03/04/2017 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today - our headlines tonight:

Ukip in the middle of a ferocious row.

The party's assembly member Michelle Brown is to face a vote

of no confidence among party members.

She has only been there since May, and the list of things she has done

is horrendous. So what is it that Ukip's AM

stands accused of? Tonight, she gets the full

support of the party's Matthew Williams killed

Cerys Yemm at this B An inquest hears there was no system

in place between police, Holidays in term time

without the school's permission Should

wild deer like these be slaughtered And in tonight's sport,

who'd be a Premier League manager Paul Clement goes through the

emotions as his Swansea City side pick up just a point to stay just

above the relegation zone. One of Ukip's six Assembly Members

is to face a vote of confidence among party members across north

Wales. Party activists met this

afternoon to discuss a letter referring to concerns about

what they say is Michelle Brown's She declined an invitation

to attend the meeting, and her spokesman described it

as "petty infighting". Here's our political

reporter James Williams. She's only been in the job for less

than a year. It's a great day for Ukip today. We have our first couple

of IMS Mac from north Wales. But to date, Michelle Brown has regularly

hit the headlines. It's a cause of concern for these Ukip members and

supporters. At their meeting today, they passed a vote of no-confidence

in the assembly member for north Wales. There were also be a wider

vote of members in about a month's time to see if they share the

concerns raised at the meeting. Where do I start? Bringing the party

into disrepute by various actions that she's done over the last

months. She has only been there since May and the list of things she

has done is horrendous. She is not engaging with the population across

north Wales, which she should be doing as an AM. In a letter sent to

Michelle Brown ahead of today's meeting, local party members listed

18 concerns. It mentions claims that she smoked recreational drugs in her

hotel room, something likely to bring the party into disrepute, they

say. She denied the accusation. It also mentions an e-mail exchange

discussing how an advert for a job in her office could be changed to

help her brother get an interview for the post. Not behaviour becoming

of an upstanding member of the community, they say. Michelle Brown

says she acted with complete propriety. There is concern that she

least this shop to act as her regional office, but it has never

been opened, despite the Welsh assembly having paid over ?2000 for

the rent up to much of this year. And the allegation that we have not

seen you attend one single surgery since being elected. Michel Barnier

was invited in this letter to today's meeting so that she would

begin what members say was a fair opportunity to answer the

criticisms. She declined via e-mail this morning, while her spokesman

said that this letter represents nothing more than petty infighting.

But with the Ukip AM now facing a vote of no confidence among party

members in north Wales, it also represents another headache for Ukip

in the Senate. Not so, says the party's leader in Cardiff Bay. This

meeting has no cottage regional significance. It was almost largely

by people who are not members of Ukip. It was chaired by somebody who

is not a member of Ukip, and most of the people there are long term

opponents of Michelle Brown because they wanted somebody asked to be

selected as one of the lead candidates in north Wales. It is a

culmination of a long and bitter personal campaign against her, and

she has my full support. Comforting words for Michelle Brown, who

couldn't attend the party meeting because she was working in the

Senedd this afternoon. We will see shortly if there is as much support

for her amongst her local party members.

James Williams is in Cardiff Bay for us tonight.

Yes. And despite Neil Hamilton's attempts to dismiss the relevance of

this meeting, the fact that party members in north Wales are going to

vote on a motion of confidence in one of the party's assembly members

is hardly good news for Ukip. And as you said, it is yet another headache

on top of the bitter infighting we have seen among the party members

here in Cardiff Bay since the end of the Senedd for the first time --

since they entered the Senedd after last May's election. They entered as

a group of seven but are already down to six following Nathan Gill,

the forming part lead it in Wales' decision to sit down following

clashes between himself and Neil Hamilton. The wider context is that

questions have long surfaced about what point there is now to Ukip as

we negotiate our exit from the European Union. What kind of role

can they play in our politics? Headlines like these make it a

little harder for them to answer that question.

Tributes have been paid to five people who died after a helicopter

crashed on a mountainside in southern Snowdonia.

Donald and Sharon Burke were two of those killed

Their daughter said the family had changed

Kevin and Ruth and Barry Burke also died in the crash.

Their bodies were recovered on Friday.

A housing officer at Caerphilly council

has told the inquest into the deaths of a young woman and her killer

at the Sirhowy Arms Hotel in Argoed near Blackwood

that there was a possible weakness in the way information on former

Matthew Williams killed Cerys Yemm in 2014, two weeks

From Newport Coroner's Court, Caroline Evans.

