Storm Ciara leaves raging River Dee

Storm Ciara now seems to have moved on leaving in its turbulent wake a raging River Dee, pictured here by llanbogger on Sunday afternoon.

* Gwalia Ceramics in Oak Street suffers from storm damage. 

North Wales Police commended for progress

An inspection has confirmed that North Wales Police continues to be good at reducing crime and keeping people safe, including the way it protects vulnerable people.

The report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services revealed the inspectors also gave the force a ‘good’ overall grading across a range of areas, including planning and the ethical way officers and staff behave.

In addition, the report highlighted that the force had kept up its high standards in relation to preventing crime and tackling anti-social behaviour, investigating crime, tackling serious and organised crime; meeting current demands and using resources.

The inspection found that the force has a good overall understanding of the nature and scale of vulnerability and that officers and staff are good at protecting vulnerable people.

They singled out North Wales Police for praise for its use of domestic violence protection notices (DVPNs) to prevent domestic abuse, with the highest amount issued per head of population in 2018/19 out of all 43 forces in England and Wales.

DVPNs are usually applied in the immediate aftermath of violence, to give the victim a vital window of safety and space, to engage with police and support services to obtain advice.

Deputy Chief Constable Richard Debicki said: “North Wales Police has a strong work ethic to protect vulnerable people; clear leadership direction is being provided from the senior officers and everything we do as a force has the aim of making North Wales the safest place in the UK.

“Since the findings of the inspection were presented to the force, a significant amount of further work has been undertaken in those areas identified for improvement."

The Firearms Alliance between North Wales Police and Cheshire Constabulary was identified as an effective joint working arrangement to provide armed policing with assured deployments, training and command of armed operations in both forces.

North Wales Police’s new approach to budgeting was recognised as enabling the force to better meet demand and the priorities set for policing.

Meanwhile, the restructuring of operational policing departments has increased the number of investigators within the force and has improved the visibility and response rates of front line policing.

Mr Debicki added: “North Wales Police is committed to treating all of the communities that it serves with fairness and respect and is working hard to become more representative of those communities.

“The well-being of officers and staff is a priority and the force was found to handle workforce concerns well, with the inspectors identifying useful areas for improvement.

“As a force we have worked hard to improve the way in which we engage with local people and I am pleased that the inspectorate has recognised the good work that is being undertaken.

“The findings also accord with the latest public confidence surveys which are telling us that local people believe that our service is improving and confidence in North Wales Police remains high - 86% of people feel safe from crime and disorder, and 92% think we treat people with respect. ”

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones said: “Tackling domestic abuse and supporting vulnerable people are major priorities in my Police and Crime Plan which sets the blueprint for the way in which the region is policed.

"Domestic violence is a hideous crime and a scourge on society and I am glad to see that the use of domestic violence protection notices in North Wales is making a real difference in terms of protecting victims.

"The fact that seven victims of domestic violence are killed every month in England and Wales makes it an obvious priority. 

"There’s an emotional cost, there’s a cost to society and there’s a financial cost and I think it’s a responsibility to us all to prioritise things of this nature.

"I would certainly encourage victims to come forward, either by reporting the matter directly to the police or by getting in touch with a partner agency."

Her Majesty’s Inspector Wendy Williams said: “I commend North Wales Police for the progress it has made over the past year. This provides a strong foundation for continuing improvement in the year ahead.”

Outdoor centre starts school holiday children's club

* Canoeing is one of the activities at the children's club.

Bryntysilio Outdoor Education Centre is opening up its doors in school holidays for a new Children’s Holiday Club. 

The club will provide activity days for children seven years and up. 

Activities will include canoeing, climbing, bush craft, raft building, scrambling, orienteering, team challenges, games and arts and crafts. 

These activities will either take place within the 10-acre grounds of Bryntysilio, which are great to explore, or nearby at local landmarks such as the Llangollen Canal or the Panorama.

Lead tutor Paul Williams will be running the club along side other tutors who all have great experience working with children to get them outside enjoying and learning about the countryside, being active, making new friends, learning new skills and making memories.

Bryntysilio Outdoor Education Centre has been providing adventure learning in the outdoors since 1969 and opens its doors to schoolchildren for residential visits from all over the UK.

Bryntysilio house stands in its own grounds overlooking the River Dee. The centre’s formal garden is listed by CADW and overlooks the Horseshoe Falls along with the rest of the grounds forming part of the World Heritage site in the Dee Valley.

