a metropolitan police officer has pleaded guilty to the murder of sarah everard. wayne couzens had already admitted kidnapping and raping the 33—year—old who went missing on a walk home in south london in march. all of us in the met are sickened, angered and devastated by this man's crimes. they are dreadful. the killing of sarah everard prompted demands from women everywhere to be able to walk home safely. we'll be live at the old bailey. also this lunchtime: a huge surge in bookings forforeign holidays as the government says fully vaccinated uk travellers coming back from amber—list countries won't have to isolate afterjuly 19th. the nhs covid contact—tracing app

could be made less sensitive when restrictions ease in england. and the ten—year—old who was given mason mount�*s england shirt after the team won on wednesday says she will never wash or sell it. and coming up on the bbc news channel, can anyone stop novak djokovic? the world number one is on centre court later as he looks to reach a third straight wimbledon final. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. metropolitan police officer wayne couzens has pleaded guilty at the old bailey to the murder of sarah everard. the 33—year—old disappeared

as she walked home in clapham in south london in march this year. her body was found a week later in woodland near ashford in kent. the head of the metropolitan police, cressida dick, said outside court she was sickened and angered by the crimes committed by couzens. our special correspondent lucy manning is at the old bailey. tell us what happened in court today and what the reaction was. well, sarah everard's murder was one thatjailed the entire country, and it resonated with women everywhere, but most importantly it devastated her family, but most importantly it devastated herfamily, and herfamily were in court today to hear wayne couzens appear via video link from belmarsh prison, and he said the word guilty, when asked whether he murdered to sarah everard. his lawyer said he felt genuine remorse and guilt, and that would be a burden for his whole life, but the real burden is for the

everard family, who have lost a daughter, sarah, who they say brought them so much joy. what happened to sarah everard is what every woman fears — the fear of walking home alone. sarah was just walking home, and that night the life that she hadn't fully lived, the 33 years of bringing pride and joy to herfamily, ended. the man responsible — wayne couzens, a policeman, also a kidnapper, rapist and murderer. abusing his police promise to uphold the law, he broke it in the most brutal way. far from protecting sarah, the only danger she faced that night was couzens himself. we can now report more about what happened to sarah. three days before she disappeared, wayne couzens reserved a vauxhall astra hire car in kent. on the 3rd of march, at 7am, he finished his shift protecting

embassies and collected the car. that same evening, the last picture of sarah buying a bottle of wine before heading to herfriend's house in clapham. around nine that evening, she started to walk home, calling her boyfriend on the way. just after 9:30, on poynders road, a bus camera shows the vauxhall astra parked on the pavement with hazard lights flashing. two people are standing next to it. three minutes later, the car is pictured with the two front doors open. the hire car then heads out of london to kent, and it's returned at 8:30 in the morning. this is where sarah was last seen. when couzens was arrested, he lied and lied. he claimed he owed money to an eastern european gang for underpaying a prostitute and they threatened his family and ordered him to deliver them another girl. he admitted kidnapping sarah but said he had handed her over,

alive and unharmed, to the gang when they stopped his car on the way out of london. the truth was that couzens raped and murdered the 33—year—old, hiding her body deep in the kent countryside so it took a week to find her remains. as met police officers searched, the murderer was in their ranks. two days after he'd kidnapped sarah, couzens had bought two builder's bags at b&q. her body was found in one. couzens lived 30 miles away in deal, married with two children — a man who served in the territorial army, in the civil nuclear constabulary, and two and a half years before killing sarah, he joined the met police. shame on you, shame on you, shame on you! questions for the force — how could he have been cleared to carry a gun

when he would go on to kill? and questions about what officers did when couzens was reported for exposing himself — twice, in a takeaway restaurant — just days before the murder. could he have been stopped? the ashen faced metropolitan commissioner spoke to the everard family this morning to say how sorry she was for their loss. mil family this morning to say how sorry she was for their loss.— she was for their loss. all of us in the attempt _ she was for their loss. all of us in the attempt to — she was for their loss. all of us in the attempt to our— she was for their loss. all of us in the attempt to our second, - she was for their loss. all of us in i the attempt to our second, angered and devastated by this man's crimes. they are dreadful. —— all of us in the met our second. and everyone in policing feels betrayed. the murder of one woman resonated with thousands of others — demands that the streets must be safe, violence against women must stop, harassment and abuse must be taken more seriously. the everard family had one wish — that sarah would come home safely. but a policeman took

