20/12/2013 BBC London News

Tonight on BBC London News. More than 30 people are injured. A bus

crash traps some passengers inside and leaves two in a critical

condition in hospital. We have to shore it up to get people out

safely. Ater last night's ceiling collapse, Westminster Council

confirms its theatres are safe. We are live on Shaftesbury Avenue, to

find out how London's historic theatres are being preserved. Some

of the victims of spying during the bidding process for the Olympic

Stadium. Today, three men find. And an alternative to pantomine this

Christmas ` we have some fresh ideas to amuse and entertain you.

Hello and good evening. More than 30 people have been injured after a bus

crash in south London. 24 others were injured. The bus collided with

a tree in Kennington after swerving to avoid another vehicle. Fire crews

had to cut free the two most seriously injured passengers, who

were trapped on the bus for around two hours. Warren Nettleford

reports. Working together to lift the injured to safety. The emergency

services cutting their way through the back of this bus, to treat

passengers as quickly as they could. And this is why they had to enter

from the back. The front crushed, the entrance blocked. Just before

11am, the number 59 bus, which was heading towards Kings Cross, hit

this tree, and that crash led to many injuries. We've treated 32

patients, seven of those are serious. Two of those patients were

trapped on the bus for some time. All casualties have now been treated

and taken to the appropriate trauma centres. The front corner of the

buses completely crumbled due to the impact with the tree. We're not sure

how fast the bust was travelling at the time, but the impact did lead to

the upper deck of the bus completely crumpling, which made it more

difficult for the emergency services to remove people from the top deck.

The floor was starting to collapse, we have to shore that up to get the

people out upstairs safely. I spoke to an off duty doctor who stopped to

help. She described some of the injuries are serious. Amongst those

hurt were two off`duty police officers, one being treated for a

suspected broken arm. Transport for London have started an

investigation. It's too early to say what happened. Our main concern is

for the passengers who been injured. But we will be working closely with

the police to aid their investigation, and we will be

undertaking our own investigation. But it's too early to speculate

exactly what happened. These pictures, taken just after the

crash, were taken by Nathaniel, who lives near to where the accident

happened. It was frightening to see people strapped down. Wondering if

they were alive or dead or if they'd had a life changing injury. It was

good to see that they were moved very quickly and treated quickly as

well. Tonight, Kennington Lane remained closed as investigators

tried to work out what happened here. Coming up later in the

programme. The Mayor's plans to "de`lycrify" cycling and get more

people feeling safe on two wheels. Westminster Council has said the

Apollo Theatre is safe, following a structural assessment this morning.

Part of the ceiling at the Grade II listed building collapsed during a

performance last night, injuring more than 70 people, eight of them

seriously. The incident happened in London's Theatreland. Here is the

Apollo, which is one of many venues which lines Shaftesbury Avenue,

including the Lyric Theatre next door. The Apollo opened its doors a

decade after the Lyric, in 1901 It has 775 seats over four levels and

it was designed by the architect Lewin Sharp. Well, let's cross now

to Asad Ahmad in the West End for more.

As you would expect on the Friday before Christmas, there are

thousands of people coming into London to enjoy a night out at the

theatre. It was like this this time yesterday, when people were perhaps

enjoying pre`theatre drinks or dinner before they took their seats

here at the Apollo. What they didn't realise was what the scene was about

to unfold above their heads. Cracks started to appear. I was in

south`east London this morning to speak to a daughter who'd brought

her mother here for a birthday treat last night. She told me what

happened and told me about an extraordinary act of kindness that

followed. It was a split`second but all the lights went on the air

filled with dust and people started to scream. People shouted, get out!

We ran and left everything in there. It was a very terrifying experience.

In that split second when small bits of debris falling onto you, you are

just waiting for the next thing Is it going to be worse? But you don't

know what's about to happen next. It is really frightening. We got

outside and it was just chaos. Everyone... It was a horrible scene.

