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Sort pub or ‘lives could be lost’, say police

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lives could be lostCOUNCILLORS deciding the future of the Alma Hotel in Milford Haven on Wednesday failed to reach an immediate decision on the future of the troubled premises.

Dyfed Powys Police had requested a review of the premises licence following a series of incidents, which they say makes the Alma the worst out of 900 licensed premises in the force area.

At the start of the Licensing Sub-Committee meeting on Wednesday, David Lloyd, a barrister and County Councillor for St. David’s asked the chairman, Cllr David James, if he could make an application to represent Alma manger Debbie Haughey. After consulting the legal advisor the chairman told Cllr Lloyd that he would not be allowed to represent Ms. Haughey.

Cllr. Lloyd told the committee: “I am bitterly disappointed” before leaving the room.

The council legal advisor had said that despite the hearing being about Ms. Haughey’s pub she was not ‘a party to the proceedings’ as she had not made any written submissions before December 5, 2013.

However, Ms. Haughey remained at the table and was eventually allowed to speak, albeit unrepresented, after a change of heart by the chairman. First to speak was Police licensing officer, Nigel Hayes, who told the licensing committee: “In my written submission to you today there is a large number of incidents recorded. Some are irrelevant, some are hoax calls, but some will be relevant.

“We are here today because as a concerned party, we are entitled to ask for a review of the licence of the Alma for the good of the community. This review is called in the interest of the prevention of crime and disorder, protection of children and the protection of persons from harm”.

‘Worst pub’ in the force area

Nigel Hayes continued: “There is indisputable evidence of a high level of crime at the Alma. There have been 29 arrests in the last two years and 26 of these have been for violence. We have identified 16 individual victims of crime. There have been 34 999 calls. And in one incident, Debbie Haughey withdrew her door staff, closed the door and allowed victims and attackers to get on with it.

“In one incident, 12 police vehicles were deployed to the premises, which proved a huge commitment of police resources. We believe that there is underage drinking, admittedly, there have been no prosecutions. The reason for this is that the number of reports have been made some time after the event. There has been little engagement by Debbie Haughey.

“In one incident, a 16-year-old girl was found to be serving behind the bar and appeared to be in charge of the premises. But Debbie Haughey is the designated premises supervisor, and she has responsibilities. She has though been obstructive when dealing with the police. The attitude of Debbie Haughey has been uncooperative, and it is my submission that she has failed to recognise the licensing objectives.

“There are 900 premises with a licence, but the one above the radar for the police is the Alma. In fact, a further incident involving the premises took place just 36 hours before this formal review. You can put up a smoke screen, but there comes a point when you reach saturation point. There is a real problem with the Alma, and this is causing problems to the community, the police and the health board.”

‘Lives could be lost’

Nigel Hayes read out a report written by the Chief Inspector of Pembrokeshire which said:

“The Alma has a history of long and persistent abuse of the licensing laws. The Alma is not a large establishment, but instead a thorn in the side of the police. I fear lives could be lost if the situation remains unchanged. Many individuals said when in contact with the police they had been drinking in the Alma as late as 4 or 5pm”.

The licensing committee were then shown a video of a young man and woman dancing on top of the bar at the Alma in a sexually provocative way to loud music.

Afterwards, Nigel Hayes said: “I have been a police officer for 31 years and I have never heard of this kind of behaviour being tolerated at a bar. The options here today are to close the bar down, remove the current designated premises supervisor or to change the profile of the premises to reduce the hours of operation”.

Councillor John Brinsden asked the police licensing officer if there were any problems before Debbie Haughey took over the premises. He also asked how the Alma compared to other pubs in Milford Haven. Councillor Brinsden also wanted to know if there had been an improvement since the licence was put up for review last year. Mr Hayes called on Sergeant James to answer the committee.

Sergeant James said: “Dealing with the Alma has been the worst experience of my life as an operational officer. I have seen drunken louts having to be picked up off the street. They often make reference to the Alma. I am born and bred in Milford haven. The Alma has never been like this before”.

Milford Haven man Terry Page made representations to the Councillors regarding his experience with the Alma.

He said: “My partner used to work at the pub, and was attacked one night after she had finished her shift. She was attacked by two girls who came from the premises and the landlady was heard telling her door staff to leave it and I tried to break up the fight.

“I am positive that one of the girls had taken something, I cannot possibly say whether it had been on the premises or not, but I have seen many drunk people in my time and they do not act like that.

