14/08/2017 London News

It was controversial from the beginning.

costing taxpayers 46 million pounds. project is scrapped,

It raises questions over who's accountable for this

Firearms officers in the Met are to be given helmet

cameras to help improve transparency surrounding shootings.

Plus: we hear from some of our athletes about winning

World Championship medals in their home city.

The whole of London, they support their own. They probably didn't know

how I was in the beginning. But as long as you have the British vest

on, when you mention your name, the whole crowd roars. Walk on by...

And bringing Burt Bacharach to the London stage.

We meet the producer in charge of his first

First tonight, officially scrapped.

The Garden Bridge Project has been abandoned -

costing taxpayers up to 46 million pounds.

The landscaped pedestrian walkway over the Thames was a pet project

of the former Mayor, Boris Johnson -

supported by the former Chancellor George Osborne.

They both committed large amounts of public money to it.

But last year the Mayor Sadiq Khan ordered a review into its finances.

Today, the Trust behind the project blamed his lack of support

Our transport correspondent Tom Edwards has the story.

You've been following this from the beginning?

Five years we have been following this story. If you don't know, the

bridge was going to be built from Temple tube station right across the

River Thames to the South bank. Not any more. Today, the Garden bridge

was abandoned. The garden bridge is dead, leaving

behind questions about taxpayer money which has been spent on it.

Campaigners are happy but angry. The trust project spent money without

telling us what they were spending it on. They have kept everything

behind closed doors and have not been transparent. It is entirely

their own doing. One of the issues was it was never really a transport

project, it was more a tourist attraction. Campaigners said it was

in completely the wrong place. So far, ?37.4 million of taxpayer money

has been spent on this project. That could increase to ?46.4 million. And

there are bound to be further questions and further scrutiny about

that waste of money. Those funds were signed off by the previous

mayor, Boris Johnson, and the then Chancellor, George Osborne. And even

early on, it never had political consensus. This whole thing is a

load of cobblers. You cannot bear the idea that this project is going

ahead. The former mayor has said Sadiq Khan should've made a project

work. And today the garden bridge trust also blamed the current mayor

for a lack of support. He changed his mind after a scathing review.

His opponents accuse him of dithering. He had all the

information he needed to take a decision in May last year. But he

didn't have the courage or conviction to take that conviction.

He has just waited. In that time, we have spent ?9 million of taxpayer

money. My question is, how do we get the mayor to make a decision more

quickly. The Mayor disputes that and said he cannot leave London is open

to unlimited costs. Others say the garden bridge was always a vanity

project. ?50 million of taxpayer money has been spent with nothing to

show Fred apart from some glossy press releases and furious local

communities. We have to look at where the blame lies for this

project. I think the lion's share of the blame has to go to Boris

Johnson. I think he has questions to answer. The garden bridge has been

abandoned. But the fallout from this embarrassing infrastructure failure

is far from over. This is the editorial from the

London standard. It says it is a sad day for London. There has been

another development tonight. A group of Labour councillors and a Labour

MP are calling for a full public enquiry.

Thank you. Coming up later in the programme:

