Latest news with #NorthWales
BBC News
3 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Wrexham death crash junction safety improvements made
Safety improvements have been made at a junction where a mum-of-three was killed in a Gittins, senior coroner for North Wales East and Central, voiced his concern after opening an inquest into the death Emma Jane Hill, who died after a collision on April issued a Prevention of Future Deaths report to Wrexham council over his fears of the lay-out and speed limit on the A534 at Holt and warned more people could be Hill, 43, from Skelmersdale, Lancashire, was a passenger on a motorbike heading along the A534 which collided with a Mercedes car which emerged from the road into Holt. Though the full inquest is yet to be held, Mr Gittins expressed concern about visibility at the junction for vehicles turning right towards Wrexham as the view could be obscured by signs or vehicles slowing to turn into the also said the fact the speed limit changed from 40mph to 60mph (65km/h to 95km/h) meant vehicles would be picking up speed, creating an added risk. "It is also my understanding that there have been previous collisions in this vicinity in the past," he has now had a response from Wrexham council which said talks had been held about reducing the speed limit with colleagues from Cheshire West and Chester council as Holt borders the two also said the junction would "benefit from some minor alterations and we have already raised the sign on the junction to improve visibility".
BBC News
20 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Bangor: Calls for safeguarding inquiry into cathedral
Two priests from a north Wales cathedral have called for an independent inquiry after two critical reports highlighted safeguarding concerns and misbehaviour reports highlighted complaints about a "culture in which sexual boundaries seemed blurred" at Bangor Cathedral, along with inappropriate language being used and alcohol consumed Dr John Prysor-Jones and the Very Rev Professor Gordon McPhate, from Bangor Cathedral, said the reports were "unsatisfactory" and with conclusions "based on impressions" rather than facts.A Church in Wales spokesperson said: "The matters raised in this correspondence will be carefully considered". Dr Prysor-Jones and Prof McPhate have written to Church in Wales bishops to complain that the summaries of the two reports published in May were "unsatisfactory".They said these summaries were "limited by narrow terms of reference... and did not make findings of fact, instead reaching conclusions based on impressions".The full reports have not been Prysor-Jones and Prof McPhate, who do preaching and pastoral work at the cathedral, have called for a formal inquiry into the diocese of Bangor and its cathedral since said the inquiry should be "assisted by advisers in organisational management, canon law, civil law, and criminal law".The Church in Wales has acknowledged safeguarding weaknesses, management practices lacking in rigour and transparency, and misconduct relating to alcohol use and sexual behaviour at Bangor calls for his resignation were made, the Most Rev Andrew John, who is both Archbishop of Wales and Bishop of Bangor, offered his "most heartfelt apology to any members of the cathedral community who have been hurt or who feel I have let them down".The Church in Wales said it had created an implementation group to ensure the issues are addressed. BBC-produced Newyddion S4C has been sent other letters by Church in Wales members outlining concerns about the situation at Bangor diocese and Cathedral, with one describing the situation in the Cathedral as "desperate" and another as "terrible".One member of the Bangor Cathedral congregation has called for the Archbishop of Wales to have his position as lead bishop for safeguarding revoked immediately due to the safeguarding failures acknowledged by the S4C requested an interview with the Archbishop of Wales to discuss the contents of, and reaction to the letters. A Church in Wales spokesperson said they were not conducting a short statement, they said: "We can confirm that letters have been received by the Bishops of the other dioceses of the Church in Wales regarding the Diocese of Bangor and its cathedral and that the matters raised in this correspondence will be carefully considered."
The Sun
a day ago
- General
- The Sun
Inside 200-year-old abandoned tunnel network discovered under UK village after being ‘LOST' for decades
A 'LOST' tunnel from nearly 200 years ago has been discovered under a UK village. The tunnel has been out of use since the 1960s, but it was recently uncovered in a "fantastic" discovery. 3 3 3 Port Dinorwic Tunnel in North Wales was uncovered by Disused Railway Tunnels UK after a failed attempt last year. The tunnel, built in 1824, was once an integral part of the slate trade. Part of the wider Padarn Railway, the almost 100 yard tunnel connected the quarries at Llanberis to Port Dinowic. Further developments were made in 1843 when a rope-worked incline and a 92 yard tunnel between Port Dinorwic and Penscoins were built. This addition served to transport slate from the quarries to the waterside before it was carried around the UK via boats and trains. It also served as a kind of commuter route for workers before a more formalised service was introduced. The tunnel ceased use in 1861 and was blocked off before being infilled and becoming overgrown. In a trip to the area last year, Vince from Disused Railway Tunnels UK was unable to locate the tunnel. He told North Wales Live: "I couldn't see any evidence of the portal, even the shaft wasn't visible so possibly the tunnel may well be totally lost." The difficulty in finding the tunnel was caused by it having been bricked up until recently which left it "very well hidden from view." Inside 'gateway to underworld' underneath 1,800-year-old city which holds 'toxic' secret that scientists 'can't explain' Vince later returned to the village after the owners of a commercial property at the tunnel's entrance at Port Dinorwic contacted him. Speaking about the successful find, he said: "A massive thank you to Robert for the invitation to visit Port Dinorwic Tunnel and also to Iwan for showing us the way on the day and displaying patience while we mooched about in the tunnel. "What a fantastic day. Vince was shown around by Iwan Rees-Jones who said: "It's a privilege to work in what used to be the vital link for Welsh slate. Vince took photographs of the discovery which was appreciated by locals whose family history is intertwined with the tunnel. Locals either have direct or ancestral links to the tunnel and its trains including the Amalthaea, a steam locomotive that ran on the railway. One resident said: "My husband's great grandfather was one of Amalthaea's drivers. "We have his grandfather's old train tokens also, which he used to get to and from work as a slate splitter and dresser in Dinorwig. "What a stunning set of photographs, a real treat." Another local reminisced on earlier memories with friends when they would follow the disused narrow gauge lines in the 1960s. He said: "There were many tunnels leading into the mines but we never ventued into them.