Daily Post

Bosses Angry At Prospect Of New Rail Hold-Ups

tombarton — Fri, 30 Aug 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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BUSINESS leaders yesterday blasted plans to close part of the main railway line between North Wales and London.

The line is expected to be closed for several months to allow belated improvements to the West Coast Main Line.

The work - to allow faster services between Glasgow and London - should have been completed earlier this year but was delayed after costs ballooned from pounds 2bn to pounds 13bn.

From the end of next year, the line between Crewe and Stafford, a key stretch of track on the Holyhead to London route, will be closed as part of the work. Diversions via Kidsgrove, Staffordshire, will extend journey times for travellers by around half an hour.

A spokesman for Railtrack, which is responsible for carrying out the developments, said the company did not know how long the work would take - but similar improvements on a parallel line from Manchester through the Potteries are due to last for up to four months.

Rob Salisbury, chair of the CBI in Wales, said he was angry at the effect the delays would have on businesses in North Wales.

'This will have a serious effect on businessmen, as it's difficult enough to get to London at the moment,' he said.

'We all have to change at Crewe 90pc of the time, because there are only three direct services to Holyhead in a day, all at inconvenient times. 'It's just an absolute nightmare. We're paying a fortune for a secondclass rail service.'

But Mark Younger, deputy secretary of the Rail Passengers' Committee Wales, yesterday gave his guarded support to the scheme.

'We do accept that work needs to be carried out on the West Coast line, but we hope that any disruptions will be well advertised and that people will know in advance that there will be a lengthening of their journey,' he said.

Richard Bowker, chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority which is leading the project, said the Authority was determined to keep disruption to a minimum.

'When completed, this massive engineering programme will bring the West Coast line up to the standard, in terms of capacity and line speed, required of a 21st Century high-speed rail link,' he said.

'It is time the industry got to grips with the challenges facing it. This programme is a good example of that.'

Transport Secretary Alastair Darling said: 'This is a line that has needed investment for some 30 or 40 years now. We are finally getting control of the costs of the project.'

He added: 'Chunks of the line will be taken out of commission totally because that will enable us to do the work more cheaply, because it is very expensive to have a series of very short stoppages.'

Virgin Trains, which will run the high-speed service when the upgrade is complete, yesterday welcomed the announcement.

'Anything that accelerates the delivery of the West Coast Main Line upgrade project is good news,' a spokesman said.

'We will do everything we can to minimise the inconvenience and to provide our customers with a seamless journey.'

Byline

By Tom Barton

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Page 11

BNP "Must Keep Noses Out Of Call Centre Dispute"

tombarton — Thu, 29 Aug 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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UNION bosses yesterday told the extreme right wing British National Party to keep out of a dispute over the transfer of Welsh call centre work to India.

The BNP has published literature on its website arguing against homeshopping company Reality's plan to route customer service calls from Newtown, Powys, to call centres in India.

The employees' union Usdaw is holding a ballot for strike action over the issue, and is calling for the company to guarantee jobs in Newtown.

But the BNP, on their website, claims that jobs were being lost because 'Welsh workers are not as cheap as Indians'.

The far right party says: 'Indians and Bangladeshis who speak the Queen's English are cheaper to employ than the Welsh, Kentish and Scots and so hundreds of companies either are relocating or already have relocated to hot-spots such as Bangalore, Dhaka and Bombay.'

But Usdaw officials yesterday hit out at the BNP, whose leader Nick Griffin lives near Welshpool, for getting involved in the campaign.

'They're bound to latch on, because that's how they feed, but we'll try not to be diverted by them,' said Usdaw's North Wales officer Bill Snell.

'Usdaw has no particular views on race or anything else like that - the issue for us is purely about the export of jobs.

'We do not want to play the race card in any way whatsoever. The fact that this concerns India is purely coincidental here, because if it had been Sweden, France, even California, the same principles would have applied.'

The official said the union was campaigning for a job security agreement that will guarantee the Newtown jobs will not be replaced by cheaper labour abroad, and that a nationwide ballot on whether to take strike action opened yesterday.

It is understood bosses at Reality, owned by mail-order giant Great Universal Stores, are unlikely to agree to such a guarantee, as they believe they could find it hard to reduce staffing levels if business was to take a turn for the worse.

A spokesman for Reality said last night that jobs in the Newtown centre were safe.

'Reality wishes to stress that there are no plans to close any UK contact centres as a result of the development of the India contact centres and that it is continuing to recruit to all seven of its UK contact centres.'

Byline

By Tom Barton

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Page 13

More Rail Misery As Walkouts Hit Again

tombarton — Wed, 28 Aug 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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PASSENGERS across North Wales were left stranded yesterday as train drivers walked out on strike again.

And the misery is set to continue today when the two-day strike again stops services in the region.

The train drivers' union Aslef are calling for the conditions attached to a recent pay deal by train operator First North Western to be renegotiated.

But passengers yesterday hit out in frustration as they arrived at train stations to find no services available.

Cathy Stevens, 43, and her daughter Sarah, 25, who are on holiday from Nashville, Tennessee, arrived at Llandudno Junction station yesterday hoping to take the train the Blaenau Ffestiniog.

'We are only here for a week and a half, and we've now got this day in front of us and we don't know what to do with ourselves,' said Cathy.

'We had really wanted to see the slate quarries, but will now have to spend the day doing something else.

'We've paid the full price of $ 85 (pounds 55.90) for a week's rail pass, and now we're not going to be able to use it for two days,' she added.

Local student Shirley Yau, 22, was hoping to make the journey to back to college in Winchester yesterday.

'I'm very fed up.

'It affects more of us as citizens than them as drivers, and they don't seem to care about that,' she said.

The student faced a half-hour wait for a replacement bus service, before a journey time of up to eight hours. 'It takes three hours just to get to Crewe by bus, and then I'll have to wait for a connection.

'I've got appointments to keep when I get there, and I can't afford to miss them,' she added.

A spokesman for the Rail Passengers' Committee Wales yesterday reflected the frustration of stranded travellers.

'Although First North Western are laying on buses for people to get along the North Wales main line, it is an inconvenience that passengers could well do without, particularly on a day like today just after a bank holiday.

'We don't get involved in disputes between trade unions and operators but we just hope that the two parties come to an agreement quickly so that these disputes don't drag on and on.'

An Aslef spokesman yesterday said: 'Obviously we regret that we're having to be out on strike again because it's not been possible to get an acceptable offer from the management.'

Union leaders yesterday said they were willing to reconvene talks with rail bosses to try to prevent a third 48hour strike by train drivers.

Aslef say bosses at First North Western attached strings to a 19pc pay-rise offer, introducing 'new and unacceptable' proposals such as making drivers responsible for picking up litter at stations.

First North Western deny changing the terms of the three-year pay agreement and said Aslef reneged on the deal.

The first 48-hour walkout took place on August 13 and 14 and the next planned strike is for September 10 and 11.

Negotiations organised by the conciliation service Acas broke down last week but a spokesman for Aslef yesterday said the union was willing to reconvene talks.

He said: 'We are willing to get back around the table but no meeting has been scheduled.

'It is almost inevitable that tomorrow's action will go ahead but the outcome of any talks could of course have an effect on the planned 48-hour strike next month.'

First North Western was unable to comment but managing director Vernon Barker has previously said: 'I remain available at all times to talk to Aslef'.

Most First North Western services were cancelled yesterday, although a limited replacement bus service was operating.

