SWANSEA: Three arrested in dawn raids targeting organised crime network

Three people have been arrested in Swansea following dawn raids carried out by officers targeting organised crime.

South Wales Police’s organised crime team, supported by specialist officers, executed three warrants this morning as part of the operation.

A 24-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman from Mount Pleasant were among those arrested.

A 49-year-old woman from Townhill was also arrested.

All three remain in police custody.

South Wales Police said tackling organised crime was a priority for the force.

The operation was carried out by the force’s specialist organised crime team, which focuses on disrupting criminal networks across the region.

South Wales Police said: “Dawn raids by the Swansea organised crime team and specialist officers have seen three warrants executed and three people arrested in connection with organised crime.”

The force added it would continue to be “relentless in our pursuit of criminals to protect communities from harm.”

No details have been released about the nature of the organised crime being investigated.

Investigations are ongoing.

Mount Pleasant and Townhill have featured repeatedly in South Wales Police’s organised crime investigations.

A Mount Pleasant man was among four jailed for county lines drug dealing after a vehicle was stopped in Gors Avenue, while a Mount Pleasant woman received a suspended sentence as part of the ‘Scouse Ryan’ county lines operation running drugs between Liverpool and Swansea.

A Mount Pleasant resident was also convicted as an associate of a major south-west Wales drug gang that was found to possess a firearm, cocaine and cannabis.

Anyone with information about organised crime in their area is urged to contact South Wales Police on 101.

Reports can also be made anonymously via Crimestoppers online or by calling 0800 555 111.

If someone is in immediate danger or a crime is taking place, dial 999.

#gang #MountPleasant #organisedCrime #organisedCrimeGroup #SouthWalesPolice #Townhill

SWANSEA: Man told support worker he wanted to go back to prison for gym access — then set his hostel on fire to get there

A man has been jailed after setting fire to his hostel using an aerosol as an accelerant — just hours after telling a support worker he wanted to go back to prison for the food and gym facilities.

Matthew Draper, 40, was living in a hostel for people with complex needs on The Strand in Swansea city centre, run by The Wallich charity, when he set the fire on January 24 this year.

The Wallich is a Welsh charity supporting homeless and vulnerable people across Wales. Its Dinas Fechan project on The Strand is a 15-bedroom hostel providing shelter and support to single homeless people with a range of complex needs — including mental health issues, learning difficulties, offending behaviour and substance misuse.

Each resident has their own living space, meets regularly with a support worker, and can access help with everything from drug and alcohol support to advice on finding permanent accommodation.

Swansea Crown Court heard that earlier that afternoon Draper had told his support worker he wanted to return to prison where he would get “three square meals a day” and access to a gym.

Shortly before 4.45pm, he used an aerosol as an accelerant to set fire to lockers against an external wall of the hostel. The flames quickly took hold and reached a window some 15ft above ground level, though they did not enter the building. Rather than raise the alarm or flee, Draper stayed at the scene to watch the fire.

Staff were alerted and called the emergency services. Officers from the nearby fire station arrived almost immediately, the hostel was evacuated, and the blaze was extinguished.

Draper was arrested and answered “no comment” to all questions in interview.

Formerly of Geiriol Road, Townhill, Swansea, Draper has 21 previous convictions for 61 offences, the majority of which are for theft. His most recent prior conviction, from October 2023, was for shoplifting women’s clothes from the Matalan store in Cwmdu, Swansea, and failing to surrender to court.

His advocate told the court that at the age of 40 it was to be hoped Draper was motivated to “deal with the issues that have dogged him for much of his life.”

Draper had previously pleaded guilty to arson and arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered. With a discount for his guilty plea he was sentenced to 27 months in prison. He will serve up to half that time in custody before being released on licence.

PC Gareth Bennett, of South Wales Police, said the behaviour could have cost lives. “Idiotic behaviour like that shown by Matthew Draper could have resulted in serious injury or even lives being lost on that day,” he said.

“This was completely reckless behaviour and it cannot be tolerated. He is clearly a danger to society and prison is the best place for him.”

