0:00:05 > 0:00:07It is now clear that Mr Skripal and his daughter were poisoned
0:00:07 > 0:00:14with a military grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17The Prime Minister points the finger at Moscow saying it's highly
0:00:17 > 0:00:20likely it was behind the attack in Salisbury.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Tonight a supermarket car park in Salisbury is sealed off
0:00:22 > 0:00:24as hundreds of police continue to investigate the attack
0:00:24 > 0:00:28eight days ago.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Sergei and Yulia Skripal are still critically ill -
0:00:30 > 0:00:32the Russian ambassador has been told to explain by tomorrow
0:00:32 > 0:00:40what happened.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44President Putin, BBC News...
0:00:44 > 0:00:46In Russia, President Putin brushes off questions about the attack -
0:00:46 > 0:00:52as Moscow accuses the British of making up fairy tales.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55We will have the latest on the investigation and...
0:00:55 > 0:00:57We'll be looking at what happens next.
0:00:57 > 0:00:58Also tonight....
0:00:58 > 0:01:01A teenager is jailed for carrying out a string of acid
0:01:01 > 0:01:03attacks on moped riders - to steal their scooters.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Tributes to Ken Dodd - the last of the great
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Music Hall variety comedians - who has died at the age of 90.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12This river in Greater Manchester found to have the highest levels
0:01:12 > 0:01:17of microplastic pollution so far recorded anywhere in the world.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Sky's football pundit Jamie Carragher is suspended
0:01:19 > 0:01:24after he spits at a teenage girl and her family.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26And a "master of elegance" - Hubert de Givenchy -
0:01:26 > 0:01:34the man who dressed Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kenedy - has died.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Coming up on Sportsday later in the hour on BBC News,
0:01:36 > 0:01:39will it be another step closer to the Premier League title
0:01:39 > 0:01:40for Manchester City?
0:01:40 > 0:01:45They made a good start against Stoke.
0:02:01 > 0:02:02Good evening.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05The Prime Minister has pointed the finger at Russia tonight, saying
0:02:05 > 0:02:08it's highly likely it was behind the attack in Salisbury on a former
0:02:08 > 0:02:09Russian spy and his daughter.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11In a dramatic statement,
0:02:11 > 0:02:13Theresa May revealed that Sergei and Yulia Skripal were poisoned
0:02:13 > 0:02:19by a military grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Russia's ambassador has been summoned and told to explain -
0:02:22 > 0:02:25by tomorrow night - what happened.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27The Prime Minister said if there's no credible response,
0:02:27 > 0:02:30the Government will conclude it was an unlawful use of force
0:02:30 > 0:02:31by the Russian State against the UK.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33And she said there would be consequences.
0:02:33 > 0:02:43Here's our political editor Laura Kuenssberg.
0:02:47 > 0:02:52Who was responsible? Who brought a chemical attack to quite British
0:02:52 > 0:02:58soil?The Prime Minister was ready to lay the blame. It is now clear
0:02:58 > 0:03:01that Mr Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a military grade
0:03:01 > 0:03:07nerve agent of a type developed by Russia. This is part of a group of
0:03:07 > 0:03:12nerve agents known as Novichok. Either this was a direct act by the
0:03:12 > 0:03:16Russian state against our country or the Russian government lost control
0:03:16 > 0:03:19of its potentially catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it
0:03:19 > 0:03:31to get into the hands of others.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40But what would she be ready to do? Should there be no credible
0:03:40 > 0:03:42response, we will conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of
0:03:42 > 0:03:44force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom. Mr Speaker, this
0:03:44 > 0:03:46attempted murder using weapons grade nerve agent in a British town was
0:03:46 > 0:03:49not just a crime against the Skripals. It was an indiscriminate
0:03:49 > 0:03:51and reckless act against the United Kingdom, putting the lives of
0:03:51 > 0:03:56innocent civilians at risk and we will not tolerate such a brazen
0:03:56 > 0:04:02attempt to murder innocent civilians our soil.The Russian ambassador
0:04:02 > 0:04:05summoned to the Foreign Office for an explanation and handed an
0:04:05 > 0:04:09ultimatum to respond by midnight tomorrow. Not much chance of
0:04:09 > 0:04:15consensus between red and blue at home.We need to continue seeking a
0:04:15 > 0:04:20robust dialogue with Russia on all the issues currently dividing our
0:04:20 > 0:04:24countries, both domestic and international. Rather than simply
0:04:24 > 0:04:30cutting off contact and letting the divisions get worse and potentially,
0:04:30 > 0:04:36even more dangerous.A serious moment on both sides though.I hope
0:04:36 > 0:04:49the whole House will be able to come together behind a
0:04:54 > 0:04:57firm response form the government in the interests of our national
0:04:57 > 0:04:59security and public safety.This, if not an act of war, was certainly a
0:04:59 > 0:05:02wart like act by the Russian Federation. Can Downing Street push
0:05:02 > 0:05:04the powerful Kremlin? There will be more expulsions. She has taught this
0:05:04 > 0:05:07about being an unlawful act about should bring in Nato and we should
0:05:07 > 0:05:09be consulting Nato allies and I hope that is going on now, because
0:05:09 > 0:05:14anything we do will be more effective if there can be a broader
0:05:14 > 0:05:20solidarity behind us.The Skripals still in critical condition, their
0:05:20 > 0:05:25personal plight now a grave diplomatic fight.
