News
Police boss ‘delighted’ to be recognised in New Year’s Honours
CHIEF CONSTABLE Mark Collins has spoken of his delight after being recognised for his service to policing in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List
Police officers, staff and volunteers from forces across the country have been recognised in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List – and Dyfed-Powys Police is very proud that its serving Chief Constable, Mark Collins has been awarded an honour for his dedicated service.
Reflecting on the news he said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have received the Queen’s Police Medal, and it’s an honour to have received it as a serving Chief Constable. It comes after working a combination of over 34 years as a police officer, in the Special Constabulary, and working in three different police force areas – Dyfed-Powys, Bedfordshire and the Metropolitan Police. I want to say a big thank you to all my colleagues, friends and staff that have supported me along the way. I’m really proud that I’ve served in every rank in Uniform Policing and in CID up to Chief Superintendent from Constable – it gave me a wealth of experience, and led to me leading on two large national portfolios, Mental Health in policing and group based Child Sexual Exploitation.”
Mr Collins was appointed Chief Constable of Dyfed-Powys Police in December 2016. He then became the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) lead on policing and mental health in January 2017 and has brought significant leadership to the portfolio. It is a huge task, but he has had some significant success in terms of working with colleagues and partners around mental health in policing. He was invited by Sir Simon Wesley to join the review of the Mental Health Act, which has provided some fundamental recommendations that will change the way we operate as a police service, for instance the complete ban on use of police cells, and the conveyancing of people suffering from mental ill health episodes privately, will go a huge way to protecting the dignity of those people and supporting them through their periods of crisis. Tremendous work is being done across the UK in this field. In respect of Child Sexual Exploitation he has overseen working effectively with partners, colleagues, and learning the lessons of some large investigations. Chief Constable Collins is passionate about providing excellent support for victims on the victims journey, and has ensured Senior Investigating Officers are provided with a template and handbook of how to investigate these types of offences, and actually recognising and learning from previous investigations.
Mr Collins added: “It’s been an absolutely marvellous Christmas present to receive this honour. And I need to thank my family, colleagues and friends once more, for supporting me over the last 30 plus years in policing.”
Charity
Tenby golf captain raises more than £8,000 for hospice charity
Fundraising year inspired by personal experience of end-of-life care
TENBY GOLF CLUB has announced that £8,360.68 has been raised for the Paul Sartori Foundation after a year of fundraising led by club captain Heather Morgan.
Heather’s captaincy was particularly notable as she is only the second female captain in the club’s history since it was founded in 1888. Her choice of charity was inspired by personal experience, following the care and support provided to her mother by the hospice-at-home charity.
Her mother, who lived to the age of 97, was able to remain at home during her final days thanks to the support of Paul Sartori’s clinical team.
Heather said she could not have managed without the compassion and professionalism of the staff, who supported both her mother and the wider family during a difficult time. She therefore chose the charity not only to raise funds, but also to increase awareness of the services available to families across Pembrokeshire.
The fundraising year included a packed programme of well-supported events, including a charity golf day, Captain’s Day, and a popular night golf competition. Members and guests also supported quiz nights with themed food, a special performance by Tenby Male Voice Choir, as well as Easter and Christmas raffles.
Joanne Lutwyche, Events and Fundraising Officer for the Paul Sartori Foundation, said: “Becoming a charity of the year is a great privilege for us, and we always aim to support our community fundraisers as much as possible during the time we are chosen.
“Our fundraising and events team have been astonished by the generosity of the golfers throughout the year. We have been invited to support events at Tenby Golf Club, and they have been great fun to be part of.”
The charity has thanked Heather Morgan, Tenby Golf Club, and everyone who contributed to the fundraising efforts, saying the money will help provide hospice-at-home care for people living with life-limiting illness across Pembrokeshire.
The funds raised will enable more families to receive care and comfort in their own homes at the most difficult times.
Photo caption: Heather Morgan with Brendan Monnelly, General Manager at Tenby Golf Club (Pic supplied).
News
New project launched to preserve Pembrokeshire’s hidden place names
Communities invited to share historic names of fields, lanes and landmarks
A NEW project has been launched to uncover and protect historic place names across the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park — from forgotten fields to little-known lanes — before they disappear from living memory.
The initiative, led by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority in partnership with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW), will gather local knowledge from communities throughout the Park and record it in the national List of Historic Place Names for Wales.
A series of community workshops will take place during 2026, giving residents the opportunity to share names passed down through generations, including those linked to fields, footpaths, buildings and local landmarks.
All information collected will be compiled by Dr James January-McCann, Place Names Officer at the RCAHMW, and formally recorded to help safeguard this cultural heritage for future generations.
Pembrokeshire’s landscape reflects a rich linguistic history shaped by Welsh, English, Nordic and Flemish influences. Organisers say capturing this knowledge now is vital, not only to preserve local identity but also to support landowners, communities and the National Park Authority in future land management and heritage projects.
Tomos Jones, Community Archaeologist at the Park Authority, said: “This is a fantastic project that empowers local communities to come forward with their place names knowledge. The information can then better inform our understanding of the National Park area and help us develop relevant projects.”
Dr James January-McCann added: “Given Pembrokeshire’s rich linguistic history, this is a brilliant opportunity to discover how strong those influences remain today, and to deepen people’s knowledge of their heritage.”
With the National Eisteddfod taking place in Pembrokeshire this year, the project will also use the festival as a platform to reach a wider audience, including a dedicated talk supported by the Eisteddfod team.
Six community workshops are currently scheduled for 2026, with the ambition to expand the programme in future years.
The first workshop will take place at St Davids City Hall on Wednesday (Feb 18), with members of the public invited to drop in at any time between 10:00am and 4:00pm to share information or speak with the project team. Further sessions will be promoted locally and through social media.
Caption: A series of place name workshops will be held to capture the rich linguistic heritage of the local area.
Crime
Pembroke Dock raids: One man in court today as three released on bail
Update follows major Gordon Street operation reported on Friday
ONE man is due to appear in court today (Monday, Feb 16) following last week’s armed police operation in Pembroke Dock, as officers confirmed that three other suspects have been released on bail.
The Herald reported on Friday (Feb 13) that firearms officers, dog units and multiple police vehicles were deployed to Gordon Street during a pre-planned operation involving several specialist departments.
Dyfed-Powys Police has now provided an update on the outcome of the raids.
Two men, aged 37 and 35, and a woman aged 32 — all arrested during Friday’s operation — have been released on bail pending further enquiries.
A fourth suspect, a 28-year-old man arrested for failing to appear in court, has been recalled to prison.
Officers also confirmed that a fifth person was arrested the following day, Saturday (Feb 14).
Zack High, aged 26, has since been charged with grievous bodily harm and is due to appear at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court today.
During the initial operation, police said arrests were made for a range of suspected offences including grievous bodily harm, firearms possession, drugs supply, fraud, and possession of a bladed article.
Detective Sergeant Jamie Hughes, of Pembrokeshire CID, previously thanked the community for its patience during the large police deployment and said the action demonstrated that officers would “deal with offenders robustly and efficiently”.
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