News

Terrified family trapped inside home as arsonist targets the wrong house

Published

6 years ago

October 2, 2020

A TERRIFIED family was left trapped inside their smoke-filled home when a Cardigan man started a fire outside the wrong house.

Nathan Lee Jones, of Golwg y Castell, set bin bags on fire outside a house in Castle Street in an act of arson earlier this year.

However the 42-year-old had targeted the wrong house, leaving a young family of four fearing for their lives as their only exit caught ablaze.

Jones was identified and arrested following a rigorous investigation by Dyfed-Powys Police detectives, with support from teams across Ceredigion.

He has now been jailed for four years for arson with intent to endanger life.

Officer in case Detective Constable Damon Watmough said: “This was a very serious and traumatic incident, which could have had devastating consequences for the victims.

“The defendant was determined to cause fear or harm by starting the fire, and put the lives of a family with two young children at risk.

“We hope this sentence will provide reassurance to the community and victims following this distressing incident.”

Police were made aware of the fire at around 3am on June 16, 2020, and an investigation was immediately launched.

Despite initial suggestions that it was accidentally caused by a lit cigarette, detectives were able to prove the blaze had been started deliberately.

Enquiries carried out into conversations on social media identified the defendant as being involved in the incident, and he was swiftly arrested.

DC Watmough said: “As the investigation progressed, we discovered the fire was started intentionally, but not at the home Jones intended to target.

“He actually went back to try and put the fire out, however it appears a black bag was still smouldering, and spread to the other refuse outside the house.

“By the time the occupants were aware, they had no means of escape, and a gas pipe had been damaged and was leaking into their home.”

A large amount of CCTV footage from the scene was reviewed, showing Jones in the location at times consisted with the fire starting.

Jones was charged with arson with intent to endanger life.

On Friday, September 25, he pleaded guilty at Swansea Crown Court and was sentenced to four years in jail.

DC Watmough said: “This is an excellent result, and is testament to the work officers from teams across the division put in to a rapid and intense investigation.

“Over four days, enquiries were carried out by Ceredigion CID, the Cardigan response team, CSI, intelligence bureau and technical support unit, who all helped to build the file of evidence against Jones.”

Community

Woman rescued from coast path after ankle injury

Published

9 hours ago

June 28, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Coastguard teams called to Dinas Island near Pwllgwaelod

A WOMAN was stretchered from the coast path near Pwllgwaelod after suffering an ankle injury.

HM Coastguard Fishguard was tasked at 5:22pm on Friday, June 27, alongside HM Coastguard Teifi, to assist the casualty on Dinas Island.

The teams attended the scene near Hendre Farm Campsite and Cottages and, with help from the landowner, were able to quickly locate the injured woman.

Her injured limb was immobilised before she was carried by stretcher to her nearby car, where family members were able to take her on to hospital.

Fishguard Coastguard thanked the landowner for their help.

Entertainment

This Ain’t Texas organisers admit Carmarthen festival ‘didn’t go exactly as planned’

Published

9 hours ago

June 28, 2026

Tom Sinclair

ORGANISERS of a country music festival held in Carmarthen have thanked visitors for their support while admitting that parts of the event “did not go exactly as planned”.

This Ain’t Texas Festival took place at the United Counties Showground on Saturday (Jun 27), promising live country music, line dancing, American BBQ, street food, western-themed stalls and family-friendly entertainment.

The event was part of a UK-wide tour, with the Carmarthen date promoted as a Nashville-style day out for families and country music fans.

But after the event, a number of attendees took to social media to raise concerns about queues, parking, food options and the overall organisation of the day.

In a statement posted online, organisers said: “Thank you, Carmarthen. What a day.

“Firstly, we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who came out and made this event so special. The support, energy, and positive feedback we’ve received across the country has been incredible, and we’re truly grateful for every single one of you.

“That said, we also know that not everything went exactly as planned. We’ve received some constructive feedback from attendees, and we want you to know that we’ve listened carefully.”

Some visitors said they had enjoyed the atmosphere, music and line dancing, while others said the event had fallen short of expectations.

One attendee said the day had been “very disappointing” after booking early-bird tickets and looking forward to the festival for months.

Another visitor said the bar queue was long, adding that they had queued for more than an hour, although they still felt the ticket price had been good value.

Others called for more food choice, including vegetarian options, and said parking and space on site would need to be reviewed if the event returned on a larger scale.

There was also praise for the local line dancing element, with one attendee saying it had “definitely added to the experience”.

The festival had been advertised as a one-day country and western-themed event, with live tribute acts, dancing, food, drink, stalls and activities.

Community

Civic service brings Pembrokeshire towns together in Haverfordwest

Published

12 hours ago

June 28, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A CIVIC service has been held at St Mary’s Church in Haverfordwest, bringing together civic leaders, councillors, cadets and community representatives from across Pembrokeshire.

The Mayor’s Civic Service took place at 11:00am on Sunday, 28 June 2026, at the historic High Street church, one of the county town’s most familiar landmarks.

The service was hosted by Haverfordwest Town Council and attended by the Sheriff of Haverfordwest, Cllr Dani Thomas-Turner, Deputy Lord Lieutenants, the mayors of Pembroke, Pembroke Dock, Neyland and St Davids, members of the Guild of Freemen, the Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet and the Mayoral Cadet.

St Mary’s Church has stood at the heart of Haverfordwest for more than 800 years. Built in about 1200, its size and position have made it one of the town’s dominant historic buildings.

Cllr Randell Izaiah Thomas-Turner said the occasion had been “truly special and humbling”.

He said: “It was an honour to gather in one of our town’s most historic and beautiful buildings, a church that has stood at the heart of our community since the 12th century, bringing people together in faith, service and reflection.”

Cllr Thomas-Turner and the Sheriff thanked all those who attended, saying the presence of civic representatives from neighbouring towns reflected the “strong spirit of friendship and partnership across Pembrokeshire”.

They also paid tribute to fellow town councillors, the Guild of Freemen, and the cadets who supported the service.

Cllr Thomas-Turner added: “Days like today remind us that civic life is about more than titles and chains of office. It is about service, community, friendship and working together for the good of our towns and our county.”

He said the event had been a proud day for Haverfordwest, adding: “Haverfordwest truly is the Best in the West.”