News

Prevention is better than a cure

Published

12 years ago

December 12, 2013

The Pembrokeshire Herald spends a day with the Haverfordwest Neighbourhood Policing Team

IT IS VERY EASY to think of the police as an entity in place to fix crime when it happens. Sometimes it slips our minds that a major role of our police force is to prevent crime before it strikes. Designated police officers gather from every station, specifically targeting the prevention of crime and these officers work in the Neighbourhood Police Team.

Sgt Catrin Thomas is the head of a team of four other police constables, along with six police community support officers that make up Haverfordwest’s Neighbourhood force. This team of officers have the responsibility of actively approaching the public in Haverfordwest’s very large geographical area. The town is just the beginning.

Every police officer has a responsibility to protect the public in an emergency situation. If a 999 call comes in then the attention of the officer is immediately prioritised to the alert at hand. The Neighbourhood Policing Team is given a daily brief as to any concerns that the public might have. These concerns may be raised in a well-populated area, or they may be raised in a rural and isolated part of the Haverfordwest sector. All concerns are taken seriously and no report from the public is taken as a ‘waste of time’.

In order to begin to understand the effort of the team, I joined two officers in a visit to a well-established stable in Camrose, to engage with the proprietor.The officers were welcomed as friends due to their continued support of the establishment. PCSO Jude Parr is a keen equestrian herself and the genuine concern, also displayed by PC Simon Davies, is blatantly obvious from the moment they arrived at the premises. These officers were both approachable and genuine and demonstrated that a crime does not have to be committed to build a relationship with the people that often need them the most, when a police station may not be ‘just around the corner’.

There are rural organisations that the team help to maintain. These entities are often not even heard of by the general public. Most people have heard of Neighbourhood Watch but few could claim to know of organisations such as ‘Farm Watch’ and ‘Horse Watch’ that are in place to monitor theft and vandalism of rural enterprises and homes. This idea would not be so successful if it was not for the community officers that help to spread the information needed by the community.

The very presence of officers in rural areas has given individuals the confidence to raise concerns that otherwise would have remained unspoken.

Back in the centre of town, officers are patrolling the streets attempting to create the same approachability that the rural officers achieve. Every day police officers, such as Rachel Wall and Liam Woodford, step out into the public to affirm the goals of the team. To create an approachable and friendly presence that will always take the public seriously. Rachel and Liam (Liam in particular) may seem a little camera shy but they do what they are employed to do. They do it very well.

Whilst joining the two officers around the town of Haverfordwest, it is obvious that they have a wonderful rapport with the people. Rachel and Liam take the time to speak to the general public and the proprietors of local businesses to take action against any concerns that may be present. It is refreshing to see the genuine look on a member of the public’s face when they know that there is someone there to take them seriously.

Back at the station, Ben Thomas, a local volunteer, explained to me the confidence he has built over his short time with the police. Ben is new to the team but he is training to take on the paperwork that sometimes makes a practical job very difficult. He demonstrates very well the fact that all sorts of ingredients make a good product.

Sgt Catrin Thomas obviously cares a lot for her colleagues and for the public that the team stands for. Dyfed Powys area has the least crime of any area in Wales as Catrin explains. In maintaining a community based police force the public can continue to feel in the county that they live in. I must admit, after a day with this team, I certainly believe that to be true.

Do not be afraid to contact your local police force if you have a concern. All of the public will be taken seriously and you have a local team to back you up and help. Please call 101 from your telephone or stop an officer. After all, they are there to help and not to intimidate.

News

Three climbers rescued after fall at St Govan’s Head

Published

41 minutes ago

February 13, 2026

Tom Sinclair

THREE climbers have been rescued after falling into the sea at St Govan’s Head, following a major multi-agency emergency response along the south Pembrokeshire coast.

The alarm was raised at around 4:00pm on Wednesday, prompting a large-scale search and rescue operation involving coastguard teams, helicopters and the Angle RNLI lifeboat.

A spokesperson for HM Coastguard said: “HM Coastguard are responding to an incident involving three climbers at St Govans Head in Pembrokeshire on 12 February.

