26/02/2014 BBC London News

soon. That is all from the BBC News at Six, goodbye from me. On BBC

Durham universities say the term "dyslexia" is used I we now

Durham universities say the term we now join the BBC's news teams

where you are. Goodbye. Tonight on BBC London News: The Met

carries out its largest ever series of raids on a suspected criminal

gang. We are using the proceeds of crime act to target this group. It

targeted alleged associates of the Adams family ` a suspected north

London criminal network. Also tonight: Hundreds of millions will

be spent making junctions safer for cyclists and pedestrians. The people

who feel their community will become an island trapped by the works for

HS2. Plus, 18 years on from her 80s mega hit ` Neneh Cherry is back.

Good evening and welcome to the programme. Scotland Yard says it was

its biggest ever operation against a suspected criminal gang. A series of

early morning raids across north London on people they believe work

with the Adams family ` alleged to be a criminal network. 200 officers

were involved and 15 people were arrested on suspicion of money

laundering, fraud and conspiracy to assault. Our reporter, Nick Beake,

joined the police operation in the early hours. 5am, Highgate, nvrt

London a secret operation, months in the planning is coming to a head.

Much of the capital is still sleeping. Including here. Not for

much longer. Go, go, go! As the police pile in, a dog escapes and

disappears through the deserted streets. Inside, a detailed search

is under way. The police have been inside for about five minutes.

They're looking for cash, passports and any documentation. This is one

of 20 locations they're raiding. The Met say they're hitting a group they

suspect of being one of the country's longest established

organised crime gangs. The police haven't named them, but it is

believed they're the Adams family, said to be one of the most feared

crime families during the 80s and 90s. They say accountants and

property developers were among those taken into custody after police

followed a money trail. We are using the Proceeds of Crime Act to seize

their assets. Assets that we have have heaped misery on to

communities. We will look at the high value goods, property, vehicles

and cash in particular. Police say in the past 24 hours 200 police

officers have seized firearms, expensive watches and around

?150,000 in cash. Among those arrested today a 57`year`old man and

his wife. He was detained on suspicion of money laundering. Back

in Highgate, a suspect is brought out and taken away for questioning.

So far no one arrested has been charged. But the police claim this

represents an important moment in their ongoing fight against

organised crime. Our Home Affairs Correspondent, Guy Smith, joins us.

The Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan`Howe has made clear he's

taking a tough stance over criminal gangs and the money they make from

crimes. Thirty of London's worst junctions

Yes they were talking about creating a more hostile climate for

criminals. It was hoped the Proceeds of Crime Act which came into effect

more than ten years would send out a message that crime doesn't pay and

hit the criminal where it hurts in the pocket, bankrupting them, by

stripping them of their illegal assets. There has been criticism

that it has not BP working. `` has not been working, because criminals

have clever lawyers and they appeal against their assets being seized

and sometimes recovering the assets is actually costing more than the

actual value of the assets. The Met Office say they have o' `` Met say

they have had success and seized ?62 million in London. They said they

were raiding offices, solicitors' offices and financial services,

suspected of having links to the Met, links to what the Met claims to

be one of London's most high`profile organised crime gangs. 15 suspects

were arrested. It is 12 months of an investigation and what has been

described as painstaking work and that is still ongoing. Thank you.

