0:00:00 > 0:00:13There's more throughout the evening on the BBC News Channel,
0:00:13 > 0:00:15Good evening and welcome to BBC London News,
0:00:15 > 0:00:17I'm Claudia-Liza Armah.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19Should the capital's private railway lines be taken over
0:00:19 > 0:00:20by Transport for London?
0:00:20 > 0:00:23Well that's what many say they want in a new poll revealing more
0:00:23 > 0:00:25than half of Londoners believe commuter trains have
0:00:25 > 0:00:31deteriorated over the past year.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34With next week's price hike in rail fares, the Mayor of London has
0:00:34 > 0:00:36described the figures, as a 'damning indictment'
0:00:36 > 0:00:37of the failures of rail companies.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41Nicola Ford reports.
0:00:41 > 0:00:42Strikes.
0:00:42 > 0:00:43Delays.
0:00:43 > 0:00:44Cancellations.
0:00:44 > 0:00:45And, frustration.
0:00:45 > 0:00:482017 has been another difficult year for people on trains
0:00:48 > 0:00:51in and out of London.
0:00:51 > 0:01:00And now that has been reflected in a YouGov poll of 1000 people,
0:01:00 > 0:01:02which reveals 37% thought that National Rail services
0:01:02 > 0:01:03had got worse.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Just 8% thought they had improved and 61% thought that Transport
0:01:06 > 0:01:08for London should have greater control over rail services.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10That's an idea strongly supported by the Mayor of London,
0:01:10 > 0:01:13who commissioned the poll.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17They are fed up of very poor and unreliable services.
0:01:17 > 0:01:23Overcrowding, poor frequencies and, of course, rising rail fares.
0:01:23 > 0:01:31I think TfL have shown from their work on the TfL
0:01:31 > 0:01:34I think TfL have shown from their work on the TfL Overground
0:01:34 > 0:01:36and TfL Rail that they can run really excellent
0:01:36 > 0:01:38and reliable, frequent services, and of course maintain
0:01:38 > 0:01:39the mayor's fare freeze.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42The government says that they will look at transferring services
0:01:42 > 0:01:45on smaller lines to the mayor, but Sadiq Khan would like greater
0:01:45 > 0:01:47control over trains run by South Eastern, South Western,
0:01:47 > 0:01:48Southern and Thames Link.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50Weary passengers at St Albans heading back to work this
0:01:50 > 0:01:51morning were sceptical.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53No, I'm not in favour of that at all.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56I think when larger bodies get involved, it causes larger
0:01:56 > 0:02:03problems, generally.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05I prefer the service to keep improving by those
0:02:05 > 0:02:06who are currently running it.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08It is difficult to say.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10To say whether or not it would make a difference,
0:02:10 > 0:02:13it would just be a new owner doing the same thing.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15Theoretically, I mean if it would put St Albans on the Oyster,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18it would be amazingly helpful because it is so close
0:02:18 > 0:02:19to London anyway.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22And rail passenger groups think that TfL are well-placed to take over.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25There is evidence from other cities, like in Liverpool, where Mersey
0:02:25 > 0:02:27where Mersey Travel took over the local suburban
0:02:27 > 0:02:28services there, and
0:02:28 > 0:02:29services have improved.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32We think that combination of local knowledge and local accountability,
0:02:32 > 0:02:34and better connections with the rest of the London transport network,
0:02:34 > 0:02:36make for a really good service.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38The government say they are investing record amounts
0:02:38 > 0:02:40in the railways and decisions on devolution are based
0:02:40 > 0:02:43on what would make journeys better for passengers.
0:02:43 > 0:02:49Judging by the poll today, those passengers certainly think
0:02:49 > 0:02:53there's room for improvement.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57For those who struggled into work today during the wind, rain and even
0:02:57 > 0:03:01snow, they are making their way home tonight but a majority of people
0:03:01 > 0:03:06return to work next week. For those using the trains, they may find the
0:03:06 > 0:03:11price of their train tickets are more expensive. With a steep rise,
0:03:11 > 0:03:15the steepest in five years, customers would be expecting to see
0:03:15 > 0:03:18a significant return on their investment in the form of an
0:03:18 > 0:03:20improved service.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23The ex-boyfriend of reality TV-star Ferne McCann,
0:03:23 > 0:03:27jailed for 20 years for an acid attack at an east London nightclub,
0:03:27 > 0:03:34has admitted hiding a mobile phone inside a crutch while in prison.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38Arthur Collins hid the phone, two SIM cards and two USB sticks
0:03:38 > 0:03:40while on remand ahead of his trial.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42Speaking via video link at Bromley Magistrates' Court today,
0:03:42 > 0:03:44the 25-year-old admitted to possession of a prohibited
0:03:44 > 0:03:45item while in prison.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48He'll be sentenced at a later date.
0:03:48 > 0:03:5111 people have been arrested after a large fight broke out
0:03:51 > 0:03:53at the Westfield Shopping Centre in Stratford during
0:03:53 > 0:04:00the Boxing Day sales.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02Two police officers were also injured and taken to hospital.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04An eyewitness described how two groups of teenagers began
0:04:04 > 0:04:05"pushing and shouting"...
