17/01/2017 London News

she wanted a stronger Britain, in charge of its own laws

A childhood friend of George Michael tells the BBC he believes

the star's death may have been linked to hard drugs.

He had stopped all the hard drugs, you know.

He was trying to lead a normal life again.

I just believe he was dragged back in,

In an exclusive interview he speaks for the first time

Also this evening: What could the Prime Minister's Brexit plan

We get reaction from two London markets.

People need to grow up and get on with it and then we would still be

trading with each other. There was nothing in this for finance. If we

can't sell those products to those people, we take an economic hit and

potentially it is a big hit. Calls for the Mayor to take urgent

action after fresh questions are raised over the safety

of the Notting Hill carnival. And, the West End's celebrity

hotspot, as The Ivy Restaurant celebrates a centenary

of serving the stars. Good evening. Welcome to the

programme. First tonight, in an exclusive

interview with the BBC, a childhood friend of George Michael

says he believes a cocktail of hard drugs and anti-depressants may

have been responsible for the singer-songwriter's

death on Christmas Day. Andros Georgiou, who grew up

with the star, was in the process of reconciling with him

after a falling-out. He says he still can't comprehend

what's happened as George was one It has been more than three weeks

since George Michael passed away. Leaving his friends, family and fans

bereft. Now, a close friend, Andros Georgiou, has spoken for the first

time. The George I know was a very private person, and incredibly

generous person, and one of the nicest people you could ever meet.

The singer's death came as a shock. First of all I did not believe it, I

still needed confirmation, so I was trying to call people and

everything. I could not get hold of anybody until late that night, 11pm.

And then, you know, it was all confirmed to me and everything.

George Michael was found dead at his home on Christmas Day. On the 29th

of December, a postmortem examination proved inconclusive.

Further tests are being carried out. But, Andros Georgiou believes drugs

played a part in George Michael's death. I just think that he took too

much of something, mixed with the antidepressants and other drugs he

was on with alcohol. I think his heart just stopped beating. The

former music producer says this is despite the singer being in rehab.

He was actually in a Swiss clinic for three years. Before he came out.

But he had stopped all the hard drugs, you know, he was trying to

lead a normal life again. I just believe he was dragged back in.

This interview raises more questions than answers, and here, at George

Michael's home in Highgate, fans have continued to pay their respects

But, more than three weeks after his death,

Now to news that a three-day strike on Southern rail,

scheduled for next week, has been suspended.

Both sides in the ongoing bitter dispute over "driver only operated"

Our Transport Correspondent Tom Edwards is here.

Some relief for commuters, but what do you make of this?

I think in the short term it is very good news for Southern commuters,

and I have not said that for a very long time, over a year this has been

going on. The train drivers union has suspended the strikes next week,

Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. They would have brought the Southern

