:00:00. > :00:13.Cleared... Nigella Lawson's Former Assistants Are Found Not Guilty Of
:00:14. > :00:15.Fraud. Francesca And Elisabetta Grillo Were Accused Of Spending
:00:16. > :00:22.Nearly ?700,000 To Fund A Lavish Lifestyle On Credit Cards Belonging
:00:23. > :00:24.Ms Lawson And Her Former Husband. The Case Put The Television Cook's
:00:25. > :00:27.Lifestyle And Family Life Under Scrutiny With Questions Now Asked
:00:28. > :00:36.Over What Fallout There Might Be For Her Career. Also This Lunchtime:
:00:37. > :00:47.Vulnerable Young Girls Abused By Older Men In Rochdale Were Failed By
:00:48. > :00:55.Any Investigation Into Why The Ceiling Of A West End Theatre
:00:56. > :01:01.Collapsed Onto Its Audience, Injuring 70 And Two Seriously. The
:01:02. > :01:13.Roof Collapsed Above Us. We Got A BANG ON THE HEAD. the murder of lee
:01:14. > :01:16.rigby. questions are asked as to how his killers were radicalised. after
:01:17. > :01:18.a decade behind bars, president putin frees mikhail khodorkovsky,
:01:19. > :01:25.one of his fiercest political rivals. on bbc london: two people in
:01:26. > :01:32.a serious condition after a bus crash in kennington. the apollo is
:01:33. > :01:46.declared safe, but should we be concerned about other theatres?
:01:47. > :01:51.Good afternoon and welcome to the BBC News at One. Two former personal
:01:52. > :02:03.assistants of Nigella Lawson have been found not guilty of fraud.
:02:04. > :02:06.Francesca Grillo and her sister Elisabetta were accused of spending
:02:07. > :02:09.nearly ?700,000 on designer clothing and holidays - on credit cards
:02:10. > :02:11.belonging to the television cook and her former husband, Charles Saatchi.
:02:12. > :02:14.During the trial, Nigella's own lifestyle and marriage came under
:02:15. > :02:22.scrutiny. Our Correspondent Luisa Baldini is outside Isleworth Crown
:02:23. > :02:27.Court. Well, there has been a dramatic end to this trial. Neither
:02:28. > :02:31.of the sisters were in the dock to hear the verdict being delivered
:02:32. > :02:37.because the older sister, who is 41 years old, suffers from panic
:02:38. > :02:41.attacks. She collapsed in the reception area this morning. Last
:02:42. > :02:47.night she was taken to hospital after suffering a panic attack. This
:02:48. > :02:52.case was based largely on the Word of the sisters, against that of
:02:53. > :03:03.Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi. The court heard they had been on a
:03:04. > :03:11.four-year spending spree, staying in top hotels. It is alleged they acted
:03:12. > :03:16.fraudulently. They denied that. Mr Lawson said she had never given any
:03:17. > :03:20.leave for them to spend as they wished on the credit cards. It seems
:03:21. > :03:30.with this verdict that the jury have not believed Miss Lawson. They have
:03:31. > :03:36.found them not guilty of fraud. I love shopping! And shopping is
:03:37. > :03:41.exactly what her to a tally in personal assistant is dead. They
:03:42. > :03:46.said Nigella and allow them to treat themselves. She denied it. Nigella
:03:47. > :03:55.Lawson and the sisters were like family. Elisabetta Grillo even
:03:56. > :04:08.joined her in her cookery programmes. Elisabetta and Francesca
:04:09. > :04:15.started working for Nigella before she was famous. They worked for
:04:16. > :04:19.Charles Saatchi as well. Even -- they were even given a personal
:04:20. > :04:24.credit card and were allowed to buy things for themselves. They spent
:04:25. > :04:31.money in designer stores like Louis baton. They withdrew tens of
:04:32. > :04:38.thousands of pounds on credit cards. It was when Charles Saatchi believed
:04:39. > :04:43.that Elisabetta had booked a taxi on his account, that he asked his
:04:44. > :04:46.accountant to investigate. At the home of Charles Saatchi, not far
:04:47. > :04:51.from his gallery in Chelsea, the accountant confronted the two
:04:52. > :04:55.sisters with the allegations. He later asked them to sign a letter
:04:56. > :05:00.admitting to fraudulent spending. They were fused and communication
