Community
Keep you eyes on the road, say police

DYFED-POWYS POLICE are supporting the A which is being led by North Wales Police. The two-week all-Wales enforcement campaign is urging all road users to ‘keep their eyes on the road’ and not be distracted by answering their mobile phone, reading a text or going online. Police patrols will increase across Wales for the duration of the enforcement campaign, which runs from 6 until 19 October, to promote the safety message and raise awareness of the dangers and penalties amongst motorists.
Go Safe safety camera vans will also be used for the duration of the campaign as they also enforce mobile phone offences. Chief Inspector Ieuan Mathews said: “Driving while using a mobile phone is not only illegal but dangerous. It doesn’t just put your own life at risk but also the lives of your passengers and other road users who may not have a say in your actions behind the wheel. “We would encourage drivers to switch off their phones while driving; no phone call is so urgent that it requires you to answer it and put yourself and others at risk.
We will continue to work closely with our partners to raise awareness and educate but we will also prosecute those drivers who continue to flout the law.” Chair of Road Safety Wales Susan Storch said: “Driving a vehicle requires us to multi-task so anything above and beyond that needs to wait until we are safely parked up or until our journey has finished. “Campaigns such as this demonstrate the resolve of all the Road Safety Wales partners in tackling this issue and we will continue to work together to drive home the message that you need to switch off before you drive off.”
Throughout the campaign police and their partners will be using social media to highlight the campaign messages using the hash tag #fatal5 and #eyesontheroad Police advice: * Don’t make or answer calls when you’re driving All phone calls distract drivers’ attention from the road. You can pick up any missed calls or texts when it is safe and convenient to do so. If you need to use the phone when driving, then stop at the first safe opportunity
* It’s illegal to use a hand-held mobile when driving on the road even if you’ve stopped at traffic lights or are stuck in a traffic jam or are in a car park All these situations are covered by the legal definition of ‘driving on the road’.
* Park safely before using your mobile phone Do not park on the hard shoulder of the motorway.
* Don’t call other people when they’re driving If you call someone and they tell you they are driving, ask them to call you back when they have parked up safely
Community
Landmarc raises the flag at Castlemartin to mark the start of Armed Forces Week

TO CELEBRATE Armed Forces Week 2025, Landmarc Support Services (Landmarc), together with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), is raising the Armed Forces Day flag at Castlemartin Training Area in Pembrokeshire, demonstrating their appreciation and support for service personnel.
The raising of the flag takes place each year at Defence Training Estate (DTE) sites across the UK and is witnessed by both Armed Forces personnel and civilians. This year, Landmarc and DIO are extending a special thank you to full-time serving and reservist troops, Cadet Force Adult Volunteers, veterans and their families, by proudly flying the official Armed Forces Day flag at military training establishments across the nation.
Working in partnership with DIO, Landmarc provides the support services that enable the Armed Forces to live, work, and train on the UK Defence Training Estate. As part of this ongoing commitment, Landmarc is extending its guaranteed interview scheme to military spouses, civil partners and long-term cohabiting partners who meet the basic role criteria to ensure fair treatment throughout the recruitment process.
The scheme reinforces Landmarc’s pledge to the Armed Forces Covenant, which was re-signed in 2024 following the company’s achievement of the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Gold Award.
Mark Neill, Managing Director at Landmarc, said: “Having supported the Armed Forces for more than two decades, we’re proud that over 25 per cent of our team comes from a military background. Expanding our guaranteed interview scheme to military spouses and partners is another important step in recognising the loyalty and service these individuals contribute to our country, while also reinforcing our ongoing commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant.
“As a veteran myself, I know first-hand how important Armed Forces Week is for improving morale across our military communities, and we are proud to show our support during this special week.”
Brigadier Hatcher, DIO’s Head of Overseas and Training Region added: “Armed Forces Week is an opportunity to show our appreciation for the men and women of the Armed Forces community, providing a welcome morale boost to serving personnel, veterans, and their families.
“It’s fantastic to see the public, businesses, and fellow service members come together in support. Alongside our colleagues at Landmarc, we are proud to raise the flag at sites across the country to honour their contribution.
Community
Scam email targeting Pembrokeshire residents claims unpaid council tax

PEMBROKESHIRE residents are being warned to stay alert after reports of a scam email falsely claiming to be from the local authority.
The email, which carries the subject line “We’re writing to you about what seems to be an unprocessed council tax payment,” has been received by a number of residents in recent days.
It goes on to claim that the recipient has an outstanding balance on their Council Tax account and invites them to click a link to “check” the details. The message is signed off by a so-called “Local Taxation Authority”.
Pembrokeshire County Council has confirmed that the email is fraudulent and was not sent by the council.
“All genuine emails from Pembrokeshire County Council will come from an address ending in @pembrokeshire.gov.uk,” a spokesperson said. “We urge residents not to click on any links, open attachments, or provide any personal or financial information if they are unsure about an email’s authenticity.”
The council is advising anyone who receives the scam email to forward it to the National Cyber Security Centre at [email protected] for investigation.
The local authority reminded residents to always check the sender’s email address and contact the council directly through official channels if they have any concerns about council tax or other communications.
Community
West Wales activist recalls fear and resolve after Gaza march derailed in Egypt

Jim Scott from Mathry describes stressful journey, adapted plans, and Egyptian fears over diplomatic fallout
A PEMBROKESHIRE campaigner who travelled to Egypt this month to join the Global March to Gaza has shared his personal account of a fraught and ultimately curtailed international effort to demonstrate solidarity with Palestinians trapped under siege.

