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‘My daughter was raped, murdered and burned beyond recognition in Qatar’

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IN A letter to the Wales World Cup team, the mother of a young lady who was raped and killed in Qatar begged them to remember her daughter.

In October 2013, while out with friends, Lauren Patterson, an English teacher at a primary school in Doha, was attacked by a guy by the name of Badr Hashim Khamis Abdallah Al-Jabr. Outside of the city, the 24 year old’s body was discovered in the desert. Initially given the death penalty, Al-Jabr’s punishment was later reduced to merely 10 years in prison. In the upcoming year, his release is anticipated.

Every player of the Wales and England teams for the upcoming World Cup in Qatar has received a letter from Lauren’s mother Alison, of Haverfordwest. The World Cup is scheduled to begin on Sunday. Alison, who has fought tenaciously for a harsher punishment, is requesting that participants form a L with their fingers to honour Lauren.

“I want all the players to think about Lauren when they run onto the pitch,” said the 57-year-old retired teaching assistant. “If just one of them made an L-shape after scoring a goal or winning a match it would honour Lauren and mean so much.”

Although Lauren was born and raised in Kent, her late father Stuart, a native of Cardiff, gave her some Welsh ancestry. Her mother wrote letters to the coaches of Wales and England, as well as to each member of the teams, 

Al-Jabr’s accomplice Mohammed Hasan Abdulaziz  was previously freed after serving a three-year prison sentence for helping the killer “burn the body of Lauren Patterson and erasing evidence.” Alison claimed that her daughter was “raped, stabbed several times, then carried out into the desert where she was burned beyond recognition, so badly dental records were needed to identify as only 7kg of Lauren remained” in her letters to the squads.

She added: “I have never given up on getting justice for my daughter Lauren. I have travelled to Qatar over 30 times for court hearings all held in Arabic with no translator on most occasions, being forced to stand at the side of the murderer of my daughter. This highlights their total insensitivity. Qatar has a beautiful façade but underneath it is far from beautiful… The human rights of workers, especially in the construction of the infrastructure for the World Cup, has been appalling.”

The letters congratulated the players on their selection and told them that “any gesture you think would be appropriate to question this nation’s history on human rights or to highlight my daughter’s case and the many others would be greatly appreciated”.

Kevin Crotty, the stepfather of Alison and Lauren, 61, used their life savings to fly to each court hearing in Qatar. Al-Jabr’s sentence was reduced to 10 years in 2018 following years of legal fighting and appeals. He is scheduled to be released in less than a year after 

“We didn’t want him to be put to death but we did expect him to receive a similar sentence to what he would get in the UK — perhaps 25 or 30 years,” she said. “But we are told he could be released soon after serving just 10 years in what is more of a villa than a jail. He’s allowed to have a mobile phone, he’s got flat-screen TVs and can play video games. It’s no punishment for what he did to Lauren.

“He can get a job, get married and have a normal life, all things that he took away from my daughter… Qatar has never fully acknowledged the seriousness of what happened to my daughter. There has been no apology, no recognition of the terrible thing that happened to her and the ordeal we are still going through years later.”

Alison added that a Qatari court made an order around eight months ago that Al-Jabr pay her £200,000 in compensation, but she has been told by her lawyer that payment may take years because of the appeal process. The figure would barely cover her legal bills and flights to Doha.

On three occasions Alison has written to the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, pleading for help but her letters have been ignored. She has previously criticised former England captain David Beckham for accepting a reported £150million to promote the World Cup in Qatar.

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New bus services announced by Pembrokeshire County Council

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A NUMBER of changes to local bus services will be introduced in the coming weeks as a result of a shake up to bus funding. 

From April 2024, the funding which has been provided directly to bus operators by the Welsh Government to keep services going in the wake of the Covid pandemic will cease. 

Additional funding will instead be provided to Local Authorities to support their local bus network.

In total, Pembrokeshire County Council and the Welsh Government will provide over £3million in support for bus services in Pembrokeshire during the coming year.

As part of this process, all Pembrokeshire’s local bus services have been re-tendered. 