0:05:25 > 0:05:33In the last hour, Theresa May has spoken to Emmanuel Macron. Amber
0:05:33 > 0:05:36Rudd will share another meeting of the emergency committee at 11:30am
0:05:36 > 0:05:41tomorrow. The Prime Minister's response today was strong in its
0:05:41 > 0:05:46tone and strong in its words. If by midnight tomorrow, the Russians have
0:05:46 > 0:05:51not come back with a credible answer to what really went on in Salisbury,
0:05:51 > 0:05:56the test will not be the strength or nature of the pro-Minister's words,
0:05:56 > 0:06:00but the strength and credibility of the actions she actually decides to
0:06:00 > 0:06:03take. -- Prime Minister.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05Sergei and Yulia Skripal were poisoned with a rare kind
0:06:06 > 0:06:07of nerve agent called Novichok.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09But what is it and where has it come from?
0:06:09 > 0:06:13Our security correspondent Gordon Corera joins us now.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17Gordon. The Prime Minister was remarkably specific about the
0:06:17 > 0:06:21identity of that nerve agent that had been discovered in Salisbury.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25What do we know about it? Why was she so specific and why is it
0:06:25 > 0:06:31thought that it points to Russia? Samples from the scene in Salisbury
0:06:31 > 0:06:36were analysed at the Porton Down laboratory. The tests determined
0:06:36 > 0:06:45that it came from a rare class of nerve agents known as Novichok.
0:06:45 > 0:06:50Novichok are identifiable and new and deadly poison.The use of them
0:06:50 > 0:06:54in the UK is sending a strong message and it is therefore very
0:06:54 > 0:06:59surprising that they are being used. Novichoks are a class of agents
0:06:59 > 0:07:04developed during the Cold War in the 1970s and 1980s, they can be eight
0:07:04 > 0:07:08times more toxic than other agents like VX. They were designed to be
0:07:08 > 0:07:12hard to detect and to get through defences like chemical protection
0:07:12 > 0:07:17suits. The crucial thing is that these agents were only developed by
0:07:17 > 0:07:23Russia. Novichoks were top-secret, but an insider revealed details of
0:07:23 > 0:07:29the programme at the end of the Cold War. Now, living in America, he told
0:07:29 > 0:07:38the BBC tonight why he spoke out.I thought that I was involved in a
0:07:38 > 0:07:45criminal enterprise. I came to the conclusion that chemical weapons are
0:07:45 > 0:07:54not normal weapons against the armies, the troops of enemies.The
0:07:54 > 0:07:57identification of Novichoks meant the Prime Minister could say that
0:07:57 > 0:08:02either the Russian state itself deployed that nerve agent in
0:08:02 > 0:08:07Salisbury, or it somehow lost control of its stocks.I would have
0:08:07 > 0:08:11thought it was highly unlikely and I am sure there are other super
0:08:11 > 0:08:18weapons and some of them we have seen recently, Vladimir Putin has
0:08:18 > 0:08:21demonstrated his tactical missile and others and I would have thought
0:08:21 > 0:08:25these are under very strict control and I am sure no rogue elements in
0:08:25 > 0:08:29Russia are making a fast buck by selling them.Tonight, police
0:08:29 > 0:08:33searches by traces of nerve agent are still ongoing. Russia should
0:08:33 > 0:08:38have declared its secret programme and the Prime Minister today said it
0:08:38 > 0:08:43must now disclose its lead to the international community. Some
0:08:43 > 0:08:47questions were answered today, but we still do not know exactly how the
0:08:47 > 0:08:52nerve agent was delivered to the Skripals and there is another
0:08:52 > 0:09:02question,
0:09:03 > 0:09:07why did Russia use a nerve agent which could so easily be traced back
0:09:07 > 0:09:07to its own programme? Thank you.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Let's go to Salisbury now, where hundreds of police officers
0:09:10 > 0:09:12and army experts who've been drafted in are continuing to investigate
0:09:12 > 0:09:15what happened and deal with the aftermath of the attack.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17Our correspondent Daniel Sandford is there -
0:09:17 > 0:09:19and there's still a big police operation in place?
