:00:20. > :00:20.emotion as he was cleared of rape and indecent assault but his family
:00:21. > :00:29.broke down in tears. This is what he had to say as left court. In these
:00:30. > :00:33.situations, there are no winners and I think we should all be much kinder
:00:34. > :00:36.to ourselves. We'll have the latest from Preston Crown Court. Also this
:00:37. > :00:39.lunchtime. Another big storm on its way - severe weather warnings issued
:00:40. > :00:42.for parts of southern Britain with more than 1.5 inches rain expected
:00:43. > :00:44.in some places. There are serious concerns for communities,
:00:45. > :00:48.particularly in Somerset and the South West, already dealing with
:00:49. > :00:51.heavily flooded and saturated land. A big boost for British
:00:52. > :00:53.manufacturing as Bombardier wins a billion pound contract to provide
:00:54. > :00:59.trains for the London Crossrail project. They're off. Britain's
:01:00. > :01:05.Billy Morgan is first up at the Sochi Winter Olympics. And why the
:01:06. > :01:11.Government's plans for a 5p charge on plastic carrier bags in England
:01:12. > :01:15.are being branded a complete mess. More services are running on the
:01:16. > :01:18.Tube on day two of the strike. And teachers walk out at a North London
:01:19. > :01:40.secondary in the first-ever industrial action at a free school.
:01:41. > :01:49.Good afternoon and welcome to the BBC News at One. The Coronation
:01:50. > :01:54.Street star William Roache has been cleared of all sexual abuse charges
:01:55. > :01:56.by a jury at Preston Crown Court. After a month-long trial, the jury
:01:57. > :01:59.dismissed claims that the 81-year-old had assaulted five
:02:00. > :02:04.teenagers in the 1960s and 70s - claims the actor had always denied.
:02:05. > :02:07.As he left court he made a brief statement and finished by saying
:02:08. > :02:10.he'd like to get back to work. ITV say they'll be talking to the actor
:02:11. > :02:19.about his return. Danny Savage has been following the trial. He's there
:02:20. > :02:23.now. Just before the jury returned its verdict, Bill Roache was told to
:02:24. > :02:28.stand and he did so with hands find his back and faced the jury. The six
:02:29. > :02:34.charges were read out and after each one, not guilty was heard. Bill
:02:35. > :02:39.Roache showed no emotion as those verdicts were returned but his
:02:40. > :02:46.family did. They are tears and sobs could be heard across the courtroom
:02:47. > :02:51.as their father's name was cleared. Cleared of all charges, Bill Roache
:02:52. > :02:57.left court today with the words not guilty ringing in his ears. A
:02:58. > :03:02.statement of calm relief followed. In these situations, there are no
:03:03. > :03:07.winners. I think we should all be much kinder to ourselves. But now,
:03:08. > :03:12.if you will excuse me, I would like to get back to work. The world 's
:03:13. > :03:16.longest serving soap star was cleared of a string of sexual
:03:17. > :03:23.offence allegations against girls aged 16 or under the twin the
:03:24. > :03:28.mid-1960s and early 1970s. The image of respectability painted by his
:03:29. > :03:32.defence team was upheld. If someone has done something wrong, the law
:03:33. > :03:36.will take its course. Some of the claims came to light because of this
:03:37. > :03:43.television interview. He suggested victims of sex crimes were paying
:03:44. > :03:46.for actions in past lives. Everything that happens to us is the
:03:47. > :03:51.result of what we have been in previous lives or whatever. But this
:03:52. > :03:58.was a reflection on anything he had done and he later apologised for his
:03:59. > :04:01.remarks. I would ever say that victims of sexual offences are
:04:02. > :04:05.responsible for the abuse they suffered and I apologise profusely
:04:06. > :04:11.if I have been misunderstood. If you will join me... Too many people,
:04:12. > :04:15.Bill Roache is Ken Barlow, one of the stars of Coronation Street but
:04:16. > :04:20.he has been written out since the allegations were made. But
:04:21. > :04:25.Coronation Street came to court to defend one of its own. Members of
:04:26. > :04:29.his on-screen family and other colleagues described him as lovely,
:04:30. > :04:33.kind and a perfect gentleman. The jury dismissed claims that he
:04:34. > :04:38.assaulted teenage girls at Granada's Studios in Manchester,
:04:39. > :04:42.houses in Lancashire and in his Rolls-Royce. A handwritten police
:04:43. > :04:47.statement by the actor last year summed up his feelings about the
:04:48. > :04:52.claims. It ends... I would like to reiterate that I have not, nor would
:04:53. > :04:56.I ever, was any person to engage in a sexual act against their will. In
:04:57. > :05:02.particular, I would not seek to force a young girl to do so. Claims
:05:03. > :05:05.nearly 50 years old saw a pensioner dragged through the courts and to
:05:06. > :05:09.the brink of disgrace. They could have ruined a brilliant career in
:05:10. > :05:16.show business but the man who plays Ken Barlow was today declared
:05:17. > :05:20.innocent. There has been a statement from ITV about his future at
:05:21. > :05:23.Coronation Street and they say they look forward to talking to him about
:05:24. > :05:29.his return to work. What about the bigger picture? About high profile
:05:30. > :05:33.cases like this? In the words of the defence barrister, she said in the
:05:34. > :05:37.post-Jimmy Savile crisis of conscience, when someone makes an
:05:38. > :05:45.allegation, it has to go to court. It made and Bill Roache was cleared.
