0:00:09 > 0:00:10Welcome to Wales Today.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12The truck crash that killed three people from South Wales.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14Two men are found guilty of manslaughter.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Tonight we hear from the bereaved families.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19And the first case of an infectious strain of bird flu in Wales
0:00:19 > 0:00:20is confirmed in Llanelli.
0:00:20 > 0:00:26The town's Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust is closed.
0:00:39 > 0:00:39Good evening.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42They were fathers, husbands and brothers -
0:00:42 > 0:00:45one of whom had been married for just six months.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47But in February last year, the lives of three men
0:00:47 > 0:00:50from South Wales were cut short after the brakes on a 32-tonne truck
0:00:50 > 0:00:55failed and it crashed into their car near Bath.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57The owner and the mechanic of the haulage company -
0:00:57 > 0:01:00described in court as an "absolute shambles" - face jail for gross
0:01:00 > 0:01:01negligence manslaughter.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05Ben Price reports.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09A tipper truck out of control.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13It was an accident waiting to happen that claimed four lives.
0:01:13 > 0:01:18The truck hit four-year-old Mitzi Steady killing her instantly.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21She was about to cross the road with her grandmother, who also
0:01:21 > 0:01:24suffered life-changing injuries.
0:01:24 > 0:01:29The truck then collided with a car coming up the hill.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32Inside was Stephen Vaughan and Phil Allen from Swansea
0:01:32 > 0:01:33and Robert Parker from Cwmbran.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36All three men were killed.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Speaking to the BBC, Stephen Vaughan's widow
0:01:38 > 0:01:41described him as a generous and loving cheeky chappie
0:01:41 > 0:01:43who was proud of his professional chauffeur business.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Sian Vaughan spoke of her heartache, losing the man she had married just
0:01:46 > 0:01:53six months before the crash.
0:01:53 > 0:01:58You try and get on with your day and then something sets you off.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02Being a nurse and trying to keep your head in that
0:02:02 > 0:02:05professional role for seven and a half hours a day
0:02:05 > 0:02:09without things coming into your mind, particularly
0:02:09 > 0:02:12with things you can relate to in work as well, that has been
0:02:12 > 0:02:13very, very difficult.
0:02:13 > 0:02:14But...
0:02:14 > 0:02:16People say I have been very, very strong...
0:02:16 > 0:02:17I don't feel strong.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22It's just what I think Steve would have wanted me to do.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25The driver of the truck, Phillip Potter, was acquitted
0:02:25 > 0:02:27of all charges against him.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32He spoke to reporters as he left the court.
0:02:32 > 0:02:33What would you say to the families?
0:02:33 > 0:02:35They have never not been in my thoughts.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37They are constantly in my thoughts.
0:02:37 > 0:02:38I just hope they can carry on.
0:02:38 > 0:02:48That's it.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51On the day of the crash, Philip Potter -
0:02:51 > 0:02:53an apprentice at the time - was following his
0:02:53 > 0:02:54boss Matthew Gordon.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56They were both driving fully-laden tipper trucks.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58As they travelled along Lansdowne Lane, eyewitnesses saw
0:02:58 > 0:03:03smoke coming from the back of the second truck.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05One said he remembered the smell of burning brakes.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09Matthew Gordon was driving a tipper truck down this road and behind him
0:03:09 > 0:03:10in a second truck was Phillip Potter.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Both were carrying 32-tonne loads.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16When Mr Gordon stopped at a traffic calming measure,
0:03:16 > 0:03:20Mr Potter was unable to do the same because his brakes had failed.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23He then swerved around the truck in front of him before careering out
0:03:23 > 0:03:27of control along Lansdowne Lane, causing what was described in court
0:03:27 > 0:03:33as absolute devastation.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35During the course of the trial the court heard how
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Grittenham Haulage had operated without a qualified transport
0:03:37 > 0:03:42manager for almost a year before the crash and how the man appointed
0:03:42 > 0:03:44to carry out vehicle safety inspections, Peter Wood,
0:03:44 > 0:03:47had failed in his duty.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50The business was described by the prosecution as
0:03:50 > 0:03:52an absolute shambles.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56What was uncovered was a truly shocking picture of a company
0:03:56 > 0:03:59culture with complete disregard of safety and maintenance.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03This was a company with a very casual attitude towards safety.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Tonight, Gordon and Wood remain in custody.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09The judge, Justice Langstaff, told them to return to court
0:04:09 > 0:04:19in the New Year for sentencing.
0:04:19 > 0:04:20Ben
0:04:20 > 0:04:20Ben Price
0:04:20 > 0:04:24Ben Price reporting.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28The first case of an infectious strain of bird flu in a UK wild bird
0:04:28 > 0:04:30has been confirmed in Carmarthenshire.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32The H5N8 strain was discovered in a wild duck found dead
0:04:32 > 0:04:35on the Burry estuary near the Llanelli Wetlands Centre.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37It's been closed as a precaution to stop the virus spreading.
0:04:37 > 0:04:42Rhiannon Wilkins has the latest.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45This centre which sees huge numbers of migrating birds gather in winter
0:04:45 > 0:04:47has closed as a precaution tonight.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49It was after a wild widgeon, which looks similar to this,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52was found dead in marshland close to the Llanelli Wetland Centre.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56It's the first time a wild bird has been discovered with a H5N8 bird
0:04:56 > 0:04:59flu strain in the UK.
0:04:59 > 0:05:04But the Welsh Government insists the risk to humans is very low.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06The priority now, according to the Chief Veterinary Officer,
0:05:06 > 0:05:10is making sure this doesn't spread further.
