Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News 20170809

Ten years on from the financial crisis we examine its repercussions and will be speaking to the Liberal Democrat leader and former Business Secretary Sir Vince Cable to ask what lessons have been learnt. This is a lone athlete on his own against the the botswanan this is a lone athlete on his own against the clock. The botswa nan sprinter, Isaac Makwala, qualifies for the semi finals of the 200 metres at the World Athletics Championships in london, after he was barred from competing earlier due to the norovirus outbreak. Good evening and welcome to bbc news. 17 men and one woman have been convicted of Sexual Exploitation and drugs offences in newcastle. Most of the men were from pakistani, indian or bangladeshi backgrounds. Their youngest victim was just 14. The convictions are the result of operation sanctuary. 0ur correspondent peter harris has been following the case. They called the parties sessions. Present were asian men, and teenage girls. There was drink, there was drugs and there was sex. I knew that if we wanted drugs or alcohol, we would have to do something. He carried on asking us. He had us too intoxicated to fight him off. One time, he locked the door. I was told i would only be allowed out if i had sex. These parties in fact became a way of introducing girls, some underage, into prostitution. Now, its known as the Boyfriend Method of grooming, in which the younger people think they are in a relationship. 0ften troubled, at first, they were flattered by the attention. Like the two teenagers approached at a Basketball Court in the west end of newcastle. A man invited them into a car to get warm and they were given lager. One time, they were taken to a flat in a newcastle street. The girls were offered mephedrone, which reduces sexual inhibition. Both became Party Regulars and both later told the police they had been raped. 0ne, aged 17, became hooked on the drug. She was amongst scores of girls who came here to Newcastle Crown Court to give evidence at a series of trials. She is now in her 20s. She says that back then, she thought the drink and drugs were just a friendly gesture. She now realises she was being invited to get drugged up so she could be passed on to have sex. The police discovered many of the men knew each other, linked by mobile phone records. The abuse went on in a web of addresses knew the city centre. In a tower block, a teenager was raped three times. 0ther addresses featured frequently in court as party venues. At some, allegations of girls being raped while drunk, at others, drugs were handed out. 0r there were sexual assaults. One girl reckoned she had been to 60 parties in all. 18 people, 17 of them asian men, have been convicted for their part in the case under 0peration shelter, part of the broader 0peration Sanctuary. They will be sentenced in september. Could the girls have have been helped sooner . Could have been stopped . A serious case review has now been commissioned. Newcastle city council has confirmed one girl was in the care of the local authority at the time of the abuse. It is a particular tragedy, though, isnt it, that it in at least one instance a child was brought into the care of the local authority and has subsequently been abused in this way . Im very sorry that that happened. I can only apologise for that, that is one too many. We need to learn lessons from that. We did act as soon as we knew what was happening to that young women and in a number of instances, we have taken women out of the city and supported them in secure accommodation elsewhere. How confident are you that when the serious case review reports, it will conclude that the council acted promptly and correctly after those allegations were made . Im not going to second guess the serious case review. Im confident that my social workers, the officers of the council, were appalled by what was happening to these young women and girls, and adults, and we acted in a range of different ways to try to stop it happening, to support the victims and to bring these men, who committed these terrible crimes, to justice. 22 girls and young women came forward in all, aged between 14 and 24. 0ne, now in her 20s, broke down as she told the jury what happened. They always seemed so friendly, she said. I didnt realise they were like that. Northumbria police disclosed that they paid a convicted child rapist £10,000 to work as an informant on the case. The bbcs Inside Out Team has been investigating. Chris jackson reports on the man we can only refer to as xy. One morning in 2001, a 15 year old schoolgirl stumbled home to her mother dishevelled and in a state of shock. The girl told her mum how she had been picked up off the street and then plied with drink and drugs. She passed out. That man then repeatedly raped her and invited friends over to do the same. He was jailed for seven years. After getting out of prison, a man, known as xy, was recruited as an informant. This, in his words, spoken by an actor, is what the Police Wanted him to do. I was told this was an operation about asian Grooming Gang. This is what we are after. These are the people we are interested in. Xy was what is known as a chis, a covert Human Intelligence source. His handlers said he had attended up to 30 parties and was paid £10,300 for the information he supplied. I think its absolutely disgusting. I dont think any police force should be working with paedophiles. This is one of scores of woman abused by men in a Grooming Gang in rotherham. She now advises Police Forces on how to tackle the problem. Itsjust so insulting. They clearly thought no one was great to know about it and they thought they would get away with it. Xys activities became public when he fell out with his handler and threatened to go to be press, claiming the Police Enquiry was cropped and braces. This was dismissed as my splayed out. Bat the Police Enquiry was cropped and racist. But a man from the Governments Task force to combat child sexual petition questions the police ss decision. Child sexual petition questions the police ss decision. I cant envision circumstances were i would have authorised payment to someone convicted of rape. I cant imagine how you would have Control Mechanisms in place