14/07/2017 London News

It's already the world's largest festival

but this year's Proms have got even bigger

Good evening and welcome to the programme.

Tonight - a warning that a growing number of people could contract

cancer from their exposure to asbestos in hospitals.

This programme has obtained figures showing 94% of London

The NHS argues it's safe as long as the material is not disturbed,

but some experts and workers unions claim it's leading to more

Charlotte Franks begins her report with the testimony of an NHS doctor

It seems there may have been a lot of asbestos in the tunnels

of the hospital where I spent six years training.

Everybody, students, doctors, nurses, porters, used the tunnels.

Of the four doctors who trained at this hospital

and who subsequently developed mesothelioma in the past five years,

Doctor Andrew Lawson wrote about his condition in 2010.

He'd been suffering with mesothelioma, a type of lung

cancer caused by bleeding in asbestos dust.

That somebody gets cheated of their life and future.

He was only half way through his life.

Andrew says he contracted it whilst training at the hospital.

A claim that the NHS Trust refuses to be drawn on.

White asbestos, the type in hospitals, has been deemed safe

They warn its presence in hospital needs to be addressed.

It could be said to be a ticking time bomb.

The numbers of people developing mesothelioma in this

The expected peak has been exceeded several times already.

The prediction of when numbers of mesothelioma cases

are going to peak has been moved forward several times since I've

There are now calls for the Government to urgently remove

We know that asbestos kills people. We know that the longer it stays in

the building the more chance of it being disturbed and therefore we

know that it is likely at some time in the future it will be responsible

for the deaths of members of the public and workers. According to

figures, a thousand people from London died of mesothelioma it clean

2011-15. Several victims were nurses and doctors but it's believed the

true number of hospital workers are factored is high on Fire. 94% of the

capital sought bottles still contain asbestos. Andrew was typical of

mesothelioma sufferers. It took years for his symptoms to show. Once

diagnosed, most people are expected to live between 12 and 21 months. We

all know about the dangers of asbestos but they failed to take

enough action to remove the risk for those that work there.

Charlotte joins me now for more on this.

Charlotte what's been the response from the government?

If there was to be a mass asbestos removal programme across all

hospitals and London, you might think the Department of Health would

be responsible for it. It would cost a considerable amount of money if it

took place. The department, with operational responsibility for

asbestos in NHS, states that following the report they have

installed as -- they haven't decided whether or not to remove asbestos.

There are strict rules and regulations in place so that

asbestos is registered and contained, they say. When building

work is carried out, experts are brought in to safely dispose of it.

Thank you for that. A new cycle hire scheme wear bikes

don't need docking - but there are fears

they could cause obstructions. Half of London's police stations are

to close under new plans announced by the Mayor of London. He says

budget constraints have given him little choice but to shock but he

claims are underused front counters. He once to save money in order to

have more officers on the beat. It means that the capital will be left

with only one station in each Babar. -- he wants to save money in order.

The home of Scotland Yard from now on.

Fifty years ago, the Met police were celebrating moving

Sold off a couple of years back, part of ?1 billion worth

of buildings sold by the Met to help cover its costs.

Today the Mayor announced a consultation that could see dozens

more police stations and police buildings sold off.

The number of closures planned in this consultation run,

That's not all, though, there is also a list

of other office buildings, like car parks, that

It then moves onto list of things called partnerships.

You may remember once upon a time we were told there would be police

officers in places like supermarkets and libraries and

There are also what are called safer neighbourhood bases,

where officers are based at the moment, around 100 of those

City Hall says each borough will be left with one police station open 24

hours a day and says it will stick to promises

I'm afraid I can't give the reassurance to Londoners that

police officers won't be lost as a consequence of Government cuts.

We've worked out if we close down police station front counters

we will save roughly ?10 million because it means

If we sell off those police stations, police buildings,

we can save in the region of ?170 million.

But I've still got a big, big black hole.

I think there are better ways of providing policing and we've seen

We've seen that with a more localised type of policing service.

But you've got to take the public along with you.

If you don't do that, then you can't really call

If the mayor's plans go ahead, London will have seen more

than a 100 police stations close over the past five years.

There is more money and more officers for each Londoner

And the Mayor's given his reaction to last night's acid attack

As we've been hearing, two teenagers have been arrested

in connection what's believed to be attempted robberies in east London.

Last week we told you that acid attacks have been rising

dramatically in London. Let's look at what happened last night first.

