News

Judge orders eggs business to pay over £4,500

Published

10 years ago

May 30, 2014

THE OWNER of a Pembrokeshire free-range egg packing station pleaded guilty to three food hygiene offences when he appeared before a Judge at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court last Thursday.

Havard Evans, 52, was the owner of Pennsylvania Farm Free Range Eggs in Hayscastle when the offences took place in May 2012 and February 2013. District Judge David Parsons fined Evans £1080 per charge and ordered him to pay £1,200 costs and a victim surcharge of £108, totalling £4,548. The business has since been relocated to Crundale where it continues to be operated by Havard Evans and now has the top rating of five under the national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme. The court heard that following a complaint in May 2012, officers from Pembrokeshire County Council’s Public Protection Division visited the premises and carried out a full investigation. They found evidence of significant pest proofing issues within the packing station and rat holes in store rooms directly adjacent to the packing station. The floors, walls and ceiling in the packing station were extremely dirty and there was evidence of dead insects found on the floor. The rough concrete floor covering in the wash up room was impossible to maintain in a clean condition and the wooden wall coverings in the wash up room and the painted wall finish in the packing room were smeared and dirty and could not be maintained in a clean condition. There was also water leaking from the pipes under the sink and the overhead water pipe. Havard Evans pleaded guilty to a failure to ensure that the layout, design, construction, siting and size of his food premises permitted good food hygiene practices, including protection against contamination and, in particular, pest control (in May 2012) and a failure to ensure that his premises were kept clean and maintained in good repair and condition (in both May 2012 and February 2013). After the hearing, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Environmental and Regulatory Services, Councillor Huw George, said: “All food businesses, including activities such as packing stations, must take all necessary measures to protect food from contamination risks. “The public are not there to see the hygiene standards at the premises and rely on the integrity of the business and the local authority to ensure its regulation, so that the public are protected. “The Authority will not hesitate to take action when serious contraventions of the legislation are discovered.” Following the initial inspection the premises received a zero rating (‘urgent improvements needed’) under the national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, and immediate improvements were sought by officers to address the main areas of risk. The premises received a further zero rating at the subsequent ‘rescore’ inspection requested by Havard Evans. Ratings issued after the November 28, 2013, are required to be displayed on food premises by law, allowing consumers to make an informed choice.

Crime

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

Published

8 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Court Reporter

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.

News

Welsh Conservatives urge Labour to scrap ‘family farm tax’

Published

8 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE WELSH CONSERVATIVES have announced plans to bring forward a Senedd debate next week (Nov 27) calling on the UK Labour Government to abandon its proposed “family farm tax.”

The tax, introduced by the UK Labour Government, is being criticised as a move that will harm Welsh farming, threaten food security, and increase food prices. Alongside the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Farming Scheme and perceived “anti-farming agenda,” critics argue this new tax amounts to a coordinated effort to undermine the future of agriculture in Wales.

Shadow Minister warns of consequences
Ahead of the debate, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, James Evans MS, condemned the proposal, stating:
“Labour’s family farm tax will put family farms out of business, threaten our food security, and lead to food prices rising. Only the Welsh Conservatives will stand up for our farmers, and that’s why we’re bringing forward a Senedd motion calling on Labour to reverse this decision. No farmers, no food.”

NFU Cymru expresses alarm
NFU Cymru President, Aled Jones, echoed these concerns, highlighting the widespread opposition from the farming community. Speaking about the impact of the tax on Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief, Jones said:
“Earlier this week, hundreds of farmers from across Wales journeyed to London to meet with their MPs and register their deeply held concerns about these misguided and ill-thought-out reforms.

“The proposals unveiled by the Treasury last month to introduce a tax on the passing on of our family farms to the next generation are a massive added burden. They will leave many farmers without the means, confidence, or incentive to invest in the future of their business.

“NFU Cymru reiterates its call for the UK Government to halt these changes.”

The motion to be debated
The motion, set to be debated in the Senedd, reads:
“To propose that the Senedd:
Calls on the UK Labour Government to reverse its decision to impose a family farm tax on agricultural businesses.”

This debate is expected to attract significant attention, with Welsh farmers and rural communities keenly watching for the outcome.

Community

Internet outage for two villages after exchange box destroyed

Published

10 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Tom Sinclair

RESIDENTS of Clunderwen and Llandissilio have been left without internet access following the destruction of an Openreach exchange box just outside Llandissilio village.

The incident occurred yesterday (Nov 23) when the box was reportedly demolished by a vehicle. The damage has resulted in a complete loss of internet services for the two villages, with repairs expected to take at least a couple of days.

Local residents have expressed frustration over the disruption, as the outage affects home businesses, remote workers, and households relying on internet connectivity for day-to-day tasks.

Openreach engineers have cordoned off the site, and work is ongoing to assess the extent of the damage. A spokesperson for Openreach has been contacted for comment but had not responded by the time of publication.

The vehicle involved in the incident has not yet been identified. Anyone with information about the collision is urged to contact the local police.

With repair timelines unclear, affected residents have called for increased communication from service providers to manage expectations during the outage.

“Bringing the community back online is a priority,” a local resident said. “We’re hoping Openreach can resolve the issue quickly and ensure it doesn’t happen again in future.”