:00:00. > :00:14.Tonight on BBC London News. More than 30 people are injured. A bus
:00:15. > :00:19.crash traps some passengers inside and leaves two in a critical
:00:20. > :00:28.condition in hospital. We have to shore it up to get people out
:00:29. > :00:36.safely. Ater last night's ceiling collapse, Westminster Council
:00:37. > :00:40.confirms its theatres are safe. We are live on Shaftesbury Avenue, to
:00:41. > :00:48.find out how London's historic theatres are being preserved. Some
:00:49. > :00:55.of the victims of spying during the bidding process for the Olympic
:00:56. > :00:58.Stadium. Today, three men find. And an alternative to pantomine this
:00:59. > :01:08.Christmas ` we have some fresh ideas to amuse and entertain you.
:01:09. > :01:17.Hello and good evening. More than 30 people have been injured after a bus
:01:18. > :01:22.crash in south London. 24 others were injured. The bus collided with
:01:23. > :01:27.a tree in Kennington after swerving to avoid another vehicle. Fire crews
:01:28. > :01:30.had to cut free the two most seriously injured passengers, who
:01:31. > :01:35.were trapped on the bus for around two hours. Warren Nettleford
:01:36. > :01:38.reports. Working together to lift the injured to safety. The emergency
:01:39. > :01:43.services cutting their way through the back of this bus, to treat
:01:44. > :01:48.passengers as quickly as they could. And this is why they had to enter
:01:49. > :01:53.from the back. The front crushed, the entrance blocked. Just before
:01:54. > :01:58.11am, the number 59 bus, which was heading towards Kings Cross, hit
:01:59. > :02:03.this tree, and that crash led to many injuries. We've treated 32
:02:04. > :02:07.patients, seven of those are serious. Two of those patients were
:02:08. > :02:19.trapped on the bus for some time. All casualties have now been treated
:02:20. > :02:22.and taken to the appropriate trauma centres. The front corner of the
:02:23. > :02:25.buses completely crumbled due to the impact with the tree. We're not sure
:02:26. > :02:28.how fast the bust was travelling at the time, but the impact did lead to
:02:29. > :02:30.the upper deck of the bus completely crumpling, which made it more
:02:31. > :02:32.difficult for the emergency services to remove people from the top deck.
:02:33. > :02:39.The floor was starting to collapse, we have to shore that up to get the
:02:40. > :02:44.people out upstairs safely. I spoke to an off duty doctor who stopped to
:02:45. > :02:48.help. She described some of the injuries are serious. Amongst those
:02:49. > :02:53.hurt were two off`duty police officers, one being treated for a
:02:54. > :02:56.suspected broken arm. Transport for London have started an
:02:57. > :03:01.investigation. It's too early to say what happened. Our main concern is
:03:02. > :03:04.for the passengers who been injured. But we will be working closely with
:03:05. > :03:08.the police to aid their investigation, and we will be
:03:09. > :03:12.undertaking our own investigation. But it's too early to speculate
:03:13. > :03:15.exactly what happened. These pictures, taken just after the
:03:16. > :03:19.crash, were taken by Nathaniel, who lives near to where the accident
:03:20. > :03:28.happened. It was frightening to see people strapped down. Wondering if
:03:29. > :03:31.they were alive or dead or if they'd had a life changing injury. It was
:03:32. > :03:37.good to see that they were moved very quickly and treated quickly as
:03:38. > :03:39.well. Tonight, Kennington Lane remained closed as investigators
:03:40. > :03:48.tried to work out what happened here. Coming up later in the
:03:49. > :03:49.programme. The Mayor's plans to "de`lycrify" cycling and get more
:03:50. > :04:03.people feeling safe on two wheels. Westminster Council has said the
:04:04. > :04:07.Apollo Theatre is safe, following a structural assessment this morning.
:04:08. > :04:10.Part of the ceiling at the Grade II listed building collapsed during a
:04:11. > :04:19.performance last night, injuring more than 70 people, eight of them
:04:20. > :04:23.seriously. The incident happened in London's Theatreland. Here is the
:04:24. > :04:26.Apollo, which is one of many venues which lines Shaftesbury Avenue,
:04:27. > :04:30.including the Lyric Theatre next door. The Apollo opened its doors a
:04:31. > :04:33.decade after the Lyric, in 1901 It has 775 seats over four levels and
:04:34. > :04:37.it was designed by the architect Lewin Sharp. Well, let's cross now
:04:38. > :04:43.to Asad Ahmad in the West End for more.
