DYFED-POWYS POLICE has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting rural communities with the launch of a new rural and wildlife crime strategy aimed at increasing patrols and strengthening engagement with local people.

The strategy will see rural crime officers increase their visibility across the force area, while building closer relationships with farming communities, landowners and residents. Officers will also attend more community events and offer additional crime prevention visits.

Covering the largest and most rural police force area in England and Wales, Dyfed-Powys Police’s rural crime team works across vast areas of countryside, coastline and farmland. Their work focuses on tackling offences that affect farms, smallholdings, wildlife and historic sites.

Greater visibility by officers is expected to encourage more people to report incidents and share information, helping police gather intelligence and target patrols where they are needed most.

Inspector Matthew Howells of Dyfed-Powys Police said: “Rural crime can often go unreported. We want to strengthen our presence and expand both Farm Watch and Rural Watch schemes to encourage reporting. This will give us better data to shape our patrols and disrupt criminal activity.

“Our rural crime officers will also promote property marking and security measures to help reduce repeat victimisation and deter offenders.”

During 2025, Dyfed-Powys Police recorded 49 reports of livestock theft, along with 42 reports of quad bike theft and 60 reports of heritage crime.

Heritage crime includes offences that damage or exploit historic sites and assets, such as illegal metal detecting, looting or off-roading on protected land.

The most commonly reported rural offence last year was livestock worrying, with 60 incidents reported across the force area.

Chief Constable Ifan Charles recently met members of the farming community to discuss the new strategy and recent updates to livestock worrying legislation.

He was joined by Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn and members of the rural crime team at a farm owned by Anwen Hughes, regional vice-president of the Farmers’ Union of Wales. Also present was Rob Taylor, the Rural and Wildlife Crime Co-ordinator for Wales.

During the visit, the group heard about Ms Hughes’ recent loss of three lambs following a livestock attack and discussed the need to raise awareness of changes to livestock worrying laws. They also explored how the new rural and wildlife crime strategy could better support rural communities.

Chief Constable Ifan Charles said: “The impact of these crimes on rural communities cannot be underestimated. For many people, their homes and livelihoods are closely linked.

“This new strategy puts rural communities at its heart. Policing such vast rural areas presents very different challenges to urban policing, and our rural crime teams will continue working closely with local people to understand those challenges and keep communities safe.”

Rural, wildlife and heritage crime can be reported by calling 101 or online via the Dyfed-Powys Police website. In an emergency, always dial 999.

PUPILS and staff at Golden Grove Primary School in Pembroke have been recognised for their work promoting global citizenship after receiving a Bronze Award from Christian Aid Cymru’s Global Neighbours scheme.

The award recognises the school’s efforts to encourage children to think about global poverty and injustice while taking practical action in their own community.

Over the past year, pupils have explored issues ranging from homelessness in their local area to the environmental impact of deforestation. The work forms part of the Global Neighbours Cymru – or Cymdogion Byd-Eang – programme, launched by international development charity Christian Aid and The Church in Wales.

The accreditation scheme celebrates schools helping pupils understand the causes of global poverty and inequality while encouraging them to take part in building a fairer world.

Activities undertaken by pupils at Golden Grove have included litter-picking projects, clothes swaps, discussions with local businesses about reducing single-use plastics and inviting community leaders to support environmental and social initiatives.

Miss Thorne-Williams, the school’s Humanities and RVE lead, said: “We are extremely proud to be recognised for the work we have done as a whole school community to raise awareness of the extreme inequalities across our globe and, perhaps more importantly, the steps we can take to address these.

“The pupils learn about global issues regularly and gain an understanding of injustice in our world.

“Our world is increasingly connected, and our hope is for our children to grow as responsible global citizens who care about issues such as the environment and access to healthcare.

“The children have especially enjoyed leading whole-school assemblies based on important global values such as respect and equality, promoting events such as Black History Month and Children in Need, as well as working closely with members of our local community to support those in need.

