19/08/2011 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today. The headlines. Terror in Newport, as

three women are shot at a hairdresser's. It was frightening.

It was in another salon across the road. It is frightening how these

things can happen. You do not expect these things to happen on a

busy main road on a Friday afternoon. Tonight, helicopters are

flying above the city, searching for the gunman.

Also in the programme - as A-level results fall further behind England,

the Education Minister is accused of being in denial.

Harley Ruck was killed by her mother. A report finds nothing

could have been done to predict or prevent her death.

In tonight's sport, final tweaks to the Liberty Stadium ahead of

Swansea's first home game and one former manager is excited to be

there. The moment that the Liberty stadium opens the doors to the

Premier League is an unique moment. It is a great occasion. The

feelings I have towards the football club, it will be great to

be there. And ready to impress against the Pumas, but who will win

Warren Gatland over? He names his World Cup squad on Monday.

Good evening. Police are hunting for a gunman tonight after three

women were injured in a shooting in broad daylight at a hairdressing

salon in Newport. It happened in the Malpas area. One of the main

routes into the city as been cordoned off. Our reporter, Nick

Palit, is there for us. This is the Malpas area of the city.

It is very close to the centre of the city. It is very busy. It is in

one of these shops where the shooting happened this afternoon.

Police reserve the first call around at 2:20pm. A man from a

neighbouring shop saw a woman running from the hairdresser's

screaming. Scenes of crime officers have been searching the area and

police have confirmed that a gun was recovered from the scene. Three

women in the hairdressers were injured. One has a gunshot wound to

the knee, another has an injury to her neck. All three received

hospital treatment but their injuries are not thought to be

life-threatening. Police launched a hunt for the gunmen in the

neighbouring streets and people within the cordon were told to stay

indoors. The police helicopter helped with the search. This woman

says everyone is shocked. glanced outside and just saw the

police and everything. It shook us by surprise. It was a bit of a

shock to us all. And when you heard what would -- what had happened,

what went through your mind? It is frightening. Being in a salon as

well and it was in another salon across the road, how things these

paint -- these things happen. You do not expect these things to

happen on a busy main road on a Friday afternoon. Local people say

it is normally friendly and quiet and they are disturbed by eat the

events. I just came to the end as the fella came down. I came down as

it was all happening. It is a very quiet area normally. The road is

one of the main routes in a mad - in and out of Newport. Its closure

has hindered rush-hour traffic. What more do we know about this

incident? It happened around four hours ago.

Eyewitnesses say they saw two were elderly customers running screaming

from the salon. This is a domestic incident. The gunman was either the

husband or partner of someone in that salon. People in the

neighbouring shops say the salon had an elderly clientele.

manhunt is very much still ongoing tonight. That is right. Tonight,

the latest we have is that the police are trying to chase a grey

They are very keen to trace that car as soon as possible. The police

operation has been up and running. The police helicopter has been in

the air. And this road remains closed. There is a shield up around

the shop. We know that a gun has been recovered. The man would not

appear to be armed any more. The rumours are that this man is local.

We will come back to you for more in the -- later in the programme.

The Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies has accused the

Education Minister Leighton Andrews of denying the obvious in his

assessment of yesterday's A-level results. Mr Andrews said the

performance in Wales was excellent, despite falling further behind the

rest of the UK on every measure. He said the Welsh Baccalaureate needs

to be taken into account when looking at exam results. Here's a

reminder of what the minister told our education correspondent, Ciaran

Jenkins. You clearly do not understand what has happened today.

We have a record number of young people that have achieved the Welsh

Baccalaureate. It is the equivalent of an A grade at A-level. That is

what is important. We have to look at the entire picture. We have an

increase in overall performance. And we have that record number of

young people with it the equivalent of an A grade at A-level. So, let's

look at Welsh Baccalaureate now. was introduced seven years ago and

this year nearly 7,000 students were awarded the advanced version,

well up on last year's figure of 4,360. The pass rate for the

baccalaureate was 83.5%. That compares to 23.9% of A-level

entries that got an A. This is one of 7,000 students

across Wales awarded the Welsh Baccalaureate yesterday. The

Education Minister insists this puts a different spin on the A-

level results. Top grades were down and the gap with the rest of the UK

Career one every measure. But the minister's defence is that the

Welsh Baccalaureate is the equivalent to one A grade at A-

level. But it is not counted in the official results. I would have

hoped that the minister could have been more imaginative in his

responses in the light of the results being published. It is

regrettable and it does strike you as the former university --

European dictator -- stating the obvious. The Welsh Baccalaureate is

a key skills qualification, for which there are no final exams. It

includes an 80, problem-solving, research, work experience and it's

put -- exploring Wales's place in the world. We went round with the

people collecting the rubbish. It showed me that there was another

side that I did not know. It broadened my mind a bit. Many other

aspects, I found that I already knew it. The Welsh Baccalaureate

gives students the equivalent of an A level but is it as much work?

do not think it took as much work. I stressed myself out so much

getting my results and I think now that the Welsh Baccalaureate is a

lot easier because you can redraft the work. It is not down as a resit.

