at 6pm — the prime minister rejects claims by his former adviser dominic cummings that government mistakes led to thousands of extra covid deaths. but the health secretary matt hancock is under pressure, over accusations that he falsely claimed that hospital patients were being tested for covid, before being discharged back into care homes. there will be a time when we go back over all this in great detail, but my recollection of events is that i committed to delivering that testing for people going from hospital into care homes when we could do it. matt hancock also revealed tonight that up to three quarters of a new covid cases in the uk are now the indian variant. new infections are

on the rise but the prime minister says there is nothing in the data to suggest england can't go ahead with the final lifting of lockdown. also tonight... police! more than 1,000 arrests, after a week—long operation to crack down on gangs who use children to transport and sell drugs across britain. dark matter — the most mysterious substance in the universe — now scientists have mapped it out. 0ut out of the egg came a tiny, and very hungry caterpillar. and eric carle has died, the man who wrote and illustrated the very hungry caterpillar, adored by millions of children over the decades. and coming up on the bbc news channel, how to stop the online hate. marcus rashford says he received more racist abuse after last night's europa league final defeat.

good evening. welcome to the bbc news at six pm. the health secretary matt hancock has denied lying to his colleagues and to the public about dealing with covid in care homes saying he's been �*straight with people�* throughout the pandemic. yesterday, the prime minister's former special adviser dominic cummings said mr hancock should have been sacked for lying on multiple occasions, but he has hit back saying the allegations are unsubstantiated and untrue. tonight, he came under more pressure over accusations that he falsely claimed hospital patients were being tested for covid, before they were discharged back into care homes. here's our political editor laura kuennsberg. the accusations were grave. tens of thousands of — the accusations were grave. tens of thousands of people _ the accusations were grave. tens of thousands of people died _ the accusations were grave. tens of thousands of people died who - the accusations were grave. tens of thousands of people died who didn't need to die. , thousands of people died who didn't need to die-— need to die. delivered with a vicious candour. _ need to die. delivered with a vicious candour. in _ need to die. delivered with a vicious candour. in the - need to die. delivered with a| vicious candour. in the public needed us — vicious candour. in the public needed us most, _ vicious candour. in the public needed us most, the - vicious candour. in the public - needed us most, the government

