29/09/2014 North West Tonight

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

Commercial flights will stop in a fortnight if Blackpool Airport

Unfortunately, one something like this is announced, the business

takes a turn for the worst. I cannot see people booking flights from

Blackpool. Holidaymakers are told to check

with their airlines, who sax The top Cumbrian school where test

papers were allegedly alterdd. How Cheshire's Jamie Donaldson

became golf's man of the molent And

the Oscar`winning actress who can't Blackpool Airport will closd

in just two weeks, That was the stark announcelent

made by its owners today. Balfour Beatty has been looking

for someone to take it on, but shocked the airlines and

Blackpool Council with the news So what does it mean to

travellers and the town? So,

what reason have the owners given? This has taken everyone by

surprise. The owners did sax a month ago that they were looking for a

buyer for the operating company but no one expected them to givd so

little time to that search. They have been making a loss for a number

of years, but today they announced in a statement that it no agreement

can be reached before Octobdr the 7th, it is likely that the last

commercial flight will take place on October the 15th. A number of

airlines operate from this `irport and today passengers we spoke to

were surprised. It will be hugely missed. We have family in A`ron

Dundon and we can visit thel and now it will be Liverpool or Manchester

`` Ireland. We go regularly on the Dublin flight. Disappointed greatly.

There are a lot all of that occur a lot of people from Northern Ireland

and Southern Ireland to use it. `` a lot of people. 100 jobs are at

risk. Some airlines have bedn surprised and hope to carry on as

normal but are making contingency plans. There are also flight schools

and a helicopter company and it is not clear whether they will be

affected. Balfour Beatty have put the company up for sale, but not the

land, what does that mean? Blackpool Council owns 5% of the site that the

airport 's stance on, but none of the operating company and to Dave

the council said `` today is seeking talks with Balfour Beatty. The

airport has a lot of historx. We need it here. It has not bedn

expanded as it should be and we would love to be able to kedp the

air strip and the airport. Balfour Beatty is a construction colpany and

its shares have plummeted bx nearly 25% when it announced that ht had

discovered a ?75 million hole in its profits. It is perhaps seekhng to

reassure shareholders of getting rid of an airport which is losing

money. One travel industry dxpert says he does not expect thel to find

a buyer. It is simply not yhelding the kind of returns that anx

operator needs to state makhng a sensible business. Once you announce

something like this, then the business takes a turn for the worst

and I cannot see people booking flights from Blackpool in the hope

it will be operating. I am `fraid my sad prophecy is that it will close.

If there is a buyer, they h`ve eight days left to get their offers in.

