Family Of Chernobyl Hero Among Those Calling For Wales-Specific Covid-19 Inquiry

The Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group was set up over two months ago by relatives of those who contracted the virus in hospital or care homes and then died.

Filmmaker Sam Higgins-Smith from Cwmbran is among 150 people who have joined the campaign seeking a Wales-specific inquiry into the handling of the pandemic.

Her father 74 year old Phil Smith was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year and was admitted to hospital after suffering water retention issues. Phil who was originally from Leeds but lived in Crickhowell - contracted Covid-19 and died in January.

He was an incredible character. Sam told us how the engineer who was originally from Yorkshire - started off as a stunt man. Then started building kit cars - he broke speed records at Santa Pod. He was also a 'quiet' hero. Whilst watching the Netflix drama Chernobyl last year, during a particularly tense scene in the film, he revealed to Sam how he was part of the team that was flown out to the country to help stabilise the plant. Sam told us: "We thought he was joking because he went quiet and it was the bit where the pipe was leaking water. He said, 'well, I think enough time's passed now I can tell you. Uh, I was there.' I'm like, 'oh shut up, shut up Dad, you're lying' and he said 'no.'

"He went into great detail of the horrors that he saw there. The people he worked with who died. He said, 'Do you remember when I came back? I couldn't work on nuclear power stations for two years.' And I did remember that, I was about 16 or 17 - and my recollection at the time was sort of, you know, having strange people come into the house. Sort of monitoring radioactivity and coming into the house and having to wear a little radioactive badge."

WATCH interview here:

Sam says her father was like 'Wales' version of Red Adair: "Whenever there was an explosion on a power station or something, they'd fly him off and he would go and sort it out. So my memories of him, with growing up as a kid -was basically bandaged up, patched with burns, cuts.

"He spent some time in hospital last year during the lockdown in the summer months and he was just as happy of helping out all the elderly people on the ward there who couldn't get in touch with family - because they couldn't use phones or anything. He put himself forward as the go between. And so, yeah, he was a big hero and a quiet hero. He was a good guy."