#cwmrhydyceirw — Public Fediverse posts

PONTARDAWE: Firm boss must pay almost £3,000 after three piles of business waste dumped on mountain road

A Swansea businessman must pay almost £3,000 after three large piles of commercial waste were dumped on Baran Road in Pontardawe.

Black bags, food packaging and cardboard were left in three separate heaps on the road in November 2025, Neath Port Talbot Council says.

Thomas Daniel Landek, 37, of Maes y Gwernen Drive, Cwmrhydyceirw, pleaded guilty at Swansea Magistrates’ Court to an offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 relating to the illegal deposit of controlled waste.

He was fined £1,152 and ordered to pay a £461 victim surcharge, plus £1,246.46 in prosecution costs and compensation: £2,859.46 in total.

Baran Road waste traced to a Swansea business

The council’s waste enforcement officers found evidence in the rubbish linking it to a business premises in Swansea.

That business’s waste had been collected by a company owned and run by Landek, and investigators also linked the dumped waste to a vehicle he controlled, the council says.

Interviewed under caution, Landek confirmed he was the company’s sole director, and that a subcontractor had done the collection using one of his company’s vehicles, according to the council.

Scott Jones: ‘serious harm to the surrounding environment’

“This case involved several large piles of commercial waste in Pontardawe, which would have caused serious harm to the surrounding environment,” said Cllr Scott Jones, the council’s cabinet member for streetscene.

“Fly-tipping damages our communities, countryside and public spaces, and we will continue investigating offences thoroughly and making those responsible be held accountable for their actions.”

He reminded businesses and householders “of the importance of ensuring that anyone they pay to remove waste is properly authorised and disposes of it lawfully”.

A £1,152 fine, more than double last week’s Gwrhyd Road case

His fine is more than double the £440 handed to an Ystradgynlais man last week for dumping household junk on the mountain road above Rhiwfawr.

In July, a Morriston man was fined £200 after oil-covered car parts were strewn along two miles of road in the Dulais Valley.

The most a Welsh council can currently hand out on the spot for fly-tipping is £400, and the Welsh Government is consulting on raising that to £5,000 until 14 October.

Neath Port Talbot recorded 884 fly-tipping incidents in 2024/25, up 40% on the year before, according to Welsh Government figures. The council has also been crushing fly-tippers’ vans.

Anyone paying for waste to be taken away can check a waste carrier’s licence on the Natural Resources Wales register.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

YSTRADGYNLAIS: Man hit with £1,200-plus bill for dumping household junk on Gwrhyd mountain road
Last week’s Neath Port Talbot prosecution.

LITTER: You could be fined for rubbish thrown from your car even if you weren’t in it, and fly-tippers could face £5,000
The consultation on tougher on-the-spot fines, open until 14 October.

FLY-TIPPING: Morriston man must pay more than £1,400 after waste strewn along two miles of Dulais Valley road
Oil-covered car parts between Crynant and Cilfrew.

More on fly-tipping
Every prosecution and crackdown across south west Wales.

Swansea’s road repair blitz ramps up as new resurfacing crews hit the streets

The council says an additional £300,000 has been pumped into the programme, allowing teams to tackle more potholes, worn‑out stretches and weather‑damaged routes after weeks of cold, wet conditions.

Fresh resurfacing lined up across the city

A series of busy roads are now earmarked for work in the coming weeks, including key routes in Clydach, Morriston, Fforestfach, Llansamlet, Clase, Bishopston and Uplands.

Locations scheduled for repairs include:

• Ynyspenllwch Road, Clydach (Ffordd Cwmtawe to Clydach)
• Lone Road, Clydach
• Llanllienwen Road, Morriston
• A48, Morriston (J46 to Bryntywod entrance)
• Carmarthen Road, Fforestfach (Ffordd Cynore to Swansea Road)
• Nantong Way, Llansamlet (outside Royal Mail)
• Rheidol Avenue, Clase
• Bishopston Road, Bishopston
• Maes y Gwernen Road and Drive, Cwmrhydyceirw
• Uplands Crescent

The council says full resurfacing has already been completed at a number of high‑traffic spots, including the Peniel Green Road motorway junction.

‘We’re using every resource we’ve got’

Cllr Andrew Stevens, Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, said crews were working flat out to keep up with demand.

“We are using all of our resources to tackle as many of the highway repair requests as possible,” he said.

