a volcano erupts in new zealand as day trippers are walking inside the crater — dozens are killed. ash and smoke exploded into the air, engulfing about 50 people believed to be visiting the volcano. terror on board for tourists who'd come to see the sights by boat. translation: it was hot. everyone had burns, some had serious burns, others a bit less, and i'm not sure if they managed to rescue everyone. we hope they did. five people are known to have been killed — dozens more are thought to have died. also tonight... the four—year—old boy forced to spend hours on the floor in a&e — the picture the prime minister didn't want to look at. serial sex attackerjoseph mccann is sentenced to 33 life sentences —

the judge says he will always be a danger to society. and russia is banned again from all major sports events for doping, this time forfour years. and coming up on bbc news: arsenal and west ham look to get their seasons back on track in the premier league. who will have the edge? good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. at least five people have been killed — and dozens more are assumed dead — after a volcano erupted off the coast of new zealand. live images from the volcano showed a group of visitors inside the crater before the picture suddenly went dark. up to 50 people are believed to have

been on the island at the time — 23 have been rescued. fears of furter eruptions means emergency service aren't able to get to the island. they've flown over it and say there is no sign of survivors. white island is new zealand's most active volcano. it's in the bay of plenty around 30miles off the coast of the port of whakatane on the north island. our correspondent shaimaa khalil is there. fiona, the sun isjust rising here in whakaari harbour. this is where some of the people evacuated from the island have been brought. some are still here, some have been taken to other hospitals across new zealand. it is quieter here this morning, the day after the volcano erupted. not very far behind me in white island, the volcano brought chaos. there are no signs of life on

the island and it is not known whether british citizens are among those on the island. the foreign office is monitoring the situation closely. we do know that warnings have been put in place about how active that volcano is. scientists have heightened the alert, saying that there were heightened and moderate volcanic activity is expected, so questions will be asked about why tourists were allowed on that island, with scientists saying it was a disaster waiting to happen. the extraordinary few moments after the volcano on white island erupted. it hit briefly and fiercely, filling the air with huge plumes of smoke and smouldering ash. the people on this boat had leftjust moments before the eruption. the boat operators were not taking any chances. go inside, go inside, go inside! these pictures of the steaming crater were filmed by

tourists half an hour earlier. after getting in their boat and seeing the blast, the group returned to the island to look for survivors. they found this sightseeing helicopter destroyed by the eruption. the ash was still building, and further down the beach, a large group could be seen waiting to be rescued. translation: it was hot, so everyone had burns. some were seriously burned, others a bit less, and i'm not sure if they managed to rescue everyone. 23 people were picked up. of those, five are now confirmed dead. others are still unaccounted for. including this group, seen on the monitoring camera at the rim of the monitoring camera at the rim of the volcano just moments before the eruption. the island is unstable. the possibilities of further eruptions, and actually the physical environment is unsafe for us to

return to the island. helicopters transferred to those who were critically ill to specialist hospitals, but rescue and recovery effo rts hospitals, but rescue and recovery efforts had to be suspended.” hospitals, but rescue and recovery efforts had to be suspended. i know there will be a huge amount of concern and anxiety for those who have loved ones on or around the island at the time, and i can assure them, police are doing everything they can. white island may be new zealand's most active volcano, but it's also popular with tourists. local scientists say the volcano had been more active in recent weeks. about three weeks ago we raised the alert level to indicate that there we re alert level to indicate that there were signs of increased unrest and therefore a slightly higher probability of an eruption. but really, that goes down to the tourist operators who informed the tourists and decide whether they should go or not. police say aircraft have been searching the island for signs of life. so far,

they've found none and save they are assuming there are no more survivors. a row has broken out after a four—year—old boy with suspected pneumonia was forced to sleep for hours on the floor in a&e. when a journalist tried to show a picture of the boy at the hospital in leeds to the prime minister, mrjohnson initially refused to look at it, and then took the journalist's phone and put it in his pocket. as other party leaders accused the pm ofjust not caring, the health secretary matt hancock was despatched to the hospital where he apologised for the boy's experience. but he was jeered by onlookers as he left. our political editor laura kuenssberg has the latest. not long left. borisjohnson wants to win and hopes he can do so by taking territory that has been labour forever. but where the majority voted to leave. people in this part of the country and across this part of the country and across this country spoke and said they wa nted this country spoke and said they wanted to leave the eu. now is the moment for us to get on and do it.

