:00:00. > :00:00.Welcome to Wales Today. Tonight's headlines.
:00:00. > :00:08.It's an unpopular subject, Torfaen's the latest council
:00:09. > :00:13.planning to scrap high school sixth forms, for a new college.
:00:14. > :00:15.Ffion's one of hundreds of pupils, parents and teachers
:00:16. > :00:20.And Anglers say pollution problems are growing in our rivers
:00:21. > :00:39.and could cause an environmental disaster.
:00:40. > :00:42.Hundreds of parents, pupils and teachers are calling
:00:43. > :00:45.on the Welsh Government to block plans to remove sixth forms
:00:46. > :00:48.from English-medium high schools in Torfaen.
:00:49. > :00:52.Schools in Cwmbran, Croesyceiliog and Pontypool would be affected.
:00:53. > :00:55.The council says plans to move post-16 provision
:00:56. > :00:59.to a new ?20 million site in Cwmbran from 2019
:01:00. > :01:10.would benefit students, as Paul Heaney reports.
:01:11. > :01:12.Performing well, St Albans high school in Pontypool.
:01:13. > :01:14.Sounds, lights and much more, all the responsibility of
:01:15. > :01:23.Without them, this show simply couldn't go on as often.
:01:24. > :01:27.Some disappointed at the prospect of losing the sixth form.
:01:28. > :01:29.We have a lot of students coming from further up
:01:30. > :01:33.the valley and if we close down our sixth form and we have a college
:01:34. > :01:36.built further down in Cwmbran, that creates more barriers
:01:37. > :01:39.for disadvantaged students to access further education.
:01:40. > :01:43.There are three English medium sixth forms in Torfaen.
:01:44. > :01:46.The council wants to merge them, creating a ?20 million college at
:01:47. > :01:51.this former industrial site near Cwmbran town centre.
:01:52. > :01:54.No-one from Torfaen Council was available for
:01:55. > :01:56.interview today but officials have told me in the longer term the
:01:57. > :02:00.authority expects to get less money from the Welsh Government, in part
:02:01. > :02:04.because fewer pupils will be coming through the system here.
:02:05. > :02:06.Leave sixth forms as they are, they say, and
:02:07. > :02:11.there's a chance that not all topics available now will be available
:02:12. > :02:15.There simply might not be the student numbers to make some of
:02:16. > :02:19.Get everyone on one site here, and you may create a critical mass
:02:20. > :02:24.and get a better chance of offering that wide range of courses.
:02:25. > :02:28.14-year-old Ffion and others in her year group would be the
:02:29. > :02:32.first not to be able to stay in high school beyond their GCSEs.
:02:33. > :02:35.It would have a lot of facilities, but if they have
:02:36. > :02:39.difficulty getting staff in the first few years, then they
:02:40. > :02:43.wouldn't be able to run the courses either, so new facilities are
:02:44. > :02:45.nothing without promises of great teachers.
:02:46. > :02:48.The merger of high school sixth forms has already
:02:49. > :02:55.Merthyr Tydfil did the same in 2013, against the wishes
:02:56. > :03:02.Controversy back then but now staff here say there are more students,
:03:03. > :03:06.better links with industry and grades have improved.
:03:07. > :03:11.The schools watchdog Estyn says sixth forms here are likely to at
:03:12. > :03:15.A warning to, more assessment is needed
:03:16. > :03:19.on the effects on those from low income backgrounds.
:03:20. > :03:28.The proposal now with the Gelsh government for final approval.
:03:29. > :03:32.A man from Cardiff has appeared in court accused
:03:33. > :03:34.of murdering his 18-month-old adopted daughter.
:03:35. > :03:38.31-year-old Matthew Scully Hicks denies killing Elsie Scully Hicks
:03:39. > :03:43.He was released on bail following a hearing
:03:44. > :03:48.Two Cardiff men, including one seen here,
:03:49. > :03:52.who unknowingly sold more than ?100,000-worth
:03:53. > :03:55.of stolen cars to the police, during a six month sting,
:03:56. > :04:01.41-year-old Dean Cronin, and 28-year-old Daniel Gordon,
:04:02. > :04:03.were behind a campaign to steal luxury vehicles
:04:04. > :04:11.Both admitted conspiring to handle stolen goods.
:04:12. > :04:14.The trade union, Unison, is branding the Welsh Government's
:04:15. > :04:19.approach to the funding of its jobs advice service as "a mess".
:04:20. > :04:21.It wants an urgent meeting to discuss plans to cut 10%
:04:22. > :04:26.The organisation says it's looking at all the options,
:04:27. > :04:35.It doesn't make sense to us to plan a multi-million pound apprenticeship
:04:36. > :04:39.programme next year where our careers members will be needed
:04:40. > :04:44.and yet at the same time, they're downsizing their own service now.
:04:45. > :04:49.We won't be in a position to deliver what the Welsh Government want.
:04:50. > :04:52.The Welsh Government says it's aware Careers Wales is consulting
:04:53. > :04:55.on a "voluntary release scheme" and hopes its staff and trade
:04:56. > :04:58.unions can work together, to improve the long term
:04:59. > :05:07.Angling clubs say pollution incidents affecting rivers in west
:05:08. > :05:08.Wales are becoming more frequent, and could cause
:05:09. > :05:14.It follows a slurry leak which has killed hundreds of fish in the
:05:15. > :05:19.It's the third large-scale pollution incident in recent months,
:05:20. > :05:26.It was described as one of the worst cases of pollution to
:05:27. > :05:31.More than 1,000 fish were wiped out on a six mile stretch of
:05:32. > :05:34.the river by a slurry like substance.
