:00:00. > :00:00.forces and protestors. That is all from BBC News. It is goodbye from
:00:00. > :00:16.me. A teenager from Manchester is
:00:17. > :00:18.reported missing in Syria, a week after it's revealed his friend was
:00:19. > :00:22.killed there. The British authorities are urging
:00:23. > :00:25.young people not to go. Also in the programme ` as church leaders sign
:00:26. > :00:29.up to a letter highlighting food poverty in Britain, we talk to the
:00:30. > :00:38.local MP tasked with tackling the issue. I'm outside the offices of
:00:39. > :00:44.Lancashire County Council web they are waiting on a variety of cuts.
:00:45. > :00:45.And it's full steam ahead on a ten`year labour of love to restore
:00:46. > :00:58.this classic ship. A teenager from Manchester is
:00:59. > :01:01.missing in Syria. Mohammed Azzam Javeed's family have heard nothing
:01:02. > :01:06.since he set out for the war ravaged country last autumn. One of his
:01:07. > :01:09.friends from Manchester has already been killed fighting for the rebels
:01:10. > :01:12.out there. The British authorities and community leaders are urging
:01:13. > :01:17.young people not to go. But still they do, so why? It's a question our
:01:18. > :01:20.chief reporter Dave Guest has been exploring.
:01:21. > :01:24.The harrowing images emerging from Syria have shocked many around the
:01:25. > :01:29.world. But for some, looking on from outside isn't enough. They feel the
:01:30. > :01:33.need to get involved. Mohammed Azzam Javeed was one of them. The
:01:34. > :01:37.19`year`old was raised in Levenshulme, Manchester, and
:01:38. > :01:42.educated locally. He planned to go to university. Then last autumn he
:01:43. > :01:46.changed his mind and headed out to Syria. His reasons aren't clear `
:01:47. > :01:52.was he planning to fight along side the rebels, or offer humanitarian
:01:53. > :01:55.aid? We don't know. We do know, however, that his father runs a
:01:56. > :01:58.restaurant in Manchester. His dad told our colleagues on the BBC Asian
:01:59. > :02:03.Network that they've heard nothing since he went to Syria. This is
:02:04. > :02:06.another Manchester man who made the journey, but never returned. Anil
:02:07. > :02:12.Khalil Raoufi was killed fighting for the rebels. He and Mr Javeed
:02:13. > :02:20.were friends. So what motivates young men such as these to set out
:02:21. > :02:30.to Syria? I think there are two categories. Firstly, they could be
:02:31. > :02:40.affiliates of groups out there. Some would see it as a wider cause to
:02:41. > :02:44.fight the Syrian government. The groups they are likely to join out
:02:45. > :02:52.there are affiliates of Al`Qaeda leader.
:02:53. > :02:56.Indeed, anyone returning to the UK from Syria at present is likely to
:02:57. > :02:59.be intercepted as they land back on British soil. Greater Manchester's
:03:00. > :03:02.Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy, who also leads on counter`terrorism for
:03:03. > :03:04.the Association of Chief Police Officers, recently explained why.#
:03:05. > :03:08.And while details of Mohammed Azzam Javeed have only now become public
:03:09. > :03:10.the police have known about him for some time.
:03:11. > :03:17.People who have come back may be radicalised. People coming back will
:03:18. > :03:21.be stopped at the border and maybe arrested. His house in Levenshulme
:03:22. > :03:31.was searched by counter`terrorism officers in December. His
:03:32. > :03:35.whereabouts remain unknown. The Bishop of Manchester is one of
:03:36. > :03:37.27 bishops who have written a letter condemning the Government's welfare
:03:38. > :03:41.reforms which they say have forced people into food and fuel poverty.
