News

Thomas Cook air hostess speaks to The Herald about her journey

Published

5 years ago

September 30, 2019

WITH grounded flights and cancelled holidays, it’s been a stressful time since the collapse of Thomas Cook on Monday (Sept 24), especially for the cabin crew and pilots who have lost their jobs.

Bethan Phillips, 25, who grew up on the Mount Estate, was an air hostess for Thomas Cook for two years and has been taking part in rescue flights to help stranded Brits get home. She said the firm will be doing this until the end of October, and she is receiving no pay for the work she is putting in since Thomas Cook went into liquidation.

Speaking to The Herald, Bethan said: “We turned up to work to find planes had been impounded. We weren’t given any notice and found out on the news that we longer had a job! We had no communication from Thomas Cook other than an email telling us a conference call would be held at 10 am.

We’re all upset, and people have lost their mortgage, some of the cabin crew are married to pilots so now they both are jobless.”
On September 8, Bethan was pictured with a 73-year-old man, who had been awarded a certificate for his first flight. At that point, she had no idea Thomas Cook was in trouble.

The first Bethan knew about the loss of her job, was a post by the Civil Aviation Authority on Twitter, which said: “Thomas Cook Group, including the UK tour operator and the airline, has ceased trading with immediate effect. All Thomas Cook bookings, including flights and holidays, have now been cancelled.”

Just one hour after the news broke at 2 am, Bethan received a text to say that the flight she was supposed to be boarding at 4 am, had been ‘delayed’. The message read: “MT1062 BRS MAH. Your flight is delayed to 08:20Z. Cabin Crew report at 06:50Z.

Please be advised that your flight is delayed as per check-in times are given. We fully expect your flight to operate as normal (with the relevant delay). Please ONLY contact Crewing with questions relating directly to the operation. Any queries regarding the future of the business will be addressed by your cabin crew management in due course.”

It wasn’t long after that she received an email containing details of a conference call regarding an ‘important business update’ in light of the morning’s news, with a ‘full update’ on what will happen next. The call was listened to only.

Bethan said: “The conference call was seven minutes long, which said ‘We are sorry we couldn’t get a deal, we advise you to sign on ASAP, and letters will be sent and you can claim payment from the government’. That was all we had. The communication was shocking. They just don’t care.”

She continued: “We’ve been out on rescue flights to get people who are stranded – this is going to go on until the end of October. We aren’t being paid for it.

“A percentage of us are trained on Smartlynx – this is a company we lease aircrafts to for use their flight crew, and then you have Thomas Cook cabin crew. They said the cabin crew who are trained by Smartlynx will get paid but the others won’t be.”

Bethan added that there are cabin crew currently stuck in Cuba and can’t get home.

The general feeling around those who worked with Bethan at Bristol airport is upset and anger, especially after the UK Managers have already been contracted for their sister company.

The sister company, Thomas Cook Condor, has been saved by the UK bosses: A company that the cabin crews have put extra work into to help get off the ground.

Bethan finished, saying: “We have been working for months helping Condor out in Germany because they haven’t had any staff. Their crew didn’t want to work over Christmas either, so our crew went out for three weeks to help.

We’re supposed to be ‘One Thomas Cook’, but we’ve seen posts from our bosses saying they’re happy to have freed themselves from the UK brand. I don’t know if they realise we can still see what they’re posting on our group online.”

Crime

Police issue update following incident at Tenby multi-storey

Published

4 hours ago

January 3, 2025

Luke Sinclair

Dyfed-Powys Police have confirmed this morning that they are investigating a collision on the ground floor of the multi-storey car park in Tenby, at around 4pm on Thursday, January 2.

The collision, police said, involved a grey Nissan Qashqai and a young child.

The child remains in a critical condition in hospital.

The family are being supported by specially trained officers.

One man, aged 33, has been arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury through dangerous driving, drink driving, and drug driving. He remains in police custody.

Police issued a statement saying: “This is a tragic incident and is a live investigation.

“We ask that you do not speculate the circumstances and allow our officers to carry out their enquiries.

Anyone with information or dashcam footage that could help officers with their investigation is asked to report it to us, either online at: https://bit.ly/DPPContactOnline, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 101.

