19/06/2014 North West Tonight

Welcome to North West Tonight with Annabel Tiffin and Roger Johnson.

Virgin gets a new deal to rtn trains on the West Coast Mahnline.

But is it in the best interdsts of passengers or a political ddcision?

Jaguar Land Rover invests ?200 million and creates 250 new jobs

It?s breathtaking, the changes that have taken place.

Halewood can only go from strength to strength.

A Bolton couple struggle to get their babies home from an Indian

And I'm at Martin Mere in Lancashire.

Virgin Trains has been given a new contract to run the

A previous attempt to award a franchise to a rival companx, First

Group, ended in a fiasco whhch cost the taxpayer at least ?50 mhllion.

Virgin is now promising improved services

from the North West to London and a new direct link from Blackpool.

Roger has the background to today's ddcision.

Virgin began running the privatised rail routes between

In 2012, when the franchise expired, First Group offered more money to

The Government gave them a 15`year`deal.

But Virgin took legal action and an investigation found

the Department of Transport had made "significant errors"

Virgin were told they could keep running the line

Today that extension has itself been extended,

Let's get more on today's decision from our Transport

The west coast mainline is one of the busiest rail routes

in the country serving 30 mhllion passengers a year.

Now that its franchise has been extended

Virgin Trains has promised to spend ?35 million improving services.

The company says it will convert first class coaches to standard

class on 21 of its trains freeing up 2,100 seats every day.

It also said it would introduce superfast Wi`fi on trains

And there'll be new services including a direct train

So does this show the company invested too much in

The company claims Wi`fi has been the main thing passengers ask for.

For commuters in Blackpool a direct link to London

It will put the property up. I think it's excellent. People are happier

to go straight through to London instead of stopping at Preston.

Virgin Trains has not won this franchise,

Labour is asking whether that will result

The West Coast franchises ltcrative and in 2017 the beginning of the

bidding process will take place So Virgin has had its contr`ct

extended until 2017 without Earlier I asked the Transport

minister Stephen Hammond, why it had been extended

and not opened up to other bidders. Because it is beneficial to the

passengers and the taxpayer. It is entirely keeping with the programme

we set out. Absolutely no change. But if the department of tr`nsport

houses in order, there seems to be no reason not to rerun the

franchise. As we set out, wd need a programme of franchise renewal which

will ensure we get best valte for the taxpayer. We set out, b`ck in

2013, a programme to achievd that. There was always going to bd a

direct award for this franchise There will be 400 35mm pounds in

revenue for the taxpayer. Some people may say you are deferring the

decision so it doesn't happdn before the election. I'm announcing good

news today. I'm always happx to do that before an election. Thhs is

good news for the people of the North. They will be over 5000 more

seats and that is good news. But if the franchise was removed in

November as planned, it wouldn't reflect very well on the government.

We let the biggest franchisd less than a month ago. When that problem

happened two years ago, we stopped and learnt the lessons. We have

moved forward. So your housd is in order? Yes. Let's not miss out on

what we have announced todax. ? 5 million in benefits for passengers.

There will be more stations, and a better service. We are seeing Wi`Fi

across stations and across the network. Thank you. A freight train

has derailed near Crewe and there are hold`ups of around 30 mhnutes to

all trains going through thd station. It happened about `n hour

ago. We have no more details. A former police officer jailed

for knocking down two pedestrians, killing one

and permanently disabling the other, is back in prison tonight

for breaking a driving ban. Mohammed Mian

from Urmston was originally jailed for four years after the de`th

of Steve Campbell and After his release from prison,

Mian breach a driving ban on 30 separate occasions and was

today jailed for our months. Five children and a teacher have

been released from hospital after suffering electric shocks

at a school in Burnley yestdrday. Several other pupils were treated

at the scene following the hncident The Health and Safety Executive

and Electricity Northwest, Police in Cheshire are appe`ling

for information after a swan was shot twice through

the head with crossbow bolts. It happened on a canal betwden

Fiddlers Ferry and Widnes ydsterday. The swan survived and is recovering

after being rescued by the RSPCA. There was some good news for

the region's car industry today Jaguar Land Rover announced it is

planning to invest ?220 million at its plant at Halewood

on Merseyside to produce Land The firm says it'll mean 250 new

jobs with more being created Our Merseyside Reporter, Andy Gill,

is at Halewood for us tonight. This is another dig vote of

confidence for the India owners It brings the total investment here

since 2010 to close half ?1 billion. They already make the very

successful range Rover Vogud model. Only last month, the companx says

sales of that model were up 12% and a lot of those go abroad. They are

hoping the new discovery sport model will be just as successful.

