News

Drink and drug driving still a problem in the local police area, say cops

Published

6 years ago

October 2, 2020

A THIRD of all people arrested by Dyfed-Powys Police last weekend were suspected of drink or drug driving, as roads policing officers crack down on dangerous drivers.

The force has revealed that its Roads Policing Unit officers arrested 20 people on suspicion of driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol over a three day period (Friday, September 25 – Sunday, September 27).

This accounts for a third of all arrests across the four divisions over the weekend.

Breaking the figures down, the force says 11 of the people arrested were suspected to have illegal substances in their system at the time of driving, while nine were suspected to be over the alcohol limit.

Inspector for Specialist Operations Andy Williams said: “Unfortunately, we have seen a dramatic rise in arrests over the past 12 months, with the number of drug driving incidents surpassing drink driving.

“We are putting this down to increased detection rates, and the highly proactive work of our Roads Policing Unit officers across the force, who are doing all they can to ensure these dangerous drivers are taken off the road.”

Looking at the picture across the force area for last weekend, Powys saw the highest number of suspected drink or drug driving incidents, with more than half of all arrests across the division (56 per cent) being made for these offences.

Drink or drug driving accounted for 30 per cent of the weekend’s arrests in Pembrokeshire, 29 per cent of arrests in Ceredigion, and 19 per cent of arrests in Carmarthenshire.

Insp Williams explained when drivers would be tested for having alcohol or drugs in their system.

“There are various scenarios in which we have cause to carry out a drug swipe or breath test,” he said.

“We might pull a vehicle over due to the way it is being driven, if it shows on our system as having no tax or insurance, or if it has been involved in a crash.

“Officers are well attuned to the signs that a driver could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and closely monitor the behaviour of the driver in these situations.

“They make an assessment on whether a test is needed, and just like doing a breath test at the roadside, they can carry out a drug wipe which will give an indication within minutes that someone has an illegal substance in their system.

“If this is the case, they are taken to custody where a blood sample is taken for analysis and use in subsequent prosecutions.”

The weekend’s drug drive arrests saw positive indications of drivers with cocaine and cannabis in their system, with male and female drivers ranging from 18 to 55 old arrested.

Inspector Williams issued a reminder that by driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you put your own life and the lives of other road users at risk.

“One incident over the weekend saw officers respond to reports of a collision in Powys where a car had landed on its roof,” he said.

“The driver was displaying behaviour which indicated that he had taken drugs, so a test was carried out once officers we drug swiped, with a positive reading at the roadside.

“Fortunately he was not seriously injured, but the outcome could have been very different.”

Community

Woman rescued from coast path after ankle injury

Published

9 hours ago

June 28, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Coastguard teams called to Dinas Island near Pwllgwaelod

A WOMAN was stretchered from the coast path near Pwllgwaelod after suffering an ankle injury.

HM Coastguard Fishguard was tasked at 5:22pm on Friday, June 27, alongside HM Coastguard Teifi, to assist the casualty on Dinas Island.

The teams attended the scene near Hendre Farm Campsite and Cottages and, with help from the landowner, were able to quickly locate the injured woman.

Her injured limb was immobilised before she was carried by stretcher to her nearby car, where family members were able to take her on to hospital.

Fishguard Coastguard thanked the landowner for their help.

Entertainment

This Ain’t Texas organisers admit Carmarthen festival ‘didn’t go exactly as planned’

Published

9 hours ago

June 28, 2026

Tom Sinclair

ORGANISERS of a country music festival held in Carmarthen have thanked visitors for their support while admitting that parts of the event “did not go exactly as planned”.

This Ain’t Texas Festival took place at the United Counties Showground on Saturday (Jun 27), promising live country music, line dancing, American BBQ, street food, western-themed stalls and family-friendly entertainment.

The event was part of a UK-wide tour, with the Carmarthen date promoted as a Nashville-style day out for families and country music fans.

But after the event, a number of attendees took to social media to raise concerns about queues, parking, food options and the overall organisation of the day.

In a statement posted online, organisers said: “Thank you, Carmarthen. What a day.

“Firstly, we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who came out and made this event so special. The support, energy, and positive feedback we’ve received across the country has been incredible, and we’re truly grateful for every single one of you.

“That said, we also know that not everything went exactly as planned. We’ve received some constructive feedback from attendees, and we want you to know that we’ve listened carefully.”

Some visitors said they had enjoyed the atmosphere, music and line dancing, while others said the event had fallen short of expectations.

One attendee said the day had been “very disappointing” after booking early-bird tickets and looking forward to the festival for months.

Another visitor said the bar queue was long, adding that they had queued for more than an hour, although they still felt the ticket price had been good value.

Others called for more food choice, including vegetarian options, and said parking and space on site would need to be reviewed if the event returned on a larger scale.

There was also praise for the local line dancing element, with one attendee saying it had “definitely added to the experience”.

The festival had been advertised as a one-day country and western-themed event, with live tribute acts, dancing, food, drink, stalls and activities.

Community

Civic service brings Pembrokeshire towns together in Haverfordwest

Published

12 hours ago

June 28, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A CIVIC service has been held at St Mary’s Church in Haverfordwest, bringing together civic leaders, councillors, cadets and community representatives from across Pembrokeshire.

The Mayor’s Civic Service took place at 11:00am on Sunday, 28 June 2026, at the historic High Street church, one of the county town’s most familiar landmarks.

The service was hosted by Haverfordwest Town Council and attended by the Sheriff of Haverfordwest, Cllr Dani Thomas-Turner, Deputy Lord Lieutenants, the mayors of Pembroke, Pembroke Dock, Neyland and St Davids, members of the Guild of Freemen, the Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet and the Mayoral Cadet.

St Mary’s Church has stood at the heart of Haverfordwest for more than 800 years. Built in about 1200, its size and position have made it one of the town’s dominant historic buildings.

Cllr Randell Izaiah Thomas-Turner said the occasion had been “truly special and humbling”.

He said: “It was an honour to gather in one of our town’s most historic and beautiful buildings, a church that has stood at the heart of our community since the 12th century, bringing people together in faith, service and reflection.”

Cllr Thomas-Turner and the Sheriff thanked all those who attended, saying the presence of civic representatives from neighbouring towns reflected the “strong spirit of friendship and partnership across Pembrokeshire”.

They also paid tribute to fellow town councillors, the Guild of Freemen, and the cadets who supported the service.

Cllr Thomas-Turner added: “Days like today remind us that civic life is about more than titles and chains of office. It is about service, community, friendship and working together for the good of our towns and our county.”

He said the event had been a proud day for Haverfordwest, adding: “Haverfordwest truly is the Best in the West.”