02/11/2012 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today. They were some of the worst floods

in living memory. Water surged through villages and homes in

Ceredigion. The damage was devastating. Tonight, the

Environment Agency warns that we're at greater risk this winter.

Here in Talybont, people are still waiting to return to their homes.

Now there are fresh concerns that Police searching for missing vet

Catherine Gowing seal off a second site where human remains have been

A Welsh council buys 2,500 laptops worth �1 million. Now they're left

We take a flight with the crew of Wales's brand new state-of-the-art

The size we have to work in and the extra seats means that we have

extra flying capacity if we need it. American GI's trained in Swansea

ahead of the D-Day Landings. those who died are remembered.

And I'm live at the Arms Park - can the Blues end their run of five

straight defeats with victory over Good evening.

We are at greater risk of flooding in Wales this winter - that's the

warning from the Environment Agency. They say an unusually wet summer

has left rivers levels high and the ground saturated. And they're

warning people to be prepared. Our reporter, Cemlyn Davies, is in

Talybont this evening. It was one of the villages badly affected when

floods hit parts of North Five months have now gone by since

this village, like many others in this part of Mid Wales, were

devastated by the worst floods this area has seen in generations. Many

of the people worst hit still haven't been able to return to

their homes. You couldn't see the village green where I am now, such

was the torrent of water flowing through the village. Now there are

concerns it could all happen again. It was one of the wettest summers

in Wales since records began. In June, more than a month's worth of

rain fell in the Aberystwyth area in just 24 hours. This was the

result. 1,000 people had to leave their homes. Talybont was one of

the villages worst hit. Now the Environment Agency's warning that

scenes like these could be repeated over the winter.

It has been an exceptionally wet summer, probably the wet -- wettest

April-June on record, and what this means, is that the ground is

saturated, so any further rain is likely to find its way quickly into

our rivers and drainage ditches. Mick Fothergill had hoped to be

back in his home in time for Christmas, but five months on the

building work is only just getting started. It could be February

before he can move back in. Now there are fresh concerns.

are used to the rivers coming up in winter. We will have to do with it

if it comes up. The Environment Agency offered protecting all the

houses here. This will be Flood protected to a metre and a half, so

we will have some flood protection in place. If we have a flood to the

same extent as June, nothing would protect us.

The Environment Agency says 375,000 Welsh properties are at risk of

flooding, and in Bridgend this morning, nine people had to be

evacuated after a blocked culvert underneath a railway line led to

floods in the the Brackla area. I woke up this morning and heard

engines and people talking, and went outside and found a lady with

no shoes on worrying about how she would get to work because the car

park was flooded. I dialled 999 to get the fire brigade out, and as I

turned around, the water was gushing from the kitchen and, and

it flooded the place out in a matter of moments. But is enough

being done to counter the threat of flooding? Eifion Hughes farms in

Llangadog in Carmarthenshire. He says the riverbeds aren't being

cleared well enough, and that's causing blockages.

I can remember when I was a schoolboy, the rain used to come

once a year to clean the Scholes out. It would help to keep the

level of the beds down. Back in Talybont, the sandbags are ready.

After what they've already been through this year, people here

The advice to people who think they may be at risk of flooding is to

contact the Maymana agency for more information. They can also register

to receive Flood warnings by Tex -- contact the Environment Agency, and

the Environment Agency is advising people to have a flood plan for

their home and community so everybody knows what to do if and

when the floods hit. Police investigating the murder of

Flintshire vet Catherine Gowing say more human remains have been found

on the banks of the River Dee in Cheshire. The remains were found

this afternoon by an off-duty police officer. Matthew Richards is

in our Wrexham newsroom with the latest.

What more can you tell us about the developments today? This news broke

in the last 90 minutes, and we know this of duty Cheshire police

officer was walking along the banks of the River Dee in Cheshire. He

alerted his forces spoke to colleagues in North Wales.

