Latest news with #Caernarfon
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Bird lovers horrified by maimed seagull 'trend' as remains scattered across roads in North Wales
Bird lovers have been left horrified by a brutal new 'trend'. Campaigners claim they have mounting evidence people are deliberately throwing food onto roads and watching on as hungry seagulls swoop down, only to get hit by vehicles. Volunteers working for the Caernarfon-based Foundation for Feathered Friends (FFF) are reporting a rising number of apparent incidents on the North Wales coast. While some are said to involve youths, the charity claimed adults have also been seen enticing gulls onto busy roads, North Wales Live reports. FFF founder Denise Theophilus said the charity was often left to pick up the pieces. 'We totally support the feeding of wild birds, especially gulls,' she said. 'Often they are emaciated when they arrive in coastal communities. But this is not the right way to do it. READ MORE: Benefit cheat mum must repay £22k after being caught out by innocuous Facebook post READ MORE: Lidl pulls popular product from shelves following urgent 'do not eat' warning 'Who in their right mind would deliberately put these birds in danger by making them swoop onto roads to be hit by oncoming cars? We are aware that children will get up to all kinds of mischief – but adults doing this must have some kind of psychiatric issue. 'It's definitely a trend, we're seeing more and more instances of it happening. And it's us that have to pick up the poor gulls wounded by monsters like these.' According to Denise, volunteers have reported examples from Abergele, Prestatyn, Rhyl and Llandudno. Given the number of casualties being treated by North Wales Wild Bird Care, FFF's sister group, she believes it is probably happening elsewhere. In one instance, Denise claimed food had been carefully laid out on a street in Rhyl. She said three car-hit gulls were found lying dead 'equidistantly' near the food. A fourth was still alive but later died. 'One of our volunteers was driving through Llandudno when she saw a group of youths throwing food onto a road,' she said. 'They were laughing as they watched cars come towards the gulls. She wanted to go back and disperse the kids but her husband didn't want to get involved.' Wind-blown litter is another reason why gulls dice with death on busy roads – social media videos have highlighted the dangers of carelessly discarded food cartons. However there's little online evidence of gratuitous clips showing gulls being deliberately enticed onto roads. Denise claimed the practice has been witnessed outside schools and in retail car parks. When images were shared online, bird lovers were left 'sickened' by the claims. One person called the practice 'shameful and inhuman', another said it was 'utterly disgraceful'. A man claimed some motorists deliberately target gulls. He said: 'I've seen a few birds, mainly gulls, laying in the road that have been run over on purpose." Herring gulls are a protected species and are on the Red List for Conservation. The RSPCA said people need to be careful when disposing of edible litter. A spokesperson said: 'Gulls can get a bad rap especially in seaside towns, and sadly are thought of by some as a pest. 'However, they are simply wild animals trying to survive in their surroundings, and deserve our kindness and respect. It's important for people to remember that they are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and it is illegal to intentionally harm any wild bird, except under licence.' The RSPCA gives the following advice on living in harmony with gulls: In some seaside towns where people have fed gulls, they have learned to snatch food. Try to keep food to yourself but don't blame them if they can't tell the difference between scraps willingly offered and your bag of chips. Dispose of edible litter carefully – put it in gull-proof litter bins. Plastic bags left in the street are an open invitation for gulls to investigate. Gulls that swoop suddenly on people or pets are usually trying to protect chicks that have got out of the nest. If you see a gull chick leave it alone – its parents can look after it better than you. Gulls make the most noise between May and July when they are breeding. If gulls on your roof disturb you, or you are worried they may block a gas flue, you can prevent them from nesting there in future. Your local environmental health department or pest control company should be able to tell you about the devices available. It's illegal to disturb wild birds' nests and eggs, except under licence.
The Guardian
23-05-2025
- The Guardian
Asparagus and beer – secrets of Britain's happiest places to live
Your feature on the happiest places to live in Britain (17 May) was an impressive list of well-known and lesser-known towns and cities – as a resident for more than 30 years in the Vale of Evesham, Worcestershire, I was delighted that Evesham came second for many of the reasons you highlight – community engagement, culture, local food and clean air. While your article featured many nearby places, it failed to mention the Fleece Inn in Bretforton. Owned by the National Trust, it was built in the early 15th century as a longhouse by a prosperous yeoman farmer called Byrd. It later became a pub, which was rebuilt in the 17th century and remained in the Byrd family until 1977. It is also the venue that kicks off the annual asparagus festival and auction, and serves a much loved beer called Pig's Ear, another product along with the local 'gras' that makes local people very Stephen MartinMatlock, Derbyshire It was disturbing to read your description of Caernarfon as the third happiest place to live in Britain without mentioning how the town's main spoken language is Welsh. Much of the happiness felt in living here comes from having our own language, which we share with people from across the globe. It fosters a sense of community and is the medium of a thriving culture. In encouraging your readers to move there in complete disregard of its linguistic ecosystem, you destroy the very basis of your own 'feature'.Angharad PriceCaernarfon The writer of the Lewes section somehow managed to miss the town's major feature, Harvey's Brewery at Cliffe Bridge alongside the River Ouse. It's been brewing since the 1820s and the grade II listed redbrick buildings, including an imposing chimney, were designed by leading Victorian architect William Bradford. The award-winning beers include one of the finest cask ales known to drinking kind: Sussex Best Bitter. The beers are available in Harvey's many pubs in Lewes. The pubs and the brewery should be high on any visit to the ProtzSt Albans Thanks for trumpeting that Berwick-upon-Tweed is the happiest place to live in Great Britain. Now we can expect even more visitors than we already receive. NeilsonBerwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland At the beginning of May, electors in four of Exeter's wards voted in a Reform UK councillor – proving that behind citizens' happy exteriors, angry people are lurking. Right now they are probably instructing lawyers to get us taken off this Bright Exeter, Devon