:04:44. > :04:46.As you would expect on the Friday before Christmas, there are
:04:47. > :04:50.thousands of people coming into London to enjoy a night out at the
:04:51. > :04:53.theatre. It was like this this time yesterday, when people were perhaps
:04:54. > :04:57.enjoying pre`theatre drinks or dinner before they took their seats
:04:58. > :05:03.here at the Apollo. What they didn't realise was what the scene was about
:05:04. > :05:08.to unfold above their heads. Cracks started to appear. I was in
:05:09. > :05:11.south`east London this morning to speak to a daughter who'd brought
:05:12. > :05:15.her mother here for a birthday treat last night. She told me what
:05:16. > :05:20.happened and told me about an extraordinary act of kindness that
:05:21. > :05:25.followed. It was a split`second but all the lights went on the air
:05:26. > :05:32.filled with dust and people started to scream. People shouted, get out!
:05:33. > :05:38.We ran and left everything in there. It was a very terrifying experience.
:05:39. > :05:42.In that split second when small bits of debris falling onto you, you are
:05:43. > :05:47.just waiting for the next thing Is it going to be worse? But you don't
:05:48. > :05:54.know what's about to happen next. It is really frightening. We got
:05:55. > :05:59.outside and it was just chaos. Everyone... It was a horrible scene.
:06:00. > :06:05.We were all covered in dust. Some people worse than us. Some people
:06:06. > :06:09.had bloody faces and things. We stood around in shock, just trying
:06:10. > :06:13.to process what had happened. Then we just thought, we don't know how
:06:14. > :06:20.we are going to get home because we didn't have any money or any... A
:06:21. > :06:24.kind American lady gave us ?20. With that, we went to try and get a taxi
:06:25. > :06:28.home. Then we found a guy who had an empty taxi, so we knocked on the
:06:29. > :06:33.window and he said, sorry, ladies, the meter is off, I'm on my way
:06:34. > :06:37.home. He could see something was wrong, we were covered in dust and
:06:38. > :06:42.we had crumpling faces. He said what happened? We told him and he
:06:43. > :06:47.said, get in, I'm taking you home, I don't want any money. We know his
:06:48. > :06:51.name is built. I don't know what we would have done if he hadn't been
:06:52. > :06:56.there, but it made such a difference to get us home quickly and away from
:06:57. > :07:01.the situation. If he's out there, we'd really like to say thank you to
:07:02. > :07:05.him. If anyone who knows Bill, do get in touch with us at BBC London
:07:06. > :07:09.because they would really like to say thank you to you in person. As
:07:10. > :07:14.far as the theatres are concerned, a lot of people are asking whether
:07:15. > :07:17.London's theatres are safe. We've been looking into it, as
:07:18. > :07:20.investigations here continued. We've been asking whether this might have
:07:21. > :07:29.a long`term impact here the West End. Did you have any family,
:07:30. > :07:34.Christopher? The West End has been booming of late. Last night's show
:07:35. > :07:37.at the Apollo is a sell`out. But these are images London's
:07:38. > :07:42.Theatreland could well do without. And a day on, the enquiries begin.
:07:43. > :07:46.Our investigation will look at all areas, the maintenance and structure
:07:47. > :07:50.of the building. Because we are determined to discover what was the
:07:51. > :07:55.reason behind this very serious incident last night. The Apollo s
:07:56. > :07:59.safety record is not in question, its checks are up to date. It's one
:08:00. > :08:03.of the grand old ladies of the West End, one of several theatres built
:08:04. > :08:07.more than a century ago. Many of them charge a little bit extra on
:08:08. > :08:12.each ticket to keep them fit for purpose. There's a huge need to keep
:08:13. > :08:15.the theatre is beautiful, maintained and safe. The restoration levy
:08:16. > :08:21.provides a small part of the funding for that. The Hackney Empire lies
:08:22. > :08:24.outside the West End. It can't charge the so`called restoration
:08:25. > :08:31.levy, so it has to rely on donations. With an old building the
:08:32. > :08:37.features you've got, you have led on the roof, that means maintenance,
:08:38. > :08:40.all sorts of things. About 340 odd thousand has just been like a drop
:08:41. > :08:44.in the ocean for us, but it has allowed us to be wind and water
:08:45. > :08:49.tight. We are lucky we can apply to the arts Council for that. Which a
:08:50. > :08:53.lot of the commercial theatres in the West End can't. They are not
:08:54. > :08:58.charities like us, the theatre owners have to invest an awful lot.
