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Microlight pilot escapes from Cleddau crash

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Pulled out: The microlight was visible in the water

A MICROLIGHT aircraft crashed into the River Cleddau last Thursday (Mar 9), however there were no serious injuries as the pilot luckily escaped the aircraft and reached the shore.

Angle RNLI said on their Facebook page: “The ALB launched at 17.54 to reports of a Microlight aircraft that had crashed into the water, off Rudders Boatyard, Burton.

“Also responding to this incident was a local Range Safety vessel, Dyfed- Powys Police, Ambulance, Coastguard Rescue Officers and two leisure craft.

“Whilst arriving on scene, we were informed that the single occupant had swum to the shore adjacent to Burton and transferred to Rudders Boatyard by a local RIB.

“The Y Boat was launched and two crew went ashore to gather more information whilst the paramedics were assessing the casualty. As no assistance was needed ashore, the Y Boat searched the shoreline whilst the ALB searched the main channel for any debris.

“With no sightings, the Y Boat was recovered and the ALB returned to station at 19.20.”

A spokesperson for Dyfed-Powys Police said: “Police were called at approximately 5.50pm on Thursday 9th March 2007 to a report of a microlight having entered the River Cleddau in the Burton area of Milford Haven.

“The man had already left the water on police arrival. The AAIB has been informed.”

Alastair Pollard of Rudders Boatyard was involved in the rescue of the pilot.

He told The Herald: “At 5.42pm, Keith Allen who lives by the river at Jenkins Point and has one of the moorings that we maintain for him, called to ask if I had just seen the microlight crash into the Haven, just below the overhead power lines.

“I said that I had not as I was just finishing off some repairs in our boatshed. He explained what had just happened and I said I would immediately launch our inflatable boat and see if I could help the pilot.

“As I made for our boat another customer of ours, Jamie Boha who has a yacht wintered ashore here was standing on the hammerhead, already in contact with the coastguard via his mobile. He said he saw the microlight hit the water and flip over at least once as it went in.

“Miraculously the pilot still looked to be afloat although by now there was no sign of the microlight. While launching our rescue boat from the pontoon I relayed my mobile number to the coastguard so we could keep in touch. Fortunately, I reached the pilot just as he was already pulling himself out the water on the other side of the Milford Haven waterway just opposite our boatyard and moorings.

“Although clearly shaken from the impact, the pilot had the wherewithal to be able to pull one of his gloves off after he went down in order to release his buckle and swim free. The microlight had then started to sink so the pilot had sensibly ditched his aircraft & helmet and made a swim for the shore, albeit in a heavy flying suit with lots of warm but heavy clothing underneath.

“Fortunately the pilot was clearly a competent swimmer and although he had probably been in the water and swimming for the shore in these cold tidal winter waters for about 15 minutes, he had made it.

“He was just clambering ashore as I reached him, slightly hypothermic and soaked to the skin, but still in good humour and pleased to be alive. It seems the setting sun had blinded him and he had desperately wanted to avoid the power lines. Fortuitously we have just had nice new ‘monsoon showers’ installed at Rudders so I was able to get him aboard and race him back to our boatyard to get him warmed back up.

“In the meantime, I have to say all credit has to go to our Coastguard, Police, RNLI & Port Authority services who really seem to be able to respond well in such a situation. I was fortunate enough to have been alerted by various friends and customers and be right on the spot when all this happened but just as I was bringing the pilot back to warm him up at our place, the coastguard / range vessel arrived, closely followed by a leisure boat that had also presumably responded to a CH16 emergency, the Police Boat and the Port Authority boat – all within literally minutes of one another.

“It was truly reassuring to know what everyone is capable of around here when we truly need them!”

“As the pilot was warming himself back up under the shower, the coastguard, medic, police, coastguard services, ambulance and relatives all also arrived at Rudders by road.

“Once checked out, warm, dry and wearing some of my clothes I had lent him, the pilot was then taken into the ambulance and then off for further checks at the hospital.”

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Business

Stephen Crabb leads inquiry on retaining community bank services  

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PRESELI Pembrokeshire MP, and Chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee Stephen Crabb is leading an inquiry in Parliament that will investigate the closure of high street banks in Wales, as well as access to cash.

In November 2023, Pembrokeshire saw the closure of Lloyds Bank in St Davids, and in the coming months both Barclays Bank and Halifax in Haverfordwest are set to close. In recent years, Wales has experienced a rapid decline in the number of high street banking services available to the public. Already in 2024, 23 high street bank closures have been announced in Wales, while automated teller machines (ATMs) declined by nearly a quarter between 2018 and 2023.

The Committee willconsider how declining high street banking services are impacting vulnerable people and small businesses across Wales, who are often more reliant on cash than digital banking. It will also examine how Wales is being affected by the loss of high street bank services, and whether the problem is worse in Wales than other parts of the UK.

Mr Crabb is a staunch advocate for retaining community banking facilities, especially in rural communities like Pembrokeshire where many local branches remain the only source of face-to-face banking provision for miles.

Recently Mr Crabb challenged Barclays Bank senior management on their decision to close the bank branch in Haverfordwest– a move that will see Barclays not only pull out of the county town, but means they won’t have a branch left anywhere in Pembrokeshire. He has also engaged with LINK – the UK’s largest cash machine network – and continues to campaign on the basis that a Banking Hub is established and that ATM machines should be retained or installed, especially in areas worst affected by the closures.  

Following the launch of the inquiry, MP Crabb added: “It is really sad to see so many banks across Wales closing as online banking grows in popularity. Despite the advantages of online banking, for a rural community with an ageing population like Pembrokeshire, bank branches hold huge importance as they offer face-to-face customer service.”

“I am acutely aware of the inconvenience that the bank closures locally have already caused following hundreds of replies from constituents to my ‘online banking survey’ ”

“I am looking forward to gathering further evidence on this subject through the committee’s inquiry, and will continue to put pressure on the relevant stakeholders to ensure that adequate alternative provisions are made through the establishment of banking hubs as well as the instalment of ATM machines where necessary.”

“In this inquiry, we are particularly keen to hear from those likely to be directly affected by the shift away from cash and physical banks. I encourage anyone with first-hand experience of losing banking services to give evidence to the Committee”

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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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