A 19-YEAR-OLD man has admitted deliberately placing human faeces in a public swimming pool, causing it to close for cleaning.

Dyfed-Powys Police said officers investigated a series of alleged criminal damage incidents at Newcastle Emlyn Leisure Centre between November 2025 and May 2026.

The man, from the Cardigan area, was identified and interviewed by police.

During interview, he admitted deliberately placing the waste in the pool, which led to its closure while cleaning was carried out.

Police said the matter has been dealt with by way of an Adult Community Resolution and the investigation is now closed.

A FORMER Swansea Prison inmate died from combined drug toxicity just 48 hours after being released, an official investigation has found.

Jason Maynard, 43, left HMP Swansea on May 23, 2024. Two days later, he was pronounced dead by paramedics after being found unresponsive in the back of a friend’s car.

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman report says Mr Maynard had been given overdose-reversal medication before leaving custody and warned about the heightened risk of overdose after a period of reduced drug tolerance.

After his release, he attended his first probation appointment and was placed in temporary hotel accommodation by Swansea Council.

The following day, police were called after concerns were raised that Mr Maynard had a cut above his eye and appeared incoherent. He refused hospital treatment and was taken to his mother’s home.

The report says he later used drugs and drank alcohol with friends. He then fell asleep in a car outside an address, where he was later found unresponsive.

Mr Maynard had missed a substance misuse appointment on May 24 but attended the service the next day. Staff noted he had “blue around his mouth”, which caused concern about possible drug use.

The Ombudsman found that prison, probation and support services had taken appropriate steps before and after his release.

Its findings said Mr Maynard had received suitable substance misuse support, had been referred for accommodation, and had licence conditions in place covering drug and alcohol use, engagement with services and drug testing.

The report concluded that the necessary referrals and support arrangements had been made, but Mr Maynard died later the same day he attended the community substance misuse service.

THE WELSH CONSERVATIVES have called for urgent action on hospice funding after Hospice UK warned that services in Wales are facing growing pressure from rising demand, more complex patient needs and increasing staff strain.

Hospice UK says all adult hospices in Wales are now caring for patients with increasingly urgent and complex conditions, while half reported staff distress linked to being unable to support everyone who needs help.

The charity has warned that demand for palliative care in Wales is expected to rise significantly over the coming decades, at the same time as hospices face higher workforce costs, inflationary pressures and continued uncertainty over long-term funding.

Hospices provide end-of-life and palliative care for patients and families, often supporting people in their own homes and communities. Campaigners argue that without sustainable funding, more pressure could fall back on already stretched NHS services.

The Welsh Government has previously announced extra support for the sector, including a £4.3m package in March to help stabilise adult and children’s hospices, alongside a £3m annual uplift in hospice funding. Ministers said the money was intended to help protect staffing capacity and maintain essential services.

However, hospice leaders have continued to call for a longer-term settlement, arguing that one-off grants do not provide the certainty needed to plan services, retain staff and meet future demand.

Natasha Asghar MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, said the latest findings were “deeply worrying”.

She said: “Hospice staff do incredible work supporting patients and families through the most difficult moments imaginable.

“But they cannot be expected to carry on facing rising demand and growing pressure without proper support.

“Plaid Cymru must now deliver a sustainable funding model for hospices in Wales, so patients can receive the compassionate care they deserve, when and where they need it.”

The call comes as end-of-life care remains under increasing scrutiny across the UK, with charities warning that hospices are being asked to do more while relying heavily on charitable donations and short-term support.

Hospice UK has said sustainable funding is needed to ensure patients in Wales can access the right care, in the right place, when they need it.