News

Rare whale found on south Wales beach

Published

9 years ago

September 13, 2016

Northern bottlenose whale carcass on Sker beach in Bridgend, showing distinctive bulbous forehead and long beak. Photo by Fay Lorraine Phillips/ Sea Watch Foundation.

Northern bottlenose whale carcass on Sker beach in Bridgend, showing distinctive bulbous forehead and long beak.(Pic. by Fay Lorraine Phillips / Sea Watch Foundation)

THE SEA WATCH FOUNDATION were “flabbergasted” to see photos of a dead Northern bottlenose whale that had washed up on Sker veach near Porthcawl in Bridgend on Sunday (Sep 11).

The photographs were sent by Neil Bright and his girlfriend Fay Lorraine Phillips, who discovered the animal as they walked their dog.

The species can usually be found in deep ocean trenches and is usually only seen in British waters off the north-west coast of Scotland.

The images were immediately forwarded to the marine mammal strandings coordinator for Wales, Rod Penrose, who was able to confirm that he’d already attended the animal which was a 5.3m long northern bottlenose whale and had taken samples for DNA testing.

“Due to the state of decomposition together with extensive scavenger damage of the carcass I was unable to determine the cause of death” stated Rod.

bottlenose whales from above. Photo by S Hooker/ Sea Watch Foundation

bottlenose whales from above. (pic. S Hooker/ Sea Watch Foundation)

“This is the third record for Wales, the first was a 6.7m live stranding in Tenby, Pembrokeshire in August 1996 which was luckily persuaded to swim away, the second was a 6.21m female in slight decomposition which stranded at Prestatyn, Denbighshire in October 2009.”

Kathy James, Sightings Officer for Sea Watch Foundation, said: “Northern bottlenose whales have extremely bulbous heads with a protruding ‘bottle-shaped’ beak similar to that of a bottlenose dolphin

“These animals are much larger than their dolphin counterparts measuring up to 10m in length in males. It is thought that this individual is a juvenile as we’d expect an adult to be a minimum of 7.5m”

The most famous bottlenose whale is the ‘Thames Whale’ which found its way into the River Thames in London ten years ago. This disorientated individual was found to be a female measuring 5.85m and died following a failed rescue attempt. In January the whale was commemorated with a march from the Natural History Museum (where its bones are displayed) to Battersea park beach where she stranded.

Crime

Sexual assault allegation to be tried

Published

31 minutes ago

February 18, 2026

Tamsin Mathias

Accused granted conditional bail

A SEXUAL assault allegation has been listed for trial following a hearing before magistrates.

David Fletcher, 45, of Chestnut Way, Mount Estate, Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, appeared before magistrates in Llanelli on Thursday (Feb 12) charged with sexual assault, contrary to section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

The charge alleges that on March 16, 2025, at Johnston, Pembrokeshire, he intentionally touched a woman aged 16 or over and that the touching was sexual when she did not consent and he did not reasonably believe that she was consenting.

The matter was adjourned for trial and Fletcher was remanded on conditional bail.

The trial is listed for March 9, 2026 at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court. Bail conditions prohibit him from entering a specified premises in Johnston, from contacting directly or indirectly the complainant or any prosecution witnesses, and from posting any information relating to the investigation on social media. The conditions were imposed to prevent further offending and to prevent interference with witnesses or obstruction of justice.

Crime

Drink drive allegation denied

Published

2 hours ago

February 18, 2026

Tamsin Mathias

Trial date fixed by magistrates

A MOTORIST has denied a drink-driving allegation when the case came before magistrates.

Michael Miles, 39, of Milford Road, Johnston, Haverfordwest, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court charged with driving a motor vehicle when the alcohol level was above the prescribed limit.

The court heard that on January 24, 2026, it is alleged that Miles drove a Ford Transit on the A477 at Jordanston after consuming so much alcohol, that the proportion in his breath was 52 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, exceeding the legal limit of 35.

Miles entered a not guilty plea on February 10, 2026.

The matter was adjourned for trial on May 21 at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court. He was remanded on unconditional bail.

Crime

Repeat drug-driver banned for three years after Pembroke stop

Published

10 hours ago

February 18, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

Motorist was over legal limits for both cannabis and cocaine metabolite, court hears

A 35-YEAR-OLD Pembrokeshire motorist has been disqualified from driving after being caught behind the wheel while over the legal drug-drive limit.

Police received information on November 11 that David Webb had been driving a Kia Sorento along Buttermilk Lane, Pembroke, after taking drugs.

When stopped by officers, Webb admitted he had smoked cannabis the previous night. A roadside drug swipe tested positive, and subsequent blood analysis at the police station revealed 101 micrograms of benzoylecgonine — a cocaine metabolite — per litre of blood, along with 2.3 micrograms of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The legal limits are 50 and 2 micrograms respectively.

Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court heard this was Webb’s second drug-driving conviction, following a previous offence in October 2023.

Webb, of Strongbow Walk, Pembroke, was sentenced to a 12-month Community Order requiring him to complete 15 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days and 100 hours of unpaid work.

He was disqualified from driving for three years and ordered to pay a £114 surcharge and £85 costs.