Author: Rhys Gregory

40-year-old Rodney Roberts, of Trowbridge, Cardiff, was sentenced today at Newport Crown Court to five-years and one-month in prison for fraud by false representation. Officers from the Proactive Economic Crime Team at Tarian Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU), and South Wales Police, found that between 2021 and 2024 Roberts defrauded three victims of a combined £49,580. Roberts, using the name ‘Paul Smith’, met his victims through online dating and social media platforms. Roberts connected with his first victim in February 2021. He claimed that he was an American from California, working as an attorney and financier in the UK. Roberts…

Seventeen new bike hangars will be installed across Cardiff to help residents securely park their bikes without having to bring them into their homes.The hangars, each providing space for six bikes while taking up only half a car parking bay, will be installed on residential streets in Canton, Riverside, Plasnewydd, Cathays and Splott later this month. The scheme aims to make cycle parking more convenient and secure, so residents can access their bikes more easily, to encourage people to cycle, instead of using their private car. Following consultation with residents in August 2025, 17 locations were identified from an initial…

Proposals designed to accelerate the next phase of regeneration at Cardiff International Sports Village, including a plan for a permanent circa 900-space car park with the ability to generate renewable energy has been announced. Plans also include the release of new land for amenity development such as public open space, have been published in a report due to be considered by Cardiff Council’s Cabinet at their next meeting. The report, which provides an update on progress at the ISV and sets out a financial plan to enable the development to be completed without further Council borrowing, also reveals proposals to…

The Welsh Government has invested £8 million in a Swansea company developing cutting edge technology, helping to position Wales as a leader in offshore wind. Marine Power Systems (MPS) is the UK’s leading deep-water wind developer. The funding will help bring its technology to full commercial use. Around 80% of the world’s offshore wind resource sits in water too deep for traditional turbine platforms to reach. MPS will use the investment to market its PelaFlex wind turbine platform, which can operate at depths beyond 60 metres. The investment will also lay the foundations for a large-scale manufacturing facility in Wales,…

A man from Neath Port Talbot has been jailed after pleading guilty to child sex offences. 34-year-old Jamie Davies, from Port Talbot, used the social media platform Snapchat to offer to cook food for his 14-year-old victim in exchange for the child performing a sex act in front of him. Davies also sent the child a photograph of his penis. Davies pleaded guilty to causing/inciting a boy aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity, three counts of possessing an indecent photograph of a child and one count of engaging in sexual communication with a child. Davies has been…

Marianne Økland will take over from the departing Malcolm Wall as independent chair of Welsh rugby’s Professional Rugby Board (PRB), on an interim basis, ahead of its next monthly meeting. Malcolm Wall’s three-year term at the helm, which was extended by one-year at the request of PRB members, finishes on 14th March. The PRB was formed in 2019 to oversee the professional game in Wales as part of a programme of governance modernisation which saw its independently appointed chair join the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) Board. The inaugural PRB chair was company-restructuring expert David Lovett and he was succeeded a…

Morning commuters across Wales are facing disruption today (Thursday) due to congestion on the M4 and strong winds affecting a key bridge crossing in North Wales. Traffic Wales has reported congestion on the M4 eastbound between Junction 28 at Tredegar Park and Junction 24 at the Coldra in Newport. Drivers travelling through the stretch may experience delays as traffic builds during the morning rush hour. Motorists are being urged to allow extra time for their journeys and to remain patient as traffic moves through the affected section of motorway. Meanwhile, high winds are also causing issues on the A55 in…

Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has announced the sale of Lakeside Care Home in Cardiff, South Wales. Lakeside Care Home, which is registered for 69 elderly clients, occupies a substantial 65-bedroom, purpose-built property. It is ideally located on Wedal Road, in the heart of Cardiff and close to the University Hospital of Wales. The business was founded by Phil Cliffe in 1994, who extended the property during COVID, adding 18 en suite wet rooms via a substantial extension, which was completed in 2023. After 32 years of ownership and a successful career in the care sector, Phil decided…

A yellow weather warning for strong winds has been issued for parts of Wales, with forecasters warning that travel disruption and difficult conditions are possible throughout Thursday. The warning, issued by the Met Office, is in place between 5am and 8pm on Thursday, 12 March. It covers parts of north Wales including Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, the Isle of Anglesey and Wrexham. Forecasters say an active weather front moving south east across the UK will bring a period of strong winds accompanied by heavy rain during the day. Wind gusts of 50 to 55mph are expected across many areas, while…

New findings from the Lloyds Business Barometer show that AI is helping Welsh firms work more efficiently and unlock new opportunities for growth. Welsh businesses integrating AI into their operations are reporting significant financial benefits, with 85% seeing increased productivity and 38% reporting higher profits over the past 12 months. Of those who reported a profit boost from using AI, 42% recorded an uplift of 11% or more, with a further 40% saying profits increased by 6-10%, and 19% saying profits increased between 0-5%. The findings come as investment in AI accelerates, with nearly half (48%) of Welsh businesses confirming they have invested in AI. The research…