at grenfell tower have reported long—term health disorders since 2017. and from christmas tree — decorations to its animals. and coming up on bbc news... can luke littler become the youngest winner of the world darts championship? a record currently held by michael van gerwen who he'll meet in the final tonight at alexandra palace. hello, and welcome to the bbc news at one. adult social care in england is unlikely to be reformed for at least three years. the government has confirmed that an independent commission on long—term funding will start work in april, but won't deliver its report until 2028. the health and social care secretary wes streeting has promised "to finally grasp the nettle

on social care reform". but councils and care providers say it's too long to wait with vital services already on their knees. our social affairs editor alison holt reports. yeah, so hopefully we'll be able to make a real difference. for the health and care secretary wes streeting, an early visit to a care home in carlisle today to meet residents and staff. a place for him to announce the independent commission that he has asked to draw up a plan for a future national care service. the current system is under huge pressure, juggling increasing demand, underfunding and staff shortages. mr streeting says they are already tackling current problems but also need a blueprint for the longer term. we are gripping the social care crisis that we are looking to stabilise the sector over the next 12 to 2a months. but also to deliver the reforms we need for the medium to long term to make sure that we have got a national care service that is fit

to meet the needs of older and disabled people in our country. the new care commission will be led by baroness louise casey, who has led past government inquiries and has a reputation for getting things done. the commission will start work in april. it has been told it must build political and public consensus to avoid the arguments that have led to the failure of past plans. proposals for medium—term reforms will be published by mid—2026. but the final report with its plans for how care services will be organised and paid for in the long term is unlikely to be delivered before 2028. care providers say they need a plan for the future much sooner. the announcement about an independent commission led by baroness casey looks, to many in the sector, as a government delaying tactic. it is not going to report for two to three years, as i understand, and it feels like fiddling while rome is burning.

if the government wants to make this work at scale we need a completely different approach, not ignoring social care but drawing it in and funding it properly. family carers who support older or disabled relatives say change is needed but agree it needs to happen as soon as possible. actually, you know, we were very pleased to hear the announcement about social care reform but i think some anxieties about the timeline for it. because there is a crisis now. the government says it is also setting out plans to train more care staff to carry out health checks and providing an additional £86 million before april to make home adaptations that help people with disabilities remain under their own roofs. alison holt, bbc news. the government is saying plans such as the _ the government is saying plans such as the extra — the government is saying plans such as the extra money it is putting into adapt— as the extra money it is putting into adapt the homes of people with disability, _ into adapt the homes of people with disability, and plans for training care staff— disability, and plans for training care staff to do more checks, health checks, _ care staff to do more checks, health checks, are —

care staff to do more checks, health checks, are part of getting on with reforming — checks, are part of getting on with reforming social care right now. they— reforming social care right now. they also — reforming social care right now. they also say they want to build that consensus to avoid physical disagreements which in the past have led disagreements which in the past have ted to— disagreements which in the past have ted to the _ disagreements which in the past have led to the failures of plans which have _ led to the failures of plans which have iteen— led to the failures of plans which have been put forward for changing the way _ have been put forward for changing the way in — have been put forward for changing the way in which social care works. the fundamental issue, is around funding _ the fundamental issue, is around funding social care, that is where every _ funding social care, that is where every previous attempt to reform the system _ every previous attempt to reform the system has _ every previous attempt to reform the system has foundered. the problem faced _ system has foundered. the problem faced by— system has foundered. the problem faced by many care providers is they say there _ faced by many care providers is they say there isn't enough money to provide — say there isn't enough money to provide the quality of care and make the change. — provide the quality of care and make the change, invest in digital reforms _ the change, invest in digital reforms for instance, they need to do to— reforms for instance, they need to do to provide a care system for the future _ do to provide a care system for the future. whilst they welcomed the announcement there will be change, what they— announcement there will be change, what they want is that change to happen— what they want is that change to happen much sooner because they say the crisis _ happen much sooner because they say the crisis is _ happen much sooner because they say the crisis is right now and change is needed — the crisis is right now and change is needed now. alison, thank you.

