16/03/2017 BBC Wales Today


16/03/2017

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Welcome to the programme.

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Tonight's headlines.

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An inquest hears a police officer tasered Matthew Williams four times

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as they were called to the Bed and Breakfast where

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Cerys Yemm was killed.

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Labour tells the UK Government to 'get moving'

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on Swansea's Tidal Lagoon.

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And holiday cottages set alight back in the 70s.

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Now UK Government documents into events are revealed

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for the first time.

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Good evening.

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"I have never been more scared in my entire life",

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the words of the police officer called to the Bed and Breakfast

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where a 22-year-old women died.

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Cerys Yemm was killed by a resident, 34-year-old

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Matthew Williams in November 2014.

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He died shortly after his arrest in Argoed.

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Today an officer said he tasered Williams four times.

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You may find parts of Caroline Evans' report disturbing.

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Today the inquest heard from one of the first police

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officers to enter the room at the Sirhowy Arms Hotel.

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PC Alan Cotterell told how, with the help of the owner's husband,

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he pushed the bedroom door open.

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Matthew Williams was on the floors snarling and growling.

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He looked possessed, he said.

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His eyes almost black.

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He told the jury he'd never been more scared in his entire life,

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and said this was by far the most a horrendous thing he'd ever seen.

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He said he used his Taser, praying it would work.

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He quickly realised from the severity of her injuries

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that Cerys Yemm was dead.

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But felt Matthew Williams was such a threat he feared for his own life.

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He described how he tasered Williams once, and managed to get

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the handcuffs on him.

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But as officers tried to hold him down, he was lifting them up

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with such ease they had to use the Taser again.

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He told the court, "I feel if that Taser hadn't worked

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I wouldn't be such today."

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He used it three more times within a minute.

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Before Matthew Williams stopped trying to get up.

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At that point PC Cotterell told the court he formally

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arrested him for murder.

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Around 20 minutes after being placed in the ambulance

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Matthew Williams died.

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The inquest into the deaths of Matthew Williams

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on Cerys Yemm continues.

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Labour says the UK government should "get moving" and give the Swansea

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tidal lagoon the go-ahead.

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A report commissioned by the government that backed

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the technology was published two months ago.

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But ministers are yet to agree to guarantee how much money

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the company will get for the electricity the lagoon

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will feed into the National Grid, known as the strike price.

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With more, here's Paul Martin.

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Seven square miles of water that could generate enough energy

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to power 150,000 homes a year.

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The Swansea Tidal Lagoon Project got the thumbs up in a report by former

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energy minister Charles Hendry, two months ago.

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The company wants to start building in one year's time.

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But the future is uncertain.

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The people behind this project started developing the idea

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to harness the energy generated underwater here seven years ago.

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But with investors to keep happy, they are still waiting for confirmed

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backing from the UK Government.

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That backing boils down to a decision on how high a price

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the UK Government will guarantee the company would get for energy.

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Trying to put pressure on the UK Government Labour's Shadow energy

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secretary came to Swansea today to meet the company and see the site.

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She didn't say how high the price should be,

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but she urged minsiters in Whitehall to get on board.

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We want them to get moving on this as quickly as possible.

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Swansea needs to see benefits in terms of infrastructure,

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long-term infrastructure that the project will leave

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in Swansea after it's gone and the tourism it

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will bring to Swansea.

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You can see how beautiful it is.

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The tidal lagoon will be located here, and the benefits

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are going to be amazing.

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The company didn't want to do an interview saying,

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perhaps diplomatically, they are looking forward to the UK

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Government's decision.

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If the lagoon happens it could lead to a network of others

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around Wales and the UK.

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Including in Cardiff.

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On another boat in Cardiff Bay Welsh Conservative leader

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Andrew RT Davis played down Rebecca Long-Bailey's demand.

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I wouldn't put a lot of stall by what she said today.

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The Conservatives are delivering many exciting

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and dynamic proposals for Wales.

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This is virtually over the line.

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There's still a little bit more work to do on it.

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It's really important that the strike price for the energy

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it generates is competitive.

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Because jobs rely on a competitive energy price.

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It's the eve of the Conservative Spring conference which happens

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to be in South Wales.

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Executives from Tidal Lagoon Power are amongst business leaders meeting

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the Business Secretary in Cardiff tonight.

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But speculation about a big splash announcement seems to be premature.

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The UK Government says it is considering the report,

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but with the size of energy bill at stake it is unsurprising it's

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not speeding towards a decision.

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The UK government's attempts to respond to the Meibion Glyndwr

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holiday home arson campaign,which began in the late 1970s, have been

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revealed for the first time.

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Secret papers obtained by BBC Wales have re-ignited claims that

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elements of the security services were involved.

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They also detail concerns that the police couldn't distinguish

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between legitimate Welsh nationalists and extremists.

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Roger Pinney reports.

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It was a turbulent period in our history, a 12-year-long arson

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campaign, and we still don't know who was behind it.

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To find out what the UK Government knew, or thought it knew,

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Radio Cymru's Manylu programme used a Freedom of information request

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to see these documents.

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For a year that request was denied, the BBC made a string of appeals.

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Then, finally, these documents, many marked secret,

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and confidential, were released.

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The papers are heavily redacted.

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But they do give a unique insight into thinking at the highest

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levels of government.

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One document suggests the police didn't understand the distinction

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between legitimate political nationalists, and

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criminal extremists.

