Report rogue traders and doorstep crimes to Crimestoppers

Residents and businesses across Wales who think that rogue traders are targeting their community, or they know someone who has become a victim of a doorstep crime, can now report it anonymously to Crimestoppers. 

Trading Standards Wales and the charity Crimestoppers have joined forces to provide a service that enables members of the public to anonymously provide valuable information to help keep communities safe and healthy. 

It is the latest issue that the two organisations are working on to encourage members of the public to provide information on concerns they might have, 100% anonymously. 

Helen Picton, Chair of Trading Standards Wales, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Crimestoppers and giving members of the public a way to report these crimes anonymously. 

“Doorstep crime can affect anyone but often it is the elderly and vulnerable people that are targeted by rogue traders offering home improvement services. 

“Such callers may offer services including window/gutter cleaning, path and driveway repairs, roofing or building work, gardening and tree lopping or even persuade residents that they must come inside their homes to 'check something'. 

“They can be very persuasive and convincing in their approach and in what they say – it is easy to be taken. These people are unqualified scammers who charge extortionate amounts of money for little or no work.” 

Residents and businesses should be aware of the following signs if a rogue trader is operating in their community: 

1. Unfinished or poor-quality services
2. Increased prices and urgent work required
3. Pressure to agree there and then
4. Upfront cash payments
5. No paperwork and/or cancellation rights given
6. No traders details provided
7. Flyers stating Statutory Cooling off period
8. Ignoring signs or stickers asking the trader to leave and not return
9. Selling goods from a van following an unsolicited doorstep call
10. Sold from unusual places e.g. car boot sales 

“If you think a rogue trader is operating in your community or someone you know has become a doorstep crime victim then report it to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit http://crimestoppers-uk.org and tell them what you know. Your information can help keep communities across Wales safe,” added Helen Picton. 

If it is an emergency or a rogue trader is at the property contact 999, or if you need advice to help with a dispute, concern or suspicion call Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133.

St Collen's hosts its first live service in many weeks

* Vicar Father Lee Taylor begins the worship by fixing in place the Easter candle.

* The four-strong choir fill the church with marvellous sound.

St Collen's Church welcomed back members of its congregation for the first time in many weeks this morning when it held a socially-distanced Easter service.

With half the aisles taped off people were spread at intervals right across the church for the worship led by the vicar, Father Lee Taylor.

He began proceedings by entering with the large Easter candle and fixing in place before the alter.

With the congregation, all wearing masks and not being allowed to sing due to safety rules, the service was heavily reliant on the excellent four-member choir for its musical elements.

This included Leigh Mason, Helen Belton and Shea Ferron, all accomplished vocalists and performers with of Llangollen Operatic, along with John Williams, but also augmented by the voice of the vicar himself.

They filled the church with marvellous sounds, particularly during their flawless rendition of traditional Eastertide anthem the Hallelujah Chorus from Handle's Messiah.     

Man says he was injured after tripping over Castle Street bollards

* Castle Street, with the newly-painted white lines around the bollards, at the Market Street junction.

A man visiting Llangollen from Minera has contacted llanblogger to claim he was left with a swollen and bruised knee after tripping over the bollards in Castle Street which a local group as campaigned to have removed.

The bollards were placed along one side of the main street last November by Denbighshire County Council as part of a package of social distancing measures.

But they have since become a highly contentious issue, with the Llangollen Advocate group claiming they were dangerous to pedestrians and lobbying to have them removed while the area’s two county councillors, Graham Timms and Melvyn Mile, argued they were a necessary measure to help people keep their distance, especially as tourism restarts.

Advocate has reported a series of accidents to pedestrians on its Facebook page over the past few weeks.

Last week llanblogger revealed that following an inspection county council officers had agreed to replace the line of bollards with planters within the next few weeks.

In the meantime, as the weekend began, white lines were painted around the bollards in an attempt to make them more visible to pedestrians until they are taken away..