white might be on that familiar mantra, is he really in tune with millions of people who rely on public services and worry about them? like four-year-old jack's pa rents, them? like four-year-old jack's parents, whose son was pictured on the front of the mirror newspaper today after having to wait on the floor in a leeds hospital four hours. you've taken my phone and put it in your pocket, prime minister. his mother says the nhs is in crisis. what's your response? boris johnson, or quads when an itv reporter asked him to respond directly to the photograph. although he was flanked by a former labour mp today, this is not safe ground for borisjohnson, not today, this is not safe ground for boris johnson, not at all. why were fa ke boris johnson, not at all. why were fake websites set up? tricky questions on the tories' behaviour online, brexit and the tv licence fee. it certainly wasn't his home crowd. do you think after a decade ofa crowd. do you think after a decade of a significant squeeze on public spending that you as a party

understand the concerns of people in the north of england, especially since today you struggled to look at a picture of a four—year—old boy on the floor of an emergency department ina the floor of an emergency department in a hospital in leeds? i'm very proud of what we are doing to rebuild leeds general infirmary, and it is one of the hospitals that we will rebuild from the beginning. it will rebuild from the beginning. it will be a fantastic project, and we are putting, as i say, the biggest ever investment into our nhs. white might boris johnson is ever investment into our nhs. white might borisjohnson is here trying to get people to vote tory in this pa rt to get people to vote tory in this part of the country. do you think it is going to happen?” part of the country. do you think it is going to happen? i hope not. we've had nine years of awfulness. but others are returning. i'm changing to tory. yeah. just to keep jeremy corbyn out. at this late stage, labour was given a big chance in front of a big crowd in bristol. the daily mirror today shows this

picture of a four—year—old boy suffering from pneumonia, being treated on the floor of a hospital. all the way through, they have attacked the tories on how they have dealt with the health service. the tories have had nine years to fund oui’ tories have had nine years to fund our nhs properly. it's time to bring their regime to an end. and elect a labour government that is determined to fund our nhs properly. the health secretary was dispatched to leeds general to help calm things down. it's not good enough and i have apologised. i've got three small children myself, and i've spent too many evenings in a&e, and i know what it feels like. the health secretary was harangued by a small group of labour protesters on his way out. the two sides in this election are miles apart, with only

three days to go, tensions are on the rise. we might get out of here! in the last few minutes, the mother at the boy of the scent at —— at the centre of this has written to the press regulator asking for her son not to be turned into the subject of political argument. but i'm afraid with only three days left to go in this campaign, that is exactly what has happened. all of the political parties piling in here, all of the opposition trying to put pressure on borisjohnson, suggesting opposition trying to put pressure on boris johnson, suggesting his reaction to all of this suggests somehow that he doesn't have empathy and doesn't care about the nhs. the tories would push back, saying they are raising money and putting it into the health service. they have spent today on the back foot, trying to cope with a row that they have found themselves in when they are so close to the finish line, the opposite of the kind of day boris johnson would have chosen to have. laura, thank you.

in other election news — borisjohnson has suggested a conservative government would consider the future viability of the bbc licence fee. in response to a question from the public he said he wouldn't make policy on the hoof but it was worth considering if the current funding model for public service broadcasting ‘still made sense.‘ the snp leader nicola sturgeon has again warned that only a vote for her party in scotland can prevent a conservative majority government in westminster by the end of the week. she said borisjohnson had proved himself to be untrustworthy as prime minister and had dodged scrutiny during the election campaign. the liberal democrat leader jo swinson has come under pressure over her suggestion that she could be prime minister and that her party would revoke article 50 were it to win the election. texts and callers to a bbc 5live phone—in this morning — including former lib dem voters — were overwhelmingly critical of her campaign. jo swinson said she would review its success after the election, not with three days to go until polling. the serial sex attacker joseph mccann has been sentenced to 33 life sentences and must serve a minimum of 30 years. he was convicted of a string of attacks on a total of 11 women

and children across england. thejudge described him as as a classic psychopath who would always be a danger to society. he also called for an independent investigation into why mccann was released from prison in february. june kelly reports. joseph mccann — described today by the judge as a psychopath, a coward, a violent bully and a paedophile. his youngest victim was a boy of ii, his eldest a woman of 71. most were grabbed off the street by mccann. cctv captured him in his car as he spotted and targeted a 25—year—old. her identity is protected. mccann subjected her to what was described as 14 hours of the property.

