Summary

  • Updates on Friday 5 February 2016

  1. Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00

    Updates for London have now ended for the day but we'll be back at 08:00 on Monday with the latest news, sport, travel and weather.  

    Have a good weekend. 

  2. On air: Is drastic action needed to keep the NHS afloat in the capital?published at 17:51 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2016

    BBC London News

    Coming up on air at 18:30 on BBC One,  Karl Mercer has more on an independent review which looked at how to run the NHS more effectively. 

    Three London hospitals were singled out as positive examples, praised for their food, energy efficiency and procurement. 

    But with health trusts across the capital running a £600m deficit for this financial year alone, is more drastic action needed to keep the NHS afloat?

  3. Mansfield on daughter's suicide: 'Why didn't you tell me it was that bad?'published at 17:48 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2016

    Anna Mansfield

    Suicide is one of the biggest killers in the UK, with new figures showing that 6,122 people took their own lives in 2014.

    Men are three times more likely to kill themselves but suicide rates in women in England are at their highest for 10 years.

    Ed Thomas spoke to the human rights barrister Michael Mansfield, whose daughter Anna took her own life in 2015 at her home in north London.

  4. US faces 'insuperable stumbling block' in extradition of Hounslow traderpublished at 17:45

    The US will struggle to extradite a trader from Hounslow accused of helping cause a multibillion-dollar stock market crash, Westminster Magistrates' Court heard. 

    Navinder Singh SaraoImage source, Getty Images

    Navinder Singh Sarao is wanted in America as he is accused of helping to cause the 2010 Wall Street crash from his parents' home 3,000 miles away in west London. 

    Defence lawyer James Lewis said prosecutors had committed a "fatal flaw" as they had not shown his alleged behaviour amounted to fraud by false representation.

    American authorities want to extradite him on 22 charges which carry sentences totalling a maximum of 380 years.

  5. Kentish Town man jailed after hospitalising journalistpublished at 17:37 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2016

    A man has been jailed for two years after hospitalising a sports journalist in a "cowardly and vicious attack", leaving him with severe traumatic brain injuries and multiple head fractures, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard.

    Gary CarterImage source, Gary Carter

    James Flanagan 35, from Kentish Town, attacked rugby league reporter Gary Carter (pictured), 35, near the station in Bethnal Green on 6 November.

    Mr Carter is still in hospital. 

    Judge David Radford said after punching the victim a number of times, Flanagan made Mr Carter vulnerable to further injury with the "cowardly deception" of offering to shake his hand to suggest the confrontation was over. 

    Flanagan pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm. 

  6. Are tunnel proposals a 'waste of money' when people sleep on London's streets?published at 17:14 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2016

    BBC London Facebook

    Thanks for all of your comments on Facebook about the new underground road proposals linking east and west London.

    Media caption,

    Tunnels planned underneath London

    Jacqui Strubel writes:, external "Waste of money, people in London still sleeping in the streets. That should be the priority!"  

    David Cavanagh writes:, external "If it works for Paris, then it will work for London." 

    Colin Seal writes:, external "It's a good idea, it will cost billions but could still be money well spent.

    "London is almost at gridlock with no space to make the changes to roads that would be required so going under ground is an obvious choice."

  7. Elephant and Castle and Stoke Newington heavily congested due to accidentspublished at 17:05 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2016

    BBC Travel

    New Kent Road is closed in both directions at the Elephant and Castle junction due to earlier accident. The area is heavily congested.     

    In Stoke Newington, Green Lanes are closed due to an accident at Riversdale Road and the traffic is severe.

    On the trains, there is a revised service on Southern between Selhurst and Balham due to signalling problems.

  8. Two cats die in a leisure boat fire in Fulhampublished at 17:00

    London Fire Brigade

    Two cats have died in a leisure boat fire in Fulham that 35 firefighters and officers fought for more than two-and-a-half hours. No one was injured. 

    Fire on a boat in FulhamImage source, London Fire Brigade

    Six fire engines attended the blaze at the Imperial Wharf Marina.

    Half of the main deck of the boat was damaged.

  9. Lewisham man one of the bouncers found not guilty of manslaughter at the Old Baileypublished at 16:35 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2016

    Lewis Thorn, from Essex, Sebastiano Ragusa, from Lewisham and Mark Pantallaresco, from Surrey, were all found not guilty of the manslaughter of Adam Hird, 30, on 15 June 2014. 

    No 65 clubImage source, Google

    Mr Hird died of asphyxiation,  post-mortem examination tests found, after trying to get into the No 65 club in Vauxhall.    

  10. Vauxhall bouncers not guilty of manslaughterpublished at 16:26 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2016
    Breaking

    Three bouncers accused of killing a man by pinning him down for "around six minutes" outside a Vauxhall nightclub, have been found not guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence.

  11. London Underground 'welcomes' cancellation of RMT Tube strikepublished at 16:14 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2016

    Steve Griffiths at London Underground (LU) says he welcomes the RMT's decision to call off the strike this coming weekend. 

    The strike was over a row about jobs, pay and rosters. 

    LU says it promised if it has to change an employee's shift at fewer than 48 hours’ notice, it will not happen again for at least six months, asking for some flexibility at most twice a year.  

  12. Watch: Gold bar shop opens in Mayfairpublished at 16:09 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2016

    BBC London News

    London is responsible for three quarters of the world's bullion trading but in terms of handling physical bars, it's a world that's largely hidden. 

    But that's about to change because the capital's first shop selling gold bars and coins has opened its doors in Mayfair. 

    It's offering investors the opportunity to buy and store the precious metal in safety deposit boxes. Helen Drew reports:

    Media caption,

    Gold bar shop opens in Mayfair

  13. Eyewitness next to the Shard reports seeing two fire engines and firefighterspublished at 16:00 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February 2016

    Amid reports of a fire at the Shard, an eyewitness who works opposite the building reports seeing two fire engines and some firefighters at ground level but says people are still working on most of the office floors.