News

Police urge people not to assault emergency workers following attacks

Published

5 years ago

December 21, 2021

DYFED-POWYS POLICE has issued an appeal for the public to work with us, not against us after a number of assaults on emergency workers in the past week.

It comes after a man who lunged at a police officer following a disturbance was sentenced to 120 hours of unpaid work.

Officers had attended a disturbance in Spilman Street, Carmarthen, on the evening of Saturday, 11 December, over reports of 20 people fighting.

When officers arrived, the situation had calmed slightly to pushing and shoving.

Officers were speaking to those involved and initially spoke with Robin Pitt, aged 40, who appeared calm.

However, when officers were dealing with another male, Pitt lunged at one of them from behind with his arm out.

PC Chris Day, who witnessed Pitt’s charge, stepped in to stop a potential assault on a colleague.

“I got in the middle of them,” said PC Day.

“He grabbed me so I’ve grabbed him and then he’s wrapped his arms around my head.

“When he took me to the ground I smashed my left knee into the floor causing several grazes and bruising.

“He landed on top of me, so I cut my hand while trying to get him off and some reddening to the left eye.

“There were abrasions on my face from all the struggling, it was like sandpaper on my face.”

PC Day said the assault had been unprovoked.

“It was out of the blue,” he said. “As I first attended I spoke with him and he was fine and calm with me.

“No-one ever expects to be assaulted when they go to work.

“As a police officer, you expect to deal with violent offenders, but we’re just doing our job and should not be attacked for doing it.”

Pitt admitted the assault at Llanelli Magistrates Court on 13 December.

He was given a 12-month community order, including 120 hours of unpaid work, costs of £85, a £95 victim surcharge, and £100 compensation.

This month Dyfed-Powys Police is supporting the emergency services’ #WithUsNotAgainstUs campaign being led by the Welsh Ambulance Service.

In one week this month, eight assaults were recorded on police or paramedics in the force area.

It is part of a rising trend, which has seen more than 4,240 assaults committed against emergency workers, including police, fire and ambulance crews, in the period April 2019 to November 2020. This represents a monthly average increase from 202 in 2019 to 222 in 2020, or 10%.

Assaults ranged from kicking, punching and head-butting, to spitting, slapping, biting and verbal abuse.

In 2018, the maximum sentence under the Assault on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act was doubled from six months to 12 months in prison, but criminals could soon face up to two years in prison under new laws.

Attacks on emergency workers:

When officers were called to a disturbance in Monkton on 9 December, they arrested a man, who kicked one officer and butted another.
Officers were called to a woman damaging a car in the Kidwelly area on 9 December. Once arrested, the woman lashed out kicking two officers to their legs.
When making an arrest in Llanelli on December 12, two officers were assaulted – one had their hair pulled, while the other was bitten on their hand.
On 12 December officers were called to Llanelli after a paramedic had been punched in her stomach by a patient in an ambulance.
Officers called to concern for the welfare of a man in the Aberystwyth area on 12 December. The man was located and offered support by officers but became abusive to an officer, including racial comments.
On 14 December officers were called to Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli to reports of an intoxicated man with a child, who then refused treatment for the child. He was found in a car outside, and when approached by officers became aggressive, squaring up to officers and bystanders, swearing at them. He then lunged at an officer, spitting in their face. Once he was in a police custody suite, he again lashed out at another officer, kicking them to the shin.
On 14 December officers attended a property in Carmarthen and spoke with an occupant who lashed out at officers and had to be restrained. Two officers were kicked to their legs during the disturbance.

Community

Swiss granddaughter returns to Pembroke Dock to honour wartime heroine

Published

22 minutes ago

June 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A SWISS woman has returned to Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre to see a special display celebrating her grandmother’s remarkable wartime work helping Allied servicemen who escaped into neutral Switzerland.

Therese Burckhardt, from Zurich, is the granddaughter of Mrs Beryl Schaerer Morse, a former Pembroke Dock woman who was awarded the King’s Medal in 1952 for her service during the Second World War.

The rare medal, one of only around 2,500 awarded, is now on display at the Heritage Centre alongside photographs, family records and an information panel telling Mrs Schaerer Morse’s story.

Beryl Schaerer Morse was born in Pembroke Dock in 1887, the daughter of Mr and Mrs Thomas Harrison Morse, who lived in Pembroke Dock and later Tenby.

