Harlech Foodservice revealed the figures as it brought together 40 members of staff and 28 suppliers for its first Christmas Roadshow in Wrexham.

The family-run company, which is based in Cricieth and has operations across Wales and England, has launched a Christmas brochure featuring 420 festive products, including 78 new lines.

The products will be supplied to restaurants, pubs, schools and hospitals across Wales, the North West of England, Shropshire and the Midlands.

The roadshow saw suppliers take part in speed-dating style sessions, giving Harlech staff eight minutes to sample products and find out more about each company's festive range.

Harlech commercial manager Chris Gregson said the event was designed to ensure staff understood the products they would be selling to customers.

He said pre-orders had increased by around 1,100 per cent compared with the same period last year, just two weeks after the Christmas brochure was launched.

The company is also offering customers a free bottle of Prosecco when they place a Christmas pre-order worth £250.

Harlech managing director Mark Lawton said Christmas was a crucial trading period for the food and drink industry and the roadshow was ultimately about helping customers have a successful festive season.

Among the suppliers attending was Snowdonia Cheese, which has a production site in Rhyl and offices in Deeside.

The company has supplied Harlech Foodservice for more than 10 years, with national account manager Olivia Gratwick describing Christmas as a particularly important period for the business.

She said around 60 to 70 per cent of Snowdonia Cheese's business was generated during the Christmas period, when demand increases for cheeseboards and food gifts.

Caernarfon-based Ready Foods also took part. The company employs around 100 people and specialises in slow-cooked chicken, pork and turkey products.

Business development manager Bill Currie said the company currently has six products listed with Harlech and is continuing to expand.

Ready Foods is also celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

Harlech Foodservice has bases in Cricieth, Chester, Carmarthen, Aberbargoed and Telford and is on course for record sales of £75 million following its recent expansion across Wales and England.

North Wales Police carried out searches at eight properties and three vehicles in Menai Bridge, Cemaes Bay and Bangor on Monday, 21 September, following an investigation into suspected drug supply.

Four people were arrested in connection with the investigation, with two subsequently charged.

Aaron Colin Owen, 32, of Fron Heulog, Menai Bridge, has been charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis, being concerned in the supply of MDMA and 2C-B, possession with intent to supply cannabis and possession of criminal property.

Jordan Lee Jones, 29, of Gardd Denman, Bangor, has been charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis.

Both men appeared before Caernarfon Magistrates' Court on Tuesday and were remanded in custody until their next hearing at Caernarfon Crown Court on 19 October.

The other two people arrested have been released under investigation while police enquiries continue.

Officers also seized an amount of suspected drugs, a large sum of cash and high-value assets, including watches.

Ynys Môn Chief Inspector Jon Aspinall said the operation demonstrated the force's commitment to tackling drug-related crime on the island.

He said anyone bringing illegal drugs onto Anglesey would be "relentlessly pursued and brought to justice".

He also thanked local people for their continued support and urged anyone with information about suspected drug activity to contact North Wales Police or Crimestoppers anonymously.

The operation involved activity on both Anglesey and in Bangor as part of the wider investigation into suspected drug supply.

The Welsh Government is asking for views on whether responsibility should fall on the person a vehicle is registered to, rather than requiring councils to prove exactly who threw the litter.

The proposal is part of the Welsh Government's Rural Proofing and Environmental Sustainability White Paper, which includes wider changes to waste and environmental enforcement. The consultation closes on 14 October 2026.

Roadside litter is a particular issue on the North Wales road network, including the A55 and other busy routes linking communities along the coast and into rural areas.

Keep Wales Tidy's latest roadside survey data shows just how widespread the problem is across Wales. It found litter on 98.8% of A and B roads surveyed, while confectionery litter was found on 80.7% of main roads and fast-food litter on 67%.

The organisation says roadside litter is particularly difficult and potentially dangerous to remove because workers may have to operate close to fast-moving traffic.

That is particularly relevant to North Wales, where the A55 carries large volumes of traffic through communities including Colwyn Bay, Llandudno Junction, Conwy, Abergele and along the North Wales coast.

The Welsh Government has previously highlighted the cost and safety implications of clearing litter from trunk roads. A 2018 Welsh Government estimate found that six workers could cost more than £1,000 a night to clear litter from just two kilometres of trunk road and roadside, while a lane closure could cost more than £2,600 a night.

