16/03/2018

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0:00:00 > 0:00:01Now on BBC One, it's time for the news where you are.

0:00:15 > 0:00:18Welcome to BBC London News with me, Victoria Hollins.

0:00:18 > 0:00:20We start tonight with more on the attack on a rushhour tube

0:00:20 > 0:00:23in London last September, which could so easily have led

0:00:23 > 0:00:26to a devastating loss of life.

0:00:26 > 0:00:28As you've been hearing, Iraqi teenager Ahmed Hassan

0:00:28 > 0:00:30was convicted for planting a device on a packed train,

0:00:30 > 0:00:32which injured 50 people.

0:00:32 > 0:00:34The partial explosion forced passengers to run for cover

0:00:34 > 0:00:37from a fireball that rolled through the carriage.

0:00:37 > 0:00:39Our reporter Marc Ashdown has been to meet one

0:00:39 > 0:00:41of the commuters who was there.

0:00:43 > 0:00:45As the train stopped at Parsons Green, suddenly

0:00:45 > 0:00:48pandemonium broke out on the platform.

0:00:48 > 0:00:52I don't think it was a loud bang or anything, just thst big

0:00:52 > 0:00:54flash and the flame ball, and a huge crowd of people

0:00:54 > 0:00:58charged towards the exit.

0:00:58 > 0:01:00I had really no idea what was going on.

0:01:00 > 0:01:02What was your feeling, what did you think?

0:01:02 > 0:01:04We had had a few terror attacks, obviously.

0:01:04 > 0:01:06Yeah.

0:01:06 > 0:01:12The London Bridge attack had not been far before this.

0:01:12 > 0:01:14My first thought was, is anyone running around

0:01:14 > 0:01:17with a machete or a gun, as there was at London Bridge?

0:01:17 > 0:01:18Where should I go?

0:01:18 > 0:01:24What should I do?

0:01:24 > 0:01:26It became clear fairly quickly that there was no threat

0:01:26 > 0:01:27of anything like that.

0:01:27 > 0:01:29Pretty scary, though?

0:01:29 > 0:01:32Yes, for that few minutes before we knew what was going on,

0:01:32 > 0:01:35whilst everyone was running around panicking.

0:01:35 > 0:01:37You know, lots of shouting and screaming.

0:01:37 > 0:01:39People are getting crushed on the stairway.

0:01:39 > 0:01:42Lots of people were helping each other, particularly those who got

0:01:42 > 0:01:45injured on the stairs trying to get out of the platform.

0:01:45 > 0:01:48I saw people were helping each other down and comforting people that had

0:01:48 > 0:01:49been hurt and crushed.

0:01:49 > 0:01:52A neighbour of mine was on the same train, a scout leader,

0:01:52 > 0:01:55and his first reaction was to try to help the people who

0:01:55 > 0:02:00had been burned and were panicking.

0:02:00 > 0:02:03He got a little group of people on the platform to look after them.

0:02:03 > 0:02:07Fairly soon after the incident, everyone was determined

0:02:07 > 0:02:10to carry on as normal.

0:02:10 > 0:02:11I have been watching the trial going on.

0:02:11 > 0:02:14When you get to Parsons Green and the announcement comes up,

0:02:14 > 0:02:16Parsons Green next stop, you become very aware

0:02:16 > 0:02:21of what happened.

0:02:21 > 0:02:24What if it had gone off?

0:02:24 > 0:02:26All those nuts, and bolts, and nails and the amount

0:02:26 > 0:02:28of explosive material that was there, the thought that

0:02:28 > 0:02:31went into packing all of that metal stuff around it,

0:02:31 > 0:02:35a lot of people could have been very badly injured.

0:02:35 > 0:02:41Has it changed you, or are you determined to carry on?

0:02:41 > 0:02:43If we let ourselves get terrified by what might happen,

0:02:43 > 0:02:46you'd never get on with normal life.

0:02:46 > 0:02:50You have to carry on and hope that good triumphs over evil.

0:02:52 > 0:02:56Richard Aylmer-Hall ending that report from Marc Ashdown.

0:02:56 > 0:03:00Hundreds of nursing students have been told not to expect any more

0:03:00 > 0:03:03payments from the Students Loan Company for the rest of the year,

0:03:03 > 0:03:05after it claimed it overpaid them.

0:03:05 > 0:03:08Some students say they might not be able to continue their studies,

0:03:08 > 0:03:12and will be left struggling to pay bills and rent.

0:03:12 > 0:03:14The Royal College of Nursing has called on the company

0:03:14 > 0:03:17to write off the loans.

0:03:17 > 0:03:18Here's Charlotte Franks.

0:03:18 > 0:03:20They're on the frontline of our hospitals, caring

0:03:20 > 0:03:23for the sick and injured.

0:03:23 > 0:03:25It's a profession that can be both rewarding and pressured,

0:03:25 > 0:03:28and in London the low salary can be a struggle, with the

0:03:28 > 0:03:30high cost of living.

0:03:30 > 0:03:32Despite this, students like Emma have still chosen

0:03:32 > 0:03:34to train as a nurse.

0:03:34 > 0:03:38I knew from the get-go I would get the NHS bursary and receive payments

0:03:38 > 0:03:40from Student Finance England, so that was what I have

0:03:40 > 0:03:43been relying on.

