03/07/2017 London News

Calls for a change in the law news teams where you are.

to introduce fire safety measures following the Grenfell tragedy.

Councils should be given powers to override defective police terms to

put in place safety measures to benefit everyone in the block.

Absolutely. This whole area is ripe for change.

Plus, the latest on the Grenfell tragedy

as the Government says it won't prosecute those who were illegally

One month on from the London Bridge terror attack.

A survivor shows us his physical scars, many others have

He stuck the knife in me. I don't know whereabouts at first. Then I

was fighting with him. A search for 75 secondary places as the UK's

first state boarding school faces closure. And one of the biggest

dates in the gardening calendar. We are at Hampton Court for our show

ahead of its opening tomorrow. -- Flower Show.

Welcome to the programme with me, Riz Lateef.

Nearly three weeks on since the Grenfell tragedy

reviewed at many towerblocks across the capital.

Today, Westminster became the latest council to announce it would install

But tonight there are questions as to whether local authorities

have the power to force costly fire safety measures like sprinklers

and fire doors on leaseholders who have bought their properties.

But one expert believes the Grenfell fire should lead

Our political editor Tim Donovan reports.

This is the fire door that Croydon Council fitted.

A dispute over this doorway has proved very costly for Julie.

This is the council flat that she bought in Croydon.

She had installed a plastic-coated front door.

The council said that it was a fire risk and danger

The council were saying, we need to set a precedent...

She claimed that as a leaseholder, she had rights over the front door.

She ended up paying not just for the front door but ended up

I should have been given the opportunity to do it myself,

rather than Croydon Council going to the extremes

And how they are literally persecuting me for the

This is being seen as something of a test case.

And in this County Court judgment, the key thing is that the judge

decided that in the absence of any clarity in Julie's lease itself

that the council did retain responsibility for external features

But this has actually proved a rare legal success for a council.

Experts say that it is very hard to force leaseholders to accept

The vast majority of right to buy leases, in my experience,

will not let councils just enter properties to make improvements.

To add in whole new fire safety systems that didn't exist before.

And I would say probably a bare majority are leases that leave

the doors in the control of the leaseholder or,

even worse, it is ambiguous as to whose door it is.

So there would be no obligation to put in fire doors?

Not without a quite expensive and difficult legal dispute to find

Despite the fire at Lakanal House, Southwark reported that its hands

were tied because of the fact that the council has no right

of access to install PPS systems, that's sprinklers,

Clearly, there has to be, as I think some of the lessons

are emerging from Grenfell - early days, but emerging -

are that we can't have different standards of fire safety in some

properties within a high-rise building compared

There has to be a common approach to fire safety.

Wandsworth, like Westminster, is now planning to install

sprinklers in dozens of tower blocks.

But with many leaseholders here, disputes over costs and legal

Conservative councils are meeting in Kensington and Chelsea this evening

to choose a new leader. It follows the register -- resignation of

Nicholas Paget-Brown after criticism of his handling of Vigo end of

disaster. Our correspondent has the latest follows. -- for us.

We think the meeting is just getting under way. We have seen some

councils arriving, here to choose a successor to Nicholas Paget-Brown.

He stayed there last Friday with his deputy. We understand there are two

candidates that local Conservatives will be choosing from. One is a

former Cabinet member, Elizabeth Campbell, but one of the backbench

councillors, David Lindsey. The meeting, we think, has just got

under way. It will be cheered by the Fulham and Chelsea MP. We want

leadership that will deliver a good service to those people affected by

the Grenfell fire tragedy and hopefully the cancel under new

leadership can move on, take charge of the events, respond well and

build from here. Are you sure that they are capable of doing it? Lots

of people have said they had been a waste of space although the response

the Grenfell and it needs commissions from a site to come in.

We have very talented councillors within the group. It is not a

decision for me. I am the MP for Chelsea. It will be up to the

councils in Kensington and Chelsea, Conservative councillors, to decide

your new leader, which is in common with standard practice across the

country. What about opposition parties? What do they have to say?