——as 14 hours of depravity she finally managed to free herself and another young woman after mccann went into this hotel in watford, leaving them both in the car. when he returned, she hit him over the head with a vodka bottle. today, her victim personal statement was read to the court by the prosecutor. she said, "my life as a young woman in her 20s looks very different to how it did." "i spend more time at home managing my trauma." she also disclosed that, since her ordeal at the hands of mccann, she had faced a wait of up to year for therapy and ended up paying for it herself. once again, joseph mccann exercised his legal right not to attend court. today's excuse was that he had a bad back. the judge described mccann as someone entirely obsessed with himself, who had never expressed a word of regret or concern for his victims. they were failed by the state. joseph mccann‘s mistaken release from prison gave a violent offender the opportunity to rape women and children. today thejudge, mrjustice edis,

said he feared some lives could be ruined by what mccann did, and the failings in this case should be made public. june kelly, bbc news, at the old bailey. the time is coming up to quarter past six. our top story this evening: a volcano has erupted in new zealand as day trippers were walking inside the crater — dozens have been killed. and still to come: one of the last surviving raf pilots who fought the lufwaffe ——who fought the luftwaffe in the skies during the blitz has died aged ioi. coming up on sportsday on bbc news, revenge over ruiz, but what caused heavyweight champion anthony joshua to lose first time around? just a few days now and we'll know who our next prime minister will be. throughout this campaign, we've been travelling around the uk to key seats that could tip the balance of power.

tonight we're at our final stop, crewe in cheshire, where we can join clive myrie. hi, clive. yes, we're in the heart of the town in memorial square, a stone's throw away from the main railway station. crewe, of course, a major rail hub catering to 10,000 passengers every day, including the conservative and labour leaders, canvassing hard here. now, the seat actually spans two towns, crewe and nantwich, taken by labour from the tories in 2017. the majority wafer thin, just 48 votes, and after three recounts, making this one of the top—ten most marginal constituencies in the uk. on brexit, 60% of the voters wanted to leave the eu, so with this being such a tight marginal, undecided voters who aren't being counted by the pollsters could prove to be decisive. we've been talking to one couple still unsure which way to go.

prepare for the final dash — the rush of promises of treats to win your vote on thursday. meet scott thompson who, with his wifejenny, runs a doggy day—care centre in crewe. they say they're torn about which party deserves their full attention. health care and education, two main things, and as a businessman, business rates, corporation tax. they're always conflicting, they'll have one party that will help us as a business, another party that will help us as a family. we now have to decide whether we want a strong business or a strong family. and there is a fatigue, a weariness, over the brexit battle. everyone's fighting, nobody understands anything, and at the moment most people that i speak to, i'd say about 80% of people are just like, i'm sick of hearing about it, i want brexit to be done and over.

undecideds could be vital in this marginal seat when they eventually make up their minds. more affordable housing, an improved nhs, higher paying jobs — all vital issues in the first december general election since 1923. and for the folks out buying christmas trees, could family squabbles over politics and brexit spoil the holidays? you're going to be voting differently from your wife. yes, yeah, yeah, yeah. 0k, has that caused any arguments in the house? no, not really, no. why should it? you're entitled to your own opinion, aren't you? please, no throwing of pigs in blankets across the dinner table. oh, no, they're for eating, not for throwing! this is the season of goodwill to all men. with this election, do you think that's going to be the case? i don't think so, no. i think too many people have got their own personal agendas. and it's all lies, yeah. oh dear. yeah. happy christmas, mate! yeah, cheers, and to you. happy good new year! it is a time of year that prompts

reflection on the year past and the year to come. whichever way the election goes, the thompsons have one big christmas wish. whatever the colour of the government — blue, red, yellow, green, whichever — we just need to start forgetting about our differences and working forward together. this is a splintered isle, a disunited kingdom. can this election begin the healing? we'll know by week's end. with me as the bbc‘s home editor, mark easton. for some, the choice seems stark and clear, yet, as we have shown there, clearly some people are still undecided.” have shown there, clearly some people are still undecided. i am really struck by the number of people i have met who say they haven't made up their mind who they are going to vote for on thursday. the campaign itself, if anything, has deepened the sense of scepticism, cynicism, certainly not enthusiasm. the party leaders are

