0:00:04 > 0:00:06Welcome to Wales Today.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09Our top stories tonight: Three soldiers died as a result of neglect
0:00:09 > 0:00:12on an SAS training exercise in the Brecon Beacons.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14Now the Ministry of Defence is to face the highest possible
0:00:14 > 0:00:20reprimand over its failings.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23And the cost of tackling serious crime - the debate if policing
0:00:23 > 0:00:32was devolved to Wales.
0:00:39 > 0:00:40Good evening.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43The Ministry of Defence is to be given the strongest reprimand
0:00:43 > 0:00:46possible, over the deaths of three soldiers in the Brecon Beacons.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48Reservists Edward Maher, James Dunsby and Craig Roberts
0:00:48 > 0:00:51collapsed on one of the hottest days of 2013, on an SAS
0:00:51 > 0:01:00selection exercise.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03The Health and Safety Executive says it will pass its strongest sanction
0:01:03 > 0:01:04- a crown censure.
0:01:04 > 0:01:10The law does not allow the MOD to be prosecuted.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13It is the toughest of testing grounds, the Brecon Beacons in any
0:01:13 > 0:01:16weather can be unforgiving but on the hottest day of summer
0:01:16 > 0:01:18in 2013, three young men on selection for the SAS
0:01:18 > 0:01:21lost their lives.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24The inquest into the deaths of reservists
0:01:24 > 0:01:31Craig Roberts, James Dunsby and Edward Maher found neglect
0:01:31 > 0:01:32played a part in their deaths.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Today the Health and Safety Executive has
0:01:34 > 0:01:38published its findings, saying the MoD would have faced
0:01:38 > 0:01:40prosecution for the failings if it did not have
0:01:40 > 0:01:42Crown immunity.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45At the end of the inquest, the families were clear
0:01:45 > 0:01:49they believe the Ministry of Defence last sight of its own values.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52they believe the Ministry of Defence lost sight of its own values.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57They displayed no responsibility, no accountability and no humility
0:01:57 > 0:02:00for their role in creating the culture
0:02:00 > 0:02:04which led to the events of 13th July 2013.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Even an ounce of this would have gone such a long way
0:02:07 > 0:02:08in acknowledging the vast catalogue of errors
0:02:08 > 0:02:10which were so clearly made.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14So, what went wrong?
0:02:14 > 0:02:17The men set off on the 16-mile march just before
0:02:17 > 0:02:20seven, all carrying GPS trackers so the commanders
0:02:20 > 0:02:23could track their movements.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26By the time Craig Roberts reached checkpoint five,
0:02:26 > 0:02:28two soldiers had already been withdrawn
0:02:28 > 0:02:31with heat illness.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35He collapsed just a few hundred metres from the finish line.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39Edward Maher took a different route.
0:02:39 > 0:02:48His GPS tracker stop moving for almost two hours
0:02:48 > 0:02:52before anyone else noticed.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54James Dunsby was also on the final leg of his March.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57He had been down for more than an hour
0:02:57 > 0:02:58before the medics arrived.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01The investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found
0:03:01 > 0:03:04that a failure to plan to assess and to manage the risks
0:03:04 > 0:03:07during the training which took place up here resulted in their deaths.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09These failures, they also found, caused ten more soldiers
0:03:09 > 0:03:11on the march that day to suffer heat illness.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14In a statement they say:
0:03:29 > 0:03:33The Ministry of Defence has acknowledged the censure
0:03:33 > 0:03:36and apologised for the failings.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38In a statement they say that they have
0:03:38 > 0:03:41made improvements to reduce risks and an enquiry is underway
0:03:41 > 0:03:45to identify further lessons to be learned.
0:03:45 > 0:03:53They say their thoughts remain with the families.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55A former lifeguard from Gwynedd - jailed for 50 years
0:03:55 > 0:03:58in the United States for raping a ten-year-old girl -
0:03:58 > 0:04:00must decide within a month whether to appeal against the length
0:04:00 > 0:04:02of his sentence.
0:04:02 > 0:04:0622-year-old Gareth Vincent Hall from Talysarn met the girl online,
0:04:06 > 0:04:08and flew to America, where he committed a number
0:04:08 > 0:04:13of offences against her.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15The bullet which killed a young Welsh soldier could have been fired
0:04:15 > 0:04:19by her - or someone else - an inquest into her death has heard.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21Cheryl James from Llangollen died from a bullet to the head
0:04:21 > 0:04:22at Deepcut Barracks in 1995.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25A German ballistics expert told the inquest that the bullet
0:04:25 > 0:04:35was fired at close range.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37The former footballer Ched Evans will have his rape conviction appeal
0:04:37 > 0:04:39heard in three weeks' time.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41The former Wales International was jailed for five years in 2012,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44after being found guilty of raping a 19-year-old woman
0:04:44 > 0:04:49at a hotel near Rhyl.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51The ability to tackle serious crime would require huge investment
0:04:51 > 0:04:53if power over policing was devolved.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55That is according to the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Ian Johnston believes Welsh officers would have to go cap in hand
0:04:58 > 0:05:00to England to access expertise like the National Crime Agency.
0:05:00 > 0:05:10But not every PCC here agrees.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12Wales versus France in Cardiff on a Friday night.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Policed by around 100 officers and a few horses.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16And while events like this aren't unique to Wales,
0:05:16 > 0:05:18the Welsh Government believes policing here could be improved
0:05:18 > 0:05:28if Cardiff Bay controlled it.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42But could serious crime like this be tackled as effectively?