It was interesting listening to Greg Hands. He believed that the council

should be allowed to carry on but that has not been the view of many

families and opposition councillors. I spoke earlier to the leader of the

Labour group at Kensington and Chelsea, who said that these people

running this council do not deserve another chance. Only downside is to

be brought in. It is apparent to everybody

that the Conservative administration has never grasped the scale

of the problem. And most of them don't seem

humble enough to go back to the residents and say,

we have made a complete mess of this, we are sorry

and we will try to do better. And I really don't think whoever

they elect is going to be able Yes, those are the views of the

politics of it. We had some more politics in the Commons this

afternoon. She amenities Secretary Sajid Javid addressing the key issue

of people coming forward to say who was in their flats. We know that

some of the flats were sublet, which is of course illegal. Sajid Javid

saying in the Commons again today, do come forward, you will not be

prosecuted. It is important for victims and families to know who was

in those flats and Grenfell Tower. A teenager from west London has been

jailed for life for planning a bomb attack that may have targeted

an Elton John concert He admitted preparing an act

of terrorism after trying to obtain weapons including a suicide bomb

and machine guns. Let's cross to the Old Bailey,

where our home affairs correspondent This teenager, Haroon Syed, who

still lived at home with his parents, was trying to find a fellow

jihadi online who could help them get hold of a bomb or possibly

weapons to carry out a terrorist attack. However, MI5 managed to get

one of its agents to strike up a conversation with him online and

that lasted about six months. At one point, the pair met up and he handed

over ?150, apparently to go to our bomb maker. We know that he

contemplated attacking Oxford Street with annual bomb. -- nail bomb. And

he had looked at attacking a concert by Elton John in Hyde Park on

September the 11th last year. who's also been convicted

of terrorism offences? That is right. He was jailed for

life last year for plotting to carry out a Lee Rigby style killing,

specifically attacking someone selling poppies around the time of

Remembrance Sunday. It was argued in court today that that experience and

the dysfunctional trial should -- childhood that led to his

radicalisation, it was said that potentially in ten years he could

beat the radicalised by the judge showed he was an extreme or

dangerous man. -- he could beat the radicalised.

A search is under way to find secondary places for 75 pupils

after the Government announced it was pulling funding from the UK's

The secondary school in Sussex is part of the Durand Academy,

which also runs a primary school in south London.

While the primary will be taken over, the future of the boarding

Here's our education reporter, Marc Ashdown.

It was billed as "Eton for the poor".

The first free state boarding school.

Every week, 75 South London pupils are bussed down here.

But it appears its days are numbered.

The secondary school is run by Durand Academy Trust,

which also has a primary school in Stockwell.

For years, questions have been raised over the complex financial

arrangements and numerous conflicts of interest

After repeated warnings, the Government is finally

A notice last week cites the trust's inability or unwillingness

to address serious concerns over the financial management

After repeated and significant breaches of the funding agreement,

they remain fundamental concerns about the governance.

Now, the governing body here wrote to parents

and carers late last week. I have got the letter here.

They say that the school is under attack and they will

If the Government does push ahead, what is likely to happen

here is that this will be taken over by a successful Academy chain.

So the disruption to pupils' education should be minimal.

When it comes to the secondary pupils in West Sussex

at the boarding school, that is less certain.

I have another letter here from Lambeth Council,

which was sent to every head teacher in the borough last week.

They say that they expect there to be no provision

In effect, they are expecting the boarding school to close down.

And they are asking head teachers if they have any room to take

Yet again, it is the parents and 1000 pupils across three sites

Parents are obviously in the dark. We don't know anything.

From what you hear, I have spoken to a lot of parents who are worried.

Some have gone ahead and take your kids out of the school.

We have fulfilled all our financial commitments.

Have the Government? Absolutely not.

Sir Greg Martin, former executive head, now Chair of Governors,

has released a series of 12 videos on the school website answering

But it does appear the academy, once hailed by ministers as a future

model for all schools, is slowly unravelling.

So it's complicated, but can children be

Yes, they can. Lambeth, the Council, has a legal duty to provide a place

for every child. That is the criticism of the Academy 's model.

If it all goes wrong, they have to pick up the pieces. We're entering a

12 month transition period for the school. Fox going to find an academy

sponsor to take it over. -- talks are ongoing. Things could be drawn

out of the school fight it. But the deadline in June 2018 is when the

funding will definitely stop. There were warnings here that tens of

millions of pounds of taxpayers' money could be at risk. Michael

Gove's department at the time played on wholeheartedly with it. No

Justine Greening, as Education Secretary, has to on pick a right

royal mess. Many people see it as a missed opportunity. It is a shame

because it could have been a pioneering project will stop it is a

shame for the pupils but one more embarrassment for the government to

ponder in this whole sorry affair. Thank you.

