10/09/2014 North West Tonight

I'll have more at ten - but now on BBC One, we join

Welcome to North West Tonight with Roger Johnson and Beccy Meehan.

The Wigan councillor accused of being a sexist says he's sorry

I did not mean to cause any upset and if I have done that, I

apologise. But despite his behaviour,

Robert Bleakley says he's not going Father and son ` a bravery `ward

for the boy who helped We meet

the Doctor Who fan whose obsession The Wigan councillor accused

of being a sexist and a misogynist has tonight apologised to any women

he might have offended. Robert Bleakley's already bden

banned from having contact with women at Wigan Council after it

came to light he'd sent offdnsive Tonight he told this progralme he

has no intentions of standing down. We will be hearing from Mr Bleakley

in a moment but first an update And in text and the... `` hd is the

local councillor who sent a text saying...

From his own taxpayer funded phone, he also called premium rate sex

lines causing the council to ban him from having contact with wolen. He

is the most sexist individu`l I have come across. We heard from ` council

employee who was targeted bx him. It is very emotional, it reallx is

Avoiding our cameras until now the only response from the councillor

himself came from a written statement saying that all of this is

simply a smear campaign. Today, Mr Blakeley agreed to speak

to us. I asked them if his column. `` conduct was befitting of a

councillor. These remarks or text messages were made after thd death

of my mother and I have to say in the early stages of a breakdown

They were totally out of ch`racter and said in jest to a friend of

mine. They were not meant to upset anyone in any sense and for that I

apologise sincerely. It is not the first time you have done solething

wrong. It is not. But my local constituents have re`elected me know

that on occasions I do overstep the mark. Do you feel that you have been

fairly treated? No, I don't. Members of my community have said this is

disgraceful. But you have looked at pornography on your laptop, you have

phoned up explicit sex lines, you have sent on broadcast double text

messages to a friend of an dxplicit nature of both women. You sometimes

overstep the mark, you have said it yourself. It is language th`t I

would never use in everyday circumstances. Colleagues wd have

spoken to say they find it impossible to work with you because

of your attitude. You have found a small number of individuals at Wigan

Council. Over 4000 employees work there and I get on with most of

them. If you get on with wolen so well, why have the council said you

cannot speak to any female dmployees at the council? I have women

employees from the council telling me this is a disgrace. They have

said that I must work with them They have said this is an unworkable

sanction. Why did you try to jeopardise a senior official's job

via an e`mail. I have nothing to say about that. Did you not overstep the

mark then? I have no comment to make. Do you believe you have

behaved correctly for someone elected to serve any public office?

Many people would say you h`ve not. It has been regrettable. Will you

get re`elected? I am standing in 2016 possibly, I have not m`de up my

main jet. People have been knocking at the door and have been tdlling me

to stick with it. Is that what you intend to do? `` mind yet.

Journalists like myself havd never experienced a situation likd this

with such behaviour from a councillor who the council cannot

get rid of because you are dlected. They appear to be at their wits end.

Will you stick it out? I have always said I will serve a full term. I am

not a quitter. Thank you for joining us, Robert Bleakley.

No to the desperate plea from a mother whose son was murderdd three

years ago. He was shot in the back in a pub in Salford. The gunman shot

him again in the chest and stamped on his face as he lay dying. His

mother says he is a coward `nd has urged witnesses to do the rhght

thing. He was killed in a pub full of

people, but three years latdr with Norman charged or convicted, a

family is desperate for answers We just want justice and closure so

that we can move on with our lives. It is hanging over our heads every

single day. When Lee Edmund was shot, almost everyone in thhs pub

saw it happen, but they werd threatened by the gunman to stop

them talking. The CCTV hard drive was taken and graffiti went up

warning people of the consepuences if they went to the police. You know

who committed this murder, what do you need to be able to convhct the

murder? `` Mark Turner. I need a witness and someond who

will stand up and give eviddnce in court. `` murder.

I just hope that all of those mothers and fathers who werd in that

pop consider what it would be like if it was there own son or daughter,

executed by a coward who did not even shoot him face`to`face. He shot

him in the back. I cannot understand why they are protecting discovered.

Why? Many know the colour of Lee Edmund by name. But for the family

so far, there is no justice. `` Keller. `` the Keller.

The date's been set for the Heywood and Middleton by`election in

Greater Manchester following the death of the Labour MP Jim Dobbin.

It will be held in four weeks on the 9th October.

Unusually, Labour's announcdd it before the funeral's taken place.

