07/12/2015 BBC News at Six

Chaos after the weekend's devastating storms - more than 5,000

homes have been flooded, tens of thousands are still without power.

In Cumbria, streets are turned into rivers by relentless downpours - a

record amount of rain fell in 48 hours.

Still being rescued - after toughing it out all weekend, many families

It's just heartbreaking because everything was set for Christmas.

All the decorations were up and we were hoping

For one flood victim, a visit from the Prime Minister - he tells her

the Government will look again at Cumbria's flood defences.

We'll have the latest on the rescues, the emergency services

operation and the clean-up. Also tonight:

The driver of the bin lorry that crashed in Glasgow killing 6 people

had repeatedly lied about his medical history.

A 29 year old man appears in court charged with trying to murder a

passenger at a London Underground station.

Celebrating Christmas, but Christianity is on the decline in

Britain - half of the population now say they're non-religious.

we'll have more on the inquiry into the Glasgow Bin Lorry crash.

As commuters get used to delays, businesses feel effects of

Good evening and welcome to the BBC News at Six.

Police say around 5,000 homes have been flooded in Cumbria alone,

This morning a body was pulled from a river in Kendall after

Tonight more than 40,000 homes are still without power in Lancashire

The problems were caused by Storm Desmond, which swept across Northern

Britain over the weekend with a record breaking band of rain.

34 centimetres - more than 13 inches fell in Honister in the

That's the equivalent of more than a month's rain.

Carlisle was among the worst affected areas, with

water from all directions collecting in the city's river systems.

Over the last 48 hours the emergency services from all over the UK have

been sent here to Cumbria to deal with this crisis.

