04/04/2017 North West Tonight

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

Another month, another graphene breakthrough,

as Manchester scientists find a way to purify sea water.

billions of people to get clean drinking water.

A priest goes on trial accused of abusing a boy

Setting the standard for green roads.

The new bypass putting Badger, Ratty and friends in the driving seat.

She has been Manchester's only female statue for over

a century but Queen Victoria is about to get some

A priest has gone on trial today accused of abusing a boy

at a Catholic seminary in Lancashire almost 40 years ago.

Liverpool Crown Court heard Father Michael Higginbottom,

who's now 74, breached his position of trust in a horrific way.

Father Michael Higginbotham arriving for the start

of his trial this morning, a man who the prosecution alleges

had been in a position of trust and had breached that trust

He had been a priest and teacher at St Joseph's Roman Catholic

From the late 1800s until the early 1990s, this now disused building

had educated boys aged between 11 and 18.

Many including the alleged victim had aspirations of becoming priests.

But, the court was told, it quickly became a cold and dark,

forbidding place for him where he suffered mental,

The abuse he said began shortly after he arrived at St Joseph's

and in the private quarters of Father Higginbotham.

Asked how many times he had been abused, he replied, a lot.

After six months, and desperate to leave the seminary,

He told police he was deliberately caught with it.

He was subsequently expelled and says he ran to meet his parents

He first revealed the allegations to a friend in 2013 who encouraged

Asked today why he had never spoken of the experiences before this,

he replied, "I'd spent a lifetime trying to cover this up,

I'd never even talked about it to my wife,

Father Higginbotham was arrestedat his home in Newcastle in 2015.

The courts heard he'd told police he did not remember the alleged

victim and that the allegations were total lies.

He denies eight counts of sexual abuse as the trial

Tonight, a scientific first, developed

here in the north-west, which could provide clean

drinking water for millions of people around the world.

Researchers at Manchester University have come up with a new way

of turning sea water into drinking water using a special sieve

They say it could be cheaper and more efficient than existing

And it's all down to the so-called wonder material graphene

Here's our chief reporter Dave Guest.

The journey of this wonder material began in 2004.

That's when Manchester-based scientists Andre Gime

and Kostya Novoselof worked out how to extract graphene from graphite.

It's an ultra-light, ultra-thin but extremely tough

material which is set to revolutionise everything

from light bulbs to mobile phones to aeroplanes.

The Government reckons the global graphene market could be

worth around $390 million within the next few years.

That's why it invested in the Graphene Institute

Here, they're developing ways of using the material,

and their latest breakthrough involves something

It's something many of us take for granted.

But in some parts of the world, water is a rare commodity.

Yet vast areas of our planet are covered by it.

Now, scientists in Manchester believe they've found a cheaper

and simpler way of turning sea water into drinking water.

It involves using a filter made from graphene,

It's 200 times thinner than a human hair.

The method of extracting it from graphite was pioneered in Manchester

Now, they've discovered its value for filtering water.

What we do basically is we deposit the graphene on top of this polymer.

We put this membrane here and we apply, fill with water

You see the sea water has been squeezed through the membrane

That is perfectly clean, drinkable water.

It is a method of desalination using graphene membranes

is quicker and easier, and less energy for this process.

Faster, cheaper and more energy-efficient.

We should work closely with the industries and make sure

this product is viable for commercial applications.

Water filtration is just one idea they are working

on at the Manchester Graphene Institute.

Although the process of extracting graphene

was discovered in Manchester, that process is being

What they are now working on here is applications,

uses for that material, and developing ways it can

be used commercially so that the UK can fully benefit

And they want to keep Manchester ahead of the game when it comes

to finding uses for the material that was first extracted here.

Dr Aravind Vijayaraghavan is an expert and researcher in graphene

at the University Of Manchester and joins us now.

Thank you for coming in. The point there was this was a

revolution in idea started in Manchester.

