SEVERAL people have minor injuries after a train collided with a tractor at a level crossing, bringing services between Manchester and Cardiff to a halt.

The crash, involving the 8.30am service from Manchester Piccadilly, took place at about 11.45am on Thursday. The train was not derailed. The air ambulance, the West Midlands ambulance service (WMAS) and Hereford and Worcester fire and rescue service crews were sent to the scene at Nordan farm, near Leominster, in Herefordshire.

At least 50 people were on board the train, according to initial reports, and six were being assessed by medics, the British Transport Police (BTS) said.

Emergency services remain at the scene, while the air ambulance has landed at Hereford county hospital, the WMAS said. West Mercia police also attended the crash.

Roads in the area remain open, but train services were suspended and disruption was likely to continue into Thursday evening, Transport for Wales (TfW) said. It added that all services on the Marches line from Newport to Shrewsbury had been stopped.

Tickets would be accepted by other train operators, including Northern Rail, Avanti, GWR and CrossCountry, a TfW spokesperson said, and road replacement services would be put in place.

National Rail said all lines between Hereford and Craven Arms had been halted and services would be cancelled or changed until 7pm.

(Image: File)

FOLLOWING the extended period of warm and dry weather, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has today (22 May 2025) confirmed that the trigger thresholds have been met to move the whole of Wales from ‘normal’ into ‘prolonged dry weather’ status.

The decision is based on hydrological and environmental factors and concerns around the pressures high temperatures and lack of significant rainfall has placed on rivers, groundwater levels, wildlife and the wider natural environment across Wales.

Prolonged dry weather is a natural event which has become more likely as climate change accelerates. It occurs when rainfall is lower than expected for a sustained period of time resulting in low river, reservoir and groundwater levels as well as the drying up of land and soils.

Following an exceptionally dry March, which was the driest since 1944, April saw some notable rainfall in parts of Wales, but warm dry conditions returned in May.

The three-month (February-April 2025) cumulative Wales rainfall was 59% of that expected for that time of the year. This equates to one of driest three month equivalent periods on record.

As such, teams across NRW are reporting the majority of river flows are currently low or exceptionally low. Groundwater monitoring also confirms levels receding earlier than would usually be expected in the year.

Teams on the ground are reporting concerns about the prolonged dry weather on the environment, including reports of dry riverbeds, algal blooms and concerns for salmon smolt and fish migration in low flows.

In recent weeks, wildfires have intensified in many areas of Wales and NRW officers are providing ongoing support to fire and rescue services to tackle multiple grass and wildfire incidents on the land that it manages.

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and Hafren Dyfrdwy are reporting some water levels in reservoirs are below where they would usually be at this time of year, but variation across their operating areas, reflecting where rain has fallen.

NRW fully supports their advice for people across the country to use water wisely and help to protect water supplies and the environment

Rhian Thomas, Sustainable Water and Nature Manager at NRW said: “While there is some welcome rain forecast for the weekend and into next week, it will take time and more significant rainfall for river and reservoir levels to recover from this prolonged hot and dry spell.

“Such a dry start to the year is causing considerable concern for the health of our ecosystems and habitats, as well as for land management and the agricultural sector. As such, we have taken the decision to move the whole of Wales into prolonged dry weather status.

“For us, this means stepping up our actions and monitoring across Wales to help mitigate the impacts on the environment, land, water users and people, and responding to environmental incidents.

“Our drought teams will continue to meet regularly to review the status, and will work closely with our partners to ensure we take appropriate action to reduce impacts on the environment and other water users across Wales.

“To ensure water can continue to be supplied without damaging the environment, the public and businesses across Wales are being urged to use water wisely and manage this precious resource.”

NRW’s decision to declare prolonged dry weather status was shared with the Wales Drought Liaison Group earlier today. The group is chaired by the Welsh Government and made up of senior decision-makers from NRW, the Met Office, water companies, Public Health Wales, farming unions and local authority representatives.

NRW is engaging closely with the Environment Agency in respect to the cross border catchments.

When enjoying the outdoors, please be mindful that wildlife and ecosystems are under more stress. Members of the public should report any environment incidents to the 24/7 hotline on 0300 065 3000.

Some areas may also be at a higher risk of fires. If you see a wildfire, get to a safe place, call 999 and ask for the Fire Service.

For advice about dry weather and agricultural practices please visit Natural Resources Wales / Advice for farmers in periods of dry weather.

Waterwise’s website provides details on how to use water wisely. Wales’ water companies, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water (DCWW) and Hafren Dyfrdwy (HD), also offer advice to customers on their websites on how to save water.

A 60-YEAR-OLD “determined paedophile” who was operating in west Wales has been sentenced to six years and seven months in prison for sex offences against girls as young as nine years old.

