27/08/2014 BBC London News

Jon Kay, BBC News, Bristol. That's all from us. Don't forget

Newsnight's starting over on BBC Two in a moment, but now, on BBC

One, it's time for the news where you are.

Good evening from BBC London News. I'm Alex Bushill.

Don't allow legal highs. Th`t's been the clear message from the

Government to festival organisers this summer. But BBC London has

evidence of widespread use of nitrous oxide ` the chemical name

for laughing gas ` at a festival in South London over the weekend. We

saw security guards turning a blind eye to its use, even though the

festival has insisted staff refused entry to hundreds of people with

drugs. Tarah Welsh has this special report. Music and dancing in the

sunshine, but that's not thd only thing being done out in bro`d

daylight. Drug users tend to be more discreet but it is difficult to hide

a balloon filled with nitrots oxide and it didn't take us long to find

out where to get them. Very few people seemed to be bothered by

this. Are you selling any l`ughing gas?

But it can be very dangerous. Earlier this year the Government

asked festivals to crack down on legal highs. The organisers of the

South West 4 weekender told us us it treated laughing gas on a p`r with

illegal drugs, but look at this These girls are lying on thd the

floor. They've clearly got balloon this is their mouths, right in front

of a security guard. The organisers told us it dhdn't

condone any drug taking and that all of its security staff were notified

of its policy. It said it h`d drug search dogs in place, CCTV cameras

and a number of other antidrug measures. It said as a result 4 9

people were either refused dntry or removed from the event. We did see

this security guard confisc`te a balloon. He said had it had been

ecstasy the person would have been thrown out. But we did find some

evidence of illegal drug taking too. While the law is clear about Class A

drugs, rules about legal highs like laughing gas are blurred. This isn't

a new craze. In fact people have been inhaling the gas for htndreds

of years as a high and it is back in fashion. In fact warnings about it

have been issued by councils because of the sheer volume of thesd

canisters being found. In the last six years 17 people have didd from

taking the drug. Your body doesn't get enough oxygen. Occasion`lly

people have convulsions and people have died. Despite this, thd

authorities have very few powers to stop people taking laughing gas I'm

conscious that the law isn't perfect in this regard and that we `re

continually chasing the chelist who is inventing new substances. That's

why I started a review last year into the question of these chemical

highs. That review has now reported to me. I've made my conclushons from

that report. It is now awaiting a interdepartmental clearance to

announce what we are going to do about it. Legal or not, where

there's drink and dance drugs are never far away. The question is

whether enough's being done to prevent them and whether usdrs are

clear on dange ther users are clear on the dangers. ` on the dangerers.

Britain's top police officer has called for the re`introducthon of

measures similar to control orders to combat terrorism. The

controversial powers were dropped by the coalition Government. The

announcement comes amid fears that a growing number of Londoners are

going abroad to fight in Syria and Iraq. Mark, the Commissioner's

comments are potentially controversial. They are indded. They

go to the heart of the terror threat Britain faces. Control orders were

in force many years ago. In 201 they were removed by the Hole

Secretary when the terror threat was lower. Given what's going on in Iraq

and Syria and the potential implications here, is it tile to

bring them back? The Met Commissioner, Sir Bernard

Hogan`Howe, certainly thinks so In an interview today he says something

like control orders should be reintroduced. He is choosing his

words carefully because her highly intrusive. They allow an individual

where to live, who they can and can't ot frat earnise with `nd if

they can use their mobile phone or internet. The Government saxs these

are people who face no trial, much less have been convicted. Even so,

the man who once upon a timd advised the Government on terror legislation

says actually something tougher is indeed needed. I think they are

important. Sir Bernard has emphasised the element of control

orders which allowed people to be relocated with the approval of a

court. It worked well to prdvent a number of people being involved in

terrorism and it is necessary to reintroduce something like ht in the

present situation. What's the reaction been from the Home Office

tonight? At the moment they are not biting. A spokesman told us that the

current TPIMs are a useful weapon in our armoury. They are more focused

on surveillance and were brought in because we were told control orders

weren't working and too manx times therm struck out by the courts. What

did the Commissioner say about the numbers of Londoners going `broad to

fought. MI5 estimates is 600 nationals are abroad fighting. The

Met tells us it is more likd three quarters. Some of them have returned

home. That's why he backs mdasures to, if the law allows it, to

confiscate their passports. Thank you Mark. Sometime. Tomorrow looks

like a decent day. After drx and bright day with good spells of

sunshine. Probably warmer than today. We've got rain to contend

with overnight. It is on thd move. Most of it should be gone bx dawn.

The cloud keeps temperatures up at 15`16. Improving in the morning It

might start cloudy but it should break up, with sunshine comhng

through. 22`23 degrees. There might be a shower in the early evdning but

they'll be few and far betwden. Low pressure is in charge at thd end of

the week. A breezy day. There'll be one or two showers around btt these

should move through swiftly given the breeze. Come the afternoon we

should see temperatures up to 2 `22. Not such a bad outlook. Into the

weekend, we are going to continue on a similar theme, with dry and bright

weather. Maybe the odd showdr. It looks like low pressure will see

us out for what is rest of August. It looks as if next week, summer

will fight back. Low pressure is approaching the UK. Rainfall totals

are not adding up to too much. There is some low cloud and hill fog

around. Clearer skies