0:00:08 > 0:00:10Hospital A&Es in England record their worst ever
0:00:10 > 0:00:17waiting times last month since records began.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19A thousand patients waited 12 hours on trolleys
0:00:19 > 0:00:23without being cared for by any medical staff at all.
0:00:23 > 0:00:24There is a breaking point,
0:00:24 > 0:00:27we wonder how long our hard work and goodwill and our enthusiasm
0:00:27 > 0:00:30and care and professional attitude, how that can be sustained over
0:00:30 > 0:00:35a long period of time.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38Making things worse, and report finds that social care is being
0:00:38 > 0:00:42undermined through a lack of government funding.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46We're with doctors and paramedics
0:00:46 > 0:00:48in East London and at a care home in Sheffield to hear
0:00:48 > 0:00:49from patients and staff.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52Also tonight...
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Businesses are warned an interest rate rise could come
0:00:54 > 0:00:57soon though it's kept at nought point five per cent today.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59-- 0.5%.
0:00:59 > 0:01:00MPs could be expelled under
0:01:00 > 0:01:01new proposals to deal with harassment and
0:01:01 > 0:01:02bullying at Westminster.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Shocking new evidence of the plastic
0:01:04 > 0:01:06ensnaring animals and polluting the water in the Arctic.
0:01:06 > 0:01:07And running for Grenfell,
0:01:07 > 0:01:10the firefighters who were at the tower that night doing
0:01:10 > 0:01:15the Marathon in full kit to help the survivors.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18Blow for the British team on the eve of the Winter Olympics, snowboarder
0:01:18 > 0:01:25Katie Ormerod is out after breaking her heel.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Good evening and welcome to the BBC News at Six.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46New figures have revealed January to be one of the toughest months
0:01:46 > 0:01:49ever for A&E departments in England.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51And hospital-only A&Es recorded their worst ever figures
0:01:51 > 0:01:52since records began.
0:01:52 > 0:01:59Trolley waits continue to be a big problem too,
0:01:59 > 0:02:03with 1,000 patients waiting more than 12 hours to be cared for
0:02:03 > 0:02:05byanymedical staff at all.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09The four-hour wait target for patients was missed,
0:02:09 > 0:02:12for the 30th month in a row with over 85% of patients
0:02:12 > 0:02:14seen within that time, slightly better than December.
0:02:14 > 0:02:15The target is 95%.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17This comes despite non-essential treatments being
0:02:17 > 0:02:18cancelled to relieve the pressure.
0:02:18 > 0:02:24Our Health Editor Hugh Pym reports.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28The NHS flat out with staff working at a frantic pace just to keep
0:02:28 > 0:02:32services running, that is the picture which emerges from the
0:02:32 > 0:02:35figures for January in England, a service overstretched and under
0:02:35 > 0:02:38intense strain.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42Business in Leeds says that even though thousands of routine
0:02:42 > 0:02:46operations were postponed to help the system, the pressure was
0:02:46 > 0:02:53intolerable. -- this nurse.It is not sustainable, it is how long we
0:02:53 > 0:02:57can maintain this professionalism and keenness and caring attitude, it
0:02:57 > 0:03:03will not go but it is wondering... People will crack.OK, let's see, we
0:03:03 > 0:03:07will go right on to Cambridge Road in a column at.In some areas,
0:03:07 > 0:03:11schemes are trying to curb the numbers going to hospital, here, a
0:03:11 > 0:03:15senior ANC consultant is out on the road with a paramedic, taking
0:03:15 > 0:03:20hospital care to patients at home. -- A&E. It is a partnership between
0:03:20 > 0:03:24London air ambulance, London Ambulance Service, and Barts Health.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27They see an elderly man with dementia who has been in and out of
0:03:27 > 0:03:31hospital. They insure that he is safe to be left at home with his
0:03:31 > 0:03:37carer.We carry with us a laptop, giving direct access to the same...
0:03:37 > 0:03:42Job!That we have... Yes, we have got another job.That job is to meet
0:03:42 > 0:03:46up with another ambulance crew, which has picked up a woman with
0:03:46 > 0:03:51chest pains, Tony's experience as a consultant means he can reassure the
0:03:51 > 0:03:56patient that she is safe to stay at home.Presumably this is a relief by
0:03:56 > 0:04:00Jim at yes, I don't want to go to hospital, four hours.In the three
0:04:00 > 0:04:05and a half months since relaunched as a seven day a week service, more
0:04:05 > 0:04:08than 300 patients have been treated at home, who otherwise would have
0:04:08 > 0:04:11needed ambulances to take them to A&E and some of them would otherwise
0:04:11 > 0:04:18have been admitted to hospital, so beds have been freed up for others.
0:04:18 > 0:04:23Zombies looking after you well, nice and smooth.Liza is in a residential
0:04:23 > 0:04:29home, carers were concerned about her condition. -- this team have
0:04:29 > 0:04:33been able to carry out a range of checks and treatments to help as
0:04:33 > 0:04:37they where she is.We have gone to patients and put a smile on their
0:04:37 > 0:04:42face and the face of their families, everyone has come away making
0:04:42 > 0:04:45everybody see that the NHS has done the best job they can for them.But
0:04:45 > 0:04:50they recognise the huge pressure every day across the NHS.There is a
0:04:50 > 0:04:53lot of frustration, at the end of the day we want to be able to say
0:04:53 > 0:04:56that we have done the best for our patients and when the system makes
0:04:56 > 0:05:00that difficult that can be very frustrating, working in an overly
0:05:00 > 0:05:04congested system sometimes leaves us feeling that recently cannot deliver
0:05:04 > 0:05:07the best possible care for patientss.They are trying to
0:05:07 > 0:05:12deliver that level of care but as for most NHS staff, that has been
0:05:12 > 0:05:15harder than ever this winter.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18One of the problems contributing to the difficulties in the NHS
0:05:18 > 0:05:20is patients remaining in hospital because suitable care for them
0:05:20 > 0:05:21outside isn't available.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24And a lack of government planning and funding is undermining social
0:05:24 > 0:05:26care at a time when demand for it is increasing,
0:05:26 > 0:05:28that's the verdict of the National Audit Office.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31It says low pay means adult care services in England can no
0:05:31 > 0:05:34longer fill key posts.
0:05:34 > 0:05:40Here's our social affairs correspondent, Alison Holt.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45It is a busy lunchtime at Northfield nursing home in Sheffield, demanding
0:05:45 > 0:05:50work for the care staff... Who are looking after residents who may have
0:05:50 > 0:05:57dementia, problems walking or a range of chronic health conditions.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01Joyce, good afternoon, only me, sorry to bother you.Today's
0:06:01 > 0:06:04National Audit Office report outlines just how difficult it is to
0:06:04 > 0:06:08find people to do this vital work, but for residents like 97-year-old
0:06:08 > 0:06:12Joyce, the staff make all the difference.It is absolutely
0:06:12 > 0:06:18essential, if, you know, I see the same phase coming in in the morning
0:06:18 > 0:06:25and thinking, it is a friend.The nursing lead here, Tammy Ardon, says
0:06:25 > 0:06:32that recruiting staff is a real issue for them. -- Tammy Ardron.It
0:06:32 > 0:06:36is not as attractive as the NHS, where you have your salary packages,
0:06:36 > 0:06:42enhanced rates of pay, unsociable hours... And I think that it is hard
0:06:42 > 0:06:46work, it is busy and constant, you have to be on the ball 24 hours a
0:06:46 > 0:06:50day.Residential and nursing homes are dealing with an increasing
0:06:50 > 0:06:54number of people with really complex needs and they need the skilled
0:06:54 > 0:06:58staff to deliver that care. And that is why this report says the
0:06:58 > 0:07:02government must have a strategy for a sector struggling with low pay and
0:07:02 > 0:07:06low prestige.
