06/03/2018 Breakfast

Hello, this is Breakfast,

with Louise Minchin and Dan Walker.

A former Russian double agent

is in critical condition

after he was exposed to an unknown

substance in Salisbury.

66-year-old Sergei Skripal

and a woman in her 30s were found

unconscious on a bench on Sunday.

Last night, police closed

a restaurant in the city

as a precaution.

Good morning, it is Tuesday 6 March.

Also this morning:

Counting the calories.

Health officials in England call

for portion sizes to be cut,

as they say the public

need to go on a diet.

Six-year-old Maisie was one

of the stars of the Oscars,

but we will find out why deaf

children like her could be falling

behind at school.

Thousands of homes across the UK

are still without water

because of burst pipes caused by

last week's freezing temperatures.

I will have the latest.

And in sport: Sir Bradley Wiggins

denies that he is a cheat,

after a Parliamentary report

suggests he and Team Sky crossed

an ethical line

in their use of drugs.

And Carol has the weather.

Good morning. We have heavy rain,

sleet and snow across northern

Britain at the moment. That will

largely be confined to the hills of

northern Scotland, where we will see

significant snow later. The rest of

us it is a day of sunshine and some

showers. I will have more details in

about 15 minutes.

Police are trying to identify a

substance which caused a former

Russian double agent to fall

critically ill in Salisbury

yesterday. He was convicted by a

Russian court of passing state

secrets to MI6 but was later given

refuge in Britain as part of a

prisoner swap. Our correspondent has

more.

Police are racing to establish

just what happened here.

Last night, officers were examining

the contents of a bin

near to the bench where

Sergei Skripal and a 33-year-old

woman were found unconscious

on Sunday afternoon.

A high street Italian

restaurant nearby was closed,

the staff inside questioned.

Detectives are trying to piece

together the events that led

to the police being called out

to this shopping precinct

in the centre of the city.

There was a couple -

an older guy and a younger girl.

She was sort of leant in on him, it

looked at though she was passed out.

He was doing some strange hand

movements, looking to the sky.

I felt anxious, I felt

like I should step in.

But, to be honest, they looked

so out of it that even if I did step

in,

I wasn't sure how I could help.

The two remain in a critical

condition at Salisbury Hospital.

Sergei Skripal was a former Russian

secret service officer,

convicted of treason in 2006

after he was accused

of spying for Britain.

But he was pardoned in Russia

in 2010, and handed over to the UK

in a swap, when he and three others

were exchanged for Russian spies

in the US.

Police say they are keeping an open

mind about this incident,

and don't

yet know whether a crime

has taken place.

But, given Sergei Skripal's

background, it is likely to be

a sensitive investigation.

Leila Nathoo, BBC News, Salisbury.

Public Health England have

challenged the food industry to cut

calories in products

such as ready meals,

sandwiches, pizza and snacks.

It is hoped the plans,

targeting some of the most popular

family foods, could lead to a drop

in the number of obese children.

Our health correspondent

Adina Campbell explains.

They are some of our

biggest-selling products,

but not

necessarily the healthiest.

Processed meals and food on the go

are, for many of us,

shopping basket staples.

But, as part of the Government's

plans to curb childhood obesity,

health officials are now calling

on food retailers and manufacturers

to reduce calories by 20% by 2024.

Public Health England says this can

be achieved in three ways.

Changing the recipes in meals,

using better-quality products.

Smaller portion sizes,

which would help control how

much we eat.

Or steering us to buy

lower-calories products in some

of our favourite foods.

We've announced a 20% calorie

reduction programme.

So that's taking

calories out of ready meals,

out of pizzas, out of savoury

prepacked sandwiches,

out of savoury snacks,

and gradually,

over a time, improving the recipes

so we all eat healthier.

These posters are one way health

officials are hoping to make us more

aware of what we eat,

by having a benchmark of 400

calories at breakfast, and another

600 for lunch and dinner.

10 star jumps!

It is estimated some children

are consuming 500 calories more

than needed every day.

And, with around a third leaving

primary school overweight or obese,

health experts say Britain

needs to go on a diet.

Adina Campbell, BBC News.

In Syria, the first aid convoy

for three weeks has delivered

supplies to the rebel-held

territory Eastern Ghouta.

But aid workers were forced to cut

the mission short after dozens

of people were killed by shelling

from pro-government forces.

Nearly 400,000 people are thought

to be trapped in the enclave,

which has been the focus of heavy

fighting in recent months.

Thousands of homes in the UK

are still without water

following last week's freezing

weather, that caused pipes to burst.

Production at two of

Jaguar Land Rover plants had to be

halted temporarily to allow water

to be prioritised by emergency

services and hospitals.

Tom Burridge reports.

After the big freeze, the thaw, and

cracked, leaking water pipes in

several parts of the country. So

this the only supply for thousands

of people for several days. Thames

Water is handing out bottles of

water to its customers in parts of

London which a cut off. Large

numbers of homes in Scotland, Wales

and southern England are affected.

I've got five kids, and literally

without water since 6am yesterday

morning. It is terrible.

Washing the

bottles is just a bit difficult.

There is a lot of stuff covered in

baby to that I can't wash at the

moment.

The water needs to be fixed.

Schools have closed. Some say the

water company should have planned

more.

At the very least one would

have thought they would be some kind

of public enquiry. People will be

interested to know whether they will

get compensation for what has

happened.

Several water companies

have apologised. They say they were

working overnight to get people

connected again.

Nearly 250 BBC staff have signed

an open letter challenging

the corporation to publish

employees' individual

salaries and benefits.

In January the BBC director general,

Lord Hall, announced a five-point

plan to tackle pay inequality

at the corporation.

But signatories to the letter,

including Victoria Derbyshire,

Mariella Frostrup, Dan Snow

and the Reverend Richard Coles,

claim BBC management should

go further to ensure

transparency and accountability.

A new unit is being set up to tackle

gang activity and organised crime

being carried out within prisons

in England and Wales.

The Justice Secretary, David Gauke,

is concerned that too many prisoners

are able to smuggle drugs,

mobile phones and weapons

into their cells, fuelling

violence behind bars.

Under the changes set to be

announced later today,

inmates who get involved with crime

behind bars could be moved

to higher-security jails.

North Korean state media

is reporting that leader Kim Jong-un

is calling for closer

ties with South Korea.