How with it being replicated across the world, how can and the UK double

benefit from this? The best thing you can do is try to

work with people who will actually manufacture it on a large scale. The

research we do in the lab is very much basic, we try to understand the

properties of the material. What we need is to translate that into an

application. We can't do that in the laboratory. We need to work with the

manufacturers and end users as early as possible.

What is the timescale? You have this series which is small, you need to

make it big to work across the world.

If you are talking about the filtration, yes, you need to

increase the amount of water to get through, the throughput, the amount

of filter you can produce, you need to test the long-term stability.

Lots of engineering challenges to overcome. Integrate that into filter

systems, you need the pot and everything around it, not just the

filter. It is hard to predict how long it will take. You need to make

this cheap enough to be viable. That is a question we don't have an

answer to, whether it will compete on an economic level.

We have done lots of stories about this and we hear about the amazing

revolutionary ways it can be used. But how much is it actually being

used at the moment? There isn't really anything you can

buy. There is a tennis racket. Which contains a bit of graphene. But it

is not really a mass-market application.

That will take some time. We are seeing a lot of prototypes. Working

with 50 companies right now at Manchester, hundreds of companies

around the world, producing prototypes and comparing it with

existing technology, evaluating the potential in technology that doesn't

exist today. Again, going from a prototype which

we know works, to manufacturing and selling it in a commercial manner,

we shall see. Briefly, can you give us a scoop,

but is the next big thing you are working on?

There is a lot of exciting things, biomedical aspects of grapheme,

significantly longer term, which has picked up in recent years, drug

delivery, detecting biological molecules and diseases. That could

be a big thing and make a huge impact.

Fascinating nonetheless. A court's heard that an "insatiable

gambler" spent nearly ?180,000 in a casino days

after murdering his wealthy friend and dumping his dismembered

body by the roadside. The torso of 36-year-old Yang Liu,

from Salford, was found in a suitcase just off

the Woodhead Pass at Tintwistle Ming Jiang, from Beswick

in Manchester, denies murder. Japanese giant Toshiba is to take

over the company planning to build the new Moorside nuclear power

station at Sellafield in Cumbria. Toshiba already owns 60% of Nugen

but will now buy the remaining 40% after its partner Engie decided

to pull out of the ?10 Doubts had been cast

on the project recently after Toshiba's nuclear arm,

Westinghouse, filed for bankruptcy in the USA, but the Government now

believes the project Lancashire-based BAe systems has

slammed a ?360,000 compensation payout to one of its secretaries

over a "single sexist comment" When she complained she'd been

bullied, Marion Konczak was told by a manager,

"Women take things more BAe are now asking London's Appeal

Court to slash her award, Police in Lancashire say they'll

have to spend an extra ?450,000 a month due to an increase

in activity from The force says it's having to place

more officers at the site on Preston New Road,

as protests are increasing. In a month's time voters

in Greater Manchester and the Liverpool city region

will go to the polls But what are the issues

they will face? Our political editor Nina Warhurst

has been to Bolton to find out. Welcome to Bolton where in just over

four weeks along with Greater Manchester's nine other boroughs

they will be heading to the polls. We thought we would

come here to find out what people want

from Greater Manchester's What would you like

to see a mayor do for A lot of upgrading,

things like pavements, Because I come from

a minority community. Do you feel you are targeted

because you are from a minority Because I work at night, when I come

back, I get a lot of comments Cutting down on home care times,

visits for elderly people, yes, it is important they get the time

they need to be looked after You feel you have

been short-changed? They advised I should be

getting my pension at 63 and a half. I would like the mayor are in some

areas in Bolton, like later. What would you like to see a air

change in Bolton? I've lived here all my life, it is

perfect. It doesn't need improvement!

It could do more for kids. Other than that, it is fine.

That is my opinion. So Bolton is fine as it is. I think

so, yes, I have listed all my life and I love yes.

-- I love it, yes. what would you like to see

the now do? The same thing a Mayor

for London does. Create a powerhouse for the north,

something that can help So, a few small requests

from the people of Bolton. And this is just one

of the ten boroughs. Whoever Greater Manchester's

new mayor is, we wish A month today in Greater Manchester

and in the Liverpool City Region, next week we will be there finding

out what people think about their prospects.

