27/02/2018 London News

That's all from the BBC News at One,

so it's goodbye from me.

Good afternoon, I'm Asad Ahmad.

The BBC has found the

social media giant, Facebook -

funding a project which uses

their messenger system -

to try and deradicalise far-right

and other extremists.

Users posting illegal

content in the UK -

are identified

and contacted in an attempt to

challenge their views.

But the method has also

been criticised by some

Catrin Nye has been speaking

to someone directly involved.

Colin Bidwell is a

victim of terrorism.

He survived the 2015

Tunisia beach attack.

He has since been paid to go

on Facebook using a fake profile

to message extremists.

It's part of a project funded

by Facebook themselves.

Be nice to people, whatever your

beliefs or religion.

For me, it's simple.

Researchers found people

were posting both extreme Islamist

and far-right material on Facebook.

11 people including Colin

were tasked with trying

to challenge their views

with conversations

on Facebook Messenger.

Counter-extremism organisation

Institute for Strategic Dialogue

was behind the research.

We were trying to fill a really big

gap in responses to online

recruitment and radicalisation

and that gap is in the

direct messaging space.

In all, 569 people were

contacted on Facebook.

112 people replied.

76 had sustained conversations.

And IST claim eight people showed

signs that the conversation

had a positive impact.

People like Colin used

fake profiles to have

these conversations -

something against

Facebook's own rules.

I would say that we don't allow

fake accounts on our platform

and we don't advise people

to use fake accounts at all

in any circumstances

because they will be disrupted.

But you did here.

Exactly what the researchers did

in this circumstance was done

independently of Facebook.

The project has raised serious

concerns for privacy campaigners.

I think there are concerns over who

exactly is carrying out this work.

Even if the organisation itself

may have been involved in doing

research over many years,

it does not mean they are qualified

to carry out this quasi-law

enforcement surveillance.

I think it will make people

sceptical about the role of social

media organisations.

When are you not being monitored?

Only if they were specifically asked

were the people having

the conversations admit

they were doing it on behalf

of a research organisation.

Those behind the project argue

this was not deception,

but critics disagree.

Two men have died in a fire

in a flat above a shop

in south-west London.

They were pronounced dead

at the scene, after London Fire

brigade were called

early this morning.

Peter Stewart.

Fire crews battled the blaze until

just before eight o'clock. Two men

unfortunately lost their lives. It's

thought that the fire started in the

first floor of the property and

spread to the loft conversion and

then across to the loft conversion

of the adjoining property. Crews

from eight fire engines, a total of

53 firefighters attended the blaze.

Another five people are in hospital

suffering from the effects of smoke

inhalation.

The number of vacancies

in key medical positions -

means women in London are the least

likely to be screened

for breast cancer -

compared to women

in the rest of the country.

A study by Breast Cancer UK

shows that a quarter

of mammography posts -

are 'unfilled'.

NHS England say "cancer survival

rates have never been higher".

The winners of the new London

Borough of Culture award

have been announced

by the Mayor of London.

Waltham Forest

is the 2019 winner

and Brent is the winner for 2020.

Each borough will receive

over £1 million - to help deliver

a programme of cultural activities.

The idea is to celebrate the unique

character of local people

and places across London.

London's theatres have had a record

breaking year with attendances

topping 15 million

for the first time since data

was collected over 30 years ago.

It means numbers were up by over 5%

on the previous year -

the Society for London Theatre says

the figures show London to be

the world's theatre capital.

You might remember

these from the 1990s.

But now, these Furbys are being used

as a musical instrument

by a performer from east London

who's got a strange knack of turning

old goods and junk -

into musical instruments.

To tell us more, here's our

reporter, Gareth Furby

- and that is his real name -

but he's not related to them.

We are inside a disused

building just off

the Mile End Road in East London.

A 27-year-old called Sam Battle

who is rapidly filling this room

with electronic inventions

he has built himself.

This is my lair where I make things.

Basically, I build this stuff.

They are musical instruments, often

made out of other people's junk.

When I'm very lucky,

I find it on the street.

I've never been shy of diving

in a skip when I see one.

While not recommending

you do this at home,

but this is a skill Sam has taught

himself over the past six years.

I was quite bad

in physics at school.

I didn't get very good grades.

But I'm just very

practically minded.

So, this just, kind of, works.

He starting to make a bit

name for himself taking

his inventions on tour.

So here are his top three.

In third place, the musical bike.

With a synthesiser

and a drum machine on it.

In second place, the mega drone.

I call it a mega drone because

one pitch would be a drone

but this is 100 of them.

The point is to see what it sounds

like. If it doesn't exist, build it.

But even that can't compared to his

newest and most ambitious creation.

At number one...

This is a Furby orchestra.

It takes 45 Furbys.

I found them in charity

shops, car-boot sales,

Each of them are assigned a note and

a key to sing, so they are singing

in June.

Of course, for someone who

shares the name, which goes back to

medieval Yorkshire but was adopted

by a tour company, this is all quite

fascinated. But even some bits he

might have created something a

little unpleasant.

I've made a monstrosity.

This is like Frankenstein's evil

monster. What have I done?

It's already a viral hit

on the Internet and soon they'll be

joining him on tour.

We should have wide up Gareth Furby

to that machine and see what

happens! It's been a cold one.

It's been a cold one.

Now let's check

on the Weather with Kate.

We have seen the worst of the snow

in parts of Kent and Essex but we

are starting to see those snow

showers move across London. We

are starting to see those snow

showers move across London. We have

had a light dusting in one or two

places but also some sunny spells.

The main thing is the bitter

coldness, it really is quite raw out

there. The snow showers from the

south-east have been sweeping

across, joined by a north-easterly

wind which is bitterly cold.

Temperatures at one if we are lucky

and factoring in the wind-chill it

feels a little bit colder. Snow

showers falling in the same places

as last night but could drift a

little further west as we head

towards dawn. Italy cold, -5 minus

six. We have one or two snow showers

around but gradually they are moving

west and north so a little bit of

respite from the snow tomorrow. Some

clearer and brighter spells in the

afternoon. The wind strengthens and

it could be quite strong and feeling

very cold. Factor in the wind-chill,

it is going to feel much colder than

the temperatures. For Thursday and

Friday, this low-pressure sweeping

towards the UK and it will turn to

snow so some disruption is expected.

That's it for now.

Riz will have our next

news at 6.30 on BBC One.

Until then, stay warm

and have a very good afternoon.