today at six: the transport crisis at dover is getting worse — almost 3,000 lorries are now stuck on roads and car parks in kent. the queues are stretching for miles, waiting for the french border to reopen, amid concerns about the new variant of coronavirus. well, i'm very frustrated. i'm stuck here for two days. so, we don't know how much time will take to sort this problem. there's still no agreement between the uk and france on getting things moving again. testing all lorry drivers might be part of the solution. getting those tests up and running, you know, can happen relatively quickly, but in terms of the details of that, that is something that both the transport secretary and his counterpart will be discussing right now.

we'll have the latest on the talks between britain and france, which have restarted in the past hour. also on the programme: the intense pressure on hospitals across the uk as scientists say the new variant of the virus demands even tougher measures. i actually think the whole country needs to be in tier 4, because we have to get ahead of it, and we're not ahead of it right now, we're behind it. the plight of homeless young people in the pandemic, as charities call for more government support for food and shelter. and we talk to world heavyweight champion anthonyjoshua, who warns that amateur boxing clubs are struggling to survive. and coming up on bbc news: the premier league will boost covid testing, while the efl will review their protocols, as several clubs have to postpone matches because of outbreaks.

good evening. the transport crisis at dover is getting worse. there are now almost 3,000 lorries stuck in kent, waiting for the green light to cross the english channel to france. talks between the uk and france on reopening the border have restarted in the past hour. france stopped the crossings on sunday because of the rapid spread throughout the uk of a new variant of coronavirus. any solution is likely to include mass testing for lorry drivers. almost every eu state has now stopped travel from the uk, despite the eu's appeal for restrictions to be lifted, and worldwide, more than 50 countries have banned flights from british airports.

for the latest, let's join our transport correspondent caroline davies in dover. first, this from theo leggett. seemingly endless queues of pop top lorry stretching for miles along the m20 this morning. there's simply nowhere for them to go. the french border remains closed. the eurotunnel terminal is shot and deserted, and in dover, some traffic was coming in on ferries from france, but nothing was going the other way. hundreds of trucks now sit in this giant lorry park in what used to be manston airport, while others are waiting wherever they can space. polish driver greg was around hundreds waiting for news. it's a disaster for hundreds waiting for news. it's a disasterfor me. hundreds waiting for news. it's a disaster for me. it's the first time i'm here in the uk, and it's terrible. as i said, if i knew one

day before that, hey, guys, europe, uk, border will close in one go, i never came here. do you think you will get home for christmas?” never came here. do you think you will get home for christmas? i don't know. i hope, buti will get home for christmas? i don't know. i hope, but i don't think so. it's not clear precisely how many lorries popped up around kent. concerns are growing about the welfare of the stranded drivers, forced to spend days confined to the cabs, farfrom forced to spend days confined to the cabs, far from home. the welfare of these drivers should be top of our minds at the moment. we should be treating them much better than we are, because they are essential workers that keep our supermarkets stacked, keep our manufacturing sector working, but also get our british goods to market around the world, earning us pounds and giving us world, earning us pounds and giving usjobs here at home in britain. world, earning us pounds and giving us jobs here at home in britain. the government says it is in talks with france to find a way of unblocking the border, and developments are likely later today. the border was

closed because of french concerns about a new and highly infectious variant of the coronavirus. any solution, the government says, is likely to involve testing for drivers. testing of some sort is pa rt drivers. testing of some sort is part of the discussions that the transport secretary is having with his counterpart in france right now. getting those tests up and running, you know, can happen relatively quickly, but in terms of the details of that, that is something that both the transport secretary and his counterpart will be discussing right now, so i don't want to speculate in terms of the nature of the testing and how soon that could be up and running. what form those tests could take, though, is not clear. the uk is known to favour lateral flow tests which offer quick results. france prefers our lab —based test which is lower but seen as more reliable. authorities in calais have made it clear they want an agreement quickly. i am very sad, and i hope

that really since yesterday morning, when i have been in more interviews, isaid when i have been in more interviews, i said that if it is a condition for hauliers to come back to france, please start as soon as possible the tests. holi agree a solution needs to be found soon or all of these lorries will be left on the road to nowhere. —— hauliers agree. our business editor, simon jack, joins me. this is the most important port in the uk, possibly in europe, and when it blocked doughy backstops, things get blocked profoundly. toyota annoys that —— announced it was shutting down production today, and the other thing people will notice will be in the supermarkets, lots of pictures of empty shelves circulating on social media. i'd been speaking to some of the major

