01/06/2016 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today, our top stories:

Chris Wood took his own life, why is the system

failing people like him with complex mental health problems?

For my lovely son, who we had fought so hard to keep safe, to

die in the street like that, to try and explain that to my husband's

90-year-old parents was unbelievable.

It was just horrendous. It really was.

Tonight mental health charities say 'enough is enough' and tell

underperforming health boards to shape up.

Would it really help improve learning and school standards?

Lives are at risk and homes and property too, the warning

tonight on plans to reduce fire crew cover in Wrexham.

Good evening, welcome to the Swalec Stadium

where Glamorgan's new signing, one the world finest fastest

Wales footballers have been training for the first time since the final

Euro 2016 squad was announced watched by hundreds of fans.

You normally see them on TV or just in a stadium and they are quite

But seeing them up close here doing training is amazing.

Chris Wood, from Cardiff, killed himself when he was just 25.

He had complex mental health problems but a new report,

seen exclusively by BBC Wales, says he would still be

alive had he received the care he needed.

The charity, Hafal, is now calling on the Welsh Government to do more

to ensure health boards comply with the law on mental health.

That is what Chris Wood's family called him when

His mum, Debbie Wood, says he was gentle and kind,

But life become very difficult for him when he

started suffering from mental ill-health when he was 21.

He had borderline personality disorder

which meant he couldn't cope with intense emotions

He tried to kill himself 32 times in his short life.

In January 2013, he went missing and Debbie and Chris's father,

Robin, found him in a lane.

We had taken him to A so many times and always brought

him back with us, that was a part of me that couldn't quite

But what a lovely son, we had fought so hard to keep safe.

To die in the street like that, to try and explain that

to my husband's 90-year-old parents was unbelievable.

It was just horrendous, it really was.

I think I fought hard because I wanted

them to actually acknowledge what they had done to him.

That acknowledgement came after an independent report looking

at how Cardiff and Vale Health Board had cared for Chris.

It found his death would have been prevented had

he received a reasonable standard of care, tspecifically a care

co-ordinator to oversee a consistent approach to his complex problems.

Debbie said that reading this report was devastating.

It found there was no evidence that Chris's risk to himself

was correctly assessed the year before he died.

It also says his care plan was inadequate and

there was grave concern about the lack of the involvement of

Now, there are calls for the Welsh Government to do more to

ensure that services comply with mental health law.

We hear too much, we've learned lessons from these cases.

If people don't want to deliver the mental health measure,

they should give up delivering the mental health services

themselves and give it to a health board that's capable of doing that.

The Welsh Government, that spends 11% of the health budget

on mental health, says it is a priority.

They say they expect services to comply with national guidelines

and it has introduced a measure to ensure all those

in secondary services have a care and treatment plan.

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board has apologised to Chris's

family and said they have taken steps to address the issues raised

It also says it has been developing services for people

I just feel he was let down so badly and so were we.

There was nobody for us to turn to for advice or help because every

time we asked, there was no response.

We said everything there was to say and nobody was listening.

That is the worst thing and it will haunt me forever.

It is impossible to know how many people have gone

through a similar experience to Chris but mental

health charities say it isn't uncommon.

It has taken Chris's family three years to fight for answers.

They are speaking out now as they want changes made

so people like Chris, who have complex mental health issues,

There are plans to reduce the maximum size of infant classes

But an education expert says it won't have much impact on learning

and there's also concern that already overcrowded schools

will struggle to cope with the change.

The policy is part of the deal between the Labour-run Welsh

Government and the Liberal Democrats which saw the Lib Dems' only

Assembly Member Kirsty Williams, appointed Education Secretary.

Getting out of the classroom and into the sunshine in half term week.

School may be a distant thought for these children playing

and meeting the animals at this farm near Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan

but the new Welsh Government, with its Lib Dem

Education Secretary, Kirsty Williams, has

a new priority, to cut class sizes for the youngest children.

For my kids, I chose a school that wasn't within my

catchment area and it was because I knew class sizes weren't

huge and they concentrated on the emotional,

You can't do that with huge class sizes.

is so much better for the children and it is nice

One expert, who's advised the government for the last

six years says the policy isn't backed up by evidence.

I would use the money for the pressing thing.

