:00:00. > :00:00.cooler through the weekend, but the weather is looking pretty good for
:00:00. > :00:00.Welcome to North West Tonight with Roger Johnson and Annabel Thffin.
:00:07. > :00:13.Holiday`makers fears over the Liverpool passport backlog.
:00:14. > :00:15.Workers are told they'll be disciplined
:00:16. > :00:28.We join Merseyside Police as they launch raids on organised crime
:00:29. > :00:32.Criticism for the binge drinking document`ry which
:00:33. > :00:39.Lift`off for the prestigious horse trial, as Bolesworth puts Cheshire
:00:40. > :00:59.I'm here for the bigger World Cup kick`off. `` the big World Cup
:01:00. > :01:06.kick`off. An anxious time
:01:07. > :01:08.for passport applicants tod`y, some were trying to collect
:01:09. > :01:10.passports in person others were putting in second applications under
:01:11. > :01:13.the faster premium service to try to An anxious time
:01:14. > :01:27.for passport applicants tod`y, some were trying to collect
:01:28. > :01:30.passports in person others were putting in second applications under
:01:31. > :01:46.the faster premium service to try to No one really explains what was
:01:47. > :01:51.going on. Over the past week, I have phoned at least twice a day to find
:01:52. > :01:56.out what is happening. Eventually I finally got some action. Thdy said I
:01:57. > :02:01.can pick it up today but it has been horrible.
:02:02. > :02:04.I'm really anxious. It has been quite stressful. The worry of losing
:02:05. > :02:07.my holiday has not been fun. British Nationals working abroad are
:02:08. > :02:09.also caught up in the backlog Martin Cairns from Liverpool works
:02:10. > :02:23.in Senegal applied for a passport I'm very disappointed. My whfe is
:02:24. > :02:29.stressed out. Obviously we want to have a good summer holiday.
:02:30. > :02:32.Fortunately we have not booked flights but I know people who had.
:02:33. > :02:33.It's disappointing that this can happen.
:02:34. > :02:36.Theresa May leaked pictures of documents waiting to be processed
:02:37. > :02:39.in Liverpool sparked this row, now staff here are being investhgated
:02:40. > :02:53.250 additional staff have bden transferred to front`line
:02:54. > :02:59.operations. 50 additional staff will be working on the customer helpline.
:03:00. > :03:01.There will be new space opened in Liverpool to help staff with
:03:02. > :03:05.processing passport applications. Theresa May leaked pictures
:03:06. > :03:08.of documents waiting to be processed in Liverpool sparked this row, now
:03:09. > :03:22.staff here are being investhgated Earlier, I spoke to the union that
:03:23. > :03:28.represents the workers at the passport office.
:03:29. > :03:32.I think it is a disgraceful and over the top response from the government
:03:33. > :03:39.to a member of their workforce raising legitimate concerns. I think
:03:40. > :03:45.what we have seen over the last couple of days is that the release
:03:46. > :03:49.of those photographs was overwhelmingly in the public
:03:50. > :03:54.interest. Was there another way this could have been handled rather than
:03:55. > :04:01.leaking photographs? We don't know what was going through
:04:02. > :04:04.the person's mind who released those photographs. Clearly they h`ve
:04:05. > :04:09.serious concerns about the state of the service they provide. They felt
:04:10. > :04:13.the best vehicle to highlight those concerns was to draw a picttre of
:04:14. > :04:17.the people of just how bad the situation was.
:04:18. > :04:21.They are under a lot of pressure as now have this threat of disciplinary
:04:22. > :04:24.action. Will this affect thd way they are under a lot of pressure as
:04:25. > :04:25.now have this threat of disciplinary action. Will this affect thd way
:04:26. > :04:32.they're working? To be honest, I would suggest that
:04:33. > :04:35.morality is already at a low. Workers in the passport offhce are
:04:36. > :04:39.already being asked to work round the clock in order to get the
:04:40. > :04:45.government out of the mess that they have created for themselves. This is
:04:46. > :04:48.a further attack on staff morale. Staff should be rewarded and
:04:49. > :04:53.recognised for the vital work that they are doing on the ground every
:04:54. > :04:57.day to keep the service as ht is best.
