27/01/2014 BBC News at Six

been flooded for weeks. Farms and homes remain under water. The

government promises action within six weeks. Too little, too late, say

local people. Why was this not done ages ago? Why was it not done last

year, when it happened then. Why have we are only just had the pumps

put in now? We'll be looking at what needs to be done, not just in

Somerset but across the country. .Also tonight: Jude Law at the

hacking trial. He finds out a relative sold stories to the News of

the World. And the journalist who alleges phone hacking went on at the

Sunday Mirror too. More trouble for RBS. The

taxpayer-owned bank sets aside billions more to settle new claims.

50 years after they first conquered America, Paul and Ringo show they

can still do it at the Grammys. Tonight on BBC London.

The multi-million pound pay-out for the family of a school girl left

brain damaged in a medical mix-up. And could councils in the capital be

investigated over the way parking tickets are issued?

Good evening and welcome to the BBC News At Six. They've been submerged

in flood water for nearly a month now, and the residents of the

Somerset Levels didn't hold back when they confronted the Environment

Minister today. Owen Paterson was told that people are living in third

world conditions. He's promised an action plan within six weeks, which

will include dredging local rivers. Will that work? We'll have more on

that in a moment, but first, Jon Kay on a community that's lost its

patience. George, we have seen a release of anger here today, a bit

like the release of all of this floodwater. 1 million tonnes of it

being pumped off the Somerset Levels every day now, to try to get rid of

it, to try to free people's homes and return live to normality. People

here do feel the authorities are listening, that their message is

being heard and their plight is being understood, and that they're

rather beginnings of an action plan. But only the beginning. It feels

like the coast has come inland. This afternoon, we saw from the sky just

how this area is suffering. Villages cut off. Livestock marooned. Why was

this not done ages ago? This is what confronted the Environment Secretary

when he turned up today. He came to see the pumping operation which is

now under way. It's an impressive sight, but many people here feel

it's too little, too late. Why was this not done last year when it

happened then? Why have we only just had the pumps in now? We've had this

for three weeks, going on and on. That's why he's here today, and why

we got extra poncey today. After touring the site, the minister

promised an action plan for the Somerset Levels. He wants a viable,

long-term scheme. The locals have six weeks to work with government

and local agencies to come up with a good, concrete plan. Mr Patterson

said the action plan would almost certainly involve more of this -

dredging the rivers of silt and mud. It's something that was done

for generations, but has stopped in recent years. A lot of people who

live on the Somerset Levels regard those rivers as the arteries in the

human body, and they say they've got clogged up in the last few years and

need to be cleared out, so that the whole system can function

healthily. Local people have been demanding dredging for years, and

they welcomed today's announcement. But the Environment Agency claims

much of this year's flooding would still have happened, because there

has simply been so much rain. I can get why people latch onto dredging.

Because it looks like the immediate panacea. At believe me, it's only

part of what other solution takes place here. The Somerset Levels to

always flood, but the scale of it this winter has taken people by

surprise, and many are desperate for a solution. We flipped him a long

time, and we have only experienced this this year and last year. -- we

lived here a long time. I actually feel quite numb. Before they can

find a long-term solution, they have to deal with the here and now, and

there's a lot of it. I'm joined by our science editor,

David Shukman. Is dredging the answer? It can be, but only locally

as a solution. Water has to go somewhere. If you dredge a river,

the water flows down faster and may have a knock-on effect for

communities downstream. It's all so expensive. The Environment Agency

reckons this might cost ?4.1 million. There are communities up

and down the country clamouring for better flood protection. I was on

the north coast -- north coast of Norfolk ten days ago, and people

want the sea walls that have been breached their to be defended.

There's going to be very, very difficult times ahead, when the

government decides where to act. In the long term, this is a bit of a

wake-up call for the country, to decide how best to have -- how best

to handle floodwater. In our cities, if car parks are permeable,

rainwater can get into the ground. So a lot to think about. Thank you.

The phone-hacking trial has heard how a member of Jude Law's family

sold stories about his private life to the News of the World. The trial

is now in its 12th week and, for the first time, it's heard evidence that

hacking went beyond the News of the World. Dan Evans admitted that he

intercepted voice mails while working at the Sunday Mirror. Tom

Symonds reports from the Old Bailey. It contains flash photography.