On Friday evening llanblogger received the following email from 52-year-old Keith Wilson who said he had been injured after tripping on the bollards earlier in the day.

He said: “I was out with my wife today in Llangollen and I too was a victim of the trip hazard on Castle Street with the new bollards at approximately 14.30pm.

“I was crossing the road to the Nemo Chip Shop from Market Street and tripped over the concrete raised bollard and went flying head first landing heavily on my knee and my head hit into a parked bicycle outside the shop.

“The bollards are hardly visible and an absolute death trap, the police were in attendance as well as a member of the public who was a nurse an ambulance was called to get my injuries checked out.

“After an hour and a half sat on the pavement waiting for an ambulance I decided to cancel the ambulance and go home to rest.

“My knee is swollen and bruised and I can hardly walk .I will be attending hospital in the morning to get checked out.

“I cannot believe it is going to be another two weeks before these death traps are removed.

“Whoever had the idea to build these has no clue. It is only a matter of time before someone is killed or seriously injured.

“I would like to thank the police in attendance who were great and the publican  Craig from the Bull Inn who was really helpful and the lovely nurse who was passing by.

“I will be reporting the fall on Tuesday to the county council. I hope no one else has to suffer what I did today.”

In a further email on Friday he added: “I was very shaken up at the time of the incident and quite light headed.

“The cyclist who had the bike sent video of damage to their bike caused by my head impacting it .

 I think it saved me from more serious injury to be honest as otherwise I would have hit the shop wall .

“The police were there and other witnesses too. The landlord at the pub says he has it all on cctv and I will be calling him tomorrow to get copy.

“The bollards are so dangerous I cannot believe they got approved in the first place, they are the same colour as road and unless you’re looking at your feet, which you aren’t when you are crossing road, it is easy to miss them as I did today.

“If I had been elderly it could have been far worse. I really hope you can get the council to see sense .

“It’s a good job I wasn’t crossing in the opposite direction and falling headlong into the road.”

Trust board gives update on railway's financial crisis

Llangollen Railway Trust Board has issued a statement on the financial crisis affecting the world-famous heritage attraction.

It highlights the fact that employees of the railway's public limited company - from which the board is quite separate - were recently issued with redundancy notices and also outlines the possibility that liquidator may have the option of auctioning off the railway's assets.  

As llanblogger has been reporting, on March 1 the board of Llangollen Railway PLC asked its bank to call in receivers after it became insolvent to the tune of about £350,000 and could not legally continue trading.

A firm of liquidators was called in which began the process of selling off the assets of the world-famous heritage attraction.

The Trust board, which remains completely solvent, has declared its intentions of buying as many of the railway's assets as possible and has already raised over £50,000 from a public appeal. https://llangollenrailway.enthuse.com/profile

The board also says in the statement it has meetings arranged with potential funding bodies. 

The board statement, posted as a PDF document on the board's own Facebook page, says: "The PLC has been formally under the control of the Administrators since Monday 22nd March and PLC employees were issued with redundancy notices over the weekend of the 27th. 

"As far as the Trust board is aware no bid has been accepted for the entire PLC. 

"We are not party to the intentions of the Administrators but one option they have is to auction the assets and this has been mentioned in responses to bids from individuals. 

"We expect further details from the Administrators and their agents over the next few days. 

"The Trust board is considering our options with regard to obtaining the intangible assets of the PLC (for example website, key contracts, information contained within IT systems) so as to ease the transition from PLC to Trust.

"Trust Board members have been preparing business plans and cash flow forecasts for a Trust-run railway, these will be used in support of meetings with potential funding bodies over the next few days. 

"Assuming positive outcomes from all the above, detailed commercial, operational and engineering plans for reopening the railway need to be compiled, and the board will be asking volunteers to become involved in this process over the coming weeks. Much of this work has already been done but needs to be revisited in the light of the demise of the PLC."

