:00:19. > :00:25.Good afternoon. Heavy rain is disrupting the road
:00:25. > :00:27.and rail networks on one of the busiest travel days of the year.
:00:27. > :00:31.They have been landslides in several areas and four flood
:00:31. > :00:34.warnings are in place. One of the main rail operators is urging its
:00:34. > :00:44.passengers not to travel unless their journey is absolutely
:00:44. > :00:45.
:00:45. > :00:50.essential. Andy Moore reports. Shot by a coastguard team in
:00:50. > :00:55.Swanage in Dorset, this is the effect of weeks of rain on UN
:00:55. > :01:00.unstable cliff face. Overnight, Helston was one of the worst-hit
:01:00. > :01:05.areas. Firefighters did their best to reduce their level of the river
:01:05. > :01:10.which was on a severe flood alert. In the early hours of the morning,
:01:10. > :01:18.police officers knocked on doors, urging householders to leave for an
:01:18. > :01:24.evacuation centre. In the event, very few did. We managed to move
:01:24. > :01:29.quite a lot out of here actually. Flooding is a miserable experience
:01:29. > :01:33.that any time of the year, but even more so in the festive season.
:01:33. > :01:37.not even thinking about Christmas at the minute. There are more
:01:37. > :01:42.important things than Christmas. The band of cloud swept in
:01:42. > :01:47.overnight across the British Isles, until nearly all the country was
:01:47. > :01:52.under heavy, persistent rain. Rail services in the West Country have
:01:52. > :01:59.been hard hit. In many places, a replacement bus services cannot run
:01:59. > :02:03.because of flooding on the roads. High on the main line in the West
:02:03. > :02:07.Country, a temporary dam is being used to keep floodwaters out side
:02:07. > :02:12.of essential equipment. This is the first time this has been used in
:02:12. > :02:17.the UK. It has been used in other industry but not the railway.
:02:17. > :02:22.Great Western is urging passengers not to travel west of Taunton
:02:22. > :02:26.unless absolutely necessary. And revere trains in Wales has issued
:02:26. > :02:29.and similar warning. An unusual request from the travel companies
:02:29. > :02:32.on one of the busiest travel days of the year.
:02:32. > :02:41.Live now to our correspondent, John Henderson, who is in Helston in
:02:41. > :02:45.Cornwall. How bad is it there? anything, it is getting worse. This
:02:45. > :02:50.is what an inch and a half of rain overnight has done. Hit has left
:02:50. > :02:55.this busy street completely flooded. The firefighters have been busy
:02:55. > :02:59.searching properties, making sure everyone is OK. What they are also
:02:59. > :03:04.doing is pumping out the street here. They are trying to pump away
:03:04. > :03:09.this water. But I have to tell you, in the short time I have been here,
:03:09. > :03:13.this reason -- this water has risen substantially and there is no let
:03:13. > :03:18.up in the rain. It just keeps raining and getting wet and wetter.
:03:18. > :03:22.People around here are telling me they are getting quite concerned.
:03:22. > :03:27.Although this road has flooded before, it has never come up this
:03:27. > :03:30.high. This is not the only place in Cornwall. Driving conditions have
:03:30. > :03:33.been very difficult. It has been treacherous.
:03:33. > :03:36.The Department for Transport is looking into whether new roads
:03:36. > :03:39.could be paid for by tolls which drivers would pay to private
:03:40. > :03:43.companies. The idea, which has been suggested before by ministers, is
:03:43. > :03:48.thought to be one option in the coalition's new programme to be set
:03:48. > :03:50.out in the coming weeks. The head of the Association of
:03:50. > :03:53.Chief Police Officers has played down claims of a growing rift
:03:53. > :03:57.between police and politicians, in the controversy surrounding the
:03:57. > :03:59.resignation of Andrew Mitchell as the Conservative Chief Whip.
:04:00. > :04:05.Scotland Yard is now investigating whether police made up allegations
:04:05. > :04:13.that Mr Mitchell called officers in Downing Street plebs. Live now to
:04:13. > :04:19.our political correspondent Robin Brant.
:04:19. > :04:23.What more do we know about this? officers are involved in the
:04:24. > :04:28.investigation in the aftermath of this confrontation. Two people have
:04:28. > :04:31.been arrested. One of those is a serving officer who has been
:04:31. > :04:35.suspended. But the assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan
:04:35. > :04:40.Police says he does not believe this has changed his original view
:04:40. > :04:45.of the account. Police officers say they were called plebs. Andrew
:04:45. > :04:49.Mitchell insists he did not use that word. This dispute continues
:04:49. > :04:54.three months on. Sir Hugh Orde says he does nothing but a fair means
:04:54. > :04:59.there is growing evidence of a distrust, but I have to say in the
:04:59. > :05:03.last hour, there is evidence that you may be a changing. The Police
:05:03. > :05:07.Federation has revealed it is looking at a major structural
:05:07. > :05:11.review. Back to me is an admission that they believe they of us as
:05:11. > :05:14.being involved in what looks to some as being a campaign against
:05:14. > :05:23.Andrew Mitchell, was damaging to their reputation and was damaging
:05:23. > :05:26.to trust. Thank you. Up to 13 million shoppers are
:05:26. > :05:29.expected hit the high streets of Britain today, as they scramble to
:05:29. > :05:33.finish their Christmas shopping. Retailers are hoping for a boost as
:05:33. > :05:36.sales in the first two weeks of December are down on last year. But
:05:36. > :05:43.will the weather affect takings at the tills? Here is our business
:05:43. > :05:47.correspondent, Theo Leggett. It is being called panic Saturday.
:05:47. > :05:53.Retailers hope we will rush out to do last-minute Christmas shopping.
:05:53. > :05:58.There will be more people expected on Sunday. After what has been an
:05:58. > :06:02.unspectacular start to the shopping season, that would provide a much-
:06:02. > :06:08.needed boost for businesses. need to make some good sales. The
:06:08. > :06:12.numbers have been solid. Three days to go, not to play and it is
:06:12. > :06:16.important are shoppers get out and spend. The bad weather affecting
:06:16. > :06:21.much of the country has raised fears the big shopping weekend
:06:21. > :06:25.could turn into a washout. In London, there was little sign of a
:06:25. > :06:30.last-minute rush. I am amazed how quiet it is. I got here at 9
:06:30. > :06:34.o'clock, got what I wanted and now I am going home. I am just looking
:06:35. > :06:39.for my daughter. We are going home at lunchtime, back to Yorkshire.
:06:39. > :06:43.have left it a bit late. We have done most of our shopping, just a
:06:43. > :06:48.little treat that the end of the day. But if customers do not turn
:06:48. > :06:54.out in force, the consequences for retailers could be severe. In the
:06:54. > :06:59.current harsh economic climate, many are struggling., it became the
:06:59. > :07:03.latest big name change to close its doors for good --, it. There is no
:07:03. > :07:07.doubt this has been a difficult idea on the British high street but
:07:07. > :07:10.what retailers want to see his shoppers turning out in droves