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#Arson #SouthWalesPolice #Swansea #SwanseaCrownCourt #TheStrand #TheWallich #Townhill

CAUGHT DEALING: Townhill man who tried to outrun police found hiding behind parked car — and cocaine was on the ground beside him

A Swansea drug dealer who tried to flee from plain-clothed police officers has been jailed for three years and eight months after being caught hiding behind parked cars — with cocaine on the ground nearby.

Kian Meredith, 22, of Caradog Place, Townhill, was spotted by officers on patrol in Prince of Wales Road in Swansea, who observed what they believed was a drug deal taking place among a group of known drug users. When officers approached, the group scattered. Meredith ran towards the Dyfatty junction before being found a short time later crouching behind two parked vehicles on Greenhill Street.

On the ground near him were wraps of cocaine. When searched, officers found a mobile phone and £115 in cash.

A download of Meredith’s phone later revealed messages related to the supply of cocaine and crack cocaine over the previous three months, as well as a so-called “tick list” — a record of money owed to him by customers. He answered no comment to all questions in police interview.

Meredith had already pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and to simple possession of cocaine when he appeared at Swansea Crown Court for sentencing.

The case was made significantly more serious by Meredith’s history. He was out of prison on licence at the time of the offence, having previously been convicted of conspiracy to supply heroin and conspiracy to supply cocaine in 2023 — offences linked to the Jack line, a drugs network that was supplying significant quantities of both cocaine and heroin to users around Swansea. He received three years in a young offenders institution for those matters.

His barrister Emily Bennett told the court that Meredith had relapsed into cocaine and crack use in January this year “for no particular reason,” which had led to what she described as a “spiral” of addiction, debt and then dealing. She said his decision to run from officers when approached reflected his lack of maturity.

Ms Bennett said her client wanted to use his time in custody constructively, tackle his addiction issues, and train as a barber “so he is in a better position when he comes out of prison.”

Judge Catherine Richards said she accepted that Meredith’s life had been blighted by drugs, but said that by the age of just 22 he had been caught dealing on three separate occasions — and that the most recent offence was aggravated by the fact he had been on licence at the time. With a one-third reduction for his guilty pleas, she imposed a sentence of three years and eight months. He will serve 40% of that in custody before being released on licence.

The area where Meredith was caught has been the focus of a dedicated crackdown by South Wales Police, which has already seen crime fall 12% and anti-social behaviour drop 69% in the Dyfatty area following targeted enforcement activity.

South Wales Police Sergeant Luke Tucker said: “Kian Meredith was caught in the act while trying to peddle his poison onto the streets of Swansea. He is now going to prison for almost four years — a very costly price to pay which shows that dealing Class A drugs is just not worth it. Our officers will find you and you will go to prison.”

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TOWNHILL: Social housing developer plans 27 affordable homes on derelict nursery site

A derelict plot in Townhill — one of Wales’s oldest council-built communities — could be about to get a new lease of life, with plans lodged for 27 affordable apartments on land that has sat empty since the demolition of a nursery school more than a decade ago.

The proposal, submitted by Swansea planning agents Asbri Planning, would see the former Bryn Nursery School site at the junction of Townhill Road and Tower Gardens transformed into a 100% affordable housing development — every home ring-fenced for people who cannot afford to buy or rent on the open market.

Artist’s impression of the proposed apartments
(Image: Castell Group / Think Urban architects / Asbri Planning)

Behind the scheme is Castell Group, a Swansea Vale-based developer that specialises in affordable and social housing across south Wales, working with registered social landlords including Caredig and Hafod.

The site has a long and frustrated planning history. Bryn Nursery School closed in 2005 and was demolished around 2011, leaving a vacant brownfield plot on one of Townhill’s main roads. Earlier proposals for a 58-bed care home were approved but never built. In 2021, budget supermarket chain Heron Foods — owned by B&M — twice applied to build a small express-format store on the site, only for both applications to be refused by Swansea Council on retail and highway grounds. The land has remained empty ever since.

The development would sit in a neighbourhood with a particular place in Welsh housing history. Townhill — built on the hillside above the city from the 1920s onwards — was one of the first purpose-built council communities in Wales, planned to provide decent homes for Swansea’s working-class population at a time when much of the city’s housing was overcrowded and inadequate. A century on, the demand for affordable homes here hasn’t gone away.

