:00:00. > :00:09.here in Edinburgh. That is all for tonight. Newsnight
:00:10. > :00:12.More than 1,300 taxi drivers in Milton Keynes are to unddrgo
:00:13. > :00:16.police checks, after a convhcted rapist was granted a licencd.
:00:17. > :00:18.The former mayor had given the driver a character reference
:00:19. > :00:26.Liberal Democrat councillor Derek Eastmen is to take over the role.
:00:27. > :00:30.Although his predecessor stood down, he is still working as a cotncillor.
:00:31. > :00:35.A scandal that has shocked the region and rocked
:00:36. > :00:41.Last month, it emerged that a convicted rapist
:00:42. > :00:46.The revelations led to Milton Keynes' mayor, Subhan Shafiq,
:00:47. > :00:50.who vouched for him during his application,
:00:51. > :00:54.He has so far refused to speak to the BBC.
:00:55. > :00:59.Following a council meeting, more than 1,300 taxi drivers will
:01:00. > :01:04.It was agreed that in the ftture all applications from drivers whth
:01:05. > :01:09.convictions for sexual or vholent offences will be refused unless
:01:10. > :01:16.How can there be any excepthonal circumstances when somebody has
:01:17. > :01:24.How can there be any exceptional circumstances?
:01:25. > :01:27.If they are checking it agahn, that is fine.
:01:28. > :01:35.They have to do their job properly, as the law says.
:01:36. > :01:36.People have become much mord cautious about us,
:01:37. > :01:40.even though the majority of us are decent people who have been checked
:01:41. > :01:48.Now, the public has different mis`concepts, I would call ht.
:01:49. > :01:50.It is not controlled and it is wrong.
:01:51. > :01:55.This is a strong message to the council,
:01:56. > :01:58.please do something about it ` look into it, before the worst h`ppens.
:01:59. > :02:02.The authority will employ two extra enforcement officers to cope
:02:03. > :02:08.Licence applications will also take longer.
:02:09. > :02:11.The reputational damage dond to the taxi industry has been severe,
:02:12. > :02:15.but we now have to build brhdges and work together to make the taxi
:02:16. > :02:21.We have over 1,300 drivers hn Milton Keynes.
:02:22. > :02:23.They play a vital part in delivering the local economy
:02:24. > :02:32.The leader of the council h`s called on those responsible
:02:33. > :02:36.for granting the offender a licence to examine their consciences.
:02:37. > :02:39.There remains no legal way to force them to stand down.
:02:40. > :02:44.Waseem Mirza, BBC South Tod`y, Milton Keynes.
:02:45. > :02:46.A homeless man has been charged with attempted murder,
:02:47. > :02:50.after another man was stabbdd in the neck in a shop in Aylesbury.
:02:51. > :02:53.The 25`year`old remains in a critical condition
:02:54. > :02:57.after he was attacked on Monday in the Babs Food and Wine Store
:02:58. > :03:01.63`year`old David Clarke has been remanded in custody.
:03:02. > :03:05.First Great Western has the highest level of overcrowding of anx train
:03:06. > :03:09.company operating in and out of London, according to latest figures.
:03:10. > :03:12.Last autumn, some services were running with 70% more passengers
:03:13. > :03:19.It has increased the number of seats on some trains this year.
:03:20. > :03:22.Eight men and two boys have been questioned on suspicion
:03:23. > :03:27.Police received reports of what appeared to be people chasing hares
:03:28. > :03:34.The ten arrested have been released on police bail.
:03:35. > :03:36.Oxfordshire has become the first area in UK to offhcially
:03:37. > :03:41.be recognised as a big supporter of businesses run for community
:03:42. > :03:47.?100,000 of funding has now been invested into the county's
:03:48. > :03:52.Oxfordshire has more than 140 companies that are putting `ny
:03:53. > :03:55.profits back into community projects ` including one which is recycling
:03:56. > :04:05.The Randolph Hotel in Oxford used to throw awax 15
:04:06. > :04:12.But with the help of a new business, they are now being recycled.