FINAL decisions on high-speed tilting train operations on a key route for North Wales travellers are still months away, it was revealed yesterday.

There has been speculation that Sir Richard Branson's train company Virgin Rail will only be able to operate the tilting trains in a limited way on the West Coast main line because of the high cost of the line's upgrade.

But Virgin said it was still confident of introducing some tilting services next year and going 'full tilt' in 2004.

Railtrack said negotiations over the multi-billion pound upgrade were continuing and that a conclusion was 'not expected until the end of the year'.

Byline

By Tom Barton

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Page 7

Train Chaos Looms As Peace Talks Stall

tombarton — Fri, 23 Aug 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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COMMUTERS in North Wales could face train disruption on Tuesday if train drivers union Aslef and First North Western fail to reach a deal over the bank holiday weekend.

Although both sides of the dispute said last night they were keen to reach an agreement, they have yet to sit down in what the company termed 'constructive talks.'

The walk-out is planned to follow last week's strike over pay.

'We are committed to reaching an agreement with Aslef as soon as possible and ideally that would mean before the next set of strikes,' said FNW's managing director, Vernon Barker.

He added: 'There is still time to reach an agreement before Tuesday and we remain available at all times for talks and hope that Aslef will respond in the same manner.

'We again appeal to Aslef to take part in constructive talks as it is clear that the people to miss out the most in any strike action are the passengers.

'The rail industry needs a period of stability to enhance passenger confidence and the uncertainty being cast by the threat of industrial action is undermining all the hard work being put into the industry.'

An Aslef spokesman said: 'The strike is still set to go ahead.

'There is no solution yet, and we've got no reason to be desperately hopeful.

'Obviously there is time and we do want a settlement - we never enjoy causing inconvenience to the public, but it is unavoidable.'

Byline

By Tom Barton

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Page 15

Bird Group Launches Organic Meat Brand

tombarton — Fri, 23 Aug 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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A WILDLIFE group yesterday launched its own brand of organic meat produced on a North Wales farm.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has kept livestock on farms - the first being a cattle farm on the Scottish island of Islay - but has never previously sold meat under its own name.

The charity's reserve at Lake Vyrnwy has 3,500 organic sheep, which will now be sold under the RSPB's own wildlife-friendly brand.' The meat is being sold through organic specialist's Graig Farm.

Gwynfor Evans, who farms Lake Vyrnwy for the RSPB, said the reserve was unique from other organic farms because birds take priority over sheep. 'If there's a bird that needs some special treatment then me and the warden sit down and decide what we can do for it - take the sheep away or cut back the heather,'

he said.

He added his flock could be marked apart from other farms because the sheep graze over 10,000 acres of heather moorland, and that leads to meat that tastes noticeably different from traditional grass-grazed sheep. The 53-year-old farmer added his interest in birds had developed working for the RSPB, but he had always had an interest in preserving them.

'I think that every farmer is interested in the world around him, despite what some people say, and my interest has just developed by birds being at the centre of everything we do,' he said.

RSPB spokesman Andrew South said: 'We are trying to get a link in people's minds between what ends up on their plate and the management of the farms and countryside where the food is produced.'

He added more than 60 of the charity's reserves graze livestock as a conservation tool.

Gerald Noone, of Severn Trent Water, which owns Lake Vyrnwy and is a partner in the project, said: 'Lake Vyrnwy farm is managed for the benefit of birds but it is also a commercial operation with conservation at its heart. Through our partnership, we are demonstrating that organic farming at Lake Vyrnwy can bring important environmental and economic benefits to rural Wales, and the provision of a clean and healthy water supply.'

The farm is run for the benefit of birds such as hen harriers and black grouse.

And the meat is produced using silage produced from land owned by Severn Trent.

RSPB Chief Executive Graham Wynne said: 'Health and farming issues over the past decade have given these issues special significance in the red meat sector.

'The launch of organic lamb from an RSPB reserve makes the vital connection between farming practices, birds and other wildlife, as well as helping to re -connect the public with the real story of the countryside.'

Byline

By Tom Barton

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Page 15

Help Me Get To The Top Of The World

tombarton — Thu, 22 Aug 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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A NORTH Wales teenager is aiming to be the youngest Briton ever to scale the world's highest mountain.

Nick Barrowclough, 18, from Rhyl, is campaigning to raise up to pounds 15,000 to allow him to make it to the summit of Everest.

But the race is on to secure himself a place on the gruelling 64-day expedition, which will make the attempt in 2004, and Nick needs to raise a pounds 1,600 deposit before the trip fills up.

The young mountaineer has been a climbing enthusiast for years, and has set his sights on the ultimate climb after learning the ropes on the peaks of Snowdonia.

'Through living in the area, I've had an interest in climbing - I was never into conventional sports like football - and it just developed through being so close to the hills.

'I was involved with a Llandrillo climbing club when I was at college, and try to get up to Snowdonia twice a week,' he said.

Nick, who is taking a year out before going to Manchester Metropolitan University in September 2003 to study geography, is asking local businesses to support his attempt.

'I'm hopefully going to raise the money through different sponsorship events, but I'm open to ideas for different ways of raising the funds.

'I'm targeting both local and national climbing companies, but of course I'd be really grateful for any support.'

The young climber, who will be 20 when he makes the attempt, is offering to put any sponsor's logo on the flag that he will fly from the peak's summit, and also on a banner at base camp.

He has also suggested that he would be willing to talk about his experiences to firms and their employees.

Up to 44 days of the twomonth trip will be spent on Everest's slopes, with time for preparation and acclimatisation to the height - base camp is at 5,400m, over five times the height of Snowdon. They will climb to over eight kilometres above sea level, travelling up the difficult north ridge attempted by pioneering explorers Mallory and Irvine.

In preparation for the trip, Nick is set to visit Nepal in October, when he will attempt three 6,000m mountains to test his resistence to altitude sickness.

He has previously completed the North Wales ultimate test, scaling all of its 3,000ft peaks in 24 hours.

Byline

By Tom Barton

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FEATURES; Pg. 12

Scrap Demands For Improvements

tombarton — Thu, 22 Aug 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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CARE home owners are to step up pressure on Welsh Health Minister Jane Hutt to follow England and scrap crippling demands to upgrade homes for the elderly.

Leaders of private care home businesses will take their plea to the minister at a meeting early next month.

Westminster Health Secretary Alan Milburn announced a major U-turn by proposing to drop demands for existing homes to upgrade facilities and increase minimum room sizes in England.

And Mario Kreft, a private sector home provider in Wrexham, said yesterday: 'If Jane Hutt carries on in Wales against all the advice and closures we are seeing, the consequences will be further closures.

'Losing a care home is like losing a cottage hospital, and Wales is already seeing the loss of community-based provision,' said Mr Kreft, who runs Pendine Park Care Homes in Wrexham.

'We are expected to do everything for pounds 1.39 an hour, or pounds 33.46 a day - three meals, board and lodging, activities and care.'

Tory Shadow Welsh Secretary Nigel Evans said yesterday: 'Jane Hutt should make an immediate statement to end uncertainty and the concern among residents and their families over the future of homes.'

An Assembly spokeswoman confirmed that the changes outlined in Mr Milburn's statement would not carry across to Wales where standards were separately regulated.

'We are now considering whether there is any need for adjustment here consistent with the need to raise the quality of care for vulnerable people.'

A quarter of elderly care homes in Wrexham considered closing their doors in the last 12 months, according to a survey by Liberal Democrats.

