tonight at ten: after days of mounting pressure, the leader of the west london council responsible for grenfell tower is to step down. were you pressured by number ten to resign? nicholas paget—brown, from kensington and chelsea, said the scale of the tragedy inevitably meant the borough couldn't cope alone. as council leader i have to accept my share of responsibility for these perceived failings. documents obtained by the bbc suggest cladding fitted to grenfell tower during its refurbishment was changed to a cheaper version. meanwhile, the labour leader jeremy corbyn puts pressure on the prime minister to speed up the public inquiry into the tragedy and to clarify its remit. also tonight. a coroner says the presence of lifeguards on camber sands might not have prevented the deaths of seven men last summer. several people, including doctors, are reportedly shot this evening inside a hospital in new york. and the tour de france starts tomorrow, with britain's chris froome seeking a fourth win in five years.

and coming up in sportsday on bbc news, the british and irish lions have been told they need to man up if they are to beat the all blacks in the second test and keep the series alive in new zealand. good evening. the leader of kensington and chelsea council, nicholas paget—brown, has announced that he's standing down — after days of mounting criticism of the authority's response to the grenfell tower fire. it was rebuked by downing street after a decision last night to abort a public meeting — and there's been further evidence that cost—cutting resulted in a downgrading of building refurbishments. in his statement, mr paget—brown said he had to accept responsibility for what he called "perceived"

failings after the tragedy — which has claimed, according to police, at least 80 lives. here's our home affairs correspondent, tom symonds. were you pressured by no 10 to resign? the pressure simply got too great. he was the leader criticised with failing to cope with the crisis in his backyard. his council quickly lost the confidence of grenfell‘s victims. chanting: we wantjustice! we want justice! two weeks ago, his council offices were invaded. and last night, he couldn't even hold a council meeting after deciding that it wasn't possible to speak freely because journalists were in the room. in particular, my decision to accept legal advice that i should not compromise the public enquiry by having an open discussion in public yesterday, has itself become a political story. and it cannot be right that this should have become the focus of attention when so many are dead or still unaccounted for. and this was the reaction

to his resignation. it is good news because there needs to be big changes made in the council and this is at least a start. mr paget—brown claims no council could have coped with this. he thanks the community for its response, the emergency services, other london boroughs, but not the government. his deputy and his housing chiefs have also gone. investigations by the bbc and the times newspaper into the decisions made when the council refurbished grenfell tower added to the pressure. the big change was the addition of aluminium cladding panels to improve the look of the building. documents passed to the bbc revealed that zinc panels were originally proposed for grenfell. in 2012, the architects' designs showed this clearly. residents were told it would be zinc. but there was pressure from the council on contractors to reduce costs. by 2015, they had been given amendments to the original tender and told to fit aluminium cladding

instead of zinc. it's cheaper. the saving — more than £293,000. so did the change make a difference to fire safety? well, this panel is similar to the ones that were eventually used. it's an aluminium sandwich with a plastic filling, which is not fire resistant. the original zinc panels were marketed as capable of being able to resist fire. both panels have the same safety rating under european tests. but one expert has told us there are circumstances where the cheaper material would have burned faster. however, even the fact that there was pressure to cut costs has infuriated those affected by the fire. those affected and the wider community are utterly sick of this lack of value ascribed to human beings who pay their council tax, who pay these people's wages.

meanwhile, cladding from 149 tower blocks has now failed government tests. the whole process has been criticised as pointless, because only the cladding is being tested, not for example, installation, which also burns. —— installation. pointless ? no, says the testing body. it is very critical at the beginning to do these screening tests, just to see whether there is a risk or not. whether buildings have this flammable cladding or not. many do, so now the question is, what do we do about it? and are there other risks that might happen as a consequence or are there other things we need to consider? resignations, a crisis in social housing, a police investigation, a public enquiry, unimaginable loss of life. grenfell tower casts a long shadow. tom symonds, bbc news. let's talk to our political correspondent, iain watson, at westminster. despite mr paget—brown going, the

