THE history of a much-loved former bus service has been captured by a Llanelli man in a new book.

Vernon Morgan, of Swiss Valley, has written A History of J. James and Sons Ltd, Ammanford, including information about Jones Bros, known as Brynteg, in Upper Tumble, Llanelli.

The much-loved company, which became a household name in the west Wales mining communities, was absorbed by the South Wales transport company in 1962, ending a story of enterprise and achievement.

The book is a tribute to the memory of a well-respected family, at one time Carmarthenshire's largest public service vehicle operator, running 54 buses on 21 services to Neath, Swansea, Llanelli, Burry Port, Lampeter and Aberystwyth.

Mr Morgan said: "I was a bus driver myself — not with the same company but with another one.

"It operated throughout Llanelli, Burry Port and the whole area.

"It is always something that has interested me and I felt inspired to write the book."

Included is the historic six-week Ammanford bus strike and riot of 1935, and the turbulent history of the notorious Jones Bros omnibus company known as Brynteg, from Upper Tumble, near Llanelli.

Brynteg was once Carmarthenshire's largest independent bus operator — a company absorbed by James in the 1930s.

Illustrated with 112 photographs and other informative memorabilia covering the period, the book is a limited edition to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the company's demise, as well as the 100th anniversary of their first motor vehicle.

THE following are open tonight from 5.30pm to 6pm unless stated:

Clydach: *Lloyds, Heol y Nant, and High Street. Cwmfelin: Carmarthen Road, Swansea. Cwmllynfell: Nat Co-op, Gwillym Road. Llangennech: *Gravelle Pharmacy. Morriston: Lloyds Pharmacy, Strawberry Place, 8.30am-6.30pm. Newcastle Emlyn: *C I Hopkins, Bridge Pharmacy. Penclawdd: *Huw S Rees, The Pharmacy. Swansea: Swansea Sainsbury's Instore Pharmacy, Quay Parade, 8am-10pm; Tesco Fforestfach, 8am-8pm; Boots Morfa, Morfa Shopping Park, 8am-10.30pm. Uplands: *Nat Co-op Pharmacy, 55 Uplands Crescent, 5.30-6.30pm.

*Oxygen equipment stocked.

**Whenever possible, phone the pharmacy to check they are open.

COUNCILLORS have raised concerns over planning policies after no action was taken following alterations to a property without permission.

St Clears Town Council members have asked why Carmarthenshire Council planners had closed a file over work carried out at the Mezzanine in High Street without making the owners get retrospective planning permission.

They claim to have been told, in a letter from planners, that the work would be likely to gain planning permission, so it would not be chased up.

Councillor Graham Edwards said at a town council meeting: "We're very concerned.

"They've taken no action whatsoever to the previous observations we made.

Planning

"Anybody who gets planning has to pay a fee to have the application looked at.

"There's obviously been no application made on this building and we think it's only right and proper that procedures are followed."

Huw Eynon added: "One of the many anomalies is the issue of the fee, so why should some pay a fee and others not?"

Clerk Lynn Bowen told the meeting a letter from the planning officer said the file had been closed as they felt planning permission would be granted.

Mayor Lyn Davies added: "Perhaps we could ask whether this has happened before in other parts of the county with the planning authority or whether it's a new precedent they are setting."

A Carmarthenshire Council spokesman said: "We can't comment on individual cases as enforcement files are private.

"However, the enforcement powers contained within the Town & Country Planning Act 1990 are discretionary and are used to resolve a breach of planning control which may be affecting the amenity of neighbours or the environment.

"Where planning permission is required for an unauthorised use or development which is acceptable in principle, the owner of the land/building will be asked to submit a planning application.

"If it is not submitted then the authority has to assess whether or not it is in the public interest to pursue the matter further.

"This may mean that on rare occasions the enforcement file may be closed even though a breach remains.

"This only occurs where the local planning authority feels there is no detrimental effect."

