02/09/2011 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today. Tonight's headlines:

Joshua Davies is jailed indefinitely for the murder of his

ex-girlfriend Rebecca Aylward. Her mother describes him as evil.

We will never forgive him for tearing our family apart so

brutally and would welcome the return of capital punishment for

Also in the programme. What price our local democracy? Has

the power of the ballot box been suspended on places like Anglesey

in the quest for better services? Marilyn Duffy was trampled to death

by cows. Tonight, warnings of the dangers of walking dogs near farm

animals. Inside the Severn Tunnel. As this

feat of Victorian engineering celebrates 125 years, is it fit for

the future? In tonight's sport, Gary Speed

tells his players they need to be horrible if they're going to beat

Montenegro tonight. And, remembering the good times -

cricket legend Sir Viv Richards says it's good to back

Good evening. I don't know whether my surname has anything to do it

but there has always been a great welcome. A teenager found guilty of

murdering his ex-girlfriend has been jailed indefinitely and told

he'll serve a minimum of 14 years in prison. A judge in Swansea

described 16-year-old Joshua Davies as devious, calculating and

controlling, after he lured schoolgirl Rebecca Aylward into

woodland near Bridgend and killed her. Today, her mother called for

the return of the death penalty for the teenager she described as evil.

Nicola Smith reports. Rebecca Aylward was bludgeoned to

death by the person she once called her boyfriend. She'd known Joshua

Davies for years. He was a regular and welcome visitor to her home in

Maesteg. Her mother said he was almost part of the family. But on

October 23rd last year, he arranged to meet her in this secluded

woodland. Rebecca thought he was going to rekindle their

relationship. Instead, he murdered her. She was found face down in the

dirt. The rock he used was discovered nearby. Her skull had

been broken in four places. Today, Joshua Davies was told he'd serve a

minimum of 14 years in prison. There is no doubt in my mind that

Rebecca was destined for great things but that the evil to would

Joshua Davis robbed us of watching our precious and perfect little

girl flourish into a successful and caring young woman. We will never

forgive him for tearing our family apart so brutally and would welcome

the return of capital punishment for the likes of Joshua Davis. He

forfeited his human rights when he chose to take my daughter's life.

During the trial, the court heard that Davies openly plotted to

murder her, sending chilling text messages to his friends about how

he planned to do it. The jury heard that one friend offered to buy him

breakfast at this cafe if Davies killed her. In evidence, that

friend insisted it was a joke. He didn't think Davies would do it. In

fact, none of his friends did, but Rebecca's family say they still

wish someone had told them what he was threatening to do. If I had a

little part of it, I would have told either Rebecca or you. But I

didn't know anything. I can't believe nobody told us anything. I

am very disappointed in them for not saying. In a packed courtroom,

Davies' mother and father stared straight ahead as their son was

told he may never leave prison for what he did. Sentencing Davies, the

judge told him, "I'm satisfied that in the days leading up to Rebecca's

death, you planned to kill her. In all of this, you have shown

yourself to be devious, calculating and controlling and you have shown

no remorse". Then, speaking directly to Rebecca's family, he

said that the sentence wasn't intended to reflect the value of

life lost. No sentence, he said, however severe, could do that.

Democracy in Wales could be undermined if the Welsh Government

continues to appoint commissioners to run local councils. That's the

warning today from a top local government expert. The

commissioners, who are unelected, can be been imposed when councils

run into difficulties. Of the 22 councils in Wales, two - Anglesey

and Blaenau Gwent - have commissioners. And it's possible

Pembrokeshire could soon be the third. Compare that to England

where commissioners are involved in running one of the 152 councils

there. We are left them and then expect

them to run our services. It is how democracy works. But what happens

when it goes wrong? The theory goes that if we don't like the way our

elected representatives do things, we kick them out at the next

election. But on Anglesey, it did not quite work that way. A decision

was taken in Cardiff that the elected council leadership was not

up to the job so unelected commissioners were appointed to

take over. And it is not just Anglesey. In July, commissioners

took over the running of education in Blaenau Gwent. The Welsh

government has not ruled out doing the same thing in Pembrokeshire

which children's services have been criticised. It is the suspension of

local democracy according to one academic. Even if one concedes the

occasional need for commissioners, and I think that is a very

occasional need, it has not been done much in other parts of Britain,

even in the most extreme circumstances it was not done, for

example, in Liverpool in the 1980s. People will find they are

effectively short of any legitimate way of accessing the political

power that is wielded locally. Anglesey, the problems go back

years. In 2009, a report criticised political infighting. The recovery

board was appointed to advise the councillors. It reinspection found

that problems had not gone away. In March, the Welsh government

appointed a team of five commissioners, none of them elected,

to take the reins. They could be in charge for two years. The idea is

that the commissioner's work alongside the elected councillors,

although it is the unelected commissioners who get to make all

the big decisions. From conversations I have had on

Anglesey, even some of those councillors who have lost power

seemed to think the commissioners are making a difference. But

critics will still argue there is a principle at stake here. Is

democracy more important than efficiently run services?

