:00:00. > :00:00.Peter, thank you. That's all from the BBC News at
:00:00. > :00:09.Good evening. Welcome to NorthWest Tonight with Stuart Flinders.
:00:10. > :00:12.And Annabel Tiffin. Our top story: Cleared of all sex abuse charges `
:00:13. > :00:22.the Coronation Street actor William Roache's three`week court ordeal is
:00:23. > :00:26.over. In these situations, there are no winners. I think we should all be
:00:27. > :00:31.much kinder to ourselves. We've got reaction from cast members
:00:32. > :00:42.and from his home town. Also: I'm outside William Roache's
:00:43. > :00:45.home where the actor has just arrived back and where neighbours
:00:46. > :00:49.are saying they are delighted at the verdict. Also coming up: Wrongly
:00:50. > :00:53.arrested at an anti`fracking protest ` now a man says he'll use this
:00:54. > :00:57.video evidence to sue police. Where the axe will fall? Libraries,
:00:58. > :01:06.children's centres and elderly care ` all victims of Liverpool City
:01:07. > :01:10.Council's latest cuts. And find out why Ashton has been
:01:11. > :01:20.voted Britain's favourite place to go.
:01:21. > :01:26.His three`week court ordeal is over. The Coronation Street star William
:01:27. > :01:29.Roache was today cleared of all sex assault charges against him. The
:01:30. > :01:34.actor had always denied any wrongdoing. Today, a jury said they
:01:35. > :01:36.believed him. Five women accused the star of
:01:37. > :01:45.molesting them when they were teenagers in the 1960s. One claimed
:01:46. > :01:48.she had been raped twice. In court, their stories were described as
:01:49. > :01:50.contradictory and inconsistent by Mr Roache's barrister. Our Chief
:01:51. > :01:57.Reporter, Dave Guest, followed the case throughout and joins us now
:01:58. > :02:00.from the Coronation Street set. Well, he may be the Street's longest
:02:01. > :02:06.serving resident, but Bill Roache has never worked on this set. The
:02:07. > :02:11.street moved here to MediaCity only recently from its former home in
:02:12. > :02:14.Quay Street. Indeed, Mr Roache hasn't appeared in the programme
:02:15. > :02:19.since last May, when two detectives knocked on the door of his home in
:02:20. > :02:24.Cheshire and told him he was being arrested on suspicion of rape. A
:02:25. > :02:29.nine`month nightmare followed. A nightmare which finally ended today.
:02:30. > :02:36.His face said more than words ever could. This was a man who'd had the
:02:37. > :02:40.weight of the world lifted from his shoulders at last. But words are
:02:41. > :02:47.William Roache's stock in trade and he had these words of gratitude for
:02:48. > :02:50.those who'd believed in him. I would like to thank my colleagues and
:02:51. > :02:55.friends who have supported me through this and all those people
:02:56. > :02:59.who I don't even know who have sent me support through all this. The
:03:00. > :03:04.star arrived at court this morning as he has every morning for over
:03:05. > :03:09.three weeks accompanied by his family and close friends. Inside,
:03:10. > :03:14.eight women and four men held his fate in their hands. During the
:03:15. > :03:17.weeks of the trial they heard the actor accused of raping a teenage
:03:18. > :03:21.girl at his former home in Lancashire, they heard Druid tales
:03:22. > :03:25.of sex assaults in dressing rooms and toilets at the Granada TV
:03:26. > :03:31.building and they heard Mr Roache says emphatically that none of it
:03:32. > :03:35.was true. The jury spent most of yesterday deliberating and they were
:03:36. > :03:38.sent out again this morning to continue their discussions. Within
:03:39. > :04:04.an hour they were back in Court number one to announce their
:04:05. > :04:07.verdicts. As they were announced, Bill Roache stood in the dock
:04:08. > :04:09.showing no emotion. Members of his family in the public gallery,
:04:10. > :04:12.though, wept with relief as one by one the not guilty verdict came in.
