16/01/2017 London News

Calling on a cash injection from the government...

The Mayor's warning over the Met's police budget.

If it is the case that the government does not give us the

complete money we need as a capital city, I'm

afraid it will lead to fewer police officers

The Government says the Met's the best funded

Rolf Harris is accused of sexually assaulting a blind woman,

Plus the Premiership clubs criticised over their access

With the Premier League, we're talking about the wealthiest

They've had years to make these adaptations and changes

to make disabled fans welcome and give enough space for them.

And hatching a plan for his latest artistic project.

We meet the man who lived in a wooden egg for a year.

Good evening and welcome to the programme with me Louisa Preston.

Policing in the capital will suffer if Scotland Yard doesn't

receive additional funding from the government.

That's the warning tonight from the Mayor, who claims Londoners

will not be as safe if the money's not made available.

The Home Office is currently working out what to award police forces

But Sadiq Khan fears that if City Hall doesn't receive

a sufficient settlement he won't be able to reach his target of 32,000

Our Political Correspondent Karl Mercer reports

Police cars used to come up this ramp once.

Police officers used to patrol outside.

And the building used to be the most famous in world policing.

Now just the local barber shop remains.

If you wanted a picture of how London's police has had

You need look no further than what was New Scotland Yard.

Sold for 370m pounds and soon to be luxury flats.

And today the mayor called on central government

If the government makes further cuts to our budget than that which we've

been already told about, we cannot keep to the target of 32,000

officers. If the government gives as less money than we should get, my

job of the maximum number of officers will be increasingly

difficult which will have an impact on safety.

At the moment it gets just half of that.

he needs more money from central government.

Particularly from a special fund that recognises

Mayors says London needs ?340M London gets ?170M

worries over new funding formula We have been here before.

Two years ago when Boris Johnson was mayor the govt planned

changes to the money given to police forces.

The response back then sounds similar to what's being said now.

It is going to be a challenge. It is an unfair way of funding which

doesn't take into account the extra challenges.

Conservatives on the London assembly said

the mayor could do more himself to keep officer numbers up.

He has already raised council tax to pay for officers.

They say he should have gone further.

He didn't need to make the cut for council tax. He could have made the

money go round further. How seriously should we take this

warning? It is the sort of thing we hear every time funding comes up.

It's the sort of thing we heard a couple of years ago. What is

different this time around. Last time, Boris Johnson was mayor. You

had a Conservative Home Secretary in Theresa May. Is the relationship

different now? Theresa May has been moved up to an elevated position.

You have a Labour mayor. All parties will say to central government,

London is a special case and needs extra funding. You need to fund what

goes on in the capital city. Why Silicon Roundabout has become

a victim of its own success. The startups now being forced

out by rising rents. A blind woman has told a court

that she was left "appalled" and "degraded" after allegedly

being indecently assaulted She is one of seven women,

who've accused Rolf Harris of indecent assault

spanning a 30-year period. Our Home Affairs

Correspondent Nick Beake Throughout this trial, Rolf Harris

is appearing via video link up because he is serving a prison

sentence for a series of indecent assaults. Today, the court heard an

interview that was recorded more than two years ago with an alleged

victim in this particular case, she recalled the events of some 40 years

ago at the Moorfields eye Hospital. She said that the entertainer came

out of nowhere and pounced on there and started to grope her. She said

he was like a hawk pouncing on his prey. She said that she could tell

it was him because of his unmistakable voice. The woman is

blind and disabled. The woman said she said, nobody touches me like

this, get off. To which she says Rolf Harris replied, well, you can't

see me. He said, apparently, don't be like that, I'm only being

friendly. The court heard that the woman remained in the room with Rolf

Harris during which time he tried to teach her how to play the

didgeridoo, which he carried with him. The woman was asked why she

waited before reporting this to the police. She said, quite frankly, she

didn't think she would be believed. She didn't want to be in this

position. He denies all the charges made against him. The trial

continues. British Airways says it will operate

all its long-haul services During a three-day cabin crew strike

starting on Thursday. But the airline says it

will cancel one per cent Meanwhile, unions and London

Underground met today in the hope Last

week's 24 hour tube strike crippled the network,

after workers walked out over the number of new jobs to be

reintroduced after cuts in 2015. The RMT union has warned of further

industrial action after sixth February if the two sides don't come

to an agreement. Pharmacists across London are

warning that they could be put out of business.

Chemists are often at the heart of a community, dispensing pills,

But the way they are funded is changing, that means that this

pharmacy near Harpenden in Hertfordshire is under threat.

We are just short of a mile away from the nearest other pharmacy.

We are subject to the full force of the cuts.

Now, that will leave the business non-viable.

Obviously, I won't sign a lease on the premises where I won't know

the business is not going to be able to pay its way.

We will close in the next few months.

It's a so-called modernisation that customers can't

Because, not only is it the pharmacy, they are friends.

You know, you build up a rapport with people.

Everything's going. We don't need the pharmacy to go.

