10/02/2014 BBC London News

Thank you. That's all from the BBC News at Six so it's goodbye from me,

were simply given the answers. The Home Office has

Tonight on BBC London News, we're live in Berkshire as flooding

prompts police to declare a major incident. Water reaches record

levels along the Thames. Tens of thousands of homes are affected On

the ground there's anger. You can fly to the moon, send people round

the Moon, but we cannot control the flood problem. Holland does it. Why

can't we? The flooding has also disrupted many roads and some rail

services in and out of the capital. We'll have the latest live.

In other news, will there be a repeat of these chaotic scenes?

We'll have the very latest on the talks to avert tomorrow's tube

strike. Why have you been installing illegal

set top boxes? Caught red`handed ` a BBC London investigation expose the

pay TV fraudsters. And from tower blocks to Tower

Bridge ` we meet the photographer who's spent a decade getting a

birds`eye`view of our capital. Good evening. Welcome to the village

of Wraysbury in Berkshire for a special edition of BBC London News.

We are here by the Thames, where floods along a 15`mile stretch have

reached their highest levels since records began. Behind me, there is a

huge puddle of water. Residents are walking up and down almost knee`high

in water. Some of the residents are still in their homes, but they have

told me they probably think it is their last night in their homes

Their furniture is up on bricks Down the road, on the River Thames,

the river levels have reached the highest since records began. Thames

Valley Police have declared a major incident. Many homes have been

evacuated, and tens of thousands more threatened with flooding. And

with more rain forecast, water levels are expected to rise for the

next 24 hours. If we look at the Environment Agency's map, it shows

clearly the extent of the problem. You can see parts of north and east

London highlighted in orange, signifying flood alerts. But the

greatest risk is in the south`west of London. The red areas along the

Thames means there are flood warnings and severe flood warnings

from Kingston`upon`Thames through to Reading and beyond. The 14 severe

warnings mean lives are potentially in danger. And the scenes of

devastation become even clearer from the air. In Walton on Thames,

residents were being evacuated from their homes and taken away from the

flooded areas in dinghies. Many having to just take a few belongings

with them. Moving westwards, the situation was just as bad in

Weybridge. You can see one street there completely cut off from the

surrounding area. River water leaving all the gardens and the

ground floors of these homes under water. And finally, in Staines,

hundreds of homes lining the banks of the River Thames have been

affected. Roads have been closed, with cars and other vehicles unable

to get in or out to help those residents hit by the floods. Our

reporter, Gareth Furby, spent the day there.

The river through Staines may not have broken its banks, but it didn't

need to. The water found other routes. This was from the sewers,

but the Hooker family say it also came from the ground. It is coming

up from the water table. It was coming up, permeating through the

ground. It never started off through the river. It was coming up from the

ground. What did you see? Just a load of water. From the drain? Know,

from the ground. This was 100 metres from the river, where they were

hoping sandbags would keep out the water. Ray Keely went one step

further. I put a board against the door, and the sandbags against it,

but obviously, it is coming up through the floor. Not on my

property, but down the road. We went down the road and found Phil Brown

and his partner trying to save something, as water slowly seeped

into their house. This was despite special flood defences fitted to

every door. They don't seem to work at all. When the water comes up

they fill up with water from the bottom. They seem to be useless

Where did they come from? We got them from the Environment Agency

about 18 months ago. What we are seeing are desperate attempts to

hold back this flood, but in many cases, it was all in vain. What the

families, neighbours and friends in these streets are hoping is the

levels will not continue to rise. Then we noticed this flood had

developed a current, and it could be traced back to the River Thames

This seems to be the highest point, and it was the last bit to be

breached. Since it has occurred the flow is a strong and constant. All

the time that happens, it is just going to get worst. Some people have

decided to leave, but others say they will stay, hoping for better

weather, hoping for a falling river. Here in Wraysbury and nearby

Chertsey there's a growing feeling that they've been left to flood in

order to save the more built`up and densely populated areas of London.

Marc Ashdown has been talking to the people affected.

