19/12/2017 London News

That's all from the BBC News at Six,

so it's goodbye from me

Tonight on BBC London News:

The EU's chief Brexit negotiator

says there'll be no special trading

deal for the City of London.

We'll look at what Michel

Barnier's warning means

for our financial sector.

A Hertfordshire man is jailed for 20

years for an acid attack in an east

London nightclub.

Also tonight, the illegal

breeding of dogs -

campaigners warn about buying

puppies as Christmas presents.

This to some level is organised

crime. There are more victims of

this trade than just the puppies.

And the world's smallest

Christmas card -

200 million times smaller

than a postage stamp.

Good evening, I'm Victoria Hollins.

First tonight, the City of London

is said to contribute nearly

£50 billion a year

to the UK's income.

But there'll be no place

for our financial sector

in any Brexit trade deal -

that's according to the EU's chief

negotiator, Michel Barnier.

It comes on the day that

Theresa May's cabinet met to discuss

for the first time

the UK's preferred future

relationship with the EU.

So, what will it mean if the City

failed to secure special access

to the European market?

Chris Rogers has been finding out.

London is the world's number one

global financial dealer. More than

half a million people are employed

in the financial sector. The long

held fears that special trading

privileges and access to EU

customers will be taken from London

post Brexit, were confirmed again by

the EU chief negotiator, Michel

Barnier. He told the Guardian

newspaper that the city cannot be an

exception to the rule.

We can be forgiven for not knowing

exactly what goes on in the City.

But it has a massive impact on every

single one of us. The British

economy relies heavily on it. And

there is an ecosystem here, there's

lots of industries feeding off the

financial sector. Even within it

you've got the technology, human

resources. And then surrounding the

financial sector, you've got the

copy shop owners, the Taylors, the

watchmakers, the pharmacists,

restaurants, cafes. They all rely on

the success of the city. So what

about the financial firms caught up

in the middle of the war of words

between Michel Barnier and the

government?

This man is pro-Brexit.

These sites are posturing right now,

was included. I know it feels like

we've had Brexit forever. We are

still in the foothills of the

negotiating process. We would not

have an agreed deal until 1919. --

2019. These things are always

released in the 11th hour. He can

say right now, no. I'm sure the

answer will be yes in the end.

While

some firms are holding their nerve,

others are making contingency plans

to quit. But a think tank says the

EU has no choice.

The fact the EU

has a big surplus in those financial

services is because we have lots of

customers elsewhere in the EU. Most

of the EU recognises that hub cannot

be replicated elsewhere in the EU.

So many people in the EU will want

to access those services in London

or the rest of the UK.

But there is

little sign of seasonal goodwill.

City UK, which lobbies for financial

firms, today called Michel Barnier a

Scrooge. In its first Brexit Cabinet

meeting, the government agreed to

demand a bespoke deal from the EU.

A short time ago, I spoke

to the BBC's Adam Flemming

in Brussels, and asked him how

significant this announcement is.

These comments are significant

because Michel Barnier is the EU

chief negotiator, the man entrusted

by EU leaders to deliver the final

Brexit. But they are not surprising.

Michel Barnier is following

instructions given to him by the EU

leaders. They happen to you

throughout the process that the deal

the UK gets in the end is contingent

on how willing the UK is to stick to

the UK is distinctive EU rules and

the EU's way of doing things. Michel

Barnier has said in several places

for several days that the fact the

UK is sticking to its red lines of

no membership of the single market,

nonmembership of the Customs Union

and no jurisdiction of the European

Court of Justice, means that the

best the EU is willing to offer is a

trade deal along the lines of the

one that Canada got, which does not

include financial services. So

crucial to the London economy. What

is happening here is that the EU is

waiting for the UK government about

how it once that relationship to

operate. And only then, the next

summit in March, will be EU make its

offer more clear and more detailed.

So expect this issue to rumble on

for a few months yet.

Adam Fleming.

Lots more to come, including...

A year to go before Crossrail

services begin. We hear how

Crossrail to is a step closer. --

Crossrail 2.

Tottenham MP David Lammy has

described as "disappointing",

the Government's decision not to set

targets to recruit more judges

from black and ethnic

minority backgrounds.

He called for a "bold approach"

to tackle what he calls "race bias"

in the legal system.

Marc Ashdown is here with me now.

