22/07/2014 BBC London News

- so it's goodbye from me - and on BBC One we now join the BBC's

Hello and welcome to the programme with me Riz Lateef.

The accountant accused of directing ?4 million into his own bank

account. We speak to a woman who `` whose children were abducted and

taken to Russia. I realise how lucky we are. Could revolutionising the

rental market improved the capital's housing crisis? Elementary

my dear Watson. Dozens of sleuths dress up to turn Sir Arthur Conan

Doyle's home into a museum. A group of London Academies is

trying to recover ?4 million from a former employee

after vast sums of money ended up Samuel Kayode was an accountant

at Haberdashers' Aske's Federation, which runs three schools

in south`east London. A high`court judgement detailed

the Academy's claims of how millions was diverted to

his account over a six`year period. Critics of the Academies programme

say it's another example of the need Our Education Reporter Marc Ashdown

has the story. Back in 2007 it was

the most oversubscribed state school in the country but

as the then`head showed BBC London around Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham

Academy one of its staff members was apparently removing millions

of pounds from under her nose. Samuel Kayode was born in Nigeria,

worked for 15 years It runs three schools

in south`east London. In October 2012 it was discovered

that over a six`year period ?4.1 million was paid from

the accounts into his own bank. The trust suspended and sacked him

and had to go to the High Court to Summary judgement was granted to

the trust in respect of the claim that he had abused

his position of trust. It detailed how 148 transactions had

been made to his account over He and his late wife had bought

property, cars, luxury items and had apparently been

living well beyond their means. The judge said based on the evidence

he had seen there is no way they could not have known such a vast

amount of money was flowing in. It has left parents concerned about

how the schools are run and the Our schools are not particularly

complex financial institutions. They are worried that their

children's education will suffer. Including Haberdashers' Aske's

Hatcham, which I've had The trust was frequently championed

by the former Education Secretary. Academies do have more

control over their finances Critics say this is

a glaring example of the need They can siphon away funds very

easily without anyone really Because, of course,

the only people supervising them are the Department for Education and

the Department for Education have The department maintained

academies already have tougher In court Samuel Kayode tried

to argue all his transactions The judge said his explanation had

a total air of unreality about it. We have not been able to locate him

for a comment. The trust say they are devastated

and believed this constituted They are working as hard

as they can to recover the money. It is, after, all ?4 million

of public money, which should have And Marc's outside the department

for Education, how troubling is this case for the new Education

Secretary? It will be food for thought, not

least because this is not the first time we have reported on something

like this. Today, Nicky Morgan made a statement about the Trojan horse

enquiry in Birmingham. Some of those schools where academies and the

question of general school governance was raised. All of the

academy schools are effectively run from here in London but

accountability almost amounted to benign neglect. Stockmann criticism

of whether ministers can really run things from here. From September

they will not have to. Eight school commissions will be responsible,

three of them in London and we are told they will be more hands`on.

Some people will say ?4 million disappearing from an Academy trust

with nobody noticing for many years shows how badly they are needed.

Thank you for joining us. Coming up later in the programme:

Solving the capital's housing crisis ` we speak to the expert who

believes revolutionising the rental market is the key.

A mother has described her relief after finally getting her two

sons back from Russia after they were taken by her ex`husband.

Despite rulings by both British and Russian courts ` their father

It's taken a year and half to have them returned.

In her first tv interview since being reunited with her children `

Rachael Neustadt's been speaking our home affairs

correspondent Guy Smith about her ordeal.

Eight`year`old Daniel Jakob and Jonathan, who is six, have been

separated from their youngest brother Meir for 18 months.

Asked if he had missed his little brother there was only one reply.

The youngest two went to primary school in north London.

It has been so long, though, they have almost forgotten their English.

Rachael had sole custody of the boys but in December 2012 she allowed her

ex`husband Ilya to take them on a two`week holiday to Russia.

When they were separated it felt like the world had been destroyed.

The UK's High Court repeatedly ordered Ilya, who was a lecturer at

the London Metropolitan University, to return them to their mother.

Fortunately Russia signed up last year to The Hague Convention that

recognises other country's legal orders and a Moscow City court ruled

in Rachael's favour ` the first time the new law had been applied.

