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Chepstow man returns home after evacuation from ship

by Richard Jones

We have been chronicalling the adventures of Kyle Baker, an injured soldier from Chepstow who has been on an amazing voyage aboard the tall ship the Lord Nelson.

Kyle had to be evacuated from the ship when he was taken ill, as it passed a remote South Atlantic island.

He has now arrived home, and looks back on the trip, and getting ill himself, as "an adventure".

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Injured soldier evacuated from tall ship challenge

by Richard Jones

All week we are following the adventures of the tall ship Lord Nelson and her crew as they make their way - 50,000 miles - around the world.

They spent Christmas and New Year in Brazil and then set sail across the Atlantic bound for Cape Town in South Africa.

In the second part of the series, they are making good progress until a medical emergency developed with Kyle Baker from Chepstow.

Watch the first part of the series, with the crew on the Lord Nelson

Welsh injured soldier among team sailing round the world

A badly injured former soldier who lives near Chepstow is taking part in an epic journey across the Atlantic -- on board the tall ship, the Lord Nelson.

Kyle Barker is part of a mixed crew of disabled and non disabled people.

They are currently involved in the Lord Nelson's biggest ever challenge- a two-year, 50,000 mile voyage around the world visiting 30 countries on all seven continents.

ITV News' cameras are following the journey.

Chepstow man hailed as an Indian king

At home in Chepstow, Barry Watson is just an ordinary father-of-four, but in a state of India he's regarded as royalty.

'King Bazza' was awarded his title in 2010 by grateful villagers, after he helped them build a new life for themselves.

Barry Watson raised money to build a school in the area, and now he's given a fanfare reception whenever he visits, as Hannah Thomas reports.

Chepstow man Barry Watson revered as 'king' in India

Barry Watson has been visiting India for the past four decades Credit: Help the Village

At his family home in Chepstow, Barry Watson is just a regular working father-of-four - but to the Yanadi tribe in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, he is regarded as royalty.

Though Barry has no crown or throne, he was awarded the title of 'king' in 2010 by grateful villagers after he helped them build a new life for themselves.

Through his charity work with Help the Village, Barry raised enough money to help the tribe - which had been living in poverty on a rubbish tip - secure land and install vital facilities.

The Yanadis named their new village 'Barrypuram' in his honour, and Barry himself 'King Bazza'.

Strangely, Barry's gesture of help follows a prophecy by the Yanadis 30 years ago that a white man would build a village for the tribe.

Barry, who cheerfully admits he has been 'infatuated' with India since he first visited in the 1970s, said locals were initially too awestruck to approach him but now give him a fanfare reception each time he visits.

But Barry hasn't let his newfound royalty affect him - he says he's kept firmly grounded by his four children, who constantly 'take the mick' out of his regal title.

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Police search for Chepstow river fall man

Police are searching for a man believed to have fallen into the River Wye in Chepstow.

The man was reported to have gone into the water by the Wye Bridge at around 2.46pm.

Officers attended the scene and The Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA) Inshore Rescue boat, the Coastguard at Chepstow and the Avon and Somerset police helicopter have joined the search.

At this time the man has not been located but efforts continue to recover him from the water.

– Gwent Police

Jail term for Chepstow siege gunman

Greg Searle during the siege
The stand-off last August eventually ended when police stormed Greg Searle's home Credit: ITV News Wales

A gunman who said he was going to commit "live murder on Facebook" during an eight-hour-siege at his home in Chepstow has been jailed. Greg Searle, 35, posted updates on the social networking site as he threatened police with what was eventually discovered to be a fake gun.

He pleaded guilty to affray and admitted threatening police officers with an imitation firearm.

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