0:00:00 > 0:00:00Martin Bashir, BBC News.
0:00:17 > 0:00:17Good evening.
0:00:17 > 0:00:18Good evening.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22I'm Asad Ahmad.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Residents in a building in Croydon say they're
0:00:24 > 0:00:28having sleepless night - over a bill they've received
0:00:28 > 0:00:30for 2 million pounds, to replace cladding on their building.
0:00:30 > 0:00:35It failed safety tests after the Grenfell Tower fire,
0:00:35 > 0:00:38and so those living in the privately owned tower block
0:00:38 > 0:00:41have been told they have to foot the huge bill between them.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43Our Political Editor, Tim Donovan has been down there.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45The view outside the penthouse may be great, the view
0:00:45 > 0:00:47inside just now not so good.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49The cost of either replacement option is considerably higher
0:00:49 > 0:00:52than the previous estimate.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55The owner has just received an unwelcome letter.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58The total cost to renew and replace the cladding are now estimated to be
0:00:58 > 0:01:02between 1.8 million and 2 million.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06Which has come as a shock, to say the least, to him and 90
0:01:06 > 0:01:08other leaseholders in this block in Croydon, because they're
0:01:08 > 0:01:10being asked to foot the bill for new cladding.
0:01:10 > 0:01:19That will mean between £15,000 and £31,000 each.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21There's anger clubbed with frustration and we don't know
0:01:21 > 0:01:24what to do, and there is this huge amount of bill that
0:01:24 > 0:01:25is being put forth.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28After Grenfell Tower, the cladding here was tested and it failed.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30Residents have been told it's not complying with building regulations.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32They think the freeholder should pay, with government help.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34I think it should be the freeholder.
0:01:34 > 0:01:35It should be the freeholder.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38And if the freeholder does not have access to the funds,
0:01:38 > 0:01:48it should be the Government, who has now changed the goalposts.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52The managing agents for the block now want the matter settled
0:01:52 > 0:01:54at what's called a property tribunal next month.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58And while the Government is saying that it should be landlords who foot
0:01:58 > 0:02:00the bill for such refurbishment, it's not at all clear yet
0:02:00 > 0:02:01what the legal position is.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05All of which makes this a time of considerable anxiety here.
0:02:05 > 0:02:06Everyone here having sleepless nights, people are worried.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09I've got messages saying I felt like I'm going to get a heart
0:02:09 > 0:02:10attack or something.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13We were not expecting this increase, like this £2 million bill suddenly.
0:02:13 > 0:02:23Everyone is under shock, they are completely shocked with that.
0:02:23 > 0:02:24The agents managing the block, First Port,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27told us in a statement...
0:02:40 > 0:02:42I'm gobsmacked, I don't know what to say about it.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44Because it's suddenly like you're asking six months,
0:02:44 > 0:02:47five months, eight months, or even a yearly average annual salary
0:02:47 > 0:02:48for people to churn out.
0:02:48 > 0:02:58We don't know how we will have to pay.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01And the sting in the tale is that for every week that goes
0:03:01 > 0:03:03by with this unresolved, it's costing £4,000 for fire
0:03:03 > 0:03:07wardens to patrol here.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09A bill that is being met by the leaseholders.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Tim Donovan, BBC News.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Well we asked for a Government Minister to address
0:03:13 > 0:03:15the concerns of residents - but we were told
0:03:15 > 0:03:16no-one was available.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18But we got a statement which says -
0:03:18 > 0:03:21"We are clear we want to see private sector landlords follow the lead
0:03:21 > 0:03:24of the social sector and not pass on the costs of essential cladding
0:03:24 > 0:03:25replacement to leaseholders.
0:03:25 > 0:03:33We are keeping the situation under review."