Steven Loveridge of Ystalyfera, near Swansea, was charged with two counts of indecent exposure, two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and a further three counts of possessing indecent images of children.

Loveridge pleaded guilty to all seven charges including the possession of 469 indecent images of children, with 82 of them being Category A images – the most serious rating for such offences.

Described by the prosecution as a “determined paedophile who has an entrenched sexual interest in young girls”, Loveridge was sentenced to six years and seven months in prison when he appeared at Swansea Crown Court today. He will also serve a further six years on license at the end of his custodial sentence.

The full extent of Loveridge’s depravity began to unfold when, upon arrest, he was found to be in possession of two multi-coloured dice along with a pack of modified playing cards.

In a shocking account of calculated offending, the court heard how Loveridge would use the dice and cards as part of a game to dictate the nature of his offending and the age of his victims – which were always children.

It was told how certain colours on the dice would correspond to certain age groups of children, and the cards signalled which predatory action he intended to carry out.

A chilling audio recording downloaded as evidence from the defendant’s phone indicated that the blue colour represented an age he referred to as ‘playgroup age’.

The playing cards were marked with words such as ‘kids’, ‘parents’, ‘follow’, ‘stop’, ‘pursuing’, ‘girl incoming’ and were used along with the dice as part of his disturbing game.

Searches of the defendant’s property and digital devices found annotated maps of local areas where he could encounter children, including playing fields, parks, and schools.

Further screenshots of digital maps were found to be marked with possible escape routes and the locations of known CCTV cameras.

Digital forensic examinations found internet searches for the start and finish times of schools in his local area, revealing how the timing, location, targeting and nature of his offending was pre-mediated to a startling degree.

Sentencing him to six years and seven months in prison at Swansea Crown Court on Thursday (May 22), Judge Catherine Richards said: “Your sexual interest in young children has existed since 2007. In recent years, you have been building up to contact sexual offences with meticulous planning. There is currently, plainly, further risk of you committing specified sexual offences, and a significant risk of you causing serious harm as a result.”

The 60-year-old was first arrested on Monday 9 December 2024, following a report of indecent exposure against two young girls, aged 12 and 13, inside a Home Bargains store on Sunday 8 December 2024.

The court heard how Loveridge masturbated as he followed the girls around the shop, before exposing his penis to them, asking if they wanted to touch it. The girls immediately reported the incident to an adult in the store and Loveridge quickly left the scene.

A formal report was made to Dyfed-Powys Police and officers shared CCTV footage with neighbouring forces to identify the suspect. South Wales Police believed this to be the same man they were looking for in relation to a similar incident involving a nine-year-old girl at Asda just the week before.

On Monday 9 December 2024, Loveridge was arrested in Ystradgynlais on suspicion of indecent exposure and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. He was swiftly charged and remanded into custody.

Appearing at Swansea Crown Court on 13 January 2025, Loveridge pleaded guilty to the offences committed against the 12 and 13-year-olds in Ystradgynlais and the nine-year-old in Ystalyfera.

Commenting on the evidence seized from Loveridge’s home and his digital devices, officer in case, DC Andy Leonard said: “The handwritten notes and audio recordings made by Steven Loveridge himself suggest that the offences he committed against the young girls in are just a glimpse of what this monster could be capable of.

“While the offences he has been sentenced for today are hideous enough alone, I believe the timing of his arrest was critical to preventing the escalation of his dangerous and criminal behaviour. The reality is, we don’t know how far Loveridge would have gone to satisfy his heinous sexual desires if he wasn’t behind bars today.”

Further digital investigations carried out in early 2025 uncovered a disturbing library of sexually explicit and abusive images of children that were dated as early as 2007.

While remanded in custody, Loveridge was further charged with the possession of indecent images of children and pleaded guilty at Merthyr Magistrates Court on Friday 4 April.

In addition to his custodial sentence, Loveridge has been issued with a 15-year restraining order and will be made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order drafted by Dyfed-Powys Police’s Legal Services team.

Officer in case, DC Andy Leonard continued: “I would like to thank the victims and their families for their courage and support during the investigation. I hope that today’s sentence and the orders in place against Mr Loveridge provide a sense of justice and that they can feel safer knowing he is in prison. Every child should be able to feel safe in their community and not have to live with the fear of offenders like Mr Loveridge.

“The investigation demonstrated excellent collaborative work from colleagues in Dyfed-Powys Police across multiple departments from the arrest, building the case, bringing the offender to justice and work to draft the Sexual Harm Prevention Order. I would like to thank colleagues from South Wales for their support in the investigation and the CPS for their support and guidance throughout this complex investigation.

“I hope today’s sentence will be of some reassurance to the community and sends a clear message to perpetrators that crime against children is abhorrent, and that we as police will find the perpetrators and seek justice for the children involved.”