The unique opportunity for these London students restoring ancient

carvings for Southwark Cathedral. Armed officers in the Met are to be

issued with head-mounted cameras in an attempt to address concerns

about the transparency They'll be attached to the caps

and protective helmets of members Glock pistol, MP five automatic

rifle and now the acts and Fleck camera. The message, with power

comes responsibility. At the unveiling today, officers

overwhelmingly welcomed it. I think it is great to have an independent

witness. There is the evidential benefits, so in court or during an

investigation, there can be no doubt on where you were standing or what

an individual said. Already, thousands of cameras have been

issued to officers across the Metropolitan Police force. Now it is

the turn was uniformed or overworked firearms officers. This has not been

without its problems. There were concerns the view of a camera worn

on the body would be skewered by a weapon. The solution is to make the

camera on the head. You decide how clear the view is when a two-handed

rifle is used instead automatic of a pistol. We are keen to capture the

build-up to the point. Conversations that take place, threats that they

face. That is what we are keen to capture, to demonstrate why an

officer ultimately took a decision to pull the trigger. It is often

hope that if lots of officers feel to turn the camera on, it won't

matter because other officers will have it. Covert officers will not

have to release cameras yet. The Met say that to do so it would pull

their cover. PC they are working on it. We want to show the public what

officers were faced with and the action they took. At the moment, we

are not there with the covert solution, but we are working hard in

the background. That is why the Met are investing so heavily in

body-worn cameras. Describing this as the largest such roll-out by any

police force in the world. Next tonight, a warning that around

20,000 vulnerable children in London have potentially dangerous home

lives, but are not receiving the help they need because they

are not deemed to be The charity, Action for Children

says the youngsters are stuck in what it calls a "revolving door"

of children's services. Here's our Education

Reporter Marc Ashdown. It was the case which prompted

the largest review of child Victoria Climbie,

an eight-year-old murdered by those Early warnings of

the abuse she suffered 17 years on, it is feared thousands

of vulnerable children are still being left

in potentially dangerous situations. Debbie started working in children's

services just after this case. She helps families with everything

from behavioural problems But she says it is becoming harder

to provide the support needed. Across the sites I run, I've got

just under 2500 under fives. So as much as we do,

there is a lot that we can possibly do because we can't be

everywhere at once. So, you know, we are already aware

of families we are not picking up. And it's only going to

get worse than that. The charity Action for Children

asked local authorities about the number of children

referred to them after concerns It found about 180,000

in England were not deemed to be at crisis point,

so didn't meet the In London, about 23,000

children were referred, but after an assessment

it was deemed no further There are still soft services

available, like children's centres Across the capital,

nearly 20,000 children So, just one in five

of those originally referred We know from too many cases

that if we are not able to help children early,

then there are strong likelihoods For example, in Serious Case

Reviews, 70% of the time, we know there have been

early warning signs. But we also know if we give children

and families the tools to help themselves much earlier,

they are much more likely to not Differing thresholds from council

to council were highlighted. Depending on location help might be

provided in one area, but in a neighbouring Bahrain might

be deemed unnecessary. We have been hit by a double whammy

of major government cuts to our massive funding pressures

facing local government The Department for Education Xavier

taking action by reforming social The Department for Education say

they are taking action care services and better protecting

victims of domestic It says councils spent almost

?8 billion last year on children's social care,

but it wants to help them do more. And Marc joins me now -

as we heard there, cases involving these vulnerable children can have

tragic consequences? That is right. Of the often start

with something very minor like a teacher flagging up that a child is

late or falls asleep in class. Social services would assess the

child's situation and a decision would be taken if any help was

needed. Some of these children might be living in domestic abuse

situations or with an alcoholic parent. Unless they are at crisis

point, there is every chance no action will be taken. Sadly there

have been lots of tragic cases since Victoria Climbie a. Sara Morrison, a

one-year-old child battered to death by the mother's abusive partner.

When all councils are under pressure. People want bins collected

and roads fixed, so we have to make tough decisions. Only a tiny number

of these children will ever be in any serious risk. Of us will be

concerning. 23,000 children across London who someone somewhere has

felt worried enough about to raise concerns, but for what ever reason

they're not getting the help they need. Thank you.

A second man has been arrested as part of the investigation

into an incident where a jogger appeared to push a woman

The 41-year-old was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily

harm, but has now been eliminated from enquiries.

CCTV captured the incident which happened on Putney Bridge

A fire engulfed a double decker bus in north London last night.

The blaze broke out on a 113 bus on Finchley Road

Passers-by reported a bang followed by thick black smoke.

Transport for London is investigating what caused it.

A high profile school in south London has become the first

to successfully challenge an Ofsted inspection report which would have

The Durand Academy in Stockwell spent six months fighting

Meanwhile, it also announced today that it will be closing the free

boarding school in West Sussex that it set up for London students.