Five attacks in just 90 minutes. It began on Hackney Road at 1025 -

when two men on a moped threw 25 minutes later another man

was attacked in Islington. In another 50 minutes,

three more attacks one Another on Cazenuve Roas

in Stoke Newington - the victim this time suffered

life-changing injuries. And the final attack happened

just after half past 11 The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan

said he was alarmed. We're speaking to the

Government about changing laws around acid attacks but also

speaking to supermarkets, retailers and manufacturers about regulation

around this because many of us have household goods,

detergents, drain unblockers, which We've got to make sure

we have a common-sense approach. Where there are loopholes

we are going to close them down. Overall acids attacks

have risen year in year, in 2014/2015 - 188

people were injured. The following financial year

it increased to 317. And up until April this year it has

jumped again to 398. Earlier I spoke to a victim

of an acid attack. He was attacked by men on mopeds

outside a hospital over a month ago. He raised his arm and a liquid

didn't hit his face. Suddenly, when the burning sensation

started on my forearms and my face, forcing me to close my eyes as well

and try to open it, but as soon as you open it,

the burning sensation in the eye. It was like somebody had just

taken a knife and just... You can feel inside as well,

that life is not the same as it used to be before when you were just

walking on the road. When I see the other attacks,

I think a week or ten days after my one, the two cousins,

when I see that poor lady, Syed was talking about these two

cousins, Jameel Muktar and Resham Khan, who were attacked

with acid just over three They have been left

with life-changing injuries. So what do you do if you've been

involved in an attack? Remove contaminated

jewellery and clothing. Rinse yourself with as much

water as possible. Hopefully people will be to use that

advice but it is useful in the meantime. -- won't need to use that

advice. Sorry, I'll take you to the next story.

A new bike hire hire scheme set up to rival the Mayor's hire scheme has

The bikes don't need to be docked and can be booked

through your mobile phone, but as our Transport Correspondent

Tom Edwards reports, the scheme has been criticised

A Chinese company arrived this week putting hundreds of these high-tech

That unlocks and now you can basically free up the bike.

OBike schemes are huge in Southeast Asia.

The company says it wants to work with the authorities.

The big difference is oBikes don't have docking stations.

This means they can be left anywhere.

Cluttering pavements, bikes left in the wrong places.

In terms of cluttering the bikes, we are going to be doing a very

We are going to make sure that from the get-go we are not

We want to introduce ourselves to Londoners.

They will have to work with local authorities

on the distribution of the bicycles, how the bikes are maintained,

on whether there is clutter in particular locations.

There are a lot of things they need to resolve,

but ultimately they need safe cycle tracks and that's

But as we found out, without docking stations,

These oBikes in Hammersmith have been served with

removal notices for obstructing the pavement.

Thousands are planned by the end of the summer and councils

It's really unhelpful when oBike just dump their bikes in the borough

and it doesn't help with the public perception of the bike

I'm really annoyed that they have gone

Tonight the company said it will remove 400

With more schemes underway, the Mayor is

also guarded, saying these schemes have to be introduced in a way

Coming up: the crowds gathering ahead of the first night of the

Proms. This year it is bigger than ever but it's not just about

traditional venues. And centre code is based in some

beautiful evening sunlight. More tennis at the weekend but will there

be more sunshine? Full forecast to come.

It's been called London's Cathedral of Science and today

the Francis Crick Institute welcomed the King and Queen of Spain.

The royal couple were there to meet the dozens of Spanish scientists

working at the leading biomedical research centre - hoping

So - will they be tempted once the UK leaves the EU?

At the Francis Crick Institute in King's Cross, the King and Queen

of Spain arrive as part of their state visit.

The building has been described as a ?700 million altar

to biomedical science in the heart of London.

Dozens of the researchers here are Spanish woman.

One of those is Patricia Barral, who has lived in the

London is a really good place, it's very multicultural and close

to Spain, so it's easy to come and go.

It's easy to fit in London because there's just so many people,

While many schools here still struggle to attract girls

into science and engineering subjects, there appears to be no

The problem they starts when it comes to higher education

I couldn't come back after I did my Ph.D.

And the problem is that in Spain we have a lack

There is not a robust research system that is going to be able

to host all those scientists that have emigrated due to

But with Brexit looming, will these talented female

The Government is guaranteeing investment in science until 2020.

But after that, research shows around a third of Spanish scientists

I think right now it's really an uncertain moment.

I think we need to wait for a few years and see which agreements

are made and how the Government responds to the

Whatever happens, researchers say as things stand they will not be

Most have said they will stay in the capital,

It's the biggest disability sport competition outside the Paralympics,

and it's just got under way in the capital this evening.

Record crowds for the World Para Athletics Championships are expected

at the London Stadium over the next ten days.

Chris Slegg is on the Olympic Park now.

Yes, when the Paralympics was held here it was the first Paralympics

ever to sell out. They've sold George and 80,000 tickets so far for

these World Championships. -- too much and 80,000. One of the first

athletes to sample the atmosphere tonight is Abbie, a former Surrey.

She's been telling me about her experience.

This is the iPad app that helps Abbie Hunnisett communicate.

My main goals for the championships as to have fun, relax

We sent her questions before meeting her.

She's already typed in her answers, which she plays by hitting

What do you think it's going to be like to compete

in the World Championships in your own country?

I think it is going to be incredible.

I have competed before at the anniversary games

Abbie's been training for her event, the F32 club throw for athletes

with severe cerebral palsy and similar impairments.