The extra 250 jobs will mean Halewood's workforce

That's three times as many people as there were three years ago.

The boss says getting the new model is a tribute to

And here is the new Sports Discovery.

That investment and that vision is starting to pay off.

And here is the new Sports Discovery.

Or at least as much of it as Land Rover are prepared to show xou now.

It's under wraps until its official launch.

Halewood's success today is a far cry from

the days 30 or 40 years ago when it was a byword for industrial unrest.

It's nothing short of risk`taking. Everyone is looking to the future

Hayward can only go from strength to strength.

One finance expert says the new investment comes partly bec`use

And partly because of the n`ture of the economic recovery.

The majority of the growth of the economy has been concentratdd in the

top 15 to 20%. These are thd people who are more likely to be driving

luxury cars. Having the right car, Land Rover have been at the right

place at the right time. The new Sport Discovery moddl

will go on sale next year. Production trials are

already underway. So 250 new jobs here. For everyone

they another four are creatdd in the supply chain. That means an extra

thousand jobs. What does thdm a model look like? There are `rtists

impressions around but they are being kept under wraps. We want to

know for sure what it looks like until the launch sometime in 20 5.

Nick Clegg has admitted his party's coalition with the Conservatives is

to blame for the Liberal Delocrat's meltdown in the North West.

During a visit to the Manufacturing Summit on the Wirral

earlier today, the Deputy Prime Minister said he understood why

But he urged people to recognise the good things he believes they've

In last month's elections, the Lib Dems were wiped out in Manchester

An investigation's underway in Cumbria after a bus caught fire

minutes after schoolchildren were taken off the vehicle.

Pupils from Sir John Barrow School in Ulverston had been

on a school trip when the bus broke down yesterday.

Fire crews say the bus was "well alight" when they arrhved

Thieves have tunnelled into a newsagents in Fleetwood

and crawled up through a hole to steal money from the till.

They removed bricks from thd wall of an empty shop next door.

The break`in was discovered by the shop`owner on Tuesday morning.

A couple from Bolton stranddd in India with their newborn baby twins

are still no nearer to knowhng when they'll be able to bring thdm home.

Kiran and Beena Salvi's children were born

The children have British Citizenship.

But as our Chief Reporter D`ve Guest explains,

getting them a British passport is proving to be a nightmare.

He's as proud as any new dad could be.

But for Kiran Salvi the joy of parenthood is marred

by the fact he, his wife and their baby twins are stranded

Kiran and his wife Bina had been trying for a family for 12 xears.

They live in Westhoughton but it was a surrogate clinhc in

India which eventually provhded the family they so desperately craved.

The couple are Leela and Jax's biological parents.

But the twins were born to a surrogate mother.

Kiran and Bina went out to Hndia for the birth in March.

Because they're British their children were granted

But getting British passports to bring them homd

They've all been stuck in a hotel room in India for weeks.

There is no disputing the fact that your children are

She is be prepared our doculentation for the passports. They arrhved in

Liverpool a week later. What is it like for you out there

at the moment? We have a house back in the UK

and here we're stuck in one room. They tell me they are prisoners in

their hotel room. Their plight has been raised in Parliament btt so far

no one has been able to say when Babel Babel to come home.

The Congleton schoolboy who's carrying the hopes

And never mind the psychic octopus or the guessing goat.

We meet the clairvoyant cat who s on a winning World Cup stre`k.

Now for the second part of our wildlife series, 'On the Wild Side'.

Throughout the rest of the year we'll be visiting

Martin Mere in Lancashire, showing you the work which goes on there.

Tonight Nazia Mogra heads off to the Wetland there,

and finds out how the residdnt cows are helping the wildlife.

Wetland at Martin Mere is home to 80,000 birds every year.

Avocets have bred with us since 2001.

And to the right of those avocet chicks it looks like we've got three

female ruffs and a male ruff in full breeding plumage, which is really

So what are we going to see on this trip then?

As we start going round, we will see mallards,

dragonflies and damselflies skating across the top of the water.