:08:59. > :09:02.Each theatre can spend its levy as it will, and some question whether
:09:03. > :09:05.it is a good idea. Millar those buildings need care and attention in
:09:06. > :09:09.their upkeep. There are questions whether that levy is fully being
:09:10. > :09:12.spent to best advantage in maintaining London theatres. Theatre
:09:13. > :09:17.critics have warned that box offices will take a hit now for a few
:09:18. > :09:23.months. But the potential audiences, do they agree? I think it seems like
:09:24. > :09:28.an isolated incident. It wouldn t put me off. It's just the thing that
:09:29. > :09:33.happened. It was unfortunate but it wouldn't put me off. Not at all I
:09:34. > :09:39.just hope the people are OK, but those things happen. 32,000 people
:09:40. > :09:43.will sit down and watch a play in London tonight. Doubtless many will
:09:44. > :09:48.glance up at the ceiling, just to be sure. The latest we have here from
:09:49. > :09:52.the Apollo Theatre is that it is due to reopen on January the 4th. That
:09:53. > :09:58.is only after stringent safety checks have been made and a full
:09:59. > :10:01.investigation is complete. Seven councils have lost a High
:10:02. > :10:04.Court battle over the Mayor's proposals to close ten fire stations
:10:05. > :10:08.in the capital. The Fire Brigades Union said three of the eight fire
:10:09. > :10:12.stations that sent engines to the Apollo Theatre last night are among
:10:13. > :10:14.those set to close. A judge rejected the councils' claims that Boris
:10:15. > :10:18.Johnson's plans were legally flawed and failed to take into account the
:10:19. > :10:25.reality of increased fire risks in inner London. A driver who killed a
:10:26. > :10:28.traffic officer in Sutton has pleaded guilty to causing death by
:10:29. > :10:31.dangerous driving. Gary Bromige admitted to being uninsured and
:10:32. > :10:38.unlicensed, and to failing to stop and report the accident. Met officer
:10:39. > :10:42.PC Andrew Duncan was thrown almost 30 metres after signalling for the
:10:43. > :10:56.car to pull over. He died later in hospital. Three men were fined today
:10:57. > :10:59.for spying on executives from West Ham Football Club and the Olympic
:11:00. > :11:02.Park Legacy Company. It happened during the bidding process for the
:11:03. > :11:04.Olympic Stadium, when private investigators illegally gained
:11:05. > :11:07.access to personal bank and mobile phone records of ten high profile
:11:08. > :11:14.figures. Our sports news Correspondent Adrian Warner was in
:11:15. > :11:18.court. So what happened? It was a very intense battle between West Ham
:11:19. > :11:22.and Tottenham in 2011, to get that stadium. Loads of accusations of
:11:23. > :11:28.dirty tricks. Tottenham, who lost, then employed an accountancy firm to
:11:29. > :11:33.look and check that everything was done in a fairway. Deny asking the
:11:34. > :11:37.accountancy firm to break the law. But what we saw in court today, they
:11:38. > :11:42.certainly did. A former employee called Howard Hill, he had two
:11:43. > :11:47.private detectives. They all pleaded guilty to unlawfully obtaining
:11:48. > :11:51.personal records, not just from people at West Ham but also from key
:11:52. > :11:56.figures in the Olympic Park. Things like bank records, mobile phone
:11:57. > :12:04.records. These were high profile people. Karren Brady, the Apprentice
:12:05. > :12:09.star, they rang up and got a mobile phone records. David Sullivan, the
:12:10. > :12:12.chairman of West Ham, one of them pretended to be him and rang up the
:12:13. > :12:17.banks and tried to get information about West Ham's bank accounts. So
:12:18. > :12:22.Robin Wells, the mayor of new, who is also a director at West Ham, they
:12:23. > :12:27.tried to get a credit report. They even went into details of the
:12:28. > :12:30.families of some of the Olympic Park Legacy Company officials. They got
:12:31. > :12:34.the birth certificate of the daughter of one employee and even
:12:35. > :12:39.the school she went to. What did the judge say when he find the three
