Our top story tonight is about an American martial arts expert who's using the scene of Ben Kinsella's murder in Islington to promote his self-defence workshops. Tim Larkin (who doesn't just teach defence, but apparently also trains Navy Seals to kill in four moves) says Londoners need to know how to protect themselves against violent crime. Some though, are critical of his methods, as well as the use of the location of Ben's death to get his message across.
Ben's family have made it clear that they don't want to be drawn into the debate in any way and completely coincidentally, I was listening to a podcast of an interview with Ben's sister, Brooke, on my phone on the way in today. She's written a book about her family's tragedy called: 'Why Ben?' She spoke really touchingly about her brother, how he sometimes drove her mad, how he was a practical joker and how he randomly wanted to become a famous tattoo artist. She said he was just a normal lad who, on the night of his death, was out celebrating the end of his GCSE's with friends (he passed them with flying colours, by the way). After leaving the pub after a fight broke out, Ben and his friends were chased by three men. Ben was stabbed eleven times, including in the heart and was left for dead. Brooke really struggles with the fact that there was no reason for the attack that night. Ben had nothing to do with the men who attacked him at any point during the evening, he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I haven't had chance to see Lewis Vaughan-Jones's report yet and wait to hear what Mr Larkin has to say with interest, but after hearing what Brooke and the rest of 16-year-old Ben's family have been through - and are still going through - since the 28th of June last year, I'll take some convincing that their wishes should be anything other than respected.
Also on the programme tonight, Phil Bayles updates us on the situation at Godstone Park. The owners of the petting zoo are said to be bracing themselves for a flood of legal claims following the outbreak of E.Coli. There are, to date, 67 confirmed cases linked to the park with eight children still in hospital. One of the families considering legal action is that of three year old Harry Dolby, who has thankfully now returned home. But now it's his sister who's in hospital.
Now, was anyone else left completely bemused by the recent goings-on in F1? To recap - and Piers Hopkirk will do this much more thoroughly at six - but Renault were handed a two-year suspended ban yesterday for their role in fixing last year's Singapore Grand Prix. They asked driver Nelson Piquet Jr to crash so that team-mate Fernando Alonso could win the race. That's the crux of it, I think, unless I'm missing something? In doing so, they put their driver, the other drivers, the stewards and the fans at risk and that's before you even start talking about how they cheated the other teams, the paying spectators and the millions watching on tv out of a legitimate race. And for that...Renault get a suspended two-year ban? I must be missing something?! So, what's all that got to do with us? Well, Queens Park Rangers part-owner and former Renault team boss Flavio Briatore, was banned from F1 for life, for his role in the scandal which now calls into question his future in the Loftus Road hotseat. So, what with all that plus rumours that Briatore's shares could be bought by the Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, Piers has got his work cut out!
Finally, on the show tonight we'll be talking about The Beatles' iconic Abbey Road album which was released forty years ago this week. Now, I like The Beatles. Neil, the Producer, REALLY likes The Beatles, but I defy anyone not to at least recognise the famous album cover of the band crossing a zebra crossing in St John's Wood. Well the authorities are now selling off the famous Abbey Road sign...not the original one, but AN Abbey Road sign nonetheless and it's expected to fetch a pretty penny on eBay. Ben Scotchbrook will be hanging out on this most famous of street corners for us later on!
Oh, and some breaking entertainment news...Chas 'n Dave have split up. We'll be rabbiting on about that a bit too.