The proposed development would comprise 17 one-bedroom and 10 two-bedroom apartments across several two and three storey brick-built blocks with pitched roofs, in keeping with the surrounding streets. The site — currently overgrown scrubland that has regenerated since the old nursery came down — is just 150 metres from Townhill’s local centre, within walking distance of shops, a pharmacy, a library and a primary school, and close to bus services into Swansea city centre and Morriston Hospital.

Tower Gardens with the development site on the right (Image: Google Maps)

The scheme has already been through informal discussions with Swansea Council, which confirmed that the principle of residential development here was acceptable. The original proposal was for 33 units, but this was reduced to 27 following council feedback about the site’s proximity to Tower Court — a supported independent living scheme for older residents next door. A flat roof design was also rejected by planners who noted that the surrounding area is entirely pitched-roof in character.

The plans include 22 parking spaces, secure cycle storage, extensive landscaping and tree planting, sustainable urban drainage, solar panels and electric vehicle charging points.

The public consultation runs until 24 April 2026.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Plans submitted for new Townhill budget supermarket
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BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE: £4.9m school boost gets underway in Townhill

A brand-new dining hall and all-weather sports pitch are being built at Townhill Community Primary School, with leaders hailing the project as a “game-changer” for pupils and families.

The investment — backed largely by the Welsh Government — aims to make sure every child can benefit from free school meals without squeezing into cramped facilities.

Right now, all pupils are entitled to a free lunch — but the school’s current kitchen and canteen simply can’t keep up.

Council leader Rob Stewart said:

“This is making a real and important difference to families throughout Swansea.”

And it’s not just about food.

The new hall will double up as a performance and community space — giving parents more room to watch school concerts and opening the doors for wider local use.

Meanwhile, a brand-new multi-use games area will give pupils — and the wider community — a place to stay active all year round.

Townhill Primary School, which was built in 1924 (Image: Swansea Council)

Education boss Robert Smith said:

“This will be an exciting addition… boosting health and wellbeing during the day and beyond.”

Contractors Andrew Scott Ltd are leading the build, which is expected to take around a year.

School leaders say the investment is about more than bricks and mortar.

Headteacher Peter Owen outside Townhill Community Primary School, which is set for a £4.9m upgrade.
(Image: Swansea Council)

Headteacher Peter Owen said:

“We are delighted the school and community are going to have such a superb resource.”

And governors say it marks a step towards becoming a true “community school” — with facilities used long after the final bell rings.

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#AndrewScottLtd #construction #education #freeSchoolMeals #schoolDinners #schoolMeals #SwanseaCouncil #Townhill #TownhillPrimarySchool

SWANSEA: Council to invest nearly £70m in council homes this year—part of £267m four-year plan

Millions of pounds are being earmarked to insulate and weatherproof hundreds of existing homes, making them warmer and more efficient to help reduce the cost of heating for tenants.

The spending is part of the biggest ever investment in council-owned homes for affordable rent in the city, which will see £267 million spent over the next four years.

Where the Money Is Going

Among the major projects planned for spending this year are:

£40 million is being spent on keeping council homes in communities across the city in a good state of repair, including Penyrheol, Fforesthall, Penlan, Sketty, Mayhill, and Townhill.

Within the £40m, £17 million is being set aside for more upgrades at the Dyfatty flats at Croft Street, Griffith John Street, and Clyne and Jeffreys Court.

More than £12.7 million is planned for spending on the council’s pioneering More Homes initiative, which aims to add 1,000 affordable homes for rent to its existing stock. This includes new homes being built at Brokesby Road and £1.5m for acquisitions.

More than £1.2 million will be spent on improving homes at Heol Emrys and Tudno Place, with funding also earmarked for future years to develop more affordable homes, providing estate and environmental improvements.

More than £1.8 million is going on the council’s continuing programme of improving kitchens and bathrooms.

More than £3.6 million is being spent on environmental improvements in places like Garnswllt, Townhill, West Cross, and Fforesthall.

‘Better Homes for Our Residents’

Andrea Williams, Cabinet Member for Service Improvement, said Swansea Council’s ambitious spending programme for council housing reflected its commitment to providing high-quality homes that are energy-efficient and affordable for tenants.

