09/11/2012 BBC News at Six

The former senior Conservative, Lord McAlpine goes public to deny

allegations that he abused children in a care home in Wales.

The former party treasurer hits back at what he calls wholly false

and defamatory claims being made about him on the Internet.

He's broken hearted over this. His family are very upset. And he feels

that, you know, bearing in mind his health isn't that good, that this

is a total shock to receive at his time in life.

The allegations stem from claims a senior Tory politician from the

Thatcher era abused children in Bryn Estyn care home. Also on

tonight's programme - the Government admits it's too late to

eradicate the disease killing Britain's ash trees.

The new Archbishop of Canterbury says he's utterly optimistic about

the future of the Church of England. Petition for the Pakistani

schoolgirl shot by the Taliban to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

One day the Duckworth's ship will come home... And the icon of The

Street for over 30 years, Bill Tarmey, better known as Jack

Duckworth, has died. Good evening. Welcome to the BBC News at Six. The

former senior Conservative, Lord McAlpine, has publicly denied

allegations swirling around the Internet that he abused children at

a care home in North Wales. He's hit back strongly at what he calls

wholly false and serious defamatory claims against him. It follows

speculation after a former resident at Bryn Estyn said he'd been abused

by a senior politician from the Thatcher era. Mark Easton has more.

After the appalling abuse of scores of children at this and other care

homes in North Wales in the 70s and 80s, rumours of an establishment

cover-up have refused to go away. Despite two major inquiries, it was

widely speculated that a senior Tory politician close to Margaret

Thatcher had abused boys in Wrexham. A name consistently appeared on the

Internet. Today, former Conservative treasurer, Lord

McAlpine, has issued a statement We do have to be vir careful before

casting aspersions against individuals or band people's names

around as was being done yesterday, without proper evidence. Every

institution, journalist and politician has to think carefully

about these things. A Newsnight investigation into the abuse of

boys in Wales... Lord McAlpine's statement comes decades after the

rumours first circulated but days after one of the victims of abuse

in North Wales appeareded on BBC Newsnight and accused a senior Tory

politician, inspiring widespread speculation on the Internet.

need to take a number of different actions, firstly to try to get this

taken down from the Internet which is not going to be easy. And then

we have to look at Newsnight and look at the way they behaved and

trailed it. They made it obvious who it was. This afternoon, the BBC

said the Newsnight story was "In the public interest". The programme

has already been criticised for not publishing allegations of child

abuse against Jimmy Savile and now is being criticised for publishing

unsubstantiated allegations of child abuse against a senior

Conservative. But new allegations have emerged in

the last few days, stories not investigated before. One man who's

contacted the BBC claims that while in care in North Wales and the

early 70s, he was drugged, taken away in a posh car and raped the a

hotel or house. His abuser, he says, threatened him to never breathe a

word. Until now, he's not spoken of his ordeal. I mentioned it in years

to come, if I said anything, he'd send the same people to come and

get me and my family and I would never see them again because he had

friends in really high places. This this evening, the former

children's home resident who identified his abuser as Lord

McAlpine, Stephen meesham, says he was mistaken and offers a sincere

apology. This staim's just come in, tell us

about what he said -- statement? appears in the last hour or so that

he's been shown a photograph of Lord McAlpine, he's seen it and

said apparently this is not the person I identified by photograph

in the early 90s when I was shown a photograph by the police. It's

quite clear that this whole rumour that has been so well known by

people in journalist circles and elsewhere is a complete myth. I

think this story perfectly illustrates that the real risks in

this whole area. On the one hand, there are victims of child abuse

who've never come forward and who're desperate to tell their

story and want to be believed. There are also people, perhaps

alleged victims, who are mistaken about what happened. The risks that

one accepts those stories at face value could lead to the kind of

appalling situation for a person like Lord McAlpine who is clearly

not involved in child abuse in North Wales in any way ends up

having his reputation sullied for decades. It's a real reminder of

the risks we run in this particular area.

Thank you. The Environment Secretary's

admitted that ash dieback, the disease threatening Britain's 80

million ash trees will not be eradicated. Announcing the

Government's action plan to tackle the deadly fungus, he said efforts

would focus on slowing its spread by destroying young trees and

identifying those resistent to the disease. Jeremy Cooke reports from

North Somerset. Britain's woodlands under threat.

Some 30% of our trees are ash and now it's clear that many, maybe

most, will fall victim to this killer, fungal infection. There are

now 135 British locations identified with ash dieback. 70 are

in tree nurseries in newly planted areas where control is relatively

easy. But 65 are now in mature woodland in England, probably

infected by spores blown across the North Sea. And so in London, a

meeting of the Government a's emergency COBRA committee. No

doubts here about the scale of the problem. We don't have a magic

potion which we could stick in a helicopter this afternoon and spray.