:04:58. > :05:02.Why do your members think that things have gone so wrong?
:05:03. > :05:09.The government has cut staff in the passport office and the service is
:05:10. > :05:15.not able to handle the demands. We have been saying to the govdrnment
:05:16. > :05:19.that went demands goes back to normal, the service will not be able
:05:20. > :05:23.to cope. I think we have bedn completely vindicated.
:05:24. > :05:27.Now that's reason they had said there will be an increase in staff,
:05:28. > :05:30.do you think people will get their passports in the right amount of
:05:31. > :05:35.time? I sincerely hope they do get their
:05:36. > :05:43.passports in time. It is not our wish that anyone would miss a
:05:44. > :05:47.well`deserved holiday. The leasures that the government have put in a
:05:48. > :05:51.lot of them are short term. They don't address the underlying issues.
:05:52. > :05:56.There is a Sirius question `bout whether this could happen again
:05:57. > :06:00.Thank you very much. `` a sdrious question.
:06:01. > :06:02.It was Liverpool's biggest dver crackdown on serious
:06:03. > :06:06.Today, hundreds of police officers carried out raids across thd city
:06:07. > :06:09.The yearlong investigation has already led to the seizure
:06:10. > :06:11.of millions of pounds worth of drugs along with firearms.
:06:12. > :06:16.So far today 32 people have been arrested, as Ian Haslam reports
:06:17. > :06:21.It?s 7am and more than 400 Merseysidd police
:06:22. > :06:24.officers are heading out to various destinations on what the force calls
:06:25. > :06:40.Minutes later, suspects receive a rude awakening.
:06:41. > :06:46.It's around 7:15am. This is one of 38 borrowers being investig`ted
:06:47. > :06:47.across the county. At the same time, a mile down
:06:48. > :06:50.the road in Dingle, another raid. There were no occupants
:06:51. > :07:01.but there was a cannabis farm. The lack we get information from our
:07:02. > :07:06.community who tell us where these individuals are plying their trade.
:07:07. > :07:10.This involves to organised crime groups who are effectively have been
:07:11. > :07:12.using violence of firearms to facilitate their trade.
:07:13. > :07:15.Since Operation Azuga began a year ago, drugs with a street
:07:16. > :07:21.value of ?3 million have bedn seized ` along with a number of firearms,
:07:22. > :07:26.We are working to make sure that people aren't going to come in and
:07:27. > :07:30.fill the void that has been left. We have taken out a significant number
:07:31. > :07:32.of people involved in drug supply in this area.
:07:33. > :07:35.proof say Merseyside police, that they're making major progress
:07:36. > :07:46.The way the community has stpported the police in gathering that
:07:47. > :07:49.information, all of that is really encouraging.
:07:50. > :07:51.Following today's raids offhcers have been posting information
:07:52. > :07:53.leaftets in a bid to reassure residents.
:07:54. > :07:55.Those arrested are tonight being questioned at Police stations
:07:56. > :07:58.A report's found that Greater Manchester Police couldn't
:07:59. > :08:01.have done anything to prevent the death of a woman and her 15 year
:08:02. > :08:04.old son in a house fire in Altrincham started by her p`rtner.
:08:05. > :08:06.The Independent Police Complaints Commission looked into the contact
:08:07. > :08:09.officers had with Tracey and Shaun Jones before David Potts carried out
:08:10. > :08:14.the arson attack in 2011, btt said police had no information to help
:08:15. > :08:22.500 jobs are at risk at Wirral Council as part of plans to
:08:23. > :08:29.An email sent to all staff by chief executive Graham Btrgess
:08:30. > :08:31.warns compulsory redundancids can't be ruled out.
:08:32. > :08:34.The council cut over a thousand jobs through voltntary
:08:35. > :08:42.An Air Accident Investigation Branch report says that ice may have caused
:08:43. > :08:44.a light aircraft to crash in North Wales killing
:08:45. > :08:49.a Lancashire man and seriously injuring members of his famhly.
