:00:00. > :00:00.building society. That's all from the BBC News at Six, so it's goodbye
:00:00. > :00:00.from me, Good evening.
:00:07. > :00:11.Welcome to North West Tonight with Annabel Tiffin.
:00:12. > :00:15.And Roger Johnson. Our top story. A court hears claims
:00:16. > :00:18.of how former presenter Stuart Hall raped young girls in his BBC
:00:19. > :00:20.dressing room. One alleged victim claims it ruined
:00:21. > :00:25.her marriage. Also tonight:
:00:26. > :00:29.An entirely avoidable death. An inquest hears Stepping Hill Hospital
:00:30. > :00:33.admit they should have done more for Gary Bradshaw. A widow tells us how
:00:34. > :00:36.her dying husband ended up on food vouchers because of delays in his
:00:37. > :00:39.new disability benefit. And for sale, one Lake District peak
:00:40. > :00:53.because the owner has to pay a mountainous tax bill.
:00:54. > :00:57.To viewers Stuart Hall was a cheerful popular television
:00:58. > :01:03.presenter, but a court heard claims today that behind the scenes he was
:01:04. > :01:07.a sexual predator and rapist. The jury in his rape trial at Preston
:01:08. > :01:12.Crown Court has been told he raped two young girls in his dressing
:01:13. > :01:18.rooms at BBC studios in Manchester. The 84`year`old denies 15 rape
:01:19. > :01:24.charges and five indecent assaults. Peter Marshall has been at court and
:01:25. > :01:30.joins us now. So Peter just outline the prosecution case for us. Well,
:01:31. > :01:36.prosecuting barrister Peter Wright says the offences happened 35 years
:01:37. > :01:38.ago when Stuart Hall was a well`known celebrity in the
:01:39. > :01:45.north`west presenting the regional news programme and presenting the
:01:46. > :01:49.programme, It's A Knockout. He told the jury that one of the victims was
:01:50. > :01:54.14 when abuse is said to have begun and the other was between ten and
:01:55. > :02:01.twelve and she was abused up to the age of 15. Peter Wright says these
:02:02. > :02:10.were young, impressionable teenagers groomed by a sexual predator. He
:02:11. > :02:16.told the jury that Stuart Hall would flatter them. The jury heard about
:02:17. > :02:21.allegations involving the first alleged victim. What can you tell us
:02:22. > :02:25.about that? Regarding that, we were told this
:02:26. > :02:29.alleged victim wanted to be a make`up artist in TV and film and
:02:30. > :02:33.she was invited to the BBC studios at Oxford Road by Stuart Hall on the
:02:34. > :02:37.pretext of meeting people who might help her in that career. The
:02:38. > :02:41.prosecution says that that help didn't materialise and she was taken
:02:42. > :02:44.to his dressing room, plied with alcohol, and he had sex in the
:02:45. > :02:49.dressing room there. Giving evidence, herself, she says that the
:02:50. > :02:57.abuse became regular. She took up a night course in hairdressing at the
:02:58. > :03:02.Piccadilly Studios where the BBC Broadcasts and says Stuart Hall
:03:03. > :03:06.would pick her up and take her to his dressing room and ply her with
:03:07. > :03:10.drink. She never instigated any of it and never made any of the moves,
:03:11. > :03:18.she was always very, very drunk when it happened. And that alleged
:03:19. > :03:23.victim, as you have alluded, Pete r, came und cross`examination this
:03:24. > :03:28.afternoon? Yes, she admitted under cross`examination despite this
:03:29. > :03:31.alleged abuse when she came to get married in 1991, she asked Stuart
:03:32. > :03:41.Hall to give her away. That didn't happen in the end. He didn't give
:03:42. > :03:46.her away, but she did admit that she had asked her to give her away, she
:03:47. > :03:49.says her mother insisted on it. Stuart Hall denies 15 charges of
:03:50. > :03:54.rape and five of indecent assault and the trial continues tomorrow.