We were all covered in dust. Some people worse than us. Some people

had bloody faces and things. We stood around in shock, just trying

to process what had happened. Then we just thought, we don't know how

we are going to get home because we didn't have any money or any... A

kind American lady gave us ?20. With that, we went to try and get a taxi

home. Then we found a guy who had an empty taxi, so we knocked on the

window and he said, sorry, ladies, the meter is off, I'm on my way

home. He could see something was wrong, we were covered in dust and

we had crumpling faces. He said what happened? We told him and he

said, get in, I'm taking you home, I don't want any money. We know his

name is built. I don't know what we would have done if he hadn't been

there, but it made such a difference to get us home quickly and away from

the situation. If he's out there, we'd really like to say thank you to

him. If anyone who knows Bill, do get in touch with us at BBC London

because they would really like to say thank you to you in person. As

far as the theatres are concerned, a lot of people are asking whether

London's theatres are safe. We've been looking into it, as

investigations here continued. We've been asking whether this might have

a long`term impact here the West End. Did you have any family,

Christopher? The West End has been booming of late. Last night's show

at the Apollo is a sell`out. But these are images London's

Theatreland could well do without. And a day on, the enquiries begin.

Our investigation will look at all areas, the maintenance and structure

of the building. Because we are determined to discover what was the

reason behind this very serious incident last night. The Apollo s

safety record is not in question, its checks are up to date. It's one

of the grand old ladies of the West End, one of several theatres built

more than a century ago. Many of them charge a little bit extra on

each ticket to keep them fit for purpose. There's a huge need to keep

the theatre is beautiful, maintained and safe. The restoration levy

provides a small part of the funding for that. The Hackney Empire lies

outside the West End. It can't charge the so`called restoration

levy, so it has to rely on donations. With an old building the

features you've got, you have led on the roof, that means maintenance,

all sorts of things. About 340 odd thousand has just been like a drop

in the ocean for us, but it has allowed us to be wind and water

tight. We are lucky we can apply to the arts Council for that. Which a

lot of the commercial theatres in the West End can't. They are not

charities like us, the theatre owners have to invest an awful lot.

