13/11/2015 BBC Wales Today

events in Paris tonight, eye Will. Our shouts --

A promise that 90% of the country will have mobile

And despite two goals, a disappointing start for

Mobile phone coverage across Wales is set for big improvements over the

next few years, but many of us will still be left without a signal.

Ofcom, the telecommunications regulator, says phone companies

should deliver call coverage to 90% of the country by 2017.

But there's concern in rural parts of Wales that they

will be the ones left behind, with calls for Government intervention.

They've changed the way we live our lives, a revolution sitting

Put simply, we've come to rely on our mobile phones.

That's why we get so cross when they don't work.

In September, we spoke to Wayne Evans in Newtown.

Mobile coverage there was falling well short

Today, representatives of the big four operators -

O2, EE, Vodafone and Three - were in Newtown

to meet people from across mid Wales.

There have been improvements, they said.

So we asked Wayne, how much have things changed

It's still the same issues still ongoing.

Signal dropping, calls being dropped,

text messages not coming through. It's the same.

Here in Newtown, the mobile companies insist that

Signals are getting a boost, apparently.

But it's in the countryside that the real problem persists.

There, you can't improve coverage by simply flicking a switch.

It all boils down to geography and population.

The companies make their cash by selling their contracts.

There is little incentive to put up masts where few people live.

In geographical terms, that leaves much of rural Wales

A third of two Welsh counties, Powys and Ceredigion,

still don't have any form of coverage.

Now we are told that by the end of 2017, you will be able to make

calls from 90% of the land area of Wales, and 95% of us will have

Even if you meet your 2017 commitments,

there will still be lots of people living in rural Wales who

We have an obligation to roll out to 98% of the population of the UK, and

There is a role for government, especially when it comes to making

There is also a role for Ofcom, the regulator, when they issue

licensing, that they take into account that rural areas

It seems most of us in Wales will see great improvement in

our mobile coverage over the next few years, but there will remain

quite a few of us caught on the wrong side of this great

A cub scout leader who used the internet to prey on young girls

has been given a 10 year sentence at Cardiff Crown Court.

He was caught by police as he booked into a Bridgend hotel

The judge said Scott Nicholls, from Taunton,

Described by the prosecution today as predatory and persistent,

these images show the moment Scott Nicholls booked into a

Premier Inn in Bridgend, believing he would meet a 12-year-old girl he

In fact, it was an undercover officer who was waiting.

His arrest led police to uncover a mass of material,

in all, more than 2,000 indecent images.

They also discovered that he had shared 860 of these online.

In all, he pleaded guilty to 19 offences, including possessing

and distributing indecent pictures and videos,

The prosecution told the court that Nicholls had volunteered to work

at the London Olympics, and in his hometown of Taunton, he had been

a cub scout leader and an ambulance care assistant, all activities which

could have brought him into contact with children.

In another disturbing twist, the prosecution said he had filmed

videos of children around his hometown.

He was caught by specialist South Wales police officers who uncovered

e-mails and online posts he had sent to girls as young as ten.

Today, the police said the commitment of the team had

ensured that he was detained before an innocent child was ever abused.

Sentencing him, the judge said he posed a high risk of serious harm to

children, and it was a worrying aspect of the case that he was both

a scoutmaster and had volunteered for the Ambulance Service.

Of the ten year sentence, up to six will be behind bars,

after which he may be considered for parole, but would remain

And he will be placed on the sex offenders' register.

Anyone using the Severn crossings will have to

The price for cars rises 10p to ?6.60.

And HGVs and buses will pay ?19.80, up 20p.

The new tolls are confirmed every year in a Parliamentary Order,

Businesses in Wales can benefit from the construction of a new

That's according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

Hinkley Point C, which is only 14 miles across the Bristol Channel

from Barry, will cost ?18 billion pounds and create 25,000 jobs.

But there are concerns that many small building firms won't tender

for business because of how long it takes to get paid.

Football, and it's been a disappointing night

for Wales in their friendly against the Netherlands.

They lost 2-3 at the Cardiff City Stadium.

They have never had it so good. For these younger fans, all they have

seen his success, and with qualification for the Euro

Championships already guaranteed, Wales are confident. It's all right.

Great. I don't know what else to say. We are really excited about

tonight. It may only be a friendly, but Wales see it is vital operation

for Euro 2016, a chance to test new players. And on his first start for

Wales, Tom Lawrence got into his stride with a couple of early

opportunities. The Netherlands have the best of the chances early on,

and when this cross found that forward, all six foot five of him,

the visitors were ahead. With the game heading for half-time, there

was a bonus for Wales, a handball by the Netherlands. Johann Lamont took

on the responsibility -- Joe Allen took on the responsibility of the

resulting penalty. The rebound found Joe Ledley, his first international

goal for five years. Having failed to qualify for Euro 2016, the

Netherlands are rebuilding, and Arjen Robben lead by example. He

danced past the Wales defence to find the net, 2-1. The second half

saw a raft of substitutions. Chris Coleman promised to give some

younger players experience at this level, and 20-year-old Jordan

Williams nearly repaid his manager. But it would be another substitute

who trained the headlines, a night he will never forget. His powerful

header left the goalkeeper with no chance. But the threat from the

Netherlands never went away, and Arjen Robben had the last word. An

entertaining game, but a first defeat for Wales at this stadium for

two years. We were up against a tough team, almost a wounded animal.

They are much rebuilding, Holland. It was a good performance by them,

but it was not too shabby by us also. We were trying to hurt them.

There were plenty of positives for Chris Coleman. The younger players

had an opportunity to shine. He will see it as a useful exercise as he

continues his preparations for the European Championships next June.

And events have been taking place across Wales for Children In Need.

Earlier, Pudsey Bear was spotted by some budding reporters

in Llandudno, and schools across the country have been playing

So far, the total donated here in Wales stands at ?412,000.

What's the weather got in store for us this weekend? Derek's here.

I think Pudsey will need his waterproofs this weekend. There is

more wet and windy weather on the way. Heavy rain and gale force

winds. Just a few showers tonight, most places becoming dry for a

while, the wind easing. A chilly night, more rain reaching

Pembrokeshire by the end of the night. Tomorrow, rain will spill

across the whole country. During the morning, the wind is picking up. The

rain is heaviest over high ground, particularly parts of mood and north

Wales, with an amber warning in Snowdonia. Across the rest of the

UK, where -- rain will spread across the Atlantic, heaviest across the

high ground in north Wales and north-west England. The wind is

picking up as well. The north will be dry and bright and colder. In

Wales tomorrow afternoon, it is looking windy, with more rain and

drizzle, the rain heaviest on the high ground in mid and north Wales,

accompanied by strong to gale force winds. So some very heavy rainfall

on the high ground of north Wales and north-west England this weekend.

An amber warning in force. We could see a hundred millimetres or more

falling in Snowdonia, with flooding in places. Tomorrow night, it will

continue to be windy, with further outbreaks of rain and grizzle. Heavy

rain in parts of mid Wales. Temperature is above average, but

not feeling that mild in the strong winds. Extra week, there is more

rain on the way. Rivers will continue to rise, so there is a risk

of significant flooding by next week. Take care and keep up-to-date

with the forecast over the weekend. Our next update is

at 6.40 tomorrow evening. From all of us on the programme,

have a great weekend.