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Bristol Clean Air Zone increases holiday costs

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TRAVELLERS jetting off for holidays from Bristol Airport face an unexpected extra charge for getting there.

On November 28, Bristol Council will introduce a Clean Air Zone and charge drivers who enter the Zone.

The Council says, “the Zone will help improve air quality by reducing harmful levels of air pollution caused by traffic. It will also help ensure Bristol benefits from a healthy and natural environment.”

However, the extra charge will hit travellers heading to Bristol Airport from Wales.

The most popular route to Bristol Airport for travellers from Wales and north of Bristol takes drivers through Shirehampton and along the A4 (Portway) Road. A stretch of the road to the Airport is within the Clean Air Zone, meaning drivers heading there for their holiday flights will get charged £9 each way.

In 2019, the last year before the Covid pandemic, the Airport carried just under 9m passengers on 70,000 flights.

Bristol City Council confirmed: “The most direct routes from the M32 and the M5 Southbound to Bristol Airport will take vehicles through the Clean Air Zone. The Zone will have advanced signage on the highway network.

“We are working with Bristol Airport to help make people aware of the Zone to plan their journeys in advance and consider public transport options.”

WEST WALES TRAVELLERS FACE LONG TREK

That’s not much help to travellers from West Wales.

Suppose a family of two adults and children aged six and nine plan to travel on December 1, and their holiday flight leaves at 6:00am. They would have to leave Haverfordwest on an overnight train leaving at 7:30pm the previous evening. They would change at Cardiff, again at Bristol Temple Meads to catch the Airport shuttle, and arrive at the Airport at around half-past midnight.

The total cost of a return journey, assuming their return flight landed in the early afternoon on December 8, would be £329.40 with four changes on the return leg and a replacement bus service for part of the journey from Cardiff, arriving back in Haverfordwest at 10:20 at night.

Even the cheapest possible fare, restricting travel times to off-peak periods, is £207.

On top of that cost, you can add the hassle of corralling tired children in the middle of the night, shifting luggage while changing trains, and hanging around the Airport waiting for a flight out and transport back to Bristol Temple Meads after hopefully clearing customs in good time.

Travelling by bus is cheaper – £140 – but arriving at Bristol Airport in the early morning hours will take over nine hours and involve five changes, or a direct bus means you’d end up spending a night in an Airport hotel after a seven-hour journey.

The cheapest accommodation on November 30 for a family of four near Bristol Airport is £100.

AIRPORT KEEN TO TELL TRAVELLERS

Bristol Airport told us they were “keen” for the story to be covered, especially as it affects travellers from Wales.

A spokesperson for Bristol Airport told The Herald: “Bristol Airport urges passengers travelling by car to check on Bristol City Council’s website whether their vehicle will be charged and to plan their route in advance. Our own website will be updated shortly with new travel advice.

“As an alternative to driving, National Express runs a regular and direct service from Cardiff and Newport to the Airport.”

Crime

‘Most extensive’ court order issued against paedophile with Pembrokeshire links

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Predator jailed for historic child sex offences as police enforce strict post-release controls

A CONVICTED paedophile who once lived in Pembrokeshire has been jailed and handed the most extensive Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) ever issued in the Dyfed-Powys Police force area.

STEVEN LOVERIDGE, aged 60, was sentenced to six years and seven months at Swansea Crown Court in May after admitting to a string of sexual offences involving young children, some dating back as far as 2007.

The Herald understands that some of Loveridge’s offending took place while he was living in West Wales, including during a period he spent residing in Pembrokeshire. Police have not confirmed specific locations, but the scale and historic nature of the abuse prompted a far-reaching investigation across multiple counties.

Following his conviction, Dyfed-Powys Police applied for an SHPO so extensive it has shocked even seasoned officers. The order contains 20 separate and highly specific prohibitions designed to protect the public both during and after Loveridge’s release from prison.

