:00:00. > :00:00.and on BBC One we now join the BBC's news teams where you are.
:00:00. > :00:00.Welcome to North West Tonight with Annabel Tiffin and Roger Johnson.
:00:00. > :00:09.Six former pupils at a school for blind children in Liverpool
:00:10. > :00:19.tell us they were abused there in the 1950s.
:00:20. > :00:24.There's nothing worse than being hit by anyone when you cannot see where
:00:25. > :00:26.it is coming from. The school says it's
:00:27. > :00:29.saddened by the claims. Two men from a Lancashire
:00:30. > :00:32.takeaway are arrested - after Megan died from
:00:33. > :00:35.an allergic reaction. A century after he died in action -
:00:36. > :00:38.James is remembered for his role And clubbing together -
:00:39. > :00:43.the Morecambe manager Jim Bentley thanks fans -
:00:44. > :00:59.who paid his ?1,000 fine. It really touched my heart. It just
:01:00. > :01:07.shows the spirit we have at the book club.
:01:08. > :01:10.Blind, vulnerable people from across the North West have told
:01:11. > :01:14.the BBC they were systematically beaten and abused by the head
:01:15. > :01:18.mistress of their specialist primary school in the late 1950s.
:01:19. > :01:21.Some of them were just five years old when they started
:01:22. > :01:24.at The Royal School for the Blind in Liverpool.
:01:25. > :01:26.The school - which still teaches blind children -
:01:27. > :01:37.says it's saddened by the allegations of historical abuse.
:01:38. > :01:45.We were borders, five or six years of age, coming from home and leaving
:01:46. > :01:50.our families. She would line the children up and walk from one end of
:01:51. > :01:57.the dormitory to the other, smacking or beating every of them. There's
:01:58. > :02:04.nothing worse than being hit by anyone when you cannot see where it
:02:05. > :02:07.is coming from. I am I agree, yes, I am angry because my childhood was
:02:08. > :02:16.taken away from me by that horrible woman. Their stories kept secret but
:02:17. > :02:22.60 years. But the first time, we living the abuse that took place in
:02:23. > :02:24.this school back in the late 1950s. At the time, blind permit
:02:25. > :02:28.schoolchildren from across the North West were sent to the boarding
:02:29. > :02:32.school. After nearly dying last year, one victim decided she didn't
:02:33. > :02:39.want to take the secret to her grave. Light is very precious, it is
:02:40. > :02:44.very, very precious. You must not waste a minute of it. I said, I am
:02:45. > :02:49.going to do this because I don't know how much time I have left, now
:02:50. > :02:54.the doors, but this has got to be done now. Rachel was the first to
:02:55. > :03:02.speak out. Five more people have now come forward to share their shopping
:03:03. > :03:07.childhood memories. They also they were left out and humiliated by the
:03:08. > :03:11.headmistress. She was hitting me that much that my left leg was
:03:12. > :03:20.bouncing up and down. I was absolutely terrified. Pain did not
:03:21. > :03:25.come into it, the fact it was being done to me made me absolutely
:03:26. > :03:29.terrified. Stephen has tried to go back to the school in the past but
:03:30. > :03:33.he suffered flashbacks and could not face it. Others have been back
:03:34. > :03:41.though. If I tried to tell you how she behaved to bed-wetters, children
:03:42. > :03:44.who really only deserved a cuddle, that's all they deserved, that is
:03:45. > :03:49.what mum and dad would have given them. Not with her, rub your nose in
:03:50. > :03:54.the sheets, make you wash in cold water. She could humiliate. The
:03:55. > :03:58.headmistress died a few years ago but the school here is still open
:03:59. > :04:02.and it is still run by the same charity. Its President has sent me a
:04:03. > :04:06.statement. She said they are saddened to hear the memories of
:04:07. > :04:07.some pupils in the 1950s but such behaviour would not be tolerated in
:04:08. > :04:11.any school today. Joining us now is Gary Norton,
:04:12. > :04:28.who's a lecturer in social work Can something like this happen
:04:29. > :04:35.again? Firstly let me see that what has happened those many years ago is
:04:36. > :04:41.very tragic and it shouldn't be happening. It happened back then and