Remind us of what David

Lammy's review found?

It was an independent review into

how people from black, Asian and

minority ethnic backgrounds are

treated throughout the criminal

justice system. People from BME

communities comprise 14% of the

population. David Lammy sound they

make of 25% of the prison

population, and 41% of the youth

justice system. Of equal concern is

there is just 11% who were

magistrates and 7% of judges come

from these communities. He describes

this as race bias throughout the

system. He made 35 recommendations

in his report on diversity across

the board. On data. So it is clear

and open what is going on in the

prisons. And in the youth justice

system. The government gave its

response today. The Justice

Secretary set out how they would

look at all the recommendations,

even if they can't implement them.

We asked him if he accepts there is

race bias.

I don't think there is a

deliberate bias. I think that talk

to people anywhere in the criminal

justice system, they will pride

themselves on their professionalism

and impartiality. One of the

challenges David Lammy makes is to

tackle, he thinks, what is an

unconscious bias. And in Ernie Els

case, whatever the truth is, the

reality that he brings out is that

very large numbers of people from

BME communities, particularly young

people, lack confidence and trust in

the criminal justice system. That is

a problem.

What else did David Lammy

say?

He said he was positive that

the government has responded in this

way but you can tell he is

disappointed they did not go

further. On the judiciary, he said

it is 2017 and there is just one

woman on the Supreme Court and none

from ethnic minorities. That is not

good, he said. The government will

look at the critical path into law

rather than serving -- setting

targets. David Lammy disagrees.

It

is not a pipeline issue. There are

ethnic minority lawyers applying to

the judiciary. They are just not

getting through the process. And

that's why I was keen to a target or

Mike Day goal, and ambition, that

the system could move towards.

A new

race and ethnicity board will drive

through these reforms. But David

Lammy says without clear targets we

could be here again in ten years,

with the youth judicial system still

a problem and a judiciary that

doesn't clearly reflect all the

communities in our country.

Thank you.

A man from Hertfordshire has been

imprisoned for an acid attack

at an East End nightclub.

Arthur Collins has been given

a 20-year sentence for the incident

in Hackney back in April.

Tom Burridge has the

details, and joins us

from Wood Green Crown Court.

Arthur Collins threw acid three

times on a crowded dance floor back

in April, in east London, in a

nightclub. Crucial to the

prosecution case was the CCTV. You

can clearly see his arm three times

throwing acid indiscriminately

across the dance floor. He was

convicted last month on five counts

of GBH and nine counts of assault.

And today the judge sentenced him to

25 years in prison. The judge said

it was a despicable act. That he had

deliberately carried out. And he had

deliberately carried that strong

acid into the club. We also had an

emotional account from three of his

victims. 22 people were affected.

Three young women came to court

today and spoke about the impact of

the acid attack on them of being

soaked in acid. The panic. Of the

scarring which will probably stay

with them for life.

Thank you.

Since the conviction

of Arthur Collins there have been

growing calls for nightclubs

to tighten up their

security measures.

Some in London have already taken

steps to prevent acid

being brought into their venues,

as Ayshea Buksh reports.

This was the moment Arthur Collins

threw acid on fellow clubs. Police

say he had been trying to attack

rival gang members body injured 22

people. Two were temporarily blinded

and others permanently disfigured.

Lauren Trent had been inside the

club with friends celebrating her

birthday.

I'm scarred. There are

scars that will stay with me for

life. I'm lucky they are not large.

They are not visible to the eye.

Just because you can't see my Skarz

doesn't mean it hasn't had a mental

effect.

Although there has been a

rise in acid attacks in the UK,

there are still rare. What happened

at the nightclub acted as a wake-up

call to many bars and clubs in

London. One club manager told BBC

London following police advice they

have increased security on the door,

and staff are being trained around

what to do in the event of an acid

attack.

Before we may be looking for

a weapon or alcohol being smuggled

into the club. Now we are taking

people with perfume or aftershave.

We are asking them to spread onto

their wrist to make sure it is OK.

Little bottles of alcohol, Angel,

that has been a problem. We are

making sure there are testing on

that. Anybody coming with water, we

take the water out.

Were more people

are learning about the realities of

acid being used as a weapon, a

charity that works with survivors

say they are hopeful the law around

corrosive substances will be tough

and up.

