News

Angle lifeboat alerted twice in two days to help yachts

Published

7 years ago

August 21, 2017

Tom Sinclair

Yacht: Assisted by Angle RNLI

A 13 METRE yacht, which fouled her propeller two miles south-west of Skomer Island, was towed to safety on Thursday (Aug 17) by Angle RNLI’s all weather lifeboat.

The Tamar class lifeboat was launched at 1.29am, at the request of the UK Coastguard, after a ‘pan pan’ broadcast from the yacht, which was on passage from Milford Haven to Ireland with five people on board.

The yacht’s propeller had become fouled on a pot buoy, anchoring her to the seabed, and she was unable to free herself.

The lifeboat arrived on the scene at 2.05am to find the yacht lying stern to the weather and tide with the pot buoy being visible as the yacht was pitching and rolling due to the sea conditions.

After several attempts to secure a grapnel to the buoy line, the line parted and the yacht was now drifting with the propeller still fouled. The skipper of the yacht decided to raise the sails in an attempt to return to port. However, it was soon evident that the fouled propeller was also obstructing the steering.

Once the yacht’s sails were lowered, a tow was rigged by the lifeboat and the vessel was taken to the Mackerel Stage at Milford Haven, where she was berthed alongside. With no further assistance required, the lifeboat returned to her station to be rehoused at 6.15am, after nearly five hours at sea.

The following day (Aug 18), the all weather lifeboat launched to the report of a yacht, with three people on board, in difficulty off Rudders Boatyard, Burton, on the Milford Haven Waterway.

The lifeboat was launched at 6.18pm and as she was approaching Pembroke Dock, information was received that a small vessel had taken two of the crew off the yacht, which was now aground with one person remaining on board.

The lifeboat arrived on the scene to find the yacht hard aground in shallow water, so the Y Boat was launched to assess the situation. It was decided to deploy the yacht’s anchor to aid the recovery at the next high water, and to evacuate the occupant to the lifeboat.

The occupant was taken to the pontoon at Rudders Boatyard, where Coastguard Rescue Officers were waiting. The Y Boat was recovered and the lifeboat returned to her station, where she was rehoused at 7.50pm.

Community

Festive celebrations at St Davids Cathedral this weekend

Published

15 mins ago

December 21, 2024

Tom Sinclair

ST DAVIDS Cathedral is set to host two special events on Sunday (Dec 22), offering a blend of joyful participation and traditional carol singing to mark the Christmas season.

In the morning, families are invited to the Scratch Nativity at 11:00am. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as wise men, angels, sheep, or shepherds and take part in an unrehearsed retelling of the Christmas story. Canon Leigh described the event as: “Complete, wonderful chaos for an hour… but with some poignant, thought-provoking moments to centre ourselves on the real meaning of Christmas.”

Later in the evening, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols by Candlelight will take place at 7:00pm, featuring the Cathedral Choir. The event, steeped in tradition, will see the cathedral bathed in candlelight as carols and scripture readings fill the historic space.

Doors will open at 5:45pm for those seeking unreserved seating, and a large turnout is expected for this beloved Christmas celebration.

Crime

Three men from London admit their guilt over illegal cannabis farm

Published

42 mins ago

December 21, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THREE men admit their guilt after police discover over 700 cannabis plants during a raid on a former school building in Llandysul.

Officers from Dyfed-Powys Police executed a warrant at the former Ysgol Gynradd Llandysul on Heol Llyn Y Fran on November 15. Inside, they found 737 cannabis plants spread across multiple rooms.

Armeld Troksi, 29, and Njazi Gjana, 27, both from Empire Avenue in Edmonton, London, along with Ervin Gjana, 24, from Durham Avenue in Romford, were arrested at the scene and later charged with producing cannabis.

The three men appeared before Swansea Crown Court, where they admitted their involvement in the illegal operation. Defence solicitor Joshua Scouller requested a pre-sentence report for Ervin Gjana, which was granted by Judge Geraint Walters.

Sentencing is scheduled for January 20.

A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson said: “Following a warrant executed at the former school on Heol Llyn Y Fran, officers discovered a significant cannabis grow containing 737 plants.

“We are grateful to the local community for their continued support and cooperation. Officers will remain in the area while the site is secured.

“Our commitment remains firm in disrupting drug production and supply networks across our force area.

“We encourage residents to report any suspicious activity, no matter how small it may seem. Every piece of information can make a difference, and reports can easily be submitted through our website.”

News

Protest in Lampeter to save Wales’ oldest university

Published

1 hour ago

December 21, 2024

Tom Sinclair

CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save Wales’ oldest university staged a march and demonstration last Friday (Dec 20) in a bid to highlight the plight of the Lampeter campus.

The protest, organised by the Lampeter Society, brought together former and current students, along with local residents, to oppose plans by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) to relocate humanities courses to Carmarthen next September.

The rally began at Lampeter Rugby Club at 10:30am, with demonstrators marching to the university campus. Despite the timing—on a weekday and so close to Christmas—organisers reported a strong turnout.

Ieuan Davies, one of the organisers and a Lampeter alumnus from the 1980s, said: “We wanted to show support for the students whose education is being directly affected by these plans, and to remind decision-makers of the devastating impact this will have on the local economy and culture.”

Established in 1822, Lampeter is Wales’ oldest higher education institution. In 2009, it merged with Trinity College Carmarthen and later joined with Swansea Metropolitan University to form UWTSD.

The proposed relocation of the humanities faculty has sparked concerns about the long-term sustainability of higher education in Lampeter. Campaigners argue that losing the faculty would mark the end of over 200 years of academic heritage in the town.

The Lampeter Society has also launched a petition calling on the university and the Welsh Government to create a ‘viable, sustainable plan’ for the campus’s future. The petition requires 10,000 signatures to trigger a debate in the Senedd and can be accessed at https://petitions.senedd.wales/petitions/246410.