:00:00. > :00:00.and on BBC One we now join the BBC's news teams where you are.
:00:00. > :00:07.Welcome to North West Tonight with Beccy Barr and Roger Johnson.
:00:08. > :00:13.A witness to the killing of aid worker Khuram Shaikh in Sri Lanka,
:00:14. > :00:20.We'll have the latest on the inquest into the doctor's killing.
:00:21. > :00:26.Four weeks on from a huge gas blast in Wirral,
:00:27. > :00:27.residents say they're still being affected
:00:28. > :00:40.I am very traumatised inside, I am having emotional flashbacks.
:00:41. > :00:43.A lucky bride who managed to salvage her dress
:00:44. > :00:50.Lancashire's lost garden reveals the treasures hidden
:00:51. > :01:06.A witness to the killing of a Rochdale man on holiday
:01:07. > :01:11.in Sri Lanka six years ago has given evidence for the first time,
:01:12. > :01:14.telling officials that the attackers had insulted and groped female
:01:15. > :01:16.holidaymakers earlier in the evening.
:01:17. > :01:18.Khuram Shaikh was at a party with his girlfriend
:01:19. > :01:21.when he was attacked on Christmas Day in 2011.
:01:22. > :01:22.Four men were convicted of his murder.
:01:23. > :01:34.Stuart, this is new information on the killing, isn't it?
:01:35. > :01:41.There are a number of key witnesses who did not give evidence at the
:01:42. > :01:44.trial of the men responsible for Mr Shaikh sets death either because
:01:45. > :01:52.they were not invited or did not want to. One was a Canadian
:01:53. > :01:57.holiday-maker who saw quite a lot of what happened, his story has been
:01:58. > :02:01.told for the first time in court. Khuram Shaikh was a worker for the
:02:02. > :02:05.Red Cross on the Gaza Strip and he went to Sri Lanka with his Russian
:02:06. > :02:12.girlfriend for a holiday at Christmas time. It was at a party in
:02:13. > :02:16.2011 he intervened when he saw a member of the hotel staff being
:02:17. > :02:22.beaten up by a group of local men. They turned on him, he was shot,
:02:23. > :02:26.stabbed more than 40 times with broken bottles, and he died from his
:02:27. > :02:31.injuries. His girlfriend was attacked, she was braked but she
:02:32. > :02:35.survived. The evidence throws new light on what may have led up to the
:02:36. > :02:41.incident. What did he tell the court? He
:02:42. > :02:46.wasn't speaking from Canada via Skype and he revealed his wife and
:02:47. > :02:50.other female members of his party had commented earlier in the evening
:02:51. > :02:57.how this group of men including the four men convicted in 2014 of Mr
:02:58. > :03:04.Shaikh's killing, how they had been very insulting to female
:03:05. > :03:13.holiday-makers, groping the women. When Mr Shaikh was attacked and his
:03:14. > :03:17.girlfriend, it was as if they were targeting him suggesting maybe he
:03:18. > :03:21.had had words with these men earlier in the evening. Mr Tewkesbury when
:03:22. > :03:25.he heard the gunshots were treated to his hotel room and broke down in
:03:26. > :03:30.tears as he gave evidence about what he saw from the balcony, he saw the
:03:31. > :03:34.girlfriend of Mr Shaikh being chased around the swimming pool, attacked
:03:35. > :03:40.with broken glass. Regular viewers will remember this
:03:41. > :03:46.case, it took a long time for Khuram Shaikh's family to get justice. When
:03:47. > :03:49.this is there likely to be a verdict to this inquest?
