tonight at 6: the public inquiry into the blood transfusion scandal that left thousands dead. they were given all infected blood products in the worst treatment scandal in nhs history — was there a cover up? i was told i had about a year to live and i was told not to tell anybody... ..including, excuse me, including my family and my parents. it's the first day of evidence. we'll have the latest. also tonight... if you're a business person, you're going to want to be in london. why heading to london is still the best way to get on in life — a new report out today. mounting violence in venezuela as

the opposition leader says he is now in the final phase in his attempt to topple the government. the row over whether farmers should be allowed to shoot birds. the leading campaigner gets death threats. few people are standing up and taking this fight to the coal face. if i standing up and taking this fight to the coalface. if i don't do it, if i were to back down, we to lose ground. campaigning under way for local elections and most of england and northern ireland, here's our ta ke and northern ireland, here's our take on what matters. who isn't frustrated with politics just who isn't frustrated with politics just now? who isn't frustrated with politics just now? it doesn't mean the selection stone in many ways matter to everyone of us. i'mjohn watson. coming up in sportsday, i'll be live at the tottenham hotspur stadium, as spurs attempt to reach their first champions league final.

good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. it's been called "the worst treatment disaster in the history of the nhs". today a public inquiry into the contaminated blood scandal of the 19705 and 19805 got underway. anyone who needed blood or blood products was put at risk — whether they were haemophiliacs or patients getting transfusions after an operation or childbirth. almost 5,000 nhs patients were infected with hiv or hepititis c. of those, around 3,000 people are thought to have died. but it doesn't end there — many thousands more may still be living with undiagnosed hepatitis c as a result of the scandal. this inquiry comes after decades of campaigning by patients and their families who say there's been a cover up. our health editor hugh pym reports.

a poignant memorial to victims of the infected blood scandal. messages met left by some of their families. it will travel around the country as a public inquiry gathers evidence. at the heart of it, people like derek, haemophiliacs, supported by his wife and son. he explained how he first learned he had hiv. his wife and son. he explained how he first learned he had hivi his wife and son. he explained how he first learned he had hiv. i was told i had about a year to live. i was told not to tell anybody... including, excuse me, including my family. derek's brother also had haemophilia and contracted aids. he wa nted haemophilia and contracted aids. he wanted to talk about his fears. but i couldn't, it was too close to home, for me. and i wasn't there for him. i wasn't there for him. and three months later, he died. nearly 10 million pages of official documents are being searched as the inquiry tries to find out whether

there was a high—level cover—up. some victims have only recently discovered they were infected. so, for 30 years, you were unaware you had hepatitis c? indeed. carol only found out two years ago she was infected with hepatitis c after a blood infusion and there could be many more who still don't know. the fa ct many more who still don't know. the fact that the thousands of people out there, who like me, didn't have the least idea they have hepatitis c and there may be a whole wave and i hopeifs and there may be a whole wave and i hope it's going to be handled a darn sight better than it has been up till now. for perry, it's the support of his wife and family which has kept him going. there is a huge impact on family. because they carry you and... that, but the focus is always on the

patient, the person who is suffering. victims and their families have been calling for increased financial support. pay—outs in scotland are higher than in the rest of the uk. just hours before the start of the inquiry today, the government at westminster announced increased funding but campaigners say it's much too early to say whether it addresses their main concerns. in some other countries, full compensation has been paid. 0fficials countries, full compensation has been paid. officials have been taken to court. 0nly been paid. officials have been taken to court. only now, more than three decades on, is the uk mounting a full public inquiry. campaigners hope it will get to the truth. hugh pym, bbc news. in venezuela, the authorities say they are putting down what they're calling a coup attempt after opposition leader juan guaido announced he was in the "final phase" of ending president maduro's rule. there have been clashes outside a military base in the capital caracas. at one point, military vehicles went

into protesters and was set alight. mr guaido declared himself interim president injanuary and has called for massive street protests to force mr maduro from office. we can go to caracas now and to our correspondent. i know these protests have been building up all day. i have been building up all day. i have been building up all day. i have been watching it. does this feel like a decisive moment? well, it feels it is nothing we have seen so well, it feels it is nothing we have seen so far. it seems a lot of mr guaido's supporters have gathered around a strategic facility and tried to seize it. what we have seen all across the city is protesters are throwing stones and trying to break their police vans and the national guard are replaying, are responding to this attempt, throwing

