five police officers deny gross misconduct at a disciplinary hearing after the stop and search of the british sprinter bianca williams and her partner. a big clean up begins in the south west of england after torrential rain brought flash flooding. and a special display by world war ii spitfires for a group of british military veterans. coming up on sportsday later in the hour on bbc news... joe root is added to england's squad for the one—day series against ireland — as he tries to find some form ahead of next month's world cup. good afternoon. a woman who's accused the comedian

and presenter russell brand of sexual assault says his response to the allegations has been "insulting". the woman, known as �*alice', says she was 16 at the time, and is one of four women alleging he assaulted them in the uk and us between 2006 and 2013. russell brand denies the claims saying his relationships have been "always consensual". the bbc and channel 4 — the broadcasters where he used to work — have both launched investigations. here's helena wilkinson. actor, comedian, entertainer russell brand, now accused of serious allegations by four women, including rape and sexual assault, allegations he denies. one of his accusers, alice, not her real name, alleges that russell brand assaulted her when he was in his early 30s and she was 16 and still at school. she spoke to radio 4's woman's hour and

had this to say about his denials. first of all, i think it is insulting. it is laughable he would even imply that this is some kind of mainstream media conspiracy. he is not outside the mainstream. he did a universal pictures movie last year, he just universal pictures movie last year, hejust happens to universal pictures movie last year, he just happens to have a youtube channel where he talks about conspiracy theories to an audience that laps it up. she conspiracy theories to an audience that laps it urn-— that laps it up. she also alleged his management _ that laps it up. she also alleged his management attempted - that laps it up. she also alleged his management attempted to i that laps it up. she also alleged - his management attempted to explain their relationship. he his management attempted to explain their relationship.— their relationship. he told me that his management _ their relationship. he told me that his management had _ their relationship. he told me that his management had told - their relationship. he told me that his management had told him, - their relationship. he told me that his management had told him, his agent, not to be seen out and about... , . . . about... his management had advised him not to be — about... his management had advised him not to be seen _ about... his management had advised him not to be seen out _ about... his management had advised him not to be seen out and _ about... his management had advised him not to be seen out and about - him not to be seen out and about with a _ him not to be seen out and about with a 16—year—old? him not to be seen out and about with a 16-year-old?— him not to be seen out and about with a 16-year-old? yes, they said it wasn't a — with a 16-year-old? yes, they said it wasn't a good — with a 16-year-old? yes, they said it wasn't a good look _ with a 16-year-old? yes, they said it wasn't a good look for _ with a 16-year-old? yes, they said it wasn't a good look for him - with a 16-year-old? yes, they said it wasn't a good look for him and i it wasn't a good look for him and his career. there was some kind of discussion, maybe we can say she is your goddaughter? well, we cannot say she is your niece because people know you are an only child. there

were those kind of discussions and it was... well, why don't you just stay inside? and we only met with inside the four walls of his, you know, his room.— know, his room. there are also questions _ know, his room. there are also questions for — know, his room. there are also questions for the _ know, his room. there are also questions for the bbc - know, his room. there are also questions for the bbc over - know, his room. there are also i questions for the bbc over russell brand's alleged use of their car service. 50 brand's alleged use of their car service. , ., brand's alleged use of their car service. ,, , brand's alleged use of their car service. , ., , ., brand's alleged use of their car service. ,, , ., �* �* brand's alleged use of their car service. , ., “ �* service. so you believe a bbc can't ick ou service. so you believe a bbc can't pick you up — service. so you believe a bbc can't pick you up from — service. so you believe a bbc can't pick you up from school _ service. so you believe a bbc can't pick you up from school to - service. so you believe a bbc can't pick you up from school to take - service. so you believe a bbc can'tl pick you up from school to take you somewhere — pick you up from school to take you somewhere to meet him? it pick you up from school to take you somewhere to meet him?— pick you up from school to take you somewhere to meet him? it was back to his house- — somewhere to meet him? it was back to his house. you _ somewhere to meet him? it was back to his house. you know— somewhere to meet him? it was back to his house. you know that - somewhere to meet him? it was back to his house. you know that becausel to his house. you know that because ofthe to his house. you know that because of the way these _ to his house. you know that because of the way these because _ to his house. you know that because of the way these because we - to his house. you know that because of the way these because we use? . of the way these because we use? yes, _ of the way these because we use? yes, because i had used one of their cars previously, he told mejust to tell the driver where to take me. so a bbc chauffeur driven car pick you ”p a bbc chauffeur driven car pick you up at _ a bbc chauffeur driven car pick you up at the _ a bbc chauffeur driven car pick you up at the age of 16 to take you to russeii— up at the age of 16 to take you to russell brand's house?— up at the age of 16 to take you to russell brand's house? yes. the allegations _ russell brand's house? yes. the allegations about _ russell brand's house? 13:3 the allegations about russell brand emerged on saturday in a joint investigation by channel 4's dispatches and the times newspapers.