There is no immediate cure. What we are confident of from what we have

seen is that there is a small number of these trees that can

survive. That could be a long-term answer. If DNA testing can identify

the few ash trees resistent to Chalara Fraxinea, they might be

used to repopulate the landscape. There is now general acceptance

that this disease can not be eradicated and so the focus now is

not so much on how best to save our 80 million ash trees, but rather on

how best to replace them. That means many mature, even

ancient trees, could be lost. That's why some are still hoping

for a scientific solution. There's trees out there that are in excess

of 1,000 years old. Is there anything we can do to prevent the

damage to them? Today's action plan calls for newly

planted trees to be destroyed, mature trees to be monitored, more

study of genetic resistance and for the public to help identify trees

with the infection. There is no disguising the fact

that this is a disaster. The ash, a native iconic species in crisis.

The new Archbishop of Canterbury, the Right Reverend Justin Welby,

says he's utterly optimistic about the future of the Church of England

despite the hard issues it faces with gay marriage and women bishops.

He spoke of his massive sense of privilege at being given the job.

Mike Wooldridge reports. Official at last. Justin Welby will

be enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury in March. Previous

occupants of the office witnessing his starkly contrary view to the

frequent port rayal of a church in decline and bitterly divided.

utterly optimistic about the future of the church. We'll certainly get

things wrong. I certainly will. But the grace of God is greater than

our biggest failures. We will almost also certainly get much

right and do so already. An issue that has been much argued over is

the proposal to appoint women bishops. If it's approved later

this month, Justin Welby will oversee the consecration of the

first women bishops with an inevitable image impact on the

Church of England. But so far against gay marriage, he'll inherit

controversy over the church's attitude to same sex relationships.

Today, these were his carefully phrased words on this issue.

It is absolutely right for the state to define the rights and

status of people cohabiting in different forms of relationship.

Including civil partnerships. We must have no truck with any form of

homophobia. Same sex relationships are a particular faultline across

the 80 million-strong worldwide Anglican Church, especially in

Africa. The sexual agenda which has been promoted here and in the

church and by different Governments here and there. If that is the

thing he's willing to promote, fine. Reconciliation is one of the

biggest challenges confronting the next Archbishop, but he has

considerable experience of it and of tough negotiating. I think we

are being held hostage and there needs to be clarity about the

processes of what progress there is for Christians in the West would

mean for the wider communion. are priorities too closer to home.

As the next Archbishop sees it, the work of the Church of England is

not primarily done here at Lambeth Palace or on TV, but in over 16,000

churches aRoss the country and through the millions of hours of

voluntary service done by parishioners outside the church.

It's the real frontline, he says, and he believes it's absolutely

right for the church to speak out in public and political life. The

exams regulator, Ofqual, has announced the first changes to the

A-level system in England. For example, allowing pupils to resit

the exam just once. Currently they can resit as often as they like.

The Government says tighter rules will help tackle grade inflation.

For more, here is Reeta Chakrabarti. Tell me about what Ofqual are

proposing? Unlike in England where GCSE have been replaced with a new

exam, they are not talking about scrapping A-levels but reforming

them. With two main aims - the first is to stop pupils from having

several attempts at getting a good grade through resits. The other is

to free up the timetable so that less is concentrated on revision

and more on teaching and learning. The main points of the plan are

these, the first to be able to scrap the January exam so at the

moment there are two halfs to the A-level, the A-levels and the A2

paper sat in the second year of sixth form. They'll be sat in the

summer now. Other changes include one resit per paper and all the

changes will come in in September 2013. Now, these changes here are

in a sense the least controversial of those that were being considered.

There are other things Ofqual was looking at, for example more

university involvement in drawing up the A-levels. But universities

themselves were a bit lukewarm about that. Another radical idea

was separating AS and laifls completely, something that Michael

Gove, the Education Secretary's thought to favour. Others in the

wider education sector are not so keen on that. That's been parked

for the moment. All the changes are really England only, Wales and

Northern Ireland are looking at their own separate reviews and

Scotland has it own system, of course.

Thank you very much. Tens of thousands of people around

the world have signed online pe it iss calling for a Pakistani

schoolgirl shot in the head by the Taliban to be nominated for the

Nobel Peace Prize. 13-year-old Malala Yousafzai was targeted

because she was campaigning for girls' education. Gn, the UN

Special Envoy for education, is in Pakistan and told Orla Gearin that

Malala would be a worthy recipient -- Gordon Brown. Malala is sitting

up reading get well cards. From her hospital room in Birmingham, her

father, Ziauddin, Yousafzai, passed on her thanks to supporters

worldwide. Malala is recovering well and wants me to tell you she

has been inspired and humbled by the thousands of cards, messages

and gifts that she has received. They have helped my daughter

survive and stay strong. Back in Pakistan, others are

drawing strength from her. In this school in Islamabad today, the UN

Special Envoy for education, Gordon Brown, got a lesson in the Malala

effect. She's been very brave and she had to stand up to people who

were intimidating her. You all seem to support her. She stood up for

her rights even though there was a lot of danger. But you can't stop

someone like this. She gave us examples so we followed.

