01/03/2018 BBC News at Six

Large parts of the UK

grind to a halt as snow,

blizzards and sub-zero temperatures

continue to grip the country.

A rare red alert for

snow is now in force -

this time in south west England

and south Wales - meaning there's

a risk to life tonight.

People here are being told to stay

inside, to stay warm and to stay

part.

Near Glasgow, warm drinks

and blankets are lowered down

for hundreds of people stranded

on a motorway, some for 20 hours.

I got stuck here about eight

o'clock last night and I've

been here ever since.

I have not moved an inch yet.

A lucky escape for this driver -

but police across the UK say they've

dealt with hundreds of incidents

in the past 24 hours.

We'll have the latest

on the situation around the UK

as forecasters warn there's yet more

to come tomorrow.

Also on the programme...

Britain's so-called lost children,

forcibly sent abroad

after World War II.

Aow the Government's urged to give

survivors compensation.

The Prime Minister holds talks

with the European Council president

Donald Tusk in Downing Street

ahead of her major speech

on Brexit tomorrow.

A woman who bludgeoned her husband

to death with a hammer wins

the right to challenge her murder

conviction at the Court of Appeal.

And hoping for Oscar glory -

the profoundly deaf 6-year-old

from Swindon who'll be joining

the stars on the red

carpet this weekend.

And coming up on Sportsday on BBC

News: Scottish Rugby say they're

appalled to hear that Eddie Jones

suffered physcial and verbal

abuse after their Six

Nations win over England.

Good evening and welcome

to the BBC News at Six.

A red alert - meaning

there's a risk to life -

is in force tonight in parts

of south west England and south

Wales as heavy snow and blizzard

conditions sweep in.

It comes after hundreds of drivers

were stranded overnight on the M80

motorway near Glasgow.

In Lincolnshire today, where many

roads have been impassable,

the RAF has been drafted in to help

the emergency services and police

have asked farmers with tractors

to help clear the snow.

Thousands of schools remain closed

and many flights and trains

have been cancelled.

The Met Office has issued weather

warnings for almost the entire UK

tonight, with Amber alerts, the

second-highest level, in place of a

large parts. It is this area in red

from Exeter to Cardiff and beyond

that is most at risk tonight.

We'll be reporting

from across the UK -

from Devon, South Wales

and Stirlingshire but we start

tonight in County Durham

and our correspondent Danny Savage.

Sophie, the biggest problem over the

last 24 hours has again been severe

disruption to the transport network.

On the trains, the airports, and

especially on the roads. There has

been a real change of conditions

last night and today, with the wind

getting stronger from East, bringing

atrocious driving conditions and

visibility almost down to zero in

places. There is more of this to

come.

In Teesdale in County Durham,

communities woke up to find

themselves entombed in snow.

Yes, they are used to winter

weather here, but it hasn't

been this bad for years.

Behind every frozen door

was a snapshot of life

around the UK today.

Children off school and parents

wondering just how wrong this

is all going to go on for.

with a house full of children.

--

Childcare is an issue for a lot

of parents and we end up

with a house full of children.

We have a people, vulnerable people

that unfortunately can't get out.

It's hard, you know?

We dig each other out,

there's a lot of community

spirit that goes on.

And they were digging

out from first thing,

with all ages lending a hand before

it snowed again.

Here in Middleton, in Teesdale,

the unofficial snow depth is...

33 centimetres.

Venturing out into the countryside

around here was a battle

with the elements.

What's different today

is the wind and the immense

wind-chill that comes with it,

that's whipping the falling snow

and the stuff that's lying around

into these huge drifts.

Exposed to the strong easterly

wind, drivers in Norfolk

ended up in bother, too.

And out came the shovels.

I phoned in to work

and said I can't make it,

because I'm stuck in the drift.

I won't be in, so I'm

just trying to get home.

It's really deep.

I was only just able to get

through in my Range Rover here.

So this is going to be tricky,

and I don't think I've got enough

traction to pull this car

through this snowdrift.

What are you going to do?

Go home and have a cup of tea.

I think that's the answer

to everything, isn't it?

Neighbouring Suffolk saw

more heavy snow, too.

Lincolnshire, again,

was beset with problems.

This van will not be

going anywhere for a long time.

If the public stop and speak to you,

please engage with them.

A control centre was set up

to coordinate RAF units drafted

in to assist emergency services.

This is what trans-Pennine A-roads

looked like in North Yorkshire.

And this wasn't even on high ground.

The A65 between Skipton

and Kendall was best avoided.

