28/02/2014 North West Tonight

military activity in the area tonight. That is all from us,

Good evening. Welcome to North West Tonight with Roger Johnson.

And Beccy Meehan. Our top story An apology for the woman who's in a

coma, after the Government told her to get back to work.

It comes after the case was raised in the House of Commons.

"Help us find our son." The parents of missing Liverpool man make an

emotional appeal for information. Under scrutiny.

Claims this woman's company carried on claiming payment for training

unemployed youngsters after they'd left.

The real Downtown Abbey, a look at the First World War hospital ward

recreated at a Cheshire stately home.

They are piling in for the first ever Six music festival. Join me

later to see how the party is shaping up.

A Rochdale woman's got an apology from a company running the

government's back`to`work schemes after it told her she needed to go

on an intense training course or face losing her benefits. The

problem was Sheila Holt was in a coma. Sheila's family told it about

her severe mental illness, which means she can't work. But

correspondence from the firm continued. The affair's also led to

a ministerial apology, as Mark Edwardson reports.

Sheila Holt on holiday in 2012. She's had severe bi`polar since

childhood and hasn't worked for 27 years. And in a hospital's intensive

care unit... I am here to look after her cat and make sure her house is

all right. For when she comes home. `` comes home. Sheila's father Ken

looks after his daughter's home while she's away. He says her

problems arrived in the post and continued more than a month after

she'd been hospitalised. The letter was from a government contract,

inviting Sheila to attend what it called intensive job focused

activity. Thinking the letter telling her she had to go on the

course. Then even later on, another one came. It told her that she had

to go on the course and she would lose the benefits if she did not

attend. She was in a coma in hospital! Sheila Holt's MP raised

the issue in the Commons and received a Government apology.

Whilst in hospital she had a heart attack and that has cost to be in a

coma since then. I apologise unreservedly to the family as the

minister responsible. The system has to be able to differentiate between

those that cannot work, as Sheila cannot, and those who will not work.

In a statement, Seetec told us, "We sincerely apologise for the upset

and distress caused to Ms Holt and her family by our correspondence. We

acknowledge on this occasion it was inappropriate to continue to contact

Ms Holt. We are currently investigating why this has

happened." I do believe that there must be hundreds, maybe thousands up

and down the country that may well have been hospitalised because of

it. I am going into hospital and hoping she is a bit better. Ken Holt

remains convinced his daughter will one day come home. Mark Edwardson,

BBC North West Tonight, Rochdale. The parents of a Liverpool man who

has not been seen for more than a month have today made an appeal for

information. Francis Brenan was living in Spain but police say he

was abducted by a gang poising as Spanish police officers. `` posing.

His family think his disappearance may be linked to a criminal group he

became involved with. Yunus Mulla reports.

Francis is 25 and from Liverpool. He fled to Spain to avoid being

sentenced for assault last October. He has been living near Alicante but

today, his parents said that not heard from him since the end of

January. We know he is not an angel but he is awesome. He has a loving

family and I do not know the answer to that, the reason why he has

painted. Merseyside Police are working with the Spanish

counterparts. According to his beans, France's had decided he was

going to return back to his home in Anfield. The day after he made that

promise, police say he was abducted from the car he was travelling in by

three men posing as Spanish police officers. He has not been seen

since. In 2007, he was jailed for a free, for causing trouble outside

the home of a grandfather, who died after confronting a gang of youths.

Surobi people within the criminal paternity of Merseyside and the X

pat community in Spain that will know what has happened to Francis

and may be able to offer us information.

His family say he had recently settled down in a relationship is

the if he had something to delay, he would tell you. He had his cards

close to his chest. Our lives, his grandparents', his brother and's, we

are on hold. We do not know how to deal with this. `` his

girlfriend's. The former BBC broadcaster Stuart

Hall has appeared at Preston Crown Court and denied 15 charges of rape

and five indecent assaults. The allegations involve two girls aged

between 12 and 16 and are said to have taken place in Greater

Manchester and Cheshire between 1976 and 1981. Mr Hall, who presented BBC

regional news and the entertainment show It's a Knockout, will stand

trial on May the 6th. Two North West businesses have been

named by Business Secretary Vince Cable for failing to pay the minimum

wage. Between them, Macclesfield based Peter Oakes Limited and Lisa

Cathcart, who runs Salon Sienna in Manchester, owe staff a total of

around ?5,500. They were highlighted as part of a naming and shaming

scheme. Both employees disputed and Sadie mistake was rectified

immediately. Police have launched an

investigation into ticket fraud at the Beyonce show in Manchester

earlier this week. It's believed up to ?28,000 worth of fake tickets

were sold to fans over the internet, most for more than ?100.