It is not like having an exam at the end of the year. Given the

components of the Welsh Baccalaureate and the International

Baccalaureate, am not surprised to find that the students feel... It

is absolutely the equivalent of an Cambridge and Birmingham

universities have said that applicants should study three A-

levels, regardless of whether or not they are studying the Welsh

Baccalaureate. If you do the three A-levels plus the Welsh

Baccalaureate, you while at a huge advantage. All universities, pretty

much all of them, now recognise the Welsh Baccalaureate. There is no

doubt that the Welsh Baccalaureate is proving you -- useful tool Welsh

students. But the big question is does it make Wales's A-level

results any less disappointing? Can you answer that question for

us? It probably helps if we look back to the minister's speech in

February. A big speech outlining major reforms in the Welsh

education system and major failings. He said that A-level results in

Wales were not keeping up with the rest of the UK. He said there were

not enough top grades at A-level. Yesterday's exam results, despite

some amazing performances, those top grades went down and the rest

of the -- the gap with the rest of the UK actually grow wider. The

minister began talking about the Welsh Baccalaureate qualification.

But the question is should we consider that to be the same as the

A-level when we are looking at how ought Welsh school children have

done? The answer is, if you add the Welsh Baccalaureate score to the A-

level scores then suddenly the exam performance in Wales shoots writer,

it shoots up so high that Welsh students are doing better than the

rest of the UK and I do not think you will find many education

experts are that would actually believe that is the case. Can you

give us a kick -- quick update on the Clearing situation? Cardiff

declared themselves fall this afternoon. Bangor University

declared themselves fall yesterday. Very limited in the rest of Wales.

Time is running out for those after a university place but there is

always next year. Two men accused of using Facebook to encourage

riots in South Wales have been remanded in custody for a further

two weeks. The cases against Anthony Gristock and Jamie Counsell

were adjourned until next month. Meanwhile two teenagers accused of

encouraging a riot in Wrexham were also remanded in custody. 19-year-

old Thomas Hughes and 18-year-old Jack Lewis will appear in court

again in October. Another person's been confirmed as

having E-coli, following an outbreak in Cardiff. There are now

eight confirmed cases, with four more people under investigation. A

kebab shop in the Roath area remains closed while investigations

continue. A report into the death of an 11-

month-old baby girl, stabbed by her mother in their Abergavenny home,

has found that nothing could have been done to predict, or prevent

the tragedy. A Serious Case Review says although Jade Ruck was known

to Social Services, there was never any evidence she would harm her

daughter. Harley Ruck was just days away from

her first birthday when she was killed by her 23-year-old mother.

She had multiple stab wounds. A post mortem also found signs of

suffocation, and strangulation. It happened here, in the flat she

lived in with Jade Ruck in Abergavenny. In the early hours of

the 20th of November last year, Gwent Police received a call from a

concerned relative who said that Jade Ruck had told them she felt

like dying. When officers visited the flat they found Harley sleeping,

they were satisfied no immediate action was needed and made a

referral to Social Services for a follow up assessment. But just

hours later, Jade Ruck dialled 999 saying she'd stabbed her daughter

with a kitchen knife. She'd told the operator she couldn't handle

life anymore. Harley Ruck's body was found in the hallway of their

flat, alongside her mother. Police officers said Jade Ruck was acting

as if nothing was wrong and told them, I'm free now, I'm alright as

long as I'm free. But today's report, by Monmouthshire Local

Safeguarding Children Board concludes that there were no prior

protection issues or concerns about Jade Ruck's ability to care for her

child. It says she had experienced episodes of depression but that

nothing suggested this impacted on her role as a mother. She'd had

difficulty dealing with the end of her relationship with Harley's

father, but despite twice coming into contact with police and social

services, neither raised concerns about her. We are left with a human

tragedy which all of us struggle to understand. In the report,

unusually, the author has put some research findings at the back of

the report to talk about the murder of one's child because it is such

an unusual thing. In July this year, a Judge at Swansea Crown Court

ordered that Jade Ruck be detained in hospital indefinitely, after she

admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished

responsibility. Today, reassurances though that any lessons, however

small, will be learned from what A reminder of our top story tonight

A major search is on after a shooting at a hairdressers in

Newport. Officers have recovered a gun. One woman is shot, two others

are injured. And a final chance to shine against

the Pumas before Warren Gatland A row over sandwiches has broken

out at Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor. Hospital volunteers have threatened

a walkout over who supplies the sandwiches for a charity run tea

bar. For 20 years they have come from the local daily but now the

WRVS, which runs the bar, says it is switching to UK-wide supplier.

