News

Criminal shops ‘blighting Welsh high streets’ as Reform calls for crackdown

Published

2 weeks ago

June 3, 2026

REFORM Wales has called for an urgent crackdown on criminal businesses allegedly operating from high streets across Wales.

The party says rogue shops masquerading as legitimate businesses are undermining honest traders, damaging confidence in town centres and adding to the pressure already facing Welsh high streets.

Jason O’Connell MS, Reform Wales’ Shadow Minister for Economy and Transport, raised the issue in the Senedd on Tuesday (Jun 2), warning that some premises were being exploited for organised crime, including money laundering, illicit tobacco and vape sales, illegal working and other criminal activity.

His intervention follows a series of UK-wide reports and enforcement operations highlighting concerns that cash-intensive businesses such as mini-marts, vape shops, barbers, takeaways and sweet shops can be used as fronts by organised criminal networks.

The UK Government last month announced a £30m crackdown on rogue high street businesses, with a new unit targeting money laundering, tax evasion and illegal working.

The National Crime Agency has previously warned that cash-intensive businesses, including barbershops, vape shops, nail bars, sweet shops and car washes, are often used by criminals to disguise the source of illicit cash.

In Wales, the issue comes at a time when many town centres are already struggling with empty units, weak footfall, rising costs and pressure on legitimate retailers.

Welsh Government labour market figures published in April showed Wales had an economic inactivity rate of 25.1%, compared with a UK rate of 21.0%.

Mr O’Connell said: “Wales has the highest rate of economic inactivity in the United Kingdom, while businesses on our high streets continue to face some of the highest rates and greatest pressures anywhere in Britain.

“Yet illegal shops masquerading as legitimate businesses are blighting our high streets, undermining honest traders, and damaging confidence in our town centres and local economies.

“Reform Wales will put genuine Welsh businesses first and work with the UK Government and law enforcement agencies to stamp out criminality on our high streets.”

The issue has raised wider concerns about the resources available to Trading Standards teams, local councils and police forces to investigate suspicious premises and take enforcement action.

Legitimate traders say they are left competing with operators who may avoid taxes, business rates, employment rules and product safety regulations, allowing them to undercut businesses that play by the rules.

There are also public health concerns around illicit tobacco and illegal vapes, particularly where products are sold to children or fail to meet safety standards.

However, campaigners and enforcement bodies have also warned that any crackdown must be intelligence-led and avoid unfairly targeting legitimate small businesses, including immigrant-owned shops that operate lawfully and contribute to local economies.

Reform Wales said stronger joint working was needed between the Welsh Government, UK Government, police, HMRC, the National Crime Agency, Trading Standards and local authorities.

The party said action was needed not only to tackle crime, but to restore pride and confidence in Welsh town centres.

Crime

Pembroke man jailed for child sex offences

Published

8 minutes ago

June 15, 2026

Rieve Nesbitt-Marr

David Lewis was on police bail when he contacted a child decoy account on Snapchat

A PEMBROKE man has been jailed after sending sexual messages and an explicit video to what he believed was a 12-year-old girl.

David Lewis, aged 42, of Ashdale Lane, Pembroke, was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court after admitting child sex offences and offences involving indecent images of children.

The court heard Lewis was already on police bail when he contacted the Snapchat account, which was being operated by a police officer.

Prosecutor Craig Jones said police first attended Lewis’ home on August 6 last year and seized three mobile phones. An initial examination found child abuse material.

A full forensic download later revealed 263 Category A, 71 Category B and 51 Category C indecent images of children. The court heard the material included 246 Category A videos, 55 Category B videos and 37 Category C videos.

Lewis was also found to have shared a Category A image with another user on Telegram on July 27. The image showed a girl aged between ten and twelve being raped by an adult male.

While on bail, Lewis added what he believed was a 12-year-old girl on Snapchat on November 10. The account was in fact a decoy operated by police.

The court heard the account told Lewis she was at school and was 12. Lewis claimed he was 20 and sent a photograph of a younger man.

Over the following days, Lewis sent sexual messages, asked for inappropriate photographs and tried to call the account on Snapchat.

During one video call, he exposed himself and masturbated.

After his arrest, officers searched Lewis’ home and were able to match his bathroom and boxer shorts to those seen in the video.

Lewis pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child, attempted incitement of a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to cause a child to watch sexual activity, distributing an indecent image of a child, and three offences of making indecent images of children.

Mitigating, Dan Griffiths said Lewis accepted the position he was in and pointed to his early guilty pleas.

Judge Paul Thomas KC described Lewis as “a committed paedophile” and jailed him for five years.

Lewis must sign the sex offenders register for life and was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years.

Crime

Man fined after missing probation appointments

Published

28 minutes ago

June 15, 2026

Court Reporter

A HAVERFORDWEST man has been fined after admitting he breached a community order by missing probation appointments.

Asa Wandelt, aged 37, of Harrier Road, Haverfordwest, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday (Jun 15).

Wandelt admitted failing to comply with the requirements of a community order made by the court on February 23.

The breach related to missed office appointments on April 14 and May 18.

Magistrates ordered the community order to continue and fined Wandelt £80.

He was also ordered to pay £60 costs, bringing the total to £140. The court ordered payments to be made at £24 per month from July 13.

Crime

Man caught with cocaine and bread knife given fresh community order

Published

28 minutes ago

June 15, 2026

Court Reporter

A HAVERFORDWEST man caught with cocaine and a serrated bread knife in Milford Haven has been handed a fresh community order.

Joshua Rowland, aged 22, of Glebe House, Haverfordwest, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday (Jun 15).

The court heard that a previous community order, imposed in September 2025, was revoked after unpaid work was deemed unsuitable due to medical issues.

Rowland had originally been sentenced for possessing 0.3 grams of cocaine in Milford Haven on Thursday (Jan 2), and for having a serrated bread knife in a public place without good reason or lawful authority on the same date.

A further offence related to Rowland testing positive for Class A drugs while in custody at Haverfordwest Police Station on Tuesday (Jan 14). He was required to attend an initial drugs assessment but failed to do so.

Magistrates imposed a new community order, running until June 14, 2027. The order includes up to ten days of rehabilitation activity, meaning Rowland must attend appointments and take part in activities as directed by probation.

He was also fined £120, to be paid at £24 per month from July 13.