“We would like to say a special thank you to our learners, staff, parents, governors and members of the wider community who have supported us in achieving this award. This project has been a community effort and we could not be more proud of what we have achieved.”

Rebecca Elliott, Christian Aid Wales Youth and Education Officer, said the programme helps young people better understand global inequality and their role in tackling it.

“Global Neighbours Cymru was launched with a vision of helping young people understand more about the inequalities in this world and the actions they can take both locally and globally,” she said.

“Supporting the Curriculum for Wales, it encourages learners to explore how decisions and actions impact communities in Wales and across the world, now and for future generations.

“It’s wonderful to see how staff and pupils at Golden Grove have taken this to heart and are seeking to tackle injustice.”

Schools across Wales can take part in the Global Neighbours Cymru scheme, which offers three levels of accreditation – bronze, silver and gold. Independent assessors review schools across six areas, including leadership, teaching and learning, collective worship, spiritual development, pupil participation and community engagement.

Photo caption:

Global citizenship: Humanities lead Miss Thorne-Williams with Golden Grove’s RVE ambassadors Amelie, Charlotte, Riley, Joseph, Maisie, Isabella, Freddie, Cody, Zayn, Alfred and Amelia. The school in Pembroke has received a Bronze Award from Christian Aid Cymru’s Global Neighbours Cymru scheme (Pic: Golden Grove School).

LOCAL volunteers, community groups and environmental partners gathered at Cardigan Castle last month to learn how citizen science is helping protect Ceredigion’s rivers, coastline and marine wildlife.

The Ceredigion Marine Monitoring Conference, held on Tuesday (Feb 18), was organised by Ceredigion County Council in collaboration with the Nutrient Management Board.

The event brought together volunteers already involved in monitoring projects, along with people interested in getting involved, to share experiences and explore how community-led monitoring could expand across West Wales — including the Tŷwi and Cleddau catchments.

During the morning sessions, attendees heard how volunteers are working alongside councils, scientists and technology partners to collect important information about water quality.

Using simple equipment and digital tools, local people are helping to build a clearer picture of conditions in rivers and along the coast.

Volunteers from the Teifi catchment and neighbouring areas shared their experiences from the field, highlighting what works well, the challenges they face, and the support that would help them expand their work.

These discussions helped shape ideas for improving training, equipment and opportunities for volunteers in the years ahead.

The afternoon programme focused on technology used to monitor rivers and coastal waters, as well as wildlife monitoring along the Ceredigion coast.

Participants learned how members of the public can record sightings of seals, dolphins and other marine life, and how these observations contribute to protecting local ecosystems.

Councillor Clive Davies, Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration at Ceredigion County Council and Chair of the Nutrient Management Board, said the progress made since 2022 had been significant.

He said: “Local people have a vital role to play in caring for our rivers and coastline.

“This event showed how community knowledge, combined with simple monitoring tools, can make a real difference.

“We want to encourage more residents to get involved and become citizen scientists — you don’t need to be an expert, just curious and willing to take part.”

One volunteer who attended the event said: “I came along because I care about what’s happening to our rivers and coast, but I didn’t realise how much difference ordinary people can make.

“It was really encouraging to hear from others doing similar work and to see how our observations can actually help shape future decisions.”

Organisers also highlighted recent progress in developing a nutrient monitoring system in New Quay.

The system is designed to collect and share real-time data on nutrient levels, helping scientists and environmental groups better understand pressures on rivers and coastal waters.

The project reflects an effort to combine community-led monitoring with new technology to strengthen environmental protection.

Anyone interested in becoming a citizen scientist or attending future events can contact Ceredigion County Council’s Nutrient Management Officer, Liza Zanoni, by email at [email protected].

More information about the Teifi Nutrient Monitoring Project is available on the Ceredigion County Council website.

The project is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and administered by the Cynnal y Cardi team at Ceredigion County Council in partnership with the Nutrient Monitoring Board and its stakeholders.