:05:46. > :05:49.Thank you very much. Another big storm is predicted to hit much of
:05:50. > :05:52.Britain this afternoon. The Met Office has issued severe weather
:05:53. > :05:55.warnings for southern and South West England and south Wales from this
:05:56. > :05:57.afternoon. In some places, more than an inch-and-a-half of rain is
:05:58. > :06:00.expected to fall on already saturated ground. This morning the
:06:01. > :06:03.Government announced another ?30 million for flood repairs on top of
:06:04. > :06:06.the ?100 million announced by the Prime Minister yesterday. In a
:06:07. > :06:10.moment we'll be hearing from Duncan Kennedy, who's by the Thames in
:06:11. > :06:16.Berkshire. But first to our correspondent at Moorland in
:06:17. > :06:22.Somerset, Simon Clemison. Good afternoon. There has been a break in
:06:23. > :06:27.the weather overnight and into today, a chance for the Environment
:06:28. > :06:32.Agency to get this flood area up to hold the waters back but this is
:06:33. > :06:41.only a brief break. More rain is expected later on. That has led to
:06:42. > :06:44.some difficult decisions. How long can one community go on fighting the
:06:45. > :06:50.weather? Today, the people of moral and have to decide. Do they stay or
:06:51. > :06:55.go? We have been working all morning with sandbags, so we do not want the
:06:56. > :07:02.water in our house. We will stay as long as we can but if we are forced,
:07:03. > :07:08.we will go. The official advice is to leave now. The floodwater has not
:07:09. > :07:11.done its worst yet but the early warning signs were enough to
:07:12. > :07:23.persuade this family to load their car. We had to leave that. It is in
:07:24. > :07:32.the house. As you can see. We got the kids out. People are offering
:07:33. > :07:36.each other places to stay, cattle are being taken to auction and you
:07:37. > :07:40.get the sense that the time is up. The water is encroaching that bit
:07:41. > :07:44.further all the time. Some people will sit beside but it is getting
:07:45. > :07:51.that little bit quieter all the time. -- said this out. Quiet on one
:07:52. > :07:55.of the main railways. The line at Dawlish has been destroyed and local
:07:56. > :08:01.businesses believe it could cost millions of pounds. Homeowners have
:08:02. > :08:05.been left in a perilous state. The wall was filled by sand so we are
:08:06. > :08:14.looking at an innovative technique using a tunnel between Tiverton and
:08:15. > :08:18.Taunton, Bray -- spraying concrete and we want to bring that machine
:08:19. > :08:23.here today to see if we can add some protection. The days are turning
:08:24. > :08:30.into weeks and months in this nonstop flooding. And there is no
:08:31. > :08:35.end in sight. Not yet, anyway. There are plenty of people still here and
:08:36. > :08:39.the levels have fallen this morning but this is only a brief respite.
:08:40. > :08:44.More rain is expected later and then it will be worse on Saturday. A
:08:45. > :08:47.destructive pattering that people here would like to see an end to.
:08:48. > :08:54.Whether that is saying is another matter. Thank you. -- that is soon.