Today, the inquest into the deaths of Cerys Yemm and Matthew Williams

at the Sirhowy Arms in Argoed heard from Caerphilly council,

the authority which housed Matthew Williams when he was

At that time, the court was told, a prison leaver was considered

So when Matthew Williams turned up at his local authority,

But the housing officer called to give evidence said that back then

when someone was released not on licence, but having

served their entire sentence, the probation service would not

automatically share information with the council, and the council

wouldn't share information on the background of

offenders with the B where individuals were placed.

22-year-old Cerys Yemm was killed by Matthew Williams just two weeks

He died shortly after being tasered by police at the scene.

Since that time, the court was told there has been a significant change

in the way information about possible risk is shared,

brought about by the new Wales Housing Act.

A jury has now heard all the evidence and

The Crimestoppers charity has launched an appeal to help stop

the supply of "dangerous drugs" in North Wales.

It follows a number of cases reported in towns such as Wrexham.

A thousand pound reward is being offered for information

on the supply of the psychoactive substances known as Mamba and Spice.

73 jobs are being created after a life sciences company

announced it's relocating its base from Powys to the

Sharp Clinical Services says its Crickhowell site

is at full capacity, so it's moving to a larger

The company says it'll also safeguard a further 70 jobs.

Firefighters are tackling a large blaze tonight at a hotel in Powys.

Five fire crews were called to the Severn Arms Hotel

in Penybont, near Llandrindod Wells, at 3.30 this afternoon.

Everyone who was inside the hotel has been accounted for.

The A44 in Penybont is closed in both directions.

There's been a big increase in the number of primary school

pupils going on unauthorised holidays during term-time.

Last year, 10.5% of all absences were down

Over the same period, authorised holidays fell significantly.

The Welsh Government says it's reviewing councils' use

of fines to punish parents who break the rules.

Enjoying the sun in Greece. This family from church village have

taken their sons on holiday during term time. Dad Steve says he thinks

is important for them to have a holiday, and it has to be done when

it is affordable. As a travel agent, he knows better than most the price

difference between a tie-break and one during the school holidays. The

4th of August, one week, Cardiff to Majorca, on an all-inclusive

package, three star holiday in the summer holidays, ?2684. If you went

out of season, the second week in September, you are looking at the

same holiday for ?1718. 4-star, you are looking at ?3100. Out of season,

?1929. Steve says his boys' headteacher was happy for them to go

on holiday during term time. Heads are allowed to approve up to ten

days of absence a year, but increasingly, holidays are not being

approved. A school day consists of two sessions, morning and afternoon.

Between 2011-12 and 2015-16, the number of sessions in primary

schools being lost because of children going on holiday has fallen

from more than 920,000 to nearly 780 9000. The number of those that were

authorised fell from more than 862,000 to just over 360 4000. But

unauthorised ones went up from around 58,000 to nearly 420 5000.

That meant more parents were liable for fines. One expert said

inspections and categorisation system mean that schools are under

pressure to improve their attendance rates. It's only fair that

headteachers have an element of autonomy. They know their pupils

better than anybody else, and they know when it is proper to let their

pupils off school for any occasion. Otherwise, it is important that

children are in school to learn. If they are not, they can't learn and

they fall behind their peers. Whilst that is still happening, there is

work to be done in Wales. Headteachers face a balancing act of

trying to decide when a holiday is in the interests of a people, and

when it is damaging to their education, while also having an eye

on the impact any absence will have on the way their school is rated.

