0:00:00 > 0:00:00That's all from the BBC News at Six, so it's goodbye from me
0:00:00 > 0:00:04and on BBC One we now join the BBC's news teams where you are.
0:00:04 > 0:00:05Coming up on the programme tonight...
0:00:05 > 0:00:08A bad day for Thames Water.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11In west London, a burst water main leaves residents trapped.
0:00:11 > 0:00:19It's the second major incident in a week.
0:00:19 > 0:00:24It's not as though that issue has been unknown to Thames Water, and
0:00:24 > 0:00:27they've only just discovered it, so that's where my sympathy ends and I
0:00:27 > 0:00:32think it is time for them to step up.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34And the company's in hot water over bills, too.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37We can reveal that nearly half of London's councils are accused
0:00:37 > 0:00:39of working with Thames Water to exploit tenants.
0:00:39 > 0:00:40Also tonight...
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Could there be a new dawn for milk deliveries in glass bottles,
0:00:43 > 0:00:44as the tide turns against plastic?
0:00:44 > 0:00:47And she calls dancers at the Royal Ballet her family -
0:00:47 > 0:00:53and now THEY are honouring HER after two decades at the top.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05Good evening, I'm Assad Ahmad.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08We start tonight with the flooding of a major London road.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12It's the second time residents in the area have suffered a serious
0:01:12 > 0:01:15burst water main in a matter of days, and they say
0:01:15 > 0:01:18they've had enough.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21Today's leak on the Goldhawk Road in west London put homes
0:01:21 > 0:01:22and businesses under water.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26Some basement flats have been seriously damaged
0:01:26 > 0:01:28and businesses have lost money.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Many are calling on Thames Water to do more to prevent the leaks.
0:01:31 > 0:01:40Jim Wheble has been speaking to the people affected.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Another high street flooded thanks to a burst water main. This time,
0:01:44 > 0:01:49Goldhawk Road in Shepherd's Bush which started rushing at three
0:01:49 > 0:01:55o'clock this morning. What has been going on...? And another shop owner
0:01:55 > 0:02:01flooded out. It is the fourth time in ten years it has happened here.
0:02:01 > 0:02:09The water is still flowing in?! Yeah.And what does this mean for
0:02:09 > 0:02:16you?Well, we had to close down the studio, and with then had to close
0:02:16 > 0:02:19down the shops upstairs as well. Next door to Brian, it is even
0:02:19 > 0:02:28worse. This is Olga's flat and it is completely flooded. We are in the
0:02:28 > 0:02:32basement level, and there's all sorts of stuff floating around, I've
0:02:32 > 0:02:38got a map floating over to me, she's managed to take some of her
0:02:38 > 0:02:45possessions out, but she's too upset to talk. And if this seems strangely
0:02:45 > 0:02:49familiar, well, that's because on the weekend, a different burst water
0:02:49 > 0:02:54main was in evidence on king street in Hammersmith with much the same
0:02:54 > 0:02:58consequences. The Victorian water main infrastructure doesn't help,
0:02:58 > 0:03:02but some say Thames Water aren't doing enough.It's not as though
0:03:02 > 0:03:06that issue has been unknown to Thames Water, and they've only just
0:03:06 > 0:03:09discovered it, so that's where my sync with the ends and I think it is
0:03:09 > 0:03:13time for them to step up and get the detection technology into the pipes
0:03:13 > 0:03:17so that they can start telling us which pipes are most likely to burst
0:03:17 > 0:03:22and to try to prevent other than them trying to solve the problem.Is
0:03:22 > 0:03:27a disappointing that that hasn't happened already?Yes, I think it is
0:03:27 > 0:03:31disappointing.Back on the Goldhawk Road shop owners are still worried,
0:03:31 > 0:03:33watching the ebb and flow of the floodwater.It's coming up, it's
0:03:33 > 0:03:39going down. They're assessing the situation right now. I don't know
0:03:39 > 0:03:44how long it will take but in the meanwhile, we have to pack up, we
0:03:44 > 0:03:50have bills to pay part of things to do.This also happened this
0:03:50 > 0:03:54afternoon by London Bridge. Another water leak. This time, though, down
0:03:54 > 0:04:05to some overenthusiastic beginning. -- digging.
