:00:00. > :00:09.Police are currently dealing with an incident in Swansea's Marina.
:00:10. > :00:15.Feelings are running high in Pembrokeshire, as people protest
:00:16. > :00:18.outside the council's offices over controversial payments made to
:00:19. > :00:33.There has been an overwhelming vote of no-confidence in the Chief
:00:34. > :00:35.Executive and I am here to support that. It is disgusting and it is
:00:36. > :00:37.time he left. People flocked in their thousands to
:00:38. > :00:40.the seaside resort in it's hey day. Wales sporting heroes are honoured
:00:41. > :01:06.by the Gorsedd of the Bards at the And rubble is looming over the
:01:07. > :01:19.Atlantic. The remains of Hurricane Bertha are looming. -- and trouble.
:01:20. > :01:23.In the last hour, police have confirmed they're dealing with
:01:24. > :01:26.Roads have been closed around the Meridian Tower
:01:27. > :01:49.I am outside the Marillion tower at the moment. It is a 29 story
:01:50. > :01:52.building, the tallest in Wales. -- Meridian Tower. We have an
:01:53. > :01:56.unconfirmed report that a man with a gun is in the restaurant on the top
:01:57. > :02:00.floor of that building. Some people living in the flats in that building
:02:01. > :02:04.have been told to stay inside and not come out and we have been told
:02:05. > :02:09.the lists have been switched off, so the only way out is through the fire
:02:10. > :02:15.escape. There is a sea of police and ambulance vehicles and a response
:02:16. > :02:19.team here. Police dogs with armed police as well. Within the last few
:02:20. > :02:25.minutes, a police helicopter has flown over. The alarm was raised at
:02:26. > :02:28.4:30pm with reports that diners from the restaurant were evacuated. As I
:02:29. > :02:34.say, unconfirmed ports that a man with a gun is in the restaurant on
:02:35. > :02:37.the top floor of Meridian Tower in Swansea Marina. Police say they will
:02:38. > :02:45.update with the latest news but at the moment they are not giving out
:02:46. > :02:49.any more information. Thank you very much indeed. One eyewitness has sent
:02:50. > :02:53.these pictures of the incident. Jason lives on the eighth floor of
:02:54. > :02:58.the tower and has been told by police not to leave his flat. We can
:02:59. > :03:05.speak to him now. Jason, good evening. What can you see at the
:03:06. > :03:10.moment? The Marina has been cordoned off and we have seen armed police
:03:11. > :03:15.going in upstairs with paramedics and stuff. Just pretty slow at the
:03:16. > :03:21.moment. I haven't seen much happening for the last 45 minutes.
:03:22. > :03:26.Tell us what happened when he first realised there was something wrong.
:03:27. > :03:34.There was a police helicopter outside. When I looked outside,
:03:35. > :03:38.there were police taping off various areas of the Marina and pushing
:03:39. > :03:45.people back. And a lot of police cars blocking off a road. I thought
:03:46. > :03:51.there was something strange. Thank you very much, Jason, for talking to
:03:52. > :03:55.us. I can tell you the police are telling us the incident is now
:03:56. > :03:57.over, but of course we will bring you the very latest on this as we
:03:58. > :03:59.hear it. There've been fresh calls tonight
:04:00. > :04:02.for the chief executive of Around 200 people, including council
:04:03. > :04:06.workers and members of the public, have been protesting over what they
:04:07. > :04:08.describe as a loss of confidence It comes after police confirmed last
:04:09. > :04:12.month a new investigation was being launched into payments he received
:04:13. > :04:16.in lieu of pension contributions. Our political correspondent
:04:17. > :04:32.Daniel Davies has more. These protesters say the name of
:04:33. > :04:38.this council has been tarnished and the name on their lips is Bryn Parry
:04:39. > :04:43.Jones. Everything that has come out in the press recently about the
:04:44. > :04:50.pension and everything else... It is disgusting. And it is time he left.