A POWERLIFTER from the Gwendraeth Valley has overcome injury to finish third in the world championships.

Endaf Williams from Pontyberem took home bronze in the 2012 World Powerlifting Championships in Aldershot earlier this month.

Endaf, who works for Forest Traffic Lights, has been powerlifting as a hobby for 20 years but only began competing in the past two years.

The 40-year-old already has the Welsh and British powerlifting titles to his name.

Endaf saw off competitors from Iceland, Russia, Nigeria and the USA to take third place at the World Powerlifting Federation competition.

He said: "I am highly honoured to be asked to compete at this level.

"A lot of time and energy is put into training and I am thrilled that all the effort has led to success."

Endaf said he was happy to have lifted the third place weight after becoming injured in training.

"I was pleased to be able to lift and come third," he said.

Endaf is now hoping to be at his best to take part in next year's World Powerlifting Championships in Chicago.

A FOOD festival themed around Arthurian legend could be coming to Ammanford next year.

Plans for an event in September next year are being drawn up and if successful it is hoped it will become an annual event.

It will be themed around the Twrch Trwyth story, which sees King Arthur hunt an enchanted wild boar called Twrch Trwyth across Wales and the South West.

Jonathan Davies, an Ammanford town councillor who is helping to organise the event, said: "We are very keen to link it in with the Twrch Trwyth trail."

The trail, which is a four-mile walking and cycle track from Ammanford to Garnant, was officially opened last month.

Mr Davies said: "It's nice that we have the Twrch Trwyth story behind it.

"There will be a lot of work involved."

Legendary

Organisers are hoping to open the food festival in a theatrical way, with a reenactment of the legendary story of the hunting of the boar.

Food on offer at the festival will also be wild boar themed with other general foods also available.

It is hoped the event will take place on the newly revamped Quay Street towards the top of the arcade in the town.

Taking place in September, it is believed the food festival will work well with the Bandstand Marathon which takes place is Ammanford park each year.

Mr Davies said: "I think it ties in nicely with the bandstand event."

Chris Jones, a town councillor, said: "As we saw with the switching on of the lights, if you organise a good event people will come."

Miriam Phillips, clerk of the town council, said there was a lot of enthusiasm in Ammanford for that type of festival.

Plans for a food festival in Ammanford are due to be discussed in full by the town council later this month.

PUPILS at a Carmarthen school have had their eco-friendly programme rewarded.

Children at Peniel Primary School have received the Platinum award under the Eco-Schools scheme.

To celebrate the prestigious award, the school held a flag-raising ceremony which was attended by Carmarthenshire Council's deputy leader Pam Palmer and Rheinallt Williams from Keep Wales Tidy.

The pupils also gave a presentation on recycling and composting.

Peniel is the sixth school in Carmarthenshire to receive the Platinum award.

Meinir Williams, Peniel's Eco-Schools co-ordinator, said: "We are very proud as a school to reach Platinum status.

"Our history as an Eco-School goes back 10 years and we have enjoyed every minute of all the hard work we have put in to make our community a better place."

CLAIMS that Kidwelly's historic quay was shut down due to damage caused by boy racers have been slammed by the chairman of the town's motor club.

It was announced in October that the nature reserve, which had been subject to £200,000 regeneration work, had been put out of use due to potholes leaving it unsafe for visitors.

Kidwelly Town Council claimed the problem had been caused by "sub-standard" workmanship, but Carmarthenshire Council, whose contractors carried out the work, said the issues were a result of boy racers speeding around the car park.

Now chairman of Kidwelly Motor Club, Paul Davies, has waded into the row, declaring it an "easy way out" for the council to blame boy racers and insisting the problems were due to the materials used.

The 39-year-old, who lives in Ger y Gwendraeth, said: "We are totally against boy racers, but it's not them that have caused the damage.

"When you go down there the stuff on the ground is all over the tyres. It's a real mess. It is an easy way out for the council to blame it on boy racers, but the surface is rubbish and the area has really been ruined."

