07/12/2017 London News

That's all from the BBC News at One,

so it's goodbye from me.

Good afternoon and welcome to BBC

London News, I'm Sonja Jessup.

The Mayor says last

year's Croydon Tram crash

in which seven people were killed

was a "preventable accident".

The final report by the Rail

Accident Investigation Branch has

just been published.

Sadiq Khan, who's currently

in the middle of a trade trip

to Pakistan, has been speaking

to our Political

Correspondent Karl Mercer.

He asked him about a key finding

that there was a similar speeding

incident just days earlier.

I have met with the chief inspector

in charge of the RAIB report

and he brought this to my attention.

What is clear is that this has

happened before the main accident

and all our thoughts and prayers go

to all the families

of the seven who died.

We have in our thoughts and prayers

all those who are still suffering

the consequences of being injured

in that tram accident.

But what is clear is no

action was taken when this

complaint was made.

The accident happened, tragically

people lost their lives and dozens

were injured and only afterwards

was that complaint investigated.

There are serious questions

which need to be answered.

There is a separate

ORR investigation,

there is a separate

investigation that TfL are doing

and there is separately

a police investigation.

I have made it clear to the TfL

board that the relevant

committee needs to look

into the RAIB recommendations.

We are already going over

and above what they said,

but clearly there are lessons that

need to be learned.

It is a bit late to be asking

committees and people

to be looking into it.

No, it is not because we have

got to make sure...

People who lost their relatives

in that will say, hang on,

there was a warning a week before,

my relatives died in

the Croydon tram crash.

TfL and the train company

did nothing about it.

Surely people will have

to lose their jobs over

that at the very least?

We have got to be reassured that

nothing like this can happen again.

That is why it does matter

in relation to looking

into what the RAIB say.

They did an interim report and they

were acted upon straightaway.

TfL have gone over and above that.

There are clearly questions

in relation to what happened

to the complaint made and also

questions by the way about how trams

operate generally and TfL have been

doing work with other tram operators

around the UK and around

the world to see how they can

improve tram safety.

Seven people lost their lives

and should not have done so.

People have been injured

and suffered life changing injuries

because they should not

have done so.

This was a preventable accident

and that is why it is important

we take it seriously.

There is a police investigation

and there could well be

criminal prosecutions.

We have to wait and see

what the decision is,

but it is important that we get

to the bottom of this and it is

important we learn lessons.

I'm not going to pretend

it is not a tragedy,

I am not going to pretend

it was not preventable.

The Mayor Sadiq Khan

there speaking from Pakistan.

Detectives investigating the murder

of a father and daughter in south

London have revealed they both died

after being strangled.

Noel and Marie Brown were discovered

in the early hours of Monday morning

at his home in Deptford.

Detective Superintendent Paul Monk

has been speaking to Victoria

Hollins.

I know Noel was last seen alive at

about 8pm on Thursday by a

neighbour. Marie, concern for Noel,

went along to the address at midday

on the 2nd of December. I am

appealing for anybody who saw

anything unusual, anybody and usual,

in or around that time to get in

touch with the police. I believe two

males may have gone to the address

in the days leading up to the murder

and I am keen to hear from them.

There had been speculation that Noel

was keen in the betting shops in the

area and there is speculation that

his and his daughter's death may be

related to those activities. Are you

pursuing that?

Noel was a well liked

member of his community and used to

go to Paddy Power probably about 11

o'clock every day. He did not go on

Friday. He used to bet small money.

There is no suggestion that he was

involved in big betting whatsoever.

What impact has this had on the

remaining family?

Their family is

absolutely devastated, our thoughts

are with them at this difficult

time. We have got special officers

with them. In one weekend Marie's

daughters have lost their mum and

their grandad.

If anybody has got

any information about what happened,

the police are very keen to hear

from them. The number is on the

screen. You can also contact

Crimestoppers.

You can also contact Crimestoppers.

Victoria Hollins reporting there.

There are fears that vulnerable

women may not get the help they need

because a project in Berkshire

is struggling to find

funds to support them.

Alana House in Reading is trying

to cope with a rising

demand for its services,

but with less cash.

Here's Nikki Mitchell.

I had been in an abusive

relationship.

Anita lost much of her hearing

when she was kicked in the head,

one of many episodes of abuse

she suffered during her

lengthy relationship

with a convicted criminal.

The mind games were the worst

and I can only say for me that

emotionally it was worse

than being hit because you

think and you question

yourself, it is horrible.

Of course it was like I was not

worthy, I was not anybody.

I needed somebody to

talk to really badly.

Because I had kept it

all in until I came to Alana House

and I opened the door and I remember

I was in floods of tears

and then I asked for help,

but it had to be gradual

because so much had happened.

It has been a painful journey,

but Anita is finally recovered

enough to attempt to find work.

This job skills course is one

of numerous group sessions

and workshops held at Alana House.

But most of the women

here need intensive,

individual support as well

and the charity behind the community

project is struggling to find enough

money to meet rising demand.

We will do our best to make sure

we are not turning women

away but quite honestly

it is looking very unsettled.

Sometimes we cannot offer

them individual support

or they are on a waiting list

for individual support.

We do not like to do that,

but women are coming to us

with needs that previously maybe

other agencies would have been able

to support them with.

Without us I just think

their situations would escalate.

It is hard for my son

because he has seen so much.

Where it affected my son I do not

want it to affect my grandson.

That is why Alana House

believes abandoning these

women is not an option.

Turning one woman away could have

dire consequences for their children

as well as themselves.

The boss of the UK's fifth-largest

bank has said that the Brexit vote

and changes to visa regulations

are making it increasingly

difficult to recruit foreign

graduates to work in London.

Bill Winters - the Chief Executive

of Standard Chartered Bank -

told the BBC that some people no

longer regarded the capital

as an attractive place to work.

Now have you put your

Christmas tree up yet?

It's 70 years since the first

Christmas tree was lit up

in Trafalgar Square.

It was donated by Norway

to the people of Britain

for their help and support

during the Second World War.

This year's tree is due to be

switched on in the Square tonight.

Time for the weather now,

here's Elizabeth Rizzini.

Good afternoon.

It was a rather windy morning

with some rain and it

still felt rather mild,

but as we head through this

afternoon it will gradually turn

colder, and it should also brighten

up as well.

We'll see some sparkling winter

sunshine and a blue sky.

Still a fairly brisk

wind, but temperatures

will be dropping down.

That's quite unusual, really.

We'll end the day

between 7 and 9 Celsius.

Overnight tonight, we're

going to get some very cold air

sinking down from the north,

so it will turn mighty chilly.

There will be a few

showers around as well.

Some of those showers

could turn out to be wintry,

particularly over the Chilterns

perhaps, up towards north-western

areas of the capital.

That's where we are most likely

to see some of these showers.

A bit of sleet,

perhaps even some snow.

We'll start the day

tomorrow on 2 or 3 Celsius.

There may be some frost as well.

It will still be quite windy.

We've still got the wind-chill

tomorrow morning.

Lots of sunshine around first thing,

but then we'll get this feed

of showers, particularly up

towards north-western

areas of the capital.

That's where we are most likely

to see these wintry showers.

A very cold feeling day with highs

of only between 3 and 5 degrees.

Still feeling colder

on Saturday, too.

There will be lots of sunshine

around, a brisk, cold

north-westerly wind,

but it should be dry.

On Sunday, we'll see a band of rain

spread in from the west,

possibly a little bit

of snow, too.

That's about it from me.

Riz Lateef will be here

with our 6:30 evening programme.

But for now, from us all,

a very good afternoon.