A CALL to sell alcohol from a coffee shop at a Pembrokeshire railway station, which recently a mass violence incident which led to 11 arrests and several people being taken to hospital, has been given the go-ahead.

At the June 4 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s licensing sub-committee, members were asked to consider the granting of a new premises licence for Lisheens Coffee Pod, Tenby Station, which included the sale of alcohol off-site from 11am to 10pm, seven days a week.

Emergency services were called to the station at around 9.50pm on Tuesday, April 7, following reports of disorder involving a group of people.

During the incident, one individual was reported to be carrying a knife. Four teenagers, aged 13 to 17 were injured and taken to hospital.

A total of 11 arrests for offences including grievous bodily harm and violent disorder were made. All of those arrested were aged between 13 and 19 years old and all local to the Tenby and Pembroke Dock area, police have previously said.

While the incident was unconnected to the licensing application, it was raised in objections to the scheme.

A report for members of the committee said two objections to the application by Mrs Nicola Nolan were received, from The British Transport Police, as a responsible authority, and another from a lease of the railway building, which said: “It encourages group gatherings, encouraging vandalism, and violence such at stabbings by group gatherings as of April 7.”

Jessica Jones, Designing Out Crime Officer for British Transport Police, who later spoke at the meeting had raised concerns “based on crime data, operational policing considerations, lone-working risks, public safety concerns, and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) risks”.

Her report said, over the past two years, there had been 12 incidents of violence, three serious public order offences, and one motor vehicle crime incident, the majority between 9pm and 11pm, a timeframe overlapping the proposed hours of alcohol sales, raising concern that alcohol availability “may further exacerbate existing issues of violence and disorder”.

That report added there were many outlets in Tenby town centre selling alcohol, questioning the need for a further facility at the station, and there was “significant concern regarding the risk to a lone worker having to refuse alcohol sales to intoxicated individuals or manage customers who refuse to leave”.

It went on to say that, while British Transport Police already deploy dedicated policing operations throughout the six-week summer holiday period to manage increased passenger numbers and deter crime, “introducing another alcohol sales point during these peak periods may heighten existing risks”.

Jessica Jones later told committee members introducing the scheme in Tenby would mean it was the only such offer at an unmanned station in Wales.

Speaking at the meeting, Barry Nolan, husband of the applicant, said it was hoped to supplement the ‘coffee pod’ with “genteel” and “trendy alcoholic products” such as wine, “really cool craft beer,” and Barti Ddu rum in cans for consumption elsewhere rather than “pints of lager and triple vodkas”.

He said the facility wouldn’t lead to youths congregating due to the products being at the more premium price end; also offering security if needed.

He later offered a reduction in alcohol serving hours to 8.30pm, with committee chair Cllr Tim Evans mooting an 8pm finish.

After retiring to deliberate, members agreed to the granting of the licensing, subject to an 8pm cut-off, wishing the applicants well in their business.

WALES’ four Police and Crime Commissioners are to be questioned by MPs over the future of policing and proposed UK Government reforms.

The Welsh Affairs Committee will hold a session on 8 July to examine what planned changes in the Police Reform Bill could mean for Wales.

A White Paper published in January set out plans to abolish Police and Crime Commissioners, the elected officials responsible for overseeing police budgets and setting the overall strategy for individual forces in England and Wales.

In England, those responsibilities are expected to pass to elected regional mayors or council leaders. However, it remains unclear who would take on those functions in Wales.

The White Paper also raised the prospect of merging some of the 43 territorial police forces across England and Wales, but there is no firm detail yet on whether Wales’ four forces could be affected.

The session will allow MPs to question the PCCs from Dyfed-Powys Police, South Wales Police, North Wales Police and Gwent Police about the likely impact of the proposed reforms.

Committee members are also expected to discuss wider policing issues affecting Wales, including violence against women and girls, the use of facial recognition technology, and whether policing should be devolved to the Welsh Government.

Ruth Jones MP, Chair of the Welsh Affairs Committee, said the session would be an important opportunity to examine what the reforms could mean for Welsh communities.

She said: “If PCCs are to be abolished, it is essential that any new arrangements ensure police forces in Wales remain clearly accountable to the public and that communities continue to have a strong voice in shaping policing priorities.

“We also want to explore views on the optimal number of forces for Wales and the importance of striking a balance between efficiency and preserving a strong understanding of local needs.”

Call for evidence

Ahead of the session, the committee is inviting written evidence from academic and policy experts.

It is asking how Welsh police forces should be held to account if PCCs are abolished, what lessons should be learned from the current model, and what the optimal number of police forces for Wales should be.

The committee also wants views on how other parts of the UK Government’s policing reforms could affect Wales, and the arguments for and against devolving policing to the Welsh Government.

The Welsh Affairs Committee is a House of Commons select committee. It scrutinises the work of the Wales Office and UK Government policies that affect Wales.

A PEMBROKE Dock man has been given a suspended prison sentence after admitting assaulting his former partner and his young son.

Paul Griffiths, aged 40, of Stranraer Road, Pennar, appeared for sentence this week after pleading guilty to offences arising from two separate incidents.

The court heard that, on April 16, 2022, Griffiths assaulted his former partner during an argument concerning their child.

During the dispute, he either pushed or threw a chair, which struck her leg and caused bruising.

A second incident took place on March 13, 2026, during an argument between Griffiths and his son.

The court heard that another adult intervened and told the pair to stop arguing. After the child may have thrown a teddy bear at him, Griffiths grabbed his son by the neck with both hands.

The adult stepped in and pushed Griffiths away from the child. The boy was left with reddening to his neck.

‘Utterly ashamed’

Sentencing Griffiths, the judge described the offences as “appalling”.

“You should be utterly ashamed of yourself,” the judge told him. “You assaulted your partner and your own son. You’ve lost your good character.”

For the assault on his former partner, which was classified as actual bodily harm, the judge found the offence to be of medium culpability and imposed a sentence of 24 weeks’ imprisonment.

A further eight weeks’ imprisonment was imposed for the assault on his son.

Griffiths was sentenced to a total of 30 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months.

He was also made subject to a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement.