11/11/2013 BBC London News

Tributes are paid to a 69`year`old cyclist, the tenth to die on the

capital's roads this year. I really hope he would make it. When

I saw the flowers this morning and knew he did not make it, I wanted to

leave something as well. Campaigners tell us more needs to be done to

make cycling in the capital safer. An NHS doctor walks free from court

after being accused of kidnapping to journalists in Syria. Ten years on `

the Metropolitan Police sets out to prove that the use of tasers is

safe. As the nations remembers, we hear

from the World War Two veteran whose comrades are never far from his

thoughts. We don't need a poppy to make us

remember. We remember them every day.

Good evening. Tributes have been paid to a 69`year`old cyclist, the

tenth to die on the capital's roads this year. Friends of Francis

Golding say the architect was involved in planning some of

London's newest buildings. He was involved in a collision with a coach

in Holborn, where several cyclists have died in recent years. This

report from Gareth Furby. Flowers left today at the scene of

yet another cycling death. And the victim was one of Britain's leading

architectural experts. I am honest to have been asked to take the

chair. `` honoured. Here is Francis Golding holding a debate with the

British architect society, people involved in the plans with some of

the newest `` the newest buildings in London. He was involved with the

design of the walkie`talkie and advising the securities that. He was

also involved with a shopping centre next to St Paul's Cathedral. Peter

Murray knew Francis Golding well and today visited the junction in Hoban

where his friend came off his bicycle and suffered fatal injuries

`` in Holborn. It is believed that Francis was also trying to turn

left, but the bus must have cut across diagonally and knocked him

flying. Police are still investigating the circumstances,

flying. Police are still investigating the circumstances and

investigating the circumstances, and also here, leaving flowers, a

bystander at the time of the accident who hoped he would survive.

It was quite sad to see that happen and I really hoped he would make it.

So when I noticed the flowers this morning and he did not make it, I

wanted to leave something as well. In July, again in Holborn, only a

few hundred yards away, another cyclist died in collision with a

lorry. The latest death means there have been ten cyclist fatalities so

far this year, which compares to 14 last year and 16 in 2011. What we

can learn from this collision is that if you put heavy and large

vehicles and fast moving vehicles in close proximity with cyclists, it

ends in tragedy. The coach driver was not arrested after the collision

and the police are continuing to appeal for information.

One year on from a fire that took months to put out, why people living

near this Hertfordshire site fear it could happen again.

The Crown Prosecution Service has dropped its case against a trainee

NHS doctor from east London accused of the kidnap and false imprisonment

of two journalists in Syria. Shajul Islam, from Stratford, was

alleged to have been part of a jihadist group which seized the two

men last year. Alice Bhandhukravi is outside Kingston Crown Court with

more. This started in July 2012 when two

photojournalists went to Syria to cover the war there. One of them, a

British man, John Cantlie, who works for several publications, including

the Sunday Times, he went a goal `` along with the Dutch colleague and

crossed the border from Turkey to Syria. Shortly afterwards they were

captured and held at a jihadist training camp in Syria. The

journalists, dozens of their captors were British, and they recognise

many of them had London accents. many of them had London accents.

During that time they were shot and injured, and fortunately they were

liberated about one week later and were able to return home. And the

trial today alleging `` related to the perpetrators of the alleged

crime in Syria? That's right. Last October, Shajul Islam, 27`year`old

trainee doctor was arrested at Heathrow, charged with kidnapping

along with Mr Chaudhry, and also his brother, who was accused of aiding

kidnap, charges that all three men denied. They were due to stand trial

at Kingston Crown Court this morning, but at the beginning of

proceedings, the prosecution announced that it was going to be

unable to call its two key witnesses to give evidence. That effectively

frustrated the trial, and all three men walked free from court. Alice,

thank you very much. The Metropolitan Police has been

demonstrating how officers use tasers, and the scenarios they

deploy them. It follows a recent report which criticised the decision

to massively expand the use of the controversial tactic without

properly consulting the public first. Yesterday, a man who was

tasered was arrested on suspicion of attempting to murder a police

officer in south London. Here's our Home Affairs Correspondent, Guy

Smith. This is a refresher course for

Metropolitan Police officers. Every year they are tested on not just how

to aim, but also judge a potentially vital situation. A recent London

assembly report said a Tay is a must only be used as a last resort, and

yesterday it was here in Battersea. A man apparently threatened

firefighters and officers with knives. We are able to bring these

situations to a conclusion with a taser, none of the firefighters were

hurt and there was only a minor injury to a police officer. The

important thing is they were able to resolve it without resorting to

firearms. Look carefully at the bottom left of your screen and you

see a man walking into a butcher shop, followed by police. What

happens next nearly led to four officers are losing their lives in

Harrow two years ago. One constable was stabbed in his side inch knife.

This was the scene saw the afterwards and the constable was

lucky to survive. He believes taser would have helped. Would it have

been 100% successful? I don't know. But it would have been a good option

at the time. It's not too late. Put the weapon down and we can discuss

it. The Metropolitan Police was keen to get the journalist to take part

in one of their scenarios. I was asked to deal with a potential

suicide case. The only safe option I was given was to order an officer to

use his taser. Well, clearly the Metropolitan Police is trying to

impress on the media, and in turn the public, the decision are not

taken lightly and officers are accountable to the law if and when

they use a taser. But there has been concern about The Met failing to

fully consult the public by putting the so`called less lethal weapon

into some response cars in all London boroughs. The commissioner

talks to the Mayor of London behind closed doors and the public were not

involved. There have to be community concerns. So they need to be

listened to by the police. This is their response. Allowing TV cameras

in today to film some training. Said to be some of the best in the world.

Often the very threat of a taser can be enough to deter most armed

suspects. Actually using it is very rare.

Here in London we have some of the highest property prices in the

country and many consider it impossible to get on the housing

ladder. Now a survey for BBC panorama suggests that 31% of people

spend more than a third of their income on rent and mortgage

payments, making their housing costs unaffordable according to a test

used by number of charities. We have been speaking to one young mother

from Redding who cannot afford to buy a home. Abby Reilly is a special

needs teacher in Redding. She and her husband Chris spend around 0%

her husband Chris spend around 40% of their disposable income on rent.

They have two young children and would love to buy their own home,

but they cannot to. I can't say for a deposit, energy is going up, the

rent is going up, everything goes up, wages stay the same, house

prices go up, so mathematically it doesn't work. According to a survey

commissioned by panorama for those who don't own a property right,

Abbey is one of 31% of people who spend more than a third on mortgage

or rent. It is an amount deemed unaffordable by organisations such

as Shelter and the Joseph Rowntree friend direction `` foundation. They

say one should spend that much on housing you have to cut back on

other basic needs. The panorama survey also suggest that form `` 46%

of people and property prices are too high in their area, and 39%

would like to see property prices fall. The government's help to buy

scheme aims to assist people who currently cannot afford the deposit

for a new home. But it has led to criticism that it could inflate

prices and overheat the housing market. It is like pouring petrol

over and setting fire to it. You might get heat in the short`term,

but the end result is not what you wanted. But the government dismisses

talk of a property price bubble We talk of a property price bubble We

have seen nothing to suggest that there is anything like a bubble.

have seen nothing to suggest that there is anything like a bubble We

there is anything like a bubble. We have seen a lot of activity in

London. There is some movement some confidence across the country but

there is a long way to go until we get to the 60% of transactions that

we saw before 2008. Even though the Help To Buy scheme has helped 1 ,000

or more people buy a home, for Abbey and Chris, property prices mean they

still cannot afford the deposit You still cannot afford the deposit. You

can see more on that on panorama, which will be on tonight at 8:30pm

on BBC One. Five police officers and two civilian staff have been

suspended into an investigation into the death of a man in custody at

Luton police station. The IPC seek police watchdog says lawyer `` Leon

Briggs might have been unlawfully killed. He said Mr Briggs became ill

at Luton police station and was dead on arrival at hospital. Commuters

who use the Northern line during rush hour have reacted angrily to

advice telling them to walk, cycle or leave earlier in an attempt to

reduce overcrowding. Transport for London say passengers who use

stations between Tooting Bec and Clapham North between 8:00am and

8:45am in the morning often have to let two or three trains go past

before they can board. Commuters say the service is unsatisfactory and

other solutions to overcrowding must be found.