:05:01. > :05:08.broke down. The police were called. -- refused. Until these photos
:05:09. > :05:13.appeared, the sisters had made no mention of drugs. After the
:05:14. > :05:20.restaurant photos were published, the bills's defence declared they
:05:21. > :05:25.had agreements with the chef that they could spend if they did not
:05:26. > :05:31.reveal the drug habits to Charles Saatchi. The court was read a letter
:05:32. > :05:36.from Charles Saatchi accusing the sisters of being off their heads on
:05:37. > :05:40.drugs. The TV chef did admit to having taken cocaine and smoking
:05:41. > :05:45.cannabis in front of their children but she denied being a habitual user
:05:46. > :05:50.or addicts. Through the trial it has become clear how acrimonious the
:05:51. > :05:55.split is with Miss Lawson saying her evidence was to be her last
:05:56. > :06:01.communication with him. At times it has been easy to forget who has been
:06:02. > :06:04.on trial here, but the jury were urged to remember that Miss Lawson
:06:05. > :06:10.was not on trial and she was a witness. They were told to treat her
:06:11. > :06:17.evidence as the same as someone who lives on an estate. They needed to
:06:18. > :06:27.consider whether the drug evidence was credible. Where does this leave
:06:28. > :06:31.the reputation of the women? When Nigella Lawson strode into court,
:06:32. > :06:40.she was walking into else from. The story had it all. Drugs and divorce.
:06:41. > :06:50.It is a living soap opera. We have two public figures fighting it out
:06:51. > :06:56.in court. Their dirty laundry was being aired for the public. This
:06:57. > :07:01.attention has been going on for months, ever since this meal at the
:07:02. > :07:07.restaurant. It led to photos appearing on the front pages. What
:07:08. > :07:12.happened here turns Private lives into a public spectacle and it has
:07:13. > :07:20.been easy to forget who it is that has been on trial. One taste and it
:07:21. > :07:27.is great! There was always something of a wink behind the phrase domestic
:07:28. > :07:31.debts, but the allegations of drug taking have given us an intriguing
:07:32. > :07:34.glimpse behind the facade. The Prime Minister was drawn in, declaring
:07:35. > :07:42.himself, to the irritation of the judge, to be on Team Nigella. The
:07:43. > :07:49.balance of sympathy appeared to be with Nigella. Why should her dirty
:07:50. > :07:54.laundry be aired in public. Was it that relevant anyway? She was not
:07:55. > :08:04.the person who was alleged to offenders anyone and she did not
:08:05. > :08:07.have her hands on anyone's throat. There is the cocaine issue. It is
:08:08. > :08:13.worth remembering a drugs storm a few years ago. Eight years on, Kate
:08:14. > :08:29.Moss's career seems to be in good health. Revenge? Seek not revenge.
:08:30. > :08:32.If you do, take two graves. Nigella Lawson's career is now heading
:08:33. > :08:38.towards the USA. Charles Saatchi has a book out. It is all about
:08:39. > :08:44.startling photos that reveal hidden stories. With all the adverse
:08:45. > :08:49.publicity that has come out in this trial, it may be that Charles
:08:50. > :08:57.Saatchi and Nigella Lawson may have wished this case had never come to
:08:58. > :09:02.court. With -- the defence said there are no winners. They may face
:09:03. > :09:06.a civil case to recover funds and in the meantime, their assets have been
:09:07. > :09:13.frozen and designer clothes have been confiscated. A report into the
:09:14. > :09:15.sexual exploitation of young girls in Rochdale has criticised all of
:09:16. > :09:18.the agencies involved, including the police and social services, for
:09:19. > :09:21.failing to help prevent their abuse. The Serious Case Review described a
:09:22. > :09:26.shocking inability of all 17 agencies to care for the vulnerable
:09:27. > :09:35.girls who were passed round for sex. Nine men are serving jail sentences
:09:36. > :09:40.for offences including rape. It is a catalogue of weakness and failings.