At the moment, it is living up to its name. Wellies and waders are

essential footwear for the people of Wraysbury. The best thing is to keep

busy. Homes here had barely dried out from the last flooding in

January. Makeshift defences are a case of damage limitation rather

than protection. Everything is up on bricks. You have to use your

imagination to think where to put things. We have chairs piled up to

the ceiling. People here are telling me they are already looking to the

future, and worrying about having homes that repeatedly flood. The

scary thing is, look at this water. It hasn't just come from nowhere.

This is fast flowing. Many point the finger at flood defences, which they

say prioritise certain areas but leaves them solvable. There's an

awful lot of land between here and Maidenhead that could have flooded,

but they are sending it up the Jubilee channel. Very few areas have

escaped these floods. Much of Chertsey remains cut off. The worst

ever flooding here was in 1947. That record looks like being broken. This

property has never flooded. The river is half a mile away, but every

hour it creeps closer. We feel we have been abandoned. But we need

advice and co`ordinated plan. The Environment Agency do not have a

plan. The agency insisted today that they are coping. Not good enough for

some, who are considering whether to move away altogether. We have a nice

house and we are doing work to it, but we think, is it worth it? You

can't live with the fear that you are going to flood every time you

get heavy rain. More rain is pretty much a given. Questions will follow,

but for now, the priority is keeping dry. As you can imagine, the

flooding and the risk of flooding has caused major problems for

commuters travelling in and out of London today. Several train lines

have been particularly badly affected. Let's go to Paddington

station now, to hear from Emma North about the latest situation. When we

first arrived here, the station manager said, you have picked you up

time to arrive! This is carnage It isn't exactly that, but it is busy.

The water has wreaked havoc across the region from the very early hours

for commuters. Let's look at the situation from Staines this morning.

No trains at all going from that station. It is a picture that has

been reflected right across the Thames. If you are travelling with

South West Trains tonight, there is no service between Windsor and Eton

Riverside and Staines. First Great Western services are diverted and

will not be calling at Clapham Junction. There are delays on First

Great Western routes between Reading and twice said. Trains between

Victoria and East Grinstead are affected too. Network Rail are

trying to sort out this problem and this is what they said they are up

against. Our main concern tonight and in the coming days is the high

level of water in the ground, the saturation. Further rain is

forecast. I do ask people to be patient with us. We have done

everything we can to try to miss `` restore the network to its

capability. This is worse than we have ever experienced before. That

was the situation with the trains. This was the situation in her early

this morning. That underpass is usually used by pedestrians. It has

been deliberately flooded by the emergency services to protect 4 0

homes in the region. Let's have a look at the main routes which are

being affected. Chertsey Bridge remains closed.

Watch out for minor routes too, rat runs you might normally used to get

to and from work. If there is water on those roads, do not go down them.

The advice is to check with BBC local radio, who have up`to`date

information on what routes are being affected. Thank you. Good advice

indeed. Later in the programme, we will be getting a full weather

forecast to find out what is in store for the rest of the week. In

the meantime, let's go back to the studio for a round`up of the rest of

the day's news. Thank you.

A BBC London undercover investigation has exposed criminal

gangs illegally selling and installing pay TV services at a

fraction of their true cost. Crime experts warn that hacked satellite

and cable TV is increasing and becoming the new norm. Guy Lynn has

this exclusive report. These are the fraudsters illegally

selling pay`TV at a fraction of the cost. High`street shops, like this

one in Upton Park, cashing in. And this Venezuelan satellite installer

in Greenwich. He is right the proud of his booming criminal business. ``

he is rather proud. This is how it works. We buy set`top oxers that

have been encrypted to hack into legitimate pay`TV services like Sky.

