18/07/2017 London News

with showers and feeling much, much cooler.

The government plans to ban weapons being delivered to online shoppers.

We get reaction from a mother whose son was stabbed to death.

People in the home have to take responsibility because a lot of this

weaponry is coming out of the kitchen drawer.

As parents, you need to be checking your children's bags before

We will hear how offences involving knives have increased.

Sadiq Khan takes another swipe at Donald Trump,

saying a state visit to London wouldn't be appropriate.

The excavation of a sarcophagus, one of only three ever found in London.

We hear from Camden's golden girl on setting records

Welcome to BBC London News with me, Riz Lateef.

The bid to fight knife crime and reduce the number of potential

The Home Secretary has unveiled plans to ban the delivery of knives

It's already illegal to sell them to under-18s,

but young people are able to buy them from the internet.

New measures would mean customers having to collect them from a shop,

where retailers could check their identity.

One mother whose son was killed spoke to us.

On the 24th of February, my son Jonathan, nicknamed JJ,

got stabbed in the heart outside the town hall in Islington.

They took out his main artery, punctured his heart and also

punctured his left lung, with one strike.

This CCTV footage shows the couch as Michelle McPhillips' son

tried to escape a group of men carrying knives.

The 28-year-old father of two was stabbed in the chest and would

They leave, their faces are not covered up, one

That's how confident they are that they're not going to get caught.

JJ's killers still haven't been found.

Knife crime is on the rise in the capital.

Between June 2015 and May last year there are nearly 10,000 offences.

In the year to May this year, there were nearly

Designed to go in and pull everything out when they come out.

The Home Secretary has been shown the sorts of knives found by police

It is illegal to buy a knife if you are under 18,

but some young people are getting them delivered.

The government now plans to change the law so that knives purchased

have to be picked up in person with ID.

We know from our own experience, from police information we have had,

that young people have been able to buy knives, who might

be underage, online, and we want that to stop.

The other thing we are announcing is making sure that we can consult

on new legislation potentially so that knives which are illegal

that are held on private property can be taken away by police.

So we can start to break that cycle of danger and violence that

Obviously we lost JJ, but also three weeks ago,

this is JJ's best friend Lee J and he was also stabbed to death.

JJ's mother welcomes anything that will restrict the sale of knives

but says policing must start at home.

A lot of this weaponry is coming out of the kitchen drawer.

As parents, you need to be checking your children's bags before

Talk to your children, find out who they are hanging out with,

because you really do not want to feel like I am feeling now.

Every moment of every day, if you think about someone

you really love, and close your eyes and think you're never going to see

them, touch them, feel them, even just get a phone call

You know, that's how I feel every moment of every day.

A former Met Police Commissioner says the force is at "breaking

point", warning that a reduction in the number of front line

officers since 2010, could undermine counter terrorism

Sir Paul Condon was in charge from 1993-2000, in charge when Steven

Lawrence was murdered and the inquiry which criticised the police.

He knows about being in charge of a force is under intense pressure and

he gave a start warning about the current pressures facing the

administration here, or specifically how reduction in personnel over many

years is perhaps impacting the ability of the Met police to do

their job. He was asked how well-equipped he thought they were

to deal with the current terror threat and he began by saying he

thought they were doing an incredibly job but in his view they

were stretched almost to breaking point and he had real anxieties

about staffing numbers which puts them under enormous pressure. They

have been dealing with terror threats from any decades alongside

the security service so what has gone wrong in his view?

You can't take out 20,000 street cops and 20,000 support staff

and maintain all the contact is with the community

The security services and police have been brilliant in foiling plot

after plot after plot but the terrorists only have

And police forces up and down the country are overstretched.

They don't have the numbers in the community where, day-to-day,

they can be picking up the sort of street intelligence they want.

And I think they are right at the edge of what is practical

in terms of the resources they have available.

On Friday the area of London announced we could be looking at

even more cuts to police numbers. -- area of London.

That's right, city can said he could not guarantee that police numbers

would not fall further in future. A consultation was aimed at possibly

closing dozens more police buildings, aimed at saving money.

