11:56.local authority to ensure safety to all. Anyone with information is
:11:57. > :12:02.being urged to contact the police. Still to come on North West Tonight:
:12:03. > :12:13.Return to sender. Debt, deficit, and draws. We will
:12:14. > :12:18.round up the festive period for Bolton Wanderers and the rest of our
:12:19. > :12:20.teams later on. And, returned to sender. Find out how this
:12:21. > :12:27.10`year`old's message in a bottle finally got answered. It is good to
:12:28. > :12:31.know something is never change! Lara Jones was passionate about
:12:32. > :12:33.children's education. The young teacher from Goosnargh near Preston
:12:34. > :12:37.was a keen traveller who particularly wanted to help those
:12:38. > :12:40.from poorer countries to get on in life. But Lara's life was cruelly
:12:41. > :12:44.cut short when she was murdered in a hostel in Cuba in 2012. Determined
:12:45. > :12:47.to keep her spirit alive, her family set up a charitable foundation in
:12:48. > :12:51.her name. Over the past few months, workers have been building a school
:12:52. > :12:55.in Tanzania, and it's now about to open its doors. Well, Lara's mother
:12:56. > :13:03.Carolyn came in to see us this afternoon to tell us about why they
:13:04. > :13:07.decided to do it. Everybody wanted to help, and of course, there is
:13:08. > :13:12.nothing you can do to help, but I felt we needed to harness that
:13:13. > :13:15.really positive energy, and in addition, really try to let Lara do
:13:16. > :13:22.some of the things that she would have wanted to do, and she was very
:13:23. > :13:25.inspirational as a teacher. She had wanted to open a school. We had
:13:26. > :13:32.talked about it. This just seemed to be a perfect way to use all those
:13:33. > :13:34.energies. Teaching English as a foreign language to foreign
:13:35. > :13:40.nationals, that is one prong of what you do. The other is opening this
:13:41. > :13:43.new school in Tanzania, which has happened remarkably quickly. You
:13:44. > :13:49.only started building it in September. That's right. The three
:13:50. > :13:51.of us got together, and it was Save The Children, who were giving us the
:13:52. > :13:58.local knowledge and assessing the need, Raleigh International who were
:13:59. > :14:02.providing the labour force, and Lara's foundation, who provided the
:14:03. > :14:06.funding. And you have been out there. It must have been an
:14:07. > :14:09.emotional experience to see this getting off the ground. It was a
:14:10. > :14:15.lovely thing to see. To see something tangible, and to see the
:14:16. > :14:19.people. I actually met the children who would be the first ones to use
:14:20. > :14:23.the school. I spoke to the community. It was nice to see
:14:24. > :14:27.something that tangible. What would Lara think of what has been done in
:14:28. > :14:33.her name? I think she would be very pleased. She was a very pragmatic
:14:34. > :14:36.and empathetic person, and she was very much about the people. She
:14:37. > :14:42.could talk to young children and old people. She had a way with
:14:43. > :14:46.everybody, and she liked to do things, so I think she would be very
:14:47. > :14:51.happy to see this happening. We have tried to do it in the most
:14:52. > :14:53.professional way, using the best people. We have not cut any corners.
:14:54. > :14:55.I think that is fitting for her. people. We have not cut any corners.
:14:56. > :15:01.I think that is fitting for her. I am sure she would be very proud
:15:02. > :15:05.Thank you very much. By the sound of it, I think Lara
:15:06. > :15:08.would have been really proud of the work that her mum and friends have
:15:09. > :15:16.done. They raised ?80,000 in four months. Amazing. So, the first
:15:17. > :15:24.programme of 2014. Did you have a good break? Lovely. Very nice. It is
:15:25. > :15:27.quite difficult to get back in! 2014, it definitely is.
