0:00:00 > 0:00:03That's all from the BBC News at Six, so it's goodbye from me
0:00:03 > 0:00:05Coming up on BBC London tonight. so it's goodbye from me
0:00:05 > 0:00:08We reveal how it's not just hospitals struggling this winter.
0:00:08 > 0:00:13One GP tells us - how NHS London is in crisis.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15I think we are at a tipping point at the moment,
0:00:15 > 0:00:17and the NHS is at a real crossroads.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20There's a real potential for a lot of the services we provide
0:00:20 > 0:00:30to collapse or disappear for good.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33But despite the pressure, many doctor's and Ambulance staff say,
0:00:33 > 0:00:35they're just about coping - for now.
0:00:35 > 0:00:36Also tonight.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38Blood sucking parasites in the heart of Parliament.
0:00:38 > 0:00:43How the corridors of power have been infested with bed bugs.
0:00:43 > 0:00:48From the summer of Love to US military testing, controversial new
0:00:48 > 0:00:54trials are planned after some claim micro-doses of LST improve your
0:00:54 > 0:01:00brain function.What I found is it made me into a do it now, do it
0:01:00 > 0:01:04today kind of person and there wasn't this potential to
0:01:04 > 0:01:10procrastinate.And celebrating the much maligned traffic light, how 150
0:01:10 > 0:01:12years and they are still bringing London to a standstill to keep us
0:01:12 > 0:01:17moving.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21Good evening, I'm Asad Ahmad.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25First tonight, the winter crisis facing the NHS in London.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28We've already heard how nationally appointments and operations
0:01:28 > 0:01:31have been cancelled.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35Well, a London MP, who's also a doctor,
0:01:35 > 0:01:38described conditions as the worst she's ever seen.
0:01:38 > 0:01:48NHS bosses admit it's extremely busy - but they say they're coping.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52It's not just hospitals feeling the strain.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54Our health correspondent Karl Mercer has been looking at the effect
0:01:54 > 0:01:57on the wider NHS in London - including GP's surgeries
0:01:57 > 0:02:01and the Ambulance Service.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04So if it's OK, I'm just going to check your blood pressure. January
0:02:04 > 0:02:11in the NHS.How long has this been happening for?In the ambulance
0:02:11 > 0:02:15control room.It was quite a challenging day across the region
0:02:15 > 0:02:20yesterday.And in the Winter War room for London health bosses. While
0:02:20 > 0:02:26much of the focus is on hospitals, it's in GP surgeries where 90% of
0:02:26 > 0:02:30patients are seen. This surgery in Hammersmith is typical of those
0:02:30 > 0:02:35across the capital. Seeing plenty of patients with chest infections.It's
0:02:35 > 0:02:40still tiresome and I cannot walk because I get so out of breath I
0:02:40 > 0:02:43have to stop.Unfortunately if you read the papers and watch the news
0:02:43 > 0:02:47you don't get a true picture of what is going on. I think we are at a
0:02:47 > 0:02:52tipping point and the NHS is at a crossroads. There's a real potential
0:02:52 > 0:02:57for a lot of the services we provide to collapse or figured.Towards the
0:02:57 > 0:03:01end of the week we will be reviewing the staffing which is our real
0:03:01 > 0:03:06concern across the region...The London NHS bosses this is where they
0:03:06 > 0:03:10tried to tackle winter problems. This team call around the capital's
0:03:10 > 0:03:13hospitals checking how they are coping and if there's enough staff,
0:03:13 > 0:03:18if there are problems in emergency departments. Many in the capital are
0:03:18 > 0:03:22urging patients to stay away unless it's a real emergency. Sun planned
0:03:22 > 0:03:26operations will be cancelled.If you have an emergency I can reassure the
0:03:26 > 0:03:30public that the NHS in London is coping well and you will be seen
0:03:30 > 0:03:36promptly. If you're a member of the public and you've got an elective
0:03:36 > 0:03:40operation planned or an outpatient operation planned and we have to
0:03:40 > 0:03:44cancel but I'd like to thank them for their patience and reassure them
0:03:44 > 0:03:48will get their procedure done as soon as we are able.The other area
0:03:48 > 0:03:53I wanted to cover was ambulance handover times.For the first time a
0:03:53 > 0:03:59senior ambulance officer is in the room with the team. It means the
0:03:59 > 0:04:03team back at ambulance control should have more ambulances
0:04:03 > 0:04:06available to them, not stuck at hospitals waiting to drop patients
0:04:06 > 0:04:11off.We ask crews to go to an emergency department that is less
0:04:11 > 0:04:17busy which gives a better experience for patients in terms of waiting and
0:04:17 > 0:04:22also more importantly it allows us to free up our ambulances so we can
0:04:22 > 0:04:26respond to emergency calls.The NHS does prepare hard for winter to
0:04:26 > 0:04:29manage its limited resources. But these are the busiest and most
0:04:29 > 0:04:31challenging weeks of the year.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Karl, we're often told the NHS can't plan for how stretched it will be
0:04:34 > 0:04:39during the worst winter months - is that actually the case?
