21/09/2016 BBC Wales Today

Aberthaw Power Station pumped out double the limit

And Ron Davies, former Welsh Secretary,

appearing to lay obstacles across a cycle path

amidst a bitter row between locals and cyclists.

And Gordon Anglesea is on trial for historial sex abuse -

one witness claims the former police superintendent wrecked his life.

The coal-fired power station at Aberthaw was pumping out

double the limit of toxic pollution permitted for seven years.

Now the UK Government is under fire from the European Court of Justice

for its failure to curb those emissions, which experts say

can cause serious health and environmental problems.

Our business correspondent, Brian Meechan,

For 18 months, teams of contractors have been creating

It was a massive construction project designed to use Welsh coal.

It finally began operating in 1971 and now generates enough electricity

to meet the needs of three million households.

The coal used at the site has largely come from opencast mines

in Wales and it is harder to burn than alternatives.

That was the reason the UK government argued

that it was a special case and was allowed

more than double the emissions levels of nitrogen oxide

than the EU would normally legally permit.

Soot, or carbon black - that's produced once you burn coal.

Dr Kelly Berube, from Cardiff University,

is an expert on the effects of pollution and said the emissions

from Aberthaw can cause serious health problems.

The emissions coming out from Aberthaw consist of particulate

matter and various gases and, in combination,

they cause inflammation of the lungs.

If you are a healthy person, they can cause reduced

lung function, so you'd have trouble breathing.

In the long term, if they have chronic exposure to high levels,

people that don't have diseases could develop a variety of diseases.

They court rejected the idea that Aberthaw was a special case,

saying the UK government cannot use its importance to the local

economy as a justification for not enforcing emissions limits.

Ministers must also pay the costs of the case.

Its operator, RWE, says it's disappointed by the ruling,

adding that environmental protection is a priority for the company.

It says it will work with the UK and Welsh government

and Natural Resources Wales to accommodate the changes

to the way the station is regulated as a result of the ruling.

Owners RWE has already said that, from April next year,

it will only produce electricity during peak periods,

and the UK government has made it clear that it wants to see

all coal-fired power stations closed by 2025.

The Blue Anchor pub has been selling beer to customers

in nearby East Aberthaw since the 14th century.

One local councillor told me that the power station

We don't have an awful lot of employment opportunities out

so, yes, of course I'm concerned about the loss of jobs.

The company says that new technology at Aberthaw

The It will also be using less coal from opencast Welsh mines,

so other businesses and suppliers will be affected.

Environmental campaigners are welcoming court's verdict.

There's a real importance for clarity of government

policy on the future for coal stations in the UK.

This is a one-off ruling affecting Aberthaw

and possibly other European stations.

Now we need to establish the coal phase-out

Natural Resources Wales will now be expected to implement

If the European Commission is not satisfied with the progress

being made at the plant, it could result in fines being added

Footage has emerged which appears to show

the former Secretary of State for Wales, Ron Davies,

helping to block an unofficial bike trail on Caerphilly mountain.

Mr Davies denies intending to hurt anyone

by placing rocks and logs over the trails,

in a row over the way mountain bikers are using the area.

Natural Resources Wales, which owns the land,

has encouraged both sides to meet to resolve the issue.

Fast, exhilarating and, for many, on their doorstep.

Official bike tracks like this are great for some,

others like to go somewhat off-piste here on Caerphilly Mountain.

Turn off an established walking and cycling trail

It's not against the rules unless you cause damage

Natural Resources Wales, who own the land,

recently removed some dangerous jumps

and blocked off other routes like this.

So, this is one of the lines that had

some features in that were deemed to be unsafe.

Some bikers have agreed not to ride them again,

But they say they're now finding rocks and logs

Ones that were not placed there by the landowner.

If you hit something like that when you're going

at any speed at all, you'll go over the front of your bike.

That could cause a number of injuries,

you could break your collarbone from landing,

you could hit one of the trees in the woods.

These objects are being placed there,

and they seem to be getting bigger and bigger.

Maybe some people don't agree with the way that we use

the woods but I think when you're putting

other people in danger, that's a problem for us.

Natural Resources Wales put up signs when they closed

some of these trials, asking bikers to stop using them

The signs were torn down and defaced.

Some claim they've also been abused and intimidated by groups

This footage appears to show two men using logs and rocks

to block one of the unofficial bike trails.

It is understood this man is the former

Secretary of State for Wales, Ron Davies.

Both men didn't want to talk to me on camera

but both denied intending to deliberately injure anyone.

They both claimed they couldn't recall

What we're trying to do is to continue to communicate

with both groups and encourage them to tolerate each other.

And to make sure that both of them are aware the impacts

of their activities and behaviours on the route.

Mountain bikers say they've now started online groups

like other those others know which routes are acceptable

A week after the Conservative government in Westminster announced

plans allowing grammar schools to expand in England,

Tory Welsh Assembly Members say they're "not persuaded" that

allowing schools to select pupils by ability is "appropriate" in Wales.