:03:42. > :03:44.In an open letter Bishop David Walker and others say too many
:03:45. > :03:47.people are having to choose between heating or eating as a result of
:03:48. > :03:51.cutbacks and failures in the benefit system. But the government says it's
:03:52. > :04:02.about getting the country back on it's feet. Kirkholt in Rochdale is
:04:03. > :04:10.one of the poorest communities in the North West. For many the gift
:04:11. > :04:17.hurdle is getting a job. I sent off up to 20 CDs every day. It is really
:04:18. > :04:23.hard around hair. You could get a job for a couple of weeks and then
:04:24. > :04:27.they let you go. As well as handing out the food parcels, destructing
:04:28. > :04:34.centre has seen more people coming through the doors with financial
:04:35. > :04:39.problems. We have seen an increase in depression and stress and
:04:40. > :04:42.domestic violence cases. Today in a letter to the government senior
:04:43. > :04:48.members of the clergy said they are losing faith in welfare reform. We
:04:49. > :04:54.have mothers deciding who goes without a meal on any particular
:04:55. > :04:59.day. We have not been in a situation like this for a long time and that
:05:00. > :05:04.is why we have two speak out. From the houses of Commons to the streets
:05:05. > :05:12.of Kirkholt, the big welfare debate divides opinion. Surviving on
:05:13. > :05:19.benefits means it is not possible for people to put a bit of money
:05:20. > :05:22.away each week for a rainy day. It has been too easy for years for
:05:23. > :05:28.people to live on benefits. The government says that the reforms are
:05:29. > :05:33.about helping people stand on their own two feet and not become trapped
:05:34. > :05:37.in a cycle of dependency. Joining me now is the Labour MP for
:05:38. > :05:40.Birkenhead Frank Field. He is chair of an all`party parliamentary group
:05:41. > :05:47.on hunger and food poverty, which has just announced an inquiry into
:05:48. > :05:51.food poverty. What do you think about this letter from the religious
:05:52. > :05:57.leaders. Do you agree with it? I think it is good religious leaders
:05:58. > :06:01.involve themselves in highly important matters in society. But if
:06:02. > :06:09.they do, they have two way by the political roles and will be treated
:06:10. > :06:15.as politicians. `` they have two play. I agree with the issues they
:06:16. > :06:22.have raised and the manner they have phrased it in. The new Cardinal of
:06:23. > :06:26.Westminster have intervened as well. It is a warning shot to the
:06:27. > :06:31.government to take this situation seriously. I have been trying for
:06:32. > :06:35.over a year to get the Prime Minister to set up and independent
:06:36. > :06:43.enquiry that will try to distinguish between our food banks being
:06:44. > :06:51.something transitory or whether there is something deeper going on.
:06:52. > :07:00.He has refused. You mentioned it there. We have run reports over a
:07:01. > :07:06.year ago on food banks. Why has it taken MPs so long to catch up? It is
:07:07. > :07:10.really hard to shift the government. When I wrote to the
:07:11. > :07:15.Prime Minister I said it is this immediate issue about the numbers
:07:16. > :07:19.who have two use food banks, but it is not unique to this country. If
:07:20. > :07:24.you look at the United States, Canada, Germany, France, the same
:07:25. > :07:28.thing is happening. If the same thing happening to all our economies
:07:29. > :07:31.in the western world? I then presented him with data showing that
:07:32. > :07:41.but the first time since Victorian times the upper portion of family
:07:42. > :07:52.income that is spent on food is rising. Also, families are having to
:07:53. > :07:57.spend more money on fuel and rents. That is a cost of living crisis for
:07:58. > :08:06.all of our, but it is a disaster for the poor and that is what we want to
:08:07. > :08:10.look at `` all of us. Thank you for joining us. I am afraid we have run
:08:11. > :08:14.out of time. The mother of Dale Cregan, the man
:08:15. > :08:16.who killed two Greater Manchester Police Officers, has apologised for
:08:17. > :08:20.her son's actions. Anita Cregan spoke outside Manchester Crown Court
:08:21. > :08:23.after being cleared by a jury of trying to get secret information
:08:24. > :08:26.during the manhunt for her son. Kathryn Smith, a police call handler
:08:27. > :08:30.and her then boyfriend, who grew up with Cregan, were also cleared. But
:08:31. > :08:34.Kathryn Smith has been dismissed from her job.