The most pressing thing of all, which is independent of class sizes,

we haven't developed the capacities of our teachers to be world-class

There is scepticism too from people who are in politics.

From within Labour about the cost of this flagship Lib Dem policy

Most of the primary schools in Cardiff Central

We have a huge problem of undersupply as we've got a

The competition for places is huge and the anxiety of

parents who don't have a place near to where they left, where they can

The average infant class size is 25.4.

But recent data shows more than 7000 pupils, around 7%, were in classes

According to the Lib Dems, more than half of all

You speak to any teacher they will tell you if they have a smaller

class sizes they can offer better services to those pupils, they can

identify strengths or weaknesses easier.

I'd have some concerns about the debate, do we

reduce class sizes or do we improve teachers' professional allotment?

It should be how do we ensure a situation

The Welsh Government insist teaching development is a priority too but

with money tight and opposition parties lukewarm on the class size

plan, some deft footwork may be needed to make it a reality.

Will this change happen? There are two factors, money and political

will. Arwyn Jones was king of the financial climate the new government

is in. Every new commitment in this administration will have to be paid

for from the cutbacks among others. This Lib Dem policy has a price tag

and Labour's Jenny Rathbone is concerned it could come at the

expense of some of Labour's education priorities. This is a

minority government, it doesn't have an overall majority. The

Conservatives and Plaid Cymru have said they agree with David Reynolds,

money could be better spent differently. Add to that those

concerns within Labour and it all looks pretty difficult for the

government to get this done. Staying with schools,

a consultation on the future of four secondary schools

in Powys has closed. The council has plans to close

Gwernyfed and Brecon schools, and create a single school

in their place, and doing the same at Builth Wales

and Llandrindod schools. The changes could be put

in place for the start The number of adults in Wales

who say they smoke has fallen to 19% according to the Welsh Government's

latest Health Survey. But there's still concern

about binge drinking, Wrexham's council leader has

criticised proposals which could see up to 24 posts cut

from the town's fire station. The north Wales Fire Authority has

to save a million pounds and is considering removing one

of the fire appliances The Fire Brigade's Union

is also opposing the plan. Llangefni last summer and a chip

shop is engulfed in flames. It took 20 minutes for a fire crew

to arrive as the town's station The firefighters union warned then

that this type of situation would rise in future and say Wrexham

faces problems if up to 24 posts It isn't only about tracks itself,

it is the area that will suffer. The availability of surrounding

stations, I don't think have been evaluated properly for the executive

panel to make this decision to take to the full fire authority.

The council leader agrees and wants an urgent meeting with the north

Wales Fire Authority about the options

We have the hospital, one of the largest prisons in the country being

built. Local development plan, we are looking to propose to build

between 13 thousand and 20,000 homes in Wrexham. I thought they would be

more demand on Fire Services not less. This is the resort centre in

Wrexham. West than two months old cost ?15 million. The Fire Brigades

Union and local politicians argue given such a large recent investment

talk of course makes little sense. The Fire Service says a working

group has concluded that removing one fire engine and a crew

from here by end of the decade would be the least damaging option

under consideration. The Venture play centre

in Wrexham was the scene We've got the insurance cleared at

last. The manager, also a local

councillor, says the changes We need to take it on trust, they

are not choosing the worst place to cut. Nevertheless, it is still going

to be a worse service than it was. That puts it all at risk of stop

The Fire Authority will meet in a few stop weeks' time and says

there'll be wide consultation on whichever proposal is chosen.

Much more to come before seven o'clock -

Wales players have been training for the first time

since the final Euro 2016 squad was announced watched

And pine martens were on the verge of extinction now something

Three weeks tomorrow, you'll be asked if you want

the UK to remain or leave the European Union.

Both sides of the debate are at loggerheads

and today there's been a focus on jobs.

A report, commissioned by the campaign group

Britain Stronger in Europe, has estimated that

more than 6,000 manufacturing jobs would be created in Wales

Leave campaigners have called the findings absurd,

saying many similar projections in the past have proved to be wrong.

