20/07/2017 BBC News at Six

Could decades of falling crime be over?

New figures suggest it's up in England and Wales by 10%.

Recorded violent crime, including stabbings has increased by 18%.

Jamal Boyce was stabbed last year and has been left

Everyday I go to see him it is like I'm going to the funeral everyday.

That is not him, that is how I remember Jamal, and it tears me up

every time I see him. The figures coincide

with Home Office data showing the number of police officers

at its lowest since 1985. Still no deal on EU citizens' rights

and the divorce bill. How one in three of us

could avoid dementia Summer's here, the temperature's

rising and so is the cost And American golfer Jordan Spieth

takes an early lead at the 146th Coming up in Sportsday with three

days to go Chris Froome is still favourite to win the Tour de France

but his latest is cut 223 seconds stage 18. -- his lead is cut. Cut to

23 seconds. Good evening and welcome

to the BBC News at Six. The drop in crime over the last

twenty years may be at an end. Compiling reliable figures

is complex but there's been a big increase in recorded crime

in England and Wales. The number of offences rose by 10%

in the year to March - Violent offences increased

by eighteen percent and there Domestic burglary

cases were up by 6%. Part of the increase can be

explained by better recording of crime, but as our Home Affairs

correspondent Daniel Sandford reports, government experts

are convinced now the overall trend Eve Laird in the last minutes of a

frenzied knife attack last October was left in hospital blinded with

permanent brain damage. The victim of what appears to be rising

violence in England and Wales especially in our cities. I see him

every day. It's like every day I go to see him it is like I'm going to a

funeral. That is not Jamal, that is not how I remember Jamal. It tears

me up every time I see him. These statistics are based on crimes

actually recorded by police like this stabbing in January. Not a

reliable number yet studies dish and is believed the fall of crime in

recent years may be on the turn even if the figure could be too high. A

large part of that volume increase in violence is due to improved

recording rather than a rise in crime. Having said that there are

some categories of violence serious end of the spectrum like murder,

attempted murder, knife crime and gun crime where we think the rises

reflected genuine upturn in violent crime. Ministers can see there have

been increases in some crimes but do not agree that it could be because

of austerity or cuts to police budgets. I absolutely refuse to

accept that there are economic reasons underpinning this, when it

comes to funding which I know people are concerned about, the fact is

that we are investing ?8.5 billion worth of public money, taxpayers

money into policing. For more than two decades crime has basically been

falling but now police forces are having to face the real possibility

that certain crimes are on the rise again. And that includes burglary of

people's homes. Up here in east London, up 6% across England and

Wales. So what are officers doing about it? The first thing is we

tackle those who we know are causing the most harm. That is our prolific

burglars. The second thing is around our crime prevention piece so we

would encourage people to do the basics around crime prevention. So

things like locking doors and windows at night is so important.

Crime figures are not easy to interpret.

A separate survey of people's personal experiences still suggests

crime overall is falling but the government's own statisticians feel

it may be out of date and at least some crimes are likely to be

creeping up again. A confusing picture, Daniel, as far

as the government statisticians are concerned it is on the rise. The

crime survey which measures peoples experiences of crime which suggests

that crime is falling is very very good for measuring long-term trends

and it has shown this extraordinary fall in crime for over 20 years and

it has shown that whatever little changes that are across that time,

the crime has generally fallen in terms of crime that people

experience. The problem is that the crime survey lags behind actual

changes slightly. So for a while, we've seen these rises in

particularly violent crime and crimes like domestic burglary, and

there has been a question about, are those real rises or is it a glitch.

The statisticians are convinced that the survey is lagging slightly and

is also likely to show that some violent crimes and some crimes like

domestic burglary might genuinely be on the rise. The minister insists

that austerity has nothing to do with it, is he right, has anyone an

idea why crime is rising. People write doctoral theses on why crime

goes up and down. There are changes in society, frankly, trends, people

do something for a few years and then stop so crimes can change for

all sorts of reasons. But the government does have a real

difficulty because this comes at a time when police numbers are at the

lowest they've been since 1985. It has allowed both the opposition

parties and the police operation that represents the rank and file

police officers to say, you have led police numbers go to load and this

is why crime is rising. It's not possible to say if it is true but it

has certainly given them ammunition -- police numbers go too low.

Franco, Daniel. -- thank you, Daniel.

Four days of Brexit talks in Brussels ended today,

with the EU's chief negotiator saying that there are still

"fundamental" disagreements about citizens' rights.

Michel Barnier called for clarification on a number of issues.

But the Brexit Secretary David Davis described the talks as robust

and insisted there was a lot to be positive about.

