17/12/2012 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today. Our top story: Pembrokeshire Council under

fire for how it keeps children safe in school. One family claims this

video shows their son being locked in a padded room. Tonight, the

education inspectorate Estyn says the council should be placed in

Our other headlines tonight: Different wages for similar jobs -

why thousands are still waiting for a fair pay out. And the next

generation of fighting vehicles for the British army being built here

on the site of an old colliery. Good evening. In tonight's sport,

tearing up the turf could be a thing of the past. Why the

Millennium Stadium is considering swapping the grass for an

artificial surface like this. And Deiniolen's Dave Brailsford was

last night named Coach of the Year. Ahmad as cycling track which Dave

Brailsford are opened last year. -- I am at the cycling track.

Good evening. It's been accused of failures in keeping children safe.

Tonight there are calls for Pembrokeshire council to be placed

in special measures. The council was highly criticised last year

after claims from 2009 came to light that children were locked in

a padded time-out room. In a separate report today, the auditor

general has called for the Welsh Government to intervene. Abigail

Neal is at Pembrokeshire Council headquarters tonight. Yes, we have

seen two reports published today. Both of them following on from

those initial complaints back in 2009 about how the council dealt

with pupils who were displaying challenging behaviour. And the

allegations of abuse about their treatment. One of the reports today

is by the Auditor General for Wales, and that looks safe -- on this

issue of safeguarding children. The other report comes from Estyn, the

schools inspectorate in Wales, and they bullocking generally at the

issue of education, and they found it to be unsatisfactory. Today, we

managed to get hold of a DVD which shows where this process all began.

The boy you see in it is now 16, he is at college and is doing well,

but at the time this was taken, things were very different. Andrew

has agreed to show us the DD -- DVD from 2009. He says it shows his 12-

year-old son being locked in a dark, padded, windowless room. You can

see a boy being pushed into the room and then left, on this

occasion, for 13 minutes, before he was let out. Surely there are

better ways. Teachers should be taught how to handle these children,

not by throwing them into a room. Police treat criminals like that.

Pembrokeshire council say this padded room no longer exist and

they have issued guidance to all schools and over what form of time

out space should be used when children need to calm down.

Previously, they showed us images. The council has been slow to put

improvements in place and those it has put in place have proved

inadequate. That said, with better scrutiny arrangements, we are

confident that the council has the potential to put the arrangements

in place that can provide assurances to the public.

Allegations of Professional abuse first surfaced in 2009, regarding

the use of the time out room. Last year, two critical reports were

published into how the council dealt with these allegations and

what policies they had imposter care for the children. Today, two

more have been added to the list. The second report, one by Estyn,

looked at education more generally. Pembrokeshire was judged

unsatisfactory. Julie is one mother who agrees with that assessment.

Her eight year-old son James has multiple complex needs. This month,

he was permanently excluded because of his challenging behaviour. She

showed us his score behaviour logbook and showed us how often the

time-out method was used. Sometimes it was twice a day and one time for

four hours. I told them that they have failed him. They have

discriminated against his disabilities. He is being punished

for not walking appropriate -- appropriately in the corridor when

he has got poor co-ordination. He has been placed in the chill-out

Room for telling visitors that he loves them, which James we do in

the supermarket or where they hears. He doesn't find that in appropriate.

The Welsh government have already sent in a panel of experts to

oversee the council. Now Estyn are calling for the authority to be

placed in special measures. We spoke to Pembrokeshire council

about some of the issues raised by the little boy James, and they told

us that he had been excluded from his primary school and that any

concerns or allegations brought to their attention would now be

investigated as a matter of urgency. Can you tell us more about what

special mirror -- special measures would mean? Yes, special measures

are usually something that Estyn would apply to a school. It might

mean things like more regular inspections, but in this case, it

is applied to a whole local authority. The standard is really

the same. When it is applied to a school it is done so because they

deem there is an inadequate level of education their and the school

might lack the leadership capacity to improve that. This is being

applied more generally to the county, but Estyn would not tell us

exactly what it involved. It depends on each case by case basis

as to what each local authority would need. What has the council

said today? The council leader Jamie Adams has issued a statement

saying that these are very serious issues and the council is committed

to resolving them. He has said he is under no illusion about the

scale of the challenge, but they have already made some changes here.

