hello. this is bbc news. police are failing to investigate complaints and support victims of stalking a decade after it was made a specific offence, according to charities. a bbc freedom of information request has found at least four forces in england have failed to employ a single point of contact for stalking, despite a government requirement to do so. abi smitton reports. she just loved life. gracie spinks and alice ruggles — two young women tragically killed. both had reached out to the police in the months before their deaths, desperate for help dealing with suspected stalkers.

today marks ten years since stalking was made a crime in england and wales. we need to take this whole issue i of stalking far more seriously, i and that's why we're _ going to create a separate criminal offence of stalking. there were high hopes it could be a landmark moment, but stalking charities say victims are still being let down. they've launched a super—complaint against the police. the measure can only be brought forward by specific organisations to raise awareness of wider problems in policing. we want this super—complaint to prompt a thorough investigation into widespread issues in relation to supporting stalking victims, such as the misidentification of stalking, the implementation of adequate protections, and monitoring breaches of protective orders to ensure that victims aren't being put at risk. there were more than 700,000 reports of stalking and harassment in the year tojune, while only 5% of reports of stalking led to a charge.

a bbc breakfast freedom of information request found that, out of the 28 forces in england that responded, four still had not appointed a point of contact to deal with stalking complaints, despite a government recommendation to do so. the national police chiefs' council says it recognises more needs to be done to improve the outcomes for victims of stalking. and the home office says it takes stalking extremely seriously and has doubled sentences as a result. alice and gracie�*s parents have dedicated themselves to fighting for change since losing their daughters. they're determined to see it come sooner rather than later. there's only one person to blame — the person who killed alice, the person who killed gracie. they are the people to blame. and, yes, police do things wrong, and all we ask is that we learn lessons. campaigners believe this super—complaint could be the change they've waited for. it's now up to the police watchdog to decide if it will be investigated. abi smitton, bbc news.

an army veteran in northern ireland has been found guilty of a fatal shooting during the troubles. former soldier david holden shot aidan mcanespie in the back at an army checkpoint in 1988. let's cross to belfast and to our ireland correspondent chris page. the verdict has been made in the last half an hour or so in the trial of david jonathan holden, he is not the first soldier to be convicted and connected with the killing in the northern ireland conflict —— conflict since the peace deal that ended the conflict. it is in connection with the fatal shooting of aidan mcanespie. that was in 1998. the background was that david holden was 18 at the time of the killing, he was in the grenadier guards and was in charge of a

machine gun at an army checkpoint on the border with the irish republic near loch mccloy in county tyrone. aidan mcanespie is a person of interest to the military, he was walking across the border to go to a gaelic football match. mr holden fired three bullets from the machine gun, one of which ricocheted off the road and struck aidan mcanespie in the back, killing him. holden was charged with manslaughter in the 19805, that charged with manslaughter in the 1980s, that case was dropped. his claim has been that he accidentally fired the trigger. he said, for example, that he had been doing cleaning duties at the army base slightly beforehand, that his hands were wet and that the weapon was pointing in the wrong direction when he went to pointed in the right direction his hand slipped onto the trigger and he fired the bullet by accident. however, thejudge here at the end of this nonjury trial and

said he believes that the count was deliberately false, he said that david holden was criminally culpable, that he was in charge of the lethal weapon and that means he is guilty of gross negligence manslaughter. aidan mcanespie�*s relatives, friends and supporters were sitting just behind david holden in the courtroom when this verdict was being read out by the judge. afterwards, some of them hugged each other, some were in tears. they said they have been campaigning forjustice in this case for 3h years. an army veterans organisation that has been supporting david holden that he plans to appeal against his conviction. this will be seen as something of a touch—tone case in the debate which has become an intensely political debates over how you investigate unsolved killings from the conflict in northern ireland. just this week the government's new legislation has

been debated in the house of lords. the government planning to initiate a new process that will focus on gathering information for the families of parisian relatives and anyone who cooperates with that process, any former paramilitaries are members of the british army who cooperates, gives information to the new commission, will be granted immunity from prosecution. that aspect of the legislation is highly controversial. we can expect to hear from the likes of aidan mcanespie�*s family when thick, to give their reaction here, is that their experience of taking this case to court proves that the other way is the better way of dealing with the past, to continue with prosecutions, even though they are becoming more and more rare. i expect the family will say that this case proves that there can be justice will say that this case proves that there can bejustice in will say that this case proves that there can be justice in the end, however, people's opinions on this case, on the prosecution of former