If I were to have to go to Harpenden because this pharmacist had closed,

I would have to climb into my car and, like many people,

and bearing in mind that pharmacists serve something between eight

and 10,000 people in the locality, you'd then have lots of car journeys

The government says everyone should have access to a pharmacy

But that makes chemists in densely populated London even more at risk.

We're talking of a cut of 12% in pharmacy budgets,

just in the months December up to March 2017 and more cuts

Now, for a lot of pharmacies, that is a big hit.

What you are going to see ultimately, if the government

doesn't change course, could be large-scale

The full impact of the changes will be know until later

in the year but, by then, many chemists say they will already

And you can see more on that report on Inside Out London.

The new series starts tonight at 7.30 here on BBC One.

Premier League football clubs could be fined or even have points

deducted if they don't do more to improve access for disabled fans.

That's the conclusion reached in a new report,

which suggests that clubs, including Chelsea and Watford aren't going

to meet the deadline for new basic standards for accessibility.

Emma North is outside Stamford Bridge for us this evening.

Today's report adds to the voices calling for some of the most

successful names in football to get their act together. The culture,

media and sport committee said that some clubs are putting profit over

access. There is an August deadline for clubs to make sure that any

disabled fans can watch a match comfortably. Some clubs, like

Watford and Chelsea are not going to be able to meet the deadline.

Earlier we spoke to the disability

charity Scope to find out what it's like for some fans.

Well, at Scope we hear from disabled people all the time that, actually,

they have huge barriers in getting into football stadiums

If there are parents who want to go with their disabled children,

they are often told that they can't sit with their children.

Football is our national game and it should be open to everyone.

What will happen if the clubs don't improve access? The human rights

commission says it is prepared to sue clubs and even they could have

points docked. In the Premier League, where the wage bill topped

?200 billion, does a ?20,000 fine really do the job? So what are clubs

going to do? What is going to happen. Chelsea has said it will

fulfil the quotas within the next four years when it is building its

replacement stadium. A club like Watford is nowhere near fulfilling

the quota and doesn't appear to be planning to. They said. The.

This additional space would mean 700 able bodied supporters would be

displaced from seats they may well have cherished for Leeds. These

guidelines were made around 20 years ago. Who knows whether this will

drive people to change. New figures suggest that the area

known as Silicon roundabout has fallen out of favour and now

start-ups are shunning the area, pushed out by rising rents. This

start-up is happening in a front room. The gift buying service

couldn't afford to stay. It became trendy and the prices started going.

If it was possible to get somewhere for ?150 per month per desk, now it

is going up to 450. Silicon roundabout on Old Street was branded

the ultimate .com destination. Figures suggest that the number of

start-ups has fallen by 70%. From more than 10,000 to just over 3000.

Has Silicon roundabout had its day? Tech firms have flocked here and

demand for office space has outstripped supply. Rents have

soared and some people say it is a victim of its own success. Others

suggest it is a sign that business is booming. It's a reflection of the

fact that the digital industry which started around Old Street has grown

so much and how the digital industry in the sector is spreading to all of

Britain, not just London and one specific postcode. Figures suggest

small firms haven't moved far. Thousands of new businesses have

opened up around the corner on the city Road. Croydon Tech city is now

home to 1000 plus Tech start-ups and it is hoped that the former media

Centre at Stratford Olympic Park will become one of the biggest tech

hubs in the world. This business owner says it is a shame to leave

Silicon roundabout but hasn't matter where you are. It is nice to be in

the middle of all the buzz, events, and networking but you can really

make it work out of your own bedroom.

Still to come, why Piccadilly Circus's famous screen is being

switched off until the autumn. Imagine being told you're going to

lose your eyesight. Difficult enough for an adult to deal with. You cope

if you just nine years old? That's the prospect facing this schoolboy

from heart should force. And now his family fear his younger sister could

also have the same genetic condition.

Last year, he discovered that he suffers from a rare genetic

disorder which is slowly eroding his eyesight.

The disease affects my central vision.

Sometimes, when I'm reading, it puts dots there and blurriness.

And, over the years, it'll get worse.

He now has to wear sunglasses when he's outside and struggles

with everyday things like playing football.

The discovery of the disease came as a shock to his parents.

They have no idea what the condition was or that they were carriers

I had a discussion with Ethan about a bucket list of several

One thing he really wanted to do was go to Universal Studios.

So, we went to California for the summer holidays.

I just want him to have visual memories.

There's no telling how quickly Ethan's eyesight will degenerate.

There are also fears that his three-year old sister

These are the thoughts that keep me up at night.

I wake up in the morning and my heart breaks.

Thinking about Ethan, obviously, that he's got the condition

And having a life, being a parent of definitely one visually impaired

She hopes that advances in stem cell research

will restore her son's vision but, until then, she's determined for him

to see as much of the world as he can before it's too late.

For Ethan, the one place he loves more than anywhere

I like doing go-karting because it's fun for me to experience driving

because I won't be able to do driving when I'm older.

For a nine-year-old boy who is going blind, he's remarkably

I'm kind of, a bit scared about it in case I bump into stuff.

