27/02/2014 BBC London News

That's all from the BBC News at Six. So it's goodbye from me, and on BBC

One, we now join the BBC's news teams where you are.

Tonight on BBC London News: The man who curbed bankers' bonuses says we

shouldn't worry if they movd out of the city. Sorry for the comparison,

but if drug dealers are invdsting my neighbourhood, I will compl`in. His

comments come as the Royal Bank of Scotland announced big bonuses

despite huge losses. Also tonight: The row over plans to

arm the Met with water cannon ` claims they'd have limited tse on

our streets. The woman who came to Lee Rhgby s

aid ` why she thinks one of the soldier's killers shouldn't have

been jailed for so long. I think we get a better result by giving him a

trade in jail and educating him and then freeing him, rather th`n

keeping him there for nothing. And captured and sent to thd Tower

during the First World War, we reveal the fate of 11 German spies.

Good evening. Criticism over bankers' bontses has

resurfaced after the Royal Bank of Scotland announced it was p`ying

nearly ?600,000 in bonuses, that's despite the fact that the b`nk,

which is owned by the tax p`yer made annual losses of just over

eight billion pounds. The MDP, who pushed through European leghslation

to curb bonuses in the financial sector has compared bankers to drug

dealers and says the City is best off without the bonus culture. Our

political correspondent Karl Mercer reports. This is picture postcard

Brussels. It has been attracting visitors for centuries. And it is as

popular as ever. Once the hdart of the city's Power, now the hdart of

the tourist trade. Some parts of Brussels have not always bedn so

popular, particularly in England. We are here at the European Parliament

and legislation passed here could soon be hitting the pockets of some

of the wealthiest in London. That'll be the people who work here in the

city. Laws passed across thd Channel have curbed bonuses in London. Not

that you would necessarily think that today. This man is Ross McEwan,

the chief executive of RBS, a bank largely owned by the taxpaydr. It

made losses but he paid staff bonuses of half ?1 billion. I know

it is hard to understand whx would you pay any money out on bonuses.

Underneath that loss, we have got a very profitable business th`t

thousands of people operate every day to do things with custolers and

I need to hold onto those pdople. That is not an argument we heard.

London is a city like no other. I would doubt that bonus limitations

would be enough of an incentive to have huge chunks of the indtstry

moving out. And then again, you have to decide, sorry for the colparison

but if drug dealers are invdsting my neighbourhood, when they move out I

will complain. But banks employ 700,000 people in the capit`l adding

25 billion to London's economy. Finding people to support bonuses

and high pay is not difficult. We live in a globally competithve

world. Places like Asia are not following your's lead on thhs. They

recognise you have to pay for top talent. The British public will find

it incomprehensible that thdy are paying out large bonuses whdn they

have lost money. How'd you connect with the other businesses? Ht will

take more than visits from top bankers to help mend the industry 's

image. They know the public and politicians are watching.

If they are going to find a way round the bonus cap, will it make a

difference to London? Big b`nks will try and get round the rules. There

is evidence that set wages `re going up and there are also shared options

`` share options as well as bonuses. What is more likelx to

affect London is changes to the banking industry itself. We have

seen RBS saying it is going to downsize, other banks have said

similar things. And then thdre is the threat from the emerging

markets, particularly in thd Far East and given the amount of money

that the city generates, not only for London but the whole of the UK,

politicians are taking very seriously, which would expl`in the

government is challenging the European rules on bonuses through

the courts. Thank you. Coming up later in the programme: I

will be looking at the Olympic venue where the financial challenges are

as tough as the Whitewater. The Metropolitan Police has been

questioned over plans to bux water cannon ` funded by the Mayor. A

report by the London Assembly argues there isn't a strong enough case for

their use. And urges the decision should be delayed until the Home

Secretary approves their usd across the country. Marc Ashdown rdports.

Contradictory and unconvinchng, that is the damning verdict on the case

for these to be used on the streets of London. Once upon a time the

Mayor agreed. We do not havd water cannons or rubber bullets. Do you

think we should? I would be most unhappy to go that way. He has now

had his opinion changed and proposes buying water cannon. He said there

are cases where they could be used. The Police and Crime Commissioner

you disagree. Yellow macro we have had riots. What happened in the 2011

riots shows... The Mets havd learned from their mistakes. The riots in

2011 was the worst civil unrest in decades and water cannon is not an

effective tactic. The riots quickly spread to other parts of London

They were organised via sochal media. There are doubts that slow

cumbersome heavy kit like the water cannon would be much use. In

Tottenham today, a communitx event aimed at engaging young Londoners.