since then more women have come forward with new claims about him. the four women are alleging the sexual assaults took place between 2006 and 2013. in a video release before the allegations were made public, but after he had been told about them, russell brand issued this denial. i about them, russell brand issued this denial. . . , about them, russell brand issued this denial-— this denial. i was very, very promiscuous. _ this denial. i was very, very promiscuous. during - this denial. i was very, very promiscuous. during that i this denial. i was very, very i promiscuous. during that time this denial. i was very, very - promiscuous. during that time a promiscuity, the relationships i had absolutely always consensual. investigations into what happened are now under way between channel 4, the bbc and a production company. i think if there was an independent person— think if there was an independent person inside an organisation like the bbc_ person inside an organisation like the bbc within the larger companies, that would _ the bbc within the larger companies, that would be really good. if we had a network— that would be really good. if we had a network of those people perhaps they could compare notes and when there _ they could compare notes and when there were — they could compare notes and when there were repeated complaints of a similar— there were repeated complaints of a similar nature about an individual, it would _ similar nature about an individual, it would start to build up a picture _ it would start to build up a icture. . . it would start to build up a icture. ,, �* ., , ., picture. russell brand is due to erform picture. russell brand is due to perform at _ picture. russell brand is due to perform at the _ picture. russell brand is due to perform at the theatre - picture. russell brand is due to perform at the theatre royal i picture. russell brand is due to perform at the theatre royal in windsor tomorrow night as part of

his live. i understand theatre managers are currently in discussions with the tour promoters to decide whether the show will go ahead or not. there are now many questions to be answered about who knew what and when, following these serious allegations. helena wilkinson, bbc news. joining me now is our media correspondent, david sillito. as we had come times newspaper saying they have received more allegations from more women which they're trying to verify, but where does this go from here? the they're trying to verify, but where does this go from here?— does this go from here? the time said those — does this go from here? the time said those women _ does this go from here? the time said those women who _ does this go from here? the time said those women who have - does this go from here? the time | said those women who have come forward, their stories have not yet been checked to verified. questions being raised about the bbc and channel 4, specific questions about chauffeured cars and haven't been put to them directly but the bb said they are investigating with some urgency what happened between 2006

and 2008 when he was working for the bbc. channel 4 said it was looking with some urgency and talking about whistle—blowing policies as well. you have got to remember, this is all about institutions, media institutions in the past, the world has moved on. russell brand is still a huge media figure. if you look at his youtube figures, some of them are getting more than 9 million views, which is more than twice than a peak—time audience in one of the channels. does he carry on having that platform? maybe questions for google and rumble and a large number of his fans truly believe that russell brand, and his denials, believe this is a plot against him. david sillitoe, thank you very much. a clean—up operation is under way in homes and businesses in parts of south west england after torrential downpours over the weekend. exeter airport has reopened

this morning after flash flooding caused it to close, but the butlin's holiday resort in minehead is being shut after heavy rain and flooding in somerset. jon donnison reports. in much of the south—west of england the big clean—up is under way. in the big clean—up is under way. in the village of harbour ten in devon, betty's cottage, now caked in mud was among the worst affected. i woke u . was among the worst affected. i woke u- in the was among the worst affected. i woke up in the night — was among the worst affected. i woke up in the night to _ was among the worst affected. i woke up in the night to hear— was among the worst affected. i woke up in the night to hear an _ was among the worst affected. i woke up in the night to hear an awful- was among the worst affected. i woke up in the night to hear an awful lot. up in the night to hear an awful lot of water, like the sea. where is all that sun coming from? i went to the window and shouted, i can't get out. i can't get out. i am so frightened, help me, please. bud i can't get out. i am so frightened, help me. please-— i can't get out. i am so frightened, help me, please. and the community has come together _ help me, please. and the community has come together to _ help me, please. and the community has come together to help _ help me, please. and the community has come together to help out - help me, please. and the community has come together to help out the i has come together to help out the 95—year—old. she has come together to help out the 95-year-old— 95-year-old. she was distressed, very distressed. _ 95-year-old. she was distressed, very distressed. it _ 95-year-old. she was distressed, very distressed. it is _ 95-year-old. she was distressed, very distressed. it is her - 95-year-old. she was distressed, very distressed. it is her 96th - very distressed. it is her 96th birthday— very distressed. it is her 96th birthday in two weeks' time. her

