REVEALED: How much North Wales Police spends on drones
A Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request published on its website asked: "For each year between 2020 and 2024, how many drones has your police force operated?" and "How much money has been invested in your police forces drone program, for each year between 2020 and 2024?"
That revealed that between 2020-2022, the force had four drones in their ranks, which cost £405,768 (Only started towards end of financial year 2020/21, so 2020/21 and 2021/22 costs included).
In 2022/23, that moved up to seven drones at a cost of £398,784.
In 2023/24, that figure was 11 drones at a cost of £488,229.
And this year, the total now stands at 15 drones used by the force, at a cost of £581,725.
The drones are used in a number of cases, for example, to track down missing people or to catch criminals red handed.
The FOI further reveals that North Wales Police operates a dedicated team of drone operators and additional pilots who have other primary roles.
It also adds that training a drone pilot costs around £1,000 with a course taking place over 13 days.
The Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales, Andy Dunbobbin, hailed the use of drones as an 'indispensable part of policing'.
He added that there are plans in place to continue investing in such technology to deal with 'challenges' face within policing.
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Mr Dunbobbin said: "In recent years, the use of drones has become an indispensable part of policing and fighting crime.
"For example, they have proved effective in cases of missing persons, where drones are able to scan landscapes and reach remote locations faster and more effectively than traditional means.
"Prior to becoming Police and Crime Commissioner, I had a professional background in IT and the digital sphere and so I recognise how important it is to keep pace with changes in technology.
"My Police and Crime Plan for North Wales pledges to continue to invest in technology and digital skills to deal with the challenges we face in policing, both now and into the future.
"I fully support North Wales Police and their drone unit in making the most of drones and other developing technologies for the benefit of the public and in fighting crime.'
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North Wales Live
13 hours ago
- North Wales Live
The latest North Wales police officers who have left the force in disgrace
Violent abusers and peverts are among the latest police officers, across Wales, who have been kicked off the force. Through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to all of the four police forces in Wales, WalesOnline has obtained details of most police misconduct cases from the last two years. The list includes a PC caught working other jobs while signed off sick, a sergeant who remained in post despite a criminal conviction for smashing a child's phone in rage, and a paedophile jailed for a decade, reports WalesOnline. In North Wales four officers have recently left the force for reasons including showing bodycam footage of a dead man off-duty and making "offensive comments" The North Wales Police Officers PC Matthew Roberts showed bodycam footage of a dead man to his colleague PCSO Manon Roberts (who was also his girlfriend) while off duty. A misconduct panel heard he also showed her videos of himself arresting people and found parts of the footage "amusing". Roberts even sent PCSO Roberts pictures of the baby of a woman he had arrested. The panel concluded he would have been sacked had he not quit. PCs Terrence Flanagan and Kenneth Iwan Williams attended a domestic incident and made "cruel, shocking and offensive comments" about a victim of domestic abuse. Their "misogynistic" and "sexualised" comments about the woman - and also about police colleagues - were caught because PC Flanagan had left his bodycam on. The chief constable found they both would have been fired had they not resigned. PC Owain Lewis threw a tray of food at his ex-girlfriend (a fellow PC) after finding her in "a state of undress" with one of their colleagues. He also smashed his ex's phone and got into a fight with the male colleague. A misconduct panel heard PC Lewis and the woman had split up after an eight-year relationship but they still shared a home in Buckley, Flintshire, where the scuffle broke out in a spare bedroom. The panel ordered PC Lewis be dismissed for gross misconduct. In the cases of two other North Wales Police officers, PC Daniel Jones and PC Vincent Jones, misconduct allegations were found not proved. WalesOnline said it made the FOI requests to find out how many officers' names were protected by anonymity orders - an issue which has recently led to it successfully challenging an order not to name a disgraced former Dyfed-Powys Police officer and reporting on a troubling restriction from South Wales Police on naming a corrupt ex-officer. In their FOI responses both Dyfed-Powys Police and South Wales Police initially withheld all names, citing a need to protect personal data. WalesOnline appealed - and at one point reported South Wales Police to a data watchdog because it was not responding - then both forces overturned their decisions, although some names continue to be withheld. The Gwent Police officers While off-duty, PC Joseph Cook punched a man he had spotted leaving a Cardiff nightclub with his former partner. Cook had been drinking on a night out when he saw the pair exit a St Mary Street club and walk past him. He pushed the man to the ground and punched him, causing cuts and bruises, before other police officers intervened. The chef constable found Cook would have been sacked had he not resigned. PC Benjamin French sexually assaulted a colleague while off-duty at a party, lifting her skirt and grabbing her bottom. He later claimed he could not "really remember" it but accepted the victim's account. The chief constable concluded he would have been fired had he not quit. PC Nathan Collings isolated his partners from their families and