A package of the best channels can cost legal customers more than 800

a year. Here, you pay a monthly subscription at a fraction of the

price, direct into the pirates' pockets. Legitimate customers are

furious. If someone is getting the same service as me and not paying

for it, why should they be getting that service? And social they will

never get caught, the Pirates admit they are breaking the law, risking a

ten year jail service. Despite the efforts of the pay`TV

companies and the police, experts say this kind of piracy may be

policing `` may be increasing, increasing not just TV companies,

but all the people behind the programmes. It is theft, it is

fraud, it is a crime. It is depriving a business of revenue who

should genuinely have that. Time for some answers. First from this

high`street shop. We contacted them to ask them why they were taking

part in this fraud. They didn't respond to any of our approaches,

but soon after, they appear to have shut up shop. And remember Julio

smack he ignored us and carried on. We decided to invite him round. He

is about to see a video he may recognise. Do you know who that is?

That is you installing an illegal set`top ox. We have been recording

you secretly for the last few months. `` set`top box. Why have you

been installing illegal set top boxes? What is your explanation Are

you aware it is illegal to do this? We had reports of scores of similar

fraudsters, operating not just in London, but across the country.

You can see more of that investigation tonight on Inside Out

London at 7:30pm. Talks aimed at preventing a second

48 hour Tube strike have ended without agreement. It means that the

strike is still due to go ahead Karl Mercer is outside ACAS for us

now. What is it all about? It is about shutting ticket offices across

the network. Both sides came here at 10:30am. This is their 10th day of

talks. They left just before 6:30pm, so a full day of talks. You

would have hoped they would make some progress. The aim was to other

that 48 hour strike planned to go ahead from 9pm tomorrow, and try and

avoid the sort of scenes we saw last week, on Wednesday and Thursday

when only about a third of services were running, and millions of

Londoners had to find different ways to get to work. As they emerged from

the talks this evening, the unions came out around about 6:15pm. We

asked them what the chances were that tomorrow's strike would be

called off. I think it is quite slim. We are talking over the same

issues. The company are moving very slowly and are making little

progress. As far as we are concerned, we want to avert the

strikes and make progress, and the company needs to move. We are told

that tomorrow, the two sides will be back here tomorrow at 9am. London

Underground will produce a letter for the unions and it will be key as

to whether the strike tomorrow goes ahead. The unions, as you heard do

not sound hopeful. A mother from London is facing

prison in Dubai. She has been accused of 'kidnapping' her son

following a custody battle. Afsana Lachaux ` a former civil servant `

has accused the British government of refusing to help her. She's now

calling on the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, to prevent her being

separated from her son any longer. Sheetal Parmar reports. Happier

times for former London based Afsana Lachaux. The 46`year`old mother of

three moved to Dubai in 2011 after marrying her ex`husband. Soon after

their son was born, their marriage broke down. She claims her husband

was violent and he is suing her for defamation. Despite a court ruling,

she was reluctant to allow husbands to see the sun. I am asking William

Hague to do the right thing. I just want a fair hearing and I want my

case to be investigated and reviewed. Her elder son has been

campaigning from his home in East London. It has been quite agonising,

really. It is the only way to describe it. The feeling of being

helpless and not being able to effect any change and not knowing

what is going on with my mother and younger brother. The family have

been trying to get help from the foreign and Commonwealth office

since the domestic abuse allegations were made by her to the Dubai

authorities in 2011. They say they are unable to interfere in legal

proceedings but have offered consular support to her and her

family. I do not need moral support, I have that from my

family. I need the Foreign Office to do their job. Former supporters here

in London, it has been difficult to get information from the authorities

in Dubai. Afsana Lachaux last saw her son two months ago and if she is

found guilty, she could be deported to the UK but without her son. Her

last hope is that the British government intervenes.

West Ham football club have agreed to sell Upton Park to a developer.

The club are set to move into the Olympic Stadium in 2016. New homes

will be built on the site of the old stadium as well as retail and

leisure facilities. The developers are also considering plans for a

memorial garden for former West Ham and England Captain, Bobby Moore.

