News
‘If we are in, we are open’

IT IS a priority for the Dyfed-Powys Police Chief Constable and the Police and Crime Commissioner to ensure that the public know how, where and when they can contact their local police, and both are committed to promoting and improving our accessibility to communities.
The public can access the police in their local community and there are several ways of contacting the police, in person at local meetings/briefings or by visiting a station, or by dialling 101 and asking to speak to the local neighbourhood team.
You can also find your nearest police station on the force smartphone app. Each station and mobile station is plotted on a map of the force area.
Residents can keep up to date with what is going on locally online by putting in their post code or choosing their local area. You can find out who is in your local team, what residents have asked them to tackle in each community as well as the work they have undertaken to deal with each issue.
You can also download newsletters with the latest statistics for crimes and incidents in the community.
All this information is available on the Dyfed Powys smartphone app that is available for iPhones and androids from the app store and google play search for Dyfed Powys Police.
Chief Constable Simon Prince said, “It is really important to us that people can access their local officers, in particular in our more rural communities. What makes this part of Wales so beautiful, also brings the biggest challenges the geography.
“We have listened to the public, and we have reviewed our police stations and mobile police stations, and whilst we want officers to be out and about in communities, we also recognise that people will want to visit them in our stations. This is why we have taken a new approach to our opening hours. If we are in the station, and we are free to meet people then we will. People have told me that they know when they can call into the station as the police car is outside and they can see officers there. Now we will make sure that if this is the case, then the door is open.
“We know that people will dial 999 if they need our help in an emergency, but our role is wider than that. It is about helping people to feel safe as well as be safe. Knowing how to contact us when it isn’t so urgent is all part of this.
“We have the 101 phone number where you can reach your local neighbourhood team as well as regular local meetings with the neighbourhood teams in communities. We are also improving the way people can keep up to date with local work being undertaken, initiatives to prevent crime and statistics about crime in their areas through our website, community newsletters and via our free smartphone app.”
Inspector Craig Templeton said: “We are here to help people feel safe and to deal with issues and concerns that matter in communities. We want people to be able to contact us in a way that is suitable and convenient for them. We know that this means different things for different people, so we are working to offer a range of ways for people to get in touch with us. Information will be available in each community that says where the nearest station and mobiles stations are, as well as the time, date and locations of meetings or briefings on our website and through our social media channels.”
Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner Christopher Salmon said:
“I’m confident the people of Dyfed-Powys will warmly welcome this initiative by our police force.
“Enhanced access to policing services is a priority of my strategic Police and Crime Plan; the public can now be confident of having clear lines of communication with officers.
“Good access to the police is vital for community confidence. Knowing that officers are there when you need them and being able to contact them in a way that meets your needs offers community reassurance.”
Community
£5.25m Welsh Government funding to benefit unpaid carers