furniture — birthday in two weeks' time. her furniture was floating in this room and when — furniture was floating in this room and when i — furniture was floating in this room and when i climb through the window i had and when i climb through the window i had to— and when i climb through the window i had to step into, literally it was over— i had to step into, literally it was over my— i had to step into, literally it was over my knees.— i had to step into, literally it was over my knees. poor betty, all the mud went in. _ over my knees. poor betty, all the mud went in, it _ over my knees. poor betty, all the mud went in, it must _ over my knees. poor betty, all the mud went in, it must have - over my knees. poor betty, all the mud went in, it must have been i over my knees. poor betty, all the - mud went in, it must have been about three _ mud went in, it must have been about three or— mud went in, it must have been about three or four— mud went in, it must have been about three or four inches _ mud went in, it must have been about three or four inches deep, _ mud went in, it must have been about three or four inches deep, all- mud went in, it must have been about three or four inches deep, all the - three or four inches deep, all the way through— three or four inches deep, all the way through the _ three or four inches deep, all the way through the house. - three or four inches deep, all the way through the house. the - three or four inches deep, all the i way through the house. the village has rallied — way through the house. the village has rallied together— way through the house. the village has rallied together and _ way through the house. the village has rallied together and we - way through the house. the village has rallied together and we have i has rallied together and we have been _ has rallied together and we have been shovelling _ has rallied together and we have been shovelling and _ has rallied together and we have been shovelling and cleaning - has rallied together and we have been shovelling and cleaning it i has rallied together and we have i been shovelling and cleaning it out. after a _ been shovelling and cleaning it out. after a weekend _ been shovelling and cleaning it out. after a weekend of— been shovelling and cleaning it out. after a weekend of heavy— been shovelling and cleaning it out. after a weekend of heavy rain, - been shovelling and cleaning it out. i after a weekend of heavy rain, roads were turned into rivers. this was the high street in minehead in somerset. i the high street in minehead in somerset-— somerset. i went shopping in minehead. — somerset. i went shopping in minehead, just _ somerset. i went shopping in minehead, just off— somerset. i went shopping in minehead, just off the - somerset. i went shopping in minehead, just off the main i somerset. i went shopping in - minehead, just off the main street. it will be devastating for many shops and for those, like myself, who are not insured for flood damage. who are not insured for flood damaue. ., . ,, who are not insured for flood damaue. ., . ., damage. for anyone holidaying in the nearby itutlins — damage. for anyone holidaying in the nearby butlins it _ damage. for anyone holidaying in the nearby butlins it would _ damage. for anyone holidaying in the nearby butlins it would have - damage. for anyone holidaying in the nearby butlins it would have been - damage. for anyone holidaying in the nearby butlins it would have been a i nearby butlins it would have been a weekend to remember. although not in a good way. the resort, forced to close. this family in swindon woke up close. this family in swindon woke up to found they had got a swimming

pool where the garden once was. in devon, it is feared it could take several days for floodwaters to recede. under exeter airport was forced to close yesterday, but has now been able to reopen. many areas where affected by lightning. the ceiling caved in in this house in totnes when it was struck, blowing out the electrics. it totnes when it was struck, blowing out the electrics.— out the electrics. it was 'ust a massive bang, * out the electrics. it was 'ust a massive bang, flash. h out the electrics. it was 'ust a massive bang, flash. 1h out the electrics. it wasjust a massive bang, flash. i saw. out the electrics. it wasjust a - massive bang, flash. i saw sparks coming off the house down the road. they vibrated the whole house, vibrated my body. the unsettled weather is _ vibrated my body. the unsettled weather is expected _ vibrated my body. the unsettled weather is expected to - vibrated my body. the unsettled weather is expected to continue | vibrated my body. the unsettled - weather is expected to continue this week with heavy rain and flood warnings in wales and the north of england over the coming days. jon donnison, bbc news. our correspondent janine jansen joins us from the village of harberton, in south devon. what is going on there now, quite a mess and quite a clean—up, i guess? a massive clean—up, mud and mess