In Ireland, a severe weather warning

has been issued for the Republic.

The Siberian freeze from the east

has crept further west.

Sales of anything to do with coping

with snow have lept.

It's all very different

to what you might expect

for the first day of spring.

Danny Savage, BBC News.

Heavy snow is continuing to fall

across large parts of Scotland.

Last night hundreds of drivers

were left stranded in freezing

conditions on the M80 near Glasgow -

some for up to 20 hours.

At Glasgow airport some passengers

are preparing to bed

down for a second night

after it was closed again today.

Our Scotland correspondent Lorna

Gordon is near the M80 at Denny.

She's sent this report.

Scotland's road to nowhere.

Hundreds of drivers stuck in miles

of stationary traffic

on what is usually one

of the country's busiest roads.

I left Sterling at about eight

o'clock and I've been

here since, unfortunately.

That is a good 17 hours,

maybe, at the moment?

Just knocking on that, yeah.

I think I've moved about 100

metres in that time.

Last night, some old boys

came out with biscuits

and crisps and this morning,

it was all the schoolkids that came

out, so, we're getting looked after.

I've got two biscuits.

The worst of circumstances bringing

out the best in people.

Volunteers handing out

food and water to those

stranded in their cars.

This storm was forecast

well ahead of time, but,

despite the warnings,

people did still venture out.

Now, after waiting nearly 18 hours

on this stretch of motorway,

it looks as if, finally,

the traffic might just be

about to start moving again.

Police officers clearing

the way ahead, one by one.

We've been coming up and down

the northbound carriageway.

Because of the queueing

vehicles and the vehicles

stuck most of the night.

Hard work, I've seen

the guys digging it out.

Very much so.

Very much so.

Giving the public reassurance to say

we're getting to them

albeit, yes, slowly.

But the appalling weather saw even

the emergency services

struggling at times.

No worries, thank you...

Those, though, who have experience

of working in these extreme

conditions have been

putting their knowledge to good use.

We are picking up a prescription for

somebody out in the countryside,

somebody has not been able to get

their essential medication so we are

going to take it to them.

For much of the day,

trains in the affected areas have

been off and the vast majority

of flights were cancelled from

Edinburgh and Glasgow, once again.

There was fun for some,

but with blizzards, freezing

temperatures and drifting snow,

there are serious concerns for those

out in these conditions.

Even as those who could heeded

the warnings to stay at home.

Tonight, across much of Scotland, it

is bitterly cold. The biting wind,

pushing temperatures too well, well

below zero. There are still weather

warnings in place, the advice is to

not travel unless it is absolutely

essential. Everybody is keen to

avoid a repeat of the chaos on the

roads that we have seen over the

last 24 hours.

Storm Emma is sweeping across parts

of South west of England and south

Wales this evening.

A red alert is now in

place until the early

hours of the morning -

and people are told to stay indoors

because lives could be at risk.

We'll get the latest from Sian Lloyd

in South Wales in a moment but first

let's go to Jon Kay who's in Devon.

John?

A lot of people woke up in

this part of the country, looked out

the window and thought it is not too

bad. Even when the red alert was

issued at about eight o'clock, at

breakfast time this morning, it did

not seem too bad for quite a long

time. Crucially, that red alert did

not come into effect, did not become

active until three o'clock this

afternoon. Almost bang on schedule,

the sky turned white, rather than

read, across the vast area, heavy

snow started following, and with it

came the wind, the blizzards that

whipped up the snow and cause

drifting and cause roads to be

blocked. That is what the

authorities are really worried

about. So, tonight there are a few

cars around, but people are mainly

at home, sitting tight, waiting to

set this out, and trying to

stockpile food. You can see lots of

people going to the shops, trying to

stock up with essentials, head of

the storm coming in. The police and

authorities are dealing with

numerous incidents. We have heard

tonight that a little girl, a

seven-year-old girl has died in

Cornwall. We are not clear if it is

weather-related. At the same time,

police are dealing with an incident

just outside Exeter, a notorious

spot which is steep, where there is

snow, and they are trying to get

traffic in and out of there.

Multiple incidents, but the key

messages to try to get indoors, stay

inside, stay warm and then stay put

until this is all over.

Let's go to Merthyr Tydfyll now.

Sian Lloyd is there.

Does not look like it is snowing,

but is it expected to get much

worse?

Yes, the snow is falling

here. It is feeling bitterly cold. I

am in the centre of Merthyr Tydfil

and it is pretty deserted. People

have been heeding the warnings here.

