24/02/2012 BBC London News

Tonight on BBC London News: Making the capital's richest home owners

pay. Should a loop hole to avoid stamp duty be closed?

What are we talking about, pricing? Just under �4 million. On stamp

duty, if you would save about �200,000.

Also tonight: A man pleads guilty to setting a Croydon family

business on fire, during last summer's riots.

We speak to one of the owners of the Reeves Furniture Store.

For sale: One used power station in Battersea. Yours for �500 million.

And, after a career spanning more than 50 years, we talk to the

director of the Royal Ballet about her farewell to Covent Garden, and

how London first inspired her. idea that you could go to a

different theatre every night of the week, a play, or in musical, or

come to the opera house, I found it We start tonight with the loophole

that allows many Londoners to avoid tens of thousands of pounds in tax.

And why the government is considering closing it. In the

capital's wealthier areas, hundreds of home owners are buying

properties through private companies, avoiding stamp duty that

amounts to �50,000 on a �1 million house. It's perfectly legal. But

tonight, there's speculation that the Chancellor George Osborne could

use next month's Budget to stop the practice. Our special correspondent

Kurt Barling reports. The now, this is what you might

call a swanky pad, on the market for �4 million, the type of

property which bought through an overseas company has saved the by a

�200,000. Some argue it is a difficult loophole to police.

problem is it is impossible to police. If you have two offshore

oil is conveyancing and offshore company and the Land Registry shows

no change of ownership, have you know it has changed hands? There

are plenty of companies online which offer tax mitigation schemes

on properties over �250,000. This one says, for a 500,000 fund

property, they can save you �11,000 in stamp duty. It is a loophole

which governments have wanted to close and, with increased interest

from the wealthy and ordinary Londoners, it will continue to

deprive the government of considerable revenue. The latest

figures show the gap between what they collected in tax and should

collect in tax was �35 billion. �200 million of that was down to

stamp duty evasion or avoidance. There is also the question of

whether exploited this loophole is entirely fair? A anyone tried to

avoid taxes they should legitimately be paying it is in the

wrong and we should be looking at curbing their behaviour. It doesn't

seem fair to me that normal citizens selling that operate --

property in the normal way are paying it, but others are not.

the meantime, a authorities cry, For the well-heeled, or those lucky

enough to have an expensive property, it is a loophole which

the Chancellor could close in his next Budget on 21 March.

BBC London is putting together a special debate programme about the

economy hosted by Evan Davis, and we would like you to take part.

Viewers get the chance to talk to politicians and business leaders.

We'll discuss how best to create new jobs, the role of the Square

Mile, and changes to the benefits system. If you want to take part,

get in touch with us on email. The Lots more to come, including: The

Mayor is urged to do more to increase the numbers of people

travelling on the Thames. A unless you live close by, you do

not know it even exists, I do not It was one of the defining images

of last summer's riots. A furniture store in Croydon, on fire. A

business that had been in the same family for more than 140 years,

destroyed overnight. Today, Gordon Thompson, 33, pleaded guilty to

starting the blaze, and will be sentenced in April. I'm joined now

by Trevor Reeve, from the family who owns the shop.

Good evening. Given today's events, do you feel you are closer to some

sort of closure? We all feel a degree of happiness, that it has

been brought to its conclusion quickly. We were expecting a three-

week trial. On the other hand, we feels angry it could have been

sorted out more quickly. To change your plea Mitra when he could have

pleaded guilty straight away. It is not the correct way to behave.

sure some will remember the stoicism of your family, determined

to trade the next day. How are things you family and the business

now? That decision has stood us in good stead, to keep the shop open,

to kick it trading. We have been through the Christmas and January

sales, working very hard, everything has been very positive.

The local community are behind us, as has the community around the

world. We are really happy with what is going on. Were you

surprised by that support? Internationally as well? It was

absolutely unbelievable, we would never have thought we would have

had that the action, that many people around who were happy to see

the family firm still there, fighting for the proper standards

people want to see in this country and around the world. You worry key

part of that community. Is it rebuilding? I am feeling very

positive, working hard to work with the local traders to make sure that

we keep the area of Croydon alive which will help our business and

everybody else in the area. We wish you all the best for the

future. Two men have been found guilty of killing a man who was

beaten, and left to die in the boot of a burning car. TV executive

Gagandip Singh died in Blackheath in south east London last February.