:03:55. > :04:05.Peter, thank you very much. The Co`operative Group has come in
:04:06. > :04:09.for yet more criticism today. In a new report, the former City Minister
:04:10. > :04:11.Lord Myners says it won't survive unless it shifts its focus more
:04:12. > :04:14.towards profit. The suggestions would mark a step change in the
:04:15. > :04:17.entire philosophy behind the organisation which was founded 160
:04:18. > :04:19.years ago in Rochdale. This evening there's a regional members' meeting
:04:20. > :04:28.in the town. Beccy Meehan is there. Yes, the meeting is about to get
:04:29. > :04:34.underway here in Rochdale. The heart of the birth of the Co`operative
:04:35. > :04:37.Group. It is still a mutual too with eight million members and it
:04:38. > :04:41.provides everything from funeral services to holidays, but the
:04:42. > :04:46.changes that Lord Myners is suggesting would mean a shift in the
:04:47. > :04:51.philosophy of the group. I want to restore it to being a true
:04:52. > :04:58.member owned organisation, confident in its trading and able to address
:04:59. > :05:01.the need in society to have relationships with trust based
:05:02. > :05:08.suppliers. The Co`op can do that, but it lost its way.
:05:09. > :05:13.For one member of over 60 years standing who I just spoke to earlier
:05:14. > :05:19.this afternoon, that shift to a more corporate focus doesn't make sense.
:05:20. > :05:25.When they come out and say, "Well, yes, you work for Marks
:05:26. > :05:31.Spencer's." Yes, he worked for the Asda Group. He worked for this other
:05:32. > :05:39.group, you know. What does that mean to taking over in the Co`op? The
:05:40. > :05:43.Co`op is a different set`up. Sonia is a former textile worker
:05:44. > :05:49.from Rochdale and despite the ups and downs of the group which have
:05:50. > :05:55.seen the bank fall into the hands of institutional investors, she thinks
:05:56. > :06:00.the founding principles are crucial. Well, other working institutes have
:06:01. > :06:05.really. We have one or two left, but the Co`op is one of the main ones
:06:06. > :06:08.that's left in this country today that was built up by the working
:06:09. > :06:13.class, by the workers and it is a shame that this has hit us, but we
:06:14. > :06:22.could rise over it. We can rise over it. It would be the members who
:06:23. > :06:26.would have to do it. The Co`op Group is holding its annual general
:06:27. > :06:29.meeting later this month and it said it is committed to reform and a res
:06:30. > :06:33.conclusion will be put forward to members at the meeting.
:06:34. > :06:47.Thank you very much. Well, our region has several Labour
:06:48. > :06:53.MPs who also represent the Co`operative Party. One of those is
:06:54. > :06:57.Preston's Mark Hendrick. He has just come out of a meeting with Lord
:06:58. > :07:02.Myners. What did Lord Myners say to you. We heard he called the board
:07:03. > :07:08.amateurish. Did he repeat that language? He didn't put it in those
:07:09. > :07:12.terms. He said there is a degree of non professional or unprofessional
:07:13. > :07:17.people on the board. He feels should not be on the board. And the Co`op
:07:18. > :07:21.had lay people on the board. One of the Co`op principles founded 150
:07:22. > :07:24.years ago was about democratic representation. People stand for the
:07:25. > :07:29.board as representatives of their communities and often can rise right
:07:30. > :07:34.to the main board where many lay members are. The question is, are
:07:35. > :07:38.lay members still suited to being on the board? What do you think the
:07:39. > :07:42.answer is? Do you think they are suitable? Yes, I do. They have a
:07:43. > :07:45.wide range of experience from different backgrounds. They have
:07:46. > :07:50.training throughout times on the board and it is important that
:07:51. > :07:55.continues. Now, I'm not saying there should be as many lay members on
:07:56. > :07:58.there as there is now, but a small component, maybe five or six of the
:07:59. > :08:02.directors should be lay members to continue the tradition and make sure
:08:03. > :08:06.the Co`op is a community based organisation and not just seen as a
:08:07. > :08:10.profit machine for those who want to make more money.
