:00:00. > :00:07.Welcome to North West Tonight with Roger Johnson and Annabel Thffin.
:00:08. > :00:11.A suspected E coli outbreak at a nursery in Northwich `
:00:12. > :00:13.two children are in hospital, others are being screened.
:00:14. > :00:15.We're live in Northwich with the latest.
:00:16. > :00:19.Liverpool gets a ?40 million Government boost to
:00:20. > :00:26.The guinea pigs who've helpdd us understand allergies
:00:27. > :00:45.I feel lucky that I was born in 1996 and am part of this study. @nd I am
:00:46. > :00:47.in the Lake District looking for some tiny trees that may hold a big
:00:48. > :00:54.message about our future. Two people are in hospital this
:00:55. > :00:57.evening after a suspected E coli In total, seven children and three
:00:58. > :01:04.family members have been affected. Other children and staff
:01:05. > :01:06.at the nursery in Northwich are now Let's go over now to
:01:07. > :01:23.our reporter Stuart Flinders, who's Bring us up`to`date with thd latest,
:01:24. > :01:27.please. I can tell you that we understand both of those people in
:01:28. > :01:32.hospital tonight our childrdn, and ten others are showing symptoms of
:01:33. > :01:36.this illness. Seven of thosd are children and three of them `re
:01:37. > :01:44.members of the family. Other people are being screened for the disease,
:01:45. > :01:47.but the NASA data means open. Some parents are being told to kdep
:01:48. > :01:58.children away while they waht for the results. Just remind us what E.
:01:59. > :02:05.Coli is. E. Coli is a gem, ` bacterium, that can infect the
:02:06. > :02:10.bowels and it is normally p`ssed on through contact with animals, but
:02:11. > :02:16.also through infected meat or from person to person. The symptoms are
:02:17. > :02:22.normally two weeks of stomach problems but that can be more severe
:02:23. > :02:29.than that. There can be a whde range of effects but normally it can cause
:02:30. > :02:34.diarrhoea which may have blood inside it. In a small number of
:02:35. > :02:39.people it can cause serious illness which required hospital tre`tment.
:02:40. > :02:48.Obviously very worrying this evening for all those concerned. Thd owners
:02:49. > :02:53.of the nursery I spoke to a short while ago are very upset. It is a
:02:54. > :02:56.private nursery which has an outstanding rating and they have
:02:57. > :03:03.actually won awards for food hygiene. They say the main concern
:03:04. > :03:08.for them is the children affected. I spoke to the parents of one child
:03:09. > :03:16.here and she was full of pr`ise for the larceny and she assumed the
:03:17. > :03:21.nursery was not the source, but an investigation is still going on and
:03:22. > :03:24.we will find out what the c`use is in the days to come.
:03:25. > :03:25.The Chancellor of the Exchequer has had
:03:26. > :03:29.George Osborne announced ?40 million of investment in transport
:03:30. > :03:32.Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have also floated
:03:33. > :03:35.plans this week to give the North of England more money and power
:03:36. > :03:47.Our political editor Arif Ansari is in Liverpool this evening.
:03:48. > :03:56.George Osborne should certahnly be finding it easier to travel to the
:03:57. > :03:59.Liverpool because ?35 million is being spent on transport around
:04:00. > :04:08.Merseyside, but the governmdnt has also announced a new university
:04:09. > :04:11.enterprise zone. A total of ?15 million will go into better connect
:04:12. > :04:15.science with business to crdate jobs.
:04:16. > :04:17.What do you get if you combhne politics, science and busindss?
:04:18. > :04:19.That's the experiment being funded in Liverpool.
:04:20. > :04:21.It will certainly strengthen businesses in the north`west
:04:22. > :04:24.and make it more competitivd and we should be able to sell more
:04:25. > :04:27.products around the world, and of course that revenue will flow
:04:28. > :04:34.The Chancellor's just investing in science but more is being spent
:04:35. > :04:40.?10 million upgrading the Halton Curve rail line,
:04:41. > :04:45.?10 million improving Knowsley's roads including the Expressway,
:04:46. > :04:50.and ?14 million on the Newton`le`Willows rail interchange.
:04:51. > :04:53.I want to make sure we don't think the job is done, but realisd that
:04:54. > :04:56.if Britain is going to compdte and places like Liverpool are going
:04:57. > :05:00.to have great jobs, we need to move onto the next thing, and thd next
:05:01. > :05:02.thing is making sure we havd the science and the transport
:05:03. > :05:08.and skills here to make surd there are careers here in the futtre.
:05:09. > :05:15.These announcements are getting competitive.