But to do on a day`to`day b`sis Counting the species and sed how

well they breed. We're doing a lot of work linking birds. We c`n start

to monitor the birds as thex start flying about.

I remember one person telling me it's like a big bird table, so we

made sure the habitat is right and all the food is out there for them.

This is one of 50 English longhorn cows who live at Martin Merd.

Their job is to make this a perfect home for the wildlife

They are pretty much natural lawn mowers for us.

They manage the wetlands in a perfect way for different birds,

The calves are just a by`product of them.

We've got a bull on site and we breed the cattle

so we have nice little calvds running around in the herd.

Birds fly in from all over Durope and even as far

With such beauty, I think they have picked a perfect destination.

England kick off against Urtguay in the World Cup

And one player in particular is in the thoughts of the studdnts

Daniel Sturridge, England's goalscorer against Italy,

studied for his GCSEs at the Cheshire school.

And, as Stuart Flinders reports staff and students there ard

In Brazil, they are getting to know Daniel Sturridge.

In Cheshire, they can help fill in the g`ps.

From the Copacabana to Congleton, this is where Daniel Sturridge did

his GCSEs and he left a lasting impression.

Before Liverpool, before Bolton and Chelsea, this is

where Daniel Sturridge playdd his football, and they're still

He took the ball from the defending end, went through

several players, scored a goal and everyone on the sidelines s`id, hmm,

When we look at those school photographs it looks

as if he's older than the other students because he's

Obviously, in football teams that was very useful and, athlethcs`wise,

he ran 100 metres on sports day and it was almost like he'd finished

the race before the rest of the students had started.

For those who hope to follow in his footsteps, he is an inspiration

It shows you don't have to be in a big city to get far.

It wasn't just the football that made an impression.

He was one of the smartest boys I ever taught.

He wore the uniform immacul`tely and that's the first thing that

I think he was a well`organhsed and committed person.

He was particularly interested in studying Spanish,

which he said maybe one day might be quite useful if he ended up playing

If he keeps on scoring this could catch on.

Richard is watching the match in a bar a Liverpool. We can join him

now. This is shooters in Liverpool city

centre. The non`moniker of tension, excitement and alcohol will stop I

let's have a chat with some fans here. How are you? I feel tdnse how

do you feel? Nervous and excited. We could do with this win. The place is

packed out. We are all roothng for the same team.

From the previous performance we lost to Italy. There are pldnty of

positives. How much confidence do you have? A lot of confidence. I

hope we play well. I think we will get the win. Positive, hopeful,

optimistic, nervous. The Everton players are still great.

If Barkley comes arm after 70 minutes he could change the game.

Israel is going to ruin it for us tonight? No. All the best to him.

Give him a quiet little blud. At the end of the day, Liverpool h`ve been

playing with him all season. They know his weaknesses. The roof will

come off this place if Engl`nd score tonight.

Now cast your mind back to the World Cup four years ago and Paul

He made headlines across thd world by successfully predicting the

This time around, Brazil has its own version, a turtle called Big Head.

But neither of them have as good a record as Peen thd cat

from Manchester who is leadhng a World Cup prediction compdtition.

Peen meows in response to a country's name with

the number of meows her prediction for that team's score.

She's already predicted thrde games correctly, including

So here's owner Stuart getthng her prediction for tonight's big match.

She wasn't very impressed whth that one.

Apparently you aren't not to ask around mealtimes.

If you are not interested in the football and have stayed with us for

the weather, thank you very much. We promised you it would be cooler

today than yesterday. Yesterday we saw an average of 23 Celsius. This

is the scene in Salford now will temperatures just in excess of 0

Celsius. It was just 16 in Sao Paulo.

Tonight, the temperatures at the game are not bad at all. Cool

conditions for the match. Hdre in the Northwest we are going to see a

lot cloud cover around. Thex could be an onshore breeze and it should

be cooler than last night. Temperatures will drop to 14

Celsius. Tomorrow will be breezy and bright. We start off with plenty of

cloud. A westerly breeze will blow some of that cloud away. Once again,

a warm dead and a high polldn count. Expect to sneeze a lot if you suffer

from hay fever. Plenty of stnshine to end the day. 19 Celsius will be

that high. We could see 20. We should see warm sunshine but it

should be a nice week when will