an arctic blast of freezing temperatures has swept into the uk, bringing widespread ice — and more snow to parts of scotland. temperatures dropped to almost minus eight degrees in benson in oxfordshire overnight, and there are already warnings for "significant snow" and blizzard—like conditions to come this weekend. our reporterjessica lane is at a gritting depot in oldham. jess, what kind of impact could this have? it will have a huge impact on everyone. you can see the gritting machines lined up waiting to go out again later. they were out overnight, and will probably go out at 4pm when it is forecast temperatures here will go down to zero and lower. the machines are here to make conditions safer for people that driving conditions will still be hazardous. today, this evening and over the weekend. lincolnshire police say a baby boy died in a car crash near grantham

late last night and are looking into whether icy conditions played a part. we have had this cold weather alert for health care providers suggesting people who are vulnerable to the cold might struggle to stay warm inside their own homes when it is getting so cold outside. so they will need extra support and monitoring. we are hearing some disruption is likely over the weekend because of the snow and ice. rural communities could be cut off, there could be an impact on mobile phone signals and possibly power cuts. here in oldham, this is the salt pile that gets put into the machines to clear the roads, i have a strong feeling by monday morning that will be quite a lot lower. gritting machines were out through the night and into the early hours making sure the roads were clear and safe. back in october when the winter season started here, this whole area was full of salt,

and it was as high as the top of the pile you can see there. here, they are constantly monitoring the situation on the roads and the weather forecast, to see how much salt they need to use each day. we do tailor what the actual gritting machines are putting on the roads, depending on the conditions, the temperatures, and that can be fed into the wagons, and then they dial up what is required, and the salt is dispensed accordingly. this is us watching in real—time. in the office is where they keep an eye on how much salt is needed and where it needs to go. so we are able to see that in real—time the temperatures were colder than we expected. so we were able to monitor that react accordingly. health care providers are also preparing. they have been placed on high alert for the coming days. people who are vulnerable to the cold weather could be at greater risk and might need help. in the east of england, extra ambulances have already been put on, as they have started to feel the pressure. our call levels are at the highest

level that we have experienced ever. that typically we would see that typically we would see around 3,900 calls a day, around 3,900 calls a day, and we have been receiving and we have been receiving in excess of 5,700 calls. in excess of 5,700 calls. some charities, including age uk, some charities, including age uk, are warning that the government's are warning that the government's decision to axe winter fuel payments decision to axe winter fuel payments for most pensioners will make some for most pensioners will make some reluctant to turn on the heating reluctant to turn on the heating during this cold snap. during this cold snap. but the health secretary but the health secretary defended the choice. defended the choice. well, this is definitely a weekend well, this is definitely a weekend to turn the heating on. to turn the heating on. and i willjust remind people and i willjust remind people that the chancellor did take that the chancellor did take the decision to protect winter fuel the decision to protect winter fuel allowance for the poorest allowance for the poorest pensioners, to protect people pensioners, to protect people this winter and in future winters. this winter and in future winters. and of course the triple lock and of course the triple lock on pensions is guaranteed. on pensions is guaranteed. so the state pension is higher so the state pension is higher this winter than it was last year. this winter than it was last year. three, two, one, go! three, two, one, go! as snow had already started to fall, as snow had already started to fall, it is fun for some, it is fun for some, and often beautiful. and often beautiful. but others will be worried about how but others will be worried about how they are going to stay warm they are going to stay warm

and get around safely. and get around safely. here in oldham, they say they will be monitoring the situation closely this afternoon, and their gritting machines will be ready to go out when needed. jessica lane, bbc news. we ll have a full forecast later in the programme, but there are several weather warnings in place. let's get the latest with elizabeth. lots of weather warnings for this wintry spell across the uk but these are the most serious, two whether amber warnings. are the most serious, two whether amberwarnings. fairly serious, amber warnings. fairly serious, fought amberwarnings. fairly serious, fought snow and ice. snow and ice further south valid into sunday. the northern one does not expire until midnight on sunday. towards the south we will see milder air, there will be snow

patients with flu and respiratory issues. so there is concern. nhs hospitals broadly speaking, these figures are for england, are pretty near to full for much of the year any way so it doesn't take much to add to the strain they are feeling. health leaders say it is really important if you are eligible for a flu jab to get it particularly if you are looking after someone vulnerable. it is never 100%, it could be 50% or less but much better to have that protection. here is what one leading hospital chief executive said about his concerns for the weeks ahead. it is a nasty flu, this, there has been a lot of it around. we have all either had it or know people who have had it. and as well as it being higher levels, increasing hospital admissions and illness, the timing of it this year, just before christmas, did inhibit hospitals's ability to empty out and prepare as well