her future away. lucy manning, bbc news. the metropolitan police commissioner looked shaken when she came out of court to make that statement, and there are serious questions for her force and other officers as well, what exactly happened to the vetting of wayne couzens? we know he was abetted in his previousjob, guarding nuclear power stations, but was he vetted again when he joined the met. serious questions about that indecent exposure, what happened to that investigation? it was three days before he kidnapped sarah, it was the very day that he poked his hire car. and we now understand from the police regulator that there was another indecent exposure allegation in 2015 in kent, so what did kent police do about

that? more than anything, sarah everard's family want to know what happened to her, because wayne couzens, although he has pleaded guilty, still has not given the police any information — he only told them a fake story. he will be sentenced in september. thank you very much, lucy manning reporting. mark easton, how much confidence will be in the metropolitan police at the moment? the metropolitan police has endured _ at the moment? the metropolitan police has endured a _ at the moment? the metropolitan police has endured a lot _ at the moment? the metropolitan police has endured a lot of - police has endured a lot of criticism, as you know, in the last few months, the handling of the sarah everard vigil on clapham common, and i think perhaps the most devastating criticism of all came in the report last month which said that they were institutionally corrupt, and these are very serious allegations to lay at the feet of a police service. as lucy was saying, there will be some difficult questions for scotland yard in relation to this. as she was saying,

the vetting procedure. they have said that they have not been aware of any allegations that would have changed their decisions on allowing him to remain a firearms officer, when that was done most recently. the exposure incidents in fast—food restaurants, we know that the independent office of police conducted looking into that. two officers are being investigated. so there will be questions about whether alarm bells should have been ringing. but then again, you know, i think that the investigation has been praised for its thoroughness and its professionalism. detectives sold through couzens' lies and achieved a guilty plea and, you know, the speedy conviction that everyone wanted. dame cressida dick talked about her profound sadness today, and i think that is probably closer to where the metropolitan police is this afternoon, rather than in the midst of some kind of new scandal.

than in the midst of some kind of new scandal-— than in the midst of some kind of new scandal. ., ~ i. ~ .,, ., bookings for holidays and flights to amber—list destinations have surged after it was announced yesterday that uk residents who are fully vaccinated will no longer need to quarantine on their return to england or northern ireland. immigration officials have said the government needs to warn passengers there will be long queuses at the uk border as international travel continues to open up. 0ur transport correspondent caroline davis reports. international travel is opening up — if you have been fully vaccinated in the uk. soon, you won't need to quarantine if you travel from an amber list country. the announcement seems to have been enough to persuade some to start booking. within an hour of the announcement, we saw a 53% increase in traffic to our site, following the same time the day before, and that is just, i mean, a clearsign the day before, and that is just, i mean, a clear sign of the huge appetite that there is for travel. the policy will start on the 19th of july in england and the 26th ofjuly

in northern ireland. scotland and wales are yet to say whether they will do the same thing. more passengers will be welcome for the travel industry, but there are worries about queues like these, seen early in the year, too. one union has warned it will be impossible to prevent even longer queues without more resources. the lace to queues without more resources. the place to expect stews are at the airport — place to expect stews are at the airport you are coming from, once you get— airport you are coming from, once you get back to the uk, all of that is starting — you get back to the uk, all of that is starting to be automated, the real backlog would potentially be at the piece _ real backlog would potentially be at the place you leave from, rather than _ the place you leave from, rather than when — the place you leave from, rather than when you get back to the uk. people _ than when you get back to the uk. people should expect, i think, more disruption _ people should expect, i think, more disruption than usual, but i know everyone — disruption than usual, but i know everyone is— disruption than usual, but i know everyone is working very hard to minimise — everyone is working very hard to minimise those cues.— everyone is working very hard to minimise those cues. some will be left out - passengers _ minimise those cues. some will be left out - passengers will- minimise those cues. some will be left out - passengers will still- left out — passengers will still need to buy tests, which will price them out of going abroad. many under 30 are still not fully vaccinated, and the policy currently only applies to those who have been jabbed in the uk. aria lives in the uk but had both of her vaccines in

