19/02/2018 London News

winds, perhaps bringing snow showers

as we head towards the weekend.

Tonight on BBC London News:

Revelations from

inside our worst jails.

One serving officer tells us -

anonymously -

she's works in a state of fear.

What if you're the one that gets

attacked that day and you can't get

a whistle to your mouth?

You better hope those

prisoners like you,

because they will be

the ones saving your life.

We'll investigate just why

prisons in the capital

are struggling to retain staff.

Also ahead:

Following claims of

sexual harrassment at

The Presidents Club dinner.

Great Ormond Street Hospital

reconsiders it's position

on returning thousands in donations.

Plus exactly three months until

Harry and Meghan tie the knot -

how some Windsor residents

are cashing in on the Royal

wedding by moving out.

And:

What is it? I need to go away for a

while.

From acting to activist...

Jennifer Lawrence tells us why she's

preparing for a career break.

Good evening and welcome

to the programme with me Riz Lateef.

We start tonight with the state of

some of London's worst prisons.

A serving officer has told this

programme that she regularly fears

for her life whilst at work.

And a campaigner says

the situation is as bad as she's

seen in thirty years.

The claims come amid concerns

about a recruitment crisis

across London's prisons.

As Caroline Davies reports

the service is failing

to recruit new officers.

Caroline Davies reports.

Violence, drugs, drones, self harm,

suicide and even murders. This is

the state of London's prisons, and

according to some critics, the lack

of staff is making it worse.

I've

been working at prisons more than 30

years and I have never seen them in

such a terrible state. It is very

bad for prisoners and the public

because it means the prisoners are

locked up all day and dumped back on

the street angry and bitter and more

likely to commit another crime.

At

the end of 2016, the government said

it would recruit an extra 2500

prison officers across England and

Wales. So how many new officers have

been recruited across London's eight

prisons? There has been a net gain

of only 22.

I really enjoyed it when

I first started, I loved the bars

that then it rapidly changed.

This

woman is an officer in London

prison. We have concealed her

identity and dumped her voice to

protect her.

There are no staff any

more, they come in but as quickly as

they do, people are leaving. There

are people who have been there 15

years and remember when there were

four officers on a landing and now

there is only one.

What is it like

when you're just the one person?

You

get worried because what if you the

one that had attacked that day and

you can't get a whistle to your

mouth. You better hope those

prisoners like you because they will

be the ones saving your life.

People

will be shocked to hear you rely on

the prisoners to keep you safe?

It

is the truth, because there is no

one with you on the landing you have

to rely on prisoners.

What did the

Ministry of Justice's figures say

about the figures in London? There

might be 22 more officers across

London overall but some prisons have

even fewer staff than before the

government started this recruitment

drive. Garmash prison has 22 fewer

officers, Pentonville 20 and

Wormwood Scrubs 15. The prison

service recruited just over 4500 new

officers across England and Wales

last year but they also lost nearly

2000. And almost 500 of those were

in their first year in a prison.

Rachel used to be a prison officer

in London but after less than 18

months, she quipped. She said there

was little time for rehabilitation.

Quite a lot of them are only young

and they are coming in and being

thrown into prison, rightfully so,

but they are being put into a cell

and locked away for three days

straight. I was the one giving them

the phone calls and letting them out

to have a phone call and letting

them out to have a shower. That to

me is basic humanity, and they can't

even get that because of a lack of

staff.

So what would make a

difference to those still working in

London's prisons?

Staff, to begin

with anyway. I think I would feel

more secure if there was more staff.

Both sides are clear what's needed

but while staff are leaving because

of staff shortages, the prison

system in London seems stuck in a

vicious circle.

Caroline's here -

what is the Ministry

of Justice saying about this?

They say they are on track to

recruit those extra 2500 we heard

about in the report and the Justice

Secretary David Gauke says he's

determined to tackle the issue

imprisons head on. He calls staffing

golden thread that links solutions

we need to put in place. Clearly he

understands is a very important

issue. That doesn't seem to be the

issue. The issue is how do you keep

those people in the chops want to

have recruited them? We understand

the government are launching a

retention programme, to try and help

prison governors to keep their

experienced staff in the prisons,

alongside new recruits.