The number of passengers using the Cable Car across the Thames has

fallen dramatically over the past year. Critics say the latest figures

show the scheme has become a white elephant and more taxpayers money

shouldn't be spent on it. Transport for London disagrees. Here's Tom

Edwards. A grey November morning and just a

handful of passengers on the cable car. There are no queues, and even

the coffee shop in shot. Why aren't more people using it? I didn't know

they weren't, to be honest. Probably today it is overcast, but in some

time it sprog be quite a few. Are you surprised not that many are

using it? Not surprised, maybe because of the weather. Decreasing

passenger numbers means that critics say it is time to change the

strategy on the cable car. Over a four`month period in the summer of

2012 over 1.3 million people used it. That did include the Olympics

and the Paralympics. The same period this year, it was just passengers, a

53% drop. I think that the mayor needs to ask some serious

questions. What is the purpose of the cable car? If he wants people to

use it as a viable transport option he needs to reduce the fairs. It

should be part of the travel card system like every other mode of

transport, and if it's a tourist attraction, run it like one, but

it's neither one nor the other at the moment. Cost ?60 million to

build and is meant to be a tourist attraction and the community ``

commuter route. TEFL say they have no plans to lower the fares. When we

set out the first policy for the Emirates airline we knew there

needed to be something that everyone, so we have a cash there,

or Easter users at a discount, and a flair for the frequent users, ?1

or Easter users at a discount, and a flair for the frequent users, ? 60,

the price of a cup of coffee or a tube across the river. We think

there's something for everybody. As there's something for everybody As

a transport scheme, transport for London say they are looking at the

long`term. But empty cabins will continue to raise questions over its

viability. One year on since a fire at a wood recycling site in

Hertfordshire, residents and emergency services have raised fears

that it could happen again. Up to 20,000 tonnes of rotting wood remain

at the site, potentially causing another fire risk. A crewman

investigation is under way into suspected offences leading up to the

blaze. This report from Yvonne Hall. November last year, and tens of

thousands of tonnes of waste would go up in flames. Local roads had to

be closed. This field, where the horses lived, was full of smoke It

horses lived, was full of smoke. It seemed to be worse at night. We lost

our power, we lost our water. It was just complete devastation, really.

One year on, and growing fears that the same thing could happen again.

The site was meant to be cleared to make it safe, but only a quarter of

the waste has gone. It is estimated that rain 10,000 tonnes and 20,000

tonnes of rotting wood are still here, and could spontaneously

combust, exactly what is thought to have happened last year. There would

be a build`up of heat, and then it can spontaneously combust. Last

year, the National Grid feared its high long cables would melt. Today,

it says there is still a risk from the wood just yards from the base of

the pylon. The local MP agrees. I do not see why we should be confident

that this site is now safe. I think there is a concern that far more is

to be done, as a matter of urgency. For the fire, the owners of the site

had been fined for storing dangerous amounts of wood here. The company

has since gone into liquidation. Now, the landlord is working with

the environment agency to clear the site. We asked the agency for an

interview. In a statement, it said...

Little comfort for many who do not understand how, one year on, this

potential fire hazard is still on their doorstep.

Still to come ` world number one Rafael Nadal will be trying to get

there one trophy he has not yet won tonight at the O2 Arena. And it

counts the rich and famous amongst its customers, a slice of Soho

musical history goes up for auction. People in and around the capital

joined the country in a two`minute silence to mark the anniversary of

the end of the First World War, paying their respects to fallen

soldiers of past and present conflicts. London fell silent, and

services of remembrance were held at the Cenotaph and intra` folder

Square. In Kent, children at one primary school heard stories of one

particular World War II veteran Joe Hoadley was in the Reconnaissance

Corps. He says his friends who lost their lives are never far from his

thoughts. This report from Katharine Carpenter. It is a story he has told

over and over again. Those hearing it for the first time are

captivated. Did any of your friends die in the war? Yes, many of them.

90`year`old Joe Hoadley shared his experiences of the Second World War

with thousands of children. He hopes it will help them understand how

lives lost so many years ago of an event today. There are children now

going to school and did not even know there was a war. The main

question is, did you kill anybody? I was a driver, so we were probably

firing at people, but I do not know if it hit anybody. The stories he

told us, it was really nice to hear them, and his experiences about the

war. He has been there, he knows more than what the internet tells

you. He gives you more emotion, he has got the feelings. He has had

amazing experiences and he has been captured by the Germans and he knows

what it was like, not just learning about it by reading things, you are

actually hearing him, and he has actually been there a double the

number of those who fought in and survived the world wars is

dwindling, but those who work with veterans today say it is important

to remember, they are not all elderly. Many of those from more

recent conflicts also have important stories to tell. But today was about

quiet reflection, too. Joe Hoadley says Armistice Day will always be

special, although his fallen friends are never far from his thoughts.

