30/04/2012 BBC London News

Kind tight on BBC London News, caused improve cycling safety, the

mayoral hopefuls get a rough ride at the last of the hustings. I did

not feel that we had exciting announcements, but I saw that it

really heated up and cycling can swing it at this election. I am

live with the latest on the campaign, including Boris Johnson

asked about talks he had with News International as the police were

probing allegations of phone- hacking.

We will be joined live by Labour candidate Ken Livingstone. Also

tonight, on land, water and from the air, the Met and the military

prepared to test their response to an attack on the Olympics. We have

got to make sure that we have got a plan in place that can deal with

the unlikely that very serious threat that might exist to the

Olympic Park. And the Blue Door where Hugh Grant lived in the film

Notting Hill, we take a look at the London locations made famous by

Universal pictures as they celebrate their one hundredth

Good evening and welcome to the programme. After weeks of

campaigning, the end is now in sight. In just three days' time,

Londoners will go to the polls to decide who will take at the top job

at City Hall, and today five candidates took part in the last of

the hustings to debate cycling safety. It is an issue which

promote Green candidate Jenny Jones to say that Transport for London

should face charges of corporate manslaughter following the death of

a cyclist in east London last year. TfL say they are working with the

police to find out what happened. Transport correspondent Tom Edwards

has more. He was the Cycling Tory mayor, but

if you thought he was going to get an easy ride today, he was wrong.

What is the mayor going to do to stand up for cyclists, to make sure

that people who kill cyclists get the punishment they deserve?!

Boris Johnson has overseen an increase in cycling, but they are

now demanding safer streets and for dangerous junctions to be

redesigned. We want to move away from the idea that cyclists are

somehow morally superior. There are plenty of people who need to use a

car. We need to educate them about cycling in London. If a cyclist

cycles irresponsibly, he or she does not kill people. If somebody

drives a lorry or car irresponsibly, they kill people. We will look at

the junctions, we will put in completely physically separated

routes where possible, and where it is not possible, I will use

creative ideas to make cycling more safe. This is Pearl Roundabout. The

mayor's cycling superhighway encourages riders through this busy

junction. Two cyclists have died here. It has also emerged that TfL

ignored a safety report that said the roundabout needed pedestrian

crossings to slow traffic. The Labour and Green candidates want to

know if the mayor's office overruled engineers, something that

City Hall strenuously denies. agree with the action that Jenny

has taken today in writing to the Metropolitan Police to ask them to

investigate the mayor's office for corporate manslaughter. The Tory

candidate does not accept that this policy has actually made any

difference to cycling safety, whereas most people in this room

would say it has made a difference, it has made it worse. Jokes about

cycling did not go down too well. do not have wickets in brown legs

or dreadlocks, I do not charge around in Lycra, I do not jump

lights. I am frozen like a pillar, frozen like a pillar at lights.

Debbie's husband Brian died after being hit by an HGV at the

roundabout. We have been promised a lot of things, we have met

ministers, we have met the mayor, and not a lot has happened. All of

the candidates have now signed up to redesign dangerous junctions.

But there are questions about funding and some scepticism.

sense was that nobody was really committing money. Everyone was

talking about money, but they were talking around it. It really heated

up at the end and cycling could swing it at this election. The

decider is not finalised yet. Cyclists believe they can get

improvements from this election. Meanwhile, TfL says it is working

with the Met in its investigation on the roundabout.

The latest poll puts Boris Johnson narrowly ahead of his closest rival,

Ken Livingstone, and we will hear from the Labour candidate shortly.

First, Tim Donovan, what is the poll indicating? Well, this is the

latest poll by YouGov, who have been tracking the mayoral race for

months, and this is what it shows. It suggests that when first

preferences are cast, Boris Johnson is three points ahead, 44-41. When

second preferences are included, it suggests that goes to 52-48. When

you very down into the raw data of this survey, it is very interesting,

because it shows they are not many votes in it. Some people are saying

it is neck-and-neck. They adjust the figures to have definitely

supporters are going to back their candidate, and they find that seven

out of 10 of Boris Johnson supporters will definitely vote for

him. It is a little under six out of 10 of Labour supporters who will

vote for Ken Livingstone. It is on this narrow margin that the outcome

of this vote could turn, and it is all about mobilising core support.

