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A bright and blustery start - but chilly too!

by Ruth Wignall

Thursday: Scattered showers will become more widespread through the day, perhaps turning heavy at times. There should be some sunny spells, however it is going to feel cooler than of late. Maximum Temperature 12 °C.

Outlook for Friday to Sunday: Rather cold, wet and windy with outbreaks of rain on Friday. Feeling warmer on Saturday and Sunday, and most places will stay dry with some sunny spells and lighter winds.

Extra layers in bed tonight!

by Ruth Wignall

Tonight: A dry start to the night with prolonged periods of clear sky. Some scattered showers are set to develop during the early hours, mainly across northern parts. Minimum Temperature 4 °C.

Thursday: Scattered showers will become more widespread through the day, perhaps turning heavy at times. There should be some sunny spells, however it is going to feel cooler than of late. Maximum Temperature 12 °C.

Outlook for Friday to Sunday: Rather cold, wet and windy with outbreaks of rain on Friday. Feeling warmer on Saturday and Sunday, and most places will stay dry with some sunny spells and lighter winds.

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April Jones: Mark Bridger cross-examination begins

Mark Bridger is on trial at Mold Crown Court accused of the abduction and murder of April Jones Credit: Dave Thompson/PA Wire

Prosecutor Elwen Evans QC has begun her cross-examination of Mark Bridger at Mold Crown Court.

She started by asking Mr Bridger: "What did you do with April's body?"

"I don't know," Mr Bridger replied.

"You have absolutely no idea?" Miss Evans asked.

Mr Bridger replied: "No."

Miss Evans then outlined the scale and scope of the police search for the five-year-old.

Mark Bridger said he is 'not proud' that he can't remember what happened.

Bridger: 'I don't deny being involved with April's death'

Nearing the end of questioning from his defence barrister, Mark Bridger said: "I obviously was involved. I don't ever deny being involved with April's death.

"I didn't run. I didn't hide, I didn't go anywhere. I didn't know what to do.

"Initially I really thought I would have been charged with either death by reckless driving or death by drink-driving.

"I did not expect to be on a murder charge."

As questioning concluded, Mr Bridger denied abducting April Jones, saying he had 'no intention' of doing so.

He also denied having any form of sexual contact with her that night, or deliberately killing her.

Mark Bridger: 'I don't remember any clean-up'

When asked if he recalled cleaning his house of evidence, Mr Bridger replied: "I don't remember any clean-up. But I would like to say... if that night there was blood dripped on the bath where I washed my jumper... if I had seen it, I would have automatically wiped it.

"But it was not to try and hide anything. It would have been an automatic thing to do."

He also denied cleaning up the interior of his car.

When asked if he knew anything about 'skeleton' fragments allegedly found in his wood-burner, Mr Bridger said: "No. I don't believe I could have done that."

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Mark Bridger 'cannot explain' April's blood in lounge

Mark Bridger has told the courtroom he still does not recall April Jones being in his car on the evening she disappeared.

When asked by his defence barrister if he could explain how April's blood was found on the floor in his lounge, he replied "no", adding that he could only remember 'certain things' about that night.

He said: "I don't remember picking her up or taking her into my house at all. There are certain things that are coming back to me."

He said he remembered taking off a beige fleece and perhaps putting it in the washing machine.

He then told the jury that he had started remembering putting April on the floor in his living room.

He said: "It's something that's come to me over the last number of months. I don't know whether it was what happened that night or if it's something that has come into my mind.

"I have no recollection of getting to the house. I have a recollection of this beige jumper. The only other recollection I have is having April and laying her down on the carpet."

Mr Bridger said when he woke up the following morning, he "really thought it was a nightmare".

Mark Bridger 'accidentally ran April Jones over'

Mark Bridger has been giving evidence at Mold Crown Court today Credit: Priscilla Coleman

Mark Bridger has given Mold Crown Court his account of events on the evening five-year-old April Jones disappeared.

Mr Bridger explained he had been sighted at the Bryn-y-Gog estate, where April lived, because he had wanted to speak to his ex-partner. He said he had been drinking.

He told the court: "I had had enough to drink. It was starting to get dark."

Mr Bridger said as he was thinking of moving off, he saw two young girls.

"I started the car up; put lights on. My car had been playing up for a couple of days, I struggled to get it into gear.

"As I went to move off - didn't go more than half a wheel-turn - one of the girls came from behind the car.

"It was the little blonde-haired girl, I know to be April, that came in front of me.

"I turned to look to my right to see where the dark-haired girl was and she was doing loops on her bike.

"As I looked forward again the other girl had gone. My wheels had already turned as I started to pull away, there was a little pink bike on the floor.

"There was this bike either leaned up or dropped against the floor.

"As I went to pull away the car rose up on one side, my driver's side.

"I didn't travel more than inches and it rose up, checked the handbrake was off. Went to do that two times and realised there was a problem.

"I got out of my vehicle. I went around to the front of my car, the front is very high, I don't know whether I knelt down or bent down to have a look."

Mr Bridger fought back tears as he continued: "That's when I saw a little person, a child pushed up against the front wheel, my drivers wheel, on the car.

"I don't know what I grabbed, an arm or leg, as I pulled her out she was limp.

"So I picked her up and held her head. I scooped her up and her arms and legs were floppy.

"I don't remember talking to her but from all the training as a first aider your first response is to talk or pinch to get a response."

Mr Bridger said he put the girl on his passenger seat.

"I remember checking for her breath, I remember checking for a pulse, I remember checking her eyes. I remember giving her mouth to mouth."

Mr Bridger continued: "I had torches in the car. I checked her eyes and they were not with us. There was no reaction, I then knew I needed to get help so I jumped in the car and left the area."

Welsh Secretary visits Senedd

Welsh Secretary David Jones in the Senedd before the debate
Welsh Secretary David Jones in the Senedd before the debate Credit: ITV News, Adrian Masters

Welsh Secretary David Jones visits the Senedd to take part in a debate on the Queen's Speech. It's the first time he's represented the UK Government in the annual debate as Secretary of State. Before becoming an MP, Mr Jones was an Assembly Member.

Mark Bridger explains image viewings on computer

Mark Bridger has told Mold Crown Court that he viewed a picture of a friend's daughter on his computer at around midday on the day of April Jones' disappearance.

Brendan Kelly QC, defending, said four minutes later a pornographic cartoon was viewed. Mr Bridger said he clicked on it "to move it, or it was in the wrong folder", adding that he "didn't view it for any length of time at all".

Brendan Kelly QC then asked about another girl he viewed pictures of.

Mr Bridger replied that he looked at pictures of this young girl in particular "because he needed to find out if she was his daughter."

He then became visibly upset.

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