:08:50. > :08:51.The Piper Cherokee lost powdr as it approached Caenarfon @irport
:08:52. > :08:56.Royal Mail says it will consider actions
:08:57. > :09:00.by workers who've refuse to deliver free copies of the Sun newspaper
:09:01. > :09:05.The publishers agreed not to distribute copies in Liverpool
:09:06. > :09:08.because of anger at the way they reported the Hillsborough dhsaster.
:09:09. > :09:11.Some members of staff in Skelmersdale said they'd walk out
:09:12. > :09:16.if they were made to deliver the newspapers.
:09:17. > :09:19.An ITV documentary has been criticised for paying students to
:09:20. > :09:22.drink dangerously high levels of alcohol which could have
:09:23. > :09:29.Britain's young Drinkers whhch was part of the Tonight programle spent
:09:30. > :09:31.hundreds of pounds on alcohol for four Liverpool University
:09:32. > :09:35.Students on a night out in order to see what effect it would have.
:09:36. > :09:37.Alcohol Awareness charities have criticised the programme
:09:38. > :09:43.Our Health Correspondent El`ine Dunkley reports.
:09:44. > :09:46.It was meant to be an ITV investigation into how much young
:09:47. > :09:51.people drink now the progralme is under investigation.
:09:52. > :09:53.One of the students from Liverpool John Moore's Univdrsity
:09:54. > :09:55.drank 48 units the equivalent of 24 pints...and
:09:56. > :10:12.In a bar another one, all otr students had two shots of tdquila.
:10:13. > :10:15.The students wouldn't talk to us because they've signed a de`l with
:10:16. > :10:17.a national newspaper but drink awareness charitids have
:10:18. > :10:30.I'm not sure it's particularly scientific. I think it has been done
:10:31. > :10:34.in an irresponsible way. I `ccept the fact that students will drink a
:10:35. > :10:39.lot, but actually giving thdm a blank cheque to go and do what they
:10:40. > :10:41.want I think is not a sensible way of going about things.
:10:42. > :10:44.In tests the following day, one of the students had a blood
:10:45. > :10:49.alcohol level consistent with a patient in A that had poisoning.
:10:50. > :10:55.I do think it is a problem that affects the student community. We
:10:56. > :11:00.are dealing with isolated incidents across campuses and across the
:11:01. > :11:04.country, where these kinds of activities are taking place. I think
:11:05. > :11:07.it is important for us to ghve the right message around responsible
:11:08. > :11:12.drinking. I have drunk a lot but never
:11:13. > :11:17.ridiculous amounts. They shouldn't have just given them a free bar
:11:18. > :11:21.I think it was a really terrible idea. Students are responsible but
:11:22. > :11:23.when they're given that opportunity they will milk it for all it is
:11:24. > :11:25.worth. In a statement ITV said, "Following
:11:26. > :11:27.a complaint from a family mdmber of one of the participants hn the
:11:28. > :11:30.Tonight programme, ITV immediately carried out an investigation
:11:31. > :11:32.into whether its strict intdrnal The series producer has left
:11:33. > :11:36.the programme." When Robert Hart set out
:11:37. > :11:38.for the Parklife music festhval in Manchester at the weekend,
:11:39. > :11:41.he was looking forward to sdeing But the 26`year`old
:11:42. > :11:44.from Macclesfield died in hospital yesterday, after being punched while
:11:45. > :11:48.trying to stop his girlfriend being Police say Robert's
:11:49. > :11:54.family are inconsolable. Officers have appealed to fdstival
:11:55. > :11:56.goers to check their mobile phones and comd forward
:11:57. > :11:59.if they saw or filmed the attack. Robert Hart and his girlfridnd came
:12:00. > :12:08.to the Parklife festival in Heaton Park last weekend ` `long
:12:09. > :12:12.with 140,000 other music fans. But after being brutally attacked
:12:13. > :12:27.by the main stage on Saturd`y His family described him as a loving
:12:28. > :12:31.and caring man. He was living in Liverpool at the time with his
:12:32. > :12:34.girlfriend. He is originallx from Macclesfield. It is a terrible
:12:35. > :12:36.incident. His family are utterly devastated.
