News

Councillor calls for thorough investigation into ‘co-incidental’ hotel fire

Published

6 years ago

March 31, 2019

A PEMBROKESHIRE county councillor has called on the police and fire investigators looking into a hotel fire to leave no stone unturned to find the true cause.

The major blaze broke out at the Cleddau Bridge Hotel in Pembroke Dock over the weekend, with emergency services in attendance from 2.49am on Saturday Morning (Mar 30).

Cllr Joshua Beynon, whose ward area includes the hotel, said that anyone reading the history of the hotel “could rightly ask themselves whether or not this is just one big coincidence.”

His comments come after over a hundred people took to Facebook to say that they thought that the fire was an ‘insurance job’.

There is absolutely no suggestion that there is anything to substantiate these allegations.

Mr David Hancock Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue group manager said: “It is too early to tell at the moment what the cause was.”

“A full investigation will be conducted with police and fire later on with a view to establish what happened”, he added.

The hotel suddenly closed on January 2 last year, with some 40 members of staff losing their jobs. Creditors including Pembrokeshire County Council and HM Revenue & Customs, were owed nearly £130,000 by the Kullar Hotel Group which owned the premises.

Tackling the blaze: Firefighters at The Cleddau Bridge Hotel (Pic: Herald)

Speaking to The Herald, Cllr Joshua Beynon said: “It is a sad moment when a once busy and looked after hotel is first abandoned and then burnt to the ground in the middle of the night. I am extremely interested in making sure that the fire is investigated and if it is found that arson is in fact the cause of the fire, that the perpetrator(s) are brought to justice.”

He added: “The building has a long and complicated history which started when the owners, the Kullar family gave staff a bear 6 days notice at the end of 2017 and did not pay them any redundancy pay or for their notice period, which they are of course legally entitled to.

“The building then was subject to a planning application during the summer of 2018 which was approved to turn the former hotel into a care home. As a residence of Llanion, I have witnessed and had numerous phone-calls about the mess in the grounds of the hotel as over the past few weeks, anything of value has been removed from the hotel as the rooms and building were cleared of assets.

Wants fire probe: Cllr Beynon

“This was clear from the debris in the grounds which was everything from furniture to pots and pans from the kitchen.

“Whilst it would be wrong for me to categorically conclude one way or another what started the fire, anyone reading the history of the hotel could rightly ask themselves whether or not this is just one big coincidence.

“The people of Pembroke Dock are now left with a half burnt building that serves as a sad reminder of its recent history.

“I will be following the investigation closely and I would urge anyone who saw anything in the early hours of the morning on Saturday 30th March to contact the Police.”

How the fire investigation will work

In common with many forensic disciplines, one of the early tasks of fire investigation is often to determine whether or not a crime has been committed. The difficulty of determining whether arson has occurred arises because fire often destroys the key evidence of its origin.

Many fires are caused by defective equipment, such as shorting of faulty electrical circuits. Car fires can be caused by faulty fuel lines, and spontaneous combustion is possible where organic wastes are stored.

A fire investigator looks at the fire remains, and obtains information to reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to the fire.

One of the challenging aspects of fire investigation is the multi-disciplinary basis of the investigator’s job. As fires can be caused by or involve many ignition sources and fuels, fire investigators need to know not only the science of fire behavior, but also to have a working understanding of many different areas of study including construction, electricity, human behavior, and mechanical devices. For example, if there is a gas appliance at the origin of the fire, an investigator should know enough about appliances to either include or exclude it as a possible cause of the fire.

FIRE SERVICE OFFICIAL STATEMENT –

On Saturday, 30/03/2019 at 02:49am, crews from Pembroke Dock, Milford Haven, Haverfordwest, Tenby, Swansea West, Ammanford and Narberth attended a fire at property in Essex Road, Pembroke Dock.

The building in question was empty and was formerly used as a hotel. The fire had affected the ground, first floor and roof space of the building and had damaged approximately half of the buildings structure.

Firefighters contained the fire, to the north and west elevations of the building, before extinguishing the fire using three hose reel jets, two main jets and a ground monitor. An aerial rescue platform and a drone were also deployed to the incident by the Fire Service.

The Fire Service left the incident at 09:53am.

This incident is being investigated by the Police and Fire Service.

Aerial pictures and video were taken by Lee Bowles and used with kind permission

Crime

Man jailed for Pembroke Dock cannabis farm involvement

Published

34 mins ago

November 15, 2024

Madeline Knox

AN ALBANIAN man, Armando Beti, 37, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison at Swansea Crown Court on Friday (Nov 15) for his role in producing class B drugs.

Beti, who has prior convictions in 2022 and 2023, was arrested on October 3, 2024, at 10:00am after police found him hiding in a neighbouring building’s attic. The arrest followed a raid on the former Woolworths building on Dimond Street, Pembroke Dock, where officers discovered three rooms containing 594 cannabis plants. The crop was described as part of a wholesale operation, with an estimated street value of between £64,000 and £196,000, depending on yield.

Using an aerial drone, police tracked Beti as he attempted to escape by crossing two rooftops. He pleaded guilty immediately after his capture, claiming the cannabis farm was already operational when he arrived 10 days earlier. Beti described himself as merely the gardener, tasked with watering the plants, and alleged he was coerced into the role by individuals he met at an immigration detention centre to repay a debt.