everywhere. on saturday night and yesterday, torrents of water coming down this path. 20 homes were flooded, some up to chest high. there were 1000 lightning strikes across the region yesterday and about a month's rain fell in about six hours. this is betty's home. she was trapped upstairs late on saturday night on the water was two feet six high. they have been helping today, the community, about 50 people have been helping and they have cleaned out about 100 buckets of mud. jonathan, you came to her rescue? i of mud. jonathan, you came to her rescue? ., , ., rescue? i did, i was woken at three o'clock by binns _ rescue? i did, i was woken at three o'clock by binns floating _ rescue? i did, i was woken at three o'clock by binns floating past - rescue? i did, i was woken at three o'clock by binns floating past my i o'clock by binns floating past my window — o'clock by binns floating past my window and i saw torchlight and i knew _ window and i saw torchlight and i knew betty would be anxious. i ended up knew betty would be anxious. i ended up climbing _ knew betty would be anxious. i ended up climbing through the kitchen window— up climbing through the kitchen window into this room where her furniture — window into this room where her furniture was floating in about two foot of _ furniture was floating in about two foot of water. i waded across and went _ foot of water. i waded across and went upstairs to comfort her and cairn _ went upstairs to comfort her and calm her— went upstairs to comfort her and calm her down.— went upstairs to comfort her and calm her down.- it - went upstairs to comfort her and calm her down.- it is - went upstairs to comfort her and i calm her down.- it is what

calm her down. brilliant. it is what ou have calm her down. brilliant. it is what you have to _ calm her down. brilliant. it is what you have to do _ calm her down. brilliant. it is what you have to do for— calm her down. brilliant. it is what you have to do for neighbours. - calm her down. brilliant. it is what you have to do for neighbours. i i you have to do for neighbours. i have spoken to betty today, she is staying with friends and she is in high spirits. she did say she thought she might drown but he's confident they will find her somewhere to stay over the next few days. somewhere to stay over the next few da s. . ~' , ., , somewhere to stay over the next few das. . , . the former prime minister liz truss has defended last year's controversial mini—budget and the choices she made during her brief stay in downing street. in a speech today, she said she was pressured into committing what she called a "counterproductive" u—turn on her plans. she called for tax cuts, benefits to be increased more slowly, and the retirement age to be raised. our political correspondent iain watson was watching. he joins us from westminster. did she have any regrets about her brief time in office?— brief time in office? well, during that i brief time in office? well, during that i think _ brief time in office? well, during that i think month _ brief time in office? well, during that i think month and _ brief time in office? well, during that i think month and a - brief time in office? well, during that i think month and a half- brief time in office? well, during | that i think month and a half also in office, she did express some regrets but they were almost too few to mention. she considered she went

a bit fast with her policy agenda, but as for the policies themselves she defended them. she said she didn't want to be part of the conservative party soap opera, so no direct attack on rishi sunak, but the policy goals between them was clear. many of the things she called for where the opposite of what he is doing. business tax and corporation tax, she wanted to cut it, he has increased it. the top rate of income tax, she wanted it to be abolished and he increased its scope. she has criticised his windfall tax for scaring off investment. all of this isn't necessarily of historic interest, because if her party were to lose the next election and some of the ideas that liz truss is advocating for example, reining in spending, cutting taxes, all of that would have been part of a very big debate. . . ., ., ,, would have been part of a very big debate. . . . . ~ i., , debate. iain watson, thank you very