network to a standstill. Tomorrow, Southern and Aslef are going to

attend talks which will be jointly hosted by the TUC and the train

operator. They have issued a statement. They say they are

committed to finding a fair solution to the dispute and they are pleased

the parties have agreed to meet for meaningful talks. As you would

expect it is not straightforward. The RMT union represent guards and

they are still going to go out on strike on Monday. They are still

trying to get into tomorrow's talks and I have just been told in the

last five minutes by the TUC that is not going to happen, the talks are

only going to be between Aslef and Southern. It seems Aslef, the

drivers union, are going on there own, but there is definitely a

thawing here in this dispute. It has been a long time since you said

that, thank you. Serious questions have been raised

once again over the safety of the Notting Hill Carnival

after a report today claims the event is becoming increasingly

violent and dangerously overcrowded, and wants the Mayor

to take urgent action. Others argue though that

Europe's largest street festival is still much safer

than other big events. After 50 years, a new report says

it is at tipping point. Carnival might seem a long way away

on a cold January day, but it is already in the forefront

of some people's minds. A report out today says

they are worried about overcrowding, a rise in violent incidents,

and they say the trust that runs it One person who has experienced

the violence first-hand is Joe. He was stabbed in

the arm last Carnival. Initially I thought,

why did I get punched in the arm? As I looked at my arm,

there was blood spurting I just held on to the wound

and started to run. It could have happened to anybody,

so it can definitely be safer. I would like it to be so no-one else

experiences what I experienced. Crowd surges like this last year

made those who policed The Met say each year

they come close to major Overcrowding, yes it is dreadful

around Ladbroke Tube Station and further up all Saints

Road and so on. If there was an incident,

goodness knows how any help would be Violent crime is not

particular to Carnival, and there is some suggestion that

out of 1 million visitors, the 151 violent incidents means it

affects relatively few. We want it going on

for another 50 years. Another point out of the report

is that the festival is run by some great people,

some volunteers, but by their own admission,

the trust needs more support. Although it is easy to say it needs

to be safer, how do you do it? His team say they have

already commissioned It is still good and I enjoy it,

the music is great. But, I mean, there is

also a downside to it. This report builds pressure to make

this year's Carnival Let's pick up on this with our Home

Affairs Correspondent Nick Beake. We've heard some concerns

over Carnival before. How likely do you think

it is that we could see any changes? I think there is quite a strong

chance we will. Yes, these are not new concerns, but it is clear that

the Met is worried about this recent escalation in violence over the last

few years. Scotland Yard had previously threatened to scale back

the policing of the event because it is expensive for them, but the

reality is, in this climate, the way we have seen crowds targeted in

places like Berlin before Christmas, and also in Nice, they are not going

to want to do that. The question is, what would change its mark as

mentioned in the report, there is this review commissioned by Sadiq

Khan. It will try to come up with some solutions to some of the

problems that have been highlighted today. We know that under this mayor

the route will not be changed, and he has said that the whole event

will not be scrapped. They do want to reduce the numbers of people

going to it, so one thing they could do is introduce ticketing goes on --

said people had to pay to go to Carnival, a bit like we had to pay

if we want to see the New Year's Eve fireworks on the Thames. Carnival

purists may think that destroys the whole essence of the event, but

other people may think that this is a way of ensuring that it does have

a bright future. Thank you. I am at one of London's most famous

celebrity haunts, celebrating its 100th anniversary.

And, after a beautiful day across London, how cold will it get under

clear skies tonight? I will have the forecast later.

Next: Apparently we're ditching frothy pints of beer

That's according to new research about how our high streets have

It shows that traditional venues like pubs and clubs are making way

for more restaurants and coffee shops.

With more details, here's Marc Ashdown, and his report

Could I have a skinny dirty chai with honey

If you tried to order one of those five years ago,

Across London, coffee shops and trendy pop-ups are gradually

replacing more traditional entertainment venues like pubs,

Food, it seems, is now more central than ever to our social habits,

I give you the roast dinner burger with all the trimmings.

People are looking for something different,

and it also give them inspiration for what they are doing at home.

They eat out and they cook at home for their friends.

It's no surprise that as our love of food shows like the rate

Great British Bakeoff has grown, our leisure

But, while the UK is seeing overall growth in the number

of leisure businesses growing, London is the only region

This new research found overall there are now 71 fewer

leisure venues in London, compared to five years ago.

Traditional venues like pubs, bingo halls and comedy clubs have

seen the biggest decline, by 658, newly 40% of the drop

But cake makers, juice bars and party venues have grown

Professor Jonathan Morris studies how consumption habits change.

At the end of the day, we would go to the pub.

But we don't tend to at lunchtimes as we feel we shouldn't be drinking

That's why coffee shops have been successful,

because they have brought in all those customers who felt

in some way excluded from the kinds of things going on in

There is still an appetite for pastimes like bingo.

Venues just have to jazz things up a bit.

Here, bingo mixes with, well, dance music.

It began life in Liverpool but is to hit London next month.

It is essentially bingo but in between it is a rave,

there are dance-offs and things like that.

Why go to a pub when you can come here?

But traditional venues haven't quite had their day.

There are still more pubs across London than any other

So we haven't lost our love of a cold drink, it's just these

days we expect something a little bit different.

And if you want to find out a bit more about where you live

and how it's changed, head to the BBC London website

The athlete known as the weirwolf , six-time Paralympic

champion David Weir, has announced his

immediate retirement from international athletics.

The 37-year-old from Sutton posted a message on Twitter today

in which he said he had made the decision after being "let down

He added he will race at this year's London marathon but will never

Wimbledon and Sutton United are two names intrinsically linked

Tonight they face each other in the competition

The winners will be through to the fourth round and also land

Chris Slegg is pitchside at Kingsmeadow.

