Author: Rhys Gregory

UKRI Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has awarded more than £1m to a research team from Aberystwyth and Swansea universities to lead the Welsh Election Study 2026 (WES 2026), a four-year project that will provide high-quality, impartial survey data on political attitudes and voting behaviour in Wales. The collaboration brings together Dr Anwen Elias (Aberystwyth University), Professor Matt Wall and Dr Bettina Petersohn (Swansea University), working in partnership with the Wales Institute of Social Research and Data (WISERD), as part of the ESRC’s investment in data infrastructure for electoral research. Professor Alison Park, Deputy Executive Chair of ESRC, said:…

Alexander Dale, 31, grabbed the 11-year-old and pushed her to the floor while she was walking her dog in Cyncoed. Two days earlier, on October 23, 2024, Dale approached a 15-year-old girl on a bus travelling from Barry and showed her explicit messages on his phone. Detectives sourced CCTV from the bus and, using Retrospective Facial Recognition, Dale was quickly identified as the suspect. He was arrested, charged and remanded within a week. Retrospective Facial Recognition Technology compares still images of faces of unknown subjects against a reference image database. Further enquires confirmed Dale had used a mobile phone app,…

Neath Port Talbot Council is inviting residents to give their views on proposals to enhance walking, wheeling, and cycling (Active Travel) routes across towns and villages in the county borough. Through the enhancement of existing infrastructure and the development of new routes, the council aims to make Active Travel the preferred mode of transport for local journeys. This initiative supports improved air quality, healthier lifestyles, and the overall attractiveness of communities as places to live and work. The Active Travel Network Map outlines the routes the council intends to prioritise for future improvements. It is designed to make walking, wheeling…

People in Swansea will benefit from faster diagnoses following a £1.3m Welsh Government investment to upgrade x-ray facilities in Morriston Hospital’s emergency department. The funding will replace a fifteen-year-old system with modern digital technology that produces instant high-quality images – meaning quicker results. The new digital system will help reduce radiation exposure for patients and staff and automated positioning features will make machines safer and easier for radiographers to use. Unlike the older equipment which can cause delays in patient diagnostics, the new reliable systems will help medical teams assess more patients efficiently. Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care,…

Monmouthshire-based Hive Mind Mead and Brew Co has launched into Marks & Spencer stores across the UK, making use of the SALSA certification secured with the help of the Welsh Government’s HELIX Programme, formerly Project HELIX.  The company’s first major retail listing has seen their Pure Honey, Honey and Rhubarb, and Honey and Elderflower sparkling meads, which are made using British honey, launch into 50 Marks and Spencer stores. It’s the next step in the growth journey for the business that was founded in 2018 by brothers Kit and Matt Newell with the goal of modernising the world’s oldest alcoholic…

Macmillan Cancer Support is warning that almost 1.4 million people with cancer across the UK (40%) have been let down by a ‘cancer postcode lottery’, as people struggle to get the treatment and care that’s right for them, simply because of where they live. The charity says inconsistent cancer care is leaving some people with cancer with fewer treatment options, and very little choice but to travel long distances for the treatment they need. Many face increased costs, stress, anxiety and exhaustion as a result. At its most extreme, the UK’s ‘cancer postcode lottery’ could be putting an estimated 100,000…

A Swansea-based luxury housebuilder and renovation contracting company has secured a six-figure investment from FW Capital through the Investment Fund for Wales to support its growth plans. Green’s Construction offers high-quality construction and renovation services to customers in the Swansea and Gower area. Established in 2010, the business has since expanded into the joinery market, designing and producing handcrafted kitchens, storage solutions and furniture. It recently opened a new factory and showroom in Mumbles exhibiting range of luxury kitchens and furniture. Andy Green, founder and CEO at Green’s Construction, said: “We’re delighted to have the support of FW Capital and…

Swansea restaurant, Rasoi has helped more than 1,400 people enjoy a warm, freshly cooked meal this summer as part of Faith in Families’ Back to School with a Cwtch campaign. The popular restaurant, with locations in SA1 and Pontlliw, partnered with the charity to serve curry and rice at community events in Bonymaen, Clase, and Portmead. The meals were offered alongside nearly 1,000 free backpacks and back-to-school supplies, easing the burden for families as they prepared for the new school year. For Rasoi, the partnership was about giving back to the community at a time when the summer holidays and…

A 49-year-old sex offender has been jailed for over 18 years for facilitating the rape of young children. Stephen Harris, of Church Street, Flint was unwittingly speaking to an undercover police officer as part of a covert operation dedicated to online sexual offending against children when he shared his sexual interests. Harris, who has made repeated breaches of a sexual harm prevention order, suggested he wanted to meet to facilitate the rape of the undercover officer’s fictional children, who he was told were aged six, and three months. He also discussed meeting likeminded people to penetrate animals, despite being on…

Residents are being encouraged to attend an engagement session to share their views on a proposed Active Travel route in the Ewenny Road area of Bridgend town. The plans, which will be delivered in phases, include a shared-use path for both pedestrians and cyclists. The route would begin at the railway bridge on Heronston Lane, continue to the Ewenny Road roundabout, and extend down towards the entrance of Brynteg School. The drop-in session will provide an opportunity for residents to view drawings and plans, ask questions, and offer feedback. Council officers and local councillors will be available to discuss the…