:04:42. > :04:45.it should happen now. -- should not happen now. I feel very much for the
:04:46. > :04:49.people who have gone through that, it is a very brave thing for them to
:04:50. > :04:55.do, to come forward and say what has happened to them. We are, as a
:04:56. > :05:02.society, becoming more sophisticated in our thinking and I think the way
:05:03. > :05:06.that we accept people coming forward and understand what they are saying
:05:07. > :05:14.is getting better. Could it happen again? It is possible. We don't have
:05:15. > :05:24.an infallible system, but I think that if you go back to the 1950s,
:05:25. > :05:31.there was an acceptance that corporate punishment within schools
:05:32. > :05:35.was unacceptable and the Labour Home Secretary at the time wanted to do
:05:36. > :05:41.something about it and so watch you got, you started to get a growing
:05:42. > :05:47.paradigms of change to say, actually, this is not acceptable any
:05:48. > :05:52.more. Children should be nurtured. What legislation has changed to make
:05:53. > :05:57.sure that children are at the forefront of thinking now? That's
:05:58. > :06:05.right. What has happened now is that as you move forward in time to 1989,
:06:06. > :06:09.children act, but you have there is a process now on a number of levels
:06:10. > :06:15.which really protect children. Not only does it protect children by a
:06:16. > :06:21.ring is to go in and investigate when children make allegations, it
:06:22. > :06:26.places the child at the forefront of our thinking and that is called the
:06:27. > :06:29.paramount to the principle so we place the child died in the centre
:06:30. > :06:35.of our thinking. It still comes down to the fact that the children must
:06:36. > :06:39.be they can speak out? That comes to the next part, the voice of the
:06:40. > :06:42.child, and we are getting better at that. We are not there yet but if
:06:43. > :06:48.you look at what social services are doing now and the judiciary and
:06:49. > :06:52.proceedings and all of that now, you will find that people are more
:06:53. > :06:56.willing and accepting that children have a voice and it is no longer
:06:57. > :07:03.that children should be seen and not heard, it is children matter. Quite
:07:04. > :07:06.young children as well. There is no younger age limit with which we
:07:07. > :07:14.would want to hear what they have to say. Obviously, the old at the more
:07:15. > :07:19.likely they would be listened to. Having said that, if you look at the
:07:20. > :07:24.children and you mentioned legislation, the children act is
:07:25. > :07:31.very clear. The first question is, to ascertain the wishes and billings
:07:32. > :07:34.of the child, so the idea is that is absolutely important, but it is not
:07:35. > :07:38.an infallible system. An inquest has heard a transgender
:07:39. > :07:41.woman from Merseyside who was being held at a male prison
:07:42. > :07:45.was found hanging in her cell. Jenny Swift from Sefton
:07:46. > :07:47.was on remand at Doncaster Prison She was found unresponsive
:07:48. > :07:52.on December 30th and The inquest into her death
:07:53. > :07:58.was opened and adjourned to 6 June. A man has died after falling
:07:59. > :08:01.from cliffs in the Isle of Man. Emergency services recovered
:08:02. > :08:04.the 51-year-old's body He's not been named -
:08:05. > :08:08.and police say the death is not A teacher who stole more
:08:09. > :08:15.than ?40,000 which had been given to help children with mental health
:08:16. > :08:18.needs - has been banned Sharon May who taught at Irlam
:08:19. > :08:21.and Cadishead College used the money to for shopping
:08:22. > :08:24.vouchers and holidays. She pleaded guilty to three counts
:08:25. > :08:27.of fraud at Manchester Crown Court last year and was given
:08:28. > :08:32.a suspended sentence. Two police officers from Manchester
:08:33. > :08:36.have raised hundreds of pounds to replace a donation stolen
:08:37. > :08:41.from the car of a cancer patient. Aman Chabra, from Ellenbrook,
:08:42. > :08:44.was due to hand over ?300 to Manchester's Christie hospital,
:08:45. > :08:48.where he had just finished But before he could hand over
:08:49. > :08:52.the money, his car was broken Two men have been arrested over
