:00:00. > :00:00.the teacher's family and the school and all the pupils to study there.
:00:00. > :00:11.Good evening. Welcome to North West Tonight with Annabel Tiffin and
:00:12. > :00:15.Roger Johnson. Our top story: It's claimed he preyed on young boys in
:00:16. > :00:28.care ` but did Rochdale Council cover`up for Cyril Smith? Two new
:00:29. > :00:30.investigations are launched. Whether there was cancelled culture which
:00:31. > :00:34.inhibited proper investigation, prevention of such abuse. We'll talk
:00:35. > :00:36.to the town's MP, who first blew the whistle. Also tonight: Anger after a
:00:37. > :00:42.far`right party uses murdered soldier Lee Rigby's name on their
:00:43. > :00:44.ballot papers. Was that the moment the title slipped from Liverpool's
:00:45. > :00:52.grasp? It's advantage Manchester City in the race for the Premier
:00:53. > :00:53.League. And Dale Delight! Rochdale's footballers celebrate promotion from
:00:54. > :01:09.League Two. Did Rochdale Council tolerate ` even
:01:10. > :01:14.facilitate ` the sexual abuse of children it was supposed to be
:01:15. > :01:18.caring for? That's a question to be examined by an independent inquiry.
:01:19. > :01:22.Details were announced today. It follows allegations that Rochdale's
:01:23. > :01:23.former MP the late Cyril Smith was a serial abuser who preyed on young
:01:24. > :01:34.boys in local authority. Our chief reporter spent the day in
:01:35. > :01:40.Rochdale and he was at the news conference. He joins us live. Yes,
:01:41. > :01:45.the council chose their words carefully when they announced the
:01:46. > :01:49.details of the enquiry. The council leader would not take any questions.
:01:50. > :01:53.But the message was clear enough. The council says they want to know
:01:54. > :01:57.the extent of any abuse that happened in council care
:01:58. > :02:02.establishments during the 1960s, 1870s, 1980s, and 1990s. They want
:02:03. > :02:08.to know the extent to which Cyril Smith was involved and, crucially,
:02:09. > :02:16.what council officials knew and did not know, and whether there was any
:02:17. > :02:18.cover`up. In life, Cyril Smith was a respected, revered politician. In
:02:19. > :02:25.death he has been branded a serial child abuser. I got smacked in the
:02:26. > :02:29.face. As an 11`year`old, this man claims he was physically assaulted
:02:30. > :02:37.at a care home by Cyril Smith in the 1950s. Social worker asked me how I
:02:38. > :02:43.ended up with stitches so I explained. The comment was, I should
:02:44. > :02:48.not tell lies. This book written by the current MP claims Cyril Smith
:02:49. > :02:51.used his power and influence to avoid detection. There are claims he
:02:52. > :02:58.was involved in the abuse of boys at this school. It closed in the early
:02:59. > :03:00.1990s. Earlier this year, Rochdale Council announced an independent
:03:01. > :03:04.review of what happened at the school. It said the terms of that
:03:05. > :03:13.review would be far more wide`ranging. It would cover all
:03:14. > :03:16.council establishments between 1961 and 1995. It will try to establish
:03:17. > :03:25.who knew what and whether there were any attempt at a cover`up. Whether
:03:26. > :03:28.the abuse of children was tolerated, facilitated by the council or its
:03:29. > :03:33.members of staff, and whether there was a culture at the council which
:03:34. > :03:38.inhibited the proper investigation, exposure and prevention of such
:03:39. > :03:41.abuse. Lawyers representing those who have already come forward
:03:42. > :03:51.claiming Cyril Smith abused them say what the client wants answers. They
:03:52. > :03:54.want to know if people knew what was going on, what they did about it,
:03:55. > :03:59.who they reported two. The police are looking at a number of suspects
:04:00. > :04:06.who may have been involved in abuse at the school. Anybody with
:04:07. > :04:10.information and particularly victims of abuse, we encourage them to come
:04:11. > :04:14.forward. Do you think this will get to the truth of what happened? I
:04:15. > :04:23.sincerely hope so. My concern is these victims, of which there are a
:04:24. > :04:28.number, need genuine answers. This afternoon, the Smith family said
:04:29. > :04:32.they welcomed news of this enquiry because it might finally establish
:04:33. > :04:36.what is true and what is not. They say they will cooperate fully. The
:04:37. > :04:43.findings of the enquiry are due to be published in July. Back to you.
