28/11/2013 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today. Our top story: Geoffrey Sturdey's body was

found in a field. His widow and her friend admit

covering-up his death to claim ?77,000 of benefits in his name.

How clean is your cafe or takeaway? They'll now have to display their

hygiene ratings. I always look out for them. If they are below three, I

would not go. Also tonight: We're failing to guarantee children are

happy, healthy and safe. The warning from health bosses.

We sent Chris Parry to teach at a school in Finland. In our second

special report, we ask why the country's schools are so successful?

And the rubbish tip hiding a ?4 million fortune, thrown away by its

owner. Good evening.

Three women have admitted burying a man illegally in mid-Wales. Geoffrey

Sturdy disappeared five years ago. His body was later found on land

near Tregaron. Two of the women, including Mr Sturdey's widow, also

pleaded guilty to claiming more than ?77,000 worth of benefits in his

name after his death. Cemlyn Davies was in court.

Geoffrey Sturdey was 60-years-old when he disappeared five years ago.

He lived here at Beth Berith, a nature reserve near the village of

Llwynygroes. And this is where police found his body earlier this

year after the Department for Work and Pensions raised concerns about

his whereabouts. Today three women including Mr Sturdey's widow

Rebekah, who was born in Iran, and her friend Boque Ore Aide,

originally from South Africa, pleaded guilty to preventing the

lawful and decent burial of a body. The third woman was 25-year-old

Karmel Aide, seen in the centre here. The woman next to her carrying

the red bag is Hazel Aide. She pleaded not guilty and was

discharged. Appearing in court via videolink from Eastwood Park Prison,

Rebekah Sturdey and Boque Ore Aide also admitted claiming benefits in

Mr Sturdy's name over the course of four years. The Department for Work

and Pensions said the total amount claimed was more than ?77,000.

Obviously the intelligence we have received in regards to the matching

of the systems between ourselves and other departments meant that there

was something that was not quite right. Of course, it went deeper

than that. Back in mid-Wales, people living in the area say they knew

very little about Beth Berith and the people who lived there. It was

kind of a nature conservation area. We always assumed that there were

people who kept themselves to themselves and when the news came

out on the television, we were shocked as something that happened

so close to home always becomes quite a worry to everybody. Karmel

Aide was released on bail. Rebekah Sturdey and Boque Ore Aide were

remanded in custody and all three will be sentenced next month.

Many Welsh pupils have no idea how to take a maths test. That's

according to a damning report by the Welsh Government. From May next

year, they will sit numerical reasoning tests in a bid to boost

number skills. But the results of pre-testing has revealed fundamental

issues with Welsh children's ability to sit tests. Our education

correspondent Arwyn Jones joins me now. It is a fairly fundamental

inability of our children to sit this maths tests. A bit of context

from a May next year, these numerical reasoning tests would be

rolled out a new bid to boost number skills. Before rolling it out, they

have a trial run of 200 children and it is the evaluation of those tests

that we see here. To read it a bit out, it said that children did not

understand basic concepts, did not check their work, gave ridiculous

answers all left most questions blank. In response to that, the

Education Minister has said it is disappointing and he will be making

an additional ?800,000 available for schools in order to make them better

prepared for when these four tests are rolled out next May. Why is it

happening? You lack national testing was scrapped in 2004. If you think

about the children who sat these tests, they have never sat a similar

test. That is why the Welsh Government is reintroducing these

tests. There is a arguments to be made about teaching to these kinds

of tests but the problem is that next week we are talking about the

international league table of education and it is precisely this

kind of tests on which Wales will be compared to countries across the

world. On the basis of what we have seen, it does not bode too well.