The Home Secretary made a

series of announcements in the last

three or four months. I'm expecting

and hope that legislation around the

control and sale of acid, and also

legislation around young men

particularly caught with acid.

For

police, clubs and local authorities

are working together to make

clubbers feel safer. As Arthur

Collins begins his 20 year sentence

behind bars, the survivors of his

attacks on the impact of that night

is still being felt.

The police and the RSPCA are urging

people not to buy puppies

as Christmas presents,

after a rise in the number of dead

dogs found dumped by roadsides.

They're believed to be treated

as "waste" by illegal breeders

cashing in on seasonal sales.

Officers say animals are being bred

in "appallingly cruel conditions"

by organised criminal gangs.

Just to warn you,

Yvonne Hall's report does

contain upsetting images.

They may look adorable and healthy.

But these puppies have been bred

legally for sale in North London and

our underfed, riddled with parasites

and very sick. And this is what

happens to the weakest puppies who

die in appalling conditions on

illegal farms. They get dumped. This

is the latest batch found by a

roadside in Amersham.

This is going

on day in, day out. Waste from poppy

Trowbridge is being discarded like

household rubbish. -- puppy traders.

In the run-up to Christmas it is

getting worse.

We do see an increase

in puppy buying, puppies selling at

this time of the year. And I think

the local find in Amersham has just

reopened the fact that actually we

are seeing a spike.

At this illegal

farm, some are found dead.

The

Beaches are an awful conditions.

They are emaciated. They are

extremely skinny. They have been

used time and time again for a

litter after litter. The puppies

themselves are usually kept in very

small, dark enclosures, in absolute

filth.

The RSPCA and the police are

warning that organised criminal

gangs are involved, making up to

£1000 per puppy. Some force

vulnerable people to sell them.

They

have had threats made against them.

Against their family. They have been

intimidated, harassed, bullied.

5-macro the charity is urging

prospective buyers to follow its

puppy contract guidelines to help

stamp out the illegal trade.

At

least for one of the sick puppies

rescued in North London, there is a

rare happy ending. This is him now,

adopted by the Met police officer

who helped to save him.

The much awaited Crossrail

is in its final stages,

and will open to the public

in 12 months' time.

Today, we got some indication of how

much it'll cost to use.

Meanwhile, there are positive noises

about London's next big

infrastructure project -

Crossrail 2.

Here's our Transport

Correspondent, Tom Edwards.

These huge platforms are at finding

crossrail station. In a year, trains

will be running through here. Today

news that in central London fares on

the Elizabeth line will be the same

as the tube.

In terms of where it

covers, it will be the same phrase

structure. We recognise this will

take some business from other lines.

But we also know that people perhaps

you haven't used central line or

Jubilee line in the last few years

will come back to using the

underground. That is about

supporting London's continued

growth.

The Elizabeth line will

start in three sections. And already

there are plans for the next big

infrastructure project crossrail

two. -- Crossrail 2. The cost is £30

billion. The government wants TEFL

to raise half of that upfront.

Through business rates, councils and

developers. City Hall admits the

funding is a big challenge.

We are

absolutely confident from the

figures we have submitted that

London can fund half of the capital

programme that we would need for

Crossrail 2 -- Crossrail 2. The

payback both in terms of what comes

to Transport for London and the

Treasury, and to businesses and

Londoners themselves, is fantastic.

Crossrail 2 will run from south-west

London through the capital to

Hertfordshire. Today the government

seemed positive. Do you think it

will happen?

Yes, I believe it well.

They are specific challenges across

the network in London that remain.

We have the ability to solve a

number of them. We need to ensure

that name -- Crossrail 2 tackles the

problem is that most need to be

tackled in London.

As this huge

project enters its final stages to

match London's growth in the capital

is already looking at new

infrastructure. A challenge, as it

was initially on crossrail, is

funding.

Still to come:

Will it be Arsenal or

will it be West Ham?

The two sides meet tonight

in a London Derby as they battle it

out for a place in the semi-finals

of the League Cup.

We had just the right amount

of cloud to give us a very fiery

looking sunset tonight, but how's

the rest of the week looking?

The full forecast later

in the programme.

Next to a tradition that's been

going on since the 17th Century,

Royal guards parading outside Royal

palaces and Whitehall.

On Christmas day there'll be no

change with members of the armed

forces serving their duty.

Tolu Adeoye has gone

behind the scenes

with the Household Cavalry.

