11/08/2017 London News

Tonight on BBC London News. teams where you are.

The operation to evacuate hundreds of residents from tower blocks

They told us they had looked into the blocks and that they'd made the

decision it was safe to have gas. And now they're saying that isn't

the case, they'd made a mistake. More than 200 homes have

failed safety checks. A tube train fire during

rush hour, causing huge As the carriage pulled alongside,

you could see the smoke inside coming out and the people crashed to

each ensure, each end of the carriage and everyone was piling out

hand over mouths. Plus, rediscovered after 25 years,

the film showing the Battle of Lewisham, when protesters blocked

a fascist march. And hitting the catwalk, African

Fashion week comes to London. Good evening and welcome

to the programme. First tonight, residents who face

being evacuated from their high-rise flats say safety concerns have been

"ignored for decades." More than 200 homes on the Ledbury

estate in Peckham are to be vacated after being declared unsafe

with inspectors fearing the buildings would not

withstand an explosion. The checks were made following

the fire at Grenfell Tower. Now hundreds of people are to be

temporarily moved out. Gareth Furby joins

us from the estate. Here we are on the 12th floor of one

of these blocks and as you can see behind me here is what should be a

gas supply meter but within the last 90 minutes it has actually been

disconnected, the gas supply engineers working their way very

quickly throughout these blocks. A lot of residence here are very

unhappy with the way this whole affair has been handled.

Danielle is a mother of three and now the hot water in her flat

A kettle is now the best option to clean baby.

Well, it is like being thrown back to the Victorian error, really.

And what's really annoyed Danielle is Southwark council

assured her just two weeks ago it was safe.

They told us they'd looked into blocks and they'd made

the decision it was safe to have gas.

And now they are saying that isn't the case,

What's changed the council's mind and brought the gas workers in today

It is an engineering consultant's report which could mean

In 1968, a tower block in new partially collapsed,

The cause was a gas explosion and an inquiry recommended similar

blocks should only have gas if they've been strengthened.

After the Grenfell disaster, residence on the Ledbury Estates

wanted safety checks and an independent expert

was appalled when he found gas supplies here because it has similar

If it is leaking, we can end up with an explosion.

And a major collapse killing people in these blocks.

Just over two weeks ago, Southwark Council

The four tower blocks on the Ledbury estate will built after 1968 and of

a different design so they are safe to have gas in them. We have asked

the structural engineers to do that safety check nevertheless. Today

they had a different view. The report showed up way you'd expect

strengthening in the buildings, it isn't there. Luckily, there have

been no gas explosions in the Ledbury blocks to test out how weak

these buildings may be. Today the local MP faced a few awkward

questions. What do you want to say to residents who had to live with

this risk for all those years? I think I want to say to the residence

that I am really concerned for their anxieties. This family are very

anxious, not only about the lack of hot water. They bought their flat

off the Council the ?70,000. The fact other people have been given

the opportunity to move house and we haven't. We have to stay here

because we've brought the house. It makes us very angry. The council is

now drawing up a timetable about who to move out of the blocks and when.

Joining me now is Glenn Holmes who lived here in this flat for 16

years. What you going to do now? I'm going to have to move. Where are you

going to go? Hopefully someone local because everybody is trying to move

up one. And then they will bring you back if they can? If they can fix

the place, yes. What do you think about the way things have been

handled? It has been incompetent. We have been reporting this multiple

times going back a couple of decades. And it has come to this.

You've been told the gas was safe? The gas and structure of the

building has been safe in the past. You're talking about an inquiry,

aren't you? I think there needs to be one and people need to be

rehoused in decent accommodation straight away rather than going to

the leisure centre to have a shower. What should the inquiry find out?

How we got to this point where the council didn't know the condition of

its own stock. Thank you very much. The position as it is going to take

months to actually move people out to other flats when they find them.