* The club will be held during school holidays, apart from those at Christmas, from 9am-4pm. Cost is £35 per child and booking is essential. Call 01978 860454, or email: info@bryntysilio.co.uk

Don't miss the bus on your new pass, says AM

An AM is urging people in his constituency to make sure they apply for their new bus passes as soon as possible.

Transport For Wales (TfW) has been replacing all over 60s and disabled people's bus passes with new-style concessionary travel cards.

The original expiry date for the old bus passes was December 31, 2019, but TfW announced a grace period last month. The new deadline is February 29, 2020.

Clwyd South Am Ken Mr Skates said: “TfW has extended the grace period for renewals, but it is still important that people who want to renew their bus passes get their applications in as soon as possible if they haven't already. It’s also important that people only apply once in order to avoid delays.

“If you live in Clwyd South and have applied for your new pass but are still waiting for it, please email ken.skates@assembly.wales with your name and address and details of when you applied and I'll do my best to help get it sorted out as soon as possible. Alternatively you can call my office."

The new-style cards offer the same free travel rights and benefits as the current cards and are designed so that they can work as part of an integrated travel network in the future. TfW have so far renewed more than 500,000 passes.

You can apply by visiting www.tfw.wales/travelcards. Paper applications are also available from local councils or by calling 0300 303 4240.

Can you help at health centre coffee shop?

Friends of Llangollen Health Centre have sent the following message:

Have you a few hours to spare each week in Llangollen Health Centre?

Our coffee shop is manned by volunteers who give their time to serve drinks and snacks to patients and visitors.

We are a welcoming and friendly group whose aim is to make patients comfortable.

Our prices are low and all profit is used for extra facilities or specialised medical equipment in the health centre, and also various health-related community projects.

* If you are willing and able to help with our work, please contact 07756 393657.

Police boss declares war on "heartless" fraudsters

A police boss has declared war on “despicably heartless” fraudsters after victims in North Wales were tricked out of nearly £9 million.

The pledge from the region’s police and crime commissioner, Arfon Jones (pictured), came after the North Wales Police and Crime Panel unanimously gave the green light for a 25p a week - increase in the cost of policing.

The 4.5 per cent increase – the equivalent of a one minute landline call – will cost Band D householders just an extra £12.51 a year and is believed to be the lowest rise in Wales.

As well as setting up the new five-strong Economic Crime Unit led by a Detective Inspector, Mr Jones has funded the appointment of a new member of the team at the Victim Help Centre in St Asaph to specialise in supporting fraud victims.

The unit is among a raft of new initiatives announced by Mr Jones, a former police inspector.

North Wales Police’s Major Crime Team is getting 10 more officers to combat organised crime gangs and the threat of county lines drug runners.

Tackling the sexual exploitation of vulnerable people is also a priority, says Mr Jones.

As a result, the Protecting Vulnerable People Unit will be getting an additional 19 officers – eight of them will strengthen the team investigating sexual assaults while the Paedophile Investigation Team will also get an extra officer.

The front line will also boosted with 16 more response officers while there will also be five more community safety officers, including three new members of the pioneering Rural Crime Team.

According to Mr Jones, his strategy is in tune with the wishes of the people of North Wales.

An online survey showed that 95 per cent of them backed the crackdown on organised crime while his campaigns against domestic and sexual abuse attracted over 90 per cent support, with four out five people backing his crusade against modern day slavery.

The need to create the new Economic Crime Unit was, he said, underlined by the growing number of fraud cases.

In the year up to March 2019 more than 4,671 economic crimes were reported in North Wales which represented a 17 per cent increase and losses totalled £8.9 million, an increase of 24 per cent.

The online criminals were becoming increasingly sophisticated with 80 per cent of the offences being cyber-enabled.

More than 40 per cent of frauds were committed against businesses and the biggest single loss recorded in North Wales involved a company swindled out of £7.8 million in an email scam.

The impact of being conned also had a devastating effect of individual victims, some of whom were pushed to the brink of suicide after being duped out of their life-savings.

Mr Jones said: “Setting up the dedicated Economic Crime Unit is something I have asked the force to do because of the increase in the number of fraud cases and the suffering it’s causing people.

“Vulnerable people, very often elderly, are being targeted specifically and that is despicably heartless.

“We have had examples in the past of vulnerable people essentially being groomed over a series of telephone calls and then having money taken from them and loans taken out in their names.