:08:11. > :08:15.We heard a lady in our film that said it is the last working class
:08:16. > :08:20.institution. How important is it do you think, that Labo keeps its
:08:21. > :08:24.alliance with the Co`op? Very important indeed. The Co`op Party
:08:25. > :08:29.had an agreement with the Labour Party for nearly 100 years now. I
:08:30. > :08:34.and 29 other members of Parliament are Co`op through and through. Many
:08:35. > :08:38.services and goods travel, funeral services, many of these services are
:08:39. > :08:44.prohaveded for by `` vow vieded by the `` provided. I have been a
:08:45. > :08:48.co`operator most of my adult life and there is a different set of
:08:49. > :08:51.principles about how we operate. It is not about making people
:08:52. > :08:55.millionaires and it is not about big business and rich cars, it is about
:08:56. > :09:00.making sure ordinary people are looked after in a proper way and
:09:01. > :09:03.they get the benefits through dividend or other methods of
:09:04. > :09:08.rewarding loyalty to the Co`op. Thank you.
:09:09. > :09:12.Police investigating the murder of Blackpool teenager Paige Chivers
:09:13. > :09:16.have switched the search for her body to a churchyard in Bispham. The
:09:17. > :09:19.land is close to a flat which was searched recently after a ?30,000
:09:20. > :09:23.reward was offered for information. Police believe Paige was killed in
:09:24. > :09:26.2007 and her body disposed of. They were led to the churchyard by a
:09:27. > :09:31.tip`off from a member of the public. So far no one has been arrested.
:09:32. > :09:33.The Green Party has launched its local and European election
:09:34. > :09:36.campaign. They chose Stockport Hydro Mill as the venue, highlighting
:09:37. > :09:40.their policy of creating jobs by investing in renewable energy in the
:09:41. > :09:43.region. Peter Cranie, the party's European election candidate believes
:09:44. > :09:48.they're on track to gain the first Green MEP for the north west.
:09:49. > :09:51.Nearly three quarters of tanning salons in Blackpool have failed
:09:52. > :09:55.council safety tests. The authority says more than 70% were found to be
:09:56. > :09:59.using bulbs which emit higher than recommended levels of UV light. 60%
:10:00. > :10:05.were found to be allowing under 18s to use sunbeds illegally.
:10:06. > :10:10.A coroner has found that Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport failed to
:10:11. > :10:15.see how seriously ill a patient was before he died. In a narrative
:10:16. > :10:17.verdict, the Stockport coroner John Pollard said the hospital missed
:10:18. > :10:19.several opportunities to extend the life of Gary Bradshaw. Nazia Mogra
:10:20. > :10:27.reports. Gary Bradshaw was a devoted father.
:10:28. > :10:34.He loved football and worked hard to provide for his family. He was
:10:35. > :10:39.everything. You know, he worked for his family, for us, you know
:10:40. > :10:47.everything he did was for us. He was not a selfish man at all. He just
:10:48. > :10:52.wanted to look after us. Me and his boys, that's all. Gary Bradshaw came
:10:53. > :10:58.here to his local hospital, Stepping Hill in May 2012 to be treated for
:10:59. > :11:03.kidney stones. His calcium levels rose so high that his lungs and
:11:04. > :11:09.heart stopped working properly. He died a few months later in July. An
:11:10. > :11:13.inquest found he had blood tests, but the tests were never followed
:11:14. > :11:16.up. He was given the wrong medication and discharged from
:11:17. > :11:20.hospital too early. The coroner, John Pollard, criticised the
:11:21. > :11:27.hospital and said that there were missed opportunities which might
:11:28. > :11:30.have alleviated his suffering, might have extended Gary's life
:11:31. > :11:36.expectancy. Is this verdict what you hoped for? I just wanted it
:11:37. > :11:43.recognised and you know, for, just not to happen to anybody else. The
:11:44. > :11:47.hospital admitted it was entirely unavoidable `` an avoidable death
:11:48. > :11:52.and it regretted the failures of care and apologised to the family.