We know new

people are being recruited. How

significant is it that people are

leaving?

The issue really is about

experience. At the moment according

to those figures, in December 2000

36% of those prison officers had

been in the prison job for under

five years. So losing a lot of

people with a lot of experience. The

concern there is if you lose that

experience, you won't get it back,

it takes awhile to regain it.

OK

Caroline, thank you much.

Plenty more ahead this

evening including:

Why commuters might not

be rushing for a seat,

as passengers complain about comfort

on a new fleet of trains.

Great Ormond Street Hospital

Children's Charity has indicated

that it may change its mind

about returning donations

to the controversial

Presidents Club trust.

The Charity said it would hand back

money previously given

following allegations of sexual

harassment at an exclusive

men-only dinner.

Let's get more from Alpa Patel,

who's at the hospital.

The amount of money we are talking

about here is £530,000. It is a

substantial amount for an

organisation like Great Ormond

Street Hospital's children's Charity

no the reason why they are

considering handing the money back.

The money is from the Presidents

Club and was thrust into the

spotlight of course last month when

two undercover financial Times

journalist went to a male only gala

dinner at the Dorchester Hotel and

there they said they saw women who

were working at this event were

being groped and sexually harassed.

A day after those revelations in the

Financial Times, Great Ormond Street

Hospital was handing back every

single penny. It said it was because

it was due to the wholly

unacceptable nature of the event.

But today, almost a month on from

that decision, it appears to have

had this change of heart. It says

"Guiding all our thinking is our

aim, to maximise the support of the

hospital on the families it cares

for. We can confirm that we are in

discussions with the Charity

commission and our schedule to meet

them later this week." The

Presidents Club has closed down, so

if the hospital did decide to hand

this money back, who it would hand

it back to it up in the air. A final

decision will be made next month.

With the latest from Greg Norman to

it, thank you.

A judge has banned

protestors from campaigning

in a west London woodland

in opposition to HS2.

Today an injunction was imposed

at the High Court preventing

unlawful protest in and around

a construction site in Hillingdon.

The case was brought by the

Tranpsort Secretary Chris Grayling.

Next this evening...

While some rush hour commuters can

only dream of ever getting a seat -

the ones that do are complaining

about levels of comfort

on some new trains.

Calling the seats 'ironing boards'

or being made of concrete.

Thameslink, one of the companies

singled out for criticism,

says the new design complies

with strict fire safety regulations.

But one Osteopath says there may

be cause for concern.

Here's our Transport

Correspondent Tom Edwards.

These new Class 700 trains

are spacious and airy,

but as well as having fewer seats,

some commuters think

the cushioning is like concrete.

On this service this

morning to St Albans,

mainly uncomfortable agreement.

It's really uncomfortable,

it's ridiculous.

I can't believe this is a new train.

There's not much legroom.

Yeah.

And the backs are a bit

narrow for my liking.

If you're sitting next

to a stranger especially.

Then you're practically

on top of them, yeah.

Do you find them hard, the seats?

Very hard.

As you can see.

Soft seats, in my country the seats

is really different,

we don't have like these things,

the blue ones, so for me

it's great, I like it.

Complaints about train

seats aren't new.

The latest trains on Great Western

have also drawn criticism.

These trains on the Thameslink

Bedford to Brighton route

are now being rolled out

on the Great Northern

to Peterborough.

Then I'd like you to lift your

buttocks upwards, just slowly.

At this clinic in Maidenhead,

they're used to treating

commuters' aches and pains.

They say, over time, new harder

seats could make matters worse.

The thing is, people's bodies

don't adapt that easily.

I mean they're actually,

if you think about it,

often sitting in an office,

at an office desk all day.

They may be using

a computer all day.

They may try and take exercise

breaks, but fundamentally,

if their commute is uncomfortable

on a hard seat as well,

it's just adding more insult

to injury, in a sense.

The train companies say these seats

have to meet the strict criteria set

by the Department for Transport,

and that means they have to meet

strict fire regulations

and be graffiti proof.

