News
The new 20mph limit: Welsh Government admits mistakes

THE CONTROVERSIAL rollout of 20mph speed limits across Wales has drawn widespread public ire, and now, the Welsh Government has admitted to serious errors in its implementation.
This policy, which was introduced with the intention of improving road safety and reducing accidents, has instead sparked frustration among drivers and criticism from opposition parties. Among the most contentious enforcement zones are the A4102 in Merthyr Tydfil, where over 8,000 drivers were caught exceeding the speed limit in the past year, and the A5104 in Flintshire, with nearly 7,200 drivers penalized.
Conservative criticism

Peter Fox MS, the Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Transport, and Rural Affairs, didn’t hold back in his assessment of the situation. He stated:
“This is not the first time the Welsh Government has admitted this policy was badly implemented, yet we still haven’t seen any significant changes being made.
“It is not right that the job of fixing the mistakes of this Labour Government has been passed onto already overstretched councils.
“It is the Labour Government’s responsibility to ensure speed limits are targeted appropriately, focusing on sensitive areas where they make sense, to restore public confidence and ease the burden on councils and drivers.”
Local authorities take action

Amid the backlash, local authorities across Wales have begun consulting with residents to identify which roads could potentially revert to their original 30mph speed limits. In a notable shift, the Welsh Government is reportedly supporting these consultations and actively reviewing areas where the blanket 20mph policy may not be suitable.
The decision to reconsider comes as councils struggle to enforce the limits while facing widespread noncompliance and public dissatisfaction. Many residents argue that applying 20mph speed limits indiscriminately to all roads, rather than focusing on areas like schools and residential zones, undermines the policy’s credibility and practicality.
Public backlash
The backlash has not been limited to drivers; businesses have also voiced concerns. Delivery firms and local traders claim the slower speeds have increased travel times and costs, impacting operations and customer satisfaction. Rural communities, in particular, feel the restrictions are unnecessary and disproportionately affect their daily lives.
A policy in crisis
This admission of mistakes represents a significant climbdown for the Welsh Government, which has faced mounting criticism since the policy’s introduction. Public confidence in the government’s handling of infrastructure issues has taken a hit, and critics are calling for a more nuanced approach moving forward.
While some applaud the government for acknowledging its shortcomings, others demand tangible changes to ensure speed limits are applied sensibly, protecting vulnerable road users without penalizing drivers unnecessarily. For now, the fate of the 20mph policy hangs in the balance as public consultations and government inquiries unfold.
Crime
Mother accused of murdering six-year-old son set to appear in court

A MOTHER accused of murdering her son and attempting to kill her father is set to appear in court next month.
Karolina Zurawska, 41, of Cwm Du Close, Gendros, Swansea, is charged with the murder of her six-year-old son, Alexander Zurawski, whose body was discovered at a property in Swansea in August last year. She is also accused of attempting to murder her father, 67-year-old Krzysztof Siwi, on the same occasion.
Zurawska was due to appear at Swansea Crown Court on Monday but was not produced from custody. A plea hearing has now been scheduled for March 3. She remains in custody.
Following Alexander’s death, his family described him as a “very kind child”. They said: “Alexander was always well-behaved and never naughty. He was very clever and very mature for his age. He had great understanding of facts. Alexander was always helpful, always eager to assist with cooking and cleaning.
“Alexander spoke both English and Polish and would often correct his parents with their English if they got words wrong. He was amazing.”
Entertainment
The Fureys at the Torch Theatre, Milford Haven

ARE you fans of the legends of Irish music and song? The FUREYS, renowned for their hit songs ‘I Will Love You’, ‘When You Were Sweet 16’, ‘The Green Fields of France’, ‘The Old Man’, ‘Red Rose Café’, ‘From Clare to Here’, ‘Her Father Didn’t Like Me Anyway’, ‘Leaving Nancy’, ‘Steal Away’ and many others, will hit the Torch Theatre stage this March.
The oldest of the brothers, Eddie Furey left home in 1966 and travelled to Scotland at the time of the great folk revival, where with his brother Finbar, he met and shared accommodation with then unknown folk singers Billy Connolly, Gerry Rafferty, Tam Harvey and Alex Campbell.
In 1972, Gerry Rafferty wrote ‘Her father didn’t like me anyway’ for Eddie. BBC Radio 1 presenter, the late John Peel, made it his single of the year.
They are particularly proud of their UK chart success with songs such as ‘I Will Love You’ and ‘When You Were Sweet Sixteen,’ which in turn helped bring Irish folk and traditional music to a completely new audience. The band made their Top of the Pops debut in 1981.
Eddie Furey recalls how “many musicians have told us we influenced them after hearing a record from their parents or grandparents’ collection”. Dave Stewart of The Eurythmics has credited Eddie with teaching him his first chords on the guitar while still a teenager. Eddie would return the compliment by joining Dave on stage in Paris for a jam during the latter’s wedding to Bananarama’s Siobhan Fahey.
Their emotive songs stir many emotions, tears and laughter, sadness and joy.
Tickets for The Fureys on Thursday 27 March at 7.30pm at the Torch Theatre are priced at £26.00. Visit the website for further details www.torchtheatre.co.uk or phone the Box Office on (01646) 695267.
Crime
Woman ‘humiliated and embarrassed’ after alleged childhood rape

A COURT has heard how a woman was left feeling ‘humiliated and embarrassed’ after being allegedly raped by a man when she was just nine years old.
“I feel so humiliated,” the victim told a jury sitting at Swansea Crown Court on Monday.
“He told me that if I ever told anybody, they wouldn’t believe me and I wouldn’t have any friends. I took his word for it.
“I was so scared that I used to wet the bed. And I knew why I was doing it…it was because I was scared.”
Gary Hicks, is accused of raping the female sometime between July 7, 1987, and December 31, 1989, when she was aged between 9 and 11.
This week Hicks, 63, appeared before a jury where he denied the charge.
The Crown claimed that at some point between 1987 and 1989, Hicks entered an upstairs bedroom in the house in the Milford Haven area where the child was living at the time of the alleged offence.
“She’d fallen asleep on the floor and Gary Hicks entered the room and laid her on her front,” said Daniel Jones, KC, for the Crown.
“She felt the defendant lift her hips and he penetrated her vagina with his hands from behind.”
Mr Jones claimed the assault lasted ‘a few minutes’.
“Gary Hicks said that if she ever told anyone about the abuse, she would not be believed and she’d have no friends,” he said. “‘Who was going to believe a young girl over a grown up?”
However when the child reached adulthood, she began telling people in confidence. These included her psychotherapist in 1993, her GP in 2006, a work colleague, and close members of her family. Finally, in the early hours of October, 2022 the victim made a call to Dyfed-Powys Police claiming that Gary Hicks had raped her when she was a child.
Hicks, formerly of Milford Haven, who now resides in Oregon Way, Luton denies the charge of rape.
His trial is expected to continue throughout this week.
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