The water is slowly receding and they are being sent back to their

different corners of the country. But in the last hour, more

problems. 60,000 houses without property in the Lancashire area. For

many people in north-west England tonight, the situation is still

dire. 48 hours after a record-breaking

deluge caused these floods, Thousands of homes have been

ruined in the east of the city. And after being stranded

for two nights in the dark without power, the casualties were still

coming this morning. And if you've lived here

for more than ten years, this is the Because it is the second

time we've gone through it. Downstairs is completely destroyed

and it's just heartbreaking, because everything was set up for Christmas,

all the decorations were up and we were just going to have a nice,

special, family Christmas this year. Every few minutes,

another boat docked. People and pets heading

for somewhere warm and dry. Yesterday, during the day,

it was over 300. We are already up to

40 this morning. There are lots more families

contacting us asking to be rescued and all I would say, if anyone

else wants rescuing, give us a call But at least the water level is

now going in the right direction. Just to give you an idea

of how far the water has receded, if I were standing here yesterday,

it would have been nearly up to my chest, but there is still

a long, long way to go. It's going to take months to dry out

these homes At the B on the corner here,

they are looking on in wonder. This morning, I woke up and I

thought, because I have been off for 36 hours, it'll be all right

and you look at and there is a bin floating past and you think,

no, we've got a bit left to do yet. This afternoon, the Prime Minister

came to see the damage for himself, where multi-million pound flood

defences were overwhelmed. We need to make sure they get all

the support they need, get the insurance claims paid quickly, get

them the alternative accommodation, make sure the council picks up the

furniture and the things they have had to throw out of their houses

and then try and get them back Elsewhere in the county, a man's

body has been found by police after This is another Cumbrian town

damaged by the weekend's weather. Flooding is widespread

across the north-west of England Rivers have burst their banks and

in places, They will have to be repaired,

along with numerous roads. There are still no trains running

on the West Coast Mainline The clear up operation is underway

in Keswick, It was in the hills around here

where the heaviest rain fell. And in the east of the county,

Appleby saw the River Eaton breach Back in Carlisle,

police are also now out in boats. Concern is growing that looters will

now start exploiting other people's misery and security

in the area is being increased. The Government says it will do all

it can to help flood victims get back on their feet. But after

hundreds of millions of pounds were spent on flood defences, many people

are asking how their homes could have been inundated yet again. Our

science editor, David Shukman, looks at whether climate change has

increased the risk of flooding, and whether our defences against it, are

fit for purpose. This is a major junction

in the heart of Carlisle. Paralysed, despite having defences

against flooding cost ?38 million. Doesn't this look like a failure,

that you haven't protected the city? I think it is important to remember

that our defences actually did They held water-bath

for a significant amount of time, which allowed people to have

warnings, to make decisions, It also has reduced the depth

and severity of the flooding. Beside a river in Carlisle,

a barrier against flooding. Deciding which areas get protection

is always controversial. There is a system

for calculating where So the number of households

at risk is the top priority. That favours cities over rural

areas, and deprived households attract

special attention. But as always, there are limits to

the protection that is possible. The waters are receding but you can

still see the sheer power of the Overwhelming defences in some areas,

except at this stretch. This massive wall did its job,

part of the ?38 million investment The question is whether it will be

up to it in the future, because climate scientists say that the

warmer the air, the more moisture it can hold, which could mean even

more intense rain in future. At the Met Office, forecasters are

tracking the next waves of rain. Scientists here won't say

if climate change is involved, but they do reckon the winter storms

two years ago were made far more The latest research says that under

the same weather pattern, an extended period of rainfall, just

as we have seen this weekend, is seven times more likely, because of

the emissions of greenhouse gases. So what does this mean in places

like Keswick, where people were They haven't solved the problem,

they have just moved it from one end of the town to

the other and this area has just The waters are draining away but

they are leaving new controversy over how much to spend on flood

defence now and for the future. Let's go back to Danny Savage in

Carlisle. David Cameron was in Carlisle this afternoon. People

want to live free from the fear of being flooded, he said. Pretty

difficult for those who've been Having that ambition is one thing.

Delivering it is completely another. The problem is, the flood defences

here were built to withstand a flood of 7.2 metres high. The water rose

to 7.9 metres in the early hours of Sunday. That was a country mile

over. You ask people now if they think flood defences will be built

over. You ask people now if they to defend such highs, and I don't

think they feel positive. The things they have to deal with in the

future. In the short-term, basic security of their homes. Are these

property safe when nobody is them? In the medium-term, drawing these

houses out. And the long-term problems with insurance, which

premiums will know their potentially go up, so they could have problems

with that. And also, being able to sell their house in the future.

There are very nice houses in this area and people come and go. Will

they be able to do that? They have very little confidence that people

want to live around here knowing that at the back of their mind there

is always the risk of flooding taking place. This will have a very

long-term effect. Danny Savage.

And you can get more detail on the flooding, and advice for your area,

on our live page. Just go to bbc.co.uk/news

The Glasgow bin lorry crash which killed six people, could have been

avoided if the driver hadn't lied about his fitness to drive. A fatal

accident report said the tragedy may not have happened if Harry Clarke

had "told the truth" about his history of blackouts. He was

unconscious at the wheel when the vehicle veered out of control in the

city centre three days before Christmas last year. Lorna Gordon

It was three days before Christmas and in Glasgow street packed with

shoppers, a bin macro lorry ran out of control. For 19 seconds it

careered down a busy thoroughfare before crashing into a hotel. Six

people died. Erin McQuaid, Jack and Lorraine Sweeney, Jacqueline

Morton, Stefanie Tait and Gillian Ewing. Marie Wetherall was among

those injured. She spent four weeks in hospital with multiple

fractures. She says it is hard to believe what he learned during the

inquiry. We were under the impression it was an accident. And

just the day after day, revelation after revelation to do with the

driver's behaviour was just so shocking, that actually it still,

even now, it is hard to believe. The inquiry found that Harry Clarke, who

had blacked out before, had deliberately misled doctors about

his medical history, that he had repeatedly lied in order to regain

-- gain and retain jobs and licences. It found if he had told

the truth, the accident might have been avoided. It goes on to

recommend that the law around driving licences be changed,

increasing penalties for those who do not disclose their full medical

history. That there should be a consultation on whether doctors have

greater freedom to report fitness concerns directly to the DVLA. And

it stays Glasgow City Council should give training on steering and

braking mechanisms to anyone working on their lorries.

We will certainly make the changes we are recommended to make to

avoid anything like this happening in the future. A lot of these

problems were caused by the driver not telling the truth. We will make

the changes to our recruitment processes and if any

national changes are made, we will implement those as well.

Scotland's prosecuting authorities concerned there was not enough

evidence to charge Harry Clarke with any crime. That has been strongly

rejected by the families of three of those who died in the centre of

Glasgow last December. Tonight they said they will commence a private

prosecution against the driver. Lorna Gordon, BBC News, Glasgow.

A man has appeared in court charged with attempting to murder a

passenger on the London Underground following a knife attack on Saturday

night. Muhaydin Mire, who's 29, was remanded in custody after a

man suffered serious stab wounds at Leytonstone Station in East London.

From Westminster Magistrates' Court, Tom Symonds reports.