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Bird lovers horrified by maimed seagull 'trend' as remains scattered across roads in North Wales
Bird lovers have been left horrified by a brutal new 'trend'. Campaigners claim they have mounting evidence people are deliberately throwing food onto roads and watching on as hungry seagulls swoop down, only to get hit by vehicles. Volunteers working for the Caernarfon-based Foundation for Feathered Friends (FFF) are reporting a rising number of apparent incidents on the North Wales coast. While some are said to involve youths, the charity claimed adults have also been seen enticing gulls onto busy roads, North Wales Live reports. FFF founder Denise Theophilus said the charity was often left to pick up the pieces. 'We totally support the feeding of wild birds, especially gulls,' she said. 'Often they are emaciated when they arrive in coastal communities. But this is not the right way to do it. READ MORE: Benefit cheat mum must repay £22k after being caught out by innocuous Facebook post READ MORE: Lidl pulls popular product from shelves following urgent 'do not eat' warning 'Who in their right mind would deliberately put these birds in danger by making them swoop onto roads to be hit by oncoming cars? We are aware that children will get up to all kinds of mischief – but adults doing this must have some kind of psychiatric issue. 'It's definitely a trend, we're seeing more and more instances of it happening. And it's us that have to pick up the poor gulls wounded by monsters like these.' According to Denise, volunteers have reported examples from Abergele, Prestatyn, Rhyl and Llandudno. Given the number of casualties being treated by North Wales Wild Bird Care, FFF's sister group, she believes it is probably happening elsewhere. In one instance, Denise claimed food had been carefully laid out on a street in Rhyl. She said three car-hit gulls were found lying dead 'equidistantly' near the food. A fourth was still alive but later died. 'One of our volunteers was driving through Llandudno when she saw a group of youths throwing food onto a road,' she said. 'They were laughing as they watched cars come towards the gulls. She wanted to go back and disperse the kids but her husband didn't want to get involved.' Wind-blown litter is another reason why gulls dice with death on busy roads – social media videos have highlighted the dangers of carelessly discarded food cartons. However there's little online evidence of gratuitous clips showing gulls being deliberately enticed onto roads. Denise claimed the practice has been witnessed outside schools and in retail car parks. When images were shared online, bird lovers were left 'sickened' by the claims. One person called the practice 'shameful and inhuman', another said it was 'utterly disgraceful'. A man claimed some motorists deliberately target gulls. He said: 'I've seen a few birds, mainly gulls, laying in the road that have been run over on purpose." Herring gulls are a protected species and are on the Red List for Conservation. The RSPCA said people need to be careful when disposing of edible litter. A spokesperson said: 'Gulls can get a bad rap especially in seaside towns, and sadly are thought of by some as a pest. 'However, they are simply wild animals trying to survive in their surroundings, and deserve our kindness and respect. It's important for people to remember that they are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and it is illegal to intentionally harm any wild bird, except under licence.' The RSPCA gives the following advice on living in harmony with gulls: In some seaside towns where people have fed gulls, they have learned to snatch food. Try to keep food to yourself but don't blame them if they can't tell the difference between scraps willingly offered and your bag of chips. Dispose of edible litter carefully – put it in gull-proof litter bins. Plastic bags left in the street are an open invitation for gulls to investigate. Gulls that swoop suddenly on people or pets are usually trying to protect chicks that have got out of the nest. If you see a gull chick leave it alone – its parents can look after it better than you. Gulls make the most noise between May and July when they are breeding. If gulls on your roof disturb you, or you are worried they may block a gas flue, you can prevent them from nesting there in future. Your local environmental health department or pest control company should be able to tell you about the devices available. It's illegal to disturb wild birds' nests and eggs, except under licence.
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
A5 Anglesey crash: Police appeal for witnesses after woman dies
A woman has died after a collision involving a single vehicle on Wales Police said the crash happened on the A5 between Valley and Holyhead, in an area known as The Cob, sometime between 23:00 BST on Saturday and 00:14 on services were called to the scene and the woman was taken to hospital, where she family have been informed and the police have appealed for witnesses. Sgt Leigh McCann said: "I am urging anybody who may have been in the area at the time, anybody who witnessed the collision, or anyone who saw a black Citroen C3 being driven in the area between these times, to contact us."I am also asking anyone who may have CCTV or dashcam footage of the vehicle to get in touch."Our thoughts are with the lady's family at this very difficult time, who are being supported by officers."