After marrying a Swiss banker in 1913, she settled in Switzerland for the rest of her life, but always regarded Pembrokeshire as home. She returned for many summers to the family’s house in Tenby, which her grandparents had built in the 1930s.

During the Second World War, Mrs Schaerer Morse led an organisation assisting Allied servicemen who had escaped into neutral Switzerland. Her work was later recognised with the award of the King’s Medal.

Therese first visited the Heritage Centre last summer with childhood friend Penny Tighe, of Pembroke, bringing the medal and family records with her. She has now returned with further documents and family photographs to add to the centre’s archive.

Joining her again was Penny Tighe, along with Ruth Waddington, who now lives in the Tenby house where Therese spent many happy childhood holidays with her brother Roland, known affectionately to his grandmother as “Chips”.

Mrs Schaerer Morse died in 1967 and had expressly wished to be buried near her father at Llanion Cemetery, Pembroke Dock.

Therese said: “I am very pleased with how my grandmother’s medal and her story are displayed at the Heritage Centre, and also pleased to bring more records to add to the archive there.”

Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre is based at the Royal Dockyard Chapel and tells the story of the town’s maritime, aviation, military, social and community heritage.

Pembroke Dock was Wales’ only Royal Dockyard, a major garrison town, and during the Second World War was home to the largest flying boat station in the world.

The centre is currently open Monday to Friday, from 10:00am to 4:00pm.

Therese Burckhardt shows the King’s Medal, awarded to her grandmother, to Ruth Waddington at Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre (Pic: PDHC).

Community

Pirates take over Pembroke Dock maritime museum

Published

59 minutes ago

June 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

VOLUNTEERS at West Wales Maritime Museum were praised after another successful Pirates Party brought crowds to Pembroke Dock.

The family event was held at Hancock’s Yard, Front Street, on Saturday (Jun 20), with visitors enjoying a day of maritime-themed entertainment, stalls, refreshments and fancy dress.

The museum, run by the West Wales Maritime Heritage Society, hosted the event with the help of volunteers, with activities including a tombola, raffle, barbecue, face painting, children’s games and a prize for the best-dressed pirate.

There was also live entertainment from the Cantabile Singers and the Barti Waves.

One of the highlights of the afternoon was a musket firing display by the H.M.S Wales Re-enactment Group, which drew strong interest from those attending.

County councillor Jonathan Grimes, who represents Pembroke St Mary South and Monkton, was among those who visited the event.

He said it had been “a fantastic afternoon” and praised the volunteers who had worked hard to put on “another brilliant event”.

Cllr Grimes said: “There was plenty to see and enjoy, but my personal highlight had to be the musket firing display from the H.M.S Wales Re-enactment Group — a real crowd-pleaser with live firing.

“It was wonderful to see so many people coming along and supporting yet another successful event at the museum.”

He also thanked Peter Kraus and everyone involved for their dedication in bringing the event to life.

The West Wales Maritime Museum is based at the historic Hancock’s Yard and is run by volunteers who work to preserve Pembroke Dock’s maritime heritage.

The society restores and maintains classic boats, operates a museum of maritime artefacts and offers visitors a chance to learn more about the town’s long connection with the sea.

The museum has become an increasingly popular community venue, with events such as the Pirates Party helping to bring families into the town while celebrating Pembroke Dock’s seafaring past.

News

Father and son lifeboat volunteers answer emergency call off Broadhaven South

Published

2 hours ago

June 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

FATHER’S DAY celebrations were interrupted for several Tenby RNLI crew members on Sunday afternoon (Jun 21) after a five-metre RIB suffered engine failure off Broadhaven South and began drifting dangerously towards rocks.

The casualty vessel issued a Pan Pan call, prompting a Coastguard tasking to Tenby Lifeboats.

Among those responding were Coxswain Gary and his son Eddie, who still managed to spend part of Father’s Day together — although not quite in the way they may have planned.

The lifeboat was quickly launched and made best speed to the reported position, around nine miles west of Tenby Lifeboat Station.

When the crew arrived on scene, the engine of the casualty vessel had been restarted. However, with those on board concerned it could fail again, the Coxswain decided to escort the RIB back towards the entrance of the Milford Haven Waterway.

Once at the mouth of the waterway, the occupants were confident they could safely continue to their mooring without further assistance.

The lifeboat was then stood down and returned to station, arriving back at 5:50pm.