20/02/2014 BBC London News

forces and protestors. That is all from BBC News. It is goodbye from

attacks are a medical emergency. me. Time now to get the news, travel

and weather where you are. Tonight on BBC London News. The

Mayor is accused of giving Barclays a free ride after failing to secure

millions in sponsorship for the extension of his bike hire scheme.

Barclays were expected for ?10 million in cash for the third phase

of expansion, they actually provided nothing. Transport bosses say there

was little they could do when the bank pulled out. Also tonight... The

Mafia boss living in London for 20 years. Now a court decides if he

should be extradited. Millions of pounds of public money could be

about to vanish into thin air, as London continues its battle with air

pollution. And disbelief at this death defying stunt. Police condemn

the youngsters who risked their lives.

Good evening and welcome to the programme. The Mayor is being asked

to explain why the extension of his bike hire scheme to South West

London is being done at taxpayers' expense. It's emerged that no money

is coming from the sponsors, Barclays, even though they get

exclusive naming rights. Opposition groups claim the bank is, in effect,

getting at least ?10 million worth of free advertising. Our political

editor, Tim Donovan, has the story. This was just before Christmas,

another milestone. Extending the bikes to south`west London. But if

you'd assume the sponsors, Barclays, were helping to pay for this, think

again. Thanks to a document unearthed under the Freedom of

information act by one City Hall blogger, we could see that the

mayor's original intention was to get an extra ?10 million from

Barclays to pay for this, phase three of the scheme. With the bank

pulling out of the sponsorship deal, that money has not and will not be

paid. The documents were clear that Barclays were expected to provide

?10 million in cash for the third phase expansion for south`west

London. They've provided, according to TfL's press office, nothing. It's

a bad bill for taxpayers. Local councillors have paid more than ?4

million for it and yet their logos are nowhere on the bikes. The

company that has paid nothing is benefiting from the publicity. Under

the original cycle hire deal, Barclays agreed to pay up to 25

million over five years, to help fund stage one in central London and

stage two, extended to East London. The Mair later claimed he had

secured ?25 million more from Barclays for the following three

years to fund further expansion. But in fact he hadn't secured that

money, meaning the south`west extension has gone ahead without ?10

million from Barclays. It shows what a Poor contract this was from start

to finish, poorly negotiated, poorly written. The fact that a big,

multinational company like Barclays bank can get out of paying money

that was due on the sponsorship deal whilst their advertising soul goes

ahead, absolutely shocking. London's council tax payers in the

local boroughs have actually ended up funding the expansion. Lo and

behold, Barclays have still got their branding all over these bikes,

even though they haven't paid for them. Transport for London said

there wasn't extra money from Barclays because they had made a

commercial decision not to extend sponsorship. But, as the statement

added, they do however remain the sponsor of the cycle hire scheme

until 2015. We expect to receive a contribution from them for the phase

three extension. The mayor's office had nothing to add today. There's a

little under 18 months to find a new sponsor. Later in the programme...

Anger at the negative portrayal of their estate on TV. The residents

taking on Channel 4. They put in load of washing lines and satellite

dishes and upturned shopping trolleys and rubbish bags. You can

see this isn't a reality. A Mafia boss who's been on the run in London

for 20 years has begun his fight against extradition. Domenico

Rancadore had been living with his family in Uxbridge, under the

assumed name Marc Skinner. He was arrested last August and faces a

seven year prison sentence in Italy. Our home affairs correspondent, Guy

Smith, reports. A quiet suburban Axbridge in a very normal looking

house. It's the last place you would expect to find a member of the

Mafia. Italian police say the crime family of Domenico Rancadore are

involved in extortion, racketeering and drug trafficking. He lived a

double life here in West London for nearly 20 years, going under the

name of Marc Skinner. Neighbours say he was easy`going but security

conscious. He always seemed very friendly. Thinking about it now,

when he did move in he did build up the conifers and put the big gate at

the front. We always thought he was Spanish. But his quiet suburban life

ended here last August when Met Police officers arrested him. His

past had finally caught up with him, a past that was rooted here in

the birthplace of the Mafia, in Sicily. As a former teacher, he was

known as The Professor. He was acquitted twice in the Italian

courts but in 1999 was convicted in his absence of being a Mafia

associate and was sentenced to seven years. Now he faces extradition and

being separated from his wife. But his British lawyer says he's been

misrepresented will stop He deliberately left Italy because he

did not want to be a member of the Mafia, he did not want to be

associated in any way with them. NEETs since his return to the UK,

he's lived a completely blame free life. By back row Domenico Rancadore

is fighting extradition, partly because of poor conditions in

Italy's prisons, where he now faces seven years. Three men have been

arrested following the murder of a man from London on the south coast.