Let's talk to our Welsh Affairs Editor. How have the last

government reacted to these criticisms? The government say they

only ever used commissioners as a last resort. In the case of

Anglesey, they had been attempts to use a recovery board and those

problems had been going on for decades. In the case of a brain I

went, you're talking about education so you're talking about

the future of children growing up in Blaenau Gwent. Local government

say that is more important than applauding the democratic rights of

castles for what should be a reasonably brief period. The last

government is very bullish about this. It probably is true to say

that because Wells is a small country, but there are only 22

councils, perhaps the government here is more aware that when

councils go wrong down the government in Westminster. And the

assembly is not sitting at the moment so will Assembly members

discuss this when they get back? am certain they will. This week has

been very interesting because we had a story about regional boards

as well. I think local government is moving up the agenda very

rapidly in Cardiff Bay. There has been a change of tone this week

from people close to the government where they don't seem to be quite

as a post as they were two forcing some smaller councils to emerge. It

looks as if some sort of reorganisation in local government

looks more likely than it did at the beginning.

The funeral has taken place of a 22-year-old man who died after

getting into difficulty in the sea off Anglesey. Lewis Darroch from

Valley went missing last week. Yesterday, a body recovered from

the sea at Rhosneigr was confirmed as that of his friend, Callum

Mackay. The search for him had previously been called off.

Work has started on a �1 billion project to build around 4,000 new

homes on the site of the former Llanwern steelworks in Newport.

Developers say the houses will be built over the next 20 years,

creating 6,000 jobs, as well as a business park, a GPs' surgery and

supermarket. The new area will be called Glan Llyn.

A woman trampled to death by cows in Cardiff has been named as 61-

year-old Marilyn Duffy. She was walking her friend's dog in a field

in the Radyr area of the city on Monday. Nick Palit has more.

This lane is popular with dog- walkers using the woods and fields

to exercise their pets. But for Marilyn Duffy, this everyday

occurrence turn to Chandra J -- tragedy. She was knocked down by

cattle and trampled to death at. Local people are horrified by the

accident. If it is such a tragic accident. A lot of people walk

their dogs in the field there. I don't go there myself that. I met

the lady once and she seemed a lovely lady. It is such a shame.

For I think the whole village will be devastated and shocked by it all.

Today, the Farmers' Union of Wales issued advice to any members of the

public that encounter farm animals while walking dogs across fields.

If you find yourself in that predicament where they are coming

towards you and they are challenging, it is the dog that is

the threat. Let that dog go because that is why they are attacking you

all seen you as a threat could. It is not you personally, it is the

dog up. The dog will fend for itself. Akin Radyr, the police say

there were no suspicious circumstances and the coroner has

been informed. Still ahead:

The fans were waiting and there's a warm Maori welcome - Wales arrive

in New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup.

And I have come down to the woods because a new survey shows there

are more than 4,500 agents Giants living in Wales. -- ancient apple

stopped. The Severn Tunnel is 125-years-old

this weekend. The rail link which joins South Wales and England is a

feat of Victorian engineering. Around 200 trains pass through the

tunnel every day but, given its age, is it still fit for 21st Century

use? Carwyn Jones has been finding out.

Victorian engineers built things to last and one of their greatest

achievements was designing a rail network to span Britain. In 1886,

the Severn Tunnel was opened, linking South Wales to the West of

England. Then, as now, the operational hub of the tunnel was

the pumping station at Sudbrook in Monmouthshire. Nigel Edwards is the

fourth generation from his family to work at the tunnel. Theroux is

not a pretty out of place. It is 125 years old. There has been no

corners cut anywhere. You look at this and it is absolutely amazing.

At more than four miles long, the Severn Tunnel was the longest

mainline railway tunnel in the UK for well over a century. But

keeping this rail link open requires constant maintenance. I am

200 ft underground and the noise you can hear his spring water

flowing beneath me. To keep this a tunnel dry and operational, they

have to pump up 10 million gallons of that water every day.

And that's just one of the challenges faced by Network Rail,

who own the UK's rail infrastructure. Earlier this year,

plans to electrify the rail line between London and Cardiff were

finally given the go ahead, paving the way for a reduced commuter time

between England and Wales. That will mean modernising and

overhauling this 125-year-old tunnel and that's no easy task.

are looking at finding enough space to accommodate wires and we are

looking at the environment which can be quite damp in the tunnel.

