A NATURAL RESOURCES WALES project on the Western Cleddau river in Pembrokeshire is harnessing the power of trees to reduce nutrient pollution and improve water quality.

Approximately 6,500 trees have been planted along the banks of the river near it’s confluence with the Eastern Cleddau, to soak up excess nutrients from agricultural land run off.

The corridors of trees, averaging 14metres in width, act as buffer strips between farmland and the river and have been planted on non-productive land. They have been introduced with the full support of the landowner, who was eager to introduce positive environmental change.

As well as providing benefits to the Special Area of Conservation river, the new trees will provide connection with existing natural woodland on the land, benefiting a range of plant and wildlife species.

The trees were planted by contractors Coed Porffor/Purple Trees and the planting operation took five planters five full days to complete.

Separately, the project has also seen over 1000m of new fencing installed to prevent livestock accessing the river.

Andrew Lewis, from NRW’s Marine Projects team said: “The Western Cleddau and Milford Haven estuary are incredibly special places, designated for a range of rare and threatened species and habitats including lamprey, otter, mudflats and marshes.

“We’re grateful for the support of the landowner, who allowed us to undertake such large-scale tree planting on the land. We worked closely with the landowner to develop this project and identify suitable areas of land which were least productive.

“In years to come, these trees will act as an important filter, reducing the amount of excess nutrients reaching the Western Cleddau, that are impacting the Special Area of Conservation river and estuary.”

The Western and Eastern Cleddau rivers converge at Picton Point to form the Daugleddau estuary at Milford Haven. The estuary is designated as a Marine Special Area of Conservation, while significant stretches of its coastline are also designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The Western Cleddau faces significant water quality challenges, predominantly due to nitrate, phosphate and sediment pollution. These pollutants contribute significantly to water quality failures in the catchment under the Water Framework Directive (England and Wales) Regulations 2017.

The project has been funded by the Welsh Government’s Water Capital Programme, which supports a number of environmental priorities including river restoration, metal mine remediation, fisheries and water quality.

It supports similar initiatives being undertaken in the area to improve the Western Cleddau, including river restoration efforts undertaken by the Pembrokeshire River Restoration Project.

A 14-YEAR-OLD girl who died following a harrowing cyberbullying campaign was “let down at every possible opportunity” by her school, an inquest heard this week.

Megan Evans, from Milford Haven, was found dead at her home in February 2017 after allegedly being targeted online with an “I hate Megan Evans” group and other abusive messages urging her to “kill herself.”

Her heartbroken mother, Nicola Harteveld, discovered additional bullying groups after logging into Megan’s social media accounts.

Allegations against teachers

Megan’s best friend, Chloe Boswell, told the inquest in Haverfordwest that the school environment added to Megan’s distress. Chloe, now 22, described the teachers as “absolutely horrible” to Megan, claiming one staff member responsible for behavior management “picked on her” about her uniform.

“The school didn’t create a safe space for students to speak about bullying,” Chloe said.

Nicola Harteveld shared similar frustrations, accusing the school of failing to address her daughter’s struggles. “At every opportunity, she was belittled by people she was supposed to trust,” Nicola told the inquest.

The lead-up to Megan’s death

The hearing was told Megan appeared to be her “normal bubbly self” on the day of her death. She had attended a school meeting about a trip to France and seemed in good spirits.

Later that evening, her parents left for Cardiff with Megan’s younger siblings, leaving her at home with her older siblings. Around 10:00pm, her brother found her locked in an upstairs bathroom. Despite efforts from her family and emergency services, Megan could not be saved.

Friends said Megan had expressed feelings of hopelessness on Snapchat before her death. Her friend Travis Johnson recalled Megan saying, “I CBA [could not be bothered] anymore,” hours before she died.

But the inquest heard differing views on whether Megan was bullied. While Chloe reported witnessing bullying and suggested students felt unable to confide in teachers, Malcolm Duthie, representing Pembrokeshire County Council, said friends questioned at the time did not believe Megan was being bullied.

Duthie acknowledged the difficulty schools face in tracking online abuse, particularly on platforms like Snapchat, where messages vanish after 24 hours.

Megan was remembered as a talented artist, hockey player, and a caring, vibrant teenager. Her family described her as having “a big heart” and bringing “love and laughter” to their home.

In the wake of Megan’s death, her mother founded Megan’s Starr Foundation, a charity offering free counseling and peer support to young people across Pembrokeshire. Nicola has since campaigned to raise awareness of mental health challenges and the dangers of social media bullying.

The inquest continues.

For confidential support, contact Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org.

STUDENTS from across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys have been recognised for their outstanding contributions to a poster competition run as part of the Dyfed-Powys Police Operation Ivydene initiative.

Over the past few months, primary and secondary schools across the four counties were invited to submit designs highlighting the impact of anti-social behaviour (ASB) and the importance of promoting safer neighbourhoods.

Last week, the posters were judged by a panel of police officers and crime prevention specialists to come up with the winners.

A special prize-giving ceremony was held on Monday 18^th November, where the five winning students were honoured for their outstanding contributions.

‘Antisocial behaviour’ is a broad term which includes behaviour that has caused or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to a member or members of the public. Criminal and non-criminal behaviours such as littering, vandalism, public drunkenness, aggressive dogs, or noise nuisance may also be considered ASB. 

Caryl Griffiths, ASB Hotspot Co-ordinator for Dyfed-Powys Police said: “The goal of this competition was to engage students in understanding the effects of anti-social behaviour on their communities, and to inspire them to think about how they can contribute to a safer, more supportive environment.

“Judging the competition was challenging due to the high standard of entries, but we ultimately selected five winners who showed exceptional creativity and thoughtfulness.

“A special thanks to Bethan James, our Schools Service Manager, for her role in bringing all the schools together.

Until March 2025, ten of the areas worst hit by antisocial behaviour across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, and Powys will receive additional dedicated ‘Hotspot’ police patrols through Operation Ivydene, thanks to an injection of cash from the Home Office, secured for the force by Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn.

The patrols focus on tackling these types of issues in the following areas: 

• Carmarthenshire – Tyisha, Elli / Llanelli town centre, Carmarthen town and Ammanford.  
• Ceredigion – Aberystwyth and Aberaeron. 
• Pembrokeshire – Haverfordwest town centre and Tenby town centre.  
• Powys – east Newtown and Brecon. 

Inspector Darren Crockford said: “Operation Ivydene is a targeted initiative that uses a ‘Hotspot’ policing approach to address and behaviour that constitutes ASB and causes harm and alarm in the community.

“Hotspots have been selected as the areas experiencing the highest volumes of violence and antisocial behaviour (ASB) offences and based on local intelligence. 

“The patrols aim to provide a reassuring presence to help people feel safe while also proactively disrupting crime and acting as a deterrent.

“An important element of the overall Operation Ivydene approach will be to engage with our communities having meaningful discussions about how ASB impacts the community, and encourage them to take an active role in creating safe and positive places to live.”

Bethan James, Dyfed-Powys Police Schools Service Manger added: “Our Schools Service offers crime prevention sessions to children and young people on topics such as ASB where we use bespoke films and real-life examples to reflect victims’ experiences and explore the boundaries between fun and fear.

“Sessions delivered by our team of Schools Police Officers are specifically designed to challenge mindsets and attitudes in a safe and supportive learning environment.

“The discussions between the officers and the learners explore the long-lasting, harmful effects of ASB, about crimes and consequences and where children can find advice and support.”

During national Anti-Social Behaviour Week, Dyfed-Powys Police is sharing information to help members of the public recognise, report, and get support for anti-social behaviour. Follow them on Facebook for more information.