More than 20 residential beds have closed in the county since the start of the year, while 140 have disappeared in the past two years.

The main reason was the low fees paid to homes by local authorities.

Byline

By Tom Bodden And Tom Barton

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Page 7

Why Growing Up In Wales Can Be A Nice Little Earner

tombarton — Wed, 21 Aug 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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WELSH parents are the most generous in Britain - giving their children an average pocket money of pounds 8.49 a week.

While children in the south east of England get pounds 4.91 a week, Welsh children have almost twice as much to spend on sweets, books, toys and computer games.

Wales comes top of the survey commissioned by NOP, who questioned 1,000 seven to 16-years-olds for credit card company Goldfish.

North Wales mother Kim Johnson, who was shopping in Llandudno Junction yesterday, gives her son, Chris, pounds 7 a week. The 11-year-old said he spends this on Harry Potter books and sweets, but thinks that he saves pounds 4 to pounds 5 a week for games for his Playstation 2 console.

He added most of his friends saved their pocket money to buy 'petrol racer' remotecontrolled cars, which cost about pounds 200 each.

Ms Johnson said pounds 8.49 sounded 'about right' for what Chris and and his friends received.

Helen Fenner, from Tal-yBont, in the Conwy Valley, gives her four girls between pounds 2.50 and pounds 4 a week pocket money if they do all their chores.

'It think it's terrible that parents give their children this much pocket money. I just don't know where they get the money from,' she said. Her oldest

daughter, 12-year-old Keyleigh, said she was saving up for a mobile telephone, and she spent the money she didn't save on sweets.

Wayne Wheatley, leader of the Denbighshire education and social work team, warned parents could often find themselves giving more than they can afford.

'I think in this society now there is a lot of pressure on parents, with the materialism of the world, to provide for their children,' he said.

'There is a lot of media pressure on parents, even if they can't afford it, to spend money on their children because they don't want to be seen to be disadvantaging them. Some parents I've seen will even go into debt to provide for their children.'

Only 7pc of Welsh children live in the top income bracket, compared to 14pc of Scottish children, who receive just pounds 6.08 in pocket money.

Top spending choices for children include fashion, music and computer games - although sweets still account for almost two-thirds of children's spending in some parts of England.

Midlands children receive the next highest level of pocket money, is almost 90p below that for Welsh children.

Average weekly pocket money...1 Wales - pounds 8.49 2 Midlands - pounds 7.60 3 London - pounds 7.59 4 North West - pounds 6.61 5 East Anglia - pounds 6.186 Yorks and Humberside - pounds 6.13 7 Scotland - pounds 6.08 8 South West - pounds 5.41 9 North East - pounds 5.34 10 South East - pounds 4.91

Byline

By Tom Barton

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Page 14

Heart Op Toddler's Miracle Recovery

tombarton — Mon, 19 Aug 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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TWO weeks ago doctors turned off Frankie Owen's life support machine and told her parents that she would probably not survive.

But now the 18-month-old is coming off the critical list, and has opened her eyes for the first time in weeks.

The toddler, from Ln Cwm, Llandrindod Wells, went through a dangerous aortic valve bypass operation, and days later was rushed back into theatre for a nine -hour emergency operation to unblock an artery.

The procedures, at Bristol Children's Hospital, were Frankie's only chance of survival, having suffered from heart problems since birth.

At one point the youngster's skin had turned blue and started to peel.

Frankie's parents, Katey and Andrew Owen, had maintained a 24-hour vigil at her bedside since the operation on July 24.

Mrs Owen said: 'We are happy and pleased Frankie is still fighting. We realise though that she still has a very long way to go. We are just taking a day at a time. We just keep waiting and hoping.'

But Mrs Owen, who has had to deal with being told her baby would probably not survive, is now a hospital in-patient, having suffered a severe stress-related asthma attack.

In July, Mr and Mrs Owen were appealing for urgent treatment for their daughter after being told that without surgery she would die.

They even claimed that their telephone calls to the hospital were being ignored at one stage until they went public with their plight.

Frankie had been due to have surgery at the Bristol hospital last February, but the procedure was cancelled when her condition deteriorated.

After two complex operations, however, the parents were told that nothing more could be done for Frankie and her life-support machine was switched off.

Four days after the machine was switched off, Frankie was still fighting for her life, and doctors put in a chest drain after one of her lungs collapsed.

Frankie had been on muscle relaxant drugs for so long that her stomach would not work properly and she had to be fed a special formula.

Doctors are said to be amazed that Frankie is slowly recovering and now doctors at the hospital have said she may well make a full recovery, and described her condition as seriously ill but stable.

Byline

By Tom Barton

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Page 13

Builder Wins Fight For Village Houses

tombarton — Fri, 16 Aug 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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COUNCILLORS in North Wales should be forced to meet the pounds 30,000 costs of a planning appeal out of their own pockets, a leading building firm said yesterday.

They had defied planning officials' advice by rejecting the application from building firm Watkin Jones to build 36 houses in the village of Llandegfan.

But a Welsh Assembly inspector overturned the decision by the Anglesey council's planning committee, and ordered the council to pay the costs of the firm in the appeal.

The ruling by Assembly planning inspector John Wallis will now allow the development to go ahead.

Yesterday the building firm, one of the biggest in North Wales, called on councillors to save taxpayers the costs and meet the bill out of their own pockets.

'Why is it that ratepayers have to pay this when it should be the councillors that are paying?' John Mendoza, a director at the building firm, said.

'I don't think it's right that the councillors should go round making rash or irrational decisions and then let ratepayers pick up the tab for it.'

In his report the inspector accused councillors of making a decision that 'flew in the face' of Welsh Assembly policy.

'The council had failed to produce evidence to substantiate each of their refusal reasons and to show why the development proposed should not be permitted,' the inspector said.

The inquiry findings placed the blame at the door of the councillors themselves, adding that 'no criticism is made' of council employees, who suggested that the committee support the development.

But councillors last night defended their decision, claiming that it had been made with the full support of the local community.

Coun Richard Owen, who was the committee's chairman when the decision was made, said: 'It was felt that local people did not want the extra houses.

'The community council is up in arms about this, and a lot of councillors felt that they were supporting the community council who feel that the community is growing out of all proportion.'

Coun Eurfryn Davies, whose ward includes Llandegfan, said that a full inquiry held in 1995 suggested that just 15 new houses be built in the village, and that the inspector went against this decision without a thorough investigation.

'The man had made his mind up before he came, and in a matter of hours had overturned the full inquiry and had given the goahead for 40 new houses.'

Byline

By Tom Barton

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Page 8

Yasmin Wants A Green Revolution

tombarton — Fri, 16 Aug 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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WHILE politicians are shouting to make their voices heard at the Earth Summit in Johannesburg, one local teenager will be quietly campaigning for Wales to take up more green policies.

Yasmin Tariq, 18, from Conwy, is one of just three Welsh teenagers to be attending the young people's version of the Earth Summit, which will be running in parallel to the 'adult' meeting.

As part of the three-week trip the teenager will spend a day with the Assembly's First Minister, Rhodri Morgan, putting forward the environmental concerns of Welsh young people, as well as meeting the South African president, Thabo Mbeki.

Yasmin was elected by teenagers from across Wales to represent their views to the conference, which will be made up of young people from all over the world.

The trip is being organised by Machynlleth's Centre for Alternative Technology, which ran the workshops that determined who represented Wales at the conference.

