a digital travel certificate — the eu suggests a way for holiday—makers to prove they've had a covid vaccination. the former downing street adviser dominic cummings describes the department of health as a "smoking ruin" in the early months of the coronavirus pandemic. and, why this is so unusual — the bird that's now so rare in the wild, it's forgotten how to sing its own song. good afternoon and welcome to bbc news. a damning report into child sex abuse in football says the football association failed to do enough to keep children safe after the scale of the problem came to light. the independent review found the fa was "too slow" to put protection measures in place following the high profile convictions of abusers in 1995, and identified "significant institutional failings", as our sports correspondent, natalie pirks, reports. this is the day survivors have been waiting for, to see black—and—white what they have always known, the fa should have done more to keep them safe. if i can't deal with this, i'm not going to be a footballer. in 2016, it was the harrowing story of survivor andy woodward which forced the game to examine its darkest truths. the impact it has had on my life is just catastrophic. you live with that all your life and i can't put it into words what that has done to me. for years on, clive sheldon qc�*s report makes uncomfortable reading for football's governing body in england and wales. we do a lot of talking to them as well as showing skills and explaining the game to them. barry bennell is a former coach at crewe alexandra, stoke city and manchester city, he was the star maker for aspiring footballers, and he was also a prolific paedophile. the report says the fa failed to ban him and other predators from involvement in football. gary cliff was repeatedly abused. i feel sort of vindicated, but i don't think it has gone far enough. throughout the whole report i have read, there is a theme of people knew or suspected but none of the officials had the gumption to raise it with anyone, police, social services at all. that is the theme running through it. it is disappointing in that respect. the sheer scale of the report is alarming. abuse and failings took place at clubs all across england and wales from 1970 to 2005. there are known to be at least 240 suspects and 692 survivors. the review has made 13 recommendations to the fa, including developing a five—year strategy on safeguarding but survivors say we must not assume this is all in the past. absolutely it would be naive to think it could not happen again, or that it isn't happening right now. make sure your children are safe and don'tjust assume because someone has a badge, a whistle or a tracksuit that they are ok to leave your children with. the report paints a picture of a sport that was not set up to protect its most vulnerable and was too slow to put that right. for many, action came far too late. i'm joined by paul stewart, who has played for clubs including tottenham, manchester city and liverpool. he suffered abuse at the hands of a youth football coach. thank you for agreeing to come on and talk to us, i know you've spoken to the bbc in the past about what you lived through and i am extraordinarily reluctant to make you talk about that again. i would like to get your reaction as someone who lived through the horrors of abuse, what you think about this damning report, institutional failings it says on the part of the fa. i failings it says on the part of the fa. 4' ., �* , , ., failings it says on the part of the fa. 4' ., �*, , ., ., fa. i know it's been a long time cominu , fa. i know it's been a long time coming. but. — fa. i know it's been a long time coming, but, you _ fa. i know it's been a long time coming, but, you know, - fa. i know it's been a long time coming, but, you know, sir- fa. i know it's been a long time| coming, but, you know, sir clive sheldon has reported on the institutional failings i think. sheldon has reported on the institutionalfailings i think. we can't hide from that. i mean, there were suspicions, there were rumours but they were totally ignored. and... it has caused a lot of survivors like myself, individuals, an awful lot of damage as we've gone on through our adult life. i'm not so sure that the report in its entirety shows how damaging the effects of the abuse has been on the individuals. ijust hope that we learn from our mistakes. you know, not because of this report think by any means that our children are safe now, we need to make sure we don't get complacent, that this doesn't happen again. funny, the major and overriding importance is that we learn, we move forward and we make sure that this doesn't happen ever again. do sure that this doesn't happen ever aaain. ,, . sure that this doesn't happen ever aaain. ., . , ., again. do you have concerns that youngsters _ again. do you have concerns that youngsters playing _ again. do you have concerns that youngsters playing the _ again. do you have concerns that youngsters playing the game - again. do you have concerns that| youngsters playing the game they love today could still be at risk in some cases? i love today could still be at risk in some cases?— love today could still be at risk in some cases? ~' ., some cases? i think when we look at the grassroots _ some cases? i think when we look at the grassroots side _ some cases? i think when we look at the grassroots side of _ some cases? i think when we look at the grassroots side of football, - some cases? i think when we look at the grassroots side of football, and i the grassroots side of football, and this is not damning hopefully on any volunteers, but in grassroots football, volunteers are used to become safeguarding officers. i understand that these people have jobs. ultimately, where these people preyed was grassroots football. when you said about dream makers, i was one of those youngsters that had a dream and felt that the dream could be shattered by the individual abusing me, ifelt he had the power to give or take away the only thing i ever wanted to do. football itself has made giant strides in terms of safeguarding. but i would still be a little concerned when we look at the grassroots side of football and how these people might be able to operate at that level. you these people might be able to operate at that level. you hinted at the ower operate at that level. you hinted at the power that _ operate at that level. you hinted at the power that they _ operate at that level. you hinted at the power that they have _ operate at that level. you hinted at the power that they have because