friends and monitored their social media. He used a tracking app to monitor the movements of one partner and used a "pet cam" to spy on her at home. After the relationship ended he stalked her by going into her house when she was out, and watching the property from a van. He was not only barred from policing but jailed for two and a half years after admitting stalking, controlling and coercive behaviour, and threatening to disclose private sexual photos. PC Jack Bannister sexually assaulted a fellow officer while on a night out in Cardiff. Twice he inappropriately touched the woman's buttocks as well as making inappropriate comments. The chief constable found Bannister's actions amounted to gross misconduct and that he would have been sacked had he not quit already. PC Huw Orphan broke his wife's back by kicking her down a flight of stairs during an argument. A Cardiff Crown Court jury found him guilty of grievous bodily harm against his police officer wife Amy Burley, who was left with frequent pain and mobility issues. He was jailed for two and a half years and the assistant chief constable barred him from policing. Wannabe firearms officer PC Avron Roulstone used vile homophobic language about a colleague, calling her "that f***ing d**e" and then asking other officers: "Are you going to report me?" The misconduct panel heard he "devised a campaign" against the more junior colleague – a gay woman – and even "fist-bumped" a member of the public who had hurled homophobic abuse at her. He would have been sacked had he not quit. DC Mark Peploe inappropriately touched a colleague on a Christmas night out. The chief constable described his behaviour as "totally unacceptable" and said he would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had he not already resigned. PC Paolo Goharjouy committed gross conduct by contacting sex workers to obtain their services. He sent 57 texts and had 629 contacts in his phone who were known or strongly suspected to be sex workers. The assistant chief constable said he would have been dismissed had he not already resigned. PC John Stringer was sacked by the assistant chief constable after he was found guilty by a Cardiff Crown Court jury of two counts of sexual assault by touching, two of inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and one of causing a child to watch a sexual act. The abuse came to light after the victim confided in a teaching assistant at school. Stringer was jailed for 10 years. PC Gediminas Palubinskas committed gross misconduct by failing to submit a business interest while suspended from duty for unrelated matters. He also "submitted evidential material purporting to be another person whilst suspended from duty". The chief constable said he would have been sacked had he not quit. Another Gwent Police officer was kept anonymous in their hearing. The force said the officer - who was barred from policing for interfering with an investigation and inappropriate sexualised communications with a colleague - was granted anonymity by the chief constable on "medical grounds" and "health concerns of the former officer". Six other Gwent Police officers kicked out for misconduct were named when their hearings took place but the force refused to tell us their names in its Freedom of Information response because more than three months had passed since their cases and the force had concerns about triggering "painful memories" for victims. These cases included cocaine use, domestic violence and excessive force against a detainee. The Dyfed-Powys Police officers PC Christopher Sanders was caught working other jobs while signed off sick from the force. He earned £450 from a care home where he fitted a floor and did odd jobs. He also made £770 tiling and painting for other clients during his months on sick leave. Last December the chief constable found he would have been dismissed had he not quit. PC Martyn Stephens behaved in an "inappropriate manner" towards two colleagues on the evening of April 30 last year. In January a misconduct panel found he would have been sacked had he not resigned already. Carmarthenshire PC Christian Stobbs quit the force while under investigation for computer misuse offences, which he admitted when he accepted a caution. He had used police systems, including "mapping technology", to monitor a person with no policing justification. The chief constable found he would have been dismissed had he not resigned. PC Gareth Horton exchanged homophobic, transphobic, racist and sexist messages with another officer. He claimed he was "trying to fit in" when he sent the WhatsApp messages to an officer from Merseyside Police, where Horton was serving at the time. He replied to "inappropriate" messages with "crying laughing" emojis and sent messages which had "homophobic and violent overtones", according to a misconduct panel who dismissed him in March. Ceredigion PC Simon Williams admitted sexually touching a woman in an Aberaeron pub without her consent while he was off-duty. He received a conditional caution and sent a letter of apology to the victim. The chief constable found he would have been sacked had he not already retired. Supt Gary Davies committed gross misconduct by touching female staff members without permission and comparing women to sports cars. The 58-year-old from Bridgend, who was nicknamed "the octopus", excluded female staff from meetings and had an "obvious corrosive effect" on colleagues, according to a misconduct panel who ordered he be dismissed. One Dyfed-Powys officer, PC Nicholas Jenkins, was given a final written warning for gross misconduct but we do not know the details of his behaviour because the force refused to provide us with the notice that was served against him, citing the need to protect "third-party personal data". Another officer, PC Lawrence Rew, was found not to have committed misconduct. Two Dyfed-Powys officers' names were withheld because of anonymity orders imposed by their misconduct panels. Both were found to have committed gross misconduct, but one was let off with a final written