failed. . , ., , ., failed. the adviser who used to stalk the corridors _ failed. the adviser who used to stalk the corridors of _ failed. the adviser who used to stalk the corridors of number i failed. the adviser who used to i stalk the corridors of number ten now has it in his sights. fundamentally, i regarded him as unfit for thejob. fundamentally, i regarded him as unfit for the job.— unfit for the 'ob. what was his resonse unfit for the 'ob. what was his espense to — unfit for the job. what was his response to his _ unfit for the job. what was his response to his former - unfit for the job. what was his - response to his former right-hand response to his former right—hand man? i response to his former right-hand man? ., s , response to his former right-hand man? ~' ., , ,., , response to his former right-hand man? ~' . man? i think if i may say so that some of the _ man? i think if i may say so that some of the commentary - man? i think if i may say so that some of the commentary i - man? i think if i may say so that some of the commentary i have | man? i think if i may say so that - some of the commentary i have heard doesn't _ some of the commentary i have heard doesn't bear— some of the commentary i have heard doesn't bear any relation to reality _ doesn't bear any relation to reality. we did everything we could to protect — reality. we did everything we could to protect the nhs and to protect care homes as well. did to protect the nhs and to protect care homes as well.— care homes as well. did you test an one care homes as well. did you test anyone being — care homes as well. did you test anyone being out _ care homes as well. did you test anyone being put into _ care homes as well. did you test anyone being put into a - care homes as well. did you test anyone being put into a care - care homes as well. did you test. anyone being put into a care home? we did everything we could, we did everything — we did everything we could, we did everything we could. but we did everything we could, we did everything we could.— everything we could. but mr cumminqs's _ everything we could. but mr cummings's claims - everything we could. but mr cummings's claims have - everything we could. but mr. cummings's claims have made everything we could. but mr- cummings's claims have made him a temporary friend of the labour leader. ~ ~' ., �* temporary friend of the labour leader. . ~ ., �* ., ., temporary friend of the labour leader. ~ ., �* ., ., ., leader. we know we've got one of the hiuhest leader. we know we've got one of the highest death — leader. we know we've got one of the highest death tolls _ leader. we know we've got one of the highest death tolls in _ leader. we know we've got one of the highest death tolls in europe, - leader. we know we've got one of the highest death tolls in europe, and - highest death tolls in europe, and the families — highest death tolls in europe, and the families who _ highest death tolls in europe, and the families who have _ highest death tolls in europe, and the families who have lost - highest death tolls in europe, and l the families who have lost someone are entitled — the families who have lost someone are entitled to— the families who have lost someone are entitled to answers _ the families who have lost someone are entitled to answers in _ the families who have lost someone are entitled to answers in relation . are entitled to answers in relation to this, _ are entitled to answers in relation to this, because _ are entitled to answers in relation to this, because bad _ are entitled to answers in relation to this, because bad decisions- are entitled to answers in relation i to this, because bad decisions have consequences. _ to this, because bad decisions have consequences. and _ to this, because bad decisions have consequences, and in _ to this, because bad decisions have consequences, and in this- to this, because bad decisions have consequences, and in this case - to this, because bad decisions have consequences, and in this case the| consequences, and in this case the consequence. _ consequences, and in this case the consequence. i'm _ consequences, and in this case the consequence, i'm afraid, _ consequences, and in this case the consequence, i'm afraid, are - consequence, i'm afraid, are unnecessary— consequence, i'm afraid, are unnecessary deaths. - consequence, i'm afraid, are unnecessary deaths. but- consequence, i'm afraid, are unnecessary deaths.- consequence, i'm afraid, are unnecessary deaths. but the minister who stepped — unnecessary deaths. but the minister who stepped into _ unnecessary deaths. but the minister who stepped into the _ unnecessary deaths. but the minister who stepped into the most _ unnecessary deaths. but the minister who stepped into the most trouble i unnecessary deaths. but the minister who stepped into the most trouble is| who stepped into the most trouble is the health secretary. then who stepped into the most trouble is the health secretary.— the health secretary. then i will be auoin to the health secretary. then i will be going to the _ the health secretary. then i will be going to the house _ the health secretary. then i will be going to the house of _

the health secretary. then i will be going to the house of commons . the health secretary. then i will be | going to the house of commons and the health secretary. then i will be i going to the house of commons and i will answer questions there. thanks very much. will answer questions there. thanks ve much. �* . will answer questions there. thanks ve much. �* , , ., will answer questions there. thanks very much-— very much. after his profile was under heavy _ very much. after his profile was under heavy attack, _ very much. after his profile was under heavy attack, seeming i very much. after his profile was under heavy attack, seeming to i very much. after his profile was - under heavy attack, seeming to wind down the window for a better snap. the barbs at matt hancock came again and again. the the barbs at matt hancock came again and aain. ,, . ., , ., the barbs at matt hancock came again and aaain. ,, . ., , ., ,, ., and again. the secretary of state for health should _ and again. the secretary of state for health should have _ and again. the secretary of state for health should have been - and again. the secretary of state i for health should have been fired for health should have been fired for at _ for health should have been fired for at least 15, 20 things, including lying to everybody. gr including lying to everybody.

questions will continue, _ into care homes without any tests? questions will continue, though, i questions will continue, though, whether in the commons or here at the department of health, especially around what happened in our care homes behind closed doors. because, from early on, there were public calls, from care home managers and mp5, for a harder look at what was going wrong, or to get more tests to them, and at the beginning of may, there was a cute concern expressed in number ten. an urgent meeting brought together to get to the bottom of what was going on. it was common knowledge last year that there were terrible problems in care homes. can you still stand there today and say it's true that you protected care homes from the start? we work as hard as we could to protect people who lived in care homes. —— we worked as hard as we could. we committed to building the testing capacity to allow that to happen. 0f testing capacity to allow that to happen. of course, it then takes time to build testing capacity. perhaps, then, that's the end of one government claim, but it won't be the last you will hear of dominic cummings's allegations. he may be

