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This is the official website of London Tonight, on ITV1 in London and the South East every weeknight at 6pm.


16.12.09

London Tonight Tonight

So, it's been snowing.

Not the sort of snow that brought London to a rather embarrassing standstill on 2nd February, giving lots of children (big and small) an excuse to dodge school and work and go snowballing and sledging instead. Alas, anyone hoping to get home this evening and rush straight out for snowballing is going to be sorely disappointed. Still, Mr McCallum tells me there may well be more to come tomorrow. As I speak, Robin is gathering his coat and scarf, ready to head off to Leyton to bring us the weather and a word or two on the gritters ready to hit the roads tonight.

So, that's Robin's duties laid out.

Our top story tonight (Murray Dron on duty) is Peter Tobin's conviction - found guilty today of murdering Dinah McNichol, from Tillingham in Essex. He was already in prison for murdering two other women, one of whom was found buried beside Dinah at his former house in Margate. Police are now relaunching 'Operation Anagram' which was investigating whether Tobin has many more victims to his name.

Piers Hopkirk has been working on the story of the RAF Nimrod that crashed in Afghanistan in 2006. The Government apologised for "failings" today to the families of 14 people who died. How would you feel if an official report into such a catastrophe ruled that it was an "avoidable accident"?

Sharon Thomas will bring us the background to an extraordinary statistic. It's been reported that one in five London drivers have been involved in an accident where some idiot has dropped something from a bridge onto a car passing below. She's been speaking to the partner of a lorry driver who died after it happened to him on the M3.

There was a crash in Battersea today - involving a lorry and a bus, a double-decker bus, that is - which ended up on its side. More than 20 people were injured so we sent Lewis Vaughan Jones down to get the full story.

Marcus Powell's brief is to bring us the low-down on one of those stories which turn your stomach. A grandmother who's going blind and who was fleeced by a conman of her life savings. About a million pounds' worth. Police reckon the man who took it all is somewhere in the south of France.

Carolyn Sim has been to Gatwick today to see someone sing - and she's just assured me that the Dagenham Diva (aka Stacey Solomon) can sing really rather well. She was promoting an internet competition to see who's the best at karaoke. From the X-factor to Karaoke in less than two weeks. There's fame for you. I'm kidding. She's getting paid to do it. I'd love to get paid to sing. I wouldn't bet on it.

And from the X-Factor to the 'aaah-factor'. Liz Wickham has been meeting three triplets who were born three months prematurely. All are now thriving thanks to the wonder team at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. And their parents have said thank you. By raising a quarter of a million pounds for the baby unit. There won't be a dry eye in the house. Or is that hospital.

See you at six,

Ben & Lucy

PS: By the way, our job is to keep things together. And interview the man who made "I don't believe it" a national catchphrase.

Weather blog

Good evening,
 
Snow's great. Especially at this point in December. As those of us who are perenially disorganised begin the panic of present buying, filled with self hatred at not having learnt from previous experience & resenting the fact that there are other people on the pavements too, it provides a welcome glimpse into how Christmas should look according to the cards & the movies. The practical horrors of last minute shopping are anaesthetised by soft white flakes falling from the sky & the frosted landscape demands that we take a moment to appreciate the magical transformation.
 
Then, of course, reality kicks in & the practicalities of getting to & from work/school/etc. overshadow everything else & the magic becomes tarnished at roughly the same pace as the snow turns grey & slushy. But then each time there is a fresh fall, our spirits are raised again & the cycle cranks into action one more time.
 
This will be the pattern over the next few days as the cold cuts, the frost bites & the snow flurries. Enjoy.
 
Hope to see you later,
 
Robin