22/12/2016 BBC Wales Today

Our top stories: The truck crash that killed three

Two men are found guilty of manslaughter.

Tonight we hear from the bereaved families.

It was just horrendous to be told your husband has been hit by a 32

tend to backtrack and dragged down the road in the car.

Tonight's other headlines: The first case of an infectious strain

of bird flu in Wales is confirmed in Llanelli.

The town's Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust is closed.

The local council under fire for holding on to land it says

could be transformed if this racing track is built.

The calls for more to be done to help mums like Crystal

work flexible hours to pursue their careers.

It's quite difficult for mothers to juggle everything because you can't

commit as much time as you would have previously the job.

And 2016 was a vintage year for Wales football fans.

We meet the goalkeeper who's turned his hand to capturing

They were fathers, husbands and brothers, one of whom had been

But in February last year the lives of three men from South Wales

were cut short after the brakes on a 32 tonne tipper truck

failed and it crashed into their car near Bath.

The owner and the mechanic of the transport company,

described in court as an "absolute shambles", face jail for gross

Our reporter Ben Price is at Bristol Crown Court.

It would appear from today's verdict the jury believed it was the way in

which the company was run by its owner was at fault for what happened

in February 2015. The owner and the mechanic fails to carry out proper

checks on the brakes of the tipper truck which crashed near Bath.

Essentially this was a crash that could have been avoided had those

two men carried out the responsibilities properly but they

didn't and what unfolded was a complete tragedy. A tipper truck out

of control. It was an accident waiting to happen that claimed four

lives. The truck hit four-year-old Mitzi Steady killing her instantly.

She was about to cross the road with her grandmother who also suffered

life changing injuries. The truck then collided with a car coming up

the hill. Inside was Stephen Vaughan and Phil Allen from Swansea and

Robert Parker from Cwmbran. All three men were killed. Speaking to

the BBC, Stephen Vaughan's widow described him as a generous and

loving cheeky chappie who was proud of his professional soap the --

chauffeured business. She spoke of her heartache, losing the man she

had married just six months before the crash. You try and get on with

your day and something sets you off. Being a nurse and trying to keep

your head in that professional role without things coming into your

mind, particularly with things you can relate to and work as well, that

has been very difficult. People say I have been very strong but I don't

feel strong. It's what I think Steve would have wanted me to do. The

driver of the truck was acquitted of all charges against him. He spoke to

reporters as he left the court. What would you say to the families? They

have never not been in my thoughts. They are constantly in my thoughts.

I just hope they can carry on. On the day of the crash Philip Potter

and apprentice at the time was following his boss Matthew Gordon.

They were but driving tipper trucks. As they travelled along Lansdowne

Lane eyewitnesses saw smoke coming from the back of the second truck.

One said he remembered the smell of burning brakes. Matthew Gordon was

driving a tipper truck down this road and behind them in a second

truck was Philip Potter. Both were carrying 3210 loads. When Mr Gordon

stopped at a traffic calming measure this to Potter was unable to do the

same because his brakes had failed. He then swerved around the truck in

front of him before careering out of control along Lansdowne Lane.

