19/05/2014 North West Tonight

Welcome to NorthWest Tonight with Annabel Tiffin and Roger Johnson.

A murderer ` who escaped while on day release

Questions are now being asked about day release programmes

after Arnold Pickering absconded for the third time.

Not milking the farmers ` why one supermarket is taking

And Stockport's Sinatra launches his first album just months

after being rescued after rejection on TV's The Voice.

The Government says it'll be tightening the rules on day release

prisoners after two went on the run from Merseyside at the weekend.

The pair included convicted killer Arnold Pickering who'd

The local MP says it's shocking that Pickering was ever considered

The fugitives are both now back inside

but the controversy surrounding their escape goes on as our Chief

Arnold Pickering was jailed 23 years ago for stabbing a man to death in

Oldham. He had been serving the final stage of his sentence at a low

security prison. On Saturday, he and another inmate were allowed out on

day release but they didn't come back. A police search followed. One

of them was tracked down last night. He's a man with previous

for absconding. He did it in the 90s while

on remand. And he did it in 2009 while

on day release. The fact he's done it again

has outraged the MP who's patch There is no question needs two are

linked. It is a direct result of these cuts. Weeks ago another man

absconded from a jail in Kent. I don't want to see people who have

absconded back into is back behind bars after his two

days of being unlawfully at large. Why he did it and how the system

came to allow him to do it, those are questions that are yet

unanswered. Earlier I spoke to Peter McParland and asked him for his

reaction to the escape. compared to what we were in 2010.

Indeed, the overall figure is almost a thousand if you include admin and

other staff. Ideally, what with the prison association like to see done?

We welcome the responsibility to be back on prison staff to make these

important prisons `` decisions with regard to the public. We want to see

the government accepting the role of the estate which is to protect the

public. Thank you. Now to Manchester United and after

weeks of speculation , we finally We now know the name

of the man chosen to replace Louis van Gaal will take over

after the World Cup. Richard Askam is at Old Trafford

for us. We do now `` we do now know that

Louis van Harle has been chosen to succeed David Moyes. `` Louis Van

Gaal. He will take charge after leaving the Netherlands after the

World Cup. He has chosen Ryan Giggs as his assistant. We were not sure

who he was going to be. Ryan Giggs has announced that he is retiring

and is hanging up his boots. Sticking with Louis Van Gaal come he

has a reputation as a winner and a tough task manager, hasn't he?

He is not short on confidence and he does have a long list of successes

and has promised to make history. He has managed at some of the biggest

clubs in the world. He has won titles just about everywhere he has

been. In Germany, Spain and Holland. He has always `` also won the

Champions League. He has a reputation as Hardman and one man

who knows him well is a former Liverpool striker and says there is

much more to him than just an iron fist. He is a very good coach but he

is also a special person and if you are in his heart, you will never go

out of there. He is a winner. David Moyes was popular when he was

appointed after Sir Alex Ferguson. Is Louis van Harle likely to be a

popular replacement? He has signed a three`year contract. `` Louis Van

Gaal. Plenty would look at the contract and see that he is a good

fit. Whoever we will get will have to be a big name and Louis Van Gaal

is a big name and hopefully he can produce the goods. I am really

pleased. He has had a good history in the past. I am very pleased. I

think he will do a good job. He has a good history and just what we

need. He could do a good job for us. Is for Ryan Giggs, he looked

like a manager in waiting and one `` many wanted him to get the job

permanently. He will be the assistant to Louis Van Gaal and has

drawn an end to his illustrious career on the pitch. We will be

talking more about him later. Back to you.

The shale gas company, Cuadrilla is to seek planning

permission to explore for gas at two sites in Lancashire.

The company wants to test drill at Roseacre Wood near Elswick and

The applications will be considered by Lancashire County Council

Four people have been arrested in the North West as part of

Two men from Liverpool, one man from Manchester

and another from Warrington were among more than 80 people detained

The operation targetted users of software which can remotely

Police are continuing to search a house in Rochdale

Homes and businesses around Oldham Road were evacuated

and Metrolink service suspended this morning after the package

Bentley is taking on over 140 new staff at its factory in Crewe.