More needs to be spent on the region's transport networks,

according to the Knowsley MP George Howarth and the Blackley and

Broughton MP Graham Stringer. They're urging the Government to

invest more and balance the way money's spent. Figures show more

than twice as much is invested in roads, rail and airports in London

than the North West. Staying with politics and this

weekend our political editor Arif Ansari will be chatting to the

Labour MP for Salford and Eccles, Hazel Blears, about her decision to

stand down at the next election Andrew Stephenson, the Conservative

MP for Pendle, will also be on the Sunday Politics. That's on Sunday

morning at 11am on BBC One. Next week is National Apprenticeship

Week and there's a lot of money to be made by companies which take an

out of work young person, train them up and help them find a job.

But tonight we are back on the trail of a training company in Hindley,

the Leadership Development Centre. Jayne McCubbin asks if its owner

received cash to train students who weren't even in the classroom.

First we heard from apprentices who hadn't been paid. Next the students

who'd worked hard for a year but never received qualifications.

Tonight, we track down the students who'd earned Molly Prince money

even though they'd dropped out of courses. Jessica wanted to be a

teaching assistant. Josh wanted to work in a gym. They'd both signed

onto courses with LDC but both dropped out after a couple of

months. I had high hopes for it but in the end I got messed about. It

just didn't seem professional. Waste of me time and effort really. I just

left and found a proper job. But today, I showed them a document

given to me by a former member of staff. It shows a list of students

on LDC courses. Josh and Jessica's names still on the books... Four

months after they'd left. In September you'd had six months worth

of work reviewed. But I never did any work. I left before we did

anything. You didn't hand in any work? I didn't hand in anything

Each time a review took place, the company could draw down cash. A six

month review was done for you in September. Very surprised. That is

totally wrong. It was not there What were you doing in September?

Nothing. In fact, the sheet says Josh was on a gym work placement in

Buckshaw Village until September. I've never been there. I've never

even heard of it. Certainly never had a placement there? No. Today,

Molly Prince strenuously denied any wrong doing. She said... I have

dealt with a number of fabricated allegations since having to make

staff redundant. I cannot believe the extent some people will go to in

order to damage others when they feel they have been somehow wronged.

Since our last report, she's now unable to bid for training

contracts. Today, we learnt that LDC's Hindley HQ is up for auction.

One of a number of properties being sold off, worth almost ?750,000

Amongst the properties up for auction is this place. This is David

Beckham's old house. Apprentices who haven't been paid and staff who were

out of pocket will want to know if any of that cash will come their

way. She will continue to follow that

story. Still to come on North West Tonight:

Manchester City's last League Cup winner says the spirit of '76 will

live on at Wembley this weekend A major musical festival kicks off

in Manchester. Next, the last in our current series

looking at the impact of the First World War on life here at home. If

you are a fan of Downton Abbey, this will resonate with you.

Just like Downton, this hole was used as a military hospital. The

wards have been recreated. This this was `` this home was

turned into a hospital 100 years ago to look after soldiers injured at

war. Scrapbooks, and letters have been used to recreate what was then

known as Stanford Hospital. This is the actual ward where the soldiers

were looked after. The lady of the house, Lady Stanford, thought that

it was right at the hospital but really for officers. She reckoned it

was not suitable for Tom Eaves. But they nearly 300 men treated here,

not one officer. They were all Tom Eaves. We rather hope they did not

make a mess. Lots of houses, Victorian villas, all around this

area were used as hospital. There were 3000 auxiliary hospitals in

people 's' homes by the end of the war. This is the grand staircase,

one of the poshest bits of the house. There are portraits on the

walls. This one is a van Dyck. Why would you put an operating theatre

here? The answer is that it was 100 years ago and this is one of the few

places in the house that had clean running water and the all`important

sink. One of those operated on was William Johnston, a Scottish

soldier. He had shrapnel wins. He complained of severe headaches and

x`rays showed that he had shrapnel in the brain. He died in Manchester

Royal infirmary a few days after having some removed. This is the

great Hall. It was turned into the recreation wings for soldiers. It is

where they would have come to eat the meals, play games, write letters

and play the gramophone. The logbook was kept by the senior nurse who run

the hospital. This is the basis of story. It was our first stopping

point. This is where she logs every single patient, their admission and

what they were treated for and what happened to them afterwards. Another

useful source of interviews that Lady Jane Rayne give to the National

Trust in the 1990s. Those wretched men suffered terribly but they all

had to be undressed and believed twice a day, morning and evening.

The sister of Lord Stanford, Lady Jane Rayne, trained as a nurse and

work in another hospital. When this hospital opened, she started to work

here with the patient in her own home. `` `` Lady Jane Grey.

Young men here got to have a social reversal and play croquet lawn, a

world away from the life they lived and life they would return to. I get

a feeling that it was as happy place as it could be, given the things

people came with. It really was all about giving people the best chance

they had. There was laughter, fun, banter. But there was also a real

sense of duty and patriotism. Such a brilliantly creation.