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Yes, there is no sign of letting up. This is an enormous operation
0:09:22 > 0:09:26involving chemical warfare trips, counter-terrorism officers and
0:09:26 > 0:09:29specialist ambulance crews who have been working at a Sainsbury's car
0:09:29 > 0:09:35park. A lot of what is visible to the public is painstaking
0:09:35 > 0:09:39decontamination work and removal of vehicles for further decontamination
0:09:39 > 0:09:42at that chemical warfare establishment at Porton Down. There
0:09:42 > 0:09:48is a lot of forensic work going on, particularly at the home of Sergei
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Skripal. It remains a focus of the investigation but counter-terrorism
0:09:51 > 0:10:03officers have made no appeal to the public for information since
0:10:03 > 0:10:04Wednesday, they have released no images of suspects and in fact they
0:10:04 > 0:10:07have given very few details about how much progress they have made
0:10:07 > 0:10:10towards identifying the individuals involved in attacking Sergei and
0:10:10 > 0:10:18Yulia Skripal. They have been going about their business stalker here,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21the residence, but there is a sense that they should have been given
0:10:21 > 0:10:26better public health information following the attack.Thank you.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Moscow was quick to respond to the Prime Minister's speech,
0:10:28 > 0:10:31with the Russian Foreign Ministry calling her statement "a fairy
0:10:31 > 0:10:34tale" and a "circus show in the British Parliament".
0:10:34 > 0:10:35Our Moscow Correspondent Steve Rosenberg is in Krasnodar
0:10:35 > 0:10:43in southern Russia, where President Putin is on a visit.
0:10:43 > 0:10:51Steve.Before today, Vladimir Putin had not commented publicly on events
0:10:51 > 0:10:55in Salisbury. He came here today to do some election campaigning and we
0:10:55 > 0:10:59came as well to see if he would say anything at all about the attack
0:10:59 > 0:11:02that Britain is blaming on Russia.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Getting close enough to Vladimir Putin to ask
0:11:04 > 0:11:05a question isn't easy.
0:11:05 > 0:11:11But we were with the Kremlin leader when you visited Russia's national
0:11:11 > 0:11:14But we were with the Kremlin leader when he visited Russia's national
0:11:14 > 0:11:15grain centre.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17He wanted to talk about record harvests but we wanted
0:11:17 > 0:11:19to know if Moscow had targeted Britain.
0:11:19 > 0:11:20President Putin, BBC News.
0:11:20 > 0:11:26Is Russia behind the poisoning of Sergei Skripal?
0:11:26 > 0:11:28TRANSLATION:We're busy with agriculture here.
0:11:28 > 0:11:29To create good conditions for people's
0:11:29 > 0:11:31lives.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33And you talk to me about some tragedies?
0:11:33 > 0:11:35First work out what actually happened there and then
0:11:35 > 0:11:37we'll talk about it.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39But when the British government announced it had
0:11:39 > 0:11:45worked out which country had attacked the Skripals, Moscow was
0:11:45 > 0:11:46in no mood to listen.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48Tonight Russia described
0:11:48 > 0:11:50Theresa May's Commons statement as a
0:11:50 > 0:11:54circus show and it dismissed accusations against Moscow as an
0:11:54 > 0:12:02informational political campaign based on provocation, a fairy tale.
0:12:02 > 0:12:08Meanwhile, Russian state TV has been pointing the finger back at Britain.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11The news bulletins suggested that the UK had poisoned the former
0:12:11 > 0:12:14double agent.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16Only the British stood to benefit, he says.