veterans for killings in the troubles at all will remain an ongoing debate and will remain a very controversial debate in the years ahead in northern ireland. the investigation into alleged bullying by the deputy prime minister, dominic raab, is now looking into three formal complaints against him after one further complaint was made this week. downing street has said the complaint was about mr raab�*s behaviour during his time at the department for exiting the european union. i'm joined by our political correspondentjonathan blake. dominic raab has been facing accusations of bullying in various cabinet post he has held over the last few years. in the past couple of weeks or so. a formal investigation is now under way after dominic raab asked the prime minister to look into two specific formal complaints against him during his time at the department for justice. he is also the deputy prime minister, of course. that has now been expanded after we were told by

downing street in the last hour or so that a third formal complaint, which relates to his time as brexit secretary back in 2018, was made to the cabinet office, who then updated the cabinet office, who then updated the prime minister who asked for the scope of this inquiry to be broadened. it is being run by a lawyer, adam tolley, he has been appointed to establish the facts around these formal complaints to do with dominic raab�*s behaviour. it will look into whether he has broken the ministerial code and if it is found that he has, and the prime minister is ultimately the arbiter of the code of conduct for ministers, he would be expected to resign. the investigation will run open ended lee. there is no fixed timeline for it at the moment. downing street said they wanted it to be conducted and concluded in a timely manner. meanwhile, there may be more because our colleagues at

the bbc�*s newsnight has reported that the ministry ofjustice, where he is currently serving, has been inundated with complaints and there are several people trying to get their particular concern is added to this investigation. dominic raab denies any accusations of bullying, saying he has behaved professionally at all times and once the complaints dealt with transparently, rather than through anonymous comments in the media. black friday is one of the most important shopping days of the year for retailers. more than half of shoppers say they intend to buy gifts earlier than usual to make use of november discounts, but the consumer group which? has warned just one in seven black friday offers are genuine discounts.

welcome! it is obviously a really important day for retailers. how is this year is shaping up against other years?— this year is shaping up against other years? this year is shaping up against other ears? ~ . ., ., other years? well, we have had a aood other years? well, we have had a good start- _ other years? well, we have had a good start- we — other years? well, we have had a good start. we look _ other years? well, we have had a good start. we look at _ other years? well, we have had a good start. we look at football, l other years? well, we have had a l good start. we look at football, the volume of consumer activity in our destinations in our high streets, our shopping centres and retail parks across the uk. we already have data up to 12 o'clock today and we saw that footfall in our shopping centres is 14% higher than last week. that is what we would expect to see that rise compared to last week because we have seen that in every black friday we have tracked back to 2014. it is even higher than last year, but it is still down on 2019, and we were expecting that. what about online shopping? online sho -|n~ what about online shopping? online sho an: is what about online shopping? online shopping is interesting. _ what about online shopping? online shopping is interesting. black - shopping is interesting. black

friday became an online event a few years ago when there was complete chaos and some of our bigger stores were reintroduced black friday into the uk. what we have seen over the period since covid—19 is that we have seen a an online spending as people became more confident about going back into destinations as the infection rate declined and people felt less vulnerable. the level of online spending is only slightly higher than it was before covid. people are very keen going into store and we are saying this today. black friday is the launch of the christmas trading period and it is a double bubble, really. not only do you see all the festivities and it is a lovely day out, but they are also getting some bargains, so there is an opportunity to buy presents at a lower cost. is an opportunity to buy presents at a lower cost-— a lower cost. obviously a lot more sales for the _ a lower cost. obviously a lot more sales for the retailers, _ a lower cost. obviously a lot more sales for the retailers, but - a lower cost. obviously a lot more sales for the retailers, but they i sales for the retailers, but they are discounted sales. how much does it really help them? we are going

through this very difficult cost of living period. it is through this very difficult cost of living period-— living period. it is quite extra thing with — living period. it is quite extra thing with the _ living period. it is quite extra thing with the discounting. i thing with the discounting. discounts pre—christmas started in earnest back in 2012, really, when he went through an economic challenge there, with the recession. that has been maintained all the way through, so discounting is not a new phenomenon. retailers need to take that into account. but of course it does reduce their margins, it is an inevitable if you're selling it for less than you otherwise would you, you have a lower profit margin. for retailers it is about claiming the chopper early. what they don't want to do is not have the opportunity to south to a chopper and have others do it. they will be willing to disconcerting products and offer bargains. the level of discounting