:04:51. > :04:55.I would like to see him step aside, at least until the investigation by
:04:56. > :05:00.Gloucestershire police is complete. In January, the Welsh audit office
:05:01. > :05:04.ruled that payments made to Bryn Parry Jones and another senior
:05:05. > :05:10.minister instead of pensions were unlawful. A police investigation
:05:11. > :05:15.concluded there was no evidence to suggest any criminal offence had
:05:16. > :05:18.taken place, however. In July, the council decided not to take any
:05:19. > :05:24.further action to reclaim the money, worth more than ?45,000. But a week
:05:25. > :05:29.later, a new police investigation was launched after fresh information
:05:30. > :05:35.emerged. It is not the first time we have seen scenes like this. In 2012,
:05:36. > :05:44.staff staged protests against unlawful payments to their Chief
:05:45. > :05:49.Executive in higher filly. Unions say more workers would have come out
:05:50. > :05:55.today but staff were reluctant to protest in public. Morale is low and
:05:56. > :06:01.we have conducted a ballot, a request of our members, and within a
:06:02. > :06:09.week, we turned it around and had a 98%... Sorry, over 50% turnout and
:06:10. > :06:13.98% voted that they had no confidence in the chief officer. The
:06:14. > :06:17.leadership of this council says it is doing a good job in improving
:06:18. > :06:21.services and keeping taxes down but the people protesting here this
:06:22. > :06:26.lunch time do not agree. The unions representing staff also say they
:06:27. > :06:31.have lost confidence in the van at the top. One of those unhappy with
:06:32. > :06:35.the situation is Steve Joseph. He did not want to speak on camera but
:06:36. > :06:42.told me staff morale in County Hall was low. The council declined to
:06:43. > :06:49.comment today. Like all authorities, it has frozen staff pay and faces
:06:50. > :06:52.cutbacks. It is also not alone in attracting controversy over the size
:06:53. > :06:56.of the salaries of senior officials. But should the most
:06:57. > :07:00.senior official in the building step aside from his job while people in
:07:01. > :07:06.that -- police investigate? Some clearly think so.
:07:07. > :07:11.This is clearly causing a lot of controversy in temperature. Yes. It
:07:12. > :07:14.was on the front of a local paper this morning and some say it needs
:07:15. > :07:18.to be seen against the backdrop of other damaging headlines about this
:07:19. > :07:22.council. There have been criticisms over the way Pembrokeshire has
:07:23. > :07:25.handled education and child protection services in particular.
:07:26. > :07:30.The council's leadership says it has turned a corner and things are
:07:31. > :07:35.improving. The unions do not agree and they described the controversy
:07:36. > :07:44.over Bryn Parry Jones's pension as the last straw. And high pay for
:07:45. > :07:46.senior staff is something being talked about right across Wales,
:07:47. > :07:51.isn't it? Yes, there has been concern in many places, not just
:07:52. > :07:56.impound Yorkshire, where, for example, Bryn Parry Jones earns more
:07:57. > :08:01.than any other minister. -- in Pembrokeshire. Council say they have
:08:02. > :08:07.to pay higher wages to attract the best talent. But we hear Cardiff has
:08:08. > :08:11.spent ?50,000 on a recruitment process alone to find a new chief
:08:12. > :08:15.executive. He was appointed recently. All of this is happening
:08:16. > :08:19.at a time when a big reorganisation of local government is coming down
:08:20. > :08:24.the tracks and Pembrokeshire County Council may well cease to exist in a
:08:25. > :08:28.few years time. Supporters of the reorganisation process hope that at
:08:29. > :08:32.least one of the outcomes will be a slimmed down and more efficient,
:08:33. > :08:37.cheaper bureaucracy for local government. Thank you.
:08:38. > :08:39.A separated couple who sexually and physically abused their children
:08:40. > :08:42.and ones in their care over a prolonged period have been jailed
:08:43. > :08:47.At Cardiff Crown Court, the man was jailed for 19 years and his ex-wife
:08:48. > :08:50.Neither can be named for legal reasons.
:08:51. > :08:52.The abuse, in the Merthyr Tydfil and Caerphilly areas, began in
:08:53. > :08:59.A man described as a "master conman" has been sentenced to seven years
:09:00. > :09:02.in prison for defrauding the London Welsh Rugby Club.
:09:03. > :09:05.Neil Hollinshead bought the club after tricking officials
:09:06. > :09:08.into believing he had over ?1 million in his bank account.