0:04:39 > 0:04:43There is a limit. They don't know if there are going to be flu outbreaks
0:04:43 > 0:04:46or how cold the weather is going to be but they do plan very early.
0:04:46 > 0:04:51They'll be planning this winter from way back last spring and will start
0:04:51 > 0:04:54away maybe in April for next year. There are certain things they know.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58For example for every degree the temperature drops they know there
0:04:58 > 0:05:02will be a 1% increase in the number of people going into hospital. They
0:05:02 > 0:05:07know if there has been a cold snap, the week after they expect more
0:05:07 > 0:05:12cardiac arrests and strokes. Two weeks after that colds that they
0:05:12 > 0:05:15will see more chest complaints. They can juggle resources quite quickly.
0:05:15 > 0:05:20I think most of the people will say it doesn't matter how many plans you
0:05:20 > 0:05:24make you will need resources. Speak privately to a lot of NHS managers
0:05:24 > 0:05:30and they will say we need more resources.Thank you.
0:05:30 > 0:05:31He time now is 6.34.
0:05:31 > 0:05:36Plenty more to come before 7pm, including this.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40We'll be speaking to the London boxing champion fighting for the
0:05:40 > 0:05:43right to remain in the UK as the Home Office seeks to deport him to
0:05:43 > 0:05:50Nigeria.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53The Mayor of London wants more schools to take up his offer
0:05:53 > 0:05:55of free "knife wands" - as part of his bid
0:05:55 > 0:05:58to cut knife crime.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00So far, only 70 schools have signed-up to use
0:06:00 > 0:06:02the "portable metal detectors" - paid for by City Hall.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Here's our Education Reporter, Marc Ashdown.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08This is all part of the Mayor's major crackdown on knife crime,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10which he launched back in June.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13As part of that, all secondaries were invited to apply for one
0:06:13 > 0:06:19of these knife wands.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Now, this is what they look like, similar to when you go
0:06:22 > 0:06:23through airport security.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25They can detect if someone is carrying a metal
0:06:25 > 0:06:28object such as a knife.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32They give headteachers a bit more leeway than knife arches to use them
0:06:32 > 0:06:34when they actually suspect a pupil of carrying a knife,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37rather than just scanning all pupils as they go into school.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39The Mayor's Office hopes it will help convince young people
0:06:39 > 0:06:42they are in far more danger carrying a knife than not.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44The headteachers I've spoken to are very keen
0:06:44 > 0:06:45to ensure their schools are safe places.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47If schools are safe places, that's where children
0:06:47 > 0:06:49and young people can learn, and they can achieve
0:06:49 > 0:06:52their aspirations and really fulfil their talents and dreams.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54I do understand that some schools may feel it might
0:06:54 > 0:06:58create a bit of a stigma, but what I would say as a parent,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01and I'm a mother of four children, is I want to know that the schools
0:07:02 > 0:07:03my children go to are safe.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06We've learned today that so far 70 schools in the capital have signed
0:07:06 > 0:07:08up for these knife wands.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11There are about 500 secondaries in Greater London, so only
0:07:11 > 0:07:15about 15% of schools so far will be using them.
