04/01/2017 BBC News at Six

He's not going quietly - Britain's top EU diplomat

launches a stinging attack on ministers after resigning.

Sir Ivan Rogers' resignation email accuses the government of muddled

thinking over Brexit - leave campaigners say

The e-mail was verging on the pompous, really,

in the sense that it was an awful lot about him and a lot about,

you know, truth, as though everything he said to the government

was almost chiselled into tablets of stone.

Theresa May has just weeks to find a replacement -

colleagues say he'll be a tough act to follow.

I think it's a blow because he was a hugely

experienced professional dedicated public servant.

He is a really good diplomat but he also had that real insight

The resignation has sparked a row over the independence

The parents of the man shot by police in Huddersfield say it's

the sort of thing that happens in America.

A not so festive end to the shopping season -

disappointing sales at Next over Christmas and a warning

The young girls killed in a hit and run in Oldham

on New Year's Eve - four men are charged.

No one could fail to mourn the loss of this brave man.

It's fifty years since Donald Campbell died while trying

The Pride of London is at stake this evening.

Chelsea can match Arsenal's 14 match winning streak

in the Premier League, but they'll have to

Good evening and welcome to the BBC News at Six.

As resignation letters go - this one pulled no punches.

In a leaked e-mail to colleagues Sir Ivan Rogers -

who's quit as Britain's top EU diplomat - has accused

the government of muddled thinking over its Brexit plans.

But Leave campaigners argue that those forthright views

are precisely the reason Sir Ivan could no longer be trusted.

The resignation has set off a heated row over the role

of the civil service in the tough negotiations ahead.

Here's our diplomatic correspondent James Landale.

Sir Ivan Rogers, here on the right, was our man in Brussels.

The seasoned diplomat with the ear of Prime Ministers past and present.

But now he's gone, attacking Theresa May's

government for its "muddled thinking" about Brexit.

And former colleagues say his loss will be great, only months

His resignation at this particular point, just before

the triggering of Article 50, is a shame because he's

a man of great experience and expertise and knowledge.

Who would be very useful for the government.

I think it's a blow because he was a hugely

experienced, professional, dedicated public servant.

He was a really good diplomat but also had that real insight

Sir Ivan's job was to be Theresa May's eyes and ears

But in an outspoken resignation e-mail, he revealed that even

he was being kept out of the loop, saying, "We do not yet know

what the government will set as negotiating objectives

for the UK's relationship with the EU after exit."

That plan is being kept hidden, or at least it's

still being prepared, behind closed doors

Foreign Secretary, was he pushed to resign?

Ministers today refused to give yes, a running commentary,

or at least take any questions off their script.

In terms of our preparations for Brexit, we absolutely

For months Sir Ivan had helped David Cameron try to reform the EU

ahead of the referendum, traipsing fruitlessly

But he said in his letter that his new political masters

were not prepared for the even bigger talks ahead.

"Serious multilateral negotiating experience" - he said -

The structure of the UK's negotiating team needs

The government, he added, should listen more to British

officials in Brussels and make a stronger case for the importance

Saying, "Contrary to the beliefs of some, free trade does not just

happen when it is not supported by authorities."

Brexit MPs said this all confirmed that Sir Ivan was too pessimistic

about leaving the EU, and he was right to go.

The e-mail was verging on the pompous, really,

in the sense that it was an awful lot about him and a lot about,

you know, truth, as though everything he said to the government

was almost chiselled into tablets of stone.

As we go into what is an incredibly important negotiation,

we should have somebody leading for the UK who clearly believes

that the outcome can be beneficial to the UK.

But there were warnings against any attempt

We are creating an atmosphere where anyone who does not simply

parrot the view of a certain political group is seen to be

getting in the way of Brexit, and that is not what civil servants

The charge from Sir Ivan Rogers is a serious one.

That the government is not ready for the discussions about Brexit

That it doesn't have a strategy or negotiating team in place.