“Full resurfacing work is being completed at key traffic spots including the motorway junction at Peniel Green Road. Our small resurfacing teams are also out tackling large areas of road that have been impacted by the recent cold and wet weather.”

Part of a wider £300k pothole and resurfacing blitz

The council says the latest work forms part of the £300,000 pothole and resurfacing blitz announced earlier this winter. According to the authority’s early‑February update, teams filled around 960 potholes in January, with repairs running at “around 100 a day” during the coldest weeks. The same update confirmed that full resurfacing had recently been completed on Peniel Green Road at the M4 junction, along with sections of Frampton Road, Carmarthen Road and Ffynone Road in Uplands.

The council said an extra team had been brought in to “speed up and increase the number of repairs”, with more resurfacing schemes scheduled across the city in the coming weeks as the winter programme continues.

£37m proposed for highways and transport

The council’s proposed budget for 20206/27 is due to be discussed by the council’s cabinet on 19 February. This includes a new Economic Growth Fund which according to the council would include an extra £3m for resurfacing and potholes, taking next year’s roads budget to more than £12m within a wider £37m allocation for highways and transport.

Serial sex offender jailed after targeting women across Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Merthyr

Nicholas O’Connor, 35, of Cwmrhydyceirw, was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court after a jury convicted him of twelve sexual offences committed during a series of incidents in 2023 and 2024.

Offending spanned wedding venues, car parks and busy streets

During the trial, the court heard that O’Connor’s behaviour took place in a range of everyday public settings — including a wedding venue in Carmarthenshire, car parks in Morriston and Swansea Enterprise Park, a business on Merthyr High Street, and streets in Swansea neighbourhoods.

Jurors were told that women encountered O’Connor while going about normal daily activities, with several describing him exposing himself without warning. Two women were also sexually assaulted, and another was subjected to an attempted sexual assault.

The offending formed a clear pattern, with police confirming that between 21 September and 23 October 2024, O’Connor exposed himself to nine women across Swansea and Merthyr alone.

Denied everything — and blamed a “medical issue”

Throughout the trial, O’Connor denied intentionally exposing himself or touching anyone. He claimed he suffered from ongoing discomfort and irritation, saying he routinely wore shorts and may have been “adjusting” them.

Jurors rejected that explanation after hearing consistent accounts from multiple women describing similar encounters across different locations and dates.

Convicted of twelve sexual offences

O’Connor was found guilty of:

• Seven counts of exposure
• Four counts of sexual assault
• One count of attempted sexual assault

He was cleared of several other charges but convicted of the majority of the allegations he faced.

Police: “A serious pattern of offending”

Detective Constable Rebecca Brain, who led the investigation, praised the women who came forward.

DC Brain said:

“I would like to say thank you to all of the victims who came forward and reported O’Connor’s actions to us. Each report has helped to demonstrate a serious pattern of offending, which has resulted in today’s sentence.”

She added that O’Connor had repeatedly refused to take responsibility.

DC Brain said:

“O’Connor tried to blame his actions on a medical condition and refused to take accountability for his predatory actions. I hope his sentencing today helps the victims to move forward.”

Two‑year sentence for repeat offender

O’Connor was jailed for two years, with the judge noting the impact on the women involved and the repeated nature of the offending.

He will also be subject to notification requirements as a registered sex offender.

Former Cirque du Soleil performers launch new circus academy in Swansea

Swansea Academy of Syrcus will officially launch on Monday 27 October at the historic Tabernacle Chapel in Cwmrhydyceirw. The academy will offer classes in aerial hoop, silks, hammock, trapeze, straps, pole fitness, handstands, and children’s circus, alongside conditioning and stretch sessions.

The project is a collaboration between Martin Alvez and Bethan Williams, both former Cirque du Soleil performers with three decades of international experience, and Alan Carlin, who has run a pole fitness studio in Swansea for more than six years.

Alvez said it was “incredibly special” to bring his experience back to South Wales after nearly two decades performing around the world.

“Our team brings an impressive range of skills, and we’re proud to be creating a space where everyone, from complete beginners to professional performers, can experience the joy of circus arts,” he said.

Carlin added that Swansea already has a thriving pole fitness community, and expanding into circus arts felt like a natural next step.

“From the beginning, my aim has been to create a welcoming environment where everyone feels supported and has fun. Now, with such a wide variety of classes on offer, we have the opportunity to appeal to an even broader community of people.”

