09/06/2014 BBC London News

at the age of 56. It is goodbye from me, we now join the news teams where

you are. The row over these spikes designed

to deter the homeless Charities condemn

their installation. It is an awful way to treat people.

We pay a lot to live here. It is not nice when people ask you for money

every morning. Now the Mayor supports calls

for them to be removed. Police launch an investigation

into homophobic attacks after three men are sprayed in the face with

ammonia outside a London nightclub. Plus ` the increase in the number

of Londoners accessing food banks. Car park turned performance space `

the gravity`defying show wowing The Mayor has joined calls for metal

spikes designed to deter homeless people from bedding down outside

a block of flats to be removed. Boris Johnson today described

the spikes in Southwark as ugly, Homeless charities have condemned

the developer for installing them. As a petition calling on the Mayor

to remove them received thousands But first this report from

Nick Beake. The latest addition to the pavement

in Southwark. Metal studs outside private flats. A legitimate way to

prevent rough sleeping or a heartless approach? First time I saw

someone lying here was a homeless couple. I did not like it because I

did not like having to walk past them. It sounds selfish, so when I

saw those studs, I thought it was a good idea. Her husband works at a

nearby shelter. A lot of them are my friends. If you lie on them it will

make you get spiked. They are popping up all over the West End.

Interesting, opinion is split. Some people think this invention method

is there enough. Others think it is heartless. Do you find it offensive

people put studs so you cannot sleep there? No, if it was your property

what would you do? What would you do? I have been on the streets

nearly 16 years. I think putting these things up is out of order. He

says he blames the authorities for forgetting about ex`service men like

him. The Labour group on the London assembly has criticised the mayor.

He disagrees and says he will be contacting the developer of the

flats. It is not the way forward for a city like London. You should not

be discouraging homeless people. It sends the wrong signal about the

development you are in. The management of the building would not

tell us why they put the studs in. Homeless charities say it will not

tackle the problem. We have seen a 75% of rough sleeping because of a

lack of affordable housing and cuts to benefit. Those are the issues we

need to tackle, not putting studs in the pavement. While they only maybe

a couple of centimetres high, they have started a big debate.

John Bird is with me here and joining us from our Exeter studio

Katie, thousands had signed a petition to have they removed, you

don't like them? Not at all. We have benches that slope slightly, we have

benches that have handles in between them so you cannot lie across them.

In Heathrow at terminal five, only has 700 seats even though it

processes 30 million passengers. We have ways of moving people on, but

we are offended because they look spiky. People would have to say,

what would I want if that was my front doorway. But I have two go

down every morning and clear up after somebody who has been using it

as a bedroom or their toilet. Or would I want to see a set of spikes.

Most people would want to see spikes. Does that sound

unreasonable? No, it sounds as though we have have the same problem

in London as we have always had. Not enough basis for home peak ``

homeless people. You could remove all of those impediments and you

still have a city bowling over which is commercial and becoming more

commercial, every square inch is commercial. So essential beds for

people in need who are drifting in and out of the capital don't get a

look in. We did hear from a homeless person in that report who supported

removing them? Supported removing them? Sorry, supporting having them?

We are closing down more opportunities for homeless people in

the city to find themselves a place to stay. The spikes are a symbol

that ordinary people are getting outraged. I think we should go with

their outrage, but what we need to do is say to Boris Johnson, why are

you carrying on what Ken Livingstone did which is to make London a soup

do per financial capital where 30% of homes are empty in Mayfair. Let's

bring it back to the issue of spikes and that is what people are calling

to be removed, including the mayor. Do you have any sympathy for people

sleeping rough apart from people saying, I don't want this in my

backyard? We are mixing two issues we need to separate. This is about

spikes that are there to move people along. Is there an issue about

homelessness and the number of beds in London? Yes. But we build walls

around our gardens, we put fences where we don't want people to come

in. This is the same thing but people are hopping aboard the

outrage bus. You have two as, if that was my front lawn would I want

someone sleeping there and step over them to get to work in the morning?