But her husband disappeared again with the children and it took a

This was a terrible tragedy for the family.

We did not know what to do and where to turn.

No one we knew had ever gone through an experience like this.

To see them now all together seems like such a miracle, because I

realise how lucky we are when I think about how many families out

there are having to suffer this kind of a tragedy in the same way that we

have had and some of them are reunited after... We had over

a year and a half, and some people never see their children again.

The true scale of the problem is difficult to know but there are more

than 500 reported cases of child abduction every year in England and

Wales. And according to one campaigner the issue is getting

worse. The number of abductions obviously is increasing because

there are more and more international marriages and more and

more divorces and with London being so international this happens very

often. Yet, for this family at least, there appears to be a happy

ending. Are you going to go flying now?

The police and the Crown Prosecution service are looking

in to a judge's comments that a tabloid journalist had lied in court

at the collapsed drugs trial of X Factor Star Tulisa Contostavlos.

The Sun journalist, known as the fake sheik, Mazher Mahmood claims

his investigations have led to dozens of successful prosecutions,

but now, questions are being asked about the validity of convictions

Mazher Mahmood has been responsible for hundreds of exclusive stories

and has also revealed celebrity indiscretions, and even filmed

Prince Andrew's ex`wife Sarah Ferguson taking money from a News of

the World reporter. Posing as a film producer with a lead role to offer

Mr Mahmood claimed to Lisa helped supply cocaine. The case against her

collapsed over the judge's concerns he had lied in evidence. Let me be

perfectly clear ` I have never dealt drugs and never been involved in

taking or dealing cocaine. This whole case was anorexic and

disgusting entrapment. The Sun newspaper has suspended Mazher

Mahmood ahead of an investigation. We have not been able to speak to

him but he has defended his methods in a previous BBC interview. The

point of entrapment, setting people up, is a valid point and it comes up

time and time again and nothing annoys me more than that. You are a

top TV presenter. Is there any way I could persuade you to provide me

with cocaine, even if I was dressed as an Arab sheik or whatever, I

could not. Through his journalism Mr Mahmood has brought down criminals.

Three Pakistani cricket players were jailed after he exposed

match`fixing, a story for which he won a major press award. A former

editor gave his reaction to yesterday's trial collapse. To Lisa

is probably the lowest point in his career, it may be the end of his

career, but let's not forget he has had some big successes too. `` to

Lisa. And above all this case should not be an argument against

continuing with undercover journalism. Mr Mahmood's identity

was protected throughout this trial amid concerns for his safety but if

accused of perjury he could find himself in the dock, and what of all

the criminals he claims to have brought to justice. Wherever there

are other cases where his evidence personally has been critical there

must at least be an argument for people convicted on those grounds,

even if at the end of the day they did what he said they did, if he is

the key witness and his integrity is called into question, which plainly

it now is, there must be a grounds for appeal. It has not been a few

years for the tabloids and once again it is up to the authorities to

decide if it is the journalist that should end up in court. It has not

`` it has not been a great few years.

UEFA has ordered the partial closure of Paris St`Germain's stadium after

disabled Chelsea fans were abused in a match between the teams in April.

Two sections of the French team's ground will be closed for one game.

It's the first time a club has been sanctioned

Now, all this week we're looking at the capital's housing crisis ` and

Tonight ` we speak to Patricia Brown who's Chair of the London Festival

In the latest in our series Home Truths,

she tells us how revolutionising our rental market ` and enabling

people to rent better properties, for longer ` is one answer.

People often look to continental European cities and say, "Why can't

Where people, say, in Germany or Paris, live in rented accommodation

for their entire lives and there is no stigma attached to it

At the moment I live in Leytonstone to share with seven people.

I don't trust the landlord, or something like that,

I think that's because many of the landlords that are around providing

the significant proportion of the private rental sector in the UK, and

especially in London, are actually in it for the short term and there

is no security of tenure, or reasons for people to feel vested

Here I am in East Village in Stratford where they are trying to

Initially I was on the hunt for a new job, and I was recommended

about this company ` Get Living London ` so I signed up and I got

the job and at such time I moved over

We signed up for a three`year contract.

We have a break clause we can use at any point after the six`month

term so there is total security from a tenant's point of view.