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One Chief Constable it says, seemed to think the presence

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of nationalists in positions of influence in broadcasting

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and education was a matter for the police.

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The first attacks came on December 13th 1979.

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Four in one night.

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The attacks intensified, by the end there had been almost 300.

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The attacks intensified, by the end there had been almost 300.

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And they seem to be a high level of organisation.

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On one night alone six estate agents in London were hit,

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in Mayfair, Kensington, Chelsea, Notting Hill.

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There were arrests.

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The actor Bryn Fon was picked up at his home.

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He was later released without charge, and it's accepted

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he was entirely innocent.

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The secret papers reveal the Chief Constable of North Wales

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was sent greeting cards, naming actors and musicians

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as fire bombers.

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I turned out to be the reverse of what they expected.

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The fact that I hadn't been a member of Cymdeithas Yr Iaith,

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I wasn't a card-carrying Welsh nationalist, Plaid Cymru.

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But then they tried to turn that on its head by saying you've kept

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clear of all that stuff.

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The attacks went on and army bomb disposal team was brought in to show

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journalists the damage the incendiary devices

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were capable of doing.

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But who was behind the campaign?

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In the early 1990s Sean Aubrey Roberts was part of a self-styled

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As a folk singer and politician Dafydd Iwan has been involved

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in nationalist politics for more than half a century,

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he's long believed the security services played a part.

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It's been worrying me for many years.

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Was it a genuine campaign by Welsh nationalist sympathisers,

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or was it in fact engineered by agent provacateurs?

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You know that you give the impression that Welsh

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nationalism was going along a similar route to Northern Ireland

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and to make people afraid.

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There was a real concern about the potential loss of life.

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But the idea that the security forces were somehow complicit

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in doing things which could have endangered life is so fanciful it's

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frankly to be beyond any belief.

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We never had any hint of that, in the Welsh office,

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and I do not give any credence to it whatsoever.

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And so the debate continues, the holiday home arson campaign

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never escalated as some of the secret papers suggest UK

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Government officials feared.

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It ended as quickly as it started.

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Even with these newly released documents, key questions remain.

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And you can hear more on this story on BBC Radio Cymru's Manylu

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programme which is available on iPlayer radio.

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Young journalists from 44 schools across Wales have been taking part

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in the BBC School Report Project - learning how to make

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news programmes.

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With social media a big part of modern life, school reporters

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from Porth County Community School, have looked at the effect it's

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having on teenagers' mental health.

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The Children's Commissioner for Wales told them, it's something

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she's concerned about.

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I think it undoubtedly has an impact on mental health.

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I've heard that directly from children.

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But we also know statistically it has an impact

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according to how much you use social media, for example.

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I mean, what some young people have told me is

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that they often feel quite worried, both when they are on social media,

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but also when they are offered.

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When they are on worry about some of the

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things that are said, and that they see.

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But when they are off it they worry that they are missing out.

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And if you'd like to see more on those school reports

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head to our website.

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He's not a household name yet but teenager Ben Woodburn's

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international football career is about to lift off.

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The 17-year-old, who plays for Liverpool, has been named

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in the Wales squad for the first time ahead of their crucial

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World Cup qualifier against Republic of Ireland.

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Manager Chris Coleman has rejected any suggestions the call-up

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is designed to keep the teenager out of England's clutches.

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It makes me laugh, you know.

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Don't tell me about this kid I've been looking out for five years.

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He's been in our system.

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We know about Ben.

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We know he's a good player.

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If I thought it was too early we wouldn't call him up,

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because this game is massive for us.

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I'm not thinking about Ben, I'm thinking about what the best

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squad I can get together to meet this next challenge.

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It's a big one.

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And he's done enough.

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He's earned his place with us.

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Now for a look at the weather forecast, here's Derek Brockway.

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Henffych, greetings.

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It's turning colder tonight.

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Tomorrow some wind and rain on the way.

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Patchy light rain will clear this evening, most places dry overnight.

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Bar the odd shoulder in the north.

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Turning colder, temperatures falling as low as one,

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two or three Celsius.

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With a touch of low frost in the countryside by dawn.

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A chilly tomorrow morning, but dry and bright for a while.

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Make the most of the sunshine.

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Cloud will increase later in the morning.

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A few spots of rain in Gwynedd and Conwy.

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Across the rest of the UK tomorrow wet and windy,

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across Northern Ireland spreading into Scotland and further south

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into northern England and Wales in the afternoon.

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Some snow for the Highlands.

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Southern England mainly dry and bright.

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11 Celsius in London, colder in Glasgow.

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Now, in Wales the weather will go downhill.

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Rain moving in.

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Heavy rain in the West, wind increasing as well.

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That will make it feel cool.

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Tomorrow night will continue breezy, further outbreaks of rain.

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Heavy persistent rain in the West and north-west,

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and on the Cambrian Mountains.

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Saturday not great, cloudy and breezy.

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Further rain and drizzle at times.

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Low cloud until fog.

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Drier in the Marches.

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Sunday, not much better, windy, more rain and drizzle.

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Part of the North and east should be dry and brighter times.

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Sheltered from these moist south-westerly winds.

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So much more unsettled band recently over the next few days,

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rain at times, about 50 millimetres, two inches of rain

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likely on Snowdonia.

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Stronger winds as well.

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So not feeling very springlike over the next few days.

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Bye for now.

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And that's it from Wales Today.

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We are back with updates from 6:30am tomorrow.

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From all of us on the team, good night.

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