0:07:06 > 0:07:12There was a staff turnover in 2016/17 of nearly 28%, councils
0:07:12 > 0:07:16spent 5.3% less than five years before the despite increasing
0:07:16 > 0:07:22demand. The report is clear that councils struggling with government
0:07:22 > 0:07:26cuts are not covering the real costs of care, according to the boss of
0:07:26 > 0:07:30this home, some providers have had no choice but to close or risk the
0:07:30 > 0:07:35quality of what they are doing.The only way that these operators can
0:07:35 > 0:07:39continue, is to cut the standard, because fundamentally, the funding
0:07:39 > 0:07:45issue is impacting on the resources, the workers, and the delivery of
0:07:45 > 0:07:50care.A survey of local authorities in England published today says that
0:07:50 > 0:07:54nearly all planned to put up council tax to try to cope with growing
0:07:54 > 0:07:59demands for adult and children's social care. 80% still fear for
0:07:59 > 0:08:04their financial stability. The government insists it is addressing
0:08:04 > 0:08:07these pressures.That is why they are getting more resources, real
0:08:07 > 0:08:11terms increase over two years, social care in particular, adult
0:08:11 > 0:08:17social care in the budget, over £2 billion allocated yesterday in
0:08:17 > 0:08:21Parliament I announced an additional £150 million. This may relieve
0:08:21 > 0:08:25short-term pressures but in the long term I accept that we need to change
0:08:25 > 0:08:28the approach to social care.The Department for health and social
0:08:28 > 0:08:38care says it will publish a strategy for the health and care work short
0:08:38 > 0:08:46-- shortly.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Interest rates have been held at 0.5%
0:08:52 > 0:08:55but there's speculation the next rise could come as soon as May.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58The Bank of England has signalled that rates could rise earlier
0:08:58 > 0:09:00and faster than it thought three months ago with the global economy
0:09:00 > 0:09:02expanding at its fastest pace in seven years.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04Here's our economics editor Kamal Ahmed.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06Stitching together a better story on the economy, orders for this firm in
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Manchester are booming, it is a story repeated around the country,
0:09:09 > 0:09:11leaving two -- leading to a positive assessment from the Bank of England.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Last 12 months, growing by 20%. Europe has been much stronger than
0:09:14 > 0:09:17that and so we have more than doubled what the growth rate has
0:09:17 > 0:09:21been in the UK. I am cautiously optimistic about the future, we are
0:09:21 > 0:09:25making major investments over the next 12 months.For the governor,
0:09:25 > 0:09:30simple reason for the better news. 90% of the world economy is growing
0:09:30 > 0:09:33above trend, the global expansion is increasingly being driven by
0:09:33 > 0:09:39investment. UK net trade is benefiting from this robust global
0:09:39 > 0:09:43demand, and the past depreciation of sterling.The economy is heating up,
0:09:43 > 0:09:47the threat of interest rate rises to control inflation has increased.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51Governor, this is a warning on interest rates, that they are likely
0:09:51 > 0:09:55to come earlier, and then to rise more rapidly than you originally
0:09:55 > 0:10:01expected.It will be necessary, likely to be necessary, to raise
0:10:01 > 0:10:11interest rates to a limited degree, in a gradual process...The Bank of
0:10:11 > 0:10:16England has upgraded growth, this year it is expected to rise from
0:10:16 > 0:10:221.5% to 1.7%. Next year, better news as well, growth is up from 1.7%, to
0:10:22 > 0:10:231.5% to 1.7%. Next year, better news as well, growth is up from 1.7%, to
0:10:23 > 0:10:281.8%. But prices will continue to rise, deflation is now expected to
0:10:28 > 0:10:35be at 2.9% by the end of the year, with wages chasing to keep
0:10:35 > 0:10:40the Bank of England expects that wages will accelerate, unemployment
0:10:40 > 0:10:44falling further, strong demand for labour, and fewer people entering
0:10:44 > 0:10:48the labour force. Together that means higher wages. It will not
0:10:48 > 0:10:55necessarily feed into stronger consumption, households are wheezed,
0:10:55 > 0:11:00buys still high inflation. -- households are squeezed.Better news