The luxury car maker says 50 of those will be apprentice engineers.

It follows the company's best ever year making

Emma is brain damaged, she can't see properly, she can't hear.

All of this damage was caused to Emma in the womb

Emma was awarded ?500,000 at Christmas from the Criminal

And today her adoptive mother agreed to speak to us advance

of a test case, a case which she hopes could see

many more victims of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome receive the same help.

We have changed the names of those involved in this report.

Jenny has agreed to speak to me about her adopted daughter Emma.

'The last 2 years of Emma's life have been hell

for everybody including her. She's very unwell.

We're just trying to get a diagnosis of dementia.

Our geneticist thinks it's all linked to the

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome. Emma's problems were caused here

in the womb. Brain damage, missing joints,

fused bones. She's partially sighted and deaf.

Her birth mother was an alcoholic. A court decided a crime had been

committed and on Christmas Eve, Emma was awarded ?500,000.

We're not talking a glass of wine every night.

She was an alcoholic. And at every stage

of pregnancy it destroyed something , from her brain to her eyes to her

ears to her nails. How can that not be a crime?

She asks that question for a reason. Since they started their case,

12 years ago, the law has changed. Foetal Alcohol Syndrome is no longer

considered a crime of violence. But could a test case, here in the

North West be about to change that? The case involves

a six`year`old girl. Initially a tribunal agreed she

should receive compensation. But that decision was overturned

on the basis of new guidance. A crime wasn't committed

because when her mother drank ` legally, as an embryo,

the girl was not yet a person. The case is going to appeal.

It will challenge what many see as an unfair change in the law.

The government disagrees. The outcome will be significant with

7,000 new cases of Foetal Alcohol I can't understand why one day it's

a crime ` the next day it isn't. It's not right.

The test case goes to court this Autumn.

Still to come: The farmer who owns these cows in Lancashire says he is

finally getting a fair price for his milk and he will be telling us what

a different man makes. Stockport's Sinatra launches his first album

months after being rejected from rejection. Elated is the world. I am

up in the stratosphere. Today is the day I have been waiting for a long

time. Now, the Green Party is one

of those standing in the European They're hoping to get their first

north west MEP ` last time they were Well, there are plenty

of environmental issues in this part Regular viewers will know we've

been interviewing all the party Earlier I spoke to the Green Party

leader Natalie Bennett and I asked her what her main

targets were this time. I am looking to increase our two

MEPs and I am confident we can do that in the north`west. In terms of

the council elections, we want to grow by 10% and we will rebuild in

London but also see Liverpool as an area of strength. In terms of the

European elections, you did come quite close to stop Nick Griffin bit

`` beat you to the post. At the BNP party has drifted away now but the

Green Party has risen according to the polls. Maybe you are perhaps

going against the wind of public opinion. We are seeing more and more

people saying they hate everything UKIP stands for and they know the

Green Party is the only one standing up to UKIP on immigration and

climate change. There is a lot of people that find them horrifying.

Voters are coming to us. Labour voters are horrified that Labour is

so wishy`washy. With the Tories come here in the north`west, I have

spoken to a lot of Tories who are voting for us on fracking. Fracking

is a big issue here. You are undoubtedly vehemently against it.

Could it be part of a mixed energy economy? We have the fact that we

have to live 55 `` 50% of our fossil fuels in the ground if we are to

avoid catastrophic climate change. We have to work out what we know is

already there in the ground. Renewables don't produce anywhere

near enough energy to keep our lights on. The reason for that is

the government has failed to provide the investment in this environment.

Germany had 73% of its electricity being supplied by renewables. One of

the other great things about Germany is 50% of them are community owned.

