Campaign group raises concerns over council policy and private weapons firms operating in West Wales

WEST WALES AGAINST ARMS will hold a third community meeting in Aberporth this Friday as campaigners step up concerns over proposed drone surveillance in Ceredigion and the growing role of private arms companies in the area.

The meeting will take place at 6.30pm on Friday, April 17, at Aberporth Village Hall.

Organisers say the event will focus on two main issues: Ceredigion County Council’s draft plans to use drones for surveillance, and the continued use of Aberporth by private weapons companies.

Campaigners are questioning why the council believes drone surveillance is needed, pointing to figures they say show anti-social behaviour in Ceredigion is ranked very low. They are asking the authority to explain what evidence it has to justify the use of drones to monitor communities.

They also argue that the council’s consultation on its proposed UAV drone policy did not provide enough detail for residents and businesses to give properly informed responses.

Among the questions they want answered are where any alleged anti-social behaviour hotspots are, how many drones the council plans to use, what type they will be, which companies may supply them, and who will be responsible for training remote pilots.

West Wales Against Arms says the consultation, which ran over the Christmas period, was lacking in clear answers and concrete information, and argues that this should be a matter of concern for people living and working in the county.

The meeting will also look at wider activity linked to Aberporth and West Wales Airport. The group says Tekever, which supplies surveillance drones to the Home Office, has opened a UAV pilot school at the airport this year. It also raises concerns over Tekever’s work with QinetiQ, which runs MOD Aberporth, through the DroneWorks programme aimed at allowing more businesses to use the site for testing drone and weapons-related technology.

Organisers say the meeting will build on what they describe as productive discussions at earlier events and will give local residents the chance to raise concerns and question decision-makers directly.

Ceredigion County Council representatives have been invited to attend, including councillors Bryan Davies, Gethin Davies and Clive Davies, along with the council’s Partnership Manager and Corporate Lead Officer.

West Wales Against Arms says all members of the public are welcome.

WELSH CONSERVATIVE candidates for Ceredigion Penfro, Paul Davies and Samuel Kurtz, have called for greater backing for pubs and the wider hospitality sector after visiting The Ship Aground in Dinas Cross.

During the visit, they met staff and customers to hear first-hand about the pressures facing local pubs, including rising costs and the impact of the business rates multiplier following the latest revaluation, which has brought new calculations into force this month.

They said the figures underline the importance of the sector to the local economy. Across Mid and South Pembrokeshire, there are 162 pubs and five breweries, contributing £57 million to the economy and supporting 1,175 jobs. Across Ceredigion Penfro, 161 pubs and five breweries support 1,800 jobs and contribute £59 million.

Speaking after the visit, Mr Davies said: “Pubs are at the heart of communities across Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion. They support local jobs, bring people together and play a huge role in our tourism economy.

“These figures show just how important the sector is, but landlords are telling us the pressure is intensifying, with the business rates system hitting them particularly hard at a time when costs are already high.”

Mr Kurtz said his Best Local Pub competition had shown how valued pubs are by local communities.

“I’ve seen that first-hand through my Best Local Pub competition, which I’ve been running for the past few years,” he said. “It has highlighted just how much these businesses mean to their communities and how important they are to local tourism and community life.

“But I’m also hearing real concern from businesses more broadly. At a recent business rates roundtable Paul and I hosted, with around 150 local businesses on the call, there was significant concern about the impact of the revaluation and the extra pressure it could place on already stretched firms.”

Following the meeting, the pair, both former Members of the Senedd for Preseli Pembrokeshire and South Pembrokeshire respectively, renewed calls for the Welsh Government to review business rates and provide additional support for the sector.

Mr Kurtz said recent action by the Welsh Government was welcome, but did not go far enough.

“The recent confirmation of an additional £8 million to extend relief for hospitality businesses is welcome and will provide eligible ratepayers with 15 per cent relief for 2026-27, subject to a £110,000 cap across Wales,” he said.

“However, for many pubs and hospitality businesses facing rising costs, this will not go far enough.”

The Welsh Conservatives say they would take a different approach, including scrapping business rates for pubs altogether as part of wider support for the hospitality trade.

Mr Kurtz added: “We also want to see targeted support for tourism and hospitality businesses that recognises their importance to rural economies like ours.

“We need a longer-term solution that properly supports the sector and recognises the vital role it plays in our local economy, tourism industry and community life.”

Both candidates warned that without further action, more hospitality businesses could struggle to survive.

Mr Davies said: “If we want to keep our pubs thriving, we need to ease the burden on them now and give them the support they need to grow.

“This is about protecting jobs, supporting tourism and backing local communities. Our pubs are a vital part of what makes this area special, and they deserve our support.”

Photo caption:

Paul Davies, Samuel Kurtz and Brian Murphy with the owner of The Ship Aground in Dinas Cross.

Extra patrols in town as police continue hunt for answers after shocking railway station violence

BRITISH TRANSPORT POLICE say their investigation into the violent disorder at Tenby railway station is moving forward quickly, with five people now arrested in connection with the incident.

Four teenagers, aged between 13 and 17, were injured when violence broke out at the station late on Tuesday, April 7. All were taken to hospital, but police said their injuries were not life-threatening.

The incident, which sent shockwaves through the town, happened at around 9.50pm and involved a number of youths. The injured teenagers are understood to be from the Pembroke area.

Two people — a 16-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man — were first arrested following the disorder. Officers have since confirmed that both were released on bail while enquiries continue.

A further three teenagers were later detained on Thursday, April 9 on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and violent disorder. They too have been bailed pending further investigation.

Police have stressed that the case remains active and that officers are continuing to gather evidence.

British Transport Police Superintendent Jonathon Cooze said officers were aware of the alarm caused by the violence and said more patrols would be seen in the area.

He said: “We know this incident has caused significant concern in Tenby and further afield, and I want to reassure the public that detectives are working hard to establish exactly what happened.

“We have now made five arrests in total, and enquiries are continuing at pace.

“We would still like to hear from anyone who saw the incident, or who may have information about the events leading up to it.”

Anyone with information is being asked to contact British Transport Police by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference 916 of April 7.

Officers are continuing to work alongside Dyfed-Powys Police, Transport for Wales and other agencies as part of the response.

The incident has renewed concern about knife violence involving young people in Pembrokeshire.