18/02/2018 London News

Now on BBC One, it's time

for the news where you are.

Good evening,

I'm Asad Ahmad.

A Muslim Centre in west London

which opened its doors to victims

of the Grenfell Tower fire hours

after the blaze in June,

and continues to offer

support to local people,

opened its doors to

the general public today,

to let them see what goes on inside.

The Mayor of London also popped in,

and welcomed the initiative

which he said was a good way

for Londoners to get

to know their neighbours.

Helen Drew was also there.

It's not every day you'd

see this in a mosque,

but today is Visit My Mosque Day.

The Al Manaar Mosque in west

London opened its doors.

One of their many

visitors was the Mayor.

Fantastic, outstanding.

I think there is a lot

of questions non-Muslims have.

I think there is a perception that

something quite unusual goes

on behind the doors of a mosque.

I think it's fantastic that mosques

open their doors to show

they're an open community.

One of the great things

about London is we don't simply

tolerate difference,

we respect it, we celebrate

it and we embrace it.

I think Visit My Mosque Day

is a good way to take

a leap forward, to get

to know our neighbours even more.

Over 50 mosques in the London area

joined in today's open day.

It's not just about opening

their doors on one particular day.

This mosque played a key

role after Grenfell.

They opened their doors to everyone,

they took food parcels in,

piling them up in all the rooms,

and providing shelter.

What we say, every day of the year

is an open day for us,

because we are open seven days

a week and everyone can walk

in and ask for any service

or information they want.

But we also feel we should do even

more, in terms of raising awareness

about Muslims and the faith itself

and the mosque.

And this certainly appealed to other

faith leaders in the borough.

I think for any of the faith

communities, to invite other people

to come in and share and learn

is always going to be

helpful and positive.

It's a good thing for the whole

of our community, to learn

about more each other

and I welcome it wholeheartedly.

So much so, that he's now

planning an open day

for his Notting Hill Church.

The open day for mosques

is in its fourth year,

and is now inspiring other faiths.

Helen Drew, BBC London News.

A teenager has been stabbed

to death in west London.

The 19-year-old was found

in the early hours of the morning,

on Logan Place in Kensington.

He died at the scene,

making him the fifth teenager to die

from a knife wound

in London this year.

Detectives have made an arrest.

Children in the most deprived areas

of London are the most likely

to be obese by the time

they leave primary school.

The figures have led to a dedicated

task force being established

to tackle the problem,

which is worst in Barking

and Dagenham in east London.

Tolu Adeoye has been to the area,

where some children

told her their favourite foods.

Ice cream and sausages.

McDonald's and KFC.

Pizza, lasagne and pancakes.

It may taste good, but too much

of some of what our children love

to eat is putting them

above recommended healthy weight

ranges, and the problem of childhood

obesity is getting bigger in London.

At this group promoting healthy

eating and exercise in Romford,

children and parents told me

the challenges they can face

when trying to be healthier.

Do you find it difficult

as a parent to say no?

It is difficult, because it's

advertised and it's out

there and it's quite easy

for children to get.

The most food that we can get

access to is usually junk

food, crisps and stuff.

I do mainly African food, that

is not really helping my weight.

Because of the kind of food

I'm brought up to eat,

that is what I know

and that is what I would

introduce to my children,

so it's a bit difficult.

City Hall wants

to reverse the trend.

The search is now on for someone

to lead a new panel of experts

looking at ways to reduce the rates.

Figures show nearly 40% of children

aged ten and 11 in the capital

are classed as overweight or obese,

with weights the highest

in the most deprived areas.

In Barking and Dagenham,

44% of Year 6 pupils

are overweight or obese,

compared to Richmond,

which is the lowest at 25%.

It's bigger than all of us,

but what we can do here,

as an individual council,

is our bit for our local community.

But I think there are going to need

to be lots more joined up thinking,

like the reducing sugar,

the sugar tax.

The Mayor says he's aiming

to significantly reduce

the unacceptable level of childhood

obesity in London by 2028.

Tolu Adeoye, BBC London News.

Now the weather forecast for tonight

and the start of the week.

Hello, good evening.

Hello, good evening.

Pleasantly springlike in the

sunshine at times this weekend that

quite different tomorrow.

It's a cloudy, damp, drizzly start

to the new working week.

At least, though, it will still be

mild and it's not exactly

cold overnight tonight.

Plenty of cloud around.

The lowest of tomorrow

morning's temperatures out

towards eastern areas, 2-3dC.

A misty murky Monday morning, very

great, some thick cloud, outbreaks

of rhythm when very little in the

way a brightness, 10-11dC. Further

outbreaks of rain likely on Tuesday.

From Wednesday onwards, looking

drive and it will become colder as

we head through the week with maybe

a chilly easterly wind.

That's it.

I'll be back with our

next news at 11:20pm,

after the BAFTA Awards on BBC One.

North Londoner Daniel Kaluuya

is up for Best Actor.

We'll see how he does.

Good luck to him.

I hope you can join me later.

Bye for now.