Why a new bypass in Cheshire is regarded

The winning statue design to remember the suffragette

She will be here in 2019 back on Manchester's streets.

Calling women to rise up, use their vote,

You might remember that last September, five

museums in Lancashire had to close their doors when funding

was withdrawn as part of county council budget savings.

Well, next week, one of them, Fleetwood Museum, will reopen

after the local community rallied round to save it.

A time for celebration in Fleetwood perhaps.

But the future of the remaining four is still in doubt.

Preparations are underway for the Good Friday

reopening of Fleetwood Museum and the volunteers

If the museum was to close, the fishing industry would be

Fleetwood is one of five museums to have Lancashire County Council

funding withdrawn as it struggled to make huge budget savings.

The passion of volunteers might have come to

nothing but for the financial backing offered by Fleetwood Town

Without council backing, is there any way you think that this

It is not just down to people, it has to involve

There is little cause for celebration for the other museums

-- Helmshore in Rossendale and Queen Street in Burnley had

been hoping English Heritage will take them on as key historic sites.

It has just informed them there is a new charity taking

a new conservation programme, they are not

in a position to take on the costs of running the mills.

But talks are still underway with other potential

I am absolutely sure one day we will find

a partner, no matter how long it takes, a new partner.

The county council says negotiations also

continue with parties over the

future of the Museum of Lancashire and Preston,

and the Judges Lodgings Museum in Lancashire.

A new road between two of the region's motorways has made

life easier for motorists in Cheshire, and it's hoped

the project will have a huge impact on local wildlife too.

The A556 link road connects the M6 with the M56 but Highways England

say it's also the greenest road they've ever built.

Naomi Cornwell's been to find out why.

This new route through Cheshire is already being used by over

It has made a significant difference, we have had lots of

positive feedback from customers, people on Facebook saying it says up

to 20 minutes on their journey. One gentleman said he liked it so much

he turned around and went back again!

It replaces the existing A556

And bypassing the areas of Tabley, Mere and Buckley Hill.

It hasn't just been built with motorists in mind.

Highways England said they have spent an extra ?1.2 million to

minimise its impact on the environment. They are trying to

think about the animals they save here. It is a big difference, they

have been using this landscape for hundreds of years. We have developed

a fence to help the low-flying that is to lift them high so they fly

over the road and not within the collision zone off the road itself.

17 football pitches of shrubs and trees, 230 mature trees. A lot of

investment has gone in to keep our impact on the moment to a minimum.

In terms of the badgers, Cheshire is a good place for them. There have

been occasions where we have had to exclude badgers but we have created

a new home for them. They can be temper mental and don't often use

what you create but here they are using them within six months of it

being built. The old road is now being turned

into a B road creating room for a new route for walkers, cyclists and

horse riders. Naomi Cornwell, BBC

North West Tonight, near Altrincham. Any new road, they are trying to set

their best time. There is always one racing...

You haven't tried it, of course you wouldn't.

15th in the league, Burnley will want to get get back to winning

ways when they host Stoke City at Turf Moor.

While Manchester United will be keen to close the gap on a top four

position when they face Everton at Old Trafford.

Liverpool's Sadio Mane will miss tomorrow's match with Bournemouth

after suffering a knee injury in Saturday's home

Jurgen Klopp has said it's "possible" he could be ruled out

for the rest of the Premier League season

You properly recognise this golf course, in Augusta.

behind some of Europe's best golfers like Rory McIlroy and Open

He's putting guru Phil Kenyan who coaches a host of top stars.

A skill that has bamboozled even the best of golfers.

But when it comes off, it can be priceless.

In just a few months' time, the world's best golfers will be

here for the Open at Royal Birkdale, but what you may not know,

is that plenty of them have been in the area already.

Rory McIlroy among others has visited this Southport studio

It's nice to be able to feel like you've helped in a small way,

And weeks after teaming up with Phil, Rory McIlroy won

You could see just spending, half a day with Rory

that he was very talented and to be able to tell your grandchildren that

you worked with the likes of an Open Championship winner,

This is serious science with five cameras, three computers

On average the club is only 2 degrees open.