:08:53. > :08:57.the death of a 15-year-old girl - who died after suffering an allergic
:08:58. > :09:00.reaction shortly after Megan Lee from Oswaldtwistle
:09:01. > :09:04.in Lancashire died in The men, both staff at a local
:09:05. > :09:10.Indian takeaway, are being held on suspicion of involuntary
:09:11. > :09:13.manslaughter by gross negligence. Let's join our reporter Yunus Mulla
:09:14. > :09:17.who is outside the takeaway. The Royal Spice makes
:09:18. > :09:34.reference to allergies This Indian takeaway here is a
:09:35. > :09:38.closed tonight. A sign in the window says it is undergoing refurbishment
:09:39. > :09:46.but it is also at the centre of a police investigation into the death
:09:47. > :09:50.of a popular teenager who died on New Year's Day, two days after
:09:51. > :09:55.suffering a severe allergic reaction shortly after eating a takeaway
:09:56. > :10:02.meal. As part of a police investigation, two men have been
:10:03. > :10:06.arrested. A 37-year-old man from Rossendale and a 30 age old man from
:10:07. > :10:13.Blackburn, both on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter by gross
:10:14. > :10:18.negligence. Both men work at this takeaway and both are in police
:10:19. > :10:25.custody. They make reference to customers with allergies on its
:10:26. > :10:30.website, doesn't it? If you look at the website and its online menu,
:10:31. > :10:35.there is a reference there, as you say. It makes it quite clear that it
:10:36. > :10:40.is aware that some customers may have specific dietary requirements
:10:41. > :10:44.and may have allergies. English police say it is working with
:10:45. > :10:50.trading standards officers and environmental health as part of its
:10:51. > :10:54.investigation. Megan was an incredibly popular teenager here,
:10:55. > :10:56.she was involved in a number of clubs and her parents themselves
:10:57. > :11:01.have described her as their Princess, a role model and the
:11:02. > :11:05.parents are being kept fully informed about today's div elements.
:11:06. > :11:07.A postmortem has been carried out at the full results of which will not
:11:08. > :11:11.be known for some time. Still to come on North West Tonight:
:11:12. > :11:14.Cup fever in Cumbria. We're in Barrow for
:11:15. > :11:17.the Bluebird's biggest match Picking up her award in Hollywood -
:11:18. > :11:28.but the actress learned When Private James McLaughlin
:11:29. > :11:40.of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment lost his life
:11:41. > :11:42.during the First World War, there was no funeral,
:11:43. > :11:45.no memorial service. It's not even known
:11:46. > :11:47.where his body lies. But his grandchildren
:11:48. > :11:50.are determined his sacrifice Today ? 100 years to
:11:51. > :11:54.the day since his death - they met at Preston Minster
:11:55. > :12:01.for a service of remembrance. His home in Preston
:12:02. > :12:06.was demolished years ago. The factory he worked
:12:07. > :12:10.at is long gone too. Killed in action on 9th January 1917
:12:11. > :12:31.fighting the Turks in Mesopotamia The biggest problem as far as the
:12:32. > :12:39.troops that got injured, they couldn't get them out so the river
:12:40. > :12:44.was blocked by the Turks. They couldn't get the troops out. It was
:12:45. > :12:46.hard to get treatment? Horrible. James left behind a baby
:12:47. > :12:58.daughter who never knew him. Mum was a quiet lady but she always
:12:59. > :13:01.room at him on the Runs weekend and when the poppies used to fall from
:13:02. > :13:05.the ceiling on the Saturday night service from the Royal Albert Hall,
:13:06. > :13:06.she always said, one of those is for your grandad.
:13:07. > :13:08.Until now, James' story has been a private family affair,
:13:09. > :13:18.kept alive in these items returned to them after his death.
:13:19. > :13:26.The identity tag he would be wearing well in action, rather a poignant
:13:27. > :13:31.item here with a silk handkerchief the grandmother said she bought him
:13:32. > :13:35.before he left. Why was it so important for you to remember this
:13:36. > :13:42.man that none of you actually met? Is important in the wider context at
:13:43. > :13:48.because it is 100th, we need to focus and think about it more.
