A NEWLY upgraded stretch of the A40 in Pembrokeshire has prompted the Welsh Government to remind nearby property owners that compensation may be available where the road changes have reduced the value of their homes or land.

The A40 Llanddewi Velfrey to Redstone Cross Improvement scheme was opened to traffic on Friday, May 2, 2025. While the works are designed to improve journeys and safety, the re-routing and altered road layout could, in some cases, lead to property depreciation.

According to a public notice, the formal period for submitting claims begins on Saturday, May 2, 2026. Eligible owners with a qualifying interest may be able to apply for compensation under Part 1 of the Land Compensation Act 1973, where depreciation is linked to the road being in use.

Further information is available by emailing [email protected].

Applications can also be submitted by post to: Part 1 Claims and Noise Team, Economic Infrastructure, Welsh Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ.

Claimants are asked to quote reference: BZ042035-421-1.

Details of the scheme and the relevant legislation can be found online at: gov.wales/a40-llanddewi-velfrey-redstone-cross-improvements. For residents without internet access, a longer version of the notice is available on request, and larger-print copies can also be provided.

The notice is signed by Thomas Maton, Head of Land Acquisition.

Natural Resources Wales has issued a Flood Alert for the Pembrokeshire coast, meaning flooding is possible.

The alert covers the coastline between St Dogmaels (Cardigan) and Amroth. Residents and visitors are urged to stay prepared and keep an eye on local conditions.

What to do now

• Follow your flood plan, if you have one
• Check where family members and pets are, and plan how you would move them to safety
• Move important items upstairs or to higher ground (documents, valuables, sentimental items)
• Charge your mobile phone and keep it switched on
• Make sure you know how to turn off electricity, gas and water
• Pack essentials in case you need to leave quickly (medication, warm clothes, phone charger, baby/pet supplies, insurance documents)
• If safe to do so, move cars, livestock and equipment away from flood-prone areas

What not to do

• Do not walk or drive through floodwater
  • Just 30cm (1ft) of water can move a car
  • Around 15cm can knock a person off their feet

More information

Flood updates and details: flood-warning.naturalresources.wales/Detail/102WABT02
Floodline: 0345 988 1188 (Quick dial: 503013)
Water levels: naturalresources.wales/riverlevels

A MAN originally from Milford Haven has been expelled from Russia after being accused of espionage by the country’s security services — claims that have been strongly denied by both the British government and people who know him locally.

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said that a British Embassy employee in Moscow, 45-year-old Gareth Samuel Davies, had been operating as an undercover intelligence officer and ordered him to leave the country within two weeks.

Mr Davies is understood to have attended Milford Haven School and previously lived in Steynton, near the Horse and Jockey pub, before pursuing a career in diplomacy.

Russian authorities said he was working under diplomatic cover as Second Secretary in the administrative section of the British Embassy in Moscow, and that his accreditation had been revoked under the 1961 Vienna Convention.

However, people in Pembrokeshire who know Mr Davies have disputed the espionage claim. According to those familiar with him and his work, he was not involved in spying, but was instead carrying out a legitimate embassy security and administrative role.

They say his responsibilities focused on internal security procedures, staff safety, and operational administration — duties that are standard within embassies worldwide and should not be confused with intelligence gathering. Those close to him locally describe the Russian allegations as a mischaracterisation of a routine diplomatic post.

It is understood that disruption to Mr Davies has been minimised, as his family had not yet joined him in Moscow as planned.

He is due to return to the UK in the coming days, it is understood.

The British government has dismissed the accusations as “baseless.” A spokesperson for the British Embassy in Moscow said:

“This is not the first time the Kremlin has made malicious and baseless accusations against our staff. Their targeting of British diplomats comes out of desperation.”

The spokesperson added that the UK is “carefully considering its options in response.”

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it had summoned Britain’s chargé d’affaires to issue a formal protest and warned of a “decisive tit-for-tat response” should the UK escalate the situation.

Since 2024, Russia has expelled at least nine British diplomats on similar espionage allegations, all of which have been denied by London. No public evidence has been released to support the claims in this case.

Diplomatic expulsions of this kind are widely regarded as political acts rather than legal judgments, and have become increasingly common amid deteriorating relations between the UK and Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.