opposition is keeping up the pressure. that's right. despite the kensington leader's resignation this evening, he seems to have lost the confidence of government ministers as well as the local community, the opposition do not want this to draw a political line under the crisis. so labour's london mayor sadiq khan is effectively calling for the whole conservative administration of kensington to be sacked. he wants the council to be run by commissioners. these are usually experts and senior officials. but forjeremy corbyn, the main target isn't so much the council, its theresa may. in a letter the prime minister this evening he worries the public enquiry she announced will have narrow a remit and some of the wider concerns the residents have will be simply overlooked. he also wa nts to will be simply overlooked. he also wants to see an interim report into the crisis produced by september at the crisis produced by september at the latest and throughout this letter you get the impression he wa nts to letter you get the impression he wants to push the governmentjust one step beyond where they feel co mforta ble one step beyond where they feel comfortable going, to try to seize

the initiative. tonight, downing street say they can reassure residents their voices will be heard throughout the public enquiry. iain watson, many thanks. the families of five friends from london who drowned off camber sands in sussex last summer have demanded to know why no lifeguards were deployed on the beach. the five died just a month after two other men drowned in the same area. lifeguards were introduced at camber soon afterwards. a coroner concluded that all seven deaths were due to misadventure. duncan kennedy reports. it's the beach where generations of families have made their summer holidays. long, wide, safe. a place where happy memories are created. but for kobi saththiyanathan, his brother ken, nitharsan ravi, inthushan sriska ntharasa, and gurushanth srithavarajah, it became a place of danger and death. tonight the men's families rejected the coroner's findings that lifegaurds would not have saved them. their anger, matched by their anguish. they didn't make any

attempt to find those boys. they didn't make any attempt. my brother was there for six hours. and even then my brother was found by the public. even all the other boys were found by the public, not by the staff. the families also said rother council, which runs camber sands, had been wrong to suggest people from ethnic minorities were not good swimmers. that's why we're fighting, to change something. not for us, because my son will never come back to us. saththiya natnan, the father of the two brothers, kobi and ken who died, said his children were being blamed for their own deaths. this is the moment it became clear

the five men had drowned. rother council said it hadn't put in lifegaurds, partly because it didn't have the money but did have other safety measures. tonight the council was asked why it hadn't yet apologised to the families. the council has made it clear that they send their condolences to the families. it is a tragic event. we do not wish to see that happen again on any of our beaches. the coroner has taken away a lot of information from this and will be raising it at a national level. dr simon boxall is an expert in oceanography. he says the five men who died were most probably caught by strong currents in deep sand baths. dr boxall also said that sea temperatures on this stretch of coast at this time of year could be as much as 12 degrees cooler than a swimming pool. he said it was likely the men entered the water and went into shock. just a month earlier, on the same beach, mohit dupar

and gustavo silva da cruz also drowned. for the family of all the men who died in this unprecedented sequence of beach tragedies, there is bewilderment about how this could happen in such a benign, relaxed and familiar setting. duncan kennedy, bbc news. in new york, several people — including at least three doctors — are believed to have been wounded after shots were fired inside a hospital. police say the suspect barricaded himself inside new york city's bronx lebanon hospital with a rifle. they swarmed the building in search of him, and say he's now dead. we can go to our correspondent in new york, nada tawfik. what more do we know about what has happened? media reports have identified the shooter as doctor henry bello, a 45—year—old male, who

was a former employee of bronx lebanon hospital. this afternoon he walked into the hospitaljust north of here new york's borough of the bronx, with an assault rifle concealed under his white doctor's code. from there he went on the 16th floor, where he fired several rounds, injured five or six people, some doctors on duty. we don't know the conditions of those people. a fire department official said one doctor was treated with a fire hose used as a tourniquet. another said the public barricaded themselves in rooms. the nypd has confirmed the shooter is dead, after taking his own life. it's unclear what his motive was. new york is one of the few states in the country that has a

