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Wales Coast app finds winner

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Winner: Kelly Osbourne was chosen for her creative depiction of ‘Love The Welsh Coast’

Winner: Kelly Osbourne was chosen for her creative depiction of ‘Love
The Welsh Coast’

A photo competition , launched to celebrate the new version of Keep Wales Tidy’s Wales Coast App, crowned an overall winner at an event held in Pembrokeshire on Thursday 2nd October. The ‘Love The Welsh Coast’ competition saw people from all over Wales submit their best Welsh coastal images for a chance to win a night’s stay at the famous St Brides Spa Hotel, recently voted best place to stay in Wales by the National Tourism Awards for Wales 2013.

The lucky winner, Kelly Osbourne was chosen at the exhibition at St Bride’s Hotel by judges Jane Davidson (Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor for Sustainability and Engagement at Trinity St David’s) and David Wilson Pembrokeshire Professional Photographer, for her creative and personal depiction of ‘Love The Welsh Coast’.

Stephen Crabb, MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire said: “It is exciting to see this new app being developed which I have no doubt will be a huge asset for anyone using the all Wales path. Pembrokeshire is blessed with amazing beaches, stunning scenery and welcoming people – and this app will help visitors to our county experience these things to the full.” The unique Wales Coast App has been developed by Keep Wales Tidy, with funding from Visit Wales and Natural Resources Wales by Living Data.

The latest version of the Wales Coast App contains all the information you need to enjoy the Welsh coast. The only app to contain detailed information on 153 beaches across Wales, it also provides information on: how to get there, the coast awards they hold, the public facilities such as toilets, car parks and lifeguards, as well as the nearby wildlife and historical attractions. This is the first time that this level of detail and information has been collected for the entire Welsh coast. With the recent success of the Wales Coast Path, avid walkers will like the fact that the App also measures the route and gradient of the Coast Path, allowing you to map your progress and access live weather links and tide timetables.

Because the smart phone knows the user’s location, the App can also find the nearest beach and allow the user to search for the particular facilities that they are looking for. The app also functions without mobile phone coverage, allowing walkers to use it along the entire Wales Coastal Path. The ‘Love The Welsh Coast’ exhibition will be available to view at Coppet Hall, Saundersfoot until Friday 31st October 2014. As well as unveiling the exhibition, the event announced an exclusive partnership between Keep Wales Tidy and National Trust. Lesley Jones, Chief Executive for Keep Wales Tidy said: “We have witnessed an array of awards for our beautiful beaches here in Wales.

People want to know where to find Blue Flag, Green Coast and Seaside Awarded beaches this summer, as well as finding out about the local area, facilities and amenities. The Wales Coast App is the perfect tool for walkers, families and individuals looking to explore the Welsh coast.” The Wales Coast App is available now to download on the Apple App Store and the Android Play Store, start your adventure now and love the welsh coast.

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Thousands of homes in rural Wales gain from faster 4G boost

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RURAL Wales is seeing a major upgrade in mobile connectivity, with faster 4G now live in several areas. Seven locations across North, South West, and West Wales are benefitting from new 4G mast upgrades funded by the UK Government’s Shared Rural Network (SRN), aimed at closing the digital gap between rural and urban areas.

The upgrades, which went live on Thursday (Nov 14), bring improved 4G coverage to communities including Bontddu, Llanelltyd, Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, Penmaenpool, Tabor, Snowdonia National Park, and Bontgoch. Local businesses, emergency services, and residents are expected to benefit from faster internet access, which supports daily communication, business opportunities, and economic growth.

There is a £170 million agreement with Openreach to provide gigabit-capable broadband to 70,000 remote Welsh properties

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “Fast, reliable connectivity is essential for modern life and should be available from Cardiff to the remotest parts of Wales. Today’s upgrades bring us closer to making this a reality.”

SUPPORTING DIGITAL INCLUSION

As part of the rollout, Peter Kyle and Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant visited Ebbw Vale to discuss digital inclusion with charity and industry leaders. They met with representatives at BGfm, a digital inclusion hub in Blaenau Gwent, to learn about how connectivity impacts daily life in Welsh communities.

Telecoms Minister Bryant said: “We are working tirelessly to make sure rural communities aren’t left behind online.

