Author: Rhys Gregory

A 25-year-old former primary school teaching assistant has been sentenced to over 18 years in prison for possession of indecent images of children and the sexual assault of a child under 13. Tommy Lee Allington was arrested at his home in Penlan, Swansea, on April 28 and pleaded guilty to a total of 17 charges at his pretrial hearing in Swansea Crown Court. Last week (Friday, September 1) he was jailed for 18 years and eight months, with six years on licence, and ordered to be on the sex offenders’ register for life. Detective Constable Amanda Jenkins, who investigated, said:…

Construction work for a state-of-the-art bus facility, based at the heart of Porthcawl’s regeneration area alongside the Portway and Salt Lake car park, started last month. The Metro Plus project will form part of the wider Metro Plus programme, which aims to improve public transport links across the Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) in south-east Wales. The new bus facility will include four bays, a covered station building, space for a kiosk, as well as various environmental enhancements, including a ‘green roof’, rain garden, outdoor seating areas and associated highway works. The contractors for the project are already establishing links with…

A popular employment hub operating in the centre of Port Talbot has been granted a lease extension by Neath Port Talbot Council members so it can continue its vital work. The Aberafan Shopping Centre based NPT Opportunity Hub offers residents a “single front door” access to all the employability services Neath Port Talbot has to offer namely, Communities for Work Plus, Workways NPT and New Horizons (Youth Service). The Opportunity Hub is there to offer residents aged 16 plus, who are unemployed, not in education, employment or training (NEET) or economically inactive, an easily accessible and welcoming venue in the…

Rhondda Cynon Taf is gearing up to welcome one of the world’s leading cycling races, as the Tour of Britain 2023 makes its way through the county borough. Some of the best cyclists in the world will take on the challenging Bwlch and Rhigos Mountains and race through Llanwonno Forestry in stage eight of the competition, which runs from Margam Country Park to Caerphilly. Many residents may remember when beautiful Aberdare Park was used as the launch location for a stage of the 2016 Tour of Britain, when riders such as Mark Cavendish and Steve Cummings competed and headed off…

Residents have been thanked for attending recent engagement sessions for the green events space at Ynysangharad War Memorial Park. The Council received lots of positive responses – and some common themes of discussion, and details about the next steps, are summarised below. As approved by Cabinet in May 2023, the Council will revitalise the unused area of the park that was formerly a pitch-and-putt golf course and later a footgolf course. The area’s current condition and undulating surface has little value for alternative use. The upcoming scheme will flatten the area’s upper plateau to create a dedicated green space that…

The new Castle Inn Footbridge in Treforest was successfully lifted into place this week – and final arrangements are being made to reopen Cardiff Road on schedule, ahead of the peak travel period on Monday morning. The old footbridge provided a key link over the Afon Taff between River Street in Treforest and Cardiff Road in Glyntaff, but was severely damaged by Storm Ciara and Storm Dennis. It has remained closed since 2020 as a replacement scheme was prepared, while the old bridge was demolished this summer. During the school summer holiday, a road closure at Cardiff Road has allowed…

Terry’s Patisserie is an award-winning specialist food manufacturing business, providing hand-crafted patisserie products to hotels, restaurants, stadiums, and venues throughout the UK as well as the local community. The company began when Terry Williams discovered her passion for high-end patisserie and started operating out of the family home in Blackwood, before moving to a bigger premises at Euro Business Park in Aberbargoed and establishing the company under the name Terry’s Patisserie Ltd in 2011. The company now employs 14 people, including highly skilled chefs from all around the world, as well as recruiting local talent. Terry’s Patisserie has conducted lessons…

Four schools in Blaenau Gwent have run another successful Food & Fun programme, providing their pupils with physical activities and healthy meals and snacks for 12 days during the summer break. Around 220 children took part in the programme this year. Schools taking part were All Saints RC Primary; Willowtown Primary; Glanhowy Primary and Abertillery Learning Community. Food & Fun is a school-based programme that provides healthy meals and snacks as well as nutritional education, physical activity, and enrichment sessions to children in areas of social deprivation during the summer holidays. The scheme is funded by the Welsh Local Government…

Work will begin today (Monday 4th September 2023) on the Menai Suspension Bridge to ensure it is permanently restored in time for its 200th anniversary. The second phase of works will see new permanent hangers installed, following a rigorous period of development and testing, as well as extensive painting work to the exterior of the bridge. Motorists are urged to plan ahead, however, the programme of works will not mean full closure of the bridge and traffic management will be implemented to reduce disruption to local residents. Traffic management measures for a single lane closure will be in place from…

A popular charity walk is returning for its fourth year this September, raising vital funds for patients with life limiting illnesses and their families. City Hospice’s Sparkle Walk, hosted by Smooth Radio presenter Jason Harrold, will take place on 29 September and features a 10km route from Insole Court, Llandaff, to City Hospice, Whitchurch, and back. The walk is suitable for families, friends, colleagues and anyone over the age of eight, though any persons under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. At the 5km mark, participants will be greeted with refreshments at City Hospice and will…