News
Operation Darwen: keeping our roads safe
DYFED POWYS POLICE have confirmed Operation Darwen continued over the weekend with officers all over the force patrolling the main arterial routes and main collision hotspots and holiday destinations.
The wet weather on Saturday and Sunday meant little or no motorcycle activity or any other vehicle related calls. Bank Holiday Monday was a fine and dry day with a high activity of motorcyclist and general holiday traffic across the force. Each roads police team were given specific patrol areas which included Tenby, A40 into Pembrokeshire; the Preseli Mountains; in and around New Qua; the A44 into Aberystwyth; the A40 Llandovery to Brecon; the A40 Brecon to Crickhowell; the A483 Black Mountain and the A438 Brecon to Hay and the A470 Storey Arms to Brecon. Officers were supported by specific targeted patrol by the dog section and the armed response team to provide a focused highly visible police presence at these main locations. Engagement took place with the motorcycling community at the West End and Owls Nest cafés in Carmarthenshire and the ‘RAC bends’ on the A470 near Brecon where bike riders were made aware of the recent spike in motorcycle casualties in Mid and West Wales. There were no serious collisions and no minor ones involving motorcycles, with no other reported calls of antisocial use of motorcycles or other form of transport either. Over the weekend enforcement activity included:- • nine arrests for drink driving. • three Traffic offence reports for bikes, 21 for cars. • two Fixed penalty notices for bikes, 22 for cars. • one bike RTC, five car RTC’s. • seven cannabis warnings, one reported for summons for possession of cannabis, one person cautioned for possession of MDMA. Chief Inspector Rose-Ann Lloyd said: “It is very pleasing to note that there were no serious or minor collisions involving motorcycles, or reports of antisocial motorcycling or driving over this bank holiday. Our officers see far too many tragedies, many preventable, and the safety of our roads and the reduction in the number of casualties is a priority for us. Operation Darwen is part of a continuing programme to improve road safety for all in Dyfed-Powys, by engaging, educating and enforcing where necessary.”
Crime
Pembroke Dock woman in court for failing to remove rubbish from property
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’
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
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.”
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