Causing what was described in court as absolute devastation. During the

course of the trial the court heard how the company had operated without

a qualified transport manager for almost a year before the crash and

how the man appointed to carry a vehicle safety inspections, Peter

Wood, had failed in his duty. The business was described by the

prosecution as an absolute shambles. What was uncovered was a shocking

picture of a company culture with disregard the safety and

maintenance. This was a company with a very casual attitude toward

safety. Tonight, Gordon and would remain in custody. The judge told

them to return to court in the New Year for sentencing. This has been a

harrowing case for all those involved. Particularly the bit

DIMMs' families who have filled the public gallery throughout this

trial. Once the verdicts were read out there were tears because they

have waited for this data sometime. The suit statements with a spoke

highly of their loved ones. Fathers, grandfathers, sends and burying

daughter. They say there have all been devastated and they hope

everyone can rip respect their privacy to grieve during this

difficult period. The first case of an infectious

strain of bird flu in a UK wild bird has been confirmed in

Carmarthenshire. The H5N8 strain was found in a wild

duck found dead on the Burry estuary It's been closed as a precaution

to stop the virus spreading. This centre which sees huge numbers

of migrating birds gather in winter It was after a wild widgeon,

which looks similar to this, was found dead in marshland close

to the Llanelli Wetland Centre. It's the first time a wild bird has

been discovered with a H5N8 bird But the Welsh Government insists

the risk to humans is very low. The priority now, according

to the Chief Veterinary Officer, is making sure this

doesn't spread further. If we found H5N8, a highly

pathogenic avian flu, in a wild bird in Carmarthenshire

the chances are there other wild The way this infection

is going to spread is if infected wild birds have contact

with our domestic birds. That's why we have a requirement

in place for people with free range birds to bring them indoors

at the moment. It would be serious if this

infection took hold in our domestic Just a few days ago more than 5,000

turkeys were found with the same The Food Standards Agency has

confirmed it is safe to eat poultry such as turkey,

goose and chicken. Regulations to stop this

strain from spreading were tightened on Tuesday,

banning any indoor gatherings of birds at events such

as livestock faires, All regulations will remain

in place into the New Year. A company in Blaenau Gwent says jobs

are at risk because the local council is holding onto to land

in case it's useful as part of the proposed

Circuit of Wales project. Councillors claim selling the land

on an industrial estate to a local waste management company may

have a detrimental impact on any But tonight the company behind

the ?400 million racing circuit says It's a dirty job but

someone has got to do it. This waste management company

has been at this site The business has grown and it is now

pretty crowded here. We have been trying to move out now

for the last 12 or 13 years. Roadworks nearby as part

of the dualling of the heads of the valleys road is causing

delays for the trucks and extra Unless they are unable to move

to a new site the owner says the business will continue to just

about break even or maybe even In April or May we really have

to look at reorganising the business The company wants to buy

this land near Ebbw Vale to avoid all the problems

it is currently facing. But Blaenau Gwent's elected

councillors rejected the deal in 2013 against the recommendation

of council officials. The elected council in charge

of Gwent council turned down a request for an interview

but in a statement they say that members felt the sale of this land

back in 2013 may have had a detrimental impact on any future

regeneration plans for this area which may arise as part

of the Circuit of Wales project which is proposed to be builta mile

or two over that way. The ?400 million plan is still

on the drawing board though. BBC Wales understands the Circuit

of Wales has never had any plans for this site,

which the council You have effectively land banking

here, land that is ripe for development but being held back

and hope that a larger We are in a situation where we need

to be able to press forward with small businesses

and their chance to develop. The company says other sites

it was offered were near houses, The council says it is working

with the business to find a sustainable future

for its aspirations. Wales could lead the way

in promoting more flexible working hours for mothers

who want to pursue a career. That's according to the Chief

Executive of the gender equality Latest figures show 44% of working

women in Wales are part-time, compared to 13% of men,

and some businesses are now trying to adapt to cater

for what's been described She grew up in Tonypandy

and as a child her mother struggled 30 years on she feels little has

changed so she has set up a company that helps mums forge

a new career part-time. It's called Digital Mums and it

trains women to run the social media 7am or pm, they work at a time

that works for them. A lot of small businesses just want

someone for eight hours or 12 hours One of our mums has just been

tweeting and she was dropping off her child at a gymnastics class

and she just checked her business feed and responded and did

some customer services, all while she was watching her

child do gymnastics. Crystal Evans from Swansea

is one of those mums. She lost her job when she was

on maternity leave with daughter. So she enrolled on the Digital Mums