:08:55. > :08:57.There are more than 300 flood warnings across the UK, many along
:08:58. > :09:04.the River Thames. Duncan Kennedy is at Pangbourne in Berkshire. It is
:09:05. > :09:07.raining here yet again, just like everywhere around here. It could
:09:08. > :09:14.mean the flood story heads east, back to the Thames Valley. It has
:09:15. > :09:17.also been raining upstream in Oxfordshire and that what has only
:09:18. > :09:20.got one place to go. The River Thames, to the lower reaches in
:09:21. > :09:30.places like Berkshire, which is why the people here are bracing
:09:31. > :09:35.themselves for more flooding. The waters are rising here and the
:09:36. > :09:40.gardens are filling up. Home owners steeling themselves for more
:09:41. > :09:44.flooding. It is coming up. They have made some preparations with the
:09:45. > :09:55.pumps but who knows? The last time it was up to our waste. We will see.
:09:56. > :10:02.Tomorrow, I'm sure the flood level will go up. In places, the Thames is
:10:03. > :10:05.creeping up to the levels it reached two weeks ago, when hundreds of
:10:06. > :10:11.homes were inundated. The Environment Agency say it takes
:10:12. > :10:14.between two and seven days for rainwater to translate into swollen
:10:15. > :10:18.rivers like here in Berkshire. It has not stopped raining over the
:10:19. > :10:21.past few weeks, which is why these levels are so high and why the
:10:22. > :10:30.residents here are pretty evenly worried about what will happen over
:10:31. > :10:34.the next 48 hours. -- pretty worried. Another weather system has
:10:35. > :10:39.its sights on Britain this weekend and forecasters say this might need
:10:40. > :10:44.another rewriting of the record books. We are only starting February
:10:45. > :10:48.but statistics have brought us the wettest December and January since
:10:49. > :10:54.records began so we could possibly be shaping up for the wettest winter
:10:55. > :10:57.on record. Eric Pickles. The government updated MPs today on the
:10:58. > :11:01.extent of the damage done by the winter storms. It said it did not
:11:02. > :11:06.yet have all of the information. The full picture of the damage caused
:11:07. > :11:11.has not yet emerged and the weather conditions have proven to be so
:11:12. > :11:16.savage. The government will therefore carry out a rapid review
:11:17. > :11:21.of the additional work needed to restore our flood defences and
:11:22. > :11:26.return them in target condition. Environment Agency staff are making
:11:27. > :11:30.sure pumps and people are being primed for the forthcoming weather.
:11:31. > :11:36.Coast or inland community, summer seems a long way off. Those
:11:37. > :11:40.Environment Agency people are all over this area, they have seen the
:11:41. > :11:44.warnings and they must put preparations in place. It would not
:11:45. > :11:48.take much for this what to come over the edge and flood these houses,
:11:49. > :11:53.some of which are still flooded from last time. Which is why the next 48
:11:54. > :11:57.hours, as we always say, are absolutely crucial for the people of
:11:58. > :12:03.this area. Thank you very much. Let's speak to our Chief Political
:12:04. > :12:07.Correspondent, Norman Smith. More money promised by the government and
:12:08. > :12:11.the Prime Minister will check the Cobra committee for the second time
:12:12. > :12:16.in two days. And still be political right about how this is being
:12:17. > :12:20.handled rumbles on. And that tells us that although we are a long way
:12:21. > :12:24.from the flooding at Westminster, it dominate the agenda with the Prime
:12:25. > :12:29.Minister defending his government's handling of the agenda, saying it
:12:30. > :12:36.was proactive and having to defend Owen Paterson. And again, deciding
:12:37. > :12:41.to chair another meeting. We have had more money, that extra ?30
:12:42. > :12:44.million, we will get a review of the overall flood strategy and there
:12:45. > :12:47.will be greater use of the monetary and more meetings with council
:12:48. > :12:53.leaders to discuss what they want and more of everything. And this
:12:54. > :12:58.frenzy of activity is designed obviously in part to get on top of
:12:59. > :13:03.this crisis but also to be seen to be doing something. It is almost
:13:04. > :13:08.like the hurricane Katrina factor, when you remember President Bush,
:13:09. > :13:12.his reputation was profoundly damaged by the perception that he
:13:13. > :13:17.was not on top of this issue and he was slow to respond. Ministers want