It follows a rare visit

to the North Korean capital,

Pyongyang, by senior

officials from the South.

The US said it is cautiously

optimistic about improving

North-South contact,

but ruled out formal talks

with the North Korean regime

unless it is ready to give

up its nuclear weapons.

The packaging industry in England

has denied claims it is greatly

exaggerating the amount

of plastic it recycles.

Waste consultancy group Eunomia says

the industry's figures don't add up,

and companies aren't paying

enough towards the cost

of collection and processing.

Our environment analyst

Roger Harrabin explains.

Dealing with waste costs the public

£2.8 billion a year. Under a

government scheme, the firms that

produce bottles and packages have to

pay towards improving the recycling

system. For every ton of waste they

create, they contribute towards

recycling technology. But today's

report says the packaging industry

is only paying a 10th of the real

cost of clearing up the mess it

creates.

It is government policy.

Government policy effectively

allowing the bulk of the cost of the

packaging recycling service to be

met through council tax payments,

from you and me. Whereas what we

would like to see is producers

pulling their weight and paying the

full costs of the packaging

recycling service provided to you

and me as households.

The industry

says that trusts its figures on

recycling, and has not exaggerated.

A spokesman hinted that packages

would be willing to pay more towards

recycling, as part of a government

review into waste policy --

packagers.

And our former colleague and good

friend Bill Turnbull has announced

that he has been diagnosed with

prostate and bone cancer. He tweeted

the news last night and has

undergone chemotherapy. He says he

is in good spirits and hopes to be

around for some time yet, which is

good news. You will recall he was

here with us for Breakfast for 15

years. This was his last day before

he left the sofa in 2016, just over

two years ago. He was diagnosed at

the end of last year during the

recording of the Great Celebrity

Bake Off on Channel 4.

I was getting pains in my legs, my

hips particularly. And they would

come and go, and I thought this is

old age. Eventually the pains got so

bad I thought, well, I had better go

and see my GP. He said, well, I am

just going to give you a blood test,

just a sort of MOT, if you like,

just to check a few things out. The

next morning he called me and asked

me to come in pretty quickly and the

doctor said it is pretty clear from

this that you have advanced prostate

cancer.

I spoke to Bill yesterday.

How is

he?

Everybody who has watched him

over the last 15 years will know he

is an immensely optimistic person.

He was in good form. He is

undergoing treatment at the moment

and we have a long conversation.

Between us we have a national

lottery syndicate and I phoned him

to tell him we had won £2 something

or other. And again, he was really

up beat, so best wishes to Bill and

all his family as well. And you can

see more of that interview with Bill

on Great Celebrity Bake Off tonight

on Channel 4. He is probably

watching, so good morning. And John

is here with another day of talking

about Bradley Wiggins.

We were

saying that we would like to hear

from Sir Bradley Wiggins, and

yesterday he spoke to our sports

correspondent, and in a really

compelling interview he strongly

denies all the allegations put

forward against him in that report

which came out yesterday from that

group of MPs. He says he has only

ever taken drugs under the

therapeutic use exemption which

allows you to take what would

normally be a banned substance for

medical reasons, to get him up to

the level which allows him to

compete on a level playing field,

the drugs to fight asthma and

respite you problems. He says it has

affected his family deeply and we

will be bringing you a clip of that

interview a bit later on. He flatly

denies those allegations against him

and calls it malicious. It is a

really interesting listen. We will

have more for you later on that.

How about this for a winning goal?

Nemanja Matic's stunner

wins a thrilling game

for Manchester United,

but it leaves Crystal Palace

in the bottom three.

And, as Serena Williams prepares

to make her comeback

after having her first child,

she has added her voice

to the chorus of women in Hollywood

calling for equality.

She says maybe it is

time to get feisty.

And the head coach of England Rugby

says abuse is part of the job.

He got some unwanted attention

on a train and outside a station

after his side lost to Scotland

in the Six Nations.

He says it is part and parcel of the

game and that perhaps that happened

as a result of the nature and size

of the defeat England suffered to

Scotland. He says he won't travel on

a train again.

Which is sad, really,

isn't it?

It is sad, because you

want to be forward facing and be

able to stop and have a conversation

with someone on the street. If you

are treated in that way you are

going to hide behind tinted windows

in a taxi. It is not what people

want to do.

You would love to be

able to have a chat with him

afterwards, and a bit of gentle

Reading...

He knows he will get a

little bit of that, when England

lose to Scotland, but as is always

the way, it is always the minority

who spoil it. And more of that

interview later with Radley weakens.

Let's find out what is happening

with the weather this morning. --

Radley weakens.

We do not

We do not have the severity we had.

We have rain and sleet and snow

pushing north. That will become

confined to the hills of Scotland.

Today, significant snowfall. For the

rest of us, a mixture of sunshine

and showers and bright spells. Low

pressure has dominated our weather

for a while and will continue to do

so for much of this week. This is

the system bringing rain and sleet

and snow northwards and it is making

progress, coming out of northern

England through parts of Scotland,

the Central Lowlands, and the

highlands. Across the Central

Lowlands, we could see sleet and

snow, even at lower levels, this

morning, as the system goes north

and takes rain with it. Further

south, mist and fog. Some bright

spells, but equally, a fair bit of

cloud around as well and showers

from Northern Ireland, south Wales,

and the Channel Islands.

Temperature-wise, we are in good

shape as we go further south. Ten,

11, 12. Not feeling bad at this

stage in March. Scotland, much

colder. The north of Scotland, once

again, easterly winds, exacerbating

the cold feel. Getting down to low

levels in Shetland. As we go through

the evening and overnight,

significant snowfall in the hills of

Scotland. Low pressure moving north

through the North Sea. The

distribution of where we see the

snow tends to change. Coming in

again across the Northern Isles and

across north-west Scotland as well.

Tonight, cloud around. Some breaks

and some frost. The risk of ice. And

also showers, some will be wintry.

Tonight, there could be problematic

fog and dense fog, patchy and dense

fog, in East Anglia and the

south-east. Keep that in mind if you

are travelling tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow, low pressure is continuing

to push in the direction of

Scandinavia. The weather front

around it producing rain in the

north-west. Wintriness here and

there. Showers, and we will not all

see them. Dry weather in between.

Sunshine. Some showers in the south

of England could be heavy with a

mixture of hail and thunder and

lightning. Temperatures coming down

a touch. Instead of 12 today,

temperatures like nine. Aberdeen,

temperatures climbing a little bit.