So as the Foreign Office here starts looking for a new ambassador,

MPs are looking for answers about what the government's

And they're hoping Theresa May will provide some in a speech

One she will have to write without Sir Ivan Rogers

Joining me from Downing Street is our deputy political

Since we have common error we are hearing a new diplomat has been

appointed. -- since we have come on air. He will be Sir Tim barrel, a

senior Foreign Office official, former Moscow ambassador and he has

done time in Brussels in his career and Downing Street hopes that they

can have a smoother relationship with him than with Ivan Rogers. But

still some questions to face the government, the resignation

highlighted tensions, more departments are involved, more than

just the Foreign Office and there are tensions between senior

officials and key ministers. Those officials believe that those

ministers just do not understand or will not admit the true complexity

of the Brexit question. It is about loyalty and faith for key Brexiteers

and that is a red rag to the pool for the civil service they say they

do not take sides, they make orders work. As if this negotiation was not

difficult enough, there are underlying tensions between senior

officials and senior ministers as well as a continuing resentment

between those who want to remain and Brexiteers. On the original

resignation, no official reaction yet from Downing Street, what kind

of arguments to think have been going on? Well for Theresa May it is

not about an ideological conviction about Brexit but making the plan

worked. But there is no clear plan yet. We are promised a significant

speech from the Prime Minister in the coming weeks to address some of

the details of Brexit and it just may clear up some of the pressure on

tourism made to give more detail and provide clarity. But given she wants

to keep her cards close and options open, I would not hold your breath.

Within the next hour there's due to be a vigil

in memory of Yasser Yacub - the man shot dead by a police

marksman as he drove off the M62 slip road in Huddersfield on Monday.

It follows a protest in Bradford last night.

Bradford West MP Naz Shah has appealed for calm.

The parents of the dead man have told the BBC the shooting

was the kind of thing they expected in America - not Britain -

In Bradford last night, an angry demonstration blocked

Police, don't shoot, said one of the banners,

as a small number of people protested about the shooting

of Yassar Yaqub, 15 miles from where he died.

It was largely peaceful, although at least one object

was thrown and some of those taking part wore balaclavas

A local MP has today appealed for the community to remain calm.

We need to wait to see what comes out of the investigation and that's

And in terms of the police, they have my confidence,

they have regular conversations with me and updates.

But if we need to have more conversations between the community

and the police, you know, we must have those conversations.

Yassar Yaqub was the man shot dead by police on Monday night.

Akgun was found in the car that he was in.

In 2010 he was cleared of attempted murder and a firearms offence,

after it was alleged that he opened fire on a car in Huddersfield.

Some local people have told us he was a renowned drugs dealer.

But others did not think he was involved in any criminal activity.

People living close to his home also say his house was targeted by gunmen

The house now has obvious security cameras on the outside.

Yassar Yaqub's father has spoken to the BBC today,

He said he didn't believe that his son would ever pull a gun

and if there was a gun found in his car, he doesn't believe it

He and his wife also feel that events over the last few

days are like something which would happen in America.

It was on Monday night that Yassar Yaqub was shot dead

Unmarked police cars forced his Audi to a stop.

West Yorkshire Police say it was a preplanned operation.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is now

Five men were arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm

Today two of them have been bailed and three remain in custody.

There will be some concerns from the authorities this evening about any

further demonstrations taking place elsewhere in West Yorkshire. Here in

Huddersfield a vigil is set to take place later this evening weather

friends and family of Yassar Yaqub are set to come to the place where

he killed. They're coming here this evening to have a vigil later on.

But it is clear that what has happened here over the past few days

has struck a nerve in some parts of West Yorkshire communities.

The high street retailer Next has warned of tougher

conditions in the year ahead - amid uncertainty over Brexit

Shares in the company fell sharply today after reporting poor sales

in the two months up to Christmas - down 0.4%.