One of them is a new director in charge of education and

safeguarding that has a very good track record, and another is that

they have taken action in recruitment and retention of social

care staff. A significant one is that they have signed an agreement

with another council to develop a shared school improvement scheme,

and that may be one of the first of its kind in Wales. A one of the

world's biggest defend -- defence contractor has has opened a new

base in the Gwent valley. General Dynamics now it employs

around 800 people there and in Newbridge. A promotional film shows

the new armoured fighting vehicle that has been ordered by the

British Army. It is called the S V programme and at a time of big

cutbacks in military spending, this is one project which is going ahead.

Around 600 of the vehicles will be designed, developed and tested over

the next 10 to 15 years. It is the Number One programme for the army

going forward. That is why it is so important to us. This will form the

backbone of a large section of the British Army. The heart of the

operation is taking what is called off the shelf models, basic

structures made elsewhere. They are brought here were all sorts of

equipment is added to them, including electronic systems like

fees, developed here for the specific use of the British Army --

like bees. Their orders -- dozens of defence companies operating in

Wales, including some of the world's largest contractors. And it

is well paid. Average salaries in Newbridge and over there are

�45,000 the year. -- and Oakdale a �45,000 a year. I have met people

who have gone to university, gone to a graduate programme they have

offered and you would never have come back if the company was not

here. The new vehicles are due to come into service by the end of the

decade. A 42-year-old actor has been found guilty of raping a 15-

year-old girl at a house party in Newport. Simon Morris, who appeared

in the television series Hollyoaks, claimed he didn't know what he was

doing as he suffers from a sleep disorder known as sexsomnia. But

the jury at Cardiff Crown Court today convicted him. He'll be

sentenced in the new year. Thousands of council workers who

were paid less for doing similar jobs as their colleagues are still

waiting for payments worth millions of pounds. The deadline for

settling equal pay claims passed five years ago and BBC Wales has

learnt most councils here still haven't paid out. The end of a long

day for Jennifer Jones, head cook at this church in a primary school

in Pembrokeshire. She has worked for the Council for nearly two

decades, but people who have previously carried out male jobs

such as street cleaners, were paid more than Jennifer even though they

were on the same pay grade. wasn't aware untaught Unison came

round and told us this was happening -- I wasn't aware. I

thought that was a bit fall. How can they get away with that? Why

should men get more than women for an equal value drop? Back into

their son and seven, the council here was the first to start handing

out cheques to workers. Five years on, some councils like Wrexham

still haven't paid a penny. Settling these past inequalities is

very expensive. Councils have been trying to put it off in the hope

that maybe case law will change all the claimants will get so tired of

the lengthy litigation progress -- process. We have learnt that the

cost councils has so far reached �75 million. Just three authorities

have completed the process. This is public money. It may appear simple

when a claim comes in, pay it, but if it were to be found later on

that it could have been defended, they would be a big question over

that. Back in Pembrokeshire, Jenifer finally got her pay out

seven years after she put in a claim. For councils, the process of

settling cases will go on for some time yet. Still to come, why are

rolling out the lawn could soon become a thing of the past. I will

be finding out why they are soon considering replacing the green

grass at the home of rugby with an artificial pitch. And the brain

behind British Cycling honoured as the coach of the year.

The investigation into abuse at children's homes in North Wales has

received information from more than 100 alleged victims. The National

crime agency is looking at the new allegations as well as the way

police handled the it original investigation. What exactly is the

National crime into Zulu king into here? They have been asked to look

at a number of things. -- the National crime agency. These

allegations were prompted by a man who was a former resident at a

children's home in Wrexham in the late 70s. He gave an interview to

the BBC's Newsnight programme at the beginning of last month saying

that abuse there was much more widespread than had previously been

realised. It wasn't just members of staff. Subsequently, and inaccurate

naming was done of Lord McAlpine, the Tory peer. He was forced to

link with these allegations. Subsequently, there has been an

apology, and those who have publicly named Lord McAlpine are

being pursued through the courts. But this has all prompted 105

people in total to contact either the quite agency or be referred to

them with their own different stories of abuse dating back to

children's homes in the 70s in North Wales. They are now living

across the UK, up to 22 fours -- police force areas across Britain.

