Latest news with #Ponty
Wales Online
07-08-2025
- Wales Online
18-year-old is missing from Llantwit Fadre and police need public's help
18-year-old is missing from Llantwit Fadre and police need public's help Police said Thomas Gulliford may have travelled to Bristol Thomas Gulliford, 18, from #LlantwitFadre, is missing and there is concern for his welfare. (Image: South Wales Police) Police are concerned about a teenager missing from Llantwit Fadre. Thomas Gulliford, 18, was last seen at 2pm on Wednesday, August 6, and police say "there is concern for his welfare." Officers are appealing for anyone with information about Thomas's whereabouts to contact them. They said he may have travelled to Bristol. He also has links to Porth, Treforest and Pontypridd. Get the latest Ponty news first by signing up to our newsletter here Thomas was wearing black tracksuit bottoms believed to be Nike, a black jumper and white trainers when he went missing. Read here about how multiple people are being sought over a missing 22-year-old woman last seen near a suspension bridge. A South Wales Police statement said: "Thomas Gulliford, 18, from #LlantwitFadre, is missing and there is concern for his welfare. "Thomas was last seen at 2pm yesterday and may have travelled to #Bristol. "He also has links to #Porth #Treforest and #Pontypridd." Police provided a description of what Thomas was wearing when he was last seen. "Thomas was wearing black tracksuit bottoms believed to be Nike, a black jumper and white trainers. "He is described as 5ft 10ins tall, of large build, with mousey brown hair. "Anyone who has seen Thomas or has information on his whereabouts is urged to contact South Wales Police quoting 2500249969." South Wales Police can be contacted via its live chat platform by clicking here or via an online form by clicking here. You can also call 101. Article continues below Alternatively, information can also be given via Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or its online form by clicking here. Always call 999 in an emergency.
Wales Online
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Stereophonics fans given major transport update hours before Cardiff show
Stereophonics fans given major transport update hours before Cardiff show The scorching heat has caused damaged a railway line near Pontypridd with services cancelled for the rest of Saturday The Stereophonics are performing at the Principality Stadium on Saturday, July 12 (Image: John Myers ) There is a huge transport update for fans heading to Stereophonics' second gig at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday. Transport for Wales (TfW) have been forced to cancel all services on two lines after the railway track was damaged by the heat on Wales' hottest day of the year. There are no services between Pontypridd and Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare because of a track defect meaning that fans travelling from the south Wales Valleys will face significant disruption travelling to and from the gig. TfW warned that transport north of Pontypridd after the event "will be limited". You can follow our live updates on the disruption here. Infrastructure teams are working to restore the line but Network Rail say that no trains will be running on Saturday. Customers are being advised to continue to check before they travel for journeys for the rest of Saturday and into Sunday morning. Rail services are continuing to run between Cardiff Central and Pontypridd. TfW added that services are being strengthened where possible. Get the latest Ponty news first by signing up to our newsletter here. Article continues below Train tickets are also being accepted with Stagecoach between Pontypridd, Merthyr Tydfil, and Aberdare on services 60, 61, T4 and 78. The Treherbert line is unaffected by the track defect. A spokesman for Transport for Wales said on Saturday: 'Due to the heat the railway line has been damaged between Pontypridd and Merthyr and Aberdare. For safety reasons we've had to close this section of railway and will be unable to run any rail services on this line. Please do not travel between Pontypridd and Merthyr and Aberdare. 'Rail services are running between Cardiff Central and Pontypridd and services are strengthened where we can. Ticket acceptance is in place with Stagecoach between Pontypridd, Merthyr Tydfil, and Aberdare on services 60, 61, T4 and 78. 'Rail services will be busy, so please check before you travel and allow plenty of time. "We apologise to our passengers for the inconvenience caused and our infrastructure teams are working hard to restore the line. For the latest travel updates customers can check the TfW website and app: 'We are working with our infrastructure partners to rectify the issue as soon as possible. However we kindly ask customers to continue to check before they travel today, this evening, and into tomorrow. 'For the Stereophonics this evening we will be operating a full event queue and plan at Cardiff Central station and we advise customers to keep hydrated and cool if travelling across the network today. Travel north of Pontypridd towards Aberdare and Merthyr will be limited post-event with ticket acceptance in place on local bus services.' Due to the heat the Principality Stadium also issued an update to fans ahead of the Stereophonics' gigs. As temperatures are soaring above 30 degrees it's been confirmed fans can now take in collapsible 500ml water bottles (with lids removed) into the stadium. Article continues below These can be refilled for free from the water points across the concourse. The stadium is also advising fans to wear their suncream and stay hydrated. You can read our review of the 'Phonics' first night in Cardiff here.