This is Dan Evans, the former reporter whose evidence today

suggested phone hacking was a standard tool in the tabloid kit, a

secret he'd been taught at the Sunday Mirror. He said during a

breakfast job interview, he later told Andy Coulson, the then editor

of the News of the World, there were several ways to get exclusive

stories. One way was to target someone's phone call lists, work out

who they are having a relationship with, hack their phone, voice mail

is, get some exclusive photos. Work on it for a while, and then you get

something that is going to shift units from supermarket shelves. He

admitted he hadn't used the phrase phone hacking, but said, I think I

referred to it as a stuffed with phones. He said that Andy seemed

very pleased with his pitch as a whole. He got the job. The jury was

told this morning's witness needed no introductions. Actor Jude Law is

one of very few hacking victims to give evidence in person. The

prosecution says in 2005, journalists at the World were

targeting him because of rumours that his partner at the time, Sienna

Miller, was having an affair. Jude Law told the court there seem to be

an unhealthy amount of information that people had that meant they had

access to my life and my whereabouts. But the defence

questioned him about the possibility the stories were sourced from those

close to him, not phone hacking. Timothy Langdale QC, defending Andy

Coulson, handed him a bit of paper. On it was written a single name, and

Jude Law confirmed it was the name of a relative of his. The defence

lawyer said this was somebody who had been paid by the News of the

World to give information about the actor. Jude Law said today was the

first time he had heard about this. How did reporters get their

stories? One of the key questions the jury will have to consider. Andy

Coulson, Rebekah Brooks and the other defendants deny all the

charges. There's more trouble ahead for Royal

Bank of Scotland, which is largely owned by the taxpayer. It's issued a

warning about its finances when the results are published next month.

It's had to set aside more than ?3 billion to cover claims over its

conduct both here and in America. Our personal finance correspondent,

Simon Gompertz, is with me. This is a huge amount of money. What is it

for? Its compensation for people who were mis-sold payment protection

insurance, or PPI. They are getting bigger claims than expected. Also

for small businesses who were mis-sold policies to protect them

against interest rate movements. There are claims and finds in the

United States too. It doesn't stop there. They have said they are

setting aside ?4.5 billion for bad loans during the financial crisis,

which means that next month, they could announce a total loss of mere

?8 billion. So how they are turning to the taxpayers for that, who own

80% of the bank? Senior managers are not going to get bonuses, but that

is just a fraction of the amount that has been lost.

The Coronation Street actor William Roache has been cleared of one of

seven sex abuse charges at his trial. Jurors at Preston Crown Court

were directed by the judge to return a not guilty verdict, after the

prosecution offered no further evidence. Mr Roache is still on

trial over two rape and four indecent assault allegations. He

denies the charges. The former Radio One DJ Dave Lee

Travis has told a court he is not a sexual predator and has a "cuddly

nature" towards women. At the start of his defence against 13 indecent

assault charges and one of sexual assault, the court heard how he told

police that he'd lost work, money and health because of the

allegations. From Southwark Crown Court, June Kelly, reports.

For the past two weeks, Dave Lee Travis has been portrayed at this

trial as a sexual predator who targeted vulnerable females. More

than a dozen women have testified against him. His alleged crimes

spanned more than 30 years. Today, it was his turn to answer his

accusers. He said he was fighting for his reputation. In the early 80s

at the headquarters of BBC Radio, he is said to have indecently assaulted

a colleague while she was making an announcement on air. Asked about

this from the witness box today, he said:

He spoke about his long broadcasting career, and said he was also a keen

photographer. He told the jury he'd taken some nude shots, but said they

were never tacky. Explaining he touched lots of girls, he said, I

like women, because I think they are wonderful. The sexual predator bit

is completely nonsensical. I'll hug them and give them a kiss. For

years, DLT, as he was known, fronted one of the BBC's bigger shows. He

said that while some people in show business went in for a kissing, that

wasn't his style. He said: It was the Jimmy Savile scandal

which led to the police operation under which Dave Lee Travis was

arrested. Today he said that -- he said he had no inkling Southall was

a paedophile, which he said was the worst crime. -- no inkling that

Jimmy Savile was a paedophile. He denied he had ever played on the

fact that he was a big name. Of his colleagues who are now accusing

him, he said that there were no unimportant people. Everybody is

important. The former DJ is due back in the witness box tomorrow, where

he will continue his defence. The Prime Minister says there's been

what he calls a reasonable level of immigration to the UK from Romania

and Bulgaria since restrictions were lifted at the start of the New Year.