These are some of the constraints we need to consider. The design of

the Severn Tunnel has remained largely the same since the day it

opened in 1886. And with more than 7,000 trains passing through it

each year, it's certainly stood the test of time. But its biggest

challenge is just around the corner - making this Victorian tunnel fit

for the 21st Century. Wales have arrived in New Zealand.

With news on that and the rest of the day's sport, here's Claire.

Good evening. They call it the beautiful game but, tonight, Wales'

football manager will ask his team to be horrible in the pursuit of

victory. Gary Speed wants his side to show a tougher competitive edge

against Montenegro as they try to climb back up the world rankings

from their lowly position of 117th. Here's Ashleigh Crowter.

Nice boys don't always produce a nice football. That seems to be the

message from Gary Speed as his team prepare for a European qualifier

double-header. Someone had told the boss his players would make lovely

son-in-law's. But tonight he will be asking his players to be

arrogant, even horrible, to get the right result against Montenegro.

still want to go out there and win and we still go into tackles. Maybe

one or two can be a bit nastier but, including myself go. Wales's hopes

of qualifying are long gone. No wins and no points from their first

four games. They would dearly love to win their remaining four games

including Montenegro tonight and England on Tuesday, but with a very

different motive in mind. We could have played a bit better and got

better results but we are looking longer term and we have got to

cement that playing style. If it means going through what we have

been through, it is a process we have to go through to make sure we

are successful in the future. This time next year that is the start of

the World Cup campaign. That is the important time. These next four

games we can use as a dress rehearsal. There may be a few

first-night nerves for a chat Collison. He is set to make his

first competitive appearance for There's full coverage of the game,

live on Radio Wales from 7pm and on Radio Cymru from 7:30pm.

There was a warm welcome for Wales' Rugby players as they touched down

in New Zealand ahead of the World Cup. Their first match is September

the 11th against defending champions South Africa in

Wellington. We can't look Papa Stour first game against South

Africa. We will see what happens there. If we win our pool,

fantastic. The knockout stages are one-off games. We'll bring you the

first of our reports from New Zealand with the Wales squad on

Monday's programme. Well away from the World Cup, the

domestic rugby season is back. There's a new name for the league

and a new face that you might recognise presenting Scrum V live

this year. The team are preparing for the opening Ospreys match

tonight. Good evening. It is no longer the RaboDirect Pro 12, it is

the Rabo Direct PRO12. The same 12 teams competing for the title. It

is European champions Leinster against the Ospreys. I am joined by

Rob Jones. With all these World Cup stars a way it is a chance for the

youngsters to shine. It is a fantastic opportunity. A lot of

these players would have been disappointed they were not included

in the World Cup squad. They have an opportunity to go back on the

field and to develop and get that opportunity when the Six Nations

comes around. It is a great opportunity and with conditions are

their -- as they are I think the start of this new season will bring

some quality rugby. There are a few individuals are you have got your

eye on. We have Justin Tipuric in Ospreys. He just missed out on

inclusion with the World Cup squad. He was captain at 22 years have

failed to -- of aid. It will be up a game and season for him. We have

Jonathan Thomas who has been a stole what has done he will want to

prove a point. Dan Biggar has an opportunity to get his game back

contract. A number of players have that opportunity. Kick-off is not

want to go. Join us after Wales Today on BBC Two Wales, Scrum V

live. Dai Greene missed the chance of

adding to his hurdles gold at the World Athletics Championships after

pulling out of the 400 metre relay final. Greene says he didn't feel

quite right during the warm-up. Great Britain eventually finished

seventh. And disappointment for Christian Malcolm in the 200 metres.

The British Captain didn't make it through to the final after coming

fifth in his semi. There were bronze medals for two

Welsh rowers at the World Championships in Slovenia today.

Chris Bartley from Wrexham was in the British lightweight fours which

came third, a feat matched by the women's eight, featuring Victoria

Thornley who's also from Wrexham. Cricket - A below-par batting

performance in their second innings means Glamorgan are facing defeat

in their Championship match at Gloucestershire. They were bowled

out for just 148 earlier to leave the home side a target of 186 to

Glamorgan is not enjoying a vintage season and how they could do with

the likes of former player, Sir Viv Richards. The West Indies legend is

back in Wales as part of a speaking tour. I met up with him this

afternoon where he told me the county still holds a big place in

He is one of the greatest cricketers of all time known and

loved as King Viv. Sir Viv Richards spent three summers wither

Glamorgan in the early 90s and he is back. Tonight he will be

speaking to an audience at the Newbridge hotel. The swagger is

still the same and his time in Wales is something he treasures.

