0:00:13 > 0:00:18Good evening and welcome to BBC London News, I'm Alex Bushill.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20Southern rail passengers have been warned that services will be
0:00:20 > 0:00:23"severely disrupted" over the next few days because of a fresh strike
0:00:23 > 0:00:26by guards and an ongoing overtime ban by drivers.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Members of the RMT union will walk out on New Year's
0:00:29 > 0:00:35Eve for three days.
0:00:35 > 0:00:36Our political correspondent, Karl Mercer, reports.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39Not strike one, not strike two, not even strike three,
0:00:39 > 0:00:41but strike day 28.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43For months, customers on Southern Trains have suffered.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45Even on days when there haven't been strikes,
0:00:45 > 0:00:48the service has been well below par, now they face going into
0:00:48 > 0:00:52the new year with more of the same.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Over the next three days, the RMT union will be on strike.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59A week later, they'll be joined by drivers from the Aslef union
0:00:59 > 0:01:01in the long-running row over changes that would see drivers
0:01:01 > 0:01:05being responsible for shutting the train doors instead of guards.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08I'm not looking to take any credit or to get a victory,
0:01:08 > 0:01:12I'm just looking for common sense to help the travelling public
0:01:12 > 0:01:16to maintain a safe and secure railway and provide the train
0:01:16 > 0:01:19company with the benefits of enhanced customer
0:01:19 > 0:01:21service that they require.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25So on the eve of the new year, I make this challenge to them -
0:01:25 > 0:01:27sit down with us, let's work our way through it.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31Let's forget about the dogma and let's do this for the public.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34The company insists it will continue with its plans
0:01:34 > 0:01:37for driver-only operated trains.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39It too says it's willing to talk but, once again,
0:01:39 > 0:01:41the strike will go-ahead.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Well, it has been a very, very frustrating number of months
0:01:44 > 0:01:47now and I'd like to apologise for the service we've been offering
0:01:47 > 0:01:50which of course has not been anything like good enough.
0:01:50 > 0:01:51We've continued with our plans.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54We are continuing to roll out our plans and we do intend to do that.
0:01:54 > 0:02:04We feel that our plans are very reasonable.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10They are all about the better service for our custumer
0:02:10 > 0:02:11and they're all about improved
0:02:11 > 0:02:13punctuality and more opportunity for our people to work
0:02:13 > 0:02:15with our customers on trains.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17So we think it's an entirely good thing that we're doing.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20We think the response of the trade unions has been unreasonable
0:02:20 > 0:02:21and disproportionate.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24The company is warning it will only run around half of services over
0:02:24 > 0:02:25the next three days.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28The following week it won't run any, if the drivers strike goes ahead.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31A new year perhaps, but the same old problems on Southern.
0:02:31 > 0:02:32Karl Mercer, BBC London News.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34Christmas may be over, but Londoners are being urged
0:02:34 > 0:02:35to do more to recycle.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38The capital currently only recycles around 30% of its rubbish -
0:02:38 > 0:02:39well below the national average.
0:02:39 > 0:02:40Sarah Harris reports from Ealing.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42After the festivities the clean-up begins across London,
0:02:42 > 0:02:44many councils will collect overflowing rubbish for the next
0:02:44 > 0:02:47three weeks, but with the less than sparkling record on recycling,
0:02:47 > 0:02:49households in the capital are being asked to make it
0:02:49 > 0:02:53a new year's resolution to do better.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56It's vital that we up the amount of recycling that we do.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59We're below the national average in London, 31%-33% around there,
0:02:59 > 0:03:01we need to up it significantly and it's in order to look
0:03:01 > 0:03:06after our planet, basically.
0:03:06 > 0:03:13The borough of Surrey Heath recycles more than double the average amount
0:03:13 > 0:03:18in London and with so much more waste created during the holidays,
0:03:18 > 0:03:23it's a chance to reduce the load on south-east landfill sites.
0:03:23 > 0:03:29But in Ealing, big improvements have been made just by making the system
0:03:29 > 0:03:31simpler with Londoners doing their bit to make
0:03:31 > 0:03:33the capital greener.
0:03:33 > 0:03:39Sarah Harris, BBC London News.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43Students at a school in north London have come up with an idea that
0:03:43 > 0:03:47could raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity.
0:03:47 > 0:03:48And all from - children's lunch money.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51The group, from Skinners Academy, in Stamford Hill, won a competition
0:03:51 > 0:03:52for young entrepreneurs.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54Now, their idea is being put into practice,
0:03:54 > 0:03:57as Caroline Davies discovered.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59Henrique was born with cystic hygroma and he needed a tracheostomy
0:03:59 > 0:04:02when he was two-and-a-half months.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Henrique's parents didn't know if he would ever talk.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07Oh, that's so nice.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10But last month, after only a few hours of music therapy classes,
0:04:10 > 0:04:14he said his first word.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16He got so chuffed when he first realised that sound
0:04:16 > 0:04:19was coming out of his mouth.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21It was really emotional.
0:04:21 > 0:04:31He said, "water", "grandma" and "hello..
0:04:32 > 0:04:33So, we're very, very proud of him.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35Without fundrising, the charity that helps pay for these
0:04:36 > 0:04:36classes couldn't survive.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40And these students in Hackney have come up with a new way of raising
0:04:40 > 0:04:41more money for them.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44iRoundup is a system where pupils can round up every payment
0:04:44 > 0:04:46for their school lunch, so a small part can be
0:04:46 > 0:04:49donated towards a charity.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53We thought it would be easy to implement into the real world.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Their idea won a competition for young entrepreneurs,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58run by a charity called Mosaic.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Now, the company that runs school lunch payments, ParentPay,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04has taken on their idea.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07It's very rare that you hear a genuine new idea
0:05:07 > 0:05:09for the first time.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12We've already raised nearly ?10,000, just during this trial period.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15We've a full launch in 2017, we're expecting to raise
0:05:15 > 0:05:20between ?150,000-?200,000 in the first year.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23So, what do the students think about their idea of raising money
0:05:23 > 0:05:24for children like Henrique?
0:05:24 > 0:05:27We didn't think anything like that.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31Close to tears.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33Can you play the chimes?
0:05:33 > 0:05:35Oh, the big drum.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37Thanks to the students, small change can make a big difference.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41Caroline Davies, BBC London News.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44It's been another cold and foggy day, so let's have a check
0:05:44 > 0:05:48on the weather with Louise Lear.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Good evening.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Well, it's been a cold, dismal day, that fog not shifting.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55It's with us through the night, so much so we've got
0:05:55 > 0:05:56a yellow weather warning.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58Be aware, there could be some disruption.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00As we move into tomorrow, a cold start with temperatures
0:06:00 > 0:06:03hovering close to freezing but, hopefully, for our New Year's Eve
0:06:03 > 0:06:07day, as we go on through the day, a breeze will pick up and that
0:06:07 > 0:06:10will lift the fog into low, grey cloud, but it stays dry.
0:06:10 > 0:06:11Top temperatures of eight or nine degrees.
0:06:11 > 0:06:17So looking quiet for your New Year's Eve celebrations.
0:06:17 > 0:06:18That's it from me.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20We'll be back tomorrow morning on BBC One.
0:06:20 > 0:06:26Have a very good night.