What would you say has been the highlight of your career so far?

The first time I competed at the Olympic Stadium three years

The second has to be going to Rio and the whole experience

At 21, she's achieved so much already.

Now Dad Mark and mum Marion are getting ready

I have threatened to buy a megaphone.

For me to be able to call my daughter a Paralympian

It's just great to be able to go back to some of the special schools

I have attended and speak to the students and show them that

if they work hard and do their best, they too could achieve whatever

If all goes well, Abbie Hunnisett will have another career

Good luck to Mark Whittet, her event begins at 7pm. We've seen all kinds

of events here. Good Formula 1 be next? Reports today of an

organisation called London GP bidding to bring a British Grand

Prix to the streets of the capital. A spokesman for the Mayor of London

says he is aware of these proposals. We've seen many reports of trying to

bring a groggy to London over the years. They've never amounted to

much. -- a Grand Prix. Tonight is all about the opening night of the

Worlds Para Athletics. Quite An Evening Is In Store.

It's the world's largest festival of classical music and this year

The Proms get underway tonight with more than 90 concerts over

eight weeks and will feature established orchestras

Let's join Victoria Hollins, who's at the Royal Albert Hall

The Queues Have Gathered. They've Moved A Long Into The Wire Up A Paul

Nuttall. It Continues To Be Hugely Popular, Not Just For Audiences That

Are Coming Here. Not just --... More than 90 concerts this season from

across the country. We will see performance. The Royal Albert Hall

is not the only venue. There are some rather less traditional ones

across London, two. This isn't perhaps this sounded

usually expect from the Proms. But the London Contemporary

Orchestra won't be performing This is The Tanks space

at the Tate Modern. You can hear the acoustic,

it's just waiting for people to come It's one of five different

venues that have never There's a real opportunity

that the Proms have tapped into, venues around London that offer

an opportunity to hear different And this is one of the other

spaces being used for performances during the Proms,

the Bold Tendencies multistorey Car Park,

right in the heart of Peckham. The Multi-Story Orchestra

is performing in August. It's all about bringing

the best music to the widest It's in places like this where

people will experience classical There will also be performances

in Wilton's Music Hall, including Eight Songs For A Mad King,

and Southwark Cathedral Making a debut this

year is the Chineke! orchestra, Europe's first

professional orchestra of Black The main focus of more than 90

concerts will of course still be But while the more traditional

elements aren't going anywhere, there will be a wide offering

for a huge range of tastes. We've got jazz, we've got world

music, we've got soul, Jools Holland, we've got

Sir Simon Rattle, we've got... The world's biggest classical

music festival wants Standing room tickets

will be made available I'm pleased to say that we have a

pianist joining us now. What are the feelings this calls to a

performance. I'm terribly excited. Very happy. We've been working all

day, having fun, treating each other. Taking pictures. It's been

great. What's the draw of the first night of the Proms and the Proms

generally? It's the people. It's about the people. It's not about

some kind of chic or anything, it's about music and people experiencing

music together. It's phenomenal. What about those people that say

they don't understand classical music? They would say, this is not

for me. What producer? It is like any music. It is all about you. It

is all about you and me, about emotions, feelings, understanding. I

would say music is music is music. Give it a go and try it out. Look

around. Not intimidating to be in such a

historical venue, then? On the contrary. Thank you very much

indeed. There will be tickets available for almost every

performance on the day, standing only, no. -- standing room only,

though. It's called Wimbledon, we can look

forward to a big weekend of tennis. Before we get onto the weather. I

the latest news. Roger Federer has just won his semifinal. He will play

Marin Cilic. It's been an exciting day at Wimbledon. Another which is

player went out today but luckily we've got Jamie might -- Jamie

Murray and Heather Watson. As we had through the weekend, it will feel a

lot warmer. More humid air is coming through and there will be lots of

cloud. Not too much in the wake of sunshine, perhaps some showers.

Overnight tonight, some late brightness. It will be cool and

fresh. The cloud will start to thicken after. Overnight lows of

30-14 degrees. It should be a convertible sleep. Tomorrow morning

will start with early brightness. Tomorrow, bit of sunshine in the

morning and then the cloud will thicken it. We might even see some

light rain. This will mainly be in the middle part of the day. Sunshine

in the afternoon. The temperatures will rise, property up to 24-25

Celsius. On Sunday, we stand the greatest chance of seeing some late

showers. That could possibly affect the men's Finder. For the most part,

it should be dry. In the best of the sunshine, temperatures rising to the

mid-20s, possibly higher on Sunday. Lovely weather into the start of

next week. A ridge of high pressure developing. Monday and Tuesday is

looking bright. The temperatures are rising and we could be looking at

something close to 30 degrees. We could be looking at some thunder. By

that time, the tennis will be over. Thank you, Elizabeth.

Two teenagers have been arrested after a string of acid attacks

which took place last night in East London.

That's it, I'll be back later driven the ten o'clock news. Have a lovely

weekend.