04/02/2014 North West Tonight

into Friday morning and enhance the risk of flooding. That is all from

us, Good evening. Welcome to North West

Tonight with Stuart Flinders and Annabel Tiffin. Our top story. A

mother who gave evidence against a former soldier jumps to her death

after he is cleared of rape. We ask could more have been done to support

Tracey Shelvey. Also tonight. We'll set up camp and disrupt your plans `

the warning from protestors, as two new fracking sites are planned for

Lancashire. We have now put in face plans and resources to do exactly

that. Hopefully the investors will be put off investing. A decade after

cocklepickers drown, we hear the stories of the rescue workers who

tried in vain to save them. They've splashed the cash, but will Salford

get their hands on Wigan's silverware? And famous for the

iPhone and iPad but what is Apple's interest in this Isle of Man bus?

Good evening. An investigation has started into why a Rochdale woman

fell to her death after being told a man she'd accused of rape was

cleared. Tracey Shelvey was said to have been angry and upset when a man

accused of raping her and two other women was found not guilty. Mark

Edwardson reports. Tracey Shelvey in happier times on

holiday in Blackpool. But yesterday morning she jumped from the roof of

the Wheatsheaf shopping centre in Rochdale. Floral tributes from

friends and family. Workmen were securing the 41`year`old's home

today. Neighbours say she was a mother of two young children. No one

would like to hear that she has committed suicide, leaving the

children behind. It is so sad. She was a nice person. Those same

neighbours say Tracey Shelvey faced mental health issues and problems

with drink and drugs. And they say she lived here in Heywood without

even the basics. She would be there with no electric, no gas, no

nothing, no food. She would be very couple of weeks without even

changing her clothes. She would be borrowing money from me, she said

when she gets paid, I said worry about it. `` don't worry about it.

On Friday, a former solider accused of raping Tracey Shelvey and two

other women was cleared. Over the weekend she called police a number

of times, upset and angry. But she wasn't sick enough to be detained

under the Mental Health Act. Her final call to police was yesterday

morning. Our officers will always do their best to try and protect people

but they are not trained in context mental health assessments and

neither are the paramedics that are often called. These are difficult

issues. Somebody distressed does not stop after the trial is over. There

are still issues after that trial is over. Greater Manchester Police have

referred the case to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Earlier, I spoke to Tony Lloyd, Greater Manchester's Police and

Crime commissioner. I asked him what more could be done for women who

claim they've been raped. I need to know, society in more general needs

to know, that those who come forward as victims for crimes like rape are

offered support all the way through the horrible journey. What happens

at the moment at the end of a trial like that? Are you simply dropped?

It should not be the case that you are simply drop. It is difficult for

me to comment on a particular case because as yet I do not know all the

details. What I need to know, what we have got to be able to reassure

victims is whether the case concludes as a guilty or not guilty

verdict, they are going to get the support they need. It is absolutely

traumatic going into court, even for things that relatively speaking are

minor. And cases like the ones we are talking about it is potentially

life changing. The police are saying today that they did try to involve

other agencies that one of the problems according to the Chief

Constable is they feel they are bearing the brunt of cut backs in

mental health services. We know across the board that there is a

real issue for the police around mental health services and not just

in cases like this. We know in recent days a number of people have

for example threatened to kill themselves, the lease are the first

responders, quite rightly, the police, but we're trained to develop

a system `` we are trying to develop a system where professionals have

the skills. Isn't there a limit to what you can do in a case like this?

