Policing devolution 'inevitable' says commissioner

A police boss believes the devolution of policing to Wales is inevitable, saying it's a matter of when not if.

According to Arfon Jones, the newly-elected chairman of the All-Wales Policing Group, there was now an unstoppable momentum in favour of the idea.

Mr Jones, the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, said support for devolving the issue was unanimous among the four Welsh commissioners who are members of the group.

Although not legally devolved many of the other areas of the criminal justice system, like the Crown Prosecution Service and the courts service, already operate with all-Wales structures.

Mr Jones (pictured) said: "The four police and crime commissioners are keen to see more responsibilities devolved to Wales.

"We welcome the fact that the Ministry of Justice are moving towards devolving more responsibilities to commissioners around victims and witnesses. This is a step in the right direction.

"We believe policing should be completely devolved to Wales and it’s only a matter of time before it is, but we need to convince the Secretary of State Alun Cairns of that and up till now we haven’t had much success.

"He is against the idea because several people tried to move amendments to the Wales Bill to devolve such things as youth justice.

"The Government didn’t support it so it didn’t go through which is a shame because youth justice is the only part of children’s services which is not devolved to Wales. "Other areas like education, health and social care are all devolved - and then you’ve got youth justice which still comes under the Ministry of Justice in London. It’s totally illogical.

"In terms of the devolution it is now just a matter of so we’re doing is preparing the ground because when it does happen it's likely to happen overnight.

"It might take 10 or 20 years but it's important that we are properly prepared and that we have the right structures in place.

"It would make sense if criminal justice was totally devolved as well the same as it is in Greater Manchester.

"Policing and criminal justice are devolved there to the mayor Andy Burnham, and if they can do it in Manchester I don’t see any reason why they can’t do it in Wales.

"To have certain elements of criminal justice outside of that sort of sphere doesn’t make sense because you need everything together as part of one integrated service.

“When you have one bit of a service devolved and not the others all it does is muddies the waters and it causes more problems and it causes more legal challenges.

"There have been a few legal challenges between the Welsh Government and Westminster and I can see more happening until policing is finally and rightly devolved to the people of Wales.

"A case in point is the confusion around the apprenticeship levy where policing is not devolved and training is, with the likely end result likely to be that Welsh Police Officers may not get the same level of training because of the impasse between the two governments." 

MP backs hearing support campaigners

Susan Elan Jones MP is backing a campaign by charity Action on Hearing Loss which calls on the Government to do more to support companies and people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Speaking after meeting with representatives of Action on Hearing Loss in Parliament, the Clwyd South MP said: "A recent YouGov poll found that 57% of business leaders feel there's a lack of support available for employers about employing someone with hearing loss while nearly two-fifths of business managers don't feel equipped to enable staff with hearing loss to stay productive in the workplace.

"Those figures are really concerning when you think that 11 million people in the UK having a hearing loss - and almost 5 million of them are of working age.

"I want to see greater work opportunities for people who are deaf or hard of hearing and greater support for employers too. I welcome this very thoughtful campaign from Action on Hearing Loss who have written two excellent reports which make detailed and constructive suggestions for how the Department for Work and Pensions can act."

* Susan Elan Jones MP meeting in Parliament with representatives of Action on Hearing Loss.

Party in the Park is a big hit

Llangollen Cytun Churches Together hosted its Party in the Park at Riverside yesterday (Saturday) afternoon attracting scores of people to its range of children's games and free barbecue.

There was also a strong gospel message and here the Rev Phil Poole, Minister of the English Methodist Church, leads a live music session on the bandstand.

MP calls for tougher action on problem gambling

* Susan Elan Jones MP campaigning for tougher laws against problem gambling.

Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones is calling on the Government to take much tougher action to tackle problem gambling.

She is especially keen to see the Government drastically reduce the stakes allowed on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals from £100 to £2.

Ms Jones said: "I am really concerned about this issue and its impact on families and individuals.

"In the last Parliament, I was very involved in a campaign to get controls over Fixed Odds Betting Terminals devolved to the Welsh Government.

