05/09/2017 London News

five years after the murder of a Surrey family

on holiday in the Alps, the brother tells of his

frustation with the French handling of the case.

The investigation itself was based on conjecture rather than proper

evidence and that's why the whole thing has failed.

We speak to the French investigator who admits they've

let the family down. Also tonight -

as the royals visit a new community centre providing

mental health support for Grenfell victims - we talk to one survivor

All these are materialistic things. I'm happier with them.

Plus from the D-day landings to Duck tours on the Thames.

Why these amphibious vehicles are being beached for good.

Five Guys Named Moe returns to the West End after 25 years -

or should I say "pop up" in Marble Arch.

Welcome to BBC London News with me Riz Lateef.

It was the triple murder of a Surrey family gunned down in their car

while on holiday in the Alps. No-one has ever been charged.

Exactly five years on - the brother of Saad al-Hilli,

has told us how he feels the French investigation has failed them.

The woman leading the inquiry admits mistakes have been made -

and now suspects they may have been the victims of a "random attack".

Our Home Affairs Correspondent, Nick Beake reports.

The family holiday that ended in murder. Five years on, it remains a

mystery. The bodies of Saad al-Hilli, his wife and her mother

were found in a forest near lake Annecy in the French Alps. Saad

al-Hilli's brother from Surrey was treated as a suspect before being

released. He is highly critical of the whole French police

investigation. From the beginning, they handled the whole case very

badly. Very poorly. The investigation itself was based on

conjecture rather than proper evidence. And that's why the whole

thing has failed. When a passer-by found the bullet ridden family car,

four-year-old was hiding under her mother's body. Her older sister had

been shot and beaten but Shittu survived. A French cyclist was also

killed in the attack. Detectives disprove the theory he had been the

real target but like all avenues pursued over the past five years, it

came to nothing. The murder of the family in September 2012 near lake

Annecy prompted a huge investigation. A year later, the

brother is arrested amid rumours of a family feud but later released.

Because of insufficient evidence. In late 2013, the police issued the

sketch of a motorcyclist seen nearby. But he also is later ruled

out. In 2014, an inquest in Surrey officially finds the three family

members were unlawfully killed. And now three years old in 2017, still

no one has been charged over the murders. The French lead prosecutor

now thinks the family could have been simply in the wrong place at

the wrong time. Victims of a random attack. She admits the police have

so far failed the surviving family. TRANSLATION: Unfortunately, there

are no new leads, no progress since last year. We are still looking for

the murder weapon to find out who has it. But we haven't got any

further with the motive or suspects. A case which has baffled

investigators both at home and abroad, whoever the killer may be,

for now, they have got away with it. This is Tooting Common,

where locals are extremely angry, the Council wants to fell

and replace 51 of these trees. It's almost three months

since the Grenfell tragedy - Today Princes William and Harry

visited a new community centre in the area which provides mental

health support for the many children Our Political Editor Tim

Donovan is also there - and Tim as we know, mental health,

an issue very close to their hearts? Yes and they were very well

received. The royal foundation has placed mental health issues to the

for and that is where they are dedicating some of the resources.

They put money into providing space in this building, very close to the

tower. They were here for longer than expected today, nearly an hour.

This is going to house a number of charities dealing with bereavement,

counselling, help groups and the important thing is that those groups

will be able to work together here and the princes met staff, some

local teachers, a couple of pupils who were in the tower. And they met

other survivors. Including this man. I spoke to Prince Harry. A really

great experience, especially for my daughters as well who had a very

good conversation with both of them. My daughter started school today

which is great, that she started school because she is then going

into a sort of Nirmala T but again -- a sort of normality but then I

pick up from school and we go back to hotel room which brings us down.

But everyone understands it is a difficult situation. One of the

charities benefiting is Place To Be. You are presumably dealing with a

range of mental health issues? It is not at all simple and everyone

responds to the trauma in a different way. It is important there

are a wide range of services to support them and we are sure we can

scare lit up when needed. Great to have a building and a space, is that

enough? It's a space where we can coordinate and charities can work

together. Why is that important practically? In the first place, so

we don't overlap and we're not doing similar things. There is a big need

so a lot of charities are offering some of the services but so we can

coordinate together and offer things together. What about timescale

because presumably we want the original lease on this building?