And we'll be hearing more from Arwyn later in the programme as part of

our week reflecting on the state of schools in Wales. He's been to

Finland, to see what we can learn from their education system Wales

has become the first country in the UK to force places that serve food

to display their food hygiene ratings on their front doors or

windows. The new law builds on a voluntary

scheme which was introduced three years ago. It rates outlets from

zero to five, based on how food is prepared, cooked and stored. A zero

means urgent improvement is needed, while a five means standards are

very good. Nick Palit is at a restaurant in Cardiff for us now.

Thanks, Tomos. Well, I'm at a popular Indian Restaurant in Cardiff

which, despite its high standards, hasn't achieved the top five stars,

but has been awarded four. Later, I'll be speaking to management here

at the Purple Poppadom about what this new system means for their

business, but first let's take a closer look at the new hygiene

rating system. Everyone loves a takeaway, or a

special meal out, but from now on customers will be able to tell

instantly just how clean the kitchen is. The once voluntary Food Hygiene

Ratings have now been made a legal requirement by the Welsh Government.

The scores on the doors must be prominently displayed - rating an

establishment from zero to five. A zero meaning urgent improvement is

necessary. Tucking into a five-star burger just a stone's throw from the

Senedd, Health Minister Mark Drakeford said it would help

customers make an informed choice. By making it compulsory, it will add

to the pressure in the system to improve standards to make sure that

good places are rewarded and those who need to make a big effort have

the necessary pressure applied to them to make sure that takes place.

Poor hygiene can lead to food poisoning and in extreme cases can

prove fatal. Local authorities will enforce the scheme. Whether it is

fine dining or a sneaky bag of chips, this new rating system will

ensure that the consumer can have more confidence in the food that

they eat. I don't go anywhere below three. If it had a low rating, I

would not go there. It does help with the cleanliness. It is good to

know how nice the food is and how clean it is.

But some cafe owners like Dan Aspee, who runs the Loft Lounge in

Bridgend, fear they've been marked down purely on poor paperwork and

not hygiene. He says that can make the difference between a three,

which means generally satisfactory, and the top score. As far as we are

concerned, a lot of the practices are of a fried star rating. I would

defy anyone to come in as far as cleanliness. Sometimes, there are

little nit-picking things and they can have an effect on your school.

To the consumer, they may see that as major things.

The new scheme covers far more than just restaurants and takeaways - all

premises serving food are included in the ratings to be found on the

Food Standards Agency website. It is important that caring establishments

such as hospitals and nursing homes have good food hygiene standards, as

well, and that the customers of those have that information.

From November next year, the scheme will be extended to include food

manufacturers, wholesalers and transporters that supply the places

where we eat. You join me in the kitchen of the Purple Pop It On. I

enjoyed by the chef and owner. Tell me about the new scheme. I

disappointed that he did not get the five? . We think there is some room

for improvement. We know the reason we could not get fired. It is to do

with paperwork. We did not know about it, so now we will do it so we

will get a five soon. Tell me about what you have to do to ensure you

get that operating. It is basically that they look at all parts of the

kitchen, the hygiene, the cleanliness, the staff cleaning.

Once a delivery has come in, we start from there. We make sure the

temperature of the food is right, making sure it is cooled properly.

When we reheat, make sure the temperature has reached the required

heat and we random check as well. From a customer point of view, do

you think it gives them confidence that the food they eat here will be

of a good quality? The . Yes. The customers should feel

confident about what we do. It should be invented everywhere. It

makes it good for the industry. Lets hope it works well. Thank you.

Two more patients have tested positive for Hepatitis C after they

received treatment from an infected health care worker. Aneurin Bevan

Health Board said the virus was transmitted by the member of staff

who worked mainly at Caerphilly Miner's Hospital between May 1984

and July 2003. Over 5,000 women were offered blood tests earlier this

Autumn. South Wales Police are

it is to too many. For those patients, it is a personal tragedy.