:08:35. > :08:38.People living close to a mill building in Dukinfield have been
:08:39. > :08:41.told they will have to spend the night in alternative accommodation.
:08:42. > :08:45.New Mill off Park Road was damaged in the high winds last week. Now
:08:46. > :08:48.part of the roof has collapsed and building inspectors say it must be
:08:49. > :08:56.demolished. Some people are staying with relatives while others are
:08:57. > :09:01.being given hotel accommodation Coming back from being out this
:09:02. > :09:05.morning, I have been told we might be evacuated because the mill behind
:09:06. > :09:10.us is unsafe. We have been told to stay with family or friends. It is
:09:11. > :09:14.something that we just don't need at the moment.
:09:15. > :09:17.Plans are being put on show tonight for a ?350 million factory in South
:09:18. > :09:20.Cumbria where it's hoped hundreds of jobs will be created.
:09:21. > :09:23.GlaxoSmithKline has had a base in Ulverston since 1948, but the
:09:24. > :09:35.biopharmaceutical facility will be the company's first new UK factory
:09:36. > :09:38.for almost 40 years. Scotland is considering it, but should be north
:09:39. > :09:46.of England be pushing for more independence? A pressure group is
:09:47. > :09:51.saying that if the north of the border gets its own way, this part
:09:52. > :09:58.of the country could become unforgotten.
:09:59. > :10:03.Scotland has its parliament, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own
:10:04. > :10:08.assemblies, so does London. England is represented at Westminster, but
:10:09. > :10:15.does the North of England need it own political representation.
:10:16. > :10:21.Accrington's MP wants to campaign for a better deal. The big cities of
:10:22. > :10:26.the North could make better decisions on things like transport.
:10:27. > :10:32.There needs to be this weight of influence from the North that
:10:33. > :10:39.influences that decision`making basis. Some of his constituents
:10:40. > :10:47.agree. . We are pushed to one side at times. We are not very well
:10:48. > :10:54.represented in the south of England. Maybe the people on it would enjoy
:10:55. > :10:58.it, but that's about it. The dream of a regional assembly has gone up
:10:59. > :11:04.in smoke... It is almost a decade since the North East rejected a
:11:05. > :11:09.regional assembly. One Cheshire MP says it's about resources and not
:11:10. > :11:21.power. We macro spending is lower than other regions. That needs to be
:11:22. > :11:28.addressed. Whilst there is a push to give people more power in the North,
:11:29. > :11:34.not much is actually being done It is not a coherent group of people
:11:35. > :11:40.identity. It is difficult to get things done, even if people are
:11:41. > :11:47.geographically near each other. How the UK is over and is constantly
:11:48. > :12:03.evolving, but major evolution to the north is yet to flash on the
:12:04. > :12:06.constitutional radar. I've be talking to Paul Salveson
:12:07. > :12:10.from the Hannah Mitchell Foundation who campaign for devolution in the
:12:11. > :12:14.North. I asked him what he wanted. We want the North to have the rest
:12:15. > :12:21.`` the same as the rest of the country. Where would the Parliament
:12:22. > :12:28.be and how would it be paid for We want something that would have real
:12:29. > :12:31.resources. It will be paid for out of taxation. We don't want to spend
:12:32. > :12:41.more on an extra tier of bureaucracy. It could be wasting
:12:42. > :12:46.lots of different places. That does not have to be one headquarters
:12:47. > :12:50.There are obvious places like York and Manchester, but it is a side
:12:51. > :12:54.issue. The issue is what sort of powers and resources it would have
:12:55. > :13:01.and what it would do. A Northern Parliament could transformational
:13:02. > :13:03.across the North as a whole. It would reverse this begging bowl
:13:04. > :13:12.mentality that we have seen over the years. This has been talked about
:13:13. > :13:16.before. In the north`east they overwhelmingly voted against a
:13:17. > :13:22.regional assembly. Is there support for this? That is. That was ten
:13:23. > :13:28.years ago. What was on the table at the time was a glorified County
:13:29. > :13:34.Council, so you can understand why it was rejected in the North East.