'We're going to tell Rhodri Morgan that we need more efficient public transport in Wales - that it needs to be more regular and more competitive.

'It needs to encourage people to stop using their cars,' Yasmin said.

The International Baccalaureate student at Llandrillo College says that she is looking forward to the trip.

'It's the chance of a lifetime, and will give me the chance to learn about different cultures and to see what other people have, how they live, and how we can make a difference.'

Byline

By Tom Barton

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Page 11

Workers Welcome Bonus At B&Q

tombarton — Thu, 15 Aug 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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WORKERS at B and Q stores in North Wales were celebrating yesterday after receiving thousands of pounds in bonuses.

The cash is awarded in line with the company's profit, and staff have received an 8.25pc bonus in their pay packets - more than pounds 1,000 for a customer adviser on the average salary of pounds 12,500.

Tracy Roberts, who has worked at the B and Q store in Bangor for three-and-a -half years, said yesterday that she was delighted at the news.

'The money will pay for part of my holiday to Majorca next year,' she said.

'We just come in and do our job at the end of the day, and it's really nice to get something like this.

'As long as we keep wastage down to a minimum and are careful to keep an eye out for thieves, this can help to boost the profit,' added the 19-year-old, who works in the store's gardening department.

B and Q employ around 30,000 people in 320 stores around Britain, and everyone who has worked for them for at least six months will receive this bonus, after the store increased its profit to pounds 300m last year.

Human resources director Mike Cutt said: 'People are the key to B and Q's success.

'We want to share incentives across the company so that every one of our employees' hard work is recognised as contributing to the company's success.'

He added: 'It's great to think that people can do something extra special like go on holiday or buy themselves or someone else a present.'

Byline

By Tom Barton

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Page 8

Bread Of Heaven; Archbishop "To Pocket £60,000 A Year In New Post"

tombarton — Thu, 15 Aug 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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DR ROWAN Williams will find that it isn't only his flock that grows when he leaves Wales to become Archbishop of Canterbury later this year - so will his wallet.

The Archbishop of Wales will receive almost a 100pc payrise in his new role as the spiritual leader of the 70m-strong Anglican congregation worldwide.

This will take his income to almost pounds 60,000 per year, compared to the pounds 33,000 he earns with responsibility for the Welsh flock of just 40,000 churchgoers.

He will also live rent-free in Lambeth Palace, central London, and will be given accommodation in Canterbury's Old Palace - along with access to a car and chauffeur for his official duties.

The church leader's last promotion saw a pay rise of just pounds 2,000, when he moved from his old post of Bishop of Monmouth to being Archbishop of Wales.

By comparison, the Rev Peter Noble, the leader of the United Reformed Church in Wales with a flock of 4,168, earns pounds 17,508 - along with the rent-free use of a house and his travelling expenses.

Meanwhile, the three Catholic bishops in Wales - with a combined congregation of around 40,000 - receive a small personal expenses allowance, although their accommodation and living expenses are met by the church.

Most Church in Wales vicars earn between pounds 16,000 and pounds 17,000, depending on the size of the parish.

A spokesman for the Church in Wales yesterday pointed out that had Rowan Williams continued to follow his glowing academic career he would have earned far more than pounds 60,000.

He added that the Archbishop probably took a pay-cut when he entered the cloth, and like other priests he was putting God's calling before financial considerations.

The leader of Britain's Jewish community, Dr Jonathan Sacks, was last weekend reported to be the Britain's highest-earning religious chief.

Including allowances and pensions, the Chief Rabbi is said to draw in up to pounds 110,000, and is responsible for a congregation of 300,000 - although he is not seen as the religious leader of the Britain's Reform Jews.

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By Tom Barton

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Page 17

Boy Whose Life Was Changed By Charity

tombarton — Wed, 14 Aug 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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JONATHAN Owen was seen by his teachers as a troublemaker while he was studying for his GCSEs. He rarely went to school, and when he did he would often be caught smoking or falling asleep in class.

But far from being naughty or lazy, school was the only time he could have time to himself, away from looking after his mother and grandmother - both of whom had arthritis.

When he was 15, Jonathan was put in touch with a Barnardo's project for young carers - this week celebrating six years of success - which let him relax away from his responsibilities, and gave him a fresh start at school.

And last year Jonathan, now 19, took a job with the project, which helps more than 160 children in Flintshire deal with what are sometimes very heavy duties at home.

This week, The Young Carers Project is running fun days for the children - and yesterday 28 children under 11 who look after a parent or sibling with special needs, spent the day in art and music workshops, including building an enormous inflatable sculpture.

'The project is about giving young people a break. Often they don't have time to go out with friends, sometimes even to the shops,' he said.

Jonathan's involvement with the project allowed him to deal with his responsibility, which included getting up at six each morning to cook breakfast for his family at home, and for his grandmother at her house.

'The group is so close, your peers are there all the time to give you support and help you out when you are down,' he said. 'As soon as I joined the project it all changed. I started going to school, my grades improved, and I decided to go on to college.

'I decided this was something I wanted to do - that if it could have that effect on me then I could help other young people to deal with the challenges they face as carers. So I went to college, got my GNVQ in health and social care, and then got a job working for the scheme.'

* The fun day tomorrow is open to the public at the Welsh Horticultural College, Northop.

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By Tom Barton

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Page 11

Students' Vital Exam Papers Are Thrown In Dustbin

tombarton — Tue, 13 Aug 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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BLUNDERING exam officials last night apologised to North Wales students after AS papers were tossed away in a bin.

Sociology students from Ruthin are among hundreds affected by the blunder, with examination results due on Thursday.

Trouble began when their exam scripts were sent to the wrong address by the Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations Board - where they were thrown away without being marked.

Now 23 sixth formers from Ysgol Brynhyfryd face an agonising few days as they wait to hear whether their results suffer because of the mistake.

They will now have to receive a grade calculated on the basis of their performance during the year, rather than on how they did in the exam.

Sixth former Abby O'Hara, 17, feels the board has let the students down, and the error could even have an effect on future careers.

'They say we'll have an estimated grade, but no one really works to their optimum during the year - for their assignments and for the mocks - but you do put in 110pc for the final exam, and I just feel all that extra work is wasted,' she said.

'It's such a careless thing to do,' said Abby.

The scripts for the Sociological Research Skills paper were posted by the exam board to the wrong address, and arrived at the house of the examiner's neighbour.

But rather than returning the package to the board, the neighbour threw the 293 papers from around England and Wales in the bin, leaving the students without marks for one-third of the year's hard work.

Ruthin student Meleri Roberts said she would have to either re-sit the paper, or accept a potentially lower grade.

'I worked very hard, I really tried my best for this exam,' she said.

'I don't see why my marks should be lower than other people, and I think it's unfair that I might have to re-sit it alongside the other work that I'm going to be doing next year,' she added.

At a time when applications to study at university are soaring, and with A level results expected to be higher than ever, Meleri is worried that this mistake could affect her chance of admission to a good university.

'I want to go to university, and if this lowers my grades then it could make it harder to get into a good one,' she said.

Eleri Jones, head teacher at Ysgol Brynhyfryd, said the school was appalled such an error could happen.

'We're extremely disappointed that after all the hard work of the students and their tutors that these examination papers will not be marked.

'The board has assured us that the candidates won't be disadvantaged, but clearly we'll look carefully at the results when they are released on Thursday,' she said.

A spokesman for OCR last night apologised to students at the school, and said that the exam board would do what it could to rectify the situation.

