Murder arrest over missing April

 

* Missing - April Jones.

As there is great interest in this case in Llangollen, we are bringing you the latest update:  

The man held by police for the last three days in connection with the diappearance of five-year-old April Jones has this morning (Friday) been arrested on suspicion of her murder.

In a statement he gave at a press conference Detective Superintendent Reg Bevan, of Dyfed Powys Police, said: “Mark Bridger has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of April Jones.

“He remains in custody at Aberystwyth Police Station where he continues to be questioned.

“The arrest does not detract from our efforts to find April and we remain committed to finding her.

“Her family has been informed of this development and as you would expect they continue to be supported by a family liaison officer.

“While this is a significant development in the investigation, I once again appeal to the public for information which may help us find April.

“We are looking to trace the movements of Mark Bridger between 6.30pm on Monday and 3.30pm on Tuesday and any sightings of him between these times.

“We also need information regarding the movements of the blue Land Rover Discovery registration L503 MEP between these times.”

At the same press conference, Superintendent Ian John said: “You have heard about a significant development in this investigation which has an impact on our search for April.

“We want to acknowledge and are extremely grateful for the efforts of the community volunteers who have supported the professional searchers in trying to locate her.

“They have been a vital part of our team throughout this search operation. Quite frankly, their commitment has been an inspiration to us all.

“The dynamics of the search have now changed and due to the passage of time and the developments within the investigation it is no longer appropriate for us to expect untrained members of the public to continue the search.

“So now we only require professional searchers to be involved in the ongoing search which continues in and around Machynlleth.”

Railway on track for great autumn/winter

* Santa Specials begin on December 1. 

Llangollen Railway is on track to stage a number of special events between now and Christmas. 

First to pull into the station on Saturday and Sunday, October 20 and 21, Thursday, October 25, Friday, October 26, Saturday, October 27 and Sunday, October 28 will be Days Out With Thomas.

Gates open at 10am and  Thomas will arrive at Llangollen Station between 10am and 10.30am.

Ticket Prices: Adults £15, seniors £13, children £10, Family 1 (one adult and one child) £22, Family 2 (two adults and two Children) £40, under-threes free.On Friday, November 2, is the Ride the Rocket fireworks party. 

Departing from the station at 6pm aboard a steam train, revellers will head for Carrog and on the way back stop off at Glyndyfrdwy Station for a fireworks display. 

Refreshments, including alcohol, soft drinks, tea and coffee, will be on sale aboard the train, with soup and hotdogs available to buy at Glyndyfrdwy. 

Tickets: £14 adults, £9 children and under-threes free.   

Saturday, November 3 will see a murder mystery entitled “Guy Fawkes and the Fireworks Plot”. 

The year is 1605 and Sir Percival du Frane, pampered favourite of King James I, has got wind of a stinking plot to murder the king and his entire parliament in just two days’ time.  

From the Royal Court to the stews of London and the depths of Jacobean Wales, this is a tale of love, intrigue, betrayal, skulduggery and murder, bloody murder. 

Can you uncover the truth about the Gunpowder plot, unveil the traitors in the plotters’ midst and guess … whodunnit?  

The plot starts at 7.15 pm, with food served on the train. 

Themed dress is optional and there’s a bottle of wine to be won for the best outfit. 

Seating is reserved and tickets cost £29.50 per person. 

On Saturday and Sunday, November 3 and 4, to mark Remembrance Day, the Poppy Train will run out of Llangollen Station proudly wearing its own poppy. 

The service will depart at 11am, 1pm and 3pm on both days for a period of quiet reflection. 

Visitors can also find out about the LMS Patriot Group’s new steam engine, The Unknown Warrior, currently built in Llangollen Station’s own engineering works. 

Adopted by The Royal British Legion, the aim is to have it ready to steam into London on November 11, 2018 to mark the 100^th anniversary of the end of the First World War.  

There will be free entry to the workshops at specific times on both days with a valid train ticket. 

Tickets: Adults £12, seniors £10, children £6, family £30. 

Next of the railway’s successful Rail and Ale excursions takes place on Saturday, December 1 and gives the chance to sample locally-brewed ales while travelling 30 miles on the train through the Dee Valley.

Departing Platform 1 at 6.30pm, it costs £13.50 per person. 

Ever-popular Santa Specials begin on Saturday, December 1. 

They give you a chance to join the Grand Old Man and his elves aboard the train as it travels to Carrog Station, which will be transformed into Lapland especially for the occasion. 