What is this about an outburst on the campaign trail today? Well,

Boris Johnson was asked today about a story I was reporting on

yesterday, about his efforts to secured sponsorship for News

International when the Metropolitan Police were probing allegations of

phone-hacking. This is what he said false well, you know, I do not know

about discussions going on about that. What I can tell you is that I

think it is right to work with the private sector, to get

contributions that will be for the benefit of London. I am very proud

that over the last four years we have got more than �100 million in

sponsorship but I have raised for this city, 50 million for the bikes,

you have got to get this on their come on, this is the most important

thing! Staff Donovan, BLEEP! interesting response from a

politician. Yes, I think people will find this unusual on a

campaign trail. It is not the first time he has used colourful language,

of course. There was this row in a lift with Ken Livingstone a few

weeks ago, but I think it does show how sensitively he regards this

issue. Thank you, Tim Donovan. Well, in this final week of campaigning,

we will be hearing from the candidates. Tomorrow we will be

joined live By Boris Johnson, tonight it is the turn of Ken

Livingstone. Here we are, that poll suggesting you are behind your Tory

rival. Given that the Labour Party nationally is pulling way ahead of

the Conservatives in London, isn't there something wrong with that

equation? Could it be you? simple fact is that everybody

thinks Boris Johnson is very funny and he has got great charisma and

all that. The issue is to what extent we can focus on issues,

because it is not about he tells the best jokes. It is about cutting

fares and restoring police jobs. During the day job is more

important than when you can be funny on a television sofa.

polls suggest you are lagging behind your party. The last three

times you have outperformed your party. Is there a danger that you

personally could prevent a Labour mayoral to win? Literally, when

Boris five years ago said he was going to stand, everyone said,

ignore him he is an idiot. Look, this is the most formidable

opponent we face. He has got this amazing ability to get away with

murder. No other politician would get away with these things. We have

discovered Rebekah Brooks and he were talking about his funding

package for this corporation whilst they were being investigated by the

police. Any other politician would be forced to resign. Boris laughs

at all off and gets away with it. You have had your own problems, but

let's talk about campaigning. You have campaigned hard on the issues

of, as you have said, but doesn't it seem to boil down to the fact

that people like and trust Boris Moore, as they like and trust you

less. The simple and depressing fact for both of us is that neither

-- most people do not like or trust either of us. On the key issues,

asked which policy they really like, they like the idea of cutting fares,

because this is the worst time for eight years. My job is to put money

back in people's pockets. They will spend it in local shops and help

the local economy. Your flagship policy of cutting fares by 7%, it

is popular with Londoners. But yet you are not leading the race, and

the same poll says that 41% of people do not think it will happen.

It goes back to trust. If the BBC can resolve this, you can go back

to your archives, get the film of me cutting by 30%. This is the

smallest fares cut I have ever done. In the last term, fares increased

by 23%. Over Boris's turn, they have increased by 28%. Once you

allow for inflation... Overall fares. This is my report. TfL's own

figures show that they were cap in real terms when I was mayor.

Figures aside... It is not because aside... We could argue about

figures... The fares did remain the same on the bus, but overall fares

and a call last turn increased 23%. Under Boris, 28%. It was 1% above

inflation. Is this part of the reason that 41% of people are not

sure that you will actually implement your pledge? Is it

because, in the past, you have increased them? Is it because they

just do not believe what you say? We have had such a debilitating

time for politics. There was the MPs' expenses scandal, all the

promises made at the general election have been gone back on.

Politics generally is a distrusted profession. But there are people in

London who remember, you have enough to remember that I cut fares

by 30%. We actually got more money in the cheaper fares than when they

were higher. We have made no allowance for Ryder ship. We may be

able to extend the fares freeze another year if many people come

back at cheaper fares. We are at a time of national budget cuts with a

Conservative-led government. What makes you think that you are better

placed all would be better placed as a Labour mayor, rather than a

Tory mayor, to get a better deal from the government? I got more

money from Gordon Brown, who disliked the more than George

Osborne does. Lighting people does not come into this. It is a

question of whether you can put up a package, showing the Treasury

will get back more in the long term. But you have to accept that Boris

Johnson got �90 million from the government to increase police

numbers. Once the cap closed, the government sent in more money. If

you look at my campaign, we have not said we would get more money

out of government. We found the money to restore the Education

Maintenance Allowance. We are paying for the first cut by using

the surplus. We are going to build hundreds of thousands of homes have

the next 10 years by accessing pension funds. I'm not expecting

the government to give me money. How are you going to pay for an

increase in police numbers? The two main ways to raise revenue is

through increasing fares, which you say you will cuts or freeze,

council tax, which you say you will freeze, so when you have to go cap-

in-hand to the government? No. To get the police numbers after the

level they were, you need another 60 million. We have looked through

the police budget and found that reducing overtime, if you have got

more police, you don't need to spend so much on overtime, ending

first class travel for police officers, getting rid of chauffeur-

driven cars... You think that is enough to increase numbers?

employed and economists to spend six months going over the budget.