with an informant that type that you were going to task that we give you reassurance that they didnt still represent a risk to young and Vulnerable Women, given what i know about this particular personshistory. Prime contender we have not only brought dangerous men tojustice and have not only brought dangerous men to justice and put them have not only brought dangerous men tojustice and put them behind bars, but im content that. In some cases we have actually saved lives with the information we have gained. Would i take that risk . Yes. Its inside the law, The Inside Accepted Policy and practice. I accept that people might be shocked by it but this is the right thing to do. The independent Police Complaints commission has cleared the police of any wrongdoing in their handling of xy. But that makes little difference to victims of abuse. In my opinion, they have gone way over the line on this one. I would like to think that somebody is that theyre paying my abuser together kind of information. You heard there that there was a complaint made by the informant. A statement has been released by the ipc seat site which says. The statement said there were considerable doubts as to the credibility of the allegations made. We will get some more insight and reaction as well now. Joining me from salford is former north west chief prosecutor nazir afzal, who led the rochdale prosecution in 2012 thanks forjoining us. What is your reaction . What are your thoughts on the fact that this operation paid £10,000 to a child rapist to be an informant . I am with jim gamble and the nspcc, i wouldnt have done it and having dealt with organised crime of the last 25 years or thereabouts, there is a line that cant be crossed. Certainly, when youre dealing with organised crime, youre dealing with organised crime, you often have to deal with people who are criminals and they form, but when your copy but Child Sexual Abuse, this to my mind is a line i wouldnt cross. Youre putting a predator with other predators, loan with prey. And youre not in any position, i would love to see the risk assessment. Youre not in any position to be able to manage the risk to the children or the young people who are being abused by the rest of the gang. And of course, there are issues, notjust about the risk, which is the primary concern i have. But also about the evidence. Thejudge made it very have. But also about the evidence. The judge made it very clear in deciding not to allow that person to give evidence, that his evidence was unreliable. There is a possibility, is in there, or there could have been, that he the other defendants could have been able to blame him. The Police Chief Constable has argued that its a decision that they have had to wrestle with themselves, but that he can categorically state that there are dangerous men behind bars now and Vulnerable People detected that would not have been the case had they not use that informant. So the alternative, then, as far as he enters officers are concerned, is that those children would have indeed to be abused and those men would have walked free . Indeed to be abused and those men would have walked free . |j indeed to be abused and those men would have walked free . I dont accept that im afraid. I have dealt with prosecutions going back to decades. You can use surveillance evidence, technological evidence, and it was powerful tool we have, undercover evidence. When i was working in london with the Paedophile Unit on scotland yard, they had some phenomenal undercover officers who were engaged in places you and i would never want to go and they were able to get all that evidence, too. What we have here, its how you manage the risk, as i said earlier on, youre pitting a convicted sex offender children with people who were defending against children. You dont have, to my knowledge, and i dont have the operational knowledge the officers have, but you dont have the ability to go straight in the moment you discover that somebody is being raped or harmed to protect that person. And that, to my mind, is where the nspcc have made very clear that a line has been crossed. Where the nspcc have made very clear that a line has been crossedm where the nspcc have made very clear that a line has been crossed. If an informant is willing to come forward with information entered continued to gather more formation on paper, is that better . With that said more comfortable . Its not the money. That is not the issue. They call them participating formance. The idea that somebody who is a criminal is working with other criminals, its across the board will when it comes organised crime. Itsjust this area, Child Sexual Abuse. This i have prosecuted 17 or 18 Child Sexual Abuse is, they dont stop. They pretty much go on all their lives unless they are dealt with in some way. I dont know this xy character, what some way. I dont know this xy character, wh this sets a dangerous you think that this sets a dangerous precedent . Do think there could be other Police Forces now tempted to follow the same line of enquiry in the same way . Im pretty sure that they will be taking advice from there, whoever it is that they take advice from. If they took advice from me, they wouldnt. Thank you for you time to stop traffic. And you can see a special inside out documentary about 0peration Sanctuary here on the Bbc News Channel at 8. 