Stay us with. A lot more to come. Including: Could the former king of

Stamford Bridge stop Chelsea here in Istanbul. 30 of London's worst

junctions for cyclists and pedestrians will be transformed to

make them safer. ?300 million will be spent ripping out some of the

capital's most famous roundabouts and gyratory systems. Tarah Welsh is

at Elephant and Castle with the details. Across London, 33 junctions

will be transformed in a bid to make cycling safer in the capital. This

is part of major's vision to make cycling safer. This announcement

means the end for what Boris Johnson describes as relics of 60s `

London's biggest and nasiest road `` nasiest road junctions. This is at

Elephant and Castle. You will know it is difficult to negotiate as a

driver. But if you're on a bike it can be dangerous. There are already

plans to regenerate the area, but today the mayor said this would be

one of the junctions that would be ripped up and made safer. There is a

?300 million programme to improve safety and to improve the lives of

cyclists and pedestrians at Archway and Aldgate, Swiss Cottage,

Wandsworth among other places. So what we know that across London 33

junctions will be transformed. The round about here in Elephant and

Castle will be removed. This is the location which has the highest

cyclist casualty rate in London. Now, in other areas like Archway,

Aldgate, Swiss Cottage and Wandsworth, the gyratory systems

will be replaced. What have campaigners said about this? Well

the London cycle campaign has welcomed this and say they have been

protesting for a long time to get something like this in place and say

it is a step in the right direction. But there has been some criticism of

the mayor today. There is over 80 junctions that were previously

identified as danger hotspots in London, that aren't being included

and if the mayor hadn't been underspending on his cycling budget

each year, it is up to ?150 million underspend, that money could have

been used to get on with the work and we could have had all those

junctions made safe by now. City hall has responded to that today by

saying yes, there was a longer list of areas that needed improvement,

but it won'ted to `` wanted to concentrate on the most problematic

areas and it would still be spending money to upgrade other locations.

Now it is difficult to scrutinise the plans, because there is not much

detail released. But we will expect that next month. Thank you. The

Attorney General is considering whether to review the four`year

sentence given to a man from south London who killed a 40`year`old with

a single punch. The unprovoked assault which took place in

Bournemouth last November was caught on CCTV. The family of the victim `

who suffered a head injury and died in hospital ` said the sentence was

"an absolute joke". Chris Rogers reports. Caught on camera, a good

Samaritan act that would cost this man his life. The 40`year`old, who

offers from a form of autism challenges a man for cycling on the

pavement. Mr Young had the social skills of a 14`year`old due to his

condition. The cyclist Lewis Gill issues a single punch and his victim

falls and later dies from his injuries. Lewis Gill pleaded g

guilty to manslaughter. The sentence was branded a joke by the man's

family and much of the press back him. Gill was no stranger to the

police and was handed an extra six months for handling stolen goods and

breaching a suspended sentence order. Andrew Young's mother said:

You have to be careful about forming a view about a case when you have

not sat through it and defend the judges who have done so. In this

particular case, I think it is right that the Attorney General and he is

considers whether this sentence is too lenient. Reviews of sentences by

the Attorney General are not rare. Only one complaint has required to

trigger the process. But at a time the Government is promising tougher

sentencing, dozens of complaints were made about this case within a

few hours. The consultation on the impact of the high speed rail act

will end tomorrow and many fear there will be no compensation. At

ice road, some of the homes were built for railway workers, but

residents fear a new railway is the threat. It is an island right in the

middle of the H 16789 2 construct `` HS2 construction. They would be

based by the station. Here they fear years of disruption and blight with

no compensation. We haven't been recognised as a special case, so we

have no compensation if we need to or are forced to move out of our

homes. So our homes are devalued by a half if not two thirds of the

market rate. Old oak common will be one of the main stations for HS2 and

the tunnels to the north will come under here. The residents can't

believe that at the moment there is no mechanism for compensation. And

they feel like they have been forgotten about. High speed two will

reduce journey times to the north and cost over ?40 billion. Its

supporters say it will provide extra rail Ca pas pi. But here transport

bosses say there will be much needed regeneration and those directly

affected will be compensated fairly. Residents are not expecting any and

want mitigation. We think we have been overlooked in this and the high

speed two machine has gone on and come hurtling towards us and

nobody's been taking any notice of us. Tomorrow is the last day

communities can comment on the the environmental impact of the project.

There will though be many more battles ahead between supporters and

opponents of HS2. He won the league, the FA Cup and the Champions League

as a Chelsea play, but tonight drog Troggs faces his `` but tonight

Didier Drogba faces his his old team in Istanbul. In the city that is the

gate way to the east, the former king of Stamford Bridge stands in

the way of Chelsea. That man is Didier Drogba. The striker fired

dhels to three league titles and his last Chelsea kick brought the prize

Roman Abramovich coveted most ` the Champions League. That was two years

ago. But wait, even here the old king already has now followers with

Galatasaray. Last night there were reports of incidents between Chelsea

and Galatasaray fans. And the club have issued warnings for fans to

take care. I met up with one fan who was caught up in an incident. He

described by approached by a group of 20 men and being stabbed with a

small object. He wasn't Serce usely `` seriously injured. Jose Mourinho

batted off questions on comments he made about his current strike force.