:13:49. > :13:57.The body knows where his body is. By Colin Preston, there was no memorial
:13:58. > :13:59.service in 1917 but now, a century on, his family is honouring his
:14:00. > :14:00.memory. Hundreds of thousands of British
:14:01. > :14:03.servicemen and women Today was a reminder that
:14:04. > :14:17.each had a unique story. Richard's here now with Monday's
:14:18. > :14:23.sport and we had 14 teams that kicked off in the third
:14:24. > :14:25.round of the FA Cup over the weekend, how many have
:14:26. > :14:29.we got left for tonight's More than you might have thought,
:14:30. > :14:38.thanks to a few teams earning replays, 11 of those 14 will be
:14:39. > :14:49.in the bag for the draw which follows us over
:14:50. > :14:53.on BBC Two at 7:00. Accrington Stanley are our
:14:54. > :14:55.lowest ranked survivor The non-leaguers were at home
:14:56. > :15:02.to League One Rochdale who had The Cumbrians, who had
:15:03. > :15:06.never reached round four, were also in form and pushing
:15:07. > :15:08.for promotion to the football league after a 23 match
:15:09. > :15:14.unbeaten run of their own. In the home of submarine
:15:15. > :15:18.building, Barrow's football team has been under
:15:19. > :15:44.the radar for four decades. Oh yes. Everybody is talking. It has
:15:45. > :15:46.been crazy. Everyone is excited and couldn't wait for today. Everyone
:15:47. > :15:51.The weather is next. Is to start.
:15:52. > :16:00.Dallas based owner Paul Casson has big ambitions.
:16:01. > :16:07.In a town this size, I don't think League 1 is totally out of the
:16:08. > :16:09.question. That's our goal, I would like to take the club back to where
:16:10. > :16:11.Ireland but being as a boy. The last
:16:12. > :16:13.time barrow had a home tie They played Leicester who had
:16:14. > :16:17.Peter Shilton in goal. The owner was part
:16:18. > :16:30.of the crowd that day. About five yards to the right of
:16:31. > :16:31.that goal there. It was quite an occasion. 16,000 people here. You
:16:32. > :16:33.could not move. Brian Arrowsmith was part
:16:34. > :16:35.of the Barrow team. Today he had a stand
:16:36. > :16:45.named after him. What would it be like if the team
:16:46. > :16:46.today could do what you could do and get into the fourth round?
:16:47. > :16:50.Wonderful. I so dearly hope they do. Standing between Barrow
:16:51. > :17:03.and history is Rochdale. What's it like to go on as they bid?
:17:04. > :17:06.Unusual! Are you feeling confident? Definitely yes. 3-1 I think we will
:17:07. > :17:07.win. Barrow had their chances
:17:08. > :17:10.but Rochdale had plenty more. Two goals from Ian Henderson -
:17:11. > :17:13.one in each half - Despite this defeat barrows
:17:14. > :17:18.season is far from over - they still have the chance
:17:19. > :17:20.of a dream return to Rochdale march on though,
:17:21. > :17:34.their dream a tie with one of I was really pleased with the way we
:17:35. > :17:39.attack today and the scoreline should have reflected that but I am
:17:40. > :17:45.happy with the 2-0 and let's see what we get in the next round. We
:17:46. > :17:48.got what we deserved, which was nothing today. It sounds sad but it
:17:49. > :17:51.was a great journey and we still have half a season and so much to
:17:52. > :17:52.play for. We want more days like this.
:17:53. > :17:54.For both these clubs with promotion potential -
:17:55. > :18:04.Liverpool go into tonight's draw despite a replay next
:18:05. > :18:08.Jurgen Klopp selected the club's youngest starting eleven ever,
:18:09. > :18:12.but even the second half additions of first teamers Sturridge,
:18:13. > :18:14.Lallana and Firminho wasn't enough to see them break
:18:15. > :18:19.The Reds boss says he did expect a better performance from his team
:18:20. > :18:27.but is asking for a bit of perspective from the pundits.