Responsibility for different parts of the North Wales network is split between councils and the Welsh Government's trunk road agencies. Traffic Wales currently provides a reporting system for litter on Wales's main A roads and motorways, while other roads are generally the responsibility of the relevant local authority.

In Conwy, throwing litter from a vehicle is already an offence. The council says anyone caught dropping litter can receive a £75 Fixed Penalty Notice, with a fine of up to £2,500 possible following a court conviction.

The difficulty is proving who actually dropped the item.

The proposed change would mean a vehicle's registered owner could potentially receive a penalty even where it has not been possible to establish who inside the vehicle threw the rubbish.

The issue is already visible at community level. Volunteers with the North Wales Wildlife Trust's Conwy Valley branch hold regular litter picks around Llandudno Junction, including roadside areas, while councils across North Wales provide equipment and support for community litter-picking through the Keep Wales Tidy network.

Keep Wales Tidy says its new GLÂN monitoring system is now providing a new national baseline for measuring litter and environmental quality. The organisation cautions that the 2025 data cannot be directly compared with earlier figures because GLÂN replaced the previous methodology.

The proposed vehicle penalties are only one part of the consultation. The Welsh Government is also seeking views on environmental enforcement and proposals including increasing the maximum fixed penalty for fly-tipping to £5,000.

The Welsh Government says no decision has yet been made on the vehicle-litter proposal and is inviting people, councils, businesses and community organisations to submit evidence before 14 October.

For North Wales, the consultation could have particular relevance given the importance of the A55 and other major routes to tourism, commuting and the local economy — and the amount of roadside land which has to be maintained across a mixture of urban, coastal and rural communities.

Have your say on the Welsh Government consultation.

New figures from Public Health Wales show 5.2 per cent of pupils in Years 7 to 11 reported vaping at least once a week in 2025.

That is down from seven per cent in 2023 and represents around 3,200 fewer young people regularly vaping.

The survey is based on responses from more than 130,000 secondary school pupils across Wales, making it one of the largest sources of information about young people's health and behaviour in the country.

The fall is particularly significant because vaping among teenagers had been rising for several years. The 2023 survey found that more than one in four pupils had tried vaping at least once, while seven per cent were regular users.

The latest figures show regular vaping has fallen among every school year and among both boys and girls.

Girls remain more likely to report regular vaping, at 6.6 per cent compared with 3.7 per cent of boys, although both figures have fallen since 2023.

Among Year 11 pupils, who are the most likely to report vaping, the rate has dropped from 15.9 per cent to 12.8 per cent.

The figures also show a fall among younger pupils. Just 0.6 per cent of Year 7 pupils reported vaping at least weekly, compared with 0.8 per cent in 2023.

There is a particular North Wales context to the issue.

Flintshire has previously recorded relatively high levels of young people reporting that they had tried e-cigarettes. Council data from the 2021 SHRN survey showed 23.1 per cent of 11 to 16-year-olds in the county had tried e-cigarettes.

The council subsequently introduced measures including a model smoke-free policy for schools, training for school staff and work with Public Health Wales and ASH Wales on vaping education. In 2023/24, seven Flintshire secondary schools were identified as eligible for a targeted smoking prevention programme, with one taking part.

Schools elsewhere in North Wales have also been using SHRN data to shape health and wellbeing work.

Ysgol Aberconwy in Conwy has used the survey findings to identify priorities for pupils, while the Conwy healthy schools team has developed infographics to help secondary schools present SHRN data to pupils, parents and staff.

Public Health Wales says the fall in vaping coincides with increased public and political attention on youth vaping, including the ban on single-use vapes which came into force across the UK in June 2025.

However, health officials say it is too early to establish how much impact that ban had on the figures.

The new Tobacco and Vapes Act also introduces further restrictions intended to reduce the appeal of vaping to children, including measures covering flavours, packaging, displays and marketing.

Smoking among secondary school pupils has fallen too.

Only 1.8 per cent of Years 7 to 11 pupils reported smoking at least weekly in the latest survey, down from 2.7 per cent in 2023. Public Health Wales estimates that represents around 1,600 fewer young people smoking regularly.

