0:00:00 > 0:00:14quite windy, but starting to feel colder.
0:00:14 > 0:00:15Welcome to BBC London News.
0:00:15 > 0:00:16I'm Sarah Campbell.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18A gas leak which closed two London rail stations and caused
0:00:18 > 0:00:23an evacuation around The Strand has now been repaired.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Around 1500 people had to be evacuated from a local
0:00:25 > 0:00:26hotel and nightclub.
0:00:26 > 0:00:34BBC London's Charlotte Franks has the story.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39They might spend on a conference room floor. People evacuated and
0:00:39 > 0:00:43sent here to the royal Horse Guards hotel near embankment in the early
0:00:43 > 0:00:47hours of the morning following a major gas leak at Charing Cross
0:00:47 > 0:00:52station. Megan and her colleagues, in London for a conference, were
0:00:52 > 0:00:56staying at another hotel down the road when they were told to leave.
0:00:56 > 0:01:01We all went down the stairs and be realised something more serious was
0:01:01 > 0:01:05happening Barnett pulled fire drill or a pulled fire alarm. The streets
0:01:05 > 0:01:09were cordoned off. We did not know with a gas leak, lots of us were
0:01:09 > 0:01:13worried it might been something more serious, like an attack.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16It was pretty disconcerting, I looked at the window and they
0:01:16 > 0:01:19already had all the police lines and everything was cleared out of the
0:01:19 > 0:01:21hotel, they were just evacuating the hotel.
0:01:21 > 0:01:27Nobody really knew what was happening.Emergency services were
0:01:27 > 0:01:37called to The Strand at around 2am,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49where it is thought large amounts of gas leaking from behind Charing
0:01:49 > 0:01:50Cross station. Roads in the area was sealed off and
0:01:50 > 0:01:53a hundred metre cord was put in place.Called at 2am to a gas leak
0:01:53 > 0:01:55from a side street. We had to evacuate the nearby Heaven
0:01:55 > 0:01:57nightclub, over 1000 people evacuated from by, and evacuated
0:01:57 > 0:02:00people from the Charing Cross hotel. There was no time to collect
0:02:00 > 0:02:02personal belongings for some.I don't have my money, I did not grab
0:02:02 > 0:02:04my contacts, luckily my colleague had extra glasses so I have been
0:02:04 > 0:02:08able to see and read my phone, if I did not have these glasses I would
0:02:08 > 0:02:11be pretty blind right now. The gas company responsible repaired
0:02:11 > 0:02:15the leak towards the end of the morning of the court and was lifted
0:02:15 > 0:02:18some hours later. Charing Cross and Waterloo East reopens after being
0:02:18 > 0:02:22closed all morning. At this stage it is not known what
0:02:22 > 0:02:27caused the leak, but the gas company says it will be the focus of an
0:02:27 > 0:02:30investigation. After little sleep, Megan and her
0:02:30 > 0:02:34colleagues decided to make the best of the day ahead and go to work,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37even if some of them were still in their pyjamas.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Gun crime in London is on the rise and its victims and offenders
0:02:40 > 0:02:41are getting younger.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44That's according to a new report by the London Assembly.
0:02:44 > 0:02:45The report also highlights the concern that guns
0:02:45 > 0:02:49are being bought over the dark web and brought into the UK from abroad.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51Our Home Affairs Correspondent Nick Beake spoke to a trauma surgeon
0:02:51 > 0:02:59at the Royal London Hospital.
0:02:59 > 0:03:04We are one of London's four major trauma centres, we will see about
0:03:04 > 0:03:08700 victims of knife or gun crime every year, and just under 100 of
0:03:08 > 0:03:14those gunshots. But has increased for the past two years.How bad is
0:03:14 > 0:03:19the problem now?Violences essentially endemic in London,
0:03:19 > 0:03:25across London. Violence, whether my violence, gun crime, domestic
0:03:25 > 0:03:27violence is just increasing year-on-year and is affecting more
0:03:27 > 0:03:31and more people, who are becoming younger and younger.