supermarkets and they say there are empty shelves, but not because they are running out of stock. people are buying more quickly than they can be physically restocked. 0ne buying more quickly than they can be physically restocked. one person said there are many christmases now going on, people who might have been going on, people who might have been going to parents or relatives are having to recreate them at home because of the restrictions. while people are buying heavily, they are buying rationally, no panic buying. 0ne supermarket said they saw no reason to introduce caps on many sta ples, reason to introduce caps on many staples, but another said they were, they were going to introduce limits on pasta, rice, hand wash, not because they are running out but a smooth demand. if we don't see this congestion lifted, the food trade say we will start to see shortages of fresh fruit as early as the 27th of fresh fruit as early as the 27th of december. and we have brexit coming down in nine days, a lot of people close to death row saying in many ways this was a useful rehearsal for some many ways this was a useful

rehearsalfor some of the contingency plans, to stress test is ahead of the possible congestion, but that is a sentiment lorry drivers in dover would find hard to agree with tonight. we will go live to dover and caroline davies. you been talking to people today, and we saw the images of the lorries backed up saw the images of the lorries backed up on the motorway and in car parks semi—might bring us up—to—date on what is happening. as you can see behind me, a spontaneous protest has taken place behind me in the last hour or taken place behind me in the last hourorso, taken place behind me in the last hour or so, people become incredibly frustrated at the fact that the dover crossing is still close. what you can't see down here is the rows upon i’ows you can't see down here is the rows upon rows of lorries and vans parked by the side of the road. we also have plenty of the passengers running out on the streets. bear in mind that dover is a tier 4 area. people are trying to go about their business, go to the shops. there are very few amenities here. many of the drivers i spoke to were concerned they didn't have showers and many couldn't find toilet facilities,

either, so really a lot of people running out of patience here in dover. we heard the european commission recommended that european transport stuff such as lorry drivers should be exempt from restrictions and from mandatory testing. all we know is that the french and british governments' discussions about this are ongoing. caroline davies, our transport correspondent. as we said, the transport chaos has been caused in the main by widespread concern about the rapid spread of a new variant of coronavirus, which some experts say is transmitted more easily. the uk's top scientist, sir patrick vallance, warned that further restrictions would probably be needed in more areas. in england at present, some 17 million people are under tier 4 rules — the highest level, where people are being told to stay at home and not leave the area. scotland is moving into its highest alert level 4 on boxing day, and northern ireland will begin a lockdown on the same day. wales, where the nhs is under great pressure, has already entered a new national lockdown, as our health editor hugh pym reports.

which way are we going? into c. 0n the nhs front line in south wales. at morriston hospital in swansea there's been a surge in covid patients and the virus is said to be running rampant in local communities. pictures and interviews with patients and staff were made available by the local health board. it's very, very, very bad. very scared, i've never been so scared in all my life. i'm off oxygen, feeling stronger all the time, you know. still quite emotional, it's frightening. staff say things are even tougher than during the first wave. a lot of people caught covid back then, but because we had other staff to fill in for them, we were able to even it out. where as now, the hospital is back up to full capacity so we have no more staff to move around. all the uk's nations have come up with new restrictions to try to curb the

spread of the virus. with london's streets, for example, a lot quieter. there is speculation in england now over whether tough measures might be extended more widely. this map shows the tier system in england, the dark red area, london and the south—east, is in tier 4 with the toughest restrictions because of the spread of the variant of the virus. 0range shows those parts of england that are in tier 2, some of which are bordering that tier 4 block. now in terms of cases per 100,000 people, the blue line shows what's been happening in the tier 2 areas furthest away from the south—east, for example in the north of england. and cases have gone up a bit since early december. but the red line shows what's been happening in tier 2 areas closest to the south—east and tier 4. and you can see infections have gone up a lot since early december. some communities are split down the middle between tier 2 and tier 4 and the virus with the new variant doesn't respect boundaries. there have been calls for every area