On the station there will be an opportunity to be photographed with Santa and his elves on his sleigh.   

Each boy and girl will receive a special gift from Santa and accompanying adults will get a mince pie and mulled wine served by his helpers. 

For all events, book online at www.llangollen-railway, or call 01978 860979.

Cut-price entry to Plas Newydd announced

* Plas Newydd - Llangollen's stately home.

Plas Newydd in Llangollen is celebrating a bumper 2012 season by offering tourists and residents a reduction in October.

The house will be open 10am-4pm, Wednesday-Sunday until 4th November, with the tea rooms open 10am-4pm, Thursday-Sunday.

Admissions to the house and food and drink in the tea rooms will have 10% off until the end of the season.

Samantha Williams, Heritage Manager, said: “It’s been a busy summer at Plas Newydd – we’ve seen an increase in visitor numbers compared to previous years despite the economic climate.

"The new menu in the tea rooms and covered outdoor seating has proved really popular this year, our first ever dog show was great fun and we trialled a shuttle bus from the town which we hope to repeat next summer.

"We’ve lots more ideas in the pipeline but our main aim is to continually develop the visitor experience at this remarkable house and give people more reasons to return.

"As October is traditionally our quietest month, we’ve decided to encourage people in with 10% off all house admissions and purchases in the tea rooms.”

For further information on visiting Plas Newydd please ring 01978 862834.
For upcoming events and group or party bookings please ring 01824 708274 or email heritage@denbighshire.gov.uk

Welsh Government announces changes to GCSE

The Welsh Government has today (Thursday) sent a letter to schools in Wales notifying them of changes to GCSE English Language.

 

Over the summer the Welsh Government, as regulator of examinations in Wales, issued a direction to WJEC to re-grade this year’s GCSE English Language results after a thorough and detailed review found there were significant problems with the methodology that WJEC were required to use to award grades.

Ministers said the result of the re-grade was the "resolution of an injustice served to well over 2,000 Welsh candidates".

At Ysgol Dinas Bran in Llangollen (pictured right) eight students saw their results improve - five from D to C and three from C to B.

The government is now putting in place measures to ensure that such an "injustice" does not happen in the future.

The Welsh Government has raised significant concerns about the overall validity and reliability of the current assessment model.

As a result, proposals are being put in place to implement immediate changes to the regulatory criteria which relate to this qualification in Wales.

Candidates currently in Year 10 and who will reach their final GCSE English Language assessments in the summer of 2014 will benefit from these improvements, claims the government.

The main differences between the new and current criteria are that:

• The weighting of the controlled assessment elements will be reduced from 60% to 40%.
• The weighting of the external assessment elements will be increased from 40% to 60%.
• The requirement to Study Spoken Language (which is not part of the KS4 Programme of Study for Wales) will be withdrawn.

Education Minister Leighton Andrews said: “The decision we made to order a re-grade was about fairness and ensuring that Welsh students got the grades they deserved for the work they put into their examination.

“The result of the re-grade was the only acceptable outcome for learners affected by a questionable grading methodology.

"The decision to change the regulatory criteria for GCSE English Language in Wales is an important step towards ensuring that the injustice suffered by our learners won’t happen again in the future.”

The Welsh Government has also made it clear that, in the summer of 2013, the grades for candidates in Wales should be determined in the context of comparable outcomes for learners in Wales rather than on the basis of predictions of performance for candidates in England.

Welsh Ministers say they remain committed to avoiding significant changes to GCSEs until after the outcomes of the Review are known at the end of November.

However, they add that given the exceptional circumstances surrounding English Language in the summer, this change to one subject specification is vital to ensure that Welsh students can receive fair and just treatment when they sit their exams in 2014.

Police statement following Savile documentary

NORTH Wales Police today issued a statement in the wake of Wednesday night's ITV documentary on allegations of historic sexual abuse by the late broadcaster Sir Jimmy Savile.

The claims aired in the Exposure programme have also been widely covered in the media.

North Wales Police says: "Anyone affected by the issues raised in the programme, or the related media coverage, can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 for support or their local police force to make a report."

River Lodge issue goes under microscope again

* The derelict former River Lodge.

The facts behind the Welsh Government’s acquisition and action to dispose of the former River Lodge in Llangollen will go under the official microscope again next week. 

The Welsh Assembly’s powerful Public Accounts Committee will discuss the controversial issue when it meets in public at Llangollen Pavilion at 1pm next Monday (October 8). 

