25/02/2018

Download Subtitles

Transcript

0:00:00 > 0:00:00That's all from us.

0:00:00 > 0:00:06Now for the news where you are.

0:00:12 > 0:00:15Welcome to BBC London, I'm Chris Rogers.

0:00:15 > 0:00:18Families have taken to the streets of south London to protest

0:00:18 > 0:00:20about the lack of school places.

0:00:20 > 0:00:22Later this week pupils will find out which secondary

0:00:22 > 0:00:24school they'll attend.

0:00:24 > 0:00:27And in Bromley there's anger a new school might not even be

0:00:27 > 0:00:28ready for September.

0:00:28 > 0:00:33Ayshea Buksh reports.

0:00:33 > 0:00:34CHANTING.

0:00:34 > 0:00:37Taking their fight for a school place to the streets.

0:00:37 > 0:00:38Hundreds of families marched through Bromley town centre,

0:00:38 > 0:00:42angry at the council's decision to not build a new free

0:00:42 > 0:00:46school in the area.

0:00:46 > 0:00:49The march was organised by parents and teachers who want a boys school

0:00:49 > 0:00:53to be built on this playing field in nearby Bickley.

0:00:53 > 0:00:56It's owned by Bullers Wood School for Girls, who say an all-boys

0:00:56 > 0:01:00school is needed locally.

0:01:00 > 0:01:02We have 490 applications for

0:01:02 > 0:01:07180 school places, so we know that there is a need and demand

0:01:07 > 0:01:10for this school in this area, and we are deeply disappointed

0:01:10 > 0:01:12about this decision and deeply worried about the prospect

0:01:12 > 0:01:16of opening this September.

0:01:16 > 0:01:19The local council gave the school planning permission but last month

0:01:19 > 0:01:22that decision was overturned, as a different department

0:01:22 > 0:01:26at the council found there were still concerns over

0:01:26 > 0:01:28traffic and road safety.

0:01:28 > 0:01:31The head of the borough's education department told BBC London

0:01:31 > 0:01:34they were disappointed by the decision, but reassured

0:01:34 > 0:01:39parents that all applicants will be given a place at a borough school.

0:01:39 > 0:01:42This family told me they just want to know

0:01:42 > 0:01:45if their first choice for an all boys school

0:01:45 > 0:01:47will be a viable option.

0:01:47 > 0:01:50Most of the schools within Bromley are very good schools.

0:01:50 > 0:01:54The problem is that we'd very much like him to go to an all boys school

0:01:54 > 0:01:57like his sister goes to an all girls school, within the area

0:01:57 > 0:02:00that he can walk to.

0:02:00 > 0:02:04I want to make sure I'm at a school, at least.

0:02:04 > 0:02:07And I want to know where I'm going before September so we can

0:02:07 > 0:02:08get everything ready.

0:02:08 > 0:02:10With just days to go before offers to secondary

0:02:10 > 0:02:12schools are confirmed, these parents are still hopeful

0:02:12 > 0:02:17their children will get the school they want.

0:02:17 > 0:02:19Changes to the Metropolitan Police to meet a huge budget

0:02:19 > 0:02:23shortfalls have been described as a "disaster for London".

0:02:23 > 0:02:27The Met is merging each borough, with the loss of 1500 jobs, to form

0:02:27 > 0:02:2912 new command units.

0:02:29 > 0:02:31But those opposed to the changes say they leave police

0:02:31 > 0:02:34without "the manpower" to investigate low level crime,

0:02:34 > 0:02:37as Helen Mulroy reports.

0:02:37 > 0:02:40Officers searching for hidden knives.

0:02:40 > 0:02:44They are part of policing operations in Camden and Islington,

0:02:44 > 0:02:47brought together to test the idea of merging borough commands,

0:02:47 > 0:02:50but the results of the pilot are worrying for some.

0:02:50 > 0:02:53The impact of the merger has been quite stark.

0:02:53 > 0:02:57Anti-social crime, low-level crime, those are areas where the Met

0:02:57 > 0:02:59are not bothering to investigate, they are not bothering

0:02:59 > 0:03:02to mount investigations.

0:03:02 > 0:03:04They simply don't have the manpower because of the underfunding

0:03:04 > 0:03:07by government and by the mayor.

0:03:07 > 0:03:13The force needs to save £325 million in 2022, and it's already cut

0:03:13 > 0:03:17600 million from budgets in recent years, resulting in the loss

0:03:17 > 0:03:20of police officers and stations.

0:03:20 > 0:03:24Officer numbers are expected to drop below 30,000 by April,

0:03:24 > 0:03:28the first time that's happened since 2003.

0:03:28 > 0:03:30This is highly challenging.

0:03:30 > 0:03:32The reduction in numbers, the current risk around terror

0:03:32 > 0:03:36is undoubtedly a huge challenge for the Met at the moment, coupled

0:03:36 > 0:03:38with the financial challenge.

0:03:38 > 0:03:41It means we have to think about doing some things differently.

0:03:41 > 0:03:45This week, Sadiq Khan committed an extra £110 million for the Met

0:03:45 > 0:03:48in the next financial year.

0:03:48 > 0:03:50He claims this means City Hall is paying a greater

0:03:50 > 0:03:54percentage of the Met's budget than ever before.

0:03:54 > 0:04:02In a statement, the Home Office said...

0:04:08 > 0:04:18The mergers will be rolled out across London over the next year.

0:04:19 > 0:04:22So where is that snow?

0:04:22 > 0:04:23Here's Lucy Martin.

0:04:24 > 0:04:25Hello there.

0:04:25 > 0:04:27A very cold night on the way tonight, with temperatures falling

0:04:27 > 0:04:29away to an overnight low of minus four Celsius,

0:04:29 > 0:04:31the risk of one or two snow showers.

0:04:31 > 0:04:33Tomorrow, a mixture of sunny spells and snow showers.

0:04:33 > 0:04:36The Met Office have issued a yellow weather warning for snow.

0:04:36 > 0:04:39A brisk north-easterly breeze will take the edge off temperatures.

0:04:39 > 0:04:41A maximum around three Celsius, but add in the wind and it

0:04:41 > 0:04:43will feel a touch colder.

0:04:43 > 0:04:45We have an amber weather warning in place for Tuesday.

0:04:45 > 0:04:48We could see a substantial amount of snow through the morning.

0:04:48 > 0:04:50Feeling cold again with highs of two Celsius.

0:04:50 > 0:04:51That's all from the weekend team.

0:04:51 > 0:04:52We're back tomorrow morning from 6.30.

0:04:52 > 0:04:56Until then, goodbye.