:11:53. > :11:58.They say relevant changes have been made. Gary's partner says she can
:11:59. > :12:00.now focus on her two boys. They now at least can take some comfort in
:12:01. > :12:14.knowing how their father died. An investigation by BBC North West
:12:15. > :12:17.Tonight has found that some people with serious health conditions are
:12:18. > :12:21.waiting up to seven months for their new disability benefits to be worked
:12:22. > :12:23.out. Claimants waiting for their new personal independence payments have
:12:24. > :12:26.told us about the stress and anxiety the delays are causing. Jayne
:12:27. > :12:41.McCubbin reports. 12 months ago, I met Marguerite. It
:12:42. > :12:46.is all we have. It feels like it is under threat. 12 months on, they are
:12:47. > :12:53.still waiting for assessments to take place. But the fear hasn't gone
:12:54. > :13:03.away. People are losing their transportation. They are losing the
:13:04. > :13:08.support they need. People are saying don't worry. You don't know what's
:13:09. > :13:13.around the corner. Anxiety can't be underestimated, but is it really
:13:14. > :13:19.warranted? 12 months ago, I met Glyn, a welfare adviser preparing
:13:20. > :13:23.for an onslaught of people in need of support, but the onslaught never
:13:24. > :13:30.happened, he wonders if people are too fearful to apply. There is a lot
:13:31. > :13:34.of fear about it maybe that unfounded, but until we have seen a
:13:35. > :13:39.body of decisions, we can't really tell. I have not seen a lot of
:13:40. > :13:45.decisions because it is taking a long time for decisions to be made.
:13:46. > :13:51.12 months on, there are serious delays. I have travelled to Bar owe
:13:52. > :13:54.to meet Helen whose partner was diagnosed with cancer last autumn.
:13:55. > :13:59.They spent three of his last six months waiting for his payments to
:14:00. > :14:03.be processed. They told us, go out and enjoy yourselves, make the most
:14:04. > :14:06.of whatever time you have got left and that was something we couldn't
:14:07. > :14:10.do. There was enough stress in your life dealing with the cancer without
:14:11. > :14:16.having to deal with have we got enough money to buy food? Keith was
:14:17. > :14:22.given a voucher for the foodbank in the end. Macmillan are helping the
:14:23. > :14:26.Government address those delays. In Manchester, I meetanedy. He has a
:14:27. > :14:37.chronic lung condition. His wait, seven months, the longest I've heard
:14:38. > :14:42.of. To wait 31 weeks, it is beyond a joke. In February, auditors said
:14:43. > :14:46.delays to people like Andy and Helen meant the Government would miss
:14:47. > :14:50.savings targets. By last October, only 16% of claims had been
:14:51. > :14:54.processed. The Government says it still expects to make savings of ?3
:14:55. > :15:02.billion by 2018. Well, we did ask to interview the
:15:03. > :15:05.Minister for Disability, Mike Penning. He wasn't available, but
:15:06. > :15:08.the Department for Work and Pensions e`mailed us to say that Disability
:15:09. > :15:11.Living Allowance was an outdated benefit which allowed 71% of
:15:12. > :15:13.claimants to get it indefinitely. They say PIP allows better targeted
:15:14. > :15:27.support for those who need it most. The new Anglican Bishop of Liverpool
:15:28. > :15:31.says it's a scandal that people have to rely on foodbanks. The Right
:15:32. > :15:33.Reverend Paul Bayes says he won't shy away from challenging
:15:34. > :15:36.politicians over the impact their policies have on ordinary people.