Thursday, while we have a system

close to the south of England, it

will bring rain to southern counties

in the Channel Islands. Some of it

could be heavy. Move away from the

south, for many of us, a dry and

bright today with sunshine. Having

said that, some showers. Compared to

what we are used to, especially in

Scotland, a brighter picture. Some

showers will be wintry in nature to

be in terms of temperatures, 5-9 in

the south. Friday, a lot of dry

weather around. High pressure in the

north and wet and windy weather

starting to spread in the south.

Back to you, Lou and Dan.

starting to spread in the south.

Back to you, Lou and Dan. The

papers. A lovely picture on the

front page. Steph is with us. He

revealed on Twitter he has prostate

cancer, Bill. We spoke to him and he

is upbeat yesterday. This story is

on all of the papers. A spy, they do

not know what happened, but they

suspect the former spy could have

been poisoned.

He put out two

Tweets. It said spread a thought for

those in the UK with cancer.

And get

checked as well. And we have met her

many times, his wife.

We were

talking about this. A Russian spy is

critically ill after suspected

poisoning. The double agent was

found unconscious in Salisbury

following exposure to an unknown

substance. We will be live later on

for the latest on that

investigation.

For weeks, they have

had different views on the papers.

But this story has one story. The

story of the spy. The Telegraph as

well. Russian spy with poisoning.

A

spy swap, poisoned in Britain. The

Guardian as well. A former Russian

spy has been left critically ill

after exposure to a substance.

Bradley Wiggins on the Times, I am

not a cheat, I'm a victim.

Allegations have been added to the

report. He says he wants to know who

it is so we can get some facts and

end allegations. The Guardian.

Several articles. Richard Williams

said trash or treasured memories.

Can we believe what we have

witnessed in sport? Is the trust in

sport there? We were talking about

the achievements and legacy of

Bradley Wiggins. As a fan of sport,

can we believe what we have

witnessed? Did it happen naturally,

was it pure cycling?

was it pure cycling? Man vs machine,

pure machine? Drug use? Those are

the suggestions. Can we believe what

we are seeing?

He had a robust

defence yesterday. He is protecting

everything he has done.

Yes, all the

medals he has one, is achievements,

his reputation is being tarnished.

-- won. The same for Team Sky.

We

look forward to hearing that

interview in 20 minutes.

There are

many people who have been affected

by the bad weather we had last week.

Many people without water in their

houses. Good morning, everyone. The

Daily Mirror picks up on that. In

particular, to companies are

struggling without water, the

chocolate giant, Cadbury, and the

car giant, Land Rover. They have

halted production to ease the water

shortages.

It seems extraordinary.

Yes. You always think, how could

that happen? There are many problems

and we will talk about what people

can do later on.

We talk about many

things about paying more for the

same product if you are male or

female. This is in many papers.

Children's toys and clothes. They

have done a little survey, research

by a parenting website, and this is

an example. These

an example. These are some skates,

blue and green, these, in pink and

purple. 7.99 and 10.99, the

difference in price, but only the

colour changes.

That is it. These

ones could have funkier wheels.

No,

they say only the colour is

different.

And you have read the

research as well. A similar jacket.

The same colours.

It could have a

different zip.

You have a great

story.

This is very "me." Four in

five people could not pick out their

neighbours in a police line up.

Did

they say where they live?

Different

places are better than others. The

biggest failure is, no surprise, in

London. Northern Ireland is a bit

better, one in 50. It seems, on

average, four in five could not.

And

you could say yourself you know?

, I

do not, sorry. I am busy and I am in

and out of the door.

It depends

where you live. A big city, a

village... You might recognise them

in a village.

You chat a lot.

Hey,

I'm friendly.

You are more focused.

You are not alone, Steph, that's the

thing.

The last few years have seen a boom

in the popularity of trampoline

parks across the UK,

from just three in 2014 to more

than 200 now.

But their popularity

is being linked to a rise

in hospital admissions.

A Freedom of Information request

by the BBC found ambulance crews

were called out to more than 1,200

incidents at trampoline parks

in England last year.

Anna Crossley reports.

Good girl. She was really

distraught, she was hysterical,

which is not like us. She is

normally quite resilient.

What

should have been a fun day out ended

with a trip to Accident and

Emergency.

One of the staff came

over and said don't worry, she has

just landed awkwardly. But I knew,

definitely, as they think a mother

does, there was something wrong.

Her

worst fears were confirmed. Her

3-year-olds daughter, Cameron, had

broken her leg. She was taken to a

hospital with staff well versed in

dealing with trampoline injuries.

They said they were keeping them in

business. They were not surprised

and said it was quite a regular

thing, having children coming in

with broken bones to put in the last

few years, trampoline parks have

surged in popularity.

-- bones.

There are now around 200 in the UK.

So we is hardly surprising there has

been an increase in the number of

accidents. But it is the severity of

these injuries which is concerning

this hospital, so much so it has

launched an internal audit.

If you

are injured by a trampoline, you

could have a more serious injury if

it is from a trampoline park. Broken

limbs and hitting head as well,

people bouncing into each other. --

heads.

Not only medical

professionals are concerned. Even

trampoline park owners are saying it

is time that tighter controls were

introduced.

I am worried about the

injuries at trampling barks. Am I

worried about the injuries of

gravity, no? We have eight 0.01%

injury rate. --A.

In fact, there is

so much concern within the industry

itself, some owners like Michael

have been working with The British

Standards Institution to draw up a

new set of safety guidelines to be

and although there will be no legal

requirement to comply, it is hoped

they will sign up. -- guidelines.

It

will cover construction of the park,

the nuts and bolts and how high off

the floor it should be, and the

operation of the policies that

should be in place on the type of

training that needs to be identified

in order to operate a safe park.

There is no doubt trampolining is

good fun and good exercise, the

challenge now is making sure safety

standards can keep up with the speed

with which the industry is growing.

BBC News.

We will talk to somebody about that

a little bit later on Breakfast and

how many people are being injured.

Some places have

Some places have trampoline is

without

will be back in 20 minutes. Plenty

more on line.

Now, though, it's back

to the Breakfast sofa.

Bye for now.

Hello, this is Breakfast,

with Louise Minchin and Dan Walker.

It is 6:30am on Tuesday 6 March.