The things which I have said about people in this country before,

especially the warmth, the friendliness. I don't know if my

surname, Richards, has anything to do with it. A you have been able to

catch up with friends. You met up with Joe Calzaghe. He blew me off

my feet to be real. In Antigua There's a lot of boxing fanatics.

There are a lot of Bernard Hopkins fans. When you are no way do you

keep an eye on Glamorgan? I do as much as possible. Matthew Maynard

left in a particular way which I thought was not quite pleasing to a

lot of the fans. I don't know the full story behind what took place

for this falling out. You have been part of the fabric of the whole

environment. When things don't quite work out according to plan,

the success factor and you don't see the things that I know fans

enjoy, it is always pretty worrying. You try to find out as best as you

can wear it all went wrong. I have been watching archives -- archive

footage of you. I was watching you playing in Kent. They to go to the

cleaners on Saturday. -- they took her son to the cleaners. As an

experienced player I had to do part and parcel of everything. It was

the first time I have ever done it, I banged on the wall and said

"yesterday was not your day, tomorrow is going to be our day".

All my team-mates are looking at me. Tony is looking as if he is saying,

"what have you just don't". It was the feeling that I had that today

was their day and tomorrow is going to be ours. It worked out and we

were on top of the world. It is one of the better part of my career,

playing in might -- in this part of the world. Coming here and seen

people Couloir concrete and felt satisfied about what Glamorgan had

achieved it left a lump in my throat.

What a legend, I'm now a huge fan. Enjoy the weekend.

A survey to find and record the location of ancient trees has

identified 4,500 of them in Wales with some examples still standing

after millennia. The Woodland Trust says the Ancient Tree Hunt survey,

which begun four years ago, has now counted a 100,000 in Britain.

Matthew Richards is in the grounds Thank you. It is like a fairy tale

having this specimen behind us. Let's find a bit more now from the

voluntary it very fire for the trust. Tell us more about the

Ancient Tree Hunt. It is a ground breaking project. Phase one has

been five years. They have reached their target of 100,000 trees

throughout the UK. What other was a spring to mind in North Wales?

have the amazing 0 which has its own Facebook group. -- amazing Oak.

The one was struck by lightning and was split into. It is a 900 year-

old oak tree. There is another one that is almost 1,500 years old.

it is important to keep a list of them. Emma Thompson is manager here.

Tell us about this example. It is a sweet Chester thought to be over

400 years old. It is part of the historic landscape here at Chirk

Castle. It date back from the medieval period. You have more than

30 trees here in in -- with more than end eight metre girth. Why

have you got so many? Mainly because of the management. It has

been in continuous occupation by one family to use that as a private

estate which meant that she is like this have been protected. It is

great they can be open to the public and people can see them.

just the castle, but also these trees. I am going to leave but

let's find out about the weather There are few trees in Cardiff Bay

and it is a pleasant evening. The sun is shining and it is quite warm.

Temperatures this afternoon reached 22 degrees Celsius in North Wales.

What about the weekend's it is 9--- it is not going to be as nice. For

this evening, trying Cardiff for the football and Swansea for the

Rugby. Overnight after midnight, we bring in some low cloud and a few

spots of drizzle. Rain in the far north and west by the end of the

night. Lowest temperatures 11 degrees Celsius. Tomorrow's chart

shows a cold front lying at the Irish Sea and that will move

eastward. Tomorrow, some dry weather in the south and east.

Generally cloudy tomorrow. We will have grain in the north and west

and it will become more widespread in the afternoon. Some heavy bursts

in places together with some low cloud, mist and hill fog.

Temperatures tomorrow, 16-21 degrees. On Anglesey's tomorrow,

but pretty wet day. Some tide times Tomorrow night, further outbreaks

of rain heavy in places. Clearing away after midnight. Sunday looks

dry and bright with some sunshine. A few light showers but rain were

reached Pembrokeshire around lunchtime. It will feel fresher on

Sunday with the wind picking up. As for next week, it is looking

unsettled. When the at times with some rain and heavy showers. Lot

going on this weekend. The Cardiff Mardi gras is taking place. Lots of

sun is forecast. Down the road in West Cardiff, there is a scooter

rally. If you don't already know, this summer was the coolest 18

years. But it was also the driest and sunniest since 2,000 and sex.

As for this weekend it is looking changeable, some rain on the way so

Tonight's main news. 1880 found guilty of murdering his ex-

girlfriend -- A teenager found guilty of murdering his ex-

girlfriend has said he will serve at least 14 years in prison. He you

at the school go, Rebecca Aylward, into woodland near Bridgend and

killed her. I will never forgive him for

tearing our family apart so brutally. I would welcome the

return of capital punishment. He forfeited his human rights when he