Author: Rhys Gregory

A knife-point robber from Cardiff was arrested within two hours of robbing his local supermarket. Thanks to the bravery of a customer who recorded the whole incident on her phone, officers identified the suspect straight away and knew where he lived. They found him hiding in an attic – a few minutes walk away from the Lidl store he just robbed – still in possession of some of the cash he stole and 1.6g of crack cocaine, which officers suspect he bought with his loot. Leon Carpin, 34, from Pontprennau, entered the Lidl store in Caxton place, Pentwyn, at lunchtime…

The budget for the coming year, 2025-26 has been approved by Pembrokeshire County Council. Councillors voted on the proposed budget, including a Council Tax increase of 9.35% or £2.71 per week for a Band D property, at a meeting yesterday (Thursday, 6th March). The coming financial year includes a funding gap of £27 million, which will be met by a combination of budget savings, an increase in Council Tax and use of Council Tax premiums. The most significant cost pressure for the 2025-26 budget is demand and complexity of care for Social Care across both Adult and Children’s Services, with…

A review of the top tiers of management at Caerphilly County Borough Council, once concluded, will deliver savings of almost £900k, the new Chief Executive has revealed. The council, which is facing a budget shortfall of £45million over the next 3 years, is reviewing all parts of the organisation to identify efficiencies and transform services. Ed Edmunds, the newly appointed Chief Executive has outlined plans to reduce the top tier management costs with a new leadership structure, “It is important that the senior management team leads by example. Every part of the organisation is being looked at to ensure the…

Disease control zones that have been declared after a case of bird flu was confirmed in Herefordshire extend into Powys, the county council has said. A case of Highly Pathogenic Avian influenza H5N1 has been confirmed at a premises near Kington, Herefordshire. 3km and 10km disease control zones have been declared around the premises by Defra, to limit the risk of disease spread. Part of the 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone declared by Defra and Welsh Government extends into Powys. Within this zone, bird movements and gatherings are restricted and all holdings that keep birds must be declared.…

Real-time insights will be shared by health boards across Wales to celebrate the breadth of care and thousands of dedicated staff across the NHS. ’24 Hours in NHS Wales’ will showcase the diverse range of healthcare being delivered simultaneously across GP surgeries, hospitals, pharmacies and community services throughout a single day. The social media campaign, to run on Friday 7 March, will reveal that in just 24 hours: GP practices handle 98,000 calls and provide 75,000 appointments Pharmacies dispense more than 231,000 prescriptions 3,000 people attend emergency departments Community nurses make 7,000 home visits 6,000 NHS dental treatments provided 75…

A new community hub with post office and shop in Dryslwyn, significant improvements to Fairwater RFC in Cardiff, and a former primary school in Cribyn, Ceredigion, are among an additional 57 community projects sharing a new £4.8m Welsh Government funding. The funding from the Welsh Government’s Communities Facilities Programme helps community groups across Wales to purchase and improve premises to create spaces that bring people together to connect, learn new skills, and access essential services. In Dryslwyn, Carmarthenshire, funding will help establish a purpose-built community hub incorporating vital local services including a shop and post office. Fairwater RFC will receive…

Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) has provided fully funded placements to women on Cardiff University’s MSc Cyber Security and Technology, with an ambition to diversify the cyber workforce and widen access into the industry for underrepresented groups. The programme was developed by world-class cyber security researchers at the School of Computer Science & Informatics in partnership with PwC’s Ethical Hacking and Cyber Security team. In addition to CCR’s investment, five of the placements on the 2024/2025 cohort were funded with £35,000 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. By providing funded placements, CCR has enabled young women to…

The Ring, or the Brondanw Arms, is the lifeblood of the Llanfrothen, Croesor and Rhyd community. But the doors of this iconic pub have been shut since September 2024. Determined to re-open the pub, and with the backing of the community, a group of local volunteers came together to establish Menter y Ring Cyfyngedig, with the aim of purchasing the pub’s lease on behalf of the community. The terms for the purchase of the lease have been agreed, and legal work is currently underway. In the meantime, the Menter y Ring Committee have been working tirelessly in the background to…

Ahead of this weekend’s crunch Six Nations clash in Edinburgh, stars of both Scotland and Wales have thrown their support behind this year’s Red Nose Day campaign. Swapping rugby balls for the small but mighty Red Noses, the players were given the opportunity to get their hands on this year’s Noses collection, ahead of this weekend’s Doddie Weir Cup clash. With Red Nose Day returning on Friday 21 March, players from Scotland – including Ben White, Blair Kinghorn, Cameron Redpath, Huw Jones, Jonny Gray, Ollie Smith, Pierre Schoeman and Rory Sutherland – and Wales – including Aaron Wainwright, Ben Thomas,…

A Monmouthshire-based business dealing in the supply of dental, veterinary and medical equipment is looking ahead at future opportunities after purchasing its 6,000sq ft premises. In mid-2024, Dentalex moved to property on Wonastow Road Industrial Estate on a rent-to-buy agreement. Thanks to a £500,000 loan from the Development Bank of Wales, via the Wales Flexible Investment Fund, the business was able to buy the property when it became available on the market, and Dentalex is now looking forward to new routes to expansion. Dentalex imports, sells and services equipment for use in human and animal health disciplines. It is the…