News

Warning to Lower Town residents

Published

11 years ago

November 20, 2014

Tom Sinclair

Lower Town Fishguard

LOWER TOWN residents are being urged to prepare for the up coming winter. This urge to prepare comes after 14 properties suffered flooding at the beginning of the year,during the severe weather that hit our county. Pembrokeshire County Council, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service,Natural Resources Wales, South Wales Trunk Road Agent and Welsh Water are organising a meeting on October 21, between 4.30pm and 6.30pm at Fishguard Yacht Club, to give the residents of Lower Town the chance to acquire knowledge on dealing with flooding, and to meet the emergency responders.

“Last winter an exceptionally high tide combined with storm surge and wave action resulted in widespread coastal flooding along the whole of the Pembrokeshire coast,” said Councillor Huw George, Cabinet Member for Environmental and Regulatory Services. He continued: “With spring tides at their highest over the next 18 months, there is a small but elevated increase in risk of coastal flooding again and so we would urge people to get ready.” Simone Eade, Natural Resources Wales’ Flood Incident Officer said: “The storms we saw earlier this year caused widespread damage and disruption across many coastal communities.

Lower Town Fishguard has a history of flooding, and in the wake of this we have worked with the community to install individual flood gates to 45 homes to provide improved protection from the tide. As winter approaches, we’re also encouraging people to think about other small steps they can take to prepare, such as drawing up an emergency flood plan. Taking small actions now could lessen the impact of a flood on your home in the future.”

Crime

Scrap metal collector’s ‘disastrous’ decision ends in court

Published

10 minutes ago

May 20, 2025

Sarah Jane Absalom

A DECISION to drive onto the Pembroke Dock to Rosslare ferry route after consuming alcohol has been described in court as a “complete and utter disaster” for Cardiff man Charles O’Brien.

The 39-year-old was stopped by police on May 3 and tested positive during a roadside breath test. He was taken to Haverfordwest police station for further analysis.

“But he was unable to blow long enough for the machine to register,” Crown Prosecutor Dennis Davies told Haverfordwest magistrates this week. “As a result, he failed to provide a specimen for analysis.”

O’Brien, of Grangetown, Cardiff, pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen. He was represented by solicitor Michael Kelleher.

“This was a complete and utter disaster,” said Mr Kelleher. “He took his vehicle into the restricted port area. While it is not open to general members of the public, the offence still applies.”

The court heard that O’Brien is self-employed as a scrap metal collector.

Magistrates disqualified him from driving for 12 months. He was also fined £80 and ordered to pay £85 in costs and a £32 victim surcharge.

Crime

Pembroke Dock man banned after driving twice over drink limit

Published

14 minutes ago

May 20, 2025

Sarah Jane Absalom

A PEMBROKE DOCK man has been banned from driving after being caught behind the wheel while twice the legal alcohol limit.

Jonathan Goodrick, 37, was stopped by police at around 7:00pm on May 3 while driving his Volvo through Templebar. Officers carried out a routine stop check and detected alcohol on his breath.

“This wasn’t the result of bad driving, but just a stop check,” Crown Prosecutor Dennis Davies told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

A roadside breath test proved positive, and further analysis at the police station revealed Goodrick had 70 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Goodrick, a father of two, pleaded guilty to the drink-driving charge. His solicitor, Awen Harries, said he had consumed two pints of alcohol after picking up friends in Saundersfoot.

“He chose to drive as he didn’t think he would be over the limit,” she said. “This has been a learning curve for him.”

Ms Harries told the court that Goodrick, of Milton Terrace, Pembroke Dock, is still recovering from a serious road traffic collision in 2023 and has since been registered as disabled. His role as a mechanical supervisor is reliant on his ability to drive.