Our Business Correspondent Emma Simpson reports.

it's when the tills really should be ringing.

It's been a difficult one for Next, one of our biggest clothing chains.

Their Christmas results are seen as a bellwether for the High Street.

The High Street's struggling with the switch from actual selling

Struggling with coping with Black Friday, which is taking

But at the same time, Next itself is struggling,

because the big growth area at Next has been the directory.

But to have such a disappointment from one of the stronger retailers

first thing is clearly not good news.

But, as always, some will do better than others.

The signs are that it's been decent for John Lewis.

Its department stores saw a surge in sales in the final week.

Consumers haven't stopped spending, but we have been spending less

on what we wear and more on what we do.

And just little bits and bobs, and that's it.

So, yeah, it has become a lot more expensive.

We will be reining it in, in the New Year.

2016 was tough for Next, but it's warning this year

will be even tougher, with what it describes as exceptional

It says profits will be hit and that the devaluation

of the pound after the EU referendum vote will push up its prices by 5%.

And the industry's trade body also thinks the going's

2017's going to be a really challenging year for retailers.

On the one hand, you've got prices going up,

which means consumers aren't going to be able to buy as much

in shops, which is bad for both retail and the wider economy.

As consumer spending is the biggest driver of economic growth in the UK.

Retailers are also going to experience a rise in costs

of doing business from the national living wage and business rates too.

And all this is going to happen at a time of massive political

For now, though, the question is, has Next fared better or worse

than its rivals, in a market more crowded and competitive than ever?

The full Christmas story will unfold in the coming days.

Four men have been remanded in custody over a hit-and-run crash

on New Year's Eve which killed two young girls.

The two cousins - 12-year-old Helina Kotlarova

and Zaneta Krokova, who was 11 - were struck by a car close

Our correspondent Dominic Hughes is in Oldham.