Public Health Wales says vaping is less harmful than smoking but is not risk-free, and says children and young people should not vape.

Mary-Ann McKibben, a consultant in public health, said the fall in both vaping and smoking was welcome after several years of increases in youth vaping.

She said a number of factors could have contributed, including public health work in schools, greater awareness of the risks and the disposable vape ban, but that further monitoring would be needed to establish whether the fall represents a continuing trend.

The latest figures come from the 2025 SHRN Student Health and Well-being Survey, which is carried out every two years among secondary school pupils across Wales. The large-scale survey is used by schools and health authorities to identify trends and help shape prevention and wellbeing programmes.

Iván Cherednichenko Carrillo, 20 delivered a show-stopping performance to win the prestigious Pendine Young Musician of Wales title at the North Wales International Music Festival.

He  was presented with the £2,000 prize and the competition’s silver salver trophy, which will be engraved with his name.

The £1,000 second prize went to 14-year-old French horn player Ethan Pawley, from Welshpool, the youngest instrumentalist in the National Youth Orchestra of Wales.

Soprano Leisa Mair Lloyd-Edwards, from Dyffryn Nantlle, Gwynedd, and Bangor-born organist Llewelyn Biezard-Greenwell, 19, each received £500 as runners-up.

The prizes were provided by Pendine Park care organisation through its Pendine Arts and Community Trust (PACT) .

Pendine Park owner Mario Kreft MBE, who presented Iván with the trophy, praised the standard of all four finalists who performed at St Asaph Cathedral in front of an enraptured audience.

He said: “I think everyone in the audience tonight was entranced by the high standard of playing from all the finalists.

“They are a credit to the way in which music education is valued here in Wales. It is important that competitions like this one continue to provide opportunities for the young musical talents or our future.

“My wife Gill and I could not be prouder to have witnessed such thrilling performances here in St Asaph Cathedral which is so widely acclaimed for its wonderful acoustic.

“Iván’s performance was extraordinary. He is a worthy winner. We wish him and all the other finalists here tonight the very best for their future careers.”

Iván, from Cardiff, who once took a masterclass with globally renowned cello player Julian Lloyd Webber, said: “I was excited to have made it into the competition final again, especially after I was placed second last year. To have now gone one better and won the title is an incredible honour.”

Festival artistic director, the Royal composer Professor Paul Mealor, said the competition was a fantastic showpiece for the wealth of young musical talent that exists in Wales and a great opportunity for up and coming musicians to perform on a major stage.

The competition was judged by three of North Wales’s most eminent musicians, oboist and music author Professor Helena Gaunt, concert pianist and Bangor university lecturer Iwan Llewelyn-Jones, and choral scholar and singer Alun Jones.

Announcing the winner Professor Gaunt said the entire judging panel had ‘truly marvelled’ at the standard of Iván’s playing, especially his mastering of the cello duo technique which they said was outstanding.

It involves a player synchronizing their timing, bow stroke and intonation with the accompanist to achieve a perfect balance of the melody and harmony.

Iván was accompanied by pianist Louisa Lam who is a full time accompanist at the Royal College of Music in London where Iván is half way through a four year degree course.

He played three pieces of varying styles, Mervyn Burtch’s Prelude, Bohuslave Martinu’s Variations on a Theme of Rossini, and Manuel Ponce’s Estrellita.

Raised in Cardiff by his mathematician parents Kirill and Claudia, Iván started his cello studies when he was aged five at the Junior Conservatoire of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

By the time he reached his teens he had become so proficient that he went on to the sixth form at The Purcell School, the oldest specialist music school in the UK.

He also attended the Junior Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he held principal cellist positions, was in the Lutine Prize final in 2023 and 2024, and won the coveted Strings Prize.

In Wales he has performed at the Senedd, Llandaff Cathedral, Gregynog Hall and as a soloist with the Cardiff Baroque Orchestra.

An avid interest in chamber music has seen him undertake performances across the UK and to European destinations including France, Italy, Ireland and Malta.

He has established a string quartet and piano trio at the Royal College of Music, and he also regularly appears with pianist friend Benji Lock, of Port Talbot, with whom he hopes to arrange a concert tour of Wales in the near future.

Iván said: “My hope is to learn as much as I can while I am starting my career. I want to absorb myself in the music, try different styles and continue to learn from my tutors and my peers.