0:12:16 > 0:12:25It feeds the Russa phobia.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27Security experts, though, believe the trail leads to
0:12:27 > 0:12:31Moscow and to the Kremlin.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33I haven't got the sense, frankly, that operations of this magnitude,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36something that you know it's going to have a major
0:12:36 > 0:12:37geopolitical impact, can go ahead without being signed
0:12:38 > 0:12:40off from the very top.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Now whether that actively means a plan being
0:12:42 > 0:12:46spelt out to Putin, and him saying, yes, go for it, or something
0:12:46 > 0:12:47a little bit more lightweight.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49Nonetheless this is not something that came from
0:12:49 > 0:12:53anything other than the top of the system.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55This weekend Russians are expected to re-elect Vladimir Putin
0:12:55 > 0:12:59as their president.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01A new term that is set to be marked by a new
0:13:01 > 0:13:02confrontation with the West.
0:13:02 > 0:13:08Steve Rosenberg, BBC News, Krasnodar.
0:13:08 > 0:13:15And our Diplomatic Correspondent James Landale joins me.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19Russia's ambassador was told that he had until tomorrow night to explain
0:13:19 > 0:13:23what happened and if he doesn't, what then?If there is no
0:13:23 > 0:13:27satisfactory answer, I would expect the expulsion of some diplomats,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30four were kicked out after the case of Alexander Litvinenko. We should
0:13:30 > 0:13:35expect a lot more than that. We should see the government is
0:13:35 > 0:13:40cracking down on wealthy Russians in London, travel bans, financial
0:13:40 > 0:13:44restrictions and also tougher laws potentially that would seize the
0:13:44 > 0:13:48assets of those Russians guilty of human rights abuses. Other
0:13:48 > 0:13:53responses, targeting the Russian state broadcaster, potentially do
0:13:53 > 0:13:58playing more troops to the eastern flank in Nato, conducting even
0:13:58 > 0:14:00offensive cyber operations against Russia. None of this has been ruled
0:14:00 > 0:14:05out. The interesting question is the International site, a lot of
0:14:05 > 0:14:09diplomacy is going on to trying get support for this and the problem is
0:14:09 > 0:14:13that the bar is high. The Russians have a BTO at the United Nations and
0:14:13 > 0:14:19the Europeans are reluctant to toughen sanctions and the US is
0:14:19 > 0:14:22saying, we are supporting new but refusing to criticise the Russians.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26There are a lot of options, the test will be whether it is enough to have
0:14:26 > 0:14:32an impact on the Kremlin.James Landale, thank you.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35A 17-year-old has been sentenced to ten and a half years in jail
0:14:35 > 0:14:38for carrying out a series of acid attacks on moped riders
0:14:38 > 0:14:39in London last July.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41Derryck John, from Croydon, sprayed six people with acid
0:14:41 > 0:14:43in the space of an hour and a half.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46He stole two mopeds and attempted to take another four.
0:14:46 > 0:14:47The judge described his crimes as 'despicable'.
0:14:47 > 0:14:48Tom Burridge reports.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51He'd thrown acid into the face of six men.
0:14:51 > 0:14:56But here's Derryck John calmly paying for petrol that night.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59He was linked to the stolen moped, but the person
0:14:59 > 0:15:05seen here driving him around still hasn't been identified.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08When Derryck John drove a stolen bike himself later on, this -
0:15:08 > 0:15:13an accident which linked him to a string of violent acid attacks.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Where's it hurting, mate, you all right?
0:15:16 > 0:15:20This victim says his face felt like it was on fire.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22Attacked by Derryck John while delivering takeways,
0:15:22 > 0:15:26Jabed Hussain is still suffering today.
0:15:26 > 0:15:27I have to keep my eyes everywhere.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Even I don't trust in the street.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31If anyone shouts next to me, I get scared.
0:15:31 > 0:15:36If I want to go out, I always lock my car doors and windows.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39I used to be busy myself, I'm a working class guy.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43After the incident, I am totally different.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47I can't believe myself that I am stuck and alone.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Today, the 17-year-old was sentenced to ten and a half years in jail.
0:15:50 > 0:15:56The judge said an adult would have gone to prison for much longer.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59We're very pleased with the sentencing Mr John has received,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02We think it does send a strong message that even as a youth
0:16:02 > 0:16:04offender, a ten-year plus sentence still sends a strong message
0:16:04 > 0:16:07that this will not be tolerated.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09The same judge sentenced Arthur Collins, seen here throwing
0:16:09 > 0:16:12acid across a crowded dance floor, to 20 years in prison.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15It was one of 400 acid attacks in England and Wales in the
0:16:15 > 0:16:16first six months of last year.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18Even those under 18 who are caught, like
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Derryck John, are likely to spend several years in prison.