Delivered to court in a police convoy, Muhaydin Mire was arrested

on Saturday, charged on Sunday night, and after the journey,

confined to a cage. He appeared in front of a judge for a hearing to

decide what happens next. The sudden knife attack at the busy Leytonstone

tube station was filmed by several travellers. Police arrived within

minutes. They had to fire their Tasers three times before Muhaydin

Mire was brought down and arrested, to shout from onlookers. You no

Later, onlookers claimed, he said, this is for Syria. Afterwards, a

56-year-old man, who has asked not to be identified, was taken to

hospital with severe stab wounds. Man-macro appeared in a grey T-shirt

and grey tracksuit bottoms, wearing tracksuit bottoms. The judge as to

Li Hang course to be removed. He confirmed his name, date of birth

and address. He was told he faced a single charge, a charge of attempted

murder, and that the next stage of the case would be a hearing at the

Old Bailey on the 11th of December. The police investigation began with

its focus on the tube station, close to a detailed forensic examinations.

The incident left trails of blood on the station floor. Forensics teams

were also at a block of flats in Leytonstone. The defendant confirmed

that he lived there. Prosecutors allege that this was an act of

terrorism. Further enquiries continue. Police have access to

cameras at the station, eyewitnesses and several pieces of mobile phone

footage. Tom Symonds, BBC News. Chaos across parts of north-west

England. More than 5,000 homes have been flooded, tens of thousands are

without power. And still to come -

the story of one Carlisle street and the residents struggling to

cope with the flood water. And coming up on Reporting Scotland

at 6.30: We have the latest on the floods affecting

the country as more rain is due. And children at a Glasgow primary

school stage their own arts awards ceremony as the city prepares to

host the Turner prize. Britain is becoming

an increasingly secular country - In fact, almost half the UK's

population now say they don't have That's according to the Commission

on Religion and Belief in It says there has however been a

rise in Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism. It's now calling

for a radical overhaul of public institutions to match

the new pattern of belief, as our British life walks in step with the

rhythm of the Christian calendar. Our holidays, school year, legal

rhythm of the Christian calendar. sessions, TV schedules, still

defined by the liturgical cycle, the Protestant church occupying a

special place in national ceremony and ritual. But should it? Today,

report asks whether the time has come to review the role of religion

in our public life. Almost half the population now say they have no

religion, up from one third in the 80s, and one person in six describes

themselves as Anglican, the established church in England. Since

we are genuinely clurk society, the time has come for us to have a look

at ourselves and see how we are going -- clurk society. We need to

have underlying principles that everybody would feel comfortable in

signing up to. It is time for Thought The Date... The report

suggests that BBC Radio 4's bought the day should be presented by

people of no faith. And it calls on dramas like Eastenders to include

fewer church weddings, since 70% of weddings are civil ceremonies. The

coronation should reflect Britain's pleura list character, it says. In

the same way Princess Diana's funeral contained non-Christian

imagery and symbolism. That backdrop of Christian belief, Christian

culture, which shapes all of our institutions, dating right back to

the Magna Carta, the idea that all of a sudden we should become

pluralist and everything should reflect that leads to increasing

chaos. The report calls on Parliament to end compulsory

Christian worship in UK schools and for some Anglican bishops in the

House of Lords to be replaced by non-Christians. It also warns

Government against using words like extremism and fundamentalism in its

counter-terrorism rhetoric. Few in the UK would swap Christmas for

culturally neutral winter style happy holidays, and carols and the

Nativity are often seen as cherished tradition rather than an expression

of Christian faith. My son is taught about all faiths and he is quite

excited to be playing the part of Joseph, actually. A Moslem Joseph. A

Moslem Joseph, yes. Even though it is not our religion, we live in our

UK and we followed the tradition as well. Today's report has no

statutory force but they hope at the very least to initiate discussion

this Christmas about religion in the place of everyday life.

The BBC has learned that a decision on whether to build a new runway at

Heathrow or Gatwick looks likely to be delayed for at least six months.

The Government is expected to order another environmental review.

Our Business Editor Kamal Ahmed is here with me.