Our political editor, Nick Robinson, is in Westminster. I wonder what the

Prime Minister means when he says reasonable. I wonder that too! I

asked him the question at a news conference today. What do you mean

by a reasonable level of immigration, I asked, and how do you

know? The Government never published any forecasts of the number of

Romanians and Bulgarians who would come here, and has not published any

information on the number that has come since then. He made it clear

that he had no private papers or secret knowledge, he was just going

on reports, what he has read in the news. The problem with that

statement, reasonable, is it is inflaming a group of Conservative

MPs in the House of Commons who are determined to defy him on a vote on

immigration later in the week. They want to tear up Britain's legal

obligation to take Romanians and Bulgarians. He says that is

impossible and would be illegal, but they are not backing down, and these

words will not help him. He is also under pressure over Syrian

refugees, and letting some of them in. He is saying, what ever you

think about immigration, Britain should take some of those vulnerable

people in the refugee camps. Children who are orphaned, or people

with very serious medical needs. The government has, until now, been

saying no, we do not take refugees. Private talks are going on to take

hundreds, but to try and do it outside the United Nations. He made

no connection between refugees and economic migrants. They are

connected because both sets of people appear in the government's

immigration targets, a target they looked like missing. Our top story

this evening: Angry residents confront the Environment Minister in

Somerset over three weeks of flooding and little respite. And

coming up: The financial crisis a century ago, how the prospect of war

prompted a run on the banks. On BBC London: Death threats and calls for

his deselection. The Lib Dem candidate facing a backlash after

re-tweeting a religious cartoon. And minimal surgery required, the

pioneering procedure delivering pacemakers to heart patients.

The economic gap between London and the rest of the UK has widened

during the economic recovery according to new research by the

Centre for Cities. It says that between 2010 and 2012 the capital

accounted for four fifths of all growth in private sector jobs. It

also found that almost a third of people aged between 22 and 30 who

moved cities headed for London. Danny Savage reports now on the

contrasting fortunes of London and Sheffield. The streets may not be

paved with gold, but London is still the place to move to four jobs. But

such is the pace of growth it is happening at the expense of other

cities as people leave their home towns and head to the capital. I am

here in London for the job opportunities here. I am a surveyor

and there were not any jobs in Manchester. Experts say other UK

cities need to rise to the challenge. The people who go there

to study stay there to earn their living and make their way and

develop the jobs and the businesses that cities need. 170 miles from

London Sheffield is one of the cities that needs to do more to

retain its talent. But this is not about the old North -South divide

argument. Edinboro, Birmingham, Liverpool and Leeds are also said to

be showing signs of growth. What is the issue in Sheffield?

Manufacturing has always been big here. The boss of this engineering

firm believes jobs growth is coming, but it takes time to show. The

difference between engineering and service sector jobs can be several

years. It takes a lot more time to develop a manufacturing base and it

is a generational thing rather than a short-term fix. Not everyone wants

to be drawn like a moth to the light of London. Local graduates say

friends have soon return from the capital. They used it as a career

springboard because there are more opportunities to move up the ladder

quickly, but when it comes to making a lifestyle choice, having a family

and getting on the housing ladder, it is impossible to live in London.

I would not have been able to make much more money down there and I

have stayed here because it is a great city and I have found work

even after periods of redundancy. The best performing cities have seen

private sector jobs offset the losses in the public sector. But the

lure of London shows no signs of abating. British skiers heading to

the Alps are being warned by French authorities that off-piste skiing

this season is the most dangerous in years. This season has seen unstable

conditions with 24 killed so far in avalanches in France and

Switzerland, including two yesterday and two today. Our correspondent

Christian Fraser has been to Montgenevre on the Franco-Italian

border to join search teams in training.The TV presenter Nigella

Lawson will face no criminal charges after she told a court that

the perfect day in the mountains. A blue sky and a fresh blanket of

snow. These slopes tempt powder hungry skiers and boarders, but many

a day has ended in tragedy. Lucky for this snowboarder they manage to

pull him out in time. They had barely 30 minutes to save those

buried. Crucial to that mission is the keenest of noses. This is the

most elite of police dogs and he can pick up the faintest human scent

even through packed snow. That is the most suffocating feeling you can

imagine and that was just a drill. It is like being buried under

concrete. Thank you, Trixie. Two weeks ago, this man was saved by a

dog like Trixie. He was unconscious when rescuers found him buried on

this slope under a metre of snow for 40 minutes. He is one of only 13

people they have pulled out of an avalanche alive. TRANSLATION: I

could not even move, not even my fingers. It was a sense of

helplessness. I thought I was dead. Local British expat Craig Parkin

says the fresh powder is not sticking to the unusual icy base

layer, so even the most benign off-piste can be volatile. Materials

have developed and it has become a lot more accessible for a lot more

people. A powdered track can be very tempting and before they think, they

can find themselves in danger. In each snow hole the trainer buries a

favourite toy with a missing skier, but in some cases the dog is just

too late on the scene of an avalanche and often they are hunting

bodies. It was not quite a Beatles reunion,

but it was a rare occasion when the two surviving members of the band

performed together. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr entertained last