:04:13. > :04:15.We wanted to identify as many ways as possible to recycle
:04:16. > :04:22.One of our staff members highlighted that soap is retsable.
:04:23. > :04:25.Businesses like this are ond of dozens across the county
:04:26. > :04:29.which have a community focus, rather than a financial one.
:04:30. > :04:32.The work being done in Oxfordshire has now been recognised
:04:33. > :04:35.on a national level, as the first area in the UK to
:04:36. > :04:44.Oxfordshire is a hotbed of social enterprise activity.
:04:45. > :04:47.It is fascinating to see wh`t universities, local authorities
:04:48. > :04:50.civil society organisations, and private businesses can do together
:04:51. > :04:52.to tackle some of these entrenched social problems that exist here
:04:53. > :04:59.It means community`focused businesses ` like this rest`urant
:05:00. > :05:03.in Oxford, which also provides food to the homeless ` will be offered
:05:04. > :05:09.New projects will be now able to apply for help from ?100,000
:05:10. > :05:14.of funding from the local social enterprise group.
:05:15. > :05:17.This kind of work is also a valuable opportunity to those
:05:18. > :05:22.in need of a job or trying to overcome addictions.
:05:23. > :05:26.We get people from the community to be involved
:05:27. > :05:34.Learning to do the process, but also the business side of things
:05:35. > :05:37.` where they actually learn to keep figures, budgeting, turning profit,
:05:38. > :05:41.Today's announcement has bedn backed by the Prime Minister David Cameron,
:05:42. > :05:44.who says the work being dond in Oxfordshire plays a vital role in
:05:45. > :05:55.People near Wantage say motorists are making
:05:56. > :05:57.a narrow country road dangerous by avoiding diversion signs.
:05:58. > :06:01.Traffic is being routed awax from the A417 at Challow
:06:02. > :06:04.for three months while the bridge is being rebuilt by Network Rahl.
:06:05. > :06:07.But residents say drivers are still ignoring the signs and some say
:06:08. > :06:19.The cars are flying along the on the verges and on the gr`vel
:06:20. > :06:23.They are slipping and they `re going so fast that it means the btsiness
:06:24. > :06:29.We have to be careful going out on the road.
:06:30. > :06:33.We need to have more people to make it safe for the horses to go
:06:34. > :06:43.With the weather, here is Alexis Green.
:06:44. > :06:45.We are back in BBC Breakfast tomorrow morning, but,
:06:46. > :06:51.It was a lovely day today whth a high of 21 Celsius,
:06:52. > :06:56.The skies will be clear tonhght but it will stay dry.
:06:57. > :06:58.There is a risk of mist and fog like last night.
:06:59. > :07:01.There is low cloud as well, especially over hilltops.
:07:02. > :07:04.Temperatures in the towns and cities of 9`10 Celsius `nd
:07:05. > :07:08.It will be a dry start to the day tomorrow.
:07:09. > :07:11.There will be sunny spells hnitially in the morning, but with more cloud
:07:12. > :07:14.feeding in through the afternoon turning the sunshine hazy.
:07:15. > :07:17.There will be more cloud tolorrow than today and a high
:07:18. > :07:23.A look ahead to the rest of the week including the weekend ` high
:07:24. > :07:26.pressure is remaining in ch`rge of the weather with varying amounts of
:07:27. > :07:37.around, more breeze as well. Still dry.
:07:38. > :07:43.rest of the United Kingdom? English MPs would want to
:07:44. > :07:57.Plenty to talk about by day and by night. The mornings are distinctly
:07:58. > :08:02.chilly. A lot of clear sky out there today on the satellite picture, a
:08:03. > :08:06.bit of fair weather cloud. The thicker, rain-bearing cloud is still
:08:07. > :08:10.kept well at bay. There seems to be some sort of force field keeping
:08:11. > :08:14.that thicker cloud away from the UK. That is provided by a block of high
:08:15. > :08:20.pressure and these blocks take some shifting. For the time being, the
:08:21. > :08:26.wetter weather will be kept at bay. A largely dry outlook. Some subtle
:08:27. > :08:27.variations from day-to-day and from night to night. Tonight, a bit