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Drugs 'ruined our lives' as calls made for support in Wales
Warning: this article refers to drugs and drug taking throughout More funding is needed to support centres in Wales helping people with addiction, sector leaders have service user at Penrhyn House in Bangor, Gwynedd, which helps people battling addiction said they were now 90 days sober from cocaine thanks to its help, describing the centre as a "life-saver".Figures show the number of people in Wales who were referred to recovery services has decreased over the last two years, but the chair of a cross-party Senedd group said the figures were not a fair reflection of the struggles in Welsh government said it was investing more than £67m to improve support services and to reduce the number of future drug-related deaths. But a Penrhyn House leader said a long-term investment plan was needed to keep people from relapsing. The facility has offered guidance and support to people dealing with substance and alcohol addiction over the last 10 years as well as helping individuals in the Wyn Griffith, 35, from the Caernarfon area, said he had been fighting a cocaine addiction for 17 years after he started taking the Class A drug as a teenager. "I suppose as a youngster I enjoyed it," he told Newyddion S4C."Soon after, at the age of 21, I realised I had an issue with it - I couldn't stop and my friends could stop."It was extremely bad, I didn't have any life at all and I was just locked in my room all the time. Sometimes I'd be crying on the way to pick it up but I'd still use it."It broke my family up." Arwel is now 90 days sober and said coming to Penrhyn House had changed his added: "It's been a life-saver for me, it's changed my life around in a short space of time and I can't thank the place enough."As a couple, Mark and Elen are are also on a similar journey but have now successfully been sober for more than two years."We took amphetamine for about 12 years and it ruined our lives and had a massive impact," said Elen, 35."I didn't sleep, I couldn't function properly and I was always ill."Mark, 47, said the addiction was "stupidly hard"."It would be all day, everyday… make some money... go get some more drugs... it was just constant". Describing their experience, they also said Penrhyn House and the North Wales Recovery Communities (NWRC) network, which supports people to keep sober, had been a House is operated by the NWRC, which received £94,420 from the Welsh government-funded North Wales Area Planning Board for 2025-2026."This is my second home," said Mark, talking about the centre."You come here and everyone is on the safe recovery path as you."Mark said without the centre he would not have been able to become sober, adding: "Literally the best thing I ever did was walk through that door." Penrhyn House has helped hundreds of people get clean and stay sober since service is 80% self-sufficient with its funding but its director of operations James Deakin said more needed to be done to fund services helping people with their added staying sober was the "hard part" for many. Figures published on Wednesday by the Welsh government showed the number of referrals made to drug and alcohol treatment agencies in Wales had fallen overall over the last two years. There were 7,370 referrals from October to December 2022, rising to 8,124 from January to March 2023, compared to 6,658 from October to December Peredur Owen Griffiths, chairman of the cross-party Substance Use and Addiction Group in the Senedd, said the figures did not reflect the true picture across said while it was good the numbers were decreasing, questions needed to be asked about why, adding: "Are there less services?"Are people not being signposted to these services?"From speaking to people in the sector they are busier than ever and that to me means people are still suffering." A Welsh government spokesperson said every drug related death was "a tragedy". "We currently invest more than £67m to improve support services for those affected and reduce the number of future deaths, including more than £8.8m for support services in north Wales," they said."Our approach to tackling drug misuse encompasses prevention, treatment, and recovery support, focusing on improving health outcomes and overall reducing harm."They added the Welsh government was working with health boards, local authorities, Public Health Wales and police to reduce the harm caused by drug and alcohol you are affected by any of the issues raised in this story, support and advice is available via the BBC Action Line.
BBC News
18-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Haverfordwest into Europe after beating Caernarfon in play off-final
Haverfordwest booked their place in the qualifying rounds of the Europa Conference League after beating Caernarfon 3-1 in the Cymru Premier play-off took the lead after 17 minutes, Corey Shephard driving into the Caernarfon box before squaring to Ben Ahmun for a tap Bluebirds doubled their lead on 33 minutes, Owain Jones' deft flick putting Dan Hawkins through on goal, and the 24-year-old added an excellent left-footed went close on the hour mark, but Adam Davies's thumping effort from close range came back off the right the result was put beyond doubt with four minutes remaining, as Gregory Walters put through Ahmun to score his second of the was still time for Caernarfon to give their fans something to cheer, as Louis Lloyd took advantage of an error from Haverfordwest goalkeeper Zac Jones to finish from an acute return to European competition for the first time since 2023, when they claimed a thrilling Europa Conference League victory over North Macedonian side Shkendija before losing out to B36 was not to be for Caernarfon, who qualified last season after beating Penybont in the final.
BBC News
17-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Caernarfon happy to be underdogs for play-off final
Caernarfon Town manager Richard Davies accepts his side will be the underdogs when they face Haverfordwest County in Sunday's Cymru Premier play Canaries will be seeking to qualify for the Europa Conference League for a second successive seasonThey made their European debut last summer after defeating Penybont at home in the play-off final but will be away to Haverfordwest this year."They finished highest in the league – they were third and we were fourth – that home advantage might be quite big for them," Davies told BBC Sport Wales."But I think being underdogs suits us as well." Caernarfon overcame Crusaders of Northern Ireland in the Europa Conference League first qualifying exited the competition at the second qualifying round stage after an 11-0 aggregate defeat by Polish giants Legia went on to reach the quarter-finals before losing 4-2 on aggregate to Chelsea."The experiences we had last year not just qualifying but going through that first qualifier and going to Legia Warsaw was unbelievable," Davies added."We'd love to be able to have that experience again."It's huge for every club that manages to do it."