Yesterday you may remember, they were searching in Flintshire and

found human remains in a shallow pool their, a small fishing pond,

and they have had underwater search teams looking there as well, so now

we have remains on both sides of the border, so still an intensive

investigation and lots of police activity still tonight. What are

the lines of inquiry are they? Catherine Gowing hasn't been seen

since 12th October. She was seen in a supermarket on Queensferry on the

evening of 12th October, and her burnt out re- low-cut -- Renault

car with Irish registration plates was discovered not far from her

home in New Brighton. Police are appealing for sightings of that car

on the weekend she disappeared, as well as the black Volvo S40

belonging to Clive Sharpe, who lives in Gwynedd. He has been

arrested and charged with her murder. Thank you.

A sixth form pupil accused of hacking into his school computer

system and attempting to do it again two months later has been

found guilty. Matthew Higgins, now 20 and at university, always denied

securing unauthorised access to computer data at Eirias High School

in Colwyn Bay. A jury at Caernarfon Crown Court had heard he was a

"clever young man" caught red- handed. He will be sentenced at the

end of the month. A final budget has been agreed

between the Welsh Ambulance Service and the health boards for the rest

of the financial year until April. Earlier this week, BBC Wales

highlighted concerns within its board about the effect on services

if they didn't know how much they had to spend.

A Metropolitan Police officer believed to be protecting the Duke

and Duchess of Cambridge has accidentally fired a gun while on

duty in North Wales. It has emerged that Torfaen Council

have thousands of unused laptops stored in a building, and they've

been there for over a year. The computers were supposed to go to

schoolchildren, but a deal for them between two Welsh councils fell

through. Jordan Davies has more. Somewhere in Torfaen is a council

building containing 2500 laptops, and they have been there, unused,

for a year-and-a-half. Bought by Torfaen as part of Welsh Government

teaching scheme, they were earmarked for school children in

Newport but didn't quite make it there.

It is turning into a bit of a farce, to actually purchased 2500 laptops

without any idea of where they will go. Torfaen Council should have

ensured they had a third Council on board. 6000 computers are being

used by pupils in Torfaen and Nong -- Monmouth Show as part of this

programme, but Torfaen Council directors say Newport council

pulled out leaving them with �1 million worth of spare laptops.

When we procure the laptops in March 2011, Newport city council

were firm partner, but they withdrew in June the 2011.

thought they would take a laptops off your hands. Yes. Newport

council said it made no final agreement to take the computers.

Now out of Wight Council have to find a new buyer, even though the

laptops are already out of warranty. It says it is close to finding a

solution. The Welsh Government says it has been working to ensure

The man leading a commission into the future of Britain's airports

says he'd consider a plan to use Cardiff Airport as Heathrow's sixth

terminal when rail links were fast enough. Sir Howard Davies will

produce his final report by summer 2015. Management in Cardiff say

they're glad there's widespread support for the growth of their

airport. A Metropolitan Police officer

believed to be protecting the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has

accidentally fired a gun while on duty in North Wales. No-one was

hurt in the incident, which happened in an unmarked car last

week. An investigation is being carried out by Scotland Yard.

A Welsh MP has asked the Prime Minister to intervene to save a

tearoom in Carmarthenshire after the owner was told her business

rates were going up by 700% a month. Simon Hart raised the issue at

Prime Minister's Questions this week to highlight the case of The

Owl and the Pussycat Restaurant in In August, Judith Brunsdon had a

visit from the Valuation Office. They measured her tearooms, and

then sent her a letter saying that her business rates had shot up.

It was then going from �92 per month to 700 and and �6 per month.

That's a staggering 700% increase. -- �726. The kitchen has gone to

�84 per square metre. The whole reason for the increase is that the

alterations to the whole of the premises have been made, but they

haven't. I have been here 12 years and it hasn't changed.

Miss Brunsdon's local MP, Simon Hart, has taken up her case, even

pleading with the Prime Minister. This is not unique to Wales, so can

the Prime Minister come to the rescue?

