16/03/2018 London News


16/03/2018

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LineFromTo

and on BBC One we now join the BBC's

news teams where you are.

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Tonight on BBC London News:

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Passengers on the District Line

train describe the fireball that

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forced them to run for cover

when Ahmed Hassan's home-made bomb

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exploded seriously injuring 30

people.

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Suddenly pandemonium broke out on

the platform. I don't think there

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was a loud bang, just the flash and

the flame ball.

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Also tonight, the nursing students

who face giving up on their courses

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after having their loans stopped.

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250 tonnes of mostly plastic,

dragged from the Thames every year.

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And the problem is getting worse.

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80 years aboard this

historic warship.

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HMS Belfast prepares

to celebrate a big birthday.

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Good evening and welcome

to the programme.

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I'm Victoria Hollins.

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Ahmed Hassan plotted

to cause carnage on a Tube

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train filled with 93 commuters

on their normal morning journey.

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He left the bomb on board

the District Line train,

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getting off one stop before Parson's

Green.

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It was there the partial explosion

forced the passengers to run

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for cover from a fireball that

rolled through the carriage.

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Dozens of them suffered

injuries, many in a stampede

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to escape the scene.

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Our reporter Marc Ashdown is in west

London for us this evening.

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It was just an ordinary Friday

morning last September at about

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8:20am when a District line train

pummelled into Parsons Green

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station, packed with commuters and

schoolchildren. An improvised device

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exploded, sending a Flash fire ball

through the carriage. It was what is

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known as a bucket bomb, full of bits

of metal and it was only a miracle

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that it fails to detonate properly.

30 people were injured but it could

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have been much worse. I spoke to one

Londoner who was on board.

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As the train stopped, suddenly

pandemonium broke out on the

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platform. I don't think it was a

loud bang, just the flash and the

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flame ball, and a crowd of people

charged towards the exit. I had no

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idea what was going on.

What did you

think?

We had had a feud terror

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attacks, obviously. The London

Bridge attack had not been that far

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before this. My first thought was,

is anyone running around with a

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machete or a gun, as at London

Bridge? Where should I go? What

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should I do? It became clear fairly

quickly that there was no threat of

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anything like that.

Pretty scary

though.

Yes, for the few minutes

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before we knew what was going on,

whilst everyone was panicking,

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shouting and screaming. People are

getting crushed on the stairway.

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Lots of people were helping each

other, particularly those injured on

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the stairs trying to get out of the

platform. People were helping each

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other and comforting people. A

neighbour of mine was on the same

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train, a scout leader, and his first

reaction was to try to help the

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people who had been burned and were

panicking. He got a little group of

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people on the platform to look after

them. Soon after the incident,

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everyone was determined to carry on

as normal. I have been watching the

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trial going on. When you get to

Parsons Green and the announcement

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comes up, Parsons Green, you become

very aware of what happened. What if

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it had gone off? All those nuts and

bolts and snails and the amount of

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explosive material that was there,

the thought that went into packing

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all of that metal around it, a lot

of people could have been badly

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injured.

Has it changed you, or are

you determined to carry on?

If we

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let ourselves get terrified by what

might happen, you don't get on with

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normal life. You have to carry on

and hope that good triumphs over

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evil.

Joining me is Councillor

Stephen Cowell on, the Labour leader

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of Hammersmith & Fulham Council. I

saw you down here on the day, and it

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was about London is being resilient

and supporting each other.

I was

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down here in about 15 minutes and

was encouraged to see the police on

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full alert, security services

tracking the suppose it terrorist

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and people pulling together. There

were ladies handing out cups of tea.

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Later, an Italian restaurant owner

handed out pizza. Shops were handing

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out water. It was London coming

together and saying, this is not

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going to happen to our city.

We were

hit by several terror attacks last

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summer. You think people are more

vigilant?

They have to be vigilant.

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But we have shown we have the best

security services in the world. We

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are tracking many of these people

and the fact that that attack was

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not successful is not just down to

the skill of the security services.

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It is also down to the background

work that goes on throughout much of

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the time.

He was a lone wolf

attacker. We have to be vigilant

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every moment of everyday.