:12:40. > :12:44.men? Daily the judge stressed privacy is important to us all. He
:12:45. > :12:49.said to Howard Hill, who led the team, from the outset, you looked to
:12:50. > :12:53.do this illegally. He handed him a ?100,000 fine. The two other private
:12:54. > :13:00.detectives, Richard Forrest, from Crawley, ?10,000 fine. Lee Stewart,
:13:01. > :13:05.40, he was handed a ?13,000 fine. What is interesting about it, when I
:13:06. > :13:09.first heard about it from a private conversation, I thought this was
:13:10. > :13:14.paranoia from the Olympic Park Legacy Company. Clearly from what I
:13:15. > :13:17.saw today, it's far from paranoia. The Mayor hopes plans to create so
:13:18. > :13:20.called "quiet ways", which include cycle`free roads and canal paths,
:13:21. > :13:23.will help people feel more confident cycling in London. After a number of
:13:24. > :13:27.recent deaths, Boris Johnson wants to encourage Londoners that it is
:13:28. > :13:36.safe to be on two wheels on the capital's roads. There are many
:13:37. > :13:41.examples in London of poorly designed and confusing cycle lanes.
:13:42. > :13:46.This one in Vauxhall justs stops suddenly and cyclists find it hard
:13:47. > :13:49.to merge with traffic. They will knock you down, especially the big
:13:50. > :13:56.lorries, the big trucks, they were actually crush you. The bend is
:13:57. > :14:00.where it is most dangerous. Six cyclists died recently over a 1 day
:14:01. > :14:04.period. There is increased scrutiny on cycling safety. Yesterday there
:14:05. > :14:10.was another demonstration to try and get councils and the Mayor to
:14:11. > :14:13.improve it. It most happens when they are turning left at junctions
:14:14. > :14:16.like this. Councils are at the moment bidding for more funding
:14:17. > :14:21.This floating pontoon along the Thames is one idea in Kingston. In
:14:22. > :14:24.town, there is this TfL funded plan to create a grid of quieter routes,
:14:25. > :14:37.more segregated cycle superhighways and improvements at junctions. It's
:14:38. > :14:40.about removing barriers, creating cut throughs, creating, above all,
:14:41. > :14:43.passages across the busy roads, across the junctions. Part of the
:14:44. > :14:52.problem with cycle route at the moment is that they tend to give up
:14:53. > :14:56.at the most difficult places. Ours are not going to do that any more.
:14:57. > :14:59.For the first time, there could be more lanes through Royal Parks and
:15:00. > :15:02.more radical plans to restrict some vehicles, even cars, on streets like
:15:03. > :15:05.Clerkenwell Road. At this cycling cafe, that would be welcome. The
:15:06. > :15:09.idea of removing traffic from any roads in London does have an
:15:10. > :15:12.appeal. How practical it is, I don't know. Those plans will be
:15:13. > :15:17.controversial, but cycling campaigners have broadly welcomed
:15:18. > :15:20.the ideas. Every day I have the choice of cycling along the canal or
:15:21. > :15:24.cycling along Clerkenwell Road. Actually, I choose the road nine
:15:25. > :15:30.times out of ten, just because it is quicker. A lot of the time, if I
:15:31. > :15:34.knew about the way to go, where I would be guaranteed to have less
:15:35. > :15:36.traffic, I definitely choose that. Transport for London are now
:15:37. > :15:41.consulting on its proposals, which could be in place by 2016. A
:15:42. > :15:49.timescale, though, that is unlikely to stop the protests.
:15:50. > :15:59.Still to come: I am at the international Horse of the Year Show
:16:00. > :16:03.at Olympia, in what has been a particularly special year for one
:16:04. > :16:10.British rider who has broken through into the senior ranks. And not your
:16:11. > :16:11.usual festive entertainment. We have got an alternative guide for ideas
:16:12. > :16:20.this Christmas. They helped contribute to the
:16:21. > :16:22.success of the London 2012 Games ` the volunteer ambassadors who
:16:23. > :16:27.assisted Londoners and tourists to find their way around the capital.