:09:41. > :09:44.Today's Serious Case Review concludes that there was widespread
:09:45. > :09:48.failure of strategic managers whose job it was to protect vulnerable
:09:49. > :09:55.young girls in Rochdale. Eventually, last year, nine men were sentenced
:09:56. > :10:01.to 77 years for their part in the organised sexual exploitation of
:10:02. > :10:07.victims. That was only after years of abuse. Today's report asks what
:10:08. > :10:11.went wrong and who was to blame? It concludes everything and everybody.
:10:12. > :10:16.There were systemic failures across all the agencies. There were issues
:10:17. > :10:21.about policies, practices and procedures, as well as affective
:10:22. > :10:27.strategic management. There were issues about the sources. The issue
:10:28. > :10:30.is centred on the streets of Rochdale. Bhunda Boys young women
:10:31. > :10:38.were targeted by the gang and given drink and drugs. -- vulnerable.
:10:39. > :10:42.Greater Manchester Police was criticised for its handling of the
:10:43. > :10:50.case. The report said that when one victim complained of a rape in 2007,
:10:51. > :10:54.no investigation followed. A culture of hopelessness had been created in
:10:55. > :10:59.Rochdale. We had a group of girls being abused and did not recognise
:11:00. > :11:02.themselves as victims. We had weaknesses in social services as
:11:03. > :11:08.well. That culture of hopelessness had been created. A court case in
:11:09. > :11:14.Liverpool was the subject of high security and media attention. In the
:11:15. > :11:17.review, the Crown Prosecution Service was heavily criticised for
:11:18. > :11:22.failing to bring things to court earlier. Their message is that
:11:23. > :11:27.things have changed and victims will be heard and taken seriously,
:11:28. > :11:32.however long ago it happen. Landscape had change. It took this
:11:33. > :11:44.case for the landscape to change. Additionally, people who may have
:11:45. > :11:50.been victims in 2003, and may be confident enough to come forward
:11:51. > :11:53.now, will get justice. And failings in Rochdale have consequences that
:11:54. > :11:58.the victims will carry forward into their adult lives. The report says a
:11:59. > :12:06.significant part of the sexual abuse that they suffered could have been
:12:07. > :12:09.predicted and prevented. Five men are awaiting sentencing for the
:12:10. > :12:12.sexual exploitation of another girl in Rochdale. And Jeremy joins us now
:12:13. > :12:21.from outside Manchester Minshull Crown Court. So many failures by so
:12:22. > :12:24.many agencies. We are told things have changed but how can we be sure
:12:25. > :12:31.things won't happen again in the future? That is the big issue. While
:12:32. > :12:36.today's report has been about that case that concluded last year, the
:12:37. > :12:41.issue of sexual grooming in Rochdale is back in focus today. There is a
:12:42. > :12:49.sentencing hearing today for five men who were convicted of exploiting
:12:50. > :12:52.a 15-year-old girl in Rochdale. The police have been severely criticised
:12:53. > :12:57.for their handling of this case and have once again been forced into an
:12:58. > :13:02.apology and have acknowledged that there have been failings. The
:13:03. > :13:08.apology centres on the fact that one of those convicted here was first
:13:09. > :13:12.arrested in 2008 after the girl reported she was raped. It was only
:13:13. > :13:18.last year that the man was dead along with four other men. --
:13:19. > :13:26.rearrested. That is four years after the original complaint. Jeremy,
:13:27. > :13:29.thank you. An investigation is underway to find out why the ceiling
:13:30. > :13:32.of the Apollo Theatre in the West End of London, collapsed during a
:13:33. > :13:35.performance last night, injuring more than 70 people - two of them
:13:36. > :13:38.seriously. The Society of London Theatres says it has confirmed that
:13:39. > :13:41.all safety inspections and certificates for major theatres are
:13:42. > :13:51.up to date. Robert Hall is at the Apollo theatre for us this
:13:52. > :13:55.lunchtime. More than 32,000 people go to the theatre here in London
:13:56. > :13:59.every evening. The audience that were packed into the Apollo Theatre
:14:00. > :14:05.last night were going to see one of London's most popular shows. Their
:14:06. > :14:12.evening out turned into a major emergency. In the heart of the
:14:13. > :14:16.lands, at the peak of the Christmas season, emergency crews responded to
:14:17. > :14:23.what had been classed as a major incident. The first calls were made
:14:24. > :14:30.at 8:15pm, 40 minutes into the performance, as more than 700 people
:14:31. > :14:35.flooded through emergency exits. One of the actors said, look out! In a
:14:36. > :14:42.split second there was a loud bang and the whole place was covered in
:14:43. > :14:47.dust and debris. A BBC team filming with the London Ambulance Service
:14:48. > :14:52.were on board a commandeered bus which was used to ferry casualties
:14:53. > :15:00.to hospitals. The roof collapsed above us, as far as we know. I got a
:15:01. > :15:07.shop bang on the head and the next thing I knew, I was in the Fourier.
