23/03/2017 North West Tonight

Good evening, welcome to North West Tonight

with Annabel Tiffin and Stuart Flinders.

Travis Frain - the Lancashire student caught up in

the terror attack - says thanks to

Tonight, we're live at a vigil at Manchester Town Hall to remember

We'll speak to one MP who saw the terrorist shot in front of her.

Deeply remorseful - the vicar who stole thousands

from the church and spent it on books and booze.

Four out of five of the worst areas for bed blocking

are in the North West, because of a crisis in social care.

And a life on the water - a call for volunteers to help

"A massive thank you to the emergency services and to everyone

Those were the words of student Travis Frain from Darwen, who got

caught up in yesterday's terrorist attack in Westminster.

Across the region, people post in silence for those caught up in the

horrific events. And tonight, a vigil's

been organised in As darkness falls at this evening,

Manchester town Hall is let up in the red white and blue of the union

flag. A little earlier this evening, in the last half-hour, people came

here for a vigil to mark what happened yesterday, to pause to

remember those who died in the event yesterday in London. As well as

being an act of remembrance, I think in some ways this was an act too of

defiance will up as people try to send out a message that life will go

on. They will not be intimidated by that act of terror in the capital

yesterday. He went to Westminster to learn

about Parliament and its history, he left on a stretcher. 19-year-old

Travis Frain from Darwen, a student on a University trip and among those

home were hurt in one of the darkest days in history at this place.

They run the rage, and he showed me exactly where they had been.

Clearly, he's not well, that he's dealing with it. He is as cheerful

as he can be. Today, Travis Frain said...

Also injured, 18-year-old Alan Lambert. He was also on the Edge

Hill University trip. At the camp is here, students were offered

counselling as they returned. They just went to London to go to

the Houses of Parliament, these are unprecedented circumstances. But

Travis and all the other students are very upbeat. Obviously, they

will be in various states of shock, and they will be traumatised by the

things they've scene. Remembering those who didn't

survive. At police stations, this sort for silence. While flags were

lowered for a collie, killed doing his job. And Manchester Town Hall,

many people signed their names in a show of solidarity. One message

saying, we have the north south divide, but we are all divided's all

united in this. It is incredible how a life can be

taken. It is so nice that everyone has come together, paid their

respects, from different cities, even like Paris, all over the world.

It is just really hate that it is such a tragic, tragic events that

happened yesterday. These men were among the hundreds in

Parliament during the security lockdown. Despite watching events

unfold before then yesterday, the enormity is only now hitting them.

Was people on the floor, climbing on top of each other.

He was directing people away from the situation, but he was going

head-on into that situation to try and slow the man with a knife down

at the cost of his life. If he had got over that barrier, he

was 50 feet away from MPs and had a weapon.

Among those who were here for the Virtual a little earlier this

evening, a number of police officers who stood silently, remembering

their colleague in London who was killed yesterday. Ronnie security

point of view, what greater matter to police had been saying today is

that they are continuing to review their deployments, taking all

reasonable steps to keep people safe. They want to stress there is

no specific intelligence suggesting an attack is imminent in the region.

Our MPs went back into the Commons today determined not to let

terrorism get in the way of democracy. They packed the green

pensions and one by one pay tribute to those who lost their lives.

We always know that the police keep us safe.

But yesterday, in the most shocking of ways, we saw how

The police who protect us are one of us.

We shall now observe a minute's silence.

PC Keith Palmer died defending the values of,

as the Prime Minister put it, free people everywhere.

And isn't the proper response, over the coming days,

as more facts emerge, that we stand firm with

those selfsame values of free people everywhere.

A specific word of praise for the staff at the House

of Commons nursery for their actions yesterday.

They looked after all the children in some very

difficult circumstances, all the time keeping in touch

I was in the nursery during the lockdown,

and their courage and care and steadfastness was exemplary

The most important people today are the families of those victims.

It really is an important message that has come

from people like Brendan Cox, who lost Jo last year,

I'm joined now by Liverpool Riverside MP Louise Ellman,

who was caught up in yesterday's events.

Good evening, thank you for joining us. Let's start with your own

experience yesterday, where were you and what did you see?

I was in the Parliamentary grounds on my way to vote going from my

office to the House of Commons. As I walked along, I realised something

was happening outside. I wondered if it was a demonstration, sometimes

our demonstrations at that point. I realised it was something different,

there was an eerie silence and then shouting. Suddenly, and man, a man

and I know he was the terrace, burst through the gate and started to run

down the pathway inside the parliamentary grounds towards

Westminster Hall and where the MPs were walking along. And he was shot

dead by police officer at the side. And I heard those gunshots rang out.

I've never heard or seen that before. It's really very shocking.