But others say what this is really

about is cost-cutting.

We will shortly be

arriving at Three Bridges.

Passengers have also complained

about a lack of legroom,

and with no plans to change

the cushioning, commuters will have

to get used to seats that one

compared to an ironing board.

Tom Edwards, BBC London News.

News that the Jamie Oliver

is selling his two London

steakhouses has shone a light

on the challenges facing

restaurateurs more

widely in the capital.

The TV chef is not alone

in having to cut costs,

with others in London claiming that

high rents and business rates

are forcing them to take drastic

measures or also face closure.

Chris Rogers reports.

Business has been good for the

owners of this restaurant in Hackney

but they are closing the restaurant

next week. Despite all the hard work

and awards, the rising costs of rent

and rates mean they need to start

again, with a new name and the

cheaper location of Shoreditch but

it comes at the cost of their

Michelin star.

Frankly, the rents in

Shoreditch are cheaper for us, so

straightaway that is the reality of

what we are doing. As much as I love

this neighbourhood, I think it's a

business and we've got to do what's

right.

They used to be a saying...

One restaurant opens, and one closes

every 24 hours. That is not the case

now. This is the latest London

restaurant to shut just in the last

few days, yet it isn't won a host of

awards, look at this. So what is

going on? One of the main issues is

there are simply too many

restaurants. Dozens are closing and

opening all the time. Add to that

the rising cost of food, the higher

minimum wage, week pound and Brexit

and you have the perfect storm

according to this restaurant owner

and consultant.

There is a shrinking

labour market because of issues with

Brexit and people not coming to the

UK, it is harder to employ. A lot of

the key positions, more senior

positions, having to pay way over

the odds to get people. It is just a

real struggle.

The bite of rising

costs is also felt by some of the

big chains, among them chef Jamie

Oliver. He is closing some of his

restaurants. His steakhouse in

Piccadilly was closed today. While

burger chain by Ronnie is to close

up to 20 restaurants. Announcements

like that are bound to shake the

confidence of the smaller London

Independents.

I'm not going to tell

anyone not to open a restaurant,

but, you know, there is only so much

business out there and only so much

money to be had. I think this will

be a bloodbath, frankly, this year.

And that's always a necessary part

of the cycle of life.

Some analysts

say the winners will be bit cheaper

home delivery companies. A little

far-fetched perhaps, but as rising

rents cause restaurants to raise

their menu Costil close, the likes

of delivery route may be onto

something. -- the likes of Deliveroo

might be onto something.

Get rid of the NO Ball game signs,

give young people a say

in housing developments...

And offer them all 100

hours of work experience.

Those are just a few

of the suggestions from a new report

for Islington Council launched this

morning in its bid to put children

at the heart of decision

making in the borough.

Here's our Political

Correspondent Karl Mercer.

# Sometimes, I get a feeling...#

At 14, Keji can hold a tune.

Performing for political

leaders today, but should

she also be telling them

what she wants her local

area to look like?

Her local council thinks people

like Keji should be more involved.

A report it commission recommended

all under 18s should get 100

hours of work experience,

that things like no ball games signs

should be taken down and that young

people should be consulted on big

building projects in their area.

How are you going to get

it so we get the 100

hours work experience?

Will we be given it in school or do

will we have to go out and find it?

Will you put pressure on schools

in order for them to teach

during lessons and during school

time on how to manage

their money and understanding

the political system?

What actions do you expect the local

organisations to take

so that the Islington guarantee

for young people is put into place?

I'd like to know how you plan

to make use of the spaces around

the Islington community?

The report author, The Voice winner

and former pupil here,

Jermain Jackman, says he hopes

there will be action

and not just words.

It's happened time and again,

where people come to the community

and want to do something

and then they go.

I said, you know what,

this is not a PR ploy,

we're not going to use this

to try to win votes or anything,

we want to really make

change in our community,

we want to involve children

and young people in the process,

and everyone knows how difficult

I am.

I told the council, I told people,

I made a promise to people that

I'm serious about this.

I think there will be a bit of a row

when we suggest taking down the no

ball signs but it's a row worth

having, because we need to say

to young people that this borough,

this city belongs to them and it's

about their future and we need to

put ourselves firmly on their side.

