Author: Rhys Gregory

A man from Neath Port Talbot has been jailed after pleading guilty to child sex offences. 34-year-old Jamie Davies, from Port Talbot, used the social media platform Snapchat to offer to cook food for his 14-year-old victim in exchange for the child performing a sex act in front of him. Davies also sent the child a photograph of his penis. Davies pleaded guilty to causing/inciting a boy aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity, three counts of possessing an indecent photograph of a child and one count of engaging in sexual communication with a child. Davies has been…

Marianne Økland will take over from the departing Malcolm Wall as independent chair of Welsh rugby’s Professional Rugby Board (PRB), on an interim basis, ahead of its next monthly meeting. Malcolm Wall’s three-year term at the helm, which was extended by one-year at the request of PRB members, finishes on 14th March. The PRB was formed in 2019 to oversee the professional game in Wales as part of a programme of governance modernisation which saw its independently appointed chair join the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) Board. The inaugural PRB chair was company-restructuring expert David Lovett and he was succeeded a…

Morning commuters across Wales are facing disruption today (Thursday) due to congestion on the M4 and strong winds affecting a key bridge crossing in North Wales. Traffic Wales has reported congestion on the M4 eastbound between Junction 28 at Tredegar Park and Junction 24 at the Coldra in Newport. Drivers travelling through the stretch may experience delays as traffic builds during the morning rush hour. Motorists are being urged to allow extra time for their journeys and to remain patient as traffic moves through the affected section of motorway. Meanwhile, high winds are also causing issues on the A55 in…

Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has announced the sale of Lakeside Care Home in Cardiff, South Wales. Lakeside Care Home, which is registered for 69 elderly clients, occupies a substantial 65-bedroom, purpose-built property. It is ideally located on Wedal Road, in the heart of Cardiff and close to the University Hospital of Wales. The business was founded by Phil Cliffe in 1994, who extended the property during COVID, adding 18 en suite wet rooms via a substantial extension, which was completed in 2023. After 32 years of ownership and a successful career in the care sector, Phil decided…

A yellow weather warning for strong winds has been issued for parts of Wales, with forecasters warning that travel disruption and difficult conditions are possible throughout Thursday. The warning, issued by the Met Office, is in place between 5am and 8pm on Thursday, 12 March. It covers parts of north Wales including Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, the Isle of Anglesey and Wrexham. Forecasters say an active weather front moving south east across the UK will bring a period of strong winds accompanied by heavy rain during the day. Wind gusts of 50 to 55mph are expected across many areas, while…

New findings from the Lloyds Business Barometer show that AI is helping Welsh firms work more efficiently and unlock new opportunities for growth. Welsh businesses integrating AI into their operations are reporting significant financial benefits, with 85% seeing increased productivity and 38% reporting higher profits over the past 12 months. Of those who reported a profit boost from using AI, 42% recorded an uplift of 11% or more, with a further 40% saying profits increased by 6-10%, and 19% saying profits increased between 0-5%. The findings come as investment in AI accelerates, with nearly half (48%) of Welsh businesses confirming they have invested in AI. The research…

“You are never too old, never too late and never too busy learn.” That’s the rallying message Adult Community Learning (ACL) Practitioner Christopher Roberts has for adults who may have doubts about returning to education. Christopher, who has worked for Bridgend College as an ACL mathematics lecturer for 14 years, consistently drives innovation to transform the way he delivers classes to meet community needs and demands. By developing partnerships with Bryntirion, Porthcawl and Pencoed Secondary Schools, he runs Maths for Parents’ classes, which benefit not only individuals but their families and communities, too. Christopher is one of six tutors who…

The number of new homes coming onto the housing market in Wales rose during February, according to the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Residential Market Survey, but respondents remain cautious about the short-term outlook. A net balance of 15% of Welsh respondents reported that new instructions to sell were up through the month of February, indicating that more sellers were putting their houses on the market. However, whilst supply is stronger, demand seems to have dipped. A net balance of -37% of Welsh surveyors reported that new buyer enquiries fell through, which is further into negative territory than…

Artist Catrin Williams is bringing her talent and experience to schools across North Wales this month (March), as part of Discover! Creative Careers Cymru, led by education charity Into Film Cymru. The series of workshops is part of a UK-wide campaign funded by the UK Government, which has successfully introduced creative careers to over 80,000 young people and inspired them. The aim of the programme in Wales is to help young people across the country explore careers in the creative industries, connecting them with industry professionals, such as Catrin, and providing practical experience. Catrin will be running a series of workshops that will…

Vale of Glamorgan Council has approved a new budget that will see significant investment in schools, housing, roads and public services over the coming years. The spending plans were agreed during a meeting of all councillors on Monday night, setting out how money will be allocated across a range of key services. Over the next five years, the council will spend a total of £0.5 billion on developments across the Vale. The investment includes more than £55 million for new schools, with a further £29 million planned for future education projects, alongside £10 million to improve existing school facilities. Funding…