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A charity is calling for the practice of giving pets away as prizes to be banned.

RSPCA Cymru said more than four in five adults in Wales think local authorities should ban giving pets as prizes on land owned by councils.

So far, 12 local authorities in Wales have already forbidden the practice but the charity is urging more to introduce a ban.

The councils already enforcing a ban are Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Conwy, Flintshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Torfaen County Borough, the Vale of Glamorgan and Wrexham.

While some localised action has been taken by town and community councils, the practice is still allowed in 10 council areas in Wales.

The Animal Welfare Act 2006 made it an offence for anyone believed to be under 16 and not accompanied by an adult to be given an animal as a prize.

In England, 34 local authorities have taken action, while in Scotland it’s an offence to give an animal away as a prize to anyone regardless of age in most circumstances.

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The charity is also urging the Welsh and UK governments to act on a national level and introduce legislation.

RSCPA Cymru’s public affairs officer, Sioned Nikolic, said there was “strong public support” for further action to be taken.

“Ahead of the summer holidays – as fairs and shows become more commonplace – we’re urging our supporters to help us spread the message that this outdated practice needs to be placed well and firmly into the history books,” she said.

Holly Homer from Caerphilly has campaigned on the matter and in 2020 handed a petition to the Senedd calling for a ban on pets as prizes.

“The campaign is crucial to the welfare of many animals across the country,” she said.

“Unfortunately, many animals – mainly goldfish – are still disturbingly viewed as an object or a simple prize to bring us short-term pleasure – only to live an unnecessarily short life of neglect and pain.”

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A Welsh government spokesperson said it planned to “introduce a broad range of policies” in this area.

“Our Animal Welfare Plan for Wales sets out how we will deliver our Programme for Government commitments in this area,” the spokesperson added.

“During this government’s term, we will introduce a broad range of policies building on our high welfare standards for farmed, companion and other kept animals.

“Local authorities are able to take action to prohibit the activity of giving animals as prizes at events held on council-owned land and we are aware several have already.”

A spokesperson from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said it was “an offence to cause an animal any unnecessary suffering”.

“We are clear that if anyone considers that an animal is suffering at a fair then they should report it to the relevant local authority who have powers to investigate such matters.”

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Man arrested on suspicion of murder after woman shot dead in Talbot Green, South Wales

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Man arrested on suspicion of murder after woman shot dead in Talbot Green, South Wales

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 40-year-old woman was shot dead in South Wales.

The woman was found with serious injuries just after 6pm on Sunday and died at the scene despite the efforts of emergency services.

She was discovered in the Green Park area of Talbot Green, a town about 15 miles west of Cardiff.

A 42-year-old local man is in police custody.

Detective Chief Inspector James Morris said: “I understand the concern this will cause the local community, and I want to reassure people that a team of experienced detectives are already working at pace to piece together the events of last night.”

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South Wales Police said a number of crime scenes have been set up and road closures are in place.

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Drivers ‘confused’ by transition to electric vehicles, ministers warned

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Drivers 'confused' by transition to electric vehicles, ministers warned

UK drivers are “confused” by the country’s electric car transition, ministers are being warned.

Although most drivers are not hostile towards electric vehicles (EVs), many are confused about what changes are coming and when, according to new research from the AA.

In a survey of more than 14,000 AA members, 7% thought the government was banning the sale of used petrol and diesel cars.

Around a third thought manual EVs exist, despite them all being automatic.

More than one in five said they would never buy an EV.

The government’s plan for increasing the number of electric vehicles being driven in the UK focuses heavily on increasing the supply of the vehicles.

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What you can do to reach net zero

In 2024, at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK had to be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric.

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Each year, those percentages will rise, reaching 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans in 2030.

Manufacturers will face fines of £15,000 per vehicle if electric vehicle sales fall short of 28% of total production this year.

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By 2035, all new cars and vans will be required to be fully zero emission, according to the Department for Transport.

Second-hand diesel and petrol cars will still be allowed to be sold after this date, and their fuel will still be available.

There are more EVs – but will people buy them?

In February, 25% of new cars were powered purely by battery and in January, they made up 21% of all new cars registered in the UK.

But despite the growth of electric sales, manufacturers continue to warn that the market will not support the growth required to hit government EV targets, and called for consumer incentives and the extension of tax breaks.

The AA suggested the government’s plan focuses on “supply but does little to encourage demand for EVs”.

It called on ministers to co-ordinate a public awareness campaign alongside the motoring industry which directly targets drivers who doubt the viability of EVs.

“Our message to government is more needs to be done to make EVs accessible for everyone,” said Jakob Pfaudler, AA chief executive.

Which? head of consumer rights Sue Davis said: “When it comes to making sustainable choices such as switching to an electric car, our research shows that people are often held back by high costs, complex choices or uncertainty.

“The government needs to provide the right information on electric vehicles and other sustainable choices so that people have the confidence to switch.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We’re investing over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs.

“This includes installing a public charge point every 28 minutes, keeping EV incentives in the company car tax regime to 2030, and extending 100% first-year allowances for zero-emission cars for another year.

“Second-hand EVs are also becoming cheaper than ever, with one in three available under £20,000 and 21 brand new models available for less than £30,000.

“We’re seeing growing consumer confidence as a result.”

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Man charged after climbing Big Ben’s Elizabeth Tower

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Man charged after climbing Big Ben's Elizabeth Tower

A man has been charged after climbing up the tower of Big Ben, the Metropolitan Police has said.

Daniel Day, 29, of Palmerston Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, faces charges of intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance and trespassing on a protected site.

He will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court later today.

Police were called to reports of a man climbing up Elizabeth Tower at 7.24am on Saturday.

The man was carrying a Palestinian flag and remained barefoot on a ledge for more than 16 hours before being lifted to the ground in a cherry picker just after midnight.

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Westminster Bridge was forced to close to traffic during the morning, as tourists in central London stood around watching the spectacle.

Police said specialist officers worked with the fire brigade “to bring this incident to a close as quickly as possible whilst minimising risk to life”.

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