0:16:21 > 0:16:22Tom Burridge, BBC News.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37The Leader of the House of Commons has recommended a "short,
0:16:37 > 0:16:41independently led" inquiry into claims of bullying
0:16:41 > 0:16:43of parliamentary staff. It follows allegations against
0:16:43 > 0:16:46the Commons Speaker John Bercow and two MPs after an investigation
0:16:46 > 0:16:47by the BBC's Newsnight programme.
0:16:47 > 0:16:56All three strongly deny the allegations.
0:16:56 > 0:17:02Tributes have been paid to Sir Ken Dodd, one of the most popular
0:17:02 > 0:17:06entertainers of our time, who has died at the age of 90. During a
0:17:06 > 0:17:09career which spanned more than 60 years, he brought laughter to
0:17:09 > 0:17:12millions of fans. Sir Ken died yesterday in Liverpool in the house
0:17:12 > 0:17:17where he was born. His partner of 40 years was by his side. They got
0:17:17 > 0:17:23married last Friday. David Sillito looks back at his life.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26I always say writing jokes for Ken Dodd was almost
0:17:26 > 0:17:28like being asked to mix the paints for Van Gogh.
0:17:28 > 0:17:29It was that big an honour.
0:17:29 > 0:17:30Geronimo!
0:17:30 > 0:17:32A little old lady went to the doctor.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34She said, "Doctor!
0:17:34 > 0:17:36Can I have some more sleeping pills for my husband?"
0:17:36 > 0:17:37"Why?"
0:17:37 > 0:17:41She said, "He's woke up."
0:17:41 > 0:17:42# Happiness...
0:17:42 > 0:17:43Ken Dodd.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47His shows could last into the early hours.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49He was a joke machine, and there were thousands.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52I haven't spoken to my mother-in-law for 18 months.
0:17:52 > 0:17:53I don't like to interrupt her.
0:17:53 > 0:18:00Did you hear about the shrimp that went to the prawn cocktail party?
0:18:00 > 0:18:07He pulled a mussel!
0:18:07 > 0:18:10It turns out that if you bang two halves of a horse together,
0:18:10 > 0:18:12it doesn't make the sound of a coconut!
0:18:12 > 0:18:14Intensely private, but in public, unstoppable.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16I think there's a show business Ken Dodd and there
0:18:16 > 0:18:17is a thinking Ken Dodd.
0:18:17 > 0:18:22And hopefully, there's an amusing Ken Dodd.
0:18:22 > 0:18:28I hope so, anyway.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30She said, do you know what an erogenous zone is?
0:18:30 > 0:18:32I said, I know you can't park there.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Ken Dodd!
0:18:37 > 0:18:41When he walked on, the place used to go up and he hadn't
0:18:41 > 0:18:45even said anything yet.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49Now, that doesn't happen very often.
0:18:49 > 0:18:50How tickled we were.
0:18:50 > 0:18:51How tickled we are.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55He would fire the gags out at you like a machine-gun.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58In 1955, he was at the top of the charts.
0:18:58 > 0:19:08Only the Beatles outsold him.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17We call it "hur" in Liverpool, Judy with the "fur hur".
0:19:17 > 0:19:22# Tears for souvenirs...
0:19:22 > 0:19:26And home was the house he was born in in Knotty Ash in Liverpool,
0:19:26 > 0:19:27and where he finally married his partner Ann
0:19:28 > 0:19:29just three days ago.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31I have been overwhelmed by love and affection which I have already
0:19:31 > 0:19:33received from dear friends and the public.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35I thank you all for being here.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37He also famously had his troubles with the Inland Revenue.
0:19:37 > 0:19:38He was eventually acquitted.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41The job I fancy is Chancellor of the Exchequer -
0:19:41 > 0:19:43at least I'd be reunited with my money!
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Ken Dodd - one of our last links to the world of music hall.
0:19:46 > 0:19:53An era really has come to an end.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58Sir Ken Dodd, who's died at the age of 90.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02Plastic and the problems it causes in oceans and rivers around
0:20:03 > 0:20:05the world are already well known.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08But what's not so clear is how much damage microplastics are doing -
0:20:08 > 0:20:13the tiny particles of plastic less than five millimetres in size.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15They can be found in all kinds of things from industrial
0:20:15 > 0:20:16pollution to cosmetics.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20And now researchers have discovered that a river in Greater Manchester
0:20:20 > 0:20:22has the highest levels of microplastic pollution so far
0:20:22 > 0:20:26recorded anywhere in the world.
0:20:26 > 0:20:32Our science correspondent Victoria Gill reports.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36All along this river bank you can see evidence of plastic litter,
0:20:36 > 0:20:39plastic bags, plastic bottles, food containers.