:03:50. > :03:52.It has been going on all day because of this evidence from Canada via
:03:53. > :03:57.Skype, The Times of its means they have not been able to give evidence
:03:58. > :04:04.and till late. There are never two more evidence -- Witnesses from
:04:05. > :04:06.Canada giving evidence. The verdict is likely to be heard at seven
:04:07. > :04:08.o'clock. Nearly four weeks on from a huge
:04:09. > :04:11.gas blast in Wirral, residents say they're
:04:12. > :04:12.still being affected Two people were hospitalised
:04:13. > :04:16.and dozens of homes and businesses damaged by the explosion
:04:17. > :04:18.in New Ferry. It's also emerged that
:04:19. > :04:20.the incident might not qualify for regeneration funds
:04:21. > :04:23.from central government. But the council and the local MP
:04:24. > :04:26.say they'll lobby hard Nearly a month on, and the scale
:04:27. > :04:35.of the devastation becomes Roof tiles scattered like a badly
:04:36. > :04:42.shuffled deck of cards. And dozens of families
:04:43. > :04:45.unable to return home. Christopher Lee Power
:04:46. > :04:47.was on his sofa when the blast His house is uninhabitable
:04:48. > :04:59.and all his furniture a write-off. Four weeks on, when I walk past
:05:00. > :05:07.a shop or a building, I run. The reason for that, psychologically
:05:08. > :05:10.I'm thinking that it is going to explode so I'm very traumatic
:05:11. > :05:13.and having an emotional Sometimes when I am lying in bed,
:05:14. > :05:31.we have a property at the moment, so I'm thinking at night
:05:32. > :05:33.what if that Wirral Council says it's
:05:34. > :05:37.helped 31 families to find But Amanda Knox and her 80-year-old
:05:38. > :05:40.mother and three children The council says it's
:05:41. > :05:44.spoken to her about five But Amanda, who wants something
:05:45. > :05:47.she thinks is suitable for her family, says
:05:48. > :05:49.that's "simply not true". I felt that there would be some help
:05:50. > :05:55.available for people like us. I'm aware we are not
:05:56. > :05:57.the only family displaced. I'm disappointed that people
:05:58. > :06:03.have not been in touch, although I know they are saying
:06:04. > :06:06.they have been but we have been An inquiry into the cause
:06:07. > :06:13.of the explosion is continuing. Today, the Government said
:06:14. > :06:16.the incident might not qualify Wirral Council and local MP
:06:17. > :06:26.say while there's no it's important it puts forward
:06:27. > :06:37.the most compelling case possible. There is nobody available to take
:06:38. > :06:42.decisions whilst a general election is going on. But I will be making it
:06:43. > :06:46.absolutely clear that regeneration must be a priority.
:06:47. > :06:49.The properties which took the brunt of the blast are so badly damaged
:06:50. > :06:56.they might well have to be demolished completely.
:06:57. > :07:04.-- Some of the homes which are less badly damaged
:07:05. > :07:09.Andy Gill, BBC North West Tonight, New Ferry.
:07:10. > :07:11.Police are appealing for help to trace a man
:07:12. > :07:14.after a couple were kidnapped at gun point in Wigan.
:07:15. > :07:16.Andrew Evans from Golborne is wanted for robbery and kidnap.
:07:17. > :07:20.It follows an incident last month in which a man armed with a gun
:07:21. > :07:22.and a knife forced his way into the home of a couple
:07:23. > :07:25.in their late 70s and demanded they drive to a cash machine
:07:26. > :07:29.An investigation's underway into the cause of a huge fire
:07:30. > :07:32.15 crews were sent to Tan House Lane yesterday
:07:33. > :07:34.evening and fire fighters were there throughout the night.
:07:35. > :07:36.The building contained plastic and cardboard
:07:37. > :07:39.causing a large plume of black smoke which could be seen for miles.
:07:40. > :07:45.People living nearby were advised to keep windows and doors closed.
:07:46. > :07:47.A convoy of vintage steam engines has been taking
:07:48. > :07:51.They're touring the island as part of the Festival Of Steam.
:07:52. > :07:54.The engines made an 1800-foot hill climb to travel over
:07:55. > :07:58.the mountain section of the TT race circuit.
:07:59. > :08:00.The Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron has launched his party's
:08:01. > :08:04.general election campain in Manchester today claiming both
:08:05. > :08:07.the Conservatives and Labour should be worried in this region.
:08:08. > :08:10.The Cumbrian MP says they're intent on winning back the four seats
:08:11. > :08:26.To say the Lib Dems are excited about this election would be
:08:27. > :08:35.Almost wiped out two years ago after going into coalition
:08:36. > :08:37.with the Conservatives and breaking their manifesto
:08:38. > :08:39.promise on tuition fees, the leader is talking up the chances
:08:40. > :08:48.The Lib Dems are the only clear opposition giving a clear
:08:49. > :08:54.alternative to the British people in greater Manchester, and the country.