Our Europe Editor Katya Adler assesses how much progress

Europe's odd couple. Negotiating Brexit together. At opposite ends of

the table. Their goals, one for the UK, the other favouring the EU,

dramatically different. They agree Brexit deal is possible but after

week two of negotiations, acknowledged it will be tough. The

UK should clarify... One, two, three, the EU's visibly exasperated

chief Brexit negotiator called total of eight times in English and French

for clarification of the UK's Brexit vision. About that, he says,

negotiations could not progress. David Davis was Moss and win.

Clearly a lot left to talk about and more left to clarify. Ultimately a

solution will require flexibility from both sides. What about

concessions from the EU site. Where will the EU show some give, perhaps

as a trust making exercise, isn't there any wiggle room? TRANSLATION:

Negotiations have only just started. Of course there are compromises to

be made but it is too early to talk about them. We are not there yet.

Week to a Brexit talks have now ended with no major breakthrough on

some of the thorniest issues. The UK's so-called Brexit bill and the

rights of EU citizens in the UK and British expats in the EU. Key

sticking points, the UK wants to check the criminal record of all EU

citizens wanting to stay while the EU says UK expats would lose the

right to move to other countries. There has been modest progress. This

is a joint EU- UK Pepe on citizens rights, colour-coded to show areas

of agreement and disagreement. Not every negotiating session can end in

harmony but UK is under pressure to move on from divorce issues like

this to talk of the future with the EU, our biggest trading partner. The

UK's trade Secretary was in Geneva today to talk about global

opportunities but he admitted and in between stage may be needed after

Brexit to ease the UK into its new future. It won't happen overnight.

Frankly I have been waiting to leave the European Union for a very long

time. Another two years would not be too much to ask. Brussels is still

hearing all sorts of voices in Britain's Brexit debate. The EU

waiting impatiently for that clarity while there is still time to

negotiate. Cutting Adler, BBC News, Brussels. -- Katya Adler.

One in three of us could stop ourselves getting dementia

if we made some key life style changes - according

Stop smoking, keep active, learn a new skill and

don't get overweight - those are just some of them

as our medical correspondent Fergus Walsh has been finding out.

These runners aren't just improving their fitness,

they're reducing their risk of developing dementia.

I joined the Serpentine Running Club in Hyde Park.

Their motivation is as much mental as physical.

For me, it's mindful, it's relief for stress,

and it just helps me be more resilient during the day.

It makes me more connected, I think, emotionally.

It also makes me, actually, just more alert.

And I just think it must be benefiting my long-term health.

The main risk factor for dementia is old age,

but just as with cancer and heart disease, we can all significantly

That means thinking about our brain health throughout our lives,

keeping our minds and our bodies active.

What's good for your heart is good for your head.

I think here's really strong evidence that there

between heart disease and risk factors for heart disease

and diabetes as well, are clearly associated with dementia

Learning a new language can help build what's

called cognitive reserve, strengthening the brain's networks.

So it can still function in later life despite damage.

A new study says a third of dementia cases could potentially be prevented

They are lack of education, hearing loss, smoking,

depression, social isolation, physical inactivity,

high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes.

Alcohol and diet may also play a role.

Eve Laird is part of a study in Edinburgh which is trying

to identify changes in the brain that may be an early warning sign

of dementia many years before symptoms emerge.

Her mother has Alzheimer's, so this is personal.

I'm now 44, and I think that only leaves me a few years

So many traits I see in myself, similarities between myself

and my mother, that it would be no big surprise if I was diagnosed

OK, Eve, what we are looking at here is the MRI scan itself.

There's nothing we can do to guarantee a life free

from dementia, but this research shows we can increase our chances

Two of the world's largest secret online marketplaces

have been shut down in an attempt to stop

the sales of illegal drugs, guns and hacking software.

AlphaBay and Hansa, who operate on the so-called dark web,

were closed after a joint operation between police

The US Attorney General says it shows the dark net

Sir Vince Cable is the new leader of the Liberal Democrats.

The former Business Secretary was elected to the job after no-one

The 74-year-old has replaced former leader Tim Farron,

In his first speech as leader he called for an "exit from Brexit".