:13:35. > :13:38.There has been a lot of water under the bridge in the last ten years and
:13:39. > :13:46.we have seen the success of devolution in Scotland and Wales. No
:13:47. > :13:51.one is saying they want to go back, they are saying they want more
:13:52. > :13:57.powers, so let us make a start in the North of England. There is a
:13:58. > :14:04.huge powerhouse of ideas here that has not achieved its full potential.
:14:05. > :14:07.Councillors in Lancashire have tonight announced to cut key
:14:08. > :14:10.services and increased council tax to save around ?3 million over the
:14:11. > :14:13.next few years. They've agreed a programme that could see atleast
:14:14. > :14:25.2,500 jobs lost. Our reporter Yunus Mulla is outside County Hall.
:14:26. > :14:31.This is what they have been looking at today. 417 pages long. One
:14:32. > :14:38.councillor remarked that if you manage to read all of this `` if you
:14:39. > :14:53.managed to read this then you need to get a life. However, there are
:14:54. > :14:59.lots of issues involved. The cuts will have an impact over the next
:15:00. > :15:06.few years. I have the deputy leader with me. Some of the things talked
:15:07. > :15:11.about an agreed will affect the most vulnerable, there is no doubt about
:15:12. > :15:20.that. How can you deal with that? We have tried to find savings where the
:15:21. > :15:27.front is not affect it. Over 50 of the cuts do not affect the front
:15:28. > :15:32.line. What about one`to`one services and people with learning
:15:33. > :15:38.difficulties, as an example? We spent a long time consulting people
:15:39. > :15:46.and the budget went through the support of other parties. You are
:15:47. > :15:53.going to increase council tax. People will not be happy about that.
:15:54. > :15:57.They won't, but we have a lot of people to look after. The government
:15:58. > :16:01.grant will be be juiced in the coming years and we have to be sure
:16:02. > :16:07.that we can continue to run our services. It is not unreasonable to
:16:08. > :16:13.ask people to pay a little bit more. You met some of the Unison members
:16:14. > :16:21.earlier today. 2500 council jobs could be lost. That creates
:16:22. > :16:30.uncertainty. Why talk about it now? The staff are happy that we have
:16:31. > :16:35.announced it now. They know where they are, and also the voluntary but
:16:36. > :16:41.under the package is available from now until the end of March 2016 I
:16:42. > :16:47.have to stop you there because we have run out of time. There is a lot
:16:48. > :16:50.more to be discussed and we will have all the latest information for
:16:51. > :16:53.you as it comes in. It's known as the brain drain `
:16:54. > :16:57.talented youngsters leaving the region for jobs in London. But a new
:16:58. > :17:00.scheme is aiming to entice Cumbria's best young brains to consider a
:17:01. > :17:02.career in the county. The Dream Placement programme's been created
:17:03. > :17:06.by the Centre for Leadership Performance. 16 to 18`year`olds were
:17:07. > :17:09.put through a rigorous selection process before being selected.
:17:10. > :17:18.Alison Freeman went to meet some of them.
:17:19. > :17:23.Looking for a future in industry. Robin is one of Cumbria's rightist
:17:24. > :17:28.brains who is being encouraged to think about the Korea in her home
:17:29. > :17:34.county. She is taking part in the Dream Placement scheme which shows
:17:35. > :17:44.teenagers what it is like to work at a high level in top companies.