:15:08. > :15:12.-- sharp bang. Neighbouring theatres were used to help. Some had
:15:13. > :15:21.breathing difficulties after inhaling dust. These photos show the
:15:22. > :15:26.ornate theatre and the decorated plasterwork above and around the
:15:27. > :15:30.audience areas. The Fire Brigade say a section of ten square metres broke
:15:31. > :15:36.away and struck the front of the dress circle. The floor was covered
:15:37. > :15:41.with debris and dust, and bits of timber were hanging down. It is
:15:42. > :15:45.quite a mess in their but we have established that the scene is now
:15:46. > :15:48.said so investigators can get on with their work and establish what
:15:49. > :15:54.happened. With the Apollo Theatre now safe to enter, investigations
:15:55. > :15:58.have begun and investigators are searching for the cause of the
:15:59. > :16:05.collapse. Was it heavy rain or the pressures of modern technology on a
:16:06. > :16:09.Victorian playhouse? It has strict safety guidelines and is likely to
:16:10. > :16:16.remain closed until next month. The Apollo's owners have expressed their
:16:17. > :16:20.sympathies to all those affected by the incident. Such an incident is
:16:21. > :16:24.extremely rare and one of the senior firefighters said that last night
:16:25. > :16:27.but it takes nothing away from the investigation which is trying to
:16:28. > :16:37.establish the cause of the collapse, and a remedy to make sure nothing
:16:38. > :16:43.happens again. Further questions are being asked about the radicalisation
:16:44. > :16:46.of two men found guilty of the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby.
:16:47. > :16:48.Michael Adebowale and Michael Adebolajo, both Muslim converts,
:16:49. > :16:55.face life behind bars. Our home affairs correspondent is with me.
:16:56. > :16:58.There is the issue of sentencing and radicalisation. These two men will
:16:59. > :17:03.not find out how long they will spend in prison for many weeks. The
:17:04. > :17:08.Court of Appeal has to decide a large number of compensated cases.
:17:09. > :17:13.It is about the exceptional power of the judge to locks run up and throw
:17:14. > :17:17.away the key. That will not be heard until late January. Sentencing may
:17:18. > :17:23.not be until February. Radicalisation, we are learning more
:17:24. > :17:27.about these two men. We already knew that Michael Adebolajo tried to go
:17:28. > :17:33.to Somalia. He was picked up out there by the authorities. The
:17:34. > :17:38.British authorities were aware. We learned last night that Michael
:17:39. > :17:43.Adebowale was last seen on quite an extreme demonstration outside St
:17:44. > :17:49.Paul's Cathedral, where the speech was about you and evil, change it
:17:50. > :17:53.with your hand. That was linked to a particular extremist group. There
:17:54. > :17:56.were questions about that group and whether they were being monitored.
:17:57. > :18:00.We have all this information coming together. These are questions for
:18:01. > :18:05.the intelligence and Security committee. They will be looking at
:18:06. > :18:10.what the agency 's new. Could these men have been stopped? These men may
:18:11. > :18:14.have been on the radar. If they were on the radar, where they also under
:18:15. > :18:18.the microscope? A Libyan victim of torture has been told by the High
:18:19. > :18:21.Court he will not be allowed to sue the British Government over his
:18:22. > :18:23.alleged rendition. Abdel Hakim Belhaj claims CIA agents took him
:18:24. > :18:30.from Thailand to Libya, via UK-controlled Diego Garcia in 2004.
