25/02/2018 London News

We're back with

the late News at Ten.

Now on BBC One, it's time

for the news where you are.

Goodbye.

Hello.

Welcome to BBC London.

I'm Chris Rogers.

First tonight, families took

to the streets of south London today

to protest about the lack of school

places for their children.

Later this week, final-year primary

school pupils will find out

which secondary school

they have been given.

Ayshea Buskh reports from Bromley,

where there's anger that

a new school may not be open

in time for September.

CHANTING.

Taking their fight for a school

place to the streets.

Hundreds of families marched

through Bromley town centre,

angry at the council's decision

to not build a new free

school in the area.

The march was organised by parents

and teachers who want a boys school

to be built on this playing field

in nearby Bickley.

It's owned by Bullers Wood School

for Girls, who say an all-boys

school is needed locally.

We have 490 applications for

180 school places, so we know

that there is a need and demand

for this school in this area,

and we are deeply disappointed

about this decision and deeply

worried about the prospect

of opening this September.

The local council gave the school

planning permission but last month

that decision was overturned,

as a different department

at the council found

there were still concerns over

traffic and road safety.

The head of the borough's education

department told BBC London

they were disappointed

by the decision, but reassured

parents that all applicants will be

given a place at a borough school.

This family told me

they just want to know

if their first choice

for an all boys school

will be a viable option.

Most of the schools within Bromley

are very good schools.

The problem is that we'd very much

like him to go to an all boys school

like his sister goes to an all girls

school, within the area

that he can walk to.

I want to make sure I'm

at a school, at least.

And I want to know where I'm

going before September so we can

get everything ready.

With just days to go

before offers to secondary

schools are confirmed,

these parents are still hopeful

their children will get

the school they want.

Changes to the Metropolitan Police

to meet a huge budget

shortfall have been described

as a "disaster for London".

The Met is merging each borough,

with the loss of 1,500 jobs,

to form 12 new command units.

The chair of the Safer Neighbourhood

panel for Camden and Islington,

where the scheme was piloted,

says police "simply

don't have the manpower"

to investigate low level crimes.

Helen Mulroy reports.

Officers searching

for hidden knives.

They are part of policing operations

in Camden and Islington,

brought together to test the idea

of merging borough commands,

but the results of the pilot

are worrying for some.

The impact of the merger

has been quite stark.

Those who suffer anti-social

crime, low-level crime

know they are not safe.

Those are areas where the Met

are not bothering to investigate,

they are not bothering

to mount investigations.

They simply don't have the manpower,

and that is a direct result

of pressure that they have

through the cost cuts they have

because of the underfunding

by government and by the mayor.

It's a disaster for London.

The force needs to save £325 million

in 2022, and it's already cut

600 million from budgets in recent

years, resulting in the loss

of police officers and stations.

Officer numbers are expected to drop

below 30,000 by April,

the first time that's

happened since 2003.

This is highly challenging.

The reduction in numbers,

the change in the pattern of demand,

the current risk around terror

and so there's undoubtedly a huge

challenge for the Met

at the moment, coupled

with the financial challenge.

It means we have to think

about doing some things differently.

This week, Sadiq Khan committed

an extra £110 million for the Met

in the next financial year.

He claims this means

City Hall is paying a greater

percentage of the Met's budget

than ever before.

In a statement, the Home Office

said:

The mergers will be rolled out

across London over the next year.

Well, there's been

talk of snow and ice.

Will it be coming tonight?

Let's find out with Lucy Martin.

Let's find out with Lucy Martin.

Hello.

A cold but bright day today,

but it will turn increasingly cold

through the next few days,

the risk of some snow.

A cold night to come.

We'll see clear skies but cloud

tending to increase from the east

through the early hours,

with the risk of one

or two snow showers.

Temperatures falling away

to an overnight low around

minus four Celsius.

We are looking at a very cold night.

A cold start tomorrow,

with a touch of frost.

Tomorrow, a day of sunny

spells and snow showers.

The Met Office has issued a yellow

weather warning for snow.

Those showers carried in on a brisk

north-easterly breeze,

so it will be feeling very cold,

despite temperatures reaching

a maximum of three Celsius,

that cold wind will take

the edge off.

As we move into Tuesday, we've got

an amber warning in place for snow.

We could see a substantial amount

of snow through the morning.

A mixture of sunny spells

and showers into the afternoon,

those showers falling as snow,

and again feeling very cold.

Temperatures at a maximum

of two Celsius.

Further snow showers

possible on Wednesday,

another yellow weather warning

in place for snow, so stay

tuned to the forecast.

We are in for a rough week!

That's all from the weekend

team at BBC London.

We're back at around

10:20pm tonight.

Until then, goodbye.