“That’s one reason I chose a varied choice of pieces for the Pendine Young Musician of the Year concert. I’m just so keen to push myself, to extend my skills as much as I can and see where it takes me.”

He added: “I am so grateful to have won the £2,000 prize. It makes a big difference and I can’t thank the competition sponsors enough for the way they support young musicians like myself and my fellow finalists. Living and studying in London means that just affording things like accommodation and daily meals can be a big expense. Add to that items like replacement cello strings and being a student musician can get very costly.”

A special performance was also given on the night by last year’s Pendine Young Musician of Wales winner, pianist Rufus Edwards, of Bersham near Wrexham, who said winning the prize had been an important stepping stone in helping push forward his career. 

Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality Sioned Williams says the new Welsh Government will focus on making children’s rights something that is experienced in everyday life, rather than simply a set of principles.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child published its latest assessment of the UK in June 2023. It called for stronger action on a range of issues affecting children, including poverty, discrimination, mental health and inequalities in education and access to services.

One of the Welsh Government’s main priorities is a planned expansion of funded childcare. The aim is eventually to provide 20 hours a week for 48 weeks of the year for every child aged between nine months and four years.

The scheme is being introduced in stages. All 22 Welsh local authorities are currently expected to offer 12.5 hours of funded childcare a week to all two-year-olds by the end of March 2027.

The Welsh Government has also committed an additional £55 million this year to help expand childcare provision, with further work planned to extend the offer to younger children and increase the number of funded hours.

Tackling child poverty is another central part of the plans. Ministers say a new Child Poverty Strategy will include clear targets and measurable outcomes, while work is continuing on the proposed Cynnal Welsh Child Payment.

Free school meals are also being extended to more secondary school pupils in households receiving Universal Credit.

Education is another area highlighted by the Deputy First Minister. A new Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Plan, published earlier this month, sets out measures to improve standards and provide clearer expectations around what children should learn and when. It includes plans for stronger support for reading, writing and numeracy, as well as a national approach to identifying children who may need additional help.

The Welsh Government says it also wants to reduce health inequalities affecting children and improve access to early intervention and preventative services.

It plans to invest in reducing NHS waiting times and developing new surgical and diagnostic hubs, while work is continuing with the National Strategic Clinical Network for Child Health on areas including paediatric waiting times.

Mental health is another priority, with the Welsh Government aiming to move towards same-day access to mental health support. Its wider mental health approach is based on providing support at the point it is needed and reducing unnecessary waits.

The UN Committee specifically identified mental health as one of the areas requiring urgent action in its 2023 assessment of the UK.

The Welsh Government says its approach will involve departments working together on issues including poverty, education, health and wellbeing.

The Deputy First Minister says the aim is to ensure every child in Wales can grow up healthy, supported and able to reach their full potential, with children’s rights reflected in decisions affecting their everyday lives.

The event takes place on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September, with local people able to take advantage of special return fares by showing proof of their address in Conwy County.

Return tickets will cost £5.63 for adults and £4.03 for children aged three to 16. Under-threes travel free, while well-behaved dogs can also make the return journey for £1.55.

The Great Orme Tramway carries around 200,000 passengers to the summit each year and is the only cable-hauled tramway in the UK that runs along a public road.

The service dates back more than 120 years, opening in 1902 to carry passengers between Llandudno and the Great Orme. It was originally operated using four cars and a cable system, with the tramway becoming an important part of the town's tourism industry.

Today, it is one of only three cable-hauled street tramways of its type still operating in the world.

Tramway manager Luke said the Community Weekend had become a popular annual tradition, giving local residents the chance to enjoy one of the area's best-known attractions.

He said it could be easy for people living in Conwy County to take the views and attractions on their doorstep for granted, adding that the team enjoyed seeing local people making use of the historic tramway.

The Tramway will operate from 10am until 6pm on both days, with the final tram leaving the summit at 5.40pm.

The prestigious accolade was officially announced at the AA Hospitality Awards in Mayfair, London, where Daniel and members of the team took to the stage alongside some of the UK's leading chefs and hospitality professionals.

The award places the Bontnewydd restaurant among an elite group recognised for culinary excellence on a national level and comes during the 70th anniversary year of the AA Rosette scheme.