:04:44. > :04:49.The Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk has played a key part in pressing for a
:04:50. > :04:53.wider investigation. Earlier, I asked him for his reaction. I'm
:04:54. > :05:00.pleased they are concentrating on this issue. I do have some concerns
:05:01. > :05:05.about the fact that the police are spreading themselves too thinly in
:05:06. > :05:10.terms of investigating the perpetrators of this child abuse,
:05:11. > :05:21.but also looking at the cover`up. I would rather the investigation did
:05:22. > :05:26.the abuse and then concentrated on the cover`up. You used that phrase
:05:27. > :05:32.alleged perpetrators. You have written a book, there is compelling
:05:33. > :05:40.evidence, but some people might feel uncomfortable that those accused are
:05:41. > :05:48.now dead. I think it is a valid question to be asked, what we have
:05:49. > :05:51.to remember is, Greater Manchester Police are speaking and are quite
:05:52. > :05:56.clear, as are the Crown Prosecution Service. They have all come out and
:05:57. > :06:01.said if Cyril Smith was alive today, with the evidence on file, they
:06:02. > :06:05.would have had a successful prosecution. How do you feel this
:06:06. > :06:12.presents the tone you represent in the wider country better mark it
:06:13. > :06:16.comes off the back of the grooming case. What does it say about
:06:17. > :06:20.Rochdale to the wider world? I think this helps Rochdale. The rumours
:06:21. > :06:27.about Cyril Smith have been around for decades, literally. The Mac he
:06:28. > :06:33.has not been a road `` he has not been around to answer them. Yes, but
:06:34. > :06:40.it has been an undercurrent for the tone to live in four years. In some
:06:41. > :06:45.ways, it impacts on the grooming case. The unhealthy atmosphere they
:06:46. > :06:49.have had in the town. The book exposes that, hopefully we will get
:06:50. > :06:53.some prosecutions from people who are still around who committed some
:06:54. > :06:57.of the abuse. That allows the town to be able to move on, and put it
:06:58. > :07:03.behind us once and for all. Simon Danczuk, thank you. The Hillsborough
:07:04. > :07:06.Inquests have heard about the last victim to die from injuries suffered
:07:07. > :07:16.during the disaster. Tony Bland died after spending almost four years in
:07:17. > :07:19.hospital. His father said today's tribute describing Tony's happy and
:07:20. > :07:24.carefree childhood captured him to a T. The court also heard from a
:07:25. > :07:32.daughter who was`year`olds when her father died. Tony Bland's family
:07:33. > :07:36.travelled from Yorkshire to tell the jury about him. Tony Bland was 22
:07:37. > :07:40.when he died after four years in a persistent vegetative state. He was
:07:41. > :07:43.just a teenager when he went to Hillsborough. His father said
:07:44. > :07:46.today's tribute describing Tony's happy and carefree childhood
:07:47. > :07:55.captured him to a T. When he was in a coma, almost four years, that was
:07:56. > :07:59.really horrendous. It has all come back, to be quite honest. The court
:08:00. > :08:04.also heard a tribute to David Hawley from St Helens. His daughter Leanne
:08:05. > :08:13.was one when he died. The saddest thing for me is the fact I have had
:08:14. > :08:17.to grow up without him. I know Mike dad was a wonderful father `` I know
:08:18. > :08:22.that my father was a wonderful father, a sincere friend, and I wish
:08:23. > :08:26.I could have known him for myself, how different our lives could have
:08:27. > :08:33.been. He was a great man. James Delaney from Wirral was 19. His
:08:34. > :08:39.brother Nick was nine at the time. I went from a boy to a man, they took
:08:40. > :08:44.my innocence, might childhood, and my family. The jury also heard
:08:45. > :08:47.tributes to Brian Matthews, Gordon Horn, Carl Lewis, Alan Johnston,
:08:48. > :08:53.Kester Ball, Stephen O'Neill and James Hennessy. They will hear the
:08:54. > :08:56.last of the tributes tomorrow. The inquest then takes a three`week
:08:57. > :09:06.break. The jury have been told that various matters need to be done.