not seem to be trustworthy, certainly not particularly likeable. i think, on the issues, people are generally fed up with brexit, they wa nted generally fed up with brexit, they wanted out of the way, whatever happens, one way or the other, they wa nt to happens, one way or the other, they want to move on and talk about other things. and on those other issues, real frustration, i things. and on those other issues, realfrustration, i think, things. and on those other issues, realfrustration, ithink, that things. and on those other issues, real frustration, i think, that were not talking more about the health service, crime, housing, climate change, the cost of living. the ma nifestos, change, the cost of living. the manifestos, i think, change, the cost of living. the manifestos, ithink, are change, the cost of living. the manifestos, i think, are often seen asa manifestos, i think, are often seen as a wish list, rather than a credible road map for government, and many of the voters i've met here today have said they are going to make their mind up in the voting booth itself, they are going to look down the card and make the decision based on theirfinal down the card and make the decision based on their final instinct. in india, you know, they have a box on the voting card which read none of the voting card which read none of the above, and i suspect if you had that for this election, it would get a huge amount of support. all right, we will leave it there, mark easton. that is it from drew and nantwich, fiona, with that, it is back to you.

clive, very much. and tonight at 8:30 on bbc one and on the bbc news channel, the world anti—doping agency has again banned russia from all major sports events. the last time was in 2015 — this time it's for four years, including the next olympics and the football world cup. an investigation found that the russian authorities had tampered with data from an anti—doping laboratory. athletes who can prove they are drug free will be able to compete under a neutralflag. our sports editor, dan roan, has more. it isa it is a sporting superpower as both host and competitor, but today russia found itself out in the cold. the russian federation! a voice ever since out in the winter games in 2014, the country has been mired in unprecedented doping scandals, and 110w unprecedented doping scandals, and now it faces an unprecedented punishment. this morning, at a meeting in lausanne, russia hit with a four year meeting in lausanne, russia hit with afouryear ban meeting in lausanne, russia hit with a four year ban from international sporting events. russia was afforded every opportunity to get its house in orderand to every opportunity to get its house in order and to rejoin the global

anti—doping community for the good of its athletes and for the integrity of sport. but it chose instead a different route. russia has been punished for tampering with drugs test data in the former lab of doping mastermind turned whistle—blower dr grigory rodchenkov, who we caught up with in disguise and in hiding in the united states. today he welcomed the punishment, but russian officials are said to appeal. translation: the fact these decisions have been repeated, often affecting athletes who have already been punished, leads want to believe this is more anti—russian hysteria that has already taken on a chronic form. provides no official russian team, and the more flag will feature at next year's tokyo olympics and paralympics. the winter games in 2022 or the world cup in a few months later. but, as ever with anti—doping, there are caveats, a loophole means russia will be able to play and host matches at

football's euros next year, as it is not a global event, and as at last yea r‘s not a global event, and as at last year's winter olympics, not a global event, and as at last yea r‘s winter olympics, russian athletes who can prove they are clea n athletes who can prove they are clean will be allowed to compete under a neutral banner. that has dismayed those who wanted wada to issue a blanket ban. the duplicity and deception they exhibited is just beyond the pale. wada, under this particular administration, beyond the pale. wada, under this particularadministration, is beyond the pale. wada, under this particular administration, is not really stood up for the athletes the way that we deserve. london 2012 was just one of the event sabotaged by russia's cheating. seven years on, the fallout from sport's greatest ever scandal continues. dan roan, bbc news. one of the last surviving raf pilots who fought in the battle of britain during world war ii has died aged 101. maurice mounsdon was one of only four remaining members of what churchill called the few, the 3000 airmen who defended the skies above southern england from the nazis in 1940. robert hall looks back on at his life.