They're the public face

of the British Army and the mounted

The Household Cavalry

is the army's oldest

and most senior regiment.

Currently, we've got 15 horses down

here and this is where the soldiers

spend 365 days a year working,

between the Life Guards

and the Blues and Royals.

You see the massive

saddles up there?

Yes.

So the saddles date back to 1903,

still the same saddles we use now.

We've got the bridle,

the girth, the stirrups

and the reins and a double bit.

The soldiers have got

to have a double bit

in there so they've got a lot

of control with the horse.

So who are these horses?

So the four horses we've got

in here are the boxman's horses.

These are the horses

everyone will see.

Out on parade?

Out on parade, looking

smart, looking clean.

Very good temperament.

So how will Christmas Day,

as with every day, pan

out for the troopers?

So the soldiers come down

here at 11.00am in the morning,

they're down here for 24-hours.

The horses that go into the boxes

at the front, they do an hour on,

hour off until 4.00pm

in the evening.

The soldiers that aren't

in the boxes, they're called,

what we call foot reliefs

and they'll be out on their feet

for two hour stags until 8.00pm.

I start off with putting

my riding breeches on.

Which go obviously on my legs.

Then I put my Blues tunic on,

which is the jacket I've

got underneath here.

I then put my cloak on.

I then put my jackboots on.

And my sword and scabbard,

then I do up my cloak,

put my cotton whites on,

helmet on, ready to go.

Household Cavalry soldiers

are trained for battle

as well as their ceremonial duties.

Many of those present today will be

working on Christmas Day.

You're working Christmas Day,

so it's not amazing, you know,

but I think being with the lads,

everyone just sort of

brings the spirits up.

It's a bit more chilled out

than maybe if the whole regiment's

here because there's less people

to keep an eye on us,

but we all have to work quite hard.

There's more of a workload because

we've got the same amount of horses.

I chose to work Christmas

so I could have new year's off.

Tactical?

Tactical, yeah.

And what do you love most

about being part of this regiment.

Well, this regiment's unique.

We kind of uphold the

traditions of Britain.

We're considered an icon,

so I guess it's just

nice to be part of it.

Tolu Adeoye, BBC London News.

Football now, and there's a London

derby in the League Cup

quarter-finals tonight.

It's been nearly 40 years

since West Ham won a major trophy.

To keep alive their hopes

of ending that wait,

they'll have to cause a shock

against Arsenal, who are more

accustomed to lifting silverware.

Chris Slegg is outside

Emirates Stadium.

The FA Cup in 1980 was the last

notable prize that West Ham won.

Arsenal are most accustomed to

silverware, the League Cup, is the

only domestic trophy that Arsene

Wenger has failed to win during his

21 years as Arsenal boss. That's

because he doesn't really see it as

a priority. He often uses this

competition as a chance to rest op

of his first team players to give

the younger players an opportunity

and to rotate his squad. Theo

Walcott, for example, starts tonight

having missed four games with a

groin injury. West Ham could take

advantage of that. They are much

improved since David moist arrived

as their manager last month. They

have moved away from the Premier

League relegation zone. They beat

Chelsea 10 days ago. They drew with

Arsenal in the league last week and

beat Stoke 3-0 on Saturday. They

arrive here tonight high in

confidence.

We'll go there and try and put

in a good performance.

Our performances have gradually

been getting better.

Undoubtedly, our priority's

to make sure that we get

away from the bottom end

of the Premier League,

but there would be nothing that

would give me more pleasure

than getting to a Cup final.

So every game I go

into, I want to win.

I'll try to go into the League Cup

game, quarter-final game,

and win it as well.

The issue of players diving to win

penalties has been in the news ahead

of this match, hasn't it?

Yes. The

FA decided to get tough on diving

this season. They introe deuced a

new three man panel who can look at

incidents when it's believed a

player might have dived. That is

what happened at the weekend.

Lanzini won a penalty against a

Stoke. They asked their pan tow look

at it. They agreed he sdchl he was

charged with diving. He appealed

against that today. The appeal has

been thrown out. He will serve a

two-game ban, starting tonight. He

miss this is match. Only the second

Premier League to be found guilty of

diving in this manner. Victoria.

Chris, at the emirates, thank you.

When you think of Christmas

cards, this sort of thing

probably comes to mind.