A public consultation, receiving over 300 responses, helped to inform decisions about which services should be prioritised. 

Councillor Rhys Sinnett, Pembrokeshire County Council Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services said: “I am delighted to be able to report that we are able to maintain the whole of Pembrokeshire’s current local bus network in the coming year.

“We have also secured key improvements such as reinstating an hourly service on the 349 route between Haverfordwest and Tenby via Pembroke Dock, and the popular Strumble Shuttle and Puffin Shuttle coastal bus services during the summer.”

The changes will also see two key services, the 302 Haverfordwest to Milford Haven and 349 Haverfordwest to Tenby via Pembroke Dock, brought under Council oversight for the first time. 

This will give the Council greater oversight of service operations and fares.  Pembrokeshire residents will also benefit from a new fare structure on all First Cymru services, due to be introduced from 1 April 2024. 

This will use Tap On Tap Off to allow passengers to pay the cheapest fare depending on the number of journeys they make or distance travelled, and will cap the maximum adult fare at £3 single and £5.40 return. 

More information about these fares can be found on the First Cymru website

A number of additional service changes and improvements are being considered for introduction during the course of the coming year in response to feedback received from the public consultation.  

The following bus service changes have been confirmed:

From 23 March 2024:

  • The Celtic Coaster (403) on the St Davids peninsular will restart for the 2024 season on Saturday 23 March and will run until Sunday 29 September. This is an hourly service, increasing to half-hourly during the whitsun half term and school summer holidays. There will be no service departing Caerfai Road at 13.00 and 13.30.
  • The 351 (Tenby to Pendine via Amroth) will return to its summer timetable.

From 1 April 2024

  • An hourly service will return on the 349 (Haverfordwest to Tenby via Pembroke Dock) service (April to September only).
  • The 356 (Milford Haven to Monkton) service will no longer call at Waterston and Hazelbeach due to operational issues caused by the narrow lanes in this area. The Fflecsi service will still be available.
  • A Saturday service, between 07:30 and 18:30, will be reintroduced in the Fflecsi Mid Pembrokeshire zone (formerly known as Bwcabus). This zone covers the area between Letterston, Crymych, Clunderwen and Wiston.  Passengers can also travel from this zone to Fishguard and Haverfordwest. 
  • The 302 (Haverfordwest to Milford Haven) and 349 (Haverfordwest to Tenby via Pembroke Dock) services operated by First Cymru will come under Pembrokeshire County Council control, giving the Council greater oversight of service operations and fares.
  • The 322 (Haverfordwest to Carmarthen) and 381 (Haverfordwest to Tenby via Narberth) services will be run by First Cymru. The 322 timetable will remain the same. The 381 timetable will remain the same from Haverfordwest to Tenby but journeys from Tenby to Haverfordwest will depart slightly earlier (37 past the hour instead of 45).
  • The X22 and X61 services which provided journeys at the start and end of the day between Pembroke Dock and Kilgetty, and Pembroke Dock and Haverfordwest will be withdrawn.
  • The 410 (Fishguard Town) and T11 (Haverfordwest to Fishguard via St Davids) services will be operated on a commercial (T11 part commercial) basis by Richards Bros. An improved connection with the ferry at Fishguard Harbour will be provided at 12.30.

From 19 May 2024

  • The Tenby Coaster service between Tenby and Saundersfoot will return for the summer season.

From 25 May 2024

  • The 400 Puffin Shuttle and 404 Strumble Shuttle services will return to the coast between Marloes and St Davids, and St Davids and Fishguard. These services will operate 7 days a week until 29 September 2024.  The Fflecsi service is also available in this area throughout the year.
  • The 387/388 Coastal Cruiser service around the Angle Peninsula will also return to its summer timetable, operating 7 days a week until 29th September 2024.

Further information about all Pembrokeshire bus services can be found on the Council’s website.

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Business

Ocky White Travel marks 60th anniversary with luxury cruise giveaway

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IN a grand gesture commemorating six decades of unparalleled service in the travel industry, Pembrokeshire’s venerated independent travel agency, Ocky White Travel, has announced an extraordinary giveaway—a luxury cruise for two, in partnership with Pure West Radio.