:08:55. > :08:54.It is an opportunity to change our future.
:08:55. > :09:01.And at number 60 on their list, Manchester, Withington,
:09:02. > :09:07.where John Leech lost out after ten years as MP.
:09:08. > :09:13.People wanted to give the Lib Dems a kicking, to punish us for having
:09:14. > :09:17.been in coalition with the Conservatives. But now people want
:09:18. > :09:19.to hear what the Lib Dems have got to say, people are receptive to our
:09:20. > :09:31.messages. Theresa May once a big majority to
:09:32. > :09:35.carry on with bigger cuts to the NHS and schools. Only labour can stop
:09:36. > :09:38.this. We are facing a ?300 million a year
:09:39. > :09:39.cut in our budget. a comeback is on the cards but do
:09:40. > :09:50.the voters agree? They could be. I have always voted
:09:51. > :09:55.Lib Dem. They could get back in. I do not
:09:56. > :09:57.think there was much chance to be honest.
:09:58. > :09:59.Usually I would do Labour, this year I am not sure because of Jeremy
:10:00. > :10:01.Corbyn so I'm thinking Lib Dem. After doing so badly last time,
:10:02. > :10:09.the Lib dems are convinced Kevin Fitzpatrick, BBC
:10:10. > :10:21.North West Tonight, Manchester. More on the first few days
:10:22. > :10:26.of campaigning on this week's Sunday Politics, at the later
:10:27. > :10:28.than usual time of 3.15. Another Lib Dem, John Pugh,
:10:29. > :10:31.will be explaining why he's standing down after 16 years
:10:32. > :10:42.as MP for Southport. The Women's Equality Party candidate
:10:43. > :10:46.hoping to be elected Metro Mayor of Liverpool City Region
:10:47. > :10:49.says her main priority is to improve Tabitha Morton, speaking
:10:50. > :10:51.as she launched her campaign, said she wanted Merseyside to become
:10:52. > :10:54.the country's first area to offer affordable care for all children -
:10:55. > :10:57.from the end of parental leave at nine months until
:10:58. > :11:01.they start school. There is this constant
:11:02. > :11:04.struggle between building And I don't think the two
:11:05. > :11:07.things are separate, The way we do that is make sure
:11:08. > :11:15.women have the opportunities to get into employment and the way we have
:11:16. > :11:19.to do that is to make sure there And you can find a full
:11:20. > :11:33.list of those standing Plenty of politics around at the
:11:34. > :11:36.moment. We have heard from or the metro mayor candidates as they have
:11:37. > :11:41.launched their manifestos. Hundreds of couples are worried
:11:42. > :11:44.their wedding days may be ruined after one of Lancashire's
:11:45. > :11:45.longest-established bridal firms has Dan Kerr Brides has shut
:11:46. > :11:51.both its stores saying it can no longer compete against the internet
:11:52. > :11:53.and bridal warehouses. It's every bride-to-be's
:11:54. > :12:06.worst nightmare. Finding out the shop you've
:12:07. > :12:08.ordered your wedding dress I felt sick, nerves,
:12:09. > :12:16.that horrible feeling you get. We went down to the shop,
:12:17. > :12:20.there was a load of people outside, The shop was empty and the stuff had
:12:21. > :12:28.been liquidated and taken away. A lot of people crying
:12:29. > :12:30.outside the shop. After over 100 years of trading,
:12:31. > :12:33.Dan Kerr has shut up shop Their affairs are now being handled
:12:34. > :12:37.by an insolvency firm in Manchester. Gemma's eight months pregnant
:12:38. > :12:40.and getting married in July. I believe this is the first time
:12:41. > :12:46.you have seen your dress. The first time I have
:12:47. > :12:48.seen my dress, yes. Her dress was completed before
:12:49. > :12:51.Dan Kerr went bust and she was able to pick it up from Robson Kay's
:12:52. > :12:53.warehouse in Manchester I am very excited, looking
:12:54. > :13:00.forward to trying it on, finding a veil and tiara
:13:01. > :13:03.and accessories to match the dress, an experience I won't be getting now
:13:04. > :13:06.from the bridal shop. But not so straightforward
:13:07. > :13:10.for Stephen and his fiancee. She saw her dream
