News

Oakwood to reopen for Half Term Holidays, as HSE continues with investigation

Published

2 years ago

October 25, 2022

OAKWOOD THEME PARK will reopen for the half term holiday in Wales on Saturday (Oct 29).

The park was closed following an accident on Sunday in which a man was reportedly thrown from the Treetops rollercoaster, leading to a medical evacuation by Wales Air Ambulance, and the evacuation and closure of the site.

A statement from Oakwood Theme Park released on Monday (Oct 24) reads as follows: “We are deeply saddened by the incident that took place on our Treetops ride on Sunday 23rd October in which one of our visitors sustained an injury.

“We are co-operating fully with the HSE investigation into the incident and are unable to comment further at this stage.

“The health, safety, and wellbeing of all our visitors and staff is of paramount importance to us.

“Following guidance from the HSE, Oakwood Theme Park will re-open for the half term holiday in Wales on Saturday 29th October as planned with Treetops remaining closed during the period of investigation.

“All guests affected by yesterday’s closure, will be contacted directly by a member of our team.”

On Tuesday, a woman claiming to be a former employee of the theme park, Faith MacKeen released a video on TikTok claiming that safety at the park was inadequate, and maintenance procedures were not being adhered to.

By lunchtime Ms MacKeen’s video had been viewed several thousand times.

She said: “To my knowledge the safety inspections are not up to standard and do not happen often enough.

“The budget for the maintenance of rides has been reduced in recent times”, she explained.
One person commented on the video, claiming to be a maintenance engineer at Oakwood, verifying Ms McKeen’s comments.

However, the full facts of the incident are currently unknown and under investigation so any claims by those who suggest they have the answers should be taken with a pinch of salt.

HSE Head of operations in Wales, Sian Clayton confirmed: “Our inspectors are investigating an incident on the Treetops rollercoaster at Oakwood Theme Park.

She added: “We will provide more information when we can.”

Speaking to the BBC, Dr Harriet Lloyd, from Carmarthen, said she was waiting for her husband and son, who were on the ride during the incident.

She witnessed people on the ride “started screaming and saying stop” before a man was thrown to the ground.

Dr Lloyd said: “One of the carriages on the back of the ride had been shaking as it had been going round. It looked like the last few carriages were loose and wobbling.”

She said her husband had noticed there was a man and a teenage girl in the carriage at the back of the ride.

“When he turned around the man was no longer there, and then they saw him on the second descent of the ride, and he’d obviously been thrown out of carriage.

“He could see him and then the passengers were trying to help hold the last carriage on because the girl was still in it and it was still moving around.”

Dr Lloyd said that after the ride was stopped her husband was then told that staff were going to assist the man, and an air ambulance came about 15 minutes later.

“I wasn’t on the ride but I was a bit upset at the fact that my husband and son were on the ride, so if they had been a couple carriages back it could have been one of them.”

The Mirror has reported that one eyewitness, who wished to remain anonymous, said he was among the first people on the ride but was told there would be a 10-minute wait as engineers were working on an issue.

“We waited for a bit and saw the engineers right in front of us doing some work,” he said.

“We decided to come back in a bit. We returned 10 minutes later and saw people getting on the ride, so we returned and sat near the front.

“Less than a minute into the ride I heard horrific screams and noticed the back end of the coaster slipping and sliding off the track and a girl crying in severe distress and what appeared to be the bar raised.”

He added: “I shouted for the ride to stop and staff were clearly panicking to get it stopped. It went on for a bit before it grinded to a halt.

“We had to evacuate the ride on a bend and staff were present to help people off. I saw a mobile phone and a flip flop on the grass and realised someone must have come off the ride.

“A group of girls were in shock and I asked them if they were ok which clearly they weren’t.

“When I went to retrieve my bag I saw a gentleman lying face down with a member of staff and a paramedic. He wasn’t moving but staff later told me he was conscious and talking.”

Entertainment

Two-day Christmas fair set for Pembrokeshire

Published

4 hours ago

November 17, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society’s annual Christmas Fair will run for two days this year, on Thursday, December 14, and Friday, December 15.

Held at the Parkhouse Building on the Haverfordwest Showground, the venue will transform into a festive shopping destination, offering an expanded range of stalls, live music, Santa’s Grotto, and an outdoor food court.

Expanded event

Event organisers Judith Roach and Emma Thomas expressed their excitement about the extended format. They said:
“We are thrilled to announce that our Christmas Fair will run for two days instead of just one. We are building on last year’s success with twice the opportunities to attend and even more stallholders. The Parkhouse Building will become a one-stop shop for everyone preparing for Christmas.”

The fair will be open from 10:00am to 4:00pm on both days, with free admission for all visitors.

