News

Coal miner’s cannabis crusade

Published

11 years ago

January 8, 2015

Tom Sinclair

Eric Mann: Cannabis campaigner

A PEMBROKESHIRE pensioner is on a campaign to have the class B controlled drug cannabis legalised, a campaign, he says, has cost his 50 year marriage. 72 year old, Eric Mann, a former coal miner from Pembroke Dock, appeared this month in Swansea Crown Court after admitting to growing and supplying cannabis and was subsequently given a 12 month suspended sentence after pleading guilty. The judge, Paul Thomas, responded to his claims that the drug was for medical use telling him to ‘find legal pain relief’. However, Mr Mann was unrepentant and stated that he believed the drug should be regulated for medical use. This was not the first time the pensioner had fallen foul of the law having collected a string of convictions over the years including a 9 month suspended sentence in 1997 and a prison sentence in 1999.

He spoke about the effect the campaign has had on his everyday life and, in particular, his marriage: “I have lost my marriage because of it. My missus got fed up and left. That was three years ago. I have been married 50 years this year and now I am going through a divorce. I have got to sell my house and move out. That’s life and it’s not easy. But there you go. My wife, Bridget, had put up with the long campaign for nearly three decades but finally decided she had had enough. The house kept getting raided and being searched. People were talking all the time and she did not like it.” He went on to describe a prison sentence he served back in 1999, saying: “I quite enjoyed it actually.

I went to an open prison with my own room and a key. I helped a young boy to read and enjoyed the company of people. I came out and just got on with my life. They left me alone for about nine years after that.” He went on to talk about his sister’s death from cancer, and his own fight with pain, after having been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis: “That made me determined to fight for its (cannabis) use as a medicine. I’m not screaming about social use. I just want it to be made available as a medicine. She, June, (my sister) was drugged up and lying there in pain and was like that for a year until she died.

It just made me determined to get people to understand cannabis is a medicine. I would have given June the cannabis oil if I could have. It would have stopped her being in pain. It could have given her a better quality of life. That’s what it does for me. I contemplated getting rid of myself because I was in so much pain. It was hard to stand that pain. I was taking medication but it was getting worse.

Then someone said, ‘Have you tried cannabis?’ It did not take the pain away but it was more acceptable and it meant I could get a night of sleep, which I could not do before,” On the people to whom he has supplied the illegal drug, and how he uses it, he said: “They have always benefited. It makes me angry to think people are suffering because of this stupid law. Whatever I do I am going to keep secret. Official information about cannabis is all lies. The problem is that judges and people like that believe it. It worked better than legal medicine for me.

I’ve not taken pharmaceutical medicines since ’92. All I take is my cannabis oil. I don’t have flu jabs or anything. I was not selling it, I was just giving it to people, anyway. I use oil and I mix it with honey. I take a little bit in the morning and some in the afternoon and some at night. I just have it on the end of a tea spoon. I don’t take a lot. I don’t walk around zonked-out all day.

I’m not too bad, I keep OK, but there is going to be a time when I have to go to hospital or a home. And I don’t intend to do either of those. I’ll die before I go in there. I don’t trust doctors because I’ve had lots of problems with them. I’ve lost my faith in the medical profession”. On whether or not this latest conviction would change his approach to the drug he told The Herald: “I’m not frightened of policemen or judges. Britain is not a fair society because it has unjust laws.

However, If I was in the US I would have been sentenced to life in prison. I’m grateful for the place I live in.” Earlier this month experts, however, expressed concern that the use of cannabis was leaving young adults with ‘lungs of 80-year-olds’, and that the drug was not as benign as some would have people believe. The findings came from a Bangor University study that found some hospital patients in Gwynedd had accelerated forms of emphysema in as early an age group as the 30’s, and they went on to state that they believed lungs became damaged at a faster rate when cannabis is mixed with tobacco.

Dr Damian Mckeon, a consultant in respiratory medicine at Ysbyty Gwynedd and honorary senior lecturer at Banger University, said: “We are seeing young people on the wards with lungs of 80 year olds after less than a decade of smoking cannabis and tobacco. Our study was in a rural region of north Wales but we believe these cases may represent the tip of the iceberg.” In October of 2014 Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, had called for a change in direction on cannabis laws asking for a focus on treatment rather than punishment, although the Government has remained steadfast in its drugs policy, that it said, would not change

Community

Milford Athletic FC youngsters to tackle Preseli mountain in fundraiser for new equipment

Published

2 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Cerys Lafferty

YOUTH players, families and volunteers from Milford Athletic FC are set to take on a sponsored mountain trek next month in a bid to raise funds for new football equipment and improvements at the growing community club.

The club will host its “Team Trek” fundraiser on June 28, with participants climbing the 1.2-mile route to the trig point at Foel Eryr in the Preseli Mountains.