:05:16. > :05:18.Earlier this week, Labour promised to hand ?30 billion of spending from
:05:19. > :05:22.Not just because we think it is good for local people to make
:05:23. > :05:25.those decisions but because they will make better decisions.
:05:26. > :05:34.After years of cuts it is bdginning to feel a little like Christmas
:05:35. > :05:39.Faster transport, more political power and business investment.
:05:40. > :05:41.But while this is strong sttff for the region's long`term future,
:05:42. > :05:46.In regard to transport, I feel like it is expensive and I
:05:47. > :05:49.feel that if you are a young person in education, it should be free
:05:50. > :05:52.One would be emigration and another would be the schools
:05:53. > :05:59.They are three things in desperate need of looking at.
:06:00. > :06:01.What about spending on science and transport infrastructurd?
:06:02. > :06:09.I think there are other things before that.
:06:10. > :06:20.Even so, that is where the politicians are moving.
:06:21. > :06:30.Let's talk to a professor, `n expert on the regional economy. We heard
:06:31. > :06:33.from some people not exactlx bowled over by this, so why so much
:06:34. > :06:39.competition between the parties to come up with ideas? The parties are
:06:40. > :06:41.recognising we have two grow ourselves out of the problels we
:06:42. > :07:28.have. something is almost certainly going
:07:29. > :07:32.to happen? There is all sorts of campaigning going on at the moment
:07:33. > :08:52.to return resources to citids and city regions.
:08:53. > :08:54.Edith McDermott from Blackburn was taken
:08:55. > :08:57.in to hospital after a stroke ten months ago, and she's still there.
:08:58. > :09:01.Her husband of almost six ddcades says he wants her to come home.
:09:02. > :09:04.But the Royal Blackburn Hospital says she needs 24 hour care
:09:05. > :09:14.Richard McDermott has vowed take his fight all the way to the European
:09:15. > :09:19.But the hospital says its only concern is Edith's welfare.
:09:20. > :09:22.58 years together, and prechous memories of the good times.
:09:23. > :09:24.But since last September, and Edith's stroke, she and husband
:09:25. > :09:28.Richard have been spending their time together on a ward
:09:29. > :09:43.How much do I miss her? I al not even interested in what's around me
:09:44. > :09:47.at the moment, I could not care less. It breaks my heart evdry
:09:48. > :09:50.night, no two ways about it. Richard is a familiar visitor
:09:51. > :09:52.at the hospital. He wants Edith back home,
:09:53. > :10:06.despite the debilitating effects So why do you think that yot can
:10:07. > :10:12.cope? I can cope with most things I set my mind to. I am more than
:10:13. > :10:20.capable of cooking and lookhng after her. It is worth stressing he has no
:10:21. > :10:30.problems with the standard of care and experience that this hospital.
:10:31. > :10:35.The issue is going home are that he would need timely access to a
:10:36. > :10:36.nurse, because it is about recognising when things could be
:10:37. > :10:38.going wrong and dealing with that. Richard, an RAF veteran,
:10:39. > :10:40.has the stomach for a fight, and he's promising to take ht all
:10:41. > :10:47.the way to Strasbourg. If it takes every penny I h`ve got,
:10:48. > :10:49.they can have it with my compliments.
:10:50. > :10:51.Richard McDermott and the hospital are agreed.
:10:52. > :10:55.But the hospital trust says it's not holding her prisoner
:10:56. > :10:58.and is seeking an order that would result in Edith being transferred to
:10:59. > :11:02.Mark Edwardson, BBC North West Tonight, Blackburn.
:11:03. > :11:05.A group of parents in Wigan say they have no f`ith
:11:06. > :11:08.in the local authority's abhlity to help children with special needs.
:11:09. > :11:10.Wigan Borough Council has bden picked by the Government
:11:11. > :11:13.as a Pathfinder authority to pilot changes to the system for children
:11:14. > :11:20.It says it's been chosen because of its excellent record.
:11:21. > :11:22.Last night we heard from parents unhappy with one school
:11:23. > :11:25.in the area, but Naomi Cornwell s been to meet others who say
:11:26. > :11:31.Six families who didn't know each other until recently, but who've now
:11:32. > :11:39.Yesterday, we heard from parents unhappy with
:11:40. > :11:43.Jacob Houghton used to be a pupil there.
:11:44. > :11:46.A complaint was made by another parent who said she'd
:11:47. > :11:49.seen him being pushed out of a classroom by a member of staff.
:11:50. > :11:51.The school and local authorhty say it was investigated
:11:52. > :12:00.and appropriate action taken, but Jacob's mum doesn't agrde.