We will not get money out of government. We have got to find

ways of using the existing mayoral budget more efficiently, cutting

out the waste, bringing back police numbers and cutting fares. I have

never believed, just by electing me, George Osborne will roll over if I

Coming up later in the programme: The commuter rail routes suffering

a big rise in delays because of To some of the rest of the day's

news now, as detailed security plans for the Olympic games have

been unveiled. The Ministry of Defence said that surface-to-air

missiles could be deployed at six sites across London. On Wednesday,

a major exercise begins testing a range of security measures.

Olympics correspondent Adrian Warner has this report.

Preparing for the worst case Olympic scenario, this is the

military and police dealing with a simulated terrorist attack during

the training exercise earlier this year, and this week London will see

more intensive security testing. They are calling at Olympic

guardian, Britain tried to show the world that it is ready to protect

the games, and also hoping to deter terrorists. We have got to make

sure that we have got a plan in place that can deal with the

unlikely but very serious threat that might exist to the Olympic

Park. The 9/11 threat that everybody knows about and also for

the lower, slower type of target which may pop up closer to the

Olympic Park which we would need to intervene with. But his wife on

Wednesday there will be fighter jet training in the skies over London.

-- that is why from Wednesday. This block of flats is one of six

potential sites which could serve this -- host surface-to-air

missiles. For Londoners, military seems much closer to home than

usual. HMS Ocean will birth at Greenwich. The skies above the

Olympic Park will be a no-fly zone this summer, and the last resort is

forced night as in helicopters to shoot pilots on rogue planes. That

will also be tested. These military exercises are all aimed at

scenarios that organisers hope will not happen, but they will also be

testing things this week that definitely will, like tens of

thousands of people coming through this shopping centre on the way to

the Olympic Park. This Saturday, there will be five different

sporting events at the Olympic venues, 80,000 spectators will be

at the Olympic Park, and that is in addition to the FA Cup final at

Wembley. A very busy day for the capital. This weekend is a

significant events for us in terms of the number of tests taking place,

not just about routine policing across London and the big events,

but also the LOCOG venue security operations with large numbers of

people enjoying events in the park. London wants the world to remember

the Olympics for the sporting moments. The military and police

will take centre stage for now, but their hope is to blend into the

Four men arrested in Luton last week have been charged with terror

offences. The men were detained following raids at a number of

addresses in the town. Guy Smith's been following the case.

Guy, who are the men? All of the men are British citizens. Three of

Pakistani origin. One from a Bangladeshi background. All of the

men are from Luton. They had beards. Two had prayer caps. They were

wearing tunics or track suits. We can see them arriving earlier ate

Westminster Magistrates' Court. They stood in the dock for less

than 20 minutes to give their names and ables. The youngest is Syed

Hussain. Umar Arshad, 23, Mohammed Sharfaraz Ahmed, 24. And the eldest,

Zahid Iqbal, who's 30. What are they charged with? It is alleged

for more than a year, they were plotting to carry out terrorist

attacks abroad to travel abroad. But also to carry out allegedly

terrorist attacks, including one on the Luton Territorial Army centre.

It is alleged they were organising physical training, buying survival

equipment, discussing targets, firearms and explosives and

allegedly fund-raising for terrorist attacks overseas. It is

also alleged they all downloaded documents and files from a Jihadist

website linked to Al-Qaeda in the Arabian peninsula. They will next

appear at the Old Bailey on May 11th.

There's been a big jump in the number of cable thefts affecting

major commuter routes into the capital. New figures show a 33%

increase, equivalent to one theft every three days. A change to the

law is being called for. It frustrates commuters, the rail

industry and police. A new Network Rail figures show the worsening

impact of cable theft. In 2010-2011 there were 93 cable thefts along

the main London commuter routes. In the last financial year, that's

risen to 124. An inceesz of 33%. -- increase. That has a huge impact

on delays, rising from 851 hours to over 1,000 hours in the last year.

Passengers tell us through our research and complaints the impact

on their day-to-day lives when these things happen is stressful.