30 tonight. It will also be available on the bbc iplayer as well. The latest headlines on bbc news. 70 men and one woman had been convicted of grooming vulnerable young women and girls for sex in newcastle. Donald trump has warned that threat from north korea will be met with fire and furyjury. Men appear before the magistrates in connection with the hillsborough disaster. Today is the tenth anniversary of the start of the biggest financial crash since the great depression. The french bank bnp paribas announced that it couldnt pay investors who wanted to withdraw their money, sparking a crisis which spread around the world, as banks revealed they had racked up billions of pounds of toxic debts. It led to a series of Bank Bailouts and a deep recession. Our Business Correspondent emma simpson has been speaking to some of those affected by the crash. Two very different tales of jobs lost and lives gradually remade. Londons canary wharf, workers leaving with whatever they could carry. Mass lay offs after Lehman Brothers collapsed. You think youve made it, think youve got a greatjob and then your whole life is pulled from under you. Jennifer duthie had been there only six days as a graduate trainee. She still has the e mails. But now she is her own Boss Swapping Finance for footwear. My entire life up until then had been focused on getting myself set up for the best possible career. That got completely taken away and it was going to be starting again from scratch. The ripple effects were felt far and wide as the recession quickly followed. This time last year did you ever imagine you would be in this situation . Definitely not. I thought i would be here for the rest of my life. Unbelievable. Nine years ago i met winfields in stoke, their home was repossessed. Steve lost his job as a Kitchen Fitter and debts were piling up. Today, things are looking different. Dianne is now a chef and steve is working as well. Its not easy, nine years have not been easy at all, there have been ups and downs but i think finally now we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. What lessons have you learned . We use cash only and if we dont have the cash we dont have it. If we can afford and we dont have it. We dont even talk about it, we know what we can afford and we cant and if we cant thats the end of the question. 0lder, stronger. . Wiser. Definitely. Food for thought perhaps for many households today. Emma simpson, bbc news, stoke. I am joined now by the leader of the Liberal Democrats and former Business Secretary, Sir Vince Cable. You famously predicted the crisis, the economic crisis. Was that your jfk moment . When did you realise, oh, gosh. . I dont want acclaim too much store by head warrant for some years about recklessness in lending and the property market. I didnt spot all the problems of derivatives, which is where the crisis ultimately came from. You never said i told you so, have you . You dont like to have been wrong there was a moment, i do think that a member, iwas there was a moment, i do think that a member, i was on holiday with my wife in the Lake District and we we re wife in the Lake District and we were sitting at the top of a mountain and in came in a Mobile Phone Call from the Business Editor of the daily mail and he picked up that Norman Rockwell in problems funding, they were very reliant on the funding markets. And did i have any comment . Got in the headlines of the mail and it never stopped for the mail and it never stopped for the next few years. But yes, i think that although the government of the time, gordon brown and alistair dialling, could be criticised for complacency, i think they did all right. They had deserve some credit for rescuing. We could have had a catastrophe but in fact, though the economic crisis was dire and was the biggest since the second world war, it wasnt as serious as, for example, the great crash in america in 29 and 30. So we have some things to be grateful for. You say that but there are people at home tonight who are still worried about their livelihoods, are struggling, we are its still not out of the woods. Ten years on, still dealing with the aftermath, political as political as well as economic. It was a people still feel anger at the below cost this, the people at the top of the banks, reckless and greedy people who just walked away. What are your predictions now . Cube in predicting what about Horror Brexit and what that could mean. Another economic crisis . Hard brexit. That could mean. Another economic crisis . Hard brexit. Ithink lessons have alone, the backs are safer, in some ways, they are too conservative now. It is difficult now for businesses to get loans. Most lending is against property. But youre still predicting and economic crisis . I think there will be problems if we get into hard brexit. Which the government and labour opposition are pushing for. Particularly if it happens very suddenly, the cliff edge. Im saying this as a politician, but some width this as a politician, but some width this morning, the bank of england, nonpolitical Public Servant warning very seriously that if we do have that kind of crashing out, this structure there would be a series of financial sector. For example, the pound. The common Interest Rate have to rise. A lot of people heavily in debt. This sounds like the sort of scaremongering. Debt. This sounds like the sort of scaremongering. During the referendum . And is describing what could happen. It may not happen. If the saner people in government prevail and we keep the sensible, the good things about the European Union, the customs union, the single market, we will avoid all that. I sincerely hope that sanity does prevail. With dont have to have another crisis. Are used slide with this rated that over the last ten yea rs, this rated that over the last ten years, youve got your predictions right, use restricted, that some of your advice of them taken, and yet the public and empowering you to do more . Youve got 12 mps, it hasnt been that successful for the party. Why is it that you get things right by the public still dont trust you to put things right . |j dont blame the public. Thats the worst thing you do if youre a politician. We have got to learn from our mistakes. I think of the last election, we had a big opportunity that reason take for a variety of reasons, the second referendum message didnt gel with the public, they thought we rerun in the public, they thought we rerun in the last one. But i think that there isa the last one. But i think that there is a really big open, a big opportunity. We got both the traditional parties on the extremes. 