News

Mission to save Private Ryan

Published

12 years ago

March 14, 2014

MILITARY CHIEFS have embarked on a mission to save the body of Private Ryan after a giant sinkhole swallowed his grave in a Pembroke Dock cemetery.Private Francis Ryan’s body was lost when a 20-foot-deep sinkhole opened up under his final resting place.

His military headstone has also been left teetering close to the giant hole.Private Ryan died, aged 40, in 1915 after volunteering to serve in the 3rd Battallion, Kings Liverpool Regiment. His grave lay undisturbed for almost a century in a military cemetery in Pembroke Dock but his coffin was swallowed up by the sinkhole late last year.

A team of Ministry of Defence officials are fighting to rescue Private Ryan’s remains in time for the centenary of the outbreak of World War One.

Pembroke Dock district parade marshal David Boswell said this week: “Mother Nature has taken over and when she opens up her body there is not much you can do.

“This is the only military cemetery in Wales so it will be nice to have ready for the centenary of the First World War.”

The MoD has so far failed to trace a living relative of Private Ryan. He was born in Longford, Ireland, in 1875 and was stationed in Pembroke Dock. The cemetery is the final resting place for 23 Commonwealth service personnel from the First World War and 51 from the Second World War.

A spokeswoman from MoD said: “Work to fill in the sink hole is due to begin next week and is expected to be completed by the end of March.

“The chosen option does not involve any exhumation and the MOD is confident that work will be effective.

“However in the extremely unlikely event that the option chosen is not effective the MOD will have to consider other options some of which may involve exhumation.”

News

Hakin motorist banned after driving 14 times over drug limit

Published

7 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

7 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

8 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.