We have

seen attacks in Brussels, Paris,

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Berlin, Boston. What is important is

that society stands strong and faces

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down these terrorists and says, we

are not going to let them change our

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saw the way we live. That is what

you saw last September, when the

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terrorists thought they could change

our lives. They didn't, because we

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are better than that.

The message is

that security services are doing all

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they can to keep the city safe but

each of us needs to be vigilant.

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Lots more to come including:

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A new insight into our ancient past,

thanks to preparations

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for a tunnel on HS2.

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Hundreds of nursing

students have been told

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not to expect any more payments

from the Student Loan Company

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for the rest of the year,

after the company claims

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it overpaid them.

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Some students say they might not be

able to continue their studies,

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and will be left struggling to pay

bills and rent.

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Many had queried their initial

payments earlier in the year

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and been told there

wasn't a problem.

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Charlotte Franks reports.

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They are on the front

line of our hospitals,

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caring for the sick and injured.

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It's a profession that can be

rewarding and pressured,

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and in London the low salary can be

a struggle, with the

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high cost of living.

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Despite this, students

like Emma have still chosen

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to train as a nurse.

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I love the interaction and I find it

enjoyable to work with such

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a variety of people.

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I knew I would get the NHS bursary

and receive payments

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from Student Finance England,

so that is what I have

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been relying on.

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But she and as many as 800 other

nursing students in London will stop

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receiving their student loan

following an overpayment error

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by the organisation.

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There was a moment of panic

where I was not sure if I would be

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able to continue the course.

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If I can't afford my rent,

I can't stay in London.

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It was really scary to even be

thinking that this far

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into my degree I might have

to defer, or quit.

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Many students say they questioned

the overpayment at the time

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but were given assurances

the sums were correct.

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The Royal College of Nursing say

they have spoken to the student

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loans company who have confirmed

they have known about this

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mistake since January.

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We are calling for these

overpayments to be written off

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with immediate effect.

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It is through no fault of their own.

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They were told they had

nothing to worry about.

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We are asking for the debt

to be written off.

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Some students have said

they will have to put the course

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Some students have said

they will have to quit the course

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if this is not resolved.

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This is not the first time

the student loans company has been

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the focus of media scrutiny.

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In the past, it has had to deal

with failed payments,

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bailing students out and claims

the firm was near meltdown.

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This body is responsible

for handing

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billions of pounds of public money.

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The fact that the people being hit

by this are a key part of our NHS.

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We don't need an incompetent

administration system demanding

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they pay back money they should not

have been given in the first place.

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The company told us

they are investigating how the error

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occurred but they have refused

to write off the payments.

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The concern is that at a time

when London is facing

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a severe nursing shortage,

there could be hundreds of students

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who might not qualify

because they can't afford to.

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We asked the Department for

Education for comment but have not

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received a response.

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Two days ago the

government's so called

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Integration Strategy told us

learning English was the key

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to people getting on better.

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Today, a new plan from the Mayor.

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Yes, he says, language is important,

but building better communities

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is about much more than that.

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Here's Karl Mercer.

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At this age, you are not worried

about much more than your next toy,

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maybe your next friend,

and maybe just a little bit

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about performing for the cameras.

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And then the Mayor comes

along with a plan.

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Hello, what's your name?

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You're the same height as me,

so can I have a photograph with you?

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The Mayor chose this mother

and baby club in Camberwell

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to launch his so-called

Social Integration Strategy.

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He wants more of this sort of thing,

where people of all classes,

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races and ages can meet,

where friendships can be formed.

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This is the group that

made me feel complete,

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because it's a place that I can go

when I need it, and I know

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they will help each other.

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And I found friends there.

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A lot of the children are the same

age, so we are doing similar things,

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so it brings us together and it's

a really diverse group.

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It's literally opened up the world

of Camberwell mums to us,

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that we wouldn't have met otherwise.

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But the Mayor's integration strategy

is launched just two days

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after central government

launched their own one

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with slightly different emphasis.

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There is a responsibility on us

to be active citizens.

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There is a responsibility on us

to learn the language

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so we can talk to each other,

apply for a decent job, but also

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to get to know our neighbours.

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And one of the things that

worries me is the isolation

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and loneliness many Londoners feel,

particularly older Londoners.

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We've got to find ways to bridge

the divide between older

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and younger Londoners,

between Londoners from different

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economic backgrounds,

different ethnicities.

