11/08/2017 London News

On BBC One we now join the BBC's news teams where you are.

Good afternoon and welcome to BBC London News.

The gas supply to hundreds of homes in four tower blocks in South

London has been cut due to safety fears.

Residents are being evacuated to temporary accommodation

The issue with the gas supply was discovered during

an investigation into safety prompted by the Grenfell Fire.

Simon Jones is there - Simon, what have residents been told?

Yes, after they were told this by Southwark council they discovered

potentially another big problem. Gas was supplied to these buildings when

they were constructed from about 1968 until 1970 but in new and there

had been a nearby tower block where there had been a gas explosion and

that cause part of the building to collapse on top of each other and

that led to four deaths. In the week that -- wake of that gas was fitted

in buildings like these ones and there are needed to be improvements

to the structure of the building. Southwark council believed that had

actually happened. But now they have done further checks and they are not

convinced this building was actually strengthened as it was supposed to

be, so potentially if there were a gas explosion it could be very

serious. So that is why they have decided to turn off the gas supplies

for these four buildings straightaway. Residents have been

sent a letter saying in the coming weeks they will need to be evacuated

as the work is due to be carried out. The council says it recognises

this will cause a big problem for a lot of people but they say the

safety for the public has to be the number one priority.

I totally understand residents are worried,

and I really understand why they are worried.

What I would like to see to reassure residents is that as soon as we knew

about the issue with the gas, we have turned that gas supply off

to make sure residents are safe as they possibly can be.

There will be an inconvenience unfortunately as a consequence

of that, but we are working round the clock to get

a more permanent fix in around this as well.

I've been speaking to some of the residents and some of them are very

upset that potentially they have been living in these buildings for

years when they have not been safe. In the meantime the council is

giving people a electrical hot plates so they can carry on cooking,

but they save people need a hot shower they will need to go to

nearby leisure centres, so it will be a big inconvenience for people.

Some are very concerned about it but the council is stressing it has to

put safety first. That was Simon with that report.

Four people have been treated for breathing in smoke

following a fire on a Bakerloo line train this morning.

Oxford Circus station was evacuated.

The fire was caused by an electrical fault under one of the carriages.

Transport for London says it's investigating,

A 16-year-old boy and an 18-year-old woman have been arrested

over the murder of a schoolboy in Croydon, who was attacked

Jermaine Goupall, who was 15, was with his friends

in Thornton Heath on Tuesday night, when they were confronted by three

A post mortem's revealed he died of a stab wound to his leg.

It's been billed as the ultimate experience for Abba superfans -

a new restaurant in Waterloo - where else?

Where diners will be entertained with songs

But some local residents aren't happy, saying it's being built

on land that's supposed to be set aside for social housing.

Well, I'm at the edge of the Coin Street residential development just

between the IMAX and Oxo Tower near the South Bank.

The plans are for this car park to be turned into a

restaurant and nightclub, based on the Abba Mamma Mia musical.

The resident as you can see I'm not a

I'm joined by one of them here this morning.

This land has been empty for almost 20 years and in that 20 is not one

single flat or house has been built for social housing which is the

remit of the developers group, so they have decided to build a

nightclub, which is wholly unacceptable, bearing in mind that

could be 4000 or 5000 people per week pouring out onto our local

street and causing noise pollution. They say they will be mindful of

local residents. There is no longer line that can tell people how to get

home so when they leave here it will be uncontrollable, to control 500

people per night seven nights a week, drinking for up to five hours.

If you look around you we are completely surrounded by residents,

up to 2000 students at at Kings College, flats down luggage rack, so

the main entrance to this place could be 50 yards from my bedroom

window, my daughter's bedroom window and start secondary school in

August. Thank you. The developers say they believe it is an exciting

development and it will have some impact on locals, but in a positive

way, and the developers believe this will also be positive for the local

community and they will be mindful of local residents.

Now, think of National Parks in this country

and you might be picturing somewhere like the Lake District...

Rather than here in our busy, congested capital.

But today plans have been unveiled aimed at making London the world's

first National Park City - that is, greener,

Our environment correspondent Tom Edwards explains.

This Woodbury weapons in Hackney, hidden gem. London is one of the

greenest cities on the planet, but for how long? -- this is Woodbury

wetlands in Hackney. Today the mayor is promoting more green spaces and

will do that by making London and national Park city. Part of it is

bringing it all together but part of it is making sure we give this area

of policy the gravitas it deserves, and I want developers, counsellors,

Londoners, tourists, to recognise London pays a huge attention to

green spaces, and us being a National Park city will be

important. I send the message today that the direction of travel is that

way. London's green spaces support 14,000 species and the city has 3.8

million gardens. 47% of the area of the capital is made up of green

space and waterways. The mayor wants that to rise to 50%. Making cities

greener is not new. This is well and garden city, built in 1920. A

National Park city would mean tightening planning and making green

space polity priority. Has been described as a turbo economy,

jostling for position amongst other world cities. For those of us who

work and live in the city, perhaps you want a city which is greener,

slower, and the National Park city I think gives an idea that London

could be very different for those who live, work and play here. These

are very early days. The criteria to become a National Park city haven't

even been decided yet. The big challenge will be protecting green

space and also meeting increasing the man's for more housing. Tom

Edwards, BBC London News. Film footage of the so-called

"Battle of Lewisham" - that was lost for decades -

has been rediscovered. It shows the National Front march

that took place in South London Up to 5000 local people

and activists stopped the march The footage features

in an exhibition at Let's get the weather with Lucy.

Good afternoon. A dry and bright start with plenty of sunshine around

and our weather watchers have been capturing the scene is local to

them. This one from Rebecca. Into the afternoon it will become

increasingly cloudy. And next front pushing and from the north-west,

which will introduce some cloud but also some drizzle. You can see the

best of the brightness has certainly been in the south-east this morning.

And there is this front you can see in the charts making its way that

will introduce the cloud and sherry outbreaks of rain overnight. We will

then start to see that cloud edging in and I think the further east you

are is holding on to the best of staying at a maximum of about 22

Celsius. Through this evening and overnight, we will see the rest of

that cloud pushing, some sherry outbreaks of rain and a breeze

starting to pick slightly as well. -- some sherry outbreaks. It will be

a fairly cloudy start tomorrow. Some bits of rain and Russell first

thing. Then becoming drier into the afternoon. Some good spells of

sunshine developing and it will feel pleasant in any sunshine with highs

of 22 Celsius. Sunday looks decent again, staying dry with plenty of

brightness and sunny spells. That is it for now.

Being on stage or screen doesn't faze these celebrities.

But how will they manage on MasterChef?

You need a bigger toaster. Do you think?

It will be tasty. Are you telling me?

Are you letting me loose with a blowtorch? Argh!

You guys can throw anything you want at me and I'm ready for it.