0ne Traditional Parties on the extremes. One of them very much in the pocket of, you know, the Extreme Brexit is and of course the democratic unionist in Northern Ireland, and Jeremy Corbyn increasingly. Are you big enough to hold Pigment Jirkal . We can if we work with other people. Hold the government to account. There are sensible tories and sensible labour backbenchers. Choosing our issues, keeping bringing the good institutions of the European Union and working with other people to achieve that. The gifford running us. Thank you for joining us. The us Secretary Of State Rex Tillerson has visited the Pacific Island of guam after north korea threatened to strike the us territory which is home to a major American Military base. It follows remarks from President Trump in which he said north korea would face what he called fire and fury if it attacked the us. Heres our North America correspondent nick bryant. A far off american outpost in the tropical waters of the Western Pacific now finds itself at the centre of a dangerous stand off. This is guam, the site this summer of us military exercises, american territory, that north korea says now could be in the firing line. The warning was delivered on north korean state tv. Speaks korean the chilling headline, guam could be targeted by its medium to long range rockets. It came hours after President Trump had threatened pyongyang with some of the most incendiary rhetoric used by an american president in decades. North korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen. And more tough talk on twitter this morning. The us Secretary Of State Rex Tillerson used more soothing language. He said the island faced no imminent threat and americans should sleep well at night. The president in sending a message to north korea in language they will understand because they do not understand diplomatic language. Why would they target guam . This small island is over 2000 miles away from pyongyang, but is a critical strategic hub for the us military in the pacific. Home to 6000 troops on two military bases with a population of 160,000. This American Paradise is being disturbed. The first thing that comes to mind immediately first where is my family. To come up with a plan if anything happens. I am not nervous, i am confident in our Military Capability. With the rhetoric at such a perilous pitch, there is a danger most sides become captive to their own tough words, that theyd talk themselves into a more serious confrontation. The us defence Secretaryjim Mattis has said that north korea must stop any action that would lead to the end of its regime, adding that the United States and its allies have precise defensive and offensive capabilities. 0ur Washington correspondent jane 0brien has the latest. Any more reaction in washington right . It has been a day of criticism of donald trump for his Commentary Rhetoric and now, we have as you just said, the Defence Secretary Chiming in, talking about that north korea could lead to the destruction of its own people and resume if it carries on thinking about these sorts of actions. The rhetoric from north korea is nothing new. The rhetoric from donald trump, president of the United States, is new. There is this concern that it could lead to a miscalculation of both sides. There is also concern that there are mixed messages coming from this administration. You have Rex Tillerson on one and talking about diplomacy and that talks up by the goal, and Thenjim Martis and donald trump talking about and destruction. So its a worrying time in washington. But at the same time, there is no real concern that a threat is imminent. Thank you for that. Alison evans is an asia pacific analyst at the Analytics Firm ihs markit. Thanks for coming in, alison. We have had evaded Military Threats before from north korea the Military Threats, they had been returned. Is this different . Military Threats, they had been returned. Is this different . I think your right to point to the specificity of this threat. Its common for north korea to make the threats, raining down fire on mattis, for example. But when they say they are thinking about a strike on one, that something needs to think about that scotland. Raining far down all seoul. Just like this are notjust about the island of guam. What are the possibilities of talks, any chance of talks, continuing beginning in the first place . |j beginning in the first place . think we have to consider the possibility in the first place that there are those builders reports, official and unofficial. Really come even with his rhetoric . A thing that is because there are very few military options that would not result in up to hundreds of thousands, of South Koreans dying. I think the problem now is the problem with his esque literary languages that they could back themselves into a corner. And its very discoverable sides understand what the other side seesis sides understand what the other side sees is imminent threat how they would react to any military action. Cannot rent a be sensationalist, but lets at north koreas capability. We know they are getting there, but what about troops on the ground if there was a planned invasion . How capable are they . Ajohn 0shea been to north korea, i have. The contradictory add on you if you have been to north korea. The country is under victory, people are paid in potato rice, that is the payment. How capable will be the . Having there are parts of the north Korean Military and specifically the clea nser Korean Military and specifically the cleanser and strategic force, that they would carry out any Operational Plan to strike guam. But they are getting there in terms of Intercontinental Blitzing missiles. However, i dont think that north korea would carry out any kind of invasion of south korea. There are steps, certainly, things that are more likely, artillery fire, for example. 0r selling, not only over the maritime border but also over the land border. The problem is that president in the past had been quite predictable, they have made clear that their policy on north korea. I think it is clear in the last few months at President Trump is anything but predictable. Certainly. I think north korea has only puzzled that the examples of libya and iraq in terms of what happens when you give up your Nuclear Weapons and now is looking at the us and specifically the president , donald trump, and his unpredictability. Will that worry north korea . Definitely. I think that is why they have made a clear threat to guam if the us were to carry out a pre emptive strike against north korea. Fascinating and worrying. Thanks for coming 0ver Over To Kenya and results in the president ial election are still coming in and indicate a steady beat for the incumbent president. The Opposition Leader has claimed the Computer System used for the polling has been