america, so the old rules, including the need to quarantine, will apply to her. i the need to quarantine, will apply to her. , ., ., , , to her. i 'ust want to see my famil , to her. ijust want to see my family. it — to her. ijust want to see my family. it is _ to her. ijust want to see my family, it is really _ to her. ijust want to see my family, it is really hard, - to her. ijust want to see my family, it is really hard, i - to her. ijust want to see my i family, it is really hard, i have to her. ijust want to see my - family, it is really hard, i have an approved vaccine, butjust because they were administered in the us, i am treated completely differently. 0ther am treated completely differently. other countries have already started accepting vaccination certificates from around the world. how difficult would it be for the uk to accept other countries' vaccination certificates? if other countries' vaccination certificates?— certificates? if we look at countries _ certificates? if we look at countries in _ certificates? if we look at countries in the - certificates? if we look atj countries in the european certificates? if we look at - countries in the european bloc, we have _ countries in the european bloc, we have digital— countries in the european bloc, we have digital vaccination certificates being issued, and it is also important that the uk is able to accept— also important that the uk is able to accept non—digital certificates as well, — to accept non—digital certificates as well, there are many countries around _ as well, there are many countries around the — as well, there are many countries around the world issuing certification in paper form, and there _ certification in paper form, and there are — certification in paper form, and there are countries accepting that, so no _ there are countries accepting that, so no reason the uk cannot in the early— so no reason the uk cannot in the early days — so no reason the uk cannot in the early days— so no reason the uk cannot in the earl da s. .,, early days. the government has said that it hepes — early days. the government has said that it hepes to _ early days. the government has said that it hopes to have _ early days. the government has said that it hopes to have some _ early days. the government has said that it hopes to have some news - early days. the government has said that it hopes to have some news on | that it hopes to have some news on recognising people vaccinated in the eu in a couple of weeks. for some, foreign skies are a little closer.

for others, they seem as far away as ever. caroline davies, bbc news. the nhs covid contact—tracing app used in england and wales may need to become less sensitive as restrictions change. the transport secretary, grant shapps, has said the end of social distancing on 19th july may mean the app needs to change. there's been a huge rise in alerts as infections surge. 0ur health correspondent jim reed has more. it's the alert you really don't want to get. 350,000 pings like this were sent in the last week ofjune, telling smartphone users in england they have been near someone who later tested positive for covid. this climbing centre in surrey had to close this week after 13 of its staff were pinged and couldn't come into work. it really just escalated to the point where we ended up with probably only two staff members that were available, so we had to act very quickly obviously. so what's been the knock—on effect for the business as a whole? i don't even know what's going to happen for the future,

but as an immediate impact on the basis we're losing income again. and it's going to hurt. the nhs covid app uses bluetooth technology, a data signal that can work out... that can work out roughly how far your phone is from another device and for what length of time. an algorithm then calculates how risky that contact is. above a certain level and you get told so self—isolate for up to ten days. but unlike a call from test and trace, that instruction has always been advisory. an update to the app later this month could make that more explicit, then from mid—august anyone double jabbed in england will be able to avoid self—isolation completely. but the recent spike in covid cases is already leading to a sharp increase in smartphone alerts. ministers have suggested the app may be tweaked, perhaps allowing users to stay closer to a positive case for longer, before they are pinged.

it's in the interest of us as a society to carry on doing the things which help protect each other and we will make sure the app is reviewed so it is appropriate for the period of time we are living through, particularly now as we are getting into the majority of adults having been double vaccined. labour says any attempt to change the way the app works could be counterproductive. this feels like taking the batteries out of smoke detector and - that is never a good idea, - that is an important protection. i'm equally worried - by the fact that, driven, i think, by the likelyl high numbers told to self—isolate, people, - the stories of people deleting the app altogether. ministers say there is no real evidence that people are deleting the app en masse. a downing street source says people in england are still being encouraged to isolate if they get that ping. jim reed, bbc news. 0ur political correspondent jonathan blake is in westminster. rising cases and numbers of people isolating.

how long can the current arrangements last? well, if you think back to when the 3pp well, if you think back to when the app was introduced, it was at a time when the government needed to limit the spread of coronavirus, get people to isolate if they had come into contact with someone who tested positive, to stop the nhs being overwhelmed and limit the number of people who could die. things are different now, with more people being vaccinated, the restrictions will be lifted in england and cases have been rising and will rise further. so it is no surprise that large numbers are being pinged, but the rules around isolation are not yet changing. until mid—august when adults who have had both jabs won't need to isolate if they are a close contact with a covid case. we are told in the meantime there could be tweaks to make the app less

sensitive, but there are warnings that that could undermine the entire system. downing street is stressing that people are still encouraged to follow the rules and isolate when told to do so, describing the app as a crucial tool in striking a balance between giving people their freedoms back and limited the spread of coronavirus still. if it is a crucial tool, coronavirus still. if it is a crucialtool, its coronavirus still. if it is a crucial tool, its also crucial that the public are confident in the use of app and follow the rules and isolate when told to do so. thank ou. official figures show the uk economy grew again in may but it was less than had been expected. 0ur economics correspondent andy verity is here to explain. we're meant to be in the middle of a bounceback, aren't we? is this economy doing as well as it was expected to? yes if you look at the economy, it looks like somebody has done a bungeejump, since then looks like somebody has done a bungee jump, since then we are supposed to be surging back

