10/04/2014 BBC London News

Commons has been cleared of rape and other sex charges. Goodbye.

Tonight on BBC London News, she took her life after testifying in court

against a former choirmaster who'd abused her. Now a report saxs her

death could and should have been prevented. Until the Governlent

really invests in supporting survivors and victims, then these

kinds of tragedies, sadly, `re going to continue.

Also, an investigation is l`unched after a pedestrian was struck by a

police van. Plus, calls to close London City,

claims the airport site could be better used for homes and

businesses. In the next 15 xears, we are going to see the creation of

15,000 jobs in the Royal docks, arguably none of this would have

happened without the airport. I love you, don't hate me!

And hoping to pull in the crowds, we're live in Leicester Squ`re for

the premier of the latest Spider`Man movie.

Good evening and welcome to the programme. The death of a vholinist

just a few days after she tdstified in court against her former

choirmaster could and should have been prevented. 48`year`old Frances

Andrade killed herself at hdr home in Guildford after giving evidence

against Michael Brewer, who was eventually convicted of inddcently

assaulting her when she was a teenager. Today a serious c`se

review concluded that Ms Andrade was let down by mental health sdrvices,

which underestimated how vulnerable she was. Chris Rogers has the story.

Francis Andrade died less than a week after she gave evidencd at the

trial of her abuser at Manchester Crown Court in January last year. It

was a suicide that could have been avoided. A concert in memorx of her

life. In the 1970s, the spiralling violence was accepted into `

prestigious music school in Manchester, Chetham's. She became

disruptive in class and was referred by a psychiatrist to live whth the

choir director Michael Brewdr and his wife. During the trial, she said

it was the family she had always wanted but alleged he was sdxually

abusing her. By now the chohr master had been honoured with an OBE and

had continued to teach. In court, she was labelled a fantasist and a

liar. The choir director was jailed for six years, guilty of thd abuse

of Francis Andrade wedge was 14 and 15. His wife seen on the right, was

jailed for 21 months. Franchs Andrade had a day in court, so why

did she take her own life? @ serious case review said she was let down by

mental health services who failed to realise how vulnerable she was as

she fought for justice. Proper care measures and adequate risk

assessments were not in place, as she made increasingly seriots

suicide bids. The authors c`lled for criminal justice profession`ls to

improve the support offered to survivors and recognise thehr

vulnerability when facing their abusers in court. The report added

that news broadcaster should be mindful of the way a person's mental

health and credibility are discussed throughout proceedings. Unthl the

Government really invests in supporting survivors and victims,

then these kinds of tragedids, sadly, going to continue. Strrey

police say improvements are being made but this week in a newspaper

article Keir Starmer warned that victims of sexual crimes sthll face

an unacceptable ordeal in the courtroom with inadequate stpport.

The former chief prosecutor is now part of a Labour task force which

will be proposing a new law to give better protection to victims before

during and after the court process, which may include judges cross and

examining victims, rather than barristers. The government says it

is spending more money than ever before to improve procedures. The

person ultimately responsible for her death is the man who betrayed

her in such a terrible way by abusing her when she was yotng.

Campaigners are calling for a national inquiry into abuse at other

music schools. Her legacy m`y be inspiring other victims to speak up.

Chris Rogers, BBC London News. Lots more to come, including owning

a piece or art for three months of the year.

A pedestrian is in a critic`l condition tonight after being hit by

a police van responding to `n emergency call. The accident in

Shepherd's Bush came less than 4 hours after a cyclist was also

seriously injured in the sale area after being hit by a lorry. Marc

Ashdown reports. We are in the shadow of the

Westfield shopping centre hdre in Shepherd's Bush, normally one of the

busiest areas of London, but at the moment a large part remains in

lockdown after this police car behind me collided at 11:15 this

morning with a pedestrian crossing the road right here. I am told this

car was responding to a reqtest from other offices for assistancd on

another emergency call. The pedestrian is a man, I am told by

officers at the scene, aged 52. He was taken back to a nearby hospital

with serious head and leg injuries, where he remains in a seriots

condition. An eyewitness captured the moment the air ambulancd landed

in the middle of Shepherd's Bush Green. It is the second acchdent in

the area in the space of a day. Yesterday eyewitnesses say ` cyclist

was dragged under the wheels of a truck and was trapped for more than

an hour as paramedics battldd to save him. The 46`year`old is also

still in hospital with life changing chest and leg injuries. It has led

to dozens of concerns on Twhtter. One cyclist said, thinking of the

poor cyclist, had been warndd to avoid this junction.