The Welsh government says it is pleased that overall attendance

rates are improving and that fines should only be used for regular

nonattendance. Tributes have been paid

to a 27-year-old man who died after an incident in Bangor

over the weekend. Another man has been

arrested on suspicion The police have

appealed for witnesses. Flowers left in the street

near Bangor's Peep nightclub, but a more significant

tribute to Henry Ayabowei, the more than ?2,500

already donated to his partner and two small children

through an online giving site. The police were called

here just before two o'clock They immediately sealed off this

area of Dean Street. In particular, they want to speak

to anyone who has mobile phone or dashcam video of

this part of Bangor. Known to many of his friends as

Romeo, Henry Ayabowei came to north Wales to study at Bangor University

and then stayed on to settle He died in hospital

yesterday morning. A keen footballer, he played

for a number of clubs in Gwynedd and Anglesey,

most recently Llanfairpwll. There, they plan to dedicate

their next game and hold a period He has represented about four

or five teams and he played a lot of Sunday league football prior

to that as well. But our thoughts must

be with the family, about footballers being the main

concern at this moment, but after this event,

obviously the family are the ones, and I knew the family

and our thoughts are very much with the two little children he has

left behind and his partner. People who knew Henry Ayabowei said

they are in deep shock. It was a privilege to know

him, read one tribute. Heartbreaking, I've lost

a friend, said another. They might look magnificent,

but some farmers want deer like these slaughtered over

a possible link with TB. And we had a beautiful day

across much of Wales yesterday, high pressure bringing

a fairly settled week. I'll have the full

details in a few minutes. The deputy manager of a nursery

in Port Talbot who's accused of child cruelty charges,

along with two of her colleagues, has denied ever being cruel

to children in her care. Christina Pinchess told the court

she'd never seen any staff member at the Bright Sparks nursery

being cruel to any child. Our reporter Aled

Scourfield was in court. Aled, remind us of the

background to this case. The allegations relate to a period

in late 2015, when children at the Bright Sparks nursery near Port

Talbot were allegedly wilfully assaulted, according to the

prosecution. It is alleged that children were force-fed, restrained

and picked up by their wrists before being dropped to the floor. The

crowd suggests that these children were traumatised by this treatment.

Katie Davis, the owner, Christina Pinchess and shall four can deny

nine charges relating to cruelty in all. And the deputy manager,

Christina Pinchess, has been giving evidence today. What did she have to

say? Christina Pinchess, who is eight months pregnant, gave evidence

this afternoon. She told the court she had 13 years of experience in

childcare. She started as a nanny to families in England before moving to

South Wales in 2013 with her partner. She was then employed as a

deputy manager at Bright Sparks nursery. She described herself and

the owner Katie Davis as mother bears. The more experienced members

of staff. She said staff would encourage children to eat their

food, but food would be taken away if children didn't cooperate. The

nursery had an open door policy for parents. She was asked directly

whether she had picked up a child by the wrists. She said she had no

recollection of such an event. She was then asked, have you ever been

cruel to a child? Her reply was no. She also said she would never force

feed a child. When asked whether she had seen anybody

at Bright Sparks nursery being cruel, her reply was no, I wouldn't

have had my child there if that was the case. All three deny the charges

against them and the case continues at Swansea Crown Court.

A group of farmers in Ceredigion are calling for

a cull of a herd of up to 35 deer that are living wild in a forest.

They're concerned about a possible link with TB

and are also worried that the deer will become pests

Natural Resources Wales says their officers have already killed

It's the largest land mammal in the UK, but they're

That's because they can be elusive and live in dense forests like this.

But farmer Ian Lloyd explained to me how

the red deer population in this

It's just a place for them, especially in the last winter,

when it's been very mild and there's plenty of fodder

Ian keeps over 60 cattle, and he says there are two farms

in the area that have cases of tuberculosis,

and there's concern that there could be a link with the deer that

I know there are farms that are down in the area with it.

So the farmer's got to test at least once a year, possibly twice.

And we need clean wildlife and clean cattle, it's as simple as that.

And what are the farmers saying to you when they hear

about these deer running loose and the numbers growing?

Nine times out of ten, the comments are that something

This is evidence that deer have been here recently.

They've run through this bank and torn away the soil

It's very rare to see red deer in the day,

They're primarily active between dusk and dawn.

The UK deer population is believed to be at its highest level

for a thousand years, and even conservation groups

recognise that culling is necessary in some areas because of the damage

And with no natural predators left, there is a fear that this could be

Natural Resources Wales says one deer from the herd

in South Ceredigion has been shot in order to carry out

David Jam is from NRW, and says this is a relatively new herd.

I understand from speaking to local people that they escaped

or were released from a private collection of dear only

So they are new to the area and they are a concern,

because they range widely across a large area now.

The deer's mating or rutting season is during October or November,

so the females are due to give birth in the next couple of weeks.

That could see the population grow and even possibly double

More than a million adults in Wales are physically inactive according to

a British Heart Foundation report. It says that risk increase the risk

of coronary heart disease and early death. Women here are 40% more

likely than men to be classified in that way. We have heard every

excuse. Timescales, people say they haven't got the time. Financial

implications, other health causes, injuries. There are a lot of people

who have an excuse. However, there are levels of exercise that

everybody can do. In which case we had better have some sport.

Swansea City are rueing a goalless draw

which did little to enhance their prospects of avoiding

There are just eight games left - eight opportunities left

to pick up valuable points, to ensure they stay

The Swans remain one place and just one point above the bottom three.

Wins for relegation rivals Crystal Palace and Hull

at the weekend increased the pressure on all the sides.

Tomos Dafydd reports from the Liberty Stadium.

It was just one of those days for the head coach.

