News
Fire chief warns of further cuts to service
THE MID AND WEST WALES FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE has revealed the extent of budget cuts, whilst speaking at Ceredigion’s full council meeting last Thursday (Mar 21).
At the meeting last Thursday, Fire Service Chief Officer Chris Davies told councillors that in a time of austerity, the service has had to make significant cuts.
He said: “We’ve stripped out 20% of our budget… 27% of firefighters posts removed and 34% of middle to senior management posts have been removed over the last six to eight years.
“We are at the point now where anymore cuts to us will mean a reduction in service delivery.
“It means that someone, somewhere, will receive emergency response more slowly than they currently do.”
Mr Davies added: “We’ve made significant cuts as I know you have as a council.
“We are at the point now where there are only three things that we can cut… personnel, appliances and equipment.”
The Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service serves Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, Swansea, Powys and Neath Port Talbot. The Service covers some 4,500 square miles and makes-up almost two-thirds of the landmass of Wales, with nearly 12,000 square kilometres of road networks and 650 kilometres of coastline. Census data suggests that the permanent population of the service area is 900,000, but the fire service say that it can be proven that during the summer, the population exceeds two million.
Statutory duties of the service are fire safety, firefighting, road traffic collisions and emergencies. Other operational challenges include building fires, grass fires, flooding, urban search and rescue as well as terrorism response. Grass fires in particular were a major problem last year, and in the period between April and June, the Mid and West Wales fire control received over 27,000 calls regarding that issue. The co-responder scheme, which utilises specialist vehicles to assist the Welsh Ambulance Service in the case of medical emergencies, has been considered a success. Mr Davies described ROSC (Return of Spontaneous Circulation) as meaning ‘someone has been brought back to life’, and 54 such instances have been confirmed across the service area.
Mr Davies added: “That means that 54 people are walking around today who wouldn’t have been, if they [co-responder vehicles] weren’t in place.”
A wide variety of risks are found within the operational area, ranging from the petro-chemical industries in Milford Haven and Briton Ferry to the risks associated with heavily populated areas such as Swansea, Port Talbot and Llanelli. There is an extensive farming community and many other light industries throughout the area. These, together with an extensive coastline and inland waterways are some of the specialised risks within the Mid and West Wales region.
Crime
Police investigating attempted burglary at Haverfordwest shop
POLICE in Pembrokeshire are investigating an attempted burglary at No.37 Food and Wine shop on High Street, Haverfordwest, at about 3am on Wednesday, April 3.
A window was smashed and the door handle broken.
Police said: “If you have any information that could help enquiries, please get in touch with PC 195 Tayler, either by: https://bit.ly/DPPContactOnline, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 101.
“Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555111, or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org.”
News
Don’t forget to vote on Thursday, May 2
THURSDAY, May 2 is your chance to vote for the Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner.
Don’t forget to use your vote and head to your local polling station between 7am and 10pm.
They are elected by the public to hold Chief Constables and the police force to account on their behalf.
A Police and Crime Commissioner’s job is to set the police budget and make sure it is spent effectively, appoint the local police forces Chief Constables, set police and crime plans in collaboration with residents and work closely with the local council and other organisations on these plans.
This is the first election in Wales where you will need photographic ID to vote.
Accepted forms of ID include a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport or drivers’ licence; and some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card. Voters will be able to use expired ID if they are still recognisable from the photo.
Or you may have applied for a Voter Authority Certificate which is also accepted.
If you plan on taking your Postal Vote to a polling station or County Hall main reception remember to fill in a vote return form. Without the completed form those postal vote(s) will be rejected.
You can only hand in your own postal vote, and postal votes for up to five other people.
You can find out more about the Police and Crime Commissioner Elections online (opens in new window).
Crime
Banned for sleeping in car whilst over the drink drive limit
A MOTORIST caught sleeping in a BMW in MIiford Haven town centre has appeared before magistrates for being in charge of a motor vehicle when he was over the legal alcohol limit.
Police officers discovered John Steele, 30, soon after 5.30pm on March 9 when he was asleep in his red BMW which was parked in a car park at Hamilton Terrace.
“The engine was running and the lights were on,” Crown Prosecutor Abigail Jackson told District Judge Mark Layton who was sitting at Haverfordwest magistrates court this week.
“Officers smelt alcohol, he was intoxicated and he was slurring his words.”
Officers were unable to carry out a roadside breath test as a result of them not being in possession of a breathalyser at the scene of the incident. Steele was conveyed to a police custody suite where two samples of breath were subsequently taken, the lowest giving a reading of 44 mcg.
Steele, who is employed as a machine technician in Selby, pleaded guilty to the charge of being in charge of a motor vehicle while he was above the alcohol limit.
He was fined £400 and ordered to pay a £160 court surcharge and £85 costs. His licence was endorsed with ten penalty points.
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