Police have arrested a man who was found "rooting through christmas presents" after an alleged burglary. Local officers said, "In the early hours of Saturday 27th December 2025, Rota 1 Officers received reports of a Burglary in the Penycae area where a male had broken into a residential property and was rooting through children's christmas presents "Shortly before Officer attendance, the male fled the property after being confronted by the homeowner…

UK Government have said over 100 mobile network masts have now been upgraded to deliver 4G coverage from all major mobile network operators – a "major milestone" to end mobile total-not-spots through the Shared Rural Network programme. Wrexham has one area of apparent improvement in Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog in the list highlighted by UK Gov. The Shared Rural Network is a joint programme between the government and the UK’s mobile network operators EE, Virgin Media O2 and VodafoneThree to improve rural coverage across Britain.

For anyone who’s ever dreamed of working with elephants, this could be the perfect opportunity. Chester Zoo has announced a rare opening for a Keeper – Elephants, offering the chance to join the team caring for its breeding group of endangered Asian elephants. The permanent, full-time role sits within the zoo’s Animal and Plant Directorate and provides an opportunity to contribute directly to global conservation and animal welfare.

Health in North Wales is shaped long before people visit a GP or hospital, according to a new public health report which calls for action on the root causes of illness and inequality. The Director of Public Health Annual Report for 2025, titled Building Health, has been published by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and examines how everyday conditions influence how long and how well people live .

Coleg Cambria has launched a new series of trailblazing flexible higher education courses. The college is continuing to transform the landscape of further and higher education with the expansion of its HN Flex model – an innovative, bitesize and accessible approach to learning designed for people who want to study around their busy lives. Following the HNC Flex in Business at Northop - unveiled earlier this year - Cambria University Centre is rolling out a full series of Higher National unit delivery, giving learners even greater choice and flexibility in how they study.

Wrexham councillors backed a proposal to hold an annual Covid remembrance day and to support plans for a national commemoration. v.1

A contractor has been appointed to deliver a replacement school for St Mary’s Brymbo VA CiW Primary School. In autumn 2024, executive board members agreed to increase admission numbers from 154 to 210 at the school, along with relocating the school to the old Brymbo Steelworks site. This would allow for a possible further expansion to 315 spaces. Speaking at the time, officials said the changes were needed to meet an increased demand caused by new housing developments and address constraints at the existing school site.

Football clubs across Wrexham and Wales are being urged to take part in a free online mental health training course to help coaches support players and create positive sporting environments. The course, delivered by Mind Cymru and UK Coaching, aims to increase understanding of mental health and help coaches feel more confident in supporting people who may be struggling. Around 200 football clubs across Wales have already completed the e-learning course, with many more places still available.

HM Revenue and Customs has issued a warning after more than 4,800 Self Assessment scams were reported to the department since February 2025. HMRC said scammers are using persuasive and threatening tactics to target people at a time when they are more likely to be expecting genuine correspondence about their tax affairs. The scams often involve fake tax demands or attempts to pressure individuals into sharing personal or financial information. In the last 10 months, HMRC has received more than 135,500 reports of suspected scams linked to the department. This includes around 29,000 scams referring to fake tax refund claims.

North Wales Senedd Member Sam Rowlands has raised concerns in about the future of hospitality businesses in the region, calling on the Welsh Government to provide further support in the forthcoming budget. The comments came after Senedd Members unanimously approved regulations introducing a transitional relief scheme for businesses facing significant increases in non-domestic rates following a revaluation due to take effect in April 2026.

Wrexham residents can now book places on the city’s newest afro hair care workshops – designed to give parents, carers, hairdressers and families practical skills to confidently care for textured hair. Funded by the Welsh Government Culture Grant Scheme, administered by Adferiad, and delivered by Done Together CIC, who say the "...programme reflects national concerns highlighted by the BBC, showing that Wrexham is taking proactive steps to address a gap that affects families across the UK".

A special cycling project led by Beicio Cymru and The Venture Children’s Centre in Caia Park has helped over 25 girls to learn to ride a bike for the very first time. The 'Cycling at The Venture' project launched in April and has been funded by Actif North Wales’ Innovation Fund, thanks to Sport Wales’ National Lottery investment. The sessions were overseen by experienced cycling coach, Cheri Mills, who has previously supported people of all ages to overcome barriers and start cycling.

The Welsh Ambulance Service has appointed a Substance Misuse Adviser. Sarah Taylor, a registered mental health nurse, will deliver specialist training to frontline and remote care clinicians on how best to support people affected by substance misuse. The new appointment is part of the Trust’s broader ambition to protect and support vulnerable people and ensure staff have the skills and confidence to care for those with complex needs. Sarah, a former police inspector will also work with health boards, police, local authorities and social care partners to ensure patients who misuse alcohol or drugs get safe, respectful and timely help.