to be put on the same footing. i actually think the whole country needs to be in tier 4, because we have to get ahead of it and we are not ahead of it. right now, we are behind it and hospital admissions, for instance, are shooting up in the south and they are not yet in the north and we just don't want to see it happen everywhere. there have been warnings that further lockdowns might be damaging for people's well—being. we know from the first lockdown how important it is for people to get the support they need. and also, the implications of lockdown for people's mental health and the implications of not getting that support. as pressure on hospitals intensifies, questions have been asked as to why the nightingale hospitals have not been put to greater use. this one in exeter is the only one currently taking covid patients. senior specialists say it is all a question of staffing. it's very easy to create space and to buy equipment and drugs. but what you can't do is create

a highly skilled member of staff who can work in critical care at short notice. nhs england says the nightingale hospitals are there as a backstop and will be used if needed. some might say that could yet happen. hugh pym, bbc news. the latest government figures show there were 36,804 new coronavirus infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period. the average number of new cases reported per day in the last week is now 31,743. 1,909 people have been admitted to hospital on average each 691 ——1,909 people have been admitted to hospital on average each day. 691 deaths were reported — that's people who died within 28 days of a positive covid—19 test. it means on average in the past week, 486 deaths were announced every day. it takes the total number of deaths so far across the uk to 68,307.

0ur health editor, hugh pym, is here. let's just draw the strands together. we are looking at the rising infections, the concerns about this new variant, the pressure on hospitals in — what is the picture this evening? these figures we've just heard make pretty grim reading. the number of new reported cases for a dayjust under 37,000, up cases for a dayjust under 37,000, up 61% week on week. hospital admissions around the uk up 18%. and against this backdrop, administrations around the uk are trying to work to come up with new solutions. in scotland, the government has said it may take its level four, its highest level, the whole of mainland scotland is due to move that on boxing day, may take it to an even tighter level of restrictions, for instance tightening up which shops can be open. in england, there is a meeting about now of ministers in whitehall to consider whether tier numeric

floor needs to be extended around england. there will be announcement on that tomorrow at some stage. —— tier 4. the governments and ministers of the uk will have to keep on working to try to find out something to curb the spread of this variant of the virus. hugh pym, our health register, with the latest. —— editor. as we've heard, leading scientists say they have ‘high' confidence that the new variant of the virus is easier to transmit than other variants. but there are many unanswered questions about the characteristics of the new variant and how it's managed to become the dominant strain within a matter of months, as our science editor, david shukman, explains. it takes scientific detective work to discover the genetic clues about how the virus is changing. the uk does more of this than any other country. maybe that's why the new variant was spotted here first. in any event, scientists say it does

seem to cause infection more easily, and it is now spreading. this map, based on the latest data, shows how the new variant has been found across most of the uk, and it's got to other countries, too — confirmed in the netherlands, denmark and italy — and it's probably in germany and further afield. australia has found it as well. researchers say the new variant may become the dominant form of the virus. at the moment, the trajectory is clearly that this is increasing extremely rapidly, and we have seen this before, so we saw a variant which emerged injanuary becoming the dominant form in the earlier part of this year, and what we are seeing with this new variant is that it's actually increasing far more rapidly than that previous variant ever did. a crucial question is whether the vaccines can handle the new variant. everything so far suggests they will. the scientists behind the pfizer biontech vaccine say tests on other mutations

have proved that. we are confident that this will be the case, since in the past we have tested more than 20 virus variants with different types of mutations, and the result was always that the vaccine induces immune response which is so bold and attacks multiple positions in this virus protein. and what does the new variant mean for when we'll get out of this crisis? well, one estimate for the most vulnerable people and health care workers may be immunised by the middle of next april, if everything goes according to plan. and 67% of the entire population by mid—july. that would achieve what is called herd immunity, basically when the virus can't spread much more. but because the new variant seems to infect people more easily, it could be that 80% of the population has to be vaccinated to achieve that herd immunity, and that would take longer, may be running

into next august. another concern is whether children are more at risk from the new variant. there is no firm evidence of that so far, but scientists are watching closely. and from the labs that found the variant, a message has been relayed by the world health organization, to make sure that when every country tests for the virus, they can detect the new version. david shukman, bbc news. the european union's chief negotiator, michel barnier, has told eu ambassadors that fishing remains the biggest obstacle to a post—brexit deal with the uk. mr barnier said earlier the talks were at a really crucial point, adding that he was giving it the final push to reach agreement. britain's transitional agreement with eu rules runs out at the end of the year labour has warned that a no—deal brexit would have an ‘absolutely catastrophic‘