gone, but his shadow and the events of the last year still stalk number ten. and of course no one is suggesting for one second this wasn't all difficult, fraught and complicated, but it is really worth noticing tonight that matt hancock did not repeat that claim he has given dozens and dozens of times, that the government put a protective ring around care homes from the start of the pandemic. i think it is also worth noticing he didn't quite clear up exactly what he promised to and at what point, about testing patients if they were leaving hospital before they go back into care homes, and if you're wondering, well, who cares who said what to who and when, remember of course, this is all about decisions that really did affect the lives, and sometimes death, of thousands of people. laura kuenssberg in westminster, thank you. there's been another rise in the number of new coronavirus infections across the uk — 3,542 new cases were reported in the latest 24—hour period — that's the highest daily figure since the middle of april. ten more deaths have been reported.

cases have been creeping up again over the past week — they're up 20%. in the vaccine roll—out, just over 236,000 people have had a covid vaccine in the last 2a hours. in total, more than 38.6 million people have now had their firstjab. that's more than 73% of the uk's adult population. more than 427,000 people had their second dose in the past 2a hours, meaning just over 2a million people have had both doses. 45.6% of the population are now fully vaccinated. well, the prime minister says there's nothing in the data from england to suggest the final stage of lifting lockdown, onjune 21st, can't go ahead. but others have warned the decision is �*in the balance'. our health editor hugh pym has been looking at the numbers. the final laps in the race to get

all adults vaccinated. from today in northern ireland, those aged 18 and over are eligible to get theirjabs, and there was a steady stream of takers. in england, it is 30—year—olds and over booking income and all this is the data points to a slight pick—up in the spread of the virus. daily reported covid cases in the uk rose steeply to hit a peak in january. then they fell back, but just since early may, they've started rising slowly. this map shows hotspot areas in different parts of the uk, red with the highest case rates, followed by orange and then yellow. experts say cases were expected to rise as the economy opens up, and it shouldn't necessarily be a concern. has economy opens up, and it shouldn't necessarily be a concern.— economy opens up, and it shouldn't necessarily be a concern. as long as our vaccination _ necessarily be a concern. as long as our vaccination programme - necessarily be a concern. as long as| our vaccination programme continues successfully, and as long as people are taking up the opportunity to get vaccinated, i think we will still continue in a positive way. wejust have to be incredibly careful that when this new data arises, we give

it to the analysis and the attention it to the analysis and the attention it deserves to make sure that we can avoid another lockdown.— avoid another lockdown. hospital numbers have — avoid another lockdown. hospital numbers have been _ avoid another lockdown. hospital numbers have been going - avoid another lockdown. hospital numbers have been going up. i avoid another lockdown. hospital i numbers have been going up. there were 826 covid admissions in the uk in the last seven days, an increase of nearly 20% on the previous seven day period, they are still relatively very low. in bolton, where there has been a surge in cases with the indian variant of the virus, the local hospital has come under intense pressure, with more covert patients needing to be admitted. and trust leaders in other areas with the variant are also reporting higher numbers. thea;r areas with the variant are also reporting higher numbers. they are 0 -timistic reporting higher numbers. they are optimistic at _ reporting higher numbers. they are optimistic at this _ reporting higher numbers. they are optimistic at this point _ reporting higher numbers. they are optimistic at this point that - reporting higher numbers. they are optimistic at this point that they i optimistic at this point that they are not— optimistic at this point that they are not going to skyrocket, but they are not going to skyrocket, but they are really— are not going to skyrocket, but they are really saying this week is the crucial— are really saying this week is the crucial week.— are really saying this week is the crucial week. , , , ., ., crucial week. this representative of hos . ital crucial week. this representative of hospital leaders _ crucial week. this representative of hospital leaders says _ crucial week. this representative of hospital leaders says a _ crucial week. this representative of hospital leaders says a common i hospital leaders says a common picture is emerging.— picture is emerging. what is particularly _ picture is emerging. what is particularly striking - picture is emerging. what is particularly striking is i picture is emerging. what is particularly striking is that l picture is emerging. what is i particularly striking is that chief e>