Many feel this is where mondy should be invested. I think prevention is

better. It is worrying that that should be on the streets of London.

Others agree they should have them just in case. When you have things

like violence and petrol bolbs being thrown, paving stones being broken

up and thrown at police, whdn it is very intense, on those rare

occasions, I think it is important that police should have that

facility. Now it is up to the Mayor who will decide whether it hs worth

having. The family of a doctor who died

while in custody in Syria h`ve been told by sources in the country that

he did not take his own lifd. Abbas Khan from Streatham was captured

while trying to help victims of hospital bombings. The Syri`n

authorities said his body h`d been found hanging in a cell. Today, a

pre`inquest review heard th`t his family have spoken to peopld in the

country that said he hadn't killed himself.

A firearms officer who killdd a man nine years ago has failed to get a

review of the inquiry which found he acted unlawfully. Azelle Rodney was

killed in Edgware in 2005 after the car he was in was stopped bx armed

police. The Met officer ` known only as E7, has already been reftsed

permission for a judicial rdview. She was dubbed the the Angel of

Woolwich after confronting the men who murdered the soldier Led Rigby

in cold blood. Today Ingrid Loyau`Kennett criticised thd

sentence handed down to one of his killers. While Michael Adebolajo was

jailed for life yesterday at the Old Bailey ` his younger accomplice

Michael Adebowale was sentenced to a minimum of 45 years. Our hole

affairs correspondent, Guy Smith, has more.

For some, a jail sentence is not enough. Capital punishment, the only

solution for the two men who hacked to death soldier Lee Rigby. But

today, the woman who confronted them moments after the murder saxs 4

years for Michael was disproportionate. She believes he

does deserve jail but he was vulnerable and believed into the

killing by his older accomplice Yesterday in Bournemouth, the guy

who purposely kill someone with his fist got four years. And thhs one

who was bullied into doing that 45 years. I think it is heavy really.

That view is shared by one of Britain's most high profile and

experienced defence lawyers. My concern is how can you give a

22`year`old a 45 year sentence, so effectively you crush any prospect

of that person being releasdd. So, whatever happened to the whole idea

of rehabilitation? These Muslim converts claimed they were soldiers

of Islam. Today, the sentencing judge said both gloried in what they

had done. He described Mich`el Adebolajo as the leader but Michael

Adebowale played his part enthusiastically. This was the

reaction from some Londoners. They should go to the road. Anyone who

commits calculated murder should go to the rope. If there is anx chance

of rehabilitation, 45 years should probably do it, . They were as

guilty as each other so thex should have got the same tariff. I think

there is always time to consider rehabilitation. The so`calldd Angel

of Woolwich says the sentencing is illogical. Others say the khllers

got the minimum of what thex deserve.

The Mayor has been accused of jeopardising hundreds of jobs by

pulling the funding for a ndw scientific research facilitx in East

London. Pharmaceutical giant Sanofi has criticised City Hall for

refusing a ?15 million loan to safeguard its Dagenham laboratories.

Boris Johnson says the projdct wasn't viable. But one formdr Tory

minister says he's blown a great opportunity to create jobs. Here's

our political editor, Tim Donovan. They stopped production at their

Dagenham site last summer btt Sanofi hoped to create a legacy. They

wanted to convert this to a research and science Park. City Hall said

they were interested, first in taking over the site and thdn

lending ?15 million for somdone else but the company says the Maxor

pulled out at the last minute. The people of Barking and Dagenham have

been let down very badly. This presents a real opportunity for

businesses to come in where we have got an existing sterile space. For

those visitors took a minutd would cost tens of millions to buhld these

facilities. Only a handful of staff remain. These two have workdd here

for 30 years between them. Does make you cry. Everyone was like `

community here. Everyone kndw each `` everyone knew everyone, there

were families and everyone lixed in. Breast cancer drug was one of the

success stories. There is anger here for how long it took City H`ll to

decide it was not interested. But the Mayor said they had not put a

strong enough case. It is always very difficult when you are

dispensing tens of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money `nd you

have people who say they have got a great scheme and the risk is that

you will simply put it into things which do not work. For start`up or

established companies... Sanofi s plans have been produced by the same

regeneration specialists who successfully transformed thhs former

ICI plant in Liverpool. The Mayor says the company have not `` the

company say the Mayor have not looked carefully enough will stop it

will be an absolute tragedy if this massive facility, a real laboratory

space, which could create excellent jobs in East London is finally let

go and destroyed. They have been showing local councillors around the

labs hoping that other partners can be found to save this as a science

facility. Still to come tonhght , let's give it a go, if I get in

that's great. Winning prized places at prestigious schools. We speak to

the boys leaving newham in search of a better future. And we revdal what

happened to the German spies, discovered by a new intelligence

service during the First World War. The Lee Valley White Water Centre,

which hosted the canoe slalom events at the 2012 Games, has reopdned to

the public after ?6 million make over. This summer, where thd British

Team is based, will host it's first international competition shnce the

Olympics. But as our Sports News Correspondent, Adrian Warner,

reports there are some financial challenges ahead.

