Least. Would you welcome a freeze or do you worry about the quality of your local services . Do let us know. And what do the met police need to do to regain your trust . Six former officers have been charged with sending, quote, grossly offensive, racist messages on whatsapp. Well get the insider opinion from a former met detective. Former met detective. Were also going to be talking about cuddles today. Do you like a cuddle . Would you pay for a cuddle from a stranger . For a cuddle from a stranger . Yes, were going to be talking about that a little bit later on. This is a lady who charges significant, not just a stranger, a licenced cuddle therapist for a cuddle. Yes. Is that something you find yourself doing . Do let us know. Gb views at gb news. But first, lets get at gb news. But first, lets get a bulletin round up with paul. A bulletin round up with paul. Good morning. Its 931. Im paul hawkins with the latest from the gb newsroom. Price from the gb newsroom. Price rises are continuing to slow due to a fall in the cost of food and energy. Latest figures from the office for National Statistics found Consumer Price index inflation or cpi, dropped to 6. 8 in the year to july. Forjune it was to 6. 8 in the year to july. For june it was 7. 9. To 6. 8 in the year to july. Forjune it was 7. 9. Its now the lowest rate since february last year. However, the last year. However, the governments preferred measure of inflation cpi does not include housing costs like mortgage payments. The bank of england will decide whether to raise Interest Rates or not on september 21st, next years rise in regulated rail fares in england will be below 9. Regulated fares cover roughly 45 of journeys, including season tickets. The government p99s season tickets. The government pegs regulated rail fare rises to the Retail Prices index measure of inflation or rpi , measure of inflation or rpi, which is higher than cpi. Fares will rise from next month. Uk will rise from next month. Uk border force and maritime authorities are on red alert as multiple small migrant boats have been spotted in the English Channel. Sources have told gb news that border force is expecting an extremely busy day of migrant activity. 50 people were taken into dover harbour dunng were taken into dover harbour during the first arrival at half three this morning. Six afghan men drowned when their small boat got into difficulties last weekend. In england will face weekend. In england will face australia in the world cup semi final this morning. The lionesses take on the matildas in the National Stadium in sydney for the right to face spain in sundays final. England the current european champions are the favourites to win the world cup. Australia, however, are the only team to have beaten england under coach Sarina Wiegman, a 2 0 win at wembley in april, which ended their 30 match unbeaten run kick off is at 11 am. This morning. You can get more on all their stories by visiting our website, gb news. Now back to you, tom and. Ellie now back to you, tom and. Ellie welcome back. Youre watching britains newsroom with me and tom harwood. And before we get into the news this morning, we want to talk to you about cuddles, because we are to going be talking about a cuddle therapist a little bit later on who is charging significant who is charging a significant amount money to hug people. Amount of money to hug people. Indeed, she calls herself a licenced therapist. Our licenced cuddle therapist. Our reporter jack carson , caught up reporter jack carson, caught up with her, will be playing out that interview a little bit later in the programme. But i suppose question that we suppose the big question that we have everyone at home is have for everyone at home is would you pay for a cuddle . Would you pay for a cuddle . I certainly wouldnt. No, i dont really like cuddling strangers. Strangers. For i think hugs can be for me, i think hugs can be some of the nicest things. But but, but with a stranger. So this is this is the thing. I get incredibly english about, you know, he is very of know, sort of he is very sort of i get dont know. I think it i get i dont know. I think it has to be. Well signalled. And both parties have to be entirely consent. Yes. Consent. Yes. Yes. Consensual hugs are very natural. You dont want a surprise hug. Thats what im trying to say. Surprise hugs. No and you wouldnt pay for it. And you wouldnt pay for it. So . So its interesting because ive watched some of this interview bit this interview a little bit earlier today and its not just sort of paying for a hug. Its like its half an hour of cuddle therapy. And so thats all sorts therapy. And so thats all sorts. But but not not like that. No, its a fascinating interview. We will be playing it out a little bit later. But yes. Do you get in touch . What what does licenced cuddle therapy actually mean . And would you be interested in it . Yeah, let know. Vaiews gbnews. Com but on onto our main story this morning. Ons figures released the hour show released in the last hour show that inflation has fallen from 7. 9 in june to 6. 