We will have the latest news

and sport in just a moment.

But coming up later

in the programme: It is our main

story this morning -

the search for answers

after a former Russian spy was found

critically ill after being exposed

to an unknown substance in

the centre of Salisbury yesterday.

We will have the latest

throughout the morning.

The Beast from the East and storm

Emma may have blown themselves out

at last, but they have left a grim

harvest of on Britain's beaches.

We will be live in East Yorkshire,

where thousands of sea creatures

have been washed ashore.

And, in the '70s and '80s,

millions of us tuned in to watch

the likes of Big Daddy

and Giant Haystacks do battle

in very British wrestling matches.

Now, the spirit of that era

is being rekindled in new British

comedy Walk Like a Panther.

We will be talking to

the film's star, Dave Johns.

All that still to come.

But now, a summary of this

morning's main news:

Police are trying to identify

a substance which caused a former

Russian agent who spied for Britain

to collapse in Salisbury.

Sergei Skripal, who is 66,

and a woman in her 30s are both now

critically ill in hospital.

Skripal was convicted of high

treason in his native Russia

after passing state secrets to MI6,

but was later given refuge

in Britain as part

of a prisoner swap.

Ben Emmerson QC joins

us live from Kiev now.

He represented Alexander Litvinenko

's widow, Marina, at the inquiry

in to her husband's death.

Manufacturers of some

of the country's most popular foods

have been asked to cut portion sizes

and number of calories

in their products.

Public Health England hopes

the plans, which will focus on ready

meals, pre-packed sandwiches

and savoury snacks, will help cut

the number of obese children

over the next six years.

The agency is also launching

a campaign encouraging adults

to consume 400 calories at breakfast

and 600 each at lunch and dinner.

Thousands of homes in the UK

are still without water

following last week's freezing

weather, that caused pipes to burst.

Production at two of

Jaguar Land Rover plants had to be

halted temporarily to allow water

to be prioritised by emergency

services and hospitals.

A new unit is being set up to tackle

gang activity and organised crime

being carried out within prisons

in England and Wales.

The Justice Secretary, David Gauke,

is concerned that too many prisoners

are able to smuggle drugs,

mobile phones and weapons

into their cells, fuelling

violence amongst inmates.

Under the changes set to be

announced later today,

inmates who get involved with crime

behind bars could be moved

to higher-security jails.

Nearly 250 BBC staff have signed

an open letter challenging

the corporation to publish

employees' individual

salaries and benefits.

In January the BBC director general,

Lord Hall, announced a five-point

plan to tackle pay inequality

at the corporation.

But signatories to the letter,

including Victoria Derbyshire,

Mariella Frostrup, Dan Snow

and the Reverend Richard Coles,

claim BBC management should

go further to ensure

transparency and accountability.

North Korean state media

is reporting that leader Kim Jong-un

is calling for closer

ties with South Korea.

It follows a rare visit

to the North Korean capital,

Pyongyang, by senior

officials from the South.

The US said it is cautiously

optimistic about improving

North-South contact,

but ruled out formal talks

with the North Korean regime

unless it is ready to give

up its nuclear weapons.

The packaging industry in England

has denied claims it is greatly

exaggerating the amount

of plastic it recycles.

Waste consultancy group Eunomia says

the industry's figures don't add up,

and companies aren't paying

enough towards the cost

of collection and processing.

Returning to our main story.

Ben Emmerson QC joins

us live from Kiev now.

He represented Alexander

Litvinenko's widow, Marina, at the

inquiry

in to her husband's death.

Thank you so much for joining us.

Obviously there is so much we don't

know about this, but what is your

reaction to what appears to have

happened?

I would say three things

first of all. Firstly, our thoughts

must be with Sergei Skripal's family

and those who are close to them. I

know from the Litvinenkos'

experienced that this time of

waiting is the worse of them. The

other thing is that the

investigation must be carried out to

establish the essence of what has

taken place here. And the third is

that there is always a distinction

to be drawn between crimes committed

by the Russian former KGB and crimes

committed by organised criminals

associated with the Kremlin. It is

an increasingly difficult

distinction to draw because the

Kremlin are involved in organised

crime, but there is a distinction.

And the message I would put out at

this point is that if Sergei Skripal

turns out to have been the target of

a Russian assassination attempt, the

Prime Minister and Home Secretary

must prompt the announced a public

enquiry to determine the extent of

Kremlin involvement -- Compleat

announced.

announced. -- promptly announce.

They did not announce such an

enquiry into Mr Litvinenko, believed

to have been inflicted with an un-

discoverable poison. And it was

linked not just with FSB and the

Kremlin but with Vladimir Putin

himself. One of the reasons Mrs May

gave at that time for this decision

was that a public enquiry would be

harmful to the UK's relationship

with Russia. Mr Litvinenko's widow,

Marina, had to go to the High Court

to get that decision overturned.

That unseemly spectacle should not

be repeated here. The Russian state

policy of assassinating political

opponents at home and abroad has

been allowed to continue unchecked

for too long. This is not the time

for prevarication. Mrs May needs to

act quickly and decisively, and show

the Russian state that if they send

murder squads to

murder squads to Britain we will be

tenacious in our search for the

truth, without fear.

Just quickly,

you make very good points here, do

you think it raises questions about

the types of protection to people

involved in spy swaps, as well?

That

is always an issue. To what extent

are those who are cooperating with

our own domestic and international

intelligence services given adequate

protection? There is no evidence so

far that there is any failure on the

part of the services and it is wrong

to even speculate on that this early

stage.

Thank you for talking to us.

And John is talking about the man in

yellow, Bradley Wiggins, who has

come out fighting.

He says he has

only ever taken drugs for medical

reasons, never to gain an advantage

over people he has raced against. He

goes on to say how difficult it has

been for his family and that it has

been a very troubling time as he

tries to salvage his reputation. He

denies he ever cheated and says the

drugs he has taken were to treat

allergies and asthma, which he

struggles with, and he takes them as

a cyclist to ensure he is competing

on a level playing field against

those he is racing against. The

suggestion yesterday was that

boundaries are being pushed and it

is unethical in this approach, in

using these drugs they are allowed

to take in applying for a

therapeutic use exemption,

essentially allowing you to take

what would otherwise be a banned

drug in competition. The suggestion

is that that is what Bradley Wiggins

has done to gain an advantage.