:16:28. > :16:29.Now they're back to offer information and advice over
:16:30. > :16:41.Christmas, although not everyone has welcomed the idea.
:16:42. > :16:49.Merry Christmas in French, part of the warm welcome at St Pancras
:16:50. > :16:52.today, thanks to 170 ambassadors. Olympic volunteers who have come out
:16:53. > :16:57.again to offer help and advice, people like Francette Albin, who is
:16:58. > :17:03.retired. We have helped people that have lost passports, handbags, or
:17:04. > :17:06.their child. Not here, necessarily, but in the past. You get a kick out
:17:07. > :17:13.of seeing somebody going away very happy. They speak a variety of
:17:14. > :17:19.languages. As well as directions, they have had rather odd requests.
:17:20. > :17:26.Could we please have your uniform, because we want to take it back to
:17:27. > :17:34.wherever they came from. I'm afraid we had to decline. They will be here
:17:35. > :17:38.to help at tourist hotspots until the 23rd of December and again on
:17:39. > :17:42.New Year's Eve. But they are not without their critics. One thing is
:17:43. > :17:45.for sure, the travelling public want to speak to people. That is clear.
:17:46. > :17:50.They should do the honourable thing and put these people on the books,
:17:51. > :17:53.pay them proper pay and wages. In response, the mayor 's office has
:17:54. > :17:56.declined to comment, leaving their ambassadors to do the talking.
:17:57. > :18:03.Let's turn to sport with Sara Orchard, and the equestrian world
:18:04. > :18:06.has come to Olympia? That's right, it's the International
:18:07. > :18:09.Horse of the Year Show where the best riders from across the world
:18:10. > :18:12.are performing in front of sell`out crowds. Most of the headlines have
:18:13. > :18:15.been stolen by double Olympic dressage champion Charlotte Dujardin
:18:16. > :18:19.who's been breaking world records this week. But I've catching up with
:18:20. > :18:21.23`year`old show`jumper Louise Saywell from Essex who's had a very
:18:22. > :18:27.impressive year. Charlotte Dujardin and her dancing
:18:28. > :18:32.horse Valegro know how to delight an equestrian crowd.
:18:33. > :18:40.Oh! That has to be the best test they've ever, ever done! It was the
:18:41. > :18:44.last performance to the music used so successfully at the London 2 12
:18:45. > :18:49.Olympics. Their victory is a world record, as Dujardin holds titles in
:18:50. > :18:54.all three disciplines of the sport. It was an incredible atmosphere here
:18:55. > :18:57.on Tuesday night. We had a world record in 2009, but to get a British
:18:58. > :19:03.world record`holder now, the whole audience, it was electric. The
:19:04. > :19:05.International Horse of the Year Show is more than just dressage.
:19:06. > :19:09.Show`jumping was centre stage today and I caught up with 23`year`old
:19:10. > :19:16.Louise Saywel, who broke into the Great Britain team at this year s
:19:17. > :19:20.Nations Cup event in Barcelona. I actually wasn't meant to be on the
:19:21. > :19:24.team, I was the fifth person. I got a call in the morning to say I had
:19:25. > :19:27.my chance to jump alongside Ben Maher, Scott Brash and William
:19:28. > :19:30.Funnell. So it was just a great experience. Louise has relocated to
:19:31. > :19:33.Essex, where she is surrounded by the country's elite jumpers,
:19:34. > :19:38.including Ben Maher, who helped Team GB to gold at the London 2012. It's
:19:39. > :19:43.a great place, it easier to go abroad and there's a lot of top
:19:44. > :19:47.riders around the area. It's great to be near them and to compete
:19:48. > :19:50.alongside them is, like, wow. But the sport is in Louise's blood. Dad
:19:51. > :19:53.Michael rode for Great Britain at the Munich Olympics.