Our political editor Nick Servini has been going through the detail.

what is it saying? This has been done by a think tank called. We are

in the single market now of course, it means there are no tariffs, there

is no taxation with regard trade within the EEE you. It is hugely

complex area and they could be integration in future in terms of

energy and finance. It is this area which the CBI thinks could lead to

an increase in the numbers of jobs in Wales. Less run through some of

the figures. There are 100,000 jobs in Wales currently linked directly

or indirectly to exports to the EU. It is about 10% of the private

sector workforce. 42,000 of those, the biggest single term, either in

manufacturing. Those figures are not disputed. But as controversial as

the finding from the think tank that deepening of the single market could

lead to more than 6000 new jobs in manufacturing in Wales between now

and 2030. Remain campaigners are saying if it is a Brexit, those jobs

could be under threat. Leave campaigners are saying, this is

absurd, we're talking about losing jobs that haven't been created. They

say if you want to talk about job creation must talk about regulation

and red tape from Brussels which too often constrict growth rather than

help it. Jobs warning about an exit have been

a hallmark of this campaign. We have had them on the huge level, work the

same were often than not, we haven't had well specific figures like we

have had today. I would say we will get more localised figures. I

understand the league campaign next week are going to give Welsh

projections on what the potential number of new EU migrants will be

over the course of the next 14 years and the pressure point that have on

public services, most notably the NHS.

Lots to talk about in football and cricket in tonight's

Not a bad night for this. Glamorgan are hosting their first tee 20 blast

tonight. Not a great start. More of the cricket in a moment.

As Wales prepare for their first major championship in almost six

decades, police have written to almost 90 Welsh fans, ordering

them to surrender their passports to stop them travelling to France.

The fans have all been involved in previous football-related disorder.

It is the venue for our group stage opener

But Wales' most senior officer involved in helping to police

the tournament says some fans are not welcome in France.

Those already subject to banning orders were

today ordered to surrender their passports by 7pm tonight.

The very fact they have been arrested for

committing criminal offences at football

Their behaviour is behaviour we don't want to see at

football games, be it here or abroad.

Hence why they are being stopped from going.

Of the 87 Welsh fans object of banning orders, more

The others are based in Wrexham, Swansea and Newport.

If they don't surrender their passports by this evening,

We will be going to their houses to find them, they can

There are further offences they've committed they could be

charged for and put before the courts.

After the Bordeaux game the next up is the northern town of Lens

where Wales will meet England.

The capacity of the stadium here is larger than the population

England has been here before, facing Colombia in a

World Cup match in 1998 and there was trouble on the streets.

This time the French authorities are banning alcohol.

Anywhere in the street, there will be no consumption of

alcohol, they won't be able to carry alcohol.

We know in Lens they will

be doing checks at the coach park and at the car park to stop people

Although the Euros are a peaceful festival of football there is

In Euro 2012 there were clashes between Russian

and Polish supporters and these days there is also the added

Malcolm Tarbitt runs the International Centre for Sport

He says fans must cooperate fully with

We are aware their national threat level is at the

They currently have implemented a state of emergency.

We would advise any fans, don't make any jokes about

Stick to the rules and secondly, be vigilant.

Ffion Owen, a student from Aberystwyth,

has been planning her French trip for months.

Despite any potential security problems she is delighted

We don't know what to expect so it is going to be

The group stage ends in Toulose with the game against Russia on

It is hoped the travelling fans will be leaving that

city in just a buoyant a mood as when they left Wales.

The players will be heading to France before the end the week.

There was extra scrutiny at training today, 200 supporters who'd won

a competition were allowed in to watch them rain.

It is not everyday you get the chance to get

this close to the likes Joe Ledley and Gareth Bale.

Their every move was monitored in training today.

I just want to make the boys in class jealous because they only

answer to the name of Gareth Bale on the yard.

You can see they are all enjoying each other's company

and how much fun they are having.

We normally see them on TV or just in

the stadium and they are quite far away.

But then just seeing them up close here, just doing training is

There is no doubting the popularity of the Wales national team.

200 fans have come to watch today's training session.

Gareth Bale is here for the first time since winning the

But Joe Allen, Joe Ledley and Hal Robson Kanu will miss

the friendly in Sweden because of injury.

A blonde Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale trained away

from the main group with those who are not fully fit.

But both could feature in the game in Stockholm this weekend.

No doubt, Bale is the biggest draw not only for fans and

photographers but for the youngest player in the squad too.

When I first met him I was a bit starstruck.

But he makes everyone feel welcome and he is just another one of us.

