Western Mail

Women Urged to Go for Factory Jobs

The pounds 70m expansion of Rockwool's Pencoed manufacturing centre is set to boost employment in the region as a huge recruitment drive begins this week - and the company is particularly keen to let everyone know that plenty of these could be "jobs for the girls". There will be 110 skilled jobs created over the next few months at the insulation manufacturer. Rockwool is keen to see high numbers of female applicants apply for positions as production operators and for challenging careers in a ...

Revealed: Shame of Our 10-Year-Olds On Drugs

Children as young as 10 are being charged with drug offences in Wales, the Western Mail can reveal today. The figures, obtained from each of Wales' police forces under the Freedom of Information Act, show each arrested or charged at least one child aged between 10 and 12 last year. Across Wales, hundreds of 13 to 16-year-olds were charged with possessing cannabis, amphetamine, Ecstasy, cocaine and ketamine. The situation was yesterday branded "unacceptable" by police while one teaching union ...

The 'Unacceptable' Reality of the Widespread Use of Illegal, Harmful Drugs by the Nation's Youngsters

Children as young as 10 are being charged with drug offences in Wales, according to figures obtained by the Western Mail. The figures detail a wide range of drug offences committed in each of Wales' four police force areas and show that hundreds of teenagers and younger children were arrested or charged with drug offences last year. Police officials yesterday said it was "unacceptable" that children were falling victim to drug abuse.

New Chief Takeson Education Role

Big Names Head National Library

Lembit Opik

Bird Flu Will Get the Blame for Any Rise in Price of a Fresh Christmas Turkey Shortage Fears Raised If Virus Spreads in Uk

SHOPPERS could end up paying an extra pounds 4 for fresh Christmas turkeys as a result of the latest bird flu outbreak, industry experts warned yesterday. Welsh turkey producers say an average 14lb turkey is likely to cost around pounds 42 this year, compared to pounds 38 last year. Terry Evans, a Brecon-born poultry economist, also raised fears of a nationwide turkey shortage should the deadly H5N1 strain of the disease spread. A third of the UKs 10 million turkeys eaten in the UK come from ...

Biggest Victims Are in Plaid's Rural Backyard

Chief reporter Martin Shipton examines the ramifications of the first local government settlement since Plaid entered government THE provisional local government settlement is another milestone for Plaid Cymru, though not of the kind the party would have wanted. It completes the triple whammy that began with the publication last month of the UK Government's Comprehensive Spending Review, and continued with the Assembly Government's draft budget.

'Abysmal' Funding for Councils Could Turn Out Lights

School closures and hikes in council tax across Wales were predicted yesterday as local authority chiefs condemned an "abysmal" funding settlement. Under the plans announced yesterday by the Assembly Government, one local authority in Wales will receive a rise in funding of just 1% - well below the rate of inflation. Council leaders last night predicted council tax bills could rise by up to 10%, with an average Band D property in Blaenau Gwent - which has had the highest Band D tax rate in th...

Building in Barriers to Terrorism at Public Sites Like Ports and Stations

Prime Minister Gordon Brown yesterday unveiled a wide-ranging package of measures to bolster security in public places. Barriers will be built outside airports, railway stations and ports to protect them from car bomb attacks, while new security advice will be sent out to thousands of cinemas, theatres, restaurants and sports stadiums. However, from next year, airports will be able to seek permission to allow passengers to take more than one bag onto a plane as hand luggage.

Daughter-in-Law of Former Labour Leader Narrowly Misses Election First

The daughter-in-law of former Labour leader, Neil Kinnock, has narrowly missed out on becoming the first female Prime Minister of Denmark. Helle Thorning-Schmidt, who is married to Lord Kinnock's son Stephen, was yesterday defeated in her attempts to govern in Denmark. Despite the country's opinion polls tipping the 41-year-old Social Democrat to win the general election, the current coalition government secured enough votes to ensure a narrow victory.