Volunteers working in an unusual toy shop are worried that it might

close. Don't be fooled by the Jolly surroundings, life in this toy shop

is tough. The owner struggles to pay the bills. I'm very happy with very

little for myself. So, when I have money in the till, I think what do I

want to spend it on most? As you can see, I'm still wearing my old

clothes. This Jersey, I've had for 15-20 years. She makes a hand to

mouth existence in this toy shop she has owned for many years. It may not

look like much outside but inside it's like collaborative of toys. She

started making them aged 15 and never stopped. Her speciality is

making dolls houses and miniature is. I hate selling my work so I

thought if I had a little shop, I could put it where all the people's

work I love. It's been a slow Christmas as the lure of Internet

shopping tykes hold. A building development threatens the future of

the shop. The shop is kept going by volunteers and regular customers.

It's dusty exterior doesn't tell you about the inside. When I came in, I

was thrilled. What do you not like about modern toy shops? The things

they have are so ugly. I think it's wonderful if children can have

beautiful things. What a fascinating little shop.

A home, a boat, a studio, a sculpture.

That's how the artist Stephen Turner has described this giant wooden egg.

It's on display at an exhibition in east London

along with the art he created while he was living inside it.

It's made of western red cedar and two skins

For a year, Stephen Turner lived and worked in this

And the six months to construct with an architect and boat

builder helping him realise his artistic vision.

It was great waking up in the morning inside this

The egg is divided into quite distinct compartments.

So, on my right, I have the shower area and loo.

As I went along, I made the chair and I made the bench.

There is no denying it is a striking piece of work but there

Well, I was given a fantastic opportunity to work somewhere

on some saltmarshes and I wanted the place I lived in to be symbolic

Since everything in nature comes from an egg, or if it's a plant,

from a seed, and they are kind of related to eggs

in terms of evolution, it's a perfect symbol for nature.

The egg is now on display as part of an exhibition in east London

which also features work Stephen created while living inside it,

like these mini eggs made from natural materials he found

So, what's next for the man who's lived in an egg,

as well as a sea fort, in the name of art?

I'm hatching a plan to create a four metre tall oyster shell sculpture.

Steven won't be living there but hopes his art

will continue to increase people's appreciation of nature.

The exhibition at Trinity Buoy wharf runs until the end of January.

It's been lighting up London for more than 100 years but this

The billboard lights have been switched off

Now, they have been turned off briefly in the past,

during Winston Churchill and Princess Diana's funerals

but this will be the longest period of time since World War II.

The first electrical advertisements appeared in 1908.

Midnight on Tuesday, August 14, 1945, before the Prime Minister had

finished his radio announcement that Japan had surrendered,

After the war, Piccadilly Circus was a popular place for Londoners

Soon after, it also became a tourist attraction and the lights have

moved with the times, starting with incandescent light

bulbs, moving on to neon, digital projectors,

This might not look like much but we're actually in the control

room behind the lights and the screens are made up

of thousands of these panels and when the work begins,

all of this will be replaced by one big-screen which will have more

It will be different because it will be one screen that

will be used flexibly, it will be interactive,

it will display a very high quality image.

The way that the advertisers are using the screen

The advertisers will have the ability to be very creative

When the work's completed, Piccadilly Circus will be

home to Europe's largest single digital screen.

For now, a temporary advertising banner will replace the lights and,

until October, the most luminous corner of the capital,

Let's get a check on the weather now with Wendy. It's been extremely wet.

I bet this was the picture you had outside the windows yesterday. I

refused to go out because it was so soggy. This morning, you can see it

was still pouring with rain. This great band dragging its way across

London and the Home Counties. Then, it all fizzled away. Just before

sunset, the skies were showing signs of clearing. That's the last

substantial rainfall we will see this week. This week, sunshine. It

is going to be feeling quite cold throughout because the weather is

coming in from the east. The near continent has highs tomorrow of

minus one. Not quite as chilly here but it is coming from that

direction. After midnight, I think we will see starry skies with light

winds which will lead to a frost tonight, most especially in the east

and south-east where temperatures could get as low as -1, two, or

three. A nippy start to the day. Crunchy underfoot. Then the day gets

going with light winds and beautiful sunshine. However, it is going to

stay feeling quite chilly. Temperatures not getting much higher

than three degrees. It will lead as to a pretty hard frost overnight

Interwetten stay. Wednesday, more beautiful sunshine. You will have to

wrap up warm to enjoyed. The certainty of that sunshine becomes

less as we go through the latter part of the week. More cloud

starting to swell around that high-pressure system. That's open to

some debate at the moment. Into the weekend, still a bit of cloud around

but the next two days, sunshine not rain. Who skies. Great news. Thank

you. An inquest into the attack on the

beach in Tunisia in June 2015 has been told that some of the fixings

might still be alive if local security forces had acted more

quickly. The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has warned policing in the

capital will suffer will the Scotland job doesn't receive

additional funding from the government. That's it for now. From

as here