The fallout continues

to what is a messy situation.

Wiggins told our sports editor

Dan Roan that "100%,

he didn't cheat".

Not at any time during my career did

we cross the ethical line.

As I've said before,

I had a medical condition,

that

I went to a doctor, this has been

treated since back in 2003,

when I was diagnosed with it,

through the doctors

at British Cycling at that time.

This was the treatment that I'd been

prescribed for that particular

occasion, which was, what,

seven years ago now,

under specialist

supervision, as well.

And in place of the rules

at the time, which you're allowed

to apply for use

for this medication.

And you can hear more of that on the

BBC News website.

Crystal Palace gave Manchester

United a real scare last night.

Townsend's shot was well worthy of

the lead for Crystal Palace. It

would have been a really important

win for them, but United scored

three times. How about that for a

winner, a stoppage time stunner from

Matic.

He almost killed me with one action

inside of our box, because he took

an eternity to clear, so one-minute

he was killing me, the next minute

he pushed me to satisfaction.

You might have seen his opposite

number, Pep Guardiola,

wearing a yellow ribbon

on the sidelines.

There it is.

He does so in support of politicians

in his native Catalonia

in their fight for independence.

He has accepted an FA charge.

Rules don't allow players

and managers to display political

symbols.

He says he will continue to wear it

before and after matches,

which he can't be punished for.

City are in action tomorrow

as the Champions League returns.

Liverpool in action tonight,

5-0 up against Porto heading

into their second leg at Anfield.

No wonder manager Jurgen Klopp

is looking so relaxed.

Following on from Frances

McDormand's acceptance speech

at the Oscars, in which she got

every woman nominated for an award

to stand up, Serena Williams has

added to calls for greater equality.

Back on court, at the tie-break tens

competition in New York as one

of the world's leading sportswomen,

she added her voice

for greater change.

You know, the comfortable with

having uncomfortable conversations.

Like, we deserved to be paid what a

guy does, you know. We deserve to be

treated fairly, the same way.

Conversations that really, in 2018,

we shouldn't have to have. And I

think it is important to have them

an important to speak out loud and

clear and say no, this isn't right.

Now, England rugby union coach

Eddie Jones always comes

across as a tough cookie,

and it seems he hasn't been fazed

by the rather unpleasant

send-off he received

after England's Six Nations defeat

against Scotland last month.

Jones was physically and verbally

abused during and after a journey

on public transport

out of Edinburgh.

I just got on with it. There was an

incident that happened, it was done

and dusted. I've had once before,

it's not uncommon as a coach to get

abuse. You know, you either get

abused or you get advice or you get

slaps on the back. So, you know, you

are always expecting one of the

three.

And, just before I go,

we have all been feeling the freeze

recently, but there are some brave

souls prepared to take to the water

in St Petersburg at the weekend.

Participants from 13

different countries,

including the USA, Switzerland, UK,

and Finland, braved the icy waters

of the Neva River.

The water temperature

was just above freezing,

with surrounding ice 40cm thick,

while the temperature outside

was minus 16 degrees.

They may be brave, but I think

a warm blanket will do me.

I once jumped in a frozen lake in

Iceland, the country, not the shop,

and it is a massive adrenaline rush.

And your skin starts to burn a

little bit.

You must have braved

some cold temperatures.

I have, but

I do normally wear a wetsuit.

Which

is essentially cheating! Plenty more

of that Bradley Wiggins interview

later as well.

In Syria, the first aid convoy

in three weeks has delivered

supplies to the rebel-held

territory Eastern Ghouta,

but it was forced to cut its mission

short after dozens of people

were killed by shelling

from pro-government forces.

46 lorries carried aid

into the territory, enough

to feed 27,000 people.

Around 400,000 people are believed

to be trapped by the fighting

in Eastern Ghouta, where bombing

and artillery fire continued

yesterday, despite the UN's repeated

calls for a ceasefire.

Pawel Krzysiek from

the International Committee

of the Red Cross joins

us from Damascus.

Thank you very much indeed for

joining us. I think you were on that

convoy, so give us an idea of what

you saw when you got there.

I saw

desperation. I saw the sadness and

the anger, and I saw the people who

are just exhausted. They are tired

cause of the continuous shelling,

fighting around them. They are tired

because they had to spend their days

in the basements, because they have

difficulties with feeding their

children, because the people are

dying around them. And the only

message, actually, that they have is

that they want this to stop. They

ask for the solution that will make

the shells stop.

How many suppliers

did you manage to get in there, and

what type of thing where you taking

in?

So we managed to get the

medicines, the kids to treat the

wounded patients -- kits. Because

that is definitely priority number

one for the overstretched medical

services. Materials to treat burns,

for instance, the trauma kits. We

also brought the food supplies,

basic food supplies, because that is

the most kind of urgent supply that

you are usually bringing in the

places that are under siege for so

long. And of course, this is

definitely not enough, so what we

have to do is basically to push for

more convoys, for more aid

deliveries, but of course we have

two see it as a temporary solution,

because a sustainable solution is

really to make it stop.

Thank you

very much indeed for describing the

circumstances, as well.

The weather. Good morning. We have

it all. Rain and sleet and snow and

bright spells and patchy and misty

fog as well. The forecast is rain

and sleet and snow will go north.

The snow will be a low feature,

especially late in the day. The

south, sunshine and showers. Low

pressure is dominating the weather

for much of this week. A weather

front going north producing brain,

sleet, and snow. -- rain. This is

the picture. This is what has been

happening. Snow in northern England

and Scotland. You could see some of

the heavier bursts at lower levels.

The Central Lowlands, or example,

sleet and snow through the morning.

That'll move out of northern England

and across Scotland. Later,

significant snowfall in the hills,

up to 15 centimetres, which is

getting on six inches. Wind is

blowing here. It will feel bitter.

The rest of the UK, patchy mist and

fog. Some bright skies. At times,

more cloud. A few showers in

Northern Ireland, with drizzle as

well. Showers in the south-west in

Wales and the Channel Islands. The

heaviest through the afternoon will

likely be in Devon and Cornwall. You

could see the odd flash of

lightning. Temperature-wise, in good

shape in the south. It will feel

pleasant for this stage in March. It

will feel cold further north. This

evening and overnight, low pressure

continues to go north. The

distribution of snow changes. We

will see it in the Northern Isles

and into the west of Scotland. For

the rest of the UK, showers. Cloud

around. Breaks in the cloud. Cold

enough for some frost, and once

again, highs on untreated surfaces.