:18:31. > :18:34.Jack Straw, who was Home Secretary at the time, has denied being aware
:18:35. > :18:37.of the rendition and allowing it to happen. Let's go live now to Matt
:18:38. > :18:51.Prodger, who is outside the High Court. Just remind us of the
:18:52. > :18:57.background. Abdel Hakin Belhaj was an opponent of the Gaddafi regime.
:18:58. > :19:01.That was a regime the British Government was keen to improve
:19:02. > :19:06.relations with. He said he and his pregnant wife were kidnapped in
:19:07. > :19:12.Thailand by the CIA, put on a plane and sent to Libya where Abdel Hakin
:19:13. > :19:20.Belhaj said he was subsequently tortured. A letter emerged after the
:19:21. > :19:23.fall of Gaddafi to the head of the Libyan intelligence services. It
:19:24. > :19:26.congratulated them on having got their hands on Abdel Hakin Belhaj
:19:27. > :19:31.and claiming credit for intelligence which had led to the rendition. He
:19:32. > :19:38.has been trying to sue the British Government. Jack Straw and Sir Mark
:19:39. > :19:43.Allen as well. The high court ruled that because the claim in fault
:19:44. > :19:47.other countries allegedly involved in the rendition, it was effectively
:19:48. > :19:52.beyond the remit of the British court. The judge said, there was a
:19:53. > :20:00.potentially well founded claim that Britain was complicit in the
:20:01. > :20:05.rendition. Our top story... Nigella Lawson's former assistants are found
:20:06. > :20:08.not guilty of fraud Still to come... Criticism from some farmers over new
:20:09. > :20:16.government subsidies to help them protect wildlife. Later on BBC
:20:17. > :20:22.London, new cycle routes for the capital as the man attempts to make
:20:23. > :20:26.our roads safer. And, taking the stress out of Christmas, the Olympic
:20:27. > :20:31.volunteers are back in the capital. All that and more at 1:30pm.
:20:32. > :20:35.Wildlife groups have accused ministers of caving in to pressure
:20:36. > :20:39.from the National Farmers' Union over changes to farm subsidies in
:20:40. > :20:42.England. The Government is increasing the amount it takes from
:20:43. > :20:47.farmers' European grants to pay for wildlife protection but by less than
:20:48. > :20:58.it originally proposed. Our environment analyst, Roger Harrabin,
:20:59. > :21:03.reports. Stephen Northern farms more than 1000 acres in Bedfordshire. He
:21:04. > :21:09.gets paid ?1000 an acre for not much more than owning land. The
:21:10. > :21:13.Government was planning to divert 15% of his payments into farm
:21:14. > :21:17.schemes to support wildlife. But most other European countries have
:21:18. > :21:23.not reduced their farm grants so much. He says that is not fair. As a
:21:24. > :21:26.commercial farmer, I would be happy to farm without subsidy provided
:21:27. > :21:34.everyone else didn't have the subsidy. The pressure has paid off.
:21:35. > :21:40.The Government will now divert 12% of farm grants in England to support
:21:41. > :21:43.wildlife. Georgina runs a medium-sized livestock farm in
:21:44. > :21:47.Shropshire. She has a different approach to farming. She said she
:21:48. > :21:54.wants to leave the environment better for her children. With her
:21:55. > :22:01.father, she has created a wildlife wetland reserve on their farm,
:22:02. > :22:07.thanks to existing government grants for wildlife friendly farming. She
:22:08. > :22:09.is upset by the NFU 's lobbying. The money we're getting from
:22:10. > :22:14.environmental schemes is absolutely crucial. If the NFU position means
:22:15. > :22:20.there is less money in that part, that will have a serious negative
:22:21. > :22:23.impact on our farm business. It is hard to cut farm subsidies. If you
:22:24. > :22:27.try to take them off farms in Europe, they will say, look at
:22:28. > :22:34.farmers in America, they are getting grants and we're not. Politicians in
:22:35. > :22:38.both places are very nervous of losing votes in key rural
:22:39. > :22:43.constituencies. Today's decision means wildlife in England will get a
:22:44. > :22:46.better deal than wildlife in Scotland but a worse deal than
:22:47. > :22:49.wildlife in Wales. President Putin has freed his one-time rival,
:22:50. > :22:53.Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who has been in prison for the past ten years.