:12:01. > :12:10.The school should have acted properly and by extension so should
:12:11. > :12:13.the authority. When parents like me find out that they are a Pathfinder,
:12:14. > :12:17.I have to ask why. Wigan was picked by the Govdrnment
:12:18. > :12:19.to test changes to the educ`tion and care systems for childrdn with
:12:20. > :12:22.special needs and disabilithes. The council says it's been chosen
:12:23. > :12:24.because of its high standards. This is Hope School,
:12:25. > :12:27.one of four special schools in The other two were
:12:28. > :12:30.judged to be good. But some parents in Wigan s`y
:12:31. > :12:33.the authority has failed to deal Max Starkie is currently tatght
:12:34. > :12:36.at home using an approach c`lled It's a different style of tdaching
:12:37. > :12:40.to that offered in most schools and The council says it's offerdd him
:12:41. > :12:45.a school place and support, but Max's parents feel
:12:46. > :12:49.the authority's been inflexhble I think what they do is thex look
:12:50. > :12:53.at the provision they've got already and then make children's
:12:54. > :12:55.needs fit that within a statement. Alfie Kay's parents removed him
:12:56. > :13:02.from Wood Fold School in April. After concerns that he was tnhappy,
:13:03. > :13:05.they'd hidden a recording ddvice in his wheelchair which they bdlieve
:13:06. > :13:07.found evidence that he was being mistreated and neglected, that he'd
:13:08. > :13:10.been left to cry on the plaxground for 20 minutes and
:13:11. > :13:12.on another occasion shouted at in a way inappropriate
:13:13. > :13:19.for a child with autism. It took six weeks for someone to
:13:20. > :13:22.actually come and see us, which was two social workers who came round
:13:23. > :13:25.with the intention of starthng an assessment on ourselves to lake sure
:13:26. > :13:33.the kids were safe in this home Since we spoke to the Kays,
:13:34. > :13:36.someone from outside the authority has been appointed to carry out
:13:37. > :13:40.an independent investigation. Wigan Council says the parents we've
:13:41. > :13:43.spoken to are a small minorhty But these families believe
:13:44. > :13:54.this is six cases too many. Well,
:13:55. > :13:57.we're joined in the studio by the As a Pathfinder authority,
:13:58. > :14:08.supposed to be leading the way, it must be frustrating to hdar
:14:09. > :14:16.stories like this. We were picked because of otr good
:14:17. > :14:23.track record and many parents have been delighted by the treatlent they
:14:24. > :14:29.received. We have 1200 children with special educational needs and in the
:14:30. > :14:31.last two years we have only had six going through the tribunal process.
:14:32. > :14:34.It's very unusual for families who didn't know each
:14:35. > :14:36.other to come together in this way out of what they've describdd
:14:37. > :14:39.as desperation, doesn't it suggest that the authority could handle
:14:40. > :14:48.Six is too many and when we have unhappy parents we work with them to
:14:49. > :14:51.find a solution. We will be working with these people for the rdst of
:14:52. > :14:58.their lives so it is import`nt they have trust in us. How do yot rebuild
:14:59. > :15:02.the trust? I have met with some of the parents and we have had lots of
:15:03. > :15:08.involvement with the familids over the years and the police has been
:15:09. > :15:13.involved, and an independent judge has decided on six of the c`ses that
:15:14. > :15:17.the council has done nothing wrong, but if the parents are unhappy we
:15:18. > :15:23.still have to find a way to improve their confidence in us. Could you
:15:24. > :15:30.have dealt with complaints better to have stopped this? We see it as a
:15:31. > :15:37.way of improving the servicd, and one complaint is too many, but we
:15:38. > :15:41.have been thoroughly investhgated. Often parents can disagree with
:15:42. > :15:45.teaching methods in complex cases and it can be difficult to decide
:15:46. > :15:49.who is right and wrong. The complaints procedure needs to be
:15:50. > :15:54.improved because it is very complex for parents with five different
:15:55. > :15:59.stance, and councils cannot get involved in complaints about schools
:16:00. > :16:05.any more. Basically it is down to the governing body to investigate
:16:06. > :16:09.handling it is Michael Gove. I should say that after yesterday s
:16:10. > :16:14.report we got a lot of e`mahls from parents who are very supportive Do
:16:15. > :16:19.you think the Pathfinder system is working? We are getting poshtive
:16:20. > :16:26.feedback from parents and f`milies and the whole idea is to give power
:16:27. > :16:31.to parents, so it is a shamd we have people who are not happy, btt we are
:16:32. > :16:42.committed to working with them to improve the situation for those
:16:43. > :16:47.children. Next, one of the biggest research projects of its kind. The
:16:48. > :16:53.study has given valuable insights into the causes of allergies. Over
:16:54. > :16:57.the years they have taken p`rt in tests which have led to medhcal
:16:58. > :17:04.breakthroughs, but the projdct is coming to an end.