gas canisters and pellets to the protesters. probably you can see behind me a lot of smoke. this is where... it looks like the urban battle so far... inaudible sofa, it is the most violent episode of the venezuelan political crisis. thank you very much for that update. police have begun a new criminal investigation into the deaths of hundreds of patients at a hospital in hampshire between 1987 and 2001. an inquiry last year found that more than a50 patients died after they were given strong painkillers at gosport war memorial hospital. three previous investigations have ended with no charges being brought. 0ur correspondent, duncan kennedy, reports. this was another difficult day for the families of those who died in gosport. arriving at an unfamiliar

hall, to relive their highly familiar stories. and to wait to hear if the police were going to ta ke hear if the police were going to take action. stanley khadi was one of hundreds of people who died after going into the gosport war memorial hospital. his daughters say the new police inquiry that was announced musket the truth. we want justice for the relatives and for the families that have been fighting for the last 20 years. it's gone long enough now. a lot of the families and there are all getting older and it's been 20 years. so, for us, anyway, with dad. last year, an independent inquiry found more than 450 independent inquiry found more than a50 patients died at the hospital because they were probably given strong painkillers but no medical reason. today, the police said their new inquiry would be different to three previous months. the families have waited a long time. they want a nswe i’s. have waited a long time. they want answers. i want to try and give them

the answers but i can't promise i am going to give them the outcome that they want. the police also say they are looking at a full range of charges, including murder but they say it all depends on whether they can say it all depends on whether they ca n prove say it all depends on whether they can prove the shortening of lives here at gosport was directly caused by the use of these powerful painkillers. doctorjane by the use of these powerful painkillers. doctor jane barton by the use of these powerful painkillers. doctorjane barton was responsible for prescribing painkillers at the hospital in the painkiller5 at the hospital in the 19905 bola5ie a'5 report said other staff were 19905 bola5ie a's report said other staff were also involved. speaking through her husband last year, she denied she was at fault. she's a lwa ys denied she was at fault. she's always maintained she was hard—working, dedicated always maintained she was ha rd—working, dedicated doctor, doing the best for her patients in a very in adequately resourced part of the health service. the new investigation will take at least nine months. the families of those who died to say they simply want to be heard. duncan kennedy, bbc news, in gosport. the uk's second biggest

ca re in gosport. the uk's second biggest care home operator, four seasons, is going into administration. it is the latest in a series of care providers that has run into trouble. 0ur social affairs correspondent alison holt is here. a5 asi as i say, a very big provider, what will happen to the residents? you can imaginea will happen to the residents? you can imagine a lot of people will be worried by this but the company itself is reassuring patients and staff that although this is important for business, nothing will change for them. the care homes will keep operating in the same way. it is worth saying that if the company was in imminent danger of collapse, the regulator, the care quality commission, would have to issue a warning. i'm told that hasn't happened. let me give you a sense of the scale of four seasons health care. it has 17,000 residents and patients living in 322 care homes across the uk and it employs 22,000 staff. it is a big operation. it's been struggling of debts of more

than £500 million for some time and today companies that oversee it have gone into administration, so now the health care company itself will be sold on andy hope is, the expectation is, it will sort out some of its debt issues. why has this happened? four seasons did inherit some debt when it took over a number of care homes. but overall, the care home market, care market in general is a very tough place. they have had increasing costs, for insta nce have had increasing costs, for instance from the rise in minimum wage, set against fees from councils staying pretty much the same and it is councils who buy most of the care. so there are plenty of care companies who are having difficulties. inevitably, today's news will raise questions about how well the care system is operating, particularly when you consider it is looking after some of the most vulnerable people in our society. thank alison, you.