there story has grouped us for over 75 years, the young men who disbanded it there is guys against waves of german bombers in 1940. —— the skies. newsreel: hurricanes and spitfires roar into action... one by one, those men are passing into history. maurice mounsdon was just 21 when he joined into history. maurice mounsdon was just 21 when hejoined up. less than a year after completing his training, he was in combat over kent. through july and training, he was in combat over kent. throuthuly and august, he flew relentless and exhausting missions, shooting down at least seven enemy aircraft. but his luck ran out, and at 14,000 feet he was supposed to bail out of his blazing hurricane. i'd had a shot at one of the bombers, and i was overtaking the squadron, so i turned to come back and have another go, when i was hit.

he landed in these essex fields, his hands and legs were badly burned, and he endured months of treatment in hospital. the pain comes later, oh yes. burns are rather uncomfortable. hmm. maurice mounsdon never flew again, but he did serve until the end of the war. now just but he did serve until the end of the war. nowjust three of his fellow pilots remain, all of them over 100. but the courage shown in that long and costly summer will outlive all of them. maurice mounsdon, one of the few, who's died aged 101. time for a look at the weather, here's alina jenkins. after the strong winds of the last 24 hours, it is a more calm, quieter, colder evening. this is solway firth just a short time ago, but change is already happening in the north and the west, our next atla ntic the north and the west, our next atlantic system waiting in the winds

which will herald more cloud, stronger winds, and more rain overnight as well. also starting to bring something much milder, but initially colder air, so there will bea initially colder air, so there will be a frost for many of us at first night before milder conditions start to push on from the west. cloud and rain increasing from the north and west as the night wears on, when are strengthening as well, gales if not severe gales by dawn. further south and east, staying dry with clearer skies, so a touch of frost across eastern counties by dawn. tomorrow is another turbulent day, gales also severe gales, this time across scotland, northern ireland, parts of wales, the irish sea coasts, along with heavy rain, the heaviest across the hills of scotland, 60 millimetres here, perhaps 40—50 across north—west england and wales. rain arriving in eastern counties as the day wears on, but we will all see wet and windy weather. this is an idea of the strength of the wind gust, always strongest along western

coast, where they could touch maybe 7o coast, where they could touch maybe 70 mph. technically mild, 10—14dc, but it may not feel that way given the strength of the wind and rain. the system clears eastwards as we go into wednesday, and behind it we are back into the colder air, still a breezy if not windy day, in fact the strongest winds on wednesday will be across northern scotland, touching gale force. further south, the wind is not as strong but pushing in blustery showers, turning wintry over the hills of scotland and northern england. temperatures down to single digits, a real temperature y°‘y° to single digits, a real temperature yo—yo in the week ahead. play mike just an update on our top story, the volcanic eruption in new zealand. prime ministerjacinda ardern has been giving an update and has confirmed that five people are dead, eight are missing, 31 has confirmed that five people are dead, eightare missing, 31 in hospital and has said that tourists from the uk are among those affected. that is all from the bbc news at six. now on bbc one we join the news team is where you are.

this is bbc news. the headlines this hour. at least five dead and dozens more are missing after one of new

zealand's most active volcanoes erupted early this morning. zealand's most active volcanoes erupted early this morningm zealand's most active volcanoes erupted early this morning. it was hot, everyone had burdens. some seriously burned others less, and i am not sure if they managed to rescue everyone. we hope they did. a four—year—old boy forced to spend hours on the floor in a&e. the picture the prime minister didn't wa nt to picture the prime minister didn't want to look at. serial rapist joseph mccann given 33 life sentences. thejudge joseph mccann given 33 life sentences. the judge described joseph mccann given 33 life sentences. thejudge described him asa sentences. thejudge described him as a classic psychopath who will never cease to be dangerous. the banned forfour never cease to be dangerous. the banned for four years from major sporting events including the olympics and world cup by the world anti—doping agency. coming the house of representatives begins debating whether or not to organise articles of impeachment against donald trump. work at 70 m. now, time for sports day.

hello and welcome to sportsday — i'm gavin ramjaun. coming up on the programme tonight... a four—year blanket ban for russia, in all major sporting competitions. is there any way back after the latest doping scandal? iam not i am not optimistic that that well change, they have had three swings at the bat, struck out three times. also coming up in the programme, a huge night in the premier league for... freddie ljungberg's arsenal... and manuel pellegrini's west ham. both teams low on points and confidence in the premier league. will any of that change tonight? and we'll also hear from... anthonyjoshua — fresh from revenge over ruiz at the weekend. he finally reveals what went wrong in the build—up to their first fight.