“These upgrades mean businesses can now operate without connectivity limitations, 999 services are better equipped to respond, and residents and tourists can stay connected across the Welsh countryside.”

ADDRESSING CONNECTIVITY GAPS

An estimated 1.5 million homes across the UK remain without internet access, limiting people’s ability to access essential services such as banking and healthcare. In addition to the SRN upgrades, the Chancellor has allocated over £500 million in next year’s budget for digital infrastructure expansion, targeting these underserved areas.

Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens highlighted the importance of this investment, particularly for rural Wales, where fast, reliable internet can be transformative.

“Connectivity is critical for day-to-day life in rural areas – from supporting local businesses to ensuring emergency services are just a call away,” Stevens said.

The upgraded masts, previously limited to EE customers and emergency 999 calls, now serve a wider user base, bringing essential internet access to more people without requiring new infrastructure.

Ben Roome, CEO of Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited, said: “With the activation of five new SRN sites, Wales is seeing the tangible benefits of the Shared Rural Network, bringing crucial connectivity to rural communities.”

GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT IN REMOTE WALES

The improvements come alongside a £170 million agreement with Openreach to provide gigabit-capable broadband to 70,000 remote Welsh properties, helping future-proof digital access in even the most isolated locations.

The latest upgrades mark another step in the Government’s mission to improve mobile coverage and close the connectivity gap across Wales, creating opportunities and supporting economic growth across rural communities.

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Milford Haven man admits to downloading indecent images of children

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A MILFORD HAVEN man has been sentenced after admitting to downloading over 1,000 indecent images and videos of children, including highly explicit content involving young children. Gareth MacDonald, now 23, appeared before Swansea Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images and videos across various devices.

The court heard that police visited MacDonald’s home, which was the scene of protests after his arrest, last year following intelligence suggesting that child abuse images had been accessed there.

There were protests outside MacDonald’s house in September 2024 (Pic: Herald)

Officers spoke with MacDonald’s mother at the door before entering to conduct a search.

During the operation, two mobile phones, a tablet, a laptop, and two hard drives were seized.

MacDonald initially spoke to one of the officers privately, admitting to downloading the images and saying, “It’s me.” Later, in formal interviews, he revealed that he had grown “bored with legal pornography” roughly a year earlier, knowing that what he was doing was illegal but continuing regardless.

Prosecutor Emily Bennett informed the court that MacDonald’s devices held 15 Category A images, the most severe classification, 26 Category B images, and 960 Category C images. Some content depicted children as young as nine, and the most serious material involved pre-teen children in distressing situations.

Bennett also noted that MacDonald had briefly joined an online group where members self-identified as paedophiles, although he left without sharing any material. Cleaning software was also found on his devices.

Defense counsel Dan Griffiths acknowledged that MacDonald’s actions had crossed the custodial threshold, but argued that there was “a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.” He highlighted MacDonald’s cooperation with police and his willingness to comply with rehabilitation programmes.

Judge Geraint Walters, presiding over the sentencing, addressed MacDonald, saying, “For some considerable time, you have accessed this kind of imagery, fully aware of the harm it represents.” He acknowledged that MacDonald largely isolated himself and stayed at home, factors he considered in the sentencing.

MacDonald was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, with a requirement to complete 20 rehabilitation activity days and participate in the Horizon programme. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same duration.

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Welsh teenager jailed for creating 3D-printed gun at home

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A TEENAGER who assembled parts for a viable semi-automatic firearm using a 3D printer has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison.

Owain Roberts, 19, purchased nuts, bolts, steel barrels, and metal rods online, constructing components of an FGC-9 gun with the aid of a 3D printer.

Detectives said that this case marks the first of its kind in Gwent, where Roberts admitted to manufacturing a firearm component. He appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday (Nov 14).

In April, firearms officers executed warrants at two Newport addresses connected to Roberts. Seized items included a 3D printer, two laptops, six plastic reels, and parts for an FGC-9 firearm.

PC Tom Meazey, from Gwent Police’s East Serious Organised Crime team, stated: “Illegally-held firearms can lead to tragic consequences and devastate innocent people’s lives. To own a firearm, including a printable one, is illegal in the UK without a valid firearms certificate. Roberts’s reckless actions in buying items capable of manufacturing a firearm placed people at direct risk.”

This rare and complex investigation involved support from the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Roberts received a prison sentence of four years and nine months.

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