So although I am revealed -- relieved that there are not more

than two, for those two women, obviously we would wish that this

had not happened. However I'm reassured that we have offered

anybody who needed the screening... South Wales Police are in talks with

the Crown Prosecution Service after the two women who allowed their

babies to be abused by rock star Ian Watkins were named on Twitter. There

have been reports that Peaches Geldof, who is Bob Geldof's

daughter, is among those who named the women. Lost Prophets singer Ian

Watkins, from Pontypridd, has admitted a string of sex offences,

including the attempted rape of a baby. The Attorney General's Office

said publishing details that can identify sex offence victims is a

criminal offence. Tonight, record store HMV has confirmed it has

removed their CDs from sale. A man wrongly convicted of killing a

newsagent has lost his bid to see a retired police officer prosecuted

for perjury. Michael O'Brien and two other men spent 11 years in jail

after they were found guilty of killing Phillip Saunders in Cardiff

in 1988. Mr O'Brien claimed retired officer Stuart Lewis fabricated

evidence, but the High Court ruled the Crown Prosecution Service was

right not to prosecute Mr Lewis. We are failing to guarantee that

some children in Wales are happy, healthy and safe. That's according

to a new report by Public Health Wales. Although it reveals most of

the one million young people here lead healthy lives, it says a

"significant and unacceptable" number don't. Let's take a look at

some of the results: Around a fifth of under 20s are living in poverty.

More than a quarter of four and five-year-olds are overweight or

obese. And less than a third of 11 to 16s eat fruit or vegetables every

day. Earlier, I spoke to Dr Judith Greenacre, Director of Health

Intelligence for Public Health Wales. I began by asking her what

are they doing to try to tackle these problems? I think there is

more that we can do, the figures speak for themselves. We have so

many issues with the health of children. Although lots can be said

about good areas of health, there are clearly a lot of things we can

do to help support children and their families and the communities

for children to have a healthier future. A quarter of 16-24 year olds

do 30 minutes of exercise five or more times a week. Does this show

that public health information campaigns aren't having a real

impact? I think some are. It is not just about the campaigns, it is also

about making sure that there are opportunities for children and young

people to exercise. Having good exercise areas and play areas. Yes,

there's also the message and getting children interested in exercise so

that they will hopefully want to take it up more. The report also

shows almost half of 16 to 24-year-olds drink more than the

recommended amount of alcohol, more than a quarter smoke, and many

under-16s have tried drugs in the last year. These are shocking

figures. I find this very concerning. I think that's nearly

half of our young people are drinking more than they should. So

many young people are smoking, this will really store up problems for

the future. There are things we can do to improve this. There is

legislation, we can look at minimum unit pricing as well as getting the

message across, making sure that children have less access ability to

these things actually want to not take up his things. How will you

gauge success? How much progress needs to be done? Anything that we

can see where we are starting to make progress would obviously be

welcome. Within one year, that may be a bit early, but I hope we can

come back and see in a years time that this report has had an impact

on the Welsh Government, local authorities are all looking again at

what they can do to try and improve children's health.

You're watching Wales Today. Stay with us, plenty still ahead.