Trauma or mental health doesn't abide by timescales. This is a

long-term issue and the idea is that we have this space, the four

charities and we coordinate with all the other excellent community and

volunteer organisations and we will review the space after those few

months. Some talk today about suicide or suicide attempts relating

to this tragedy. Any comment, any reflection on that? I think there

will be a range of responses to this trauma and that highlights the

importance of having as much support and funding for the support going

forward in the years to come. Thank you. The emotional impact of this

has occurred in many ways and has been eased to an extent in different

ways. 169-year-old survivor from the tower was today reunited with some

of her possessions. -- a 69-year-old survivor.

Yes, my Gemini. Is that really important to you?

It is. Why?

It's my birthstone and I made it into a ring.

Wow, that's interesting, that's good.

Talk to me about why you are so happy.

My late husband 's watch. Does that not make me happy?

So it's been over two months now since you lost your flat,

you are still living in a hotel but you have received some of your

What sort of consolation is that for you?

To me, actually, the consolation was that I was alive.

I'm happy I got them but my life was more

important. As soon as they start letting me

build my life again, then the sooner there

will be closure. Even if I've got all

of this stuff back, there is no closure because I don't

have a roof, I don't have my self-respect, I don't have

dignity, I have nothing. Even though she has some

of her jewellery back, the majority of this lady's possessions

remain in the tower. She's just one of 12

families to be reunited with her belongings so far.

But for the majority of residents who survived,

there's nothing left to be returned. The point is, she was reunited with

those possessions when these people are in hotels, temporary

accommodation and quite clearly it's not quite the same as home. Indeed.

Tim in north Kensington, thank you. Two teenage boys are

being treated in hospital after a double shooting in east

London yesterday. No arrests have been made and police

are appealing for witnesses. Let's speak to our reporter,

Tolu Adeoye, who's in The teenagers were found in this

alleyway behind me just after 3pm yesterday. Both suffering with

gunshot wounds. A 14-year-old is now in a critical condition in hospital

and a 17-year-old has suffered what has been described as life changing

injuries. No arrests have yet been made and investigations are

underway. Police have serious concerns after possible revenge

attacks so there are extra officers patrolling and they have more stop

and search powers. We're making sure we reassure the

community. And we have to prevent this happening again. All of those

resources we have said we are putting into this, section 60,

Trident, intelligence officers, using local authority resources, all

of those things will apprehend this kind of violence we are seeing on

our streets. Gun crime has risen sharply in the

capital over the last few years. Four teenagers have been killed this

year alone. Police say this is something they are taking very

seriously. They are appealing for people to come forward if they have

information in this incident. Apologies for that. Or any other

people who might be carrying weapons.

Young people falling into gangs, committing crimes and anti-social

behaviour - a persistent problem we can't seem to solve.

Well, the Government thinks the solution lies,

in part, with youth clubs. Which is why today it's

promising almost ?7 million for projects across East London.

When over the last five years at least 36 million has been

cut from youth services across the capital.

At this youth centre, life might be about to become a little easier for

the staff and volunteers who run activities 4000 youngsters in

Hackney. Today, central government handed them ?407,000 to spend over

the next three years from the youth investment fund. It is an enormous

amount of money for us to go over three years. It means we can make

sure we can sustain what we do and we are able to build on it and also

to help us to support other organisations. The government has

targeted some of the most deprived areas which means in the capital,

the entire amount of funding is going to youth centres all in east

London. Understandably, that's not gone down well here in west London.

This youth centre has been around for almost half a century but those

who run it say it's on the brink of closure. After recent funding cuts.

21-year-old Eddie used to come here as a boy and he now volunteers as a

mentor for others. You see all these young crimes committed by young

people who have no role models. You can come here and actually have

people to look up to, people think, I want to get on with my education.

