27/11/2013 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today. Tonight's headlines.

Ian Watkins admitted a series of sexual offences against children. A

leading expert says there aren't enough resources aimed at child

protection. Also tonight. People in Denbighshire

mark the first anniversary of the worst flooding there in generations.

?NEWLINE Police investigating the London slavery case say they'll

review the death of Sian Davies from Tregaron 16 years ago. Governments

from across the world come to Finland to see what they can learn

from the education system. We came here to find out why.

The ceremony in Chile to mark the return of a lost piece of history,

uncovered in Wales. Good evening. Police in London at

investigating allegations of slavery say they would look again at the

case of a woman from mid Wales who Sian Davies plans to her death from

Will it is believed the women who Sian Davies we all feel. This man

was caught on camera attending the inquest of Sian Davies would an open

inquest was recorded. -- an open verdict was recorded. It is believed

three women also lived in the same house as Sian Davies. In light of

recent events, Scotland Yard says it will re-examine the death of the 44

years old. That news has been welcomed in Tregaron. It would be

the answer to what happened. That is speculation as to what could have

happened had we need to know the truth. Until that is known, the well

not really know what caused her death. 16 years after she was laid

to rest alongside her parents in Tregaron, fresh questions are being

asked about her life and death. A leading expert on child

exploitation says not enough resources are being put into

catching predatory paedophiles and thinks some are getting away with

their crimes as a result. Yesterday, rock singer Ian Watkins, from

Pontypridd, pleaded guilty to a series of child sex offences,

including the attempted rape of a baby. The Independent Police

Complaints Commission says it will look at whether South Wales Police

acted quickly enough. He was a straight A student at

school in Pontypridd, who went on to gain a first class honours degree

and then found fame as a rock star. But he used that celebrity status to

groom vulnerable young women to gain access to their children. Yesterday

he pleaded guilty to a number of sex offences, including the attempted

rape of a baby. But there'd been warnings about that decline into

depravity with one ex girlfriend even contacting South Wales Police

about her fears as long ago as 2008. The Independent Police Complaints

Commission is now investigating whether South Wales Police failed to

take appropriate and timely action. Tonight the Police confirmed a

Detective Sergeant has been moved from the child protection services

department while the inquiry is ongoing. The ex Chief Executive of

the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre says many

paedophiles will slip through the net as not enough resources are

being targeted towards child protection. Police forces have

millions of images sitting on their shelves. Five alone have 26 million

images. Goodness knows how much the rest have. These are images of real

children. My question for the government and others is who is out

there looking for them now? On the steps of the court yesterday the

police said Watkins' guilty pleas did not mark the end of their

investigation. We will work tirelessly to identify other victims

and seek the justice they deserve. This investigation has been focused

on the protection of children. To that end they today urged users of

social network sites not to post information that may lead to the

identity of victims but to call South Wales Police with any

information. The Lostprophets front man turned paedophile was an

ambassador for young people, and was involved in a Welsh Government

campaign to promote organ donation. Tonight Kidney Wales said they were

appalled and stunned. Ian Watkins shared a rented house with a

girlfriend in Pontypridd. When it was searched by police last year

they found sexually explicit videos and photographs taken by him. The

people living their now, have no connection with him. 84-year-old

Margaret Kaveloch lives opposite and was shocked by the police raid and

the details that followed. Akin to the door and see a policewoman and

police man carrying and those of stuff from there. We thought were

making films. That was our first thought. Somebody told us what was

happening. What had happened. I could not leave it -- could not

leave it, but babies were involved. Lostprophets have disbanded but many

former fans are showing their anger by vowing never to listen to their

music again. This student in Aberyswyth is one such disgusted

fan. It is a massive shame that I have so many good memories about

this band, I had seen them live five times. But these stories about what

Ian Watkins has done, it has traded my perspective. I will not be able

to listen to them again. Ian Watkins and two mothers who can't be named

for legal reasons will appear before Cardiff Crown Court for sentencing

on December 18. The search for further victims of this predatory

paedophile will continue long after that date.