:19:54. > :19:57.What is it like now, seeing that next generation come through? I
:19:58. > :20:02.think it's harder, really. When I was riding myself it was all down to
:20:03. > :20:06.me. If I made a mistake or whatever. With my daughter, you want them to
:20:07. > :20:09.do so well. So I think it's more pressure when you're not riding
:20:10. > :20:11.really. Louise wasn't the main event at Olympia today. But at Rio 20 6,
:20:12. > :20:19.it could be her stealing the show. Well, all the sessions at
:20:20. > :20:23.International Horse of the Year Show have now sold out this weekend but
:20:24. > :20:27.if you want to keep up with all the show jumping news, there's coverage
:20:28. > :20:32.on BBC One and the red button, with highlights from Olympia on BBC Two
:20:33. > :20:35.on Monday just after two o'clock. On to some football news and
:20:36. > :20:39.American striker Clint Dempsey has had a medical at Fulham ahead of his
:20:40. > :20:42.return to the club. The 30`year`old was a Whites fan favourite before
:20:43. > :20:46.leaving for Tottenham last year He's currently playing in the States
:20:47. > :20:48.for MLS side Seattle Sounders but will be on loan at Craven Cottage
:20:49. > :20:55.from January until March. And you can follow Fulham's progress
:20:56. > :21:00.this weekend in the Premier League on our radio station. Their fixture
:21:01. > :21:03.with Manchester City is on BBC London digital radio. Meanwhile
:21:04. > :21:06.listeners on BBC London 94.9 can follow West Ham's fortunes as they
:21:07. > :21:13.visit Manchester United at Old Trafford.
:21:14. > :21:17.Good luck to everyone this weekend. That is all the sport.
:21:18. > :21:22.So, are you feeling festive and maybe don't fancy the traditional
:21:23. > :21:25.panto? Our Entertainment Correspondent Brenda Emmanus has
:21:26. > :21:28.been out searching for something a little different. Here's her
:21:29. > :21:37.alternative Christmas ideas for the family and friends.
:21:38. > :21:42.This Christmas, for the very first time, the Royal Botanical Gardens
:21:43. > :21:44.here in Kew will be open after hours, with an illuminated trail
:21:45. > :21:49.through its enchanting winter landscape. It is the ideal
:21:50. > :21:55.alternative experience for you and the family.
:21:56. > :22:01.One of the things we're trying to do is get people to be encouraged about
:22:02. > :22:04.their relationship with plants and the natural environment. Part of the
:22:05. > :22:07.idea behind this festival is to light them in engaging ways, to put
:22:08. > :22:11.music and entertainment right the way throughout the garden at dark,
:22:12. > :22:12.so that everybody can come here and see the magnificent collection in a
:22:13. > :22:26.different way. Leonard Bernstein's joyous musical
:22:27. > :22:29.comedy Candide is the offering down at the Menier Chocolate Factory this
:22:30. > :22:31.Christmas, with Jackie Clunes as The Old Lady and James Dreyfus as Dr
:22:32. > :22:46.Pangloss. The way that Matthew White and Adam
:22:47. > :22:50.Cooper envisaged that we are a group of players coming out and presenting
:22:51. > :22:54.it, allows us to get away with a whole lot more and allows us to not
:22:55. > :23:03.do things quite so literally, so I think we have a lot more fun. 1 0
:23:04. > :23:06.marks! You need a password. Emil! The National Theatre's Olivier Stage
:23:07. > :23:08.is tended to 1920s Berlin for Emil And The Detectives, with
:23:09. > :23:11.9`13`year`olds sharing the lead and a strong ensemble of children
:23:12. > :23:15.recruited from local London schools and youth theatres, catch this tale
:23:16. > :23:23.of a boy learning to rely on himself and his new friends.
:23:24. > :23:33.If you fancy a trip to the cinema, the second part of pleated `` Peter
:23:34. > :23:36.Jackson's hobbit trilogy is on offer. The Desolation Of Smaug has a
:23:37. > :23:40.stellar cast in this epic adventure. The Southbank Centre has a range of
:23:41. > :23:43.events to seduce you down to that vibrant part of London, from
:23:44. > :23:45.celebrity readings of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, to installations
:23:46. > :23:47.and a midnight Christmas run. There's also a clever show that has
:23:48. > :23:58.found some amazing use for paper. In Folds, four acrobat musicians
:23:59. > :24:04.tumble through a madcap world of paper. They're at the Purcell Rooms
:24:05. > :24:07.throughout December. There you have it, the capital is full of
:24:08. > :24:11.alternative Christmas entertainment and it's a great chance to try
:24:12. > :24:14.something new ` that's if you can be bothered to pull yourself out of
:24:15. > :24:20.those chairs after all that food and drink. Merry Christmas!