The truthful and set is, know I would not. If we remove them in this

one place in Southwark, should they be removed elsewhere in the capital?

I would not want to waste a lot of time on gestures. I am a person who

wants real justice for people who are poor in the City of London. I

don't want this social engineering where we drive the poor people out.

I am more interested in the fact it raises a hue and cry and we need

these symbols to get together to say, let's make sure the next Mayor

of London delivers over social housing rather than talking about

it. Thanks very much indeed. A new fire training centre opens in

east London hoping to save taxpayers more than ?60 million.

A man who had ammonia sprayed in his face in what's thought to have

been a homophobic attack, has said he fears he may never see again.

He was one of three men attacked outside

a nightclub in Vauxhall in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Police are looking for a man who was caught on CCTV.

Our Home Affairs Correspondent, Guy Smith reports.

This is a suspect police are looking for. Easily recognisable. The

assaults took ways in an area south of the river in Lambeth, well`known

for its gay nightlife. It was about 4am on Sunday just outside this

nightclub in Boxall. Two men were verbally abused before being

attacked with what police believe was ammonia. A third man was sprayed

in the face. Using such a highly toxic substance, the victims were

lucky to escape serious injury. It is shock, disbelief. It is a

horrible thing to happen to anyone. It is hate crime at its worst. In

London, homophobic crime has gone up by almost 7%. Apart from

Westminster, Lambeth, where the latest attack happened, has the

worst record. We are treating this as a linked incidents and they will

be treated as a homophobic offence. I would like to reassure the LGBT

community and the wider community that Lambeth is a wonderful place to

be. London is said to be one of the most diverse cities in the world,

but there is concern so many hate crimes go unreported whether that is

verbal abuse or harassment and assault. We know gay people across

London do suffer homophobic incidents. Obviously, following the

events of the weekend, gay people in and around here will be feeling

concerned. Detectives were looking for this man, along with two female

suspects. This afternoon, two women came forward and are helping with

enquiries. Inspectors have criticised a school

in London after finding Islamic books in the library. It comes on

the day six Birmingham schools were put into special measures for

failing to protect pupils from extremism.

Inside the classroom there appears to be little to set this apart from

any other. When Ofsted inspectors visited last month, they raised a

number of concerns. They rated the school as inadequate. Top of their

concerns ` the lack of teaching about different cultures and faiths.

Claims the school reject. We have had people from the church and other

faith communities come into our school teaching them about their

religion. Do you accept any of the findings? In terms of the religious

ethos of the school, it is an Islamic phobic report. Michael

Gove's ignorance of Islam is matched only by his hostility. Ofsted have

criticised the library about having too few books about other religions.

They say the books promote fundamentalist views. This is the

staff library. These books are not available to the children and they

are not being taught to children. The argument does not hold any

water. The report comes on the day when offset published findings about

allegations of extremism at a number of schools in Birmingham. The local

MP says the timing is not helpful. I do have concerns about the timing of

this report released on the same day as the Birmingham report. There is

not a link between this situation but people will think there will be.

Ofsted said Olive tree school must prepare children for living in

Britain. The school's governors said they reject this report in its

entirety `` entirety and now they are seeking legal advice.

The number of people using food banks in London

It's gone up by nearly 130% compared to last year, according to the food

But the Government has questioned the figures saying it doesn't

Like thousands of people across London, Tracy had no choice but to

visit a foodbank. It was a case of swallowing her pride or not eating.