0:04:05 > 0:04:10Well, Jim's out in West London now - what's the latest, Jim?
0:04:11 > 0:04:14This is the Goldhawk Road and the water went all the way to the end,
0:04:14 > 0:04:21down towards the Shepherd's Bush roundabout and all this way past the
0:04:21 > 0:04:24Goldhawk Road Tube station, you can see those lights in the background,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27that's roughly where the burst water main is and the floodwater has now
0:04:27 > 0:04:33receded. I'm joined by Tim McMahon, the head of water networks for
0:04:33 > 0:04:40Thames Water. Is there enough investment, is it just pot luck as
0:04:40 > 0:04:45to whether you are a victim of this type of flooding from a burst water
0:04:45 > 0:04:48main the EE firstly I'm really, really sorry for the impact this
0:04:48 > 0:04:51burst has had in the vicinity and for those customers who have
0:04:51 > 0:04:58experienced no water throughout the day. We're really, really sorry and
0:04:58 > 0:05:00I have spent the whole day here talking to customers and reassuring
0:05:00 > 0:05:04them of our commitment to get their water back on.I understand that, we
0:05:04 > 0:05:08will get to that as well, but what about the amount of investment that
0:05:08 > 0:05:13Thames Water puts in to stop this happening - is it enough?Investment
0:05:13 > 0:05:16in the network is really important to customers, and that's why we've
0:05:16 > 0:05:22increased the investment in our large pipes, big pipes over 12
0:05:22 > 0:05:29inches, by the tune of £90 million. And by the next annual period, up to
0:05:29 > 0:05:322025 we're aiming to double our investment as part of our business
0:05:32 > 0:05:38plan.So, has enough been spent in the past, because you've had your
0:05:38 > 0:05:45highest water leak rate for ten years this year, it sounds to me as
0:05:45 > 0:05:48if not enough has been spent and people have been victims of this?It
0:05:48 > 0:05:54is not about money. We have increased our investment, as I said.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58Our leaks division is not where we want it to be but we are working
0:05:58 > 0:06:02incredibly hard to recover that. But my main focus on today is around
0:06:02 > 0:06:05returning our customers' lives back to normal as quickly as possible.
0:06:05 > 0:06:10Thank you very much for that. So, people will continue to be affected
0:06:10 > 0:06:15throughout the night. The problem is well under way to being solved but
0:06:15 > 0:06:19if you are affected there is bottled water here on Goldhawk Road for you
0:06:19 > 0:06:22to take advantage of.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Thames Water features in our next story this evening, too.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27This programme has learnt that nearly half of London's
0:06:27 > 0:06:31council are being accused of exploiting their most
0:06:31 > 0:06:38vulnerable residents - by billing them for the water.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41BBC London has learned that the boroughs have entered
0:06:41 > 0:06:43into what are legally described as "unfair contracts"
0:06:43 > 0:06:45with Thames Water, which means tenants risk losing their homes
0:06:45 > 0:06:48if they fail to pay up.
0:06:48 > 0:06:53Alex Bushill has this exclusive report.
0:06:53 > 0:06:54Getting rinsed for your water bills.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57Lorraine is a council tenant on a low income,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00but now high on the list of those due a pay-out, running
0:07:00 > 0:07:07perhaps to hundreds of pounds.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10It could have benefited me in a lot of ways, food, pay the bills.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13I would not have been struggling so much to actually live day-to-day.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15So what has gone wrong for Lorraine and thousands
0:07:15 > 0:07:16of other tenants like her?
0:07:16 > 0:07:19This is what you would expect to see, Thames Water selling
0:07:19 > 0:07:23direct to its customers.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27Instead, some councils got involved as a middlemen,
0:07:27 > 0:07:36reselling the water to their tenants.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39In one case, Southwark did not pass on the discount it was given
0:07:39 > 0:07:41by Thames Water for buying in bulk.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43It is also worth stressing that if now tenants fell
0:07:43 > 0:07:45into arrears with the council, effectively their landlord,
0:07:45 > 0:07:46they could now face eviction.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48Lorraine says that is exactly what happened to her.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51If I was paying my water bill directly to the water company,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54they would not be allowed to cut my water.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56They would have to take me to court themselves
0:07:56 > 0:08:00and I wouldn't face eviction.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04I think it is really disgraceful because they are taking money out
0:08:04 > 0:08:07of people's pockets that a lot of them are on low
0:08:07 > 0:08:16incomes and basically they are benefiting from it.
