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Exciting but challenging times ahead for new Superintendent

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THE CHALLENGE of a digital revolution, maintaining the basics of policing, and continuing the legacy of his predecessor – the new Superintendent for Dyfed-Powys Police’s Pembrokeshire division has spoken of his hopes and priorities as he takes the reigns.

Ross Evans began his career with the force 16 years ago as an officer in Llanelli. He has since worked in three of the four divisions, spending time on the beat, as well as heading up major investigations as a Detective Chief Inspector in CID.

He now returns to the county he grew up in, leading a team of officers and staff in Pembrokeshire. Looking back, he says joining the police was something he wanted to do from a young age.

“Surprisingly, it was policing or teaching for me”, the father-of-two said. “I won the Bobby Busters quiz with my team at school, and I kept the plaque on my shelf. We had an officer who came into school to give us talks and advice, and I think it stuck in my mind as a career. Funnily enough, when I joined the force I was given his collar number.

“Being out on division in uniform is what I wanted to do when I joined. I was born and bred in this area, so I have a huge affinity with Pembrokeshire. I now have a chance to reconnect with the public and their priorities.

“It’s completely different being in uniform to being in CID. As a detective you’re working on individual cases and have an impact on their outcome, but now I feel like I have a chance to have a positive effect on people’s day-to-day lives, and make a difference to the community.”

While Supt Evans can claim the fame of winning the Bobby Busters school quiz all those years ago, it was his predecessor – outgoing Pembrokeshire Superintendent Ian John – who was instrumental in setting the scheme up for Dyfed-Powys.

“There are a lot of cross-overs in policing – it really is like being part of a big family,” he said.

“I always wanted to be a policeman when I was a child, but it didn’t happen straight away. I worked a lot of different jobs – on the bins, in a pub, I sold insurance, worked on building sites – you name it, I did it! But being an officer was something I always wanted to do, and the police service has been fantastic for 30 years.

“I feel really lucky to have worked in every county in the force, as well as headquarters, but it is time to move on.”

Since joining the force 30 years ago, Supt John – who retires in September – has been involved in a number of major cases, including the search for April Jones in Machynlleth and the subsequent murder investigation, but says it is the people and the environment that make the job what it is.

“I have a lot of standout memories, but the biggest satisfaction is when you see people like Ross who come into the force and are consistently trying to do their best,” he said. “There have been a lot of big jobs over the years, but having been a superintendent for many years and having the opportunity to influence and create an environment for people to give their best is a buzz.

“The greatest satisfaction is knowing you have done your bit.”

Looking forward, both officers agreed that it is an exciting but difficult time for the police service, with different types of crime emerging at a fast pace – particularly with a growing number of offences being committed online.

“We need to keep adapting,” Supt Evans said. “It’s an exciting time, but also a time where there are a lot of changes coming. Digital developments are probably the main challenge – both internally and externally.

“We’re going through a digital revolution, and we need to keep doing the basics of policing and keeping things simple, but we will need to police differently as more and more crime is committed online. It is a lot harder to keep people safe and to protect people when they can become victims of crime in their own homes over the internet. We need to work with our partners to combat these threats, and that’s what I will be looking to progress.”

Following a handover period, Supt Evans will officially take over on September 20. From then he will be responsible for setting strategy, standards and day-to-day operational policy in Pembrokeshire.

He said: “I’m excited and proud – and I know I have a lot to live up to. I’m going to do my best to do the very best job I can. We have got an excellent team of people here, and it’s my job to keep building the momentum that Ian has started.

“Ian leaves a significant legacy, and we all recognise that he has done a huge amount for the county. He has created the right environment for me to come into, and to pick up where he left off. We all wish him well for the future.”

And as he leaves with the intention of enjoying the Ryder Cup and spending time with his family, Supt Ian John added: “My parting shot would be – let’s not overcomplicate things. There are tough times coming for a lot of services, but let’s not forget what our core service it, and make sure we are delivering it.”

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Storm Bert aborts Pembrokeshire lifeboat in search for missing person

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A major sea search got underway on Sunday evening following reports of a missing person in the sea off Rhossili.

Tenby Lifeboat received a call shortly after 11 pm on Sunday, November 24 from the coastguards, requesting the crew’s assistance.

“The volunteer crew was soon on the water and got to Rhossili in extremely rough seas as a result of Storm Bert,” commented a spokesperson for the Tenby crew

“The crew was requested to search around Worm’s Head using lights and night vision equipment.”

But after searching the coastline for around two hours, the crew was forced to stand down.

“It soon became obvious that the conditions were too rough for the lifeboat to get in close enough to be of any assistance, so with the lifeboat unable to safely provide assistance due to extremely rough seas, the crew stood down.”

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How local rum inspired by legendary pirate has exploded into national sensation

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When Jonathan Williams left his desk job in Swindon way back in 2010, his mission, to many, was impossible.

This is the man who hot-footed it back to Pembrokeshire to harvest seaweed from Freshwater West which he then used to create his multi award-winning ‘Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company.’

