Beloved dog’s tag discovered on Pembrokeshire beach 15 years after his death

Published

9 months ago

May 1, 2025

WHEN Alison Crispin received a phone call from her long-time friend Shirley Jones on her 60th birthday, it turned out to be one of the most precious she’d ever received.

Earlier that day Shirley’s daughter, Sian, had found a dog tag washed up on West Angle beach, bearing the name Bruno Crispin and a phone number. Realising that the surname was the same as Alison’s who now lives in Bulgaria, Shirley mentioned it to her friend.

“And it soon became apparent that Bruno was the beloved Newfoundland that Alison and her husband had owned since he was just 13 weeks old.

“Sadly Bruno passed away 15 years ago, at the great age of 13.

“We just couldn’t believe that this could be possible,” Shirley told The Herald. “My daughter had gone camping with some friends down on West Angle beach over the Easter weekend, and as they walked across the rocks on the day that Shirley was celebrating her 60th birthday, they noticed something poking out of the sand.

“At first they thought it was an old coin, but when they picked it up and brushed it clean, they could see that it was a tag from a dog collar, with the name Bruno Crispin on one side and a phone number beginning 01646 on the other side, which is the code for Milford.”

Realising that Shirley had a friend with the same surname, Sian took the tag home to show her mother.

“And when she walked in through the door, who was I speaking to on the phone but Alison!” continues Shirley.

“We’ve been best friends since we were children growing up in Merlin’s Bridge, and obviously this friendship has continued, even though Alison moved to Bulgaria nine years ago.

“When I told her the name that was on the tag, Alison explained that their dog was named Bruno, who they’d had when they were living in Milford Haven.

And when I began reading out the phone number on the back, Alison finished it off for me because it was her old landline number.

“So this was definitely the tag that Bruno used to wear when he lived here all those years ago.”

It goes without saying that Alison is over the moon with this amazing discovery.

“Bruno really was a wonderful dog to us,” she told The Herald from her home in Bulgaria.

“We had him from a 13-week old puppy and he lived until he was 13, which is a good age for a Newfoundland. He absolutely loved going to the beach and to be honest, it was always difficult trying to get him out of the water.

“When we lived in Milford we spent a lot of time at Gelliswick, Dale, Broad Haven and loads of other beaches around Pembrokeshire. We were always around the water so it really is incredible that Bruno’s tag has been found on the rocks in West Angle all these years later.”

Meanwhile Shirley is now preparing to get the tag back to Alison for safe keeping..

“I’ve put it safely inside my handbag, so I’ll either send it to Alison by post or I might even go over to Bulgaria to give it to her in person,” concluded Shirley. “It’s something that means so very much to Alison, so it’ll be wonderful for her to get it back. This really is a very special memento of Bruno.”

Crime

Man charged with attempted murder after Carmarthen park incident

Published

7 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Tom Sinclair

57-year-old due in court following alleged knife and stalking offences

A MAN has been charged with attempted murder following a serious incident in Carmarthen town centre last week.

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed that James McKenna, aged 57, from Carmarthen, has been charged with attempted murder, possession of a bladed article in a public place, and stalking.

The charges relate to an incident in Carmarthen Park on Thursday (Jan 29), which prompted a significant emergency services response and caused concern among residents.

Police have not yet released full details of the circumstances, but officers were seen in and around the park area for several hours following the incident while enquiries were carried out.

McKenna is due to appear before Llanelli Magistrates Court on Thursday (Feb 5).

The Herald understands the case involves allegations of both violence and targeted behaviour towards an individual, with stalking listed among the charges.

Public concern

Carmarthen Park is a popular and busy public space used daily by families, dog walkers and joggers, and incidents of this severity are rare.

The news has prompted concern locally, particularly as the alleged offences include possession of a knife in a public place.

Residents have previously raised questions about safety in parks and open spaces across west Wales, especially during darker winter evenings.

Court proceedings

At this stage, the charges remain allegations and the case will now proceed through the courts.

Magistrates will decide whether the case is sent to Crown Court due to the seriousness of the attempted murder charge.

Further details are expected to emerge during Thursday’s hearing.

The Herald will be attending court and will provide updates as they become available.

Crime

Sex offender jailed after living off grid in Pembrokeshire and refusing to register

Published

8 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Court Reporter

Man walked into police station after months avoiding authorities

A CONVICTED sex offender who told police he intended to live “off grid” rather than comply with legal monitoring rules has been jailed after handing himself in at a Pembrokeshire police station.