0:03:33 > 0:03:35This time yesterday, you might have been
0:03:35 > 0:03:38preparing to go to bed - not realising the strength of winds
0:03:38 > 0:03:39which were about to hit London.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42By this morning, police and fire crews were attending to the damage
0:03:42 > 0:03:44and disruption it caused - as Charlotte Franks
0:03:44 > 0:03:49has been finding out.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Last night's storm caused trees to blow over, blocking the roads
0:03:51 > 0:03:53and frightening some residents.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55On the railways, the morning commute wasn't much better.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Many routes were affected when overhead power lines
0:03:57 > 0:03:59were damaged and trees were blown onto the tracks.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02The 5.58 train from New Beckenham to Cannon Street hit a tree as it
0:04:02 > 0:04:07pulled out of the station.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10The driver came on the radio and said we'd hit a tree.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13He went to have a look at it and when he came back,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16he said he would need to wait for Network Rail to arrive and
0:04:17 > 0:04:19remove it from under the carriage.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21At London Bridge, trains were disrupted on the Southeastern
0:04:21 > 0:04:23and Southern routes until around 11 o'clock this morning.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26And on routes into Liverpool Street, an object caught in the overhead
0:04:26 > 0:04:27electric wires caused cancellations and delays.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Services on South Western Railway into Waterloo saw delays all morning
0:04:30 > 0:04:40following a tree on the track.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42The delays cleared on most lines by the early afternoon,
0:04:42 > 0:04:44as engineers were dispatched to remove all the obstacles
0:04:44 > 0:04:46as quickly as possible, including some that had been
0:04:46 > 0:04:49wedged under trains.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51For us at Network Rail, we have response teams available 24/7.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53This morning, they were kept very busy.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56We have chainsaw teams who've been chopping up trees and other large
0:04:56 > 0:04:58branches that have fallen onto the railway.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00We've had fence panels, trampolines, all sorts of things on the railway.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03So we're moving them as quickly and safely as possible to try
0:05:03 > 0:05:10and keep passengers moving, but there has been some disruption.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13The Dartford Crossing was closed due to the strong winds,
0:05:13 > 0:05:15which led to heavy traffic on the A13 as drivers diverted
0:05:15 > 0:05:16towards the Dartford Tunnel.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19The fire brigade took 16 calls in the early hours of the morning
0:05:19 > 0:05:21about collapsed roofs, structures which had become unsafe
0:05:21 > 0:05:24and trees which had fallen down onto cars and property.
0:05:24 > 0:05:34But there were no reports of serious injury.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Proposals for a statue of Margaret Thatcher
0:05:36 > 0:05:38in Parliament Square, look set to be rejected.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40Her supporters had hoped she'd be the first woman
0:05:40 > 0:05:42to have a statue in the Square.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44But our Reporter, Ayshea Buksh can tell us why that
0:05:44 > 0:05:45might not be the case.
0:05:45 > 0:05:51Ayshea.
0:05:51 > 0:05:56This is, if it gets the go-ahead, what the statue may look like.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00£300,000 has already been raised but Westminster Council officials have
0:06:00 > 0:06:06apparently issued guidance to say it shouldn't be permitted. They point
0:06:06 > 0:06:10to a 10-year wait after somebody's death, the exception made for Nelson
0:06:10 > 0:06:16Mandela. There are concerns about potential vandalism. There was an
0:06:16 > 0:06:21occasion at the Guildhall when a statue of Lady Thatcher put on
0:06:21 > 0:06:25public display was attacked. On this, there have been official
0:06:25 > 0:06:29objections from quarters such as Royal Parks and her family are said
0:06:29 > 0:06:34not to be in favour. This comes ahead of a planning meeting next
0:06:34 > 0:06:38week. The Council officially say we'll have to wait for them. Let's
0:06:38 > 0:06:44not forget there will be the first female statue this year in front of
0:06:44 > 0:06:48thousands of Parliament, the suffragist listed for set, to
0:06:48 > 0:06:54celebrate the centenary of women getting the vote.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Politicians know they're often likened to young students
0:06:56 > 0:06:58or children bickering when it comes to debates in Parliament.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01But down the road, in City Hall - the Mayor of London's Question Time
0:07:01 > 0:07:05got the same accusation thrown at it today - by -- young students.
0:07:05 > 0:07:06They'd been invited to witness democracy in action.
0:07:06 > 0:07:13The impression they went away with - was - well, Nick Beake can tell you.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15Can I welcome to the public gallery students and staff
0:07:15 > 0:07:19from St Dominic's Sixth Form College, Harrow!
0:07:19 > 0:07:21It started so well, the A-level politics students
0:07:21 > 0:07:24taking their places to watch the mayor in the hot seat,
0:07:24 > 0:07:26taking questions on tackling knife crime, including his plans
0:07:26 > 0:07:34for the police to stop and search more suspects.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Are you going to guarantee young black Londoners
0:07:36 > 0:07:39that they will not be targeted?