The committee will take evidence from government officials involved in the £1.6 million acquisition five years ago and from Powys Fadog, the organisation which had planned to use the building to house a community project. 

As part of a high-level Assembly’s inquiry, the issue was last discussed by the committee at its meeting in July, with the details being reported at the time by llanblogger http://llanblogger.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/purchase-of-river-lodge-probed-by-ams.html

At that session, Wales’ top civil servant has admitted the way the Welsh Government handled the purchase was a “sorry story”. 

Through the now defunct Welsh Development Agency, the government bought the building on the banks of the River Dee at the gateway to the town in 2007. 

Sole purpose of the deal was to facilitate a community project by Powys Fadog. 

But the development never went ahead and following a series of vandal attacks the hotel now lies empty and derelict after costing the taxpayer a considerable amount of money. 

The saga has sparked major criticisms of the part played by the government and led earlier this year to the publication of a critical report by the independent Welsh Audit Office. 

That report said the government’s decision to purchase River Lodge as “flawed” and “represented poor value for money”. 

Dame Gillian Morgan, Permanent Secretary to the Welsh Government and head of the civil service in Wales, told the committee’s July session:  “There is more information on this issue than anything else. 

“This was unsafe all the way through from beginning to end.  

“There should have been enough alarm bells ringing for people to say ‘stop this’ but that didn’t happen.

“This is indefensible … this is something that is a sorry story and we should not be in this position.”

AMs also quizzed officials giving evidence to the committee on what was now likely to happen to River Lodge. 

James Price, the Welsh Government’s Director General for Business, Enterprise, Technology and Science, explained there were ongoing discussions about the possible acquisition of River Lodge by the local Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board 

Mr Price said the health board was the only organisation to so far an express an interest in River Lodge. 

At the end of an hour’s debate on the issue, committee chairman Darren Miller AM said it would come back before members when they return after the summer recess and that he would been having further correspondence about it with Dame Gillian.

Mr Millar said this week: “Following the publication of the report by the Wales Audit Office into the sale of River Lodge Hotel the National Assembly for Wales’s Public Accounts Committee decided to conduct its own inquiry.

“The Wales Audit Office’s report states that the hotel’s purchase price was not supported by a valuation, that the Welsh Government paid more than the property was worth, and at the time of purchase had not undertaken a robust assessment of risk. This is very concerning.

“We intend to establish the chain of events surrounding this purchase and decisions around its disposal, and ensure processes are on place to avoid it happening again.”

Further meetings are planned on the issue over the next month or so, according to the Welsh Assembly.

Assembly officials advise booking in advance to have a seat at the meeting by calling 0845 0105500, or emailing assembly.bookings@wales.gov.uk

"Is there a hidden agenda" over hospital closure?

* Closure-threatened Llangollen Cottage Hospital.  

Anti-supermarket and "save our hospital" campaigner Martin Crumpton has sent in the following letter on the subject of the closure-threatened Cottage Hospital: 

 

"On Tuesday, I attended two hospital appointments at Wrexham Maelor, both necessary but neither remarkable. Due to personal circumstances, I needed hospital transport both ways – yet another example of a public service patients cherish but the government underfunds.

In all, I spent nearly seven hours for two appointments.

Imagine what that would be like for routine physiotherapy, minor injuries, phlebotomy or any of the other services provided so conveniently by our Cottage Hospital.

Waiting patiently for the return leg of my journey, there was another patient waiting too – a lady in a wheelchair. She was headed for the Cottage Hospital, as an in-patient, occupying one of the tren beds we currently have in Llangollen.

Then it occurred to me: What IS the all-fired hurry to close the Cottage Hospital?

We’ve never had an explanation – satisfactory or otherwise – why they’re so determined to close it in 2013, barely six months away.

The more recent extensions, the Portakabin where the Physio department is, was rewired and redecorated in July this year. So what’s the problem?

Our hospital has been operating since 1837 and, despite being starved of resources, is as functional today as it has been for the last several years. S

o why close it prematurely, before it replacement is up and running?

It is a fact, obtained by a Freedom of Information request, that a bed in our Cottage Hospital costs just over £400pw compared to over £900pw at Wrexham Maelor.

There’s something Betsi Cadwaladr isn‘t telling us.

We need to find out exactly why they’re so dead-set on closing our hospital when they could so easily, and cost-effectively, keep it open until its replacement is operating.

The only reasonable conclusion is there’s a hidden agenda."