:18:28. > :18:34.The biggest challenge in football life is playing against a good
:18:35. > :18:38.organised deep defending side. This side could have done better and
:18:39. > :18:42.everybody could see what happened then.
:18:43. > :18:44.Well here's the full list of our remaining teams.
:18:45. > :18:47.You can watch the draw over on BBC Two from 7:00 and if you're
:18:48. > :18:50.keeping a special eye on Accrington, they'll be ball number 31.
:18:51. > :18:52.We'll bring you the results of the draw in our late
:18:53. > :18:56.Crewe Alexandra are under new management with the club's
:18:57. > :18:59.former defender David Artell replacing Steve Davis
:19:00. > :19:03.51-year-old Davis, also a former Alex player,
:19:04. > :19:06.was dismissed following Saturday's defeat at Mansfield.
:19:07. > :19:09.He leaves the club 18th in League Two and on a run
:19:10. > :19:12.which has seen them just two of their last 21 games.
:19:13. > :19:15.He'd been in charge for six years and was professional football's
:19:16. > :19:22.It's not an easy time to be a Morecambe fan.
:19:23. > :19:23.The football club's under serious financial
:19:24. > :19:25.pressure, and the manager - Jim Bentley - was banned
:19:26. > :19:28.from the touchline for the weekend's win against Notts County.
:19:29. > :19:32.He also faced paying ?1,000 in fines and costs.
:19:33. > :19:35.But supporters decided to help him out by organising
:19:36. > :19:39.a collection before the game, and it left him lost for words.
:19:40. > :19:48.Well earlier today I went to speak to Jim at his home.
:19:49. > :19:56.He renowned hard man as a player, he is not often brought to tears but
:19:57. > :19:59.after the game on Saturday, the Morecambe manager was holding them
:20:00. > :20:07.back. This was why. The fans today would like to pay your fine. Thank
:20:08. > :20:12.you very much. ?1000 handed over after a whip round by supporters,
:20:13. > :20:16.enough for him to pay his FA fine, a gesture that came completely out of
:20:17. > :20:21.the blue. Everybody cares about you and we stand shoulder to shoulder.
:20:22. > :20:28.Brilliant. What do you have to say to the facts? Speaking to me at his
:20:29. > :20:31.house today, he was still emotional. You got the money there, when it was
:20:32. > :20:36.handed over to you, it was a complete surprise, how did you feel?
:20:37. > :20:42.Emotional, as you can see. It was a fantastic gesture. It really shows
:20:43. > :20:46.what good people working people are and the fans of the football club,
:20:47. > :20:52.totally unexpected but very much appreciated. It certainly isn't
:20:53. > :20:56.surprising the Morecambe boss was touched, he has been a big part of
:20:57. > :21:01.the club for a decade and a half as a player, coach and manager. I've
:21:02. > :21:06.been there since 2002 as a player, as a captain at Wembley when he got
:21:07. > :21:10.promoted. I have a lot of good friends up there, it's like my
:21:11. > :21:14.second home. We all know the financial problems of the club,
:21:15. > :21:18.difficulties for you in terms of bringing in players, you and the
:21:19. > :21:23.players not knowing if he will be paid. Did that make this gesture
:21:24. > :21:27.even more special? It did, yes, because as you say, it's been a
:21:28. > :21:31.difficult time. You can get a little bit down and depressed with regards
:21:32. > :21:35.to the situation but when things like this happen, it makes it all
:21:36. > :21:39.worthwhile and gives you a boost. I've got a great relationship with
:21:40. > :21:46.the fans at Morecambe and for them to do this for me was absolutely
:21:47. > :21:55.brilliant. As was the team's 4-1 win over Notts County, a morale boosting
:21:56. > :22:02.win the most difficult time in history was on the money.