0:20:39 > 0:20:45But it's when things like this break down into much smaller fragments
0:20:45 > 0:20:48that they're just one source of the microplastics that
0:20:48 > 0:20:50end up in the riverbed.
0:20:50 > 0:20:59To find out just how much microplastic flows
0:20:59 > 0:21:01into our rivers from litter, waste water and industry,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04scientists need to take a piece of the riverbed back to the lab.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07All the mud and silt and clay and the microplastic particles
0:21:07 > 0:21:09will come into the water.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11The team analysed silt at 40 different locations,
0:21:11 > 0:21:15from remote rural streams to city centre waterways.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19They found microplastic everywhere.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21Where lots of people live, we found extraordinarily high levels
0:21:21 > 0:21:27of microplastic contamination.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29Just a few kilometres upstream from here, we found microplastic
0:21:29 > 0:21:31concentrations that are the highest so far recorded anywhere
0:21:31 > 0:21:33in the world, over 500,000 microplastic particles per metre
0:21:33 > 0:21:35square of riverbed, enormously high levels of contamination.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38And that is just a few miles upstream from where we're standing
0:21:38 > 0:21:39in Greater Manchester?
0:21:39 > 0:21:44Yes.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47This is a jar of sediment from the bed of this river,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50a typical suburban stretch of the River Mersey.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52And in this 250g jar, there will be 5,000 individual
0:21:53 > 0:21:57pieces of microplastic.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59Aquatic insects, birds and fish can ingest these
0:21:59 > 0:22:02microscopic pieces of plastic.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04And this is where the problem becomes visible.
0:22:04 > 0:22:11This is all plastic?
0:22:11 > 0:22:13Yes, indeed.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16How many fragments would you have in this?
0:22:16 > 0:22:18So in this sample just from a few grams, about 100
0:22:18 > 0:22:19microplastic pieces.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21Over here, we've got a couple of microbeads,
0:22:21 > 0:22:26a bright pink one and a yellow one.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28Finding the source of this problem will be scientists' next step
0:22:28 > 0:22:30to stop our riverbeds becoming an invisible dumping ground
0:22:31 > 0:22:32for billions of pieces of plastic.
0:22:32 > 0:22:40Victoria Gill, BBC News.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42The BBC has accused Iran of collectively punishing
0:22:42 > 0:22:45its Persian Service journalists for reporting on the country's
0:22:45 > 0:22:48affairs.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51In an unprecedented move, the BBC has launched an appeal
0:22:51 > 0:22:54to the UN Human Rights Council, demanding that its employees'
0:22:54 > 0:22:57rights be protected.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59More than 20 Persian Service staff and their families have had death
0:22:59 > 0:23:03threats and some of their relatives have been harassed.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05James Robbins is at the UN in Geneva.
0:23:05 > 0:23:11James, what's the BBC hoping to achieve by this?
0:23:11 > 0:23:16This is happening because the Iranian authorities have been
0:23:16 > 0:23:21hostile to the BBC Persian television service ever since it was
0:23:21 > 0:23:27launched in 2009. They accuse it of spreading false propaganda in Iran,
0:23:27 > 0:23:29designed to encourage those who want to bring down the entire Iranian
0:23:29 > 0:23:36government system. We only know that because the Iranians, provoked, I
0:23:36 > 0:23:40think, by the BBC going to the UN today, have come out for the first
0:23:40 > 0:23:44time with a detailed response to the BBC's complaints about the treatment
0:23:44 > 0:23:48of its staff. The fact is that Tony Hall, the director-general, thought
0:23:48 > 0:23:52he was making no progress with the Iranians in trying to write to them
0:23:52 > 0:23:56and get a response. They were not coming back to him with anything and
0:23:56 > 0:23:59he said it was necessary to bring this all out into the open in the
0:23:59 > 0:24:02hope that perhaps the Iranians would now take serious note now that the
0:24:02 > 0:24:06UN is involved.James Robbins, thank you.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08Sky has suspended the football pundit, Jamie Carragher,
0:24:08 > 0:24:10after footage emerged of him spitting through a car
0:24:10 > 0:24:12at a teenage girl and her father.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14The former England and Liverpool footballer described it as a "moment
0:24:14 > 0:24:23of madness" after he was goaded.
0:24:23 > 0:24:24Andy Swiss's report contains some flashing images.
0:24:24 > 0:24:25Jamie Carragher there, look!