Nearly four in 10 disabled children in Wales “never or hardly ever” play outside due to a “heartbreaking” lack of accessible parks, politicians have warned. Rhys ab Owen, an independent, described the situation as “disgraceful” as he cited a Play Wales report showing 37% of disabled children are effectively shut out of playgrounds. Leading a debate in the Senedd on Wednesday (December 17), he read the testimony of a 10-year-old boy from Blaenau Gwent who said: “Nowhere disabled friendly – parks haven’t got disabled friendly equipment, so I can’t play.”

A housing association serving communities across North and Mid Wales has thanked residents, staff and contractors after collecting over £6,500 worth of food and essential items for families in need this Christmas. ClwydAlyn Housing’s annual foodbank collection, now in its sixth year, was organised by staff in partnership with suppliers, partners, contractors and residents. Donations were gathered from ClwydAlyn’s residential and community schemes and at its St Asaph head office, before being distributed to 11 local foodbanks across the region.

Extra police patrols and targeted enforcement have been rolled out across North Wales as part of a UK-wide crackdown on crime and anti-social behaviour this Christmas. North Wales Police and Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin are taking part in the government-funded “Winter of Action”, aimed at tackling shoplifting, street crime and anti-social behaviour during the festive period. The initiative has seen an increase high-visibility patrols in town and city centres, particularly during busy shopping and late-night trading periods.

Hundreds of ambulance staff from across Wales will receive a traditional festive lunch on Christmas Day, thanks to the Welsh Ambulance Service Charity and a host of local hospitality businesses. This year, more than 700 members of staff will be treated to Christmas meals prepared by pubs, hotels, and restaurants across Wales to show appreciation for those on duty on December 25.

A grandad of two from North Wales has raised £2,500 for the Wales Air Ambulance after trekking more than 50 miles over eight days in the Himalayas. John Swinburne, 70, from Llanarmon-Yn-Ial, a former mountain rescue team member in North Wales, took on the solo challenge to raise awareness and funds for the lifesaving charity. John trekked to the base camp of Annapurna I, the world’s 10th highest mountain, reaching an altitude of 4,130 metres in the glacial basin known as The Sanctuary.

Cycling 4 All, the all-ability cycling charity based at Alyn Waters Country Park in Wrexham, has raised over £2,800 at a festive Christmas Bazaar held on 27 November 2025. The event, generously hosted at Grosvenor’s Eaton Estate by kind permission of the Duke and Duchess of Westminster, raised an impressive £2,840 to support the charity’s vital work providing inclusive cycling opportunities for people of all ages and abilities.

Two Wrexham University students have been recognised by The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Wales Cymru for their excellence. Maya Waud, a Construction Management student who graduated in October this year with first class honours, received the Certificate of Excellence from the CIOB for achieving the highest degree score in the 2025 cohort on the CIOB accredited programme. Maya previously worked for a housing association, started the degree funded by her workplace and studied part-time. She now works for Anwyl Homes as a Land Buyer, who continued to fund the degree.

Wrexham.com has invited the Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd for Wrexham, Clwyd South and Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr to reflect on the past 12 months and to share a Christmas message with our readers. Andrew Ranger – MP for Wrexham As Christmas approaches it is a time for us to reflect, to spend time with loved ones and enjoy some of the many festive activities and celebrations our community offers.

"Matter time before somebody is seriously hurt" v.1

The Wrexham Foodbank has received a £120,000 funding boost to support its work within the community for the next two years. The charity, based on the Rhosddu Industrial Estate, will receive £60,000 a year until 2027 thanks to support from Wrexham Council and the Welsh Government Emergency Aid Funding. Every year the foodbank provides thousands of emergency food parcels to households across the county borough.

Gwenfro Community Primary School has teamed up with local artist, Mikey Jones, to raise money in aid of Shelter Cymru. Working together, the pupils and Mikey created a large mural painting to show what "home" meant to them. The end product was vibrant piece of art that will be on display at the school for years to come. They also helped to raise £290 for Shelter Cymru. Mikey Jones, who is also a regional fundraiser for Shelter Cymru, said: "It was an amazing experience to work with the pupils at Gwenfro School, they were so polite, creative and a joy to be around.

A magical winter wonderland has created precious festive memories for families at Hope House children's hospice. The yuletide event saw a festive light route installed across the grounds of the Oswestry-based organisation for children and their families to enjoy. There was also a fully accessible ice-skating rink where families could all skate together as well as performers, singers and entertainers, food and drink and of course a visit from Santa too.