0:07:39 > 0:07:42But the pupils who'd swapped the classroom for City Hall soon
0:07:42 > 0:07:45found it got rather personal.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47Do your homework before you ask the questions.
0:07:47 > 0:07:48I am doing my homework.
0:07:48 > 0:07:49You're not answering the question.
0:07:49 > 0:07:50Abusing me doesn't save Londoners.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52This is actually about life and death.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54And now we get the sanctimoniousness from this politician.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57At one point, they could be forgiven for thinking pantomime season
0:07:57 > 0:08:05was still in full flow.
0:08:05 > 0:08:10He says you're not answering his question.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13As things currently stand, I'm the mayor, not you.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16It's for me to answer the questions how I want to answer them.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19So what exactly did the pupils
0:08:19 > 0:08:22from St Dominic's Sixth Form College in Harrow make of it?
0:08:22 > 0:08:24It felt like being in a playground for a minute.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26They got really childish, throwing insults.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28So you were the ones saying "Come on, grow up"?
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Yeah, we were all looking a bit embarrassed.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33Like, we didn't come to see something we could have stayed
0:08:33 > 0:08:34in primary school to go watch.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Others were not impressed with Sadiq Khan's performance.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39All that he's willing to do is to throw political insults
0:08:39 > 0:08:41at Conservatives and even some of his own Labour colleagues,
0:08:41 > 0:08:51so I think he needs to step up to his responsibility or stand down.
0:08:53 > 0:08:59I don't think you can guarantee a black people will be targeted less.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02All that he's willing to do is to throw political insults
0:09:02 > 0:09:04at Conservatives and even some of his own Labour colleagues,
0:09:04 > 0:09:08so I think he needs to step up to his responsibility or stand down.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10Looking at the politicians in action, did your respect
0:09:10 > 0:09:11for them go up or down?
0:09:11 > 0:09:12Down.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16Significantly decreased.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20Is anyone going to come back to city water watch this again?
0:09:20 > 0:09:22It was a nice day off school, wasn't it?
0:09:22 > 0:09:27So we might, yeah.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Sometimes young people just say it as it is.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31Finally, Lumiere London is back.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35The light festival is even bigger than it was a couple of years
0:09:35 > 0:09:37ago when over a million people went to visit the free artworks
0:09:37 > 0:09:38around London's landmarks.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Over 50 spectacular designs are in place - until Sunday.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44But if you want to pop into town to see them, right now.
0:09:44 > 0:09:45Don't.
0:09:45 > 0:09:51The lights switch off at 10.30.
0:09:51 > 0:09:52But they are back
0:09:52 > 0:09:53on tomorrow evening.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55Now after the winds of last night, let's get the weather
0:09:55 > 0:09:57forecast from Chris.
0:09:57 > 0:09:58People wondering what it'll
0:09:58 > 0:10:04People wondering what it'll be like tonight. You might run the last week
0:10:04 > 0:10:08I was talking about strong winds that could blow trees down, boy were
0:10:08 > 0:10:13they strong. Top costs 72 mph and London City Airport. The area of low
0:10:13 > 0:10:16pressure right now is gone all the way across the Poland, moving very
0:10:16 > 0:10:21quickly. It leaves us with a quiet night. A dry night with clear skies,
0:10:21 > 0:10:25temperatures close to freezing, but quite a breeze blowing, meaning
0:10:25 > 0:10:29temperatures would dip too far below, if indeed they do get down to
0:10:29 > 0:10:36freezing. Tamara Sunny spells keep the cold wind blowing all day. The
0:10:36 > 0:10:38afternoon will see more clout arriving from the West, which could
0:10:38 > 0:10:44bring one to showers with an odd bit of hail mixed in. Many having a dry
0:10:44 > 0:10:48but chilly day. Temperatures reaching a high between four and
0:10:48 > 0:10:51seven Celsius. Make the most of that dry weather with sunshine because
0:10:51 > 0:10:54the weather will turn more unsettled. Saturday threatening
0:10:54 > 0:10:59rain, maybe snow on the northern edge and over hills. By Sunday turn
0:10:59 > 0:11:02smiled with heavy outbreaks of rain on the way.