28/12/2017 London News

Now on BBC One, it's time

for the news where you are.

Welcome to BBC London News.

I'm Sara Orchard.

An 81-year-old great grandmother

says she's been unable

to leave her flat since the lift

in her block broke down last May.

Bernice Grant and her daughter say

they've been offered a new place

but they may have to pay for it

to be made suitable

for Mrs Grant, who's disabled.

Emma North has more.

For seven months, Bernice Grant

hasn't left her flat.

I miss going out.

To see people, and talk to people.

I want to go places.

Go to the day centre, to service.

But now I can't go anywhere.

The lift in her block in Penge broke

down at the end of May.

It is still broken.

Arthritis stops Mrs Grant

from moving very far,

and the four flights up to her flat

are well beyond her.

She relies entirely on her daughter.

Thank you very much.

My daughter, she has done her best.

She sees that I have

something to eat and drink

in the days while she is away.

She keeps in touch

with me all the time.

And she comes home in the evening,

I am so glad to see her.

The housing association which owns

the block said replacing

the lifts takes time

and isn't straightforward.

It also says two other

properties have been offered

to Mrs Grant and her daughter.

Mrs Grant needs a wheelchair

and says they had to turn one down

because it was on a steep slope.

The other, her daughter

says, was uninhabitable.

A spokesman for Affinity Sutton

said, whenever we make an offer

to a tenant, we ensure

we are satisfied the property meets

the whole household's needs in terms

of accessibility and location.

Mrs Grant and her daughter have

been offered and have

said yes to a new flat,

but they have been told it is not

suitable for someone

who is disabled, and there is no

money to pay for any changes.

They may have to foot the bill.

I am blessed, she is my mum.

She has done a lot for us

when we were young and growing up.

It is payback time.

Just take our time.

The main thing is, once we have

somewhere to call our home again,

that it what we want,

that is what we need.

Both Mrs Grant and her daughter say

they can't wait for next year,

they want things to get better

whatever the cost.

Emma North, BBC London News.

Police in Hertfordshire say they're

finding at least one

so-called cannabis factory

every week in the county.

Nationally, the number

of properties discovered to be

producing cannabis has gone up.

Often, rental properties are used,

with landlords left having to pay

big repair bills once they're

vacated due to the way criminal

gangs convert properties

to produce the drug.

A new crowdfunding website has been

launched to try and help

the capital's homeless.

It's called Beam, and the idea

is that people donate

money online to individuals

who are homeless to help them get

training and qualifications to do

the job they want to do.

People can simply go to the website

which is wearebeam.org.

They can meet

homeless people, read their stories,

individuals who are referred

by homelessness charities.

They can read their career

aspirations, and contribute

to the funding of those campaigns.

An individual

becoming a plumber,

electrician or teacher.

These are different employment

as unique as the individuals.

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has

officially launched his

new women's equality campaign.

It's a video called

Behind Every Great City,

and features famous London women

like Naomi Campbell.

It aims to call on people,

businesses and organisations

across the capital to make

their New Year's resolutions

for gender equality.

The cold weather continues

but is it here to stay.

Let's get the weather

with Elizabeth Rizzini.

Good afternoon.

A cold and frosty start to today.

A few icy patches,

but we are making up

with blue sky and sunshine.

Keeping that for the afternoon.

A bit more high cloud.

A light north-westerly breeze.

Temperatures still

on the chilly side.

If you are going out night,

it will be very cold again,

a widespread frost, temperatures

as low as -3.

We will see the cloud amounts

increase from the west.

Watch out for icy stretches

as the rain comes in from the west.

Tomorrow, rather wet, particularly

in the morning, feeling milder.

Here comes the rain,

by the time we wake up,

it will be with us.

That will clear through to leave

brighter and drier spells but also

some showers in the afternoon.

Feeling windy.

The air will be milder,

top temperatures of eight.

Further wet and windy spells

expected over the weekend.

Looking very unsettled

for the end of 2017,

but also mild,

temperatures at 13 degrees.

That's about it from me.

Claudia Liza Armagh will be here

with our 6.45 evening programme.

But, for now, from us all,

a very good afternoon.