We speak to the man who has thrown his ?4 million fortune on the

rubbish tip. This week, we're looking at the

state of our schools here in Wales as we prepare for the results of

global education league tables called PISA next Tuesday. Our

education correspondent Arwyn Jones travelled with a teacher to Finland,

a country often ranked highly in those PISA tests. Today, he speaks

with those in power to ask why the Finnish system seems to work so

well. Last night, we met Chris Parry, a teacher from Bangor who

agreed to take part in a BBC will experiment and teach in the BBC will

experiment and teaching Finland for the week to see what makes their

education system so successful. The equipment is more modern than

schools back home and ethos is different. Staff and pupils are more

relaxed here, that is for certain. There is no uniform, not just the

pupils, but staff as well. These are the next generation of smart casual

teachers at Helsinki's teacher training centre. One of the biggest

strengths of the education system in Finland is the quality of the

teachers. Only one in ten applicants makes it onto this course. The

competition is fierce. To teach in high school, students first need

master 's degree and then embark on three years of training, all funded

by the Government. Teachers are highly regarded in Finland. It is

maybe going a bit downhill in that teachers are the pedestal, so to

speak, and parents are more demanding. It is still regarded as

quite a good profession. According to the head of maths here, the high

standard of students is the reason the profession is held in very high

regard. In the 1970s, when they decided teacher education will be

done in the university and it will be a master 's degree, they kept the

high standards for the teaching profession in that critical moment

when others chose less height tracks. It is a view shared by

politicians in Finland. They really interfere with the education

system. It has not been changed much in 40 years. The message is to let

teachers get on with the job. They are highly educated teachers. We

believe we do not have to look over their shoulder. They can do their

work. They can even change their practices, their methods, their

materials, tuning -- during the year. They can always succeeds to

change their habits. That is why the practice so well. Children in

Finland do not sit on external exam until 19. Schools are not expected.

There is a Board of Education who oversee what goes on in the system.

How do they monitor and track the progress of pupils? The basic

ideology is to trust the local level. What we really only want to

do is to have some sort of idea of what is going on. It interferes with

this teacher's autonomy and the teacher's kind of peace and quiet to

be able to concentrate on what they are trained to do. If you have to

worry about continuous inspections and testing, then it takes the focus

to win it should not necessarily be. The tourists are not the only ones

who flock to Helsinki. Governments from all over the world have been

here to see what they can learn from the education system. Is it really

all about the schools and teachers? One thing you notice in Finland is

there is relatively little poverty. That helps when it comes to gaming

for high standards in education. Of course, it is very different to

Wales. That is why the Welsh Government is placing so much

emphasis on trying to break that stubborn link between poverty and

low education attainment. On tomorrow's nights programme, we get

Chris's final thoughts before he returns to Wales with a Finnish

teacher. And there's more on our Making the

Grade series with Arwyn Jones on our website.

A vote in favour of Scottish independence will be a "huge gamble"

and a step into the unknown. That's according to the Welsh Secretary

David Jones, who will be making a speech tonight. The people of

Scotland go to the polls next year to decide whether the nation should

leave the UK. The Education Minister Huw Lewis has

told BBC Wales that he will take immediate steps to address the issue

of concussion awareness in Schools. He met with the dad of a schoolboy

who died after suffering concussion on the rugby field today. Peter

Robinson has already met ministers in Scotland and Northern Ireland and

wants to make it compulsory for schools in Wales to teach children

about the dangers of getting a bang to the head.

Having a lesson on concussion and maybe practicals, just all the signs

and symptoms, because of the concussion is recognised, they would

not be a problem. Something good is to come out of this. If people are

talking about concussion and are aware of the risks, maybe it will

prevent the same thing happening. A man from Newport has been

searching a landfill site hoping to find a computer hard drive he threw

away which is now worth more than ?4million. It sat in a drawer for

years, but the IT engineer had forgotten it contained a valuable

type of online money which has just rocketed in value. Kate Morgan

reports. We have all held about looking for a

needle in a haystack. How about a computer in a rubbish tip? It's just

happens to be worth more than ?4 million. Three months ago, a man in

Newport had a clear out that he will never forget. At the time I put the

drive in the bin, I knew it was a bad idea, but I still believe there

was nothing on the other side needed. I have been feeling sicker

and sicker every day to be honest with you. It is devastating. Despite

his best efforts, James has been told the computer is lost, buried

under rubbish. But what made that computer so valuable? Well, IT

engineer James is one of a growing number of people who use an online

currency. The hard drive was his wallet and it was full of bits

Collins or computer files. Like regular money, you can trade them

online or in a couple of shops. In recent weeks, they have become very

valuable. One of the coins will set you back around 100 times -- 700

homes. James threw away 7500 of the coins. This pub is one of the few

places in Wales where you can spend your coins. You can pay using an app

on your phone. Experts say once you have lost your coin wallet, it is

not easy to get them back. The key is what is on the computer is lost.