0:11:00 > 0:11:03on the economy from the Bank of England but that news laced with a
0:11:03 > 0:11:06very significant signal on interest rates, if you have a mortgage, if
0:11:06 > 0:11:12you borrow money, be ready for higher bills, and if you are a
0:11:12 > 0:11:17saver, at last, get ready for better returns. The bank did warn again
0:11:17 > 0:11:22about Brexit risk but for Britain, exporting nation, good news for the
0:11:22 > 0:11:25rest of the world, keeping the economy buoyant.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38The Japanese ambassador has warned that Japanese firms in the UK
0:11:38 > 0:11:40are worried about access to the EU after Brexit.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43After joining the prime minister in Downing Street for a meeting
0:11:43 > 0:11:46with Japanese business leaders, he warned no firm would be able
0:11:46 > 0:11:48to continue to operate here if they're not profitable
0:11:48 > 0:11:49because of Brexit trade barriers.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Our business editorSimon Jack is here, in a way it's a statement
0:11:52 > 0:11:55of the obvious but it raises the stakes too for
0:11:55 > 0:11:56the prime minister.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Back in September 20 16, three months after the referendum result,
0:11:58 > 0:12:00a very detailed 15 page document was outlined by the Japanese government,
0:12:00 > 0:12:01hopes, fears, concerns
0:12:01 > 0:12:02over
0:12:02 > 0:12:07Brexit, Nissan, Toyota, Honda, they have been enormous investors. --
0:12:07 > 0:12:10back in September, 2016. They still make half of all the cars here,
0:12:10 > 0:12:17mostly for export. They are worried if there will be Customs hold-up,
0:12:17 > 0:12:20tariffs, regulatory barriers, they want to see Customs unchained, all
0:12:20 > 0:12:25of these things still not resolved. The ambassador put it best: if
0:12:25 > 0:12:29profits are hit, investment will be hit, he called it a high-stakes
0:12:29 > 0:12:34game. Talking of high-stakes, sharp words today from David Davis, Brexit
0:12:34 > 0:12:37secretary for Brussels, they published a document saying they
0:12:37 > 0:12:41want to find a way of punishing the UK if we try to bend the rules
0:12:41 > 0:12:47during a transition period, said it was a mistake to make document
0:12:47 > 0:12:52public. They said the language was discourteous. -- they said it was a
0:12:52 > 0:12:54mistake to make that document public.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58MPs could lose their seats or be expelled under new plans
0:12:58 > 0:13:00to tackle bullying and sexual harassment at Westminster.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03A new code of conduct is to be set up for all those
0:13:03 > 0:13:05working in there, along with an independent
0:13:05 > 0:13:06complaints procedure.
0:13:06 > 0:13:11Alex Forsyth reports.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14This report from Alex Forsyth contains some flash photography.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17In the bars and backrooms of Westminster, claims of bullying,
0:13:17 > 0:13:18intimidation, sexual harassment, allegations that
0:13:18 > 0:13:20prompted investigations and some resignations.
0:13:20 > 0:13:27And reflection on how to change a culture that allowed abuse.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34The Leader of the House, Lord President of the Council.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Today, MPs from all parties unveiled their plans.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39It is a right, not a privilege, to be treated with dignity
0:13:39 > 0:13:41and respect at work, and this ambitious report is a major
0:13:41 > 0:13:43step towards a safer and more professional environment.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46Part of the problem had been those working here are often
0:13:46 > 0:13:47employed directly by MPs,
0:13:47 > 0:13:49with only political parties to complain to.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52So this report proposes a new code of behaviour for everyone working
0:13:52 > 0:13:55in Parliament and a new complaints and investigation system,
0:13:55 > 0:13:55independent of political parties.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57And there will be sanctions for inappropriate behaviour,
0:13:57 > 0:14:02anything from an apology to a possible suspension.