I had just had a baby, had ?6 a week to

swallowing her pride or not eating. I had just had a baby, had ?6 live

on. My partner's wages were messed about and did not get any money. It

was essential to go to the foodbank. about and did not get any money. It

was essential to go This man's come to the Redbridge food rang and

everybody has to be referred by a social worker and show about you. As

well as receiving three days of supplies, they get advice on how to

improve their situation. This is the stockroom where they keep

everything. It has all been donated. Such is the generosity they have an

overflow area with all sorts of things, tea bags, serial, tins of

beans and nappies. The essential things people need. They also have

an informal agreement with their local supermarket to take surplus

stock. Research says only 2% of unwanted supermarket food goes to

charity, the rest is turned into biofuel. The number of food banks in

London has grown rapidly. Five years ago there was just one in the

capital, now there are 39 spread across every London borough.

ago there was just one in the capital, now there Last year alone

they helped around 90,000 people. A lot of people come here because they

have problems with benefits and we are concerned for a lot of people,

they are a Social Security said the net. It means they cannot afford to

feed themselves and their families. The government says it is spending

?94 billion a year on benefits and is fixing the system to help people

lift themselves out of poverty. But some fear food banks are seen as the

answer rather than the solution to the problem.

travelling to Brazil for the World Cup. And a risky new show here in

this Waterloo car park. The mayor opened a new fire training centre in

east London today. It will for the first time the privately run, saving

?66 million. But there have been no new recruits to the Fire Brigade

since 2011, meaning only serving firefighters will have training

there. More now from Karl Mercer. Yes, this is the new Fire Brigade

training centre, it was Omar and a couple of hours ago by the mayor.

They have got a mock`up of a building, firefighters have to try

to get into that building. Just down here you can see a sewer, so

firefighters can practice if people get trapped underground. Also we

have got the kind of tools, the circular saws, and here, another

scenario, somebody trapped in a car in a garage. And then, through the

archway there is a giant new fire house, where temperatures get up to

something like 350 degrees, something the mayor tried out

earlier. Dressed for action, the mayor, on a tour of the latest

addition to London's firefighting capability. This centre in east

London is one of two which will replace the old site in Southwark.

There are high`tech training rooms, real`life scenarios played out in

real time. We have one adult female and one baby in the lounge, have you

got that? Two floors away, the fire officer is deciding what to do next.

Two doors down, another trainee is playing the part of an officer on

the ground outside the burning flats. I have got no more is there

people down here, over. The site is not without its controversy. It is

run by a private company after the Fire Brigade decided to outsource

its training, saving ?66 million over ten years. The old training

centre was very good for ten years but it was no longer fit for

purpose. We need to train our firefighters for the challenges they

will meet today. The brigade is not actually recruiting at the moment,

there has been a freeze on new staff since 2011. This site could see

around 200 staff are weak being trained. This man is unlikely to be

one of them, the mayor spending ten minutes in the new fire house in

these kind of conditions. It was about 350 degrees, but I want you to

know, we extinguished the fire. What it shows to me is the incredible

bravery of the London Fire Brigade. They do this stuff many times a

year. These guys will beginning into buildings and getting people out in

incredible conditions like that. The second new fire training centre is

due to open in west London in September. Thousands of England fans

are starting to fly out to Brazil head of the World Cup, starting on

Thursday. Among them, many London supporters who have been planning

and saving up for their trip F`4 jet years. As Sara Orchard discovered,

one group has been getting some last`minute travel advice. `` for

years. The World Cup is going to be an unforgettable experience... Is

video is for fans travelling to the World Cup. At a forum in the City,

tips were being shared from ace Ashley invited guest. I am the

British ambassador to Brazil, and I am an England fan. For most of us,

the World Cup will be enjoyed on the TV, but for travelling England fans,

it can be the trip of a lifetime. I have waited all my life for

something like this. 16 last year, and we all get to a point in our

lives when we think, maybe we will not be able to do as much. `` 60

last year. I have been saving ?100 a month for the last two years. Each

fan has their own story, and their own way to travel. We have not

booked any accommodation. Take a tent, stay in a campsite, see what

happens. Up until the last minute, I did not even know about my flights.