Sending cards was a tradition

begun by the Victorians.

But times have changed

and so have Christmas cards.

The world's smallest

has now been created.

But, as Caroline Davies reports,

you'll need a very powerful

microscope just to see it.

A focused iron beam microscope

is not normally associated

with Christmas, but the festive

spirit pops up in the most unusual

places, including in this London

lab, home to what they claim

is the world's smallest

Christmas card - and they're

rather proud of it.

The smallest we could find

before this was about 15,

20 times bigger and it

wasn't three-dimensional.

Too tiny to see with the human eye,

you need a microscope to have any

chance of reading it.

Each page of the card

is 15 micrometers wide

and 20 micrometers tall.

Given that a micrometer

is a millionth of a meter,

that's pretty small,

but how small?

What are the dimensions that

we're talking about?

Well, as an example,

this is the edge of the sample

from which we made the Christmas

card and I've drawn

a circle on the screen

a millimetre in diameter.

So the same size as the smallest

division on an ordinary

30 centimetre ruler.

If we zoom in, increase the magify

caution on the microscope you see

nothing to start with,

but then we are now zoomed

in so that circle is now the same

size as the Christmas card

and there's some writing done

in exactly the same way

as I did the Christmas card.

As well as the world's smallest

Christmas card we've got

the world's smallest BBC sign.

You have, yes.

Of coursing this machine isn't

intended for carving out snow men,

usually its iron beam cut out tiny

rulers used to help research

materials for electronics,

and in future scientists could cut

a card even smaller.

People here in the laboratory

are working on thin sheets that

are only an atomic layer thick.

So I'm not sure that we could fold

those yet, but we'll work on it.

There are down sides

to cards this size.

Unfortunately, nobody's going to be

getting this Christmas card

in the post this year?

I nudged the card and it pinged off

the end of the needle

and I can't find it.

It's too small.

Not quite lost in the post then?

No, lost in the microscope.

Which is an altogether better excuse

than forgetting the stamp.

Caroline Davies, BBC London News.

You could pretend you sent one.

Now, let's check on the weather

with Elizabeth Rizzini.

Now, let's check on the weather

with Elizabeth Rizzini.

There was fog this morning. I live

in in the south, no fog there. Lots

of sunshine. That sunshine broke

through readily for most places. We

started to get milder air tracked

through as well. We started off

today with a hard frost. Tl was a

beautiful, fiery sunset. Best

towards the south, actually. The

right amount of sunshine and cloud

to give all off these colours, quite

widely across the capital. This is

my favourite weather watcher picture

from yesterday. I'm cheating here,

last night. It's very nice. If you

are viewing the Christmas lights

around Trafalgar Square for the rest

of the week then it's good

conditions to do so. It will be

mild, so you won't have to wrap up

terribly warmly. Mostly dry for the

rest of the week, drizzle and

outbreaks at times, mostly Wednesday

night into Thursday morning. There

will be cloud around as well. Milder

air overnight. South eastern areas

may have enough time for fog to

form. It won't be a massive problem.

There will be a lot of cloud coming

through. Hill fog over the higher

ground into tomorrow morning. We

will see lows of four or five

degrees. Temperatures will go up

into tomorrow morning, a mild start

to the day on around six or seven

degrees. This is tomorrow. Really

the colours are not going to change

on this map very much because it

will be the same all day. Grotty

conditions. A lot of low cloud

around, drizzle at times. Otherwise

dry with a light wind. Temperatures

up to 10 or 11 degrees Celsius.

That's above the average for this

time of year. Wednesday night we

have got this cold front just kind

of sinking its way southwards. It

could give us rain perhaps as we

head into the fist part of Thursday

morning. That's true, but other than

that it's looking very similar for

much of the rest of the week. Look

at the temperatures. Christmas Eve

the winds could pick up. We may get

breaks in the cloud, still mild. We

will not see a white Christmas, I

don't think, it could turn stormy

next week. A little bit sad. Thank

you very much indeed.

Now, the main headlines:

Social media companies have been

accused of providing

a platform for extremism.

Senior executives from Facebook,

Twitter and Google have

all appeared before MPs.

They were told they're not doing

enough to tackle hate crime online.

That's it.

I'll be back later during

the Ten O'Clock News, but for now,

from everyone on the team,

have a lovely evening.

Goodbye.