:04:13. > :04:15.Mr Roache told the jury that their team `` hurting people was alien to
:04:16. > :04:16.his nature. Now cleared on six sex assault charges his words were far
:04:17. > :04:19.from triumphant. In these situations, there are no winners. We
:04:20. > :04:24.should all be much kinder to ourselves. Now, I would like to get
:04:25. > :04:30.back to work. Today, the most important voice was that of the jury
:04:31. > :04:37.foreman when he altered `` uttered the words, "not guilty" .
:04:38. > :04:41.He is keen to get back to work and his colleagues are keen to see him.
:04:42. > :04:48.Those who we spoke to today said they were delighted by the result.
:04:49. > :04:53.It is brilliant news. We are looking forward to seeing him back at work.
:04:54. > :04:59.It has been horrible for everyone, not least Bill. We really pleased
:05:00. > :05:06.the right verdict been reached. I have known him for 39 years now and
:05:07. > :05:11.I never knew him or her dim do anything abusive, crass, angry. He
:05:12. > :05:20.is a most calm and level`headed man. A gentleman. Absolutely delighted
:05:21. > :05:25.for the man. That was Michael Le Vell. Kevin in
:05:26. > :05:29.the Street. Of course, he knows just what Bill Roache has been through.
:05:30. > :05:34.Last year, he too was cleared of sex abuse charges. During the Roache
:05:35. > :05:36.trial, the defence team questioned the quality of the police
:05:37. > :05:39.investigation and wondered whether, post Jimmy Savile, any celebrity
:05:40. > :05:42.accused of historical abuse must now face court regardless of the
:05:43. > :05:59.strength of the evidence against them.
:06:00. > :06:05.This afternoon, the Crown Prosecution Service said Mr Roache
:06:06. > :06:21.had been treated just like any other service `` person.
:06:22. > :06:27.But one leading lawyer said that the William Roache case maybe should
:06:28. > :06:33.reignite the discussion over whether those accused of serious sexual
:06:34. > :06:38.assault should remain anonymous until such time that the case is
:06:39. > :06:44.proved against them. These types of allegation have a special stigma
:06:45. > :06:48.associated with them. It sustains them indelibly. When they are
:06:49. > :06:52.acquitted, they are supposed is leave court without a stain on his
:06:53. > :06:54.character. But he will have stains on his character for the rest of his
:06:55. > :07:03.life and that shouldn't happen. Bill Roache is keen to get back to
:07:04. > :07:09.work at Coronation Street as quickly as possible.
:07:10. > :07:13.The scriptwriters have got around his absence by sending Ken Barlow to
:07:14. > :07:19.Canada to look after a relative It looks like he will soon be on his
:07:20. > :07:24.way back. After the verdict, an ITV spokesman said they look forward to
:07:25. > :07:27.talking to Bill soon about his return.
:07:28. > :07:31.It has been a dramatic year for the man the Guinness book of records
:07:32. > :07:36.calls the longest serving actor in a continuous role in a soap.
:07:37. > :07:43.Bill Roache leaves Preston saying he wants to get back to work, but it is
:07:44. > :07:48.no ordinary job. Coronation Street has been his life, almost all of it.
:07:49. > :07:56.He was 28 when he appeared in the first episode. He is now 81. The
:07:57. > :08:00.reason for its success is that it is about relationships. Basically human
:08:01. > :08:04.relationships don't blow up and go wrong, like everything else in the
:08:05. > :08:12.world. I would say, I'm going to smack your
:08:13. > :08:17.bottom. I would love to do that He admitted being unfaithful to his
:08:18. > :08:24.first wife in the 60s but vehemently denied abusing young girls. He
:08:25. > :08:28.wrote, I have not, nor would I ever force any person to engage in a
:08:29. > :08:29.sexual act against their will. In particular, I would not seek to
:08:30. > :08:42.force a young girl to do so. He once boasted about sleeping with
:08:43. > :08:52.1000 women. Adults, there were plenty of girls who fancied handsome
:08:53. > :08:55.celebrities. And, I suppose, there was temptation there. I know girls
:08:56. > :09:05.were throwing themselves, but never children. If you would join my Mrs
:09:06. > :09:09.and I... He has defended his reputation in court before when the
:09:10. > :09:15.Sun newspaper accused him in 19 0 of being as boring as his character on
:09:16. > :09:20.the street. He sued them and one. No one should have to go through what
:09:21. > :09:33.we have been through... His alter ego is no stranger to court either.
