What happened near The Brondanw Arms
A weekend night out in a quiet Gwynedd village ended with a serious attack, two arrests, and a hunt for video evidence. Police say a man was left with serious injuries after an incident near The Brondanw Arms in Llanfrothen at around 11pm on Saturday, 30 August. Officers were called to the scene following reports of an assault and are now piecing together exactly what happened in the minutes before and after the violence.
Two men were arrested in connection with the case—a 61-year-old and a 40-year-old. Both have been bailed with conditions while enquiries continue. That means they have not been charged at this stage and must follow specific rules set by police while the investigation moves forward. Those conditions typically include things like not contacting certain people or staying away from a particular location, though police have not detailed the terms in this case.
PC Aled Morris, who is leading the investigation, said officers are still working through lines of enquiry and need help from anyone who was in or around the pub at the time. He believes the incident may have been captured on mobile phones. That kind of footage can be crucial—short clips often show angles and moments that fixed cameras miss, and the audio can help confirm who said what and when.
The area around The Brondanw Arms is a local hub on a Saturday night, with people heading home on foot or by car after last orders. Even those who didn’t see the assault could have recorded something useful without realising it, such as a crowd forming, raised voices, or people leaving in a hurry. Dashcams, doorbell cameras, or parking lot CCTV can fill in gaps and help confirm the timing of events.
The victim, who has not been named, is described as having serious injuries. Police have not released further details about his condition. In cases like this, investigators focus on building a clear timeline: when the first report came in, the exact location where the assault began, and the direction people moved after it ended. They also look at whether there were any disagreements earlier in the evening, inside or outside the pub, that might have escalated.
This Gwynedd assault has prompted a familiar but urgent request from detectives: if you were there, even briefly, tell them what you saw. Small details matter—clothing, accents, a distinctive car, the order people arrived or left. Investigators often combine dozens of fragments from different witnesses to map out where each person was standing and who interacted with whom.
Police appeal, what investigators need, and how the community can help
Officers are asking anyone with information or footage to contact them via the police website or by calling 101, quoting reference 25000720697. If you have video, do not edit it before sharing. Keep the original file with the time and date data intact. That metadata can make the difference between a lead that stands up and one that doesn’t.
Not sure if what you have is useful? Investigators say send it anyway. A five-second clip that shows who was present, what they were wearing, or which way someone ran can support other evidence. If you were driving through Llanfrothen around 11pm that night, check your dashcam between roughly 10:30pm and 11:30pm. If you live nearby, review any doorbell or security recordings for the same window.
- Preserve the original video file, including the timestamp, and avoid filters or cropping.
- Note the exact time and where you were standing or driving when you filmed it.
- If you witnessed anything, write down what you remember now—details fade fast after a few days.
- If you heard anything before or after the incident—shouting, a name, a car door slamming—include that in your report.
Police have not said whether they are looking for additional suspects, but appeals like this often aim to confirm the movements of everyone involved and verify the sequence of events. Witness statements can also clarify whether there were any earlier flashpoints in the evening, either inside the pub or just outside on the roadside.
Bail with conditions is standard in serious assault cases while detectives review accounts, examine any medical reports, and compare witness timelines with video. If new evidence emerges, those conditions can be reviewed, and suspects can be re-interviewed. The goal is to establish what happened, who used force, and whether anyone acted in self-defence or escalated the situation.
Llanfrothen isn’t a place that expects a heavy police presence on a Saturday night. That’s why community cooperation tends to be strong when something like this happens. People talk, and those conversations often produce a new detail—a first name, a car model, or a note about where someone went after the incident. Police say even second-hand information can be valuable if it points them to someone who was there.
If you were nearby but left before officers arrived, you can still help. Think back to your route home. Did you pass a group walking away from the pub? Did you notice anyone with torn clothing, a cut, or someone helping another person to a car? Did a friend mention seeing something odd on social media that night? Report it and include screenshots if you have them.
Officers are reminding people not to share speculation online. It can affect witness memories and complicate the investigation. If you have a tip, give it directly to police using the reference 25000720697. If you’re unsure whether your information is relevant, call 101 and let an officer decide.
For now, the focus remains on finding any witnesses who were in the area at around 11pm on Saturday, 30 August, and collecting unedited footage from phones, dashcams, and home cameras. Police say the investigation is active, and more updates will follow as they verify accounts and review the evidence.
