THE VICTIMS’ Commissioner for England and Wales has welcomed plans to expand electronic tagging of offenders but warned that technology alone will not keep victims safe.

The UK Government has announced new measures to widen the use of electronic monitoring, including mandatory tagging for all prison leavers and real-time GPS tracking for high-risk offenders such as domestic abusers and burglars.

The plans also include a pilot scheme for “proximity monitoring”, designed to alert authorities if an offender approaches a victim, alongside a shift in probation resources to focus on those posing the greatest risk to the public.

Responding to the announcement, Victims’ Commissioner Claire Waxman said the move was a “necessary step” towards strengthening a probation system that has faced years of pressure.

She said: “I welcome the Government’s investment in expanding electronic tagging and increasing the number of probation officers managing dangerous offenders. This is a necessary step in helping to rebuild a probation service that has been under immense pressure for years.”

However, she cautioned that monitoring technology must be backed by swift enforcement.

“For many victims — particularly survivors of domestic abuse and stalking — the knowledge that an offender is being monitored can provide a vital sense of reassurance,” she said.

“But technology and innovation are only as effective as the system that supports them. Tagging must be backed by swift, robust enforcement the moment a breach occurs.”

Waxman warned that without immediate action when rules are broken, victims could be left at risk.

“Without this, there is a real risk of creating a false sense of security for victims at a time of already heightened concern,” she added.

She also stressed that while prioritising high-risk offenders is practical, lower-risk individuals should not be overlooked.

“While prioritising high-risk offenders is a pragmatic necessity, it is essential that ‘lower-risk’ is never treated as ‘no-risk’,” she said.

“Ultimately, victim safety must remain the priority.”

The Commissioner said this requires not only investment in new monitoring tools, but also ensuring the Probation Service has the capacity and expertise to act quickly when warning signs emerge.

Business shut down temporarily as court order imposed following repeated offences

A CARDIGAN takeaway has been forced to close temporarily after immigration officers discovered illegal workers during a raid.

Officers from Immigration Enforcement visited Romino’s Pizza & Kebab in Finch Square on Wednesday (Mar 5), where two men from Turkey were found working without the legal right to do so.

The Home Office confirmed that this was not the first time the premises had been targeted. During three previous visits, a total of six illegal workers had been identified, resulting in fines totalling £135,000 for those responsible.

Following the latest visit, officials issued an illegal working closure notice, preventing access to the premises and banning any paid or unpaid work from taking place on site.

Such notices allow authorities to shut down a business immediately for up to 48 hours where illegal employment is identified.

Court order imposed

The following day, Thursday (Mar 6), Immigration Enforcement applied to Llanelli Magistrates’ Court for a formal illegal working compliance order, which was granted.

The order places strict conditions on how the business operates and can remain in force for up to twelve months.

These measures can include restricting access to the premises, requiring full right-to-work checks on all staff, and allowing immigration officers to carry out further inspections.

Such orders are typically used where previous enforcement action has failed to bring businesses into compliance.

Takeaway reopens amid investigation

The Herald understands the takeaway reopened on Monday (Mar 10) and began advertising for new staff the same day.

However, further action may follow, as the Home Office has also requested a review of the premises licence by Ceredigion County Council on the grounds of preventing crime and disorder.

Government warning

A Home Office spokesperson said illegal working damages legitimate businesses and local wages, while also supporting organised immigration crime.

They added that enforcement activity is increasing nationwide, with a significant rise in arrests, and warned that further action will be taken against employers who break the law.

A woman who was reported to police for drink-driving from a Narberth pub has been banned from the roads

A COURT has heard how a motorist was arrested by police officers following a call stating that she was drink-driving from the Ivy Bush in Narberth.

The call was made just after 10pm on February 22.

“The caller stated that Tanya Hanna was drinking-driving from the Ivy Bush in a Mercedes,” Crown Prosecutor Linda Baker told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

When Hanna, 36, was apprehended by officers at Kiln Park Road, a roadside breath test proved positive while further tests at the police station showed she had 47 mcg of alcohol in her system, the legal limit being 35.

Hanna, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to the drink-driving charge. She was represented in court by Michael Kelleher.

“It wasn’t the most pleasant situation when someone took umbrage with Tanya and phoned the police,” he said. “As a result, she has lost her job.

“She knows she’s let herself and her family down, because without a driving licence, it’ll be very difficult for her to keep in regular contact with them, having to rely on public transport.”

Hanna, of Beach Hotel, Marsh Road, Pendine, was disqualified from driving for 14 months. She was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £48 surcharge.