'We feel for students that have done the exam and had their work disappear,' he said.

He added that the loss of the papers would be taken into account when students' marks for the course are calculated.

The spokesman added the board had given the school a full refund, and would allow the students to re-sit the exam free of charge if they choose to do so.

Clwyd West MP Gareth Thomas said: 'It's not good enough. I appreciate that accidents can happen, but in the case of posting exam scripts most people would expect a very high standard of care to be used.' Tom McGarry, president of National Union of Students Cymru, said: 'It is quite a disgraceful mistake of the examining board to have sent papers that are of such importance to people to the wrong address.

'People often don't realise how important these exams are: a single percentage point can affect whether you go to your first choice institution.'

Byline

By Tom Barton

Page published on

Page 5

Taxman "Is Taking Our Foot-And-Mouth Compensation Away"

tombarton — Sat, 10 Aug 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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TOURIST businesses that received compensation for losses during the foot -andmouth crisis are now being hit with tax bills, it emerged yesterday.

One North Wales hotelier last night questioned whether she should have worked an 85hour week during the crisis, just to receive her highest ever tax bill.

Barbara Baldon said she faced a 29pc tax bill on crisis support from the Welsh Assembly, after suffering her lowest turnover in 15 years.

'I'm wondering what our reward was for keeping going during the crisis,' she said.

'It would have been much easier for us to have closed down for seven months during foot-andmouth, at great cost to the government in terms of paying income support and other benefits.'

A total of 700 crisis-struck firms in Anglesey and Conwy, and a further 500 in Gwynedd, were last year awarded payments from the Assembly's pounds 65m Rural Recovery Fund, set up to cushion the effects of foot-and-mouth.

But the grants were intended as a replacement for lost income, and hence subject to tax - and it is this that Ms Baldon claims has hiked up her bill.

Ms Baldon, 44, of The Lodge, Talybont, near Conwy, says she was not willing to abandon her 20 employees, and took on a second job so that she could balance the books.

Now, having received this money - which she believed was for investment and hence tax-free - she has an enormous tax bill.

'In 15 years in the business, last year was our most disastrous year ever, and yet our tax bill was the biggest we have ever received' she said.

Sue Evans, North Wales rural surveyor for the Country Land and Business Association, added: 'It seems ridiculous that the Government can give with one hand and take away with another.

'There is a suspicion the Government has made inflated claims about the help it was giving rural businesses when all it has been doing is clawing that money back through taxation.'

Now Welsh Tories are lobbying the National Assembly to press the Westminster government to exempt foot-and-mouth payments from tax.

Conwy Conservative spokesman Guto Bebb said the typical sole trader or partnership paying tax and national insurance, 29pc of the compensation would be returned to government.

He said: 'One of the few positives from last year's disaster was the way the Assembly responded to the plight of rural businesses where losses could be shown to have occurred.

'To see these payments now being subjected to tax and national insurance is simply absurd.'

Most businesses had received compensation well below the actual losses sustained, he said.

Mr Bebb called on Andrew Davies, Assembly Economic Development Minister, to make a case to Westminster for special tax treatment for crisis payments.

Byline

By Tom Barton And Andrew Forgrave

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Page 9

Staff Crisis Means Long Wait For Scans; Hospital Patients Hit By Shortage Of Experts

tombarton — Fri, 09 Aug 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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PATIENTS in North Wales are facing long waits for potentially life-saving scans because of a staffing crisis.

Wrexham Maelor Hospital has vacancies for four consultant radiologists, while Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Bodelwyddan, and Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor each have one vacancy.

Waiting times for some of the tests - which include X-rays, CT scans, and cancer-detecting MRI scans - are now as high as four months in North Wales hospitals.

Dr Charles McConnell, a consultant radiologist at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, yesterday spoke of the difficulties faced by his team, which has been looking for an extra specialist for the past three years.

'This makes it impossible to run the equipment for longer than the standard working day - if you could extend the working day of the equipment into the evening or at weekends, then you could get more patients through,' he said.

An Audit Commission report, published yesterday, suggested that one of the keys to cutting the UK waiting list for radiology services is to operate the machines for longer.

Dr McConnell added that it would be possible for his department to see about 12pc more patients if an extra specialist was employed and placed the blame for the recruitment crisis on a failure by the Government to increase the number of training places.

'Doctors are wanting to enter radiology but there aren't enough training posts for them. There has been a huge expansion in the number of consultants required, and over the last 10 years there hasn't been a corresponding expansion of the junior staff,' he said.

Waiting times for a number of scans - including a procedure for detecting kidney cancer - at Maelor Hospital are among the worst 25pc in Britain.

However, appointments for CT and MRI scans at the Wrexham hospital are quicker than the national average, and are set to improve following the launch of a new MRI scanner last week.

Appointment times for ultrasound procedures at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd are amongst the longest in the UK, although a spokesman pointed out that most radiological procedures were carried out in less than four weeks.

Ysbyty Gwynedd yesterday said they had been meeting the target for seeing people with suspected cancer in less than two weeks, while very few patients wait more than 12 weeks for a scan.

However, a significant amount of the hospital's equipment is older than the Royal College of Radiologists' recommended maximum age of seven years although their MRI scanner has recently been replaced and they are due to receive a new CT scanner next month.

Byline

By Tom Barton

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Page 11

"We Didn't Know About Checks On Care Homes"

tombarton — Thu, 08 Aug 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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COUNCILLORS accused of failing vulnerable children in North Wales admitted last night they were unaware of a rota to carry out vital checks on care homes.

Council members in Conwy are allegedly failing to comply with one of the key recommendations of the Waterhouse Report into child abuse.

But Coun Paul Marl, who was chairing a meeting of the authority's social services and children's panels yesterday, said that he did not know whether there was a rota for the visits.

Andrea Roberts, the service manager for children's homes, said that she, also, did not know whether a current rota existed.

Several councillors said that they had been registered to make visits until February this year, but had not received a rota since then.

The Daily Post revealed yesterday that fewer than a third of planned visits to children's homes were carried out.

Council officials did carry out checks but they do not fill the Waterhouse criteria of being an independent inspector.

Coun John Maclennan said: 'I am disappointed at the low percentage of visits that have been carried out. I know we have a lot of work on but that is not an excuse.'

He suggested there had been situations when councillors had visited homes, only to find them empty.

Ms Roberts said that occasionally this was the case, as the homes in Conwy were small - one with just a single resident - but went on to say that visits had to be ad hoc, and that it was therefore impossible to ensure that residents would always be in.

Sue Maskell, the council's head of children's services, said that one of the reasons that councillors had not been inspecting the homes could be that they had not felt comfortable talking to the young people there.

Ms Roberts offered to accompany councillors on their initial visits, saying that after they had been once they may be more comfortable visiting on their own in future.

But Coun Groom objected to this. 'We need to remember that they are these children's homes, and that it is unfair to subject them to visits where several inspectors' intrude on their home,' she said.

Byline

By Tom Barton

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Page 13

Charity Bike Ride A Real Traffic Stopper

tombarton — Wed, 07 Aug 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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CHARITY cyclists will get that Tour de France feeling when they stop traffic in the Champs Elysee in Paris next month.

Riders, including HTV presenter Paul Mewies, will cycle 440km from Greenwich, in London, to the Arc de Triomphe.

They will form part of a 250-strong team raising money for the Royal British Legion and are due to ride down the most famous road in Paris flanked by a motorcade of French police.