ban on assault rifles like these. thank you. hundreds of people have attended the funeral of one of the victims of the manchester arena bombing. coronation street stars joined mourners in stockport at the funeral of martyn hett, who was a huge fan of the soap. judith moritz reports. martyn hett loved to make an entrance. at 29, he'd planned his own funeral, with two white horses and a splash of showbusiness. his family took a moment for private grief, before a very public celebration for the extrovert blogger. we have received messages from all around the world from people who followed martyn, just waiting for his next hilarious post. martyn loved being in the limelight, and the centre of attention. he will be loving every minute of this fantastic celebration of his life. hello, and welcome to

the ten 0'clock news, with me, martyn hett. i absolutely adore coronation street... martyn‘s family played this film, including a tribute to his love of corrie, and his favourite character. some of the cast were there to celebrate their superfan, and watch other celebrity tributes. i love you, and i'm so happy that we got a chance to meet. and i know that you're shining down on us from heaven. me and my group of friends and everyone at radio one were always commenting on how funny, how sharp and how hilarious martyn was with his social media. the service was beamed to the crowd outside. the impact of the manchester attack still felt here. martyn was really the complete opposite of the person and what happened on that awful day. he just swallowed it all up, all that hate and anger, and his star is shining bright for us all to see and remember. martyn‘s mum said she wanted him

to make a diva exit, and so he did. applauded by his family, his friends, his audience. judith moritz, bbc news, stockport. in merseyside, mourners lined the streets to pay their final respects to 15—year—old megan hurley, who also died in the manchester arena attack. her family asked for privacy at today's service, where the bells of st nicholas church in halewood rang 22 times for the victims of the bombing. people were encouraged to wear megan's favourite colour, orange, in her memory. the iraqi army says it will announce the recapture of mosul from so—called islamic state within the next few days. but for the moment fighting remains fierce and the situation for civilians still trapped in the old city deteriorates further. 0ur correspondent, nafiseh kohnavard, has travelled to mosul and spoken to families who've fled the fighting, after being used as human shields.

after nine months of fighting, there is now celebrations. the iraqi flag raised over what is left of the historic al—nuri mosque where the leader of the so—called islamic state once declared himself the ruler of all muslims. the security forces are close to pushing out the militants but the fighting is not over yet. the battle for old mosul continues. just 500m away from us in this direction, the areas that the militants occupy is getting smaller and as this happens, rescuing trapped civilians becomes extremely challenging. this is one group that managed to find safety. these children were held as human shields by is. most of them were living in an orphanage but the militants

moved them closer to where the fighting was taking place. they are tired and hungry. transported here as is occupied their villages. the iraqi forces are now moving them out of the old city. the children are now being looked after by aid workers in a camp outside mosul. they will be safe but like so many here, the future remains uncertain. nafiseh kohnavard, bbc news, mosul. thousands of british students who fail to get places in medical school here, are heading to eastern europe to train to be doctors and dentists. research done by bbc news suggests there's been an increase in the numbers of students going to places like

bulgaria and romania. that's partly because of the limited places at universities here. there are 7,600 places available each year in the uk to study medicine but competition is fierce, as there are about 14,500 british applicants. and this at a time when we're facing a shortage of doctors. our health editor, hugh pym, reports from varna in bulgaria. they're so keen to study medicine, they've come a long way from home to do it. these british students are at the university of varna in bulgaria, because it was difficult getting places in the uk. cavity, not the chest wound. one of them is zahara, a mature student who is a mother of four. she's frustrated she was turned down by a british medical school despite having the right grades. they were thinking it's going to be like, i'm going to leave in the middle or something like that. so actually i was very disappointed and very upset. so i thought, like, there's no need to waste my time here in the uk,

and try to convince them or impress them with my grades or with my qualification. it's better to look outside. they do need to learn bulgarian to talk to patients. but the course is taught in english. what do you think is this lesion? shahswar, from west london, explains that competition for places at british medical schools is intense. there are limited places. so to pursue his dream of becoming a neurosurgeon, he had to go elsewhere. we have ph.d students and master's students who are applying for the same places as you are applying to. and it's very competitive. and we have a lot of people get rejected, a lot of good candidates get rejected. there are 250 british medical and dental students in varna, a fast increasing number. it's a resort town on the black sea. living costs are cheaper, and tuition fees lower than in england.

