22/12/2017 London News

That's all from the BBC News at One.

Welcome to BBC London News.

I'm Victoria Hollins.

A prison in Hertfordshire

is at breaking point,

according to staff, who say

they need 60 more recruits to get

the unit back under control.

Neighbours living close to HMP

The Mount say they are increasingly

hearing disturbances at night time

after its claimed inmates are locked

up for hours on end due

to officer shortages.

The Minsistry of Justice says

a staff recruitment drive

is improving the situation,

but officers on the ground say it's

too little too late.

Sarah Harris reports.

Filmed from inside Mount prison,

grenades thrown by riot trained

staff to restore order after a wing

was taken over by prisoners

in the summer of 2016.

Despite an investigation

and promised improvements,

the union representing wardens

on the ground says they are back

at breaking point at

an institution that houses more

than 1000 prisoners.

They probably really need

another 60 officers.

It's compounded with

different issues.

You've got sickness

because of the working environment,

then you've got temporary promotion

because people aren't promoted

anymore, which leaves holes

on the ground floor,

which is covered by overtime.

And then everybody is

just getting burnt out

and burnt out and burnt out.

Over recent months neighbours living

close to the prison say they can

often hear disturbances

inside the main block at nightfall.

For some it's an unsettling time.

When things go wrong we do hear

noise of them shouting,

presumably banging cups

on the windows and things like that.

The kids get a little bit nervous.

They sort of want to know

whether someone is going to escape

and we are reassured that is not

the case at all, but it does prey

on your mind a little bit.

Staff at the prison are not allowed

to speak out to the media,

but off camera we've been told it's

difficult to see how the situation

can get much worse, short

of another full-scale riot.

I've just spoken to a prison

officer finishing his

shift here at The Mount.

He described conditions

working here as horrendous.

He said the staff shortages

were so bad that inmates

here are being locked up for hours

and hours on end and any kind

of relief they get from agency staff

isn't much of a help because people

are so inexperienced they are unable

to do anything other

than just menial tasks.

He said it was difficult

to see how long they can

carry on like this for,

before something serious happens.

Prisoners will get locked up

for longer, which feeds their anger

and feeds their frustration,

and then they take it

out on the fabric of

the building and the staff.

Prison officers have told the union

that they only have two thirds

of the staff they need to run

the unit safely and efficiently.

The Ministry of Justice says

they've recruited more

staff and are continuing

to bolster their numbers.

Whether it's the price of presents

or the cost of Christmas dinner,

inflation means many of us will be

feeling the pinch this Christmas.

It's been tough for many

of the capital's businesses too -

grappling with uncertainty over

Brexit.

So what are they hoping

for in the New Year,

as talks on trade and transition

get under way.

Our Brexit reporter Katharine

Carpenter been finding out.

The fire is lit, presents are

wrapped, and the tree's decorated.

But for many of the capital's

businesses helping to create

the Christmas magic,

it's been a challenging end

to the year, with the weaker pound

and uncertainty over Brexit.

These British themed baubles

are designed in Shoreditch

but handcrafted in Poland.

Ania Zankowska says she might have

to move the whole business

there if next year's trade

negotiations with the EU

create more red tape.

So my main concerns

are the value of the pound,

it is paying VAT to seven

of my suppliers and customers.

At the moment the process

is rather smooth.

When it comes to shipping

the goods to the UK,

no one knows what's going to happen

later and paperwork required might

And getting any clarity

on that will take time.

The government doesn't want to adopt

an off-the-shelf trade deal struck

elsewhere in the world,

but businesses keen to get

on with Brexit worry that crafting

a bespoke new future with Europe

will take too long.

80% of the globes made here

in Stoke Newington are exported.

They've just had their best month

ever and while keeping his largely

European workforce is important,

the company's founder

says negatively around

Brexit is unhelpful.

We've been put in this

situation through London

ignoring half the country.

I think we've just got

to get on with it.

For most of us, luxury goods

are a one-off purchase,

but it's our day-to-day shopping

where we feel the pinch most.

Inflation is running at a six-year

high of 3.1%, outstripping wages,

and food prices are some of those

that have gone up most.

The Herbert family has run this

stall since the '70s.

They say customers are still

stocking up for Christmas

and they have faced bigger

challenges than Brexit.

Food has never been that dear,

but whether it's a bigger hike,

I haven't noticed.

Has it been a good

Christmas for you?

Hopefully it will be,

the countdown is on for the weekend,

but hopefully it should be OK.

And across London the countdown

is on to secure that Brexit

trade deal and details

of a transition phase.

Come the New Year it will be

all eyes on Brussels.

"Kindness" and "commuters" aren't

two words you often hear together.

But one charity is relying

on the generosity of London's

travelling public to provide

sleeping bags, clothes,

food and other necessities to help

rough sleepers over Christmas.

Thomas Magill has

been to have a look.

We're just outside Euston train

station, where thousands of people

are beginning their journey up north

to see friends, family

and loved ones for Christmas.

But for hundreds of others who call

the streets of London home,

Christmas is just another day,

with the same struggles of having

to find enough food,

somewhere warm and safe to sleep,

and the basics that

you and I take for granted.

But now a group of people have come

together this morning.

They've set up this makeshift depot,

hoping that commuters and others

passing through the gardens

will donate what they can

for rough sleepers.

John Glackin is one

of the organisers.

An amazing response

so far this morning,

so what happens to all this stuff?

Where does it go?

All this stuff is going

directly onto the streets.

We've asked people to bring us

stuff, basic stuff -

sleeping bags, warm jumpers,

scarves, hats, toiletries -

and this stuff, we will get out

onto the streets immediately.

We will get it out today.

And of course you put out

the message on social media a few

days ago asking for donations.

What's your reaction

to the response from people?

It's fantastic, people are coming

together in solidarity.

We are asking people to help

each other and it's been

a brilliant response.

We've got 100 people

who've gone out to Hackney

and Islington and Brixton,

gone all around the town.

All day we'll be doing this, people

coming and going with stuff, simply.

We're not asking for money,

just asking for stuff.

A very simple response -

and it's needed.

John, thank you for speaking

to us this afternoon.

Best of luck with

packing everything up.

The group will be here all day

today, and it's hoped by the end

of this evening all this stuff

here will be bagged up

and distributed across London

to those who really need it.

It's felt rather mild this morning.

Let's check on the weather ahead,

with Elizabeth Rizzini.

It's miles outside, we had 12

degrees yesterday, but it's rather

boring, lots of cloud around, and we

had outbreaks of drizzle in central

and western areas. It's pushed

southwards. It should be dry for the

rest of the day. We have a light

breeze and once again we're looking

at highs of 11-12dC. This evening

and overnight we do the whole thing

again. All of that mist and murk is

going to reform once more. We'll see

the breeze picked up a touch as we

head into tomorrow morning. We'll

start the day tomorrow in double

figures for some places.

This is pattern over the course of

the weekend. It will be mostly

dried, a bit of drizzle around, it

will turn breezy and that's the

notable difference. It will stay

miles, it will stay mild on

Christmas Day. This is tomorrow in

more detail. We won't see the

colours change much at all. It will

be very similar to today. Possibly

drier for most areas, slightly

windier, highs of around 11 degrees.

A bit windy again on Sunday. You can

see the isobars tightened. The

weather front of the north of us

will not bother as much. It's

looking dry on Monday. A bit of

drizzle possible in the evening. It

all changes on Boxing Day, some

colder air and rain.

IQ very much.

That's about it from me.

Riz Lateef will be here

with our 6:30pm evening programme.

But for now from me,

have a very happy christmas.

Goodbye.