:22:03. > :22:04.Jim is handing that money over to the club secretary tomorrow and the
:22:05. > :22:29.fine will be paid. Therefore I want a Golden Globes
:22:30. > :22:30.last night. She trained in Liverpool and she is fast becoming Hollywood
:22:31. > :22:37.royalty. It's a role that's won
:22:38. > :22:50.Claire Foy global acclaim - I really, really, really wouldn't be
:22:51. > :22:55.here if it were not for some extraordinary women. One of them is
:22:56. > :22:58.Queen Elizabeth. She has been at the centre of the world for the past 63
:22:59. > :23:00.The series follows the Queen's early years.
:23:01. > :23:03.Alongside her, Prince Phillip, played by former Doctor Who actor,
:23:04. > :23:21.I'm invested in their lives in a way I wouldn't have been before. Some of
:23:22. > :23:24.the things we've done really make you understand the pressures they
:23:25. > :23:26.are under and how much compassion and sympathy.
:23:27. > :23:33.More recently she played Queen Anne Boleyn
:23:34. > :23:39.in another BBC drama, Wolf Hall.
:23:40. > :23:47.It was here at this university in Liverpool but her acting career
:23:48. > :23:50.started to take shape. Rehearsals and public performances would take
:23:51. > :23:55.place here and though she left a decade ago, it is fair to say she
:23:56. > :23:59.has made a lasting impression. She was performing in a play by Jim
:24:00. > :24:06.Cartwright and it was an image that is fixed in my head with 13 years.
:24:07. > :24:10.That is an extraordinary thing because clearly in that intervening
:24:11. > :24:13.period we have had hundreds and hundreds of students but in terms of
:24:14. > :24:18.her performance, it was extraordinarily memorable. You and
:24:19. > :24:21.your colleagues was be very proud? You most certainly are and she is so
:24:22. > :24:26.young that she will obviously go on now to achieve all sorts of things
:24:27. > :24:34.but her performance in this role is remarkable. Do you suppose I could
:24:35. > :24:37.borrow it for a couple of days, just to practice?
:24:38. > :24:39.She's confirmed her reign as the fictional Queen will end
:24:40. > :24:51.She is brilliant. A big budget performance, just
:24:52. > :25:01.The weather is next. The weather is changing and you
:25:02. > :25:05.might not like it. I'm sure you have heard that significant changes in
:25:06. > :25:10.the weather through the tail end of Wednesday when things will get much
:25:11. > :25:16.closer -- Calder. This is the weather we have on Wednesday. 9
:25:17. > :25:22.degrees and lots of cloud cover. A notable change in the wind
:25:23. > :25:27.direction. It will drag in much colder air so it is that cold front
:25:28. > :25:32.and that opens the door to much colder conditions. They will stick
:25:33. > :25:38.with us through Thursday Friday and into the weekend. Today, lots of wet
:25:39. > :25:42.weather first thing in the morning. The accident, it dry to brighten up
:25:43. > :25:45.here and there and you can see the latest picture still shows one of
:25:46. > :25:48.two spot of drizzly, showery Ring around and that will continue all
:25:49. > :25:52.the way through the night. The wind has been a lot of feature and will
:25:53. > :25:56.continue to be as we go through the night. When you have the cloud, the
:25:57. > :26:02.wind and the rain, temperatures should not fall too far. Between
:26:03. > :26:05.five and six for the most part. Tomorrow is not that different
:26:06. > :26:09.today. There will be a lot of cloud cover around. There might be a break
:26:10. > :26:12.first thing in the morning but the showers will start to build of the
:26:13. > :26:17.morning goes on. Again, a breezy day. This line of rain works its way
:26:18. > :26:23.in through the afternoon and it will leave us by 3pm on the afternoon and
:26:24. > :26:28.brighter skies will try to, three but it is not a brilliant day. The
:26:29. > :26:32.numbers are pretty good, eight or 9 degrees. That is the same story for
:26:33. > :26:36.Wednesday. This is the transition day but we will have a Met Office
:26:37. > :26:39.warning on it is already in place with thirsty and Friday. There could
:26:40. > :26:48.be some snow and the winds will be strong at the tail end of the week.
:26:49. > :26:55.It will be really, really cold. We had a tweet from a former Lancashire
:26:56. > :26:57.cricket player who is bidding for a barrel to get back into the league.
:26:58. > :27:03.Quite right, too! See you later.