"Although the UK Government would not do this at first, our persistent campaigning did finally get them to include partial devolution in the Wales Bill."

She added: "I want the entire UK to be covered by laws that mean stakes on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals are reduced from the staggering £100 a stake which is legal now down to £2.

"All of us who have campaigned on this issue know the misery that Fixed Odds Betting Terminals can cause, with casino games like routlette allowing punters to stake £100 every 20 seconds. That is £50 million being lost to Fixed Odds Betting Terminals in Wales alone.  No wonder Fixed Odds Betting Terminals are often called the 'crack cocaine' of gambling."

The UK Government is currently considering responses from the Call for Evidence into Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility launched in October 2016. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is expected to publish the next stage of the Review, with its proposals, this October.

Peacemaking motorbike to star at Llan show

The 1916 Triumph believed to have carried the German Kaiser’s surrender document to allied HQ on November 11, 1918 is one of a special display of motorcycles over 100 years old that will be to the Llangollen Motorcycle Festival, August 5 and 6.

The 550cc Model H is one of several owned and ridden regularly by Brad Jones of Froncysllte (pictured).

Its history includes letters from an army officer revealing its vital role in the signing of the armistice.

It will be among an array of machines at least 100 years old (pictured below) in a display called The LlanBikeFest Centenary Club.

An even older 1913 Triumph 500 cc TT Replica, owned by Neil Shirley, will be part of an exhibit by the Vintage Motor Cycle Club, with machines representing each of the last 10 decades. And Jeff Owen of the Llangollen Motor Museum will be riding his own 1916 Triumph to the Festival.

LlanBikeFest’s John Hutchinson said: “It’s tribute to the engineering skills of our motorcycling forefathers that many of these bikes are still on the road and going strong.”

Starring TT legend John McGuinness, LlanBikeFest is billed as a family-friendly Festival, with tons of trials and mountain bike action, children’s entertainment, music and a Battle of Britain Spitfire and Hurricane flypast on Sunday.

More information on www.llanbikefest.co.uk and  Facebook at Llangollen Motorcycle Festival.

LlanBikeFest is sponsored by Carole Nash Insurance, with day tickets £10 on the gate or online at www.llanbikefest.co.uk, and children 15 and under free. Or contact the Festival office at 07960 693398, office@llanbikefest.co.uk. Club stands and exhibitor bookings are free.

Time running out to have your say on bus services

Denbighshire County Council is reminding people that the  consultation closing date on plans to revise a number of public bus services in the county is looming.

The services being consulted on are:

·         1, x1, 2 Ruthin - Mold

·         5 Llangollen - Wrexham (evenings)

·         19, 40 Dyserth

·         19, 40 Tremeirchion and Prestatyn Local

·         X51 Denbigh - Ruthin - Wrexham Showing selected Rhyl - Denbigh daytime journeys

·         X51 Sundays Denbigh - Ruthin - Wrexham Showing selected Rhyl - Denbigh daytime journeys

·         53 Denbigh - Prestatyn

·         55 Ruthin - Corwen - Wrexham

·         66 Denbigh Town & Henllan

·         72, 73, 77 Fflecsi Rhuthun

·         76 Denbigh - Llandyrnog - Ruthin

·         95 Bryneglwys

·         98 Llantysilio & Pentredŵr

People can also view the proposals online at: www.denbighshire.gov.uk/travel.

The closing date for comments is August 10. All feedback received will be considered as part of the review, with the services going out to tender in the autumn.

Chef to the stars heading for Hamper Llangollen

* Tim Roberts (right) with singer and TV presenter Connie Fisher and helper Jonny Platt.

A chef who is rapidly rustling himself up a reputation as the caterer to the stars will be setting taste buds tingling at this year’s Llangollen Food Festival.

Over the past few years Tim Roberts has served up his mobile feasts of Spanish and Italian dishes to hungry diners at a host of major entertainment events.

And he’s also become the chef of choice to celebs such as opera legend Alfie Boe and presenters from TV antiques show Bargain Hunt including Eric Knowles.

On Saturday and Sunday October 14 and 15 he’ll once again be setting up his stand at the food festival named by the Daily Telegraph and the Independent newspapers as one of the Top 10 in the UK.