:09:34. > :09:39.Last week, real life mirrored art. Bill Roache himself has said that it
:09:40. > :09:43.is too easy to make allegations are bent `` against celebrities and that
:09:44. > :09:49.some people will be wrongly convicted. Is that a concern? There
:09:50. > :09:52.is a risk. Jimmy Savile has opened the gate for people to come through
:09:53. > :09:56.it and that is good because there have been mistakes in the past and
:09:57. > :10:01.they are rectifying them now. But there is the risk that someone at a
:10:02. > :10:08.certain state will have that charge against them. The storylines have
:10:09. > :10:20.become as dramatic as those of the state `` series themselves. Michael
:10:21. > :10:26.Lavelle was also cleared. Michael Le Vell. It is a shop just coming after
:10:27. > :10:30.the other case. It is a shock for the cast and the general public
:10:31. > :10:34.They have grown up with him and he was like a father figure or a
:10:35. > :10:36.grandfather figure. The longest running career in soap opera has
:10:37. > :10:47.some way to go yet. Our reporter is outside his home.
:10:48. > :10:54.What has been the reaction there today?
:10:55. > :10:57.There has been a sense of delight amongst neighbours who supported him
:10:58. > :11:02.throughout. He arrived back in the last half an hour. There is flash
:11:03. > :11:06.photography in these pictures. He drove through the driveway flanked
:11:07. > :11:11.by his children who have supported him throughout the trial. A lot of
:11:12. > :11:18.well`wishers have arrived today some bringing flowers. Also the
:11:19. > :11:22.actress Sue Johnston who was in Coronation Street and was in the
:11:23. > :11:26.Royal family series arrived this afternoon and dropped a card into
:11:27. > :11:31.the letterbox. There has been a huge amount of support here where he is a
:11:32. > :11:40.well`known figure. His neighbours told me today how pleased they are.
:11:41. > :11:43.Thrilled. He is such a gentleman. He is a nice bloke. He has been found
:11:44. > :11:54.innocent and that is fantastic. What started his wrote `... What
:11:55. > :11:58.started all this was a TV interview in which William Roache appeared to
:11:59. > :12:01.say victims of sexual abuse bring it on themselves. Those views drove one
:12:02. > :12:04.of the first complainants to the police, and had their roots in a
:12:05. > :12:07.group in Altrincham who call themselves the Circle of Love. Naomi
:12:08. > :12:18.Cornwell reports. He was tried before the first
:12:19. > :12:22.complaint was even made. Publicly tried for views many find
:12:23. > :12:26.abhorrent. The start of what could have been his downfall. Asked to
:12:27. > :12:30.comment on the increasingly long line of celebrities facing sex abuse
:12:31. > :12:41.allegations, he attacked what he called... These groupies and girls
:12:42. > :12:45.who are sexually mature... If you accept and you are no `` you know
:12:46. > :12:51.you are pure love and you live pure love, these things will happen to
:12:52. > :12:56.you. That statement led one of the complainants to speak to the police.
:12:57. > :13:07.His views have their roots here The circle of love. The group that meets
:13:08. > :13:12.twice a love to `` to `` the group means `` meets twice a week. The
:13:13. > :13:16.group says it welcomes people from any religion and it believes love
:13:17. > :13:22.can solve everything and protect the believer from harm. Mr Roache
:13:23. > :13:28.allowed us to feel during the trial but he couldn't speak. We treat him
:13:29. > :13:33.the same today as we always have, trial or no trial. He is a national
:13:34. > :13:38.treasure in the sense that he is one of the most genuine people you have
:13:39. > :13:43.ever met. His comments might have put William Roache and the group in
:13:44. > :13:49.the full glare of the media but not everyone shares his views. You would
:13:50. > :13:55.have to speak to him about what his way of articulating things are. In
:13:56. > :14:05.my experience, he follows and listens to his heart. Sometimes ..