-- ice. Watch out for patchy fog in

East Anglia and the south-east in

particular. It could be disruptive.

We will keep a look at that. Showery

outbreaks of rain in the south-east.

Meanwhile, the pressure edging

towards Scandinavia. A front draped

across Scotland. Rain. Here and

there in some of the showers, a

little bit of wintriness. Showers,

but we will not all see them. You

will notice five degrees in

Aberdeen. A change in the weather in

central Scotland compared to what we

are used to and further south, down

a touch. Thursday, a weather front

is draped across the English Channel

producing rain the southern counties

of England and the Channel Islands.

It could be heavy at times. Dry

weather around. A few showers in the

north. In the cold air mass of them

will still be wintry.

Still wintry?

-- most of them. ?

will still be wintry.

Still wintry?

-- most of them. ?

Thousands of homes across the UK

are still without water

because of burst pipes caused by

last week's freezing temperatures.

Steph has the latest.

This seems extraordinary, to be

talking about this.

Many companies

are saying it is unprecedented. This

is all because of burst water pipes

due to freezing weather. It has

affected every area, the south of

England, Wales, the Midlands,

Scotland, Yorkshire, they have all

had problems with their water

supply. Dozens of homes have been

affected and they have been told to

use bottled water. This is one

family's experience of that.

I have

five children literally without

water since the six o'clock

yesterday morning. It is terrible.

Washing the bottles is a bit

difficult. A lot of stuff covered in

baby poo that I cannot wash at the

moment.

They said it was fixed this

morning. Nothing is fixed.

The water

companies are saying they are doing

all they can. Thames Water says it

is washing up enough water every day

to fill an Olympic pool. But it is

not enough. Interestingly, some

companies are closing down

production facilities to help the

situation. Severn Trent in the

Midlands asked Land Rover if they

could cut back to prioritise

emergency services. They have done

that. 11,000 people work there. They

have sent people home and said if

you are not on shift, stay home

until further Lotus. Cadbury had to

reduce production as well to make

sure emergency services that need

water have it. It is difficult to

make chocolate without water. Teams

of engineers have been drafted in to

help. This is what Thames had to

say.

We expect a rise in leaks and

bursts. It has been a huge increase,

500 million litres of extra water

being pumped into the system just to

keep up with extra demand. It is

unprecedented.

What about

compensation? Without water, it

impacts people.

There is monetary

compensation. £20 for the first 48

hours of not having water. After

that, £10 for each 24-hour period.

But now, we have been told that does

not happen in extreme weather. But,

of course, because it is so

unprecedented, they have said

companies will be given compensation

even though it is because of extreme

weather.

I know you will follow that

up.

Yeah, we will.

Plenty to come on

that.

When we were covering

the Oscars yesterday,

amongst all the talk of Gary Oldman

and The Shape of Water we brought

you the story of Maisie

Sly from Swindon.

She's six-years-old,

profoundly deaf, and the star

of The Silent Child,

which picked up the Oscar

for Best Live Action Short.

Maisie's character is forced

to endure a silent life,

before a social worker

teachers her how to communicate

through sign language.

Now, exclusive analysis by

the National Deaf Children's Society

has found that deaf children

in England are falling behind

in school at every level.

This is despite the fact deafness

is not a learning disability.

We're joined by sign language

interpreter Russell Andrews to sign

Jayne McCubbin's film for us.

Maisie Sly's family waited, hoped,

then heard.

The Silent Child.

A

six-year-old from England has helped

shine a light on the barriers some

deaf children face.

Incredible. This

is... I don't know what to say.

And

1 million miles from Hollywood,

congratulations!

Well done, Maisie

this is her school in Swindon.

this is her school in Swindon. The

family had to move 160 miles to find

a place like this, a mainstream

school were deaf children are taught

alongside hearing the Bulls.

They

are not different in any other way

except they cannot hear to be as

long as you make those challenges

possible, there is no reason they

should not succeed.

This is the

possible, there is no reason they

should not succeed.

This is the

reality of the attainment gap. In

early years, 34% of deaf children

make a good level of development

compared to 76% of hearing children.

At Key Stage 2, almost 40% compared

to 70% of other children. And just

over 70% do not achieve a good GCSE

in English

over 70% do not achieve a good GCSE

in English and maths compared to

nearly 50% of hearing children.

in English and maths compared to

nearly 50% of hearing children.

These figures take in not just the

profoundly deaf like Maisie Sly, but

also those moderately deaf, like

Thomas.

It is difficult. We can hear

plenty of sounds, but not all of

them.

Until two years ago, Thomas

had access to a teacher of the deaf.

They were getting support. We were

getting support.

But it was cut?

Completely gone.

Their council told

them they follow guidelines when it

comes to the provision of services.

But for this film, there are just

not enough across the country.

Those

problems to still be happening in

England? It is crazy to me.

In

Scotland, they have recognised sign

language in the curriculum.

They

have sublet it is better to be deaf

in Scotland than in England right

now.

-- have. A debate took place

over here, a petition in Westminster

for England to follow the lead of

Scotland. This moment is already

having an impact. The government

says standards are improving, with

more reaching the expected grade,

but for many, the gap is still too

big. Jane McCubbin, BBC News.

Thank

Thank you very much. It is lovely to

have you here. Thank you. We will

discuss that later on in the

programme. If you want to make a

comment on that, you can, find us on

our e-mail all the usual social

media sites.

Have a lovely day if you are heading

out. I am back in 20 minutes. There

is more on our website.

Hello, this is Breakfast,

with Louise Minchin and Dan Walker.

A former Russian double agent

is in critical condition

after he was exposed to an unknown

substance in Salisbury.

66-year-old Sergei Skripal

and a woman in her 30s were found

unconscious on a bench on Sunday.

Last night, police closed

a restaurant in the city

as a precaution.

Good morning, it is Tuesday 6 March.

Also this morning:

Counting the calories.

Health officials in England call

for portion sizes to be cut,

as they say the public

need to go on a diet.

Six-year-old Maisie was one

of the stars of the Oscars,

but we will find out why deaf

children like her could be falling

behind at school.

Thousands of homes across the UK

are still without water

because of burst pipes caused by

last week's freezing temperatures.

I will have the latest.

