News

St Davids: New RNLI station opened

Published

9 years ago

October 21, 2016

The St Davids RNLI lifeboat crew outside the old lifeboat station,which has seen lifeboats launch since 1912 (pic. Lyndon Lomax)

ST DAVIDS RNLI have ushered in a new chapter in their proud 147-year lifesaving history today (October 21) on an emotional day for crew members past and present.

The current lifeboat crew are delighted to move into their new £10m station at St Justinian’s, which has just been declared fully operational after intensive launch testing. The state-of-the-art building in one of the most remote corners of the Welsh coast took more than two years to construct and will now be the launch base for the station’s £2.7M Tamar class lifeboat and the smaller inshore lifeboat.

But today is also a day of reflection as volunteer lifeboat crew past and present say goodbye to the beloved Tyne class lifeboat Garside as it launches down the old station slipway for the final time. Garside first arrived on station in 1988 and in its 28 years of service has launched 343 times to emergencies at sea. Its crews have saved 79 lives and rescued 35 people.

Today crew from across the lifespan of the lifeboat – some of whom have been crew members for the entirety of its service – will take to the water to watch the final launch and say farewell to the stalwart lifesaving vessel.

St Davids RNLI’s Tyne class lifeboat Garside’s crew waving goodbye after the boat’s final launch this morning. (pic. Lyndon Lomax)

It will also be the final time a lifeboat launches from the historic former lifeboat station in St Justinian’s, which has stood since 1912 and seen generations of crews pass down the slipway to save lives at sea.

St Davids RNLI Coxswain Dai John, who recently won a long-service award for his 30 years on the crew, said: “Crew members have come and gone, but Garside has been a consistent and reliable presence here for almost three decades.

“Every member of the crew will have their memories of her, whether it’s their first shout, the endless scrubbing to keep her pristine or a memorable rescue. Naturally we are all sad to see her go.

“But from today we will be looking forward and the new lifeboat and the new station and facilities mean we will be able to save lives at sea for many more years to come.”

The remote location of the new station posed many challenges for main building contractor BAM Nuttall, both in terms of access for plant and equipment and the unpredictable sea and weather conditions. The seaward part of the works were constructed using a large jack-up barge, whilst the landward foundation works and construction of the boathouse were serviced from the land using a 70m reach tower-crane. Wherever practical, materials were brought in by sea to minimise the effects on the narrow access roads.

As well as the slipway for the Tamar class lifeboat, the new boathouse has additional space to accommodate the smaller D-class inshore lifeboat. Its facilities include a drying room for kit and better provision for crew training and equipment maintenance. There is better access to the station, which is important for the delivery of equipment and, more importantly, for the evacuation of casualties brought in by the lifeboat

Paul Eastment, RNLI Divisional Operations Manager, said: “This is a proud day for St Davids RNLI. Everyone involved in the project has put in a tremendous amount of hard work to get to where we are today.

“The former lifeboat station has stood for more than a century and the exposure to the rigors of the sea and the need to house the new 25-knot Tamar class lifeboat meant a new boathouse and slipway was needed.

“The new facilities will support the operation of the St Davids lifeboats well into the 21st century, contributing to the saving of many more lives and building upon the long and proud record of the brave lifeboat crews who have served this challenging part of the coastline for almost 150 years.’

Local people chipped in to support the new station project and the community arm of the fundraising appeal exceeded all expectations, raising over £214,000 towards the costs of the project. Welsh sporting stars Ian Walsh and Gerald Davies fronted the community appeal and the biggest bequest – a surprise £80,000 donation – was received in memory of the late Captain Bleddyn James by his sister Miss Ella.

Dai John said: “We would like to thank the local community, both for their overwhelming support via the fundraising appeal, and their patience and understanding during the period of construction.”

News

Vote.wales: Information website launched to give people voting confidence

Published

6 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Vote.wales to host all essential election information for the Senedd election

A BRAND new voter information website, vote.wales, has been launched today (2 March) by the Electoral Management Board for Wales, part of the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru.