A teenager has died trying to escape a fire at a block

Witnesses say the 17-year-old jumped from a top floor maisonette

on St Paul's Way just before six this morning.

Fire crews rescued one man from a fourth floor bedroom and two

others got out before the emergency services arrived.

Dozens of residents who lived in the block were evacuated.

The cause of the fire is being investigated.

The US President Donald Trump has used social media

to offer his support to the parents of the terminally-ill

President Trump tweeted saying he would be delighted to help

the 10-month-old who has a rare genetic condition and brain damage.

But European judges have rejected the pleas

from Charlie's parents to take him to the US for treatment.

A month on from the London Bridge terror attack,

it's emerged that more than 160 people

who witnessed it or were affected have turned to a support

One south Londoner who was stabbed by the terrorists says doesn't know

how he made it out alive or what effect it might

On Saturday night one month ago, three men drove a van into

pedestrians on London Bridge. They went on to stab others about the

market. Eight people lost their lives and almost 50 were injured.

Cut my neck and my ear was hanging on a

Then there was the stab wounds to the chest.

I still didn't know they were terrorists or

It is only when they pulled the blade out and

started talking about Allah, Islam and something about killing their

I was trying to fight with him but then he has pulled

the other two back that was going into a restaurant, where they were

My memory is blank from after the first stabbing.

But then three of them came and started attacking me and I

Roy says that he is feeling better and his

But others are still dealing with the emotional

One charity says it has helped more than 160 people that witnessed or

have been touched by the attack. The key thing is not to bottle it up

because there is a danger that by doing that it will actually get

worse and we may develop the symptoms that will require more

in-depth psychological study. With recent tragedies in the capital, the

charity suspects there are many people at the other still needs

help. -- many people out there that still need help.

Chelsea has come and gone but this week Garden lovers can come and

enjoy the show at Hampton Court Palace, where the theme this year is

climate change. Join me later in the programme. And I will have you --

the weather from Wimbledon. The covers were on the course today but

are many times will they be rolled across the grass this week?

The capital's night tube service is to be extended to part

of the London Overground, with trains running

From December, there'll be a 24-hour service

on Fridays and Saturdays between Dalston Junction

Here's our transport correspondent, Tom Edwards.

Shoreditch, one of the areas that will benefit from 24-hour train

Byron is a local musician. He thinks it's great news.

One of the things that's kind of grown the south-east and east

has been the arts community and stuff like that,

and anything that helps that grow is just a good thing.

From December, on Fridays and Saturday nights,

there will be four trains an hour right through the night

The service will extend to Highbury next year.

We have been experiencing traffic jams in the middle of the night.

There's huge traffic congestion in the evenings

It's very important that where possible we do shift people

from car traffic into cleaner public transport services.

I think if you look around the world, many world cities

London, too, has its own night tube service now of course.

They are very important for the night-time economy,

for people who live in London and people who work in London.

According to the mayor, the night tube has already boosted

Now there are also calls for licensing restrictions to be eased.

We still have a climate where we don't have

In some areas people are nervous about granting licences to bars

Rashid has had a stall here for two years.

He thinks better transport will benefit the area.

It makes it more attractive and busier, for sure.

And this will not be the last service to run through the night.

Transport for London says it's already looking to introduce

It is a sign of summer when we talk about Wimbledon.

There may be much excitement in SW19 as Wimbledon

fortnight gets underway - a chance to enjoy some great tennis

and an opportunity to encourage the next generation of Murrays

But over in Surrey, there's criticism of

to use public courts which were previously free.

And it is a lovely day for it? Absolutely beautiful. Thousands of

tennis fans at FW 19 looking forward to a fortnight of fabulous tennis at

these championships. Millions more watching around the world. As you

would expect, it might inspire many of us to dust off a racket and head

to the local courts for the game. Perhaps not the best time for

Ambridge Borough Council to introduce charges courts that were

previously free. They claim that funds will help to maintain them but

as I have found out, it has put local

residents off. The perfect weather for tennis, but on Sunday afternoon,

three of the four Courts on this weighbridge Park when empty. I would

expect these courts on this kind of data be really busy with people. It

is so sad to see these courts empty. It pulls at the heartstrings. It is

a similar situation in nearby parks as well.

What has changed is that the Borough Council has introduced a new pay and

book scheme. They say that the future cuts to local funding, making

the decision to charge for courts is not easy but the money will go some

way to maintaining them. But it will go resident has called on people to

sign a petition to make at least some of the courts free again.