Police remain at the scene of the incident this evening, and we

understand it has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints

Commission, which will now investigate.

An inquest has heard how a cyclist was almost twice over the

drink`drive limit when he rode into the path of an oncoming bus. Khalid

al`Hashimi had been celebrating his 21st birthday with friends hn

Whitechapel when he cycled off the pavement and into the vehicle last

November. The court heard how he suffered an unsurvivable br`in

injury and died the following morning at the Royal London

Hospital. The man cleared yesterday of

murdering PC Keith Blakelock during the Broadwater Farm riots in

Tottenham in 1985 has been released from prison. Nicky Jacobs, who's 45,

had been accused of attacking the officer with a large knife. He is

the fourth person to have bden tried for PC Blakelock's murder. Speaking

outside prison, his solicitor raised questions about the wisdom of

bringing the case. It has been a difficult process he

has known he is innocent, hd is pleased through the jury saw through

the lies of witnesses. We know the jury took four hours to delhberate

and the case took five weeks. That reflects the quality of the

prosecution case. There are calls for London City

Airport to be closed and thd site redeveloped to build new holes and

businesses. The think`tank New Economic Foundation argues the

airport has not created as lany jobs as expected and that it restricts

the development of local business. But the owners of the airport claim

its closure would damage thd long`term regeneration of E`st

London. Sonja Jessup is there for us this evening.

It is a highly controversial idea, and at a time when we have been

hearing so much about the nded to build bigger airports, the report's

authors say we need to hold back and rethink this. Why? Because this

whole area is due for huge regeneration. The question hs, is

London City Airport driving the regeneration, or visit holdhng it

back `` is it holding it back? London City Airport is well placed

for City workers, but a report says it is not doing enough for local

people. The news level is b`d.. This woman watches the plands take

off from her kitchen window. There is no connection, because you can

see the well posh people walking by, while we are the low end side of it.

There is no connection betwden the airport and us. The report `grees.

Written by a think tank comlissioned by an anti`airport expansion group,

it controversially closes for the airport to close, the site to be

redeveloped, creating new jobs and homes. It is not contributing as

much to the UK economy has other developments of a similar shze. It

is failing in its jobs promhses it is preventing other opportunities

from happening. It may seem odd timing. The Airports Commission is

currently looking at ways to expand aviation capacity, but City Airport

does not feature. Last year it handled fewer than 3.5 millhon

passengers. Heathrow had more than 72 million. The authors of the

report say they could go thdre instead. But City Airport s`ys, as

well as employing local people, its presence is attracting investment.

Here there are plans for a multi`million pound business park

for Chinese firms. We are a catalyst for opportunity in the Royal Docks,

we are going to be bringing in global, international brands. We

will see the creation of 50,000 jobs in the Royal Docks, and argtably

none of this would happen whthout the airport. The report's atthors

are calling on the mayor to listen. They admit it is a Vatican hdea but

one that has already got people talking. `` a radical idea.

Will it ever happen, you max ask? We tried to speak to the mayor today

about his thoughts on this, but we were told it would be inappropriate

as the airport has its own dxpansion plans being considered at the

moment. As well as the backhng of the mayor, they would have to get

backing from the Government, from local authorities, local people and

a huge amount of money. What both sides seem to agree on is that this

area does have huge potenti`l, whether the airport should be part

of it is the sticking point. A 14`year`old boy has been sentenced

to six years detention for killing his stepfather. Neil Tully was

murdered in what was described as a savage knife attack at the family

home in Guildford. 14`year`old Jerome Ellis was found guilty of

manslaughter. His 23`year`old elder brother was found guilty of murder.

Despite growing confidence hn the jobs market, businesses in London

are reporting increasing problems in the recruitment of experienced,

qualified staff. The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry saxs in a

recent poll it identified a skills gap in the capital. Emma North has

more. Confidence is high in the c`pital.

We are told businesses expect to grow this year, so why is there such

a problem I ring people? Yot have the largest companies looking for

senior managers, and in London this is particularly a problem, because

we are so international, we have this really cosmopolitan, dhverse

business community, but that means every company is competing globally

in terms of salary and benefits At the top end, London is a victim of

its own success. The real challenge lies with what to do at

entry`level. This small technology company thrives on young workforce.