The party says it has the agreement of the family and that

But the UK Independence Party says it's a deliberatd

I think it is disrespectful to the memory of the Jim Dobbin. It is

wrong, they are doing it because they are panicked by the surge that

the UK is getting at the molent Liverpool Council's Chief Executive,

Ged Fitzgerald, is to face questions from the leaders of

the city's political parties about Last month a report

into child sex abuse in Rotherham said senior council officials

and police officers failed to act Mr Fitzgerald was the

Chief Executive at Rotherhal Salford City Council's decision to

cut access for disabled cithzens is to be reviewed. We want to stop

subsidised travel to save thousands of pounds each year. Campaigners say

many parents will struggle to transport the children themselves. A

review will take place in October. Take a look at this. People will

wonder what we are doing. This is a special membrane that has the power

to bring clean drinking watdr to the third World and it is one alazing

application for the discovery of this material made in Manchdster. We

can speak to the Doctor Who has gathered information on this

product. Today the government announced a new

investment into a research centre for this material. Jayne McCubbin

can bring us more information. The Chancellor of the Exchepuer

looks at the game`changer, this new membrane. We already have in the

city a new centre being built where the hard science is going to be done

in this laboratory. What we are announcing today is another centre

that it is going to make sure that we take the hard science and turn it

into things that we can use. The material was discovered ten years

ago by this team. Look at the painting applications last xear In

the United Kingdom they werd only 54. Have we lost out on a rhde in

this area, Europa League? Wd remain in the top ten out of science. The

question is how much we havd lost in terms of entrepreneurship. `` your

lead. Just look at the applications, this

is a light bulb, this is a brick, and the force of `` the facd of a

phone that are all making use of this new material. The prodtct ever

remains made in China. Does that disappoint you? Not really, as the

cake gets bigger, we each gdt a bigger slice. Half of the investment

will come from the government, half from another source, Abu Dh`bi.

Manchester City have alreadx received much benefit from dconomic

source from that country. Still to come: Keeping up whth

tradition, the master bought both are getting royal approval.

We will be joined by a couple of friends to meet the man who loves

all things Dr Booth. `` Doctor Who. Imagine you are only nine ydars old

and you see your father is hn danger. Do you panic? Do yot keep a

cool head and save him? Thankfully James Aston that the latter when his

father, Scott caught up in farm machinery. David Guest can give us

more information. Yes, welcome to this farm. Look at

this piece of kit, yes, it hs a huge hay bayler.

Nine`year`old James is very much his father son. Both can be found doing

the rounds on the tractor. Last year, James and Thomas Aspddn were

put working amongst the farl with the hay bayler. Thomas was trying to

remove blockage from this robber when his arm got trapped. You never

think it will happen to yourself. The pain must have been

excruciating. Yes, it was. What did you do to help your father? I pushed

the button and it stopped the hay bayler. It stopped me from getting

my hands getting mangled. After one and a half hours of being

trapped, one of the nurses said that they would have to start making

contingency plans. What did you think they meant by that? I was

thinking that they would have to cut off my arm to get me out. Hhs arm

was broken in five places btt it could have been much worse hf not

for his son's quick reactions. Today, James was honoured whth a

bravery award from this fird officer in mind a share. After words it was

straight back down to the f`rm to continue their work and doing what

they love best. The chief fire of this, Chrhs

Kenny, joins me now. Why did you believe James was worthy of such an

award? We all think we know how we would react in such an inst`nce but

this was a real crisis. `` chief fire off a. If it had been `ny

longer, things could have bden much different from `` for Thomas

Aspden. That is correct. `` chief fire of the. `` officer.

It is very difficult when you are only nine years old. That is

correct, there is always thd temptation to panicked. He rose

above all of that and did what needed doing. Without any doubt his

actions saved the arm of his father. Yes, James is a very deservhng of

his awards today. Wonderful young man, fantastic,

brilliant. For more than half a centurx, David

Moss has kept alive the anchent skill of wooden boat building. Today

in recognition of that work, the master bought both from Mikd Usher

received a royal visitor. Hdr Royal Highness The Princess Royal called

in at the sport art near Fldetwood to thank him.

Some people believe boats are works of art. Today it is time for royal

recognition, courtesy of a visit from The Princess Royal.

Any chance she might place `n order? You never know! She has alw`ys

enjoyed messing around in boats She was given a tour of the yard and met

those who have trained under David's stewardship. It is very

nice, if you CDs bought selling in the harbour, it is early spdcial,

because you know that you dhd that! You have something to show forward

your hard work and that will get used for many years. The Prhncess

Royal had a look below decks and then into the shed to unveil a

plaque commemorating the visit today. I have never seen thhs place

so clean! Begin to do with ` royal visit each and every tier! These

sort of skills never die out. You always need them. `` every xear She

was very easy to speak to. Ht was a very happy day. A royal nod of

approval for a master bought blogger who is keeping alive and ancient

British art. `` boat builder. You may think that the Brithsh

Philharmonic Orchestra only plays classical music. You would be wrong.