:13:11. > :13:12.dress, tried it on. And we've no idea to be
:13:13. > :13:20.honest what is going on. The dress doesn't exist,
:13:21. > :13:23.it's not been ordered and we've no And she's no idea if she's
:13:24. > :13:34.going to have to pick I've come down today with my mum
:13:35. > :13:39.to pick up some bridesmaids dresses. They should have been three
:13:40. > :13:41.but there are only two. And here at that firm,
:13:42. > :13:45.workers are going through racks and racks of wedding dresses
:13:46. > :13:48.to unite them with their owners. Most people understand
:13:49. > :13:51.it is not our fault and not People are stressed and if everyone
:13:52. > :13:59.thinks that their dress Everything that is at the shops
:14:00. > :14:05.we can deal with very well given just a few more days to get
:14:06. > :14:07.through the sheer numbers. What we can't deal with is
:14:08. > :14:10.the people who have paid deposits, ordered the dresses
:14:11. > :14:12.and the dresses haven't arrived. So, while some are looking
:14:13. > :14:15.forward to their big days, Shabnam Younus-Jewell,
:14:16. > :14:20.BBC North West Tonight, Manchester. Richard's here now
:14:21. > :14:22.with tongiht's sport. And before we look at some
:14:23. > :14:25.Football League ups and downs, it's been that kind of 24 hours
:14:26. > :14:27.for Manchester United United will face the Spanish side
:14:28. > :14:32.Celta Vigo in the semi-finals A team that
:14:33. > :14:37.blows hot and cold. Mid-table in La Liga but they have
:14:38. > :14:39.beaten both Real Madrid As you can see, the Reds
:14:40. > :14:43.will meet either Ajax or Lyon United beat Anderlecht, a fume nervy
:14:44. > :14:56.moments. United took an early lead
:14:57. > :14:58.through Henrikh Mkhitaryan before So the game went
:14:59. > :15:01.into extra time, tied The young striker turned
:15:02. > :15:07.and finished superbly And despite the odd
:15:08. > :15:10.scare United hung on. Zlatan landed awkwardly
:15:11. > :15:19.at the end of normal time. There's been no update from the club
:15:20. > :15:24.today but Jose Mourinho said his initial impression was it
:15:25. > :15:26.could be serious. The striker would
:15:27. > :15:28.certainly be a big miss. He's scored 28 goals
:15:29. > :15:33.so far this season. Let us hope it is not as bad as it
:15:34. > :15:36.looks. And it's definitely a big one
:15:37. > :15:41.for Manchester City on two fronts. While the men take on Arsenal
:15:42. > :15:44.in the FA Cup semifinal on Sunday, tomorrow, City Women host Lyon
:15:45. > :15:47.in the first leg of their Champions Could this be the weekend when both
:15:48. > :16:01.of Manchester City's sides The FA Cup is Pep's last chance
:16:02. > :16:11.of a trophy in his first visit He says his players need the belief
:16:12. > :16:20.that comes with silverware. I say so many times
:16:21. > :16:22.to thtem and they don't It is a lot of strees,
:16:23. > :16:31.a lot of pressure. When you handle that, and you can
:16:32. > :16:35.win, the next time it is easy. Pep is still looking for his first
:16:36. > :16:42.trophy but if City fans want trophies they need to look not
:16:43. > :16:48.at their men's team, they should be They're on the hunt for five
:16:49. > :16:52.trophies in nine months. The biggest of all is
:16:53. > :16:55.the Champions League where Lyon We are highly motivated for the game
:16:56. > :17:01.to get to the final but well aware Because Lyon are leaders
:17:02. > :17:13.of the group and everyone perceives It is a great opportunity
:17:14. > :17:18.for the club and for us as players. We want to compete against
:17:19. > :17:21.the best and get as much I think they will both get
:17:22. > :17:29.one, and the ladies. The women's team I think are doing
:17:30. > :17:34.absolutely wonderful. Last week, the women
:17:35. > :17:36.made it to Wembley Now it's up to the men
:17:37. > :17:40.to match that achievement. Stuart Pollitt, BBC
:17:41. > :17:43.North West Tonight, Manchester. It's crunch-time for a number