:13:18. > :13:24.to make sure they do not fall into the same trap. Norman Smith in
:13:25. > :13:27.Westminster. Thank you very much. For all the latest on the weather,
:13:28. > :13:31.you can visit our website: It has updates on the situation across the
:13:32. > :13:38.UK and you can find out information for your local area. The Derby-based
:13:39. > :13:43.company Bombardier has won ?1 billion contract to build the trains
:13:44. > :13:49.to be used on the new crossrail route. The Canadian owned company
:13:50. > :13:52.will build 65 trains, helping create and secure hundreds of jobs at its
:13:53. > :13:55.plant in Derby. London's Mayor said the new trains would revolutionise
:13:56. > :14:03.rail travel in the capital. Here's our Business Correspondent, John
:14:04. > :14:08.Moylen. A happy and building rolling stock for railways here in Derby
:14:09. > :14:13.since the 1840s. Now, this historic site has a secure future. -- they
:14:14. > :14:19.have been building. Workers have faced uncertainty over jobs in
:14:20. > :14:23.recent years but not any more. Absolutely ecstatic, I was in the
:14:24. > :14:28.office when the announcement came and it was a joyous moment. All of
:14:29. > :14:33.the guys who work here have been waiting to hear this news and it is
:14:34. > :14:39.great. Brilliant, I have been here since an apprentice, five years. It
:14:40. > :14:45.has secured my future. It saves me looking for a job. The new trains
:14:46. > :14:50.will be needed for crossrail, Europe's largest construction
:14:51. > :14:53.project. 12018, it will carry millions of passengers across London
:14:54. > :14:59.and the South East and Bombardier will build the trains as part of a
:15:00. > :15:06.?1 billion contract. There will be 65, a total of 600 carriages, and it
:15:07. > :15:13.will safeguard up to 840 jobs, of which 340 or new jobs. Its future
:15:14. > :15:18.was thrown into doubt when it lost out on a major contract that went to
:15:19. > :15:24.Siemens in Germany. Unions launched a campaign to save the firm and that
:15:25. > :15:26.led to the government to review the procurement of major projects but
:15:27. > :15:32.today the government insisted that Bombardier offered the right price.
:15:33. > :15:38.There is a competitive process, there has to be. Legally required.
:15:39. > :15:42.It was one on its merits and I am delighted they are buying British
:15:43. > :15:47.and supporting a very good company. And they will support 800 jobs. That
:15:48. > :15:53.is vital for the recovery of the economy. This is one of several
:15:54. > :15:57.crossrail station 's currently under construction in London. This project
:15:58. > :16:01.has been criticised by some as evidence that too much public money
:16:02. > :16:07.is spent on transport infrastructure in the South East. Today's news
:16:08. > :16:13.means will be a lasting legacy for Derby and British Korean
:16:14. > :16:18.manufacturing also. They write over Bombardier raised fundamental
:16:19. > :16:21.questions about how the government supports the manufacturing base and
:16:22. > :16:39.the first trains will leave as planned in three years. Hospitals in
:16:40. > :16:40.England are still under severe financial pressure making it more
:16:41. > :16:41.difficult for them to put patients first. That's according to the
:16:42. > :16:43.health think-tank the Nuffield Trust. Their findings come a year
:16:44. > :16:44.after a scathing report into the scandal at Stafford hospital, which
:16:45. > :16:47.declared that public and patients had been "betrayed" by the NHS. Our
:16:48. > :16:53.health correspondent, Jane Dreaper, reports.
:16:54. > :16:59.Shocking failings in the care of frail, older patients. The problems
:17:00. > :17:06.at Stafford Hospital show England's NHS is needed to make the changes.
:17:07. > :17:10.What has happened in the past year? This is new research suggests
:17:11. > :17:15.hospitals are listening to patients and their complaints, but also says
:17:16. > :17:20.managers are under pressure to keep costs under control. It feels very
:17:21. > :17:24.difficult for the people running the hospitals at the moment. Some of
:17:25. > :17:28.them think there is still some savings, but bad quality care needs
:17:29. > :17:35.to be eradicated and we will save money. But others say we need more
:17:36. > :17:38.nurse nurses and the money needs to come from somewhere. We need to
:17:39. > :17:44.speak up and say we cannot do this within the financial limit.
