News

Bwcabus saves the day!

Published

10 years ago

March 31, 2016

Award-winning: Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones announces the expansion of the Bwcabus service in Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion

BWCABUS is working in partnership with various health organizations in the Teifi Valley area, delivering to patients the access to healthcare they desperately need.

Bwcabus are unlike traditional bus services due to the fact that the provision is much more flexible and journeys are able to be pre-booked to meet each individual’s personal needs.

Philip Bower from Llandyfriog regularly uses the Bwcabus service to attend his surgery in Adpar. He said of the service: “Bwcabus helps me enormously as I don’t drive. Without the service I would have to walk along a busy road with no pavement or even ask neighbours. Bwcabus gives me my independence and I can depend on it being there.”

“I have also used Bwcabus a number of times to visit a relation in Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth and myself attended hospital appointments in Cardigan and Carmarthen using Bwcabus to connect with the Cardigan to Carmarthen 460 service. I find the service invaluable.”

Doctors’ surgeries are benefitting from this service with a reduction in demand for home visits, and there is also significantly less reliance on non-emergency transport to and from hospital appointments.

Teifi Surgery in Llandysul is one of many surgeries in the area which is now actively promoting the Bwcabus service to its patients.

Doctor Chant said: “Teifi Surgery has found the services provided by Bwcabus to be extremely beneficial to our patients as the rural nature of our practice often causes difficulty to attend surgery. Having encouraged patients to use the service has resulted in fewer requests for home visits.”

“We would welcome not only the Bwcabus service continuing but also increased routes and services as this would improve healthcare services within our community. We have found Bwcabus to be supportive and flexible in the services it offers.”

Peter Llewellyn, Assistant Director of Strategic Partnerships at Hywel Dda University Health Board, spoke highly of the service. He said: “By working in partnership with the Bwcabus project and Carmarthenshire County Council, we have seen the benefit of jointly promoting and supporting a unique rural transport model.”

“Bwcabus have provided much needed support for patients living in rural settlements to access vital primary and secondary healthcare appointments. We are delighted that local surgeries have promoted the use of Bwcabus and have adapted their systems to accommodate Bwcabus passengers.”

“The benchmark for all rural practices to aspire to is going forward. There are now further plans to consolidate these arrangements to assist with moving demand away from home visits and to potentially reduce reliance on non-emergency transport to convey patients to Glangwili Hospital,” he concluded.

Councillor Hazel Evans, Carmarthenshire’s Executive Board Member for Transport, also spoke positively of the service, stating: “This is exciting news. The Bwcabus service is providing a valuable contribution to rural life, health and the local economy.”

Bwcabus are now exploring a range of new opportunities for secondary care with a new project being launched shortly. The SA48 project will allow rural patients access to transport to convey them to and from outpatient appointments at West Wales General Hospital.

Crime

Man charged with strangulation and assault offences after October incident

Published

9 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

A MAN recorded in court as having no fixed abode has appeared before magistrates charged with intentional strangulation and two further assault offences.

Michael Sudbury, 50, whose address was not read out in court, but in Herald records is Glan Hafan, Llangwm, appeared before the bench facing multiple charges.

The charges relate to an incident on 22 October 2025 and include:

Intentional strangulation, contrary to section 75A of the Serious Crime Act 2015
Common assault
Assault by beating

No further details of the alleged incident were opened in court, and no plea was entered at this stage.

Sudbury was remanded on conditional bail, with the case listed to return to magistrates later this month.

Crime

Haverfordwest man sent to Crown Court on multiple serious charges

Published

10 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded in custody

A HAVERFORDWEST man has been sent to Swansea Crown Court to stand trial on a series of A 49-year-old Haverfordwest resident has been committed to Swansea Crown Court to face trial on multiple serious charges deemed too grave for magistrates to handle.

David Guy, of Market Street, Haverfordwest, appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates facing a series of allegations stemming from a single case. The charges, which were not detailed in open court, include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
A second count of assault
Criminal damage
An additional allegation of interpersonal violence
A public order offence

Magistrates declined jurisdiction, determining that the matters exceeded their sentencing powers, and sent the case in its entirety to Swansea Crown Court.

Guy was remanded in custody pending his next appearance. The court register notes: “Sent to Crown Court for trial in custody – next hearing at Swansea Crown Court.”

A date for the initial Crown Court hearing will be set administratively. Guy will remain in custody until then.

The Pembrokeshire Herald will provide further updates as the case progresses in the Crown Court.

Crime

Castlemartin man back before magistrates over multiple alleged assaults

Published

10 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded on conditional bail ahead of further hearing

A CASTLEMARTIN man has appeared repeatedly before magistrates this month over a string A 40-year-old man from Castlemartin has made repeated appearances before magistrates this month in connection with a series of serious alleged offences, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), intentional non-fatal strangulation, common assault, and criminal damage.

Anthony Alcock, of Pwll Street, Castlemartin, is facing six linked charges stemming from incidents said to have occurred earlier this year. These appear to relate to the same complainant in what is understood to be a single ongoing domestic abuse prosecution.

During recent administrative hearings at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court, Alcock did not enter pleas while matters of bail and case management were addressed.

Charges Include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
Intentional non-fatal strangulation
Common assault on a woman
Criminal damage in a domestic context
Additional assault allegations involving the same complainant
Breach of bail conditions

Alcock was initially granted conditional bail but was subsequently brought before the court on two occasions for alleged breaches. On those instances, magistrates remanded him in custody ahead of further hearings. He was later re-granted conditional bail, subject to strict conditions such as no contact with the complainant and exclusion from specified locations.

Magistrates have now declined jurisdiction, ruling that the case—particularly the more serious charges involving non-fatal strangulation—is too grave for summary trial. It has been committed to Swansea Crown Court for plea, trial, or sentencing.

No detailed evidence has been presented in open court at this preliminary stage. Alcock remains on conditional bail pending his next appearance at the Crown Court.