warning while the other was barred from policing. The force told us anonymity was granted because of "safety concerns in respect of the officer" in one case and "restrictions imposed by a separate court process" in the other case. The South Wales Police officers PC Jamie Davies started a relationship with a woman he had met on dating app Hinge and quickly embarked on a campaign of jealous and controlling behaviour which made her life hell. After pleading guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour he was handed a suspended prison sentence, 150 hours of unpaid work, 15 days of rehabilitation and a 10-year restraining order. The chief constable dismissed him from the force. PC Katie White failed to report her boyfriend's law-breaking until they broke up. She was in a relationship with a man from late 2022 until September 2023, then within days of the breakup she called police. She claimed her ex had been driving without insurance since January that year and had been driving under the influence of cannabis while his children were in the vehicle. The assistant chief constable said White ignored her duty to report criminal activity earlier, and added she would have been fired had she not quit. A misconduct panel found PC Darren Whatley acted in a "predatory" manner and caused "emotional harm" to three colleagues. He exposed his genitals to one woman, asked another to have sex with him in his car and told a third he would "gas" her. He would have been dismissed had he not retired. Off-duty Special Constable Joshua Edwards breached standards of professional behaviour involving authority, respect and courtesy with his behaviour towards an ex-partner. He would have been dismissed by the misconduct panel had he not quit. PC Spencer Crane was off duty and socialising in Cardiff's Caroline Street and the Hayes when he got into a scuffle with DC Jack Harris and an unnamed female colleague. The misconduct panel heard he grabbed the female PC "to the neck", causing her to fall to the ground, as well as "lunging" at DC Harris and fighting him on the floor. The panel found Crane was the aggressor and that he would have been sacked had he not quit. Sergeant Matthew O'Sullivan was found guilty at Newport Magistrates' Court of criminal damage but he was allowed to keep his policing job. The offence involved him smashing the mobile of a 15-year-old boy who had made hoax 999 calls with friends. The chief constable spared O'Sullivan dismissal and instead imposed a five-year final written warning. He took into account that the sergeant was "frustrated at the massive waste of police resource", and was sorry for acting "foolishly in the heat of the moment". Off-duty PC Salman Malik was driving a Tesla from Cardiff to Leicester when he was stopped by two Leicestershire Police officers. He told them the car was his sister's but that he had temporary insurance to drive it, which was false. Malik was sacked by the chief constable after being sentenced at Loughborough Magistrates' Court to a £430 fine and six penalty points for driving without insurance. Sergeant Rhodri Davies, a former boxer, was sacked by a misconduct panel after punching a man detained in a cell at Swansea Central police station. The victim, Tariq Evans, was handcuffed when he was swung to the floor and then struck by Mr Davies, who also used a "dangerous" restraint on his neck, according to the panel, who described his actions as "deplorable". Three South Wales Police officers who faced misconduct proceedings have been kept anonymous. One, known as Officer F, was recently barred from policing after he admitted the criminal offence of illegally accessing computer material. The corrupt officer repeatedly accessed the force system and leaked information to five members of the public. This is a serious offence, punishable with up to two years in prison, but Officer F was let off with a caution. The force didn't respond when asked why he wasn't charged. We know his name and his rank, but the force's chief constable Jeremy Vaughan continues to block us from telling you because of concerns for "the health and wellbeing of a child". You can read our piece on why this flies in the face of legal precedent and principles of transparency here. The other two officers were anonymised because of concerns for their safety. One was a PC sacked for gross misconduct. In the case of the second officer, a sergeant, misconduct was not proved. 'A mystery without any rationale' Former police and crime commissioner for North Wales, Arfon Jones, spoke to WalesOnline last month about the importance of transparency after becoming concerned by the anonymity orders protecting Officer F and, initially, Justin Ellerton. "Why legally qualified chairs of misconduct panels and senior police officers grant anonymity to accused officers is often a mystery without any rationale, and it seems increasingly to be the norm rather than an exception," said Mr Jones, who had a long career as a police officer. "It is particularly worrying that accused officers are avoiding criminal charges in an open court and instead quietly being sacked and remaining anonymous," he added. "It is in the public interest that officers who have committed serious criminal offences are tried in an open court the same as any other citizen. Anything else will be perceived to be a cover-up." Gwent Police asked WalesOnline to include a statement from its deputy chief constable Nicola Brain on the force's pledge to dismiss officers who "betray the trust and confidence of our communities". She said: "Our starting position is to hold all proceedings in public session, allowing us to be open and transparent with regards to the police misconduct process. But there are occasions when expert advice dictates, whether from medical professionals or ongoing criminal investigations, that some details will be heard in private session or with reporting restrictions. "It is important that we also consider the impact of a public hearing on those who bravely speak out about misconduct before a determination is made."