special, although his fallen friends are never far from his thoughts I

are never far from his thoughts. I have told the children many times,

we do not need a puppy to make us remember, we remember them every

day. `` poppy. Moving on to sport, and two of the biggest names in

tennis are looking to finish off their season on a high. Novak

Djokovic meets Rafa Nadal tonight of the ATP World Tour Finals. It is the

one trophy which Rafa he has won all an beating Roger run since his

serious knee injury. He is taking on the reigning champion, Novak jock

itch. We are expecting something very special this evening. What

about Andy Murray, as the tournament been affected by his absence? Of

course, he had back surgery about seven weeks ago, so he has been

missing. I went down to the O2 Arena today to to the tournament director

about the future of the tournament in London. It is only confirmed

until 2015. But also, to find out if Andy Murray had been missed. You

would be foolish to say that it is not ashamed that he is not here

especially after he won Wimbledon. We hope he is back exterior, which I

am sure he will be. But this event is so global. Here in the arena,

am sure he will be. But this event is so global. Here in the arena you

can see the number of Swiss flags, Spanish flags, Serbian flags, it is

a multicultural event. You still do not know what is going to happen

after 2015, but this is your baby, so Howard you feel if it left

London? We have put a hell of a lot of work into this and we are proud

of what we have achieved. Not many people thought this would work. We

started off with 250,000 people in the first year, and it has continued

to grow every single year. We have put a lot of heart and soul into it

and we will see what happens in the future. But we have got another two

years to focus on before then. A decision over the future of the ATP

World Tour Finals in London is expected over the course of the next

year. That final can be seen on BBC Three tonight.

The owner of one of central London's oldest record shops has put

it up for auction. On The Beat Records opened in Soho back in 979,

Records opened in Soho back in 1979, and it still sells vinyl. Nobody has

offered the asking price yet. Warren Nettleford reports. On The Beat

Records is Tim Derbyshire's shop. For the past 34 years he has seen

customers come and go, artists disappear into obscurity, but he

still knows the music is the most important thing. He has had enough,

and thinks it is time to sell up. I have had a good run being here, and

I would like to hand it over to somebody else who is enthusiastic. I

have still got a passion for it but the enthusiasm is slightly on the

wane. But although this store is for the vinyl age, Tim is embracing the

digital world, putting it up for sale online. For ?300,000, you get

50,000 records, a 10`year lease and a piece of history. This is the

coolest Bob Dylan LP, when he was a cool man. You cannot cool than that.

What is the most important thing for you? I want it to go to somebody

with passion, who cares about the business, rather than some corporate

company. It has to be the right person. And the right person will

need an encyclopaedic knowledge of music able to encompass all kinds of

music. Any record by the Beatles is fantastic. And Help is as good as

any. And they were the first band I saw live. Vinyl sales have doubled

in London in the last year, with young people embracing the old

format. Would`be buyers may also be tempted by considering the rich and

famous who have browsed here. It is name`dropping, but I could name some

of them. David Bowie has come in, Paul McCartney, Magellan... But for

Tim, it has always been about the music. And what can you say about

the Beach boys? I am playing this for my girlfriend, because it is her

favourite band. And I love her very much. And it is Tim's girlfriend who

is helping him to sell their shop online. It is still available, but

only for music lovers. After a rather wet day, I am hoping that

Wendy Hurrell has got some better news for us for the rest of the

week. Well, it is going to be good news

and bad news. The beautiful sunshine from yesterday is going to return.

But of course, the clear skies at night time leads to pretty chilly

conditions. It will not be as cold tonight, because we have the low

ploughed up the moment. `` the low cloud. Behind this front, we have

another wave coming through, followed by a clearer skies behind

that, for Wednesday. Wednesday is looking lovely. Last night, we got

down to `1 at Gatwick. Tonight, underneath the cloud, it will be

nearer 12 degrees, a difference of 13 Celsius, determined by the cloud.

At the moment, lots of low cloud. So, there could be some poor

visibility this evening. And there is also a load of drizzle, so it

will be a pretty damp night. The winds will be light. Perhaps some

heavy rain as we go through the early hours of the morning. It will

be drier as we go through the middle part of the day. Tomorrow, it will

be brightening up slowly from the north`west. It will be a bit

blustery into the afternoon. Moving onto Wednesday, quite a change, with

beautiful sunshine all day. It will have been a chilly, frosty start to

the day. The outlook is for something really quite breezy to

start us off with on Thursday. And it could be quite blustery on

Friday. Today's main news ` the Philippines

has declared a state of national calamity by Typhoon have `` by

Typhoon Haiyan. That is all for now. Have a lovely