Each theatre can spend its levy as it will, and some question whether

it is a good idea. Millar those buildings need care and attention in

their upkeep. There are questions whether that levy is fully being

spent to best advantage in maintaining London theatres. Theatre

critics have warned that box offices will take a hit now for a few

months. But the potential audiences, do they agree? I think it seems like

an isolated incident. It wouldn t put me off. It's just the thing that

happened. It was unfortunate but it wouldn't put me off. Not at all I

just hope the people are OK, but those things happen. 32,000 people

will sit down and watch a play in London tonight. Doubtless many will

glance up at the ceiling, just to be sure. The latest we have here from

the Apollo Theatre is that it is due to reopen on January the 4th. That

is only after stringent safety checks have been made and a full

investigation is complete. Seven councils have lost a High

Court battle over the Mayor's proposals to close ten fire stations

in the capital. The Fire Brigades Union said three of the eight fire

stations that sent engines to the Apollo Theatre last night are among

those set to close. A judge rejected the councils' claims that Boris

Johnson's plans were legally flawed and failed to take into account the

reality of increased fire risks in inner London. A driver who killed a

traffic officer in Sutton has pleaded guilty to causing death by

dangerous driving. Gary Bromige admitted to being uninsured and

unlicensed, and to failing to stop and report the accident. Met officer

PC Andrew Duncan was thrown almost 30 metres after signalling for the

car to pull over. He died later in hospital. Three men were fined today

for spying on executives from West Ham Football Club and the Olympic

Park Legacy Company. It happened during the bidding process for the

Olympic Stadium, when private investigators illegally gained

access to personal bank and mobile phone records of ten high profile

figures. Our sports news Correspondent Adrian Warner was in

court. So what happened? It was a very intense battle between West Ham

and Tottenham in 2011, to get that stadium. Loads of accusations of

dirty tricks. Tottenham, who lost, then employed an accountancy firm to

look and check that everything was done in a fairway. Deny asking the

accountancy firm to break the law. But what we saw in court today, they

certainly did. A former employee called Howard Hill, he had two

private detectives. They all pleaded guilty to unlawfully obtaining

personal records, not just from people at West Ham but also from key

figures in the Olympic Park. Things like bank records, mobile phone

records. These were high profile people. Karren Brady, the Apprentice

star, they rang up and got a mobile phone records. David Sullivan, the

chairman of West Ham, one of them pretended to be him and rang up the

banks and tried to get information about West Ham's bank accounts. So

Robin Wells, the mayor of new, who is also a director at West Ham, they

tried to get a credit report. They even went into details of the

families of some of the Olympic Park Legacy Company officials. They got

the birth certificate of the daughter of one employee and even

the school she went to. What did the judge say when he find the three

men? Daily the judge stressed privacy is important to us all. He

said to Howard Hill, who led the team, from the outset, you looked to

do this illegally. He handed him a ?100,000 fine. The two other private

detectives, Richard Forrest, from Crawley, ?10,000 fine. Lee Stewart,

40, he was handed a ?13,000 fine. What is interesting about it, when I

first heard about it from a private conversation, I thought this was

paranoia from the Olympic Park Legacy Company. Clearly from what I

saw today, it's far from paranoia. The Mayor hopes plans to create so

called "quiet ways", which include cycle`free roads and canal paths,

will help people feel more confident cycling in London. After a number of

recent deaths, Boris Johnson wants to encourage Londoners that it is

safe to be on two wheels on the capital's roads. There are many

examples in London of poorly designed and confusing cycle lanes.

This one in Vauxhall justs stops suddenly and cyclists find it hard

to merge with traffic. They will knock you down, especially the big

lorries, the big trucks, they were actually crush you. The bend is

where it is most dangerous. Six cyclists died recently over a 1 day

period. There is increased scrutiny on cycling safety. Yesterday there

was another demonstration to try and get councils and the Mayor to

improve it. It most happens when they are turning left at junctions

like this. Councils are at the moment bidding for more funding

This floating pontoon along the Thames is one idea in Kingston. In

town, there is this TfL funded plan to create a grid of quieter routes,

more segregated cycle superhighways and improvements at junctions. It's

about removing barriers, creating cut throughs, creating, above all,

passages across the busy roads, across the junctions. Part of the

problem with cycle route at the moment is that they tend to give up

at the most difficult places. Ours are not going to do that any more.

For the first time, there could be more lanes through Royal Parks and

more radical plans to restrict some vehicles, even cars, on streets like

Clerkenwell Road. At this cycling cafe, that would be welcome. The

idea of removing traffic from any roads in London does have an

appeal. How practical it is, I don't know. Those plans will be

controversial, but cycling campaigners have broadly welcomed

the ideas. Every day I have the choice of cycling along the canal or

cycling along Clerkenwell Road. Actually, I choose the road nine

times out of ten, just because it is quicker. A lot of the time, if I

knew about the way to go, where I would be guaranteed to have less

traffic, I definitely choose that. Transport for London are now

consulting on its proposals, which could be in place by 2016. A

timescale, though, that is unlikely to stop the protests.

Still to come: I am at the international Horse of the Year Show

at Olympia, in what has been a particularly special year for one

British rider who has broken through into the senior ranks. And not your

usual festive entertainment. We have got an alternative guide for ideas

this Christmas. They helped contribute to the

success of the London 2012 Games ` the volunteer ambassadors who

assisted Londoners and tourists to find their way around the capital.

Now they're back to offer information and advice over

Christmas, although not everyone has welcomed the idea.

Merry Christmas in French, part of the warm welcome at St Pancras

today, thanks to 170 ambassadors. Olympic volunteers who have come out

again to offer help and advice, people like Francette Albin, who is

retired. We have helped people that have lost passports, handbags, or

their child. Not here, necessarily, but in the past. You get a kick out

of seeing somebody going away very happy. They speak a variety of

languages. As well as directions, they have had rather odd requests.

