Johnston forecourt hits 194.9p while wide price gaps and rush to fill up pile pressure on motorists across the county

DIESEL prices in Pembrokeshire are edging dangerously close to £2 a litre, with the BP forecourt in Johnston on the A4076 displaying 194.9p per litre.

The latest surge has sparked a rush at some filling stations across the county, as motorists hunt for pumps that have not yet caught up with the steep increases. The Herald understands some forecourts have temporarily run dry as drivers fill up early to avoid paying even more, rather than because of any wider supply issue. That picture fits with national comments from the AA, which said it had seen no evidence of widespread shortages or any increase in breakdowns caused by vehicles running out of fuel.

Pictures sent to The Herald show just how sharply prices now vary across Pembrokeshire.

At Johnston, diesel was 194.9p per litre and petrol 157.9p. At Robeston Wathen, diesel was 187.9p and petrol 155.9p. At Square and Compass, diesel was 183.7p and unleaded 151.7p. In Milford Haven, the Gulf station on North Road was displaying diesel at 179.7p and petrol at 148.7p, while Tesco Milford Haven showed diesel at 181.9p and unleaded at 149.9p. In St Davids, Ocean Haze was also showing diesel at 187.9p, with petrol at 155.9p.

Based on those prices, there is a 15.2p-per-litre gap between the highest and lowest diesel prices pictured — a difference of more than £9 on a 60-litre fill.

The local spike reflects a sharp rise across the UK. RAC data showed average petrol prices reached 152.01p a litre on March 30 — the highest level in 28 months — while diesel climbed to 181.2p, its highest point since December 2022. The RAC said that, compared with the start of the Iran conflict, it was costing £10.55 more to fill a typical family petrol car and £21.35 more for a comparable diesel vehicle.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said the “financial strain” on motorists “continues to build”, while RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding warned prices at the pumps appeared to be on a “one way trajectory”.

The AA’s latest weekly update, based on government data, put average UK petrol at 148.78p a litre and diesel at 176.42p, up from 144.16p and 166.88p the previous week.

The pressure is being felt well beyond private motorists. In West Wales, the wider rural economy is especially exposed because so many people rely on vehicles for work, deliveries and day-to-day life.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales said rising fuel and heating oil prices were placing “additional pressure on rural communities” and increasing the risk of theft. In a March statement, the union said red diesel had risen from about 67p a litre in February to around 109p in mid-March, while heating oil had in many cases more than doubled from around 60p to about £1.30 a litre. It also noted that 74 per cent of homes in Ceredigion are off the gas grid, leaving many households particularly vulnerable to sudden price shocks.

The haulage sector has also warned of the knock-on effect. Swansea Bay News reported that Llanelli-based Owens Group said soaring diesel costs had added around £64,000 a week to its fuel bill. Founder Huw Owen said: “We felt it as a company straight away. With a fleet our size, we burn a tanker of fuel a day. We used to order fuel a week or even a fortnight in advance — now we’re negotiating prices day by day.”

The same report quoted Road Haulage Association representative Geraint Davies warning that higher transport costs would feed through into prices more widely because “everything we buy is moved by road at some point.”

For households, tradespeople, delivery drivers and rural businesses in Pembrokeshire, the latest rise is another heavy blow. In a county where so many people depend on their vehicles every day, sharp increases at the pumps are felt quickly and widely.

One thing is clear: drivers are shopping around harder than ever, and when prices are moving this fast, delaying a fill-up by even a day can come at a cost.

Photo caption:

Johnston prices: Diesel reached 194.9p per litre at the BP forecourt on the A4076 (Pic: Herald)

Man accused of multiple breaches of Sexual Harm Prevention Order after hearing at Aberystwyth Magistrates’ Court

A SEX offender has been remanded in custody after appearing in court accused of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order on seven separate occasions.

Stewart Alderton, aged 44, currently of HMP & YOI Parc, Bridgend, appeared before Aberystwyth Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Mar 31).

The charges allege that Alderton breached a Sexual Harm Prevention Order imposed at Mold Crown Court on November 17, 2021.

It is alleged that at an address in Wylcwm Close, Knighton, on June 18, 2025, and again on December 14, 2025, he deleted TikTok chat strings, phone applications, web artefacts and web history, and also carried out a factory reset on a device, all said to be contrary to the terms of the order.

A further allegation states that on February 16, 2026, at Bronglais Hospital, he failed to notify police of an internet-enabled device within the required three days.

No pleas were entered.

The case was adjourned for a plea hearing at Aberystwyth Magistrates’ Court at 2:00pm on Wednesday (Apr 1).

Alderton was remanded in custody.

Steffan Rhodri and Mark Lewis Jones lead major Welsh production as cameras roll in the famous seaside town

TENBY is preparing for a spell in the television spotlight after filming got under way on a major new BBC crime drama set in the heart of the resort town.

Old Town Murders, a new six-part series for BBC One, BBC iPlayer and BBC Cymru Wales, stars Steffan Rhodri and Mark Lewis Jones as two detectives drawn together by personal loss and a string of suspicious deaths in a seemingly idyllic seaside community. The production is being made by Quay Street Productions and is being filmed in Tenby, Cardiff and along the South Wales coastline.

For Pembrokeshire, the announcement is more than just another television commission. It places one of Wales’ best-known coastal towns at the centre of a prime-time BBC drama and offers the kind of exposure that local tourism figures, businesses and residents will immediately recognise.

Tenby’s harbour, narrow streets and postcard setting have long made it one of the country’s most recognisable destinations. Now they are set to become the backdrop to murder, mystery and dark humour for audiences across the UK and beyond.

The series pairs two of Wales’ most recognisable acting talents. Rhodri remains best known to many viewers as Dave Coaches from Gavin and Stacey, while Mark Lewis Jones has built a formidable screen career through roles in productions including The Crown, Keeping Faith and Baby Reindeer.

In Old Town Murders they play DS Sion Dearden and DI Glyn Walsh, two detectives who find themselves thrown together while investigating a series of unusual killings in a close-knit seaside town.

Among the cases promised in the series are the mysterious death of a university professor, the poisoning of a head teacher during a wild swim, and a fatal mix-up linked to a triathlon.

The tone, however, is not being pitched as relentlessly bleak. Instead, the show is being described as witty, twisty and full of warmth, with friendship, second chances and reinvention forming the emotional core of the story.

That may prove to be one of the drama’s biggest strengths. Crime series have become one of television’s most dependable genres, but Old Town Murders appears to be aiming for something slightly different — a coastal whodunnit with a strong Welsh identity, recognisable locations and a central partnership built as much on character as on corpses.

The creative team behind it is also distinctly Welsh. The series has been created and written by Matthew Barry, whose recent credits include Men Up and The Guest. Barry has said he wrote the roles specifically for Rhodri and Lewis Jones after working with them before, suggesting the chemistry between the two leads will be central to the series’ success.

Supporting cast members include James Bamford, Bethan Mary-James, Catherine Ayers and Julie Graham, adding further weight to a production that is already shaping up as one of the BBC’s most notable new Welsh commissions.

There is also an economic angle. The production has support from Creative Wales, meaning the series is not only showcasing West Wales on screen but contributing to the wider Welsh creative economy through jobs and production spend.

No transmission date has yet been announced, but with filming now under way, excitement is likely to build as more residents spot cameras, cast and crew around the town.

For local people, that is part of the appeal. This is not a drama merely inspired by the Welsh coast. It is being made in Wales, by Welsh talent, with Tenby right at the centre of it.

For Pembrokeshire audiences, that alone makes Old Town Murders one to watch.