0:03:31 > 0:03:36The scale of gun crime by you see and treat?It used to be that guns
0:03:36 > 0:03:40were Raya and in the arms are professionals, often people would
0:03:40 > 0:03:46never make it to hospital. -- it used to be that guns were rare. We
0:03:46 > 0:03:49have seen a much wider use of guns across the younger population and
0:03:49 > 0:03:53have had to deal with more and more gunshot injuries. The level of
0:03:53 > 0:03:57violence in London is deeply concerning, the fact that young
0:03:57 > 0:04:00people are exposed to this level of violence in their day-to-day lives
0:04:00 > 0:04:05and feeling at risk and scared about it is a big problem for society.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08A London MP has called for serial rapist John Worboys to be
0:04:08 > 0:04:09barred from London when he's released from prison.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12The black cab driver was jailed in 2009 for drugging
0:04:12 > 0:04:13and sexually assaulting passengers.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15The Justice Secretary says Worboys release is an operational matter,
0:04:15 > 0:04:18but the concerns of victims should be a priority.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21A new photograph has been released of an unknown man who collapsed
0:04:21 > 0:04:25in Central London on Boxing Day and remains unconscious.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27Detectives say this man had suffered a heart attack,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30and he's now in an induced coma.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32But as he wasn't carrying any identification, police haven't been
0:04:32 > 0:04:36able to trace his family.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40The future of Thames Valley Police's mounted unit will be decided today.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42A meeting is being held to decide whether to scrap it.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45The unit helps maintain public order at football matches
0:04:45 > 0:04:46and other big events.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49It could now be cut as part of almost £100 million worth
0:04:49 > 0:04:55of savings the force has had to make in recent years.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57A juvenile monitor lizard was found in the baggage sorting area
0:04:57 > 0:04:59of Heathrow Airport.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02It's not known where the reptile started its journey,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05but it is believed to be a Bengal variety.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07The reptile is being kept at a specialist centre close
0:05:07 > 0:05:12to the airport until it is found a new home.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16Long queues at the supermarket till could be a thing of the past.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19A new checkout system which promises to revolutionise
0:05:19 > 0:05:21shopping is being trialled in Holloway, north London.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23Lara Lewington from the BBC's technology show Click has
0:05:23 > 0:05:28been giving it a go.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Well, it's time for a rather unconventional shopping experience.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37The first thing I'm going to do is get my bag out.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40This North London convenience store is trialling a prototype instant
0:05:40 > 0:05:42check-out with the finished product being prepared for it is
0:05:42 > 0:05:49debut later this year.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Because when it comes to actually checking out the RFID tags that sit
0:05:52 > 0:05:56on all the products will be instantly scanned in one go,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59you can just put everything in here straight away,
0:05:59 > 0:06:03although it does sort of feel wrong and something sweet.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05So, I have everything I need in my shopping bag,
0:06:05 > 0:06:07but I can't leave just yet.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09In fact, this is the fun bit.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11It's time for the instant check-out.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13I've popped down my bag full of items and immediately what's
0:06:13 > 0:06:18in that bag seamlessly comes up on the screen.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20At this point you get out your smartphone,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23where you should have already downloaded the app and have your
0:06:23 > 0:06:25payment details securely stored, you need to make sure
0:06:25 > 0:06:28that your Bluetooth is turned on and at that point
0:06:28 > 0:06:32you simply tap the reader.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34A process so quick that even if the store becomes busy,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37a queue is unlikely to develop.
0:06:37 > 0:06:38So now, I can actually leave!
0:06:38 > 0:06:41But what have the public been making of this?
0:06:41 > 0:06:42It was really quick.
0:06:42 > 0:06:43It was excellent.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45I found that really, really cool.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48One thing that I struggle with self check-outs is finding the barcode
0:06:48 > 0:06:51and scanning it and it's really annoying and the fact that I just
0:06:51 > 0:06:58put it on there, done.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01IBM's long-term hope is for this technology they've created to be
0:07:01 > 0:07:05rolled out across all areas of retail, along with suitable
0:07:05 > 0:07:07sized check-out areas and the repositioning of shop
0:07:07 > 0:07:09assistants to actually assist you around the shop.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Meanwhile yesterday's launch of Amazon Go's cashierless Seattle
0:07:12 > 0:07:16store provides a place where customers can scan their phone
0:07:16 > 0:07:19on arrival and after being tracked by cameras and sensors to see
0:07:19 > 0:07:23what they pick up, have their Amazon account instantly charged,
0:07:23 > 0:07:25but whilst this sort of convenience may appeal to some, you can't,
0:07:26 > 0:07:29of course, please everyone.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31You liked it, but on balance you prefer a person.
0:07:31 > 0:07:36I'd still prefer a person.
0:07:40 > 0:07:41Fascinating.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Now let's check on the weather with Kate Kinsella.
0:07:44 > 0:07:45Good afternoon.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Well, it has been a rather grey day today, but the good news is we have
0:07:48 > 0:07:50had the temperature on our side.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53So despite the rain that we saw this morning and you can see
0:07:53 > 0:07:55here, and all the cloud, the temperature is holding.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Up in double figures this afternoon, so really quite mild
0:07:58 > 0:08:00for this point in January.
0:08:00 > 0:08:06It is, however, still going to be quite breezy, and that breeze
0:08:06 > 0:08:09is going to continue to strengthen as we head to the night as well.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11So back to this afternoon, south-westerly breeze blowing
0:08:11 > 0:08:14some showers through, just one or two, but drier than this
0:08:14 > 0:08:15morning, some brighter spells mixed in there.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18The temperature likely to get to 12, maybe even 13 Celsius.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20Now, into the evening and overnight, the temperature's not
0:08:20 > 0:08:23going to drop too far, but coming dry through the middle
0:08:23 > 0:08:26part of the night, what we're watching very closely is the wind.
0:08:26 > 0:08:27That's going to strengthen significantly as we head
0:08:27 > 0:08:30to the early hours of tomorrow morning, becoming quite gusty.
0:08:30 > 0:08:31The minimum temperature, though, as I mentioned,
0:08:32 > 0:08:33not really dropping.
0:08:33 > 0:08:34Ten, 11 Celsius.
0:08:34 > 0:08:35So staying mild and in double figures.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Now, this cold front bringing the rain moves through tomorrow,
0:08:38 > 0:08:42and associated with that rain, some very squally winds.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Gusts of potentially 30, 40 mph, maybe even stronger.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47So a wet and windy Wednesday on the cards,
0:08:47 > 0:08:50but it's still quite mild, the temperature, tomorrow afternoon.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Might just stay around 13 Celsius.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54Now, overnight tomorrow back cold front slips away
0:08:54 > 0:08:59south and eastwards.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03The wind falls a bit lighter but it also means we get some cold air
0:09:03 > 0:09:04moving in behind it.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07So as we head into Thursday it will feel a bit cooler.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09Not dramatically, but just a little bit fresher.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11But we should see the return of some sunshine.
0:09:11 > 0:09:12A chilly night, though, Thursday into Friday.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14That's about it from me.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16Riz Lateef will be here with our 6:30pm evening programme.
0:09:16 > 0:09:24But for now, from us all, a very good afternoon.
0:09:24 > 0:09:33And you can keep up with updates on the BBC website, of course.