Then they are going to have to attempt to rebuild so that could

take years. Back to you. Mamma Mia, the fight over plans

to build an Abba-themed A teenager from Surrey,

who's accused of preparing a terror attack in the UK,

is to face trial in January. Haider Ahmed, who's 18

and from Redhill, is also charged with three counts

of disseminating He appeared at the Old Bailey

via video link and has been Police looking for a moped robber

who knocked a woman to the ground in Lewisham have released video

footage of the attack. The victim was standing outside

a temple on Clarendon Road He then stole a gold necklace

she was wearing, before riding Footage has emerged of the moment

a double decker bus ran into a shop These pictures were captured by CCTV

cameras inside the kitchen showroom the bus crashed

into during the rush hour. Two passengers were rescued

by firefighters from the upper deck. The driver was taken to hospital,

and several passengers An investigation is under way

after a fire broke out on the Bakerloo line this morning,

forcing passengers to be Several people had to be treated

for smoke inhalation during the rush hour incident,

which is believed to have been Coughing and struggling

to breathe as the cheap Tube carriage fills with smoke,

this was rush hour William Cox was in

the next carriage. You could see smoke coming

in from the carriage right behind When it stopped, the driver

was very, very quick to go through to the tannoy

and tell everyone there's... There is an emergency on the train,

don't worry, we will get Meanwhile, Tom Singer

was waiting on the platform. As the train was approaching,

you could start to smell something As the train started

approaching closer and closer, the smell start getting

stronger and stronger. Then, as the carriage pulled

alongside, you could see the smoke inside that was starting to come out

and the people basically crashed into each end of the carriage

and when the doors opened, everyone was piling out,

hands over mouths, coughing. First the train, then

the station were evacuated. On the platform it

was very, very calm. People could see there was a fire

or a problem with the engine. But when you actually

got up the escalators, people didn't really know

what was going on, so people were a bit more panicky

and rushing out of the station. Four people were treated

for smoke inhalation. Two were taken to hospital

as a precaution. London Underground say

that the smoke on the Bakerloo line this morning was the result

of an overheated wire. It was a train that was part

of the oldest fleet These trains are one of the oldest

trains on the Underground but the materials that we use

to construct the trains, the materials that we use

for cabling, it is always nonflammable materials so we've got

very high standards. For anyone who's feeling nervous,

who has been on that train, or seen what happened,

can you reassure them they are safe London Underground is a safe

environment we've got They are well trained

to deal with incidents. Tonight, Oxford Circus

station and the Bakerloo Today's fire is still

being investigated. They're one of the most

successful acts in the history But a plan to build an Abba-themed

party venue has not been very Land in, where else but Waterloo,

has been earmarked by a member But campaigners say social housing

should be built there instead. # I've been cheated by you since

I don't know when...# They were once one of the most

famous bands in the world. And their catchy pop songs

still pull in the crowds. Now former Abba singer-songwriter

Bjorn Ulvaeus wants to bring an Abba themed party spot to London,

following the opening His plans are for 500 seater

Mamma Mia inspired venue where Abba fans can eat Greek food

and see the show. # Waterloo, I was defeated,

you won the war...# for a 500 seater venue in an area

known as Coin Street near the South Bank haven't been

well received by these locals. Noise levels are going

to go through the roof. People dropping off,

picking up late at night. It's going to be really horrendous

for the local residents. And against a wholly unacceptable

use of the space that's been It's kind of scary thinking that I'm

going to have to deal with five years of Abba music bursting

into my ears. To take land given for social

housing in an area like this I mean, they've already just failed

to get the garden bridge, The proposed site is on derelict

land next to a community The organisation who own it

want to rent out for five years Will having an Abba themed

restaurant on a site of housing And we are working with the team

behind it to arrange to have availability of it during the day

when it's not open to the public. We're hoping young people will have

access into it for training on light and sound equipment,

so that we feel there is a benefit. Well, Bjorn from Abba

and the Mamma Mia company has been His PR tell me he was impressed

by its location to the South bank And these Abba lovers in town

for a fan club summer party believe the Swedish company will be

good for London. Having been to Mamma Mia the party

in Stockholm I hope it is that. It will open that tourism and job

opportunities for local residents It certainly has done

so in Sweden, where Mamma Mia The developers say the money paid

to rent the land will be ploughed for these residents,

that comes at too high a price. Next, what can be done

to deal with London's Today, the mayor unveiled his vision

to make the City cleaner and greener to create what he calls

a national park city. Our Environment Correspondent,

Tom Edwards, has been finding out. This is Woodbury wet lands

in Hackney, a hidden gem. London is one of the greenest cities

on the planet, but for how long? Today the mayor is promoting more

green spaces and will do that by making London

and National Park city. Part of it is bringing it

all together but part of it is making sure we give this

area of policy the gravitas it deserves, and I want developers,

councils, Londoners, tourists, to recognise London pays

a huge attention to green spaces, and us being a National Park city

will be important. I send the message today that

the direction of travel is that way. London's green spaces support 14,000

species and the city has 47% of the area of the capital

is made up of green This is Welwyn garden

city, built in 1920. A National Park city would mean

tightening planning and making green London has been described as a turbo

economy, jostling for position For those of us who work

and live in the city, perhaps you want a city

which is greener, slower, and the National Park city I think

gives an idea that London could be very different for those who live,

work and play here. The criteria to become

a National Park city haven't The big challenge will be protecting

green space and also meeting increasing the man's

for more housing. After months of protest and unrest,

is it a new period of calm at the Emirates? We shall see. The new

Premier League season begins tonight with Arsenal at home to Leicester.

