News

Big welcome for new NFU adviser

Published

12 years ago

January 23, 2014

RACHEL -, a farmer’s wife from Trecastle, has been appointed as the Environment/Rural Affairs Adviser at the NFU Cymru headquarters, Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells.

Rachel is a partner in a 270-acre hill farm with hill rights along with her husband and three children. They keep sheep and are building up a suckler herd of Welsh Black cattle. Rachel comes to NFU Cymru with significant experience in the agricultural industry and has joined them from Menter a Busnes where she was the Development Manager for the Farming Connect Knowledge Transfer Programme. She has a BSc in Environmental Management and a Post Graduate Certificate in European Rural Development.

The Environment/Rural Affairs Adviser role is a new position in NFU Cymru and will allow greater resource to be dedicated to this increasingly important area.

Rachel will take the lead for NFU Cymru on RDP Wales and the various schemes that will run under the next RDP as well as on all Environment related issues in Wales. Rachel will be NFU Cymru’s main contact for engagement with Natural Resources Wales and with other statutory and non-statutory bodies involved with environmental and rural policy formulation and implementation.

Commenting on her new appointment, Rachel said, “This is an exciting time in my career and I am very much looking forward to working for NFU Cymru. Environmental issues are of increasing importance to farmers and I hope to represent members’ interests and lobby effectively whilst keeping them up-to-date and informed of the latest developments.”

Welcoming Rachel to the team, Mary James, NFU Cymru Director, said, “I would like to welcome Rachel to the organisation. Rachel has a wealth of practical farming experience which combined with her knowledge and understanding of environmental and rural matters will place NFU Cymru in good stead for dealing with some really big issues that are on the horizon such as the next Rural Development Plan for Wales and a further review of Glastir.”

News

Hakin motorist banned after driving 14 times over drug limit

Published

13 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A HAKIN motorist has been banned from driving for three years after being caught behind the wheel with cocaine and benzoylecgonine in his system.

Mark Briskham, 53, of Waterloo Square, Wellington Road, Hakin, was stopped by police on January 5 as he drove a Ford Kuga along Steynton Road, near Milford Haven.

Blood tests carried out at the police station showed he had 800mcg of benzoylecgonine in his system. The legal limit is 50mcg.

He also had 64mcg of cocaine in his system. The legal limit is 10mcg.

Briskham pleaded guilty to two drug-driving charges when he appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

Magistrates disqualified him from driving for three years, taking into account a previous drug-drive conviction from 2020.

He was also fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 surcharge.cr

Crime

Begelly man remanded over alleged May Day assault

Published

13 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A PEMBROKESHIRE man has been remanded in custody following an alleged May Day assault against a woman in Begelly.

Tomas Baker, 34, of Ty Dee, New Road, Begelly, is accused of assaulting the woman, causing actual bodily harm, at an undisclosed location in Begelly on May 1.

Baker appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week by video link from Swansea Prison.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

His trial will take place at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on June 22.

Crime

Waterston man denies child rape and sexual assault charges

Published

13 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A WATERSTON man has appeared before magistrates charged with 13 sexual offences against children, including three allegations of raping a girl under the age of 13.

Chaisee Price, 25, of Biggins Hill, Waterston, Milford Haven, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

He faces three charges of raping a girl under 13, eight charges of sexually assaulting girls aged between five and eight, and two charges of intentionally inciting girls under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between 2014 and 2019.

Price denied all charges.

Because of the seriousness of the allegations, magistrates declined jurisdiction and the case will now proceed to Swansea Crown Court on July 10.

Price was released on conditional bail.

The conditions include a daily electronically monitored curfew between 6:00pm and 6:00am, no contact with the prosecution witness, no unsupervised contact with children under 18, and a requirement to surrender his passport to police.