hacked. The Electoral Commission says that all results will be checked by hand. Lets speak to our correspondent anne soy, whojoins us from the kenyan capital nairobi. The problem is that any accusation orany the problem is that any accusation or any evidence of any kind of Electoral Fraud could spell anger, could spill anger over the edge in kenya if ten years ago is anything to go by. Immediately after the address by the Opposition Leader we saw there was unrest in town, people going into the streets and rioting, and there was confrontation with police, tear gas thrown at the protesters. And here in the capital we have reports of unrest there and allegations that one person had been shot dead. But the authorities dispute that account. This is the nerve centre of the Electoral Commission and their operations and they have given us a statement denying the allegations from the Opposition Party that systems were hacked. I also spoke to officials from the United Nations Development Programme who have been involved in that system and they say it is robust and has not been compromised. International observers have also been here, john kerry has been here, and says his assessment is that the system is strong and he appealed to Political Parties to exercise patience and wait for the Electoral Process to run its course. How do you think the election is going so far in terms of turnout and stemming back diamond stud summary people we re back diamond stud summary people were concerned about . There had been serious allegations made by the Opposition Party but many people in nairobi for instance stayed away. The streets were largely deserted today in nairobi as well as in mombasa. Some people are waiting for the Electoral Process to continue, the Electoral Process to continue, the Electoral Commission has received hard copies of the forms on which the results were filled in at the Polling Stations and counter checking with the electoral results sent here directly for that and when they have the final tally they will make that announcement. Thank you for that. And much more as it comes in the last hour, the botswanan athlete Isaac Makwala finally got his chance to qualify for the semi finals of the two hundred metres at the World Athletics Championships in london. 0lly foster is at the London Stadium for us tonight. Just a remarkable turn of events for Issac Makwala. Incredible drama, lets just rewind, Issac Makwala caught up in the norovirus outbreak, he was told he could not race in the opening round of the 200 metres heats because he had been so well on the monday. He was turned away from the monday. He was turned away from the stadium for the 400 metres final last night when she had already qualified for but his period of quarantine ended this afternoon and the iaaf said to him we have got a time trialfrom you, the iaaf said to him we have got a time trial from you, if you want to try to get into the 200 metres semifinal. So after being turned away from the stadium he had the whole place to myself. At 20 to seven this afternoon. Lets see if we can show you the race. The whole crowd was behind him. He made a prior sign and he went off. He was told you have to do better than 20. 53 seconds. So cold and wet, a miserable day in east london. We we re miserable day in east london. We were all willing him on looking at the clock. And sure enough 20. 20 and here is a message to the iaaf. He protested he was not well enough and this was a message to them right now. Saying i am fit enough, im well enough. Andy went straight off the track and hes going to be back in the next couple of hours for the first heats of the 200 metres semifinal. He the fastest man in the world this year. 9. 77 seconds. The hope is he gets through to the finals for the great battle against Wayde Van Niekerk list due to face them in the 400 final in the next lane. The bad news, because this is a good news story, he has been put in heat number one and in that heat is Nethaneel Mitchell bla ke, the fastest british man. So for him it has become an awful lot more difficult for him to get into the final. The top to go through. 0ften there is the South African who is very rapid as well, some beeney. So it will be tough for Nethaneel Mitchell blake it will be tough for Nethaneel Mitchell bla ke but i it will be tough for Nethaneel Mitchell blake but i think everyone just relieved that Issac Makwala has got the race that he wanted. Not the 400 last night but some kind of justice has prevailed after a terrible 24 hours for him. A very difficult time for the iaaf as they try to deal with this norovirus. They said they were within their rights to stop him competing. So we look forward to seeing him back on the track later. We will get to see mo farah in the next hour and a half or so mo farah in the next hour and a half orso in the mo farah in the next hour and a half or so in the first heat of the 5000 metres to qualify for the final on saturday. He said it was the toughest race of his life winning the 10,000 metres, the only medal the 10,000 metres, the only medal the british team have got at these championships. So we will keep everything crossed that those spike marks, he was bleeding, he said he had a problem with his left leg and we just hope he had a problem with his left leg and wejust hope he has had a problem with his left leg and we just hope he has recovered had a problem with his left leg and wejust hope he has recovered enough to finish in the top five. That is what it will take to get into the final on saturday. The already great drama with a time trial and Issac Ma Kwa La Drama with a time trial and Issac Makwala but still plenty of british interest to keep us going through the rest of the evening session. Let hope the rain clears up as well. Thank you for that. Five men, including former Senior Police officers, have appeared in court for the first time, to face charges in connection with the hillsborough disaster. The men were charged injune, nearly three decades after 96 people died as a result of the crush at the Fa Cup Semi Final between liverpool and nottingham forest. 