09/03/2016 BBC Wales Today

Sarah's been on antidepressants since she was 16.

She's one of a rising number of young people

Tonight, concerns are raised by the Children's Commissioner.

And a former soldier tells the inquest into Cheryl James' death

he was told to "keep quiet" over his concerns

A rise in the number of young people in Wales being given antidepressants

has prompted concern from the Children's Commissioner.

New research - seen by the BBC - shows a 30% increase

in antidepressant prescriptions between 2003 and 2013,

despite concerns over the risks of suicide.

The study has triggered a warning to all doctors to think carefully

Hywel Griffith has this exclusive report.

Every day since the age of 16, antidepressants have been a constant

But six years of medication have brought consequences.

I have a whiteboard on the back of my door which I have to write

Now aged 22, she works with other young people in mid-Wales

She's concerned too many are being put on medication.

It seems to be doled out, to me, like Smarties

Warnings over the safety over some antidepressants in 2003

but new research commissioned by the Welsh government

and it is in the poorest communities where they are being used most.

What we need to ensure is that when children and young people

require pharmacological medication,

we are also putting into place those talking therapies,

we are also thinking about their education

and their wider social circumstances.

The Children's Commissioner says the findings are troubling -

she fears the problems may be down

What we do know is that there are very long waiting lists

for psychological therapies in many parts of the UK

What our concern would be is whether this rise

in antidepressants is being used really as a shorthand.

The clinical guidelines on using antidepressants

for children here in the UK are clear.

They shouldn't be offered initially

In more serious cases, they should only be used

While each doctor is free to prescribe what they think

works best, the guidelines say there are some drugs

that shouldn't be used with children.

In October, a letter was sent to doctors across Wales warning

that when prescribing for depressive illness in children and adolescents,

only fluoxetine has been shown to be effective.

For Sarah, writing has been a way of expressing

but she fears too many other young patients

A 36-year-old man has been charged with the murder of Christine James

Mrs James' body was found in her flat in Century

Kris Wade from Cardiff Bay was arrested on Monday and has been

People suffering with flu symptoms or the winter vomiting bug Norovirus

are being urged to avoid going into hospitals

Wales' Chief Medical Officer, Dr Ruth Hussey, is urging people

to seek advice from NHS Direct Wales or to contact

Concerns have been raised about how well a crime scene was protected

during the investigation into the death of a Welsh soldier

The new inquest into the death of Private Cheryl James,

from Llangollen, has been told areas of Deepcut Barracks were not taped

Some witnesses have questioned the army's original

Private Cheryl James, found dead from a single bullet wound -

There are now conflicting views about her state of mind at the time.

And now questions about whether those who were first

at the scene were as thorough and careful as they might have been.

Military police were gathering evidence here at Deepcut Barracks

But the man who identified her body was concerned -

evidence at the scene, he said, wasn't being preserved.

Former staff sergeant Terence McEleavey told the coroner:

He also had questions about whether Cheryl had killed herself

because of where the gun was found, but:

He told the court senior officers told him to

think of his retirement, "think about pension time".

The inquest also heard today from the civilian GP

based at Deepcut at the time of Cheryl's death.

She said it was a place that was in decline,

young soldiers were coming to her depressed and demoralised.

She said young female soldiers were coming to her regularly

help with sexually transmitted infections, or even abortions.

She said six days before Private James died, she spoke with her

and had got the impression she wanted to leave Deepcut.

She said on the day of Private James' death,

she was surprised at the number of blue flashing lights but also

at the numbers of hangers on around the area where her body was found.

She was surprised, she said, that the area had not been

We have had four weeks of evidence so far here

several more weeks of evidence to come.

The Coroner indicating today that he could come to

a verdict or a conclusion by the middle of May.

Plans for a 42-storey tower in Cardiff city centre,

which would be Wales' tallest building, have been approved

The 132-metre high building would provide accommodation

The developers say the building will be completed in 2018.

Pembrokeshire has become the first place in the UK to ban smoking

To coincide with National No Smoking Day, the council has launched

The ban will be voluntary and also apply to e-cigarettes.

The Chief Executive of UK Anti-Doping has said there's a big

Nicole Sapstead says there's evidence indicating steroid use

Yesterday it was confirmed that Adam Buttifant,

who played for Bargoed RFC, has tested positive

He's banned from all sport for two years.

I don't know if it's the demographic within Wales.

I mean, what I can say is we are seeing intelligence

indicating that there is a big steroid problem

particularly within Wales generally, a societal problem.

And it may be that inevitably that starts to encroach

and rugby union are just in the frame right now for that.

Time to get a check on the weather forecast with Sue.

Thank you, it was a very windy Wednesday across Wales, particularly

the part of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, but improving

through tomorrow, a drier day with sunny spells and if we take a look

at the map, strong winds for a time but they will die down overnight.

Any showers will peter out. Some cloud lingering in the east but

turning cold, temperatures hovering around freezing with the risk of

frost and ice patches first thing tomorrow. High pressure starts to

build from the south-west America would think settling down and winds

turning lighter. Fronts trying to push on to the north and west of the

UK. Some early frost and ice patches tomorrow and then turning into a

largely fine day. Across the UK, though, it will be cloudier in the

east and the Midlands, overcast with the odd shower. West is best the

sunshine. But thicker cloud and drizzle pushing in later across

Northern Ireland and the Western Isles, -- Western Isles, and the

fine end to the day across Wales, some thicker cloud further eased the

decent sunny spells as well. Generally, brightest in the west,

much lighter winds than today and temperatures starting to rise

slightly, and tomorrow night is looking very quiet, staying mostly

dry with clear skies, so turning Calderwood frost and fog patches

developing. Friday is looking settled, maybe cloudy the Times at

border counties but Sun if much of Wales, fairly light winds and

starting to turn more south-easterly so drawing kidnap milder air, eight

to 11 Celsius. High pressure builds steadily over the next few days,

holding the fronts in the west at bay and southerly winds introducing

milder air so not looking bad at all as we head into the weekend. Largely

dry, variable amounts of cloud, sunny spells, milder by day but with

some chilly nights. from everyone on the late

team, good evening.