News

AM leads debate on safety of children online

Published

12 years ago

November 27, 2013

REBECCA EVANS AM, Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales, has led a debate at the National Assembly for Wales on the safety of children online.

Mrs Evans brought forward the debate at the Senedd to explore the dangers facing children online following a series of tragic and high profile cases tied to internet use, and the publication of several pieces of research highlighting the challenges facing children online.

Mrs Evans told the Assembly that although the role of internet service providers, search engines and social networks in protecting children lay beyond the scope of the Assembly, “to shrug our shoulders and say that the challenges are too big, or that it is just not our job would absolve us from our responsibility to use every opportunity that we do have in Wales to equip children, parents, teachers, youth workers and so on with resilience, knowledge and support, so that they are best able to deal with the challenges faced by children online day in, day out.”

Mrs Evans explored peer-to-peer issues such as bullying and exploitation, as well as stranger dangers including online grooming, and easy access to explicit adult material which may be extreme or violent in its content.

Mrs Evans said: “Most children now have a phone with internet access and nine out of 10 of them say that there are no parental restrictions on its use. For most children, their virtual lives are synonymous with their real lives, and what happens online affects them offline.”

Tackling cyberbullying

After the recent publication of a Funky Dragon survey which found that over a third of 11 to 17-year-olds in Wales who had been bullied had suffered from cyberbullying, Mrs Evans asked the Welsh Government how it was addressing the unique challenges posed by bullying online.

Mrs Evans said: “Online bullying is relentless; it is 24/7 and it follows bullied children everywhere that they go. They carry it around on the phone in their pocket.”

The Children’s Commissioner for Wales Keith Towler has also echoed these concerns. Responding to the debate, the Deputy Minister announced that “As part of the 2013 Anti–bullying Week, from 18 to 22 November, the Welsh Government will be launching a campaign to raise awareness of cyberbullying and to highlight where to go for help.”

A force for good too

Mrs Evans ended her contribution by being clear that she “did not want to give the impression that cyberspace is a wholly dangerous and nightmarish place to be avoided at all costs.”

“In fact,” she said, “it is quite the opposite. Access to the internet can be incredibly enriching. Children can talk to other children thousands of miles away and develop global citizenship and a sense of responsibility to other people on the other side of the planet. They can have fun and stay in touch with friends, and it is a wonderful learning environment and research tool, a gateway to almost limitless knowledge, and a forum to develop skills and ideas.

“By educating children and those who protect and support them about the safe use of the internet, including recognising danger and the importance of privacy settings and content blocks, for example, we can make the internet a much safer place for them. By helping children to put what they see and experience online into context offline we can build their resilience. There is a huge amount of very good work already taking place in Wales by parents, schools, the third sector, police and others, and I would ask the Government to explore how we could bring all of this good practice together to make the internet a safer place for children.”

Mrs Evans looks forward to meeting with the Deputy Minister in order to further discuss actions to ensure the safety of children online.

Let’s talk about sexts

Modern trends such as sexting – the act of sending sexually explicit messages, photographs, or video content, primarily between mobile phones – are causing children’s charities in Wales concern.

Speaking in the debate, Mrs Evans said: “NSPCC Cymru and ChildLine have warned that many children are frequently taking big risks when making and sending sexual texts, photos and videos of themselves. They found that sexting is considered a normal, everyday activity among young people as young as 13 years old, with around a quarter of them having made photographs or videos to send on to others. Barnardo’s Cymru has also identified what it calls peer-based exploitation as an increasing trend.”

Mrs Evans warned that once the image has been sent on, it is out of the young person’s control and told the Assembly that the Internet Watch Foundation has reported that images are regularly shared around school, uploaded to social networks and sometimes find their way on to paedophile websites. In just 40 hours, an IWF analyst found more than 12,000 images of teens that were originally sent as texts on 70 paedophile websites.