They don't score goals and he isn't just of their ages he joked in

private. But on his former leading man. Will bit emotional for you

coming up against Didier Drogba? It is a strange feeling, I know before

the game. Even during the game sometimes you look and when you have

this players, the situation and I have had many others in other teams.

But during the game you have to do your job. You do the best you can.

We want to win. They want to win. It seems there is still mutual respect.

When somebody who is that important looks at you. As a friend because

you respect him. You forget about the special one, you forget about

the striker or something like this. Fond memories then. These supporters

are just focussed on the game and sense victory. I reckon 2`1 Chelsea.

But Drogba will score. We have a good chance of winning or getting a

draw. The important thing is to score. Chelsea are the favourites

going into the match, but in a city which has seen the rise and fall of

four civilisation, Galatasaray feel they have the weight of history op v

on their side. This year marks a century since the start of the First

World War. BBC London has teamed up with the Imperial War Museums to

unearth the local stories from the global conflict. Continuing our

World War I at home series, tonight, the story of how one of the most

unlikely of suburbs made its own mark on history. Author and

historian, Christy Campbell explains. It's the small London

suburb, once home to the British Army's biggest secret. A secret that

would cause the hillside here to tremble and the very sky above to

reverberate with a mighty mechanical roar. Who might have guessed there

would have been a rise of a new kind of fighting machine. One that could

deflect bullets, crash through bashed wire and go over trenches,

the tank. An iron monster, breathing fire and ex`hailing bullets and

shells, hurling itself against the enemy. The race was on to create a

more effective fighting machine. One that would break the stalemate of

trench warfare and win the war. So, it was right here where the supply

department secretliest itted their new machines in mock German trenches

and mine fields. `` secretly. There was a stream of drivers to serve the

corps. The tank's engine was the same that powered the London B`type

bus, that is why the crews called their machines, buses. In the

reservoir was tested an am fishious one, the Mark 9. There was a plan

that this swimming tank would be part of an army of thousands of

unstoppable tanks to be unleashed in a spring offensive in 1919. The aim

to cross the river and advance all the way to Berlin. The number of

tanks required by May 1919 is 2,000. There is every prospects of ending

the war. The plan never saw the light of day. The armistice in

November 1918 saw the end to the conflict. The site was dismanteled.

Within months, all clues that Dollis Hill was once at the centre of

developing tanks, fighting machines that would subsequently change the

nature of warfare for ever, had disappeared. Well, almost. You can

find out more about the impact of the Great War on the welcome site,

bbc.co.uk/ww1. She exploded onto the UK music scene in the late 80s with

hits like Buffalo Stance and Manchild. Now BRIT Award`winning

singer, Neneh Cherry, is back after nearly two decades out of the

limelight. Performing in Shoreditch tonight as much of her new album was

produced in East London. She has been speaking to Brenda Emmanus

about that and about what triggered her return. It's a new sound, but

the same old maverick spirit, Neneh Cherry, the woman who brought a

fresh hip`hop sound to British pop in the 80s and 90s returns to the

Limelight following an 18 year hiatus. Where have you been? Where

have you been? Everybody is asking where I've been. I've been in my

life, you know, in a different way. I needed time. I wanted to look

after my daughters. I wanted to keep growing and going in the right

direction with my creativity and my music. She has been collaborating

with other artists while remaining out of the spotlight. It was the

death of her mother that triggered Neneh Cherry's return as a solo

performer with her album Blank Project. I have my family, amazing

friends, people that are there, there was just that thing that only

I could kind of make better. The way that I do that is with my work.

After years in pop bands it was Neneh Cherry in urban attire and

seven months pregnant on Top of the Pops that led to her mainstream

breakthrough. It's a way of not going out of my way to Mick a

statement, I sure wasn't going to hide it. `` make. Despite her

international lifestyle and career, she feels strongly connected to the

capital. I mean, I have my best friends, my family, children, the

grandchild here and with the music and stuff it's where it all, sort

of, seems to grow from. If I could look back at where I would have

dreamed that I could be just before I was turning 50. I would kind of

maybe hope that creatively I would be where I am now. It feels right.

