0:00:00 > 0:00:13and on BBC One we now join the BBC's news teams where you are.
0:00:13 > 0:00:14Welcome to BBC London News. news teams where you are.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18I'm Alex Bushill. news teams where you are.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21Every year 250 tonnes of mostly plastic is pulled out
0:00:21 > 0:00:22of the River Thames.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25The Port of London Authority says the issue of plastic bottles
0:00:25 > 0:00:26in particular is getting worse.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28And it' having an impact on marine life.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Here's our environment correspondent Tom Edwards.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33Benefit more from a cochlear
0:00:36 > 0:00:41Scooped out of the Thames. This is the type of rubbish they regularly
0:00:41 > 0:00:46pull out of the river. The majority of the debris is now disposable
0:00:46 > 0:00:54plastic bottles. They still call this the drift wood
0:00:54 > 0:00:59service, they used to mainly pull floating wood out. Now the main
0:00:59 > 0:01:04problem causing their collectors is plastic.You can see from the actual
0:01:04 > 0:01:10surface of the water, mainly the plastic bottles of various type,
0:01:10 > 0:01:16bits of straw, plastic cups, and also bits of plastic bag.Tania
0:01:16 > 0:01:20works for the port of London authority. She says the amount of
0:01:20 > 0:01:25plastic is increasing and it will have an impact on marine life in the
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Thames, the estuary and the North Sea.There is a lot of concern round
0:01:28 > 0:01:32it being in the sediment and what animals are feeding on. We are
0:01:32 > 0:01:36starting to see through studies that some of the crabs and fish are
0:01:36 > 0:01:39starting to eat it and it is filling their stomachs so they are not
0:01:39 > 0:01:39starting to eat it and it is filling their stomachs so they are not able
0:01:39 > 0:01:46to feed. We are working with academics along the Thames as to how
0:01:46 > 0:01:51that transfers into the fish, birds and mammals so we have more seals
0:01:51 > 0:01:56and porpoises using the Thames, how that might affect then.Most of the
0:01:56 > 0:02:01plastic that finds its away in has been used only once. Some is dumped.
0:02:01 > 0:02:07Other smaller bits come through the sewage system.Theers perts have
0:02:07 > 0:02:12measured how many plastic bottles are going in to collections and it
0:02:12 > 0:02:15is about 15 every hour. They pull out about 250 tonnes of waste every
0:02:15 > 0:02:22year. And that is just a fraction what goes into the river.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26These tiny white spots are polystyrene that has broken down in
0:02:26 > 0:02:32the river.This is a snail that more typically would live in the upper
0:02:32 > 0:02:37ends of the tidal Thames so Teddington way, and that is
0:02:37 > 0:02:41obviously been disturbed and brought down this far, scooped up and caught
0:02:41 > 0:02:46up in the debris but also on the pieces of plastic.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50Now the authorities want people to think much more about using plastic.
0:02:50 > 0:02:57And crucially, how they get rid of it.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00The cost of clearing up rubbish left by flytippers in London is rising,
0:03:00 > 0:03:02with reported cases more than doubling in
0:03:02 > 0:03:03the last five years.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Government figures show that there were more than 1,000
0:03:05 > 0:03:07incidents reported each day in the last year, creating a cost
0:03:08 > 0:03:15of more than £18 million.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17The family of a toddler from Carshalton say they need
0:03:17 > 0:03:20to find £80,000 to fund treatment - before he loses
0:03:20 > 0:03:21his hearing altogether.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24Their son needs cochlear implants, but they can't be funded by the NHS
0:03:24 > 0:03:25under current guidelines.
0:03:25 > 0:03:33Paul Murphy Kasp has the story.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Benji runs around like any other three-year-old, but since six weeks
0:03:36 > 0:03:39old he has worn hearing aids because of a genetic condition.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41He is completely deaf in his right ear and the hearing
0:03:41 > 0:03:43in his left oar is failing.
0:03:43 > 0:03:44His doctors decided he needed cochlear implants
0:03:44 > 0:03:45in able to hear properly.
0:03:45 > 0:03:55But while he still has limited haring, the NHS won't pay for them.
0:03:57 > 0:03:58We're so incredibly frustrated.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00Some families don't decide to implant their child,
0:04:00 > 0:04:02and that's fine, but we feel because of the expert advice we've
0:04:02 > 0:04:06got from a brilliant implant centre, that that would give him the best
0:04:06 > 0:04:14chance of acquiring language, which he feel he deserves.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16With Benji unable to talk properly, his family have been learning
0:04:16 > 0:04:18sign language to try and communicate with him.