:09:07. > :09:08.When they resume, they will hear the substantive evidence about what
:09:09. > :09:16.happened at Hillsborough and what led up to it. A postmortem
:09:17. > :09:19.examination has revealed that a man whose body was found in the front
:09:20. > :09:26.garden of a house in Manchester bled to death. It followed a break`in at
:09:27. > :09:28.a solicitor office on the early hours of Sunday morning. The man had
:09:29. > :09:34.suffered a severe leg injury. His death is not being treated as
:09:35. > :09:37.suspicious. The Conservatives have allowed the Ribble Valley MP Nigel
:09:38. > :09:41.Evans to officially rejoin the party in the House of Commons. Mr Evans `
:09:42. > :09:45.who was cleared of a series of sexual offences earlier this month `
:09:46. > :09:48.had been operating as an independent MP. He also stepped down as the
:09:49. > :09:51.Commons Deputy Speaker before his trial. He says he's "delighted" `
:09:52. > :10:00.and that it represents "a stop after the events of the past 11 months." A
:10:01. > :10:04.four`year`old girl from Merseyside has become one of the first in the
:10:05. > :10:06.country to take part in a pilot scheme involving the
:10:07. > :10:09.cross`examination of vulnerable witnesses. The girl gave evidence on
:10:10. > :10:12.camera ahead of a trial starting next month. It was watched by a
:10:13. > :10:15.judge at Liverpool Crown Court via video link. Liverpool is one of
:10:16. > :10:24.three Crown Courts where the programme's being rolled out. A
:10:25. > :10:28.two`year plan has been launched to protect green lanes on the Isle of
:10:29. > :10:30.Man. It follows complaints that off`road vehicles are damaging the
:10:31. > :10:33.Manx countryside. The Department of Infrastructure says the scheme
:10:34. > :10:36.doesn't include banning motor vehicles ` but some routes will be
:10:37. > :10:39.closed or made one`way. And a schoolboy from Preston ` who became
:10:40. > :10:42.the youngest person to achieve nuclear fusion ` has been awarded
:10:43. > :10:44.the first Honorary Student Membership of the Society for
:10:45. > :10:46.Radiological Protection. Jamie Edwards, who's 13, was among
:10:47. > :10:48.hundreds attending the society's Annual Schools Event in Southport
:10:49. > :11:02.earlier. The family of the murdered soldier
:11:03. > :11:05.Lee Rigby from Middleton, are said to be heartbroken about his name
:11:06. > :11:08.being used by a far`right political party. "Britain First" will use his
:11:09. > :11:11.name in next month's European elections. An investigation's
:11:12. > :11:13.underway into how the party obtained permission from the Electoral
:11:14. > :11:25.Commission. Our political editor Arif Ansari is here. How is his name
:11:26. > :11:29.going to be used? This relates to the European elections on May the
:11:30. > :11:39.22nd, which is the first anniversary of Lee Rigby's murder. What happened
:11:40. > :11:45.is Britain First, which is a far right political party, have decided
:11:46. > :11:51.they want to use his name on the ballot paper, so when you going into
:11:52. > :11:56.vote, it will say, Britain First ` Remember Lee Rigby. It is necessary
:11:57. > :12:01.for the Electoral Commission to approve what goes on to ballot
:12:02. > :12:06.papers, and that is something they did. But his family were heartbroken
:12:07. > :12:11.when they heard this news. The government was pretty angry as well.
:12:12. > :12:21.One minister has said it is difficult to comprehend. Yet the
:12:22. > :12:24.country will be appalled that the memory of Lee Rigby should be used,
:12:25. > :12:30.abused in this way, for political advantage. Especially on the
:12:31. > :12:37.anniversary of his murder. It is sickening, beyond belief. There are
:12:38. > :12:41.calls for the head of the Electoral Commission to resign over this. That
:12:42. > :12:45.is right, they have admitted they made a terrible mistake here. They
:12:46. > :12:48.have apologised, putting out a statement in which they said the
:12:49. > :13:00.Electoral Commission is deeply sorry.
:13:01. > :13:04.There is going to be an investigation into what exactly went
:13:05. > :13:10.wrong at the Electoral Commission, it will report within a week. But it
:13:11. > :13:15.is too late to change the rules, because the ballot papers have
:13:16. > :13:18.already gone out, particularly for people taking postal ballots, but
:13:19. > :13:21.funnily enough this will only really affect people in Wales because that
:13:22. > :13:26.is where the party is standing in the European elections, but the
:13:27. > :13:33.family said Lee Rigby would not approve of this and they are very
:13:34. > :13:36.upset about it. Still to come on North West Tonight: Do you know
:13:37. > :13:39.these men? The First World War heroes who failed to get the
:13:40. > :13:42.recognition they deserve. Will conducting Britain's newest brass
:13:43. > :13:49.band be a tough task or child's play?
:13:50. > :13:58.And Rochdale fans heal their manager as they celebrate promotion to
:13:59. > :14:09.league one. `` praised their manager. Great celebrations, we will
:14:10. > :14:14.talk about that. We have the sport. We will talk Premier League first.