Sun Trevor quiz raises £1,600 for hospice

* Simon Baynes (right) hands over the £1,600 cheque. He is with Sue Williams of Nightingale House, quizmaster Maggie Smith, Paul and Katy Jones, their daughters Seren and Darcey and Poppy the dog.

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes made a socially distanced visit to the Sun Trevor in Llangollen to meet the team involved in running a highly successful online weekly quiz which has been raising money for charity since the start of lockdown last year.  

Mr Baynes joined owners Paul and Katy Jones, quizmaster Maggie Smith and Nightingale House Community Engagement Officer Sue Williams for the handing over of a cheque worth £1,600 to the hospice following the culmination of fundraising efforts over the last 10 months. 

The Sun Trevor quiz has been running since 2008 and has raised over £16,000 for charity since it started.

Katy Jones said: “Thank you to Simon Baynes for being able to come over and help present this fantastic amount of money to Nightingale Hospice. 

"We want to say a massive thank you to Maggie Smith who has kept the quizzes going not just for the last year online but the last 10 years!

"And thank you to everyone has taken part. It’s been great seeing Zoom quiz meetings being organised and catching up with family and friends over lockdowns.”

Sue Williams from Nightingale House said: “Thank you to Paul, Katy, Maggie and all of those who loyally support The Sun Trevor’s quiz each week. 

"It is fantastic how they have adapted the hugely successful weekly pub quiz taking it online and continued to raise much needed funds despite the challenging times we have all experienced.

"Nightingale House Hospice relies on the support of local businesses and individuals to continue to provide patient care and family support services to our community.  We are very grateful to you for your continued generosity, thank you.”

Simon Baynes said: “It’s so wonderful to see the team at the Sun Trevor and all their customers using their weekly pub quizzes to raise such large amounts of money for charity. 

"They’re a shining example of a Clwyd South business and their efforts are a great reflection of their community spirit and passion for giving something back.

“Everyone locally knows about the brilliant work of Nightingale House Hospice and this money will allow them to continue their vital work. 

"I want to congratulate Paul and Katy as the owners of the Sun Trevor and I want to pay special tribute to Maggie Smith who does a truly wonderful job as the quizmaster.

"I’d highly recommend fans of a pub quiz take a look and consider get involved with their next virtual session.”

* The quiz, which takes place via Facebook, can be found on the Sun Trevor’s page: www.facebook.com/TheSunTrevorLlangollen

Vaccination update from health centre

Here's the latest vaccination update from Llangollen Health Centre;

"We have now given over 4500 Covid vaccines to our patients since January. Many thanks to our fantastic staff, helpers and volunteers for their hard work.

"We will be holding one mop up clinic on 15th April for anyone in groups 1-9 who hasn’t yet had their first vaccination - if this applies to you please contact us on 01978 860625.

"After that we will progress our plans for the rest of our adult patient population. 

"Second doses will continue on a weekly basis. If you are concerned that we have missed you please contact us on the number above."

First Minister outlines further Covid-19 rules relaxation

First Minister Mark Drakeford (pictured) is today setting out a series of measures that will take Wales fully into Alert Level 3 by May 17 subject to public health conditions remaining favourable. 

He will again set out the priority placed on ensuring all children and students in Wales will return to face-to-face education on Monday 12 April.

All remaining non-essential retail and close contact services will be allowed to reopen from Monday 12 April, while the rules will also be changed to allow travel into and out of Wales from the rest of the United Kingdom and Common Travel Area. 

The Welsh Government is also signalling further changes it aims to confirm at the 22 April review, subject to public health conditions and final confirmation by Ministers, which would see outdoor attractions and outdoor hospitality reopen, including at cafes, pubs and restaurants on Monday 26 April.

By early May, plans include allowing organised outdoor activities for up to 30 people to take place, and for gyms, leisure centres and fitness facilities to reopen for individual or one-to-one training but not exercise classes.