much. five metropolitan police officers have denied gross misconduct at a disciplinary hearing over the stop—and—search of athlete bianca williams and her husband. the british sprinter and her partner ricardo dos santos were stopped while driving with their baby in west london three years ago. video emerged of them being restrained and handcuffed as they were searched for weapons and drugs. our community affairs correspondent adina campbell reports. wait, wait, wait, he didn't do anything. wait, wait, wait, he didn't do an hina. . . wait, wait, wait, he didn't do anything-— wait, wait, wait, he didn't do an hinu. , , ., a, anything. this is the moment bianca williams under _ anything. this is the moment bianca williams under husband's _ anything. this is the moment bianca williams under husband's are - anything. this is the moment bianca williams under husband's are pulled| williams under husband's are pulled overin williams under husband's are pulled over in maida vale, west london. my son is in the car. nobody is going to be _ son is in the car. nobody is going to be hurt. — son is in the car. nobody is going to be hurt, get out of the car. restrained _ to be hurt, get out of the car. restrained and handcuffed with their three—month—old baby son in one of the back seat, the pair and their car is searched for weapons and drugs. the search goes on for 45 minutes. nothing is found and none of them are arrested. bianca williams, a well—known figure in

british athletics has won a number of medals at championship level throughout her sporting career. her partner, ricardo, a portuguese printer, also compete professionally. video of the couple being stopped and searched it was widely circulated on social media. leading to the metropolitan police referring itself to the police watchdog, the independent office for police conduct. speaking after they were pulled over, the couple say they believed they were targeted because they were black. trr;r they believed they were targeted because they were black.- they believed they were targeted because they were black. try to get m self because they were black. try to get myself back — because they were black. try to get myself back into _ because they were black. try to get myself back into the _ because they were black. try to get myself back into the car _ because they were black. try to get myself back into the car because i l myself back into the car because i have got a baby and my mother instinct kicked in and i'm not leaving my son in the car. he is a baby. they were just so aggressive and i don't think they needed to be. at the opening of the hearing, the five officers appeared in person to deny gross misconduct. and acting police sergeant and four police constables are facing allegations of breaching professional standards of

police conduct, including the use of force, authority respect and courtesy and equality and diversity. if proven, they could be sacked. the hearing is expected to opinion until the end of next month. a rare prisoner swap is planned today between iran and the united states with five american prisoners due to fly back to the us. here's the scene in doha as the media waits for them to arrive in qatar, which has brokered the deal. five iranians imprisoned in the states will also be released. under the agreement, iran will be allowed access to $6 billion worth of oil revenue which had been frozen as part of sanctions against the iranian regime. these are three of the prisoners iran is scheduled to set free — morad tahbaz, a wildlife conservationist who also holds british citizenship,

and emad shargi and siamak namazi. our chief international correspondent, lyse doucet, is in doha. this swap happening as we speak, but it is controversial in the us? yeah, at long last this rare moment of co—operation is unfolding. we have just been told that the five american prisoners have arrived at tehran tudors airport, it is a two hourflight here to tehran tudors airport, it is a two hour flight here to doha international airport, the old one. it is a deeply controversial deal, highly complex, but also very compassionate. president biden, the us president, has vowed to bring all americans home, including these five americans home, including these five americans who also hold iranians passports which the us describes as one fully detained, but they are widely regarded as hostages, used by iran as bargaining chips. the money which has arrived here in qatar banks this morning, $6 million,

iranians money, they through selling oil to south korea. they can't access that directly, only third parties can use it to purchase non—sanctioned goods, including food and medicine. but the disagreements over this money, iran is saying, underlines the distrust which still exists between old enemies, despite this rare moment of co—operation, and the end of a deeply painful personal ordeal. lyse doucet, our chief international correspondent, many thanks. more than a week on from the deadly floods that hit the libyan city of derna, 10,000 people remain officially missing. thousands of people were killed when two dams above the city broke during a powerful storm. the un says the death toll so far stands at some 11,300. joe inwood reports.

one week on, sabrine still searches for her family. "if i could pull this building off with my hands, i would," she says. this was where her entire family used to live before the wall of water hit the city of derna and claimed so many lives. "oh god, even one body, my god," she says. "just let me find even one body. god have mercy on us. who can we hold accountable, who is responsible? to whom can i say, you are responsible for this? why would a whole family die? a whole family was finished." and the death toll has continued to steadily rise. it is officially over 11,000, with a further 10,000 registered missing. one of them is abdul�*s sister. he has given up hope of finding her alive. translation: we announced her death without finding her body. _

it was the logical thing to do. seven days had passed. god was our only hope, because our house was close to the water and the wave was so big. it was very likely that she was washed out to sea. all the while, the situation for those who survived continues to worsen. the situation is far from being stable at the moment. unhcr has already provided core relief items as a first and immediate response, but the needs are huge and a lot more support is needed and urgently. it is still difficult to comprehend the scale of the tragedy that hit derna, the suffering it caused, that is far from over. joe inwood, bbc news. the time is1.20. our top story this afternoon. one of russell brand's accusers tells the bbc his response to allegations of rape and sexual assault is insulting. the comedian has strongly denied the claims. and still to come...

