Author: Rhys Gregory

Rugby fans are gearing up for an exciting Six Nations clash as Wales takes on Ireland at Principality Stadium on Saturday, 22 February. With kick-off scheduled for 2.15pm, attendees and city visitors should prepare for significant road closures, transport diversions, and parking restrictions throughout the day. City Centre Road Closures To ensure the smooth entry and exit of ticket holders, a full city centre road closure will be enforced from 10.15am until 5.45pm. The M4 motorway is expected to experience heavy traffic, so attendees are encouraged to plan ahead and use alternative transport options. Early Road Closures (from 7am) Scott…

Police in Cardiff are appealing for information regarding the whereabouts of Mark Kinson who has been missing for two weeks. Mark, 52, was seen on Friday January 31, at 9.45pm on Uphill Road, Llanrumney. He was then seen at around 10pm in the Captains Walk walking in the general direction of Braunton Crescent. Extensive enquiries have been carried out, and these are continuing, to locate Mark but there have been no confirmed sightings since that day. As part of the on-going investigation, officers are examining CCTV footage and searching open land, wooded areas, and riverbanks. Mark is described as around 5ft…

A man who was one of the UK’s most wanted criminals has been sent to prison for 12 years at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Friday, February 14. Calvin Parris was the last member of an organised crime group (OCG) to be brought to justice after being on the run for four years. Parris, 34, from Cardiff, was finally detained by Portuguese Judicial Police officers in the Algarve, Portugal, on October 3. Specialist National Extradition Unit officers from the NCA’s Joint International Crime Centre (JICC) escorted him back to the UK on October 15, 2024, and he was taken into custody…

North Wales Police have partnered with Arriva public transport to raise awareness of hate crime and how to report. Working in partnership with the, Arriva buses now display special permanent posters which warn perpetrators that hate crime, and anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated, and that CCTV will be shared with the police. A hate crime includes verbal abuse, assault or criminal damage that is motivated by prejudice of a person because of their disability, race, religion or nationality. The education campaign sees police posters displayed on the bottom deck of every single Arriva bus in north Wales and the…

Denbighshire County Council is informing residents that upcoming planned maintenance work will be undertaken at Marine Lake in Rhyl. To perform the work, the lake will be drained on Monday 24th of February for a week whilst annual revetment inspections and general site maintenance take place. The works have been planned to take place outside of the summer season to ensure minimal disruption. Refilling will commence on the week commencing the 3rd of March, once the work has been completed. Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport said: “The work that is upcoming at Marine Lake towards the…

Two tenants have been announced for a major new office development in Swansea city centre. IWG and TUI will be taking up space at the 71/72 Kingsway scheme that’s now been handed over to Swansea Council. Flexible workspace provider IWG will take up about 20,000 square feet at the development, with travel and leisure company TUI taking up approximately 7,000 square feet. TUI contact centre employees currently based at Alexandra House will move to the new Kingsway development, helping to retain jobs in Swansea city centre. The majority of the remaining space at the scheme is also under offer and…

Neath Port Talbot Council’s Trading Standards team has successfully obtained a Closure Order against a “pop up” vape shop in Port Talbot. Following complaints about the sale of vapes to children, illicit tobacco and non-compliant vapes (i.e. those with oversized tanks), Market Vapes on Station Road was visited on several occasions over an 18 month period. During each of the visits, Trading Standards officers found and seized Illicit tobacco and non-compliant vapes.  Despite a change in ownership in August 2024, a further visit in January 2025 again found illicit tobacco and non-compliant vapes. On 6th February, 2025, officers obtained a…

A landlord has been fined almost £5000 for operating an illegal House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO) in Tylorstown. Mr Laib Director of Laib property Investment limited, is the owner of the property at East Court Flats, 170-171 East Road, Tylorstown and has been found guilty for a second time for operating an HMO without a licence from Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Environmental Health Department. Mr Laib has been the ‘person in control’ of the premises, that housed EIGHT flats since 2021. In March 2022, the owner received official notification from the Council that a HMO Licence was required, following a…

An extra £3m is being invested in bereavement services across Wales to help ensure everyone can access the support they need, when they need it. The Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing Sarah Murphy said the three-year funding would help Wales become a “compassionate nation” and improve bereavement care and support. The Bereavement Support Grant will support all those experiencing a loss, with specialist forms of support for people living and working in agriculture and those experiencing more complex forms of grief. Sarah Murphy said: ““We want to ensure Wales is a compassionate nation, where everyone has equitable access to…

Unpaid carers in Wales will continue to receive additional support to take well-earned breaks from their caring role, Minister for Children and Social Care, Dawn Bowden has said. The Minister has also confirmed funding is being made available to continue support for carers on low incomes to buy essential items. The Short Breaks Scheme and Carers Support Fund will receive £3.5m and £1.75m respectively for 2025/26 from the Welsh Government. These schemes are in addition to the duties that local authorities are under to provide appropriate support for carers. The Short Breaks Scheme is on track to deliver, or exceed,…