0:05:10 > 0:05:20If we found H5N8, a highly pathogenic avian flu,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23in a wild bird in Carmarthenshire, the chances are there other wild
0:05:23 > 0:05:24birds out there that are infected.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27The way this infection is going to spread is if infected
0:05:27 > 0:05:29wild birds have contact with our domestic birds.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32That's why we have a requirement in place for people with free range
0:05:32 > 0:05:34birds to bring them indoors at the moment.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37It would be serious if this infection took hold in our domestic
0:05:37 > 0:05:44poultry propagation.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Just a few days ago, more than 5,000 turkeys
0:05:47 > 0:05:53were found with the same
0:05:53 > 0:05:54strain at a Lincolnshire farm.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56All of them died or were culled.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59The Food Standards Agency has confirmed it is safe to eat
0:05:59 > 0:06:00poultry, such as turkey, goose and chicken.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02Regulations to stop this strain from spreading
0:06:02 > 0:06:04were tightened on Tuesday, banning any indoor gatherings
0:06:04 > 0:06:09of birds at events such as livestock faires,
0:06:09 > 0:06:13auctions and bird shows.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17All regulations will remain in place into the New Year.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22A company in Blaenau Gwent says jobs are at risk because the local
0:06:22 > 0:06:25council is holding onto land in case it's useful as part of the proposed
0:06:25 > 0:06:28Circuit of Wales project.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Councillors claim selling the land on an industrial estate to a local
0:06:30 > 0:06:33waste management company may have a detrimental impact on any
0:06:33 > 0:06:35future regeneration.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39But the company behind the ?400 million racing circuit says
0:06:39 > 0:06:42it has no plans for the land.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45You have effectively land banking here, land that is ripe
0:06:45 > 0:06:48for development but being held back in the hope that a larger
0:06:48 > 0:06:50development will transpire.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53We need those kinds of development.
0:06:53 > 0:06:59We are in a situation where we need to be able to press forward
0:06:59 > 0:07:02with small businesses and their chance to develop.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05Gwynedd Council has been fined more than ?72,000 for "negligence"
0:07:05 > 0:07:07in its waste management.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11The local authority pleaded guilty to two failures
0:07:11 > 0:07:13to comply with its duties under environmental regulations.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16The company, which removed waste from the Tywyn site -
0:07:16 > 0:07:19TD Plant Hire and Haulage - was also fined more
0:07:19 > 0:07:26than ?14,000, but said there was no pollution caused.
0:07:27 > 0:07:28The former Wales rugby captain, John Gwilliam,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31has died at the age of 93.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34He won 23 caps for Wales and was in the team that last beat
0:07:34 > 0:07:37the All Blacks in 1953.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Off the pitch, he studied at Cambridge, served
0:07:39 > 0:07:41in the Royal Tank Regiment during World War II and enjoyed
0:07:41 > 0:07:47a long distinguished career as a headmaster.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50Football, and Wales have ended the year as the highest
0:07:50 > 0:07:52ranked home nation.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54Chris Coleman's side are 12th in the FIFA world rankings -
0:07:54 > 0:08:00one place ahead of England.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03It looks like a wet Christmas rather than a white Christmas...
0:08:03 > 0:08:04Derek's got the weather forecast.
0:08:04 > 0:08:09Derek's got the weather forecast.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Hello, trouble is brewing over the Atlantic tonight.
0:08:12 > 0:08:13This massive cloud is Storm Barbara.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Wales will avoid the worst of it but there is a Met Office strong
0:08:16 > 0:08:18wind warning in force.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21For tonight, it is a dry story, a few mist and fog patches inland,
0:08:21 > 0:08:25pockets of ground frost, the wind freshening
0:08:25 > 0:08:26up after midnight.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28Now, tomorrow, the chart shows a deep area of low pressure,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Storm Barbara not far from Iceland, with an active cold front
0:08:31 > 0:08:33moving across the UK.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36The strongest winds, the worst of the stormy weather,
0:08:36 > 0:08:38will hit the North and West of Scotland, but further South,
0:08:38 > 0:08:41some very strong winds and gales.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43So, tomorrow morning, a dry start, glimpses of sunshine,
0:08:43 > 0:08:47but rain will reach the North West later in the morning,
0:08:47 > 0:08:51the wind ramping up as well.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53Now, across the rest of the UK, wet and windy conditions
0:08:53 > 0:08:57in the North and West will spread South Eastwards during the day,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00the rain not reaching London until after dark.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04Behind this band of heavy rain it is brightening up across Scotland
0:09:04 > 0:09:06and Northern Ireland with lots of showers.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09In Wales tomorrow afternoon, an intense short spell of heavy rain
0:09:09 > 0:09:14with strong and squally winds.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16The rain should clear later in the afternoon
0:09:16 > 0:09:18followed by one or two showers.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21The wind easing a bit as well.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23So, tomorrow night, less windy but still blustery,
0:09:23 > 0:09:25one or two showers, otherwise a dry night.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Christmas Eve, breezy and chilly.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Some dry and bright weather, at least for a while,
0:09:30 > 0:09:33but there is more rain on the way, the wind strengthening as well
0:09:33 > 0:09:36during the evening and night.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Mostly cloudy, very mild and windy on Christmas Day,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42some drizzle and dry weather, more rain spreading
0:09:42 > 0:09:44South Eastwards later in the day.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46If you are travelling tomorrow, watch out
0:09:46 > 0:09:49for the effects of Storm Barbara.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Take care.
0:09:51 > 0:09:52That's Wales Today.
0:09:52 > 0:09:53Thank you for watching.
0:09:53 > 0:09:59From all of us on the programme, goodnight.