0:00:00 > 0:00:01Now on BBC One, it's time for the news where you are.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17Good evening - I'm Asad Ahmad.
0:00:17 > 0:00:22Prison officers in Herfordshire have confidentially spoken to this
0:00:22 > 0:00:24programme, saying that working conditions at The Mount prison -
0:00:24 > 0:00:26are horrendous.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29They warn that if things get worse, it could result
0:00:29 > 0:00:34in a full-scale riot - and they're warning
0:00:34 > 0:00:36in a full-scale riot - and their warning
0:00:36 > 0:00:39is being supported by the Prison Officers Association -
0:00:39 > 0:00:40as our reporter, Sarah Harris can tell us.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Filmed from inside Mount prison, grenades thrown by riot-trained
0:00:43 > 0:00:45staff to restore order after a wing was taken
0:00:45 > 0:00:49over by prisoners in the summer of 2016.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52Despite an investigation and promised
0:00:52 > 0:00:54improvements, the union representing wardens
0:00:54 > 0:00:57on the ground says they are
0:00:57 > 0:00:59back at breaking point at an institution that houses more than
0:00:59 > 0:01:001000 prisoners.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03The problem is, we really need another 60 officers.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05It's compounded with different issues.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07You've got sickness because of the working
0:01:07 > 0:01:08environment, then you've
0:01:08 > 0:01:10got temporary promotion because people aren't promoted any more,
0:01:10 > 0:01:16which leaves holes on the ground floor, which is covered by overtime.
0:01:16 > 0:01:17And then everybody's just getting burnt out
0:01:18 > 0:01:23and burnt out and burnt out.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Over recent months, neighbours living close to the prison say they
0:01:26 > 0:01:28can often hear disturbances inside the main block at nightfall.
0:01:28 > 0:01:33For some, it's an unsettling time.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36When things go wrong, we do hear the noise of them
0:01:36 > 0:01:38shouting and presumably banging cups on the
0:01:38 > 0:01:40windows and things like that.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43The kids get a little bit nervous.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45They want to know whether somebody is
0:01:45 > 0:01:48going to escape, and we are reassured that that's not the
0:01:48 > 0:01:51case at all.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53But it does prey on your mind a little bit.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Staff at the prison are not allowed to speak out
0:01:56 > 0:01:59to the media, but off-camera, we've been told it's difficult
0:01:59 > 0:02:01to see how the situation can get much worse,
0:02:02 > 0:02:04short of another full-scale riot.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06I've just spoken to a prison officer just
0:02:06 > 0:02:08finishing his shift here at the Mount.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11He described conditions working here as horrendous.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14He said the staff shortages were so bad that
0:02:14 > 0:02:19inmates here are being locked up for hours and hours on end,
0:02:19 > 0:02:21and any kind of relief they get from agency staff
0:02:21 > 0:02:24isn't much of a help because people are so inexperienced, they are
0:02:24 > 0:02:28unable to do anything other than just menial tasks.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31He said it was difficult to see how long they can
0:02:31 > 0:02:33carry on like this for before something serious happens.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35Prisoners will get locked up for longer, which
0:02:35 > 0:02:38feeds their anger and feeds their frustration.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40And then they take it out on the fabric of the building
0:02:40 > 0:02:44and the staff.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Prison officers have told their union that they only have
0:02:47 > 0:02:50two thirds of the staff they need to run the unit
0:02:50 > 0:02:51safely and efficiently.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54The Ministry of Justice says they've recruited more staff and are
0:02:54 > 0:02:55continuing to bolster their numbers.
0:02:55 > 0:03:03Sarah Harris, BBC London News, the Mount Prison in Hertfordshire.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Well, the prison service has told us, a targeted recruitment campaign
0:03:11 > 0:03:13is under way to boost front line staff.
0:03:13 > 0:03:20There are also arrangements to ensure all prisoners have
0:03:20 > 0:03:22time out of their cell over Christmas.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25A moped smash-and-grab gang have been jailed for a total of more
0:03:25 > 0:03:28than 100 years for a string of robberies from mobile
0:03:28 > 0:03:29phone shops across London.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31Over £1 million worth of handsets and computers
0:03:31 > 0:03:35were stolen after the gang targeted stores armed with knives,
0:03:35 > 0:03:37hammers and guns.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39They were caught after stealing dummy phones -
0:03:39 > 0:03:44fitted with GPS trackers.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47A man cleared of rape - is calling for anonymity for those
0:03:47 > 0:03:50accused of sex crimes - unless a court finds them guilty.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54Samuel Armstrong, who worked as a Parliamentary Aide
0:03:54 > 0:04:01Samuel Armstrong, who worked as a Parliamentary aide
0:04:01 > 0:04:03in Westminster, was cleared of any wrongdoing following
0:04:03 > 0:04:06a claim that he'd raped a woman in an MP's office.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08He says the the legal system is ruining lives.