:22:54. > :22:57.The former oil tycoon was once Russia's richest man. This morning
:22:58. > :23:06.he was pardoned by Mr Putin on humanitarian grounds. He left at
:23:07. > :23:14.once for Germany. This report does contain some flash photography. Seen
:23:15. > :23:18.by many as Russia 's most famous political prisoner, Mikhail
:23:19. > :23:23.Khodorkovsky. The former oligarch ended up ten years behind bars after
:23:24. > :23:28.falling out with Mr Putin. Seen here at his second trial three years
:23:29. > :23:33.ago. Today, he has good reason to smile. Out of the blue, he has been
:23:34. > :23:38.given clemency and is already apparently a free man. News of the
:23:39. > :23:47.imminent release came from none other than President Putin
:23:48. > :23:50.yesterday. He said he was showing mercy to Mikhail Khodorkovsky as a
:23:51. > :23:55.human Terry and gesture to reunite him with his ailing mother. A
:23:56. > :24:00.presidential pardon was published this morning. -- humanitarian
:24:01. > :24:05.gesture. Then came the news he had left the colony where he was being
:24:06. > :24:10.incarcerated. It is an extraordinary turnaround. Ten years ago, Mikhail
:24:11. > :24:15.Khodorkovsky was a powerful oil magnate, Russia 's richest man,
:24:16. > :24:19.speaking at high-level meetings with President Putin in the Kremlin.
:24:20. > :24:29.Without warning, he was put on trial for fraud and tax evasion and
:24:30. > :24:31.literally sent to Siberia, to serve out his sentence. He insisted he was
:24:32. > :24:36.innocent, the victim of a Kremlin plot to bar him from challenging Mr
:24:37. > :24:41.Putin. Why is he being set free now? Well, it comes as a wider prison
:24:42. > :24:47.amnesty looks set to release protesters from Greenpeace,
:24:48. > :24:52.including some Britons, and the Pussy Riot rock band. It is all
:24:53. > :24:57.aimed at improving Russia 's image ahead of the winter in pics in
:24:58. > :25:01.Saatchi. Maybe it is also a signal that President Putin no longer fears
:25:02. > :25:04.opposition rivals, so he can afford to be generous in releasing them.
:25:05. > :25:08.There are calls for payday loan adverts to be banned on children's
:25:09. > :25:11.TV. Research by Ofcom found children between four and 15 watched an
:25:12. > :25:14.average of 70 such commercials last year and MPs on the Business Select
:25:15. > :25:21.Committee are concerned they could pester parents into borrowing money
:25:22. > :25:22.for Christmas presents. Payday firms insist they avoid advertising when
:25:23. > :25:37.children are watching. Short-term high cost lenders have
:25:38. > :25:44.mushroomed on the high street and the Internet. Now, they are high
:25:45. > :25:49.spenders on TV advertising. MPs have picked up on growing concerns that
:25:50. > :25:54.children might see the ads. We are asking for a ban. The demand for
:25:55. > :25:59.payday lending has doubled to over 2 billion in the last two or three
:26:00. > :26:03.years. There is a lot of evidence that much of this demand is
:26:04. > :26:13.generated by children putting pressure on their parents as a
:26:14. > :26:18.result of advertising. Wonga, one of the biggest advertisers, says it has
:26:19. > :26:21.a strict policy not to put ads on children's channels all around
:26:22. > :26:27.children's programmes. There is no doubt about the rate of growth.
:26:28. > :26:36.Justice or a 64% increase in these ads to 397,000 outings. The average
:26:37. > :26:40.child saw 70 of them, a high proportion outside children's
:26:41. > :26:44.programme times. Undeniably, over Christmas, children will see all
:26:45. > :26:49.sorts of adverts at all different times of the day. Seeing an advert
:26:50. > :26:52.and applying for a loan of two completely different things.
:26:53. > :26:57.Children cannot apply for loans and we will not be targeting them.