:14:15. > :14:18.Probably a defining weekend in the title race. Yes, Liverpool fans
:14:19. > :14:21.would have been thinking a draw against Chelsea on Sunday and their
:14:22. > :14:27.dream of a title`winning open`top bus parade would have been close
:14:28. > :14:31.enough to touch. The only bus at Anfield was Chelsea. They parked it.
:14:32. > :14:34.Liverpool could not find a way through. And after Manchester City
:14:35. > :14:38.took full advantage by beating Palace by the same score, it's now
:14:39. > :14:41.the Sky Blues who have the edge. As you can see, Liverpool remain three
:14:42. > :14:44.points ahead of City. But Manuel Pellegrini's men have a game in hand
:14:45. > :14:50.and, crucially, far superior goal difference. So where does this leave
:14:51. > :14:58.the title race ` and those shredded nerves? The race for the Premier
:14:59. > :15:10.League title has been well and truly shaken up. Gerard slept, Demba Ba is
:15:11. > :15:18.onto it, and he scores. We will come back. The dream lives on. Chelsea
:15:19. > :15:21.have won the game by 2`0. They got the result. My team wants to be
:15:22. > :15:26.offensive, they want to win games by playing good football. Being
:15:27. > :15:31.creative. We will focus on ourselves and get to Crystal Palace. Liverpool
:15:32. > :15:40.slipping up at Anfield was gratefully lapped up by Manchester
:15:41. > :15:43.City, who went into pole position. I don't want to speak about it,
:15:44. > :15:52.really. Unbelievable result for ourselves. I think they can do it. I
:15:53. > :15:58.really believe they can do it. What a finish. Superb goal. City are
:15:59. > :16:03.favourites with the bookies but all three teams have a chance, even if
:16:04. > :16:15.Jose Mourinho says he is counting his own team out. Forget it. Forget
:16:16. > :16:21.it. Going to the last day? Chelsea have three games `` Chelsea in
:16:22. > :16:26.Europe will have two games left, Manchester City have three. It is in
:16:27. > :16:30.our hands, simple as that. Beat Everton and then we should win it.
:16:31. > :16:33.After a season which has shifted one way and the other, there could still
:16:34. > :16:41.be twists and turns. You never know. But there was some
:16:42. > :16:43.good news for Liverpool yesterday. Luis Suarez was named Professional
:16:44. > :16:47.Footballers' Association Player of the Year. The 27`year`old Uruguayan
:16:48. > :16:50.is the first player to score 30 league goals in a season since Ian
:16:51. > :16:53.Rush in 1987. Liverpool Ladies also celebrated as defender Lucy Bronze
:16:54. > :16:58.won the women's equivalent of the award while the Young Player of the
:16:59. > :17:04.Year went to Martha Harris. Congratulations also to Chorley
:17:05. > :17:10.who've also won promotion. `` Rochdale. They are guaranteed
:17:11. > :17:16.automatic promotion. The celebrations began with the final
:17:17. > :17:18.whistle. This is what it means to be a winner. You won't see pictures
:17:19. > :17:26.like this when the Premier League title is one, but we what went
:17:27. > :17:33.inside the room at the celebrations began. `` we went inside the
:17:34. > :17:40.dressing room. This shows what we have got. It is everything we
:17:41. > :17:46.wanted. Absolutely magic. This is what you get involved in football
:17:47. > :17:53.for. Two days later, things have finally calmed down at spot on. The
:17:54. > :17:56.players have been given today off, and looking at those scenes on
:17:57. > :18:02.Saturday you can't help feeling they' probably needed it. They went
:18:03. > :18:05.into the night. You have led them to two of the promotions. They will be
:18:06. > :18:11.talking about you in 50 years' time. Perhaps. You want to leave some sort
:18:12. > :18:16.of legacy, whether in life, with your family, your work or your
:18:17. > :18:19.industry. Supporters will want to know if you're staying. 100%
:18:20. > :18:23.guaranteed. Fittingly, promotion was secured at Spotland in a match that
:18:24. > :18:26.Rochdale always looked like winning. Both goals came within the first 15
:18:27. > :18:31.minutes. Vincenti and Henderson the scorers. Rochdale fans are the real
:18:32. > :18:34.thing. Nobody could accuse them of being glory hunters. Could Keith
:18:35. > :18:36.Hill take them to football's second tier for the first time in their
:18:37. > :20:20.history? You've got to dream. bowled out for just three. The first
:20:21. > :20:23.ten batsmen were all out for ducks, only the number 11 Connor Hobson
:20:24. > :20:30.scored a run against Haslington in Cheshire League Division Three, with
:20:31. > :20:36.extras the top scorer. They must have been taking lessons from me.