The red warning came in early today,

leading to an increased response

with more schools closing, thousands

of hospital appointments being

cancelled and businesses being

closed. We are expecting much more

bad weather as we head into tonight.

The Beast from the East

has travelled west.

Most of South Wales had

previously escaped snow.

But today that changed.

The county of Torfaen is

one of those where a red

extreme weather warning

is now in place.

Teams who usually work

in the council's forestry division

were drafted in to deliver hot meals

to those unable to leave

their homes, like Stanley Todd.

He is worried that bad weather

will prevent his care

workers from reaching him.

What it stops is people calling.

Because normally, several people

a day called for a chat

or whatever, various services.

So that will make it very lonely.

The weather warning covers visits

and high wind Nowell,

The weather warning

covers high wind,

which could pose a risk to life.

Remote hilltop communities are used

to seeing the bad weather coming in,

but the valleys towns below are also

heeding this warning.

In Merthyr Tydfil, schools have

been warned to close.

More than a thousand

are shut across Wales.

On the high Street, one

of the only shopkeepers

to open today soon gave up.

Usually a busy centre,

it looked more like a ghost town.

People had heeded the warnings

given to avoid travel.

Well, I think if there's a risk

to life, you've got to take

sensible proportions, really.

People are going into shutdown

and panic mode, I think.

It's starting to worry people.

The Welsh Transport Secretary warned

people to leave work early

with the weather expected

to get worse.

Plenty more information on the BBC

News website. We will have a full

weather forecast for you later in

the programme.

Our top story this evening...

Snow, blizzards and sub zero

temperatures continue

to grip the country,

with a red alert in force for south

west England and south Wales.

And still to come...

The moment they found out

they were nominated.

We follow the team behind short

film the Silent Child

as they head to the Oscars.

Coming up on Sportsday on BBC News:

England women's head coach

Phil Neville takes charge

for his first game tonight against

France in the She Belives Cup

tournament in the USA.

They've been called

Britain's lost children -

around 4,000 of them

who were forcibly sent abroad

to countries like Australia,

Canada and New Zealand in the years

after World War II.

They were promised new

lives in the sunshine.

Instead, many suffered horrendous

physical and sexual abuse.

Now, an independent inquiry

into what went on has urged

the British Government to pay

compensation to all the survivors.

Our Home Affairs Correspondent

Tom Symonds reports.

A dark history - British children

lied to, deported, sexually abused,

even tortured.

I've lived for 60-odd

years with this.

It went unmentioned for decades.

Even today, this is not

a well-known scandal.

But it has devastated lives

and continues to blight them.

All we did was do as we were told.

And suffered immensely for it.

The child migrants were from poor

backgrounds, promised a better

life in the sunshine.

And when visitors

came, especially from

Britain, that's how it seemed.

But last year, the

now-elderly migrants

gave hours of chilling evidence

of what their carers said.

They said that you're

a nobody, you've got

nobody, you've got no

parents, they're all dead.

..And even worse, did.

The verdict today, even by 1940s

standards,

what happened was indefensible.

Several governments ignored

warnings, carefully filed in

the official archives to avoid

upsetting the charities and

religious groups involved.

Or the Australians.

Politics put before children.

They ignored our plight,

they encouraged

paedophilia, to a degree.

Because they were made

aware of problems in

Australia, where they

were sending us to.

And yet, they continued sending us.

What does that tell you?

That tells me that they didn't

give a rat's backside,

if you'll pardon the vernacular,

about the British children.

Campaigners were delighted today

that the British Government

has been held responsible.

At last, a measure of

truth and a measure

of responsibility.

The buck stops with the government.

Britain apologised in 2010 that this

report has called for all surviving

migrants to receive compensation

within a year. The government is

considering its response will stop

its the first time this much

criticised inquiry has bared its

teeth. But the evidence heard in

this room was never really in doubt.

And this was a scandal very much of

the past. The inquiry's other

investigations may not be as

straightforward. But this to come

first. Because half of those who had

been called Britain's lost children

have already passed away.

The Prime Minister has met Donald

Tusk ahead of her major speech on

Brexit tomorrow expecting to set out

her plans for the next stage of

negotiations.

But there are tensions

with Brussels on the way ahead.

The EU's chief Brexit negotiator,

Michel Barnier, says Britain

is closing the doors on itself,

one by one, because of its

insistence on leaving the EU's

single market and the customs union.

Our Deputy political editor

John Pienaar reports.

Foreign Secretary, will

the whole Cabinet agree?