0ur Correspondentjudith Moritz was in court. Many of the families who lost loved ones at hillsborough have become close over the last 28 years. Today they were together again in court to see those charged in connection with the disaster and its aftermath. This is the Chief Constable of two Police Forces and the families stood outside the Magistrates Court building as the former officer walked inside. This was the Company Secretary and Safety Officer at Sheffield Wednesday Football Club in 1989. 96 liverpool fans died as a result of the crash at the ground when the terraces became overcrowded at an fa cup semifinal. Nearly three decades later prosecutions are under way. Mr mackrell is charged with breaching health and safety and safety as was ground legislation. Two Senior Police officers and a solicitor are accused of perverting the course ofjustice by amending Witness Statements in the wake of the disaster. Sir Norman Bettison is charged with misconduct in a public office, accused of telling lies about his involvement in the aftermath of hillsborough and the culpability of fans. The five men sat in a row inside the glass walled dock of the court. They all indicated they denied the charges they are accused of. David duckenfield faces the most serious charges, 95 counts of Gross Negligence and manslaughter. He did not appear in court today because prosecutors must apply to lift an existing court order. The men were all released on bail and they will appear at Preston Crown court next month. More now on our top story the conviction of 18 people, most of them from asian backgrounds, over the Sexual Exploitation of vulnerable young girls and women in newcastle. The victims were plied with drugs and alcohol before being forced to have sex. Now its emerged that in catching the criminals, the police paid a convicted child rapist 10 thousand pounds to serve as an informant. Earlier the head of Northumbria Police spoke to jane hill on the bbc news at five. She started by asking him whether it was necessary to pay a convicted child rapist 10 thousand pounds or whether he might have done it for free. That would be difficult for me to give a precise answer in terms of that informant. As a general sensible i would expect all hunters to explore that as an avenue and will be Finding Policing is people give us information for a range of motives. Some financial, sometimes with organised criminals it is about revenge. Upon arrival criminal. Some of them give us information for moral reasons because they find it appalling and distressing that they are part or know of a pattern of offending and want to tell us about it for the right reasons. You would expect us to explore all those reasons with every single case. I could not tell you exactly if that was covered but i would expect there to have been covered with that informant, yes. And would you have been reassured and confident throughout what i know was a long investigation, that this person, a convicted rapist, was monitored and was not in a situation where for example could reoffend because people following this case might think you have put him in touch with young people and this man has a conviction for rape and that is not right. Absolutely, that is the case. It is difficult for me to perhaps give the reassurance i think people will want to hear around the exact nature of individual and his deployment. If i were to do that, that would lead to other people identifying who he is and i simply could not go down that road. But we are very specific with the deployment of that individual and he was never deployed into sex parties or sessions as they have been referred to during this. But did not happen, there were specific para meters happen, there were specific parameters given to the individual. Thejudge herself parameters given to the individual. The judge herself commented there was no evidence suggesting he was involved in a pattern of offending during these cases. He has not been a witness in these cases and moreover it has been about an individual who was in a position to provide specific factual information about the whereabouts, the location, their density of individual people, their density of individual people, their movements, the cars that they we re their movements, the cars that they were driving, perhaps their associates and perhaps their plans for future events yet to take place. That is what we paid for, that is what we were able to gather, to nurture and turned into evidence and thatis nurture and turned into evidence and that is what has led im confident today to Vulnerable Women and girls being safeguarded and protected from becoming victims themselves becoming victims again and too dangerous men being put in prison. That i can categorically state is case. The scale of the investigation, i was struck when you talked about these kind of crimes being the challenge of our generation. I would like you to expand on that and say what your force has learned and what of the forces might be able to learn because clearly you feel this problem, these crimes are not going away. I think it is difficult to tell whether or not we have had a Lasting Impact on this and my commitment is that the operation will continue. This force has made a clear commitment to that and the police and Crime Commissioners has been clear about that, we wish to drive it out completely. Were no different to anywhere else, i think what has been different here is that we actively sought out victims. Those figures are quite alarming, around 700 potential complainants. 0ver around 700 potential complainants. Over 200 actual victims. We have approached anyone who we thought could possibly have been a victim of this kind of offending. It couldve been the case that after those initial reports came in, one option would have been to reactivate, to actively investigate the man pulled on. We divided over 50 offices to this for three years and no sign of that letting up. So in terms of the scale, it is quite shocking, what im confident about is that we are lifting that stone, not ignoring this and determined now as we were three years ago when we set it up to drive this out and cause Lasting Impact on those people who think it is acceptable to behave in this way. I think were making progress. Weve had tremendous support from Different Community groups and that will continue over the next few difficult weeks and months as people come to terms with this pattern offending. To think they could still be victims are better off this gang you have not yet found or young people out there who have not yet come forward. I cannot will it out. There could be more people out there. But police have confidence, come forward, you can trust us, you do not have to deal with a Police Officer. 