Sadly not, but Mr Hart's determined to get answers.

I am asking the valuation office to explain how they have come up with

the figure of 700 percent. If someone's stuck council tax up that

much they would be a riot, so why shouldn't there be a similar riot

over sticking business rates up when nothing has changed?

The Valuation Office told us they do not specifically carry out spot

checks on businesses, but "If any new information comes to light that

an assessment might be incorrect, we will check and amend it to

ensure it is fair and accurate." Two other businesses in Laugharne,

including this one, have also been told they face huge hikes in rates.

All of them are appealing, saying they'll simply go out of business

if they have to pay more. For now, Judith Brunsdon is

refusing to increase her payments Still to come tonight:

They came here in their thousands and left their mark on Welsh

communities. Ahead of the D-Day Landings, American GIs trained in

Swansea. Now those who died are A new state-of-the-art air

ambulance comes into service today to provide emergency care for Mid

Wales. The purpose-built helicopter is a replacement for the current

20-year-old model, and according to the the Wales Air Ambulance charity

is the most technologically advanced air ambulance in the UK.

More from our health correspondent, It has been a familiar sight for

many years around Mid Wales, but not for much longer. This old Air

Ambulance is bowing out of service to be replaced by this custom made,

cutting edge successor. The paramedics are absolutely

delighted with the aircraft, running around like kids on

Christmas morning. This aircraft is the most advanced air ambulance

flying in the UK. It is brand new, straight off the production line,

with all the bells and whistles on it. That little lump on the front

is a weather radar, the first of our aircraft to have that.

They are so impressed, they invited It is a privilege, best job in the

world. The new helicopter can fly faster, reaching Aberystwyth from

Welshpool in 12 minutes, but it is not all about speed.

We carry an extra seat now so we can carry a doctor or nurse, a

parent of a child, etc, and we also have the capacity built in to

After the flight, the paramedics go through their drills to get

familiar with the new medical equipment their helicopter has on

board. But that his practice, this is reality. Here, the crew of the

South Wales Air Ambulance are giving emergency care to a

footballer who has broken his leg in two places. He was in hospital

within minutes. But each call-out costs around 1500 pounds, and it

takes �6 million per year to keep the three Welsh air ambulances

running, and demand could increase if hospital services across Wales

are centralised. So when the tranquillity of rural

Montgomeryshire is disturbed, locals are more likely to be

reassured by an angry, knowing that this life-saving service is flying

high. Wales goes to the polls in just

over two weeks' time to elect new Police and Crime Commissioners. The

commissioners will have wide- ranging powers over your local

police force, but there are fears that many of us won't take the

trouble to vote. Our political correspondent, Tomos Livingstone,

reports on what the new jobs are about, and what's at stake

The University of Glamorgan is where police officers come to

sharpen up their skills. They can use this mock control room

to stimulate everything from a riot to interviewing a murder suspect. -

- simulate. From next month, they'll be accountable to a new

offical - an elected police commissioner. The new commissioners

won't be able to give orders to officers on the front line. But

they will have significant powers. They'll have control of the force's

budgets, and they'll be able to set policing priorities. But not

everyone's convinced the public are ready for the change.

My fear is that the groundwork hasn't been laid in order to

prepare the public for the change, and to engage the public with the

process. I think many members of the public are still, they still

feel somewhat uninspired by the whole process, still aren't sure

why they should bother. And that will be an enormous challenge.

So what are the decisions facing the new commissioners? They'll have

to decide which crimes are the most important to tackle. They'll decide

how much we have to pay for policing through our council tax.

But they'll need to operate at a time when all forces are facing big

cutbacks. Those who work with victims of crime are clear about

what they want to see. We would like them to consult

victims, have focus groups and Surveys and stakeholders:, to

ensure they know what the concerns are and take the opportunity to put

in place a system that ensures they -- their needs are reflected in the

services delivered. In America, police commissioners

have been part of the political landscape for decades.