What is the best thing about this school?

When he was Education Secretary, Michael Gove was one

He saw the way it was run, as a model for how other

Critical of the style of management at the school,

But with his backing Durand then set up a free boarding school for young

Since he left office that message has changed.

A report by the school inspectors Ofsted due to be published

earlier this year had labelled Durand as inadequate and said it

I have things changed? That's a really good question. Michael Gove

left. He was very much in favour of this approach.

The school had argued that rules that stop a challenge

His Honour Judge Mckenna backed that, saying...

He did though raise concerns over whether the Durand had been able

to cope with its success, describing it as...

I find that very odd that a judge would consider we have grown to

quickly and require improvement. Stellar wrong, the judge is wrong,

everyone else is wrong. I didn't see the judge was wrong. Ofsted were

wrong, they have lost. Durand confirmed today

that the boarding school With pupils there being

brought back to London. But parents here say

the constant issues are a worry. Most parents I have spoken to, and

I've spoken to a lot, are very worried. Very, very worried. We are

asking me for advice, what should I do? I'm trying to get a parent Forum

together to help parents support and guide one another.

The government schools funding agency has said it will stop giving

Meaning new people will be brought in to run the schools.

Durand says it will fight that decision too.

Still to come before 7pm: We meet the London theatre producer,

bringing a brand new musical from songwriting legend

And just as we had all forgotten what summer was like, it made a

brief reappearance at the weekend. But it couldn't possibly lasts until

the end of the week, could it? Students at a South London art

college have been given a one-off opportunity to put their skills

into practice - as part of a restoration project

at Southwark Cathedral. The ancient carvings on the building

date back to the early 19th century and over time have weathered

and worn away. Tarah Welsh has been to see

the delicate work up close. It is an art form that dates

back to ancient Egypt. It is the same techniques,

using a chisel with a mallet. This bit, the carving bit,

you have to just use your eye. These are the next

generation of stone carvers. Students getting a rare opportunity

to work on a real historic building, and arguably one of London's best,

Southwark Cathedral. It is quite nerve-racking,

although it doesn't feel like work. It just inspires you to get your

hands into something Alongside her tutors,

Sue and other students happen are recreating the stonework that

has weathered away over 200 years. It all starts with these

rectangular sandstone blocks. And it takes at least a week

to create the final product. So the carvers will be

here for at least another month. This is all part of a wider ?500,000

restoration of the building. The students are getting paid

for every carving the create, The students are getting paid

for every carving they create, so there is extra incentive

to get it right. You have to be careful not

to whack it too hard. And different stones are different,

so this is sandstone, And the skills she is learning

are rare in the capital. We are on the endangered

crafts list. But hopefully we are

keeping the skills life. But hopefully we are

keeping the skills alive. This building has stood

here for 1400 years. But still seems to

have great purpose. After the recent terror attack

in nearby Borough market, The community really missed

this as a holy space, an oasis within a very busy

part of London. So making sure that the building

is here for future generations is part of our role,

part of the job of a dean. And these local students

have now left their mark The capital put on quite a show

at the London Stadium - with 700,000 fans there over

the last ten days. As the World Athletics Championships

came to a close last night, Britain added two more medals

to their tally. And today Emma Jones has been

to meet some of the London athletes Martyn Rooney has found himself

here many times before. But he was able to banish memories

of just missing out on a medal at the London Olympics

and being controversially disqualified in Rio last year,

by finishing third at his home World Picking up a world relay medal

in London with that kind Can't compare it to any

other championships. The noise was outstanding,

to cure your name being chanted as you're running round,

you cannot ignore it. So very proud of the guys and how

we handled the situation. Just glad that we kept

the relay medals coming. While this was Rooney's seventh

World Championships, They probably didn't know who I was,

especially at the beginning, but I put the British vest

on and they mention my name It gave me extra incentive to

actually run that little bit harder. Lavia Nielsen carried Jessica Ennis'