Councillor Fran Burke-Lloyd added that town councillors would be the first ones to know if there were any problems of boy racers in the area, as residents ring them routinely.

Watching

Mrs Burke-Lloyd said: "Before, if we have had any problems, I would drive down there — myself and Jeanette (Gilasbey, town mayor) — and park up to let people know we are watching them and take down their car registrations.

"We are not afraid to stand up for our area, but we have heard of nothing going on there. If there was a problem with boy racers up there we would know about it."

A meeting to discuss the issue was recently held between Carmarthenshire Council and the town council to discuss a way forward. Town clerk, Geraint Thomas said: "We had the meeting with the county where there was an exchange of views.

"We don't subscribe to the belief that boy racers caused the issues at the quay, we are of the belief that it was due to substandard materials used during the regeneration of the area."

The quay and its connected land along Kymer's Canal are seen as a little-known treasure for visitors.

Funding for the revamp scheme was granted by the Welsh Government in 2010, with long-term aims to regenerate the area and make the land around the estuary and along the canal more accessible.

Work carried out by Carmarthenshire Council contractors included car park improvements, landscaping, new paths and picnic benches.

In response, a Carmarthenshire spokesman said that the council stuck by its original statement that boy racers were responsible for the issue.

A TEENAGER from the Gwendraeth Valley has come through half a decade of abuse at the hands of bullies to be named achiever of the year.

After leaving Ysgol y Gwendraeth, 17-year-old Carys Jones says she was at her lowest ebb having lost her confidence due to five years of bullying.

But after finding the help of Llanelli youth charity, Rathbone Cymru, things started to turn around for the brave youngster, of Clos y Deri in lower Tumble, as she began to overcome barriers in her way.

She has now been hailed as one of the charity's Achievers of the Year 2012 after a special award ceremony.

Carys said: "When I was at school I was being called names like shorty and midget and it carried on like that for five years.

"I just could not bring myself to tell the teachers but it was really upsetting for me."

Sad and withdrawn, Carys barely spoke or mixed with others when she first arrived at the Station Road service, after finding herself lacking self- esteem.

But after plenty of one-to-one support and the opportunity to learn flexibly, she completed qualifications in communications and problem-solving. She is now about to begin an NVQ in health and social care, with dreams of opening her own childcare business in the future.

She won the award during a ceremony at the Senedd honouring young people who have overcome major barriers and progressed through learning.

Tutor, Emma Dicks, said staff were impressed by her transition into a promising, independent young woman.

Ms Dicks said: "Carys has worked hard at Rathbone and we have seen a tremendous increase in her confidence.

"She is a bubbly girl with plenty of friends and now finds it easier to approach others whenever she needs help or a chat. It is a pleasure to work with her."

The 17-year-old added: "I was excited to be nominated and it was brilliant to win. My family are really proud of me."

AM Jeff Cuthbert, Deputy Minister for Skills, who presented the teen with her award, added: "Congratulations to Carys, whose story is inspiring."

A TUMBLE tot will celebrate his first birthday this week — nearly a year after receiving a lifesaving heart operation.

At just 19 days old, Harri Stephens was diagnosed with a rare and complex heart condition and had to be rushed from Glangwili Hospital to Bristol Children's Hospital to undergo open-heart surgery.

After making a full recovery, Harri has grown into a happy little boy and will celebrate his first birthday on Monday.

His mum, Sarah Stephens, 36, said: "Obviously it is a milestone for him considering what happened.

"He is now a normal, happy and boisterous 1-year-old."

Harri will celebrate with his sister Hannah, 15, and brother Rhydian, 14, along with family and friends, at Tumble Rugby Club.

Sarah said the party will take on the theme of The Hungry Caterpillar because Harri "loves to eat".

To thank the organisations who helped Harri in the early stages of his life, some members of his family took part in a 100-mile sponsored trek along Pembrokeshire Costal Path.