“When the police arrived at our home to speak to us, we were told that one of the girls that had attacked my partner was 16 years of age. I had found it to be a good pub and it used to be very respectable. I have not been there since as I am completely disgusted.

“My partner had also found a new job at South Hook LNG, though could not work because of the injuries she had and lost her job. One of the injuries that she had suffered included chunks of her hair being pulled out and cuts to her head”.

Alma ‘damaging business’,

says Frankies Bar. The manageress of Frankie’s Bar, Charles Street, which is in close proximity to The Alma, made representations to the licensing committee that her business had been adversely affected by the Alma.

Miss Becky Onisiforou told Councillors: “People who have been there sometimes come to us covered in blood having been fighting in the Alma”.

Her partner, Michael McGuiness said: “Debbie Haughey’s partner came to our pub and threatened us. He said that if the Alma was to lose its licence, he would kill us. He had been told that we had made hoax calls about the Alma, but most of what he had been told was untrue. We cannot understand how a premises can have so many incidents – it is affecting our business as well”.

Miss Onisiforou added: “People are not coming out as much now, Milford is a lot quieter because of the Alma. People aren’t going to the night club because they know they can stay at the Alma late and they don’t want to be involved with what happens in Milford Haven. It’s not about going for a drink and having a laugh any more”.

After breaking for lunch, for the committee moved into private session, where the representatives from Brain’s, Mr. Matthew Phipps of TLT Solicitors and Mr. Ross Matthews, area manager for Brains, went through the police incident reports one by one.

Mr Phipps told the committee that Brain’s had an estate of around 250 public houses, and that they have never had a licence revoked. They were a large professional organisation, and there had only been one review of a licence concerning a CCTV system which had become faulty, but was later fixed.

Mr. Phipps made representations to the committee that now Brains were aware of the problem, an organisation of their size, would not have any problems turning the premises around.

Revocation a nuclear option

Mr Phipps pointed out that in the national guidelines the police authority should contact the licensee of the premises if there was a problem to enter into dialogue so that improvements could be made. In this case, the police, he said, had applied for a review as a first step.

Mr Phipps continued: “I don’t think that we are at the stage where we have to use the nuclear option to revoke the licence. A revocation at this point, where the licensee has not had a chance to improve the premises would only be reserved for the most serious cases such as a pub selling firearms or harbouring a paedophile ring”

The committee will now decide over the next five working days if the licence should be revoked, if the premises should operate with reduced opening hours or if Debbie Haughey should be removed as the manager of the premises.

“90% of all violent incidents happened after midnight”, the police licensing officer said.

 

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Business

Trains resume between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock as works end

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TRAIN services resumed this morning (Thursday 28 March) after ten days of essential round-the-clock work to upgrade track and drainage between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock.

The railway was closed from Monday 18 March to Wednesday 27 March to allow Network Rail teams to replace more than 200 metres of track and 300 tonnes of ballast (track stones) between Pembroke station and Pembroke Dock.

Work to improve the drainage between Narbeth and Kilgetty stations was also completed at the same time.

Nick Millington, Network Rail Wales and Borders route director, said: “This essential work in Pembrokeshire demonstrates our commitment to improving the reliability of the service we provide to passengers along our route.

“We know that replacing the track can be disruptive and very noisy, so I would like to thank the residents of Pembroke for their patience while our team carried out this crucial work.”

Colin Lea, Planning and Performance Director at Transport for Wales said: “We’re pleased that our colleagues in Network Rail have completed this essential work and that Transport for Wales rail services resumed today.

“We’d like to thank passengers for their patience while this work has progressed and look forward to welcoming passengers back in time for the Easter weekend.”

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Welsh Water has increased sewage discharges into waterways ‘by 40%’

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NEW figures released by the Environment Agency have shown that Dwr Cymru discharged sewage into waterways for a staggering 23,354 hours last year, a 40% increase on 2022. 

The Welsh Liberal Democrats are now calling for tougher action against sewage dumping in Welsh waterways.

The party has also called for a halt on bonuses for water company bosses whose firms have dumped sewage into waterways.

Conservative MPs have consistently voted against measures which would have helped to tackle the crisis.

The Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds MS said: “It is a complete scandal that filthy sewage is being pumped into our nation’s rivers and waterways without consequence.

“It’s beggars’ belief that both the UK Conservative Government and the Welsh Labour government are allowing water firms to get away with this environmental vandalism.

“We as a party are calling for tougher action to stop sewage being dumped in local waterways. We have also called for a halt on bonuses for water company fat cats whose firms have pumped filth into our waterways.”

