News
Council’s stinking discharge
EAGLE-EYED member of the public contacted The Pembrokeshire Herald about a Pembrokeshire County Council gully tanker emptying waster directly into the waters of the River Cleddau at Hobbs Point, Pembroke Dock.
Shocking photographs have captured the moment when black discharge is pumped, via a gully sewer into the Haven.
Photographer Mike Hillen, who took the images, said: “I was in the area, having lunch at Hobbs Point with my wife, when I noticed a council lorry on the left hand side of the road. The lorry was parked in the same spot for twenty to thirty minutes.
“At first glance it looked as if the lorry was cleaning the drain, but then I noticed a black stinking discharge coming from a pipe into the Haven.”
“It was obvious that the driver was not cleaning the drain but emptying his lorry into the sea. I immediately reported the incident to the Environment Agency, whose immediate view was that it should not have been happening.”
Hobbs Point is a popular spot with local anglers. One of them, Paul Kelly of Pembroke, told The Herald:
“This is terrible. I can’t believe the Council is just emptying filth into the river where we all fish.”
A spokesman from Pembrokeshire County Council said: “We are making inquiries but can confirm that the vehicle pictured is a gully tanker used by the County Council for clearing roadside gullies into which surface rainwater is discharged. It does not handle sewage. Gullies normally empty into rivers or streams, but this particular gully empties directly into the sea.”
The Herald has confirmed with the Environment Agency that emptying gully water into a river potentially introduces contaminants into the marine environment. The Environment Agency notes that material recovered from gullies can include heavy metals, diesel, car waste, silt and rotting small animal carcasses.
A Natural Resources Wales spokeswoman confirmed that they are looking into the incident. NRW told The Herald:
“We’d like to thank those who reported concerns to us over this activity. In response, we’ve launched a thorough investigation to identify whether this took place legitimately or not.”
At the time of going to press, The Pembrokeshire Herald understands that an NRW investigation is taking place at Hobbs Point to establish precisely what was discharged into the Cleddau.
News
Covid-19 vaccination venues and timeline announced for everyone locally over 50

EVERY person in JCVI priority groups 5 to 9 will be offered a COVID-19 vaccination by 18 April, Hywel Dda University Health Board has confirmed.
While the health board’s vaccination programme has the capacity to offer a vaccine to everyone in groups 5 to 9 by the original target date of 4 April, the delivery plan has had to be adjusted based on confirmed vaccine deliveries.
Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, and Pembrokeshire residents in priority groups 5 to 9 can expect to receive their vaccine as follows:
- Group 5, people aged 65 – 69 years – delivered by GP practices between 15 February and 12 March
- Group 6, people aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions and unpaid carers – delivered by GP practices between 22 February and 4 April
- Group 7, people aged 60 – 64 years – delivered by mass vaccination centres starting 8 March
- Group 8, people aged 55 – 59 years – delivered by mass vaccination centres starting 22 March
- Group 9, people aged 50 – 54 years – delivered by mass vaccination centres starting 5 April
The health board currently has mass vaccination centres located in Aberystwyth, Cardigan, Haverfordwest, Tenby, Carmarthen and Llanelli.
Group 6 is significantly the largest cohort to be vaccinated to date and we understand that many in this group will be anxious to receive a vaccine. Please do not contact your GP or the health board to ask about your appointment, you will be contacted directly when it is your turn and we thank you for your patience.
People in groups 7, 8 and 9 will receive a letter with an appointment date and time. Please arrive as close to your appointment time as possible. The letter will include a phone number to contact the health board should you need to rearrange or cancel your appointment but please make every effort to keep your allocated appointment time.
Steve Moore, Chief Executive of Hywel Dda UHB, said: “While our programme has had to slow due to supplies, we want to reassure everyone in groups 5 to 9 that our amazing teams of vaccinators and GP practices have the capability and flexibility to deliver our vaccine supplies as they arrive into the region.
“Vaccine supplies will start to increase again from mid-March, and we are confident that everyone living in our three counties in the top 9 priority groups will be offered a vaccine by mid-April.
“In Hywel Dda we have an older population compared to some other health boards and so over 50% of our adult population will have been offered a vaccine by milestone 2.
“To be able to say that as we approach the anniversary of the first national lockdown is nothing short of extraordinary.
“And again, I must say thank you to everyone living in our three counties who continue to come forward in substantial numbers for the vaccine. Uptake remains remarkably high and we hope to see this continue through groups 5 to 9 and into group 10.”
People are asked, wherever possible, to use their own private transport to attend an appointment. Lifts can be accepted from someone in their household or support bubble, but not from anyone else due to the risk of transmission of the virus.
The health board has put in place transport support for anyone who may have difficulty attending their vaccination appointment. If you have no other means of travel, please contact the health board on 0300 303 8322 and we will be happy to assist.
Everyone in priority groups 1 to 4 should have received an offer of a vaccination. If you have not been contacted, or have changed your mind, please contact your GP at the earliest opportunity. No one will be left behind.
News
Nolton Haven: Man hospitalised after getting into difficulties in sea

A MAN was taken to hospital after getting into difficulties in the sea off Nolton Haven on Friday.
Emergency services were alerted at 2.40pm on February 26 by a 999 call to the control centre.
The Little Haven RNLI lifeboat, Broad Haven Coastguard, an ambulance crew and a Coastguard rescue helicopter assisted police in the operation.
The male casualty was stabilised on the beach and shortly before 4.30pm, was then transported to Withybush Hospital.
A police spokesman told The Herald: “We were called to a male who had got into difficulties in the water at Nolton Haven shortly before 3pm.
“He was taken to hospital by ambulance.”
News
Cyclist killed on A40 was serving police officer, force confirms

A CYCLIST who died after a crash with a van on the A40 in Carmarthenshire was a serving police officer with Dyfed-Powys Police, the force has confirmed in a statement to Herald.Wales.
The driver of the van involved in the crash, which happened on Thursday (Feb 25) has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, it was confirmed on Friday (Feb 26).
Police are investigating the fatal collision, which caused the road to be closed for 12 hours, and are asking for any witnesses to come forward by calling 101.
37-year-old Lynwen Thomas, who is a former student at Ysgol Bro Myrddin, Croes-y-Ceiliog, Carmarthen, was a sergeant and a very well-respected member of Dyfed-Powys Police.
A spokesperson for the police said in a statement: “Our thoughts are with her family, friends and colleagues, who have all been offered specialist support. We ask that family members are given the privacy they need at this difficult time.”
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