News
Pub hours extended to officer’s wish
THE LICENSED opening hours of the Sherlock Holmes Inn in Pennar, Pembroke Dock, have been extended by the council’s Licensing Sub-Committee, following a request from the Dyfed-Powys Police Licensing Officer. The committee met on Wednesday (Dec 9), to discuss an application from Mr Brian Revill to extend the opening hours of the pub to 1.30am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The application also asked to extend the opening hours from Sunday to Wednesday to 00.30hrs. However, the committee heard from Dyfed Powys Police’s Licensing Officer, Mr Nigel Hayes, who said that if the hours applied for were granted it would ‘have a detrimental effect on the community’.
He also recommended that the hours be changed to 24.00hrs on Friday and Saturday nights and 23.30hrs for the rest of the week. The sale of alcohol would be permitted up until 23.30hrs on Fridays and Saturdays and 23.00hrs from Sundays to Thursdays. The committee agreed with Mr Hayes and granted permission for the pub to be open between those hours. Appearing on behalf of Mr Revill, Mrs Revill told the committee: “All we are asking for is to have the same as everybody else in Pembroke Dock. “Our hours are too short at the moment and we haven’t had any trouble. “This is something that Pennar deserves. Locals attend the pub which is a community pub.
“Without having an extension to our license, we may not be able to keep it open as we are losing business. “We have done everything that is asked of us. We have put in a smoking pen, notices on the door telling people to respect the neighbours as they leave. We want to do everything we can to make sure this stays as a community pub. “We do have an open mic night which is all acoustic and it attracts all ages and they are gone by 11pm.
“All we are asking is that we just have the same as everybody else.” Licensing Officer Nigel Hayes said: “This application seeks to extend the licensing hours quite considerably in our opinion, going beyond late evening and into the early hours of the morning. “The location of the premises is also an issue for us. There are a number of terraced houses on what is a narrow street. “Police expect there to be problems as there will be people in the street talking and taxis tooting their horns.
“We have visited the premises to speak to Mr Revill in the past and we were impressed with what we saw and it was clear at the time that this was a new venture for him. “It was a surprise for us when we saw this application come forward. “I would have thought that it would have been a better approach to test the water with temporary event notices. “This is not an ideal location and the longer hours, if granted, will have a detrimental effect on the community.
“We are not slamming the door completely and would accept a slight increase for sale of alcohol and the opening hours.” Pembrokeshire County Council’s Pollution Control Officer Nathan Miles added that there had also been three complaints about people leaving the premises and music coming from it and that there was also an allegation that the pub was already operating beyond its current licensed conditions. There were also two letters of objection from residents who live nearby.
Mrs Revill responded saying that one of those complaints had originated from noise during one of the Rugby World Cup matches and that she would not be changing the open mic nights. After deliberating for nearly half an hour, the committee returned to tell Mrs Revill that they had agreed to extend the licensing hours but to the ones that were outlined by Mr Hayes. Mrs Revill indicated that she would be looking to appeal the decision made by the committee.
Business
Thousands of homes in rural Wales gain from faster 4G boost
RURAL Wales is seeing a major upgrade in mobile connectivity, with faster 4G now live in several areas. Seven locations across North, South West, and West Wales are benefitting from new 4G mast upgrades funded by the UK Government’s Shared Rural Network (SRN), aimed at closing the digital gap between rural and urban areas.
The upgrades, which went live on Thursday (Nov 14), bring improved 4G coverage to communities including Bontddu, Llanelltyd, Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, Penmaenpool, Tabor, Snowdonia National Park, and Bontgoch. Local businesses, emergency services, and residents are expected to benefit from faster internet access, which supports daily communication, business opportunities, and economic growth.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “Fast, reliable connectivity is essential for modern life and should be available from Cardiff to the remotest parts of Wales. Today’s upgrades bring us closer to making this a reality.”
SUPPORTING DIGITAL INCLUSION
As part of the rollout, Peter Kyle and Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant visited Ebbw Vale to discuss digital inclusion with charity and industry leaders. They met with representatives at BGfm, a digital inclusion hub in Blaenau Gwent, to learn about how connectivity impacts daily life in Welsh communities.
Telecoms Minister Bryant said: “We are working tirelessly to make sure rural communities aren’t left behind online.