:20:37. > :20:39.What was not the problem was effort. I just read this, the number nine
:20:40. > :20:43.came in, they were already seven wickets down, with no runs, he was
:20:44. > :20:58.quoted as saying, we can still do this. Briefings. We will catch up
:20:59. > :21:02.with them tomorrow. Good on them. This is the 100th anniversary of the
:21:03. > :21:06.start of the First World War but it has been revealed some of the war
:21:07. > :21:10.heroes of Liverpool did not receive the recognition they deserved. A
:21:11. > :21:13.memorial plaque, found in a garden in Toxteth, contained the names of
:21:14. > :21:17.several soldiers who were killed ` but they were not on the city's
:21:18. > :21:20.official list of the dead. Now the plaque's been restored and their
:21:21. > :21:27.descendants are being traced. Naomi Cornwell reports. The people of
:21:28. > :21:35.Liverpool remember their dead and built a cenotaph. The unveiling
:21:36. > :21:39.ceremony, before countless thousands gathered. Liverpool has always
:21:40. > :21:43.honoured its fallen. After the First World War, the name of every man
:21:44. > :21:46.known to have died was added to the walls of the city's Hall of
:21:47. > :21:53.Remembrance. Or so they thought. Even today, we are still finding
:21:54. > :22:02.names that should have been added. This lady came up and said, are you
:22:03. > :22:06.the detective Lord Mayor, they had a war memorial. It's thought the
:22:07. > :22:09.plaque originally hung on the wall here at St Peter's Church in Toxteth
:22:10. > :22:13.and when work began to convert it into flats the church's caretaker
:22:14. > :22:17.Harry Gardam took it home so it wouldn't be lost. It was after his
:22:18. > :22:23.death that it was found at his home nearby in the garden shed. The
:22:24. > :22:28.plaque was found in the grounds of a property, work men came across it
:22:29. > :22:33.whilst getting it ready for the next tenants, they came to me and I to
:22:34. > :22:37.them I would look after it. I felt quite sad because I thought it
:22:38. > :22:45.should be somewhere. Now the search is on for the families. Incredibly
:22:46. > :22:48.sad, these names, how many others are not on the walls? It is
:22:49. > :22:56.important we don't forget. The names will be added to the Town Hall's
:22:57. > :22:59.Hall of Remembrance in June. Good to see them get recognition after all
:23:00. > :23:05.these years. They have had to wait a long time. Get in touch if you can
:23:06. > :23:06.shed any light on who they were. Now the weather. It was a pretty nice
:23:07. > :23:11.weekend. shed any light on who they were. Now
:23:12. > :23:13.the weather. It Very nice, many of you were out with your cameras.
:23:14. > :23:29.Craig Macdonald sent us this shot. That is a beauty. Some cloud has
:23:30. > :23:33.rolled in. The temperatures have been pretty good, in the mid teens
:23:34. > :23:38.for the most part, tomorrow will be very similar, but there just might
:23:39. > :23:42.be a chance of showers breaking out here and there. After that, not
:23:43. > :23:47.quite so good. Weather front after weather front after weather front,
:23:48. > :23:50.there will be an area of low pressure. You can see things
:23:51. > :23:53.becoming increasingly unsettled, so make the most of tomorrow if you
:23:54. > :23:58.have the opportunity. There have been showers, but they barely dampen
:23:59. > :24:02.the ground. They show up over the next couple of hours but once the
:24:03. > :24:13.sun has gone down the risk will die down. It is cloudy, clear spells,
:24:14. > :24:21.little bit of mist. The temperatures are the big story, seven former role
:24:22. > :24:28.areas, 9`10 per towns and cities. It is warm and humid when you get up.
:24:29. > :24:34.It is grey and overcast. You have pockets of missed. Very light wind,
:24:35. > :24:41.nothing to stir it. Once it has gone, it is like today, decent, long
:24:42. > :24:46.sunny spells. Wall`to`wall sunshine, not by a long shot, but that a
:24:47. > :24:51.nicely. Clever, an increasing risk of showers developing. They are not
:24:52. > :24:57.that widespread. They could dampen your day for a while. In terms of
:24:58. > :25:04.temperatures, it is like today, could get to 12`13 degrees. After
:25:05. > :25:08.that, the picture changes, from mid week things becoming creasing the
:25:09. > :25:15.unsettled. `` increasingly unsettled. How many months is it
:25:16. > :25:24.since you said warm and humid? Many years! We are finishing a little
:25:25. > :25:26.earlier tonight because of an election broadcast, we will see you
:25:27. > :25:29.at 10:30pm. See you tomorrow.