Other local cyclists include Lorna Kelly, 28, from Tywyn, in Gwynedd, who is serving with the RAF, as well as local businessmen David Chadwick and Guy Bancroft.

Mr Chadwick, who is doing the ride for the second time, said: 'A few of us got together in the millennium and decided to do it to get fit, have a laugh, and raise some money for a good cause.

'We were met in villages by local dignitaries and fed wonderful food and wine. It's an amazing sight when you arrive at the Champs Elysee on a Sunday morning and realise that they've shut down the road just for you - it feels like the Tour de France.'

The team is being sponsored by adventure travel company Trail Alpine of Dyserth, whose managing director Richard Jones will also take part in the gruelling ride.

The Royal British Legion have run the Pedal to Paris for the past seven years, raising pounds 1.3m for ex-Service people and their families.

Byline

By Tom Barton

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Page 11

How Children Are Put At Risk By Lack Of Care Home Checks; Exclusive

tombarton — Wed, 07 Aug 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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VULNERABLE children in North Wales care homes are being deprived of a key part of the Waterhouse report, we can reveal.

Vital security checks on the homes are being missed and councillors are not being given important training sessions.

A Conwy council committee will hear today that fewer than a third of planned visits to children's homes during 2000 and 2001were carried out by councillors.

The Waterhouse report into abuse at North Wales children's homes said two years ago that a failure by councillors to make monthly visits could have contributed to the harm suffered by the children in their care.

But the Hafan children's home in Abergele has not been visited by councillors for over nine months, while no independent checks were made at either of the county's homes during January or February this year, according to a report by Bethan Jones, Conwy's director of social services.

Wales' Children's Commissioner Peter Clarke last night stressed the need for independent checks on children's homes.

'It is vital that children's homes are regularly checked by independent persons, and this was a cornerstone of the Waterhouse inquiry,' he said.

Care home charity Voices from Care last night reacted angrily to the report, saying that councillors were 'abdicating their responsibility to see that children in care were safe'.

Carol Floris, the group's support and advice manager, said: 'We would be concerned that councillors still don't see the value of visiting young people in care or residential homes.

'There have been lots of initiatives to make sure that councillors take on board their responsibilities.'

Responsibility for carrying out checks on the homes lies with a rota of members of the council's Children's Services committee, but many members of the committee are not trained or are too busy to make the visits.

Coun David Roberts said he was not allowed to make the visits because he had not been trained.

He said: 'I would love to go, but because I haven't had the training - how to be a corporate parent, how to inspect the homes - I can't do it.'

He added that councillors had a responsibility to children in local authority care and said that if they were to blame for failing to make the visits then that blame 'should damn well be laid at their feet.'

Coun John Maclennan, who is a member of the committee, said: 'I find it disappointing that these visits haven't been made, particularly in the light of the Waterhouse report, and we should look to ourselves to do things the proper way and get it right.'

A council spokeswoman said new procedures were being put in place that would relieve councillors of the responsibility of visiting children's homes. She added that new national standards placed the responsibility for checks on council employees, and that Conwy was looking at setting up arrangements with neighbouring councils to ensure that the monthly checks would be independent.

The spokeswoman added that when councillors were unable to carry out scheduled checks, council managers had visited in their place.

Greta Thomas, the NSPCC's Divisional Director for Wales, said: 'It is important that they carry out this duty and that they do make these regular monthly visits.'

Coun Linda Groom, vicechairwoman of the Children's Services Committee, expressed surprise that the Hafan home had not been visited since October.

'It is a matter of concern, but with all the litigation that you can get yourself into people don't want to put themselves into a position where they are at risk,' she said.

Byline

By Tom Barton

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Page 7

For Sale: The History Of HM Stanley

tombarton — Fri, 02 Aug 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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DENBIGH'S most famous export will go under the hammer next month, as the artefacts collected during a lifetime of exploration are sold to collectors.

The sale, including one of the first maps of Africa's River Congo, once belonged to Denbigh-born Henry Morton Stanley - a workhouse boy who rose to international fame as a journalist, explorer and MP.

Potential big earners at London auctioneers Christie's include the map, illustrated by Stanley, which is expected to fetch up to pounds 15,000, and a cushion that travelled with the explorer twice across Africa.

A note from Stanley's wife which is attached to the pillow - expected to go for between pounds 3,000 and pounds 5,000 - reads: 'He had affection for this old cushion.'

The explorer - originally christened John Rowlands - is best remembered for uttering the famous words 'Dr Livingstone, I presume', having crossed Africa in search of the missing missionary.

But his beginnings were much more humble.

An illegitimate child, he was disowned by his parents and sent at the age of six to the St Asaph Union Workhouse, where he lived in harsh conditions for 10 years, before leaving North Wales to follow his own American dream.

The 17-year-old hitched a ride from Liverpool as a cabin-boy on a packet ship bound for New Orleans, jumping ship at the end of the three month journey to seek his fortune.

There he met Henry Hope Stanley, who took him on as a clerk and provided the inspiration for the explorer's new name, abandoning that of his hated father.

After several years as a soldier, Stanley turned his hand to journalism, travelling around the Wild West before covering the British campaign in Abyssinia.

Here the cub reporter achieved a coup, filing his article before any more experienced journalists - and off the back of this success was sent to Africa to search for Dr David Livingstone, who had been out of contact for several years. Ten months and $ 20,000 later, Stanley and his party found the missionary in the town of Ujiji, in what is now Tanzania.

The auction features several pieces from Stanley's journeys - included Dr Livingstone's sextant that was donated to him by the missionary's widow.

The explorer eventually settled down in the UK, and was elected to Parliament in 1892 for the seat of North Lambeth.

* The collection will go on display at Christie's, King's Street, London, on September 18, and will be auctioned on September 24.

Byline

By Tom Barton

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Page 13

Mugging Ruins Family's Holiday

tombarton — Wed, 31 Jul 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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A MOTHER last night said her family would never return to North Wales on holiday after thugs mugged her 14-year-old son for his mobile phone.

Adrian Rose, 14, from Cardiff, was walking to the family caravan from the Sands nightclub at Presthaven Sands campsite, in Gronant, when the attack took place.

A gang of five people grabbed him by his throat and searched his pockets where they found the pounds 70 phone.

He said: 'Some boys walked up and asked me for a light. I said I haven't got one and walked away, but they came up behind me and grabbed me around my throat.

'They then threw me by my neck, and the little kid nicked my phone,' he said.

Adrian's mother, Angela, 43, said that their holiday - the family's first visit to North Wales - had been spoiled by the incident, and that they were considering cutting the visit short.

'I was really shaken up, and just wanted to go home,' she said. 'We've only stayed up here for the kids - and I'm not letting them out of my sight now.'

The mother-of-three added: 'It's a shame because there is so much that they could do as teenagers on holiday, and they are now too scared to do anything.'

Mrs Rose will never visit the region again. 'There's too many memories,' she said.

'We have been to other caravan sites - in Devon, Somerset and Tenby - and have never had any problems and we've really enjoyed it. It's a shame because North Wales is such a lovely place, but I don't think we'll be coming back.'

Mrs Rose said that the telephone - a Nokia 3210 that Adrian had bought with his birthday money - was in the teenager's pocket at the time of the attack, and that the muggers had searched through his clothes to see what they could find.

A spokesman for the Presthaven Sands campsite said: 'Our security guards work very closely with the police in ensuring that there is a friendly family atmosphere at our sites.

