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CASH-STRAPPED council chiefs have agreed to implement a series of measures to reduce the number of looked-after children in Torfaen. Torfaen council spent around £37m on almost 300 looked-after children this financial year, figures show. Council

A WELSH Medium school in Monmouthshire is set to expand to provide a nursery from April next year. A proposal by Monmouthshire council to extend Ysgol Gymraeg Y Fenni in Abergavenny is due to be approved by the council next week. The decision

A DECISION on a controversial plan for a wind turbine overlooking the village of Bishton has been deferred by a planning committee following concerns over a noise assessment. An earlier plan for a turbine that, including the blade tip, would have

COUNCIL chiefs agreed today to submit plans to the Welsh Government to replace all local authority sixth forms with a 1,000-place college in Cwmbran. In July, Welsh Government rejected earlier proposals for the centre, which would have included

MORE than 100 rafts have signed up for this year's Monmouth Raft Race.The annual race, which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary, will take place on September 6, organised by the Rotary Club of Monmouth.Rafts of all shapes and sizes will sail or

A SEX attacker hid in the attic before climbing down to try to rape a woman as she slept, a court has heard. Vivian Nightingale, aged 57, of Newbridge, is accused of hiding in the woman’s home and waiting for her to fall asleep before climbing

NEWPORT County’s Supporters’ Trust are promising fans a full break down of their target to take permanent control of the club after reducing the sum by £30,000.The Trust have indicated they will produce their first weekly update today as they bid to raise

BBC Cymru Wales and Sport Wales have started the search for Welsh sport’s brightest stars of 2015.The Welsh public now has the chance to get involved in Wales’ sporting showcase and ensure their own sporting hero is honoured for their achievements.After

FAMILY and friends who gathered to say farewell to Cwmbran RAF veteran Ralph Cooke today, heard tributes to a "wonderful, caring husband, father and grandfather and brave hero of Bomber Command."The former Warrant Officer and Flight Engineer

AN ACTIVITY centre had a number of power tools and quad bikes stolen following two break-ins last week. The Ynys Hywel Activity Centre in Cwmfelinfach was broken into overnight between August 24 and 25 and again overnight between August 27 to 28

FRIENDS of an inspirational Newport girl who died following a battle with cancer let off balloons in her memory at Tredegar Park today. Libby Fussell, 12, was diagnosed with a rare brain tumour, which was made up of a combination of two different

MY ninety-three-year-old mother Constance King of Oakfield, Cwmbran and myself attended the VJ Day 70 on August 15 Service of Commemoration and Veteran’s Parade from Horse Guards Parade to Westminster Abbey. Afternoon tea was arranged in the College

MY LETTER is dedicated to a conscientious dog warden, who probably has a field day on my road with the amount of people who walk their dogs up and down the road. I don’t actually know if any of these people let their dogs foul but I don’t see any

I WOULD like to say a big thank you to the NAT Group, for providing a bus service for residents living in Brynglas, Allt yr yn and Rogerstone, after Newport Bus stopped the service. Many of the elderly and infirm would have been left stranded, however

WITH reference to Peter Strong’s letter, August 26, he states David Davies MP is potentially inflaming community relations through unjust generalisations. This is exactly the opposite of what Mr Davies is trying to do. Mr Strong needs to understand

YOUR editorial on August 31 giving continued support for the Circuit of Wales is welcome. It is now essential that the Welsh Assembly Government moves swiftly towards a decision of approval for the project. As the representative of Ebbw Vale Churches

I WOULD like to inform residents that public consultation on the proposed housing development at Pontllanfraith House Council Offices will take place at the following venues: Pontllanfraith House today and tomorrow (both 6-8pm); and Blackwood Miners

RE your article on WWI author Susan Burnett’s book On That Day I Left My Boyhood Behind and the comments and rejection by mainstream publishers who believed her book to lack commercial appeal. It just demonstrates that at times publishers are blinkered

THERE have been recent reports in the Argus about people jumping off bridges in Newport and some very sarcastic, unsympathetic comments posted on the Argus website in response. It is obvious that those who lack empathy for such people have never

I WOULD like to thank the foreign language tutors for their dedication and exceptional delivery of language lessons at Charles Street CEC. They have demonstrated a passion and knowledge of the culture pertaining to those languages. Learning a second

Well, how disgusting of Caerphilly council wanting people to be kept in the dark over the festive season. Thank goodness the town councils have come to the rescue, they are footing the bill. Caerphilly council disgraceful, no goodwill Sue Griffiths