 

Martin Crumpton

AM slams 'postcode lottery' for disability grants

An end to the 'postcode lottery’ of disability grant funding has been called for by Clwyd South Assembly Member Ken Skates.

Figures published recently by the Local Government Data Unit show that some councils in Wales are taking over 600 days to pay the Disabled Facilities Grant. 

 

In Denbighshire the average wait is said to be 219 days.

 

The money is a local council grant that helps towards the cost of adapting someone’s home and pays for vital equipment such as hand rails or disability ramps.

Last year Newport council took an average of 638 days to pay the Disabled Facilities Grant compared to Conwy council that took just 180 days.

In September Sarah Rochira, the Older People's Commissioner for Wales, said she would take public bodies, including councils, to court if they fail in their obligations to Wales' 710,000 older people.

 

Mr Skates said: “It’s obviously unacceptable that there is such a wide disparity across Wales in the time it takes elderly and disabled people to receive their Disabled Facilities Grant. In some areas people are waiting four times longer for payments to be processed.

“Whilst I do understand that some adaptations are complex and expensive, we do need to see all councils operating within the 12 month statutory period to pay grants. After all, experts say an average grant of £7,500 can keep someone out of residential care for four years, which can cost over £100,000 so it makes sense to get things done quicker.

“Whilst we don’t want to see the Older People’s Commissioner intervening on councils or taking them to court, it’s up to local authorities to make life easier for older and disabled people across Wales.

“It is possible for councils to do better. Conwy were one of the worst performing authorities only a few years ago, but having made it a corporate priority within the council they now have their payment wait down from over 1,000 days to just 180 days.

“This is the model we should be using to improve services for people and communities right across Wales.

“As a member of the Local Government Committee in the Assembly I will certainly be recommending to my fellow committee members that we look into this matter in order that we can monitor the improvements we need to see in council performance right across Wales.”

The average time it took to pay out grants in Wales was 326 days last year.

In Wales, the maximum available amount is £36,000 which can be spent on lifts, ramps, widening doors, installing a downstairs bathroom or improving a heating system.

County to discuss £134m spending package

* County Hall in Ruthin.

Denbighshire County Council has announced a programme of investment that could see £134 million ploughed into delivering its priorities over the next five years, including a major investment of £97 million in education.

The draft Corporate Plan, which will be discussed by councillors meeting in County Hall next week, looks at:

· Improving performance in education and the quality of school buildings
· Developing the local economy
· Improving roads
· Vulnerable people are protected and are able to live as independently as possible
· Clean and tidy streets
· Ensuring access to good quality housing
· Modernising the council to deliver efficiencies and improve services for customers.

Key proposals for investment for the five year period include:

· £97 million in improving school buildings, implementing area reviews, refurbishment and other improvements to schools.
· £10.4 million investment in roads
· £21 million in three extra care facilities across the county
· £2 million investment in the economy.
· £4 million in information communication technology (ICT) and office building assets.

The council would not need to provide all of this funding.

It expects grants from the Welsh Government that will be available to help fund the planned work to improve schools and roads and that other partners would be likely to contribute to planned extra care housing projects.

£78 million from the total would be found from a range of sources including redirecting funding for lower priorities, the council's reserves, balances and by selling some of its assets, the rest would be generated through prudential borrowing.

Councillor Hugh Evans, Leader of Denbighshire County Council, said: "It is well known that local authorities are facing difficult times.

"We have got less money to invest in council services, and we must also manage issues that are outside of our control, such as the global economy, welfare rights reform and the restructure of the health service.

"During these difficult times, it is important that we play our part by providing the best services possible for residents, and by focussing on priorities that will make a difference to people’s lives.

"Our Corporate Plan has a clear focus on improving services for our customers. We are also committed to becoming more responsive to the needs of customers, and to being clearer about what standards of service our customers should expect from the council.

"The priorities we have set are very ambitious and will move Denbighshire, and the council, forward. The plan is supported by all our councillors, regardless of political allegiance, and we are very clear that these priorities should direct our financial decisions over the next five years.

"We believe that, by delivering this Corporate Plan, we can transform the lives of many people in Denbighshire, and that we can create a legacy for the future."

Denbighshire's Chief Executive, Dr Mohammed Mehmet, said: "Each of our priorities will have to be approached in a different way. Some are about changing the way the whole council works, whilst others will be delivered by a small number of council services working together.

"Some will take several years to deliver and will require a significant amount of financial investment, whilst others may be achievable relatively quickly and may require additional effort and human resources, rather than substantial amounts of new money.