:12:37. > :12:38.Robert and his girlfriend wdre at the front of the stage
:12:39. > :12:42.Police said today there appdars to have been some sort of confrontation
:12:43. > :12:44.after Robert?s girlfriend w`s hit with an inflatable doll.
:12:45. > :12:56.He was given CPR but died yesterday in hospital.
:12:57. > :12:59.Police have released an e`fht of the suspect ` he's of mixed race, in
:13:00. > :13:03.He was wearing shorts and a blue bomber style jacket with
:13:04. > :13:05.Robert wasn't the only person assaulted.
:13:06. > :13:07.Officers are looking at this picture being circulated on social ledia
:13:08. > :13:10.which claims to show a man being kicked in an unrelated attack
:13:11. > :13:13.at the festival ` they haven't yet identified the victim or offender.
:13:14. > :13:16.There were also two stabbings with one teenage boy slashed
:13:17. > :13:19.Police say they need festiv`lgoers to go look through their pictures
:13:20. > :13:24.and video to see whether thdy captured Robert's attack.
:13:25. > :13:26.The organisers of Parklife say they're dev`stated
:13:27. > :13:59.by Robert's death and are hdlping police with their investigation
:14:00. > :14:01.The government has warned the University of Chester that
:14:02. > :14:04.standards at three of its academies are "unacceptably low".
:14:05. > :14:07.Ministers have today issued a so`called "pre`warning notice
:14:08. > :14:11.to the University of Chester Academies Trust or UCAT telling it
:14:12. > :14:16.Our political editor Arif Ansari is outside one of those academhes
:14:17. > :14:21.So this is one of the three academies in qtestion.
:14:22. > :14:27.Just explain further what the problem is.
:14:28. > :14:36.The government wrote to you cats in April. That letter has been made
:14:37. > :14:39.public today. The significance is that there are schools that
:14:40. > :14:43.struggle, but some of them being turned into academies and they have
:14:44. > :14:54.academy sponsors, of which the University is one. Its job hs to
:14:55. > :14:58.raise those standards. The government has flagged up concerns
:14:59. > :15:04.about three academies. One of those is behind me. Two others ard the
:15:05. > :15:11.University of Chester Acadely in Northwich and the Universitx Of
:15:12. > :15:14.Chester Church Of England Academy. I have spoken to children who go to
:15:15. > :15:19.this Academy and they were far from comp entry. The National unhon of
:15:20. > :15:24.teachers claimed that the school was improving until the council took
:15:25. > :15:33.over. I am extremely concerned about the
:15:34. > :15:38.situation. It is a `` it is letting down the people who are attdnding
:15:39. > :15:43.that Academy. Improvements have to be made.
:15:44. > :15:47.Louise Ellman says the young people are being let down. What happens
:15:48. > :15:52.next? This is the letter, the pre`warning
:15:53. > :15:59.notice letter that the government has sent out. It essentiallx says to
:16:00. > :16:03.UCAT, you have 15 days to ilprove things. They write that the
:16:04. > :16:07.Secretary of State considers that there has been a serious brdakdown
:16:08. > :16:08.in the way some of the acaddmies within the trust are managed or
:16:09. > :16:21.governed. As for the University of Chdster,
:16:22. > :16:25.they say that they received the letter in April but have had some
:16:26. > :16:28.time to improve matters. Thdy have been working hard
:16:29. > :16:30.behind`the`scenes. They havd to convince the government of that and
:16:31. > :16:35.if they don't manage it within the next few days, the government does
:16:36. > :16:40.have the ability to take thd Academy away from sponsoring those ghouls.
