News

Minister to act over NekNominate

Published

12 years ago

March 14, 2014

FOLLOWING calls from Rebecca Evans AM, Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales, the Minister for Education has agreed to take action to ensure that teaching staff in Wales are aware of the NekNominate craze and are able to talk to pupils about it appropriately and warn them of its dangers.

NekNominate is an internet drinking game which began in earlier this year. It has swept through the internet, and been responsible for the loss of several lives. The game involves completing a drinking challenge then nominating another person to complete a drinking dare and make a further nomination, and so the cycle continues. Videos of the dares are then posted on the internet.

Mrs Evans said: “Drinking games are no new thing. They have always been hazardous, but NekNominate is leading to increasingly extreme and elaborate drinking challenges.

“The game relies on peer-pressure and one-upmanship – a lethal combination which has already taken the lives of five young people.”

Following reports that children as young as 10 are playing the game, Mrs Evans wrote to the Welsh Education Minister, Huw Lewis, asking that he writes to schools to make staff aware of NekNominate and ensure that they are able to warn children and young people of its dangers.

The Minister responded: “I am fully supportive of raising the awareness, and in order to ensure a coherent message is given I have asked my officials, in consultation with colleagues in Health and Social Services Department and other organisations such as Alcohol Concern Cymru, to consider appropriate age specific advice/materials that may be available to support teachers in raising awareness.

“Once this has been established, I will ensure information is released via our education communication channels, such as Dysg newsletter and the Learning Wales website.”

Mrs Evans said: “I am pleased that the Minister has listened to my concerns and has responded positively.”

News

Hakin motorist banned after driving 14 times over drug limit

Published

4 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A HAKIN motorist has been banned from driving for three years after being caught behind the wheel with cocaine and benzoylecgonine in his system.

Mark Briskham, 53, of Waterloo Square, Wellington Road, Hakin, was stopped by police on January 5 as he drove a Ford Kuga along Steynton Road, near Milford Haven.

Blood tests carried out at the police station showed he had 800mcg of benzoylecgonine in his system. The legal limit is 50mcg.

He also had 64mcg of cocaine in his system. The legal limit is 10mcg.

Briskham pleaded guilty to two drug-driving charges when he appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

Magistrates disqualified him from driving for three years, taking into account a previous drug-drive conviction from 2020.

He was also fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 surcharge.cr

Crime

Begelly man remanded over alleged May Day assault

Published

4 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A PEMBROKESHIRE man has been remanded in custody following an alleged May Day assault against a woman in Begelly.

Tomas Baker, 34, of Ty Dee, New Road, Begelly, is accused of assaulting the woman, causing actual bodily harm, at an undisclosed location in Begelly on May 1.

Baker appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week by video link from Swansea Prison.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

His trial will take place at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on June 22.

Crime

Waterston man denies child rape and sexual assault charges

Published

4 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A WATERSTON man has appeared before magistrates charged with 13 sexual offences against children, including three allegations of raping a girl under the age of 13.

Chaisee Price, 25, of Biggins Hill, Waterston, Milford Haven, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

He faces three charges of raping a girl under 13, eight charges of sexually assaulting girls aged between five and eight, and two charges of intentionally inciting girls under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between 2014 and 2019.

Price denied all charges.

Because of the seriousness of the allegations, magistrates declined jurisdiction and the case will now proceed to Swansea Crown Court on July 10.

Price was released on conditional bail.

The conditions include a daily electronically monitored curfew between 6:00pm and 6:00am, no contact with the prosecution witness, no unsupervised contact with children under 18, and a requirement to surrender his passport to police.