With a quarter of under 25 hs in London unemployed, you would think

recruiting would`be child play. It is not. They don't know how to get

up in the morning or be at work on time, do a full day's work, how not

to be distracted by Facebook and all these other challenges that we see

in the trading environment. This firm says it takes a year for new

recruits to become profitable and blame is being laid at the door of

the education system. There are things earlier on in our edtcation

that can help prepare you for what real life is like at there hn terms

of getting a job, what you have to do in the workplace to earn your

stripes. These teenagers have opted out of the traditional systdm. This

is the business equivalent of finishing school. It has not really

done anything. Obviously, I learnt the important things, but I would

have been better off coming here. Training like this can cost up to

?15,000. The Department of Dducation recognises the problem of young

people struggling in the workplace but says...

And should more emphasis be placed on the employers' role? Thex will

have to mentor to a certain extent, it is much more of a dual process,

providing support for a young person to go into the working environment.

As London's economy grows, so does the number of calls to make business

and education work more closely It is a generation of workers who

cannot afford to wait around. Joining me Simon Whalley from the

London chamber of commas, h`ven t school leavers always been

unprepared for the place work? `` chamber of commerce. I think it is a

bit of both. Recruits must leave schools with some of the skhlls

employers are looking for. They need to be disciplined and have

good communication skills and have problem`solving skills. As well as

things like new Missy, literacy and computing skills. Employers are not

looking for the finished article. They are interested in training on

the job. A quarter of those that were polled are planning to invest

in training over the coming year. Have employers needs changed? I do

not understand quite how, stddenly, employers find themselves whth this

dearth of skills. How could school leavers be prepared for the place of

work? The nature of the jobs market has changed. The nature of the

global market, London firms and UK firms are not operating in the

purely domestic market. Thex are competing with companies around the

world. Over the last number of years, the market has been changing.

What we are seeing is the qtality of the candidates and the supply of and

employees has not changed. We're still seeing a skills gap for

certain types of job. Which business sectors are struggling the lost It

is mainly those with technical skills and the business sector. It

is important for the educathon system to provide young people with

the knowledge and academic skills. It is also those vocational skills

and softer skills they need to have two at least start and then they can

be polished once they start. Still to come: Have you ever wantdd to

have a go at running the London Marathon? From next year, everyone

can have a go. I will be talking to the amazing Spider`Man.

Now, owning work by a celebrated artist is out of most peopld's reach

but a new gallery in East London is giving customers the chance to buy

shares in the pieces it has on show. It means you could own a bit of a

Banksy for a just ?120. Spend a little more, and you'll even be

allowed to hang it on your wall Nick Beake has been to the gallery

behind the idea, to take a look It seems it is everywhere you look in

this part of East London. Street art, striking images standing up for

all to see. A new gallery w`nts more people to not just look at heart but

by it, or at least a piece of it. You go on the art and you click it.

A Frenchman has brought this idea over here. You buy a share hn your

favourite piece in the galldry. I wanted to make the art very

democratic. I wanted to just find a new way. It is difficult whdn you do

not have enough money to own it They have got some big names. They

are selling 1000 shares in this piece by bank C. Each one costs

?120. Pieces have been flown in from around the world. Another fdature of

this place is if you buy a puarter of the shares of anyone art piece,

you can take it home for a puarter of the year. For three months, you

could have one of these hanging on your wall. I would rather bty shares

in the stock market. Includhng interest rates and the fact the art

market is quite buoyant. I think I might invest. It sounds intdresting.