Wales Online
12-07-2025
- Climate
- Wales Online
Major rail disruption and services cancelled as heat damages line
Rail passengers are facing major travel disruption as the heatwave has brought a number of South Wales Valleys lines to a complete standstill. There are no services between Pontypridd and Merthyr and Aberdare as the railway line has been damaged by heat. Transport for Wales (TfW) say they are unable to run any services on the line for "safety reasons". They are asking passengers not to travel between Pontypridd and Merthyr and Aberdare. Customers are being advised to continue to check before they travel throughout the rest of the day and into Sunday morning. The cancellations are likely to cause significant disruption for the thousands of fans heading to the Stereophonics' second night at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday. Rail services are continuing to run between Cardiff Central and Pontypridd. TfW added that services are being strengthened where possible. Get the latest Ponty news first by signing up to our newsletter here. Train tickets are also being accepted with Stagecoach between Pontypridd, Merthyr Tydfil, and Aberdare on services 60, 61, T4 and 78. A spokesman for TfW said: "We apologise to our passengers for the inconvenience caused and our infrastructure teams are working hard to restore the line." Follow our live coverage of this incident below and remember you can get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here:
Wales Online
20-06-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
Kyle, the UK's youngest person with MND, gets surprise on his 14th birthday
Kyle, the UK's youngest person with MND, gets surprise on his 14th birthday The family of Kyle Sieniawski said the "unbelievable" support helped to make the day special even though it was spent in hospital Kyle was diagnosed with MND in January (Image: Family handout ) A young boy from Pontypridd who was forced to spend his 14th birthday in hospital has had an amazing surprise from hundreds of strangers. Until March last year, Kyle Sieniawski was like any other healthy child, enjoying his favourite hobby Taekwondo, going to school and playing with his friends but he is now heartbreakingly stuck in hospital with limited mobility due to the effects of motor neurone disease (MND). He is thought to be the youngest person in the UK living with the disease. But to celebrate his special day, hundreds of strangers sent cards to Noah's Ark Children's Hospital in Cardiff to wish Kyle a happy 14th birthday. Even though he was tired, he was awake until 9.30pm on Thursday (June 19) opening them all. They arrived from all over the world - including from as far away as Spain and New Zealand - as well as plenty from across the UK. Kyle has been in hospital since December (Image: Family photo ) In total he received 278 cards but that number is set to get even higher as some are still making their way to Kyle's room. There is a five foot card due to arrive which has been signed by members of the MND community, organised by a woman who has MND herself. Article continues below As well as the cards, Kyle received plenty of gifts and spent the day surrounded by his family, as well as the nurses and doctors who have been caring for him. The family said the "unbelievable" support helped to make the day special and lift Kyle's spirits. Kyle was surprised with hundreds of cards from strangers His day started with the nurses singing and dancing to him and even though Kyle was tired, he was still able to crack a joke and show off his sense of humour. His aunt, Heather Jones, said he told the nurses he would "jump out the window" if they didn't stop. One woman, Lucy Helen Taylor, who has been following Kyle's journey online also drove three hours to deliver a handmade Roblox birthday cake. Get the latest Ponty news first by signing up to our newsletter here As well as the singing and dancing in the morning, Kyle was able to have a massage, which Heather said he "loves" and was able to have a bit of fresh air in the sunshine, even if was only for a short time. Kyle with his older brother Liam (Image: Family handout ) He also received a Connect 4 medal as a gift. He's been playing the game a lot since being in hospital and is now known as the "champion", so much so in fact that he got gifted a huge Connect 4 set. He is looking forward to taking to Ty Hafan to play in the garden when he stays there soon. The staff sent to show that they had been practicing ready for their next visit. Kyle's parents Melanie and Mark want to thank everyone for helping to make Kyle's day special. They added that the messages of support they have been receiving since Kyle's diagnosis have helped them to get through the days. Kyle was opening cards until 9.30pm at night (Image: Family handout ) His parents are still fighting a battle to try and get Kyle home. He has been stuck in hospital since December 31 last year because they cannot get their home adapted with the equipment Kyle would need. Despite desperate pleas for support, Melanie said they have been left in "limbo" and have now put their home on the market in order to try and find somewhere suitable. You can read more about that here. Article continues below