The girls here have big dreams and when they grow up, many want to be

just like Malala. Gordon Brown is hearing about all

the ambitions that pupils have here, but there are many girls in

Pakistan who never see the inside of a classroom. Malala Yousafzai's

risked her life to campaign for girls' education and now, in her

name, the United Nations is going to carry on that fight.

Gordon Brown is pushing for schools for 32 million girls worldwide who

are denied an education. Malala planned to campaign for them just

before she was shot. I don't think there's anybody I

know who didn't shed a tear, who didn't cry because the idea that a

girl simply for going to school or wanting to go to school was shot by

the Taliban is just so unspeakable. Today, they raised their voices in

mall pla's honour, amid calls for her to be nominated for a Nobel

Coming up, remembering the forgotten army of Kohima, the

troops to battle on against all the odds in the Second World War.

Later, why a Djokovic when is good The rising cost of fuel is adding

to pressure on George Osborne to ease the financial burden. Labour

has asked him to scrap a three pence per litre rise due to come

into effect in January and is forcing a vote on it next week.

Half of the cost of petrol is bound to fuel duty and VAT. Our

correspondent is on a forecourt in Leeds.

Speak to drivers here and they will tell you why they need their cars,

but also why they cannot afford petrol. The problem they face is

that the prices are set to rise again. It is one subject that

everyone has got an opinion on. think better prices are ridiculous.

The amount of profit the Government is making on petrol... It is making

it harder and harder. The average price of unleaded petrol is just

price of unleaded petrol is just over 135p per litre. Once this rise

comes in, it will cost nearly �70 to fill up a family car with 50

metres. If it is delayed by three months, the Treasury says it will

cost them �350 million in lost cost them �350 million in lost

revenue. It is a choice that will revenue. It is a choice that will

affect pensioners like Bill, whose income stays roughly the same.

does affect me, and I only run the car about twice a week. Lucas is a

painter and decorator. Petrol prices mean leper -- less profits

and more pressure. It is hard to explain to customers. They do not

care about the price, they want their living room to be done.

the Government says your prices are low as they would -- lower than

they would have been under the previous government and that some

without cars believe they should pay the extra pennies. If you want

a car, you should be willing to pay the money. Other people like me,

who asked to travel on the bus, we pay in other ways. -- who have to

travel on the bus. It is clear the Governor -- the Government needs

the extra revenue from the pump. There is a sense that something has

to give. Next week, Labour will call for this price rise to be

delayed and it is a difficult position for the Chancellor to be

end. What does he do? Increase revenues or keep drivers have been?

-- keep drivers happy. With less than a week to go until

the elections for police and Crown Commissioners in England and Wales,

candidates have been campaigning. There are fears that turnout could

be the lowest for any recent election. The contest has attracted

independent candidates but can the break the traditional strength of

the established parties? Norman Smith reports.

Politicians, once again, on the election beat. This time

campaigning ahead of next week's vote to elect police and crime

commissioners. But some fear that these elections risk bringing party

politics into the police. The uniforms may have changed since the

early days of the police. What has not is the importance attached to

the forces political independence. And yet three-quarters of those

standing to become commissioners are party candidates. It used to

beat the theory that independence would stand but we are seeing that

party nominees are dominating. Certainly, numerically. If you look

at the arithmetic, you would say that the majority of people who

were going to be elected will come with a party ticket around their

neck. The police and Crown Commissioners will have the power

Commissioners will have the power to hire and fire chief constables.

They can set out and organise five- year police and crime plans and

year police and crime plans and year police and crime plans and

they will fix the annual budget. But there are potential conflicts.

In the West Midlands, for example, the forces poised to privatise some

functions but many would-be commissioners have publicly pledged

to oppose such a move, paving the way for a potential clash between

the operational priorities of the Chief Constable and the political

priorities of the Police Commissioner.

And in Wolverhampton this afternoon, many voters seemed apprehensive

about the change. It seems to be more political, rather than people

who actually care about what is going to happen in the community.