Organisers hope to raise £800 to help improve training sessions and ensure matches can continue to be delivered in line with Football Association of Wales guidelines.

Funds raised will go towards purchasing new footballs, cones, posts and other training materials, as well as maintaining and replacing existing equipment. Club representatives said even essential items such as the club’s lawnmower are in need of upgrading.

A spokesperson for the club said Milford Athletic FC is committed to providing “fun grassroots football” for children and families in the community, adding that the fundraiser would help create a sustainable future for the club as it continues to grow.

They said the aim is to ensure children from “all walks of life” feel welcomed and supported, with access to high-quality training sessions and matchday experiences.

Players, friends and supporters are all expected to take part in the trek through the Preseli hills later this summer.

Business

Cambrian Hotel restoration to breathe new life into Aberystwyth landmark

Published

3 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Historic building will be brought back into use with support from Welsh Government town centre funding

A HISTORIC Aberystwyth hotel is set to be restored and brought back into wider use as part of a major town centre regeneration scheme.

The Cambrian Hotel, on the corner of Alexandra Road and Union Street, opposite Aberystwyth railway station, is one of the latest projects to benefit from the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns Programme.

The funding is being delivered through the Growing Mid Wales Partnership, with Ceredigion County Council working alongside Powys County Council to support regeneration in key towns across the region.

Aberystwyth is one of six priority towns in Ceredigion included in the programme, along with Aberaeron, Cardigan, Lampeter, Llandysul and Tregaron.

The Cambrian Hotel dates back to before 1867 and originally operated as a coaching inn. It has also been known historically as the Commercial Inn and the Commercial Vaults.

Although the building is not statutorily listed, it lies within the Aberystwyth Town Conservation Area and is recognised for its local architectural and cultural importance.

Its distinctive features include a half-timbered frontage, decorative roof details, traditional sash and casement windows, and surviving internal period features such as joinery and coved ceilings.

In recent years, the upper floors of the building have fallen out of use as traditional hotel accommodation became less viable. The business has continued to operate as a ground-floor bar and restaurant.

The Transforming Towns Placemaking Grant will now support the restoration and conversion of the vacant upper floors into high-quality, self-contained accommodation units.

The work will be carried out sensitively, with original features repaired and retained where possible, alongside modern improvements to comfort, energy efficiency and sustainability.

Planned improvements include insulation to external walls and roof areas, upgrades to sash windows using discreet sealing systems, roof-mounted solar panels, and secure cycle storage in line with Welsh Government active travel guidance.

Council officials say the scheme will improve the appearance of a key gateway into Aberystwyth, support the local visitor economy, and help secure a sustainable future for an important historic building.

Paul Davies, Senior Architectural Technician at DB3 Architecture, and owner Jayne Fisher said: “This would not have been possible without the support provided through the Transforming Towns Programme.

“Through the scheme’s support, it was possible to deliver the work to a high standard using local craftsmen who applied their skills to carry out a range of sensitive repair works, which is something the building deserved.”

Councillor Clive Davies, Ceredigion Cabinet Member for Economy, Regeneration and Carbon Management, said the project showed how the programme could help bring historic buildings back into meaningful use.

He said: “Investment through the Transforming Towns Programme is playing a vital role in strengthening our town centres, and the regeneration of the Cambrian Hotel is a prime example of how this funding can bring historic buildings back into meaningful use.

“This project will safeguard a key landmark, provide high-quality accommodation, and support the local visitor economy.

“I would encourage other businesses and property owners to explore the opportunities available through the programme.”

Further information about the Transforming Towns Grant Programme is available by emailing [email protected].

Crime

Steynton motorist banned after drink-drive collision

Published

3 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Court Reporter

Driver was seen swerving through Milford Haven before hitting traffic barrier

A STEYNTON motorist has lost his licence after being caught driving through Milford Haven while over the drink-drive limit.

Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court heard this week that at around 2:00am on Saturday (May 10), police received a call from ambulance staff who were concerned about the manner in which a white Kia was being driven in the Milford Haven area.

The vehicle had been seen swerving across the road.

Officers located the Kia as it entered Milford Haven and watched it turn right into Thornton Road, where it collided with a traffic barrier.

The driver identified himself as Jordan Wootton. As officers approached the vehicle, they could smell intoxicants. Wootton was also heard slurring his words, while an open bottle of alcohol was seen inside the vehicle.

Wootton, 28, of Conway Drive, Steynton, was arrested. Subsequent breath tests gave a lowest reading of 59mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

He pleaded guilty to drink-driving.

Wootton was fined £430 and ordered to pay a £180 surcharge and £85 costs. He was disqualified from driving for 16 months.