night's Grammy awards with a new song half a century after the

Beatles first appeared on American TV. There is flash photography in

this report. Paint was in red, Katy Perry was wearing white, styles of

dance and country on the same red carpet, a nod to the past and some

of the latest new talent. Music's power couple, Beyonce and Jay Z,

opened the night. The Grammys are all about the spectacle. Katy Perry

was burnt at the stake. And Pink swung in to add a bit of drama. It

was a big stage reunion for Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, playing

alongside one another. A lifetime achievement award for the Beatles 50

years after their first ever US appearance. And there was a Grammy

for Sir Paul McCartney for best rock song. In the main prizes it was the

night of the robots. Stevie wonder sang with Daft Punk who won Best

group, record of the year and album of the year. Speaking for them was

Farrell Williams who is for Mac Grammys included Best producer. It

was an amazing night for Lorde, the 17-year-old New Zealander won Song

of the night for oils and for best performance. The best newcomers were

Macklemore and Lewis with the anthem of the same-sex marriage movement

marked at the Grammys with a mass wedding. Gay and straight, old and

young, and who else would be the wedding singer but Madonna. This

show may be over for another year, but many of the stars will be

hanging around an extra day to record another TV spectacular, a

concept remembering the 50 years since the Beatles first came to

America. Sir Paul and Ringo will no doubt be a part of that.

100 years on from the start of World War I there will be a major focus on

the early battles of the conflict. But before any shots had been

fired, the city of London faced an unprecedented crisis as investors

panicked at the prospect of war. The bank of England has just released

its archives on the little-known 1914 financial crisis. Before the

war had even been declared in 1914, a crisis hit the city of London.

Crowds gathered fearful of what might happen to their investments.

Jews build up at the bank of England with people desperate to change

their paper money into gold. 100 years on, the bank of England has

released archives from that period. I was given exclusive access to look

at papers covering the story of the early days of World War I. This

shows transactions between commercial banks and the bank of

England where the banks handed in their bonds in exchange for cash. In

a normal week, even in July, 1914, there was not a lot of business. But

look at July the 31st, 1914, when fears of impending war were gripping

the city. A huge number of deals went through as banks scrambled to

get cash out of the bank of England in exchange for their bonds. That

they are total of nearly ?11 million was withdrawn. The bank's official

interest rate was doubled to 8% and then 10%. Commercial banks and the

stock exchange closed down for several days. In the week before

Britain went to war all the London financial markets collapsed and it

was a systemic crisis that overtook Britain and the world. There were

something like 50 countries that had stock exchange crashes and runs on

banks in that last week of July. Intervention by the authorities

propped up the markets, at the next challenge was to raise money for the

war effort. So-called tank banks persuaded people to buy war bonds,

in other words lend money to the government. This ledger names the

people who bought the war bonds. It makes fascinating reading. It

records a gent and a married woman bought the bonds, so to an Apple

store and a farmer, an example of the range of people who spent money

on the bonds. The Bank of England has had to tackle the many crises

since then. The former governor Lorde King said at the time, Sir

Mervyn King, said the only other financial crisis as bad as that of

2008 was that in 1914. It is time for a look at the

weather. There are some changes on the way

this week. We start the week with more showers and the threat of

further flooding. But around the middle of the week spell of

something much colder with a risk of frost and ice, but probably a bit

drier. It is very wet in northern Ireland at the moment because we

have the centre of the low pressure over there right now. It is driving

in the showers blustery winds. It may not be as cold as it was last

night, so the chance of eyes is much lower. The winds are crucial

tomorrow. The change of direction will force more showers into

southern counties. For some western parts of Scotland it may well be a

bit drier and the chance of some sunshine as well. We should not see

as many showers in Northern Ireland as we have seen today, but by

contrast it has been drier in the North East of England and the

Midlands. Frequent, heavy showers across the southern counties fed by

the warmer waters of the English Channel. Those showers pushed inland

and some hail and thunder in there. A log of showers in Wales as well.

Around the middle of the week the low-pressure drifts away into the

near continent allowing us to pick up more of an Eastern or south

easterly breeze and the chance of dragging in some much colder air as

well. The showers tend to ease down on Wednesday. On Thursday you will

notice the chill. There will be a few snow flurries and it will feel

colder. It could be short lived. That is all from the BBC's News at

six. On