:17:44. > :17:46.of our EFL sides this weekend with Championship survival
:17:47. > :17:47.on the minds of both Latics' interim boss Graham Barrow
:17:48. > :17:55.says his side need to win all three of their remaining fixtures to stay
:17:56. > :17:58.up and a look at Second-bottom Wigan
:17:59. > :18:00.are five points from safety Rovers travel to Wolves one place
:18:01. > :18:08.and four points better off Wigan have certainly had
:18:09. > :18:10.more than their fair These were the scenes
:18:11. > :18:16.when the Latics famously stayed This time, despite two wins
:18:17. > :18:21.in their last three matches, But do the fans believe they could
:18:22. > :18:28.upset the odds once again? I don't think they are going
:18:29. > :18:37.to make it, to be honest. An angel might be looking
:18:38. > :18:41.after them, who knows? Five points from safety,
:18:42. > :18:43.the Latics have three tough games against Cardiff,
:18:44. > :18:49.Reading and Leeds. Miracles of this nature just don't
:18:50. > :18:54.happen, just don't happen. I wish they would
:18:55. > :18:56.stay up, obviously. We've signed too many players,
:18:57. > :18:59.23 players this season. Blackburn Rovers' mission to stay up
:19:00. > :19:06.is by no means as difficult. Win on Saturday and they could jump
:19:07. > :19:10.out of the bottom three. Having said that, with only three
:19:11. > :19:13.games to go, they know they simply When you look in the players' eyes,
:19:14. > :19:22.Tony, you what it takes I think collectively
:19:23. > :19:36.as a group I see it, desire, resilience of the group,
:19:37. > :19:39.you have to continue that to stay Rovers are a point from safety
:19:40. > :19:44.and have winnable looking matches against Wolves,
:19:45. > :19:46.Aston Villa and Brentford. With the fixtures you have,
:19:47. > :19:50.the three games, Tony, do you believe you will be
:19:51. > :19:53.a Championship club next season? I genuinely believe we can go
:19:54. > :19:59.into each of these three games After a draw and a victory
:20:00. > :20:03.in their last two matches, Rovers will hope a timely second
:20:04. > :20:14.wind will be enough to keep them up. Former BMX and track world champion
:20:15. > :20:18.Shanaze Reade has retired The 28-year-old from Crewe won
:20:19. > :20:24.back-to-back team sprint titles with Victoria Pendleton in 2007
:20:25. > :20:28.and 2008, also claiming elite BMX gold in both those years,
:20:29. > :20:31.before adding a third BMX She'll now take up an ambassadorial
:20:32. > :20:36.role at British Cycling. BBC Radio Merseyside
:20:37. > :20:39.is your destination for Super League action tonight with all the best
:20:40. > :20:41.coverage from Widnes Vikings' attempts to record a first home win
:20:42. > :20:45.of the season at the expense It's also a big weekend
:20:46. > :20:52.of Challenge Cup action with some intriguing fifth-round ties starting
:20:53. > :20:55.with Leigh-Hull KR tomorrow. Sunday sees a fascinating match
:20:56. > :20:58.between Salford and the sport's new boys and points-scoring machine
:20:59. > :21:00.Toronto, while Swinton visit Oldham and Barrow are also hoping
:21:01. > :21:05.to make it into Tuesday's sixth round draw alongside
:21:06. > :21:18.the Super League big boys. Cricket, the wickets have tumbled on
:21:19. > :21:21.the first day of the season at Emirates Old Trafford, unfortunately
:21:22. > :21:31.Lancashire were bowled out for just 109 against Somerset.
:21:32. > :21:37.The graphics were a bit out of date but we got the numbers from you.
:21:38. > :21:40.Finally from me, keep your eye on what could be a quite amazing
:21:41. > :21:44.Kirkby Lonsdale have already wrapped up their League title weeks ago
:21:45. > :21:47.but if they beat Blackburn tomorrow, it will be 25 games played, 25 wins.
:21:48. > :21:49.However, with 24 bonus points also in the bag,
:21:50. > :21:52.they could end up just one point shy of the absolute maximum giving
:21:53. > :21:55.them the best record in the whole of the UK.
:21:56. > :21:57.They're considered one the country's most important lost gardens.