0:08:23 > 0:08:30We have identified 269 recent cases. 14 councils in and around London
0:08:30 > 0:08:34have confirms they entered into similar deals with water companies,
0:08:34 > 0:08:38of whom eight councils said they generated £33 million from those
0:08:38 > 0:08:44agreements between them. At least 130,000 tenants might now be getting
0:08:44 > 0:08:49a pay-out. Wandsworth council has already paid back £5.9 million in
0:08:49 > 0:08:57total. Of forest has set aside... And Lorraine's council, Enfield...
0:08:57 > 0:09:01As for Thames Water, they say they have never received any charges over
0:09:01 > 0:09:05and above the authorised to tell if. What's more they're now working with
0:09:05 > 0:09:07local authorities reviewing contracts to ensure customers pay
0:09:07 > 0:09:13the correct amount. -- tariff. Lorraine's case is being
0:09:13 > 0:09:17investigated by lawyers seeking to bring a joint class action for all
0:09:17 > 0:09:21those affected. They say even where councils are already paying out, a
0:09:21 > 0:09:24closer look may be needed.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Some of them are saying they are waiting for a legal challenge.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Others are trying to make small payments below the radar.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33Some tenants are having small payments, £50, that kind of amount
0:09:33 > 0:09:34made into their bank account or credited against arrears.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Some councils are clearly hoping they can
0:09:36 > 0:09:39dispose of this problem and a few people against the massive discount
0:09:39 > 0:09:43and a true compensation should be paid.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45Enfield have said they have had no complaint from Lorraine yet
0:09:45 > 0:09:46but are happy to discuss one.
0:09:46 > 0:09:56What is so unusual about this case is
0:09:56 > 0:09:58that it is local authorities who stand accused of exploiting their
0:09:58 > 0:10:04more vulnerable residents.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08You're with BBC London News this Wednesday evening.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13This is what is still to come before seven.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15A new bus fare which allows you to hop on-and-off
0:10:15 > 0:10:18as many times as you can, in an hour - but the mayor plans
0:10:18 > 0:10:22to cut services, too.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Who owns the properties near you?
0:10:27 > 0:10:30The answer could be more surprising than you think.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33An investigation has found that nearly 40,000 in London are owned
0:10:33 > 0:10:35by offshore companies.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39Maybe not surprisingly, Westminster and Kensington
0:10:39 > 0:10:42and Chelsea have the highest number registered abroad, with critics now
0:10:42 > 0:10:44concerned that it could also be a way of laundering money.
0:10:44 > 0:10:54Tolu Adeoye reports.
0:10:55 > 0:11:00Who owns the houses on your street? Data shows that tens of thousands of
0:11:00 > 0:11:04houses in London are owned secretly by offshore companies. One campaign
0:11:04 > 0:11:10group has devised a web tool based on the Land Registry which shows how
0:11:10 > 0:11:13many of these properties are in each borough and they say the public
0:11:13 > 0:11:16should be concerned.We are talking properties which could be owned by
0:11:16 > 0:11:21human traffickers, drug smugglers, corrupt politicians or even
0:11:21 > 0:11:25legitimate business people but the point is we just don't know. I for
0:11:25 > 0:11:28one do not think that is a good place to be in in terms of your
0:11:28 > 0:11:32local community.Here is a map of London's secretly owned properties.
0:11:32 > 0:11:38We can see some of the hotspots, there are nearly 38,000 in total.
0:11:38 > 0:11:44These are our top four boroughs for hidden homes. Westminster, more than
0:11:44 > 0:11:5210,000. Kensington and Chelsea, nearly 6000. Camden, over 2000.