Harvinder Shoker was found guilty of murder, while Darren Peters was

convicted of manslaughter. Medical student Mundill Mahil was found

guilty of causing grievous bodily harm.

A double decker bus has been gutted by a fire in north west London. It

happened on Regent's Park Road, close to Finchley Central station,

at about 2pm. Transport for London says the vehicle wasn't in service

at the time, and no one was hurt. For sale: One derelict building. No

roof. In need of total modernisation. But listed, so

changes will be difficult. Offers in region of �500 million. Not the

most attractive set of particulars. Then again, Battersea Power Station

isn't any old building. Now, for the first time ever, it's being

offered for sale on the open market. Let's join Paul Curran. An

interesting one for the estate Yes, not a typical three-bed semi.

Anyone taking on Battersea power station will be advised to have a

full structural survey, and perhaps their heads examined! Anyone who

has gone it in the past three decades has been defeated. They

wanted to turn it into a theme park. A Hong Kong developer about six

years ago. An Irish company to go on but there scheme collapsed last

year. It is in the hands of the administrators and the estate

agents are saying, despite its history, they are confident there

will be lots of interest. The our objective is to sell the site as

quickly as possible for the best possible price. Anyone coming into

by the scheme today will base their assessment on the existing planning

permission, which means retaining the power station, developing a mix

of uses. For that reason, we believe there to be a good deal of

interest. The power station is listed. Could that put some buyers

off? I think it will, the site comes with planning permission for

homes, hotels, a massive redevelopment scheme. But you will

have to completely refurbish the power station which could cost �150

million. And a �200 million contribution to the extension of

the Northern line, a lot to consider for any buyer brave enough

to take it on, and they will need deep pockets.

The Mayor's being urged to do more to increase the number of people

using the Thames to get around London. The aim is for 12 million

journeys a year to be made on the river. But the London Assembly

Transport Committee says poor transport links means that might

not happen. The Mayor's office says a plan for passenger boat services

will be published by the end of the year. Our transport correspondent

Tom Edwards has more. There cannot be many more civilised

ways of getting to work, but Londoners still haven't embraced

commuting by water. Des Curran uses the boat every day. He loves it.

But he thinks more should be done to encourage others.

A lot of people do not know about it. Unless you live close to one of

the piers, you do not know it exists. It is a hidden secret. I

think it is. Currently, there are three million trips every year by

boat on the Thames. The Mayor promised to quadruple that, but it

has not happened. Today, a report said improvements have been patchy,

and cost and impracticality were putting people off. You know where

a Tube station is. You cannot see the piers. If you could see a

change in the ticketing system to look at zones, like we have on

other forms of transport, that could work. There is no one

championing reverse services. river. Operators say a lack of

integration and no long-term strategy is hampering investment.

We have got 12 boats, we operate a service from six o'clock in the

morning until midnight. And it is a tremendous amount of investment and

infrastructure. We want to take it forward, but we have got to have

everybody with us to do that. cannot do that without a plan?

Absolutely not. The Mayor's office says more needs to be done,

although there has been improvements. The Mayor talked

about this four years ago, and it hasn't changed. A lot of signage

has improved, and we have seen the results. We have seen a million

additional passengers over the year on the river. It has been a 36%

increase. But we need to take it to the next level. Persuading more

commuters to use the river will not be easy. Improving travelling on

the river still is not a priority. Coming up before 7pm: Could our top

three clubs have new managers by next season? We look ahead to an

important weekend for Arsenal, Children as young as 15 are being

forced to sleep on the capital's streets. One asylum seeker from

Iran has told BBC London how he relied on handouts from strangers,

and even tried to commit suicide. A report by the Children's Society

says there's been a steady increase in the number of children in the

capital needing help. Ayshea Buskh has more.

Peter arrived in London on his own when he was 15. He had escaped from

Iran, just as his father was thrown in jail for belonging to a banned

Kurdish opposition group. He doesn't want us to reveal his

identity, as he is also wanted by the government back home. He is one

of hundreds of young people who become homeless after they fall out

of the immigration system. When his claim for asylum was turned down,

he lost benefits, his accommodation. So he made the bosses of Croydon

his home. They stopped supporting me at all. I sleep on the streets,

I slept on the streets for nine months, it was a really bad time.