is there anything sadder looking than a closed bar? pubs are closing at a rapid rate. we will be looking at a rapid rate. we will be looking at why and what others are doing to try and survive. coming up on sportsday in the next 15 minutes on bbc news... england take another step towards the rugby world cup quarterfinals. it's now two wins out of two, but there's still room for improvement. if you've filled up your car recently you'll know that fuel prices have been creeping up again, although they're nowhere near last summer's huge record highs. the recent rise is being put down to globalfactors, including opec, the group of oil—producing countries, deciding to cut production. one issue for motorists is that prices between the forecourts can vary widely but the government now has plans to make it easier to compare the prices between them.

our transport correspondent katy austin reports. if you've noticed the cost of filling up is going up, you're not alone. it's just too much. it's just... it makes it really difficult to get to work each day. you don't want to come into london. you end up stuck in traffic, we've got 20 mile an hour zones. it's relentless. companies are making windfall profits and in a time where everyone is struggling to make ends meet. fuel is such a basic need that i do think, yeah, it should be something of a priority. i don't know what to think, really. it's extortion, isn't it? it's extortionate, isn't it? businesses which depend on driving like this driving instructor are feeling the pinch. a year and a half ago, £16 to £70 a week on fuel. so what's it now? anything up to £120 a week. we can't afford to pass it on to customers. they can't afford to pay any more than what they're paying now.

if you're buying petrol or diesel, there can be big variations in how much you pay. it looks like we've got a tesco supermarket coming up here, so we'll see what the price is like there. in northampton, i drove past four different forecourts, only a couple of miles away from each other... it looks like this is an esso one. ..all displaying different prices per litre. we've onlyjust round the corner and actually this forecourt here is showing much higher prices. just look at that. there are quicker ways than just driving around to compare prices at different forecourts. there are a couple of price comparison apps which i've got here on my phone. in northern ireland, an official price comparison tool is thought to have helped keep prices down. so could that help in the rest of the uk? well, after the competition watchdog found some retailers had been charging more than they should, many now make daily prices available online and the government is looking

at making businesses provide up—to—date price data and putting it into a tool like an app. therefore, everybody can see exactly what is being charged from the independent fuel retailers right up to the big fuel companies and supermarkets as well. so do you think that would bring prices down? yes, i think it would. while efforts are under way to make prices more transparent, they remain relatively high at the moment and experts say it won't get better any time soon. katie austin, bbc news. a fatal accident inquiry into the deaths of a couple who lay undiscovered by the side of a motorway for several days has begun. it took three days for police to attend the scene of a crash which killed lamara bell and her boyfriend john yuill when their car came off the m9 near stirling in 2015. police scotland was later fined £100,000 after admitting corporate criminal liability. catriona renton has been listening to this morning's evidence in falkirk.

catriona, just bring us up—to—date. the point of a fatal accident inquiries like this one is to establish the facts of what happened. this morning we have been listening to a list of facts which have already been agreed by the parties involved. we heard thatjohn yuill and lamara bell have been on a camping trip in rural perthshire, they had left in the early hours of they had left in the early hours of the morning in a car driven byjohn yuill which later crashed down the embankment of the m9. the last contact with the mobile phone of john yuill was early in the morning, a member of the public reported the crash to the police. the inquiry heard that the police officer who took that call failed to create an incident report or otherwise log the call, therefore no action was taken. emergency services didn't arrive until three days later, by then, john yuill was already dead, lamara bell was conscious, she died four

days later in hospital. experts had previously said that lamara bell would in all probability have survived had she had appropriate medical treatment in the hours after the crash. the inquiry also heard thatjohn yuill had been drinking and taking cannabis before he drove away that night and that he only had away that night and that he only had a provisional driving licence. in the coming days this inquiry will hearfrom the coming days this inquiry will hear from witnesses and it is expected to last for up to six weeks. ., ., ., ., ,, i. , weeks. catriona, thank you very much. figures show that two pubs a day have closed in england and wales in the first half of the year. government statistics reveal that 230 pubs shut in the three months to the end ofjune. that's up from 153 in the previous quarter. campaigners have called for planning laws to change to protect pubs. our correspondent danny savage is in richmond, north yorkshire, for us this lunchtime. danny. yeah, this is the fleece in richmond, in north yorkshire, the