The Health Minister Mark Drakeford says key NHS targets will be

reviewed to put more emphasis on results for patients. It comes as

the latest statistics show the Ambulance Service reached its target

for responding to the most urgent calls for the first time in a year

and a half. But the figures also report the health service missed

it's target for treating 95% of the most urgent cases of cancer within

62 days. A van driver has been arrested after

an 18-year-old woman died following a crash in Denbighshire. Police say

the pedestrian died at the scene in Bodelwyddan, after a collision

between a car and the van on Abergele Road this morning. The car

driver suffered serious injuries. A teacher accused of grooming

schoolboys and inviting them back to his home has been struck off. A

disciplinary hearing in Cardiff was told Glyn Bevan befriended teenage

pupils at Risca Comprehensive School in Newport during the 1990s by

giving them alcohol, illegal drugs and money. The General Teaching

Council for Wales say while there hasn't been a rise in the number of

cases involving abuse, increased vigilance means more allegations are

being reported Nearly 260 jobs at four tax offices in Wales could be

at risk after staff were offered severance packages.

Ourselves and other regulators have seen an increase in referrals. In

terms of ourselves, it has probably been about 15 to 20%. Others have

seen a similar price. Nearly 260 jobs at four tax offices in Wales

could be at risk after staff were offered severance packages. Their

union, the PCS, is advising them not to accept the deal from HM Revenue

and Customs which is aiming to reduce staffing levels. Our business

correspondent, Brian Meechan, is at the Valuation Office in Merthy

Tydfil. Tell us more about this? The background to this is an ongoing

dispute over a potential loss of jobs across the whole of the UK. The

union code that keeping privatisation. The employer calls it

a rationalisation process. That brings us to today. It afford jobs

here at, the jobs here at Merthyr Tydfil are highly skilled jobs. It

has to be said, these are not compulsory redundancies. They are

voluntary redundancies at the moment was up this is negotiation with some

staff to see if they would like to leave. The unions say and less --

until it becomes clear that, staff should not be taking these offers

will stop the employer is saying it is on the table, it does not to

suddenly mean that this site or other will close or that any of the

staff will lose their jobs. It is something they have to talk about

and think about. It's exactly a year since severe

flooding hit Denbighshire, affecting 500 homes and causing the death of

an elderly woman. Matthew Richards is in St Asaph for us now where a

special church service is being held.

Thanks. It's not a day anyone here wants to remember but the floods

were hard to forget for those who experienced them. It took six months

or more for some people to be able to return home. But here and in

Ruthin, people are taking a few moments to contemplate what happened

and how they've helped each other rebuild their lives. A simple

ceremony at dawn marked exactly 12 months since the floods. The candles

lit by residents symbolising hope after a period of darkness.

91-year-old Margaret Hughes died in her flooded home and others are

still feeling the effects of the devastation. That is no doubt that

it affected the health of a significant proportion of other oil

as well. Does the result of the floods -- others as well. We have to

ensure that in future St Asaph is protected from such an occurrence.

These images show the scale of the destruction. Caravans and shipping

containers tossed aside like flotsam, cars useless on roads now

home to canoes. But it's the individual stories of hardship and

heroism which resonate the most. Two thirds of the stock in this

agricultural store was ruined, the manager finding himself trapped as

the water rose. We had to climb up on the shelves to try and draw

someone's attention. The flow of the water was frightening. These nurses

were honoured recently at the Wales Care Awards for their dedication and

bravery. They waded through the flood to reach the elderly residents

of the care home where they work. It was waist high. You could feel the

current going against the backs of your legs. You wanted to run but you

could not run against the current. It was quite tricky. The volume of

rainfall last autumn was unprecedented and already robust

defences were insufficient. But lots of work has been done to limit the

effect of another heavy downpour. This stretch of river, we have

cleared a lot of the brush and undergrowth. We have raised the

level of defences in parts of the town. In Ruthin, much of the newly

built Glasdir estate was submerged. Here there were questions about the

standard of protection and anger that residents hadn't been warned

sufficiently about the risk to their properties. New defences will be

paid for by developers, the council and Welsh Government.

