News
Work set to begin on multi-million pound redevelopment at Llys-y-Frân Reservoir
WELSH Water is set to begin work on the highly anticipated redevelopment of Llys-y-Frân visitor attraction and recreation park, following the appointment of new contractors this week.
The work, which will be carried out by WRW Construction Ltd, will create an exciting recreational park and activity centre that will help support the local tourism industry. Once complete the new site is intended to attract an estimated 40,000 additional tourists, outdoor enthusiasts and residents each year.
The not-for-profit water company had to delay work at the site earlier this year after the contractor originally appointed unexpectedly went into administration a few weeks after beginning work on site.
After a rigorous procurement process, the work at Llys-y-Frân has now restarted on site, following the appointment of new contractors, WRW Construction Ltd.
The redevelopment at Llys-y-Frân will include a refurbishment and expansion of the visitor centre and full refurbishment of the café.
The new Outdoor Activity Centre and Waterside Cabin will be built to support walkers, cycling and water sports enthusiasts and will include a food stop, meeting rooms, changing facilities and cycle hire.
£1.7 million of EU funds was secured through the Welsh Government’s Tourism Attractor Destination programme, led by Visit Wales, which aims to create 13 must see destinations across Wales.
The EU funding will enable the development of a year-round offering both for recreation and education and will have a positive economic, social and environmental impact whilst also improving the health and wellbeing of both residents and visitors.
Vicky Martin, Head of Visitor Attractions at Welsh Water, said: “We are pleased that our work to create a world-class, vibrant visitor attraction at Llys-y-Frân Country Park will soon recommence on site, with the appointment of WRW Construction Ltd.
“This redevelopment will create a hub for health and wellbeing, bring benefits to the local, rural tourism industry in Pembrokeshire, and represents a further investment in Wales to enable our customers and communities to enjoy the fantastic countryside, recreational and educational facilities.
We are of course grateful for the support from the Welsh Government and EU funding which is enabling us to deliver this exciting project for the area.”
To carry out our work safely, Llys-y-Frân Country Park and Reservoir will remain closed until our work is completed in summer 2020.
News
Welsh teenager jailed for creating 3D-printed gun at home
A TEENAGER who assembled parts for a viable semi-automatic firearm using a 3D printer has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison.
Owain Roberts, 19, purchased nuts, bolts, steel barrels, and metal rods online, constructing components of an FGC-9 gun with the aid of a 3D printer.
Detectives said that this case marks the first of its kind in Gwent, where Roberts admitted to manufacturing a firearm component. He appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday (Nov 14).
In April, firearms officers executed warrants at two Newport addresses connected to Roberts. Seized items included a 3D printer, two laptops, six plastic reels, and parts for an FGC-9 firearm.
PC Tom Meazey, from Gwent Police’s East Serious Organised Crime team, stated: “Illegally-held firearms can lead to tragic consequences and devastate innocent people’s lives. To own a firearm, including a printable one, is illegal in the UK without a valid firearms certificate. Roberts’s reckless actions in buying items capable of manufacturing a firearm placed people at direct risk.”
This rare and complex investigation involved support from the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Roberts received a prison sentence of four years and nine months.
News
Milford Haven man caught with indecent images of children spared jail
A MILFORD HAVEN man, Gareth MacDonald, 23, has been sentenced after pleading guilty to downloading over 1,000 indecent images of children.
MacDonald, of Meyler Crescent, was arrested in March 2023 following a police search of his home. Acting on intelligence, officers seized multiple electronic devices, and MacDonald admitted to downloading the illegal images.
Swansea Crown Court heard that MacDonald accessed material spanning all severity categories, including images depicting the rape of pre-teen children.
He reportedly told police he had “become bored with legal pornography” roughly a year prior to his arrest.
Judge Geraint Walters sentenced MacDonald to eight months in prison, suspended for two years. As part of the sentence, MacDonald must:
- Complete 20 rehabilitation activity days
- Participate in the Horizon programme
- Register as a sex offender for 10 years
- Comply with a 10-year sexual harm prevention order
Judge Walters remarked that MacDonald had been accessing illegal content “for some considerable period of time” despite knowing it was wrong.
However, MacDonald, who has health problems, dodged being sent to jail and was able to leave the court a free man.
Crime
Ceredigion man sentenced for selling £150,000 in illegal DVDs
A CEREDIGION man has been sentenced for selling counterfeit DVDs worth £150,000 under major brand names without authorization.
David Robert Thomas, 47, from Sarnau, ran a sophisticated online operation, producing and selling fake DVDs labeled with brands like Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Sony, and Universal City Studios LLC. Thomas used seven different websites and managed multiple bank and PayPal accounts, including those of family members, to carry out his business.
Councillor Matthew Vaux, Ceredigion County Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Protection, said: “Counterfeiting is often thought of as a victimless crime, but it harms the local economy by undermining legitimate businesses that pay taxes and create real jobs. This result sends a clear message that counterfeit sales will not be tolerated, and we will act against offenders.”
Thomas pleaded guilty at Swansea Crown Court on Monday (Nov 11) and was sentenced to 20 months in prison, suspended for 18 months. His sentence includes a four-month curfew and fifteen Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days.
Under the Crime Act 2002, forfeiture proceedings will follow to reclaim the financial benefits from Thomas’s criminal activities. Judge Richards took into account the market value of equivalent genuine goods, the sophisticated setup of Thomas’s business, and his previously clean record in reaching the sentencing decision.
The case was brought forward successfully by Ceredigion County Council’s Trading Standards Service.
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