Time for the Cabinet

to stick together.

Too cold not to.

Not just the weather,

the chill between Britain

and Brussels over Brexit.

Boris Johnson and fellow Brexiteers

counting on Theresa May at today's

Cabinet to map out firm lines

in her big speech tomorrow.

Is this government on a sure

footing on Brexit?

Former Remainers, too,

joining the united front.

Is the government

skating on thin ice?

A fragile truce against a chorus

of critics, British and European.

Are you confident the Brexit

plan is going to fly?

Without question,

absolutely confident we'll

make a success of it.

All the doubters, though,

ex-Prime Ministers, Donald Tusk,

what do you make of them?

Fantastic investment from Toyota

yesterday demonstrates

real money invested,

creating real jobs.

And that speaks louder

than any prediction.

In Downing Street, they're preparing

for a hazardous journey.

Inside, Mrs May was rehearsing her

Brexit speech, hopes

of all trade routes clear.

of all trade routes free and clear.

Rules made in Britain,

squaring with Europe's,

only when they suit the UK.

And when the Cabinet broke up,

ministers were behind

what they'd heard.

Is the plan realistic, in a word?

Very much so.

You have no doubts?

Not a single doubt, yourself?

Not at all.

Wait until you hear

the speech, tomorrow.

The EU Council President,

chairman among leaders,

came in for his speech preview, too.

Expecting to dislike a lot of it,

despite the diplomatic chumminess.

And in their meeting

fully expected to say so.

I'm not happy with...

"Not happy with her

red lines", he said.

She wanted trade with no barriers

and, as he'd argued earlier,

he wanted Britain playing

by EU rules.

There can be no frictionless trade

outside of the customs union

and the single market.

Fiction is an inevitable

side-effect of Brexit.

In Brussels, there was no backing

down from the demand Britain

has rejected outright,

to avoid a hard Irish border,

Northern Ireland must

stay in a customs union,

if all else fails.

Be calm and be pragmatic.

No chance of Mrs May accepting that.

It's been hard enough

just clearing the path

to the start of Brexit talks,

which looks like becoming

very hard going.

Hard going uniting the cabinet, may

be hard to avoid the collapse of

Brexit talks over the Irish border

and if they go ahead, hard to

overcome EU objections to Britain

leaving and trading on its own

terms. Tomorrow, Theresa May will

set out her plans in detail but

there are many obstacles to overcome

and it won't get much easier any

time soon.

A woman who killed her husband has

won permission to challenge

her murder conviction.

Sally Challen, who was sentenced

to 22 years, admitted killing

Richard Challen at their home

in Surrey in 2010,

but denied murder.

Her lawyers say she was the victim

of "coercive control".

Charlotte Gallagher reports.

Victory for Sally

Challen's supporters.

Her son, David, hugs her lawyer

outside the Court of Appeal.

Sally Challen killed her husband,

Richard, in 2010, by repeatedly

hitting him over the head

with a hammer.

She was found guilty

of murder and sentenced

to a minimum of 22 years.

Her lawyers will now attempt

to challenge that murder conviction.

Sally Challen's legal team

say she was the victim

of coercive control,

a type of psychological abuse

that wasn't recognised

by law when Sally Challen

was first convicted.

It's now a criminal offence.

Her legal team say her husband

degraded, humiliated

and controlled her for many years,

and that was what led

to the killing.

This was going to be her last

chance at challenging

a conviction and a very,

very long sentence for what was

very, very tragic events that

happened in extreme circumstances.

Her son was relieved

with the decision.

Overcome, overjoyed,

most of all thankful.

Thankful we're getting this chance,

thankful that the justice system

acknowledges an issue might have

been overlooked or not

properly investigated.

Campaigners admit there

is still a long way to go,

but hope the case could help other

men and women who may have

subjected to mental abuse.

Charlotte Gallagher, BBC News.

The England rugby coach,

Eddie Jones, has said he'll no

longer travel on public transport,

after being verbally abused

by Scotland fans after England's

defeat to Scotland over the weekend.

BBC footage shows Mr Jones initially

posed for photograph

with a group of men,

after getting off the train

at Manchester, before

he was subjected to taunts

and abuse, as he tried

to get into a taxi.

The stars will be out in force in LA

on Sunday for the Oscars.

And joining them will be a

6-year-old girl from Swindon

who is profoundly deaf.

Maisie Sly stars in

the Oscar nominated British

drama The Silent Child.