Brenda Emmanus, BBC London News. 60 years ago a man from London did what

many believed wasn't humanly possible, running a mile in under

four minutes. Now, a one`mile race in Westminster is being officially

dedicated to Sir Roger Bannister ban to mark the anniversary of his

record. He says he is humbled by the gesture and if one school child

takes up running as a ult are, he will be very happy. It was one of

the biggest mile stones in sport when Roger Bannister, born and bred

in harrow, did the unthinkable in 1954, running a mile in under four

minutes. 60 years on, he is back where he trained for that

achievement and remembers his father taking him to see a race at the Old

White City Stadium. That was a moment of inspiration that I felt

that was what I wanted to do. The mile race is so perfect, in that

it's short enough never to be boring, but it's long enough to be

tactical, in a sense you wait and you watch and watch each runner and

guess how much finish they have left, according to the way in which

the race has been run. That's so exciting. It's like a sort of unity,

almost takes you back to the concept of a Greek play. It was announced

today the Bpa Westminster Mile will be held in May to mark the 60th an

anniversary. David Weir will try to finish in less than three minutes.

He is a part of history. What has it been like meeting the man today?

Amazing. You know, he has that aura around him. What did he say to you

about breaking that record? He said, I can do it. He said, believe in

yourself and you can do it. That's the kind of support he has been

giving to Westminster's school children too. All I would ask is

that there are those who will meet me, like the children today, and

even if one of those feels a real determination to become a runner,

then I would be satisfied. A humble man who was only a part`time

athlete, but who is still a huge inspiration. Humble but what a

legend. It's time for a check on the weather We have a tricky low

pressure system for Friday. We have definitely conditions turning colder

as we end the week and it looks like we will have wet and windy weather

as well. Just how much of the wet and windy weather we will get

depends on the low pressure system. It tracks west to east across the

south of the UK. If it's further north we will get strong gusty winds

as the rain goes through. That the will go through early Friday

morning. Wrapped around it outbreaks of rain that could turn a little bit

on the wintry side. Sleet mixed in, falling over higher ground

especially as that low pressure system moves eastwards. One we have

to watch through the day on Friday. The and, as I say, it keeps changing

its mind. It is us custodying a the lo of headache at the moment. The

next 24`hours not quite so difficult. One or two showers likely

through the next few hours, over night it becomes dry, there will be

plenty of clear sky to begin with. The wind will be picking up all the

time. The cloud will come from the west. Eventually, through the early

hours of the morning being we will have another spell of rain. This

could be quite heavy. It won't hang around for too long. A good couple

of hours. Temperatures down to four to six degrees Celsius. If you are

up early tomorrow and getting around about London and the Home Counties

you might see the rain before it moves away. There will be decent

spells of sunshine. It will be blustery. Towards the evening's

rush`hour tomorrow we will get heavy showers being swept in on that

breeze. Temperatures 10`11 degrees Celsius. Some of the showers may be

on the heavy side. Friday, heavy rain, we will have to watch that.

Chillier than we had this week through Saturday as well. Settles

down on Sunday, some sunshine then. Thank you very much The main

headlines now. Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale were sentenced to

life in prison today for the murder of soldier Lee Rigby outside

Woolwich Barracks. The pair were involved in violent scuffles in the

dock and had to be pinned down by guards. Northern Ireland's First

Minister, Peter Robinson, is threatening to resign unless there's

a judicial inquiry into the secret letters sent to paramilitaries that

caused the IRA Hyde Park bomb prosecution to collapse. The Co`op

is set to announce a ?2 billion shortfall. That's the biggest in its

history. Up to 15 farms and hundreds ever pharmacies could be sold off to

help. The Met's carried out its largest ever series of raids on a

suspected criminal gang. It targeted alleged associates of the Adams

family, who are said to be a criminal network, earlier this

morning. More on the stories on our website. Chris Rogers will be back

with our late news. Thank you very much for watching. Do have a lovely

evening, goodbye.