At that point, I didn't know that PC Palmer had been murdered. I didn't

note that people had been mown down. I knew something was very wrong, I

have always been aware that Parliament is a prime target for

terrorists. Yesterday it happened because of the action -- because of

the action of the police and security services more lives were

saved. But firstly there are people who lost lives and are seriously

injured. Miniature bees are being paid to PC

keep am today, he really did sacrifice his life to save those MPs

in Parliament. -- many tributes had been paid to PC Keith Palmer today.

It is that these times that you realise how people put their lives

on the line to help serve the community and protect people. It's

sobering thoughts, and has left all of us feeling very socked and

grateful for the terrific work done by the police and security services.

It does seem, from what we've heard in the last 24 hours, security at

Parliament is focused outside the building, which makes you think that

if this man had got inside, he could have run a mock, couldn't he?

Armed police are around inside the parliament all the time. As has

become increasingly the case in recent months. There is security

inside as well. I'm sure this will later another look at security, but

I don't think today's the time to talk about that. I think the police

and security services behaved admirably and protecting people in

Parliament. And it's so tragic and terrible that the police and members

of the public lost their lives in this horrendous way, through an act

of terrorism. They give very much for joining us

tonight. -- thank you very much. Another man who was caught up in the

attack was this man, joining as from Westminster. I know you were there

when events unfolded, where exactly where you?

I was just going into votes, and a police officer approached me and

said that shots had been fired, so we then did what we were all told

her, which was to not go wandering around and to stay safe in the

centre. I believe you were ushered out at

gunpoint? Was the initial incident had

happened, the police had a very challenging task, which is to

systematically clear the House of Commons and the House of Lords for

any potential of the suspects. At first when it happens, no longer

sure whether there was one of. You have to base your actions on a

precautionary visible, so they had to go through areas that were

unclear, they did the professional duty, using their weapons, to make

sure they had people walking identified is themselves and cleared

us to say surgeons. I know you've been in the military

yourself, this must have been an extremely difficult and worrying

time? I think it's very worrying for

everybody. It's always the unknown that makes people worried and

frightened. No matter how much training you have, in an incident

like that, it doesn't matter. What was really important is that the

police and security services said about dealing with the incident and

immediately tried to stop any further danger. All the things that

went on around Parliament were all fundamentally designed to make sure

we all felt safer and could be assured that the Gordon and area we

were all in were cleared of any future threat. That's the main

thing, to stamp out the unknown as soon as possible, and then try,

through the media and everyone else, to get people to realise there is a

plan in action, designed to not only follow up on the incidence, but also

to make sure we continue to be safe. I know you have been involved in

Cobra meetings, PC Palmer was not armed, and he was on that date in

particular. Is that likely to be reviewed now?

We all -- always keep security under review, these are very iconic

targets. They have been targeted before, and, of course, we see every

keep it under review. At 12:30pm that day, I was with the

Parliamentary security officer in Parliament, discussing what more we

could do to protect MPs and their staff, both at home or indeed on the

paramilitary estate. So we always make sure we do our best to keep

people safe. We will learn the lessons from this, is there are

lessons to be learned. What's reveal button at the moment is that we

recognise that right now, the police and intelligence services are

trained to pursue anyone else who may be connected, making sure that

anyone as he poses a threat are monitored, or that we check up on

them. So that we can get on with that job of the immediate safety

requirements, up and down the whole United Kingdom. This is not just

about London, this is making sure that everyone is safe all of the

country. Thank you very much.

The prospect of a new stadium for Everton Football Club has

moved a couple of steps closer this evening.

The club has confirmed they've reached an agreement

to buy a plot of land on Liverpool's famous waterfront.

And in co-operation with the City Council have come up

The stadium will cost an estimated ?300m pounds to build.

The Labour Party has announced Afzal Khan

for the Manchester Gorton by-election.

The by-election comes after death of long-serving

A former Anglican vicar from Liverpool who stole more

than ?100,000 from the church has been spared jail.

Michael Fry spent the money on alcohol, books and travel.

But a judge today said the good Fry does in society outweighs

the harm he did by stealing, and she gave him a suspended

Our Merseyside reporter Andy Gill was in court.

Over an eight-year period until 2013, Michael Fry kept

the fees from more than 1000 funerals that

he should have passed to the Liverpool diocese.

He also misled his bosses about the number of funerals

Fry worked out of a number of city centre churches,

The court heard that initially the church was relaxed

about his financial returns, given the expectation of honesty

But today the Archdeacon described this scale

How much damage do you think this case has done to

Difficult to assess, but when this happens,

with a clergy person failing to maintain that level of trust,

there can be a knock-on effect within the clergy.

I guess it will make other clergy feel vulnerable,

Michael Fry was also the chaplain of Liverpool Women's Hospital.

The court heard he spent the money on drink, books and travel.

What did you think personally, as a senior figure in the church,

when you heard about what Michael Fry had been doing?

I felt immensely sad and let down, to be honest.

But I know Michael, I know the demons that he's fought against.