Harri's uncle Reynallt Stephens and friends spent eight days hiking along the coastal path — from St Dogmael's to Martin's Haven — to raise £1,100 for the British Heart Foundation Cymru and the Children's Hospital in Bristol.

Sarah added: "We are so grateful for the help and support from both the British Heart Foundation and Bristol Children's Hospital.

"Because it is such a rare condition there is so much research that must be done, and hopefully the money can go towards that."

Family friend Stewart Hey, who also took part in the gruelling hike, said: "We experienced storms, rain, and wind along the way — but it was worth it. We really enjoyed the challenge and it will be so nice to see Harri celebrating his first birthday."

Pontyberem Primary School — where Harri's cousin is a pupil — also donated £50 towards the fund.

Llanelli British Heart Foundation Cymru fundraising and volunteer manager Jayne Lewis said: "I'd like to thank Reynallt and Stewart and all the family and friends who supported them."

FATHER Christmas will visit a Gwendraeth Valley primary school later today.

Ysgol Drefach is holding a Christmas Fair, from 6pm, with refreshments and stalls.

A CALL has been made for Neath and Port Talbot companies and workers to benefit from Swansea University's new campus.

Councillors have approved detailed plans for the £250 million first phase of the science and innovation campus at the old BP transit site off Fabian Way.

They were unanimous in singing its praises, with deputy council leader Peter Rees saying it would secure the area's economic, social and educational future.

"It's going to be a wonderful development that we all applaud," said Mr Rees.

"But I hope the development will bring jobs to the community, that there will be building and engineering jobs for the locality.

"I hope that is the case and that we get local people involved in the construction of this wonderful university."

Head of planning Geoff White said a condition had been included for a local supply chain plan, to get as much local input as possible.

"We cannot make them use local suppliers," he said.

"But we are requiring them to come up with a scheme to ensure as much local gain as possible comes out of this."

Mr Rees said that was welcome news after last week's Tata job losses announcement. He added: "At least local supplies will be involved with this."

Work on the campus is expected to start early next year, with the first students arriving in 2015.

It's predicted to be worth £37 million a year to the local economy and create around 11,000 jobs.

Councillor Hugh James told the planning committee: "Anybody who doesn't support this would be absolutely mad."

In fact there was not a single dissenting voice, with the application being approved unanimously.

Councillor John Warman said: "I have never been as excited as I am today. It's a wonderful opportunity."

Meanwhile, Councillor Alan Lockyer pointed out many Neath and Port Talbot youngsters would go to the university as they could not afford to move away.

"So we are doing this for our children," he said.

THE mother of a 14-year-old boy who took his new BB gun to school to use as a prop in his drama class has asked for the weapon to be returned.

Staff at Dyffryn Comprehensive School confiscated the bright orange weapon when 14-year-old Corey Sanders and his friends were caught playing with it on school fields during break time on Tuesday.

But mum Leanne Walsh said Corey, who had the gun bought for him as a birthday present last week, had taken it to school to use as a prop for the drama class and their upcoming performance of the Blues Brothers and wants it back.

The gun has been handed over to South Wales Police.

Ms Walsh, from Cwmavon, said: "Last Thursday Corey was meant to have drama but he missed the lesson as he had turned up for school wearing trainers.

"The school does not allow children to wear trainers but he had to as his school shoes were full of holes. I sent him with a note explaining this.

Props

"So he wasn't in the drama lesson but one of his friends told him they had been told to bring props in.

"The school didn't ring me, the first I heard was when he came home crying his eyes out.

"I didn't know he had taken it, if I had I would have told him not too.

"It was taken off him on the field, I think boys being boys, he was showing off to his friends. I would like it back, as it was his birthday present.

"It is bright orange, you couldn't mistake it for a real gun. It cost £18.99. I just think it is really unfair."

A spokesman for Neath Port Talbot Council said: "The safety of our pupils and staff comes first.

"We take incidents such as this extremely seriously.