With me now is the local councillor for the area. Take us back to that

night and morning. I was contacted by a friend of mine for the week

went down to the river at ten o'clock the evening before. There

was torrential rain and we walked the river banks from pledge to

pledge, watching the river levels. My phone came on saying people

living in the lower part of St Asaph should evacuate. That started the

alarm bells. An organisation was set up in the leisure centre for people

to go there. It was a case of everybody pulling together. I went

home at 3am. At 5:30am we had this surge of water which broke over the

top of the banks. People were caught out and it was very sad. The leisure

centre became a real help. It must have been a positive that came out

of this? That is when the community pulled together. It can done in that

vein with various meetings. It was a positive thing. Some steps have now

been taken to try to make sure people will not be caught unawares

next time? Natural resources Wales and the county council and other

agencies are now pulling together. They have made inroads. In the

long-term, they will carry an further up the river so things are

looking positive at the moment. Still to come tonight.

Getting the results that can lead to university. But tonight, claims

English institutions are targeting poor Welsh students.

A procession to mark the return of a lost artefact to Chile, discovered

in Wales. Next week we'll find out where Wales

sits in the global education league table. When the last set of results

came out three years ago Wales had slipped down the PISA rankings, as

they're known. Our Education Correspondent, Arwyn Jones, has been

to Finland, a country who has topped the PISA rankings in the past. In

the first in a series of reports, he looks at what they're doing right

and he took a teacher from Wales with him. Chris Parry is the head of

maths at Friars School in Banga. He is trying something different this

week. Hello. How are you? Welcome to Finland. He will be staying with a

maths teacher in Finland. The torque quickly turns to the differences. Is

it a big school estimate it is about 550. Then it was time for the first

day in school. The school is about 20 miles north of Helsinki. With

only 500 girls, it is small compared with Welsh standards. He is a

mathematics teacher from Wales. They do not have exams or inspections at

this school was up the curriculum is far more flexible and teachers are

basically told to get on with the job was up this begins a observing

and sees a difference immediately. They teach more like we were taught

in the 1980s. A teacher gives an introduction and then get on with

work from a textbook. Whatever the technique, something is working well

here. They are among the best performing in these tests. She sends

feedback to some parents about the work of the pupils. Then your

language. Chris then taught a lesson. Maths is taught in mixed

abilities. The top performers and struggling pupils are altogether.

Many pupils are insects at home will stop Chris says the pupils here have

a different work ethic. Because of their work ethic, the top pupils

work further on in their books. They will look for extension material. I

do not think the staff actually pushed them. The pupils have the

discipline ready to push themselves. It is not just in the classroom

where there is a difference. When you walk around the school, that is

a relaxed and easy-going atmosphere for top a lot of children walk

around in their socks. The idea there is that children feel more

comfortable will stop if they are more comfortable, they enjoy it

more. It makes for better learners. The headteacher of the school is one

of those teachers who is addressed by his first name. He explains that

is just the way society does things here. Being in a society or school

where you know everyone it is easy to be this way. Nobody wants to be

formal. For example, when I am walking in the corridors of the

school, it is great when children come and say I want to tell you

something. The schools here are very different as if the style of

teaching was up these things do not happen by accident. And tomorrow

nights programme, we speak with the policymakers and officials

responsible for the education system.

