North west news update 1 Feb 2024: Pervert jailed for 'disgusting and abhorrent' sexual abuse

Assistant editor Iain Lynn with today's top north west news headlines and weather

Transcript

00:00 Hello and welcome, these are the top headlines making the news today from our newsrooms across

00:04 the North West. A Blackpool man who subjected three young girls to disgusting and abhorrent

00:09 sexual abuse has been jailed. Rodney Dismore, 78, of Park Road sexually assaulted his three

00:14 victims when they were just children and teenagers. Dismore's crimes were reported to police in

00:19 2017 and an investigation was launched. A former Wigan Warriors player and doting dad

00:25 died suddenly at home at the age of 49, an inquest has heard. Paul Stevens' loved ones

00:29 told Bolton Coroner's Court that they had no concerns for him in the days before his

00:33 death but his body was found at his home in Lodge Road in Orrall on Friday October 27th

00:38 by his partner Rebecca Smith who had gone to look for him after not being able to contact

00:42 him by phone. A squashed muddy piece of jewellery dug up in a field has been found to be more

00:47 than 400 years old and officially declared treasure. Jacob Purdy from Lancaster found

00:52 the gold pin head in a field in Burton in Candling, Cumbria while metal detecting last

00:56 year. It was ruled to be treasure by the county's coroner in December and is now awaiting valuation.

01:04 A family from Preston have announced they are opening a new private hospital in the

01:07 heart of the city this year. The family behind the pre-existing Greater Lancashire Hospital

01:11 in Ribbleton have released ambitious plans to invest £1.5 million in a major new second

01:16 site just next door. Construction work on fitting the new three-floor hospital, which

01:21 will transform the previous cinetics building, will commence later this spring.

01:27 And at just 12 years old a young photographer is making a name for himself as a rising star.

01:31 George Webster is the boy behind the camera who gives up his Saturday mornings to capture

01:35 people's trials and triumphs at a Burnley Park run. His mum Jill says seeing the young

01:39 volunteer brings smiles to runners' faces, motivating them to complete the 5k route around

01:44 Townley Park.

01:46 In the weather Thursday will be a drier day with plenty of hazy sunshine but Friday will

01:50 be cloudy again with a bit of rain and drizzle thrown in for good measure. So enjoy the sun

01:55 while you can.

01:56 That's it for now, thanks for watching, we'll see you tomorrow.

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