And I am at Africa fashion week in London finding out which big-name

designers take their inspiration from Africa, including a furniture

shop in a lot of our homes. A film thought to have been lost has

been rediscovered after 25 years. It shows the so called Battle

of Lewisham when thousands of Londoners blocked a march

by the National Front. The footage is being shown

this weekend to mark The only chance today is National

Front, nothing else! New Cross, 1977, the National Front are

gathering to march to Lewisham but 8000 local people block their way on

Clifton rise, a resounding no to fascism captured by amateur

film-makers. This film-maker was lost for 25 years until recently

rediscovered. The police decide they want to bring National Front up

through Clifton rise after all so they push forward with police

horses, ranks of police pushing the crowd back and that is when the

community pushed back against the police. Layers Henry was a teenager

at the time, watching from a distance. Wheeze to be terrified of

them. If you knew the National Front were going to March, especially as a

black or Asian person, you'd stay away from that. The fact that

everybody who was there was resolute that these people are not going to

command the streets anymore. We are just off Lewisham high road. What is

the significance of this place? Many of the people that made their way up

to Clifton rise actually started their day here. They'd come here for

the showpiece event of the day which was the counter demonstration where

there were a number of really powerful speeches from some real

pillars of the community including the XL Bishop of Namibia, Colin

Winter, who gave a very moving speech. We reject it as lies! They

then marched to try and join the other protesters at New Cross but

their path was blocked. The police will have no alternative that do not

comply with these reasonable directions. But later on in the days

some of the angriest scenes happened in Lewisham town centre. The

counterdemonstrators frustrated by the police's efforts to hold them

back. There was also a great deal of camaraderie between people, people

who perhaps wouldn't have got on were kind of making friends. From

that side of it, it actually did more good than harm, I suppose. That

was one of the legacies of that day. Along with a stop in the National

Front's attempts to divide this local community.

The new Premier League season begins tonight with the opening match

Their manager Arsene Wenger was at the centre of a storm

of protests last season, so will we see more of the same?

Let's cross to Chris Slegg who is at The Emirates with more on this.

