22/12/2016 BBC Wales Today


22/12/2016

Similar Content

Browse content similar to 22/12/2016. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!

Transcript


LineFromTo

Welcome to Wales Today.

0:00:090:00:10

The truck crash that killed three people from South Wales.

0:00:100:00:12

Two men are found guilty of manslaughter.

0:00:120:00:14

Tonight we hear from the bereaved families.

0:00:140:00:16

And the first case of an infectious strain of bird flu in Wales

0:00:160:00:19

is confirmed in Llanelli.

0:00:190:00:20

The town's Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust is closed.

0:00:200:00:26

Good evening.

0:00:390:00:39

They were fathers, husbands and brothers -

0:00:390:00:42

one of whom had been married for just six months.

0:00:420:00:45

But in February last year, the lives of three men

0:00:450:00:47

from South Wales were cut short after the brakes on a 32-tonne truck

0:00:470:00:50

failed and it crashed into their car near Bath.

0:00:500:00:55

The owner and the mechanic of the haulage company -

0:00:550:00:57

described in court as an "absolute shambles" - face jail for gross

0:00:570:01:00

negligence manslaughter.

0:01:000:01:01

Ben Price reports.

0:01:010:01:05

A tipper truck out of control.

0:01:070:01:09

It was an accident waiting to happen that claimed four lives.

0:01:090:01:13

The truck hit four-year-old Mitzi Steady killing her instantly.

0:01:130:01:18

She was about to cross the road with her grandmother, who also

0:01:180:01:21

suffered life-changing injuries.

0:01:210:01:24

The truck then collided with a car coming up the hill.

0:01:240:01:29

Inside was Stephen Vaughan and Phil Allen from Swansea

0:01:290:01:32

and Robert Parker from Cwmbran.

0:01:320:01:33

All three men were killed.

0:01:330:01:36

Speaking to the BBC, Stephen Vaughan's widow

0:01:360:01:38

described him as a generous and loving cheeky chappie

0:01:380:01:41

who was proud of his professional chauffeur business.

0:01:410:01:43

Sian Vaughan spoke of her heartache, losing the man she had married just

0:01:430:01:46

six months before the crash.

0:01:460:01:53

You try and get on with your day and then something sets you off.

0:01:530:01:58

Being a nurse and trying to keep your head in that

0:01:580:02:02

professional role for seven and a half hours a day

0:02:020:02:05

without things coming into your mind, particularly

0:02:050:02:09

with things you can relate to in work as well, that has been

0:02:090:02:12

very, very difficult.

0:02:120:02:13

But...

0:02:130:02:14

People say I have been very, very strong...

0:02:140:02:16

I don't feel strong.

0:02:160:02:17

It's just what I think Steve would have wanted me to do.

0:02:170:02:22

The driver of the truck, Phillip Potter, was acquitted

0:02:220:02:25

of all charges against him.

0:02:250:02:27

He spoke to reporters as he left the court.

0:02:270:02:32

What would you say to the families?

0:02:320:02:33

They have never not been in my thoughts.

0:02:330:02:35

They are constantly in my thoughts.

0:02:350:02:37

I just hope they can carry on.

0:02:370:02:38

That's it.

0:02:380:02:48

On the day of the crash, Philip Potter -

0:02:490:02:51

an apprentice at the time - was following his

0:02:510:02:53

boss Matthew Gordon.

0:02:530:02:54

They were both driving fully-laden tipper trucks.

0:02:540:02:56

As they travelled along Lansdowne Lane, eyewitnesses saw

0:02:560:02:58

smoke coming from the back of the second truck.

0:02:580:03:03

One said he remembered the smell of burning brakes.

0:03:030:03:05

Matthew Gordon was driving a tipper truck down this road and behind him

0:03:050:03:09

in a second truck was Phillip Potter.

0:03:090:03:10

Both were carrying 32-tonne loads.

0:03:100:03:13

When Mr Gordon stopped at a traffic calming measure,

0:03:130:03:16

Mr Potter was unable to do the same because his brakes had failed.

0:03:160:03:20

He then swerved around the truck in front of him before careering out

0:03:200:03:23

of control along Lansdowne Lane, causing what was described in court

0:03:230:03:27

as absolute devastation.