The candidates here have just two weeks left to convince Welsh voters

it's a good idea too. And you can find out more about the

candidates at the BBC News website: bbc.co.uk/walesnews, and click on

Let's get the day's sports news now. Claire Summers is live at the Arms

Park for us this evening. An important home game, Claire?

Good evening. It's a typical November night here

at the Arms Park. And fans here will be hoping a frosty reception

for visitors Munster will be enough to kick-start the Blues season.

There's not been much to celebrate of late for supporters - the Blues

have lost their last five games. They've made 11 changes for

tonight's match, with eight players away on Wales duty. After the heavy

defeat to Leinster, Blues boss Phil Davies says he's coping with the

pressure and they're determined to bounce back.

That game has gone. It's making sure that we try to improve the

areas we feel we need to improve in, and defence is one of them. We have

talked about this week and -- get back this weekend and a fair bit of

work so hopefully we will be better on the weekend. We are enjoying

tried to get the results, and as long as we keep performing and

working hard, hopefully the performances will improve and the

results will come. Former Blues and Wales centre Tom

Shanklin joins me now. Good evening. It's a bit chilly,

thanks for coming out. The facts speak for themselves, a win is

really needed, isn't it? I am not sure of a win. This is a very

experienced -- inexperience Blues team with a lot of youngsters. They

lost 14 players last year and are playing against an experienced,

classy Munster team. It was a poor performance last week, no doubt,

and Phil Davies wants some reaction from the players this week. What

will a good performance do to the confidence of some of these

youngsters out here tonight? Again, they are youngsters and they need

the experience. It is something they don't have at the moment, they

had all their experience and lost it last year. There are some

internationals training with Wales in Poland, so it is good experience

for the young boys come into -- through. It is a difficult time for

the regions, losing Wales international straight after Europe.

It is a hard time for the regions but great news for Wales, because

at least Wales get their players a week earlier with an extra week's

preparation, and that certainly will show in the autumn

internationals. Let's talk about that briefly. In a week's time we

were Loggerheads to the Millennium Stadium next Saturday afternoon. --

will look ahead. What you hope Wales will get out of the next

month? I hope to see Adam Jones get fit because he is a huge loss, but

for the autumn internationals to be deemed a success they have to win

three from four. Three from four? My goodness. They are current Six

Nations champions, it doesn't matter which three, but three.

Australia the one they are really targeting? You have to look at

awkward teams, out of New Zealand and Australia, we would rather play

Australia especially after losing to them in the World Cup. Thank you.

You have bought a pie so you can go and warm up and eat that. Tom is

part of the Scrum V team doing red -- red button commentary.

You can watch the Blues live - Scrum V live follows Wales Today at

7:00pm over on BBC Two Wales. The Dragons are also in action tonight

- they're away in Glasgow. Scrum V will keep you up to date.

Football, and Swansea City are aiming to follow up their

impressive display against Liverpool with another against

Chelsea tomorrow. The European champions travel to the Liberty

Stadium top of the Premier League. And the manager says that after a

good week, it's about keeping up the momentum.

Of course, a lot of the players who will be in the starting 11 on

Saturday will have tired legs because they have played two games

this week against two big opponents, and this one will be made be the

biggest one because it is the European champions. I am sure we

will see another very good performance. If it is enough to get

a point or three, I don't know, but we will see from the performance.

Swansea's quarter final against Middlesbrough in the League Cup has

been confirmed as Wednesday December 12th.

In the Championship, leaders Cardiff City travel to Bolton.

Tomorrow's game is the first of four away games during November. No

game for Newport County this weekend, but it's FA Cup first

round action for Wrexham against I'm sure you remember, you might

seen a few of them -- might have seemed.

There are seven in Wales, marking the achievements of our Olympians

and Paralympians this summer. The post boxes painted gold in Flint,

Wrexham, Bridgend, Swansea, Hay on Wye, Tredegar and Cardiff, located

in the home towns of our medal- winners, will not go back to red.