Highland rapids in Hertfordshire. There's no doubt this is thd most

spectacular of all of the Olympic venues. 780,000 litres of w`ter

pumped down this course every minute, enough to fill 75 b`thtubs.

That will give you a big eldctricity bill. It's not just the white water

that is the challenge, it is financially challenging as well

They are losing money at thd moment, and it could be harder for the

centre to survive in the future than other venues at the Olympic Park. It

costs ?50 for a session on ` raft here, and acrid temporary hope that

corporate days will help thdm make a profit in two years. How much do you

have to make to make it work question `` and Lee Valley White

Water Centre hope. We are confident we can do it. We just had a year

where we had building works, and the operation was severely affected by

that, and we were making around ?1.5 million in the year. The buhlding

work has included new top`class indoor training facilities for the

British team. The course itself is regarded as one of the best in the

world, and the Olympians based here think it has the potential to change

the future of canoe slalom hn Britain. Canoeing is a minority

sport, but it's also a sport that is very recognisable. A lot of people

have been exposed to canoeing at some point in their lives, `nd it's

just a case of converting a little bit of interest. We are lucky to

have the world Championships in 2015 and the World Cup will be a great

event before that. We hope that the sport will be seen by peopld in

London, and we can show how great a sport it is. That popularitx much to

grow to secure the financial future of the centre, but you get the

impression that people in this sport can handle troubled waters. London's

streets could yet be turned into a Formula One race track after the

Government announced a six`week consultation looking into closing

roads for motor`sport events. An F1 event in London ten years ago saw

thousands turn out. For a r`ce to go ahead it would require an Act of

Parliament to suspend speed limits and other safety laws along the

length of the route. Football, and tonight's Europa League match at

White Hart Lane will also bd a chance for Tottenham fans to bid a

final farewell to striker Jdrmain Defoe. Defoe has scored 143 goals in

two spells with the club. The England striker is moving to Canada

to play for the MLS side Toronto. 15`year`old Ishak Ayiris is about to

swap his life on a council dstate in Newham for the hallowed halls of

Eton where David Cameron and other British Prime Ministers werd

educated. He says Windsor whll be much quieter than Newham but has no

intention of abandoning his roots. As Emma North reports, he's one of

three pupils from Forest Gate Community School to win a place at a

prestigious college. There have been four cases solved through NSA

spying. This is no ordinary teenage chat, at least when the camdras are

about. These are no ordinarx young men. Three of them will go to Eton,

Winchester and City of London respectively, getting past some of

the most challenging selecthon processes and education. It boosted

my confidence by discussing it with my headteacher, all about ctrrent

affairs and my overall confhdence developed, so I thought, yot know

what, let me give it a go whll stop if I can get in, that'll be great,

if not, I will pick myself tp and move on and I think that's the case

of everyone. It all started in October when I had to sit exams in

the subjects I was doing at A`level, and then the interviews camd, and I

was finally offered it Decelber Their backgrounds are far from

privilege. The school they `ttend has a week at an average pupil

intake may live the most `` third most deprived borough in thd

country. They are the sons of factory workers and single lothers.

My parents wanted me to havd a good education. They came from India so

they didn't know much about this. They did not know that thesd schools

existed, let alone that I would get a plate. I think they represent a

lot of children from the East End of London who would love to have this

opportunity, but maybe have not been encouraged to apply. I think

crossing the boundary, for le, is the big jump. It's really about the

aspirations, getting childrdn to believe. With that belief and close

help from their headteacher, in September, their surroundings will

change from this, to the likes of this, and so will the direction of

the rest of their lives. Good luck to them.

All this week as part of our World War One at Home series, we've been

hearing some of the remarkable stories of London during thd Great

War, unearthed in partnershhp with the Imperial War Museums. The

conflict led to the formation of a new Secret Intelligence Service the

precursor to MI5. Tonight, historian Leonard Sellars reveals what

happened to the German spies they caught.

My dear ones, I have trusted God and he has decided. My hour has come.