'Over the last two years, we have worked very hard at ensuring crime is at a minimum at our site.'

Adrian has given descriptions of three of his attackers. The man was around 30 and wearing a beige top. A 17-year-old youth was around 6ft 2in tall and had a strong Scottish accent.

A third boy was described as being thin, about 5ft 7in tall, and aged about 14.

* North Wales Police are appealing for anyone who may have been in the Presthaven Sands area on Sunday night or early Monday morning, or who may have information about the attack, to contact them on 0845 6071002.

Byline

By Tom Barton

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Page 10

Hotels To Get Access Grading

tombarton — Mon, 29 Jul 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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WALES is set to become a more accessible place for handicapped tourists with the launch of a new set of standards for disabled access to hotels and guesthouses.

The new scheme will introduce a number of symbols indicating the ease of access to accommodation for disabled tourists, which will appear on road signs and in publicity.

The Wales Tourist Board, which is running the scheme, hopes that accommodation owners will be encouraged to improve accessibility for disabled customers, who potentially account for up to nine million visits in the UK every year.

Disabled people thinking of visiting Wales will be able to easily identify accommodation that is suitable for their particular impairment, whether they suffer from a mild physical handicap or are completely wheelchair-bound.

The scheme will also identify accommodation that is suitable for blind and deaf people.

Anyone who runs accommodation for tourists can apply to join the scheme, and will have their business independently graded, from level one to four, to determine how accessible it is.

The Wales Tourism Board is also appointing a specialist who will be available to advise people in the tourism industry on providing access to disabled people.

From 2004, all tourism providers will be required to take 'reasonable steps' to ensure that their facilities are accessible to people with disabilities, as outlined by the Disability Discrimination Act.

Byline

By Tom Barton

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Page 13

Language Playgroups A Success

tombarton — Fri, 26 Jul 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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WELSH-medium playgroups are encouraging and helping children to speak Welsh, a new report confirms.

The Bangor University study was commissioned to provide evidence that pounds 1m of tax payers' money - used to support Welsh language playgroups - was paying dividends.

The study, of 1,259 children in more than 100 ysgolion meithrin (Welsh-language playgroups), now confirms that the groups contribute 'significantly' to pupils becoming fluent in Welsh, particularly for children from Englishspeaking families.

Report author Professor Colin Baker said pre-school children playing in a Welsh language environment allowed them to pick up the language very easily.

'Children with no Welsh go along to the groups and pick up the language as they're playing, which is the best way of doing it - rather than awful language lessons in school,' he said. The Professor of Education added that learning Welsh at that stage could also help children in other ways.

'There is evidence that children who are fluently bilingual find it easier to pick up a third language later in life, as they are more sensitive to the differences between languages,' he said.

The study looked at whether children were able to understand Welsh. That included whether they joined in with Welsh nursery rhymes, and if they were able to guess what happened next in a story told in Welsh.

It also assessed how the children used spoken Welsh, showing that those pupils who rarely spoke in Welsh at the start of the study were using the language more regularly nine months later.

The study formed part of a drive by the National Assembly to ensure that all expenditure can be justified and aimed at determining whether the playgroups were really as effective as people assumed.

There are almost 1,000 groups nationwide, with around 13,500 children taking part in the activities - around pounds 75 per year for each child.

That compares to the predominantly English-language groups organised by the Preschool Playgroup Association Wales, which receives around pounds 8 of public funds per year for each child.

Gwynedd has 176 ysgolion meithrin - more than any other Welsh county - and there are 393 groups across North Wales.

A spokeswoman for the Welsh Assembly said the Assembly provided funding for a free, at least part-time, early years place for every fouryear-old in Wales and they were working to extend this to all three-year-olds by September 2004.

Local education authorities had responsibility for securing sufficient places for three to four-year-olds and there was nothing to stop them funding voluntary groups.

It was recognised there should be bilingual provision and authorities were encouraged to support a mixture of groups.

Byline

By Tom Barton

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Page 10

80 Jobs Go In Factory's Bid To Cut Costs

tombarton — Thu, 18 Jul 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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A WREXHAM factory is to axe up to 80 jobs because of the economic downturn.

The Pirelli Cables factory, which employs around 350 people, produces cable and wires for the electricity and communications industries.

The redundancies come in the wake of 40 job losses last month, when the factory's temporary staff were laid off.

According to John Tierney, Human Resources Director, a downturn in the marketplace is the cause of the job losses.

He said: 'The redundancies are driven by a need to realign the factory and its cost structures to meet market needs.

'We had hoped to avoid job losses by managing the numbers of temporary staff, but decline in the marketplace was such that we were unable to do this.'

Union representatives expressed concern yesterday that such large numbers of temporary workers had been laid off without any consultation, but Mr Tierney said the purpose of employing people on temporary contracts was that they could be removed to adjust to market conditions.

Formerly owned by BICC, the factory was taken over by Pirelli two years ago, and according to union steward Dave Blondon - who has worked at the factory for

34 years - has been losing money since.

Mr Blondon added that, although he recognised job losses seemed to be the only way to secure the future of the company, 'a number of the lads are very disappointed and, like the union, don't want to see the jobs go'.

Pirelli Cables and Transport and General Workers Union representatives are meeting this afternoon, and unions hope to persuade the company to shed as few jobs as possible.

T&G representative Brian Apsley said: 'Our first step is to talk to the company to try and reduce the number of cuts forecast.'

'It's a shock to hear there could be as many as 80 jobs going and we will do all we can to limit this.'

Ian Lucas MP, whose constituency includes the factory, expressed his disappointment at the possible scale of the losses, and said he was upset that the company had not contacted him for help before making the announcement.

He added: 'I'll be contacting the company to see if I can help.

'I'll also contact the local authority to see what help they can give if people do have to lose their jobs.

'Unemployment in Wrexham is below three per cent, compared to a high of 20pc in the past.

'I would hope that people who are made redundant should have no trouble finding new employment in the area,' said Mr Lucas.

'What frustrates me is they haven't contacted me earlier to see if I can be of assistance.'

Byline

By Tom Barton

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Page 11

10,000 Strike On The Day North Wales Stood Still

tombarton — Thu, 18 Jul 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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STRIKE action brought North Wales to a halt yesterday as thousands of council workers walked out over a pay dispute.

Around 10,000 members of Unison, the GMB and Transport and General Workers' Union stayed away from work or manned picket lines outside council buildings.

Strike meetings were held outside all council HQs.

Funerals were cancelled in some areas as well as refuse collections and schools where forced to close.

Union leaders warned that the one-day action would have a knockon effect that would be felt for many weeks.

GMB spokeswoman Alison Smith of Colwyn Bay said: 'It's been extremely good. In Gwynedd all our depots closed and council offices were on minimum staffing. Secondary schools and some primary schools closed; there were no school buses and most leisure centres closed.

'On Anglesey all depots, day centres, sport centres, council offices, 90pc of schools closed and in Conwy, the town hall, transport, refuse and cleansing department, all council depots and some schools closed.

'We have taken the decision as unions not to inconvenience the public. Residential homes are running as normal. We're not arguing with the general public or with the most vulnerable members of society.'

T&G regional officer at Caernarfon Tom Jones said: 'There's been tremendous support for the dispute.

The information reaching us is that the councils have come to a virtual stop. This dispute has been on the cards for years where the pay gap between those on the top and those on the bottom has been widening.