0:07:15 > 0:07:16For heads, it's all about perception.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19They don't want to be seen to be too over-the-top,
0:07:19 > 0:07:21too heavy-handed, and scare parents.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23But there's a growing collective feeling that some kind
0:07:23 > 0:07:26of action is needed.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29I think it's definitely not sending out the message that
0:07:29 > 0:07:30schools are dangerous, I think it's doing quite
0:07:30 > 0:07:32the reverse actually.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34It's reassuring parents that when they send their child off
0:07:34 > 0:07:38to school, they are safe places, but there's also additional security
0:07:38 > 0:07:41which reflects the modern times, and that's at the discretion
0:07:41 > 0:07:44of the school or college leader as to how that is deployed.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48I think parents are likely to think this is a really good step forward.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Sadly, four young men were killed in London during the New Year's Eve
0:07:51 > 0:07:52celebrations this week.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55It means 80 people in total were stabbed to death
0:07:55 > 0:07:57in the capital in 2017.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59The Mayor's crackdown isn't without its critics,
0:07:59 > 0:08:03who say gangs hide weapons outside school grounds and argue more should
0:08:03 > 0:08:07be done to tackle the root causes of knife crime.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10But Sadiq Khan again described it as "a scourge" this week,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13and vowed to bring the full force of the law down on anyone caught
0:08:13 > 0:08:18using one for a crime.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22A champion boxer from north London, who had hopes of fighting for Team
0:08:22 > 0:08:24GB, faces deportation back to Nigeria - a country
0:08:24 > 0:08:31he left as a child.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Bilal Fawaz says the Home Office has "sabotaged" his life
0:08:34 > 0:08:37by never giving him a visa - even though he was allowed
0:08:37 > 0:08:39to represent England in the ring.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Chris Slegg is at the gym where Fawaz trains -
0:08:41 > 0:08:43to speak to the man himself.
0:08:43 > 0:08:50Chris.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53This is Stonebridge boxing club WebCam pot learnt many of the skills
0:08:53 > 0:08:57that turned him into an England champion. It's also the gym where he
0:08:57 > 0:09:02was arrested by immigration officials and held that a detention
0:09:02 > 0:09:07centre until yesterday when he was released on bail. The Home Office is
0:09:07 > 0:09:13seeking to send him back to Nigeria where he was born. We can speak to
0:09:13 > 0:09:17Bilal now. You've represented England boxing but you're being told
0:09:17 > 0:09:22you can't stay here, how does that make you feel?It makes me feel
0:09:22 > 0:09:26hurt. Representing a country and when you need help it hurts, I feel
0:09:26 > 0:09:31abandoned all over again.Obviously the Home Office has rules it has to
0:09:31 > 0:09:35apply. You arrived in London when you are 14 but you were brought here
0:09:35 > 0:09:41illegally, do you accept that?I was brought here illegally. The Home
0:09:41 > 0:09:47Office knew my whereabouts so I came as a minor, unaccompanied minor with
0:09:47 > 0:09:51somebody. I never knew anything about the legalities and procedures
0:09:51 > 0:09:56about anything like that. Ever since then I've always had an Appeal Court
0:09:56 > 0:10:00case going on so I've never been illegal.The Home Office also points
0:10:00 > 0:10:05out your criminal record. You have a number of low-level convictions,
0:10:05 > 0:10:09driving without insurance, possession of cannabis. Would you
0:10:09 > 0:10:13agree you haven't helped your case? I haven't helped my case but the
0:10:13 > 0:10:17problem is a man isn't judged by what he's done in the past but what
0:10:17 > 0:10:21he is trying to do to rectify what he's done in the past. That's what
0:10:21 > 0:10:25I'm trying to do, all I wanted a second chance. I've never robbed a
0:10:25 > 0:10:30bank, I don't want to kill anyone, I've never raped they let people
0:10:30 > 0:10:38like that in the country. I am not a criminal, I was a naughty child. I
0:10:38 > 0:10:43was a naughty kid.The Home Office have given us a statement today,
0:10:43 > 0:10:47there is no deadline for when this case could be resolved. Bilal
0:10:47 > 0:10:52remains in limbo until that point. The Home Office points out an
0:10:52 > 0:10:58independent immigration judge is hearing the case. They say a
0:10:58 > 0:11:01condition of his bail is he must report to the Home Office readily
0:11:01 > 0:11:05and beyond that they say they can't comment, as the case continues.
0:11:05 > 0:11:10STUDIO: Pranking. -- thank you.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12Thieves have stolen almost £1,000 from a woman
0:11:12 > 0:11:14in a bank queue in Barking.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16One suspect distracted the victim with a conversation, whilst other
0:11:16 > 0:11:21gang members took almost £1,000 from her bag.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23Police want the public to help identify the trio
0:11:23 > 0:11:30in these CCTV pictures.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32Homeless families in London claim they're being pressured
0:11:32 > 0:11:35to accept offers of housing outside the capital.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38So, BBC London visited a family who had to spend Christmas
0:11:38 > 0:11:40and New Year in a hotel, because they refused to accept
0:11:40 > 0:11:44an offer to move to Essex.
