Car rams into girl in park

Nadine Powell, 15, pictured, underwent three hours of surgery on Saturday for facial injuries after the incident in Black Ash Park, off Corporation Road, Newport.

Her mother, Sandra, has been by her bedside at the Royal Gwent Hospital in the town since the incident, which happened at 8.45pm on Friday.

Nadine's father, Graham, was talking to his "bubbly" daughter on her mobile just moments before the crash.

Speaking from the family's home in Coverack Road, Newport, he said: "She was just in the park with friends."

He added it was unusual for Nadine - who has two sisters, Danielle, 16, and Stephanie, 14, and a 13-year-old brother, Nicky - to be in the park, but she had been staying with a friend that evening.

Her father said: "She likes listening to music and rarely goes from here." Her grandmother, Jean Burns, added: "She is really full of life."

Mr Powell said Nadine, a pupil at Liswerry High School, had undergone surgery on Saturday for cosmetic work to the injuries to her face.

A 17-year-old youth was also injured when the car hit the bench.

Keith Sutton, who lives near the park in Colston Avenue, cared for Nadine until the ambulance arrived, after his niece, who had been with her, alerted him.

Mr Sutton has stopped his daughter Megan, seven, playing there after she was once nearly knocked over.

He has asked Newport council for action. "The park is quite sealed off apart from certain areas and I suggested putting large boulders down," he said. "But nothing has been done."

Liswerry councillor Joan Jepps said she was aware cars and motorbikes were using the park and had warned police.

She said: "This has been going on for a long time. We took the BMX track away from there because motorbikes were using it, but they still go in there."

Last night Nadine's family said she was likely to be released from hospital later this week.

* A man was arrested by police and has been charged with three offences in connection with the incident.