Author: Rhys Gregory

Merthyr Tydfil council has announced that the skate park is opening ahead of schedule  and just in time for the school holidays. Following a site meeting with contractors this week, the skate park, funded by Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns initiative, in partnership with MTCBC, is now open and available for the public to use.  Users will notice that some areas of the site are still fenced off.  These areas will eventually be covered in grass and we kindly ask the public to stay off these areas for their own safety and to allow the grass to grow.  Some additional work…

Changes to how the Welsh Ambulance Service responds to calls aims to improve care for patients with strokes and other serious conditions such as heart attacks. A new “orange: time sensitive” category will prioritise fast assessment, response, clinical care and transport, ensuring patients quickly reach specialist care. Currently, individuals suffering a stroke or STEMI, a type of heart attack, are grouped with many other cases in the broad “amber” category, which represents 70% of all 999 calls to the ambulance service. Under the new approach, “rapid clinical screening” undertaken by nurses and paramedics in 999 clinical contact centres will help…

Homes and businesses at Mumbles in Swansea will benefit from enhanced protection against coastal flooding, following the completion of a major coastal defence project. The £26m Mumbles Coastal Risk Management Programme (CRMP) scheme, delivered by Swansea Council and Knights Brown Construction, has transformed the seafront with a new seawall, robust coastal protection works and an expanded promenade, improving access for pedestrians and cyclists alike. It will reduce the risk of coastal flooding to 126 properties, including homes and more than 50 businesses along this iconic stretch of the Swansea Bay coastline. Matt Bryer recently opened the lifestyle and eco-conscious Hiatus shop…

South Wales Police’s enhanced activity as part of the national County Lines Intensification Week resulted in over thirty arrests and seizures of class A and B drugs, knives and cash. Organised Crime, Intelligence, and Exploitation teams worked together across south Wales to on operations aimed at safeguarding victims of exploitation, identifying and arresting those selling drugs in our communities, and closing drugs lines across the force area. Neighbourhood teams also spent time in the community dedicated to spreading awareness of the risks and tactics used to exploit the vulnerable into moving their drugs for them, and patrolling areas linked to…

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) is warning the public about nicotine pouches that are being promoted more prominently in shops and pose a worrying child appeal with their flavours and eye-catching packaging, mimicking that of sweets. Nicotine pouches are small pouches similar in shape to teabags containing nicotine, flavourings, sweeteners, and plant-based fibres. They are placed under the upper lip, allowing nicotine to be absorbed through the gum. They are available in flavours, similar to those of vapes including tropical Mango, very berry and cherry ice. Currently there is no law in place that restricts the age of sale…

A man has been sentenced to twenty years in prison for multiple counts of rape following a South Wales Police investigation. Aaron Gaughan, 45, of Barry, was sentenced to 20 years – 15 years in custody and a five-year extended sentence – at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday July 14, 2025. He has also had an indefinite restraining order imposed against him to protect his victim. The trial followed not guilty pleas entered on November 26, 2024 to the offences of three counts of rape, engaging in controlling/ coercive behaviour, two counts of assault and stalking involving serious alarm and…

The Cwtch Mawr Multibank charity initiative, which launched in 2024 and has donated more than 640,000 surplus essential goods to 146,000 people in poverty, has officially opened the doors of its newly-expanded premises in Swansea Vale. Cwtch Mawr will now process donations from its newly expanded 15,000 sq. ft warehouse in Llansamlet, Swansea. The new Cwtch Mawr facility will significantly increase the Multibank’s capacity and allow for wider community reach, contributing to more than 8 million goods which have already been delivered to help over 600,000 families from Multibanks in Scotland, Greater Manchester, London, Wales, Birmingham and Tees Valley. This…

A popular hotel in Burry Port which has been welcoming guests and hosting community events for nearly 200 years will be upgraded and expanded thanks to funding from NatWest Cymru. The Ashburnham Hotel, affectionately known locally as “The Ash” is set for an exciting new chapter under the stewardship of local entrepreneurs Caroline and Chris Jones. Additional staff have already been recruited to meet growing demand with the potential for further job creation, totalling 10 new roles within the first year of opening. Having secured a commercial mortgage from NatWest, the couple purchased the premises earlier this year and are…

A North Wales TV company is looking to make two key appointments and harness the power of artificial intelligence as part of ambitious growth plans. Caernarfon-based Cwmni Da is restructuring the senior management team following the departure of managing director Llion Iwan to take up a new role as chief content officer at S4C. Former operations director Bethan Griffiths, who took the helm temporarily after he left in March, has now been appointed as chief executive. The aim now is to recruit a new content director and an operations director to expand the business into new UK and international markets…

A Swansea man has been sentenced to 18 weeks of prison after he admitted to causing a Jack Russell Terrier to suffer after hitting and dropping him. Cameron Lee Wilson of Penllergaer, Swansea, appeared at Swansea Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 9 July after pleading guilty to one offence under the Animal Welfare Act. The court heard that Wilson was caught on CCTV footage in the area of Pentrepoeth Road, Morriston, on 16 March of this year repeatedly hitting a dog and dropping him to the floor from chest height – causing unnecessary suffering. The dog – named Casper – was…