impact on the uk —— and that the current problems around dover would be just a taste of what could follow. 0ur europe editor katya adler is in brussels. bring us up today about what you are hearing there about the talks?|j bring us up today about what you are hearing there about the talks? i can just say that in brussels today there have been rumours swirling around about a deal that could be, but isn't yet. we did hear from michel barnier he said that both sides were working hard to find a fair deal for the sides were working hard to find a fair dealfor the eu sides were working hard to find a fair deal for the eu and sides were working hard to find a fair dealfor the eu and the uk. he insisted that progress continue to be made and he told eu countries that he thought all of the issues in this deal were resolved, on their way to be resolved except the eu demand to have the right to fish in uk waters after brexit. however much michel barnier thinks a deal is almost there, the mantra is nothing

is agreed until everything is agreed. i spoke to a uk official and he said there are more complications between the negotiating teams than fisheries alone. we only have ten days left until the end of the transition period. the eu said if no deal was in place by then, the two sides can keep talking from the 1st of january, but the government says, no. talks will end on the 31st of december and if there is no deal, the two sides will trade on australia terms, world trading organisation terms with the tariffs that go along with them. thank you. our top story this evening: the transport crisis at dover is getting worse — almost 3,000 lorries are now stuck on roads and car parks in kent. and still to come... the scientists working to make singing safer during covid. coming up on sports day on bbc news... another tough match for arsenal —

playing manchester city in the quarterfinals of the league cup. we'll have the latest from the emirates as manager, mikel arteta, comes under increasing pressure to deliver. homeless charities have written to the government asking them to spend more money on trying to prevent young people from sleeping rough. the charity centrepoint say young people are facing ‘a winter like no other‘, with rising levels of homelessness among those aged 16 to 25. ministers say they‘re investing over £750m to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping next year. 0ur social affairs correspondent michael buchanan has been speaking to two young people made homeless in recent months. covid has cost me my family home and my relationship with my family. i was just on the road, i was just walking up and down with my black bags, staying on park benches, staying in tower blocks

and stuff like that. the city is a lonely place when you‘re homeless, time a constant enemy. joshua spent six weeks sleeping on london‘s streets. the pandemic cost the 20—year—old hisjob in construction. tension is built up at home, and his mother couldn‘t cope. my mum called me and was, you know, she said, yeah, she can‘t managed no more, and she said, you know, she doesn‘t want me back at the house. the locks were changed and everything. i think, at the time, i was kind of scared, because i basically don‘t have a home any more to go to and stuff like that, you know? the little clothes and stuff i had, they actually got stolen from me while i was sleeping on a bench. there are more young people sleeping on london‘s streets than ever before. figures have risen by almost 50% in a year. more than one in ten of all rough sleepers are aged between 16 and 25. and the problem is not confined to the capital. in brighton, charities say they saw

a 60% rise in homelessness among young people following the initial lockdown. but this soup kitchen have seen a new trend — children coming through. we are seeing more and more young people, and even under 16, like 14 and 15—year—olds that are spending may be one, two, three nights on the street, mixing with the older guys and drinking and taking drugs and stuff, and that's a bit of a worry, simply because they'll get picked up and led into crime. urban or rural, homelessness can hit anywhere. the pandemic cost dan hisjob, his girlfriend and his home. a lot of homeless people haven‘t ever done anything wrong, it‘s just they‘ve fallen on hard times and can‘t get out of it. so, to realise that that was coming my way was scary. the 25—year—old was rescued by amber house, a residential unit for young jobless people in sussex. his parents‘ home was too small for him to return to after he lost hisjob in retail. coming here saved him from rough sleeping. always hope. there‘s always somewhere.

i think a lot of young people, because of the stigma attached to being homeless, become afraid to ask for help. a lot of people might have just come across people that don‘t have the time for them, but there is always someone. charities say more of this kind of specialised accommodation is urgently needed to prevent young people from being forced onto the streets. i wouldn't wish that situation on any young person my age at all, because it's really, really hard. if covid never came around, life wouldn't have changed so dramatically as it has now. michael buchanan, bbc news. church services will be much quieter than usual this christmas, notjust because of restrictions on movement, but also because worshippers of all religions have been asked not to sing, to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. but a team of scientists from university college london is using lasers and high—speed cameras to try to see if wearing a face covering