:16:41. > :16:45.That would be a big move, nationally, in terms of education
:16:46. > :16:49.policy. What are your thoughts on another
:16:50. > :16:54.political story tonight, th`t the MP Joe Benton is going to leavd
:16:55. > :17:00.Parliament? There has been ` bit of toing and froing on this story. What
:17:01. > :17:07.is the significance? This is another unusual one because
:17:08. > :17:12.Mr Benson wanted to continud as the MP but his constituency party had
:17:13. > :17:17.other ideas. One bit of polhtical trivia, back in 1990, the
:17:18. > :17:23.constituency had three MPs. Two of them died and Mr Benson took over in
:17:24. > :17:26.a by`election. As far as his constituency party or concerns, they
:17:27. > :17:31.don't feel that his media profile has been as much as they wotld
:17:32. > :17:33.like. It is a safe Labour sdat and I don't think they will have lany
:17:34. > :17:43.problems finding a successor. Thank you.
:17:44. > :17:44.The weather is coming up shortly. Thousands of you have been dnjoying
:17:45. > :17:47.the sunshine. Thousands of people have bedn
:17:48. > :17:49.enjoying the summer sunshind and the show jumping at the Boldsworth
:17:50. > :17:52.International Festival in Cheshire. It's and event that's dragghng
:17:53. > :17:54.the sport's focus away from its traditional heartl`nd away
:17:55. > :17:56.from the Home Counties. With unbridled ambition
:17:57. > :18:00.it's attracting top riders and horses and it's now
:18:01. > :18:02.in the top five show jumping events Our Cheshire reporter Mark Ddwardson
:18:03. > :18:20.has spent the day at the festival. It's magnificent central ardna is
:18:21. > :18:23.playing host to horses and riders from around the world, incltding
:18:24. > :18:31.Olympians. There are worse ways of spending 81
:18:32. > :18:37.Thursday afternoon. We don't get this temperature often.
:18:38. > :18:43.These are beautiful surroundings. It's lovely. The weather helps, of
:18:44. > :18:48.course. This is no glorified gymkhana. The
:18:49. > :18:53.competition is deadly seriots. Olympic gold medallists are among
:18:54. > :18:57.the riders. It's a privilege to have thhs event
:18:58. > :19:01.in our country. Some were focused on the central
:19:02. > :19:10.arena, but backstage the stores were being groomed.
:19:11. > :19:14.She is 12 years old. She is cheeky. She is a quirky mayor. She gets a
:19:15. > :19:23.bit shy at times, but she's sweet. `` a cheeky force.
:19:24. > :19:27.It takes a month because yot have to exercise of horses, make sure they
:19:28. > :19:32.are fit enough for the job. You have to get them to enough shows.
:19:33. > :19:37.One man who was the million with the arena was invited to perforl the
:19:38. > :19:44.opening. He is a local lad. I am into the racing and my wife and
:19:45. > :19:48.daughter are into dressage. This was a grass field last time I w`s here.
:19:49. > :19:53.All the great names were colpeting here, but now it is a big n`tionwide
:19:54. > :19:56.events. Bolesworth is relatively yotng
:19:57. > :20:00.compared to its rivals in the south, but that has not trained in its
:20:01. > :20:07.ambition. We would like to have some
:20:08. > :20:11.championships here. That is our ultimate aim.
:20:12. > :20:14.The festival goes on for another three days. There is a treat in
:20:15. > :20:19.store for you, because I have found out that the boy bands Blue are
:20:20. > :20:27.playing here will stop I know you are both fans!
:20:28. > :20:30.I am looking forward to hearing them perform again!
:20:31. > :20:36.It's amazing what you can fhnd on the Internet.
:20:37. > :20:51.Now, believe it or not, the World Cup is fast approaching.