:09:09. > :09:12.He also claimed to have ties to the Saudi Royal family.
:09:13. > :09:15.Today he was convicted of three counts of fraud
:09:16. > :09:21.New research from Cardiff University suggests that Metformin,
:09:22. > :09:24.a drug which is widely prescribed for people with type 2 diabetes,
:09:25. > :09:28.could extend the life expectancy in those without the disease.
:09:29. > :09:32.The study showed it to have an impact on slowing the spread of some
:09:33. > :09:49.It could potentially reduce the risk by 40%. That is not just people who
:09:50. > :09:53.have cancer stopping them get cancer, it is also preventing the
:09:54. > :09:58.initiation of cancer. So we don't fully understand how the drug works
:09:59. > :10:01.yet all the benefits, but I am optimistic with time we will
:10:02. > :10:04.understand those things, and, potentially, we will elicit those
:10:05. > :10:07.benefits in the general population. In its hey day it was one of North
:10:08. > :10:10.Wales' most popular seaside resorts. Now a number of private companies
:10:11. > :10:13.have expressed interest in helping Denbighshire Council has asked
:10:14. > :10:17.developers to come up with plans for its leisure facilities
:10:18. > :10:19.along the coast. It comes as many of our seaside
:10:20. > :10:35.towns are enjoying a resurgence Thank you. This is a new approach to
:10:36. > :10:41.attract funding, and you can see why. Coastal tourism is worth ?280
:10:42. > :10:45.million a year here in Wales and the sector employs 21,000 people. So it
:10:46. > :10:50.seems we really do like to be beside the seaside!
:10:51. > :10:53.Rhyl's golden age may seem a long time ago but there are signs that
:10:54. > :11:02.Denbighshire Council is appealing to the private sector to use its money
:11:03. > :11:10.and imagination to breath new life into any of its leisure facilities
:11:11. > :11:13.from the now-closed Sun Centre pool to the boating lake which was a key
:11:14. > :11:15.location in the recent Queen's Commonwealth Baton Relay.
:11:16. > :11:17.With the baton being handed to developers,
:11:18. > :11:24.the council hopes to build on other recent improvements here.
:11:25. > :11:30.Our real ambition is to create Rhyl is a place that the private sector
:11:31. > :11:41.feels it is right to invest. We are starting to see that already. We
:11:42. > :11:44.have a new 70-hotel -- 70-bed hotel in developing. It would be good if
:11:45. > :11:50.they opened the tower and leisure centre again. That would be quite
:11:51. > :11:56.good, I think. Quite a good idea. It has altered a lot in the last 20, 30
:11:57. > :11:57.years. It is a lot better than we thought it was before. Completely
:11:58. > :12:04.better. Following two good summers
:12:05. > :12:05.visitor numbers are North Wales Tourism says
:12:06. > :12:09.our coastal towns are enjoying a resurgance with the so-called
:12:10. > :12:20.staycation proving a popular The constituency of Aberconwy
:12:21. > :12:29.employs the largest number of people within the tourism industry in the
:12:30. > :12:32.UK. They employ over 's 5700 people within the industry.
:12:33. > :12:36.Which will be a relief to people employed in the industry in Wales.
:12:37. > :12:38.From Barry island in South Wales to Colwyn Bay
:12:39. > :12:40.in the North, millions of pounds of investment over
:12:41. > :12:44.Penarth Pier was recently voted Wales' most treasured landmark.
:12:45. > :12:47.And Pwllheli is getting a new Sailing Academy thanks to local,
:12:48. > :12:49.national and European funding which will see an armada of visitors
:12:50. > :13:01.There are three international events and it will generate around 50,000
:13:02. > :13:03.bed nights with just those championships.
:13:04. > :13:06.Denbighshire council has had plenty of interest from developers
:13:07. > :13:12.keen to transform Rhyl - it hopes a new golden age is on the way.
:13:13. > :13:18.There is a real appetite from people to see these iconic buildings put
:13:19. > :13:21.back into use, so we will have to see what ideas the successful
:13:22. > :13:29.developer, when they are chosen, comes up with. Still to come, a full
:13:30. > :13:33.weekend weather forecast and the new football season starts tonight, with
:13:34. > :13:38.Cardiff city hoping to bounce back to the top flight.