No, I think across politics and business, there is going to be

frustration about this issue being continually kicked into the long

grass. Britain, or the south-east of England, has not seen a new

full-length runway since 1947, over 50 years ago, despite the huge

expansion in passenger numbers and flights. I think David Cameron, who

will make the ultimate decision, finds himself trapped, frankly,

between two powerful set of arguments. On the one side, local

residents worried about more noise at Heathrow or Gatwick, if there is

a new runway. Environmental groups saying they should not be given the

go-ahead because they will increase pollution. On the other side,

businesses, trade unions, who say we need a new runway, a third runway at

Heathrow, they say, to increase prosperity, connections to Europe

and Asia. David Cameron is concerned about the political issue, which is

the Conservative candidate to be the next London Mayor, the election is

next May, Zac Goldsmith and Zac Goldsmith is completely opposed to

Heathrow expansion. David Cameron thinks that any decision on

Heathrow, very convenient if that was left until after that election

next summer. Thank you. The President of the European

Council, Donald Tusk, has said there are "substantial political

differences" over David Cameron's plan to ban migrant workers

from within the EU from claiming In a letter to EU leaders,

Mr Tusk said the issue would require "substantive

debate" at a summit next week. A transgender woman who was sent to

an all-male prison has told the BBC that she was terrified

and traumatised by the experience. Tara Hudson - who was jailed

for assault - was transferred to a female jail after thousands signed

a petition to move her. But she says she considered taking

her own life while She was released last week

and our correspondent Jon Kay has It was like something out

of a Charles Dickens novel. For six years,

she's lived as a woman, but when she was convicted of assault, Tara

Hudson was sent to a men's prison. Even though she's undergone years of

surgery, Tara doesn't have a gender recognition certificate, so she was

sent to Bristol prison, which has Anyone should be able to think

in their head that that's not What sort of things did you see

that made you so frightened? People shouting at me,

shouting abuse. I wouldn't wish it

on my worst enemy. Following a public campaign,

Tara was moved to women's jail. The Government is now looking

at the whole issue. In the last month,

two other transgender women I could have been one of them,

so easily. On numerous occasions,

I felt like I could hang myself. Given her criminal record and

convictions for violent behaviour, Tara Hudson knows she

won't get sympathy from everyone. Some people will say you committed

a crime, you needed to be punished and if, according to the law, you

are still male, you should get the And that you had special treatment,

in a way. Through what that has done to me,

being placed in a male prison, that is going to live with me

for the rest of my life. Tara Hudson says she will

now campaign for change. More now on our main news -

the chaos caused by floods Among those people worst affected

are the residents of one street, Our correspondent Ed Thomas spent

the day with them as they battled to save their

property and he sent this report. Sailing down Brunton Avenue,

a sea of brown sludge that stretches There seems to be no

beginning or end. Alan Shaw has lived

in Carlisle all his life. He has seen this before

and once again, his family has lost everything

and it's not getting any easier. And there are so many like Alan

here. All day,

search boats patrol Brunton Avenue. And it's not just people,

pets too are being rescued. Saved by volunteers,

Ella is back with her owner Joanne But not everybody wants

to leave their home. But flood or no flood,

Spencer and his wife refused to It's strange in the night, because

you do think you're the only people You see the odd little candle

in the window down the road, which We can't do anything else,

we love our home. Sarah Burton had to run from the

plots with her three-year-old son. Sarah Burton had to run from the

floods with her three-year-old son. She's only back to see

what she can save. We've still got Christmas presents,

so that's good. We've got a roof over our head

the time being, We are just going to battle on

and it's not going to beat me. Well, let's look at the weather now,

in one city. Well, let's look at the weather now,

Louise is here. Just awful seeing those pictures, what has happened to

people in Carlisle and lots of other places and there is more rain to

come? There is, but not the extreme

weather events that we saw at the weekend and hopefully the rain will

only bring 10-20 millimetres, and this was Carlisle this afternoon,

there were some breaks in the cloud, glimpses of sunshine, a little ray

of sunshine to that tragic story and across the country, some sunny

spells and this incredible southerly wind, so it is mild out there. We

had 16 degrees in parts of West Wales. But look at the cloud

gathering out to the West, another weather front starting to approach

as we speak. It is a cold front, it will introduce slightly fresher air

but it will bring more rain over the next few hours. For the flood

affected areas, 10-30 millimetres of rainfall, so not significant totals

but any rain falling will not come as welcome news. It moves through

pretty quickly and then it will be sitting out towards the east through

the night and then a scattering of showers to come. Not a cold night,

temperatures in double figures quite widely. We start Tuesday with that

weather front sitting to the east of the Pennines, down into Lincolnshire

and the south-eastern corner. Behind it, sunny spells and scattered

showers. The showers quite heavy and more widespread the further west you

showers. The showers quite heavy and are and some could even have the odd

rumble of thunder and the wind spreading round to a more westerly

direction, so it will feel noticeably fresher. In the north,

temperatures in the north, temperatures into 12 widely across

the country, still pretty good for this time of the year. Tuesday night

is a cooler night to follow but then this pretty messy complicated set of

whether France out in the Atlantic waiting in the wings, yet more wet

and windy weather to come through the latter stages of Wednesday. The

most significant rain perhaps open to the extreme north-west, severe

gales, Gale force winds elsewhere but perhaps the rain not arriving to

most until the latter stages of Wednesday into Thursday.

Thank you. That is all from us. Now we join the BBC news teams where you

are. The Glasgow bin lorry inquiry finds

the tragedy could have been