In that time he developed mental health programmes. When I was

homeless, twice I tried to kill myself. I took tablets and has

slept for 12 hours, 24 hours. Nothing happened, a didn't go to

the hospital. New figures show these cases are increasing. Why is

it happening? We are extremely concerned. This is a priority

child-protection matter for every single London borough, children

being exposed to great danger, very vulnerable. And not being protected.

While there are some tragic individual cases, the government

insists when an application for asylum is turned down, support must

be discontinued, as it is expected the person will return home. While

the present system remains, if young people continue to need

support, it is falling to charities He has spent nearly two years

backing in court to avoid being extradited to the US, but tonight

Christopher Tappin from Kent is on board a flight to Texas,

accompanied by US marshals to stand trial. If found guilty, he could

spend up to 35 years in prison. What can he expect when he arrives

in the States? Our reporter has been talking to David Birmingham,

one of the NatWest Three, who was extradited to the US in 2006 and

jailed for his part in a multi- million-pound fraud.

Christopher Tappin leaves Heathrow. What could lie ahead him? David

Birmingham might know. He is one of the so-called NatWest Three. Three

London bankers who were extradited to the States in 2006. You are put

on a plane with two US marshals. On arrival in Texas, you are met by

the might of Texas law enforcement, a large number of people. You will

be put into leg irons, handcuffs which attached to a chain around

your waist. Prior to that, he will be strip-searched. David Birmingham

spent seven months in US prisons and says he has given Christopher

Tappin some advice. As a life spent in the suburbs of Orpington, Kent,

is no preparation. I have given him some private advice. But what I

would say is that at which, God forbid, he ends up in prison, let

prison come to you. Don't stick out. Don't try to be smart. Most prisons

are run a long gang lines, particularly the prisons after

conviction and sentencing. It would like -- it would be like the

classic films of people wandering around in gangs. Bad things can

happen. I was fortunate. David Birmingham says he admitted a

charge of fraud in the States as a plea bargain. He saw it as the best

route home. He now fears that Christopher Tappin will face a

similar choice. He granted bail, he has some kind of chance to fight

his case. If not, he will stay in a Federal detention centre until such

time as he is ready to do his plea bargain. Mr Birmingham is now

campaigning for extra -- extradition law to be changed. But

a review of the US-UK treaty last year by a retired Court appeal

judge found that it was both balanced and fair.

Joining us now from Texas is de plus McNabb, a federal criminal

lawyer based in Houston -- Douglas McNab. What will happen to

Christopher Tappin when he arrives there? In Houston, he will be taken

to the Federal detention centre. He will be kept their over the weekend.

Federal magistrate judges do not work on weekends. He will then be

taken before a judge on Monday, when he will have a bail hearing.

At the conclusion of the hearing, the judge will determine whether he

receives a bond or not. We expect him to go to the El Paso jail. What

are conditions like there? Deplorable. If he does not receive

a Bond, one of two things will happen. Either the Marshal's

Service will transport him in a couple of weeks to Oklahoma, in the

middle of the country. That is the way station for the Marshall

service. He will be kept there for a couple of weeks until they have a

bus or plane on its way to a pass so. Or he may be transported

directly to a pass so. L pass so is a border city right on the edge

with Mexico -- El Paso. I have been there more times than I care to

think about. They are terrible conditions. The food is terrible.

It is dirty, it smells. A significant majority of those are

from Mexico. It will be very much a culture shock for him.

Time for sport now. Mark Bright joins me. A big footie weekend, but

probably one where all eyes are on the managers? Yes, especially this

weekend. A bad result and a bad run of form has fuelled speculation

about the futures of Arsene Wenger and Andre Villas-Boas's positions.

Meanwhile, Harry Redknapp is doing so well that Spurs fans are worried

about him being poached for the vacant England manager's job. This

weekend it is B68th north London derby. What better time to speak to

someone who has played for both clubs? Top dogs at London's top

clubs, but for how much longer? We asked a man who had played for

Tottenham, Arsenal, and now lives in Chelsea, for his thoughts on the

future. In your opinion, does Arsene Wenger still have a future?

He is still the right manager to lead Arsenal. But the question will

be, what do the board want from the club? Arsenal fans just want

answers. Chelsea will be feeling the heat. They have lost just four

of their last 14 games. If they drop to fifth in the table, they

could face elimination from the Champions League. The pressure is

on Chelsea manager Andre Villas- Boas. While many believe he could

be out of a job soon, he says his priority is a strong finish to the

season, meaning a win against Bolton tomorrow is crucial.