There will not be a letter from the landlord saying that he

And giving us that level of security allows us to relax.

I do as a matter of fact but that is an interesting story, because, when

I first moved down to London I didn't

but the rental market was pretty much like it is now and it is hard

to find a decent place and there was not security.

I wanted to have a long`term home and therefore I was

There isn't one single solution when it comes to London's rental

There is lots of different ways that we need to

One of them is regulating the market and providing a better class

of private rented landlord, and the mayor is actually looking at this

through something called the housing covenant where he is setting the

conditions for more rental housing to come onto the market.

But regulate it in a way to provide security

Do send us your views on this story and the others we'll be featuring

You can send us an email to [email protected] or join in with

the conversation on Twitter using #BBCHomeTruths.

And tomorrow we'll hear from Guardian journalist Dave Hill `

who wants to see more done to stop landowners sitting

There is an argument some people will make for greater and more

effective powers of compulsory purchase which local authorities

could use and the Mayor of London could use, which would be an

incentive to stop people from sitting on land and stalling

developments when in fact they could do something about it. Join us for

that tomorrow evening. Back to tonight and the Commonwealth Games

begin in Glasgow tomorrow. Scottish fans could be difficult to

win over. It is the gold medal. For Adrian grande, winding the

Commonwealth gold medal, in India four years ago was the proudest

moment of his career so far. I remember the final point, I was so

exhausted and tired I could not celebrate. I was hugging Nick, I was

hanging on my toes. NATIONAL ANTHEM standing on the podium, it is the

feeling you cannot explain but I would do anything to get the feeling

again. His doubles partner, Nick Matthew, was named as team

England's flag bearer, he's had injury problems but they are still

seeded number one and the pressure is on. It was not expected in India.

Everybody will be looking at us, it is a different way of thinking. It

has made a step up even more. What will be the atmosphere in Glasgow,

there is a school of thought the Scottish fans might not be very

friendly? We have talked about that, Scotland have got a good team with

the squash, the doubles. That is where their medal chances will be.

We know if we come across them we will have the plugs in. He will have

plenty of support at his club in Vauxhall where he trains, and from

the man who first introduced him to this has been my emphasis. I always

have fun. Even though we compete around the world, everybody wants to

win, I never for get having fun. That is why I started the sport.

Glasgow will be fun for Adrian Grant if he can bring back another gold

medal for England. Chris is here now, and these Games

also a chance for a young sprinter Adam Gemili will go in the 100

metres, still only 20. Usain Bolt will not be in the individual races.

Adam knows it will still be a talented field. You have the

Jamaicans. The guys from Trinidad, a lot of people that will make it

competitive and it will be exciting to compete and it will be

interesting, competing for England. It will be nice to compete against

Scotland, and Ireland and Northern Ireland and Wales. They could be on

your team at the championship. What about the other star names from the

capital? Mo Farah, he won the 5000 metres and a 10,000 metres at the

world, the Olympics and the Europeans, he has had a difficult

year. Bradley Wiggins, left out of the Tour de France, the returns to

the track in the men's team pursuit. Zoe Smith, weightlifter, winning a

bronze medal four years ago. David Weir, six Paralympic gold medals, he

will go in the 1500 metre wheelchair race. It is good luck to him and all

of the athletes from London. We wish them well.

In the early 1960's, theatre director Joan Littlewood and

architect Cedric Price had the idea of a Fun Palace ` a sort of free pop

up arts, science and entertainment hub for the community.

The idea was abandoned as being too ambitious `

but to mark the 100th anniversary of the director, Fun Palaces are to

Our arts correspondent Brenda Emmanus has more.

The Southbank Centre, 21 acres of creative space. It's packed arts

programme and events were inspired by the vision of a theatre director

and an architect to create a fun Palace London. In 1961 Joan

Littlewood and Cedric Price had the vision of a mobile space celebrating

the arts and sciences and driven by a community spirit. With her 100th

birthday anniversary in autumn, a host of Fun Palaces will spring up

across the country with schools in the capital. It is the Fun Palaces

and we want people to have fun. It goes back to the political idea of

the People's Palace, you will remember, the musicals were really

important to the working people. The People's Palace was an idea that the

people could run the place, that the people could make it their own.