0:14:02 > 0:14:08In the worst cases,
0:14:08 > 0:14:12MPs could face a public vote to keep seats,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15not under new rules but using existing ones.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18There are some questions about the fact complaints will be
0:14:18 > 0:14:22kept anonymous but broadly, the report has been welcomed,
0:14:22 > 0:14:25beyond the detail, some are worried this alone will not bring
0:14:25 > 0:14:29about the change in culture that is really needed.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32Damian Green was one of those accused of inappropriate behaviour
0:14:32 > 0:14:33which he has always denied.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35His accuser says that today's report is a welcome step
0:14:35 > 0:14:38but a bigger shift is needed.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42You cannot make people take things seriously
0:14:42 > 0:14:50unless there is a serious culture change.
0:14:52 > 0:14:52That concerns me in parliament.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55There is still a lot of MPs who don't understand why behaviour
0:14:55 > 0:14:56they have been getting away
0:14:56 > 0:14:58with for 20 years, people are suddenly noticing
0:14:58 > 0:15:00and complaining about, that is the problem.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02The focus on this shadowy issue might have started
0:15:02 > 0:15:04the process of change, but most recognise there
0:15:04 > 0:15:07is still a long way to go.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Our top story this evening: Hospital A&Es in England
0:15:11 > 0:15:14record their worst ever waiting times last month,
0:15:14 > 0:15:17since records began.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19And still to come...
0:15:19 > 0:15:21The latest superhero film from Marvel with an all-black cast
0:15:21 > 0:15:25of actors playing the heroes.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Coming up on Sportsday in the next 15 minutes on BBC News...
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Six changes in the Six Nations for Scotland, as they look
0:15:30 > 0:15:33for a change of fortune against France following their
0:15:33 > 0:15:36opening day thrashing by Wales.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50There is shocking new evidence of plastic rubbish contaminating
0:15:50 > 0:15:53even the remotest ends of the earth - the pristine wilderness
0:15:53 > 0:15:54of the Arctic.
0:15:54 > 0:15:55Animals are becoming ensnared in plastic waste,
0:15:55 > 0:15:58while scientists say there are far more plastic particles in one litre
0:15:58 > 0:16:03of sea ice than in open water.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05They say they've found plastic pollution almost everywhere they've
0:16:05 > 0:16:06looked in the Arctic Ocean.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09Our environment analyst Roger Harrabin has been to Tromso
0:16:09 > 0:16:15in the Norwegian Arctic to see for himself.
0:16:15 > 0:16:21Plastic pollution has reached the furthest corners of the planet.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Arctic sea ice is created when sea freezes.
0:16:23 > 0:16:28It looks pristine but it definitely is not.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31In fact, ice cores show sea ice contains more fragments of plastic
0:16:31 > 0:16:39per square metre than anywhere else in the open ocean.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42It's because sea ice freezes from the top and that's exactly
0:16:42 > 0:16:43where the plastic bits are floating.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46One litre of melted sea ice contained 234 plastic
0:16:46 > 0:16:53fragments like these.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56We have a situation in the world now that there is nowhere that's
0:16:56 > 0:17:00so far away that it's not affected by plastic waste.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02There's plastic on the beaches too.
0:17:02 > 0:17:08This local conservationist is trying forlornly to clear it up.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10Here's what plastic does.
0:17:10 > 0:17:16This reindeer's antlers were trapped by a discarded fishing net, it died.
0:17:16 > 0:17:22This Arctic tern met its death by starvation.
0:17:22 > 0:17:29This polar bear was tangled in another fishing net.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32We try to sell this as Arctic and pristine and untouched,
0:17:32 > 0:17:37and it looks that way on pictures, but once you get here and you start
0:17:37 > 0:17:40to walk along the coastline, you get a completely other picture.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42The plastic is here with a vengeance.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45I have collected this waste in just a few seconds.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47Some of the fragments may come from Norway,
0:17:47 > 0:17:49some clearly don't - like this elaborate bottle
0:17:49 > 0:17:53for instance, or this butter tub from Spain.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55Scientists say fishing crews have caused most
0:17:55 > 0:17:59of the plastic pollution here.