:24:21. > :24:26.That is a good point. Let's get an early check on the Christmas
:24:27. > :24:31.forecast. What pearls of whether wisdom do you have for us?
:24:32. > :24:36.It might be a white Christmas for some of us, but I will have the
:24:37. > :24:40.details next week. In the meantime, a lot of wet and windy weather to
:24:41. > :24:46.get through. The first dollop is only a few hours away now. Once it
:24:47. > :24:50.gets going, overnight tonight, it is going to stay wet and windy through
:24:51. > :24:54.much of tomorrow. The good news is that Sunday should be a drier,
:24:55. > :24:58.brighter day. It is going to be relatively mild for the time of
:24:59. > :25:03.year, through the weekend. This evening, you might feel the first
:25:04. > :25:07.few drops of rain on that freshening breeze. It is going to be around
:25:08. > :25:10.about midnight that the really wet weather will arrive and the wind
:25:11. > :25:15.will start to get pretty strong and gusty. Remember, the numbers inside
:25:16. > :25:21.the arrows are the steady wind, so the gusts could be hitting something
:25:22. > :25:25.like 35 or 40 mph. As you can see, it is going to be a mild night.
:25:26. > :25:30.Temperatures of about seven or eight degrees. By tomorrow morning, the
:25:31. > :25:33.rain will start to stack up. There are likely to be some local floods,
:25:34. > :25:38.certainly some big puddles out there. Probably the deepest of those
:25:39. > :25:42.to the south of London. In the afternoon, we are going to see
:25:43. > :25:46.temperatures up into double figures. As sunset arrives, the range should
:25:47. > :25:52.start to peter out. The skies might start to clear. `` the rain. Don't
:25:53. > :25:58.be fooled, because those gusty winds will chase some thundery downpours
:25:59. > :26:01.eastwards. When they are out of the way, that is when things will start
:26:02. > :26:05.to calm down a bit tomorrow night, as we head into Sunday. As you can
:26:06. > :26:10.see, it's not going to be a cold night tomorrow night. Some sunny
:26:11. > :26:14.spells on Sunday morning. By Sunday afternoon, they are likely to be
:26:15. > :26:20.sharp showers, yes, I said it was going to be drier, I did not say it
:26:21. > :26:23.would be dry on Sunday. Santer and Rudolph will have their work cut out
:26:24. > :26:26.battling some more wet and windy weather in the run`up to Christmas.
:26:27. > :26:31.The main headlines: Two former assistants to TV chef
:26:32. > :26:34.Nigella Lawson have been cleared of spending huge amounts of her money
:26:35. > :26:37.without permission. Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo had claimed that
:26:38. > :26:44.she'd approved their high spending in return for their silence about
:26:45. > :26:47.her alleged habitual drug use. British and American spy agencies
:26:48. > :26:49.targeted the European Union and humanitarian organisations `
:26:50. > :26:54.according to documents leaked by the former intelligence contractor
:26:55. > :26:57.Edward Snowden. 17 different agencies have been
:26:58. > :27:02.criticised in a report on the sexual exploitation of vulnerable girls in
:27:03. > :27:03.Rochdale. It concluded there was a widespread pattern of weaknesses and
:27:04. > :27:14.failures. More than 30 people have been
:27:15. > :27:18.injured in a bus crash in south London, six seriously. The number 59
:27:19. > :27:19.collided with a tree in Kennington after swerving to avoid another
:27:20. > :27:22.vehicle. And safety checks are being carried
:27:23. > :27:26.out at every single historic theatre in London's West End after a ceiling
:27:27. > :27:28.collapsed onto the audience at the Apollo Theatre last night.
:27:29. > :27:34.That's it for now. More news at ten o'clock of course. The BBC London
:27:35. > :27:38.team will be back with bulletins over the festive period and I'll see
:27:39. > :27:39.you in the new year. Wishing you a lovely weekend and a wonderful
:27:40. > :27:43.Christmas.