Author: Rhys Gregory

Trading Standards in Swansea is stepping up its efforts to close down vape shops that are selling illegal vapes and tobacco. Swansea Council has recently taken action against two vape shops in the city, successfully applying to Swansea Magistrates Court to close for three months. World of Vapes in St Teilos Street, Pontarddulais, was ordered to close for the extended period after Swansea Council Trading Standards visited the store earlier in June and discovered fake tobacco and vapes in a hidden storage unit. Snoop Vapes on High Street in the city centre was also closed after repeated sales of fake…

Monmouthshire County Council has approved new investment in Caldicot Leisure Centre, supporting improved facilities and healthier lifestyles in the south of the county. The investment was approved at a meeting of full council on Thursday, 25 June 2026, and will refurbish and reconfigure the first-floor fitness suite, creating a modern, accessible and welcoming space for residents. The £601,429 scheme will transform the existing gym by replacing ageing equipment and improving layout, capacity and overall customer experience. The upgraded centre will include a new 40-station fitness suite, refurbished studios and activity spaces, improved accessibility through inclusive equipment, upgraded toilets, lighting and flooring.…

An expert group who will help to shape, support and advise on delivering the expanded childcare offer in Wales, have met for the first time this week. The Deputy First Minister – Sioned Williams – chaired the inaugural meeting of the Expansion of Childcare Expert Steering Group. Members are drawn from bodies representing childcare providers, the workforce, social care, local authorities and an economist. The Welsh Government has committed to expanding childcare for children aged nine months to four years over this Senedd term. Establishing the group was a First 100 Days commitment. At the meeting, members agreed how the…

People in Wales experiencing homelessness or living in unsuitable temporary accommodation will benefit from a £20 million boost to deliver more quality social homes at pace. The Welsh Government is allocating the additional funding to the Transitional Accommodation Capital Programme (TACP) this year, subject to Senedd approval in July. TACP supports a flexible range of approaches — including acquiring existing properties, converting buildings, and bringing empty homes back into use — to get people into stable housing quickly. The investment directly contributes to the Welsh Government’s commitment to deliver 20,000 new social homes, and forms part of wider action to increase the supply of social housing and reduce reliance on temporary accommodation that is unfit…

A man from Swansea has been jailed for the rape and assault of a woman, as well as stealing her dog. 47-year-old Dominik Szymanski, from Waun Wen, punched, kicked and dragged the victim when she refused to have sex with him at his flat on Matthew Street on September 2 2025. He had met the victim for the first time earlier that day. Szymanski was found guilty of rape, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and theft in May. He has this week been sentenced to 16 years in prison. He will be on the sex offenders register for life. Detective…

Vaughan Williams from Tremorfa, Cardiff, has been jailed for a domestic-related kidnap. The 51-year-old pleaded guilty to unlawfully, and by force, taking the victim against her will at her flat in Pentrebane. Williams was sentenced to seven years in prison and is subject of a 10-year Restraining Order to further protect the victim. During the incident in November last year, Williams forced the victim down the street and into her flat. He held her there until relatives intervened by knocking on the door. Police were called and Williams was arrested. He admitted kidnap and was sentenced at Newport Crown Court…

A police investigation has been launched after a prehistoric burial mound in North Wales was damaged by a vehicle. North Wales Police is investigating an incident of criminal damage at a scheduled ancient monument on Mynydd Hirathog, near Tan y Foel. The force said a vehicle had been driven over the Bronze Age burial mound, which is protected under the Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2023. The monument sits alongside the Llansannan to Rhyd-Y-Bedd minor road. A joint investigation has been launched with CADW, and officers are appealing for anyone with information to come forward. PC Dave Allen said: “The team,…

The growing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help visitors find and book accommodation and experiences was a recurring theme at a sold-out Mid Wales Tourism Conference. Diverse speakers covered a wide range of tourism and hospitality topics at the conference, held at The Metropole Hotel & Spa, Llandrindod Wells and organised by Mid Wales Tourism (MWT Cymru), which is celebrating its 35th birthday this year. An independent, not-for-profit company, MWT Cymru supports more than 600 member tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and Meirionnydd and receives no public core funding. Hosting major events in the region, inclusive and…

Builders, renovators and property owners are being reminded to take extra care when matching bricks and blocks on refurbishment projects, particularly where extensions, repairs or alterations need to blend into an existing property. The advice comes as refurbishment and renovation remain an important part of the property market across Wales. While new housing schemes attract much of the attention, a significant amount of work also involves improving, extending or bringing existing buildings back into use. Wales247 has previously reported on the role refurbishment and renovation can play in helping older properties return to the market, particularly where existing housing stock…

New greenhouse owners are being encouraged to think about staging, storage and working space before filling their greenhouse with plants this summer. While it is tempting to start sowing and planting as soon as a greenhouse is assembled, some early planning can make the space easier to use, more productive and less likely to become cluttered as the season develops. For many households, a greenhouse is now part of a wider trend towards making better use of outdoor space. Just as garden rooms are becoming a practical property feature, greenhouses are increasingly being treated as working areas rather than simple…