0:17:59 > 0:18:05We have for years, for decades, been collecting all the garbage
0:18:05 > 0:18:10that we produce on-board into big waste bags, big bags,
0:18:10 > 0:18:12then compressing it and taking it to shore.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17So where this comes from today, I'm not sure of.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19The fishermen say they have stopped dumping lengths
0:18:19 > 0:18:21of rope into the ocean, but look at that.
0:18:21 > 0:18:22It's clearly been deliberately cut.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25So sad.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Arctic scientists don't know yet whether the plastic tide
0:18:27 > 0:18:30will affect local fish stocks, but it is another human threat
0:18:30 > 0:18:31to a fragile environment, already being transformed
0:18:31 > 0:18:32by man-made climate change.
0:18:32 > 0:18:40Roger Harribgan, BBC News, in the Norwegian Arctic.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46A series of failures led to the death of a man
0:18:46 > 0:18:49with Down's syndrome, according to an inquest.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52Richard Handley had suffered extreme constipation and had ten kilos
0:18:52 > 0:18:54of matter removed from his bowels before he died in
0:18:54 > 0:18:55Ipswich Hospital in 2012.
0:18:55 > 0:19:03Michael Buchanan reports.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11Richard Handley had a lifelong but wholly manageable problem with
0:19:11 > 0:19:14constipation. He also had down syndrome and learning disabilities,
0:19:14 > 0:19:21and that, say his family, is why this man is dead.I think Richard
0:19:21 > 0:19:25was treated differently because he had a learning disability. I think,
0:19:25 > 0:19:29as his sister and someone who doesn't have a learning disability,
0:19:29 > 0:19:35if I died suddenly at the age of 33, I think the reaction would be
0:19:35 > 0:19:38different.Today a coroner found multiple failures in Richard 's
0:19:38 > 0:19:41treatment. When his home in Lowestoft changed from being
0:19:41 > 0:19:46residential care to support of living in 2010, his care
0:19:46 > 0:19:50deteriorated. Gone was the healthy diet, who was allowed to eat what he
0:19:50 > 0:19:57liked and monitoring of his bowel movements was reduced.I think the
0:19:57 > 0:20:00main thing was the bowl monitoring, I don't see how anybody could
0:20:00 > 0:20:04justify getting rid of that for somebody with a chronic bowel
0:20:04 > 0:20:10problem.Large quantities of faeces built up in Richard's bowels. His
0:20:10 > 0:20:16stomach was described as being as large as a full-term pregnancy
0:20:16 > 0:20:21woman. Richard was taken to Ipswich Hospital where they removed more
0:20:21 > 0:20:26than a stone and a half of material. Write to the very end, the evening
0:20:26 > 0:20:32when things started to go bad, until that point nobody thought his life
0:20:32 > 0:20:38was in danger.But the blockage wasn't properly cleared. Bowel got
0:20:38 > 0:20:43into his lungs and he choked on his vomit. Today the hospital apologised
0:20:43 > 0:20:47for what the coroner described as a gross failure to provide proper
0:20:47 > 0:20:54care. It's a waste of life, isn't it?Absolutely.I don't understand
0:20:54 > 0:20:58how the untimely death of a 33-year-old didn't raise serious
0:20:58 > 0:21:05alarm bells.The coroner's conclusion reinforces what the
0:21:05 > 0:21:11family has always known - Richard Handley should still be alive.
0:21:11 > 0:21:16The firefighters at Paddington Red Watch were some of the first
0:21:16 > 0:21:19on the scene at the Grenfell Tower fire last June, working
0:21:19 > 0:21:21through the night to save as many people as they could.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Now nine of them have decided to run the London marathon in full
0:21:24 > 0:21:27firefighter's kit and breathing apparatus sets to raise money
0:21:27 > 0:21:28for the victims and their families.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32Sophie Raworth, a keen marathon runner herself, went to meet them.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34How is that possible?