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It's very important for me

that my children feel that they can

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have friends from all over.

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So it's very, very important in this

society now for our children to be

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able to relate to one another,

and to know that those

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differences cannot prevent us

from working together

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and building better communities.

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The Mayor's plan comes

with a lot of good intention

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but a relatively small pot of money.

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It's a lot to do with encouraging

more stuff like this rather

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than actually paying for it.

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The long-standing Mayor of Newham

has been defeated in a leadership

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battle for the Labour Party

in the east London borough.

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Sir Robin Wales had been in the role

for more than 20 years

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but faced opposition

from within his own party.

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He'll be replaced as Labour's

candidate for elected mayor

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by councillor Rokhsana Fiaz.

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Every year 250 tonnes of mostly

plastic is pulled out

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of the river Thames.

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The Port of London Authority says

the issue of plastic bottles

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in particular ending up

in the Thames is getting

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worse year on year.

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And it's now having

an impact on marine life.

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Here's our Environment

Correspondent Tom Edwards.

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Scooped out of the Thames.

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This is the type of rubbish they

regularly pull out of the river.

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The majority of the debris is now

disposable plastic bottles.

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They still call this

the drift wood service,

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they used to mainly pull

floating wood out.

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Now the main problem

causing their collectors is plastic.

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You can see from the actual

surface of the water,

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mainly the plastic bottles

of various type, bits of straw,

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plastic cups, and also

bits of plastic bag.

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Tania works for the port

of London authority.

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She says the amount of plastic

is increasing and it

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will have an impact on marine life

in the Thames, the estuary

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and the North Sea.

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There is a lot of concern around it

being in the sediment

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and what animals are feeding on.

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We are starting to see

through studies that some

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of the crabs and fish are starting

to eat it and it is

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filling their stomachs

so they are not able to feed.

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We are working with academics along

the Thames as to how that

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transfers into the fish,

birds and mammals so we have

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more seals and porpoises

using the Thames, how that

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might affect then.

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might affect them.

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Most of the plastic that

finds its away in has

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been used only once.

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Some is dumped.

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Other smaller bits come

through the sewage system.

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The experts have measured how

many plastic bottles

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are going in to collections

and it is about 15 every hour.

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They pull out about 250 tonnes

of waste every year.

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And that is just a fraction

what goes into the river.

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These tiny white spots

are polystyrene that has

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broken down in the river.

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This is a snail that more typically

would live in the upper ends

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of the tidal Thames so Teddington

way, and that is obviously been

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disturbed and brought down this far,

scooped up and caught up

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in the debris but also

on the pieces of plastic.

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Now the authorities want

people to think much more

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about using plastic.

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And crucially, how

they get rid of it.

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It's difficult to imagine

what the earth would have been

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like 56 million years ago.

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Dinosaurs were extinct,

the UK was tropical and the land

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where London sits was under a sea.

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But now, a new discovery made

while preparing to dig tunnels

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for the high speed train link HS2

might give us a totally new insight

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into how our island used to look.

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Caroline Davies reports.

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These are some of the creatures that

stalked the earth millions of years

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ago, but they weren't only in what

became Africa or America. Some might

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have been in Ruislip. Until now,

scientists knew that millions of

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years ago a subtropical sea covered

much of the south of England. They

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didn't know where it stopped. But a

discovery made 33 metres below my

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feet might help give them a clue.

Before digging the tunnels, the team

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behind HS2 have been drilling holes

to see what lies beneath. They were

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expecting to find gravel but instead

they found a layer of rare mud.

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Geologists think this was the edge

of a prehistoric coastline,

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surrounded by dense wooded marsh.

They have called it the Ruislip bed.

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As a geologist it is very exciting,

because every new piece of

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information helps to recreate an

environment that we only have bits

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of.

The HS2 team have been gathering

evidence about Britain's Earth along

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their route. The North halt tunnel

is due to go through this land. The

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team say it will not hold up

construction, but should they be

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drilling through it? You are going

to drill a great big hole in this.

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Are you not going to damage it?

We

will only be taking away a small

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chunk of material out of quite a

large expanse. It will not

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irreparably damage it.

Bees lived in

the subtropical sea that covered

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southern England.