:15:28. > :15:30.Amid all the celebrations and family get`togethers, for some people,
:15:31. > :15:34.Christmas and the New Year can be a lonely time. Almost half of adults
:15:35. > :15:38.in the North West say they sometimes feel alone, and the figure according
:15:39. > :15:41.to a BBC survey is much higher for elderly people. In Rochdale, the
:15:42. > :15:48.council is developing a befriending system that matches young people
:15:49. > :15:51.with those who need their support. Nina Warhurst went to meet two
:15:52. > :15:58.ladies with very different lives who've developed a very special
:15:59. > :16:00.friendship. Audrey is 88 and says she spends
:16:01. > :16:05.most days looking out of the window. In fact, she has not left
:16:06. > :16:12.her house since 2010. But this is her new friend Robina. She is 1 and
:16:13. > :16:15.her new friend Robina. She is 17 and studying social care. She comes to
:16:16. > :16:20.sit see Audrey for a few hours every week. They were paired by the
:16:21. > :16:25.befriending scheme of Rochdale Council. It brightens my day when I
:16:26. > :16:34.see her, because it is company. It is someone to talk to. I am talking
:16:35. > :16:37.to myself after time! We look at newspapers and magazines. I will
:16:38. > :16:40.make a cup of tea. I will do a little bit of tidying up. She will
:16:41. > :16:45.always tell me how grateful she is to have me. She says I am like a
:16:46. > :16:48.breath of fresh air! The friendship has given Audrey the confidence to
:16:49. > :16:53.leave the house for the first time in three years to go and get a
:16:54. > :17:00.chippy lunch. IM over the moon! It a treat for me. Society is changing.
:17:01. > :17:04.People are becoming more isolated, and the need for volunteers like
:17:05. > :17:07.Rubina has never been greater. We have heard Jeremy Hunt is talking
:17:08. > :17:13.recently about the national shame that is loneliness in elderly
:17:14. > :17:18.people. Most elderly people don t talk to their neighbours much, and
:17:19. > :17:21.10% of them never speak to their neighbours at all. This is why
:17:22. > :17:27.friendships like this are so important. Do you want some of my
:17:28. > :17:32.chips? Rubina's taken Audrey to a place she used to come as a child,
:17:33. > :17:34.this lake. I couldn't do it without her. Will you be doing it again?
:17:35. > :17:37.this lake. I couldn't do it without her. Will you be doing it again I
:17:38. > :17:43.hope so! We will definitely go out again.
:17:44. > :17:46.A great idea, isn't it? To people who would otherwise never have come
:17:47. > :17:52.into contact. 70 years between them, but still they are friends.
:17:53. > :17:54.It has been a very busy time for our football teams over the festive
:17:55. > :17:58.period. Now, with no fewer than four games
:17:59. > :18:01.over the festive period, it's been a busy time for our football clubs,
:18:02. > :18:05.and a good time for the likes of Manchester City, who won every game
:18:06. > :18:08.over the holidays. But for others, it has been a concerning spell, and
:18:09. > :18:11.that applies to Bolton Wanderers fans. Stuart Pollitt is at the
:18:12. > :18:17.Reebok Stadium, and Stuart, it's not just on the pitch where Wanderers
:18:18. > :18:21.fans are worried? That's right, and Adele. Boldon
:18:22. > :18:26.showed plenty of fight on the pitch yesterday, turning around a 2`1
:18:27. > :18:31.deficit to draw 2`2 with Middlesbrough. But it is a deficit
:18:32. > :18:35.of a different kind that is around the club, after accounts reveal
:18:36. > :18:38.their net debt is ?163 million. We will have more on that in a minute,
:18:39. > :18:45.but first, let's round of the rest of the festive action will stop
:18:46. > :18:46.let's start with a club for whom ?163 million is not that much money.
:18:47. > :18:59.Manchester City. That drops nicely! A piledriver
:19:00. > :19:03.A perfect Christmas for Manchester City. Four games, four wins and just
:19:04. > :19:07.a point off the top. And maybe, after a 3`2 win at Swansea, an end
:19:08. > :19:12.to the poor away form which has cost them so far? The last four games we
:19:13. > :19:16.have played away, we won three Andrew one. That is very important.
:19:17. > :19:20.We have a lot more to play, five or six, and we will be fighting for the
:19:21. > :19:27.title. But will one of those five or six
:19:28. > :19:30.include Manchester United? Two Tottenham headers left David Moyes
:19:31. > :19:37.heading for a fourth home defeat of the season, and venting his
:19:38. > :19:40.frustration at the officials. I find it unbelievable that the referee
:19:41. > :19:43.does not give a penalty kick and a sending off for the goalkeeper. For
:19:44. > :19:46.that's not to be given in the penalty box for that challenge, I
:19:47. > :19:49.don't know what is a penalty kick and that is not.