In the next few years they will perform with Culture Club. Xes,

concerts will take place in Salford and will be broadcast across all

seven of the BBC's national radio clean Bandit were in final

rehearsals for this evening 's concert on Radio 1. It is the first

in a series of new collabor`tions that will be broadcast across the

BBC throughout the autumn. @n amazing experience. We have made

arrangements for all of the songs on our album. We have been tryhng to

use different instruments to recreate the elegiac sounds that we

have made originally. For the next few weeks the orchestra will perform

at a range of artists, among them Culture Club. John Grant will

perform for BBC six music. There will be a concert of some of

Bollywood's greatest hits. Hf it reaches a wager audience, whether

that be our audience or that of Radio 1 or Radio 2, it shows we are

not stuffy classical musici`ns. But that we can reach a wager of things.

It is a chance to show off new talent from this region. Ond of the

singer 's first met the orchestra as a student. Some members of this

orchestra played with me whdn I was doing my studies. That really set my

passion for music and it is absolutely fantastic, a dre`m come

true. The concerts will continue tntil

October and it is hoped it will bring this music to new audhences.

They promise something for dveryone. We have seen many of these Daleks.

Yes, one man who would like to get hold of these is Iain O'Bridn from

Manchester. He has the worlds largest collection of Doctor Who

memorabilia according to Guhnness world records.

First there was the doctor, now the Collector. Not the alien encountered

by Tom Baker and known as the Collector, but an enthusiast from

Old Trafford known as Ian. This is one of the star exhhbits in

his collection. But there is so much to choose from,

he has more Daleks that `` than you could shake a sonic screwdrhver at.

I have a whole collection from different errors. Yes, that was a

one`off. Another new doctor, another range of toys, models and attographs

to collect. The total more than one and a half thousand, making even a

record`breaker. I have lots of items including books, badges and toys. I

had to put it onto a database and get that clarified by indepdndent

people. I then had to send ht off to them. Tom Baker was the favourite of

Ian as you can tell by his scarf and hat. But there is not much he does

not know about any of the dhfferent Doctor Who personalities. John Hurt,

he was the 13th doctor, not many people remember him. Doctor Who was

256 when he first stole the TARDIS. For a man centuries old he shows no

signs of flagging. His colldction would appear to only get bigger

Stuart Flinders, he looked like enjoyed that report!

The profits of Manchester United fell by 84%, the revenue was over

?400 million. That compares to last year 's figures. Costs incltde 5

million in compensation to David Moyes who was sacked in Aprhl. The

club has said it has sold 2 million replica shirts around the world

Buying the sure are fighting relegation in the County

Championship. Here is the ctrrent state of affairs... `` Lanc`shire.

I thought Diane had gone it said because the weather is so nhce, but

I now realise it was becausd she was scared to be inside the samd studio.

Yes, she did not like the D`leks! I am not frightened of them at all,

my husband is obsessed with them! It has been a beautiful day. Picture

perfect across the North West. It was great during the day and it

looks like being great for the night as well. But at this beautiful shot

which is taken of the super moon from one of your's back garden. It

is also known as the harvest. That is the closest to the autumn

equinox. You may see a bit of it tonight. The good news for the next

few days is that high presstre continues to influence everxthing,

keeping the weather fronts `t the B as far as the eye can see. Lore

cloud cover over the next fdw days. But the weather fronts stakdout of

the week it stays fine and dry for Tuesday and Wednesday next week

This evening and overnight, many places have picked up a bit of his

and cloud. During the night that should start to melt away and many

places will once again be vdry clear. Temperatures rarely will be

around 56 Celsius. Towns and cities, eight or 9 degrees. Thursdax will be

dry and find, patchy cloud `t times, but when the sun comds

through with light breezes from the South East, that'll keep out the

continental air and make temperatures around 21 Celshus. The

coast will be just as warm `s anywhere else. If you are planning a

trip, it should be a nice d`y. That is the way it will stay. More cloud

cover for the next few days but generally very nice.

Just before we go, do not forget that the Antiques Roadshow films in

Liverpool tomorrow. Fiona Bruce and all of the experts will be `t the

cathedral tomorrow, doors open at 9:30am. You may have somethhng Radio

Derby that is worth something. Perhaps even some more Daleks! We

will review with another shot of them. See if you can spot the sink

plunger! `` hiding ennui.