News

Horse riders urged to take part in safety awareness campaign

Published

9 years ago

May 19, 2017

ON SUNDAY (May 21) at 11am, as part of a campaign to make passing horses on roads ‘wide and slow’ in cars law, horse riders can take park in a safety awareness ride in Pembrokeshire.

a petition has now gained over 100,000 signatures and aims to ‘make it a legal requirement to drive past a horse wide and slow and for drivers to have to abide by hand signals asking them to stop and slow down when asked’.

Claire Hopkins, who is organising the event, says: “I am hosting a road safety awareness ride, as part of The Pass Wide and Slow Campaign which the petition is for.

“There are also rides going on all over the country at the same time. If everyone who says they are taking part in ours does so, there will be upwards of twenty horses and riders. We will be taking a route from the Llangwm side of Troopers Inn, across the main road onto Langford Road to Johnston.

“We will be joining the main Milford Road, left as far the roundabout where we again turn left, briefly onto the A477 and then left again into Church Road. From there we will be heading right onto the Old Rosemarket Road, back through Rosemarket to Sardis and onto the main Haverfordwest road back to Troopers Inn.

“We will have Stewards out at different points on the route to make drivers aware that there are horses on the road and the ride will be filmed on my head cam also. We are hoping to raise some awareness of what we are trying to achieve nationwide and even if this only makes one driver think twice about how they pass horses on the road then it’s a big achievement.

“Sadly we often face abuse from drivers telling us we shouldn’t be on the road and to get a field if you want a horse etc. The fact is, none of us want to ride on the roads, it’s dangerous and scary, but the lack of bridle paths in this area means we have no choice. “

Crime

Drink drive allegation denied

Published

10 minutes 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

9 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.

Crime

Driver banned after refusing breath test despite admitting drinking

Published

9 hours ago

February 18, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

Motorist also damaged police cell blanket after arrest, court hears

A PEMBROKESHIRE motorist has been banned from the roads after repeatedly refusing to provide a breath sample despite admitting he had been drinking alcohol.

Police were called to Glenview Avenue, Pembroke Dock, on the evening of January 3 following a report from a member of the public who was concerned about a man sitting in a car who appeared to be under the influence.

Prosecutor Linda Baker told Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court that officers found the man, later identified as Sean Cook, appearing intoxicated while sitting in the vehicle.

“He appeared to be intoxicated and said he was listening to the radio,” she said.

Cook told officers he was not fit to drive because he had consumed alcohol. He was asked on three separate occasions to provide a breath test but refused each time.

The court heard he was obstructive throughout the encounter and refused to answer questions about his alcohol consumption.

Following his arrest, Cook was taken to Haverfordwest Police Station where he damaged a custody cell blanket by pulling out its stitching.

Cook, aged 58, of Glenview House, Glenview Avenue, Pembroke Dock, pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen for analysis and causing criminal damage.

He was disqualified from driving for 18 months and sentenced to a 12-month Community Order, which includes 10 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days and a 120-day Alcohol Abstinence Monitoring Requirement.

He was also ordered to pay £100 compensation for the damaged blanket, a £114 surcharge and £85 costs.