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Crime

Controversial Parc Prison expansion approved despite safety and traffic fears

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Hundreds of extra inmates and 160 new staff planned for troubled Bridgend jail

CONTROVERSIAL plans to expand the troubled Parc Prison – which houses many inmates from Pembrokeshire – have been approved by Bridgend County Borough Council, despite strong opposition from residents living near the privately-run facility.

The proposal, approved by councillors in November, will see a new “K-shaped” house-block constructed on the south-west of the site to accommodate an additional 345 inmates. The development will also require 160 extra staff, significantly increasing daily traffic movements on surrounding roads.

HMP Parc, located in Coity, Bridgend, opened in 1997 and is operated by G4S. The category B prison already holds 1,670 inmates and employs 676 staff, and has faced long-standing criticism over safety, drug use, violence, and management practices.

Major redevelopment at the site

The application was submitted by Galliford Try Construction Ltd on behalf of the Ministry of Justice. In addition to the new accommodation block and associated boundary wall changes, the scheme includes:

  • A replacement kitchen and dining block
  • A new gym
  • A new multi-faith building
  • A new education block
  • A redesigned visitor and staff entrance
  • Additional car parking and site infrastructure

A planning report presented to councillors said the expansion forms part of a UK-wide programme to increase prison capacity, adding: “It is expected that this proposal will future-proof HMP Parc for the foreseeable future.”

Strong objections from local residents

The application received a significant number of objections from residents in Coity and the wider area. Concerns included:

  • Increased traffic and congestion, particularly along Heol Spencer
  • Noise disturbance from the expanded facility
  • Ongoing safety worries following multiple reports of drones being flown over the prison
  • Individuals allegedly “loitering” in nearby streets looking for access routes into the prison grounds

Residents also raised broader concerns about the prison’s troubled reputation and the impact of further expansion on the community.

Councillors raise concerns over access and safety

At the planning meeting, Cllr Amanda Williams said people in Coity understood that expansion was inevitable but argued that the community needed meaningful mitigation measures, particularly around traffic management and safe walking routes for visitors.

Cllrs Ian Williams and Simon Griffiths echoed these concerns, highlighting the dangers for pedestrians who currently have to cross a busy dual carriageway to access public transport near the Sainsbury’s supermarket.

Highways officers told the meeting that many issues raised were “pre-existing” and could not be considered in relation to the new application. They added that developing a pedestrian route from the Sainsbury’s bus stops would be difficult because the land is privately owned.

However, officers recommended approval, noting that the applicant had agreed to a “reasonable contribution” towards traffic mitigation and that the urgent need to increase capacity outweighed the negative impacts.

Mitigation measures promised

A representative for the applicant said noise and drone-related issues would be mitigated by installing new windows and enhanced surveillance technology. Conditions would also require additional tree planting to screen nearby homes from the expanded site.

They added that the project would create “substantial economic benefits”, including around 160 new, well-paid jobs for the Bridgend area.

By Lewis Smith – Local Democracy Reporter

 

Crime

Two arrested after high-value shoplifting incident in Kilgetty

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TWO men have been arrested on suspicion of shoplifting following a rapid police response to a reported high-value theft at a supermarket in Kilgetty.

Dyfed-Powys Police said officers were called to the Co-op store at around 3.35pm on Wednesday (Jan 28), after a report that a large quantity of alcohol and other items had been stolen.

Using information provided by the caller, Roads Policing Unit officers worked closely with control room staff to identify a vehicle believed to be involved. Several patrol cars were deployed, and the vehicle was located a short time later travelling east.

Police said the safety of all those involved was treated as a priority, with specialist Tactical Pursuit and Containment (TPAC) advice obtained while officers maintained constant observation of the vehicle.

The car was brought to a safe stop on a back road approaching Hendy, involving three Roads Policing Unit vehicles. No injuries or damage were reported.

Following roadside checks, two men — aged 67 and 46 — were arrested on suspicion of theft from a shop.

