News

Reports continue about holiday businesses receiving visitors and second homes use

Published

6 years ago

April 20, 2020

Reports of holiday businesses receiving visitors and second homes
being occupied locally continue to be received by Pembrokeshire
County Council.

The regulations are clear that residents should stay at their primary
residence and that travel to holiday accommodation or second homes
is not essential travel.

Police officers have the power to issue fixed penalty notices and turn
those travelling around.

Across the Easter weekend police and Council officers stopped 1,660
vehicles with 39 fixed penalty notices issued to those deemed to have
left their homes without reasonable excuse.

Further traffic checks are continuing day and night.
Travelling to a second home or holiday accommodation risks
introducing the virus to rural communities from areas where the
disease might be more prevalent.

It also places additional strain on local health services where
provision is based on resident population.

There are also concerns of increasing anxieties and possible tensions
in rural communities.

For clarity, all holiday accommodation businesses listed below are to
remain closed to the public until further notice, apart from the certain
limited exceptions described.

 Holiday sites

 Camping sites

 Hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation

 Other holiday accommodation (including holiday apartments, hostels
and boarding houses)

These businesses can be specifically requested to operate by the
Welsh Ministers or by Local Authorities for a limited number of
reasons. Such reasons include:

 accommodating key / critical workers (as defined by Welsh
Government)

 accommodating those who have been displaced or are
homeless, or;

 providing accommodation for health patients.
If a business is specifically requested to open by Welsh Ministers or a
Local Authority, this provision should not be taken to mean that the
whole site or business can reopen.

Any permitted re-opening will be specific and limited to the purposes
set out in the request.

The fact the Welsh Ministers or Local Authorities may request a
business to open for a specific purpose does not authorise it to open
for any other purpose and nor does it oblige the business to open.
Some holiday businesses in the County are currently accommodating
key workers but if such businesses have not yet been asked to do so
by the Welsh Ministers or a Local Authority, they must make
Pembrokeshire County Council aware of this as a matter of urgency.
They need to ensure that a written request is forthcoming from the
Welsh Ministers or Local Authority and they may only remain open in
response to such a request.

Enforcement action will be undertaken against any holiday
accommodation business that continues to operate without such a
request having been made.

Our communities continue to be monitored in partnership with Dyfed
Powys Police and officers of the Council’s Public Protection team for
compliance.

If you have information that causes you concern in your community
relating to the use of holiday accommodation and buildings please
contact the Council at [email protected]
There is also currently a particular challenge in terms of securing
sufficient accommodation for vulnerable groups.

Holiday accommodation businesses in Pembrokeshire are being
requested to consider providing accommodation for such groups.
If you currently own or manage holiday accommodation businesses in
Pembrokeshire and would like to make this accommodation available

for this purpose, please email [email protected] with
contact details.

If you have already responded to the Welsh Government’s request,
please let the Council know to update records.

If you are operating a business in Pembrokeshire and want to make
sure that you are only operating within the correct permission under
The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (Wales) Regulations
2020 please contact email [email protected]

Crime

Haverfordwest man sent to Crown Court on multiple serious charges

Published

7 minutes ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded in custody

A HAVERFORDWEST man has been sent to Swansea Crown Court to stand trial on a series of serious allegations following his appearance in the latest magistrates’ court register.

David Guy, 49, of Market Street, Haverfordwest, appeared in court facing multiple charges, all of which have now been deemed too serious for summary trial.

Multiple charges listed in register

The new magistrates’ register shows Guy charged with several offences arising from the same case file. Although individual charge descriptions were not expanded in open court, the register confirms the allegations include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
A second assault charge
Criminal damage
A further interpersonal violence allegation
A public order offence

All entries relate to the same incident and prosecution reference, presented as a multi-count case.

Defendant remanded into custody

Magistrates ruled that their sentencing powers were insufficient and sent the entire case to Swansea Crown Court for trial.

Guy was remanded in custody, with the register stating: “Sent to Crown Court for trial in custody – next hearing at Swansea Crown Court.”

A hearing date will now be fixed administratively by the Crown Court. Until then, Guy remains remanded.

The Herald will provide updates once the Crown Court listing is confirmed.

Crime

Castlemartin man back before magistrates over multiple alleged assaults

Published

13 minutes ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded on conditional bail ahead of further hearing

A CASTLEMARTIN man has appeared repeatedly before magistrates this month over a string of alleged offences including assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), non-fatal strangulation, common assault, and criminal damage.

Anthony Alcock, 40, of Pwll Street, Castlemartin, faces six linked charges arising from incidents reported to have taken place earlier this year. Alcock, who did not enter pleas during the administrative hearings, appeared on several occasions as the court dealt with bail issues and case management.

Multiple assault allegations
The charges listed before magistrates include:
Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
Intentional strangulation
Common assault of a woman
Criminal damage relating to a domestic incident
Further assault allegations linked to the same complainant
A breach of bail conditions

The court heard that Alcock had previously been granted conditional bail. However, he was brought back before magistrates twice during the same reporting period for alleged breaches of those conditions, resulting in updated bail decisions.

Bail breached — defendant remanded

On two separate entries in the court register, Alcock was listed as having breached his bail, leading magistrates to remand him into custody pending the next hearing. On other dates within the same week, he was again re-released on conditional bail, with strict terms imposed, including restrictions on contact with the complainant and exclusions from certain locations.

He is now remanded on conditional bail with his next appearance set for Swansea Crown Court, where the more serious matters — including the alleged non-fatal strangulation — will be dealt with.

Case sent to Crown Court

Magistrates directed that the case is too serious to be heard locally and must proceed to the Crown Court for trial or sentence.

The Herald understands that all listed charges fall under the same prosecution reference, indicating they form part of a single ongoing domestic abuse prosecution. No further details were opened in court at this stage.

Crime

Rogue roofer conned homeowner out of thousands

Published

29 minutes ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

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.