:19:50. > :19:53.Liverpool had been in danger of slipping out of title contention
:19:54. > :20:02.too, but three points at home to Hull has kept them in the hunt. That
:20:03. > :20:06.included Luis Suarez's 20th goal of the season. It was arguably our best
:20:07. > :20:10.win for the season, on the back of a really tough schedule for us.
:20:11. > :20:13.Everton were pleased with their point after leaving it late to
:20:14. > :20:18.salvage something from Stoke. Kevin Mirallas hit the bar twice before
:20:19. > :20:25.Leighton Baines' late penalty. They grabbed a draw. They are now six,
:20:26. > :20:26.one point behind Liverpool. We feel disappointed in terms of dropping
:20:27. > :20:29.two points. Outside the Premier League, the
:20:30. > :20:32.finest festive performances came from undefeated Wigan and from
:20:33. > :20:35.Preston ` three wins for North End meaning they'll have high hopes of
:20:36. > :20:45.leaving League One behind and ending 2014 in the Championship.
:20:46. > :20:51.So, Preston are on the art, but Bolton are sliding towards
:20:52. > :20:54.relegation and possible financial trouble with the latest accounts
:20:55. > :21:00.showing the club is using ?1 million a week in the last 12 months. To
:21:01. > :21:04.discuss this, I am joined by a Bolton fan and an accountant,
:21:05. > :21:09.Stephen Battersby. Most of the debt here is owed to the owner, so should
:21:10. > :21:13.fans be worried? No, I do think there is any immediate cause for
:21:14. > :21:18.concern. Eddie Davis is owed about 150 million of the debt, but he
:21:19. > :21:21.converted that into long`term loans about a year ago, so we still have
:21:22. > :21:26.about nine years to grow the business again, and obviously to
:21:27. > :21:30.diversify into other income streams, and I don't think there is any
:21:31. > :21:34.immediate worry. The longer term issue is that at some point, Eddie
:21:35. > :21:39.Davis may want to recoup his money, and therefore there is uncertainty
:21:40. > :21:41.there. Yes, it is a loan, and obviously, all loans have to be
:21:42. > :21:46.repaid at some point. That might be in the form of Mr Davies deciding to
:21:47. > :21:49.sell the club, but I cannot see that in the immediate future. I think he
:21:50. > :21:53.is completely committed to it at this moment. The looming problem
:21:54. > :21:58.this financial Bear play. They must balance the books by this time next
:21:59. > :22:06.year. That is correct. What we must do and come, and what is inhibiting
:22:07. > :22:09.developers of the squad, is, we have to break even. Financial fair play
:22:10. > :22:13.has been introduced to make sure clubs can live within their means,
:22:14. > :22:17.so it is in essence a very good move for a industry that has overspent
:22:18. > :22:19.for many years. But it is making a transition from Premier league club
:22:20. > :22:25.to Championship club that much more difficult. Thank you very much for
:22:26. > :22:29.joining us. So, we could be in for a New Year of belt tightening here at
:22:30. > :22:33.Bolton Wanderers, and perhaps for some other football clubs as well.
:22:34. > :22:37.But for now, back to the studio. Thank you very much. Just to
:22:38. > :22:42.reiterate, the top ten in the Premier league has a real north`west
:22:43. > :22:48.Labour. Manchester City, Liverpool, Everton, and Manchester United are
:22:49. > :22:52.all there. So, did you get an good Christmas present is? I did.
:22:53. > :22:58.Anything you could tell is about? An electric blanket. Cheaper than
:22:59. > :23:02.putting your heating on! You can't walk around with it on! I got some
:23:03. > :23:07.lovely presents, but I don't think any of the ones I got were quite as
:23:08. > :23:10.surprising as this one that was received by Zoe Averianov from
:23:11. > :23:13.Salford. Amongst her gifts on Christmas morning was a letter in
:23:14. > :23:17.strange handwriting. More than two decades ago Zoe dropped a message in
:23:18. > :23:20.a bottle into the sea. The letter was to tell her it had finally
:23:21. > :23:26.turned up hundreds of miles away. Stuart Flinders takes up the story.