Justice has to be done. It has to be rigorous process within the court

added will be difficult for alleged to have. It is always going to be

difficult for alleged victims. What we have got to do is to make sure

that the whole of the journey and particularly the court process

itself is only what is necessary and not simply because we have always

done it that well. People are gathering on the seafront in

Morecambe tonight to remember the 23 victims of the Morecambe Bay

cockling disaster. This week marks the 10th anniversary of the tragedy

when Chinese cocklepickers were drowned after being cut off by the

tide. Peter Marshall can join us now live from the seafront. Yes, I can

speak to the organisers now. Why were you so determined to organise

this event. We have been working for the last eight years with the local

Chinese community loading positive relations following the tragedy It

felt fitting today to do something that honoured the memories of those

people and also a celebration of their lives in some way. What is the

tone of the event? It is about reflection, looking at the fire

look at the lanterns, thinking, listening to the music, listening to

the songs and thinking why did this happen, how can we stop it happening

again. Ten years on, just how much pain does this tragedy still cause

the community? Ten years on, it is still quite fresh in people 's

minds. We feel sympathy and pain. It must be awful having to pay the

debts of this. Disease see some people here tonight, what do you

think of that? `` to see so many people here tonight? This thing must

never happen again. And briefly has it strengthened community links

Definitely. Since the event, we have achieved so much, music and Chinese

language and also a focal point for people to come and seek information

so that they can learn about the Chinese culture and heritage. Thank

you very much indeed for joining us. Now onto the second of our special

reports into the tragedy. Tonight we hear from the rescue workers who

tried in vain to save lives. Recent storms have churned the sands,

uncovering fresh reminders of the dangers out here. Local fishermen

believe these newly uncovered cockle bags may well have belonged to those

who died here. It is strange and very eerie, yes. They are just

appearing in the sand after all this time. But no one involved in that

awful unfolding tragedy needs any fresh reminder. Morecambe's RNLI

volunteers would have the grim task of uncovering the true scale of the

tragedy. The whole job lasted 2 hours. In the early hours of the

morning the hovercraft was searching around looking and suddenly came

across what we can only say was a sea of bodies. Gary Parsons spent

hours scouring the waters that night, searching for survivors. I

look back at it as something I don't ever want to experience again. I do

not think anything else could have been done to prevent those people

from dying. They should not have been out there in the first place.

This is the man who put them in that position. Lin Liang Ren, the gang

master. He might have escaped into the night, but for a chance

encounter. I was just coming here up the A6 and there was a guy walking

down the A6 towards Lancaster. A Chinese man. Realising he must be

something to do with whatever was going on and at that stage, we

didn't know, just stopped my car, and it was my own car it wasn't a

marked police car. I stopped my car and just asked him to get in. It

subsequently turned out that he was Lin Liang Ren. Had he not stopped

and had he not got in the car we could have spent an awful long time

looking for him in this country or back in China. What followed was the

most complex investigation ever undertaken by Lancashire Police It

spread across the globe. It involved Triads and human traffickers. In

March 2006 Lin Liang Ren was found guilty of 21 charges of manslaughter

and sentenced to 14 years. He was an evil man. He tried to mix in with

the workers, the survivors and pass himself off as just a worker on the

night. But what he actually did was he threaten people. Ten years on,

Lin Liang Ren is no long in a British prison. In September 20 2,

he was deemed to have served his time. He's since been returned to

China. Coverage of the events continue

tomorrow morning. And Radio Lancashire is marking the

anniversary tomorrow morning with a special breakfast show live from

Morecombe Bay from 6am. A maths teacher from the Isle of Man was

today sentenced to 15 years in jail for the rape and indecent assault of

five teenage girls. 58`year`old Davoud Taghinejad also taught at

North Trafford College in Greater Manchester for ten years before

moving to the Isle of Man in 20 9. A couple who kept a ten`year`old

girl from Pakistan as a domestic slave in a cellar have had their

prison sentences increased by the court of appeal today. Ilyas Ashar

of Salford, who was also found guilty of rape, had his sentence

increased from 13 years to 15 years. His wife Tallat's sentence was

increased from five to six years in prison. The Solicitor General

welcomed the news. The offender is 84 years old. There

is a limit to how long the sentence could be, but the judge in the

original case said 20 years was the right sentence but he reduced it

because of age to 13. I felt that was too much of a reduction and it

needed to be higher than that for deterrence. Repair work is underway

on the Isle of Man after high tides and strong winds caused damage to

walls in Douglas, Castletown, Laxey and Ramsey. The department of

Infrastructure and local councils are trying to protect the areas from

any further damage. Anti`fracking protestors say they'll try to

disrupt two new sites in Lancashire where the energy company Cuadrilla

plans to carry out test drilling for shale gas. We'll be hearing from one

of the campaigners in a minute, but first let's go to one of the

villages close to where the exploratory drilling will take

place. Our Environment Correspondent Judy Hobson joins us now.

Yes, Cuadrilla announced these to `` these two new sites this morning.