There's a claim tonight that some English universities are poaching

the brightest students from disadvantaged areas of Wales, so

they can justify charging the highest possible tuition fees. The

claims were made at the Assembly's Finance Committee today, and our

Political Correspondent Tomos Livingstone was watching. Tomos,

what exactly's going on here? The Welsh Government is proud that it

does its own thing on tuition fees. Welsh students contribute about

three and a half thousand pounds a year and then the Welsh Government

pays the rest. But that is a limit on both sides of the border to the

number of students at universities can take on each year. But in

England, there is no cap on the number of students you can take an

all have the highest A-level grades. The rules say universities who went

to charge the highest fees have to show they are widening access and

taking on people from poorer backgrounds. Bright pupils from

poorer areas are ideal candidates. That is why English universities are

targeting parts of Wales. Welsh students from relatively poorer

actions are coming in. They are like gold dust. Where does this leave --

leave the Welsh Government? That is no suggestion that anyone is doing

anything wrong. But which pupils are being coaxed to study across the

border will stop that means the money goes to the coffers of English

universities. With the latest claims, people will say the current

system is not working for Welsh universities. Rugby. Ian Evans has

confirmed he will be leaving the ospreys next summer to move to

France on a three year contract. Football, and Newport County manager

Justin Edinburgh has dismissed the possibility of taking-over at League

Two rivals Portsmouth. He was speaking after his side drew 0-0

away at Oxford United. Newport's Christian Jolley came closest to

breaking the deadlock. The Exiles have now gone nearly nine hours

without conceding a goal. A church bell taken from Chile in

the 19th century and found in Neath has now become part of a national

memorial back in its home city, Santiago. Worshippers in Neath only

learned its history last year and agreed to send it back. It had been

brought to Wales to be melted down after the church in Santiago was

destroyed in a fire that claimed the lives of 2,500 people. Caroline

Evans has the story. Ringing out for the first time in 150 years. It is

now part of a memorial. Firefighters took charge of the bell on behalf of

the country. The idea of the Bell now is that we are delivering it to

the local community. It will be here. The Bell belongs to the

community here in Chile. The Bell was brought to Wales by the Vivian

family after a national disaster which claimed more than 2000 lives.

The other bells ended up in Oystermouth near Swansea. They were

located and returned three years ago was up this, the last Bell remained

at Saint Thomas in Neath. Its history was not known until last

year. It was almost neglected for the boot was on the floor at the

back of the church and we did not know what it was all what it was

for. It had never been run since it had come from Chile. Its story was

revealed when historians from Chile traced its journey and asked if they

could take it back. It has taken 12 months of preparation since the

official handover in Neath attended by the Earl of Wessex and another

late -- it was received with a full ceremony. It will now bring every

day at noon and to mark special occasions.

Let's see how the weather is looking for the next few days. It feels a

little bit milder Sue? A milder feel to the weather today

and tomorrow, often dull and cloudy, but we'll see the return of the

colder conditions by the weekend. Tonight, a fair amount of cloud

around. Milder air across us, a few mist and fog patches forming, a bit

damp, but not as cold as recent nights. Lows between three and eight

Celsius, so frost free for most. Just a few frost patches in

sheltered rural spots. Tomorrow, a murky start with hill fog and patchy

mist. Some brighter spells in the south, otherwise largely cloudy with

a few spots of drizzle for parts of North and mid Wales, elsewhere dry

but dull, still fairly mild though with temperatures just above average

for late November. Ten Celsius in Flintshire and Pembrokeshire. Only

temporarily milder though. Thursday night into Friday, a cold front

pushes in from the northwest, some rain on this, but mainly stronger

winds and much colder air behind it as that low clears towards the

Continent. For Friday, blustery showers spreading southeastwards,

clearing later to allow some brighter spells. Brisk northwesterly

winds, especially along Cardigan Bay. Easing later on but also

beginning to turn colder, back to eight or nine Celsius for border

counties. Colder with a patchy frost Saturday, bright and breezy for much

of the day with long sunny spells but temperatures back in single

figures across Wales. So clear and dry Saturday but much colder by the

evening if you're heading to the rugby in Cardiff. With high pressure

building from the west again, generally quite settled into the

weekend with the return of overnight frosts. Maybe a bit cloudier on

Sunday with patchy rain possible further north then often cloudy, but

staying fairly quiet and settled into next week. Today's picture is

from Martin Rees from Nelson. Autumn colours on Gelligaer common with the

open cast mine and the Brecon Beacons in the distance. If you take

any pictures you can send them to us by email or twitter, especially if

they help to tell the weather story. Keep up to date with what's

happening and check out the latest video forecast online at

bbc.co.uk/weather. The main news again tonight from the

BBC. David Cameron has promised to make it harder for my rants from the

European Union to get access to Britain's welfare system. It is just

35 days before Bulgarians and Romanians are free to work in the

UK. They were faced restriction on housing and other benefits. Ian

Watkins from Pontypridd pleaded guilty to a series of sex offences

including the attempted rape of a baby. A leading expert on child

exploitation says not enough resources are being put into

catching predatory paedophiles. That is Wales Today. We'll have an

update at eight and more news at 10.25pm. For now though, from all of

us on the programme, thanks for watching and enjoy your evening.