Doctor John Todd

is an expert on this period. He says

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studying something about the world

56 million years ago has more

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important than we might think.

It

was a time of rapid climate change,

0:16:410:16:46

similar to what is occurring now. If

we can understand the response to

0:16:460:16:51

that rapid rise in temperature, we

can predict what will happen on

0:16:510:16:55

earth in the future.

Scientists hope

that this patch of mud will make

0:16:550:16:59

this period a little clearer.

0:16:590:17:04

The family of a young boy

from Carshalton say they need

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to find £80,000 to fund treatment

before he loses his

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hearing altogether.

0:17:100:17:11

Benji Wayne needs cochlear

implants, but the NHS

0:17:110:17:15

won't fund it because it says

the three-year-old doesn't qualify.

0:17:150:17:18

Paul Murphy Kasp has the story.

0:17:180:17:21

Benji runs around like any other

three-year-old but since six weeks

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old he has worn hearing aids

because of a genetic

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condition called Connexin 26.

0:17:280:17:30

He is completely deaf

in his right ear and the hearing

0:17:300:17:32

in his left ear is failing.

0:17:320:17:35

His doctors decided he needed

cochlear implants to be able to hear

0:17:350:17:38

properly but while he still has

limited hearing, the NHS

0:17:380:17:42

won't pay for them.

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We're so incredibly frustrated.

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Some families don't decide

to implant their child

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and that's absolutely fine,

but we feel, because of the expert

0:17:520:17:55

advice we've got from the brilliant

Implant Centre, that that

0:17:550:17:57

would give him the best chance

of acquiring language

0:17:570:17:59

which we feel he deserves.

0:17:590:18:01

With Benji unable to talk properly,

his family have been

0:18:010:18:03

learning sign language

to try to communicate with him.

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The NHS told his mother he won't be

eligible for cochlear implants

0:18:060:18:09

until he's completely deaf

and now his parents fear that

0:18:090:18:11

by the time he gets them,

the ongoing support would end up

0:18:110:18:14

costing the taxpayer more.

0:18:140:18:17

NHS England say they fund cochlear

implants for patients who need it

0:18:170:18:20

most based on government funding

however they said that doctors can

0:18:200:18:22

apply for individual funding

for those they feel have strong

0:18:220:18:26

cases but that they have

to treat everyone fairly.

0:18:260:18:30

And Benji's doctors have

told his mum he fits that criteria.

0:18:300:18:33

They sent off a really strong

application which showed

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why he deserved it.

0:18:370:18:39

We don't understand why there isn't

a priority to have that one-off

0:18:390:18:41

spending of this operation in order

to avoid lots of future

0:18:410:18:44

spending for Ben.

0:18:440:18:47

Now experts want the rules to be

relaxed to allow more people

0:18:470:18:52

to reap the benefits.

0:18:520:18:54

The guidelines were written nearly

ten years ago and it's very clear

0:18:540:18:58

from the research evidence both

from the UK and overseas

0:18:580:19:00

that there are children with less

severe hearing losses

0:19:000:19:06

who would benefit more

from a cochlear implant than they do

0:19:060:19:08

from their hearing aids.

0:19:080:19:14

The government is in the process

of reviewing the guidelines around

0:19:140:19:16

cochlear implants but Benji's

parents worry any change

0:19:160:19:18

will come too late for him.

0:19:180:19:20

Paul Murphy Kasp, BBC London News.

0:19:200:19:21

It's been a momentous

day for AFC Wimbledon.

0:19:220:19:25

The club founded by fans

when the original Wimbledon moved

0:19:250:19:27

to Milton Keynes is a step closer

to having its own brand new stadium.

0:19:270:19:31

This morning demolition work began

to clear the site that

0:19:310:19:33

will eventually become home

to the Dons.

0:19:330:19:35

Chris Slegg reports.

0:19:350:19:38

Three, two, one...

0:19:380:19:39

When you've waited this long...

0:19:390:19:43

KLAXON SOUNDS.

0:19:430:19:49

What's a few more seconds?

0:19:490:19:53

Dodgy klaxon sorted,

demolition could begin.

0:19:570:20:02

Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium

is being ripped down

0:20:020:20:06

to be replaced by this,

an 11,000-seat stadium for AFC

0:20:060:20:09

Wimbledon with the potential

to expand to 25,000 seats.