The victim, who was 20 and has so far not been named, was fatally

stabbed yesterday evening in Folkestone. Kent police are

appealing for any witnesses to come forward. Investigators from the

Independent Police Complaints Commission will carry out

house`to`house enquiries this evening a week after the deaths of

two cyclists in Berkshire. They died following a collision with a black

BMW on the A329 in Pangbourne. The police watchdog is examining whether

the actions of two officers in a police car influenced events. The

Chancellor says 50 schools in London will teach Mandarin alongside other

European languages in a move which is expected to affect 3000 pupils.

George Osborne made the comments to businessmen in Hong Kong during a

trip to China, where he is building on the UK's trade links. I want

students in Britain to understand Asia better as well. Which is why

today I'm announcing a new grant for Chinese language teaching, teacher

training for 50 London schools. My ten`year`old daughter is already

learning Mandarin. I want thousands more children in Britain to learn

this language of the future world. Air pollution is recognised by the

Government as the second`biggest public health threat after smoking.

And London has the worst air quality of any European capital. The

European Commission has launched legal proceedings over the UK's

failure to cut excessive levels of nitrogen dioxide. Let's join

Victoria Graham, who's in central London.

I've been standing here for about half an hour and you can smell the

fumes coming up from the vehicles. That includes toxic gases from

nitrogen dioxide. In fairness, London isn't the only city in the UK

battling air`pollution problems and it is trying to do something about

it, by introducing low emissions zones and clearer `` Vina vehicles.

But if air quality doesn't improve dramatically there could be a very

high price to pay. Cars, motorbikes, lorries and buses. Part of everyday

life in a busy city, not least here in London where battling pollution

levels is a headache. Although you can't see it, it's all around us,

particularly on a busy high street like this one. Although they are by

no means the only culprit, Wandsworth Council found that buses

significantly contributed to harmful nitrogen dioxide. So the Mayor of

London replaced some of the older buses with cleaner ones, but has

that help? They were part of the answer for Putney, as they will be

for the rest of London. It's the rest of London as well we've got to

worry about. Three quarters of London's Maine roads are well above

the EU limits. That means there are premature deaths, over 4000

premature deaths in London every year. There's all sorts of health

problems associated with these pollutants. We've got to get moving

and find a solution quickly. The Government is facing fines running

into millions by not reaching their target is to lower levels. And that

could be passed on to local councils where levels of pollution remain

high. The price is also high for people like Andrea. The fumes from

cars and exhaust pipes, the amount of traffic you have in London is

unbelievable. That is something I do notice when I'm in a polluted area

where there's lots of cars. I do notice I get a tight chest and get

breathless. Government says it's investing heavily in transport

measures to improve air quality around busy roads, and are working

with the European Commission to ensure this happens as soon as

possible. The first deadline to lower this toxic gas has been and

gone. Current plans estimate that for London, compliance with EU

standards will only be achieved by 2025. Just a footnote to this

ruling, that it could affect the Heathrow airport expansion plans, if

that is seen to add to pollution problems. The Liberal Democrats have

said to us tonight at Boris Johnson should be implementing ultralow

emissions zones by 2020 least. But before then, because that's when

Boris Johnson intends to implement them. The Government is keen to

stress that air`pollution levels have improved significantly over the

past few decades. But for people like Andrea, further improvements

can't come soon enough. Back to you. More than 20 people have come

forward to complain of poor care at a north London hospital. It comes

after we featured the case of one elderly patient who was left in

unsanitary conditions and without a bed at Barnet Hospital. Now his

daughter is leading a social media campaign to highlight the case and

wants to hear from others with similar experiences. Marc Ashdown

reports. He wasn't being looked after, he was in dirty ropes all the

time. He looked unkempt, miserable. Sam Berman speaking last month after

her father died in Barnet Hospital. She called the care inhumane. Lots

more stories have emerged since then. We're talking about basic

human kindness. Julia got in touch with Sam, her mother died in similar

circumstances. The care was a disgrace, she says. It seems to me

incredible that you can have somebody lying on a hospital ward

where we are saying, how she had a stroke? And they are saying, no, she

hasn't. She had had a stroke, she was there for seven hours having her

stroke. She would have had more chance of a quick reaction if she'd

have that stroke at a bus stop. Sam has had messages from more than 20

people. We can't verify them, but all seemed to paint a picture of

poor care. The hospital did ask for people to complain directly to them.

