Newport Wetlands will next week be declared Wales’ first urban national nature reserve. The reserve attracts nationally important numbers of birds – including avocet, dunlin, black-tailed godwit and shoveler – while the reed beds attract breeding water rail and Cetti’s warbler, and are the only known breeding site for bearded tits in Wales.
NEWPORT ROBBERY ARREST
Officers in Newport have arrested a 21 year old man from the Maindee area of Newport in connection with an incident which occurred in Pill on Wednesday April 2, 2008. He has been police bailed pending further enquiries. The victim, a 58 year old local man, was turning into Pardoe Thomas Close from the Commercial Road direction, at approximately 11.20am, when he was approached by two white males. One of the males assaulted him, punching him to the face, the second male stole money from the inside pocket of his jacket. Both men then made off but it's not known in which direction.The victim was taken to the Royal Gwent hospital as a precaution.
LG SITE TO BE DATA CENTRE
A £200m deal has been secured to bring a state-of-the-art data centre to Newport, providing computer services to businesses and creating 100 jobs.
New Generation Data Ltd has chosen the former LG semiconductor site to house the centre, which will be one of the largest and advanced in Europe.The First Minister Rhodri Morgan described the investment as "critical" for economic growth.The semi-conductor plant has been empty since it was completed in 1998. Its sister plant, LG Electronics, closed in 2006 with the company blaming falling prices and rising costs of producing computer monitors.The data centre will house the electronic hardware and communication links needed to run websites and e-commerce businesses in a highly-secure environment. New Generation Data says it is also in negotiations with several blue-chip companies to lease areas within the new site to run their own equipment and businesses independently. Chief executive Nick Razey said he hoped the plant would be operational by the end of the year. "The site is perfectly situated for the requirements of a data centre," he said.
PERSON IN HOSPITAL AFTER HOUSE FIRE
One person has been taken to hospital after a house fire in Liswerry, Newport. South Wales Fire Service crews were called to the semi-detached house in Moorland Park just before midnight on Wednesday. The property was severely damaged in the fire and the emergency services said the attic of the neighbouring house was also damaged. The condition of the injured person is not thought to be serious.
BASIL BALTI IS CHARGED
The owner of a Newport tandoori restaurant has appeared in court on charges of causing alarm and distress after swearing at his customers, a tirade which earned him the nickname "Basil Balti". Sheikh Mohammed Tahir Ullah, 55, lost his temper with two diners when they disputed their bill, and began waving his arms in the air and shouting at the top of his voice. The incident occurred at the Koh-i-noor restaurant in Maindee.
Newport Crown Court heard that in the outburst, he locked the couple in his restaurant and declared: "You make me sick. You b******s – you're all the same. You are f****** rubbish." The incident at the Koh-i-Noor was described in court when Ullah admitted using threatening words with intent to cause alarm or distress.
An argument started after a customer, Kay McCarthy, fell in the lavatory and cut her head. Fellow diners Mike Follett, 41, and his wife Deborah, 40, were upset at the way the restaurant staff handled the incident and felt more could have been done to help Miss McCarthy. The Court was told that Mr Follett, a businessman, asked Ullah to call an ambulance and record the incident in an accident log book.
Prosecutor Ieuan Bennett said: "Ullah was rather dismissive and wanted the injured woman ushered out of his restaurant."The couple called an ambulance and decided to leave. Because Mrs Follett hadn't eaten her main course they decided to pay £30 for the food they had been given. The full bill was £47. llah became frustrated, lost his temper and became abusive to Mrs Follett shouting: 'You are f***ing rubbish'.He was waving his arms around and being abusive." Ullah locked the doors of his restaurant and refused to let them out. Ullah, who left Bangladesh in 1968, admitted using threatening words with intent to cause alarm or distress at his restaurant in December 2006. Andrew Jones, defending, said: "The remarks were out of character and Ullah regretted losing his temper." He told the court Ullah has received a good citizenship award from the Mayor of Newport and has established a mosque in the City at a disused Christian church.Ullah, of Cedar Road, Newport, was given an absolute discharge but was ordered to pay £95 prosecution costs.
According to the Daily Telegraph one customer said later: "This man has a reputation for being as fiery as some of his curries. He has been nicknamed Basil Balti after John Cleese - but not everyone sees the funny side. It can be upsetting when you get shouted at when you are out enjoying a meal with friends and family. Let's just hope this will calm him down now."
LIB DEM CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED
Welsh Liberal Democrats have launched their local election campaign in Newport.The manifesto - Safer, Greener, Better Value - the Lib-Dems' local government spokeswoman Jenny Randerson AM called for an end to "the old ways" of "out-of-touch" Labour councils in Wales. She said none of Labour's old urban strongholds could be considered "safe" any longer, and that the Liberal Democrats were leading the charge for change.Ms Randerson said, "Newport is Labour's last city stronghold, and it isn't safe any more."
DECEASED MAN NAMED
The 46 year old man who died at the Royal Gwent Hospital on Monday April 7 after receiving injuries during an assault in Albany Street, Newport on Saturday April 5 has been named as John Sully from the Caerleon area of Newport. The three men and two women arrested on suspicion of murder have been police bailed pending further enquiries. Detectives investigating are appealing for witnesses to the incident
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