Jim Scott, from Mathry near St Davids, was among a small group of UK and Welsh activists who travelled to Cairo with the hope of reaching the Rafah crossing—via Ismailia and the Sinai desert—to hold a peaceful humanitarian presence near Gaza’s border.
The march, which attracted thousands of participants from more than 54 countries, was intended as a symbolic act calling for the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza. But on the ground, Scott says, the effort quickly became complicated by shifting instructions, heavy surveillance, and growing pressure from Egyptian authorities.
“A moral imperative”

“I spent a week wrestling with the decision,” Scott told The Herald. “It felt like a moral imperative. I didn’t know if I was going or not—then I started planning, and the act of planning became part of the commitment.”
He flew to Cairo in early June and connected with other participants via local and international chat groups. At least eight to ten people from Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion, including members of CND Cymru, had joined the international delegation.
Scott said that the original plan—to take organised buses from Cairo to Al Arish and walk approximately 30 miles through the Sinai desert to Rafah—began to shift around June 13 as questions emerged about whether the Egyptian government would permit the action to proceed.
“The bus plan hadn’t disintegrated exactly—it had adapted,” he said. “There was a lot of uncertainty about whether we would be allowed to reach Rafah, so the guidance started to change.”
Changing plans and regional detours

On June 14, Scott and his travelling companion Jo Barrow—who works as a teacher in Iraq—opted to take an alternate route to Ismailia by heading north from Cairo via Zagazig, avoiding heavily monitored roads.
“We realised that taking the main highway would likely bring us into contact with checkpoints,” he said. “Our route wasn’t risk-free, but it was more discreet.”
As they travelled, group chats lit up with reports of growing interference. “From the 13th and 14th onwards, we started hearing that people were being stopped, some had their passports taken, and the situation was getting more difficult. There was fragmentation. People were getting stuck, some were being turned back.”
“No tourists permitted to remain”

After arriving in Ismailia, the pair received location instructions for a tourist resort rumoured to be able to accommodate 4,000 marchers. But confusion and logistical disarray followed.
“We reached Ismailia after dark and ended up being redirected from our accommodation,” Scott said. “We were getting two to three hours of sleep a night. The sense of being watched hadn’t stopped.”
The next day, while near the resort, Scott and Barrow were approached by police. Initially, the officers were courteous, but then one delivered a translated message using a phone:
“I am the Egyptian police. No tourists are permitted to remain in this area. You have to go back to Cairo immediately or you will be arrested.”
They complied and were instructed to book a hotel in Cairo to confirm their travel. The pair left Ismailia and returned to the capital, where the atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense.
“By that point, UK organisers were reportedly being detained in cafés, and it was clear downtown Cairo was no longer safe,” Scott recalled. “We relocated south of the city. It was stressful—people felt they could be arrested at any moment. The surveillance was constant, and hotels were passing information to authorities.”
Egyptian fears over diplomatic fallout

Scott said conversations with Egyptian locals offered insight into the government’s motivations.
“The word on the street from Egyptian people was that the authorities were genuinely fearful for our safety. They felt that if Israel opened fire and foreign nationals were killed, it would trigger a huge diplomatic crisis—and devastate Egypt’s tourism industry, which is vital for the country.”
He said locals acknowledged that foreign protesters were being treated more gently than Egyptian citizens would have been. “One said to me: ‘They treat you like babies compared to how they treat us.’”
According to Reuters, over 400 activists were deported and dozens more detained. The march was officially cancelled on June 16.
Scott returned to the UK on June 20. Barrow returned to Iraq the next day.
“Far more than a performative action”
Despite the disruption, Scott believes the effort had a lasting impact.
“This was far more than a performative action,” he said. “We had no choice but to act and fill a void. When governments fail to uphold international law, ordinary people have to step in.”
In a letter to Pembrokeshire MP Henry Tufnell and Eluned Morgan MS before departing, Scott wrote: “I feel I must act where you have not acted. The UK Government has failed to stop a genocide and has, in fact, been complicit by continuing to authorise arms sales and military cooperation with Israel.”
He welcomed Morgan’s later remarks acknowledging that Welsh citizens had travelled to Egypt for the march and said it was important to have that public recognition.
“For some people watching back home, it wasn’t just another protest. It was their loved ones out there. That helped build awareness in a new way.”
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