course and was teamed Doing their social media

allowed her to work flexibly from home and develop the skills

she needed to get a new job in digital marketing,

which she does part-time. For me the logistics

is probably the hardest thing I'm quite lucky in that my

employment does offer the flexibility to work non-core

hours but I know many of my friends don't have that luxury and it's

really difficult for them. And it's that constant juggle

that the Chief Executive of the gender equality charity

Chware Teg says needs to change. I'd like to see Wales

lead the way on this. Why can't we be world

leading in this area? Because actually some

of it is just about how we think That doesn't cost

anything to change. Employers could by adopting

modern working practices, making it easier for men and women

to do whatever it is they want to do outside of work but also contribute

fully in the workplace. It's what's happened at this

translation company in Swansea. Allowing everyone to apply

for flexible working, which at times they say has proved

difficult, is starting Staff retention and staff

happiness I would say, They feel loyal towards us

because we have given them something extra and secondly they are unlikely

to find that in another place of work so they would have to be

giving up something more than just their job

to move companies. So it has helped people stay

and grow within the company. It worked because the

company invested in it Ultimately that

investment is paying off. Chware Teg says it's

all about redrawing ideas to benefit Wales socially

and economically in future. Sophie Howe is the Future

Generations Commissioner. We saw some examples

of flexible working there, There is a really clear business

case for investing in flexible working because that helps the

economy and it's estimated that the loss to the Welsh economy through

untapped potential of women not been able to access the workforce because

of childcare is around ?2.5 billion. If we take steps to address that

there are some significant wins for everyone. We are being told we need

to improve productivity in Wales and this needs to be looked at as good

news for business and families. Absolutely. Where employers adopt

family friendly working practices they are likely to see an increase

in productivity from their staff and that in turn helps the whole of the

Welsh economy. It's not rocket science. Happy boys are going to be

more productive and employees are going to be happier if they can

balance work and family life. But we can do better than we're doing the

moment. The picture across Wales is patchy and in some parts of Wales

only half the childcare places as to the third of children who might

require childcare so we need to do much more to increase provision. We

also need to do a huge amount in terms of the cost and I welcome the

work on the Welsh Government is doing in terms of the free childcare

offer of 30 hours for 48 weeks of the year. That is the best childcare

offered anywhere in the UK. Some really positive progress but there

is no one solution. We need to think about what employers are doing, what

the government is doing and what the culture of our whole society is.

Much more to come before 7.00pm: 2016 was a vintage year

We meet the goalkeeper turning his hand to painting the Euros.

Warnings are in force with a risk of some travel disruption.

The Welsh Government has been accused of selling "disabled people

down the river" following a decision to scrap a specialist care scheme.

Campaigner Nathan Davies from Wrexham is one of more

than 1,500 disabled people in Wales who receives financial support

He says he's disappointed with the Government's decision

to pass financial responsibility for former recipients

of the Independent Living Fund to local councils.

Disability campaigners protesting in the House of Commons last year. But

despite their protests the ILS or independent living fund wasn't

saved. Nathan Davies from Wrexham use the ILS payments to hire carers

and help them with daily chores and social events. He suffers from a

genetic disease that causes progressive damage to the nervous

system. I was getting worse and I needed increasing support to live

independently. He now receives financial help from the Welsh

independent living grant, established by ministers in Cardiff

last year as a stopgap since the ILS closed. The grant will continue

until 2018 but complete control of the ?27 million fund will

transferred directly to local councils with the expectation than

in 2019 disabled people receive all their support through normal social

care services. I feel like they have sold disabled people down the river.

They have just washed their hands of all their responsibilities. The

concern is the current specialist support will be lost to more than

1500 disabled people in Wales in receipt of the grant payments. They

range from between 300 and ?400 a week with an average payment of ?335

a week. The two-year time period for transition in the terms of social

care is quite a short time period and our concern is that it's whether

the same level of support will be afforded to people. The Welsh

Government has disbanded its decision saying it was based on

advice from a stakeholder advisory group which included disability

Wales. But that is not enough to allay Nathan's concerns. I am scared

and frightened about what the future holds.

More than ?16 million will be spent on new diagnostic imaging equipment

that hospitals across Wales over the coming months. The Welsh Government

initiative means that new MRI and cardiac equipment will replace many

existing machines. It's hoped the move could lead to shorter waiting

times for patients. The Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport received a new