It is the latest in a memorable run of honours for Plas Dinas, which was named Best Hotel in Wales in the Good Hotel Guide's 2026 César Awards and AA Restaurant with Rooms of the Year for Wales 2025.

Owner Annie Perks said: "We knew how much achieving Three Rosettes would mean to Daniel and the team, so finally receiving the news was a fantastic moment for everyone at Plas Dinas.

"It's not something you simply receive following one good inspection. At this level it goes to a panel and there is a lot of scrutiny involved, so we had an anxious wait before finding out.

"Being able to go to London and see the team receive the award on stage, surrounded by many of the UK's best chefs and hospitality professionals, made it even more special.

"They've worked so hard for this and thoroughly deserve the recognition."

The AA has awarded Rosettes since 1956 and describes restaurants achieving Three Rosettes as "outstanding", with standards deserving recognition well beyond their local area.

The award reflects not only the quality and consistency of the food but the high levels of service and overall dining experience, with Daniel and Annie paying tribute to the whole team, including Dylan Thomas, Rupert Loom, Ferdinando Salvestrini and Liga Williamson.

The Gunroom also features in the new AA Restaurant Guide, which highlights its intimate setting at the former home of Lord Snowdon and a menu shaped by the seasons and freshest Welsh produce.

The AA praised its "modern British cooking underpinned by classic skills and technique", highlighting dishes featuring Welsh butter, Anglesey sea salt, Welsh lamb and locally sourced seafood.

Daniel, from Prestatyn, has been Head Chef at The Gunroom since 2018 and has helped establish the restaurant as one of Wales's leading dining destinations.

Working alongside him is a talented kitchen team including pastry specialist Cosmin Scarlet, Aled Jones and Kane Williams.

Kane was previously Head Chef at The Barn at Moor Hall, where he led the team to its first MICHELIN star, and has worked at some of the UK's most celebrated restaurants, including Tom Kerridge's The Hand and Flowers and The Ledbury. He was also Senior Sous Chef at Moor Hall, working alongside chef-patron Mark Birchall.

Daniel said: "Three Rosettes has been a goal of ours for some time, so we're absolutely delighted.

"There's a lot of work behind the scenes that people don't necessarily see. We are constantly looking at the menus, the produce we're using and the whole experience we give people when they come through the door.

"I have a brilliant team around me and that's what makes this possible. Everyone has played their part and it's something we can all be proud of.

"We'll definitely enjoy this one, but we'll also keep working, developing and seeing how far we can take things."

Daniel also represented Wales in the final of BBC Two's Great British Menu in 2025 after winning the Welsh heat, narrowly missing out on a place at the programme's 20th anniversary banquet at Blenheim Palace.

The latest award joins a growing list of honours for Plas Dinas and The Gunroom. The restaurant is listed in the MICHELIN Guide, while Plas Dinas has retained its AA Five-Star Gold status.

Owner Daniel Perks said: "We're incredibly proud of what Daniel and the team have achieved.

"Three Rosettes is a big step and recognition of the standards they are producing day in, day out.

"When you look at the recognition Plas Dinas and The Gunroom have received over the last couple of years, it's incredibly rewarding for the whole team.

"Daniel is always looking ahead and thinking about what can be improved, and that's one of the reasons we've come so far. This is a brilliant moment for the restaurant and for everyone at Plas Dinas."

With Three AA Rosettes now secured and The Gunroom already recognised by the MICHELIN Guide, attention will inevitably turn to what might come next - and whether a first MICHELIN star could be the restaurant's next major milestone.

Denbighshire County Council and Denbighshire Leisure Ltd are supporting the Welsh Blood Service's 80th birthday on Saturday, September 26.

The service has been collecting blood in Wales for eight decades, with thousands of people donating blood, platelets and stem cells to help patients across the country.

As part of the celebrations, DLL will light up its buildings and attractions in red, joining organisations across Wales in creating a "red Wales" in recognition of donors.

Jamie Groves, Managing Director of Denbighshire Leisure Limited, said every donation had the potential to make a life-changing difference to someone and their family.

He said lighting buildings in red was a small but meaningful way of thanking donors and raising awareness of the need for people to come forward.

Denbighshire County Council is also supporting the celebrations.