:14:06. > :14:13.Stand up, open your heart, smile and allow it to happen. There is hope.
:14:14. > :14:18.His... His beliefs could have brought about his downfall but
:14:19. > :14:25.instead they are the very things which helped him through the trial.
:14:26. > :14:28.He has publicly thanked his friend at the circle of love for their
:14:29. > :14:35.support. There has been more support on social media this evening. One
:14:36. > :14:40.Fellow Coronation St star has tweeted that it was just this. One
:14:41. > :14:46.writer of the soap said it is the best news of the year. Back to you.
:14:47. > :14:51.The Environment Agency has pledged ?74 million to try to prevent
:14:52. > :14:56.flooding in the North West ` almost 30 million more than last year. The
:14:57. > :15:00.cash is part of ?470 million being spent across England and Wales over
:15:01. > :15:01.the next two years. Areas to benefit include Warrington, Northwich,
:15:02. > :15:09.Croston and Ulverston. It's been confirmed that the new
:15:10. > :15:12.Hillsborough inquests could be paid for by a Government grant applied
:15:13. > :15:15.for by South Yorkshire Police. If approved, the cash would help the
:15:16. > :15:19.force cover their legal fees for the inquests, which begin in Warrington
:15:20. > :15:21.at the end of March. It's thought the costs could run into millions of
:15:22. > :15:26.pounds. Fifteen people were treated for
:15:27. > :15:29.injuries this morning after five buses crashed in Manchester City
:15:30. > :15:34.centre. Emergency services were called to Portland Street just after
:15:35. > :15:35.eight o'clock. Police and public transport providers, Stagecoach and
:15:36. > :15:49.Arriva, are investigating. A man arrested during an
:15:50. > :15:52.anti`fracking protest in Salford is planning to sue Greater Manchester
:15:53. > :15:55.Police claiming he has video evidence showing he was detained
:15:56. > :15:58.unlawfully. Dr Steve Peers, who says he is an observer and not a
:15:59. > :16:01.protester, was arrested for refusing a breath test after being accused of
:16:02. > :16:04.drink`driving at Barton Moss site. The case later collapsed when the
:16:05. > :16:06.prosecution offered no evidence Mark Edwardson reports.
:16:07. > :16:09.Steven Peers was filming the arrest of a protester. Shortly afterwards,
:16:10. > :16:23.his video shows police accusing him of drink driving. I smelt alcohol on
:16:24. > :16:27.his breath? No, I've not had a drink at all. I've had tea this morning.
:16:28. > :16:35.Back at Barton Moss today, Dr Peers continues to deny the accusation. I
:16:36. > :16:43.had tea that morning. When asked by other officers to provide a breath
:16:44. > :16:47.sample, he refuses. Do you consent? I do not. You are under arrest. The
:16:48. > :16:54.charges were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service for lack of
:16:55. > :17:01.evidence. I will bring civil action for unlawful imprisonment and if the
:17:02. > :17:04.Chief Constable decides to defend that officers actions... It's
:17:05. > :17:14.understood Inspector David Kehoe, seen in these pictures, is the
:17:15. > :17:18.subject of an internal inquiry. The force is currently investigating
:17:19. > :17:21.different offences against officers. Greater Manchester's Police
:17:22. > :17:24.Commissioner told us he's called on the Chief Constable to to provide
:17:25. > :17:27.assurances the operation at Barton moss is proportionate. He said, "If
:17:28. > :17:35.misconduct has occurred, appropriate action should be taken." In a
:17:36. > :17:39.statement, Greater Manchester Police say they have received a complaint
:17:40. > :17:41.about the video which is being investigated by the professional
:17:42. > :17:53.standard branch. Still to come: Has postal voting
:17:54. > :17:58.decided the anchor of a Manchester by`election? Ten years ago it was
:17:59. > :18:08.burned to the ground, now Ashton market is voted Britain's favourite.