Here's our political correspondent Vicki Young, her report

And our Liberal Democrat leader, Vince Cable. Most would be relaxing

into retirement at the age of 74 but not Sir Vince Cable. He is still

burning with ambition and fighting forbidden to stay in the European

Union. What we now need is an exit from Brexit. We must consult the

British public at the end of the process, to put to them the choice,

do you wish to accept what is coming down the track, jumping off a cliff

and hoping there's a tree to catch you? Or do we want to stay within

the European Union? But wasn't that pro-European message rejected by

voters at the election? Sir fins thinks the mood will change. There's

quite a high possibility that Brexit will not happen. What will emerge

over the next two years I suspect is a significant deterioration in the

economy. And I am very clear that the public did not vote to be

poorer. So I think when you add all that together, you see a picture

which is very different from the one we saw in the general election. The

Liberal Democrats are the fourth-largest party at Westminster

yet Sir Vince Cable thinks politics is so volatile it is not possible to

predict what will happen in the next few months, let alone the next few

years. He says no one should roll out a Lib Dem breakthrough but is he

the man to make that happen? Sir Vince has a higher profile than his

predecessor Tim Farron. His passion for dancing led to this Christmas TV

appearance but he will be needing more than fancy footwork now.

Friends highlight his experience. He seemed to enjoy his brief stint as

interim leader ten years ago. The House has noted the pro Minister's

remarkable transformation in the last few weeks from Stalin to Mr

Bean. And he was one of the few politicians to predict the financial

crisis. The naturally closer to the Labour Party Sir Vince accepted the

role of Business Secretary during the conservative - Lib Dem

coalition. He says British politics is badly lacking common sense and

moderation and that is what he is promising to provide. Vicki Young,

BBC News, Westminster. New figures suggest

recorded crime in England And coming up, I am here at Royal

Birkdale where it's been a tricky day for the golfers on the first day

of the championship. Tom Westley will make his England

debut in the third Test The Essex batsman will

come in at number three If you are working parent, you will

know the summer holidays are an expensive time of year and it is

getting more so. The Family and Childcare Trust says

the average cost of a week's childcare in the holidays

is now a record ?124. That's an increase

of 4% since last year. Paddle boarding and kayaking,

the sort of holiday childcare at Leicester Outdoor Pursuits

that a lot of parents But it comes at a price -

?155 per week. For Nina it means putting

herself in to debt to make sure her 13-year-old Kyle can come

here while she's working full-time. I personally don't have the funds

altogether to have it. Well, it goes on the credit card,

or some years I have put There is more affordable care

in Leicester city centre. Alison, a maternity nurse,

is paying just ?75 a week each for her boys because this,

the Belgrave Playhouse, It makes the difference

between being able to work or not. I wouldn't be able to do the job

that I did because I wouldn't be able to fit the childcare around

the hours that I do. It's as tough as that, I just

wouldn't be able to go to work. Unsurprisingly, the Playhouse

is oversubscribed because parents across the country are having to pay

a record amount. This year it's...

Up 4%... To ?124...

..A week on average. For four to seven-year-olds, only

29% of English councils say there's What might make a big

difference to parents is if their employers did

more to help. Now, we can request flexible working

and millions are already But some employers

are going even further. This tech business has

entertainments on hand for staff, and it's letting them

bring their children in to enjoy it over the holidays,

as long as they get their work done. So, if everyone brought their kids

in, could you cope with that? Well, we probably would struggle

if everybody brought their kids in, but realistically it's the people

who really need the help during the summer period

that's really important. I think if people don't start doing

this then people will go through the same routines

of losing staff. Parents would welcome any

help to stop their finances falling over because of the rise in cost

of holiday childcare. The government's been accused

of betraying rail passengers by scrapping plans to electrify

major rail lines in Wales, New trains which can be powered

by diesel or overhead cables Our transport correspondent

Richard Westcott is in Richard, how are people responding?

Five years ago I remember being the reporter standing here, telling you

how they would electrify the Midland Main line up to Leicester and beyond

to Sheffield. Today the Government said it will cancel that project and

they have also said they will cancel electrifying the line between

Swansea and Cardiff and around the Lake District and Windermere as well

because it is far more complex and expensive than anyone had ever

realised. So the Government has said we will buy these new trains, they

will be part electric and part diesel, they can go everywhere and

we will bring them in sooner so the passengers get the benefits earlier.

That is a little bit of a sweetener but it has also created a lot of

anger here and in south Wales they are calling it a betrayal and said

all of the money gets spent in London, not here. Next year

Crossrail opens in London and that cost ?15 billion. Thank you.

Beth Ingram was a teenager when she was locked in a mental

health rehabilitation ward for several weeks.

It made her feel desperate and she says it was totally

And according to a review of England's mental health services,

too many mental health patients are held in locked

wards far from home for an average of a year.

The Care Quality Commission also says 40% of all mental

health services need to improve patient safety.

Our health editor Hugh Pym went to meet Beth and to hear her story.