wards, but also, crucially, that the significant — wards, but also, crucially, that the significant majority of people who are in_ significant majority of people who are in hospital with covid—19 are people — are in hospital with covid—19 are people who have not been vaccinated. as vaccinations continue in areas like leicester, with rising cases of the variant, first identified in india, public health officials are urging everyone who is invited for a second dose to come forward. they stress it does offer a high degree of protection against the variant. so these latest figures on the indian variant in the uk, how worried are officials? the overall perspective _ worried are officials? the overall perspective on — worried are officials? the overall perspective on this _ worried are officials? the overall perspective on this is _ worried are officials? the overall perspective on this is that i worried are officials? the overall perspective on this is that cases| perspective on this is that cases generally across the uk, and hospital numbers, are still very low, relative to where they were earlier this year. but cases of the variant first identified in india have doubled in the last week. they are still quite concentrated in the existing known hotspot areas, but public health leaders are saying hospital admissions in more than one of these areas, notjust in bolton, which was highlighted a couple of weeks ago, there is admissions have been going up. and we know that it

is more transmissible, so warnings have gone out in these areas to people to be extra vigilant, extra cautious with mixing with other households, and, crucially, if they are ready for a second dose, to go and get one because of the protection offered there. as we heard from chris hopson from nhs providers, the next week is going to be pretty crucial, in terms of data. is this trend going to continue, are they going to be more hospital admissions, and that of course will have a bearing about decisions about the road map in england. the prime minister saying at the moment there is nothing in the data about changing his mind about opening up onjune 21 but we will certainly get a lot more important date in the next week or so. china has accused the us of playing politics with coronavirus, after presidentjoe biden ordered a review of intelligence about where the covid—19 virus originated from. it follows renewed speculation in america that the virus leaked from a laboratory in the city of wuhan, where it was first identified.

the world health organisation is preparing further studies into its origins, after previously saying it was �*highly improbable' that it had come from a lab. two metropolitan police officers, accused of taking photographs by the bodies of two women at a crime scene in london, have said they are "sorry beyond measure" for the pain they have caused. pc deninaffer, who 5 a7, and 32—year—old pcjamie lewis have been charged with misconduct in public office. from westminster magistrates�* court, helena wilkinson, reports. this lady was celebrating her birthday with her sister last year when they went missing. two days later, their bodies were found next to each other. pc deniz jaffer and pcjamie to each other. pc deniz jaffer and pc jamie lewis were assigned to protect the crime scene, but they were later arrested, after an investigation into accusations they had taken selfies by the bodies.

last year, the sister�*s mother spoke to the bbc. last year, the sister's mother spoke to the bbc-— to the bbc. those police officers dehumanised _ to the bbc. those police officers dehumanised our _ to the bbc. those police officers dehumanised our children. i to the bbc. those police officers i dehumanised our children. today, the officers appeared _ dehumanised our children. today, the officers appeared in _ dehumanised our children. today, the officers appeared in court, _ dehumanised our children. today, the officers appeared in court, charged i officers appeared in court, charged with misconduct in a public office. both police officers appeared together in the dock, and through their lawyer, they issued an apology, saying they are sorry beyond measure for the pain that they have caused. their barrister also said that both defenders —— defendants had indicated they would plead guilty at the old bailey next month. separately, 19—year—old daniel hussain is facing trial next month at the same court, accused of murdering the two sisters. helena wilkinson, bbc news. no human remains have been found by police searching a cafe in gloucester for a suspected victim of the serial killer fred west. officers have been searching for mary bastholm, who worked at the pop—in cafe,

now called the clean plate. the 15—year—old was last seen in 1968. gloucestershire police began excavating the cafe cellar on 19th of may. more than 1,000 people have been arrested across britain, after a week—long operation to crack down on so—called county lines drugs gangs. dealers have been using children to transport drugs out of cities so they can sell them in smaller towns. charities, working with young people caught up with the gangs, say they�*re overwhelmed by the numbers needing their help since the pandemic, many of them vulnerable teenagers who dropped out of sight of schools and social services. angus crawford reports. police! police! frighteningly, you know, they can be as young as seven or eight years of age, and that's scary. these children are victims. you know, this is modern slavery. these children are i being used as slaves.