This costs Network Rail in the region off of �16 million across

great Britain. That costs finds its way back to the passengers' pockets.

Last year, we reveeld how easy it is a sell suspect metal to scrap

dealers. They were happy to handle metal, no questions asked.

The theft is being fuelled by the world's sky high price of scrap

metal. Network Rail wants courts to be given greater pow tors tackle

the problem. The Transport Select Committee agrees. Cash dealing

should be reassessed. People dealing in cables should have to

declare who they are. More powers force the -- for the police to act

and pow tors close dealers down where necessary. And just a small

increase in thefts can have a big impact on the rail network. Take

the figures for Woking, Bedford and Euston. Thefts have doubled from

five to ten in the past year. The impact on delays is huge. From 3.5

hours up to 331 hours of delays last year. We just need one crime,

as we describe in policing, to have a significant ripple effect. What

we've seen recently is significant sentences imposed by the koirts.

The Government says it will spro deuce licences and change the law

at the earliest opportunity to prevent more scenes like. This

until then, the crime will continue to cause delays and cost the

capital millions. Nots hill, Bridget Jones' Diary and Atonement

all filmed in location here in the capital by university pictures. As

the studio celebrates its Centenary our correspondent has taken a tour

of the London landmarks which have featured in some of its most famous

films. Phone home. Houston, we have a problem. It is

the Hollywood studio which had a created some of our most memorable

films. London played its part. As it celebrates its 100th anniversary,

we rediscover the capital's locations used by the studio with

tour guide Val sturpblg he is. London's been the setting for some

of the Universal pictures most iconic films. Notting Hill with

Hugh Grant and Giulia Roberts is one of the studio's huge successes.

Sue found that famous blue door and other locations for Richard

Curtis's films. How easy is it to persuade people to give up their

homes for till filming? Some people are amenable. Others don't want to

know. This house was used for, guess what?... Oh, hi. A tender

moment between Keira Knightly and Andrew Lincoln in love actually.

Location managers are always on the lookout for the amazing and Euan

usual. Is there anything particular international companies look for

stp They love the iconic look acings, the variation London can

give you. They love the fact they don't have to travel too far for

lolgts of different types of locations. Stiplt Bartholomew's

church is the oldest in the city and the chosen venue for many films,

including Shakespeare In Love. Is it exciting or a pain when you have

the films in? It is like relatives coming to visit. You're glad to see

them come but also go. To be able to chat with people in the industry

is great. So here's to another 100 years of film making in the capital.

years of film making in the capital. Time for the weather.

Wendy's down by the river near Tower Bridge. How lovely to see the

sun out today. Its days like this which remind us

it is still spring. We had 19 degrees in the west of London. I'm

afraid it is back to normal overnight. The Met Office has a

weather warning in place for some heavy rain and possibly localised

flooding thanks to what we've had already. That will come with

blustery winds overnight tonight. It is probably worth making the

most of the sunshine we have here at the moment. I can see shower

clouds through the tames estuary behind me. They will start working

their way in. The heaviest of the rain around midnight and into the

early hours of the morning with a strengthening north-easterly wind.

That will create some difficult driving conditions for tomorrow

morning's rush hour. During the night, temperatures of 11 or 12

Celsius. Tomorrow, we start with that rain. It is slowly moving

northwards. It will be a bit windy as well. Certainly some surface

water spray to watch out for if you're driving in or standing at a

bus stop. By lunch time, that rain will have moved north. An

improvement in the day. Sunshine breaking through by late afternoon

and lighter winds. Perhaps one or two showers. A temperatures of 16

Celsius. Not too badly in the sunshine. Wednesday and Thursday

both cloudy days. More chance of seeing sunshine on Wednesday. A bit

of rain around possibly. Some heavy for election day on Thursday. The

outlook, yet more rain in the forecast. Early signs of the bank

holiday are you'll not be impressed with that either.

The Immigration Minister Damian Green says new shift patterns are

being introduced for border control staff. Some passengers faced delays

of up to three hours at the end of last week.

There are over 170 flood alerts in force after strong winds and heavy

rain in England and Wales. One man died in Derek Berkshire after his

car was sub mother-in-law in the a river crossing.

David Cameron has been forced -- speaking the Commons, Mr Cameron

insisted he'd seen no evidence that Mr Hunt had breached the

ministerial code over his handling with BSkyB. Officials are

considering when to deploy surface- to-air missiles at six sites across