UK Wikinews Shorts: December 24, 2009

6-year-old boy dies in agricultural incident in Carmarthenshire, Wales
A six-year-old boy has died as as result of a farming-related incident in the village of Bethlehem in Carmarthenshire, Wales. The incident, which is not being treated as a suspicious one, is currently under investigation from the Health and Safety Executive as well as Dyfed-Powys Police, the police service in Carmarthenshire. A tractor is believed to have been involved in the incident. The child has now been identified as Dafydd Bowen. It was reported that he was involved in a fatal accident at Pengoilan Farm - the boy's parents' farm - on Wednesday at around 1430 GMT.

"I went over their and his parents Gareth and Meryl were very upset," said Jan Hughes. The woman, who has a neighbouring farm, commented on how she heard an air ambulance arriving at the scene of the accident. "They were just about to go to the hospital when I saw them. It is devastating to hear Dafydd has died, he was such a lovely boy. The community here is shocked," said Jan. The village of Bethlehem is reported to have been struck by a "wave of grief".

As a mark of respect for the family of the child, a service which was due to be held at midnight on Christmas Eve in Bethlehem Chapel has now been cancelled. Dafydd himself is due to appear as a part of a school choir on a pre-recorded programme that is still expected to be broadcast. Seren Bethlehem, which was recorded in the village, is due to be broadcast on Welsh television channel S4C on Thursday, and will be a tribute to Bowen.

Sources

Ryanair 737 slides off runway in Glasgow, Scotland
A Boeing 737 belonging to Irish budget carrier Ryanair came off the runway at Glasgow's Prestwick Airport in Scotland yesterday. The jet had landed after a flight from Dublin when it slid on a patch of ice. All 129 passengers and six crew were able to leave uninjured, with the aircraft having its forward and right landing gear sunk into the grass alongside the runway.

Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service attended as a precaution. Ryanair said the aircraft did not appear to be damaged and that they hoped to minimise any delays. Prestwick has one of the longest runways in the UK. The airport was closed from 0900 until 1100 GMT.

Sources