for the peak period. as well as flu, there is rsp, another vaccine, another virus, adding to the pressure. and the cold weather, that will create more risks for certain vulnerable patients. they are looking to a really busy week ahead when many return to work after the festive break. president biden says the us will relentlessly pursue the islamic state group and other terrorist organisations — wherever they are. it's after the fbi said an islamic state flag was found inside the truck used in the new orleans attack which killed ia people. we don't yet know the identities of all the victims, but those named so far include an aspiring nurse, the mum of a four—year—old boy and a former college football player. the youngest known victim was just 18. people gathered on bourbon street near the scene of the attack last night, to lay flowers and crosses,

and leave written tributes as a makeshift memorial. the street has now reopened, and the city is trying to come to terms with what's happened. 0ur correspondent carl nasman sent this report. jazz music. the familiar sights and sounds of new orleans have returned less than 48 hours after an attacker turned the city streets into a crime scene. in the face of terror, music has become an act of defiance. this is where that attack took place on new year's day, and this is bourbon street now — new orleans is a city you can't keep quiet for long. investigators now say the suspect, shamsud—dinjabbar, acted alone, driving a vehicle through a crowd of revellers and planting at least two explosives nearby. authorities have given the all—clear, but bourbon street is filled with fresh security measures — including newly placed barricades guarding against a future attack, but too late to prevent the last one.

everyone is a little bit on edge, i would definitely say, but i think everyone is super appreciative to be here and for everyone to still be out, even though theyjust went through something so traumatic. but people just want to not sit in their room — they want to come out. they're trying to enjoy having drinks, you know, trying to forget things. but they have to move on, you know? the community's grief is visible here, too — memorials and shrines to the victims have been appearing along this boulevard. ia roses arranged at the entrance to bourbon street — one for each victim. and at thursday's sugar bowl — an american college football game played nearby — 57,000 fans fell silent. presidentjoe biden announced he hopes to visit the city soon, after being briefed by his security team. people in new orleans are sending an unmistakeable message. they will not let this attack or attackers with a deluded ideology overcome us. we're going to continue to relentlessly pursue isis and other terrorist organisations

where they are, and they'll find no safe harbour here. a potential islamic state group attack on us soil could resonate across the country. here in new orleans, officials say they'll be reviewing security measures ahead of upcoming mardi gras to make sure the music can go on. here at the entrance to bourbon street, the makeshift memorial to the victims continues to grow, you can see the candles, crosses, flowers and handmade signs announcing there will be a video here on saturday at 7pm. in the meantime, the family of the suspect has been speaking out. they have been saying they have been struggling to understand exact how we could have committed an act like this. the half brother of the suspect saying that he actually saw him about three weeks ahead of new yer�*s day and there was no signs that he might do anything like we

saw here. his mother said he was a sense and devoted family man. in the meantime, investigations continue. authorities are studying the explosives that were left along bourbon street, trying to determine how they were made. we saw fbi agents last night and drink several of the establishments here, in restaurants and bars, hoping to get more surveillance footage and determine the movements of the suspect ahead of time. right now, as you can see, a small but significant staff, traffic has returned here in bourbon street. the time is 1:17. our top story this afternoon. the government says its work on transforming social care in england will take at least three years — but providers warn that's too long to wait. and more than 1,000 static caravan owners begin legal action against holiday parks, saying soaring pitch fees and falling values have cost them dearly. coming up on bbc news: linked with a move to real madrid but trent alexander arnold remains committed to liverpool, according to the premier league club's manager arne slot,

who confirms the england intenrational will be in the team to play manchester united. more than a quarter of fire fighters who battled the blaze at grenfell tower in 2017 say they're now suffering from long—term health disorders. a survey carried out by the university of central lancashire found that 136 staff had reported serious problems, including cancer and respiratory diseases. the fire brigades union is now calling for regular health checks for all fire fighters. 0ur correspondent tom symonds reports. grenfell tower was an unprecedented disaster. arriving firefighters were left badly prepared for what they would face. inside the flat where it started, they worked in smoke, toxic gases and particles. the teams fighting the fire and attempting rescues had breathing apparatus, but air supplies were limited.