We have a Labour candidate and the Conservative candidate and we have

no other information other than their party politics. I am looking

for an independent to vote for. These are the candidates but

whoever wins will have to work with the local councillors and will not

be able to interfere with day-to- day policing. We will have to see

how it SN but I can guarantee that the service will work

constructively with a properly constituted accountability

mechanism which is different. Despite the change, and the

dominance of the party machines, ministers believe that electing

commissioners will give voters a greater say in how they are policed.

For a list of all the candidates For a list of all the candidates

standing for election, visit our It was one of the turning-points of

World War II. In 1944, British and Indian soldiers, hugely outnumbered,

held off an onslaught from the Japanese. But the men have fought

at Kohima regarded themselves as the forgotten army. As Remembrance

Day approaches, Prince Andrew has been hearing their stories.

The faces of the men whose lives were changed on a battle-scarred

hilltop. The men who defended a tiny Indian settlement called

Kohima. There was one soldier, when his major came into the trench,

they had been fighting for 10 days and nights at he said, Sir, when we

die, will it be over or will we have to go on? Kohima late in the

path of the Japanese advance into India. -- Lee in the past. 15,000

troops surrounded 5000 British and Indian defenders, dug into a

landscape torn by explosions and littered with the bodies of

soldiers who could not be buried. One of Mad Men took a burst of

machine gun fire and a try to get him out. He looked at me and said,

"It is no use, I am finished." and so I left him. That must have been

tough. Yes, yes. It has been on my conscience ever since. The battle

lasted over a month. 10,000 lives were lost. Every night at 9pm, I

drink a toast to those that I left behind. I think of the people we

were surrounded with, and they are not here any more. Remembrance can

take many forms. The Duke of York has welcomed the veterans campaign

for an educational trust to help the local communities in Nagaland

the lost lives and livelihoods. The conflict was not of their making.

Unfortunately, history repeats itself rather more frequently than

we would like. We need to think about the people who it displaces

and affects. It is as true today as it was in the Second World War, as

it has been in the intervening years. No longer forgotten, the men

of Kohima are still repaying what they regard as a debt of honour.

He was an icon of Coronation Street for more than 30 years. Bill Tarmey

be has died today. He was 71. In his role alongside his on-screen

wife, Vera Duckworth, he became a household favourite for millions.

Lizo Mzimba looks back at his life and career.

There you are, my little swan, didn't I always say that one day

our ship would call? He was the man who, together with his on-screen

partner, entertained the nation with so many memorable moments.

Jack and Vera provided everything, from tears to laughter, for more

than 30 years. Now I come second to the loggia, July? No, you come

third. The dog comes before you. The Duckworth family were devoted

to each other. Another big figure in his life, his surrogate son,

Tyrone, played by Andrew Nelson. You're a good lad. For someone of

my generation, Bill, as Jack and Vera, it was Mr and Mrs Coronation

Street. Every story line seems to have something to do with them. I

loved him as his character, but as a man I loved him more. Outside of

work, his other great love was singing, but been cast as Jack

Duckworth in 1981 meant that his acting work to cut most of his time.

Have you met my husband? First appearing alongside the era at a

wedding. -- Vera. He left the show 2008 as -- after 30 years as a

ladies' man and loving husband. had a choice, it was musical

Coronation Street and Coronation Street made more money. I could

have been in Las Vegas now, instead of Fleeming Coronation Street.

Millions will remember him as half of one of the best loved Couples

won one of the best-loved shows in television history.

Bill Tarmey, who died in Tenerife this morning aged 71.

this morning aged 71. Let us take a look at the weather.

It is an improving story as we head through this weekend. Having said

that, it will probably be turning colder. We're going to find most of

the showers will be on Saturday. Few showers on Sunday. More

sunshine. First of all, we need to get rid of the rain adhere it is at

the moment, just edging eastwards across England, away from Wales. --

and here it is at the moment. Turning misty and murky underneath

the wet weather but showers coming in from the West will limit the

temperature drops. There is a risk of frost in Northumberland.

Tomorrow, the rain pushing away from the east, and it is going to

be slow process. -- slow progress. Further west, more sunshine, which

is where we will see most of the showers. Eventually, the weather

will be improving. Some late sunshine but even then, a few

showers. It could take all day for the rain to clear away. Through the

Midlands, we will have a mixture of sunshine and showers but probably

not many to the east of the Pennines or across the eastern side

of Scotland. Western Scotland will see frequent showers, heavy and

possibly with a loud thunder. Northern Ireland will see showers

as well. Maybe more sunshine in the afternoon but a lot of showers

around the western coast, pushing inland across Wales through the day

and further into the south-west we will see quite a lot of showers.

The showers will retreat back to coastal areas on Saturday night and

will be cold. Bull's other temperatures in towns and cities

but in the countryside, it will be colder still. -- those are the

temperatures. A cold start for Remembrance Sunday. The shares on