They can put their money into investment opportunities and get the

money back into the community. Would we then have to have a wind farm on

every hillside to get anywhere near that? One of the exciting

developments is tidal energy. We have five tidal lagoons in Swansea

Bay and five of those built over ten years could provide 10% of our

energy needs. We need a mix. Thank you. Polling day is on Thursday and

there are 11 parties standing in the north`west. There is a full list on

your screen now. We have heard a lot about

supermarket wars over the price of work and it is an issue that we

touch on with regularity on the programme. Many announced they were

cutting the cost of four points to ?1. One week to that one retailer

says it is concentrating on the farm is instead. One company says it will

pay a higher price for its milk than any other supermarket. They say they

will receive a fair deal. We have been to see one farmer and how it

will affect him. Claire and Richard know the names of

every watt single one of their cows. They call themselves traditional

farmers but making a living hasn't always been easy. A new contract

with with Booths is helping them. We can make decisions on the farm more

for the cow welfare rather than looking it as a cash flow issue. Big

retailers charged less for their milk. Booths says it can't compete

and it is telling its customers that their supplies on local and they

will receive a fair price for their produce. People are conscious

consumers. They want to know where the produce is coming from and that

the people producing their product can sustain their businesses. The

NFU says producers will struggle to get good prices for their farms but

welcome the news. It is only four farmers but hopefully it will expand

and other retailers will look at this and copy the model. Booths are

currently paying 1p more than the next buyer and they say the price

won't be passed onto their customers. Dairy farmers "give a

boost the industry. The appointment of Louis Van Gaal

as Manchester United's new manager isn't the only news out of

Old Trafford today. With more let's go back to

the stadium and join Richard Askam. It is the end of an era for one of

the players there. Ryan Giggs has finally decided to hang his boots up

as a player and he will be the assistant manager to Louis Van Gaal

as well. Andy Ritchie joins me. A good day today. Ryan Giggs, he

looked like a manager towards the end of the season. What about Louis

Van Gaal choosing him as his assistant. It is a classic move.

With him having to sort out the World Cup with the Dutch team, he

needs somebody here that knows the club inside out. There's nobody

better than Ryan Giggs for that. He knows all the young and old players.

He will have his opinions on them as well and Louis Van Gaal will have to

rely on that because he has got to have one eye on what he is doing on

the Dutch national side. What about Ryan Giggs as a player? More than 30

trophies that he won here. Where does he stand in the all`time list

of great players here? He has got to be virtually on the top. Top of the

mountain. 34 trophies, 963 games for the same club. That is amazing. Over

1000 appearances in his career. The superlatives don't make it any more.

There is so many that you could say about him. The dedication to his

profession. He is a role model, he has been fantastic for how many

seasons for Manchester United. I was disappointed he didn't get that goal

in their last game against Southampton. Thank you very much. We

will see how Ryan Giggs and Louis Van Gaal do.

St Helens missed the chance to return to the top

of Super League yesterday and it was Warrington who denied

them the chance in the final game of a record breaking Magic Weekend.

Joel Monaghan scored two of eight tries scored by The Wolves

Just under 65,000 fans attended over the two days at the Etihad Stadium,

And you can see action from all seven matches at Magic weekend

Louis Van Gaal will take over after he has finished his duties at the

World Cup. I wouldn't go betting that one or two United fans will be

waiting. Bob Blakely was working in a Stockport warehouse and telling

his colleagues with the odd song and singing in the shower. He went on to

The Voice and didn't get fixed `` picked and it looked like his dream

had been dashed. Then he came and sat on this server.

There was a visit to BBC breakfast and an offer of a recording

contract. His debut album has been released tonight. We joined him in a

Manchester music shop. His performance impressed us but the

judges couldn't bring themselves to press that buzzer. The show is about

people like Bob. He shouldn't have gone home. Then came the record

deal. I would like to help you sustain the chance and not have it

drop like it was going to. Thank you. Thank you very much. That means

so much. Today he was there for the launch of his debut album. Today is

the day I have been waiting for a long time. It is the realisation of

a dream today. It was recorded with a live studio. There are cover

versions of a few other hits. People will have seen how powerful

his voice can be but what they won't have heard is how tender and

wonderful he can be and how expressive with both modern songs he

can be. Here is a taster of what to expect.

He can sing. I am so pleased for him. It is such a lovely day today

so we have sent Diane out. 'We need to put this issue

to bed now, 'and not leave it

for another generation.' I want a Britain that is free

to control its own destiny. 'another three million people

in Britain by 2020. 'Our public services

are already stretched. 'The pressure on schools, housing,

hospitals in huge.' While we stay in the EU, we cannot

control who comes into our county.