Brunstrom Apologises for Single Bad Decision to Show Photos of Dead Motorcyclist

CONTROVERSIAL police chief Richard Brunstrom yesterday apologised for a stupid, single bad decision to show pictures of a headless motorcyclist at a press conference. The Independent Police Complaints Commission, in an 84-page report last week described it as this unfortunate incident but Mr Brunstrom, 53, Chief Constable of North Wales, was cleared of breaking any rules when he showed images of Mark Gibney, 40, without telling his family. In an internal email on the eve of last Aprils road s...

Cocaine 'Mule' Found with 34 Bags in Stomach Went to Trinidad 'Out of Season'

A drugs "mule" who tried to smuggle 34 bags of cocaine into the UK from Trinidad travelled to the holiday destination out of season, a court heard yesterday. Mother-of-two Nicola Last, 40, was stopped and searched at Heathrow Airport after police tipped off customs officers. The airport X-ray machine failed to spot 34 bags of cocaine she had swallowed, Cardiff Crown Court heard. Last voluntarily went through a body scan machine but the image proved negative. But Last collapsed the next day an...

Raf Navigator Left Fighter Mid-Flight

A NAVIGATOR who exited an RAF Tornado fighter plane during a test flight was found dead in a field last night. The Ministry of Defence said the man left the aircraft during an "inverted roll" over Norfolk about 4pm. A spokesman said the man's body was found in a field near South Creake about 45 minutes later. The aircraft, based at RAF Marham, Norfolk, landed safely following the incident. Rem Merrick, a spokesman for RAF Marham said, "It's with deepest sadness that the MoD has learnt that th...

Soldier Killed in Helmand Blast

A british soldier has been killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said last night. The soldier, who was serving with the 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, was caught in an explosion south of the district centre of Sangin in Helmand province shortly before 11am local time. He was on a joint Afghan National Army and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) patrol, the MoD said.

Musharraf Takes His War of Words to the Opposition

PAKISTANS President Pervez Musharraf went on the offensive yesterday in the war of words surrounding his imposition of emergency rule. Faced with a barrage of criticism from former premiers Benazir Bhutto, who is under house arrest, and Nawaz Sharif, who is in exile, he declared he will step down as head of the army by the end of the month. President Musharraf said he would begin a new presidential term as a civilian and said the country risked slipping into chaos if he gave in to demands to ...

My Life's Been Ruined but My Conscience Is Clear, Says Langham As He Leaves Jail After Child-Porn Sentence Cut

Comedy actor Chris Langham left prison last night after winning a four-month cut in his sentence for downloading child pornography and said, "My life has been ruined but my conscience is clear." The 58- year-old Bafta award-winner was sent to prison for 10 months in September after being found guilty of 15 counts of making an indecent photograph of a child. His second application for a sentence reduction was successful at a hearing before three judges at the Court of Appeal in London yesterday.

Father Main 'Suspect' As Police Start Probe Into Fire Murder

Northern Ireland's worst house fire tragedy which killed a family of seven became a murder investigation last night - with the father the prime suspect. Tests revealed petrol was sprinkled inside their home and set alight. Neighbours of Arthur McElhill, 39, said they were stunned by the police announcement less than 36 hours after flames swept through his home in Omagh, Co Tyrone. Stephen Mullan, 21, who tried to rescue him, said, "I am just numb."

Police Search Killers Home for the Body of Second Teenager

POLICE searching the former home of murderer Peter Tobin were braced for more grim discoveries last night, after they identified a body found there as that of a missing Scottish teenager. Police confirmed remains found in the back garden of the home in Margate, Kent, were those of 15- year-old Vicky Hamilton, who went missing in February 1991 in Scotland. But Detective Superintendent Tim Wills said officers would continue to search the property for missing 18- year-old student Dinah McNicol, ...

Warning of Diabetes Timebomb That Could Blight the Lives of Wales' Overweight Children

The fast food generation is fuelling a walking timebomb of type 2 diabetes cases which could blight children's lives, experts have warned. Wales' high childhood obesity rates could result in an explosion of cases of the lifelong disease which can cause kidney failure and blindness. About 30 overweight and obese children in Wales have already been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes - a disease normally only associated with the over 40s.