0ften do not have to deal with a Police Officer. Often it is voluntary sector organisation, a social worker. If you have an issue with the Police Officer speaking to you because of your history we can make sure it is dealt with in a different way. But you can trust us and we will support you and there are a number of young women and girls who sent pressure felt confident enough to trust us and we have not let them down. We have been with them through a lengthy and torturous journey and reached the end now and im confident it may give some of them some closure. And there is a special programme tonight on the Bbc News Channel at 8 30pm on that story. More now on the escalating tension between the us and north korea. Lets discuss more on this with joanna spear. She is a professor at George Washington university and she is a specialist in Nuclear Proliferation and she joins me via webcam from washington. Just to talk a bit about north korea itself. How much do we actually know, how much does donald trump know, how much does donald trump know about north korea and their Military Capability. Weve seen the missiles taking off, weve seen where they land but how much do we actually know . So the difference now is that he now has in his hands a new Intelligence Report from his own Intelligence Agencies who we must admit he does not always trust. But which says that in some ways north korea has crossed a rubicon because now they are able to miniaturise nuclear weapon. So that it could act should go in an intercontinental missile. That is something they had not been able to do before. But the Intelligence Community now is concerned that they have crossed the rubicon. And that accounts in part for the escalating rhetoric between the us and north korea over the last couple of days. This is a country that has no working hospitals, factories, it struggles to provide food for its people. Some person, some country must be supporting them in their Military Capability . Certainly in the past a long time ago they had help from pakistan in terms of missile technology. And they are very active on the black market trying to get hold of technologies that they can then use. But this was a little bit surprising, this new estimate that they can actually do that. So it is of concern and it has always been said once they are able to miniaturise then things get serious. And that certainly is where we seem to be now. Just remind us of donald trump earlier today, saying my first order as president was to renovate and modernise our Nuclear Arsenal. Were now the most powerful nation in the world. You wonder what the conversation really is between the white house and the pentagon tonight when you have the president sending out like that. Yes and of course the other thing is that the Nuclear Arsenal is in the control of the Energy Department and not the department of defence. And it is the case that President Trump, one of his Breast Actions was to order a Nuclear Posture review. But those ta ke yea rs Nuclear Posture review. But those take years to do and then it takes yea rs take years to do and then it takes years to act on them. So physically there has been no change since the day that President Trump came into office. But what we are seeing a bit office. But what we are seeing a bit of is that under the 0bama administration, they put 1 trillion into modernisation of the force and thatis into modernisation of the force and that is beginning to come through now. Not to say that it has got stronger since donald trump came in, but neither has it in any way weakened. The us has converted north korea, it the capability for overwhelming nuclear force. Korea, it the capability for overwhelming nuclearforce. But the question is what is the use of it. Because in many ways Nuclear Weapons are not physically a usable tool. Theyre good for diplomacy and Missile Rattling but not terribly useful in actuality because they are too destructive. Exactly and the same im sure we could hope applies to north korea as well when they make their threats. What you think are the options then, what do you think the white house and pentagon are now discussing when it comes to north korea, the rail options . The box that the president finds himself in is the same but president 0bama Andindeed in is the same but president 0bama and indeed george bush before him found. Which is there are not really really good options for north korea. Early on a couple of months ago when they led off a missile in Central Defence said to the pentagon do not worry about it, diplomacy has got this. But diplomacy in the bush administration, in the trump administration, in the trump administration, is quite chaotic. Because only a couple of days ago secretary Rex Tillerson was saying were not your enemy but then yesterday we had donald trump coming out with his fire and fury statement undercutting the diplomacy that was being attempted. So one option is to go back to the six Power Framework of talks, something that has operated before. 0r of talks, something that has operated before. Or one early offer from donald trump when he was a candidate is actually to talk to north korea and that is something that north korea has always wanted. A one to one conversation which they thought would acknowledge them as an important power in the region and thatis important power in the region and that is their own perception of themselves. So definitely there is some Diplomatic Options there. Sanctions were ratcheted up recently through the United Nations with the support of everyone so that if seeing them come through with the big player is actually neither north korea nor the United States but china. And one of the argument that we hear here is that some of President Trumps rhetoric is actually about forcing china to put more pressure on north korea. And he has criticised them for not doing enough as well. Many thanks for that, fascinating. And something just coming in, the Us State Department has responded to questions