THANK you for printing my letter regarding Bank Street in connection with some disgusting behaviour of certain individuals. I would like to inform you, that the organisers of this group of people have dealt fairly and squarely with the situation

THE leader of Caerphilly council has raised “serious concerns” about the plan to cut the number of local authorities in Wales from 22 to eight. Councillor Keith Reynolds reiterated the authority’s vow to “stand alone” after the Welsh Government announced

LIKE all households in the area I have received a pamphlet for the M4 corridor exhibitions and I think it disgusting Cwmbran has not been allocated a venue. I phoned the number on the pamphlet and was told that they cannot be everywhere, yet they

I AM disconcerted to learn that Charles Street community learning centre has dropped modern foreign languages from the NCC curriculum and has not engaged in informing their students who have faithfully supported Charles Street classes for many years

I WISH to use your newspaper to pass on my thanks to the many additional staff taken on by Cwmbran Community Council to deliver another highly successful programme of summer play schemes in Cwmbran. I was lucky enough to visit a number of the sites

HOW can Newport Transport Operations director Morgan Stevens say that the quality of service they provide is important to them and how vital services are to local residents. It’s a pity he didn’t provide a quality service to Brynglas/Allt-yr-yn,

I WOULD like to thank Lewis Griffiths and Charlie Vigor of the Mor Ladron Casnewydd (Newport Pirates) group for organising the splendid Pirates at Raglan Castle event last weekend. Lewis and Charlie have only been pirate re-enactors for a few years

I’M Maesglas born and bred, but I’ve got great affection and memories for Pill. There is a handful of good people trying hard to hold Pill together. But it’s sad to read that The Friends of the Transporter Bridge are holding a function on the same

MR Ken Clark, Chairman Abersychan & Gardiffaith Local History Group, is incorrect in his assumption that Llanerch was the largest single colliery disaster bar Senghenydd to have hit the valleys (S W Argus 19/08/15). Ferndale Rhondda 1867 -178

FINED £75 for a piece of lettuce, on this offence surely a warning would suffice. Why not fine council refuge collectors for the rubbish they spill and don’t pick up, also chewing gum everywhere, cigarette ends, chips thrown to pigeons, takeaway

AS WE get older we become set in our ways and let the world pass us by like a pebble at the back of the beach, the tide not reaching us. However don’t settle for what you’ve got. Having worked for BT for three years and being a loyal customer for

THE South Wales Argus deserves a lot of credit for showing that certain improvements were needed in Newport over numerous decades. With reports, stories, articles, readers’ letters etc, all having contributed to halting some of the deprivation and

JAN Preece (Argus 26th August) adds to the stock of letters based on false assumptions on immigration. He claims “it is easy is migrate en masse”. Perhaps he would like to explain this to any surviving relatives of the 50 migrants who, on the same

PLEASE may I bring to your readers’ attention the glories of growing your own fruit, vegetables and flowers. I belong to the Castleton Allotment Association, and we are based on Newport Road on the old Wyevale garden centre site. We have several

I WRITE with reference to Bryn Jones’ letter to Stagecoach on August 18. I would like to strongly support his sentiments, and commend him for highlighting this. There are a number of areas where accessibility in society falls short, and transport

I AM writing this letter to your paper because Stagecoach do not acknowledge complaints. The last time I wrote to them about the same issue I am writing this letter about, they didn’t have the common courtesy to write back to me. Because I have several

AND so with September approaching and evenings drawing in, the end of the camping season beckons For those that enjoy the woods of Mescoed Mawr, adjacent to Mountain Walk, Rogerstone, it will be a particularly sad time. No longer will we be able

THE Off-patent Drugs Bill will be voted on in Parliament on November 6. I am campaigning in support of this Bill and hope that my local MP joins me and lends his support to this vital piece of legislation which could benefit hundreds of thousands of

I’M PLEASED to announce that Sunday, September 27, to Sunday, October 4, will be Age Cymru’s second Age Positive Week. Age Positive Week is our national celebration of all that is positive about ageing and the contribution older people make to our

SURELY it would be fairer for Lightsource to postpone their promotional public meeting at Caerleon on Wednesday evening pending results from their, “commissioned report to investigate the potential for archaeological remains within the site, and assess

IT’S VERY difficult to show compassion for the so-called challenged migrant. When asked in Greece where they were heading, they replied: “London, because it’s EASY.” Doesn’t that say it all? If they are oppressed and in danger, perhaps the humane

