prime minister edward heath say he would have been questioned — if he were alive. but they add that is not to say that he was guilty of any of the allegations. if sir edward heath would have been alive today, it has been concluded he would have been interviewed under caution, in order to obtain his account in relation to allegations made against him. but the former head of public prosecutions say the way the police conducted their inquiry was a disgrace and they should be ashamed. also tonight... while we will... excuse me.

after that speech, the government rallies round in defence of the prime minister. the girlfriend of the las vegas gunman says she had no idea he was planning any kind of violence. the housing crisis — a special report as the number of households in emergency accommodation reaches its highest in a decade. and the author kazuo ishiguro on the moment the bbc told him he'd won the nobel prize for literature. i thought, in this age of false news, i thought perhaps it was a mistake. coming up in sportsday later in the hour on bbc news, we'll look ahead to all the home nations‘ qualifiers — including england's match here at wembley, against slovenia. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at 6.

wiltshire police say they would question the former prime minister sir edward heath about allegations of historical child abuse, if he still alive. the claims include the alleged rape of a child. the police stress that is not to say the former prime minister was guilty. but the investigation has been severely criticised by the sir edward's friends and family, and by the former head of public prosecutions — he says elements of wiltshire police‘s investigation were a disgrace and they should be ashamed. tom symonds has more. for many, is now a figure from distant history. the prime minister in the 19705 who took us into europe. but today the police stepped out staggering claims against edward heath, that he rate5 out staggering claims against edward heath, that he rates a child in 1961, indecently assaulted six 1961, indecently assaulted 5ix other5, children and adults. they'd

been bitterly criticised for an inquiry that could never answer the central question of guilt. the police say they have done the right thing for his accu5ers. police say they have done the right thing for his accusers. they deserved to be listened they deserve to know they will be taken seriously. they deserve to know the police will support them. 40 police will support them. a0 people made allegations. police found problems with the majority of their accounts, but in seven cases there was enough evidence to justify sir edward being questioned under caution, had he still been alive. the5e caution, had he still been alive. these claims spam the period between 1961-1992 but not these claims spam the period between 1961—1992 but not his time as prime minister. there is a similar pattern of alleged behaviour in three cases, that he paid for sexual encounters. but how much evidence is needed for a suspect to be questioned? the threshold for interviewing somebody after caution is very low and many innocent people are interviewed after caution. that is a5 interviewed after caution. that is as far as the legislation will allow me to go and that's as far as i'm

willing to go in relation to this investigation. but the obvious outcome of that di5cu55ion but the obvious outcome of that discussion is that you have, and there's really no other way of putting this, tainted the reputation ofa man putting this, tainted the reputation of a man who can only be innocent under the law. i think the guidance is clear, and i think when people read the report they will see it has been put together very carefully, very precisely, so people don't draw that inference. but that's exactly what his friends and supporters say have happened and today they demanded a judge be allowed to review the evidence. there will always be a number of people who will not wish to be persuaded, and i'm afraid there's probably not much we can do about those, but we want to do our best to give his reputation a fair chance. because we think you will be exonerated. but why did the investigation start? lawyers for wiltshire police advised the people who made allegations of sexual abuse had a right to an

investigation, a human right, especially if the person accused was powerful. the force said it already had five allegations when in 2015 it made a controversial appealed to victims in front of sir edward's home. i'm appealing for anyone who has been a victim of crime or a witness to anything that may have taken place witness to anything that may have ta ken place involving witness to anything that may have taken place involving sir ted heath, please come forward. the former prosecutor dismisses him being questioned. he said, without meaning anything and forensic terms, they are covering their backs at the expense of the dead man. shame on them" but this report now it takes its place and is edward's history. it will be passed at the national child abuse inquiry and a version will be placed top—secret intergovernment archives. tom is in swindon for us where the police spoke earlier. the police clearly felt they had to make their conclusions public but it hasn't silenced the critics?