but i asked the university vice—rector how she could be sure british students were up to doing medicine if they hadn't got the grades to study at home. those who approach the university are highly motivated young british people who are very much willing to study medicine. and we pass them through our system for admission. they need to sit for entry exams in biology and chemistry. there's nothing new about british medical students wanting to study around europe. what we've discovered is that there has been a noticeable increase in the numbers going to medical schools in romania, poland, hungary, the czech republic and croatia, as well as here in bulgaria. they're being promoted around the uk at events like this. an agent charging a fee helps with the application process, and says those without a grades at a—level can still get in. some universities might be actually a bit more, a little flexible, and might go for something lower like a c or something like that.

but, these people they need to go through some exams. but you could get a place, could you, with bs and cs? you could, yes, that's true. doctors qualifying at an eu medical school are automatically eligible to work in the uk. but the regulator, the general medical council, says things might change after brexit, with extra tests imposed. at a time when new doctors are badly needed, these students say they'll do whatever it takes to work in the nhs. hugh pym, bbc news, varna, bulgaria. a review of the main sex offender treatment programme — which was used in england and wales until very recently — has concluded that it failed to cut re—offending, and, if anything, made prisoners more likely to commit further similar crimes. the study found that the group therapy sessions may have "normalised" criminal behaviour. the scheme has since been replaced. hundreds of thousands of people are expected to gather

in the canadian capital, 0ttawa, tomorrow to celebrate the country's 150th anniversary. it's a nation that thrives on diversity and which welcomes tens of thousands of refugees every year but not everyone is celebrating the country's milestone, as our chief correspondent gavin hewitt reports. the start of a long weekend party. canada has begun celebrating its 150th birthday. millions of people expected to celebrate a young country that unexpectly roots its identity in multiculturalism. canada means home, but it means diversity. we're accepting everyone here. diverts of different minds, sex, everything. why do the celebrations matter? canada finds itself in the

spotlight, astride one of the great fault lines at the moment. its prime minister, justin trudeux troou has become a standard bearer for liberalism in stark contrast to his neighbour to the south, donald trump. justin trudeux made point of going to the airport, with warm clothing, to welcome syrian refugees. a school gate in toronto. this couple picking up their children once fleed homs in syria. the mother is at college and the father is a taxi driver. they want to feel canadian as soon as possible somebody asks me — do you like canada? i tell them somebody asks me — do you like canada? itell them it somebody asks me — do you like canada? i tell them it is the best. canada is the best for me.

my neighbours, the street, anywhere, they ask is where we are from. "welcome, welcome!" and they have offered, if we want help. but canada cannot escape the scars of its past. these are the lands of the iroquois, building their traditional long houses. some indigenous groups, native canadians, are boycotting the birthday celebrations. for many, the past 150 years have seen lands taken and promises broken. we were here, we look back further than 150 years. because we have been here for thousands of years. and you think canadians are celebrating, well, not everybody who lives in this country is celebrating 150 years of canada. the first nations people are not. and then there's the british connection. today, prince charles was in the small town of wellington beside lake ontario. one day, if things remain as they are, he will be canadian head of state. many in the crowd want to retain the british ties but elsewhere, some are less sure.

at this anniversary, canadians are celebrating their history but these are uncertain times. they seem on a different path to their friend and neighbour to the south, the united states. it may prompt canada to be assertive in promoting its own identity. gavin hewitt, bbc news, canada. andy murray will begin his defence of his wimbledon title against a player ranked 134 in the world, when the championships begin on monday. he pulled out of his last warm—up game today because of a hip problem, but was practising on the grass at the all england club. murray is drawn in the same half as the french open champion, rafael nadal, and stan wawrinka. the british cyclist chris froome will attempt to defend his title when the tour de france begins tomorrow. he's hoping to complete his third straight win and a fourth victory in five years. but he faces stiff competition from some the world's leading cyclists. the race begins in dusseldorf in germany, from where richard conway reports.