Councillor Huw Hilditch-Roberts, Deputy Leader of the council, said the 80th anniversary was an opportunity to recognise the generosity of people who had donated over the past eight decades.

He also encouraged people to find out more about becoming a blood donor if they are able to do so.

Alan Prosser, Director of the Welsh Blood Service, said the anniversary belonged to every donor who had given their time and blood to help someone they may never meet.

The Welsh Blood Service is encouraging organisations across Wales to take part in the "lighting the country red" celebration on September 26.

People interested in becoming a blood donor can find out more through the Welsh Blood Service.

The project, called Kids on Ket, has been developed by The Denbigh Workshop in partnership with Flintshire Sorted, Barnardo's and North Wales Police.

It forms part of the wider I Wish Someone Had Told Me campaign, which aims to reduce ketamine use among young people across the region.

The project was developed after The Denbigh Workshop's youth panel, made up of local people aged between seven and 16, identified ketamine misuse as an issue affecting young people.

Two actors will visit 15 schools across North Wales to deliver 40-minute interactive workshops combining theatre, storytelling and discussion.

The production focuses on the consequences of drug and alcohol misuse, including the severe physical damage that can result from ketamine use.

The story follows a mother who is told by a nurse that her daughter will need to use a urostomy bag for the rest of her life following ketamine addiction and alcohol misuse.

The workshops are designed to encourage young people to question misconceptions about ketamine and understand the potential long-term impact on their health, relationships, education and future.

Tracy Spencer from The Denbigh Workshop said the project had been developed after speaking to police, drug and alcohol services and families affected by ketamine use.

North Wales Police Youth Engagement and Intervention Officer PC Mel Cartledge said the campaign was about giving young people information and real-life experiences that could help them make safer choices.

She said ketamine was sometimes wrongly viewed as a low-risk drug, while the force continued to see serious harm associated with its use, including bladder damage and addiction.

The Kids on Ket project will now be delivered in schools across North Wales as part of efforts to encourage earlier and more informed conversations about drug use.

The charity's annual Moonlight Walk took place on Saturday, September 12, with people taking part alongside family, friends and colleagues.

Volunteer marshals guided walkers along the route with glow sticks, while entertainment was provided by the Rock Choir and Batala Bangor.

For some participants, the event was a chance to enjoy a community night out, while others took part to remember loved ones who had received care from St David's Hospice.

Christine Owen, who completed the walk, said her mother had been cared for at the hospice last year "with so much love and dignity".

All ticket proceeds and donations from the event go towards the hospice, which supports more than 2,000 patients and their families each year across Conwy, Gwynedd and Anglesey.

St David's Hospice Events Fundraiser Jade Evans thanked everyone who took part, as well as the volunteers and organisations who supported the event.

She said every penny raised makes a difference to the hospice's services and the support it provides to patients and their families.

Christina Giannini Spencer was 56 when becoming a grandmother and starting work at Kids Planet Day Nursery in Llandudno prompted her to follow a lifelong ambition to work with children.

Christina, who moved to Wales from Italy ten years ago, enrolled at Coleg Cambria to gain a Level 2 qualification in Children's Care, Play, Learning and Development.

She achieved more than 90 per cent in both Application of Number and Communication before being named Childcare and Playwork Work-Based Learner of the Year 2026 at the college's Student Awards.

Christina says returning to education transformed her life and gave her the confidence to pursue a career she had dreamed about since childhood.

She says education has always been part of her family background and that she had wanted to become a teacher, but her career had taken her in a different direction.

Her return to learning wasn't without its challenges, including exams and complex safeguarding modules, but she credits her tutor, Anna Edwards, with helping her through the course.

Christina has since continued her studies, taking evening Welsh classes at Coleg Cambria to improve her confidence using the language with children.

She has now secured a position at a secondary school in Abergele and is continuing her Welsh studies while working towards a Supporting Teaching and Learning qualification.

Christina says completing her first course felt less like an ending and more like the beginning of a new chapter.

Her story is being highlighted during Adult Learners' Week, which promotes the opportunities available to adults returning to education and training across Wales.

Her tutor Anna Edwards said Christina's determination and enthusiasm had been inspirational, adding that her award was "richly deserved".