It feels a bit, right now. It is of a bit of a truce between the two

camps because it has been a decent summer. Arsene Wenger signed a new

deal. He has signed Lacazette. And Arsenal meet Chelsea last weekend in

the community should. If they lose tonight, that mood could change. One

thing that is concerning the fans is the future of Alexis Sanchez,

Arsenal's star player. Rumours he's trying to leave. Arsene Wenger

trying to put a brave face on that. He knows how important it is for a

good start. The preparation of the squad looks good, and we need to

transfer that into points. That is, of course, a pragmatic view but what

matters is during the next game and start on a strong way, which we did

not do last year, and that is what you want to achieve here. Alexis

Sanchez is injured tonight. Another man down from here is the Tottenham

left back Danny Rose and he's angered a lot of Spurs fans by

telling a newspaper he thinks he should be paid more and hinting that

he wants to leave for a club that would pay him more than his ?65,000

a week. He'd earn three times as much in Charles Hilton to

Manchester. His manager was asked what he made of what he said. It was

his opinion. And then he understood that maybe he needs to apologise to

us. And I think that is very good for him and for the club. I forgive

that. For me, it is move on. So, Mauricio Pochettino say all the

right things there but players who have stepped out of line with him

have found themselves out of the club in the past although probably

not players of Danny Rose's calibre. A bit unsettling for Tottenham ahead

of their first game on Sunday away at Newcastle. Also on Sunday, West

Ham away at Manchester United. Tomorrow, Watford host Liverpool in

the lunchtime game. The champions Chelsea are at home to Burnley and

Crystal Palace welcome newly promoted Huddersfield to Selhurst

Park. But it all begins on a Friday night for the first time the opening

game in the Premier League season begins here tonight at the Emirates

Stadium, Arsenal against Leicester. Now, most of us know

about London Fashion Week, and Men's Fashion Week is a regular

fixture here in the capital, now African Fashion Week

is drawing in the crowds. The event is now in its fifth year,

and, as Helen Drew reports, designers come from all over

the world to take part. This is the first of five catwalk

shows going on at African Fashion Week. Some of the default, designers

have flown in from Africa. Some of them are not African tour but

designers who take huge inspiration from the culture. Started in 2011,

Africa Fashion Week London gives emerging designers to get their work

seen. So much so, many travel from far. I came all the way from Nigeria

this show. I want to sell my clothes for a larger market. When I came out

of uni, it wasn't as big. As an African designer, coming out, it was

very much, like, you're different. But now this is here, it's very

much, you know, like-minded people come to this place and you can sell

to the right people. My predominant customer base is English or African

Afro-Caribbean. It is starting to become quite prevalent in today's

fashion. Everybody is starting to learn about African fashion. African

fashion doesn't just mean traditional dress. One of the

designers showing on the catwalk was born in London and raised in Nigeria

and he wants to reflect African culture but combine it with his

Savile Row training. When they say I am doing something with an African

thing, they assume you have to do African print. I make beautiful

prints. Just because I'm African doesn't mean I have to make

Afrocentric things. In the last six years, over 800 designers have shown

their work as part of Africa fashion week London. As well as providing an

opportunity for all these emerging designers to show their work, Africa

Fashion Week London hopes to give inspiration to other designers. I'm

joined by one of the organisers. Do you think African fashion is

becoming more mainstream? Absolutely. We get so much of the

inspiration in collections that come in from Vivian Westwood and also

some of the Gucci collections. It is all getting in fused. And also with

the furniture designers, such as IKEA, we've been here for seven

years now and we're just bigger and better every year. And we bring

African fashioned the mainstream. And people take the inspiration,

they buy the goods from the exhibitors, they watch the catwalk.

Our catwalk is accessible because not many people get to see a

professional catwalk show because they have London Fashion Week but

that is for industry only so we try to make the catwalk very accessible

and African fashion accessible and we do this for everybody, really. If

you'd like to get to African inspired fashion fix, tickets are

still available for tomorrow. It is in Covent Garden and there will be

more shows. It has been pretty good, hasn't it?

It has. That is almost two days in a row and it doesn't look bad for the

weekend, either. Let's show you some lovely weather watcher photos. This

was sent in a couple of hours ago. It is equally delightful at

Stratford. The athletics stadium. However, there is always a but with

the British weather, we have this weakening weather front. The cloud

coming over the London region bringing some rain if you are

heading out this evening. Rather in the evening than in the morning. It

could be grey and wrap around dawn but milder than last night which

could mean health fog. It is an improving picture. Eventually the

cloud will break to reveal some sunshine. The breeze isn't coming

from a great direction but we should see 22 as we have seen today. Late

in the day we might catch the odd shower but it is essentially dry and

fine. It might be grey as the athletics starts tomorrow morning

but it should be a mostly fine and dry day. The evening should farewell

as well. It looks like a clearer evening tomorrow night so if you

missed the Perseid meteor shower, tonight it is cloudy at tomorrow's

clearer so you'll get a better of seeing that. Early Sunday morning,

it will be quite chilly with single figures in the countryside. The fog

should clear quickly and then we see the Fairweather cloud Olding. It is

essentially another fine and dry day. It will feel warm on Sunday as

well. It hasn't been the best week but the weekend doesn't look too

bad. We turn our attention to next week and we have these weather

systems rattling in of the Atlantic giving the risk of some thundery

rain potentially. Possibly something a little bit wet and windy towards

the end of the week. So, it is good, really, it hasn't been the best but

it looks like we should have the fine weather over the weekend. It

isn't going to be very warm sunny but it is a lot better than what we

have had and what will happen into next week as well.

We will book on the bright side. 11 members of the same family have

been convicted of running a modern The Rooney family picked up

vulnerable people from the streets and kept them in squalid conditions

in caravans, while forcing them to work for their business

for little or no wages. Russia has intervened in the crisis,

between the US and North Korea. The Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov

says the risk of military conflict is now "very high," and called

on both sides to sign up to a plan, And an investigation is under way

after a fire broke out on the Bakerloo line this morning,

forcing passengers to be I will be back later

during the ten o'clock news, but for now from everyone

on the team have a lovely evening. # Are you up for the day?

You up for the rhyme? #