0:21:34 > 0:21:38At that time of night, the roads were clear so literally
0:21:38 > 0:21:41two to three minutes before we got there.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44We could see it was well alight and we, yeah, just tried to get
0:21:44 > 0:21:52people out basically.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54It was something that, in my 23 years of service,
0:21:54 > 0:22:01I hadn't seen before, but we had a job to do.
0:22:01 > 0:22:0471 people died that night.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07The fire crews, who repeatedly queued up to go into the burning
0:22:07 > 0:22:09tower, managed to save the lives of 65 others.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11It was quite chaotic.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13We were there...
0:22:13 > 0:22:1713 hours, I think, overall.
0:22:17 > 0:22:2013, 14 hours.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23On a fire, even on a big job, you can get relieved, like,
0:22:23 > 0:22:25four or five hours later.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Another crew will come and relieve you from another station,
0:22:27 > 0:22:29but we didn't want to go anyway.
0:22:29 > 0:22:30We wouldn't have left anyway.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33The enormity of it only hit us, well hit me personally after,
0:22:33 > 0:22:34when I was sort of...
0:22:34 > 0:22:36a few days later when I'd seen what had happened.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40I didn't come to terms with it, I suppose just in shock initially.
0:22:40 > 0:22:41It's affected everyone.
0:22:41 > 0:22:47I mean, it's a major disaster in the centre of London in 2017.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51It's going to affect a large amount of people.
0:22:51 > 0:22:57You wouldn't be human if it didn't affect you in anyway.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01What kind of response did you get from the community afterwards?
0:23:01 > 0:23:03It was quite overwhelming, the thanks and applause you got
0:23:03 > 0:23:11was quite something else really.
0:23:11 > 0:23:16So the fact that they did appreciate us was sort of difficult to deal
0:23:16 > 0:23:24with because we don't really get that day-to-day.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27What happened that night affected them all so deeply that nine
0:23:27 > 0:23:29of the Grenfell Tower firefighters are now training to run
0:23:29 > 0:23:32the London Marathon to raise money for the victims and their families,
0:23:32 > 0:23:36and they are not making it easy for themselves.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39So you're going to run 26.2 miles with this on.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41Oh, my God!
0:23:41 > 0:23:42How much does this weigh?
0:23:42 > 0:23:4430.
0:23:44 > 0:23:4530 kilos?
0:23:45 > 0:23:47That's like carrying a small kid.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49Not even a small kid, that's like carrying
0:23:49 > 0:23:51a nine-year-old child on your back.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54It all means extra training, running around the fire
0:23:54 > 0:23:56station in between shifts.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59The money raised will be split between three charities,
0:23:59 > 0:24:01one to help firefighters and two others at the heart
0:24:01 > 0:24:03of the Grenfell community.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07We are not doing it for any sort of personal gain.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10We just want the story to be about them, and try and raise
0:24:10 > 0:24:13as much money for them as possible.
0:24:13 > 0:24:19Firefighter Martin Gillam finishing that report from Sophie Raworth.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21The latest superhero film from Marvel has its European
0:24:21 > 0:24:23premiere tonight in London, but what makes it different
0:24:23 > 0:24:28is its all-black cast of actors playing the heroes.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31The film's created a huge buzz on social media with many
0:24:31 > 0:24:33fans using the hashtag 'What Black Panther Means to Me'
0:24:33 > 0:24:35to highlight its significance for black audiences.
0:24:35 > 0:24:42Lizo Mzimba reports.