It is incredible. And if you want take a look round

Stamford Military Hospital, Dunham Massey opens its doors tomorrow ``

brilliant re`creation. But there's no rush, it will remain as the

hospital for the next two years It is great and well worth a visit

Plenty of time to get down there. And just to remind you, your local

radio stations have been running World War I stories all this week

and all of them are on our website...

Lots more to come, of course. Sport now. And this weekend could be

a defining one for Manchester City. Those of us be certain it would call

it the League Cup final. He means as old him! Not you.

It was the league at last time they won it. Manuel Pellegrini has got a

bit of a problem? That's right, Pellegrini has been

given an immediate two`match touchline ban by UEFA for

criticising the referee after the recent 2`0 defeat to Barcelona in

the Champions League. Pellegrini accused the official of not being

impartial. The ban means he can watch from the stands but is not

allowed in the dressing room, technical area or communicate with

his players starting with the second leg in Barcelona on March 12th.

I suppose he can put that on the back burner can't he, as City go

into that big final on Sunday? Yes, and it's big perhaps because of the

possible knock`on effect if the Blues were to lose. The Premier

League and Champions League are the big targets. But perhaps

psychologically, after losing in the FA Cup Final last season, they can't

afford another Wembley disappointment.

Manchester City have one or two scores to settle. Their last visit

to Wembley ended in a shock defeat to Wigan in the FA Cup Final. And on

Sunday, they face a team who've beaten them on the last two

occasions they've met. I have a bad memory of Wembley so we

will change a little bit and when my first trophy. This is Manchester.

City do have some good memories of the League Cup. And this is one of

the iconic moments in Blues history. COMMENTATOR: What a goal!

It was a goal that has given Denis Teuart cult status at City, who face

another of his former clubs in this year's final. I am sure Manuel Valls

greenie will use that result as part of his team talk. But complacency

and not being prepared to do the hard things to win a game. `` I am

sure Manuel Valls use it. The buzz word amongst City fans is

momentum, with the FA Cup, Premier League title and Champions League

trophies still up for grabs. And Sergio Aguerro is back from injury.

COMMENTATOR: Slipping away from the defender to get it on aggregate I

think they will do really well. We will take that as well, I think

Confident about it. City are heavy favourites, just as

they were against Wigan. So what could the psychological impact be if

they lose? They cannot afford another performance such as Wigan

last year. Because if they do, if the underperformer again, it will

seriously affect the momentum going into it.

A possible consequence that make this final about much more than just

another trophy. `` makes this final. And you can hear full match

commentary of Sunday's final at 2pm on BBC Radio Manchester, with the

build up starting at midday. Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge, who's

become only the second player in Premier League history to score in

eight consecutive matches, will be aiming to make it nine tomorrow at

Southampton. A goal would mean he'll be just one short of equalling Rudd

Van Nistlerooy's record of scoring in ten matches in a row for

Manchester United in 2003. St Helens thrashed Salford City Reds

38`0 to make it three wins from three to go top of the Super League.

John Wilkin began the rout with this try. Tom Makinson ripped Salford's

defence apart with a deft kick, to allow Australian scrum`half, Luke

Walsh, to score. Walsh went on to kick seven goals, taking his total

to 18 points. Manchester's velodrome was

originally a white elephant built for the city's failed Olympic bid.

20 years on, it's a powerhouse for British cycling, producing champion

after champion. A special programme on Inside Out North West tells the

story of the medal factory. Stuart Pollitt is there for us this

evening. Thank you. They call it the medal

factory, as you say. The factory produced another medal just last

night. Over in Columbia, at the World Track Cycling Championship,

the women's Perseid containing a few other Olympians from London 201 won

yet another gold medal for Great Britain. That is the success... It

is because of a place like this Let's have a sneak preview of what

is on tonight's programme. All of the successful people you can

think of in British cycling, it all goes through this building. It has

all gone over those boards. COMMENTATOR: In 61.609. An

unbelievable ride! I remember walking in and being amazed at how

steep the banks are. I had never seen anything like that in Britain.

COMMENTATOR: Chris Hoy is the Olympic champion. Gold medallist and

Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins. Victoria Pendleton is the Olympic

champion. The response to the team is incredible. Cycling is lifted to

a new level in the UK. It is a very special time for everybody involved.

Winning was always the main goal and it was very special. It was quite

nice after such a long time of it. COMMENTATOR: He gets the gold medal!