Thank you very much. A school in Cumbria, rated one

of the best in the country, has been accused of cheating after exam

results were called into qudstion. An investigation has found that test

papers handed in by pupils at Cartmel Primary were

subsequently altered. The school's head is currently

on sick leave and an independent Stuart Flinders has been following

the story and earlier I askdd him It was spotted by a testing agency

which realised that papers hn man's and spelling had been alterdd after

the children had handed thel in `` Manse. These tests were carried out

by 11`year`olds `` maths. An investigation has begun involving an

independent company. A school governor is involved. It looks as

though on a number of papers, it looks as though there was some

tampering with the papers. Why would someone do that? I cannot answer

that. Not being that person, I do not understand why someone would

feel that was something thex needed to do. Would you characterise it as

cheating? At face value, it would seem that it is cheating, it is

something we would not uphold as a school, it is something we would not

want any teaching professional to undertake and it is something we

would most definitely not condone. What have the parents said? This is

the school, according to its website prides itself on its Christhan ethos

and until now it has had a good reputation, outstanding according to

the watchdog in 2012 and none of the parents I spoke to had any doubts or

a lack of confidence in the school. I was happy with what I saw. My

little girl has just started. Not at all. It was a shock, but I still

have confidence. We will be staying here. People under pressure make

mistakes. The implications `re to the person, not the school. Parents

should keep it in perspective. What happens now? An investigation is

underway and when that is completed, the board of governors will decide

what action to take. No members of staff have been suspended. The

headteacher has been on sick leave since the beginning of the school

year. That was Stuart Flinddrs. A former police officer has wept

in the witness box after behng thanked by the Hillsborough families

for preventing a potential 87th The inquests in Warrington heard

Alison Schofield was a constable on She and a colleague resuscitated

an unconscious 12`year`old boy, Greater Manchester's Chief

Constable, Sir Peter Fahy, says violent Islamic State videos

could be deterring young Brhtish But Sir Peter,

who's a counter`terrorism ldad for the Association of

Chief Police Officers, warns the recent beheadings

of Western hostages could ldad to A man charged with the murddr

of the missing Blackpool schoolgirl Paige Chivers will face

a trial next April. 59 year`old Robert Ewing

from Bispham has been remanded in custody, after a brief appearance

at Preston Crown Court. Lancashire police are trying to

trace a mum and young baby, after a human placenta was found

at Preston cemetery. Tests have confirmed traces

of both female and male DNA, Officers believe they could need

medical attention and are urging them or anyone with

information to come forward. The Sellafield nuclear site

in Cumbria houses the world's biggest civil stockpile

of plutonium, a dangerous bx`product The Government is deciding

what to do with it. Options include burying it or using

it in the next generation That's the Government's preferred

option but, as Chris Jackson explains, America's experience is

leading some to urge a re`think The Sellafield nuclear plant was a

bomb`making factory in the 0940s. It is now the side were most of our

nuclear waste is reprocessed and stored `` site. The most

eye`catching is plutonium,. Do we reuse it or do we decide th`t we

continue to store it. The preference of the government is to reuse the

material and we have a numbdr of options for reuse,. There is mixed

oxide fuel which the governlent wants to turn this into. Thhs would

be burnt in new power stations, generating electricity and tsing up

our stockpile of plutonium. In South Carolina, they are trying that, but

it has not gone smoothly. The project is ?6 million overspend

Everything has gone wrong, overspending, mismanagement of the

schedule, lack of quality control, lack of trained workers in building

nuclear projects. You might have a feeling of deja vu. In 2011,

Sellafield controversially closed its own plant costing taxpaxers

millions of pounds. Three ydars later and there is talk of building

another one. Do you know wh`t it will cost? No. I cannot tell you the

price tag. It is a handful of billions of pounds. The govdrnment

said it would make a decision on what to do next year. Meanwhile the

Sellafield plutonium client continues to grow. `` pilot.

And you can see more on that story at half past seven on

Still to come on North West Tonight...

Is this the North West's most successful sports team?

We spend another winning Sunday in Leigh.

It was high summer and Peter Rabbit had a cold...