Beti’s defence counsel stated: “He is under no illusion regarding the seriousness of his offending. He is eager to start his prison sentence so he can ultimately reunite with his wife in Albania.”

However, Judge Geraint Walters rejected Beti’s claims, citing a pattern of similar excuses in previous cases. The judge noted that Beti had been convicted in Cardiff in 2022 for cultivating over 600 cannabis plants, during which he also claimed to be a coerced gardener with little knowledge of the operation.

In delivering the sentence, Judge Walters said: “People like you need to understand that judges are not completely naive. We know what is going on. We are well aware of the activities of criminal Albanian gangs in this country, as are you.”

Police believe the operation uncovered in Pembroke Dock is linked to a wider network of organised crime targeting rural locations for cannabis cultivation.

Community

Pembs Agricultural Society’s Christmas Fair expands to an all-weekend event

Published

4 hours ago

November 15, 2024

Tom Sinclair

PEMBROKESHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY’S Christmas Fair will be an all-weekend event next month. The Christmas shopping extravaganza is all set to take place on Saturday, 14 December as well as Sunday, 15 December.

The Parkhouse building on the Haverfordwest Showground will be transformed into a Christmas paradise. There will be even more stalls this year with a wide variety of quality local businesses exhibiting as well as festive music, Santa in his Grotto and an outdoor food court.

Judith Roach and Emma Thomas, the event organisers, said, “We are excited to be able to announce that our Christmas Fair will be on for two days rather than just one this year. We continue to build on the success of last year’s event with twice the opportunities to attend and even more stallholders. It will be the perfect start to the festive season as the Parkhouse Building will be transformed into a one-stop-shop for those preparing for Christmas.”

The Fair will be open from 10am until 4pm and admission is free. Visitors will find unique gifts, handmade decorations, art and beautiful homeware. Some of the county’s very best food and drink producers will also have stalls to give visitors the opportunity to stock up on all their festive treats. From decadent chocolate brownies, fudge, festive spirits to Welsh cheeses, there’s something to tantalise everyone’s tastebuds. There will also be a range of outlets for ‘on the go’ eating and drinking.

One special guest at the event will be everyone’s favourite bearded gentleman in red – Santa will be taking time out from his busy schedule to attend the event. There will be a charge of £3 per child to visit Santa and all proceeds will go directly to Sandy Bear charity to support their work. Each child will receive a small gift from Santa as part of their visit. Parents can book in advance via the website: www.sandybear.co.uk/santa

Adam Thorne, Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society’s President is looking forward to the festive event. He said, “The Society would like to thank Judith and Emma for all the hours they have put in, voluntarily, to organise the two-day Christmas event. We’re delighted to be able to offer visitors the opportunity to do all their Christmas shopping whilst enjoying the festive atmosphere.”

Follow Pembrokeshire County Show’s Christmas Fair event page on Facebook for a full list of stallholders in the run up to the event.

Community

Officials announced for 2026 Eisteddfod in Pembrokeshire

Published

15 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE NATIONAL EISTEDDFOD returns to Pembrokeshire in 2026, and organisers have named the officials who will steer this major cultural event over the next year and a half.

With the artistic and local committees already established, meetings to finalise competitions and adjudicators are underway to ensure the List of Competitions is ready by spring. Committee members have also been voting over the past weeks to elect key officials for the Executive Committee.

John Davies, former leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, has been appointed Chair of the Executive Committee. Known for his deep connection to Pembrokeshire and extensive experience with national organisations, Davies aims to make the Eisteddfod a true community event, welcoming involvement from all corners of the region.

Tegryn Jones, Chief Executive of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, takes on the role of Deputy Chair (Strategy). With a strong passion for Welsh culture and language, Jones brings a wealth of experience working with local communities, visitors, and volunteers across three counties.

Deputy Chair (Culture) is Carys Ifan, Director of Canolfan Egin and a seasoned cultural organiser. Based in Llangrannog and originally from Llandudoch, Ifan has led numerous artistic and community projects across the region.

Cris Tomos, a community development veteran with over 30 years of experience, will lead the 2026 Eisteddfod Local Fund. Working with PLANED, a community development charity, Tomos has supported countless community enterprises and co-operatives in Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, and Carmarthenshire.

Non Davies, recently elected as Executive Committee Secretary, brings extensive cultural management expertise as Ceredigion County Council’s Corporate Manager for Culture. Having chaired the Cardigan Local Fund Committee for the 2022 Ceredigion Eisteddfod, Davies is well-versed in managing cultural projects.

National Eisteddfod Chief Executive, Betsan Moses, said: “We’re looking forward to working with John and the team over the next few months as we prepare for the 2026 Eisteddfod.

“There’s almost a quarter of a century since the Eisteddfod was last held in Pembrokeshire, and we’re very much looking forward to returning to the area. 2026 is an important year for us as we celebrate 850 years since the first Eisteddfod was held in Cardigan Castle in 1176.

“We’re looking forward to working in a new way within a catchment area which includes parts of another two counties, which is, of course, a chance to work with local people in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire again.”

Further announcements are expected in the coming weeks, including the sale of competition prizes and opportunities to donate the Crown and the Chair.

The National Eisteddfod will be held in Llantood from August 1–8, 2026.