Mrs Evans said that after seeing calls about sexting rise by 28% last year, ChildLine has developed a “fantastic app” called Zipit, which provides witty and safe comebacks that children and young people can use to reply when faced with requests for explicit photos. She asked the Deputy Minister for Skills, Ken Skates AM, to consider how the Welsh Government could promote the app and similar resources.

Responding to the debate, the Deputy Minister asked Mrs Evans to meet with him and his officials to discuss in further detail how sexting can best be addressed.

Parents have a big role to play

Mrs Evans told the Assembly that parents were “probably the most important defence that children have against the darkest elements of the internet,” but added that they sometimes needed support to be able to fulfil that role.

She referred to research by web safety organisation Knowthenet which suggested that some parents may be failing to protect their children in cyberspace, simply because they do not understand the net speak that peppers online exchanges.

Mrs Evans said: “For many parents, their understanding of everyday slang starts and ends with ‘LOL’, but they can be sure that their children’s vocabulary is much wider. A Knowthenet survey of 1,000 parents found that the least understood term was ‘LMIRL’, which means ‘Let’s meet in real life’. Also among the least-known acronyms were ‘ASL’, which means age, sex, location and ‘POS’, parents over shoulder.”

News

Plaid Cymru Senedd election candidates emphasize call for Scarlets’ survival

Published

2 hours ago

April 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

CEFIN CAMPBELL and Mari Arthur, Plaid Cymru’s candidates in Sir Gaerfyrddin for the Senedd election next month have reiterated their call to the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) for the Scarlets to be protected in any future plans for the future of professional rugby in Wales.

This comes after WRU’s Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) last week in Cardiff, after more than 50 member clubs demanded accountability.

Plaid Cymru representatives in Carmarthenshire have long argued for the survival of professional rugby in the region, pointing to the Scarlets’ £17 million contribution to the local economy and the 400 full and part-time jobs that are supported by the club. The club also boasts an impressive pedigree, having produced 34% of Welsh internationals in the past decade alone.

Cefin Campbell and Adam Price, currently seeking re-election as Plaid Cymru candidates to the Senedd for Sir Gaerfyrddin, as well as Plaid Cymru MP for Caerfyrddin Ann Davies, submitted a formal response to the WRU’s consultation last year, declaring that dissolving the Scarlets would not solve WRU’s historic mismanagement of professional rugby in Wales.

Lifelong Scarlets supporter and Plaid Cymru’s lead candidate in Sir Gaerfyrddin, Cefin Campbell, said:

“Like thousands across west Wales, this club is in my DNA. I am an ardent supporter of the Scarlets and share supporters’ disillusionment at the confusion and vague plans presented by the WRU.

“Watching them play Cardiff over the weekend, the thought of losing this club – which has produced so many greats for the national team such as Phil Bennett, Delme Thomas, Ray Gravell, Stephen Jones and Ken Owens to name a few – weighed heavily on my mind. The economic and social impact on the region would also be immense.

“I’m also a fan of club rugby in all its forms. The Ospreys are our neighbours and rivals and that rivalry is part of what makes the game here so special. The WRU should not be forcing west Wales to choose between its clubs. That is not a solution.”

Mari Arthur, also a Plaid Cymru candidate in the election in May, said: “I’m so proud that we as Plaid Cymru representatives in the area have led the way in defending the Scarlets over months and years of speculation over their future. We have made it absolutely clear to the WRU that we are fundamentally opposed to any plan that puts the future of the Scarlets at risk. Unfortunately, that threat still hovers over our club.

“The Scarlets are central to the identity and economy of this region and are a cornerstone of the game in Wales. We call on the WRU’s incoming leadership to start again: to pause this plan, engage with the alternatives, and protect the long-term future of the Scarlets.”

News

Cardigan distillery wins gold for debut Welsh whisky

Published

3 hours ago

April 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

In the Welsh Wind celebrates major success at the World Whiskies Awards 2026 with Brychan, its first blended Welsh malt whisky

CARDIGAN distillery In the Welsh Wind is celebrating after its debut blended Welsh malt whisky, Brychan, struck gold at the World Whiskies Awards 2026.

