Author: Rhys Gregory

Kye Harwood, 19, from London, was arrested in February following an investigation by detectives into a series of scams where fraudsters purport to be police officers conning elderly victims into handing over thousands of pounds. Harwood pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud by false representation at a previous hearing. Yesterday (Aug 8) he was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court to 24 months in a young offenders institution. The defendant was part of a group who used a sophisticated and well-rehearsed scam which has been replicated across the UK. Targeting vulnerable people with cold-calls, scammers claim to be police officers…

SCIENTISTS in Wales have received £514,000 from Cancer Research UK to develop a new test using Salmonella which aims to detect bowel cancer at an early stage.  Prof Paul Dyson at Swansea University and Dr Lee Parry at Cardiff University have discovered that a safe strain of strain of Salmonella can be found in the poo of people with bowel polyps. If left untreated, polyps can go on to develop into bowel cancer over time. Each year around 2,400 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer in Wales*. When diagnosed at its earliest stage, more than 9 in 10 people with…

Europe’s largest trailer maker has created 150 new jobs with the help of the successful launch of two new flagship horseboxes. [aoa id=”1″] Ifor Williams Trailer is looking for the extra staff across all their four sites in Cynwyd, Corwen, Sandycroft and on Deeside Industrial Estate where around 600 people are currently employed. The company has also launched a Summer Placement Programme to provide students with work experience. Participants are paid £320 a week and the aim is to attract young people who might not usually consider working in manufacturing. [/aoa] Apprenticeships are also available at the company’s Weld Academy…

A social enterprise in Flintshire, which supports the physical and mental wellbeing of its local community, continues to go from strength to strength with over 1.5 million visits to its leisure centres and libraries across the county during the last 12 months. [aoa id=”1″] Aura Leisure and Libraries is a charitable organisation that runs many of the leisure centres, libraries and heritage services previously operated by Flintshire County Council. The social enterprise was established in September 2017 as a way to keep all libraries and leisure centres open for the community following an extended period of public sector austerity and…

Honest Burgers are set to bring their homemade Honest butcher’s burgers to Cardiff this summer at Street Food Circus in Canton. [aoa id=”1″] Pitching up for three weekends in August alongside a host of other street food traders at The Old School Yard, the pop-up is a prelude to Honest Burgers’ official opening on Church Street this September. Honest are known for their Great British burgers, which they make in their own butchery. Using just British chuck steak and rib cap, Honest chops the meat rather than mincing it (which keeps the flavour in and the texture more natural and…

A Merthyr-based farm equipment dealer is counting their lucky stars after they avoided a very dodgy export deal thanks to international trade experts Business West. [aoa id=”1″] Dumelow International, which formed in 1996 to supply reconditioned used Massey Ferguson farm tractors and agricultural machinery to Africa, were poised to ship six Range Rovers worth £250,000 to a buyer in Nigeria before Phil Geddes, Senior International Trade Services Assistant, raised the alarm. The scammers attempted to fleece Dumelow by forging documents which guarantee that a business gets paid when sending their goods abroad. Standby Letters of Credit are issued by banks…

Sir Steve Webb recently appeared at a Quantum Advisory seminar at the Celtic Manor providing plenty of anecdotal insights into his time behind the scenes of David Cameron’s government and giving his thoughts on a variety of pensions issues.

If you’ve been swept up in this summer’s shopping craze – Little Shop by M&S Food – and need to top up your collection with the must-have miniatures, then look no further as M&S stores in Cardiff will be hosting Little Shop swap events on August 15th from 3pm – 5pm to give enthusiasts the chance to add coveted items to their collections. [aoa id=”1″] Those attending the event will receive a free collectable upon their arrival (which is normally redeemable when spending £20 in M&S Food), a Little Shop Apron or collectors’ case, as well as the chance to add…

Bricklaying apprentice, Danny Hodges, has been shortlisted for Apprentice of the Year at this year’s Monmouthshire Business Awards. [aoa id=”1″]Danny, a bricklaying apprentice from Caldicot, has been with Y Prentis since October 2018. Prior to this, Danny was studying towards his Level 1 Diploma in Brickwork at Coleg Gwent and used as a lot of his free time to gain practical experience, labouring for Rob Moore ltd and Saysell Construction. Following successful completion of his college course, he enrolled onto a Level 2 Diploma and NVQ in Brickwork and successfully secured an apprenticeship with Y Prentis.[/aoa] Speaking about his shortlist…

Self-storage giants Lock Stock are to open their newest site in Flint next week, taking their total of storage parks to 20. [aoa id=”1″] The Denbigh-based company, the UK’s largest container-based storage business, will be opening the gates at their new Coleshill, Flint, site on Friday, August 16. It follows the recent opening of a new Sandycroft site on the Glendale Trading Estate with a third Deeside site, their 21st, due soon at River Lane, adjoining Go Outdoors. The Coleshill site, alongside the A548 North Wales Coast road, is in addition to the nearby Aber Park site and Lock Stock…