The government has defended its funding strategy. Of course, there

are other youth projects with funding streams attached to them

that government is investing in in other parts of the country but this

particular fund is going to focus on east London. The 20 projects across

east London that will benefit. London assembly member Shaun Derry

says many youth centres will continue to struggle despite the

announcement. It doesn't really scratch the surface of the level of

cuts we have seen. I found more than 36 million has been taken out of use

services since 2011. This is not replenishing that gap. It is good

the government has started to recognise the use services and the

value they have, but they need to go further. For some, the funding boost

is far too little, too late, for others, any investment in youth is a

goal worth scoring. from ferrying GIs to

touring with tourists. Why London's Duck Tours

and their amphibious vehicles have Not one, not free but five guys

named Moe popping up in Marble Arch for a musical performance like no

other. Next, though, why would

a much-loved avenue of trees Next week, all 51 horse-chestnuts -

some more than a century old - will be cut down, much

to the dismay of campaigners who Our environment correspondent,

Tom Edwards, has the story. Tooting Common, a popular,

beautiful green space in South London and,

at its heart, an avenue of horse The council says it now has to fell

51 of them and replace them Many who use the park

oppose the plans. A lot of people in the local

community weren't given the door-to-door consultations,

they knew nothing about it. It's been alarming

for the community. We're not trying to save trees just

for the sake of saving trees. We're trying to save healthy,

mature trees that simply The council, though,

says the trees are old and diseased and two recently collapsed,

and they're a safety risk. Others say the council

is trying to cut costs. When trees get old, you have to look

after them a bit more. And the answer to your question -

why are they doing it? Well, you've got to follow

the money, you know? It costs more money

to maintain older trees. And the council wants

to save some money. You know, it's austerity

at-large basically. They've got to the point

where they're having to cut down trees because they haven't got

the money to look after them. There are eight million trees

in London and the Mayor's office says that they cover 20%

of their capital. Many are even older

than these ones here. Experts say that is not

a problem, but what they need Using the spurious argument that

health and safety is the reason Jeremy is an independent

tree expert. The bulk of the trees,

there is nothing wrong with them. I mean, they are just normal

maintenance and they've got decades left in them 20,

30, 50 years some of them The felling of these trees

could start in weeks. Campaigners say they intend to fight

the removal all the way. They now want the Mayor,

or the Government, to intervene. They may have survived Nazi Germany

and the D-Day landings, but now London's Duck Tours

and their unmistakable amphibious As Sonja Jessup explains,

a new super sewer has sunk any hopes they could continue to ferry

Londoners and tourists These bright yellow Duck Tours

have been turning heads We do regard ourselves as being

an iconic product of London. One of the great benefits we bring

to London is that other So they don't have it in Paris

or in other European countries. The tours will stop

because they won't be Thames Water is taking it over

to build a new super sewer. It says it's vital to remove tens

of millions of tonnes I'm afraid we have looked

at lots of alternatives. We have worked collaboratively

with Duck Tours. We have tried to push back the time

as long as possible until such time as they had to stop their

operations, but there is really no practical, safe alternative

to the one we have now. These amphibious trucks were first

made in the US in the 1940s. Many of them actually

served on D-Day and in You can tell a bit of its American

history because, look, the driver is actually sitting

on the wrong side. More than 1.8 million passengers

have travelled on London Duck Tours Although services were suspended

for a time in 2013, when one For many passengers today,

this was a special trip, especially for Emma and her son Oliver,

who has cancer. We had a big fund-raising effort

to raise money for Oliver's bucket list and this is the first thing

we have been able to do When we found out it was closing,

we moved his treatment around and the doctors made it possible

for us to come to London John hopes the Duck Tours

might return one day. But in the meantime,

what will become of the vehicles? We are considering

working in Portugal. We have also been looking, we've

been asked to look at Loch Ness. But they set sail on the Thames

for the final time later this month. We've had pop-up bars,

restaurants and cinemas. So how about a pop up theatre

on Marble Arch roundabout? That's where the hit musical

Five Guys Named Moe will be playing when it returns to the West

End after 25 years. The traffic's been

there longer than that. Interesting location! I know, it is

not the first place you think of when you think of a night out at the

theatre but here we are and marble arch roundabout and at the newly

built marble arch theatre. A specially created to take us back in

time. # We are the greatest band in

town... # Five Guys Named Moe, that's us. It

is the 1940s New Orleans and Five Guys Named Moe are all singing and

dancing their way down memory lane. This production is a revival written

by Clarke Peters who you might recognise from the TV series the

wire and produced by one of the biggest names in musical theatre,

Cameron Mackintosh. The idea was to do the show as part of the New

Orleans event. It was not just coming to see the revival of a

lovely show, but the show was the catalyst for an incredible evening.