Christopher Spelman, aged 66, of no fixed address, appeared for sentence at Swansea Crown Court after admitting breaching the notification requirements of the sex offenders register.

The court heard Spelman was released from prison in Dorset on July 4 last year but immediately refused to provide police with an address, despite being legally required to do so within three days.

Instead, he indicated he planned to buy a tent and live outdoors.

Prosecutor Brian Simpson said officers subsequently launched a nationwide search when Spelman failed to make contact with police. Public appeals were issued and his case featured on the television programme Crimewatch.

Detectives believed he had been travelling around the UK using public transport and staying at campsites. He was known to have links to several areas including Merseyside, Manchester, Devon, Cornwall and Hampshire.

His whereabouts remained unknown until January 3 this year, when he walked into Haverfordwest police station and was arrested. It is unclear how long he had been in Pembrokeshire.

Spelman previously served seven years in prison after being convicted in 2014 of 12 counts of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 14. He was placed on the sex offenders register for life.

The court heard this was not the first time he had failed to comply with the rules. After an earlier release in 2016, he again failed to register his address and avoided police for around five years before being caught.

He has 11 previous convictions for 29 offences.

Defence barrister Andrew Evans described the case as unusual and said his client had long disputed his original conviction and had expressed a wish to live “outside society”.

However, he said Spelman had gradually accepted that he remained subject to court orders and now wanted more stable accommodation and a chance to rebuild his life. The defendant asked the court to impose a custodial sentence so arrangements could be made for his future release.

Judge Geraint Walters noted there were signs Spelman wished to change but warned that any further breaches would result in longer prison terms.

With credit for his guilty plea, Spelman was sentenced to 10 months in prison. He will serve up to half in custody before being released on licence.

Crime

Former Wales rugby star admits Christmas Day drink-driving offence

Published

14 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

Ex-Ospreys captain was almost twice over limit in Pembroke town centre

Former Wales back row Jonathan Thomas has admitted driving through Pembroke town centre on Christmas Day when he was almost twice over the drink-drive limit.

This week Haverfordwest magistrates heard that Thomas, 43, was stopped by officers as he drove his Mercedes CLA 220 along The Green, Pembroke, at around 5pm on Christmas Day.

“The officers were very concerned at the manner of his driving, as the car was being driven erratically and was swerving to the other side of the road,” said Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan.

“When Jonathan Thomas got out of the car, the officers could see that he was having difficulty standing and was unsteady on his feet.”

Subsequent breathalyser tests showed Thomas had 62 mcg of alcohol in his system, the legal limit being 35.

Thomas, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to the drink-drive charge and was represented in court by solicitor Jess Hill.

“He has family in the area and had travelled to spend time with them on Christmas Day,” she told the magistrates. “He’s very remorseful for his actions and hugely regrets his decision that day.”

Jess Hill concluded by saying that Thomas is currently “between jobs and living off his savings”.

Thomas, who gave his address as Main Road, Bredon, was disqualified from driving for a total of 18 months.

“The length of your disqualification reflects the fact that you were more than a little bit over the limit,” commented the presiding magistrates when imposing sentence.

He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 court surcharge.

The former Wales back row left his role as Swansea RFC head coach at the beginning of December 2025 as a result of ongoing health concerns. He was forced to retire from playing in 2015 on medical advice after being diagnosed with epilepsy and is one of the 390 former rugby union players currently taking part in a concussion lawsuit against the sport’s authorities.

“Long-standing issues linked to the head trauma have caused me some concern recently and it has been impossible for me to give the role everything it needs,” he said in a previous interview with the BBC.

His rugby career started out with Pembroke RFC juniors before moving to Swansea RFC, which he captained when he was 19. He then joined the Ospreys where, over a ten-year period, he won four league titles and an Anglo-Welsh Cup. He was the youngest player to captain the Ospreys and, at the time of leaving, was the joint highest appearance holder, together with Andrew Bishop, on 188 appearances.

His international career saw him play for Wales at Under-16, Youth, Under-19, Under-21 and Sevens levels. He made his senior international debut against Australia in 2003, featured at the 2007 Rugby World Cup and was part of two Six Nations Grand Slam-winning sides in 2005 and 2008. Between 2004 and 2011, Thomas was included in every Wales Six Nations squad. In his appearances for Wales, he scored seven tries.