Wimbledon try to make the fourth round for the first time since they

were founded in 2002 after the original Wimbledon defected to

Milton Keynes. Sutton United of the National League are trying to get to

the fourth round since the first time since 1999 when they beat

Coventry. ?70,000 in prize money is at stake tonight, and ?144,000 TV

money, because whoever wins at home to Leeds will be live on BT Sport.

Neal, what would it mean to be the first manager to take AFC bundled

into the FA Cup fourth round? Massive, there have been a lot of

firsts in my time at Wimbledon because we are such a new club. Of

course it would be great to take them to the fourth round, and it

keeps this season alive and it keeps a good buzz around the place. The

original bumbled and eat Liverpool in the 1988 final. How much

inspiration do you draw from that? They managed to beat one of the

greatest teams. I remember watching it, watching the build-up to it. It

is a big competition and we will be giving it our all. Good luck, I will

let you prepare the team. For one of Saturn's fans, they have even

released a song. Dash-macro Saturn. The man behind the microphone, Jeff

Martin, joins me now. What does it mean for fans to get to this stage?

It is brilliant to be here, what an incredible night for an FA Cup game.

You can smell the tension in the FO. We are not here to make up the

numbers. If you get through to play Leeds, that will bring back memories

for fans of your generation? Yes, Lily 50,000 people squeezed in and

it would be lovely to get to that again. We are focused, we will be

100% behind the boys today. What is your prediction? You are the

underdog. I am not making a prediction. This for us is going to

be an extra great atmosphere, and extort make experience. If we play

well we know we can wind this. Good luck. Kick-off here as at 7pm.

Dash-macro 7:45pm. Chris, thank you.

Following the referendum, the prime minster said

"Brexit means Brexit", and today Theresa May revealed

more on how she intends to make that happen.

So, what could that mean for the capital?

Tim Donovan has been looking at the detail

Londoners, as we know, were in favour over all of staying in the

EU, so it is more tricky than most areas for the Prime Minister,

Theresa May, to convince, when 60% were unhappy with the decision, too

convinced that this is not going to cause harm. Three main areas of

three main questions, the single market, those for killers, that

freedom of movement, of Labour, up goods and services, and capital,

coming out of the single market what would it do to that? What will the

cost be? The question of immigration, the issue of control on

EU workers. So important when we are up to 1 million from the EU

currently working here. And this question of transition, how long

will that be? She talked today of phased in the mentation, rather than

a cliff edge decision. I took the tension out in east London today.

Dash-macro temperature. So, should become out of the single market?

Word had reached many about the Prime Minister's speech. What you

think about coming out of the single market? It is about people growing

up and getting on with it and we will still be all trading with one

another. You are happy to come out? Yes, because I see the world is a

bigger place than just that, but I don't want to come out and not be

able to trade with Europe any more. But neither do they not want to be

able to trade with us. What do you think about coming out of the single

market, what could that do to the economy? The interest rates might go

up. Pension, cost of living, it is uncomfortable. Theresa May is saying

she thinks trade will be given a great boost because the opportunity

is now noble. How? I can't see that. This Turkish man voted to come out,

but now he thinks that will harm us economic. You voted to come out but

you have changed your mind? I changed my mind. If we voted again,

I would stay. The Prime Minister says the economy is getting better,

or has not been as bad as people says. We have not come out yet. In

the future it might be more difficult. Down the road in Canary

Wharf, you was one gloomy outlook. London makes and sells financial

products to the world. At least 20% of those go to people in Europe. If

we can't sell those products to those people, we take an economic

hit and potentially it is a big hit. But the Prime Minister said she

would get a good deal for the financial sector. The Prime Minister

can say what she likes, but what matters is the governments of the

country where our customers are. If they are not prepared to play ball,

there will be no deal. He was an overview in the city today. Now what

the negotiation stance of the government is going to be. That

gives the opportunity to people to have more certainty over the next

couple of years, and they can start to plan for the future. I think

there is going to be much more sense of optimism that the opportunities

are clearer and the downside is now limited. Back at the market, that

other issue,. The average person like myself once control of our

borders. Have a listen will stop Brexit must mean control of the

number of people who come to Britain from Europe. That is what we will

deliver. What did you think of that? To the ordinary, average person in

the street, that is the most important thing to us. If people are

coming and we have not got the jobs for them, what will they do question

up we have to have some control, no matter what. But aren't they coming

because there are jobs here? Where? It is what the EU has done for us,

or not done for us, which continues to divide opinion.