The words are done, the song has

been sung, the hardest part -

delivering on those promises -

that is yet to come.

Karl Mercer, BBC London News.

The moment of Tom Parsons' sporting

career.

Great Britain's first

medal...

Super Saturday for some

and a miserable Monday for others...

The highs and lows of the capital's

athletes at the Winter Games.

Now, in exactly three months' time,

there's the small matter...

Of a rather big wedding

taking place in Windsor.

While thousands will descend

on the town as Prince Harry

and Meghan Markle tie the knot,

some residents are moving out,

not least to make way for the

magnitude of the media moving in.

Sarah Harris has more.

Harry and Meghan have been coming

here since they started dating.

This romantic little getaway

outside of London...

The countdown is on in the USA

to the royal wedding

featuring their girl,

Meghan Markle.

With the modern couple already

living and carrying out

engagements together,

interest in the May nuptials

is already at fever pitch

across the Atlantic.

Kate Wickers lives on Kings Road

in Windsor, where the wedding

carriage will process

after the ceremony.

With unparalleled views and some

neighbours being offered six-figure

sums for their properties to move

out during the week of the wedding,

she is negotiating

big bucks for hers.

Well, it's a little bit strange.

We got back from a few days away,

and there was a letter

from NBC waiting for us,

saying, we'd be interested

in renting your house,

and particularly the garden outside,

and so I called them

straightaway, and they were

here within 30 minutes.

I felt like they were probably in

the hotel opposite waiting for us.

And crawled up on the roof,

took pictures from various windows,

and said that they would be talking

to New York.

Just a quick look online

at the home rental site,

you can see there's an awful lot

of people living in and around

Windsor who are prepared to move out

during that wedding week so that

royal American fans can move in.

And you can see why this is such

a big deal to Americans.

Not only have you got the history

of Windsor and the castle

and the Royal Family,

but also you've got Meghan Markle.

She is not only American,

but she's already a big TV

star in her own right.

The small rooms above

the Horse and Groom pub

overlook the castle gates.

American TV giants have already

signed them up for the wedding week.

It's understood the asking price

was around £100,000.

This is really popular

with Americans because

of the vantage point,

and all of the history

there is with this old pub,

and it's a great vantage point,

because you'll be able to see

the royal wedding coming down.

For Windsor, the town

itself, the interest

from across the pond is welcome.

It's hoped it will encourage US

tourists to keep coming back.

The Americans have not been

coming in their numbers

for a number of years,

and of course, that

will reverse that trend.

There will be, I expect,

a lot of Americans coming to town.

I understand that all of the hotel

rooms are booked now.

And that you can't

get a room in town.

You can still get places out

of town, but it's going to be a huge

increase in footfall.

Negotiations are far from complete

with three months to go,

but vantage points for the Royal

wave are selling out fast,

with the Americans, it appears,

prepared to pay the most

for the best views in town.

Sarah Harris,

BBC London News, Windsor.

To the drama now of

the Winter Olympics -

and how a Londoner clinched

the first medal for

Britain in South Korea.

There have been mixed

fortunes on the snow and ice

for the capital's athletes,

as Ena Miller can tell us from

the Snow Centre Hemel Hempstead.

The weekend has been a mix of highs

and lows for Team GB in South Korea,

but it's great news for the

Londoners Tom Parsons -- Tom

Parsons, who won a bronze medal in

the skeleton event. A British man

hasn't won a medal in that event for

many years. And there is the drawing

of Penny Coomes, whose career

everyone thought was over when she

shattered kneecap 15 months ago.

This weekend, she and her partner

Nick Butland have made it through to

the ice dance final, which is

tomorrow. Then Aimee Fuller, a

26-year-old snowboarder who grew up

near Bromley. There was hope she

would play is far higher in the big

air event, but she did not manage to

do a clear jump on her first

attempt, and in her second she

crashed out. She said she is gutted,

and tweeted pictures of the bruises

on her face. The UK isn't known for

its Alpine resort facilities. How do

youngsters learning and practising

here get inspired to eventually aim

for something like the Winter

Olympics? I have the managing

director of the centre. How do you

encourage these kids?