it�*s going to be in this block, here. a teenager is missing. dawn and tammy are police officers in northampton. theirjob, trace him, bring him to safety. have you heard from him today, or had contact from him? every day, they look for children, lost to county lines. he's stayed currently in a crack house, which is involved in knife crime. he's frightened. 0n the other side of the country... he cries in his sleep, i he comes home, he's got bruises and burn marks. ..a mother in despair, locking the doors and windows at night to keep her boy indoors. we've asked for so much help from the police, i and we've had no help at all. he's turned from a loving, i gorgeous boy to a stranger. police! and this is where they can end up. hands behind your back!

when officers came through the door here, they found a 17—year—old boy, a missing person up from london, and he had 30 wraps of class a drugs. all the users will be told, you know, if you want to pick up your drugs, come to this address. children made to sell drugs. the threat of violence always there. there is needles everywhere, there's, like, drug wrappers everywhere. drug addicts would be that of their face they literally poo in something like tinfoil and throw it out the window or something like that. it is really disgusting. and rhys should know. he lived that life ten years. he now wants to warn others. so i was about eight years old when i first got involved. often i would get on the trains with it, transport it, go hundreds, 200 miles away. drug dealers are preying upon these young people and these vulnerable people. rhys and his boss lisa try to help families trapped by county lines.

it kind of feels it�*s out of control. the pandemic seems to have made things much, much worse. it's got really, really bad. it's probably the worst we've seen it. it's gone crazy, and we are basically on our knees. looking for weapons, drugs and the children who carry them. the emphasis now on helping young people, not locking them up. you look very young, how old are you? i but what if they don�*t want help? he is 16, angry and abusive. people who are young are potentially victims, they don�*t realise quite often themselves that they are being exploited. remember the missing teenager in northampton? a breakthrough. he�*s made contact. whereabouts are you, just so we know where we are going to? 0k, speak to you soon. fiend where we are going to? 0k, speak to ou soon. �* ., , where we are going to? 0k, speak to ou soon. . ., , ., .., ., you soon. and wants to come home. result. you soon. and wants to come home. result- he — you soon. and wants to come home. result- he is — you soon. and wants to come home. result. he is vulnerable, _ you soon. and wants to come home. result. he is vulnerable, our - you soon. and wants to come home. result. he is vulnerable, our focus i result. he is vulnerable, ourfocus is safeguarding him and removing him

from a risky situation. fiend is safeguarding him and removing him from a risky situation.— from a risky situation. and there he is, 'ust a from a risky situation. and there he is. just a shoe _ from a risky situation. and there he is, just a shoe box _ from a risky situation. and there he is, just a shoe box and _ from a risky situation. and there he is, just a shoe box and plastic i from a risky situation. and there he is, just a shoe box and plastic bag i is, just a shoe box and plastic bag for his things but he�*s safe, at least for now. angus crawford, bbc news. the time is almost 20 past six. our top story this evening... and coming up, we remember the life of eric carle, the author of the very hungry caterpillar. coming up in sportsday on the bbc news channel... team gb name their women�*s football squad for the olympics — 15 out of the 18 are english and there�*s no call—up for northern irish players. dark matter — it�*s the most mysterious substance in the universe. little is known about it — scientists are pretty sure it exists but still don�*t know what it is. yet it is strangely fundamental to our understanding of the cosmos.

dark matter is matter that neither emits nor absorbs light but is subject to the effects of gravity, like everything else we see around us. now scientists have created the largest ever distribution map of dark matter in the universe, and it has some very significant implications, as our science correspondent pallab ghosh reports. look up at the skies and you see stars. but this telescope in the deserts of chilly is able to see of chile is able to see the universe as it really is — filled with a mysterious substance called dark matter. it can�*t be seen, but this instrument can detect dark matter by the way it distorts starlight. this is a map of matter in the universe. and that�*s allowed astronomers to produce this map of how it�*s spread across the expanse of space. it�*s an element of, you know, unveiling mystery. something you you couldn�*t see before, and suddenly it�*s there, and you think, "wow."

