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Man claims £500m Bitcoin fortune is somewhere in Newport landfill

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A NEWPORT man who accidentally discarded a hard drive containing Bitcoin now valued at over £500m is suing Newport City Council after years of denied access to the landfill where he believes it was buried.

James Howells, 39, says the drive, which reportedly holds 8,000 Bitcoins, was worth about £4m when it was thrown away in 2013. However, the cryptocurrency’s recent surge in value has propelled its worth to more than £569m, and Mr. Howells speculates it could reach £1bn next year.

James Howells’ hard drive, containing the private key needed to access the cryptocurrency, was stored in a desk drawer until it was mistakenly discarded while upgrading his computer. He has been lobbying the council for a decade to allow an excavation of Docksway Landfill, claiming he has identified its location within a 100,000-tonne section of the site.

However, Newport City Council has repeatedly refused his requests, citing environmental concerns and licensing restrictions. A spokesperson for the council said: “Mr. Howells has brought a civil claim against the council for a sum in the region of £0.5bn. The claim has no merit, and the council is vigorously resisting it.”

Meanwhile, Tom Sinclair, editor of The Pembrokeshire Herald, is in a similar situation, though on a smaller scale. He lost access to 175 Bitcoins now worth approximately £12.7m.

In 2009, Sinclair spent £50 buying 175 Bitcoins, initially to fund a transaction that was never completed. The Bitcoin remained unspent, and after the cryptocurrency’s meteoric rise in value, Mr. Sinclair began searching for the missing hard drive.

“The computer I used to buy the Bitcoin years ago developed a fault with the graphics card, and I stopped using it,” said Mr. Sinclair. “I suspect the parts were cannibalised to keep other computers going at our offices. I never throw anything away, so the hard drive is bound to be somewhere—we are currently conducting a hunt to find it.”

He added: “To be honest, I had completely forgotten about the Bitcoins. It was only recently when going through my bank statements that I saw the purchase back in 2009 and remembered that I had not spent the £50. After asking colleagues in the office to check the value of the 175 coins I purchased, I nearly fell off my chair when I realised they are now worth so much—it’s simply unbelievable!”

The value of Bitcoin recently hit an all-time high, exceeding $80,000 (£62,000) per unit following Donald Trump’s recent election victory. The cryptocurrency’s turbulent history continues to captivate public interest, with the stories of James Howells and Tom Sinclair adding local twists to its legend

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South Pembrokeshire Short Mat Bowls Association – Week Twelve results

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A PACKET week of fixtures in the South Pembrokeshire Short Mat Bowls Association’s Friendly League saw key wins at both ends of the table as teams continue to jostle for position going into the second half of the season.

Match results (Week 12):

  • Hundleton 10–0 Lamphey
  • Badgers 2–8 St Johns
  • Reynalton 0–10 Carew
  • Kilgetty 8–2 East Williamston
  • Cosheston v Llantegpostponed
  • St Twynnellsbye week

A previously postponed fixture was also completed, with St Twynnells drawing 5–5 with Reynaltón.

League table (after Week 12):
East Williamston remain top, having played 10 and won eight, with a strong shots difference of +125. Reynaltón sit second after 11 games with 58 points, while St Johns and Hundleton follow closely behind on 54 points each.

At the mid-table mark, Carew (49 points), St Twynnells (48) and Kilgetty (46) remain tightly grouped. Badgers, Lamphey, Llanteg and Cosheston make up the lower order, though the number of games played varies, leaving room for movement in the coming weeks.

Full standings:

TeamPWDLS/DPoints
East Williamston10802+12572
Reynaltón11524+3558
St Johns10514+3254
Hundleton10514-254
Carew9504-2549
St Twynnells10424-3448
Kilgetty11506-4446
Badgers11317-5945
Lamphey11506-1044
Llanteg8404-541
Cosheston9315-1340

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Search under way in Pembroke Dock for missing man Lee

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Coastguard, RNLI and rescue helicopter launched as fears grow he entered the water

A MAJOR search and rescue operation is under way tonight (Sunday) in the Pembroke Dock and Pennar areas as emergency services look for 48-year-old Lee, who has been reported missing and is feared to have entered the water near the Pennar estuary.

Dyfed-Powys Police issued an urgent appeal earlier today after Lee, who is from Cardigan, failed to return home. He was last seen at around 5:00pm on Saturday (December 13) on CCTV in Pembroke Dock. The image shows him travelling on foot and carrying bags.

Lee is described as 5ft 10in tall, of medium build, with short light-brown hair and short facial hair. At the time he was wearing a blue/grey Christmas jumper, a red hat, dark trousers and light trainers. Police say he is also known to travel by train.

Concerns escalated this afternoon after officers received information suggesting Lee may have entered the water around the Pennar estuary.

HM Coastguard teams and the RNLI lifeboat from Angle have been searching the shoreline and waterway since mid-afternoon. A rescue helicopter from Cornwall (operating out of RAF St Mawgan/Cornwall Airport) is now assisting with aerial searches. The operation is ongoing in increasingly challenging conditions.

Search crews are dealing with cold, wet and windy weather, with conditions expected to worsen significantly overnight. An amber Met Office warning for heavy rain comes into force at 4:00am on Monday (15 December), with forecasters warning of fast-flowing floodwater and hazardous visibility across Pembrokeshire.

Police are urging anyone who may have seen Lee, or who has information that could help the search, to make contact immediately by calling phoning: 101. Quote reference: DP-20251214-176

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Search under way in Pembroke as man reported missing

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Rescue teams battle worsening weather ahead of amber rain warning

A MULTI-AGENCY search and rescue operation is under way in the Pembroke area amid deteriorating weather conditions, after concerns were raised for the welfare of a man who is now considered missing.

HM Coastguard and the RNLI lifeboat are on scene, and a rescue helicopter from Cornwall — operating out of RAF St Mawgan/Cornwall Airport — has arrived to support the search, which is continuing in cold, wet and windy conditions.

The operation comes as an amber weather warning for heavy rain is due to take effect from 4:00am on Monday, December 15, with forecasters warning of hazardous conditions across Pembrokeshire.

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