0:00:17 > 0:00:18Good evening.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21The scale of the drug problem facing Wrexham has been a cause
0:00:21 > 0:00:23for concern for months.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Tonight, it's become the focus of talks involving Welsh Government
0:00:25 > 0:00:30ministers and the North Wales Police commissioner after a series
0:00:30 > 0:00:33of images were widely shared on social media showing drug
0:00:33 > 0:00:37paraphenalia and people collapsed in and around
0:00:37 > 0:00:39the town's bus station.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42Our reporter Roger Pinney has spent the day in the area.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46You may find some of the images in his report unsettling.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51A man slumped against a wall, he appears barely awake.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Here a street plant holder is used as a bed.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58It is suggested the people in these pictures are highly on drugs.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02Other images show drugs paraphernalia, needles and foils
0:01:02 > 0:01:04littering the bus station floor.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08They apeared on social media and have been shared on social media
0:01:08 > 0:01:10more than 3,000 times.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Gavin Rodda, a bus driver, put the pictures in the
0:01:12 > 0:01:13public domain.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16They were collated over the last 18 months.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19We've had an increase in police presence which has been great
0:01:19 > 0:01:24for the bus station, but at the same time
0:01:24 > 0:01:27the security guards we have here, they do a good job.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31But these people know when to come in and when to go out.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33They are good at being avoided.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35Apparently the main problem at the moment
0:01:35 > 0:01:37are so-called legal highs.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41Last week we were told that a strong batch came on the market and was
0:01:41 > 0:01:46fast acting, and seemed to knock users out particularly quickly.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48Around the bus station these drug users are
0:01:48 > 0:01:50referred to as the zombies.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53I filmed this on my mobile phone today.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56The reason I got involved was purely to look after his welfare,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59that he didn't collapse on the floor in a heap.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01Inspector Paul Wycherley in charge of policing the town centre.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04He says where there is anti-social behaviour
0:02:04 > 0:02:05is officers will act.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07But it isn't that straightforward.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10What we need to do as well is we need a clear distinction
0:02:10 > 0:02:12between people who are homeless and in need,
0:02:12 > 0:02:16and people who make a life choice that they want to take certain
0:02:16 > 0:02:17substances and products.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20Clearly with the former, my officers and myself are duty bound
0:02:20 > 0:02:22to look after them and protect their welfare..
0:02:22 > 0:02:25The bus station is owned by Wrexham Council.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28In answer to complaints, security has been stepped up,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31a redesign of the building is being looked at.
0:02:31 > 0:02:38Brothers Phil and Andy Gallanders run the bus station coffee shop.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42Despite improvements they say customers are still concerned.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44We get a lot of people mentioning that they
0:02:44 > 0:02:47walk through and are getting asked for money constantly.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49Spare change.
0:02:49 > 0:02:50But the situation is improving?
0:02:50 > 0:02:55We feel it's improved since we've opened here last year.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59But the power of social media has pushed the issue into the spotlight.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Today it was raised in talks at the Welsh Government
0:03:02 > 0:03:05between ministers and the North Wales Police and Crime commission.
0:03:05 > 0:03:12But according to substance misuse workers there are no easy solutions.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15If you move people away from here where would they go?
0:03:15 > 0:03:18They'll find another spot somewhere in town.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20They've been moved on that many times they will
0:03:20 > 0:03:22find someone else to go.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26Many of those people are under the influence of legal highs
0:03:26 > 0:03:29and that is one of the real problems and we need Parliament to change
0:03:29 > 0:03:32the legislation to give us more powers to tackle
0:03:32 > 0:03:34that particular issue.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38For now in Wrexham this remains a highly visible problem.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42The Home Office says the sale of drugs like those
0:03:42 > 0:03:44being used at the bus station has now been banned
0:03:44 > 0:03:49and further action is likely to follow.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52A 15-year-old boy is believed to have fallen from cliffs
0:03:52 > 0:03:57near Sully in the Vale of Glamorgan and died from his injuries.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Stanwell School, where Miller Coyle was a year ten pupil says
0:04:00 > 0:04:04it's with immense sorrow they learned of his death.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07He will be greatly missed by pupils and staff.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10The leader of the Green party in Wales has resigned.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14Alice Hooker Stroud says the lack of funding for smaller parties
0:04:14 > 0:04:18in the UK meant she was unable to carry on in the voluntary role.
0:04:18 > 0:04:24She'll be replaced by the deputy leader, Grenville Ham.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27The parents of a teenage boy who was run over in the grounds
0:04:27 > 0:04:31of Maesteg Comprehensive are calling for a "lock down" of all school
0:04:31 > 0:04:35grounds by law at the start and the end of the day.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Ashley Talbot was hit by a minibus as he was running
0:04:38 > 0:04:41for bus home in 2014.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44His parents want the law changed so vehicles remain stationary
0:04:44 > 0:04:48while children enter and leave school premises.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52Caroline Evans reports.