"The head teacher followed the correct procedure and contacted the police who are now dealing with the matter."

A spokesman for South Wales Police said: "We have now taken possession of the weapon."

The spokesman was unable to say what would happen to the gun.

PIGEONS have been causing a nuisance at the city centre bus station.

Deterrents, put up in Swansea's transport hub have been putting off the pests, but they have now moved into unprotected parts of the building.

Some of the methods used so far to try to get rid of the birds include a hawk and gel on surfaces to stop them being able to roost.

Opposition councillors including Wendy Fitzgerald, Keith Marsh and Ioan Richard said "feral" pigeons had taken to roosting in the new station at the Quadrant causing "unhealthy deposits of pigeon manure within in the building on the floor, notice boards etc".

They have demanded to know what the council is doing to eliminate the "nuisance and potential health hazard".

Cabinet member for place June Burtonshaw said deterrents had been installed.

"Given the large number of roosting pigeons in the previous bus station it is, at the least, unfortunate that roosting prevention was not considered of sufficient priority to be included in the construction stage," she said.

"A large number of pigeon deterrents were installed in the bus station last year, and these have been largely successful in tackling pigeons roosting in the bus station. This reduced the problem considerably.

"However, some pigeons have recently moved to other unprotected spaces, including the tops of display screens.

"Additional deterrents for these locations have been ordered and will be in place shortly."

Mrs Burtonshaw said the council was also cleaning up the mess while the deterrents were on order. She added: "Specialist cleaning is, meanwhile, being undertaken prior to the additional deterrents being put in place, and will also follow the works being completed."

However, she admitted it was not possible to stop all pigeons getting in.

"It is impossible to prevent pigeons from entering the bus station through the doors when passengers enter or leave, but the measure to deter roosting will address the problem of pigeons on ledges and screens," she said.

"The bus station is also cleaned regularly throughout the day, and additional cleaning of screens and ledges has been arranged routinely."

VETS in Swansea have saved the leg of a cat which found itself caught in a trap which has been banned in Britain for more than 50 years.

One and a half year old Sol appeared on his owner's doorstep in Pontarddulais with a gin trap attached to his foot.

Jean Hixson was alerted to the incident after her Sheltie dog Candy began barking loudly at the door.

The 47-year-old found her cat with the trap around its paw sitting on the step outside her home on Pantiago Road.

Miss Hixson took her pet to the Tawe Veterinary Group surgery in Gorseinon.

Sol was then transferred to the group's premises in Sketty where it underwent an X-ray and spent a night in the care of vets. Surgeons were able to treat the animal without having to amputate its leg.

His owner said: "He normally goes out in the evening for a couple of hours but he comes back at 1am and then goes back out at 4am.

"He is not out for very long. He is usually during the day.

"Yesterday morning he hadn't come back. It thought it was a bit strange.

"At about 10am my dog started barking. She went bananas. She normally alerts me when Sol is outside the door. When I opened the door he was sitting on the step with the gin trap attached to his paw.

"He had obviously pulled it up and come home with it. He was just dragging it with him.

"I was very upset and it was quite upsetting thinking people have been putting them out and using them. I think it is awful to think someone is using them. I think it is barbaric to be honest with you."

Miss Hixson said surgeons at the veterinary centre told her the injuries were not as bad as they first appeared.

A spokeswoman for Tawe Veterinary Group said the incident was very rare.

She said: "We haven't seen any of this type in the past five to six years. He (Sol) has minor injuries considering the trap that was caught on his leg. He was very lucky, he could have lost his leg.

"He has crush injuries to his leg."

Sol was treated by Tawe Veterinary Group vets Alison Brettell and Gemma Thomas.

He was reunited with his owner yesterday afternoon.

Miss Hixson collected her cat from the vet and said: "He has a bandage on his paw and he is still very upset.

"We will just have to keep him indoors for the time being until it heals."

Gin traps were banned in 1958 according to the RSCPA.

