News in Barry

It's been a very exciting morning on Barry Island with the unexpected arrival of two royal visitors.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived on the Island with an entourage of security before taking some time to chat with local business owners and residents.

Two fishing boats, which have been docked in the Old Harbour in Barry, have been broken into with expensive equipment stolen from them yesterday afternoon.

The red and blue boats have been the subject of much local discussion as photos have flooded in of the unusual sight.

South Wales Police are appealing for information after a man was assaulted on Fordd y Dociau in Barry on Monday July 6th.

The local man, aged 30, was approaching the footbridge as he was heading towards Barry Island when he was chased towards Ffordd y Mileniwm by a group of about eight males aged between about 17 and 20 years of age.

Barry Market to return to a new area in Kings Square as part of a temporary move due to the coronavirus restrictions.

The intention would be that when it is safe to do so, and in accordance with Welsh Government guidelines, the market will move back to the current allotted area on Holton Road when the Council gives the market operator notice to do so.

Barry Island was very busy yesterday with people flocking to the seaside to soak up the sunshine and Transport for Wales commented on packed trains today.

Yesterday they said: ''An estimated 20-25,000 people enjoying Barry Island today, NPT officers and Safer Vale have dealt with several missing children, persons with alcohol, lost and found property and drug offences."

This month, The Vale Foodbank and Pontypridd Foodbank each received a cheque for £500 from Newydd Housing Association after they experienced a massive increase in demand, due to the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

This is paired with a drastic change in their methods of food collection and distribution in order to comply with social distancing. This is the second time this year that Newydd has made a cash donation to these food banks.

A number of Hoglets found by a local family have left their rescue centre and will be released back into the wild at Porthkerry Park in Barry as soon as they are strong enough.

The Vale Council said: ''Earlier this month we shared the story of some rescued hoglets.

The Vale of Glamorgan Council has moved to clamp down on antisocial behaviour and mass gatherings in the Barry area which has been linked to excessive alcohol consumption by proposing the introduction of Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs).

At a meeting today, the Council's Cabinet agreed to progress public consultation arrangements aimed at imposing the restrictions at six additional sites, making it illegal to consume alcohol in public areas there.

Following a number of incidents in the Barry Island area today (Wednesday, 22 July), a Section 35 has been put in place by South Wales Police – this will give officers additional powers to deal with people acting in an anti-social manner.

Large numbers of youths have been gathering in the area and there have been outbreaks of disorder - officers are now utilising Section 35 powers to disperse crowds who are acting in an anti-social manner.

A scheme introduced by Optometry Advisor over the coronavirus pandemic has meant that 92% of emergency eye care problems have been treated in local optometrists, including Jones and Jones in Barry, which has reduced the need for patients to attend eye casualty at University Hospital of Wales (UHW).

Sharon Beatty, an Optometry Advisor who started with Cardiff and the Vale University Health Board in September 2019, sought the help of IT Digitisation Consultant Gareth Bulpin to rollout the Independent Prescribing Optometry Service on 24 March earlier this year.