chris froome becomes the first briton to retain the tour de france title... chris froome knows what it takes to win the tour de france. tomorrow, he starts his quest for a fourth victory in this famous race. media interest is always sky—high, but this year, froome's team roll off the start line the subject of an ongoing doping investigation, and with questions looming over their leader's credibility. i've been involved in this sport a long time and i've tried to do it absolutely the way that i've always thought it should be done. and i'm proud of what we've achieved in this sport, and i'm proud of this team. evidence from sir dave brailsford and other team sky officials to mps earlier this year, revealed an alarming lack of medical record—keeping. it all relates to a package alleged to have contained a banned substance administered to sir bradley wiggins shortly before he went on to win the 2012 tour de france. team sky and sir bradley deny any wrongdoing, but the issue has presented the sport, and the head of its world governing body, with a familiar problem.

certainly the reputational problems that have been around that team in the last few months have not been helpful. we were previously considered pariahs of the anti—doping world and now we've got one of the best reputations in sport, i believe. the tour, like its cyclists, endures. millions will watch on tv, and, just as in yorkshire in 2014, thousands will line the route for the start, which this year takes place in dusseldorf. for chris froome, he must now focus on more than 2,000 miles of racing that stand between him and road cycling's greatest prize. this is the biggest challenge i've faced in my career. i think the level of my rivals and the course that we're racing

on this year leads it to be a much more open race. these are unprecedented times. a possible fifth british tour title in six years awaits when the race ends in paris in three weeks' time. the fight to fully restore team sky's image? that will take a lot longer. richard conway, bbc news, dusseldorf. that's it. now on bbc one, it's time for the news where you are. good evening and welcome to bbc london news, with me, louisa preston. documents seen by this programme suggest that camden council made savings of nearly £1 million by removing fire doors from refurbishment plans on some of its tower blocks. there's been controversy over the refurbishment of grenfell tower, and now bbc london can reveal details of similar disagreements over how the chalcots estate in camden was refurbished, hello and welcome to sportsday with me damian johnson. ahead on the programme... the british and irish lions are told they need to man up to beat the all blacks in the second test and keep the series alive. andy murray insists he's fit to defend his wimbledon title next week despite limping through his practice session today.

and live cricket returns to bbc television for the first time in two decades, as the sport seeks to connect with a younger audience. british and irish lions coach warren gatland has been criticised over his selections, for the second test against new zealand on saturday. to the lions will lose the series if they fail to beat the all blacks. victory would take them to the final test in auckland next weekend. 0ur correspondent is in wellington looking ahead to the big showdown. the all—importa nt second test is just a day away, and the all blacks captain seems pretty relaxed about it. most teams would shut themselves away with such a big game on the horizon, but not new zealand.

i think it's a good balance, getting out and interacting with people from around the city, and taking your mind off it. so, fair to say the boys are pretty relaxed, but they know there's a big challenge tomorrow. the all blacks took a grip on the series with a ruthless win in auckland as the lions found themselves outfought and outthought by 30 points to 15. there were some encouraging flourishes from warren gatland's side, but after all the hype, it was a deflating defeat. wellington offers a fresh start for the lions, and a chance for them to reinvigorate the pack. gatland has gambled with his selection, and opted for a change in style. warren gatland has made a bold change to his team for the second test. he's included 0wen farrell and jonny sexton in the same midfield, despite them not having started a game together so far this tour. now, if that's a surprise, this next change was expected. maro itoje and sam warburton come into the forward pack as the lions try and match the all blacks physically. you play rugby because you enjoy

the physical side of the sport, and that's definitely the case for me. so when you come off second best there, it does hurt you as a player. we're looking forward to trying to get a win and making it 1—1, but if not, then you can look back on the game and put your hands up