Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

Carmarthenshire County Council is helping ensure bonfire night doesn’t end up a damp squib. Some 31 outlets across the county have been granted licenses to store and sell fireworks for 2016, and Trading Standards officers have been busy inspecting premises to ensure fireworks meet safety standards, are stored safely, and are only sold to people aged over 18. The council is also helping to share important safety messages as part of Operation Bang (#OpBANG) – a Carmarthenshire Community Safety Partnership initiative which ensures a joint approach to safety and policing over the Halloween and Bonfire Night period. Whilst people are being encouraged to attend organised displays, anyone who does wish to purchase their own fireworks is advised to only buy through an approved seller which will have been inspected by Trading Standards officers. Cllr Jim Jones, Executive Board Member for Environmental and Public Protection, said: “We would prefer that people enjoy fireworks from a safe dist...

Carmarthenshire County Council is helping ensure bonfire night doesn’t end up a damp squib. Thirty six outlets across the county have been granted licenses to store and sell fireworks for 2015, and Trading Standards officers have been busy inspecting premises to ensure fireworks meet safety standards, are stored safely, and are only sold to people aged over 18. The council is also helping to share important safety messages as part of Operation Bang (#OpBANG) – a Carmarthenshire Community Safety Partnership initiative which ensures a joint approach to safety and policing over the Halloween and Bonfire Night period. Whilst people are being encouraged to attend organised displays, anyone who does wish to purchase their own fireworks is advised to only buy through an approved seller which will have been inspected by Trading Standards officers. Cllr Jim Jones, Executive Board Member for Public Protection, and enforcement, said: “We would prefer that people enjoy fireworks from a safe di...

The Carmarthenshire Community Safety Partnership has issued a stark warning to Bonfire Night revellers across Carmarthenshire – don’t get your fingers burnt! This time of year is one of the busiest for the police , fire service and county council , with parties, fireworks and bonfires. The Community Safety Partnership is urging people to have fun but to stay safe and not let celebrations get out of hand. Police have stepped up patrols on the streets to crack down on anti-social behaviour in the lead-up to November 5, and the fire service and council are working together to remove potential bonfires before they are lit. Parents are being urged to make sure they know where their children are and what they are doing, to attend organised fireworks events; and if they are having their own celebration to follow the fireworks code . There have also been school visits and a clampdown on shops selling fireworks to young people. And people have been warned - throwing fireworks at people, pro...

Guy Fawkes Night revellers are being urged to watch out for hedgehogs before they light their bonfire on the 5th November. Carmarthenshire Biodiversity officers supported by Carmarthenshire Environment Partnership say hedgehogs are preparing for are preparing for hibernation and may use unlit bonfires assuming that they will be a cosy location over the winter. Many people start building their bonfires well before Bonfire Night . This allows hedgehogs (and other small animals) time to investigate and start using these inviting woodpiles. Obviously lighting these without taking special care can mean that many hedgehogs are killed. If you are planning a bonfire please help keep hedgehogs safe from harm by following these simple guidelines: Try and build the bonfire as close to the night as possible to reduce the chance of a hedgehog moving in. Ideally make your pile of material next to the bonfire site and re-build the stack prior to lighting. Before lighting, search the bonfire f...

Revellers are being urged to be one of the good guys this Halloween and Bonfire Night. Scarlets players have joined police, fire and council officers to urge people to enjoy themselves without spoiling things for others. They are supporting Carmarthenshire’s Community Safety Partnership’s efforts as part of the all-Wales Operation Bang to encourage people to stay safe and not let celebrations get out of hand. Shops are being asked to not to sell eggs and flour to young people out to cause mischief, whilst pupils are being advised to act responsibly and are being given advice on the dangers of bonfires and fireworks, as the police and fire service visit local schools. Posters have also been produced for householders to display in their windows to say whether they welcome trick or treaters. They are being distributed amongst the community and are available at the council’s customer service centres and police stations. They can also be downloaded from the council’s website www.carmarthens...

The number of anti-social behaviour incidents over Halloween and Bonfire Night fell by a massive 85% this year. Police received 185 anti-social behaviour-related calls from across Carmarthenshire between October 25 and November 6 compared to 335 the previous year – that’s 150 less incidents. It shows partnership working between the police, council and fire service – as part of the BANG initiative which aims to tackle anti-social behaviour, criminal damage and fireworks misuse – is really making a difference. Sgt David Gaskins, responsible for community safety, said: “Tackling anti-social behaviour is a key priority for the partnership and a lot of hard work has gone into this initiative which aims to make the Halloween and Bonfire Night period safe, enjoyable and as trouble-free as possible. “This is now the fourth year we have been running this initiative and every year we have seen a reduction in anti-social behaviour, in particular, the results for this year are extremely pleasing a...

People in Carmarthenshire are being asked to watch out for hedgehogs before they light their bonfires on November 5. The county’s Biodiversity Partnership is making the appeal to avoid the creatures being accidentally killed. Hedgehogs prepare for hibernation at this time of year and may use unlit bonfires assuming they are cosy locations for the winter. Hedgehog numbers are in decline due to various reasons, and have now joined the UK Biodiversity Action Plan list of species in need of conservation and greater protection. Carmarthenshire County Council’s Biodiversity Officer Isabel Macho said: “Hedgehogs are great friends to gardeners and natural slug control. However, they are declining in number and we need to help them whenever we can. Just by taking special care on bonfire night we can help them survive to breed next spring." Top tips to keep hedgehogs from harm: • Build the bonfire as close to the night as possible to reduce the chance of a hedgehog moving in. • Pile materia...

The number of anti-social behaviour incidents over Halloween and Bonfire Night fell by 10 per cent this year. Police received 335 anti-social behaviour calls from across Carmarthenshire between October 25 and November 6 compared to 372 the previous year. The number of fire service calls to deliberate rubbish fires was also more than halved. It shows partnership working between the police, council and fire service – as part of the all-Wales Operation Bang – is really making a difference. Inspector Tony Ward said: “We started planning for this initiative back in the summer and a lot of hard work has gone into it. We did not want to spoil people’s fun, but we wanted to make sure they stayed safe and thought of others. “This is the third year running we have carried out this initiative and every year we have seen a reduction in anti-social behaviour. There were some isolated incidents, however, positive police intervention resulted in seizures of a large quantity of fireworks, alcohol and ...