About 150 local villagers have been coming here to the village hall

today. Some have said they are undecided and they have come for

information. Others have been visibly upset. They say they are

worried the process is not safe and they are worried about water

contamination. There is also a sense of panic. Cuadrilla say they want to

drill and start fracking this time next year. They say this drop`in

session is just one of many they will have. Earlier today, I went to

a nearby village to find out what people therefore. People living in

this village today found out that the controversial process of

fracking could soon be happening on their doorstep and the reaction was

mixed. I am not too fast. It does not affect me in any way. People are

concerned really about this site with regard to traffic, traffic to

the site, we live in such a lovely rural area. From what I hear, it is

not going to make a great deal of difference. Whether it'll make any

to property price or not, I do not know. Some people did not want to

speak on camera. This is the site a mile away where Cuadrilla want to

build a concrete pad and drill for exploration wells. It is one of two

new sites the company say they hope to look for shale gas. They still

need planning permission from the council. There is an impact

assessment as part of the planning application. If we get a positive

decision, drilling will not start until the end of this year. This

village will also be affected by today's news. The second new

drilling site is half a mile away. They are no strangers to the idea

though. Today, some villagers said they did not want test running so

close to their homes. `` test drilling. Any pass, there have angry

scenes at this camp in Barton Moss `` in the past. There has been

fracking in Elswick for 20 years, seemingly with no problems at all.

Campaigners say this is a different sort of fracking. This is for shale

gas which will be much deeper and also it will go horizontal as well.

Cuadrilla says it is safe. Earlier I spoke to Tina Rothery, who's part of

the Barton Moss demonstration. I asked her what the demonstrators had

in mind for the new sites in Lancashire. We have tried appealing

to the government, we have tried lobbying MPs, signing petitions

objecting to planning, we have done all the right and sensible things

that democracy offers us as a choice to do and we have not succeeded in

stopping this. We feel it should stop because it is a threat to

agriculture. In watching what happened recently, we have put in

place plans and resources to set up exactly that, so the traffic so that

the investors will hopefully be put off investing in shale gas

extracting in the United Kingdom. You talk about democracy. Some of

the people living in the areas where the fracking might take place will

actually like the idea of bringing money to the area, jobs. Why you go

steaming in there? I understand that some people have not been informed

of the truth and that is all the matter is. They simply do not know

the facts because I can guarantee with absolute certainty that if they

understood the facts of shale gas extraction and the risks it poses to

the vital resources of air and water, they would not be in favour

of it. They might understand it but just disagree with you. How can you

disagree with the evidence coming out of Canada, America, Australia?

It is clear`cut. People are suffering the effects of this and

they have been across to speak with us. There are numerous reports

showing this. Some people will agree with you and some won't. The cost of

making the point in the way that you do is horrendously expensive. We

have seen the protest in Salford, the cost is over one third of a

million. The council taxpayers of Lancashire have two look forward to

more protesting from you? We cannot understand why they are allowed to

use our police force. We have run out of options. They are now using

our police force as a private army, essentially. Why are they standing

there? This is wrong. They need to pause long enough to show the

evidence. Thank you very much. Still to come on North West Tonight. We

are with Super League 's big spenders, the Salford Red Revils, to

hear about their big ambitions ahead of the new season. And we find out

why Alex and his Isle of Man bus is so important to computer giant

Apple. Manchester City's title hopes suffered a blow last night, Chelsea

achieving a rare feat. Yes, the Londoners added their name to that

of Bayern Munich as the only two teams to win at the Etihad Stadium

this season. City had won all 1 league games before this but the 1`0

defeat meant it was the first time in more than three years City had

failed to score at home. The only goal of the game came in the first

half thanks to this Branislav Ivanovic strike and Chelsea could

have had more as they hit the woodwork three times reducing City

to long range efforts from the likes of Stefan Jovetic. The result leaves

City second in the table level on points with Chelsea and two behind

leaders Arsenal. Manuel Pellegrini's side have a cup final to look

forward to and so could the players of Fleetwood Town if they beat

Chesterfield in the Northern Area final of the Johnstone's Paint

Trophy. The first leg takes place tonight at Highbury. We have to do

it to the best of our ability, represent Fleetwood. The supporters

are excited about this. The board, the chairman, the players, the

staff, we are all excited and it is a big game. Good luck to Fleetwood.

Another side looking to land a trophy this season is the newly

named Salford Red Devils, formerly Salford City Reds. They finished

bottom of Super League last year but owner Marwan Koukash has spent

plenty of money to make sure that doesn't happen again. North West

Tonight was given exclusive access to the club's pre`season programme.