Cllr Andrea Williams said:

“Better homes for our residents are one of the critical building blocks of creating a better future for children, for families and for our city. They improve people’s health and affordable homes that are energy efficient help reduce poverty and together they contribute to happier communities.”

She added:

“Over the last few years there has been a huge investment worth hundreds of millions of pounds into making sure the homes we own are in good shape and fit for the future under the Welsh Housing Quality Standard. In the coming year further investment of an estimated £69m will mean hundreds of families will benefit from improvements to their homes. Money is being earmarked for other projects including electrical re-wiring and weather-proofing where needed as well as general environmental improvements.”

Supporting Local Jobs

Cllr Williams said the council’s housing projects support hundreds of local jobs and apprenticeships, so it’s a “win-win” for local communities.

Funding for the new homes and the upgrades for existing homes is coming from the rents paid by tenants, Welsh Government grants, and HRA borrowing. None of the spending is from council tax.

#CllrAndreaWilliams #ClyneCourt #councilHouseImprovements #councilHouses #CroftStreet #DyfattyFlats #Fforesthall #GriffithJohnStreet #HeolEmrys #insulateAndWeatherproofCouncilHomes #JeffreysCourt #Mayhill #MoreHomes #Penlan #Penyrheol #Sketty #SwanseaCouncil #Townhill #TudnoPlace #WestCross

Smiling Swansea dad jailed after dealing cocaine while driving banned with his children in the car

Gavin Jones, 37, was stopped in Swansea city centre on New Year’s Eve after officers spotted him behind the wheel of a car that wasn’t registered or insured to him. Checks quickly revealed he was already disqualified from driving.

Inside the vehicle were two of his children and his partner. As officers spoke to him, messages linked to drug dealing began flashing up on his mobile phone — including bulk texts advertising cocaine and cannabis.

Drugs found in two cars and cash hidden in a sock

Police seized a key to a second vehicle, which was later searched. Inside the central console they found 12 snap bags of cocaine worth up to £1,080.

A search of Jones’ flat uncovered more cannabis and £1,930 in cash stuffed inside a sock.

South Wales Police said Jones showed a “clear and obvious disregard for the law”.

Sergeant Luke Tucker, South Wales Police, said: “Gavin Jones has a clear and obvious disregard for the law, something which is shown in his lengthy charge sheet. He now knows that the law applies to him.”

Court told he had 34 previous convictions

At Swansea Crown Court, prosecutors said Jones had 34 previous convictions — including a conviction in 2022 for being concerned in the supply of cocaine.

He answered “no comment” to most police questions after his arrest.

Alycia Carpanini, prosecuting, told the court the drugs found in the second car were packaged for sale and that Jones had been sending out bulk marketing messages to customers.

“Author of his own misfortune”

Jones’ barrister said he had been using cocaine and had built up a debt.

Andrew Evans, defending, said: “He accepts that he is the author of his own misfortune. The persons his offending will have the biggest impact on are his five children.”

Judge Huw Rees told Jones his actions were aggravated by his previous drug‑supply conviction.

“You will now be deprived of a role that you are proud of — that of a father,” he said. “That is the price you will have to pay yet again for being concerned in the supply of drugs.”

The sentence

Jones admitted a string of offences, including being concerned in the supply of cocaine and cannabis, possessing cocaine with intent to supply, possessing cannabis, driving while disqualified and using a vehicle without insurance. He also pleaded guilty to possessing criminal property after officers found almost £2,000 in cash hidden in a sock.

He was jailed for four years and five months — serving half in custody and half on licence — and banned from driving for 38 months.

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Swansea man jailed following Townhill burglary

38-year-old Daniel Allen, from Waun Wen, was identified as the suspect after attempting to sell a lamp stolen from the property at a nearby shop. Other ornaments, computers, phones and trainers were also stolen during the burglary, at an address on Gomer Road.

He has 37 previous convictions for 76 offences, with around 50 relating to theft and similar matters. The court heard he has been jailed for 17 shoplifting offences this year alone.

Dan Griffiths, defending his guilty plea at Swansea Magistrates Court, said a custodial sentence was inevitable and told the court that addiction to Class A drugs and excessive alcohol consumption had blighted Allen’s adult life and been the “driver” for his offending.