It is turning out to be rather more than a storm in a teacup. The. Of

the WRVS volunteers are making, they ascended is a local made down

the road. These other sandwiches head office bosses want to replace

them with, all part of the UK-wide contract with the food giant,

doomsters. Today, the chiefs from the WRVS met the Indians and

undressed is in the air. Go on voluntary strike? Feelings are

running very high and people are talking about not coming next week.

We are not going to turn up. We will not turn up. Without her says

volunteers they won't have a caffeine to serve sandwiches.

group might say they are making the changes to save money. It is

happening at 13 hospitals in Wales. To get a Bangor each day, the

sandwiches will cross the Mackenzie from Leicestershire taking in the

M1 and M6 and then finally the A55. Around 180 miles. At this Sturley

where the sand ridges are currently make, they were doing a roaring --

roaring lunchtime trade but six jobs will go with the loss of his

contract. It hurts inside. I know men are not supposed to be

emotional but I have been. Is is hard. You worry Small business

losing its biggest customer. Yes. We have to be competitive and that

means as having to look at all of our services and making sure that

we can, wherever possible, make savings and that is like having a

national supplier makes sense. They would give volunteering information

on the packaging. That is important to us because we won the group back

to be here for the next 73 years. Will the customers still by the

sandwiches? Will they be staff to sell them? We will have to wait and

see. The row over who owns Colwyn Bay's

historic pier has seen another twist today. It's now been placed

in the hands of the UK Government's legal department. The Grade Two

listed structure has been closed for nearly three years, after its

owner went bankrupt. It had been placed in the hands of a bankruptcy

trustee, but they've formally given up any interest in the pier.

Ownership has now been passed to the Crown, worrying some people who

want to see their local landmark restored.

The people of this town are concerned about the peer, they will

want to see it preserved. The longer it goes on the more

dilapidated it gets the more unlikely that seems to be.

A familiar face is back at Swansea City tomorrow. Claire has tonight's

sports news. Good evening. The Premier League

comes to Wales for the first time tomorrow when Swansea City play

their first home match at the Liberty Stadium. The visitors are

Wigan Athletic who are now managed by former Swans boss, Roberto

Martinez. He was vilified by some fans when he left but is now hoping

they will understand the part he played in getting them to the top

flight. When Swansea's team walked out for

their Premier League debut on Monday many could lay claim to play

some part in their rise. Brendan Rodgers will always be remembered

as the man who took them into the top flight but he acknowledges that

success was built on foundations laid by others. Us us the Roberto

Martinez. As club managers are the Spaniard may Swansea contenders at

the top end of the Championship. He decided to leave to manage Wigan

and a Premier League. He angered many fans. Roberto Martinez stands

by that decision not just for him personally as for the club.

sure the fans will look back and think, if we Erina Premier League

maybe that was not the wrong decision for the football club. I

tried to say that at the time but it was impossible for me to put it

in a way that fans would trust me. I am hoping that now they can look

back and be happy and be proud of the achievements of their football

club. Roberto Martinez is expecting a rough reception.

He can take credit for the way we play. He said the structure.

Brendan has taken us to a new level. It should be a good football game.

So Swansea took some confidence from their first Premier League

match on Monday even though they lost 4-0 at Manchester City. There

is no disgrace in losing to title contenders. Tomorrow's match should

provide a truer picture of how competitive Swansea will be.