The whisky was also named category and country winner for Best Welsh Blended Malt 2026, marking a major achievement for the west Wales distillery.

The award is significant not only for the company, but also for Welsh whisky more widely, with Brychan described as the first blend of single malt Welsh whiskies to come to market in Wales.

Produced near Cardigan on the Cambrian Coast, Brychan is a small-batch release made from a carefully selected blend of Welsh single malt whiskies aged in bourbon, port and red wine casks. Just 10 casks were chosen for the launch.

Ellen Wakelam, co-founder and director of In the Welsh Wind, said: “We are delighted and immensely proud to have won these awards. For us, Brychan is the culmination of many years of dedication to whisky-making here in west Wales.

“To have our first blended malt recognised at this level and to be judged as gold award-winning standard is incredibly exciting and rewarding for us as a craft distillery and for Welsh whisky as a whole. Brychan, however, is just the beginning.”

She said the aim when creating Brychan was to produce a distinctive blend that would be greater than the sum of its parts.

Made in collaboration with other Welsh distilleries, Brychan is the first in a planned series of blended Welsh malt whiskies from In the Welsh Wind.

Its character comes from a combination of bourbon casks, which add depth and warmth, port casks for richness, and red wine casks to bring a softer red-fruit note.

The distillery said the result is a whisky with complexity, balance and broad appeal, designed to suit both seasoned enthusiasts and those new to Welsh whisky.

In the Welsh Wind is planning to release two more blended Welsh malt whiskies later this year.

Brychan is priced at £45 and is available from the distillery’s online shop and at its distillery shop in Tanygroes.

News

Safety fears over Resolute wreck off Pembrokeshire coast

Published

4 hours ago

April 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

FRESH concerns have been raised over public safety around the wreck of the Resolute off the Pembrokeshire coast, with fears the stricken vessel could become “an accident waiting to happen” as summer approaches.

The 25-metre vessel ran aground in stormy weather in the early hours of Thursday, December 11, 2025, near Aber Hywel, Dinas.

Since then, the wreck has become an increasing cause for concern among local marine users. A 3D survey of the seabed carried out in February showed the vessel wedged on a rocky section of seabed, while photographs taken the same month by JC Explores revealed it had become more submerged, with much of the stern and parts of the deck underwater at high tide and the hold filled with water.

In January, more than 10,000 litres of fuel and oil were salvaged from the vessel.

Now, with more people expected on the water during the warmer months, warnings are being made that the wreck poses a serious hazard to kayakers, paddleboarders and small craft users.

Kayaking guide Paul Cokeley said: “It’s a magnet for younger people. They don’t see the danger, but it’s a really dangerous thing there.

“It is already drawing people on kayaks, paddle boards, and small craft who may not be aware of the significant structural dangers.

“With open doors and a compromised hull, there is a high risk of entrapment or falls for anyone attempting to board it.

“Imagine that you got trapped in there; the tide comes in, and you drown.

“There’s a lot of pleasure craft around as the summer comes. It’s an accident waiting to happen.”

In the past week, bright yellow hazard signs have been placed on the wreck in an effort to warn people away. The signs were commissioned by Matthew Bull Fishing and made by Abersign.

Mr Cokeley said it was positive that warning signs had now been installed, but questioned whether they would be enough on their own to stop people from attempting to climb aboard.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: “HM Coastguard continues to monitor the situation and is in contact with both the vessel owner and salvor.”

The Western Telegraph understands that local firms and salvage contractors are still working to remove the wreck as soon as possible, although the operation remains complicated by seabed survey findings and weather conditions.

Further confirmation on the next steps is expected in due course.

Caption:

Warning signs have been placed on the wreck of the Resolute off Dinas to highlight the danger to the public (Pic: Abersign/Matthew Bull Fishing).