:13:39. > :13:44.It has been another busy day at the national Eisteddfod. Earlier,
:13:45. > :13:47.sporting stars were accepted into the Gorsedd of the Bards and this
:13:48. > :13:59.afternoon, the prestigious Eisteddfod chair was chosen for Best
:14:00. > :14:04.Poem. Our reporter is there for us. On this, the penultimate day of the
:14:05. > :14:07.2014 Eisteddfod, over the last 14 days tens of thousands of people
:14:08. > :14:15.have visited, though the figures are down slightly on last year. Here at
:14:16. > :14:19.the Gorsedd of the Bards circle, it was a peaceful scene, though it was
:14:20. > :14:25.a very different story earlier. It was packed with people, eager to see
:14:26. > :14:32.those famous faces of the Gorsedd of the Bards. Rhodri Lewis has been a
:14:33. > :14:34.member for more than 20 years today. He wore his robes to give us a
:14:35. > :14:51.glimpse behind-the-scenes. Steeped in tradition, for many, this
:14:52. > :14:54.is something of an unknown, even a mysterious organisation. But it
:14:55. > :14:59.isn't like that at all. I have been a barred for quite a few years. I am
:15:00. > :15:04.easy to spot. I am wearing green! And while I wear these robes, I am
:15:05. > :15:10.known by my bardic name after my home village near Swansea. Baths
:15:11. > :15:15.where three colours in broad order of seniority. White, then blue, then
:15:16. > :15:22.green. You can also joined by having a degree in Welsh or Welsh music at
:15:23. > :15:26.university, or take an exam, like I did. But you don't have to be a
:15:27. > :15:31.barred to get in. This morning, we were swearing in new members. Many
:15:32. > :15:35.will not have a literary or artistic background but many, like Steve
:15:36. > :15:47.Jones, are being honoured for their contribution to Welsh life. This
:15:48. > :15:55.shot put Thrower chose Aled the There is his name. Very honoured. As
:15:56. > :16:02.simple as that. The occasion is wonderful. The fact that it was in
:16:03. > :16:09.Carmarthenshire added some extra spice as well, so really enjoyed the
:16:10. > :16:12.whole occasion. It is time to go to the back of the pavilion for the
:16:13. > :16:15.chairing of the Bard, but standards are very high and there won't be a
:16:16. > :16:25.champion if the standards are not met. As well as Welsh bards, others
:16:26. > :16:28.from Patagonia attends ceremonies. Some have told me that the Welsh
:16:29. > :16:37.Gorsedd of the Bards is bigger than theirs. We have 100 members. It is a
:16:38. > :16:42.bit different. How do you feel on stage when you see the thousands of
:16:43. > :16:46.people? Very impressed, and is very emotional, but it is the first time
:16:47. > :16:52.for me that I come to Wales, so I am Berry honoured to be in this
:16:53. > :16:56.company. This is the final duty of the festival. Soon, the roads and
:16:57. > :17:00.everything will be put away, ready to do it next year in
:17:01. > :17:06.Montgomeryshire. As he mentioned, the main ceremony
:17:07. > :17:16.today saw the chair a ward for the West poem written in strict metre.
:17:17. > :17:23.-- award. The winner was from Cardigan. It is the second time he
:17:24. > :17:29.has won. Many congratulations to him. That is it from us at the
:17:30. > :17:32.Eisteddfod for this year. The festivities and competitions will
:17:33. > :17:36.carry on tomorrow before everything is packed away ready for next
:17:37. > :17:44.year's Eisteddfod, which will be head in -- will be held in
:17:45. > :17:47.Montgomeryshire. We are barely into August but
:17:48. > :17:57.tonight sees the opening of the new football season. In action this
:17:58. > :18:00.weekend, Newport County and Wrexham. A year ago, Cardiff city embarked on
:18:01. > :18:04.their first ever Premier League season with a degree of optimism,
:18:05. > :18:10.having won the championship and invested millions in the staff. The
:18:11. > :18:15.reality was a season of ups, downs and everything in between. The fans
:18:16. > :18:19.protested against the owner and in the end, reggae and came with aid
:18:20. > :18:24.for more than a whimper. That has not stopped the bluebirds being the
:18:25. > :18:29.favourites to bounce back to the top flight. The summer was hard in the
:18:30. > :18:36.fact that you evaluate, you have been relegated, and that is a lot
:18:37. > :18:40.harder than having won something and then you move on. We have had to
:18:41. > :18:44.look at every single thing we did and what went wrong, why it went
:18:45. > :18:50.wrong, what we should do, and I think we have come out the other
:18:51. > :18:55.side really positive. Newport County enjoyed a solid first season back in
:18:56. > :19:00.the football league. They finished 14th in League Two, a platform to
:19:01. > :19:04.build on, as they continue their campaign against Wycombe tomorrow.