Daily Mail
17 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Cringeworthy moment Labor brags about building 17 new homes in seven months in a far cry from 1.2million goal
Labor has been slammed for bragging about building 17 new homes in Canberra in seven months - a far cry from its target of 1.2million homes in five years. 'We're here in Canberra visiting some brand spanking new homes, what do you reckon Chris?' Minister for Housing Clare O'Neil said in a TikTok on Friday. In an awkward game of catch, she tossed the phone to Chris Steel, ACT Minister for Planning and Sustainable Development, who then turned the camera on himself. 'Pretty good, 17 class C adaptable homes for new residents,' said a grinning Steel. He then threw the phone to Labor MP David Smith, who added: 'A great example of two Labor governments working together and taking pressure off housing right here in Bean'. 'And the good news is we're just getting started,' O'Neil said after Smith had tossed the phone back to her. 'This is 17 out of 55,000 social and affordable homes that our government is going to deliver to Australians over the coming few years.' The 55,000 social and affordable homes O'Neil mentioned fall under Labor's broader target of building 1.2million homes over five years from mid-2024. The policy known as the National Housing Accord includes $3.5billion in payments to state, territory and local governments to support the delivery of new homes towards the target, and a one-off $2billion payment to help states and territories to increase social housing stock. Aussies were quick to criticise the video, slamming the lacklustre seven-month timeframe for building just 17 houses. '17 homes in seven months... At that rate it will take you 1,886 years to complete the remaining 55,000 homes,' one said. 'You should reach your target by 2080 - what a joke,' said another. 'Do you realise another major building company has just declared bankruptcy?' a third asked. Critics have labelled Labor's housing target unrealistic, if not impossible, amid soaring construction costs and unfettered immigration. Australia had a record level of construction company insolvencies in 2025, a 24 per cent increase over last year's rate. Labor's policy requires 240,000 homes to be delivered every single year for five years - a significant improvement on Australia's record year of construction in 2017, when about 223,000 homes were built. Leith van Onselen, who formerly worked at the Australian Treasury and is the chief economist at MacroBusiness, said the construction sector was struggling. 'As a result, builders are caught between a rock and a hard place whereby they can't deliver stock at a profitable level, and that has created a major handbrake on housing construction,' Mr van Onselen said. 'We're still seeing lots of builders going under, and they're struggling to make a profit at the moment, which just means this housing construction target from the federal government is completely unrealistic. 'It's just too expensive to build housing in Australia at the moment, for a variety of reasons, and that just means that less housing is going to be built at the same time the government has the throttle on immigration.'
Leader Live
17 hours ago
- Leader Live
Fine warning for taking seashells and pebbles from beaches
However, beachgoers are being warned they could be breaking the law without even realising it, and fines may be on the way. Under the Coastal Protection Act 1949, the removal of any natural material such as shells, sand and pebbles from public beaches in the UK is illegal. Previously, a tourist who had holidayed near Crackington Haven beach, Cornwall was forced to drive hundreds of miles back to the popular holiday spot in order to return some pebbles he had taken from the beach. Removing pebbles and other natural matter from the coast is in fact damaging to the environment. (Image: Getty/Spooh) Additionally, in 2018, the Metro reported on a group of thieves who were described by the paper as 'grain gangs'. They would use JCB diggers to take large quantities of sand from Hemsby beach in Norfolk, in order to sell it on to builders. Meanwhile over in Devon, council gardeners were forced to microchip public plants after suffering a 'severe' amount of thefts in the area. Andrew Ward, ecological consultant at ecology and biodiversity consultancy firm Arbtech, told the BBC: 'What may seem like a harmless holiday keepsake is, in fact, part of a delicate and vital ecosystem—and could even cost you a fine of up to £1,000. 'One person taking a pebble may not seem like much, but when thousands of people do the same thing every summer, the consequences add up. 'The law isn't there to spoil anyone's fun—it's a reminder that we all have a role to play in protecting our environment. 'By leaving the beach just as we found it, we help ensure it remains a thriving habitat for generations to come.' Bans on seemingly harmless acts can be enforced by local councils, and can see offenders fined up to £1,000 as a penalty. Yet while it may seem perfectly harmless, removing pebbles and other natural matter from the coast is in fact damaging to the environment. As suggested by the name of the Act, and as stated in the introduction of the Act, taking natural material from a beach in the UK is illegal, in order to protect Britain's beaches 'against erosion and encroachment by the sea'. Pebbles and other natural matter act as a natural sea defence against coastal erosion, which many experts warn has become even more of an issue due to climate change.