Paul Clement witnessed a frustrating and nervy encounter.

The players missed the opportunity to extend the gap between themselves

Tonight, attention has turned to the next challenge,

a tough match against in-form Tottenham on Wednesday.

They have been challenging in the last couple of seasons now.

Mauricio Pochettino has done a really good job there.

He's put together a very good, young squad and the type of football

Exciting team, create lots of chances, score lots of goals.

The players are performing to their potential.

They could have done with this man yesterday,

Fernando Llorente, the club's top goal scorer with 11 goals.

He faces a race to be fit for Wednesday after an ankle injury.

The club's American owners are in town and will face questions

from the fans tomorrow for the first time since completing

The supporters' trust, which owns 21%, told me they want

Obviously, some of the questions people around Swansea

and the supporters are asking - if we're relegated,

Would they be happy to invest more in the club to help us

Looking at the positives, we are not going to be relegated.

We are going to stay in the Premier League,

but there are questions along those terms and what happens

With two games in four days, it's a quick turnaround

But will this place host Premier League matches next season?

As long as Llorente is fit, they will have a good chance.

I think they will stay up, because they have the passion

and drive in their team that other players and teams lack.

After six years at the top, their Premier League status

Swansea have not been in as perilous a position as this in all their time

in the Premier League, just a point above safety, with

The Football Association of Wales have more than doubled

their turnover in their latest set of accounts.

This is primarily down to their progress at

The turnover for the year was ?21 million,

an increase of ?10.5 million on the previous year.

Chief executive Jonathan Ford says the FAW will re-invest the profit

to improve facilities and get more people playing football.

Rugby, and there'll be no Welsh representative in the semi-finals

of this year's European Challenge Cup.

The Ospreys lost 25-21 to Stade Francais yesterday,

despite the French outfit playing almost 40 minutes with 14 men.

And the Cardiff Blues were knocked out after they were comprehensively

The Dragons are the only Welsh side to reach the semi-finals

of any European tournament in the last six years.

The Cardiff Devils are through to the final four in

the Elite League Ice Hockey Playoffs after victory over Manchester Storm.

The Devils managed to secure their place,

They face the Dundee Stars next in the playoff final

We saw some lovely sunshine over the weekend. Is there more to come this

week? This was the scene across Pembrokeshire and much of Wales. We

enjoyed glorious sunshine. Blue skies. A bit breezy at times, but it

was a pleasant spring day and today was not bad either. We did see more

clout, but it was a largely dry story. This week, we can look

forward to a largely settled week. Turning a touch cooler. We do have a

cold weather front, which is bringing with it clout the West.

Once we are done with that rain, we can look forward to a largely dry

week. Tonight, that rain band will gradually make its way eastwards. We

were hanging on to quite a lot of cloud, with hill fog forming in the

early hours of tomorrow morning. But temperatures are not dropping too

much. The winds are light, but it will be blustery. First thing

tomorrow morning, we have this weather front to deal with. A rich

of high pressure will build on that will settle things down nicely.

First thing tomorrow morning for the rush hour, we will see quite a bit

of low cloud around. Poor visibility first thing. It is still a largely

dry story. The sunshine will get to work, and it will look much better

by the time we get into the afternoon. Temperatures are

responding to the sunshine, although there is a bit of a contrast.

Through tomorrow night, some evening sunshine. Clear skies, the perfect

recipe for some frost to form. So gardeners, beware. The winds are

light and coming from a north-westerly direction. As we head

into Wednesday, high pressure is still hanging on to bring another

fairly settled day, blocking any weather systems from getting in. So

it is a dry day on Wednesday, but it will be a cloudy start to the day

again. Limited amounts of brightness developing as we head into the

afternoon, with temperatures where they should be for the time of year.

In the sunshine, it will feel pleasant. As we head towards the end

of the week, it is a largely settled story, but we do have quite a bit of

cloud. The winds are light. Some sunshine at times, but it will be

chilly by night. The headlines: an explosion on the

Underground system in St Petersburg is reported to have killed ten

people and injured as many as 50 more. The explosion hit a train

which was travelling between two stations. An explosive device at a

third station was later found and made safe.

One of Ukip's six assembly members is to face a vote of confidence

among party members across north Wales. Party activists met this

afternoon to discuss a letter referring to concerns about what

they say is Michelle Brown's serious misconduct. She declined an

invitation to attend the meeting, and her spokesman described it as

petty infighting. I'll have an update for you here

at 8 o'clock and again From all of us on the

programme, good evening. Can you imagine what an estate

agent would make of this?