News

Community frustrated with lack of superfast broadband completion

Published

8 years ago

August 6, 2018

THE RESIDENTS of West Williamston feel they have been left on hold after all the technology needed for superfast broadband was set up for the village, except the final connection.

The village, made up of 20 houses, currently has no mobile coverage and a broadband speed of 3 Mbps, well below the 24 Mbps that is considered superfast.

The Welsh Government has said contracts were being awarded to complete the rollout of superfast broadband as soon as possible. Superfast broadband has now reached 733,000 premises across Wales, but there has been a setback regarding the final phase of 100,000 homes.

One resident of West Williamston, Alistair Edwards, said he signed up through BT after he was told that his postcode was eligible.

Speaking to the BBC, he said: “According to their records we have superfast, but we don’t.

“It’s frustrating because 80% of the work has been done. There is a fibre cable just outside the village hanging from a telegraph pole. It just hasn’t been connected to the properties.”

BT have said that they were sending an engineer out to investigate the issue and will let Mr Edwards end his contract if they cannot provide the promised speeds.

In January 2018 the Welsh Government had said it expected to release details of a succession plan worth £80m for superfast in the spring, yet that date has been pushed back to the autumn.

Openreach, a division of BT plc, owns and maintains the telephone wires, ducts, cabinets and exchanges that connect nearly all homes and businesses in the UK to the national broadband and telephone network. The company have explained that there is the option to apply for a Community Fibre Partnership, which is in place for communities out of range for superfast.

The community only pays for half of the scheme, whilst Openreach funds the other half the scheme. The community can also apply for grants from the Welsh Government to help.

Despite this, Mr Edwards is not convinced, saying: “We’re not being told whether we will be covered or not. We don’t want to pay out as a community only to find out later we would have qualified for a free connection.”

A Welsh Government spokesman has said that they were working to award contracts as quickly as possible.

News

Hakin motorist banned after driving 14 times over drug limit

Published

14 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A HAKIN motorist has been banned from driving for three years after being caught behind the wheel with cocaine and benzoylecgonine in his system.

Mark Briskham, 53, of Waterloo Square, Wellington Road, Hakin, was stopped by police on January 5 as he drove a Ford Kuga along Steynton Road, near Milford Haven.

Blood tests carried out at the police station showed he had 800mcg of benzoylecgonine in his system. The legal limit is 50mcg.

He also had 64mcg of cocaine in his system. The legal limit is 10mcg.

Briskham pleaded guilty to two drug-driving charges when he appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

Magistrates disqualified him from driving for three years, taking into account a previous drug-drive conviction from 2020.

He was also fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 surcharge.cr

Crime

Begelly man remanded over alleged May Day assault

Published

14 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A PEMBROKESHIRE man has been remanded in custody following an alleged May Day assault against a woman in Begelly.

Tomas Baker, 34, of Ty Dee, New Road, Begelly, is accused of assaulting the woman, causing actual bodily harm, at an undisclosed location in Begelly on May 1.

Baker appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week by video link from Swansea Prison.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

His trial will take place at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on June 22.

Crime

Waterston man denies child rape and sexual assault charges

Published

14 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A WATERSTON man has appeared before magistrates charged with 13 sexual offences against children, including three allegations of raping a girl under the age of 13.

Chaisee Price, 25, of Biggins Hill, Waterston, Milford Haven, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

He faces three charges of raping a girl under 13, eight charges of sexually assaulting girls aged between five and eight, and two charges of intentionally inciting girls under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between 2014 and 2019.

Price denied all charges.

Because of the seriousness of the allegations, magistrates declined jurisdiction and the case will now proceed to Swansea Crown Court on July 10.

Price was released on conditional bail.

The conditions include a daily electronically monitored curfew between 6:00pm and 6:00am, no contact with the prosecution witness, no unsupervised contact with children under 18, and a requirement to surrender his passport to police.