What happens next? The initial findings will be put to the Chief

Constable of North Wales in April next year. They also look at how

the police handled the him -- the original investigation, and we

should also find out publicly what those recommendations are, if any,

Hundreds of union members at Caerphilly council staged a walkout

this afternoon in protest at pay rises for senior staff. Around 600

showed their anger at the 20% pay increase for the Chief Executive

and other Executive officers. The council says the rise brings

salaries in line with the market rate. They mist either say, we have

made a mistake, we withdraw, we are going to take it back and not have

a rise. Or they resign. It's a story we've been reporting on for

five years here on Wales Today - campaigners in Cardiff fighting to

save their historic park. The council had wanted to build a

school on the site of the Rumney Recreation Ground - a move which

led to a local referendum and a public enquiry. Well, today that

story reached its conclusion as a special ceremony celebrated the

park's new status as a protected site which can never be built on.

It's been a hard-fought battle, but today campaigners young and old

could finally claim victory. This simple plaque means the Rumney

Recreation ground can never be developed. It's been given special

protection as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. The

monument it sits upon recognises the tireless efforts of local

people who fought to keep their fields. You shouldn't build on

parkland and that's what we all wanted is our park. This is our

village greefpblt this is the centre of the community. -- village

green. And it's ours. The campaign to save the Rumney Rec goes all the

way back to 2007, when Cardiff council - which owned the land -

announced it was going to build a �22 million secondary school on the

site. That triggered an angry response from supporters of the

park, who argued it had been used by the community since Victorian

times. The years that followed saw a local referendum, an 8,000-name

petition and a public enquiry. In the end, the council dropped its

plans and its new status as a Queen Elizabeth II Field in Trust means

those plans can never resurface. The dedication places a covenant on

the land which ensures it can only be used for play, sport and

recreation. So they can't develop the land and use it for other

purposes. This stone is a symbol of people power. And it marks the end

of a five-year campaign to save a piece of local history. The winner

of what's thought to have been Wales' biggest unclaimed lottery

prize has finally come forward. The anonymous claimant won almost �6.4

million with the ticket bought in either Anglesey or Gwynedd. They

matched all six numbers in a draw in September. Lottery operators

Camelot had appealed for the winner to claim the prize before the six-

month deadline. All the day's sport now with Claire. Thank you. Welsh

rugby bosses are considering the radical step of installing a

plastic pitch at the Millennium Stadium. The quality of the grass

there has been a constant problem and they've had to relay the turf

at least once a year. But now the WRU is thinking about buying a

completely artificial surface which is being trialled by a top club in

England. Ashleigh Crowter has the story. It's the perfect place for

sports fans, but not great for grass. Look at the ground under the

England pack. It is giving way. There have been problems with the

pitch since the stadium was built, prompting complaints from some

teams. At times it's been hard for players to keep their feet. The

stands are not conducive to healthy turf. If you have not got a lot of

sun, the grass won't grow and if you haven't got air movement, the

soil will get damp and that leads to disease. Until now, the Welsh

rugby union tried to resolve the problem by replacing the pitch at a

cost of a quarter a million pounds each time. It is expensive to

maintain the pitch, these lighting rigs cost �500,000 to buy. A fully

artificial pitch wouldn't need this, saving the Welsh rugby union

hundreds of thousands each year. The union considered inStahling a

hybrid pitch like the one at the Liberty Stadium. Now, they're

waiting to judge the success of a synthetic pitch at Saracens in

England. They will play their first match on it next month. The design

has been approved by the world governing body of football and

rugby. The surface is filled in with tiny crumbs of rubber. Welsh

rugby wosss - ebosses are see waiting to see how United copes.

will give us a sense of how it copes with scrums and impact and

burn. We only do it if it is right. If we can achieve it, it will save

us millions of pounds. In football the Welsh Premier League is

encouraging clubs to inStahl artificial pitches. The New Saints

were the first to do it. It is now used by the first team and the

community. You gate perfect roll and a perfect pitch and that

promotes good football, good passing and good skills. Especially

from the the younger agement the last thing you want them to do is

run through a bog. It has never been that bad at the millennium

Stadium, but grass could be a thing of the past there too. Dave

Brailsford - the Welshman credited with masterminding the

transformation of British Cycling - was named coach of the year at the

BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards. The 48-year-old, from

Deiniolen in Gwynedd coached the British Olympic Team and worked

with Tour De France and sports personality winner Bradley Wiggins.

