POLICE and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn and a group of Dyfed-Powys police officers completed their 500-mile cycle ride challenge, #TourdeForce, in just five days.

The group called in at every police station in the Dyfed-Powys Police force area finishing at force HQ in Camarthen.

The ride had the aim of raising money for charity while also launching Dafydd Llywelyn’s Safer Dyfed-Powys Diogel charity.

The ride saw the PCC and police officers take in all the police stations in the four counties that make up the Dyfed-Powys Police Force area – Powys, Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Camarthenshire.

Mr Llywelyn, who was accompanied by Chief Inspector Matt Scrase, PC Mark Thomas and Jonny Griffiths from the National Police Air Service, said it was hard to single out the highlights, but the view of Crai reservoir, as they cycled to the police station in Ystradgynlais on Friday had to be one of them. Other highlights included cycling downhill from Crymych to Cardigan on the Tuesday while the ride up Saundersfoot Hill on the Monday and the north Powys hills on Wednesday had been “really challenging”.

On Wednesday night the cyclists were welcomed to Llandrindod Wells by the town’s mayor Cllr Jon Williams. During the evening Mr Llewelyn attended a community reception at the Radnorshire Museum where he addressed local people about his new charity.

On Thursday the cyclists moved on to Brecon, where they visited Brecon police station and popped into Brecon Rugby Club to again address local people about the aims of his charity.

Mr Llywelyn said: “I’d like to say a big thank you to all those that have supported us along the way – it really helped to spur us on and keep our spirits up. And the evening engagement events at the end of a long day cycling have been great – it’s been brilliant meeting members of the community in this way, and being able to talk to them about the charity Safer Dyfed-Powys Diogel, and the opportunities this new charity has to offer young people in our communities.”

Mr Llywelyn said Safer Dyfed-Powys Diogel will have the objective  of providing community safety advice, promoting crime prevention and education and information about community safety to all the communities in Dyfed Powys. It is anticipated  that  in time the charity will develop lots of community focused projects.