today's study by the university of lancaster, for the fire brigades union, found most went unprotected at some point. many were exposed to fumes even while waiting to go into floors which were on fire. 72 residents lost their lives, mainly because of the poisonous fumes. but today's study reveals that 136 firefighters out of more than 600 here on the night suffered long—term health effects. that's digestive problems, breathing issues, 11 cases of cancer in just the three years following grenfell. yet, more than seven years on, there is no programme for monitoring the health of the firefighters there that day — despite a coroner's recommendation. i think it's shocking that there's been a lack of research into firefighter health for decades, in reality. and other countries, in north america, in europe, in australasia, are ahead of the uk.

which wouldn't have been the case a0 years ago, but it is today. a london fire brigade spokesperson said, "we welcome insights that can lead to better protection for firefighters. we will now study the report in detail and consider what contribution it might make to the existing body of work on firefighting and health impacts, as well as any actions we might take as a result." the london fire brigade will always be affected by what happened. the health impact of that night, just another horrific legacy of the fire. tom symonds, bbc news, grenfell tower. more than 1,000 static caravan owners have begun joint legal action over soaring pitch fees and a sharp depreciation in the value of their caravans. some say they've lost their life savings as a result, and they want compensation from holiday park companies. 0ur investigations reporter lucy parry has been to meet some of them. this was the main bathroom. in the summer of 2022, joanne paid nearly £30,000 for a static caravan at watermill leisure park,

near caister, using money from the sale of her late mother's house. and as you can see inside, its beautiful. i mean, it's all been newly refurbished. but, just 13 months later, pitch fee increases had become unaffordable and joanne asked the site to buy back the caravan. she was shocked when they said they weren't buying statics more than ten years old. i said, "well, why didn't you tell me that?" he said, "well, it's a rule we've brought in since." i said, "ok." i said, "so what is my static worth?" and he said, "£5,000." and i said to him, "why did you charge me £29,995 a year ago for something that was only worth £5,000?" and he said, "well, its business, isn't it?" well, i was furious. joanne says she's lost everything and is in debt. she's now being helped by her local community centre in grimsby. a lady came and put a bag of shopping in front of me and i said, "what's that?" she said, "well, it's the food bank." and i was mortified.

i've never been so embarrassed in all my life. and she said... sorry... she said, "don't be upset." she said, "you've worked from 16 years of age. you've paid for this. you're entitled." and that's how i'm surviving. watermill leisure park says it has a reputation for fair and transparent dealings, and a clear sales contract states the park is under no obligation to buy back a holiday caravan. now, joanne hasjoined hundreds of members of the holiday park action group in a legal claim for compensation. it is the claimant's case that the contract that allows the park owner to increase the fees by reference to a range of factors, such as sum spent on the park, is unlawful and unenforceable. the second action concerns the fact that they are paying for a unit, which has been significantly marked up in price, and if they are to sell

it after a year or two, they're very unlikely to get back anything approaching that full value. and there should be full disclosure about that. emma and james richardson, from cleethorpes used inheritance and a loan to buy a £110,000 caravan at tattershall lakes in lincolnshire. when rental income didn't cover their repayments as hoped, they tried to sell it back but the site wasn't buying. they had to pay to end their finance deal and walked away with a loss of £53,000. it deeply affected my mental health. emma's in a terrible state because we've lost inheritance. you know, we feel quite ashamed about what we've done. away resorts, which runs the site, says it provides all prospective buyers with comprehensive information, including detailed terms and conditions. but james has nowjoined the legal fight for compensation.

it's to try and stop those things happening to hardworking, decent, ordinary people and the disgusting practices of these parks. if this lawsuit can put an end to that, then the world will be a better place. the father of sara sharif has reportedly been attacked in prison, weeks after being jailed for the 10—year—old's murder. urfan sharif is said to have been assaulted at belmarsh prison on new year's day by two other inmates using the lid of a tuna can. the a3—year—old apparently suffered cuts, and received medical treatment inside the prison. two people have died and 18 others were injured when a small plane crashed into a furniture warehouse in southern california. the single—engine aircraft took off from nearby fullerton airport, but a short time later the pilot requested an immediate return. the cause of the crash is still under investigation. police in south korea have called off an attempt to arrest suspended president yoon suk yeol after a six—hour standoff. 150 officers faced a large number of supporters who'd gathered

