News

The best air pollution rates in the UK – with Gwynedd and Pembrokeshire in the top ten

Published

5 years ago

March 16, 2021

EVER wondered where has the cleanest air in Britain? holidaycottages.co.uk has analysed* air pollution rates across the UK to reveal the areas with the lowest levels overall, creating an interactive tool revealing the places with the best air pollution rates per region in the UK.

According to the IQ Air report* which was used to conduct the study, the UK has an average air pollution rating of 10.5µg, which is defined as ‘good’.

What’s more, the UK ranks in the top 25% of lowest air pollution rates in the whole world, ranking 21st out of 89 countries for having the cleanest air.

But which part of the UK has the cleanest air? The top ten regions in the UK with the lowest air pollution rates, based on the average ranking of each town, city and village, are:

Midlothian, Scotland (5.1)
Wiltshire, England (5.4)
Berkshire, England (5.8)
Perthshire, Scotland, and Gwynedd, Wales (6.1)
Lanarkshire, Scotland (6.3)
Pembrokeshire, Wales (6.4)
Stirlingshire, Fife, Clackmannan, and City of Dundee, Scotland (6.5)
City of Edinburgh, Scotland (6.6)
Renfrewshire, Scotland (6.7)
Ayrshire, Scotland (6.8)

Midlothian has the honour of being named the area with the cleanest air in Britain, with an average ranking of 5.1µg. Just south of Edinburgh, Midlothian offers a rural escape with plenty of things to see and explore, including the Pentland Hills and Rosslyn Chapel.

In second place is Wiltshire, with the picturesque market town of Marlborough holding an air quality ranking of just 5.4µg. Berkshire comes in third place thanks to the somewhat surprising low air quality rating of Slough, coming in at just 5.8µg – the only large town in England to feature on the list. The rest of the top ten is populated by Scottish and Welsh locations.

Despite this list, it’s important to note that so many other popular areas in the UK such as Anglesey (7.3µg average), Scottish Highlands (8.3µg average), and Cornwall (9.25µg average) all had average rankings within the WHO target at less than 10µg too; it just so happens that air pollution rates are so good in the UK – a promising statistic!

In fact, of the 126 towns, villages and cities analysed in the report, 75 were ranked as meeting the WHO target (59%), and a further 37 (29%) were ranked as good – that’s 88% of towns and cities overall being marked as within target or good.

Commenting on the findings, Shannon Keary, Digital PR Manager at holidaycottages.co.uk, says: “Air pollution and a greener environment continues to be a huge talking point for many people in the UK, and, in this campaign, we wanted to reveal where in the UK has the lowest air pollution. It’s really promising to see that so many of our towns, cities and villages have such clean air, and it’s especially great to see that a huge 88% of the UK has low air pollution rankings that are either within the WHO target or are rated ‘good’.

“We have also created an interactive tool that allows people to find out the areas in their region with the cleanest air in an easily digestible format and then they can compare it with that of their friends and family across the UK.”

To find out where has the cleanest air in your area, please visit: https://www.holidaycottages.co.uk/blog/clean-air-britain-best-air-quality

Crime

Man charged with strangulation and assault offences after October incident

Published

25 minutes ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

A MAN recorded in court as having no fixed abode has appeared before magistrates charged with intentional strangulation and two further assault offences.

Michael Sudbury, 50, whose address was not read out in court, but in Herald records is Glan Hafan, Llangwm, appeared before the bench facing multiple charges.

The charges relate to an incident on 22 October 2025 and include:

Intentional strangulation, contrary to section 75A of the Serious Crime Act 2015
Common assault
Assault by beating

No further details of the alleged incident were opened in court, and no plea was entered at this stage.

Sudbury was remanded on conditional bail, with the case listed to return to magistrates later this month.

Crime

Haverfordwest man sent to Crown Court on multiple serious charges

Published

48 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 A 49-year-old Haverfordwest resident has been committed to Swansea Crown Court to face trial on multiple serious charges deemed too grave for magistrates to handle.

David Guy, of Market Street, Haverfordwest, appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates facing a series of allegations stemming from a single case. The charges, which were not detailed in open court, include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
A second count of assault
Criminal damage
An additional allegation of interpersonal violence
A public order offence

Magistrates declined jurisdiction, determining that the matters exceeded their sentencing powers, and sent the case in its entirety to Swansea Crown Court.

Guy was remanded in custody pending his next appearance. The court register notes: “Sent to Crown Court for trial in custody – next hearing at Swansea Crown Court.”

A date for the initial Crown Court hearing will be set administratively. Guy will remain in custody until then.

The Pembrokeshire Herald will provide further updates as the case progresses in the Crown Court.

Crime

Castlemartin man back before magistrates over multiple alleged assaults

Published

54 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 A 40-year-old man from Castlemartin has made repeated appearances before magistrates this month in connection with a series of serious alleged offences, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), intentional non-fatal strangulation, common assault, and criminal damage.

Anthony Alcock, of Pwll Street, Castlemartin, is facing six linked charges stemming from incidents said to have occurred earlier this year. These appear to relate to the same complainant in what is understood to be a single ongoing domestic abuse prosecution.

During recent administrative hearings at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court, Alcock did not enter pleas while matters of bail and case management were addressed.

Charges Include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
Intentional non-fatal strangulation
Common assault on a woman
Criminal damage in a domestic context
Additional assault allegations involving the same complainant
Breach of bail conditions

Alcock was initially granted conditional bail but was subsequently brought before the court on two occasions for alleged breaches. On those instances, magistrates remanded him in custody ahead of further hearings. He was later re-granted conditional bail, subject to strict conditions such as no contact with the complainant and exclusion from specified locations.

Magistrates have now declined jurisdiction, ruling that the case—particularly the more serious charges involving non-fatal strangulation—is too grave for summary trial. It has been committed to Swansea Crown Court for plea, trial, or sentencing.

No detailed evidence has been presented in open court at this preliminary stage. Alcock remains on conditional bail pending his next appearance at the Crown Court.