What can you tell us about this. World viewers may remember the

tragic events of New Year's Eve around 7:15pm when Zaneta Krokova

and Helina Kotlarova were crossing the road behind me and were involved

in a hit-and-run. Sadly Helina died at the scene and her 11-year-old

cousin died later in hospital succumbing to her injuries. Four men

have been charged, Gabor Hegedus, 38 and from Oldham has been charged

with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, conspiracy to the

preferred the course of justice, driving without a licence and

failing to stop after a collision and failing to report that

collision. Three other men, David Orsos, Janos Kalanyos and Zoltan

Peto, all from Oldham, has also been charged with conspiracy to pervert

the course of justice and after an appearance this afternoon at the

magistrates court all four of them have been remanded in custody until

February the 1st. An Israeli soldier who shot dead

a wounded Palestinian militant has Sergeant Elor Azaria killed

Abdul Fatah al-Sharif in Hebron last March,

after the Palestinian had been involved in

stabbing another soldier. Tonight the Israeli Prime Minister

called for him to be pardoned. Our Middle East correspondent

Yolande Knell reports. It's minutes after two young

Palestinian men with knives attacked One is dead and one's

clearly still alive. Sgt Elor Azaria,

a 19-year-old medic, A single bullet to the head

killed Abdul Fatah Sharif. Today, the sergeant

was in a military court, smiling to see a friend

and his mother. But soon after, he was found

guilty of manslaughter. Judges rejected the soldiers claim

that the Palestinian posed a threat and decided he shot him

out of revenge. But Sgt Azaria has loyal backers,

in a country where most They accused the Army

of abandoning one of its own. This guy came to do an attack,

to hurt about these families. Even the Israeli Defence

Minister spoke of this Before taking up his post, he made

clear his support of Sgt Azaria. And that caused tensions

with the top brass here They have said they command

according to rules and an ethical code,

not public opinion. Such a high-profile trial

of a soldier for killing a Palestinian is very

unusual in Israel. The outcome was welcomed

by the family of Abdul Fatah Sharif. TRANSLATION: I feel

like any father would feel after seeing my son

executed on TV, murdered. It's so hard to see that,

no-one can endure this. It's still hard for me every time

I remember what happened. If he died instantly,

it would've been much easier than to see your son

executed like that. Sgt Azaria's crime took place

during a wave of Palestinian attacks, when there was a national

debate about how to respond. And his case has proved

highly divisive. When he is sentenced,

the maximum he can serve is 20 years in jail,

but he is expected to get far less. And already, some prominent

politicians in Israel Sir Ivan Rogers, who's quit

as Britain's top EU diplomat, has accused the Government

of muddled thinking over its Brexit A replacement's already

been announced. Thousands of holidaymakers

have their bookings cancelled as travel company All Leisure

Holidays goes bust. Sir Andy Murray is chasing a 26th

straight win as he warms up He was in second-round action

against Gerald Meltzer Senior military and civilian medical

experts are urging people to learn life-saving skills in case they're

caught up in a terrorist attack. They say people need to know how

to give vital first aid, such as stopping severe bleeding,

before paramedics arrive. The experts, from a team called

Citizen Aid, have launched an app And just a warning, some of you may

find images in Smitha Mundasad's What you see next

is a reconstruction. But security officials

say the terror threat in the UK is high and,

despite their best efforts, Get down!

Get down! Many people could be

hurt in the chaos. The problem is, it may take some

time for help to arrive. Police and security forces have

to deal with terrorists first, making sure it's safe,

before paramedics can come in. And in that time,

lives could be lost. The first responders to that

incident from a police perspective will inevitably be trying to deal

with the people causing the threat. They won't have time to help people

who may have been injured. And we know that that gap is vital

for saving people's lives. So we're really, really interested

in the work of Citizen Aid. There's a gunman in the street,

three people have been shot. The experts behind Citizen Aid say

the app and pocketbook give simple, step-by-step instructions

to save others. But the public should

only attempt first aid The app says that you need

to pack the wound. And then keep the hand

elevated above her heart. I've treated hundreds

of soldiers over the years And many of their lives have been

saved by simply the application of tourniquets when they've been shot

or have been blown up. I think it's essential

that we train the general public now to be able

to deliver those skills. That's exactly what

Citizen Aid does. It may be difficult,

but remaining calm and knowing how to help others

in situations like this could Security forces are already

preparing for these types of incidents, and now they say

members of the public Attempting first aid may

not be for everyone, but military medics say it's

better to have a plan, in case this worst-case

scenario turns into reality. You're OK, are you?

Is that your mum? She'll be fine.

Once we've got this on, it'll stop. For more information

go to citizenaid.org. The free app is available

now to download. The travel company

All Leisure Holidays has stopped trading,

leaving hundreds of Thousands of other

holidaymakers have also had their bookings cancelled.

Civil Aviation Authority says the company's brands -

Voyages of Discovery and Swan Hellenic -

have industry protection so customers will be able

to get home. Our personal finance correspondent

Simon Gompertz is here. They seem to have had plenty of

bookings, so how did they get into this state? The drop in the pound

has affected a lot of holiday companies selling overseas holidays.

Also, they had quite small boats, only a few hundred passengers each,

so harder to make money out of them. And they were offering cruises in

the eastern Mediterranean, where there have been worries about

terrorism. So quite a fight for survival, and now 13,000 bookings

have been cancelled. Very disappointing for those customers

who are not going to be able to go on those holidays, but virtually all

of them will be able to claim the money back. Several hundred have

just finished a cruise in Malaysia, their tickets and flights home will

be valid. The question for some people is should we now be booking

cruise holidays given that has happened? The industry have assured

us that most of the companies are huge international concerns with

boats carrying thousands of passengers, easier to make money

from them, and ?2 billion a year is going into cruising and should keep

the business afloat. Where there is a problem, a lot of consumer

protection means your money should be safe.