And in sport: Sir Bradley Wiggins

says he 100% did not cheat,

following claims by MPs he crossed

an ethical line by using drugs

to improve performance.

The widespread effect on the family

is just... It is horrific, and I am

going to have two... I don't know

how I am going to pick pieces up.

And Carol has the weather.

A band of rain, sleet and snow

moving northwards. Eventually that

will be confined to the hills in the

north but it will be significant.

The rest of the UK, a day of bright

spells, sunshine and showers. Some

of the showers could be heavy. I

will have more in minutes. -- in 15

minutes.

Police are trying to identify

a substance which caused a former

Russian agent who spied for Britain

to collapse in Salisbury.

Sergei Skripal, who is 66,

and a woman in her 30s are both now

critically ill in hospital.

Skripal was convicted of high

treason in his native Russia

after passing state secrets to MI6,

but was later given refuge

in Britain as part

of a prisoner swap.

In a moment, we will

talk to our reporter

Leila Nathoo, in Salisbury.

But first, our Moscow correspondent

Steve Rosenberg joins us.

Steve, what do we know

about Mr Skripal's links to Russia?

Well, we know that Sergei Skripal

worked for Russian military

intelligence. He was arrested in

2004 by Russian security agents

here, and in 2006 he was convicted

of high treason in the form of

espionage, found guilty of passing

state secrets to MI6, as you say,

and was sentenced to 13 years in

prison. But in 2010 he was released

as part of a big spy swap. Ten

Russian sleeper agents uncovered in

America were sent back home, four

people were released from jail in

Russia, and he moved to Britain.

Thank you very much for that, Steve.

Leila Nathoo is live in Salisbury

for us this morning.

Just give us a description of where

you are, where he was found and what

more we know.

Well, this shopping

centre behind me is the site where

Sergei Skripal and the 33-year-old

woman that he was with were found.

You might be able to see in the

distance a police tent has been

erected over a bench where the two

were found unconscious on Sunday

evening. Now, police so far have not

confirmed the identity of the two,

but we believe the man to be Sergei

Skripal. Police have still not given

update about the nature of the

substance the two were exposed to.

They say they are keeping an open

mind about the incident. They say

they are working to establish

whether or not a crime was even

committed here. They say it... Last

night they gave an update, they

haven't given an update this morning

but they said counterterrorism is

not involved, the counter-terror

unit here was not involved. But they

do say it that the two were known to

each other, and they are working to

find out exactly what caused the two

to become unconscious. Now, clearly

this will be a wide ranging enquiry.

Police last night here were

searching bins, police in protective

suits, in respiratory masks, were

searching bins. A high-street

Italian restaurant was closed nearby

as police try to piece together the

events which led up to those two

being found unconscious here.

Thank

you very much, and you are giving an

indication of so many questions to

be answered.

Public Health England have

challenged the food industry to cut

calories in products

like ready meals, sandwiches,

pizza and snacks.

It is hoped the plans,

targeting some of the most popular

family foods, could lead to a drop

in the number of obese children.

Our health correspondent

Adina Campbell explains.

They are some of our

biggest-selling products,

but not necessarily the healthiest.

Processed meals and food on the go

are, for many of us,

shopping basket staples.

But, as part of the Government's

plans to curb childhood obesity,

health officials are now calling

on food retailers and manufacturers

to reduce calories by 20% by 2024.

Public Health England says this can

be achieved in three ways.

Changing the recipes in meals,

using better-quality products.

Smaller portion sizes,

which would help control how

much we eat.

Or steering us to buy

lower-calories products in some

of our favourite foods.

We've announced a 20% calorie

reduction programme.

So that's taking calories out

of ready meals, out of pizzas,

out of savoury prepacked sandwiches,

out of savoury snacks,

and gradually, over a time,

improving the recipes

so we all eat healthier.

These posters are one way health

officials are hoping to make us more

aware of what we eat,

by having a benchmark of 400

calories at breakfast, and another

600 for lunch and dinner.

10 star jumps!

It is estimated some children

are consuming 500 calories more

than needed every day.

And, with around a third leaving

primary school overweight or obese,

health experts say Britain

needs to go on a diet.

Adina Campbell, BBC News.

In Syria, the first aid convoy

for three weeks has delivered

supplies to the rebel-held

territory Eastern Ghouta,

but aid workers were forced to cut

the mission short after dozens

of people were killed by shelling

from pro-government forces.

Nearly 400,000 people are thought

to be trapped in the enclave,

which has been the focus of heavy

fighting in recent months.

Water companies have been working

through the night to restore

supplies to thousands of homes

across south-east England affected

by burst pipes after last

week's cold weather.

Production at two of

Jaguar Land Rover's plants had to be

halted temporarily to allow water

to be prioritised by emergency

services and hospitals.

Tom Burridge reports.

After the big freeze,

the thaw, and cracked,

leaking water pipes in several

parts of the country.

So this the only supply

for thousands of people for several

days.

Thames Water is handing out bottles

of water to its customers in parts

of London which are cut off.

Large numbers of homes

in Scotland, Wales and southern

England are affected.

I've got five kids,

and literally without water

since 6:00am yesterday morning.

It's terrible.

Washing the bottles

is just a bit difficult.

There's a lot of stuff covered

in baby poo that I can't wash

at the moment.

7:30 in the morning they sent me

a message, the water's fixed.

Schools have closed.

Some say the water company

should have planned more.

At the very least, one would have

thought there would be some kind

of public inquiry.

People will be interested to know

whether they will get compensation

for what has happened.

Several water companies

have apologised.

They say they were working overnight

to get people connected again.

A new unit is being set up to tackle

gang activity and organised crime

being carried out within prisons

in England and Wales.

The Justice Secretary, David Gauke,

is concerned that too many prisoners

are able to smuggle drugs,

mobile phones and weapons

into their cells, fuelling

violence amongst inmates.

Under the changes set to be

announced later today,

inmates who get involved with crime

behind bars could be moved

to higher-security jails.

North Korean state media

is reporting that leader Kim Jong-un

is calling for closer

ties with South Korea.

It follows a rare visit

to the North Korean capital,

Pyongyang, by senior

officials from the South.

The US said it is cautiously

optimistic about improving

North-South contact,

but ruled out formal talks

with the North Korean regime

unless it is ready to give

up its nuclear weapons.