“It’s the worst kind of crime because the victims have worked hard all their lives and saved all their money only to see it disappear after sometimes a couple of phone calls.

“If it sounds too good to be true it probably is and that’s the message that needs to go out.

“It’s important to stress that this is not something we can solve on our own and we also need to educate people to educate themselves as well as catching the perpetrators.”

It was a message echoed by Chief Inspector Brian Kearney, the local policing lead for fraud based in Caernarfon.

He said: “The key message is that anyone can be a victim of fraud because the criminals by their very nature are extremely competent and intelligent individuals who will prey on people’s fear of losing money to cause them to divert money elsewhere without thinking of the consequences.

“They purport to be from a bank, the inland revenue, the police, any other agency or department telling the victim they need to move their money immediately as it is at risk. They will come across as professional and they will sound as if they were from a reputable company.

“The victims will divert their money based on a phone call, giving the fraudsters access to their computers to allow them to take over their bank accounts, and in the worst case scenario in some types of fraud they will go to a bank, withdraw the money, hand it over to a courier acting on behalf of the fraudster.

“The challenge for us is making people understand that it could be them, because nobody thinks that they could be scammed in this way.

“In cases that I have dealt with, that money has been moved out internationally through a number of UK bank accounts and out of the UK within an hour, which is incredible.”

“In the worst cases it is life-changing and it destroys people’s lives.”

The dedicated Economic Crime Unit will supplement the work of the officers within North Wales Police already trained to tackle fraud cases and financial investigations.

Superintendent Sian Beck, the force’s director of intelligence, said: “Nationally, our figures show we are actually very effective at investigating fraud.

 “But we need to realise going forward that fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated, their methods are becoming more complex and we need to invest for the future.”

Young 'Uns head back down the Yellow Brick Road

* Main cast members of the Wizard of Oz. Picture by Barrie Potter.

Young ‘Uns, the junior section of Llangollen Operatic Society, are once again dancing down the famous Yellow Brick Road to mark their 30^th anniversary.

The evergreen tale of the Wizard of Oz was their first full production back in 1991 and later this month they’re presenting the same show to celebrate their three decades of pleasing audiences.

In their earliest days they had actually presented two reviews, Songs From the Shows – Oliver and Remember When, which had a 1980s theme, before their first full-scale performance.   

The group has staged a show every year since, everything from Annie to Bugsby Malone and from Beauty and the Beast to Grease.

Along the way they’ve picked up a host of amateur stage awards, the most recent of which was Best Youth Production Musical Theatre for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in 2018.

Up to 50 enthusiastic six to 18 year olds take part in Young ‘Uns shows each year.

Members are drawn not only from Llangollen but also from a wide range of surrounding areas, including Chirk, Corwen, Glyn Ceiriog and Wrexham.

Many of the Young 'Uns go on to achieve academic qualifications related to theatre work and some have followed a stage career.

Wizard of Oz runs at Llangollen Town Hall from Thursday to Saturday, February 13-15 and features a cast of 47 youngsters accompanied by a full orchestra led by musical director Julian Cattley.

Grace Roberts plays Dorothy, Katie Clark plays the Wicked Witch of the West, Ethan Roberts is The Wizard of Oz, Ethan Le Cheminant is the Tinman, Matthew Humphreys is the Scarecrow and Aled Morris is the Cowardly Lion.

Behind the scenes is a production team led by producer Pam Williams and including assistant producer Dee Smith and co-directors Robin Crowley and Jo Lloyd.

Producer Pam Williams said: “Pioneers of the Young ‘Uns recall that after announcing the new stage group was forming in 1990 they were shocked to open the doors on audition day to find that over 60 young people were waiting eagerly to enter.  

“For the past 30 years, volunteers from the Operatic Society have developed this wonderful talent in the Young 'Uns, providing rich, but very affordable opportunities for our members to experience creative and cultural development and to engage in musical performance, dance, stage-craft skills, and dramatic interpretation and presentation, culminating in four performances of an exciting annual show.

“We’re delighted to be presenting the Wizard of Oz to mark our 30^th anniversary and it promises to be another exciting and thoroughly enjoyable show.”

Evening performances begin at 7.30pm and there is a Saturday matinee at 2pm.  

* Tickets are £12 with £10 concessions. They are available locally from Gwyn the Butchers, Jades Hair and Beauty, Llangollen Oggie Shop and Stella Bond on 01978 860441.