0:11:44 > 0:11:49A housing lawyer says the current lack of
0:11:49 > 0:11:51affordable social housing here is contributing to the crisis,
0:11:51 > 0:11:55as Chris Rogers reports.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59Since September, this tiny hotel room has been home to Naomi,
0:11:59 > 0:12:04her mother, two sisters and her baby boy.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08The family have been living in hotel rooms like for three years.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10The cameraman is on one bed, I am on the second,
0:12:10 > 0:12:12you are on the third.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14I mean, there is hardly any...
0:12:14 > 0:12:15Room to move.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17I don't know how you live like this.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19We literally live on top of each other.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22The total family income just about covers the £400 a week
0:12:22 > 0:12:26charge for this room.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28Despite eviction and job losses in the family,
0:12:28 > 0:12:30their local council only agree to save them from homelessness
0:12:30 > 0:12:34when baby Taylor was born.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36You know what people are going to say, they're
0:12:36 > 0:12:40going to say when you're in this situation why expand the family?
0:12:40 > 0:12:43They said that, well, the only way we'd become a priority
0:12:43 > 0:12:46is if one of us got pregnant, if we were disabled or if we've
0:12:46 > 0:12:48just come out of prison.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51So I can understand that, but I mean, at the same time,
0:12:51 > 0:12:55I'm of the mindset that being in the situation,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57I've still got to live my life.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00This East End born and bred family were offered social
0:13:00 > 0:13:02housing in Southend, 42 miles away from their part-time
0:13:02 > 0:13:07jobs and community.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10If we have the financial backing behind it, and the job,
0:13:10 > 0:13:12the two main things, then no problem, we could go
0:13:12 > 0:13:15and move to Southend.
0:13:15 > 0:13:20There would be no problem.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Naomi has launched a legal challenge against Barking and Dagenham council
0:13:23 > 0:13:24to rehouse them in east London.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26The council told us...
0:13:26 > 0:13:28The consequence of the family refusing to move to Southend
0:13:28 > 0:13:31means their duty to help ends.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33London councils have long been accused of social cleansing,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36forcing the homeless, the poor and those on low
0:13:36 > 0:13:39incomes out of London, allowing the wealthier,
0:13:39 > 0:13:43middle and upper-class families to move into areas that have long
0:13:44 > 0:13:48been impoverished and run down.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50Up to 2000 families in temporary accommodation are uprooted
0:13:50 > 0:13:54from their communities every year, some hundreds of miles away.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57London Councils, which represents all our local authorities,
0:13:57 > 0:14:00blame a lack of affordable housing, and told us a majority
0:14:00 > 0:14:03of the placements are on the capital's borders.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06But local authorities are legally obliged to rehouse homeless families
0:14:06 > 0:14:10in or close to their borough.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13I think that dramatic steps have to be taken to create a stock
0:14:13 > 0:14:20of affordable social housing.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24There is the argument, and some people argue
0:14:24 > 0:14:26this very passionately, that if you are reliant on the state
0:14:26 > 0:14:31you live where you're told to live.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Well, that's good enough in part, but there's plenty of cases
0:14:34 > 0:14:37of households who are working in London, who are going out, paying
0:14:37 > 0:14:40taxes, working as care assistants, teaching assistants.
0:14:40 > 0:14:46The glue that pulls our society together.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49The reality for more than 50,000 homeless families in London is live
0:14:49 > 0:14:52like this or face moving out of the capital.
0:14:52 > 0:14:57Chris Rogers, BBC London News.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59It's Wednesday, 3rd January and you're watching BBC
0:14:59 > 0:15:00London News on BBC One.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02If you've just joined us, welcome.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04This is what's still to come.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Blood sucking parasites in the heart of Parliament.
0:15:06 > 0:15:12How the corridors of power have been infested with bed bugs.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14And celebrating the much maligned traffic light.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17How 150 years on they're still bringing
0:15:17 > 0:15:26London to a standstill - to keep us moving.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30If you think of the drug LSD, the heyday of '60s counter culture
0:15:30 > 0:15:33might spring to mind - complete with free
0:15:33 > 0:15:35love and long hair.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38But now "micro dosing kits" like this
0:15:38 > 0:15:40are available on the internet - which allows tiny amounts
0:15:40 > 0:15:47of the drug to be taken.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51Even though LSD is a Class A drug - with a seven years jail sentence -
0:15:51 > 0:15:54some Londoners are openly admitting to using it in "micro doses".