:17:05. > :17:08.From birth, they have been part of medical research, tested and
:17:09. > :17:17.observed in order to find answers for allergies. Behind the fhne, that
:17:18. > :17:21.has been serious science. It has been amazing to see everythhng come
:17:22. > :17:26.together and all the research finally done. It has helped me and I
:17:27. > :17:32.know what I am allergic to `nd how to cope with it. One of the
:17:33. > :17:36.statistics was there and has over 4000 pieces of information `bout
:17:37. > :17:46.each individual. It has been one of the biggest research projects in the
:17:47. > :17:52.world, tracking 1184 babies born in 1986. The study found that children
:17:53. > :18:00.who receive and to be fixed before the first birthday are an increased
:18:01. > :18:03.risk of developing asthma. The work is quite unique in terms of the
:18:04. > :18:12.detail of information we have been able to collect. The last 20 years
:18:13. > :18:17.have been extraordinary. A lot of Baker has been collected and vital
:18:18. > :18:22.discoveries made. We have dhscovered a brand`new test which can hdentify
:18:23. > :18:27.with great precision the chhldren who are truly allergic to pdanuts.
:18:28. > :18:32.It was great to see the discovery being translated into clinical
:18:33. > :18:37.practice. These youngsters `re on the verge of adult food and the
:18:38. > :18:44.unique project they are part of it has reached a milestone in ledical
:18:45. > :18:47.research. I wonder if they `re glad it's over!
:18:48. > :18:50.In just over a month's time, we will be marking the centdnary
:18:51. > :18:54.It will be a chance to refldct on the impact
:18:55. > :18:57.of what happened 100 years `go when nearly one million service men
:18:58. > :19:00.Here in the North West, Burnley and its surrounding districts stffered
:19:01. > :19:03.a disproportionate amount of casualties compared to other towns
:19:04. > :19:05.and cities in the UK, and local school children have been preparing
:19:06. > :19:08.for a special event to remelber those who died. Eno Eruotor reports.
:19:09. > :19:11.The boys and girls of St Mary Magdalene School cale out
:19:12. > :19:14.In total, there will be 4,300 crosses with individual namds
:19:15. > :19:16.carefully handwritten by hundreds of children to commemorate `ll
:19:17. > :19:19.4,300 service personnel frol around Burnley who died
:19:20. > :19:34.It gives young people and that there is an understanding of the loss how
:19:35. > :19:54.many people went off to fight and died.
:19:55. > :19:57.For the last few weeks, 42 schools in the area have been teachhng
:19:58. > :20:00.about Burnley's contribution to World War One in a special project
:20:01. > :20:09.Lots of people went because they thought it would be good to
:20:10. > :20:16.represent the country. Lots of people died just around this region.
:20:17. > :20:24.Hopefully people will remember not to do it any more. It has bden a
:20:25. > :20:31.wonderful learning opportunhty for the children, and they have not just
:20:32. > :20:33.learned facts but have had ` real insight into the effects it had on
:20:34. > :20:36.soldiers and their families. And after many weeks
:20:37. > :20:38.of research the children finally got to lay their crosses on the cenotaph
:20:39. > :20:41.in Towneley Hall, observing two minutes? silence to show thdir
:20:42. > :20:48.respect for the fallen solddrs. `` soldiers. And all this ydar
:20:49. > :20:51.your BBC local radio stations have been looking at how the Gre`t War
:20:52. > :20:53.impacted on life here. You can find those stories
:20:54. > :21:22.on our website. And to some sport and Andy Lurray
:21:23. > :21:26.may have gone out yesterday but the north`west is still flying the
:21:27. > :21:31.British flag. The Northwest doubles pairing have just reached the
:21:32. > :21:46.quarterfinals in the last fdw minutes, coming from behind to win a
:21:47. > :21:52.3`set thriller. It was good fun we didn't play our best and we know we
:21:53. > :21:55.can do better in the next round We are wild card so there is no
:21:56. > :22:07.pressure and we can try to go all the way. Fingers crossed. T`lking of
:22:08. > :22:13.people doing very well, adulation for the Everton goalkeeper Tim
:22:14. > :22:18.Howard shows no sign of abating He made more saves in the World Cup
:22:19. > :22:27.match than anyone else. The star has received praise from around the
:22:28. > :22:31.globe, 15 saves in his team's two ` one defeat, and the latest to add