two men are being questioned on suspicion of murder after two bodies we re suspicion of murder after two bodies were found in a freezer. they were discovered in a flat in canning town on friday. labour's governing body has been gas —— discussing of a commitment to an eu referendum should be part of its election ma nifesto should be part of its election manifesto and if so under what circumstances. the leadership has been facing pressure from members to back a fresh public vote — here's our political chief correspondent vicky young. like the tories, labour has its own problems with brexit. hasjeremy corbyn found a way out? arguments have been simmering in the labour party for months and they have been accused of sitting on the fence over brexit policy, to try and keep those two factions together. 0n the one side, those who there should be a second recommend referendum in all circumstances, many advocates of that would campaign to remain in the eu. on that would campaign to remain in the eu. 0n the other side, lots of

labour mp5 representing heavy leave constituencies who believe it would bea constituencies who believe it would be a total betrayal of the first referendum result. the big question for labour, what would they be putting in their manifesto for those european elections? that is what they thrashed out today after several hours and jeremy corbyn has got his way, by broadly sticking to existing party policy and an existing party policy and an existing compromise that says a second referendum but in limited circumstances. to prevent a damaging tory brexit or to prevent a no—deal brexit. so what are the chances of a deal? those cross—party talks between labour and the conservatives are carrying on. there are more scheduled but government insiders saying if there is no real progress by the middle of next week, then really they have hit the end of the road. thank you. politicians keep telling us they want a britain in which where you start off in life does not determine where you end up.

social mobility it's called and the latest findings are not encouraging. the liklihood of young people from poorer backgrounds moving on to the the best jobs has stagnated. the organisation set up to promote social mobility is calling for additional funding for older teenagers in education, more free child care and measures to stop the brain drain to london. our home editor mark easton reports from nottingham. if you want to get on, you have to get out. service to london st pancras... the numbers show that those who leave cities like nottingham are much more likely to get a ticket aboard the express to success, but for people from poorer backgrounds, the government's social mobility commission complains too often there's only a slow train to a topjob. if you can afford to leave, it's great, but if you can't, then you'll stay in a region and you won't get access to some of the top jobs and some of the top opportunities. would—be solicitor paris mckenzie suspects her dream of a law career is more likely if she moves to london, but as a single mum,

she simply can't afford to leave her home city. and why should she? it's a good city, people are always surprised when i say i can't find the rightjob for me here. would you go to london? well, i apply but i'm thinking, is there any point, because i wouldn't be able to go there? she is responsible for winding the silk yarn on 4500 bobbins... nottingham was once a magnet for ambitious entrepreneurs. its textile industry, notably lacemaking, led to the world. high—flyers might have got on their bikes to the raleigh factory, once the most successful bicycle manufacturer on earth. but these days, raleigh has to pedal much faster to retain and attract top talent. somebody that understands the modern economy... 0nce, its factories employed 10,000 people. now, it'sjust over 100, and with traditional manufacturing workers being replaced by experts in digital, marketing and design. that's the type of skill set

we didn't have in the business previously, but fortunately, we've been able to find them very, very good people and bring them into the business. but then retaining them is obviously a challenge, as well. one in six adults in nottingham is a student. the city can boast two top universities, but can they convince the brightest and the best to stay when they've finish their studies? you want to be a barrister? yes, yes. how attractive his london to you? very. the majority of the top chambers are in london. with accountancy, that's a business degree and everyone always says if you're a business person, you're going to want to be in london. they can't keep you in nottingham? no, i don't think so. you have got a job after uni in nottingham. will you stay? yeah, i do think so. if i didn't get on this scheme, i would have probably been looking forjobs in london. the social mobility commission is today telling ministers they should invest more injobs, skills and infrastructure in places like nottingham,

so people don't feel they have to get out to get on. trains once rattled through nottingham station loaded with coal, iron and beer to fuel the nation. now, too often, they simply export the region's talent. mark easton, bbc news, nottingham. the time is 17 minutes past six. our top story this evening. the public inquiry into the blood transfusion scandal that left thousands dead is now under way. also tonight... campaigners are already doorknocking. we will have our take on why the local elections in most of england and northern ireland matter. coming up on sportsday on bbc news... we are live in north london as totte n ha m we are live in north london as tottenham prepare for one of the biggest nights in the club's history. can they reach the champions league final for the first time? it's one of those stories that pits farmers against the naturalists. at the heart of the row is what to