0:15:54 > 0:15:56They claim it improves "concentration and creativity"
0:15:56 > 0:15:59and so Imperial College London, is hoping to carry out clinical
0:15:59 > 0:16:01research on any benefits or dangers.
0:16:01 > 0:16:08Katharine Carpenter reports.
0:16:08 > 0:16:13Their recreational use exploded in the swinging '60s, but western
0:16:13 > 0:16:15science had had an interest in psychedelic drugs for
0:16:15 > 0:16:18decades before.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20They were used in psychiatric medicine.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25After receiving a small doze of LSD...
0:16:25 > 0:16:29And the CIA conducted mind-control experiments with hallucinogenics.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33Now, scientists in London are hoping to carry out a new
0:16:33 > 0:16:43study of psychedelics, because of what is known as micro-dosing.
0:16:43 > 0:16:44Micro-dosing is taking a very small dose of
0:16:44 > 0:16:46a psychedelic such as LSD or
0:16:46 > 0:16:48magic mushrooms with the aim of boosting creativity and productivity
0:16:48 > 0:16:49or mood.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52So it doesn't give you a full recreational experience.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54It keeps you engaged and relatively sober,
0:16:54 > 0:16:56but it helps you work better and more productively.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00That is the theory anyway.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Rosalin tried it for a month in 2016 with a substance
0:17:03 > 0:17:06she said was legal at the time.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09What I found was that it made me into a
0:17:09 > 0:17:12kind of do it now, do it today kind of person and there wasn't this
0:17:12 > 0:17:14potential to procrastinate and put off tasks.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18I had just started a new job and I was going through some
0:17:18 > 0:17:22anxieties in my personal life and it really made me able to kind of
0:17:22 > 0:17:24put those behind me.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Even though micro-dosing with these substances is
0:17:26 > 0:17:31illegal, selling kits online showing users how to measure and
0:17:31 > 0:17:35test drugs isn't - this one's on sale for around £20.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37But opponents say micro-dosing it irresponsible -
0:17:37 > 0:17:43not only could it land you in jail, there is always the risk that you
0:17:43 > 0:17:46will get the dose wrong and it could have serious side effects.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48Drug policy campaigners, the Beckley Foundation have
0:17:48 > 0:17:52researched LSD's effect on the brain before.
0:17:52 > 0:17:53They say we shouldn't dismiss micro-dosing
0:17:53 > 0:17:56and are teaming up again with Imperial College London
0:17:56 > 0:17:57to study 20 users in the world's first
0:17:57 > 0:18:01lab-controlled experiment.
0:18:01 > 0:18:02We're looking at whether micro-dosing with
0:18:02 > 0:18:04LSD can reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07One of the arguments is going to be that you
0:18:07 > 0:18:11are basically encouraging people to do something illegal.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13Well, we don't wish to encourage anyone to do
0:18:13 > 0:18:14anything illegal.
0:18:14 > 0:18:23All we are doing is reacting to the reality that many
0:18:23 > 0:18:25people are micro-dosing currently, taking a Class A substance
0:18:25 > 0:18:28with very little understanding of its relative harms and benefits.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30So we're doing front line science to really find
0:18:30 > 0:18:31out what those harms and
0:18:31 > 0:18:37benefits really are.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39The study still needs funding and ethical approval, with
0:18:39 > 0:18:49the use of psychedelics as controversial as ever.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52The mother of all parliaments has experienced the mother
0:18:52 > 0:18:53of all 'bed bug infestations'.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55A Pest Control expert says the parliamentary parasites
0:18:55 > 0:18:57had become resistant to certain pesticides.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01Sarah Harris reports.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03In the corridors of power lurk parasites, intent on sucking
0:19:03 > 0:19:07blood to stay alive.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11That's not a metaphor, for these are the culprits.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13Bedbugs.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Happy to live in chairs where humans stay seated for hours on end,
0:19:16 > 0:19:19waiting for an opportunity to bite.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22This London pest expert says an attempt to eradicate the outbreak
0:19:22 > 0:19:25from Parliament has failed.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29We've had a number of clients where they've been repeatedly
0:19:29 > 0:19:31introducing bedbugs to their home, we can get it clear
0:19:31 > 0:19:34for a couple of weeks, then the problem comes back.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37So we started talking to people, how do you travel to work,
0:19:37 > 0:19:40where do you work, where do you visit on a regular basis?
