24/02/2018 London News

Goodbye.

Hello and welcome to BBC

London News, I'm Alpa Patel.

Five homeless charities are warning

that people will die if urgent

action isn't taken to help rough

sleepers during the winter weather

over the coming days.

Temperatures could get as low

as minus seven degrees tonight.

One homeless man has

already died in Essex.

Sarah Harris reports.

It's business as usual

on Chelmsford High Street,

with shoppers and buskers out

enjoying the winter sunshine.

But a stone's throw from the main

high street, a homeless man believed

to be living rough here was found

dead after a cold and frosty night.

Workers are asking for support ahead

of the freezing snap expected this

week for rough sleepers

in and around London.

Of course I'm very concerned.

People are going to

die on the streets.

There are far too many homeless

people tonight who'll be lying

on the street in this cold,

severe, minus, treacherous weather.

People will die on these streets.

People need to, if they can,

go out and help their fellow person.

Harry's been sleeping on the streets

of London near Waterloo

on and off for 15 years.

With mental health and addiction

issues, he knows he's relying

on the kindness of others to stay

alive when temperatures

drop below zero.

He's seen many friends

die during the winters.

Mostly, like, overdoses,

found in the cold.

I've woke up with snow on me before.

Luckily someone actually

woke me up and went, like,

you know, are you all right?

Cos I wouldn't have

woke up, to be honest.

I was that cold,

you know what I mean?

Around a quarter of the country's

rough sleepers are based in London.

Close to Waterloo the numbers

have gone up, according

to council figures.

But many, like Harry,

do have a place to go.

I actually have a homeless hostel

that I stay at that I pay

a certain amount every week,

but, like, most of the time I end up

staying on the street

because I can't hack it.

I'm too used to being

outside, you know?

Severe weather protocol is in place

in boroughs across the capital.

Tonight a meal and shelter is being

provided at Hackney Town Hall,

with volunteers ready to support

rough sleepers in what's expected

to be a challenging week

as temperatures fall.

Sarah Harris, BBC London News.

The sister of a man who died

in police custody has told the BBC

she cautiously welcomes

a recommendation from the police

watchdog that five officers should

face gross misconduct hearings.

Sean Rigg, who suffered

from schizophrenia, died

after being restrained at Brixton

police station ten years ago.

His sister Marcia says

she'll continue her fight

for justice and says

the recommendations are overdue.

Volunteers have been out along

the River Lea this morning,

to help clean up an oil spill,

which has spread for miles.

The volunteers spent much of the day

near the Olympic Park putting down

absorbent pads and looking

for wildlife coated in oil.

Several birds have

already been rescued.

The Environment Agency

is investigating who was behind

the the oil slick.

It's thought to have started more

than a week ago.

Let's get that all-important

weather forecast -

here's Kate Kinsella.

Good evening.

It's been a very cold Saturday

and temperatures set to drop even

further over the next few days.

For today at least, though,

we have had blue sky and sunshine

and it's been quite a beautiful

cold, crisp winter's day,

and conditions stay

similar into tomorrow.

Overnight tonight we still don't

have much cloud, and with this cold

air temperatures are going to drop

down into negative figures -

between zero, -3 or -4

out in the countryside,

so a bitterly cold night.

We've still got this easterly breeze

and that's going to stay with us

into Sunday as well.

So a very cold start to Sunday,

that easterly wind making things

feel particularly raw as we head

through the day.

Plenty of sunshine, it stays dry,

with temperatures reaching five

Celsius, but factor in that breeze

and it's going to feel much colder.

Some snow showers expected

towards the East overnight

from Sunday into Monday and then

for Monday itself, the Met Office

for Monday afternoon has issued

a yellow weather warning indicated

by this yellow area,

so mainly towards the East,

but then as we head through Tuesday,

further snow showers expected,

the area indicated here

by this yellow patch,

so it's growing.

And then through Wednesday as well,

further snow showers.

So not only is the temperature set

to drop over the next few days,

we're going to see some snowfall

as well, which could in turn

cause some disruption.

So by midweek, yes, we've got a bit

of snow around but also look

at that temperature -

that's during the day.

Unlikely to get much above zero.

With the wind as well,

it's going to feel bitterly cold.

That's it from me and the team.

Do have a lovely evening.