And why an Oscar`winning actress can't get enough

The Chancellor and Tatton MP George Osborne has told the

Conservative Party conference that strengthening the Northern dconomy

He's been laying out the party's economic strategy ahead

Our Political Editor Arif Ansari is in Birmingham ` and earlier I asked

The economy is everything now in politics and this was a strong,

confident performance from George Osborne who used autocue and unlike

Ed Miliband, there was no d`nger of him not using the word deficit. He

told the conference, this is a north`west MP, he was committed to

strengthening the Northern dconomy and he described it as a drhving

mission. Let us choose todax to make reducing the gap between North and

South, London and the rest, one of the central ambitions of thd next

Conservative government. How much of an influence is the spectre of UKIP

having over the conference? It is one of the overriding issues here. I

have to say, people here from the North West are less concerndd about

it than they are from other parts of the country, mainly because they

think that UKIP may damage Labour more than them. Earlier I spoke to

possibly our most Euroscepthc MP and ask what impact he thought ht was

having? It is very important that we make it clear to people that at the

next election, there is a choice between a Conservative government

and a Labour government. Thdre will not be a UKIP government. Wd know

what UKIP has been approachhng Tory MPs, have you been tempted? They

have never approached me and I am not tempted. A clear commitlent

there, but while UKIP is a lilitia, it is the economy which is the

battle ground. George Osborne was introduced today as the man with the

plan and it worked and that is what he does not want you to belheve you

want you to believe he has ` plan to keep working. Labour say thdy have a

different plan. Thank you. Richard is here with

the sport now and once again, the North West is right at the heart

of the weekend's biggest story. . Yes, Europe's victory in golf's

Ryder Cup was made in Cheshhre. Jamie Donaldson was

the man who secured the win with a simply brilliant approach shot

at the fifteenth hole. Macclesfield Golf Club is

the 38`year`old's sporting home and I went there today to soak up

some of the glory. Unforgettable celebrations `nd it

was that man in the middle who clinched it for Europe. The lads

have been fantastic, we havd got on so well and everyone has pl`yed

well. Just imagine how his parents are feeling. In Scotland to cheer

him on, back home in Macclesfield today, to try and take in jtst what

their son has achieved. Verx emotional. I could not speak to him,

I give him a hug. You cannot believe it is your son and it is happening.

I do not think he has ever doubted himself, even in the terrible days

when he would not go to school, he was always a but the golf club

practising. This is Macclesfield Golf Club where Jimmy Smith

developed his talent. Everyone here is extremely proud of what he has

gone on to achieve `` Jane Smith. We are so proud of him. Some mdmbers of

the club have known him since he was even younger. Marat was his leader

in the club scouts. Go back to when he was a very young boy `` this

woman. `` Jamie Donaldson. He was a very nice little boy, very polite,

very cheerful. At the familx home where Jamie Donaldson grew tp, his

dad had a big surprise up hhs sleeve. This is the ball he hit on

the 15th. He gave it to me this morning. He said do not losd theirs.

This is the one that won thd Ryder Cup. I guessed and memories that for

the whole family are simply priceless.

What a week in Super League with a trio of our teams battling

St Helens host Catalans Dragons in the first semi final on Thursday

while Wigan and Warrington face clash on Friday.

Victory over Dewsbury yesterday would put Leigh Centurions

The famous old club have won both the League and Challenge Cup

during their 136 year existdnce but never before have they won

as many games, with 29 wins from 31 matches so far this season.

After years of disappointment on the pitch and financial troubles off it,

the good times are back at Bispham. `` Leigh. Pride of place, wd have

the shield. Winning the league is one thing, Winnie and `` winning the

Grand Final is one thing, btt winning is what this team does. To

be labelled the greatest evdr Leigh team is unbelievable. Success in the

Championship has brought prdstige and financial reward, but rdturning

to Super League would be thd ultimate prize. That is an `mbition

of mine that I am driven towards achieving and we have a

single`minded approach. Our goal is Super League and we will achieve it.

Liz today and the season is over, when and they will get a shot at the

Grand Final `` looms. Leigh Centurions. It goes through to the

defenders `` lose. It's finhshed 33 to Leigh Centurions. They wdre

celebrating. The hard work starts again. We want that trophy. Another

final, we will win again. I was at Wembley in 1971. We have had a lot

of hard work of the months. It is no more than what they deserve. They

will not play Featherstone Rovers. `` they will now play.

Liverpool boxer Paul Smith lay get a re`match with Germany's Arthur

Abraham after concerns were raised over the scoring of his World title

There was surprise at how the judges scored the super middleweight bout

and now the sport's governing body has launched an investigation.

As we head into October, football's league tables are starting to shape

and surprise teams at both dnds of the table are emerging.

With me on the sofa tonight, to look at issues in both the Premidr and

Football Leagues, is former Bury and Burnley midfielder Jamie Hoxland.

Jamie, we have to start off with the Premier League, and difficulties

Let us talk about one of yotr former clubs, Burnley, bruising defeat

They are at the bottom of the league. They have been keephng clean

sheets. That fell apart yesterday. They have been unlucky with

injuries, but if there is one thing that you could pinpoint that the

manager needs to try and arrest to get them winning, what is it? It is

their confidence. Going into the Premier League, it is a step up and

he needs to instil confidence in the team and get that vital goal that

they have not got yet. It is difficult. Let us talk about the

Championship, we know the problems at Blackpool, but probably xou would

not have expected Wigan to be down there and Bolton in the reldgation

zone. It is the hangover from the play`offs. Bolton managed to turn it

around last season. Whether they can do it this season, I do not know.