0:24:25 > 0:24:27He is one of football's most famous pundits,
0:24:27 > 0:24:30but after being spotted by a fan on Sunday, Jamie Carragher winds
0:24:30 > 0:24:31down his window and this happens.
0:24:31 > 0:24:32Unlucky, Jamie, lad.
0:24:32 > 0:24:332-1, lad!
0:24:33 > 0:24:37He spat on me.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39"He spat on me" - the voice of the driver's
0:24:39 > 0:24:4114-year-old daughter.
0:24:41 > 0:24:46Jamie Carragher spat on my daughter, nice.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48Carragher, who'd just watched his former club Liverpool lose,
0:24:48 > 0:24:50said he'd been goaded and lost his rag.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54Have you been sacked?
0:24:54 > 0:24:57But this morning, he arrived in London to be told he'd been
0:24:57 > 0:24:59suspended from his job with Sky Sports.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01Carragher, who has a 14-year-old daughter himself, admitted his
0:25:01 > 0:25:03behaviour was unacceptable.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07It looks awful and I accept that.
0:25:07 > 0:25:12It's not something I've done before, it's not something I will do again.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14I'm sure of that.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19I've had a moment of madness, a really big, huge mistake,
0:25:19 > 0:25:23a stain on my character.
0:25:23 > 0:25:24I have to accept that.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27I have let my family down, but I think the family I've let down
0:25:27 > 0:25:31more than anyone is the people in the car.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34Well, what Jamie Carragher did on his way home from the match
0:25:34 > 0:25:36here at Old Trafford has been strongly condemned by his employers.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39In a statement, Sky said his behaviour fell well below
0:25:39 > 0:25:41the standards they expect.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43The question now is whether his apology will be
0:25:43 > 0:25:46enough to save his job.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50Before this, Carragher had proved a success in the Sky studios.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52His transition to tough-talking pundit from tough-tackling
0:25:52 > 0:25:54player had seemed seamless, but after retiring on the pitch,
0:25:54 > 0:26:00his new career could yet face an early farewell.
0:26:00 > 0:26:09Andy Swiss, BBC News.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13The cost of getting the civil service ready for Brexit is running
0:26:13 > 0:26:14into billions of pounds.
0:26:14 > 0:26:22Thousands of extra civil servants are being employed to cope
0:26:22 > 0:26:23with the challenges.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25New research suggests that in some key government
0:26:25 > 0:26:27departments, six years of austerity cuts have been
0:26:27 > 0:26:30reversed, less than two years since the Brexit referendum took place.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32The cost of getting the civil service ready for Brexit runs
0:26:32 > 0:26:33into billions of pounds.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Chris Morris from our Reality Check team explains.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38At the time of the EU referendum after years of austerity,
0:26:38 > 0:26:40the size of the civil service here in Westminster
0:26:40 > 0:26:42was at its smallest since the Second World War,
0:26:42 > 0:26:45and 20% smaller than it was when the coalition government
0:26:45 > 0:26:46took office in 2010.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48But now, in key departments dealing with Brexit,
0:26:48 > 0:26:49those staff reductions have largely been reversed.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Two new departments have been created since the referendum,
0:26:51 > 0:26:53the Department for International Trade
0:26:53 > 0:26:55and the Department for Exiting the EU here in Downing Street.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59Between them, they have about 1,500 staff devoted exclusively to Brexit.
0:26:59 > 0:27:05The numbers are most striking, though, here at Defra.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07The Institute for Government says its headcount will have increased
0:27:07 > 0:27:08by 65% since the referendum.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12By the end of this month, it's due to have taken on an extra
0:27:12 > 0:27:141,200 people dealing exclusively with Brexit, including replacing
0:27:14 > 0:27:17the EU's Common Agriculture and Fisheries policies.
0:27:17 > 0:27:22Elsewhere, the Home Office is planning to have hired an extra
0:27:22 > 0:27:251,500 Brexit staff by September
0:27:25 > 0:27:28and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs between 3,000 and 5,000
0:27:28 > 0:27:31extra staff by this time next year.
0:27:31 > 0:27:40So, more people, and the Government has said it is committed to ensuring
0:27:40 > 0:27:42that the right skills and resources are available to deliver
0:27:42 > 0:27:43a successful Brexit.
0:27:43 > 0:27:49So how much is it all going to cost?
0:27:49 > 0:27:51Well, the Institute for Government thinks getting the civil service
0:27:51 > 0:27:55ready for Brexit could cost as much as £2 billion by the time we're due
0:27:55 > 0:27:56to leave the EU next year.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59And that's on top of the divorce bill with the EU,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02which the Government says will be 39 billion and could be even higher.