kit at the 2012 Olympics. She was back at the stadium

to win silver as part It means Britain won just six medals

at the championships, But the 21-year-old believes

more success will come. This is the start of what could

be an amazing career. I think last night gave me such

a taste of what can happen. When you have success,

you always want to carry it on. And I think the Great Britain team

at this championships has And a lot of fourth,

fifth, sixth places. I think in the future,

that will turn into medals. And I really hope that

I can be a part of that. And as the stadium starts

to be converted back into a football ground,

we will wait to find out when Now, it's not every day that you get

to produce a musical by songwriting legend Burt Bacharach -

only the second that But that's the task facing

a London theatre producer. The show will also be

the first to play at Alice Bhandhukravi has been to meet

the rising star behind some of Walk on by a. Walk on by. The

unmistakable sound of Burt Bacharach, as Simon by Dion wore

black. Despite the skill of his back catalogue, the songwriter rant pop

legend had only written one musical, back in 1968. Sobering news of a

second emerged, this London producer was eager to bring it to the stage.

It is so easy to cure his orchestrations and do an original

score of his is a dream. So what exactly does a producer of musicals

do? Every single decision from choosing a shawl, a theatre, our

budget, the creative team, raising the money, understanding how to sell

the show, that is ultimately the producer's responsibility. It is a

skill that seems to come naturally to her, according to the co-writer.

Sheers this a young person who walks with a sense of her destiny. She has

sucked a sense of who she is, what she's about what she wants to do. I

think it's kind of remarkable. Recently, Katie Watson has produced

the Addams family musical and yank in the West End. But this year's

highlight was being invited to Burt Bacharach's home in California. Very

humbling. He was just a normal guy. He played as a new song which will

be put in. And asked us what we thought. It is absolutely a dream. I

try not to get too intimidated. The long-awaited musical will be one of

the first show to grace the stage at Andrew Lloyd Webber's new Theatre

later this month. No raindrops falling on our heads? !

It was almost like summer. Yesterday, we managed to squeeze 12

hours of sunshine out of the day. Today, we had to 25 degrees at

Gravesend, making it easily the year. It will start to feel autumnal

later on, dare I say it. Beautiful conditions today. Lots of blue sky

over the Barbican. The action was happening in the west of the

country, with heavy rain coming from this cloud over parts of the West

Country and Wales. It has pushed over a little towards us in the last

few hours. Some heavier burst north and west of London over the last

couple of hours. Most of tonight will be dry, some clear skies as

well, and the winds will be light. Early hours of the morning, this

little pulse of frameworks that we up. It will probably be mostly for

the south-east, you might hear a rumble of thunder. Temperatures

following not much lower than 15 or 16. Keep your umbrella because you

might catch the rain before it moves away from us. Most of us will have

bright and sunny weather. In the afternoon, a line of showers starts

to go through. Temperatures in the best of the sunshine tomorrow will

get up to around 2324 degrees once again. The evening is looking

absolutely lovely. Leading us into a clear night, so quite chilly into

the morning on Wednesday. We will see some sunshine at first, turning

more hazy as the day goes on. Temperatures are tiny bit down on

popular fad this week. It will be a case of some showers around on

Thursday and will be cooling off and becoming quite unseasonably breezy

as we go through Friday as well. Summer is here for now at least!

Thank you. Recapping the headlines: More

than 300 people are feared dead and others remain trapped,

after a mudslide in the West African A hillside on the outskirts

of the capital Freetown collapsed early on Monday,

following heavy rains. Pakistan has been marking 70

years since its creation. The former British colony of India

was divided into two independent nations -

India and Pakistan. The Garden Bridge Project has been

officially scrapped, leaving taxpayers with

a ?46 million bill. Last year the Mayor Sadiq Khan

ordered a review into the finances And firearms officers

in the Met are to be issued It's part of an attempt to address

concerns about the transparency More from me later during

the ten o'clock news. Plenty more on our website and feel

free to join the conversation From all of us here -

do enjoy your evening.