:19:05. > :19:09.What we want to do as a team is have a better next year. We had some good
:19:10. > :19:13.cup run is along the way so to emulate that an better that, that
:19:14. > :19:21.has got to be a tough achievement but something we will be setting out
:19:22. > :19:24.to do. -- and better. The manager has had a full pre-season to put his
:19:25. > :19:31.stamp on the squad and will be looking to improve on last season,
:19:32. > :19:35.which saw the Dragons a long way behind promotion and play-off
:19:36. > :19:39.places. He has come in and changed a few things around but he has kept a
:19:40. > :19:44.lot of the more promising players from last year. More consistency,
:19:45. > :19:50.really, from the off. Get a good start and then we can go on from
:19:51. > :20:07.that. Wrexham's new season starts tomorrow against Dartford.
:20:08. > :20:11.Utrecht claim they are open for the transfer fee. Swansea says the
:20:12. > :20:15.transfer was conducted correctly under Premier League rules.
:20:16. > :20:20.Cricket, and Glamorgan are playing Durham in the one-day cup. The
:20:21. > :20:28.visitors won the toss and elected to bat.
:20:29. > :20:40.You can see more of the interview with Cardiff city's player on Sport
:20:41. > :20:44.Wales tonight at 7pm. We have been looking this week at
:20:45. > :20:47.how Wales responded to the outbreak of the First World War. Towns and
:20:48. > :20:54.villages across the country are delving through the art -- archives.
:20:55. > :20:59.It has prompted a new exhibition of records and photos of soldiers based
:21:00. > :21:05.in the area. Somewhere in France... Sunday. Dear
:21:06. > :21:11.Sir, last Monday night I was under fire for the first time. The advance
:21:12. > :21:18.was only a matter of 1000 yards but the slaughter was enormous.
:21:19. > :21:23.Soldiers from a school writing from the front line in France to their
:21:24. > :21:27.former schoolmaster. You have death staring at you in the face every
:21:28. > :21:33.moment of the day and night so one must think of thoughts of my school.
:21:34. > :21:43.The words are read out by pupils of the same school five years on. This
:21:44. > :21:46.is a silk pinafore... Keith loaned the museum this silk penny his
:21:47. > :21:53.grandfather brought back after serving on the front line France. --
:21:54. > :21:59.pinafore. Treasured by 100 years, a sign of his love for his wife and of
:22:00. > :22:05.the war. Knowing he had seen this in the shop and brought it back with
:22:06. > :22:09.him... You know, it gets you a bit. Like many, Keith's grandfather did
:22:10. > :22:13.not speak about his time in the trenches. This exhibition reveals
:22:14. > :22:17.those on the whole personal stories through handmade cards, pocket
:22:18. > :22:27.watches and emotive letters from the front. People can come along and
:22:28. > :22:38.then connect with their members of their families. Left Cardiff
:22:39. > :22:46.station, en route to London... Tomorrow is not to pass by without
:22:47. > :22:55.my writing to Nan. And that is the last entry, because he was reported
:22:56. > :23:00.missing by the next day. Allen left university to sign up but was killed
:23:01. > :23:06.to sign up but was killed two days diary, one of many personal items on
:23:07. > :23:12.view for the first time. It just shows how strong family history can
:23:13. > :23:17.be. We mustn't just go on Facebook or Twitter. We must write down these
:23:18. > :23:24.things and keep them. And keep objects that are important. Ed has
:23:25. > :23:29.been quite overwhelming. With every exhibition we do, we ask for air
:23:30. > :23:39.looms, and this has surpassed any we have done before and our hopes for
:23:40. > :23:42.it. It shows first-hand accounts that many were too distraught to
:23:43. > :23:54.talk about. There has been many -- much talk of
:23:55. > :23:55.whether Hurricane Bertha is going to give us some trouble. What is the
:23:56. > :24:04.verdict? It could cause some problems on
:24:05. > :24:09.Sunday but the jury is still out on the path that the low pressure could
:24:10. > :24:15.take. It started out over Barbados and then weakened over cooler seas.
