News

Dyfed-Powys Police created “fake crime” to remove man’s firearms licence

Published

3 years ago

August 5, 2022

Cerys Lafferty

Steve Mantle

DYFED-POWYS Police have recently come under fire for allegedly recording non-existent crimes.

67-year-old Steve Mantle of Port Lion, near Llangwm, reached out to the Herald with concerns about Dyfed-Powys Police.

After seeing a previous Herald article, Mr Mantle shared his own difficulties with the police force and a blemish on his criminal record despite never being charged with any offence.

Approximately two years ago, a familial dispute over money led to a complaint being made against Mr Mantle.

Both parties provided statements to the police and the Police took no further action.

Shortly after, Mr Mantle was told his firearm licence was being revoked due to his supposed criminal record.

He had the firearm licence in place so he could use a flare gun, if needed, on his sailing boat whilst at deeper sea levels.

The incident on his criminal record appeared five days after the initial report to Dyfed-Powys Police over which the force took no action.

All the official record states is “crime created”.

Mr Mantle attempted to find out what the crime is, as he has never been charged and has no criminal convictions.

He has written to the chief constable, Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC).

He claims he has either received no reply or been told that they are unable to investigate the incident.

Additionally, Mr Mantle has appealed the loss of his firearm licence, however due to the fact that this charge is on his file, he has lost his appeal.

Mr Mantle states he has been fighting this matter and tried to get clarification as to what he has been charged with for over two years and nobody within the police force or the governing bodies will give him an answer.

The Herald reached out to Dyfed-Powys Police in the hopes of obtaining some clarification for Mr Mantle.

They responded: “A formal complaint against Police in respect of this matter was received and the review of the complaint under the Police Reform Act 2002 by the Professional Standards Department was concluded and the outcome was formally communicated to the complainant along with their statutory appeal right to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). The complainant exercised his appeal right to the IOPC who did not uphold the appeal.

“Following enquiries made after the arrest no further action was taken and the complainant was notified of this decision at the time. This position was also confirmed in the formal written response the complainant received as the outcome to his complaint.

“The review of his Firearms Certificate resulted in his certificate being revoked. This was a risk-based assessment which took account of a number of factors. The complainant exercised his legal right to appeal this decision at a hearing at Swansea Crown Court. The appeal was not upheld by an independent member of the judiciary who would have had full sight and knowledge of all matters relating to the case.

“The complainant is entitled to submit a Subject Access Request to the force asking for a copy of any records held in respect of himself on Dyfed Powys Police systems. A request can be submitted through the force website. He has been notified of this.

“There has been significant correspondence between the complainant and Dyfed-Powys Police and he has received a response to all matters he has raised with the force.”

Steve Mantle provided feedback to Dyfed-Powys Police’s statement. He said: “The response from D-P police was factually correct, but dishonest and misleading.

“The original incident DID result in a conclusion of No Further Action, (NFA), which I accepted as true at the time.

“But D-P police then proceeded to take further action by creating a fictitious crime to revoke my firearms licence and remove safety equipment from my yacht.”

He added that the question as to what crimes were created remains unanswered, and the crimes that were shown to the court are unrecorded elsewhere.

He commented: “Seeing as any criminal record results in the automatic revocation of any firearms licence, there is clear written evidence of a mistrial.”

He also says he is at a complete loss to understand why Dyfed-Powys Police are being so coy and secretive on the matter.

Education

School issues safeguarding alert over children’s use of Roblox

Published

1 minute ago

December 15, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Ysgol Penrhyn Dewi warns parents about addictive gameplay, unsafe chat functions and scammers

YSGOL PENRHYN DEWI in St Davids has issued a safeguarding warning to parents after concerns were raised about children’s use of the popular online gaming platform Roblox.

In a letter sent to families today (Dec 15), Assistant Headteacher Louise Gray said the school had been made aware of a series of risks linked to the platform, which is widely used by children aged 8–13 – and in some cases younger.

Roblox allows users to create and play games developed by other players. However, the school says this user-generated model can expose children to inappropriate or harmful content depending on which games they access.