Both remain in police custody while enquiries continue.

Police said the swift response helped prevent further offending and demonstrated the effectiveness of specialist roads policing officers acting on real-time intelligence.

 

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Business

Eight-year prison sentence after vehicle stop uncovers drugs worth over £150,000

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A ROUTINE vehicle stop by roads policing officers has led to an eight-year prison sentence after more than £150,000 worth of illegal drugs were discovered in a car in Pembrokeshire.

On Friday, January 2, officers from the Roads Policing Unit stopped a grey Seat Ateca on Hoyland Road, Pembroke. The vehicle was being driven by 43-year-old Dean Evans.

During the stop, Evans told officers they would find “stuff” in the car. He and the vehicle were subsequently searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

A search of the boot uncovered a cardboard box containing a one-kilogram block of cocaine and ten half-kilogram packages of herbal cannabis. The street value of the drugs was estimated to be well in excess of £150,000.

Evans was arrested at the scene on suspicion of possession with intent to supply controlled drugs. He was later charged with possession with intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs.

The 43-year-old pleaded guilty at Swansea Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, January 3.

On Thursday, January 28, Evans was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court to eight years’ imprisonment for possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis.

DC Jones, from Dyfed-Powys Police’s Serious Organised Crime Unit, said: “Tackling the supply of illegal drugs is a priority for Dyfed-Powys Police, and the misery that illegal drugs bring to local communities will not be tolerated.

“We welcome the sentence passed to Dean Evans, given the large quantity of harmful drugs he was caught trafficking into Pembrokeshire.

“This sentence should serve as a stark warning to anyone tempted to become involved in the illegal drugs trade in Dyfed and Powys.”

 

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Crime

Former soldier jailed for stalking police officer over past arrest

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Defendant tracked down officer’s home address and sent threatening messages

A FORMER serviceman has been sent to prison after tracking down and harassing a police officer who had arrested him two years earlier.

Gareth Nicholas, aged 41, from Waunarlwydd in Swansea, targeted the officer by discovering his home address and sending a threatening message via Facebook, Swansea Crown Court heard.

The officer had been part of a police team that executed a Scottish arrest warrant at Nicholas’s home in May 2023. Two years later, in August 2025, the officer received an unexpected friend request on social media, followed shortly afterwards by a message that immediately caused concern.

The message began with the words “I found you” and accused the officer of unlawfully entering Nicholas’s property, assaulting him while he was in his underwear, and “abducting” him. Nicholas also claimed he had identified a pattern of corrupt behaviour within the police and issued a veiled threat, stating: “I will catch you down the Liberty son. Look forward to it,” a reference to Swansea City’s former stadium.

The situation escalated further days later when a handwritten letter was delivered to the officer’s former address. The new occupant contacted the officer to alert him to the letter, which repeated allegations of corruption and suggested the matter could be dropped if the officer assisted in exposing alleged police misconduct.

Nicholas was arrested on September 3 and admitted sending the communications, but denied at the time that his actions amounted to stalking.

In evidence, the officer told the court that while he had faced verbal abuse during his policing career, this incident felt different and deeply personal. He said his family installed CCTV cameras, security lighting and fencing, and put safety plans in place for their children. He added that he feared Nicholas had not let go of his perceived injustice and remained concerned the behaviour could continue.

The court heard Nicholas has a substantial criminal record in Scotland between 2019 and 2024, including convictions for stalking, malicious communications, threatening behaviour, domestic abuse offences and possession of ammunition without a licence.

Sentencing Nicholas, Judge Huw Rees acknowledged the trauma the defendant had experienced during military service, but warned him not to repeat the behaviour.

Nicholas, who appeared unrepresented, pleaded guilty to stalking and was sentenced to 20 weeks in prison, reduced by 20 per cent for his early guilty plea. Having already served time on remand, his release is expected shortly. He was also made subject to a five-year restraining order banning any contact with the officer.

 

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