A west Wales businessman gave his workers 1 March off in support of a campaign to make St David's Day a national holiday.

John Jones, who is based in Newcastle Emlyn, has given his employees a day off on 1 March for the past eight years.

His company, Trosol, is the country's largest translation company.

He is calling on Assembly Members to make the day an official national holiday.

"I know that Assembly Members have more important matters to discuss but this would be an excellent way of celebrating our new feeling of Welshness at the start of the new Millennium," said Mr Jones.

His comments come on the same day as north Wales called for St David's Day to be made a holiday during their visit to the National Assembly.

The pupils from Ysgol y Moelwyn, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd, are continuing a campaign to have the Welsh saint's day officially recognised as a holiday.

They had an audience in the Assembly's main debating chamber on Tuesday afternoon.

The trip was organised by Ysgol y Moelwyn's Head of History, Bethan Rees Jones.

"Wales's profile has increased in the last year with the opening of the National Assembly and the Millennium Stadium, together with the Rugby World Cup tournament," said Mrs Rees Jones.

"It is hardly surprising that this year, 10 students of my history course have sought to take up the mantle to make 1 March - which commemorates our patron saint - a national holiday."

In 1996 past pupils of the school collected a petition in all of the county's schools with the support of local MP Elfyn Llwyd.

'Changed circumstances'

The petition was presented to the Welsh Office during a visit to London.

"This year pupils have taken a considerable pride in what their predecessors sought to achieve and believed that the efforts should be resurrected," said Mrs Rees Jones.

"In the changed circumstances in Wales efforts now should be directed to the National Assembly of Wales."

The pupils were welcomed and shown around by their Assembly Member and Presiding Officer, Dafydd Elis Thomas.