could make singing safer. 0ur health correspondent catherine burns takes up the story. singing. a sign of the times. the words are more than a thousand years old but with the 2020 twist... ..a facemask. but what does that have to do with this? la. religion and science, two parts of professor lawrence lovett‘s life. he says that most of the evidence on face covering looks at coughing and sneezing. he wants to know what difference they make to singing. i think that singing in communal worship is incredibly important, it‘s an absolutely central part of worship. and if it‘s safe to do, then i will be the first person to do it. if it‘s not safe to do, i‘m for certain not going to do it. this is where the choir stands in this synagogue. they are still allowed, but must be socially distanced. so they‘ve limited the amount

of music during the services here. across england, government guidelines for churches, mosques and temples say that the rest of worshippers cannot join in singing or chanting. i don't think any church leader ever thought they'd be in the position of standing in front of their congregation and saying, "don'tjoin in, please don't sing". sarah hunter is a church of england lay minister and choir director and one of the volunteers taking part in this study. coronavirus is mostly spread through droplets from coughs, sneezes and people talking. so, sarah has to breathe, speak and sing... la. ..with and without a facemask. it‘s normally filmed in the dark with a high—speed camera and a laser to show up the droplets. hello. these pictures are slowed down 100 times less than reality. a volunteer singing a note without a mask. you can see lots of droplets swirling around. but the researchers say when someone wears a surgical—type facemask,

either singing or speaking, there are almost no droplets at all and any that do get through travel more slowly and so can‘t spread as far. most of the volunteers so far have been christian and jewish, but the team wants other faiths to take part, too. i‘m hoping that we can get as many people as possible to get involved in the trial. especially when i think there‘s been such an emphasis on physical health, but spiritual help has been largely ignored. the study hopes to influence government policy on worship and will also look at how volume effects droplets. so maybe worshippers will be able to sing together, but quietly. catherine burns, bbc news. the world heavyweight boxing champion, anthonyjoshua, has warned that the next generation of boxing stars could be lost to the sport if it fails to be supported financially during the pandemic. he said he was making a substantial

donation to help amateur clubs, many of which were forced to close during lockdown. it follows his recent successful world title defence which has paved the way for an all—british title fight against tyson fury in the new year. he‘s been speaking to our sports editor dan roan. he may be on top of the boxing world, but anthonyjoshua is now fighting for those starting out. the heavyweight champion making what he has called a substantial donation to boxing governing bodies to help amateur club survive. in the finchley gym where it began for him, he told me why such places needed help. i am a professional now, but i am so help. i am a professional now, but i am so close to the grassroots sport. in the next ten to 15 years you will see the next leaders of tomorrow coming through. it‘s not going to be ten to 15, it is going to be 20 to 30 years due to this period of a lost generation and that is why it is important to keep these gyms open. joshua stepped in when the

government left boxing out of £350 million rescue package. we want to raise the eyebrows of people in power to somehow think in the future, if there is an opportunity to invest in sports again, include boxing. 300 million is a substantial amount. even £3000 to boxing gym makes a massive difference. without grassroots there is no tyson fury, there is no anthonyjoshua. grassroots there is no tyson fury, there is no anthony joshua. the news was welcomed here at salford which tries to tackle anti—social behaviour through boxing and like many gyms, is in a deprived area. everyone is frightened of coronavirus. lots of people sit inside and just watch the tv. you need to stay healthy and keep active. boxing is a massive part of the community and it is needed. what anthonyjoshua is doing now, is amazing. a lot of the money doesn't

filter down to these gyms. joshua's next target is this man, tyson fury, as long as a defining unification mega— fight can be agreed for next summer. mega— fight can be agreed for next summer. me and him are competitive, it is massive. but for the world, the boxing show will be one of the biggest events in the uk since the world cup. it is going to boost the economy, boost the morale of the people. let‘s get behind boxing. economy, boost the morale of the people. let's get behind boxing. how confident are you it will happen next year? i am certain, keen and ready. we can do it back at finchley if we have to. i want to be the undisputed heavyweight champion, thatis undisputed heavyweight champion, that is the legacy. whatever happens, joshua will hope he has helped others to follow in his footsteps in the sport he is close to conquering. dan roan, bbc news. time for a look at the weather. here‘s matt taylor. it is rain from the gathering clouds we have seen in the south giving us concern over the next 36 hours. the

rain totals