0:04:08 > 0:04:14Here's Helen Catt.
0:04:14 > 0:04:20It's the first time Sam Armstrong's been back to Parliament in more
0:04:20 > 0:04:22than a year, a year in which he's been banned
0:04:22 > 0:04:25from the estate, suspended from his job as an aide to Kent MP.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27He says he's lost everything.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29There's nothing to get up in the morning for.
0:04:29 > 0:04:30There's nothing to put your suit on.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32It's been hugely, hugely upsetting and painful.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35As I say, I really wouldn't wish this on anybody.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37Accused of raping a woman in his boss's office at Westminster
0:04:37 > 0:04:39he was quickly named in the media.
0:04:39 > 0:04:40Yesterday, a jury cleared him.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42He now believes the rules must change.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45I think we've now reached a stage where anonymity for people charged
0:04:45 > 0:04:47with these sorts of offences is necessary.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50We need to work out whether what has been
0:04:50 > 0:04:52said has any basis in
0:04:52 > 0:04:56truth, because sometimes the charge screams louder than the facts.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58There's something going wrong with our system because it's ruining
0:04:58 > 0:04:59young people's lives.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02He's also added his voice to the growing
0:05:02 > 0:05:05concern over how evidence is disclosed to defence teams.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07It follows the high-profile case of Liam Allan.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10The last two years I've just spent worrying.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15A case against him collapsed after text messages
0:05:15 > 0:05:18emerged showing his alleged victim had enjoyed having sex with him.
0:05:18 > 0:05:19The Metropolitan Police is now carrying
0:05:19 > 0:05:23out a review into what happened to Mr Allan.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25The Crown Prosecution Service told us that in Mr
0:05:25 > 0:05:30Armstrong's case the disclosure of evidence was undertaken properly,
0:05:30 > 0:05:35that they'd disclosed additional material to the defence on 30th
0:05:35 > 0:05:38November only a day after the police officer in charge and the CPS
0:05:38 > 0:05:39had first examined it.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41The case, they say, was left for the jury to
0:05:41 > 0:05:43decide and we respect their decision.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45As for Sam Armstrong, after a highly public year he says
0:05:45 > 0:05:47his first priority is a quiet Christmas.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Helen Catt, BBC London News, Westminster.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52A Christmas party has been held tonight at a church
0:05:52 > 0:06:02in North Kensington for survivors of June's Grenfell Tower fire.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06The Tabernacle Christian Centre in North Kensington opened its doors
0:06:06 > 0:06:09to over 100 people - many of whom are still living in
0:06:09 > 0:06:10temporary accommodation and hotels.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13They were given a christmas meal - and the children got presents.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16In the true spirit of Christmas, people of all faiths were welcome.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18And that's it from us for tonight.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21We'll be back with the weekend news - but if we miss
0:06:21 > 0:06:23you for some reason, let me now wish you a
0:06:23 > 0:06:24very Merry Christmas.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27After an extraordinary 2017, I hope to see you in 2018.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Now let's get the weather forecast from Chris.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38It's been another cloudy day, a few spots of light rain and drizzle to
0:06:38 > 0:06:41start the day captured on this weather watcher picture of the
0:06:41 > 0:06:46Chiswick area in London. What the centre, the next 24 hours. One thing
0:06:46 > 0:06:49that is sort of interesting is temperatures are barely changing
0:06:49 > 0:06:53between day and night, the last 24 hours they have only changed less
0:06:53 > 0:06:56than two deg, it smiled because the wind is coming off the Atlantic,
0:06:56 > 0:07:01lots of cloud upstream is coming our way in the next few days. Overnight
0:07:01 > 0:07:05tonight it stays Dolan cloudy, temperatures belly bulging, lows of
0:07:05 > 0:07:09around nine or 10 Celsius, a few mist patches over the Downs and
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Chilterns but not extensive and not as much drizzle around as there was
0:07:12 > 0:07:17this morning so for many of us it is a dry start to the day. Dry but
0:07:17 > 0:07:21cloudy again, a few limited bright or sunny spells just about possible
0:07:21 > 0:07:25and temperatures barely Reiziger in the day but it will be mild, highs
0:07:25 > 0:07:29of 10-12dC. More of the same on Sunday which is Christmas Eve and
0:07:29 > 0:07:33Monday which is Christmas day,