outside his residence before sunrise, and security staff inside the property. the politician is currently under investigation for inciting an insurrection when he tried to impose martial law last month. 17—year—old darts sensation luke "the nuke" littler has got another shot at becoming the youngest winner of the world championships this evening. but it won't be easy, he's facing one of the legends of the sport — three—time world champion michael van gerwen. 0ur sports correspondent andy swiss is at the st helen's darts shop, which is owned by luke's childhood coach. and andy, they're poised once again, hoping for a bit of history? that's right. yes. behind me, you can see some players from the saint helens dance academy, practising. that is the academy where luke littler learned the skills that have

turned him into a superstar. everyone here will be cheering him on tonight. can he become the world champion atjust 17? on tonight. can he become the world champion atjust17? well, he certainly has a terrific chance. he looked really impressive in his semifinal last night against stephen bunting. he won 6—1. it was his best performance of these world championship so far. and while all eyes will be on him tonight, luke littler says he can hardly wait for the final. i can tell you now, i've got no pressure. i'm sure michael would have said the same. i'm just going to enjoy it. tonight, if i can get off to a quick start winning the first set, i'll be happy. but if i don't, i'll come back on and hopefully switch things up and make it right. yes, luke littler, full of confidence. but he knows he will face his toughest test so far in the final tonight. face his toughest test so far in the finaltonight. he face his toughest test so far in the final tonight. he is up against the three—time champion michael van gerwen, who also looks really

impressive in his semifinal last night. in fact, impressive in his semifinal last night. infact, michael van impressive in his semifinal last night. in fact, michael van gerwen holds the record as the world championship because youngest ever winner. he was 2a when he won his first world title, but remember, luke littler is just 17. first world title, but remember, luke littler isjust17. so if he does win the final tonight, it will be a truly historic achievement. it be a truly historic achievement. it certainly will. big night ahead. thanks, andy. as the festive period draws to a close and the decorations are being packed away for another year, one zoo in bristol is giving old christmas trees a new home. noah's ark farm zoo runs its own recycling scheme, putting the unwanted branches and chippings to good use. 0ur reporter fiona lamdin has more. christmas may be over, the decorations may be coming down but here at this zoo near bristol, they've found another use for your well—loved christmas tree. and for the bears, they've coated the branches in honey. we can use the trees with the bears

in lots of different ways. today we've planted a forest. sometimes we just make an enormous pile that the bears go right into, and we lose them for a little bit. they're really inquisitive animals that would spend a lot of natural time foraging and searching for food, expending a lot of energy looking for food in the wild. so that's always what we're trying to replicate here. so having a large number of christmas trees donated just means that we've got some really natural, and unusual and novel things that we can seasonally bring in to make it as enriching as we can. over the coming days, this pile will grow. they're expecting 3,000 donated trees. and it's notjust the bears — the lions, the elephants and the meerkats particularly enjoy a christmas tree. well, meerkats living in the wild, living in central africa would never normally see a christmas tree, but they would love foraging. and we've just put the trees in here, and for them it's completely mysterious and a real adventure.

we have introduced these christmas trees into the meerkats' area. they live as a mob and one of them's always on sentry duty. so that will give an alarm call to the rest of the group if they think there's something, you know, at risk. but actually, they've explored it, and they're now really enjoying foraging in amongst the christmas trees for the food that we've hidden amongst the branches. but with it being minus two here today, nothing can tempt this one away from his heat lamp. over the last five years we've recycled 15,000 trees. so that's all been recycled and repurposed across the zoo throughout the whole year. so it's a really great green initiative to start the year. so we're really encouraging people to bring their trees to us. now in its fifth year, it's a very different kind of recycling project, which seems to be working well for everyone. fiona lamdin, bbc news. a reminder of our top headline this afternoon: the government says its work on transforming social

care in england will take at least three years — but providers warn that's too long to wait. and an urgent appeal�*s launched to help train guide dog puppies — as more than a thousand visually impaired people in the uk wait for assistance dogs. we'll have a full forecast in the next half hour, but it's time now for a quick look at the weather. here's elizabeth. isa is a very cold weather around today, notjust is a very cold weather around today, not just for today put is a very cold weather around today, notjust for today put into the weekend. forsome notjust for today put into the weekend. for some in the south it will turn milder by the time we get a sunday. in the meantime, a lot of hazards, notjust frost but icy stretches on our roads. freezing fog patches 1448 00:29:46,193 --> 00:29:4