Royal Mail have decided all 110 across the UK, will stay

permanently gold and will also have plaques attached naming the athlete

and their achievement. It's pretty cold here tonight, I'm

going to get a cup -- cup of coffee before the match. Kick-off at

7:05pm. That year. -- back to you. At their height, they numbered in

their thousands and left their mark on Welsh communities - American

soldiers who lived and trained across Swansea during the Second

World War were remembered today in a special service. The GIs based in

Mumbles and the surrounding area were preparing for the D-Day

Landings, where many would lose their lives. Our reporter, James

Williams, has more. A tribute to another chapter in the

history of American-Welsh relations. The memorial unveiled in Mumbles to

date is there to commemorate American soldiers based there

during the second world war. This man had a foot in both camps, a

Swansea boy who left the land of his father's at 14 and returned

under the banner of the Stars and Stripes.

I thought I would give the answer hand, so I joined the American army

-- give birth yanks backhand. I knew I would come back Sunday,

because as I said, it's a thing of belonging.

Thousands of American soldiers were based here in Mumbles and the

surrounding area between 1943 and added 44, and although their time

he was short, they made a great impact on the community. Betty

remembers them fondly. She was 18 when the first American troops

landed in the area. They were extremely nice young men,

grateful for anything you did for them. Bailey -- they used to like

to come down to the bars and go to parties.

We now know very few made it. Using their time in South Wales to

prepare for the D-Day landings, Omaha Beach would be the resting

place for many soldiers, but one who did return to American soil

would become a huge star. They called him the Boston Blockbuster

and he showed promise during his time in Wales.

Rocky Marciano was built in -- billeted in Mumbles pier. There was

Australians in the bar which made comments to him and he laid them

flat on their back. It is clear from today's service

that all the American GIs made a mark on this community. Behnaz,

people will be hoping there is no There are showers, but they will

push through quickly. Wrap up warm if you are going to a firework

display over the weekend. There will be showers as well. Heavy

showers for tomorrow as well. This evening, drier conditions for Parts

of Powys and the north-east, frost developing, and the showers going

through the evening along parts of the south and west coast becoming

more widespread into the overnight period, temperatures on the cold

side, dipping down to two-six Celsius, but could be lower than

that in the countryside. The wind is light. Low-pressure to the north

of Scotland in charge of our weather, sinking south through the

weekend, which is what will keep things unsettled. First thing

tomorrow, a risk of icy patches, do take care on untreated services, it

could be slippery. A dry start with brightness, and as we go through

the day, the breeze picks up and showers Rollin across parts of the

south and west. It is around coastal areas at first but becomes

more widespread throughout the day. Feeling cold tomorrow with highs of

6-9 Celsius. Tomorrow night if you are heading out, we have more

showers again, heavy at times with a mix of thunder. Also wintry on

high ground at times, especially in Snowdonia and the South, becoming

drier over night, temperatures two- by Celsius, the wind should be

lighter at coming from the south- easterly direction. On Sunday

morning, a dry start for most of us, most of the showers can find to the

West. It will feel a little warmer as we go through Sunday as the wind

changes direction to a south- easterly. Highs of around 10

Celsius in Swansea on Sunday, but a day of sunshine and showers,

essentially, so another unsettled day. Through to Monday, we see a

rich building, so it will become dry every Monday afternoon and

evening. Tuesday looks dry and bright, possibly the first Friday

in many days, and much lighter winds as well, so probably the most

decent day of the week. Today's picture shows a beautiful autumnal

The headlines from the BBC: A man who killed a vicar and a

retired teacher within weeks of each other has been told he'll

spend the rest of his life in prison. A jury at Bristol Crown

Court found Stephen Farrow guilty of what the judge described as the

'horrific' murders of Reverend John Suddards and Betty Yates. Both were

attacked in their homes earlier this year.

In Wales, the Environment Agency is warning that we're at greater risk

of flooding this winter. They say an unusually wet summer has left

rivers levels high and the ground saturated, and say people should be