FILMING for singer Paul Potts's biopic One Chance film has finished.

More than 500 extras were called up to help shoot the film, which was partly set in Port Talbot, about the mobile phone salesman who rose to fame on the talent show Britain's Got Talent.

One Chance stars Gavin and Stacey actor James Corden as Potts, and The Iron Lady actress Alexandra Roach from Ammanford, as his wife Julie Ann Cooper.

The film was directed by David Frankel, who made The Devil Wears Prada, and produced by Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Speaking after the seven weeks of filming finished, Corden said: "It has been fantastic to work with David Frankel and Harvey Weinstein. The film is an inspiring and uplifting tale and I hope Paul agrees that we have brought his story justice."

Mr Frankel has also praised his leading man and the cast.

"I couldn't be more thrilled to have shot such a sweet and funny story with such an extraordinary cast led by the phenomenal James Corden," he said.

Port Talbot was turned into a film set for part of October and early November and many residents had the chance to mingle with the stars on set.

Scenes were shot on Aberavon Beach, outside Aberafan Shopping Centre, at the Twelve Knights pub in Margam and at Port Talbot railway station.

The cameras also rolled at Edward Street and Forge Road in the town centre and at St Catherine's Church in Baglan.

As well as Port Talbot, the film was shot in Venice and London and also features Julie Walters, Star Trek's Colm Meaney and Mackenzie Crook.

Simon Cowell is also rumoured to make a cameo appearance in the film.

Last week Corden tweeted about filming coming to an end. He said: "Its our last day on One Chance today! I've loved every second of this job. Have a good day everyone x."

Alexandra Roach also tweeted on Tuesday night about the crew's wrap celebrations. "Tonight I had dinner at Heston Blumenthal's restaurant with all the One Chance crew — food was incredible! X" she said.

One Chance is named after Potts's album which topped the charts in nine countries after he won Britain's Got Talent in 2007 with his rendition of Nessun Dorma. Potts, who lives in Baglan, appeared on The Royal Variety show on Monday along with dance group Diversity.

GRITTING lorries were out in force in Swansea last night after icy conditions caused traffic chaos for early morning motorists yesterday.

Council gritters took to the roads at 5pm in a bid to stop a repeat of the problems caused by a sudden drop in temperature.

Emergency services were called out to 10 accidents across the city.

Drivers heading into Fforestfach faced gridlock after accidents on Pontarddulais Road leading police to take the decision to close the route.

A South Wales Police spokesman said: "There was a five-vehicle collision on Pontarddulais Road eastbound at 8.39am.

"There were two or three vehicles involved in a collision at 8.40am and also a black Volkswagen Passat slipped off the road. The road was closed because of the incidents and the road's icy conditions."

Mum-of-three and staff nurse Lisa Davies, aged 37, said: "I left our house in Kingsbridge at 8.10am, there was black ice at the roundabout opposite Hair Khandi (in Kingsbridge) and we saw a motorbike accident.

"The traffic was queued outside The Wave radio station for at least 20 minutes due to black ice at the main roundabout towards Gowerton. "There was also black ice in Dunvant Square up to Pen-y-Fro primary and around the school. I nearly crashed twice and was only going 18mph."

A Swansea Council spokesman said gritters had not been out on Tuesday night as the temperature had not dropped until around 5am on Wednesday.

"Our gritting vehicles were out last night treating around 500km of the city's main road network as weather forecasts have predicted icy conditions."

THE ambulance service has apologised after a vehicle did not show up to collect a man left waiting hours in his GP's surgery.

Lee Allen, 21, of Ysgol Street, Port Tennant, visited his doctor suffering chest pains. He was diagnosed with shingles and given a prescription. But Mr Allen, who is on dialysis, wanted it investigated further.

The GP called an ambulance, but Mr Allen's mum, Dawn, said he was still waiting after the surgery closed at 6.15pm.