:21:58. > :21:59.Constructed at the start of the last century,
:22:00. > :22:02.the terraced gardens at Rivington were a glory of the Edwardian area.
:22:03. > :22:04.Time took its toll and the gardens fell into disrepair.
:22:05. > :22:08.Volunteers are carrying out a multi-million-pound restoration
:22:09. > :22:10.which could see some of the magic of yesteryear return.
:22:11. > :22:13.Dave Guest has been to see how they're getting on.
:22:14. > :22:16.Pass beneath this rather quirky bridge and you enter into what has
:22:17. > :22:19.become known as one of Britain's top ten lost gardens.
:22:20. > :22:22.Of course, the existence of the Rivington Terraced Gardens
:22:23. > :22:25.is no secret but these 42 acres have fallen into disrepair
:22:26. > :22:33.Now, a multi-million-pound project is underway to restore the gardens.
:22:34. > :22:37.Our priorities at the moment are to improve the access
:22:38. > :22:41.because when we start the contract works we've got to get vehicles in.
:22:42. > :22:44.We have got to do that in terms of tree works before
:22:45. > :22:50.The gardens were originally laid out by the soap tycoon Lord Leverhulme.
:22:51. > :22:54.They became known locally as the Chinese gardens.
:22:55. > :22:57.When you finish this won't be a carbon copy of what Lord
:22:58. > :23:04.He was a multi-millionaire with 136 gardeners working full-time.
:23:05. > :23:06.This is about stopping further deterioration and preserving
:23:07. > :23:16.The crowning glory of the gardens was the bungalow.
:23:17. > :23:21.We are standing in the ballroom of the bungalow.
:23:22. > :23:26.Obviously you are never going to rebuild the bungalow.
:23:27. > :23:32.What do you hope will come from this project?
:23:33. > :23:35.With respect to the bungalow, being able to see the footprint
:23:36. > :23:37.of what it looked like and get an impression of the
:23:38. > :23:47.?3.4 million of Heritage Lottery money and other grants are being
:23:48. > :23:57.Every month we have teams of volunteers coming up.
:23:58. > :24:01.Recently more than 250 volunteers coming in to work on these gardens.
:24:02. > :24:04.With ?4 million in the bank to fund this project,
:24:05. > :24:09.As part of the funding agreement we have with
:24:10. > :24:12.the Heritage Lottery Fund, we will seek to engage as many
:24:13. > :24:16.Six months into the project, they have already achieved a lot.
:24:17. > :24:19.But there is still an awful lot to do and another two-and-a-half
:24:20. > :24:26.David Guest, BBC North West Tonight, Rivington.
:24:27. > :24:38.Fantastic. If you can out there today. Speaking of clouds.
:24:39. > :24:45.Those three words you have been longing to hear, fine and dry this
:24:46. > :24:50.weekend. Looking pretty good. A word of warning, next week, temperatures
:24:51. > :24:57.will be significantly lower and in some places some snow showers.
:24:58. > :25:03.Everyone is casting, it is April, it happens quite regularly!
:25:04. > :25:10.This picture is beautiful, lots of cloud cover around, breaking now and
:25:11. > :25:16.then. Tonight, Cloud will build. Some drizzly rain, a week by the
:25:17. > :25:23.front. As it clears through, things will get cooler. The numbers on the
:25:24. > :25:30.chart of the 3am but after that temperatures will fall a little. You
:25:31. > :25:36.might get to Celsius with a touch of frost. Saturday is a great start,
:25:37. > :25:40.spells of sunshine. Not blue sky is all the way but a lot of sunshine on
:25:41. > :25:50.offer. Some thin cloud from the Irish Sea. The breeze up to 20 miles
:25:51. > :25:58.an hour. Inland, looking very pretty, temperatures, up to 14 in
:25:59. > :26:07.the sunshine. Saturday night, a chilly one, down to one Celsius with
:26:08. > :26:12.a Frost. Sunday, if you are heading for the London Marathon, it could be
:26:13. > :26:19.15, up to 17. For us, 13 or 14 again.
:26:20. > :26:19.That is called! I will have to take a coat.
:26:20. > :26:26.You need to put some Have a lovely weekend, thank you for
:26:27. > :26:31.watching. Goodbye.