I am a duty solicitor in west Wales. On 7 August I received a panel call from the Defence Solicitor Call Centre asking if I could respond to a police station attendance out of my area as the centre had been unable to get anyone closer to accept it. The call was to Dolgellau police station.
I live near Carmarthen. According to the AA Route Planner, the shortest route would have required a round trip of almost 150 miles and taken a little over four hours.
This is the second time I have been asked to attend that station. The previous request was on a Christmas night. I declined both.
This speaks of the lack of provision for legal services in rural areas, the lack of knowledge of the geography or both. I increasingly believe that inside the M25, Wales is viewed as being the size of a modest English county. I am sure that colleagues in other areas of England and Wales have similar experiences.
Peter Rhys Jones, Randell Lloyd & Martin, Llanelli