so what is dark matter and where is it in space? well, let�*s start off with our own sun. it�*s one of 100 billion stars that make up our galaxy, the milky way, which in turn is one of countless others throughout the universe. dark matter permeates space with galaxies like tiny gems on a tangled cosmic web. the bright areas are where dark matter is most concentrated, and it�*s here that galaxies form, but the map is not what astronomers expected. the matter should be slightly more clumped together. instead, it�*s smoother than predicted by einstein�*s theory of general relativity, which helps determine how the matter should have spread out after the big bang. if the structures in this map are smoother than we expect them to be, which is what the results seem to hint at, it means that einstein�*s theory is wrong. so you might think that that�*s a bad thing, that maybe physics is broken.

but for physicists it�*s extremely exciting because it means we can find out something new about the way the universe really is. building on the work of einstein, carlos frenk was among a group of scientists that developed the current model of cosmology. hearing now that there may be something not quite right with the theory, well, it�*s very disconcerting. it�*s very alarming, and in a way frightening to see that maybe my whole life�*s work might crumble in front of me. but at the same time, it is immensely exciting. astronomers believe that we are at the start of a new revolution in cosmology that will give us a fuller understanding of how the universe began and how it will evolve. pallab ghosh, bbc news. northern ireland�*s first minister, arlene foster, has been awarded £125,000 in damages after a defamatory tweet by tv presenter dr christian jessen.

he tweeted an unfounded allegation that mrs foster had been having an extra—marital affair. 0ur ireland correspondent emma vardy is in belfast for us. this case really highlights just how much trouble one tweet can get you into. dr christianjessen posted his comments on twitter back in december 2019, alluding to the unfounded rumours that mrs foster was having an affair, and his post got a lot of views. thejudge here at an affair, and his post got a lot of views. the judge here at belfast high court said today it was an outrageous libel that involved trashing the relationship that was most important to mrs foster, and awarded a very substantial sum of damages. there were some aggravating factors in this case, one that dr christian jessen never factors in this case, one that dr christianjessen never apologised christian jessen never apologised but christianjessen never apologised but also the fact that for a long time he ignored the proceedings and later claimed he didn�*t know the case was going ahead, which the

judge today said he found to be false and misleading. dr christian jessen will have to pay arlene foster £125,000 but his bill will be substantially higher than that because he will also have to pay the legal costs. arlene foster�*s is a letter to said he hopes this act as encouragement for all women in public life who are subjected to attacks on social media.- public life who are subjected to attacks on social media. emma vardy, thank ou. the manchester united player marcus rashford says he received "at least 70 racial slurs" on social media, after the team lost last night�*s europa league final to villarreal. he said one message was apparently from a maths teacher. the club said its players had been subjected to "disgraceful racist abuse" which wouldn�*t be tolerated. the conservative mp rob roberts has been suspended from the commons for six weeks, after he made repeated unwanted advances to a member of staff. mps approved the motion to suspend him. the commons leaderjacob rees—mogg said it would be "honourable" if mr roberts stood down as an mp.

thejoint committee on human rights will look into the issue of forced adoptions in the 19505, �*60s and �*70s, following our coverage this week. it will hold sessions to speak to the birth mothers and the children, as witnesses and a government minister will give evidence. programme at a residential care unit called winterbourne view, there�*s been a call for the release of roman protasevich arrested by the authorities in minsk after the ryanair plane he was on was diverted. foreign ministers of a group of seven wealthy nations as well as the european union said they condemned in the strongest terms the action by the belarusian authorities at the weekend. it�*s ten years since undercover filming by the bbc�*s panorama programme at a residential care unit called winterbourne view, near bristol, shocked britain, revealing bullying and abuse of people with learning disabilities and special needs. pledges to shut all similar hospitals have been missed. every day, around four people are admitted to specialist hospitals —

