Gwent Police and Crime Commissioner Ian Johnston has pledged to keep police stations in Caerphilly, Ystrad Mynach and Risca open.

A spokesman for homeless charity Shelter Cymru said: “We certainly agree that things are getting more difficult for a lot of people for a range of reasons connected with welfare reform, cost of living and low incomes.

“One worrying trend we have identified is the rise in social housing evictions in 2014, which does seem to support Cais’s view that people are running out of options.”

The Welsh government said more than £11m will be spent on tackling homelessness in the 2015/16 financial year.

A spokesman said the latest figures showed an 8% fall in homelessness between April and June 2014, which he described as “promising”.

“In April next year, the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 will come into effect which puts a greater emphasis on preventing people from losing their home and providing better services to those who are homeless,” he added.

The tragic loss of Air Asia Flight 8501,which fell into the Java Sea on December 28 on the way from Surabaya in Indonesia to Singapore, has hit Surabaya’s Christian community especially hard.

Fully a quarter of the 162 passengers and crew who died were from one church. Pastor Philip Mantofa of Sura-baya’s Mawar Sharon Church discovered that 41 of his congregation were on the plane, most of them travelling to Singapore on holiday.

The Thanksgiving Service for Ice (Wales) is to be held ,
19th January, at 7.30 p.m. when the speaker will be Rev. Jeremy Bailey from
Port Talbot.

Police are warning motorists to be vigilant after a spate of number plate thefts.

The warning comes after eight reported thefts of number plates within the last week, with peak areas including Bargoed, Bedwas, Risca and Ystrad Mynach.

Detective Inspector Nick Wilkie, of Gwent Police, said: “Stolen index plates may be used to disguise the identity of cars used in a wide range of crimes, such as the theft of fuel from forecourts, avoidance of speeding charges and parking fines, vehicle cloning, ram raids and burglary.

“We’re urging people to contact us if they do have their number plates stolen. It may seem trivial at the time, but it’s no fun if you start receiving fixed penalty fines or are suspected of committing serious crimes yourself as a result.”

HOMELESS and vulnerable people in Newport are invited to attend a city church to enjoy food, companionship and shelter this Christmas.

Stow Park Church in Newport are opening their doors even wider next week as they hold a ‘Christmas week drop in’ for homeless people in the city to come and have breakfast and lunch for free at the church.

Homeless and vulnerable people can attend the church from 10am to 3pm Monday to Friday next week with the usual weekend breakfast resuming on Saturday. The church is not providing overnight accommodation but shelter during the day.

Those wanting to attend the Christmas lunch on Thursday should ask for Liz at the church before Monday to receive a free ticket.

For more information the church can be contacted on 01633 843730.