His mum said: "No one was able to take him to the hospital that day (Monday). I couldn't go because I had physiotherapy and my daughter, who had the car, was in work. The GP called an ambulance, but one never came and he was left locked in the surgery with the cleaner.

"My daughter had to leave work to go and get him. She took him to Singleton Hospital. Then, at 1.15am that morning, I could hear movement. I went downstairs and he was on the sofa. They had sent him home in an ambulance and said there was nothing wrong with him.

"But he had terrible chest pains, I phoned for an ambulance again and a paramedic said to take him in. He's now in Morriston Hospital on the renal ward."

A Welsh Ambulance Service spokesman said: "Following a non-urgent request at 14.47 to transport this patient to hospital, an estimated time for response within 1 hour was agreed upon with the GP. However, during the hours subsequent to this call, the Welsh Ambulance Service was experiencing handover delays at hospitals in the region and an increase in calls which means crews were attending to emergency calls. We are working with our health board partners to address these issues.

"Notwithstanding this, we deeply regret that we were unable to attend to this patient sooner and we would encourage him or the family to contact us if they wish to discuss the case further."

An ABM Health Board spokeswoman said the patient was not seriously ill at the surgery.

She added: "At the end of the day the GP was called to an emergency house call less than a minute away. As the patient did not need medical supervision the receptionist stayed with him out of courtesy so he could remain in the warmth of the surgery rather than outside.

"On arrival at Singleton Hospital various tests including X-rays were carried out to rule out any other illness. Based on the results there was no medical reason to admit the patient and he was discharged with appropriate medication and advised to attend clinic the next day. With shingles it is normal to have pain in the area where the shingles are. In some cases it doesn't improve with medication and it is necessary to seek further medical help."

A JURY has unanimously cleared a woman of causing the death of a Trimsaran biker by careless driving.

Elizabeth Karen Wilson, who had been accused of causing the death of Thomas Joseph James during a collision on the A477 near Pembroke on August 14 last year, was found not guilty at Swansea Crown Court.

Mr James, known as Joe, and who lived in Garden Suburbs, died at the scene of the crash on the A477 near Pembroke, as he was driving his Kawasaki Ninja bike to work at Pembroke Oil Refinery.

In previous stages of the hearing, prosecution witnesses called during the first day of the trial included a friend and colleague of Mr James, Miles Blewitt, who would usually drive them both to the Pembroke Dock workplace.

But the night before the incident, he had received a phone call from Mr James, who said he had seen the sunny weather forecast and "fancied a spin" on his bike to work the following day. Mr Blewitt saw Mr James on the road to work, and described him as driving "at a sensible speed" in front of him.

But other witnesses told how they had seen a motorbike travelling around the area at the same time, which they could not identify due to the speed it was travelling at.

Overtaking

Jeanette Hill was travelling to the market in Carew that morning, and told the court that she looked in her mirror and saw him coming behind her, adding before she knew it, the bike was overtaking her vehicle, and "was definitely" exceeding the speed limit.

The court heard that days later, Mrs Hill told the police that Mr James would "not live that long if he carried on driving like that".

Andrew Parry Blaney, a health and safety adviser at Pembroke refinery, also told the court how he had seen a bike exceed a 40mph limit through the village of Milton, as did Christopher and Margaret Roberts, who had been travelling in the opposite direction to Mr James.

Taking to the stand on the second day of the trial, Mrs Wilson, 66, of Kingsbridge Drive, Pembroke, described herself as a "very careful and experienced driver", and during police interview she told officers that she had not seen any vehicle before she pulled from the junction, which she described as approaching "at a snail's pace".

She told the court that the next thing she heard was "a bang" before she then got out of the car, and saw Mr James lying in the road, after which she dialled 999.

When asked if she could turn time back, if she would in fact get in the car that morning, she replied: "No."

Dyfed-Powys collision investigation officer, PC Ian Pathak, told the court he was unable to determine what speed Mr James was travelling at at the time of the collision.