Range of risks highlighted

The letter sets out several specific safeguarding concerns, including:

Inappropriate content in user-created games
Highly addictive gameplay, with daily quests and reward systems designed to increase screen time
Easily changed parental controls, allowing children to adjust settings without verification
Chat features that expose younger players to inappropriate messages
Peer pressure from in-game ‘connections’, with children believing they know other users
Emotional dysregulation linked to heavy use of the platform
Scams, including fake offers of free Robux or cosmetic items

Parents are being urged to closely monitor how their children use the platform, who they interact with, and what content they can access.

Guidance available

The school has directed families to the Welsh Government’s Hwb website for further advice on parental controls and safe use of Roblox.

Community

Festive creativity shines as Kurtz MS meets card competition winner

Published

51 minutes ago

December 15, 2025

Tom Sinclair

SAMUEL KURTZ, Member of the Senedd for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, visited Pembroke Dock Community School on Friday 12th December to present a prize to the winner of this year’s Christmas Card Competition.

The competition invited pupils to design a festive Christmas card, with entries received from schools across the area. The standard of artwork was exceptionally high, showcasing the creativity, imagination and talent of young people in the community.

During the visit, Samuel Kurtz congratulated the winning pupil and thanked all those who took part, as well as the teachers and staff who supported the competition. Each child who entered also received a certificate in recognition of their hard work and effort.

Speaking after the presentation, Samuel said, “It was a real pleasure to visit Pembroke Dock Community School today and announce the winner of my Christmas Card competition. This year the winner is Mair Moseley, aged 10, and she designed a wonderful Santa image that really stood out. She has won a chocolate selection set and a £20 book token to enjoy over Christmas.”

He added, “ The creativity and enthusiasm shown by all the children was fantastic, and it made choosing a winner extremely difficult. I want to congratulate all the entrants and thank the staff for their ongoing support.”

Pembroke Dock Community School Headteacher, Mrs Katie Crockford-Morris, added, “We were delighted to welcome Samuel Kurtz MS to the school to present the prize. The children thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the competition, and they were incredibly proud to receive their certificates.”

The winning design will now be used as Samuel Kurtz’s official Christmas card this year, with one copy already on its way to His Majesty, King Charles.

Charity

Two Welsh families fund Childline across the UK on Christmas Day

Published

1 hour ago

December 15, 2025

Staff Writer

Joint £40,000 gift ensures vital support is available when children need it most

TWO Cardiff families have joined forces to fund the NSPCC’s Childline service across the whole of the UK on Christmas Day, ensuring children have somewhere to turn during one of the toughest times of the year.

The Peterson family and the Bowles family are each donating £20,000 as part of the charity’s One Unforgettable Day project. Their combined £40,000 contribution will cover the entire cost of running Childline for 24 hours on 25 December.

Childline operates 12 bases nationwide and offers a free, confidential service to anyone under 19, available day and night, 365 days a year. The festive period is often one of the most demanding for counsellors and volunteers; between 24 December 2024 and 4 January 2025, Childline delivered 4,261 counselling sessions.

Young people reach out to Childline for a range of reasons at Christmas, including mental health struggles, family tensions, financial worries, loneliness, and increased risks of abuse or domestic violence. With schools closed and regular support networks unavailable, demand for help typically rises.

Childline relies heavily on donations, fundraising and charitable partnerships. The support of Alan, Maggie and Hywel Peterson, and Nathan and Claire Bowles and their four children, will ensure counsellors are available throughout Christmas Day for any young person who needs them.

Hywel Peterson MBE, Chair of the NSPCC Cymru Fundraising Board, said:
“It’s an honour to help fund Childline across the whole of the UK this Christmas. This joint donation will ensure our dedicated staff and volunteers are there to support any child who needs us.”

Cardiff entrepreneur Nathan Bowles added:
“We know that Christmas can be a difficult time for some children, so our family is delighted to be joining forces with the Petersons this year to support this vital service.”

Louise Israel, Childline team manager at NSPCC Cymru’s Cardiff base, said:
“While children and young people need Childline all year round, we speak to many who find this time of year particularly difficult. It is only with the support of such generous people as the Peterson and Bowles families that our staff and volunteers can continue to be here throughout the Christmas holidays. This kindness will genuinely make a difference.”

Children can call Childline free on 0800 11 11 or visit www.childline.org.uk.
Anyone concerned about a child’s welfare can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or visit www.nspcc.org.uk for advice.