When the thefts were discovered, Fry resigned

Today, a judge said his offences were an enormous breach of trust,

but he was also very caring and compassionate individual

who continued to volunteer with the homeless.

The judge said there comes a time in a man's life

where he's entitled to say, measure the good I have done

In this case, the good outweighs the harm.

She sentenced Michael Fry to 20 months in jail,

Bed blocking is worse in Cumbria than anywhere else in the country.

If you're in hospital there, you're more likely to be stuck

waiting for social care to be organised at home.

BBC figures show four of the top-five problem areas

The others are Trafford, Tameside and Stockport.

Our health correspondent Gill Dummigan has spent

We're discount to do some exercises. Preparing for life after hospital.

This is a new scheme to get patients that go home.

Each exercise is designed for either helping to reach into cupboards,

washing, having them get dressed. We help them get out of a chair, it's

all about independent living. This is Cumbria's main hospital.

Over the past year they've register raft of measures to help patients

move on. This is one of those measures just as she spends a day

liaising with care homes, social workers, the people can get the

right care packages together. But sometimes that takes a long time.

It can take up to six minutes to get into a specialist units,

particularly behavioural unit for someone with signs of dementia.

To select someone in this hospital for up to six months really

shouldn't be here? Yeah. And they can become well again

and unwell again, because they're in a hospital where there's obviously,

viruses and other things because people are ill.

Today, 35 beds are occupied by people they should be somewhat else

- around 10% of the total.

We have new patients coming in, we're full, and we can't but those

patients into the right beds in the way that we would want it.

Eventually, it works back to a any that we have full at Edinburgh

departments and we don't have anyone else.

We wanted as Cumbria County Council why the problem was so acute ear,

but I could they do want to look to us. But this and a list of the steps

they are taking to improve the situation. As well as working with

care homes to increase capacity. They point to a increasingly ageing

population, but that is hardly unique to Cumbria and doesn't

explain with a figure so high. In Lancashire, for example, it is six

times lower than that. When health expert says part of it could be the

differences in the way some areas record figures.

Actually, some of the ways that people get recorders delayed as the

tip of the iceberg, and there are many more people held up on wards

are not necessarily recorded. Two men at get necessarily the same

picture in two areas where the underlying situation is actually

quite similar. Meanwhile, the Hospital Trust is

getting ever more inventive. It's paying for 12 beds in this nursing

home. 95-year-old Muriel, who is waiting for a care package, city

likes it here, but it's time to leave.

I'm contained in this room, but I'm ready to go now.

If you like messing about on the water,

The Canal And River Trust is looking for volunteers to help run

And it's not just about lock keeping - as our Cheshire reporter

In this case, the Shropshire Union Canal at Audlem, in Cheshire.

We're currently at Moss Hall, bottom of the Audlem flight.

There's 15 locks in just three quarters of a mile

here the Shropshire Union Canal at Audlem.

So with the amount of time and effort involved navigating those,

Normally, single-handedly, it would take me about 4.5 hours.

But with the volunteers, you can do it in two hours easily.

Fresh air, exercise and camaraderie - these volunteer lock keepers get

the benefit of them all, in one of the region's most

Meet the boaters, have a banter, same with walkers and

It's far cheaper than a gym subscription, believe me.

The trust says it needs volunteers of all types,

We've got visitors from all over the world that visit our canal

network, and to have that local knowledge and welcoming

face and that friendly, helping hand through the locks

flights in the summer, when it's really busy,

is something that we really can't do without now.

So, if you want to keep Thomas Telford's masterpiece moving,

or indeed any of the others, the trust says it needs you.

Cheaper than a gym membership, can't be bad. If you get the weather for

it. Good link. Diane! What a nice day, we thought the

weather will change, and on cue it did. A slow start to the weather

today, it our Weather Watchers' pictures have captured this. The

wind direction wasn't favourable for us and has been quite strong, say

chill in the air. So our numbers got close to double figures, I do think

it will get warmer through the next few days as the wind eases down. It

is about the area of high pressure that I showed you, settling down,

killing off the showers. Through the next couple of hours, it's dry and

player, heading towards the early hours, little bits of cloud floating

around, and the wind easing down as we head towards the early hours.

Overnight temperatures around 4 degrees. Into tomorrow, the sun is

up at 6:0 one. You'll enjoyed the sunshine for about 12 hours

tomorrow. You will see it are interrupted at places. While the

wind direction is the same as today, it's much lighter. Sancho will have

more value, it'll feel more pleasant overall. Temperatures are around 12

degrees, quite likely during the day. Through the night over the

weekends will be a bit of the issue, the days will see temperatures in

the low teens, but the Knights could struggle. Quite cold and sharp all

the way through the weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, those numbers

aren't too bad at all. 13 and 14 degrees, quite nice.

We mustn't forget, of course, the clocks go for it.

Don't do it the other way. Weedy keeping me company tonight?

Yes, ideal asking? Have a lovely evening, bye-bye.