Caerphilly investigation leads to court conviction

A ROGUE trader from Pembroke has been ordered to pay more than £6,000 after duping a homeowner into handing over thousands for unnecessary roofing work.

Douggie Whitbread, aged twenty-five and living at Coldwell Terrace, Pembroke, persuaded his victim that he “probably needed a new roof” before charging £4,350 for work that was either unnecessary or not carried out properly.

Whitbread admitted two counts of fraud relating to a property on Griffiths Street, Ystrad Mynach, with the offences taking place between August 12 and October 16, 2023.

He appeared before Cwmbran Magistrates’ Court, where he was ordered to pay a total of £6,130. That includes £4,350 in compensation, £1,500 in prosecution costs, a £200 fine, and an £80 victim surcharge.

The case was brought following an investigation by Caerphilly Trading Standards, who urged residents to be cautious of unsolicited offers of home maintenance work.

A PACKET week of fixtures in the South Pembrokeshire Short Mat Bowls Association’s Friendly League saw key wins at both ends of the table as teams continue to jostle for position going into the second half of the season.

Match results (Week 12):

• Hundleton 10–0 Lamphey
• Badgers 2–8 St Johns
• Reynalton 0–10 Carew
• Kilgetty 8–2 East Williamston
• Cosheston v Llanteg – postponed
• St Twynnells – bye week

A previously postponed fixture was also completed, with St Twynnells drawing 5–5 with Reynaltón.

League table (after Week 12):
East Williamston remain top, having played 10 and won eight, with a strong shots difference of +125. Reynaltón sit second after 11 games with 58 points, while St Johns and Hundleton follow closely behind on 54 points each.

At the mid-table mark, Carew (49 points), St Twynnells (48) and Kilgetty (46) remain tightly grouped. Badgers, Lamphey, Llanteg and Cosheston make up the lower order, though the number of games played varies, leaving room for movement in the coming weeks.

Full standings:

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Coastguard, RNLI and rescue helicopter launched as fears grow he entered the water

A MAJOR search and rescue operation is under way tonight (Sunday) in the Pembroke Dock and Pennar areas as emergency services look for 48-year-old Lee, who has been reported missing and is feared to have entered the water near the Pennar estuary.

Dyfed-Powys Police issued an urgent appeal earlier today after Lee, who is from Cardigan, failed to return home. He was last seen at around 5:00pm on Saturday (December 13) on CCTV in Pembroke Dock. The image shows him travelling on foot and carrying bags.

Lee is described as 5ft 10in tall, of medium build, with short light-brown hair and short facial hair. At the time he was wearing a blue/grey Christmas jumper, a red hat, dark trousers and light trainers. Police say he is also known to travel by train.

Concerns escalated this afternoon after officers received information suggesting Lee may have entered the water around the Pennar estuary.

HM Coastguard teams and the RNLI lifeboat from Angle have been searching the shoreline and waterway since mid-afternoon. A rescue helicopter from Cornwall (operating out of RAF St Mawgan/Cornwall Airport) is now assisting with aerial searches. The operation is ongoing in increasingly challenging conditions.

Search crews are dealing with cold, wet and windy weather, with conditions expected to worsen significantly overnight. An amber Met Office warning for heavy rain comes into force at 4:00am on Monday (15 December), with forecasters warning of fast-flowing floodwater and hazardous visibility across Pembrokeshire.

Police are urging anyone who may have seen Lee, or who has information that could help the search, to make contact immediately by calling phoning: 101. Quote reference: DP-20251214-176