0:28:02 > 0:28:10Chris Morris, BBC News.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13Next month a tax on sugary drinks will be introduced for the first
0:28:13 > 0:28:16time in the UK in a bid to tackle obesity.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18You'll be paying between 18 and 24 pence extra per
0:28:18 > 0:28:20litre for many drinks - depending on how much extra
0:28:20 > 0:28:21sugar has been added.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25Our health editor Hugh Pym has been to Norway where a sugar tax has
0:28:25 > 0:28:26been in place for years.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29There are sweets and lots of them in this shop favoured by some
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Norwegians, but it is not in their own country, it is just
0:28:32 > 0:28:33over the border in Sweden.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36The store owner is offering all of this at half the prices
0:28:36 > 0:28:37Norwegians pay at home.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40In January, the sugar tax levied in Norway went up more than 80%.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42Some have driven long distances to cross the border
0:28:42 > 0:28:48for their shopping.
0:28:48 > 0:28:54I'm coming every once a month to buy food, so it's worth it.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57It's not only because of the price, but we like to have a treat
0:28:57 > 0:28:59and we buy a lot when we come here.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02The company says trade has picked up since the Norwegian tax rise,
0:29:02 > 0:29:07equivalent to about 10p on a chocolate bar.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10It's hard to imagine anything else quite like it.
0:29:10 > 0:29:11The Swedish owner says this is one of the biggest
0:29:11 > 0:29:13sweet shops in the world.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16It has 20 of them, all a short distance from the border.
0:29:16 > 0:29:2095% of customers come over from Norway.
0:29:20 > 0:29:25Norwegians are used to the sugar tax which was introduced some time ago.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27Locals here in Oslo are philosophical about it,
0:29:27 > 0:29:32even after the tax increase.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36People are not happy with the tax increasing,
0:29:36 > 0:29:38but I think it's good.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41There are a lot of other taxes that I would react on,
0:29:41 > 0:29:44but this one is OK for me.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46The government says the tax has helped control child obesity rates,
0:29:47 > 0:29:48which are below Sweden's.
0:29:48 > 0:29:52We managed now to stabilise the obesity of the children
0:29:52 > 0:30:00and young people and I am happy about that.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03It means that what we have done until now has been
0:30:03 > 0:30:03functioning in the right way.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06The UK is now going down the same track with a tax
0:30:06 > 0:30:08on sugary soft drinks.
0:30:08 > 0:30:13The aim is to move shoppers towards lower sugar options.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16Groups like this have already done that.
0:30:16 > 0:30:26This cookery class with healthy recipes for parents and children
0:30:26 > 0:30:33is run by a charity, made in Hackney, puddings
0:30:33 > 0:30:43and juices with fruit, but no added sugar on the menu.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45Occasionally, you would have a fizzy drink,
0:30:45 > 0:30:48but I want to stop, so I am here learning about this.
0:30:48 > 0:30:49The Norwegian example shows people can learn
0:30:49 > 0:30:52to live with the sugar tax, even though when it comes
0:30:52 > 0:30:54to their behaviour, the message is, expect the unexpected.
0:30:54 > 0:30:55Hugh Pym, BBC News, Oslo.
0:30:55 > 0:30:57One of the great names of fashion,
0:30:57 > 0:30:59the French designer Hubert de Givenchy, has died
0:30:59 > 0:31:00at the age of 91.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03After founding his own fashion house in 1952, Givenchy became famous
0:31:03 > 0:31:05for dressing stars like Grace Kelly and Jackie Kennedy.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07Most notably, he designed the "little black dress"
0:31:07 > 0:31:09Audrey Hepburn wore in Breakfast At Tiffany's,
0:31:09 > 0:31:10as part of a professional
0:31:10 > 0:31:12and personal relationship that lasted 40 years.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14In a moment, we'll have the news from where you are.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17But first, we'll have some images from Givenchy's life -
0:31:17 > 0:31:18set to one of the iconic
0:31:18 > 0:31:20tracks from Breakfast At Tiffany's - Moon River.
0:31:20 > 0:31:21# Moon river
0:31:21 > 0:31:25# Wider than a mile
0:31:25 > 0:31:34# I'm crossin' you in style someday
0:31:34 > 0:31:40# Old dream maker
0:31:40 > 0:31:45# You heartbreaker
0:31:45 > 0:31:51# Moon river
0:31:51 > 0:32:00# And me #.