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A new crime map shows Cardiff hotspots where three crimes have been committed every day, the South Wales Echo has revealed. Statistics obtained from South Wales Police show that more than 1,000 crimes a year were committed on Queen Street, Newport Road and St Mary Street in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

The police cuts timetable in England and Wales needs a rethink since it makes it hard to protect front-line services, says the Association of Police Authorities (APA). Budgeting measures over the next four years are due to start with 8% reductions in 2012-13, and a phasing-down in the years after that.

A councillor has criticised “life-threatening” parking which takes place when Cardiff City are at home. Ramesh Patel said he found dangerous parking on corners and junctions while walking around his Canton ward, which is a popular parking spot on Saturdays when the Bluebirds play at the Cardiff City Stadium. He said: “It is dangerous to the extent that it is putting people’s lives at risk.

The latest Home Office figures for June 2009/10 showed that, mirroring the UK trend, crimes recorded by police in Wales fell by almost a tenth. The Welsh force with the biggest fall in recorded crime was South Wales Police, which plummeted 13.3% to the same level as 25 years ago. South Wales Police said their figures had not been as low since 1985 and were the equivalent of 42 fewer victims of crime per day.

When immigration officials searched caravans used as employee accommodation in a Gwynedd abattoir’s car park they discovered illegal workers. The offenders were of various nationalities, said the border control agency of the men (one of whom worked as a cleaner), at the Sher Foods depot in Caernarfon. Two were arrested and remain in detention pending their removal from the UK, while two others placed on immigration bail.

A children’s entertainer is appealing to thieves to return his unicycle which has been stolen in Swansea. Uncle Sam lost the 6ft (2m) tall chrome giraffe unicycle during the theft. South Wales Police said they were investigating a break-in at an address in the Morriston area of the city.

Some police forces in Wales have stopped recruiting new officers due to budget cut fears. Dyfed-Powys has suspended its next intake of officers while South Wales Police is filling officer vacancies but has frozen civilian posts. North Wales Police said it introduced a freeze on both officer and civilian recruitment in April and it would remain in place until at least the end of the financial year. This has led to concern over rising crime levels.

Police are using surveillance images to solve an incident when a man in a Halloween disguise robbed a petrol station in Cardiff armed with an axe. The robbery at the Co-op garage on Llantrisant Road in Danescourt, Llandaff happened just after midnight a week ago on Monday. He threatened a female member of staff before demanding cash. Police want to trace a man who bought the same type of mask from the garage two weeks ago.

Police are using surveillance images to solve an incident when a man in a Halloween disguise robbed a petrol station in Cardiff armed with an axe. The robbery at the Co-op garage on Llantrisant Road in Danescourt, Llandaff happened just after midnight a week ago on Monday. He threatened a female member of staff before demanding cash. Police want to trace a man who bought the same type of mask from the garage two weeks ago.

Cardiff police have released CCTV images of a man they would like to speak to in connection with an assault on a student. Officers say a 20-year-old woman was walking home from the city centre in the early hours of September 26 when she was attacked in Cathays Terrace. The man they wish to speak to is seen on CCTV footage walking with her through the Cathays area. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Cathays CID on 02920 527 267.

Students are being warned not to overload electrical sockets after a halls of residence in Bangor was evacuated. The incident at Cefn y Coed on the Ffriddoedd site on Monday was a result of an electrical short circuit.

A prominent Minister has been angered by publicly stated concerns about police cuts. Key finance figure Danny Alexander said the Police Federation – which represents rank-and-file officers in England and Wales – was being “irresponsible” when it did not even know yet how deep the cuts would be. The body said that forces would suffer if they were required to find cuts in the order of 25%.