:15:37. > :15:39.The former Bishop of Hertford was today officially announced as the
:15:40. > :15:44.new head of the Anglican church on Merseyside. Our chief reporter, Dave
:15:45. > :15:50.Guest, has been to meet him. Liverpool's new bishop attends a
:15:51. > :16:00.service of Holy Communion at biggan Parish Church. This is just part of
:16:01. > :16:06.his new diocese. The reverend Paul chose different surroundings for his
:16:07. > :16:11.appointment to be announced. He chose to come here, to the north
:16:12. > :16:16.Liverpool foodbank. The church needs to be there for everybody and at the
:16:17. > :16:20.moment, foodbanks are one way that we are doing that. He said he wanted
:16:21. > :16:26.to get a feel of deprivation in 2012 at grass`roots level, so his
:16:27. > :16:28.advisers have chosen in bringing him here. This is one of the most
:16:29. > :16:43.deprived wards in the there need to be foodbanks and it is
:16:44. > :16:47.a scandal that there need to be foodbanks. Who is responsible for
:16:48. > :16:50.this? If you talk to different politicians, the blame will go in
:16:51. > :16:56.different ways. The question is how do we fix it? There has been a
:16:57. > :16:59.tradition of bishops not being afraid to get involved in political
:17:00. > :17:05.debate, political argument and challenge governments. Is that your
:17:06. > :17:08.way? I won't runaway from that possibility to say to people, have
:17:09. > :17:12.you noticed what's happening on the ground? Do you know the implications
:17:13. > :17:18.of what's happening? What's at the top of your to do list? I need to
:17:19. > :17:23.visit people. I need to see places like this so I can understand what
:17:24. > :17:24.makes people tick here and what the issues are. He will
:17:25. > :19:12.guess the Everton game was critical? We had to go to Goodison Park and
:19:13. > :19:16.get a win. The Everton one we had to get and with Liverpool dropping the
:19:17. > :19:24.two points, it puts us back in the driving seat and we are in control
:19:25. > :19:28.of our destiny. Do you believe the manager when he said he didn't watch
:19:29. > :19:34.the Liverpool match the other night? I am sure a few of his pals would
:19:35. > :19:41.have been ringing up to tell him what the score was. Was that nerves?
:19:42. > :19:47.It is live experience. One occasion Liverpool were 3`1 up and they had
:19:48. > :19:53.seven players in the Crystal Palace penalty box. They should have took
:19:54. > :20:00.the three points. They have one eye on the go difference. Will City do
:20:01. > :20:06.it? If we can't get four points out of two games, we are not trying. I
:20:07. > :20:17.can't see West Brom scoring. Villa even!
:20:18. > :20:22.West Brom! One talking point from last night, have they seen the last
:20:23. > :20:26.of Ryan Giggs at Manchester United? The final home game of the season
:20:27. > :20:31.which many Manchester United fans would rather forget. It was a chance
:20:32. > :20:33.for one or two well`known faces to say goodbye to Old Trafford. Thank
:20:34. > :20:38.you for everything and especially you fans you have been fantastic to
:20:39. > :20:43.me all these years. Other less familiar players got a chance to say
:20:44. > :20:48.hello and in impressive style. With little left to play for, Ryan Giggs
:20:49. > :20:52.gave a first team chance to untested 18`year`old James Wilson and he
:20:53. > :20:57.didn't disappoint with a brace, quite an achievement for a debut
:20:58. > :21:03.performance. Van Persie made it three for Manchester United, but on
:21:04. > :21:13.a night tinged with emotion, the celebrations were marred by this
:21:14. > :21:17.collision and a shoulder injury for Phil Jones. Vid itch played at
:21:18. > :21:24.Manchester United for the last time before a move to Inter Milan. Ryan
:21:25. > :21:28.Giggs is not sure if last night's game was his last game at Old
:21:29. > :21:34.Trafford, but he came on and almost scored. We always give youth a
:21:35. > :21:40.chance and try and play attractive football. We give it our all. Keep
:21:41. > :21:44.supporting us and the good times will come back soon. Manchester
:21:45. > :21:45.United say they won't be making an announcement about the manager's job
:21:46. > :22:02.this month. 1991 when Ryan Giggs made his debut
:22:03. > :22:09.for Manchester United. 12 years to the day, Manchester City were
:22:10. > :22:25.relegated and here they are within touching distance of winning it.