A brief look at some of the day's other other news stories.

A planned six-day strike by Southern Rail drivers has been split

The Aslef union says its members will walk out from Monday and again

The industrial action is part of a long-running dispute over

increasing the use of driver-only trains.

The First Minister of Northern Ireland, Arlene Foster,

says calls for her to step down over failures in a green energy scheme

The Democratic Unionist Party leader said she would not be

leaving her job as she had done nothing wrong.

Police searching for clues to find the killer of Cameron Logan believe

dog-walkers and joggers may have vital information and have asked

The 23-year-old died in a deliberate house fire

in East Dunbartonshire on New Year's Day.

Flowers have been laid on Coniston Water in

the Lake District to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of the land

and water speed record-holder Donald Campbell.

His jet-powered boat Bluebird broke into pieces as he attempted

His daughter said she was humbled his achievements

Exactly 50 years since her father died here,

Gina Campbell rowed across Coniston Water

In her hands, Donald Campbell's teddy bear mascot,

which floated to the surface after his fatal crash.

And then, in the middle of the lake, flowers, to mark the spot where

ARCHIVE FOOTAGE: Campbell was one of a rare breed,

a true patriot, flying the flag for Britain wherever he went.

Campbell died trying to beat his own record

The speed ace had many fans, who watched as he hurtled past

The whole project had been quite exciting,

as you could imagine, for an 11-year-old boy.

I was really keen not to miss any of the action.

We were just of the feeling that he'd just about got

through the magic kilometre and broken the record when the front

end of the boat lifted and, of course, Bluebird turned over

Today, at his grave nearby, Gina Campbell remembered

And it was beyond those days of risk assessment

And, you know, he went out and he did what he did.

He did it most times with huge success.

And just this one time it went a bit wrong.

Half a century on, Donald Campbell's name is celebrated by enthusiasts

who also gathered in Coniston today to pay tribute to him.

He's a very popular man, his legacy is tremendous.

50 years ago today, he was trying to do 300 miles an hour.

It's a really tough record, as tragically it proved here.

Campbell's legendary Bluebird was finally lifted out of the water

in 2001, having spent more than 30 years below the lake.

Volunteers have been working painstakingly to restore it.

And it's hoped that, before too long,

Donald Campbell's family and fans say that would be a fitting tribute

to the eight-times world record holder who they remember as a hero.

Time for a look at the weather. Here's Louise Lear.

This time tomorrow, we will all be talking about the feel of the

weather. The cause of this weather front sinking south-west as we

speak. It is the dividing line between milder cloudy conditions to

the south-west and colder air but sunny conditions in the north. The

mild air does not go far, and is set to return on Friday. But cold air

syncing South, plummeting south as we speak. Rather windy across the

North Sea coast, showers in Lincolnshire and East Anglia. Some

icy stretches likely, but further inland the talking point will be the

temperatures, falling below freezing in towns and city centres. In rural

spots, lows of -7. With the exception of the far south-west. The

weather front is still sitting there, the odd spot above freezing

tomorrow. Elsewhere, sparkling skies, a beautiful start. A hard

frost, you will need to break the fast from the windscreen 's first

thing. Maybe not in Northern Ireland, a bit more cloud and milder

air. In Scotland, not quite as windy as the last few days. Hopefully not

as many showers as well. Perhaps a few across East Anglia first thing

but they will fade away. Despite the frost lifting and some lovely

sunshine coming in, much of the day will feel quite raw. A southerly

wind will bring more cloud and a milder feel, seven or 8 degrees, but

for many people the temperatures just above freezing. A short sharp

shock, the cold feel, because a south-westerly breeze takes over and

drags in the weather fronts from the Atlantic. Some heavy rain on Friday

across west facing posts, becoming lighter as it sinks south-eastwards.

Noticeably milder, and the mild weather is here to stay for the

weekend. That's all from the BBC News at Six

- so it's goodbye from me -