0:19:40 > 0:19:42And a large number of people were connected with the Houses
0:19:42 > 0:19:48of Parliament in Westminster.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Staff in Parliament who suspect they been bitten have been advised
0:19:50 > 0:19:52to refer to the NHS website.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56Bedbugs aren't dangerous, and don't spread diseases,
0:19:56 > 0:20:00but can cause itchy red bumps on the skin.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04In a statement, a Parliamentary spokesperson confirmed
0:20:04 > 0:20:06that there had been a bed bug outbreak within the Parliamentary
0:20:07 > 0:20:10estate in a number of places.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13They said an investigation had shown it had been brought in from outside
0:20:13 > 0:20:14and hadn't originated here, and that appropriate
0:20:14 > 0:20:16action is being taken.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19They also said they are monitoring the rest of the estate to make
0:20:19 > 0:20:22sure it hasn't spread.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24Some companies use heat treatments to eradicate the bugs.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27They also strip back chairs and sofas to make sure the parasites
0:20:27 > 0:20:29haven't made their home hidden in upholstery.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31The problem with chemical treatments, they say,
0:20:31 > 0:20:39is that they don't always work.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42I think with any pest species, there's always going to be some kind
0:20:42 > 0:20:46of immunity to whatever chemical or rodenticide you're
0:20:46 > 0:20:48going to use against them.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51So, over time, you're going to have to upgrade to something different.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54The size of the Parliamentary estate makes treatment difficult,
0:20:54 > 0:20:59on top of any chemical resistance the bugs have built up.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01Some experts say only by making the parasites a notifiable pest
0:21:01 > 0:21:11will they be eradicated long-term.
0:21:12 > 0:21:17And tonight a Parliamentary spokesman told us the outbreak has
0:21:17 > 0:21:21now been brought under control.
0:21:21 > 0:21:22Traffic lights.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24They've been bringing us to a standstill in order
0:21:24 > 0:21:25to keep London moving.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Well, the world's first traffic lights was here in the capital
0:21:28 > 0:21:30and that was a 150 years ago this year.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Of course they've changed a bit since then,
0:21:32 > 0:21:34but where exactly was that first one?
0:21:34 > 0:21:36That's the type of information our Transport Correspondent,
0:21:36 > 0:21:37Tom Edwards has.
0:21:37 > 0:21:45Tom.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49Yes it was here on Parliament Square. I want to show you some
0:21:49 > 0:21:53hidden history. If you look up on the side of this building you might
0:21:53 > 0:21:58be able to make out a plaque, this says this is the place where the
0:21:58 > 0:22:09world's first traffic lights were erected in 1868. In traffic light
0:22:09 > 0:22:13terms, this is where it all began.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15This is the world's first street semaphore, or traffic light.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Gas powered, it used signals to direct horse-drawn
0:22:17 > 0:22:18carriages outside Parliament.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22Unfortunately it exploded, injuring a police officer, and was scrapped.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26And it wasn't until 60 years later with the rise of the motor vehicle,
0:22:26 > 0:22:29congestion was an issue even then, that London got its first
0:22:29 > 0:22:33electric traffic lights.
0:22:33 > 0:22:42This is the same junction where in 1925 those first electric
0:22:42 > 0:22:44traffic lights were installed, and there are now 6,300
0:22:44 > 0:22:45of them in the capital.
0:22:45 > 0:22:46ARCHIVE:Representing the City of Westminster,
0:22:46 > 0:22:49I inaugurate this new traffic system of signals...
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Electric traffic lights quickly spread.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54This was Trafalgar Square ten years later.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Not everyone is a fan.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01Sometimes you'd be stuck at a light for a certain amount of time.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04A week later you go there, there are roadworks down the line,
0:23:04 > 0:23:06you get caught even longer at them.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Go to the one at Ludgate Circus, count how long you're
0:23:09 > 0:23:10at those lights for.
0:23:10 > 0:23:11Are they a necessary evil, though?
0:23:11 > 0:23:13What's the answer?
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Get someone that knows what they're doing, TfL.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18There's nothing we can do, is there?
0:23:18 > 0:23:20Just got to put up with it.
0:23:20 > 0:23:21There's too many lights, aren't there?
0:23:21 > 0:23:22Is there?