Surely there can be a compromise we can come to with the council which

means that we have courts available for no cost that adults can come and

play good tennis on. She has support from some big names.

Meanwhile, a father and son who wanted free time on the courts

instead had to leave disappointed. We regularly come to this park and

play tennis, basketball, football. So I was really surprised and the

same with my son. He asked why we can't play and I had to explain to

him again that we need to be more money. The LTA, who implemented

similar schemes elsewhere, and the local council, believe that this

will ultimately lead to more participation. Early indication

shows that people here might need more persuading.

I mentioned that petition that has been started and it has been signed

by over 1200 people calling for the return of more free courts. She also

has a meeting with council members that the LTA will be at tomorrow. I

am sure she is hoping for a positive response. Indeed. Emma, from

Wimbledon, thank you very much. We will have more later.

It's one of the biggest events in the horticultural calendar -

when the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show takes over the historic grounds

It opens to the public tomorrow but Alice Bhandhukravi

Hello, Alice. If Chelsea Flower Show is compact

and centrally located, this is quite the opposite. It is the largest of

its kind in the world and the theme this year is climate change. One of

the standout gardens, and they say garden, it is something of an

installation, is a garden called The Elements Of Life, which aims to take

us on the ground and think about soil composition. The soil is on a

glass cube of water and I spoke to the designer, who said what is

underground is often ignored. The main focus today is on the

beautiful flowers, plants etc. But if we have not got the right soil in

the ground, it will not happen. It will grow for a while and then

probably with R We always have this same. Don't put a ?15 plant in

a 15 pencil. -- 15p hole. That is what we're to educate people.

This is a standout garden, the London Glades, and it is designed to

be a city garden. We can seek to its designer, John Davies.

Congratulations, because you won a gold medal today? We're really

excited and happy. First time and we are blown away. It is supposed to be

a city garden. Explain how it is possible that something as wild as

this could fit in London. It is designed for an urban space. We are

trying to bring nature back to the city. This is an edible forest

garden. It is a system where you can bring things into the environment.

What is edible? We have edible fern. Beautiful herbs and lots of mint.

Posner added. Beautiful edible flowers at the top. In an ideal

world, everything would look as beautiful as this but it is not

always like this? We are looking to relinquish control a bit, to let it

be more and enjoy the beauty of wildness in the city. Thank you so

much for joining us. You can enjoy the wildness of this flower show and

the rest -- for the rest of the week. Thank you very much.

Let's go back to Wimbledon and this time to Wendy.

Quite right. A lot of spectators behind me on Henman Hill or Murray

mound. Basking on the evening sunshine and watching the action on

Centre Court. Some beautiful flowers that will meet somewhat after such a

warm day. We had a little bit of water. The covers went on at 2:30

p:m.. They were not just fleeting showers. Through the rest of this

evening, get more sunshine to enjoy. However, through tonight, we will

start to see more cloud spilling through. If you get and pieces of

clear sky. It will be increasingly muggy through the next few days.

Temperatures tonight in central London down to around 16 Celsius.

Outside, across the Home Counties, had 11-13dC. Much like this morning,

tomorrow morning, there will be plenty of cloud around first thing.

Slowly and steadily, there will be some breaks in a cloud in the think

the best of the moral's sunshine will be late afternoon and into the

evening once again. If Ning, -- anything, tomorrow will be a bit

warmer. We will probably get 2526 again through the day tomorrow with

a small risk of a shower but it is must be dry. -- 25 or 26. It is a

very fine day on Wednesday, temperatures could reach 20 Celsius.

It will be among the night into Thursday. Much more chance of

showers on Thursday. Maybe the Centre Court ripple beyond. Hit and

miss but some will be heavy. It will be a muggy day is temperatures again

Ireland 26 Celsius. It looks like the warm weather will continue into

Friday. We could still get 27 Celsius in the best of the sunshine.

The heat continues into the weekend as well. But, for now, I would say

it is perfect weather for tennis. Absolutely. Fingers crossed.

The care system in Jersey has been severely criticised

in an independent report on historical child abuse.

It warns some young people could still be at risk.

And the Government's making clear its position on its public

despite several Cabinet ministers calling for it to be abandoned

More from me later during the ten o'clock news.

So from all of us on the team, thanks for watching

Discover a new planet, close to home.