0:11:52 > 0:11:57Wandsworth, just under 2000. And even in those outer boroughs there
0:11:57 > 0:12:02are still hundreds of hidden properties. The theme of
0:12:02 > 0:12:10money-laundering and property features heavily in the BBC drama
0:12:10 > 0:12:17McMafia. The government is planning to create a public register naming
0:12:17 > 0:12:21owners to crack down on the problem but it won't be operational until
0:12:21 > 0:12:262021, too little, too like, say some.Surely we can have, place
0:12:26 > 0:12:29within 12 months, surely we can squeeze it into the Parliamentary
0:12:29 > 0:12:32timetable and make it the key thing which this government can be known
0:12:32 > 0:12:37for - tackling corruption, tackling the tax avoidance and holding these
0:12:37 > 0:12:42people to account.But one tax firm has warned the creation of a public
0:12:42 > 0:12:45register might not be the answer and could jeopardise the privacy of
0:12:45 > 0:12:49property owners.None of us would support the use of secret offshore
0:12:49 > 0:12:53companies to cover up criminal activity, whether that was tax
0:12:53 > 0:12:57avoidance or money-laundering. But there are many good reasons why
0:12:57 > 0:13:02people, celebrities or wealthy individuals, might want to use a
0:13:02 > 0:13:05confidential offshore vehicle to own a property in London for legitimate
0:13:05 > 0:13:09reasons connected with their personal protection or safeguarding
0:13:09 > 0:13:13against crime.The government says it is leading the global crackdown
0:13:13 > 0:13:17on money-laundering and the drive for greater corporate transparency.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20It's is that you register will help to protect the integrity of the UK's
0:13:20 > 0:13:25property market.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Some breaking news for you tonight - and it's just been confirmed that
0:13:28 > 0:13:31a prisoner has been found stabbed to death at Wormwood Scrubs
0:13:31 > 0:13:32prison in west London.
0:13:32 > 0:13:37Our reporter Alpa Patel has more on this.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41Yes, we're getting reports in the last hour or so that a male prisoner
0:13:41 > 0:13:46was stabbed to death this afternoon at Wormwood Scrubs, that police are
0:13:46 > 0:13:51at the prison investigating, but no arrests have been made so far. This
0:13:51 > 0:13:55comes after a number of concerns were raised over the safety at
0:13:55 > 0:14:00Wormwood Scrubs. The Chief Inspector of Prisons, Peter Clarke, said he
0:14:00 > 0:14:04found an extremely concerning picture when he visited the jail
0:14:04 > 0:14:09back in July. He wrote in his report that he had concerns about serious
0:14:09 > 0:14:13violence which had led to significant injuries. And in another
0:14:13 > 0:14:18report written by the independent monitoring board, published a few
0:14:18 > 0:14:20months ago, they stated that Wormwood Scrubs was a dangerous
0:14:20 > 0:14:26environment for staff and prisoners, with multiple violent incidents on
0:14:26 > 0:14:30most days, they said. So, this incident will only serve to raise
0:14:30 > 0:14:34more concerns about Wormwood Scrubs. By no information is still coming in
0:14:34 > 0:14:39about that one - thanks very much for now.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42Nearly five years after the brutal murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby
0:14:42 > 0:14:46in Woolwich, tension is running high among some people who want to see
0:14:46 > 0:14:48a permanent memorial at the exact spot where he died -
0:14:48 > 0:14:50and others, including the soldier's own family, who don't.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52Death threats have been issued and so tonight,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55the council is having a meeting to decide what to do.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57Let's speak to Charlotte Franks, who's in that part
0:14:57 > 0:15:05of south east London.
0:15:05 > 0:15:10Well, it is this location here in Woolwich, of this unofficial
0:15:10 > 0:15:13memorial to leave rugby which has been at the centre of such
0:15:13 > 0:15:19controversy and huge upset for some mums of the local community. --
0:15:19 > 0:15:25Fusilier Lee Rigby. There used to be a huge amount of cards and flags and
0:15:25 > 0:15:28the St George's Park, which has been since removed by the local council,
0:15:28 > 0:15:34because members of this tower block, families who took their children to
0:15:34 > 0:15:38and from a primary school a few times a day had to walk past this
0:15:38 > 0:15:41memorial, and also the family of Lee Rigby asked for this unofficial
0:15:41 > 0:15:47memorial to be removed. That's because the family never wanted a
0:15:47 > 0:15:51memorial here at the exact spot where Lee Rigby was so tragically
0:15:51 > 0:15:57killed, they wanted it inside the barracks, which they fought long and
0:15:57 > 0:15:59hard about. Now, the council have removed these flags, and that's
0:15:59 > 0:16:06because they say the memorial itself was being hijacked by far right
0:16:06 > 0:16:10groups, which they say were using it for their own causes and threatening
0:16:10 > 0:16:14council workers who were going about their jobs when they were actually
0:16:14 > 0:16:18removing them at the time. But the far right groups say they do want
0:16:18 > 0:16:24them to remain, but the council say that's not going to happen, and in a
0:16:24 > 0:16:27meeting tonight at Woolwich Town Hall down the road, the council will
0:16:27 > 0:16:32make a statement where they will say they will continue to remove every
0:16:32 > 0:16:38single one of those flags as they appear.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41If you've just joined us, welcome to the programme.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43This is what you haven't missed.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45First it was plastic bags at the supermarket,
0:16:45 > 0:16:47then it was disposable coffee cups.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51Could we be about to go back to seeing milk in glass bottles
0:16:51 > 0:16:58in a bid to cut back on plastic?