0:04:18 > 0:04:23The NHS told his mother that he won't be eligible
0:04:23 > 0:04:25for cochlear implants until he's completely deaf, and now his parents
0:04:25 > 0:04:28fear by the time he gets him the ongoing support would end up
0:04:28 > 0:04:29costing the taxpayer more.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31NHS England told us they fund cochlear implans for patients
0:04:31 > 0:04:36who benefit the most based on Government guidelines.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38They said doctors can apply for individual funding for those
0:04:38 > 0:04:41who they feel have a strong case, but that they have to
0:04:41 > 0:04:43treat everyone fairly.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47And Benji's doctors have told his mum he fits that criteria.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49They sent off a really strong application which showed
0:04:49 > 0:04:50why he deserved it.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53We don't understand why there isn't a priority to have that one off
0:04:53 > 0:04:56spending of this operation in order to avoid lots of future
0:04:56 > 0:05:04spending for Ben.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Now experts want the rules to be relaxed to allow more people
0:05:07 > 0:05:14to reap the benefits.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16The guidelines were written nearly ten years ago,
0:05:16 > 0:05:18and it is very clear from the research evidence both
0:05:18 > 0:05:21from the UK and overseas, that there are children with less
0:05:21 > 0:05:23severe hearing losses who would benefit more
0:05:23 > 0:05:25from a cochlear implant than they do from their hearing aids.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28The Government is in the process of reviewing the guidelines
0:05:28 > 0:05:30round cochlear implants, but Benji's parents wore worry any
0:05:30 > 0:05:40change will come too late for him.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43One of the most famous sights on the Thames is be
0:05:43 > 0:05:44celebrating its 80th anniversary this weekend.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46HMS Belfast is one of Britain's most significant surviving
0:05:46 > 0:05:50World War II warships - and from tomorrow visitors will be
0:05:50 > 0:05:51able to take part in special activities to mark it's anniversary.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55Matt Taylor has been on board this morning.
0:05:55 > 0:06:01It has been a prominent London landmark since 1971 but HMS Belfast
0:06:01 > 0:06:05has a very important celebration this weekend. It is 80 years since
0:06:05 > 0:06:09she was launched by the then Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's wife.
0:06:09 > 0:06:18In charge of keeping the ship such ship shape is Kevin price who joins
0:06:18 > 0:06:23us. What goes into keeping it in such good working order?Lots of
0:06:23 > 0:06:28people. And volunteer, we have a good crew onboard, we have got a
0:06:28 > 0:06:32good team that work day in, day out, but the volunteers they are the
0:06:32 > 0:06:38icing on cake if you like.Let us take back to its operational day,
0:06:38 > 0:06:45how many people would have been onboard here?If you look at say
0:06:45 > 0:06:511942, 43 there was 861, conditions were really cramped and during the
0:06:51 > 0:06:58Arctic Convoys the weather was very rough, so 60 foot wave, a lot of
0:06:58 > 0:07:03seasickness and very wet.Hard to imagine even in these day, big
0:07:03 > 0:07:09celebrations this weekend, what have you got planned?Got lots. The
0:07:09 > 0:07:14children are going to love it. There is family tacktivety, we have
0:07:14 > 0:07:19signals at sea. Morris code, face painting, nautical tattooing and
0:07:19 > 0:07:24lots of cake if they are quick enough!Sign me up. We like the cake
0:07:24 > 0:07:28bit. 15 years since you have been in charge so a big celebration for you
0:07:28 > 0:07:33at the end of the month. YfrntsYes, my department, I wouldn't say in
0:07:33 > 0:07:36charge.Good luck with this weekend, you can get yourself down here, you
0:07:36 > 0:07:44know where it is, it has been round since 1971 but a big weekend as HMS
0:07:44 > 0:07:46Belfast celebrates 80 yore years. Noo
0:07:46 > 0:07:48as HMS Belfast celebrates 80 yore years.
0:07:48 > 0:07:49Noo
0:07:49 > 0:07:51Now the weather with Elizabeth Rizzini.
0:07:53 > 0:07:58it will turn cold, we will see a chilly easterly wind and many areas
0:07:58 > 0:08:01of capital will see some snow fall. You wouldn't expect it from the
0:08:01 > 0:08:04conditions at the moment. Lots more blue sky and sunshine for the rest
0:08:04 > 0:08:09of the afternoon. Temperatures not too unpleasant at 13 or 14 degrees
0:08:09 > 0:08:13Celsius. There will be be some heavy thundery slow-moving showers, across
0:08:13 > 0:08:17the capital too, but plenty of dry weather and certainly in the
0:08:17 > 0:08:20sunshine it is not feeling too bad, the winds are fairly light. Thursday
0:08:20 > 0:08:24this evening and overnight it is set to change, we are starting to get
0:08:24 > 0:08:30cold air feeding in the from the east. Wind will feel bitter, and
0:08:30 > 0:08:35there could be snow showers into the start of the day in Essex, Kent and
0:08:35 > 0:08:38parts of Hertfordshire as well, maybe a couple of centimetres here.
0:08:38 > 0:08:43The further south and west you are, the more likely you are to stay
0:08:43 > 0:08:45above freezing into tomorrow morning but temperatures will drop further
0:08:45 > 0:08:51over the weekend. We have weather warning out for snow, and ice, so do
0:08:51 > 0:08:55take care and those warnings have been escalated on Saturday evening.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Saturday we are likely to see further snow shower, even further
0:08:58 > 0:09:02west. A bitterly cold breeze, temperatures only between one and
0:09:02 > 0:09:06three degrees Celsius. Some won't get above freezing, and on Saturday
0:09:06 > 0:09:11evening, if you are within this amber warning area you could expect
0:09:11 > 0:09:15to see disruption caused by the snow and ice into Sunday morning, Sunday,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18however is looking drier but there could be lying snow round of
0:09:18 > 0:09:21coursing and as we head into Monday, the temperatures will slowly start
0:09:21 > 0:09:22to recover.
0:09:23 > 0:09:31That is about it from me. Me. Have a very good afternoon and a fabulous
0:09:31 > 0:09:31weekend. Bye.