0:20:090:20:14

It's a massive day, isn't it?

0:20:140:20:19

It turns something from plans

on paper and hopes and dreams

0:20:190:20:21

into a piece of physical reality.

0:20:220:20:23

AFC Wimbledon currently play

in Kingston but the aim has

0:20:230:20:25

always been to return

to their home borough.

0:20:250:20:29

Kingsmeadow has been very good

for them and it has been part

0:20:290:20:33

and parcel of the club's history

now as such.

0:20:330:20:36

But to come to a new stadium,

which is a massive thing,

0:20:360:20:38

and their own home,

they will own it, they will be able

0:20:380:20:42

to decide everything about it.

0:20:420:20:44

It's taken a long time

for anything to happen here.

0:20:440:20:47

AFC Wimbledon got planning

permission back in December 2015.

0:20:470:20:49

But five months later the then

mayor, Boris Johnson,

0:20:490:20:51

called the plans in.

0:20:510:20:55

That decision was reversed

when Siddique Khan took up

0:20:550:20:57

residence at City Hall,

even though he had opposed

0:20:570:21:01

the redevelopment when he was the MP

for Labour in Tooting.

0:21:010:21:03

Now there has been opposition

from local residents.

0:21:030:21:06

One of the concerns whether the road

network around here can cope

0:21:060:21:09

with 11,000 fans coming to this site

every other week.

0:21:090:21:12

We are very confident we can appease

those people who have those

0:21:120:21:15

worries about transport,

about flooding, about

0:21:150:21:18

the need for more schooling

and more GP practices.

0:21:180:21:23

All that was addressed in

the tumultuous planning application.

0:21:230:21:29

If all goes to plan,

AFC Wimbledon will be

0:21:300:21:33

in their new home in time

for the start of the 2019-20 season.

0:21:330:21:38

Chris Slegg, BBC London News.

0:21:380:21:42

One of the most famous

sights on the Thames

0:21:420:21:45

is celebrating her 80th

anniversary this weekend.

0:21:450:21:47

HMS Belfast is one of Britain's most

significant surviving World War II

0:21:470:21:50

warships and from tomorrow visitors

will be able to take part in special

0:21:500:21:54

activities to mark the anniversary.

0:21:540:22:02

The bottle is broken by determined

hand and the new Southampton class

0:22:020:22:05

cruiser slides down the slipway

to take her place among Britain's

0:22:050:22:10

rearmament achievement.

0:22:100:22:12

It was launched in

Southampton back in 1938.

0:22:120:22:15

Built in the shipyards

of Northern Ireland,

0:22:150:22:17

the battleship HMS Belfast soon set

sail for war.

0:22:170:22:23

As the young man, Fred Wooding

from Bedford worked below deck.

0:22:230:22:25

He sailed to the Far East and was

there as the Korean War began.

0:22:250:22:29

So we would send up the ammunition

by hoist from way down

0:22:290:22:32

in the bowels of the ship.

0:22:320:22:36

You know, and if you hear the guns

go off, you would do if the guns go

0:22:360:22:40

off, you just ignored it and carried

on with what you're doing.

0:22:400:22:43

You've got a job to do.

0:22:430:22:46

During World War II HMS Belfast

escorted the Arctic convoys

0:22:460:22:50

to the Soviet Union and fired some

of the first shots

0:22:500:22:53

in the D-Day landings.

0:22:530:22:56

This weekend the ship

celebrates its 80th anniversary

0:22:560:22:59

and veterans such as Fred will be

meeting the public on board.

0:22:590:23:03

The focus very much is on the men

who lived and served

0:23:030:23:06

here and what it was like for them

when the ship was mined,

0:23:060:23:10

when she was on the Arctic convoys

in the worst journey in the world

0:23:100:23:14

according to Churchill,

and at D-Day as well so we're really

0:23:140:23:18

conscious that some of the stories

she tells are really difficult.

0:23:180:23:21

And our veterans have very vivid

memories of those and that's

0:23:210:23:24

what we try to engage the public

with, to bring them into contact

0:23:240:23:27

with those incredible stories.

0:23:270:23:28

Most people have served

here loved the ship.