0:16:58 > 0:17:02Celebrating 20 years at the Royal Ballet, the Argentine dancer who has
0:17:02 > 0:17:05made London her home.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07the Argentine dancer who has made London her home.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10It was one of his election pledges and today the Mayor
0:17:10 > 0:17:13of London delivered on his unlimited hopper fare.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16It means you can take as many journeys as you want in an hour.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20But we can reveal that the Mayor has plans to cut bus services too
0:17:20 > 0:17:24after figures show a big drop in the number of people using them.
0:17:24 > 0:17:31Here's our Transport Correspondent, Tom Edwards.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33If you have noticed it can take a little longer to get
0:17:33 > 0:17:35a bus, you are not wrong.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39Services in London are being cut.
0:17:39 > 0:17:46The bad news is it is going to get worse. Buses are the most used form
0:17:46 > 0:17:49of public transport with 6 million journeys a day.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52The bus service I use is pretty regular, but other
0:17:52 > 0:17:53services are not so good.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56The only thing I can't complain about actually is the drivers.
0:17:56 > 0:17:57Are they regular?
0:17:57 > 0:18:02Yes, they are.
0:18:02 > 0:18:08In 2016, buses travelled 495 million kilometres.
0:18:08 > 0:18:14In 2017 it fell to 490 million, a drop of 1%.
0:18:14 > 0:18:22And bus passengers have fallen by 6% over the last three years.
0:18:22 > 0:18:2832 million. That is blamed on congestion, the rise of minicab apps
0:18:28 > 0:18:31and even Netflix. But the Mayor wants to make further cuts to the
0:18:31 > 0:18:36bus service and wants to reduce the bus mileage by 7% by 2022.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40bus service and wants to reduce the bus mileage by 7% by 2022.
0:18:40 > 0:18:41This morning the Mayor launched his hopper fare,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44meaning unlimited bus trips within an hour.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47You have got passenger numbers coming down and you have cut bus
0:18:47 > 0:18:48mileage.
0:18:48 > 0:18:49mileage.
0:18:49 > 0:18:50Is the bus service in London in decline?
0:18:50 > 0:18:52No, not at all.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54I am committed to bus services in London.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56In outer London you will see more buses.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59In central London there will be fewer buses because of
0:18:59 > 0:19:01the Elizabeth Line coming in and the Oxford Street
0:19:02 > 0:19:04pedestrianisation.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07But I want to make sure buses are where they are needed most.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09No one wants to see empty double-decker buses
0:19:09 > 0:19:12driving around London.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15We want to see buses in parts of London where people need more
0:19:15 > 0:19:18buses and with the unlimited hopper fare it makes it
0:19:18 > 0:19:21far more attractive.
0:19:21 > 0:19:26The unlimited hopper will also cost £35 million a year in lost revenue.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28TfL's finances are already under strain so it will
0:19:29 > 0:19:32mean more efficiencies.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35It will increase the number of bus journeys, but it
0:19:35 > 0:19:37will reduce our income a little bit.
0:19:37 > 0:19:46It means more journeys for free.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48It has a small impact on our budget.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50It has a small impact on our budget.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53But as the Mayor has said, TfL has been on the path of reducing
0:19:53 > 0:19:56costs aggressively in the past few years and that will
0:19:56 > 0:19:58pay for the hopper.