Abramovich is probably definitely considering whether to move him on

or keep him. I am sure his advisers will be around him giving their

point of view. It is a sticky wicket now. Many Chelsea and

Arsenal fans seem keen for change. The Spurs side have the opposite

problem. They do not want their manager to go anywhere. Harry knows

how to get the best out of a player. A player can be just ticking along,

but he sees something different. Other managers might not see a

particular player. They can't get that special ingredient out of the

player to produce on the pitch, week-in, week-out. On Sunday,

Arsenal host Spurs at the Emirates. It could be the last time Arsene

Wenger and Harry Redknapp come face-to-face. Sol Campbell has

played his fair share of North London derbies. What is his

prediction? I would just go for a lucky draw. Police! -- please!

You were so disappointed! What about the other fixtures? There are

three London derbies. There are also QPR against Fulham. West Ham

take on a Crystal Palace. And also, Charlton versus Stevenage. If you

are not doing anything, get down and support Charlton. Busy weekend.

This week, you were at Downing Street with others in the

footballing world? Yes, it was a discrimination -- a discussion

about discrimination in football. We were asked about the problem and

a solution from the Prime Minister. They took a lot of notes, and it

will be gathered together by the Football Association. In a few

months, they will hopefully have some suggestions that came out of

that meeting. Now, she has been with the Royal Ballet for more than

half a century. Dame Monica Mason was just 16 when she joined as a

dancer. Now, 54 years on, she is retiring as the director of the

company this summer. Our reporter has been speaking to her ahead of

an exhibition at the Royal Opera House celebrating her career.

She was the girl they said who would out dance Nureyev, one of the

most striking ballet dancers of her generation and now not just a

director, but like a mother to the Royal Ballet, where she has worked

for 54 years. Dame Monica Mason was born in South Africa, but moved to

London the some of the Bolshoi first came to the Royal Opera House.

Then just a teenager, but her destiny seemed set. I wandered up

and down the street, knowing there was a performance happening. My

mother let me come here on my own. We were living in Finsbury Park at

the time. I was convinced that through a crack in the door, I

might have seen the great ballerina. Of course, I didn't. But I was

dreaming so wildly about what was going on behind those doors, and I

could imagine what it must be like. An exhibition to celebrate her

career during her farewell season is being held at the Royal Opera

House. There are costumes she first wore when she joined aged 16 as the

company's youngest member. But it was not long before she was spotted

by director Kenneth MacMillan after she showed him her moves not on

stage, but at a '60s party. I was probably a show-off, but not in a

bad way. I think the story of me showing off at a party when I knew

Kenneth MacMillan was watching, there was a bit of mischief in that.

It was the start of rock in the '60s. We were twisting and doing

all sorts of things. I think I got carried away. Teaching became as

much of a vocation for Monica as performing. She takes the

responsibility of passing on what she has learned from the great

ballet directors seriously. biggest change when you stop

dancing and have the good fortune to be offered a job on the staff,

the biggest change is that you stop thinking about yourself and begin

to think about others. Now in her seventies, Monica will step down as

director in the summer, but has already been signed up to sprinkle

her magic on a number of new productions. The exhibition will

Now the weather. Peter is down by the river. This is Chelsea Bridge

behind me. It is looking pretty good for a busy outdoor weekend.

Mostly dry. We will just lose that spring-like warmth we have been

getting used to. Temperatures have been up in the teens. On Saturday

and Sunday, they will drop a bit. This evening, there is a lot of

cloud. It will thicken up overnight and produce some drizzly rain. That

rain will drop the temperatures. It is a weak weatherfront. You will

see that from the minimum temperatures tonight. The slightly

colder air is arriving from the north. Tomorrow, a dull, damp,

misty start to the weekend. But it should brighten up. Sunny spells by

the afternoon. By the time of these matches, there will be more cloud

over west London. On Sunday, lots of sunshine over the Emirates

Stadium. That is because the cloud will break up on Saturday night.

Long, clear spells and perhaps a touch of frost for some of us on

the grass. As we have seen, Sunday will BA sunny day in London. But

the south-westerly breeze will start to blow some cloud across us.

The outlook is for that south- westerly breeze to eventually blow

us some welcome rain for the start of next week. Later in the week, it