Behind me is a fantastic team. My job is to look after other people,

get them to be better and of course we're only going to be as good as

our riders. There has been talk about coaching, but it is about the

riders and we have a brilliant team in British sighling and Team Sky

and they deliver when they need to. Dafydd is joining us live. Thanks

Claire. This is Marsh Tracks, a �1.5 million cycling centre. And,

yes, Dave Brailsford was here last year for the official opening, keen

to see safe, first class cycling facilities in his home region. It

has road cycling and BMX facilities and draws national events. Tonight,

some of the best of young Welsh cyclists are training here and the

hope is that some of these will represent Wales in the Commonwealth

Games in 2018. I'm joined by two of them and their coach, Alan Overson.

These are hopefuls for the 2018 games. I'm joined by two of the

hopefuls. And their coach. How inspires is Dave brace fords for

you? It has been amazing. We would like to get a world class athlete

in the next ten years. The inspiration he has given us, well

you can can see the junior and how inspired they are. You must have

been thrilled that he opened the centre? Last year he came and he

was fan it is a tib. He opened the tracks and we got loads of juniors

using it. The BMX track, we started a club and it is 60 clock riv

Monday and we love the juniors to have a go. You have just started

cycling since the Olympics. How does the recognition the sport got

last night do for your enthusiasm? I was pleased with the result and

it has made me more determined to do well. It has given people to

look up to like Bradley Wiggins. Alex, what does it do for your

personal ambition? Well it is good inspiration for me on cold damp

night like this to come and train and it has inspired me for next

year. Thank you all for you time. All the best with the training. Who

know also the next Bradley Wiggins or Dave Brailsford, whether they're

already pushing the pace here in Rhyl. Thank you. Swansea City face

league leaders Manchester United next in the Premier League. The

Swans are 10th after losing to Spurs yesterday. Manager Michael

Laudrup has criticised the referee after striker Michu collided with

the Spurs keeper. The game continued though for a further 11

seconds. The Swansea boss says the match should've been stopped

straight away. When things happen, possible head injuries like this,

there is no doubts. When it happens and he is going down to the ground,

the referee is watching him, the linesman is watching and still they

let the game go on. I think it was so poor, the decision. And very

dangerous as well. After beating Toulouse at the weekend, the

Ospreys are the only Welsh region will any chance of qualifying for

the quarter finals of the Heineken Cup. Eli Walker's try and 12 points

from the boot of fly half Dan Biggar secured a 17-9 victory over

the French side. Leicester's last- gasp win at Treviso saw them top

Pool 2, the Ospreys in third play them in the new year. A milder

weekend. But the rain man is here. It is not my fault. There is more

It is not my fault. There is more rain on the way. But I have some

good news. Tomorrow will be one of the better days of the week, dry

with some sunshine and light winds. Tonight still some rain. But these

will ease and clear away. Much of the country ending dry after

midnight. Some misand fog patches and temperatures down to three

Celsius. Icy patches possible. Here is the picture for 8am tomorrow. A

chilly start with some mist and fog patches. Some roads could be

slippery as well. Otherwise, it is dry with some cloud. But some

places are clear. Temperatures around five. A better day tomorrow,

mist and fog patches will lift. Leaving a dry day with a mixture of

cloud and sunshine. Highest temperatures around eight Celsius,

46 Fahrenheit and it should feel pleasant in the afternoon. Some

cloud and sunshine in Denbigh. In the Swansea valley a dry day,

looking like there will be lots of sunshine. Tomorrow, dry and chilly

in the evening with some mist and fog patches. But the south-easterly

wipd will pick up with rain moving N Wednesday, wet and windy with

with rain fall amounts five to 10 millimetres. The rain clearing from

the south-west. So make the most of the dry weather if you can tomorrow.

There is more wind and rain on the way on Wednesday. Thursday, more

rain and showers. Some sunshine as well. At the moment, well a white

Christmas looks unlikely in Wales. If you want snow, make your own, or

head to Lapland! Thank you. The headlines: There are calls for

Pembrokeshire council to be placed in special measures after being

accused of failing to keep children safe. The first funerals are taking

place for the 26 victims of Friday's school shooting in America.