The musical recounts the antics of the five Moes. To the music of Louis

Jordan. Its writer insists it is very current. Louis came out of the

depression, out of the Second World War. Out of a time when society

needed to have something to escape from and two. Are we not in those

times? # It will is the sweetest thing...

# But when she gets a wedding band, a man's no longer free.

A simple but clever story pulls these songs and the five times have

wonderful advice to a guy whose love life is a mess -- the five guys give

wonderful advice. It is as simple as that and profound an entertaining

the way they tell it. You want to escape and you want to

come to marble arch to see Five Guys Named Moe. When you turn on your

television and you get the blues event -- the Blues again, you are

going to want to be here! Well, it is not just a theatre

performance, it is something of an immersive experience for people who

come here. We are in the Fourier weather is a live jazz band and

there is a special 1940s style of bar. As you say, it is not an

obvious location for a theatre. James Heatly is one of the people

responsible for building this. Why marble arch? Why not marble arch? It

has been grass with a monument for some time and we were talking at

Westminster about using different spaces and they were keen we use

something like the space to regenerate it and that is where we

decided to put it. How difficult was it, what with the challenges of

building a pop-up Theatre here? Very challenging. Surprisingly for

London, that is not much infrastructure so we had to dig our

own sewer connection, but in our own power and water before beginning any

of this. And then it is the fun stuff, building the venues and

putting the shows. And it is a special talent. Yes, pretty much the

biggest in the UK currently. And they tore all over the world and

this is very special and very old as far as Spiegel tents. Thank you,

James. It is almost ashamed to call it a pop-up Theatre, but it is and

it will be going when the show ends in Fabry next year.

Thanks very much indeed. Now, just before the weather,

have a look at this. A five-year-old boy got a bit

of a shock when he found a python in his loo

at his home in Southend. His mum called in

a reptile specialist. Apparently, for a few days

before, they'd thought Even though the snake

has now been removed, the family have been weighing down

the toilet seat as a precaution. Let's get a check

on the weather with Wendy Hurrell. I don't know if I can, that is

awful! We have quite grey skies at the moment. Today, it was a cold

front. And that is now starting to clear with one or two showers on the

back edge of it. And it means that for the middle part of the week it

is going to be slightly fresher. It has been a humid start and you will

notice that and colder nights as well. This is not a huge contrast,

but 17 degrees in Southend last night and is the day it will be 13

degrees. So less humid. It will just feel that bit more nippy. Through

the night, a bit of a breeze. It has been picking up throughout the day.

You can see the showers on the computer. That is going to be the

case for Hertfordshire and Essex, heavier ones before it clears away.

After midnight and into the early hours, the skies will completely

clear and temperatures between ten and 13 degrees and there will be

beatable sunshine first thing tomorrow morning. We will have a

breeze blowing again but the sunshine will make it feel quite

pleasant. Not as humid as it has been today. A bit nippy perhaps but

temperatures doing fairly well into the afternoon with the breeze and

some cloud. Around 20 degrees. Towards the end of the week, it

starts to be less settled. On Thursday, we just about get away

without too much of the rainfall and it will be largely dry with the risk

of showers. A little blustery, cloud around and temperatures around 20

degrees. It is towards the end of the week that we see this low

pressure system showing up on that parks itself over us through the

weekend. With some rain associated with that on Friday. Keep the

umbrella on Friday, it is going to be stubborn to shift that rain. And

there could be some heavy and thundery showers on Saturday and

Sunday. But some sunshine as well. Mottled cloud! You are a font of

knowledge! Thank you. Four serving British Army

soldiers have been arrested on suspicion of being members

of a banned neo-Nazi group. They're being held under

the Terrorism Act in connection with links to the group National

Action. The Russian President has

said further sanctions against North Korea are useless -

and that ramping up military hysteria could lead

to global catastrophe. It comes after the US said it

would table a new UN resolution Prince William and Prince Harry have

visited a new community centre providing support for the victims of

the Grenfell Tower disaster. They met members of the local community

and volunteers leading the local effort.

Youre views are always welcome, of course, on our Facebook page.

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

Thanks for watching and have a lovely evening.