:22:32. > :22:37.his congratulations was Bar`ck Obama in a phone call. I do not know how
:22:38. > :22:41.you will survive the crowds when you come back home. You will have to
:22:42. > :22:51.shave your beard off so thex do not know who you are. Hopefully we made
:22:52. > :22:53.you proud. I think you would do anything if the president told you
:22:54. > :22:55.to do it in a personal phond call! Now, forget searching
:22:56. > :22:58.for a needle in a haystack. Try searching for a tiny trde
:22:59. > :23:00.on top of a mountain summit. That's exactly what a team
:23:01. > :23:03.of volunteers in the Lake Dhstrict They've climbed nearly 100 lountains
:23:04. > :23:06.looking for a dwarf willow. Staff at the Cumbria Wildlife Trust
:23:07. > :23:08.think its location could be Here's our Environment
:23:09. > :23:16.Correspondent Judy Hobson. We're going to the top
:23:17. > :23:18.of Dollywaggon Pike. Walking up onto this ridge here
:23:19. > :23:24.where we know there are somd sites They're preparing to climb one
:23:25. > :23:32.of The Lake District?s highdst summits in search of a tiny tree,
:23:33. > :23:39.and today I'm joining them. 16 volunteers are mapping
:23:40. > :23:43.the location of dwarf willows. The team has climbed a total of
:23:44. > :23:47.99 summits and covered 500 liles. When they find the trees,
:23:48. > :23:52.they record their precise location. If in the future we come back to
:23:53. > :23:55.the same survey points and find out it has moved up
:23:56. > :23:58.in altitude, or maybe restrhcted in distribution, or expanded, that
:23:59. > :24:00.can give us useful informathon on This is the last stronghold
:24:01. > :24:08.of the willow. So far it's been found
:24:09. > :24:11.on 54 mountains. You were saying you've found some
:24:12. > :24:16.on that peak over there? Yes, there are at least half
:24:17. > :24:23.a dozen different small sitds. We've found it
:24:24. > :24:25.on that summit over there. An hour and
:24:26. > :24:27.a half later we reach Dollywaggon A single dwarf willow plant. Yes,
:24:28. > :24:40.this little plant is offici`lly And then Philip found anothdr
:24:41. > :24:44.that he hadn't spotted before! It feels like a small victory
:24:45. > :24:51.and Philip maps Last year, I was out probably ten
:24:52. > :24:55.times in three months, spechfically I probably walked about 100 miles
:24:56. > :25:01.and climbed about 30,000 fedt. The search is over for todax, but
:25:02. > :25:11.these tiny willows will monhtored every summer to see if they could
:25:12. > :25:14.hold big messages about our future. Judy Hobson, BBC Look North,
:25:15. > :25:29.the Lake District. Amazing how he spotted one `nd we
:25:30. > :25:37.are just happens to be a calera pointed at it! Did you notice the
:25:38. > :25:42.father she got up, the more clothes she put on.
:25:43. > :25:48.And I know you have concerns about camping on Friday night? I have
:25:49. > :25:52.decided not to. The forecast could be worse but it is not good.
:25:53. > :26:03.Everything is changing. You have wet and windy afternoon in
:26:04. > :26:10.store and that lingers throtgh the evening. The weather is picking up
:26:11. > :26:14.slightly, and this is the l`test picture, continuing to move across
:26:15. > :26:21.the region over the next cotple of hours. Temperatures through the
:26:22. > :26:28.night because of the cloud cover and the mild ear will stay at around 15
:26:29. > :26:35.Celsius. This is what's happening towards the early hours, more of
:26:36. > :26:41.this wet weather working its way in. It will be on and off but tomorrow
:26:42. > :26:47.morning the picture gets worse. I think there will be an hour or so in
:26:48. > :26:53.the morning when you get a brighter spell but a significant are` of rain
:26:54. > :26:59.is waiting. This starts to spread everywhere through the afternoon,
:27:00. > :27:08.and at higher levels, there could be 40 millimetres of rain, and 15
:27:09. > :27:11.millimetres almost everywhere. That is a miserable picture and something
:27:12. > :27:17.we have not seen for some thme, and still not welcome. This eventually
:27:18. > :27:26.moves away by midnight tomorrow night, and then it will be shown
:27:27. > :27:32.very through the weekend. B`t`mac showery.
:27:33. > :27:39.You have decided not to camp on the strength of the forecast? I do not
:27:40. > :27:42.think he needed much persuading Good night and thanks for w`tching.
:27:43. > :27:45.Good night.