0:23:22 > 0:23:23Yeah.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27TfL, though, say that over half of the lights are now automatically
0:23:27 > 0:23:29controlled by a central computer, and they reduce congestion
0:23:29 > 0:23:39and smooth traffic flow.
0:23:39 > 0:23:40About 4,500 are smart traffic lights.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43They use detectors in the road to take information back
0:23:43 > 0:23:45to a central computer, which then channels that
0:23:45 > 0:23:47through an algorithm to decide how much green time different traffic
0:23:47 > 0:23:50signals get, and link signals together to ensure you get
0:23:50 > 0:23:51progression along the road.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54So traffic lights are here to stay, and as a way of controlling
0:23:54 > 0:24:00the roads, it all began in London.
0:24:00 > 0:24:06The actual anniversary is on December 8th. I'm told there may be
0:24:06 > 0:24:10events planned here to mark the occasion!A traffic light event for
0:24:10 > 0:24:16December. That is one to put in your diary!
0:24:16 > 0:24:19Time for the weather now, and Storm Eleanor has been causing
0:24:19 > 0:24:20havoc across the country.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Tomasz Schafernaker joins me now - and by and large London
0:24:22 > 0:24:24escaped the worst of it?
0:24:24 > 0:24:25escaped the worst of it?
0:24:25 > 0:24:32In the last ten years or so we have had half a dozen of these occasions.
0:24:32 > 0:24:40But big enough to blow some big chunks off buildings. Let me
0:24:40 > 0:24:45showious think. Landing on a car. Imagine that falling on somebody's
0:24:45 > 0:24:52head. Thankfully it didn't. It is all about cars. It happened to me a
0:24:52 > 0:24:58few years ago. Another tree here, this is in Kilburn. A tree fell on a
0:24:58 > 0:25:05car. Another one as well, this is in Harrow. Another tree. A big tree
0:25:05 > 0:25:11falling across the roads. It surprises me that we didn't get any
0:25:11 > 0:25:15injuries in the capital itself. Because these were serious winds.
0:25:15 > 0:25:28How strong were the winds? Well one was 73mph. Around the coastal areas,
0:25:28 > 0:25:33such as Brighton getting something like that nearly every other winter.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37But in London, pretty windy. Tomorrow, a damp start, the
0:25:37 > 0:25:41afternoon is looking brighter. The winds will freshen, but thankfully
0:25:41 > 0:25:46nothing like what we have had. Clear skies tonight and still a breeze.
0:25:46 > 0:25:52But the winds will die away. The rain comes back and the winds will
0:25:52 > 0:25:57freshen again. For the early risers it is soggy and cold at 6 degrees to
0:25:57 > 0:26:02start the day. The winds will be picking up a bit through the day.
0:26:02 > 0:26:07And it will turn milder. By the afternoon temperatures will be in
0:26:07 > 0:26:12the teens. But the winds, 20mph, you usually double that for the gusts in
0:26:12 > 0:26:18London. So we could get gusts of 40mph. So it is blustery in the
0:26:18 > 0:26:24afternoon. 13 degrees there in central London. Here is Friday's
0:26:24 > 0:26:28forecast, a real mess. You're probably thinking it looks like a
0:26:28 > 0:26:34Picasso! A lot of weather fronts and a lot of wind on the south coast.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38Some of the wind will move inland. So blustery on Friday. With some
0:26:38 > 0:26:49showers. Friday is the last day of this unsettled turbulent weather.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53After Friday the weather will turn colder. We will have to get out the
0:26:53 > 0:26:58thick coats. Easterly winds and down to five or six degrees by Sunday.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02Thank you.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06Let's now take our usual look at the main stories making the BBC
0:27:06 > 0:27:07news headlines this Wednesday, the 3rd of January.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10More than 50,000 people in England could face delays in treatment
0:27:10 > 0:27:13to allow the NHS to deal with the most urgent cases.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has apologised to people who've
0:27:15 > 0:27:20had their non-urgent operations cancelled.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22Storm Eleanor has brought winds of up to 100mph -
0:27:22 > 0:27:24leaving thousands of homes without power and
0:27:24 > 0:27:28disruption to motorists.
0:27:31 > 0:27:32That's it.
0:27:32 > 0:27:33I hope you've enjoyed the programme.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36We've enjoyed working for you - and we'll do it again
0:27:36 > 0:27:37at 10.30 tonight.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39Until then, you can keep across our Twitter feed and Facebook.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42Have a good evening.