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Inaugural Santa Fun Run in Narberth a wonderful festive success

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FOR the inaugural Santa Fun Run in Narberth 153 entrants registered online before the weather forecast of gales and rain for the weekend.Despite that a further 25 plucky individuals registered as latecomers on the day in the Queens hall Narberth. Luckily the event stayed dry, albeit a bit windy.

Rotarian Organiser Architect Ken Morgan had mustered volunteers from the Rotary Club and The Narberth Food Bank to man the 6 places on the registration desks which were inundated with revellers from 10.30 to 11.30 on Sunday 8th December.

President Elaine Bradbury, Ken’s niece Cathy and Therri Bailey, manager of the Narberth Food Bank had a checklist of items presented in Alphabetical order which had been expertly collated by Rotarian Treasurer Kirsty Willing. Kirsty used to be in Tenby ladies Circle helping with the Tenby Santa Run, So Tenby’s loss was Narberth’s gain.

The booking in system went smoothly and by 11am the Hall was buzzing with the Christmas music laid on by The Queens Hall staff and a sea of red Santa Suits made everyone aware that Christmas Season has well and truly started. A squad of Army Cadets made up of recruits from the Narberth and Haverfordwest detachments were on parade with four of their Officers and they quickly deployed on manoeuvres before the allotted start time in order to marshal critical points around the 3K route through the Town Centre and public footpaths.

On the Saturday preceding the event A1 Servicing kindly loaned free of charge their red barriers to which Ken and Rotarian Nigel Towns fixed bright yellow signs with Black arrows depicting the route so strangers from far afield such as Milford Haven, St Clears and Pembroke Dock could navigate the course easily.

The signs were expertly produced and donated by Narberth’s firm called Revelation. On arrival at The Finish Line The Narberth Round Table with Santa was present with Chairman Andrew Thomas to present sweets to the children and The Rotary Club are extremely grateful for this assistance.

Inside the club formal announcements were made about the financial sponsors who included: Clive Preece Developments; Ivor Rees & Sons; Folly Farm; Rob Chell builder, Strasdins Joinery, Ieuan Griffiths Builders; Graham Searle and Caravan Parks Redford, Narberth & Rosehill Broadhaven. After thanking the dignitaries for their attendance, The organiser also commented on the work done by the Narberth First Responders in manning the critical road junctions and he then passed the microphone to President Elaine to present a cheque to The Narberth Food Bank Manager Therri Bailey.

The amount donated was magnificent £1000 and thanks is due to all participants for making this such a successful charitable occasion.

Therri then gave an account of how such donations are invaluable to the work that the Trussell Trust carries out nationally, but this money will be spent locally. Readers are encouraged to offer any spare time that they may have volunteering at Narberth on Wednesday mornings in the former Magistrates Court At market Square where the Food Bank stores all the goods which they receive from benefactors.

Finally, President Elaine has confirmed that this first event was such success that it is now intended to make it an annual event in Narberth’s calendar. Watch this space for more details in the future.

Business

Thousands of homes in rural Wales gain from faster 4G boost

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RURAL Wales is seeing a major upgrade in mobile connectivity, with faster 4G now live in several areas. Seven locations across North, South West, and West Wales are benefitting from new 4G mast upgrades funded by the UK Government’s Shared Rural Network (SRN), aimed at closing the digital gap between rural and urban areas.

The upgrades, which went live on Thursday (Nov 14), bring improved 4G coverage to communities including Bontddu, Llanelltyd, Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, Penmaenpool, Tabor, Snowdonia National Park, and Bontgoch. Local businesses, emergency services, and residents are expected to benefit from faster internet access, which supports daily communication, business opportunities, and economic growth.

There is a £170 million agreement with Openreach to provide gigabit-capable broadband to 70,000 remote Welsh properties

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “Fast, reliable connectivity is essential for modern life and should be available from Cardiff to the remotest parts of Wales. Today’s upgrades bring us closer to making this a reality.”

SUPPORTING DIGITAL INCLUSION

As part of the rollout, Peter Kyle and Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant visited Ebbw Vale to discuss digital inclusion with charity and industry leaders. They met with representatives at BGfm, a digital inclusion hub in Blaenau Gwent, to learn about how connectivity impacts daily life in Welsh communities.

Telecoms Minister Bryant said: “We are working tirelessly to make sure rural communities aren’t left behind online.