"The priorities focussing on the economy and education, in particular, have a timescale beyond the five years of this plan. Although we expect to see real progress in these priority areas, we believe that the full benefits will be realised beyond 2017.

"In order to continue to provide high quality services to our residents, it is essential that we modernise the council and exploit technology to become more efficient and cost-effective. Changing the way we work will enable us to divert valuable resources to support services to the public.

" Delivering our modernisation agenda will be the key to protecting frontline services and protecting jobs during the next five years, which is why this is one of the priorities within our Corporate Plan. It is not only important in its own right, but it also underpins our other priorities.

"This is, without question, the most ambitious Corporate Plan the council has ever had, but it is also achievable. I believe that, by delivering this plan, we can make a significant and lasting difference to the people and communities of Denbighshire."

The Draft Corporate Plan will be discussed on Tuesday, October 9 at County Hall, Ruthin, at 10am.

Intrepid Llan grandad's big Christmas challenge

A Llangollen grandfather who braved the wild water of the River Dee last year to raise money for the town’s Christmas festival is repeating the feat, this time with an extra challenge and the help of his local Assembly Member.

A year ago John Palmer swam two miles through challenging white water to the centre of Llangollen.

* John Palmer.

This year he will begin his challenge with a six mile run from Corwen to Glyndyfrdwy and then swim the remaining six miles to the Horseshoe Falls just outside Llangollen.

He will also be joined by local Assembly Member Ken Skates.

John explained that, as enjoyable as his adventure was last year, he is hoping for something more challenging this year.

“Last year was really just a case of sitting there and letting the river take me,” explained the 65-year old former outdoor instructor.

“This year the run will add something of an edge to the adventure. Combined with the swim I think it’s really going to test our stamina.”

John enlisted the help of Clwyd South AM Ken Skates after discussing fundraising for the festival, which takes over the centre of Llangollen in November each year.

 

 

* Ken Skates AM.

“I came to last year’s festival with my family and it’s a lovely event that brings the community together and really does help to keep Llangollen special,” explained Ken.

“It’s a chance to shop in Llangollen’s range of unique shops and find something special for your family’s Christmas.

“John explained how much effort goes into raising money to ensure that it takes place each year so I offered to do whatever I could to help. When he told me about his plans for this year, it was really impossible not to get involved”

The duo hope that the money they raise from sponsors will help fund this year’s festival.

While both Ken and John are looking forward to their challenge with some trepidation, they are training hard to make sure they are in shape to take advantage of the right conditions.

“We want to be able to grab the moment when it comes,” explained John, who has previously raced in the Karrimor International Mountain Marathon.

“We want the river to be high enough that it carries us over rocks without any problems but not too high and it would be nice if it’s not too cold. Ideally we could do without wind too.”

As an enthusiastic runner Ken is no stranger to exercise, regularly leading a group of like-minded AMs, advisors and civil servants on early morning jaunts of up to 10 kilometres around Cardiff Bay. However, swimming the Dee will be a new experience.

“The thought of jumping into a cold river after a six mile run is somewhat daunting,” he said, “but knowing that we’re doing it for a good cause will make it all worth while.”

Sponsors can contact John and Ken via email at Johnpalmer55@hotmail.com or Ken.Skates@wales.gov.uk or contact Ken’s constituency office on 01978 869058 to pledge support.

Bryn Howel Hotel has new owner

* The Bryn Howel Hotel. 

The Bryn Howel in Llangollen has been bought for an undisclosed sum.

The buyers were named yesterday as Anrai Rose Limited.

The hotel had been in administration under KPMG since the collapse of Stephanie Booth's Llangollen Hotels group, of which it was part, in July last year.

A statement released by the hotel said: “The landmark hotel formerly belonged to entrepreneur and TV celebrity Stephanie Booth.

“This was the last of her chain of hotels to find a buyer.

“The management and staff would like to take this opportunity to thank Stephanie Booth for establishing such a successful business and which we intend to maintain under the new private ownership.

“Our new owners were able to greet many of our regular customers over the course of the weekend and seemed equally delighted that the future of the Bryn Howel Hotel has now been secured.”

The general manager of nine years Mr David Irwin was delighted and promised the hotel would maintain its high standards.

It is now planned to refurbish the hotel, but not alter its ambience or historic aspect.

Booth’s Llangollen Hotel Group – which also included Bodidris Hall in Llandegla – went into administration in July last year.