:24:16. > :24:19.The Jetstream is driving it across the Atlantic and this picture shows
:24:20. > :24:26.you the remains of birth way out over the Atlantic. It is weaker than
:24:27. > :24:31.it was but as it continues to track towards the UK, it could pack a
:24:32. > :24:36.punch. It is moving across south-east England but the path it
:24:37. > :24:39.takes could change and it could go further north. Dry for most of us
:24:40. > :24:48.this evening and any isolated showers move away to leave us with a
:24:49. > :24:56.dry night. The low, 11 to 15. This is the picture for ATM on Saturday.
:24:57. > :25:04.Dry, bright and sunny spells. -- 8am. The odd heavy shower across
:25:05. > :25:10.Powys and southern counties. A few scattered showers in the morning,
:25:11. > :25:15.most of them in the South and West and mid Wales, with the North
:25:16. > :25:19.staying largely fine. A few showers through the afternoon and evening,
:25:20. > :25:24.but then longer spells of rain moving up from the South. Then the
:25:25. > :25:28.risk of severe weather with a yellow warning in force. Heavy rain
:25:29. > :25:31.possible with the wind picking up. Possibly stronger than shown here.
:25:32. > :25:37.It should brighten up in the afternoon but still with the risk of
:25:38. > :25:41.showers, so Saturday is the best day of the weekend. Sunday, wet for a
:25:42. > :25:49.while with the risk of disruption with strong winds. Next week, cool
:25:50. > :25:52.and breezy with showers. But Sunday is causing us some concern. The
:25:53. > :26:02.advice is to keep a close eye on the forecast. Stay tuned for updates on
:26:03. > :26:07.Wales Today and on the BBC radio station.
:26:08. > :26:11.Thank you very much indeed. A reminder of our top story, and
:26:12. > :26:15.police have been dealing with a major incident in Swansea. There are
:26:16. > :26:22.unconfirmed reports of a man with a gun at the top of the Meridien tower
:26:23. > :26:27.in the marina area of the city. Police have told us that incident is
:26:28. > :26:33.now over. We can speak to our reporter. What is happening?
:26:34. > :26:39.You can see the Meridian Tower behind me, the tallest building in
:26:40. > :26:43.Wales, standing behind me. There were unconfirmed reports of a man
:26:44. > :26:47.with a gun going into the rooftop restaurant earlier. Since then,
:26:48. > :26:52.there has been a major police operation with a sea of ambulances
:26:53. > :26:56.and police vehicles. We are told at has been resolved. The police will
:26:57. > :27:00.not say what has happened but the Ambulance Service has said they were
:27:01. > :27:06.not needed. When this happened, all the residents of these flats were
:27:07. > :27:13.told to stay indoors, the police went in. A huge police presence in
:27:14. > :27:19.with a helicopter in the air. A large crowd was drawn and the roads
:27:20. > :27:22.were closed off, which caused traffic chaos in this part of
:27:23. > :27:26.Swansea. It is all resolved and seems to have been resolved
:27:27. > :27:31.peacefully. The cordons are being taken down so it looks like a
:27:32. > :27:35.peaceful resolution to this moment of high drama in Swansea Marina.
:27:36. > :27:41.Thank you for that update. We will bring you the latest on that story
:27:42. > :27:59.in our updates at 8pm and later. Thank you for watching. Good night.
:28:00. > :28:08.Crisis appeal on behalf of the Disasters Emergency Committee.
:28:09. > :28:09.Over the last month the crisis