l operate at that level. you hinted at| the power that they have because it was what you loved, you still love i'm sure today as again, it was your passion and if a youngster lives and breathes the sport and it's the most important thing in their life and someone says to them, if you tell anyone about what i'm doing, i will take away your possibilities and your dreams, that is the control that someone has over you, it's the power. it that someone has over you, it's the ower. , , ., that someone has over you, it's the ower. , ,., ., ~ power. it is the power and i think, ou power. it is the power and i think, you know. — power. it is the power and i think, you know. when — power. it is the power and i think, you know, when you _ power. it is the power and i think, you know, when you talked - power. it is the power and i think, you know, when you talked about| you know, when you talked about barry bennell being a dream maker, we have dreams. my dream was always that i wanted to be a footballer. the desire was never taken away from me. the fact that i felt i couldn't speak out about the abuse because i felt that that dream that i had could quite easily be taken from my grasp. so, the overriding issue was the fact that you thought somebody had your destiny in their hands, and that's how they were able to manipulate youngsters, to perpetrate the abuse, because they knew that that youngster had a dream and that dream is more important than the abuse that was actually happening to you. it’s abuse that was actually happening to ou. �* , , , , , ., abuse that was actually happening to ou. �*, , , ,, ., ., you. it's very distressing to hear ou sa you. it's very distressing to hear you say that _ you. it's very distressing to hear you say that there _ you. it's very distressing to hear you say that there were - you. it's very distressing to hear- you say that there were suggestions, there were rumours, some people you thought new. where there people as well in your opinion who weren't perpetrating abuse but knew or had a pretty good idea that something deeply inappropriate was going on but didn't say anything? i’m deeply inappropriate was going on but didn't say anything?— but didn't say anything? i'm sure there was- _ but didn't say anything? i'm sure there was. you _ but didn't say anything? i'm sure there was. you know, _ but didn't say anything? i'm sure there was. you know, the - but didn't say anything? i'm sure there was. you know, the issue | but didn't say anything? i'm sure l there was. you know, the issue we had when we go back to my ear as a youngster, it was an uncomfortable conversation and it was a to be subject —— taboo subject. when you look back at some of the children with coaches or scouts or whatever you want to call them, when there with them 27/7 outside their family network, then i can't believe that nobody realised that that wasn't natural, that something wasn't untoward. i don't think i've looked at the executive summary of the report and i don't think it's vindicated, i don't think some of the survivors will be vindicated with what their sport said. i always said i wasn't precious about the report because i didn't want anyone to have that hold over me. i had a long time through my adult life where i had suffered with mental problems, with drink and drugs. if i was looking at the report to be some sort of solace then i would be bitterly disappointed. i know what happened to me as a child, i know what happened to me three my adult life, so i don't need it really to be written in ink for me to understand the devastating effect abuse has on individuals. we understand the devastating effect abuse has on individuals.- abuse has on individuals. we are talkin: abuse has on individuals. we are talking about _ abuse has on individuals. we are talking about a _ abuse has on individuals. we are talking about a crime _ abuse has on individuals. we are talking about a crime and - abuse has on individuals. we are talking about a crime and i - abuse has on individuals. we are talking about a crime and i will l talking about a crime and i will make that quite clear, not meant to mean anything less than that and it is a crime and that is absolutely clear for all to see. you've is a crime and that is absolutely clearfor all to see. you've been very frank about what you feel you can and can't get out of today's report, if we can close with a thought about the future, youngsters coming up through the game today, the men and women's again, do you have any hope that something will come out of this? it's a very lengthy document, people will have to be held to account one hopes. we haven't had official reaction from a lot of places implicated in the report, will this help to protect children going forward?- report, will this help to protect children going forward? there are recommendations _ children going forward? there are recommendations in _ children going forward? there are recommendations in there, - children going forward? there are recommendations in there, i - children going forward? there are recommendations in there, i can l children going forward? there are - recommendations in there, i can look at my own situation, unfortunate that i work with the football league delivering awareness sessions around safeguarding to academies. the professional game has made great strides in protecting youngsters and overall safeguarding, but we should never forget the past and what 2016 did that november, it changed the whole landscape of safeguarding for the better. i hope that we don't ever get complacent, we don't sit on our laurels because we've got to make sure that child protection is a priority. make sure that child protection is a riori . ., ~ make sure that child protection is a riori . . ~' ,, make sure that child protection is a riori . ., ,, i. make sure that child protection is a riori . ., ,, . ., priority. thank you so much, paul stewart. priority. thank you so much, paul stewart- we _ priority. thank you so much, paul stewart. we are _ priority. thank you so much, paul stewart. we are very _ priority. thank you so much, paul stewart. we are very grateful - priority. thank you so much, paul stewart. we are very grateful for| stewart. we are very grateful for your time. all the best to you and your time. all the best to you and yourfamily, paul stewart, he played for clubs including tottenham, man city and liverpool. dino nocivelli is a solicitor who represented many of the abuse survivors, he joins us now. good afternoon. good afternoon. it is a lona good afternoon. good afternoon. it is a long report _ good afternoon. good afternoon. it is a long report but _ good afternoon. good afternoon. it is a long report but it _ good afternoon. good afternoon. it is a long report but it is _ good afternoon. good afternoon. it is a long report but it is damning, l is a long report but it is damning, institutional failings is one of the phrases that stands out, the thoughts in terms of what this means for your clients in the sport. 