according to the bank of england we are supposed to have growth of 7% this year. but in that light the figures look disappointing, in may the growth was 0.8%. on a normal year, that would be amazing growth. that would add up if you had that every month to more than 10% over the year. but actually economists expected more or less twice as much as that, 1.5%. may was the month when we had restaurants opening up so you could go inside and the same with hotels and pubs. and of course accommodation and food did do well, the activity was up by 37%. but then you look at other things, so we had the shortage of silicon chips and some car makers had to send workers home and you saw car and truck making down 16%. although the services sector, two sectors, first

manufacturing shrank, partly because of the cars, down by 0.1%. and also construction was down by 0.8%. that is the second month in the row that it has been shrinking. if you look overall, our economy has performed one of the worse in the g7. although we are recovering, it is still looking pretty weak.- we are recovering, it is still looking pretty weak. the time is 1:15. our top story this lunchtime: metropolitan police officer wayne couzens pleads guilty to the murder of sarah everard. and coming up: why blowing up buildings can be bad for the environment. coming up on the bbc news channel, after a gentle session yesterday, the full england squad is expected to be back in training this afternoon, as the countdown continues to send a's european championship final against italy.

the olympic flame has arrived in tokyo in a low—key ceremony without any crowds, two weeks before the opening of the games. yesterday japanese officials announced there would be no spectators at olympic venues because of a rise in covid cases. 0ur correspondent rupet wingfield—hayes reports. this should have been a moment of high excitement. the start of the final leg of the olympic torch relay. instead, the governor of tokyo received the flame in an empty arena. there will be no torch relay in tokyo. as we found out last night, no spectators at the olympics either. we are nous faced with rising covid—19 infections, she says, and we had no choice but to

hold the games in a limited way. the problem now is the delta variants and it has become apparent because of that, the current measures in force in tokyo are no longer working. add too that japan is still behind on vaccinations and it is clear another big wave of covid would strike about the time of the olympics if something drastic was 0lympics if something drastic was not done. olympics if something drastic was not done. ., . ., ., not done. from the infection control perspective — not done. from the infection control perspective and _ not done. from the infection control perspective and the _ not done. from the infection control perspective and the ethical- not done. from the infection control perspective and the ethical view, - perspective and the ethical view, the spectators should not be allowed to come into the stadium. also because japan's government called for the state of emergency and asked people to... be isolated, or restricted activities, so why the olympic would be the only one 0lympic would be the only one exception against it. but olympic would be the only one exception against it. but olympic fans with tickets _ exception against it. but olympic fans with tickets told _ exception against it. but olympic fans with tickets told me - exception against it. but olympic fans with tickets told me this - exception against it. but olympic fans with tickets told me this ban is an swroefr reaction. ——

overreaction. i is an swroefr reaction. -- overreaction. i understand the situation is — overreaction. i understand the situation is still _ overreaction. i understand the situation is still dangerous - overreaction. i understand the situation is still dangerous for| overreaction. i understand the . situation is still dangerous for us. but at _ situation is still dangerous for us. but at the — situation is still dangerous for us. but at the same time, i think we should _ but at the same time, i think we should find — but at the same time, i think we should find a way to manage to hold a bi- should find a way to manage to hold a big event — should find a way to manage to hold a big event. we need to live with covid _ a big event. we need to live with covid for— a big event. we need to live with covid for now on. we need to find a way and _ covid for now on. we need to find a way and prove that we can do it. most— way and prove that we can do it. most japanese support the spectator ban, but tokyo's taxpayers will have foot the bill for refunding all those tickets, around £600le —— 6 hundred million. local authorities across the uk say they face a £3 billion shortfall in their budgets over the next three years. a bbc study has found that while councils plan to make savings worth £1.7 billion this year, they will also need to use more than £500 million of reserves to balance the books.

the government says £12 billion has been made available to local authorities during the pandemic. there are calls for the demolition of buildings to be recognised as an environmental problem. the royal institute of british architects says making materials such as cement, steel and bricks for new buildings is increasing carbon emissions. it wants ministers to tell developers to refurbish rather than demolish properties wherever possible. 0ur environment analyst roger harrabin has more. another one gone. and another one gone. and another one bites the dust. we can't keep knocking buildings down. in the uk, we currently demolish around 50,000 buildings a year and we really must stop doing this. why that is? well, the answer is in this brick. it started life as a lump of clay. imagine how much heat was needed to make the brick and the emissions created in the process. now, look behind me, how many bricks there?