0:05:42 > 0:05:45These drugs came from an Albanian crime group smuggled to Welsh
0:05:45 > 0:05:46criminals with connections in Spain.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48The gang was brought down by Gwent Police
0:05:48 > 0:05:49and the National Crime Agency.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51But the man responsible for the Gwent force believes
0:05:51 > 0:05:54the ability to fight serious crime and other specialist skills would be
0:05:54 > 0:05:57impeded, if policing was devolved.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00There is a real danger that we will have local policing
0:06:00 > 0:06:03in Wales, which is good, but if we need anything at a higher
0:06:03 > 0:06:05level, whether it be the National Crime Agency,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08some parts of the criminal justice system, we will have to look
0:06:08 > 0:06:10to England and we will be isolated and we could actually
0:06:10 > 0:06:14become the poor relatives.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16And the Welsh Police and Crime Commissioners,
0:06:16 > 0:06:19who are up for re-election in May, are split on the matter.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Ian Johnston in Gwent doesn't want policing devolved.
0:06:21 > 0:06:22Nor does Christopher-Salmon in Dyfed Powys.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24But Alun Michael in South Wales does want policing devolved.
0:06:24 > 0:06:32Winston Roddick in North Wales is also broadly in favour.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34Unless it can be demonstrated that devolving responsibility
0:06:34 > 0:06:36for the police would result in a deterioration
0:06:36 > 0:06:38in the effectiveness and efficiency of the police service then
0:06:38 > 0:06:48there is no good case against it.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56In Westminster yesterday, Plaid Cymru said devolving policing
0:06:56 > 0:06:58was the only way to address community needs in Wales.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Keith Vaz, the Chair of the influential
0:07:00 > 0:07:02Home Affairs Committee, said he believes Wales does
0:07:02 > 0:07:03require special attention.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05This is what the fight against crime and terrorism looks
0:07:05 > 0:07:08like in Scotland, which has full power over policing and justice.
0:07:08 > 0:07:09The ?75 million Scottish Crime Campus.
0:07:09 > 0:07:10A big ticket item.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12One expert here believes the Welsh Government wouldn't have
0:07:12 > 0:07:15to spend money like that, but would have to appoint policing
0:07:15 > 0:07:21ministers and civil servants, which could lead to wider mergers.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25The natural step forward if we had policing policy in Cardiff would be
0:07:25 > 0:07:29perhaps the formation of a national police force for
0:07:29 > 0:07:34Wales in the future.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38It is said there is a growing desire among senior officers here to see
0:07:38 > 0:07:40policing controlled in Wales.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43But the UK Government says PCCs already have that power and
0:07:43 > 0:07:48it won't be handing control of the police to Cardiff Bay.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Football, and Match of the Day is on later, so if you don't
0:07:51 > 0:07:54want to know what happened in Swansea's game against Arsenal,
0:07:54 > 0:07:58you know what to do.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07And it was a huge result for the Swans at the Emirates.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09They beat the home side 2-1, with goals from Wayne Routledge
0:08:09 > 0:08:10and Ashley Williams.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14It means they are now six points clear of the relegation zone.
0:08:14 > 0:08:15After today's wintry showers and strong winds,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18a quieter day in store tomorrow, largely dry and some bright spells.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20Tonight, winds not quite as strong but remaining blustery.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Wintry showers will eventually ease, turning dry overnight.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24An ice and frost risk again first thing.
0:08:24 > 0:08:29A respite tomorrow.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32A spell of dry weather before this next front
0:08:32 > 0:08:36pushes in from the Atlantic later in the day.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38An early frost and ice risk tomorrow,
0:08:38 > 0:08:41but a quieter and drier day.
0:08:41 > 0:08:42Temperatures easing with brighter spells.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Similar across the UK.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46Sunny spells, variable cloud but the East
0:08:46 > 0:08:49holding onto the sunshine for longest.
0:08:49 > 0:08:50It starts to cloud over from the West,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53ahead of the next front.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Some showers pushing in and chilly again.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58Highs of 5 degrees in the North of Scotland,
0:08:58 > 0:09:019 in the south of England.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Cloudier end to the day over Wales with rain
0:09:04 > 0:09:06arriving from the West, still on the chilly side
0:09:06 > 0:09:08at 7 or 8 degrees.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12Lighter winds and not feeling quite as cold as today.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14This weather front proves problematic later on Thursday
0:09:14 > 0:09:15and into Friday.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17It pushes through overnight and then swings back
0:09:17 > 0:09:23around, bringing spells of rain, some snow and stronger winds.
0:09:23 > 0:09:29Tomorrow night, a mix of rain, sleet and hill snow over North Wales
0:09:29 > 0:09:32as that front moves through, cold with ice risk.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35On Friday, a cold day.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38More likely to see those blustery wintry showers in the north,
0:09:38 > 0:09:40maybe drier further south,
0:09:40 > 0:09:45but the position of this front could change.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48So, a wintry feel for the end of the first week of spring.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Looking colder but a bit more settled into the weekend.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53We will be back with updates in Breakfast
0:09:53 > 0:09:54from 6:25am tomorrow morning.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56But from everyone on the late team, thanks for watching.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01Goodnight.