News

Twitchers flock to see rare bird

Published

12 years ago

March 31, 2014

A RARE BIRD seen in Wales just three times since the 1800s has landed in Pembrokeshire.

The great spotted cuckoo has been photographed in Penally, causing hundreds of bird enthusiasts, or twitchers, to flock to the area.

Experts have said the bird normally migrates from Africa to southern Spain but the warm weather must have caused it to overshoot continental Europe. A great spotted cuckoo was last seen on British shores in Norfolk in 2009. Brian Egan from Rare Bird Alert said the bird arrived in Pembrokeshire last week. He said: “We don’t know if it’s male or female, but it is a young bird and inexperienced, so it’s missed the mainland of Europe while migrating from Africa.”

The British Birds Rarities Committee says this type of cuckoo has been seen in Britain 46 times since records began but this is only the fourth time in Wales.

Over the last few days, bird watchers have tried to catch a glimpse of the cuckoo in Pembrokeshire.

“It’s quite an impressive bird to see,” Mr Egan said. “It’s a very large cuckoo – like the size of a magpie – and very pretty to look at.

“The bird has been here for a few days now and it won’t hang around for long. What happens to them is a mystery, really, we don’t ever really know where he’ll go from here.”

News

Hakin motorist banned after driving 14 times over drug limit

Published

11 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

11 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

11 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.