:22:26. > :22:29.A campaign has begun to persuade thousands of ordinary people to buy
:22:30. > :22:32.a stake in the iconic Lake District mountain of Blencathra which has
:22:33. > :22:36.gone on sale for ?1.75 million. It is being sold by its owner, Lord
:22:37. > :22:39.Lonsdale to help meet a massive tax bill, but some worry it will be
:22:40. > :22:42.snapped up by an absentee landlord from abroad. The sale has caught the
:22:43. > :22:45.imagination and the man charged with carrying it out says there has been
:22:46. > :22:48.huge interest. We have had a lot of hits on the website. 3,500. The
:22:49. > :22:52.telephone has been red hot. It will be interesting to see if that turns
:22:53. > :22:57.into real interest in buying the mountain. But while any new owner
:22:58. > :23:00.would have to abide by the strict laws protecting it, there are those
:23:01. > :23:04.who believe it must stay in local hands for good. If it goes to
:23:05. > :23:07.anybody, whether it is English or anybody else, and it is an
:23:08. > :23:12.individual, it will be a piece of land that's in their portfolio. If
:23:13. > :23:18.it is somebody from abroad, they may never walk that mountain. We keep
:23:19. > :23:25.being told about the Big Society this is our opportunity fob to be
:23:26. > :23:30.the Big Society. Within hours of setting up a friends of Blencathra
:23:31. > :23:34.Facebook page to gather support, over 1500 people signed up. From all
:23:35. > :23:37.over the country. The guy that helped me set this up is from
:23:38. > :23:41.Manchester. We have got people from further down south. Up in Scotland.
:23:42. > :23:45.It is somewhere that everybody loves.
:23:46. > :23:51.Can you do it then? We can do it. If we get the chance. If people
:23:52. > :23:57.continue to pledge money and if we get the chance, yes. If 10,000
:23:58. > :24:09.people support the campaign, a payment of ?175 would secure
:24:10. > :24:13.Blencathra. Lo Lonsdale would be prepared to sell to the community,
:24:14. > :24:19.even allowing extra time for the money to be raised.
:24:20. > :24:26.There is a lot of people with ?175. There is a lot of mist on the hills.
:24:27. > :24:29.How is it looking? More of the same conditions. It was
:24:30. > :24:34.cloudy today with rain this afternoon. Over the next few days,
:24:35. > :24:38.it will remain unsettled with mrentive of cloud `` plenty of cloud
:24:39. > :24:42.and you will be needing your umbrellas because there is more rain
:24:43. > :24:46.to come. There is hefty showers floating in across the Irish Sea. It
:24:47. > :24:50.eases away only to return by dawn. We are going to hang on to the
:24:51. > :24:53.cloud. Still a stiff westerly breeze continuing to drive the showers
:24:54. > :24:57.through and the temperatures stick to go double figure ins one or two
:24:58. > :25:02.spots. Tomorrow, I don't think we will see a lot of sunshine. The only
:25:03. > :25:04.good news about tomorrow is the winds. They will ease through the
:25:05. > :25:08.afternoon. We will continue to see the rain. A cloudy start in the
:25:09. > :25:12.morning. Still a stiff westerly breeze driving the showers through.
:25:13. > :25:18.We head into the afternoon and this frontal system begins to move in. We
:25:19. > :25:22.are to see heavy pulses of rain over Cheshire particularly, but lighter
:25:23. > :25:26.winds by the end of play tomorrow. Possibly highs of 15 Celsius in
:25:27. > :25:31.Cheshire, but the temperatures in Cumbria and the Isle of Man stay
:25:32. > :25:35.disappointing at just 10 or 11 Celsius. We head into the weekend.
:25:36. > :25:38.Friday, we are going to see a lot of showers. Part one of the weekend, I
:25:39. > :25:48.am afraid, there will be heavy rain on Saturday.
:25:49. > :26:22.We are loving your glasses. I lost my contact lens. Maybe later.
:26:23. > :26:27.'This is the story of Nick Clegg - a man entrusted by a nation
:26:28. > :26:31.'to act upon the policies he proposed.