NW Bulletin (Friday August 2)

Reporter Sian Jones with the latest North West headlines

Transcript

00:00Hello, my name is Sian Jones and these are the latest headlines from our newsrooms across the

00:04North West. A much-loved mum who died after taking ecstasy at the Lancashire Music Festival

00:09has been described as a pure and beautiful spirit by her family. Stephanie Thorpe died

00:14after collapsing at the Restricted Forest Dance Festival at Whitham Park in June 2023.

00:20Channel 5's Cause of Death, now in its third season, follows the investigations carried out

00:24by Lancashire's senior coroner, Dr James Adderley, and gives viewers an insight into how inquests are

00:29conducted. The second episode of the new series aired on Wednesday night and revisited the 32-year-old's

00:36tragic death. Wedding planning for social media stars Martin and Bex has been handed over to the

00:42groom. Fans on social media are in uproar as it was recently revealed that the Wigan couple's

00:49wedding plans will be handed over fully to the husband-to-be while he keeps his bride in the

00:54dark about all of the plans until the big day. Popular social media influencers Martin and Bex

01:00announce their upcoming wedding for summer 2025, sparking a major buzz online with their unique

01:06approach inspired by the hit series Don't Tell the Bride. In an unconventional twist typical of the

01:12famous show, Martin will be in charge of all of the wedding planning, leaving Bex completely out

01:17the loop until they get wed. In other news, a question mark hangs over the long-hoped reopening.

01:24of the Portland to Fleetwood railway line following the government's cancellation of the

01:28funding pot that might help pay for it. It is the second Far Coast Rail upgrade facing an uncertain

01:35future after Chancellor Rachel Reeves axed the Restoring Your Railway Fund on Monday after

01:42declaring the Conservatives had left a £22 billion hole in the nation's budget. The project

01:48would see the five-mile route reinstated more than half a century after it was closed to passenger

01:52traffic in May 1970. A new Toys R Us shopping shop at WH Smith's Lancaster store will be hosting

02:00a grand opening event on Saturday, August 10th. The opening event for customers will take place

02:07from 8.30am until 1pm. Geoffrey the Giraffe will be joining the WH Smith team for an official ribbon

02:13cutting when the store opens, before greeting visitors to the store throughout the morning.

02:19And finally, a Burnley pub landlord is offering free meals and drinks to any

02:24families or individuals struggling with food costs during the summer holidays.

02:28Martin Mowen, who is the owner of the Cold Clough pub, is providing free hot and cold food and

02:34drinks for people every Monday afternoon from 3pm till 5pm, and he hopes to reach out to families

02:40and anyone facing hard times. The weather now largely dry for much of Friday with sunny spells

02:47and outbreaks of rain expected later in the day with highs of 24 degrees.