Assistant editor Iain Lynn with today's top north west news headlines and weather
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00:00 Hello and welcome. These are the top headlines making the news today from our newsrooms across the North West.
00:06 Lancashire dad had the shock of his life when he caught a 250kg great white shark while on a fishing holiday in New Zealand.
00:13 Gus Smith from Blackpool is on holiday with some friends in his native New Zealand when he went out on a 7 day fishing expedition off Three King Islands.
00:20 In this amazing footage, Gus, his friends and the boat's crew can be seen wrestling with a big catch.
00:25 You can see the full video at the Blackpool Gazette and Lancashire Post websites.
00:30 An inquest into the death of a baby girl has been delayed following concerns received by a whistleblower.
00:35 A hearing into the circumstances surrounding the death of Ida Locke in November 2019, just 7 days after her birth at Royal Lancaster Infirmary,
00:42 was due to begin on Monday but was halted following an email sent on Friday afternoon to Dr James Adley, Senior Coroner for Lancashire.
00:49 Dr Adley said the message was sent by Ian Kemp, who said he was a midwife who had blown the whistle at the Care Quality Commission over claims
00:56 that an inspection report into maternity services at Royal Lancaster and Barrows Furness General Hospital in December 2019 was watered down.
01:04 Allegations of a potential cover-up between the Independent Health Regulator and NHS England were also made,
01:09 together with claims of ongoing concerns about the safety of maternity services.
01:14 A group of new homes that were earmarked for a shared ownership scheme in Preston could be switched to a different type of purchasing arrangement
01:21 designed for first-time buyers after they failed to attract any takers.
01:25 The nine properties in Cotton have been extensively marketed since last summer according to the housing association responsible for them
01:31 and have even had their prices reduced but remain unsold.
01:34 Now Bolton at Home Ltd wants permission from Preston City Council to reclassify them as so-called 'rent-to-buy' dwellings
01:40 for those trying to get their first foot on the property ladder.
01:44 Residents on a second Wigan housing estate are bidding to stop the installation of telegraph poles for fibre broadband.
01:51 People living in Ashton's Wood Edge estate have been fighting plans for 20 poles which they say would spoil the aesthetics of the area.
01:57 Now residents on the Mucklow estate are campaigning against similar plans from high-speed fibre broadband provider Brisk.
02:04 They believe around 50 poles could be placed on their estate and work could begin within weeks as planning permission is not needed.
02:11 And a popular Pendle pub is celebrating after being named as 'Pub of the Year' in the Lancashire Tourism Awards for 2023.
02:18 To win the highly coveted award, the Daniel Thwaites-owned Pendle Inn at Barley took part in a rigorous entry process
02:24 with judges praising it for its commitment to the local community and for the authentic homemade food offering that Pendle Inn is known for.
02:32 In the weather, it's a bit grim out there. Wet and windy with periods of heavy rain and coastal gales,
02:37 but be patient for a much brighter and drier afternoon. Same again on Thursday I'm afraid. Horrible start, better afternoon.
02:44 That's it for now. Thanks for watching. See you tomorrow.