MRI scan last year and this huge metal doughnut gives us an idea of

the technology now available. This machine has greater capabilities, it

can scan giving a higher signal level in the images which makes them

much better to look at, better resolution and there are certain

areas where we can do techniques we could not do before. I think it's

much better for patients because the scan times can be quicker and also

the diagnostic results are better. The demand for diagnostic services

like this is on the increase and the investment means that hospitals can

replace existing scanners with new cutting-edge technology across the

whole of Wales. Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board will get almost ?1.7

million for new MRI scanner at Ysbyty Gwynedd whilst Hywel Dda

Health Board will get two and a quarter million for replacement MRI

and cardiac diagnostic x-ray equipment at Bronglais Hospital and

Prince Philip Hospital. The University Hospital of Wales and

Llandough Hospital will get ?4.5 million to install new gamma camera

technology. I think this investment is very important. I think we are

between a rock and hard place at the moment with the in patients can is

going up and this development ensures that patients receive a scan

that is of the best diagnostic quality. It is hoped the investment

will minimise cancellations and allow patients to undergo tests,

resulting in reduced waiting times and better care. This is important

to make sure we get tired Gnostic certainty for individuals and the

staff to help diagnose and treat the condition. It is spread across a

range of health boards and together with our previous investment it

shows we are serious about continuing to improve people's

access to diagnostic services and that should lead to better

treatment. Patients are already reaping the benefits of the new MRI

scan at the Royal Gwent Hospital but by the end of March next year

patients all Wales should be experiencing the very latest in

diagnostic technology. The former Wales rugby

captain, John Gwilliam, He won 23 caps for Wales,

leading the side to Five Nations He also played in our last victory

over New Zealand in 1953. Off the pitch, he studied

at Cambridge, served in the Royal Tank Regiment

during World War Two, and enjoyed a long distinguished

career as a headmaster. Football and Wales have ended

the year as the highest Chris Coleman's side are 12th

in the FIFA world rankings, Northern Ireland finish

the year in 32nd place, The undoubted highlight

being the run to the semi-finals One man who had a front-row seat

in France was reserve goalkeeper Since returning to his club

in Scotland he's been turning his memories

of the Euros into painting. Our reporter Teleri Glyn Jones

has been to meet him. History boys. For Owain Vaughan

Williams the memories of the summer of 2016 are remarkable. But since

returning from France he has been busy. As well as training he's been

painting. It was a remarkable time-out in France, being out there

together for five weeks. Every minute of every day we were

together. Coming back home it felt as if I had the blues a little bit.

Looking back at those amazing times. But during that time I was planning

something on this canvas. The so-called red wall of the fans as a

backdrop to the scene which commemorates the squad's success

with the players and staff side-by-side in celebration. We all

know he's a character. So I placed Joe Ledley at the front doing his

thing. I have shown Hal Robson-Kanu's back because everyone

will remember that time for that and believable goal against Belgium. And

also Gareth Bale doing the Viscount -- Viking clap. Yes, that was a key

moment in the Euros. At his home in Inverness he and his partner have

time to reflect on what was an extraordinary summer. The picture is

going on display as part of an exhibition at the National library

of Wales in Aberystwyth in March and as he hopes for more success as part

of the Wales squad he is also planning more paintings.

The weather now. Is storm Barbara heading our way?

Trouble is brewing over the Atlantic.

Wales will avoid the worst tomorrow but there is a Met Office yellow

warning in force for gales and a spell of heavy rain.

This evening and overnight will be dry.

Not as cold as last night but some ground frost.

Tomorrow, the centre of storm Barbara will move towards Iceland

with an active cold front crossing the UK.

The worst of the stormy weather will affect the north and west

Further south, not so bad, but windy enough with

A few glimpses of sunshine but rain will cross the Irish Sea,

reaching the west coast later in the morning.

The wind ramping-up with gusts around 70mph on the Lleyn Peninsula.

During the day, rain will spread across the whole country.

A short spell of intense rainfall in the afternoon with strong

Later on, the rain will clear with drier, much clearer weather

Tomorrow evening and overnight, less windy and colder.

One or two passing showers but otherwise dry.

Christmas Eve will be chilly and breezy.

Dry and bright for a while but more rain and drizzle later in the day.

Stronger winds and turning milder overnight.

Christmas Day will be mostly cloudy, windy and very mild.

Dry for a time but more rain on the way.

If Hawarden in Flintshire reaches 15C that would be a new record

Boxing Day, though, will be a different sort of day.

But in the short team, watch out for some rough weather tomorrow.

Strong winds, gales and a few hours of heavy rain.

Take care if you're travelling and allow a bit more

time for your journey, just in case.

I'll have an update for you after the BBC news at 10:00pm.

From all of us on the programme, good evening.