Author: Rhys Gregory

A man from Swansea has been jailed after pleading guilty to stalking. 42-year-old Raymond John pursued a course of harassment against his victim at her place of work between January and May this year. On one occasion, he attended her place of work six times, standing in the entranceway and staring at the victim. On another day, he attended when the victim was off work, and asked staff where she was. This pattern of behaviour continued for weeks. The victim was unable to work by herself for her safety. John also made sexual gestures towards the victim at her workplace,…

A 34-year-old man has been convicted of the murder of 69-year-old Catherine Flynn. Dean Mears, of Bodelwyddan Avenue, Kinmel Bay, was this week (15 May) found guilty by a jury following a three-week trial at Caernarfon Crown Court. Mears will be sentenced at Caernarfon Crown Court on Friday, 20 June. Speaking after the jury delivered its verdict, Senior Investigating Officer Superintendent Lee Boycott said: “On 24th October 2024, Dean Mears broke into Cathy Flynn’s home whilst she was sleeping and ferociously and repeatedly stamped on her in a brutal and violent unprovoked attack. “The injuries Cathy sustained were not survivable…

A captivating new exhibition has opened at the Art Central Gallery in Barry. Puppets and Curious Narratives is a vibrant and imaginative display that is available to visit until 31 May 2025. The exhibition features the work of three Wales-based artists — Peter Raymond, Barbara Leith, and Frankie Locke — who all met at the scenery, props and construction workshops at the Welsh National Opera Company in Cardiff. The carefully crafted puppets by Peter Raymond were inspired by myths and contemporary tales, and the puppet costumes were then handmade by Barbara Leith and hand-painted by Peter. Barbara Leith also showcases…

A powerful new exhibition exploring the historic and cultural links between the Indian sub-continent and Wales is taking centre stage at Glynn Vivian Art Gallery over the coming months. Opening on May 23, Tigers & Dragons features over 100 stunning artworks from around 70 artists based in Wales, England, India, and Pakistan. These include paintings, photographs, textiles, sculpture, performance art and digital installations – many of them on loan from major collections across the UK. The exhibition traces the social and political complexities of the India-Wales relationship, highlighting Imperial connections through war, trade, and language. At the heart of the exhibition is…

A planned price increase for the hire of sports pitches and pavilions across the Caerphilly county borough looks set to be reconsidered next week, when the council’s Cabinet meets to agree a reduced pricing structure. The Cabinet will meet on Wednesday 21 May to consider a report which outlines a revised set of costs for outdoor sports facilities, which are significantly lower than originally anticipated. Cllr Sean Morgan said, “We have responded positively to the feedback from the community, who clearly told us that the increased costs could have a significant impact on grassroots sport across the county borough.” “Therefore,…

Councillor Paula Layton was elected Mayor of Merthyr Tydfil at the Council’s Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 14th May 2025, taking over from the immediate past Mayor, Councillor John Thomas, as First Citizen of the County Borough. Partner to fellow Councillor Declan Sammon for 20 years, and recently wife, mother to Louise and son-in-law Marc, and grandmother to Jack and Emelia, Paula was born and raised in Merthyr Tydfil. A former Customer Service Manager in T-Mobile, Paula then showcased her culinary skills when she stepped up to the plate by becoming a chef at The Stables View Dowlais, a successful restaurant…

Symbol-based boards have been installed in parks across Wales to help children with speech and language barriers communicate easily. Communication boards display symbols for common words, in Welsh and English, like ‘happy’, ‘want’ and ‘finished’. Children with speech difficulties can point to the boards – designed by specialist speech and language therapists – to express their wants and needs to others. The bilingual boards also help non-Welsh speaking families learn basic Welsh words. Following a successful pilot in west Wales, £78,000 was invested by the Welsh Government to roll out the boards across Wales, to create inclusive play spaces for…

The Welsh Government has today launched a consultation on its Disabled People’s Rights Plan, setting out a positive ambition for advancing the rights and opportunities of all disabled people across Wales over the next decade. Based on the Social Model of Disability and guided by the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled People, the consultation outlines both immediate actions and long-term outcomes to create lasting change in how society addresses barriers to inclusion. The plan is based on the work of the Disability Rights Taskforce, which brought together people with lived experience and expertise. It addresses…

The latest series of huge global hit TV show, Industry, currently being filmed in Cardiff, is bringing more employment, career progression and upskilling opportunities to Wales’ TV sector. Season 4 of Industry, which airs on the BBC in the UK, is again being produced by Welsh-based production company Bad Wolf, this time with support from the Welsh Government via Creative Wales as part of a four-year deal between the two parties. As part of the terms of the deal, Bad Wolf, via Screen Alliance Wales, provides on-set training and work shadowing experiences for people entering the industry as well as…

The Welsh Government has made £24m available in loan funding to unlock vital land for housing development and deliver more than 600 new homes across Wales. This vital funding supports the acquisition of land for both social and market housing developments. It helps ensure that development opportunities are not missed, often providing support before construction grant funding becomes available. When construction funding is secured, the loan is repaid and reinvested into new projects, creating a sustainable cycle of housing development. Wales & West Housing previously received £3m in loan funding towards the acquisition of land in Grangetown, Cardiff. This was…