Last month, the Wild Pheasant, also previously owned by Ms Booth, was bought for £2.2million, safeguarding 50 jobs.

It was acquired by London-based investor Asif Siddiqui.

Last June, the Chainbridge Hotel was bought by businessman and hotelier Seamus O'Keeffe.

Man arrested by police hunting missing girl

Breaking news ...

The BBC and other media are reporting that a 46-year-old man has been arrested by police searching for a five-year-old girl abducted from her street in mid Wales.

April Jones was with friends near her Machynlleth home when she "willingly" got into a van at 7pm on Monday.

Police said they are continuing their search in order to bring her home to her family.

"We knew who we were looking for," said Det Supt Reg Bevan, who is leading the inquiry, told the BBC.

Speaking at a news conference in Aberystwyth, Det Supt Reg Bevan said: "Within the last hour we have arrested a 46-year-old man from the Machynlleth area who has been detained at Aberystwyth Police Station.

"We made the arrest just outside Machynlleth and we're hopeful that the individual will assist in locating April who is still missing."

He said that the man arrested was being sought by police and was stopped while he was walking along a road outside the town. His vehicle has now been recovered.

"We knew he was in the area, we've been anxious to trace him and speak to him," he added.

Det Supt Bevan added: "We're still pursuing all lines of inquiry with the view that April is still alive and will continue to do so until we find her."

When asked if police were looking for anyone else, he said: "It's a very early stage. He is a local man and it's a small community. I wouldn't like to speculate further."

Meanwhile, a 12 mile stretch of the A487 from Machynlleth to Cross Foxes near Dolgellau has been closed in both directions due to a "police incident".

Police statement on missing girl

* April Jones.

North Wales Police have issued a statement on behalf of officers in the Dyfed-Powys force about five-year-old April Jones who has been missing from her home in Machynlleth on Monday evening.

Released by Detective Superintendent Reg Bevan, it says: "It is still early days in the investigation and we are still speaking to witnesses to gather as much info as possible. These witnesses are children and speaking with them is a delicate and time consuming process.

“I would like to return to the description of the vehicle, and I am mindful that we are still in the process of speaking to these children, so I am anxious that we only provided as accurate information as possible.

“What the witnesses have told is that the vehicle looks like a van, they describe it as small at the front and large at the back, so it could be interrupted that this could be something similar to a Ford Connect type van or a Landrover.

“Furthermore April has been described as getting into the driver’s side of the vehicle. This may be because she got in with the driver or that it is left hand drive vehicle.

“We still believe that the van is grey or light coloured, but again these things can be affected by failing light and street lamps.

“We are following expert advice and research which says that in situations like this you concentrate your searches in the immediate area and then widen it out. This is what we are doing.

“If you were in the area of Bryn y Gôg yesterday evening at around 7pm or you recognise the additional information about the van we have provided please call the incident room on 0300 2000 333. And please get in touch if you have any footage which may assist in our inquiries. If any pieces of information trigger something please get in touch. ”

Fears grow for missing five-year-old girl

 

Llangollen may be over 50 miles away from Machynlleth but we are on a main road, so llanblogger believes it may be useful to carry the story of the five-year-old girl missing from the Powys town since yesterday (Monday) evening. 

Police say they are treating the disappearance of April Jones as a suspected abduction and are becoming increasingly concerned for her safety.

 * Missing ... April Jones.

April was seen playing with friends near her home and then getting into a grey or light coloured van at 7.30pm.

Hundreds of local people have been helping in a search of streets, farmland and woodland through the night.

Det Ch Supt Simon Powell of Dyfed-Powys Police said officers were "becoming increasingly concerned for her safety".

Local people gathered at Machynlleth Leisure Centre on Monday evening to help look for the girl, as news of her disappearance spread on social network sites.

A crowd of people had also gathered in the town's main street to take part in the search, and posters of April have been put up.

Police have set up road blocks to check vehicles, while the street where April disappeared has been cordoned off.

 

Officers are appealing for anyone with information to contact them by calling 0300 2000 333.

Bins to roll out across the county

Thousands of households in Denbighshire are set to receive enhanced recycling services in the biggest roll-out of the x2 scheme the Council has ever undertaken.

By the end of November, around 11,000 of the 16,000 households that currently use sacks for recycling and refuse collection will be in receipt of the very popular x2 service provided to 27,000 households already.

This big switch to bins has been made possible by replacing older refuse trucks and pick-ups with smaller refuse trucks that can be fitted with the necessary lifting equipment for wheeled bins.