Mr Jones said: 'Although we need to get the message across, we don't want to inconvenience the elderly.

He added: 'Although the bins won't be collected today, they'll be back at work tomorrow. But they won't be able to catch up with what they failed to do today. There will be problems. This isn't just a one-day protest. This will have a knock-on effect, which could last for weeks.'

Lucy Davies of the Funeral Standards Council said: 'I know in Cardiff there are no cremations today. Basically all funerals which should have taken place have either taken place before today or will be cleared over the next couple of days. 'It will cause more demand. There are private crematoriums not affected by the union regulations.'

Yesterday, Anglesey Council decided to close all its buildings in Llangefni. Managing director Geraint Edwards said: 'It was felt best to close the buildings in the interest of public safety . . . services to the public will undoubtedly be severely restricted.'

Twenty-four of the island's 52 primary schools were closed as well as all secondary schools.

The authority had an agreement with unions to exempt services such as home and residential care, emergency responses to child care, mental, health, hospital and highways.

Twenty workers manned a picket line at Llangefni yesterday while inside, head of policy Huw Jones said about 15pc of council staff were working.

Refuse collections were not affected he said as that service was being run by a private company, Ecover, at Gaerwen.

Pickets were also outside the Gwynedd Council HQ in Caernarfon where a total of 75 workers were inside; another 30 in the Arfon office; seven in Pwllheli and seven in Dolgellau.

Policy spokesman Arwel Jones said no refuse collections were being made. Two -thirds of the schools remained open while a third were only open to teachers. Sixty-two primary schools were open and 44 closed. Ten secondary schools were open and four closed. All special schools were closed.

Half of the leisure centres were open and some libraries. And visitors arriving at Caernarfon had a problem. Toilets alongside the castle were closed with a notice saying it was due to industrial action.

There was a picket staged outside Conwy Council's HQ . No refuse was being collected but only three schools were affected.

Peter Kane, chairman of the Flintshire branch of Unison, hailed the strike in the county as an unqualified success.

'From our perspective it's been very successful, as only around 50 people have gone into work,' he said.

He added: 'When you consider that only about 50pc of council workers are union members, we could have expected this figure to be in the hundreds.'

All high schools in the area were closed, except for Castell Alun HighSchool at Hope, which was accepting year 10 pupils only, while around 50pc of primary schools were forced to close because of health and safety considerations.

Residents were denied refuse collection services and access to sports centres, and Clwyd Theatr Cymru at Mold was closed for the day.

Traders on Mold street market defied a council decision that the market would not open yesterday, and took on the jobs usually carried out by council employees, such as closing the street to traffic and clearing up their litter.

Peter Smith, chairman of the Market Traders' Federation in Flintshire said: 'We sympathise with the people on strike, but we have a living to earn. We have been welcomed into the town by local shopkeepers, and will comply with the council's request that we clean up our litter when we leave.'

Although the strike was predominantly peaceful, one statement by the county council's chief executive, Philip McGreevy, did draw criticism. During a meeting with councillors explaining the council's contingency plans, Mr McGreevy commented on the low turnout in some unions' strike ballots.

Mostyn councillor Patrick Heesom said such comments 'were to be regretted considering many members of the council had been voted in by only about 15pc of the electorate, and the National Assembly went ahead on barely a 25pc vote'.

Schools in Wrexham were mostly open during the day, with only one secondary school - Darland School - closed to pupils.

Steve Jenkins, the Wrexham area Unison representative, however, said that most children who went to school yesterday would not receive any school meals.

Like most of the region's counties there was no refuse collection during the day, and a pilot recycling collection scheme also had to be abandoned. The social services headquarters was also closed down for the day, with only 'life and limb' services being provided for vulnerable people.

Mr Jenkins added that, overall, the union was pleased with the turnout: 'We've had a fantastic response from both members and non-members' A number of Denbighshire council buildings were open all day to take public enquiries, although the municipal office in Prestatyn was closed, as well as the housing department in Rhyl.

All of the area's mainstream schools were closed, with only Ysgol Plas Brondyffryn and Ysgol Tir Morfa - both special schools - open to pupils.

There were reports of trouble outside the council headquarters, with some union members accusing the council's chief executive, Ian Miller, of ripping up a poster on a picket line.

Mike O'Leary of the Denbighshire T&G union said: 'Ian Miller arrived at the council offices, saw the picket signs and decided to tear them.'

Mr Miller denied any wrongdoing, saying that he removed signs that had been improperly attached to council property and, in doing so, accidentally tore one.

Byline

By Hywel Trewyn And Tom Barton

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Page 4,5 "

Priest's Sculptures At Cathedral

tombarton — Mon, 01 Jul 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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AN ARTISTIC priest's Biblical sculptures will go on display in St Asaph Cathedral as part of this year's North Wales International Music festival.

The sculptures will include Father Rory Geoghegan's tribute to the victims of September 11, entitled 'Dead Christ held by Mother', as well as a series based around the theme of 'Mother and Child', depicting Mary holding the baby Jesus.

His works will go on show in September, in the Translator's Chapel in St Asaph Cathedral as part of the festival's Fringe. It is only the second time that the festival has staged Fringe events, and promises to build on last year's success.

Father Geoghegan, 71, has spent more than 50 years in the cloth, and trained as an artist during the 1960s. He has always juggled his clerical duties with his love of art ever since, having had roles as varied as teaching art in South West England and even spending some time as a chaplain to Shell staff in the Shetland islands.

The Jesuit priest has lived in the St Beuno's College retreat in Tremeirchon, near St Asaph, since 1999, and it is only since moving there that his art has been able to flourish.

'My superiors see it as very much part of ministry,' he said. 'If you look at the amount of art that has been produced in the name of belief - both in the East and in Christian parts of the world - I think you can see this.'

The works that will go on display, their style influenced by artists such as Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth, are - despite appearances - not cast in bronze. The priest instead builds up the sculptures from wire mesh and decorator's plaster, before giving them a bronze-style finish.

'I would like to get them cast in bronze, but at the moment I do not have the funds available,' he says.

* Father Geoghegan's sculptures can be seen in St Asaph Cathedral from September 2. They will be on display in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Stratford from July 4.

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By Tom Barton

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Reward For Help In Finding Babe

tombarton — Sat, 29 Jun 2002 00:00:00 -0700

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A WORRIED dog owner has offered a pounds 1,000 reward for the return of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier that she fears has been stolen by criminals involved in dog fighting.

Phoebe Jones is concerned that her dog, Babe, which went missing on Wednesday, has been taken to breed dogs for fighting.

According to a spokesperson for the League Against Cruel Sports, dog fighting has been on the increase over recent years, despite the fact that it was banned almost 120 years ago.

Babe was bought by Mrs Jones from near Penygroes, in Gwynedd as a guard dog, but 'there was no chance' as she proved to be very good natured.

She also points out that Babe has been neutered and is therefore incapable of being bred, while the fact that she is 'chipped' means that identifying her should be relatively straightforward. A spokesperson for the RSPCA pointed out that Staffordshire Bull Terriers are not used in fights, although she went on to say that they are sometimes used to create violent cross-breeds.

Mrs Jones added: 'I'm 99 per cent sure she's been stolen. I'm phoning round all of the council dog wardens and asking if they've come across her - she's a very distinctive dog - but none of them have yet.'

* The reward is offered to anyone who supplies information that leads to the safe return of Babe. Phoebe Jones can be contacted on 01286 880198.

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By Tom Barton

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Page 15