The packaging industry in England

has denied claims it is greatly

exaggerating the amount

of plastic it recycles.

Waste consultancy group Eunomia says

the industry's figures don't add up,

and companies aren't paying

enough towards the cost

of collection and processing.

Our environment analyst

Roger Harrabin explains.

Our former colleague and good friend

Bill Turnbull has announced

that he has been diagnosed

with prostate and bone cancer.

He tweeted the news late last night,

and has undergone chemotherapy.

He says he is in good spirits,

and hopes to be around

for some time yet.

He was with us at Breakfast for 15

years, before leaving

the sofa in 2016.

Bill was diagnosed at the end

of last year, during the recording

of The Great Celebrity Bake Off

For Stand Up To Cancer on Channel 4.

I was getting pains in my legs,

my hips particularly.

And they would come and go,

and I thought this is old age.

Eventually the pains

got so bad I thought,

well, I'd better go and see my GP.

He said, well, I'm just

going to give you a blood test,

just a sort of MOT, if you like,

just to check a few things out.

The next morning he called me

and asked me to come in pretty

quickly, and the doctor said it's

pretty clear from this that you have

advanced prostate cancer.

And as Eales said, it is a -- as

Eales said, it is a reminder to us

all to get regularly checked. -- as

Bill said. And even though he left

the programme two years ago, we are

still in a lottery syndicate

together, and I phoned him because

we had one £2.70.

we had one £2.70. -- won.

And you can see more

of that interview with Bill

on The Celebrity Bake Off

for Stand Up To Cancer,

tonight on Channel 4.

How did a former Russian spy end up

slumped on a bench in the centre

of Salisbury on Sunday afternoon,

and is this another example

of a former Russian agent

being poisoned on British soil?

These are the questions

facing investigators,

as Sergei Skripal and a woman

in her 30s remain critically

ill in hospital.

Police are still trying

to identify the substance

which caused him to collapse.

Journalist Oliver Bullough reported

on the inquiry into the death

of the former KGB agent

Alexander Litvinenko,

who was fatally poisoned

in London in 2006.

He joins us from our

London newsroom.

Thank you so much for coming on the

programme this morning and talking

to us about this. Can we start with

this case, Sergei Skripal. What more

do we know about this man?

Well, he

is always described as a Russian

spy, which is a little bit ironic,

because really he was a British spy.

He was working for the British

security services while he was

employed by Russian military

intelligence. That makes him

slightly different to Alexander

Litvinenko, the Man you mentioned

earlier, because Alexander

Litvinenko worked for a different

branch of the Russian security

services, and actually never worked

for foreign intelligence while he

was in Russia. He was essentially

persecuted in Russia for being a

whistleblower. He only worked for

foreign intelligence after he left

and defected to the West. There are

some similarities in that they were

both former Russian security service

employees, but be on that, they are

different.

And Sergei Skripal was

involved in this spy swap in 2010.

When that happens, what sort of

protection are those spies given in

both directions?

Well, essentially

you get a new identity, you get a

place to live. Obviously your

family, or his wife was taken out of

Russia to come with him. He would

have received a pension, and I

understand he was a regular lecturer

to new entrants to MI6, in order to

tell them about Russian

intelligence. So he was essentially

part of the British security

services family. And that presumably

is what he was doing in this

intervening eight years. Unlike

Alexander Litvinenko, again, he

didn't publicise his existence.

Alexander Litvinenko was an

inveterate self publicise, whereas

Sergei Skripal state under the

radar.

You attended the Alexander

Litvinenko enquiry every day it was

taking place. How did Russia react

to that, and how do you think they

will react to the new case?

One of

the astonishing things about the

enquiry was the sheer contempt

Russian enquiries showed it to the

investigation into the murder of

Alexander Litvinenko from the very

beginning. It is worth recapping,

Alexander Litvinenko was murdered in

2006 in the centre of London, and

the poison used to kill him,

polonium 210, is possibly the most

deadly poison known to man. The

ground that would kill everyone in

Britain and there would be enough

left over to kill most people in

France. It is absolutely lethal. He

was the first victim ever of

deliberate alpha radiation

poisoning, and the two meant he

killed him were amateurs, they

splashed around like aftershave,

contaminating large amounts of

hotels and restaurants in central

London, and yet the Russians refused

to extradite the suspect and during

the enquiry refused to make them

available to answer questions. Not

only did they do that, but during

the hearings, one of the suspects

was given a medal for services to

the fatherland. The Russians were

not interested at all in helping the

Met investigate the murder of

Litvinenko, and I imagine if this

turns out to be a similar case and

it would be naive to expect any help

from Moscow at all.

He was officially pardoned by

Vladimir Putin. Does that mean he

was a threat for Russia? How was he

viewed?

Judging from the revelations

of Litvinenko, we need to look at

what he has been doing in the last

two years, months, for why this

happened, if indeed it was a

poisoning. -- few years. The

connection to Litvinenko, there was

a lot of speculation at his death

that it was caused by his

relationship with Russia. But it was

probably because of the Spanish

services and mafia services and

bridges services and activities in

this country. -- British services.

It is more likely they will look at

what he has been doing in the past

few years, maybe things he revealed

about his work in Russia that might

be uncomfortable to currently exist

in Russia's state programme, rather

than staff in the past which Russia

is happy to forget about.

-- stuff.

Thank you so much for that. It is

the front page on many papers.

We

will continue to talk about it on

Breakfast.

Something else we are

talking about is trampolines.

The last few years have seen a boom

in the popularity of trampoline

parks across the UK,

from just three in 2014 to more

than 200 now.

But their popularity is being linked

to a rise in hospital admissions.

A Freedom of Information request

by the BBC found ambulance crews

were called out to more than 1,200

incidents at trampoline parks

in England last year.

Anna Crossley reports.

Good girl.

She was really distraught,

she was hysterical,

which is not like her.

She's normally quite resilient.

What should have been a fun day

out ended with a trip

to A&E.

One of the staff ran over

and said "Don't worry,

don't worry, she's just

landed awkwardly."

But I knew, definitely,

as I think a mum does,

there was something wrong.

there was something wrong.

Her worst fears were confirmed.

Her worst fears were confirmed.

Her 3-year-old daughter,

Cameron, had broken her leg.

She was taken to a Leeds Child

Infirmary where staff well versed

in dealing with trampoline injuries.

They said they were

keeping them in business.

They were not surprised and said