13/12/2017 London News

That's all from the BBC News at One

- so it's goodbye from me -

and on BBC One we now join the BBC's

news teams where you are.

Welcome to BBC London News.

news teams where you are.

I'm Alpa Patel.

news teams where you are.

There are claims that Londoners

are being "exploited" by landlords,

who charge large maintenance fees

- with no explanation - and

fail to carry out essential work.

One west London MP

has branded the current

system a "scandal" -

and is calling for a

parliamentary investigation.

Sonja Jessup has this report.

Look, he's sitting there,

cleaning himself.

Oh, yeah.

He is climbing.

A very unwelcome guest at this

Hounslow housing block.

Residents say they've been

complaining to their landlord for

three years about a rat infestation.

So serious, these neighbours say,

they are considering moving out.

It's like you cannot sleep

because the constant screeching

and running around

of the rats in the wall.

You've got a list of your charges.

It came as a shock, then,

when some received bills

for nearly £200 each.

They suspected to tackle

the rat problem.

But say it's not clear what they're

actually paying for.

They've never said what it's for.

It just says

it's a surcharge deficit.

They are among an increasing number

of Londoners who are complaining

about service charges,

fees paid by most leaseholders

for maintaining communal areas.

And, as more new flats rise up,

legal experts

say it's inevitable that so too

will the number of disputes.

Some service charges add up

to thousands of pounds per year.

These are quite large

sums of money now.

They can be two, three, £4000,

for relatively modest properties.

We are not talking

your One Hyde Parks.

This MP has heard so many complaints

she is calling for a parliamentary

investigation into service charges

across the country.

I am very concerned that residents

are being exploited and that this

is little short of a scandal.

We know that there is a huge need

for affordable housing and models

like shared ownership but I believe,

it's a matter of great concern.

She wants stronger legislation

so residents are clear what charges

are for what service to expect

and a fair system to

deal with complaints.

The residents feel the charges

are an unfair they can challenge

them in court but that can be

a complex and costly process.

That's something Pamela Rose

and her neighbours discovered.

She's tried to challenge

service charges which she

believes are unfair.

She says she has sometimes received

bills for hundreds of pounds,

often with no explanation.

When you open a bill,

you just don't know...

You start crying.

Sometimes, just cry.

Because just to think,

what am I working for?

Where'd you get the money from?

They just increase the charges

for whatever they want.

Her block is managed by the housing

association a2dominion,

the focus of many of the complaints

to the local MP.

In a statement, they told us...

"We always aim to ensure our service

charges are as clear

and transparent as possible."

"When a scheme requires

major or cyclical works,

such as repairs to the roof,

we write to residents

in advance to consult them."

"We also offer payment

support and advice."

"We are sorry to hear that some

of our residents have concerns

and we are providing as much

information and help as we can."

"We would stress that a2dominion

does not make any money from service

charges but simply recovers

the actual costs spent."

A2dominion has also

apologised for the ongoing

problem with rats here.

It says it has been working hard

to tackle it and is now

carrying out further works.

It says the £200 builds its centre

residents are not related but,

so far, has been unable to tell

us what they are for.

The government has just carried out

a consultation on service charges.

It's thought the law

could be changed in future.

Londoners like, are worried how far

it will go and whether it

will help people like them.

Sonja Jessup, BBC London News.

The RSPCA say they have found

six swans decapitated

in parks in South London.

A warning you may find this next

picture distressing.

The swans were found

dead last month.

The RSPCA have launched

an investigation and patrols are now

taking place at several parks.

London's taxi industry

is urging the Government

to introduce national standards

to better protect passengers.

It's because currently taxi

drivers who may have been

refused licences in London,

are still able to operate here,

if they have a licence

elsewhere in the country.

Now to twin brothers -

who have been reunited for the first

time, since they were born

three months ago.

It's after one of them Teddy,

almost died because of a rare

syndrome in the womb

which starved him of nutrients.

James Ingham has been to meet them.

This is a big day

for Joseph and Danielle,

and their identical twin boys.

They are taking Teddy

home from hospital

to be reunited with his brother,

Ronnie.

I'm scared.

I'm very excited.

I never thought I'd see this day.

I was told so much in my pregnancy

that he might not make it and it's

just a miracle that he is here now.

Teddy and Ronnie had twin to twin

transfusion syndrome.

That meant that Ronnie got more

than his share of blood

and nutrients in the womb leaving

Teddy with dangerously little.

They were born premature.

Ronnie weighed less than 3lbs.

His brother half that.

And so began Teddy's

long hospital stay.

After a final lesson with

an oxygen tank that Teddy needs,

it's time to say goodbye

to the ward.

I'm walking around like

a Cheshire Cat all day and

to have them coming home finally,

I never thought I'd see the day.

Here we are, boy.

Ronnie and Teddy have only lain side

by side for a few brief minutes.

Reuniting them is, well,

exciting doesn't really cover it.

I cannot put this into words.

This is amazing, isn't it?

And that's because there is very

strong chance that one or both

of these twins would not survive.

When their TTTS was discovered, mum

and dad were told they could carry

on with the pregnancy and possibly

lose both twins or have

surgery that would save one

but could mean the other dying.

I was devastated.

Because I didn't know

anything about it.

The reading that I'd done,

a lot of it wasn't positive.

So, it broke my heart.

It's been an ordeal.

But this couple have

got through the worst

and can now finally enjoy

both their boys at home.

James Ingham reporting.

Yesterday, we told you about

the Cinema Museum in South London

which is facing closure.

Well, Charlie Chaplin's family

have written an open letter,

asking for it to be saved.

The museum is situated in a former

Victorian workhouse and it's

where Charlie Chaplin spent time

as a child.

Today it's home to a vast collection

of cinema memrobelia.

But it's facing closure

after the building's

owners decided to sell.

The letter has been signed by five

of Chaplin's children.

And finally to a large

piece of fatberg -

which is going on display

at the Museum of London.

When it was found -

the fatberg weighed 130 tonnes.

It contains grease and sewage.

Only a small part of

it is going on display -

and is part of an exhibition looking

at what Londoners flush away.

Sorry if you're eating your lunch.

Now the Weather with Kate Kinsella.

Now the Weather with Kate Kinsella.

Not feeling as desperately cold as

yesterday but it's still not very

warm. It's still rather damp,

temperatures in positive numbers but

rather gloomy. It stays damp, some

wet weather, rather grey and pretty

breezy, as well. All in all, not

very pleasant. By the end of the

afternoon, it will start to clear

and we could see a little bit of

sunshine by the time we get to the

end of the day. Maximum temperature

around six Celsius. Click to start

with tonight and then a band of rain

moving through. Perhaps a little bit

wintry. Mostly rain. One or two

showers to follow through. Getting

quite chilly after that first band

of rain clears through. We could see

a little bit of ice potentially

first thing tomorrow morning.

Through Thursday, sunny spells,

scattered showers, breezy at first

but the wind light as we head

through the course of the day. It is

going to feel quite chilly with a

maximum temperature of five or six

Celsius. Through the weekend

progressively colder. We pick up a

northerly wind. Plenty of dry

weather and some sunshine but it is

weather and some sunshine but it is

cold.

That's it from us. Have a lovely

afternoon. Goodbye for now.