The Met police has to save ?400 million by 2021 and many people feel

that is virtually impossible, including Mayor of London, without

reducing back-office staff and possibly front-line officers. The

Mayor blames the government. The Home Office says it has protected

Lee spending since 2015. But a big warning from a man who has been in

charge. This ancient stone coffin unearthed

on a building site here in Southwark has been here for 1600 years

but who and what does it contain? And three days of heat

and a thunderstorm - that's how British summertime has

famously been described. We could be looking at some

storms this evening. First they clashed over Trump's ban

on Muslims entering the US... then came the exchange of words over

the London Bridge terror attack. Now the Mayor has gone on American

TV, restating his view that the President shouldn't be

honoured with a state visit Whether it was courting the NFL at

Wembley or trying to woo the new American honour of Formula 1 in the

capital last week, the Mayor of London has been eager to roll out

the red carpet were lucrative deals with the US might be on offer but

yesterday he reiterated he would not do the same for the American

president, in an interview with a US broadcaster. Would you be open to a

state visit by Donald Trump? State visit so different from a normal

visit and that time when the president of the USA has policies

many people in the UK as a grievous, I'm not sure if it is appropriate

for our government to roll out the red carpet for a state visit. It is

not the first time they have clashed. Last month the US president

took to social media to criticise the Mayor's response to the London

Bridge terror attack but now some political opponents say enough is

enough. What kind of messages it to American companies want to invest in

the UK or those Americans who have made their home here? It is not

about personal spat between Donald and city can, it is about a

relationship between countries. For him to adopt his own foreign policy

I think is irresponsible and it means he is not taking his job

seriously. So far, President Trump has not responded to Sadiq Khan, at

least not through his preferred method of Twitter, but to the

comments carry extra significance because they were made to an

American news network and will be presented to a domestic audience

there? America is very divided and there are people willing to jump on

Sadiq Khan if they are Trump supporters but if they're not from

supporters they will hold this up as yet another bit of evidence that

Donald Trump is not doing anything good for US relations with the

outside world. And yet last weekend president Trump did have a

successful visit to France. The carpet might have been blue rather

than read but many have seen this trip is a sign of growing closeness

between the countries. Tonight Sadiq Khan made it clear he wants a strong

alliance but told us the point of having a special relationship with

the US is that we stand by them through difficult times but are not

afraid to tell them when they are wrong.

Motorcyclists in London have been protesting about the rising number

Since last June, around 15,000 motorbikes, mopeds and scooters have

Police say many of them are then used to commit other crimes.

In the last year alone, 14,000 offences involved stolen bikes.

Riders say they feel increasingly under threat.

, assault on the op-ed writer in south London, Tigers on a motorbike

try to steal the like. They fail as passers-by intervene. Another

example of a growing problem. It has left many who use mopeds and

motorbikes for work feeling vulnerable. Hundreds of delivery

drivers brought Parliament Square to a standstill earlier, many feel

increasingly at risk. He can't go to certain areas because people will

harass you and try to take your bike. If you deliver to the fifth

floor, you know your bike will be gone or someone will attack you with

a knife or acid. We are being victimised every day. Not only me,

all of us, we don't feel safe on the road and law enforcement we think

they have done nothing to stop this crime. More than 6000 motorbikes and

mopeds have been stolen in London this year but fears have been

heightened after a series of five acid attacks last week. One victim

helped organise the protest today. I asked myself why me and why my face?