do about these birds in england and who has the right to kill them. farmers think they're pests because they attack livestock and eat crops. wildlife campaigners argue that many are killed indisciminately and not just by farmers. what has up to now been a vigorous debate hasjust turned nasty with the presenter of bbc springwatch, chris packham, getting death threats. 0ur rural affairs correspondent, claire marshall, reports. i should say a warning about her report containing images some of you may find distressing. look at this. trees filled with nesting rooks in the cotswolds. and what do you see? a beautiful sign of spring time or nests of pests that need to be controlled. you will shoot about 20 ata time controlled. you will shoot about 20 at a time and the next day there will be 100 to take their place. edwards says he has to keep his

newborn lambs inside to stop crow attacks and there's another problem, rooks feasting on his crops. last year laws were changed. the system is now so confusing that edward says he has stopped shooting and says his farm is suffering. you need to manage it. if you have too many of one species, they become the dominant species and they will destroy others. images of lamb is alleged to have been attacked by ci’ows we re alleged to have been attacked by crows were posted on social media over the weekend. edward's 13—year—old daughter helped him run the farm. you have got to be open—minded to it all. there is definitely one answer and it is to have equal crows and equal sheep and to have balance. the problem is this debate is spinning out of control. the majority of people on both sides wa nt the majority of people on both sides want the same thing, to stop animals being killed or suffering

unnecessarily. this is what nature can pay no chris packham woke up to at the weekend. police are also examining suspicious packages sent to his home and he has had death threats. it was a legal challenge by his campaign group that led to the licences being changed. what concerns us licences being changed. what concerns us is large numbers are being killed purely for vandalism and pleasure, not because they are pests or harming anyone's interest and we have never sought to restrict the ability of farmers to kill birds damaging their livelihood. government statement said natural england are working as quickly as possible to issue new licences. the hope is that clarity comes before the argument gets even uglier. claire marshall, bbc news, in the cotswolds.

emperor akihito of japan has wished his country and the world "peace and prosperity", while declaring his abdication at a ceremony in tokyo. the 85—year—old is handing over to his son, the first to stand down in more than 200 years because of his declining health. maternity services at two hospitals in south wales have been put into special measures after an independent review found serious failings. the review was prompted by a number of baby deaths and serious incidents at the royal glamorgan and prince charles hospitals. it found that staff shortages and a "blame culture" had led to poor care. sian lloyd reports. we have kept things along the way. this was our first christmas without her. sarah and jonathan had only a brief moment with their daughter jennifer, she died shortly after

being prematurely at their home. sarah had gone to her local hospital while in labour but was told she had constipation and was sent home with laxatives. hours laterjennifer was born. despite jonathan laxatives. hours laterjennifer was born. despitejonathan attempting cpr, she didn't survive. she fought so cpr, she didn't survive. she fought so hard to be with us and she wasn't given the opportunity because she wasn't born in the medical unit with medical care. the report identified serious failings described today as taking place from the board to the ward. some women received poor care which didn't meet the standards expected, there were significant staff shortages and not all staff behaved as they should towards patients, deep—rooted cultural failings in leadership were identified and systemic failings in how incidents were reported. health board's chief executive apologised for the failings. in the report some women were describing the units as cattle markets, they weren't being listened to, they were being laughed

at when they raised concerns. what did you feel when you read that? a whole host of emotions, most profoundly a sense of sadness, a sense of shame and a sense of real determination to do something to make sure that we put this right. jennifer's parents gave evidence to this inquiry, they are among a3 cases that have been identified as needing investigation. it's absolutely devastating in a way i cannot even describe. you know, for any other families, if we can stop any other families, if we can stop any other families, if we can stop any other family going through this, that means jennifer's any other family going through this, that meansjennifer‘s life has had a good impact and meant something. new review will now look at cases dating back to 2010 to try to determine how many women and babies may have come to harm. sian lloyd, bbc news, merthyr tydfil.