The regulator's words are stark - too many locked rehabilitation

wards, many mental health patients feeling hopeless and powerless

in a system which breeds isolation and institutionalisation.

In her late teens she became mentally ill and had

For several weeks she was detained for her own safety in a locked

Now back at home and finding art therapeutic, she said the setting

The ward was locked by several doors, and I very much did...

I got to the point where I would bang my head on a door.

I would run at the door when I was at my most desperate.

The Care Quality Commission says it's concerned there are 3500 beds

in these locked wards, not including secure units for those

We weren't expecting to find this many.

We can't say exactly how many of the people in these wards

don't need to be in a locked facility, but we do suspect that

quite a high proportion of people in these services could and should

be moved back to be much closer to home.

The report also says that across England's

mental health services, 40% need safety improvements.

Access to children services is said to be a significant problem,

and there are fewer mental health beds and nurses than

But the CQC says there are examples of excellent care and signs

Whilst patients can feel safe and that they are receiving

effective care, there are areas across the country where that's not

the case and we must turn our attention there and ensure

that we bring everyone up to the level of good

But Beth says health leaders need to look harder

You try being on some of these wards or having a daughter or a son

It's not the right place, and a lot of the time it would be

unnecessary if there was just more care provided before

Beth wants to support others in a similar situation.

She hopes the disturbing experience she endured is soon

It was enough to test even the strongest of marriages,

as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge found themselves pitted against each

They were coxing rival boats in the city

of Heidlelberg, the latest stop on their European tour.

After some words of advice from their team mates,

William got off to a good start, and ultimately proved

too strong for Kate, with his boat winning

And it was his honour to celebrate the occasion,

cracking open a barrel of beer at the finish line.

The 146th Open Championship is under way at Royal Birkdale,

near Southport, where some of the world's best golfers

No-one from Britain or Northern Ireland has won

Already, the weather has played a big part

in the fortune of the players, as Andy Swiss reports.

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, welcome

A warm welcome for the fans but not exactly the players.

A brisk breeze meant testing conditions for the early starters,

and for most the leaderboard made grim reading.

But not for all, as a home favourite set the pace.

Ian Poulter has struggled with form and fitness,

but you would scarcely have guessed it.

The runner-up here nine years ago back to his bullish best.

The love affair hasn't changed since 2008.

I remember walking up obviously, er, the last hole

with a scorecard in my hand and it was a pretty special feeling.

Obviously I've gone out there today and performed just as well.

But for hometown hero Tommy Fleetwood, the dream soon

faded, as golf's star of 2017 was blown off course.

Fleetwood more wayward, no amount of local knowledge

And he wasn't the only struggler, as Rory McIlroy's recent woes

continued, bogeying five of the first six holes,

Instead it was the American challenge that blossomed,

as Brooks Koepka and Jordan Spieth charged to the top.

While Matt Kuchar was also in tantalising touch, making

The prize for shot of the day, well that has to go to Charley Hoffman

If only golf were always this simple.

The latest I can tell you is that three Americans share the lead,

Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka and Matt Kuchar, they are 1-shot clear

of Paul Casey. As for Rory McIlroy things have improved a little but he

is still nine shots off the pace. It looks like the sun has come out

at last. Yes, but tomorrow it will turn quite blustery, cloudy and

there will be some rain around particularly during the afternoon at

Royal Birkdale so some tricky golfing conditions.

We have lost the humid air we had over the last few days, replaced

with fresh air today. You have probably noticed that if you have

been out and about, and there has been some decent sunshine around in

the afternoon. We are going to see some further change in the weather

overnight tonight as a band of rain begins to moving across south Wales

and western England, also turning wet and windy from Northern Ireland

by the end of the night. The rain clears away from Scotland leaving

drier conditions. Relatively mild overnight, then tomorrow look at

this, it isn't a chart we really want to see during July. A deep area

of low pressure with the isobars tightly packed together which tells

us it will be a windy day. There is a slow-moving band of whether and

there will be strong winds too reaching gale force at times, but

across northern and eastern Scotland and eastern areas of England the

weather should be largely dry with decent spells of sunshine. A little

on the cool side beneath that band of cloud and rain. The same area of

low pressure still with us into the weekend so expect some rain, some

slow-moving heavy thundery downpours, but there will be some

sunshine around as well. For example on Saturday south-eastern England

not doing too badly, but just about anywhere else we are likely to see

some heavy, slow-moving thundery downpours, temperatures reaching a

high of 20 degrees. A reminder of our main story this

evening. New figures suggest recorded crime in England and Wales

has risen by 10%. That's all from the BBC News at Six

so it's goodbye from me,