The changes continue the Welsh Government’s planned, step-by-step approach to relaxing the coronavirus restrictions, taking account of the highly-infectious Kent variant, which is now the dominant form of the virus in Wales.

The public health situation in Wales continues to improve. The number of cases of coronavirus in our communities is generally falling and pressure on the NHS is easing.

Mark Drakeford said: "Thanks to a real team effort across Wales, coronavirus cases remain stable, and the vaccination programme continues apace. As a result, the Welsh Government has the headroom to continue its careful, step-by-step approach to relaxing restrictions.

"The review we have concluded this week, means we can continue with our programme of further re-opening of the economy and loosening the restrictions in place."

Should public health conditions remain favourable, from Monday 12th April, the following relaxations can go ahead:

• The full return of children to schools for face-to-face education, all post-16 learners will return to further education and training centres, and university campus’ will be able to open for blended face-to-face/online learning for all students;
• All remaining shops can reopen, completing the phased reopening of non-essential retail;
• All remaining close contact services can open, including mobile services;
• Travel restrictions on traveling into and out of Wales will be lifted. However, restrictions on travel to countries outside the Common Travel Area without a reasonable excuse, remain in place. The Common Travel Area means the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland;
• Viewings at wedding venues can resume by appointment;
• Outdoor canvassing for elections can begin.

As is also set out in our revised Coronavirus Control Plan, a small number of outdoor pilot events of between 200 and 1,000 people are being planned. 

These will build on the test events held last September. 

They will include cultural and sports events across Wales, including a potential stadia event. 

The Welsh Government is working with the Muslim Council to consider how they can also incorporate events to help people celebrate Eid at the end of Ramadan. All events would be subject to Local Authority and public health agreement.

The further relaxations follow the successful return of primary pupils and many older secondary school and college students to face-to-face learning and the start of the phased re-opening of non-essential retail, including the opening of hairdressers and barbers.

Ministers are now signalling further easements to restrictions in the coming weeks subject to the public health situation remaining favourable. These are consistent with the cautious and phased approach set out in the updated Coronavirus Control Plan: Revised Alert Levels in Wales.

On Monday 26 April:                                                                     

• Outdoor attractions, including funfairs and theme parks, would be allowed to reopen;
• Outdoor hospitality can resume, including at cafes, pubs and restaurants. Indoor hospitality will remain restricted.

On Monday 3 May:

• Organised outdoor activities for up to 30 people can again take place;
• Weddings receptions can take place outdoors, but will also be limited to 30 people.

On Monday 10 May:

• Gyms, leisure centres and fitness facilities can reopen. This will include individual or one-to-one training but not exercise classes;
• Extended household will again allow two households to meet and have contact indoors.

Preparations will be made to allow the following relaxations to be considered at the review on 13 May by the next Welsh Government, subject to public health conditions remaining favourable.

The reopening/resumption of the following, from the first week of the new cycle, i.e. Monday 17 May:

• Children’s indoor activities.
• Community centres;
• Organised indoor activities for adults, limited to a maximum of 15 people. This includes exercise classes.

After 17 May, to consider enabling indoor hospitality and remaining visitor accommodation to reopen in advance of the Spring Bank Holiday at the end of May.

These are indicative dates to give the sectors time to plan and prepare –decisions on these will be made nearer the time, once the impact of other relaxations have been assessed and subject to the health situation allowing the relaxations to go ahead.

The First Minister added: "The sacrifices we have all made are having a positive effect in the battle against Coronavirus. This last year has been incredibly difficult for all of us and again I want to thank everyone for their efforts.

"These efforts have allowed us to gradually ease the restrictions, to gradually introduce more elements of normal life.

"With the weather improving, with more opportunities to see family and friends, there are reasons for optimism. However, we can’t let our guard down yet. We all still need to be vigilant, we still need to do our part to keep this deadly disease at bay."