according to the charity mencap — and their figures show that, over a recent period, spanning two and a half years, there have been more 100,000 incidents of patients being restrained, drugged or put in isolation. 0ur social affairs correspondent alison holt reports. winterbourne view caused incalculable damage to simon. he went somewhere where they beat him, they abused him. it�*s been a decade since this deeply upsetting undercoverfilming by bbc panorama showed people with learning disabilities and autism being abused at winterbourne view hospital. it closed and the government promised all similar institutions would shut with better support provided in the community. but this online vigil by families marks what they see as ten years of broken promises, because more than 2,000 people are still locked up in such places. among them, elliott. he was taken to a specialist hospital after the crisis. three years later, he�*s still there.

there�*s times where he rings and he�*s crying and breaking his heart, saying that he just wants to come home, he�*s had enough. and you�*re kind of fobbing him off. you can�*t give him a direct answer to say "you�*re coming home in august" because giving him that guarantee and that not happening is difficult. simon enjoyed some of the most distressing abuse —— simon endured some of the most distressing abuse at winterbourne view. now he lives in his own home with support, but he is still dealing with the aftermath of what happened. they ridiculed him and emotionally tortured him, and hejust couldn�*t understand. his mother feels let down that government promises to protect others from what simon faced haven�*t led to enough change. they failed their own targets, and i find that astonishing

because we are talking at the highest possible level of government, and those changes did not happen. people didn�*t come out of units, and people continued to go in them. northern lamb was the care minister in the coalition government who made the first promise to close specialist hospitals by 2014. unfortunately, i discovered as a government minister you don�*t have nearly as much power as you would want to effect change, and i also recognise that it takes time to move institutions and it requires constant focus over many years. the government and nhs england say winterbourne view has led to the number of people in specialist hospitals being reduced by a third, and that increasing support in the community is a priority. alison holt, bbc news. the author of the best—selling children�*s book the very hungry caterpillar, eric carle, has died aged 91. tens of millions of children have been brought up

on his most famous book, published more than 50 years ago, which tells the story of a ravenous caterpillar. 0ur arts correspondent david sillito looks back at his life. the very hungry caterpillar by eric carle. it�*s the story of a ravenous caterpillar that becomes... he's a beautiful... a butterfly! eric carle�*s children�*s classic, and more than 40 million copies have been sold. and he pushed his way out! what's he going to be? we sell him every day of our lives at the book shop. it�*s the days of the week, it�*s the food that everyone knows, it�*s the interactivity. you want to put your fingers in that hole. itjust works on every single level. it�*s the perfect children�*s book. it had begun as a story about a worm, but eric carle, an american graphic designer, was advised to switch species. his friends saw in the gentle world of his children�*s books

a reaction to the traumas of his own childhood in wartime germany. he went to school and the school told him that the next day they would be joining the german army. and he went home, told his parents that. they locked him in the cellar the next morning. most of his comrades were killed. imagine the effect that would have on somebody. eric carle wrote dozens of books, but nothing came close to the caterpillar, and by the end, he had a theory as to why. it took me a long time, - and i think it is a book of hope. i think that is the i appeal of that book. and i should know — i i did the book, after all. what a wonderful book. eric carle — children�*s author and creator of the very hungry caterpillar — has died at the age of 91.

time for a look at the weather, here�*s stav danaos. it is looking up, at last! at last, absolutely. and we saw temperatures reach over 20 celsius in the greater london area this afternoon, only the second time we have seen temperatures this month reached 20 celsius are over. we should get used to it because the bank holiday weekend is looking pretty warm. the warmth is coming up from the near continent of spain, france, up towards our shores, and we could be looking at temperatures on sunday and bank holiday monday across england and wales reaching the low to mid 20s celsius. that will be like a heatwave compared to what we�*ve had so far this month. a fly in the ointment, this rain in western parts of the country and cloud too so temperatures falling no lower than eight to 11 degrees. this will be hanging around the western side of the uk throughout friday.

the further east you are, it should tend to stay