0:03:270:03:33

During the course of the trial the court heard how

0:03:330:03:35

Grittenham Haulage had operated without a qualified transport

0:03:350:03:37

manager for almost a year before the crash and how the man appointed

0:03:370:03:42

to carry out vehicle safety inspections, Peter Wood,

0:03:420:03:44

had failed in his duty.

0:03:440:03:47

The business was described by the prosecution as

0:03:470:03:50

an absolute shambles.

0:03:500:03:52

What was uncovered was a truly shocking picture of a company

0:03:520:03:56

culture with complete disregard of safety and maintenance.

0:03:560:03:59

This was a company with a very casual attitude towards safety.

0:03:590:04:03

Tonight, Gordon and Wood remain in custody.

0:04:030:04:06

The judge, Justice Langstaff, told them to return to court

0:04:060:04:09

in the New Year for sentencing.

0:04:090:04:19

Ben

0:04:190:04:20

Ben Price

0:04:200:04:20

Ben Price reporting.

0:04:200:04:24

The first case of an infectious strain of bird flu in a UK wild bird

0:04:250:04:28

has been confirmed in Carmarthenshire.

0:04:280:04:30

The H5N8 strain was discovered in a wild duck found dead

0:04:300:04:32

on the Burry estuary near the Llanelli Wetlands Centre.

0:04:320:04:35

It's been closed as a precaution to stop the virus spreading.

0:04:350:04:37

Rhiannon Wilkins has the latest.

0:04:370:04:42

This centre which sees huge numbers of migrating birds gather in winter

0:04:420:04:45

has closed as a precaution tonight.

0:04:450:04:47

It was after a wild widgeon, which looks similar to this,

0:04:470:04:49

was found dead in marshland close to the Llanelli Wetland Centre.

0:04:490:04:52

It's the first time a wild bird has been discovered with a H5N8 bird

0:04:520:04:56

flu strain in the UK.

0:04:560:04:59

But the Welsh Government insists the risk to humans is very low.

0:04:590:05:04

The priority now, according to the Chief Veterinary Officer,

0:05:040:05:06

is making sure this doesn't spread further.

0:05:060:05:10

If we found H5N8, a highly pathogenic avian flu,

0:05:100:05:20

in a wild bird in Carmarthenshire, the chances are there other wild

0:05:200:05:23

birds out there that are infected.

0:05:230:05:24

The way this infection is going to spread is if infected

0:05:240:05:27

wild birds have contact with our domestic birds.

0:05:270:05:29

That's why we have a requirement in place for people with free range

0:05:290:05:32

birds to bring them indoors at the moment.

0:05:320:05:34

It would be serious if this infection took hold in our domestic

0:05:340:05:37

poultry propagation.

0:05:370:05:44

Just a few days ago, more than 5,000 turkeys

0:05:440:05:47

were found with the same

0:05:470:05:53

strain at a Lincolnshire farm.

0:05:530:05:54

All of them died or were culled.

0:05:540:05:56

The Food Standards Agency has confirmed it is safe to eat

0:05:560:05:59

poultry, such as turkey, goose and chicken.

0:05:590:06:00

Regulations to stop this strain from spreading

0:06:000:06:02

were tightened on Tuesday, banning any indoor gatherings

0:06:020:06:04

of birds at events such as livestock faires,

0:06:040:06:09

auctions and bird shows.

0:06:090:06:13

All regulations will remain in place into the New Year.

0:06:130:06:17

A company in Blaenau Gwent says jobs are at risk because the local

0:06:190:06:22

council is holding onto land in case it's useful as part of the proposed

0:06:220:06:25

Circuit of Wales project.

0:06:250:06:28

Councillors claim selling the land on an industrial estate to a local

0:06:280:06:30

waste management company may have a detrimental impact on any

0:06:300:06:33

future regeneration.

0:06:330:06:35

But the company behind the ?400 million racing circuit says

0:06:350:06:39

it has no plans for the land.

0:06:390:06:42

You have effectively land banking here, land that is ripe

0:06:420:06:45

for development but being held back in the hope that a larger

0:06:450:06:48

development will transpire.

0:06:480:06:50

We need those kinds of development.

0:06:500:06:53

We are in a situation where we need to be able to press forward

0:06:530:06:59

with small businesses and their chance to develop.