This guy could go on the internet and still see his 7500 bitcoins sat

there. What he has lost us the ability to access them. It is little

consolation for James, who even considered regal -- remortgaging his

house to dig the tip up. He has had to realise there is no little chance

of getting his millions back. Sport now, and Swansea City can

reach the knockout stages of the Europa League tonight if they beat

Valencia for the second time this season. The Swans could even go

through before kick-off at the Liberty Stadium if group rivals

Kuban Krasnador and St Gallen draw in Russia. That seems unlikely as

the Russian side winning 3-0. There's live commentary on Radio

Wales from eight o'clock. Rugby, and another dramatic twist

tonight in the saga over which European competition Welsh regions

will be playing in next season. The top 14 clubs in France have decided

to play in the Heineken Cup next season, rather than join English

teams in a new, rival competition. Regional Rugby Wales have already

said they want to be part of the English plan, against the wishes of

the Welsh Rugby Union. Talking of France, Wales Assistant

Coach Rob Howley says he's disappointed that lock Ian Evans has

signed for French club Toulon next season. He is the latest top Welsh

player to join the exodus across the Channel. He'll move to the European

champions when his contract with the Ospreys expires in the summer.

Howley hopes he's got an international release clause written

into his contract. His movies be so disappointing. We

keep coming back to wanting to keep our players in Wales. I haven't

spoken to Ian personally about his situation, so I am unsure about

that. I am sure that he is hopefully discussing that with Warren Gatland.

Meanwhile, Australia have recalled three-quarters Nick Cummins and Adam

Ashley-Cooper for Saturday's Test against Wales. They, and four other

players, were suspended for last weekend's match against Scotland

after a late night drinking session. Fly-half Quade Cooper will win his

50th cap, partnering Will Genia at half-back. Let's get the weather

forecast now. It has been feeling less cold

recently but make the most of it as we head into the weekend. It will be

a quiet night tonight, but winds will pick up in the overnight

period. A lot of cloud around. We could see outbreaks of light rain

and drizzle. Possibility of mist and fog, especially on higher ground.

Overnight, winds will pick up from the North West. Temperature is no

law than six Celsius. It should be frost free tonight. -- no more than

six Celsius. There will be a cold front with some showers and cold

winds, and high-pressure Rabindra -- will build through the weekend.

First thing tomorrow, strong winds from the North West. Shell is

blowing in with the wind. They will clear through and by the afternoon

it will be briar with highs of 9-10 Celsius. Factor in the wind and it

will feel colder than today. Temperatures of 10 Celsius. Tomorrow

night, white quiet again. Further in land, we will see clear skies with

pockets of frost. Further west, more cloud and temperatures responding.

Eight Celsius across Pembrokeshire and for Celsius in Prestatyn.

Saturday was that of cloudy with mist and fog around. But it will

brighten up. Blustery conditions in the morning. The winds will ease as

we go into the afternoon. At least the sunshine to enjoy, but it will

feel colder. Temperatures back into single figures. If you're going to

the rugby on Saturday, I would take a scarf and gloves and perhaps extra

layers. It will be chilly. We will see widespread frost. Sunday and the

start of next week, high-pressure and much lighter winds but it will

be cloudy as well. The main news again from the BBC: A

man has been jailed for life after admitting he murdered his disabled

neighbour because he wrongly thought he was a paedophile.

24-year-old Lee James killed Bijan Ebrahimi in Bristol in July and set

fire to his body. And three women have admitted

burying a man illegally in mid-Wales. Geoffrey Sturdy

disappeared five years ago. His body was later found on land near

Tregaron. Two of the women, including mist Sturdey's widow, also

pleaded guilty to claiming more than ?77,000 worth of benefits in his

name after his death. There will be more from the newsroom

at eight and again after the BBC News at Ten. From all of us here,

have a good evening.