Established 60 years ago, Ocky White Travel has become a staple in the lives of Pembrokeshire residents, offering dream holidays and contributing significantly to the local economy. Despite the fluctuating fortunes of neighbouring businesses and the often harsh realities of the travel sector, Ocky White Travel has stood firm, a testament to its resilience and commitment to customer satisfaction.

This resilience was further demonstrated when, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic—a period that saw many in the industry falter—Ocky White Travel not only survived but thrived by expanding its operations to include Sam Smith Travel in Cowbridge. This expansion has allowed the agency to extend its exceptional service to a broader audience across South Wales.

Celebrating this milestone, Ocky White Travel has engaged in a comprehensive multi-media campaign, underscored by its official sponsorship of the PWR Daytime Show. A central highlight of this celebration is a tiered competition, offering participants a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win a luxury Nordic cruise for two. The competition, which has garnered thousands of entries since its launch on 21st February, underscores the agency’s dedication to rewarding its loyal clientele.

Mark White, Owner and Managing Director of Ocky White Travel, expressed immense pride in reaching this significant milestone. He emphasised the agency’s unique position in the hearts of many families across generations, attributing this success to the personalised service and deep understanding of client needs that have become the hallmark of Ocky White Travel.

Echoing this sentiment, Toby Ellis of Pure West Radio highlighted the positive impact of the partnership on local residents. He praised Ocky White Travel for its hands-on approach and the invaluable advice provided by its seasoned staff. The giveaway, featuring a 7-night cruise to the Norwegian Fjords, stands as the most significant prize offered by the radio station, symbolising a “holiday of a lifetime.”

Entries for this historic giveaway will remain open until 31st March, with the lucky winners to be announced on Pure West Radio’s Daytime Show. This event not only celebrates Ocky White Travel’s 60 years of service but also its enduring commitment to creating unforgettable holiday experiences for its customers.

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Sewage spills: Carmarthenshire the most affected area in the UK

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IN a recent analysis of environmental data, Carmarthenshire has been identified as the UK region most plagued by sewage spills, according to research conducted by the Reboot SEO agency, highlighting a concerning escalation in pollution incidents across the nation’s water bodies. The study, leveraging data from the Environment Agency, underscores a disturbing trend with sewage spills into rivers and seas more than doubling in the past year, rocketing from 1.75 million hours in 2022 to a staggering 3.6 million hours in 2023.

Carmarthenshire, a picturesque county in Wales known for its breathtaking landscapes and rich history, now faces an environmental challenge of considerable magnitude. The locality recorded an alarming 11,195 sewage spills over the course of last year, cumulatively amounting to 86,603 hours of spillage. This surpasses figures from other affected regions across the UK, spotlighting a dire need for robust interventions and sustainable wastewater management practices.

This surge in sewage spills paints a grim picture of the state of the UK’s rivers and seas, with potential ramifications for public health, wildlife, and tourism. The data sheds light on the pressing issue of aging infrastructure and the capacity of existing sewage systems to handle storm overflows, particularly in times of heavy rainfall.

The spotlight on Carmarthenshire’s predicament also prompts a broader discussion on the accountability of water companies, with the study revealing significant disparities in the performance of these entities across the country. For instance, Severn Trent Water was found to have the highest number of storm overflows, with United Utilities not far behind in terms of the total spill hours contributed to the environmental crisis.

The revelation of these statistics has ignited calls for action from environmentalists, local communities, and policymakers alike. There’s a growing consensus on the urgent need for infrastructural upgrades, alongside more stringent regulatory oversight to ensure water companies adopt more sustainable practices.

Local authorities in Carmarthenshire, in concert with environmental agencies and water service providers, are now faced with the critical task of devising and implementing comprehensive strategies to mitigate the impact of sewage spills. This includes investing in modern wastewater treatment solutions, enhancing the resilience of sewer systems against extreme weather conditions, and fostering greater transparency and accountability in the environmental stewardship of water companies.

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