does vary, but a lot of people have what they want to buy for christmas in mind already and will go out knowing they are likely to get that cheaper today. hagar knowing they are likely to get that cheaper today-— knowing they are likely to get that chea er toda . ., u, i. ., ., cheaper today. how can you guarantee our caettin cheaper today. how can you guarantee your getting a — cheaper today. how can you guarantee your getting a bargain. _ cheaper today. how can you guarantee your getting a bargain. which - cheaper today. how can you guarantee your getting a bargain. which macro i your getting a bargain. which macro has said that only one in seven represent a genuine discount? at}! represent a genuine discount? of course, you can guarantee that. you need to do your research. it is incumbent on the consumer to make sure that the item you are buying, if you are specifically buying it because you want to get it at a discount, then that is the discount you want. there will be better discounts in some places than others and they have quite rightly identified retailers not offering particularly good discounts. there are lots that are. it is down to the shopper to do the research carefully and not get carried away with a discount for the sake of a discount. how does black friday compare with the january sales, which is to be

the january sales, which is to be the big sales period. black friday is a relatively recent phenomenon in this country. it is is a relatively recent phenomenon in this country-— this country. it is interesting not because we _ this country. it is interesting not because we have _ this country. it is interesting not because we have seen _ this country. it is interesting not because we have seen a - this country. it is interesting not because we have seen a shift . this country. it is interesting not - because we have seen a shift forward of the sale period. when i was very young, january sales, particularly new year's day cells were very strong, there were queues around the blocks in town centres to get into department stores. that has largely disappeared because people can go online at midnight on christmas day and by what they want. by january, we have done quite a lot of our buying already. black friday has really replaced january sales. of course, there is always another surge in spending injanuary because a lot of people have christmas money and gifts and tokens to spend. what we see with black friday it is almost a gateway to the christmas period, it is that day when people realise we are now in christmas trading period and they can go and enjoy the festivities and lights. we haven't been able to do that for the

last couple of christmases, so people want to go out and it —— and experience that's. we have seen much more sunshine around today and it is very mild for the team of year. in kattar it has been hotting up, temperature is getting close to 30 degrees. by the time he get to kick off in the england game, it will be 26. there is more cloud over northern parts of the middle east. back towards the uk and looming large on the satellite picture this cloud that will be moving on from the atlantic over the next couple of days. ahead of that we still have showers in the early evening across northern scotland, but it will be as went by this stage. it will turn chilly in eastern england under the clear scales. there is no cloud coming in from the atlantic later on, rain in

scotland and northern ireland later. it could be quite chilly in eastern england with temperatures in rural areas not far away from a touch of frost. heading into the weekend, lower pressure to the west. this tangle of weather france is moving slowly our way. the winds will be strengthening, as well. for many parts —— eastern parts of england will be dry. cloudy skies moving in. rain developing across western parts of england and wales, developing more widely in scotland. some room for time to time and northern ireland. all the while that southerly wind will be strengthening, touching gale force in southern and western coasts. because it is a saturday when it is bringing mild air. that is pushing northwards into scotland, where it could reach 13 or 14 degrees. it will be getting windy through the day. it stays windy well into the night. that weather front will push men eastwards across all areas. it will hang around for awhile, perhaps

in the south—east of england. it looks like it should clear away. we may hang on to a lots of cloud. in the first south—east. in the western fringes we will find some showers. those will be heavy infantry. the wind is easing down through the day and we still have those temperatures in double figures. that is now for the time of year. heading into next week, things become quieter. there could be a few showers around but it will be drier, a bit chillier, and there could be some mist and fog as well.

welcome to bbc news. i'm lucy hockings live in qatar with continuing coverage of the world cup. joe allen is there's it's a poor clearance. world cup heartbreak for wales deep into injury time as they lose 2—0 to iran wales were down to ten men — after goalkeeper wayne hennessy was sent off for a reckless challenge outside the penalty box, we're gutted. there's no other way to say it. we fought until the last second but, um, yeah. it's one of those things that's difficult to take, but we have to. we have to recover, we have to try and go again. meanwhile, england are preparing for their match against the usa

later, where they hoping to secure their place in the final 16.