“First alerted at around 4pm, Coastguard rescue teams from Fishguard, St Govans and Tenby have been sent alongside an HM Coastguard helicopter, an Irish Coastguard helicopter, Wales Air Ambulance and an RNLI lifeboat from Angle.”

Multiple helicopters were seen operating over the cliffs and sea during the evening, with the lifeboat also deployed offshore.

BBC Radio Wales reported in its 8:30am Breakfast bulletin on Friday that all three casualties were successfully rescued.

Their conditions have not yet been confirmed.

Dyfed-Powys Police also attended the incident.

Updates to follow if further information is released.

Charity

Tenby’s Doreen Mortimer MBE celebrates 30 years of RNLI service

Published

1 hour ago

February 13, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Fundraising stalwart has helped raise more than £1m for lifesaving charity

A TENBY volunteer who has dedicated three decades to saving lives at sea has marked her milestone anniversary with a celebration alongside the friends and colleagues who have supported her journey.

Doreen Mortimer MBE, long-time shop manager and fundraiser for the RNLI in Tenby, hosted a special gathering for fellow volunteers on Thursday (Feb 12) at Tudor Mount Gastrobar to celebrate both her 30 years of service and her recent royal honour.

Now in her 90s, Doreen remains a familiar and energetic presence in the town’s RNLI shop, where her tireless efforts have helped raise more than £1 million for the lifesaving charity.

She was one of six RNLI volunteers recognised by His Majesty The King as the organisation approached its 200th anniversary last year, receiving an MBE for her outstanding contribution to fundraising and community service.

Award-winning dedication

Doreen’s commitment has long been recognised within the charity.

In 2022 she received the RNLI’s Excellence in Volunteering Award from head of fundraising Jayne George, after the Tenby shop’s takings topped £100,000 within months of reopening following the Covid lockdowns.

Jayne George said at the time: “Although Doreen has a team of volunteers backing her up, she is the driving force that keeps sales rising, and whenever the fund-raising committee holds an event, she is there with her bucket.”

The following year she was honoured again for her long service, helping make Tenby the number one RNLI shop in Wales.

She was also recognised by RNLI chief executive Mark Dowie during his farewell tour of UK stations.

Still going strong

Despite her age, Doreen continues to volunteer for up to 50 hours a week during busy periods, supporting the shop, events and collections.

Friends say her energy and enthusiasm remain an inspiration to younger volunteers.

Thursday’s celebration was not only a thank-you for Doreen’s service, but also a chance to acknowledge the wider team whose efforts help keep the charity’s vital work afloat.

For Tenby’s lifeboat crews, every pound raised locally helps ensure they can launch at a moment’s notice — and for three decades, Doreen Mortimer has been at the heart of that mission.

Community

Lifeboat to find new home at Pembroke Dock museum after historic handover ceremony

Published

1 hour ago

February 13, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A HISTORIC lifeboat which saved forty lives around the British coastline is set to begin a new chapter in Pembroke Dock next month when she is formally handed over to the West Wales Maritime Heritage Society.

The 1957 Watson-class vessel, RNLB Pentland, will be transferred to her permanent home at the West Wales Maritime Museum during a public ceremony on Saturday, March 7 at 1:00pm.

Organisers say the event will mark the end of the boat’s private stewardship under Mike Brotherton MBE and the beginning of her preservation as part of Pembrokeshire’s maritime heritage.

The handover will include the lowering of the Blue Ensign and the raising of the Red Ensign, symbolising the lifeboat’s move into museum care, followed by a short presentation recounting her operational history.

During her years of service at Thurso, The Mumbles and Workington, Pentland was launched into some of the worst conditions the coast could throw at her crew, helping to save dozens of lives.

Trustees say bringing the vessel to Pembroke Dock will ensure that future generations can see first-hand the type of lifeboat that protected coastal communities for decades.

Visitors attending the ceremony will also be able to tour the museum’s restoration workshops and view other ongoing heritage projects, including work on the Charterhouse lifeboat.

Refreshments, including burgers, bacon rolls, tea and coffee, will be available before and after proceedings.

Entry to the museum and boatyard is free, although donations to support preservation work are welcomed.