It comes after UKIP called for the grammar system

But Wales' Education Secretary has called them a "distraction".

A man has been charged with criminal damage

after two cars were set alight in Flint.

It happened at a property on Northop Road yesterday.

The 22-year-old man has been released on bail,

to appear before magistrates next month.

A 54-year-old woman has also been arrested

on suspicion of making threats to kill,

and is being held by police in Wrexham.

A man who claims he was sexually abused

has told a jury the assaults wrecked his life.

Gordon Anglesea, who's 78 and from Old Colwyn,

denies three charges of indecent assault

His defence has suggested the witness - who cannot be named -

wants compensation to fund a drink and drugs habit.

From Mold Crown Court, Roger Pinney.

The fifth day of evidence in this trial, and details have emerged

of offences that Gordon Anglesea is accused of committing against

They date back to 1982 and 1983, when the former

police superintendent ran an attendance centre

Much of that evidence came in the form of a video interview

the alleged victim gave to investigators.

In it, he claimed he had been sexually assaulted in the changing

The attendance centre was at St Joseph' School in Wrexham.

It has changed considerably in the past 30 years but, there,

the witness claimed, Gordon Anglesea exercised this power.

Then the jury heard from the man giving live evidence in court.

Although guaranteed anonymity, he asked for screens to be removed

because he said he wanted to see his alleged abuser,

Under cross-examination from Tania Griffiths QC,

for the defence, the witness was pressed

about his criminal record and his mental state -

he had spent time in psychiatric institutions -

and then his drink and drugs problem.

The witness said he did not want compensation.

He said he wanted people to see and to come forward.

He then pointed to Gordon Anglesea and said this,

"He has wrecked people's lives, and he ought to pay for it."

Gordon Anglesea denies all charges and the case continues.

A 22-year-old man from the Carmarthenshire area

has been arrested in London on suspicion of terrorism offences.

He has been released on bail, pending further police enquires.

Dyfed Powys police are not releasing any further details.

Cardiff Airport has announced an expansion of flights

to countries including Greece, Tenerife and Portugal.

Chief executive Roger Lewis confirmed that,

next year, the airport is "doubling its investment"

with Ryan Air, which began flying from Cardiff in 2014,

with the flight operator launching a new route to Faro.

There are concerns that a shortage of chefs

could harm Wales' food industry, which is worth around ?6 billion.

The President of the Wales Culinary Association says

more needs to be done at home and in schools

to encourage young people to take up cooking as a career.

Somebody switched me on to be a chef.

That was either my mother cooking in the home or something

that I learned in school that sparked me to say,

"Do you know what, this is something that I want to do."

And I fear there is not enough cooking going on in homes

and food is not on the curriculum in schools,

so what is going to spark the future generation of chefs in this country?

Football and, in the third round of the EFL Cup,

a goal in the third minute of extra time from Gylfi Sigurdsson

A much-changed Manchester City powered into the fourth round

with a comfortable win at the Liberty Stadium.

Final score, Swansea 1, Manchester City 2.

good evening. An Autumn mix coming up in the next two days. That means

some sunshine, rain and strong winds. We have got some rain to deal

with the night of which has already arrived in the West. It will spread

east in the early hours. Milder than last night, temperatures everywhere

is in double figures. Tomorrow is a special day, it is the autumn

equinox, when the sun crosses the equator, meaning longer nights like

ahead. Tomorrow, some rhymes -- sunrise around 7am. Misty and murky

in places, but it will dry up and brighten up in the West later in the

day. The rest of the UK, cloud and spots of rain will drift eastwards.

Further north and west, it will brighten up with some sunshine in

Edinburgh. Blustery showers arriving late in the day in Northern Ireland

and the West of Scotland. Top temperatures of 20 Celsius in

Norwich. Close to home, it will be a nice afternoon, dry and bright with

some sunshine. Fresher than the day, 15 Celsius in Fishguard, and 17 in

Wrexham. Tomorrow night, we could see some showers, but otherwise dry,

clear and cool. Temperatures in the countryside dropping as low as six

or seven Celsius. Not a bad day coming up on Friday. Generally dry.

Some cloud and sunshine, but the breeze next up, especially in the

north-west. On Saturday, we have an active cold front line through

Ireland, which will head our way to stop ahead of it, strong and gusty

southerly winds. They will be some dry and bright weather on Saturday,

but not all day. Rain will spread from the West during the afternoon

and evening. Some of that is heavy with strong and gusty winds. On

Saturday night, the rain will clear. Sunday is looking cool and breezy

with a mix of sunshine and showers. Thank you.

From all of us on the programme, goodnight.

Welcome to this Strictly edition of Pointless Celebrities.

Got some of the real legends of Strictly here.

We've also Anton du Beke. LAUGHTER