hundreds? thousands? tens of thousands maybe? who knows? but imagine the emissions created to make those bricks to create a building from them and then to knock them down and start again. london's hoover building shows what can happen instead of demolition. the vacuum cleaner factory was transformed into apartments by architects, including maria smith. it takes so long to design a building, to create a building, to operate it, but we don't have that kind of time to make the changes that we need in order to reduce our carbon footprint. it's so urgent that we act now and that means changing the way that we design things, the way that we build things, the way that we procure things. but still developers often choose the wrecking ball rather than the refurbishment. architects want a different approach. we need to think about it's an asset, what can we do with that asset?

if we can't do anything, then there may be a case to rebuild, and if we do rebuild, we have got to bear in mind that what _ we rebuild needs to be adaptable for future generations to reuse. demolition firms say, "don't blame us, blame the architects themselves." they could benefit from the input we have had overx number- of years to determine whether we can do anything or not with that _ building and equally what costsj there is to actually do what it is that they might suggest. in hastings, this building's been rescued from the bulldozer. a former newspaper office, being turned into flats and work spaces. the government will publish a strategy on buildings soon, but it hasn't yet said whether it will put a halt to the wrecking ball. roger harrabin, bbc news. the england team is continuing to get ready for sunday's euro 2020 final against italy.

0lly foster is at their training ground st george's park in staffordshire. they're back in familiar settings? yes, back in the old routine that has served them so well. the next 36 hours, before we get to the final on sunday, it is going to be so intense for the players, two full training sessions, the first has just finished. they train tomorrow and then head to london to get in position for that match against the italians. it is not all about training, they have had a bit of swimming, a spot of yoga. these few daysin swimming, a spot of yoga. these few days in between matches so important for the players to refocus and get ready to go again, that big one on sunday. they have been fortunate england, becausejust sunday. they have been fortunate england, because just the one match they have had to play abroad. that was the quarterfinal with ukraine. all their other matches have been at wembley. it has been really tough on

teams and their fans wembley. it has been really tough on teams and theirfans in wembley. it has been really tough on teams and their fans in the tournament that has been spread far and wide across the continent. the uefa president gave an interview to our sports editor and said while he is in charge, future euros will not look like this one. it's not fair to the fans, some fans have to be in rome and next day, or in a couple of days, they had to be in baku, four and a half hours' flight. so it's a difficult one, it's an interesting idea, but hard to implement and i don't think we will do it again. well it has been an incredibly complex tournament to organise and add a pandemic to the mix, uefa will be relieved they have made to it the final, as will england of course. thank you. after the england team's win on wednesday, one fan's reaction to being given mason mount�*s england shirt went viral.

10—year—old belle mcnally has now told us that she will never wash or sell the shirt. so i thought that i would make a flag for him on the denmark game, the semifinal, and that caught his eye and now i've actually got his shirt. i'm probably going to put it in a frame, or keep it somewhere safe, because i don't want to sell it or i don't want to wash it. when i went to school, everybody knows, it was very crazy, because when i walk down the road the other day to pick my brother up, there was someone shouting "superstar!" and ijust didn't know. and when we went to mcdonald's there was someone like, "it's belle!" and it's just crazy, because i've never had that before. it's men's semifinals day at wimbledon and world number one novak djokovic will be on court hoping to reach a third consecutive wimbledon final. laura scott is there. the world number one looks the one to beat, doesn't he?

he is, he is the clearfavourite, because he is in phenomenalform. but he is the one with the experience. this is his 41st grand slam semifinal. for the other three, it irthat first. novak djokovic isn't short of motivation, chasing a 20th grand slam and a golden slam for winning all four major titles in a year. jack draper is the only player to have taken a set from djokovic. but he expects a tough game from denis shapovalov. he is coached by his much. denis shapovalov doesn't seem unnerved by the task ahead of him. he said the score board starts at love—all and anything is possible. the first semifinal is matteo berrettini against hubert hurkacz. they're both first timers and for their countries

it is exciting, matteo berrettini from italy and hubert hurkacz from poland. neither country had had a champion before. hubert hurkacz has knocked out federer and the second seed. matteo berrettini won at queens. if he were to win today, what a day for italian sport sunday would be. . ~ what a day for italian sport sunday would be. ., ,, i. time for a look at the weather, here's nick miller. not a huge amount of sunshine today. the clouds are building and several weather watchers catching a shot of one of these, county durham, there is a funnel cloud. there are some hefty down pours developing into this afternoon. looking at the radar, you can see them popping up over the past few hours in south—east scotland, and north—east england and look around south—east england, the met office suggesting

these are flying ants being