0:19:58 > 0:20:03The Mayor says it will bring back passengers. Its critics say it is
0:20:03 > 0:20:07not worth paying that for less passengers.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09Milkmen.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12There was a time when nearly all of us used them
0:20:12 > 0:20:14to leave a pint on our doorstep in a glass bottle.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17And now because more Londoners want to start using less plastic,
0:20:17 > 0:20:19morning deliveries by a milk float appear to be booming.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Carrie Davies joined a milkman very early today in west London.
0:20:22 > 0:20:28Ian has seen it all on his early morning milk shift.
0:20:28 > 0:20:29You do see some sights.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31Yes, people do tend to lock themselves out
0:20:31 > 0:20:32in their pyjamas quite often.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35I have seen one or two naked people running around.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37I don't know what they have been up to but...
0:20:37 > 0:20:39He has been a milkman for 27 years.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41He is not the first in his family.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43My uncle was a milkman for 50 years and my dad
0:20:43 > 0:20:46was a milkman for 38 years all in the Southwest London area.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Even when they packed up doing it they still missed it and talk
0:20:50 > 0:20:51about doing it to this day to me.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Milk delivery was popular in the 60s and 70s but by
0:20:54 > 0:20:55the 90s it had dropped.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Supermarkets and corner shops meant buying fresh milk was easier
0:20:58 > 0:21:04than ever and often cheaper.
0:21:04 > 0:21:05Cheerful, contented and dependable.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07Some of his customers have been getting their pints
0:21:07 > 0:21:13from him for over 40 years.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Some Londoners have been keeping the tradition going.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18Andy has had his delivery for three years.
0:21:18 > 0:21:19I am very pro-milkman.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22I always have been, especially for the elderly who can have
0:21:22 > 0:21:23lots of services delivered to their door.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26My wife, who is German, loved the idea of having
0:21:26 > 0:21:29a milkman, it is very British and so immediately we signed up.
0:21:29 > 0:21:30And now others might be joining him.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33According to one company Londoners looking to cut down on plastic
0:21:33 > 0:21:34are swapping to the milkman.
0:21:34 > 0:21:40Who would have thought the British milkman was making a comeback?
0:21:40 > 0:21:43So we indeed saw after the David Attenborough
0:21:43 > 0:21:47programme of blue planet, we saw that our website doubled
0:21:47 > 0:21:49pretty much and also most of these customers are taking glass bottles.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52Before we had about 50% of our customers taking glass
0:21:52 > 0:22:01and now it is over 90%.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Milk and more is part of Muller, the big German company invested
0:22:04 > 0:22:06in keeping this big bottling plant open and to keep London
0:22:06 > 0:22:08and beyond in glass milk bottles.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Here behind me is where the glass is coming out.
0:22:10 > 0:22:16These bottles can be reused on average about 25 times.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20They are then scanned to detect falts and then
0:22:20 > 0:22:23They are then scanned to detect faults and then
0:22:23 > 0:22:26they are refilled with milk.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28Could glass bottles save the milkman?
0:22:28 > 0:22:30Ian is committed to it.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33I do take my own milk home and I do take glass bottles home as well.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36Era of the milkman is not over yet.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Marianela Nunez calls the Royal Opera House
0:22:38 > 0:22:41in Covent Garden, her home and dancers there her family.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43It's just as well then, that tomorrow evening they're
0:22:43 > 0:22:48giving her a rare honour to mark her 20 years there.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51Wendy Hurrell has been speaking to the Principal dancer
0:22:51 > 0:22:53and even if you're not into ballet just watch some
0:22:53 > 0:22:55of her amazing moves.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58In 5-star reviews for her performance in Giselle
0:22:58 > 0:23:00at the Royal Opera House, Marianela Nunez is being described
0:23:00 > 0:23:03is the best ballerina in Britain.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05The result of a lifelong passion, starting when,
0:23:05 > 0:23:10as a little girl in Argentina, she first laced up her shoes.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13I was three years old when I started, my mum was desperate
0:23:13 > 0:23:16after three boys to go...pink everywhere, and literally that's why
0:23:16 > 0:23:20I think I love pink so much!
0:23:20 > 0:23:24And she sent me to ballet lessons, and, erm...
0:23:24 > 0:23:26And I just knew that it was what I wanted.
0:23:26 > 0:23:32And I can't really explain why, how...