0:23:280:23:30

It's something special to them.

0:23:300:23:38

This is very special to me,

a very special ship.

0:23:380:23:40

Had hard times on board,

had some good times.

0:23:400:23:46

But yes, it was good.

0:23:460:23:49

Veterans such as Fred Hope

the history of this special ship

0:23:490:23:52

will echo across future generations

and the people who sailed

0:23:520:23:54

in it are remembered.

0:23:540:23:57

Let's join Ayshea Buksh who's

on board the ship this evening.

0:23:570:24:01

Good evening from the main deck of

HMS Belfast. The ship was due to be

0:24:050:24:12

scrapped in the 1970s despite that

significant active service but

0:24:120:24:16

thankfully it was saved and it is

now owned by the Imperial War Museum

0:24:160:24:20

and wannabe curators is here with

me. -- one of the curators. Why was

0:24:200:24:26

it so important that the ship was

saved?

The Imperial War Museum is

0:24:260:24:31

Britain's National music of war and

confidence and the museum wanted to

0:24:310:24:35

save a gun turret from the Royal

Navy Chris -- cruiser. It would be a

0:24:350:24:40

symbol of the war at sea. During a

visit to Portsmouth to see is

0:24:400:24:49

possible ships, the idea was floated

at saving an entire ship and Belfast

0:24:490:24:54

was in fantastic condition and a few

years later the museum was able to

0:24:540:24:57

open it to the public.

It is one of

account, how do you hope in the

0:24:570:25:00

future it will be remembered and

what is it significant for future

0:25:000:25:04

generations question it is a

wonderful time capsule in Maritime

0:25:040:25:08

and world history.

0:25:080:25:09

We think the stories of the group

will continue to be a fascinating

0:25:110:25:15

thing as long as Britain remained an

island!

Many thanks. The veterans

0:25:150:25:20

will be back on board tomorrow

morning for a weekend of anniversary

0:25:200:25:24

celebrations. 'S

thank you.

0:25:240:25:27

Now with that all important weather

forecast here's Phil Avery.

0:25:280:25:31

That is a leader is all change? --

fair to say it is all change?

0:25:310:25:39

There is a bit of a change, I hope

you have been able to enjoy the

0:25:410:25:45

taste of spring in the past the

birthdays. It was in Blackheath and

0:25:450:25:53

also at Twickenham on the Thames.

14.6 degrees I have been told today

0:25:530:26:00

but look at this. No longer the low

pressure dominating, Saturday and

0:26:000:26:05

Sunday it is all the same the

easterly drawing in cold air from

0:26:050:26:09

Scandinavia. This is the night, no

cloud, that is just the rain which

0:26:090:26:16

eventually becomes snow. Look at the

temperatures, we have been around

0:26:160:26:22

its degrees but only up to three

degrees. And look at this, that is

0:26:220:26:29

quite a bit of snowfall in the

morning on the first part of the

0:26:290:26:33

afternoon. Pretty continuous, up to

four centimetres with more on the

0:26:330:26:39

high ground. More showery in the

afternoon, those are the maximum

0:26:390:26:43

temperatures. It was 14 degrees

today but three degrees tomorrow.

0:26:430:26:49

From mid afternoon onwards there is

an amber warning from the Met Office

0:26:490:26:54

for snow and ice in a lot of our

area, through Saturday evening and

0:26:540:26:57

into Sunday morning. These are the

snow showers and there are more of

0:26:570:27:04

them. A few more centimetres and

late in the afternoon I think it is

0:27:040:27:08

all over. It is still bitingly cold

but just a bit of brightness coming

0:27:080:27:14

in, the snow showers are probably

moved on and coming into the new

0:27:140:27:18

week we will have a slow but sure

improvement in the temperatures but

0:27:180:27:24

watch out in the short term.

0:27:240:27:25

Thank you.

0:27:280:27:30

That's it.

0:27:300:27:32

I'll be back later during the ten

o'clock news, but for now let's

0:27:320:27:36

leave you with a lovely view of HMS

Belfast celebrating

0:27:360:27:37

its 80th birthday.

0:27:370:27:38

From everyone on the team,

have a lovely evening.

0:27:380:27:41

Goodbye.

0:27:410:27:43

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