Adult Learners' Week is encouraging people across Wales to explore how education and training could help develop their skills, confidence and career opportunities.

The former deputy leader takes over from Dan Thomas, who stepped down from the role last week after being arrested on suspicion of assault and controlling or coercive behaviour. Thomas has said he has done nothing wrong and was released without charge.

Jenner was elected by Reform's Senedd members at a vote on Monday morning and will now lead the party's group in the Welsh Parliament.

The new Reform Wales leader represents the Bangor Conwy Môn constituency, which covers communities across parts of Conwy and Anglesey, as well as Bangor.

She was elected to the Senedd in May and had served as Reform's deputy leader since April.

Jenner grew up on Anglesey and studied at Bangor University. She previously worked as a teacher for 15 years and has been Reform's Shadow Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language since her election.

Speaking outside the Senedd in Cardiff, she said she was "thrilled" to have the backing of her colleagues.

She said voters had given Reform a clear mandate at the Senedd election and that the party would continue to push for change in Cardiff Bay.

Nigel Farage, who announced Jenner's appointment, described her as a "determined campaigner" and said he had known her for many years.

Reform became the second-largest group in the Senedd following May's election. In Bangor Conwy Môn, the party won two of the constituency's six seats, with Jenner among those elected.

The leadership vote was held among Reform's 33 Senedd members. Jenner said fellow Senedd member Jason O'Connell had also stood for the leadership.

Farage said a vote would be held on Tuesday to choose a new deputy leader for Reform in Wales, following Jenner's move into the top job.

The not-for-profit organisation behind the event says a number of traders have withdrawn in recent weeks, while payments from some confirmed stallholders remain outstanding.

Organisers say that has left them unable to cover the substantial costs involved in putting on the event, including infrastructure, entertainment, security, licensing and other operational costs.

They say they had hoped to continue with the Christmas event, but have now concluded that it would not be financially viable to do so.

The organisers have apologised to stallholders and visitors who were looking forward to the event, and thanked those traders who had committed to taking part and paid their fees.

Any stallholder who has already made a payment will receive a full refund.

The cancellation only affects this year’s Christmas event. The annual Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza is still due to take place from May 1st to 3rd, 2027.

The £29.4 million project was originally planned to open in early 2025 and is designed to increase the number of planned orthopaedic operations carried out in North Wales, particularly hip and knee procedures.

The Health Board says the latest delay is linked to the comprehensive checks needed before the facility can safely begin treating patients. These include testing its systems, equipment and environmental controls.

The project has faced a series of delays. Earlier in 2026, Betsi Cadwaladr said the development had been affected by the complexity of delivering the scheme on a live hospital site. Previous updates had also highlighted issues around staffing and operational readiness.

The hub will include two theatres, additional beds and an enhanced recovery unit. Betsi Cadwaladr says it is intended to provide around 1,900 procedures a year and allow more planned surgery to take place away from the pressures of emergency hospital care.

Once operational, orthopaedic procedures currently carried out at Abergele are expected to move to the new facility, allowing the service to operate for more weeks of the year and increase surgical capacity. Patients will still be able to have surgery at their local district general hospital where appropriate.

The delays have attracted concern from local politicians, including Bangor Conwy Môn Member of the Welsh Parliament Janet Finch-Saunders.

She said the facility was intended to take pressure off existing hospitals and reduce waiting lists, adding that patients who had already waited months or years for treatment needed to see the hub opened.

She also claimed that a senior clinician had told her that the existing orthopaedic theatre at Abergele was averaging 12 operating sessions a week against a target of 20.

However, she acknowledged that the final checks were necessary, saying: “While it is essential that these rigorous checks are undertaken, they should have been factored into the original opening date.”

The need for additional orthopaedic capacity in North Wales has been recognised for several years. An Audit Wales review found that short-term surgical cancellations had been affected by unscheduled care pressures and wider capacity issues, while the Llandudno hub was intended to help protect planned operations from those pressures.

There have also been improvements in orthopaedic waiting times. Welsh Government figures presented to the Senedd in February showed an 81% reduction in the number of orthopaedic pathways waiting more than two years, although the new Llandudno facility had still not opened.

The Health Board says the priority now is to complete the remaining checks and ensure the hub is safe, fully equipped and ready to provide care before patients are brought in.