There are a lot of options are they want to steal the bike. A lot of

these people save their jobs are getting more dangerous and the

perception is there is little the police can do, whether catching the

are keeping them safe. But it is not just delivery drivers feeling less

safe. Campaign groups say for too long people on two wheels have been

shown as perpetrators not victims. The first victim is a biker rider in

London who has property stolen through violent robbery rather than

just anonymous theft outside a house, and so we are the first

victims and then we are further victimised when we are represented

by these kids on scooters stealing bikes. The Met police say it is

difficult to fight motorbike riding. Last month so a new campaign urging

riders to protect their bikes from theft. It is difficult for the

police to address these crimes. We have a marrying of more bed crime

and acid attacks coming together. One delivery company wrote to

drivers with safety advice but for many here it will take much more for

them to feel less vulnerable. Documents seen by the BBC show how

electricity power surges at Grenfell Tower caused dozens

of residents' electrical appliances to malfunction,

overheat and emit smoke. At least 25 residents claimed

compensation from the council Well, the BBC's Andrew Hosken has

the story and joins me now. You have seen these documents. What

do they say? They are relevant because police believe the fire

started in a fridge on the fourth floor so we are looking at

electrical appliances. Looking at 2013. There was a series of powerful

surges including one in May which affected 45 of the 129 flats,

causing the appliances of 25 residences to explode, smoke and

overheat, and around 25 people were given compensation by the council's

insurance. There were various investigations but no one got to the

bottom of it and a local councillor I spoke to from the Labour Party,

also on the tenant management organisation, said that issue was

never satisfactorily resolved and tenants remained worried about the

state of Belgian city all the way up to the fire. And these power surges

were to 2013. -- state of the electricity. I was told there are

were a litany of problems. There was a ?9 million refurbishment of

boilers which was close to electricity. Other residents saw the

state of the wiring at the bottom of the tower and were very unhappy.

They would hear buzzing noises from electricity meters which would use

lots of money at night. There are lots of complaints even after 2013.

Passengers that use Southern rail are again facing serious disruption

after RMT guards announced they would strike in a long-running

dispute over changes to their role and driver-only operation.

They will walk out on Tuesday 1st August, the same day as Aslef train

Services are already been affected by an overtime ban by drivers.

Meanwhile, train passengers will be able to judge the punctuality of

their services because trains will be measured to the minute instead of

five minutes. The reports will be published next month.

The winning smile of Sophie Kamlish from Camden, who's just

won her first gold medal at the World Para-Athletic

Championships at the Olympic Stadium.

She's one of a number of Londoners helping Great Britain

to a place on the podium, and there could be more tonight.

I imagine there is a great atmosphere.

Yes, like everyday on these champions tarmac Championships. And

her smile was just one highlight. The World Para-Athletic

Championships are continuing this And it is the first athletics events

where the coaches are also Emma Jones has been finding out more

about coaching people with disabilities at grass

roots level and just how A sports centre in Basildon

and people of all ages and abilities are playing

the Paralympic sport boccia. The person doing the

coaching is Jack Edgar. We see the impact we make

on people's lives day-to-day. Some of the guys here have

been coming for years. When they first started,

they would be too scared or anxious to come into the hall,

and now the classes are full These sessions have been running

regularly for years now and have even turned some of those taking

part into coaches themselves. Without the access they provide

I would not have achieved I would say, "No, I can't do that,"

but I have achieved so much with it, with the access and support

I am given. Now, UK Coaching wants to encourage

more coaches to think about working with people with disabilities

and support them to Recent research has found disabled

people are less likely than those without a disability

to exercise regularly. Of almost 16,000 people

with three or more impairments who answered a recent survey,

only half did any kind of sport or physical activity for more

than 30 minutes a week. But it is hoped sessions like this

could get more people Your body might go, "I don't want

it," but you can get to do it, it's just the motivation you need,

you need to drive yourself to do things you don't want to do

but you've got to do it. So all that might be

needed is the right Great to see that good work going

on. Earlier we mentioned Sophie Kamlish. Last night she lit up that

stadium, her first gold medal, the 20-year-old from Camden. She had a

bit of disappointment at Rio, finishing fourth after setting a

world record in the heats. Yesterday she said her world record in the

heats and she surged away in the last 50 metres in the final to

collect the gold, crossing the line with that winning smile. A little

earlier she was speaking to my colleague who asked her the day

after that big moment, how was it feeling to be a world champion? I am

quite tired but overall I am really happy and asking myself if I am

really the probe champion or if it is just alive. What sort of reaction

have you had from home, family, friends? Everyone is very proud and

pleased and I have lots of strange friend requests on Facebook from

people I don't know. It has been amazing. It has been five years

since I started athletics and four years since I got my last

international medal and that was a bronze in the 200, not even an event

I compete in anymore, so it is good to achieve my potential the 100

metres. Well done to her. And we hope to

perhaps get a medal tonight from Richard from Harlow. There was a

spectacular crash in 1354 -- in the key 54. He pretty much wiped out

half of the field. Disappointment for him last night but tonight he

goes again because he qualified in the heats of the T54 200 metres and

that begins at 9:45pm, the last event of the night. Can he bring

home another medal for Great Britain?