I think these two big issues this evening, the financial sector so

important to the capital, tens of thousands of jobs could be on the

line. And that question of immigration, maybe up to 60,000 new

EU workers coming here every year, 930,000 working here now. They are

putting pressure, some people say, on a range of Applix services, but

they are also fulfilling those jobs, in the health service and on

building sites. Overall, Theresa May will say this is just fulfilling the

voice of the people, how they voted, what they wanted. Thank you.

It's the celebrity haunt tucked away in a corner of the West End that

for 100 years has hosted the stars of stage and screen,

from the golden age of glamour to the A-listers of today.

Well, The Ivy's now been recognised with a green plaque

Frankie McCamley has been behind the scenes of the world famous venue

that started life as a small Italian cafe.

A familiar sight outside one of London's most popular wants for the

rich and famous. But today, they are not here just to catch a glimpse of

the celebrity a listed on the guest list. The Ivy is celebrating its

100th anniversary with a commemorative main plaque from

Westminster City Council. And, behind the iconic stained-glass

windows is one of the many famous regulars, not short of a story to

tell. Coming in here with some friends who will remain nameless, on

the same evening that Princess Margaret arrived, and my friend,

disappearing from the table at some point, and coming back extremely

giddily, said, I have just worn Princess Margaret's code. This is

one of the most sought-after tables in the restaurant, where the likes

of Kate Moss and Tom Cruise has sat. It is a million miles away from when

it first started. We are surrounded by famous artwork and dishes made by

some of the top chefs in the capital. The venue has had different

owners give beginners, and a major refurbishment in 2015, as it has

tried to adapt and keep up with accommodation in the city. It is

very difficult to stay at the top in an incredibly and increasingly

competitive restaurant world. People like new, people want to go to the

next hottest place, so for restaurants like The Ivy, which have

been around for 100 years, it is a job to stay relevant. And that it

has, with a host of celebrities caught on camera here over the

years, including the supermodel Kate Moss, and Vogue editor Anna Wintour,

posh and Becks, and the American film star Jack Black. One of the

people capturing those moments was Max. The IV was always important

because you get a good calibre of celebrity. It is just seeing the

lifestyles of the rich and famous, and in their more candid situations

sometimes, not always, just at official events. Along with its

infamous shepherds pie, this venue has been part of the city's

theatrical history. The hope is it will remain that way in the years to

come. Let's get a check on the weather

now with Wendy Hurrell. Hello, it was absolutely beautiful

today. The weather watchers have been out in force, inspired by the

beautiful blue skies. That goes for you as well, where we will have ten

which is quite low tonight. Down 2-4 is a possibility, but we could see

minus seven in a feud places tonight. It is cold out there this

evening because of the Lear skies, and that has been almost exclusively

for us today. We have been the sunny corner of the UK, as you can see. As

we zoom in, you can see the edge of this cloud, which could creep

further towards us through tomorrow, but certainly out there at the

moment it is staying at bay. As we go through the night, we will have

less guys continuing, and you can see the blue tinge on the map as the

temperatures falling and the frost forming because the wind is light.

It will get pretty cold, even in central London will reach freezing

or just below, and there will be another frost tomorrow morning. Wrap

up warm when you head off to work in the morning. There should be some

sunshine in the south-east. This cloud could creep a little bit

further in, and then temper just out of the sunshine under the cloud will

feel a good deal colder. More cloud as the week goes on. This is

Thursday's picture. Bright spells, settled and dry, but more cloud as

the week goes on. This could be a bit pessimistic, there could be a

bit of sunshine, but it remained settled and dry and cold.

Thank you. The day's headlines:

The Prime Minister has confirmed Britain will be leaving

the EU single market. Theresa May said Britain must be

able to control the number of people who come here from the EU

and British courts must have the final say in

interpreting British laws. The Supreme Court has ruled that

former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw can be sued by a Libyan man,

who claims British agents helped Jack Straw was responsible

for MI6 at the time, A three-day strike next week by

Southern rail has been suspended. We will be back later

during the Ten O'Clock News, That I will faithfully execute

the Office... And will to the best

of my ability... The Constitution

of the United States... TV: He's not your father.

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