UNPAID carers in Wales will continue to receive additional support to take well-earned breaks from their caring role, Minister for Children and Social Care, Dawn Bowden has said.
The Minister has also confirmed funding is being made available to continue support for carers on low incomes to buy essential items.
The Short Breaks Scheme and Carers Support Fund will receive £3.5m and £1.75m respectively for 2025/26 from the Welsh Government.
These schemes are in addition to the duties that local authorities are under to provide appropriate support for carers.
The Short Breaks Scheme is on track to deliver, or exceed, the target of 30,000 additional short break opportunities by March 2025. Its extension will continue to help unpaid carers in Wales take breaks from their responsibilities to support their wellbeing.
The funding can be used, for example, for short holidays, activity days and cinema trips. It can also support carers in pursuing a hobby or sport.
Recent findings suggest only 14% of the adult carers who have benefitted from the scheme had also accessed a break from elsewhere in the last 12 months, demonstrating the crucial role it is playing. 80% of those benefitting from the scheme are providing more than 50 hours of care a week.
The Carers Support Fund provides emergency financial support for unpaid carers of all ages on low incomes to pay for essential items. This could be food, a household item or a utility bill. In addition, the fund also provides information to help people manage finances and ensure they are claiming all benefits and entitlements.
Almost half of unpaid carers accessing the schemes in the past three years were not previously known to services and so the schemes show the significant added value as a gateway to other forms of support.
Minister for Children and Social Care, Dawn Bowden said: “Unpaid carers play a crucial role in providing care for their family members and friends.
“I am delighted we are providing funding for the coming year to help more unpaid carers take short breaks as there is good evidence they can have a big impact on wellbeing.
“We also know many unpaid carers experience financial pressures because of their caring role and the Carers Support Fund will continue to provide crucial additional assistance for carers on low incomes.”
Carers Trust Director for Wales, Kate Cubbage, said: “We’ve heard from thousands of unpaid carers that the Short Breaks Scheme has given them their first access to a break from caring and that grants through the Carers Support Fund have been essential to keep food on the table and heat in their homes.
“These programmes are needed now more than ever, as costs rise and our partners in health and social care face increasing pressures. Our colleagues in statutory services tell us that modest investments in these transformative programmes make a difference to sustaining carers in their vital caring role and prevent the need for further intervention from acute services.
“As the National Coordinating Body for the Short Breaks Scheme and the organisation leading delivery of the Carers Support Fund, Carers Trust welcomes Welsh Government’s commitment to safeguarding these vital programmes with an assurance of funding for another year.
“This funding will enable local carer organisations and delivery partners to reach thousands more unpaid carers with a much-needed break from caring and with protection from the sharpest end of poverty into 2026.”
News
Simon Hart’s memoir reveals inside story of Westminster chaos

SIMON HART, the former MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, is set to lift the lid on the political turmoil of recent years with his new book, Ungovernable: The Political Diaries of a Chief Whip, due for release on February 27, 2025.
The memoir promises a rare, behind-the-scenes account of life inside the Conservative government during one of its most chaotic periods. Hart, who served as Chief Whip under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, provides an unfiltered look at the party’s internal struggles, resignations, and public controversies that rocked Westminster between 2019 and 2024.

From power to crisis
Having first been elected in 2010, Hart represented South Pembrokeshire and parts of Carmarthenshire for over a decade before boundary changes saw him lose his seat in 2024. His political career saw him rise to the role of Secretary of State for Wales under Boris Johnson before taking on the crucial but often misunderstood position of Chief Whip in Sunak’s government.
In Ungovernable, Hart describes how he witnessed the Conservative Party unravel from a position of strength to electoral vulnerability. He provides firsthand insight into the party’s inner workings, dealing with rebellious MPs, scandal-ridden colleagues, and the battle to maintain discipline within the government.
Westminster’s scandals and secrets
Among the most revealing aspects of the book are Hart’s accounts of the defection of Conservative MPs to Labour, the fallout from Liz Truss’s 49-day premiership, and the struggles to manage a party fractured by Brexit, infighting, and scandal. He details the dramatic moments that saw fifteen Tory MPs leave their seats under his tenure, including high-profile figures such as Nadine Dorries, whose controversial resignation caused months of political tension, and Matt Hancock, suspended after his infamous appearance on I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here.
Hart also delves into Lee Anderson’s suspension over inflammatory remarks about the London Mayor, and the internal battles over government policies, leadership, and media spin.

Praise for an insider’s account
The book has already attracted attention from senior political figures. Rory Stewart, former MP and political commentator, described it as “a remarkable insight into a critical moment”, while Michael Dobbs, author of House of Cards, praised Hart’s blunt honesty, calling it a “balls-up-to-break-down account of how the Tories managed to fall flat on their faces”.
For Pembrokeshire readers, Ungovernable provides a unique perspective from a local politician who operated at the very heart of Westminster’s power struggles. Whether a supporter or critic of his time in office, Simon Hart’s memoir promises to be a fascinating and controversial account of one of the most dramatic chapters in modern British politics.
Community
Port issue warning over damage to Milford Beach access route

THE PORT of Milford Haven has issued a warning regarding a wall collapse on the hot water slip access to Milford Beach.
Residents and visitors are urged to stay clear of the affected area and avoid using this access route while investigations and repairs are carried out.
Please share this message to help ensure public safety.
Thank you.
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