News
Tenby gears up for full fibre broadband
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WALES’ leading alternative telecoms provider – Ogi – has revealed plans to bring full fibre connectivity to Tenby, one of Pembrokeshire’s most iconic seaside towns.
Tenby is the latest of over 60 communities across south Wales to benefit from Ogi’s privately backed broadband rollout launched in 2021. Once work to connect around 5,000 premises in the town is complete, Ogi will be the leading alternative choice in much of west Wales – connecting homes and businesses to ultrafast internet long before the likes of Openreach and Virgin Media, who have long dominated the south Wales market.
At the moment, average download speeds in the area peak at 51.2Mbps (12.2Mbps upload) according to Thinkbroadband. Ogi’s Gigabit-capable network will enable homes to access download speeds up to 900Mpbs (90Mbps upload); and businesses to go faster than 2.5Gbps each way for the for the very first time.
One of Wales’s most iconic visitor destinations, Ogi’s network will offer a boost to the Welsh tourism economy, already estimated to be worth around £3billion a year – enabling visitors o Tenby to access the best of both worlds; a traditional seaside experience, alongside access to reliable connectivity for gaming, streaming and even hybrid working.
Ogi propelled onto the scene in 2021, kick-starting a digital revolution across Wales, with some of the nation’s hardest to reach communities benefiting from the latest full fibre technology sooner than planned by the incumbent [Openreach]. The altnet provider is bringing much needed connectivity to post-industrial towns and villages, whilst also putting in place the long-distance backhaul network that’s needed to secure these communities’ access to the wider world.
The company has grown from 20 to more than 210 full time staff, with hundreds more supported through its supply chain over the last two years, with the business now operating from four regional hubs in Newport, Cardiff and St Clears, supporting more staff to live and work from where they choose.
Around 40% of premises in Wales now have access to full fibre connectivity, with Britain in general lagging behind many European countries, where coverage can be well above 90%. Ogi’s latest plan will help another thriving town close the digital divide for good.Announcing Tenby’s rollout, Ogi’s Chief Executive Officer, Ben Allwright, said: “I’m delighted to be welcoming Tenby – one of Wales’s most iconic seaside towns – to the Ogi network.
“Tourist destinations like Tenby are bursting with potential – and they deserve the best connectivity to help them thrive. As we’re seeing across Pembrokeshire, only Ogi can make that access a reality right now.
“Our network is helping businesses to grow, wherever they are based; supporting people to work closer to where they live; and opening up even more home entertainment choices.”
Already bosting high scores on leading review websites like Trustpilot, the service provider is regularly praised for its excellent customer service and reliable network speeds.
Surveying work is already underway with activity due to start at street level in the town over the autumn when local construction embargos are lifted. Homes and businesses in the area will be able to access Ogi’s ultrafast service from early 2024.
Community
Public reminded to stay away from Ward’s Yard and Criterion Quay
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THE PORT of Milford Haven is reminding members of the public to stay away from Ward’s Yard in Milford Haven and Criterion Quay (sometimes known as the offshore jetty) in Pembroke Dock due to concerns over public safety.
Despite significant security measures, people continue to access the sites illegally, ignoring and sometimes damaging the onsite signage and fences.
Niall Yeomans, Head of Health, Safety and Security at the Port of Milford Haven said: “Safety is our key priority. Members of the public are continuously putting themselves and members of our team at risk of serious harm by trespassing in these areas.”
“Both Ward’s Yard and Criterion Quay are unsafe for public access. They are isolated areas next to deep water and are susceptible to slips, trips and falls.”
Both sites are owned by the Port of Milford Haven and are private property. Anyone found onsite without consent is trespassing, and any criminal damage could result in prosecution.
Anyone who sees any suspicious activity at Ward’s Yard or Criterion Quay is asked to contact Dyfed Powys Police on 101 urgently.
Crime
‘Sophisticated’ organised crime gang trafficked cocaine and cannabis to Aberystwyth
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FIVE people have been found guilty or admitted to conspiring to supply cocaine and cannabis as Dyfed-Powys Police continues its efforts to dismantle organised crime gangs.
Officers seized cocaine with a street value of more than £400,000 from gang members, who continually changed tactics to avoid arrest.
Six defendants have appeared in court in the latest phase of Dyfed-Powys Police’s Operation Burleigh, which sought to disrupt the trafficking and onward supply of class A and B drugs into Aberystwyth, with all but one admitting their charges or being found guilty by a jury.
This brings the total number of people awaiting sentence under the operation to 15.
The court heard that officers from Dyfed-Powys Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Team and Ceredigion Priority Policing Team led the investigation into the OCG, which was described as ‘sophisticated, well-organised and evolving’.
Detective Sergeant Steven Jones said: “This conspiracy operated on a County Lines model, where controlled drugs are trafficked into a smaller rural town from a larger city, and the operation is controlled by one or more ‘drugs lines’.
“In this case there were a total of four lines controlling the supply of cocaine and cannabis within Aberystwyth.
“The conspirators frequently evolved their actions to frustrate the authorities and evade capture.”