Festive treats and unique gifts

Attendees can expect to browse an extensive selection of unique gifts, handmade decorations, artwork, and homeware. Local food and drink producers will also showcase festive delights, including chocolate brownies, fudge, spirits, and Welsh cheeses.

An outdoor food court will cater for visitors on the go, with a variety of hot and cold options.

Santa’s Grotto

Santa himself will make a special appearance, with children able to visit him for £3 per child. Each child will receive a small gift, with all proceeds going to the Sandy Bear charity. Advance bookings can be made via the Sandy Bear website.

Community effort

Adam Thorne, president of the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society, praised the efforts of the event’s organisers:
“The society would like to thank Judith and Emma for their dedication in organising this two-day event. We’re delighted to offer visitors a chance to do their Christmas shopping while enjoying the festive atmosphere.”

The Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society encourages visitors to follow the Pembrokeshire County Show’s Christmas Fair event page on Facebook for updates and a complete list of stallholders.

The event promises to be a perfect start to the holiday season, welcoming families and shoppers alike.

News

New hope for rare dormouse after forest find

Published

4 hours ago

November 16, 2024

Tom Sinclair

A RARE hazel dormouse has been discovered in Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, bringing fresh hope for the survival of the endangered species in the area.

The golden-brown rodent, known for its distinctive big eyes and long whiskers, has seen a dramatic population decline across Britain—down 70% since 2000. It is now one of seven vulnerable mammals in Wales.

Conservationists made the significant find during a project aimed at linking habitats across the park. Volunteers had set up nesting boxes in the Nevern woodland, roughly five miles west of the dormouse’s known habitat in Pengelli Forest.

A lucky discovery

Park conservationist Mary Chadwick said the team had been trying to connect isolated dormouse populations across the park’s ancient oak woodlands, including Pengelli Forest and areas near the Pentre Ifan Neolithic site.

“We were looking at linking up those important sites and checking whether populations were isolated,” she explained. “A licensed dormouse volunteer took on a new site and set up the boxes. It can take years for dormice to use the boxes, but we got lucky this year.”

The discovery marks the first recorded dormouse population in the Nevern valley, raising hopes for the species’ ability to spread across the landscape and bolster genetic diversity—key to its long-term survival.

Supporting conservation efforts

To ensure a brighter future for dormice, conservationists are calling on farmers and landowners to adopt wildlife-friendly practices, such as cutting hedgerows less frequently.

“We’re asking people to trim hedges on alternate sides each year,” said Ms. Chadwick. “That would be much better for our dormice.”

Building a future

With ongoing conservation efforts and discoveries like this, researchers hope the dormouse can move closer to recovery in Pembrokeshire. The new find has confirmed their belief that dormice could thrive across the Nevern valley, creating vital connections between isolated populations.

*Nesting boxes placed in the forest where dormice were found (Pic: Pembrokeshire Coast National Park)*

Crime

Burglar jailed for stealing cars worth £90,000 from Sinclair Garage

Published

4 hours ago

November 16, 2024

Tom Sinclair

BRIAN DAVIS, 53, of Bush Street, Pembroke Dock, has been sentenced to 15 months in prison after admitting to three counts of non-dwelling burglary at Swansea Crown Court.

The court heard that Davis and an accomplice targeted Sinclair Garages in Neyland during the early hours of April 2 last year, stealing four vehicles: a Mercedes CLA, an Audi A1, an Audi Q3, and a Volkswagen Tiguan worth around £90,000 in total.

Sentencing Davis, Judge Paul Thomas KC said the crimes were too severe for a suspended sentence and noted little hope of rehabilitation. “These offences display planning and determination,” the judge remarked.

The burglars forced entry into the garage, using a crowbar to access a key storage board. Nine sets of keys were stolen, allowing them to take multiple vehicles. Prosecutor Matthew Murphy told the court: “The men left with two cars initially, returned 14 minutes later to steal a third, and returned again for a fourth.”

The stolen cars were valued at approximately £90,000. Three vehicles – the Volkswagen Tiguan, Audi A1, and Audi Q3 – were recovered the following day. However, the Mercedes CLA, worth £12,382, was only located in January this year. Damages included £5,541 to replace locks on several vehicles.

Police traced Davis through partial fingerprints found on a glove left in one of the stolen cars. He was arrested after surrendering at Haverfordwest Police Station on August 14.

Struggles with addiction

The court heard Davis had left Pembrokeshire in December, breaching post-sentence supervision for an unrelated offence, to stay with family in Glasgow and recover from drug addiction. Stuart John, defending, explained: “The defendant struggled with heroin addiction from a young age. Family bereavements caused a relapse.”

Mr John noted that Davis had been clean when he returned to Pembrokeshire and voluntarily handed himself in. While in custody, Davis completed courses and attended counselling, demonstrating awareness of the consequences of further drug use.

Recovered vehicles