News

Pembrokeshire rural crime team launched

Published

6 years ago

August 16, 2018

FROM investigating reports of agricultural theft, to helping ensure the mental health of farmers is supported, Dyfed-Powys Police’s newest rural crime team is set to tackle a host of issues in Pembrokeshire.

Coming from farming and horsing backgrounds in the county, with knowledge of the issues and concerns these communities face, PC Gerwyn Davies and PCSO Jude Parr are a perfect match for the role.

The Pembrokeshire rural crime team was officially launched at the Pembrokeshire County Show in Haverfordwest on Wednesday (Aug 15), where they spent time meeting farmers, visitors and rural organisations to inform them of the work to come.

The pair will cover the Pembrokeshire division, dealing with issues ranging from sheep worrying and livestock theft, to offering crime prevention advice and support. They will also work closely with agencies including the National Farmers’ Union, the Farmer’s Union of Wales and the Welsh Government.

Speaking about his new role, PC Davies said: “It’s something I’m looking forward to. I’m a farmer’s son, I was born and bred in north Pembrokeshire and I worked on farms while I was at school. I have the background knowledge of the issues faced by farmers, and having been a response officer for 14 years, I’d now like to be a face for this community and have the chance to make a difference.”

PCSO Parr has worked for Dyfed-Powys Police for 13 years – with nine of those spent on the rural neighbourhood policing team, covering a wide farming and coastal area. She received a commendation in 2009 for her work in establishing a Farm Watch scheme, which was followed by a Horse Watch and tack marking scheme.

She said: “I’m looking forward to having the time to dedicate to schemes like these as part of this new, exciting and much-needed role in the rural crime team.

“It’s all about forging links with farmers and the rural community. The trust had gone, and it’s essential that we build that back up. It’s about getting them to report to us and to talk to us. We want people to know that we are here, and we will listen to them, and most importantly that we care about the issues they face.”

The new team has come as a direct result of the force’s rural crime strategy, which was launched in November and committed to identifying named points of contact for rural crime matters, as well as developing the specialist rural skills and knowledge of its officers.

One of the team’s key roles is to impress on rural communities the importance of reporting crimes to police, so the force has a greater understanding of the scale of issues faced and is able to put plans in place to tackle them.

“I think there’s more of an issue than people report back to us,” PCSO Parr said. “People won’t report theft for example if it’s below a certain value as they don’t think it’s worth it, or that we can’t investigate it. We want people to know that’s not true, that we take all reports of crime seriously, and we will investigate.

“But our role is about more than crime. It’s also about things like mental health and vulnerabilities. Farming can be a very lonely occupation, and you can feel isolated, but people might not necessarily know where to look for help. We will be linking in with vets and people who see farmers on a regular basis so we can signpost those who need help and advice.”

PC Davies and PCSO Parr will undergo enhanced training with North Wales Police’s rural crime team later this month, with a mixture of classroom based learning and time on patrol with officers and PCSOs to get a feel for how the team operates.

PC Davies said: “It will be really interesting to see how the team in North Wales works as they have been running for five years now. They have different issues to us, but I’m sure we will be able to take a lot away from them. We are also looking at what our own team is doing in Ceredigion, and how they have worked over the past two months.”

A rural crime board has also been established in Pembrokeshire in conjunction with PLANED, which aims to increase the understanding of the issues impacting on rural communities, and through work with partner agencies, to agree priorities and jointly address the concerns that are having the greatest effect on rural life.

For further information about the rural crime board, contact Chief Inspector Amanda Diggens or Inspector Alan Millichip by calling 101.

Charity

Over 1,100 festive bathers enjoy Tenby’s famous Boxing Day Swim

Published

8 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Tom Sinclair

A RECORD-BREAKING number of 1,150 festive bathers have had a splashing time in the Tenby Boxing Day Swim this morning.

The fancy dress theme of Superheroes – in tribute to the RNLI in its 200th anniversary year – saw Batman, The Incredibles, Wonderwoman and a whole crew of emergency services dashing into the chilly water of Tenby’s North Beach.

RNLI mascot Stormy Stan was there amongst the huge crowds to cheer the brave bathers on their way.
The swim will be one to remember forever for one duo of dippers as they got engaged following a surprise proposal on the sand.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach Philip Frith, 34, made one of his best-ever moves when he popped the question to his girlfriend, former professional dancer Victoria Tansey, 34, who is originally from Hakin.

Said swim chairman Sam Skyrme-Blackhall: “”Well, we said ‘come to the Tenby Boxing Day Swim and take the plunge’ but we weren’t expecting that! Congratulations to the happy couple”.
The swim has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charities and good causes in its 52-year history, and this yeae’s event will see Tenby RNLI as the main beneficiary.

Town mayor Dai Morgan said: ”It’s great to see so many people from here, and for such a good cause. I just love it down on the beach on Boxing Day. The swim is such a fantastic tradition.”
The mayor’s daughter, 18-year-old Erin Morgan, who is Tenby’s town crier, gave a special ‘cry’ to welcome the swim.