0:03:43 > 0:03:46But new Emma and as many as 800 other nursing students in London

0:03:46 > 0:03:48will stop receiving their student loan following an overpayment error

0:03:48 > 0:03:51by the organisation.

0:03:51 > 0:03:55There was a moment of panic where I wasn't sure if I would be

0:03:55 > 0:03:56able to continue the course.

0:03:56 > 0:03:57I didn't know how...

0:03:57 > 0:04:00If I can't afford my rent, I can't stay in London.

0:04:00 > 0:04:03It was really scary to even be thinking that this far

0:04:03 > 0:04:06into my degree I might have to defer, or even quit.

0:04:07 > 0:04:10Many students say they questioned the overpayments at the time

0:04:10 > 0:04:14but were given false assurances the sums were correct.

0:04:14 > 0:04:18The Royal College of Nursing say they have spoken

0:04:18 > 0:04:21to the Student Loans Company who have confirmed they have known

0:04:21 > 0:04:23about this mistake since January.

0:04:23 > 0:04:25We are calling for these overpayments to be written off

0:04:25 > 0:04:27with immediate effect.

0:04:27 > 0:04:29It is through no fault of their own.

0:04:29 > 0:04:31They were told they had nothing to worry about.

0:04:31 > 0:04:34Some students have said they will have to quit the course

0:04:34 > 0:04:36if this is not resolved.

0:04:36 > 0:04:39This is not the first time the Student Loans Company has been

0:04:39 > 0:04:40the focus of media scrutiny.

0:04:40 > 0:04:43In the past, it has had to deal with failed payments,

0:04:43 > 0:04:48bailing students out and claims the firm was near meltdown.

0:04:48 > 0:04:49This body is responsible for handing literally billions

0:04:50 > 0:04:56of pounds of public money.

0:04:56 > 0:05:01The fact that the people being hit by this are a key part of our NHS.

0:05:01 > 0:05:03The Student Loans Company told us they are investigating how the error

0:05:03 > 0:05:07occurred but they have refused to write off the payments.

0:05:07 > 0:05:10The concern is that, at a time when London is facing

0:05:10 > 0:05:12a severe nursing shortage, there could be hundreds of students

0:05:12 > 0:05:16who might never qualify because they can't afford to.

0:05:19 > 0:05:22Tonight the Department for Education told us it is investigating

0:05:22 > 0:05:26the situation and described it as "completely unacceptable".

0:05:26 > 0:05:29It said "none of the affected student nurses should suffer

0:05:29 > 0:05:33hardship as a result of this error."

0:05:33 > 0:05:36The long-standing Mayor of Newham has been defeated in a leadership

0:05:36 > 0:05:39battle for the Labour Party in the East London borough.

0:05:39 > 0:05:42Sir Robin Wales had been in the role for more than 20 years

0:05:42 > 0:05:46but faced opposition from within his own party.

0:05:46 > 0:05:49He'll be replaced as Labour's candidate for elected mayor

0:05:49 > 0:05:55by councillor Rokhsana Fiaz.

0:05:55 > 0:06:00She believes she's widely supported.

0:06:00 > 0:06:02I am someone, candidate, who has received full support

0:06:02 > 0:06:04from across all sections of the party, be that Momentum,

0:06:04 > 0:06:06be that the right of the party.

0:06:06 > 0:06:08I have clearly demonstrated a vision and a plan that has

0:06:08 > 0:06:10appealed to all spectrums of the party, locally.

0:06:16 > 0:06:19That's it for now from me - I hope you have a lovely weekend.

0:06:19 > 0:06:20Now let's find out what the weathers up to with Ben Rich.

0:06:23 > 0:06:27It felt like spring in the sunshine today. In fact, Northolt,

0:06:27 > 0:06:32temperatures got up to 14.6 degrees. I think tomorrow will be a big shock

0:06:32 > 0:06:36to the system, because the weekend brings some very, very cold weather

0:06:36 > 0:06:41indeed. Windy as well. There will be some snow showers. We could see some

0:06:41 > 0:06:44snow through the early hours of Saturday. A bit of rain initially,

0:06:44 > 0:06:48but then, by the end of the night, it is likely we will start to see

0:06:48 > 0:06:53mostly light snow pushing its way in from the north-east. As we go

0:06:53 > 0:06:56through the day tomorrow, could well see a spell of snow through the

0:06:56 > 0:07:00morning, perhaps giving a few centimetres here and there. That'll

0:07:00 > 0:07:02tearaway and what we will be left with through the rest of the day is

0:07:02 > 0:07:06generally a lot of cloud and further snow showers feeding in from the

0:07:06 > 0:07:09east. Showers will be quite hit and miss. Some places will get a

0:07:09 > 0:07:12covering of snow. Other places missing out completely and your

0:07:12 > 0:07:16temperatures to the afternoon only one or three degrees at best. As we

0:07:16 > 0:07:19go to tomorrow evening, it looks like the snow showers will become

0:07:19 > 0:07:25more widespread and more frequent. The Met Office has issued an amber

0:07:25 > 0:07:27be prepared warning, for the potential that snow and ice could

0:07:27 > 0:07:30cause disruption into Sunday morning. Sunday itself should be

0:07:30 > 0:07:31drier. Into next