You are looking at your home games, you try to make it a fortress. It

was important for less nasty and his will be no different for us

this year. You want to win the Games, the home games whoever

you're playing against. It will be an historic day tomorrow and one I

am looking forward to. We want to get our first three points on the

border soon as we can and we will do everything we can tomorrow to

achieve that. Today, staff at the Liberty Stadium were making sure

everything was in place to the ground would look his best for a

packed house at the global TV audience. First impressions count

and soars to want to make their mark in the world's most popular

league. Cardiff City are away to Burnley in

the Championship tomorrow. After losing to Brighton midweek, the

Bluebirds first defeat under Malky Mackay, the manager says the

players are not unnerved by the blip and are out to get back on

track. It is going to be a long season and

everyone is going to have to get through this. We will have periods

of winning and losing and will have to make sure we have to be

consistent. We are working hard and we have got to make sure we take

chances and have less mistakes. Rugby. With just over three weeks

to go before the start of the World Cup Wales are preparing for their

last warm-up match against Argentina at the Millennium Stadium

tomorrow. Martyn Williams will skipper the side and he's hoping to

make it into the World Cup squad. A final run-out ahead of the final

World Cup warm-up game. My last chance to claim a place in the

squad. One man who has waited patiently for his chances Martyn

Williams, having been overlooked for this year's Six Nations, he has

one last opportunity to impress on his 99th cap. It is important that

when you play against Argentina, the tendency is a stagnated game.

You have to create a tempo and we want to keep our ball in hand and

get a link between the forward on the backs. Martyn Williams is

crucial in that role as he has been for many seasons. He is one of nine

changes to the side that beat England. The players want to put in

a similar performance tomorrow with the World Cup less than one month

away. With the host of star players plying their trade in Europe,

Argentina will provide a stern test for Warren Gatland's team. At the

last World Cup, the Pumas finished third. We will take this

opportunity to play is the very good team. In terms of players and

tactics, Wales has one of the teams that play is very modern rugby in

the northern hemisphere. I have this summer a's game, Warren

Gatland will finalise his World Cup plans. He will name his 30 man

squad on Monday. Cricket. James Harris took five

wickets as Glamorgan took the lead at the end of play on day three of

their county championship match against Leicestershire. In the

sunshine at Colwyn Bay the visitor Let me just bring you an update on

Paralympic cycling champion, Simon Richardson. He is still critical

but stable in hospital after being knocked off his bike in a suspected

hit-and-run two days ago. Surgeons have decided not operate on his

back, pelvis and breastbone which were all fractured in the crash as

they review his condition. There is some relief today he may be able to

return to cycling because his right leg which he pedals with was not

injured in the crash. A weekend of sport starts tonight.

Sport Wales gets underway in a few Tom Shanklin's views on the Wales

team tonight. Then tomorrow, the Wales versus Argentina match is on

BBC 1 Wales from 2pm. There is also commentary on Radio Wales, Radio

And, Wrexham is in action tonight away to Lincoln. You can hear the

game on Radio Wales FM in the north from 7:30pm. Time now for the

weekend weather. Will the rain stay The rain is already here this

evening. But has been a quiet day today but at the moment we have got

a weather front making its way in from the West. With that comes a

lot of rain of western part, pushing Easter it. Overnight it

will fizzle out in the north but a mild nights compared with last

night. The wind quite breezy along the coast would like to the further

inland you are. Notice there's no pressure Erie are feeding in

weather fronts. It is going to be an unsettled day tomorrow. First

thing in the morning, dry air in Anglesey to Wrexham. But the rate

will reach from the south. Like Sampras year the morning but

picking up intensity as we go into the afternoon especially across the

North and West. Breezy along the coast. If you are going to the

match tomorrow in the Millennium Stadium it will be cloudy and wet

for kick-off but by the time you come out hopefully the rain has

cleared and we should see some brighter conditions. All the

coverage and BBC One wears, Radio Wales and Radio Cymru. That rain

band is heavy in the north and west easing into Sunday morning,

becoming light in nature and we keep a lot of cloud and another

mild night. Sunday a much better day. We should some more sunshine

and the best day of the weekend. There is a risk of a few showers as

we head through that day at St the further west you are. Areas such as

Cardigan Bay. On Monday, we go back Our top story tonight, police are

still looking for a man after a woman was shot and other two were

injured at a hairdressing salon in Newport. It is thought he was

Let's head back to Newport. Any more developments?

The search for that car and the man continues. Here in Malpas, some 4

two and a half hours after the incident, the road is still closed.

It is a busy, Commercial Road and it was in one of these shops at

about 2:30pm that the gun incident took place. It is very popular with

elderly clientele. A man burst into the salon and opened fire. People

ran from the shop screaming. Since then police have arrived, the court

and has been put up other is a blue cord and been put behind me. That

has been put up and the last hour and scenes of crimes of the surf a

working behind them. The police are leading this investigation has

issued this statement. We received a call at 2:20pm reporting a three

people had received injuries at a had -- hairdressers. A man had

entered the shop with a firearm. The woman received gunshot was to

the knee. Two were the women have injuries and the nature of these

injuries have not been confirmed. None of the injuries a life-

threatening. All three women are receiving medical treatment around

with police officers. We have recovered a firearm at the scene

and we are searching for the man involved. Many thanks.