0:23:32 > 0:23:34It's just a calling, I think, it really is.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36A long way away from that large and loving family,
0:23:36 > 0:23:41speaking no English and at the age of just 15, she arrived in London.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Suddenly I was here, I joined the company and then
0:23:43 > 0:23:47I became a principal and there were still principals
0:23:47 > 0:23:50like Darcey Bussell, Sylvie Guillem, Viviana Durante,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Leanne Benjamin, and these were all my idols, you know?
0:23:53 > 0:23:56And that 20-year career at the Royal Ballet will be
0:23:56 > 0:24:01celebrated tomorrow evening.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06Following the performance, there will be speeches
0:24:06 > 0:24:08and a shower of flowers - a tradition reserved
0:24:08 > 0:24:13for retiring dancers.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Yet Marianela Nunez is at the height of her powers.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20She's the first dancer to be honoured in this way,
0:24:20 > 0:24:22and in the audience, her family and many friends
0:24:22 > 0:24:24from around the world.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27I definitely will get emotional, I know it!
0:24:27 > 0:24:30Because actually thinking about it now, it does make me...
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Goose bumps.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36Yeah, it really is going to be very special.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39Every day from her cosy dressing room...
0:24:39 > 0:24:43This is a fan, and she makes these drawings, of like, the photos.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47It's amazing, isn't it?
0:24:47 > 0:24:50This is a principal dancer who has to remind herself she is no more
0:24:50 > 0:24:53that little three-year-old dreaming of becoming a ballerina.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57I come every morning and I still just have that feeling
0:24:57 > 0:25:01that I had when I came 20 years ago.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04I love this place, it's a very, very special place.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08I say the opera house is my home, the Royal Ballet is my family,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11and I just love it with all my heart - no, I really do.
0:25:11 > 0:25:18Wendy Hurrell, BBC London News.
0:25:18 > 0:25:23And on are so well deserved. Let's talk about the blue Moon. In
0:25:23 > 0:25:28an amazing twist of fate we have a celestial event coinciding with
0:25:28 > 0:25:34clear skies. How often does that happen? Once in a blue moon! See
0:25:34 > 0:25:38what I have done there. This is it over Waterloo Bridge. It appears
0:25:38 > 0:25:43closer to us and so it is super-sized and we call it a blue
0:25:43 > 0:25:47moon because it is the second full moon in a month. Catch it whilst you
0:25:47 > 0:25:49can.
0:25:52 > 0:25:57We will not be having clear skies for long. The fact we have clear
0:25:57 > 0:26:05skies now is an achievement after the rain we have had today. But they
0:26:05 > 0:26:10will not be there for long. There will be some wintry showers coming
0:26:10 > 0:26:15our way and we could see a bit of sleet and snow for a time. But the
0:26:15 > 0:26:20bigger problem once these move is ice. There is a Met Office warning,
0:26:20 > 0:26:25a yellow warning, which means be aware that ice on untreated surfaces
0:26:25 > 0:26:30will be there going into tomorrow morning. Take it a bit easy first
0:26:30 > 0:26:35thing. It will be a chilly and bright start. Early on there will be
0:26:35 > 0:26:41a few of these showers around, but a lot of them will fade away. In the
0:26:41 > 0:26:46afternoon we are left with some sparkling sunshine. It is a chilly
0:26:46 > 0:26:50North westerly wind and it makes it feel colder than these temperatures
0:26:50 > 0:26:55might suggest. Going into tomorrow evening it is largely clear, so we
0:26:55 > 0:27:00will see a frost setting in. For Friday it is looking mainly dry and
0:27:00 > 0:27:07I am not sure we will see as much sunshine on Friday, but still some
0:27:07 > 0:27:11sunny spells coming through. A brisk wind as well, perhaps not quite as
0:27:11 > 0:27:17strong, but it all has an impact on the temperature. This is the weekend
0:27:17 > 0:27:24and a hint of what is to come. Another rubbish one, outbreaks of
0:27:24 > 0:27:27rain on Saturday, maybe sleet and snow. The main theme for the weekend
0:27:27 > 0:27:32is it is looking cold. I'm so glad you have explained about
0:27:32 > 0:27:40the blue moon. It isn't blue. Our next news is on BBC One at 10:30
0:27:40 > 0:27:44p:m.. You can check out our Facebook page for more stories. See you
0:27:44 > 0:27:47later.