:17:45. > :17:49.Yesterday I went to research and development which really took my
:17:50. > :17:55.interest because I've quite like discovering things. It sounds a
:17:56. > :18:06.relic, but that is my dream, I think. It has just occurred to me
:18:07. > :18:11.now. The point of this scheme is to let young people know there are good
:18:12. > :18:15.jobs to be had in industry in West Cumbria and if they choose to stay,
:18:16. > :18:24.they could be part of the international market. This company
:18:25. > :18:31.is a leading paper manufacturer but finds it hard to get the brightest
:18:32. > :18:35.talent through the doors. The top students want to go to the top
:18:36. > :18:41.universities and it is hard to get them back. Schemes like this are
:18:42. > :18:45.opening their eyes. There are massive opportunities with
:18:46. > :18:52.international companies across West Cumbria. The dream placement links
:18:53. > :18:58.future bright young things with job opportunities. The scheme is now
:18:59. > :19:01.looking for more young people to take part next year.
:19:02. > :19:05.Freestyle skiers Rowan Cheshire and Emma Lonsdale had trained and
:19:06. > :19:09.prepared together. For both women it was supposed to be a first Olympic
:19:10. > :19:12.Games. The dream ended for Rowan from Alsager when she was knocked
:19:13. > :19:15.unconscious in a training crash earlier this week, but she recovered
:19:16. > :19:24.to cheer Emma on this afternoon in what turned out to be her final
:19:25. > :19:27.ride. They come from opposite ends of the
:19:28. > :19:31.region but Kendal's Emma Lonsdale and Cheshire's Rowan Cheshire were
:19:32. > :19:35.due to team up in today's half pipe skiing. The half pipe, performing
:19:36. > :19:39.tricks up a wall of ice the height of a petrol station roof, isn't for
:19:40. > :19:43.the half hearted. Earlier this week Rowan was knocked unconscious in a
:19:44. > :19:53.training accident. The injuries put the 18`year`old out of the games. I
:19:54. > :19:59.couldn't remember anything. I just remember waking up in hospital. I
:20:00. > :20:06.feel a lot to them I was. I am disappointed though. My head is
:20:07. > :20:12.still not 100%. It is hard to explain, but I am getting there But
:20:13. > :20:15.she was well enough to stand with Emma at the top of the slope.
:20:16. > :20:19.Emma's clean yet conservative first run put her on the cusp of
:20:20. > :20:26.qualifying for the final but she couldn't improve enough to make the
:20:27. > :20:32.final. I was smiling. I have enjoyed every minute. I have definitely gone
:20:33. > :20:38.that and I hope I have made Great Britain proud.
:20:39. > :20:46.Emma learnt her skills at Kendal Snowsports Club. Seeing her in Sochi
:20:47. > :20:50.has been amazing for members. I am immensely proud. She has not made
:20:51. > :20:54.the final, but she is one of the top competitors in the world, and she
:20:55. > :20:57.comes from Kendal, which is fantastic.
:20:58. > :20:59.So with her Olympic dream fulfilled, Emma this evening announced her
:21:00. > :21:12.retirement. The mantle passes to Rowan who will surely get her chance
:21:13. > :21:15.in four years time. They did get to the Olympics and it is more than any
:21:16. > :21:18.of us could do. Football now, and Barrow AFC is
:21:19. > :21:21.talking to a locally born businessman about a takeover that
:21:22. > :21:25.could transform the club. Paul Casson, who was born in the town but
:21:26. > :21:27.based in the United States, has also confirmed that negotiations are
:21:28. > :21:38.progressing. The club is currently in Non`League Football, two steps
:21:39. > :21:45.down from the Football League. Barrow AFC is built on craft and not
:21:46. > :21:57.alarm. It is forged from the school of hard knocks, but it could get a
:21:58. > :22:00.make over. Dallas style. Barrow born millionaire Paul Casson says he
:22:01. > :22:07.wants to use some of these hard cash to buy his hometown club, ?1 million
:22:08. > :22:13.in all. The story that has been front`page news in the town. If he
:22:14. > :22:18.went ahead, a sky with a lot of money, a true supporter, with the
:22:19. > :22:25.club moving in the right direction, it could be massive for Barrow going
:22:26. > :22:38.forward. The club declined our offer of an interview, but said:
:22:39. > :22:48.I do think they would ensure the club with anyone if they did not
:22:49. > :22:58.think they were the right people. Some fans will be suspicious, but
:22:59. > :23:05.many Malcolm `` welcome the takeover. It will be great for the
:23:06. > :23:11.town. Both sides have obstacles to negotiate. Paul Casson has two
:23:12. > :23:15.convince the members that any takeover would be in the best
:23:16. > :23:19.interests of the club and that everything is on by the book. It
:23:20. > :23:28.does look increasingly likely that this club is about to enter a new
:23:29. > :23:31.phase. The Daniel Adamson is 111`years`old,
:23:32. > :23:35.and it's seen some action in its time. It's been used as a tug boat
:23:36. > :23:39.on the Mersey, carried troops during the First World War and even played
:23:40. > :23:42.host to royalty when it was converted into a gin palace on the
:23:43. > :23:46.Manchester Ship Canal. Sadly the steamboat has now seen better days.