We have kids

coming from all over London to hear

and other facilities around the

area. Whether you come with the

School or your parents, there's all

number of facilities. Whether you

are skiing or snowboarding, whether

you wish to go into freestyle or

race, there's opportunities for

everyone. There's a sponsored

programmes where kids can move up to

more elite level.

You make it sound

quite easy. Is it as easy as that,

because everything isn't close to

hand?

Like any sport, if you learn

the basics and have instructors that

can inspire them and engage them...

Like any sport, once you get into

it, it takes dedication and time to

get up to the next level.

Thank you

very much. I'm going to stay here

and see what other people are

getting up to. There's a lot more

events happening over the next few

weeks at the Olympics.

The stars were out for the Baftas

last night. Most of the guests

attending the event wore black in

support of the time is up and me to

campaign against sexual harassment.

Black dresses on the red carpet, all

part of the ongoing times up

campaign, aimed at fair treatment

for women. Two of the original

Dagenham girls, whose 1968 strike

action at Ford led to the equal pay

act, were there to.

We thought

everybody would have got their

rights by now, but unfortunately it

hasn't been like that.

The night's

big winner, three billboards, and

its star won best actress, Francis

McDormand.

I stand in full

solidarity with my sisters tonight

in the black. Power to the people.

The movie, which won a total of five

Baftas, including best film, has

struck a chord with audiences around

the world.

Hey, there, Mildred. Did

you pay a visit to the dentist

today?

No.

Best actor went to Gary

Oldman, who played Winston Churchill

in the World War II drama, Darkest

Hour. He paid tribute to his female

co-stars.

I love you. You have a

single vision and a full heart. They

were on display here. It best

director was won for the shape of

water, starring Sally Hawkins as a

woman in love with a mysterious

water creature. And the winner of

the rising star award was from

Britain. He paid tribute to one

particular woman.

I would like to

thank my mum. Mum, you're the reason

why I started, the reason why I'm

here, and the reason why I keep

going.

For the past three years, the

Baftas and the Oscars haven't agreed

on Best picture, but this 2018 Oscar

race is the most open in years, and

with voting starting on the other

side of the Atlantic on Tuesday,

many will be saying that three

billboards' performance tonight

might give it the edge at the

Academy Awards in March.

Before we go to the weather, we were

hoping to speak to Jennifer Lawrence

on the red carpet, but she hasn't

turned up yet. But what we have got

for you, is the weather. After a

mild and sunny weekend, I'm not sure

what has happened!

We had a lot of cloud and rain on

and off through the afternoon.

Unfortunately, it looks as though

tomorrow is going to be the same.

But beyond that, from Wednesday

onwards, it looks like the weather

is going to improve a little bit.

Whether from pretty much installed

across eastern parts of the UK. This

is where it is right now. It will be

so slow to clear away from our part

of the world. It is clear parts of

this evening and overnight. A pretty

gloomy, drizzly, rainy night on the

way. Very mild out there. If you are

an early shift start, temperatures

first thing will be around 8

degrees. Tomorrow's weather, a few

glimmers of brightness towards the

north-west, perhaps in High Wycombe,

but spells of rain through the day.

Tomorrow is not going to be

uniformly grey and cloudy, as there

will be glimmers of brightness every

now and again. Wednesday looking a

lot better, a lot brighter, with

some hazy skies. The winds are

starting to shift direction, which

is a hint of things to come over the

next few days. Temperatures are

still around seven to 9 degrees on

Wednesday, but because of this area

of high pressure, we will start to

see this high-pressure extending.

Looks like we could get some

Siberian air coming our way. Those

temperatures dropping through the

rest of the week, the weekend and

into next week. By the time we get

into Wednesday, it could be barely

above freezing, so cold weather

rather than spring on the way. Back

to you.

Thank you very much. A Cambridge

graduate, said to be one of

Britain's most prolific paedophiles,

has been sentenced to 32 years in

prison. Get in touch via our

Facebook page and on Twitter. Have a

lovely evening.