The OCG embedded members were mainly asylum seekers brought to Aberystwyth by Toana Ahmad and another man who remains outstanding, with the sole purpose of dealing drugs. The drug lines were initially based in Swansea, and later in areas of Birmingham.
Three properties – on Terrace Road, Alexander Road and Parc Graig Glas – were identified early in the investigation as being used to house the OCG members embedded in Aberystwyth. Substantial amounts of cash, controlled drugs and weapons were recovered from these properties, and from the people found inside.
When arrests were made, the gang changed its tactics. Drugs began to be supplied from vehicles, and OCG members stayed in guest houses to avoid detection.
DS Jones added: “Trusted couriers were employed to transport drugs to Aberystwyth and cash back to Birmingham or Swansea. A number of vehicles, including taxis, were used as the gang attempted to avoid detection along the route, while trains were also taken when courier cars were stopped by officers.”
In June 2023, two vehicles travelling from the West Midlands towards Aberystwyth were stopped by police on consecutive days. A black sock was uncovered in the engine of the first car, which was found to contain 82g of high purity cocaine divided into 169 grip seal plastic bags.
Davinder Singh, who previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A and class B drugs, was the driver of the second vehicle, which was a taxi. A blue plastic bag was seen falling out of his shorts, which contained over 81g of high purity cocaine divided into 167 grip seal bags.
DS Jones said: “On the basis that the amounts of cocaine transported over the 37 couriers over the course of the conspiracy period were similar, over 3kg of cocaine would have been conveyed to Aberystwyth from Birmingham.
“This equates to class A drugs with a potential street value of over £308,950. In addition to this, class A drugs were seized from individuals and addresses with a potential street value of £103,445, along with cash totalling £11,687.
“A number of teams and departments across Dyfed-Powys Police, from analysts, CCTV operators and priority policing teams, to CAB, the Technical Support Unit, Economic Crime Team and Force Intelligence Bureau all assisted in dismantling the OCG from top to bottom.
“Their dedication and relentless efforts have assisted in making Aberystwyth a safer place to live without the threat and harm of drugs being made easily available on the street.”
After a seven-week trial at Swansea Crown Court earlier this year, the following three defendants were found guilty for their parts in the conspiracy:
- Toana Ahmad, aged 33, of Lee Gardens in Smethwich, West Midlands
- Barzan Sarhan, aged 31, of no fixed address
- Ahmed Piro, aged 26, of no fixed address
The jury failed to reach a verdict on two defendants during the earlier trial. They have been subject to a retrial starting on July 1, with the following outcomes:
- Hawre Ahmed, aged 35, of Pinderfields Road, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, was found guilty by the jury of conspiracy to supply Class A and B controlled drugs.
- Diar Yousef Zeabari, aged 35, of Flat 5, 41 Bryn Road, Swansea, was found not guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A and B controlled drugs.
Karwan Karim, aged 39 of 125 Griffith John Street, Swansea, also stood trial, and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A and B controlled drugs on day three.
In addition to the OCG members found guilty during the most recent trials, the following have previously pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to supply class A and class B drugs under Operation Burleigh:
- Davinder Singh, aged 36, of Huntingdon Road, West Bromwich
- Daban Khalil, aged 23, of Streetly Road, Birmingham
- Kastro Omar, aged 30, of Junction Road, Northampton
- Karwan Jabari, aged 26, of Weedon Close, Northampton
- Walid Younis Abdal, aged 34, of St Anne’s Road, Doncaster
- Saman Aziz, aged 41, of Kirk Road, Merseyside
- Adel Mustafa, aged 39, of Hubert Road, Newport
- Charlotte Roberts, aged 21, of Sutton Hill, Telford
The following have previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs:
- Akasha Smith, aged 24, of Third Avenue, Aberystwyth
- Luqman Jarjis, aged 21, of Wake Green Road, Birmingham
News
Community asked for views on allocation of new St Davids homes
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THE FIRST phase of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Glasfryn housing development in St Davids is progressing well with the second phase also underway.
The development being built by GRD Homes Ltd, began in November 2023, with a first phase completion date of Winter 2024 looking hopeful, ahead of the scheduled plans.
The first phase consists of seven properties, including a mixture of one and two bedroom bungalows
As completion draws closer the properties will be advertised via Pembrokeshire Choice Homes.
Ahead of this, the Council’s housing team will be holding community engagement on the 13th August 2024 at the Ty’r Pererin Centres, Quickwell Hill, St Davids, SA62 6PD, 5pm-7pm.
This will be a chance for officers to liaise with the local community about the allocation process for these properties.
Glasfryn’s second phase is well underway, with the initial groundwork already completed. This phase includes a further 11 two bedroom bungalows, with a completion date in late 2025.
These bungalows will meet the latest Welsh Government’s Development Quality Requirement, and will be energy efficient, built to EPC A specification and include solar panels to help tenants with running costs.
The Glasfryn development is funded in partnership with Welsh Government.
Cabinet Member for Housing Cllr Michelle Bateman said: “We are really keen to work with the community on a local lettings policy for these new properties, as we have done for our developments in other parts of the County.”
If you have any queries please email the Customer Liaison Team on [email protected], phone them on 01437 764551, or visit Housing’s Facebook page.
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