:18:09. > :18:14.Half of all the city 's libraries in Liverpool could go, school crossings
:18:15. > :18:21.act along with daycare centres for the elderly. In the last few hours,
:18:22. > :18:25.Liverpool City Council has asked where the next round of cuts will
:18:26. > :18:29.hit. Let us go live now to Liverpool 's
:18:30. > :18:35.waterfront. We knew the top line of the figure they needed to reach
:18:36. > :18:38.?156 million, but you have been to a press conference where they have
:18:39. > :18:48.outlined how they will achieve this. Yes, 56% of the council 's budget in
:18:49. > :18:53.real terms. That will have gone since 2011. This is how the cuts
:18:54. > :18:59.will look over three years. A questionmark over 13 leisure
:19:00. > :19:06.centres. Two will definitely close, including the one where Beth Tweddle
:19:07. > :19:11.trained for Olympic gold. Also a? Over 23 Sure Start centres. They
:19:12. > :19:15.have tried to protect them as much as they could but some will have to
:19:16. > :19:20.close. Also questions over 19 libraries which will lose a large
:19:21. > :19:27.percentage of their budgets. Lollipop ladies. The council funding
:19:28. > :19:36.for school crossings will end in 2016. They hope schools will step in
:19:37. > :19:41.to pay the bill. They also say that 25% of the budget of adult social
:19:42. > :19:46.care will go. That means the closure of daycare centres, and the loss of
:19:47. > :19:55.some 300 jobs. The mayor said that was the hardest cut to make. I have
:19:56. > :20:02.described this, all of those things within the list of cuts, for us they
:20:03. > :20:06.are priorities so we have to prioritise the priorities. The
:20:07. > :20:14.options were going to be tough and not liked. The consultation starts
:20:15. > :20:20.to decide where the axe will fall. Which libraries and which Sure Start
:20:21. > :20:23.centres? They hoped some voluntary organisations might step in to save
:20:24. > :20:27.them, but the council can't afford to pay for them.
:20:28. > :20:32.It's a week to go until the Wythenshawe and Sale East
:20:33. > :20:36.by`election, but could the vote be decided before we even get to
:20:37. > :20:38.polling day ` through postal votes? Today, the UKIP Leader, Nigel
:20:39. > :20:42.Farage, has complained that Labour's exploiting the system. With more
:20:43. > :20:45.than 17,000 people in the constituency registered to vote by
:20:46. > :20:46.post, our political editor, Arif Ansari, has been trying to assess
:20:47. > :20:58.the impact. Who will voters push through the
:20:59. > :21:05.gates of Wythenshawe to Parliament and how many have already decided? I
:21:06. > :21:08.have already sent my postal vote. Because you've voted, you've missed
:21:09. > :21:19.some of the campaigning and you might change your mind? No, I'm
:21:20. > :21:22.pretty sure of what I wanted to do. UKIP's out campaigning today. She
:21:23. > :21:27.narrowly lost the Eastleigh by`election a year ago and she
:21:28. > :21:33.believes postal voted `` voting denied her victory. Labour have say
:21:34. > :21:37.`` played the same game that the Lib Dems did. A very short campaign and
:21:38. > :21:46.narrow window between the postal votes being sent and returned hoping
:21:47. > :21:51.to get voter advantage. There are just over 85,000 voters registered
:21:52. > :21:56.and 17,000 have postal votes. If turnout is low, it is post ``
:21:57. > :22:02.possible that more than half will be cast by post before polling day The
:22:03. > :22:08.political parties need to be campaigning earlier to try to
:22:09. > :22:13.mobilise their core vote. For Labour, that has meant knocking
:22:14. > :22:19.quickly on the right doors. They only showed up when this by`election
:22:20. > :22:26.was called. Labour has always worked hard in this seat. Those with postal
:22:27. > :22:30.votes are much more likely to use them. Voting here is next Thursday
:22:31. > :22:35.but it is possible that the decision might already have been made by
:22:36. > :22:40.them, not through the ballot box but through the post box. Well, there
:22:41. > :22:44.are a total of seven candidates contesting the Wythenshawe and Sale
:22:45. > :22:50.East by`election. The full list is on your screen
:22:51. > :22:53.Polling day is next Thursday. Arif will be hosting a debate between the
:22:54. > :22:55.candidates on the Sunday Politics this weekend at 11 o'clock on BBC
:22:56. > :23:02.One. St Helen's Jonny Lomax has signed a
:23:03. > :23:06.new four`year contract which the club has described as one of the
:23:07. > :23:09.most important in recent times. The 23`year`old who's already made 00
:23:10. > :23:12.first team appearances is one of the most sought after young players in
:23:13. > :23:14.Britain. Lomax says it's a thrill to commit his long term future to his
:23:15. > :23:25.home town club. The historic Ashton market may have
:23:26. > :23:31.been devastated by a fire ten years ago but it has risen from the ashes
:23:32. > :23:35.to become Britain's favourite. It beat off stiff competition thanks to
:23:36. > :23:40.its eclectic mix of regulars and a wide range of stalls.
