Police appeal for witnesses after incident reported in early hours of Sunday

DYFED-POWYS POLICE are investigating an allegation of rape reported to have taken place at Sands Nightclub in Saundersfoot in the early hours of Sunday (Dec 14).

The alleged incident is reported to have occurred in the toilet area of the nightclub shortly after 3:00am.

An 18-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the allegation and remains in police custody while enquiries continue.

Officers are appealing to anyone who was in the venue at the time, or who may have seen or heard anything that could assist the investigation, to come forward.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dyfed-Powys Police online, by calling 101. Alternatively, information can be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or via their website.

Quote reference: 25*1018987.

Accused tells jury claims did not happen as trial hears evidence about alcohol use and alleged controlling behaviour

A MAN accused of sexually abusing a child in Pembrokeshire more than fifteen years ago has denied the allegations while giving evidence at Swansea Crown Court.

Thomas Kirk, aged 50, of Meyler Crescent, Milford Haven, is accused of orally raping and sexually assaulting a child aged between 13 and 15-years-old in the Pembrokeshire area between 2007 and 2008.

The jury has heard allegations that Kirk forced the child to perform oral sex, compelled her to remove her clothing and digitally penetrated her, leaving her distressed and in tears.

Kirk, who is originally from Scotland, gave evidence in his own defence and denied carrying out any of the acts alleged.

When the accusations were put to him directly, he told the court: “No, it did not happen.”

Alcohol use disputed

The court heard that Kirk, who has recently been employed as a grounds worker, has struggled with alcoholism for much of his life and accepted that there were periods when he could not remember what he had done the previous night.

Counsel for the prosecution, Robin Rouch, suggested that Kirk had been drinking heavily around the time of the alleged offences and that alcohol may have been a contributing factor.

Kirk denied this, telling the jury he had stopped drinking around 2007 and did not consume alcohol at home.

“I would have the occasional drink at work Christmas events, but I would never have alcohol at home,” he said.

“That is a lie, isn’t it, Mr Kirk?” Mr Rouch put to him.

“No,” Kirk replied.

The prosecution suggested that witnesses would say Kirk regularly drank vodka mixed with energy drinks and kept bottles of vodka at his home during the relevant period.

“It’s true, Mr Kirk, that you had a bottle of vodka in the house and were drinking vodka from a glass, wasn’t you?” the court heard.

“No, I wasn’t,” Kirk responded.

Allegations of controlling behaviour

The jury also heard allegations that Kirk became controlling towards the child after learning she had lost her virginity.

It was suggested he frequently checked her phone messages and attempted to control what she wore and who she spoke to.

“I was protective, not controlling,” Kirk told the court.

When asked whether he could think of any reason why the alleged victim would fabricate such serious allegations, Kirk said he could not.

Background to the case

Kirk first appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court in connection with the allegations in 2023.

At that hearing, he was charged with one count of rape and a further count of sexual assault involving a girl who was aged between thirteen and fifteen at the time of the alleged offences.

The court was told the offences were alleged to have taken place between May 2007 and May 2009 at an undisclosed address in the Pembrokeshire area.

Because both offences are indictable-only, magistrates sent the case to Swansea Crown Court for trial. No pleas were entered at that stage and Kirk was released on unconditional bail.

Later at Crown Court he pleaded not guilty leading to the trial this week.

On Tuesday, His Honour Paul Thomas KC, told the jury that legal summing up will take place on Tuesday (Dec 17), after which jurors are expected to retire to consider their verdict.

The case continues.

NEW long-term plan follows landmark engagement process as 2025 wildfire figures hit record high

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service has unveiled a new long-term strategy to tackle the growing threat of wildfires, following what it described as a landmark engagement process involving firefighters, land managers, partner agencies and community representatives.

The Service said the plan comes in response to a sharp rise in wildfire incidents across the region, driven by climate change, land-use pressures and deliberate fire-setting, with costs and risks to public and firefighter safety continuing to escalate.

The approach was shaped through a series of “Balanced Room” workshops, designed to give equal weight to operational staff, external partners and community voices. Fire chiefs say this collaborative process helped identify practical solutions to one of the most persistent risks facing rural Wales.

Wildfires on the rise

According to figures released by the Service, around sixty-five per cent of wildfires in Mid and West Wales are started deliberately, based on a ten-year average. Grass fire incidents have fluctuated sharply in recent years, with 1,224 recorded in 2022 — one of the worst years on record — before falling to 671 in 2023 and 381 in 2024, largely due to wetter weather.

However, 2025 has already seen 1,257 incidents, surpassing the 2022 total and making it the highest figure in recent years. The Service has also reported 102 vehicle accidents linked to wildfire response in 2024/25, adding further pressure to already stretched budgets.

Fire officers warned that although wet conditions can suppress fires in the short term, unmanaged vegetation increases fuel loads, creating greater danger during future dry spells.

Agreed priorities

Through two in-person workshops and a follow-up online session, participants tested a wide range of ideas against safety, legal and financial criteria. Five key principles were agreed to guide future decisions: collaboration and partnership; prevention first; specialist capability and consistency; learning and continuous improvement; and deliverability aligned with national policy.

From this, a shorter list of options was developed for formal appraisal and consideration by senior leaders.

The refined proposals cover the full wildfire cycle — prevention, protection, response and recovery — and include a cross-cutting focus on improved communications and data sharing to support real-time decision-making.

Other proposals include expanded public education and behaviour-change campaigns, closer engagement with farmers and land managers, the use of technology such as drones and satellite mapping to identify risk, and improvements to firefighter equipment, welfare and specialist training.

The plan also explores the development of specialist wildfire teams, more flexible vehicles suited to rural terrain, collaborative aerial firefighting capability, and structured post-incident follow-up to reduce repeat fires.

Next steps

The options have now been appraised and presented to the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service Executive Leadership Team. Discussions are focusing on how the measures should be prioritised and phased, and how they will be embedded within the Service’s Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) 2040.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Iwan Cray said the process demonstrated the value of joint working.

He said: “This process has shown the power of collaboration. By listening to our staff, partners and communities, we’ve developed practical, innovative options that will strengthen our ability to prevent and respond to wildfires.

“Together, we can build a safer, more resilient Wales.”