and i don't think it's going to. throughout this two—year process, this investigation, there has been co nsta nt, this investigation, there has been constant, bitter criticism of the inquiry. i think wiltshire was very much trying to prove and show today that this was a proportionate investigation, a fair investigation, one that took the concerns of those who made the allegations very seriously. it was the first time that we saw in full the summary of the evidence the police were prepared to make public. but i think it's fair to say that that wasn't the problem for the police. the problem was they were never going to be able to say whether sir edward was guilty or not guilty of these allegations and the flip side of that problem is that even though they won't be able to say that, publishing the report will tarnish his memory. i think that is going to be at the centre of the criticism, the force and any force that investigates this

sort of abuse in the past, especially involving famous people, that they will face in future, despite the fact this investigation was reviewed by four people who pronounced it a good investigation. tom symonds in swindon, thank you. after theresa may's ordeal of a conference speech yesterday, senior conservatives have urged the party to focus on the threat from labour despite swirling rumours about the prime minister's future. it's thought a group of mp5 are discussing whether to ask her to stand down, rather than mount a direct challenge. here's our political correspondent, ben wright. it was an ordeal to deliver, and difficult to watch. a prankster, a cough, and a disintegrating set derailed theresa may's keynote speech to the tory party conference. she looked vulnerable and exposed, but battled on, and, just as they did yesterday, her cabinet has rallied round. is there a plot against it? i should think not. "should think not", the brexit secretary snapped. she has my full support. there was already heightened tension in the tory party after the snap

election that destroyed the conservatives's commons majority, and the prime minister's rotten luck yesterday has got her critics circling again. in public, most people are being pretty loyal. i think in private people are very concerned. i think there will be quite a few people now who will be pretty firmly of the view that she should resign. foreign secretary, is the prime minister going to resign? in recent weeks, there has been much speculation about borisjohnson‘s own leadership plans, but in the absence of a standout who thinkthis isthemement.‘ i haven't found any yet, and i haven't talked to any yet,

but next week when the house returns, i will find them and i will politely ask them to shut up. and, at the moment, there does not seem to be enough momentum among a minority of tory mp5 to threaten theresa may. most tory mp5 i've talked to are very sympathetic about the prime minister's struggles yesterday. 0ne cabinet minister told me it was proper and fair to stand by her. and number 10 scoffs at any suggestion that theresa may might quit, and so for now the embattled prime minister fights on. ben wright, bbc news, downing street. a terminally ill man has lost his high court bid to change the law on assisted dying. 67—year—old noel conway — who has motor neurone disease — had wanted a doctor to be allowed to prescribe him a lethal dose of drugs when his health deteriorates. currently any doctor helping him to die would face up to 1a years in prison. sales of new cars in the uk fell sharply in september for the first time in six years. the number of new car registrations stands at a26,000, down over 9% on this time last year. diesel sales, which have been hit by worries over air quality,

were particularly hard hit — they fell by almost 22%. a session of catalonia's regional parliament that was due to take place on monday has been suspended by spain's constitutional court in an attempt to prevent a declaration of independence. it follows protests and violent scenes on sunday, when police tried to stop the region's independence referendum. the girlfriend of stephen paddock, the man who shot dead 58 people in las vegas earlier this week, says she had no idea that he was planning any kind of violence. marilou danley, who was in the philippines at the time, is being questioned by the fbi. police say paddock spent years building up his arsenal of weapons and may have had help. james cook reports. the golden glass were shattered by a man intent on mayhem. why? he still don't know but they say there is

evidence stephen paddock plans to survive the attack and he may have had help. they want to know why he went on a weapon buying spree or year ago, although he had been amassing an arsenal for years. we know stephen paddock is a man who spent decades acquiring weapons and ammo and living a secret life. much of which will never be fully understood. so far there has been a lot of attention paid to the actions of the man who was in that building and what he did, firing down on this concert below. but what many people who were at that geek have told us is that they think the focus should be on the response and the bravery that was on display there? this 2a—year—old kept running from the bullets even though she had been shotin the bullets even though she had been shot in the back. i felt something shot in the back. ifelt something hit shot in the back. i felt something hit me shot in the back. ifelt something hit me really shot in the back. i felt something hit me really hard and then i felt something splatter on my back, so i thought it was either somebody‘s drink, it kind of felt like a paintball or something

like that. it's not fair and it's not right. and now i'll forever have to have a bullet in my back. for no reason. . . the girlfriend of the man who inflicted such suffering