0:24:44 > 0:24:49The free cinema trip would have been welcome enough of these American
0:24:49 > 0:24:53schoolchildren, their sheer joy is because the movie is Black Panther.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57Such is the film's significance, people around the world are crowd
0:24:57 > 0:25:00sourcing money to give black children in particular the
0:25:00 > 0:25:06opportunity to watch it on the big screen. People like this actress
0:25:06 > 0:25:11from London, she has so far raised around £4000.I think it is just a
0:25:11 > 0:25:17film you don't really see, you don't see black superheroes in the big
0:25:17 > 0:25:20blockbuster. The positive representation is good for people
0:25:20 > 0:25:26growing up in this area but I think all over the world.Black Panther is
0:25:26 > 0:25:32being seen as a cultural milestone. A predominantly black cast leading a
0:25:32 > 0:25:42big budget blockbuster.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47People making it a reality for kids who maybe wouldn't be able to go to
0:25:47 > 0:25:52the movies and experience it, I think it is beautiful, man.It's the
0:25:52 > 0:25:56kind of film many have been waiting decades for Hollywood to make, not
0:25:56 > 0:26:02only a host of black role models but also strong female characters at its
0:26:02 > 0:26:08heart.Black Panther was a moment and hopefully it is one... It will
0:26:08 > 0:26:12obviously exist for long but this particular moment we want the
0:26:12 > 0:26:16momentum to keep going. I don't think it is Black Panther's
0:26:16 > 0:26:21responsibility to change the world. How important was it for you making
0:26:21 > 0:26:25sure this was primarily a piece of entertainment, even with this huge
0:26:25 > 0:26:29amount of social responsibility that was inevitably going to come into
0:26:29 > 0:26:37the equation?That is what it is. It is not a political lecture, you know
0:26:37 > 0:26:44what I mean? It's a movie. It has got to work as that.And that is a
0:26:44 > 0:26:50movie expected to have one of the biggest openings ever, and more
0:26:50 > 0:26:55importantly, show others in the film world how lucrative diversity on
0:26:55 > 0:26:57screen can be in the 21st-century.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59Time for a look at the weather.
0:26:59 > 0:27:00Here's Louise Lear.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08It was cold and frosty this morning across England and Wales but that
0:27:08 > 0:27:10will change overnight tonight because this weather front that is
0:27:10 > 0:27:15moving in as we speak will introduce cloud and rain. We haven't seen that
0:27:15 > 0:27:18much rain across central and southern England this week and it
0:27:18 > 0:27:23will turn quite cold behind it. If you have been caught underneath the
0:27:23 > 0:27:27cloud and rain today, you have seen sites like this across parts of the
0:27:27 > 0:27:31Lake District. In the last few hours, the rain is pepping up and we
0:27:31 > 0:27:37have sharper showers, turning wintry in the far north of Scotland. Signs
0:27:37 > 0:27:42of what is to come. The rain will turn heavy as it moves south and
0:27:42 > 0:27:45east tonight, behind it we can already see showers of wintry nature
0:27:45 > 0:27:49in the far north and west. But temperatures further south will hold
0:27:49 > 0:27:55up above freezing, hence the reason for the green, but further north
0:27:55 > 0:28:01with the blues, we could see minus four which could lead to icy
0:28:01 > 0:28:03stretches, particularly when you encounter those snow showers so
0:28:03 > 0:28:09that's worth bearing in mind first thing tomorrow. A similar story for
0:28:09 > 0:28:13Northern Ireland and northern England. For England and Wales the
0:28:13 > 0:28:16wintry mix of sleet and snow that will drift into Lincolnshire and
0:28:16 > 0:28:21perhaps the south-east of England during the lunch hour tomorrow.
0:28:21 > 0:28:26Behind it, brighter conditions, fresher and colder for all of us.
0:28:26 > 0:28:31Any showers in the north-west will be snow at lower levels. A cold
0:28:31 > 0:28:36nights so all change for England and Wales as we head into Saturday
0:28:36 > 0:28:40morning, but this weather front will bring snow to Scotland for the early
0:28:40 > 0:28:44hours of Saturday morning. Behind it, it is rain and it will bring a
0:28:44 > 0:28:50miserable day for much of England and Wales on Saturday. A wet affair,
0:28:50 > 0:29:01windy with it. Temperatures are degree also higher. A reminder of
0:29:01 > 0:29:06our main story, hospital A&Es record their worst waiting times last month
0:29:06 > 0:29:06since