You have to pinch yourself when you see how much the sport that you love

has transformed in such a short space of time. It is a dream come

true for a cycling fan like myself. I am joined now by Ian Drake, the

boss of British cycling. Summarise how important this place is for the

development of the sport. The National Cycling Centre here has

been the foundation of all the alleged success we have seen over

the past 1215 years. You go back ride to the... We had had won

Olympic medal in 72 years and then 2012 inspired a generation. It has

been phenomenal, none of which could have been achieved without this

place. What has it done for the repetition of four Manchester and

the North West? Is this recognised around the world as a centre for

excellence? Yes, not only in the cycling world but across all sports

at the medal factory. Everybody wants to replicate the success that

British cycling is that, although it has been achieved through a

partnership of Manchester and funding partners. We now use the

success as the inspiration to get more and more people riding advice.

It is not just elite level. It is good for grassroots as well to stop

absolutely. Every body wants to be a cyclist and that is good news ``

good news for the sport and for the future.

Thank you very much for joining us. Just to remind you, you can catch

that programme, Inside The Medal Factory, this evening. I have

watched it this afternoon in the office and it is well worth

catching. Thanks for the recommendation. It

really is an amazing legacy that it has left.

And seeing some of the big names in that documentary, it makes you

realise quite how many of the big cyclists are from here and have

trained here. Thank you very much indeed. Just

before the weather was clear, it may not be summer but the festival

season is already underway. BBC Radio six music kicked off

proceedings with its first ever festival.

Blur's Damon Albarn is headlining tonight, with a sneak preview of his

new solo album. And US R'n'B star Kelis had a girlie

chat with Lauren Lavern today. Tell us what is going on.

What's going on. The gate opened at 4pm. The festival was kicked off by

a local band. I can tell you that it is absolutely heaving in there.

Hundreds of people are already enjoying music from their idols

It is two days of eclectic music. Three huge indoor stages and over 30

live performances. The line`up is a celebration of the up and coming and

the iconic. The line`up is fantastic. Everybody who needs to be

here is here, really. Blur's Damon Albarn is headlining

tonight, with a sneak preview of his new solo album.

And US R'n'B star Kelis had a girlie chat with Lauren Lavern today. But

tonight, the star will be lighting up the stage with songs from her

latest album. So it's no surprise, tickets were quickly snapped by fans

within minutes of release. We have come to an half hours on the train.

Manchester is a good place for music, isn't it? It is the hard for

a lot of music started. A good place to be. The Horrors. Very Good Band.

Just Fantastic. Six Music Has A Very Significant history here. There is

the heritage of the Manchester music scene.

But it is not just the big names on show here. One of Liverpool's newest

band has also been given the nod. It is amazing! A bit scary. We feel

ever so slightly out of our depth but we are going to try. We will be

fine. With all 8,500 tickets already sold out for both nights nd another

2,000 gone for the free fringe next door, it's set to be a rocking

weekend in Greater Manchester. `` and another 2000 gone.

The cameraman and myself have been here all afternoon and as you can

see, I have been enjoying myself in there. One of my favourite singers

of all time, Achilles, is actually currently on stage. If you will

excuse me, Roger and Becky, I need to go back in. `` Kelis.

Thank you very much that. Was right all of the big stars and her all of

the big stars and her own this includes! Diane is a bit under the

weather and with Eno out and about, we have a debut.

we have It is likely to be here. Did you see

this last night? It was absolutely amazing. A stunning array of

coloured lights in the sky. Of course, it was the Northern Lights.

It was a rare event to see them in the UK. It is normally reserved for

polar regions but they were captured on many cameras. Deep reds and

greens and blues, a result of highly charged particles from the sun

colliding with gases in the upper atmosphere. The forecast for tonight

is a lot lower but there will be some clear skies around if you want

to do some stargazing. Just wrap up warm because it is very cold

outside. For the weekend, it is going downhill. We are not likely to

see any stars tomorrow, as the rain slowly pushes in leading into a wet

and windy day on Sunday. Now, for a time being, clear skies mean

temperatures are taking a tumble. Already, we are likely to see some

light winds. That means mist and fog also. One or two passing showers

leaving a risk of ice during the early hours of the morning.

Temperatures dipped to zero, one or two degrees. A widespread frost

Some tricky conditions if you're heading out first thing and driving.

It is going to be a pretty good day. Remember your umbrella as we will

see one or two showers. You will be unlucky. You can see the clouds

breaking up into the afternoon, allowing some sunshine, which is

great. Just a gentle breeze and feeling quite pleasant in the wind

as temperatures rise to around seven or eight Celsius. Those showers will

intensify later on, leading into a wet night on Saturday night. The

rain slowly clears off the heads of the early hours of Sunday morning.

Again, leaving a legacy of nice On Sunday, it goes downhill. `` a

legacy of ice. The winds pick up with string, leading into an

unsettled week next week. I am sorry!

We will have you back, don't worry! Area, it is the end of winter today.

Yes, the 1st of March is the beginning of spring for weather

people. It is looking cold. That is all went on to say.

Today was a glorious day. My beautiful.

Thank you for watching. Have a lovely weekend.

Good night.