1001533 for your clients in the sport. 100% correct in for your clients in the sport. 10096 correct in that _ for your clients in the sport. 10096 correct in that it _ for your clients in the sport. 10096 correct in that it shows _ for your clients in the sport. 12:96 correct in that it shows systematic failings. fartoo correct in that it shows systematic failings. far too often we look at abuse and we look at the monsters who commit the offences when actually we need to look at the failings in the systems that enable it to take place for so long, for so many survivors. if we look at the number of clubs and the number of survivors, it's really concerning. this is a good step by the fa. ladle this is a good step by the fa. we think we're going to hear something formalfrom the fa think we're going to hear something formal from the fa late in the day, what would you want to hear? ladle formal from the fa late in the day, what would you want to hear? we need to have total — what would you want to hear? we need to have total transparency. _ what would you want to hear? we need to have total transparency. we - what would you want to hear? we need to have total transparency. we need i to have total transparency. we need to have total transparency. we need to actually see what the findings are and we also need to see what the punishments will be. we do not want abuses in the sport. one of the key things the report mentions is mandatory reporting, whereby if you are aware of all have concerns about abuse, you should have a legal duty to report it. i appreciate that is a legal change by the government but the fa should be pushing for that as strongly as possible, it's a really important safeguarding tool because we can't go through this ever again. to be clear, that is a law that says if someone becomes aware of abuse taking place, it is a legal obligation to report that? yes, 10096. obligation to report that? yes, 100%- for _ obligation to report that? yes, 10096. for far— obligation to report that? yes, 10096. for far too _ obligation to report that? yes, 10096. for far too long - obligation to report that? yes, 10096. for far too long we've i obligation to report that? 1a: 100%. for far too long we've been 100%. forfar too long we've been relying on survivors, putting pressure on them to disclose and act on it. when there are people in positions of trust who are aware of the piece. it shouldn'tjust be an ethical duty but a legal duty, it's the only way we can stop abuse as early as possible to reduce the number of people affected by abuse and enable those affected get the help and support they need when they are still young, rather than struggling for decades. have you been able to _ struggling for decades. have you been able to speak _ struggling for decades. have you been able to speak to _ struggling for decades. have you been able to speak to any - struggling for decades. have you been able to speak to any of- struggling for decades. have you i been able to speak to any of those you represent, some of those who lived through horrific experiences, whether they feel something positive could come out of this today? it doesn't undo their trauma but things will get better for future generations.— will get better for future uenerations. ~ �* , ., will get better for future uenerations. ~ �* ., ., generations. when i've spoken to a number of my _ generations. when i've spoken to a number of my clients, _ generations. when i've spoken to a number of my clients, they - generations. when i've spoken to a number of my clients, they do - generations. when i've spoken to a number of my clients, they do feel| number of my clients, they do feel this is a positive step and i think that's the best way of looking at it. it is a step to greater transparency, to find out not only what happened but how did it happen and how could it have been stopped. we need to genuinely learn from it and take action. a number of my survivors find that to be positive, it's an element of closure and justice for some of them. many thanks for— justice for some of them. many thanks for your _ justice for some of them. many thanks for your time. _ let's turn to one of our other main stories this afternoon. a 50—year—old man has been arrested in connection with the murder of stuart lubbock at the home of michael barrymore 20 years ago. stuart lubbock was a guest at a party hosted by the then hugely popular tv presenter at his house in essex. mr lubbock was found unconscious in the swimming pool, and died later in hospital. our home affairs correspondent, daniel sandford gave me the details earlier. it'll be 20 years at the end of this month since 31—year—old stuart lubbock was found dead in the swimming pool at the essex home of michael barrymore, who at that time was one of britain's leading lights entertainers. stuart lubbock had injuries which suggested a serious sexual assault, and at his inquest the coroner returned an open verdict, leaving open the possibility that stuart lubbock had been deliberately killed. there were only eight other guests at what appears to have been a spontaneous party at michael barrymore's home that night, but no one has ever been charged. well, today, essex police said they had arrested a 50—year—old man in cheshire on suspicion of murder. detective superintendent lucy morris said they would be looking to talk to all of the partygoers again. over the coming days, we will be contacting all those who were present at the party at the time, as well as others who may have information. as we stated last february, and have continually stated over the last 20 years, we believe someone or some people at that party know what happened. this is the most significant moment in the police investigation since 2007, when michael barrymore, his then—partnerjonathan kenney, and a man called justin merritt were all arrested on suspicion of murder but released without charge. today, stuart lubbock�*s father terry welcomed the news of the arrest, saying "it has been 20 years, it's nearly killed me." terry lubbock is in a care home, where he has terminal cancer. the prime minister's former aide dominic cummings has criticised the department o