Fingers crossed. Turning now to what's been described

as an archaeological gem - a Sarcophagus believed to be

an ancient roman relic discovered in South East London,

one of only three ever found Our cameras were allowed to film

the painstaking excavation. With more, here's

Alice Bhandhukravi. For most of these archaeologists,

this is the most significant find of their careers. A building site which

was once an elite burial ground. This stone coffin, the last resting

place for someone very important. They would have been very wealthy

with a lot of social status to be honoured, not only this copper gas,

but the fact it is constructed into the walls of a mausoleum. But

whoever was buried here did not rest entirely in peace because in this

1700s this grave was robbed. An opportunist pushed the lead to the

side and took some of the more wealthy grave goods, which there are

undoubtedly would have been. The treasures may have been snatched but

the real wealth is under the two tonnes lead which was being lifted

to very carefully. The last time a discovery like this was made was 18

years ago, Spitalfields woman was found intact, a wealthy Italian who

provided a wealth of knowledge. From isotopes in her teeth we know she

was born in Rome, so she travelled all that way and is given a rich

high status burial, her head resting on a leaves, covered in a silk and

gold garment, accompanied by class were -- glassware. She is fantastic.

It is no wonder they are excited about this. It has taken seven

months of digging to get to this point, moving the sarcophagus for

the first time in 1600 years. It is headed for the Museum of London

where the contents will be exhumed. The story of this mysterious Roman

VIP, to be continued. Time now for a check on the weather

and Elizabeth has joined us. I am not complaining because the

weather is lovely. But quite humid. Yes, feeling very close. The

humidity will peak tomorrow and it will get cooler from Thursday. Don't

worry, only one more day if you have had enough. Thunderstorms tonight.

This is my favourite picture from today. You can see all of London at

the bottom, but here we have some of the Cumulus which are very clumpy

and the mark a lot of instability in the atmosphere, meaning some

showers, and thunderstorms tonight. A Met Office warning, a lot of rain

in a short space of time, poor driving conditions, very localised,

and some surface water flooding possibly. We have hot humid air

coming up from Spain which is clashing with cooler air from the

Atlantic. Some storms are ready over Devon and Cornwall which will be

moving north-east. Around about eight or nine o'clock we will start

to see them. Thunder and lightning and torrential rain for a time. The

morning should be dry again. A very humid night. 18-19 Celsius you might

find it difficult to sleep. Tomorrow the warmth and humidity will peak.

Sunshine through the morning and then clouding overthrew the

afternoon, maybe even some thunderstorms later tomorrow

afternoon. Very localised. Most places will stay dry. We have a

southerly breeze and top temperatures are little higher than

today, 27, maybe 28. Then things cool down courtesy of a cold front

from the West. A few showers on Thursday morning and then cooler

air. Temperatures will drop for the rest of the week. Friday, probably

quite a few showers. Gusty winds, unsettled as we head to the weekend.

The start of the school summer holidays for many of us and it will

be unsettled and quite wet at times. So we do not like clumpy call-outs?

-- clouds? No.

The Chief Inspector of Prisons has warned that youth custody centres

in England and Wales are so unsafe that a tragedy is inevitable.

He described the current state of affairs as "dangerous".

The UK's inflation rate dropped unexpectedly in June to 2.6%.

It's the first fall in prices for goods and services for nine

months, and is largely down to the lower cost

I'll be back with the latest for you during the ten o'clock news.

That's it for now though, so from all us on the team,

thanks for watching and have a lovely evening.