ONE would hope our parliamentary representatives would use their influence and privileged position to shed genuine light on problems in Calais rather than, as David Davies MP does, potentially inflaming community relations through unjust generalisations

AS A very proud chairman of governors of Blackwood Comprehensive School I would like to take this opportunity through your letters page to congratulate the staff and pupils of Blackwood Comprehensive School for all their hard work, dedication and commitment

HERE’S a hint for all recluses in Brynglas and Allt-yr-yn, not to mention the shivering hermits in Rogerstone: panic not, there exists a means of travel readily available to all and at a pittance. Why not take the Ghost Bus and let your troubles

MY husband Ray Davies believed passionately in preserving our countryside. One of his last acts was to campaign against plans to build 300 houses on the outskirts of Bedwas. Such a development would choke the dangerous, narrow country road to Maesycymmer

AS the summer holidays come to an end, most children will be looking forward to a final few weeks of carefree play, fun and freedom. However for hundreds of children in care across South Wales, the coming weeks will bring anxiety and uncertainty.

Give us a call IT IS always fantastic to see so many young people smiling, celebrating and congratulating each other on their exam results. Sadly, thousands of young people’s ambitions can be crushed because of low academic grades. It is absolutely

THE debate over assisted suicide frequently generates more heat than light, and arguments are often based on anecdotes or appeal to emotion rather than evidence. When people do appeal to evidence, they often do so selectively or in broad terms and

AS is usual every year, Ukip took a stand at the Bedwellty Agricultural Show, where it was obvious the organisers had made a valiant effort to put on a successful event. As with most things with agriculture in the UK at the moment, funds are limited

THE so-called development in John Frost Square may give the town a boost, we look forward to its completion. However, some thought should have been given to Newport having a proper transport system: people just can not get to the town. We need

REGAN Poole’s move to Manchester United should act as an inspiration for his fellow teen stars at Newport County AFC, says manager Terry Butcher.Hours after 17-year-old Poole sealed a dream move to Old Trafford his good friends Kieran Parselle, Tom Owen-Evans

NEWPORT County AFC manager Terry Butcher has revealed that defender Kevin Feely dropped the ‘massive bombshell’ that he wanted to leave the club almost two weeks ago, writes Andrew Penman.Club and player have mutually agreed to cancel Feely’s contract

THE number of workers on zero-hours contracts has increased by almost a fifth to 744,000, new figures show. People on a zero-hours contract in their main job represented 2.4% of all those in employment in April-June, compared with the same period

POLICE are appealing for information after an attempted distraction theft in the car park of Waitrose in Monmouth. The incident occurred at around 4.30pm on Friday, August 28. A female shopper was approached in the car park by two men who had

WELSH Rugby Union referees boss Nigel Whitehouse is confident that new experimental laws won’t lead to a cheats’ charter in the Principality Premiership, writes Chris Kirwan. The governing body has sanctioned a trial under the guidance of World

Near miss in Gallipoli Enemy’s numbers and losses Grodno is evacuated Russian line is unbroken The Russian evacuation of Grodno means that the armies below have succeeded in making good their retirement “according to plan” and that

UKIP leader Nigel Farage joined a rally overlooking the M4 yesterday calling for the Severn Bridge tolls to be scrapped.Mr Farage said this was part of a party push to gain seats in Wales during the Assembly Elections next year, when he wants UKIP to

I WAS born in Surrey and went to a grammar school. I gained A-levels in English, French and Latin but I had no idea what I wanted to do except leave education and go out and earn money.My first job was with 3M in central London where I became the administrator

WALES boss Chris Coleman has warned Cyprus to forget about attempting to bully Gareth Bale. The Cypriots employed strong-arm tactics to try to curb Bale when Wales beat them 2-1 in Euro 2016 qualifying in Cardiff 11 months ago, picking up five

TERRY Butcher says Tuesday’s second-half fight back against Swindon Town has given his Newport County AFC players a much needed lift ahead of two crucial League Two fixtures, writes Andrew Penman.A goal from teenage star Aaron Collins took the Johnstone

THE Newport-based leader of the Wales Green Party has written an open letter to David Cameron about the “refugee crisis” facing Britain. Pippa Bartolotti said in her letter to the Prime mMinister: “This is not a migrant crisis, this is a refugee

YOUNG Regan Poole must be in dreamland this morning. The 17-year-old Newport County AFC defender yesterday sealed a transfer to Premier League giants Manchester United. It is a remarkable turnaround for Poole. As a 15-year-old he released