People are too scared to get in touch. A lot of people are getting

in touch with me because they know I've got my campaign. I think the

general consensus is that people want to remain anonymous at the

moment. Why? They are scared of anything happening if their

relatives go back in. Julia did complain and was assured her case

would be used to make sure nothing like that happened again. Three

years on, she saw Sam on TV. That made me cry. Then I felt angry

because my remote hope that something might have changed as a

result of the experience we had with my mother just evaporated. Barnett

wouldn't be interviewed but told us they have apologised again to Sam

and take complaints seriously. Every time someone else comes forward and

I chat to them, it fuels me and the memories of my dad and how he was in

hospital. The images flashed back to me. It just spurs me on. So`called

free`runners, who filmed themselves hanging from a crane in South

London, have been branded irresponsible by police. The

youngsters posted their death defying stunt on YouTube. The video

emerged as a specialist centre for the sport opened its doors today in

Poplar. Warren Nettleford is there for us now and can tell us more.

As you can see in the background, there are people who are jumping,

leaping, making the best use of the space, all to enjoy free running.

There has been a video posted online in recent days where it seems young

people have taken things too far. I would advise you not to try any of

this at home as it is extremely dangerous. They are more than 200

feet above ground and are taking the biggest of risks. For a moment, he

dangles from the crane with just one hand without safety equipment. The

teenagers who filmed themselves perhaps wanted notoriety. Instead

they have caught the attention of the police. This was filmed in south

London. Those who posted the video describe themselves as free`runners,

those who practice the art of Park core. Here at the academy, they see

it differently. It is just hanging off a crane. It is based on dealer

to get some sort of validation or whatever, but it is not part of what

we do. The academy opened its doors today in East London for the first

time. It is the first indoor training centre for the urban sport

of free running. Those who want to learn can learn from experts. I've

been doing it for a couple of years. I have always loved climbing. There

are no rules. There is no conflict. There can be competition but we

don't like to play it that way. We want to push each other to the

limit. I think it is absolutely brilliant, just for the pure

fitness. It appeals to such a wide range of people as well. Like most

sports, free running requires dedication, perseverance and

motivation. People who saw this video described as dangerous and

stupid. They may describe the video as death`defying, but people here

felt it was extremely stupid indeed. Police have asked anybody who can

identify those people to come forward. I am joined by Naomi,

identify those people to come Why is this sport becoming so

popular? It is available now more than it used to be. It is a

relatively young sport. There were fantastic teachers and practitioners

learning from each other. It is a really satisfying sport. You are

moving in a way that your body is designed to move. If anybody is keen

to try this out for themselves, it costs about ?7 per session and you

can get excellent coaching. People here already enjoying themselves.

Still to come: not in a million years did we ever imagine we will be

nominated for a BAFTA. A director from north London, more

used to making TV commercials, wins a BAFTA. And the Met Office has

confirmed we have had the wettest winter on record in the south`east.

There is some respite in the forecast. I will tell you all about

it in a few minutes. It's supposed to look like a genuine

London estate, but this Channel four promo video has angered the

residents who live on the Aylesbury estate. They claim it was

deliberately made to look dirty and unkempt. So much so, that some of

them got together and made their own film which they hope the broadcaster

will run instead, as Jean Mackenzie reports.

A familiar scene Frannie macro TV viewer. This promotional video for

Channel four shows an estate littered with bin liners and

washing. The reality looks different. They put in loads of

washing lines and satellite dishes, upturned shopping trolley sees ``

trolleys, rubbish bags. This is not the reality. Residents say when it

was filmed ten years ago producers brought along props and effects were

added later. As I got older and seen it over and over again, I was not

really happy with it. I was thinking, that is not home, that is

not where I live. Built in the 1960s, the Aylesbury is the largest

estate in Europe. Blighted by crime and deprivation in the past, Tony

Blair made his first speech is premised. Even with its

difficulties, some feel this portrayal is not fair. 7500 live

here. It will have its problems. But we think things like the idea and

re`the negatives. Those living along the corridor teamed up with a local

film`maker to create their own version, replacing props with

people. We want to feature the residents who live here. And give

them a chance to be seen on the estate. The estate is about the

people and the community and not sodden brutalist architecture. ``

not brutalist architecture. The people you want Channel four to

start running this instead. `` Channel 4. That is what Channel four

needs to put up. `` Channel 4. It is a good estate. Clean and friendly.