Palaces can include anything and they can be created by anybody but

they have to include Joan they can be created by anybody but

they have to Littlewood's principles of being free, local, innovative,

transformative and engaging. Deptford have begun planning their

event. We have two, schools, University, five different

organisations, theatre makers. We are working out how to reach out to

scientists as well, every month. Somebody else will join, somebody

will have an idea. Down in Brixton the Lyda will be a science `` this

area will be a science and arts Showcase. You do not need a

university degree to be involved in the arts, everybody has creativity.

This was the start of the magic. This actor worked with Joan

Littlewood and witnessed first`hand the original idea. What is

extraordinary is that another generation have cottoned on, and

they are realising what a wonderful idea it was. And so now, 50 years

later, I am surrounded by Fun Palaces. The palaces must take place

on the fourth and 5th of October and you can apply through the website.

A new world record may have been set for the number of people dressed

as Sherlock Holmes and gathered in one room.

The event, held this weekend at UCL, was to help raise funds to restore

and convert the former home of the fictional detective's

creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, in Hindhead, Surrey.

Hidden away, on the edge of the surreal hills, is a crumbling pile.

With a story to tell. This place is amazing and spooky. Stephen has

published many books about Sherlock Holmes but he has never been inside

this house, built by the man whose imagination created the detective.

Until now. This is fantastic. Beautiful. Sherlock Holmes fans

should be able to see this. But the problem is that the Surrey home of

Arthur Conan there is a tall with some people who want to save it ``

as this tour confirms. It is easy to think of him doing this work, this

is where he created hound of the Baskervilles, just close your eyes

and use your imagination, Conan Doyle is around every corner. The

cost of restoration and conversion to a special school is said to be

around ?2.5 million. And it just got a step closer. This may have never

been seen before. Perhaps the largest gathering of people dressed

as Sherlock Holmes. All converging on one lecture Theatre to try to set

a world record for the most Sherlock Holmes in one room. I am a fan. I

have got a son that will join in the adventure, very excited to be taking

part in the Guinness world record attempt. Lu

it is really fun. It is very interesting and he's a great

detective. Elementary. They were counted in and held in one room, for

five minutes. 113 people clicked through, it is a fantastic

achievement. Thank you very much. CHEERING

Several thousand pounds was raised, to help restore the Conan Doyle

home. We will learn later this week if a new world record was set.

It's that time of the evening for a check on the weather.

How is it looking? The game is afoot. It is looking very nice

indeed. Beautiful evening on the BBC London roof, some cloud bubbling

through the afternoon, didn't spoil things. There is good news, if you

like it like this, it will continue. This is the headline for the next

few days, staying warm, very warm. We normally expect 23 degrees at

this time of year. Generally dry, not completely I have to tell you.

Looking at what happened today, a bit of cloud bubbling up through the

day. It did not spoil things, we were up to 27 degrees going through

this afternoon, the eighth day in a row somewhere in London has reached

at least 27 degrees. There is more of that on the way. A beautiful

evening, gorgeous on the roof. A bit of a light breeze, we have lost the

heat, lovely to get into the garden and have a barbecue and a drink.

Just beautiful. We will continue with the sunshine. Tomorrow morning

temperatures falling 15`17 degrees. There will be a change tomorrow

because actually we have got some cloud drifting in from the east,

towards the west. It will give the risk of some showers. If you catch

one could be sharp, 28 degrees between showers. Going through the

next few days, dry sunny and warm weather. Mate, high 20s right the

way through. Until the end of the week. `` the mid to high 20s.

Generally dry weather. The weekend, we will have the risk of some

showers coming through. It will stay warm. Well above average throughout

until at least the weekend. If you enjoy the summer weather, there is

plenty of it. Elementary. STUDIO: Thank you for joining us.

EU sanctions have been extended against Russia. The Prime Minister

says British experts will help to analyse data on the black`box

recorders. The government has announced

a judge`led public inquiry into the death of the former Russian

spy, Alexander Litvinenko. He was poisoned

in London eight years ago with the The Haberdashers' Aske's

Federation, which runs three in south`east London,

is trying to recover ?4 million A high court judgement detailed how

vast sums of money ended up in More on the day's stories

on our website. And I'll be back

during the ten o'clock news. From all of us here `

have a lovely evening.