:20:52. > :20:55.The opening ceremony is at 7pm. England played their first latch on
:20:56. > :20:56.Saturday. Ardent fans have just completed the adventure of `
:20:57. > :21:26.lifetime to cheer on their team They fed us,
:21:27. > :21:38.let us watch the football at their house, arranged for us to bd able to
:21:39. > :21:43.get safely across to the next town Then there was the stray Urtguayan
:21:44. > :21:51.dog who followed them, became part of the team
:21:52. > :23:33.and whom they made a film about think he will agree that is pretty
:23:34. > :23:43.impressive. People here might have one or two of their own that with
:23:44. > :23:46.sweepstakes. They are supporting one country in
:23:47. > :23:51.particular. England's! Chris Livesey on the streets. You
:23:52. > :23:58.like to make an effort, don't you? We do. We love it here on England
:23:59. > :24:02.Street, as it is now. It's good community spirit. We are supporting
:24:03. > :24:08.the boys out in Brazil. I think they will win! Those lads are gohng out
:24:09. > :24:14.there with no fear. Come on, England! He said that with `
:24:15. > :24:18.straight face. This place is already building up, I can feel it. What
:24:19. > :24:23.will it be like ahead of thd first game?
:24:24. > :24:27.It's going to be great. We will be getting our flags into the windows
:24:28. > :24:31.and getting dressed up. We will all get ready to watch the match in the
:24:32. > :24:35.evening. We will be watching in rain,
:24:36. > :24:38.sunshine, whatever. I think we need a final prediction
:24:39. > :24:45.from the kids. Who's going to win? England
:24:46. > :24:56.I told you that would shock you I've been promised a free bders so
:24:57. > :25:00.perhaps I will be back on S`turday. One of those occasions when everyone
:25:01. > :25:05.in Wales will be supporting England. Wales streets.
:25:06. > :25:09.I've got England in the offhce sweepstakes.
:25:10. > :25:17.I got Hollander so I am quidtly optimistic.
:25:18. > :25:29.`` I got Holland. Some subtle changes in the forecast
:25:30. > :25:36.over the next couple of days. A couple of weather fronts emdrging.
:25:37. > :25:39.They will introduce more cloudy conditions and they will also bring
:25:40. > :25:42.in cooler conditions. Follow the eye for Boris and you can see which way
:25:43. > :25:48.the wind is blowing. It is coming from the north. `` follow the
:25:49. > :25:53.isobars. You will see a drop and you will notice that it will fedl
:25:54. > :25:57.cooler. For some people that might be welcome. Today we saw
:25:58. > :26:01.temperatures of 21 widely across the North of England. A beautiftl
:26:02. > :26:06.evening in store with most `` with most places dry and fine. Qtite a
:26:07. > :26:10.bit of clear weather tonight, so really you might be down to eight or
:26:11. > :26:15.nine. In towns and these, a nice warm night. Temperatures up to 4
:26:16. > :26:20.degrees. When you get up tolorrow morning, the same start as this
:26:21. > :26:24.morning with plenty of sunshine The best of the weather will be before
:26:25. > :26:29.lunchtime. After lunchtime, conditions will change. Through the
:26:30. > :26:34.morning, look at that picture. It will feel lovely if you're out and
:26:35. > :26:38.about. Here we go, just to the north of us there is a line that hs trying
:26:39. > :26:42.to get towards us. It is merely used words but also dropping south.
:26:43. > :26:46.Through the afternoon, it whll introduce more cloud cover `s that
:26:47. > :26:51.cloud brings in the warm air with rocks. You could see showers
:26:52. > :26:56.starting to break out. I 4pl, you may see showers on the Isle of Man.
:26:57. > :27:03.It's all really ahead of a lore organised area of weather. @t
:27:04. > :27:05.weather front will work its way down across north`western England on
:27:06. > :27:11.Friday night into Saturday lorning. Tomorrow, I lunchtime we will be at
:27:12. > :27:17.19 or 20 degrees. Most of the day is decent, that's towards the dnd
:27:18. > :27:21.things will change. We are introducing much more in thd way of
:27:22. > :27:23.cloud cover, and temperaturds cool off slightly, but it's not ` bad
:27:24. > :27:33.forecast. I have heard that the officd
:27:34. > :27:42.sweepstakes are paying out for the worst team as well.
:27:43. > :27:47.Enjoy the little bits of nice weather we're having. Good night.