:17:45. > :17:49.Hospitals are doing more work to manage basic care on wards. But the
:17:50. > :17:54.man who report cause shock waves says it will take time to turn
:17:55. > :17:59.around NHS culture. It is disturbing and there is still this feeling of
:18:00. > :18:05.pressure, feeling that if I don't meet a target or balance the books,
:18:06. > :18:12.then my job is at stake. I feel that needs to be looked at. There are now
:18:13. > :18:18.3500 extra nurses on hospital wards in England. More NHS whistle-blowers
:18:19. > :18:24.are ringing a special hotline, over 700 this year. Seven reviews have
:18:25. > :18:28.reported back to ministers who insist the health service is turning
:18:29. > :18:33.a corner. I think the public will draw comfort from the fact that a
:18:34. > :18:42.year on from the reports, far from gathering dust, it says hospitals
:18:43. > :18:46.are taking on the lessons. 80% say those actions have already started.
:18:47. > :18:52.The government points out the best hospital deliver fantastic care
:18:53. > :18:55.within budget. More are predict ting deficit this year, but the lessons
:18:56. > :19:06.of Stafford is that patients come first.
:19:07. > :19:09.Our top story this lunchtime: The Coronation Street actor, Bill Roache
:19:10. > :19:13.has been found not guilty of two rapes and four indecent assaults
:19:14. > :19:16.against women in the 1960s and 70s. And still to come: One of the new
:19:17. > :19:20.men in charge of English cricket speaks to the BBC about the future
:19:21. > :19:22.for the team and the decision to drop Kevin Pieterson.
:19:23. > :19:26.Later on BBC London: Unregulated and bad for your health - why the
:19:27. > :19:30.authorities are cracking down on the use of Shisha in the capital.
:19:31. > :19:40.And bracing ourselves for more heavy rain - we'll have the forecast for
:19:41. > :19:43.the next 24 hours. There's still a day to go before the
:19:44. > :19:47.Winter Olympics officially begin in Sochi but the sporting events are
:19:48. > :19:53.already underway. And a Briton, the snowboarder Billy Morgan, was the
:19:54. > :19:57.first competitor out there. Nearly 3,000 athletes are competing for 98
:19:58. > :20:01.gold medals over the next two weeks. And Team GB are hoping for a record
:20:02. > :20:04.medal haul. But The Games in southern Russia are still being
:20:05. > :20:12.overshadowed by security concerns. Our sports correspondent, Andy
:20:13. > :20:18.Swiss, is in Sochi. Welcome to the Olympic Park in
:20:19. > :20:24.Sochi. Behind me you can see the stadium where the opening ceremony
:20:25. > :20:28.will take place tomorrow night. There has been a difficult build-up
:20:29. > :20:35.to these games with more concerns about security this morning. Up in
:20:36. > :20:40.the mountains, about 30 miles away, the action is already underway.
:20:41. > :20:44.Getting The Games off to a flying start, Britain's Billy Morgan, the
:20:45. > :20:50.first competitor in the first event, qualifying for the snowboarding.
:20:51. > :20:56.Blue skies, snow, almost picture perfect. Away from the sport there
:20:57. > :21:00.are still concerns. With thousands arriving, the US are warning
:21:01. > :21:05.explosives could be hidden in toothpaste tubes and smuggled on
:21:06. > :21:11.aeroplanes to Russia. Security is tight, but the British team say they
:21:12. > :21:14.are satisfied. Our threat level has not changed since we came out. We
:21:15. > :21:18.are not aware of any of the threat you have just mentioned and we are
:21:19. > :21:26.in constant dialogue and monitoring the situation. Britain has 56
:21:27. > :21:31.athletes, among them skaters, Nick Upland and Penny Combs and they say
:21:32. > :21:35.it is only sport that is on their minds. I feel very safe. The village
:21:36. > :21:40.is very quiet at the moment. Obviously a lot of teams coming. We
:21:41. > :21:45.have our accreditations and cannot go anywhere without them. We have to
:21:46. > :21:49.go through airport security to get into the village. I feel very safe,
:21:50. > :21:53.and it is great so I can concentrate on my skating. Nine closed doors,
:21:54. > :21:58.rehearsals have been taking place for the opening serried where
:21:59. > :22:04.Britain's flag bearer will be this man, now at his third games. To be a
:22:05. > :22:10.leader of a team and lead the team in performance would be great. To
:22:11. > :22:18.see Chris Hoy, at the last Olympics in London was fantastic. To see his
:22:19. > :22:22.emotion and what it meant to him. I can see how much it means to carry
:22:23. > :22:26.the flag and it is fantastic. These Olympics are already testing the
:22:27. > :22:32.best. That is a big hit. This Norwegian
:22:33. > :22:39.lady lucky to walk away from this. But Britain's Jamie Nicholls was
:22:40. > :22:43.among the first star performance, safety through to Saturday's final.