This means that wheeled bins can now be used in previously inaccessible narrow streets and many country.

The effectiveness of the x2 service is such that it has helped Denbighshire residents take recycling to the highest levels achieved in Wales – despite only two-thirds of households receiving the full service.

With over 90% of households receiving x2, the council expects recycling to increase to around 64% - a level the Welsh Government doesn’t expect councils to reach until 2020.

After this huge expansion of the x2 service, around 5,000 households will still rely on sack services because of access problems that cannot be overcome.

However, where sacks still have to be used collections are being changed so that residents can enjoy all the facilities of the x2 service.

Residents will receive separate, weekly food waste collections using secure orange bins. This separate collection of food waste will go a long way towards eliminating the biggest problem with sack collections - the fact that birds and other animals see refuse sacks as a source of food.

Also, householders will be offered garden waste collections for the first time. This is possible because the reductions in the amount of refuse achieved through high levels of recycling, coupled with the new food waste collection, mean that is no longer necessary to collect pink sack refuse on a weekly basis.

Councillor David Smith, Cabinet Lead Member for Environment, said: “Throughout October and November, residents will be provided with their new bins, where appropriate, and their new recycling and refuse collection schedules directly.

“When Denbighshire initially switched to wheelie bins, housholders only had two bins, now, with the advances made in recycling technology, we are providing over 11,000 households with three different bins and a food waste collection service.

"It has been a huge logistical excercise and months of planning to get to this stage.The sheer size and scale of this roll out means there may be a few teething problems but we would like to thank residents in advance for their patience over the next two months.”*

A briefing on the x2 roll out can be arranged on request by the council.

5p carrier charge could spread to rest of UK

One year on from the introduction of Wales’ 5p bag charge, Environment Minister John Griffiths has said he can see no reason why the charge wouldn’t work just as well in other parts of the UK.

Since the charge was introduced in October 2011, carrier bag use in Wales has reduced by as much as 96% in some retail sectors, and a recent survey of attitudes indicated that the charge is now supported by around 70% of people in Wales.

The charge has also resulted in more money for charities and not for profit organisations as the Welsh Government has called on retailers to pass proceeds from the 5p charge onto environmental or good causes

Latest figures from RSPB and Keep Wales Tidy show that collectively they have already received more than £800K in donations as a direct result of the charge. This money has come from the proceeds of bag sales at major retailers including Tesco, McDonalds, Argos, Asda and Wilkinson, and RSPB and Keep Wales Tidy are just two of many good causes to benefit.

Co-op are donating proceeds from the charge to environmental causes across Wales, and in April they pledged £75,000 to the Vincent Wildlife Trust to support a three-year project to protect Pine Martens, a rare species living on the south west Wales and in Snowdonia.
Speaking about the success of the charge, the Environment Minister said: "One year on from the introduction of our 5p bag charge it is obvious that it has made a real difference to shopping habits of people here in Wales.
“Checkouts across Wales are now full of people using their own bags to carry shopping rather than paying 5p for a new one, and it is really heartening to see people in Wales developing sustainable shopping habits and being much less wasteful with the world’s natural resources. I think the Welsh experience proves that if you want to effectively reduce carrier bag use, a charge really is the best way to go.
“I have been really impressed by the ease with which Welsh retailers and shoppers have adjusted to the charge. Their efforts have been key to its success and I can see no reason why the charge wouldn’t work just as well in other parts of the UK.”

Police seek handbag snatch man

Police are appealing for information after a woman was robbed soon after she left a bank in Ruabon.

The incident happened on Thursday September 27 around 1pm after the woman left the HSBC Bank in Ruabon High Street.

She walked the short distance to her car which was parked the Wynnstay Hotel car park.

While sitting in her vehicle, a man described as white, in his 20’s, of average build with dark hair and wearing a black ‘blouson’ style leather jacket, opened the passenger door and grabbed the handbag before running off.

DS Paul Kelly said: “We are appealing for witnesses who may have been in the Ruabon area on September 27 and may have seen the suspect.

"If anyone recognises this man from the pro-fit please contact Wrexham C.I.D. on 101 or crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."

'Save our health services' campaign gets under way

* The KLHS leaflet to be distributed across Llangollen. 

The campaign to protect health services in Llangollen is under way.

And its hard-hitting main message is “We’ve got less than a month to stop Llangollen being closed”.