“The reality is his client is ‘simply unable to cope in the community, and the best place for him for the foreseeable future would be the structured environment of a custodial setting,” he said.

Allen refused to attend his sentencing hearing, with Mr Griffiths saying even if given another chance to attend on a subsequent date, he did not think his client would.

Judge Vanessa Francis said it was clear Allen’s life was blighted by drink and drugs, but added that he was “in turn blighting the lives of others by his actions”.

She said she had not been invited to consider suspending the custodial sentence, and even if she had been, given the defendant’s “abject failure” to comply with court orders in the past, an immediate custodial sentence was the only option.

With a one-third discount for his guilty plea, Allen was sentenced to 20 months in prison. He will serve no more than half the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

Detective Constable Liam Jenkins said:

“Daniel Allen had already been remanded for 13 shoplifting offences at the time of the investigation into this burglary.

“Whilst he was known to the victim, any burglary will cause worry amongst all those who live on the victim’s street, so I hope that they can feel some relief in knowing Daniel Allen is going to prison.

“It is very disappointing that Daniel continues to offend in this way.”

[Lead image: South Wales Police]

#burglary #SouthWalesPolice #SwanseaMagistratesCourt #Townhill #WaunWen

Swansea’s blue bag plastics trial extended – 70 tonnes collected so far

Around 20,000 households across the city have been stuffing crisp packets, bread bags and biscuit wrappers into special blue bags for kerbside pick‑up. The trial, launched in spring, was designed to see if residents would embrace recycling the trickiest plastics that usually end up in black bags.

They did. Within weeks, Swansea Bay News reported more than five tonnes had already been collected. Now the total has soared past 70 tonnes, with the material recycled into new products like bags for life and bin liners.

“A great success story”

Cabinet Member Cyril Anderson said:

“The trial so far has been a really great success story. Residents have got on board with it and have quickly seen the value in using the recycling service and reducing the amount of household waste they put in the black bag. Our plan is to continue the trial into the new year and give residents in the trial areas the opportunity to use the blue bags until June.”

Where it runs

The scheme covers a mix of areas across Swansea – from Blaenymaes, Fforestfach and Penlan to Clydach, Hafod and Townhill – chosen to test how different housing types use the service. Residents outside the trial can still recycle soft plastics at supermarket collection points.

What goes in the bag

Accepted items include crisp packets, bread bags, cereal liners, pet food bags, magazine wrapping and multipack rings. Residents are asked to rinse items and tie bags securely with a double knot.

Items such as cling film, polystyrene, cleaning product pouches and blister packs are not accepted and should go in black bags.

What’s next

The Welsh Government is collating data from Swansea’s trial to help decide how similar schemes could be rolled out across other towns and cities. For now, Swansea households in the pilot areas can keep filling their blue bags until 30 June 2026.

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Swansea man jailed for life for murder of Leanne Williams

Matthew Battenbough, 34, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to murder at Swansea Crown Court in August. Today he was sentenced to life imprisonment and must serve a minimum of 20 years and 114 days before being considered for release.

Leanne Williams’ body was discovered by officers at her home on Gomer Road, Townhill, on Thursday 27 February. A Home Office post‑mortem confirmed she had suffered significant injuries consistent with an assault.

“Devastating to her family and community”

Detective Inspector David Butt of South Wales Police said:

“The news of Leanne’s death was devastating to her family and to the wider communities of Townhill and Swansea.

Matthew Battenbough’s actions took Leanne’s life, tore apart the lives of her family and also caused immense distress to his own family.

We hope that this sentence offers some comfort to Leanne’s family and friends.

I would like to thank the community of Townhill for the way that they assisted and supported the investigation during what was a very sad and difficult time.”

Family tribute

In a statement, Leanne’s family said:

“Leanne was beautiful, strong, and kind. She loved nature and animals and had a special connection to horses.

She aspired to help others by giving them the opportunity to access specially‑trained horses and ponies who were sensitive to mental health and other issues.

She will be missed dearly.

We would like to thank South Wales Police for their continued support and the due diligence of the investigation team.”

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