“These upgrades mean businesses can now operate without connectivity limitations, 999 services are better equipped to respond, and residents and tourists can stay connected across the Welsh countryside.”

ADDRESSING CONNECTIVITY GAPS

An estimated 1.5 million homes across the UK remain without internet access, limiting people’s ability to access essential services such as banking and healthcare. In addition to the SRN upgrades, the Chancellor has allocated over £500 million in next year’s budget for digital infrastructure expansion, targeting these underserved areas.

Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens highlighted the importance of this investment, particularly for rural Wales, where fast, reliable internet can be transformative.

“Connectivity is critical for day-to-day life in rural areas – from supporting local businesses to ensuring emergency services are just a call away,” Stevens said.

The upgraded masts, previously limited to EE customers and emergency 999 calls, now serve a wider user base, bringing essential internet access to more people without requiring new infrastructure.

Ben Roome, CEO of Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited, said: “With the activation of five new SRN sites, Wales is seeing the tangible benefits of the Shared Rural Network, bringing crucial connectivity to rural communities.”

GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT IN REMOTE WALES

The improvements come alongside a £170 million agreement with Openreach to provide gigabit-capable broadband to 70,000 remote Welsh properties, helping future-proof digital access in even the most isolated locations.

The latest upgrades mark another step in the Government’s mission to improve mobile coverage and close the connectivity gap across Wales, creating opportunities and supporting economic growth across rural communities.

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Milford Haven man admits to downloading indecent images of children

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A MILFORD HAVEN man has been sentenced after admitting to downloading over 1,000 indecent images and videos of children, including highly explicit content involving young children. Gareth MacDonald, now 23, appeared before Swansea Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images and videos across various devices.

The court heard that police visited MacDonald’s home, which was the scene of protests after his arrest, last year following intelligence suggesting that child abuse images had been accessed there.

There were protests outside MacDonald’s house in September 2024 (Pic: Herald)

Officers spoke with MacDonald’s mother at the door before entering to conduct a search.

During the operation, two mobile phones, a tablet, a laptop, and two hard drives were seized.

MacDonald initially spoke to one of the officers privately, admitting to downloading the images and saying, “It’s me.” Later, in formal interviews, he revealed that he had grown “bored with legal pornography” roughly a year earlier, knowing that what he was doing was illegal but continuing regardless.

Prosecutor Emily Bennett informed the court that MacDonald’s devices held 15 Category A images, the most severe classification, 26 Category B images, and 960 Category C images. Some content depicted children as young as nine, and the most serious material involved pre-teen children in distressing situations.

Bennett also noted that MacDonald had briefly joined an online group where members self-identified as paedophiles, although he left without sharing any material. Cleaning software was also found on his devices.

Defense counsel Dan Griffiths acknowledged that MacDonald’s actions had crossed the custodial threshold, but argued that there was “a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.” He highlighted MacDonald’s cooperation with police and his willingness to comply with rehabilitation programmes.

Judge Geraint Walters, presiding over the sentencing, addressed MacDonald, saying, “For some considerable time, you have accessed this kind of imagery, fully aware of the harm it represents.” He acknowledged that MacDonald largely isolated himself and stayed at home, factors he considered in the sentencing.

MacDonald was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, with a requirement to complete 20 rehabilitation activity days and participate in the Horizon programme. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same duration.

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Welsh teenager jailed for creating 3D-printed gun at home

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A TEENAGER who assembled parts for a viable semi-automatic firearm using a 3D printer has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison.

Owain Roberts, 19, purchased nuts, bolts, steel barrels, and metal rods online, constructing components of an FGC-9 gun with the aid of a 3D printer.

Detectives said that this case marks the first of its kind in Gwent, where Roberts admitted to manufacturing a firearm component. He appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday (Nov 14).

In April, firearms officers executed warrants at two Newport addresses connected to Roberts. Seized items included a 3D printer, two laptops, six plastic reels, and parts for an FGC-9 firearm.

PC Tom Meazey, from Gwent Police’s East Serious Organised Crime team, stated: “Illegally-held firearms can lead to tragic consequences and devastate innocent people’s lives. To own a firearm, including a printable one, is illegal in the UK without a valid firearms certificate. Roberts’s reckless actions in buying items capable of manufacturing a firearm placed people at direct risk.”

This rare and complex investigation involved support from the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Roberts received a prison sentence of four years and nine months.

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