From Tower Bridge to tower blocks ` London photographer James Burns has

spent a decade capturing the capital's changing skyline. His

vantage point has included many of our tallest buildings ` and our Arts

Correspondent, Brenda Emmanus, caught up with him on one of

London's tallest buildings We return now

from high above street level, this photographer has VIP access to some

of the capital's most stunning and striking views. James Burns has

collated a lot of shots including London landscapes. How easy is it to

get access to the rooftops? Not easy. You need to have good

connections, and I work closely with a few buildings, and I have managed

to get a relationship going with them. Are there any rooftops still

on your hit list? I am looking at them now. I have not been up there

yet! This is how I choose my locations. He is in his element on

this rooftop. In Hackney, his latest exhibition is a showcase of his

panoramic landscapes. For many years I was shooting hard

architectural styles such as social housing in the post`war period. As I

took this project to the office blocks and skyscrapers of London, I

began to move from hard shots like this to classic landscapes like this

with Tower Bridge and Saint Pauls looking resplendent in the sunset.

There are so many possibilities in this massive, beautiful city. I

cannot stop, I do not have enough time. London will never be finished

so how will the project be finished? Do you welcome all these

high rise buildings popping up on the landscape? Yes. Some people in

London hate anything at all. That is part of our character. They are

platforms to create my art. Fear of heights or not, you can see these

views until March. Let's return to our top story. Homes beside the

Thames are being flooded as the river reaches the highest levels

recorded in years. Police have declared a major incident in East

Berkshire, and there are 14 severe flood warnings in place ` Alice is

in Raysbury for us now... Thank you. According to the Environment

Agency, there are 14 severe blood warnings on the River Thames

stretch. Our reporter has met one couple who face rising water levels

on all sides. Five`day`old Ronnie is oblivious to her surroundings,

unlike her mother Natalie who is stuck in the house. She is a newborn

and I cannot take her out because of the contamination of the water. We

are stuck, really. There is no television, no food... We have had

it, have we not, darling? The midwives could not make their visit

because of the water. I would not be able to get the baby out

immediately. It is the first time they have seen flooding on this

scale. To put the location into context, the River Thames is over

there, and behind the trees is a marina. There is a lake over there.

This part of shepherds and is really surrounded by water. `` Shepperton.

Their neighbours have been evacuated in recent days but many won't leave,

travelling to their homes by canoe. For those who are left, and those

who remain, it will be quite a while before their street returns to

normal. Of course, what we want to know is what the weather has in

store. Thank you. It is pretty grim, the forecast for the next few

days. We are expecting further spells of heavy rain and no

significant breaks between them Tomorrow, and up until Friday, we

can expect 20 to 40 millimetres of rain, and some places could see 50

millimetres, two inches. As you heard, we have 14 severe flood

warnings along the River Thames and this means a risk of life. We are

expecting further flooding, naturally. There are Met Office

weather warnings or heavy rain and strong winds on Wednesday. More

stormy weather throughout the cause of the week. Tonight is looking dry

and the showers are dying away. It is going to be quite cold for the

first part of the night with temperatures down to one or two

degrees. Tomorrow morning, the cloud will increase and this is a sign of

the approaching weather front. A dry rush hour but about 8am we will see

the rainfall, and the wind will pick up. It will be a wet and windy

morning until 1pm when it clears the Thames estuary. Temperatures up to

seven or eight Celsius. Turning interesting on Tuesday when it turns

cold. There will be showers around and some could be heavy and we could

even see some wintry weather in the first part of the night,

particularly towards Bucks, over the top of the hills. A bit milder on

Wednesday morning. The storm system on Wednesday, we can see tight

isobars and gusts of 40 to 60 mph as well as heavy rain. This is the

outlook for the next few days. Thank you. We are getting news in that

rail services in and out of Paddington have been cancelled.

There are no rail services except to Heathrow and Greenford. There are no

services in and out of Paddington except Heathrow and Greenford.

Firefighters are dealing with an unprecedented number of calls as the

floodwaters rise, threatening thousands of properties. The

Environment Agency have warned that more rain will make the situation

worse and there are flood warnings in place from Surrey to Bucks. A

major incident has been declared in East Berks, where many properties

are already underwater. That is it for now, good night.