Quote reference 25*6238”

News

Milford sex offender’s child abuse images ‘most disturbing imaginable’

Published

10 hours ago

January 3, 2025

Court Reporter

A 40-YEAR-OLD man from Pembrokeshire has been sentenced to 22 months in prison after being found with nearly 40,000 indecent images of children, including some of the most disturbing nature imaginable. Jason Church, a father of young children, appeared at Swansea Crown Court where he faced multiple charges related to child exploitation.

The investigation began when police traced suspicious online activity linked to Church’s home in Milford Haven. On August 23, 2023, officers executed a search warrant at his residence, during which Church admitted to having incriminating material on his mobile phone. He explicitly stated to the police, “It’s on my phone, what you’re looking for” when questioned about the nature of the images.

Upon examination of his Samsung device, authorities uncovered a staggering collection: 2,688 images classified as Category A (the most severe), along with 4,160 Category B images and an alarming 32,205 Category C images. Among these horrific images were videos depicting the sexual abuse of very young children, including a baby. Additionally, officers discovered a 170-page manual that provided detailed guidance on how to exploit children and evade detection.

In court, prosecutor Ashanti-Jade Walton highlighted the graphic content of the material found and emphasised the seriousness of Church’s offences. Despite his previous clean record, Church pleaded guilty to all charges against him. His defence barrister noted that Church was aware of the severity of his actions and had sought help from organizations aimed at preventing child exploitation.

Judge Huw Rees condemned Church’s actions as “unhealthy” and a significant danger to children. He stated, “These are not just images; they represent real victims,” reinforcing the gravity of Church’s crimes and the impact they have on real lives.

In addition to his prison sentence, Church is required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for ten years following his release.

Community

Welsh Water distribute free cold weather lagging kits

Published

10 hours ago

January 3, 2025

Tom Sinclair

AS the winter season is in full swing and the temperature drops, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water is offering free winter lagging kits to help households across Wales prepare for the colder months. With over 2,500 kits available, the initiative aims to assist residents in protecting their homes against frozen pipes and costly bursts.

Frozen pipes can lead to unwanted damage and unnecessary stress during the winter season, but with the right preparation the risks can be minimised.
The winter lagging kit includes pipe insulation and a tap jacket – with lagging designed to protect exposed pipes and a tap jacket to prevent outdoor taps from freezing and bursting.

“We understand how challenging winter can be for many people, which can be made worse should the unexpected happened – such as a experiencing a frozen or burst pipe,” said Euan Hampton, Water Demand – Delivery Manager at Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water. “To help ease the pressures winter can bring, we’re offering free pipe lagging kits and tap jackets as part of our ongoing commitment to helping communities stay safe, warm, and secure throughout the colder months.”

In addition to distributing free lagging kits and tap jackets. Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water recommends the following tips to help residents prepare their homes:

Locate your stop tap: Knowing the location of your stop tap is essential in the case of an emergency. If your pipes freeze or burst, you’ll want to shut the water off to minimise damage.
Clear your gutters: Blocked gutters can lead to excess water accessing your home, especially during a storm.
Insulate pipes: Not only outdoor pipes need preparing, think of areas that may be at risk to cold weather – attics or uninsulated cupboards.
Fix those drips: Dripping taps can increase the risk of frozen pipes. Fixing it will also save you litres of water every day, saving both energy and money on your water bill.
Away from home? Empty buildings are at particular risk. If you’re leaving your home for a prolonged period, turn off your stop tap and drain down the system – so there is no water in the system to freeze. If you’re away for a short time, if you can, we suggest keeping your heating on low to help keep your home warm and prevent pipes from freezing.
The free kits are available on a first-come, first-served basis. To request a free winter lagging kit or tap jacket, customers can visit: www.dwrcymru.com/en/winter-ready

Alongside the helpful tips to prepare your home this winter and advice on how to manage any issues should they arise. Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water are also offering free water efficiency home visits to all domestic customers – and the free lagging kit and tap jackets can be installed as part of the visit.

If you would like to find out more ways you could start saving, visit: www.dwrcymru.com/en/help-advice/cartref/water-efficiency-home-visit