let's take a look at some of today's other news. the cricketer alex hepburn has been jailed for five years for raping a sleeping woman. the ex—worcesterhire player assaulted the victim at his flat after she had consensual sex with his then team—mate in 2017. the number of people taking their own life in england went up by almost 11% in 2018, according to figures published today by the office for national statistics. there were almost 5,000 suicides last year, with the biggest increase being in the number of people aged under 25. police are offering a reward of £20,000 for information leading to the arrest of this man, joseph mccann. he is wanted in connection with the rape and abduction of two women in london last week. this thursday, people across most of england and northern ireland will head to the polls to vote in local council elections. there are around 25,000 people standing to be councillors in england alone. but will the polls be over—shadowed by the still unresolved question of brexit?

here'sjon pienaar on why thursday's local elections matter. what? another election? yes, i know, but we don't get bored with using these. 0rfinding the odd road in decent shape. 0r seeing where we're going after dark. forget about brexit, just for a moment anyway. these elections are about choosing the people who run things so the rest of us don't have to worry about it, and so we know who to tell when we do. this election is in nearly 250 english authorities with over 8,a00 seats up for grabs, all of them waiting for voters to decide who they want to run their services and how. but, of course, we'll be trying to read the national political picture too. the conservatives have by far the largest number of councils. then come labour. the lib dems and ukip have hundreds of council seats between them, but only hold a handful of authorities.

and look out for results in key councils to see which way the wind is blowing, like tory—held swindon or bath. the conservatives were on a high last time these seats were fought in england four years ago, and they're braced for a tough night. some analysts believe the tories could lose anywhere between 500 and 1,000 seats. we'll see. labour are leading in some national polls but the way the seats are distributed, some say they may make fewer gains than the liberal democrats, and the lib dems are trailing in all the polls. there are elections in northern ireland too and all the main parties are involved, and where local councils are important. so, what of the national backdrop? will there be anything here to encourage theresa may? frustration with brexit won't help the tories. labour's result may not quite reflect the fact that they've gained ground in some polls and the lib dems results may look rather more encouraging than some of the polls suggest.

remember, the european elections are just three weeks away. this time, with the brexit party and the new change uk party both taking part. fed up with elections and politics? who isn't? that doesn't mean these elections don't, in many ways, matter to every one of us. we might be heading for a change in the weather. here is susan powell for the latest. bank holiday, it won't be a disaster but it is going to turn somewhat colder. in the west we have this big stripe of cloud, which is a weather front running from north to south and there's more rain to come out of that this evening for scotland and the north west of england, for wales and the south—west of england. northern ireland getting drier as the night goes on. a lot of the rain fizzles out as we move into the

small hours but we will be left with extensive cloud by the time we get to wednesday. clearer skies to the east and west of that front, chili and some spots first thing with the odd patch of mist and fog. here is that weather front is wednesday gets under way. to the east, pleasant sunshine, and a much brighter day for northern ireland, and it looks like the front isn't doing very much by the time we get into wednesday afternoon. but actually, as the cloud breaks up, some sunshine will help turn the cloud over and spark some hefty showers across scotland and north—eastern england. it looks like it could be targeted for some really nasty ones, as well as south wales and south—west england. many areas will avoid them but there will be some big old showers around tomorrow afternoon. 0n be some big old showers around tomorrow afternoon. on thursday a greater chance of getting caught in the showers through the day. here is oui’ the showers through the day. here is our change, thursday. some quieter weather coming in behind this weather coming in behind this

weather front, the rain weather coming in behind this weatherfront, the rain moves out weather coming in behind this weather front, the rain moves out of the way but income is the colder air for friday. the drop—off in temperatures after close to 20 degrees in the north—east of scotla nd degrees in the north—east of scotland this week, it will feel close to freezing on friday, but for the bank holiday it should get milder and at least looks dry. thank you.

this is bbc news. the headlines: violence erupts on the streets of venezuela — opposition leader juan guaido says he's started the "final phase" of his plan to oust president nicolas maduro. thousands of haemophiliacs infected with hepatitis c and hiv — an inquiry begins into how their blood was contaminated. a new police investigation into the deaths of hundreds of patients