Could we please have your uniform, because we want to take it back to

wherever they came from. I'm afraid we had to decline. They will be here

to help at tourist hotspots until the 23rd of December and again on

New Year's Eve. But they are not without their critics. One thing is

for sure, the travelling public want to speak to people. That is clear.

They should do the honourable thing and put these people on the books,

pay them proper pay and wages. In response, the mayor 's office has

declined to comment, leaving their ambassadors to do the talking.

Let's turn to sport with Sara Orchard, and the equestrian world

has come to Olympia? That's right, it's the International

Horse of the Year Show where the best riders from across the world

are performing in front of sell`out crowds. Most of the headlines have

been stolen by double Olympic dressage champion Charlotte Dujardin

who's been breaking world records this week. But I've catching up with

23`year`old show`jumper Louise Saywell from Essex who's had a very

impressive year. Charlotte Dujardin and her dancing

horse Valegro know how to delight an equestrian crowd.

Oh! That has to be the best test they've ever, ever done! It was the

last performance to the music used so successfully at the London 2 12

Olympics. Their victory is a world record, as Dujardin holds titles in

all three disciplines of the sport. It was an incredible atmosphere here

on Tuesday night. We had a world record in 2009, but to get a British

world record`holder now, the whole audience, it was electric. The

International Horse of the Year Show is more than just dressage.

Show`jumping was centre stage today and I caught up with 23`year`old

Louise Saywel, who broke into the Great Britain team at this year s

Nations Cup event in Barcelona. I actually wasn't meant to be on the

team, I was the fifth person. I got a call in the morning to say I had

my chance to jump alongside Ben Maher, Scott Brash and William

Funnell. So it was just a great experience. Louise has relocated to

Essex, where she is surrounded by the country's elite jumpers,

including Ben Maher, who helped Team GB to gold at the London 2012. It's

a great place, it easier to go abroad and there's a lot of top

riders around the area. It's great to be near them and to compete

alongside them is, like, wow. But the sport is in Louise's blood. Dad

Michael rode for Great Britain at the Munich Olympics.

What is it like now, seeing that next generation come through? I

think it's harder, really. When I was riding myself it was all down to

me. If I made a mistake or whatever. With my daughter, you want them to

do so well. So I think it's more pressure when you're not riding

really. Louise wasn't the main event at Olympia today. But at Rio 20 6,

it could be her stealing the show. Well, all the sessions at

International Horse of the Year Show have now sold out this weekend but

if you want to keep up with all the show jumping news, there's coverage

on BBC One and the red button, with highlights from Olympia on BBC Two

on Monday just after two o'clock. On to some football news and

American striker Clint Dempsey has had a medical at Fulham ahead of his

return to the club. The 30`year`old was a Whites fan favourite before

leaving for Tottenham last year He's currently playing in the States

for MLS side Seattle Sounders but will be on loan at Craven Cottage

from January until March. And you can follow Fulham's progress

this weekend in the Premier League on our radio station. Their fixture

with Manchester City is on BBC London digital radio. Meanwhile

listeners on BBC London 94.9 can follow West Ham's fortunes as they

visit Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Good luck to everyone this weekend. That is all the sport.

So, are you feeling festive and maybe don't fancy the traditional

panto? Our Entertainment Correspondent Brenda Emmanus has

been out searching for something a little different. Here's her

alternative Christmas ideas for the family and friends.

This Christmas, for the very first time, the Royal Botanical Gardens

here in Kew will be open after hours, with an illuminated trail

through its enchanting winter landscape. It is the ideal

alternative experience for you and the family.