Tomorrow I shall be shot in the tower. Those were the last words of

the note aureus German spy `` notorious German spy who was

executed in the Tower of London on the morning of the 6th of November,

1914. His crime, spying. He was the first man to be executed at the

tower since 1743. The public were aghast that an enemy of the state

had moved among them. For the country was already in the grips of

war against Germany, and thd spy had been sent to gather intelligence on

the country's defences. On dntering the country, the secret intdlligence

service, today's MI5, or already on his tail. `` were already. He was

captured and immediately faced trial. He was found guilty `nd

sentenced to death by firing squad. A yeoman warder wrote the following

about the execution. The prhsoner walked easily and unconcerndd, as if

he was walking to a tea party. Then came a queer and pathetic incident.

The chaplain, in his nervousness, made to turn left, which was the

wrong way. Instantly, spy took a quick step forward, caught the

chaplain by the right arm, `nd with a polite and kindly smile, gently

guided him to the right, thd correct way. I am meeting Sally Dixon

Smith, to look at something fascinating. This is a diarx from a

curator here at the tower `` Tower of London. What is amazing here is

that in between all of his normal work, all of the executions are

noted, so the 6th of Novembdr, 914, German spy, shot in the rifle range

at 7am. Some other entries there as well. German spy shot at rifle range

at 6am on the 23rd of June 0915 Could you show me where the spies

were executed? Of course. It is here where the executions took place Not

in the car park, but this is the site where the rifle range was, and

this is where he was brought on the morning of his execution and

executed by firing squad. So he was the first of 11 spies executed here?

A total of 11 executions, nhne of which were in the rifle range, and

two were in the moat, which is more executions than under Henry VIII in

the walls of the tower. A grisly part of London history painstakingly

kept at the National archivd. This lists the 11 prisoners exectted in

the tower this is the file for Carl Frederick Muller. We know hd was

tried for sending material that was used in invisible ink, and this is

the letter with a secret wrhting. One can faintly see his text. It was

said that the ink was made from a lemon. And here is the lemon, and

this was part of the evidence that was given in court and it ldd to his

execution. In all, 11th Gerlan spies were captured and executed `t the

tower. They had come to spy for Germany but lost their lives while

doing so. Leonard Sellars there. Time for a

look at the weather with Elhzabeth Rizzini. Can I say the word spring

yet? We can at the end of the wedkend as

we are at the end of the meteorological winter and it has

been confirmed that it was the wettest on record, and thosd records

began over 250 years ago, btt happily spring is at the wedkend,

the 1st of March. Unfortunately it's going to turn colder and sole places

could see some sleet which we've not seen much of it all so far this

winter, but not the widesprdad snow that some of the papers are

currently talking about. Thhs is the picture from the radar from earlier.

It's not been a bad day. Sunshine, showers around and some of the

showers towards the West have turned out to have a bit of thunder and

lightning, and we could see some of those tracking in from the West

through the rest of the rush hour but then it will turn dry for much

of the rest of the night before we start to see this area of r`in and

maybe a little bit of snow tracking in from the West in the early hours

of tomorrow morning. We might see some sleet and wintry nurse over the

tops of the Chilterns on thd north western flank of the system ``

winter arenas. But it will `ll fall as rain. It will be a cold night,

the area of low pressure sinking southwards and that will brhng

outbreaks of rain, swells of rain through the day tomorrow with the

risk of a little bit of sledt at times. But only really over the tops

of the hills. All in all, a grade, raw feel to the day, a bit of an

easterly breeze. It won't fdel very nice. Temperatures six or sdven

degrees but only in the drydr slots. Other than that, quite cold. The

rain will hang around until the evening and then clear away.

Saturday will be a great and cold start, but it should brightdn up in

the afternoon and that will be the story for Sunday as well. Not a very

nice start, but into the afternoon on Saturday and Sunday we should see

brightness and it will feel a little bit more like spring.

Let's hope so. Thanks for that. A reminder of the main headlines: New

figures show that net migration to the UK in the year to Septelber rose

by almost 60,000 to more th`n 200,000. It's fuelled largely by

arrivals from the EU ` the number of people coming from Bulgaria and

Romania almost tripled. The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has said

she wants Britain to remain a strong voice inside the European Union But

in an historic address to both Houses of Parliament, she w`rned

that she can't promise fund`mental reform. Bankers bonuses havd been

criticised after The Royal Bank of Scotland announced it was p`ying

nearly ?600 million in bonuses, despite making annual losses of just

over ?8 billion. That's it for now. More news at10pm of course `nd on

our website. From me and thd team here though, thanks for joining us

and have a lovely evening.