A SENSATIONAL Olympic Games has come to an end and once again our athletes have delivered, none more so than the Vale of Glamorgan’s very own Hannah Mills.

After coming so close to gold in 2012, Hannah’s outstanding achievement in Rio is fitting for her commitment and dedication to the sport and clearly the special partnership she’s developed with teammate Saskia Clark in the 470 sailing event.

The Dinas Powys athlete is also a true role model off shore; recently taking time out of her busy training schedule for the Olympic Games to support the Penarth RNLI and the organisation's appeal for a new lifeboat.

The Vale of Glamorgan has a rich history of sailing success, with Penarth's Ian Barker also achieving a silver medal in the Sydney Games in 2000 and hopefully Hannah's success in Rio will go on to inspire a new generation of successful sailors and sportsmen and women in the area.

Welsh athletes finished with a record 10 medals – four gold and six silver – as Great Britain finished in a magnificent second place in the overall medal table.

It’s vitally important as a nation we do our very best to build on this success – the Welsh Government’s recent decision not to bid for the Commonwealth Games in 2026 was most regrettable at a time when sport across Wales is riding the crest of a wave. We need to ensure there is more ambition for this great country of ours.

Congratulations are also in order for Barry pupils, after the best-ever set of A-level results were achieved - with more than 98 per cent of pupils across Barry and Bryn Hafren Comprehensive Schools and Ysgol Bro Morgannwg achieving an A* - E grade.

Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Morgannwg had a pass rate of 100 per cent for A-level pupils for the second year running while Bryn Hafren Comprehensive saw a 21 per cent increase in its pass rate and 99 per cent of the 127 pupils who sat A-level examinations achieving an A* - C grade.

Well done to students for achieving these very positive results and I wish them the very best as they progress onto the next stage of their lives, be it further study and education or entering the world of work.

Moving onto Barry Island, Alun Cairns and I visited businesses in the area this week to discuss some of the litter issues which have blighted the seaside destination of late.

I’m pleased to say we have joined forces with chip-shop owner Craig O’Shea, whose family have operated on the Island since the end of the Second World War, to call on the council to install more signs urging people not to litter, as well as more bins to help them keep the beach tidy.

The glorious sight of a packed beach on a hot summer’s day is exactly the sort of thing we want to see on Barry Island. The economic potential of the area is huge, but that won’t be helped by the appalling scenes of rubbish spread across the beach.