GWENT Police are appealing for information to locate Lee Robert Jones from the Blaenavon area following a burglary in Pontypool. Officers would like to speak to Mr Jones about the incident that occurred on Upper Bridge Street on April 5. He

HUNDREDS of people visited a Pontypool landmark and enjoyed the spectacular views on Bank Holiday Monday. Just over 400 people visited the Shell Grotto and 340 visited The Folly during an open day organised by Pontypool Park Friends.The grotto is considered

NEWPORT County AFC Supporters Trust has announced that the target for funds to complete their takeover of the club has fallen from £225,000 to £195,000 as a result of the sale of teenager Regan Poole. The 17-year-old joined Manchester United yesterday

NEWPORT West MP PAUL Flynn has attacked Gwent’s Police and Crime Commissioner in a stinging blog post, claiming that since he was elected “the failures are certain”. In a post on his blog last Thursday, Mr Flynn said Gwent PCC Ian Johnston committed

A PIECE of railway history could be preserved for future generations as rail enthusiasts launch a £20,000 fundraising appeal to move Griffithstown station to the Forest of Dean. The station became part of the Great Western Railway one year after

POLICE are appealing for information after a silver Acer laptop and a white iPhone 6 were stolen from a bench in Tredegar Park. The items were taken at approximately 5pm on Saturday, August 29. Witnesses to the incident or anyone with any information

A BOY who climbed the wrong side of the railings on Newport's Millennium Bridge last night caused a false alarm with firefighters and the police put on alert. Specialist crews from Newport were called out to the Millennium Footbridge on Usk Way

Firefighters had another busy night yesterday with several arson attempts, a kitchen fire in Chepstow and a false alarm on Newport's Millennium Bridge. Jennie Griffiths said a “deliberately lit” refuse fire spread to and destroyed fencing on Somerset

WARNINGS of floods have been given for Gwent, including Newport today as rare super-tides hit as part of the lunar cycle. Flood warnings for Gwent The most serious are for the Wye Estuary at Chepstow and at Tintern this morning and flood

ONE person was taken to hospital after an accident yesterday evening on Forge Road in Bassaleg. Firefighters from Duffryn and Malpas had to cut them out of their vehicle following the two car crash at around 5.38pm. One woman posting on Facebook

ARTISTS are being invited to take part in a competition to help bring a little colour to Newport's high street. The Newport Then and Now street window graphics competition is inviting artists, photographers and designers to think of empty shop windows

LYN Jones says Newport Gwent Dragons will need the same mental approach that broke their Dublin duck in stunning fashion if they are to end 11 years of hurt in Galway on Friday evening.The Rodney Parade side kick off their Guinness Pro12 campaign against

POLICE have arrested a man on suspicion of assault after an incident at an address on Corporation Road in Newport over the weekend. A man was taken to hospital with serious injuries after police were called to the scene at around 5.45pm on Saturday

AN APPEAL to find descendants of ten people buried in the graveyard of a former chapel has been unsuccessful. Costain Ltd, the construction firm behind the scheme to dual the Heads of the Valleys Road launched the appeal back in July to trace any

A NEWPORT man has raised nearly £800 with a head shave in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.Scott Foster, 22, from Lliswerry, had his head shaved for the charity as part of their Brave the Shave campaign on Friday at the Neyaz Crib barber shop on Chepstow

A PUB manager has said he has been forced to introduce parking charges after motorists used his car park as a free park-and-ride facility and even sell cars. Greenhouse boss Neil Foreman said customers had been turned away after seeing his 40-space

NEWPORT County AFC manager Terry Butcher has backed Regan Poole to be a big hit at Manchester United after the 17-year-old completed his dream move from Rodney Parade to Old Trafford. Poole’s move to United was concluded just before the 6pm deadline

9:49pm Welsh medium school set to include nursery

WALES Office minister Alun Cairns visited the Port of Newport yesterday to highlight the 'significant role' Welsh ports play in growing the Welsh economy. After donning protective boot and gear, he saw the work underway to expand the port by a

A CHEPSTOW boy who has raised more than £2,000 for Serennu Children's Centre is now trying to reach £3,000. Noah Herniman, nine, of Bulwark, suffers from neurofibromatosis type two, which is a genetic disorder that causes tumours to grow along

A GRIEVING mum has told how her son, a former member of Only Boys Aloud, died in her arms after losing a battle with bone cancer. Donna Howell spoke ahead of the funeral of her 18-year-old son Ryan, who passed away at Royal Gwent Hospital after