It is brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Channel 4 says that since

been contacted by BBC London, it has watched the version produced by the

residents and was impressed. It has promised to run the new one at least

once. We will watch with interest. When

one of the richest men in Belgium bought struggling Championship club

Charlton Athletic last month, there were a few raised eyebrows as to

why. Today we got a few more answers. Roland Duchatelet, who's

worth an estimated ?420 million, has been speaking to our sports

reporter, Chris Slegg. Last summer, protests outside the

stadium at Standard Liege as some fans protested against Roman do

chatelaine. He has since won many of them over. He is still on the club

and he owns Charlton Athletic. I think throughout the history of this

club, it is a very attractive club. Of course, there is still a lot of

work. But again, we are going to try to help to bring this club again to

a more stable level than it has been recently. He bought Standard Liege

three years ago. This winter he went on a spending spree, buying a German

team come at Charlton and a Spanish team. We'll Charlton lose their

identity as part of this network? The benefit you Charlton is that it

has... They can exchange players. It is an opportunity for younger

players. How have you found it working with Chris Powell? Is he a

manager for the long`term? Absolutely. We think he has all of

the qualities to be for the long`term. In the short term, the

priority is for the club to move of the relegation zone. Stay up and

then we can see if the network works for Charlton.

He's wanted to win awards for his film`making since he was ten. James

Griffiths from Highgate is more used to making 30`second TV adverts. But

last weekend he realised his dream when he won a BAFTA for his short

film, Room eight. Now, as he told our Entertainment Correspondent

Brenda Emmanus, he'd love to try his hand at making a feature film.

Don't open it. Why not? Because you may regret it. Room 8, a short film

about a British prison attempting a surreal escape from a Russian

prison. Last weekend this happened. James Griffiths... Room 8 won Best

Short film at the BAFTAs. Thank you very much. Not in a million years

did we ever imagine we would be nominated for a BAFTA.

It was incredible. Going up on that stage to win a BAFTA, I have been

thinking about that since I was ten years old. Just going up there and

picking up a BAFTA was amazing. Last year, the film won competition in

Bombay, which afforded him the ?40,000 needed to complete the film.

His work sees him working with major brands and tourist boards. How does

the day job compare? The good thing about commercials is that you are

constantly practising directing, and constantly kind of working to refine

your skills, and your talent. Prior to Room 8, James won another

competition for a film shot entirely on mobile phone. Has this inflated

your ambition? Blue No, I have always had ambition. My next

ambition is to make a feature. I don't think it has changed my

ambitions. It has definitely spurred me along. With three awards

definitely in the can, a feature film may add another gong to

James's collection. Congratulations to him. Now the

weather. It probably comes as no surprise that it is official, we

have had the wettest winter on record. Yes. Of course, we have seen

significant rainfall. It has been mild as well. It is all about the

rainfall. Across the UK has been the wettest winter on record. And for

the South of England, the wettest on record. More than 19 inches of

rain. 225% of average. That is until yesterday. Still a week to go. We

have had more rain today. Then it shaped up to be a lovely day. A few

showers drifting towards us in the last few hours. They will continue

to move towards us this evening. It will be a chilly night. In terms of

significant rainfall, nothing to talk about tonight. A few showers to

think through. That is the best we will see. They will clear away quite

quickly. Klopp `` the skies clearing behind. It will be a chilly night

and a chilly start tomorrow. Some good spells of sunshine. For the

bulk of the day, it will be dry. Later in the afternoon, more showers

make their way towards us from the West. It is not until the end of the

afternoon we see them coming in. Nine or 10 Celsius. Still feeling

quite pleasant. Those showers get going tomorrow evening. They start

to clear away in the early hours of Saturday. Watching this area of

rain. At the moment it does not look like it will us. Saturday looks like

a lovely day. Plenty of sunshine. Cloud towards the West. It is a

weekend of two halves. Saturday really pleasant to start with. Dry

and sunny. Later, cloud advancing. Isobars gathering together. Brighton

on Saturday, grey and damp at times on Sunday. Quite breezy, too. For

Saturday, a lot of good weather with The main headlines: At least 21

people are reported to have been killed in fresh clashes between

anti`government protestors and police in the Ukrainian capital,

Kiev. The country's interior ministry says the demonstrators are

holding 67 policemen hostage. Rebekah Brooks has told a jury she

had no knowledge of phone hacking while she was editor of the News of

the World. She was giving evidence on the opening day of her defence at

the phone`hacking trial. There are questions over the funding of the

extension of the Mayor's bike hire scheme to South West London. It's

emerged the sponsor Barclays isn't paying for it, even though they get

the advertising said to be worth ?10 million. More on the day's stories

on our website, and Sonja Jessup will be back with our late news.

From me and the team here, have a lovely evening.