:23:41. > :23:46.We went to have a look around. An historic market hall at Ashton
:23:47. > :23:54.under Lyne. It's officially part of Britain's favourite market. Just ask
:23:55. > :24:00.this regular who has his own mug. I come in the morning and meet up with
:24:01. > :24:06.friends and have a drink. And a laugh. Wendy Mitchell has run this
:24:07. > :24:13.cafe for 15 years. I wouldn't swap it for anything. Ten years ago it
:24:14. > :24:19.was devastated by a huge fire but then refurbished. When they tell you
:24:20. > :24:23.you are the best, it means everything. Everything to the
:24:24. > :24:29.council and the traders. It has stood the test of time. I you
:24:30. > :24:36.delighted? Yes. We have worked towards it as a group. The success
:24:37. > :24:42.has been put down to its range of stores partly. Here, I could pick up
:24:43. > :24:50.a costume for any occasion. Witness and Warrington market is also picked
:24:51. > :24:57.up awards. It makes a town. People come to the centre of a town. I am
:24:58. > :25:03.local so it is where I come to shop. We go all over the place but we
:25:04. > :25:07.always come back to here. With the mixture of traders and shoppers it
:25:08. > :25:12.is hoping to pick up another award yet.
:25:13. > :25:24.Was that fish at the end or tripe? I hate tripe! Now the weather.
:25:25. > :25:31.Good evening. It has been a decent day. But it is about to change with
:25:32. > :25:37.an area of low pressure drifting into night. Then another area of low
:25:38. > :25:41.pressure drifts in from the Atlantic from Friday night into Saturday The
:25:42. > :25:51.picture for Sunday looks just as messy. Tonight, it will turn wet and
:25:52. > :25:56.windy. A lot of cloud around at the moment and rain moving in from the
:25:57. > :26:01.south overnight. Some bits and pieces of snow on high ground which
:26:02. > :26:06.will not amount to much. By dawn, the rain fragments into showers We
:26:07. > :26:12.hang on to the cloud. The breeze will ease and clearer skies from
:26:13. > :26:19.Cumbria. Here we will see the lowest temperatures. Maybe a touch of frost
:26:20. > :26:24.there. During the daytime tomorrow the picture looks really good. Good
:26:25. > :26:30.spells of sunshine but the rain with ease in tomorrow night. Wet and
:26:31. > :26:37.windy for tomorrow night. A damp start for the morning. One or two
:26:38. > :26:42.floating showers but the wind will be lighter for a time. Right spells
:26:43. > :26:49.for the afternoon then the winds pick up by late afternoon. Bright
:26:50. > :26:57.and breezy to end the day. Not too bad for tomorrow. Feeling a touch
:26:58. > :27:04.cooler. Tomorrow night we do it all again with cloud building. It will
:27:05. > :27:09.edge in from the west and fall as snow on high bright `` high ground
:27:10. > :27:14.and it will be near gale force winds by dawn. That would clear by
:27:15. > :27:19.Saturday morning. A lot of showers for the weekend. Maybe some thunder
:27:20. > :27:32.or hail on Sunday. I am sure you have been running that
:27:33. > :27:35.same map every night this week. I have.
:27:36. > :27:39.Most of February will look like that. Unsettled with wet or windy
:27:40. > :27:44.conditions. See you tomorrow. Good night.