A new name, a new team and a new era dawning at Salford. Coach Brian

Noble has to blend 14 new signings into a competitive team. This is

your tactics board. Tell us what happened here? It is just a 3`D

event, the players stand around the pitch and we visualise different

things that we would like to do The expectation on as is high. You look

around the Super League world and people are suggesting we might

finish fourth, third, maybe even win it. Somebody tipped us to get to a

grand final. And I hope they are right. Big name arrivals include

Rangi Chase and Salford born Adrian Morley. The way my career panned

out, I did not think I would get the opportunity to play for my hometown.

But it has come about and I am delighted. The fun is just

beginning. If we play to our potential, we can win it. They may

share a colour and now a nickname with Manchester United, but the

parallel is more like with Manchester City because of their

big`money, big`name signings and big ambitions to shake up the

established order. My message to the top boys is that you have to do is

make room for us. I have been involved with the recruitment of

every single player. These guys are not mercenaries. These guys are

coming here to win. I am very confident they will perform. The

owner expects to be in the one, now it is up to deliver. We heard from

Marwan Koukash in the piece and he's been making waves at the club's

press launch this afternoon. Yes, addressing fans and the media

Koukash laid in to the Rugby Football League criticising the new

Super League structure, the number of administrators, their salaries,

the sport's new TV deal, all in the sort of language we wouldn't dare

broadcast on North West Tonight A little bit colourful. He is a fairly

imposing character. A man from the Isle of Man has been named amongst

the 30 leading innovators of the last 30 years as part of Apple's

30th anniversary celebrations. Alex Townsend was recognised for his work

setting up an internet bus in the Isle of Man in 1998. Mr Townsend

helped to transform a converted a passenger bus into a mobile

classroom. Kelly Foran reports. Apple, famous today for its iPad and

iPhone but 30 years ago, they were pioneers of the new wave of home

computers. So what links the global computing giant with this old bus on

the Isle of Man? In 1998, it was transferred and `` transformed into

eight classroom. Its destination, the future. On the island had the

world at their fingertips. The man behind it, Alex Townsend. It is

pretty much a 1`person show, I do everything. Known to students as the

computer busman, he has introduced hundreds of children to the

Internet. Just basic things like how you log on and how you find websites

and what things mean. At the time, we did not really know. In those

days, Internet access and the number of computers in the schools on the

Isle of Man were relatively few and far between. Apple have named him as

one of the pioneers that made a profound impact in the last 30

years, calling the computer as a stroke of brilliance. I have to say

I was a bit surprised when I saw some of the other people on the

list. We are in our creaking ancient bus. But that creaking old buses

still going today. Thousands of pupils have been passengers. This is

more fun than the other lessons Computers are one of my favourite

things. It is better than in the old days. Mr Townsend says he will

continue as long as the buses in working order.

Brilliant. Perhaps if the bus stops working, Apple will step in to help

out. Let's have a look at the weather

forecast. The next few weeks are not looking very good. We have a

conveyor belt of low pressure systems working in from the Atlantic

over the next three days. This is the first one, working its way into

night, into tomorrow. We will see a respite on Thursday, then another

low pressure system working in on Friday night bringing lots of rain.

And here goes the next low`pressure system, bringing in more rain. It

will be wet and very windy over the next few days and tonight, it is all

beginning after a fairly decent day, we will start off with plenty of

cloud through this evening and then the front begins to move in. You

have to feel for people on the Isle of Man trying to make repairs at the

moment. That rain sitting over the Isle of Man for ages. Strong winds

around the coast, maybe Gales, as usual. Hey lot of Schelin is by

dawn. Temperatures down to four Celsius. `` a lot of showers by

dawn. The winds really picking if again. I think it will be miserable

tomorrow. Maybe just seven Celsius. You will not notice the temperatures

at all. Tomorrow night, the showers will continue. Then we head into

Thursday. We start off mostly dry. It is not going to last because on

Thursday night, that rain begins to spread in and it will stay with us

on Thursday night into Friday and on Saturday, we are likely to see more

rain. Not a lot is going to change over the next few days. More rain

and more strong winds. We continue with the risk of flooding.

I am so glad I am in the studio this weekend. Now a photo which shows

that the fortune of squirrels at Formby is on the up. Wildlife

photographers Peter Smith and Roy Rimmer took this photo when this

cheeky pair moved in for a closer look. Looks like their recovery is

well underway. They are the good squirrels, the red

squirrels. Good night.