Talented teenager Tom is today's visitor but Phil

coaches high handicappers as well as high-flying

It is the same process with any golfer, analysis, objective data,

get to work practically. He will spend most of the spring

in the States working with players My mum watches the TV every weekend

and she'll send me a message, passing on tips and advice,

when she sees the odd missed putt. And she is a good putter,

is she, your mum? Probably the worst putter

that I've ever met. But she doesn't take much

advice from her son. But thankfully plenty of those

tackling the trickiest greens in the game at Augusta this week,

will be listening to Stewart Pollitt, BBC

North West Today. She's one of Manchester's

most famous females. Emmeline Pankhurst was one

of the founders of the suffragette movement and played a crucial part

in helping women get the vote. She will soon be remembered

with a statue in St Peter's Square, the first of a woman in the city

in over a century. Today, the winning

design was unveiled. When it comes to statues and

Manchester, there's a common theme. Of the 17 staring down

at us in the city's streets and squares,

16 are of men. The exception is this lady put up in

1901, 116 years ago. There should be more female statues

in Manchester. I come from a culture where men are

more than women. That is your culture, I am shocked for you.

But this lady will go a small way to change that.

The winning design unveiled today for a statue of celebrated

suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst.

Having a coffee with a friend of mine, in the sculpture hall, she

said, these oral men, were other women. So if I had something to do

about this, I said I will. Women of Britain, you have nothing

to lose but your chains. Emmeline's famous slogan,

was words, not deeds. Born in 1858 in Moss Side,

to many she symbolises the struggle women made at the start

of the 20th century. The first suffragette

meeting was held here As the suffragettes became more

militant, she was arrested six times and staged the first

prison hunger strike. For the artist who will

now immortalise her, The suffragettes won the streets

ringing bells, summoning people from their home to come and listen to her

speak. Only five feet tall. A check is brought as a makeshift Bostrom.

As an artist it is important to celebrate the lives and stories of

the struggles for social justice and women's rights.

Emmeline's statue will be unveiled in 2019.

But first, ?300,000 must be raised to fund it.

Securing her legacy in the city where she fought so hard for women -

Abbie Jones, BBC North West Tonight, Manchester.

Very good, isn't it? A lovely statue. Perhaps we should have got

the same person who did Cristiano Ronaldo to do it!

Unbelievable. How are you?

Really well, thank you. The week was pretty good, we started on a good

note. Weather watcher pictures from Blackpool with beautiful blue skies.

Our live camera showing cloud cover rolling in. On the edge, we have a

big Frieder creeping across the lens. You might not enjoy seeing it.

As we head towards the Grand National meeting, high pressure is

in charge. Things will be very settled. The weather fronts largely

staying out of the way. Daytime temperatures, following the isobars,

in a north-westerly airflow which is never so warm, around low teens, 12

degrees, and the nights generally made single figures. Largely dry

over the next couple of days. As we speak, a little bit of cloud is

about. We will see more pushing in overnight. The first part of the

night relatively clear, then cloud pushes in everywhere. And a tiny

spot of drizzle. That will hardly dampen the ground only over the

highest levels. The numbers are not too bad, up to 8 degrees, cooler

than last night. Tomorrow, the sun is up at 6:32am. A fairly cloudy

start. Outbreaks of drizzle over the highest levels. Today improved

quickly once we got to lunchtime, the picture was dramatically

different. Tomorrow is a slow burner, taking time for the cloud to

break. Brighter skies will come through. Again, 60 miles an hour, --

60 miles an hour, taking the age from the sunshine. 11 degrees,

nothing better than that. Tomorrow evening, again, not too much

happening, temperatures up to 8 degrees. For the next couple of

days, largely dry. Saturday, the sunshine comes back

out again. And let us go back to your friends

on the camera. A tarantula on the window! I think it is a money

spider. Just the lens. It looks enormous. You are getting

so much pleasure from that. Have a lovely evening. Goodbye.