News

Haverfordwest: Poundstretcher fined for mouse infestation

Published

11 years ago

August 26, 2015

Tom Sinclair

Fined: Poundstretcher, Haverfordwest

DISCOUNT chain store Poundstretcher has been fined over £7,000 by magistrates after admitting four food hygiene offences.

Officers from Pembrokeshire County Council’s Public Protection Division found an active mouse infestation at the company’s store on the Bridge Meadow retail park in Haverfordwest.

The town’s magistrates were told that the case followed an investigation in July, 2014, when the Division’s Food Safety and Standards Team received a complaint indicating a possible rodent problem at the store.

Officers discovered an active mouse infestation with widespread evidence of droppings in areas where foods were stored and displayed. They also found evidence of gnawed food.

Pest control records suggested that the problem had first come to light in March, 2013, correlating with an infestation identified at one of the company’s distribution warehouses that had led to infested products being sent out to stores around the country.

Despite the problem having been identified centrally by Poundstretcher and stores being alerted, management failed to ensure that appropriate steps were taken at a local level to apply relevant safeguards.

In particular, the court heard how store management had failed to recognise the significance of the pest problem highlighted by their appointed pest contractors.

They failed to ensure that the matter was escalated appropriately and failed to ensure an appropriate level of housekeeping to prevent possible pest harbourage and to enable the timely and effective identification and assessment of pest problems.

Many of these issues were attributed to a core problem of inadequate staff training, instruction and supervision.

The store closed by voluntary agreement to allow affected stock to be identified and removed from sale and for cleaning and disinfection to take place and additional pest control measures to be applied.

It was only allowed to reopen once officers were satisfied with the progress that had been made.

As a consequence of the poor inspection, the store also received a Food Hygiene Rating of 0 (zero).

Magistrates took into consideration both the early plea and previous convictions, and fined the company £1,500 for each of the offences of relating to the failure to protect food from the risk of contamination; failure to ensure adequate procedures were in place to control pests, and failure to ensure adequate materials were available for cleaning hands.

A further fine of £3,000 was imposed for the lack of adequate training, instruction and supervision.

The Company was also ordered to pay the Council’s full costs of £4,755.94, plus a victim surcharge of £120.

After the hearing, the County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environmental and Regulatory Services, Councillor Huw George, said: “The sentence again underlines the importance of food businesses ensuring that food handlers receive appropriate training.

“It is vital they recognise and understand matters that are important from a food safety perspective and that they are clear on the practices and procedures that are needed to safeguard the public in this respect – backed up by effective management supervision.

“An awareness of potential pest problems – and how to recognise and respond to these effectively – is a basic and fundamental requirement in any food business.”

The same company was in trouble in 2013. Milford Haven branch was fined a total of £8940.69, which included costs to Pembrokeshire County Council of £2365.20 for selling dangerous batteries which ‘could have exploded’.

Community

Stix Noodle Bar in Haverfordwest rewards visitors who park and shop local

Published

46 minutes ago

May 18, 2026

Cerys Lafferty

A POPULAR restaurant is taking on one of the town centre’s biggest frustrations with a new initiative designed to ease parking stress and encourage more visitors into the heart of the community.

Stix Noodle Bar has announced a new scheme offering customers money off their bill when they show proof of paid parking in the town.

Under the initiative, diners who present an active parking ticket or parking app booking will receive the equivalent cost of one hour’s parking deducted from their meal bill.

The business says the idea was created in response to ongoing concerns about local parking pressures, while also supporting neighbouring independent traders and encouraging more people to spend time in the town centre.

In a statement released alongside the launch, the restaurant said: “Tired of Haverfordwest’s parking stress? So are we. That’s why we’re doing something about it.”

The team behind the noodle bar is encouraging visitors to “park up, come in, eat well, then go explore some of the brilliant businesses right on our doorstep,” adding that “Haverfordwest is worth stopping for.”

The scheme has already received support from local representatives, including Reform Councillor, Scott Thorley, who praised the move as a practical way to support the town centre economy.

“This is an excellent idea,” he said. “Tackling parking stress while boosting local businesses and footfall in Haverfordwest — this is exactly the practical support our town centre needs.”

Community

Pembrokeshire named UK’s most photographed coastal national park

Published

1 hour ago

May 18, 2026

Tom Sinclair

County’s coastline places sixth in UK-wide photo study

PEMBROKESHIRE has been named the most photographed coastal national park in the UK, according to new data from photo curation app Popsa.

The study, which analysed metadata from millions of customer photos uploaded in 2025, ranked Pembrokeshire Coast National Park sixth overall out of the UK’s 15 national parks.

It was the highest-ranked coastal park in the list, ahead of destinations including the Cairngorms, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, the Yorkshire Dales and Dartmoor.

Popsa gave Pembrokeshire a Photo Index Score of 28, representing 5.76% of all UK national park photography included in the study.

The company said the county’s 186-mile coastline, with its limestone arches, sea stacks, beaches and hidden coves, offered “photographic variety that few parks can match”.

Barafundle Bay was highlighted as one of the most photographed locations, particularly at low tide, while Skomer Island was noted for its puffin colonies, which attract photographers between April and July.

Wales performed strongly overall, with all three national parks appearing in the UK top ten. Eryri, formerly Snowdonia, ranked fifth, Pembrokeshire sixth, and Bannau Brycheiniog, formerly the Brecon Beacons, tenth.

Together, the three Welsh parks accounted for 16.46% of all UK national park photography in the study.

The Lake District topped the list, followed by the South Downs, the Peak District and the New Forest.

Popsa CEO Liam Houghton said: “Wales has three genuinely world-class national parks and this data shows they are clearly on photographers’ radar.

“But there’s a real gap between the quality of the landscapes and the volume of photos being taken there compared to the English parks.”

The findings suggest Pembrokeshire remains one of the UK’s standout destinations for landscape, wildlife and coastal photography, while also underlining the continued importance of the national park to the county’s tourism economy.

Crime

Pembroke woman accused of scrap fraud to appear in court

Published

1 hour ago

May 18, 2026

Court Reporter

Defendant accused of dishonestly selling vehicle for scrap in Haverfordwest

A PEMBROKE woman is due to appear before magistrates charged with fraud after allegedly selling a vehicle for scrap in Haverfordwest.

Natalie Morris, aged 42, of Corston Lodge, Axton Hill, is accused of fraud by false representation under the Fraud Act 2006.

The allegation relates to an incident said to have taken place in Haverfordwest on Tuesday (Aug 9), 2022, in which Morris allegedly dishonestly made a false representation by selling a silver Toyota Corolla, registration CU52 XBR, for scrap.

The court heard the alleged offence was carried out with the intention of making a financial gain of £313.

The case was listed before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Monday (May 18), where a previously issued warrant was withdrawn.

No plea was entered and the matter was adjourned.

Morris is now due to appear before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court at 10:00am on Tuesday (May 26) for a plea hearing, where she will be asked to enter a guilty or not guilty plea.