Vote.wales is the first website of its kind in Wales and tells people everything they need to know about the election, including advice about voting, information about the Senedd, and a postcode search function to provide tailored local information.

The website holds information about who can register to vote, how voting works in polling stations, as well as postal and proxy voting, and what accessibility support people can expect when they go to vote.

A postcode search function on vote.wales allows voters to see which of Wales’ 16 new constituencies they will be voting in, as well as telling them where their local polling station is located.

Once nominations have closed, the website will also inform voters which political parties and independent candidates are standing in their area.

The website explains how the Senedd works and what it does, highlighting which policy areas are devolved to the Senedd and which remain the responsibility of the UK Parliament. It also sets out the difference between the Senedd and the Welsh Government.

Further developments are expected in the coming weeks. In a first for Welsh elections, voters will soon be able to access detailed accessibility information about their local polling station. Political parties and independent candidates will also be able to publish their election leaflets on the platform, so voters can see not only who is standing but what they stand for.

Following the election, vote.wales will publish the full election results.

Commenting on the launch, Shereen Williams MBE OStJ, Chief Executive of the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru, said:

“An important election is coming on 7 May, and vote.wales is the place to go to find out all about it.

“We know that people across Wales are looking forward to making their voices heard at this election, but many people don’t feel they have all the information they need before they go and vote.

“If you have questions about this election, then head to vote.wales. Voting confidence starts here.”

Crime

Pencoed: Assault victim dies and murder investigation launched

Published

10 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Tom Sinclair

THE POLICE investigation into the serious incident which happened on Felindre Road, Pencoed, in the early hours of Saturday, February 28, is now being treated as murder.

We can confirm the 58-year-old man who was critical in hospital passed away earlier today – his family are being supported by specially trained officers at this time, and our thoughts are with them.

The Major Crime Investigation Team at South Wales Police is now leading the investigation, and the 26-year-old man arrested remains in police custody.

Detectives investigating the incident are appealing to anyone who may have been in the vicinity of Felindre Road, Pencoed, between midnight and 5am on Saturday to get in touch.

Motorists are urged to their check dashcams for any footage which may be relevant.

Detectives would like to speak to two potential witnesses – two elderly people who are believed to have walked along Felindre Road between 12.30am and 4am on Saturday.

Detective Inspector Graham Williams, from the Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “Sadly, a 58-year-old man has died in hospital following the incident on Saturday morning. Our thoughts are with his family at this time and they are being supported. I would like to reassure the local community that we have somebody in custody and are not looking for anybody else at this time. I thank everyone in the community who has helped our investigation so far, and I urge anyone with information which may be relevant to our investigation – particularly the two potential witnesses – to get in touch.”

If anybody does have information, they should contact 101 quoting reference 2600063517. Alternatively, they can submit information via the Major Incident Public – https://mipp.police.uk/operation/62SWP26C30-PO1

Crime

School lockdown lifted after telephone threat as police continue enquiries

Published

11 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Tom Sinclair

PUPILS and staff at Maesydderwen Comprehensive School in Ystradgynlais were released safely on Monday afternoon (Mar 2) after a lockdown was implemented following a reported telephone threat.

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed officers were called to the school earlier in the day and worked with staff to ensure the safety of everyone on site. As a precaution, the school activated its lockdown procedure while enquiries were carried out.

Police said there were no reports of injuries and that all pupils and staff were safe and secure throughout the incident.

Officers remain at the scene while “diligent enquiries” into the threat continue. At this stage, no arrests have been made, and police have confirmed there is no evidence of any ongoing risk to pupils or staff.

Reassurance patrols will take place in the coming days to support pupils, staff, parents and the wider community.

Parents and guardians will continue to receive updates directly through the school messaging app, including confirmation on whether the school will open as normal on Tuesday.

Maesydderwen Comprehensive School is located in Ystradgynlais, Powys, and is served by Dyfed-Powys Police.