:23:47. > :23:49.But a dedicated group of fans are hoping to win lottery money and see
:23:50. > :23:55.her steaming along the ship canal once again.
:23:56. > :24:05.She once looked like this but the Daniel Adamson now rest in Liverpool
:24:06. > :24:10.dock wrapped in protective sheeting. She is on the official register
:24:11. > :24:16.alongside the Cutty Sark, but no one has heard of her. She started off
:24:17. > :24:23.from humble beginnings and was bought by the Manchester ship Canal.
:24:24. > :24:30.The steamer even played host to royalty, here welcoming Prince
:24:31. > :24:39.George of Denmark in 1949. I always remember the crew. We tied it up and
:24:40. > :24:46.then it never sailed again. The art deco lounge has lost most of its
:24:47. > :24:49.opulence, but the society hopes that with an injection of cash from the
:24:50. > :24:56.National Lottery, the project could soon be full steam ahead. She will
:24:57. > :25:02.be cruising, she will offer educational and outreach facilities
:25:03. > :25:07.for children. We are all dependent on the ?3 million bid. We are
:25:08. > :25:14.looking at competitive bids from various shipyards. It has taken ten
:25:15. > :25:21.years of work by a team of dedicated interviews he asked to save her from
:25:22. > :25:28.the scrapheap. We are hoping that with the help of the lottery people,
:25:29. > :25:36.it will be up in steam towards the end of 2015. The society expects to
:25:37. > :25:40.hear whether their application for funding has been successful later
:25:41. > :25:45.this year. Let us now get a look at the weather.
:25:46. > :25:50.It was a mixed day today. It got colder as we went through the
:25:51. > :25:58.afternoon with temperatures dropping from 10 Celsius down to seven. Mild
:25:59. > :26:03.weather will return on Sunday, but it will be wet and windy. If you
:26:04. > :26:11.dodged the showers, you did very well. There wasn't decent spells of
:26:12. > :26:22.sunshine around. `` there were. There are not too many showers in
:26:23. > :26:27.the mix right now. Over the high ground they could be some sleet and
:26:28. > :26:36.snow. Many places will have a lot of dry weather and some breaks in the
:26:37. > :26:44.clouds cover. In oral areas, temperatures could drop as low as
:26:45. > :26:51.three Celsius. There could be a touch of frost and ice on untreated
:26:52. > :27:03.surfaces. Away from that, a similar day to the one we have today. Winds
:27:04. > :27:08.gusting up to 45 mph. The air will be more unstable and there could
:27:09. > :27:11.even be a rumble of thunder. Away from the showers there will be some
:27:12. > :27:16.sunshine. Today in the sunshine what a difference it made.
:27:17. > :27:24.Temperatures tomorrow probably around seven or eight degrees
:27:25. > :27:30.Celsius. Saturday, you are showers and a better day of the weekend We
:27:31. > :27:36.both like the idea of a floating gin palace. We could just pop out at
:27:37. > :27:42.lunchtime! That is it from asked for now. Good
:27:43. > :27:48.evening. `` from asked for now.