0:04:52 > 0:04:5515-year-old Ashley was heading home, running for the bus when he was
0:04:55 > 0:04:59knocked down inside school grounds.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03His mother, who is battling cancer, and his father, told me two years on
0:05:03 > 0:05:07their emotions remain raw.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09I'm really angry.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12It was shocking.
0:05:12 > 0:05:18Maybe because the children were inside a locked compound.
0:05:18 > 0:05:19They felt a lot safer
0:05:19 > 0:05:25and treated it as a car park instead of a road with traffic.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28The driver, PE teacher Christopher Brooks will not
0:05:28 > 0:05:29face prosecution.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33Police say he would have had less than a second to react.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36One bus driver told the inquest it was
0:05:36 > 0:05:38an accident waiting to happen.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41The family say they were shocked when they heard this.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45They now want the law changed so no vehicle is allowed to move
0:05:45 > 0:05:49on a school site whilst children are crossing the grounds.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53We are hoping to take this to London to get it passed, you know,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56and hopefully have something more
0:05:56 > 0:05:59that makes the school environment safer.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03To have lockdowns on all schools nationwide
0:06:03 > 0:06:06just to make the children safer.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09The coroner has raised concerns with the design of the school
0:06:09 > 0:06:12and is demanding to know from the school and Bridgend council
0:06:12 > 0:06:16what actions are being taken to improve safety on site.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19His report is also being sent to the Welsh Government
0:06:19 > 0:06:22so that wider lessons can be learned.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Because of the incident in Dunblane you ended up with key codes
0:06:26 > 0:06:29on doors so nobody was allowed to walk
0:06:29 > 0:06:32into a school anywhere.
0:06:32 > 0:06:37You know, we are hoping that, you know, we want to raise
0:06:37 > 0:06:40the standard of safety at schools for children.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42Ashley would have been 18 next month.
0:06:42 > 0:06:48His mother says she is determined to see change happen in his name.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53A heritage charity in the south Wales Valleys is searching for money
0:06:53 > 0:06:56which was raised to support bereaved families of Britain's
0:06:56 > 0:06:58worst colliery accident.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01A fund was established after the 1913 Senghenydd disaster
0:07:01 > 0:07:04that killed 439 men.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08But records seem to show that just a fraction of it was spent.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12Anything left over could now be worth millions.
0:07:12 > 0:07:19We know that people paid up until, perhaps, the late 1950s, 1960s.
0:07:19 > 0:07:24There was nobody left then to pay the money to,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27so what we would like to know is what happened to the remaining
0:07:27 > 0:07:29moneys and where did it go to?
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Let's see what the weather has in store.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33Sue Charles has the forecast.
0:07:33 > 0:07:34Good evening.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36After a day of sunshine and showers, more rain at
0:07:36 > 0:07:38times over the next few days.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42Breezy with some brighter spells and a bit milder as well.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Overnight, just a few showers but drier conditions
0:07:45 > 0:07:47will develop and with clear
0:07:47 > 0:07:51skies and lighter winds a slight frost possible in the coldest spots,
0:07:51 > 0:07:56especially across rural mid Wales, a risk of ice on untreated surfaces.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Tomorrow starts cold and dry but this secluded
0:07:59 > 0:08:02front will bring rain in from the south-west tomorrow.
0:08:02 > 0:08:08A chilly start with some frost, dry and bright spells but starting
0:08:08 > 0:08:11to cloud over ahead of rain pushing in from the south-west.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Across the UK it is the north and east holding onto
0:08:14 > 0:08:16the drier, brighter weather for longest.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20Clouding over ahead of that band of rain, pushing in from
0:08:20 > 0:08:24the south-west and slowly moving north-eastwards through the day.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Blustery with highs of eight Celsius in Northern Ireland,
0:08:26 > 0:08:2911 in south-east England.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32By tomorrow afternoon that rain starting to spread
0:08:32 > 0:08:36across Wales, heavy at times, briefly wintry in the hills.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Southerly winds picking up, highs of eight Celsius
0:08:39 > 0:08:42in Swansea, nine in Wrexham.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46Another wave of this system brings more rain tomorrow night and
0:08:46 > 0:08:50early on Wednesday before that front eventually clears eastwards.
0:08:50 > 0:08:55Tomorrow night, further rain on and off, maybe some drier spells.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Misty and murky but not as cold as tonight, cloud holding up
0:08:59 > 0:09:02the temperatures between five and eight Celsius.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04More rain on Wednesday morning.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07It should all clear eastwards by the afternoon, a few
0:09:07 > 0:09:08lingering showers.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13Often overcast, some brighter spells and with brisk winds bringing
0:09:13 > 0:09:16in warm air from the south-west, feeling slightly milder
0:09:16 > 0:09:19at 10-13 Celsius.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23For the next couple of days largely cloudy, wet and windy at times
0:09:23 > 0:09:26but slightly milder later in the week with some
0:09:26 > 0:09:29brighter spells as well.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31That's Wales Today.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35Thank you for watching, from all of us on the programme, goodnight.