0:06:590:07:02

Gwynedd Council has been fined more than ?72,000 for "negligence"

0:07:030:07:05

in its waste management.

0:07:050:07:07

The local authority pleaded guilty to two failures

0:07:070:07:11

to comply with its duties under environmental regulations.

0:07:110:07:13

The company, which removed waste from the Tywyn site -

0:07:130:07:16

TD Plant Hire and Haulage - was also fined more

0:07:160:07:19

than ?14,000, but said there was no pollution caused.

0:07:190:07:26

The former Wales rugby captain, John Gwilliam,

0:07:270:07:28

has died at the age of 93.

0:07:280:07:31

He won 23 caps for Wales and was in the team that last beat

0:07:310:07:34

the All Blacks in 1953.

0:07:340:07:37

Off the pitch, he studied at Cambridge, served

0:07:370:07:39

in the Royal Tank Regiment during World War II and enjoyed

0:07:390:07:41

a long distinguished career as a headmaster.

0:07:410:07:47

Football, and Wales have ended the year as the highest

0:07:470:07:50

ranked home nation.

0:07:500:07:52

Chris Coleman's side are 12th in the FIFA world rankings -

0:07:520:07:54

one place ahead of England.

0:07:540:08:00

It looks like a wet Christmas rather than a white Christmas...

0:08:000:08:03

Derek's got the weather forecast.

0:08:030:08:04

Derek's got the weather forecast.

0:08:040:08:09

Hello, trouble is brewing over the Atlantic tonight.

0:08:100:08:12

This massive cloud is Storm Barbara.

0:08:120:08:13

Wales will avoid the worst of it but there is a Met Office strong

0:08:130:08:16

wind warning in force.

0:08:160:08:18

For tonight, it is a dry story, a few mist and fog patches inland,

0:08:180:08:21

pockets of ground frost, the wind freshening

0:08:210:08:25

up after midnight.

0:08:250:08:26

Now, tomorrow, the chart shows a deep area of low pressure,

0:08:260:08:28

Storm Barbara not far from Iceland, with an active cold front

0:08:280:08:31

moving across the UK.

0:08:310:08:33

The strongest winds, the worst of the stormy weather,

0:08:330:08:36

will hit the North and West of Scotland, but further South,

0:08:360:08:38

some very strong winds and gales.

0:08:380:08:41

So, tomorrow morning, a dry start, glimpses of sunshine,

0:08:410:08:43

but rain will reach the North West later in the morning,

0:08:430:08:47

the wind ramping up as well.

0:08:470:08:51

Now, across the rest of the UK, wet and windy conditions

0:08:510:08:53

in the North and West will spread South Eastwards during the day,

0:08:530:08:57

the rain not reaching London until after dark.

0:08:570:09:00

Behind this band of heavy rain it is brightening up across Scotland

0:09:000:09:04

and Northern Ireland with lots of showers.

0:09:040:09:06

In Wales tomorrow afternoon, an intense short spell of heavy rain

0:09:060:09:09

with strong and squally winds.

0:09:090:09:14

The rain should clear later in the afternoon

0:09:140:09:16

followed by one or two showers.

0:09:160:09:18

The wind easing a bit as well.

0:09:180:09:21

So, tomorrow night, less windy but still blustery,

0:09:210:09:23

one or two showers, otherwise a dry night.

0:09:230:09:25

Christmas Eve, breezy and chilly.

0:09:250:09:28

Some dry and bright weather, at least for a while,

0:09:280:09:30

but there is more rain on the way, the wind strengthening as well

0:09:300:09:33

during the evening and night.

0:09:330:09:36

Mostly cloudy, very mild and windy on Christmas Day,

0:09:360:09:39

some drizzle and dry weather, more rain spreading

0:09:390:09:42

South Eastwards later in the day.

0:09:420:09:44

If you are travelling tomorrow, watch out

0:09:440:09:46

for the effects of Storm Barbara.

0:09:460:09:49

Take care.

0:09:490:09:51

That's Wales Today.

0:09:510:09:52

Thank you for watching.

0:09:520:09:53

From all of us on the programme, goodnight.

0:09:530:09:59

Download Subtitles

SRT

ASS