Wales Online
20-06-2025
- Wales Online
Cardiff flight escorted by fighter jets as captain tells terrified passengers there's a 'device' on board
Cardiff flight escorted by fighter jets as captain tells terrified passengers there's a 'device' on board Cheryl Sainsbury, from Pontypridd, said that cabin crew were searching the plane for a rucksack before their flight was escorted to Lanzarote by fighter jets following a bomb scare on a TUI flight from Cardiff to Lanzarote Portuguese fighter jets escorted the plane to its destination after a threatening note was found in the toilet (Image: Amanda Davies ) A group of friends from Pontypridd were caught up in the "surreal" moment a TUI flight from Cardiff Airport was escorted by fighter jets after a bomb scare. Cheryl Sainsbury and her three friends Leanne Thomas, Cherie Gurner and Tara Pumford were looking forward to enjoying a last-minute holiday in Lanzarote when their flight took a turn for the worse. While flying over Portugal on Thursday morning (June 19), around half-way through the almost four hour flight, the captain came over the radio to say that the plane would need to land as soon as possible because there was reports of a "device" on board. "We were sort of looking at each other thinking 'what's he on about'?", Cheryl, 43, said. "We were all scared but there was no sense of panic as such on board. Everybody seemed to come together and just looked out for each other. We all wanted to make sure everyone was ok." She added that the cabin crew from TUI remained calm and "brilliant" with all the passengers. You can read more about what happened to the flight here. (R-L) Cheryl Sainsbury and her three friends Leanne Thomas, Cherie Gurner and Tara Pumford were flying to Lanzarote when a member of the cabin crew found a handwritten note saying there was a device on board (Image: Cheryl Sainsbury ) While everyone was told to remain in their seats, the crew looked under the seats and in the overhead lockers to check that all the luggage was accounted for. "I think they were looking for a black rucksack," Cheryl said. Article continues below While onboard and waiting for news about what would happen next, the passengers tried to message loved ones to tell them what was happening to them. Get the latest Ponty news first by signing up to our newsletter here At the time, the group thought that someone had put a call in to say that there was a bomb on board, but they later found out that a threatening handwritten note was found in one of the toilets . The next announcement from the captain said that a risk assessment had been carried out and it was concluded that the threat was low, so the flight would no longer be landing earlier in Portugal. However, for the passengers and crews' safety, they were escorted the rest of the way by two Portuguese fighter jets before they safely landed at the airport in Arrecife, Lanzarote. Cheryl said: "Once we landed on the ground, it was the biggest celebration and sense of relief. "We were taken to a remote part of the airport and there were police and fire engines surrounding the plane. We had to get off one-by-one." However, the ordeal was not completely over as the group had to wait for the emergency services on the ground to check through all the luggage before they were allowed to leave. "We had to stand on the tarmac with all the luggage but we weren't allowed to touch of any of it," Cheryl explained. "They brought sniffer dogs and the bomb squad so we just had to stand their and watch before they let us on the bus. "We got taken to some form of compound where there were no refreshments and just one toilet. We just had to wait their until they had approval from the police to let us go to get back to the normal part of the airport where we could go through immigration and collect our cases. Since managing to leave the airport, the group have been enjoying some drinks in Lanzarote to try and "settle their nerves" after the experience. They are due to fly back home on Sunday and are hoping that flight is less eventful. Cheryl said: "It was such a weird experience especially as I'm a quite anxious flyer so I don't know how we did it. Even though we were all scared, we just stuck together and tried to keep it calm." Despite the full-on response, officials eventually discovered there was no explosive device aboard, and local police have now launched an investigation to determine who wrote the letter found in the bathroom. Article continues below A spokesperson for Cardiff Airport said: 'We are aware of an incident involving flight TOM6422 from Cardiff to Lanzarote on 19/06/25. The safety of our passengers is our number one priority. No concerns or suspicious activity were raised prior to departure.' TUI have been contacted for comment