Swim chairman Sam supervised 10-year-old Sam Fecci as he fired the swim’s starting pistol – a duty usually carried out by his dad, Stuart, who was not well enough to attend.

Festive tunes and a lively commentary from DJ Steve Briers ramped up the atmosphere on the beach and swimmers emerged from the sea to be presented with commemorative medals and warm up with hot soup donated by the Giltar Hotel and served up by Tenby and District Lions.

‘Taking the plunge’ at a festive swim in Wales this morning meant more than just a dip in the sea for one happy couple.

As hundreds of Boxing Day bathers at the legendary event in Tenby dashed for the water, a magical moment was happening between Victoria Tansey and Philip Frith.
Philip, 34, went down on one knee on the sand and asked Victoria, 37, to marry him.

Fortunately, she said an ecstatic ‘yes’ to the carefully-planned proposal, which saw the couple’s special song Ocean Eyes y Billie Eilish sound out over the beach as the newly-engaged couple celebrated with a splash in the sea.

As a former Royal Marine Philip – who is now a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu coach – has faced some scary situations in his life but the Boxing Day proposal was up there with the most nail-biting.
“I’ve been so nervous/special moment.

Victoria, originally from Hakin, Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire, worked as a professional dancer – appearing on the X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent and Pineapple Dance Studio: Survival of the Fittest -and before setting up her own entertainment agency.

Although now living in Guildford with Philip, she has always loved returning to her Pembrokeshire roots

“When we first met, Victoria couldn’t wait to show me all around Pembrokeshire and we have made the trip as often as work would allow us, to visit her family, go beach hopping and take in the breathtaking scenery,” said Philip.

“I absolutely love sea swimming, I believe that it is so worthwhile for your body and mind, however Victoria has never been one to enjoy the cold!

“So, on our first Christmas together as a couple, Victoria surprised me by taking me to Tenby for the Boxing Day Swim – it’s honestly one of my most fond memories from the start of our relationship!

“I wanted to return her the favour of surprising her by proposing to her at this year’s swim.”

Victoria’s mum and her childhood best friend , Sean Griffiths – who she set up Milford Haven’s Unison Dance Group with in 2004 –were on the beach to watch the proposal, with Sean bringing along the engagement ring in his pocket to fellow swimmers crowded round to congratulate Victoria and Philip, and swim chairman Sam Skyrme-Blackhall laughed: “Well, we said ‘come to the Tenby Boxing Day Swim and take the plunge’ but we weren’t expecting that! Congratulations to the happy couple”.

Charity

Letterston dog show raises over £750 for local charities

Published

1 day ago

December 25, 2024

Tom Sinclair

ON SUNDAY (Dec 22), Letterston Ring Craft successfully raised £755.55 for two Pembrokeshire-based charities during a fun dog show event. The funds were equally split between South Pembrokeshire Cat Rescue and Letterston Memorial Hall.

The event featured a variety of well-attended classes, including child handling and fancy dress, drawing participation from dog enthusiasts of all levels.

This fundraiser marked the first charitable event supporting South Pembrokeshire Cat Rescue. Founded and managed by Lizzy Austwick, the rescue organisation aids unwanted, feral, and sick cats across Pembrokeshire and responds to urgent cases in Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. The rescue provides neutering support for stray and feral cats, directs owners to available resources, and specialises in helping stray cats with severe injuries, raising essential funds for their care.

For assistance, Lizzy can be contacted via the rescue’s Facebook page or at 07575 131443.

Letterston Ring Craft welcomes new members interested in training and showing their dogs, from local companion shows to prestigious events like Crufts. The club meets every other Sunday in Letterston, and further details can be found on their Facebook page.

Looking ahead, the next fun dog show is scheduled for early next year and will support Belle’s Story Charity. For more information or to get involved, contact Gentle Lowe at 07956 653401.

Charity

£3,800 donated to services across Withybush Hospital

Published

1 day ago

December 25, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE CAMROSE VINTAGE WORKING DAY team has donated £3,800 to services across Withybush Hospital.

Their 37^th annual event raised a record breaking £25,000, which has now been distributed among 26 local charities.

They donated the funds to the Stroke Ward, Specialist Respiratory Team, Chemo Day Unit and Heads Up! Hair Loss Initiative at Withybush Hospital. Each service received £950.

The Heads Up! initiative provides a person-centred, holistic hair loss service for cancer patients. It brings together healthcare and haircare professionals from local communities to give patients the knowledge and products needed to manage their hair loss with dignity and choice.

Katie Hancock, Fundraising Officer, said: “Thank you to Andrew, the team and the supporters of the Camrose Vintage Working Day for your generosity once again. Your donation to each service is amazing and will make a big difference. We are hugely grateful for your wonderful support.

“The support of our local communities enables us to provide services over and above what the NHS can provide in the three counties of Hywel Dda and we are extremely grateful for every donation we receive.”

Pictured above: Andrew James, Chairman of Camrose Vintage Working Day with Withybush Hospital staff from the Stroke Ward, Specialist Respiratory Team, Chemo Day Unit, Heads Up! Hair Loss initiative.