Lowri, a spokesperson for Dyfed-Powys Police’s Legal Services team, said: “In most cases, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order will contain two or three tailored conditions. Loveridge’s case was far from typical.

“The final order includes twenty distinct and targeted prohibitions. It reflects the extreme risk he poses to children and the importance of ensuring community safety.”

The SHPO legally binds Loveridge to a set of strict restrictions which will be enforced after his release from prison. These could include limits on internet access, contact with children, travel, and the use of certain technology — although the full details of the order have not been made public.

The force said the measures are part of a wider toolkit to monitor high-risk offenders and prevent reoffending.

Police confirmed that the complexity of the case, combined with the severity of the offences, led to what they have called a “ground-breaking” order, believed to be the most comprehensive ever imposed in the Dyfed-Powys region.

Loveridge will remain on the sex offenders register for life.

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Community

Puffin found 110 miles inland released back into the wild in Pembrokeshire

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Rare rescue sees seabird named Oona nursed back to health after landing in Herefordshire garden

A PUFFIN that somehow found its way more than 100 miles inland has been returned to the sea in Pembrokeshire after being rescued in a Herefordshire garden.

The bird, affectionately named Oona after a children’s book character, was discovered in June in the landlocked county — some 110 miles from the coast — and taken to Vets for Pets in Hereford. At just 218g, around half the normal weight for an adult puffin, she was underweight but otherwise alert.

Wildlife vet David Couper from the RSPCA provided guidance on her initial care, and once stabilised, Oona was transferred to the charity’s specialist West Hatch Wildlife Centre in Somerset. Staff there say puffin patients are extremely rare — only six have been treated at the centre in the past ten years.

Ryan Walker, Wildlife Supervisor at West Hatch, said: “Finding a puffin that far inland is extraordinary. She quickly became a bit of a star here. Our team gave her a good clean-up, helped her regain strength, and she did really well during her stay with us.”

Following her rehabilitation, which included nutritious fish meals and time in a recovery pool, Oona was returned to the sea off the coast of Pembrokeshire — home to Wales’ best-known puffin colonies, particularly on Skomer Island.

Puffins typically breed in coastal colonies, raising their chicks in burrows during spring and summer before spending the rest of the year out at sea. It’s rare for them to be found inland unless blown off course or affected by illness or exhaustion.

Oona’s story is just one of thousands seen by the RSPCA each year. In 2024, the charity took in over 10,000 wild animals across its four dedicated wildlife centres, with many found injured, orphaned or sick in people’s gardens.

The RSPCA is urging the public to act quickly if they find an animal in distress. Where safe, they should take the animal directly to a vet or consult advice on the charity’s website: www.rspca.org.uk/reportcruelty

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Crime

Youth, 19, appears in court over Tenby stabbing incident

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A YOUNG man accused of stabbing a teenager in a Tenby housing estate on Monday (July 14) has been remanded in custody after appearing before magistrates.

OLIVER DOWLING, aged 19, of Newell Hill, Tenby, appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (July 17) charged with three offences — including wounding with intent, possessing a knife in a public place, and possession of cannabis.

The charges relate to a serious incident on Hafalnod estate, where Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed a man was taken to hospital after being stabbed with a knife. The victim, named in court as JOSH ALLEN, is recovering from his injuries, which are not believed to be life-threatening.

Dowling faces the following charges:

Wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (contrary to section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861),

Possession of a bladed article in a public place, namely a kitchen knife, on Hafalnod estate,

Possession of a quantity of cannabis, a Class B drug.

No pleas were entered, and magistrates declined bail on the grounds that Dowling was likely to reoffend and could interfere with witnesses. He was remanded in custody ahead of a plea and trial preparation hearing at Swansea Crown Court on August 18 at 9:00am.

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed a 20-year-old man had been arrested shortly after the incident and that no other individuals are being sought in connection with the matter.

A police spokesperson said: “There continues to be an increased police presence within the area, and if anyone has any concerns please speak to those officers.”

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