News

Police leaked sex offender details

Published

10 years ago

June 8, 2016

DYFED POWYS Police Force has been fined £150,000 after an email containing information which could have been used to identify eight sex offenders was sent to a member of the public by mistake.
An investigation by the Information Commissioner’s Office into the incident, which happened last year, found that Dyfed-Powys Police did not have the right measures in place to keep personal information secure, and has now fined the force £150,000.
Anne Jones, ICO Assistant Commissioner (Wales), said: “While at first glance this might seem like simple human error, it was made possible by the poor procedures the force had in place around protecting people’s personal data.
“This is a troubling story, and one that will do little to reassure the local community that its police force can be trusted to look after sensitive information.”
The email error came after an officer emailed colleagues with details including a list of eight people based in Powys, including their names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses. The email also contained information that inferred that the individuals were sex offenders.
But the officer mistakenly sent the email to a member of a local community scheme, after selecting the wrong name in the force’s email address book.
That address book was only meant to be used for internal emails, but an ICO investigation found that it had grown to contain frequently used email addresses for people outside of the force. The recipient of the email was the first name in the alphabetical list, and had received five emails meant for other people in just four days in April 2015.
Ms Jones said: “This was an accident waiting to happen. The force failed to take advantage of earlier opportunities to address the problem, and now faces the consequences of getting it wrong.”
Deputy Chief Constable Liane James, said: “We accept that mistakes were made and have acted to make the necessary changes to processes and systems. We work hard to ensure the safety of the data available to us and will continue to take the learning from this, now and in the future.”

News

Bus overturns in major incident near Kidwelly

Published

43 minutes ago

June 23, 2026

Tom Sinclair

All passengers rescued as emergency services remain at scene

A BUS overturned on the A484 between Kidwelly and Ferryside on Tuesday (Jun 23), prompting a major emergency response and lengthy road closures.

The incident happened shortly after 12:20pm near the Kidwelly roundabout at Parc y Bocs.

Emergency services, including firefighters from Kidwelly, Carmarthen and Tumble, were sent to the scene following reports of a serious collision involving the bus.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that all passengers were safely removed from the vehicle.

A spokesperson said: “All passengers have been safely removed from the bus and are receiving appropriate care.”

A rest centre has been established at the John Burns Centre in Kidwelly, where welfare arrangements are being made for those involved.

The scale of the incident led Dyfed-Powys Police to declare a major incident earlier in the day, with officers urging members of the public to avoid the area.

The A484 remains closed between the Kidwelly roundabout at Parc y Bocs and Llandyfaelog while emergency services continue their response and carry out investigations into the cause of the crash.

Police, ambulance and fire crews remain at the scene.

Motorists are being advised to find alternative routes and are warned that the road is expected to remain closed for a considerable time.

Emergency services have also issued advice for drivers caught in congestion during the hot weather, urging people to stay hydrated, keep vehicles ventilated and never leave children, vulnerable adults or pets inside parked vehicles.

The cause of the incident has not yet been confirmed.

The Herald will provide further updates as more information becomes available.

News

Major incident declared after bus crash in Carmarthenshire

Published

3 hours ago

June 23, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Emergency services at scene as A484 closed near Parc y Bocs

A MAJOR incident has been declared in Kidwelly following a collision involving a bus.

Dyfed-Powys Police said officers were dealing with the incident on the A484 near the Kidwelly roundabout at Parc y Bocs.

The road has been closed between the Kidwelly roundabout and Llandyfaelog, and motorists are being urged to find alternative routes.

Emergency services are at the scene, and members of the public have been asked to stay away from the area until further notice.

A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson said: “Officers are dealing with a major incident in Kidwelly, following a report of a collision involving a bus on the A484 near the Kidwelly roundabout.

“The road is closed between the Kidwelly roundabout at Parc y Bocs and Llandyfaelog, and motorists are asked to find alternative routes.

“Emergency services are on scene and members of the public are asked to stay away from the area until further notice.”

More information is expected to follow.

Community

New town map unveiled in Fishguard

Published

16 hours ago

June 23, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A NEW town map has been installed in the heart of Fishguard to help residents and visitors discover more of what the area has to offer.

The map, created by Visit Fishguard & Goodwick’s in-house graphic designer, has been placed on the Abergwaun Hotel tunnel, near Offshore Surfwear’s new shop.

The group said it was “incredibly proud” of the finished result and thanked the building owner for allowing the map to be installed on the premises.

Visit Fishguard & Goodwick is now hoping to create a similar map for Goodwick and is asking for help from a centrally located building owner who may be willing to host it.

Anyone who can help, or knows of a suitable location, is being asked to get in touch with Visit Fishguard & Goodwick.