'Hacked' Opik taking legal action

11 July 2011 Last updated at 20:56 GMT Lembit Opik had suspicions his mobile phone had been hacked Former leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Lembit Opik is taking legal action over the alleged hacking of his mobile phone by the News of the World.

Mr Opik said a visit to Scotland Yard two months ago confirmed his suspicions.

He became suspicious due to the close attention he received from the tabloid newspaper and his non-receipt of phone messages in 2006/07.

News International have been contacted for a response.

Mr Opik lost his seat in the Commons in May last year when he was beaten by the Conservatives in the mid Wales constituency of Montgomeryshire.

He now hopes to become the Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of London.

He said his solicitor is waiting for the progress of test cases against News International before deciding his next step.

He said: "I do intend to pursue this to its conclusion."

On Sunday, the News of the World published its last edition after 168 years in print.

The sudden closure followed claims the paper authorised hacking into mobile phones including those of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler and the families of 7/7 bombing victims.

Prime minister David Cameron has promised to set up a public inquiry into the phone hacking scandal.

But he told MPs an inquiry could not take place until police investigations were concluded.

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Wind farm firm granted legal bid

8 July 2011 Last updated at 16:33 GMT The proposed wind farm at Mynydd y Gwair near Felindre would be the tallest in Wales An energy company has won its legal bid against a Welsh Government decision to block plans to build Wales' tallest onshore wind farm.

RWE npower hoped to build 19 turbines up to 127 metres high on common land at Mynydd y Gwair, Felindre, near Swansea.

Swansea Council rejected permission for the project and was backed by a planning inspector.

But a judge has now ruled the firm's original appeal against the decision should be reconsidered.

On Friday Mr Justice Beatson concluded a judicial review by saying the then environment minister had accepted the recommendations of a planning inspector to reject the appeal on the grounds of its impact on an important habitat of peat bog.

The judge ruled that the original reasoning was deficient.

However, he also rejected a separate claim from RWE npower Renewables over proposed changes to common land in the area.

Swansea councillors rejected the Mynydd y Gwair scheme in January 2010 on the grounds that the turbines were 27m higher than guidelines for the area.

Mynydd y Gwair was identified as a suitable location for a large-scale wind farm due to its strong and persistent winds.

At that time Swansea council's planning committee said its visual and landscape impact was unacceptable and the proposed route for construction traffic was inadequately justified.

But the council had taken more than a year to reach this decision and in October 2009 RWE started the appeals process on the basis the decision was taking too long.

The Welsh Government rejected the appeal in February this year and the firm then decided to seek a judicial review.

The Welsh Government and RWE npower have been asked to comment.

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