0:04:05 > 0:04:07Forcing nearby shops to close their shutters.
0:04:07 > 0:04:17Two knives were removed from the scene.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25The top 30 areas of the UK for sales of 1 million pound
0:04:25 > 0:04:35houses were all in London and the South East this year.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37According to peer-to-peer lender "Lendy", Westminster topped the list
0:04:37 > 0:04:40with more 1,600 sales of properties of at least a million pounds....
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Followed by Kensington and Chelsea then Wandsworth.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44The only area outside the capital in the top 10
0:04:45 > 0:04:46was Elmbridge in Surrey.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Several flights out of Stansted and Luton have been cancelled
0:04:48 > 0:04:50or delayed after London and the Home Counties were hit
0:04:50 > 0:04:51by flurries of snow.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54A mix of sleet and ice also made for treacherous conditions
0:04:54 > 0:04:56on the roads and motorways, especially the M25.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58The heaviest snowfall was in Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.
0:04:58 > 0:04:59From there, Caroline Davies reports.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02It might look like a Christmas card, but conditions today were far from
0:05:02 > 0:05:03idyllic.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Torrential rain overnight turned to snow by this morning,
0:05:06 > 0:05:12making roads slippy and occasionally treacherous.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14This car came off the road in Essex, another turned on its
0:05:15 > 0:05:16side in South Buckinghamshire.
0:05:16 > 0:05:17The RAC said its calls were up between
0:05:17 > 0:05:1915-20% in south London, Hertfordshire and Kent.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Airports were affected as well, Stansted was
0:05:21 > 0:05:22shut.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24When it did open, flights were cancelled and delayed.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26Luton had problems too, reducing the number of
0:05:26 > 0:05:30flights landing.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32The heaviest snow around London was in Buckinghamshire
0:05:32 > 0:05:34and Hertfordshire, although much of it turned to slush.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Here in Hertfordshire the snow may not have
0:05:36 > 0:05:39stuck around for the entire day but the effects of it did.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41In Aldbury, the Greyhound Inn lost business after
0:05:41 > 0:05:44customers were not keen to drive.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46We've had about 50 people cancelled this morning.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Three rooms cancelled as well.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53It's a slow day, we do lose quite a lot, especially during the
0:05:53 > 0:05:55holidays.
0:05:55 > 0:06:01In Hertfordshire, 600 tonnes of salt was used, with
0:06:01 > 0:06:04gritters out across the Home Counties and London
0:06:04 > 0:06:11this afternoon trying to
0:06:11 > 0:06:13keep the roads safe as slush turns to ice overnight.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Caroline Davies, BBC London News.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Christmas might be over but could we be getting more snow
0:06:18 > 0:06:19ahead of the New Year...
0:06:19 > 0:06:20Lizzie Rizzini has the all-important weather...
0:06:20 > 0:06:22Lizzie Rizzini has the all-important weather...
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Good evening.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Lots of Weather Watcher pictures coming in of the snow
0:06:29 > 0:06:31that we saw earlier today, of course with the ground
0:06:31 > 0:06:34being quite warm and the snow turning back to rain fairly quickly,
0:06:34 > 0:06:36that has largely gone now, of course.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38There will not be any more snow overnight tonight.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40Instead we have clear skies, and everything that fell out
0:06:40 > 0:06:43of the sky earlier on today, the rain, sleet and snow,
0:06:43 > 0:06:45will refreeze onto the roads and the pavements,
0:06:45 > 0:06:46into tomorrow morning.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48So, ice could be a big issue.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Do watch out on untreated surfaces tomorrow morning,
0:06:50 > 0:06:52we've also got a Met Office weather warning out for ice,
0:06:52 > 0:06:53for much of the morning.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55But tomorrow is looking like a fairly pleasant day.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59Yes, it will be an icy start but we will see a lot of sparkly
0:06:59 > 0:07:00winter sunshine around.
0:07:00 > 0:07:01It should stay dry.
0:07:01 > 0:07:02A lighter north-westerly breeze.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05Still feeling cold, temperatures between three and 5 degrees maximum,
0:07:05 > 0:07:06but a much nicer day than today.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Another frost on Thursday night into Friday, but from Friday
0:07:09 > 0:07:10things turn warm again.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13A bit milder on Friday but it will be wet and windy.
0:07:13 > 0:07:13It looks like a mild end to the year.
0:07:13 > 0:07:22It looks like a mild end to the year.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25And we've just got time to tell you about this weekend's New Year's Eve
0:07:25 > 0:07:27fireworks display which will feature a soundtrack dominated by female
0:07:27 > 0:07:37artists.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43) Marking the centenary of women being granted the vote,
0:07:43 > 0:07:45Songs by Aretha Franklin, Annie Lennox, Ariana Grande
0:07:45 > 0:07:48and Florence Welch will be among those included in the
0:07:48 > 0:07:49women-only second half of the world-famous show.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51Around 100,000 ticket-holders will watch the 12-minute spectacle
0:07:51 > 0:07:54light up the skyline from the bank of the River Thames on Sunday.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57That's it from me and the Evening team, I will be back
0:07:57 > 0:07:58with our Late bulletin at 22:00.