Using only choice produce sourced from the seas around Pembrokeshire, Jonathan’s innovative (and many would say courageous) idea began tickling the taste buds of some of the UK’s top chefs and food critics including James Martin who christened Williams as ‘the crazy seaweed man’.

Fast-forward seven years and once again Jonathan began honing yet another brain-storming idea, this time inspired by the mighty Bartholomew Roberts – otherwise known as Black Bart. After setting sail from his home in Little Newcastle at the age of 13, Bart gained notoriety as the most successful pirate in the ‘golden age of piracy’ who went on to raid 400 prize ships off the Americas and the West African coast between 1719 until his death from a wound to his throat, in 1722.

And so began Barti Spiced Rum.

“Everything was ticking along nicely at the Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company, and then in January 2017, Jonathan went off on paternity leave,” explained Barti Rum’s managing director, Fran Barnikel.

“Any normal person would have been busy changing nappies, but Jonathan, being the incredible entrepreneurial person that he is, came back to work saying, ‘Ok, I’m going to start a new company’.

“He’d read about Barti Ddu the pirate, and had always wanted to bring out a spiced rum in his honour.  So he’d spent his paternity leave investigating different distilleries and bottlers and slowly but surely, Barti Spiced Rum started to come to fruition.”

Because of Jonathan’s strong allegiance with Pembrokeshire seaweed, he knew from the outset that the natural product would be used in his rum.

“Jonathan wanted his rum to be vibrant in flavour, so the seaweed is infused, giving it a real depth of flavour and enhancing the other ingredients which include vanilla, cloves, cinnamon, orange and lemon,” said Fran.

The rum is distilled in the Caribbean and then exported to Cardiff where the Pembrokeshire seaweed along with the remaining ingredients are infused.

“Out first batch arrived in late summer and initially we sold only to people we knew,” continued Fran.

“But as time went on, we could see that there was definitely a market out there for expansion.

“Obviously there was a lot less niche for the rum as there had been for the seaweed, plus the gin market was picking up at the time.  But we could also see that the rum market was on the increase.  In many ways, it was perfect timing.  So we continued riding the wave.”

Jonathan and his team shun the rum purists who cite mixing it with coke or pepsi as sacrilege.

“All we want is for people to enjoy it,” said Fran.  “And this means drinking it exactly as they want.  If you want to add cola or ginger beer, that’s great.  But it’s also really good with cloudy apple juice and particularly now as we’re getting closer to Christmas, hot apple juice.”

Fran

The cream liqueur is also extremely versatile for cocktails, including the Manhattan, Mojito and Daiquiri.

Jonathan has steadfastly refused to add flavour varieties to his brand, adhering rigidly to the Barti Spiced.

“From the beginning, he wanted to create a strong product that would continue to do well, rather than dilute its vibrant flavour with other ingredients.”

But in Christmas 2023, Jonathan broke away from his rule by introducing a Barti Cream Liqueur.

“This was the first addition he’d ever introduced to the range and it was only supposed to last for the Christmas period.  But once again, because of the feedback we’ve received from our customers, we’ve kept it going and we’re now fully stocked for Christmas 2024.”

The Herald caught up with Fran as she travelled back to Pembrokeshire from Tesco’s headquarters in Welwyn Garden City, London.  Six weeks ago the company began selling their rum at a total of 58 Tesco stores throughout Wales, but the supermarket giant is now considering stocking Barti Spiced Rum throughout the whole of the UK.

Earlier this year, Barti Spiced Rum was named the best rum in the Great British Food Awards while the Barti Cream Liqueur has won eight separate awards in the World Drinks Awards including best in country, best new launch, and three golds awards in both the taste and design categories. 

One can’t help wondering, given the fact that eight years ago Barti Spiced Rum had yet to be given its first pouring, whether its success has come as a surprise.

““At the end of the day, Jonathan has that incredible ability to make everything work,” chuckled Fran.  “Everything that he captures tends to turn to gold.

“But we know that Barti Spiced Rum is a really strong product and something that’s very ‘Pembrokeshire-sentric’.  And the support we continue to get from the local cafes and pubs has been incredible and has really helped us to move forward.  The staff reach out, time and time again, with tasters and samples, and we know that they’re genuinely behind our brand.  And this is so important.  We are so grateful for everything they continue to do to support us.”

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Crime

Pembroke Dock woman in court for failing to remove rubbish from property

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A PEMBROKE DOCK resident is due to appear before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court later today (Nov 25) for multiple alleged breaches of a community protection notice.

Sheena Deacon, of 13 Wavell Crescent, Pembroke Dock, faces charges under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which carries a maximum penalty of a Level 4 fine.

The charges stem from allegations that Deacon failed to remove accumulated household waste from her property on several occasions. According to court documents, the breaches occurred on September 19, September 26, October 2, October 9, and October 17 this year.

The charges indicate that Deacon, despite being issued with a community protection notice, did not comply with the requirements to clear and appropriately dispose of refuse and household waste from her address.

The Herald will bring updates on the case as it progresses.

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