“These upgrades mean businesses can now operate without connectivity limitations, 999 services are better equipped to respond, and residents and tourists can stay connected across the Welsh countryside.”
ADDRESSING CONNECTIVITY GAPS
An estimated 1.5 million homes across the UK remain without internet access, limiting people’s ability to access essential services such as banking and healthcare. In addition to the SRN upgrades, the Chancellor has allocated over £500 million in next year’s budget for digital infrastructure expansion, targeting these underserved areas.
Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens highlighted the importance of this investment, particularly for rural Wales, where fast, reliable internet can be transformative.
“Connectivity is critical for day-to-day life in rural areas – from supporting local businesses to ensuring emergency services are just a call away,” Stevens said.
The upgraded masts, previously limited to EE customers and emergency 999 calls, now serve a wider user base, bringing essential internet access to more people without requiring new infrastructure.
Ben Roome, CEO of Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited, said: “With the activation of five new SRN sites, Wales is seeing the tangible benefits of the Shared Rural Network, bringing crucial connectivity to rural communities.”
GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT IN REMOTE WALES
The improvements come alongside a £170 million agreement with Openreach to provide gigabit-capable broadband to 70,000 remote Welsh properties, helping future-proof digital access in even the most isolated locations.
The latest upgrades mark another step in the Government’s mission to improve mobile coverage and close the connectivity gap across Wales, creating opportunities and supporting economic growth across rural communities.
News
Milford Haven man admits to downloading indecent images of children
A MILFORD HAVEN man has been sentenced after admitting to downloading over 1,000 indecent images and videos of children, including highly explicit content involving young children. Gareth MacDonald, now 23, appeared before Swansea Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images and videos across various devices.
The court heard that police visited MacDonald’s home, which was the scene of protests after his arrest, last year following intelligence suggesting that child abuse images had been accessed there.
Officers spoke with MacDonald’s mother at the door before entering to conduct a search.
During the operation, two mobile phones, a tablet, a laptop, and two hard drives were seized.
MacDonald initially spoke to one of the officers privately, admitting to downloading the images and saying, “It’s me.” Later, in formal interviews, he revealed that he had grown “bored with legal pornography” roughly a year earlier, knowing that what he was doing was illegal but continuing regardless.
Prosecutor Emily Bennett informed the court that MacDonald’s devices held 15 Category A images, the most severe classification, 26 Category B images, and 960 Category C images. Some content depicted children as young as nine, and the most serious material involved pre-teen children in distressing situations.
Bennett also noted that MacDonald had briefly joined an online group where members self-identified as paedophiles, although he left without sharing any material. Cleaning software was also found on his devices.
Defense counsel Dan Griffiths acknowledged that MacDonald’s actions had crossed the custodial threshold, but argued that there was “a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.” He highlighted MacDonald’s cooperation with police and his willingness to comply with rehabilitation programmes.
Judge Geraint Walters, presiding over the sentencing, addressed MacDonald, saying, “For some considerable time, you have accessed this kind of imagery, fully aware of the harm it represents.” He acknowledged that MacDonald largely isolated himself and stayed at home, factors he considered in the sentencing.
MacDonald was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, with a requirement to complete 20 rehabilitation activity days and participate in the Horizon programme. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same duration.
News
Welsh teenager jailed for creating 3D-printed gun at home
A TEENAGER who assembled parts for a viable semi-automatic firearm using a 3D printer has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison.
Owain Roberts, 19, purchased nuts, bolts, steel barrels, and metal rods online, constructing components of an FGC-9 gun with the aid of a 3D printer.
Detectives said that this case marks the first of its kind in Gwent, where Roberts admitted to manufacturing a firearm component. He appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday (Nov 14).
In April, firearms officers executed warrants at two Newport addresses connected to Roberts. Seized items included a 3D printer, two laptops, six plastic reels, and parts for an FGC-9 firearm.
PC Tom Meazey, from Gwent Police’s East Serious Organised Crime team, stated: “Illegally-held firearms can lead to tragic consequences and devastate innocent people’s lives. To own a firearm, including a printable one, is illegal in the UK without a valid firearms certificate. Roberts’s reckless actions in buying items capable of manufacturing a firearm placed people at direct risk.”
This rare and complex investigation involved support from the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Roberts received a prison sentence of four years and nine months.
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