It was written and directed

by two former actors

from Hollyoaks, as our

Entertainment Correspondent

Colin Paterson reports.

"Hello, I'm Maisie.

I'm in Hollywood for the Oscars."

It's a story so happy it could be

the plot of a Hollywood film.

Maisie Sly had never even acted

before her parents were told

about film-makers looking

for a profoundly deaf girl to star

in their film, The Silent Child.

And now, here are the nominees

for Best Live Action Short Film.

This is the moment in January

when the team gathered to find out

if they had been nominated

for an Oscar.

..My Nephew Emmett.

The Silent Child.

CHEERING

YES!

And so, this week,

they reunited at Heathrow...

Hello, welcome on board.

And headed to Los Angeles.

Most people prepare for the Oscars

by meeting stylists and planning

acceptance speeches.

Maisie's schedule has

been rather different.

"My favourite thing this week

was Kidspace and the zoo."

"Yep, that's my favourite

thing this week."

Welcome to Hollywood!

Although she is having to get used

to people recognising her.

I saw her on television,

just last week.

They say she's nominated.

Do you think she'll be able

to get a job one day?

Rachel Shenton wrote and starred

in The Silent Child.

She learned sign language after her

own father lost his hearing.

The nomination means

that ultimately, now,

we are in over 600 cinemas

in the US, which is huge

for us as a short film.

And it's really important

for the subject, which is obviously

deafness, and shining a much-needed

light on access to education

for deaf children.

There's Meryl Streep.

Her former Hollyoaks co-star

Chris Overton directed the film and,

at a lunch for all the nominees,

they got to meet one of his heroes.

Steven Spielberg was in

between me and Rachel.

And the person taking the photo

said, oh, can we move,

because the light's not good.

So we were ordering

Spielberg around!

Oh, an Oscar!

Now all that remains is to find

out if there will be

a Hollywood happy ending.

On Sunday night, Maisie could get

her hands on a real one of these.

Colin Paterson, BBC

News, Los Angeles.

Good luck to her.

Let's return to our main story,

and that red weather alert

in South Wales and the south west.

Jon Kay's in Tiverton.

A difficult few hours ahead?

It is. It is difficult for,

particularly, those bigger

communities that aren't so used to

this kind of weather. There are

people who live on the Moors who get

hit by snow pretty much every year

but this red warnings that was

declared this morning by the Met

office takes in some big cities like

Exeter. It goes towards Taunton,

Cardiff, the edge of Bristol. There

are big urban areas and urban

communities who might not be used to

the amount of snow and freezing rain

that could fall over the next few

hours. This isn't going to push

through particularly quickly, this

will go through the night, the early

hours of tomorrow and then another

wave tomorrow and tomorrow night.

That's why the authorities also

worried. That freezing rain and

mentioned is when rain falls, it

warms up and falls as rain and then

freezes as it hits the ground and

that could be absolutely treacherous

for Rush hour tomorrow morning. Once

again, lots of warnings and expect

more warnings in the hours and days

that followed.

Thank you.

Time for a look at the weather.

Here's Louise Lear.

This is far from over?

Severe

weather through the night and into

tomorrow as well.

You have been hearing red weather

warnings issued.

This has been the story with the

snow. This feed of showers across

eastern Scotland but

snow. This feed of showers across

eastern Scotland but in the last few

hours, the snow has gathered in

intensity across the south-west. You

can see quite clearly. In the last

few minutes, the Met office has

extended the amber warning. This red

warning is the real issue. This one

means take action. The weather is so

that there is a potential for the

loss of life. Blizzard like

conditions across the south-west.

And into south Wales overnight. That

extends its way, perhaps brushing

the southern part of Northern

Ireland and through the night, we

can't forget those showers across

eastern Scotland which have been

such a nuisance. They will continue,

perhaps not as widespread that they

will still be there. A veil of cloud

through the night, perhaps

temperature is not falling quite as

low as night just past but still no

news of minus four. Bitterly cold

start, and a grey and grim start for

many of us with a lot of cloud. That

biting easterly wind will make it

feel much colder. A brief lull

tomorrow morning, some showers in

the east but it will continue into

the afternoon, more snow in the

south and the Channel, the south

Midlands, Wales and south-west

England. Keep abreast of the

forecast, the position of that snow

may well change. Factor in the

strength of the winds, perishing me

cold. The wind direction will change

slightly and pushed the beast from

the east into the far north-east.

The weekend, something less cold but

still the risk of some snow showers.

The weekend, something less cold but

still the risk of some snow showers.

Thank you.