from journalists about the language that President Trump used regarding north korea. As people look at this and some consider comments to have been alarming, i would have to go back to this, lets consider what is alarming. What is alarming, icbm tests in less than a month, nuclear test that took place last year. And many e mails and calls come in when there is an earthquake in china asking if it was another nuclear test. That is how big a deal this is. It is a big deal what is going on and consent of the world not just the what is going on and consent of the world notjust the us. Those are alarming actions, they are provocative actions on the part of korea. So that Press Conference still ongoing. We will keep an eye on that. The family of an 83 year old man who was stabbed to death while walking his dogs have described him as a lovely, gentle husband, dad and grandfather. Peter wrighton was stabbed in the head and neck, while Out In Woodland on saturday morning in east harland in norfolk. Police are still looking for his attacker, as alex dunlop reports. Images of peter wrighton, released by police, give an impression of a gentleman, said to have a kind nature. He fostered abandoned dogs and was walking to of them at the wood near east harling were he was murdered. The 83 year old grandfather lived in a remote cottage just outside the village of banham. A former british Telecoms Employee who retired to the area 30 years ago. Phil knew peter and accepted food parcels from him for the local church. I knew he was a very gentle man, very quiet, unassuming. He would stop and have a chat. Loved his dogs, loved his family. And, yes, a very pleasant man. Never a bad word said against anybody, he was a very decent man. I can see youre quite moved. Iam, actually, yes. Im very sad, very sad. It will be a shock not to see him around the village. His car, quite often full of dogs, barking away, and he would bring stuff to the church, as well. A member of the public found mr wrightons body last saturday morning, close to a path used by dog walkers. He had been repeatedly stabbed in the head and neck. His dogs were found nearby. I would urge anybody out there who knows some information if youre protecting somebody else and not releasing that information to the police, just think again and look at the pictures of mr peter wrighton. If youve got any information at all, if you have seen somebody whos got blood on their clothing, clothing that has been discarded within your premises or in your garden, or in your bin, please phone us and let us know. Local residents have been asked to search their gardens and bins in case the Murder Weapon has been thrown inside. People have taken notice of that and in fact, this morning, we were talking about it that we ought to probably within the five mile radius, ought to check our bins. 50 officers are now on the case. I still detect, four days on, a real sense of nervousness. I visited a campsite about a mile or so up the road and people that are being told, if they want to go for a walk in the woods, to go out in a group and not on their own. The dogs trust where peter volunteered say theyre devastated by the news. And bressingham steam museum, where he had also helped out, said their thoughts are with his family. Police say the help of local people may prove crucial. Lets ta ke lets take a look at the weather now. Difficult to know what to put in this spherejust now. Difficult to know what to put in this sphere just at the moment. For some it has been quite a miserable day. Elsewhere further north and west it has been a glorious summer day. If you have been anywhere near this Weather Front throughout the day you really will have known all about it. The rain at times has been quite torrential. Thankfully overnight it eases further towards the south and east and the following behind we have clearer skies. So temperatures dipping away not so much in the towns and cities but certainly in the countryside. Single figures abounding. Buta the countryside. Single figures abounding. But a decent start to the day on thursday. Some cloud across the northern and western isles, the Odd Shower Abreast of rain in the far north. But for much of scotland a pleasant start to the day and so too for the north of england. I pressure doing of staff to settle things down nicely in Northern Ireland and the greater part of england and wales. High pressure doing it stuff. But still that cloud and some rain left over from the rain today but that should eventually just drift away towards the continent and English Channel leaving behind a lot of fine and dry weather. The kind of thing that you would hope forfor weather. The kind of thing that you would hope for for the second week in august. Temperatures are responding to that sunshine out of the breeze. 0n into the evening as well, fine and dry. But looming in the wings another area of low pressure. Notice the number of isobars especially across the northern parts of the british isles. So friday shaping up to be again a day of sunny spells for some in the south and east but you have to content with this Weather Front which eventually moved to scotland and Northern Ireland closer to the south. Through friday evening and the first part of saturday, High Pressure starts to show its hand and this is going to be the dominant feature for the whole of the weekend for many parts of the british isles. So largely dry with sunny spells for the weekend. This is bbc news. Im chris rogers. The headlines at 8pm 17 men and one woman are convicted of abusing girls and young women over several yea rs in newcastle. Their youngest victim was just fourteen. Despite the abuses theyve suffered the victims have demonstrated great bravery in recounting their experiences in court. Northumbria Police Defend paying a convicted child rapist 10,000 pounds to assist the investigation. There are dangerous men behind bars and Vulnerable People protected, that would not have been the case if we had not used that informant. The us says President Trumps warning that hell bring fire and fury to north korea was delivered in language that its leader would understand. The 83 year old man killed while walking his dogs in norfolk is named as peter wrighton. His family says he was a lovely, gentle husband,