To mark the opening, taster sessions will run throughout the half‑term week, giving the public a chance to try different classes and meet the instructors.

Williams said the academy was about more than just learning new skills.

“At Swansea Academy of Syrcus, it’s not just about teaching, but building a vibrant community. If you are interested in learning a new skill, improving your fitness, or want to meet like‑minded people, the academy is a space where everyone belongs.”

The academy describes itself as the first dedicated circus school in South West Wales.

For more information or to register for classes, visit www.swanseasyrcas.com.

#Circus #circusAcademy #circusArts #circusSchool #CircusSkills #circusSkillsSwansea #CirqueDuSoleil #Cwmrhydyceirw #poleFitness #Swansea #SwanseaAcademyOfSyrcus #SwanseaCircusSchool #SwanseaPoleFitness #TabernacleChapel

Undercover police arrest drug dealers operating near Swansea primary school

Jayley Rickman, 21, and Harry Thompson, 18, were arrested on the steps outside Hafod Primary School on the afternoon of Thursday 19 June, following reports of suspicious activity in the area. Officers from the organised crime team, working in plain clothes, detained Rickman at the scene while Thompson attempted to flee but was chased and caught.

Rickman was found with three wraps of cocaine in his hand and a bag containing 37 individual deals of heroin and cocaine beside him. He also had a lock-knife, £70 in cash, and an iPhone for which he refused to provide the PIN.

Thompson was carrying a coffee jar concealed in his shorts containing 60 wraps of heroin and cocaine, along with additional bags of drugs. He also had a Nokia burner phone that had been used to send bulk text messages to around 40 contacts, including one advertising “Three for 25 all day.” Officers discovered a dealer’s ledger in the phone’s notes app, listing names and debts — one person reportedly owed £1,650.

In police interviews, Rickman remained silent. Thompson gave a prepared statement denying the offences but later admitted to selling £10 drug deals.

Both men pleaded guilty to multiple drug offences. Rickman admitted possession of heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply, and possession of a bladed article. Thompson pleaded guilty to possession of heroin and cocaine with intent to supply, and being concerned in the supply of both drugs.

The court heard that Thompson, of Heol Fedw, Cwmrhydyceirw, had no previous convictions but was already on bail to Gwent Police at the time of his arrest, having been detained on suspicion of supplying ketamine and heroin.

Andrew Evans, defending Rickman, said his client had hoped to leave his offending behind after being released on licence in August 2024, but was “dogged by the events of his past.” He told the court that individuals who had previously supplied Rickman with drugs on credit “came after him” to recover the debt, and that Rickman’s own cocaine use made his return to dealing “almost inevitable.”

Evans added that Rickman understood the consequences of reoffending, including the mandatory minimum seven-year sentence for a third Class A conviction — something he described as a “daunting prospect” for a 21-year-old.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Swansea drug gang jailed after police seize £500k of cocaine
Seven men sentenced to more than 58 years following a major organised crime investigation.

Cocaine-dealing cousins jailed after off-duty police bust Swansea drug operation
RJ line dismantled after off-duty officers spot suspicious activity in city centre.

Swansea trio jailed for their Class A drug dealing
Three men sentenced after police uncover £137,000 in cash and 93 wraps of crack cocaine.

Alexandra Wilson, representing Thompson, said her client was originally from Weston-super-Mare and had worked in his aunt’s café and as a roofer before moving to Swansea to live with his mother. At the time of his arrest, Thompson was homeless following a breakdown in that relationship.

Judge Paul Thomas KC told the pair they had been caught “red-handed” in an operation worth thousands of pounds and warned that further involvement in Class A drug dealing would result in long prison sentences.

“You would have known what kind of sentence awaited you,” he said. “If you return to Class A dealing upon your release, you will end up spending what many people consider the best years of their lives locked in a prison.”

With discounts for their guilty pleas, Rickman was sentenced to four years and four months in prison, to be served concurrently with his recall period until April 2027. Thompson was sentenced to two years and four months in a young offenders institution. Both will serve half their sentences in custody before being released on licence.

#Cwmrhydyceirw #drugs #featured #Hafod #HafodPrimarySchool #heroin #ketamine #Morriston #SouthWalesPolice #Swansea

Holy shit... https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/live-updates-loud-explosion-shakes-26458364
#Abertawe #Swansea #Morriston #Cwmrhydyceirw #Clydach