:23:27. > :23:30.Zoe Averianov was ten years old when she went on a family holiday to
:23:31. > :23:35.Germany in 1990 on board a North Sea ferry. As the ship left Hull, when
:23:36. > :23:46.nobody was looking, she popped a letter into a bottle and threw it
:23:47. > :23:50.overboard. It probably would have been quite late when we threw it,
:23:51. > :23:54.knowing we went probably supposed to throw some thing overborne! Zoe had
:23:55. > :23:57.forgotten all about it until, on Christmas Day, her father handed her
:23:58. > :24:06.a letter with a foreign postmark that had arrived at her old home.
:24:07. > :24:09.Initially, I was a little bit quiet, just looking at it, and they all
:24:10. > :24:12.sort of expectantly looked at me, thinking, what is it? The envelope
:24:13. > :24:18.contained the very letter she'd written 23 years ago. Dear Finder,
:24:19. > :24:22.my name is away. Please would you write to me? I would like it a lot.
:24:23. > :24:29.I am ten years old and I like ballet, playing a flute and piano. I
:24:30. > :24:36.have a hamster and a fish. The message in a bottle had travelled
:24:37. > :24:40.about 350 miles to the Netherlands. Dear Zoe, yesterday, on one of my
:24:41. > :24:43.many walks with my wife along the Dykes, looking among the debris
:24:44. > :24:48.thrown by the sea on the embankment, I found a little plastic
:24:49. > :24:49.bottle containing a message. It was your message, dated September 12,
:24:50. > :24:54.your message, dated September 1 , 1990. The real surprise ` how it
:24:55. > :24:58.took so long to get there. It does not seem to have gone that far.
:24:59. > :25:06.Know, perhaps it has been there and back if you dines! `` a few times.
:25:07. > :25:16.Extraordinary. It should come back all those years later from so far
:25:17. > :25:20.away. I dare say any messages in bottles in the seat tonight along
:25:21. > :25:24.the north`west coast are going to get tossed around a bit! Happy New
:25:25. > :25:27.Year. It is all about the weather tonight, particularly for coastal
:25:28. > :25:31.communities. Absolutely. Or the bottle might get
:25:32. > :25:39.to you sooner. Good evening. 2014 has not started on a decent note at
:25:40. > :25:44.all. Very high winds tomorrow, as you heard. A lot of them are severe
:25:45. > :25:49.gales, and maybe storm`force winds. They are expected around the coast
:25:50. > :25:53.of the north`west. I have compiled a table tomorrow at the high tide We
:25:54. > :25:58.are expecting the strongest winds around lunchtime, and these are the
:25:59. > :26:02.high tides. Ten metres is normally considered very, very high. You can
:26:03. > :26:08.see in Liverpool, we are expecting ten metres and 20 high tide
:26:09. > :26:11.tomorrow. Ten and 20 the same, in Morecambe. Combined with the high
:26:12. > :26:16.winds at lunchtime, this means we could see the waves rushing onto the
:26:17. > :26:19.shore up and possibly inland tomorrow. For this evening, we will
:26:20. > :26:24.see some rain slowly crossing over overnight. The rain continues to
:26:25. > :26:30.ease through to the other side of the Pennines. The wind also picks up
:26:31. > :26:34.to near gale force. Temperatures are down to maybe three or four Celsius.
:26:35. > :26:40.Then a yellow warning from The Met Office is valid from midnight all
:26:41. > :26:44.day tomorrow. The wind starts first thing, maybe 40 or 50 miles an
:26:45. > :26:49.hour. Inland, up to even 80 miles an hour around the coast. Round
:26:50. > :26:55.Liverpool in Southport, and also across the Isle of Man. Over the top
:26:56. > :26:58.of the Pennines, we could see up to 80 mph tomorrow, and plenty of
:26:59. > :27:02.blustery showers as well. Technically, we could see highs of
:27:03. > :27:05.maybe eight or nine Celsius. You will not notice that however,
:27:06. > :27:11.because of the winds gusting through. On Saturday, a bit of a
:27:12. > :27:15.respite. On Sunday, we will do it all over again, turning wet and
:27:16. > :27:19.windy on Sunday. At the moment, a yellow weather warning is out for
:27:20. > :27:27.that. 24 flood warnings still. Your BBC local radio station will keep
:27:28. > :27:32.you updated on your local area's forecast. And you will be back with
:27:33. > :27:37.me at 10:25pm for the latest. That is right. The message is, if you
:27:38. > :27:43.live on the coast, take care. Yes, especially over the next 24 hours.
:27:44. > :27:48.Thank you for watching. Happy New Year again.