News

Farmer in court after cows put down

Published

2 years ago

May 9, 2019

A DISTRICT JUDGE has given a Pembrokeshire farmer a 200-hour community service order after he pleaded guilty to multiple animal welfare offences.

The court in Llanelli heard that four cows belonging to Mark Mathias of Chapel Hill Farm, Camrose, near Haverfordwest, had to be put down to prevent further suffering.

The court also disqualified Mathias from keeping, owning, participating in, or influencing the keeping of bovine animals for a period of 12 months.

The ruling follows a prosecution by Pembrokeshire County Council on Friday (3 rd May).

Mathias was charged with four offences under Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, of causing unnecessary suffering to bovine animals, and one offence under Section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, of failing to ensure the needs of bovines were met to the extent
required by good practice, including providing a suitable diet and Environment.

He also admitted an animal by-product offence whereby bovine carcasses were not stored in the correct manner or disposed of correctly, posing a health risk to the herd via contamination of Feedstuffs.

Guilty pleas were also entered for cattle identification offences for failure to record deaths as required, as well as failing to register cattle within the prescribed time scale.

The court heard that between 20 March and 12 July last year, 14 visits were made to the farm by animal health and welfare inspectors from the Council’s Public Protection Division. On a number of those visits they were accompanied by Animal Plant Health Agency vets. The first visit followed a report of a calf being on its side in the farm yard which was thought to be suffering with no bedding or care Provided.

A substantial quantity of bovine carcasses were also discovered by officers on a yard near baled feed for the herd and inside a large Trailer.

Other welfare concerns were noted within the herd at the time and advice and notices were issued to dispose of the carcasses correctly; to address listed welfare concerns and to improve conditions on the holding to which the herd had access.

The court was told that throughout the ensuing visits, additional notices and further advice was given to Mathias by officers and vets.

These related to conditions on the farm in which the cattle were being kept, welfare concerns, including for specific animals which required veterinary attention and for removal of animal by-products.

The court was told that four animals had suffered unnecessarily which resulted in them being destroyed.

It was also discovered that a large number of cattle had been moved onto the site whilst an active restriction notice was in place under the Tuberculosis (Wales) Order 2010 prohibiting moves on or off site without a licence. Mathias pleaded guilty to failing to observe the terms of the notice.

As part of mitigation for Mathias, reference was made to the mental, physical and financial issues involved in the farming business.

The Bench also ordered Mathias to pay £500 costs and a victim surcharge fee of £85.

After the case, Pat Davies, the County Council’s Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services and Housing, said the case had presented significant challenges to both Council officers and the farmer with no quick fix solutions available.

Councillor Davies explained: “While officers were mindful of the difficulties faced by the business and sought to offer advice and guidance where they could, the serious and persistent nature of certain offences meant that that the Council was duty-bound to bring
the matter before the court.

“While the herd was almost entirely disposed of following the Council’s involvement, it is critical that where a business model becomes unsustainable that proactive action is taken to ensure that the welfare of animals and disease control measures are not Compromised.”

On behalf of the Council she also thanked the organisations and charities that worked alongside the Authority during the proceedings to help identify and facilitate effective solutions.

News

Pembrokeshire residents can quickly check symptoms for variety of conditions on NHS 111 Wales online

Published

2 hours ago

March 4, 2021

Carli Newell

NHS 111 Wales online symptom checker can save Pembrokeshire patients time by helping them find the right NHS service for treatment. Symptoms can be quickly checked for a variety of conditions and advice given on the best way to treat them by visiting www.111.wales.nhs.uk which is hosted by the Welsh Ambulance Service.

The way we access NHS services has changed as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with more options now becoming increasingly utilised, including the NHS 111 Wales online service which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It can be used for both health information and advice and to access urgent primary care in Welsh and English.

In a recent YouGov survey, a third of Pembrokeshire residents had not even heard of the NHS 111 Wales online symptom checker and only 19% had used it during the past 12 months.

Andrew Carruthers, Director of Operations at Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “We are asking everyone to help us by reconsidering the way you access NHS services. The methods available have changed but we are still here for you. It is worth getting to know the different ways you can access the NHS so you can be seen and treated quicker with your first port of call being NHS 111 Wales.”

According to the YouGov survey, carried out for the Welsh Government’s Keep Wales Safe campaign, only 67% of Pembrokeshire residents had heard of the NHS 111 Wales online symptom checker. However, 86% said they felt it was important to have access to the service.

NHS 111 Wales online can help if you have an urgent medical problem and you’re not sure what to do. The way it works is: You answer questions about your symptoms on the website and depending on the situation you will:

Get self-care advice
Be told how to get any medicine you need
Find out what local service can help you
Be connected to a nurse, emergency dentist, pharmacist or GP
Get a face-to-face appointment if you need one
Be given an arrival time if you need to go to A&E – this might mean you spend less time in A&E

For those who don’t have confidence going online to seek advice, there is the NHS 111 Wales phone service. This is also a free service where patients can contact the NHS by dialling 111 to receive advice on the best way to manage their issue or gain further assistance if needed. The bilingual telephone service is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

Eighty-four percent of Pembrokeshire residents had heard of the NHS 111 Wales phone service when asked for the recent YouGov survey but only 20% had used the telephone service during the last 12 months.

News

Trial date for son accused of killing mum

Published

4 hours ago

March 4, 2021

Luke Sinclair

THE SON of Judith Rhead, 68, who was found dead in her home in Market Street, Pembroke Dock on Feb 20 will now appear in Crown Court again in October.

Dale Morgan, 43, said to be a scout master, appeared in court only to confirm his name, date of birth and address – which was listed as Honeyborough Green, Neyland.

A plea and trial preparation hearing date was set for March 26 with a provisional trial date set for October 4.

He was remanded in custody.

In court papers it stated that the alleged murder took place between December 10, 2020 and February 21, 2021.

The paperwork demonstrates that the police are unsure of the exact date that Ms Rhead died. The large date range, two months, points to the likelihood that this will be a challenging case for all those involved.

News

Launch of Haverfordwest Castle Conservation Management Plan

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2021

Carli Newell

MEMBERS of the public are being asked to help shape the future of Haverfordwest Castle as a draft Conservation Management Plan (CMP) is launched.

One of Pembrokeshire’s most important historical assets, the Castle is owned by Pembrokeshire County Council, which has produced the CMP.

The plan:

▪ sets out the significance of the castle and describes how the building will be protected with any new use, alteration, repair or management;

▪ will help with the planning of maintenance, conservation and repair work and adaptation of the site to meet new or changing uses;

▪ will help promote understanding of the site and look at improving public access and activities for local people and visitors;

▪ will support proposals to conserve the castle and adaptations of the site in response to climate change;

▪ and underpin funding applications to support improvements

An engagement exercise has been launched alongside the Plan, giving members of the public with an interest in the historic and/or environmental significance of the castle an opportunity to comment on the document and share their views.

To take part in the engagement exercise, please click on the following link:

https://haveyoursay.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/regeneration-communities

The deadline for responses is Sunday, March 28, 2021.