I have done quite a lot of research, I now feel quite happy

that I will feel safe. Our job is to look after distressed British

nationals who might get robbed or hospitalised, I hope not. Also we

must understand things we cannot do, we cannot bail you out, we cannot

give you a ticket, I have already been asked for three! Can England

win the World Cup? You have got to dream. Can they win it? No. Well,

you never know! English optimism at its best.

Now, open`air theatre, but perhaps not as you have seen it before. The

Roof takes place on top of a car park opposite the National Theatre

and the audience where headphones. We live in a video age, but The Roof

promises a totally different experience, even for gaming fans.

The action takes place not through a screen that out in the open air.

Using dance, theatre, music and free running, the show is a collaboration

between experimental theatre director David Rosenberg and the

choreographer. We wanted to find a new way of placing the audience in

relation to the action. We really wanted to have the audience and

be quite exciting to be able to have be quite exciting to be able to have

action which keeps going around and around. This is their third

collaboration. Previous collaborations included The Electric

Hotel, which took place in industrial wasteland in King's

Cross. This particular 360 degrees theatrical experience takes place

here in this Waterloo car park under the night sky. Audiences will be

wearing headphones throughout. The show has been described as a

computer game which comes to life. What makes it such a thrill is the

element of risk. You have to be so aware of the people around you, you

cannot switch off, it is what you are landing on, and the actual

danger. When it is dark and the lighting, music and weather come

into play, it adds to the experience. But even in this

rehearsal, there were some hints of how different this could be for

Londoners. It is a bit of a dream, because as a kid growing up, you

watch things like this, and to be able to do lots of fighting and

really good stunts is quite satisfying. You can suspend reality

in Waterloo, where the show runs until the 28th of June.

Returning to that story about spikes being used as a deterrent against

rough sleepers. You have been giving us your views. This one says ` it is

disgraceful that Boris Johnson condones the practice. I would like

to see his reaction to the homeless sleeping outside his own property.

This one says, I am all for it. If the homeless need somewhere to

shelter, they should go to the officials to get help. This one says

she is appalled about how the upper classes are looking down on the less

fortunate. Shame on you this one says, as brutal as it may sound, it

is not the job of landlords or tenants to manage these problems,

but it is their job to maintain their properties and keep their

attempts `` their tenants safe. Thank you very much for your views

this evening. Let's get a check on the weather now. Over to Georgina

Burnett. It is much of the same, really. For the week ahead, it is

looking largely dry, with some sunny spells. We have got a bit of rain

pushing up from the south over the next couple of hours. But it was not

in time to ruin today's temperatures. A very warm day indeed

today. Over the next couple of days, we will continue with this largely

dry weather. However, this rain is coming up from the south coast.

There could be some thunder. One thing we will probably all have

tonight is quite a humid night. Not quite as sticky as it was last

night. Very warm indeed overnight. It could be a bit murky early

tomorrow morning, but brightening up fairly quickly. Plenty more sunshine

on the way. For most of us it should be a dry day tomorrow. Not looking

too bad for Wednesday and Thursday, either. We hold onto that high

pressure, soap temp butchers will gradually be getting get as the week

goes on. `` so those temperatures will be getting higher as the week

goes on. But also, some fairly mild nights this week, which could be

uncomfortable. The main headlines ` the Education

Secretary, Michael Gove, has ordered an inquiry into weather his

department did enough regarding extremism in schools. Six schools in

Birmingham have today been put into special measures. An inquiry into

the care provided at a care home in Sussex has made more than 30

recommendations in a bid to prevent a repeat of the institutionalised

abuse which led to the death of five residents. And the comedian Rik

Mayall has died at the age of 56. His long`time friend Adrian

Edmondson described days spent with him as some of the most carefree,

stupid days I have ever had. Thank you very much for joining us. I will

be back in the Ten O'Clock News. THROWS VOICE: 'A weekly treat

of all the best bits of Radio 2.' But that isn't quite

the end of the story. ..then...

..he landed... ..and in a flurry

of feathers, they were gone. But that isn't quite

the end of the story. Perhaps you'll dream

of a great adventure.