Tim, 43, served his apprenticeship with his family business of Eric Roberts butchers in Oswestry, Shropshire, before taking a job with a travel company working in countries across Europe.

He said: “I initially went out there to put up and take down holidaymakers’ tents but I soon got into doing the cooking for groups of 100 or 200 people.

“Ever since I was a boy I’d had an interest in watching TV chefs like Rick Stein and Keith Floyd and my love of cooking stemmed from there.

“While cooking for guests in the south of France, Italy and Austria I was able to indulge my passion for food and at the same time I was learning about different cuisines and picking up background culinary knowledge.

“Eight years ago, along with my wife Sarah, I decided to start my own business, which is called Su Casa Cuisine, and from our base in Oswestry we started to cook in people’s homes, doing dinner parties for groups of up to 15 or 20 people, which we still do."

Explaining how his brushes with the big names of entertainment came about, Tim said: “About four years ago I was cooking at an antiques fair in Shrewsbury and one of the production runners from Bargain Hunt which was being filmed there came over and asked if I could do some food for members of the crew and Tim Wonnacott who was one of the presenters at that time.

“I said of course I could and they all told me they enjoyed my paella very much.

“I’ve since become the regular caterer to the Bargain Hunt team, on buying days and at the auctions, and I cook for them about a dozen times a year. I’ve been all over the country to places like Lincoln, Malvern, Hereford, Worcester and Whitchurch.

“One of the regular presenters Eric Knowles is a particular fan of my food and loves the spiciest stuff. I do paella dishes from Spain and Latin street food such as Mexican fajitas, chicken and peppers and pulled pork.

“Another of the show’s presenters, Charlie Ross, always tells me he loves spicy food with a ‘bit of a wallop’ to it. I’ve shared recipe ideas with Kate Bliss who is also on the programme. They’re all great characters and I really enjoy cooking for them.”

Tim added: “The antiques people aren’t the only stars who enjoy my food. I recently set up at Walcot Hall in Shrewsbury to cook my chicken and chorizo paella at the Together Again Tour starring the singers Michael Ball and Alfie Boe.

“I was serving about 600 people that evening and Alfie came over for a plateful. We had a really good chat after I told him I have relatives who come from his part pf the world around Fleetwood in Lancashire. He’s a very down-to-earth guy and he said he really enjoyed my food.

“Actually, I’ve cooked for him before when he appeared at the Llangollen Eisteddfod, where I’m also a regular caterer, a few years ago but on that occasion he sent someone to get his food for him rather than fetching it himself.

“The night after the Ball and Boe concert I was back at Walcot Hall cooking for about 500 at a Cliff Richard gig and I did another 500 meals when the same tour moved on to Tamworth the next night.

“Another star who likes my food is Connie Fisher, the former singer who is a now a TV presenter. She’s had my paella three years in a row at the Llangollen Eisteddfod.

“There’s also the TV chef Ainsley Harriott who I met at a street fair in Chester a few years back. I’ve also had good comments about my paella from Nathaniel Parker who used to play Inspector Lynley in the TV crime series.”

Tim found time recently to cater for the new CBBC show Marrying Mum and Dad of which he said: “It was a great day watching the children arranging a wedding for their mum and dad and I think the programme is due to be broadcast this summer.

“I’ve cooked for so many famous people in the past few years I think you could call me the caterer to the stars but I’m really looking forward to being at Hamper Llangollen again this year.

“It’s a great event in a lovely venue held at the right time of the year. I believe it’s improved year on year and I can’t wait to start cooking there for hundreds of people once more.”

Phil Davies, a member of the committee at Llangollen Food Festival, can't wait to try Su Casa's mouth-watering cuisine.

He said: "I am a big fan of Spanish food so it will be a real treat to give their dishes a try.

"They will be among the record number of around 130 stall-holders at this year's festival which promises to be the biggest and the best yet."

* To find out more about Su Casa Cuisine, go to: http://www.sucasacuisine.co.uk/ and to find out more about Llangollen Food Festival go to www.llangollenfoodfestival.com