8 in july. Yes , both the chancellor and yes, both the chancellor and the Prime Minister have said this latest Consumer Price index, which is the headline measure of inflation, shows that the governments plan is working i whereas labours chancellor , whereas labours chancellor, shadow chancellor, got ahead of myself, there. The election myself, there. The election hasnt happened yet. Rachel reeves has said this morning inflation in britain remains high and higher than many other Major Economies as well. Our economics and Business EditorLiam Halligan joins us now. Good morning to you, liam. I wouldnt pay for a hug. You would pay a hug. Would pay for a hug. Seems kind of hug. Risk seems some kind of hug. Risk assessment. Mean, talk about a assessment. I mean, talk about a mood killer. Assessment. I mean, talk about a moyeah,. Er. Assessment. I mean, talk about a mo� yeah, were together on this yeah, were together on this one, liam. Yeah, were together on this onei liam. Yeah, were together on this onei certainly look, im just i certainly look, im just saying, know, we dont need saying, you know, we dont need to economy. We to pay in a market economy. We shouldnt begrudging people shouldnt be begrudging people who to. Who might want to. We cant agree with you on that one. But, liam, you sat in this seat about a week or this very seat about a week or two ago, and you said if the next inflation figures started with be happy. So with a six, youd be happy. So are you this morning . Are you happy this morning . Good news. Of course this is good news. Of course weve gone. Mean, back in may, weve gone. I mean, back in may, inflation 8. 7, 7. 9. In june inflation was 8. 7, 7. 9. In june 6. 8 in july. So that means , to 6. 8 in july. So that means, to be clear, the basket of goods that the ons monitors. Be clear, the basket of goods that the ons monitors. Is 6. 8 more expensive now than it was in july 2022. So prices are going up, but theyre going up less fast than they were before. Its important to say that im really pleased youve said that because we were just discussing this in probably a third of brits think that lower inflation means lower prices, that thats why more people need to watch tv news then theyll understand. Its clear. Yeah, i mean, it is quite incredible to think that because minister said because the Prime Minister said hed inflation. Hed halve inflation. Cant genuinely believe i cant genuinely believe that that that most people think that that would halving prices. Would mean halving prices. Thats right. Thats no, thats right. Thats right. We are talking about rates of change here rather than levels. But its good that levels. But its good that inflation is down at 6. 8. Look, Rachel Reeves is right. Inflation in the us is 3. 2. Inflation in the us is 3. 2. Inflation in the eurozone is 5. 5. Were still at 6. 8. On the other hand, a lot of eurozone countries hugely subsidised their energy in a way that we dont. And in america theyre fracking , which means their fracking, which means their energy costs for households and firms per unit are a third of ouis. Ours. But looking into the detail of this release from the ons , of this release from the ons, core inflation is not down, its steady. Whereas headline inflation is down. So. So explain the difference between headune explain the difference between headline and core inflation. So headline inflation is as broad a measure as the ons can get their arms around, if you like. Thats the Consumer Price like. Thats the Consumer Price index that has been coming down and quite, quite sharply. Liam, were just going to interrupt you for a second. We need to cross live to dover now. We will be back to you, liam, but were going to cross over to mark white in dover now the uk maritime authorities are on red alert for an expected busy day of small boat activity. Mark of small boat activity. Mark white, what is happening in dover right now . Well you join dover right now . Well you join us live in dover overlooking the key site in dover harbour as the first of those Border Force Vessels. The catamaran defender has arrived in the key site here. Now, december barking. We can see live images of those people who were picked up from from at least one small boat. It who were picked up from from at least one small boat. It might be two small boats. Im just waiting for word from our producer as to how many he thinks might be on that particular boat at the moment. But certainly from when it was coming in, we could see the front of that vessel , the back front of that vessel, the back of the vessel full of channel migrants who were picked up there in the English Channel. So it may well be that this vessel has picked up two vessels in the channel were just waiting to get that confirmed. Two vessels. Yes. My producerjust confirming yes. My producer just confirming that there were two small boats picked up by this Border Force Vessel. And whats happening out in the channel at the moment is a very significant day of migrant activity. The first busy migrant activity. The first busy day since that terrible tragedy at the weekend when six people lost their lives, when a migrant boat got into difficulties in french waters , a border force french waters, a border force declared effectively within their internal structures a red alert in anticipation of what they were expecting today. And they were expecting today. And we can reveal that now as we speak, there are at least 910 small boats sightings with Border Force Vessels attending those reported sightings , the those reported sightings, the dover lifeboat and the ramsgate lifeboat have both been called out to pick up migrants from small boats because of already at this early stage in the day Border Force Vessels are being overwhelmed by the numbers that are coming over french vessels involved as well. It is now and controversially, of course , controversially, of course, routine for them once these boats take off from the french shore to just hang back and effectively escort these vessels to the 12 mile point, the Halfway Point between france and the uk. And at that point, of course, then they are picked up by border force or uk lifeboats. Whoever is near there are ,. Whoever is near there are, were also told, multiple reports of vessels Merchant Shipping out in the English Channel shipping out in the English Channel, cargo vessels and other shipping out in the channel reporting that they are seeing small boats in the channel. So a very significant day