bar looks great but the problem is there is no beer in the lines, there is no drinks in the fridge, and if we look at the rest of the front bar here, it is all covered in dust sheets because this place is now up for sale. so, sheets because this place is now up forsale. so, how bad is sheets because this place is now up for sale. so, how bad is it for the pub industry in the uk at the moment? well, two pubs per day closing in england and wales, 383 shot their doors between january and june this year. compare that to last year, when 386 closed across the whole of 2022. so, that rate of closure has increased quite rapidly in the first half of this year. and this place is not alone, there is a pub called the swan down the road, that shut a few weeks ago, and there is the george and dragon at hudson well, a community pub which has only just reopened this weekend after closing for a period because again they weren't making ends meet. what is the problem? well, if you talk to hotel managers and pub landlords,

it's the overheads, it's getting staff in, that is an issue, trying to attract and keep staff, and having large overheads, and the owner of this place, i talked to earlier, is calling for another cut in vat to try and stop places like this from closing. we will have more on the six o'clock news later this evening. danny savage, many thanks. when it comes to stirring sights and sounds, a pair of spitfires soaring over the rolling fields of kent takes some beating. but that was the treat arranged for a group of british military veterans, including some who'd fought in the second world war. asjohn maguire reports, they all got a chance to inspect the planes up close. as the years pass, this band of brothers may become smaller, but their bond remains unbreakable. they've been brought here to see the historic aircraft at biggin hill by the cabbies from the taxi charity for military veterans. it means the world to them.

it's a family. excuse me. so, it means a lot to you. oh, things like this keep me alive. and for one chelsea pensioner, there's the chance notjust to see a spitfire up close, but to fly in one. a dream come true. i know most of the things about the battle of britain and the young age of the pilots that went up and made the ultimate sacrifice. and now i'm able to go up in an aircraft, this iconic aircraft. nothing rivals the looks, the speed, the feel of the spitfire. well, mike will have flown in many different aircraft during his military career, but never, of course, in a spitfire. a plane he says he's loved his whole life. so what's the experience like for him? this just about beats everything.

it's the actual aircraft that was used in 1940, wasn't it? it was absolutely mind—blowing. mike's flown from biggin hill, a vitalfighter base in the battle of britain, to the skies where the dogfights took place along the white cliffs of the south coast. he's shown what the aircraft can do and is even given the chance to take the controls. you seem a bit overwhelmed? i am, it's absolute pleasure and honour to be in this...over beachy head, over the channel, flying in formation with another spitfire. and then doing the victory roll. archive: disabled heroes of two i world wars left the star and garter, richmond and four other homes to be taken by taxis to— worthing for the day. this year is the 75th anniversary of the taxi charity, bringing veterans together for one reason. the privilege of what we've got, the life we live, the freedom we have, the freedom of speech. that's the reason i got involved. just my little way

of saying thank you. it was time to enjoy the company of comrades and to reminisce, a day to remember. and for one former soldier, a day to never forget. john maguire, bbc news, biggin hill. time for a look at the weather. here's chris fawkes. and we were seeing some of the effects of the storm and the rain in the south—west of england? the south-west of england? that's riaht, the south-west of england? that's right. ben. — the south-west of england? that's right. ben. i— the south-west of england? that's right, ben. iwonder_ the south-west of england? that's right, ben. iwonder if— the south-west of england? that's right, ben. i wonder if quite - the south-west of england? that's right, ben. i wonder if quite a - the south-west of england? that's right, ben. i wonder if quite a few| right, ben. i wonder if quite a few people are a bit tired this morning, and the chances are it was these noisy thunderstorms which were responsible. in some areas we had extreme falls of rain, in swindon, one months' worth in the space of an hour. we had some flash flooding in parts of devon yesterday as well. this week will often be wet and windy because we have got a very powerfuljet windy because we have got a very powerful jet stream across the atlantic which is blowing at 150mph,

it is the jet stream which