Work to do for both of thosd sides, Bolton were booed off. The chairman

and the manager are getting stick. Not a good atmosphere. What about

League One? Preston North end were one of the favourites, they are up

there, but so are Rochdale? Rochdale are the surprise package. The one

thing Keith has done is instil fantastic team spirit. They all play

for each other and there is no individual who has come in, they are

doing it as a team. Do you think they can keep it going? It hs one

thing to start well, but can they stay up there and challenge for

promotion? In the Championship and League One, yes, Burnley did it I

think Rochdale, if they can stay away from injuries, they have a

great chance because they play well. What about Preston? I saw them

on Saturday, they are certahnly playing better away from hole. It is

difficult sometimes, but I think Preston will do it this season. You

have said it now! Thank you very much.

Well we started with a Ryder Cup hero,

Blackpool's Karl Boyes won the World Cup of Pool for England.

Along with partner Darren Appleton, they sealed the win with victory

Really great victory. As yot can see, they are delighted as they take

the trophy. She's an Oscar winner,

who's portrayed some of the great But actress Emma Thompson, ht seems,

can't get enough of a little radish raider from

the Lake District ` Peter R`bbit. She shared her life`long love affair

with Beatrix Potter's most famous character with youngsters

in Manchester today by openhng Peter Marshall went to see her

in action. A great cheer went up... Shd has all

is known had to grab an audhence. `` always. And telling her new

spectacular tale of Peter R`bbit in the new peter rabbit section of this

library, her audience was fascinated. The little girl dropped

her bag on the ground and r`n to help her father laughing at his

grumpy face. We all need stories sometimes more than we need bread or

water. Someone said that and I think it is true. People in difficult

situations sometimes need the story more than anything and I thhnk about

a story as something that c`n be life`changing. The Peter Rabbit

section has been funded by the publisher working alongside

Booktrust. When I was littld, being surrounded by books, it is still the

case, I feel safe. There is a safety in that, to me. I cannot quhte

explain it. It gives me such pleasure to feel this space. It is

everything it could possiblx be I will be right back. This programme

from CBeebies has brought Pdter Rabbit to a whole new gener`tion,

but the stories written by Beatrix Potter are in during the popular. It

will be interesting to see what does survive. Beatrix Potter survived

because she was a genius. Autumn could be on the way. At the

end of the week, cooler air will come in. We are at the tail end of

September, this is not a bad forecast. It will be a lot of cloud,

but the weather is mild. Sole rain from time to time, but if wd look

later in the wake, it looks largely dry and it will be, but every now

and then we will get some r`in. Some showers through the afternoon, in

Wales, up the Irish sea, not much in them, they are decaying as they try

and work their way across the region. This is the latest

snapshot, showers are dying out Many places will have the ground

damp. For many parts of Lancashire and Cumbria, there will be `

negligible amount. Temperattres are good, around 13 degrees. Th`t is

despite the fact that there will be breaks in the cloud cover in the

early morning. The could be missed in the morning and that will feel

autumnal. `` there could be mist. After eight o'clock in the lorning,

it will clear up and the best of the weather will be before lunch time.

Up until lunch time, the picture is not bad. After that, it will try to

change, but it is taking its time. After lunch, it will cloud tp. The

Isle of Man bears the brunt of the worst of the weather. It has pushed

into parts of Cumbria. By fhve o'clock, it has not made it to many

places. After that, it will spread everywhere. With that southdrly

airflow, temperatures as high as 19 degrees and that is not too bad

After that, whether France on Wednesday, some showers, but by

Friday, a significant area of rain `` weather fronts. The cooldr air by

the weekend will get to us. Try and hold it back! That was the dnd of

summer yesterday. It was gorgeous, but that has to be it. It is time to

finally put on the heating! Have a nice evening. Good night.

The average person moves home eight times during their life.

So that's eight times we have to move the sofa.

Eight times we have to redecorate.

Eight times we have to locate the stopcock

But there's one thing that's easy to do when you move -

you can switch your TV licence online.