:05:35. > :05:37.It killed salmon, sewin and brown trout.
:05:38. > :05:41.Now, just a month later, another agricultural
:05:42. > :05:43.pollution incident has killed hundreds of fish.
:05:44. > :05:48.Around 200 trout and 40 lamprey and hundreds of small bullhead
:05:49. > :05:51.fish have been killed in the river Gwili
:05:52. > :05:53.in Carmarthenshire following a slurry leak.
:05:54. > :05:58.The impact it's having on the local rivers I think
:05:59. > :06:01.This is our third one within Carmarthenshire.
:06:02. > :06:04.Any slurry that comes downstream is going to end up in here,
:06:05. > :06:07.end up in the river, and that is going to have an effect
:06:08. > :06:09.not just on the fish but all the vertebrates
:06:10. > :06:16.Now, the hundreds of dead fish might have been washed
:06:17. > :06:21.away or cleared away, but there is still evidence of a
:06:22. > :06:26.You can see it here with this form on the water.
:06:27. > :06:28.The concern is the frequency of these pollution
:06:29. > :06:30.incidents and the impact that will have on the environment
:06:31. > :06:32.and also the economy, because angling tourism
:06:33. > :06:34.is a multi-million pound industry for West Wales.
:06:35. > :06:37.Following the incident on the Teifi, the oil
:06:38. > :06:38.leaked into the waterways in the Nantycaws areas
:06:39. > :06:40.in October last year, and now the slurry pollution
:06:41. > :06:43.in the Gwili, it is feared visiting anglers by stay away.
:06:44. > :06:46.Kimberley Redman is from Natural Resources Wales.
:06:47. > :06:50.She says they are trying to tackle agricultural pollution and the cases
:06:51. > :06:55.Overall the number of significant pollution incidents we have been
:06:56. > :06:58.dealing with has dropped tremendously since last year.
:06:59. > :07:03.It's just that we have had three within quick succession.
:07:04. > :07:07.I think the reason for that is a change the way we are working
:07:08. > :07:11.in terms of our proactive campaigns but also the weather has had a big
:07:12. > :07:15.The environmental cost might still be visible after this
:07:16. > :07:17.most recent pollution incident but the economic impact
:07:18. > :07:26.Wales' women narrowly lost their Six Nations game
:07:27. > :07:30.It's the first time since 2010 that Scotland's female side has won
:07:31. > :07:39.They recovered from two tries down, to beat Wales by 15-14.
:07:40. > :07:41.A very different story for the Under-20s.
:07:42. > :07:45.Two tries within the opening seven minutes of the game put the side
:07:46. > :07:49.on track for a win of 65-34, securing a bonus point in the
:07:50. > :07:57.And in football, Neil Warnock says he will be Cardiff City manager next
:07:58. > :08:01.season following positive talks with his bosses.
:08:02. > :08:06.The 68-year-old is expecting to sign a new deal in the next 24 hours.
:08:07. > :08:08.Time for a look at the weather now.
:08:09. > :08:16.Sue, not a very nice weekend in store?
:08:17. > :08:24.Wet and windy at times over this weekend. Nothing as extreme as Storm
:08:25. > :08:26.Doris. It will feel slightly milder. Let's have a look at the map.
:08:27. > :08:28.Overnight, outbreaks of light rain and drizzle
:08:29. > :08:29.pushing in from the west moving eastwards.
:08:30. > :08:31.Some drier spells andwinds will pick up overnight.
:08:32. > :08:33.The cloud holding up the temperatures between
:08:34. > :08:36.Tonight's front clears allowing just a few drier spells
:08:37. > :08:38.early on Saturday further south, but then these two follow
:08:39. > :08:43.Tomorrow, early on in the south and east, the best chance
:08:44. > :08:48.But turning quite wet and windy from the north and west.
:08:49. > :08:51.Aand across the UK that band of rain, heavy
:08:52. > :08:55.Staying driest for longest in south east England.
:08:56. > :08:57.Warmest here too and drying up from the north
:08:58. > :09:00.So an improving picture for the rugby in Edinburgh
:09:01. > :09:03.for Wales's Six Nations match against Scotland.
:09:04. > :09:06.Breezy, some rain but drier weather developing later.
:09:07. > :09:10.Tomorrow afternoon across Wales, heavy rain at times
:09:11. > :09:14.often misty, murky and overcast and the strong south westerly winds
:09:15. > :09:16.could reach gale force along exposed coasts
:09:17. > :09:20.Highs of between nince Celsius in Swansea
:09:21. > :09:25.Tomorrow night, rain turns patchy, easing overnight.
:09:26. > :09:30.Misty and murky and often cloudy with lows of 4-8 Celsius.
:09:31. > :09:33.Sunday, some early brightness, dry for a time but winds
:09:34. > :09:37.Gale force Southwesterlies developing along Cardigan Bay
:09:38. > :09:40.with some rain pushing in from the northwest in the afternoon,
:09:41. > :09:47.patchy at first but turning heavier with highs of 10-11 Celsius.
:09:48. > :09:51.I'll be back with all the latest news at around 5.20pm tomorrow.
:09:52. > :10:04.Until then from me, Sue, and everyone on the team, goodnight.
:10:05. > :10:07.A 24-year-old man has been charged with murder.
:10:08. > :10:11.Huntley's definitely hiding something.