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New bus services announced by Pembrokeshire County Council

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A NUMBER of changes to local bus services will be introduced in the coming weeks as a result of a shake up to bus funding. 

From April 2024, the funding which has been provided directly to bus operators by the Welsh Government to keep services going in the wake of the Covid pandemic will cease. 

Additional funding will instead be provided to Local Authorities to support their local bus network.

In total, Pembrokeshire County Council and the Welsh Government will provide over £3million in support for bus services in Pembrokeshire during the coming year.

As part of this process, all Pembrokeshire’s local bus services have been re-tendered. 

A public consultation, receiving over 300 responses, helped to inform decisions about which services should be prioritised. 

Councillor Rhys Sinnett, Pembrokeshire County Council Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services said: “I am delighted to be able to report that we are able to maintain the whole of Pembrokeshire’s current local bus network in the coming year.

“We have also secured key improvements such as reinstating an hourly service on the 349 route between Haverfordwest and Tenby via Pembroke Dock, and the popular Strumble Shuttle and Puffin Shuttle coastal bus services during the summer.”

The changes will also see two key services, the 302 Haverfordwest to Milford Haven and 349 Haverfordwest to Tenby via Pembroke Dock, brought under Council oversight for the first time. 

This will give the Council greater oversight of service operations and fares.  Pembrokeshire residents will also benefit from a new fare structure on all First Cymru services, due to be introduced from 1 April 2024. 

This will use Tap On Tap Off to allow passengers to pay the cheapest fare depending on the number of journeys they make or distance travelled, and will cap the maximum adult fare at £3 single and £5.40 return. 

More information about these fares can be found on the First Cymru website

A number of additional service changes and improvements are being considered for introduction during the course of the coming year in response to feedback received from the public consultation.  

The following bus service changes have been confirmed:

From 23 March 2024:

  • The Celtic Coaster (403) on the St Davids peninsular will restart for the 2024 season on Saturday 23 March and will run until Sunday 29 September. This is an hourly service, increasing to half-hourly during the whitsun half term and school summer holidays. There will be no service departing Caerfai Road at 13.00 and 13.30.
  • The 351 (Tenby to Pendine via Amroth) will return to its summer timetable.

From 1 April 2024

  • An hourly service will return on the 349 (Haverfordwest to Tenby via Pembroke Dock) service (April to September only).
  • The 356 (Milford Haven to Monkton) service will no longer call at Waterston and Hazelbeach due to operational issues caused by the narrow lanes in this area. The Fflecsi service will still be available.
  • A Saturday service, between 07:30 and 18:30, will be reintroduced in the Fflecsi Mid Pembrokeshire zone (formerly known as Bwcabus). This zone covers the area between Letterston, Crymych, Clunderwen and Wiston.  Passengers can also travel from this zone to Fishguard and Haverfordwest. 
  • The 302 (Haverfordwest to Milford Haven) and 349 (Haverfordwest to Tenby via Pembroke Dock) services operated by First Cymru will come under Pembrokeshire County Council control, giving the Council greater oversight of service operations and fares.
  • The 322 (Haverfordwest to Carmarthen) and 381 (Haverfordwest to Tenby via Narberth) services will be run by First Cymru. The 322 timetable will remain the same. The 381 timetable will remain the same from Haverfordwest to Tenby but journeys from Tenby to Haverfordwest will depart slightly earlier (37 past the hour instead of 45).
  • The X22 and X61 services which provided journeys at the start and end of the day between Pembroke Dock and Kilgetty, and Pembroke Dock and Haverfordwest will be withdrawn.
  • The 410 (Fishguard Town) and T11 (Haverfordwest to Fishguard via St Davids) services will be operated on a commercial (T11 part commercial) basis by Richards Bros. An improved connection with the ferry at Fishguard Harbour will be provided at 12.30.

From 19 May 2024

  • The Tenby Coaster service between Tenby and Saundersfoot will return for the summer season.

From 25 May 2024

  • The 400 Puffin Shuttle and 404 Strumble Shuttle services will return to the coast between Marloes and St Davids, and St Davids and Fishguard. These services will operate 7 days a week until 29 September 2024.  The Fflecsi service is also available in this area throughout the year.
  • The 387/388 Coastal Cruiser service around the Angle Peninsula will also return to its summer timetable, operating 7 days a week until 29th September 2024.

Further information about all Pembrokeshire bus services can be found on the Council’s website.

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