One of the things we're trying to do is get people to be encouraged about

their relationship with plants and the natural environment. Part of the

idea behind this festival is to light them in engaging ways, to put

music and entertainment right the way throughout the garden at dark,

so that everybody can come here and see the magnificent collection in a

different way. Leonard Bernstein's joyous musical

comedy Candide is the offering down at the Menier Chocolate Factory this

Christmas, with Jackie Clunes as The Old Lady and James Dreyfus as Dr

Pangloss. The way that Matthew White and Adam

Cooper envisaged that we are a group of players coming out and presenting

it, allows us to get away with a whole lot more and allows us to not

do things quite so literally, so I think we have a lot more fun. 1 0

marks! You need a password. Emil! The National Theatre's Olivier Stage

is tended to 1920s Berlin for Emil And The Detectives, with

9`13`year`olds sharing the lead and a strong ensemble of children

recruited from local London schools and youth theatres, catch this tale

of a boy learning to rely on himself and his new friends.

If you fancy a trip to the cinema, the second part of pleated `` Peter

Jackson's hobbit trilogy is on offer. The Desolation Of Smaug has a

stellar cast in this epic adventure. The Southbank Centre has a range of

events to seduce you down to that vibrant part of London, from

celebrity readings of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, to installations

and a midnight Christmas run. There's also a clever show that has

found some amazing use for paper. In Folds, four acrobat musicians

tumble through a madcap world of paper. They're at the Purcell Rooms

throughout December. There you have it, the capital is full of

alternative Christmas entertainment and it's a great chance to try

something new ` that's if you can be bothered to pull yourself out of

those chairs after all that food and drink. Merry Christmas!

That is a good point. Let's get an early check on the Christmas

forecast. What pearls of whether wisdom do you have for us?

It might be a white Christmas for some of us, but I will have the

details next week. In the meantime, a lot of wet and windy weather to

get through. The first dollop is only a few hours away now. Once it

gets going, overnight tonight, it is going to stay wet and windy through

much of tomorrow. The good news is that Sunday should be a drier,

brighter day. It is going to be relatively mild for the time of

year, through the weekend. This evening, you might feel the first

few drops of rain on that freshening breeze. It is going to be around

about midnight that the really wet weather will arrive and the wind

will start to get pretty strong and gusty. Remember, the numbers inside

the arrows are the steady wind, so the gusts could be hitting something

like 35 or 40 mph. As you can see, it is going to be a mild night.

Temperatures of about seven or eight degrees. By tomorrow morning, the

rain will start to stack up. There are likely to be some local floods,

certainly some big puddles out there. Probably the deepest of those

to the south of London. In the afternoon, we are going to see

temperatures up into double figures. As sunset arrives, the range should

start to peter out. The skies might start to clear. `` the rain. Don't

be fooled, because those gusty winds will chase some thundery downpours

eastwards. When they are out of the way, that is when things will start

to calm down a bit tomorrow night, as we head into Sunday. As you can

see, it's not going to be a cold night tomorrow night. Some sunny

spells on Sunday morning. By Sunday afternoon, they are likely to be

sharp showers, yes, I said it was going to be drier, I did not say it

would be dry on Sunday. Santer and Rudolph will have their work cut out

battling some more wet and windy weather in the run`up to Christmas.

The main headlines: Two former assistants to TV chef

Nigella Lawson have been cleared of spending huge amounts of her money

without permission. Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo had claimed that

she'd approved their high spending in return for their silence about

her alleged habitual drug use. British and American spy agencies

targeted the European Union and humanitarian organisations `

according to documents leaked by the former intelligence contractor

Edward Snowden. 17 different agencies have been

criticised in a report on the sexual exploitation of vulnerable girls in

Rochdale. It concluded there was a widespread pattern of weaknesses and

failures. More than 30 people have been

injured in a bus crash in south London, six seriously. The number 59

collided with a tree in Kennington after swerving to avoid another

vehicle. And safety checks are being carried

out at every single historic theatre in London's West End after a ceiling

collapsed onto the audience at the Apollo Theatre last night.

That's it for now. More news at ten o'clock of course. The BBC London

team will be back with bulletins over the festive period and I'll see

you in the new year. Wishing you a lovely weekend and a wonderful

Christmas.