THE WELSH LIBERAL DEMOCRATS have criticised Labour after the UK Government rejected rail devolution for Wales during Committee scrutiny of the Railways Bill — just days after First Minister Eluned Morgan promised a “new era of devolution”.

An amendment tabled by Welsh Liberal Democrat Westminster spokesperson David Chadwick MP would remove rail transport from the list of powers reserved to Westminster. It would require the UK Government to transfer responsibility for rail infrastructure, investment and long-term strategy in Wales to Welsh Ministers within two years, placing Wales on the same constitutional footing as Scotland.

However, during the Committee debate, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport Keir Mather said the Government does not support devolving rail powers to Wales through the legislation. He argued the Bill is intended to create a single, integrated framework for the rail network across England and Wales, warning that introducing new statutory boundaries could risk fragmentation.

The Minister said cross-border services and infrastructure interfaces are better managed through partnership working and a memorandum of understanding between the UK and Welsh Governments, rather than through a statutory transfer of powers.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats disputed that argument, saying it is hard to justify given that Scotland already exercises statutory rail powers within the same UK rail network and manages cross-border services under that system.

At the same session, Andrew Ranger MP, the Welsh Labour MP for Wrexham, argued against including the amendment in the Bill. He urged the Committee to “work with the situation as it stands now”, again pointing to partnership working and the proposed memorandum.

The Liberal Democrats said the debate exposed a contradiction in Welsh Labour’s position. They note that earlier this week the First Minister promised a “new era of devolution”, including the devolution of rail, should Labour win the 2026 Senedd election. But, they argue, when Parliament had the opportunity to support rail devolution now, Labour Ministers rejected it and Welsh Labour MPs did not back the proposal or table an alternative.

Commenting, David Chadwick MP said: “Labour Ministers have now put it on the record that they do not support devolving rail to Wales. That tells you everything you need to know about how seriously Labour takes devolution when it actually matters.

“The First Minister speaks about a ‘new era of devolution’, but she can’t even get her own MPs to back her. Everything outlined in her speech is empty rhetoric unless that changes.

“Scotland already has these powers. Wales does not. Until Labour matches words with action, Wales will continue to be short-changed by billions of pounds, depriving communities of much-needed transport investment.”

TWO men have pleaded guilty after targeting golf clubs in Haverfordwest and Carmarthen in an overnight burglary-spree.

Mikael Bourkhari, aged 45, and Simon Dickey, aged 38 – both from Newport, South Wales – were charged with two counts of burglary and one count of obstructing police.

At around 12.45am on Sunday 18 January, Dyfed-Powys Police received a call reporting that the intruder alarm had been activated at Haverfordwest Golf Club.

When officers arrived just six minutes later, it was clear that the building had been the target of a deliberate and forcible break-in.

With the alarm still blaring, and a light shining from inside, officers entered the golf club, prepared to catch the intruder red-handed.

Instead, they found that the scene had been abandoned and badly damaged.

Club owners arrived shortly after and noted that several golf clubs worth between £100 and £500 each had been taken from the club shop. It was estimated that the total value of items stolen was around £36,000.

While officers secured evidence at the scene, control room staff at police headquarters gathered intelligence on vehicles in the area that could potentially be linked with the crime.

A red Vauxhall van was identified as part of their enquiries, and a description of the vehicle was shared with officers in both Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire.

With officers over the county border alerted to the break-in, local units decided to patrol the golf club in Carmarthen as a precaution. On arrival, it was apparent that the Carmarthen golf club had also been hit.

The front door was extensively damaged, and a yellow crowbar abandoned at the scene. It was estimated that around £7,000 worth of golf clubs had also been stolen from the premises. It was also estimated that around £5,000 worth of damage was caused to the building.

Shortly after 2am, Roads Policing Officers located the suspect vehicle travelling along the A48 towards Pont Abraham, despite fake number plates having been used.

The van was stopped, and a suspiciously large number of golf clubs and bags were found inside. The driver and his passenger – who identified themselves as “Richard Smythe” and “Michael Hale” – were arrested on suspicion of burglary.

Back at custody, the pair confessed to giving fake names and were further arrested on suspicion of obstructing police.

All the stolen items were recovered and returned to the golf clubs.

Mikael Bourkhari and Simon Dickey appeared at Llanelli Magistrates Court the following morning (19 January) and pleaded guilty to both counts of burglary and one count of obstructing police.

The two were remanded into custody until their sentencing on Monday 2 February.

Detective Sergeant Sophie Lambert of Dyfed-Powys Police said: “Crimes like this have a profound impact on the community, particularly those whose livelihoods are built on the success of their business.

“This was a fantastic example of multiple teams across different locations working together to stop these criminals in their tracks.

“The work by the control room staff to quickly identify the suspect vehicle played a crucial role in the swift interception by our Roads Policing Officers. This co-ordinated response undoubtedly prevented further offences from taking place.

“We welcome these guilty pleas and hope that this case sends a clear message that we will take robust action against anyone seeking to break the law in our force area.”

RISING soul star Olivia Dean has revealed how a quiet camping trip in Pembrokeshire turned into the call of a lifetime after she received a FaceTime from music legend Sir Elton John.

The 26-year-old singer told BBC’s The Graham Norton Show that she was cooking “sausages and beans” on a small gas stove when her phone rang and Sir Elton’s name appeared on the screen.

Dean said her team had warned her the star might get in touch, but she panicked when the moment arrived and initially declined the video call.

“It rang and it was a FaceTime and I said ‘no – I’m not ready’,” she told the audience, as the studio erupted with laughter.

Realising what she had done, Dean said she immediately regretted it and feared she had missed her chance — but Sir Elton called back moments later.

The Your Song hitmaker then offered words of encouragement, telling her he was proud of her and that it looked like she had worked hard and was “ready now”.

Dean said she managed a quick thank you before collapsing on the ground “like a starfish”.

The light-hearted story has once again shone a spotlight on Pembrokeshire’s reputation as a place to switch off and recharge, with its beaches, coastal paths and campsites offering a peaceful escape from busy city life.

Dean, who is London-born and has Jamaican-Guyanese heritage, has previously spoken fondly about the county’s coastline and the appeal of getting away from the spotlight.

Her surprise call from Sir Elton also reflects his well-known habit of supporting fellow artists, with host Graham Norton joking that the music icon “loves the phone” during the segment.

A short clip of the moment has since been shared online, with viewers praising both Dean’s down-to-earth reaction and the county she chose for her downtime.