As exclusively revealed by llanblogger, at a public meeting in the Hand Hotel last Thursday an action group was formed to safeguard health services in the town.

* The new group's website. 

Named Keep Llangollen Health Services (KLHS), its aim is to halt controversial proposals by the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board which include closing the town's Cottage Hospital and replacing it with a new primary care health centre on another site in the town. 

Members of the new group are deeply worried the new facility will take years to complete and will not include the in-patient beds or minor injuries unit currently offered by the hospital on Abbey Road.

The community hospital, which the health board says is outdated and in need of replacement, also provides a range of vital health services, such blood testing, and campaigners are concerned about whether these will continue to be provided locally during an expected gap of two or three years between it closing and a new centre opening.

KLHS has just announced it has organised a follow-up public meeting, in the Hand Hotel on Monday, October 15, starting at 7pm, when it will set out its action plans for the public, invite speakers and orchestrate a letter-writing campaign seeking the support of local residents, opinion-formers, politicians and the media. 

The group has also set up its own dedicated website – see it at www.llangollenhospitalcampaign.wordpress.com – and email address, keepllanhealthservice@gmail.com 

It has printed hundreds of copies of a leaflet – with English and Welsh language versions – which it is to distribute across the town and surrounding areas.   

KLHS will  liaise with other groups opposing health service changes, such as the one in Flint which recently organised a march through the streets of the town by 1,500 people fighting the closure of their own community hospital. 

The group is also collecting personal accounts from local people about how important the Cottage Hospital has been in their lives over the years.  

A KLHS spokesperson said: “We’ve got less than a month to stop Llangollen Hospital being closed. 

“The health board wants to permanently close all the hospital beds in Llangollen, sell the hospital and only then apply for planning permission for a new health centre without any beds. 

“Nursing and GP-based hospital care in Llangollen for frail and terminally-ill people would cease to exist.”

llanblogger samples new Chirk Castle attraction

* The sumptuous Bow Drawing Room.

Llanblogger went just a few miles up the road to Chirk Castle on Sunday to get a taste of a forgotten period in Welsh history.

The grand opening of the ancient fortress’s East Wing to the public for the first time the previous day marked the culmination of a two-year, £200,000 project to mark the impact Lord Howard de Walden had on Chirk Castle and Wales between the wars, and included a medieval pageant complete with displays of falconry, archery, men at arms fighting with swords, pike drill and a roving court jester.

Recognised as the Last Great Patron of the Welsh Arts for his formidable support of Welsh cultural institutions like the National Eisteddfod, and a number of leading Welsh artists and writers, Lord Howard de Walden’s life and work has not been fully celebrated until now.

To reflect his pivotal role in Welsh history, Chirk Castle’s the East Wing has been painstakingly redisplayed to give visitors a taste of the eighth Lord Howard de Walden’s life in the medieval castle, which he rented from 1911-46.

Carolyn Latham, house and visitor services manager at Chirk Castle, said: “The sumptuous Bow Room has been redisplayed to match the picture Sir John Lavery painted of the Howard de Walden family relaxing in the room in 1929.

“We have also been able to get hold of many of the treasures the family had on show here during their time in the castle, including a rare suit of armour, Welsh military dagger and a painting by renowned Welsh painter Augustus John. Much of this private collection has never been seen by the public before.”

Walking into the drawing room is like stepping right back into the 1930s.

An enormous log fires roars in the ornate grate around which there are comfortable chairs where visitors can sit as they thumb through the castle’s visitors’ book bearing a host of famous names of the day, such as Rudyard Kipling and George Bernard Shaw.

* Family portraits on the piano.

In the corner of the room a period wireless pumps out 1930s dance music, while photographs of the family adorn the top of the grand piano.

In an adjoining room an old-fashioned projector whirrs away to show flickering black and white Howard de Walden home movies shot at Chirk Castle during their time living there.  

"During Tommy Howard de Walden’s time here, he not only put Chirk Castle at the centre of Welsh culture, but his lavish parties and theatrical connections put Chirk at the heart of British arts and culture for decades," added Carolyn.

Tommy, The Eighth Lord Howard de Walden

§  Competed in the 1908 Olympics

§  Established the Welsh National Theatre

§  Housed Dylan Thomas

§  Learned to speak Welsh fluently

§  Supported and promoted Eisteddfodau

§  Edited Burke’s Peerage

§  Wrote libretti for operas

§  Took the name Elis o’r Waun on being received by the Gorsedd of Bards at the National Eisteddfod.