:26:58. > :27:02.Campaigners say the humour in an appeal to young minds. Citizens
:27:03. > :27:06.Advice is calling for a ban across daytime TV to prevent children
:27:07. > :27:12.starting to think that using payday lenders is normal. There is a quick
:27:13. > :27:15.fix, and easy solution, as presented by these loan companies. We want to
:27:16. > :27:20.make sure they are not susceptible to these adverts but, also, even
:27:21. > :27:24.when that are adverts in other time slots about our health warnings on
:27:25. > :27:33.them. With Christmas shopping in full swing, there is particular
:27:34. > :27:35.concern amongst MPs that influenced by payday and will pester their
:27:36. > :27:40.parents to borrow money to buy presents which they cannot afford.
:27:41. > :27:43.To end the programme on something of a light note... If you've ever
:27:44. > :27:47.wondered how Santa travels around the world in just one night, we may
:27:48. > :27:55.have the answer. Rather than using a reindeer, he's getting a lift.
:27:56. > :28:02.Surely centre is not delivering presents this early. If you look
:28:03. > :28:08.closely, you can see the strings attached to the sleigh and Rudolph
:28:09. > :28:20.'s reins. This journey to the stratosphere is real. You did not
:28:21. > :28:24.let go. These amateur scientists wanted to do something a little bit
:28:25. > :28:29.fun for Christmas but also get people excited and engaged with
:28:30. > :28:33.science. So, they attached their model of Santa to a high altitude
:28:34. > :28:38.weather balloon, along with a camera and a GPS tracker, and watch as the
:28:39. > :28:43.sleigh soared from the launch position in the Forest of Dean in
:28:44. > :28:49.Gloucestershire. In just an hour and a half, Father Christmas and Rudolph
:28:50. > :28:52.reached more than 30,000 meters. The curvature of the earth clearly
:28:53. > :29:02.visible here. Before the balloon burst. Thankfully, a parachute
:29:03. > :29:06.opened to help them return safely to Earth and maybe help out the real
:29:07. > :29:10.Santa on Christmas Eve. What can I say? Time for a look at the weather.
:29:11. > :29:20.It is the science that counts. If you have travel plans, in the
:29:21. > :29:25.run-up to Christmas, they may well be affected by a lot of wind and
:29:26. > :29:30.rain. I expect travel to be disrupted. I think that is pretty
:29:31. > :29:34.likely. It turns cooler on quiz this day. The first bout of wet and windy
:29:35. > :29:41.weather is already on the doorsteps of western Britain. There will be a
:29:42. > :29:45.slow deterioration in the weather conditions across northern and
:29:46. > :29:49.western parts during the course of the afternoon. You will notice that
:29:50. > :29:56.the wind will freshen up. A lot of isobars on the chart. Just because
:29:57. > :30:00.you are in the West, it is not a complete write-off. What is
:30:01. > :30:06.different story towards the east. Not overly warm but at least you
:30:07. > :30:10.have some sunshine. Not the case for those who drifts back towards the
:30:11. > :30:17.western quarter to Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales. It will be
:30:18. > :30:21.one of those afternoons. If you are thinking of travelling, even at this
:30:22. > :30:31.stage, a lot of surface water and spray. With the combination of
:30:32. > :30:36.Cloud, wind and rain, it will not be a particularly cold night at all.
:30:37. > :30:41.The wintry nurse will be confined to the hills of Scotland. The problems
:30:42. > :30:52.are more about wind and rain rather than sleet and snow. On Saturday,
:30:53. > :30:57.this weather front is stuck reluctantly across us. There will be
:30:58. > :31:02.a scattering of showers. There will be an intense shower which will come
:31:03. > :31:07.to lower levels. During the course of the evening, that is a scrawny
:31:08. > :31:16.feature. Gusts of wind about 50, 60 miles an hour. On Sunday, a fresher,
:31:17. > :31:19.blustery feel to the day. The wintry showers will be coming to lower
:31:20. > :31:24.levels and further down the country. Then change the script all
:31:25. > :31:30.over again. This is a disruptive bout of weather. No doubt about it.
:31:31. > :31:34.A lot of rain. You may well be travelling. This is where we may
:31:35. > :31:39.have a problem. This is Christmas eve and the wind and rain is still
:31:40. > :31:47.there. Then it turns a wee bit fresher. Loads going on, I know.
:31:48. > :31:50.More detail on the BBC weather website. Du Stade she wound if you
:31:51. > :31:52.are travelling in the next few days. That is