:22:44. > :22:48.The organisers say they hope it is the athlete that sees the headlines.
:22:49. > :22:53.This afternoon we have the first action in the Olympic Park which is
:22:54. > :23:00.hosting the indoor events. The figure skating is just underway.
:23:01. > :23:03.Candidates are into the final week of campaigning for a by-election in
:23:04. > :23:07.Wythenshawe and Sale in Greater Manchester. It was triggered by the
:23:08. > :23:10.death of the Labour MP Paul Goggins. It is a safe Labour seat but the UK
:23:11. > :23:14.Independence Party is determined to give them a run for their money, as
:23:15. > :23:21.Chris Mason reports. It is time for a pint in the
:23:22. > :23:29.Fairbank pub in Wythenshawe. Had a good day, mate? Time to meet the man
:23:30. > :23:33.who will be our guide to this spot politicians are scrapping over.
:23:34. > :23:40.Lived in the area all my life, had as Mrs in the area all my life.
:23:41. > :23:43.Passionate about Wythenshawe. It is improving and over the last three
:23:44. > :23:49.years it has got better and better. There is a feel-good feeling about
:23:50. > :23:54.my business at the moment. The area is getting better and people are
:23:55. > :24:01.spending. Not everyone here is so optimistic. How are the party is
:24:02. > :24:08.likely to fare? It is a micro-chrism of what we are seeing in national
:24:09. > :24:14.politics. Two, two party politics. Labour will be looking to recruit
:24:15. > :24:17.Liberal Democrat support. Over on the right you have the battle
:24:18. > :24:22.between the Conservatives and UKIP. This is the 17th by-election race in
:24:23. > :24:26.the last three and a half years and in five of those, the UK
:24:27. > :24:32.Independence party has finished second. And the overall winner is
:24:33. > :24:36.pretty predict the ball, but they still set hearts racing at
:24:37. > :24:41.Westminster because they are real votes in real ballot boxes and
:24:42. > :24:48.giving the party is a real sense of whether they are popular or not.
:24:49. > :24:52.This time next week, voters will decide which party's candidate is
:24:53. > :24:59.smiling most and heading to Westminster.
:25:00. > :25:01.If you want more information on the candidates running the Wythenshawe
:25:02. > :25:08.and Sale by-election, details of all seven of them can be found on the
:25:09. > :25:10.BBC website. Life goes on for England's
:25:11. > :25:13.beleaguered cricket team with the latest squad announced in the past
:25:14. > :25:17.hour. Kevin Pietersen's name is of course absent and the fall out after
:25:18. > :25:19.his sacking continues to dominate English cricket. Our sports
:25:20. > :25:32.correspondent, Joe Wilson is with me. Are we any nearer to finding out
:25:33. > :25:37.why he was dropped? The national selector, James Whittaker was almost
:25:38. > :25:41.forced to come and speak to the media. In the past few minutes he
:25:42. > :25:46.has done an interview. Asked directly why he got rid of Kevin
:25:47. > :25:51.Pietersen, his ancestor was because of a legal position he was not at
:25:52. > :25:56.liberty to say. What James Whittaker talked about in more general terms
:25:57. > :26:00.was needing new players to re-evaluate the culture and values
:26:01. > :26:06.of the team. I suppose we can infer that in some way Kevin Pietersen
:26:07. > :26:11.infringed culture and values. It is an intense period of cricket for
:26:12. > :26:18.England. Go to the West Indies, then they play in the Twenty20 World Cup.
:26:19. > :26:22.Amongst the players, we have a young man, potentially very exciting but
:26:23. > :26:28.it is Kevin Pietersen's absence which still dominated. David Cameron
:26:29. > :26:32.said he was an enormous fan and said there was a powerful argument for
:26:33. > :26:38.Kiki him -- keeping him in the side. Then he added that he should stay
:26:39. > :26:44.out of it. But it is Kevin Pietersen and nobody wants to stay out of it.
:26:45. > :26:47.Plans to introduce a 5p charge for carrier bags in England next year
:26:48. > :26:50.are a "complete mess", that's according to a committee of MPs.
:26:51. > :26:53.They say there are so many exemptions, for example there'll be
:26:54. > :26:56.no charge for paper or biodegradable bags and that people are likely to
:26:57. > :27:03.get confused. Here's our Business Correspondent, Emma Simpson.