While Euro 2016 opponents, England, will have had three warm up

Fewer friendlies is not a problem for the players.

I think when we met up last week to go to Portugal the boys, the

majority of the players, had the week off from the club.

It is important because it is a long season and, more mentally than

physically, it is nice to have a bit of a break.

The football in France is fast approaching.

For many here, a lifetimes ambition is about to be realised.

Growing up as a young kid to playing in a tournament like

As you said, it is something we have been working for

We missed last time, this is it.

We believe that from the start and with the games we played in we

Wales have two more days to prepare on home soil

Then it is straight to France and the real business will begin.

And you can catch a special programme on that very long

Wales: The Road to the Euros is on BBC One Wales at 7.30pm.

Back to the cricket, and Glamorgan have a new star

Fans are in for a treat, they're seeing one of the finest

The south African Dale Steyn has joined the Welsh county

Coach Robert Croft hopes he'll take plenty of wickets, and bring

Any batsmen that goes out and faces him knows they are in for the

contest. They can take liberties with that pace. If they are good to

try it, they could get on done. It is the intensity. As the fast bowler

that is what I have to bring stop you have to bowl at 90 mph plus that

is what I can offer. It doesn't guarantee success but it is what I

can do. It excites players, especially your team-mates when they

see the ball flying past. It is exciting.

Glamorgan 31-2. Commentary on Radio Wales tonight.

They were on the verge of extinction in Wales but pine martens relocated

from Scotland in a bid to save them have given birth to

Hidden cameras have confirmed three of the ten females have

20 animals were released into the wild in Ceredigion

last autumn by the Vincent Wildlife Trust.

Elusive, quick moving and primarily nocturnal.

Pine martens were on the edge of extinction so these Scottish

ones, where they still have a healthy number

of the mammals, were brought here and kept in introductory pens

When they felt comfortable in their new surroundings

Now seven months later, three of the pine martens have

David Baven from the Vincent Wildlife trust has been

monitoring their movements, he says these births

It reinforces in our minds of the habitat of anti-and the environment

is perfectly suitable for pine martens. We have been monitoring the

situation for decades and not seeing any recovery. This was the only

action available to us if we wanted to have a one night if pine martens

enamel woodlands. There had been some concerns

from farmers about the relocation. But although a carnivore,

a pine marten is more likely to dine mice and berries rather

than any livestock. It is woodlands like this where the

pine martens and their kids will flourish. Because of the success of

this project, another 20 pine martens will be released here in the

autumn. These dens saw the birth

of the kits. Still only a few weeks old it'll be

another three weeks before the new borns make their way

around these woods. Their eyes have only just opened.

They are not up to much. They are sleeping all the time. They are

dependent on their mothers do everything.

Ceredigion has also seen a successful reinforcement projects

Which were also once in fear of dying out now they are thriving.

It's hoped the Pine Marten will be another animal that makes Ceredgion

Derek, what does the weather have in store?

A big contrast in the weather today. This was the scene in Pontypool

early on. But in Pendine it has been glorious. Temperatures around 21

Celsius. The satellite pictures shows the extent of the cloud today

covering much of England and parts of Wales. The best of the sunshine

further north and west. Tonight, drive for most of us with the odd

shower here and there but no more than that. Some cloud red boat clear

in the north. A dry day tomorrow, a cloudy day for most of us.

Elsewhere, it will turn to brighten up and the clouds breaking up

hearing. Here is the picture in more detail for three o'clock in the

afternoon. Fine and dry, sunny for most with a few fair weather clouds.

It should be a beautiful afternoon in Gwynedd, Anglesey, Kennedy again

and Carmarthenshire. A light moderate breeze, top temperatures up

to 20 Celsius. Cooler on the coast. In the Vale of Glamorgan, drive

tomorrow and becoming sunny. A high of 19 Celsius with a north-easterly

breeze. If you were going to the Eisteddfod in Flint, no need for the

wellies. Another dry day and brightening up. Fine tomorrow

evening, staying dry overnight. The sky is clear so it will turn cooling

places. Dropping down to five Celsius. Friday, drive. Elsewhere,

more cloud especially in the east. For the weekend, a few showers which

may be thundery in places. Some sunshine and becoming warmer.

I'll have an update for you here at eight o'clock and again