It depends on the piece of `rt. Investors can resell their

individual shares at any tile. The whole piece could be sold for a

profit if the owners of mord than half the shares agreed to it. Art

and money go together. Artists have to make a living. It is a good

investment. Be prepared to give it some time. Stocks could fall in

value as well. The hope is that many people will invest a small `mount to

own a little art. Hundreds of thousands of people from across the

world entered this year 's London Marathon. Only a fraction whll take

part this Sunday. However, for those that weren't successful, from next

year they will be able to rtn the course on a treadmill. Our sports

reporter, Sara Orchard, got a sneak preview of the digital marathon

ahead of its launch tomorrow. In running a marathon might be some

people 's worst nightmare. But those who love it, London is the place to

be a part of. From tomorrow, the first`ever digital Marathon will be

unveiled. Anyone can have a go on a treadmill. Every year, around

125,000 people all enter thd London Marathon ballot. Only around 36 000

lucky people get to line up on the start line. This technology,

potentially, millions could all take part. We are going over Towdr

Bridge. We have unfortunately had to turn down nearly 2 million people

over the 34 years of the evdnt. You can challenge someone else hn a

totally different location. You could be running in Clapham and your

friend could be running in Luswell Hill. You could see their avatar

coming up on screen and challenge them. Technology has taken xears to

develop and is still improvhng. I next year, they are hoping to hear

the crowd noise around the course. You can see avatars of people

running in real time. It is the real thing. We recorded it last xear The

video is matching your runnhng speed. It is on your iPad as an

app. Like these children, you do not have to run the whole distance. I

enjoyed it because it was vdry long. It does look like I am runnhng a

marathon. It is active and visual. They are key things for kids. They

love the buzz of it. To be `ble to do it themselves is fantasthc. This

can be downloaded onto your iPad from tomorrow. Yesterday he dropped

in to see a few surprised children at a charity in Brixton. Today,

Spidey is on the red carpet for the premiere of his latest movid The

Amazing Spider`Man two. Surrey`raised Andrew Garfield plays

the superhero of course, opposite his real life girlfriend Emla Stone.

Well Wendy Hurrell is in Lehcester Square for us now. He is here with

me at the moment. I am just going to do a preamble. Andrew Garfidld is

here. It is a measure of thd popularity of the Marvel colic books

stories. Lots of people havd painstakingly painted their faces

with Spider`Man. The first film took $750 million worldwide at the box

office. This is what fans c`n expect of the amazing Spider`Man 2.

Sorry, I love you. Do not h`te me. I am pleased to say that Emma has

unstuck herself from that shtuation and is looking resplendent hn

yellow. Your character is no shrinking violet. It is nicd to see

a feisty female in a superhdro movie. Is she fun to play? She is

really fun to play. You arrhved in style this evening, Mr Spiddr`Man.

UK with a view friends. You have been with them this week. Jtst how

me about why you are involvdd? `` just tell me. We did not want to

talk about the film, we wanted to bring the energy, the ethos, the

love and the protection and the safe space that Spider`Man gives people.

We wanted to bring it to evdry city we go to. It was amazing to find a

small Peter Parker organisation for people who are in need of hdlp. They

do give a safe environment for children to play in after`school

clubs, breakfast clubs, holhday clubs, and, basically, it is for

families who cannot afford childcare themselves. They are proper

superheroes. It is a really cool thing to be able to draw attention

to Spider`Man and Peter Parker. There is a lovely picture of one of

them whispering in your ear. That particular boy had been givdn me ``

giving me a hard time all d`y, saying he preferred the villains. At

the end of the day, he said, I actually like Spider`Man. Hd had a

soft heart. Have you been to some of his old haunts? I have been all

around London. I love London. The film is out on

16th of April. Now for the weather. I was envious of you out and about

on the Thames yesterday. More in the way of clouds today. It does not

mean we will not have a gre`t night. Some of the cloud will break up and

there will be clear spells. The same old weather front is there.

Commission will day in the North of England and Northern Ireland. `` a

miserable day. There may just have been enough clout to Dave for there

to be the odd shower passing by on the breeze. `` Cloud today. Where

the cloud begins to break, not so much in the major towns and cities

of our region, in the countryside, it could turn into a chilly night.

The front I was talking abott, overnight, will have worked its way

down into the South of Engl`nd. We could start with a fairly great

start. The sunshine could break Essentially be another dry day. Top

temperature pretty much on par with where we have been over the last

couple of days, round about 16, 17. Similar sort of prospects from

Friday into Saturday. It'll be a chilly start. Maybe a touch of Frost

on Saturday. We will be looking at a temperature again at best 14, 1 . It

will be dry for the marathon. A chilly start but it could ttrned

quite warm. Now a look at the main headlines. The former Deputx Speaker

of the House of Commons, Nigel Evans, has been cleared of ` string

of sexual offences including one count of rape. A Serious Case Review

has found the suicide against a violinist who testified agahnst her

abuser could and should havd been avoided. 48`year`old Frances Andrade

killed herself at her home hn Guildford last year. That is it

I'll be back later. From evdryone on the team, have a lovely evening

Goodbye.