:27:04. > :27:07.We may not use them for long, but we do use an awful lot of them, over
:27:08. > :27:13.eight billion disposable plastic bags in England each year. This is
:27:14. > :27:16.where too many of them end up, the government hopes that by getting us
:27:17. > :27:24.to pay 5p a bag will help reduce waste. But a group of MPs says the
:27:25. > :27:32.government's plans are a mess. There will be exemptions for biodegradable
:27:33. > :27:38.bags, there is going to be an exemption for paper bags. It is also
:27:39. > :27:44.going to bring in an exemption for small businesses. It sends out mixed
:27:45. > :27:49.messages. MPs said the scheme should be simple, like the one introduced
:27:50. > :27:55.in Wales. There is a flat at 5p levy on all carrier bags. That has led to
:27:56. > :28:00.a 75% reduction in their use. They started charging for all plastic
:28:01. > :28:05.bags in Northern Ireland last April, Scotland will follow suit
:28:06. > :28:08.this year. There are still plenty of bags on the streets of Belfast, but
:28:09. > :28:14.the scheme is working so well they are planning to double the charge to
:28:15. > :28:20.10p. I work in a clothes shop and a lot of people do use their own bags.
:28:21. > :28:27.It is only 5p. It does not make a difference to me. There is less
:28:28. > :28:32.plastic bags litter, so there is. How best to bin the bags? England
:28:33. > :28:37.will soon catch up with the rest of the UK. MPs are worried the
:28:38. > :28:40.exemptions will be too confusing for consumers, but the government
:28:41. > :28:46.insists its plans will reduce their use that they should not come at the
:28:47. > :28:51.cost of burdening small businesses. The Met office is saying we could be
:28:52. > :28:59.headed for the wettest winter on record. Now the weather.
:29:00. > :29:08.Whoever came up with the phrase, it never rains but it pours, has a lot
:29:09. > :29:15.to answer for. It is stormy as we move towards the weekend. If we look
:29:16. > :29:20.at this cloud in the satellite picture, that is Saturday's storm. A
:29:21. > :29:25.brief lull before it is, but another area of low pressure moving in
:29:26. > :29:32.bringing more rain. Light and patchy at the moment but we will see the
:29:33. > :29:36.rain intensified for the rest of the afternoon and through the evening.
:29:37. > :29:41.Further north across Northern Ireland, northern England, eastern
:29:42. > :29:46.Scotland, not a bad afternoon with sunny spells coming through. A few
:29:47. > :29:53.spells into the North West. It is this rain down to the South that is
:29:54. > :29:55.the next cause for concern. Amber weather warnings, be prepared for
:29:56. > :29:59.further disruption. We could potentially see another 40
:30:00. > :30:04.millimetres falling to higher ground. Those amber warnings will
:30:05. > :30:08.remain in force into the weekend. If you are travelling away from London
:30:09. > :30:14.at 6pm there will be a lot of rain around, surface water and spray.
:30:15. > :30:21.Same across the Midlands and into North Wales. At 7pm, it intensifies.
:30:22. > :30:26.Despite the lull in Somerset we saw earlier, we will see the rain
:30:27. > :30:31.pepping up in the latter stages of the evening. Pulses of wet weather
:30:32. > :30:34.pushing in across England and Wales throughout the night. Breezy, but
:30:35. > :30:38.not the strong winds we saw from the last storm. Towards the end of the
:30:39. > :30:46.night across the North Cornish coast, the winds will pick up. Under
:30:47. > :30:49.clearer skies we could see a touch of frost as temperatures for just
:30:50. > :30:54.below freezing. We start off with wet weather to clear away from the
:30:55. > :30:57.East. Snow across the Pennines for a time, but a brief lull in
:30:58. > :31:03.proceedings on Friday. Sunny spells coming through. Highs around five to
:31:04. > :31:06.10 degrees. I hope you can make the most of Friday's weather because
:31:07. > :31:11.Friday night, towards Saturday, almost a repeat the four months of
:31:12. > :31:18.the store we saw on Tuesday into Wednesday. Heavy rain and severe
:31:19. > :31:22.winds. It will focus its attention into the North on Saturday with
:31:23. > :31:29.showers across England and Wales. You can always look on our website.
:31:30. > :31:35.A reminder of our top story this lunchtime: the Coronation Street
:31:36. > :31:36.actor, William Roache has been found not guilty of all rape