of migrant activity expected. Mark, just briefly , would you mark, just briefly, would you expect that today , given the expect that today, given the amount of activity were already seeing this early in the morning , would you expect that today could well be our largest day of crossings yet. Crossings yet. I think theres a definite possibility. We saw last week possibility. We saw last week that we reached that largest number crossing in a single day this year, 755 people crossed in a single day. Now the reason that so many are crossing today is really ever since that tragedy and saturday, the weather conditions have not been idealin weather conditions have not been ideal in the channel. Todays a Weather Window and we know from these Weather Windows that that bnngs these Weather Windows that that brings them across in significant numbers. That significant numbers. That Weather Window is due to close a bit later tomorrow. So theyve only got a day in a bit. And so expect them to come across throughout the day and into the evening. And the big concern thats been reported to me from maritime authorities is , is the maritime authorities is, is the fact that the people smugglers are now putting more and more people on these boats, whereas before they were putting , you before they were putting, you know, maybe between 40 and 50. Now its easily well north of 50, 60 or sometimes 70 boat people on these boats. And whats happening is that leads to people falling off the boats, disintegrate last week as well as this tragedy, the authorities reported they attended seven separate call outs to migrant in the water that they had to pull from the water. So its becoming a real issue and real concern today given what a busy day this will be. Yes of course. And a reminder of just how perilous this journey can be. Our Home Security editor there, mark white. Thank you very much, for mark, giving us that update. Uk maritime authorities are on red alert today, as mark white was describing. Theyre was describing. Theyre expecting a very busy day of activity channel. He just activity in the channel. He just described that already in this early stage of the day Border Force Vessels are overwhelmed in the channel. Small, small boats nine have currently been seen in the channel and its a reminder, isnt it . Six people lost their lives in the channel at the weekend and the authorities will be all too aware of that. And they wont want similar scenes today. So course, well keep today. So of course, well keep you that. Absolutely. You across that. Absolutely. As there is more news in the channel as there is more news in the channel, we be back to mark channel, we will be back to mark throughout but throughout the morning. But lets the moment to lets get back for the moment to our economics and business edhon our economics and Business Editor, halligan. Editor, Liam Halligan. Sorry for interrupting leah. Interrupting you there, leah. Definitely cutting away definitely worth cutting away to dramatic to those pictures. Dramatic pictures absolutely and to those pictures. Dramatic pictl sharp absolutely and to those pictures. Dramatic pictl sharp reporting utely and to those pictures. Dramatic picthharp reporting asely and to those pictures. Dramatic picthharp reporting as ever1d very sharp reporting as ever from white. Very sharp reporting as ever frorabsolutely. White. Very sharp reporting as ever frorabsolutely. But|ite. Very sharp reporting as ever frorabsolutely. But you were absolutely. But you were explaining difference absolutely. But you were explainirthe difference absolutely. But you were explainirthe headline ice absolutely. But you were explainirthe headline level between the headline level of inflation, is down and inflation, which is down and core inflation, which actually isnt. E e so theres this measure yeah. So theres this measure called core inflation, which some economists to examine, some economists like to examine, and basically inflation and its basically inflation without food prices, without Energy Prices , without some Energy Prices, without some imported goods which are subject to fluctuations in Exchange Rates and so on. I dont really rates and so on. I dont really rate this measure. Its great in a world where people dont eat and drive and heat their homes. But in the real world they do. But in the real world they do. But as you say, tom rightly, youve spotted that core inflation hasnt moved. It was 6. 9 june. Its 6. 9 in july. 6. 9 in june. Its 6. 9 in july. I think call me old fashioned, but a much better kind of subindex for understanding where inflation is to going be going, inflation is to going be going, in my view, is the Producer Price index. In my view, is the Producer Price index. This in my view, is the Producer Price index. This is in my view, is the Producer Price index. This is the cost of inputs that firms, factories , inputs that firms, factories, Hospitality Industries , the Hospitality Industries, the stuff they need basically to produce the goods and services that they then sell us almost the wholesale price. Yeah. So if input prices for producers are coming a slowing or even coming down, you can expect in a competitive market in the months to come, they will be passed on. Now im very pleased to say that the producer input index that the producer input index that the ons produces, it went negative last month almost unremarked upon. I mentioned it on gb news and in my columns and so on, cause hardly any attention, but its just gone even more negative now. That does mean that prices are falling. Not just going falling. Theyre not just going up means input up less slowly. It means input pnces up less slowly. It means input prices are falling. Let me give you the precise numbers, lest anyone say i dont know what im talki